ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • H.E.A.T – Extra Force

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.heatsweden.com/ Very few hard rock acts are as interesting and cool as the Swedish phenomenon H.E.A.T are, and Extra Force is the perfect illustration of why that is. Comprised of a couple of brand-new studio recordings (‘Freedom’ and ‘Will You Be’), some classic tracks by the band that were originally sung…

  • H.E.A.T – Freedom Rock (2023 Remix)

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.heatsweden.com/ Yes, this is just what the good hard rock doctor ordered for a dismal day at work – a brand-new and sparkling remix of the excellent Freedom Rock, i.e., the second full-length LP by Swedish legends H.E.A.T, which originally came out in 2010.   It should come as no surprise…

  • DGM – Life

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/dgmprog DGM hails from Italy and is one of the coolest and most inspiring progressive metal acts out there in the humble opinion of this scribe, and Life once again sees them firing on all cylinders from beginning to end and delivering ten enticing and elegantly composed songs that are positively…

  • SECRET SPHERE – Blackened Heartbeat

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/secretsphere The Italian power metal outfit Secret Sphere rarely fails to impress me, and Blackened Heartbeat sees them deliver their most memorable opus to date. I cannot recall them ever having written such catchy and pleasing tunes as the ones that this LP is comprised off, and you get rip-roaring metal…

  • SOLEDRIVER – Return Me to Light

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1uDc5JEr1w The premise and idea of having Michael Sweet (Stryper, Sweet and Lynch, Sunbomb) and Alessandro Del Vecchio team up was an interesting one, and I was looking forward to Return Me to Light, but sadly, it turned out to be somewhat disappointing and lackluster. There is no denying the musical…

  • ERSTWHILE – Ancient Steel

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://erstwhilebm.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-steel I became aware of this melancholy black metal duo not that long ago thanks to the brilliant and ever-reliable Regimental Records who released the Steeling of a Soul album by Erstwhile on CD. This 3-track EP is hauntingly effective and drenched in an impressively solemn atmosphere that is underlined and…

  • HUGO’S VOYAGE – Inception

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.voyageband.com/home With a core line-up consisting of superb musicians and a knack for crafting a pleasing and richly textured AOR tune, this is a pretty enjoyable musical affair and one that bodes very well for the future should Hugo and his skilled bandmates decide to continue down this cool musical path.…

  • CARE OF NIGHT – Reconnected

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/careofnight/ The third record by the awesome melodic rockers from Sweden known as Care of Night is just the thing if 80s-flavored AOR gets you high. Everything here is easy to digest and instantly appealing, the production is pristine and oozes professionalism, and the number of hooks and catchy vocal melodies…

  • TARJA – Dark Christmas

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://tarjaturunen.com/new-release-dark-christmas/ The beautifully packaged Dark Christmas by Finnish sensation Tarja Turunen is undoubtedly one of the more interesting winter/Christmas-themed outputs that I have ever heard or come across thanks to its rather creative arrangements and great ideas. In addition, the way in which everyone involved in the endeavor has colored the…

  • LYNCH MOB – Babylon

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/LynchMobBand/ Renowned hard rockers Lynch Mob are responsible for some utterly cool and well-written records but their line-up has always appeared somewhat fluid and unstable, which is not necessarily a bad thing per say, but Babylon is the first time in a while that the band has gelled to such an…

  • GO AHEAD AND DIE – Unhealthy Mechanisms

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://facebook.com/GoAheadAndDieBand It seems ages since the legendary Massimiliano Antonio “Max” Cavalera, the (in)famous ex-Sepultura and current Soulfly frontman, aided by his younger son, Igor Amadeus Cavalera (vocals, guitar, bass) as well as Khemmis’ drummer Zach Coleman, released the explosive bombshell of Go Ahead And Die’s eponymous²⁰²¹ probably because so much…

  • NIGHT RANGER – 40 Years and a Night with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://nightranger.com/ I am incredibly fond of Night Ranger and their (mostly) stellar musical outputs, and it is always exciting to receive one of their records for review. This latest one is rather special and a welcome addition to their discography in that it adds an extra dimension to some of their…

  • ERIC SARDINAS – Midnight Junction

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.ericsardinasmusic.com/ American blues rocker EriC Sardinas is known for his wild and electrifying albums and tours, and his new offering titled Midnight Junction, which is out via earMUSIC, perfectly summarizes and encapsulates what he and his bandmates are all about. We are talking unashamedly raw, suitably loud, and delightfully unpolished blues…

  • ANGELUS APATRIDA – Aftermath

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://facebook.com/angelusapatrida Angelus Apatrida’s eponymous²⁰²¹, which I reviewed here (5.5/6) was a fantastic slab of modern thrash metal with hints of groove and metalcore so, when I saw the Century Media Records alert for the brand new video “Cold” I could hardly wait to sink my ears into it. Indeed, “Cold”…

  • VITALINES – Wheels Within Wheels

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://youtu.be/dRCYtDQB36s?si=qH43DNocKPNUSdsW Now this melodic debut LP by the duo sporting the moniker Vitalines is an interesting one. With Robbie LaBlanc on vocals and Tommy Denander on guitars, bass, and keyboards, it is hardly as if the band lack pedigree, and when things work on the album, which they do most of…

  • NITRATE – Feel the Heat

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/Nitrateofficial/ With their fourth album these cool British rockers have well and firmly established their credentials as one of the more exciting AOR/melodic rock groups out there. Exploding right out of the gate by means of the hook-laden title track, these chaps definitely mean business and sound more confident and focused…

  • SUFFOCATION – Hymns From The Apocrypha

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.suffocationofficial.com/ While I never considered this fundamental death metal act my favorite (that would be Death and old Obituary) as they are very inconsistent, I do think Suffocation’s first incarnation, featuring Terraine “Terrance” D. Hobbs, Sr. (guitars), Francis “Frank” Eugene Mullen (vocals) and Guy W. Marchais (guitars), was flawless from…

  • EDGE OF FOREVER – Ritual

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/edgeofforeverband/ The previous output by this group, namely Seminole from last year, was a fantastic and cohesive slice of epic melodic metal that ticked a lot of the right boxes for me, and this latest LP of theirs is just as vital-sounding and catchy as its predecessor was. These gents have…

  • RONNIE ATKINS – Trinity

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/RonnieAtkinsOfficial/ The exceptionally skilled and charismatic Ronnie Atkins of Pretty Maids fame has recorded some of his finest work ever these past few years – both as a solo artist and with Nordic union. His third solo offering, which is rather appropriately titled Trinity, is a musically strong and incredibly well-written…

  • DIMMU BORGIR – Inspiratio Profanus

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.dimmu-borgir.com/ Well-known Norwegian symphonic black metallers Dimmu Borgir came upon the idea of recording and releasing an album consisting entirely of covers, which immediately piqued my interest simply because the idea of these guys doing something like that seemed like a fun thing to listen to. Clocking in at roughly 32…

  • KINGS CROWN – Closer to the Truth

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/kingscrowntheband/ The Swedish hard rockers known as Kings Crown recently released this deftly executed and well-written opus of theirs titled Closer to the Truth, and the actual truth is that this album rules from top to bottom. Boasting a loud and crisp sound that is quite heavy thanks to the solid…

  • WHITE WILLOW – Ignis Fatuus (Remastered)

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://whitewillow.bandcamp.com/album/ignis-fatuus-remastered This remastered re-issue of White Willow’s legendary debut offering titled Ignis Fatuus is a most welcome addition to the prog rock collection. What a joy and thrill it is to relive this eclectic mixture of symphonic rock, prog, and inspired folk music again given that it sounds better than ever…

  • MISANTHROPIC WAR – Utter Human Annihilation

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/utter-human-annihilation By Odin, this is fucking intense and hateful stuff. Misanthropic War’s take on black/death metal is of the most violent and destructive kind, and listening to Utter Human Annihilation and its thirteen hyper-aggressive tracks is akin to having one’s face torn right off. Everything is there in the title of…

  • JORDSJØ – Salighet

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://jordsjo.bandcamp.com/album/salighet Adorned by wonderfully evocative artwork and sporting a most intriguing title, the uniquely skilled Norwegian prog rockers known as Jordsjø are back with a new masterpiece. Just when I thought that it would be impossible for them to top the outstanding and flawless Pastoralia LP (2021), they have in fact…

  • DATAROCK – Media Consumption Pyramid

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.datarockmusic.com/ Norwegian synthpop/new wave/indie rock eccentrics Datarock are back with a lovely new slice of memorable music that is bound to make you dance and think at the same time. With its infectious sense of enthusiasm and energy not to mention its quirky lyrics and pristine-sounding production, Media Consumption Pyramid shows…

  • VEIN – Blood Oaths

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/blood-oaths The American black metal combo known as Vein specializes in raw, claustrophobic, and downright oppressive music of the most loathsome and sinister kind. These twisted fucks manage to weave a thick and nasty atmosphere together by means of simple yet efficiently dark riffs, sick effects, and demented vocals, and the…

  • WITHERING SCORN – Prophets Of Demise

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://m.facebook.com/Witheringscorn There was a sense, after the excellent The System Has Failed²⁰⁰⁴ Dave Mustaine’s intended solo album turned Megadeth’s comeback record (after the supposed 2002 end of the line), that Megadeth was back and stronger than ever. Dave Mustaine did not waste the momentum but, having previously gained former Black…

  • BAD RAIN – Room to Breathe

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://badrainmusic.bandcamp.com/album/room-to-breathe-ep-pre-order The German/British outfit Bad Rain turned out to be a mighty fine surprise and a most welcome listen to these ears in that this skilled constellation of musicians dabbles in melodically strong and potent hard rock that sounds current while simultaneously paying respect to some of the greatest bands of…

  • ABOMINATED – Traumatic Putrefaction

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/traumatic-putrefaction What a gloriously disgusting and most brilliant of things this slime-soaked opus by the Polish horde known as Abominated is. Rooted in old-school death metal of the most vicious and catchy kind, this half-hour journey into horror-filled territory where crushing riffs, morbid vibes, and punishing vocals reign supreme is an…

  • THUNDERSTICK – Lockdown

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/thunderstickofficial/ Reviewing a new record by Thunderstick, i.e., the underrated purveyors of NWOBHM, is always a treat and these guys rarely fail to disappoint me. There is an undiluted sense of honesty and purity to their outputs that totally works for me and always manages to pull me in and keep…