RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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VEKTOR – Black Future (re-issue)
Moving from Arizona to Pennsylvania, the progressive thrash quartet Vektor has made quite an impression on the underground with their image, sound and style. Lyrical themes around the science-fiction realm plus a logo befitting the Canadian giants Voivod means you aren’t going to get the average meat and potatoes band here. "Black Future" is their…
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NUCLEAR OMNICIDE – The Presence of Evil
"Thrash is Back" serien til meksikanske EBM Records er kommet til utgave nummer 26. Denne gangen er det finske Nuclear Omnicide og deres debut «The Presence of Evil» det handler om. Her får vi en blanding av Bay Area og den svenske thrash metall scenen iblandet litt teutonisk thrash. Det er heftig og for det…
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MEAN STREAK – Trial By Fire
The time has come for the third album from Sweden traditional/ power metal act Mean Streak. I’ve been fortunate to take in their two other records and both receive fair airplay still- "Metal Slave" from 2009 and "Declaration of War" in 2011. With new guitarist Tomas ‘Plec’ Johansson entering the fold in 2012 replacing Patrik…
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ETERNAL OATH – Ghostlands
After recharging their collective personal batteries with a 5 year absence from the scene, Sweden’s Eternal Oath return with their fifth studio album "Ghostlands". The sextet display a brand of melodic death/doom with a sprinkling of gothic and symphonic nuances that keep their sound variant and original to these ears. "Tears of Faith" reverberates with…
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MASADA – Suffer Mental Decay
Quite by chance I happened to stumble on this self-released demo by the American death metal four-piece named Masada, which features Crucifier main-man Cazz "The Black Lourde of Crucifixion" Grant on vocals, and I figured that I`d write a short review of it since it deserves to be heard by all you old-school death metal…
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CARDIANT – Verge
The third album "Verge" from Finnish sextet Cardiant is a cross section of what can be good and bad about power metal when stretching itself into melodic hard rock/ AOR oriented pastures. The band in its current lineup have been together for 5 years, elevating female vocalist Outi Jokinen from a background singer to second…
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OPEN GRAVE – Fear
The US black metal squadron named Open Grave gained some fame in the underground back in 2000 when the band released the "The Heavens Cry Black Tears" demo. It was one of those releases that people either seemed to love or hate. Last year the band unleashed their first full-length album entitled "Fear" upon the…
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MACTÄTUS – Blot – Reissue
The Norwegian band Mactätus, which was founded all the way back in 1989, released the album "Blot" in 1997 via Embassy Productions and it was sold out shortly thereafter. Luckily for all of us, Soulseller Records have decided to re-release this album on both CD and LP in the near future. Mactätus performs cold, symphonic…
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DEATH DEALER – War Master
When you assemble veterans in the traditional / power metal scene together like guitarist Ross The Boss (ex-Manowar), vocalist Sean Peck (Cage), guitarist Stu Marshall (Empires of Eden), bassist Mike Davis (Halford, ex-Lizzy Borden) and drummer Rhino (ex-Manowar), it’s little wonder that the underground and press take notice. Welcome to the world of Death Dealer…
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DARK MOOR – Ars Musica
Spanish symphonic laden power metal band Dark Moor returns with their ninth studio album "Ars Musica". Their name comes from the infamous Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- and as a quartet has been fairly steady for three albums since the arrival of drummer Roberto Cappa in 2007…
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CIRCLE OF SILENCE – The Rise of Resistance
Experience can pay dividends if you use the right tools and employ your craft with the mindset that nothing is ever perfect. In the case of German power metal band Circle Of Silence, their last album "The Blackened Halo" was a good record but didn’t contain a lot of those killer hooks or riffs that…
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ZOM – Multiversal Holocaust
Living in Dublin, it seems like I see ZOM play at every single BM gig. Their well-intentioned but formless bludgeoning is usually my cue to head for the bar. I am aware of the interest their demos have garnered, but can’t really fathom their appeal. So obviously, I am hoping this is where ZOM change…
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INQUESTED – Vulture Valley EP
En fire-spors EP med herlig norsk thrash metal med internasjonalt snitt. Jeg vil beskrive musikken deres som en blanding av Metallica fra «And Justice for All» æraen og det erkenorske thrash metal bandet Equinox. Med det mener jeg at de har tatt mye av det musikalske fra Metallica og råskapen fra Equinox. Og så er…
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FREEDOM CALL – Ages of Light – 1998-2013
Det finnes neppe noe mer erke-tyskermetal enn Freedom Call og Steamhammer/SPV har i disse dager sluppet en dobbel best of skive som inneholder 18 + 6 låter. Disc en inneholder 18 av de såkalt beste låtene fra bandets 15 årige historie mens disc to inneholder noen merkelige versjoner av seks utvalgte låter. Freedom Call i…
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CLAYMORDS – Scum of the Earth
Defining Claymords by genre is quite a difficult task. On the face of it they are probably best described as melodic death metal with progressive thrash leanings. Whatever the exact mix, it is a recipe that produces something original and accessible to these ears. For the past few years bands have been getting better and…
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STARKILL – Fires Of Life
Forming in 2008, the Chicago-land quartet Starkill spent a few years developing their sound, releasing a self-financed EP under another name Massakren before changing into their latest moniker. Finally signing on the dotted line with Century Media, we have their debut album "Fires of Life" which should appeal vigorously to those in the extreme melodic…
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ANCIIENTS – Heart Of Oak
A four piece outfit from Vancouver, B.C. Canada, Anciients live for an interesting concoction of progressive rock, 70’s doom, and stoner metal on this 9 track debut album "Heart of Oak". Sonically dense with dual guitars and equally chilling dual vocal employment from Kenny and Chris (one part melodic, one part extreme), songs such as…
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IVANHOE – Systematrix
I remember hearing the debut album "Visions and Reality" from this German progressive metal band Ivanhoe back upon its release in 1994. The album featured then unknown vocalist Andy B. Franck- who would move on to front his own act Symphorce as well as join the power metal outfit Brainstorm. Upon his departure the band…
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INSANITY – Death after Death – rerelease
San Francisco based Insanity are another one of those obscure and lost gems in the early pages of the death metal saga that now sees their work being re-released for the listening pleasure of younger generations. Insanity started out back in 1985 playing mainly thrash/speed metal on their first demos. It´s not before 1994 that…
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G.O.R.E. – Stand up sexy Ladies, the Boogie band is here!
Tsjekkisk grindcore har man etter hvert fått litt mer kjennskap til. Scenen er stor og det er en hel del gode band der nede. G.O.R.E. aka Grind of Rising Emotions er et av disse bandene man har fått litt kjennskap til og de er nå ute med et nytt album de har kalt «Stand up…
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GONOBA – Endless Cycles
This second album from technical thrash/death act Gonoba is a fluid affair of juggling jaw dropping riffs and time signature changes and managing to keep cohesive arrangements/ structures for consumers to handle. Discordant opening riffs such as the ones in "Between the Lies" signal a love for Forbidden, Into Eternity, and Revocation in terms of…
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NO MAN EYES – Hollow Man
No Man Eyes is an Italian heavy metal quartet, formed out of the ashes of epic/ power metal act Graveyard Ghost by guitarist Andrew Spane and drummer Michele Pintus. "Hollow Man" is their debut album, an 11 track effort swimming in a dark-sounding heavy metal style with just the right amount of modern crunch to…
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MORGENGRAU – Extrinsic Pathway
"Extrinsic Pathway" is the debut full-length from Texas Death Metallers Morgengrau. You could guess from the inclusion of a Sepultura cover ("Inner Self") that the take on DM isn’t of the most modern form and you’d be right – the feel is much more early 90’s with a good blend of Euro and US styles.…
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MEMORY GARDEN – Doomain
Doom with a twist. That description fits Memory Garden like a glove – just not OJ’s glove. Yeah, that was pretty lame. Anyways, these guys have been doing their thing for a good long time – since 92 – and have established a solid track record. We now come to the new disc, cleverly titled…
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BLACK DIAMOND – Last Man Standing
With a start in 2005, guitarists Igor Manasijevic and Nejc Vidmar set about the arduous task of finding like-minded musicians in their native Slovenia to complete their heavy metal band Black Diamond. Taking quite a few years, the quintet (filled out with bassist Urban Medic, drummer Robert Kovacic, and vocalist Zanil Tataj Zak) finally entered…
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PELLEK – Ocean Of Opportunity
The second album from Norwegian power/progressive metal act PelleK sees the quartet moving from a ‘solo’ project into a full-fledged recording and touring entity, thanks to the success of last year’s "Bag of Tricks". "Ocean of Opportunity" is a 9 song concept record, filled with dramatic arrangements, symphonic touches, and this confident air with vocalist…
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BEYOND THE SHORE – Ghostwatcher
Many will argue this point, but metalcore is and always will be a legit sub genre of metal. Hardcore music in general has had a huge influence in metal and will always be a part of it. No argument can be made against that of which would make any sense. There are, however, different levels…