RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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ROTTING CHRIST – Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού
Ah, Rotting Christ. A band that has cleverly carved out their own niche throughout the years, and keeps getting more varied with every release. Especially since "Theogonia" in 2007, the band have been experimenting more and more, with the results being nothing short of unique (in the best way possible). Now we come to "Κατά…
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MÖK – Mökamorphosis
Mök is finally out with their debut album and what a slam dunk to your genitals it is! Unrelenting dirty and cold black/thrash with veins to the primitive and click-less times. Old school may be a term to describe "Mökamorphosis" but it´s actually much more. Their influences and mindset may be from the late 80´s/early…
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HELKER – Somewhere In The Circle
I’m so glad that through the good graces of AFM Records and Mat Sinner of Level 10 Music management (also known for his work with Sinner and Primal Fear), this power metal act from Buenos Aires, Argentina gains a bigger platform to showcase their wares on this fourth studio album. Formed in 1998, the quintet…
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HELKER – Somewhere In The Circle
HELKER er for mange relativt ukjente, men de ble formet i Buenos Aries i 1998. I forbindelse med releasen av Somewhere in the circle har HELKER undertegnet av avtale med AFM Records. Så nå vil de kanskje nå et mye større publikum. Albumet inneholder 11 låter. Musikken i seg selv er nok det mange vil…
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KROKUS – Dirty Dynamite
Founded in the mid 1970’s, Switzerland’s Krokus come full circle in terms of the roots of their sound. No longer plagued with management and record companies twisting the brains of the musicians in hopes of a larger payday, these veterans plug in and play blues based hard rock with simple hooks and street level rhythms…
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EMERGENCY GATE – You
The fifth album from German melodic death metal band Emergency Gate could be a gateway record for some- or a getaway record for others. Reason being? There are certain elements that metal fans do not wish to see merge together: corpse paint with Aqua Net hair, Auto-tuning any element of vocals, and oh yeah: dipping…
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PSEUDOGOD – Deathwomb Catechesis
Dette er sannsynligvis den plata jeg har spilt mest det siste halvåret. Det er ganske uforståelig, for jeg er jo ingen stor fan av black metal. Men nå er ikke Pseudogod ren black metal. Dette er death/black eller jævlig bra mørk og ond extreme metal. Russisk til og med. Hvem skulle tro det? Pseudogod ble…
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FREE FALL – Power And Volume
Who knows why or how- but every 10 or 15 years, what’s old becomes new again. Be it the influx of younger musicians experiencing older records through easier internet access or raiding their siblings’ collections, hard rock and metal have experienced an explosion in terms of new releases that could fit the ‘retro-rock’ tag. Sweden’s…
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ASTRONOMIKON – Dark Gorgon Rising
Vocalist Nicholas Leptos and bassist Paris Lambrou started Astronomikon as an outlet to discuss the great mythological tales from their Greek history. Already playing together in two other outfits Arrayan Path and Prodigal Earth, they assembled their current lineup with guitarists Stefan Dittrich and Sokratis Leptos and produce a debut album "Dark Gorgon Rising"- a…
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ROTTEN SOUND – Species at War
Have you got 8 or 9 minutes you don’t want?Have you received a brick in the face lately?Have you been chained inside a metal dustbin and kicked down a flight of stairs recently? If your answer to any of the above is ‘no’, then you could do worse than check out ‘Species at War’.…
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SUFFOCATION – Pinnacle Of Bedlam
Flashback: 1990. My second semester of college and tape trading was in full swing for me, always seeking out new sounds from independent bands anywhere I could find them. A pen pal of mine from Virginia loaded up a 90 minute tape with a series of bands- one of which would be a three song…
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DEFEATED SANITY – Passages into Deformity
Noen ganger dukker det opp noen skikkelig gullkorn i promobunken eller mailboksen som det heter i dag. Normalt er det lenge i mellom disse gullkornene, men i det siste har det vært mye mer enn vanlig å se. Dette gjør jo at man blir noe mer kritisk når plater skal anmeldes, men med dette nyeste…
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STRATOVARIUS – Nemesis
When a key member leaves the fold of a metal band, panic sets in. Especially in the case of a power metal institution like Finland’s Stratovarius when that member is your leader, main songwriter, and focal point of highlights and lowlights like guitarist Timo Tolkki. Yet since 2008 keyboardist Jens Johansson and vocalist Timo Kotipelto…
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HEAVATAR – Opus I- All My Kingdoms
Van Canto mastermind Stefan Schmidt felt the time is ripe for a new German power metal project band, and as a result the debut album from Heavatar "Opus I- All My Kingdoms" is now upon us. Assembling top flight musicians such as drummer Jorg Michael (ex-Stratovarius, Devil’s Train), guitarist Stefan Schmidt, and bassist David Vogt,…
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MUSTASCH – Sounds Like Hell, Looks Like Heaven
The buzz about this band is contagious: part stoner rock, part metal- and very melodic with their grooves and melodies. Welcome to the world of Swedish quartet Mustasch. "Sounds Like Hell, Looks Like Heaven" is their sixth full length since their 1998 start, but my first time taking in a full record outside of my…
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THYRFING – De Ödeslösa
Thyrfing has been a wild card for me the last 10 years. They have produced some outstanding albums, specially 2002´s "Vansinnevisor" and some that I regard as total misses. Their kinda unique form of viking metal with strong black influences combined with the melodic aspect on their last effort, 2008´s "Hels Vite" did not do…
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FASTER PUSSYCAT – The Power & The Glory Hole
Many probably remember this California glam/ sleazy hard rock act if you followed the 80’s scene- songs like "Bathroom Wall" and the ballad "House of Pain" gained major exposure during the MTV video years. A combination of internal band strife, addiction issues, and the changing musical tide saw the band implode in 1992. Vocalist Taime…
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DEADLANDS – Evilution
American power metal has for the most part differed from its European counterparts. Maybe it has something to do with the changing climates, blue collar mentality- or just sheer emotional impact of metal in general- but most American musicians who perform in this style do not think of incorporating a bevy of choirs, keyboard layers,…
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HATE – Solarflesh
Hate er et polsk death metal band som vel aldri har nådd helt opp til sitt potensiale og dermed ikke fått den oppmerksomheten de fortjener. De har turnert flittig rundt omkring i verden og har gjort sin musikk kjent på den måten. Det er blitt åtte antall album så langt i bandets 15 år lange…
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BLOCKHEADS – This World is Dead
Grindcore på plate uten at det blir noe ensformig og kjedelig, det er vanskelig det. Men franske Blockheads har klart det med sin nye «This World is Dead», som kom ut siste helg på Relapse Records. Et herlig brutalt kaotisk vidunder på 40 minutter som inneholder det du kan forvente og det du tør håpe…
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COLDSTEEL – America Idle
Sometimes we wonder why bands fade into oblivion. Circumstances dictate that you need to earn a living to pay the bills, especially when you get married and have children- so priorities change. Fortunate for many in the underground, the fire within to be creative can still exist- and as a result we’ve seen a series…
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SAXON – Sacrifice
Many NWOBHM acts rest on the laurels of their early accomplishments. Nostalgia only gets you so far in the metal business, especially since the old touring model rears its head again to keep bands alive- and new product seems to be an afterthought in terms of sustaining a living. Saxon never subscribed to this philosophy.…
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INDOMITE – Theater Of Time
This six-piece progressive metal act from Columbia may have started with Spanish language material, but make the transition to English work appear seamless on their debut album "Theater of Time". Featuring a multi-pronged vocal attack (strong, clear clean main vocals from Santiago Giraldo, gruff growls from guitarist Juan Carlos Sanchez), the 9 songs encapsulate musicianship…
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GRIMLORD – V-Column
For å ha alt på det rene så er dette Grimlord fra Polen, ikke Frankrike! Grimlord sies å være et melodiøst heavy-metal band. Så jeg tenker, det kan være tøft. Etter å ha hørt gjennom skiva sitter jeg igjen og vet ikke hvordan jeg skal reagere. På den ene siden har man en del tøffe…
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ALPHA TIGER – Beneath The Surface
When it comes to speed metal with traditional and NWOBHM influences, all eyes seem to point to Europe these days for the next big thing. Which shouldn’t be shocking: when North American radio stations and MTV shifted to grunge/ alternative sounds after the major media proclaimed metal’s demise in the early 1990’s, other parts of…
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INDESPAIR – Time To Wake Up
Certain countries conjure up specific mental images when it comes to metal styles. Greece and Germany for instance have always had a long standing appreciation for traditional and power metal styles, while the 80’s in North America seemed to be a hotbed for thrash. Poland has had a number of extreme death and black metal…