RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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DEVIOUS – Wolfhagen
Dutch death metal is often associated with great names like Asphyx, Pestilence, Severe Torture and ex masters of brutality God Dethroned. The dutch scene is actually quite massive and there are a lot of great DM bands hailing from the windmill country. One band that have managed to stay below my DM radar is Devious.…
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HARDLINE – Danger Zone
Most who follow this webzine probably know vocalist Johnny Gioeli as the long running singer for German power metal guitarist Axel Rudi Pell- but he originally developed an AOR style hard rock band called Hardline in the early 1990’s. The first album “Double Eclipse” in 1992 features guitarist Neal Schon and drummer Deen Castronovo from…
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GUN BARREL – Brace For Impact
Fifth studio platter for the straight ahead power hard rock band Gun Barrel, who continually craft a balanced attack of addictive, groove laden street oriented music that favors Motorhead and Rose Tattoo fans and then inject some power elements with the guitar harmonies and double bass parts that appeal to the Judas Priest/ Primal Fear…
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OXYGEN – Final Warning
Oxygen is a quartet from Sweden who on their debut album “Final Warning” play 80’s oriented melodic rock. The type where you receive a call and response feel through the catchy choruses as main singer Tony Niva has one of those potent high registers, and the background harmonies encourage you to participate in the proceedings.…
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HARD RIOT – Living On A Fast Lane
You need a score card to keep up with all the fragmentations and cross-pollinations of hard rock and metal through the years. What can be well appreciated about the movement though is you’ll hear many bands that merely want to plug in and play from the heart- direct, to the point music without much complication…
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HARTMANN – Balance
Oliver Hartmann burst onto the scene with the heavy rock act At Vance in the late 90’s, releasing 4 studio albums with the group. His voice also graces acts as diverse as Italian progressive metal band Empty Tremor to rock opera/ project work with Genius and Avantasia among others. “Balance” is the fourth solo album,…
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SLEDGE LEATHER – Imagine Me Alive
The return of ex-Chastain vocalist Leather Leone to the metal world! Along with drummer Sandy Sledge (Rude Girl, Malibu Barbi), Leather’s newest band Sledge Leather consists of some potent traditional players for recording purposes- as keyboardist Scott Warren and bassist Jimmy Bain both have performed with Dio in the past. The final component is guitarist…
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CARACH ANGREN – Where The Corpses Sink Forever
Carach Angren comes at you with full symphonic blast! An orchestra of war is the formula and fans of early Dimmu Borgir can sink their teeth into "Where The Corpses Sink Forever" with an evil grin. The Dutch trio have released their third full-length since the debut "Lammendam" back in 2008 and I admit that…
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LANFEAR – This Harmonic Consonance
The sixth studio album from Germany’s Lanfear is once again welcome to this journalist’s ears. Many listeners prefer artists who stick with the tried and true paths of their mentors- and in the case of European progressive/ power metal, there are so many who take what has already been done by Helloween, Dream Theater, Fates…
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SUNSTORM – Emotional Fire
Joe Lynn Turner is an icon in the melodic hard rock business. Be it his work in Rainbow and Mother’s Army through Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen and his own solo efforts, no one can deny the finesse, passion and professionalism that comes through every studio and live performance in his vocals. Sunstorm is another project…
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ELMSFIRE – Thieves Of The Sun
An intriguing traditional, epic styled metal act from Germany here. Formed by guitarists Germano and Doro (not to be confused with Doro Pesch) in 1999, they’ve evolved through a series of demo tapes, EP’s and lineup changes to now unleash their debut album “Thieves Of The Sun”. The sextet incorporate a feel for cultural and…
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NIGHTQUEEN – For Queen and Metal
Perseverance would be an accurate word to describe guitarist Rex Zeco in his quest to move this Belgian symphonic-oriented power metal sextet from formation to debut album stage. He started Nightqueen at the end of 2004- and just now in 2012 we are seeing this debut album “For Queen And Metal”. Never relinquishing his professional…
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UFO – Seven Deadly
This UK blues-based hard rock act still have plenty of writing intent left in their minds – even sans one of the best guitarists in the business Michael Schenker. Moving from his mostly instrumental album days into this veteran troop in 2004, Vinnie Moore flashes licks and solos worthy of modest adulation and as such…
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GOATWHORE – Blood For The Master
Hyper spastic blackened death/thrash from New Orleans, Louisiana, the four piece Goatwhore have been ascending in popularity with the majority of many North Americans as a result of their four hard hitting albums and numerous touring escapades- including two separate Ozzfest stints in 2008 and 2010. “Blood For The Master” as the band’s fifth album…
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DAVIDIAN – Our Fear Is Their Force
Naming your band after one of the best Machine Head songs of all time is a good start- but will this German act have the songs and performances to back things up? On their third album “Our Fear Is Their Force”, Davidian play a style somewhere between melodic death, modern thrash and metal-core. The guitars…
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THE RETICENT – Le Temps Detruit Tout
One man bands can be a mixed breed. Dependent on talent level, writing ability, and the hope that this one person can determine how to turn the creative muscles on while tempering the final product, it could be a masterpiece or the biggest pile of dirt. Chris Hathcock is The Reticent, a progressive metal act…
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KRAANIUM – Post Mortal Coital Fixation
Ultra brutal death metal (ala Devourment) is not something we Norwegians are particularly known for. The slam death metal form hails back to the early US east coast scene (Pyrexia, Suffocation) and is actually not very alike neither the Florida or the early Stockholm sound.The Sickening from Kristiansund released a brutal masterpiece back in 2009…
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HeXeN – Being and Nothingness
No doubt about it- the thrash movement not only received a kick in the rear from the old guard, but we’ve had a decent new generation of acts plying their songwriting wares. HeXeN represent one of the younger bands, the quartet starting in 2003 and releasing four demos in the following 4 years before their…
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DOGBANE – Residual Alcatraz
This quintet collectively have 94 years of experience playing in bands previous to this heavy metal meets doom outfit Dogbane. So “Residual Alcatraz” is a labor of love right from the start, with the creativity and performances straight from the early years of metal (and doom)- the mid to late 70’s through early 80’s are…
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ORANGE GOBLIN – A Eulogy For The Damned
Slugging it out in the stoner rock/ metal scene since 1995, the UK four piece Orange Goblin have put out a series of albums and built their reputation slaying live audiences from club tours to the biggest heavy festivals on all corners of the globe. “A Eulogy For The Damned” continues with the electric grit…