ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • BEGGARS & THIEVES – We Are The Brokenhearted

    An early 90’s hard rock act who released two major label efforts before the grunge scene effectively killed any hope of mass appeal for Beggars & Thieves. Re-launching around last year’s English Firefest Festival, here we have the third studio album “We Are The Brokenhearted”- a 10 song collection of classic hard rock with modern…

  • NOMAD – Transmigration of Consciousness

    Five albums in and progressive death-metallers Nomad are still relatively unknown outside their native Poland. This seems strange, especially considering that one of their two guitarists Seth plays second guitar live with Behemoth (you may have seen him on the incredible ‘Evangelika’ DVD). One can imagine hopes are high in the Nomad camp that ‘Transmigration…

  • URGEHAL – Death is Complete

      Urgehal have kept the engine going since 1992 but kept under the radar for most of its active years. Finally alot of people have realized another gem is out there and they deserve all the attention they can get. It is also great they stick to what they do best, no compromise to get…

  • TERRORTORY – The Seed Left Behind

    Swedish death metal with those 90’s melodic guitar nuances that will remind many of classic Dark Tranquility on this 7 song debut album. Terrortory have that blistering tough as nails production value coupled with ferocious sandpaper screams that keep songs like “DeReign” and “Concept: Anarchy” windmill inducing and addictive. The quartet have an epic sensibility…

  • THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER – Ritual

    Few bands have been more consistent in their album quality than The Black Dahlia Murder. Some might criticize the bands repetitiveness throughout their records, but this is also a band that you either love or hate. Personally I regard The Black Dahlia Murder to be a metal phenomenon. Their style is uniquely distinctive and they…

  • TYRANT EYES – The Sound of Persistence

    German power metal quintet who have now gone the self-released route for their third album “The Sound Of Persistence” after their last release on Scarlet Records in 2003 “The Darkest Hour”. For my first exposure to this band, the impressions are decent with their workman-like approach. Songs like “Beginning Of The End” and “Infraction” have…

  • ANCIENT BARDS – Soulless Child

    Italian symphonic power metal received it’s massive upstart through the signing of Rhapsody to Limb Music, and upon releasing their debut album “Legendary Tales” started their ascent through the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands across the world. This sextet on their second album “Soulless Child” fill a similar niche as early Rhapsody, although…

  • SUBLIRITUM – A Touch of Death

    To clarify my black metal preferences, I am definitely not a purist of any kind. I prefer my black metal digital, perfectionized and with crystal clear production. Old school nostalgia does not excite me one bit. That being said, I also feel that a lot of the new school black metal in later years have…

  • ABIGAIL WILLIAMS – Becoming

    This album came as a bit of a surprise to me. Last time I checked, which was admittedly a few years ago, Abigail Williams were a metal core act that dabbled with symphonic BM. Fast-forward to modern times and they have evolved into a fully fledged Black Metal band. Who would have guessed! The sound…

  • TABERAH – The Light of Which I Dream

    Always invigorating to receive albums from the land down under Australia. Metal Evilution manager Dave Balfour kindly sent this debut album from Taberah, a four piece who’ve been developing their sound since 2004 and as a live act since 2006. “The Light Of Which I Dream” being their first full length is something quite exciting…

  • T.I.R. – Heavy Metal

    31 years after forming we get the pleasure of hearing an 11 song debut album from Italian traditional metal act T.I.R. Should it really be surprising then that songs like “Dark Rebel”, “Shout”, and “Metal In My Life” live for the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, bringing to mind Iron Maiden, Saxon, Tygers Of…

  • MORTICIAN – Mortician

    Back in my days as co-editor of Snakepit magazine I remember reading an interview about this Austrian traditional heavy metal band who put out a couple of demos in the late 80’s and broke up shortly thereafter. After a 2009 compilation of their three releases hit the streets, we finally have a debut self-titled album…

  • PERSONA NON GRATA – Quantum Leap

    One of the favorite quips my high school librarian had happens to be the name of this Greek progressive metal band. My librarian meant you were on your way to getting kicked out for poor conduct, but the actual meaning of Persona Non Grata in English from its Latin roots is ‘an unwelcome person’. Might…

  • STORM LEGION – DESOLATION ANGELS

    ‘Desolation Angels’ is the second full-length release from Portuguese black metallers Storm Legion. From the furious first seconds of opener ‘Planetary Dagger’ it is obvious that this is something quite special. The sound is clean, polished and modern, meaning that even at its most frenetic, the music remains nuanced and mature. The melodic riffs come…

  • FUNERUS – Reduced to Sludge

    US death metallers Funerus have an approach that reminds me of the first few Bolt Thrower albums involving generally slow to mid-paced drumming that forms a backdrop on which everything else is hung. It is an approach that works well if you like driving, groove laden death metal, and it allows the band to concentrate…

  • HINSIDIG – I en tidlos host

    Hinsidig’s brand of Black Metal leans slightly towards the ‘depressive’ side of the genre. The music is brutal at times but played with a warm, melodic feel that makes it accessible and quickly likeable. The production is clean and modern without sacrificing any power and emotion or the subtler aspects of the music. ‘I en…

  • ENDSTILLE – Infektion 1813

    German Black Metallers Endstille return with their seventh full-length album. Once again, the themes are Satanism and war, as they explore the history of Germany and Europe in general. The music has a kind of norse BM flavour with the slightest Death Metal influence, at times similar to Marduk or Dark Funeral. “Infektion 1813” sees…

  • CULTES DES GHOULES – Haxan

    With “Haxan” Polish black metallers Cultes Des Ghoules serve up 55 minutes of primitive black metal that take us all the way back to “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”, early Barathrum and Mortuary Drape. Filled with morbid, ravenous beats that emanate from some Lovecraftian crypt, “Haxan” drags us down into an underworld where the bones are…

  • MALKHEBRE – Prostration EP

    Although they’ve been going almost 10 years, Malkhebre have so far only released this EP and one track on a split (aside from one demo containing two tracks, both of which can be found here), so they aren’t the most prolific of bands. The four tracks contained on this disc are brutal black metal in…

  • WINDBRUCH – Collison of the Worlds

    Windbruch is a one man act hailing from Russia, fronted by I.O. Musically, we are talking shoegazing/depressing black metal here, based around a concept of seven songs linked to seven days with a bonus track cover of an Akira Yamaoka piece. Given that there is no lyric sheet, I can’t tell you any more about…

  • VANDERBUYST – In Dutch

    One of the European hard rock acts who received quite a buzz last year is this Dutch three piece- capturing a raw, rough and ready sound that resonates with 70’s hard rock maniacs and NWoBHM fanatics combined. Guitarist Willem Verbuyst, bassist/vocalist Jochem Jonkman and drummer Barry van Esbroek produce a fun loving, addictive style that…

  • STRANGEWAYS – Age of Reason

    Setting their own sights on their self-released label, the eighth studio album from the UK’s Strangeways is one of those breezy, melodic AOR fares with Terry Brock’s large, comfortable voice helming the band again. Songs like “Run”, the Don Henley-like “End Of The Day” and highway ready “Frozen” showcase a group hard to specifically pin…

  • SCARLATYNA – Till The End

    A re-release of two early 1990’s demos, “Till The End” consists of 7 songs of power/progressive metal from this German band. Vocalist Chris J. Marino hits Alan Tecchio-like falsetto siren wails on “Wings Of The Night” which may thrill some and irritate others. Musically I would compare some of the compositions like “The Tower” and…

  • THE RITUAL – Beyond The Fragile Horizon

    The Ritual is ready with their debut album ‘Beyond the Fragile Horizon’, continuing the always popular sound scape metal meets melody. It starts of with the album’s namesake ‘Beyond the Fragile Horizon’, an instrumental which fades into “Hysteria and Madness”, a song capturing the bands two faces without really living up to its full potential.…

  • ETERNAL FLIGHT – D.R.E.A.M.S.

    Third albums in the metal realm are pinnacle releases. You’ve usually shed any original influences, developed chemistry with your band mates and through a combination of life experience and road work know where you want to go as a unit. For French power/ progressive metal band Eternal Flight, their previous two albums made a decent…

  • KAMBRIUM – Shadowpath

    German death metal act Kambrium hit the scene with an epic dose of mid-tempo fury on this debut album “Shadowpath”. Jan Hein’s keyboard play sets up a lot of theatrical moments on winning tracks like “Thanatos” and “Hollow Heart”. Bassist Martin Simon displays a clean gothic voice at times, but normally delivers a sinister death/black…

  • WORK OF ART – In Progress

    This is the kind of album longtime AOR fans dream of. Bright, hook laden keyboards, streaming guitar lines, a firm rock ‘n roll bass and drum tandem and then vocals that bring home all of the lyrics in a mammoth, harmonious nature. This Swedish trio (vocalist Lars Safsund, guitarist/keyboardist Robert Sall, and drummer Herman Furin)…

  • MARTYR – Circle of 8

    Here’s another history lesson for the metal veterans. 25 years after their last studio album, Dutch quintet Martyr unleash a third album with “Circle Of 8”. Their first go around from 1982-1987 allowed the band to make a couple of compilation appearances with Roadrunner and Metal Blade, release two albums on smaller independent labels and…

  • TOBY HITCHCOCK – Mercury’s Down

    Pride Of Lions vocal powerhouse Toby Hitchcock steps out on the solo sojourn trail with “Mercury’s Down”. With all the instrumentation and songwriting help under the capable hands of W.E.T. musician Erik Martensson, Toby shines with his majestic high range and note sustaining heroics on songs like “I Should Have Said”, “Strong Enough” and a…

  • WORRALL – Worrall (re-issue)

    Another Canadian AOR band with their self-titled debut originally released in 1991- when most melodic rock plummeted from the charts as alternative and grunge rock swept through North America. The brainchild of vocalist/keyboardist Rick Worrall and his guitarist brother Steve, the six piece band had background vocal help from Jimi Jamison and recorded this 11…