ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • CORONATUS – Terra Incognita

    Fourth album for this German symphonic/gothic metal sextet who feature two female vocalists within their ranks. With one handling soprano parts and the other a normal rock oriented voice, “Terra Incognita” is a 12 song , 54 minute record with an epic nature and folk elements without relenting in the heavier guitar department. Many of…

  • LORD VULTURE – Never Cry Wolf

    A Dutch traditional power metal quintet who seem to have a strong passion for the US scene on this second album “Never Cry Wolf’. Receiving numerous high marks in magazines and websites domestically and abroad for 2010’s “Beast Of Thunder” debut, Lord Vulture are an act willing to explore more than your average twin galloping…

  • SERPENTINE – Living And Dying In High Definition

    In one of the strangest lineup shuffles for the history books, live singer Matt Black didn’t record the vocals on this second album from UK’s Serpentine, even though Tony Mills was stepping away from the band due to health reasons and his concentration on TNT duties. From what I’ve read, the studio investment on “Living…

  • RUINS – Chambers of Perversion EP

    "Chambers of Perversion" may only be 18 minutes long, but it is an incredibly intense and evil 18 minutes. The 8 tracks on offer here take the listener on a black thrash odyssey that will call to mind Venom and early Bathory played with the punked-up riffing of Toxic Holocaust. The most immediate and effective…

  • EXTREME DEFORMITY – Internal

    The death metal-band Extreme Deformity was formed in 1990 in Hungary and originally released their only full-length album “Internal” in 1993 on tape only. It hasn’t been released on CD until now. The 2011 CD-version contains a previous unreleased track together with their “Demo 1992”-release which actually is a rehearsal recording, although this review is…

  • SLAVES TO GRAVITY – Underwaterouterspace

    London alternative/modern rock band with a rather pronounced Stone Temple Pilots influence on “Underwaterouterspace”. You’ll get 12 songs and a bonus DVD with 6 videos and 3 making of video segments. Too many clichés, the songwriting is predictable, it’s another situation where there’s nothing wrong with the sound so much as the execution has been…

  • TOXOCARA – AtmosFear

    The Dutch death metal scene rolls onward and upward with this five piece technical minded act Toxocara. With guitars spewing lightning fast passages against slower breaks and a blasting snare/double bass master behind the kit in William Vlierman, songs like “Black Widow”, the bumble bee flights of chord/riff fancy “Bravo Two Zero” and much more…

  • SERPENTCULT – Raised By Wolves

    Belgian doom from this three-piece who prefer sprawling arrangements, psychedelic vocals and this foreboding sense of sludge a la Eyehategod or High On Fire with a little more groove behind it. 4 songs that take up 38 minutes of your time, the guitar riffs are very simplistic and repetitive, and often sound effects set up…

  • A STORM OF LIGHT – As The Valley Of Death Becomes Us, Our Silver Memories Fade

    Doom metal and stoner rock converge with a post apocalyptic, fuzz box rock presence on this third full length from New York’s A Storm Of Light. Notable guests include ex-Swans Jarboe and Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil on ethereal songs like “Missing”, “Black Wolves” and “Death’s Head”. The quartet of Josh Graham on guitar and vocals,…

  • GRONHOLM – Silent Out Loud

    The second album from Finnish melodic progressive metal band Gronholm, “Silent Out Loud” overall doesn’t cut the mustard in comparison to say Tarot when it comes to their songwriting and performances. Markku Kuikka’s expressive vocals and personality give the epic “Under My Star” a fighting chance, otherwise main songwriter/guitarist Mika Gronholm and drummer Tom Rask…

  • KEN HENSLEY & LIVE FIRE – Faster

    Most remember Ken Hensley for his Hammond organ, Mini-Moog and keyboard contributions to the British hard rock band Uriah Heep, whom he played with from 1970-1980. Retiring for the scene during the mid 80’s, he’s appeared time and again with new solo material since moving to Spain. So it’s a pleasure to hear this legend…

  • LECHERY – In Fire

    The second classic traditional metal record from Sweden’s Lechery careens around high pitched fierce vocals, take charge guitar riffs and twists and a loaded machine gun bass/ drum presence. Former Arch Enemy bassist Martin Bengtsson is the vocalist/guitarist that helms this quartet ship, but for some reason songs like “Mechanical Beast”, “Heart Of A Metal…

  • SKULL FIST – Head Of The Pack

    Thanks to bands like Twisted Tower Dire, White Wizzard, Wolf, Enforcer, and Bullet, newer traditional metal is receiving another audience appreciation upswing. Younger bands willing to pull out their flying V’s, adorn their denim jackets with every band patch they can muster and just throw caution to the wind all in the name of true,…

  • LEGIO MORTIS – The Human Creation And the Devil’s Contribution

    And here we have an example of a band that has decent musical skills, occasional knack for melody, horrible songwriting with the exception of one track ("Life Denied") and absolutely atrocious vocals. One way to describe the atrocity would be to think of a man being strangled to death and given a microphone to express…

  • RISE AND SHINE – Empty Hand

    Swedish stoner doom with a psychedelic edge and a definite 70’s vibe on this fourth album “Empty Hand” by Rise And Shine. Even though the lineup has shuffled around through the years from their mid 1990’s start until today, female vocalist Josabeth Leidi is the one constant for this self proclaimed ‘flower power metal’ act.…

  • ZOMBIE INC. – A Dreadful Decease

    Ex-Pungent Stench vocalist/guitarist Martin Schirenc returns with Disbelief guitarist Wolfgang Rothbauer in this five piece death band Zombie Inc. Lyrically based on an apocalyptic world overloaded with infected zombies, musically songs like “Deadtribe Sinister”, “Bloodrain Overdose”, and “Grim Brutality” revel in the early 90’s philosophy- down tuned depth with no sign of commercialism in their…

  • FREEDOM CALL – Live In Hellvetia

    Interesting times in German power metal band Freedom Call these days. One of the two main members of the band, drummer Dan Zimmermann, left shortly after the release of their sixth and latest studio album “Legend Of The Shadowking” to concentrate fully on Gamma Ray- leaving vocalist/guitarist Chris Bay to replace him with Klaus Sperling…

  • NIELS VEJLYT – Sthenic

    Infinity Overture guitarist Niels Vejlyt steps out into this solo instrumental sojourn, surrounding himself with a capable duo of ex-Pain Of Salvation bassist Kris Gildenlow and fellow IO drummer Jakob Vand. So I’m sure you are asking yourself, how does “Sthenic” differ from the plethora of shred happy neo-classical non-vocal metal albums coming down the…

  • HYPOMANIE – A City In Mono

    One man bands worry me. Especially in the case of this Dutch post rock/psychedelic act Hypomanie. On the second album “A City In Mono” the guitars are cold, distant and have the raw black metal transistor radio feel- the bass and keyboards giving the material a warmer feeling but then the drums bring you back…

  • AIRRACE – Back To The Start

    If it takes a 25 year anniversary re-issue of a debut album to reunite British AOR/melodic rock band Airrace, then I’m all for it. Many may remember “Shaft Of Light” for John Bonham’s son Jason Bonham playing drums for this band, but others should remember the rave reviews due to vocalist Keith Murrell’s smooth and…

  • BAI BANG – Livin’ My Dream

    Running around the Swedish scene since the late 80’s, Bai Bang have circulated the globe showcasing their explosive, in your face hard rock style. Touring Canada, Europe, Japan and the United States, “Livin’ My Dream” is their sixth studio album and is a 10 song affair entrenched in sleaze/glam heaviness. “We’re United” has that drum…

  • MERGING FLARE – Reverence

    When looking at the booklet for this Finnish band, you have a clue what to expect when you see guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen (Amberian Dawn) wearing a Gamma Ray shirt and find out that Kai Hansen makes a vocal appearance on two of the songs while contributing lead guitar on two others. Further research shows that…

  • ARKHUM – Anno Universum

    Arkhum play a brutal form of Death Metal supposedly influenced by two of the loves of my young life: HP Lovecraft and Science Fiction. The only trouble is, I can’t really hear those influences in the music. What I can hear is a schizophrenic amalgamation of deathcore and technical death metal played with frenetic energy.…

  • LOSTWISH – Lostwish

    Years in the making, Lostwish from Norway consists of Atle Tvedt on vocals, guitars and keyboards plus Pal T. Nygard on drums, bass and additional keyboards. On this debut 10 song album, it’s readily apparent Atle excels on the guitar- channeling the best in the traditional metal and melodic power business. With influences from TNT…

  • SWEDISH HITZ GOES METAL – Swedish Hitz Goes Metal

    At the urging of Doolittle Group head Christian Liljegren, vocalist/guitarist Tommy ReinXeed, a 23 year old with an established neo-classical power/progressive metal pedigree, decided to record a cover album of Swedish pop/dance artists like Abba, Ace Of Base and Roxette with his own style. “The Look” ends up becoming a speed symphonic number, as does…

  • BEFORE THE RAIN – Frail

    Second full length album from Portugal’s Before The Rain, who’ve been active since 1997 and spread out their work over the course of the past 14 years. If there’s one genre that isn’t necessarily quick to write complete albums for, it would be doom metal- the challenge being the ability to keep the riffs and…

  • CRAWLER – Knight Of The Word

    Italian traditional metal here on this debut album from the quintet Crawler. With lead vocals in the vein of Michael Kiske meets Bruce Dickinson (not as soaring in the higher regions) and some paint melting guitar hero lead work, songs like “Crawler”, the tricky timing filled “Masters Of The Night”, and epic 8:37 “The King…

  • UNHOLY – From The Shadows

    Unholy hails from Finland, and "From The Shadows" was the band’s debut album back in 1993. The band left the music scene in 2000 due to contractual problems, but Avantgarde Music, who had the rights to the releases, sold these to Peaceville Records, who now are re-releasing all 4 full length albums.  "From The Shadows"…

  • DAVID MARK PEARCE – Strange Ang3ls

    This UK guitarist has played with Yes keyboardist Oliver Wakeman in the Oliver Wakeman Band since 2002, and through the years gained experience in a number of domestic folk and melodic rock groups. David Mark Pearce believes 2011 is the right time to unleash a debut solo effort, surrounding himself with major players like vocalists…

  • OUTLOUD – Love Catastrophe

    The second album from this Greek melodic hard rock band Outloud continues the fine songwriting and performances put forth on their 2009 debut. Featuring Firewind keyboardist Bob Katsionis performing double duty with guitars, the rich, expressive voice of Chandler Mogel leads material like the energetic “Live Again”, the Riot-like “Underground” and restrained ballad “Someday” to…