RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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HIGHLAND GLORY – Twist Of Faith
The biggest change for this Norwegian five piece power / heavy metal band lies solely in the vocal slot. After two albums singer Jan Thore Grefstad stepped down in the autumn of 2007 and a year later female vocalist Trine Elise Johansen slides in – making an obvious sound transition for Highland Glory. “Twist Of…
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DÅÅTH – Dååth
Tune the instruments, crank the amps, dim the lights, cue the music. Enter the musical mayhem that is Dååth! From the anticipation that creeps inside you at the start of “Genocidal Maniac” to the exploding madness that proceeds it, the self-titled 4th album by the American metal five-piece Dååth is a treat for anyone eager…
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ZEROZONIC – God Damn, Better Best
Zerozonic takes me back to my late teenage years, when Pantera was the heaviest band in my world. The production, the riffing and the vocals all sounds very Pantera inspired. The album kicks hard in my stereo, and if groove was all it took, then Zerozonic certainly has accomplished their mission. The songs typically turn…
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PORTRAIT – Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae
The Swedish metal juggernaut continues with the five piece Portrait – who release this second album “Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae” on Metal Blade Records, after a successful debut release on German underground label Iron Kodex in 2008. Per Karlsson took over on vocals in support of that first record, so not given the chance to…
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HATE ETERNAL – Phoenix Amongst The Ashes
When Erik Rutan isn’t producing some of your favorite death/black metal platters by bands like Cannibal Corpse, Nile and Vital Remains, he’s singing and wielding his own axe for Hate Eternal. The fifth album “Phoenix Amongst The Ashes” continues in the trio’s stock and trade – a cacophony of whitewash speed, deep bellows, and death…
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PAGAN’S MIND – Heavenly Ecstasy
In earlier metal periods, the creative peak of a group would probably occur during the third or fourth album cycle of their career. It often takes your first two efforts to shed your influence skin and develop your thick coat of originality – and usually by album five artists are often stuck with broadening their…
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NO HAND PATH – An Existence Regained
No Hand Path performs new school black metal with a touch of old school nostalgia to them. Their expression is not exactly retro-laden, but as far as black metal go No Hand Path don’t add anything to the table either. The package is professional for a self-released album. The artwork is sublime, particularly the cover…
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NEAL MORSE – Testimony II
Neal Morse, the former front man of Spock’s Beard and lead anchor in the super-group Transatlantic is back with his 17th (!!!) release as a solo artist. The album “Testimony II” is a continuation of the 2003 concept album “Testimony”. The album, dealing with Morse’s new found faith as a born again Christian, consists of…
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U.D.O. – Rev-Raptor
Surprise of the year for 2010 would be the unbelievable Accept comeback album “Blood Of The Nations” sans Udo. I’m sure even Udo himself didn’t expect such a strong commitment to their legacy while also benefiting from today’s thicker production scope. Yet U.D.O. the band hasn’t lost any ground, consistently releasing a new studio album…
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INALLSENSES – Hysterical Psychosis
“Hysterical Psychosis” is a 2010 album by In All Senses, it leads its listeners into a state of calm anticipation with “Last Breath” before “Red Line” awakens its victims in some kind of after life. With rapid, crying guitars, fast paced drums and lead vocals belching out the lyrics in any way possible “Red Line”…
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BLACK ‘N BLUE – Hell Yeah!
In my second year of going to shows, I witnessed Kiss on their “Asylum” tour sans makeup. Opening on that leg in support of the band would be Portland, Oregon’s Black ‘N Blue – and now thinking about this concert 26 years later, I had a better time listening to songs from their first two…
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EXCRUTIATION – [t]horns
Excrutiaton’s "[t]horns" is definitely a recommendable album for doom metal fans, especially if you got caught up in Paradise Lost’s early 90’s albums. The feel on "[t]horns" is consistently reminiscent of the more doom-infused tracks on "Shades of God" or "Icon". The production is more like the latter, but there is by no means any…
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WOLVERINE – Communication Lost
Starting their career as a death metal outfit with progressive influences, Sweden’s Wolverine now stand firmly on an atmospheric progressive metal landscape. “Communication Lost” appears five years after the “Still” record, and this five piece appear to infuse electric sounds with psychedelic and almost tranquil serenity. Songs like “Into The Great Nothing”, “Your Favourite War” …
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BULLDOZER – Unexpected Fate
Hardcore isn’t really a genre I have been too fond of previously, but Bulldozer’s thrash/hardcore amalgamation definitely has its moments. The riffing and production is as dirty as an 80’s thrash band, while the singing, particularly the choruses, leans towards punkish hardcore anthems. In Bulldozers case, their mixing of these two genres works like a…
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BOREALIS – Fall From Grace
There’s something about the Canadian metal scene that just screams unity. People come out of the woodwork for shows – be it local affairs or national/ international bills. Reminds me very much of the music as a lifestyle versus music as mere entertainment debate that I get into with people in the United States when…
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VALSANS – Sword
Those who worship at the altar of true metal should hail Austria’s Valsans with their debut album “Sword”. They’ve been in existence since 1996, yet only releasing one demo “Dawn Of Metal” in 2004 prior to this. Playing with veterans like Grave Digger, Iron Savior, Nocturnal Rites and U.D.O. helped season the band’s style –…
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CAULDRON – Burning Fortune
Venturing into retro territory is a risky business. On the one hand, you might strike a nerve in music lover’s nostalgic antennas. On the other hand, you always risk appearing repetitive, unoriginal and hopelessly out of place in today’s music scene. There are many successful retro bands these days, such as Bigelf, Ghost, Graveyard, Opeth…