RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
-
BUT WE TRY IT – Dead Lights
Does thrash core – metal core – whatever core have that much universal appeal across the globe? Apparently so, as I’m still hearing newer acts trying to break through with their gruff/ shouted out vocals, obvious circle pit parts and anger intertwined with heavy guitars, bass and drums. Providing this "Dead Lights" installment would be…
-
HELL-BORN – Darkness (re-release)
"Darkness" is for the people that enjoy in your face Death Metal with a heavy Anti-christian / Anti-religious vibe. If you’re looking for an album where ancient grimoires are being recited you need to look elsewhere. When I got this album last year it didn’t sit right with me. Perhaps my expectations were too high…
-
COGNITION – Omnipotent
Cognition is the scientific term for the process of thought, and also a metal band from Oslo, founded in 2005. Two demos later, "Alienation" & "Apocalyptic", and its time for the debut album, "Omnipotent". According to the band, the core concept of the album deals with the idea that you are in charge of your…
-
THE VERY END – Mercy & Misery
German thrash with modern and hardcore overtones, The Very End unleash a second album !Mercy & Misery! that has much in common with Grip Inc. and Machine Head to my ears. The rhythm section keeps the groove factor going, Bjorn Goosses alternates between acidic screams and lower, discernable mid-range singing, especially during the choruses. I’ll…
-
VALOTON – Beastificate
I’ve never heard of Valoton before, and neither have you, I suppose. The reason is very simple: Valoton is a new black metal band from Finland and it’s built around a bunch of anonymous members. The band wasn’t obviously gathered for money and fame, but to spread their Satanic message in the deepest black metal…
-
MACABRE – Grim Scary Tales
Macabre is an extreme metal band from Chicago. They have kept on going since 1985 and are performing what they themselves call “murder metal”. How this band has eluded me is no surprise at all… The band plays some variation of horror-infused metal. Horrid atmosphere and humor are the tools of Macabre’s trade. A trade…
-
DESPITE – Clenched
Quite a concept for 2011. Let’s record an album without triggered drums, computer editing or an over-produced sound – using equipment from the 60’s and 70’s. Sweden’s Despite follow up their 2009 "In Your Despite" debut with a second album of raw death/thrash – intent on keeping the energy factor on high and assuredly delivering…
-
VOODOO CIRCLE – Broken Heart Syndrome
German guitarist Alex Beyrodt returns with his classic hard rock band Voodoo Circle, following up the 2008 self-titled debut that came as an end of the year stunner. The lineup includes vocalist David Readman, bassist Mat Sinner, keyboardist Jimmy Kresic and drummer Markus Kullmann – and "Broken Heart Syndrome" doesn’t stray from the Rainbow, Deep…
-
TEN – Stormwarning
My first encounter with this UK melodic hard rock band would be 1996’s second album "The Name Of The Rose". Singer/songwriter Gary Hughes comforting, old school approach brought to mind greats like David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes and Joe Lynn Turner – and musically his band mates exhibited class and grace unheard of in years, especially…
-
ARK – Wild Untamed Imaginings
Consisting of members from Arena, Frost* and IQ I had high expectations for this one. The letdown was therefore equally hard. What should have been a promising progrock endeavour is nothing but embarrassing from start to end. First of all, the production is terrible. The sound is not consistent from song to song, but mostly…
-
THE HAUNTED – Unseen
Veteran bands earn certain rights exclusively due to proving themselves. Once you’ve created a foothold with your sound and amassed a sizeable throng who’ll take in your touring cycles consistently, many musicians feel the need to challenge themselves while the years move forward. For The Haunted, their first four studio albums hit a thrash/death audience…
-
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY – Order Of The Black
Remember the days when a fresh faced young man with flowing blond locks that doubtlessly made Debbie and all the other cheerleaders swoon? Remember the flared jeans? The bullseye Les Paul? All these years later and Zakk Wylde is still here. In somewhat of a critical Elysium due to endless back slaps he has received…
-
MOSE GIGANTICUS – Gift Horse
Mose Giganticus creates a delicate mixture of synth, rock and metal. After the slow and enduring opening notes of "Last Resort", a song that grows on you the more you listen to it, the album finds an early highlight in "The Left Path". The song has a strong opening riff that follows the song through…
-
MEAN STREAK – Declaration Of War
One of my highlights of 2009 would be taking in "Metal Slave", the debut album from Sweden’s Mean Streak. A great montage of classic Iron Maiden, Accept, Judas Priest and Dio, my hopes are soaring for the standards to continue with their latest effort "Declaration Of War". Breaking in their latest acquisitions on the road,…
-
DEATH – The Sound of Perseverance (Reissue)
This is in my opinion the best technical death metal album ever released. There are more ingenious riffs on this album than most bands come up with in their entire career. There are no bad tracks and the instrumental performance is pristine from start to end. This album is of course a 6 on the…
-
VARATHRON – Stygian Forces Of Scorn
This album is getting older as we speak, and in today’s fastfood materialistic society I guess a review that’s written a couple of years after the album’s release is closer to being words for the historians rather than the metal fans reading this now. Such nonsense aside, Varathron do in fact feel old. The Greek…
-
BENEDICTUM – Dominion
To go forward one often needs to look back – so I feel it’s necessary to take in the previous albums from San Diego, California’s Benedictum before giving my thoughts on this third record "Dominion". Their debut "Uncreation" hit the streets in 2006 and the follow up "Seasons Of Tragedy" in 2008 – gaining massive…
-
ACELSIA – Quietude (EP)
Having recorded in Toproom Studio (Tristania, Theater of Tragedy) and being a metal band with a female lead singer, Acelsia could easily be labeled as yet another band in the Norwegian goth metal scene. This would, however, be a grave mistake. If anything, Acelsia invigorates a genre which has been stagnating for at least a…
-
LAZARUS A.D. – Black Rivers Flow
Wisconsin thrash quartet who approach their sophomore album not with trepidation but with an intense focus on quality. They say you have a lifetime to create your opening opus and only a year to get that second record out to consumers – well "Black Rivers Flow" showcases with Lazarus A.D. that knowledge plus action equals…
-
ENGEL – Threnody
This one took me by surprise. Sweden’s Engel didn’t really swing for the fences with their debut "Absolute Design" as much as attempt to fuse nu-metal with melodic death metal and add in a dash of industrial influence. As a result their debut didn’t have much staying power. "Threnody" comes closer to establishing an original…
-
SCHEEPERS – Scheepers
Three years in the making (especially considering Primal Fear’s blistering tour/record cycles), vocalist Ralf Scheepers unleashes his solo album, filled to the brim with traditional power metal and a few surprises. Ripper Owens pipes in for “Remission Of Sin” on a spirited singing duet, Kai Hansen adds some guitar on “The Pain Of The Accused”…
-
LEGION OF THE DAMNED – Descent Into Chaos
Dutch thrash with death overtones, Legion Of The Damned have been building their trade for quite some time, consistently releasing product and navigating the globe for festival shows and small tours. "Descent Into Chaos" is their fifth studio album in six years- which could send up warning signals to some regarding the quality of the…