RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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YUREI – Working Class Demon
Now, this is something slightly different. Some kind of slow dark rockish metal, but in a very weird vein. When you take a closer listen, or make it 10 spins, you will still remain confused. What is this? There main confusion lays in the rhythm-section, where the ear-opening straightforward approach is not as easy as…
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LESBIAN BED DEATH – Designed By The Devil, Powered By The Dead
Lesbian Bed Death, originally a sociological term coined by Pepper Schwartz in the 80’s to explain why lesbian couples have less sex than hetrosexual couples, now a fast paced, hard rocking tornado of energy from Stoke-on-Trent. With a start that would kick-start even the most paralyzed rock’n’roller into overdrive, Lesbian Bed Death’s D"esigned By The…
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BESERKERFOX – History. Altar. Ashes
“History. Altar. Ashes” is the debut album from Australia’s BeserkerfoX. The music is a mix of classic metal and thrash with death metal vocals. Although BeserkerfoX are a young band, they obviously know what they are doing. The songs are dynamic and melodic with plenty of memorable parts. The guitar-work is excellent too. The band…
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WARDAEMONIC – Echoes Of Ageless Flames
Wardaemonic is living proof of Australia’s ability to offer more than Ac/Dc and killer sharks, the band formed early 2005, released their debut in 2006, and are now back with the follow up, named "Echoes Of Ageless Flames". In their own words, the band plays ancient, streamlined black metal, relying heavily on fast riffing and…
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CROWBAR – Sever The Wicked Hand
Mainman vocalist/guitarist Kirk Windstein hasn’t been idle in the six year lapse between Crowbar studio efforts. Juggling his time between super group Down and side group Kingdom Of Sorrow, we all know his head and heart have always been in the right place for this doom/ sludge metal style. "Sever The Wicked Hand" serves up…
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ATMAN – l’Assassi de Venus
“l’Assassi de Venus” is the fourth full-length release from Catalan black metallers Atman. There are lots of good things on offer here. The music is dark and discordant, mixing brutal attack with repetitive mid-paced parts that envelop the listener in a black fog of melancholia and suffering. The production is quite balanced, with all instruments…
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DRUDKH – Handful of Stars
Over the years Drudkh have garnered a reputation for fearlessly exploring new sounds and experimenting with different genres. From the blackest of the black to atavistic folk music, they have been largely successful in their undertakings, in part because of their artistic sensibilities and in part due to the single-mindedness with which they pursue their…
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ORCIVUS – Est Deus In Nobis
But of course, another Swedish black metal band, filed under the breed of Swedish orthodox black metal. And as with Norwegian bands back in the day, don’t you get somewhat bored of all these album recorded at Neromorbus Studio? Of course we don’t. I mean, I don’t give a shit about where an album is…
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SILVER LAKE – Silver Lake
I don’t mind bands that spend years refining their craft, cutting their teeth on cover songs to discover what they truly want to make their mark on for originality. Beginning in 2003 as the cover band Exodia spitting out Pain Of Salvation, Europe, Angra and Deep Purple songs among others – this Italian quintet eventually…
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LIFE OF AGONY – 20 Years Strong – River Runs Red Live in Brussels
When “River Runs Red” was first released in 1993, there were those who didn’t know what to make of it. Life of Agony looked like a hardcore band. They hung out and gigged with all the NY hardcore crew. But they were signed to a metal label. And the music was metal for the most…
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SEVEN THORNS – Return To The Past
Another act who’ve been around awhile honing their skills and craft – Denmark’s Seven Thorns release their second album 4 years after their "Glow Of Dawn" 2007 debut. Oh glory to happy power metal – keyboards that glisten with the bells of glory, drums that lay down a persistent, steady double bass and vocals that…
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DRÜNKEN BASTARDS – Horns of the Wasted
Hungarian act Drünken Bastards (not to be confused with Drunken Bastard from Germany) play a type of punky retro crossover that calls to mind The Accused, Toxic Holocaust, The Exploited and Venom. D-beat drumming, loose riffs and spewed vocals bring the listener back to the late 80’s when the whole thrash thing was collapsing under…
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MAGIC PIE – The Suffering Joy
My definitive favorite album from 2007 in the world of prog? Magic Pie and "Circus Of Life". And here we are, 3 long years later, and a brand new album. Gone are the memories of the rehearsal room and equipment burnt up in flames, and the just recently cancelled release party, all that counts now…
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INFINITY OVERTURE – The Infinity Overture Part 1
Danish progressive metal quartet Infinity Overture make a slight shift with their sound on this second album "The Infinity Overture Part 1". Their "Kingdom In Utopia" debut of 2009 features a more symphonic-oriented quality, along with the blistering neo-classical lead play of guitarist/composer/ producer Neils Vejlyt. Following a lead singer shake up, Kimmie Tenna Nielsen…
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ARCKANUM – Sviga Lae
"Sviga Lae" is the sixth full-length album from Sweden’s Arckanum. On the first couple of spins, this unassuming disc makes little impact. The songs come across as quite basic and simple and there doesn’t seem to be too much going on. Before long, however, the tone of the album starts to seep into your bones.…
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PHARAO – Road To Nowhere
Forming in 1986, this German quartet have a roller coaster history without much recorded output to show for their long years in the business. "Road To Nowhere" is their second album, a follow up to their debut album that hit the streets in 1990! Splitting in 1991 and reuniting in 1999 for a special concert,…
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WEH – Origins
I’m not sure if this should rightfully belong in the metal section. This is a collection of five demos, one unused track, one acoustic cover of Windir’s “Likbør” and five new recorded tracks from Weh. It is all just one acoustic guitar, bass and vocals. Some few songs have distorted vocals of a somewhat black…
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HATRED – Destruction Manual
In 2010, you would think that thrash metal never has gone away. Artists long in the game as well as a second generation of musicians appear intent on pushing their riffs, windmills and aggression on audiences all across the globe. Germany’s Hatred have been involved in the scene since 1998 – and now release their…
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DESTRUCTION – Day Of Reckoning
These days the metal community appears to be much more open-minded when it comes to genre resurrection than ever before. In my early 1980’s youth, once pastures moved heavier, speedier, or more underground, it seemed you needed to maintain distance from your previous musical loves. How silly it was thinking back that you couldn’t appreciate…
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SICULICIDIUM – Last Gallop in the Universe
While Transylvania has provided much of the inspiration for BM throughout the years, we have not seen too many bands actually hailing from the plains and mountains of Central Romania. Siculicidium have come to right the imbalance with their debut full-length “Utolsó vágta az Univerzumban”, translated as "Last Gallop in the Universe". The music is…