RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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KYLESA – Spiral Shadows
The American metal five-piece by the name of Kylesa has been making heads bang and bodies move since 2001, now they are back for more with their fifth studio album "Spiral Shadow". Trying to live up to the high reviews off last years "Static Tensions" Kylesa has made yet another powerhouse of an album. It…
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BRIAN MCDONALD GROUP – Desperate Business
I for one applaud certain individuals willing to re-issue long lost gems that may not have received their just exposure due to the original label’s lack of marketing funds or the sheer number of bigger releases gaining attention over the independent product. Such is the case with "Desperate Business" from American act the Brian McDonald…
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ICEWIND – Again Came The Storm
My first impression of “Again Came The Storm” should prove to be mistaken. At first listen, or glance for that matter, Icewind appeared to be nothing but another melodic power metal band in the endless sea of such. But after listening to it for a couple of days, I caught myself humming to their melodies…
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INFER – Sede Vacante Aeternum
"Sede Vacante Aeternum" is the third full-length from Slovakian blackened death metallers Infer. The sound is big, beefy and professional, with plenty of definition and potency in the guitars. The vocals are typical DM gravel a la David Vincent. Good stuff. Perhaps the drums could have been a bit more organic but that is a…
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MR. BIG – What If…
If we look back at the history of melodic hard rock, you had many musicians who seemed to get into the genre chasing its burgeoning popularity during the 1980’s and a second group who sincerely set out to make their own mark. For every band seeking to become the next Bon Jovi or Def Leppard,…
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DALKHU – Imperator
After counting down from 6, 6, 6 (5-4-3-2-1…), opening some doors and playing some horns, Dalkhu from Slovenia finally sets off on their quest to conquer the world playing straight forward good old black metal. And they do so in a convincing way, certainly without re- inventing the wheel, but when you are in the…
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ALGAION – Exthros
Algaion have been around for 20 years, yet "Exthros" is only their third full-length release and the first in 13 years. Either they are supremely lazy or they have been frying other fish… Word has it that with previous CD’s Algaion had more of a black metal sound, but this album falls squarely in the…
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INSTANZIA – Ghosts
Though this band promotes themselves as progressive power metal, it is more accurate to describe their music as standard power metal. The production is good, the instrumental interaction is flawless, but still there is quite a lot missing for Instanzia to stand out among the hordes of similar bands existing in today’s power metal scene.…
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DREAM OF ILLUSION – Decadence
It’s fascinating to watch the development of an act from its formative stages through debut album. The average listener is unaware of the years of refinement in terms of time, energy and effort expended with learning their instrument, finding the right members, coming to a consensus on a style and then letting nature take its…
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GODHATE – Equal In The Eyes Of Death
When first listening to this last release by the Swedish death metalers in Godhate I was ready to dismiss it quickly. But something made me want to hear it again… and again. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but after repeated listening I grew to enjoy this quite a lot. Godhate perform…
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EZURATE – Eve of Desecration
Ezurate describe their music as ‘Pure Armafu¢kingeddon Soulraping Black Metal’, and that’s probably as good a description as any. Although these guys hail from the States, the music is redolent of some of the more extreme-sounding Scandinavian BM bands. Think of Marduk at the turn of the century, or early 1349. Harsh, brutal and caustic,…
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CONTROL DENIED – The Fragile Art of Existence (Double CD Reissue)
Control Denied is Chuck Shuldiner’s side project where he got an outlet for some of his more melodic ideas that might not be entirely suitable for Death. "The Fragile Art of Existence" was the last recording to be released while Shuldiner still was alive, and it certainly is a proud final moment prior to the…
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ANOTHER PERFECT DAY – The Gothenburg Post Scriptum
Since Opeth had their definite breakthrough with “Blackwater Park” in 2001 there has been a lot of band trying to move into Opeth territory. Most of these bands fail, but the last couple of years some worthwhile bands have emerged. In Mourning and Leprous have both made excellent albums that arguably are in Opeth-ian territory,…
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OVERDRIVE – Angelmaker
Kudos to Lion Music for their willingness to sign acts like Overdrive on a roster heavily weighing upon guitar shred dynamics. Do not fear six and seven string mavens – for Janne Stark and Kjell Jacobsson assuredly throw down knowledge, melody and theory throughout these 12 songs on their fourth album "Angelmaker". It’s just in…
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TAKING DAWN – Time To Burn
With an opening track that screams stadium sing-along, "Time To Burn", the title track promises a certain quality of metal, a type of old fashioned style metal present in classic Maiden, Kiss and Scorpions songs. Therefore my expectations were huge for the continuance of the album. Sadly the next couple of songs scream Bullet For…
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NEGATIVE PLANE – Stained Glass Revelations
It’s snowing outside and I’m stuck at home with the flu, ridden with fever fantasies while watching the news on TV, only interrupted by the necessary intake of pain killers, vitamins and water to get well. Europe is once again in chaos because of snow. Slippery roads and airport drama that makes you wonder whether…
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THE NEW BLACK – II: Better In Black
A critical writer’s dilemma. Which do you rate higher when it comes to pure enjoyment: the music or the melodies, the instrumentation or the vocals? More often than not, the singer usually deters from complete recommendations of many bands today- but rarely do I find a time where a front man’s talent outshines the entity…