RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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DECREPIT BIRTH – Polarity
Technical death metal, kind of Suffocation meets latter era Death. Impressive guitarwork, but some riffs we have heard many times before, I’m thinking Into Eternity. Melody is sparingly applied but effectual. Overall, nothing beyond a good melodic tech death record. Sounds very dehumanized and the sound leaves one rather disappointed. Their previous record, Diminishing Between…
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NEMBIENCE – Through Times of Despair
Now, that’s what I’m talking about! This is Gothenburg played right. Plenty of melody, great ideas. Sure, heard it all, but when it sounds this good and creative, who cares? Songwriting and musicianship is superb and can easily rival the best Dark Tranquillity or In Flames has to offer. Reminiscent a little of The Agony…
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AMORPHIS – Magic And Mayhem
"Magic and Mayhem"? Tales From The Early Years? This whole re-recording thing, eh? What’s the point really? As far as this sorta thing goes I have to give credit to Amorphis and their slightly truer renditions. Truer, how? Well, they haven’t just shoved their old classics into a horribly processed mush of clicks, kicks and…
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ATHEIST – Jupiter
When it comes to technical death metal and the twisted craziness you hear from current musicians who push parameters of theory and skill, they all owe a debt of gratitude for this Florida act. Back in the mid 80’s through early 90’s, their three albums pushed the genre of death metal to levels unheard of…
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SALUTE – Heart Of The Machine
Second album from this act featuring Last Autumn’s Dream vocalist/ keyboardist Mikael Erlandsson – “Heart Of The Machine” contains 11 songs of smooth, melodic hard rock with strong similarities to West Coast AOR and the aforementioned LAD. Big hooks, impressive vocal harmonies (background vocals from David Reece an added bonus) and consistent songwriting all across…
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MURDERDOLLS – Women and Children Last
When reading a recent interview with the two remaining original members of Murderdolls (Wednesday 13 & Joey Jordison), my anticipatory antennas was thoroughly raised, as they proclaimed that their new album was more ferocious, more brutal yet more glam and sleaze at the same time. Was this usual preconstructed promo-blabber, or have Murderdolls actually raised…
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SPIRITUAL BEGGARS – Return To Zero
An appropriate album title for Spiritual Beggars given the recent vocal slot movement with Firewind singer Apollo Papathanasio taking on the melodies for JB Christoffersson who is very busy with Grand Magus activities. Their seventh platter “Return To Zero” allows Michael Amott the chance to focus on his love of stoner rock, doom and 70’s…
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REINXEED – Majestic
Symphonic metal from this Sweden quintet on their third album in three years. This could be a case of the creative well running a little dry – as songs like “Once Upon A Time” and “Second Chance” emphasize more of the bombast and theater-laden traits of Reinxeed, softening their metal stance. Early Edguy and Stratovarius…
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NEBUNAM – Nebunam (EP)
This EP from German two-piece Nebunam contains two tracks: “A Winter’s Tale”, which was previously released in a different form as a demo, and new track “Sturm”. Although there are only two songs, they total almost 25 minutes running time, so it looks like pretty good value for money. Nebunam play a wistful type of…
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SOLE REMEDY – Apoptosis
Alternative progressive melancholic metal appears to be the definition springing to mind when taking in this second album from Finnish quintet Sole Remedy. Forming as friends in 1998 and taking their time to move from more of a progressive rock act to fusion, bluesy rock and eventually heavier dimensions, their debut album The Wounded Ones…
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EISREGEN – Schlangensonne
Black/death metal with electronic overtones, somewhere between Dark Tranquillity, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and Rammstein. Actually pretty good stuff if not very original. I really love the production: meaty, raw, heavy and aggressive with the atmosphere of blackest of dooms. Just listen to track no. 7, which can rival Pantera in heaviness and ferocity.…
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EMPTY TREMOR – Iridium
Following the release of “The Alien Inside” featuring former At Vance singer Dustin Hartmann on main vocals, I wondered whatever happened to this impressive Italian progressive metal band. Since their last album hit the market in 2004, main mentor and keyboardist Daniele Liverani left the band a couple of years later – as well as…
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LINKIN PARK – A Thousand Suns
When Linkin Park first burst into the music scene world wide with their 2000 album “Hybrid Theory” it was with intensity and a desire to prove themselves. This made them one of my favourite bands at the time, though in later years they have given up on that intensity in search of commercial success. On…
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LINE OF FIRE – Momentum
Ah sweet classic arena rock. If you lived in America and listened to rock radio during the mid 70’s through mid 80’s, chances are you heard a lot of the following bands: Boston, Foreigner, and especially Journey. Greensboro, North Carolina’s Line Of Fire remembers this time period – and adds another product to the history…
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DEATHFIST – Too Hot To Burn
My first shock comes into play when I look up biographical background information on this Germany quartet and find the voice ripping up the microphone happens to be Corinna Becker. You wouldn’t know by the likes of “Apotheosis” and “Demons” that a female can be so evil and raw with her approach- but this would…
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THERION – Sitra Ahra
Once again partake in the special, well-honed craft that is Therion. Their evolution through the years sparks much debate, as I’m sure many prefer their older, more death-oriented early years, while others are mulling around in their brains the slightly more straightforward, traditional leanings of their past couple of efforts. It’s irrelevant to this reviewer.…
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GHOST MACHINERY – Out For Blood
Most will probably be aware of Finnish guitarist/vocalist Pete Ahonen with his other act Burning Point and their four album releases through the 2000’s. Biding his time to find the right record deal for one of his other acts, Ghost Machinery hit the market at a time when a lot of the veteran power/ traditional…
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SULPHUR – Thorns in Existence
Progressive Black Metal is the "in" thing to do right now, it seems. This release sounds like Enslaved plus Zyklon and a bit of Dimmu Borgir. It took me a quite a few spins to get into it, but once I did, the magic was soon gone. This is another example of talented musicians lacking…
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ENSLAVED – Axioma Ethica Odini
Different, and again we experience a different aspect of Enslaved. The former brought the band into a harsher world of Pink Floyd, with dreaming songs and a softer expression, while this new recording is harsh. Melodies all over the place, yet it never feels soft. Clean vocals, and again we experience clean vocals on a…
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KAMELOT – Poetry For The Poisoned
The man with the voice and his American friends have toured intensely since their previous "Ghost Opera" as well as having written a new album. Where the said "…Opera" was a simpler album coming to the structure, even though it has grown on me year by year, the new album is a varied tour through…