ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • ORIANTHI – Live From Hollywood

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/Orianthi The latest output by the accomplished Orianthi is a live offering that was shot and recorded back in January this year at the Bourbon Room in Hollywood. Backed by a brilliant cast of musicians including renowned drummer Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper, Hollywood Vampires), the guitarist tears through songs both old…

  • SYMPHONY OF HEAVEN – Maniacal Entropik Discordium

      RELEASE YEAR: 2021 BAND URL: https://symphony-of-heaven.com/ I don’t think it’s a secret that Christians can and do make excellent heavy metal music in any genre, whether you consider thrash, death, metalcore (Living Sacrifice, Demon Hunter), progressive metal (Becoming The Archetype, Extol), brutal death (Crimson Thorn) or melodic death (Immortal Souls) or even black metal…

  • CLEANBREAK – Coming Home

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/CleanbreakMetal/ Cleanbreak is yet another Frontiers Records project where highly skilled musicians have joined forces and the results usually vary when it comes to these kinds of outfits and bands, but Cleanbreak are pretty darn cool and deliver a loud and crunchy album inspired by classic heavy metal and power metal.…

  • ANTI-CLONE – Human

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/anticlone/human-2 The darkly intriguing musical crew from the UK named Anti-Clone are about to unleash their inspired new EP titled Human on CD and digitally in September, and if cleverly written metalcore/nu metal gets you excited then this one is certainly worth both your time and money. These four masked musicians…

  • RIPTIDE – Masters of the Apocalypse

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/RipTideThrash/ The young British thrash metal outfit named RipTide recently unleashed this cleverly composed EP of theirs, and if face-melting riffs and dynamics are your thing, you could certainly do worse than checking this explosive cocktail out. Why is that? Well, not only is the interplay between these guys impressive but…

  • SLYDER SMITH AND THE OBLIVION KIDS – Charm Offensive

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/slydersmithandtheoblivionkids Now this was a nice surprise and something completely different to what one usually receives for review. Slyder Smith and the Oblivion Kids are about to release this fourteen-track effort of theirs in August and let me tell you right off the bat that we are dealing with a pretty…

  • ZERO HOUR – Agenda 21

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/zerohourtowers Progressive metallers Zero Hour are back following a long hiatus and knowing that these guys are capable musicians, I was curious as to how this brand-new effort of theirs would sound. After countless spins and listening sessions, I must admit that I find “Agenda 21” somewhat uneven and a bit…

  • THE BIG DEAL – First Bite

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/TheBandBigDeal/ I seem to recall having come across The Big Deal earlier on when they uploaded some rather entertaining and cool cover renditions of ABBA and Europe to YouTube, and I had no idea that they had an album on the way, so this was a rather cool surprise. The Serbian…

  • WILDNITE – Symphony of Apathy

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://facebook.com/officialwildnite/ Wildnite is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and aspiring hard rock outfits to have come out of Norway for quite some time, and these skilled dudes sure know what it means to write stadium-sized tunes with infectious riffs, sharp hooks, and awesome choruses to them. Their latest effort, which…

  • JANI LIIMATAINEN – My Father’s Son

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://facebook.com/janiliimatainenofficial/ Guitarist Jani Liimatainen (Insomnium, The Dark Element) recently released this melancholy offering of his via Frontiers Records and it is essentially a melodic heavy metal record with depth, substance, and emotional weight to it. Liimatainen is supported by a stellar cast of vocalists including Renan Zonta, Timo Kotipelto, and Anette…

  • BLACK EYE – Black Eye

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/BlackEyeReadman/ Featuring the great David Readman from Pink Cream 69 on vocals, Black Eye is a brand-new heavy metal outfit that not only shows talent and promise but also an impressive knack for crafting energetic, hook-laden tunes that will kick your ass six ways to Sunday. I used the term heavy…

  • STARCHASER – Starchaser

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/Starchaserband/ Following a nicely atmospheric introduction, Starchaser’s brand of polished and epic heavy metal explodes right out of the gate, and this melodically strong opus sounds absolutely massive and overflowing with drive and determination. Conceived by guitarist Kenneth Jonsson (ex-Tad Morose) and with a musically gifted line-up in tow, this ensemble…

  • JEFF SCOTT SOTO – COMPLICATED

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: http://jeffscottsoto.com/retribution/index.html The talented Jeff Scott Soto is a productive guy, and he is responsible for having crafted some excellent tunes both as a solo artist and as a member of other projects and ensembles, but I must admit that this latest effort of his is a letdown and a disappointment. There…

  • GRAHAM BONNET BAND – Day Out in Nowhere

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://facebook.com/grahambonnetmusic The charismatic Graham Bonnet and his skilled bandmates are back with a powerful new album that encompasses some of the best parts from the singer’s work with Rainbow and Alcatrazz while simultaneously sounding sharp and modern. Simply put, we are dealing with a classic heavy metal record that is loaded…

  • CALIGONAUT – Magnified as Giants (Re-issue)

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://caligonaut.bandcamp.com/album/magnified-as-giants Caligonaut is the brainchild of the wildly skilled guitarist/vocalist Ole Michael Bjørndal whose name you may or may not associate with such stellar outfits and artists as Airbag, Oak, and Bjørn Riis. This epic 4-song LP originally came out in early 2021 but has now been reissued due to popular…

  • HOWLIN’ SUN – HOWLIN’ SUN (RE-ISSUE)

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022   BAND URL: https://howlinsun.bandcamp.com/album/howlin-sun What a lovely surprise it was to see that the self-titled opus from 2018 by the Norwegian rockers Howlin’ Sun is available on vinyl and CD again. This re-issue does not bring anything new to the table in terms of bonus tracks or outtakes or anything like that, but…

  • MISFIRE – Sympathy For The Ignorant

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://misfireofficial.bandcamp.com/ If there’s one metal genre which has had an explosive revival for over 20 years it’s thrash metal. When Megadeth had ended their experimentation and had issued a more thrashy, gritty and, most importantly, more classic sounding “The World Needs A Hero” in 2001 (which marked their slow if…

  • WÖMIT ANGEL – Sadopunk Finland

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/sadopunk-finland High-octane black/thrash metal with plenty of punk rock elements thrown in for good measure is what these maniacal Finnish fucks dabble in, and if you desire catchy, unpretentious, and hugely energetic metal with swagger and attitude to it then you ought to swing by the Godz ov War Bandcamp profile…

  • LIBER NULL – For Whom Is the Night

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/forwhomisthenight The intriguing International black metal ensemble known as Liber Null is back, and this sophomore effort of theirs has not only surpassed the debut offering but also exceeded my expectations. Cold and punishing metal with a hauntingly bleak tone running through it is what lies in store for you but…

  • AZOTHYST – Blood of Dead God

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/blood-of-dead-god The Canadian quartet known as Azothyst specializes in relentlessly dark and aggressive black/death metal that is incredibly rich in atmosphere and full of determin­ation. The EP’s claustrophobic vibe is constantly emphasized by the dissonant, grimy riffs that are akin to a jackhammer being driven into one’s skull. The vocals are…

  • AT THE MOVIES – Movie Hits Of The 90s – The Soundtrack Of Your Life Vol. 2

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://label.atomicfire-records.com/project/at-the-movies/ Do you like 90s American movies, such as “Pretty Woman”, “Notting Hill” or “Doc Hollywood”? If so, chances are you also like the songs that made them famous. And now, Pretty Maid’s guitarist Chris Laney, along with bandmates Allan Sørensen (drums) and Morten Sandager (keyboards) teamed up with one…

  • TRUCHłO STRZYGI – Gwiezdny Demon

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/gwiezdny-demon Fuck yeah, another record by this Polish act is always a most welcome addition to the review pile. What you get here is a harsh and filthy mixture of crust punk and black metal with a vibrant sound and heaps of atmosphere to it. Did I mention that it is…

  • MISANTHROPIC RAGE – Hallucinatory Phenomena

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: Hallucinatory Phenomena | MISANTHROPIC RAGE | ???? ?? ??? ??????????? (bandcamp.com) Utterly twisted and devious black metal with a deeply unnerving and nihilistic vibe coursing through it is what this talented Polish trio offers. Demented vocals and sulphurous riffs that are caustic and morbid as fuck guide the listener through a…

  • TEMPLE OF DECAY – Rigor Mortis

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/rigor-mortis Masterminded by the skilled multi-instrumentalist Mortt, the tempestuous atmospheres conjured up by his excellent musical creation known as Temple of Decay is one of the better and more memorable additions to the black/death metal scene these past few years. As evidenced by the quality of this sharp and vicious half-hour…

  • AT THE MOVIES – Movie Hits Of The 80s – The Soundtrack Of Your Life Vol. 1

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://label.atomicfire-records.com/project/at-the-movies/ Do you like 80s American movies, such as “Dirty Dancing”, “Beverly Hills Cop”, “Back To The Future”, “Rocky” or the last James Bond flick with Roger Moore, “A View To A Kill”? Well, who doesn’t? If so, chances are you also like the songs that made them famous. And…

  • NAZARETH – Surviving the Law

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://www.nazarethdirect.co.uk/website/ Conceived back in 1968 and still going strong today, these Scottish hard rockers’ latest LP, which bears the interesting title “Surviving the Law”, contains a fair number of bulldozing tracks that deliver hooks, heaviness, variety, and determination. Plenty of muscular riffs abound and Carl Sentance sings like a man possessed.…

  • MELT MOTIF – A White Horse Will Take You Home

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://meltmotif.bandcamp.com/album/a-white-horse-will-take-you-home The intriguing musical entity known as Melt Motif, which consists of members from Norway and Brazil, is something quite extraordinary and weaves electronica, synthwave, industrial rock, and some other elusive ingredient that I cannot quite put my finger on to great effect. While chunks of “A White Horse Will Take…

  • AMBRIUS – Effigies of Time

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/AmbriusOfficial/ The hard-hitting British metal outfit Ambrius, which includes former members of Oakhaart and Tempestora in its ranks, is about to unleash this exciting 6-track debut of EP of theirs, and if modern melodic metal with a solid dose of aggression is your thing, then you could certainly do worse than…

  • EDGE OF FOREVER – The Days of Future Past – The Remasters

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/edgeofforeverband/ This neat triple-CD set containing remastered versions of the first three records by Edge of Forever is an enjoyable listen and a pretty cool collection of well-written heavy metal/hard rock tunes with plenty of good vocal melodies, epic-sounding keyboards, and tasty riffs scattered across it. While some of their musical…

  • DEATHCOLLECTOR – Time’s Up

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://deathcollector1.bandcamp.com/ The pulverizing underground artillery known as Deathcollector recently released a delightfully dark and rumbling death metal EP titled “Time’s Up” containing three lethal cuts that are filled to the brim with catchy riffs and excellent vocals. In many ways, one can draw a parallel to Obituary, Bolt Thrower, and arguably…