RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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DEVOID – Lonely Eye Movement
The French outfit Devoid immediately caught my interest the very first time I listened to the album title track, which is the first tune on the disc, from this sophomore effort of theirs. Although these guys’ musical style appears to be rooted in (and highly influenced by) progressive metal, it is surprisingly catchy and accessible.…
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GROUNDBREAKER – Soul To Soul
I found the self-titled debut album (2018) by these melodic rockers an enjoyable listen full of hooks and earworms, and so I was looking forward to this crisp-sounding new LP of theirs. Is it as good and memorable as its predecessor then? Well, the insanely talented Steve Overland (FM) is always right on the money…
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LIVLØS – And Then There Were None
One of the best things to happen to a reviewer is discovering an excellent band or an album previously unheard of. Such is the case with the Danish melodic death metallers, Livløs (Danish: lifeloss) and their second, after the independently released "Into Beyond"²⁰¹⁸, album, mysteriously and epicly titled "And Then There Were None", which, as…
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SWALLOW THE SUN – Moonflowers
As much as I love and respect this brilliant Finnish melodic doom/death ensemble I found their last "When The Shadow Is Forced Into The Light"²⁰¹⁹ disappointing as if the weight of anguish they had gone through, especially their founding guitarist, crushed their ability to craft memorable hooks and bind them to cascading old Peaceville style…
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LORDS OF BLACK – Alchemy of Souls Part II
I was quite pleased with the Spanish power metallers’ previous offering, namely the first part of the "Alchemy of Souls" (2020) musical narrative, and so naturally, I was keen on hearing how this brand-new effort of theirs would sound. As it turns out, it is a bit of a mixed bag with respect to quality…
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HOUSTON – IV
The Swedish outfit known as Houston was an entirely new discovery for me but a most pleasant one as this deftly executed slab of melodic hard rock with prominent AOR overtones to it is an uplifting and memorable experience. Although the second half is slightly better than the first and that things do not start…
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RICHARD BALLS – A Furious Devotion: The Authorised Story of Shane MacGowan
The infamous Shane MacGowan is undoubtedly one of the most uniquely gifted songwriters and front men of these past many decades and his work with The Pogues in particular is as powerful and evocative as it is influential and timeless. Die-hard music fan and author Richard Balls has done something that I previously thought to…
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DEEP PURPLE – Turning to Crime
Deep Purple’s upcoming record cleverly titled "Turning to Crime" is nothing less than a covers album consisting of twelve tracks that are all brimming with energy and intent. This is a highly entertaining and memorable collection of interesting and intriguing cover renditions – the majority of which are expertly arranged and deftly executed. The sound…
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THE GRANDMASTER – Skywards
The Grandmaster is a new addition to the Frontiers Records roster of bands and presents us with a solid and nicely arranged melodic heavy metal opus featuring the amazing Nando Fernandes (Brother Against Brother) on vocals, and this one was a most pleasant surprise in that the songs are generally quite strong and absolutely loaded…
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MØL – Diorama
Møl is a black metal/shoegaze quintet who reportedly made waves in the genre with their debut album, "Jord"²⁰¹⁸, this, the sophomore release, "Diorama", released on November 5th, being their first major label album. Although I’m usually not that much into this genre, seeing as much of it are just better or worse copies of Alcest,…
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OMNIUM GATHERUM – Origin
If you don’t know how much this Finnish progressive melodic death metal band means to me read my review of their previous album, "The Burning Cold" (6/6), my personal album of the year 2018. I have followed them from the 2011 "New World Shadows" through "Beyond" (2013) and "Grey Heavens" (2016), each a fantastic record…
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MASTODON – Medium Rarities
The brand new installment from the Georgian heavy metallers Mastodon, "Hushed & Grim", is a hell of a ride, probably the best since "Crack The Skye" and it did it two things for me: 1. reestablished them as unique artists who have won my heart from the humble but deadly "Call Of Mastodon"²⁰⁰⁶ compilation, through…
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VECTOR SEVEN – Dark Metropolis
I was quite taken with Vector Seven’s "Electric Blood" album and so when Darkhan Music handed me a copy of "Dark Metropolis" on CD, I was ecstatic and pretty damn keen to immerse myself in the German act’s synthwave/darkwave/retrowave/industrial-tinged opus, which was originally released digitally back in 2019 but is also now available on physical…
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AIRBAG – A Day in the Studio / Unplugged in Oslo
What we have here is a beautiful-sounding acoustic live set where the talented Norwegian proggers perform a few tracks from their stellar "A Day at the Beach" album (2020) as well as a couple of classic cuts from their back catalogue and even a previously unreleased gem titled "Come on In". Given that the band…
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STASS – Songs Of Flesh And Decay
These days it seems you can’t turn around without hitting one of the many old school death metal projects of one of the hardest working guitarists in metal, Roger "Rogga" Johansson. They all tend to sound the same but so far I had the honor and/or pleasure to present albums by Rogga Johansson (the band),…
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KAASIN – Fired Up
Ever since Kaasin’s first digital single release titled "Runaway Train" back in 2019, I have been looking forward to their debut full-length offering and I am thrilled to report that this 9-song effort of theirs (11 if you include the bonus tracks) appropriately named "Fired Up" does not disappoint. Kicking things off with the fiery…
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MASTODON – Hushed & Grim
These four Georgians are one of the reasons why I love music, I mean, not just heavy metal but music widely understood. I have very fond memories of hearing the opener of "Blood Mountain", "The Wolf Is Loose", with its opening chord the freshest thing in recent memory back in 2006. And Mastodon had been…
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KOSMODOME – Kosmodome
Is there anything better than being introduced to a new, exciting, and musically explorative outfit from the underground? Kosmodome is a most welcome addition to the inspired Norwegian prog rock (and to a certain extent the stoner rock) scene, and this crunchy-sounding debut offering of theirs consists of eight atmospheric and cleverly crafted songs that…
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BARRY ADAMSON – Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars
Renowned artist Barry Adamson’s recently published autography is nothing short of a literary revelation. Many fine and hugely memorable memoirs and music-related books have seen the light of day this year, but the evocatively titled "Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars" undoubtedly sits at the very top of that list and is simply…
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FOUR STROKE BARON – Classics
As I’m slowly if mercilessly approaching 50 I fondly recall the 80s and early 90s pop music. It seemed so much more genuine, more human, catchier. I honestly don’t get the genre (?) today as everything I hear is either a shameless mechanical ripoff of past classics or worse, music, to butcher Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address,…
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GURTHANG – Hearts of the Hollow
I found this Polish outfit’s previous effort, the raw and piercing "Ascension" (2019), a hugely impressive piece of work and it was one of those great releases that grew on me the more I listened to it, so naturally, I was quite keen on getting my filthy paws on their upcoming album "Hearts of the…
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HELHEIM – WoduridaR
Trying to contain my excitement whenever a new LP by Norwegian Viking metal stalwarts Helheim looms on the horizon is a futile exercise. I have been a huge fan of the group for many years now and what blows my mind every darn time they release an album is that they seem to get better…
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A THOUSAND SUFFERINGS – Stilte
Immortal Frost Productions rarely disappoint when they unleash an underground black metal opus upon the unsuspecting masses and "Stilte" is no exception to that rule. The Belgian purveyors of darkness and despair known as A Thousand Sufferings conjure up bleak, atmospheric soundscapes that are rich in texture and depth. Clocking in at roughly 42 minutes,…
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GAMMA RAY – 30 Years Live Anniversary
This one nearly got away from my pile of stuff to review, and so before I forget, I figured that we should at least write a few short sentences about this nicely packaged 2CD/DVD output by the well-known German power metal outfit Gamma Ray. As its title suggests, what we have here is a live…
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STRESS ANGEL – Bursting Church
Now, this is a unique name, suggesting an evil spiritual entity behind the phenomenin of human stress. Stress Angel, probably born last year in Brooklyn, NY, quickly had cought attention of Stygian Black Hand which released their eponymous demo (2020) of which all 6 tracks are featured on "Bursting Church", although it is possible, even…
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XENOSIS – Paralleled Existence
A quick look at the 11 year history and the 3 album discography of these Connecticuter progressive technical death metallers and you know Sal Bova (vocals), Kenny Bullard (guitar), Keith Benway (guitar) and Archaic Decapitator members, drummer Gary Marotta and Fires In The Distance frontman, Craig Breitsprecher (bass, backing vocals) can run circles around albums…
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ARVAS – VI
Fredag 17 september ble ARVAS sjette plate utgitt, og er passende nok bare kalt "VI". Bandet er, og har alltid primært vært, prosjektet til V-rex (som også har spilt det meste av instrumenter gjennom årene) og oppsto når Örth ble lagt ned på starten av 2000-tallet, etter Grim’s selvmord i 1999. Stilmessig er det mørk…
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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Animals Reimagined – A Tribute to Pink Floyd
What we have here is a rather interesting tribute record where such legendary figures and renowned musicians as Rick Wakeman, Martin Barre, Graham Bonnet, Jordan Rudess, Vinnie Moore, Arthur Brown, James LaBrie, Jon Anderson, and Carmine Appice among others have interpreted and re-worked Pink Floyd’s "Animals" LP (1977) in a rather creative manner. While "Animals"…
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VISTERY – Doomfall
Listening to the 4th album of the Belarusian death metal trio reminds me of my teenage Polish vodka drinking days with my late brother and his buddies. It was usually consumed in a dimly lit ground floor of somebody’s murky apartment in a hot and humid environment using a single plastic cup full of warm…
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CIRCUS OF ROCK – Come One, Come All
The debut album by Circus of Rock, which is basically a brand-new project spearheaded by King Company drummer Mirka Rantanen, explodes right out of the gate and contains a blistering, fist-pumping mixture of heavy metal and hard rock. You get loud guitars, pounding drums, and a whole arsenal of big, tasty choruses and even bigger…