ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • ARABS IN ASPIC – Far Out in Aradabia (2021 Remaster)

    The fabulous Norwegian prog rockers Arabs in Aspic who hail from the city of Trondheim are without doubt one of the country’s finest exponents of warm, authentically vintage-sounding music. What we have here is a remastered re-release of their second album, which originally came out in 2004 and is entitled "Far Out in Aradabia". Jacob…

  • TERRA ODIUM – Ne Plus Ultra

    Terra Odium, which is an international outfit of sorts with members hailing from Norway, USA, and the UK, recently unleashed this epic seven-track offering of theirs via Frontiers, and if you are on the lookout for a hard-hitting slab of dark, progressive metal with an ominous and occasionally eerie vibe to it, look no further…

  • TIMO TOLKKI’S AVALON – The Enigma Birth

    "The Enigma Birth" by Timo Tolkki’s Avalon is the fourth album by the project and arguably the most accomplished and musically satisfying one in their discography yet. With an impressive cast of musically gifted people such as James Labrie, Caterina Nix, Fabio Lione, and Marina La Torraca appearing on the record, this is essentially a…

  • ALMOST DEAD – Brutal Onslaught

    The US outfit known as Almost Dead blends modern thrash metal with groove metal and subtle hints of metalcore, and this twelve-track output is some wildly aggressive and energetic stuff. Whenever I spin this disc, acts ala Machine Head, Pissing Razors, and Devildriver come to mind, so that should tell you a little about where…

  • REDIMONI – On the Brink of Existence

    This outfit offers relentlessly aggressive thrash metal from the Spanish underground, and these veterans have been spewing forth their vile brand of raw and pounding music for 21 years now under the ReDimoni moniker. "On the Brink of Existence" is a 5-track EP and it is not even remotely original-sounding if that is what you…

  • RUPHUS – Manmade (2021 Remaster)

    The musical journey of the seemingly ever-changing Norwegian act Ruphus is an incredibly interesting one and while their first couple of outputs were rooted in heavy, adventurous prog rock, later albums leaned more toward jazz rock (or jazz prog, if you will, or perhaps even progressive rock with prominent jazz overtones to it?). "Manmade" is…

  • Psychonaut / Sâver – Emerald

    Consisting of two lengthy tracks, one by each of these original-sounding artists, this is a strong and rather intense record that draws on psychedelic rock, sludge, stoner rock, doom metal, desert rock, minimalism, Americana, and ambient. Having the powerful Belgian outfit Psychonaut team up with the Norwegian purveyors of apocalyptic music known as Sâver is…

  • INTERLOPER – Search Party

    Interloper members claim they have created a new genre of music every metal fan can enjoy and, in this respect, I have to agree as "Search Party" is a unique album. The Californian trio featuring former members of Rings Of Saturn and current live The Faceless members are basically a melodic hardcore band with some…

  • MORIBUND OBLIVION – Endles

    Moribund Oblivion is a Turkish black outfit and these guys have been it at for years and churned out a whole string of full-length releases since the band’s inception in 1999. Their latest onslaught, which is entitled "Endless", contains aggressive black metal with melodic sensibilities to it, and it is deliciously rough around the edges…

  • BARNEY HOSKYNS – God is in the Radio: Unbridled Enthusiasms 1980-2020

    "God is in the Radio: Unbridled Enthusiasms 1980-2020" by renowned writer Barney Hoskyns is an incredibly insightful and thought-provoking collection of various essays and articles on songs and albums that have had a profound impact on the author. This passionate blend of memories, anecdotes, music history, and biographical details is bound to make you sit…

  • AIRBAG – Identity (2021 Remaster)

    Originally released back in 2009 but now remastered by the talented Jacob Holm-Lupo (The Opium Cartel, White Willow) and reissued by the ever-reliable Karisma Records, "Identity" was the debut album by the Oslo-based prog rockers Airbag. Now, the thing about this superb Norwegian group is that their grand, sweeping soundscapes are not that far removed…

  • BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER – Brother Against Brother

    There was something alluring and exciting about glancing at the amazing artwork to this self-titled effort by the sparkling new outfit named Brother Against Brother and it just so turned out to be an excellent pairing of two exceptionally gifted and skilled vocalists, namely Renan Zonta (Electric Mob) and Nando Fernandez (Sinistra). Backed by a…

  • GO AHEAD AND DIE – Go Ahead And Die

    Twenty-eight years ago Sepultura then frontman Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera and Fudge Tunnel’s Alex Newport had found a channel for the anger and hatred born out of the horrid times and the corrupt, cynical world they had lived in via Nailbomb and released its demented baby, "Point Blank" (1994) which featured a picture of an…

  • CHALICE OF SIN – Chalice of Sin

    Chapel of Sin is a brand-new outfit spearheaded by vocalist Wade Black (Leatherwolf, Seven Witches, Crimson Glory) and what we have here is a relatively old-school heavy metal offering that recalls Accept, U.D.O., Judas Priest, and Jag Panzer among others. With a punishing rhythm section and an abundance of riffs that are either pounding or…

  • KENT HILLI – The Rumble

    The talented Kent Hilli (who is known for his work with the kick-ass melodic hard rock outfit Perfect Plan) recently released this slick, polished solo affair of his, and if you are into bands such as Journey, Foreigner, Survivor, the Joe Lynn Turner-era of Rainbow, and Boston, this eleven-track offering is for you. This crisp…

  • NIGHTFALL – At Night We Prey

    More evidence that metal music is not only undying but actually thriving at the time of a global pandemic comes from Greece, from one of the trinity of Greek metal along with Rotting Christ and Septicflesh, the first extreme act in the country to sign an international deal. The blackened death/doom with origins as far…

  • ARABS IN ASPIC – Progeria (Re-master/Re-issue)

    While arguably not as stellar or wildly addictive a listen as some of the records and releases that would eventually follow, this 4-track debut EP by Arabs in Aspic, which was originally released back in 2003, is a highly impressive musical gem, and we should all be grateful that Karisma Records have taken it upon…

  • ROBERT SELLERS – The Remarkable Tale of Radio 1

    What a riveting read this one is! Robert Seller’s latest literary work focuses on the iconic Radio 1 in the UK and how it was at one point the most popular radio station in the world only to fade into oblivion in the mid-nineties under less-than-ideal circumstances. There were many aspects and parts of its…

  • CROWNE – Kings in the North

    Although the Swedish band named Crowne is a brand-new addition to the (melodic) hard rock scene, the skilled outfit actually consists of talented musicians from Europe, H.E.A.T., and Art Nation, so these are essentially a group of seasoned pros getting together and having fun playing loud and catchy music. Things are off to a good…

  • ECLIPSUS – Yürei

    This moody offering by the US entity Eclipsus is a cold and bleak-sounding black metal opus with a slightly monotonous albeit effectively hypnotic feel to it. With an emphasis on forlorn melodies and melancholy atmospheres, there are plenty of long, brooding passages that evoke visions of desolate fields and wastelands for one to immerse oneself…

  • ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS – Apogrypha

    "It’s no secret that I’m not a huge metal fan – I do like some metal but, as a whole, I lean towards post-rock, post-punk, industrial and avant-garde…I haven’t spoken to Dino [Cezares] in three years. I haven’t spoken to Raymond [Herrera, drums] and Christian [Olde Wolbers, bass] in longer than that, and I have…

  • NERVOUS DECAY – Nervous Decay

    The French act Nervous Decay offers energetic death/thrash metal filled with lethal riffs, licks and solos that fly like bullets, crushing mid-tempo passages, and a solid dose of groove. There are plenty of hooks here and some toe-tapping tunes to keep you entertained throughout, but the record is solid and good rather than downright excellent.…

  • NIHÏLANTH – Graceless Planet

    Pulverizing, tightly executed, and technically impressive death metal with an emphasis on groove, grit, and catchiness is what we have here and I must say that I am quite thrilled with this skilled French outfit’s debut full-length assault. The group’s eight aggressive compositions are cleverly written and contain countless interesting twists and cool surprises, but…

  • FLOTSAM AND JETSAM – Blood In The Water

    If you ever doubted that heavy metal music is a force to reckon with (I pity the fool!) just consider how it’s doing against one of the worst global pandemics in human history. It is THRIVING in it, despite bands unable to tour. Metal artists have had little to do but to write music, really…

  • INTERNAL CONFLICT – A P O R I A

    I had not previously had the privilege of listening to the atmospheric and punishing metal soundscapes conjured up by the British ensemble known as Internal Conflict but let me tell you right off the bat that I am glad Stampede Press mailed this one my way as it absolutely slays. So, what do we have…

  • MAYHEM – Atavistic black disorder/Kommando

    Atavistic black disorder/Kommando er en ny 6- spors EP fra Mayhem, og kommer bare drøyt to år etter deres siste, og fantastiske utgivelse, "Daemon".Å dette er spennende saker synes jeg. Når ene halvdelen høres ut som noen outtakes som har har ligget gjemt i en skuff siden 1993’s "De Mysterii Dom, Sathanas", og andre delen…

  • AT THE GATES – The Nightmare Of Being

    Of the three Gothenburg melodic death framers At The Gates may not be my favorite (the hat goes to Dark Tranquillity) but they are certainly the most consistently extreme while the least accessible. From "Gardens Of Grief" demo (1991) through "To Drink From The Night Itself" (2018) they have remained true to their own characteristic…

  • TRUCKERFUCKER – Man’en Med Ljaa1

    The lovely dead serious Norwegian quartet I shall address as TF is a kind of black metal Green Jellÿ in the tongue-in-cheek approach to their music. From admittedly creatively named debut EP "Vulva Volvo" (2019) through the first full length "Doedens Daf" (2020) and this, the subject of this review, TF has featured a demented…

  • HAVEN – Vessel

    The German entity known as Haven is a rather interesting post-metal outfit whose latest EP, Vessel", is a bleak, slightly dystopian, and above all heavy piece of work containing three moody compositions that recall Cult of Luna, Neurosis, and Isis. First of all, the lavish promo package that I received looks fantastic and a lot…

  • CLOUDS – Dor

    "Dor" (2018) was the third album by the British-Romanian atmospheric death/doomers Clouds and the first album reissued by Personal Records earlier this year as part of the CD reissues of a significant portion of their back catalog. "Doliu" (Romanian for "Mourning") was their debut, which I reviewed first in the line of "Dor", "Doliu", "Destin",…