RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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JOEL HOEKSTRA’S 13 – Running Games
It is simply a treat to immerse oneself in Whitesnake guitarist Joel Hoekstra’s solo outputs and "Running Games" is unarguably his best and most fully formed opus yet – and that is saying something considering how good the debut offering "Dying to Live" was. Backed by a strong and musically muscular line-up consisting of Vinny…
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DURBIN – The Beast Awakens
Former Quiet Riot vocalist James Durbin recently released this punchy and fist-pumping heavy metal opus of his via Frontiers Records not that long ago and the result is quite good and a satisfying listen. Musically and stylistically, this is very much in the vein of classic Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Dio, and perhaps to a…
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ARC OF LIFE – Arc of Life
Arc of Life is a new and incredibly talented constellation of musicians in which present members of Yes figure, and in many ways, the group’s sound and feel is not altogether that different to the aforementioned pioneering prog rock outfit. Arc of Life’s self-titled effort is clearly inspired by 70s prog rock but there is…
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INGLORIOUS – We Will Ride
UK hard rockers Inglorious have returned with an energetic new opus entitled "We Will Ride" and the kick-ass thing consists of the band’s strongest material to date. The record packs a punch and there is plenty of color and flavor to the fiery brew that they have concocted this time around. What you get here…
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JASON BIELER and the Baron von Bielski Orchestra – Songs for the Apocalypse
Saigon Kick vocalist Jason Bieler and his so-called The Baron von Bielski Orchestra released this highly eccentric, eclectic, and quirky (not to mention interesting and original-sounding) opus not that long ago, and his take on (and charmingly reckless mixture of) various genres is something out of the ordinary. What exactly is "Songs for the Apocalypse"…
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DOWNES BRAIDE ASSOCIATION – Halcyon Hymns
Let me kick this review of mine off by stating that the fourth record by the talented Downes Braide Association bearing the evocative title Halcyon Hymns is a hauntingly beautiful and moving opus that serves as the perfect escapism to what is going on in the world right now. Simply put, this is as uplifting…
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BLACKMORE’S NIGHT – Nature’s Light
The renowned Blackmore’s Night, which primarily consists of the musically gifted duo that is Candice Night and Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow), is back with an inspired and enchanting record, and if you are a fan of the outfit’s mixture of medieval/renaissance music and folk rock, there is a lot for you to look forward…
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SAGA – Symmetry
Canadian pomp/prog rockers Saga returned to the studio following their 2020 tour and recorded these twelve acoustic renditions of some of the band’s classic cuts and most treasured tunes, and the resulting album, which is entitled "Symmetry", is quite the interesting affair in many respects. The sparkling, crisp-sounding new versions have in many ways been…
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LUEUR VERTE – Crystalica
The fabulous French synthwave entity Lueur Verte, which is the brainchild of Michael Brun, originally released this near-flawless mini-album/EP digitally back in 2013, but thanks to the good people at Darkhan Music this particular gem has at long last been issued on vinyl and CD. "Crystalica" is a subtly dark, slightly melancholy piece of work…
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DARK ZODIAK – Ophiuchus
The German outfit Dark Zodiak dabbles in a groovy mixture of death metal and thrash metal where the emphasis is on relatively simple yet catchy riffs, plenty of variety in terms of pace and atmosphere, and thick, rumbling chords with a heavy vibe to them. I would not exactly deem this stuff original or musically…
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EVERGREY – Escape Of The Phoenix
If there’s one band that seems to mightily resonate with my life it’s the Swedish progressive/power metal act Evergrey. Whether they echo my existential/identity struggles as a U.S. Army soldier deployed to Iraq with "Recreation Day" (2003), my spiritual desolation after my brother’s murder with "Torn" (2008), reflecting my complete mental breakdown in anticipation of…
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WIG WAM – Never Say Die
The Norwegian hard rockers Wig Wam recently returned to the scene and unleashed this fiery and energetic output of theirs via Frontiers Records, and the first thing that struck me when I spun the disc is that "Never Say Die" is a much heavier affair than previous musical endeavors of theirs. The thing is that…
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VALDAUDR – Drapsdalen
The musical journey of the incredibly prolific Blood Red Throne guitarist Daniel "Død" Olaisen continues, pandemic or not. While still at work on new Big City and Zerozonic albums he is already coming back around for another Cobolt 60 release, even though, according to his own policy, it is not due until next year. So…
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BLUE ÖYSTER CULT – Live at Rock of Ages Festival – July 30th 2016 (Deluxe Edition CD + DVD)
Here is yet another Blue Öyster Cult live album for your listening pleasure, and this one, which was captured for posterity at the Rock of Ages festival back in 2016, is a solid and enjoyable output but offers no real surprises as such. Perhaps due to the fact that this was a festival appearance, the…
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THE SCALAR PROCESS – Coagulated Matter
Like the Universe, Transcending Obscurity Records is expanding, delivering scores of very good to perfect releases, but I personally love the fresh new bands on their roster the most. Such is the French new sensation The Scalar Process with their debut album "Coagulated Matter" of progressive spacey psychedelic technical death metal which is perfect in…
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ALICE COOPER – Detroit Stories
It seems that the legendary Alice Cooper is incapable of releasing mediocre or mundane albums and this latest LP of his, which is partly a heartfelt love letter to the sounds and vibes of 60s and 70s rock from the Motor City aka Detroit, is a warm and superb record that offers surprises and hooks…
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DON AIREY AND FRIENDS – Live in Hamburg
Recorded for posterity nearly four years ago in Hamburg, this double disc release by the phenomenal Don Airey and Friends band is a blindingly good reminder of just how many great and legendary groups that the aforementioned keyboard magician Mr. Airey has been (and in some cases still is) a member of. Completely raw and…
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FRETMIDEN – Bashaea
The hard-hitting Norwegian metalcore ensemble known as Fretmiden impressed me greatly with their previous effort, "Omen" , and so naturally, I was very much looking forward to experiencing their upcoming onslaught evocatively titled "Bashaea". These skilled young dudes do not disappoint either and this is a ferocious and hugely energetic assault on the senses in…
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FIVE THE HIEROPHANT – Through Aureate Void
The sinister British ensemble known as Five the Hierophant is something out of the ordinary and this brand-new opus of theirs is a seriously accomplished one and a monument of emotion and atmosphere. What exactly is "Through Aureate Void"? Imagine if renowned composer Angelo Badalamenti decided to join a blackened doom metal outfit and score…
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SVN.SEEKER – Mean To An End
Last year I reviewed Fire In The Distance’s (FITD) excellent debut album and some of the members used to be in Archaic Decapitator of which band Svn.Seeker’s frontman, Nikita Alekseyevich Khrenov (vocals, guitars, synth programming) is a former guitarist. This isn’t the only connection as this debut EP was produced in the same studio as…
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SYD BARRETT AND ROB CHAPMAN – The Lyrics of Syd Barrett
Many marvelous books by or on musicians as well as those chronicling whole movements and styles and whatnot have seen the light of day these past many years, but once in a while you come across something that touches you profoundly; something that moves and inspires you beyond what the written word on the page…
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HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY – Mære
I wonder if Michael "Jimbo Jones" V. Wahntraum (vocals) and Matthias Sollak (all instruments) who comprise the Austrian progressive black/post metal duo realize how much their art substitutes anti-depressants, how much empathy they unleash and induce with "Aokigahara" (2014) or "III: Trauma" (2016) and now "Mære". While I have never heard the debut eponymous (2012)…
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PHANTOM ELITE – Titanium
Phantom Elite’s "Titanium" is a hard-hitting mixture of modern metal, symphonic metal, and semi-progressive metal that is nicely complemented by Marina La Torraca’s beautiful vocals, and the whole thing is filled with drama and emotionally expressive tunes. This Dutch/Brazilian outfit is an entirely new entity to yours truly and I had never picked up on…
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ANGELUS APATRIDA – Angelus Apatrida
Angelus Apatrida is one of those clearly Bay Area thrash acts which sounds like its members have been eating from the same bowl and using the same bathroom as members of TESTAMENT, EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL, SLAYER or MEGADETH until you realize they are actually Spaniards from Spain, to boot. A relatively modern act, they have…
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CREYE – II
The Swedish outfit named Creye recently released this sophomore twelve-track effort of theirs appropriately titled "II", and what we are dealing with here is a vigorous take on slightly slick and polished melodic hard rock/AOR. Apart from being full of youthful energy, the album strongly indicates that these guys are hungry as hell and aim…
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BOBBY ELLIOTT – It Ain’t Heavy, It’s My Story: My Life in the Hollies
The legendary rockers The Hollies surely need no introduction as they were one of the most influential and important British rock groups to come out of the sixties along with The Who, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones, and their impact on the music scene in general cannot be overstated. Yours truly was therefore extremely…
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LABYRINTH – Welcome to the Absurd Circus
The 2017 offering entitled "Architecture of a God" by the Italian progressive power metallers Labyrinth did not impress me, so I was curious as to how their latest effort, "Welcome to the Absurd Circus", would fare. Luckily, this is a better and much more interesting opus than its predecessor. Things kick off with the explosive…
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W.E.T. – Retransmission
The incredibly skilled hard rock ensemble known as W.E.T. recently released this extremely uplifting and hook-laden batch of songs in the shape of "Retransmission", and the whole thing is filled to the brim with huge infectious choruses, instantly memorable melodies, muscular riffs that possess power and class, and superb vocals. Even the guitar solos are…
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INHUMANITY VORTEX – Reverse Engineering
The musically talented group known as Inhumanity Vortex performs modern-sounding technical death metal with countless shifts, starts, stops, and progressive curveballs, and this is some impressive and oftentimes dazzling shit. The five compositions that constitute this EP are aggressive and punishing, and there is a cold and cynical edge to them. Apart from its wicked…
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RIDDLEBREAK – Architeuthis
In the limited genre that is metalcore, (usually a metalized hardcore rather than hardcorish metal) it is very difficult to find a unique act, and that typically means progressive slant. Between The Buried And Me, Misery Signals and Burst come to mind all three influential to the South African sextet Riddlebreak, formed 11 years ago…