RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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IRON MAIDEN – Nights of the Dead, Legacy of the Beast: Live in Mexico City
Legendary British heavy metal pioneers Iron Maiden have released several live documents over the years and we should all be fucking grateful for that since they are generally of exceptionally good quality and possess staying power. Also, Maiden is unarguably one of the greatest live acts of all time, so the fact that 2020 sees…
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KENNETH WOMACK – John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life
Author Kenneth Womack has written some impressive and incredibly well-researched books over the years (including "Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles") and this latest offering of his, which focuses entirely on John Lennon’s last year among us mortal beings, is yet another remarkable literary piece that is as…
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AC/DC – Power Up
AC/DC sitt 17 album Power Up svikter ikke! Men vi får en vri, en positiv sådan. Det er lett å trekke tråder bakover i tid, og det er det jo. Angus har tatt frem den ene skuffen med gamle ting det ikke ble noe av og jeg elsker det. Jeg er jo kanskje litt inhabil…
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HULKOFF – Pansarfolk
Swedish folk/Viking metal act Hulkoff recently released this 2CD edition of its latest opus entitled "Pansarfolk", and I can easily see this one appealing greatly to fans of Moonsorrow, Vintersorg, Lumsk, and the likes. In terms of its production and overall presentation, this is a professional-sounding offering that boasts plenty of bombastic tunes with some…
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=fudge= – Dust To Come
The modern-sounding German metal outfit =fudge= recently delivered a hard-hitting slab of groovy, aggressive, and fist-pumping music in the shape of this 14-track effort titled “Dust to Come”, which embodies traits from various different genres such as metalcore and industrial metal (or industrial rock, if you will). While some parts recall Fear Factory and Marilyn…
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WOBBLER – Dwellers of the Deep
I was blown away by Wobbler’s previous effort, the musically adventurous ”From Silence to Somewhere” from 2017, and was therefore extremely excited about listening to and reviewing this follow-up of theirs. Do the 70s-inspired Norwegian prog rockers deliver the goods? Absolutely! He four lengthy and impressively crafted compositions that constitute ”Dwellers of the Deep” are…
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SIMON GODDARD – Bowie Odyssey 70
As much as I love and cherish David Bowie’s musical works, I will be the first to admit that I have consulted plenty of literature on the sadly missed pioneer that is either below par or simply not as interesting or illuminating as one could have hoped for. I am pleased to say that Simon…
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MARK BOALS & RING OF FIRE – All The Best!
The talented Mark Boals (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, ex-Dokken, Raiding the Rock Vault) is undoubtedly one of the finest singers out there and the fact that he is not more well-known or popular is a damn travesty and totally beyond me. This 2CD greatest hits set houses tracks from the man’s solo offerings as well as the…
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SIMON COLLINS – Becoming Human
”Becoming Human” by the talented Simon Collins is arguably a bit of an odd entry in the Frontiers Records discography but all the better for it in the sense that it offers something radically different to what said label usually releases. Variety is good, right? What are we dealing with? Well, this 12-track effort is…
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THE MYOPIA CONDITION – Event Horizon
From the seminal stud farm of Jon Asher and Asher Media Relations comes yet another interesting progressive technical death and hardcore metal steed, The Myopia Condition with a brand spanking new offering, "Event Horizon". The instrumental skills are undeniable but what separates these Sh-Red Deer, Alberta, Canadians from the rest of similar sounding projects is…
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TERMINAL NATION – Holocene Extinction
Riding the long coattails of the global pandemic far right governments pack high courts with sycophants who help push inhuman statues such as zero tolerance abortion bans, stifling the right to peaceful assembly to petition government for a redress of grievances citing "national emergency" while promoting national policies and rhetoric which used to be exclusively…
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HOLLOW ILLUSION – 2
I distinctly recall listening to and reviewing the Norwegian duo’s predecessor, the self-titled offering from 2016, and I found it only halfway interesting and somewhat mediocre in the overall perspective. Where do we stand with this latest effort of theirs then? Well, “2” does come across as a slightly more focused and musically cohesive record…
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DGM – Tragic Separation
Italian prog (power) metallers DGM are back and if you are on the lookout for a vigorous and energetic output then make sure you grab a copy of this new life-affirming and fabulous creation of theirs. This thing is crisp and clear-sounding but packs plenty of punch, and there is an incredible flow to its…
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BRUDINI – From Darkness, Light
The London-based act Brudini is something else entirely and there is no other way for me to describe this unique piece of work than a warm and vibrant mixture of eclectic and hugely original music that defies genre conventions and easy categorization. What makes ”From Darkness, Light” so special? The first few times I immersed…
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SUFFERING SOULS – True Godfucking Soulblight
The German one-man black metal outfit named Suffering Souls unleashed this eleven-track compilation via Schwarzdorn Production a few days ago and the cursed thing consists of mastermind Lord Esgaroth’s demo offerings from 1998-2000 as well as a previously unreleased tune from 1996 and an exclusive (and utterly dreadful) live track. Musically and stylistically speaking, these…
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CONCRETE – Free Us From Existence
Ever since the murderer of Darrell Lance "Dimebag" Abbott buried any chances of Pantera reforming, bands have been lining up to replace the Texan legend. Hatebreed was the most likely candidate and, at one point, the Virginian groove metalcorers Lamb Of God were in position to take the spot but then they went more in…
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BOLZÖ – Moonlight
Genre eclectic acts such as Emperor, Dissection and Behemoth created a space where black and death metal could coexist in perfect equilibrium, a place the now sadly defunct Enforsaken briefly tapped into before extinquished by corporate greed. The Trondheim, Trondelag, Norwegian outfit Bolzö seems to have tapped the same vein on their debut EP but…
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YOBREPUS – Mycelium Days
Now this is something else entirely and I might as well start out by telling you that this Norwegian outfit’s sophomore effort entitled “Mycelium Days” is a progressive-sounding gem with a wonderfully cinematic vibe to it and yet its compositions are so introspective that they will inevitably get under your skin and stir every fiber…
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ANTZAAT – For You Men Who Gaze into the Sun
I was quite fond of the Belgian horde’s “The Black Hand of the Father” EP that was released a few years ago (2017) and I am pleased to announce that this upcoming full-length disc of theirs is a most worthy follow-up and just the kind of record you underground black metal fuckbags out there need…
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BEYOND HELVETE – MMXX
The foul German act named Beyond Helvete is back with a new full-length curse after an eight-year wait and offers aggressive, hate-filled black metal with a wicked groove to it. Sharp and intense but sufficiently melodic too, ”MMXX” is quite varied and the vocal work is strong and inspired. A prominent aura of misanthropy courses…
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THURISAZ – Re-Incentive
Scandinavians (Swallow The Sun, Katatonia) and The Britts (Anathema, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, The Drowning), be they as they may be the kings of melodic deathened doom, there are bands of equal talent coming from unlikely places such as the Netherlands (Officium Triste) or this here, Thurisaz, from Wervik, West Flanders, Belgium, which are…
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RING VAN MÖBIUS – The 3rd Majesty
Listening to a record by Ring Van Möbius is a truly joyous journey into playful 70s-inspired prog rock with a psych-like undercurrent to it, and the band’s warm, vibrant, and organic sounds are a delight to lose oneself in. Arguably more abstract and eclectic than its predecessor, “The 3rd Majesty” recalls some of the genre’s…
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TROLL – Tilbake til Trollberg
I have always harbored a certain affinity for the Norwegian (symphonic) black metal entity known as Troll and the majority of their releases offer something interesting and atmospheric. This 4-track EP is no exception to that rule, but musically and stylistically speaking this one is more akin to the underground gem that is “Drep De…
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DAVID FRENCH – Heart Full of Soul: Keith Relf of the Yardbirds
The legendary British pioneers of hard and exciting rock music known as The Yardbirds are often referred to as every rock musician’s favorite band (just ask Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler or Alice Cooper!) and it is easy to see why; these guys brought something new and innovative to the table back in the sixties, and who…
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ONEIRIC CELEPHAÏS – The Obscure Sibil
Technical melodeath is very popular, why, I’d say even trendy nowadays but, as it’s usual with trends, there’s not much originality, bands using the same patterns and stylings while undeniably highly skilled musicians. All the more I am glad that the Florence, Tuscany, Italian quartet Oneiric Celephaïs defy categorization while remaining highly original already on…
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SINNER’S BLOOD – The Mirror Star
I was quite looking forward to receiving and reviewing this record by the Chilean melodic (power) metal outfit known as Sinner’s Blood. As it turns out it is a decent and half-way entertaining albeit unremarkable listen. These guys are clearly skilled musicians and this eleven-track offering oozes power and professionalism with respect to the production…
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PRIDE OF LIONS – Lion Heart
I found the previous record by AOR/melodic hard rockers Pride of Lions to be a most satisfying listen and this 2020 opus of theirs entitled "Lion Heart" is no different although it does differ slightly from 2017’s "Fearless" with respect to a few things. For one thing, this new LP boasts a better and more…
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BLUE ÖYSTER CULT – The Symbol Remains
What a marvelous fucking treat it is to listen to this brand-new offering by the legendary (and musically progressive) US heavy metal act Blue Öyster Cult! I think it is fair to say that many of us have eagerly awaited this 14-track opus of theirs but let me assure you that it has most certainly…
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STARDUST – Highway to Heartbreak
The Hungarian hard rockers known as Stardust turned out to be a fucking fabulous musical encounter and one that is as uplifting to immerse oneself in as it is memorable. There is something quite inspired and invigorating about this eleven-song offering of theirs, and these guys are obviously a talented bunch. In fact, I was…
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ENSLAVED – Utgard
Say what you want but the West-coast based, Norwegian progressive blackmetallers are a hit or miss when it comes to the appeal (not the quality, which is, admittedly, always very high) of their albums. The 2017 experimental "E" was so different from anything they had done before it was an auditory shock to the "In…