ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • MADDER MORTEM – Mercury (20th Anniversary Issue / 2019 re-issue with bonus tracks)

    The renowned Madder Mortem unearthed this debut album of theirs all the way back in 1999 and it is therefore totally appropriate that the Norwegian classic that is "Mercury" finally gets a proper re-issue. I can think of no better label to handle such a great release than Dark Essence Records. On top of the…

  • DECAY – Brand New Nails

    Decay is a Romanian death/thrash ensemble with a strong metalcore vibe a’la early ZAO. Their music falls somewhere between latter Death and early Kreator while some of the bassy progression recalls early Machine Head for a good but not great mix. The ensemble features Hunor "Goat" Csuvár (vocals), Róbert "Cölöp" Barabás (guitar), Tudor ”Franky" Francu…

  • IRON MAIDEN – Virtual XI – 2019 Remastered Edition

    Iron Maiden’s 1998 effort entitled “Virtual XI” was the second LP to feature Blaze Bayley on vocals and it is unarguably a bit of a dark horse within the overall discography by the legendary heavy metal pioneers for a variety of different reasons. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this formidable 2019 remaster will…

  • IRON MAIDEN – Brave New World – 2019 Remastered Edition

    I clearly remember when the metal press announced that Bruce Dickinson had rejoined the marvelous Iron Maiden back in 1999, but an even more vivid memory of mine is when “Brave New World” was released the following year and how insanely psyched the fans and critics all were. Truth be told (and I know that…

  • BIG CITY – Big City Life (Daniel Olaisen series)

    On the follow-up to their excellent debut, "Wintersleep" (2013), the Norwegian melodic hard rock/metallers expand the Journey from Def Leppard to Queensrÿche with hints of Megadeth and 90s Marillion. To borrow from Whitesnake, if it’s love that you’re feeling it’s exactly what you’ve been searching for. We continue the Daniel Olaisen series with the 2nd…

  • IRON MAIDEN – Fear of the Dark – 2019 Remastered Edition

    I have always been rather fond of Iron Maiden’s 1992 opus “Fear of the Dark”, and not just for nostalgic or sentimental reasons, mind you. There are some real gems to be found on this fabulous disc and they sound better than ever before thanks to a real solid and competent re-mastering of said record.…

  • IRON MAIDEN – The X Factor – 2019 Remastered Edition

    Iron Maiden’s “The X Factor” was the first one to feature the hugely talented and yet frustratingly under-appreciated Blaze Bayley on vocals following Bruce Dickinson’s exit, and the 71-minute long record marked something of a departure from the two albums that preceded it. Gone were the more straightforward and easily accessible rockers that were present…

  • Robert McParland – Myth and Magic in Heavy Metal Music

    This 202-page scholarly work by author Robert McParland, who is a professor of English and an associate dean of Arts and Sciences at Felician Univerity in New Jersey, was published last year by McFarland. What we are dealing with here is essentially a highly academic text on how heavy metal music and myth are inextricably…

  • BIG CITY – Wintersleep (Daniel Olaisen series)

    On their excellent debut, the Norwegian melodic hard rock/metal act combine the best of Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, White Snake, The Scorpions and other hard’n’heavy likes for beautifully written and expertly executed time travel back to the times where rock and metal were both one and ubiquitous. We continue the Daniel Olaisen series,…

  • GRAHAM BONNET BAND – Live in Tokyo 2017

    Here is yet another Graham Bonnet Band live offering, and this one, which was recorded in Tokyo back in 2017 (as its title so neatly suggests), is basically the twin brother of the Alcatrazz “Live on Parole – Tokyo 2017” release that came out last year. Quite a few live albums by the legendary vocalist…

  • BI-AS – Hesitation

    On their 2nd single from their upcoming 2020 EP the Californian alternative hard rock/metal group appeals to the fans of Korn, Staind, Incubus and late 90s Fear Factory, with superior songwriting bolstered by excellent production. In some metalhead circles it is a grave sin to like nu metal. The opponents of this genre claim that…

  • EXES FOR EYES – Of Strength and Sorrow

    For their 3rd installment the Canadian groove metal assembly choose to further follow in the footsteps of Pissing Razors, Pantera or Machine Head while nodding in agreement to early Deftones and latter Soilwork as well Angelo Badalamenti’s "Twin Peaks" for a well-rounded and compelling release. The Toronto, Ontario project was born a quintet as Big…

  • BROTTHOGG – Echoes of the Past

    So, after stressing out about packing for Midgardsblot(note that the festival ended several days ago, meaning I did not finish the review by the time I was hoping to), putting my guitar down, buying way more beer than I am actually going to need for the aforementioned festival(I was right about this), and other such…

  • ODIOUS – Mirror Of Vibrations

    On their debut re-release the Egyptian black metal orchestra combines ancient Therion’s bombastic symphonic stylings with Sadist’s ominous esoteric atmospherics and Cradle Of Filth’s melodicism, doused liberally with Middle Eastern folklore, for a unique and mostly very good result. Odious, having formed in 1998, independently released their first demo "Summoned By Night" twice (2000, 2003),…

  • EXCUSE – Prophets From The Occultic Cosmos

    The debut album from the Finnish death/thrash metal ensemble is consistently pulverizing ancient Kreator/Slayer played in a traditional Judas Priest/Iron Maiden manner, with some progressive tendencies, showing great potential but not enough variation to sustain the listener’s interest. The Helsinki quartet presently featuring Oskar Lindström (vocals, guitar), Atte Aaltonen (bass, backing vocals), Anselmi Ahopalo (lead…

  • ECLIPTIC VISION – Ecliptic Vision

    The 2nd album of the New Yorker death metallers is excellently written technical death/thrash with copious melody, drawing comparisons to Exhumed or Immolation, with excellent balance between technical skill and memorability. The Syracuse, NY ensemble presently consisting of Joshua Rivet (vocals), Ryan Caughey (guitars, programming), Derek Ponton (bass, backing vocals) and Vincent Lawyer (drums), formed…

  • ALL WE’VE KNOWN – Dissidence

    The debut album from South African metal/hardcore outfit is exactly what you’d expect from the genre – harsh, heavy, screamed verses with very melodic clean vocal choruses the way Killswitch Engage or It Dies Today have been doing it since early 2000s, with not much original thought in lyric or note. Hasn’t everything been said,…

  • PESTEROUS MIND – Halluci.Nation

    Sharp and technical death metal with lethal riffs and crushing vocals to it is what the skilled and well-oiled murder machine that is Pesterous Mind offers. This 2019 offering of theirs entitled "Halluci.Nation" (notice the play on words there, folks) is akin to a raging storm that is hellbent on pulverizing everything and everyone that…

  • SINHERESY – Out Of Connection

    The 3rd full length from the Italian heavy metallers is a set of well-written and powerful symphonic anthems Soilwork or Scar Symmetry would not be ashamed of, with excellent performances all around. Formed in 2009 as a Nightwish cover band, the Trieste quartet consisting of Cecilia Petrini (vocals), Stefano Sain (vocals), Lorenzo Pasutto (guitars) and…

  • THE DEAD DAISIES – Locked and Loaded

    The magnificent The Dead Daisies are undoubtedly one of the most exciting hard rock bands out there today. The thrilling entity boasts an impressive line-up and some of the best musicians in rock have trod the board with the band in the past (we are talking former members of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, DIO, Motley Crue,…

  • THE NEGATIVE BIAS – Narcissus Rising

    The 2nd installment from the Austrian black/death metal ensemble brings a fairly original mix of Enslaved/Emperor structures, Behemoth-ian power, dissonant harmony a’la Ulcerate/Deathspell Omega, with liberal helping of My Dying Bride-ian/Osole-ic doom/death for mixed results. Formed in 2016, The Negative Bias, featuring Ingo "I.F.S" Fundulus (vocals, lyrics, songwriting), Golden Dawn’s Stefan "S.T" Traunmüller (guitars, bass,…

  • STINGER – Colourblind

    Stinger, which is an outfit hailing from Germany dabbles in loud and bluesy hard rock with a thick and groovy vibe to it, and in many ways, it sounds like the missing link between AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, early Status Quo, and Accept. The songs are instantly catchy due to the testosterone-filled riffs and the rhythm…

  • MAGIC PIE – Fragments of the 5th Element

    The talented prog rockers known as Magic Pie are an interesting outfit and these guys have gradually grown into one of the more respected and musically rewarding acts to come out of Norway. Their dynamic mixture of eclectic 70s-inspired prog (think ELP) and classic heavy rock (ala Deep Purple and Uriah Heep) as well as…

  • FAITHSEDGE – Bleed For Passion

    The 4th album from the Californian hard rock ensemble brings back the spirit of the "hair metal" and the hard’n’heavy days of Def Leppard, Guns’N’Roses and Van Halen, with excellent musicianship and good, if inconsistent songwriting. Faithsedge was focused on hard rock "hair metal" of the 80s and early 90s since their 2009 inception, but…

  • BEASTMAKER – Eye Of The Storm

    The 12th, apparently last, EP from the Californian heavy metallers is a very good coflation of Ozzy Osbourne-sque vocals, Mastodon-ian powerful riffing and 90s Megadeth-ian melodies for a worthy swansong. Beastmaker, consisting of Trevor William Church (guitar, vocals), John Michael Tucker (bass, vocals) and Andy "Juan Bonham" Saldate (drums), has been around since 2014, having…

  • CROBOT – Motherbrain

    The powerful Pennsylvanian quartet that is Crobot will soon unleash this raging rock ‘n’ roll monster of theirs via Mascor Records, and I sincerely believe that this fourth full-length attack of theirs is the most accomplished and musically rewarding Crobot release to date. The loud and fuzzy guitars are perfectly suited to the relentlessly heavy…

  • SHADES OF DEEP WATER – Death’s Threshold

    The 2nd album from a one man funeral doom band, Juho "J.H." Huuskola, offers a monotone, one-dimensional and extremely austere doom that barely passes for metal while inspiring sound sleep more than the intended negativity. Shades Of Deep Water is a project of one Juho "J.H." Huuskola who plays all the instruments and vocalizes the…

  • AS I MAY – My Own Creations

    The 2nd installment from the Finnish nu metal/hardcore outfit brings a predictable mix of In Flames-ian and 21-ist century Soilwork-er big choruses with Korn-ish and Slipknot-ic riffing profusely doused with Depeche Mode-ian synths for mixed results. Just one listening session of "My Own Creations" proves there is no doubt that As I May, featuring Tipi…

  • RED DEAD ROADKILL – Sweet Songs of Anguish

    I was not really sure what to expect when I popped this 12-track offering by Red Dead Roadkill into the record player, but I was pleasantly surprised at just how meaty and invigorating this stuff sounds. I guess it was the rather evocative album artwork that threw me a curve ball in that I had…

  • MARTIN POPOFF – Wheels of Steel: The Explosive Early Years of NWOBHM

    Few things in life make me more happy than the fact that NWOBHM is still one of the most revered and respected movements within the heavy metal milieu. So many fantastic and ridiculously skilled bands came out of that whole thing and so many legendary outfits paved the way for it. One of the reasons…