RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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RED DRAGON CARTEL – Patina
Red Dragon Cartel’s self-titled debut album rocked my world (and still does), and so naturally, I was quite excited about this sophomore effort of theirs entitled "Patina". Fortunately, these guys did not let me down and the ten tracks that constitute this record are riveting rockers that cover a lot of interesting musical ground. With…
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HIGH ON FIRE – Luminiferous
I just reviewed High On Fire’s (HOF) new album "Electric Messiah" (5/6) and realized we at ET never reviewed its predecessor which influenced HOF’s new more melodic direction. "Luminiferous" is different from their usual business for two important reasons: first Matt Pike gave up drinking which clearly shows in his more melodious tone and second,…
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RING VAN MÖBIUS – When the sea and The Universe Were At One (Or; The Introduction Of The Octopus O
The awesome Norwegian prog rockers known as Ring Van Möbius blew me away earlier on this year by means of their brilliant full-length opus entitled "Past the Evening Sun" as well as their exceptionally cool performance at the Close to the Rain festival in Bergen. This wicked 7” EP of theirs containing two highly entertaining…
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IN THE WOODS… – Cease the Day
To be perfectly honest with you, it has been quite some time since I have listened to an album by In the Woods…, which is not to say that I do not like their albums, because I most certainly do, but following their "Three Times Seven on a Pilgrimage" compilation all the way back in…
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VANDENBERG’S MOONKINGS – Rugged and Unplugged
Following two strong and highly enjoyable records, Vandenberg’s Moonkings have returned with yet another one. However, the eight-track offering entitled "Rugged and Unplugged" is totally different to its two predecessors. As its title suggests, we are dealing with acoustic renditions of various tracks from Adrian Vandenberg’s back catalogue, which includes Teaser and Whitesnake. The sparse…
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ROTTING KINGDOM – Rotting Kingdom
Yours truly must admit that it has been quite some time since a proper death/doom metal record came his way and blew him the fuck away, but such is the case with this stellar 3-track EP by the morose US scumbags that are Rotting Kingdom. These guys have a unique way of mixing and blending…
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THERAPY? – Cleave
Back in 1994, when every ear was seemingly tu(r)ned to grunge, heavy metal slowly losing its mainstream grip, I heard this fresh-sounding single "Screamager", a punkish Judas Priestly angst-driven statement from an even better album "Troublegum". Every song on the CD was different and made a lasting impression on me, as I played it almost…
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NEIL FRASER – Long Shadows, High Hopes – The Life and Times of Matt Johnson & The The
Author Neil Fraser’s impressive book entitled "Long Shadows, High Hopes" is essentially a highly focused, disciplined, and well-structured account of how the hugely creative yet intensely private Matt Johnson rose to fame with The The and how (as well as why) his music and writings have inspired countless fans all over the globe for decades…
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ETERNAL ROT – Cadaverine
I keep thinking that if Paradise Lost anno 1988-1990 had in fact been subjected to hellish torture, their debut offering would have sounded somewhat similar to Eternal Rot’s stellar new EP entitled “Cadaverine”. The latter dabble in dark, depraved, and murky death metal of the highest order and it totally slays. You want flesh-eating zombies,…
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SLEGEST – Introvert
Yes, that is more like it; the rumbling Norwegian beast that is Slegest has returned! That ought to excite you in and of itself. I was both impressed and intrigued by their previous album, the raw and reckless "Vidsyn", so naturally, I was very much looking forward to this new one of theirs. Spanning eight…
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STEORRAH – The Altstadt Abyss
The German outfit named Steorrah performs an interesting mixture of death metal, doom metal, and progressive rock, and I might as well start off by telling you that the result is quite satisfying and intriguing. Truth be told, it took me ages to really get into this album properly, but once I did, I became…
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HIGH ON FIRE – Electric Messiah
High On Fire (HOF), formed in 1999 by singer Matt Pike out of the ashes of Sleep, a stoner/doom outfit HOF was intitially just a better continuance of, got my attention with the excellent "Snakes For The Divine", their fifth full length, which I subsequently purchased. I also liked and reviewed equally great "De Vermis…
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LJUNGBLUT – Villa Carlotta 5959
The Norwegian outfit named Ljungblut, which initially started out as a solo-project of Kim Ljung (Seigmen, Zeromancer) back in 2005, has been rather productive since its inception in the sense that this brand new opus entitled "Villa Carlotta 5959" is the band’s sixth album to date. There are traces and elements of Madrugada, Midnight Choir,…
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INTO ETERNITY – The Sirens
Formed in 1999, Canadian progressive melodic death metallers Into Eternity lit me up with "Buried In Oblivion" and "Scattering Of The Ashes", which prompted me to reach also for the excellent "Dead Or Dreaming". Especially "Scattering" did some considerable spinning time in my car. That is why "The Incurable Tragedy" was such a disappointment. Tracks…
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BLAZE BAILEY – December Wind
The marvelous vocalist that is Blaze Bayley (Iron Maiden, Wolfsbane) needs no introduction and neither does his impressive back catalogue. For some bizarre reason, he is still way too underrated even though he works harder than most and constantly tours and releases albums and what have you. On "December Wind", Blaze has teamed up with…
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AVAST – Mother Culture
"Mother Culture" by the Norwegian outfit Avast is nothing short of an aural assault on the senses. We are dealing with oppressive and bone-crushing (post) black metal here that reeks of existential despair, decay, and a postmodern sense of displacement. The album is both varied and dense while simultaneously having plenty of drive and ambition…
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ARABS IN ASPIC – Live at Avantgarden
One of my favorite Norwegian prog bands, the wonderfully unpredictable ensemble that is Arabs in Aspic, will soon unleash this spirited live album of theirs, which is brilliant news in and of itself. Although one could be forgiven for thinking that a live release might not add a whole lot to the Arabs in Aspic…
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THE CASCADES – Phoenix
The dark rockers from Germany known as The Cascades are about to unleash this 13-track opus of theirs via Echozone and the album, which is entitled "Phoenix", is a delightful and interesting slab of gothic melancholy that brings to mind acts such as The Cure, Gary Numan, and the likes. The fact that The Cascades…
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C.T.P. Christian Tolle Project – Point Blank
This record is a rather interesting one. Truth be told, I had never heard about Christian Tolle prior to this album showing up in my mailbox one day, but the line-up looked really interesting and something told me that this would be right up my alley. Luckily, I was not wrong about that. Christian Tolle…
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REVOCATION – The Outer Ones
Whether as Cryptic Warning (for a one album, "Sanity’s Aberration") since 2000 or as Revocation since 2006 this American outfit always served great seamless technical death/thrash concoction already progressive on Revocation’s second album "Existence Is Futile" which introduced me to them. The third installment "Chaos Of Forms" took the progression to such hights that the…
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URIAH HEEP – Living the Dream
Let me start out by saying that this awesome new Uriah Heep record ought to have been reviewed weeks ago as it is undoubtedly one of the more important hard rock releases of 2018, but yours truly is a fat and lazy bastard and life has a tendency to get in the way sometimes. Still,…
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ME AGAINST THE WORLD – Breaking Apart
The German outfit named Me Against the World released this debut offering of theirs some months ago and if you are on the lookout for galloping and bombastic metal with a lot of light and shade to it, then this one might be something for you. Let us have a look at the positive aspects…
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SILVER DUST – House 21
The Swiss freaks known as Silver Dust recently released this 11-song record of theirs via Fastball Music and it is basically a rather cool hybrid between dark metal, goth rock, and a few electronic elements. Following a carnivalesque intro, we are treated to punchy and symphonic metal cuts that bring to mind such acts as…
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OAK – False Memory Archive
Norwegian experimental rockers Oak are not your everyday outfit. These talented dudes know exactly how to write tunes that are brimming with confidence and gloriously morose vibes. There are elements of prog rock, electronica, ambient, and minimalistic rock to Oak’s unique take on challenging 21st century music. Nothing is ever straightforward on this 9-track offering…
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AETERNUS – Heathen
The renowned black/death metal combo that is Aeternus, which hails from Bergen, Norway, has returned and blessed us with a new and delightfully morbid curse entitled "Heathen" consisting of seven foul spells that are as impressive and well-written as they are atmospheric. Main man Ares has always had a certain way of crafting riffs and…
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SNAKES IN PARADISE – Step Into the Light
Fronted by the hugely talented singer Stefan Berggren (Company of Snakes, Razorback, Grand Slam), Snakes of Paradise’s debut offering entitled "Step Into the Light" was something that I had been looking forward to for some time now, but unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. In many ways, the album reminds me of…
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GROUNDBREAKER – Groundbreaker
Featuring Steve Overland (FM) and Robert Sall (Work of Art, W.E.T), Groundbreaker is a melodic rock outfit that brings to mind bands such as Journey and Pride of Lions with a dash of Def Leppard thrown in for good measure. Obviously, there are also nods and parallels to FM and W.E.T. throughout and this self-titled…
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DRAEAM CHILD – Until Death Do We Meet Again
Craig Goldy’s latest musical endeavor named Dream Child boasts a stellar line-up that speaks for itself (Rudy Sarzo on bass, Simon Wright on drums, Wayne Findlay on guitars and keyboards, and the talented vocalist Diego Valdez). This 12-track record of theirs sounds like a mixture of "Dream Evil" and "Magica" by DIO, "Perfect Strangers" by…
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VOLA – Applause of a Distant Crowd
The highly talented prog rockers that are VOLA have already garnered quite a lot of attention and positive feedback from fans, critics, and fellow musicians alike, and I can totally understand why. These guys have a unique approach to crafting compositions that defy genre conventions and musical norms in that they blend various different styles…
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LIGHT THIS CITY – Terminal Bloom
Light This City is a San Francisco Bay Area melodic death metal band with some thrash and hard core influences, formed in 2002 at the rising tide of the New American Wave Of Heavy Metal. Having released four albums they decided to split up in 2008, with the last show in 2010, but reformed in…