RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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THE DRIP – The Haunting Fear of Inevitability
Det er ytterst få grindcoreskiver som har sluppet gjennom radaren her i gården de siste årene. De fleste har prellet av og har fått det glatte lag av undertegnede. Jeg må innrømme at jeg slukte det meste av sjangeren for noen år siden, men så gikk jeg lei og ble fryktelig kresen. Det siste albumet…
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SEPULTURA – Machine Messiah
Hard to believe that it’s been almost twenty years since Max Calavera’s exit from Sepultura – leaving bassist Paulo Jr. as the sole original member of the group. Guitarist Andreas Kisser has been with the band since 1987, and at this point with Derrick Green on vocals and Eloy Casagrande on drums the quartet move…
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VOND – AIDS to the People
What a treat this compilation by Vond is! An album bearing such an over-the-top title can only be awesome, right? "AIDS to the People" contains the first EP that Mortiis released under the Vond banner back in 1993, the one entitled "Havard-Vond", and three previously unreleased tunes that were composed and recorded in 1995. From…
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VOND – Green Eyed Demon (reissue)
"Green Eyed Demon" by the Mortiis-led project named Vond is the third and last output by the Norwegian entity that we were graced with back in the day. It was originally released in 1998, but it will be reissued right around the time that you are reading this by the ever-awesome Funeral Industries. Hats off…
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VOND – The Dark River (reissue)
The second album by the experimental ambient-drone-whatever outfit Vond, the one entitled "The Dark River", originally saw the light of day back in 1996, and now more than twenty years later, it has finally been reissued on vinyl and CD (and digitally too, of course). I have always felt that this six-track effort serves as…
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VOND – Selvmord (reissue)
It is beyond me why the brilliant outfit that was Vond never really gained more of a following in that filthy cesspit known as the underground. After all, the three albums that Mortiis released under the Vond moniker are all brilliant and yet they are all slightly different to one another. Each of them embodies…
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MYSTIC PROPHECY – Vengeance (re-issue)
After 15 years, we finally see the debut album "Vengeance" from Mystic Prophecy get a proper re-issue. Originally available on the German B-Mind Records, the band elevated their status in the power/heavy metal community through a consistent release/tour schedule, beyond the fact that guitarist Gus G would be a part of their first three efforts.…
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SUPERJOINT – Caught Up in the Gears of Application
Hell yes! This is just what the good doctor ordered. A vicious and insanely catchy dose of sharp and raw hardcore metal of the highest caliber. I have no idea why it took me so long to review this excellent disc, but better late than never, right? As most of you know, legendary figures such…
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SIMON REYNOLDS – Shock and Awe: Glam Rock and Its Legacy…
This whopping thing of a book entitled «Shock and Awe» by author Simon Reynolds is nothing short of a near-flawless exploration of each and every aspect of glam rock and how this particular style (or genre, if you will) of music relates to countless other artistic, ideological, and philosophical movements out there. That probably sounds…
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NITERAIN – Vendetta
Niterain is a kick-ass hard rock outfit hailing from Norway, but it sounds as if they originate from L.A. and that the year is 1987. Mind you, that is not a bad thing, because these guys have definitely grasped and understood what made the early Motley Crue, Van Halen, and Guns ‘n’ Roses records so…
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NIGHT RANGER – 35 Years and a Night in Chicago
The legendary US hard rock ensemble that is Night Ranger recently released this 2CD/Blu ray live package via Frontiers, and I must say that I am impressed by the whole thing. The audio quality is superb, the musicianship is stellar, and the selection of songs is a fan’s wet dream come true. Every member of…
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BARBARIAN SWORDS – Worms
Spanish outfit Barbarian Swords lives up to its name by means of filthy and ugly black metal mixed with vicious sludge and savage doom metal. A truly nasty mix that reeks of all that is violent and despicable. This 9-song effort entitled "Worms" has a nihilistic and cynical edge to it that makes for an…
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DIMENSION F3H – This Mechanical World
I have always had a thing for the experimental and blackened industrial outfit named Dimension F3H. There are many reasons why this particular Norwegian entity appeals to me, one of which is that no matter how far out there or insane their songs are in terms of structures and arrangements and so on, they always…
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SANDNESS – Higher & Higher
Developing from a project as two teenage friends in 2008 into a full-fledged trio, Italy’s Sandness straddle the sleaze/glam metal lines on their second album "Higher & Higher". Keeping the sound lean and mean, aspects of Poison meets LA Guns in a dark Scandinavian alley come up when taking in songs such as "Street Animals",…
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IAN SNOWBALL – The Who: In the City
This is the second The Who-related book by author Ian Snowball that I have been lucky enough to get my wrinkled hands on. The first one, which was a thorough and compelling tribute to The Who drummer Keith Moon, was a great read, and this new one by Snowball is no different. As with the…
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WITCHERY – In His Infernal Majesty’s Service
The sixth album from Sweden’s Witchery contains a few new members in the six-year break between efforts. Welcome vocalist Angus Norder and drummer Christofer Barkensjö to the fold – joining long-timers Patrik Jensen, Richard Corpse, and Sharlee D’Angelo on "In His Infernal Majesty’s Service". Once again dishing out thirteen spitfire cuts of blackened speed/thrash metal,…
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PARSIFAL – Heavy Duty
Hailing from the fjords of Norway and the dark forests of Sweden, Parsifal have been in existence since 2012, releasing their debut album "Here from the Past" a year later. "Heavy Duty" is the follow up, and my first experience with the power metal group. The band straddle the line between conventional Helloween/ Freedom Call…
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EUFOBIA – Eufobia
This self-titled effort by the Bulgarian outfit named Eufobia consists of ten tracks that all incorporate different elements from (melodic) death metal, hardcore, and metalcore. Truth be told, none of the songs appeal to me whatsoever. It is not that the quartet cannot handle their instruments or anything like that, but their tunes are utterly…
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HELLSPAWN – There Has Never Been a Son of Me
The brutal Polish death metal horde named Hellspawn has been around for a few years now and released rather solid and entertaining albums that strike a fine balance between old-school extremity and slightly more modern and technical death metal. When I listen to this 2016 album of theirs dubbed "There Has Never Been a Son…
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VESEN – Rorschach
Bringing back the primitive raw blackened thrash that has the spirit of old-school fire at heart, Norwegian trio Vesen do not falter on album five "Rorschach". The guitar tone is deadly, occasional blast beats break up the normal up-tempo, punk-ish drumming, while the bass has as much an importance a la Venom and Motörhead. Beyond…
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MAYHEM – De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive
Recorded on December 18th, 2015 in Norrköping, Sweden, «De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive» consists solely of the 1994 debut album by Mayhem entitled «De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas» performed live in its entirety. I know that some of you out there might question and wonder whether a Mayhem live offering containing renditions of their greatest ever…
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ADVERSOR – Rise to Survive
An Italian thrash band formed by brothers Dado (vocals/guitar) and Jacopo (drums) Cardi, Adversor comes on the heels of the break up for H.O.S. who were together for 9 years and released one album "The Beginning" on the same label. "Rise to Survive" sees the four-piece (rounded out with guitarist Aurora Merci and bassist Emanuele…
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BONEYARD DOG – Bluesbound Train
Boneyard Dog is an Irish classic rock band with a strong bluesy/70’s template based on this record. Forming in 2015 and the brainchild of singer Rob Mancini and guitarist Davy Kerrigan, the lineup also contains drummer Ron Wikso, infamous Rainbow keyboardist Tony Carey, and numerous guests on bass, backing vocals, and harmonica. The sound this…
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KORGONTHURUS – Vuohen Siunaus
The Finnish black horde known as Korgonthurus, which was spawned in the year 2000, has been rather consistent and active over the years in terms of recording and releasing music and so on. Quite a few demos, EPs, split releases, and compilations by the band are floating around in the underground these days, but this…
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DIABOLICAL – Umbra
I have always had a thing for the Swedish outfit Diabolical. Not in the sense that I am a devoted fan or anything like that, but I do think that they may released some rather cool and underrated records that still sound pretty good when I spin them today. That especially goes for "A Thousand…