RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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SEVEN SISTERS – Seven Sisters
The old saying is, what comes around goes around. The same can be true in the metal scene, where a lot of newer generation musicians feel the need to create traditional heavy metal brimming with melodies and harmony out of the 1970’s/1980’s bevy of bands that first developed out of the UK and beyond. Seven…
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ANAAL NATHRAKH – The Whole of the Law
De britiske extreme metal kongene i Anaal Nathrakh er nå klare med sin niende fullengder og de er mer ekstreme enn noensinne. Får du ikke bakoversveis en sju åtte ganger i løpet av en gjennomgang av denne skiva, får du det aldri. Musikken til Anaal Nathrakh forblir brutal, men samtidig blir den mer og mer…
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TERRORAZER – Abysmal Hymns of Disgust
Upon looking at the name of this band and the cover of their debut full album, you might be forgiven for thinking these guys have been heavily influenced by seminal grindlords Terrorizer. And, once you start to play the songs, you will realize you have been 100% correct. O in genre/sound terms this is mostly…
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TONY KÅREID’S INTENSUTOPIA – Shades of Faith
Her har du en godbit for alle som liker prog a’la Dream Theater. Jeg sitter og tramper meg gjennom en konseptskive hvor vi har en fyr som som faktisk spiller alt selv, bortsett fra trommene. Jeg får med en gang backflash til det herrens år 1999, da Dream Theater ga ut klassikeren "Metropolis Pt. 2…
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BULLETRAIN – What You Fear the Most
"What You Fear the Most" … if this journalist truly answered this question, it would be the loss of hearing, as the gift of music warms my body each and every day breathing and living on this earth. Sweden’s Bulletrain choose to use this as the title of their second full-length – already impressing the…
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AMARANTHE – Maximalism
Now superstars of the modern melodic/cyber metal scene, Swedish/Danish act Amaranthe know that the need to push the parameters of their style is imperative. If you stay stuck in a particular box churning out the familiar hooks, interest may wane and people could move on to other bands. "Maximalism" as the fourth album sees the…
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GLENN HUGHES – Resonate
Glenn Hughes is a living legend and a musical icon. The man’s discography is both vast and impressive, and his inimitable voice has graced such masterpieces as "Burn", "Stormbringer, and "Come Taste the Band" by Deep Purple (along with David Coverdale, that is), the stellar "Seventh Star" by Black Sabbath, "Fused" by Iommi, "Run for…
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DARK TRANQUILLITY – Atoma
I will not hide the fact that I am a Dark Tranquillity fanboy and have been one since 1998. Despite of that I try to be as objective concerning DT’s music as I can. Consequently, I think the band was beginning to sound a little safe and predictable with "Fiction" and especially "We Are The…
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SOULWOUND – No Peace
Finnish band Soulwound already have one favorable aspect going for them: keying in on a Fear Factory song for their name. "No Peace" is the quintet’s second album, stylistically fusing modern thrash metal with industrial, cyber, and groove elements – and it’s quite an explosive roar churning forth on all facets. For comparison’s sake, imagine…
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ANGELS OR KINGS – Go Ask the Moon
Making up for lost time since reforming in 2011 from their first incarnation in the late 80’s, Angels or Kings from the UK return for their second full-length in "Go Ask the Moon". An 11-song outing, these musicians sit in a melodic AOR/rock comfort zone, the bluesy vocals having a Foreigner meets FM vibe, while…
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SAXON – Let Me Feel Your Power
Legendary NWOBHM act Saxon surely needs no introduction. It has been one of the most consistent and solid bands on the heavy metal circuit for the past 38 years, and these past few years have seen the release of quality albums such as "Call to Arms", "Sacrifice", and "Battering Ram". This 16-track live album (2CD/DVD…
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VÄNLADE – Wayward Sons: Masters of Time Volume 1
Kansas City, Kansas band Vändale felt it was a good time in their career to look back to the past and tackle some of their favorite songs while giving them a metal spin. We have this new EP, "Wayward Sons: Masters of Time Volume 1" – 6 songs that run the gamut from Heart, Rush,…
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GRAHAM BONNET BAND – The Book
Legendary vocalist Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow, Impellitteri, and Michael Schenker Group) has been keeping himself busy these past few years. Apart from working with Steve Wright on a biography, performing with Michael Schenker in Sweden and Japan, reissuing a ton of old (but great) material, and touring the UK with Catch the Rainbow in 2014,…
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KANSAS – The Prelude Implicit
This classic progressive rock band Kansas returns with their first studio album since 2000’s "Somewhere to Elsewhere". Now that vocalist/keyboardist Steve Walsh has retired and new vocalist Ronnie Platt has settled in, the band feel energized to create a new set of original material. Which can be a bold proposition, considering the main songwriters Kerry…
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NEUROSIS – Fires Within Fires
I am neither a fan of Neurosis nor am I even familiar much with their discography. I remember "Through Silver And Blood" because they released it around the time I saw them open up for Pantera in Chicago’s Aaragon Ballroom in the late 90s, and I reviewed some of their work after 2007, so I…
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IAN SNOWBALL – A Tribute to Keith Moon (There is No Substitute)
I was lucky enough to receive a promotional copy of this remarkable book on legendary drummer Keith Moon (The Who), and I must admit that I simply could not put it down once I started reading it. Appropriately entitled "A Tribute to Keith Moon (There is No Substitute)", this is not only a compelling and…
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MITHRAS – On Strange Loops
The British experimental brutal death metal band has been silent for a good 4 years since their third album "Behind The Shadows Lie Madness" and even then barely released 2 new song on an EP which are both featured on this new album. "On Strange Loops" took 5 additional years to create and you can…
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DARKER HALF – Classified
Steadily improving their craft over the course of a decade plus career, Australia’s Darker Half sign with Fastball Music in Europe to release a five song EP "Classified". This power metal outfit have been very impressive in terms of their determination to bring their sound to the masses- including self-financing numerous tours in Europe and…
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HUMAN ZOO – My Own God
A German melodic hard rock band that isn’t afraid to inject not only keyboards in the mix, but also saxophone on their latest album "My Own God". Their fourth album and first in five years, these 11 songs give off an energetic, positive vibe that resonates with Swiss band Gotthard, although the big vocal harmonies…
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SHADECROWN – Agonia
Finland is home to a wealth of talent in the underground metal community – probably due to the success of bands like Amorphis, Children of Bodom, and the much missed Sentenced. Relative newcomer Shadecrown are a sextet that have been active since 2012 – releasing a self-titled demo and "Chained" EP a year after entering…
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TREES OF ETERNITY – Hour of the Nightingale
The story behind Trees of Eternity is without doubt one of the most tragic and haunting back stories we could ever read. It all began with singer-songwriter Aleah Starbridge contributing vocals for Swallow the Sun. As Aleah and Swallow the Sun guitarist and partner Juha Raivio were working on the track ‘Lights on the Lake’,…
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IN FLAMES – Battles
The Swedish melodic death juggernaut who ascended to prominence through classic efforts like "The Jester Race", "Whoracle", "Colony", and "Clayman" have turned to more mainstream, groovier pastures for a solid decade plus since. Which means debate reigns over the evolution of a long-standing group, even in the metal genre, that seems to appeal more to…
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MARTIN POWER – No Quarter: The Three Lives of Jimmy Page
The first thought that presented itself to me once I was done reading this superb biography on Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page was that author Martin Power is a genius. "No Quarter: The Three Lives of Jimmy Page" is so incredibly well-researched, compelling, and fascinating that it borders on the surreal, and I was unable…
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MESHUGGAH – The Violent Sleep of Reason
Meshuggah (Arabic: madness) has been around for over 25 years and is responsible for influencing too many bands to mention in one breath, accidentally also spawning the dreaded "djent" genre. Pretty much every math, tech or even progressive band seems to draw heavily from this source. Meshuggah started as a thrash metal band on "Contradictions…