RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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DAMON JOHNSON – Echo
Oh man, I have eagerly awaited this brand new 5-track EP by the brilliant guitarist/vocalist Damon Johnson (Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy, Slave to the System, ex-Alice Cooper, etc.) simply entitled "Echo", and it pleases me to no end to be able to state that it rules. Why does it rule? Well, for one thing,…
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ENTOMBED A.D. – Dead Dawn
Entombed er et av de legendariske fire store death metal bandene fra Sverige fra tidlig 90-tall. Sammen med Grave, Dismember og Unleashed herjet de verden over og opparbeidet seg en stor fanskare. Bandet ga ut sin siste fullengder i 2007, men står oppført i listene som aktive fram til 2014. Da dukket i stedet Entombed…
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WICKED MARAYA – Lifetime in Hell
Hailing from Long Island and New York City, NY, Wicked Maraya are a powerful traditional-oriented metal band that many critics felt were victims of being at the wrong time to truly capture a wider audience appeal with their dynamic songwriting, attitude, and creative conviction. 1994’s "Cycles" is an album that stands up well decades beyond…
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OMNIUM GATHERUM – Grey Heavens
It’s no secret that one of my favorite genres in the metal realm is melodic death metal. The marriage of hooks, harmonies, and heaviness opens up numerous possibilities for bands from album to album – and one of the leaders over the past few records for my money has been Finnish group Omnium Gatherum. Their…
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HOLLOW ILLUSION – Hollow Illusion
Hollow Illusion hails from Norway and performs heavy metal inspired by the likes of Metallica, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, and so on. To be honest with you, the very first time I listened to this 11-track self-titled effort of theirs, I was neither impressed nor blown away. It all sounded so generic and uninspired. Gradually,…
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WISDOM – Rise of the Wise
The fourth full-length studio album from Hungary’s Wisdom, "Rise of the Wise" continues to bring uplifting happy harmonies, double bass, and majestic melodies to the masses. The quintet has a new member on second guitar (ex-Battle Beast member Anton Kabanen), and the energy flow on these 11 tracks reminds me of the early years of…
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AMOTH – Revenge
Finnish progressive heavy metal band Amoth return with their second album "Revenge", a quartet of musicians who incorporate a varied sub-genre amalgamation that works well and gives listeners plenty to sink their teeth into. You can expect drop on a dime mood altering riffs and tempos – equally provocative and majestic melodies, and anything from…
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BLAZE BAYLEY – Infinite Entanglement
Blaze Bayley (ex-Iron Maiden, Wolfsbane) has to be one of the hardest working musicians out there today. The guy is constantly touring and writing new music, not to mention guesting on other people’s albums and releases. If you have ever been fortunate enough to meet him, you will know that he is one of the…
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PARAGON – Hell Beyond Hell
Staying true to your ideals and beliefs may never be easy in an ever evolving, quick paced society. Pressure abounds to conform in attaining appeal to the masses- yet others strike their own path and are content to deal with the consequences, positive or negative. Germany’s Paragon have been a steady force in the old…
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MARTIN POPOFF – Time and a Word – The Yes Story
The well-known and highly respected author Martin Popoff neither fails nor disappoints. I have read more of his works, be it books, reviews, or articles that I care to remember, and he has never let me down. The way in which he writes is simply…well, I guess inspirational is the word that I am looking…
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JOE LYNN TURNER – Street of Dreams – Boston 1985
The talented and legendary vocalist Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Deep Purple, ex-Rainbow) is still out there today, gigging away and delivering the goods on stage to the delight of us, the fans. I very much admire and respect the guy and all that he has accomplished throughout the years, especially with Rainbow and Deep Purple. This…
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IZEGRIM – The Ferryman’s End
In the current scene cross-pollination of metal’s sub-genres usually opens up horizons as far as appeal – as long as the impetus is natural and not too forced. Dutch act Izegrim have been brandishing their death-oriented thrash wares for the better part of a couple of decades, as "The Ferryman’s End" is their fifth full-length…
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AMON AMARTH – Jomsviking
Amon Amarth is Amon Amarth, much like AC/DC is AC/DC, if you have the recepit for good music, why change it…. ? Meaning no major surprises here, and all the songs on "Jomsviking" would fit right in on any of these swedes 2-3 latest releases. Well, exept for the fact that this album is a…
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MOB RULES – Tales from Beyond
There’s something to be said for a band willing to spread itself out amidst a particular genre. Germany’s Mob Rules in their melodic metal framework have through the years developed songs that can be dramatic, emotional, energetic, power-oriented, progressive, or more straightforward in their metal stance. "Tales from Beyond" is their 8th studio album, and…
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THORNBRIDGE – What Will Prevail
Forming in 2008, these German power metal musicians established a slow and steady approach to their output, releasing their "Gallery of Horror" self-produced EP in 2012 before gaining the interest of Massacre Records and finally issuing this debut full-length. Aiming to bring back a lot of the good old days of this sub-genre in terms…
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RICKY WARWICK – Stairwell Troubadour
Ricky Warwick (Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy, The Almighty) has to be one of the most active, awesome, and disciplined musicians out there today. Apart from the 2-CD set entitled "When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (and Guy Mitchell Sang the Blues)/Hearts on Trees" that was recently re-released by Nuclear Blast, Warwick released this rather excellent…
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RICKY WARWICK – When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang the Blues)/Hearts on Trees
Most of you fuckers our there probably know legendary guitarist/vocalist Ricky Warwick for his work with The Almighty, Black Star Riders, and the reformed Thin Lizzy, but the man has also released some brilliant solo albums that are worth well seeking out and digging into. This 2CD set of his contains two albums, the mellow…
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UFO – Live Sightings
UFO is a legendary band that was truly groundbreaking and innovative back in the day. I think most of us can agree on that. The band has existed ever since 1969 and simply kept going over the years with various different line-up while releasing albums on a more or less regular basis. We owe bona-fide…
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RIMFROST – Rimfrost
Active since 2002, Swedish black metal band Rimfrost seem to gravitate towards a very melodic approach with death twinges on their third album which is self-titled. Their first effort in 7 years – new bassist B.C. entering the fold in 2012 – the trio rely on a jackhammer wall of guitars approach while adding the…
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LITA FORD – Living Like a Runaway: A Memoir
Legendary guitarist Lita Ford’s long-awaited autobiography entitled «Living Like a Runaway: A Memoir», is quite the controversial and captivating book, to put it mildly. If you have been following the heavy metal tabloids lately, you will no doubt have picked up on some of the debate and controversy that this memoir has sparked. I will…
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URGEHAL – Aeons in Sodom
Those of you with at least a passing acquaintance with Urgehal most likely heard of the death of their iconic frontman Trondr Nefas back in May 2012. Given his importance to the band, it was fairly certain that his demise would also herald the end of the band. Which indeed it has- but it also…
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SATANIC WARMASTER / ARCHGOAT – Lux Satanae – Split
I’m not a massive fan of Split albums as no matter how much I might like either artist, I always feel like there are winners and losers. This time around I give the victory to Satanic Warmaster. They have been playing pretty much the same style of lycanthropic BM since the year 2000 and this…