After having a lot of fun writing up last year’s best-of Bandcamp list, it seemed a no-brainer to work through another one this year. Any opportunity to let some of these fantastic albums get a second Read more […]
As 2015 draws to a close and I look back over the past 11 months, I realize I’ve attended more shows this year than any other, no doubt due to joining the Dead Rhetoric staff in late January. Whether Read more […]
Year’s end is always a time to look back and reflect on another year gone by, for better or worse, and what usually strikes me is that I’m thankful to be an avid music fan. For those like us, we simply Read more […]
Earthside must make for press release nightmares. Are they instrumental? Are they orchestral? What defines their version of progressive? There are so many different shades that appear on the band’s Read more […]
Formation: 2009 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Style: Apocalyptic post metal, with a decided, but not overwhelming sludge edge Personnel: Alex Stjernfeldt, Victor Wegeborn, Svante Karlsson Latest release: Read more […]
Change seems to be a constant in my world. Over the summer my wife and I made a life decision to start anew in another state, moving from Massachusetts to Connecticut by the late summer. A new job, a new Read more […]
Being of the opinion that 2014 was a pretty good year for metal (going back my best-of list re-affirms this), it’s easy to say that 2015 topped it. A number of the genre’s heavyweights released albums Read more […]
Australia may be one of the forgotten lands when it comes to potent, original heavy metal, but those deep into the scene are aware that there has been a burgeoning crop of bands coming from all styles. Read more […]
Formation: 2013 Location: Pittsfield, MA Style: Bastard Thrash … an amalgamation of doom, traditional, thrash and death influences, an equal love of the old school as well as current bands. Personnel: Read more […]
When the right factors of time, environment, and energy align, good things usually develop. Take the case of North Carolina’s Final Sign. The four-piece are all seasoned musicians who have played together Read more […]
Seems like metal righted itself after a so-so 2014. We spend all of this time navigating through a sea of endless releases, new styles, old styles regurgitated and so forth, that it’s easy to lose perspective Read more […]
There’s been much going on in the Allegaeon camp as of late. First, they lost long-time frontman Ezra Haynes earlier this year (Son of Aurelius’ Riley McShane has been the fill-in for the past two Read more […]
The waning months of the year are generally reserved to do some clean-up…and find some hidden gems. That seems to be the case with this month’s installment of Rapid Fires, with a select few of the below Read more […]
As one of the more exciting prospects on the American black metal scene, Connecticut’s Autolatry were on the cusp of some bright things before flaming out. Over the course of six years, the band doled Read more […]
For most of the 1990’s (at least in North America), traditional and power metal were dirty words to most heavy consumers. Lead breaks, leather and chains, and high pitch clean singing gave way to more Read more […]
Ever wonder why certain bands gain a modest level of critical and audience acclaim, only to never ascend to that comfort level of making a living off of their art? A ridiculous notion for sure, to think Read more […]
Sitting around trying to gather up the last of the Bandcamp albums for this month was no easy feat. With so much being put forth, and knowing that next month’s feature would be the “Best-of” for Read more […]
Without question, one of the most frequently cited bands when it comes to setting the death metal bar, Cryptopsy has had a long and storied history. None So Vile has to be one of the most celebrated albums Read more […]
Personally speaking, when one thinks back to the early 2000s Finnish metal/gothic rock scene, there was Sentenced, Charon, To/Die/For, and of course, Entwine. For a while (read: the eras of Time of Despair Read more […]
Solution .45 had a lot of things going for them back in 2010. They had just released For Aeons Past, which set them up into the upper echelon to deliver modern melodic death metal that was sure to appeal Read more […]
Delineating quality in the metal realm these days isn’t as simple as looking at the cover art or a label name anymore. Thanks to the internet, the power is in the hands of the consumer more than ever Read more […]
Maybe the most interesting band on Cruz Del Sur Music’s already well-stocked roster, Norway’s Magister Templi has proven to be a tremendous find for the label, boasting an elaborate, theatrical take Read more […]
Of the current metal crop, one of the bands with the most potential to become a major force is that of Sweden’s Amaranthe. They’ve been enjoying some major (and deserved) success with their third Read more […]
As the creators of one of the better early 00s melodic death metal albums, Deus Deceptor, Sweden’s Nonexist have never quite been able to capitalize upon the notoriety of its two main constituents: vocalist Read more […]
The essence of heavy metal: demo recordings, tape trading, gig swapping, specialty radio shows, which morphed into new record labels specializing in the craft – has a lot of UK roots. Black Sabbath and Read more […]
Mercyful Fate, as a functioning entity, has been inactive since late-1999. With King Diamond focusing exclusively on his namesake band, the status of Mercyful Fate has hung in the balance, even as the Read more […]
Pulling no punches about her love of metal (post-interview talk included admiration for Dio’s Lock Up the Wolves and Angry Machines – not the obvious choices), Leather Leone of Chastain is very thankful Read more […]
The Lone Star state traditionally has been a hotbed for hard rock and heavy metal – long before the Cowboys from Hell helped put it on the map, many others set the table on a local and international Read more […]
Missed this one last month and it seems so many albums have been released in the time between. Two months left until the end of the year already! But it’s that time of year for the metal writing staff Read more […]
The clear-cut first name in Chilean thrash, the long road taken by Nuclear hasn’t been without its bumps. Hence, that’s why they call it the “long road.” Given their home country Chile’s remoteness Read more […]
