Reviews

Helcaraxë – The Last Battle (Self-Released)

If there was ever a group that deserved the “underappreciated” card, it has to be that of New Jersey’s Helcaraxë. Slogging around under the radar of most since the release of 2007’s Triumph and Read more […]

Charred Walls of the Damned – Creatures Walking Over the Dead (Metal Blade)

Keeping up with the five-word CWotD theme of their previous two albums, Charred Walls of the Damned return after a five-year absence for Creatures Walking Over the Dead. Followers know the quartet’s Read more […]

Prevail – War Will Reign (Self-Released)

What happens when you take old school death metal and give it a production that takes things up to the 2016 level? Chances are you will end up with something that sounds like the output of Danish metallers Read more […]

Sumerlands – Sumerlands (Relapse)

Scene veterans often come together to develop something special when it comes specific sub-genres in the metal realm. In the case of Sumerlands, it’s classic heavy metal inspired by the timeless 70’s Read more […]

Alcest – Kodama (Prophecy Productions)

After 2014’s warm and un-heavy Shelter, Neige promised Alcest was out of the metal game permanently. By no means was Alcest to be the first band to make such a proclamation—it was happening quite a Read more […]

Kryptos – Burn Up The Night (AFM Records)

Spearheading the Indian metal movement since 1998, Kryptos (Latin derivative relating to catacombs or burial chambers beneath churches) has moved up the ranks from the underground to signing with AFM this Read more […]

Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper – Walking in the Shadows (Dissonance Productions)

Ardent old school 80’s metal mavens as well as Beavis and Butthead followers know UK act Grim Reaper – if only for the infamous drum rolls and piercing last scream of the anthem “See You in Hell” Read more […]

Ringworm – Snake Church (Relapse)

Roughly a decade ago, this scribe was a semi-frequent attendee at hardcore shows. The Pittsburgh hardcore scene held its own with the likes of Built Upon Frustration, Path to Misery, and Steel City Firm, Read more […]

Carnophage – Monument (Unique Leader)

Having dropped their debut album all the way back in 2008, it’s safe to assume that Turkey’s Carnophage has been dormant for quite some time. But in dormancy sometimes comes renewed strength and vigor Read more […]

Serious Black – Mirrorworld (AFM Records)

Hot on the heels of an impressive debut album for As Daylight Breaks that gained proper press praise and consumer appreciation – plus tours and shows with Hammerfall, Gamma Ray, and Kamelot across Europe Read more […]

Hanging Garden – Hereafter EP (Lifeforce)

Apparently, it’s in the DNA of every veritably excellent band with Goth/doom tinges to make a non-metal album. The much beloved Paradise Lost started it all way back in 1997 with One Second and the pattern Read more […]

Swine Overlord – Entheogenesis (Gore House Productions)

We sometimes talk about how there’s no more “good” names left in metal, but Swine Overlord is a more recently formed band (2012), and for brutal death metal, it’s a pretty creative and interesting Read more […]

High Spirits – Motivator (High Roller Records)

“Authentic” and “old-school” are mutually exclusive terms. We’ve been inundated the last ten years with a slew of bands proclaiming to be the genuine article, only for their songs to fall short, Read more […]

OncetheSun – The Ghost Inside Me (Self-Released)

As the gushing usually goes, the greatest joy of spending hours on Bandcamp is finding that one band with so much potential that you would not have discovered otherwise. The latest example is that of Read more […]

Black Absence – Voyager: Record (Self-Released)

After witnessing this Holyoke, MA five-piece Black Absence opening for Ghost Ship Octavius recently, an inquiry into recorded material was answered – resulting in this latest full-length Voyager: Record Read more […]

Epica – The Holographic Principle (Nuclear Blast)

If there’s a band in metal that fully embraces the “more is more” philosophy, it’s Epica. Taking their last few albums in tow up to The Holographic Principle, it seems the band has focused on Read more […]

Iron Fire – Among the Dead (Crime Records)

Danish power metal act Iron Fire came to prominence in the early 2000’s on Noise Records, releasing two albums of prototypical Euro-style rhythms, harmonies and tempos with the determining factor of Read more […]

Doro – Strong and Proud: 30 Years of Rock and Metal (Nuclear Blast)

Not to be confused with her 25 Years in Rock… and Still Going Strong, or 20 Years – A Warrior Soul sets, Strong and Proud: 30 Years of Rock and Metal is yet another live outing from German metal queen Read more […]

SubRosa – For This We Fought the Battle of Ages (Profound Lore)

In the process of becoming more demanding, SubRosa has become more listenable. Sure, there were certain demands thrust upon the listener with both No Help for the Mighty Ones and More Constant than the Read more […]

Utopian Trap – The Human Price (Self-Released)

Utopian Trap originally started from the Bay Area as Fiction in the mid 2000’s, before changing names and band members to settle on a progressive/ heavy metal style with Utopian Trap. The Human Price Read more […]

Somnus Aeternus – Exulansis (Epidemie Records)

It takes a little something extra to create a doom metal album. Particularly when you forgo the easier tactic of bringing some death metal in and providing some bone-crushing moments to balance those soul-crushing Read more […]

Beyond Fallen – As the Spires Fall (Self-Released)

Intangible quality can be difficult to pinpoint in correct, easy to relate terms. Given decades of intense exposure to the genre of metal, you just feel in totality when bands elevate their game to high Read more […]

Motorowl – Om Generator (Century Media)

In a sign that not all labels care about Facebook likes and social media presence, independent giant Century Media signed Motorowl, a band who hasn’t even reached 1,000 likes as of press time. Like, Read more […]

Daniel Lioneye – Vol. III (The End Records)

“I will kill myself just to see you cry.” What is this? A Sentenced album? (Now there’s a sorely missed band for you.) To the uniformed, Daniel Lioneye is the metallic side project of HIM guitarist Read more […]

Virvum – Illuminance (Self-Released)

At this point in 2016, the groundwork has been laid by a fresh slew of bands that introduce atmospheric melodies into otherwise brutal and technical death metal. Bands like Fallujah, Inanimate Existence, Read more […]

Brujeria – Pocho Aztlan (Nuclear Blast)

Brujeria’s every-other-year single release schedule has kept the band active, but they’re hardly front and center in the extreme metal discussion. Best known as a fictitious gang of Mexican drug lords Read more […]

Sevenpoint – Sevenpoint (Self-Released)

Starting to find out more about bands from the Salt Lake City, Utah scene – Katagory V were veterans of the progressive metal scene from 1999-2014, while Visigoth rides the power/heavy metal crest currently Read more […]

Seven Kingdoms – In the Walls (Self-Released)

Fortunate to watch the steady development of this Florida power metal band from their 2007 Brothers in the Night debut full-length to now, it’s not surprising that followers have been patiently chomping Read more […]

Unfathomable Ruination – Finitude (Sevared Records)

Like it or not, brutal death metal does usually come with a pre-conceived notion (as with much music sadly). With an emphasis on slam/groove above all, a number of metal fans tend to look down on the Read more […]

Lesbian – Hallucinogenesis (Translation Loss)

More often than not, a strong effort is made within the sludge/stoner realm to not over-complicate things. It’s supposed to be music to chill out to, for lack of a better term, or, get blazed, again, Read more […]