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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
It is with utmost confidence we can say An Autumn for Crippled Children are the preeminent “blackgaze” metal band. For a variety of reasons, Deafheaven and certainly not Ghost Bath can hold AAFCC’s Read more […]
Progressive metal has certain pockets of the world that gain instant appeal – probably due to culture, heritage, and a keen ear on musicianship. Little surprise that Italy is one of those countries – Read more […]
Anyone who has spent some time in the extreme scene is no doubt already familiar with Hannes Grossmann. The man played drums with some of tech-death’s finest (ex-Necrophagist, ex-Obscura, and Alkaloid Read more […]
With its two most recent albums—2013’s Meadows of Nostalgia and now Dis Manibvs— Imperium Dekadenz has accomplished more than any other German black metal band in recent memory. We won’t go into Read more […]
Dormant since 2007, ardent metal followers are familiar with the healthy roster of artists that gained acclaim in the 1980’s and 1990’s through Noise Records. Major label BMG purchased Sanctuary Records Read more […]
Usually when many (this writer included) think about thrash/death, the sound seems to be more in tune with a modern production and sentiment. Occasionally with a more Swedish tone to accompany it, per Read more […]
Winnipeg power metal band Expired Utopia formed in late 2014, honing in on a power metal style that has more in common with homegrown North American influences than anything more Euro-happy oriented. This Read more […]
Moanaa’s first full-length, 2014’s The Descent, was one this scribe stumbled upon while scoping out Bandcamp one afternoon. The blend of post-metal with sludge/doom/groove tendencies was one that Read more […]
What does constitute an abnormal collection nowadays? Thinking of the title in terms of what Hungary’s Solidity have accomplished wouldn’t be abnormal such as eclectic, with a broad stroke of influences Read more […]
What’s left to really introduce about Devin Townsend at this point? Through all of his various iterations (Strapping Young Lad, Ocean Machine, Casualties of Cool, etc) he’s covered a massive amount Read more […]
Technical metal and its power/progressive/thrash offshoots may not be in vogue like it was a couple of decades ago when Coroner, Realm, Toxik and Watchtower awed audiences – but their influence has spread Read more […]
Seeing things move against the current grain is always satisfying. In our worldwide culture of instant gratification and song-driven (as opposed to album-driven) appeal, we can count on metal bands to Read more […]
Of the North American bands that picked up the melodic death reigns from Sweden’s finest (when many shifted towards more commercial territory), one of the strongest has always been that of Allegaeon. Read more […]
Fun fact about Marsh Dweller main dude John Owen Kerr: he collects Cold Lake cassettes. Meaning, the much-derided Celtic Frost album, known for its dramatic sonic and visual shift into glam rock territory. Read more […]
Melodic death metal that hits on the symphonic and power metal side is by no means uncharted territory. But that doesn’t stop bands like Germany’s Kambrium from giving it their all, honing in on what Read more […]
Is it a reach to suggest Myrkur, Sylvaine, and Darkher team up for a show? All three are leading the charge in isolated one-woman bands, each having their own distinct identity, certainly prone to the Read more […]
Initially coming into the scene in the late ‘90s as a side project for Hypocrisy mainman Peter Tägtgren to delve into less deathly and more industrial and electronic waters, it didn’t take long for Read more […]
Blooming UK tech death band Cognizance has managed to make a name for themselves with only delivering a few EPs and a demo to date. The band’s latest EP, Illusory, is bound to continue the band’s Read more […]
Part of the original 80’s Teutonic thrash triad (Kreator and Destruction complete the pyramid), Sodom plug along much like a tank that makes its presence felt due to presence and overall strength. Limited Read more […]
It’s a pleasant surprise to find music that genuinely defies classification. You can listen to it and it’s consistent enough that you aren’t scratching your head at what has just come through the Read more […]
Both Glenn Danzig and Vince Neil do the same thing live with their microphones: instead of finishing whatever vocal line they’re on, they purposely pull the mic away from the mouths so they don’t have Read more […]
Perhaps a bit too hip for the so-called “hip,” Hammers of Misfortune have long been a band only us fair-minded critics could love. Their odd, if not quirky take on proto metal of the ‘70s, coupled Read more […]
Are we in the midst of a melodic death metal revival? Not in the truest sense of the word, but it does seem like after a period where many held their noses up to the genre, we are getting a fresh batch Read more […]
Technology advances have infiltrated the heavy music scene: laptops, processors, samplers, triggers and so on and so forth to make what you hear on record sound spot on live now more than ever. As a result, Read more […]
Careers ebb and flow like tides or ships that go bump in the night. In the case of Sweden’s Evergrey, they made a strong early impression since starting in 1995 – a progressive/power metal band that Read more […]
Out of the vast sea of one man projects comes Summit with new album The Winds That Forestall Thy Return. While you might not be saying that title in consecutive succession quickly, Summit offer up something Read more […]
Would you look at the cover…wonder if the Norwegian chain mail gang of the early ‘90s would get a kick out of it, or, just roll their eyes, flip their hair, and get back to work. Since Numenorean is Read more […]
