Reviews

Lord of War – Suffer (Unique Leader)

It’s always nice when things are worth the wait. Lord of War released their debut, Celestial Pestilence, 5 years ago at this point. Going so far as to do a disappearing act for a while, it seemed we Read more […]

To Cast a Shadow – Winter’s Embrace (Kolony)

The run-around in Goth metal bands is with always the singer. It’s never anyone else within the ranks. Like, for once, can their be a career-altering drummer switch? It’s a common refrain in our lovely Read more […]

Gojira – Magma (Roadrunner)

Gojira has never been one to go for the “easy album.” Take a look at their discography and you’ll find the only constant is change, as the band seldom repeats themselves. Thus, with the extended Read more […]

Mental Coma – Fragments of Democracy (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)

Being a fan of power and progressive music, when thrash hit the scene and developed from a Bay Area scene to a worldwide phenomenon in the metal underground, my tastes gravitated to those who could combine Read more […]

Behexen – The Poisonous Path (Debemur Morti)

When you get down to it with Behexen, they are really just the root, fundamental, basic representation of Finnish black metal. The norms they so callously represent are, of course, totally just and worthy Read more […]

Panopticon/Waldgefluster Split (Bindrune Recordings/Nordvis Productions)

If you’ve been listening to extreme metal for the past few years these bands should be known to you (if only in name recognition alone). Minnesota’s Panopticon is the creation of “do it all” journey Read more […]

Candlemass – Death Thy Lover (Napalm)

Swedish singer Mats Leven is criminally overlooked. Under-appreciated and unsung, too. He’s done time with Yngwie, and manned the lead male vocal position in Therion when they were at their obvious peak. Read more […]

Widow – Carved in Stone (Pure Steel Records)

A staple of the underground metal scene since 2000, North Carolina’s Widow deliver an old school metal platform with traditional and neo-classical nuances without sacrificing their meat and potatoes Read more […]

Fates Warning – Theories of Flight (InsideOut Music)

If assembling a Mount Rushmore of legends in the progressive metal field, Fates Warning deserve a spot alongside Dream Theater for their contribution through benchmark records like Awaken the Guardian, Read more […]

Black Space Riders – Beyond Refugeeum EP (BSR/Cargo)

You hear the word “leftovers,” and the collective moan and groan from the record buying and/or music stealing public echoes. Usually referred to as b-sides, songs that didn’t make the album have Read more […]

Whitechapel – Mark of the Blade (Metal Blade)

At this point in the career log of Whitechapel, you have to have some idea of what you are getting in advance. As leaders of the deathcore genre, even despite claims of “progression” and “innovation,” Read more […]

Ayreon – The Theater Equation (InsideOut Music)

Self-proclaimed recluse Arjen Anthony Lucassen, the Dutch musician, composer, producer and creative mastermind behind the progressive rock project Ayreon, has repeatedly said he prefers writing and recording Read more […]

If These Trees Could Talk – The Bones of a Dying World (Metal Blade)

Food Network is regular TV viewing in the Gehlke household. This scribe’s lovely wife has been a devotee for quite some time, so we are no strangers to such fine shows as Chopped, Pioneer Woman, and Trisha’s Read more […]

Souls of Diotima – The Sorceress Reveals – Atlantis (Rockshots Music Management)

Active since 2004 yet waiting seven years to release a debut full-length, Italy’s Souls of Diotima are onto their third record with The Sorceress Reveals – Atlantis. A symphonic metal quintet with Read more […]

Mistur – In Memoriam (Dark Essence)

Being a Scandinavian, it’s hard to miss out on the various aspects of scandi-metal. Norwegian black metal has, for one, made a massive impact in the region as well as worldwide. The genre has even been Read more […]

Terra Tenebrosa – The Reverses (Debemur Morti)

Comprising of members of sorely overlooked Swedish post-hard maulers Breach, Terra Tenebrosa is quite the flip-flop in presentation. Whereas Breach—like most bands of their ilk—maintained a rather Read more […]

Arkadia – Aspirations & Reality (Inverse Records)

They say you have forever to release a debut album to make an indelible impression – while the follow up can often show the true character and future development of a band. Previously raising a cursory Read more […]

Brymir – Slayer of Gods (Ranka Kustannus)

Brymir released Breathe Fire to the Sun back in 2011 and then seemed to go dormant for the longest time. Five years is a notable absence, but rumblings of a new album started to surface on Facebook and Read more […]

Skin Drone – Evocation (Bluntface Records)

When inundated by albums that all seem to reach for the same branches, it’s always nice to hear a band willing to go out on a limb to generate something that is more unique and individualized. Such Read more […]

Poison Headache – Poison Headache (Metal Blade)

Here goes another “fun” side project. Poison Headache happens to be the old band of ex-As I Lay Dying/current Wovenwar guitarist Phil Sgrosso. Obviously, the man’s As I Lay Dying priorities took hold throughout Read more […]

Forteresse – Thèmes pour la rebellion (Sepulchral Productions)

Unfortunately, the French-Canadian black metal boon never quite took hold. As per habit, we, along with other devotees, were looking to hitch our wagons to a new BM sound that wasn’t Cascadian, infested Read more […]

Principium – A Crown of Ashes (Self-Released)

Hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, Principium is a relative newcomer as a five-piece playing progressive metal since their origins in the spring of 2014. Their debut five song EP A Crown of Ashes would Read more […]

Headbore – The Grey (Truth Inc. Records)

Sometimes you just want something that will get you moving around and up the intensity level of the room. Doesn’t have to be the most brutal album, but can’t be lacking in groove. For these type Read more […]

Death Angel – The Evil Divide (Nuclear Blast)

It’s been 15 years since Death Angel reformed at the famed Thrash of the Titans festival. A gathering that rounded up all of the classic Bay Area thrash bands for a good cause (i.e. raising money to help Read more […]

Celestial Ruin – Pandora (Self-Released)

Sometimes getting the female-fronted symphonic metal tag is essentially a kiss of death. The quality (much like in most sub-genres at this point) ranges from fantastic to mediocre, and often it’s hard Read more […]

Falsifier – Life in Death (Self-Released)

With a recent signing to Artery Recordings, Falsifier’s stock has gone up following two self-released efforts. Life in Death being their sophomore effort, the band finds itself among the other downtuned, Read more […]

Old Wolf – Old Wolf (Self-Released)

Thanks to a heads up from Savage Master guitarist Adam Neal for telling me about this Kentucky band who along with the aforementioned SM are bringing a lot of the traditional metal sound back to America. Read more […]

In Twilight’s Embrace – The Grim Muse (Arachnophobia Records)

A hereby unknown quantity out of Poland, In Twilight’s Embrace play a decidedly ‘90s-heavy brand of melodic death metal, which makes sense—they have a very ‘90s moniker to begin with. With a sound Read more […]

Warfect – Scavengers (Cyclone Empire)

Warfect had better be careful: their penchant for really bad album covers may overshadow the fact they’re actually a pretty good thrash band. Their 2013 platter, Exoneration Denied, had a rather comedic Read more […]

Throane – Derrière-nous, la lumière (Debemur Morti)

Because information on bands is so readily available these days, it’s almost too easy to prepare for a review. Social media has pretty much evaporated any sort of mystery involved with artists, while labels Read more […]