Not the first tried-and-true folk/Celtic metal band (that would be Skylad), Ireland’s Cruachan looked like they were on their way to some quality underground face-time by way of 2011’s strong Blood Read more […]
The return of Ziltoid has been a long time coming. Ziltoid marked a sea change for Townsend, who in 2007, was trying to distance himself from Strapping Young Lad and the music industry as a whole. 5 Read more […]
After discovering Grorr’s first album, Anthill, on Bandcamp at the beginning of the year, learning of The Unknown Citizens was a real treat. Anthill was a conceptual album that utilized a multitude Read more […]
With their latest release, Brisbane, Australia’s, Aversions Crown have further cemented their position as dogmatic deathcore purveyors. They have the formula down pat, but this proves to be a dubious Read more […]
Eschewing the standard black metal practice of producing multiple demos, EPs, or splits before a proper full-length, Italy’s Hornwood Fell probably could have used some good ‘ole growing pains before Read more […]
Australia certainly has a potent extreme metal scene these days, gaining a larger fan base by the minute thanks to the touring escapades and consistent product from acts like Deströyer 666 to Psycroptic, Read more […]
Repurposed out of the shackles of funeral doom, the one-man project that is The Howling Void (i.e. multi-instrumentalist Ryan, also of San Antonio’s Hordes of the Morning Star), Runa happens to be a Read more […]
The last few years have seen a major uptick in the number of old school death metal revivalist movement. You can’t seem to turn a corner without running into a band that directly plagiarizes one of Read more […]
Since just after the end of Blunt Force Trauma’s tour cycle, Cavalera Conspiracy frontman Max Cavalera has voiced his intention to write a brutal, nearly grindcore-style album with brother Iggor that Read more […]
Can’t say that in the years proceeding, Job For A Cowboy ever caught much attention from yours truly. Since their signing with Metal Blade back in 2006, the band’s brand of deathcore seemed to be Read more […]
Too bad they don’t look the part – Kaledon would make an excellent sidekick to Rhapsody, or Rhapsody of Fire, or Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody. (Any one of the three will do.) An Italian outfit who has Read more […]
The pronunciation is “sahl-yeh,” not like “Sally,” which is a girl’s name. (Always with the names…) Saille is a Belgian quintet who has been kicking around since 2009, playing a linear, extreme-or-nothing Read more […]
2014 has been a good year for the charismatic Finnish power metallers Sonata Arctica. To start, the band had a return-to-form of sorts, with the release of Pariah’s Child in March. A great album, it saw Read more […]
Ubiquitous musician Chris Black lets the creativity flow, striking while the iron’s molten in a variety of bands. His longest running outfit happens to be the one under the current reviewing landscape, Read more […]
This Indianapolis-based doom crew hit a visual home run with the unforgettable cover for Last Sunrise. In an age where generic and played-out digital graphics dominate the album artwork landscape, Apostle Read more […]
Atriarch continues the process of change and evolution that began with their previous album, Ritual of Passing. The Oregon-based doom band is far more than a simple doom tag can provide. But it’s a Read more […]
UK extremists Sidious bring forth their first full-length, Revealed in Profane Splendour, after last year’s Ascension to the Throne ov Self EP released last year. Containing of members of the doom masters Read more […]
Beyond Creation made quite a splash with their debut, The Aura. Technical death metal of the highest proficiency, what it lacked in melody it made up for in dizzying musical prowess. Given the state Read more […]
Admittedly, the cover got the best of me on this one and I had to hear what the band was all about. The bleak, dark colors and the clearly pissed canine was intriguing. Coffin Wisdom is the fourth album Read more […]
File this under “Older Dude Prog.” Essentially, the type of progressive metal that only has footing with the 35-and-older crowd, and is more than likely of little value to the younger punters who believe Read more […]
Occasionally you get thrown a surprise bone when reviewing material from particular countries. Anytime Italy comes to the forefront, it’s usually something Progressive, Power, or Neo-Classical oriented Read more […]
Anti-Christ, pro-goat. Anti-social, pro-war. Necroholocaust. These Canadian black goat metallers rank high as one of the most chaos-causing, civilly destructive, well-nigh inhumane, rude and crude bands Read more […]
Emblazoned’s latest release finds its stylistic home somewhere between the drive of vintage death metal and the simplistic but none-more-aggressive approach of grind. However, the group largely avoids Read more […]
The public can’t get enough of that steady juggernaut known as thrash metal. Apparently the industry is aware not only of the new breed capturing the teen and twenty-something generation, but also plucking Read more […]
Inspiration can strike in the moment – as it did for bassist/songwriter Leif Edling in terms of this digital EP/10” vinyl release. Listening to old vinyl at the beginning of the year, the need to create Read more […]
Generally defined by its pristine nature and occasional romp with native elements, Brazilian melodic metal has never quite been able to establish its follow-up band to Angra. Sure, Hibria is perhaps the Read more […]
Typical of Canadian metal – you never know what you’re going to get. In the case of Kitchener, Ontario’s Exalt, the results on their Pale Light sophomore outing aren’t as mixed as they are too Read more […]
Principality of Hell are a new band but the musicians are old. Thou Art Lord’s The Magus, El and Maelstorm are credited with various works. Their pre-established career as musicians is bait for attention Read more […]
While the tendency nowadays is to associate Italy with it’s bludgeoning death metal scene (Fleshgod, Hour of Penance, Hideous Divinity), it’s Nero Di Marte that should rightfully be gaining some traction Read more […]
Epic doom forgers, While Heaven Wept, a Virginian band specializing in colossal works of song – huge in both their musical density as well as in their emotional gravity, return for their eagerly awaited Read more […]
