Somewhat of an extension of the now-defunct Blood Stained Dusk, USMB mongers Wormreich grapple with plenty of the core elements that at the present time, define obtuse, atmospheric, and way-dark black Read more […]
Same ‘ole same ‘ole here; Spain’s Diabulus in Musica being just a small peg in the money-making (we think) machinery that is female-fronted Goth metal. One of these days, we’ll get a band with Read more […]
Admittedly, when you see a song title like “Semen Dried into the Silence of Rock and Mineral,” you just have to stop what you are doing and give it a listen. But be warned, once you enter the eerie, Read more […]
Mr. Kai Hansen, aka “The Godfather of Power Metal” has never been one to hide his affinity for metal (see: “Metal Invaders,” “Heavy Metal is the Law,” “To the Metal,” et al). It’s what has kept him in Read more […]
One of the best aspects of being able to cover music is the sea of surprises that come about when you least expect them. Case in point this peculiar Swedish group Vanhelga and their low-key release Längtan, Read more […]
Residing in the ‘heavier’ power metal camp than most of the uplifting spawn of Helloween contemporaries, German veterans Brainstorm steadily carve out a healthy swath of fans thanks to their consistently Read more […]
Heavy metal has to be the only genre where it’s common to hear songs specifically about the genre itself, exalting its own name and rattling the sabers to rally to its cause. And we love that, because Read more […]
Bokluk hail from Spain, though you might be more inclined to guess from Sweden. Don’t worry; it’s not simply another case of Entombed worship (not sure how many more of those subpar efforts any of Read more […]
Not much of a surprise that all sorts of all-stars were assembled for This is Your Life, the first post-death official tribute to Ronnie James Dio. (Sorry, Jorn Lande – your Dio tribute from a few years Read more […]
Our black metal contingent on the staff, specifically Bowling, Erickson, and Keating, will probably disagree with this, but, Aurvandil’s 2011 album Yearning is the decade’s best black metal album. Read more […]
Right away, the listener is dropped into a lush and fantastical piece, “Stormgiven,” of acoustic guitar, violin, and epically mournful atmosphere. If this is forecasts what is to come, a listener with Read more […]
Seemingly at odds with what usually comes this way through the FDA Rekotz label (meaning old-school death metal of one variety or another), Decembre Noir’s debut is that of melodic doom/death. Taking Read more […]
German goofballs/rockers/once-elite masters of world-ruling power metal have returned with their tenth studio album, and what is no doubt a declaration as to the “state of the nation” of this beloved Read more […]
Whatever the “wall” may be, Lacuna Coil have hit it. Peddle back to a decade ago, and such an event seemed unlikely, for the Italian six-piece seemed poised to become the metallic, authentic anecdote to Read more […]
One of the several young acts Candlelight are determined to help build (What’s that you say? A label trying to actually “build” bands? No way!), England’s Ancient Ascendant have the benefit of Read more […]
Ardent metal fans seek redemption beyond commercial media and overblown hype machine antics. They dig deeper, finding new bands at every twist and turn, often in a live environment if they go to enough Read more […]
With your band name is taken from a classic Dismember track, it doesn’t take much to read between the lines before hitting play. Unsurprisingly, if you go through Skinfather’s back catalogue, you’ll Read more […]
Nux Vomica – the words just turn in your stomach. This sickly name sounds like the band made it up, but they actually named themselves after a poisonous nut tree. Really, what’s a better name for a gruesome Read more […]
Throwing four experienced, well-respected underground musicians into a musical cauldron is one of the ultimate risks. It’s why supergroups draw so much attention; it’s the “what-if” factor that Read more […]
Sol Negro is such a criminally underrated band. It’s hard to believe they’re from America and not some obscure country in Europe. That’s because the music has that exotic appeal, that European flavour, Read more […]
For all of the side-roads and divergence in metal today, sometimes it’s nice to hear some well-executed, war-mongering, take-no-prisoners death metal. A fine purveyor of this particular brand of no-frills Read more […]
Is deathcore beginning to grow up? If so, bands like Colossus might be found to be new stepping stones for those dipping their toes into the metal scene and slowly progressing towards less trendy elements. Read more […]
Art as a means of embodying reality often results in some very profoundly dark things. In the case of Tom G. Warrior, the man is much like the music he creates, an enormous tower of unparalleled darkness. Read more […]
The second Primordial spin-off in the last six months (the other being Twilight of the Gods’ fantastic debut album), Dread Sovereign’s All Hell’s Martyrs debut is the product of vocalist A. Nemtheanga’s Read more […]
Where else would a band like this come from besides the UK? From the country highly notorious for its long-lasting upsurge of radical musicians, Cultfinder bring it on old-school with their thrashy crust-punk/primal Read more […]
Ever notice how many black metal albums have that dark blue color to them? Dissection’s Storm of the Light’s Bane, Emperor’s In the Nightside Eclipse, Sacramentum’s Far Away From the Sun, and Read more […]
This ain’t your father’s pirate metal, eh? By that, we’re referencing the first band of this ilk, Germany’s Running Wild, who had the costumes, lyrical themes, and mildly enjoyable power/thrash Read more […]
The Italian death metal scene is one that has rapidly become known for it’s furious nature and technically challenging dynamics. Look no further than bands like Hideous Divinity, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Read more […]
At this juncture, it’s unlikely any sort of perfunctory thrash statement is going to come from ‘ole Steve “Zetro” Souza, the man who fronted Exodus during their most commercially successful, yet strife-filled Read more […]
Having a band name of one of Suffocation’s greatest songs off of the classic Pierced from Within automatically gains Brood of Hatred some brownie points before even hearing the music. It certainly Read more […]
