Ministry – Adios DVD/CD (Thirteenth Planet/Megaforce Records)
The final salvo from Al Jourgensen and co., Adios celebrates the self-imposed end of Ministry, whose long-running career has endured tremendous highs and multiple lows. A CD/DVD (there are two) of various live performances shot during...
Nahemah – A New Constellation (Lifeforce Records)
Falling in line with the numerous Opeth-infused/inspired bands, Spain’s Nahemah have quite the quirky, but charming creation on their hands with A New Constellation. It’s not direct Opeth worship (hey, Farmakon), but just like the Swede’s,...
Hull – Sole Lord (The End Records)
Despite getting off to a doomy start and progressing onto some definite Baroness-style southern-ish metal, this album by Brooklyn five-piece Hull fails to strike the mark on many levels. Despite drawing comparisons with Mastodon,...
Sons of Seasons – Gods of Vermin (Napalm Records)
Mixing European prog-ish metal, big windswept symphonic songsand you’d imagine a top hat or pencil mustache at the very least Oliver Palotai (Doro, Kamelot) certainly hasn’t strayed too far from his comfort zone with Sons Of Seasons....
Devin Townsend Project – Ki (Inside Out Music)
Now fully relegated to being a studio musician (blame the burnout from Strapping Young Lad and this thing called “starting a family), Devin Townsend has shifted focus to building his solo name once again with the...
Hacride – Lazarus (Listenable Records)
Lots to wrestle and grapple with on this one…Hacride, as described by their bio as a mix of Gojira, Meshuggah, and Neurosis (nice one) have found themselves in that transient cyber-metal void that not...
Isis – Wavering Radiant (Ipecac Records)
Crucial, vital, explosive Isis…that’s what we’re getting with Wavering Radiant. Sure, there was a bit of letdown with 2006’s In the Absence of Truth, but fact of the matter is the band could only go once...
Cauldron – Chained to the Nite (Earache Records)
Formed after the demise of Goat Horn (one of Toronto’s most revered metal bands), Cauldron slides ever-so-nicely into the classic metal pantheon.Chained to the Nite takes a nice little side-swipe at someone like a Dokken,...
Nadja – When I See the Sun Always Shines On TV (The End Records)
Having put out numerous albums, splits and EPs since their inception in 2003, along with touring, this Canadian duo don’t deserve to take any harsh criticism for putting out a covers record. The thing...
Old Man’s Child – Slaves of the World (Century Media Records)
With Dimmu Borgir in the throes of yet another lengthy break (talk about your momentum killers…) lead guitarist Galder returns with the seventh Old Man’s Child album in the form of Slaves of the World. Way...
Daath – The Concealers (Roadrunner/Century Media Records)
Very interesting, this union between metal label heavyweights Roadrunner and Century Media. Has the industry really shrunk this much? God help us all if it has…
Anyway, this label partnership should only help Daath, who...
Candlemass – Death Magic Doom (Nuclear Blast Records)
By all accounts, this is not the best Candlemass album since Nightfall, contrary to what Leif Edling says, but it’s still a marvel, jam-packed with classic doom goodies that go on and on. The second album with...
Arise – The Reckoning (Regain Records)
Ah, melodic death metal done right. We’re quickly running out of bands like Arise, who while following the melo-death playbook play-for-play, are equally as competent, if not jarringly memorable. In a nutshell, that’s The Reckoning,...
General Surgery – Corpus In Extremis (Listenable Records)
Carcass worship at its finest, it’s most “exhumed,” so to speak. Veteran Swedish death metallers General Surgery have made a career out of aping Carcass circa 1991 and considering how well the recently reunited...
Amesoeurs – Amesoeurs (Profound Lore Records)
Anyone bowled over by the blissful serenity of Alcest’s Souvenirs D’un Autre Monde will no doubt be charmed by Amesoeurs. The “other” project for Alcest mainman Niege, Amesoeurs are a revealing cross-section of most things pertaining...