Belphegor – Walpurgis Rites – Hexenwahn (Nuclear Blast Records)
Gotta hand it to these Austrians – they’re awfully productive, as it feels like last year’s Bondage Goat Zombie (great title, by the way) is still fresh in a lot of our minds. The short lag...
Fool’s Game – Reality Divine (Cruz del Sur Music)
By no means a sure-thing, Reality Divine looked good from the start. Boasting members of Pharaoh, Manticora, and Ark, the brainchild of guitarist Matt Crooks holds the grand flag of melodic metal high, with a sometimes...
Death Angel – Sonic German Beatdown DVD (Nuclear Blast Records)
Wildly energetic for a veteran thrash band, the live platform has proven to be Death Angel’s bread and butter, with Sonic German Beatdown merely reinforcing that notion. As nostalgic as the band’s back catalog is (who...
Leaves’ Eyes – Njord (Napalm Records)
Quite the flurry from the Leaves’ Eyes camp in the last several months, eh? Njord (the band’s third full-length) is following up the We Came With the Northern Winds/En Saga I Belgia DVD and the My Destiny EP, which means...
Despised Icon – Day of Mourning (Century Media Records)
Four years ago, deathcore or anything being played by Despised Icon or Ion Dissonance was happenin’. As the far-distant cousin to metalcore, the early forays of both Canadian bands were exciting and shockingly heavy....
Tenet – Sovereign (Century Media Records)
Every time Steve “Zetro” Souza opens his mouth, all this scribe can hear is, “Used to do the monkey, but now it’s not cool. The twist and mash potato, are no exception to the rule.” Unless...
A Storm of Light – Forgive Us Our Trespasses (Neurot Recordings)
A tell-tale sign of just how widespread Neurosis’ influence and reach has become, A Storm of Light emerges as more restrained Neurosis, on Neurosis’ label, with Neurosis’ visual dude (Josh Graham) fronting the band....
3 Inches of Blood – Here Waits Thy Doom (Century Media Records)
Being a product of the 1980’s underground movement in my teen developing years, Canada’s 3 Inches of Blood speak to core concepts of battles, witches, hammers and other destructive lyrical themes on Here Waits Thy...
Megadeth – Endgame (Roadrunner Records)
Megadeth Mach 28…and counting. Dave’s revolving door will never end and apparently, neither will his jabs at Metallica that just so happen to coincide with the release of one of his albums. The thing...
The Gates of Slumber – Hymns of Blood and Thunder (Rise Above/Metal Blade Records)
Throughout metal’s long-standing history, two aspects that remain exhilarating are the power of creativity and the chemical component of how musicians interact and engage in their craft. Indianapolis, Indiana’s The Gates of Slumber concoct as a...