The Gates of Slumber – Conqueror (Profound Lore Records)
Like most bands of the classic stoner doom ilk, Chicago’s The Gates of Slumber suffer their fair share of indignities throughout this 60 minute-plus marathon. There are no surprises, the riffs have been recycled time and...
Venom – Hell (Sanctuary Records)
Hell sounds like a mess, naturally. It’s Venom we’re talking about and if the band were to ever take a second to compose themselves on a musical level, it wouldn’t be Venom, right? The follow-up...
Children of Bodom – Hatecrew Deathroll Reissue (Spinefarm)
Originally released in 2003 and now getting a fresh lease of life through Spinefarm UK’s series of reissues comes Children Of Bodom’s Hate Crew Deathroll The album which took them to number one in their native...
Kalmah – For the Revolution (Spikefarm)
One of the true underrated gems of this decade has to be Kalmah’s 2002 effort, They Will Return, a delicious slab of hyper-Bodom melodic death metal, amplified with seismic hooks, scorching leads, and gorgeous guitar...
Motorhead – Motorizer (SPV Records)
Christ, album #24 for Lemmy and co. Pretty impressive on all fronts, especially in terms of quality, as there really isn't a dud Motorhead album that everyone dislikes ala Turbo or Load. Their first proper release for SPV, Motorizer is a...
Hammerfall – Masterpieces (Nuclear Blast Records)
It’s only fitting that Hammerfall would add to the multi-band pile-on that is all covers albums. After all, the Swedes have zero gauge on their perception as phony trad metal torchbearers, but in the...
Vader – XXV (Regain Records)
Old Vader albums have become scarce, the product of their ill-timed deals with Earache (why the label ever dropped these guys is one of the biggest mysteries of the 20th century) and Pavement Records. Following in...
Krallice – Krallice (Profound Lore Records)
A kewl, kinda neato combo here: the combined instrumental talents of Mick Barr (Ocrilm, Orthelem) and Colin Marston (Behold…the Arctopus, Dysrhythmia) collide in a primal BM venture that is part homage to genre’s glory...
Neuraxis – The Thin Line Between (Prosthetic Records)
After years of slugging it out in smaller, to mid-sized indie labels, Montreal’s Neuraxis are no doubt going to benefit from the larger exposure a label like Prosthetic can bring. Those in the underground...
Týr – Land (Napalm Records)
It probably won’t happen this year or next, but when the time comes to ultimately separate the wheat from the chaff for the now very swollen pagan/folk metal scene, one has to think Týr...