Axxis – Utopia (AFM Records)
A two decade-long career plus a recent opening jaunt with two premiere power acts across Europe (the late 2007/ early 2008 extravaganza with Gamma Ray and Helloween) means very little to a fickle North...
Baroness – Blue Record (Relapse Records)
Lots of fuss over these guys and it’s totally warranted. Rarely does a band justify the hype generated by the press, but then again, we’ve propped up a lot of bands that sank faster than they...
Saviours – Accelerated Living (Kemado Records)
A band where the stoner tag doesn’t apply – no friggin’ way – Saviours kick out the jams in a High on Fire frenzy, with a tad more aplomb and NWOBHM sensibilities. Yet, don’t...
Children of Bodom – Skeletons In the Closet (Spinefarm/Universal Records)
Cover albums…how friggin’ overdone are they? Like, way overdone, so much so, that’s it’s become a prerequisite of sorts. Not like Bodom cares – they’ve been tacking on covers to Japanese special editions for years, only...
Immortal – All Shall Fall (Nuclear Blast Records)
Back after a seven-year absence, Immortal return to defend the realm of Blashyrkh – and do they ever. Do take stock in the high rating and the fact we’re not tempering our enthusiasm for...
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....