Crownshift – Crownshift (Nuclear Blast)
A bit of a 'supergroup' so to speak, in that there's a number of established names that make up the new act Crownshift. With members ranging from Children of Bodom, Finntroll, MyGrain, and Nightwish,...
Belushi Speed Ball – Always Be Crushing
Crossover thrash operates on easy-to-understand principles – most of which include active engagement from the band to its fans on record as well as on stage. Many of you may be discovering this Kentucky...
Trail Of Tears – Winds of Disdain (The Circle Music)
It’s been a long, arduous return for Norwegian gothic/symphonic metal pioneers Trail of Tears. Probably best known for their discography in the 2000’s on Napalm Records, they would break up in 2013 following their...
Red Handed Denial – A Journey Through Virtual Dystopia (Paid Vacation Records)
Perpetually underrated act Red Handed Denial has been around for well over a decade, delivering a potent mix of immediate hooks and complex instrumentation. A modern mix of those elements that took from a...
Esodic – De Facto De Jure (Self-Released)
Distinctive elements can be key to establishing your own niche, even if it’s in well-regarded subgenres of metal such as thrash or death metal. Drummer Zed Amarin has been a part of Esodic since...
Sonic Universe – Taking You Higher
The cosmos aligns in grand ways to pull together this quartet of experienced, seasoned musicians to form Sonic Universe. Singer Corey Glover established himself for decades in Living Colour, guitarist Mike Orlando was an...
Kerry King – From Hell I Rise (Reigning Phoenix Music)
Debate already came through all sides of the internet when hearing that Slayer disbanded and guitarist Kerry King would assemble a new band to continue forward under his own moniker. Ok. So let's just...
Grin Cynic – Grin Cynic (Pavement Entertainment)
Stories often help sell brands – and bands. In the case of Grin Cynic, they started in the late 1990s through singer/songwriter/guitarist Mike Lee, making noise in their home area of Orlando, Florida enough...
Elvellon – Ascending in Synergy (Napalm Records)
Symphonic metal doesn’t appear to be wavering in popularity or global impact these days. Hailing from Germany, Elvellon steadily have been rising through the ranks from their debut Spellbound EP release in 2015, leading...
DVNE – The Jumpstart to Creativity
Photo: Alan Swan
An amalgamation of post-metal into progressive angles of sludge and doom, DVNE produces music that captures multiple spheres of emotion song by song. Their latest album Voidkind may be a bit more...