There has been a press buzz growing around Crowhurst, the one-man outfit led by Jay Gambit. The band certainly fits the mold as would-be critical darlings, playing a contrarian, noisy style of black metal Read more […]
As one of the forerunners to the various mutations, permutations, and sub-fields that have come to define black metal, Norway’s In the Woods… were the embodiment of evolution in the ‘90s. Their steady Read more […]
A Motor City act that straddles a progressive metal with rock stance, Imminent Sonic Destruction lands with their second full-length Triumphia. Fortunate to grab some prime tour slots in North America Read more […]
“Consciousness based music through the exploration of flotation tanks, philosophy, meditation, yoga, and other embodiment and mindfulness practices.” My, that’s a mouthful, even for our mouthy, sometimes Read more […]
Epic metal started back in the 1970’s and early 1980’s through the work of Rainbow and Black Sabbath in classic songs like “Stargazer”, “Heaven and Hell”, and “The Sign of the Southern Cross”. Read more […]
After being impressed by two self-released EPs back in 2013, Shadecrown seemed to be marked for going places. A few years has passed, but the act has finally released their first full-length album and Read more […]
Somethings just happen to stand well with the test of time. Brutal death metal, particularly the NY style earlier championed by bands like Suffocation, is something that this scribe can fall back into Read more […]
Talking about the abundance of supergroups may be almost as clichéd as citing the number of supergroups that exist at this point. But nonetheless, the supergroup title is one that’s clearly earned Read more […]
The extreme metal act Pyrrhon has been one that has been rightly garnering some praise for their more abstract and unique approach since their inception. So it was quite pleasing to hear of this new side-project Read more […]
There was a time when Meshuggah would release an album and it would be an event. The band that purveyed a futuristic, polyrhythm-driven churning sound had a genuine feeling of inventiveness with classics Read more […]
In an ADD-riddled world, deciding to make a 40-minute song that demands your full attention can be a make it or break it affair. But if Insomnium has proven anything over the past few years, they are Read more […]
This scribe remembers the waning days of cardboard promos, which would put us around 2011. The digital onslaught had all but negated the need for physical product, including how journalists received music. Read more […]
Establishing a new act out of the As I Lay Dying turmoil (investigate online if necessary), Wovenwar are back again following a self-titled debut in 2014 that may have gained appeal on commercial hard Read more […]
Since the original Accept is going strong with Mark Tornillo as the singer, Udo Dirkschneider feels now is the time to lay his own Accept legacy to rest and solely concentrate on his vast U.D.O. catalog. Read more […]
When it comes to literary influences on metal, few are more relevant than H.P. Lovecraft. Particularly in the more extreme genres, where band names, albums, and cover art frequently bear a Lovecraftian Read more […]
Lots of folks were behind The Gates of Slumber, the classic doom/stoner trio from Indianapolis who released a batch of critically-acclaimed albums. Valid because of their unabashed Sabbath-isms and sorcery Read more […]
After leaving a very favorable impression with their death metal forward approach to their debut album, Corpsegod, Construct of Lethe quickly return for another helping in 2016. The Grand Machination Read more […]
You know who doesn’t give a toss? Sacred Steel You know whose career forged on in the early 2000s after being pummeled by the press? Sacred Steel. You know who writes endless songs about metal and how Read more […]
Hailing from New Mexico, Aggressor is a quartet that have been slugging away in the underground since 1996 – releasing a debut album in 2000 as well as a video tribute record for Clutch in 2014. Now Read more […]
Power metal devotees can be an ornery fellowship, especially when favorites like Sonata Arctica change course stylistically. Fifth studio record Unia boldly pushed Tony Kakko’s songwriting into progressive-laden Read more […]
Ever the case with the expanding metal community, some bands never manage to hike themselves up into the radar despite a consistent and quality background. Greece’s Tardive Dyskinesia are 10 years, Read more […]
Of course Neurosis aren’t the same explosive, genre-bending band they were in their prime. Few bands are. Father Time has, however, been kind to the Oaklanders, with folks from all corners (rightfully) Read more […]
The lovely, flowing mass of hair Oathbreaker vocalist Caro Tanghe possesses could be a metaphor for the band’s music and lyrical approach. Playing an otherwise destructive cocktail of post-hardcore, Read more […]
Ponder this: Why is American metalcore so often derided and frowned upon, while German metalcore gets off the hook? Case in point: Heaven Shall Burn. As perhaps the longest-running band of their ilk, Heaven Read more […]
As we officially enter the fall season, it seems only appropriate to start cranking some symphonic black metal. The darker, colder landscapes of the genre are a good fit for the turning of the tide back Read more […]
Not being a band set on repeating themselves, it goes without say that The Agonist have continued to evolve with their fifth album, Five. With the addition of Vicky Psarakis to the band before Eye of Read more […]
Winterfylleth have been leading the charge for quality British black metal for a few years now and for good reason. Their body of work has established their heritage inspired sound firmly in the extreme Read more […]
Blackened death metal two-piece Veilburner have been slowly but surely building up their name over the last three years. No part somewhat due to being able to crank out a new full-length in each of those Read more […]
Every so often there seems to be a band that’s poised to step into something bigger than just the musical scene from which they spawned. Denver Colorado’s Khemmis may just be that next band, and with Read more […]
Barishi may now be on Season of Mist, but this is certainly not their first introduction to these pages. Starting with their 2013 self-titled debut, the Vermont troupe has rolled out a style of progressive Read more […]
