Three years out to sea after the release of Back Through Time, the Scottish pirates of Alestorm have once again returned to drink and plunder. Maintaining their often downright silly seafaring adventures, Read more […]
Using the ‘progressive’ label lately seems like such a crapshoot. There is much that falls under the progressive billing and gets used in such a vague and “if nothing else fits” mentality that Read more […]
Sweden’s (where else?) Puteraeon are comprised largely of C-level death metal musicians, as in those who have done time in bands who have not been successful in their endeavors to climb the Scandinavian Read more […]
Probably one of the better known of the crust/d-beat crowd, Martyrdöd have been at their game for over 10 years at this point and Elddop is their fifth full-length offering (and second for Southern Lord). Read more […]
California pure-bred melodic metal crew Steel Prophet have returned after a 10-year break between studio albums with their own collection of songs dubbed Omniscient. Anyone who followed Nuclear Blast during Read more […]
Certain labels gain acclaim for sticking to particular genres within the metal realm, forsaking any ridicule or passé commentary that may be hurled in their direction. Limb Music has always been about Read more […]
Austin Lunn, the man behind Panopticon, releases his fifth full-length under the moniker, a band that has been incredibly productive since 2008, releasing numerous splits all the while. 2012’s Kentucky Read more […]
Special note must be paid to the album cover here because it reflects so well the inherent evil that seemed to be conveyed with older-era tech from the mid-1990s in all manner of digital media. The recreation Read more […]
The word “progressive” is such a dangler/tease these days. For every somewhat muscular, interesting, certifiably metal band ala Anubis Gate, Teramaze, and Voyager, there are lightweights, like the U.K.’s Read more […]
If previous reviews have said anything, deathcore as a genre is one that this writer doesn’t particularly subscribe to. However, with the addition of All Shall Perish screamer Eddie Hermida taking over Read more […]
Fruitful times if you are a thrash head in 2014. Younger bands spurred on by the first wave of the 80’s spit out new records at lightning speed from North America to the Far East, Europe to South America Read more […]
We can throw in Savatage, but Long Island’s Virgin Steele are perhaps the real precursors to the opera metal boon that took shape in the ’00s. Fronted and guided by David DeFeis, the band established themselves Read more […]
Helsinki’s Finntroll, one of the world’s giants of folk metal have been releasing albums since 1999, to the delight of their fans around the globe. A band that has endured peril: death, illness and a complete Read more […]
Fans of blackened death metal rejoice! Purgatory Rites brings together two swell American bands that are fast emerging to be experts in the subject. Fiends at Feast bring their black/death hybrid by Read more […]
Invariably, splitting hairs between the uber-competent and vastly technical, technical death metal bands is a task better left onto the professionals, which Unique Leader would qualify. Save for a few, Read more […]
There’s not much one could do with this album except admire its mind-contorting malice. Harbinger might just put an end to the bad rep Brooklyn’s Mutilation Rites have built over the last several years. Read more […]
Astute followers of DR will remember a live review I did for U.D.O. early in 2013 from The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY. If so, you’ll remember I took in the premiere show for this New Jersey progressive Read more […]
A quick internet (and even Facebook) search using “Noveria” will first net a female-fronted, radio rock band from Kansas. This particular Noveria has the slight edge in Facebook “likes,” which Read more […]
Though it remains to be seen how many actually continued following Sonic Syndicate after the disaster that was We Rule the Night, it should be stated that Sonic Syndicate is actually a slight notch up Read more […]
After two albums, King of Asgard is back for round three with Karg. Featuring members from Mithotyn, Falconer, and Dawn, it’s safe to say that these guys are able to keep the authenticity in their brand Read more […]
Never mind the somewhat goofy looking skeleton on the cover, Keitzer is born and bred for blitzkrieg violence. Their fifth full-length (and second for FDA Rekotz), Keitzer has cleaned up the rough around Read more […]
One cannot help but be mildly incredulous of the interest in Finland’s Lost Society, who while enjoyable for a brief moment, don’t stand to have much lasting effect. Maybe it’s because they’re Read more […]
The result of when a bunch of veteran Stockholm death metal dudes want to try something new, but not really new, The Dagger come in on the back-end of the retro/70’s rock action with this, their self-titled Read more […]
Looking across the Bandcamp top sellers, Crosswind’s artwork (along with the logo) had a cool and futuristic approach that seemed like it could go one of two ways: melodic death metal or power metal. Read more […]
Originally issued independently at the tail end of 2013, Reciprocal’s second album is seeing a wider distribution courtesy of Lacerated Enemy Records. Reciprocal play death metal that takes some heavy Read more […]
The first studio album in 40 years sans guitarist K.K. Downing, Redeemer of Souls has a boatload of expectations built in from long time metal heads. Especially if you were mightily disappointed in the Read more […]
UltraMantis Black, a professional wrestler from the Chikara pro wrestling promotion, out of Philly, has teamed up with the noise/hardcore punk outfit Pissed Jeans to release the ULTRAMANTIS BLACK EP – Read more […]
With years and years of listening to heavy metal religiously, one has a tendency to become desensitized to heaviness on an album. It’s something that is expected to be there, and when it isn’t, boy Read more […]
Their name taken from a sacrificial stone found in Northern Finland, black metal (duh) combo Taatsi play a wooden, certainly symphonic take on the black arts. Per the usual, their lyrics detail the “majesty Read more […]
A new Entombed demo collection! Wait a second; the logo doesn’t actually say Entombed does it? Entrails have never really been the most original band on the planet and this collection of super-rare Read more […]
