Can’t fault a person for looking at the name Nepente and getting it confused with the Sentenced song “Nepenthe.” The only thing missing is an “h,” along with the rather noticeable distinction that “Nepenthe” Read more […]
Oftentimes, fledging bands write debut albums that are too big for their respective britches. Any band of the technical top-rung (i.e. Rush, Voivod, Coroner etc.) will attest that sobering to the idea Read more […]
An unsung power metal entity that we should devote more attention to, Brazil’s Hibria have done what so many other smart bands do – they’ve devoted themselves to European and Asian territories. Angra Read more […]
With any luck, the powers that be at Southern Lord have in motion a split between Black Breath and Nails, the label’s heaviest and best bands. They both do virtually the same thing, which is ugly-as-hell Read more […]
A supplement to Beaten to Death’s most excellent (and top ten-worthy) Xes and Strokes from earlier this year, At Rockefeller is a June live show recorded in Oslo as the band supported Killswitch Read more […]
Faith No More often took the brunt of the blame for the nu metal movement; Autopsy should get some long hard looks for doing the same with the now played-out gore/retro death metal onslaught. Without an Read more […]
Like clockwork, Dani and his merrymen keep on churning albums out, doubling the productivity of long-time rivals Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, and Satryricon. However, productivity doesn’t always translate Read more […]
Splits are a fascinating proposition, the guerilla warfare aspect of an EP, but spread across multiple bands so that in the end the value can at times be enormous. In the case of indie/blackgaze purveyors Read more […]
As the Sumerian era grows in intensity and presence, so too do the variety of acts that come to bear their flag. One of the mainstay aspects of this era is the hyper-technical and schizophrenic world of Read more […]
Since legs don’t translate very well visually, hands appear to the extremity of choice when it comes to point-of-focus subjects for metal album covers. They’re in all sorts of poses – against glass, clenched, Read more […]
After spending the better part of 2012 promoting Unisonic with Michael Kiske, Kai Hansen has promised to turn his attention back to Gamma Ray for 2013. Before that can happen, the band is getting another Read more […]
The splintering of black metal weirdos Negura Bunget is an unfortunate one, as the Romanian (Transylvania, to be exact) troupe left an exhausting legacy, headlined by some awfully esoteric albums. The Read more […]
Those Duke boys…always up to something. The beauty of The Dukes of Hazzard (aside from its awesome opening credits) was the show’s ability to include a car chase in every episode. Magically, a Read more […]
“Occult rock/metal,” eh? Haven’t heard any of this in 2012. Venomous Maximus happens to be a horde of rockers hailing from Houston, Texas, culling from the usual spate of vintage rock influences (i.e. Read more […]
Let me say this from the top: I am not partial to female-fronted rock acts, especially when it’s power metal. It’s not sexist of me to say this, but it just comes down to a preference I have for male Read more […]
Blistering’s own Matt Coe picked this album as his top choice for the year, so when I was given this assignment to review the album I was very curious about it. First, Matt went on to say that it touches Read more […]
Coming completely out of left field, Norway’s blackened rock outfit Dunderbeist have released a collection of rip-roarin’ tunes that, to these ears, sound like a pretty bold statement. It’s a record Read more […]
Along with Profound Lore, Van Records was largely responsible for breaking The Devil’s Blood to a worldwide audience. The small, very-cult German label wisely positioned the Dutch devil rockers as a Read more […]
The unsung hero in the Dimmu Borgir 2010 lineup overhaul is drummer Daray, who was entrusted with filling the vacated throne left by Nick Barker and Hellhammer. Daray has done such a good job that no one Read more […]
Positioned as yet another in a long line of United Kingdom-based doom hopefuls, Indesinence appear to have taken a page (or two) from Novembers’ Doom, a band who essentially modernized death/doom in Read more […]
Generally speaking, there’s always some tangible value to be found with any one of the Neurot Recordings bands. Neurosis obviously, doesn’t need any more praise heaped upon them, but a deeper inspection Read more […]
Of all places on the face of the earth to cull that no-nonsense and scorching brand of rock music – Paris, France is the place I am referring to – the Sticky Boys are a genuine rock ‘n roll band Read more […]
Blistering has always wondered if New York death metal bands have some type of complex in regard to their second-billing behind the Floridian bands. You can’t really fault these folks for it – the Read more […]
Back when yours truly used to work at a grocery store in high school, the registered total of $6.66 would strike fear into the hearts of the elderly. On at least half-dozen occasions, a harmless, sweet, Read more […]
2010 and Diamond Eyes saw Deftones re-enter the popular consciousness in a big way and in somewhat cliché fashion, produce what was unequivocally their best work since White Pony. Two years on and Read more […]
A local band done good – it is definitely a nice claim to be able to make. Especially being from a city such as Pittsburgh, where the local metal scene is a bigger laughing stock than Pauly Shore’s Read more […]
Fragments of Unbecoming have unfortunately flown well under the radar in their decade-long career. From the band’s first EP in 2002, they’ve boasted a hard hitting and edgy style of melodic death metal Read more […]
I keep saying this over and over, but the power metal scene is truly oversaturated. This year alone, there has been a plethora of bands releasing material and on the SPV label, the trademark sound continues Read more […]
Love it or hate it, the world of djent has been around long enough and populated by enough bands to reach a point where it takes on a myriad of peculiar and exotic new forms. In the last year alone, there Read more […]
The last of the totally primal Death albums, Spiritual Healing came to find Chuck Schuldiner in a state of transition, still grappling with the bludgeoning sounds of Scream Bloody Gore and Leprosy, Read more […]
