Reviews

Gypsyhawk – Revelry and Resilience (Metal Blade Records)

The inclusion of Rick Derringer’s infinite classic “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” was a dead giveaway as to where this one was headed, and headed right to the 70’s we go. Thankfully, Pasadena, CA’s Read more […]

Castle – Blacklands (Ván/Prosthetic Records)

The last couple years have seen a rather fierce emergence of occult-themed and classic metal-inspired bands. Classy groups like The Devil’s Blood, campy forces like Ghost (though don’t mistake me, Read more […]

Natur – Head of Death (Earache Records)

Self-branded as “old metal,” New York’s Natur unfortunately, leave themselves open to a lot of criticism by sounding just that: old. It’s not “old” as in sounding labored and unenergetic; it’s Read more […]

Mortor – Shoot ‘Em Up (Self-Released)

Now here’s a band that slices and dices with a vengeance through 14 tracks of death/thrash goodness. Mortor hail from Ottawa, Canada and although born through the creative fervor of rhythm guitarist Read more […]

Blut Aus Nord – 777 Cosmosophy (Debemur Morti Productions)

The third and final installment of Blut Aus Nord’s 777 sequence,Cosmosophy is by no coincidence, the best out of the trilogy. Lone dude Vindsval has in the span of a few years transformed his act from Read more […]

Ash Borer – Cold of Ages (Profound Lore Records)

The cult of Weakling is alive and well here in 2012, the at one time largely forgotten black metal band long dissolved having set alight in the inspirational fires of dozens of bands in the wake of its Read more […]

Waylander – Kindred Spirits (Listenable Records)

Pick any Pagan/epic metal band and they all strike you as nice guys (and in some cases, girls), willing to plop down on a hurdy-gurdy while drinking some mead. Heck, some bands devote their entire careers Read more […]

Daylight Dies – A Frail Becoming (Candlelight Records)

A confession is in order: Daylight Dies was my personal gateway into the world of ‘legit’ metal, being introduced to them by way of a Tribunal Records sampler CD in mid-2002 at the ripe age of 15. Read more […]

Hour of 13 – 333 (Earache Records)

“18 is 9” has long been King Diamond’s famous numerical saying, seamlessly weaving it into his brilliant stories of the occult and supernatural. It’s infinitely more fascinating than when Slipknot tried Read more […]

Vision of Disorder – The Cursed Remain Cursed (Candlelight Records)

Ozzfest ’97. A 15 year-old Blistering and his old man made the trek to the Star Lake Amphitheater in Burgettstown, PA to catch the likes of Pantera, Type O Negative, Fear Factory, and Machine Head, four Read more […]

Ektomorf – Black Flag (AFM Records)

With their ideas predicated entirely on the Roadrunner Records catalog from 1992 to 1998, Hungary’s Ektomorf are able to shoot albums out at an alarming rate. They probably wake up, turn on Chaos A.D. or Burn Read more […]

Dragony – Legends (Limb Music)

I’ve listened to hundreds of power metal records over the years, so I have a good idea for what is important stylistically in the genre. When a new band like Dragony comes along, you have to hope they Read more […]

Auroch – From Forgotten Worlds (Self-Released)

It’s comforting to know the death metal vocabulary and/or subject matter template continues to expand. Death metal bands with little or no imagination use the horror/gore topical matter as a fall back, Read more […]

Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud (InsideOut Music)

This might sound blasphemous to some, but Devin does pop metal better than he does the type of balls-out, maniacal cyber-thrash he was doing in Strapping Young Lad. Perhaps it’s because the light, ethereal Read more […]

Satan’s Wrath – Galloping Blasphemy (Metal Blade Records)

Probably because they couldn’t use one of the name variations for the devil (Lucifer, Belial, Old Scratch, et al), Greece’s rather poorly-named Satan’s Wrath went the direct route for the moniker, Read more […]

Encrust – From Birth to Soil (Density Records)

It’s common knowledge not to grocery shop when hungry, but it’s yet to be determined if one shouldn’t write a review when famished. After perusing the bio for Encrust’s From Birth to Soil debut, Read more […]

Odium – Burning Bridges to Nowhere (Sun Records)

I’ve been listening to Odium’s sophomore effort and despite being Canadian, they certainly continue to sound like a melodic death metal band from Sweden. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this Read more […]

Tarja – Act I (Armoury Records)

A word to this wise: Don’t ever read the comments on a Nightwish video on Youtube. You’ll pull your hair out…if you’re fortunate to have any. The perpetual badgering that goes down in the Tarja Turunen Read more […]

I Am War – Outlive You All (Razor & Tie Records)

The four-headed Orange County, CA monster that was Atreyu, Bleeding Through, Eighteen Visions, and Throwdown has lost considerable, considerablemuster over the years. One can remember in the pre-YouTube Read more […]

Bedemon – Symphony of Shadows (Svart Records)

I think fans of Black Sabbath, Pentagram and even Trouble should be rejoicing right about now. Not because these bands are releasing new material, but rather for the reason of how they have inspired Bedemon Read more […]

Stratovarius – Under Flaming Winter Skies: Live In Tampere (earMusic/Armoury Records)

The last time Stratovarius recorded a live album was in Greece in 1998, and that was on the heels of their successful touring cycle for Visions. This time around, they have chosen Tampere, Finland to Read more […]

Elvenking – Era (AFM Records)

You look at a band like Italy’s Elvenking and start to think of why they’re not higher in the power metal pecking order. It’s all there, from Helloween-like joyrides, folksy bro-downs, and the necessary Read more […]

Sybreed – God is an Automation (Listenable Records)

Perhaps more functional and interesting than we give them credit for, Switzerland’s Sybreed have long been a step below Mnemic-like acceptance in the cyber metal pantheon. They’re a victim of their own Read more […]

Pagan Altar – The Time Lord (Shadow Kingdom Records)

“Treasure hunting prowess” indeed. Such is the claim Shadow Kingdom Records makes in the bio for Pagan Altar’s The Time Lord and typically, such record company claims has as many holes as Swiss Read more […]

Thy Majestie – ShiHuangDi (Scarlet Records)

According to the internet, Shi Haung Di was the first emperor of China all the way back in 221 BC. Responsible for massive political and economic reform, Huang proved to be ever the ruthless fellow, sparing Read more […]

Manetheren – Time (Debemur Morti Productions)

The abyss is a peculiar place to lose yourself. Time ceases to have meaning and shape ceases to create definition; simply all things as they are known kind of devolve into an imperceptible fog that devours Read more […]

Threshold – March of Progress (Nuclear Blast Records)

It’s taken five long years for Threshold to release their next opus, and it’s been well worth the wait. Their 9th studio effort begins life with new singer Damian Wilson (now a permanent member) at Read more […]

Evocation – Dead Calm Chaos Reissue (Metal Blade Records)

The unbridled reverence for Gothenburg death metal from the 90’s is insatiable, apparently. Once past the first wave of major bands (i.e. At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity, and In Flames), there’s an Read more […]

Monuments – Gnosis (Century Media Records)

The dearth of djent–related releases in 2012 is a cause for a celebration of sorts. Around this time last year, the style seemed ready to flush the metal scene with a ho-hum cast of soundalikes and rip-offs, Read more […]

Arkhamin Kirjasto – Torches Ablaze (Ektro Records)

There are peculiar times when a release falls into your lap and as you sit down and soak it up you really have no idea how to process it. It features a number of different and overlapping styles (sometimes Read more […]