Reviews

Lonewolf – Army of the Damned (Napalm Records)

There should be some type of moratorium on bands not only having “Wolf” in their name, but also having to start their album with the sound of thunder crackling in the sky. It’s as if there’s some Read more […]

Jeff Loomis – Plains of Oblivion (Century Media Records)

Something about typing “ex-Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis” doesn’t feel right. And it shouldn’t, to be honest. Loomis’s stronghold on the Nevermore sound help make the Seattle metallers one Read more […]

OSI – Fire Make Thunder (Metal Blade Records)

First impressions can be harsh and so it was with “Cold Call,” the opening track on this, OSI’s fourth album. It seemed as if Kevin Moore and Jim Matheos’ low-key, industrial prog project (with Read more […]

A Sound of Thunder – Out of the Darkness (Nightmare Records)

The first three thoughts that came to mind upon listening to A Sound of Thunder’s Out of the Darkness album: 1. Female-fronted metal. Thank heavens there’s no Goth here; 2. The flight goggles Read more […]

God Forbid – Equilibrium (Victory Records)

A bit odd not seeing the Century Media name associated with God Forbid. The two parties were rather synonymous with each other for most of the 00’s thanks to the label’s emphasis on new wave American Read more […]

Ministry – Relapse (AFM Records)

Surprised Ministry is still functioning, and probably so is mainman Al Jourgensen. The frontman’s tales of drugs and debauchery are nothing new; same bodes for his total disgust for the Republican Party Read more […]

Outcast – Awaken the Reason (Listenable Records)

Hilarious how quickly the word “djent” has become anathema to the metal press. Blistering notwithstanding, a lot of our cohorts are dogging the style just as much as we and rightfully so – it’s Read more […]

Scorpions – Comeblack (Legacy/Sony)

Forget about “Rock You Like A Hurricane” for a second and think about what the best Scorpions song is. It’s not found on Comeblack, an assemblage of re-recorded songs and covers that span the Germans’ Read more […]

Evenoire – Vitriol (Scarlet Records)

Scary to think, but we might be reaching the rung on the Goth metal ladder where Epica, not Nightwish are the primary point of comparison. Not like we have any beef with Simone Simons and team, yet they’re Read more […]

Desultor – Masters of Hate (Abyss Records)

A beacon of light that shines through in the foggy haze that is the current retro death metal movement, Stockholm’s Desultor (go figure) have created a cacophonous maelstrom of DM madness on their Masters Read more […]

Municipal Waste – The Fatal Feast (Nuclear Blast Records)

Municipal Waste has the market cornered. No, not on “party metal,” but the crossover market is essentially all theirs. When Blistering uses its finite brain power to think of other worthy crossover Read more […]

Angel Witch – As Above, So Below (Metal Blade Records)

The back story of Angel Witch is one about a British metal classic (1980’s self-titled debut) and of being the NWOBM bridesmaid to Iron Maiden. You see, Angel Witch were supposed to be every bit as big Read more […]

Secrets of the Moon – Seven Bells (Prophecy Productions)

Always found these guys to be a bit too clean and pristine to be a melodic black metal band. Then again, it would be counterproductive if they sounded like they recorded their albums in a shoebox, Read more […]

Klone – Eye of Needle EP (Klonosphere/Season of Mist Records)

When a band has so many influences as France’s Klone, it’s normally causes one to call a bluff. You see, most bands do look to styles of music outside of metal for inspiration, they just don’t Read more […]

Overkill – The Electric Age (eOne Music)

Listening to Bobby Blitz on The Electric Age…feels like a sniping dog coming at you. And it’s not like Overkill hasn’t been nipping at everyone’s heels the last few decades, it just feels like Read more […]

Ancient VVisdom – A Godlike Inferno (Prosthetic Records)

Those who aren’t well-versed in the metal underground or even the top rung bands probably still think the acoustic guitar is reserved solely for power ballads. You know, dim the lights, pull out your Read more […]

Dark Empire – From Refuge to Ruin (Nightmare Records)

Walking a fine line between power metal, progressive metal and the more melodic elements of thrash, New Jersey’s Dark Empire have crafted a fine album for their third outing and their first with new Read more […]

Soulfly – Enslaved (Roadrunner Records)

How convenient is that most people have totally forgotten about the time when Max Cavalera had two turntables and a microphone, and that lame-o from Limp Bizkit rapping about “clowns.” Those were some Read more […]

3 Inches of Blood – Long Live Heavy Metal (Century Media Records)

Probably a smart move to go back to full-on metal for 3 Inches of Blood, especially considering the toned-down, 70’s rock attack of 2009’s Here Waits Thy Doom. As the title suggests, Long Live Heavy Read more […]

De Profundis – The Emptiness Within (Kolony Records)

The discussion on British black metal typically begins and ends with Cradle of Filth. The question if they’re a “true” black metal band has always been up for debate (Mike Sloan would be the right Read more […]

Swallow the Sun – Emerald Forest And the Blackbird (Spinefarm Records)

Swallow the Sun’s gradual drift away from their strict melodic doom metal roots started with 2009’s excellent New Moon, an album that married the band’s deep-rooted death metal affinity with airy, Read more […]

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster – Exegesis (Self-Released)

An expansive concept to go along with even more expansive progressive metal are part and parcel, it seems. One has to think a lot of these bands are scared to go the dumbed-down lyrical route because Read more […]

Borknagar – Urd (Century Media Records)

Blistering will never get into the consulting business (even though they make quite the chunk of change, apparently), but our review of Borknagar’s 2010 Universal did suggest that the Norwegians Read more […]

Worm Ouroboros – Come the Thaw (Profound Lore Records)

Come the Thaw is light as a feather, but heavy as a ton of bricks, if that makes any sense. The depth in which San Francisco-based Worm Ouroboros creates music is unlike any other band going in North Read more […]

Shroud of Despondency – Pine (Self-Released)

Sure to be given the Cascadian black metal tag based on sound and album cover appearance alone (wooded areas are so en vogue right now), Wisconsin’s Shroud of Despondency have popped out their third Read more […]

Meshuggah – Koloss (Nuclear Blast Records)

Essentially in an unwinnable position, Meshuggah at this point, have been so ripped-off, copied, stolen from, aped, pillaged, and downright plagiarized that fresh material from them sounds like rehashed Read more […]

Lullacry – Where Angels Fear (End Of the Light Records)

Sometimes promising acts take open ended breaks and as journalists, we often refer to the recesses of our minds to play the “whatever happened to…” game. For Finnish gothic metal group Lullacry, Read more […]

King – Forged By Satan’s Doctrine (Deathgasm Records)

“Kill the Posers Like Fucking Christians,” eh? So that’s how you want to play it? “Poser” is such a broad terms these days; it’s almost like “emo,” but not as pitiful-looking or pitiful Read more […]

Karnak Seti – In Harmonic Entropy (Self-Released)

Bands looking for an easy entry into respectability should go the melodic death metal route. Next to sloppy old-school death and thrash metal, melodic death metal is akin to “Starter’s Kit Metal.” Once Read more […]

Arctic Plateau – The Enemy Inside (Prophecy Productions)

Those who are moved, swayed, and are emotionally affected by the masterworks of Katatonia, Anathema, and the current French wave of Alcest and Les Discrets should find instant solace in The Enemy Inside, Read more […]