Not the usual fare typically released by AFM Records (read: these guys would scare the label’s melodic rock contingent), Sweden’s Rev 16:8 emerge as the label’s most extreme act, with Ashlands being Read more […]
A sobering, yet seductive mixture of string work and Goth metal, The Living Fields paint quite the bleak picture on their second album, the appropriately-titled Running Out of Daylight. Naturally, anytime Read more […]
Gospel of Pestilence is what happens when two bands of disparate styles (Mouth of the Architect and Acheron) get together to kick around some vintage and necro black metal in the form of Bringers of Read more […]
Full-blown Carcass worship has long been an exciting proposition to death metal bands without an original bone in their bodies, and for Spain’s Haemmorhage, mining the vintage works of Symphonies of Read more […]
Hard to pin this one down, only because Tombs fall into the now wide-open gap that is best described as “wall of sound metal.” We won’t toss the “post” tag at these guys, only because there’s Read more […]
Prog, but not really “prog,” Sweden’s Wolverine have taken their sweet time in following up 2006’s totally killer Still (of which yours truly had in his Top 10 for said year), returning with Communication Read more […]
Without the drama that saddled their previous Poisoned Legacyrelease (singer Toke Eld was unable to participate due to troubles with the law), Denmark’s The Cleansing lay down a familiar, but staunch Read more […]
Poland’s extreme deathsters Decapitated have finally returned to the fold after a five year hiatus to deliver their fans (and possibly a legion of new ones) their fifth full-length release. Named Carnival Read more […]
Typically, gore-ridden brutal death metal doesn’t deviate a whole lot. Which isn’t always a bad thing, considering there are some fantastic and very consistent acts out there. However, it is nice to Read more […]
Essentially Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom) singing over punk rock/80s metal songs, Sweden’s Sister (not to be confused with the 70s Sister that had Nikki Sixx and Blackie Lawless in the ranks) manage Read more […]
A parody of Cannibal Corpse set to the tune of brutal death metal songs about marijuana, Cannabis Corpse proves that not all bands that sing about Mary Jane are lazy and lethargic-sounding. Fact of the Read more […]
Led by Kamelot keyboardist Oliver Palotai, it’s not a stretch to see why Sons of Seasons gets such a push – Kamelot are as hot of commodity in the power metal scene as ever. Naturally, anytime a band Read more […]
As expected, Dedicated To Chaos couldn’t be a further cry from Queensryche’s hardened cerebral metal days. They’re not interested in that anymore, especially singer Geoff Tate who hates metal Read more […]
With no real desire to score highly on the cerebral scale with songtitles like “Keg Stand and Deliver” and “Skid Marks the Spot,” Barn Burner prove that one can get away with humorous-sounding songs if Read more […]
One of the more noted purveyors of traditional metal in North America, guitarist Jack Frost (Blistering has always wondered if that’s his real name) and Seven Witches return with their eighth album, Call Read more […]
We’ll take “feel” over go-for-broke technicality any day of the week, but somewhere you gotta draw the line, and that line is with Gallhammer’s third album, The End. Reduced to a duo after the Read more […]
There’s a slew of bands that would be better served to make plays like the one Book of Black Earth make on their third album, The Cold Testament. And by “plays” we mean not trying to trick anyone. Read more […]
Stream of Passion’s sophomore album The Flame Within was quite the winner, having racked up mondo points from the press (including this scribe) for its unabashed portrayal of swooning, sultry, symphonic Read more […]
A much harder sell than they used to be, Unearth prove that on Darkness In the Light that they’re perfectly happy with coloring in between the lines, thus crapping out their fifth album of All-American Read more […]
A rather standard and predictable band, something must be in the August Burns Red brew, ‘cause they’re racking impressive sales figures (at least by 2011 standards) and primo concert tours. We’ll Read more […]
Now the main focus of pint-sized dynamo Tobias Sammet (also of Edguy), Avantasia are getting the live album treatment by way of The Flying Opera. Recorded during various portions of the band’s 2008 Read more […]
A name that is clearly the product of a band with English as their second (or possibly third) language, Portgual’s Switchtense are able to work around this odd word pairing for a nice round of brisk Read more […]
A tip of the cap to Datis Alaee of the Warriors Of Metal Festival/Farvahar Records for recommending this recent progressive metal four piece to my ears. Another Life is the debut album from this St. Read more […]
This is a tough one, only because Earth Crisis used to be the most feared hardcore band going, with a message as meaningful as its music. Granted, that was in the late 90’s, and the band still sounds Read more […]
A band that is criminally underrated and overlooked in the Goth metal scene, Sweden’s Draconian have emerged as one of Goth’s most dependable bands. Their track record has no real blip, with albums Read more […]
Sure, we have a total hard-on for Tyr, going all the way back to their killer Ragnarok album from 2006, but they’re an awfully easy band to like. With the imitable Heri Joensen leading the way with Read more […]
I choked on a piece of steak and nearly died the day I bought Death’s Human. How’s that for an intro? Thanks to the fast-actions of one Jim Gehlke (my older brother, who performed the Heimlich), Read more […]
The reason why Hypocrisy has been so inactive is because of Pain. Across the pond, Pain outsells Hypocrisy and is a commercially-viable act, which means we won’t fault main Pain/Hypocrisy-dude Peter Read more […]
With the number of memorable songs on 2009’s Deflorate being less than one, Black Dahlia Murder have wised-up and gotten back to their roots on Ritual. The album carves things up with melodic splendor, Read more […]
The loss of Type O Negative has left a void for many, and while it’s admirable for ex-Type O members to step up to the plate, imitating the band’s lush and sordid Goth metal sound is easier said than Read more […]
