Typically, hard-nosed Goth metal is a total non-entity, unless you’re still ranking Moonspell as a Goth metal band. For Germany’s The Vision Bleak,Set Sail To Misery serves as a reminder that you Read more […]
Such anticipation for a new black metal album is typically reserved for so-called BM luminaries like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, not a gimmick-free, straight-to-the-point act such as Watain. Strange Read more […]
Tobias Sammet certainly gets plenty of air time in the metal scene. First achieving worldwide success with his power metal act Edguy, Tobias expanded into the realm of all-star project status with Avantasia. Read more […]
Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but Exodus (in their old age and infinite wisdom) have entered into the realm of predictability. From a mile away, we could have guessed as to how The Atrocity Read more […]
Would-be touring acts would be best be advised to either stay away from this DVD or take notes. Anyone thinking touring life is glamorous will be persuaded otherwise by Road Kill, primarily shot and directed Read more […]
A great idea from the start, Twilight nearly burned out after its killer self-titled album from 2005. With members of Nachtmystium (who weren’t big back then), Xasthur (who were big back then), Krieg (kinda Read more […]
Ardent followers in the power or traditional metal scenes are most familiar with guitarist Jim Dofka [I sure as hell am – ed.] and his instrumental expertise. Humanity Bleak resurrects his vocal-led Read more […]
As raw and ragged as say, Kylesa, perhaps Lair of the Minotaur and Black Cobra, Providence, Rhode Island’s Howl manage to produce a relentless, plundering debut with Full of Hell. At this juncture, Read more […]
A Capella speed/ power metal from Germany here. Tribe Of Force represents Van Canto’s third full length, shifting to more original material and less of a reliance on cover versions. I know a lot of times Read more […]
After creating a stir with 2008’s Quiet Earth, Vancouver’s Bison BC are back with the equally large-in-girth Dark Ages. And while there’s no real huge distinction between Dark Ages (what are Read more […]
With broad, ambitious concepts that usually go beyond the atypical focus of the metalgaze genre, Germanys’ The Ocean always set themselves up for failure, yet usually emerged unscathed. The daring Precambrian from Read more […]
Only fitting that a DVD released in 2008 is only coming out now, for a band that has been big in Europe and is only catching on in North America…now. Once a part of the mini Danish metal explosion Read more […]
So much for The Garden of Unearthly Delights being the last opus from the long-running quasi-British doomsters. It didn’t feel like the right way to go out anyway…what Cathedral needs is that tried-and-true Read more […]
Like anything coming out of the Bay Area, proper description all but eludes Ludcira. How these guys (and gals) were ever branded as a straight black metal band defies convention and while yes, they do Read more […]
Fronted by former Gates of Slumber drummer Chuck Brown, Apostle of Solitude do their part in keeping the vaunted doom torch aflame. To their credit, the Indianapolis-based quartet stays out of all-too-lazy Read more […]
Question: how do you make the D-beat exciting and interesting enough for a full-length? Answer: borrow from Sweden. Fresh off a feisty EP in the form of Razor to Oblivion, Seattle’s Black Breath Read more […]
Since there is such a preponderance of black metal, it’s becoming easier and easier to disseminate what is good and (as our British friends would say) “utter shite.” In fact, we can tell right off Read more […]
More supergroups. A supergroup here, a supergroup there, yadda-yadda. This is what happens when musicians get bored – they find similarly bored musicians and take the easy way out by paying homage to Read more […]
Sounding like a cross between The Black Dahlia Murder and The Absence (two bands that are virtually identical on some level), Italy’s Stigma don’t play the originality card very well on Concerto for Read more […]
Essentially Celtic Frost with a new rhythm section (something we’ll hear Tom G. Warrior say repeatedly, no doubt), Triptykon continues in the dark, next-level-of-avant-garde-metal approach that CF took Read more […]
Must be a weird scene for Deicide drummer Steve Asheim to work without Glen Benton, a man whose “antics” have probably done more harm than good for the Floridian death metallers. You never know which Read more […]
Rare that Blistering gets to hear raw death metal in this form. Since 95% of death metal nowadays chooses to use ProTools as a buffer/mistake-ridder-of, hearing something recorded live and in the flesh Read more […]
There was a time when no self-respecting metal fan would touch Soulfly with a 10-foot pole. Being how duped a lot of us were with 1998’s self-titled debut (the Fred Durst guest spot is still unforgivable), Read more […]
Quite the odd scene seeing DEP without the Relapse tag next to it. It’s almost like when In Flames jumped from Nuclear Blast in 2006 for Come Clarity. For a lot of people these bands and labels are Read more […]
In its latest mutation, grind is now of the female-fronted variety. Not like there weren’t any chicks fronting grind bands before this (Nuclear Death comes to mind), but Landmine Marathon is far and Read more […]
In this day and age, EP’s are pretty worthless. Bonus material gets slapped on the ‘net in a heartbeat, rendering special releases like this null and void. In the case of Katatonia, their swelling Read more […]
After 2008’s dominating, world-beating, universe-owning For the Revolution, Kalmah appears poised to further ascend up the melodic death metal ladder with 12 Gauge. We’ve stated this a handful of Read more […]
Power trios place intense focus on hooks and chemistry. You can’t have a weak link amongst the vocals, guitars, bass or drums, which probably explains the appeal of Rage through the years. Their brand Read more […]
Perhaps the most aped and copied black metal entity, Burzum (rather, everyone’s favorite jailbird Varg Vikernes) finds itself in a precarious position with Belus. On one hand, it’s a welcome sight Read more […]
Business as usual for Kai Hansen and co. with To the Metal. Following up the totally excellent Land of the Free Pt 2, To the Metal sees Gamma Ray tone down some of its traditional Euro speed metal Read more […]
