If ever a group of California musicians felt trapped in genre limbo, it would be the mighty Armored Saint. Coming to the forefront of a scene in the early to mid-1980’s with a sound very powerful yet Read more […]
Wisely paired with the new Alcest, Septembre et ses dernières Penséesis the full-length debut of French trio Les Discrets, who feature in the ranks former members of the now-defunct Amesouers, who were Read more […]
During my tape trading heydays of the late 80’s into early 90’s, a special feeling overwhelmed me at the prospect of discovering Swedish death metal. At first my mind struggled to handle the deeper Read more […]
Not to be confused with ‘ole Varg Vikernes (we’re probably the 800th publication to make this connection – sorry), Germany’s Varg throw their name into the Pagan/epic metal ring with the bludgeoning Blutaar. Read more […]
Quite the pedigree behind these unsigned Costa Rican melodic death metallers. Winners of the 2007 Bloodstock Open Air contest and the mastering services of in-demand producer Jens Borgen, the band certainly Read more […]
The new wave of traditional metal revival may have begun in Europe, but I believe there are a slew of American acts worthy of your attention and hard-earned cash. Pennsylvania’s Icarus Witch through Read more […]
Once oh-so-close to entering the upper-echelon of Euro thrash, Sweden’s Destinity have taken an odd step to the side on XI Reasons To See. Many have derided the band for its Hypocrisy-laden sound, something Read more […]
High on the “most anticipated” list for this scribe and several others who were awestruck by the majesty that was 2007’s Souvenirs d’un autre monde, Alcest’s newest Écailles de Lune arrives Read more […]
Just about a year ago we reviewed Sirenia’s The 13th Floor release. Its bubblegum Goth metal quickly won this scribe over, then vanquished, like any good quick-and-easy form of music should. We only Read more […]
First it was the retro thrash wave, now it’s the retro, retro metal wave. You gotta love metal: it just keeps on aping itself. When the talent pool is so diluted and the number of veritable, reliable Read more […]
Classic, grim death metal from Down Under, Hunter’s Moon were discovered via a demo tape by the fledgling Hell’s Headbangers. Yeah, a demo tape. Who knew those things were still in existence? Very Read more […]
Ever the risk-takers (who can forget the ill-advised Pink Bubbles Go Apeand Chameleon albums?), Helloween, in celebration of their 25th year of existence have re-worked 11 songs from their celebrated Read more […]
Very much in line with the bulk of the distortion-happy Seventh Rule roster (Black Cobra, Wetnurse, Millions, etc.), Sweden’s Kongh play it by the book on this five song offering, Shadows of the Shapeless. Read more […]
Frankly, this was the only place DT had to go at the moment. They’ve once again exhausted their standard melodic death metal template with 2005’s Character and ‘07’s underwhelming Fiction, so Read more […]
Finally satiating the need for a visual release, Meshuggah enters the live DVD field with Alive, a two-disc set comprising of live and backstage footage, coupled with an audio disc of 12 songs. Visually, Alive is Read more […]
The second Toxic Holocaust album to be reissued, Hell On Earth hit right before the retro thrash movement kicked into high gear. As such, the band got tossed with every other thrash jockey wearing a Read more […]
Retro thrash…it’s just the worst. It really is. The pits even. There’s zero validity to any of this stuff and it’s a bit ironic that a style predicated to fight trends is now a huge trend, but Read more […]
The French black metal scene strikes paydirt once again, this time in the form of Aldaaron. Hovering around the multi-faceted, yet attack prone brand of BM that the likes of Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Read more […]
Straight from the classic school of death metal comes the two man project of Vasaeleth. Borrowing heavily from death metal circa early 90’s (lots of doomy Incantation happenings here), Vasaeleth (which Read more […]
Probably figuring their window of opportunity was small, Switzerland’s Eluveitie return with their third album in three years in the form of Everything Remains As It Never Was. As the pagan/folk metal Read more […]
Once part of the W.A.R Records cabal that featured Eucharist, In Flames, and Darkane, Armageddon is the oft-overlooked former side project of Arch Enemy guitarist Chris Amott. Tracking down these albums Read more […]
Hardcore is such a wide canyon of styles that it was easy to totally overlook Earth Crisis’ return album, To the Death. Rewind over a decade ago and arguably no band was more important to the style. Read more […]
Boy, the gap between Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under keeps on getting wider, doesn’t it? Surely no one would fathom CC ever doing something like this, even if they were following up a surprisingly Read more […]
This is Nostradameus with an “e”…not Judas Priest’s Nostradamus, mind you. Since there are roughly 1.2 million bands out there barring the great prophet’s name, a little letter wrangling couldn’t Read more […]
As it stands, cross-section death metal (i.e. take a ton of styles, throw it all together) is ruling the game, so when something like Sectioned’s Purulent Reality pops, it deserves a long look, if Read more […]
When Bork mainman Oystein G. Brun proclaimed Universal was a “return to form” (cue simultaneous sighs and eyebrow raising), we’re not sure what he meant. This isn’t akin to the glory days of Read more […]
Reissuing Retribution makes total sense after the immense breakout year that was 2009 for Germany’s Obscura. Their Cosmogenesis album was a runaway critical darling, landing the band on a spate of Read more […]
Seriously, who from the sludge/noise arena hasn’t poached a few ideas from Buzzov*en? The distortion, the crazed feedback, the elongated jams…all of this was done well before the new wave stoner/sludge Read more […]
Not as power metal as their name would suggest (there is a “Stygia” who is manned by a dude who used to play drums in this scribe’s first band – wow!), Stygian take us down the ‘ole COC route Read more […]
The average follower of pop culture knows Richard Christy from his comedy/ crazy man stunts on the Howard Stern Show. Those in the metal scene are aware of his long time exploits as a drummer for acts Read more […]
