A great idea on paper: the combination of over-the-top tech metal ala Cynic, Atheist, et al, with clean, progressive vocals, Zero Hour are now coming dangerously close to perfecting their own indelible Read more […]
The holy godfathers of the Greek metal scene (Rotting Christ is a very close second), Sepeticflesh return after a short breakup with Communion. As far as natural dark metal bands go, few are more invigorating Read more […]
Oddly reminiscent of Amaran, a now-defunct melodic death metal band with clean female vox, Israel’s Distorted are a cool mix of the aforementioned sound and haunting Goth metal. Distorted is a bit more Read more […]
erhaps best known for featuring Carmen Elise Espenaeas, the sister of Leaves Eyes’ Liv Kristine, Midnattsol (that’s “midnight sun” in case you were wondering), return after a three year layoff Read more […]
One of the pillars of the slo-mo doom style, Ireland’s Mourning Beloveth return with A New Disease For the Ages, a vast improvement over the inconsistent A Murderous Circus. Rife with prolonged, sobbing Read more […]
You know, there are rip-offs, and there are rip-offs. Our Finnish friends Farmakon make little or no effort to prove they are anything but an Opeth tribute band in hiding, with Robin being the ill-begotten Read more […]
Essentially “Nevermore-light,” which for all intents and purposes would be their first, self-titled album, Praises to the War Machine bears the unmistakable mark of one of metal’s last true voices, Read more […]
Arsis may not quite be Death yet, but if anyone can lay claim to the neo progressive death metal tag for this generation, it would be James Malone and co. Their previous two efforts, 2004’s A Celebration Read more […]
All-star guitarist Gus G.’s burst of productivity has carried over into ’08, barely a year after Allegiance was released. Sorta surprising why more bandsdon’t do this – it was commonplace in Read more […]
Kreator. Pre Coma of Souls, post Berlin Wall. Shot in early 1990, right after the fall of Communism, At the Pulse of Katipulation shows a very hungry and inspired Kreator, who were just getting ready Read more […]
Static-X and several key players from the Swedish metal scene just don’t mix. It won’t work in Sweden, Germany, and definitely not in the States, where boneheaded Nu-metal is on the outs for the time Read more […]
Ole Varg is still hanging around some jail in Norway, as his sentence for slaying Euronymous has been extended thanks to a failed escape in ’03 that saw our Pagan lunatic brandish a bazooka and other Read more […]
Three years removed from one of ’05 best albums in Are You Dead Yet?Alexi and his boys of Bodom return with Blooddrunk, yet another high-profile Euro metal album to hit the shelves for April. In relation Read more […]
More or less a watered-down version of Mastodon and any other well-serving sludgy doom band, Chicago’s Indian don’t appeal on a whole lot of levels outside of the fact they make a lot of noise and Read more […]
Few can polarize like In Flames; the band’s once flawless underground pedigree has been smeared via a handful of less-challenging and ‘true’ albums, the result of the band growing tired with the Read more […]
Not your run-of-the-mill DVD release, Alive From the Apocalypse is a two-disc set featuring a live set and a cool documentary that takes us from Unearth’s beginnings in the Massachusetts metalcore Read more […]
Previously known for covering “I Break” by Katatonia for a recent tribute album (yep, Katatonia rules all in this house), Germany’s Farsot have a bit of an unconventional approach to modern black Read more […]
A formula that is as proven as any in metal, epic black metal can do little wrong when performed with the type of care and dare we say, “honor” that it rightly deserves. The marriage of atmospheric Read more […]
Early reports had obZen marking a return to the unbridled fury of 1998’s Chaosphere, but instead, it’s more of a combination of Nothing, Catch Thirty-Three and the aforementioned sonic maelstrom Read more […]
Formed in the late 70’s, well before a lot of us were even a twinkle in our parents eyes (at least in yours truly’s case…), Denver’s Satan’s Host have gone from a hard-nosed, melodic ‘power’ Read more […]
Essentially SYL without Devin, Zimmers Hole isn’t as new as many think – the duo of guitarist Jed Simon and bassist Byron Stroud have been doing the “Hole” for years whenever Townsend would go Read more […]
Given a ringing endorsement by Tom G. Warrior of Celtic Frost, Germany’s Dark Fortress (why such the unimaginative name?) have received a nice little push from Century Media, who must feel like this is Read more […]
A band that has piqued the curiosity of many in both the underground metal and progressive scenes, Woodstock, NY’s 3 (or just “Three”) are getting the ‘ole reissue treatment on one of the most infectious Read more […]
Scheduled to take part in the inaugural Paganfest with Ensiferum, Tyr, and Turisas (drools on keyboard…), Switzerland’s Eluveitie is the newest participant in the ever-expanding folk metal arena. Part Read more […]
‘Tis a cool concept for a split – two bands that actually don’tsound like each other, Landmine Marathon continuing in their rumbling, primitive (lots of Bolt Thrower) approach to crusty death Read more […]
With nothing more to show than a reputation as a good live band, Chicago’s Dead to Fall have veered off the metalcore path with a tongue-and-cheek album ragging on the scene they have been bottom-feeders Read more […]
Clearly one of the more left-field and adventurous albums to feature standard female vocals, Delusions from To-Mera is a bit too much on the experimental side, the band unable to recreate the sterling Read more […]
Limited to only 2,000 copies, The White is an EP featuring various ditties Agalloch has recorded the past three years. ‘Tis a cool thing because their latest few length, Ashes Against The Grain one Read more […]
For anyone in search of a good read and some of the most honest and bare-bones insight on the 80’s metal underground, check out Tom G. Warrior’s Are You Morbid? – Into the Pandemonium of Celtic Frost. Read more […]
The second part in Maiden’s “Story Of” series, the Live After Death DVD not only features the live concert in which bears its name, it also contains a 60-minute documentary detailing the recording Read more […]
