Reviews

Indian – Sights and Abuse/The Sycophant (Seventh Rule)

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 […]

In Flames – A Sense of Purpose (Koch Entertainment)

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 […]

Unearth – Alive From the Apocalypse DVD (Metal Blade Records)

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 […]

Farsot – IIII (Lupus Lounge/Prophecy)

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 […]

Helrunar – Baldr Ok Iss (Lupus Lounge/Prophecy)

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 […]

Meshuggah – obZen (Nuclear Blast Records)

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 […]

Satan’s Host – Great American Scapegoat 666 (Moribund Records)

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 […]

Zimmers Hole – When You Were Shouting At the Devil…We Were In League With Satan (Century Media Records)

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 […]

Dark Fortress – Eidolon (Century Media Records)

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 […]

3 – The End Is Begun Special Edition (Metal Blade Records)

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 […]

Eluveitie – Slania (Nuclear Blast Records)

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 […]

Landmine Marathon/Scarecrow – Split (Level Plane)

‘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 […]

Dead to Fall – Are You Serious? (Victory Records)

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 […]

To-Mera – Delusions (Candlelight Records)

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 […]

Agalloch – The White (Vendlus Records)

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 […]

Hellhammer – Demon Entrails (Century Media Records)

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 […]

Iron Maiden – Live After Death DVD (Sony BMG)

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 […]

Vader – Lead Us! (Regain Records)

Although Lead Us! contains no new material, it’s pretty kewl, as Vader has always been reliable in terms of churning out something new at least once a year with some odd quirk. This time, it’s the Read more […]

Biomechanical – Cannibalised (Earache Records)

Live, Biomechanical may be notoriously hit and miss, but on record they’ve never been known to under-perform. Cannibalised continues in that vein, this time offering up much more of a challenging, Read more […]

Stuck Mojo – Southern Born Killers (Napalm Records)

Sheesh, it really was 10 years ago when Stuck Mojo were all over the place on WCW Wrestling? My God, where does the time go? Their Rising album was their arguable peak, the album that allowed the band Read more […]

Martriden – The Unsettling Dark (Candlelight Records)

Matriden’s home state of Montana has about as many palm trees as metal bands, which is why Matriden is quickly earned a rightful position amongst the North American modern black metal scene. The band’s Read more […]

Various Artists – Pagan Fire (Nuclear Blast Records)

A compilation of the best-of-the-best epic folk metal bands (sans Borknagar and Tyr), Pagan Fire is an excellent introduction into another one of metal’s niches that is only picking up steam. Heading Read more […]

Ascension of the Watchers – Numinsoum (Thirteenth Planet)

The promo copy of this comes with a blurb just under the band logo that simply states, “FEAT. Burton C. Bell.” A few small words which carry with them a lot of history and lumps Ascension Of The Watchers’ Read more […]

L’ Espirit du Clan – Corpus Delicti (Galy Records)

This one sat in the pile for a while, ignored probably because yours truly cringes whenever he sees a bunch of neo-metallers dressed to the nines in baggy, hip-hop clothing. Needless to say, when Corpus Read more […]

Avantasia – The Scarecrow (Nuclear Blast Records)

With Edguy taking a break after the mostly good Rocket Ride album, mainman Tobias Sammet has resurrected his Avantasia project, this time with a cast of characters culled outside of the metal world, giving Read more […]

Death Angel – Killing Season (Nuclear Blast Records)

Of all the thrash reunions and revival going on of late, Death Angel is one of the few that has been able to keep its head above water, immune to the pressures of creating something ‘old-school’ and ‘brutal’ Read more […]

Nifelheim – Envoy of Lucifer (Regain Records)

Seven years since their last album (2000’s Servants of Darkness), Sweden’s Nifelheim return with Envoy of Lucifer. One would think such a delay in releases would spark some unbridled creativity, but Read more […]

Primordial – To The Nameless Dead (Metal Blade Records)

There have been few, if any hiccups in Primordial’s run as Ireland’s exo-de-facto metal band. Maybe 2002’s Storm Before Calm ranks as something of a disappointment, but that was the album that succeeded Read more […]

Gorgoroth – Reissues (Regain Records)

Long before Gorgoroth became the resident Drama Queens of black metal, they were regarded as one of the more promising bands on the Norwegian front. The albums in question – Under the Sign of Hell, Antichrist, Read more […]

Doro – All We Are – The Fight (Locomotive Records)

Obviously this is some sort of stop-gap release, the usually prolific Doro putting together her most popular solo and Warlock tunes for a five-song, five video EP. The only song that really broke Doro Read more […]