When I learned of some of the musicians participating in Adagio, I knew I had to do all I could to check this one out. Spearheaded by 24 year-old French guitar prodigy Stephan Forte, Adagio crank out some of the most intense, vigorous, and masterful symphonic Prog Metal this side of Symphony X. Sanctus Ignis […]

This one came out of nowhere. I had never before heard of Tierra Santa when I got Sangre De Reyes. After spinning the record many times now, I am not sure whether I am sorry for that or not. I mean, these guys can play! That goes without saying. This record is brimming with top-notch […]

As soon as I saw “Produced by David T. Chastain” on the back cover of 2050, I knew it was to be a total shred-fest! He is truly one of the most underrated, unsung guitar demons in metal history so I knew that if it had his name on it, it would have to be […]

After adding veteran metal vocalist Rob Rock (Impellitteri, Angelica, M.A.R.S.) to the fold, Warrior returns with its third full-length album The Code of Life. This is an album full of good riffs, strong melodies and stellar sonics. Compared to past Warrior records, this one has a darker, more ominous feel to it. This is at […]

Oh yeah! Classic melodic, technical thrash lives! Ohio’s Antithesis plays a blistering brand of classic metal akin to Helstar, Sanctuary and even old Realm and Toxik. They blend choppy, thrash-like riffs, excellent guitar harmonies and lead work, tight, technical drumming and clean, yet edgy vocals into a hard hitting record that is both fresh and […]

If there was ever a band in metal that reveled in defying expectations and restrictive labels while continuing to move in a forward direction, it has been Amorphis. Ever since their groundbreaking effort Tales from the Thousand Lakes, they have been on a seemingly endless track of experimentation and evolution. Am Universum, their latest effort, […]

Let’s play ‘What if…’ shall we? What if David Wayne had never left Metal Church in the first place? What if they dropped some of the thrash influence and worked in a more straight-ahead metal approach for the follow up to The Dark? What would it sound like? If you have these questions burning in […]

How in the world have I never heard of Threshold? According to their website, Hypothetical is their seventh album! Kudos to Inside Out for snatching these guys up because they are very good! I say this without the benefit of hearing the band’s past albums (obviously), but this CD definitely makes me want to hear […]

I suppose you could call Ark a supergroup. The band’s pedigree is more than impressive. Guitarist Tore Ostby (Conception, DC Cooper), drummer John Macaluso (TNT, Yngwie) and vocalist Jorn Lande (Beyond Twilight, Millenium) got together a couple of years ago with the collective hope of making music with no boundaries. Their resulting self-titled effort was nothing […]

Attention fans of progressive metal: every CD on your “must get” list just got bumped down one notch. Whatever was next on that list just got replaced by The Towers of Avarice by Zero Hour. This is quite possibly the best American prog metal record I have heard since Dream Theater’s Awake. Dark, brooding melody, […]

Virgin Steele is a band that has been around for many years. With now eight albums under their belt, they are apparently loved worldwide by power metal fans. Well, after suffering through the painfully longwinded double CD release The House of Atreus Act II, all I can say is I’m amazed at the fact that […]

The sticker affixed to the jewel case of the new Vanishing Point CD describes its contents as “Melodic Progressive Metal.” After several spins of this Australian sextet’s sophomore release Tangled In Dream, I can honestly say, “Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.” In smaller print the same sticker reads “…brilliant second album…” Excuse me, […]

Captured at the famed Elysee Montmarte in Paris during a sold-out performance in February of 2000, Vanden Plas’ Spirit of Live is a powerful, energetic live album! Live albums, for me, are usually hit and miss. Either the mix is bad, I don’t like the song choices, the vocals are way below par or, sometimes, […]

From the land of beer, metal, and’well, more beer come melodic/prog metallers Avalon. And with them, the German quintet brings their fourth album, Eurasia. I consider myself a fan of the melodic/prog metal genre, and many of the records I come across that claim to be a part of it, I find to be sub-standard, […]

Let’s be honest, shall we? When one thinks of death metal, the state of Kentucky doesn’t automatically spring to mind. Well, Abominant is out to change that with its indie release Ungodly. Abominant plays a mix of early 90’s death metal with black metal tendencies. Lot’s of guitar harmonies, blast beats, old-school metal rhythms and […]

It may seem somewhat trendy, but I really dig this “goth metal” genre. I love the blending of the ambient keyboards with the heavy guitars. I also dig the combination of deathy vocal growls and operatic female vocals. One reason I find myself being drawn to this style, is that the music produced by such […]

Well, here’s a band I have never heard of. What we have here is straight up power metal, complete with fantasy lyrics, medieval melodies and tons of guitars. Surprisingly, The Storyteller comes off as more authentic than some of the newer bands in the genre. It’s hard to explain, but where bands like Rhapsody and […]

Power metal. Yup, power metal. But, no ripping off of Helloween or Blind Guardian, no screechy vocalist, and not a Tolkien reference in sight. Wyvern are definitely going for the majestic, “glory” vibe here in many places, but they come off heavier in some places as well. There are plenty of galloping kick-drum/guitar riff combos […]

Ultimatum is a New Mexico-based metal outfit that cranks out straight up, old-school thrash metal. Or, as it states on the album packaging, “Unrestrained, fist clenching, neck snapping, head banging Heavy Metal!” I can’t think of a more fitting description, so we’ll just leave it at that. This is an album full of double kick-drums, […]