I don’t need to tell you all the ways that the isolation and uncertainty of the pandemic left marks on the world that, to this day, we’re still recovering from. In a lot of ways, I think most of us are still coming to grips with what we learned about ourselves and the people surrounding […]

The first time I heard the song “Balls to the Wall” by Accept was on one of those compilation Metal albums that were put out by K-Tel in the 80s.  I still have the record, it’s called Slave to the Metal and I bought it in 1986. It’s one of those songs and albums that […]

Back in 1986, I was just a fledgling Metalhead. I had cut my teeth on Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and KISS, but in 1986 three albums came out that changed my life: Reign in Blood, Master of Puppets and Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? All of a sudden I wanted the fastest music I could […]

Long-running NWOBHM act, Satan, has gone on hiatus, broken up, and reformed, more times than I care to count, however, they first started out in 1979.  Since their last reformation in 2011, the band has been on fire.  Releasing four amazing albums during this time span and Songs in Crimson is now their fifth release […]

UK’s Phaëthon returns with their debut album, Wielder of the Steel, after releasing an impressive EP in 2020 Sacrifice Doth Call.  I had to look up on the net what the heck the band name means and it reads: “Phaethon also spelled Phaëthon, is the son of the Oceanid Clymene and the sun god Helios […]

Returning with album #8, Deceased enters the realm of creating a concept album with Children of the Morgue.  Their last album, from six years ago, Ghostly White was a fantastic display of their death-thrashing madness, equipped with a plethora of good old ass-kicking heavy metal moments.  With roughly around the same running time Children of […]

Ohio’s Ironflame is a writing machine.  Since 2016 they have released four full-length albums and now they have dropped their fifth one Kingdom Torn Asunder on us. I have enjoyed all their prior albums a lot, although I did feel their 2022 album Where Madness Dwells, slightly suffered in the production department and the hooks […]

Category 7 is a brand new “super-group” which formed in 2023.  This self-titled album is their debut and the band members are John Bush – Vocals, Mike Orlando – Guitars, Phil Demmel – Guitars, Jack Gibson – Bass, Jason Bittner – Drums.  So we have these metal players who are currently in or were ex-members […]

OK, hear me out… 2024 has been a friggin’ WILD ride for the world of metal and extreme music. Like it or not, the spotlight has perhaps never shone brighter on our little deranged corner of the music world than it is right now. Ignore for a moment legendary stalwarts like Metallica, Iron Maiden or […]

UK’s Cloven Hoof has been around since 1979…yes you read that correctly.  Now while the band has broken up a few times, only to reform and release new material, the band has gone through many changes over the decades. For me, their 1984 s/t debut will always be my favorite of theirs.  It was evil.  […]

WyndRider is a young upcoming stoner doom metal act from Tennessee.  In their short existence since 2022 they have released their self-titled debut last year and now Revival.  I’ve recently been in communication with Chloe Gould, their singer, and have been mightily impressed with her vocals, after receiving this promo to review.  I was so […]

The Headless Ghost is a new Italian band and is also now signed to an Italian label, the excellent Punishment 18 Records.  The Headless Ghost originally started out a few short years ago more as a tribute act to Mercyful Fate/King Diamond.  And as you can see from this kick ass album art, the King […]

Three years ago I reviewed the self-titled, debut album from California’s epic doom metal band Stygian Crown and really loved it.  I was happy to see my friend, Rhett Davis, drumming on it, a legendary drummer from Crimson Relic, Morgion and Gravehill, and many other bands, both past and present.  The original line-up with guitarists […]

I am a tremendous Manilla Road fan.  Unfortunately, they are one of the few bands I never had a chance to see live, prior to the passing of founder/vocalist/guitarist Mark Shelton – a true metal genius.  RIP Metal Brother.  From the ashes, we will rise and what we have here is 50% Manilla Road and […]

Judas Priest will go down as one of the greatest Heavy Metal bands of all time – without a shadow of a doubt.  This is the first time for me reviewing a Priest album and I am excited to do so.  I will say this….sometimes I get overly excited reviewing some of my favorite bands.  […]

I cannot help myself. At the beginning of every year, there’s always an album I hear and say “GUYS! We already have an album of the year contender! Really, I swear!” It’s dumb. That’s not to say any of those albums haven’t merited the attention I’ve given them, but saying something will stand as the […]

Picture this: you find yourself in the hellscape of a charred and broken battlefield. You’re tired, bleeding from a nasty gash left in your ribs by a claymore you were only just lucky enough to avoid having split you in two. Vision is blurred, everything sounds echoed and distant. Desperately, you look in every direction […]

I have a soft spot for Gothic Metal. It goes pretty deep, this Gothic love. So when this album popped up in the promo bin I picked it out because I saw that Kostas Salomidis was attached to it. In case you haven’t heard of him, then you should be checking out his band Distorted […]

I reviewed Ghost’s several albums and I thought Impera was incredible.  The band has always had a penchant for doing cover songs and really is quite good at it.  Whereas many bands will like to do exact covers of the original song I appreciate when a band takes the time to make it their own […]

I’m gonna come right out and say right at the start – I agree with Hank Hill on a lot of fronts. Not all, of course – Arlen’s favorite son certainly has an irremovable stick up his ass about a lot of things that, really, are just silly. But when it comes to Christian Rock, […]

Listen, it’s nice when you discover an album, and it just blows you the hell away, right? Be it with originality, technical mastery or creative genius – the kind of album where you get a sense you’re listening to something special, a new benchmark upon which all releases after will be judged. Especially if it’s […]

By this point ya’ll probably know my theory about the world of Traditional Heavy Metal, where bands do battle in my own mind in an attempt to claim the throne of Heavy Metal supremacy. Again, I will not apologize for my own stupidity, this is just who I am. But here’s the thing – in […]

When life throws you a lemon, you’re supposed to make lemonade, right? Take a sour situation, and make something sweet. Find the good in the bad. Take an unforeseen opportunity to do something new, different, maybe even exciting and vibrant! That’s certainly one way to handle life’s curveballs. Probably the healthiest way! But there’s always […]

I’ve mentioned this more than once on this site (most recently on my review for Megaton Sword‘s excellent Might & Power), but I take great pleasure in imagining the world of Traditional Heavy Metal as an endless sea of mighty warriors clashing in righteous battle for the right to sit upon the throne of Heavy Metal and […]

While I guess it’s fair to say 2020 will be remembered for… other reasons… I, personally, will remember it as a year that saw the battle for modern Heavy Metal supremacy really get into full swing. Glorious, chainmailed, axe-wielded swing. There were the up-and-coming warriors like Black Soul Horde, Stygian Crown and Meurtrières entering the arena to […]