Time to readdress the balance, it has been far too long since I did a death metal review and it was too tempting to simply let this one be untouched by my esteemed colleagues. Gorevent rule. Simple fact and I know that I have stated this a million times but, for me, you cannot do […]

Round 3 with Bridge 9, and yet again evidence that the palette within their roster is expanding ever further as a release of this ilk would have been unthinkable in the label’s formative phase. Even more unthinkable would be that the label would even consider releasing a record by a band that has artwork like […]

As with Ruiner’s newest release, Selective Wreckage, (its all in the title) serves as a collection of lost and missing recordings, accumulated onto one piece of yummy plastic which nullifies the need to hunt down 7 inches, tapes and whatever other formats this tunes originally appeared on. So again, as stated, Bridge 9 has really, […]

The most annoying thing about hardcore, is when the really, really, really good bands implode, be it musically or literally, there is nothing more infuriating, upsetting and just downright disheartening. On the upside, there are always new bands itching to replace their fallen peers and carry on pushing on that sound, it may not be […]

Replacing all but the rhythm section might spell disaster for any band, especially a symphonic one. Finland’s Alghazanth has weathered more than its share of lineup changes and they take this one in stride as well. When a new Alghazanth disc comes out it is a safe bet as to the style and tone. Slow […]

I knew this would be some sort of power metal after one glance at the cover art and logo. What I didn’t know was how damn good these guys are.  I will admit I love power metal, but I don’t waste my time with mediocre, sub par acts.  These guys know what they’re doing, and […]

As far as spastic, technical metalcore goes, Time Has Come does everything right with White Fuzz.  I still can’t help but feel slightly underwhelmed by this record, though.  It might be that my tastes have drifted away from the genre (I used to love Between The Buried and Me, Psyopus, From A Second Story Window, […]

Oh for the love of Dio… Who the hell thought this was a good idea? A decade ago, this would have made a big splash, but as far as I can tell, it’s 2008 and nu-metal is long dead, thankfully. The last thing we need in the metal world is another band of this ilk […]

Just from the name alone, you’d think that this has gotta be death/grind of some sort, with sickening vocals and a blistering, violent approach to songwriting. But you’d only be half right, since this new (unsigned) act smashes together death metal and classical music in a way that no one has really done before. Surprising […]

By now, The Haunted should need no introduction. Featuring 2/5’s (at one time 3/5’s) of Swedish legends At the Gates, they’ve had their fair share of the metal spotlight over the past decade. Their vocalist is subject of much heated debate on blabbermouth over his personal blogs, and over the past couple years, their fan […]

Maine’s black death band Shadar Logoth returns with their self released debut full length. The first comment needs to go to the cover art. Yet another hanging. I think the noose has become the most overused motif in black metal. At least this time it is a hanging and not a suicide. The one facet […]

The name Xerión, is from the ancestral Celtic mythology from Galicia. The style is Celtic black metal but not in the sense that Waylander is. Think Berserk instead. This is pure black rage combined lyrically with Galician folklore in the native tongue. According to the label, this is a re-release on cd of the earlier […]

Being a supergroup of sorts and harboring under their shining fuselage such personages as Nils K.Rue (Pagan’s Mind, Eidolon), Andy La Rocque (ex – Death, King Diamond) and Magnus Rosèn (ex – Jorn, ex – Hammerfall), X World 5 sound like a crew of extraterrestrial cyborgs who flew to Earth for the sole purpose – […]

What’s up with Canada? It seems that nearly every act coming from up north is just loaded to the brim with talent. Prime example: Divinity with their debut full length Allegory. This young band shows more technical superiority and diversity than the bulk of bands that could be considered veterans out there playing this style, […]

Jackie Perez Gratz (Amber Asylum) and her two pals, Max Doyle and Zack Farwell (of skaterock band Walken) have returned to give us yet another stunning record that, like its debut will be in the running for album of the year. Stylistically, not much has changed in the Grayceon camp. They still play a dreamy, […]

While Gojira’s The Way of All Flesh and All That Remains Overcome (and possibly Light This City’s swansong, Stormchaser) are arguably Prosthetic’s bread and butter in 2008, the fact remains; Withered’s Folie Circulaire and now the second album from Seattle’s Book of Black Earth are simply Prosthetics best releases of 2008 so far, and shows Prosthetic as […]

 So, in lieu of the recent All That Remains disappointment, two records have stepped in to fill the commercial American Metal void somewhat; The Fight Within From Better Left Unsaid and the third album from California’s Antagonist.  I’m by no mean saying Antagonist is a better band than All That Remains, but as far as […]

Metal Church delivers their 10th record and, aside from the lineup, not much has changed since they released their self-titled debut back in 1984. That’s both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, they’ve stuck to their guns and continue to deliver what fans expect. On the other hand, the music here is not […]

“In this world people will always throw stones in the path of your success, it depends on you what you make from them, a wall or a bridge…” Being one of Sweden’s most controversial and widely debated outfits, Evergrey seem to have been ignoring any disrespect they keep getting year in year out, constructing one […]

What a waste of time. Not that the record is completely able to be shelved, never to be played again or anything, but how is this an hour long? There is an inordinate amount of time that is simply dead air. There’s no explanation, no reason, nothing. Just silence. And isn’t it music that we […]

Demians is a one man band from France, Nicholas Chapel being the man behind it. I’m really struggling to come up with the words to describe this album, other than this really reminds me of a post-metal Tool. This is not just because Chapel’s voice reminds me quite a bit of Maynard James Keenan, though […]

After having a great interview with All That Remains vocalist Phil Labonte a couple of days ago and discovering him to be a super nice dude, and a superb live performer to boot,  it sucks that I then have to turn around write this less than complementary review. Granted, I knew how I felt about […]

Compared to the dense, melancholy psychedelia of Origo, Lazarus Bird surprises from note one by taking a confident step back to Burst‘s hardcore roots. Opener “I Hold Vertigo” attacks with a lurching hammerblow riff, and vocalist Linus Jägerskog tears into his work as if he’s rediscovering it. He sounds fresher and meaner than anything I […]

I have to be honest; I don’t know why anyone reviews Motorhead albums anymore. If you haven’t been paying attention these guys have been doing roughly the same thing for the past 33 years, namely blowing out everyone’s eardrums and loving it. These guys make Nigel Tufnel look like a weakling because Motorhead clearly goes […]

Failing to catch me upon a couple of initial spins, The Immunity Zone, a fourth release from Sweden’s Progressive Metal eccentrics Andromeda, finally lured me into its trap by means of its huge instrumental sections and extremely impressive songwriting. I always thought that one of the principal attributes of Andromeda’s music was its covert ability […]