ALBUM REVIEWS
If you’re looking for aggregated album reviews from our seasoned music specialists, including our own score offering at a glance how the album fared, this is the right destination for you. Album reviews certainly still matter to artists, writers, and publicists, as they are the ones dealing with them every day, but does the average listener still pay attention? Well, we sincerely hope you do… Dive in!
They say the third time is the charm, and if the boys in Revolution Saints manage to be even more charming than in their successful…
Marko Hietala, easily one of the most distinctive voices in metal, has had a storied career in music that’s seen the Tarot boss take the…
Now that we’ve wrapped up our Best Of lists for 2019, we decided to start the progressive rock crusade of 2020 with one release that…
Say what you will about death metal, but it’s one of the most unforgiving styles of rock music out there today. Where other popular styles…
Vicious is quite an understatement. Endless debates could be had regarding what truly constitutes the furthest fringe of extreme metal, but there is a pretty…
In a truly diverse melting pot of stylistic daring, “To Fathom the Master’s Grand Design” is an authentic display of musical inspiration taken from around…
In an age where the word “reinvent” is heralded among the newest pioneers of metal, there has been something dark growing in the misanthropic cesspool…
Something strange happened on the way to Algalord. Sure, parody and gimmickry have been around for ages in metal (especially thrash metal), but not as…
Thor swung his hammer and lightning filled the sky with a tremendous roar. A storm had arrived, one inspired by the timeless and enchanting allure…
For a band to strike truly genre-transcendent acclaim, they must have some combination of technical skill, universal appeal, and an inescapable, magnetic allure. This is…
Ever since the split with guitarist Victor Smolski five years ago, Rage founder/bassist/vocalist Peavy Wagner has been on a mission to take back his band.…
If I was elected Prime Minister of Metal Country, one of my first acts would be to pass a bill to ban the term “supergroup”.…
About a year-and-a-half ago, I asked Martin Schnella if he was going to be doing any electric Prog albums. “No.” No hesitation, no obfuscation. “No.” …
Brevity is the only option. The hardcore scene tends to play by a different set of rules than their metal counterparts, most notably in how…
An interesting blend is revealed. The prevailing attitude since melodic death metal first hit the mainstream in the late 90s thanks to the seminal offerings…
If there’s an adjective that describes Randy McStine, it isn’t idle. But if there’s an album that does describe Randy McStine, it’s “Idle”. McStine has…
Oh look… Yet another live album from Deep Purple. If I seem a little less than enthused, it’s surely due to the fact that more…
Recently, we had the pleasure of reviewing a new project by renaissance man Sascha Paeth, and we were pleased to see a release from his…
If you ever get lost in the sea of “crystal” acts (Crystal Eyes, Crystal Tears, Crystal Viper, Crystal Ball, Crystal Castle, Crystal Lake, Crystal Sword….need…
Death metal’s jokesters strike again. Phil Hall, perhaps best known by his humorous stage alias Land Phil, has managed to keep himself quite busy of…
Imagine, if you will, the doomed maiden voyage of Titanic, moments after being mortally wounded by an iceberg in the night. Suppose then, that there…
Not to boast, but I hopped on the Nightwish train pretty early on. I’ve owned my first-run vinyl LPs of “Oceanborn” and “Angels Fall First”…
Countless bands have struggled to translate the power of their live show onto a studio recording, often resorting to apologies about their studio discography by…
Just over three years since the release of the last full length release “Rapid Foray” in 2016, German pirates Running Wild have returned with the…
The crusty exploits of a death/doom icon. Few names are more synonymous with death/doom than that of Paradise Lost, and not simply due to them…
For all that find beauty in darkness and comfort in the dark shroud of sorrow, Sun Of The Dying is sure to please with their…
“The near future of the entire human race is at stake…” Cryptic transmissions in myriad languages crackling across an echoing electronic backing track. An album…
Some would say that Southern rock is a dish best served live, even decades after the well-worn genre was at its peak. The first eras…
“The only word is love, an infinite loop in continuum.” This line, taken from the track “Annihilation: The Mothership of Light”, may hold a clue…
Ensiferum bassist Sami Hinkka side steps (but not too far) from his main act to co-found the exciting new power metal act called Metal De…
Born from epic doom laden mastermind known as Leif Edling, Avatarium sprung on the scene in 2013 with the self-titled debut, the band immediately seized…
Among the screaming and the shredding, metal proves itself to be a distant cousin of the oral tradition time and time again. Tales of wars…
Set adrift in a Celtic dream. The name Leah should be a familiar one in symphonic metal circles, especially for those who have frequented social…
Fans of 70s anthemic classic rock, rejoice! The spirit of that era is alive and well with Franck Carducci, whose third album “The Answer” brings…
It has become one of the worst-kept secrets of the modern music scene that when you are looking for a place insulated not only from…
Removing the decrepit, fleshy mask. The fine art of death metal has come a long way since its early days as a more vile offshoot…
