Reviews

Mirage

Plini

This was a lovely album with more varied melodies than you would find at a candy store. Like this analogy, each one has a different flavor and unique surprise when you taste it, and you could spend all day tasting each flavor to your delight. I am undecided on which past of the album is best…the musicianship, or the carefully crafted and bright melodies. The most magical thing is, you get to decide.

The Season Came Undone

My Lament

MY LAMENT’s ‘The Season Came Undone’ is one of the best surprises/discoveries for me in this second half of 2023. Any fan of old school death/melodic/Gothic doom metal will definitely need to add this to their collection.

Dark Interstellar Mysterious

Aphelium Aeternum

All in all APHELIUM AETERNUM’s “Dark Interstellar Mysterious” is an album that effectively combines symphonics with metal elements without sacrificing either.

Transfixed On Dying Light

Fraught

It is extreme and aggressive but more in a subvert way than being more obvious. It has a lot of replay value because everything about it is so well done.

Asylum’s Lament

Stuporous

I found an odd solace and comfort in the nihilistic sound. The band smartly use emotional peaks in some of the lengthier songs in order to keep the listener engaged, and the Doomy qualities of the music is a sound that will stick with you for some time.

We Are Already Living In The End of Times

Astral Sleep

There are moments when it seems that the album has everything together, but in between, it doesn’t. Doom Metal can be exciting and invigorating and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. This is where the album is lacking.

Fire Blades from the Tomb

Ponte Del Diavolo

What strikes me most about the album is the sheer genre bending ability of the band. One minute, you think that you are listening to Doom Metal, and then turn the screw and another sound materialized. This was a well thought out and calculated album where the band hold no boundaries, but at its core, it is still Metal music.

From the Infinite Light

Interum Nata

What we have here is an old school, throw-back sound from yesteryear, with smooth, harmonized vocals mostly sung in a baritone voice. I feel unsettled after the album, and I’m not sure why, but good music can impart these feelings in the listener.

The Weight Of The Mask

Svalbard

With such album with new and fresh expressions as a Metalhead can ask for, this English quartet is opening new ways. Enter into them, and you won't regret the experience!

The Withering Of The Blue Flower

Silent Revenants

This German sextet plays a hooking form of Symphonic Metal blended with an ample set of influences, so hear to it to decipher their ideas.

Time

Infected Rain

Mixing Modern Metal tendencies in a cauldron of different influences, this quartet created a groundbreaking album!

Kvern

Ild

This EP of this Norwegian act is a true 'come back' to Black Metal roots of the 90s.

Dormant

Hiraes

Applauses for this excellent German band of the new generation of Melodic Death Metal! This album is corrosive and great!

Fireborn

Fierce Justice

An experienced Heavy Metal act is releasing their first release, and it's bombastic!

Nimue

Domhain

Post-Black Metal with Shoegaze elements and tons of weight. What are you waiting for to dive into it?

Chapter VIII

Axenstar

What about some old and good Power Metal offering? These Swedish veterans are up to deliver it to you!

We Are Disobedience

Lilyum

The production was the worst part of the album, but the songwriting wasn’t much better. Many of the songs ran together, and the album had an amateur quality to it. Although there were brief moments of some cool background elements, they could not overtake the thick drum sound which dominating everything.

Burn the Circus

Tardigrade Inferno

i have mentioned this many times through this review, the best two parts of the album are the production and the band’s level of musicianship. Unfortunately, the overly cheesy nature of the album will keep it from reaching many Metal fans, and sticking in their heads.

The Fish Who Wanted To Be King

Lalu

“The Fish Who Wanted To Be King” . . . sheer, unadulterated pretension.

A Place for Demons

Warcoe

Well, shit. Italy might just be my new favorite country for groovy, doom metal.

Rattle The Cage

The Rods

If you ever need a blueprint of how simple Heavy Metal can be ultimately effective, you need to look no further that THE RODS.

Theatre Of Fire

Metal Life Crisis

Let’s start with the music that METAL LIFE CRISIS plays. It is Heavy metal with progressive tendencies and breaks.

Conjurers of Cruelty

Devastator

I was awarded with the honour of reviewing their sophomore album “Conjurers of Cruelty”. And I haven’t regretted asking for it for one second.

One + Two (Reissue)

Deacon Street Project

The music on “DEACON STREET PROJECT - One + Two” is simply sublime. To me it sounds like a combination of AXE (for me the best AOR band that ever existed) and JOURNEY (another exceptionally brilliant band) with a lot of other influences thrown in left, right and centre.

Larmes de héros (Reissue)

Sortilège

Borrowing the line from the sci-fi movie Poltergeist II “They’re back”, and that’s exactly what is happening here as I review the third reissue “Larmes de heros” from the French heavy metal Sortilege that was originally released in 1986. I haven’t had too much positive to say on the first two reissue reviews, so hopefully the third time is the charm, otherwise, borrowing the line from Terminator II, it’s “Hasta la vista baby”.

While Passion Lasts

Hitten

Set the Flux Capacitor back to the 80’s Marty, we’re going back to a simpler time when music and partying were all that mattered….and maybe getting a little buzzed.

Checkmate

Gunshine

This is the very first time I have ever mentioned Elvis Presley in my reviews, and I’ll admit it has me “all shook up” and feeling like a “hound dog” so I guess “it’s now or never” for GUNSHINE to see if this album will be their “little good luck charm”.

Throne of the Lunar Soul

Valdrin

This was a fantastic album. The band reached deep into their bag and display a collection of diverse songs that have two things in common…a deep sense of melody, and a deep sense of aggression. It’s the combination of the two that make the album as good as it is.

Kings Of The Asylum

Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons

PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS are a Welsh hard rock band who should be […]

Alster

Forndom

FORNDOM may be a one man band, but let’s not become discouraged from the fact […]

Upon Desecrated Altars

Left Cross

“Upon Desecrated Altars” is a half hour pummeling at blistering pace with devastating riffs, relentless blast-beats, and deep-lying growls

Cursed Mortality

Carnation

“Cursed Mortality” is punishing with powerful and crushing riffing and sine-chilling melodies

Bukkake of Souls

Suicide Circle

This isn’t just another Black Metal band who lacks imagination and is unwilling to explore their own creation. Indeed, some of the traditional elements are thrown out the window, but the ones that matter are kept. This, as well as the duo’s penchant for supporting background sounds really propels the album forward.

Ihsahn

For me, the album was like a project in extremes, contrast, and the uncommon chord progressions that define his career. The music touches each extreme, from tender, sweet passages to ones that bite with the fangs of a viper, and you never know what is coming next. His compositions are masterful, as always, and this far into his career he shouldn’t have a bag so deep and vast, yet he does.

Echoes: Vanished Lore of Fire

Beyrevra

The fatal flaw of the band was not separating themselves from their peers. They relied too much on simple riffs and explored territory, and did not take any chances. The result is a mediocre effort that just lacked originality and punch.

Facilis Descensus Averno

Saevus Finis

It isn’t just the songwriting, however, that makes this beastial vessel such a tortured experience. The production/mix/mastering is exactly on point as to what this band needs to present such a hellish, nervous, and harrowing atmosphere. The music sounds rushed without actually being rushed…..like it is constantly on the edge of something even more unsettling.

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Reviews

Mirage

Plini

The Season Came Undone

My Lament

Dark Interstellar Mysterious

Aphelium Aeternum

Transfixed On Dying Light

Fraught

Asylum’s Lament

Stuporous

We Are Already Living In The End of Times

Astral Sleep

Fire Blades from the Tomb

Ponte Del Diavolo

From the Infinite Light

Interum Nata

The Weight Of The Mask

Svalbard

The Withering Of The Blue Flower

Silent Revenants

Time

Infected Rain

Kvern

Ild

Dormant

Hiraes

Fireborn

Fierce Justice

Nimue

Domhain

Chapter VIII

Axenstar

We Are Disobedience

Lilyum

Burn the Circus

Tardigrade Inferno

The Fish Who Wanted To Be King

Lalu

A Place for Demons

Warcoe

Rattle The Cage

The Rods

Theatre Of Fire

Metal Life Crisis

Conjurers of Cruelty

Devastator

One + Two (Reissue)

Deacon Street Project

Larmes de héros (Reissue)

Sortilège

While Passion Lasts

Hitten

Checkmate

Gunshine

Throne of the Lunar Soul

Valdrin

Kings Of The Asylum

Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons

Alster

Forndom

Upon Desecrated Altars

Left Cross

Cursed Mortality

Carnation

Bukkake of Souls

Suicide Circle

Ihsahn

Ihsahn

Echoes: Vanished Lore of Fire

Beyrevra

Facilis Descensus Averno

Saevus Finis

Latest Reviews

All My Gods Are Dying

Amenspear

Where I Am the Chalice, Be Thou the Blood