Rainbow

Tarot – Glimpse of the Dawn Review

By El Cuervo on April 8, 2024 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 27 comments

“Eight years between a debut and sophomore album is a lifetime for a band. Members can leave, personalities can change, influences can shift. Australia’s Tarot unveiled its first full-length release in 2016, drawing inspiration from the likes of Uriah Heep and Rainbow. Now they’re primed for Glimpse of the Dawn, a sophomore release nearly a decade in the making. But 50 years between a scene’s heyday and bands now imitating the style? That’s a literal lifetime for many humans. As much as this may wound my parents, the 70s were a long time ago. So what do I make of Tarot’s anachronous sound?” Old hand, big gamble.

Whom Gods Destroy – Insanium Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on March 12, 2024 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 33 comments

“What more is there to say about a prog supergroup? How about one that exists as a re-tooling of the now-defunct Sons of Apollo. Part of the melodic core of that group remains the same, with Derek Sherinian (Planet X, ex-Dream Theater) and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Art of Anarchy, ex-Guns n’ Roses) returning on flamboyant keys and virtuosic fretted and fretless guitar madness, respectively, to helm the adventures of Whom Gods Destroy.” Smote by prog?

Transit Method – Othervoid Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on February 15, 2024 in Reviews, Progressive Rock, 35 comments

“Transit Method delivers to us their newest amplified declaration, Othervoid. And it’s prog! Is that not what you expected? Truthfully, Othervoid carries prog rock that reminds me of stuff that doesn’t necessarily qualify as the most heady music—less 70s Rush and more 90s Rush if you catch my drift.” Mass prog transit.

Green Lung – This Heathen Land Review

By Carcharodon on October 30, 2023 in Reviews, Alternative, Doom Metal, Folk, Occult Rock, Retro Metal, 43 comments

“There is something familiar and charming about what Green Lung do and do so well. Blending the likes of Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Boston and more, the band harks back to an earlier time and, on Black Harvest, managed to do that with their own voice. However, there are lots of other things I can reach to for comfort and familiarity, perhaps explaining why I haven’t reached for Black Harvest until thinking about this review. What staying power does This Heathen Land have?” Of Lungs and lands.

Timechild – Blossom & Plague Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on September 9, 2023 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 9 comments

“Timechild takes the feel-good sounds of hard rock past and fuses a modern-looking, 00’s radio melancholy to form their own brooding yet bolstered identity. Cuts from Blossom & Plague don’t feel far away from the T-injected dad jams of a band like Tremonti or the soulful and virtuosic AOR thump of Winery Dogs, but this unheralded Danish act plays without a notion that bands like that even exist.” Time, tide, and plague.

GardensTale goes to Graspop

By GardensTale on July 2, 2023 in Blog Posts, 99 comments

What happens when we embed an AMG staffer at the Graspop metal festival in Belgium? Heavy drinking and strong takes happen.

Lunar – The Illusionist Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on March 18, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 24 comments

“I hold concept albums dearly as a style that occupies many of my most treasured proggy excursions. Cautiously, though, many a lesser outing bloat the barrel of this contentious niche. Confidently Lunarߵs third full-length, The Illusionist, inhabits this realm—a dramatic telling of a magician’s struggle with what his work has made of his own life. We all ask this question to ourselves of a great many things in this world. Was it worth it? Was it worth it to park between the lines when the lifted F-150 went and snagged three spots? Was it worth it to pen 700 or so words when the tags read deathcore?” Deathcore and the Moon.

Screamer – Kingmaker Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on January 11, 2023 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 30 comments

“Screamer doesn’t shout in the face of tradition—they never have and, predictably so, never will. Yes, here in this brand new year of 2023, young(ish) names chase the 40-year (or more) legacy of established icons like Rainbow, Van Halen, and Judas Priest, and there’s nothing wrong with that as many such surviving progenitors have trouble playing after bingo hours these days.” Still sreaming in the night.

Sarcator – Alkahest Review

By Maddog on November 20, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, 14 comments

“I was hoping that Sarcator would be short for something cool like “Sarcastic Alligator” or “Sarcophagus Emasculator.” Sadly, it’s just an unforgivable portmanteau of Sarcófago and Kreator. I trudged on undeterred, enticed by the description of Sarcator’s Alkahest. These Swedes bill themselves as blackened thrashers inspired by ’80s German thrash, a shortcut to my listening queue. And it’s exciting to review albums by teenagers; they may be hit-or-miss, but nothing warms my shriveled heart like hearing youngsters trying to drive metal onward.” Young, dumb, full of Sodom.

Munroe’s Thunder – The Black Watch Review

By Steel Druhm on November 11, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 16 comments

“Former Metal Church / Trans-Siberian Orchestra and current Vicious Rumors vocalist, Ronny Munroe makes his long-awaited return this month with the debut of his Munroe’s Thunder project. Nearly 6 years in the making, The Black Watch is a loose concept album dealing with Scottish and English history and Ronny’s ancestor’s roles in it. William Wallace, Mary, Queen of Scots, and the wars for Scottish independence are touched on as the backdrop for the project’s ambitious and interesting blend of metal and hard rock, marrying strong Rainbow and Deep Purple influences with the prog-trad idioms of Savatage.” Your watch has begun.