“It’s not another one of Vardan‘s countless releases, nor is it one of Varathron‘s hit-or-miss endeavors – it’s Varde. Of all the V’s of the metal world (and there are many besides: vampires, villainy, vim & vigor, valor, vomit, vogininth, etc.), Varde may be one I am most unfamiliar. But as luck would have it, these lads are devoted to another “v:” Vikings. Well, sort of.” V is for…things.
“I am not a fan of bands rerecording old classic material. But I make an exception in the case of Lightning to the Nations 2020, the latest offering from NWoBHM elders Diamond Head. Why? Because I can kill two birds with one stone: I write my weekly review as well as a Yer Metal Is Olde article at the same time. Now that’s how you maintain high efficiency! The crux if this review won’t be “how good is this album?” We already know Lightning to the Nations is a super album. It will be “do we need this version?” That’s what enquiring minds want to know.”” Lightning strikes twice?
“I was but a mere Angry Metal Applicant when Mongrel’s Cross released their sophomore full-length Psalter of the Royal Dragon Court during the summer of 2018, and I can still remember sitting down to read Mark Z.‘s review. I was still in the diaper stage of exploring black metal, and having already enjoyed the output of their Australian countrymates Deströyer 666, I happily indulged in Mongrel’s Cross‘ epic, thrashened version of the style.” Read the bones.
“I decided to go for something epic to wrap up the year. It’s been a while since I reviewed any power metal or even just vanilla heavy metal, so I figured, what the hell? I’ll pick up UK’s Sorceress of Sin. Now, I’m not the biggest trad-heavy or trad-power fan, and 99% of the time the thing that kills my mood with the genre are vocals. Regardless of the skill exhibited, there are too many greats who adopt a tone and style that just does not appeal to me. Can Sorceress of Sin break the curse with their debut album Mirrored Revenge?” Mirrors of wengeance.
“Overrated. That’s the most recent Twitter post I saw about Painkiller, the specimen of metallic glory that is thirty years olde now. Listen, this album is only overrated if you rank it at the very top of Judas Priest’s long and glorious discography; however, it is most certainly amongst their best albums, and amongst the best that the heavy metalverse had to offer in 1990. And as 2020 draws to a slow and painful close, we can all use some Painkiller to help us get through these last few weeks. Let’s take a look back at this album, and see just why it deserves some extra attention.” PAIN!
“My first exposure to American progressive death outfit Contrarian was on their third LP, 2019’s Their Worm Never Dies. Despite impressing with their technical skills and old school soul, the material never quite hit loftier heights, resulting in an enjoyable, talent-laden album of the solid variety. Only Time Will Tell is a relatively speedy turnaround and comes with some line-up changes in tow.” Prog after Death.
“Genesis XIX will be the first time in thirty years Blackfire has recorded a full-length with Sodom. It’ll also be the first time in the band’s storied career to have two guitarists. What will these changes do to the Sodom sound? Obviously, Angelripper sees life coming back to the band. But are four just one too many? And how many more war-themed thrash riffs does Ole Tom have left in him?” Re-Sodomized.
“From the twisted mists of France rise Twisted Mist, of France. This duo has been around since 2017, under a variety of setups, delivering folk metal in two full-length offerings. Orbios, their third album, promises traditional instrumentation and blistering heavy metal in a convenient forty-minute package.” Folking in the mist.
“In my year-end haze of short days, lockdown and work-related torpor, I peered nervously into the promo pool for something which may re-energize my sedentary life. An intriguing “experimental black metal” tag caught my eye and it was with this that I embarked on a review of the new album by Michigan’s Dark Psychosis. The Edge of Nowhere represents only their third full-length release since forming in 1999, and it’s a far cry from those black/thrash early days.” Nowhere fast?
“Just a few weeks ago, I was wondering whatever happened to Italian doomsters Shores of Null, as it’s been a hot minute since I’ve heard a single note from these gents. Their 2014 debut Quiescence blew me away with their creative take on doom metal, especially the incredible vocals of Davide Straccione. Their 2017 follow-up, Black Drapes for Tomorrow, felt like a bit of a let-down in comparison. So imagine my surprise when resident promo-gifter Madam X put me in for their third album, Beyond the Shores (On Death and Dying), out of the clear blue!” Null is not void.
