Holdeneye

When you wield the 4hammer, every album looks like a nail.

Firewind – Firewind Review

By Holdeneye on May 12, 2020 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 39 comments

“While I’m not intimately familiar with the vast majority of Firewind’s discography, entries like debut Between Heaven and Hell, 2010’s Days of Defiance, and 2017’s Immortals have all impressed me in one way or another. When I first got my guitar, Gus G. was the darling of the guitar magazine world after being selected for the prestigious role of being Ozzy’s solo axeman. But it’s his work on Dream Evil’s debut Dragonslayer — a record that happens to be one of my favorite heavy/power releases of all time — that cements him upon a nostalgic throne in my metal heart.” Born of Firewind, other fire and steel.

Azath – Through a Warren of Shadow Review

By Holdeneye on May 10, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, 34 comments

“I’ve been riding a wave of very good death metal promos recently, and since it would be sheer madness to walk away from the table when you’re beating the house, I’m doubling down. How could I not grab Through a Warren of Shadow, the debut record from Azath, when it has a sweet image of a stately mountain-perched dragon on the cover?” With logic like that, what could go wrong?

Ash Return – The Sharp Blade of Integrity Review

By Holdeneye on May 8, 2020 in Reviews, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, 29 comments

“Metalcore is controversial term with a broad meaning as evidenced by the fact that it can accurately be applied to any/all of Killswitch Engage, Converge, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The meaning is so broad, in fact, that it’s essentially meaningless when used as a standalone genre tag.” Warcore.

…and Oceans – Cosmic World Mother Review

By Holdeneye on May 6, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Symphonic Metal, 84 comments

“Over a decade after leaving …and Oceans behind, original guitarists Timo Kontio and Teemu Saari reunited to resurrect it, rounding out the band with a new cast of characters. What have constant stylistic change, new blood, and time have done to the band’s sound?” Mutation and adaptation.

Sölicitör – Spectral Devastation Review

By Holdeneye on April 27, 2020 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 93 comments

“2019 was a dream for me when it came to reviews: nearly 20% of the albums I covered were released by bands within 150 miles of my house, and of those several can be found in my own Puget Sound area of Western Washington. Quayde LaHüe and Mortiferum impressed me, and the now infamous “Skelator Incident” induced heretofore unseen levels of arousal and nearly resulted in my actual firing from this site. Naturally, I couldn’t resist the temptation to grab the debut of Seattle’s Sölicitör.” Criminal sölicitatiön.

Wayward Dawn – Haven of Lies Review

By Holdeneye on April 18, 2020 in 2020, Danish Metal, Death Metal, Mighty Music, Reviews, Death Metal, 28 comments

“‘You shall riff your neighbor as yourself.’ Riffs may not be the secret solution to stopping the coronavirus outbreak, but they just might be the secret solution to weathering the storm.” Get thee to a riffery.

Live Burial – Unending Futility Review

By Holdeneye on April 7, 2020 in 2020, British Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, 29 comments

“I went back (and forward) through the Death discography, and I quickly became enamored by Chuck Schuldiner’s skill, passion, and ability to gather phenomenally talented musicians together to create an audible snapshot of his brilliant mind on each successive album. Well, after only a few minutes of listening to Unending Futility by Live Burial, it becomes quite clear that the British band shares my affinity for Chuck’s music.” Death unburied.

Skam – Sounds of a Disease Review

By Holdeneye on April 2, 2020 in 2020, Death Metal, Grind, Redefining Darkness Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, 21 comments

“The sounds of Skam’s disease can be somewhat approximated by imagining the destructive Swedeath of Left Hand Path accelerated to the speed of Nasum and infused with the unhinged pandemonium of Anaal Nathrakh. Sounds of a Disease is a psychological pressure relief valve in the form of 13 tracks and 29 minutes of ferocious grooves, blasts, and screams.” Ill tidings.

Graceless – Where Vultures Know Your Name Review

By Holdeneye on March 31, 2020 in 2020, Death Metal, Dutch Metal, Raw Skull Records, Reviews, Death Metal, 58 comments

“One of my very first reviews as a n00b saw me tackling 1914’s The Blind Leading the Blind, an album that effectively combined the rumbling death/doom of Asphyx and the grooving attack of Bolt Thrower, so when I saw that the latest release from Dutch band Graceless was touted as embodying that same combo, I thought I’d give it a whirl and hope that it would be the shot in the arm I desperately need.” Death inoculations.

Ani Lo. Projekt – A Time Called Forever Review

By Holdeneye on March 18, 2020 in 2020, Bulgarian Metal, Power Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, 32 comments

“I have an irrational aversion to bands that name themselves after people. Perhaps it’s because I’ve always fantasized about being in a band, and choosing a righteous name for said band is always one of my favorite parts of the fantasy. Or perhaps it’s because, in my mind, a great band becomes something greater than the sum of its parts, a whole that transcends any one of its members. Or maybe it’s because I believe that the Dave Matthews Band is the very worst thing that humanity has ever produced.” What’s in a name?