High Roller Records

Lord Vigo – Danse De Noir Review

Lord Vigo – Danse De Noir Review

“I went for a walk on a beautiful day – fifteen degrees Celsius or so – and gave Danse de Noir, the fourth record from German metallers Lord Vigo, its maiden voyage through my ears and mind. Within five minutes, I was reminded why I love this outstanding little genre called metal. Lord Vigo plays trad metal in the vein of Ram but stirs some Candlemass and Angel Witch into the mix for good measure.” Metal appreciation.

Ambush – Infidel Review

Ambush – Infidel Review

“I have many things to be thankful for in life, but among the luckiest of happenstances was the opportunity to be a metal loving teen growing up in the 80s. That was truly the golden age of all things metallic, with the genre growing, evolving and mutating into multiple sub-genres at a ferocious rate, and I got to be there to experience it all first hand. I was especially fond for that early era when the only genre of metal was metal, and my love for the “classic style” is just as powerful now that I qualify for AARP benefits. This makes me an easy mark for the slick 80s-centric approach of Sweden’s Ambush.” Go olde or die.

Stallion – Slaves of Time Review

Stallion – Slaves of Time Review

“This Stallion album may have arrived at just the right time for the band’s review fortunes. Having made my way through middling (at best) retro metal albums from TerrifianT and Slaughter Messiah over the past month, my standards for this style of music may be lower than normal. That, or Stallion have managed to address the main complaints I had with their 2017 release, From the Dead.” Slaves of good timing.

Slaughter Messiah – Cursed to the Pyre Review

Slaughter Messiah – Cursed to the Pyre Review

“Playing a perfectly twisted combo of Coma of Souls Kreator and Reign in Blood Slayer that’s been laced with the icy fingers of black metal, Slaughter Messiah are unabashedly planting their flag of hate just south of heaven and laying claim to the realm of late 80’s/early 90’s thrash.” High, higher, hear the Pyre!

Dead Kosmonaut – Gravitas Review

Dead Kosmonaut – Gravitas Review

“January has been kind to me, and while I haven’t been the overrating bastard that Holdeneye has, I also haven’t had anything bad come my way. Am I just in a good mood? Likely not, since I hate winter. Even this blind dip into the promo bin, Dead Kosmonaut’s second album, Gravitas, has been more than a pleasant surprise, helping pull me out of the winter doldrums with a wholly unexpected sound and style.” Crushed by an anchor.

Capilla Ardiente – The Siege [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

Capilla Ardiente – The Siege [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

“Keep your stoner doom and your funeral doom, and give me Solitude Aeturnus, While Heaven Wept, and Crypt Sermon’s debut any day. 2019 saw the masters themselves release an album with mixed results, and while I enjoyed much of this year’s Crypt Sermon and found Atlantean Kodex and Fvneral Fvkk to be powerful platters of doom, Isole’s latest came closest to giving me that classic hopeless lovin’ feeling. But nothing could quite fill that cross-impaled horny horned skull shaped hole in my heart. Until I heard Capilla Ardiente’s The Siege, that is.” Doom is its own reward.

Repent – Condemned to Fail Review

Repent – Condemned to Fail Review

“As I recently noted on my Suicidal Angels review, thrash in 2019 has thrown up some strong albums, without delivering anything particularly unique or earth shattering. Yet there’s been enough quality to renew my faith and enthusiastically plunge into another thrash platter, this time courtesy an unfamiliar but apparently long running German act by the name of Repent. Condemned to Fail marks the band’s fourth LP and first since 2012.” Failing and flailing.

Metalian – Vortex Review

Metalian – Vortex Review

“Canada is in the midst of a speed metal renaissance at the moment, with bands like Skull Fist and Riot City blazing burning pathways back to the 80s. Now you can add Metalian to the backward focused mob rush. Their third opus Vortex is a shameless throwback dose of speed mixed with traditional and NWoBHM ideas, designed and executed to sound totally natural in 1984. That means tossing Agent Steel, Razor and Judas Priest in a burlap sack and shaking furiously to see what happens.” Dad metal happens.

Power from Hell – Profound Evil Presence Review

Power from Hell – Profound Evil Presence Review

“A few years ago I had a strange and insatiable desire to find the simplest and punkiest blackened thrash imaginable. My search led me to find gems like Chapel and other bands I didn’t enjoy as much, including Power from Hell. Led by vocalist and guitarist “Sodomic,” the Brazilian trio have been kicking around since 2001 and released four albums before their 2015 Hells Headbangers debut Devil’s Whorehouse.” Power outage.

Leathürbitch – Into the Night Review

Leathürbitch – Into the Night Review

Leathürbitch are clearly enamored with the early 80s metal sound as well as the proto-speed metal era. They’re also determined to marry these sub-genres, which leads to an odd mix of early Motley Crüe and Bitch with faster acts like Mötörhead and Savage Grace. Add in a tendency to sing about their cocks, and you have quite the suspicious package ready for TSA inspection.” Night sweats,