Massacre Records

Sinbreed – IV Review

By Steel Druhm on November 25, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Massacre Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 64 comments

“In the early days of my love affair with Euro-power metal, I cared not how cheesy, melodic or un-macho the music was as long as it was catchy and fun. From Helloween’s funny creatures and pink bubbles to whatever colon clogging Velveeta casserole Stratovarius was serving up, it was all good. Somewhere along the road to olde age however, I started expecting more power in my Euro-power, and my tastes turned towards bands that remembered to put the precious metal in their molasses confections. That’s why Sinbreed always struck a chord with me.” A farewell to balls.

Eisregen – Fegefeuer Review

By Lokasenna on November 4, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, German Metal, Massacre Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 19 comments

“The metal underground has many virtues: ingenuity, a give-no-fucks attitude, and in many cases listener loyalty. How else does one explain a band like Eisregen, who have cranked out album after album over a twenty-year career, while still clinging tightly to the shadows? Fegefeuer marks these Germans’ thirteen release, one shrouded in mystery, teased as it was with a simple ‘Satan loves you.'”

Aeternitas – Tales of the Grotesque Review

By Dr. Wvrm on June 29, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Massacre Records, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 43 comments

“Aeternitas are show people. The touch of a thespian graces every pocket of their off-off-off Broadway metal career. 2016’s House of Usher took a step back from their Rappacinis Tochter stage show, to a green-as-a-clover Dr. Wvrm‘s great relief. Even then, the Poe-inspired production struggled to balance theatrics, symphonics, and plain old musics. Now, the Germans ditch a single narrative for a collection of them in hopes that fifth entry Tales of the Grotesque can mend the gap between art and fart.” Community theater-core.

Stormwitch – Bound to the Witch Review

By Steel Druhm on June 27, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Massacre Records, NWOBHM, Reviews, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, 75 comments

“Stormwitch is the Captain America of metal music: Perpetually out of sync with the times and what’s going on around them. Heavily influenced by the NWoBHM, they released their Walpurgis Night debut in 1984 just as the style was on the wane. They switched to a more commercial style on albums like 1986s Stronger Than Heaven as the thrash explosion engulfed the world. By 1989 they were dabbling in cheesy, ballad-heavy Euro-power as extreme metal was growing in popularity and the whole scene was on the brink of near annihilation by the Seattle grunge movement. Long story short: Stormwitch put out 10 albums at the wrong time and never broke it big.” Witches, man…

Burden of Grief – Eye of the Storm Review

By Master of Muppets on May 8, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Massacre Records, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 110 comments

“Oh, Metalcore, I mourn for those who never knew you. Glorious was the heyday of such then-gigantic core ‘core acts as Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, Shadows Fall, etc. The alchemy of fusing melodeath-inspired riffage and radio-friendly songwriting yielded far more quality results than one might expect or willingly concede, yet the saturation and over recycling of this formula ultimately failed to maintain the staying power of its trve idols. Nonetheless, it’s still a thing, so people are still doing it. In Germany, Burden of Grief are hard at work being that collective guy.” Burden of core.

Abinchova – Weltenwanderer Review

By Lokasenna on April 9, 2018 in 2018, Folk Metal, Massacre Records, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swiss Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 15 comments

“One of my esteemed fellows, when I picked it from the promo-bin, dismissed Weltenwanderer as Eluveitie-core. Even as one of the few people around here with a soft spot for Eluveitie, that criticism is spot-on. Abinchova are three albums into their career and are settled into a style of folk-infused melodeath strongly reminiscent of their countrymen. Leaving the merits and flaws of the style itself behind, is Abinchova any good at it?” All folked up.

Headless Crown – Century of Decay Review

By Huck N Roll on April 7, 2018 in 2018, Heavy Metal, Massacre Records, Reviews, Swiss Metal, Heavy Metal, 25 comments

“Switzerland is not exactly a world force when it comes to heavy metal. The small, non-opinionated country has a few folk metal bands, a few death metal bands, and a few traditional metal bands — Krokus and Shakra come to mind in the last category, and we can add Headless Crown, as well.” Swiss steel.

Schwarzer Engel – Kult der Krähe Review

By Grymm on March 3, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Gothic Metal, Massacre Records, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Gothic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 4 comments

“Ever get that queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach when you commit to something that’s absolutely foreign to your comfort zone? You know what I mean… you say “yes” to something before you get a good, hard look at what you’re about to do, and all of a sudden, Internal You is “nope!”-ing at record speed? Folks, that was me upon accepting Kult der Krähe, the sixth album by German one-man symphonic machine Schwarzer Engel, upon looking at the cover without hearing a single note prior.” Kult ov One.

Lonewolf – Raised on Metal Review

By Dr. Wvrm on October 4, 2017 in 2017, French Metal, Heavy Metal, Massacre Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 21 comments

“Lonewolf could desperately use some time off. Raised on Metal culminates a decade-long span that saw seven LP releases, including a peak of increasingly unaffecting albums between 2012-2014. The gap to 2016’s The Heathen Dawn revitalized Lonewolf’s sound, suggesting that even a mild breather can do them some good. Not one for learning from their mistakes (or enjoying life or its many bounties), the Frenchmen offer yet another album for judgment, nary sixteen months later.” Can’t we just admire the French work ethic?

Silius – Hell Awakening Review

By Dr. Wvrm on September 5, 2017 in 2017, Austrian Metal, Groove Metal, Massacre Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 10 comments

“This site has no shortage of writers that enjoy a good face-peel, so thrash albums typically fly off the shelves. Add a cute little “groove/” tag to the front and suddenly you can’t move that shit for a ticket to one of Doc Grier’s famous tea parties. But not all groove is equal, as the entirely serious Silius wants us to remember.” Groove is in the heart.