Nuclear Blast

Amorphis – Queen of Time Review

By Angry Metal Guy on May 17, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, 216 comments

“Angry Metal Guy‘s Law of Diminishing Recordings™ will rear its head eventually. Nearly every revered band in the metal scene has seen a glorious upsurge followed by a progressive diminishing over time. It’s been literally thirty years since my favorite album of all time was released, which is the same year that Metallica released …and Justice for All. Neither band fully recovered. In fact, all of my favorite bands from when I was 25 have grown increasingly uninspiring. Except Amorphis.” Fight the law!

Riot V – Armor of Light Review

By Steel Druhm on May 7, 2018 in 2018, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 71 comments

“Riot (V) is one of America’s oldest, most enduring metal bands and the pride of New York City. From their launch way back in the late 1970s through countless lineup changes and setbacks, they’ve pushed forward with typical New Yorker stubbornness. In a way they’re the American Saxon, forever rocking onward though greater recognition and fame perpetually eludes them.” Is it time to Riot? Yes, yes it is.

Tomorrow’s Eve – Mirror of Creation III – Project Ikaros Review

By GardensTale on May 5, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Nuclear Blast, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 63 comments

“I must admit, I get a bit nervous reviewing a part 3 of anything without experiencing part 1 and 2 beforehand. It’s like watching the final chapter of a movie trilogy without knowledge of what happened before. But since storyline is nearly always a secondary feature in music, I’ll make an exception for Tomorrow’s Eve. The progressive German quintet has been around for a while, 20 years in fact, but the last decade has been spent not releasing anything.” George R.R. Martin metal?

Dimmu Borgir – Eonian Review

By Eldritch Elitist on May 4, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, 103 comments

“As I was making notes for this review, I caught myself using phrases like “modern” or “mainstream” black metal. These descriptors were appropriate at the time Dimmu Borgir dropped the much-maligned Abraharabra way back in 2010, but following nearly a decade’s dearth of new material, I’m not certain they still apply.” Borgir’s up!

Therion – Beloved Antichrist Review

By Steel Druhm on January 30, 2018 in 2018, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 183 comments

“After a 5 year hiatus, the madman Christopher Johnsson and his crew of musical misfits have returned in a big way with Beloved Antichrist, a TRIPLE album metal opera with 46 tracks running over 3 hours in length. Yes, this is essentially Swallow the Soprano, and it’s every bit as artsy fartsy as you feared, with numerous vocalists, endless interludes and more movements than a terminal dysentery ward. It’s yacht metal for the Lincoln Center set and the only album in recent memory to qualify as a lifestyle choice.” Opera-core forevermore.

Machine Head – Catharsis Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on January 25, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Groove Metal, Nu-metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Groove Metal, Nu Metal, 249 comments

“Machine Head was with me during some dark times and I was there for them. So, to say I’m a fan—or to say that they changed my life—is an understatement. But, now, 2018’s Catharsis is upon us. And, honestly, I’m so fucking confused, depressed, and speechless that all I can do is sit here quietly, wondering how much longer I can go on supporting my beloved Machine Head.” Gaskets blown here.

Bleeding Gods – Dodekathlon Review

By Ferrous Beuller on January 20, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Dutch Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, 34 comments

“A new year, a new opportunity for the masses to spout some ephemeral nonsense about “living for the moment” mere seconds before they relapse into heart disease and bad decisions. While we’re all guilty of this to some degree or another, 2018 does represent a year of change for me. As I advance upon a new academic challenge, amongst other things, it also means I have to fucking move house again. However, the disturbance has motivated me to examine some albums I might not have previously, so when I stumbled upon Bleeding Gods and their second release, Dodekathlon — a symphonic death concept record detailing the twelve labors of Hercules — how could I possibly resist?” Pick things up and put them down.

Corrosion of Conformity – No Cross No Crown Review

By Dr. Fisting on January 9, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Doom Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Doom Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 60 comments

“Corrosion of Conformity has a convoluted history, to say the least. Beginning as a hardcore trio in the early ’80s, the band eventually became a five-piece metal band, before promoting guitarist Pepper Keenan to lead vocalist for the landmark Deliverance album in 1994. In recent years, the original three-piece had reconvened without Keenan, starting off strong but eventually running out of steam with 2014’s lackluster IX. By popular demand, No Cross No Crown features Keenan’s return to the fold and is the first album in 18 years to include both him and original drummer Reed Mullin. Can these guys recapture whatever it is that made Deliverance and its follow-up Wiseblood so compelling?” Corrosion will continue until conformity declines.

Pristine – Ninja [Things You Might Have Missed 2017]

By Huck N Roll on December 18, 2017 in 2017, Hard Rock, Norwegian Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Things You MIght Have Missed 2017, Hard Rock, 45 comments

“It might not have been the best year for male vocalists, but the women in metal more than made up for it. Stellar performances from bands as varied as Royal Thunder, Sabbath Assembly, Chelsea Wolfe, Myrkur, and Diablo Swing Orchestra showed us that the women can bring it. But the best performance of the year came from a band whose album flew under our radar back in June, Pristine, and their fourth album, Ninja.” Women to the front!

Enslaved – E Review

By Angry Metal Guy on October 13, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Nuclear Blast, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Black Metal, Progressive Rock, 149 comments

Enslaved is Norway’s biggest and most successful (currently active) metal band. They have garnered a following of intensely loyal fans who adore their every release with the fervor of the newly converted. In fact, I once counted myself a huge fan. There was a string of records that Enslaved released between 2000’s Mardraum: Beyond the Within and 2008’s Vertebrae which are practically unassailable. Not every one of those albums was perfect—Isa and Ruun were both only great records when sat side-by-side the excellent Below the Lights and Vertebrae, but they were consistently addictive listens from a band that could do no wrong. And I, along with everyone else, lathered Axioma Ethica Odini with praise, only to declare it one of my biggest disappointments of the year in 2010. I meh’d the hulking RIITIIR, and ¯\_(ツ)_/¯’d its follow-up In Times, declaring it a testament to the excesses of the modern recording industry. In sum: Enslaved went from being one of my favorite bands in 2008 to being a band whose newest release almost didn’t get reviewed by me. But with all the ranting and raving about how E is the best album they’ve put out in a while, I couldn’t keep myself away.