When one thinks about black metal, the image that probably comes to mind is that of the pine barrens and frozen desolation of Norway, the extreme cold only briefly warmed by burning churches dotting the landscape. Scotland, on the other hand, is not usually the landscape that one imagines, but rather than the icy fjords of Scandinavia, Cnoc An Tursa hail from Falkirk.” Scottish metal just sounds tough, doesn’t it? Well, Cnoc An Tursa is obsessed with scottish poetry about battles and death, which is clerarly tough. Natalie Zed will tell you if they’re good as well as tough.
4.5
Cult of Luna – Vertikal Review
I started listening to Cult of Luna with The Beyond. The year was 2003, the city was quiet and the light had been swallowed by the sound of an unspecified frequency – an electric wall of sound that made everything glow. And it burned so bright that I remained silent for the following, painful 67 minutes. I stopped listening to Cult Of Luna a year later. It was 2004, the album was Salvation and I couldn’t help but think that everything that had to be told had already been told. I resumed listening to Cult of Luna in 2013. Resistance became futile. And, yes, giving in was the right thing to do.
Voivod – Target Earth Review
The prospect of a new Voivod record is something I approached with a fair amount of dread, mostly due to the minor detail that guitarist/bandleader Denis “Piggy” D’Amour passed away back in 2005. A lot of ’80s/’90s bands have buried their dead and moved on, occasionally with decent results (see: Alice In Chains). But Piggy seemed irreplaceable. He was the band’s main songwriter by most accounts, and more importantly, he possessed one of the weirdest, most eccentric guitar styles in all of metal. It seemed that no one could possibly take his place.
Audrey Horne – Youngblood Review
Members of Enslaved and Sahg don’t always do hard rock side projects, but when they do, it fucking kills! Norwegian rock hasn’t sounded this good since….well, ever. Audrey Horne is the real deal and Steel Druhm is here to give you the spiel.
Mors Principium Est – … And Death Said Live Review
It’s the Record O the Month for December and now the beloved Madam X is here to give you the down n’ dirty on it. She seems pretty excited about it.
Ofermod – Thaumiel Review
AMG hath verily proclaimed Ofermod’s Thaumiel to be October’s Album of The Month. Madam X proclaims it full of depravity and evil. With so many proclamations flying around, you’d think this was the damn Magna Carta of Metal. It’s mighty good, that’s for sure.
Seven Kingdoms – The Fire is Mine Review
Through hellstorms, hail and snow, Steel Druhm keeps delivering the power metal like a creepy, metal-obsessed mailman in full battle armor. Today’s package includes the classic power stylings from Seven Kingdoms. If you like the super catchy Hammerfall and Gamma Ray sound, this will blow your mind as it did Mr. Steel’s. It seems there’s no end to the power metal destruction he plans to unleash on these here pages in the coming weeks, so batten down the hatches and prepare accordingly.
Dethklok – Dethalbum III Review
Happy Metal Guy likes anime and cartoons and other weird stuff. Naturally, he was the logical choice to review a silly, make-believe album by non-existent death metallers, Dethklok. He also likes rainbows, puppies and ponies, but we won’t get into that now.
Hellwell – Beyond the Boundaries of Sin
Manilla Road is an institution in the metal world and deserve many accolades. However, their last album bummed Steel Druhm out bigtime. Now, Hellwell, the Manilla-fueled side project of Mark Shelton is here to right the wrongs and kill with songs. Steel Druhm is happy again and back in the Cthulhu cult where he belongs. Join him…
Threshold – March of Progress Review
Threshold is the 800 lb. gorilla of prog-power and after a five year hiatus, they’re back to kick Steel Druhm’s ass, smash cars and eat tons of ape cake.