A Call to Arms: Helping Metal Maniacs Founder Katherine Ludwig in Her Time of Need

A Call to Arms: Helping Metal Maniacs Founder Katherine Ludwig in Her Time of Need

“Believe it or not, there was once a time without interwebs, when you had to rely on print media, word of mouth or dumb luck to find new and exciting music. In those barbaric days before instant downloads and 500 review sites, the brightest of the guiding lights for metal fiends was Metal Maniacs magazine. Founded in 1989 by Katherine Ludwig and Mike Greenblatt, it was the “Go-To” source for keen, insightful analysis of the metal scene, top-notch writing and a laser-like focus on the extreme genres of metal often ignored by the mainstream press. It has come to my attention that Katherine was recently diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In response, her friends have set up a page where you can donate to help out with her medical costs and allow her to get the treatment she needs for a full recovery.” The call is going out to help one of our own. Please read to find out how.

The Haunted – Exit Wounds Review

The Haunted – Exit Wounds Review

“I’m a crabby old thrash metal fanatic. No bones about it. I’ve never really been into the new wave of thrash metal like As I Lay Dying and Suicide Silence, or the retro thrash metal bands like Municipal Waste and Bonded By Blood, who prance about in their tight jeans and high top sneakers, probably because I was there in the trenches during the first wave (though I never got into the skinny jeans). When Sweden’s The Haunted first rose from the ashes of At The Gates with their self-tiled debut in ’98, I wasn’t all that big of a fan. Compared to the originators of the genre and the legacy of At The Gates, The Haunted, frankly, was a letdown.” We’ve said some mighty unflattering things about The Haunted over the years, but we might have to stop the abuse…for now.

Hammerfall – (r)Evolution Review

Hammerfall – (r)Evolution Review

“Life may be good, but it also subjects us to those unavoidable bitches like death, taxes, hangovers and back hair. One of the very worst of said bitches is the dreaded Law of Diminishing Returns. Few bands better exemplify the havoc this truism can create than Hammerfall. When they fired the opening salvo of the retro metal crusade back in 1997 with their Glory to the Brave debut, their fusion of Euro-power and traditional metal felt familiar, but somehow new and exciting and the song craft was above reproach. Follow up Legacy of Kings was less impactful but still fun, exuberant and catchy as crabs. Then, tragedy struck. Each successive album was weaker, less interesting and less credible, with only a few scattered winners to remind the listener how great things started out. This culminated with the very non-infectious slog of 2011s Infected and it looked as if Hammerfall was in free fall. Don thy plastic helmets and grab thy Nerf swords, for once more into the breach we must fall!

Mr. Fisting Comments: Evolve or Die

Mr. Fisting Comments: Evolve or Die

“As someone who entered the world of metal during the mid-1990s, I quickly got used to bands evolving and changing established formulas. We never knew if someone’s next album was going to go techno, or go punk rock, or invent new subgenres entirely. Granted, a lot of these “experiments” had commercial motives behind them, and oftentimes the results straight-up sucked. But still, there’s something to be said for being surprised.” Mr. Fisting is tired of metal bands playing it safe and he’s pissed at metal fans too. Give us hell, Fisting!

Blood of Kingu – Dark Star on the Right Horn of the Crescent Moon Review

Blood of Kingu – Dark Star on the Right Horn of the Crescent Moon Review

“Babylonian mythology has provided inspiration for a good few metal band names – Marduk, Tiamat, Absu, erm, Ereshkigal (cheers Wiki) and of course the subject of today’s scrutiny. Blood of Kingu kicked off in 2005 after the dissolution of Hate Forest, and contains the former members of that black metal entity along with two of their colleagues from Ukrainian nature-worshippers Drudkh. Debut album De Occulta Philosophia sounded just as you would expect given this pedigree, with the added novelty of throat singing. Sophomore Sun in the House of the Scorpion brought back metal growls to complement the glottal chants while improving on the songwriting and adding variety. Would they continue this upward trajectory on latest album Dark Star on the Right Horn of the Crescent Moon?” Bablyon isn’t just a town on Long Island, you know!

Columbian Necktie – Twilight Upon Us Review

Columbian Necktie – Twilight Upon Us Review

“Colombian Necktie: A slit across the neck under the jawline that makes the tongue fall out of said slit. That’s pretty metal, right? Totally. And before you get any ideas, Los Angeles’s Colombian Necktie have already secured that band name. You may be quick to say “Obvious death metal band is obvious,” but you’ll be happy to know that Colombian Necktie are a self-described sludgecore band, which sees them combining sludge riffs and progressions with hardcore songwriting styles.” Terrible name, but an interesting hybrid style. You can’t win all the time.

Provocator –  Antikristus Review

Provocator – Antikristus Review

“These days it seems difficult to find the black metal of old; the kind that Hellscream, the sole member of Slovenia’s Provocator claims to play. Even the originators of the dark, raw, and minimalistic style have chosen to delve into experimental, avant-garde, symphonic and punk-driven crust that take the primitive and simplistic foundation of the 90s to bigger and (sometimes) cleaner heights. That being said, these new hybrids have created some incredible material and the old walls of Scandinavian black metal have burned down along with several churches.” Yet another newbie reviewer tackles yet another black metal band. Give Dr. A.N. Grier a warm welcome as he tells of church burnings and old school yearnings.

Joy – Under the Spell of Joy Review

Joy – Under the Spell of Joy Review

Joy takes “retro” seriously. I’m sure most of our readers are familiar with the morass of “retro” groups that exclusively write music with a deaf ear to everything recorded after a particular golden time in the history of heavy metal, but this San Diego power trio set back the clock to a time pre-dating the genre entirely, recalling when Black Sabbath was a blues band and “heavy metal” existed only as a Steppenwolf lyric.” Set the machine for 1 B.S.D. (before Steel Druhm).

Godsmack – 1000hp Review

Godsmack – 1000hp Review

“Scientists agree that post-9/11 alternative rock is unquestionably the lowest point in both American culture and human history. Out of that entire era, one band stands tall above the shit heap of tribal tats, soul patches, and whining. That band is Godsmack. Yes, there are bands that are even less talented, and some that are more insulting to music lovers. But Godsmack has just the right combination of blatant unoriginality and shallow suburban angst, unrivaled in their ability to annoy me while enthralling the rest of middle-class ‘Murricah.” Hey, Mr. Fisting Himself is back and he seems really bitter.