Aug17

Hinder – The Reign Review

Hinder – The Reign Review

By Mark Z. on August 6, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Hard Rock, Non-Metal Metal Things, Reviews, The End Records, Hard Rock, 75 comments

“Hinder. Depending on your familiarity with modern rock radio, you’re either asking who the hell they are or why in Jørn’s name we’re reviewing them. For the former, the term “Nickelback-lite” is all you need to know. For the latter, it all started when Madam X presented The Reign as “good hard rock,” inciting a discussion about who was familiar with these Oklahoma natives. With a sideways glance and a quivering lower lip, I stepped forward and sheepishly announced to the group: ‘I… I have known this band.'” Confessions, interventions and hard rock.

Kavrila – Blight Review

Kavrila – Blight Review

By Akerblogger on August 5, 2017 in 2017, Backbite Records, German Metal, Hardcore, Reviews, 5 comments

“You receive a promo for a band. You quite like how said-band sound, but after a while said-band leave you a bit underwhelmed. So, you leave them for a few days. You listen to other bands, refresh yourself with classics of days-gone-by and other new releases, then go back to said-band. Hmm. Still quite good, but there’s something missing. A big empty space. A lack of imagination? And this leads to an inability to write an engaging opening paragraph to your review. Kavrila are from Hamburg, Germany and play doom-punk on their debut Blight and are influenced heavily by post-hardcore. That was easy.” Was it though?

Doom Side of the Moon – Doom Side of the Moon Review

Doom Side of the Moon – Doom Side of the Moon Review

By Treble Yell on August 4, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Doom Metal, 74 comments

“In the royal chamber of overrated albums, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon sits atop a burnished throne that has cradled its posterior for many decades. I’ve tried countless times to love DSotM, bouncing between the CD, the SACD remaster, and an 180g vinyl pressing in desperation to discover what it is about this album that has resonated with so many people. Alas, illumination eluded me, and while I found portions of the record appealing, I struggled to generate more than a shrug when consuming the album as a whole. Not everyone shares my ambivalence, least of all Kyle Shutt, who has decided to honor the 50 year anniversary of DSoTM with the self-titled Doom Side of the Moon.'” Commence to fightin’.

Dead Cross – Dead Cross Review

Dead Cross – Dead Cross Review

By Akerblogger on August 4, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Hardcore, Ipecac Records, Reviews, Hardcore, 44 comments

“Dead Cross is a supergroup, of sorts, playing a style of music close to each member’s angry heart. All the Patton-isms are featured here: the nonsense lyrics, the gibberish sounds, the medley of singing styles. Lombardo, too, sounds like he’s back in the 80s, playing with joyous urgency. Supergroups are destined to fail though, right? Just like Fantomas sucked, right? Are we about to take a trip into the rotten realms of half-arsed nostalgia, or have Dead Cross constructed something freshly re-invigorating?” Right cross from dead field.

Seven Spires – Solveig Review

Seven Spires – Solveig Review

By Eldritch Elitist on August 4, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Symphonic Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 26 comments

“Enter Seven Spires, a Boston-based act I blindly picked as a personal punching bag after going soft from weeks of reviewing great material. Featuring Adrienne Cowan of Light and Shade (a band we largely panned last year), their debut Solveig, armed with the most excruciatingly mediocre cover art of the year, is doomed to fail… right?” Books, covers, judgments, etc.

Temple of Void – Lords of Death Review

Temple of Void – Lords of Death Review

By Ferrous Beuller on August 3, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 61 comments

“Death/doom is a deceptively mercurial beast, possessed of a tangential tendency to meander in directions that range from the darkly romantic to the downright bludgeoning. Detroit’s Temple of Void are plainly with the latter and dole out the kind of stomach churning Asphyxiation that had me at hello.” Skull and void.

Accept – The Rise of Chaos Review

Accept – The Rise of Chaos Review

By Steel Druhm on August 3, 2017 in 2017, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 62 comments

“Accept has been around so long, churning out the same kind of old school Germanic metal that they’ve essentially become a younger, heavier version of AC/DC. This isn’t a bad thing really, as AC/DC is known for consistency and sticking to their (big) guns. Accept has charted a similar course, delivering album after album of rocking 80s style metal with just enough melody and quasi-pop-acumen.” Give in to the rising.

Gravesite – Neverending Trail of Skulls Review

Gravesite – Neverending Trail of Skulls Review

By Mark Z. on August 2, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Xtreem Music, Death Metal, 40 comments

“On 2015 debut Horrifying Nightmares…, the quartet excelled at slinging riff after riff at the listener, offering an experience that was enjoyable but didn’t always stick. Nevertheless the record impressed me enough with its lurching guitars and vintage horror creepiness that it narrowly escaped a Things You Might Have Missed writeup and a spot on my Year-End list. With sophomore full-length Neverending Trail of Skulls, I’m finally here to make the trek and reveal the sick world these former Undead Creep members have created.” Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.