Bon Jovi

Ravenstine – 2024 Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on January 9, 2024 in Reviews, Hard Rock, 31 comments

“If you were to ask me how I began 2024, my answer would be, “Why, with 2024, of course!” More specifically, 2024, the sophomore outing of the German hard rock outfit Ravenstine. A silly album title to be sure, but it piqued my interest, and I was in just the zone for a cut of Jorn-ish hard rock. Something that stuck out to me in the marketing around Ravenstine was the focus on them being first and foremost a group of friends. Could that mean 2024 is a pile of well-meaning but messy jams by a gaggle of lads taking the piss? Or is it perhaps a collection of great songs by artists all on the same wavelength.” The Album of the Year.

Autumn’s Child – Zenith Review

By Crispy Hooligan on January 18, 2022 in Reviews, Hair Metal, Hard Rock, 22 comments

“Night Flight Orchestra’s sizable following in the metal community has evidently attracted the attention of Swedish AOR (always on radio) scene fixture Mikael Erlandsson. Erlandsson has been prolific in the Swedish AOR scene over the past two decades, releasing fourteen studio albums with Last Autumn’s Dream and now three albums with successor Autumn’s Child. For Erlandsson’s most recent project to reach its Zenith, he must walk the knife’s edge of writing songs that fit within a commercialized framework without simultaneously sounding tired and rote. To pull off this magic trick again and again in front of AOR audiences that have seen it all would be impressive indeed.” Hard rock in a hard place.

Teramaze – And the Beauty They Perceive Review

By Huck N Roll on October 8, 2021 in 2021, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 53 comments

“One country whose output always perks my ears up is Australia. It seems like the Aussies just know how to craft strong albums, whether it’s the catchy hard rock of Butterfly or the avant-garde insanity of Portal, music from Down Under never fails to entertain. Nowhere is this more evident than in the country’s progressive metal scene, which features such bands as Karnivool, Voyager, Dead Letter Circus, and current kings of the mountain Caligula’s Horse. All of these bands craft terrific songs featuring strong musicians, but more importantly stellar vocalists. Let’s go ahead and add Teramaze to this list now.” Hit the Tera button.

Lionheart – The Reality of Miracles Review

By El Cuervo on July 28, 2020 in Reviews, Hard Rock, 15 comments

“Let’s roll the clock back six years. It was September 2014, and the name El Cuervo was but a Spanish noun and nascent writer in the Angry Metal Guy world. The Editors™ mandated Skyscraper’s Elevation on said writer, a charming and catchy, if somewhat toothless, AOR record. Their impressive crooner, named Lee Small, struck said writer to a sufficient extent as to bother Googling his other projects. It was later discovered that he was fronting a long-defunct-but-then-revived hair rock band called Lionheart, whose 1984 release called Hot Tonight is well worth the time of any fans of men in leotards.” Tight bloomers, rock boomers.

The Wizards of Winter – The Christmas Dream Review

By Cherd on November 5, 2019 in 2019, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, International Metal, Melodic Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Self-released, Symphonic Metal, Hard Rock, Melodic Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Rock, Symphonic Metal, 28 comments

“If you’re familiar with Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, The Christmas Dream by holidazzle super group The Wizards of Winter is the metal equivalent. I myself am no stranger to these cinematic fruitcakes, as Mrs. Cherd and my jolly old father-in-law take perverse pleasure in subjecting me to them every Yuletide. It’s become such a tradition that we’ve devised a game of Christmas movie trope bingo, and it’s easily adapted to this brand of metal holiday album.” Nice snow globes!

Eradikator – Obscura Review

By Huck N Roll on August 2, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Divebomb Records, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 25 comments

“I grabbed this album for one reason, and one reason only: the band name. Here in Canada, at least, one can’t help see the word Eradikator and think of this timeless skit from national treasures Kids in the Hall. I’d never heard of these swaggering Brits prior to seeing their name pop up in my promo feed, so I didn’t know that Obscura is their third album this decade and that they fancy themselves a pure heavy metal band whose music will ‘make even the most hardened ears hemorrhage liquid steel.'” Feel the steel.

Sandness – Untamed Review

By El Cuervo on June 14, 2019 in 2019, Cock Rock, Hair Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Rockshots Records, Cock Rock, Hair Metal, Hard Rock, 28 comments

“Sandness. The essence of sand. It’s coarse and it’s rough and it’s irritating and it gets everywhere. Such characteristics are not really desirable for a young Italian rock band releasing their third album and aiming to bring 80s hair metal to the modern day. Untamed follows a 3-year break, a time in which the band aimed to create something “more straightforward, shorter and more lighthearted,” descriptors which are quite different to those listed above. But the real queries are around quality. Do they achieve their goals? Should you invest your time here? Do I like Sand(ness)?” The Sandness of love.

Stormhammer – Seven Seals Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on June 2, 2019 in 2019, German Metal, Massacre Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 34 comments

“There’re seven things in this world I cherish, seven people I don’t hate, and seven albums I’ll love to the grave. OK, the seven ‘things’ are only one, the seven ‘people’ are only two, and the seven albums I plan to die with are none of your fucking business. ‘Seven’ is a lucky number for dumbasses in Hollywood movies. But, for me, seven is a convenient middle-ground to questions from my boss, family, and ‘friends.’ ‘How much longer is this gonna take?!’ Seven minutes. ‘Christmas is starting! How far away are you?’ Seven days. ‘How old is Abigail?’ Seven. Wait! Nine?! Fuck. You get what I mean. Regardless of how idiotic a lucky number can be, ‘seven’ might be, indeed, a lucky number for Germany’s Stormhammer.” Lucky number Stormhammer.

Emerald – Restless Souls Review

By Dr. Wvrm on May 26, 2019 in 2019, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Rock of Angels Records, Swiss Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 74 comments

“Emerald is a time capsule. The two years since our last meeting grayed the shit out of me, but their Swiss cheese popped out just as chipper and evergreen as I remember. I suppose I should appreciate knowing what to expect. 24 years on and 8 albums in, Emerald found their niche and niched the hell out of it. They’re the anti-power power band, the least dense of the heavy metals, sitting too squarely in the center of the palate to love or loathe. Vim without vigor, vinegar without piss, a good script but a poor adaptation. You know the drill—or do you?” Broken gems.

Iron Fire – Beyond the Void Review

By GardensTale on March 7, 2019 in 2019, Crime Records, Danish Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Thrash Metal, 129 comments

“Iron Fire have been hitting the pavement for a long time with dogged persistence. Despite a three-year hiatus, they’ve knocked out their ninth album this year since their 2000 debut, which is a staggering pace of release to keep up for so long. Yet their most recent work, Among the Dead, was not up to snuff with their preceding release, according to our own Jean-Luc Ricard. With Ricard in absentia, it falls to me to judge whether Beyond the Void fares better than its immediate predecessor.” Dull and void.