“You don’t know shit until you read this. It’s not opinion; it’s science.”
Borealis
El Cuervo’s and GardensTale’s Top Ten(ish) of 2022
El Cuervo and GardensTale have lists. You’ll need to study them carefully to get maximum value. Get started!
TheKenWord’s and Carcharodon’s Top Ten(ish) of 2022
TheKenWord and Carcharodon bring their special sets of skills to Listurnalia and things get…interesting.
Borealis – Illusions Review
“With the stunning, back-to-back releases of Fall From Grace and Purgatory, it isn’t easy to imagine the band could ever top them. So, when 2018’s The Offering surfaced, I knew the very thing I feared had come true. The passion so instrumental to the band’s success felt zapped from the songwriting. And, where it was weakest, the orchestration was heaviest—as if trying to hide the lack of emotion found in previous releases. As I said in my review of The Offering, it’s still a strong enough album to revisit and enjoy. But something was missing. This year’s Illusions is a sequel to The Offering’s story. But will it be a sequel to that album’s struggling delivery?” Fire in the sky, bombast in the pie.
Borealis – The Offering Review
“I’ll be straight with you: there’s been a lot of shit going on in the World of Grier. Some of it has resulted in a big sigh of relief, while the rest of it is shit. Like, pure shit. Festering, fucking stuff that no toilet can flush. So, Borealis’ newest release, coming as it does during these dark days, is a true blessing.” Lights, cameras, high expectations!
Adagio – Life Review
“Unlike other genres, power metal isn’t one that I can freely delve into – I need a little consideration before I lunge into that fray of fromage. Having spent most of my adult life in front of a classroom full of students with inevitably big ideas, patience is not a virtue I was born with but one I have since earned by iron and blood. The kind of patience that allows me to sit in wait for an album with a little more crunch; a little more progression à la Symphony X, Borealis or Kamelot.” Patience is a virtuoso.
Damnations Day – A World Awakens Review
“A blend of power metal and modern thrash that borrowed sounds from bands as diverse as Borealis, Iced Earth, and Sylosis, Damnations Day’s debut is an intriguing album that I still periodically return to despite some weak links and a couple of forgettable acoustic numbers. I had hoped that in the four years since that album the band would have diligently developed a filler-less follow up.” Hope is like a fickle seamstress.
Black Yet Full of Stars – Black Yet Full of Stars Review
“There’s no doubt about it, in this burgeoning world of myriad metal sub-genres, an unlucky few have been branded as default pejoratives. We’re all guilty of it to some degree: nu metal, metalcore, deathcore… basically anything with a core, all sneered at and vilified down the length of our long, elitist noses. It saddens my iron bones to find that power metal seems to be suffering the same fate. Sure, it’s not for everyone, but there can be no denying the scene’s quality output.” Up with power!
Borealis – Purgatory Review
“Ever since I first rode side-by-side with Tom Englund above the crowd of an old Cajun-themed bar in Scottsdale, Arizona, I’ve been one of the biggest Evergrey fanboys ever. I’ve followed along for years as they powered their way through thick and (sadly) thin. Though I was ecstatic about the return of a couple significant members, I was a little let done by Hymns for the Broken.” Could it be that the good Doctor found a generic Evergrey substitute on the market.
