“When a band makes it to their 14th album, you know they’re either doing something right or they have some really incriminating photos of a record company executive in their back pocket. In the case of German’s Primal Fear, I can’t completely rule out the extortion angle, but I suspect we’ve gotten to this point because these gents know how to play classic Judas Priest-influenced heavy metal with enough hooks and charm to keep folks coming back for more.” Who ordered the Code Red??
Brainstorm
Medevil – Mirror in the Darkness Review
“Sometimes you stumble upon a band entirely unknown to you (and I suspect, to everyone else) and you hear a lot of good things, yet the overall listening experience falls well short of good. Canadian prog-power-trad metallers, Medevil subjected your Steelness to such an unsatisfying experience with their sophomore outing, Mirror in the Darkness.” Lost reflections.
Circle of Silence – Walk Through Hell Review
“Fate and happenstance have conspired against Germany’s Circle of Silence lo these many years. I was scheduled to review both their 2013 outing The Rise of Resistance and 2018s effort The Crimson Throne. In both cases, I was forced to drop them to cover bigger albums and Circle of Silence was silenced. When I saw the promo for fourth album, Walk Through Hell bobbing in the noxious filth of the promo sump, I made a blood oath that no force on Earth or beyond would prevent me from reviewing it. I owed it to them.” Hell, oaths, wictory and wengeance.
Steel Druhm’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021
Steel Druhm dragged a mammoth set of winners up to the peaks of Mount Trve and carved the chosen names into stone. You will now receive them as the Top Ten(ish) of Steel. Rejoice!
Holdeneye’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021
Holdeneye picks things up and throws them down, including his Top Ten(ish) of 2021. Ponderous!
Record(s) o’ the Month – September 2021
I literally turned in my dissertation for print and worked 80 hours a week for the last month. Sure, I could delegate. But after everything, I really do think it’s better to just let them be late. I mean, isn’t this kind of my thing now?
Manimal – Armageddon Review
Two reviewers, one Manimal spells Armageddon. This. Is. The punkiller!
Brainstorm – Wall of Skulls Review
“Ever since I stumbled upon Brainstorm by way of Symphorce by way of Ivanhoe, I’ve found these German heavy metal masters to be one of the most reliably ass-kicking acts running. And what a run they’ve been on of late. Every album since 2014s Firesoul has been extra-inspired and brimming with fist-pumping, blood-angering metal classics. 2018s Midnight Ghost was the best in a long line of very good to great outings and it gave me everything I crave from a traditional metal album. Led by powerhouse vocalist Andy B. Franck, Brainstorm have long shown a knack for crafting tunes loaded with hook after hook, infused with beefy, muscular riffage in the Nevermore / Iced Earth vein, and few bands can match their ability to craft a monster chorus. On thirteenth opus Wall of Skulls, absolutely nothing has changed.” Trophy metal.
Communic – Hiding from the World Review
“Communic has become a bit of an enigma for me over the past 9 years. Though exceptionally talented and creative, this prog-power trio seem to find ways to undercut themselves and guarantee that they remain an underappreciated act. Early albums like Conspiracy in Mind and Waves of Visual Decay were amazing doses of progressive metal in the vein of Nevermore and it looked like they were going to be the next big thing. Since then they’ve been much more irregular, though they’ve yet to release a truly bad album.” Hiding potential.
Almanac – A Discographic Review [Tsar (2016), Kingslayer (2017) and Rush of Death (2020)]
“For the last four years, I have been neglecting—and you have been denied my Very Important Opinion™ about—one of the most idiosyncratic voices in metal: Victor Smolski. And so, in a Swallow the Sun-sized act of hubris, I’m writing a discographic review of Victor Smolski’s Almanac.” You can’t spell “Almanac” without MAN!