Devin Townsend

Video Premiere and Interviews with Stevie Boiser and Trevor Portz of Ashen Horde

By Holdeneye on July 1, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Blog Posts, Interviews, 40 comments

“Back in March, I reviewed Ashen Horde’s latest opus of black metal fury, Fallen Cathedrals. I heaped an unhealthy amount of praise its way back then, and I’m still spinning it a ton now. In fact, I would be very surprised if it were to fall outside of my top 5 albums come year’s end. My review may have been riddled with factual errors, but founder, songwriter, instrumentalist, and clean vocalist Trevor Portz showed up in the comments and revealed himself to be a gracious and enormously cool guy. So, when the opportunity to do an interview presented itself, I couldn’t resist.” We’re already off to a better start than last time.

Qantice – The Anastoria Review

By Eldritch Elitist on May 9, 2019 in 2019, French Metal, Power Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Power Metal, 95 comments

“Somewhere in my timeline of metal fandom, the term “symphonic metal” ceased to act as a flame for my moth-like tendencies. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when this occurred, but the source is not. Over time, artists began to implement symphonic elements as less of an enhancer and more of a blatant crutch. Bands utilizing full orchestrations have proven so successful under the Nuclear Blast banner that the ensuing deluge of Nightwish and Dimmu Borgir knock-offs still taints the AMG promo sump to this day. And that’s part of what makes Qantice so dadgum charming: they play highly ambitious symphonic power metal on their own terms.” Symphony for the Devil.

Devin Townsend – Empath Review

By GardensTale on March 26, 2019 in 2019, Canadian Metal, InsideOut, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 249 comments

“I have been a fan of Devin Townsend for well over a decade now. I’ve been with him through half his career, including his entire Devin Townsend Project phase. But his most recent output started to feel a little stale. It was like he had painted himself in a corner and was finding it difficult breaking out of a rut formed from Epicloud’s echoes. Ziltoid 2 was overwrought, more of a comedic radio drama than a music album, and its companion piece Sky Blue had no staying power for me. Transcendence fared only marginally better. So when Devin announced he was laying the Project brand to rest, it made me hopeful. Could Empath, the first album since Ziltoid under his own name, be Devin’s new metamorphosis?” The Devin you know.

Basilysk – Emergence Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 21, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Death Metal, 32 comments

“The word “emerge” comes with sinister connotations. Think about where things emerge from: the fog, underneath things, out of the shadows and darkness. For Philadelphia quartet Basilysk, their debut full-length comes after almost a decade of honing their craft in obscurity with a series of demos.” Does Emergence find this independent Philly act emerging from the crowd?

Sons of Lazareth – Blue Skies Back to Gray Review

By Carcharodon on December 13, 2018 in 2018, Argonauta Records, Italian Metal, Reviews, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, 19 comments

“I don’t do well in the heat. This n00b is a strictly cold-weather creature. Despite this, I do very much enjoy stoner-desert rock. I’ve done so ever since I first encountered Kyuss’ seminal Welcome to Sky Valley. So imagine my excitement when the promo bin – manifesting in the ominous shape of Steel Druhm – threw me Blue Skies Back to Gray, the debut album from Italian stoners Sons of Lazareth.” Left to die.

Opus of a Machine – Stray Fire Review

By Huck N Roll on August 15, 2018 in 2018, Australian Metal, Post-Rock, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Self-released, Shoegaze, Progressive Rock, Shoegaze, 47 comments

“A new record from an unsigned band touring with Caligula’s Horse should be enough for most reviewers to perk up their ears and attempt to claim it from the promo bin. Somehow, though, Opus of a Machine’s new album Stray Fire had its cloaking device firmly in place, and none of us grabbed it until the AMG Overlords forced it upon me.” Forced Opus is the best Opus.

Record(s) o’ the Month – October 2017

By Angry Metal Guy on November 7, 2017 in 2017, Blog Posts, Record o' the Month, 219 comments

“Hoo boy! It’s the 7th of November and I’m dropping the Record(s) o’ the Month from October. What on earth will you people do with yourselves when you don’t have a late Record o’ the Month to complain about? Oh right, you’ll complain about the record I chose. I’d say “You can’t win all the time,” but when it comes to the RotM that’s not true. I do win all the time.” Trolling with timeliness.

Vuur – In This Moment We Are Free – Cities Review

By GardensTale on October 25, 2017 in 2017, Dutch Metal, InsideOut, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 94 comments

“I’m about as far from a nationalist as you can get, but for metal I make an exception. In the Netherlands, for a country 17 million strong, the amount of metal icons is remarkably low, with Ayreon probably the most famous example from our little patch of Earth. But we did produce some big names among female vocalists, and none more so than the insanely productive Anneke van Giersbergen, whose angelic voice featured on a wide array of guest performances, three Ayreon albums, numerous Devin Townsend collaborations, The Gentle Storm and of course quirky doom goth icons The Gathering, where her upward trajectory began. Seeking more focus in her musical escapades, she decided to relegate her more quiet acoustic side to her solo name (formerly Agua De Annique) and concentrate her progressive metal tendencies in new project Vuur.” The unsinkable Anneke.

The Great Discord – The Rabbit Hole Review

By GardensTale on October 5, 2017 in 2017, Hard Rock, Progressive Metal, Reviews, The Sign Records, Progressive Metal, 64 comments

“A few weeks ago, I described the latest Arch Enemy album as the bad kind of pop metal: too slick, too loud, too focused on choruses and too conscious about image. But there’s a different, less negative definition possible of pop metal: not afraid of loading the songs with easily digestible hooks, catchy melodies, EDM influences, simplistic structure and a focus on vocals. It’s daring, because it seems to aim at a gap between fandoms: too slick and not challenging enough for metalheads, but too heavy for the mainstream.” Pop goes the minstrel.

Yer Metal Is Olde – Devin Townsend: Ocean Machine: Biomech

By Akerblogger on July 31, 2017 in American Metal, HevyDevy Records, Progressive Metal, Yer Metal Is Olde, 44 comments

“The 90’s, for Townsend, certainly look hectic on paper: whilst touring the world with Steve Vai and The Wildhearts in the early nineties, jamming with Jason Newsted, dealing with corporate buffoons Roadrunner Records, recording the punk-opera Punky Brüster – Cooked on Phonics, formulating industrial destruction under the guise of Strapping Young Lad, coping with the harmful effects of hallucinogenic use and mental illness, Townsend was creating snippets of music that would feature on Ocean Machine.” Fluid dynamics.