WARNING: Steel Druhm struggled muchly with this review and he’s a bit cranky. Approach with caution…and beer.
Heavy Metal
Herman Frank – Right in the Guts Review
Accept is on a roll lately, and here’s guitarist Herman Frank’s second solo outing. Not only is it Acceptable, it’s also pretty ballsy (to the wallsy).
Burning Point – The Ignitor Review
Easy breezy power metal with enough testosterone to lift serious Finnish I-ruhn.
Manowar – The Lord of Steel Review
They came, they saw, they underwhelmed. Why hath the Gods of Metal forsaken us???
Natur – Head of Death Review
Formed in 2008 and based in New York, Natur refer to themselves as as “old metal,” that brand of heavy metal that hearkens back to a time before there were really genre definitions, when the music was about just fun, high energy, riff-driven heavy songs. Natur reach back to that, attempting to channel the historical moment and really embody it rather than merely throw on a retro patina.
Dawnbringer – Into the Lair of the Sun God Review
Chris Black has this little act called Dawnbringer….they kinda rule.
Fear Factory – The Industrialist Review
Fear Factory was pretty revolutionary back in their beginnings. That was then, this is less than wow.
Jorn – Bring Heavy Rock to the Land Review
Yeah, I’m a Jorn fanboy! Wanna make something out of it? Do ya???
Empires of Eden – Channeling the Infinite Review
Another super group?? I usually don’t think much of these star-studded affairs where everybody and their cousin’s uncle cram into a studio to twiddle, poke and harass one instrument or another. Often, the end result sounds as disjointed as the fractious collaboration that birthed it.
Grand Magus – The Hunt Review
Grand Magus is one of those bands you expect a lot from. They’ve released a series of top-notch traditional metal albums with elements of doom, and their past few albums were some serious masterstrokes, loaded with catchy, classy tunes. Their style is like a mix of Dio era Black Sabbath and Candlemass with hard rock bands like Fireball Ministry, and they have the knack for writing killer riffs that rattle around in the cranium for days.
