Mar22

Redshark – Digital Race Review

By Kenstrosity on March 23, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, 42 comments

“Continuing the trend of covering things I don’t normally cover, I traveled at the speed of light metal to Barcelona, where I encountered an angry, ‘roided-out shark wearing nothing but bullet belts and cargo khakis that barely contained his quads. His name is Fred, but his friends and enemies just call him Red, for short. My first encounter with Red looked much like the scenery depicted to your left. Specifically, there were many explosions, gunshots, cacophonies of glass and cigarette-stained plastic shrapnel, and the sweet sound of skulls succumbing to ruthless whirlwinds of ignited ammunition.” Blood in the mortar.

Senzar – Pyre of Throes Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on March 22, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Post-Metal, 15 comments

“While the small nation of Ireland is host to a few larger names (Primordial and Altar of Plagues come to mind), there is still not yet a strongly defined Irish metal sound, other than the stereotypical squeal of bagpipe or drone of a hurdy gurdy. Senzar does not muse on folky ideas, instead using Pyre of Throes to cement their place in the ranks of post-kissed blackened acts like Suffering Hour or Yellow Eyes.” Irish fires.

Abbath – Dread Reaver Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 22, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, 133 comments

“As you can see from the atrocious cover art, Abbath continues to prove this is his band. And he’s starting to show that with the same absurd vigor that garners album covers from Yngwie Malmsteen. And when I saw that Abbath chose to mix Dread Reaver himself, my fear factor increased double-fold. And on first listen, I knew Dread Reaver was in trouble.” Bob and reave.

Reckless Love – Turborider Review

By El Cuervo on March 22, 2022 in Reviews, Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Synthwave, 65 comments

“Sometimes you just know when a record is for you. When it rises to the turgid surface of the promo sump using words such as “hair/sleaze/electro,” brazenly marketing itself with outrun pink and a cyborg character. I had absolutely no choice in picking out Reckless Love’s fifth full-length album entitled Turborider, in all its neon resplendence. Finland is not a country known for its excess, color and happiness and yet has somehow produced the most excessive, colorful and happy metal release you’ll hear all year.” Turbo Brother.

Ghost – IMPERA Review

By Felagund on March 21, 2022 in Reviews, Occult Rock, 245 comments

“Ghost is a divisive band. Forget red states and blue states; don’t bother with Yankees or Red Sox; and I don’t want to hear whose side you take in the Montreal Screwjob debacle. There’s only one true rivalry, and the debate only grows more contentious with each new Papa. Indeed, the rift between Ghost adherents and their vehement detractors is a vast, otherworldly chasm, overflowing with hate-kindled magma and plumes of blackened self-righteousness. All that being said, I really like ’em.” Ghost in the cash machine.

Flames of Fire – Flames of Fire Review

By Holdeneye on March 21, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 53 comments

“If you’re a fan of Narnia or DivineFire, you’ll get a warm, fuzzy feeling when you listen to Flames of Fire. These guys play power metal with chunky guitars and big choruses showcasing the gritty, yet beautiful Dio-esque vocals of Liljegren, and it’s a sound that I fell head-over-heels for on DivineFire’s 2006 album Into a New Dimension—still one of the heaviest power metal albums I’ve ever heard to this day. But where DivineFire displayed obvious overlap with Stefanović’s extreme metal background, Andersson’s compositions for Flames of Fire stay closer to standard heavy/power metal fare.” Are there other kinds of flames?

Di’Aul – Abracamacabra Review

By Cherd on March 20, 2022 in Reviews, 23 comments

“When it comes to the types of metal we cover on this site, it’s rare to find bands openly drawing from grunge, even though it was the dominant rock style of the 90s. Bluesy hard rock and prog from the 70s, 80s guitar heroics; scroll through the reviews on our homepage and you’ll find a band or five still mining those veins. Sure, there’s sludge, grunge’s fugly big brother, but love that genre as I do, it rarely trips the dormant teenage Cherd nostalgia centers of my brain that flare up when something 90s alt rock radio adjacent passes over my earballs. Di’Aul, on the other hand, crashes into the ol’ cortex like an atomic elbow off the top rope.” Alice in pains.

Eric Wagner – In the Lonely Light of Mourning Review

By Steel Druhm on March 18, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 31 comments

“I truly hate posthumously released albums. Whether they ultimately end up good or depressingly bad, there’s always so much inherent sadness hanging over the final product making it impossible to avoid the whole “music from the grave” effect. When the deceased in question is Eric Wagner, long-time vocalist of legendary doom act Trouble, it cuts extra deep. Still, it’s hard to deny that the grim context only enhances the kind of downtrodden music the man is famous for. In the Lonely Light of Mourning, Mr. Wagner’s second solo outing, plays almost like a goodbye to fans of the man’s 40-plus years in the metalverse.” At the end of my daze.

Glemsel – Forfader Review

By Twelve on March 18, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, 15 comments

“Glemsel (“oblivion”) have chosen a truly interesting cover photo for their debut full-length, Forfader (“ancestor”). I mean—I love it. Odds are, I would have picked up this album for review regardless of the musical style just to see how well the music matches the image on my right (your left). I am more than happy to judge a book, or an album, by its cover—that’s what it’s there for. Fortunately, Glemsel, who hail from Copenhagen, Denmark, play black metal, which means we are already compatible with one another. But while a picture may be worth a thousand words, it is not worth forty-seven minutes of music.” Olde and colde.

Extinction A.D. – Culture of Violence Review

By Ferox on March 17, 2022 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 21 comments

“The only issues you’re likely to hear about in a metal song are those involving Satan, Vikings, or, in certain cases, giant cosmic slugs. The genre generally avoids engaging directly with current events–even an oldie like “War Pigs” gussies up its anti-war themes with spooky tropes. Metal is happy to borrow techniques and attitude from hardcore and punk, but for the most part it leaves the explicit protesting to its cousins and fellow outsiders. Long Island thrashers Extinction A.D. whip up a chant of “hell no” to all that, waving the equivalent of ten hand-markered cardboard signs at you for the duration of Culture of Violence.” Thrashing the news.