Metal Blade Records

The Ocean – Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on October 29, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Metal Blade, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Progressive Metal, Sludge Metal, 73 comments

“When I listen to The Ocean, I can’t help but think of Angry Metal Guy. Though I was a fan before (especially of fluxIon and the Precambrian double album), Noctus and Angry Metal Guy convinced me to take Pelagial seriously. That album soared through 2013, taking home the coveted AMG RotM award and AMG‘s end o’ the year spot. All year long, it never let up its hold on me. And it still hasn’t. It’s been five years and, now, I stand here holding Pelagial’s follow-up, Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic.” Teutonic plates are shifting.

Revocation – The Outer Ones Review

By Kronos on September 24, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Progressive Death, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 214 comments

“In just over a month I’ll be celebrating (with metalcore, most likely) my fifth year writing for Angry Metal Guy’s family feedbag, and what better way to do that than with the latest LP from Boston’s own prog-death-thrash torchbearers, Revocation. My review of their self-titled album way back in 2013 was the first of my many ill-bred proclamations from these servers to you, and the band have done me a solid by producing material at a pace brisk enough to suit biennial navel-gazing.” Revoked.

Satan – Cruel Magic Review

By Huck N Roll on September 7, 2018 in 2018, British Metal, Heavy Metal, Metal Blade, NWOBHM, Reviews, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, 44 comments

“The honorable Dr. Fisting has been on an extended leave and the review of the new Satan record falls to me. Which is bad news for Satan: their previous two albums, each garnered a 4.5, a score the Huckster has never deigned to hand out. Already the deck is stacked against these venerable Brits.” Give Satan his due or die.

Monstrosity – The Passage of Existence Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on September 7, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Death Metal, 83 comments

“For what many people come to know nowadays as “Corpsegrinder’s old band,” Monstrosity has built a sterling reputation for themselves without the Cannibal Corpse front-beast. My first introduction to them was on Death…is Just the Beginning Vol. 2, but that was just one song. My true introduction was on 2007’s Spiritual Apocalypse, one of my favorite death metal records of that decade. Having not grown up in the prime era of Floridian death metal, the sound and the iconic Morrisound production style were awesome relics of a bygone time. With Spiritual Apocalypse, Monstrosity brought that time to the present; the Morrisound production was perfect, the songs were impeccable, and then… silence. That is, until now.” Now, Monstrous.

Siege of Power – Warning Blast Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on September 4, 2018 in 2018, Crust Punk, Death Metal, Hardcore, International Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Crust Punk, Death Metal, Hardcore, 40 comments

“Warning Blast was set to be one unstoppable slab of doomy death metal. That is, until it wasn’t. Siege of Power are far more interested in playing some punk infused death-doom, or what it would sound like if death-doom musicians tried to start an old hardcore-adjacent band. Conveniently, this is almost exactly what Warning Blast represents.” Feel the crust.

Redemption – Long Night’s Journey into Day Review

By Steel Druhm on July 27, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Metal Blade, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 108 comments

“Once upon a time I went all in for the larger than life prog bombast of Fates Warning and later, Dream Theater. I admired the cerebral nature of both their works and the mind-blowing level of technical proficiency with which they delivered it. Over the years, Dream Theater lost their way and the ability to deliver memorable material, but Fates Warning modified and ultimately streamlined their sound to remain a reliable, engaging act 30-plus years into their career arc. Redemption, a sort of prog super group helmed by Fates Warning’s Ray Alder and some Fates expats, has managed a successful run of albums by following Fates’ blueprint and delivering songs first, with wankery added in a relatively unobtrusive way.” A long noodle’s journey.

Kissin’ Dynamite – Ecstasy Review

By Lokasenna on July 18, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Glam Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Glam Metal, Hair Metal, 144 comments

“Hair metal! Is there a more maligned subgenre? Given the way it warped the general public’s image of metal, and for how long, it’s hard to imagine one. But for sheer, raw fun, it can be very, very hard to beat, especially on the rare occasion one finds it executed well. But what does ‘well’ mean in this context? Is it even really possible for that word to apply to hair metal?” Hair today, gone tomorrow.

Lizzy Borden – My Midnight Things Review

By Steel Druhm on June 11, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 32 comments

“Lizzy Borden is the original odd duck. He essentially reinvented Alice Cooper’s brand of theatrical metal for the 80s with his over the top stage persona and Broadway-ready writing style. An early beneficiary of Metal Blade’s Metal Massacre compilation series, he used early albums like Love You to Pieces and Menace to Society to position himself as the hair metal King Diamond – more pomp than pentagrams, less Satan than satin, and though he could be hard to take seriously at times, the man had talent as a singer and writer.” The axe is back.

Into the Obscure: Disillusion – Back to Times of Splendor

By Saunders on April 18, 2018 in 2018, Blog Posts, German Metal, Into the Obscure, Melodic Death Metal, Metal Blade, Progressive Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 75 comments

“There’s a fine line between genuine obscurity and an album that simply flew under the radar and remained a criminally overlooked corker, never quite attracting the attention and recognition it surely deserved. For this long-gestating second chapter of Into the Obscure, I present the strikingly brilliant 2004 debut LP from Germany’s Disillusion.” The unforgotten.

The Crown – Cobra Speed Venom Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on March 23, 2018 in 2018, Metal Blade, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 52 comments

“Your parents, guidance counselor, and teachers were right: you don’t get a second chance at a first impression. This is why The Crown will always be a wonderfully over-the-top and high energy death-tinged thrash band to my ears. Deathrace King introduced me to their work, opening with the perfectly titled “Deathexplosion.” Johan Lindstrand’s shout of “FIRE!” over a fast, aggressive, and simple riff sold me on the band and their brand of metal immediately.” Snakes on speed.