Reaper Entertainment

Evil Drive – Demons Within Review

Evil Drive – Demons Within Review

“Well, the female-front beast that is Evil Drive is back. Like I’ve stated in previous reviews, Arch Enemy probably comes to mind the most. That said, the band has tried to incorporate more than meets the ears. I’m not gonna say this Finnish Five-some has solved the problem and released something special. Not quite, but at least there’s a little more variety on this new release. Or, maybe it’s that it seems like the band has finally started taking their music seriously.” By demons be driven.

Bloodspot – The Cannibal Instinct Review

Bloodspot – The Cannibal Instinct Review

Bloodspot would also like you to know that they aren’t afraid to cross genres. That said, they ain’t no atmospheric, avant-garde black metal group. Instead, this German quintet attempts to cross doom with groove and death with thrash. In the end, though, the band’s sound is closest to that of Swede-thrash outfits like At the Gates and The Haunted. But, there’s more to Bloodspot and their new outing, The Cannibal Instinct, than meets the eye. The question is, is it worth exploring?” Food chaining.

Neck Cemetery – Born in a Coffin Review

Neck Cemetery – Born in a Coffin Review

“Hello, neighbor. Would you like to play a game with me? Yes? How about the “guess the genre” game. You know, the one where you look at an album’s cover to see if you can predict what it will sound like? How about we start with the band name? Neck Cemetery. Yikes. That’s a bad name.” Wreckin’ necks.

Silver Bullet – Mooncult Review

Silver Bullet – Mooncult Review

“Who was your gateway band? The one that got you into metal, the one you blame for this obsession that never goes away? Mine was Nightwish; the idea that you could combine orchestral and metal concepts together swept me away completely, and for a while, symphonic metal was all I could listen to. Today, however, I only listen to the band rarely, and I believe the genre is sadly stagnated. But while navigating the depths of the promo bin, I found myself drawn to it once again and decided that my first ‘official’ review around here should pay homage to that exhilarating initial experience.” Cult of the Night(wish).

Lost in Grey – The Waste Land Review

Lost in Grey – The Waste Land Review

“Another year, another Nightwishcore, one is tempted to think at the sight of Lost in Grey. At this point, I’d be mighty tempted to make a template review and merely swap names and album titles out for the most homogeneous sound in the business. Efficient reviewing for 2019! Or it would be, if Lost in Grey had not unleashed the first major musical upset in my worldview of the year with their sophomore album The Waste Land: it attempts something different with the style!” Bombast in the borderlands.

Parasite Inc. – Dead and Alive Review

Parasite Inc. – Dead and Alive Review

“Bands like Hypocrisy and Dark Tranquillity were like gateway drugs for me. I remember getting heavy into the style about a decade ago and then it seemed to run its course. And, as most of my favorite bands carry on with run-of-the-mill material, while others—like Soilwork, Arch Enemy, and In Flames—continue to bore me to fucking death, it’s become even more clear that I’ve fallen away from the genre. So, in hopes of rekindling some of those flames, I grabbed Parasite Inc.’s Dead and Alive. What the hell was I thinking?” The Doc has worms.

Elvellon – Until Dawn Review

Elvellon – Until Dawn Review

Elvellon is a quintet that consciously or not follows closer than I previously believed possible in the shoes of Nightwish’s mid-period. Their debut album Until Dawn is a stone’s throw from both Century Child and Once, while offering a distinct character through some small changes in compositional technique. This statement alone is not an indication of quality, however, and gives rise to the most important question of all. Do Elvellon manage to fill a gap left by Nightwish?” Dawnwish!

Evil Drive – Ragemaker Review

Evil Drive – Ragemaker Review

“Two years ago, Evil Drive gave me a lot to think about when it comes to female-fronted metal bands. Like Arch Enemy, this Finnish quintet’s vocalist (Viktoria Viren) is a combination of banshee and hellhound. And, for the most part, she even looks It. But, unlike Arch Enemy, Evil Drive sported an image for their debut that made The Land of the Dead the melodeath soundtrack to a fraternity-organized wet t-shirt contest. Which damn-near ruined a decent melodic death record for me. Well, the band is back with Ragemaker and, thankfully, all that nonsensical fluff is gone.” Road rage.