Swedish Metal

Polarization – Chasing the Light Review

Polarization – Chasing the Light Review

Instrumental music always works great as the soundtrack to doing productive work (such as sitting in front of the computer to scour the Facebook home page for drama queens of the day), and while mainstream society probably doesn’t think of instrumental metal music this way, perhaps they ought to give Los Angeles’ Polarization a chance.

Vintersorg – Orkan Review

Vintersorg – Orkan Review

Last year when Vintersorg released Jordpuls I wasn’t expecting that 15 months later I’d be writing another review of a new Vintersorg record. But earlier this year, Matte Marklund (the guitar player) showed up on the Internetz and said something surprising: there was a new record on the way, right on the heals of Jordpuls, and it would be called Orkan which means “Hurricane.” And now that record is here…

Candlemass – Psalms for the Dead Review

Candlemass – Psalms for the Dead Review

What a long, strange trip it’s been, eh friends? That pretty much describes the career arc of the doom metal institution that is Candlemass. After a classic debut and three outstanding releases helmed by the mad monk Marcolin, Leif Edling’s doom troupe has watched their stock rise and fall enough to make the average trader leap to his death in abject frustration.

Grand Magus – The Hunt Review

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.

Ennead – Frozen Eyes Review

Ennead – Frozen Eyes Review

It is, as you all know, difficult to keep up with the number of unsigned bands that we get music from. But, usually as a matter of luck, I occasionally decide that I have time to check something out (or I’m just avoiding my work). Fortunately, I followed the link to a Bandcamp (that’s usually a thing that gets me to click unsigned bands) for some itsy-bitsy, teeny, teeny, teeny-tiny Swedish metalcore-influenced prog-metallers Ennead who are writing music better than a lot of signed acts that I get these days when they can’t even grow facial hair. Sometimes I follow links and am unimpressed and turn the shit off, saving the band face. In this case, however, Ennead snuck up on me and surprised—and impressed—the hell out of me.