Tower

Seven Kingdoms – Zenith Review

By Steel Druhm on June 17, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 73 comments

“I first stumbled upon Seven Kingdoms with their third album, 2012s The Fire is Mine. It happened at a point where my tolerance for power metal was at a low ebb and I had mostly moved on to other styles. So good was the album that after one spin my appreciation for power was reignited and the fire was mine once again. There was so much energy and vibrancy to their sound and so many slick hooks, that it became a favorite platter I still return to. The sky seemed the limit for the band with such a mammoth release fresh on the shelves. Then they gave us a free clinic on how not to succeed by failing to follow up the album for five long years.” Of Kingdoms forsaken.

Steel Druhm’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021

By Steel Druhm on January 3, 2022 in Blog Posts, 134 comments

Steel Druhm dragged a mammoth set of winners up to the peaks of Mount Trve and carved the chosen names into stone. You will now receive them as the Top Ten(ish) of Steel. Rejoice!

Saunders’, Huck N’ Roll’s and Cherd’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021

By Steel Druhm on December 28, 2021 in Blog Posts, 89 comments

Saunders, Huck and Cherd deliver their weighty Top Ten(ish) lists and try to get along in the process.

Tower – Shock to the System Review

By Steel Druhm on November 23, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 47 comments

“The retro metal movement continues unabated, dragging modern metal back to the past (read as: the 70s). New York City’s Tower want their piece of that retro/proto-metal pie, and on sophomore platter Shock to the System, they’re ready to do whatever it takes to get it. Their stock in trade is high-octane, gritty, ballsy metal influenced by 70s rock, 80s traditional metal, and early speed, and folks, these cats are out for blood and treasure.” System upgrade.

Lynx – Watcher of Skies Review

By Huck N Roll on November 23, 2021 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 15 comments

“Boy have we gotten lucky with some sweet traditional metal fare this month. Recent releases from both Black Soul Horde and Tower are sure to worm their way onto a few year-end lists—at least for the olde at heart. Upstart band Lynx aim to join this exalted group with their debut, Watcher of Skies.” Cat scratch fever?

Irata – Tower Review

By Master of Muppets on June 5, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Post-metal, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Small Stone Records, Post-Metal, Progressive Rock, Sludge Metal, 47 comments

“If I were to start babbling about an American amalgamation of ancient elephants, roundness without fault and the pitch of Yasin Bay’s voice, I’d know what I was talking about but I’d be the only one. Similarly, when the promo bin tells me something is “math metal,” no particularly useful information has been conveyed. I had no idea what to expect from Irata’s third album, Tower, because of this very tag. Turns out, a progressive post-rock sign would have steered me toward the right ballpark; had the bin/Muppet communicated in plain English rather than being a fucking weirdo about it, I/you would have known that much sooner that the North Carolinans in question sound something like Mastodon, A Perfect Circle and Deftones having a casual orgy.” Communication breakdowns, yo.