Generally Impressed With Riffs
1349 isn’t exactly a band that does things unexpectedly. Sure, Revelations of the Black Flame saw them taking on more atmosphere and ambience, but it kinda sucked, so they quickly course-corrected to their roots. For the most part, the Norwegian …
Innovation is great and all, but what about dependability? Familiarity? Pushing boundaries is a necessary part of artistry, but excellence remains excellent, be it in some newfound territory or well within the confines of the established. For nearly thirty years …
Throughout the years (dating back to the late 80s) Ray Alder has brought endless joy to fans of progressive music in Fates Warning, Redemption, his work as a guest vocalist with Dream Theater, Mirrormaze and many more. To call something …
O Ancient Ones! We beseech you! Our devout haruspex has lain entrails in the sigil as commanded in the Holy Texts! Our hearts and minds we offer toward the burning binary stars of Xoth! Send forth Shuma-Gorath, that we may …
[Artwork by Terry Grow] Are you, reader, currently sitting in a spinny chair? Even if you’re sitting in a comfy chair, let’s break all of Michael’s rules and go ahead and spin in the comfy …
[Artwork by Yuka Yoshihara] More so than any other branch of metal, funeral doom represents a true “sink or swim” moment. People who love it seem wired to do so from the womb for reasons …
The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is the mother flower from which all styles of metal began to branch out. As anyone who was there at the time and the following years through the …
Thrash’s detractors like to claim that the genre lacks both stylistic depth and recent evolution. The former is silly because there are about as many forms of thrash as there are of the other major …
Both autocorrect and Google will be convinced that you have a typo and are looking for psychedelic heavy rock band Elder. If you’re not Swedish, they will also be convinced you misspelled Nordabetraktelse, which very …
For months, Hallucinogen hung on the horizon sparkling and twinkling in the dim light of the cosmos like a star ready to be born. The transmissions from that spatial quadrant were sparse, but what was …
It’s probably for the best if we address the elephant in the room right away so we can get to the true business of the matter. That’s some butthole. Maybe that sentence should have ended …
If you’re a metal head of any experience, you’re likely familiar with Judas Priest’s version of “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown).” The studio version first appeared on Killing Machine / Hell Bent …
