Tower – Shock To The System Review
[Cover artwork by Morgan Jesse Lappin] “The guitar. It was the key, the sword in the stone, the staff of righteousness. As my father christened it, ‘that fucking guitar’,” remarked Bruce Springsteen during his six-month …
First Fragment – Gloire Éternelle Review
[Artwork by Adam Burke / Nightjar Illustration] It’s probably not the best idea to kick things off by making an outlandish claim concerning First Fragment guitarist Phil Tougas being a shadowy villain bent on provoking …
Outre-Tombe – Abysse Mortifère Review
[Album artwork by Matt “Putrid” Carr] There’s something magical concerning the way a number of us grew to accept brutality as a positive force in life. If you’re lucky enough to have the spectre of …
Where Angels Dare To Tread: A Solitude Aeturnus Primer
A case can and should be made for Arlington, Texas doom vets Solitude Aeturnus being in the running for the most underrated classic metal band to ever come out of these United States. True, an …
Succumb – XXI Review
[Artwork by Stefan Thanneur] “Are you still with us, Mr. Niedermeyer?” . . . “Hmm? Oh, yes, I’m sorry. I was just…I guess I was just lost in thought.” “It’s a fairly standard question, the …
Iron Maiden – Senjutsu Review
[Artwork by Mark “The Tinkerer” Wilkinson] Senjutsu is a wonderful album. And with 30+ years of Iron Maiden experience under my belt, you can absolutely positively 100% take that statement to the bank. Unless those …
A Tribute To Trouble’s Eric Wagner – May He Rest In Peace…
The first time I heard Trouble was back around ’86, upon randomly picking up a used copy of The Skull at my local record shop based solely on its magnificent cover artwork. Yes, it’s an …
Skepticism – Companion Review
[Cover artwork by Tuomas A. Laitinen] Let us consider for a moment the notion of change and how the majority of living creatures prefer to avoid it in favor of steadfast routine swaddled in comfort. …