Mournful Congregation – The Unspoken Hymns Review
We’ve already seen superb releases drop from all of metal’s varied branches this year. But when the dust eventually settles, 2011’s most celebrated sub-genres will be those that give a solemn nod to a very …
Vintage Hallows – King Diamond
Ahhh, 1986: Americans were sailing hiiiigh and happy, thanks in a large part to an aggressive pursuit of ‘faith and family values’ and bloated Reaganomics debt. But hey, at least the Contras loved us. And despite Ron’s wildly successful War …
Midnight – Satanic Royalty Review
Ohio’s Midnight is one of the best active bands you can still catch playing a show in someone’s shitty basement. Their live performance is a commanding spectacle that erupts with all the raw energy of …
Amebix – Sonic Mass Review
Like a lot of metal fans, my music collection is global as hell, but England’s contribution to my list of favorites is really pretty staggering. Most who know me have gotten relentless earfuls of my …
Isole – Born From Shadows Review
I’m consistently taken aback whenever a new Isole release hits my desk because they seem so weirdly prolific for an epic doom band. Bounty through steady releases is fairly commonplace for bands outside this particular …
Arch/Matheos – Sympathetic Resonance Review
One of the things I’m very thankful for is the fact that I was lucky enough to be alive and directly on the front-lines of heavy metal throughout the 80s as an angry/pimply/hormonally-challenged teenager. I’ll …
Attick Demons – Atlantis
There are thousands of bands similar to Attick Demons out there. Not just stylistically, mind you (Maidenisms abound, once again), but also in terms of groups that manage(d) to remain ‘active’ over a long stretch …
Anubis Gate – Anubis Gate Review
I swore before sitting down to this keyboard that I wouldn’t make any sort of reference to my being “far from an expert in the progressive/power heavy metal field.” Isn’t that pretty much expected from …