Rotting Christ – Rituals Review
Given that heavy metal as a discrete set of sounds and practices has been around for roughy as long as the duration of the Cold War, the casual music fan can be forgiven for assuming …
Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä Review
When Oranssi Pazuzu‘s debut album, Muukalainen Puhuu, touched down in 2009, it was a shock to hear such a fully formed vision. Despite the fact that plenty of black metal bands had exploded the genre …
Aluk Todolo – Voix Review
How do you know what music is about? It seems like a silly question, but the answer often strongly influences how one experiences a given piece of music. The easiest clue is usually lyrical: if …
Avantasia – Ghostlights Review
This is, I swear, a review of the new album from Avantasia. It just… well, sometimes it takes a minute to get to where you end up wanting to go. Bands like Avantasia seem to …
Hostium – The Bloodwine Of Satan Review
Your enjoyment of an album likeThe Bloodwine of Satan, the debut album by Canada’s Hostium, depends entirely on how much “type metal” you have or want in your life. Type metal is easy to spot, though …
Dan Obstkrieg’s Best of 2015 – Ia Ia Qapla’ Fhtagn
Sit with me, friend. Perhaps you are laboring under the misapprehension that, come year-end list-making season, writers and critics and dorks and nerds of all stripes turn thoughtful and circumspect, reflecting on the subjective and …
Dead To A Dying World – Litany Review
One of the things that seems most consistently difficult to understand for people who don’t particularly like heavy metal is just how it is that it can be soothing and meditative. And certainly, if you …
My Dying Bride – Feel The Misery Review
If I were the type of person who worried about “guilty pleasures” (I am not) or whether some thing I enjoy will set me up for ridicule (I am not), I might have to admit …