Threshold – Dividing Lines Review
[Cover art by Masiha Fattahi] It’s cliche by now, the uncertainty of our time. It’s pervasive, coloring every aspect of popular culture from social media to TV and movies and maybe especially music. Entertainment certainly …
Stratovarius – Survive Review
The metaphor isn’t hard to spot in the cover art of Stratovarius’ 16th album, nor in its title, Survive. The world’s pretty fucked up these days and we may very well be beyond the threshold, …
Plasmodulated – Plasmodulated Review
[Logo and Artwork by GruesomeGraphx] If you’re familiar at all with some of science fiction’s most amazing biological transformation machines, you’ll remember that virtually none of them was able to produce the monumental change for …
Deathbell – A Nocturnal Crossing Review
[Cover artwork by Adam Burke at Nightjar Illustration] France’s Deathbell broke convention and tossed the idea of a sophomore slump right on its ass. Where 2018’s debut, With the Beyond, was a fine reiteration of …
Voivod – Synchro Anarchy Review
[Art by Michel “Away” Langevin] By all reliable accounts, Voivod’s last album, The Wake, was a resounding success. That record continued an upward trajectory begun with the addition of Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain on guitar in …
Best of 2021 – Lone Watie: It Helps To Know What You Got
When I sat down to work out an introduction to my best of list, I already had a long, loud list in my head of grievances and shames and laments. They’re certainly valid, most of …
Molybaron ‒ The Mutiny Review
France’s MolyBaron self-released their second album, The Mutiny, back in May and somebody at InsideOut Music liked it enough to pick it up for a formal release in late October. That’s a bit of a …
Diamonds & Rust: Skyclad – The Wayward Sons Of Mother Earth
I am the Pagan Man–I speak for all my kind, When I criticise your point of view–your hollow state of mind. You say that I’m an animal–well this at least is true, I’m a thinking, …