Dark Quarterer – Pompei Review
Piombino, Italy’s Dark Quarterer make epic heavy metal because they love making epic heavy metal. Co-founders Gianni Nepi and Paolo “Nipa” Ninci have been at it since the mid-70s, while their younger and equally devoted …
Just A Little Of Your Fire: A Dark Quarterer Primer
Dark Quarterer is a heavy metal band from Italy and it’s okay if you don’t know who they are. That fact would probably surprise virtually no one, actually, including the band. If you are already …
Valkyrie – Fear Review
Not sure what happened for the boys in Valkyrie since 2015, but it’s pretty clear that, at some point, the blue sky gave way to gray clouds. Judging by the song titles and lyrics on …
Haken – Virus Review
Alright, first off: no, Virus is not the product of a cynical marketing ploy designed to exploit current world circumstances. In fact, the notion of Haken’s sixth album and sequel to 2018’s Vector germinated while …
Pale Divine – Consequence Of Time Review
I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night a lot lately. All the stuff going on in the world. It’s sometimes hard to figure out what to do with myself in the sleepless …
Hail Spirit Noir – Eden In Reverse Review
People find solace in the strangest places. Heavy metal fans, in particular, must seem to the outsider at least a card short of a full deck when they describe the grounding and centering comfort of …
Fughu – Lost Connection Review
When I reviewed Fughu’s debut album in 2009, I said of it, “On nearly every count, it can be said that Absence channels Dream Theater’s most famous (and, arguably, best) work, Images & Words.” Looking …
Psychotic Waltz – The God-Shaped Void Review
Through 10 years of frustrating underexposure and relative obscurity, Psychotic Waltz never compromised their vision. Even in the comparatively wide open world of heavy metal, they broke boundaries and defied expectation, creating music that was …