Category: Reviews

Septagon – Deadhead Syndicate Review

Germany’s Septagon goes for the trad metal splicing approach on their debut, Deadhead Syndicate. While this is indeed a debut, three of the four instrumentalists are current or former members of long-running power/progsters Lanfear, and

Megadeth – Dystopia Review

There’s almost no good reason anymore to discuss Megadeth’s last two decades. But I guess we sort of have to… Either you started with the band in their prime, their mostly classic run from the

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

Fuath – I Review

Somewhere around the 2:30 mark of “Blood,” the second track on Fuath debut I, time stops. The song completely opens up around a gorgeous tremolo melody while the drums do that perfect hi-hat heartbeat so

Baphomet’s Blood – In Satan We Trust Review

Sometimes I want metal to transport me to mystical realms, or plumb the depths of darkness in my soul, or even to challenge my very concept of what constitutes music. Other times (most of the

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

Primal Fear – Rulebreaker Review

The title Rulebreaker is certainly an ironic one – Primal Fear is about as by-the-book as they come. If you chainsawed up a dozen European trad metal bands – and who among us hasn’t thought

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