Category: Reviews
8 Kalacas – Fronteras Review
Dear brothers and sisters, dear enemies and friends, here is a hard truth: nobody really gives a shit about your record collection. This is a particularly bitter pill for those of us who end up …
Hällas – Isle Of Wisdom Review
[Artwork by Lena Richter & Maldo Illustration] It must be strange to be a weird band facing curious obstacles in this bizarre world. Even stranger if you jump from the gate as an eccentric band …
Shape Of Despair – Return To The Void Review
Immersed in loss, Of something –Dissolution Despair is a powerful force. It has a gravity that when experienced acutely can be felt as though your insides are being inexplicably drawn through your feet towards some …
Downcross – Hexapoda Triumph Review
Of all the criticisms thrown at black metal, the lazy, tired “black metal has no riffs” argument is easily the most likely to jerk the eyeballs of anyone with any experience in the style involuntarily …
Iron Griffin’s Storm Of Magic: One More Case For True Metal
[Cover artwork by Oskari Räsänen] Iron Griffin’s Storm of Magic is one of the mightiest true metal albums you’ll encounter in 2022. [[KLAXON]] Just what the hell do you mean by “true” metal, you bastard. …
Luzifer – Iron Shackles Review
“But metal must be evil!” they wailed, fingers clutching their obsidian pearls. “It’s about darkness and despair!” they protested, all the while missing the true power that lies within the heart of the music. Certainly, heavy …
Sabaton – The War To End All Wars Review
There’s something strangely exotic about a band as committed to its aesthetic as Sabaton. Appreciating the differences from one album to the next is less about stylistic shifts than about pace and tone. Not that …
Messa – Close Review
If I were forced to pick a single word to describe Messa’s third album, Close – just one word – it would be patient. Don’t mistake me: Messa’s doom is not slow or directionless or …