Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover artwork by Michael Cloutier] Prog, of course, is known for technical musicianship and songwriting complexity above all else, a reputation well-earned by the early giants of the genre and happily maintained by their progeny ever since. It’s also true …
[Cover artwork by Timbul Cahyono] In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I’ve always found the concept of the split to be flawed. It works best when there’s a shared theme or the band’s involved cover each …
[Cover art by Mars Triumph] Petrichor, the sixth full length album from Greece’s epic metal stalwarts Battleroar, commences with the sound of rain and an invitation to reflect. That word, “petrichor,” is a relatively new one (coined by scientists in …
To start, let’s acknowledge that you and I don’t really know each other. This means, among other things, that I can’t say what “war metal” means to you. To some extent, maybe you just throw your hands in the air …
Italy has always taken to their own vision for horror. From the pioneering cinematic work of Riccardo Freda, Lucio Fulci, and Dario Argento to the interpretation of terror in the country’s heavy metal scene from …
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 …
[Artwork by Adrian Stubican] Finally hauling Death Angel into the Diamonds & Rust ring and electing to award sacred gem status to an album other than The Ultra-Violence somehow feels… Unseemly? Misguided? Crazier than a …
The story so far: The first two Running Wild albums are the best Running Wild albums. This has made a lot of people very angry and is occasionally regarded as a bad take. Certainly, Under Jolly …
Let us pause and take a moment to just bask in the glory of that album cover. Rendered in the style of After School Detention on Xerox, it resembles the more refined works of that …
That snuggly blanket you wrap around yourself at night with your glass of red wine or hot cocoa. That ice cold tea or frosty beer that you always enjoy on the back porch after you …
As a proud citizen of Aotearoa New Zealand, let me remind you that NZ’s tourist-poster image is mostly smoke and mirrors. Sure, we’re a relaxed, friendly, and socially liberal bunch down here, and we’ve got …
Consider, if you will, the splendor and aura of a classic detective film noir. One where the men all wear suits with bowler hats calling ladies dames while they chain smoke in a diner somehow …
