Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover art by Eliran Kantor] Thrash metal is a young man’s game. Glance across the genre’s 40-plus years of history and you’ll find that the vast majority of great albums were released when the musicians were in their 20s, or …
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person within spitting distance of heavy metal on the internet in possession of some dumbass opinion about power metal must be in want of having their dumbass opinion challenged. My own dumbass …
[Album artwork by fleshflies] If Conan The Sumerian had pursued The Secret of Acid in lieu of The Riddle of Steel, Conan The Barbarian would have been a very different film. Like, eat shit, Wheel of Pain; so long, time …
[Cover artwork by David Dubenic] It’s tempting to call Dissona a passion project. Based in and around Chicago, they’ve been making progressive metal for more than 15 years, outlasting the tides of misfortune and disappointment, including the pandemic cancellation of …
Originally written by Jordan Campbell It’s a strange phenomenon in heavy metal: Rarity begets esteem, and exclusivity breeds desire. Whereas, say, the world of professional sports tends to reward consistency, dominance, and longevity, metal legends …
One of the fun things about being a metal reviewer is that I get to say, with something not unlike a straight face, things like “Chilean death trio.” Except around these parts, that phrase is …
Everyday usage does great violence to language’s origins. Case in point: the term ‘avant-garde’ originally developed in the context of battlefield strategy, and later became influential in the theorizing of revolutionary political movements. Loosely translated …
Like numerous acts that thrive in the second tier, Nidingr sounds a little like a lot of bands, but exactly like none of them. There isn’t much that is wholly original about their overall sound, …
The eleventh album from the Oakland-based shamans in Neurosis is an hour-long answer to the question, “When is ‘tired’ not tired?” You see, on Honor Found In Decay, Neurosis sounds weary. Now wait, hear me …
Originally written by Matt Longo What set apart the Dragged into Sunlight debut Hatred for Mankind was its sense of purpose — a singular, grimy probing finger reaching across the pond from Liverpool as a …
originally written by Chris McDonald After eight years, countless delays, and a tremendous amount of both eager and aggravated anticipation, Wintersun‘s second opus is finally upon us. We’ll just go ahead and bypass discussion of …
Following the glorious rise and tumultuous split of Negura Bunget, many were left wondering what was to be. Negru’s continuation of the band — call them Negura Bunget 2.0 — was quick to report back with …
