Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Artwork by Caroline Harrison] “Nonsense” opens with a slow fade-in of distorted guitars and seismic drums — the chaos before the swarm. It’s a trick of the trade, the extreme metal equivalent of a camera operator calling out “speed” before …
[Cover artwork by Luca “Zeero” Zironi] There was always something uniquely charming about Konquest’s brand of traditional heavy metal—an almost whimsical breeziness that still felt like a near perfect balance of playful and substantive. A long-lost Italian cousin to Sweden’s …
[Cover art by Beyond Art] There are bad musical moods, and then there’s Mylingar. Over the course of the last decade this group of anonymous Swedes has concocted the type of ill-meaning black/death that makes Diocletian seem like a Care …
[Cover artwork by Subhuman at Desert Dungeon] Let’s talk about our love for quirky metal. Okay, sure, any definable level of ‘quirk’ is obviously subjective, but I’m guessing you know we’re not talking about the guy who loves The Black …
originally written by Chris McDonald My colleague Doug Moore once made a point regarding Decrepit Birth as a band he theoretically “should” like, but doesn’t in reality. This isn’t exactly the situation I’ve found myself …
Classic American thrashers Forbidden once released an album entitled Twisted Into Form, but the thrash genre has nothing to do with this review. Neither does America. Really neither does Forbidden. So why mention it? Because …
So here we are again. As winter knocks at our doors this October, those of us in the metal world are consciously searching for music to fit a precise mindset. How appropriate then, that Finland’s …
originally written by Erik Thomas Here’s album number nine from Dimmu Borgir, and here’s another chance for the masses to divide and argue over the bands style, output and imagery. And it would certainly be easy …
With Bolt Thrower on an indefinite studio hiatus, it is a comfort to have Hail of Bullets around to keep the world flush with high quality, war-themed death metal. With its second record, On Divine …
Another two years (more or less), and another Grave Digger record… And I’m not really complaining, mind you, at least not about their rate of productivity. This German outfit has become one of my more …
originally written by Jim Brandon As someone who was obsessed with the thrash scene when it was tearing up the underground towards the mid/late-80’s, speed has been an addictive element of extreme forms of metal …
With legendary crossover pioneers DRI back in action but as a touring outfit only, vocalist Kurt Brecht joined forces with three-quarters of Texas thrashers Dead Horse and the bassist from Angkor Wat (since replaced by …
