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 Folk metal is a genre often met with some skepticism by portions of the metal community, generally citing problems with the overabundance of keyboards and overly “happy” atmosphere associated with …
Originally written by Jordan Campbell There are few things more frustrating than bands that harbor cool ideas, but are outright clumsy when it comes to their execution. Chingalera‘s sweet, serpentine take on stoned-out doom has tons …
Twenty-five years after their inception, Metal Church continues to release solid records. After a dry spell in the 90s and a promising reformation in the new millennium, returning original vocalist David Wayne departed again (and …
Originally written by Michael Roberts. Let’s get straight to the point shall we? Awaken the Dreamers isn’t as good as The Price of Existence, but is still an excellent effort in its own right. Yes it’s more melodic, …
Originally written by Jordan Campbell Windows down, hair in the wind, and speeding like a blackened bullet down I-94, we were in the thick of our maiden voyage with Hardworlder. While absorbing the sensory assaults, my …
Originally written by Brady Humbert. Amongst anyone who knows anything about funeral doom, Anathema is a well tread but polarizing name. They are in a select grouping of bands who at one point made somber, romantic, depressing, and …
Captain’s take: During my relatively awkward years in high school back in the mid 80’s, Metallica meant the world to me. They helped my self-confidence, they fueled my courage in times of need, and …
Originally written by Tyler Wagnon. The Diseased and The Poisoned is the sophomore effort from California’s Carnifex following up last year’s Dead In My Arms. The debut was by-the-numbers deathcore and so is this one, but I find myself …
