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 …
First of all, I don’t consider myself a fan of the jollier, Humppa-styled metal released by bands such as Finntroll, so I approached this album with a fair bit of caution due to the playful …
I’ll admit this up front: I’m fairly easily creeped out. Not easily grossed out, but easily creeped out. When I was a little kid, I remember playing this game with my cousins where all of …
originally written by Chris McDonald New Jesu EPs are always a source of excitement for me. Aside from the fact that they are one of my favorite bands and I love their music, I can’t …
Canadian progressive/power/melodeath band Into Eternity continue their revolving-door line-up (new second guitarist, new drummer) and release this, their fourth record, and a logical follow-up to 2006’s The Scattering Of Ashes. Still in place is lead …
Originally written by Jordan Campbell A new Khold record is, well, a new Khold record. Fans of the band know what to expect by now, as they’ve been rocking to the same groove ever since the slightly-grimmer, slightly-cooler Masterpiss of …
Just when you thought all the possible band names ending in “ation” were used up, along comes Norway’s Execration. With a name like Execration, I will give you one guess as to what style of …
originally written by Thomas Creager A Storm of Light is a post-metal/doom outfit, a genre I am innovatively labeling “post-doom”. I know, I’ve blazed a few trails in my day. Anyway, as you could probably …
Originally written by Kris Yancey Okay, I came into this album with some expectations; some were met, and others missed well below the mark. Who told Negative Reaction vocalist Ken E. Bones that he was …
