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 …
I’ve long had trouble getting into Kamelot – I mean really getting into them. Sure, I enjoyed The Black Halo and was quite impressed by their live DVD One Cold Winter’s Night, but rarely do …
Originally written by Tyler Wagnon. Steve Austin’s new Supernova label is off to a great start releasing the newest Today is the Day in addition to several other noisy and horrifyingly heavy discs. The Bad Road – album number three …
Originally written by Chris Chellis. To say that I’ve been following this Irish melodic death/black metal band pretty closely would be an understatement. Since first reviewing the band’s split with Meiche two years ago, I’ve been watching For …
Originally written by Erik Thomas. Synopsis: “Why are you so brutal to me?” And thus asks the fitting opening sample from “Complete Exsanguination”, the short sharp opening salvo on Benighted’s latest and best effort, the aptly named Icon. …
Originally written by Jason Jordan. Tchort (Carpathian Forest, Green Carnation) and friends have returned with Come Death, which happens to be the fourth installment in the ongoing Blood Red Throne series, and in accordance with the BRT schedule, their latest has …
Originally written by Tim Pigeon As I was in the process of writing about how I enjoyed this new turn that Moonspell had taken, I decided to dig a little, and realized that this release is …
Originally written by Doug Moore. It’s easy to become jaded as a metalhead. The focus on fastest-loudest-heaviest overstimulation and glut of similar-sounding bands can reduce even the most ardent fan to a sneering elitist (as anyone …
“Are you ready to go another round with Exodus? “ When I asked myself that question, I was surprised that my initial reaction was uncertainty. It’s been years since the thrash pioneers did me wrong …
