Posts Tagged ‘2008’

Burning the Masses – Mind Control

Not to be outdone by Metal Blade’s group of teenage deathcore kids, Fate, here come Mediaskare/Century Media with their own group of growling, blasting, shredding, breakdowning kids plucked right from the halls of a San Diego High school. Though most might cringe at yet another group of snot nosed kids who can’t even buy a […]

Femme Metal Records sign Ancestral Legacy

Femme Metal Records are proud to announce the signing of Ancestral Legacy, the Norwegian metal band, for the release of their debut album “Nightmare Diaries“. The CD is expected to be released sometime early spring 2009. Ancestral Legacy’s current line up: Isadora Cortina (Lead Vocals) Eddie Risdal (Guitar, Vocals, Synths) Tor Arvid Larsen (Guitars) Anton […]

Crematory – Pray

Crematory has been turning out their musical wares since 1991, in one incarnation or another. They were a little more raw in the early days, adding subtle hints of Electronica and cranking up the Goth a bit on the way. Their 2008 offering Pray is a full on Gothic Death Metal assault complete with the […]

Elder – Elder

Elder play a form of heavy, grooved out Sludge/Doom Metal with hints of Stoner/Space Rock sprinkled in for good measure. The tones are vintage and dry, which gives it a timeless sort of vibe. I’m tempted to throw in the typical Black Sabbath references here, but honestly, it’s more of a subtle influence than an […]

Diabolical – The Gallery of Bleeding Art

Neither as influential as country mates In Flames, Dark Tranquillity Dismember and such and not as prolific as the likes of second tier acts like Centinex, Sweden’s Diabolical has been on the periphery of Sweden’s melodic death metal elite for over a decade now, with only two acceptable but hardly groundbreaking albums in 2001’s Synergy […]

Impure Wilhemina – Prayers and Arsons

Listen up, if you enjoyed Burst’s more adventurous, experimental and unpredictable take on the whole Post Rock genre with Lazarus Bird, just go ahead and grab the fourth full length album from this Swiss quartet. Now. Former Digitalmetal writer John Gnesin had always told me to check these guys out, long before the genre exploded […]

Six Feet Under – Death Rituals

Another year another Six Feet Under album, but surprisingly like 2007s Commandment, Barnes and Co. appear to be back on track after a couple of albums of suck. With a change in producer and studio from Erik Rutan and Mana for Commandment to Chris Carroll at Morrisound, Death Rituals sounds a bit rougher and analog-y, […]

Kekal to release “Auditory Minority” on NePlusUltra Music

The 7th full-length album from Indonesia/Canada based experimental / progressive artist Kekal will be the first NePlusUltra Music release. The first pressing of compact disc will be a special digi-pak release with hand numbered and limited to 777 units in honor of this landmark occasion.The title “Audible Minority” is based on the fact that the […]

Winterfylleth – The Ghost of Heritage

Well, Profound Lore has done it again. This time finding a self described “English Heritage Black Metal” metal trio from the UK comprised of member of Atavist and Wodensthrone. I’ve often wondered, with our rich history, why there are not more UK bands (though Iron Age Records appears to have uncovered a few) plying metal […]

Last House on the Left – Among Flies

In my line of work, I’m all about first impressions. I will generally make a snap judgment about a person and determine their veracity within about 30 seconds. Luckily, this does not apply to metal albums and reviews, because if I had simply relied on first impressions, Among Flies would have been album of the […]

Diluvian – Inhumanity Remains EP

Here’s a pretty solid debut EP from French act Diluvian (meaning a “deluge”) that combines melodic death metal and modern polished brutality (I hate to use the term deathcore here) into a impressive 5 song EP that holds a lot of promise. Though I’ve seen the term ‘deathcore’ thrown about in regards to this release […]

Devast – Art of Extermination

Hailing from Algeria in North Africa, Devast play a form of jagged, choppy, twangy technical death metal, that while fits all the paradigms of technical death metal, has a little of its own character and differs from the sudden flurry of California tech death that’s assaulted the scene of late. The 8 songs on this […]

Ayin Aleph – I

The album cover alone told me what to expect; Gothic influenced Metal with a dramatic/opera styled delivery. These types of albums are difficult to pull off convincingly. Ayin Alpeh I certainly give it a shot, though. As I said, imagine Gothic Metal with a flair for the dramatic stage. One thing that is immediately noticeable […]

Joe Lynn Turner – Live in Germany

Joe Lynn Turner is obviously best known for his stint in Rainbow singing such radio friendly hits as “I Surrender”, “Street Of Dreams” and “Stone Cold”. He’s honestly a great singer and he’s made a solid career singing the songs he’s known for long after the band he sang them in dissipated. He gets tapped […]

Creature Feature – The Greatest Show Unearthed

Remember when Marylin Manson covered “This Is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas? Ok, blend that with the theme from The Munsters and you can envision every song from Creature Feature’s The Greatest Show Unearthed. I was tempted to end my review there. That is truly the best way to describe this album. The songs […]

Severed Savior – Servile Insurrection

Though some may consider The East coast and Florida the main stays of US death metal, but for the home of technical, brutal death metal, you need to consider that in California there are such amazing death metal acts as Deeds of Flesh, Vile, Brain Drill, Decrepit Birth, Odious Mortem and Severed Savior, who after […]

Guapo – Elixirs

Nothing has been heard from the Guapo camp since 2005’s Black Oni on Ipecac Records and founding member Matt Thompson’s untimely departure from the fold. The remaining duo of keyboardist Daniel O’Sullivan (who now assumes all guitars and bass from Thompson’s vacancy) and drummer David Smith take up the helm of this UK-based experimental, mostly […]

ATLANTA PSYCH-METAL BAND ZOROASTER COMPLETES WORK ON NEW ALBUM, “VOICE OF SATURN”

Avant-garde psych-metal trio ZOROASTER has completed work on its highly anticipated new album, Voice of Saturn. The follow up to the band’s critically acclaimed release, Dog Magic, Voice of Saturn will see a March 10, 2009 release via Terminal Doom Records. Recorded at The Living Room in Atlanta (The Black Lips, Mastodon) with engineer Ed […]

Almah – Fragile Equality

Angra vocalist Edu Falschi and bassist Felipe Andreoli have made the most of their main band’s hiatus and formed Almah. Not straying from their Power Metal roots, in fact heading a little deeper into the Prog Metal sound, Almah puts forth some impressive musicianship and honest Power Metal spirit. “Birds Of Prey” kicks things off […]

Drowning, The – This Bleak Descent

The UK certainly has its share of melancholy, Doom laden bands. The Peaceville Three notwithstanding, there is a certain musical atmosphere amongst English bands in this genre. They tend to have a subtle romantic undertone coupled with growled, Death Metal vocal delivery and an overall sad, despair ridden vibe without sounding violent. The Drowning is […]

Exiter – Thrash, Speed, Burn

John Ricci and company break an eight year silence with the release of Thrash, Speed, Burn. Anyone who’s heard Exciter knows what to expect (as if the title of the album didn’t give it away) and the boys do not disappoint here. Decidedly old school, full of venom, energy and ready to teach the world […]

Laaz Rockit – Left For Dead

Laaz Rockit has been around a lot of years. In spite of this fact, though, I have never listened to them. Now, after hearing their latest offering Left For Dead, I am going to make it a point to dig into the catalog as this is some good quality Metal. I didn’t know what to […]

Drop Dead Gorgeous, Eyes Set To Kill & BrokenCyde To Embark On The Orginal Gangstour

Drop Dead Gorgeous Announces The Original Gangstour Featuring BrokeNCYDE, Eyes Set To Kill and And Then There Were None ***  Drop Dead Gorgous have announced the line-up for the upcoming Original Gangstour featuring BrokeNCYDE with Eyes Set To Kill along with And Then There Were None. The tour will kick off in Reno, NV on […]

POWER QUEST confirmed for Metalfest UK and Prog Power USA X 2009

After just finishing a successful UK Tour, Napalm recording artists POWER QUEST are pleased to announce two festival appearances for 2009! They are confirmed for the first edition of a new UK festival called Metalfest, set to take place on September 25-27, 2009 at JB’s in Dudley. The six-piece will play amongst the likes of […]

BATTLEFIELDS reveal new track from upcoming album and Tour Dates!

  BATTLEFIELDS have posted the new song “Quake and Flood” from their Translation Loss Records debut “Thresholds Of Imbalance” due late March 2009 here:  BATTLEFIELDS’ Translation Loss debut “Thresholds Of Imbalance” was recorded at The Devil’s Workshop in Minnesota with drummer and engineering Rob Schmidt manning the helm and was mastered by Nick Zampiello at […]