I have to admit to a weakness for swords, dragons and battle metal. Unfortunately, quite a bit of that style also happens to be pretty cheesy, so I always enjoy finding a release that has no more than the required amount of cheese and some pretty solid songs. That’s just what I get with this […]

I love offbeat stuff, and when this record was pitched to me as “Elvis metal ‘n’ roll,” I just couldn’t resist taking a listen to it. I’ll start with what could very possibly be my favorite song of the year so far, “Sad Man’s Tongue,” the band’s tribute to Johnny Cash. It opens with a […]

We often throw around the word “operatic” loosely when discussing certain genres of metal. But every now and then, you get something that truly earns that description.Musically, Dantesco plays some pretty solid, if fairly standard doom. They offer up some nice, plodding riffs, often influenced by traditional metal. What makes the band stand out from […]

The thrash reunions continue. This time German band Headhunter, featuring vocalist/bassist Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer of Destruction, guitarist Uwe “Schmuddel” Hoffmann from Talon and drummer Jorg Michael, who has played with Saxon, Stratovarius and Grave Digger, among a long string of others.While I missed this band’s work in the early 1990s, I’m intrigued by what I […]

It’s a shame that, in one of his prophecies, Nostradamus didn’t foresee that Judas Priest would one day record a two-disc concept album about him. Maybe he could have warned them that it may not be the best idea. The idea of a concept record about Nostradamus had me scratching my head to begin with. […]

It’s about time that Motley Crue remembered what they do best. Since their first breakup in the early 1990s, they’ve struggled to find their identity. For those who haven’t been keeping score, it started with the heavier sound of 1994’s self-titled record with vocalist John Corabi. It was a solid record, arguably one of the […]

I’m a big enough man to admit when I’m wrong, but in this case, I’m not. Tim Owens owns Matt Barlow in Iced Earth, and this EP is the absolute proof. Those of you who have read my blog and talked to me on the forums won’t find any surprises in this review. It’s no […]

When last I heard Helion, on their 2006 EP Mercury Rising, they were a damned solid, but pretty straightforward power/prog outfit. It was one of the better records that I heard that year in the style. Two years and a lineup change later, I could almost be listening to a different band. The good news […]

Talk about a case of bad timing. In a year without a new release from Opeth, perhaps Farmakon’s Robin would serve as a mildly entertaining diversion for fans longing for that sound. If I’d heard it when it was originally released by Four Seasons last year, it might have gone over better. Re-released by Candlelight […]

When you play in a group of extremely talented musicians who are all trying to grab their piece of the spotlight, it’s no surprise that, at some point, you’d want to do your own record and put yourself in the spotlight. Already considered one of the best vocalists in metal, Warrel Dane now indulges his […]

I’ve got mixed feelings on the latest record from Circle II Circle. On one hand, Delusions of Grandeur has some really good songs, perhaps some of the best in the history of the band. On the other hand, the flatlined mix is incredibly weak and makes those great songs difficult to enjoy. In places, it […]

Kiuas 2005 release, The Spirit of Ukko, was one of those records that I dream of finding in a stack of CDs by bands that I’ve never heard of before. A mix of power, death, thrash and folk metal, it was one of those rare albums that I can honestly say sounded like nothing else […]

Can you be too into music? Music’s always been an extremely important thing to me, but I’ve been pondering that question quite a bit today. The reason? I’ve been sitting here all day stupidly staring at the new single from Iced Earth with anticipation and a very real sense of dread, unwilling to push play. I’ve been […]

I was one of those people that thought Clayman, Reroute to Remain and Come Clarity were all pretty good records. (I am, however, in agreement with the majority on Soundtrack to Your Escape), but it still took me a while to connect with In Flames’ latest A Sense of Purpose. My initial reaction to opener […]

Though there was a time that I really enjoyed it, I’m tiring of folk and power metal with classical female vocals. I think pretty much everything that can be done with it has been done with it, and frankly, I’d rather hear the women in metal sounding a little more aggressive. Of course, there’s always […]

Despite a rotating cast of musicians, no one in the melodic/power metal realms has produced more consistent records over the past several years than Firewind. Their latest record, The Premonition, is the second record for Century Media and the second with the same lineup, a first in the band’s history. While it doesn’t bring any […]

The discussion on Erik’s recent blog post about promo CDs made me start thinking about a prospect that I find very troubling. The discussion came down to the way that younger fans consume music, and whether or not the physical product matters. I grew up in the 1980s. I’m a material guy, for lack of […]

Knowing that Power Quest was formed by keyboard player Steve Williams and bassist Steve Scott after leaving Dragon Heart (now known as Dragonforce, of course) in 2001, you might expect some resemblance between the two bands. The good news, however, is that Power Quest spends less time showing off their technical wankery and puts more emphasis […]

With Savatage seemingly on indefinite hiatus between the monster that Trans-Siberian Orchestra has become and the various solo projects of its members, fans are getting a lot of music in a similar style, but not what they really want. Until now. The first two efforts of Jon Oliva’s Pain have been quite enjoyable, if a bit uneven. […]

I was intrigued when I heard the opening single “Shockwave” from Black Tide’s debut record. Sure, the lyrics were a little corny, but it was hard to get the chorus out of my head anyway. So, I’m torn when listening to the full record. On the one hand, after years of tuneless screaming from new […]

Slap a sticker on the front that says this record will appeal to fans of Savatage, Queensryche and Evergrey, and you’ve got my attention. Of course, then you’ve got a promise to deliver on, and unfortunately Nation Beyond doesn’t. A concept album set following nuclear apocalypse (how original), The Aftermath Odyssey admittedly has its moments, but  […]

The press notes from the debut album of Thieves & Liars proudly proclaim that rock ‘n’ roll is not dead. If this is the best it has to offer, though, it’s certainly on life support. A concept album, When Dreams Become Reality is a muddle of 1970s retro rock that, by and large, gets the […]

Coming from the same mold as bands like Brand New Sin — a blend of old school hard rock, metal, southern influences and gruff vocals — Sin Dealer’s sophomore album Dying to Live is certainly interesting. There are some good grooves, memorable melodies and a nice cover of AC/DC’s “Walk All Over You.” But there’s […]

So often, in the review business, it all comes down to timing. I try to keep an open mind and give fair reviews for every CD that comes across my desk. But in all honesty, if I get an OK record in a style that I’m just really burned out on at the time, it […]

When I first heard Stuck Mojo in the mid-1990s, the sound was fresh and interesting – a solid, Southern-flavored metal band fronted by a rapper. With the rise of the rap-rock trend and the nu-metal trends in the late 90s and early part of this decade, the sound began to lose its edge. The band […]