When it comes to Ted Nugent, there’s not a lot of middle ground. People generally love him or hate him, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s why he brags about graduating “magna cum loudmouth” in “Funk U.” On his last record Craveman, Nugent really got back to what he does best. He […]

grew up in Lillian Axe’s Louisiana stomping grounds, checking them out regularly at local clubs once I was old enough to get in (and, truth be told, a few times before). So, even though it’s been a lot of years since they’ve released a new record, and even more since they’ve really been relevant, I […]

Critics rave about them, in-the-know fans on message boards sing their praises, but for some reason it seems that no one in the wider music world has heard of Slough Feg, and that’s a shame. This is some of the best pure, unadulterated old school metal going. With one foot in the 1970s, the other […]

I’ll admit it, I’m a Motley Crue fanboy. I own every record they’ve ever put out, even the really shitty stuff from the late 1990s, and Shout at the Devil would probably still make my list of top metal records. I’ve also at least checked out all of the solo attempts by the band’s members. I’ve […]

So, here’s the second record in Candlemass’ comeback bid, following up the excellent self-titled record from 2005, and not surprisingly considering the band’s history, already there’s a problem. Singer Messiah Marcolin is gone again. But you know what? If I’m being completely honest, that’s not really a problem. Enter Solitude Aeturnus singer Robert Lowe, exit […]

The latest solo record from Stratovarius frontman Timo Kotipelto really offers no surprises. It’s a collection of melodic and power metal tracks designed to show off his vocals, and overall it’s a very mixed bag despite a lineup that features Children of Bodom keyboardist Janne Wirman, Stratovarius bassist Lauri Porra and Thunderstone drummer Mirka Rantanen […]

Seeing the words “all-star lineup” these days is almost enough to make me not even want to listen to a record. While the idea of a supergroup may seem kind of cool, the truth of the matter is it takes more than names to make music. For a band to truly be tight and locked […]

OK, here’s the thing about concept records. There are only just a few like Queensryche’s Operation: Mindcrime and Savatage’s Streets that are great from start to finish. The reason is that when you focus on writing songs to fit into a story or theme rather than writing songs you feel, there are always going to […]

I’m sure there’s someone reading this review that will absolutely love this record, but it’s really just not my thing. The new project of Voivod drummer Michel “Away” Langevin, Kosmos is a throwback to the progressive jam bands of the 1970s. The 12 tracks on this record feature lots of spacey keyboards, organs and some […]

Man, what a difference a few years can make. When Widow’s 2005 release On Fire landed in front of me, I thought it was great. It was this campy, horror-themed traditional metal with just enough of a modern touch to make it interesting. It was definitely on the cheesy side, but the band seemed to […]

What’s the deal with everyone wanting to be compared to Testament recently? I like Testament as much as anyone who grew up on ’80s thrash, but I must have gotten at least a half-dozen records in the last month with quotes like “This is Testament for a new generation of thrash,” etc. For a band […]

I’m big enough to admit that Sonata Arctica got a bit of a raw deal from me on their last record, 2004’s Reckoning Night. It landed on my desk at a time when I was really burned out on power metal in general, and I just was not in the mood to hear it. So […]

I enjoyed Masterplan’s last record, Aeronautics, and was looking forward to hearing the follow-up. Perhaps its because of the loss of vocalist Jorn Lande or perhaps its because I’m listening to it shortly after I’ve been impressed by the chances taken on Sonata Arctica’s latest record. Whatever the case, I’m underwhelmed with what I’m hearing […]

It’s about time we got a new Soilwork record. And when did the hot bass player join the band? … Oh, wait a minute. sorry. Only a few notes into the Nuclear Blast debut by Sonic Syndicate, it’s easy to see how I could have gotten confused. Among certain circles, Sonic Syndicate will lose credibility […]

Iron Fire’s last record, Revenge, came as a pleasant surprise to me. I plugged it into my CD player fully expecting another typical European power metal record, but what I got was a little tougher, more in the vein of Manowar. So I came into this record with higher expectations. I was a little concerned […]

So, the question is should you drop 25 bucks on a double album of unreleased stuff by Danzig? If you had asked me that in 1992, I wouldn’t have blinked an eye before saying yes. I would have found a way to get my hands on what, at that time in my life, would have […]

 never was a big Accept fan, largely because the vocals of Udo Dirkschneider grated on my nerves. So it should go without saying that I didn’t give much thought to Udo’s solo albums at all after the first one or two. I still find Dirkschneider’s vocals one step this side of nails on a chalkboard, […]

I’ve got a brother who thinks Alabama Thunderpussy is one of the best things since electric guitar. To be honest, I’ve never really been that into them. Maybe it’s because of the band name, which I always thought was a little silly. To be honest, I can’t see myself sporting the Alabama Thunderpussy T-shirt. At […]

Name your record Thrash Metal and you’ve got my attention. Of course, you’d better deliver what you promise, too. Blood Tsunami does. The band is firmly entrenched in the worlds of 1980s German thrash and the San Francisco Bay area style, which of course, produced thrash’s biggest names. So what you’ll hear here is tight, […]

I;m surprised how often I put a CD in my player and wonder how any group of musicians could listen to the finished product and say, “man, we really nailed it. That’s exactly what we were going for.” This is one of those moments. Big Trouble in Little China is the kind of three-chord rock […]

If I was going through Iced Earth withdrawal, the latest record from Intense would be a welcome arrival. Unfortunately for Intense, I’ve been listening to an outstanding Iced Earth EP for the past two weeks, and I’m looking forward to a new record from the band later this year. So while I appreciate the quality […]

I’ll forgive a lot for great music, including stage names like Sticky Krull and Lord Hobgoblin Hambone McPentatonic. Luckily for those guys this record from their band is loaded down with Sabbathy goodness. When the huge opening riff of “Anti-Demon Multiplier” kicked in, I almost thought I had stumbled on a lost classic Sabbath track. […]

Here’s a pleasant surprise. Yeah, I know a lot of people called Megadeth’s last record The System Has Failed a return to form, but personally I didn’t hear it. I thought that record had about three really good songs and a bunch of mediocre stuff that sounds like what Dave Mustaine’s been pushing for the […]

Jon Schaffer offers fans a nice little teaser for Iced Earth’s upcoming album Framing Armageddon coming in the fall. Since 1998’s Something Wicked This Way Comes and Schaffer’s promise to expand on the “Something Wicked Trilogy” fans have been waiting for him to follow through as he delivered a horror-themed record and a very personal […]

Here’s a tip. It’s probably not a good idea to name your band after a book that everyone is forced to read in school and hates. It doesn’t really inspire people to pick up your record. Tip No. 2: Never, ever – fucking ever – send out a press release that proclaims your singer “the […]