Poland’s prog scene is a proximate successor to the UK premier representation of the genre, which is expansively reflected in the music conveyed by Polish most ardent disciples, among whom Riverside certainly march in the first ranks, never ceasing to stun progheads all over the globe with their demonically beautiful amalgam of Pink Floyd, early […]

People tagging Redemption as another Dream Theater copycat seem to be out of touch with reality when it comes to maligning this inexcusably underrated and yet outstanding Progressive Metal outfit from LA. When talents such as Ray Alder (Fates Warning), Nick van Dyk (Fools Game) and Bernie Versailles (Fates Warning, Agent Steel) are joined together […]

Well known to European fans of Melodic Metal, Axxis are still somewhat obscure in American metal circles, even though the guys have been keeping their vessel afloat for more than two decades now. Having gone through ups and downs, the band has stood the test of time and remained loyal to its musical credo, which […]

Every new release from Germany’s pride and joy U.D.O. is a grand occasion for the fans of the band. Picking up the baton from the great Accept as far back as the mid 80’s, U.D.O. is none other than the very incarnation of everything those Teutonic ironsmiths used to be famous for. The rasping diamond-cutting […]

When I heard Dreamland’s debut Future’s Calling back in 2005 I thought to myself, ‘Damn, this thing is just like a Hammerfall replica from start to finish!’ Admittedly, these guys were a carbon copy of one of the most well known Traditional Metal acts from Sweden, but they were a very good and promising copy […]

As a reviewer, I’ve set down an immutable law to follow as of late: if I find myself quite amazed at what I hear from an entirely unfamiliar band that has been around for a while, I go on to check out some other releases from this band to dot my i’s and cross my […]

If Depeche Mode, A-Ha or Ultravox, all of a sudden, grew long hair, join their forces and started playing metal, they would probably be able to rival one of the most original and daring groups on planet, that is Australian Melodic Metal five-piece Voyager. Yet, it would be a cold day in hell if it […]

While many people associate vocalist Joe Lynn Turner with the final glory days of Rainbow, the man has remained prolific throughout the rest of his career. Enough so, to release a handful of solo albums and also participate in countless projects of other artists over the years. Sunstorm is one such project, or to be […]

Do bands have to abide by the rules of labels they sign contracts with? I guess it’s true to some degree, and there is a lot of evidence showing the most unusual transformations occurring throughout the history of metal. Something like this happened to Pathosray, a promising Progressive Metal five-piece from Italy as soon as […]

When it comes to contemporary Power Metal from Germany, Primal Fear seem to be an outfit that nearly every fan of the genre holds in great respect and keeps an eye on. Everything Mr. Sinner & Co have been bringing out since their highly-acclaimed self-titled debut is top-class, perfectly-crafted material. Even if you’re not too […]

Swedish metal with all its forms and branches has been in an exceptionally flourishing state for the last decade or so, and I dare to claim its Power Metal scene would be the real pick of the basket for any first-timer to the genre. You no longer need to turn to the pathfinders like Helloween, […]

What names do you recall when it comes to Power Metal from Australia? Perhaps Vanishing Point? Pegazus? Lord? Maybe even Dungeon? Well, add to this an outfit by the name of Ilium. I did some research and found out that Ilium is a science fiction novel by Dan Simmons, the first part of the Ilium/Olympos […]

I’ll make a confession and tell you that I hadn’t had much faith in Dream Theater since they brought out their timeless masterpiece Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes From A Memory back in 1999. While its successors Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence and Train Of Thought both had their moments of brilliance and assured the listener […]

Super groups are no longer an unheard-of subject as they have been springing up here and there practically on a daily basis as of late. Finland’s own Black Sun Aeon was formed last year and consists of Tuomas Saukkonen of Melodic Death Gothic outfit Before The Dawn, responsible for all guitars, drums, keyboards and dark […]

When many people first hear the name of this Swedish Heavy/Power Metal band, they may hardly suppress making a caustic joke, but once they hear the music delivered by this group their sarcasm should go out the window in nothing flat. At least, this is what actually happened to an acquaintance of mine when he […]

Launched as a Dream Theater cover project back in 2001, Italian Progressive Metal five-piece Astra eventually grew into a self-reliant act and started writing and recording original material. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard their 2006 debut About Me – Through Life And Beyond, but I’m keen to do so after getting acquainted with their newest disc […]

Tabula Rasa, translated as “blank slate” from Latin, is the fitting title for the new album from Sweden’s Power Metal six-piece Bloodbound. If you happened to hear the band’s previous two discs, don’t necessarily expect to be exposed to another act of replication, as often occurs with many metal groups in the present-day scene. In […]

Even though I consider myself a huge fan of Progressive Metal, it so fell out that French quintet Adagio, one of the strongest contemporaries in the genre, had been lost on my radar for unreasonably long five years before chance threw us together again. No sooner had I heard the first thrashy riffs of “Vamphyri”, […]

Amongst metal fans, there are a lot of people listening to different kinds of music. Some worship immortal classical masterpieces, like Swan Lake or Peer Gynt, whereas others go wild over all types of rock music. A young Welsh outfit called Lethargy is going to make an appeal to those in the latter category and […]

When among some other promo discs to be reviewed I caught sight of To The Grave, the new album by Danish Power Metal five-piece Iron Fire, I didn’t feel deliriously happy at the thought I had to look into this doing. Honestly, I had never had a high regard for this band’s previous attempts and […]

Nurtured by bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Saxon, Accept and Helloween, I don’t remember being much of a Grave Digger fan in my early years of metalhood. Yet, these Germans have been around since 1980 and have a lot of experience under their belt, which is thoroughly proven by the thirteen studio […]

The only good thing about Page 26, a five-track cd from Italian Heavy Metal quintet Ibridoma, is that these guys are really lucky to have such a good vocalist as Christian Bartolacci at their disposal. The man does have what it takes and even reminds me of great Robert Plant at his most inspired moments. […]

I like it when material to be reviewed is not only supplied with complete info about the band but also with a multipage booklet and full cover art. Apparently, such a disc is supposed to get an extra point from a reviewer as it can always be reckoned as a worthy collectible item and a […]

Hailing from Italy, Concept Project is an instrumental trio on a young domestic label SG Records that play a rather unpretentious fusion of Blues, Rock’n’Roll and Funk with a bit of Hard Rock and Jazz components. I doubt this style of music will go down too well with the average Metal fan, yet it might […]

If you still think of classic Metal bands as veritable dinosaurs, not dying off soon enough to make way for more advanced and sophisticated contemporaries, then you are sadly misinformed about the current state of the genre. In fact, it’s as large as ever, and more often than not, a trove of new ideas being […]