While Jeremy Wagner was on hiatus from Broken Hope back in 2002 (before they got back together), he, along with Broken Hope drummer Mike Miczek, started Earthburner, named after a Broken Hope song from Grotesque Blessings, to pass the time. However, Broken Hope reformed and released some more albums, but Earthburner was always sort of lurking […]

US Progressive Black Metallers Amiensus return with their fourth full-length record Reclamation: Part 1. The album gets kicked off with “Blink of the Moment” which right off the bat I am impressed with the production values. The clean vocals of James Benson and Kelsey Roe are outstanding. I dig the bass break played by Todd […]

In Demonology, Malphas is a demonic grand president of hell and is second in command to Satan. He commands 40 legions of demons and he appears as a crow to any summoners. It’s also a melodic death metal band from Philadelphia that uses its demonic namesake as the basis for all its lyrics, songs, and […]

It seems my reviews are becoming scarce, but when I do review something these days, it’s almost always an AOTY sleeper. It might be that I don’t spend time on anything unless I enjoy it. This is because I am typically doing one of three things; working, sleeping, or attending concerts, with the occasional opportunity […]

Once upon a time in Olsztyn, Warmia-Masuria 2017 a band was formed by multi-instrumentalist Lasota and thus Varmia was born. Named assumingly because of the historical region of the same name in Northern Poland. I reviewed their fantastic EP Prolog here and my reaction to that album was you, constant reader, need to hear this. […]

The forests of Eastern Europe hold secrets, the landscape wears the scars of battle like badges of honor; trenches and bunkers dot the countryside where years of war have done their worst. This region has contributed numerous bands to the Pagan Black Metal scene over the years, they stand out for their use of traditional […]

Sometimes, if you get the opportunity, there’s nothing sweeter than doing something just because you friggin’ want to. For example (and I understand this is sorta an extreme one) – no one buys a vintage sports car because it’s practical, safe, or smart. No, you do it because you want a friggin’ vintage sports car! […]

Every so often, the world of metal is treated to an act that creates an altogether new and unique sound – one that, if it catches the right audience, can become a spark that inspires an entire generation of bands and musicians to try and capture some of that magic for themselves. Classic examples including […]

I rather enjoyed the debut from Israel’s Scardust, The Sands of Time.  It was a more progressive, Dream Theater tinged, complex take on the standard Delain/Epica style of female-fronted symphonic metal. It was highlighted by guitarist Yadin Moyal, vocalist Noa Gruman and young keyboardist/orchestral arranger, Alex Nichola. And once again on another concept/story themed metal […]

Progressive, symphonic Israeli metal band for fans of Delain, Between the Buried and Me, Dream Theater and Orphaned Land? Mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Amon Amarth, Amorphis) ? Ok, I’m interested. Scardust’s debut album, Sands of Time was originally self released in 2017, but has been picked up by M Theory Audio (Into […]

England’s Hecate Enthroned is largely known for being the band that Former Cradle of Filth bassist/vocalist Jon Kennedy formed after departing Cradle of Filth before they were huge rock stars (he actually appears on the original version of Dusk and Her Embrace, recently released as The Original sin) , and subsequently and unabashedly ripping off Cradle […]