In itself, the formula for a successful female fronted gothic metal act is simple; lush production, lavish synths, some catchy riffs, a ballad or two and all of it sung by some buxom, corset clad beauty. It’s been done to death, resulting in somewhat of a saturation of the genre over the last few years. […]

I tell you, if you don’t know what to expect from Zero Hour, it can be a somewhat overwhelming experience. They’ve gotten a new singer since I last heard them (which was the amazing Towers Of Avarice album) and seem to have really cranked up the intensity level. They were already heavier than most other […]

Circus Maximus’ debut record really caught my attention a few years ago. Despite a heavy leaning toward Dream Theater worship, it had some really interesting and memorable moments. It’s taken me a little longer to get a bead on the group’s sophomore effort. There are the good things that I remember from the first record, […]

Attention fans of progressive metal: every CD on your “must get” list just got bumped down one notch. Whatever was next on that list just got replaced by The Towers of Avarice by Zero Hour. This is quite possibly the best American prog metal record I have heard since Dream Theater’s Awake. Dark, brooding melody, […]