Funeral doom is a disturbing catharsis and artistic reaction to despair. It creates a violent and oppressive landscape with a melodious undertone. Canada’s Longing for Dawn are a miserable bunch that have been releasing quality material under the radar for sometime now and on this their third release, the apocalypse sounds closer than ever. Between […]

The Germans have a similar problem as the Americans. The term metalcore gets thrown around like a whore in a bukkake circle and deprives some bands of the obvious melodic death metal moniker they deserve. Despite comparisons to heavy weights Heaven Shall Burn and Caliban, bands like Neaera along with Fragments of Unbecoming lean considerably […]

You’ve got to respect a band like Eluveitie. To make such a bold move like this after a highly impressive album like Slania is rather bizarre, especially when your fan base is just starting to grow. Evocation I – The Arcane Dominion, departs far from the melodic death approach and firmly embraces the bands desire […]

The marriage of traditional folk music (from many countries) with metal has become more than just an exotic sub-genre. The two united seems almost perfect at times and there is a rabid following of fans. However, when the band goes complete folk and abandons all metal ideals (Eluveitie’s Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion), it’s a […]

With the shrieking banshee desperately reaching for your delicious flesh on the album cover, The Horror is aptly titled and steamrolls you over with blood-curdling vocals and Dismember style buzz saw distortion. I don’t think I have heard such a Swedish ruckus since Evocation’s Tales from the Tomb. What we have here is a razor […]

I invite you to check out SelfMadeGod Records and the bands webpage after this review because the description they have of Mothra’s music is not only hilarious, it’s pretty dead on. Honestly, I am having a difficult time placing Mothra into a specific genre, but I am completely impressed by this Polish act. Dyes is […]

Personally, I have never really cared for My Dying bride. As much as I love dismal doom metal, this veteran act has never struck the right chord with me. Is that blasphemy? No, it’s just this reviewer’s disposition. However, no one can deny how important this band has been to doom and gloom, and For […]

I have enjoyed beating myself senseless over the years with the more extreme elements of metal music, but every now and then I do enjoy the more melodic avenues of the genre. Jyvaskyla, Finland’s SaraLee are new to me, but I am enjoying this band’s sophomore release, Damnation to Salvation. SaraLee play a very familiar […]

Virginia (mainly Richmond) has shown to be a hotbed for modern American metal and has rendered some superior bands over the years. Gwar, Lamb of God, and Municipal Waste are just a few who have erupted out of this area and made quite a name for themselves. Newcomers Adversary, the latest spewed from Manassas Virginia, […]

The past few years have been an interesting time for metal music no matter how you look at it. The amount of reunions and bands reforming has become a blessing to some and tiresome to others. Some of these acts need to let well enough alone, while others are showing new appetite and rekindling old […]

One look at the six members of Marionette and you will probably think Emo or some sort of Goth is about to punish your ears. Dressed like something I would expect from AFI or Marilyn Masons children, this Swedish act is more serious than you think. I for one was fooled until I popped in […]

Fifteen years and nine albums in, Suidakra’s Crogacht is not only exactly what you would expect form the band but an inviting return to their earlier sound. The past few albums had some missteps (2005’s Command to Charge comes to mind) but 2006’s Caledonia showed the band coming around. What is displayed on 2009’s Crogacht […]

Vocalist Andreas Hedlund, also known as the infamous Mr. V or Vintersorg, is probably the busiest man I can think of in Metal music. His ever-lengthening discography always seems to impress me in some fashion, though his style is an acquired taste at times. His bands Borknagar and Vintersorg alone are regarded as some of […]

I was unimpressed with the release of The Roundhouse Tapes on CD only because of my apathy for audio live performances. I just don’t get it. I have the albums. There is no need for me to have a live version. At least Opeth. However, watching a live performance on DVD is a totally different […]

Ego is something Manowar had plenty of and they flaunted it with their own robust approach. Some may feel the bands downfall was when co-founder Ross “The Boss” Friedman left the fold. Since then he’s tried his hand in a few different groups and was a founder of the punk outfit The Dictators. Recently, Ross […]

It is apparent that the recent wave of folk metal is becoming the new metalcore. After the genre received quite a boost in the last year or so bands have been popping up left and right with traditional Scandinavian infused metal. The problem is the cheese factor has escalated and it seems labels jump at […]

Surviving in the underground for over ten years, one-man entity Forest of Shadows has delivered some honest and passionate work. The sentimental value of Nicals Frohagen’s music is undeniable and this sophomore release continues his intimate path. Forest of Shadows is a dark/doom metal project. Fans of meaningful music such as Novembre, Swallow the Sun, […]

I found Closer a few years back on Myspace. The sound was very polished and Soilworkish which grabbed my attention. To my surprise, I find the bands debut A Darker Kind of Salvation arrive in the mail for me to review. Closer may be on Pulverised Records but this is a Nuclear Blast, modern, Swedish […]

I am about to rant and demean this puppy inside and out. So beware. CD’s like this just aggravate me to no end. This will stand as one of the year’s worst records in my list. Deadlock where fairly new to the scene a few years ago and showed some potential in the female/male fronted […]

To an untrained ear or mind, a frightening violation of the senses like this is hard to stomach. The soundscape presented is bleak, unsettling, and chaotic, yet melodic and textured at the same time. If you’re into the disturbed extremities of heavy music then look no further. There is nothing pretty about Haven and one […]

Maurycy “Mauser” Stefanowicz of Vader fame, announced some time ago that he would be leaving his long running extreme outfit to focus on his new project, Unsun. For straight up, death metal, Vader fans, the only enjoyment you’ll get out of this proposal is looking at the rack on lead lady Aya. However, followers of […]

Bands like Kalmah are really true gems and they wear their hard work on their sleeves. Once labeled as a Children of Bodom clone, Kalmah have consistently matured and crafted their music into one of today’s most noticeable and dominating symphonic death metal sounds. Where Bodom and melodic death metal in general have failed, Kalmah […]

Churn out as much quality as Opeth, and each album will be studied for the slightest inclination of a flaw. Truth is, Mikael Akerfeldt and his mammoth baby Opeth have no flaws and are literally, in this reviewers eye’s, perfect. Say what you will, Watershed proves without a doubt that you don’t mess with Opeth. […]

It’s difficult to find security in bands these days. At least half of the bands I look forward to seeing releases from take a turn for the worst at some point. So far Sweden’s Draconian only stay steady if not get better with each album. For those familiar with Arcane Rain Fell and Where Lovers […]

Cover tunes are somewhat of an abnormality for me. Even when it’s just one on an album of all originals it strikes me as lame, wasteful, and utterly cheesy. Though over the years we have heard some great covers, in any genre, it still presents mixed opinions from this reviewer. So when a pretty well […]