The artist known simply as W. may not reveal much in the way of an identity, but their musty Black Metal outfit Uprising hits the mark on so many different occasions on III (AOP Records). The strong synergy results in songs that sound like they’re performed by an entire band.Continue reading
Tag Archives: album reviews
ALBUM REVIEW: Ceremony of Silence – Hálios
Given that there’s a heatwave so severe that it was still close to ninety degrees well after sundown, it’s the most appropriate time of the year to review yet another Black Metal record from somewhere in Europe (Slovakia to be exact).Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Excel – Seeking Refuge
Ask any metalhead of a certain age and they’ll tell you the nineties have a lot to answer for. A sudden and seismic change in trends saw the death of Thrash, Glam, and other associated sub-genres, and the unprecedented rise of the Grunge and Alternative scenes. What was popular one minute was outdated the next, and while many bands simply weren’t able to survive, others tried embracing the change.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Orange Goblin – Science, Not Fiction
Following the path blazed by bands like Kyuss and Monster Magnet who emerged from the Grunge scene, Orange Goblin was one of the main bands who kept the bong songs in rotation to help cement the sound we think of today as Stoner Metal.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Through Mists – Branches
Even after nearly half a dozen playthroughs, it’s still a challenge identifying a common thread in which to weave together the five tracks of Branches (Self-Released), the latest output from Through Mists’ mastermind James Aniston.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Ani Difranco – Unprecedented Shit
In the nineties Ani Difranco was a kick in the ass to the Lilith Fair sirens basking in their feelings, bringing a punk attitude to the strum of her alternative folk. Now twenty-two albums deep in her career Unprecedented Shit (Righteous Babe Records) finds her older and wiser, yet still aware of her mission statement.Continue reading
SPLIT REVIEW: DISKORD/ATVM – Bipolarities
I’ve been finding lately that splits coming out in the last several years have been reminding everyone why they are a cool, and slightly more affordable, way to showcase music for the masses. DISKORD and ATVM teamed up to put together thirty-five minutes of their brands of death metal on this collective effort, forever known as Bipolarities (Transcending Obscurity Records). Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: In Hearts Wake – Incarnation
If you kept up with the metalcore scene a decade ago, you definitely knew about Australian outfit In Hearts Wake. Now in 2024, the band is getting closer to qualifying as a “classic” metalcore group—and still embraces every aspect of the classic sound they started with on their new album Incarnation (UNFD). Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Tim Montana – Savage
After spending a long time away from his childhood state of Montana, Tim Montana decided to return to create his awaited fifth album, Savage (Music Knox Records / BBR / BMG Nashville), inspired by his previous life there, and the state itself. In interviews, Montana has said that Savage was an attempt at being lyrically “brutally honest”. For an artist whose words were already quite poignant, this next level up could be the thing that pushes him to whole new horizons when it comes to his music, but will this new writing process and inspiration become fruitful for Montana?Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Lord Buffalo – Holus Bolus
A dark cloud is on the horizon. There’s a sense that a storm is coming. But while such imagery often suggests bad times ahead, with Holus Bolus (Blues Funeral Recordings), the latest record by brooding Folk-Rock four-piece Lord Buffalo, those coming rains could be a welcome release. Continue reading