Among the decades-old origins of Thrash, Hardcore Punk looms large. Many acts evolved from those humble rage-fueled beginnings. Onslaught never forgot; Origins Of Aggression (Reigning Phoenix Music), a celebration of the band’s forty years, aggressively reminds us of their fidelity.Continue reading
Tag Archives: : Album Reviews
ALBUM REVIEW: Death Whore – Blood Washes Everything Away
After two high quality short-form releases, French death/crust act Death Whore erupt fully onto the scene with full length debut Blood Washes Everything Away. A co-production by Duality Records, Crypt of Dr. Gore, Specific Recordings, Hecatombe Records, and No Good to Anyone Productions, the band from Nancy unleashes thirty-five minutes of deeply unpleasant sonic punishment in the nastiest possible way.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Sick N’ Beautiful – Horror Vacui
A one-sentence review of Sick N’ Beautiful’s Horror Vacui (BLKIIBLK Records) is easy: What if Rob Zombie was a woman?Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Dawn Of Ouroboros – Bioluminescence
Continuing their trend of incorporating album titles with color-inspired themes, Blackened Progressive Death Metal outfit Dawn Of Ouroboros follows 2023’s Velvet Incandescence with the equally magnificent effort, Bioluminescence (Prosthetic Records). Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: 10,000 Years – All Quiet On The Final Frontier
Sweden truly is a melting pot for all sorts of high-octane Stoner Metal acts – Monolord, Graveyard, Hällas, Greenleaf, Void Commander; you name it. It is almost like the ideal home for acid trip-inducing slow-paced riffs. Even back in 2021, the label/collective Weedian curated a compilation album consisting of the finest psychedelic haze-laden Stoner Metal bands hailing from Sweden, entitled Trip to Sweden. One of the bands featured on the gnarly lineup of that compilation, the Västerås-bound 10,000 Years, are actually the one whose latest release I’m reviewing today.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Black Oak County – III
The world of Post-Grunge and Octane-Hard Rock is often looked down upon in the alternative scene with phrases like “buttrock” and “divorced-dad rock” now part of the common lexicon when referring to such highly esteemed bands like Nickelback and Shinedown. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: The Barbarians of California – And Now I’m Just Gnashing My Teeth
The sound of what was once considered West Coast Hard Core is changing. The Barbarians of California‘s new album And Now I’m Just Gnashing My Teeth (oneRPM) carries more of a metallic stomp aligned with modern Hardcore. Right from the first song you can hear the band’s more experimental edge. Once into the meat of the album, they bridge hardcore with a Nu-Metal sound, which is not unlike what System of a Down does. They attack with a more spastic jerk. It’s hard not to appreciate the sense of adventure that runs through these songs. The new generation of nu-metal kids who attend festivals like Sick New World will dig it. Hardcore purists might have some questions. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Portrait – The Host
For their sixth full-length studio release, Swedish metallers Portrait journey to the land of the concept album in order to conjure up a tale of sword and sorcery set in the seventeenth century. Their first full-blown conceptual release, The Host (Metal Blade) is not an entirely fictional piece but also inspired partly by historic events, with the band imparting the tale of an unnamed protagonist seeking strength after encountering injustice and hypocrisy.
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ALBUM REVIEW: Apocalyptica – Plays Metallica Vol 2.
Everybody loves covers! Especially covers of iconic songs by great bands. What is better than a single cover version of a classic track, but an entire album of them? What’s even better than that? Well, how about two albums of covers of a bunch of classics!
Yes, we’re talking about Apocalyptica, and we’re talking about Apocalyptica covering Metallica, which they did to great effect on their debut album twenty-five years ago! They have made a career of covering classics in Thrash Metal, introducing thrash fans to classical music on a new scale. while slowly creating their own repertoire of incredible original music, including a few hits along the way. What we often say about cover songs is that there are two approaches to take; a direct copy just redone beat for beat, or making those songs truly your own. Obviously and speaking of the classical metal masters of the Cello from Finland, we are talking reinterpretation. But they ratchet that up significantly on the sequel to their classic debut, Plays Metallica Vol 2., which is releasing via their own new imprint, Throwdown Entertainment.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Insect Ark – Raw Blood Singing
On Raw Blood Singing (Debemur Morti Productions), Insect Ark returns with an otherworldly and compelling sci-fi landscape of noir, subtle menace and mystery. Continue reading