5 MINUTE REVIEW: The Black Dahlia Murder – “Servitude”


Check out our review of the new album from The Black Dahlia Murder – “Servitude” coming soon from Metal Blade Records.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: The Black Dahlia Murder – Servitude


 

Replacing the irreplaceable is an impossible task so when the tragic news about Trevor Strnad broke in May 2022, many were left wondering what was next for The Black Dahlia Murder. When the Detroit death metal act revealed their intention to carry on, the next question was who would be chosen to fill that huge, bespectacled void.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Nightwish – Yesterwynde


Despite the unwavering presence of founder member, composer, and keyboard player Tuomas Holopainen, the Nightwish of today is very different to the Nightwish which began in 1996. From a three-track demo to multi-million dollar selling albums featuring full orchestras and huge production values, the band has grown from three Finnish musicians to becoming a multinational enterprise.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Flotsam And Jetsam – I Am The Weapon


Beginning life as Paradox, Dogz, and slightly more embarrassingly, Dredlox, Flotsam and Jetsam has enjoyed/endured somewhat of a staggered career trajectory since 1984. Taking the Metal world by storm with Doomsday For The Deceiver in 1986, the Arizona thrashers delivered the equally impressive No Place For Disgrace a couple of years later, and the world, as they say, looked to be their oyster.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All


In his thirty-one years as frontman of Egypt-obsessed extreme death metal act Nile, founder member Karl Sanders has remained completely true to his original vision. An unrelenting desire to create the most brutal technical death metal riffs known to man. A quest for modern musical perfection using ancient history as the central inspiration. And a steadfast refusal to wear any kind of leg covering that goes more than six inches past the knee. With all of these things, Sanders knows absolutely no compromise.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Hammerfall – Avenge The Fallen


Subtlety and understatement have never been a priority for Hammerfall. Why choose one studded wristband when twenty will do? Well, with more zips and leather than a night at The Blue Oyster (one for the Police Academy fans there) and more chains than a medieval prison, the Swedish heavy metal legends are back with their thirteenth studio album Avenge The Fallen (Nuclear Blast Records).Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Mister Misery – Mister Misery


Right from its earliest days, metal has walked hand in claw with the horror genre. Often supported by costumes, props and a general Grand Guignol-style theatricality, a veritable plethora of acts have walked this same dark, bloody road over the years, many still continuing to do so.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Powerwolf – Wake Up The Wicked


A full moon hangs in the blackened sky, wisps of cloud partially obscuring the glowing orb for a brief moment as lupine howls drift across the empty, shadowy streets below. Glowing eyes stare out from gloomy alleyways, the sound of heavy breathing and scraping of claws on concrete getting increasingly louder as they slowly emerge from the darkness…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: Mr. Big – Ten


When bands make the grand announcement that their next album is to be their last this usually means one of two things. It won’t actually be their final record at all, or the end product will probably ending up being some lacklustre, contractual obligation full of second-hand riffs that never made it onto previous records. Continue reading