Tag Archives: Groove Metal

ALBUM REVIEW: Prong – State of Emergency

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Tommy Victor is an unsung hero of Rock. The Prong frontman (and the band’s only constant) has been putting out great records under the Prong banner since 1989’s Force Fed. Between then and the band’s latest — thirteenth studio album State of Emergency (Steamhammer / SPV) — there’s been a brief flirtation with commercial success in the early-mid nineties, an extended hiatus before and after the band’s unfairly-maligned Scorpio Rising album from 2003, and a steady stream of quality material over recent years.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Shepherd’s Reign – Ala Mai

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It’s tempting to compare a band from New Zealand to Alien Weaponry, but the tribal folk of Shepherds Reign‘s homeland is woven into the fabric of their songs in a manner more like what Sepultura did on the Roots album. 

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CONCERT REVIEW: The Convalescence – W.o.R. – Yes Devil Live at D.N.A. Lounge

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One of my favorite things about living in the Bay Area is the sheer number and variety of metal shows on a weekly basis. There’s nothing else quite like it and one can always find something new to step outside their musical comfort zone. This week was no exception as I booked it across the bridge to DNA Lounge in San Francisco to hear The Convalescence, W.o.R, and Yes Devil.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Lockjaw – Relentless

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Setting what surely must be some sort of record, Texan metalcore merchants Lockjaw finally release their full-length studio debut twenty-five years after coming into existence. Formed in 1998, the band garnered a decent live reputation but disappeared shortly into the 2000s. Reactivated with a little tweaking in the personnel department, the independently released ‘Deadlights’ single appeared in 2018 followed by four more songs released over 2021 and 2022. Always moving towards a full-length album, Lockjaw 2.0 now deliver on that promise with Relentless (AISAUS/The Orchard), a record sure to please many a groove metal enthusiast.

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ALBUM REVIEW: DevilDriver – Dealing With Demons Vol. II 

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Dez Fafara is a man who needs little introduction, having arrived on the scene at the height of the nu-metal explosion with Coal Chamber, whose debut album landed in 1997 to provide Roadrunner Records with a band to rival the impact that the likes of Korn and Deftones were having on the genre. But when relationships started to turn sour in Coal Chamber signaling the end of their initial run, rather than fading into obscurity, the larger-than-life vocalist reinvented himself for round two of his unique career in metal, with DevilDriver. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Soulfly – The Soul Remains Insane The Studio Albums 1998 – 2004

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Whenever an established act loses its frontman, especially one as talismanic as Max Cavalera, fans are usually left choosing sides. Do you go with the musician striking out on their own or do your allegiances remain with the band? Largely dependent on the situation, an amicable split can leave listeners happily following both parties down separate paths to the promise of glory but when open hostility is at the heart of the separation, loyalties are often put to the test.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Incite – Wake Up Dead

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Formed in 2004 by Richie Cavalera, the stepson of former Sepultura frontman, Max Cavalera, Arizona groove thrashers Incite have undergone several changes in personnel during their eighteen-year existence but their edge has not been dulled even slightly. Wake Up Dead (Atomic Fire Records), the band’s sixth full-length studio album, is another seething mass of riffs and rage that sees the return of bassist Christopher “EL” Elsten and drummer Lennon Lopez while also welcoming guitarist Eli Santana to the fold.

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CLASSIC ALBUMS REVISITED: Thirty Years of “Vulgar Display of Power” By Pantera  

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By 1992, Metal was all but on its knees. Traditional bands had become dinosaurs and previously popular scenes were burnt out. There were exceptions, of course. Slayer were playing arenas, Metallica had global domination in their sights, death metal was approaching its peak and across northern Europe, black metal was literally rising from the ashes of burned churches. But for the rest of the world, grunge and other alternative scenes were the new kings, all drawing inspiration from the bands they were replacing but without any of that old fashioned baggage.Continue reading →