Tag Archives: heavy metal album reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Bloodbound – Field Of Swords – Napalm Records

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If Metal – Power Metal, especially – can be relied upon for one thing, it’s headbanging history lessons. Teaching you the things school either thought unimportant or simply didn’t have the time for, Metal wants you to learn about the past rather than rewrite or forget about it. While teachers drone on incessantly about crop rotation in the 14th century, bands like Sweden’s Bloodbound take you onto blood-soaked fields of battle. On their previous record with Vikings, and now on eleventh full length studio release, Field Of Swords (Napalm Records) into the middle ages and the time of the crusades.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Bastard Cröss – Crossripper

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Formed in Philadelphia back in 2021, Bastard Cröss finally get to unleash their first full-length studio album on an unsuspecting world. With the quartet having already recorded a number of split EP’s and singles over the last four years, Crossripper (Morbid And Miserable) more than lives up to its potential. Delivering a snarling combination of Black Metal and Thrash; the band also possess a keen ear for melody as well as a clear and obvious respect for the old school.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Year Of The Goat – Trivia Goddess

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I’ve said a hundred times and I’ll say it again: there must be something in the waters of Sweden that creates a magic elixir of sorts. This elixir seems to seep into the people of Sweden forcing them to create some of the greatest psychedelic/occult rock music on the planet. Psych/Occult rockers Year of the Goat are no exception. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Warcoe – Upon All Thrones

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When thinking about Italian metal, the chances are the first things that come to mind are silk shirts and symphonic keyboards, or the honest down-to-earth raging of thrash and death metal. Warcoe, however, are the purveyors of that rarest of Italian delicacies – classic Doom Metal.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Nailed To Obscurity – Generation Of The Void

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After a six-year wait, German Melodic Death/Doomers Nailed To Obscurity throw off any remaining shackles and on their fifth full-length studio album, Generation Of The Void (Nuclear Blast Records), fulfil the potential they’ve been threatening to for years. This might come at a cost for some listeners, as while clean singing has always been integral to their sound, it also tended to remain largely as a supporting character in a much larger play. On this latest offering, vocalist Raimund Ennenga really lets loose, delivering easily the best and most versatile performance of his career.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Helloween – Giants And Monsters

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Incorporating all three singers from their long and storied history has proved to be an extremely successful venture for German power metal pioneers Helloween. The band’s eponymously titled previous album yielded great results using this formula so continuing down the same path is a no-brainer for now. So, with egos firmly in check, all seven members (now just two away from being a power metal Slipknot) appear to be having an absolute blast. But most importantly, the fans are too.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Tèlma – Ανθρωποβόρος

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Heavily rooted in the traditional Doom Metal-centered alignment, Athens-based Tèlma has consistently presented melancholic sounds with ceremonial atmospheres. They have been around for roughly eight years and are profoundly inspired by many names across the globe when it comes to musical influences – including Russia’s Scald, Finland’s Reverend Bizarre, and Chile’s Procession – though most listeners probably also can sense some Candlemass-esque hints of references in their sounds.  

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ALBUM REVIEW: Candlemass – Black Star

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The wait for a new Candlemass album can often be slower than their riffs so it’s always a pleasant surprise when an interim release appears on the horizon. Four-track EP Black Star (Napalm Records) might only contain two original songs from the Godfathers of Swedish Doom but, as usual, it’s a tale of quality over quantity. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Ensiferum – Winter Storm

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Since their self-titled release back in 2001, Finnish epic Folk Metal storytellers Ensiferum have been seamlessly blazing a trail despite a myriad of lineup changes, and have done so on a frankly regular schedule. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Stryper – When We Were Kings

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Stryper is one of those bands that has won world recognition for their consistent and dauntless directive. Their resolution to overtly share their beliefs through their big and boisterous sound has made them one of the most acclaimed faith-based Metal acts out there. Their ability to share a powerful and positive message while still being aggressive has been an impressive feat throughout their career. Continue reading →