While walking the dog, I hit “play” on Faun‘s Hex (Believe/Pagan Folk Records) and the neighborhood transformed into a little medieval village, albeit with a glossy retromodern feel. Pagan Folk music by way of Yanni sums up the ambiance of this audio village.Continue reading
Either Straight Edge is making a comeback, or I’m just picking differently these days. I mean, I picked this one because the descriptor shouted to me: “queer vegan shitpunks.” I had to hear this thing.Continue reading
Guitars quite literally illustrate the opening action of “By The Light”, a group of paladins attacking an evil necromantic death cult. Their failure and the sole survivor Emaly’s efforts to avenge the deaths form the balance of Burning Sun’s Retribution (Metalizer Records), a Power Metal tour de force of a concept album in the vein of Helloween and my last album reviewed for Ghost Cult, Martyr. Pancho Ireland’s vocals maintain smooth power akin to Bruce Dickinson.Continue reading
The press kit for this record reads normal, until we look a little deeper. Martyr formed in 1982 and earned attention three years later with a major single and album. Further details about tours and acts sharing the stage – standard stuff for a forty-plus-year-old act. Then, “[U]nleash their seventh studio album Dark Believer through ROAR.” Wait, what? Seventh? When did they form? Huh. That’s like Guns ‘n’ Roses pace.
Let’s have a listen, shall we?
“Danish Folk Metal.” That was the promise. Svartsot delivered on the promise. Delivered splendidly. I’m not sure if Ghost Cult Magazine has a Danish-speaking reviewer on staff, because the thing’s not in English. There might be a song or two in English, but the vocals are gutteral-grunt incoherent-style Metalcore. So, after a brief discussion of the rather complicated story of this concept album about a Thirteenth Century Crusader, I’ll spend the rest of this talking about the music of Peregrinus (Mighty Music).Continue reading
I spent entirely too long trying to sub-genrefy Nefarious‘ Addicted to Power (Relentless Metal Records). Among the eight tracks on this non-stop aural assault, Thrash, Power, and OG NWOBHM/Warlock/Accept-era influences share a sonic landscape littered with anger, cynicism, and Lovecraft. Before we go any further, let me say I enjoyed this album thoroughly and recommend it highly. You may question that at times if you keep reading.Continue reading
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
In a better universe, Lemmy Kilmister lives. In that universe, Motorhead goes about twenty percent more Punk for their most recent album.
Because we live in our universe, we got lucky. Kicked In The Teeth gave us Watling Street Chambers (Rare Vitamin Records), which my ears tell me might as well be the same thing.
I have always loved to say that I liked Alternative Rock back when it was. Somehow, in the 2000s, the American music scene began making the music I loved boring and colorless and popular. Grunge became the be-all, and joy left the party.
So, it is always with some caution that I approach albums like Moonback Stage‘s Echo Process (L’Autre Distribution). It is always with pleasure that I’m rewarded for the effort.Continue reading
Never Quite Dead (Dying Victims Productions,) Pagan Altar‘s newest album, also perfectly describes the band’s journey since its inception in 1978. Reading the press kit, this NWOBHM/Power Doom quartet formed, recorded, and broke up before they earned much attention.Continue reading