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
Tag Archives: Larry Rogers
ALBUM REVIEW: Iron Lung – Adapting – Crawling
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When I was much, much, much younger, I went to a talent show at a girlfriend’s high school. Most of the acts were musical, so they set up a stage in the gym rather than using the auditorium. About four or five of those bands were hardcore punk fronted by the same kid, and every song exploded in a sub-two-minute speed-punk rage blast.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: Magnolia Park – Vamp
The press release can call it “neo-gothic” or whatever they want, but Magnolia Park‘s Vamp (Epitaph Records) is Nu Metal, landing somewhere between Linkin Park, and Oh! The Horror. What that means in this context is that I really dig it. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Manntra – Titans – Napalm Records
This record is BIG. Titans is suitably apropos for Manntra‘s Napalm Records debut. Titanic in size and scope. Billed as “Croatian Folk Metal,” the “folk” element is a much smaller element than, say Tengger Cavalry. This thing is an NWOBHM/ Power/Symphonic Metal tour de force (emphasis firmly on “force”.) Even the cover is huge: Lord of the Rings meets Templar Knights in a pitched battle.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Hirax – Faster Than Death
ALBUM REVIEW: ALT BLK ERA – Rave Immortal
It’s a cliche, but this album blew me away. Blew me away like the guy in the old Maxell ads. But that’s not right because you cannot listen to ALT BLK ERA’s Rave Immortal (Earache Records) without legit dancing. Finds like this are why I love doing these reviews. Let me do a reset to where I first hit “play”.Continue reading