Twenty years into their existence, Metalcore prize fighters The Ghost Inside look, feel, and sound as good as they ever have. Searching For Solace (Epitaph Records) the sixth installment in the band’s catalog, is not only a de facto extension of the emotionally driven self-titled album; it’s purposeful, tight, and as good a case as any that TGI are (still) at the height of their career.Continue reading
Tag Archives: Reviews
ALBUM REVIEW: Melvins – Tarantula Heart
One day we pulled the curtains open on a bright, new day and out there on the street we were greeted by Melvins, taking their Tarantula Heart (Ipecac Recordings) procession all the way through the town. Zombie teddy bears and dogs in suits up on their hind legs stepped in time while King Buzzo, Dale Crover, and Steven McDonald lead the way, soon joined by drummer Roy Mayorga and guitarist Gary Chester from the flanks.
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ALBUM REVIEW: Necrot – Lifeless Birth
Despite crust death metallers Necrot forming in 2011, the Oaklanders’ newest slab is only the trio’s third full-length in their brief-yet-inviting discography.
Essentially, the band doesn’t rush to put out a record, nor do they seem to want to release something before every “i” is dotted and “t” crossed.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Belore – Eastern Tales
The concept of Epic/Atmospheric Black Metal seems to thrive on extreme ends of the spectrum: it’s either performed as passionately and pristinely as a fantastical saga, or it’s generic drab that breeds vague cliches and untethered musical arrangements. There is no in-between.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Blue Oyster Cult – Ghost Stories
One of the least high-profile sign-offs since Button Gwinnett affixed his moniker to the Declaration, Ghost Stories (Frontiers Music srl), billed as Blue Oyster Cult’s final studio album, still qualifies as a “must have” for aficionados, even if it will never be widely celebrated or remembered in the same way as Secret Treaties, Agents Of Fortune, Cultosaurus Erectus, or Fire Of Unknown Origin.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Dead Pony – Ignore This
Social media might be to blame for the increasing enmeshment of Pop music into the Rock genre. Pop artists are more marketable and interchangeable with social media influencers. What record label would not want an artist with the iconic charisma of Taylor Swift? Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Ingested – The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams
Deathcore stalwarts, Ingested, once again release into the world their own blend of pig squeals, breakdowns, and hypnotizing guitar leads. This collection of slamming tracks makes up their eighth full-length album called The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams (Metal Blade Records). While the subgenre has fallen far from its once prominent standing in the heavy music world, the UK natives put together quality deathcore without trying anything too experimental. Ten tracks hit you right in the face for forty-five minutes before finally letting go.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: My Dying Bride – A Mortal Binding
My Dying Bride might be the most important Doom band ever. Their second album Turn Loose The Swans (1993, Peaceville Records) redefined the genre, forsaking Sabbath worship, and creating a romantically depressing river of sonic darkness from which they sailed. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: The Monolith Deathcult – The Demon Who Makes Trophies Of Men
Avant-Garde Death Metal mentallers with serious swagger and a slew of crazed ideas, Netherlands-based wild bunch The Monolith Deathcult are back.
The Demon Who Makes Trophies Of Men (Human Detonator Records) is an imaginative, irreverent slice of noise that screams “Attack! Attack! Attack!” for much of its grim, punishing but seriously rewarding running time.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Iron Monkey – Spleen and Goad
Iron Monkey were one of the OGs from the UK underground Sludge Metal scene back in the mid-late nineties and had a run that included the reissue of their self-titled debut album (1997), and their follow-up Our Problem (1998) – on the mighty Earache Records. Continue reading