Edinburgh-formed Progressive Metal heavyweights Dvne take their latest step forward with the accomplished Voidkind (Metal Blade Records).
Tag Archives: Sci-Fi
ALBUM REVIEW: Jaaw – Supercluster
Jaaw is an intriguing collaboration, bringing together a group of musicians that few people may have predicted hitting the studio together. The ‘super-group’ fronted by Therapy?’s veteran singer and guitarist Andy Cairns, joins Wayne Adams (Petbrick/ Big Lad), Jason Stoll (Mugstar / Sex Swing), and Adam Betts (Squarepusher / Goldie) in creating their debut record Supercluster (Svart Records) at Adam’s notorious Bear Bites Horse Studio in London.
ALBUM REVIEW: Black Orchid Empire – Tempus Veritas
Prog metal trio Black Orchid Empire crank up the technical complexity and again display their playing chops on Tempus Veritas (Season Of Mist). While there is a certain schizophrenia at play here, a clash of styles, if not intent, it has to be said that when these London-based boys (Paul Visser – vocals/guitars, Dave Ferguson – bass/vocals, and Billy Freedom – drums) are good, they are very good.
ALBUM REVIEWS: Black Sabbath Reissues – Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules
Photo credit: Mark Weiss with permission
When Ronnie James Dio joined metal legends Black Sabbath in 1980 the former Rainbow frontman’s appointment couldn’t have come at a better time. Sabbath were a sinking ship. A drowning vessel from which enigmatic frontman Ozzy Osbourne had been trying to escape for some time. However, even though it was painfully clear that new blood had to be added to halt the band’s alarming deterioration the hostility that greeted Dio from some corners was quite shocking.
ALBUM REVIEW: Spheric Universe Experience – Back Home
The new album from melodic progressive heavy metal act Spheric Universe Experience (never have I heard a more perfect name for a band!) Back Home (UPRISING!) is a true musical journey. This new cut, the band’s fifth overall and first for a decade, plays through like a movie soundtrack for some epic sci-fi adventure, which is apt considering this is a concept album set in space.
Coheed and Cambria Shares a New Single and Lyric Video – “Comatose”
Coheed and Cambria – Photo Credit – Alexandra Gavillet
Coheed and Cambria have shared a new single and lyric video for “Comatose!” The track comes from their highly-anticipated new album, Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind. The thirteen track album was produced by the band’s own Claudio Sanchez and Zakk Cervini, and will be released worldwide on May 27th. Pre-orders for the album on DSPs and for the collection’s deeply immersive Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set are live at the link below. Watch the video and pre-order and pre-save the album now!
ALBUM REVIEW: Persefone – metanoia
Persefone’s metanoia (Napalm Records) opens and it feels as if I’m watching an Andrew Lloyd Weber Broadway musical. Metanoia is atmospheric and grandiose; one would expect nothing less from Persefone. ‘Katabasis’ explodes onto the listener with a bombastic array of seventies progressive rock and psychedelia feel. Marc Martins Pia has shades of Yaz and Freddy Mercury on the opening track juxtaposed with the guttural vocalizations of death metal. The guitar work of Carlos Lozano Quintanilla and Filipe Baldaia are a wild mixture of mathematical genius, LSD, and a plethora of thirty-second note runs. ‘Katabasis’ can be an intense listen.
Coheed and Cambria Announces New Album “Vaxis II: A Window Of The Waking Mind”
Coheed and Cambria – Photo Credit – Alexandra Gavillet
Coheed and Cambria have announced the full details of their highly-anticipated new album, Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind. The thirteen track album was produced by the band’s own Claudio Sanchez and Zakk Cervini, and will be released worldwide on May 27th. Pre-orders for the album on DSPs and for the collection’s deeply immersive Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set are live at the link below. You can also see the album artwork and tracklist below too!
ALBUM REVIEW: Fear Factory – Aggression Continuum
It’s been well documented that the road to Aggression Continuum (Nuclear Blast Records), the latest album from Californian cyber-metallers Fear Factory, has been strewn with obstacles, challenges, and all manner of highly publicised internal disputes. Since its recording, the band has endured a lengthy legal battle which concluded with the departure of vocalist Burton C Bell, and saw guitarist, songwriter, and current studio bassist Dino Cazares winning the rights to the Fear Factory name via auction.
ALBUM REVIEW: Blaze Bayley – War Within Me
With a solo career that is now going over two decades strong, Blaze Bayley shows no signs of slowing down with his tenth full-length album. While War Within Me (Blaze Bayley Records) is an inevitable step back from the Infinite Entanglement trilogy that he released through the late 2010s, this has more to do with the sense of scale than any sort of quality concerns. If anything, the album is essentially a fun look back on everything that Blaze has accomplished thus far.