The most impressive thing about Shade Empire’s new album Sunholy (Candlelight Records) is the range of dynamics it incorporates. However, if you need this to be a Black Metal album you might need to go hunt down the new Taake album or wait for Mayhem’s album to drop, but if you are open to metal that is melodic and offers a great deal of sonic colors then hear me out…
While paring Enforced’s third album, War Remains (Century Media) down to a violent interbreeding of Seasons In The Abyss and Nightmare Logic may seem a little unfair and reductive, nonetheless, it immediately focuses the mind on the sort of aggressive perfection you have in store on this utter treat of metallic pummelling. Continue reading
The snow had finally tapered off right when the doors opened for the night’s event at the historic Majestic Theatre. This beloved spot is one of Detroit’s preferred venues to catch a heavy show. Continue reading
Five years after the release of their previous studio album The Shadow Theory, US-based, multinational Power Metal legends Kamelot return with the appropriately titled The Awakening (Napalm). The symphonic act’s thirteenth studio album sees the addition of German drummer Alex Landenburg to the band’s ranks, while Swedish vocalist Tommy Karevik has now been fully and completely assimilated, the ghost of former frontman Roy Khan now just a happy memory, as Tommy delivers arguably his strongest and most versatile performance to date.
In essence, Melodic Death Metal began at some point in the early nineties when the Gothenburg scene laid a foundation for the subgenre to flourish. A lot of bands took flight later in the decade and pushed the boundaries of this newly formed category. Insomnium is known for taking its heavy, melodious riffs beyond the norm and conjuring a truly inventive tone full of dreamy dismalness and gripping gloom. Their ninth studio album, Anno 1696 (Century Media Records) is coming to light soon on which they share the perplexing horrors of humanity in vehement ways.
One thing which the German symphonic metal act Xandria cannot be accused of is staleness. A seemingly constant revolving door of members since day one, there simply isn’t enough time for inertia or sterility. The musical merry-go-round did slow down recently though, as for only the second time the band did actually manage to keep the same line-up for more than one record. However, it all changed once again as guitarist and founder member Marco Heubaum returns not only with an entirely refreshed group of musicians, but a noticeable modification to the band’s sound.
The German Rock scene is legendary for producing exceptional bands like Scorpions and Rammstein. This schnitzel-loving nation is also known for its more niche music acts. Mono Inc. has been at the helm of the Gothic Rock movement since the early 2000s and they show no sign of slowing down.
Often reserved for debut releases, eponymously titled albums usually tend to herald a band’s emergence into a more public consciousness. A proud declaration of intent that relies solely on a name. However, a title-free album released further down the line can just as easily foreshadow a lack of creativity or imagination. This isn’t always the case, of course, and thankfully, the latest full-length from German symphonic act Beyond the Black stands as one of their strongest records to date. Confident and enthralling, Beyond the Black (Nuclear Blast) sees the Mannheim metallers acting as a quartet for the first time, the band choosing to use session musicians since the departure of bass player Stefan Herkenhoff last year.
When one thinks about the Power Metal genre, several European bands might come to mind. There are the greats like Blind Guardian, Helloween, and Rhapsody of Fire that have carried this grandiose genre for many years. Yet things are beginning to change. A fresh take on speed, symphony, and big vocals is occurring in North America and Judicator is one of the bands making it happen. They have been around for ten years and are getting ready to release their sixth full-length, The Majesty of Decay (Prosthetic Records). Even with a handful of lineup changes over the past decade, the sound that made people’s ears perk is still there. Known for writing about historical events and people, this new release is a concept album that takes on a much darker theme.
