(8/10) Sweden-based In Flames belong(ed) to the spearhead of Swedish West-coast death metal. They were initiators of a special sound which they step by step evolve, adjusted and/or changed. The newest longplayer 'I, the Mask' has basically not a lot to do with the merciless and brutal early releases. In Flames went through a kind... Continue Reading →
CD review QUEENSRYCHE ‘The Verdict’
(8/10) The announcement of a new Queensryche album leads to anticipation, esp. since the band step by step returns to being a powerful metal band that leaves all the legal fights behind. ‘Queensryche’ and ‘Condition Human’ where the first records with Todd La Torre. His voice added and still add so much to Queensryche’s sound... Continue Reading →
CD review SINMARA ‘Hvísl Stjarnanna’
(9/10) The fact that there‘s a lot of great music coming from Island isn‘t something new. Bands like Solstafir and others are ambassadors of Icelandic metal and here comes another one - Sinmara. The quintet from the North worked on their sophomore album that‘s now in the starting blocks. ‚Hvísl Stjarnanna‘ offers six new songs,... Continue Reading →
CD review EARTH MESSIAH ‘Ouroboros’
(8/10) Nine songs and 35 minutes aren’t facts that announces an epically long album. However, sometimes a short story can be far more exciting than a long novel you never work yourself through. Earth Messiah, hailing from Gothenburg, premiers with one of these ‘boiled down to the essence albums. ‘Ouroboros’ will see the record stores... Continue Reading →
CD review O.R.k. ‘Ramagehead’
(9/10) Releases through KSCOPE are mostly great, but also not light fare. The label has bands in their portfolio that all have creativity, complexity and great quality in common and O.R.k. fits perfectly into this mix. O.R.k. is a ‘super group’ if you will. I’m not a fan of such a description but in this... Continue Reading →
CD review THE YOUNG GODS ‘Data Mirage Tangram’
(*/10) There were two industrial metal bands in the early ‘90s that went on endless rotation on my record player. One band was Ministry and their genre defining ‘Psalm 69’album and the other one was a band from Switzerland that challenged the frames of rock and metal – The Young Gods. Their 1992 release ‘T.V.... Continue Reading →
CD review OVERKILL ‘The Wings of War’
(8/10) Overkill belongs to the very steady factors in thrash metal. Numerous albums from the New Jersey based quintet belong to the timeless classics in metal. Longplayers such as ‘Feel the Fire’, ‘Horrorscope’ and the latest release, ‘The Grinding Wheel’, are carriers of excellent thrash metal. On February 22nd, Overkill adds a new record to... Continue Reading →
CD review AENIMUS ‘Dreamcatcher’
(8/10) Friends of progressive death metal can welcome a new album, done by a band that has its foundation date in 2011. Aenimus, hailing from the Bay Area, debuted some years ago with ‘Transcend Reality’, an album that featured with All I Shall Perish frontman Eddie Hermida a prominent guest. Aenimus spent a lot of... Continue Reading →
CD review DREAM THEATER ‘Distance Over Time’
(9/10) NY-based prog metal veterans Dream Theater premiered in 1989 with the mind-blowing ‘When Dreams and Day Unite’, followed by the even more impressive ‘Images & Word’ album, which includes with ‘Pull Me Under’ a timeless prog metal anthem. Since then Dream Theater released many more albums, all excellent when it comes to music and... Continue Reading →
CD review ATHANASIA ‘The Order of the Silver Compass’
(8/10) The first time I heard of Athanasia was two years ago when the trio opened for Civil War in their European tour. Without having had an album released the band played an excellent show, a gig that definitely challenged the other two band that night in April 2017. I think that everybody hoped to... Continue Reading →
CD review DEVIL MASTER ‘Satan Spits on the Children of Light’
(9/10) The standard pattern for artwork of black metal releases includes a lot of black and white plus a moniker that can't be read due to a very unique typeface. A band that breaks this pattern is Devil Master from Philadelphia. The six-piece outfit released already a demo and an EP, entitled 'Inhabit the Corpse'.... Continue Reading →
CD review ROCK GODDESS ‘This Time’
(8/10) This spring brings some new albums from all-girl bands that started way back in time. German Rosy Vista debuts after more than three decades and here comes the new album of Rock Goddess, a longplayer full of rock solid metal. Rock Goddess is rooted in the late 70's when the Turner sisters Jody and... Continue Reading →
CD review WHEEL ‘Moving Backwards’
(8/10) Wheel is the brainchild of James Lascelles, a musician from the UK who moved to Finland. Arrived in Helsinki, Lascelles found with Mikko Määtä (b), Santeri Saksala (d) und Saku Mattila (g) some brothers in mind. Mattila was later on replaced by Roni Seppänen and Wheel, as we know the band today, was ready... Continue Reading →
CD review HEXVESSEL ‘All Tree’
(8/10) Hexvessel is the brainchild of Mat 'Kvohst' McNerney. The musician, that was born and raised in the UK, played in various metal bands before he moved to Finland, his new home. Inspired by the Finnish heritage and pagan past, McNerney founded Hexvessel, a folk rock outfit that premiered in 2011 with 'Dawnbearer'. Eight years... Continue Reading →
CD review ROTTING CHRIST ‘The Heretics’
(8/10) Greek metal veterans Rotting Christ can look back on a long history in metal. The endeavor began in 1987 in Athens. The debut escaped from the abyss in 1993 and step by step the quartet managed to increase their fanbase. Rotting Christ never had the big breakthrough but it’s the constant evolvement of their... Continue Reading →









