(*/10) This release brings back some nice memories. It was in 1989 when metal powerhouse Iced Earth released a first demo entitles 'Enter the Realm'. It was the only demo of Iced Earth and the moment I started to listen to the tape I was excited about what got out of the speakers. Basically it's... Continue Reading →
CD review PARAGON ‘Controlled Demolition’
(8/10) Hamburg - Rock City? This can be clearly answered with 'Yes'. Not only that band like Helloween and Gamma Ray and many more have their homebase in the Hansestadt, also German metal veterans Paragon call Hamburg their home. The quintet never made it to the top, but the fact that they add with 'Controlled... Continue Reading →
CD review SMOULDER ‘Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring’
(9/10) There are many reason why Toronto is a great city. There are very friendly and open-minded people, there’s a good vibe in the city, they have with the Toronto Blue Jays a cool, and hopefully soon also successful baseball team, and so on. Furthermore it’s the home base of metal bands like the legendary... Continue Reading →
CD review METALL ‘Metal Fire’
(7/10) Metall is a band not that many of you have on the radar although the quintet has a starting date that was in 1982. The first three years were mainly used to stabilize their line-up before the guys started to record first songs. Metall, and the two ‘l’s aren’t a typo, didn’t have the... Continue Reading →
CD review ATTIKA ‘When Heroes Fall’ – re-issue
(7/10) A few days ago I posted a review of Ritual’s “Trails of Torment’ album, which is re-released by Pure Steel Records. Now it’s another band from the ‘90s that benefits from a re-issue of one of their albums. Attika is the name of the band, a quartet that released their ‘When Heroes Fall’ album... Continue Reading →
Exciting new from ARCH/MATHEOS
In progressive metal circles, the names of guitarist Jim Matheos and vocalist John Arch are spoken with due reverence. With the former having been a driving force in Fates Warning for thirty-five years, and the latter the original front-man of that band, they also have a single seminal work under the Arch / Matheos banner,... Continue Reading →
CD review BLOODBOUND ‘Rise of the Dragon Empire’
(7/10) Swedish Bloodbound releases new records on a regular base and here‘s the newest one. ‚Rise of the Dragon Empire‘ is their first longplayer that comes through AFM Records, while there isn't that much other new. It‘s melodic power metal in the typical fashion you get offered by the Swedish sextet. Hooks, big melodies and... Continue Reading →
CD review WITHERFALL ‘Vintage’ – EP
(8/10) Right before embarking on an acoustic tour with Finnish metallers Sonata Arctica, Witherfall unleashes a new EP entitled ‘Vintage’. Witherfall is the brainchild of the creative duo featuring Joseph Michael and Jake Dreyer. The first one’s known from Sanctuary while the latter is a part of Iced Earth. The two guys added Anthony Crawford,... Continue Reading →
CD review RITUAL ‘Trails of Torment’ reissue
(9/10) Cleveland based metallers Ritual might have been forgotten over time, or not even be noticed in the early ‘90s. The band faced many name changes after having started the band in 1985. Firedance, Rotterdam, Torment, Tormentor, Ritual Of Torment and Ritual, these aren’t monikers of different bands. It’s always the same band and it... Continue Reading →
CD review SPIRITS OF FIRE ‘Spirits of Fire’
(8/10) It happened already more than once in the past that Frontiers Music connected renowned musicians either to re-activate a spirit from the past or to create something new. This time the label went for the latter with starting a band called Spirits Of Fire. Tim Ownens, Chris Caffery, Steve DiGiorgio and Mark Zonder are... Continue Reading →
CD review SANHEDRIN ‘The Poisoner’
(8/10) Cruz Del Sur Music showed already more than once their great sense for bands, being located in the fields of traditional and epic metal. US-based Sanhedrin is one of the examples that shows how much good metal is out there, besides the well-trodden trails of mainstream. Sanhedrin is hailing from Brooklyn and their debut... Continue Reading →
CD review CHILDREN OF BODOM ‘Hexed’
(9/10) Is it Death Metal? Is it Power Metal? Does it matter? Children Of Bodom can’t be put in a certain labelled box. The five Finns create metal that bridges many metal styles. The only thing that counts is that their music is relevant and this can be clearly answered with a ‘Yes’. The fact... 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 →









