Articles by ScreamingSteelUS

You've heard the voice of the people. Now hear the voice of the other people.

Behind the black diamond walls that guard the secrets of Metal Storm Towers, the MS staff are furiously chipping away at the 2025 Metal Storm Awards. We're nearly done, which means it's now time for us to share our takes on the whole last year.

A lot of music was released in the 1960s. Some of it is relevant for metal. Here we look at the ones we consider additional listens.

A lot of music was released in the 1960s. Some of it is relevant for metal. Here we look at the ones we consider mandatory listens.

Ozzy Osbourne was larger than life. He was larger than his genre, than his work, than anybody else. His absence creates a void that no one will ever fill. But he left behind a legacy that few artists in any medium could ever boast of, and we of Metal Storm's community put together some words to…

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves in the metal that we live and breathe, and most importantly, write about. But there's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. Here's what we checked out this month.

The public had their say. Now it's time for the experts.

The 2024 Metal Storm Awards will arrive shortly. But before that, we invite you to peruse our own assessments of last year in heavy metal.

The public had their say. Now it's time for the experts.

The 2023 Metal Storm Awards will arrive shortly. But before that, we invite you to peruse our own assessments of last year in heavy metal.

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves in the metal that we live and breathe, and most importantly, write about. But there's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. Here's what we checked out this month.

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves in the metal that we live and breathe, and most importantly, write about. But there's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. Here's what we checked out this month.

It's been a few weeks now, so you've had time to process the results of the 2022 Metal Storm Awards. Now we can reveal the true results.

It's that special time of year when Metal Storm's users line up in feverish anticipation of the next edition of the Metal Storm Awards... and then the staff members talk about themselves instead.

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves in the metal that we live and breathe, and most importantly, write about. But there's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. Here's what we checked out this month.

In case you hadn't heard, the boys were back in town recently, and they were asking about you. Specifically, they were asking why you haven't listened to every single Thin Lizzy album yet.

At some point every year, the conversation in the world of popular music turns to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: who’s getting in, who isn’t getting in, who deserves to be in, and whether or not the whole thing matters.

You thought you were done with "Getting Into: Black Sabbath: Part I" just because you knew all the albums already. But this is where you really need to start paying close attention.

The greatest, the grandest, the grimmest of them all: none more black, none more sabbath. Black Sabbath's first, second, and third albums are all upwards of 50 years old now, with Volume 4's golden anniversary swiftly approaching, and yet here we are still speaking of them in hushed tones of…

Yes, you've seen the MSA results. But what about second results?

2021 was a year much like any other year, if that other year happened to be 2020. In a way, it seems like the only way to distinguish the two is by noting the new albums that were released in one year or the other, so that's how we have decided to celebrate the passage of 2021 into the oblivion…

You might have thought that there would be only three parts to this series, but nay: legends tell of another. The fantastical warriors of epic justice and might have one last song to sing before they fade away into the mists of time, so gather ye 'round the hearth once more and I shall prove to…

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves in the metal that we live and breathe, and most importantly, write about. But there's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. Here's what we checked out this month.

For the king, for the land, for the mountain, for the green valley where dragons fly, we roll tonight 'til the guitar bite, and for those about to... wait. Well, whatever. POWER METAL returns with the strength of a thousand whirlwinds, ten thousand noble crusaders, and one hundred thousand fire…

Power metal is the most important form of art in all of human history. If for some reason you don't already have a Kai Hansen body pillow and a full-body tattoo of Virgin Steele lyrics, consider this article your roadmap to greatness.

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves in the metal that we live and breathe, and most importantly, write about. But there's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. Here's what we checked out this month.

Heavy metal truly is a boundlessly expressive form of art. Over the years, it has branched out into countless scenes and subgenres that all incorporate their own forms of expression and musicality. None of them are important except for power metal. Now get ready to fly through the rainbow - we're…

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves in the metal that we live and breathe, and most importantly, write about. But there's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. Here's what we checked out this month.

Part II picks up with a very different Iron Maiden from where Part I left them - but fear not. The second act contains its own treasures.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall: who's the metallest of them all?

At last, the very final piece of the 2020 Metal Storm Awards falls into place: the staff picks!

2020 is over, but we're not quite done with it just yet (nor is it done with you). With the next edition of the Metal Storm Awards on their way, it's time for us to think back to those 12 months and try to remember what the two or three good moments were and how they escaped the shredder.

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves in the metal that we live and breathe, and most importantly, write about. But there's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. Here's what we checked out this month.

Erstwhile Children Of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho passed away unexpectedly last week, as we were informed by his longtime bandmates. I felt that offering some special tribute would be appropriate.

What, did you think we were done? No, the 20th anniversary celebration continues in Part II, featuring many more of Metal Storm's talented contributors of the past, present, and, hopefully, future.

Metal Storm turned 20 years old in 2020. That's a pretty big milestone, one that we are honored and fortunate to observe together; some of the past and present MS staff have gathered a few memories and thoughts to share to celebrate this important occasion.

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves in the metal that we live and breathe, and most importantly, write about. But we do check out some other stuff from time to time. There's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. Here's what we checked…

Heads up, because this is about to get personal (read: boring). A Sound Of Thunder turned 10 this year, and it's high time that I took a few moments (read: hours) to say something in honor of my favorite local band.

I've used the word "eclectic" in both of the previous intros, I'm using it right now (he's eclectic), and you'd better believe I'm going to use it in the main body of this article. We return once more to examine the most recently completed stretch of Devin Townsend's…

It's the segment you've all been waiting for, I guess: Devin Townsend's career in the 2000s, one of the most eclectic and high-quality production runs we've yet seen in the world of heavy music. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll spit out your coffee. It's great.

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves on our thousands of metal reviews and interviews and article; metal is our collective soul and passion, which is why we bother with this junk. That being said, we'd be lying if we stuck to our trve-kvlt guns and claimed that metal is the only thing we ever…

The Getting Into series returns with an artist most definitely worth getting into, and one for whom you may well need a roadmap: the eclectic Canadian prog maestro Devin Townsend.

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves on our thousands of metal reviews and interviews and article; metal is our collective soul and passion, which is why we bother with this junk. That being said, we'd be lying if we stuck to our trve-kvlt guns and claimed that metal is the only thing we ever…

Is independent, unsigned, and underground metal what you seek? Weary traveller of the metal world, rest a while here. Clandestine Cuts are the best demos and EPs from these bands, the heart and soul of metal music. These musicians are slaves to their passions, and their blood keeps the metal machine…

Need something to give you hope in these bleak, bleak times? This official, objective list of the best albums of 2019 might be what you need to keep you going.

Fifty years ago today, four young men from Birmingham released an album that forever changed the face of music the world over.

It's almost time for the Metal Storm Awards, the time of year when we open the floodgates for every peasant in the fields to express their opinion about the best albums of the year (that they have already listened to). But first, we the citizens of MS Towers get to show off our favorite stuff from…

Is independent, unsigned, and underground metal what you seek? Weary traveller of the metal world, rest a while here. Clandestine Cuts are the best demos and EPs from these bands, the heart and soul of metal music. These musicians are slaves to their passions, and their blood keeps the metal machine…

Demons & Wizards recently completed their first (and ostensibly only) North American tour. As we await the arrival of Album #3, you may be wondering whether the band is still viable after over a decade of absence. I had the chance to find out firsthand.

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves on our thousands of metal reviews and interviews and article; metal is our collective soul and passion, which is why we bother with this junk. That being said, we'd be lying if we stuck to our trve-kvlt guns and claimed that metal is the only thing we ever…

Upset about the way the Metal Storm Awards turned out? Have no fear, citizens. The cavalry is here with the real winners.

I had such fun writing up my first list that no sooner had I published it than I began compiling potential further entries. If that's the case, why did it take me nearly two years to put the second list together? While I think about how to answer that, let's start off Part II.

Two years ago to this very day, I published a review of Metal Resistance, the sophomore album of controversial "kawaii metal" act Babymetal, and I gave that album a wonderfully generous score of 9/10. At first, most people dismissed it as an April Fools joke, but some were suspicious - and…