Reviews

ReLoad is Metallica's second experimental album and it's meant to be the ideal follow up to Load. But I consider them as twins, as an only double cd, since these two albums have the same sound,…

OK, I know you're laughing at my rating, but since I want to be an objective reviewer, I'm not considering what Metallica was in the ?80s: I'm just considering the content of this album.

A classic between classics and the top of Metallica like a band. The album that made history, the cd of the cds, the best album of the best band. The album that any person who wants to know what is that…

With this album Metallica confirm their total control on Thrash Metal and their consolidation like an international band. In this album the band members were fully adapted to each other and make a more…

The history of the best Metal band began with this cd. In this album the bases of the thrash metal appeared for first time. By this time Metallica was surely the fastest band of the world, even faster…

It's been a long four-year wait since Meshuggah has graced us with some new studio material (I'm not including 2000's compilation album 'Rare Trax'). But lo and behold, 'Nothing'…

So, what do we have here? A new album by Meshuggah? Well, not really. Though, there are some unreleased songs on Rare Trax, most of them are just re-releases of ones that appeared on old demos and other…

This live album of My Dying Bride has been released after their last album to date The Dreadful Hours, and yet, it has been recorded before this one. Thus, don's look for several tracks of their latest…

Well, they're definitely back. Forget the times of "34,788:Complete" and it's electronic influences, their trademark mood- obscure, heavy, but melodic- is back. A step forward from…

After the semi-failure (commercial but not artistic in my opinion) of "34.788 Complete", which had made them lose a huge part of their die-hard fans, the great English doom band has decided to…

Unquestionably one of death metals pioneers, Morbid Angel have once again returned to prominence with a new album, and to show all why their highly regarded influential reputation precedes them before…

Moonspell's albums are always awaited by their fans, as each release from this Portuguese band is totally different from the previous. In these conditions, putting a tag on Moonspell's music…

When I think about depressive melodies, the first country that comes to my mind is surely not Portugal. However, this gothic/doom metal band called Moonspell is from Portugal and these musicians show once…

Here it is - the first 2002 CD that got into my hands... I don't know what you expected from Sinergy's new album, but I knew for sure what it would sound like. The only surprise on this CD is…

New band of the three former Angra's musicians: Andre Matos, Luis Mariutti and Ricardo Confessori with Luis' brother called Hugo on guitars. The four Brazilian guys play in their own particular…

Ah... the long-awaited new Stratovarius album! I should say, this 3-year break proved very helpful for the guys - Elements pt.1 sounds really fresh and is definitely better than the previous two efforts…

Destiny is one of those friendly album, which every listener can enjoy immediately: just push play and let the songs carry you away. Trust me, this album will remain in your cd player for a long time.

After the release of the excellent "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy", the new Symphony X opus "Twilight In Olympus" had high standards to fulfill. But once again, the band from New Jersey…

Here it is! The new Symphony X opus has finally been released! After the live album Live On The Edge Of Forever, The Odyssey is finally in my hands. First thing to be noticed: the artwork is excellent…

Here it is! The first live album of Symphony X, due to be one of the most exciting releases to date. Unfortunately, even if Michael Romeo and his friends play almost the entire set from "V",…

To these we've never heard Symphony X before, listen to this album and you will be a fan... V: The New Mythology Suite is the best of what creativity could bring to standard metal. Loud guitars, clean…

For their third release, the Americans of Symphony X have produced something very special: an album that would establish the foundations of their sound. Classic symphonies and metal match perfectly in…

This album is the salvation for Symphony X music! After the ugly eponymous album Symphony X, the guys from New Jersey created a good album that would define their musical style for many years. From the…

The first album of that amazing band is for sure the worst album I have ever heard in that kind of music. Even if the bases are almost here, musically, the vocals are awful and all the choruses sound like…

Like a cold Scandinavian wind on a big snowfield - just as powerful starts the newest album of Sonata Arctica. Like the ice patterns made by Mother Nature - just as beautiful are the melodies of Winterheart's…

No sooner had most writers praised last years Natural Born Chaos that Soilwork return with their fifth album Figure Number Five. To say the Swedish six piece band have been busy is an understatement! The…

Last year saw the release of Soilwork's third album 'A Predator's Portrait' and a host of very good reviews. In my eyes, the album was quite good, but The Haunted's 'The Haunted…

Soilwork's third album is a true blessing for any fan of death metal. This album races along without a single low point - it is undoubtedly their best work to date (though "Natural Born Chaos"…

This one was long expected! Really the band's long career deserved a little summary, just to watch over the bad times [Rust In Peace!] and the bad ones [who said Risk?]. Rude Awakening was released…

Risk is crap. Here it is, I won't have to say it again. Dave Mustaine's jealousy of Metallica's succe$$ has blinded him. He has completely gone astray in his quest for radio broadcasting. We…

1997 was the year of the renewal for Megadeth. Dave Mustaine and his three mates came back after three fabulous albums. Yet it must be said that since 1994 and Youthanasia, there had been a period of scarcity.

1990 is a year to be remembered in the history of heavy metal. And it has to be said that the US Megadeth have made a lot for it with the launch of their cataclysmic opus, Rust In Peace. After three albums…

Everyone knows the story: young Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth was stabbed to death by his friend and peer Varg Vickernes after a dispute that to this day is unclear. Euronymous? band at the time,…

Any black metal fan knows that live album! So making the review for Metal Storm was logic. Mayhem released one of these evil seeds with Dead [in my opinion, the best singer that the band has had] and Euronymous,…

Masterplan gives us their debut album. First of all, just let me say that Masterplan is not warmed up Helloween or Ark stuffs. It's a complete new fusion between Roland Grapow's guitars and Uli…

In April 1997 was released the first album of Manigance Signe De Vie. Formed by musicians coming from bands of Southwestern France [Killers, Jumper Lace, Crazy Hammer], Manigance, with this first production,…

Considering that I'm French and that I love heavy prog metal, I've always been ashamed but the lack of good French bands that are playing this kind of music. Until one day, listening to a metal…

After only four studio albums and a live EP Year Of The Dragon, Machine Head releases its first real live album. Apparently, the audience of the London Brixton Academy belongs to the best of the world,…

An awful lot of speculation went on about Machine Head, for the last two years. The release of "The Burning Red" came as a complete surprise for the first-hour fans. 'Don't care!'…

The sophomore effort from prog metalists Magnitude 9 is quite an improvement over the debut Chaos to Control. Most of the potential that Chaos to Control alluded to has been fulfilled with Reality In Focus.

Tanja? Tanya? Confused? That's understandable since the third release from Finnish rockers Lullacry provides us the first chance to sample the well-trained vocals of Tanja who replaces a previous…

Brazil's greatest metal export is roaring back [pun intended] with their brand new album! After parting ways with Roadrunner records [following their last release, 2001's Nation), Sepultura [made…

Even without knowing where this band came from you already feel it's Finland, the homeland of gothic metal. Without any fear of being unoriginal, Lullacry took 90% Sentenced, added 10% of their classic…

What's left to say about Sepultura? That it's probably the best selling third world band ever? That they're going facedown to the ground since the leaving of Max "I am the Soulfly-Ego"…

It was good old times, when Max Cavalera was still brutally screaming in Sepultura, and the Brazilian band strongly came on the international scene. The four men from Belo Horizonte could foresee a glorious…

If I had written this review in 1997, I would probably have risen up against the fact that this first 6-track EP is a real plagiarism of the atmospheric and gothic metal gods of this period, The Gathering,…

Many of us like Classic Metal, some others like Thrash and somebody else likes Power and Progressive. I think that everyone of us shall have this album: I'm typing this beacuse human kind is equipped…

Lacrimosa, well known and established German Gothic act surprise us once again delivering an exquisite piece of art, an astonishing, overwhelming gothic opera which no words can describe. Let's…

Who could have expected such a good album from the German Lacrimas Profundere? After their LP Memorandum, which was quite good but has gone reasonably unnoticed, no one could really have foreseen that…

When Kreator launched themselves upon an unsuspecting metal crowd in the early eighties, they were one of the many bands spearheading the early influential Thrash sound that the whole movement is based…

This album marks another turning point in the career of the German thrash kings Kreator. This time, with Violent Revolution, they have decided to go back to their roots. What makes this transition even…

In my opinion, Samael's first two albums - Worship Him [Osmose, 1991] and Blood Ritual [Century Media, 1992] were fairly standard and unremarkable works. Of course, there was an increased level of…

Killswitch Engage belongs to this wave of young bands that don't play in one definite style. You can call them nu-death, but it would not be fair enough. Maybe melodic nu-thrash would be closer to…

Katatonia's third album Discouraged Ones was a brave turning point for the band. It distanced the band from the black metal tag that shackled them, and allowed some more subtle influences to creep…

Over the course of a decade, Katatonia have grown from their blackened doom origins to one of the best bands in music today. With each of their previous four offerings, they have explored themes of emotional…

In the tradition of 1997's Sounds Of Decay and 1998's Saw You Drown, Teargas is a limited edition three song EP featuring the title track, which will also be included on the band's much…

Having gone from a black/doom, Gothic-era Paradise Lost worshipping act to a more streamlined, goth/darkwave/shoegazer influenced proposition, Tonight's Decision, the band's fourth album and…

It's albums like Discouraged Ones, Katatonia's third full-length recording, that have me questioning the act of writing about music. There are just no words that could give complete justice to…

The release of this four song EP is to prepare people for the third Katatonia album, Discouraged Ones, as it features two songs that are to be included on the album, as well as two rare tracks that will…

This three song EP sees Katatonia staying true to the formula found on their previous album, Brave Murder Day, where the band relied on minimalist song structures as a foundation for their themes of solitude…

After the release of their debut recording and proceeding EP, Katatonia was put on a short hiatus by its' founding members, vocalist/drummer Jonas Renkse and guitarist Anders (Blackheim) Nystrom.

Having left No Fashion in favor of the Italian based label Avantgarde Music, Sweden's Katatonia released this four track EP as a follow up to their Dance Of December Souls debut. Actually, it's…

Sorrow. Despair. Darkness. The essence of Katatonia and the inspiration behind their debut album, Dance Of December Souls. An album so dark, so morose, that no smiling face or joyful soul could hope to…

Like the title suggests, the new Kamelot album is very epic - probably more than any other album I've heard, more orchestrated, more dramatic. And it totally destroys the entire Kamelot catalogue,…

The debate as to whether Judas Priest is still relevant these days is a fearlessly fought one amongst fans. Sure, vocalist Rob Halford was very much an integral part of the band, but Judas Priest have…

When years ago Children Of Bodom began to gain acceptance and fame among the metal community, similar bands instantly appeared In the scene like Norther and Kalmah, these 2 bands were labeled as CoB clones…

Hail Finland! I often wonder what they feed their young in that country because it seems they grow up to be big and strong and then go join a metal band. The past few years [probably longer!] Finland has…

Do you like 'Arise' of Sepultura ? Do you like 'Soul of a new machine' of Fear Factory? 'Left hand path' of Entombed? 'Reign in blood' of Slayer? If you answer yes…

Dance Of Death. What a bad title. What a bad cover. What strange titles. Push play: what a banal opening! The single Wildest Dreams is one of the worst songs of this album. Why such a bad choice? Skip…

I bought Iron Maiden's newest cd used in fear that I wouldn't like it. It even took some further contemplation of whether I was going to lay down $4.99 for it. (Yes, I am picky and cheap.) Anyway,…