Reviews

Time for some rusty metal for the hopeless generations forced to see the natural resources being sucked dry by big corp. Time for an ode to post-industrial towns that were drained, pillaged and raped,…

Is there even such a thing as originality in music anymore? Is it unrealistic to aspire towards perfection? When I find myself pondering questions such as these, I listen to Time Will Die And Love Will…

To my surprise, this is not only a different band than Sinamore, but also a pretty worthwhile death doom band.

Basically the Earth is miserable, and so are we.

Inspired by the melodic death metal classics such as Insomnium and Wintersun, this emotional EP, Tale Of The Endless, drives us through an eternally icy voyage. The compositions don't rush into building…

Reviewing a divisive album by a major metal band? I'm sure this will be a rewarding experience for me.

I've seen Big Brave dubbed as "anxiety metal". Seems fitting.

It might not really be "pop", but it definitely is "ultra".

Thrash metal is surprising us pleasantly this year with some very good releases from young or younger bands. Necronomicon is a name that dates back to the '80s but The Final Chapter is full of youthful…

This is Evile's dark and gritty reboot.

Blasting skulls from the very first seconds of the album, while marching to the furthest reaches of space and getting to the deepest darkest areas of the cosmos with absolutely charming and captivating…

Good but not great.

If you're listening to any noise album this year, make it this one.

A psychoactive trek through uncanny harmonies, labyrinthine percussion, and oddball rhythms. This just in: Ophiuchi scores Homeric homerun, returns from Hades with souvenirs worth multiple trips.

Sleep with one eye open.

"Sugar Wounds" is such an ideal name for this band; they're delectably saccharine, but they'll puncture your ears without mercy.

17 minutes of South Korean female-fronted hardcore. 'Nuff said.

I mean, its not like you've provided listeners with fourteen albums' worth of imagination fuel up to this point or anything.

Fun fact: "Kotzen" wouldn't be a good last name for someone whose native language is Dutch? Too similar to "kotsen" which means puking?

Another day, another avant-garde black metal album. No, this doesn't happen every day, actually, and they are rarely as captivating as this one. How about raising Sigh to the power of three and dipping…

How many albums you know that come with tabletop RPGs?

If you take a sharp turn, you'd better stick with it.

Bionic Swarm is the debut album of a band that has already released two full-lengths in the past. Are you confused?

Yes, the artwork is dreadful. Now, with that out the way, what's the music like?…

Intensity. Beauty. Death. Solace.

This is a movie. Yes, we do have film reviews on Metal Storm.

You may not speak French but doesn't this cover of a torn down wall and the shadow of a warrior standing behind it give you a hint of what Le Dernier Rempart is about?…

The first time I listened to this album, it was 6 in the morning, I had just arrived by train to a desolate pandemic stricken town. My workplace only opened at 7, so I walked, with this album blasting…

Alexi Laiho's recording career lasted the better part of three decades - an impressive span, but only half of what it should have been. This EP, for 14 short minutes, allows us a chance to remember…

Vanishing Point isn't a comeback from Dirge, merely a reminder of why they're missed.

I spent a lot of time pondering the intricacies of post-black metal in my review of Kevel's Mutatis Mutandis last year. Of the three possible definitions I put forward then, Decline Of The I's…

The only constant is change.

Ever in search of a change of vestments, Alice Cooper dives back into a long-dead world for an album that threatens to exchange personality for nostalgia.

No mere one-hit wonders.

Back to the past.

An enjoyable journey in the middle lane.

You funeral doom should be either an atmosphere of desolation or an atmosphere of death. Fuoco Fatuo go for the latter.

By going through loss, Devil Sold His Soul seem to have found themselves again.

This right here is the melodic death metal that I prefer. The one that embraces melody without sailing the seas of cheese. The one that doesn't sound like power metal if you remove the growls. This…

That glowing album artwork promises an incendiary listening experience, and Echoes Of The Earth delivers.

The title ain't kidding. This is the harsh noise take on death metal.

Kanonenfieber's Menschenmühle was recommended to me by the German minesweeper of Metal Storm. Only the mines he is sweeping are fantastic albums of the underground that he brings to the attention…

The clear breakout hit of the 2020 Metal Storm Awards, what's the deal with Lucid Planet II?…

It's been a while in the making, but one of Poland's most promising post-metal acts finally tackles their difficult third album.

Why does the cover art give me Marshmello vibes?…

Bombastic, cheesy, and energetic. What more could you possibly want?

How many bands do you know that have their own encyclopedias for their lore?

It's the funny brutal death metal band!

After bringing Mr. Bungle back to life, it was time for Tomahawk to wake up from its eight-year-long nap.

On the day of my birthday last year, Spire announced that they would release Temple Of Khronos, "a swirling vortex of howling madness, chaos, choral hysteria, heavy riffs, and alien soundscapes".

Technical death metal isn't the easiest style to write memorable songs in; however, adding a bit of meloblack and folk metal to the equation works wonders for Stortregn.

The 100 minute runtime of this album leaves a lot of ground for Midnight Odyssey to cover.

Darker times call for darker music. It was time for Saor's Andy Marshall to revive Fuath.

I can assure you that every contemporary, OSDM-loving band exists with the sole purpose to release one day something as grand as Severed Survival.

It's always nice to see bands from the Clandestine Cuts articles graduate to the front page, especially a former Staff Pick winner.

Vazio (adjective - /va'ziʊ/): Empty, bare. Vazio is an album completely empty of light, hope, and air.

Fresh off reviewing Vanden Plas' newest duology, The Ghost Xperiment, and right in the middle of a Vanden Plas binge, this seemed like the perfect time to look back on Chronicles Of The Immortals:…

Anyone expecting Genghis Tron's first record in the past decade to sound like their pre-hiatus material is going to be surprised by Dream Weapon, but it wouldn't be Genghis Tron if it was predictable,…

To alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.

"May The Schwartz Be With You."…

Certain music records mark our musical experiences, and it's always quite a thrilling experience since it can stigmatize us forever, open new worlds for us, or simply leave us with a satisfying feeling…

With the overwhelming amount of technical metal bands, it can be quite challenging to find something striking. A considerable public stands for speed, others prefer complexity and chaos. While most of…

Have you heard about Lycksele? No, but you know Black Lion Records!

Much like Soen, Wheel got in one safe Tool-worship album before showing what they're truly capable of.

A one-man black metal project with a Latin name could be a huge warning sign. Fortunately, with Portland, Oregon's cosmically themed Mare Cognitum, it is not the case. So grab yourself a Crowler of…

There is a Chthonic connection here: Crescent Lament comes highly recommended by Doris Yeh, this particular album was produced by Jesse Liu, and both bands incorporate the traditions of their native Taiwan…

One of 2020's most intriguing debut releases quickly has a sequel.

The voice of Queensrÿche of the last decade used the pandemic lockdowns to write and record a solo album, teaming up with longtime friend and collaborator Craig Blackwell, and producer Chris "Zeuss"…

Let's put some meat on those bones.

Witherfall sounds like Iced Earth meets Nevermore meets Symphony X.