Tag Archives: cd review

X-Mantra are a four-piece thrash metal band from Kathmandu, Nepal, who formed in 2000. In 2012, they released Pralaya 2012, a disc containing eight songs. X-Mantra is very fortunate to have signed with British label King Slam Records. The signing and subsequent distribution will hopefully greatly increase their international reach …

The Joy of Motion is the third album by instrumental progressive metal group Animals As Leaders, released through Sumerian Records. This 12-song release seems like a quirky collection of hundreds of freely associated aural ideas, abruptly or tangentially assembled. First the ideas congeal in to riffs, then verses, then “heads” …

Animus are a new Scottish “progressive metal band who draw influences from Djent, Tech, and Death metal bands.” On the cusp of their maiden tour, Animus, widely characterized as “Djent”, have released their nicely produced, four-song EP debut, Fall Of The Elite. They stick nicely to an extreme theme throughout …

An elusive Texas progressive metal band, Mahogany Hand Grenade, released (in May, 2013) a five-song EP, titled Return To The Point Of Departure, through bandcamp. Mastered to digital perfection by Maor Appelbaum (Adrenaline Mob, Cynic, Yngwie Malmsteen, Angra, etc.), four out of five of the tunes are six-minute-plus length. The …

A ‘one man band’ type project, Sons Of Crom features the work of two Swedish / Finnish musicians: Janne Posti and Iiro Sarkki. Their new 12-minute “epic single”, “Victory”, is meant to serve as a rule or yardstick to show what they’re capable of, or what their upcoming full-length album …

Levin Minnemann Rudess is the new power trio studio project featuring instrumental virtuosos Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), Marco Minnemann (Necrophagist, Paul Gilbert, The Aristocrats), and Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater, solo). On this eponymous 14-track debut opus, released in 2013, you’ll hear ample reason to appreciate the skillful depth …

Asa, the latest studio release from one-man-band Falkenbach, delights us with intense electric guitar, folk elements, abundant melody, varied tempos, and fluent usage of a near-extinct Germanic language. Ranging from the sub drop and blastbeat to the pan flute and acoustic guitar, this ‘Viking metal’ record is packed with consistent, …

2013’s Volition is layered, melodic, and jam-packed with more riffs, ideas, and flourish then most bands will produce within five albums. Protest The Hero, another glorious Canadian import, released this exhaustive, 11-tune behemoth, sure to please fans of modern, technically-oriented metal. For rock and jazz, there’s fusion: an eclectic genre …

Sawthis, from Italy, presents us with 2013’s Youniverse. The album sounds like modern extreme metal, which touches on industrial, thrash, and progressive elements. Lyrics are screamed in a hatecore style, so the ‘Cookie Monster’ factor is absent. More refreshment is provided in that the drums sound like drums – like …

Tides From Nebula, from Poland, have composed 50-plus minutes of instrumental music “without vocals” for us to enjoy. Eternal Movement‘s songs, mostly in the five-minute length range, tend to vacillate between channeling the high impact of rock with relaxed, mellow ambiance. Unlike instrumental guitar music which emphasizes solo bursts, this …

In the 1990’s, if you were in a death metal band, you were well-off if you could claim Florida, New York, or Chicago as your hometown. Each locale had something distinct to offer – NY had it’s slam “NYDM”, Florida had bands who pushed the genre to greater extremes like …

Ferocity, a Danish death metal band, focuses on truly ferocious vocals, thick buzzsaw stringwork, and solid percussion in a variety of tempos on their second and latest release, The Sovereign. Deep, guttural vocals are “mixed high”, tending to blot out what’s happening underneath. That said, the band seems to have …

London’s Superfecta, formed in 2011, have released their debut EP, a four-song effort titled simply The EP. Drawing influence or ‘mojo’ from bands such as Soundgarden, Alter Bridge, Stone Temple Pilots, or Alice In Chains, the modern rock or nu-grunge band focuses each song on a different classic hook of …

Ambush is a nicely-produced, 13-track offering from Parma, Italy’s Celeb Car Crash. In contrast to their catastrophic name, this is a ‘safe’ album in the alternative rock, or nu-grunge vein. The band is competent, skilled, and versatile. Their sound could be described as vaguely reminiscent of Alice In Chains, or …

Evergrey guitarist Marcus Jidell released his solo album, Pictures From A Time Traveller, in 2013 through Lion Music. It’s definitely an instrumental guitar album, but it doesn’t fall prey to “backing tracky” sound, or overly indulgent ‘shred’ in any given passage. Fluid passages lull one into a drifting, borderless sea… …

This is Lancaster-based Promethium‘s second album, titled Origins. This is a ten-track rock and roll album which ventures in to both metal and acoustic ballad territory. It’s fairly even-tempered, with most songs bearing different nuances of hard rock flavor. While crisp and modern, the mix is very vocal-forward or vocalist-centric, …

Death metal band Craven Idol have arrived, with their debut album Towards Eschaton. This is the UK-based band’s first major release on a label, although their demo, released in 2006, did sell out all 50 copies. Raspy, caustic vocals in these eight tracks blend with ‘fast to blast’ tempo metal. …

France’s Bliss Of Flesh upholds the brutal death metal genre with their 2013 release, Beati Pauperes Spiritu. They seem vaguely similar to Behemoth in the latter’s early, intense years. The band does experiment with melody, especially during “On The Path To Expiation”. What sets this album apart from others within …

Beaten To Death is a band from Norway, featuring members of current, established metal acts: Tsjuder, Insense, and She Said Destroy. If you are looking for vicious grindcore that’s also innovative and satirical, look to Dodsfest!. These guys nail it: everything from dirty grind to jangle-pop melodies (played over blastbeats). …

Ghost Avenue‘s brand of heavy music used to be called classic or power metal. On their eponymous 2013 disc, this Norwegian band showcases 11 energetic, catchy, melodic songs powered by dual guitar riffs. Add to that a solid rhythm section and a reasonably good vocalist for the genre, and you’ve …