This is the second album from Doctor Smoke, an occult metal/rock band from the US.
Doctor Smoke combine metal and rock influences into 43 minutes of infectious material. The songs boast a relatively good range of stylistic influences, while still retaining a holistic feel and good flow to the album; the tracks all share largely the same template, but one that’s made up a few different details and nuances. Continue reading “Doctor Smoke – Dreamers and the Dead (Review)”
Lady Beast are a heavy metal band from the US and this is their latest EP.
Lady Beast play classic heavy metal, with no frills, no filler, and no messing around with gimmicks or pointless intros, etc. There are four originals here and a Rainbow cover. Omens is a lean 20-minute ride into the old-school, and it’s a great way to escape the horrors of the modern world for a while. Continue reading “Lady Beast – Omens (Review)”
This is the second album from Venues, a modern metal band from Germany.
Following up their solid 2018 debut album Aspire, Venues are now back with a new lineup in tow and 42 minutes of new material.
The band’s dual vocal approach has never sounded better. Harsh Continue reading “Venues – Solace (Review)”
Veil of Conspiracy are a melodic metal band from Italy and this is their second album.
The promo blurb states that the 45 minutes of material on Echoes of Winter is for fans of Katatonia, Opeth, and The Morningside, which is a good starting point for Veil of Conspiracy’s sound. I’d also add that fans of bands such as Amorphis, Paradise Lost, Deathwhite, Moonspell, My Dying Bride, and Anathema will find much to like here. Continue reading “Veil of Conspiracy – Echoes of Winter (Review)”
This is the debut album from Act of Denial, an international melodic death metal band.
Featuring current and ex-members of bands such as Death, Decapitated, Ephel Duath, Septic Flesh, and Testament, as well as the superlative singer of Soilwork/The Night Flight Orchestra, I was eagerly awaiting this release to see what kind of punch it packed. Continue reading “Act of Denial – Negative (Review)”
This is the third album from UK metal band Sons of Alpha Centauri.
Sons of Alpha Centauri have an ever-evolving and changing sound. The artists behind the band are continually striving to do new things and experiment. 2018’s Continuum was a high quality instrumental stoner rock album, as was their split with Karma to Burn. Then, just when you thought you had them figured out, along came 2019’s Buried Memories, a collaborative effort between the band and Justin K. Broadrick, (Godflesh, Jesu, etc.), and James Plotkin, (Khanate, Jodis, etc.). It was unexpected, but most welcome. So what does Push offer? Well, once again, it’s the unexpected. Continue reading “Sons of Alpha Centauri – Push (Review)”
This is the second album from UK progressive metal band All Seeing Eyes.
It was only very recently that I was once again listening to the very good, and very enjoyable Trinity Road, (the fact that I’m still doing so after seven years should speak well of its quality). As I was doing so, I wondered what became of All Seeing Eyes. However, before Continue reading “All Seeing Eyes – Reinventing Time (Review)”
This is the second album from US metal band Sleep Waker.
Alias contains 31 as of modern metalcore spliced with elements of electronica and ambience. Continue reading “Sleep Waker – Alias (Review)”
This is the debut album from Archangel A.D., a thrash metal band from the US.
Clearly influenced by the 80s thrash metal scene, as well as aspects of NWOBHM and a selection of other bands from the era such as Motörhead, Casus Belli contains 52 minutes of old-school thrash metal. Continue reading “Archangel A.D. – Casus Belli (Review)”
Defocus are a German metalcore band and this is their debut album.
The songs on In the Eye of Death We Are All the Same focus on heavy grooves and crushing rhythms, but are not purely restricted to these. Unusually for a band of this sort, Defocus actually know how to play fast when the need arises. Continue reading “Defocus – In the Eye of Death We Are All the Same (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 