Arcticcircle – Where Ice Meets Ocean (Review)

ArcticcircleThis is the third album from Arcticcircle, a Canadian metal band.

This is my first encounter with this band. Apparently they have a black/thrash metal background, but this newest album is essentially 25 minutes of something quite different. Think along the lines of an Continue reading “Arcticcircle – Where Ice Meets Ocean (Review)”

Venues – Aspire (Review)

VenuesVenues are a post-hardcore/metalcore band from Germany and this is their debut album.

This is an enjoyable 47 minutes of modern heaviness, with a style that fits somewhere between post-hardcore and metalcore. Continue reading “Venues – Aspire (Review)”

Seven Sisters – The Cauldron and the Cross (Review)

Seven SistersSeven Sisters are a heavy metal band from the UK and this is their second album.

They say you should never judge a record by its cover, (do they say that?), but it was the album cover of The Cauldron and the Cross that made me want to listen to it more than anything else. Continue reading “Seven Sisters – The Cauldron and the Cross (Review)”

Ultra-Violence – Operation Misdirection (Review)

Ultra-ViolenceUltra-Violence are an Italian thrash metal band and this is their third album.

Ultra-Violence play ripping thrash metal, pumped up to the max with a love of extremity and good tunes. Yep, this is fast, sharp, and energetic stuff. Continue reading “Ultra-Violence – Operation Misdirection (Review)”

Redemption – Long Night’s Journey into Day (Review)

RedemptionThis is the seventh album from Redemption, a progressive metal band from the US.

2016’s The Art of Loss was a compelling and engaging listen, skilfully weaving together melodic metal with progressive know-how. Well, a couple of years and a change of singer later, and we have a 66 minutes of new material in the shape of Long Night’s Journey into Day.

Continue reading “Redemption – Long Night’s Journey into Day (Review)”

The Lion’s Daughter – Future Cult (Review)

The Lion's DaughterThe Lion’s Daughter are a progressive blackened sludge metal band and this is their third album.

The Lion’s Daughter always seem willing to try out new things, enhancing their core of heavy sludge with all manner of different elements depending on their mood and interests at the time. Thus far, for me their most striking Continue reading “The Lion’s Daughter – Future Cult (Review)”

Between the Buried and Me – Automata II (Review)

Between the Buried and MeBetween the Buried and Me are a progressive metal band from the US and this is either their ninth album, or the second part of their eighth album, depending on how you look at it.

The follow up release to/second part of Automata I, Between the Buried and Me have returned with another 34 minutes of exciting, exceptional material. Continue reading “Between the Buried and Me – Automata II (Review)”

Carchosa – Carchosa (Review)

CarchosaCarchosa is a one man Swedish thrash/death metal band. This is his debut album.

Featuring seven long songs and clocking in at just under an hour in duration, this album contains a blend of thrash and death metal, alongside a good helping of melodic and progressive elements. Continue reading “Carchosa – Carchosa (Review)”

Second to Sun – The Black (Review)

Second to SunThis is the fourth album from Russian blackened melodic death metal band Second to Sun.

Apparently this is a rerecording of the band’s 2016 release Blackbound, with added vocals, and other differences. I was totally unfamiliar with Second to Sun’s work prior to listening to The Black, so I can’t comment on how this relates to Blackbound, other than to say that it does. Continue reading “Second to Sun – The Black (Review)”

The Agony Scene – Tormentor (Review)

The Agony SceneThe Agony Scene are a US metal band and this is their fourth album.

Tormentor is the first release from The Agony Scene since 2007’s Get Damned. I always liked this band’s razor-sharp take on modern metal, so it’s great to hear them make a return. Continue reading “The Agony Scene – Tormentor (Review)”