This is Australian band King’s debut album. They play black metal.
King is a straightforward, powerfully simple name that is quite refreshing after the increasing complexity of so many new black metal band’s names. Even the logo on the album cover is simple and strong, with no overly complex logo with semi-artistic aspirations. Continue reading “King – Reclaim the Darkness (Review)”
Jinjer are a metal band from the Ukraine, and this is their second album.
King of Everything mixes metalcore, hardcore, thrash metal, groove metal, melodic death metal and djent…Okay, that’s a lot of sub-genres. Let’s just say they cover a lot of bases.
That’s putting it too simply, though; in reality, Jinjer have managed to produce a complex and diverse album that has a whole lot more going on than you might expect for a band that’s labelled Continue reading “Jinjer – King of Everything (Review)”
Karnak Seti are from Portugal and play melodic/groove metal. This is their third album.
The Distance That Made Us Cold is an album that bursts out of the speakers with a strong and confident sound, polished to perfection but not lacking in some underground grit when the songs need it. Continue reading “Karnak Seti – The Distance That Made Us Cold (Review)”
This is the second album from Aktaion, a Swedish Metal band.
I thought that Aktaion’s debut album Throne was a great combination of aggressive melodic death metal and sing-along catchiness. It showed a band that was not willing to compromise on either, striking the right balance of both.
So how have they done on this latest release? Well, essentially they have Continue reading “Aktaion – The Parade of Nature (Review)”
This is the third album from Dawn of Disease, a German death metal band.
Dawn of Disease seem to have honed their songwriting skills and are now channelling the spirit of 90s song-based death metal. It’s catchy, memorable and there’s more than a few twisting melodies and riffs that will stick in your head long after it’s stopped playing. Continue reading “Dawn of Disease – Worship the Grave (Review)”
Monument of a Memory are from the US and play modern metal. This is their second EP.
This is modern metalcore with plenty of aggression and heaviness. The foundation of NWOAHM is intact and added to by some heavier and faster parts, which is always nice to hear.
With a strong sound the band rip through Continue reading “Monument of a Memory – Catharsis (Review)”
Despite are from Sweden and play modern metal. This is their third album.
This makes a good impression very early on. Despite play a kind of modern metal that takes from the Swedish melodic death metal scene of yore, as well as more modern and even some progressive/djent elements. Synergi is my first exposure to the band, and to my ears comes across as a mix of Darkane, In Flames, Fear Factory and Whitechapel.
With three guitarists, the music is nicely heavy and treads the line Continue reading “Despite – Synergi (Review)”
This is Fractured Insanity’s third album. They are a death metal band from Belgium.
Fractured Insanity play brutal death metal that’s intense and well-written. Although this is predominantly on the brutal end of the spectrum, there’s also elements of technicality at play here, which just adds further depth to the music.
Think a combination of Nile, Behemoth, Severe Torture, Malevolent Continue reading “Fractured Insanity – Man Made Hell (Review)”
This is the seventh album from this US metal band.
I’ve always enjoyed Devildriver’s combination of modern metal, melodic death metal, thrash metal, NWOAHM, classic metal, nu-metal and crushing groove metal. Sure, they’ve had their ups and downs over the years with some albums being noticeably stronger than others, but they’ve always had enough meat on their metal bones to make me happy to listen to them in some capacity or other.
This moves us onto Continue reading “Devildriver – Trust No One (Review)”
Amon Amarth are a melodic Death Metal band from Sweden and this is their tenth album.
Returning with a Viking-themed concept album, Amon Amarth continue their tried-and-tested formula for melodic Death Metal that they have been slowly perfecting and refining now for decades.
At this point in their existence you pretty much know exactly what to expect from them and they never fail to deliver. The songs on this release are as catchy and memorable as any that they have released over their victory-filled career.
Time has clearly been taken over these riffs, and the vast majority of the material here is bright, upbeat, full of energy, very memorable and laced with just the right amount of darkness, loss and violence.
Bright leads accompany the songs, as we’ve come to expect, and I particularly enjoy the solo work on this release too. The rhythm guitars are where the bulk of the action is at though, of course, and these tracks are destined to be hits in the live environment.
The singer’s charismatic and gruff voice is present and correct. Using pleasing rhythms and fitting in with the pace of the songs effortlessly, he provides a suitably compelling and powerful performance that does the weighty, (and epic), subject matter justice. In addition to his normal singing voice, he occasionally gives vent to a full-throated Death Metal growl, and it’s a thing of beauty. Doro also makes an appearance on A Dream That Cannot Be, adding a different dimension to the proceedings.
I find it incredibly hard to dislike anything Amon Amarth have released, and Jomsviking is no different. The band have an uncanny knack of providing the listener with highly-enjoyable songs that somehow manage to combine both style and substance, which is not something to be taken lightly.
Essential listening for all Metal warriors.
Wonderbox Metal 