Bear – /// (Review)

BearBear are a Belgian metal band and this is their third album.

Okay, so the album cover and band name pretty much sum up what this sounds like – you’re gonna get mauled.

This is a balanced offering of complex technical math metal and muscular, taut modern metal. It’s Continue reading “Bear – /// (Review)”

Disperse – Foreword (Review)

DisperseForeword is Disperse’s third album. They play progressive rock/metal and are from Poland.

Disperse take elements from both old and new progressive music and incorporate them into their thoroughly modern take on the style.

Complexity, syncopation and Continue reading “Disperse – Foreword (Review)”

Ghost Iris – Blind World (Review)

Ghost IrisThis is the second album from Danish djent band Ghost Iris.

Blind World mixes the progressive, technical and modern metal strains together with the djent style into 39 minutes of heavy beats, complex riffs and catchy songs.

The vocals mix guttural shouts and  Continue reading “Ghost Iris – Blind World (Review)”

Vipassi – Śūnyatā (Review)

VipassiThis is the debut album from Australian instrumental metal band Vipassi.

Śūnyatā is 30 minutes of instrumental music that combines elements of progressive, technical and death metal together to form an engaging and thoughtful listening experience.

Atheist, Cynic and Death are the Continue reading “Vipassi – Śūnyatā (Review)”

Memories in Broken Glass – Enigma Infinite (Review)

Memories in Broken GlassMemories in Broken Glass are a modern metal band from the US. This is their debut album.

This is modern progressive/technical metal with a djent slant that showcases how it’s easily possible to create involving modern music without it coming off as overproduced plastic rubbish. Continue reading “Memories in Broken Glass – Enigma Infinite (Review)”

Tactus – Bending Light (Review)

TactusTactus are a Canadian progressive metal band and this is their debut album.

Well it soon becomes obvious that this band know a thing or two about how to play their instruments. This is modern progressive heavy metal that has plenty of technicality and a djent influence.

As I always say; Continue reading “Tactus – Bending Light (Review)”

Shokran – Exodus (Review)

ShokranThis is the second album from Russian groove metal band Shokran.

Shokran play modern groove metal with a hearty djent influence, as well as having neo-classical, progressive, technical and Egyptian-themed aspects to their sound. They have a lot going on across these 35 minutes, and it’s all Continue reading “Shokran – Exodus (Review)”

Fractal Cypher – The Human Paradox (Review)

Fractal CypherThis is the debut album by Canadian progressive metal band Fractal Cypher.

I confess, I was drawn to this album by the cover artwork, which is the reason I decided to listen to it. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but in today’s digital age it’s worth noting that album artwork is still important, at least in my eyes.

So what of the music? Well, Fractal Cypher play modern progressive metal with ample keyboard enhancements and a Continue reading “Fractal Cypher – The Human Paradox (Review)”

Shodan – Protocol of Dying (Review)

ShodanThis is the début album by Shodan, a death metal band from Poland.

Shodan play modern death metal for the most part, but also incorporate a myriad of other influences and ideas into this atypical release.

The interesting thing about this band is how they develop their style for each song; it all revolves around a modern core of solid death metal, but each track uses this in its own way and incorporates different elements from Continue reading “Shodan – Protocol of Dying (Review)”

Jinjer – King of Everything (Review)

JinjerJinjer 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)”