Heavy metal album reviews that go deep, with band history, song by song analysis, and more!
Experimental progressive metal that is incredibly gorgeous and caustically edgy, with great melody and heft! Over the years I have become more drawn to prog, which like many genres (see my last review and discussion about post metal), is just not descriptive enough to tell you what you are getting. Germany’s The Hirsch Effekt is […]
The Hirsch Effekt – Der Brauch – Album Review Read More »
Phenomenal post metal that is melodic, atmospheric, and full of emotion! Post metal is such an interesting subgenre. Like many subgenres, the name alone isn’t always prescriptive enough to tell you what you are getting, and even this year I have reviewed multiple releases in this specific genre that sound quite distinct from each other.
Møl – Dreamcrush – Album Review Read More »
Super cool progressive metal exploring themes of dark and light amidst myriad textures of melody and aggression! Norway’s Course of Fate was a new band for me. They have been active since the early 2000’s, with a handful of demos and an EP in 2013, but they didn’t release their first full length until 2020.
Course of Fate – Behind the Eclipse – Album Review Read More »
An incredible return of killer polymetric progressive metal! I love when a band’s name aligns so well with their sound. Dutch progressive metal band Textures is indeed an amalgam of textures, tantalizing your auditory senses in myriad ways. 2016 saw the release of their previous album, “Phenotype,” very well received and lauded in the prog
Textures – Genotype – Album Review Read More »
Killer progressive black / post metal from Lithuania! If you have read my reviews, you know that lyrics are important to me and are something I often connect with when listening to an album. Even a few releases this year, such as the latest from Marianas Rest, have become even more deeply meaningful to me
Juodvarnis – Tékmés – Album Review Read More »
Progressive metal from Hungary incorporating symphonic, gothic, and death metal notes with a heavy dose of cinematic flair! I stumbled upon Hungary’s Meteora back in November via an Instagram ad letting me know about their at the time recently released EP, “Broken Mind.” I liked the clip I heard, and after diving in for a
Meteora – Darkest Light – Album Review Read More »
HEAVY modern symphonic metal with killer melodies and fabulous song writing! I didn’t know who Flowerleaf was until late last year when they released a single called “Silksong” that came to my attention via an Instagram ad. If you are a video game aficionado or just happen to be familiar with the Hollow Knight series,
FlowerLeaf / Dreamerie – Album Review Read More »
An epic comeback resulting in seriously epic death doom! It seems like there has been a trend for a number of bands to release something new after a very long wait. Two notables last year were Ancient Bards and Crimson Shadows, and then Coroner beat them all with their first new album in 32 years.
Sad Whisperings – The Hermit – Album Review Read More »
Exploring the grief of loss with gothic death doom melancholy! Losing someone you love sucks. It can weigh on you like a ton of bricks, suffocating in its pressure, some of the deepest and darkest melancholy one can feel. Many albums across genres have explored these themes, and one of my favorite metal albums from
Marianas Rest – The Bereaved – Album Review Read More »
Gritty progressive metal with passion, heft, and a few wrinkles! Humanity struggles with change, and metalheads are at the forefront. Your favorite band puts out a new album, and it is a stark difference from previous output, and suddenly you are decrying their integrity. It happens in all genres, but it seems to result in
Soen / Reliance – Album Review Read More »
