Heavy metal album reviews that go deep, with band history, song by song analysis, and more!
Escape reality with Italian prog power goodness! Italy is synonomous with a lot of things, and one of those is power and progressive metal. It never ceases to amaze me the sheer number of quality bands and releases that have their roots in Italy. Such is the case with Italian progressive/power metal band Walls of […]
Walls of Babylon / Aeons Apart – Album Review Read More »
Symphonic technical blackened death metal that will crush and immerse you! I am kicking off my 2026 reviews with something quite a bit heavier than I usually review, but this album caught me by surprise and wouldn’t let me go. I wasn’t familiar with US-based Null Existence prior to an Instagram ad letting me know
Null Existence / Cryptic Monolith – Album Review Read More »
Symphonic power metal with amazing melodies and plenty of shred! Back in July (2024), I got an early preview of Florida power metallers Seven Kingdoms new EP “The Square,” which officially dropped a couple of weeks ago. I wrote an immediate response mini-review then, but here is an update now that I have both had
Seven Kingdoms / The Square – EP Review Read More »
My 2024 metal album of the year. Absolutely stunning symphonic metal that cannot be confined! I have been anticipating the new release from Boston area symphonic metal band Seven Spires for quite some time. “A Fortress Called Home” dropped this past Friday, and I wasn’t sure what to expect, even after reviewing the first 2
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“Chill death metal” with killer melodies and great songs! Chill death metal. This is the moniker my son and I assigned to Finnish melodeath band Omnium Gatherum the first time we listened to them. They released their latest album, “May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way” last month, and it is the epitome of
Omnium Gatherum / May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way – Album Review Read More »
A modern folk metal offering with lots of atmosphere, heft, and killer melodies! I remember the first time I heard 2008 release Sagas by Germany’s Equilibrium, their second release (and first on Nuclear Blast). I was blown away by the melding of traditional folk melodies and instruments with the fury of black and death metal,
Equilibrium / Equinox – Album Review Read More »
Big melodies, crushing instruments, enrapturing progressive metal! UK prog metallers Ihlo released their sophomore album, “Legacy,” in August, 6 years after their very well-received debut “Union” (which also received a handsome remastering treatment in 2024). Imagine the big melodies and synth infused atmosphere of Vola melded with the melodic and crushing instrumental genius of Wheel,
Ihlo / Legacy – Album Review Read More »
Progressive thrash legends make their long awaited return! It seems like a lot of bands the past couple of years released albums after quite a wait following their previous release. I thought Crimson Shadows and Ancient Bards were going to hold the distinction of longest gap, but Coroner easily takes the prize with their first
Coroner / Dissonance Theory – Album Review Read More »
Amazing atmospheric progressive death metal with blackened edges! As connected as I think I am sometimes, I am constantly amazed at not only the number of bands that fly under the radar, but also the number of bands that I just don’t know about. Two months ago, I had never even heard of Sweden’s An
An Abstract Illusion / The Sleeping City – Album Review Read More »
Killer dystopian progressive melodeath from Italy! There are times when I hear about a band, add it to my “to be listened” list, and then accidentally forget about it. This is the case with Italy’s Obsidian Fall, who released their debut album, “Elegy from a Dying World,” back in March. I recently rediscovered it on
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