Heavy metal album reviews that go deep, with band history, song by song analysis, and more!
Symphonic classic mastery collides beautifully with brutal death metal! I was a band kid for half of my school life, an accomplished clarinet player who sadly didn’t do much beyond high school. During this time, my appreciation for classical and baroque music grew. There isn’t anything quite like it, with the complex arrangements, various movements, […]
Aephanemer / Utopie – Album Review Read More »
Technical, melodic, & atmospheric sci-fi influenced progressive death metal! I love science fiction, having read many novels by greats such as Asimov, Bradbury, and Herbert, and though I don’t read as much as I used to, I always enjoy diving into modern sci-fi as well as revisiting the classics. Sci-fi and metal go so well
Fallujah / Xenotaph – Album Review Read More »
Demon Hunter’s best since “The Triptych,” maybe their best period! American metal band Demon Hunter released their twelfth album last month, “There Was a Light Here.” I have been a Demon Hunter fan since the beginning, having seen their first tour well over 20 years ago and many many shows since, including their 20 year
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Progressive & technical science fiction themed death metal! British Columbia, Canada, sci-fi tech deathers Exterminatus, released their latest, “Echoes from a Distant Star: Part I,” in April of this year. This album is an absolute onslaught of brutal and highly technical death metal, with lots of variety that rarely strays from warp speed. Their name
Exterminatus / Echoes from a Distant Star: Part I – Album Review Read More »
Dungeons & Dragons themed epic melodic doom infused with power! Behölder just released a new single today (which also includes an amazing ode to a Savatage classic), and I realize I am WAY overdue reviewing their debut album released back in April of this year. Have you ever had the experience where you discover a
Behölder / In the Temple of the Tyrant – Album Review Read More »
Brilliant symphonic progressive metal that is cinematic and full of bombast! Festivals and Instagram friends are both great ways to discover new bands and albums. Israeli progressive metal band Scardust was announced in September that they would have their first US appearance at ProgPower in September 2026. I knew the name but wasn’t super familiar
Scardust / Souls – Album Review Read More »
Dark symphonic gothic metal that is beautifully haunting! Beautifully haunting, mesmerizing, enchanting, enveloping…these are what come to mind when listening to the latest release from Dutch symphonic gothic metal band Blackbriar. “A Thousand Little Deaths” was released in August and has remained in my regular listening rotation since then. I fondly remember first discovering Blackbriar,
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Speedy historical symphonic power metal with thrash sensibility! I love well done symphonic power metal. There is just something about the over the top feel, the big melodies and earworm choruses, and the stereotypical concept album tapestry. Germany’s WarKings released their latest album, “Armageddon,” in July, and it absolutely fits the bill. The focus on historical events
WarKings / Armageddon – Album Review Read More »
Proggy blackened melodeath with Middle Eastern flair! I love discovering new music, especially bands that are not as big or well known, and extra special when they are practically in my backyard! I don’t exactly remember how I discovered Bellingham’s Inpathos, but I found them right after they released their latest full length, “Apparitions,” last month.
Inpathos / Apparitions – Album Review Read More »
Power metal meets melodeath in the Wild West! I was first introduced to Celestial Wizard in 2024, seeing them perform at Mad with Power and Mile High Power Fests, causing me to check out their 2022 release “Winds of the Cosmos”. I enjoyed their blend of power metal and melodeath and was curious to see
Celestial Wizard / Regenesis – Album Review Read More »
