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 »
Melodic and catchy symphonic metal with pop and hard rock sensibility! I felt like 2025 delivered a number of great symphonic metal releases, and 2026 appears to be promising with quite a few on the horizon already. Germany’s Beyond the Black has the honor of kicking off this trend with their 6th full length album,
Beyond the Black / Break the Silence – 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 »
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 »
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,
Blackbriar / A Thousand Little Deaths – Album Review Read More »
Celtic folk & melodeath meld for epic soundscapes and melodies! I have been a fan of Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie since the beginning, when they were a relatively unknown band on Fear Dark Records in the early 2000’s. They didn’t stay unknown for long, getting signed to Nuclear Blast and releasing 7 albums in
Eluveitie / Ànv – Album Review Read More »
Theatrical, cinematic & bombastic symphonic metal colliding with power, progressive, and melodeath! I absolutely love Epica. Their brand of theatrical, orchestral symphonic metal is captivating, and I have been eagerly awaiting a follow-up to 2021’s amazing “Omega.” Earlier this month, Epica released their latest opus, “Aspiral,” and it has been difficult to stop listening to
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Symphonic Power Metal as it should be! Tommy Johansson is God’s gift to metal vocals. His incredible and effortless range, strong delivery, and rich tone are the perfect combo, and I would put him up against any of the best vocalists in metal. It has been awhile since we had a full length featuring him,
Majestica / Power Train – Album Review Read More »
