Music Reviews 2012
Nightwish | Imaginaerum
by Nikiforos Skoumas Staff Writer — Back in 2007, when Nightwish introduced Anette Olzon as their new lead singer, a major part of the press came to label the move as the ‘greatest risk in […]
Month: January 2012
Music Reviews 2012
Draekon | Prelude to Tragedy
by Justin Gaines Staff Writer — Prelude to Tragedy is the debut EP from Indiana-based progressive/power metal band Draekon. Indiana is hardly the first place you think of when it comes to progressive and power […]
Music Reviews 2012
Zodiac n Black | The Aftermyth
by Alissa Ordabai Staff Writer — There are glimpses of earnest striving on this collection of demos, jams and half-baked ideas, which is, curiously, packaged and presented as a finished album. But a finished album […]
Music Reviews 2012
Mr. Big | Live from the Living Room
by Alissa Ordabai Staff Writer — Few rock bands have ever managed to successfully convey the spirit of their songs in the unplugged live show scenario. Not for the lack of trying, but perhaps due […]
Music Reviews 2012
Fiona | Unbroken
by Nikiforos Skoumas Staff Writer — Though troubled the music industry may be, it has been well documented throughout the past decade that just about any musical comeback is possible. On this occasion the AOR […]
Music Reviews 2012
Will Wallner & Vivien Vain
by Nikiforos Skoumas Staff Writer — Coming on February 1st is the debut album of British guitarist Will Wallner and Croatian singer Vivien Vain. Having both relocated to the United States; Los Angeles, CA., in […]
Interviews 2012
Danny Tomb of 4ARM
by Cameron Edney Guest Staff Writer — 4ARM’s Danny Tomb Talks about the new album, touring and much more. Australian thrash metallers 4ARM have certainly done the hard yards to get to the point they’re […]
Off the Rails
The Voyage To Hell: 70,000 Tons of Metal 2012
by Chris A. Staff Writer — For the past five days, the Caribbean has been under a musical siege of epic proportions in the form of the second 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. Forty-two Metal […]
Music Reviews 2012
Lacuna Coil | Dark Adrenaline
by John Kindred Staff Writer — Merging a woman with a pretty face and a smooth silky voice, who wears tight black leather pants with raging, distorted guitars and heavy percussion doesn’t really equate to […]
Music Reviews 2012
Casablanca | Apocalyptic Youth
by Mark Allen Staff Writer — Hailing from Sweden (though the band does feature American guitarist Ryan Roxie of Alice Cooper/Electric Angels fame) and with knob-maestro Chris Laney at the production helm, it would have […]
Concert Reviews 2012
LIVE! | Anthrax
by Jonathan Staff Writer — January 26, 2012 at Midland Theater in Kansas City, MO Anthrax live at the Midland theater in Kansas City, Missouri was a unique performance and definitely a night to remember. […]
Music Reviews 2012
Battle Beast | Steel
by Nikiforos Skoumas Staff Writer — And just when you thought major labels no longer invest on newcomer acts, comes Battle Beast. The plainly titled Steel is their debut album, issued by Nuclear Blast in […]
Music Reviews 2012
Chakras | Cedric
by Joe Mis Staff Writer — Cedric is the debut release from Cincinnati-based alternative/heavy/goth rockers Chakras. Formed and fronted by singer Andrea Simler DeGolier, Chakras blends elements of alternative rock, metal, gothic rock and a […]
Music Reviews 2012
Various Artists | New Year Killing Spree 2011
by Alissa Ordabai Staff Writer — AA country with a vast and incredibly diverse cultural heritage, India – strangely enough – offers rather slim pickings when it comes to metal. Or at least this is […]
Music Reviews 2012
On Top | Top Heavy
by Nikiforos Skoumas Staff Writer — Top Heavy is the brand debut album by American sleaze-glam-metal band On Top. Lets get this out of the way before moving to the heart of the matter; what […]
Music Reviews 2012
Blessed By A Broken Heart | Feel the Power
by Mark Allen Staff Writer — Those of us lucky enough to grow up amidst the excess of the ‘80s fondly recall when Aqua Net and spandex ruled the metal world, when bands like Poison, […]
Music Reviews 2012
Seasons of the Wolf | Lost in Hell
by Justin Gaines Staff Writer — We’ve all seen the recent trend of traditional metal revival bands emerge in the past few years. There’s even a catchy moniker – NWOTM – to describe bands like […]
Music Reviews 2012
Dario Mollo and Tony Martin | The Third Cage
by Justin Gaines Staff Writer — It took a full decade, but guitarist Dario Mollo and vocalist Tony Martin have finally delivered another collaboration under the Cage moniker. Their third release together, the appropriately titled […]
Music Reviews 2012
The Elves | And Before Elf…There Were Elves
by Justin Gaines Staff Writer — One of the more interesting chapters in the early history of the late Ronnie James Dio’s storied career, and the one that is perhaps least in line with the […]
Interviews 2012
Karl Demata
by Alissa Ordabai Staff Writer — Best known for being a member of the British prog-rock outfit Crippled Black Phoenix, Karl Demata has also recently been receiving acclaim as a solo artist following the release […]
Concert Reviews 2012
LIVE! | Anthrax & Testament
by Deb Rao Staff Writer — January 23, 2012 at House of Blues in Las Vegas, NV The second leg of the Anthrax/Testament Tour kicked off on Sunday, Jan. 23 in Las Vegas at the […]
Music Reviews 2012
Age of Distrust | Whispers of War
by Justin Gaines Staff Writer — The 6-song EP Whispers of War is the debut release from Ohio-based metal band Age of Distrust. The band plays high speed, high aggression, heavy metal with one foot […]
Music Reviews 2012
Arch Enemy | Khaos Legions
by Nikiforos Skoumas Staff Writer — Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy have returned with their ninth studio album Khaos Legions. Over the past decade, fans and media have attached multiple labels to the […]
Music Reviews 2012
Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster | Exegesis
by Joe Mis Staff Writer — Despite being named after one of the more memorable tragedies in American history, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster is actually a five-piece “atmospheric art metal” act hailing from London, […]
Music Reviews 2012
Jack Starr’s Burning Starr | Land of the Dead
by John Kindred Staff Writer — Embodying the spirit of Warrior-Metal, Jack Starr’s Burning Starr returns with their latest offering Land of the Dead. Starr, who cut his teeth in the band Virgin Steele in […]
Music Reviews 2012
Oceans of Night | Domain
by Justin Gaines Staff Writer — Domain is the second album from Oceans of Night, and the latest in a series of collaborations between songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Scott Mosher and vocalist Scott Oliva. Under the Oceans of […]
Off the Rails
Five Essential Tips for your 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise
by Chris A. Staff Writer Sailing aboard a 70,000-ton cruise ship, carrying 40 heavy metal bands and 2,000 fans in the Caribbean isn’t your typical holiday; in fact, it’s an adventure of epic proportions. In […]
Concert Reviews 2012
LIVE! | Chickenfoot
by Alissa Ordabai Staff Writer January 14, 2012 at Brixton Academy in London, United Kingdom This was Chickenfoot’s second ever show in London, the band having played here previously in June 2009. During between-the-songs banter […]
Music Reviews 2012
Tony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine
by Alissa Ordabai Staff Writer On his new solo release – the first in 10 years – Tony MacAlpine presents his classically inspired experimental rock in an edgier, more complex and sombre mood than ever […]
Music Reviews 2012
Freedom Call | Land of the Crimson Dawn
by Mark Allen Staff Writer German melodic power metal outfit Freedom Call return with a new album that instantly rates as one of the best power metal releases of 2012. Okay, the year is less […]
Concert Reviews 2012
LIVE! | Hotel Diablo
by Deb Rao Staff Writer — January 13, 2012 at Vampd in Las Vegas, NV Every once in a blue moon a band comes along and makes you take notice. Newly formed California based band […]
Music Reviews 2012
Whitechapel | Recorrupted
by Cynthia Jo Staff Writer Deathcore overall has that evocative, too many breakdowns, monotonous, boring beats, and the heavy synths overuse. One band that puts that into good use is Knoxville sextet, Whitechapel. Their latest […]
Interviews 2012
Steve Blaze of Lillian Axe
by Derric Miller Staff Writer — Lillian Axe guitarist Steve Blaze checked in to talk about their upcoming studio release The Days Before Tomorrow; the journey of finding and recording with a new singer in […]
Off the Rails
THE BUZZ IS GETTING LOUDER!
by Chris Danielson Guest Writer — SED RECORDS TO SHOWCASE UP AND COMING ROCK BANDS: HORNET, DAMN DICE & WESTERN SAND; THURSDAY 23RD FEBRUARY 2012, AT THE THE INTREPID FOX, SOHO London based independent record […]
Music Reviews 2012
Reckless Love | Animal Attraction
by Nikiforos Skoumas Staff Writer — Along with Steel Panther, Reckless Love is the second part of the plan devised by Universal Music to take over the international melodic rock/glam metal scene. Through their debut […]
Music Reviews 2012
Anchored | Listen To This
by Mark Allen Staff Writer — With riffs large enough to rattle a cruise ship and more hooks than a fishing derby, Anchored could very well be the next big thing in modern hard rock. […]
Music Reviews 2012
Paisty Jenny | Head in a Haze
by Derric Miller Staff Writer — Cranking a good drinking song can sometimes be more cathartic than going to confession if you are Catholic or refilling your Viagra prescription if you are … one of […]
Music Reviews 2012
Dogbane | Residual Alcatraz
by Justin Gaines Staff Writer — Residual Alcatraz is the debut album from North Carolina-based traditional/doom metallers Dogbane, the latest band signed to Heaven and Hell Records. Like most bands in the Heaven and Hell […]
Music Reviews 2012
Strange Karma | Volume 1
by Justin Gaines Staff Writer — The appropriately-titled Volume 1 is the debut album from Australian hard rockers Strange Karma. The Sydney-based band is one of a host of new bands that takes its cues […]
Music Reviews 2012
Primal Fear | Unbreakable
by Justin Gaines Staff Writer — Easily one of the most highly anticipated power metal releases of 2011 (or 2012, depending on the release schedule in your part of the world), Unbreakable is the ninth […]
Interviews 2012
In Defense of the New: An Interview with Oath of Insanity
by Alex Barbieri Staff Writer — In the Disney/Pixar film Ratatouille, food critic Anton Ego said, “There are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the […]
Interviews 2012
Dale Stewart of Seether
by Cameron Edney Guest Staff Writer — Seether’s Stewart Talks Touring Australia, Fans and latest album. Forming in South Africa in 1999 and spending most of their time these days in the United States, post-Grunge […]
Music Reviews 2012
77 | High Decibels
by John Kindred Staff Writer — We have been down this road before; bands paying homage to the past, attempting to recreate and recapture the essence of an era long gone by. Spanish hard rock […]
Interviews 2012
Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan
by Cameron Edney Guest Staff Writer — In February American Metallers The Dillinger Escape Plan will once again return to Australia to take part in the Soundwave Festival’s. No stranger to touring Australia and our […]
Music Reviews 2012
Defuse | Bangkok Addiction
by Mark Allen Staff Writer — There is a lot to like, little to loathe, and a certain amount of ambivalence generated on this latest album from this Finnish band. The modern sleaze-rock fuse they […]
Music Reviews 2012
Candlelight Red | The Wreckage
by Justin Gaines Staff Writer — The Wreckage is the latest offering from up-and-coming modern rock band Candlelight Red. The band, which hails from central Pennsylvania, has enjoyed a measure of success lately. They’ve toured […]