by Leyla Hamedi Guest Writer The world really doesn’t need another creatively spelled band name but here’s another one, so deal with it. Oh, to live in Sweden where the sun never goes down on hair metal. Dynazty hails from Stockholm and though their music sounds more from the early ‘90s end [...]
by Trevor Portz Staff Writer Hair/glam metal is somewhat of an anomaly, as it is arguably both the most commercially successful, yet equally laughed at subgenre of heavy metal. Classic hair metal anthems still get regular play on the radio and at parties the world over, and even show up in French [...]
by Joe Mis Staff Writer Design Your Universe is the latest release from veteran Dutch rockers Epica. Founded in 2002, this female-fronted symphonic/orchestral/progressive/death/gothic metal group continues to refine and perfect its somewhat over-the-top sound in what is the band’s 5th release. [...]
by Alissa Ordabai Staff Writer Ever noticed how praise in rock press is often delivered with a reference to an iconic, and preferably dead, genius? How every half-decent drummer is a John Bonham? And every 15 year-old who uses a lot of wah-wah is a Hendrix? And every competent enough female singer [...]
by Franco Wissa Staff Writer It has been as far back as 1990 when German brothers Volker Sohl (keyboards) and guitarist Kay Sohl formed what was then Chameleon. In 1997, a few lineup changes later and the band, with a harder edged change in their sound, now known as Sylvan released Deliverance in [...]
by Derric Miller Staff Writer Based on best-selling German author Wolfgang Hohlbein’s new novel, Blaze & Ashes is a Melodic Rock project led by chief songwriter/bassist Volker Leson. The main character in Hohlbein’s work, Delany, is where Leson found this project’s name. While concept [...]
by Alissa Ordabai Staff Writer Having lost a band member to the continuing global recession, The Red Chord are emerging out of this predicament revitalised, with a record which perfectly mixes fury and cunning, instrumental virtuosity and abstraction, tradition and innovation. You could, of course, [...]
by Alissa Ordabai Staff Writer Having abandoned their barely pronounceable former name, this Swedish quartet has now released their third album under the new name Switch Opens. An intense, earnest and highly experimental affair it makes a bold stab at conceptualism from the very first track. [...]
by Curt Hauff Staff Writer The production values and performances on The Shape of Energy are reminiscent of an album from the ‘70s. The album has a hint of the Allman Brothers throughout. Both stylistically and sonically, The Shape of Energy resembles an album from the aforementioned blues band, [...]
by Joe Mis Staff Writer Final Gravity’s self-titled first release is nothing but straight-up unpretentious rock and roll. This quartet from California has done a fine job in putting together 14 decent tracks of solid blue-collar rock. Always energetic and melodic, these guys let their enthusiasm [...]
