New & Noteworthy, July 2nd - True Heroes

The saga of Matthew Leone has left an incredible impression on me this week. I don't know of any other people that would try to break up a domestic abuse at great personal risk to self. The fact that the Madina Lake bassist wound up in a coma only makes his story more shocking and personal. Thankfully, though, Leone is conscious and aware now. I am in awe of the example he has set for people around the world and for musicians in the scene. Everyone should strive to be like Matthew Leone: selfless, caring, and just - in other words, a true hero.

We celebrate Leone and his actions this week, but we will take our standard look at the new releases and tours as well. There are quite a few Christian metal albums and another batch of reissues hitting the stores this week, but the biggest focus is on Trent Reznor's triumphant return to music. Meanwhile, bands are booking tours for the end of summer like it's going out of style. Keep reading and get ready for the heat!

The Year in Music So Far: Six Months of 2010

Here we are at the halfway point of 2010, and as I have done in years past, I am going to give my thoughts on how the year in hard rock and heavy metal is shaping up so far. However, this year was also my first year as a professional reviewer, and as such, I have never listened to so much music in six months while simultaneously listening to so little (52 albums listened to out of 125 that I have in my iTunes library). As such, I will try to keep my thoughts brief on each individual album so that I can discuss as many albums as possible.

In previous years, I have discussed albums as either exceeding, meeting, or falling short of my expectations. But since that doesn't always give the most accurate picture of my thoughts, I'm going to simplify this and say what was amazing, what was good, and what was disappointing. I'll also give a preview of what's coming up in the second half of 2010, including what we should look forward to and what we should avoid. So read on and get the complete picture of the first half of 2010 in hard rock and heavy metal!

Album Review: "Deep Blue" by Parkway Drive

In music, sometimes two wrongs can actually make a right, and there's perhaps no better example of this than Parkway Drive. The Australian quintet has taken the two most hated metal subgenres of this decade - metalcore and deathcore - and blended the two together, creating an entirely new and somehow unique engine of pure destruction. 2006's Killing With a Smile showed lots of promise, but it was 2007's Horizons that really cemented Parkway Drive as a worldwide force of devastation. Their music had most of the clichés of both subgenres, but when brought together with Winston McCall's primal screams, the result was unlike anything heard on either side of the line - too heavy and breakdown-intensive to be metalcore, but at the same time, too melodic and well-structured to be deathcore. However, these positives may have been too high of a standard for Parkway Drive's newest album, Deep Blue, which sees the band moving backwards in their innovation rather than forward.

Album Review: "House With a Curse" by Coliseum

What separates Coliseum from the majority of other hardcore bands in the world is their obvious love of groove-laden alternative rock such as Queens of the Stone Age. Most of their songs are catchy, with great hooks and interesting structures. The genre fusion they utilize likens their sound more to stoner rock bands like The Sword, Baroness, and Cursed than hardcore bands. However, while that new approach does help them to stand out from the pack, it also has the potential to alienate traditional hardcore fans looking for simplistic song structures and sing-along lyrics. Coliseum doesn't seem to care about that potential problem, though, forging ahead with their sludgy hardcore sound on House With a Curse, their first album for new label Temporary Residence Ltd.

New & Noteworthy, June 25th - Run on Reissues

In a week where the Big Four not only played shows together, but even joined together for a one-off live cover song, this week is surprisingly devoid of thrash news. Maybe the awesomeness of the Big Four being in the same place at the same time was just too much for the rest of the thrash world to handle. However, I tend to think it's more of a reaction to the amazing thrash releases of 2010 thus far (Overkill, Exodus, and Annihilator leading the way) and anticipation for the thrash albums on the horizon (Death Angel, Flotsam and Jetsam, and Accept are the biggest names). Either way, thrash fans have slim pickings this week, but everyone else has plenty to get excited about!

This week sees a ton of albums getting re-released, either as limited vinyl pressings or special edition CD's. Fans looking for collector's items will be salivating over the names listed. But there's no shortage of good new releases this week either. Meanwhile, the touring calendar gets a huge update for the fall, with some big names preparing to hit the road. Read on to see what's coming your way!

Album Review: "Addicts: Black Meddle, Part II" by Nachtmystium

There are very few bands that can throw whatever they want into a song in whatever way they want to include it, and still end up with an excellent-sounding finished result. More often than not, bands with that format don't make it out of their basements. Not so with Nachtmystium, a band that has capitalized on their skill in crafting diverse, intricate songs with completely unexpected parts and inclusions. The seemingly random nature of their music is what makes them so appealing to listeners tired of the processed, sterilized nature of the modern metal world. Their 2008 breakthrough album, Assassins: Black Meddle, Part 1, established a new standard for experimental and psychedelic metal. The follow-up, Addicts: Black Meddle, Part II, takes a new direction in some areas, but maintains the core sound of the band and is overall a worthy follow-up album.

New & Noteworthy, June 18th - The Rush Begins

I apologize for my absence last week with New & Noteworthy. Hopefully you managed to catch New & Noteworthy on Metal Insider, in its second week as a regular column. If not, go read up on last week's new releases, which were few in number but great in significance!

This week begins what will likely be twelve weeks of being broke for music enthusiasts such as me. There are big-name albums coming out almost every week this summer. Here's just a few of the big names with new releases on the horizon: Candlemass, Parkway Drive, How to Destroy Angels, Hellyeah, Korn, Soilwork, The Acacia Strain, Chimaira, Ill Niño, Avenged Sevenfold, Comeback Kid, Black Label Society, Iron Maiden, Helmet, Kataklysm, Stone Sour, Accept, and Death Angel. If this isn't a huge summer for metal, I don't know what is!

This week features the long-anticipated return of everyone's favorite ex-Misfit, the hotly-debated new album from the Prince of Darkness, and plenty of other great new music, along with some serious summer tour announcements. Read on to see what's on the calendar!

Album Review: "Periphery" by Periphery

In the realm of entertainment and arts, everything is capable of being reviewed. There is no form of artistic expression that is completely unable to be critiqued, no matter what some critics might have you believe. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Roger Ebert. Man up and rate The Human Centipede, ya jerk!) That being said, there are some things in the realm of the arts for which reviewing is not constructive. These are forms of art that are best left to individual interpretation and opinion, because reviewing them cannot possibly present the entire experience that occurs when the art form itself is taken in. The new self-titled album from experimental metal upstarts Periphery is one such example of this. The album itself is more than just a mere collection of songs, but rather a twisted, fragmented musical journey that goes beyond almost anything currently in existence in the realm of heavy music. And despite my misgivings, I am going to give my review of this album, although in the end, my review means nothing, because there are almost no universal truths found within the notes of Periphery.

No New & Noteworthy this week

It's early Sunday morning, and I've been going nonstop for the past three days. I have had little to no time to write this week, and as such, I'm calling off New & Noteworthy this week. There's only five new releases, and the tours that were announced aren't very significant. Therefore, if you want to read New & Noteworthy this week, head on over to Metal Insider on Tuesday to read my thoughts on the new releases.

There is one piece of news I would like to discuss, though. According to a recent report, I.C.S. Vortex has rejoined Borknagar as the band's new bassist. He will also be functioning as their lead singer for at least their upcoming tour, if not longer, as lead vocalist Vintersorg will be unable to join the band due to "private commitments". I am really happy to see this news, and I hope that Borknagar comes to the states with Vortex as part of the lineup. He is an amazing singer and a very capable bassist. Some of Borknagar's best work was during the period that he was the band's full-time bassist and lead singer. Let's hope for a continued period of Vortex in Borknagar!

Album Review: "The Obsidian Conspiracy" by Nevermore

Nevermore is one of those rare bands with an unbeatable track record; the kind of band that somehow always manages to impress fans with each new release. Over the course of their sixteen-year career, the Seattle natives have defied every standard and bucked every trend in the metal world, while still maintaining an enormous following and garnering rave reviews. In the five years since their last studio album, This Godless Endeavor, Nevermore has released their first DVD, The Year of the Voyager, and also seen solo releases from lead singer Warrel Dane (Praises to the War Machine) and lead guitarist Jeff Loomis (Zero Order Phase). With anticipation and expectations running high, the band is finally back with The Obsidian Conspiracy, an album that displays the full spectrum of Nevermore's capabilities to great effect.

Album Review: "Invictus (Iconoclast III)" by Heaven Shall Burn

The hierarchy of German metal has begun with the "Teutonic thrash" bands - Kreator, Destruction, and Sodom - for almost a quarter century. However, in the past ten years, an entire scene devoted to metalcore and melodic death metal has exploded out of Germany, and several bands from that scene have enormous followings that make them just as relevant and important as the Teutonic thrashers. Heaven Shall Burn is the definitive leader of this group, because they are one of the most popular bands in the scene, and undoubtedly the most consistent. Since 2002's Whatever It May Take, the quintet has developed into a monstrous force of influence, getting faster, more aggressive, more thought-provoking, and just plain better with each release. However, Invictus (Iconoclast III) takes the trend to a whole new level, advancing Heaven Shall Burn above all of their contemporaries and vaulting them into the highest echelon of melodic death metal bands worldwide.

New & Noteworthy, June 4th - New Release Explosion

For those of you who might wonder how I keep track of all the new releases that appear in the metal world, the answer is that I have a wonderful program that lets me put Post-It Notes all over my desktop, and I have one gigantic note titled "ALBUM RELEASE CALENDAR" that I update every time I see a new release. And that Post-It is easily the longest Post-It ever constructed, with a scroll bar and everything, covering releases all the way into 2011.

Well, I can safely say that, because of that Post-It, I have been having anxiety attacks about this week's edition of New & Noteworthy for about a month now. Why, you might ask? Because there are 25 new releases to cover this week! It's as if every record label in rock and metal decided that June 8th was a good day to release at least one album.

Since I have so much to cover, don't be surprised if I'm rather brief with my thoughts on each album. There's a lot to read, so go take a look at what will be consuming your paycheck this week!

Album Review: "When Will We Surrender" by Hundredth

There's not a lot of room for error in the melodic hardcore genre. Bands that choose to embrace this style need to walk a very fine line between balls-out, tough-guy hardcore and overly melodic post-hardcore, without leaning too heavily on either style. Comeback Kid and Diecast were among the first bands to master the genre, and thus are often considered its founding bands. In recent years, a multitude of new bands have emerged playing a similar style, while mostly utilizing screaming vocals and very little clean singing. For the Fallen Dreams, The Ghost Inside, and For Today are the biggest new names in the genre, but one very young band that has the potential to take the entire scene by storm is Hundredth. On their debut album, When Will We Surrender, the quintet from Myrtle Beach, SC sounds like a group of seasoned veterans, melding the best elements of their classic influences with the style of the genre's new leaders.

New & Noteworthy, May 28th - Three Nil

The saying goes that bad things come in threes, and that was proven this week. In the wake of the deaths of Ronnie James Dio and Peter Steele, the metal world was struck this week with the shocking death of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray. Gray, 38, was found Monday morning on the floor of a hotel room in Urbandale, Iowa. So many parts of this story are heartbreaking and awful, most of all the fact that Gray is survived by his wife and unborn child. His death deeply affected the members of Slipknot, who held a press conference on Tuesday regarding his passing. The terrible news on Wednesday that Gray was found with hypodermic needles and pills in the hotel room only worsens the story, as he had been in rehab twice before and apparently had been clean for a few years. Regardless, though, Gray will be sorely missed, and Slipknot will never be the same without him. Rest in peace, Paul Gray.

Now the updates and news:

Album Review: "Miracle" by Nonpoint

Since their debut album Statement hit stores in 2000, Nonpoint has been a veritable institution in the hard rock scene. However, they've been a small institution, never quite able to break into the mainstream and achieve huge success. Part of the reason for that might be because they were one of the last bands to jump on the nu-metal train, and while they've slowly evolved away from the much-maligned subgenre, their origins have held back their career in the long term. The only widespread success they've gained is with their cover of the Phil Collins classic "In the Air Tonight", which has shown up in commercials, movie soundtracks, and radio stations nationwide. However, through all of this, Nonpoint has persevered, never giving up on their music or their fiercely devoted fans. Their newest album, Miracle, completes their musical evolution into a full-fledged hard rock band with little to no trace of their nu-metal roots left.

New & Noteworthy, May 21st - Faded Rainbow in the Dark

Another metal legend has fallen this week, saddening the hearts of the entire world. Ronnie James Dio died this past Sunday from the stomach cancer that has plagued him for months now. At the age of 67, Dio was still rocking hard with Heaven & Hell until late last November, when the cancer was first diagnosed. The singer will be forever remembered in the hearts of metal fans around the world, and his legacy of rock will never die.

It doesn't help matters that a number of other losses struck the metal world this week. Legendary Bay Area manager/booking agent Debbie Abono also passed away this week at the age of 80, also after a battle with cancer. Abono helped to book and promote bands like Exodus, Possessed, Forbidden, and Vio-lence in their early years, bringing them to the level of prominence that they achieved as their careers advanced. Abono will be fondly remembered by the entire Bay Area scene for her dedication and vitality. Adding insult to injury were announcements that Isis is breaking up and Destroy the Runner is going on indefinite hiatus. It's a shame to see these two bands going away. Post-metal will never be the same due to the contributions of Isis, and the youthful energy and inventiveness of Destroy the Runner were nice to see amidst a mostly stagnant metalcore/post-hardcore scene.

There's no easy way to move on from these losses. Here are the announcements for this week:

Album Review: "Cold Day Memory" by Sevendust

There are few bands that can match the consistency and perseverance of Sevendust. Since their self-titled debut album came out in 1997, the band has struggled to achieve any sort of big breakout, while many of their peers have leapfrogged them into fame. However, the band has never stopped or given up, remaining very tightly knit throughout all their trials. The band has only experienced one member change in their entire career, in the form of Clint Lowery's departure in 2004, and that change was undone two years ago when Lowery expressed his desire to rejoin the band. Cold Day Memory marks the recording return of Sevendust's original lineup, and the reunion with Lowery immediately proves to be a huge step forward for the veteran quintet.

New & Noteworthy, May 14th - Old Chapters Revisited

Welcome to New & Noteworthy, and what a week it was! The '80s reared their beautiful, glorious head in force this week, as two classic bands made headlines with huge news. The first story is confirmation that Anthrax has reunited with original singer Joey Belladonna, with plans for extensive summer touring and recording a new album. This reunion allows the much-rumored "Big Four tour" to occur in Europe, and if the tour goes well there, then US fans can start to get excited for it to occur Stateside. The second story covers a partnership among Relapse Records, Perseverance Holdings Ltd., and Chuck Schuldiner's family to reissue his legendary work. The reissues of Death's back catalog (with the exception of 1995's Symbolic) were released this past Tuesday, but of greater significance is the expanded reissue of The Fragile Art of Existence, the sole release of Schuldiner's progressive side project Control Denied. There are also future plans to finish and release Control Denied's unfinished sophomore album, When Man and Machine Collide. Fans of Chuck Schuldiner (translate that as "every death metal fan in the world") will be dying to get their hands on that album, and with good reason. Control Denied was a phenomenal musical endeavor that ended long before it should have, and the release of their final album will hopefully expose this amazing band to a wider audience.

Moving on, we have the first of three fairly uneventful weeks of new releases this week. What a nice birthday present, music industry. Thanks. Oh yeah, by the way, my birthday is this coming Tuesday, May 18th. And I will say that I got an excellent early birthday present that appears in the tour announcements. Read on to find out what it is!

Vlog #2: Ozzfest Lineup Commentary

Please allow me twenty minutes of your time so I can rant about why Ozzfest is both awesome and terrible at the same time this year:




I apologize for the poor sound quality of this video. I had to lower the bitrate in order to get the file under Blip's 1 GB file size limit. The quality seems to affect my background music more than anything, though, so it's not a total loss.

Album Review: "The Powerless Rise" by As I Lay Dying

The process of evolution and maturation is always different from one band to the next. Some bands evolve quickly, hitting their stride right from the get-go, but then fall into stagnation over time. Others experiment with many different things before finally finding their sound later in their career. As I Lay Dying is one of the few bands to achieve the fine balance of slow evolution with consistent growth. With each new album the band puts out, they get better and better over their previous work. 2007's An Ocean Between Us sped up the process of evolution somewhat, with the production help of musical prodigy and master comedian Adam Dutkiewicz. The Christian metalcore veterans returned to Dutkiewicz for a new album, The Powerless Rise, which sets a new high point for the band in terms of musical development and composing excellence.

New & Noteworthy, May 7th - Drama Storm

Anyone who thought that heavy music was exempt from Hollywood-style drama needs to only browse this week's music headlines to have their illusions shattered. Godsmack has been raising an uproar recently, as reports that their new single "Cryin' Like a Bitch" was written about members of Mötley Crüe continue to gain strength. Whether Sully Erna's lyrics are about Nikki Sixx or Vince Neil is unclear, but animosity absolutely exists between the two bands now. Meanwhile, a report that Shawn "Clown" Crahan of Slipknot might run for political office wins the award for strangest rumor of the week, while likely causing many members of the Republican Party to prepare torches and pitchforks. The biggest hurricane of controversy, though, swirls around musical abomination Courtney Love, who has stooped to horrendous lows in order to get her name out. One report has her saying that she slept with former Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale while he was dating No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani, whom he has since married. Another story reports that she insulted Fred Durst at a concert where both Hole and Limp Bizkit were performing, saying that "he brought about the worst years in rock history". The irony of that quote is definitely not lost on me, nor should it be lost on any of you. As for Courtney Love, she should learn not to throw bricks from the front yard of her glass house. And while she's at it, she could also try to stop being a grotesque monster from our worst nightmares.

Now that we're done reporting on that inhuman and horrific excuse for a musician, let's get to more pleasant stories. There are a bunch of great new albums debuting this week, including a highly anticipated DVD and an exciting solo album. The summer touring circuit is filling out quickly as well, with two enormous festivals topping the announcements. Read on for all the latest updates!

Album Review: "Eternal" by War of Ages

War of Ages came to the metalcore explosion late, but that didn't stop the Pennsylvania-based quintet from diving in headfirst without looking back. The young Christian band has released four albums and a re-recording of their first album, all within the past six years, while also touring nonstop alongside the likes of Bury Your Dead, As I Lay Dying, Hatebreed, Throwdown, Heaven Shall Burn, Sick of it All, Demon Hunter, Earth Crisis, and Living Sacrifice. Such a strong DIY ethic, along with the band's straightforward approach to their music and undying love for well-placed breakdowns, has given War of Ages greater appeal among hardcore fans. Eternal continues the trends of previous albums, delivering new and powerful songs with insightful lyrics.

Album Review: "Fever" by Bullet for My Valentine

Bullet for My Valentine lives and dies by Matt Tuck. The young lead vocalist and guitarist is capable of driving the band to massive success or dragging them into total collapse, and nothing is better evident of this than the contrast between their debut album, The Poison, and its follow-up, Scream Aim Fire. The Poison was one of the biggest metalcore albums on the decade and helped to revitalize the entire subgenre when it was released. Scream Aim Fire was a decent album, but nowhere near as good as its predecessor, owing mostly to two factors: the lack of Tuck's screaming vocals due to his emergency tonsillectomy in 2007, and some rather uninspired compositions that did not live up to his potential. The band's third album, Fever, somewhat maintains the level of quality that Scream Aim Fire had, but doesn't advance back to their prior level of excellence.

New & Noteworthy, April 30th - Rewind One Decade...

Welcome to New & Noteworthy's final edition for the month of April! For the first time in several weeks, I don't have any deaths or break-ups to report, so I'm going to use this space to cover something I've been unintentionally ignoring since this segment started. I haven't been reporting on the "70,000 Tons of Metal" cruise, mostly because announcements have been few and far between recently. But with this week's announcement of the newest addition to the lineup, Testament, I finally took a good look at the lineup, and it is STACKED! Amon Amarth, Death Angel, Epica, Finntroll, Moonspell, Obituary, Raven, Saxon, Sodom, Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Swashbuckle, Testament, Trouble, Uli Jon Roth, and Witchburner have been announced so far, and that's LESS THAN HALF of the lineup. Furthermore, Saxon will be playing their albums Wheels of Steel and Strong Arm of the Law in their entirety on separate nights. You can bet that I'll be covering each addition to the lineup that gets announced for this cruise as time goes on. This lineup already is almost worth the $915 ticket price ($666 + $249 in taxes – oh so clever) that also includes all meals, non-alcoholic beverages, and on-board entertainment. Give it some thought if you haven't already. This cruise deserves to be a success.

Now on to the announcements! One thing I'm going to do that I realized I should have done all along is provide links to the tour dates that I announce (if there are dates available) so you can find out what shows will be near you. Hopefully that will save you time from having to search for the ones that interest you. Enjoy all the new tour announcements, plus all the new releases!

Album Review: "Bleeding Through" by Bleeding Through

Bleeding Through is best known in the American metal scene for two things. The first is being one of the first metalcore bands to add keyboards to their sound, creating tones and atmospheres akin to those of European melodic death metal bands like Soilwork and Dark Tranquillity. The second is the woman who has graced the keyboards since 2003, Marta Pererson, a regular in press features that highlight attractive women in heavy metal. The Orange County six-piece group hopes to expand their identity beyond these two things in 2010, though. Having finally achieved their much-desired split from Trustkill Records, Bleeding Through aims to start over again with their self-titled sixth album and their first release for Rise Records. Bleeding Through is a step away from 2008's Declaration in many ways, and the changes are a mixed bag of positive, negative, and superfluous.

Album Review: "[id]" by Veil of Maya

Veil of Maya is one of the only deathcore bands out right now that has a good grasp of how to play their genre. The Illinois-based quartet understands that technicality plays a greater role in proper deathcore than brutality, and their 2008 album, The Common Man's Collapse, displayed the technical side of the band much more than most deathcore records are willing to display. Having Michael Keene produce the album helped tremendously towards that goal, since Keene is better known as a guitar wizard in technical metal's biggest rising stars, The Faceless. For the follow-up to The Common Man's Collapse, Veil of Maya teamed up with Keene once again for their third overall album and second for Sumerian Records. The resulting product, [id], is a strong template for how deathcore ought to be written and performed.

New & Noteworthy, April 23rd - The Rumor Mill in the Sky Keeps On Turning...

Welcome to another week of New & Noteworthy! Unfortunately, more sad news must come before the updates, as has been the case of the past three weeks. First, Bloodlined Calligraphy's bassist Eric Cargile reportedly passed away in his sleep on Tuesday. The cause of death is currently unknown, but the band is planning a benefit show in his honor to raise funds for funeral expenses. Even though Bloodlined Calligraphy hasn't made news since the 2006 release of Ypsilanti, it's still a very sad loss, and my thoughts and prayers are with the band and Cargile's family. Second, Ohio-based black metal act Acheron is splitting up at the end of the year, after one final round of shows dubbed "The Last Rites 2010". It's a shame to see a veteran act like Acheron departing the music world, but after 22 years of making music, I'm sure Vincent Crowley is ready to move on to something else. If you're a fan of the band, make sure you head out to one of the shows on their farewell tour, because you'll likely see things at these shows that the band has never done before.

Now then, on to what you all came here to read about! There are a few big releases this week that should interest plenty of you. But as we approach the summer, tour rumors are spreading like wildfire and dominating the news. Rumors of two potentially humongous tours are topping the news this week, even surpassing a confirmed tour that has the potential to rival the Mayhem Festival in its audience draw. All that and more to come, after the new albums of next week!

Album Review: "Nifelvind" by Finntroll

Finntroll predates many of the bands occupying the current explosion of folk metal, which in a sense makes them innovators. But for their status, they don't get a lot of respect or recognition when compared to other bands in the genre. Moonsorrow, Eluveitie, Turisas, and even Ensiferum have all generated a greater buzz than Finntroll in recent years, and a number of other young folk metal bands are either just as popular or only slightly less popular than the seven-piece Finnish band. Part of the reason why Finntroll has not garnered as much critical acclaim is because of the inherently non-serious nature of their music. Any band that shows up in a music video partying in a cave while wearing loincloths can't be said to take their music completely seriously, nor should they expect fans to. However, on Nifelvind, the band seems to be attempting to force a serious tone into their music, with mixed results.

Album Review: "Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones" by Cancer Bats

When Liam Cormier and Scott Middleton formed Cancer Bats in 2004, they sought to bring together the styles of some of their favorite music acts, such as Refused, Black Flag, Led Zeppelin, and Down. Considering the sonic disparity among those four artists, this was no easy feat. However, both of their early albums, Birthing the Giant and Hail Destroyer, were met with high praise from fans and critics, with the latter being nominated for Album of the Year at the 2008 Kerrang awards. The band has also developed a strong reputation for energetic, engaging live shows, which has allowed them to take part in the Taste of Chaos Tour, UK's Download Festival, and two separate Reading and Leeds Festivals, not to mention all of their more standard touring. On the band's third album, Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones, the Canadian quartet trot out more of their Southern-influenced punk with similarly enjoyable results.

Album Review: "Threnody" by Woe of Tyrants

Genre fusion is often very difficult in metal, even for veteran acts. Finding the proper balance between two styles and creating a unique sound from that balance requires finesse, subtlety, and a great deal of songwriting talent. Luckily for Ohio-based quintet Woe of Tyrants, they have those three qualities in abundance. More importantly, they have the ambition to attempt a triple fusion of death metal, thrash, and metalcore into one bone-crushing sound. Their first album for Metal Blade (second overall), Kingdom of Might, was a massive success that earned the band touring slots with Unearth, God Dethroned, Psyopus, and their current spot on Overkill's 25th anniversary tour. On their newest album, Threnody, the young band replicates their older success while adding new, exciting elements to their unique sound.

The Metal Review is now The Metal Lab!

Hey everyone. Due to my recent discovery of the website Metal Review, I've decided that the name of my blog needs to change. Thus, The Metal Review will now be known as The Metal Lab. The only other uses of this name that I've found are a company in California that designs counters and range hoods, and (ironically) a now-defunct metal album download blog. I think this name will be safe, and I'll be sticking with it unless I get sued. Sorry if there's any confusion. Thanks for understanding!

New & Noteworthy, April 16th - Trying to Concentrate on the Future

The world of heavy music is incomplete as of this week. Peter Steele, the legendary frontman of Type O Negative and Carnivore, passed away on Wednesday evening from heart failure. For those unfamiliar with his music, Steele was one of the most influential figures in metal during the 90s. Type O Negative is one of the most unique bands ever to grace the ears of listeners, and there will never be another band like them. Steele himself was one of the most intriguing and distinctive people in all of metal, which showed in his inimitable lyrics. His passing affects the entire world of heavy music, as musicians from all over the metal spectrum expressed their thoughts about Steele throughout the day on Thursday. He was one of a kind, and we will miss him. Mr. Steele, as you said in one of your most poignant songs, everything dies. We just wish you didn't have to so soon. Rest in peace.

I also have to mention another loss in the metal world, although this one has been coming for a long time. This past week, Light This City played their four farewell shows in California. Barring any future reunions (which is unlikely), the videos from those farewell shows are the only record fans will have of the live performances of songs from their exceptional 2008 record, Stormchaser. I'm very disappointed that the bad didn't do a farewell tour, or at least play farewell shows in other locations besides California, but those are the breaks, I suppose. Thus, one of the better young thrash/death bands of the past decade ends their career. Sorry to see you go, Light This City.

This has been a sad week for metal fans. However, some big releases and tour announcements might add some silver lining to the clouds over our heads. Let's take a look at the new releases and upcoming tours to brighten our spirits a bit:

News Commentary: Gojira further the metal environmentalism movement, with help from sharks

Earlier today, Gojira announced that they'll be releasing a 5-song digital EP later this year. The proceeds from the sale of that EP will go to Sea Shepherd, an oceanic conservation society that is active on five continents with multiple campaigns aimed at protecting water habitats.

Album Review: "II: The Reign of Darkness" by Annotations of an Autopsy

The term "deathcore" is the new buzz word in metal. And by buzz word, what I mean is that, upon hearing the term, 75% of metal fans enter a buzz of anger over how the subgenre is supposedly killing metal, while the remaining 25% enter a buzz of excitement over how it is supposedly the most brutal music ever created. Because of the controversy surrounding the term, most deathcore bands have elected not to identify themselves with that particular tag. While most have taken the more tactful route of simply calling themselves "metal", a few have gone the riskier route of dubbing themselves as death metal bands. Annotations of an Autopsy is one of the bands in the latter category, and in their case, they used to fail greatly at playing music that could be passed off as death metal. But on their new album, II: The Reign of Darkness, they've started to make the transition towards death metal, although they hit several bumps in the road in the process.

Album Review: "La Raza" by Armored Saint

Armored Saint was one of the unsung heroes of the '80s thrash scene. Overshadowed by the Big 4 and plagued with lineup problems, the band never quite achieved the exposure to match the critical praise they received. Albums like March of the Saint and Symbol of Salvation became thrash classics over time, but Armored Saint didn't remain active long enough to see these successes, as Dave Prichard's death from leukemia and John Bush's departure from the band to join Anthrax spelled the end of Armored Saint in 1992. A brief reunion occurred in 1999, resulting in the album Revelation, but when Bush returned to Anthrax in 2001, Armored Saint again fell off the map. 2010 might prove to be the year for Armored Saint, though. With Bush back in the fold, the band's sixth studio album, La Raza, is a surprising effort that departs slightly from the sound of the band's older releases but will satisfy old fans and first-time listeners alike.

Album Review: "For Aeons Past" by Solution .45

Christian Älvestam is a master when it comes to being involved in multiple projects. Even before his departure from Scar Symmetry in 2008, Älvestam was already part of three other projects with multi-instrumentalist Jani Stefanović (known throughout the worldwide Christian metal scene for his work in DivineFire, Essence of Sorrow, and several other bands spanning multiple genres). These bands would become Älvestam's primary focus after his break from Scar Symmetry. Death metal act Miseration successfully released their sophomore effort The Mirroring Shadow on Lifeforce Records in 2009, and melodic death/folk metal band The Few Against Many put out their debut album Sot on Pulverised Records that same year. 2010 sees the third Älvestam/Stefanović collaboration, Solution .45, finally release their debut album three years after forming. For Aeons Past is a superb album that showcases multiple facets of the pair's musical influences.

Album Review: "Scouting the Boneyard" by Sons of Azrael

When Sons of Azrael formed in 2004, the aspect of their music that made it appealing was their appreciation for their influences. The band's debut album, 2007's The Conjuration of Vengeance, had an old-school death metal flavor akin to early Obituary and Deicide. Combined with an intense touring cycle with the likes of Vital Remains, Unearth, God Forbid, Thine Eyes Bleed, and Full Blown Chaos, the band built a strong fan base and earned praise for upholding the original style of death metal amidst droves of boring, copycat deathcore bands. Even though there were some deathcore elements in the band's sound, Sons of Azrael had enough older styles built into their sound to help them stand out from the pack. Such an impressive debut justified the band's contract with Metal Blade imprint Ironclad Recordings, owned by Unearth vocalist Trevor Phipps. However, on their sophomore album, Scouting the Boneyard, Sons of Azrael loses sight of their origins and shifts the sound of their music, resulting in a chaotic mess of an album.

New & Noteworthy, April 9th – Progressive Takeover

Welcome to this week's New & Noteworthy! Before we begin the usual announcements, I need to mention some very unfortunate news in the metal world. This past week, Canadian technical metal pioneers Despised Icon announced that they were breaking up after almost a decade together. Although they've said before that they don't like the classification, Despised Icon was one of the first bands to adopt what would become the deathcore sound. Their latest album, Day of Mourning, was an excellent composition, and the band will be sorely missed. Thankfully, though, the band is keeping all of their current tour dates and also booking farewell tours. I'll be sure to mention any farewell tours they do in the US, so keep your eyes peeled on The Metal Review for that information.

That said, let's get into the new releases and tours! Touring news is dominated by what could potentially be the biggest tour of the summer AND fall. But before that, let's cover next week's new releases, which there are a lot of as the pre-summer push continues. Read on and plan your paychecks accordingly!

Vlog #1: Killswitch Engage Reunion, New York City, March 19th 2010

If you're wondering why The Metal Review has been silent for over a week, here's why. Enjoy!

New & Noteworthy, April 2nd – Tours and Rumors of Tours

Welcome to another week of New & Noteworthy! Yes, I did blatantly steal the subtitle of this week's post from the title of The Chariot's latest album (and also apparently their recent tour), but it's a pun that works, so I'm running with it. Besides, it's a very fitting title, considering that this is another week that's heavy on newly announced tours, and the top story isn't even confirmed yet! That's all coming after the new music, though, so read on to see what will be freshening up your speakers and headphones next week!

Quick note regarding recent re-posts

For those of you wondering what the heck has happened recently with some posts getting deleted and then all re-appearing at once, there was a little misunderstanding with my publishers at other sites. Sorry for having all these come back at once.

-C

News Commentary: Behemoth Frontman Faces Prison for Bible Destruction. Fair Charge or Foul Call?

The band Behemoth has always been blatant in their views about religion. All of their albums are pervaded with anti-religious and pro-Satanic lyrics, themes, and images. The band's live shows are also filled with similar ideology, as frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski can't go more than ten minutes without shouting some anti-Christian epithet that gets the crowd roaring. This has always been a risk for the Polish blackened death metal stars, since many areas of the world - including their own home country - protect the religious views of citizens under law. Behemoth experienced this firsthand when Ryszard Nowak, head of the All-Polish Committee for Defense Against Sects, attempted to sue the band in 2008 for tearing up a Bible onstage at a September 2007 concert in the city of Gdynia. In Poland, it is a criminal offense to offend a person's religious beliefs, but in order for someone to be charged with such an offense, at least two complaints need to be filed. So the case was dismissed at that time. However, on Monday, March 8th, the case was re-opened and Nergal was formally charged after an unspecified number of other complaints were filed for the Bible-tearing incident. Nergal is pleading not guilty, but if found guilty, he will face up to two years of prison time.

News Commentary: Jesper Strömblad Leaves In Flames. What Now?

It's been awhile since this story first broke, but for those who haven't heard yet, Jesper Strömblad has officially quit In Flames. Strömblad, the last founding member of the band's lineup, announced that he was leaving the band on February 12th, to "defeat his demons once and for all."

Album Review: "Eparistera Daimones" by Triptykon

When Celtic Frost reunited in 2001 after an eight-year hiatus, the metal community responded with resounding jubilation. The 2006 release of Monotheist was a momentous occasion for fans worldwide, marking a new chapter in Celtic Frost's history. The anticipation of waiting for a new album, though, was soon replaced by the universal dismay and outrage felt when Celtic Frost disbanded again in 2008. It seemed that Tom Gabriel "Warrior" Fischer would not grace the world with his artistic genius in extreme metal again. Which is why, when Fischer announced the formation of a new project called Triptykon, fans were clamoring for new music immediately. Fischer declared that he wanted Triptykon to sound similar to Celtic Frost's sound on Monotheist, aiming for a dark, experimental vibe that would still be unique in its own way. Eparistera Daimones, the first Triptykon studio album, accomplishes just that, bringing together several genres of metal to create a soundscape similar to Celtic Frost, but with its own distinctive and breathtaking twists.

Album Review: "The World is a Thorn" by Demon Hunter

Demon Hunter is one of the most stalwart bands in the modern metal scene, a model of perseverance in the face of adversity. This is a band with only two of its founding members left in the lineup, and all members, new and old, are involved in other projects, be they other bands, businesses, or jobs within the music industry. Thus, fans are lucky to see Demon Hunter tour once a year, if that much. However, despite their other commitments, the band manages to release albums on a consistent basis no matter what, and on top of that, each album they release expands on their previous work, making it stronger and more original. The World is a Thorn is no exception. On this, their fifth album, Demon Hunter have managed to top 2007's beyond-excellent Storm the Gates of Hell and set themselves well above their peers in the metalcore scene once again.

Album Review: "Time to Burn" by Taking Dawn

The hair metal scene has seen its glory days come and go, and though many bands from the scene still exist today, very few are still considered relevant by most standards. In fact, it's not a far stretch to say that the number of active hair metal bands from the 1980s is easily exceeded by the number of Bon Jovi, Poison, and Twisted Sister tribute bands in existence. However, with the popularity of the classic hits by these bands, it was only a matter of time before young hair metal bands started to emerge, and the first such band to gain popular notice is Taking Dawn. Formerly known as 7th Son, this Las Vegas quartet rose to fame very quickly and earned themselves a deal with Roadrunner Records in 2009. Their debut album, Time to Burn, displays a new take on the hair metal style that might serve to inspire other young, aspiring bands in the scene.

Album Review: "Universal" by Borknagar

If Borknagar isn't already known as "the thinking man's black metal band," then they should be, because there is no other black metal band out today that has their level of progression and creativity. In fact, Borknagar truly fit better with the progressive metal scene, often rivaling Opeth and Dream Theater with their forward-thinking arrangements and daring sound. Their aggressive tone and black metal roots are what separate them from their more mainstream counterparts, but fans of either band will enjoy most of Borknagar's work. Since bringing in vocalist Vintersorg on 2001's Empiricism, Borknagar has gotten bigger and more ambitious with their sound. The effort has paid off, helping Borknagar to separate themselves from the rest of the black metal scene and establish an identity set completely apart from their peers. Universal, the latest album from the Norwegian sextet, is a grand epic that pushes Borknagar even higher above other bands in their scene.

Album Review: "Mutiny Within" by Mutiny Within

The metalcore scene is one that constantly reinvents itself to prevent stagnation, and countless bands have assisted in doing this over the past decade. The latest band to do this is Mutiny Within, a six-piece band from New Jersey that best exemplifies the style of progressive metalcore. Blending the intricate technical aspects of Dream Theater and Into Eternity, the soaring vocal styles of Kamelot and Firewind, and the straightforward thrash brutality of Children of Bodom and Unearth, Mutiny Within have established a completely unique sound that gives them a huge level of appeal. Their new self-titled album delivers the best of this new sound and creates a blueprint that future bands are sure to follow.

Album Review: "Sons of the System" by Mnemic

Mnemic are among industrial metal's elite few that can rank with genre originators Fear Factory in terms of musicality and staying power. When they burst onto the scene with 2003's Mechanical Spin Phenomena, fans and critics had high hopes for the band. 2004's The Audio Injected Soul only raised expectations, as the band appeared poised for a huge breakout. However, after the departure of original vocalist Michael Bøgballe and the introduction of his replacement, Guillaume Bideau, on 2007's Passenger, a split emerged among fans. Some claimed that Mnemic were becoming a sellout band and were transitioning towards playing metalcore, while others praised Bideau for helping the band to grow and keep their sound fresh. In the end, two groups emerged – those who aligned themselves with the old sound of the first two albums, and those who chose the new sound of Passenger. However, Mnemic should be able to bridge the divide between these groups with their newest album, Sons of the System, which brings together the disparate elements of their previous work and creates a cohesive, intense sound.

News Commentary: Should John Bush return to Anthrax?

In a recent interview with MetalSucks, Armored Saint/ex-Anthrax lead singer John Bush said that the possibility exists that he would provide vocals for Anthrax's Worship Music, an album that was supposed to be released in October 2009, but was delayed when then-singer Dan Nelson left the band. Anthrax has played some live shows with Bush since then, and the responses have been overwhelmingly positive. Fans and critics alike have been constantly asking current members of Anthrax if Bush would return, and the response has been one of uncertainty every time. Bush's statement that the possibility still exists will likely fuel a whole new wave of the same questions.

Album Review: "Infinity" by Crematory

In the last decade, a common trend seen among some extreme metal bands is a slow migration away from the more "brutal" styles of metal towards a doom-influenced gothic metal sound. Moonspell, Tiamat, Amorphis, and Crematory are some of the classic examples of this trend, and they are also among the few bands to make that change and still retain large portions of their fan base. In Crematory's case, the shift in sound was a constant evolution lasting through much of the 90s, and continuing after the band re-formed following a hiatus from 2001 to 2003. After they returned, the band also started incorporating industrial elements into their sound, making the keyboards and samples more prominent in certain parts of their sound. Their sound has settled down on recent albums, though, and Infinity, the band's eleventh album to date, maintains the current groove of dark, melodic metal.

Album Review: "Psychromatic" by Raintime

The members of Raintime name Dream Theater as their primary influence, but this Italian sextet has a much more diverse sound than the band that inspires them most. Combining elements of progressive metal, power metal, and melodic death metal into their sound, Raintime is a fairly unique band with a strong grasp of their abilities. They have experienced moderate success in Europe, and their 2007 album, Flies & Lies, earned them a slot on the ProgPower USA festival alongside bands like Sonata Arctica, Primal Fear, and Firewind. This performance, combined with the distinctive sound of Flies & Lies, earned Raintime a deal with Bieler Bros. Records in America. Their third album, Psychromatic, is an eclectic offering that displays the full range of the band's influences, but falls short of achieving real excellence.

Album Review: "The Guessing Game" by Cathedral

Cathedral is an excellent example of how to properly combine stoner rock and doom metal to create one intense musical experience. These English veterans have a much wider range of influences than just these two genres, though. Bringing together elements of Corrosion of Conformity, The Beatles, Primus, Soundgarden, and Type O Negative, Cathedral has an inimitable sound that is exclusively theirs. With eight classic albums under their belt and the support of Nuclear Blast Records behind them, Cathedral has become more and more ambitious in recent years. Their latest effort, The Guessing Game, is the pinnacle of this experimentation. This thirteen-song double album is where Cathedral shows their fans exactly what goes into their sound and how they achieve their uniqueness.

New & Noteworthy, March 26th - Whole Lotta Touring

Before I start this, I really need to thank my awesome girlfriend Jeanette for giving me the idea to do this bit. You rock, baby!

Anyway, welcome to New & Noteworthy, a new weekly segment here on The Metal Review! This segment will appear on Fridays, and in it, I will give my thoughts and predictions on the new releases scheduled to come out the following week. I will also discuss any new tours that have been announced in the past week.

This week, there aren't a lot of new releases coming out, as the industry pauses briefly before the big pre-summer push of new music. However, there are a plethora of new tours and events that have been announced all over the rock and metal spectrum! So read on, and learn what events you need to mark your calendars for!

Album Review: "Sovereign Descent" by Landmine Marathon

Landmine Marathon has come remarkably far in just six years of existence, and all of their accomplishments can be credited to the band's adoption of metal's oldest ethos: if you're going to do anything, do it on your own terms. The band's breakout album, 2008's Rusted Eyes Awake, earned them a huge following, but that wasn't what brought them the most attention. In fact, the album's success was really the icing on the cake of a whirlwind year for Landmine Marathon, which saw them bringing their (literally) in-your-face stage show on the road with death metal heavyweights like Misery Index, Origin and Cattle Decapitation. Their DIY ethic and nonstop touring schedule earned Landmine Marathon a contract with Prosthetic Records, and they took full advantage of the increased support by spending most of 2009 back on tour, including an appearance at the legendary New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. Now, Landmine Marathon is back with their Prosthetic debut, Sovereign Descent, a crushing onslaught of classic death metal.

The Official Beginning of The Metal Review

Enjoy the official beginning of my review blog! This video took awhile to produce, but it was worth the wait.


Like this Article? Check us out at Media Slayer!

Album Review: "Option Paralysis" by The Dillinger Escape Plan

There are very few bands in metal that are more polarizing than The Dillinger Escape Plan, and fewer still that are more polarizing based solely on their sound. Fans of Dillinger hail them as one of the most innovative bands ever to grace metal, while detractors call them chaotic, reckless noise producers with no direction or focus. There is virtually no middle ground with this band – you either love them or you can't stand them. However, even within the band's own fans, there are rifts emerging. There are those who appreciate the band's reach into more diverse styles, as showcased on 2004's Miss Machine and 2007's Ire Works, and there are those who wish to see the pure, unadulterated mathcore sound of 1999's Calculating Infinity repeated. Dillinger's newest album, Option Paralysis, attempts to placate both groups with a mixture of mind-blowing technicality and avant-garde creativity.

Album Review: "Majesty and Decay" by Immolation

Immolation is one of the few New York death metal bands to survive the 1990s more or less intact. Only two of the band's founding members remain, and their new home, Nuclear Blast Records, is the band's fourth label since their inception. However, unlike their more famous counterparts in Suffocation, Immolation has never had a hiatus in their career, and their musical output has maintained its consistency over nearly two decades of existence. 1991's Dawn of Possession remains a classic album in the American death metal scene, and through hard work and perseverance, Immolation has kept the New York death metal scene alive and relevant. The band has expanded their musical territory slightly in recent years, branching out into more technical song structures while incorporating a wider range of lyrical themes. Majesty and Decay, Immolation's eighth studio album, upholds the band's reputation for consistency, while also displaying some evolution in composition.

Album Review: "Heat Fetish" by The Bled

Tucson-based post-hardcore act The Bled is very good at two things. One is overcoming obstacles. The other is writing frenetic, technical songs that cross multiple genres and showcase an expansive range of influences. Both of these skills were needed after the release of their critically-acclaimed third album, Silent Treatment. Following that album's release and a stint on Linkin Park's annual Projekt Revolution tour, The Bled took a hiatus due to exhaustion, almost went broke, were dropped by Vagrant Records, and lost three of their members. However, the two remaining members of the band worked hard to earn money so their dream could stay alive, and they found new members to fill the gaps in the lineup. The new lineup of The Bled was then signed to Rise Records, and with all the obstacles in their path cleared, the band focused on creating a new record. The result of all the obstacles and hard work of the past three years is Heat Fetish, an album where The Bled channels some of their peers into a furious assault of complicated metal and hardcore.

Album Review: "The Infinite Order" by Living Sacrifice

 

Living Sacrifice was one of the first Christian bands to play extreme music and gain wide recognition. Prior to them, the only Christian "metal" band with any sort of popularity was Stryper, who played gimmick-filled hair metal and are still not taken very seriously by most. However, Living Sacrifice took the opposite track, playing aggressive thrash and death metal with a pro-religious message, and in doing so, they influenced a whole generation of young Christian bands. To this day, popular Christian metal bands like Demon Hunter, August Burns Red, The Showdown, and Haste the Day count Living Sacrifice among their primary inspirations. Now, after a long hiatus, Living Sacrifice has returned with their seventh album, The Infinite Order. This album sees Living Sacrifice returning to their roots and tightening their music into a potent, well-oiled machine that sounds just as fresh and powerful as it did when the band first formed.

My updated rating system

I'm unsure how many of you have read my reviews from Transcending the Mundane, but if you have, you may notice that I gave a lot of very high marks to the albums I reviewed, rarely giving out scores lower than 9. That's because back then, I was rating things much like grades are given out in school, which is obviously the wrong way to rate items in reviews. So, at the beginning of the year I re-vamped my rating system for my reviews, which now looks like this:

10 - Perfect
9 - Nearly Perfect
8 - Exceptional
7 - Very Good
6 - Good
5 - Mediocre
4 - Forgettable
3 - Poor
2 - Bad
1 - Horrible
0 - Abysmal

This new rating system will be my guide from now on. And for clarification purposes, I'm also going to provide a list of all the albums that I previously reviewed on Transcending the Mundane, and their new, more accurate ratings. Some of the ratings aren't changed because the original rating is accurate, but most are different from my original score. Check out the full list after the jump:

Album Review: "Coronary Reconstruction" by Aborted

 

Aborted have risen in the ranks of technical death metal very quickly, becoming one of the most prolific bands in the genre during the past decade. With the recent additions of drummer Dirk Verbeuren and guitarist Ken Sorceron, Aborted has almost become a supergroup of sorts, and their recent tour with Carcass and Suffocation showcased just how well the band's new lineup works. The recording debut of this new lineup, the Coronary Reconstruction EP, is another testament to the high caliber of this band. It truly captures the mix of technical death metal and goregrind that the band's founder, vocalist Sven de Caluwé, has envisioned since the band's inception.

Album Review: "Hell Chose Me" by Carnifex

 

As a genre, metal has almost always had a whipping boy, a subgenre that constantly gets criticized as being "false" and destroying metal. In the past, it's been hair metal, nu metal, and metalcore. The newest whipping boy is deathcore, the latest trend of bands delivering the most brutal, pummeling, intense music possible. And while deathcore may not actually be destroying metal, it has definitely lost its originality very quickly. With the number of bands playing that style now, combined with the rather limited range of musical options, it didn't take long for the deathcore sound to become stale and boring. As such, most deathcore bands don't have many individual characteristics, and it's hard to distinguish one from another. Such is the case with Carnifex, a California-based deathcore quintet signed to Victory Records. Their third full-length record, Hell Chose Me, is more of the same from a band already following a very simplistic formula.

Album Review: "Love is Gone" by Dommin

Gothic rock has become one of the most oversaturated scenes in music in the past decade. With the advent of bands like Evanescence and Lacuna Coil and their worldwide success, the gothic rock and metal scenes have exploded tenfold what they used to be, especially with female-fronted bands within these genres. Such an inundation of music means that newer bands have less of a chance of being noticed because their sound will seem to lack originality. A new gothic rock band will need to have something remarkable in order to stand out, much more so than ten years ago. Such is the struggle of Dommin, a Los Angeles-based quartet that has existed since the gothic surge of the early decade, but only recently got their official start after signing with Roadrunner Records. On their debut album, Love is Gone, the band tries to show where they stand out from the rest of the scene, with varying degrees of success.

Upcoming Album Review Schedule

Hello, readers. I have a lot on my plate right now, but I'm still writing away! Here are the new releases you can expect me to review in the coming weeks:

• Love is Gone by Dommin
• The World is a Thorn by Demon Hunter
• Time to Burn by Taking Dawn
• The Infinite Order by Living Sacrifice
• Heat Fetish by The Bled
• Aealo by Rotting Christ
• Majesty and Decay by Immolation
• Everything Remains As it Never Was by Eluveitie
• Belus by Burzum
• Nifelvind by Finntroll
• Strings to a Web by Rage
• Snakes for the Divine by High on Fire
• Skepsis by Through the Eyes of the Dead
• To the Metal by Gamma Ray
• Hell Chose Me by Carnifex
• Scouring the Boneyard by Sons of Azrael
• Sovereign Descent by Landmine Marathon
• Eparistera Daimones by Triptykon

This is not a schedule really, because I don't know yet when each review will be published or if they'll be published in this order. But rest assured, all these albums will be reviewed in due time!

If you have any other hard rock/heavy metal albums you'd like reviewed, please let me know! Thanks everyone for reading my stuff!

Album Review: "12 Gauge" by Kalmah

Kalmah has been the most consistent of the Finnish death metal bands in terms of musical output. Unlike their more famous contemporaries, Children of Bodom and Norther, Kalmah have not fallen prey to the tendency of introducing American metal elements or becoming more mainstream with their sound. Their music now is as unique as it was in their early years, if not more so with their growth and progression over time. 2008's For the Revolution was the best album of Kalmah's career, bringing together the stylistic elements of the band's early albums and the progressive parts of their later work. 12 Gauge steps away from that atmosphere in most respects, but this is still an excellent album from a highly underrated band.

Album Review: "Starve for the Devil" by Arsis

In many ways, Arsis is the one band in the American death metal scene that manages to distinguish itself by playing a different style from the rest of the bands with which they are associated. However, the way they manage to separate themselves is by latching onto another scene, and in this case, it’s the European death metal scene. Arsis has consistently drawn much of their sound from Heartwork and Swansong-era Carcass, as well as At the Gates, Soilwork, and (unsurprisingly) Arch Enemy. This is not a bad formula, since numerous other bands besides Arsis have followed it to success in the past; Quo Vadis and Neuraxis are two immediately obvious examples of this. Implementing this formula without becoming stale is something that very few bands are able to do all the time. Arsis is one of the lucky few bands that can execute the formula and retain the freshness and vitality of their sound, and their latest album, Starve for the Devil, is yet another achievement in this area.

News Commentary: Mike Portnoy to play on new Avenged Sevenfold album...wait, what?

In this article posted yesterday, Blabbermouth.net revealed to the world that Avenged Sevenfold would be utilizing the skills of Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy on their new album. Mike would be playing in place of Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, who was found dead in his home on Huntington Beach, CA on December 28th, 2009. And in this article posted today, Portnoy states that he's "honored" to play with A7X and that he has been "welcomed into the family with open arms."

Album Review: "Ironbound" by Overkill

Any metal fan who knows their history knows that American metal began with the Big 4 of thrash in the 1980s. Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax are the bands that helped make metal popular stateside. In the two decades since their rise to prominence, though, the Big 4 have lost much of their significance and clout in the thrash scene, and while they are (mostly) still producing music, they are continually being upstaged by other bands. Germany's Big 3 (the Teutonic bands), the "lesser" American thrash bands, and even crossover thrash albums by bands in other genres continue to make the Big 4 less impressive each year. The latest band to do that is Overkill, one of the few American thrash bands in the '80s not to emerge from the Bay Area. The New Jersey quintet has gotten tighter and faster in their sound on their recent albums, and their latest release, Ironbound, shows that even after a whopping fifteen studio albums, Overkill still has the chops they possessed in their infancy.

New project

I'm currently in the process of creating a new channel at the site Ustream.tv. I plan to do a weekly show devoted to metal news and reviews, and I'm trying to figure out how the whole thing works. If any of you would like to assist me or have any experience with Ustream, please let me know. When the show goes live, I will post info about it here. Thank you all, and stay tuned for more!

Album Review: "The Underworld Regime" by Ov Hell

In metal, supergroups are usually either very good or very bad. It’s rare to find a supergroup that is mediocre, simply because it’s not often that a group of talented musicians come together and put out average songs. This is especially true in more extreme genres like death metal, black metal, and grindcore. Thus, the expectation for black metal supergroup Ov Hell – the brainchild of Dimmu Borgir vocalist Shagrath and God Seed/ex-Gorgoroth bassist King – was that they would be either extremely enjoyable or disappointing. However, debut album The Underworld Regime – which also features Enslaved guitarist Ice Dale, ex-Gorgoroth guitarist Teloch, and Satyricon/1349 drummer Frost – is the rare supergroup album that is just plain mediocre.

Album Review: "Metaphysical Collapse" by Living Corpse

The Gothenburg scene remains one of the most influential groups in all of modern metal, even though the bands comprising the core are but a shadow of their former selves. At the Gates is exclusively a legacy group now, In Flames have lost most of their credibility, Soilwork is inconsistent in their musical output, and Dark Tranquillity is the only band left delivering solid melodic death metal with each album they release. However, a number of young bands have begun an attempt to revitalize the scene by emulating the originators from their glory days. One such band is Living Corpse, an Italian band with a strong grasp of the Gothenburg scene. Their debut album, Metaphysical Collapse, is a tribute to the early years of the scene, when the Gothenburg sound was still new and fresh.

Album Review: "Mechanize" by Fear Factory

Up until recently, Fear Factory hadn't been right since the days of Demanufacture and Obsolete. These two albums are considered by fans and critics alike to be the band's "glory days." Every release since those two has ranged in quality from boring to abysmal. Their sound on Transgression was lazy and stale, Archetype has always seemed formulaic in its implementation, and Digimortal was pure, unadulterated garbage. Having to wait through constant delays and long periods of silence for a new album didn't do a lot for fans of the band, who wondered if the veteran group could ever right the ship. However, in the midst of chaos and struggle as membership changes led to a legal battle, the band has returned to the glory days of old with the long-anticipated Mechanize. This album is easily one of the best of the band's whole career, and it completely wipes away all memory of their previous mediocre work.