Oh the 90s. A decade of nu-metal, Hot Topic, black baggy pants, and pseudo-goth fashion. In this haze of black eyeliner and down tuned seven string guitars came Coal Chamber. Coal Chamber never enjoyed the popularity of bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit o ...
CD Review: ‘ExtermiNation’ by Raven
You cannot keep a good metal band down. Raven had a fairly strong following during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. The group's influence was so great that Metallica opened for the group in 1983. The latter subsequently eclipsed Raven in both inf ...
CD Review: ‘Hidden Evolution’ by Angelus Apatrida
Spanish thrash outfit Angelus Apatrida are set to make its mark with Hidden Evolution, its fifth record. The opening track “Immortal” has a latter day Exodus feel due to its intricate riffs and brutal drumming. However, the band is not interested in ...
CD Review: ‘Time and Trauma’ by 36 Crazyfists
Alaska outfit 36 Crazyfists never broke from the mold during the New Wave of American Heavy Metal in the 2000s. The band enjoyed some popularity, but failed to garner the critical or commercial success of its contemporaries like Killswitch Engage or ...
CD Review: ‘Apex Predator – Easy Meat’ by Napalm Death
The grind continues on Napalm Death's 15th release, Apex Predator-Easy Meat. Always a band willing to step outside the box, the droning title track stomps in industrial glory. This unorthodox opener may throw some off, but the band kicks things back ...
CD Review: ‘Crusade:Zero’ by Hate
The moment I heard the opening track on this record, I knew I was in for a blasphemous treat. “Vox Dei (A Call From Beyond)” blends industrial and classical music to create an ominous, foreboding atmosphere. “Death Liberator” is the first proper trac ...
CD Review: ‘From the Very Depths’ by Venom
Venom, the very word elicits respect, scorn and even laughter in the metal community. Venom is the band that helped kick start extreme metal in the early 80s. You can mock the band's image and musicianship all you want, but this is the group that coi ...
CD Review: ‘Come And Get It’ by Blind Race
Whoa! Talk about an EP that wastes no time knocking you off your feet. Come And Get It is the new powerhouse release from the Toronto, Canada band, Blind Race, and the name is as much a challenge as it is an invitation. From the onset of the ...
Top heavy metal albums of 2014
As we close out 2014, we should look back on the metal albums that stood out these past 12 months. 2014 was the year of the comeback as several legendary bands released notable albums after considerably lengthy absences. This includes At the Gates, B ...
CD Review: “Slaves to the Grave” by Rigor Mortis
There are some bands in the metal genre that have attained cult status. Old school Texas thrash outfit Rigor Mortis is one of those bands. Although the group only released two proper albums in their 30 year history, the band's 1988 self-titled debut ...