Author: Sean Palmerston

Neil Daniels: The Hellbound Interview

All Pens Blazing writer Neil Daniels in conversation with Hellbound’s Natalie Zed

September 21, 2011
Iced Earth – Festivals of the Wicked

Now after watching this thing twice I’ll bet anyone who would argue that Matt Barlow is not the one and only true vocalist for this band. His performance on the Metal Camp festival show is flawless. Such emotion and passion in his delivery, it will have you punching your fist in the air. Highlights are…

September 20, 2011
VREID / KAMPFAR / NECRONOMICON/ SCYTHIA @ Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver BC, September 5, 2011

“Luckily, it was Kampfar who delivered that adrenaline-shot of what I needed. Taking to the stage with ‘Mare’, from their most recent album of the same name, the band proceeded to blow the doors off with an unrelenting set that not only roared far louder and rawer than they do on record, but also proceeded…

September 19, 2011
Untimely Demise – City of Steel

City of Steel is a terrific debut full length for Untimely Demise, and though there may be a few things they could tweak here and there to tighten up the songs, the album is still very memorable and catchy. There is absolutely nothing to dislike here, and anything that might be perceived as needing fixing,…

September 19, 2011
White Wizzard—Flying Tigers

White Wizzard have had a bumpy ride so far, with band members changing regularly, but I hope they can stick together from now on because if Flying Tigers is evidence of anything, it’s that the band are easily capable of producing infinitely more complex material while retaining that traditional 80s sheen that makes them so…

September 16, 2011
Six Reasons Not to Miss ProgPower USA This Weekend

With the twelfth annual Prog Power USA Festival about to kick off tonight in Atlanta, here are six reasons Sean Palmerston has come up with as to why this is a festival you do not want to miss this year.

September 14, 2011
Edguy – Age of the Joker

The fact that Edguy sound more hard rock than power metal these days shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has listened to the band over the last few years. They all have the chops to pull of the experimenting and damn Tobias has a great voice. This is head and shoulders above the last…

September 13, 2011
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM/ THOU/ THANTIFAXATH/ GATES @Soybomb, Toronto ON, September 6, 2011

“Pausing only to remind the crowd to not take flash photos and to thank people for coming out, the band tore their way through three other songs (including a particularly inspired rendition of “I Will Lay Down My Bones Among The Rocks and Roots”). One of the appeals of a Wolves in the Throne Room…

September 9, 2011
Heaven & Hell – Radio City Music Hall Blu-Ray Disc

if there is one criticism that I could lay on Radio City Music Hall it is that it was filmed far too early on after their reformation. The difference between this band’s performance here and the way they were playing that October when they did a second North American tour was like night and day.…

September 7, 2011
Weapon – From The Devil’s Tomb

On From The Devil’s Tomb, Weapon manage to weave a thread of incredible beauty through what should be truly ugly music.

September 6, 2011