Category: Reviews

Wildernessking – The Writing of Gods in the Sand

Ambitious and progressive, razor-raw and unrelenting, the debut from Cape Town’s WILDERNESSKING is passionate and exciting, and I’d daresay an early frontrunner in my book for one of the best of the year.

January 24, 2012
Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II

Alas, I’m not sure that this record is all that different from Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I, but I’m not quite feeling this one as much. I shall have to revisit the original, perhaps.

January 23, 2012
A Triptych of Death: Horrendous / Ominous Crucifix / Vore

Catching up on some of the late 2011 releases that nearly went under the radar, Craig Haze reviews a triptych of death metal albums, including the latest from Horrendous, Ominous Crucifix and Vore.

January 23, 2012
Joe Thrasher – Cries of War

Right from the beginning though it is obvious that Joe Thrasher not only want to make you bang your head, they want you to remember these songs for a long time.

January 19, 2012
Panopticon – Social Disservices

Though it does not quite possess the potent and urgent vibe of Altar of Plagues’ Mammal, Social Disservices takes second place in my personal albums of the year. Hopefully it will receive even more recognition in 2012.

January 16, 2012
Pentagram – When The Screams Come DVD

When The Screams Come is a great visual document of the band that will be as entertaining to longtime fans of the band as it will be to newcomers. It’s not the flashiest, it’s certainly a warts-and-all type performance, but it captures a historically important band in their background getting the kind of adulation they…

January 11, 2012
Lagwagon – Duh / Trashed / Hoss / Double Plaidinum / Let’s Talk About Feelings

The first and most obvious question you’re probably asking yourself after seeing that Hellbound is reviewing the Fat Wreck re-issues of the first five albums by these Goleta, California’s melodi-punk heroes is whether or not the version we’re reviewing here is the box-set edition or simply the individual releases reviewed as a collective. I believe…

January 11, 2012
Oskoreien – s/t

Main musician Jay Valena has crafted a powerful full-length record with many strengths even as it doesn’t often stray far from the sub-genre’s tried-and-true clichés. Its organic, earnest, and perhaps even retro sound lifts its five lengthy tracks above some of the contemporaneous releases of even seasoned veterans of the genre. What it lacks in…

January 10, 2012
Corrosion of Conformity – self-titled

COC has a new album coming out and, as Gruesome Greg says, “this is some good shit!”

January 7, 2012
Sabaton – World War Live: The Battle For The Baltic Sea

World War Live: Battle of the Baltic Sea is both a good stopgap between albums and a pacifier for those wanting to know what all the fuss is about live.

January 6, 2012