Category: Reviews

  • Stratovarius – Polaris +live

    Pairing Polaris with a 14 track live disc recorded around the world, is a great move on Armoury’s part. It is a chance for fans and detractors to hear the new guitar player (Matias Kupianinen) in live action, and he more than stands up to the challenge. Recording this over a few shows means the…

  • Volbeat/ The Sleeping/ Dommin @ the Mod Club, Toronto ON, August 17, 2010

    “I have no bone to pick with VOLBEAT at all. Their heavy metal/rockabilly/early rock’n’roll gangster aesthetic is fantastic. They’re greasy, twangy and a hell of a lot of fun to see live. Michael Poulsen embodies their sound: lean, punchy muscles, the lines of his brow and cheekbone just a little haggard from hard living, slicked…

  • Death Angel – Relentless Retribution

    The production and mix are crystal clear but there is a condensed and compressed feel to the overall sound. Killing Season had one of the best productions I’d heard in many years, organic and vibrant, and I think Relentless Retribution would have benefited from that same production. As would any record for that matter.

  • Fatality/ Terrorhorse/ Hallows Die @ El Mocambo, Toronto ON, August 6th 2010

    Natalie Zed reviews the August 6th performance of FATALITY, TERRORHORSE and HALLOWS DIE at the El Mocambo in Toronto, ON

  • Mares of Thrace @ Kilroys, Thunder Bay, ON, August 8th, 2010

    Mares of Thrace are one hell of a lot of fun to watch live and they will blow you away. If the new song they played at Kilroys is any indication (Pale Neck), their next record is also going to be a monster, possibly better than The Moulting but I’m not sure if that could…

  • Endless Boogie – Full House Head

    Picture a buncha hipsters jamming to Kyuss and The Stooges along with Mark Farner and company in a Brooklyn basement, and you’ve basically got the idea.

  • Hero Destroyed – Throes

    The band sound like a mix of Burnt By the Sun and, in a way, Blessings the Hogs (but not as unfocused as BTH). Contained within the riffs are elements of thrash and hardcore but it’s a great blend, like nabob coffee or that guy on the donkey coffee. If you like modern metal with…

  • Judas Priest – Setlist: The Very Best Of Judas Priest Live

    Now, with all that praise for Judas Priest’s Setlist on the proverbial books, it doesn’t need to be questioned why – with six live albums already in circulation, does a compilation need to exist? In Judas Priest’s case, their entry into the Setlist series marks a fantastic proof of the band’s faculties as a love…

  • BXI: Boris & Ian Astbury

    Since hearing about its upcoming release, I’ve wondered what kind of compilation Astbury and a band whose output has been as diverse as Boris’ has been would produce. Well, now I have an answer: such an effort is short and sweet, which is a problem when only half of it is really good.

  • Stratovarius – Infinite [Special Edition]

    All in all, if you don’t own Infinite and are a power metal fan, I recommend you pick it up. If you already own it but don’t have the bonus material, it’s not essential but it is cool to hear at least once.