Category: Reviews

  • Freedom Hawk – s/t

    By Gruesome Greg Freedom Hawk is a four-piece band from Tidewater, Virgina, presumably not far from the Doom Capital. That being said, they are a stoner rock band, through and through. They borrow from the masters (Kyuss, Nebula, etc) without being a band that “sounds too much like” anybody. Vocalist TR Morton obviously takes his…

  • Genitorturers: Blackheart Revolution

    By Melissa Andrews After listening to Blackheart Revolution I’m rather disappointed I didn’t make it to see them when they played lived in Toronto recently. It’s not a revolution but it’s fun and with songs named “Louder” and “Kabangin’ All Night” it promotes all sort of the standard metal indulgences. With the first single to…

  • Fear Factory – Mechanize

    It’s not clear at this point whether this new offering has enough unique staying power to ensure that, once the dust of its release has settled, its cuts will stand out from the rest of the band’s music. It’s a great listen for the first few times, but then it begins to feel a little…

  • Brainstorm – Memorial Roots

    Along with Matt Barlow, vocalist Andy Franck of Brainstorm is one of the more unique and better singers in the power metal genre and without him, Brainstorm’s sixth album Memorial Roots would have been just an average album at best.

  • Fu Manchu – Signs of Infinite Power

    Signs of Infinite Power is a brisk 35 minute ride, with all the classic Fu features: distorted guitars, heavy low end, Hill’s laid back vocals and simplistic, if a tad strange, lyrical compositions

  • Arsis – Starve for the Devil

    There will be some complaints that Starve for the Devil utilizes a more traditional rock/metal songwriting style, however, the riffs are still challenging and hook laden, and because the time changes are more restrained than before, the songs have an openness that lets you get into the riff and commence air guitaring.

  • Brutal Truth – Evolution In One Take:For Grindfreaks Only! Volume 2

    By Sean Palmerston After the success of their first For Grindfreaks Only! release in 2008 (for those unfamiliar it contains a late nineties set recorded live in the studio for a New Zealand radio program), Hellbound’s favourite THC-fueled grinders have decided to do it again, albeit with a slight twist second time around. While the…

  • Defiance: The Prophecy

    The good news if you’re a Defiance fan is The Prophecy is 100% Defiance and there should be no surprises or complaints. If you’re looking for aggression, innovation or even progression from the 80’s Bay Area thrash scene, The Prophecy will just to serve as a nostalgia piece.

  • Exodus: Shovel Headed Tour Machine-Live At Wacken

    With their hardcore fans in mind, Exodus has put together their third DVD release, a three-disc extravaganza that tries to give the die-hards what they want, and in their own inimitable way, succeeds mightily. Adrien Begrand reviews the massive new three disc DVD set by Bay Area thrash legends Exodus on the heels of their…

  • Black Cobra: Chronomega

    Chugging along like a steam train bound for the pits of hell, Black Cobra’s Southern Lord debut is one hell of a beast.