Reviews – Audio

Wintersun – Time I

Without the soy sauce Wintersun need, Time I is not seamless. But like vegetables in a good stir fry, their talent is fresh and inviting. This band has been harvested to think outside the box, even if it means adding a little Hoisin.

Iron Maple Volume II: Robert Zemeckis, Tapout, Orchid’s Curse (and more Abriosis and some Thrawsunblat too!)

Well, here we are with week two’s Iron Maple column. With any luck there won’t need to be a name change this week or anyone crying ‘conflict of interest’ with my reviews! It’s been an interesting week for me here in Iron Maple land, racking up plenty of interviews as well as a whole lot of listening. There hasn’t been a lot of new stuff coming in to Iron Maple headquarters the last two weeks, but that’s perfectly fine as I’m so back logged right now, it’s a little mind blowing.

Bad Religion – True North

while the albums that Bad Religion has released since returning to Epitaph in 2002 have been consistently improving, True North marks the high point of a decade’s worth of work. This album is a true classic which marks a pinnacle of powers in Bad Religion and upholds everything that is best about the band.

Dark Descent Double Shot: Vorum and Paroxsihzem

“Dark Descent has a characteristic signature that lends confidence to, and underscores, the veracity of its releases. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily imply that you’re going to enjoy every album with Dark Descent’s sigil attached, but all its releases are imprinted with a strong sense of integrity bound to the label’s trustworthy aesthetic.”

Craig Haze reviews two new Dark Descent releases by Finland’s Vorum and Canada’s Paroxsihzem for your reading pleasure.

Doro – Raise Your Fist

Raise Your Fist can keep a venue or party going all night. The record doesn’t show Doro in a new light, but depicts her self-respect through some seriously fetching tracks. At 48 years old, Doro is still hot in leather, strikes chords and bakes like a boss. Horns to her.

Baptists: Bushcraft

The songs are the thing, riffs and hooks left and right that snatch your breath, but it’s the squeezed-fist-grip-on-your-heart attack that makes Baptists your better-than-average d-beat plus metal guitars unit.