Hellhound: Metal Fire From Hell
Metal Fire From Hell is the second album from Japan’s Hellhound. It doesn’t offer anything off the beaten path, but there is no indication that the band has any intention of suggesting otherwise.
Reviews – Audio
Sólstafir: Köld
Iceland’s Sólstafir have reemerged this year with Köld, a strong follow-up to 2005’s Master of Bitterness. It’s an eclectic album to say the least, bringing to mind everything from shoegazer black metal to ambient goth with a little alternative rock thrown in for good measure.
Ektomorf: What Doesn’t Kill Me…
Ektomorf is a thrash metal band from Hungary started way back in 1994 by the brothers Zoltan (vocals, guitar) and Csaba Farkas (bass). Two years later in 1996 they released their debut album Hangok . They have remained a consistently busy band, ever since having just recently released their tenth CD What Doesn’t Kill Me…
Fejd: Storm
With the use of traditional Nordic folk instruments such as the bouzouki, Swedish bagpipe, Jew’s harp, hurdy-gurdie, keyed fiddle, willow-pipe, the recorder and the cow antler, Storm is a cultured listen.
Hatebreed: For The Lions
For The Lions slams out 18 tracks of covers that Hatebreed consider influential to their form of music. There are some obvious hardcore selections that won’t come as a surprise to most. Bands like Sick Of It All, Madball, Black Flag, Agnostic Front and Cro Mags are staples of the scene . It’s some of the left field choices that really
make this album interesting.
Eluveitie: Evocation 1 – The Arcane Dominion
Swiss band Eluveitie have reappeared with a new offering that is being billed as “an acoustic album” that is the first of a two-part concept series. Despite the use of the term “acoustic,” Evocation 1 is far from having a minimalist folk sound.
Antigama: Warning
Although this is the fifth full length album from this polish death metal/ grindcore band, this is their first CD I have had the opportunity to listen to and I have to say it’s a killer.
Dreaming Dead: Within One
Hailing from Los Angeles, Dreaming Dead’s Within One is a memorable and catchy debut album from the band. The music is a blackened mixture of death metal and thrash, and for the most part the combination works here.
Hammerfall: No Sacrifice, No Victory
The five piece Swedish band Hammerfall started in the late 90s as a power metal side project of members from bands such as In Flames and Dark Tranquility. No Sacrifice, No Victory is now the band’s seventh full-length studio album
Madder Mortem: Eight Ways
Eight Ways returns to the captivating style explored on Deadlands. Eight Ways departs from that 2002 release in two important ways. First, while Deadlands tapered off around the middle of the album and never recovered, Eight Ways manages to sustain the interest level for its duration. Second, and certainly a key factor in explaining the first point, is the fearless-yet-tasteful exploration. Eight Ways is the sound of a band not only playing to its strengths but successfully extending that core sound.