Tag: Napalm Records

  • Conan – Blood Eagle

    Conan – Blood Eagle

    I hope that when you hear the word “Conan” you don’t think first of the comedian. Arnold Schwarzenegger or the Robert E. Howard novels are acceptable answers. But this writer’s first thought goes to the English (mega)power trio Conan. Blood Eagle picks up where Monnos left off – which is somewhere ancient where everything is…

  • Finsterforst – Rastlos

    Finsterforst – Rastlos

    I can’t say that Finsterforst are totally original, but they make up for any lack of creativity by bringing a contagious passion to a style of metal that has rarely resonated with me in recent years. They make a powerful case for the sheer grandeur of their music, which is pretty significant considering that the…

  • Candlemass – Psalms for the Dead

    Candlemass – Psalms for the Dead

    If they’re ending their careers on this note, well, they’ve left us with a solid token to remember them by.

  • The 11th Hour – Lacrima Mortis

    The 11th Hour – Lacrima Mortis

    Album number two from The 11th Hour is darker and more bombastic than their debut. Throughout the album the two interweaving vocal styles add a lot of contrast, meaning the epic-length tracks never fall flat. Lacrima Mortis’ collection of harrowing tales is cloaked in a godforsaken veneer, and it’s a credit to Warby’s talents and…

  • STAFF PLAYLISTS: February 2011

    Back by popular demand, here are the Staff Playlists for February 2011!

  • Necronomicon – The Return of the Witch

    The Return of the Witch is a solid piece of work. It’s an album that is upfront about what its intentions are.

  • Týr/ Crimson Shadows/ Bolero @ Sneaky Dee’s, Toronto, ON, April 30, 2010

    Everything else fell away, however, when TÝR took the stage. I seemed as though I had handed the band a checklist of everything I hoped to see in their performance, and they generously met every request. They played “Hail to the Hammer,” “Hold The Heathen Hammer High,” and “Sinklars Visa;” Heri and Terji performed shirtless;…

  • Siegfried – Nibelung

    On first listen, this album gave me visions of using it as a soundtrack to a documentary about people who are into epic fantasy role-playing. I can see the hordes of costumed Lord of the Rings fans clashing their replica swords on a battlefield to win the princesses hand

  • Elis: Catharsis

    By Melissa Andrews Elis hails from the tiny country of Liechtenstein. Catharsis is their first release with new vocalist Sandra Schleret singing. Schleret is the replacement for the band’s original singer, who died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage in 2006. Schleret’s vocals are adequate but her voice doesn’t have that character of the beautiful innocence…

  • Leaves’ Eyes: Njord

    The overall sound gives me an image of Viking Goths parading around in Scandinavia. On most of the songs they manage to sound well balanced between classical and metal without sounding too rock opera cheesy