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Dead Frog – Burning Bridges Review
Progressive metal isn’t really my thing. Like yeah, I’ve heard Porcupine Tree‘s Deadwing, appreciated some Haken songs, and at least have heard of Dream Theater, while Leprous and Tool make appearances...
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Narnia – From Darkness to Light Review
Pretend with me, for a second, that there is no god. If there wasn’t a god (or gods, for that matter), what an odd, peaceful existence mankind might have had. Think about the centuries of avoided wars...
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The Offering – Home Review
‘Tis the season for weddings. We’re in the midst of the matrimony-industrial complex’s yearly offensive upon our weekends and livers, and I’ve just sworn off alcohol and people for the third time this...
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Horseburner – The Thief Review
The whinnying of trapped, petrified animals. Nostrils flaring, pupils dilated in panic as the sickly odor of charred flesh and singed hair wafts through the air like a malevolent ether. Violence and...
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Ivory Tower – Stronger Review
The mid 90s through the early aughts were an awkward time for metal, what with the scourge of nu-metal and the residual fallout from the grunge explosion hobbling the genre. For lovers of adventurous...
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Disillusion – The Liberation Review
I’ve gushed about the astonishing debut album from Germany’s Disillusion before, and consider 2004’s Back to Times of Splendor to be one of melodic death metal’s finest post millennium offerings....
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Sonata Arctica – Talviyö Review
Sonata Arctica‘s Talviyö marks the 20-year anniversary of the release of Ecliptica. For many fans, the band’s first four albums are the real highlight of their career. But one thing that Tony Kakko and...
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Vokonis – Grasping Time Review
Grasping Time is an album I’ve been keeping my eyes open for since 2018, when Swedish trio Vokonis re-released their 2016 album, Olde One Ascending. First, they spelled Olde correctly. Second, it was a...
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Cult of Luna – A Dawn to Fear Review
This summer saw a couple of top-notch releases from instrumental post-metal vets Russian Circles and Pelican. Both albums were worthy entries in the genre, but we should consider them appetizers, or...
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Ark Ascent – Downfall Review
Debut releases are weird; you never can know what you’re going to get. Sometimes debut means one-man black metal who just discovered GarageBand. Debut can mean hidden talent of Lethbridge, Alberta...
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In Mourning – Garden of Storms Review
I’ve heard it said many a time that In Mourning carry the torch that Opeth “abandoned” with the release of Heritage.1 I don’t happen to agree with that statement. Sure, superficially the Swedish...
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Dysrhythmia – Terminal Threshold Review
It’s been almost three years to the day since I reviewed Dysrhythmia’s last album, The Veil of Control. Of course that one appealed to me: it was loaded with virile, complex songs that at times...
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Ray Alder – What the Water Wants Review
Ray Alder has accumulated some major prog bona vides during his time on the music scene. Replacing the mighty John Arch in Fates Warning way back in 1988, Alder became one of the major faces of...
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Angry Metal Primer – Novembers Doom and Voyager
Over 40 years of metal’s biological urge (and a hefty lack of restraint) has resulted in some incomprehensibly large catalogs. No one should have to listen to anywhere from 13 to 15 [Luca Turilli’s]...
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Shadow Limb – Burn Scar Review
At what point does a band’s signature sound transcend personal identity to assume a greater role, joining the ever-growing lexicon of subgenres? For example, it’s impossible to hear any given Meshuggah...
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Telepath – Mental Mutations Review
Although there’s been the odd exception over the years, generally speaking, instrumental metal is not really my bag. Not that I’m incapable of appreciating the often experimental aspects,...
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Voyager – Colours in the Sun Review
A new Voyager album is always an unknown quantity. I’ve dearly loved some of the Australian prog-meisters material, and felt ambivalent about some of it as well. I raved about 2011s The Meaning of I,...
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Wilderun – Veil of Imagination Review
Wilderun’s Sleep at the Edge of the Earth was a revelation. The record was a powerful blend of ideas that was as enchanting as it was addictive. It was epic and sprawling and my (and the staff’s)...
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Vinsta – Drei Deita Review
Sometimes metal is addictive in its brutality. Sometimes it is so technically impressive that we come back to it time and time again. Other times, it’s catchy, burrowing its hooks into our helpless...
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The Night Watch – An Embarrassment of Riches Review
I’m a big fan of soundtrack music, particularly the post-2000 era of high production value TV and video game soundtracks. Their long-form nature provides more scope for exploring and developing themes...
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