Recent reviews

Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

Avantasia

The Mystery of Time
Nuclear Blast (2013)

Between being the vocalist for heavy metal band Edguy and the creative force for the rock opera project Avantasia, Tobias Sammet is a really busy guy. And though I've never really been able to follow the overarching structure to Avantasia's operas, apparently the last two releases (The Wicked Symphony and The Angel of Babylon, released simultaneously in 2010) wrapped up the current story arc. That makes his newest release, The Mystery of Time, the first album in what will probably be another trilogy--and thankfully, it's just as strong as ever.Though the album cover seems unusually Christmassy at first glance, the album is actually thematically about the struggle between faith and science, thrown over the background of a Victorian scientist studying the oddities of time. You'd think a theme like that would resolve itself into some crazy technical shenanigans, but it turns out that the album is your usual symphonic power-metal fare, containing an even balance of gratifying ballads, heavy metal rockers, and slightly more complex epics. There's really nothing surprising about the compositions--heck, some of the songs are even severely predictable--but what they lack in originality they make up with in sheer power. And there's no pretension of progressiveness here, … Read more

Ivanhoe

Systematrix
Massacre Records (2013)

You'd think a band named after Sir Walter Scott's most famous work would tend towards the contemplative (or, at least, … Read more

Krokus

Dirty Dynamite
The End (2013)

It might come as a surprise that in the year 2013 Krokus—yes, that Krokus—have released a new album. And what … Read more

The Custodian

Necessary Wasted Time
Laser's Edge (2013)

Richard Thomson may be the vocalist for Xerath, but if you're expecting that same innovative blend of progressive metal, film … Read more

Black Shape Of Nexus

Negative Black
Exile on Mainstream (2012)

Wanting to hear more of Black Shape Of Nexus following their split with Kodiak a couple of years back led … Read more

Infera Bruo

Desolate Unknown
Independent (2013)

Calling your band “hellish noise” sets the bar pretty high to start with. Fortunately Infera Bruo live up to that … Read more

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One from the archives

Dear Boy

The Strawberry EP
Easy Hell (2019)

Los Angeles quartet Dear Boy are firm favourites in their hometown's indie scene, but their new EP suggests that they could go much further. Dear Boy is fronted by Ben Grey, formerly of indie darlings Scarlet Grey, with guitarist Austin Hayman, bassist Lucy Lawrence and drummer Keith Cooper completing the line-up. The band has been together since 2012 and they released their Parts of a Flower EP in 2016, and in that time they've garnered a dedicated fanbase and radio play on local stations. The distillation period between Parts of a Flower and The Strawberry EP has given the band a more confident and defined sound. Their long-awaited new EP takes the band's sound up a notch, and shows them at their most creative. The Strawberry EP taps into the … Read more

More album reviews

Mans' Gin

Rebellion Hymns
Profound Lore (2013)

Led by multi-instrumentalist Erik Wunder (also of Cobalt,) Man’s Gin are releasing the follow up to their debut album (Smiling Dogs,) entitled Rebellion Hymns. If you believe that the band is similar sounding to Cobalt, you are gravely mistaken. Accompanied by an arrange of great musicians such as Bruce Lamont (Yakuza,) Jarboe, John Lamacchia (Candiria) and Phil McSorley (Cobalt), Man’s … Read more

Scale The Summit

The Migration
Prosthetic (2013)

To understand why Scale the Summit's newest release The Migration is so fascinating, you first need a bit of background:Scale the Summit's first couple of releases (Monument, Carving Desert Canyons) codified the same formula the band works by today; they play a brand of instrumental progressive metal that, through epic melodies and huge construction, is intended to invoke a sense … Read more

Portugal. The Man

Evil Friends
Atlantic (2013)

Portugal. The Man thrives in a music scene often reluctant of drastic change in a band's sound. Meanwhile, the Alaskan natives have spent the last seven years transcending and switching gears entirely with each new release, and pulling it off well. Having originally dabbled in experimental prog, Portugal went on to create a loud, bluesy rocker (2007's Church Mouth), an … Read more

Dessa

Parts Of Speech
Doomtree (2013)

A while back, I asked a friend of mine to introduce me to some new music. I was feeling burnt out on my usual prog fare, and I desperately needed to listen to something different. She suggested I give an artist named Dessa a try, and a little while later, I was listening to her debut album A Badly Broken … Read more

Alice In Chains

The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
Capitol (2013)

I'll admit, I'm a bit of a purist; though I didn't think it was a bad release, Black Gives Way to Blue always seemed to pale in comparison to Alice in Chains's earlier works. On some level, that's not entirely fair--without Staley, they are an entirely different band, and not necessarily even trying to recapture who they were before. But … Read more

Lesbian

Forestelevsion
Translation Loss (2013)

Talk about false advertising. As far as I can tell, the self-described "PsychoProgDoom" band Lesbian is based out of Seattle, not the Aegean island. Putting geographic misrepresentation aside, their latest album Forestelevision is truly a monster to behold.If you couldn't gather from their self description, Lesbian are a notoriously difficult band to pigeonhole. They have the psychedelic guitars straight out … Read more

Horna

Askel lähempänä Saatanaa
World Terror Committee (2013)

Replacing a vocalist is always a huge ordeal and turning point for a band, particularly when needing to do to it for a third time as Horna found themselves in the process of during 2009 when Corvus left his duties at the mic stand behind to concentrate on his other projects. This Finnish group have been at the forefront of … Read more

Dave Hause

C'Mon Kid EP
Sabot Productions (2012)

We’re close to the end of Dave Hause’s 7-inch series. The fourth in the series comes from Sabot Productions. Hause decided to tackle his friends in None More Black and a more predictable Lucero track. Let's see how it went.First of the originals. “C’mon Kid” was turned into a piano ballad. It’s a beautiful one at that, but it’s probably … Read more

Mothlite

Dark Age
Kscope (2012)

Mothlite's Daniel O'Sullivan has spent his time away from his personal project collaborating with some of the world's most well known post-progressive acts. Ulver, Æthenor, Guapo and Grumbling Fur are but a few of the groups O'Sullivan has somehow found time to participate in but Mothlite is his completely and as such the second record from this project, Dark Age, … Read more

The Maine

Forever Halloween
Rude Records (2013)

Halloween can be an inspiring topic for musicians. The Misfits' "Halloween" evokes dark autumn evenings with snarling vocals and captivating riffs, while AFI's Misfits-influenced All Hallows EP is a punk-rock filled love letter to the holiday. The Maine's Forever Halloween takes a sombre look, presenting Halloween as an emotional state and not just a passing holiday.So far three singles have … Read more

Various Artists

Toys That Kill/Future Virgins - split
Drunken Sailor (2013)

Pairing Toys That Kill and Future Virgins in a single record, this Drunker Sailor 7” teams up bands that have released some of my favorite records of 2011 (Western Problems) and 2012 (Fambly 42). That’s a lot of quality, an intriguing pair-up and, honestly, a lot to live up to.Does the three song EP live up to expectations? More or … Read more

Modern Baseball

Sports
Run for Cover (2013)

There are a select few records in my collection that I can always count on to produce an unbridled sense of nostalgia. A classic to turn to when in need of some youthful energy, that little rush of euphoria when singing along with a favorite group-chorus, or that story to remind us of when life was much simpler. Emo and … Read more

Jasper TX

An Index Of Failure
Handmade Birds (2013)

I cannot explain how much I needed to listen to this right at this moment when my heart rate is racing and it feels as if my chest is going to explode, the calming feeling that the final recordings of Jasper TX are literally helping me to breath semi normally; An Index Of Failure is quite simply a pretty album … Read more

Purson

The Circle and the Blue Door
Metal Blade (2013)

Retro-lust is fucking brilliant. For the past years, unbelievable bands have shown their musical endeavors by wedding the psychedelia of the 60s with the heavier rock of the 70s. Artists such as Jex Thoth, The Devil’s Blood and Blood Ceremony are showing the way, to be quickly followed by dreamers of the same utopic principle. Bands such as Jess and … Read more

Reviews by score
Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

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