Pentagram – First Daze Here
These days, when Bobby Liebling sings “These are gonna be my last days here…” he really means it. The dude looked like death warmed…
reissue
Foo Fighters – s/t LP (reissue)
It feels strange to be discussing the twentieth anniversary of Foo Fighters‘ debut album now – just months after Universal Music Enterprises celebrated the…
Smashing Pumpkins – Adore (vinyl reissue)
The moment I laid eyes on the copy of the vinyl reissue of Adore which arrived on my doorstep, I stopped what I was…
Pale Divine – Cemetery Earth (reissue)
By Gruesome Greg Don’t sleep on Pale Divine. They might not be one of the first bands that comes to mind when you think…
Of course, it just HAD to snow on Record Store Day…
First thing I thought when I woke up this morning was “Hey, it’s Record Store Day!” No, not Hitler’s Birthday, the Columbine Massacre Anniversary, the day Black Sabbath tickets go on sale (I got mine on Thursday via presale–33rd row floors) or even that day when everybody gathers in a park to smoke pot. Apparently, purchasing vinyl is now more important to me than smoking marijuana. I think I’m becoming a square, maaaaan!
Scott Kelly of Neurosis: The Hellbound Interview
“We were still trying to come of age. I was 25 and trying to find my way in the world. I think we all were. We had started to find our sound and were able to express ourselves in a way we had been trying for a long time. Souls At Zero (1992) was a step in that direction. When I listen to it I find songs where we were tapping into it. But it was hit or miss, especially with keyboards and different textures. We had to get more proficient at our instruments to pull the things in our heads out. Enemy was a bold step in that direction.”
Justin M. Norton sits down with metal pioneer Scott Kelly of Neurosis to discuss the re-issue of 1993’s critically acclaimed “Enemy of the Sun”, psychedelic cyborgs, and the band’s live experience.
Stratovarius – Infinite [Special Edition]
All in all, if you don’t own Infinite and are a power metal fan, I recommend you pick it up. If you already own it but don’t have the bonus material, it’s not essential but it is cool to hear at least once.
HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE: The Metal Blade Reissues
San Francisco’s Hammers of Misfortune have recently signed to Metal Blade, and as a result, the label has reissued their entire back catalogue in hopes that it will get the due recognition it missed the first time around. With no expectation and no foreknowledge of the band, I tossed myself in at the deep end to review these four reissues and wound up discovering something completely fresh.
Kyle Harcott reviews the new Metal Blade reissues of the Hammers Of Misfortune back catalogue.
Helstar – Rising From The Grave
Helstar could have been a much bigger band if the songs had just been a bit stronger. Rising From The Grave is an enjoyable listen though and it’s easy to get carried away in Rivera and company’s enthusiasm and skill.
Delain – Lucidity
As for the bulk of the original album, it’s what you would expect from a former member of Within Temptation (Westerholt): soaring vocals, bombastic guitar solos, pounding drums, lush keyboard and symphonic string arrangements. All played with subtlety and an attention to contrast that it seems only those in power or progressive metal remember any more