Category Archives: Reviews

Reviews, Various

(review) Vio-lence – Let the World Burn (Metal Blade Records)

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I won´t lie to you, I first heard of Vio-lence when first Machine Head legendary album Burn My Eyes came out and there was an article in Metal Hammer and a picture of young Rob Flynn who used to play guitar in Vio-lence prior to MH days. Then I listened and immediately loved the three albums of these San Francisco thrash metal legends. Now, the band is reformed again and released new music after more than two decades first with cover of Dead Kennedys classic California Uber Alles, then with this whole new e.p. which contains five songs. Through these songs, Vio-lence managed to release strong statement with strong mixture of old and new blood in the line-up consisting of whole extreme music scene veterans unit, capable of doing great things in their all out thrash metal assault. Angry vocals, courtesy of Sean Killian, great and fast songs with groove parts, blistering solos, double bass drum sonic charge and lyrics that deal with anger, death, society and its diseases is more than contemporary today, yet bringing a breeze of old school metal winds to the new millennia. Welcome back we have been missing you.

8/10

Reviews, Various

(review) Ghost – Impera

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Ghost are back with new full length opus and here it is time for me to listen to this one under a full moon and by the howling of the wolves. I love this band since their beginnings when they appeared at Fenriz´Band Of The Week with their first album and I love how the band progressed from small occult rock metal band to stadium filling wonder at the same time delivering occult Satanic pop metal to the masses who sing along almost LaVeyan philosophy in the lyrics not knowing that. True, show is show, but I love how Papa Emeritus IV , or Swedish musician Tobias Forge does it, together with his Nameless Ghouls in the band. I think this line-up is by far the best with most chemistry, as seen on the videos from tour posted on YouTube and besides Papa´s great voice, all Ghouls enjoy what they do.

Now, for the album. It contains twelve songs, two being instrumentals, one intro, another kinda intermezzo between the two sides of the record. What surprises at first is Kaisarion, probably the fastest up beat song Ghost did ever, being energetic melodic metal song and goes well with the crowd as seen on band´s recent American tour with Volbeat. Spillways and Call Me Little Sunshine are ominous little Ghost anthems, but one of my personal favorites Hunter´s Moon I just can´t get enough, ever since I heard it after it came out when Halloween Kills was in the cinemas, song being thematically soundtrack of that movie. Watcher In The Sky is also harsher, more metallic song with supreme guitar work and Lovecraftian vibe. Twenties was released as single and lyric video bringing Ghost back in time to roaring twenties with song structure and atmosphere, but it just doesn´t yet hit me the way it should. Darkness At The Heart Of My Love sounds similar to Satanic version of Abba, being gentle with nice melodies, yet subtly subversive and dark. Nice keyboard work accompanying the guitar melody in this one, I love it! Not to discover just everything, you will have to listen for yourself.

9/10

Reviews, Various

(review) Nuclear Storm – Tales From The Depth

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I love the underground and how it sometimes gives you great music on a bad day. I was having really a bad day, hard time and then I discovered Nuclear Storm from Bavaria, Germany. These guys have been in the scene since 2004, released two full lengths and now they are back with a new third opus, first one in seven years. This album contains just what I needed, a fine mixture of aggression of death metal and melody and melancholy of black metal. Songs also have some gothic metal influences like fantastic The Empire, my personal favorite of nine songs this opus has. This song is a perfect blast beat aggression of black metal, epic melody and piano backed romanticism of gothic, reminding me why I love this genre of metal so much. Vocals are super, ranging from death metal growl singing, black metal screams and rough but beautiful melodic clean vocals, like in awesome The Crew. Judging by songs, this album is kind of concept story of hunting whales, cursed ships, endless roaming and never finding a way home. This is a discovery and my recommendation for fans of this music!

9/10