Reviews Archive
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Haunted, The
Strength in Numbers
By Simon Milburn | 19 September, 2017
When I think of The Haunted, I think of persistence. Vocalists have come and gone, and returned and gone again. Guitarists have left. Drummers have left and returned. Could they be Sweden’s answer to Megadeth in regards to their line-up chan...
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Volumes
Different Animals
By Andrew McKaysmith | 14 September, 2017
Since the turn of the century, it has been impossible to avoid or ignore contemporary urban music. It's everywhere. In public spaces such as shopping centres, fast food chains, petrol stations and even at the dentist. Is urban music so prevalent t...
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Belphegor
Totenritual
By Michael O'Brien | 13 September, 2017
When I was first introduced to long-running Austrian blackened death metal act, Belphegor, via their sixth full-length album, 2006’s Pestapokalypse VI, I went on what could best be described as a years long binge of their material. ...
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Adagio
Life
By Andrew McKaysmith | 13 September, 2017
Adagio’s new album, Life, begins with the sound of heavy strings set against the playful laughter of children. The dramatic opening sequence expands to include horns and other orchestral instruments before Stéphan Forté...
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Blind Guardian
Live Beyond the Spheres
By Andrew McKaysmith | 13 September, 2017
On Live Beyond the Spheres, the power metal heavy weight champs release a 22 track, 3-CD, and 4-LP package containing classics, new tracks, and songs that were very rarely performed during live shows.
If you are a power metal appr...
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Rings of Saturn
Ultu Ulla
By Andrew McKaysmith | 13 September, 2017
Where to start? This is intense shit. Seriously fast and visual! Very visual! I started to write a traditional review where I typically offer examples of what I liked and what I thought could be improved but it just felt it was time to do somethin...
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Septicflesh
Codex Omega
By Michael O'Brien | 02 September, 2017
Greece’s Septicflesh must surely stand as one of the great heavy metal comeback success stories in recent memory. Following their breakup in 2003, they returned in 2008 with the very well regarded Communion, and have since that time...
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Soul Remnants
Ouroboros
By Simon Milburn | 29 August, 2017
I first came across Littleton, Massachusetts (U.S.A.) quintet Soul Remnants when I reviewed their 2013 long player, Black and Blood. I still spin the album here and there these days in amongst the slew of new releases that do come in. The...
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Paradise Lost
Medusa
By Michael O'Brien | 29 August, 2017
To this day, Paradise Lost's 1995 release, Draconian Times, remains one of my favourite albums of all time. It also has the dubious honour of being the last Paradise Lost album that resonated with me for the nearly 15 years leading up to ...
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Dead Cross
Dead Cross
By Simon Milburn | 22 August, 2017
Dead Cross is a band that had my attention as soon as I heard that Dave Lombardo was associated with it. He of legendary Slayer fame (as well as Grip Inc. and Philm) can do no wrong. Formed initially in late 2015, Dead Cross, who were rounded out ...
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Prong
Zero Days
By Simon Milburn | 22 July, 2017
For me, one of the best albums of 2016 was Prong’s X – No Absolutes even with a couple of niggly tracks that didn’t sit well with me. In my review of that album, I pointed out the band’s impressive work ethic since...
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MRTVI
Negative Atonal Dissonance
By Michael O'Brien | 22 July, 2017
The daunting flood of promos that are sent my way each week makes the act of choosing something to review less of a science than a scattershot process that usually takes the form of picking something either due to a familiarity with the band, a fa...
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Municipal Waste
Slime and Punishment
By Simon Milburn | 22 July, 2017
I’m sure many of us remember the first time we heard Municipal Waste. Waaaaaaay back when Earache Records were actually still fostering new talent instead of milking their heritage roster for whatever they can get, a little known band and al...
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Stone Sour
Hydrograd
By Simon Milburn | 18 July, 2017
I have to admit that I found it amusing that Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger thought it worthwhile to call out Stone Sour on their success compared to his own band. Now, it’s pretty bloody obvious that the bands are miles apart on the scale...
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Edguy
Monuments
By Andrew McKaysmith | 13 July, 2017
There is a fair bit of kit to get through when discussing this outstanding release from German power metal quartet, Edguy. If one is a dedicated fan, passionate about the band and the music they have produce...
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Decapitated
Anticult
By Andrew McKaysmith | 13 July, 2017
Anticult is the seventh full length studio album from Polish death metal titans Decapitated, and it's also one of their more immediate releases with a focused effort to produce more concise songs that get straight to the point.
Wa...
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Avatarium
Hurricanes and Halos
By Andrew McKaysmith | 13 July, 2017
Avatarium feature one of rock and metal’s great modern guitarists in Swedish maestro, Marcus Jidell. That doesn’t mean one can’t be objective when listening to Hurricanes and Halos for the purposes of a thorough review, ...
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Danzig
Black Laden Crown
By Simon Milburn | 23 June, 2017
Let’s get something straight right from the get go. How good are those first three Danzig albums? There are so many good cuts across the four years that brought those fine releases to our ears. Whilst some artists have managed to deliver som...
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Carach Angren
Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten
By Michael O'Brien | 19 June, 2017
Theatrical, symphonic black metal isn’t exactly up there in my list of genre priorities, so by rights long-running Dutch act, Carach Angren, shouldn’t register as much more than a blip on my radar. Having been lucky enough to catch the...
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OHHMS
The Fool
By Simon Crawley | 07 June, 2017
With the debut release of Bloom in October 2014, Kent’s (U.K.) OHHMS sidled up warmly to fellow The Metal Forge contributor Simon Milburn. And when 2015’s Cold came out, that was that – Mr. Milburn was won over ...
