219 total search results — Page 10 of 11
Alice In Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
Review — July 8, 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 …
Dessa – Parts Of Speech
Review — July 8, 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, …
Scale The Summit – The Migration
Review — July 8, 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 …
The Custodian – Necessary Wasted Time
Review — July 8, 2013
Richard Thomson may be the vocalist for Xerath, but if you're expecting that same innovative blend of progressive metal, film music, and tech death in his new side project, you'll be sorely disappointed with The Custodian. Actually, if you were expecting any innovation at all, your expectations will be …
Ivanhoe – Systematrix
Review — July 15, 2013
You'd think a band named after Sir Walter Scott's most famous work would tend towards the contemplative (or, at least, the historically literate). But judging by German band Ivanhoe's latest album, that characterization falls several yards beyond the mark. The truth is, there's very little intellectual merit, or even any …
Avantasia – The Mystery of Time
Review — July 15, 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 …
Moth – Endlessly in Motion
Review — July 15, 2013
The short-form progressive album seems to be a dying art. Bands who venture into the genre are few and far between; more infrequent still are those who can do it well. There's just something about progressive music that compels bands to push themselves longer and longer, and while that's not …
Ice Dragon – The Soul's Midnight
Review — July 15, 2013
As far as downright ass-dirty stoner metal goes, Ice Dragon are amongst the best. Their latest EP, The Soul's Midnight, sounds absolutely disgusting, and I mean that as a compliment. The tastefully low-quality production actually enhances the low, grumbling, psychedelic ramblings, creating an air of confused haziness about the …
True Widow – Circumambulation
Review — July 23, 2013
I know when I think of stoner music, I think of pot-fueled haziness, guitar theatrics straight out of the '60s, and a red-eyed three-piece to play it all. But there is one band that steadfastly refuses to conform to that stereotype, and that's Texan trio True Widow, whose third album, …
Leprous – Coal
Review — July 23, 2013
Leprous have an odd claim to fame—they serve as the live backing for fellow Norwegian metalhead Ihsahn (who, in turn, is known for his time as the vocalist for Emperor). But as their own band with a modest discography under their belts, Leprous play a much more subdued, near-rock …
Big Black Delta – Big Black Delta
Review — July 23, 2013
Jonathan Bates is quickly becoming a musician who can't be ignored. Working under the moniker Big Black Delta, Bates has created some incessantly (and confusingly) catchy releases whose quality demands attention. What's more, his latest release, 2013's eponymous Big Black Delta, is his best offering yet.The album is …
Apocynthion – Sidereus Nuncius
Review — July 29, 2013
Well, when it came time to pick the newest fad in metal music, I certainly wasn't expecting post-black metal* to become a genre. And yet, so many bands have been affected by Alcest's sublime, beautiful interpretation of black metal and post-rock that it's really not too surprising to see …
Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisited II
Review — July 29, 2013
This (entirely too long) review is part of my coverage of the 2013 Progressive Music Awards, on 3 September. I fully admit, before I even listened to this album, I actively disliked it. For one, musical sequels are rarely as good as the original (as I've mentioned before). …
Om – Addis Dubplate
Review — July 29, 2013
Everyone's favourite stoner rock band with a flair for the religious Om has been on a roll lately, releasing the incredible Advaitic Songs just last year. But they aren't stopping anytime soon--in addition to a planned single from frontman Al Cisneros to hit later this year, two of the band's …
Om – Gethsemane Dubplate
Review — July 29, 2013
Everyone's favourite stoner rock band with a flair for the religious Om has been on a roll lately, releasing the incredible Advaitic Songs just last year. But they aren't stopping anytime soon--in addition to a planned single from frontman Al Cisneros to hit later this year, two of the …
Al Cisneros – Ark Procession
Review — July 29, 2013
If the name Al Cisneros doesn't ring an immediate bell, his impressive résumé no doubt will. In addition to fronting the godliest (and highest) of all stoner metal bands Sleep, Cisneros has gained even more popularity fronting the offshoot stoner/drone rock band Om, as well as appearing …
Nero di Marte – Self Titled
Review — August 5, 2013
I'm eternally grateful to a close friend of mine for telling me to check out a little Italian quartet called Nero di Marte. If he hadn't persuaded me that not listening to this album was akin to metal blasphemy, I would never have given them a second thought. So when …
Tame Impala – Lonerism
Review — August 5, 2013
This review is part of my coverage of the 2013 Progressive Music Awards, on 3 September. Australian quintet Tame Impala (whose name I insisted on pronouncing as "TA·may im·PA·la" for the longest damn time) don't seem very eager to fight off the stereotype about bands from down under. (You know, …
Černá – Restoring Life
Review — August 5, 2013
It's rapidly becoming clear to me that "post-black metal" just isn't a great name for a genre. In addition to the obvious clunkiness and how little "post-" actually means, a strong argument can be made that the genre doesn't have any legitimate claim to the black metal mantle …
