★★★☆ Too short for serious consideration, but what little is here is fantastic. This is The Haunted at their most metallic, a sound we haven’t heard from them in years. Very thrashy, and the last track sounds like something you might find on Slayer’s “Undisputed Attitude.” See the rest here
★★★☆ This little album rocks. While you can still here the sampler quality of this quiltwork EP in places, it’s still generally successful as a document of the band’s ambitions and directions, and manages to be cohesive enough to not be a total dysfunctional mess. It’s also both poppier and more metal at times that Periphery II (with standout tracks “directed” by the band’s rhythm section). See the rest here
★★☆☆ Djentcore! That’s a thing, right? This specimen has all the notes, but not much of the heart. As such, I found myself nodding my head like a good soldier, but not really feeling it or caring so much. So, this album isn’t bad. It just isn’t great, either. See the rest here
★☆☆☆ Should a modern metal album aspire to sound like a poor man’s post-Layne Alice In Chains? There are a handful of interesting moments on The Power Of Three, but they’re momentary distractions from the many, many flaws that abound. See the rest here
★★★☆ A subtle, yet inexorable, exploration of sludge collages that are reminiscent of everything from Isis to The Ocean to Pixies to Dies Irae to Bill Laswell. The noise is literally another member of the band on this album. Honestly, I can’t really tell you exactly why it grabbed me from the first listen, but it definitely did. See the rest here
★☆☆☆ This is some seriously self-indulgent stuff. The musicianship is fantastic… but it seems to only serve as an excuse for some out-of-place arias. Also, I can’t imagine ever willingly listening to this again. See the rest here
★★☆☆ On the one hand, this is very capably executed speed metal, akin to Racer X or Accept. On the other hand, this album retreads on territory that’s already well worn, with nothing new to offer. Nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake isn’t always a winning policy. See the rest here
★★☆☆ Imbecilic, but really great fun nonetheless. If you’re expecting Nile-like death metal, you’ll get the speed but not exactly the darkness. That’s okay, though; this album stands on its own. Also, the riffs here are really kinda novel and unusual, so that’s worth a couple of listens already. See the rest here
★★☆☆ This is some seriously old-school shit right here. Think Rage-For-Order-era Queensrÿche or Maiden. It’s enjoyable, for what it is, but it’s also got the palpable feel of stale bread to it. The war’s over, Johnny. See the rest here
☆☆☆☆ I just can’t get behind a band that sounds like System Of A Down covering The Shaggs. Look, I’m all for taking the cultural high road, but just because you can play a double harmonic scale on distorted guitars doesn’t mean your work is done. See the rest here
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