★★☆☆ When this shoegazery doomsludge album works, it works very well. But there are two major problems with it, which drag the whole effort down. First: the songs are just a bit go-nowheresy, even by doom standards. That’s a minor quibble, compared to the second problem: the clean vocals are bad. See the rest here
★★☆☆ A zippy, oddly produced collection of songs that lift heavily from Arch Enemy, Megadeth, and a touch of DragonForce. But it’s got energy, and it’s fun, so I’m not gonna kick it out of bed. See the rest here
★★☆☆ Put Leprous, Yes, Dream Theater, and Porcupine Tree in a blender, and you’ll get this EP. Solidly entertaining, but a bit derivative (which is surprising, considering how different this band and their sources are from the mainstays). See the rest here
★★☆☆ This is an unstoppable juggernaut that nevertheless manages to chew up its own gears. The power, speed, and energy are undeniable. The problem is that there’s just too much material being thrown around here to have it stick with any semblance of flow or continuity. With some self-editing, The Kennedy Veil would be a serious force to be reckoned with. See the rest here
★★☆☆ This should be a slam dunk for lovers of technodeath. And yet, while it hits all the right marks (speed, technicality, darkness, guitar solos, blast beats), there’s something about the whole thing that sounds too familiar, especially if you’ve spent any time at all listening to any other technodeath band of the last three years. See the rest here
★★☆☆ Oh hey, it’s Kurt Ballou. The sad thing is, the actual music here has the potential to be better than your average doom metal release, but those moments of promise are weighed down by the sameness of the production. The curious result is that, when the band play slow, you’re treated to some interesting dirgeness… but the faster they play, the more anonymized the sound. See the rest here
★★☆☆ I suppose that one needs to hear this album in the context of a well-loved band releasing new work for the first time in decades. As such, it’s a well-made piece of power metal nostalgia, like a new release from Original Queensrÿche or Ritual-era Testament. But those comparisons should also accurately convey just how old-fashioned the album’s aesthetics feel. See the rest here
★★☆☆ Look, when I say this is the Evanescence of Gothenburg, don’t assume that I mean that in a bad way. There’s something soothing in the cloyingly smooth sounds on this album, although not very memorably so. See the rest here
★★☆☆ Yep, Kurt Ballou. See the rest here
★★☆☆ This side project from Jason Popman of Mushroomhead and Gene Hoglan has got flavors from Slayer, Slipknot, Strapping Young Lad (naturally), and a few various metalcore bands. The net result is pleasing enough, and hits all the right notes, but there’s an antiseptic anonymity to a lot of the music here. See the rest here
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