Reviews
Category
Oxblood Forge – Decimator
A good heavy metal album whose devotion to the past might push some newcomers away.
Nephila – Nephila
An excellent take on heavy rock, honest about big influences of the past without feeling weighed down by them
Ninkharsag – The Dread March of Solemn Gods
An impressive and cohesive black metal album, balancing modern and retro sensibilities to excellent effect
Bodom After Midnight – Paint the Sky with Blood
A last hurrah by an enormously talented artist.
Conclave – Dawn of Days
An enjoyable and well-executed doom metal album that dares to add elements from other genres, for a great result.
Wheel – Preserved In Time
A high-quality traditional doom metal release, and bound to be one of the finest albums in that category to be heard this year.
Sleepless – Blood Libel
A somewhat scattered (but enjoyable) shot of death metal with plenty of that potency and aggression
Summoning The Lich – United In Chaos
A great first album, with some fantastic death metal chops on display
The Impaler – A Fate Worse Than Death
Great Aussie black metal
Stone Mammoth – Stone Mammoth
An above-average debut
Must-read
Deserted Fear Story
When she made a credible accusation of sexual assault against a member of Deserted Fear, Fiona thought that the band would cut ties with him. Soon after, however, he was back on stage.
12 Years and 74 Lashes for Your Songs
"Metal is an escape. It encourages you to think for yourself, to say “no”, and to resist when others say “no” to you. That voice of resistance kind of awakened the beast in me."
The Ecstasy of Live Shows in 1986’s Heavy Metal Parking Lot
In 2020, this isn't so much about nostalgia for my first concerts, but instead about nostalgia for any concert at all