Metal playlists from the underground
Throwback Pacific Northwestern trio Wolves in the Throne Room apply old fashioned recording techniques as well as the unit’s avid spiritual connection to nature to achieve black metal bliss on their latest four-track, 45-minute atmospheric excursion BLACK CASCADE. Using vintage gear to capture the rich tones protruding from the guitars on cuts like “Ex Cathedra,” […]
There’s good reason why ex-Emperor mainman Isahn handpicked the members of Leprous to be part of his touring band besides sharing the same hometown (Notodden, Norway), and this quintet’s daunting eight-track affair firmly backs up Isahn’s choice. With a strong set of 70’s symphonic pomp and a darkened dollop of progressive metal’s usual suspects’ wares […]
After a tumultuous eight-year run, Savannah, GA quintet Kylesa have come into their own on the outfit’s latest 10-track disc STATIC TENSIONS. Fully realizing their unique spot in between Isis and Mastodon on the metal continuum, this act has struggled both through wallowing the underground as well as in the shadows of some bigger hometown […]
The new rock release of the week is Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry, a double-disc celebration of the album’s 25th anniversary. Disc one features the remastered classic cuts (“SMF” still has the greatest groove of the bunch) and the second disc contains demos, outtakes, unreleased tracks, and a new song. “30,” the first brand new track […]
In order to celebrate the release of Dream Theater’s latest studio album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings, I am offering detailed reviews of each of the six tracks throughout the week. Track 5: “The Best of Times” On “The Best of Times,” Rudess delivers the prettiest keyboard intro heard on any Dream Theater song to […]
Blood of the Black Owl is a one-man metal band whose latest disc A FERAL SPIRIT embraces the worship of nature and its aesthetic beauty but not before it takes you by the throat to drag you down into the depths of the abyss. This sprawling nine-track excursion enlists unorthodox Native American instrumentation, animal and […]
In order to celebrate the release of Dream Theater’s latest studio album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings, I am offering detailed reviews of each of the six tracks throughout the week. Track 4: “The Shattered Fortress” “The Shattered Fortress” is the fifth and final track of the Twelve-Step Suite, which began with “The Glass Prison” […]
The music world has lost a legend, however, the King of Pop’s music will live on forever. There will only be one Elvis and for sure, there will only be one Michael Jackson. Rest in Peace (1958-2009) -Nza
In order to celebrate the release of Dream Theater’s latest studio album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings, I am offering detailed reviews of each of the six tracks throughout the week. Track 3: “Wither” The shortest track of the album, and most radio-friendly, begins with an acoustic riff on the same path of Sixx A.M.’s […]
In order to celebrate the release of Dream Theater’s latest studio album, Black Clouds And Silver Linings, I am offering detailed reviews of each of the six tracks throughout the week. Track 2: “A Rite of Passage” The progressive metal gods released “A Rite of Passage,” the first single from Black Clouds about a month […]