Posts tagged as:

album review

Imminent Sonic Destruction - Recurring ThemesIf Imminent Sonic Destruction is upon you, then what should you expect? Some form of extreme metal, possibly death, black, or hardcore metal or, possibly some amalgam of all? Or not. The creation of Detroit guitar wizard Tony Piccoli, Imminent Sonic Destruction is a modern progressive metal band, which also features some of the Motor City’s finest musicians. Notable is former Tiles drummer Pat DeLeon.

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Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the SpiritHere’s a few words of first impression of Beyond the Bridge’s debut The Old Man and the Spirit: ambitious, grand, and sweeping. The work is a monolith, from concept to music, of progressive metal from this young German band. Be forewarned: several spins are required to grasp the scope of The Old Man and the Spirit. That’s not to say that this work is overly complex, but it is quite long and packed with great music.

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Persona Non Grata - Quantum Leap Possibly indicative of the album title, Greek progressives Persona Non Grata hoped to ‘up their game’ with their sophomore release, Quantum Leap. Released in December, this fine work of progressive metal could easily be added to the best of 2011, right along side their peers Symphony X and Dream Theater.

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Altered Symmetry’s Prologue: new progressive metal from South America

19 December 2011 Entertainment

Altered Symmetry is a promising young, but not inexperienced, progressive metal band from Bogota Columbia. Prior to this year’s full-length debut, Prologue, they cut three EPs, including a ‘cover’ album. This disc applied some prog nuances to the likes of Billy Idol (Rebel Yell), Aerosmith (Toys in the Attic), and Bon Jovi (Born to Be [...]

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Guitarist Patrick Hemer debuts first solo album, More Than Meets the Eye

12 December 2011 Entertainment

Probably best known for his work with Horizon, guitarist Patrick Hemer steps out on his own with his first solo album More Than Meets the Eye. The album, like most of its kind, is an platform for Hemer’s rather impressive neo-classical guitar style in a tradition melodic heavy/power, sometimes, progressive metal context. In this sense, [...]

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Theocracy’s As the World Bleeds offers an exciting blend of Christianity and epic melodic heavy metal

23 November 2011 American Culture

Another three years has passed and so Atlanta’s Theocracy returns with their third album As the World Bleeds. Considering the strength of its predecessor, Mirror of Souls, this album was born with certain expectations already in place. Fret not fans as you will not be disappointed.

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High Spirits ‘Another Night’ is classic American melodic hard rock

14 November 2011 Entertainment

At first listen, Chicago’s High Spirits’ second long-player Another Night seemed both anomalous and typical of melodic hard rock. With a strong and speedy pace and an super abundance of twin guitar solos the songs smack of early NWOBHM. Yet these are surrounded by equally harmonious and melodic chord vocal arrangements, nearly taking the edge [...]

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A Moment in Chiros: Lance King’s solo debut a tour de force of melodic progressive power metal

30 October 2011 American Culture

Okay, so here’s the short review: Buy this album. If you dig well-composed and entertaining melodic progressive power metal with powerful and versatile vocals, then Lance King’s first solo project, A Moment in Chiros is simply primo material. So head on over to Nightmare Records and order the album; otherwise read on if you want [...]

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Fierce and entertaining classic metal from UK’s Intense, latest album, The Shape of Rage

19 October 2011 Entertainment

English metal band Intense has been plugging away at their craft for 20 years. Now signed to Germany’s Pure Legend Records, the band delivers their third full length album, The Shape of Rage. While 20 years only puts them back to the early Nineties, one listen to this disc find that their roots go deeper [...]

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Knight Area’s Nine Paths: simply great melodic progressive rock!

10 October 2011 American Culture

Knight Area’s fourth release, Nine Paths, is simply a great sounding album of melodic progressive rock. Earlier works were likely gathered under the symphonic rock genre also. But Nine Paths seems to find Knight Area upping the rock ante just a bit. With that said, don’t think that founder, composer, and keyboardist Gerben Klazinga is [...]

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