Posts tagged as:

heavy metal

Zeroking Kings of Self DestructionIf you think the spit and swagger of classic American hard rock has been lost to the trends of emo, screamo, post-grunge, or hipsters wearing scarves and Clark Kent glasses, here’s West Virginia’s Zeroking. Kings of Self Destruction is hard rock as it was meant to be: below the belt and whiskey drenched, driven by a rock groove, powerful vocals and stinging guitars. Zeroking is the real deal. Think the best melodic hard rock of the late Eighties invigorated by a GnR strut.

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Wolfen - Chapter IVGerman heavy metal is alive and well with Wolfen and their appropriately titled fourth full-length disc, Chapter IV. The genius of Wolfen is that they effortlessly combine elements of traditional heavy, power, and speed metal in a melodic wrapper. Yet, fundamentally, this is ‘true’ metal, with little compromise.

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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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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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DC4 offers great American hard rock on Electric Ministry

29 August 2011 American Culture

DC4 resurrects and reinvigorates their roots by preaching the gospel of hard rock on their third release Electric Ministry. Wanting to get the Nineties out their system, DC4 chose to focus on guitar rock, add some serious metal attitude, and essentially turn the knobs to eleven. (You may not have heard of DC4, so here’s [...]

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Edguy returns with Age of the Joker, another platter of great melodic metal

22 August 2011 Entertainment

Coming to a new Edguy is always a good thing. Ten years ago this German melodic heavy metal band single-handedly brought me back to metal in the 21st century (helping to revive me from a decade lost to grunge in nu-metal). Age of the Joker is their ninth studio album, with the band offering both [...]

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