Metal Assault: Album Reviews

By Jaide Alicia

A solid album from start to finish, German thrash band Kreator’s new album ‘Gods of Violence’ seems to be another reinvention of the band’s musical style – incorporating a myriad of melodic elements to give the album a more clean and polished sound. ‘Gods of Violence’ is considerably different from anything you’d hear from what the band released during the ’80s. If you’re coming to the band’s fourteenth album for another ‘Pleasure to Kill’ or ‘Terrible Certainty’, you’re not going to get it. Continue reading “Album Review: Kreator – Gods of Violence”

By Rosie Walker

The dexterous French heavy metal band Nightmare made its debut nearly 30 years ago. They hit the scene hard with their New Wave of British Heavy Metal influence and quickly became intrinsic to the European metal scene. Well-known for their diverse catalog and consistent heaviness; many wondered if their newest release ‘Dead Sun’ would hold up their respectable reputation. Continue reading “Album Review: Nightmare – Dead Sun”

By Ryan Falla

Jack Russell’s Great White is a revival of the 1980s Sunset Strip band Great White, powered by the reunion of Great White members Tony Montana (guitar and keyboard) and Jack Russell (vocals). He Saw It Comin’ takes you back to an era of dimly lit, hair spray filled clubs body to body with teased hair and leather pants. You have now entered a time machine, you’ve just popped in hardcore ’80s nostalgia. Touting themselves as an ’80s nostalgia band before the ’80s even ended, Jack Russell’s Great White brings you back to a time when things were much simpler; often too simple for their own good. Continue reading “Album Review: Jack Russell’s Great White – He Saw It Comin’”

By Ryan Falla

Set and Setting is a band that builds their music up in a very unique and stylized fashion, looking to attack the brain as well of the souls of their audience with their prog-influenced instrumental build as a band. They take a massive risk with their third album ‘Reflectionless’, creating a high-concept piece that opts to explore down a path only Set and Setting could blaze. Not only do they challenge themselves with an album that adopts a unique formula, they push the limits even farther with drum work helmed by two men; Mark Etherington and Stephen Handal. Continue reading “Album Review: Set and Setting – Reflectionless”

By Francisco Zamudio

It has always troubled me to hear a band regress or downgrade to a mainstream sound for sake of being commercial. Death metal is very rarely ever an example of music that takes that route. But many dip their fingers into the mainstream, and rarely return. I’d favor this professional move if more of the mainstream listeners would be brave enough to listen to more extreme music. Enter Hour of Penance from Italy with their seventh full length effort, ‘Cast the First Stone’ (Prosthetic Records). The band has been around a good minute and favoring their best, ‘The Vile Conception’ (2008) and ‘Paradogma’ (2010) along with drumming contribution of “Brutal Dave” Billia (Xenomorphic Contamination, Beheaded, Septycal Gorge, and more), I was certainly interested to hear how far they’ve come. Continue reading “Album Review: Hour Of Penance – Cast the First Stone”

By Rosie Walker

It’s been three years since New York’s very own Black Anvil adorned the world with original material. They just entered their tenth year as a band and their new release, ‘As Was’, celebrates that maturity gained with poignant excellence. This fourth studio album diligently expresses the elegant progression of musicianship and definitively expresses their original American black metal sound. Continue reading “Album Review: Black Anvil – As Was”