Metal Assault: Album Reviews

By Andrew Bansal

Based out of Vancouver, Canada, progressive metal band Anciients have burst onto the scene this year like no other, with the release of their debut album ‘Heart Of Oak’ via Season Of Mist Records and subsequent high-profile tours across North America with the likes of ‘Death To All’, Lamb Of God and Scale The Summit. Based around a combination of mellow and extreme musical elements, ‘Heart Of Oak’ turns out to be the true embodiment of progressive music and through its tunes it paints vast, rich and dynamic landscapes in the listener’s imagination. Continue reading “‘Top 50 Albums Of 2013’ Countdown – #9: Anciients – Heart Of Oak”

By Andrew Bansal

German progressive/experimental metal band The Ocean have been around for 12 years, and led by guitarist Robin Staps, they’ve never been afraid to explore their creative abilities and to push the boundaries and definitions of their style of progressive metal. Throughout their career they succeeded in their endeavor and steadily built up a fan base in Europe and more recently in America and elsewhere. In 2010, they took upon a massive double concept album release consisting of ‘Heliocentric’ and ‘Anthropocentric’, and to follow that would have been a herculean task for any band but The Ocean have managed to come up trumps with their sixth studio album ‘Pelagial’ which was released via Metal Blade Records earlier this year. Continue reading “‘Top 50 Albums Of 2013’ Countdown – #10: The Ocean – Pelagial”

By Andrew Bansal

North Carolina stoner rock band ASG released their fifth full-length album ‘Blood Drive’ via Relapse Records earlier this year. They’ve maintained a largely underground cult following through their 12-year existence thus far, and while this new album conforms to the musical styles they’ve pursued in the past, it’s strong, dynamic and diverse in a manner that has garnered them a new set of fans. Continue reading “‘Top 50 Albums Of 2013’ Countdown – #11: ASG – Blood Drive”

By Andrew Bansal

Up until early 2013, Swedish melodic death metal stalwarts Soilwork had travelled a wavering 18-year long journey of eight studio albums, world tours and member changes, but with the release of their ninth album ‘The Living Infinite’ via Nuclear Blast Records, a massive 20-track double album of all new original material, they’ve reclaimed their authority in the genre, and in more ways than one, this epic masterpiece marks the resurrection of Soilwork and showcases the group’s rekindled songwriting brilliance. Continue reading “‘Top 50 Albums Of 2013’ Countdown – #12: Soilwork – The Living Infinite”

By Andrew Bansal

Portland, Oregon based riff masters Red Fang released their third full-length album ‘Whales And Leeches’ this year via Relapse Records. Throughout the eight years of their existence, they’ve worked tremendously hard and undergone a steady buildup to get to the stature they’ve attained in the year 2013, with the success of this new album and numerous typically crushing live performances around the world. Aside from Orion Landau’s breathtaking artwork that blows you away as soon as you pick up the album and look at its cover, ‘Whales And Leeches’ has plenty of positive aspects to it which justifies all the attention and acclaim it has garnered this year. Continue reading “‘Top 50 Albums Of 2013’ Countdown – #13: Red Fang – Whales And Leeches”

By Andrew Bansal

Flag bearers of the Los Angeles heavy metal scene for the past five years, Holy Grail have been on a rapid rise in recent times, putting out a hugely impressive debut full-length ‘Crisis In Utopia’ in 2010 and subsequently plying their trade on stages across the North American continent and beyond. At the dawn of 2013, they released their second album ‘Ride The Void’ via Prosthetic Records, an album that strongly showcases the band’s musical expansion and definitely does not suffer from the so-called ‘sophomore slump’. Continue reading “‘Top 50 Albums Of 2013’ Countdown – #14: Holy Grail – Ride The Void”