Between The Buried And Me – The Parallax II: Future Sequence [9.5 out of 10]

By Andrew Bansal

Throughout their short but illustrious 12-year career so far, progressive metal quintet Between The Buried And Me has made rapid strides as musicians, both collectively and individually. The self-titled full-length debut effort of 2002 got them their initial fan base, and subsequent albums “The Silent Circus” “Alaska”, “Colors” and “The Great Misdirect” kept the fans more than satisfied while gaining new audiences all the time. Not only did they showcase musical creativity through these albums, their on-stage performances proved that they could do justice to the material in the live setting, performing such complex tunes with aplomb. Last year, they released their first ever EP titled “The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues”, and introduced the fans to the concept which is now being presented in detail on its sequel, the sixth full-length album, “The Parallax II: Future Sequence”, coming out on October 9th via Metal Blade Records. If the music on the said EP was anything to go by, the follow-up promised to be a stellar effort, and my goodness, it sure is. Continue reading “Between The Buried And Me – The Parallax II: Future Sequence [9.5 out of 10]”

Nightbitch – Chainmaker [9 out of 10]

By Andrew Bansal

Based out of New Haven CT, Nightbitch has been around since 2009, playing what I would describe as sleazy, psychedelic occult-themed metal. Even though the band has shared the stage with the likes of Pentagram, Black Pyramid and Midnight and released an EP titled “Sex And Magic” in 2010, I honestly wasn’t familiar with the band at all, and was introduced to their music only a few months back. The band’s name caught my attention straightaway, and the music on “Sex And Magic” had an air of familiarity but at the same time it was different from the norm, and stood out on its own amongst the plethora of occult-themed bands going around at present.  Continue reading “Nightbitch – Chainmaker [9 out of 10]”

Enslaved – RIITIIR [10 out of 10]

By Andrew Bansal

Despite already being more than twenty years deep into their career, Norwegian progressive extreme metal band Enslaved continue to deliver new material that matches up to and surpasses previous efforts, and testimony to this statement is their 12th studio album “RIITIIR”, releasing tomorrow i.e. September 28th in Europe and October 9th in the US via Nuclear Blast. Its predecessor “Axioma Ethica Odini” was a very solid composition, and the new album builds further on its success. I’ve been listening to this album for the past week or so, and based on that, I think “RIITIIR” will turn out to be a fantastic offering for all fans. Continue reading “Enslaved – RIITIIR [10 out of 10]”

Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud [9 out of 10]

By Andrew Bansal

Canadian multi-instrumentalist Devin Townsend released “Epicloud”, the fifth album in the Devin Townsend Project series, on September 18th via Inside Out Music. The previous 4 albums, “Ki”, “Addicted”, “Deconstruction” and “Ghost” presented different facets of Devin Townsend’s musicianship, and were well received by his devout fans. After the release of Ghost and a special set of shows in London where he performed all four albums and released them on DVD, it was clear to everyone that it was the end of that chapter, and he certainly left me guessing as to what his next musical move would be. I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised by the music on “Epicloud”. While each of the previous 4 albums followed a particular theme and musical style, this one is completely opposite in that sense, and is more of a wildly eclectic roller-coaster ride. Continue reading “Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud [9 out of 10]”

Steve Harris – British Lion [2 out of 10]

By Andrew Bansal

To be completely honest, I was very surprised when I first read the press release about Steve Harris, the bassist, founder and primary songwriter of a certain band called Iron Maiden, having a solo side project. I didn’t think he would need a separate creative avenue to write music outside of Iron Maiden, but clearly I was wrong. Nonetheless, I was extremely curious to find out what the debut album “British Lion” sounds like. From the July 18 press release to today, September 20, it was a long and eager wait for me, and surely for all Iron Maiden fans, but I’m afraid to say that there is absolutely nothing great about this album, and it definitely isn’t worth the wait. Continue reading “Steve Harris – British Lion [2 out of 10]”

Norska – Self-Titled [9 out of 10]

By Andrew Bansal

Portland, Oregon based doom/sludge metal quartet Norska have been around for a few years, and due to their incredible live performances they garnered a more than decent cult following among avid followers of the sub-genre, which led to their self-released eponymous debut album early last year. Now, even as they are on the road doing a short US tour with Yob, with whom they also share bassist Aaron Rieseberg, the album has seen its official release on Brutal Panda Records on September 18th, in 12″ vinyl form, and I feel the time was right for me to give the album a few thorough listens and review it for the benefit of those who haven’t heard this band’s music. Continue reading “Norska – Self-Titled [9 out of 10]”