I'm not really sure where to start with this one. For those that might not be aware, as my three Lord Of The Lost reviews so far might not have made it clear (I forgot if I even mentioned this in "Weapons Of Mass Seduction"), this is one of the bands I listen to the most and, at one point not long ago, were my favorite. But, as far as gothic metal from this German band goes, each album is its own self-contained sound that barely resembles the previous release. "OPVS NOIR ... read more

As we approach Dream Theater's fourth album, "Falling Into Infinity", there are some key events that led to the album being received as it was and still is. It's no secret this album is considered one of the worst from them and the worst from the older years. But, there's a reason for it.

From the mixing of "Awake", keyboard Kevin Moore had announced his desire to leave the band as he wanted to pursue his own career, which led the band to replace him ... read more

In my quests for more doom metal, I came across the Arkansas group Pallbearer. At first, I didn't vibe with them, it was a sound archetype I wasn't really feeling. It took me almost two years to return to them and the track that brought me to them, 'I Saw The End', managed to permanently find a place in my collection. Now, another two years after the fact, I own their latest album physically and it still remains one of my favorite doom pieces. But, their debut "Sorrow ... read more

So here we are, at the third and currently latest album of Welsh alternative outfit Catfish & The Bottlemen. There's nothing I can really say about "The Balance" that really hasn't been said before, both by me in the other reviews and by others. There might be a three year gap between this and "The Ride", but it feels nothing changed at all.

Of course, lead single and opener 'Longshot' manages to be somewhat captivating, though frontman McCann did ... read more

With a very successful debut, the pressure to release something equal or greater in quality as a follow-up is all but certain. While it's an immense force, able to break a band, such thing did not happen to beloved ensemble Static-X. In truth, while the desire for a sophomore release became crushing, the band never lost gas and managed to wring out the second album, with Wayne Static writing essentially everything on its own during the two year tour supporting their debut. Although, this ... read more

I apologize for this unannounced hiatus. Between events in my life, my computer seriously acting up and the acquisition of a couple more artists to fully close down my incessant search for new music for the next year and other various projects, I lost a bit of the will to write reviews. But here I am again, with a month's worth of reviews ahead. Be sure to check the Pastebin linked on my profile for the full catalog of artists on the review chopping block.

So Wet Leg's second album, ... read more

It's been a quiet moment without any updates on an album by Aussie ensemble We Lost The Sea. With the departure of the drummer Nathaniel D'Ugo in 2023, four years after their last album "Triump & Disaster", the worst was expected, as now only one original member remains. However, this did not happen and a new drummer joined, Alasdair Belling, shortly after. With a couple shows to rust off and get into the thick of it, "A Single Flower", their fifth album, ... read more

Ah, Tool, a figurehead of the progressive metal genre. Formed in 1990 after a chance meeting between Keenan and Jones the year before, their debut EP "Opiate" only came two years after, once all members were assembled and a larger record label approached them, in this case, Zoo. But story time is boring, and Tool is anything but that.

Going strong with 'Sweat', though there's some coarse mixing, it barely detracts from the experience. Sturdy, relentless and paving the ... read more

Moonspell's sophomore album is one that is easily overlooked. Embracing the Gothic genre and finally doing away with their latent black metal roots, "Irreligious" has perhaps some of their best work and some of the more iconic and memorable tracks in its possession.

Starting with the gothic introduction 'Perverse...', it serves as a gateway for the lead single and Fernando Pessoa inspired 'Opium' to hammer the new style to a T, and remaining strong as one of ... read more

It's a bit weird I'm talking about A Perfect Circle before Tool, but they'll get their moment soon too. Known perhaps as one of the best side projects of progressive mastermind Maynard Keenan, the progressive rock outfit formed in 1999 but only released their debut with the turn of the millennium, with "Mer de Noms", after Fishbone's guitar technician (who also performed the same role for Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails) Billy Howerdel met ... read more

Second studio album "Dressed Up As Life" was Australian's post-grunge outfit Sick Puppies' claim to fame, after the Free Hugs Campaign used 'All The Same' as the campaign's featured song.

I like this album a lot, alongside follow-up "Tri-Polar". They're both albums I'd like to physically own, but haven't had the chance to. And, though the band is often chastised for the weaker post-grunge and goofy lyricism at times, I still love ... read more

At last, time to talk about Saor's fourth album and the underrated masterpiece that is "Forgotten Paths". I get why people dislike this album. There's a noticeable lack of the things that make "Guardians" stand out, with the album favoring a folk melody which often feels similar to one another. Add on top of the short runtime of 38 minutes, split across four tracks (three of which surpassing the ten minute mark) and you've got an album that leaves you wanting ... read more

It wasn't long until synthwave duo Dance With The Dead followed up their debut with an EP. Released in 2014, 'Into The Abyss' is the first of four EPs they have released so far. And it might be one of the best, nonetheless.

That is not to say that it earns that title on its own merits, but rather, the incompetency of the others. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the band, though when it comes to horror / darksynth, none can stand Carpenter Brut's unparalleled technique. But ... read more

Keeping in line with the previous review, here's another melodic black act that is very well known: Rotting Christ. I was taken a bit by surprise with the first album, and the second one, "Non Serviam", which continues the trend of good mixing for an older black metal album.

Opening with 'The Fifth Illusion', the mixing situation is obvious. It's nice to listen to, unlike older black metal albums I've talked about in the past, namely Behemoth's. ... read more

Havukruunu is one of the bands I most recently added to my library, a couple of weeks ago, alongside MF DOOM, Firienholt and Trees Of Eternity. I'm honestly not sure how I haven't come across them until now, as their sound is incredible.

Me, a sucker for Moonsorrow's near perfect blend of folk and black, got a taste of Havukruunu through 'Tavastland', the title track of their most recent album. And naturally, my first instict was "another Finnish group into my ... read more

Let me preface this real quick and say "Phobia", Breaking Benjamin's third album, is THE BB album. Nothing they ever made quite reached this point, though "Dear Agony" and "Dark Before Dawn" often approach it.

Where do I begin? The third release was the fastest selling Breaking Benjamin album until it was broken by "Dark Before Dawn" and counts with a new drummer, Chad Szeliga, replacing the previous one Jeremy Hummel who left in the wake of the ... read more

Forever Still's a name I'm sure not many, if anyone, recognize. Hailing from Denmark, formed in 2013, they quickly released this four track EP; "Breaking Free", the same year. They've always fell into that alternative metal generic sound you'd find on YouTube, but for some unexplained reason they are signed to Nuclear Blast since 2016. And even weirder is they barely mention them or advertise them. They released an album at the end of 2023 and that was never ... read more

Out of all Crywank albums, the 2012 sophomore "Narcissist" is the one I listen to the least. For the most part, there are no tracks here that stand out, unlike in the debut.

Twenty minutes long, as short albums were the staple of early Crywank. Like always, the lyricism tends to be heavy-handed and pretty solid, but a lot of these tracks sounded better on future releases, namely the "JT Soar" live album. 'Blink' is a short opener that leads into 'Now ... read more

Day and Age.

The Killers' third album is not my favorite cup of tea. In fact, neither this nor follow-up "Battle Born" really pull me in. And, like my previous review, it's an album I always felt carried by the lead single and the track that introduced me to The Killers, 'Human'. But for that latter point, while I discovered that track when I was much younger, it was far later, more than half a decade ago, that I took the full plunge once I discovered 'Mr. ... read more

Neon Trees gained steam after releasing their first LP in 2010. Taking advantage of it, they released their best-known track 'Everybody Talks' as a single, which, at one point, was everywhere. It's how I even found out about them, as this track is in Guitar Hero Live. Nevertheless, the single was a stellar hit, featuring in some commercials and even in the longstanding and giant TV show, "Glee".

As 2012 rolled around, "Picture Show" came out in Spring, to ... read more