Strange Days is a lovely record. However, it doesn’t play to the band’s strengths. The Struts are at their best when they go all out for a melodic rock tune. This album is more subdued and disappoints after the phenomenal Young & Dangerous. The reason is simple: The album is supposed to be some kind of time capsule for the year of the pandemic. And it works as that: It is more somber and reserved than its 2018 counterpart. But the thing about time capsules is that usually their ... read more

From the first second to the final notes, this album is an experience. While annoyingly titled, Human. :II: Nature. is why I love the album as an art form. And there are not many composers out there who could rival Tuomas Holopainen’s ability to create a cohesive record. This one sounds like Holopainen finally made the album that he wanted to make all along. It is grand, beautiful, somber, intimidating, and just so thoroughly captivating that I can’t help but put this rampage of a ... read more

The Killers are a hit-and-miss band, but this album is a definite hit. The band brings their classic arena rock with melodies and soundscapes that – if you’re open to it – strike a profoundly emotional chord. The production is solid overall, but as pretty much always, Brandon Flowers’ vocals are the highlight. His range and style are not only impressive on a technical level. They also manage to take listeners on a journey, transport them through stories and moods. The ... read more

This album was the most difficult to place this year – I even considered leaving it off my list of favorites completely. The reason is that while Amaranthe deliver yet another high-octane and over the top power metal record, they included the musical misstep that is “Boom”, which drags Manifest down as a technical showcase of zero merit à la Dragonforce. But ultimately, I had to concede that despite that, this new album is so incredibly good that this one blemish is not ... read more

Even though Die Ärzte are in many ways a comedy band, you could easily listen to the trio from Berlin without even knowing a lick of German. That’s because these guys aren’t just funny, but they are also extremely talented musicians. For the most part Hell is solid rock music but the band tries out a slew of other styles and genres as per usual. This eclectic offering can be a deterrent if you’re more of a generic purist. But even absolute musical trash like the intro ... read more

This has been Nils Molin’s year. Of the two albums on which he featured most prominently in 2020, The Dark Delight is the more deliberate vehicle for his voice. In fact, you cannot appreciate just what a talented singer Molin is until you heard him fronting a band on his own. That said, perhaps Dynazty’s writing isn’t as snappy as that of Amaranthe, where he shares vocal duties with two other singers. Still, this record boasts enough killer tracks to make it worth checking ... read more

The music of Beast in Black is, in a nutshell, exactly the kind of thing I want to hear. Imagine a contemporary power metal band inspired by 80s disco. Their previous record From Hell With Love was among the best albums of 2019, their 2017 banger “Crazy, Mad, Insane” is one of the greatest songs of the previous decade. For a band that has only been around for six years, they have already left a major mark on the metal scene. Another proof that there is plenty of good music being ... read more

As a longstanding Green Day apologist, I am finally disappointed in the trio. Father of all Motherfuckers has the band flailing. Granted, there already was plenty of that on their previous record Revolution Radio. But at least in 2016 Green Day still knew what sound made them so wildly popular 15 years prior. In contrast, their latest record shows the aging rock stars regressing into garage rock again. And for the most part, that makes them less appealing.

Remember how Green Day vocals on ... read more

While it has one particularly good song in "Yours Truly", Don't You Wanna Be Glad? delivers decent rock that never veers off the beaten path enough to either impress nor offend. Unless you're already a big fan of Super Whatevr, just get that one single and skip this record.

Boy, does this album start off on the wrong foot. "Tonight" made me want to give up on Kesha right there and then. I am kind of glad I didn't, because High Road actually has a few good songs - even if they strictly arrive at the very end of the record. I recommend "Father Daughter Dance" and "Chasing Thunder" and I think the bonus track "Summer" is the one everyone should have heard.

Other than that, there are no remarkable compositions and Kesha's ... read more

It sounds like Jimmy Eat World and it's up to you to decide whether or not you like that. Not exactly the most nuanced record, Surviving scores points from fans with its familiar arrangements and tight production. However, a few more melody-driven pieces would probably have been an upgrade.
6/9

The awful opener doesn't bode well for this album. And while Emerald Classics does get better, it never quite recovers. The British band simply wavers too much between an attempt at mass appeal and an experiment in atmospheric synth pop.
5/9

I had been warned about listening to Blink-182. I figured I’d give Nine a try anyway. It was exactly as bland as people had told me it would be. So this one’s entirely on me.
4/9

I don’t know what to write about Sonata Arctica anymore. The band has become so unremarkable that even their back catalogue seems less impressive these days. Still needless to say, if you want to listen to this band, Talviyö is a bad entry point. And even if you’re a fan, you’re unlikely to have a good time with the Finns’ latest record, as any glimpse of talent drowns in senseless repetition of the more mediocre aspects of their style. Power metal has long lost one ... read more

There is little chance that I will be saying anything new today. In fact, I have been holding off on saying any of it since 2011, hoping that I might be wrong. Because here’s the thing. We all know that Herman Li loves strangling guitars. We know that technical skill is what Dragonforce are all about. No one is surprised to hear that their latest album Extreme Power Metal, as the title suggests, is a break-neck soundscape of screeching and shredding. But even with all that information, ... read more

The Austrians return with a beautiful offering once more. They obviously know what they're doing, whether you call it melodic power metal or just a blatant imitation of Nightwish (there is nothing wrong with emulating good bands anyway). From the get-go, this album convinces with breakneck tempo, pounding guitars and lovely melodies. I'm not a fan of Clémentine Delauney's vocals. Though they possess a classy kind of beauty, she also sounds rather monotonous at times. But it doesn't ... read more

There's really only one question you have to consider in order to figure out whether or not you like this record: Do you absolutely love Taylor Swift's voice? Because if you don't, then this is just another mediocre pop offering that throws a lot at the wall to see what sticks. There are a few really fun songs on here, but it's mostly filler. Swift gets a lot of credit from fans for her lyrics. I presume this is because her audience is used to way dumber music – I don't see any particular ... read more

Twilight Force sound like a Christmas band – it's all bells and sparkles. Dawn of the Dragonstar is yet another example of just how far from the metal stereotype power metal can venture. While this new record is not as great as its predecessor due to a lack of stand-out tracks, Dawn of the Dragonstar is still a delightful listen in its own right.
7/9

You could say Hammerfall are returning to form at least a little bit with Dominion. Not that this record is among the best the band has ever produced. But considering that they have been fading into obscurity ever since the abysmal Infected, this is actually a cut from the old stone. After almost ten years, Hammerfall might actually be worth listening to again.
6/9

Mix Swedish and American power metal and you get – slightly less amazing power metal than if you'd just stuck with purely Swedish music. The band relies heavily on speed, while sometimes neglecting melody, lyrics and general vocal quality. All in all, Welcome to Paradise is nonetheless a fun romp with some stand-out tracks that you should definitely have heard – even if you don't need the record in your permanent collection.
6/9