Dream Theater never struck my fancy and this record does nothing to change that. At its best, Distance Over Time is forgettable. The only memorable moments are those that drag the album down. For the most part, this seems due to the compositions. The performances are fine, given the material - even James LaBrie, whose voice really isn't to my taste, can't be blamed for just how unremarkable this record is.

Tobias Sammet’s metal opera project Avantasia was set to go back into hibernation after the phenomenal Ghostlights. While this news was disappointing to many, it seemed like a good call, considering that any quick follow-up would likely have been a step down from the lofty heights of the 2016 record. Nevertheless, half-way through 2018 Sammet announced that a new Avantasia record was in the making. Slated for release in early 2019, Moonglow instantly became my most anticipated record of ... read more

It's alright - nothing to write home about. Compared to 2018's solo project My Indigo, Resist is a far less competent vehicle for den Adel's voice. Yet, that voice is the main thing that Within Temptation has going for it.

What is the point of covering a predictable set of hits in a way that adds nothing to the originals? No one knows and thus Weezer's Teal Album is nothing but an afterthought. You'll wish you were just listening to a playlist of the originals.

What a disappointment this album was. It doesn’t even seem so bad at first, as the initial three songs on the record are actually pretty fun. But then Mania immediately devolves into a complete waste of the band members’ talent and the listeners’ time.

Dreamtale has yet to make a bad album. And while some songs have sounded a little similar to each other over the years, that has never been a serious detriment. I know few bands that mesh synths, keyboards, guitars and drums in such a way that the result is metal dance music. A prime example is the stand-out track, “Greenback Hunter”, a magnificent four-minute head-banging romp.

…Memories of Time is the second part of the album that contains eight re-recorded songs from old ... read more

Being a fan of Power Quest has been a roller coaster. The British outfit used to be one of my absolute favorites until they disbanded in 2013. I was devastated upon reading the news. Three years later, they announced a return with a new line-up. But the initial excitement soon faded when they released the first new single in 2016 that just sounded nothing like a song from Power Quest. I originally didn’t even check out the album for two months, I was so disappointed.

Turns out the rest ... read more

How on earth are they still this good? Die Toten Hosen take their time releasing new albums, but they always deliver a knock-out disc. This is another record that I wasn’t aware had come out. I was actually in Germany when I heard one of their new songs playing on the radio some months after the release of Laune der Natur. Got the album the same day.

My stand-out track was “Wie viele Jahre (Hasta la Muerte)” right away. It encapsulates sort of what I associate with the notion ... read more

I don’t frequently listen to Celtic punk, so it is kind of a lucky coincidence that I even heard Life is Good in the year in which it came out. But boy, is it a good album. This is actually one of those that really works as a track list, an album as a whole. On such records, it’s hard to point out a stand-out track, and therefore I just won’t.

There is something immensely personal about Flogging Molly’s central figure and lead singer Dave King. His vocals are competent ... read more

When a band I really like comes out with an album that has a really stupid title, I always worry that the music might not be able to win them back my respect. Axxis managed quite handily, though, with a rock solid record that’s a great blend of hard rock and power metal.

Stand-out track has got to be “Dream Chaser”. It sounds like something Europe made in the 80s, with a chorus that sweeps through the room every time it comes up. Generally, the German hard rockers veer ... read more

Dee Snider is a legend of metal, there are no two ways about it. He’s a legend to the point that if he’d put out a shitty hip hop album today, he would still remain legendary. He was not just the front-man of Twisted Sister, one of the most iconic and influental metal acts from the 1980s, and wrote the most overused song in politics to this day. No, besides making music, he also went before the U.S. Senate to defend it. When the ideologically misguided Tipper Gore was trying to come ... read more

It takes a few listens to appreciate the full grandeur of The Shadow Theory. Like with Avantasia’s Ghostlights in 2016 (which was also produced by the magnificent Sascha Paeth), I did not realize just how spectacular this record is at first. Sure, “Amnesiac” has a pleasant heaviness to it and “Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)” is without a doubt the best song of the year if you like straight-up, no-frills power metal (or perhaps that’s an oxymoron and I should ... read more

I was not ready for the inaugural record of Follow The Cipher. For a first effort, this sounds almost too competent – although that’s perhaps less surprising, if we consider the pedigree of Guitarist Ken Kängström, who has extensive experience with power metal stalwart Sabaton. This band falls squarely into the power metal bracket as well, with a few twists à la Amaranthe. The band’s biggest asset and the reason why it distinguishes itself is Linda Toni ... read more

Chris Bay may be the frontman of a highly successful German metal band, but no one ever really doubted that he is a child at heart. If anything, his PG-rated metal act is living proof that this kind of music is not just for angsty teenagers and middle-aged bikers, but, as Freedom Call proudly proclaims, “for everyone”. But what happens when you take the shredding dress away and dig down to a more barebone sound? Bay’s first solo effort Chasing the Sun gives us a glimpse.

Two ... read more

After Sharon den Adel’s excellent guest performance on 2016’s Ghostlights by Avantasia, I was curious to hear what the Dutch vocalist is doing these days. But then Within Temptation’s Resist was pushed to 2019 and all I was left with was her solo project My Indigo. I can’t complain, though, because the inaugural record serves as an excellent platform for her voice. Don’t expect anything too innovative with this pop record, but be prepared for a thoroughly emotional ... read more

Axxis are back with another record after only one year. It feels like maybe it could have been better if they’d taken some more time to refine the material. As it stands, much of Monster Hero sounds uninspired. The most notable exception is “The Tragedy of Mr Smith”, easily the best song on the disc – a proper double bass piece that could be straight off Doom of Destiny. And many of us wish Axxis still made more music like they did during that era 10 years ago.

To be ... read more

Mix death metal with pop music, power metal with metalcore. Throw in three vocalists with vastly different styles. Create a generic mess with fat beats, guitar solos and dizzyingly catchy melodies. This is the concept behind Swedish metal outfit Amaranthe and even now that the band released their fifth studio album, it sounds ridiculous and unfeasible – despite the fact that the band proved that it works as early as 2011 with their inaugural record.

Despite just how ludicrous this band ... read more

If you tell people you like Europe, you sometimes get this little pitying smile and a comment like “glam, really?” Yes really. It’s not just one of the major influences for my favorite flavor of metal, it’s actually great fun in and of itself. And, as The Struts prove, it’s also far from just a relic of the 80s. The British rockers are coming out with their second album later this month and you better watch out for this one.

These guys combine the swagger and ... read more

To miss a great band’s inaugural record is a permissible mistake, even if the band makes power metal and hails from Finland, one of the finest places of origin when it comes to the metal genre. No reviewer could possibly be expected to sample more than a tiny fraction of new albums to hit the market and thus I was completely oblivious to the phenomenal Finnish band Beast In Black until late 2018 when the band was gearing up for the release of their second record titled From Hell With ... read more