Reviewed: July 2020 Released: 2020, Self released Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: Beandog Initially, Ice Howl appeared to be destined for a short burn. Conceived in 2014 as a means for ex-Thorr-axe drummer Jason Roach to bring life to some songs he had been working on, he drafted in his friends, Niko…
Album Reviews
Black Altar & Kirkebrann – Deus Inversus
Reviewed: July 2020 Released: 2020, Odium Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Demitri Levantis Polish black metal institution Black Altar has teamed up with the Norwegian outfit Kirkebrann (“church burning”) to create a brand new split record stating how the metal sounds of both nations have not waned in the current state of…
U.D.O.-We Are One
Reviewed: July, 2020 Released: 2020, SPV Rating: 3/5 Reviewer: JP There is a bit of confusion in some circles about what this actually is. Well, I’m treating it as an U.D.O. album. Some people who don’t like orchestras (etc) are already trying to practice historical revisionism and say this is…
Embr – 1823
Reviewed: July 2020 Released: 2020, New Heavy Sounds Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Kieron Hayes 1823 is the debut album of U.S. quartet Embr, and shows us a flavoursome, and often downright stunning take on doom metal and heavy music in general. It’s actually named for the age bracket, “18-23” that Eric…
Greyhawk – Keepers of the Flame
Reviewed: July 2020 Released: 2020, Fighter Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Kieron Hayes Greyhawk’s debut album, Keepers of the Flame, out now via Fighter Records, is an absolute treat for any heavy metal fan, and a stalwart reminder of just why we love this genre in the first place. This is…
Torchlight Parade – Torchlight Parade
Reviewed: July 2020 Released: 2020, self-released Rating: 3/5 Reviewer: Kieron Hayes To say an album rocks is almost always a resounding and succinct form of praise. And Torchlight Parade’s self-titled debut certainly -does- rock. The problem is that’s more or less all it does. The band is certainly very clear…
GRAVE DIGGER-Fields Of Blood
Reviewed: July, 2020 Released: 2020, Napalm Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP Metal-Rules.com has had a history of supporting Grave Digger since the very beginning. We have reviewed just about everything the band has ever done. Oddly enough somehow we missed reviewing the last studio album THE LIVING DEAD (2018) BUT…
ALESTORM-Curse Of The Crystal Coconut
Reviewed: July, 2020 Released: 2020, Napalm Records Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: JP As Alestorm’s career has advanced I’ve seen more and more division among the fans. Some supporters love everything the band has ever done and they are on board for the sing-along party quest. A second vocal group, smaller but…
Velkhanos – The Wrath
Reviewed: July, 2020 Released: 2020, Art Gates Records Rating: 4.0/5.0 Reviewer: Kat Knite Velkhanos are a five piece band that combine melodic death metal and black metal to perfectly blend the brutality of an extreme genre with the emotion and passion of heavy metal. They formed in 2018 in Spain, and have released…
AXEL RUDI PELL-Sign Of The Times
Reviewed: July, 2020 Released: 2020, SPV Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP It’s been eight long years. Back in 2012 or so right around the press/promo cycle for his 15th studio album, CIRCLE OF THE OATH, Axel Rudi Pell said (paraphrased) “We will not be using double kick drums on my albums…
OSYRON-Foundations
Reviewed: July, 2020 Released: 2020, Indie Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP Time, money, energy and conflicting interests are the enemy of any independent band. It is hard to maintain momentum but fortunately Osyron seem to have been able to combat all those opposing factors and put out some new material. Just…
Vampire – Rex
Reviewed: July 2020 Released: 2020, Century Media Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Kira Levine With Darkthrone’s Fenriz being one of the fans who helped their eponymous demo sell out in a matter of days back in 2012, Vampire have been an underground favourite in the Swedish metal scene ever since. This…
Milazzo, Alex, Editor- Lucifero (Book review)
Reviewed: July, 2020 Published: 2019, Heavy Music Artwork Rating: 4.5/5 Reviewer: JP As a reviewer and fan of Metal, one of the little pleasures is watching other fans create something special and be successful. In this instance I’m referring to the hard work of Alex Milazzo and his organization Heavy…
RAMLORD-From Dark Waters
Reviewed: July, 2020 Released: 2020, Inverse Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP I believe that many people have the perception that all extreme Metal musicians are humourless and misanthropic, based on the music they make, and often the image they portray. However, I feel that many extreme Metal musicians are musicians…
Northern Crown – In A Pallid Shadow
Reviewed: July 2020 Released: 2020, Self-release Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Jack Merry Hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, epic doom metallers Northern Crown are about to release their third full-length album, entitled In A Pallid Shadow, on July 3rd, 2020. After forming in 2013 and releasing their debut EP In The Hands of The…