Reviewed: May 2020 Released: March 13th, 2020 / High Roller Records Rating: 5 /5 Reviewer: John Haseltine A classic heavy metal sound at its best! Sweden’s Ambush is back with a vengeance with their latest full-length INFIDEL. They were formed in 2013. Ambush has been creating quite a buzz around…
Album Reviews
Vincent, David I Am Morbid (Book Review)
Review Date: May 2020 Released: 2020/Jawbone Rating: 4/5 Review: JP Autobiographies by extreme Metal musicians are quite rare but as more and more ‘extreme’ bands age, we are seeing more of these types of autobiographies being published. David Vincent’s first book is, I believe, the first autobiography by an old-school…
Demise of The Crown – Life In The City
Reviewed: May, 2020 Released: 2020, independent Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Jack Merry Demise of the Crown are a promising new metal band hailing from Montreal, Canada with strong classic heavy metal and modern power metal influences. After releasing their self-titled album in 2016 and building an avid fan-base after years of…
Brutus, Lou-Sonic Warrior (Book Review)
Released: 2020 Publisher: Rare Bird books Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: JP I was a little hesitant going into this book. It is the autobiography of Lou Brutus. I had no idea who this guy is, never heard of him before, but the publicist said it was a good rock story and…
Sylosis – Cycle Of Suffering
Reviewed: May 2020 Released: 7th February 2020, Nuclear Blast Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Andrew Shirley England’s own Sylosis have returned from their hiatus and good grief, thank god for that. From first seeing and hearing them in the early 2000’s, they have gone from strength to strength and it seems like…
The Acacia Strain – It Comes In Waves
Reviewed: May 2020 Released: 27th December 2019, Closed Casket Activities Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Andrew Shirley The Acacia Strain are not your average heavy band: their sound has progressed through releases, getting heavier, grittier and just downright filthy since their inception in 2001. Since then they’ve gone several line up…
Sölicitör – Spectral Devastation
Reviewed: May 2020 Released: 2020, Gates of Hell Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Kieron Hayes “If it ain’t broke…” Oftentimes, the classics are classics for a reason, and that goes for styles as much as specific bands or albums. Traditional, classic heavy metal worked and captured so many people’s imaginations for…
Sepultura-Quadra
Reviewed: May, 2020 Label: Nuclear Blast, 2020 Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP My long-standing love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with Sepultura is well documented here on Metal-Rules.com. The short version is that I’m a ‘first four albums only’ guy for the band. It has got nothing to do with Max, I don’t…
Alice Cooper-Breadcrumbs
Reviewed: May, 2020 Released: 2019, EarMusic Rating : 4/5 Reviewer: Shäman Cröwe On September 13th, 2019 earMusic released the latest offering from Alice Cooper. An EP called “The Breadcrumbs” which would see release on digital edition as well as a limited edition physical release of 20,000 numbered 10-inch vinyl versions…
Korgonthurus – Kuolleestasyntynyt
Reviewed: [May 2020] Released [2020 Woodcut Records] Rating [4/5] Reviewer: Peter Atkinson Since no one can fucking go anywhere these days, I had big plans to take an audio trip around the world this month and explore the most “foreign” promos that had turned up of late – bands from…
Monolith ZA – The Lord Conspirator
Reviewed: [May 2020] Released [2020 MMD Records] Rating [3.5/5] Reviewer: Peter Atkinson Since no one can fucking go anywhere these days, I had big plans to take an audio trip around the world this month and explore the most “foreign” promos that had turned up of late – bands from…
Dynazty – The Dark Delight
Reviewed: May 2020 Released: 3rd April 2020, AFM Records Rating: 2/5 Reviewer: Andrew Shirley First impressions often last and Dynazty definitely leaves a lasting impression that the band are every bit a European power metal band. Crystal clear enunciated vocals, bright guitar tones and thumping drum rolls you’d hear from…
Sinistral King – Serpent Uncoiling
Reviewed: May 2020 Released: 2020, Vendetta Records Rating: 5/5 Reviewer: Kira Levine What do you get when the members of the bands Unlight, Triumph Of Death and Vredehammer (from Germany, Switzerland and Norway respectively) collaborate? A mix of pulverising death vocals, shattering black metal screams and otherworldly chorals that perfectly…
Ratt-The Atlantic Years 1984-1990
Reviewed: May 2020 Released: 2020, Cherry Red/ HNE Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP Ratt was a big deal in the 80’s when I was growing up. They had hit albums, videos, big tours and were on the magazine covers. With five platinum or multi-platinum albums in a row, Ratt was a…
Macbeth – Gedankenwachter
May 2020 March 27th, 2020 / Massacre Records Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Reviewer: John Haseltine The German outfit Macbeth is back with an intensive new album full of heavy and fast riffs as well as raw vocals. Macbeth is one of the first heavy metal bands in the former…