Reviewed: March, 2021 Released: 2021, El Puerto Records Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: JP Remember back in 2010 when Iron Maiden named their album THE FINAL CHAPTER and people got worried it was the last Maiden album? Do we have a similar situation here? While that is not my preferred scenario…
Germany
Quick Jabs for February 2021
This is a new monthly section where we will post an assortment of shorter reviews for albums that we have checked out or may have missed out on previously. The reviews are short and to the point, thus the tile “Quick Jabs”. Tantivy – Eyes Of The Night January 15th,…
Squealer – Guitarist Lars Döring
Guitarist Lars Döring – Squealer Interviewed by: Anders Sandvall Thanks to Birgitt Schwanke at GerMusica PR for setting up the interview. Thanks to Pride and Joy Music for the promo pictures of the band. From Germany comes the band Squealer that have been around since 1984 and their debut album…
Sodom – Genesis XIX
Reviewed: November, 2020 Released: November, 2020 Entertainment One (“eOne”) in North America and Steamhammer/SPV in Europe Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Theron Moore Of all the old school bangers still around, Sodom might be the best at what they do in terms of pure thrash and speed metal. Sodom are one of the…
New World Depression – Descent
Reviewed [December 2020] Released [2020 Fucking Kill Records] Rating [3/5] Reviewer: Peter Atkinson Germany’s New World Depression offer a decidedly old school sounding groovy death metal on this their fourth full-length. Descent combines the determined chug of Bolt Thrower, the abrasiveness of vintage Swe-death and the vomitous nastiness of Cause…
Squealer-Insanity
Reviewed: November 2020 Released: December 2020, Pride & Joy Music Rating: 3/5 Reviewer: Buddy H I must confess that, while I have heard Squealer before and have listened to them sporadically throughout the years, I am not as familiar with them as I would like to be. With that being…
Empyreal Sorrow – Band leader and guitarist Martin Hofbauer; Bass player Sebastian Moser
Band leader and guitarist Martin Hofbauer and bass player Sebastian Moser – Empyreal Sorrow Interviewed by: Anders Sandvall Thanks Michael at Black-Roos Entertainment for setting up the interview. Thanks to Black-Roos Entertainment for the promo pictures of the band. Promo pictures taken by: Martin Hofbauer From Munich, Germany comes a…
Mentalist – Singer Rob Lundgren
Singer Rob Lundgren – Mentalist Interviewed by: Anders Sandvall Thanks to Birgitt Schwanke at GerMusica PR for setting up the interview. Thanks to Pride and Joy Music for the promo pictures of the band. Legendary drummer Thomen Stauch (ex-Blind Guardian, Savage Circus etc.) is back with a new band called…
Assignment – Reflections
Reviewed: August, 2020 Released: 2020, Massacre Records Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: Erich Germany’s Assignment is a band that I have always intended to explore, but never got around to doing. That has finally changed for the band’s fifth full-length album REFLECTIONS, which will be released August 21 on Massacre Records. The…
She Bites – Producer/musician Lars König
Producer/musician Lars König – She Bites Interviewed by Anders Sandvall Thanks to Birgitt Schwanke at GerMusica PR for setting up the interview. Thanks to Pride and Joy Music for the promo pictures of the band. Additional single promo pictures taken from the band’s Facebook page. She Bites comes from Germany…
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…
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…
MEKONG DELTA-Tales Of A Future Past
Reviewed: July, 2020 Released: 2020, Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP Mekong Delta is one of those cult-type bands that ignores trends, ignores politics and just does their own thing. Their combined output is weird and sporadic, this being album #12 after a six year wait since IN A MIRROR DARKLY. I…
Khthoniik Cerviiks – Æequiizoiikum
Reviewed: [July 2020] Released [2020 Iron Bonehead Productions] Rating [4/5] Reviewer: Peter Atkinson Take vintage Voivod and mash it up with old Behemoth, and you’ve got the rough and tumble but futuristic prog/death/black metal – and affiiniity for curiious spelliing! – of German odd-balls Khthoniik Cerviiks in something of a…
Ancient Curse – Interview with Gunnar Erxleben
Interview with Gunnar Erxleben of Ancient Curse Interview by Beandog Facebook | Ancient Curse website Many fans of German progressive power metal will remember Ancient Curse from the two albums they put out towards the end of the nineties. The Landing and Thirsty Fields both set the template for the band’s…