Category Archives: Artists

Hammerfall – Avenge the Fallen (2024) – Review

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Rockslaget, anyone? As the lore goes, fledgling Hammerfall attended a few of those Swedish rock contests very early in their career back in the last millennium. Fronted by Dark Tranquility’s Mikael Stanne, their early crew was – at that time – on their way to nowhere with only these contests to show for. This dramatically changed once Joacim Cans came on board and started to put the pedal to the metal. And he stayed to this day.

So, why are we not surprised? DT’s latest contribution with Stanne (still) at the helm left us somewhat unimpressed. And yet, Hammerfall… [...] Click to raid more!

Black Sites – The Promised Land? (2024) – Review

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Ah yes, Black Sites are back. Once they released Untrue in 2021, this record was one of contradictions for the swampy underground creatures over at the RMR Review Desk. Allegedly, they had some trouble getting into the record and securing a good grip on its innards. And that wasn’t because of bad quality or a sucky production, much to the contrary.

Instead, the main complaint was that the piece was ‘too smooth’ and almost ‘too well constructed’. Go figure, right? Everybody and their aunt asks you to deliver some pristine production – or else. And if a band does just … [...] Click to raid more!

Castle – Evil Remains (2024) – Review

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A few weeks ago, I suffered through a shiny mainstream object that everybody was salivating about. And in that process, I started to yearn for some trve underground sound. Rough-hewn rock and metal that scratches down my back like Freddy’s terrible claw. Blood drawn from riffs on steroids and burnt by lava-hot rock ‘n’ roll. That kind of thing. And I think we just found one of those.

At first, the visage on Evil Remains‘ cover art stopped us in our tracks. Angst, desperation, and a strange unholy hunger limited our visual range. Fight or flight became the question … [...] Click to raid more!

Wintersun – Time II (2024) – Review

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Wintersun - Time II - Album Cover

Whenever one of Nuclear Blast’s tired mainstream warriors gets RMR to come out of the woodwork, Wintersun‘s siren call may well be the culprit that made us do it. Everyone has been waiting forever and a day for Jari Mäenpää to finally make his move. Unending delays, false promises, and grift, after grift passed us by1 but Time II still wouldn’t appear. Until such time that the RMR Review Desk finally stopped looking for it.

Now, after a friggin’ 12 years of waiting and a lot of ridicule, the band finally delivered – something. If you remember, RMR … [...] Click to raid more!