Metallica – Metallica (1991) – Review

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RockmusicRaider Review - Metallica - Black Album - Album Cover

By Thor, I just realized that this blog never REALLY looked at the folks of Metallica. Okay, we got Hardwired…To Self-Destruct on the menu for sure. The somewhat frugal 2016 offering that only got some grudging claim to fame.

But one of the turning points in their career really spread along a series of albums starting with the self-named record Metallica, also called the Black Album. Back in 1991 the band already had serious action under their belt. Kill ’em All or Master of Puppets kinda rocked them to stardom already.

And yes, I know that we [...] Click to raid more!

Vanha – Melancholia (2018) – Review

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Solemnly marching Death Doom Metal sounds with a melodic twist have a soothing quality. Comfort in dark, dreary sounds. Drenched in a sea of sorrow and countless tears. Don’t you think?

Just savor the soaring guitars that always kind of feel out of place. Yet they must be there, or the tune sounds incomplete. Or visit the measured growls that compete with clear voice lyrics, as the theme and atmosphere demand. All of that renders this tasty amalgam of Extreme Metal into something really palatable.

And you will want more of it. Because it indeed soothes the suffering soul. Now, … [...] Click to raid more!

Second to Sun – The Walk (2018) – Review

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Dodecahedron graced us last year with some excellent fare. Icy cold was the embrace, and blazing hot the Extreme Metal. In the meantime, we enjoyed Vitrun of Carpe Noctem in all its terrifying splendor. Together with many others that must remain unnamed for sake of simplicity.

Those are all, kind of part of the same ilk. A real genre, so hidden that not many will call it music. And truly, some of that stuff is like ice picks in your brain that you cannot dislodge, until the last note gives up the proverbial ghost.

Also, rare are those Extreme Metal [...] Click to raid more!

Uriah Heep – Firefly (1977) – Review

RockmusicRaider Review - Uriah Heep - Firefly - Album Cover

Towards the end of the ’70s, Uriah Heep lost their compass somewhat after their fulminant successes during the earlier years. Demons and Wizards, The Magician’s Birthday, or again Salisbury, all of them great records, were already behind them.

In between the band produced a bunch of somewhat unfocused and seemingly hastily assembled records that frankly pulled the overall quality of the offering down. And this tendency accelerated as the first decade of their career slowly came to an end.

Uriah Heep also had that knack to produce one or two hits in those aforementioned otherwise unremarkable albums. [...] Click to raid more!