Draconian – Arcane Rain Fell (2005) – Review

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It is wintertime again. Well, not quite yet, but we are almost there. And it is definitely cold enough for my thin blood running in my veins. The countryside gets more desolate by the day with murky light and fog everywhere. The weather pelting you with rain, sleet, and snow at Thor’s whim. And you ask yourself: Whatever happened to Freyr and his sunny ways?

So, what better time than now to look at an old(er) Doom Metal record with a Gothic flavor. Draconian‘s 2005 second full-length album Arcane Rain Fell is a good one to start this series with.

This record really marks the turning point for the band!

Since the [...] Click to raid more!

Kausalgia – Dreamquest (2016) – Review

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In this tsunami of metal bands out there trying to catch a spot in the limelight, you sometimes miss the promising ones moving up through its murky depths and focus on pieces floating before you already. Because you know: Those got promise, as they are well known, right? But do they really?

To top it, the Murky Ones are sometimes very difficult to pin down. Either they got an otherworldly style or are simply not quite refined yet. Meaning, they won’t get your immediate (and easy) attention as a reviewer, the way other bands can. And this is often a pity, ’cause we may miss hidden [...] Click to raid more!

Insomnium – Winter’s Gate (2016) – Review

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It was one of those metal moments! Winter’s Gate, Insomnium‘s 7th full-length release finally arrived at my doorstep. And what do I find? One 40-minute monster track.

Come again, they did what?

What on earth are they noodling about? With trepidation, we think back to similar attempts made by the likes of Pink Floyd and others way back in time, when monstrous, rambling concoctions were fashionable.

And not many protagonists – with some laudable exceptions – pulled these offerings off well enough to really impress the audience ever since.

Let’s be honest. 

So, here I sat wondering what disaster loomed ahead in this new record. [...] Click to raid more!

Stormtide – Wrath of an Empire (2016) – Review

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The Chinese are loose in the fantasy metal universe. Or are they? And how does this all fit into a Viking fighting longship, dragon head and all?

Well, it doesn’t.

The tune reaches us from down under. The Aussie band Stormtide are hitting the world with their debut full-length album Wrath of an Empire. And it is all about that one old question.

How can you differentiate yourself from the Symphonic Death Metal and Fantasy Metal crowd out there?

Well, first, Stormtide sail dangerously close to Amon Amarth and Whispered. Then, mix this with an almost Amaranthe-esque [...] Click to raid more!