Review: Candlemass – Death Magic Doom [2009]

Swedish doom metal pioneers Candlemass return with a refined sense of confidence with their latest offering, the eight-track DEATH MAGIC DOOM. Comfortably settling into yet another round of changes (most notably on the vocals), Leif Edling and company showcase that they are still able to conjure feelings of dread and despair straight from the Black […]

Review: Olde York – Empire State [2009]

Maintaining the classic NYHC sound and a no frills DIY mindset from the days of yore, Olde York comes barreling down the lane with an authentic 12-track tour de force entitled EMPIRE STATE. Embodying the spirit of hardcore’s CBGB Sunday matinee glory days while skillfully blending the styles of acts such as Cro Mags, Warzone, […]

Review: Prong – Power Of The Damn Mixxxer [2009]

Tommy Victor turned the original mixes from Prong’s latest disc Power of the Damager over to some of his technically-advanced musician friends to remix and POWER OF THE DAMN MIXXXER is the end result. This 13-track endeavor showcases the behind the boards prowess of metal peeps such as Jon Clayton (Pitchshifter) and Greg Puciato (Dillinger […]

Review: Millions – Gather Scatter [2009]

Spastic and noisy hardcore with underpinnings of melody best describe the racket exerted by Chicago quartet Millions, whose eight-track offering GATHER SCATTER goes from the gutter to outer space in approximately 27-minutes. Emblazoned in dissonance, songs like “Saddle Up and Ride” exhibit the rhythm section playing like a wrecking crew drunkenly demolishing a skyscraper, while […]

Review: The Veer Union – Against The Grain [2009]

There’s not a shred of anything remotely AGAINST THE GRAIN about The Veer Union’s current three-song sampler that you don’t learn at Chad Kroeger 101, yet this fellow Canadian quartet’s advanced placement yields an angst-ridden vocal and action-movie hooky punch whose youthful exuberance and slick package demands attention, even if for a fleeting moment (“Seasons”) […]