metal Archive
12 Jun 2013
Book Review: Louder Than Hell
For journalist-authors, there are myriad ways to tell a story. The easiest – and often most effective – is to write the story as narrative, and insert quotes from those who were there to supports the assertions made in said narrative. It’s a tried-and-true method that works, and readers can follow it. But there’s another
27 May 2013
Opeth: Mixing Metal and Melodicism
Initially a Swedish death metal band, Opeth has since its 1990 inception in Stockholm expanded both its sound and its appeal. While the band was an exemplar of the hard-edged sound, they have proven to be masters at mixing metal and melodicism. In May 2013 the band played a twelve-song headlining set at Asheville’s Orange
21 May 2013
Album Review: Blue Cheer – Rocks Europe
They didn’t call it garage when ? And the Mysterians were playing “96 Tears.” They didn’t label it punk when The Stooges sang about “No Fun.” And they didn’t use the term heavy metal when Blue Cheer released their dipped-in-acid 1967 reading of Eddie Cochran‘s “Summertime Blues.” But heavy metal is most certainly what it
17 May 2013
Album Review: Blue Öyster Cult — Imaginos
Imaginos has a tortured history. The eleventh studio album released by Blue Öyster Cult (they had by this time released no less than three live albums), Imaginos was comprised of material that had been around for quite some time. Way back in the 1960s when most of the band were together in an outfit called
11 Mar 2009
Album Review: Cradle of Filth — Thornography
This is some very silly music. The first track “Under Pregnant Skies She Comes Alive Like Miss Leviathan,” comes in with a bombastic movie-soundtrack vibe, all robed-choruses and scratching cellos. Of course that’s all flown in, having little to do with the group. Yet it’s the best thing about the album. Think Metallica meets Dead
10 Feb 2008
Thrice: Forever Changes
Dedicated fans can be a fickle bunch. They develop a strong affinity for a particular group based on any number of factors: personality, looks, lyrics, even the music. But some fans will freeze the group’s image in time. Woe be unto the group, then, if their personality develops, their hairstyles change, or — heaven forfend