You know, it is not so often that a band sounds better than their primary influences. It is even rarer that they manage this right from the get-go on their debut album. Xerath somehow does this with one of the most creative, coherent, and astonishingly excellent sounds of today

Inextricably linked to their proud roots, Vreid is poised for greatness on another brilliant release. As beautiful as it is disturbing, Milorg’s haunting sincerity bravely echoes the dark past.

It is very rare that an album comes along with the entire package, even rarer when it is a band’s first output in over 7 years. However, that’s exactly what we’ve got with Immortal’s comeback album: All Shall Fall.

Ha, I called it! The enigmatic Windy City natives stay the course they began charting on City of Echoes, and have released their finest set of songs to date.

History repeats itself. 40 years after the world saw the release of King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King, its influence still rings loudly in any band that even remotely has progressive influences, be it Muse, Necrophagist, or Opeth. However, I can’t name a band that has channelled the classic ’70s prog sound more than Astra.

After all of that controversy surrounding Middian, Mike Scheidt finally decided that it was time for him to reform the critically acclaimed YOB. As a huge fan of the band, I was extremely excited when this news was released. It made 2009 an even more promising year for albums. Allow me to say right now that The Great Cessation, their comeback effort, has pleased me immensely and certainly surpassed my expectations.

Meshuggah, The Mars Volta, M83, and Battles. Combine those bands and you get progressive experimental electronic thrash metal. You can see why I initially said “WHAT?” when seeing all four of those bands listed as what Irepress sounded like.

Rating: 4.5/5
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The metal world is rife with bands that play like inhuman automatons and/or incorporate gimmicky elements in order to make themselves stand out. How fortunate are we that a band like Nile exists to concoct doggedly inventive and unequivocally unique technical death metal.

Shrinebuilder – Shrinebuilder released October 27, 2009 on Neurot Recordings I have not lost interest in Them Crooked Vultures, but the ‘Supergroup of the Year’ award goes to Shrinebuilder, hands down. If you’re outta the loop, we’re talking about Scott “Wino” Weinrich (Saint Vitus, The Obsessed), Dale Crover (Melvins), Scott Kelly (Neurosis), and Al Cisneros (OM, Sleep): collectively representing 100 years of sonic bedlam asylum! The fear of incongruence is dispelled immediately, and is never in question as the album progresses. The bookends feature Wino on main vocals, with Kelly as a heavy highlight, but he also eases along [...read more]

Rating: 5/5
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Cut from the same cloth–and hailing from the same state–as Mastodon, the two bands share stylistic similarities and are inspired by a select canon. While their brothers have recently soared into Voivod-ian skies, here Baroness has taken Kyuss by the hand and staked a claim deep in the earth.