Rating: 4.5/5
…
“Opus Eponymous” is rather short, but that doesn’t matter—better to pare down than pad out. Ghost is a band with plenty of tricks up their Satanic robes. Anton LaVey would be proud.

Rating : 3.5/5

Raise your pints to “That Famous Ol’ Spiced”! What would Alestorm be without their classic pirate-esque drinking songs?

Rating : 4.5/5

It goes without saying that shoegaze black metal is a miniscule sub-genre, and it can also be assumed that Neige, the artist behind Alcest, stands in the foreground of this sub-genre.

Rating : 4.5/5

Maiestrit is not a typical rehash of an early album. It takes something that was old and unnoticed and gives it the attention it deserves.

Rating : 3.5/5

“Universal” is the latest and greatest in progressive metal and an epic failure in Black Metal.

If you have enjoyed how Darkthrone has adapted their sound to incorporate crust punk into their stripped-down black metal, with shades of Motörhead, classic thrash, and even a dash of Sabbath, then you are probably already shotgunning beers over an open flame with this music blaring into the mountain woods.

Rating: 4/5

Barren Earth is an impressive new Finnish sextet supergroup that first intrigued the world with their 2009 debut EP “Our Twilight”. The band took a couple of years to fully form, and have now solidified into a progressive death metal juggernaut.

I wanted to like this album more. I wanted to get behind it, tell you all to blast it from the rooftops, and rejoice in the rebirth of a remarkable band. La Raza is worth a once-through to see what piques your interest, but don’t be surprised when the yawns set in.

Rating : 4 / 5

Throughout their thirteen year existence, The Dillinger Escape Plan has challenged heavy music audiences with their archetypal avant-garde execution. On their fourth full-length, the New Jersey quintet continues their divisive evolution, which now finds the band giant steps beyond their origins. While many detractors have abandoned modern DEP in favor of their 90s output, I feel more compelled to follow them than ever before.

Rating : 4 / 5

As a unit, they radiate an aura of authenticity, if for no other reason than their steadfast adherence to traditional folk instruments (albeit amidst Gothenburg thrash). Nothing is synthesized, from the violin and hurdy-gurdy to a wide variety of flutes, pipes, and whistles; the band crafts songs with both depth and dynamism. Where so many similar bands feel forced, Eluveitie channels a naturally flowing energy into their powerful music.