Rating: 3.5/5
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Hooks hold fast, melodies are memorable, and Nightwish is learning how to transform into this new band they aspire to be. A gradual metamorphosis for sure, this feels like an awkward phase that would have benefitted from editing.

Rating: 3.5/5
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Mind over Metal Limerick 36

Rating: 4.5/5
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This is the music critics will say Classic Metal Band X could be aspiring to write, or something Modern Metal Band Y can never approach. It’s melodic American thrash, evolved through carved canyons, with greater depths that one misses if only glanced across, rather than explore down. Machine Head is among the best in 2011—and they’ll never live in the past.

Rating: 3/5
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Mind over Metal Limerick 29

Rating: 3/5
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Listen, it’s great that the band (literally) regrouped for this album; I admire their perseverance. But seriously, dudes, I have another old adage for you: sometimes less is more. Shorten the songs, have fewer of them, and pour your soul into no more than one tender tune per album. My focus is scattered more than ever before, and plenty of other bands are capably competing for attention.

Rating: 3/5
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According to our old friend Wikipedia, “trivium” stood for the first three subjects taught in medieval universities. And in that tradition, the band Trivium is analogous to young metalheads—a good start, but there is much learning to be done.

Rating: 1/5
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Mind over Metal Limerick 23

Rating: 3/5
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I’m not feeling “Blunt Force Trauma”, folks… there’s barely an bruise. Cavalera Conspiracy should sound more different than Soulfly, and there is simply not enough to distinguish the band. Maybe a different guy on lead guitar would help separate the two groups (sorry Mark, I really do like your work!). Just give us a reason to believe this is more than a cash-in.

Rating: 2/5
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Mind Over Metal Limerick 16

Rating: 4/5
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There is no trickery found here. “Hammer of the North” is set to smash your face in, and doesn’t require a hint of death metal’s brutality or technical wizardry to do so.