Decapitated Blood Mantra | 4.0 |
Wovenwar Wovenwar | 4.5 |
Darkest Hour Darkest Hour | 3.5 |
Kataklysm Waiting for the End to Come | 4.0 |
Byzantine Oblivion Beckons | 3.5 |
Byzantine ...And They Shall Take Up Serpents | 4.5 |
Carcass Surgical Steel | 4.0 |
Misery Signals Absent Light | 4.0 |
Dark Tranquillity Construct | 3.5 |
Byzantine Byzantine | 4.0 |
WELCOME BACK BOYS! Figured they were gone for good after Oblivion...This is a really great comeback album that is flying under the radar with a similar but also different approach to their previous output. The clean vocals are cleaner, the harsh vocals not as harsh, and there are more creative interludes. Make no mistake though, these guys still do a great job of hammering you with steady diet of super heavy thrash riffs, tempo changes, and ripping solos. Psyched. |
Killswitch Engage Disarm the Descent | 3.5 |
Soilwork The Living Infinite | 4.0 |
Between the Buried and Me The Parallax II: Future Sequence | 4.0 |
Coheed and Cambria The Afterman: Ascension | 4.5 |
As I Lay Dying Awakened | 4.0 |
Prototype Catalyst | 3.5 |
The Faceless Autotheism | 4.0 |
Allegaeon Formshifter | 3.5 |
Meshuggah Koloss | 4.0 |
Prong Carved Into Stone | 3.0 |
Psycroptic The Inherited Repression | 4.0 |
Megadeth Th1rt3en | 2.5 |
Insomnium Above the Weeping World | 3.5 |
Nightrage Insidious | 4.0 |
Nightrage has remained refreshingly faithful to the Gothenburg melodic death metal sound over the years,
which can't be said of most of their contemporaries, and this album is no different. Heavy, laden with heavy
yet flexible slabs of rhythm guitar riffage, and enhanced with melodic lead guitar wizardry. Great replay
value as well.
I just downgraded to a 4 based on the not-so-hot clean vocals that don't always fit within the song
structures nor are executed very well. Kind of cheesy IMHO. |
Meshuggah Destroy Erase Improve | 4.0 |
The Devil Wears Prada Dead Throne | 4.0 |
Chimaira The Age of Hell | 4.0 |
Scar Symmetry The Unseen Empire | 4.0 |
Believer Dimensions | 3.0 |
There will always be a track reserved for "No Apology" on every metal mix I make. |
Believer Transhuman | 4.5 |
The Haunted Unseen | 4.0 |
Dawnbringer Nucleus | 4.5 |
unique, heavy, and addictive. no gimmicks, no formulas, no filler, just some awesome heavy metal like it is
supposed to be played.
one complaint though: I wish they wouldn't have ended "All I See" right in the middle of just a kick ass
galloping guitar solo/interlude. Just cuts right off at 2:53. Bummer! |
Protest the Hero Scurrilous | 4.0 |
Born of Osiris The Discovery | 4.0 |
Before The Dawn Deathstar Rising | 4.0 |
Mercenary Metamorphosis | 4.5 |
I absolutely love the direction the band took with this album. Exactly what I hoped these guys would sound like with the new lineup and time passing. Still hitting on all cylinders with a heavy rhythm based attack, still bringing melodic choruses, still sprinkling in plenty of catchy hooks and soaring solos. This is simply a unique band with a special sound. Not sure how anyone could say it is derivative. |
Darkest Hour The Human Romance | 4.0 |
Evocation Apocalyptic | 4.0 |
Agreed. A really nice modern touch to the heyday melodeath coming from ATG/Gothenburg. |
Times of Grace The Hymn of a Broken Man | 4.5 |
Sylosis Conclusion of an Age | 4.0 |
The Sword Warp Riders | 4.5 |
Helloween 7 Sinners | 2.0 |
Cephalic Carnage Misled by Certainty | 3.5 |
Forbidden Omega Wave | 4.5 |
Wow this is just awesome thrash. Superb production really brings out the power of the riffs, etc. LOVE IT. |
As I Lay Dying The Powerless Rise | 3.5 |
The Sorrow The Sorrow | 4.0 |
Kalmah For the Revolution | 4.0 |
Kalmah 12 Gauge | 4.0 |
Neaera Let The Tempest Come | 4.0 |
All That Remains For We Are Many | 4.0 |
The Absence Enemy Unbound | 4.0 |
Allegaeon Fragments of Form and Function | 4.5 |
This album gets better by the listen. I love me some Allegaeon. |
Exodus Exhibit B: The Human Condition | 4.0 |
Death Angel Relentless Retribution | 4.5 |
Amazing as it is to believe, the old dudes comprising Death Angel just released what I consider to be their
best album ever. I was absolutely shocked when I threw it in the cd player and heard it in all its thrash
awesomeness. As far as the traditional thrash kings go, I think the new Slayer is fairly ordinary, the new
Overkill is pretty good, the new Megadeth is bit better, the newest Metallica a cut above Mustaine's output,
and the new Exodus a great album above all the former. However, I put this effort at the top of the pile. I
realize how ridiculous/insane this reads, but I honestly haven't heard such great signature riffs, wicked
solos, and angry purposeful vocals since the 80s /90s thrash heyday. No shit. Pick it up and you'll hear
what I mean. Death Angel? Really? Oh, and one last thing: the vocals sound nothing like Overkill... |
Decrepit Birth Polarity | 4.0 |
Miss May I Monument | 3.0 |
Veil of Maya [id] | 3.0 |
Soilwork The Panic Broadcast | 4.0 |
Misery Index Heirs to Thievery | 4.5 |
Say what you want about staleness of the grind/death core movement, but these guys somehow continue to find really wicked rhythms and grooves that elude legions of pretenders. Listening to it over and over and it pumps me up every time. Nice work. |
Dark Tranquillity We Are the Void | 3.0 |
Arsis Starve for the Devil | 3.5 |
Outside of the painful opening track (WTF?), Arsis really moved in the right direction on this release. Really kick ass rhythm and lead guitar work throughout. Not sure where all this negativity is coming from -- I sense an agenda -- no wait, a conspiracy. |
Charred Walls of the Damned Charred Walls of the Damned | 4.0 |
Richard Christy's "superband" plays an aggressive, heavy, and melodic brand of hybrid metal that causes involuntary head banging and regular repeat plays. The best characteristics of several genres are present and accounted for. CWOTD deftly leaves no stone unturned in their approach to bringing the soaring vocals and lyrics of power metal, the intricate rhythms interwoven with wicked double-bass drumming of progressive/technical death metal, and the lead guitar work (to include blistering solos) and choruses of traditional thrash. Really an excellent release. |
3 (USA) Revisions | 4.5 |
Evergreen Terrace Almost Home | 4.0 |
The Red Chord Fed Through the Teeth Machine | 3.5 |
The Red Chord Prey for Eyes | 3.5 |
Meshuggah obZen | 4.0 |
Psycroptic Ob(Servant) | 3.5 |
This or the Apocalypse Monuments | 3.5 |
Insomnium Across the Dark | 3.0 |
The Sorrow Blessings From a Blackened Sky | 4.5 |
Metalcore = yes. Great metalcore = absolutely. A freight train of aggressive riffage pummelling your skull with reckless abandon = no doubt. I really disagree these guys represent the typical "core" sound out there right now. They play with a remarkable focus/purpose that is lacking these days. The Sorrow's two albums just keep rolling round and round in my iPod. |
The Absence Riders of the Plague | 4.5 |
Ratt Invasion of Your Privacy | 4.5 |
Anterior This Age of Silence | 4.5 |
Threat Signal Vigilance | 4.0 |
Corrosion of Conformity Blind | 5.0 |
Coheed and Cambria The Second Stage Turbine Blade | 3.0 |
Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 | 3.5 |
Coheed and Cambria From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness | 5.0 |
Coheed and Cambria No World for Tomorrow | 4.5 |
Pelican City of Echoes | 3.5 |
Hacride Lazarus | 3.5 |
Gojira From Mars to Sirius | 4.0 |
Gojira The Way of All Flesh | 4.5 |
Into Eternity The Incurable Tragedy | 3.5 |
Into Eternity The Scattering of Ashes | 4.0 |
Mercenary 11 Dreams | 4.5 |
Mercenary The Hours That Remain | 5.0 |
Mercenary Architect of Lies | 4.5 |
Woe Of Tyrants Kingdom of Might | 4.0 |
Adversary Singularity | 4.0 |
Malefice Dawn Of Reprisal | 4.0 |
Susperia Attitude | 2.5 |
A completely unsatisfying rip off of older Testament. |
Success Will Write Apocalypse Across... The Grand Partition & The Abrogation Of Idolatry | 3.5 |
Heaven and Hell The Devil You Know | 3.5 |
Daath The Concealers | 3.5 |
Chimaira The Infection | 3.5 |
Broadcast the Nightmare Twenty Twelve | 3.0 |
Unholy (USA-NY) New Life Behind Closed Eyes | 3.0 |
Amorphis Skyforger | 3.5 |
Job For A Cowboy Ruination | 2.5 |
Hypocrisy Virus | 3.5 |
Hypocrisy Hypocrisy | 5.0 |
Arch Enemy Doomsday Machine | 4.0 |
Arch Enemy Rise of the Tyrant | 3.0 |
Dark Tranquillity Fiction | 4.0 |
Nightrage A New Disease Is Born | 4.5 |
Nightrage Wearing a Martyr's Crown | 4.0 |
Dream Theater Black Clouds and Silver Linings | 4.0 |
DevilDriver Pray for Villains | 3.0 |
The Devil Wears Prada With Roots Above and Branches Below | 4.5 |
Miss May I Apologies Are for the Weak | 3.0 |
August Burns Red Messengers | 4.0 |
August Burns Red Constellations | 4.5 |
The Faceless Planetary Duality | 4.0 |
Born of Osiris A Higher Place | 3.0 |
Neaera Armamentarium | 4.0 |
Queensryche Operation: Mindcrime | 5.0 |
Queensryche Empire | 4.0 |
Queensryche Promised Land | 3.0 |
Queensryche Greatest Hits | 4.5 |
Shadows Fall Threads of Life | 3.5 |
Shadows Fall Fallout From The War | 4.0 |
Shadows Fall The War Within | 4.5 |
Shadows Fall Seeking the Way: Greatest Hits | 4.5 |
Shadows Fall Of One Blood [Reissue] | 4.0 |
All That Remains This Darkened Heart | 3.5 |
All That Remains Overcome | 4.5 |
Unearth The Oncoming Storm | 4.5 |
Unearth III: In the Eyes of Fire | 4.5 |
Unearth The March | 4.0 |
Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage (2009) | 3.0 |
Killswitch Engage The End of Heartache | 4.0 |
Killswitch Engage As Daylight Dies | 4.0 |
Caliban The Awakening | 3.0 |
Caliban The Undying Darkness | 4.0 |
Caliban Say Hello to Tragedy | 4.0 |
Scar Symmetry Holographic Universe | 4.0 |
Darkest Hour Deliver Us | 4.0 |
Darkest Hour The Eternal Return | 4.5 |
Atreyu Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses | 3.5 |
Atreyu A Death-Grip on Yesterday | 4.0 |
Atreyu Lead Sails Paper Anchor | 4.5 |
Pantera Vulgar Display of Power | 5.0 |
Pantera Far Beyond Driven | 4.5 |
Carcass Swansong | 5.0 |
Carcass Heartwork | 5.0 |
Carcass Wake Up and Smell the Carcass | 4.5 |
Death Human | 4.5 |
Death Individual Thought Patterns | 4.5 |
Death Symbolic | 5.0 |
Death The Sound of Perseverance | 4.5 |
Napalm Death Diatribes | 4.5 |
Napalm Death Words from the Exit Wound | 4.0 |
Napalm Death Order of the Leech | 4.0 |
Napalm Death Smear Campaign | 3.5 |
Napalm Death Fear, Emptiness, Despair | 5.0 |
Napalm Death Inside the Torn Apart | 4.0 |
Napalm Death Time Waits for No Slave | 4.5 |
Entombed Morning Star | 4.0 |
Entombed Clandestine | 4.5 |
Entombed Wolverine Blues | 4.5 |
Entombed Same Difference | 3.5 |
Entombed Serpent Saints: The Ten Amendments | 4.0 |
The Cult The Cult | 3.5 |
The Cult Sonic Temple | 4.5 |
The Cult Love | 5.0 |
The Cult Electric | 4.0 |
The Cult Ceremony | 3.5 |
Prong Cleansing | 5.0 |
Prong Rude Awakening | 4.0 |
Prong Scorpio Rising | 3.5 |
Prong Power of the Damager | 3.5 |
Overkill W.F.O. | 3.5 |
Overkill I Hear Black | 3.0 |
Overkill The Years of Decay | 5.0 |
Overkill Horrorscope | 4.5 |
3 (USA) Wake Pig | 3.5 |
3 (USA) The End is Begun | 5.0 |
10 Years The Autumn Effect | 4.0 |
10 Years Division | 3.5 |
Machine Head The More Things Change... | 3.0 |
Machine Head Burn My Eyes | 5.0 |
Machine Head The Burning Red | 3.0 |
Machine Head Supercharger | 2.5 |
Machine Head Through The Ashes Of Empires | 4.0 |
Machine Head The Blackening | 4.5 |
Lamb of God As the Palaces Burn | 5.0 |
Lamb of God Ashes of the Wake | 4.5 |
Lamb of God Sacrament | 4.0 |
Lamb of God Wrath | 3.5 |
Misery Signals Mirrors | 4.5 |
Misery Signals Controller | 4.0 |
Misery Signals Of Malice and the Magnum Heart | 4.0 |
Megadeth Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? | 5.0 |
Megadeth Rust in Peace | 5.0 |
Megadeth Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! | 4.5 |
Megadeth So Far, So Good... So What! | 4.5 |
Megadeth Countdown to Extinction | 4.5 |
Megadeth Youthanasia | 4.0 |
Megadeth Hidden Treasures | 3.5 |
Megadeth Cryptic Writings | 3.0 |
Megadeth Risk | 2.0 |
Megadeth The World Needs a Hero | 2.0 |
Megadeth The System Has Failed | 2.0 |
Megadeth United Abominations | 2.5 |
Iron Maiden Killers | 5.0 |
Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast | 5.0 |
Iron Maiden Piece of Mind | 3.5 |
Iron Maiden Powerslave | 3.5 |
Iron Maiden Somewhere in Time | 4.0 |
Iron Maiden Live After Death | 4.5 |
Iron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh Son | 4.0 |
Iron Maiden Brave New World | 4.5 |
Iron Maiden A Matter of Life and Death | 3.5 |
Iron Maiden Live After Death (DVD) | 4.5 |
Rush Exit...Stage Left | 4.5 |
Rush Permanent Waves | 4.5 |
Rush Grace Under Pressure | 4.5 |
Rush Hemispheres | 5.0 |
Rush Moving Pictures | 5.0 |
Rush Signals | 5.0 |
Rush A Show of Hands | 4.5 |
Rush Presto | 3.5 |
Rush Roll the Bones | 2.5 |
Rush Test for Echo | 2.5 |
Rush Hold Your Fire | 4.0 |
Rush 2112 | 5.0 |
Judas Priest Defenders of the Faith | 4.5 |
Judas Priest British Steel | 4.5 |
Judas Priest Screaming for Vengeance | 5.0 |
Judas Priest Turbo | 4.5 |
Judas Priest Ram It Down | 3.0 |
Judas Priest Painkiller | 3.5 |
Judas Priest Nostradamus | 2.5 |
In Flames Whoracle | 4.5 |
In Flames Soundtrack to Your Escape | 3.0 |
In Flames The Jester Race | 3.5 |
In Flames Clayman | 4.0 |
In Flames A Sense of Purpose | 3.0 |
In Flames Come Clarity | 3.5 |
In Flames Colony | 5.0 |
In Flames Reroute to Remain | 4.5 |
As I Lay Dying Frail Words Collapse | 5.0 |
As I Lay Dying An Ocean Between Us | 4.5 |
The Sorrow Origin of the Storm | 4.5 |
The bottom line is if you don't like metalcore you won't like this album -- don't even bother checking them out. But if you like that style of metal (and I can take it or leave it), Origin of the Storm is a must have. Amazing production values really bring out a non-stop barrage of ridiculously heavy and pummeling riffs -- but with a really unique touch of melody and emotion not often heard in traditional metalcore circles. These guys have a really great feel for their craft -- demonstrated on this and their previous effort, Blessings From a Blackened Sky...I am very impressed. |
Slayer Decade of Aggression | 5.0 |
Slayer South of Heaven | 5.0 |
Slayer Reign in Blood | 4.5 |
Slayer Seasons in the Abyss | 4.5 |
Slayer Divine Intervention | 3.0 |
Slayer Diabolus in Musica | 3.0 |
Slayer Christ Illusion | 3.5 |
Anthrax State of Euphoria | 4.0 |
Anthrax Spreading the Disease | 4.0 |
Anthrax Sound of White Noise | 3.5 |
Death Angel Killing Season | 3.5 |
Death Angel Act III | 5.0 |
Testament First Strike Still Deadly | 4.0 |
Testament The Formation of Damnation | 4.0 |
Testament The Legacy | 4.5 |
Testament Souls of Black | 3.0 |
Testament Practice What You Preach | 3.0 |
Testament The Ritual | 5.0 |
Testament Low | 3.5 |
Testament Demonic | 3.5 |
Testament The Gathering | 4.5 |
Metallica Metallica | 3.5 |
Metallica Load | 3.0 |
Metallica ...And Justice for All | 4.5 |
Metallica Live Shit: Binge & Purge | 4.0 |
Metallica St. Anger | 2.5 |
Metallica Death Magnetic | 4.0 |
Metallica Ride the Lightning | 5.0 |
Metallica Master of Puppets | 5.0 |
Metallica Garage Inc. | 4.0 |
Metallica Kill 'Em All | 5.0 |
Sepultura Dante XXI | 3.0 |
Sepultura A-Lex | 2.0 |
Sepultura Roorback | 2.5 |
Sepultura Roots | 3.0 |
Sepultura Nation | 2.5 |
Sepultura Against | 2.5 |
Sepultura Chaos A.D. | 4.5 |
Sepultura Schizophrenia | 4.0 |
Sepultura Arise | 5.0 |
Sepultura Beneath the Remains | 5.0 |
Firmly cemented in the keyserfunk all-time top 10 metal albums. This is by definition a groundbreaking release in that it was born during the critical late 80s/early 90s period of metal -- just when grunge threatened to bore all headbangers to death. The impact of Beneath the Remains cannot be underestimated; it filled that crucial metal void by bridging the gap between the tired, dying thrash metal scene on life support (see increasingly irrelevant Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax releases) and the growing domestic and foreign death metal movement (see Florida-born Death and Morbid Angel and European juggernauts Carcass, Entombed, and many, many others). Every single track stands on its own as a classic; harsh, growling, and deathy yet accessible vocals are combined with the power of countless memorable thrash-like crushing riffs, hooks, tempo changes, and transitions as well as skillful yet melodic solos that send chills down the spine. I defy you to play air guitar or drums and keep up with these renegades. And fear not, despite being spawned from a little-known outfit from Brazil, the production values are more than solid -- the drums and rhythms sound tight and razor sharp, but they won't cut you too badly since they are encased in a warm yet rattling buzz of just enough bass to shake your speaker system OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER... |
Behemoth Evangelion | 3.5 |
Trivium The Crusade | 2.5 |
Trivium Ascendancy | 4.5 |
As I Lay Dying Shadows Are Security | 4.0 |
All That Remains The Fall of Ideals | 4.0 |
Threat Signal Under Reprisal | 4.0 |
Megadeth Endgame | 2.5 |
Someone please find Dave Mustaine and Megadeth, because either they are lost for good jumping the shark or I am insane. This certainly is not the Megadeth comeback album that critics/fans at this and other sites keep proclaiming. Riffs that are quick and tight - check! (nothing memorable though). Technically impressive rhythms and numerous face melting solos -- check! (but nothing that really stands out). Choruses -- check! (pretty uninspiring though). The bottom line is this album has all the individual components that one would think would create one hell of an album; however, this is a clear instance of the whole not equaling the sum of its parts. Everything is forced, like Dave just tried so hard, too hard, and it has resulted in a morass of check-the-box unremarkable metal. This album without the name Megadeth stamped on it would be getting trashed. Please be objective, look yourself in the mirror, and admit that Megadeth is DED. RIP. Although it pains him, the keyser has spoken, let it be so... |