.

Rising from the underground, the tragic loss of a band member and close friend of the band as well as just continuing to write the most brutally technical music they can, The Red Shore’s latest release, Lost Verses, clearly shows just how far the band has come. The sheer production, by The Red Shore’s very own Rowan Koester, re-recording old favourite tracks of The Red Shore and re-mastering them making for a tighter sound than ever. With some sped up tempos and ... Read More

Pennsylvania’s Zao is one of the longest running bands throughout the Metalcore/Hardcore music scene today, faced with endless line-up changes and a tendency to experiment within their genre, Zao’s latest release, Awake?, pushes the boundaries to this genre of overused material. Awake? sees Zao take on a aural pleasing ride of material, even through what is their 9th studio album released to date. That certainly is something to celebrate over, plus considering how amazing their latest album is Zao may one day be ... Read More

Crógacht (the the Irish Gaelic word for “bravery”), Suidakra's ninth studio album, is a concept album based around the story of Aided Óenfhir Aofe, or The Death of Aoífe's Only Son, one the most dramatic tales in Irish folklore. Aided Óenfhir Aoífe is the story about the legendary hero Cuchulainn who, seeking to learn the art of war, makes the journey to the Isle of Skye in Alba (Scotland), to the abode of the Scythian warrior woman Scáthach. Cuchulainn convinced Scáthach that he ... Read More

When Devin Townsend is at the helm, you never know what to expect. ‘Ki’, the first in a series of four albums following Townsend’s mood over the last few years is unlike anything he has done before, which surprisingly isn’t surprising. While on one hand it’s the most restrained he has ever been, with only a few moments of heaviness that pull back before really exploding, it’s also the most relaxed to his name (well unless you count his ambient albums, I ... Read More

I could not possibly have put this disc into my computer with lower expectations. Everything about this album just reeks of generic deathcore trash, and it seems to be very rare that I actually enjoy a new album with the Earache name on it. Needless to say, my assumption was pretty accurate. ‘Fetish’, the debut album from the young UK-based quartet The Boy Will Drown is a half hour of insanely technical musical segments thrown into a bowl and randomly retrieved in handfuls ... Read More

Sonic German Beatdown is a live recording of Death Angel's performance at the Rock Hard Festival, Germany in 2007. Before Death Angel take to the stage, they are introduced by a festival organiser, after which they blast through their set, pedal to the metal. The recording of the whole set is seamless – everything is there, even the onstage banter and crowd interaction between songs – everything a live video SHOULD have. In the song Kill As One, you can even see every ... Read More

Gaining masses of popularity in their local scene after the release of their debut record, Melbourne’s Be’lakor are back in 2009 with a stunning second release showcasing a matured and creative sound from the band – 'Stone’s Reach'. Recorded at Pennydrop Audio in Melbourne and mastered by Crystal Mastering, the band consists of George Kosmas (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Shaun Sykes (Lead Guitar), Steven Merry (Keyboard), John Richardson (Bass) and Jimmy Vanden Broeck (Drums). First impressions are always critical, and with the acoustic introduction to ... Read More

If you weren’t already impressed by Switchblade’s debut release ‘The End of All Once Known’ and its classic melodeath song ‘Wings of Redemption’, then get yourself prepared to experiences the thrashingly melodic delights of ‘Invictus Infinitium’. After a four year recording absence on the scene and a number of line-up changes, the Sydney band’s second album has launched them to the upper echelon of Australian melodic music through catchy hooks and matured musicianship. Kicking it off in style with ‘Revelation’, the modern death ... Read More

The year is 2005 and Karnivool release one of the best albums by an Australian artist in years. It eclipses the bands previously released debut ep. Its a brilliant album from start to finish, showing equal parts power and beauty. The rise of Karnivool is quick. I’m not talking overnight coup quick, but for an independent band, it was quick. National treasure Ian Kenny, in the meantime is also vocalist for pop rock band Birds of Tokyo, also on a quick rise ... Read More

Yngwie Malmsteen is most notably well known for his insane guitar style. Infusing mind melting sweeps, arpeggios and shreds which inevitably leave people gob smacked at his remarkable skill. Sadly though with this amazing trait, Malmsteen has become known to be a little repetitive in recent years. His once awe inspiring guitar style, hailed by many in the mid to late 80's, has become nothing more then a fizzled out memory. Many complain of repetition and albums lacking finesse. Most notably his most ... Read More

Darker Half will soon be supporting Queensrÿche on their upcoming Australian tour. It's no wonder that the band have been given such a prestigious honor. The band hail from Sydney and infuse elements of melodic power metal, progressive metal and thrash, into a nice hybrid with a dominant technical aspect. I first saw these guys in Melbourne when they supported The Eternal. I didn't know much about Darker Half at the time, and to be honest I wasn't expecting much at all. To my surprise ... Read More

Tim “Ripper” Owens is a voice that the majority of the heavy metal community will instantly recognise. Having been the voice of Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Winter’s Bane and most recently Yngwie Malmsteen, he has certainly proved his vocal talents to the world. Now, Ripper is going one step further with the release of what is being advertised as his first solo album, ‘Play My Game’, to prove that he can write as well as well scream. Now, I’m not entirely sure of ... Read More

The Meaning Unseen is the first official album from Melbourne progressive metal trio, Contrive. The band have been a vigilant force in the Australian heavy metal scene for well over 10 years now. Not only supporting great local talent, but also a plethora of international bands too. The band are probably most "famous" for sporting one of  Australia's most well known heavy metal deities, Andrew Haug. Andrew Haug is mostly well known for his work on Full Metal Racket, a weekly metal radio station ... Read More

With an upfront and forthright product of barely 24 minutes, Melbourne metaller’s The Omen have released their debut, self titled record through Truth Inc Records. Rightfully marketed as Thrash metal, the band also shows influences of death and metalcore which is almost expected in today’s mashed up modern sound. Lung bursting screams, and moderately technical moments through the guitars are the notable points of the album, with each band member showing the necessary ability on their craft to prove their competency. The production ... Read More

Being one of my favourite live bands in the local scene, I’ve been very curious to hear how Envenomed would translate onto a recording. As I expected, there is a drop in energy levels and the songs just aren’t quite as fun as they are live. The awkward vocal moments that pop up in a few of the songs are much more noticeable here than in a live setting, and the music simply doesn’t have the same power behind it. It all ... Read More

I’m sure you have already guessed from the band name and album title that this band certainly isn’t trying to bring anything revolutionary to the altar. What we do have though, is a blackened death metal album that hits all the right spots. So don’t be completely turned off by track titles like “Celebration of the Goat” or “Death To All”, the writing here is much more mature than their image portrays. It is however just as sinister as the titles suggest. Tobias ... Read More

As far as I am concerned Dreadnaught simply don’t get the credit they deserve, even after all these years. Their debut “BodyBloodSkinMind” remains a personal favourite to this day and they have always been one of those bands that are continually evolving yet manage to retain a distinct thread in what they do. “D->0”, is certainly no exception to that rule. Their previous album “Dirty Music”, which came out on Roadrunner in 2005, couldn’t have had a more apt title. There has never ... Read More

Kreator are one of three thrash metal bands which dominated the Germany metal scene in the early 80's. The other two being Sodom and Destruction. Many fans in the United States at the time were very familiar with the thrash metal movement, as the genre exploded with bands like Megadeth, Overkill, Metallica, Anthrax and Testament. Sadly though, the recognition that Kreator deserved wasn't until the late 80's when the band finally toured the United States and gained massive popularity over their fourth album, "Extreme ... Read More