By Greg Maki Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge has said “Impera,” the band’s fifth full-length, is about the rise and fall of empires, yet even more than that it plays like a celebration of Ghost itself, reveling in all of the over-the-top, bombastic tendencies that have propelled the occult act to the top of the hard... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki You just can’t keep a good slasher down. Or even one that appeared in a classic, genre-defining film nearly half a century ago and, in the decades since, has turned up in a bunch of underwhelming sequels, prequels and remakes. Old Leatherface—emphasis on “old”—is back in the ninth installment of the “Texas... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki When one thinks of Icelandic metal bands—an admittedly odd way to begin a sentence, but if you’re reading this, you probably have considered the subject at some point in a life that surely is more interesting than that of those who haven’t—power metal likely is not the first subgenre that comes to... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki Merriam-Webster defines “ecdysis” as “the act of molting or shedding an outer cuticular layer.” Sounds like a fitting title for a record that’s all about moving forward with a futuristic twist on its metallic sound. “Ecdysis” is album number five for Moldovan band Infected Rain—its second via Napalm Records—and it’s clear the... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki-----After the hellscape of 2020, music surged back in a big way throughout 2021. Concerts—even festivals—returned along with a flood of new releases from artists young and old. Metal and hard rock remain far outside the mainstream, but if you put in the effort to look, I’d argue that there’s more quality music... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki Zakk Wylde has been universally acknowledged and accepted as a guitar god for years, decades even. So how is it that in 2021, nearly 35 years after he skyrocketed to worldwide fame by joining Ozzy Osbourne’s band, he has churned out an album with what might be his most impressive display of... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki After pursuing a slick, hard rock sound on 2018’s “Gravity,” Bullet for My Valentine has brought back the metal in a big way on its seventh, appropriately self-titled record. Focused, razor sharp and monstrously heavy, this is BFMV making almost no concessions to court airplay or chase current trends. Don’t call it... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki Once you reach a certain age, it almost becomes a pastime to complain about the current popular culture, especially music, and insist that the only entertainment worth your time is what you grew up with. I feel sorry for anyone who thinks that way. There’s so much good, even great, entertainment being... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki You’re forgiven if you thought “The Phantom Tomorrow,” the sixth studio album from Black Veil Brides, had been out for quite some time. After all, the lead single “Scarlet Cross” debuted nearly a year ago, and following what feels like about 6 million plays on Octane later, I don’t know if there’s... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki I can’t think of a worse time for a new act to make its debut than the spring of 2020. Swiss symphonic metal band Ad Infinitum released “Chapter I: Monarchy” (review) at the beginning of April, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of course could do little to promote it.... Continue Reading →
