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 →
By Greg Maki Much of the talk about Plush has focused on the all-female lineup and the fact that all four members are under the age of 21. While those are easy—i.e. lazy—hooks for writers and critics, I’m here for the music. And regardless of their gender or ability to legally drink alcohol in the... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki I don’t know if anything makes me feel more inadequate as a music critic* than trying to review a new work by a band as accomplished as Dream Theater. I know a bit about music, but the things these progressive metal titans do are so intricate and so far beyond my understanding... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki Dating all the way back to Universal Studios’ classic Dracula and Frankenstein pictures, no movie genre has been more synonymous with sequels than horror. It’s fitting then that Ice Nine Kills has delivered a part two to its horror-based, breakthrough album, “The Silver Scream” (2018). Given the band’s steady upward trajectory throughout... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki I don’t know why or how, but somehow Ice Nine Kills had eluded me for years. Certainly, I had heard the name and saw it growing in prominence over time. I took note of the horror influences and thought to myself, “That looks fun. Maybe I should check it out.” Surprisingly, the... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki Emerging in 2017 with its debut album, “Mis-An-Thrope,” DED has been a significant player in the recent nu metal revival, and that looks to continue with album number two, “School of Thought.” However, working with producer Kevin Churko (Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed), the band has incorporated more modern, melodic hard rock... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki While many bands have been reluctant to release records during the pandemic, preferring to put it off until they can tour properly to promote them, Trivium went ahead with the April 2020 release of its ninth album, the superb “What the Dead Men Say” (read Live Metal’s review). And in addition to... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki Here’s a situation music critics of years past never had to deal with: reviewing an album when nearly half of it already has been set loose into the world prior to the full release. Spiritbox started rolling out singles from what would become the full-length “Eternal Blue” in July 2020, when “Holy... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki So let’s talk about that intro. “A World Away” viciously assaults the listener right out of the gate with what would be a crushing breakdown were it in the middle of the song, then leads into a driving, devastating thrash/speed metal riff. It’s the heaviest Tremonti has ever been, and it’s glorious.... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki It isn’t considered “cool” in today’s popular culture, and may never be again, but to me there’s still something irresistible about hard rock. I don’t mean the “modern rock” bands that dominate rock radio these days. I’m talking about the all-time classics—bands like AC/DC, Motorhead—that only needed guitar, bass, drums and vocals... Continue Reading →
