Hessian – Mercenary Retrograde
old-school without sacrificing originality and artistry
Aeolian – Silent Witness
production is lush and powerful, the playing flawless throughout, and the songs are as melodic and dynamic as they are fast and pummeling.
Crosby Morgan – Rain Games for the Natural Born Pariah
These songs are dreamy architecture; they are misty, moving pictures
Forn – Rites of Despair
From start to finish, I want to sit with my eyes closed, in a dark room while the music pervades every fiber of my being. I would walk away a changed man I would wager.
Satan – Cruel Magic
Not only does the quintet maintain their vintage tightly-picked, highly-harmonized riffing style, but they also subtly include elements of black metal (lots of octaves and rigorous tremolo picking), as well as the bluesy licks, retro tones, and standard tuning of late ‘70s Pentagram, Budgie, or Judas Priest.
Cultural Warfare – Warmageddon
a fantastic sense of melody, and a consistent infusion of that most precious and rarefied intangible — soul.
Devil’s Teeth – Suki Yaki Hot!
vintage, nostalgia loaded perfection as they bring out the best in what surf punk once was.
Iron Void – Excaliber
doom style gets mixed with the storytelling ability of power metal.
Solium Fatalis – Genetically Engineered
good with a villainous mind and a brooding darkness.
Krisiun – Scourge of the Enthroned
type of album that needs no explanation to the purist, it just needs to be played over and over until you are exhausted