Plenty of bands can be labelled as influential. Iron Maiden helped birth the NWOBHM sound, the Big 4 made thrash a global phenomenon, Meshuggah accidentally created Djent. The list is long and varied, each prospective pioneer deserving of a different accolade. But it’s not just in genre or subgenre creation that a band becomes influential:…
What are In Flames in 2019? The co-founders of the Gothenburg Sound almost a quarter of a century ago have tried a variety of things on some of their recent albums, both to try to stay relevant to modern audiences, and to keep things interesting for themselves. Rock Sins has had a couple of conversations…
The German legend that is Tobias Sammet (also of Edguy) is back with his supergroup Metal Opera, Avantasia. Two years in the making, ‘Moonglow’ gets the honour of being Avantasia’s 8th album release – not bad for something that was just supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime studio project back in 2001. Like its predecessor, ‘Ghostlights’,…
Old school melodic death metallers Soilwork recently came out with their 11th studio album, a long three and a half years after their last release ‘Death Resonance’, leaving the biggest gap between two albums in their history. Though having gone through various line-up changes through their years, Soilwork have really built up a distinct and…
Following up the modern classic that was ‘The Satanist’ was never going to be easy. Behemoth’s magnum opus changed the game in the world of extreme metal, raising the bar and challenging peers, contemporaries and all future artists to up their respective games and attempt to knock the Polish quartet off of their blackened pedestal….
Polish death metal titans Behemoth have returned! After some speculative social media posts in recent days and weeks featuring the expression God = Dog, and some imagery, the big reveal happened earlier today. Fans were invited to a special website and encouraged to “say a prayer”, before receiving the new track as their “blessing” for…
It’s been 8 years since Dimmu Borgir last released an album. The landscape of metal and extreme metal especially has changed considerably. Anticipation was undeniably high for new music from Dimmu, but it is hard to know at this stage if that anticipation was justified. Eonian, will, without doubt, be a divisive album among fans,…
It is a little difficult to know where to start with Messe Noire. Anyone with a passing interest in metal from the last five years has probably at least heard of Behemoth’s magnus opus, The Satanist, even if they haven’t actually heard the album. With frontman Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski conquering Luekaemia prior to, and during…
Lovers of thrash metal, hold onto your hats (hats optional). Bay area legends Testament are returning to the UK for an early Spring 2018 UK tour, and they’re bringing with them some very impressive guests for the ride. Joining Chuck, Alex and friends on this run will be none other than their fellow thrash legends,…
In my personal opinion Cradle of Filth are one of the most underrated and underappreciated bands in metal today. They have been consistently brilliant for the better part of a quarter of a century but still remain overlooked. It is mind-boggling to me, but with that said their latest album Cryptoriana (The Seductiveness of Decay)…
