Tag Archives: Chris Tippell

Vltimas – Something Wicked Marches In

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The term Supergroup is often used to describe any band consisting of musicians from other acts and thus disappointing when it ends up lacking household names, or consisting of dream groupings who do not live up to the expectation their legacy suggests.

Fortunately, new entity Vltimas have offered a debut that smashes those notions.

Made up of former Mayhem man Blasphemer, Cryptopsy’s Flo Mounier and David Vincent (formerly of Morbid Angel), Vltimas is a solid who’s who of Extreme Metal royalty. Notably, this is Vincent’s first Metal outing since the polarising Illud Divinum Insanus (Season of Mist), thus potentially leaving him with a point to prove. Fortunately, it doesn’t take long for Something Wicked Marches In (Season of Mist) to ease any lingering doubts there. Continue reading →

Enisum – Moth’s Illusion

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When you think of thriving underground metal scenes, Italy may not be the first place that springs to mind; but it is one that is criminally overlooked and that in recent years has become a hotspot for creativity bubbling under the surface. One of the most important players in this scene is the ever-reliably great Avantgarde Music, who have championed and showcased plenty of great Italian acts (as well as from other locales) such as Selvans, Progenie Terrestre Pura and the subject of this review Enisum.  Continue reading →

Kings Destroy – Fantasma Nera

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Pure, bluesy Rock music has undergone somewhat of a revival of fortune in recent years. Not only have the old guard of legends remained strong and as popular as ever, but a slew of younger talent has held the flag of that sound flying high through an earnest passion and solid songwriting. In amongst this ever-widening crowd, Boston act Kings Destroy can easily find themselves a part of that bracket on latest effort Fantasma Nera (Svart Records) and yet simultaneously offer something vastly different. Continue reading →

Source – Totality

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Whilst Progressive Metal is an overcrowded scene, it is undeniable that there is a depth and range within its ranks of late, arguably the most it has ever showcased. New soundscapes and directions are being explored and virgin terrains conquered, with even tried and tested ideas being given new shades and colours. With a well-received debut album and resulting tours across USA with the likes of Trapt, where do relative newcomers Source find themselves with album number two? Continue reading →

Ghost Iris – Apple Of Discord

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Amongst the packed djent arena, Danish troupe Ghost Iris has always been a strong and reliable act that have never quite managed to step up to the heady heights of the scenes leading lights, such as Monuments. In the face of a fast-moving scene, how can Ghost Iris now adapt? To use a wrestling metaphor, latest album Apple Of Discord (Long Branch Records) is the plucky and ever decent mid-carder suddenly about to make the main event push. Continue reading →

Antre – Void

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Whilst the UK hasn’t always been recognised as a hotbed for Black Metal bar the occasional, exceptional case; recent times suggest the burgeoning of a rich scene in the underground; from the likes of A Forest Of Stars getting wide plaudits to the new breed which includes Wode, Underdark and Dawn Ray’d flying the flag. Also throwing their hat into the ring, Nottingham up-and-comers Antre offer a somewhat esoteric and widely influenced strain of the genre with a full-length debut that not only personifies the depth the genre has to offer but also puts them as a prime force in the UK’s scene. Continue reading →

Hexvessel – All Tree

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The relationship between Metal, heavy music and other genres has always been an intriguing and often intertwining one, where artists seem to fall under our umbrella without sharing obvious similar qualities. Case in point is that of Hexvessel, who despite an ever-changing output and a folky base to their sound, have intrinsic links to their native Black Metal scene that has hardly ever even encroached into the territory of distorted guitars. Continue reading →

Psycroptic – Aversions Crown – Within Destruction: Live at The Dome, London

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Tonight is a busy day for Metal in the Capital, with the dreaded evening of multiple gig clashes, within a few stops of the Northern Line alone. One stop down from tonight’s proceedings in Tufnell Park sees the Cerberus-like bill of Behemoth, At The Gates and Wolves In The Throne Room, whilst Camden Town sees Toundra for those seeking something more mellow, and Obscura for some who, well, aren’t. This goes someway to explaining why The Dome looks tonight to be, at best, around half capacity for much of the night. Not that this seems to dampen anyone’s mood, as all night the crowd are on fine form, showing the bands plenty of love and movement as well as respect to one another. Continue reading →

Astronoid – Astronoid

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For all the directions and manner of subject matter that Metal music conveys, for a record to be purely joyous and sincerely uplifting, not simply fun or adrenaline pumping, is a rarity. It is this feeling that Boston, Massachusetts’ own Astronoid tap in to. Their debut effort Air came from out of nowhere and made waves in some circles, whilst criminally going unnoticed by many others, with a sound entirely of their own. Where Air was an excellent and unique debut, their self-titled (both Blood Music) follow-up is Astronoid refining and fully realising who they are. Continue reading →

Quantum Pig – Songs Of Industry And Sunshine

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If there is one thing that recent Progressive Rock acts have done, it is once and for all putting to bed the notion of the genre being predominantly style over substance, with a reliance on over-playing as opposed to having heart. A completely unfair assessment from day one of course; even just a cursory listen to the contemporary Prog Rock leaders such as Riverside, Steven Wilson, and The Pineapple Thief shows both an unwavering sense of emotion and a balance of challenging yet accessible song structuring. Continue reading →