Released February 14th, 2020
Not My God is a collaborative endeavor made by two of well-established industrial pioneers. Tim Sköld (KMFDM, Marilyn Manson, etc) and Nero Bellum of Psyclon Nine.
While the album doesn’t live up to the pedigree of its creators it has a few moments here and there. The real issue it the songs feel like they never really get going. Think of it as an album of all really long intros, and no substance to follow. All the ingredients are there just never quite get to a full boil.
2.5 of 5 stars.
Released February 7th, 2020
Sepultura’s 15th studio album, Quadra, presents a collection of songs that capture an array of the band’s sounds and styles over their thirty plus year career. The Brazilian act’s blend of thrash, groove, and death metal has allowed them to craft uniquely eccentric metal records. The 12 track Quadra is a strong release that Sepultura fans will enjoy.
3.5 of 5 stars.
Released January 17th, 2020
The trash quintet Bonded feature former Sodom members Bernd ‘Bernemann’ Kost (guitar) and Markus ‘Makka’ Freiwald (drums), this debut also features Overkill frontman Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth as guest vocalist, as well as former Kreator bassist Christian ‘Speesy’ Giesler, on the title-track. The album plays as you would expect, speedy riffs, anti-establishment lyrics, basically all things old school thrash. And it works well if you are looking for that touch of nostalgia in a new package.
4 of 5 stars.
Released January 17th, 2020
Hatari are a BDSM, anti-Capitalist, Icelandic industrial techno art project, known for a controversial Eurovision appearance. Their debut album Neyslutrans has been highly anticipated by lovers of the band. With their best tracks previously released as singles, new tracks like Enginn Miskunn and Ogledi play nicely, but the highlights were among the previously released beforehand. Regardless the album is still a good listen.
3 of 5 stars.
Poppy is back with her attention deficit style of music. This album fluctuates from metal to pop to electronica with ease, and it’s infinitely enjoyable to listen to. She’s come a long way from her early YouTube experiments and this album is the most offering mature to date. It’s definitely worth a listen
4.5 of 5 stars.
Cell-o, goodbye. This is a perfectly fine Apocalyptica offering. It neither transcends nor disappoints.
3.5 of 5 stars.
Released January 10th, 2020
Brothers Of Metal second album Emblas Saga makes one fearthey’re eventually going to run out of Norse myths to dredge up and set to mediocre symphonic power metal. That day will come but apparently not today.
2.5 of 5 stars.
Released January 10th, 2020
Dyscordia’s third release Delete / Rewrite is best described as very average prog metal. The lyrics are predictable hitting all the cliches they could muster, but it is still definitely listenable as an album. Appropriately one of the stand out tracks is “The Curse of Mediocracy”
2.5 of 5 stars.
Released January 3rd, 2020
For the first time in over a decade Stabbing Westward returns with Dead & Gone. On the one hand, it proves they aren’t in fact Dead & Gone—particularly for the fans of their original run which ended in the early 2000s. That said the music hasn’t progressed in any notable way. But I suspect it’s not meant to. It’s a trip down nostalgia lane, for those old enough to remember them. Given their spotty “reunion” gigs over the past three years, I suspect they’re testing the waters for a new album to fuel themselves and long term fans—this is a five-song EP with only three new tracks and two remixes. If that’s the case fine. Their fanbase should be happy these songs fit nicely in their existing back catalog, but it’s unlikely they will win over many new fans with the approach.
4 of 5 stars.
