U.S. Power metal is a rare commodity in America, perhaps even rarer than European imports, despite the title of this often misunderstood sub-genre. Unlike in Europe where neo-classical flavor and soaring melodies are the order of the day, U.S. Power Metal is much more subdued. While both regional power metal scenes have their base in [...]
While traditional metal is just becoming en vogue once again in America, it has become relatively commonplace in Europe and Japan to see these retro bands of this type. One such band, Finland’s Armour has released a brand new album that is truly classic metal incarnate. Echoing bands such as Running Wild, W.A.S.P., Exciter, Grim [...]
Legendary German power metallers, Gamma Ray, are back with their latest studio effort since 2007’s Land of the Free II which AMR’s Cole panned as stereotypically awful power metal. I consider myself to be a bit of a power metal buff, so I figured I’d take point on this review and see if Kai and [...]
I have to preface this review by stating that the reaction this album is both amazing, but also a bit “over the top,” not because the band doesn’t deserve it, but because most of us American metal fans are fucking assholes when it comes to respecting our musical heritage. The same people who bought the [...]
Initially when one goes to the VTT Myspace page, you are greeted with a site that is laughably stereotypical of underground nu-metal acts. I was so turned off by VTT’s page that I almost hit the “back” button on my browser, but then I realized how much a jack ass move that would be. I [...]
Dream Evil is one of my favorite traditional/power metal bands of all time. Dream Evil has managed, over the entirety of their career to play into virtually every single stereotype of European power metal with pride, and has come out on top with every album they have released by defying the odds against them in [...]
When I first encountered Dethlehem, I just had to laugh. I was sent a promo from the band and checked out their Myspace, and what I found was just too good to be true, a bunch of guys from Pittsburgh dawning medieval fantasy costumes like they are about to go on a LARPing conquest. And [...]
Doro Pesch is well known for one thing, being a hot, confident vocalist within the heavy metal genre. Starting out in the German group Warlock, Doro achieved some notoriety, most notably some video coverage on MTV (again, mainly because she was a talented hot vocalist with some decent musical companions), but her real claim to [...]
Toronto based APE features a groove based metal that goes beyond regular “groove metal” ala Machine Head or Pantera. Nay, this is much more traditional, this is traditional metal with a groove flare yet without the sex appeal that glam rock/metal had in the 80’s. APE have recently ushered in their second full length Survival [...]
Yup. This right here. See where I’m pointing? You mean you don’t see the blazing piece of metal that I am pointing at? Ah well, I guess I’ll just describe it to you then. Toronto based Cauldron, traditional in execution represent the remnants of equally compelling Goat Horn whom I had the opportunity to see [...]
