metal

Listen Up Gen Xers: Satan Ain’t (Taylor) Swift

Listen Up Gen Xers: Satan Ain’t (Taylor) Swift

I first heard about Slayer in a church in Mississippi. The sermon warned of metal’s Satanic influence. Now we old head-banging Gen Xers are afraid of Taylor Swift?

Fire-Toolz’s ‘Breeze’ Dares to Imagine Joy Within Chaos

Fire-Toolz’s ‘Breeze’ Dares to Imagine Joy Within Chaos

It’s a rare artist indeed who can turn tools for expressing existential dread toward a grateful appreciation of life, but Fire-Toolz accomplishes this on Breeze.

MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of June 2024

MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of June 2024

In June’s best metal, Crypt Sermon offer hooks in doom form, Insect Ark stay on the experimental path, and Ulcerate offer despair with technical death metal.

MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of May 2024

MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of May 2024

In May’s best metal, the Hope Conspiracy return to pure hardcore form, Unleash the Archers claim power metal fame and Primitive Warfare declare war against all.

Slash’s Orgy of Destruction [or] ‘Blues Your Illusion’

Slash’s Orgy of Destruction [or] ‘Blues Your Illusion’

Orgy of the Damned finds Slash and his many guests bashing through the most over-played blues standards with the subtlety and grace of Axl Rose in a china shop.

MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of April 2024

MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of April 2024

In April’s best metal, Locrian fully establish their return, Benighted adorn their anguish in their darkened past, and Inter Arma lead in extreme metal.

Avant-Metal’s Lords of Terror: Fantômas’ Eponymous Debut at 25

Avant-Metal’s Lords of Terror: Fantômas’ Eponymous Debut at 25

Fantômas stand as one of the most audacious music projects of the 1990s. You almost wonder if the quasi-mainstreamish Faith No More held Mike Patton back.

MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of March 2024

MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of March 2024

In March’s best metal, Coffins and Slimelord define death/doom glory, Misotheist find beauty in raw black metal ugliness, and Prisoner attack the senses.

‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Turns the Volume All the Way Up to 40

‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Turns the Volume All the Way Up to 40

The 1984 rockumentary, or mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap is a prophetic parody where one can laugh about, laugh at, and be laughed at all at the same time.

Judas Priest Are Almost Invincible with This Shield

Judas Priest Are Almost Invincible with This Shield

Judas Priest are synonymous with classic metal, even if recent releases are less memorable, their music still pulverizes most of the competition.