The End 2008 Japanese band Dir en Grey have been cranking out their bizarre and exciting brand of chaotic metal for over a decade. If I was slowly going insane then I imagine that this album would be very appropriate soundtrack to that journey. The band manages to tap into normal even soothing moments, but they quickly break open the shell and various sounds and tones coming spilling o...
More >
Self-Produced 2008 "One of us" is the fourth release from Seattle's Underride. However their sound is much more rooted in the rooted in the glitz of 80's hard rock from the LA area. However, don't get it into your mind that they are a direct copy of those big-haired bands of two decades ago. No, this band sounds more like a descendant of that style. Certainly they are influenced by the...
More >
Here you go. AC/DC-Black Ice vs. Guns n' Roses-Chinese Democracy ***So which cover do you prefer?
More >
Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Zebulon Pike is an instrumental prog-doom metal band that formed in late 2002. I recently had the opportunity to interview guitarist Erik Fratzke to find out more. MM-Please introduce the members of your band and tell what instrument you play. Erik Bolen on drums. Morgan Berkus, guitar, Erik Fratzke, guitar and our newest member Tom Berg on bass. MM-...
More >
The End 2008 Two years since the release of their last album, "The Arockalypse", Lordi return with their fourth studio album "Deadache". What we get this time around is an album with possibly less hype surrounding it although their approach has not changed all that much. They still seem to put more effort into their image than they do into their music. That's not to say that the music i...
More >
Okay this is the third year that I have done this and it's always a joy to give words of praise to those who deserve it so here we go in no real order. Metal Mind Records-Yes, I did pick them last year as well and they have earned it again. This European record label has always done a fine job with all of their re-issues and 2008 was no exception. This year saw great re-issues of album f...
More >
ZOE/Rounder 2008 Let's see, I guess I should preface this review with a couple admissions on my part so you know where I stand. I am a long time Rush fan, but it's also been a long time since I have been very thrilled with their studio efforts. Last year's Snakes and arrows was no exception as I anticipated it's release and it had some moments, but it was quickly filed away on the back...
More >
Metal Mind 1994/2008 Following "Scream of Death" Dragon decided to end their partnership with MMP. They felt that they had achieved everything we could while working with them. However,cancelling unfulfilled recording contracts brings about some harsh consequences. For two years the band was unable to release their new material. They also lacked live performances and during the whole year...
More >
Metal Mind 1988/2008 Poland's Dragon would eventually be one of the scene's pioneers in death metal. They formed in 1984 and went through some line-up changes before settling down and recording their debut "Horde of Gog" in 1988. Humble beginnings indeed as the quality of this album are of demo quality at best. The music finds Dragon playing a style that's much more thrash than death metal...
More >
DMV 2008 David Vaccaro played all of the guitars, bass, keyboards, programmed the drum machine and he sang on about half of the tracks. Not completely a one man show though as he brought in Robin McAuley (MSG, Survivor) to sing on the other songs. This is blues based hard rock with a heavy Aerosmith influence from both the late 1970's and the late 1980's plus some Zeppelin style groove...
More >
Powerage 2008 Viking Skull have been in existence for around five years and they have a few releases out. I love the band name and this album title plus the combination had me thinking this was going to be rough and aggressive punch in the face style of album. Unfortunately it's not that powerful so it's more like a slightly hard punch to the shoulder I guess as they hit some, but it's o...
More >
Blackberry Smoke hail from Atlanta, Georgia and play a killer brand of Southern Rock. I recently had the chance to interview them and find out more. MM-Please introduce the members of your band and tell what instrument you play.Tell us a little about the history of your band. Charlie Starr: vocals, guitar Paul Jackson: guitar, vocals Richard Turner: bass, vocals Brit Turner: drums ...
More >
Locomotive/AFM 2008 This supergroup of sorts includes vocalist Nils K. Rue (Pagan's Mind), bassist Magnus Rosen (Hammerfall), guitarists Andy LaRocque (King Diamond), Reeves Garels (Tin Machine, David Bowie) and rounding out the line-up is drummer Big Swede. Rosen called this "heavy metal for the year 3005". Well, if that is true then would metal won't be progressing a whole lot in the nex...
More >
Metal Mind 1983/2008 By 1983 Tank were still stomping ahead and this time Ward and the Brabbs brothers recruited a second guitar player in Mick Tucker. The metal scene in general may have been changing some, but "This means war" saw Tank sticking wholeheartedly to the same style of their previous releases. They continued to crank out unpolished and raw metal tunes like "Hot lead, cold ...
More >
Legacy 2008Santana (the man) has almost unbelievably been working at his legendary career for about four decades. This two disc set includes songs all picked by Carlos Santana himself. Now he has of course released other collections, but this one isn't a "greatest hits" exactly because we get a few more rare tracks. Santana has also re-recorded several key musical passages and adding new g...
More >
Exile on Mainstream/Southern2008 Beehover are a bass and drum duo that play an offbeat style of heavy music. Now they adore some good, raw and heavy riffs. Most of their songs begin around their love a big, meaty riff. After establishing that they then slowly begin to venture of his other directions yet they never loose site of that riff. At first I took this approach as being somewhat repet...
More >
I actually took off from work today so I could do stuff with my kids. However if I could dedicate my Halloween to just listening to music and needed six albums to make up my day then here are the ones I would choose and the playing order.1)Iron Maiden-The number of the beastMy favorite Maiden album and one of their darker albums as well.2)Black Sabbath-Vol. 4Any of the first six Sabbath albums...
More >
Heavy Artillery2008The first time I heard Enforcer was last year on the "Speed kills...again" compilation on which they contributed two songs. They were signed to Heavy Artillery records and their debut was actually towards the top of my list of releases that I was most looking forward to in 2008. The opener "Black Angel" comes pounding on like early Exciter only with slightly higher vocals. Ri...
More >
Pulverized2008 At the end of 2005 Closer rose from the ashes of Withered, they left previous setbacks behind and decided to make a fresh start under a new name. The style used here is heavy, technical music with a mix of thrash, death, black metal and even modern metal sounds. The playing is sharp and the vocals manage to be both smooth and aggressive depending on what is needed. The pace flo...
More >
Facedown 2008 Florida's Call to preserve play a heavy brand of hardcore that at times resembles classic hardcore more than today's hardcore or metal core. It is certainly more in the hardcore camp, but heavy enough to appeal to some metal fans as well. This is a very short album because eight of the thirteen tracks clock in at less than three minutes each. They go straight to the point thou...
More >
What is this? This page is an automated listing of all the articles published by Heavy Metal Time Machine. Check the articles out and visit the the Heavy Metal Time Machine site.
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
