| Bal Sagoth | Review and Rating
| The power Cosmic |
This is the latest offering from Bal sagoth and carries on from
where the previous album Battle Magic left off. If you enjoyed the last album from this fantasy based band
then you will no dobt enjoy this offering. The sound quality of this album seems to have improved since the
last album as well. Overall this is an epic journey featuring what I would say are some of the
best keyboards I have ever heard from any metal band. The lyrics are as usual way out there! To these ears,
this is a great album and very enjoyable to listen to when you are in the mood
for some fantasy based futuristic mayhem! | Rating - 8 Battle Magic |
The album saw Bal Sagoth using more keyboards than ever before
and using heavy guitars in acompaniment. This release is very enjoyable and again features many
tempo changes and keeps things interesting throughout for those that like their metal with great doses of cheese!
Me, I think it's great! | Rating - 8 A black mood broods over Lemuria |
The first album from these warriors is less refined than the
later releases. Still it is still good stuff! The keyboards are as usual way out there
and the vocals are a bit more growly than on the later albums. | Rating - 7 Balance of Power |
| Book Of Secrets
| 
This album is what you would call progressive metal with hints of a concept.
Some of the songs follow a theme based on subliminal messages existing within the bible that would apparently
go on to predict some of the major events of the last 2000 years. Hence the title Book of secrets. The music here is fairly classy
as you would expect from a prog metal band. the vocals are high pitched as you would expect and sometimes can be a bit annoying. The production
for this disc is very good and the level of musicianship is also top notch. Fans of progresive rock and metal would enjoy this CD. | Rating - 7 Believer |
| Dimensions |
I hardly listen to this CD as there are many better CDs to listen to in my collection. However it is a fairly unique album from
a unique band. Believer are a Christian Death metal band with progresive leanings. The vocals are fairly standard death metal growls but fit the music quite well.
The songs are fairly devoid of speed, however there are plenty of time changes and some nice keyboard touches to add dexterity. The lyrics are Christian, however they are not preachy at all.
The songs are fairly catchy, however it can be a bit of a long haul at times when listening to this disk. Not bad at all. | Rating - 6 Benediction |
| Transcend The Rubicon |
This is a decent effort from this English death metal band. The sound quality is not great, however that does
not take anything away from the songs. speaking of the music, it is all fairly standard catchy death metal with some melody. The vocals are growled as expected with
some interesting lyrics from time to time. The riffs are decent and will get heads banging on occasions when they get into a groove. There is some technicality involved though not overly so.
A decent death metal album from Benediction. | Rating - 7 Grind Bastard |
This album sees Benediction taking a much straighter and simpler death metal style. The songs feature heavy guitars
and death vocals over the top. This is fairly catchy stuff that most metal fans can get into. My favourite song is the title track Grind Bastard.
There is some insane riffs here that gets the blood pumping. A decent fairly catchy death metal CD. | Rating - 7 Black Sabbath |
| Heaven and Hell
| Classic album with Dio doing the vocals. Some very good songs with the
famous riffs of Tony Iommi
| Vol. 4
| Perhaps the best Black Sabbath album if you listen to the fans of the band
and a heavy metal classic. I have to admit Iam not a massive fan of Sabbath although the riffing is legendary!
| Rating - 7 Sabbath bloody Sabbath
| Famous Black sabbath album with as usual many classic riffs.
| Rating - 7 Cross Purposes
| A fairly weak album with Tony Martin doing the vocals. Some good songs here and there.
| Rating - 5 Black star |
| Barbed wire Soul
| Ex Carcass doing heavy metal mixed with rock influences. I enjoy it!
| Rating - 7 Blaze |
| Silicon Messiah
| Wow! Blaze left Maiden and recorded his best album yet! This is damn heavy modern power metal
with a very clear and heavy production. The songs are mostly there as well, only a couple of boring tracks! Blaze's voice is well
suited to the music too. Maiden fans will perhaps be a bit shocked by the heaviness of this disk and Blaze's superior performance
since his 2 Maiden albums. Blaze Rules!
| Rating - 8 Black Symphony |
| Black Symphony
| This album can be classed as progressive metal without the need for fretboard histrionics. The band possesses a
good level of skill as with most prog metal bands. There is a fairly modern slant to some of the songs and everything sounds
fairly modern. Therefore there is no hint of any 80's type metal here. One or two of the songs are very good. Some of the others
tend to bore me a little. I hardly listen to this but if I do pick it up I always skip some tracks and head for the ones that kick ass! | Rating - 6 Blind Guardian |
| Imaginations from the other side |
Iam not a massive fan of Blind Guardian as many European metal fans are. They are a very decent melodic power metal band that
has as good a concept of fantasy as any, but the songs are not all that memorable. There are some great tracks here and some what i would term fillers.
The other Blind Guardian CD I have is well inferior to this so if I play any BG it would be this one. Vocals are sometimes very good, but when he screams it can be annoying to my tastes anyway.
The slower songs are the ones I tend to like best when there is harmony vocals in the chorus giving a majestic feel. This is a well played power metal album and fans of German style fantasy power metal will
find plenty to like about this. | Rating - 7 Follow the blind |
This is BG's second album and it is nowhere near as good as they would go on to become. Basically it is hell for leather speed
most of the way. They rarely slow down or hit any kind of rhythm that can get the old head banging. From time ti time there is a decent riff and some decent choruses
that make the songs catchy. The production is not great and everything seems to become a blur due to the speed at which everything is played. BG fans will probably like this
but it is obvious that it is not their best album by a long way. | Rating - 5 Bolt Thrower |
| For Victory.... |
This is what I call a great mid tempo british death metal album. Bolt Thrower have been playing
their brand of metal for a considerable amount of time and on this release they have perhaps made their best album.
The sound on this CD is very heavy and the guitars are heavy as fuck! The song arrangements are fully of catchy tempos that get you rocking. The lyrics are all
about war as expected from these guys. It suits the music down to the ground anyway. The songs are mostly devoid of all out speed. There are sections were speedy riffs are used but then they drop back in to a groove
to crush tyou with their heavyness. The best from Bolt Thrower. | Rating - 9 the IVth Crusade |
The album released before For Victory.. This album is almost as good as For Victory, however on this album the
songs are not quite as good as on For Victory. Everything else is practically on a par with For victory. For victory wins
due to the slightly better songs and heavier sound. This is a band that sticks to their style and plays death metal! | Rating - 8 Boston |
| Don't be afraid
| Released after the first Boston album and almost as good. Great sounds again mixed with catchy songs.
Hard rock fans will find plenty to excited about here and even some metallers might get in to this. For me it's a great follow up
to the first Boston album. | Rating - 8 Boston
| This is a hard rock classic. The sound quality is amazing for the time that
it was released. The songs are all good to great with superb vocals. All hard rock
albums of the 70's and 80's should be judged by this CD. | Rating - 10 |
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