Album Reviews


Review: INCITE – ‘Built To Destroy’ [Track Stream]

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Returning with their fifth studio album, Incite brings the heavy with ‘Built to Destroy’ – scheduled for release on January 25th, 2019 via Minus Head Records. Veteran producer Steve Evetts (Suicide Silence, The Dillinger Escape Plan), who also produced the band’s previous release ‘Oppression’ (2016), lends his hand once again on the new record. The sound is straight ahead groove/thrash for the most part on ‘Built to Destroy,’ in the vein of heavyweights like Machine Head, Devildriver, and Slipknot, minus any cringeworthy tough guy posturing sometimes found in such acts – largely in part due to Richie Cavalera’s authentic, yet outright punishing, vocal delivery and lyricism that avoids all possible pitfalls of going over-the-top in a forced attempt to sound “extreme.” The extremeness of the music comes through in its own organic way without any gimmickry or image to maintain – it’s just flat-out, badass metal. Continue reading →

PUPPY – ‘The Goat’ [Album Review + Video Stream]

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There have been few bands to have such a powerful breakthrough album such as Puppy have. The UK based rockers have experienced their fair share of success in their respective country but now their infectious disease of tones and melodies is starting to spread stateside, and we have your inside scoop on the hottest young group of Brits in the word right now. Their long-awaited debut album, “The Goat,” is set to release everywhere via Spinefarm Records on January 25th. This group has demonstrated a multitude of experimentation in their music and their debut effort is nothing short of jaw-dropping. A combination of earth-shattering riffs, earworm melodies, and their go-it-alone, can-do attitude is a testament to their drive to succeed. In a world full of modern rock copycats, these guys just have something.. these guys HAVE that, “IT,” factor that a lot of young artists strive to have. It’s like these guys can hit you with the hardest left hook in the world on a riff and turn right around into a chorus that will make you helplessly smile and sing along. Frontman and guitarist Jock Norton explains that they love heavier bands that seem to have something smarter going on below the surface level of their music, “but we also love pretty dumb bands, too!”

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Stone’s Top Ten Albums of 2018

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With what passes for rock and roll nowadays, who could really blame those that say the genre is dead or dying? But if you scratch just a little bit deeper, you’ll find there is a whole new generation of artists well versed in the finer points of classic rock, penning brand new messages in fifty year old ink. Greta Van Fleet may have garnered the lion’s share of hedgerow bustling from the mainstream, but there was a bumper crop of retro-leaning acts in 2018 proving there will always be plenty of room for bands that want to wrap themselves in velvets and party like it’s 1974. It was tough to whittle the whole year down to ten releases, and even tougher to rank them. But after countless hours of analysis, these are the best things I heard this year; if you don’t think they make ‘em like they used to, you need to check this shit out.

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Count Doom’s Top Ten Albums Of 2018

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Between the exceptional work of underground bands such as Deviated State and Wax Lead (who both released vastly different but equally awesome releases) to mainstream heroes such as Judas Priest, 2018 has shaped up to be another very strong year for rock and heavy metal! Here is my list of favorite rock/metal releases of 2018! Continue reading →

Review: PISSWAND – ‘Apex Prisoner’ [Song Stream]

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Seattle is the birthplace of grunge, but Pisswand is putting the city on the map for a totally different genre. The 3 piece band creates a fusion of heavy punk and metal that fits together seamlessly. In 2017 the band released their debut in the form of a self-titled 4 track EP. The band also got the attention of the label Amerikan Aesthetics who will be releasing the Pisswand’s upcoming album ‘Apex Prisoner’ which boasts 10 jaw shattering tracks. The new album was engineered and mixed by Robert Cheek at No-Count Studios in their hometown of Seattle, Washington and  mastered by Blake Bickel at Dynamic Sound Service Mastering Studio also in Seattle. ‘Apex Prisoner’ will be released digitally as well as on cassette on February 9, 2019. The band has a show already booked on the date ‘Apex Prisoner’ releases, you can see the band live that night as well as pick up your copy of the cassette too. See them live on Saturday February 9th at Fat Cat Records with Great Falls, City of Industry and Trash Cult.  Continue reading →

Top 10 Albums Of 2018 [Assistant Editor Picks]

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With so many great metal album releases in 2018 to choose from, it was no easy task to narrow them down to the 10 best. Last year seemed to offer something for every musical taste, with standout record drops representing every current sub-genre. For my list, I went in with the intention of exploring as outside-the-box as I could, while still honoring the albums which I believe to be some of 2018’s strongest that mostly fall under the vast umbrella of metal. This list will no doubt seem like an eclectic one for some, as it does cover a fairly wide range of styles from technical death metal, hardcore, progressive metal, black metal, and funeral doom (just to name a few). So, with that in mind, here are my picks for top 10 metal albums of 2018: Continue reading →

Adam Cox’s Top 10 Albums Of 2018!

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My memories of 2018 are inextricably linked to amazing music.  Life has been fairly unremarkable, but for the sonic highways I have followed which led to me writing for the great Metal Nexus site. Thank you Fist, for taking me on and for the whole team being like family. I am blessed that I can creatively vent through this fantastic site.

This year has seen my love for Metal music being well and truly filled. It has been another bumper year and I hope my top album picks make for interesting reading and lead to people listening to the albums.  Whatever you do, please support the artists and I look forward to even more great music in 2019.

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Review: JINJER – ‘Micro’ [Video Stream]

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Ukrainian prog/metalcore act Jinjer return with ‘Micro,’ the band’s newest offering that essentially packs an entire album’s worth of punch into five devastating tracks. The EP, scheduled to be released on January 11th, 2019 via Napalm Records, combines many of the familiar elements that fans have come to know and love while, at times, diving a bit deeper into the prog realm, primarily in the form of more technical experimentation. ‘Micro’ is a clear indicator of Jinjer’s maturation as musicians and a solid milestone for what appears to be a band entering their sonic prime. Continue reading →

Review: INSANITY ALERT – ‘666-Pack’ [Official Video + Tracks Streaming]

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Austrian crossover thrashers Insanity Alert will release their new full-length, ‘666-Pack’, on January 25th via Season Of Mist. “Forged in Innsbruck in 2011 and influenced by the likes of S.O.D., D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies, Nuclear Assault, Bones Brigade, Municipal Waste, and Toxic Holocaust, Insanity Alert are the kind of people who know what to bring to a party: a big dose of humor with a dash of darkness, party tunes, and a six pack. It’s these ingredients that make up the basis of the band’s third full-length. A relentless, twenty-one-track ripper, ‘666-Pack’ brings the classic spirit of speed metal’s salad days back with savage metal precision. Ultra-catchy riffs, vicious vocals, and empowering gang vocals are packed into short, sharp rapid-fire attacks delivering everything great about thrash in spades.” ‘666-Pack’ was produced and mixed by Toni Meloni Loitsch (Die Toten Hosen, Silbermond, H-Blockx) at Nautilus Sounds Studio, mastered by Dan Randall (Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Ghoul, Cannabis Corpse) at Mammoth Sound Mastering and comes wrapped in the gruesome cover creation of Mark Riddick (Rotting Christ, Horrendous, Revocation, etc.). Continue reading →

Review: KING DIAMOND – ‘Songs For The Dead Live’

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The King is back! After a long wait, King Diamond has returned with ‘Songs for the Dead Live,’ which is the first thing KD has released since 2007’s ‘Give Me Your Soul….Please.’ On January 25th, KD will release a new DVD/Blu-ray ‘Songs for the Dead Live’ via Metal Blade Records. Here is some official info summarizing what to expect from this extensive collection of music and footage: Continue reading →