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Review – Gun Barrel: Brace for Impact

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Germany’s Gun Barrel isn’t too well acknowledged outside of their homeland, but over the years they have proven to be a force to be reckoned with. Since their debut in 2001, three years after the group formed, they have been releasing a solid mixture of Heavy Metal and Power Metal, and what reviews you happen across will back this fact up. For their 2012 release, Brace for Impact, they have parted ways with Limb Music, and find themselves working with well known Metal label giant Massacre Records. But, does this unacknowledged group stick to their gun with this latest offering, or is there more of a change at play here than just a record contract?
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Review – Hammer Fight: Demo 2011

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After the passing of Abacinate vocalist Jason Sica, the band decided to go on hiatus. In that time, a new group formed from the ashes. Todd Stern and Justin Spaeth come together with Drew Murphy and Rob Guidotti to form a new Hard Rock meets Hardcore throwback group named Hammer Fight. Composed of several new offerings, Hammer Fight present their 2011 Demo to the world. But, is this demo something the world needs, or do the former band members take this into a more Death ‘n Roll direction (which is what you might assume looking at their Stereokiller biography and taking previous band history into account)?
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Review – Skeletonwitch: Forever Abomination

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Skeletonwitch return to their fans with their fourth full-length album, Forever Abomination. This much anticipated outing finds the band still signed to Prosthetic Records, their home since 2007’s successful Beyond the Permafrost. After a series of singles and an entry to the Decibel Magazine Flexi Series, the hard work in the studio has finally made it’s ways to the hands of their fans everywhere. But, was this all time well spent, or does Forever Abomination find the group dropping the ball?
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Interview – Al-Namrood

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After being floored by Al-Namrood‘s album Estorat Taghoot, I was given the opportunity to shoot some interview questions over to the band thanks to Shaytan Records. Below are the responses from them.
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Review – Heirs: Fowl

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For some reaso, given the band name of Heirs and this album title, Fowl, it led plenty of people, myself included, to think that this were some kind of Black Metal band. That is, until the artwork caught the eyes of these individuals, being a man clad in what appears to be some kind of The Ultimate Warrior-like suit and make up, which actually is meerly paint running down the face of the man in the cover. Clearly, that’s not what this is. Instead, and more suitingly, Heirs proves to be a rather competant Ambient/Drone act that brings a sort of high end artistic vibe to their music. The Melbourne-based group stormed onto the scene back in 2009 with their debut, Alchera, which received plenty of rave reviews for the style the band plays, so anticipations were high for fans with the band’s follow-up, Fowl, and in a sense, the band didn’t really drop the ball there.
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