Oh look, it’s been over a month since my last post.
Related: I don’t really know if I like blog writing anymore?
Best of 2019: Dan still likes metal, but maybe not writing?
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Best of 2019: Chris’s Honorable Mentions List
No meandering preamble. Too much of 2019 was utter shit, and music was the salve to my battered and bruised soul. Last week I touted 19 albums that helped me cope with the personal and global tragedies that the year brought, and this week brings another 15 records that, while not formally ranked all can on a given day act as my #26, or even my #1. Don’t try to find reason or logic in a list. Not only is it all subjective, but it’s all subject to change on a dime, on a given moment when the axis spins and tries to buck you off into orbit, and all you can cling to is the fragment of a melody, a riff or a lyric that tethers you to the world, keeps you grounded and ready for another day.
Enough. Let’s do this. Continue reading
Nine Circles ov…Power Metal in 2019
It’s been a hot minute since this site dove into the hallowed halls of power metal. Sure, there was that Rhapsody of Fire review a few months ago, and if you’ve been listening to our monthly Album of the Month podcast we can’t stop talking about how great the latest Gloryhammer is (seriously, it’s great…so much so that we’re not even including it in this post but giving it the header. Run, don’t walk to check out Legends From Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex), but this year’s been a bit of a slog regarding content, let alone content for that most triumphant of genres. So let’s rectify that with this edition of Nine Circles ov…and talk about some of the great power metal in 2019. Continue reading
Nine Circles ov…More Recent Albums I Only Have Time to Review in One Sentence
Well, we’re here again. Another deadline looming and another herculean pile of promos and new releases to get through. Gotta have an opinion on it all, man! Gotta get your view HEARD on the Net of Inter, the tangled web of social media that serves as the roaring voice of the DISCERNING MASS! Nuance? Never heard of it! Just shout AS LOUD AS YOU CAN ABOUT WHATEVER HALF-FORMED THOUGHT YOU HAVE IN YOUR BRILLIANT HEAD SO EVERYONE KNOWS YOU WERE FIRST! YOU WERE THERE AT THE BEGINNING! NO ONE CAN FOOL YOU!
What the hell…let’s join the Body Eclectic and get our malnourished and quivering need for acceptance and acknowledgement out there. And since considered thinking is at a premium, let’s keep this edition of Nine Circles ov snappy once again with one-sentence summaries of nine recent releases. Continue reading
Another Glorious Battle Awaits: Frank’s Most Anticipated Albums of 2018
Happy New Year, friends! 2018 is finally here and I am officially calling it “The Year of Awesome!” Will I be thinking that at the end of the year? Who knows. My resolution was to be more positive about myself this year, and I’m gonna stick to it, dagnabbit! One thing I definitely know is that this year should be full of metal goodness, especially Power Metal. In fact, the Zelda-themed progressive power metal band Master Sword released their debut album on January 2nd, so check it out if you wish. This article is all about anticipated albums, however, and my excitement is very, very high. My list is pretty big and covers several metal sub-genres, but I’m not much of a writer and if I go on too long I keep using the same words over and over, so let’s cut this short and get to the list. Continue reading
Nine Circles 