Metal listeners are divided into two camps: those who consider Pantera’s Power Metal album their best work, and those who don’t. While Pantera achieved commercial success and critical acclaim from their fifth album onwards, they have always been at the center of debate among metal fans. In this sense, for some, this album was Pantera’s last spark before they "fell from grace," for others, it’s a meaningless album made before the "real" Pantera appeared, something they’d rather hide. And then, there are the relatively few who find it to be a "decent" album that, while not as good as their later works, hints at their future direction. Due to this background, the album has been… More
Kill 'Em All is Metallica’s historic debut album, and some even regard it as their best work. Overall, it delivers solid music. Released before Metallica defined thrash metal with Ride the Lightning in the summer of 1984 and before Slayer did so with Haunting the Chapel, also released in the summer of 1984, this album can be seen as a raw blend of early '80s speed metal, heavy metal, and some hard rock. This "rawness" gives the album its distinct character, and along with its historical significance, this is often why the album is held in such high esteem.
However, upon listening to the album as a whole, while it is undoubtedly a great record, it becomes clear that… More
This EP is undoubtedly one of the best NWOTHM releases of 2023. Though it’s a short record with only two tracks, each song offers its own distinct appeal, and the overall composition is highly satisfying. While their previous self-titled EP wasn’t bad, it couldn’t escape feeling like a mere replica of the '80s. In contrast, this EP firmly establishes their unique identity while significantly elevating the quality of their music, delivering top-tier NWOTHM.
The tracks "Rogue Warrior" and "La Fuerza Negra" each demonstrate different characteristics. The former emphasizes a more melodic side with a mid-tempo pace, while the latter stands out with its faster, speedier execution. Both songs stick to a traditional structure, with repeating verses and… More
Intranced is definitely a band worthy of attention among the NWOTHM acts of the 2020s. Fundamentally, this band knows how to craft genuine "heavy metal riffs." In a genre where straying too far from the legacy of the '80s is often seen as a flaw, Intranced has a strong grasp of what traditions to preserve. However, the NWOTHM genre should not merely be a simplistic, anachronistic revival of music from 30 to 40 years ago—just as the Renaissance was not a mere copy of Greco-Roman antiquity, NWOTHM must be a "new" rebirth to find its true significance. This is where the EP leaves something to be desired.
Excluding the intro "Ángeles Nocturnos" and the outro "Danza Macabra," this EP… More
To put it bluntly, this is a thoroughly mediocre heavy metal album. Messiah's Blessing is the debut album by Honjoh Misako, featuring members of Loudness. Given the reputation of her and the Loudness members, one could say they’ve managed to produce a somewhat listenable album, but that’s about as far as its merits go. There are a few moments where some striking riffs emerge, but they are fleeting and fail to elevate the overall composition of the songs. The larger structures of the tracks are not even worth discussing. Moreover, the album’s cover tracks—which make up 60% of the total content (though whether we can truly call them "covers" when they’re essentially Loudness songs, minus… More
This album is quite perplexing. While a small number of people may have liked it, the general consensus, especially among Celtic Frost's early fans, is that Cold Lake is a complete misstep. However, I wonder whether the music itself is as baffling as some of the song titles, lyrics, or even the glitzy band photos in the booklet—quite the departure from their usual monochrome aesthetic—suggest. While this album does stray far from the trajectory set by earlier works like Morbid Tales or To Mega Therion, when you place it in the context of its chaotic predecessor, Into the Pandemonium, it doesn’t feel like such a wild departure after all.