Nuclear Blast Records – Page 23

Disbelief – 66Sick – Review

June 1, 2005

A few glorious moments here and there to spice up an otherwise completely listenable, completely interchangeable brutal metal band.

Sonata Arctica – Reckoning Night – Review

May 15, 2005

Guitar work is fantastic, the song-crafting is good. Power metal’s inherent cheesiness factor is present throughout. Like a bad guest, it overstays its welcome.

Mnemic – The Audio Injected Soul – Review

April 18, 2005

Progressive Swedish thrash (although they’re from Denmark), with industrial elements pushing it into the realm of artsy high-concept futuro-metal.

Demonoid – Riders of the Apocalypse – Review

April 11, 2005

Three Therion guys, plus acrobatic Soilwork drummer Rickard Evensand doing a sort of disciplined, sawed-off version of Swedish thrash or death metal revival.

Amorphis – Far From The Sun – Review

April 4, 2005

Enigmatic lead singer Pasi Koskinen’s swansong is an interesting, not altogether successful, return to heaviness, although it’s more la trip to a new heaviness.

Bleed the Sky – Paradigm Entropy – Review

April 4, 2005

Chugs and speedy parts and clean harmonies, all in the right places. Weird interludes and whispers and noise to show they’re deep.

Grave Digger – The Last Supper – Review

March 28, 2005

They’ve been humpin’ it out since the mid-’80s. In 20 years, they should’ve gotten a lot better than this. Mediocre then, mediocre now.

Apocalyptica – Reflections – Review

March 28, 2005

Love the concept (metal with cellos) but always kinda let down by the CDs. In ’96, they covered Metallica tunes. Maybe we’re waiting for something like that.

All Shall Perish – Hate Malice Revenge – Review

March 28, 2005

Death metal with Cookie Monster vocals. Another one. The band’s debut. Tight as shit, but most death metal is.

Hammerfall – Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken – Review

March 16, 2005

Swedish power metal, but a glance at the cover shoulda made that clear. Anyone into power metal or falsetto-layered heavy metal knows who these guys are.