Slipknot traffic in horror-show theatrics – on stage dressed in their fright masks and backed by the swirling energy of the band’s nine members, it can be a jaw-dropping, cathartic experience. On album, though, the band’s songs can feel monolithic without the accompanying visuals. Such is the case with All Hope Is Gone, Slipknot’s fourth record, an occasionally brilliant merging of metal riffs and melodic hooks that too often relies on generically nihilistic lyrics and unvaried musical arrangements to push across its pessimistic worldview.
Drowning in Doom
Put simply, All Hope Is Gone’s 12 son[......]

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Unia from Metal From Finland has written a review of the debut album of Cain’s Offering, “Gather The Faithful” and couple of excerpts can be read below:

After parting ways with Sonata Arctica in 2007, Jani Liimatainen started a new band with vocalist Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius, Kotipelto), keyboard player Mikko Harkin (Mehida, ex-Sonata Arctica, ex-Wingdom, ex-Kenziner), bassist Jukka Koskinen (Norther, Wintersun) and drummer Jani “Hurtsi” Hurula (Paul Di’Anno). Cain’s Offering released their first album, “Gather The Faithful” in July 200[......]

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Hailing from Andorra, a small country located in the pyrenees mountains between France and Spain, we now bring you one of the most exciting new acts on the evergrowing metal scene; Persefone. The band was formed in 2003 and, in just a year the first album was recorded, Truth Inside the Shades. Carlos Lozano (Guitar and voice for that cd), Miguel Espinosa (Keyboards and vocals)), Jordi Gorgues (guitar) and Toni Mestre (bass) parting from Death metal, through progressive passages and even acoustics, they demonstrated to have a great musicallity. Bands like Opeth, Symphony X or Cacophony are a re[......]

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Personally for me Axxis have always been a band of one single album. No, I don’t mean that there’s an album in their discography that stands out. They all are the same. Heard one Axxis album and you’ve heard it all. That’s not bad when a band shows enviable consistency with each following release, but I’ve got some problems with them now.
Yes, the singer is definitely the highlight here: he’s charismatic, emotional and he sounds very original too (this means that you can always tell that’s Bernhard Weiß singing – the voice is so characteristic). [......]

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“Japanese Hospitality” is the title of the fourth album from Children of Bodom keyboardist Janne Wirman’s Warmen project. The album is going to be released August 24 via Spinefarm Records. The album includes two cover versions — “Separate Ways”, originally recorded by Journey, and “Black Cat” by Janet Jackson. The guest musicians that appear on the CD include Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom), Pasi Rantanen (Ex-thunderstone), Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius), Jonna Kosonen, Marko Vaara.

Tracklist
“Japanese Hospitality” (Instrumental)
“Eye [......]

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