Heavy metal

Guides, Primers, and Features

USPM Part II: Unsung Champions of the 80s

Welcome to Pt. II of my III part series on United States Power Metal! In Pt. I of my guide, “Marco’s Guide to USPM Part I: The Basics, Essentials, and Modern Heroes”, I discussed the essentials and modern champions of the genre. My goal with the previous section was to provide a solid introduction and base into USPM while also providing the best new releases to sink your teeth into. In this section of the guide, I aim to shed light on some of the 80s bands underneath the fold.

By Marco, ago
Lost in Time

Lost in Time: Shelton Chastain – Edge of Sanity (88 Demos) Review

It’s been three months since the legendary Mark Shelton of the epic metal titans Manilla Road passed to the other side. His sudden death made shock waves across the metal world. Mark was one of the kindest and most dedicated individuals out there – over four years of writing kick ass metal music without a hint of wavering. His never-ending devotion to music led him to a number of projects over the years in addition to his mainstay of Manilla Road – The Riddle Master and Hellwell to name a couple among a legion of others. One such project, buried long ago, was a collaboration with fellow US metal powerhouse David T. Chastain. Read more…

By Marco, ago
Lost in Time

Lost in Time: Santa – Reencarnación Review

It’s that wonderful time of year – there’s a fresh layer of pristine, white snow on the ground, the house is warm and cozy, mom’s baked some cookies, and your excitement is palpable. You can hardly contain it all. What could you have possibly gotten from the jolly old man this year? Could it be that toy truck that you see on every day time commercial? You just hope it’s not coal. You’ve been good this year! Hmm…maybe it’s a new football? No. It’s thirty eight minutes of pure speed metal. Merry Christmas! Read more…

By Marco, ago
New Releases

New Release Highlight: Sign of the Jackal – Breaking the Spell Review

Traditional Heavy Metal from Italy. The year is 1986 – heavy metal of all varieties is booming across the globe. There is a lot going on in the metal world and a number of historic releases are set to come out. Narrowing our scope a bit, Damien Thorne have just released their aggressive US power debut titled Sign of the Jackal and Warlock, the female-fronted traditional metal band from Germany, released their third record, True as Steel. For one modern Italian band, time has stood still and they are still living the glorious days of 1986. Read more…

By Marco, ago