Author Archives: Anders Ekdahl

BATTLE RAIDER ”S/T” (Fighter Records) This is old school heavy metal. In a way this is like a cross between Helloween’s speed metal and Exciter’s power heavy metal. It might be full of all clichés you can think of but I don’t really care. From the moment I saw the cover I knew that this was something that I would like and I was right. This is right up my alley. This is the stuff that makes me feel like I am 12 again. And it is also why I still listen to metal today. Nothing beats the feeling of … Continue reading

BLACKFINGER “When Colors Fade Away” (M-Theory Audio) To say that this is the new Trouble is to say too much. Because nobody can be the new Trouble. But this band does feature Eric Wagner, the Trouble vocalist. And this is doom. And bloody brilliant too. I really liked BLACKFINGER’s debut album from way back and this new one is no different. If you like Trouble as they sounded on that self titled Rick Rubin produced album you might not like this but if you liked the previous three then this will be right up your alley. Because this is just … Continue reading

CONCLUSION OF AN AGE ”Captains And Kings” (Dr Music Records) My sister keeps telling me to check out acts like Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium and I just keep refusing. I guess I should cave in and give them a chance because so many new bands are being influenced by them. Germany’s CONCLUSION OF AN AGE being one. But I have an inherent resistance to the tag modern metal. Because when I listen to this I just hear old NWOBHM bands. The way I do when I have heard a Trivium track or two. I don’t hear anything modern in that. … Continue reading

DYSCARNATE ”With All Their Might” (Unique Leader Records) This is a name that I recognize yet don’t know if I’ve heard or just read about them. This is their third album and it is full of bone hard death metal. And not the death metal I kinda expect from a British band. Not that I am complaining. This is brutally brilliant but it does bring up bands from Poland and the US and Sweden when I listen to this. And even though we live in a globalized world I still find it cool to hear a band that I can … Continue reading

HEROES DON’T ASK WHY ”S/T” () Every now and then along comes a band that totally surprises me. HEROES DON’T ASK WHY does not sound like what I expect a band from Finland to sound like. This is neither black metal nor power metal. I honestly don’t know where to place them on the map. Like an upbeat Katatonia without the melancholia. Nah, that is not right. It turns out to be a small conundrum to place this band in any compartment. Which in itself is a good thing. But an annoying good thing. But if you like your metal … Continue reading