Van Halen’s ‘1984’ Represents the Past, Present, and Future
The era of hard rock and metal Van Halen ushered peaked and fell when the 1980s ended, but comes back again as classic rock for today’s 13-year-olds.
metal
MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of December 2023
In best metal albums, Nothing and Full of Hell complete their unio oppositorum, Panopticon drive Appalachian folk through black metal and Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze decimate all.
A Full Remix Makes Deafheaven’s ‘Sunbather’ Worth Revisiting
Deafheaven’s Sunbather was the first time a black metal act broke through the clutter of heavy metal releases to be appreciated outside of the genre’s fans.
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The 20 Best Metal Albums of 2023
This has proved a fantastic year for heavy music and metal, with masters impressing and newer artists shining. These are the best metal albums of 2023.
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MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of November 2023
In best metal albums, Cruciamentum ignite the old-school death metal flame, Morne merge hardcore and post-metal, and Autarkh commit to industrial machinations.
Gnaw Their Tongues – ‘The Cessation of Suffering’ (album premiere)
Gnaw Their Tongues: “We live in difficult times. This album needed to sound this way. I programmed and mangled sounds until they sounded harsh enough.”
Myrkur Rejects What Came Before on ‘Spine’
After an unimpeachable run of Scandinavian black metal and folk albums across the 2010s, it’s not yet clear what Myrkur will be here in this decade.
Experience Vanishing Kids’ Hazy Doom Psychedelia (premiere)
Vanishing Kids take a dreamy approach that elevates Miracle of Death, giving it a hallucinogenic presence but without sacrificing weight or momentum.
MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of October 2023
The best metal albums feature Cirith Ungol with their heavy doom tank, Krieg back to black metal fundamentals, and much more that October has to offer.
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MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of September 2023
September’s best metal albums are really all about death metal. Not only the volume, but the sheer quality of these works is nothing short of astounding.
Primordial’s Spirit Is Tied to Eire’s Proud and Tumultuous History
Primordial’s music is painfully emotive. Musically, vocally, and thematically, they span nihilism, grief, anger, acceptance, and regret on How It Ends.
Cannibal Corpse Brutalize at an Apex Predator Level on ‘Chaos Horrific’
Every track on Cannibal Corpse’s new LP has an individual feel under granular inspection and speaks to their expert songcraft and confidence of identity.