Tag Archives: The Blog Of Much Metal

Welcome to the third and final part of my round-up, looking at the best albums to have been released during the first half of 2017. It is an eclectic list overall, where there’s room for extreme metal and progressive rock alike. But for someone who has wide-ranging tastes with a rock and metal framework, this  Continue Reading »

Welcome to part 2 of my round-up of the best album releases during the first half of 2017. The choices are in no particular order because I don’t want to spoil the surprise for my end of year countdown in December. If you missed ‘Part 1’, it can be viewed here: Half-way through 2017 –  Continue Reading »

The Blog of Much Metal is nothing if not predictable. But, what it lacks in spontaneity, it makes up for with quality writing, brilliant wit, incisive articles and a bucket load of irony and modesty. As a result, I return with my usual mid-year round-up of the best music that has been released between January  Continue Reading »

Artist: Cosmograf Album Title: The Hay-Man Dreams Label: Cosmograf Music Date Of Release: 14 July 2017 When I reviewed ‘The Unreasonable Silence’, the fifth album from Robin Armstrong under the Cosmograf moniker, it was my first real exposure of this project. I really enjoyed that record and still listen to it on a relatively regular  Continue Reading »

Artist: Orden Ogan Album Title: Gunmen Label: AFM Records Date of Release: 7 July 2017 This is getting embarrassing. Over the past couple of decades, I have built up what I would like to think is a fairly extensive and varied knowledge of vast swathes of the heavy metal world, even occasionally veering into rockier  Continue Reading »

Artist: Iced Earth Album Title: Incorruptible Label: Century Media Records Date Of Release: 16 June 2017 The phrase ‘only time will tell’ features a lot in music reviews, certainly in mine. Over the years, I’ve had to listen to hundreds of albums and put pen to paper in double-quick time to submit my thoughts in  Continue Reading »

Artist: Anathema Album Title: The Optimist Label: Kscope Date of Release: 9 June 2017 Anathema is one of my top 5 bands of all time. As such, their new full-length release, ‘The Optimist’ is easily my most highly anticipated album release of 2017. Put simply, Anathema are a band that speaks to me. They are  Continue Reading »

Artist: Sólstafir Album Title: Berdreyminn Label: Season of Mist Date of Release: 26 May 2017 Being unexpectedly blown away by an album can be one of the best feelings where music is concerned. The rush of adrenaline that courses through your veins when you realise that you have uncovered a new gem in your own  Continue Reading »

Artist: Dream Evil Album Title: Six Label: Century Media Date Of Release: 26 May 2017 Dream Evil have been knocking around the metal scene for many years, having been created before the millennium by the renowned Studio Fredman producer Fredrik Nordström. It was his burning desire to create his own power metal band and Dream  Continue Reading »

Artist: Avatarium Album Title: Hurricanes And Halos Label: Nuclear Blast Date Of Release: 26 May 2017 ‘Hurricanes And Halos’ is the title given to the third studio release from Swedish doomsters Avatarium, a band that was formed in the minds of Leif Edling (Candlemass) and Marcus Jidell (ex-Evergrey, Soen) before becoming a reality in 2012.  Continue Reading »