gloomchen

How did it all begin? A love of music, a friend recognizing such, and a magical vacation to the middle of nowhere. Before they even met, mix CDs were exchanged. The Internet: so creepy, yet so functional. And it’s funny how something so simple can trigger two things: a reminder of music once loved but [...]

Website: Astral Doors The Inside Pulse: Astral Doors are back again out of Sweden with their latest effort, Astralism. The disc is deeply NWOBHM influenced with touches of King Diamond composition. Retro yet modern, Astral Doors tear through their material regardless of trends and seemingly dedicated to do their own thing. Positives: “From Satan With [...]

Website: Benedictum The Inside Pulse: Apparently, someone out there knows who Benedictum is — they’re opening a few dates in Europe for Guns ‘n’ Roses. Fresh out of Cali, the massive quintet is fronted by chanteuse Veronica Freeman, but not in the way you would imagine. Rather than your sullen Amy Lee or your dainty [...]

Website: Doro The Inside Pulse: Ms. Doro Pesch has been around the metal universe since her days with Warlock in the early ’80s, maintaining a steady following in Europe, and gaining the respect that comes with her longevity. The German metal queen stays strong with Warrior Soul, an album typical of her offerings: a testiment [...]

In the metal community, for many years above and beyond the Internet, the debates have raged: Metallica sucks. Megadeth sucks. Chimera sucks, Pantera sucks, Cradle of Filth sucks. In modern message boards, any one of those statements is likely to spark a battle lasting pages upon pages of argument where typically any points regarding the [...]

Website: OSI The Inside Pulse: Funny how one-offs can sometimes grow to take on a life of their own. Free is the second project of Jim Matheos of Fates Warning fame and Chroma Key/former Dream Theater keysman Kevin Moore, injecting a prog rock aesthetic into a more abstract and personal type of songwriting. Rich, ornate [...]

I got some TASTY hatemail from bands. The first was one of my MySpace band reviews. I actually was NICE to these guys, did not rip on them at all, just offered some constructive criticism should they be seeking the attention of a major label. Oh god forbid I actually suggest to them that they [...]

Website: Lansing-Dreiden The Inside Pulse: They’re secretive. They don’t play live. They’re all about music for the art of it, and they have no plans to be mainstream. That’s Lansing-Dreiden. So, what do they put to disc? The Dividing Island is a mix of ’80s dark pop and ’60s psychedelica, with a heavy emphasis on [...]

Website: Sudden Death The Inside Pulse: Starting out in the midwest and becoming a Floridian mainstay, Sudden Death’s debut album Unpure Burial is a mix of easily defined styles. Strongly recalling Brazilian metal while incorporating European death and a healthy chunk of Americana, it’s a combination that is becoming more prevalent in the US. Additionally, [...]

The internal debate: quality of art vs. quality of composition vs. quality of innovation vs. quality of entertainment vs. quality of musicianship. Also versus approximately eighteen other categories. It’s interesting how we perceive music and judge which qualities are most important to us. For the average listener, one just throws on some tunes and makes [...]