Interview: Bleed The Sky rises above adversity and returns with “Murder The Dance”

Bleed The Sky frontman Noah Robinson insists the Oklahoma City band isn’t cursed. Problems on the road or in the recording studio are pretty common in the music business, Robinson said. But the members of Bleed The Sky have experienced more than their share of headaches, heartaches and frustrations over the past three years — [...]

The Midwest needs eco-black metal

The Midwest is the perfect breeding ground for black metal. Frankly, I’m surprised the region isn’t spawning new black metal bands every day. Before you read any more, go to the bottom of the post and hit play. Then continue reading to the music. Trust me. It sounds strange, but places like southern Indiana, southern [...]

Former “Metal Maniacs” editor discusses influence and impact of progressive metal

Like a lot of American kids in the late1970s, Jeff Wagner’s first communion with heavy metal came from drinking the blood of Kiss. From there, Wagner — with the help of a “kickass” FM radio station — discovered the wonders of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Ozzy and Aerosmith. But Wagner’s real love was for the [...]

Review: Opeth’s “Watershed” (Roadrunner)

When the indie Music For the Nations record label folded and Sweden’s Opeth jumped to much larger Roadrunner Records, many fans complained the band had “sold out” to pursue mainstream fame. But the fears that the label switch would cause band visionary Mikael Akerfeldt and the rest of the Opeth gang to undergo a Metallica [...]