Sonic Perspectives

From his beginning as part of the Shrapnel Records cast to his explorations into hard rock with “Howe II”, and playing with artists such as Enrique Iglesias, Michael Jackson and N’Sync, Greg Howe seems determined to challenge the norm and to take roads less traveled. His unique style separated him from the usual “endless shredding” [...] The post Legendary Guitarist GREG HOWE Ref...

A name eponymous with the dawn of extreme folk metal itself, Finntroll are poised to impress with their return album “Vredesvävd.” Seven years of studio silence were offset by filling those years with intensive touring, including top festival placements across Europe with folk metal compatriots including Korpiklaani, Ensiferum, and Turisas. Headlining tours celebrated both their [...] The post FIN...

Death metal band Kataklysm will be releasing their fourteenth studio album “Unconquered” on September 25th, following two years after their prior album “Meditations.” With the band’s 30th anniversary just around the corner in 2021, “Unconquered” brings a greater sense of aggression than the band’s prior work while maintaining their unmistakable signatures. Still retaining two of [...] The post KAT...

Having first emerged from the Bay Area thrash scene in 1984 alongside the likes of Exodus and Testament, Heathen is preparing to release their fourth full-length album “Empire of the Blind” on September 18th through Nuclear Blast Records, following more than ten years after their third album “The Evolution of Chaos.” Heathen is no stranger [...] The post HEATHEN Guitarist KRAGEN LUM Talks Writing...

“It’s black, it’s death… and it’s incredible,” Cammie Gilbert tells me from somewhere in the city of my birth. You might think she’s describing her band, Oceans of Slumber, or their upcoming eponymous album, or a particular cut on the record. But you’d only be partially correct. She’s actually telling me about the controlled burns prescribed...

It’s no secret that we at Sonic Perspectives are big fans of keyboardist extraordinaire Derek Sherinian. He was kind enough to give us the details of the first Sons of Apollo album when it came out, and also spoke at length with us during an interview addressing all of his career. Known by his versatility, and [...] The post DEREK SHERINIAN Reflects on His New Solo Album “The Phoe...

The Tangent, the progressive group, led by Andy Tillison, is set to release their 11th studio album called “Auto Reconnaissance” on August 21st, 2020 through Inside Out. With their new record, the band continues to demonstrate that there are no limits to its progressive rock c**ktail. With an astonishing fluidity, it mixes a plethora of musical ingredients that includes [...] T...

Coming seven years after their last full-length release, thrash metal legends Onslaught will be releasing their seventh studio album on August 7th through AFM Records. “Generation Antichrist” is one of the band’s most brutal offerings yet, inspired by their old-school sound while drawing on the benefits of modern production. Stripped-back and overflowing with aggression, “Generation [...] The post...

Canadian punk rock band The Fallaways have released their second EP “Sunset Ave,” following three years after their debut EP “Skiddish” from 2017. Balancing party rock music with substance from their personal lives, The Fallaways pursue a musical style that has been recommended for fans of Fall Out Boy and Green Day. Based in the [...] The post THE FALLAWAYS Vocalist JASON KOSTER Reflects About Th...

Bassist/vocalist Marcel ‘Schmier’ Schirmer co-founded thrash legends Destruction in Weil am Rhein, Germany, in 1984. Albums such as 1985’s “Infernal Overkill”, 1986’s “Eternal Devastation” and 1987’s “Mad Butcher” EP secured Destruction’s place in the German Big Four alongside countrymen Kreator, Tankard and Sodom. Their latest album “Born To Perish&...

On June 26th, acclaimed symphonic black metal band Carach Angren released their sixth full-length album “Franckensteina Strataemontanus” to eagerly awaiting fans of horror and extreme metal alike. With their own unique twist on the popular lore of Frankenstein, the Dutch duo step back from the bleak narratives which fueled 2017’s “Dance and Laugh Amongst the [...] The post ARDEK of CARACH ANGREN C...

Summer is here at last, and if you’re looking for the perfect soundtrack to celebrate the season, look no further: BPMD is here to provide you with the ultimate collection of American party anthems, with a killer track-list modernized for younger ears. The band is of course, the amalgamation of talents such as Bobby Blitz [...] The post BPMD / METAL ALLEGIANCE Bassist Mark Menghi Talks Debut...

The debut release of super-duo Marco Minnemann and Randy McStine offers a densely crafted, hard-hitting album which takes listeners through a range of unexpected directions. When not recording and touring with his main band The Aristocrats or on solo albums, Minnemann is one of the most in-demand drummers in the rock, prog-rock and metal world. [...] The post RANDY MCSTINE and MARCO MINNEMANN Talk...

Within Temptation has always been a mutant musical entity. From their early material, which had gothic elements, through the incorporation of symphonic metal influences, to the dramatic shift on their latest album “Resist” – read our review here – they never made the same album twice. This formula – or the lack of one thereof [...] The post WITHIN TEMPTATION Singer SHARON DEN ADEL Reflects O...

After seven full-length albums, Lamb of God has titled their eighth studio record with their own name, suggesting that “Lamb of God” is the statement of a band prepared to fully embrace their place as a veteran metal act. This definitive moment for the group comes in the wake of longtime drummer Chris Adler leaving [...] The post MARK MORTON of LAMB OF GOD Discusses Self-Titled Album: “We Feel Lik...

Best known for his longtime role as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for American metal band Sevendust, 2020 saw Clint Lowery embark on his career as a solo artist with the release of his first album in January. Having previously released solo material under the project Hello Demons Meet Skeletons, “God Bless the Renegades” [...] The post SEVENDUST’s Guitarist CLINT LOWERY Discusses S...

June 12th brings another release from Frontiers Records. Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall the third one under this moniker, is another evidence that Magnus‘ creative well seems endless. Just like the band’s other two releases, it features a long list of special guests on vocals: Ronnie Romero, Dino Jelusick, Noora Louhimo and many others help Magnus [...] The post MAGNUS KARLSSON Refl...

With tried and tested metal anthems like “Rebellion (The Clans Are Marching)”, “Excalibur” and many more, Grave Digger are one of the most influential and pioneering bands of the German heavy metal scene since their inception. 2020 brings a relevant milestone in the career of these Teutonic metal masters, as they celebrate their 40th year [...] The post GRAVE DIGGER Guitarist ALEX RITT Talks New A...

For over 25 years California-born but Indiana-based drummer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Nick D’Virgilio (NDV) has been delighting music fans, first and foremost through his drumming. Having recorded with Genesis, Big Big Train, The Fringe and hundreds of other artists, toured extensively with Tears for Fears, played with Peter Gabriel, and been featured drummer in well [...] The post NICK...

Her Chariot Awaits is a newly formed hard rock/metal group featuring the highly regarded Spanish singer Ailyn Gimenez (ex-Sirenia) on lead vocals and the multi-talented American guitarist and producer Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob, Noturnall, Sonic Stomp). This exciting new musical alliance is yet another creation of Frontiers Records, a label that seems determined to combine [...] The post MIKE OR...

Bill Hubauer and Dave Buzard have a lot of history.  They met in 6th grade – or was it 2nd?  In any case, they gravitated toward each other, in part because of a shared love of music. They listened to great groups as they group up, including Kansas, Gamma, and many more.  And like a [...] The post WE CAME FROM SPACE’s Members BILL HUBAUER and DAVE BUZARD Reflect on Band&...

Vandenberg is back! The band has a fresh lineup and a new album in the bag, simply titled “2020”. Produced by Bob Marlette (Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie), “2020” obviously showcases the talent of Whitesnake alumni Adrian Vandenberg, and also brings two other Dutch talents in the rhythm section: bassist Randy van [...] The post Ex-WHITESNAKE Guitar...

Caligula’s Horse is a name that has garnered an ever-increasing amount of attention within the dynamic world of progressive metal, turning heads in 2017 with the ambitious concept album “In Contact.” Met with critical acclaim and a spot on the Australian Top 50 charts, “In Contact” was the launchpad for Caligula’s Horse to embark on [...] The post JIM GREY of CALIGULA’S HORSE Discusses New Album “...

Born in 2019 as the apparent off-spring of Spock’s Beard, Pattern-Seeking Animals features the soaring vocals of Ted Leonard, the dexterous and creative rhythm section of Dave Meros and Jimmy Keegan, and mastermind songwriter and keyboardist John Boegehold. After releasing their debut CD in the summer of 2019 the band wasted no time in coming [...] The post Beasts On Lockdown: An Interview with Al...

Over the last ten years, Haken have moved from eclectic up-and-comings to a household name in progressive metal. This is a feat accomplished over the course of five full-length albums, the latest of which was “Vector,” released in 2018. Though it was not apparent at the time of its release, “Vector” was merely the first [...] The post HAKEN Frontman ROSS JENNINGS Talks New Album “Virus&#8221...