With the current glut of hip-hop acts, what is an up and coming band to do to set themselves apart? The answer is decidedly simple: write actual music. Meet JC Ronikal , a four piece band hailing from the great Down Under, looking to make their mark on the music scene by doing what they love. The beginning of 2006 saw them completing the recording of and polishing their first EP, Thus Far... Since that time, they have been working hard to get their music out to the public with a revamp of...

Astralism By: Astral Doors Year: 2006 Click here for the artist's site Although they have only been around since 2002, Astral Doors has a sound that belies their recent creation and hearkens back to the real roots of metal. Members of various bands at various times, a passion for solid, unpretentious heavy metal brought the band together and 2006 sees them releasing their third album: Astralism . From the very first bombastic chords, it is evident that Astralism is ready to rock. ...

Hot on the heels of the success of previous releases R30 and Rush in Rio , the boys from the Great White North are preparing their fans for another round of DVD concert goodness. Announced earlier this month, Rush is preparing to release Replay x3 on June 13, 2006. With new stereo mixes of the audio (thanks to guitarist Alex Lifeson), the 4 disc set will contain DVD versions of some Rush classics, thus far only available on VHS (and some choice Laserdisc copies). The set will contain 19...

Monday Morning Apocalypse Artist: Evergrey Year: 2006 Click here for the artist's site Sweden's Evergrey have carved out quite a niche for themselves. I can think of no other band that really comes close to their brand of somewhat progressive, dark and melancholic power metal. And with their previous five albums, they have built quite an expectation for their fans. Dark and brooding lyrics, excellent musicianship, powerful guitars and distinctive, gravelly vocals have helped to m...

Karmacode Artist: Lacuna Coil Year: 2006 Click here for the artist's site Before Evanescence made it cool to be a rock band with a female lead singer, Lacuna Coil had already polished the sound with five solid releases. Too few people knew of the band, but that would soon change. With intelligent and aggressive touring, a strong work ethic, and stellar musicianship and song-writing, 2004 saw them joining the big leagues of metal. The band was invited to join Ozzfest, and won over t...

Operation: Mindcrime II Queensrÿche Year: 2006 Click here for the artist's site I have to be honest right from the beginning here. Operation: Mindcrime is one of the best concept albums written. Ever. Period. The music is powerful, the lyrics both interesting and politically poignant (both 18 years ago as well as today), the story well told. But for me, the clincher that lifts Mindcrime from the level of good to astoundingly great is just how strong the songs are. One...

The Fullness of Time By: Redemption Year: 2005 Click here for the artist's site Every once in a while, and album just comes out of nowhere and blows the listener away. The unexpected nature of these musical surprises makes them that much more exciting. Redemption wasn't completely unknown to me. I recognized the name, and knew that the inimitable Ray Alder was the new voice of the band. But I wasn't familiar with the music and didn't have any elevated expectations going into ...

Synchestra By: The Devin Townsend Band Year: 2006 Click here for the artist's site I am very, very cautious with my use of the word "genius" to describe musicians. I think it is overused almost to the point of rendering it a cliché. As such, if I call someone a musical genius, I really mean it. In that case, let me say up front that Devin Townsend is a musical genius. He is almost overflowing with musical ideas, and has the multiple different outlets for that musical energy. ...

Confession time: I am a Queensryche fan.  Not a huge, die hard type of fan, though I do have just about every one of their albums and have been listening to them since their album "Empire".  But I do enjoy some of their music a lot.  They have been very influential on a lot of bands, and have had some truly great albums. But they have also had music that far transcends the qualification of great.  Case in point: "Operation: Mindcrime".  This stands, to this day so...

Well, the year 2005 is over. Yeah, yeah, it has been a couple of months now, but better late than never! San Chonino and I have been fighting disparate schedules, sketchy internet access, and busy lives to hammer out what we agree is our top ten albums of 2005. So, sit back, grab a cup of your favorite reading beverage, and check out the music that got our motors running this last year. Top 10 albums of 2005 10. Demons and Wizards : Touched by the Crimson King BlueDev : This fi...

The Black Halo By: Kamelot Year: 2005 Click here for the artist's site I have to admit up front, this band is very new to me. Thanks to the wonders of the internet and internet radio, a track from Kamelot showed up on one of my Pandora radio stations (my Fates Warning station). It started slowly, built nicely, and then erupted into a marching, anthemic, powerful song. This was a band I needed to hear more of, and their most recent release "The Black Halo" seemed like ...

G3 Live: Rockin' in the Free World By: Satriani, Vai, and Malmsteen Year: 2004 Click here for the artist's site Since 1996 guitar god Joe Satriani has organized and spearheaded the G3 tour every year or two. And occasionally we get a CD from the show. I was out of the country when the first two went on, but I found the first G3 disc and ate it up. After all, what guitar fan could pass up an album with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson playing live and together? I...

Octavarium By: Dream Theater Year: 2005 Click here for the artist's site 2003 was an interesting year for Dream Theater fans. It saw the release of "Train of Thought", DT's heaviest album to date. Some critics loved it, calling it their best work yet. But many fans were left with a bit of a cold feeling in the pit of their stomachs, wondering what had happened to their beloved progressive metal band, and who were these angry guys who had taken their place. A three disc l...

Subhuman Race By: Skid Row Year: 1995 Click here for the artist's site The late 80's saw a flourishing of glam and hair metal. For better or worse, a number of sissy acts who pretended to use electric guitars came into prominence and forever dirtied the world of metal. Acts like Poison, Motley Crue, and Slaughter capitalized on songs of hedonism and lasciviousness. And they did it all with pretty boy hair, and sometimes even pretty girl makeup. But while glam or hair met...

Ghost Reveries By: Opeth Year: 2005 Click here for the artists site With the release of "Blackwater Park" Opeth did something that has damaged the careers of many other bands: They released a perfect album. Other bands release what is often considered their greatest work and then spend the rest of their careers trying to recapture that moment. Opeth, wisely, refuses to do that. They have continued to evolve, to experiment, and to craft excellent music. Each new album sin...