The band's own stated reference points are spot on. But what's great about Whisper is that while Hallas and Phantom Spell steer towards an Easy Listenin' sound, Whisper stays metal at heart. As evidence, they offer one of the best Maiden covers I've heard, which stays true to the original while putting the band's own stamp on it. More just like this, please!

When I see one of my all time faves Angel Witch listed as an influence, I'm right there. And even if AW is only one part of this album's very successful recipe, I can hear it. Speaking as someone whose gateway to metal was NWOBHM, Gorgona really captures the spirit of that era. The icing on the cake are the A+ vocals that truly would sound at home on a UK 7" from 1981. Pure awesome.

This is exactly how a metal band should do a covers album. Pick lesser known songs that aren't metal, or even metal adjacent, and really make them your own. No matter how much I like a band, I really don't need to hear them do Priest and Maiden, or Britney and Lady Gaga, for that matter.

These songs are perfect choices and so well executed.

Uriah Heep is my favorite 70's rock band. I've never wished they sounded more like Helloween, but sometimes you don't know what you need until someone gives it to you. Thank you, Emerald Eye, because I absolutely did need this, and so does everyone!

This is hard to pin to one or even two metal sub-genres. It's gothic, it's progressive, it's doomy, and the vocals give a strong Viking vibe. But the fusion is focused and accessible and hard not to enjoy. I'm a fan!

Yet another outstanding release. I've come to realize that it's the eastern style percussion that really gives Amyr Abadawn's compositions such a distinctive sound. Most metal that has eastern influence focuses on the stringed instruments instead.

The music more than fulfills the promise of that awesome piece of apocalyptic art on the cover.

I missed this because it came out at a time I wasn't as enthused with Ayreon's output (e.g. prior to the 2017 masterpiece that is The Source). But what a great album this is. Musically and lyrically, there's no reason it shouldn't bear the Ayreon name, especially if Transitus can. In fact, the folk elements here foreshadow the best aspects of The Source. Lastly, I gotta say, Arjen really is the best singer for his own music. Who needs superstars!

This album is one of very few that made it through my old tape-trading days to become something I still listen to today. I loved the sound of my vinyl dub and thought this remaster might sacrifice some of the magic, but it doesn't. If you're into epic music in any shape or form and you don't have this, fix that right now. It's an album that genuinely deserves its legendary status.

As usual with SKR, be sure to replace their lame promo image with the actual cover art, which is included.

I prefer my epic metal played FAST, and that's what Lord Goblin does. Meanwhile, the organ adds a 70's/occult atmosphere. Compared to the prior EP, there's a more black metal sound to the guitars now, which isn't my preference. But that's just me wanting this band to sound as much like Domine as possible, which ain't fair. They should and do have their own sound, and it's damn cool. Long live Lord Goblin!

Domine sits right up at the very peak of the epic metal mountain for me. Their sound is pretty distinctive. You don't often hear anything quite like it. But this EP actually gave me chills at times from how much the songs sound like they could have fit on the first Domine album. The singer even sounds a lot like Morby. Nuff said.

I've known about this band for years but somehow made the mistake of not paying enough attention to realize that their blend of 70's hard rock, prog, and epic metal with a touch of folk-twang is just about tailor-made for me. The title track of this album is one for the ages. Error corrected!

I gather this track comes from an upcoming covers album. I've never heard the 60's original by Donovan, but it sure AF doesn't sound this great. They obviously made it their own. Can't wait for the rest.

Yes!!! My musical tastes are almost strictly metallic, so I'm skeptical of the term "Experimental." Usually that means bleeps, bloops, and dissonance. None of that here! The compositions keep one foot firmly planted in good metal, while still pushing boundaries and giving the clarinet and other non-metal instruments tons of room to shine. The mini-masterpiece of a title track proves no vocals are needed. Outstanding.

Quality stuff! The ending of God is a real treat. (Pun not intended, or is it?) If you're new to Morvheim, a) lucky you, and b) check out Airships first.

The production, vocals and songwriting aren't quite up to the heights of Airships (get it?) from a few years later, but the kernel of genius is fully on display here. The spoken word parts are very effective. I recommend starting with 2018's Airships and working your way back in time.

Loving this band's fusion of prog rock, power metal, and folk. Live recordings are generally not my favorite, but the sound is really good on this one, apart from some of the vocals (don't judge the whole by Track 2). The guitar sound and performance are outstanding. If this were a studio album rather than a show, I'd want the tracklist to be tightened up by losing the ballad and one or two other songs. But as it stands, there's huge promise here. I look forward to more.

There are two types of "trippy" metal. The most common is the kind where you're around a campfire with friends enjoying a substance of choice. And then there's the kind where you're wandering in dark caves, seeing monsters around every corner while you lick patches of wet mold to survive. Guess which one this is? Hint: It's dark down here.