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April 2024

• Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
• Praying Mantis: Defiance
• King Zebra: Between The Shadows
• About Us: Take A Piece
• Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

March 2024

• Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution
• Whom Gods Destroy: Insanium
• The Prog Collective: Dark Encounters
• Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity
• Lipz: Changing The Melody
• The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
• Stargate: Escaping The Illusion
• Turbulence: Binary Dream
• Sonata Arctica: Clear Cold Beyond
• D'Luna: Monster
• Big Big Train: The Likes Of Us
• Benjamin Croft: We Are Here To Help

February 2024

• Traveler: Prequel To Madness
• Lionheart: The Grace Of A Dragonfly
• Honeymoon Suite: Alive
• Durbin: Screaming Steel
• Smoking Snakes: Danger Zone
• Revolution Saints: Against The Winds
• Striker: Ultrapower
• Show N Tell: The Ritual Has Begun
• Robert Hart: Circus Life

January 2024

• Corvus: Immortals
• Caligula's Horse: Charcoal Grace
• Grand: Second To None
• Neal Morse: The Restoration - Joseph - Part Two
• The Rods: Rattle The Cage
• Gotus: Gotus
• Metalite: Expedition One
• Cobrakill: Serpent's Kiss
• Jack Russell & Tracii Guns: Medusa
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 1
• The Grandmaster: Black Sun

[ More Music Reviews ]

Power Metal/Progressive Death/Thrash

Rating: 3.75/5.0

Killzone Records
www.myspace.com/darkempireband

I have to admit I got really frustrated listening to ‘Humanity Dethroned,’ the second release from New Jersey-based Dark Empire. Every time I started to really get into it, I’d hear something that I didn’t care for. Although there is a ton of great stuff on this CD, there is so much variety in all of their songs that it doesn’t always work. For me, the culprit in almost every case is the theatric choruses.

The band’s abilities are obvious from the first moments of opener ‘Eyes Of Defiance.’ Guitarists Matt Moliti and Drew Atwood seamlessly shift the music through genre after genre. Whether it’s the thrashier ‘Salvation Denied’ or the Dream Theatre-like instrumental “Prelude,” Dark Empire’s axmen always bring their A-game to the party. They also pitch in some decent death vocals when asked. Their blistering solos will thrill air guitarists everywhere and highlight every track on this disc. The voice of singer Jens Carlsson, also of Persuader fame, bears an uncanny resemblance to that of Blind Guardian frontman Hansi Kursch - the main reason why the overall sound of ‘Humanity Dethroned’ could be described as a less-symphonic, slightly heavier Blind Guardian.

There really is a lot to absorb here and the disc does get better with each listen. But all things considered, ‘Humanity Dethroned’ is just too dramatic for me to consider it to be a great CD. I do however recommend that almost all metal fans check out Dark Empire. There is so much diversity on this disc that you’re bound to find something on it that you like. Unfortunately you’ll probably also find something that you don’t. I’d love to hear these guys streamline their sound and stick to the things that they do best. But in the case of ‘Humanity Dethroned,’ a little less could have been a lot more.
- Tim Carroll

All things considered, ‘Humanity Dethroned’ is just too dramatic for me to consider it to be a great CD. I do however recommend that almost all metal fans check out Dark Empire.

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Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]