Author: Team Uber

In Flames – ‘Clayman (20th Anniversary Edition)’ (Nuclear Blast Records)

In Flames – ‘Clayman (20th Anniversary Edition)’ (Nuclear Blast Records)

Posted by | Aug 28, 2020 | ,

Few modern bands have received as much fan backlash to a change in direction as Gothenburg’s In Flames. As one of the main acts of the burgeoning melodic death metal scene in the 90’s, their first four albums were held in the highest regard and clutched close to the chest by rabid obsessives, and their impact on both their contemporaries and future bands was beyond compare. With their 2000 opus ‘Clayman’, they reached the height of their creative powers and created a modern classic that still looms mightily in their discography. From there, the band would start to dilute the strength of their metal cred by moving in a more commercial direction and adding in increasing elements of metalcore, nu-metal, and alternative that continues to this day, losing many older fans and gaining a new audience as they went.

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IDLES – ‘Ultra Mono’ (Partisan Records)

IDLES – ‘Ultra Mono’ (Partisan Records)

Posted by | Aug 28, 2020 | ,

It just might be the biggest and most surprising rock success story of the century. A noise/post-punk flavoured band preaching love from the heart and singing about everything from rape culture and immigration to toxic masculinity and grief come out of Bristol and become a sensation in just about every country they land. In just three years IDLES have to become one of the hottest properties in rock, spawning a devoted fanbase and earning a level of cynical critical backlash that harkens back to the nasty days where NME would gleefully make – and then immediately – break a band just for existing. And yet, they don’t just endure – they thrive.

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Oceans of Slumber – ‘Oceans of Slumber’ (Century Media Records)

Oceans of Slumber – ‘Oceans of Slumber’ (Century Media Records)

Posted by | Aug 27, 2020 | ,

Almost a full decade on from formation, Oceans of Slumber barely resemble the Mastodon-tinged riffers from Houston all those years ago. That’s not just hyperbole – the only member that remains of the initial line-up is drummer (and creative engine) Dobber Beverly, the band having transformed over the years into the prog-doom tour de force most fans will now be familiar with. A big part of that change can be attributed to vocalist Cammie Gilbert who joined in 2014, lending extra vocal gravitas to the band’s sound, ultimately pushing them further from the sludgier territories they had initially plied and more towards a classic doom sound.

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SkeleToon – ‘Nemesis’ (Scarlet Records)

SkeleToon – ‘Nemesis’ (Scarlet Records)

Posted by | Aug 27, 2020 | ,

“The world needed a hero. Now, you got an unstoppable power metal one!” SkeleToon are an Italian power metal band who are known for their fun, energetic and albums that are full of different concepts. They describe themselves as a “nerd metal”, bringing in different geeky and nerdy themes throughout their albums and songs: cult classic movies, role play games, comic books and fantasy are never far away with this band.

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