The Miserable Metal Mind Podcast

DGM remain one of the hardest working, consistent and underrated bands in melodic metal having formed in 1996 and with eleven prior albums to their name. They may not have any original members left in the band, but this line up has been stable since 2007 and has released the finest material in the history of DGM. That consistency carries over into Endless, the 12th album from the Italian progressive metallers.  Since 2007 and over their last six albums, DGM have become known for their driving style of progressive metal, full of breakneck energy, colossal melodies and overwhelming positivity and joy with elements of both power metal and AOR being an integral part of their sound. All of those ingredients are still present in some capacity on Endless, but this is a far more relaxed sounding DGM with the foot taken off the accelerator and the prog elements brought to the fore more than ever before.  There is a classic prog sound to this album that recalls bands such as King Cr...

Italy's Frozen Crown return with their fifth album War Hearts , the first to feature virtuoso guitarist Alessia Lanzone, bringing us their unique style of power/speed metal.  Opening with the title track, it is immediately obvious that this band can really play, the guitars are fast, but never out of control, the kick drums are bludgeoning throughout the song, and the lyrical themes of self-improvement, personal growth, inner struggles and fighting for your dreams, even in the darkest times that run through most of the album, are quite inspirational.  It’s the vocals of Giada “Jade” Etro accompanied by Federico Mondelli, soaring without going down the overblown operatic style of symphonic metal, which really stands out, and ensure that the messages within the lyrics are not swamped by the backing music. The trio of guitarists, the aforementioned Alessia Lanzone, Federico Mondelli and Fabiola Bellomo, have riffs for days, and some beautiful multi guitar solos, which are super ...

It’s highly likely that you’ll have heard of Myles Kennedy. The 55-year-old singer and songwriter has been frontman of Alter Bridge for over 20 years, the voice of Slash’s solo project Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators as well as a successful solo artist. He’s also by all accounts a genuinely lovely guy. Perhaps a little too pearly white for those who want the grittier side of hard rock and heavy metal, but certainly possessing one of the finest and recognisable voices in the rock and metal world, I have a sneaking admiration for his colossal talent.  As with all vocalists with a distinctive style, Kennedy’s music often merges. Like his bandmate Mark Tremonti, I often find their solo work presents more of an extension of their Alter Bridge music, rather than a defined distinction. That’s not to say that Kennedy’s solo work isn’t of high quality, for it truly is. 2018’s Year of the Tiger and the sophomore release The Ides of March were both fine albums, if a little...

The mastermind behind Doedsmaghird and this debut album, Omniverse Consciousness , has some deep thoughts about its concept. The thing is; if you were to play the album without having this prior knowledge, you would still be aware of this. While the music has roots deep into black metal, there is a lot more going on here. Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez says “A concept of universal awareness that transcends the present individual experience and connect the dots across multiple timelines and dimension. Consciousness is like nodes within a vast, interconnected web, where the black medium current serves a conduit for information exchange. Within this singularity, all path leads inward, and the concept of time ceases to exist. Every possible timeline, past and future converge into the enigmatic state of the omniverse consciousness. Palpable as a whispered secret, we present this intersection of experiences and outcomes. Symbolizing the unattainable potential that never was but is. This emergence ...

Cemetery Skyline are supergroup formed in 2020 comprising Dark Tranquillity vocalist Mikael Stanne, Insomnium guitarist Markus Vanhala, Santeri Kallio of Amorphis on keyboards, Dimmu Borgir's Victor Brandt on bass and drummer Vesa Ranta (Sentenced). Nordic Gothic is their first full length release. Kallio, who shares song writing duties with Vanhala, describes them as "ambassadors of melodic, melancholic and dark rock", rather than just a goth band, although, he has stated that the band members do "share a deep love for goth rock from the 80s and 90s", which is something you can hear this from the onset of the recording.  Torn Away sets the tone, and that tone is big. The production on this album makes it sound huge, with a wall of melodic, symphonic noise hitting you. This is more like Vision Thing Sisters of Mercy and their Temple of Love '92' remix, rather than the earlier, less polished releases. The bass rings out, the guitar is in your face, key...

For me, Swedish death metallers The Crown remain one of the most underrated bands around. Now nearly 35 years into a journey that started in 1990 as Crown of Thorns in Trollhättan.  In recent times, it’s the likes of Cobra Speed Venom and 2021’s Royal Destroyer that have spearheaded the band forward, although there are gems to discover in all their earlier works. Whilst the band have always had a visceral, savage edge, they’ve elevated their approach on Crown of Thorns , which as they acknowledge, is the self-titled album they should have made over three decades ago. There are changes to the Royal Destroyer line-up, with drummer Mikael Norén and bassist Mattias Rasmussen, and the return of lead guitarist Marcus Sunesson, re-joining long-time members Marko Tervonen and vocalist Johan Lindstrand.  The result is an impressive with ten standard tracks embellished by three bonus songs to give nearly an hour’s worth of brutality. But there is more to this album, with the band’s ...

Opening Sunday’s proceedings were Lowen from London, with a Middle Eastern theme running through the vocals in style and delivery. A very distinctive and unique sound to witness. Most of the set came from the latest album, Do not Go to War with Demons of Mazandaran, and the crowd seemed to be enjoying the wall of metal hitting them!  Towards the end of their set, we got a preview of a new song due out soon which certainly piqued the interest. If you're looking for a band with an interesting mix of styles, then give them a listen!  Leeds based Amon Acid were another new band to me, but I was massively impressed by their psychedelic doom infused sound. Again, I can't tell you any song titles, it seems Sunday’s theme was no set lists!! All those watching looked mesmerized with their performance, I was that impressed I went and bought the album as soon as they finished.  The 40 minutes set had everyone's heads bobbing with the flow of every note flowing out the amps, and I...