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Interview Javier Valdi: Trying to Create Something Different
Modern instrumental metal often is a vehicle for virtuosity. But while Spanish guitarist Javier Valdi is a highly skilled player – and not afraid to show it – the main focus on his five-song EP ‘Serendipia’ is on memorable riffs and strong melodies. “You have to keep it interesting”, Valdi…
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Album of the Week 47-2025: Ningen Isu – Mahoroba
Like clockwork, Ningen Isu releases another album just over two years after their last one. For many bands, a release schedule like that would inevitably lead to running on auto-pilot after a while. But even though Ningen Isu has a sound that is immediately identifiable, the Japanese power trio somehow…
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Announcement: Venezuelan Metal Season
Time to dive into a country’s metal scene for an extended period of time once again! This December and January, Kevy Metal will be devoted to Venezuelan Metal Season. That means that every single interview published these two months will be with a Venezuelan metal musician – though some are…
Latest Interviews
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Interview Simon McBride: “I Want to Give People Something Different”
Joining hard rock legends Deep Purple introduced Northern Irish guitarist Simon McBride to a significantly larger audience than ever before. The release of ‘Recordings 2020-2025’ gives his new audience a chance to get familiar with McBride’s own material and the way he handles cover songs. McBride sheds some light on…
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Interview Mark Morton: “This Is How I Play at Home”
Mark Morton’s lead guitar style in Lamb of God has been displaying a looseness that betrays a more varied musical background throughout the band’s history. On his second solo album ‘Without the Pain’, Morton fully immerses himself in southern rock and country music. His joy of playing this kind of…
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Interview Epica: Putting the Band Front and Center
On ‘Aspiral’, Dutch symphonic metal giants Epica have found a new balance between their trademark bombast, their adventurous songwriting, and a greater degree of accessibility than ever before. According to guitarist Isaac Delahaye and drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek, that increased amount of accessibility was a necessity. “It had been a…
Latest Reviews
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Album of the Week 07-2025: Ereb Altor – Hälsingemörker
Most bands strongly influenced by Bathory circa ‘Hammerheart’ or ‘Twilight of the Gods’ don’t get around to developing their own style. Some might tweak things a bit – better vocals, either more or fewer extreme metal passages – but very few manage to actually turn the influence into something completely…
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Album of the Week 06-2025: Obscura – A Sonication
Allegations of plagiarism, as well as the fact that it is the fourth Obscura album – and the second consecutively – to feature a completely different line-up around vocalist and guitarist Steffen Kummerer, caused many people to have an opinion on ‘A Sonication’ before even having heard any of the…
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Album of the Week 05-2024: Jinjer – Duél
Jinjer is the best live band I have seen in recent years. The way the Ukrainian quartet manages to play their demanding music without sacrificing even the tiniest bit of their unbridled energy is something the contemporary metal scene could use a lot more of. Their studio albums generally don’t…
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