By Kyle Francis
Metal music reached its zenith in the ’80s, but has remained a vital element in the music scene ever since. However, it has become increasingly difficult for metal bands to get mainstream recognition. With a hope to counter this trend in mind, Magick Records created the three-disc compilation, This is Metal. With solid artists like Icarus Witch and Opera IX the compilation shows there are new bands making great metal today, even if they aren’t being talked about much.
A wide variety of metal is presented, adding to the richness of the compilation and helping anyone new to the scene to find what they like. The first two discs on This is Metal offer some of the best work being produced today while the third disk is a fitting tribute to the genre’s forefathers in the form of covers. While metal is no longer in its prime, its artists are still producing solid work and inspiring new generations of metalheads. Nothing makes this more clear than This is Metal.