Web site credibility: 'Lords of Metal'

I am a big fan of metal music. Yes, it's cheesy but most of the time that's deliberate so I have no problem with. Plus I think cheese is funny.

Anyway, I have found it hard to seek out professional publications that are not biased towards metal already, yet still offer many reviews of this music style on a regular basis. This is the problem with a site such as RollingStone or Sputnikmusic. One Web site I have found is Lords of Metal, which by name alone may turn some away. But the site's quality content and consistent updates allows me to give it a passing grade on credibility.

The Web site is presented in a simple layout that is easy to read, yet does not look too basic as if the creators know little about what they are doing. Links are generally good and working, another positive. The site offers updates at least once a month, operating basically like a magazine. Each month it brings forth a slew of new reviews and interviews with bands, so one can conclude the site's owners are actually reporting and not simply reviewing CDs in their own catalog.

Perhaps the biggest evidence for me is the grammar. Even though the home page is in Dutch, users can click on the English version to read reviews in crystal-clear English. This is not so for other sites I have gone to, such as The Metal Observer, where it is routinely obvious that English is not the writers' primary language. The Metal Observer's reviews also include biased language in its reviews, using exclamation marks and other devices that leave me to believe the reviewers are coming in on an even keel. Plus, the site does not always have reviews of the latest albums.

Seeing as Lords of Metal is a monthly web zine, it is done professionally and includes contact information, "about" links, calenders and other features that exude a feeling of completeness. All of this combines to give LoM a passing grade in my book.