Dennis Jarman

Full time downtrodden album/gig reviewer and part time rock God!

Sparta – Welcome To Hell

The old saying of good things come to those who wait can certainly be applied to Mansfield based Sparta and their fans as it has taken almost 35 years for their debut album Welcome To Hell to see the light of day. Formed in 1979 by guitarist Tony Foster, they …

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Scorpions – Return To Forever

When the Scorpions announced their retirement way back in 2010, the band let alone their fans would never have dreamed they would still be here in 2015 celebrating their fiftieth anniversary! Better still was the news of a new Scorpions album, Return To Forever to be released. It all started …

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Reign Of Fury – Death Be Thy Shepherd.

From their 2006 beginnings as Reign Of Terror to a name change to Reign Of Fury leading to a two year split before reforming as a punk band called Ransom (featuring three current members of Reign Of Fury), their songs became more metal orientated so they reverted back to Reign …

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Venom – From The Very Depths.

Love them or hate them, Venom turned a lot of heads and eardrums around with their debut 1981 release of  Welcome To Hell and it’s follow up Black Metal in 1982. Although they were tagged in the NWOBHM genre they heavily influenced many thrash and black metal bands. Original guitarist …

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Quartz – Too Hot To Handle.

When the NWOBHM came to be in the late 1970’s it brought forth bands of various rock/metal styles, some of which made the big league and some of which did not and split but reformed to give it another try. Birmingham based Quartz are a prime example of one of …

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Cripper – Hyena.

Hyena, the fourth studio album by Cripper is so overwhelming I gave up taking notes about halfway through listening to it as it is almost impossible to describe these eleven tracks of an almost perfect mix of thrash and death metal. The focal point of the band for me is …

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Panzer – Send Them All To Hell.

Panzer came to be when Stefan Schwarzmann, drummer from Accept approached Destruction vocalist Schmier to form a trio along with fellow Accept member Herman Frank on guitar. Since the album has been released via Nuclear Blast Records, Herman and Stefan have left Accept to concentrate on Panzer. Normally in the …

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Avenger – The Slaughter Never Stops.

Welcome back Avenger ! Yet another North East based NWOBHM band showing they still have what it takes with the release of their new studio album The Slaughter Never Stops, available now via Rocksector Records. Avenger  formed in 1982 in Newcastle Upon Tyne  but unfortunately only got to record two …

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Vardis – Unity Works, Wakefield, 13/12/2014.

To say 2014 has been a big year for Vardis and their patient fans is an understatement. Following their reformation in 2013 after an almost 30 year hiatus, they played their 5th gig of 2014 at the Unity Works in Wakefield. This was a homecoming gig at a venue they …

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Defy All Reason – Bad Blood (radio edit).

To be released mid/end of January 2015 and to be included on their full length debut album The Road Ahead at the end of March, ‘Bad Blood’ is probably the heaviest song I’ve heard from Defy All Reason but has enough hooks to make it widely accessible. It rolls along …

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Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen.

Just before I was to review Primordial‘s eighth studio album I was asked to compile my top 10 albums of 2014 for Planetmosh and had it all worked out until I played Where Greater Men Have Fallen. After the albums hour long duration it was a no brainer that it …

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King Diamond – Dreams Of Horror.

It is almost 30 years since King Diamond left Mercyful Fate in 1985 to form his solo band and is miraculously still touring following a triple heart bypass operation 4 years ago and has just completed a 2 month tour of North America . His trademark banshee vocals are still …

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Exodus – Blood In, Blood Out.

To say that the release of the 10th studio album Blood In, Blood Out by legendary Bay Area, California based U.S thrash metal innovators Exodus was welcomed by me and no doubt other long standing fans was a relief is an understatement following the 2010 album Exhibit B:The Human Condition. …

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AntropomorphiA interview with Ferry – October 2014

Ferry Damen, Vocalist & Guitarist from AntropomorphiA takes the time out to talk about their latest album ‘Rite Ov Perversion’ For anyone who has not heard of Antropomorphia, when and where was the band formed and how many original members are in the current line up? AntropomorphiA’s inception lies in …

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Jonestown – Cut Throat Lane single.

Following on from their raging 4 track EP The Erebus and the Terror, Brighton based Jonestown follow it up with their next release ‘Cut Throat Lane’ and have recently strengthened their line up with the addition of new bassist Tony Hardwick. The song was originally planned to be on the …

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Sanctuary – The Year The Sun Died.

Forming in Seattle way back in 1985, Sanctuary were poised for big things. Their 1987 debut album Refuge Denied was produced by Dave Mustaine from Megadeth who also helped them get signed  with CBS/Epic Records and took them out on tour but 3 years after their second album Into The …

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Antromorphia – Rites Ov Perversion

Even though Antromorphia formed in 1990 in Tilburg,in the Netherlands I knew of the name but had heard no music by them until their latest album Rites Ov Perversion. It will be released via Metal Blade Records on Sept.12th 2014 and it is one of the most brutal death metal …

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