Mark Ashby

no longer planetmosh staff

Night Demon – ‘Curse Of The Damned’

Night Demon - Curse Of The Damned artwork

Despite hailing from 21st century California, Night Demon are a band with their roots very firmly in the NWOBHM, encompassing influences from the obvious ones such as DiAnno-era Iron Maiden and Saxon through Angel Witch, White Spirit and Raven, as well as the first wave of US bands to in …

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Alpha Tiger – ‘iDENTITY’

Alpha Tiger - iDENTITY artwork

Two years on from their acclaimed second album, ‘Beneath The Surface’ (enthusiastically reviewed by PlanetMosh at http://planetmosh.com/alpha-tiger-beneath-the-surface/), young Saxony retro melodic metallers Alpha Tiger return with their third offering, and their first for the mighty Steamhammer imprint. Hailing from Saxony, the powerbase (sic) of the German power metal scene, Alpha …

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Cretin – ‘Stranger’

Cretin - Stranger artwork

While most bands try to follow their debut album as quickly as possible, Californian grinders Cretin waited a full eight years to release their second opus, with the result being issued via Relapse Records at the end of last year.  But, then, these Santa Cruzers seem to like to take …

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Gnosis – ‘The Third Eye Gate’

Gnosis album artwork

Hailing from the darkest nether reaches of Florida, but drawing their lyrical and musical influence from Greece (their name comes from the Greek term “religion of knowledge”) both ancient and modern, Gnosis deliver a dark and malificent brand of dark and dank black metal that is as primeval and primordial …

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Goat Semen to release debut album in February

Goat Semen - Ego Svm Satana artwork

Peruvian blackened death metallers Goat Semen release their debut album, ‘Ego Svm Satana’, via Kvlt in the UK and Europe and Hells Headbangers in North and South America, on February 24. The album comes a full 12 years after the band released their self-titled demo Vocalist Neyra relates the story …

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In Other Climes sign to Bastardized Recordings

Bastardized Recordings logo

French thrash-hardcore crossover crew In Other Climes have signed with the German-based Bastardized Recordings team for the release of their new album, ‘Leftover’, due early in the year. The band said:  “This album is really different from the others with more hardcore and punk influences. “All the songs are really …

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Portrait – Interview with Christian Lindell

Following the release of their acclaimed third album, ‘Crossroads’ back in April (read our review at http://planetmosh.com/portrait-crossroads-album-review/), Swedish metallians Portrait have been keeping busy, touring in support of said opus.  Not content with that, however, they’ve also teamed up with fellow countrymen and Metal Blade labelmates RAM to record and …

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Vircolac – ‘Codex Perfida’

Having made their debut at the recent Primordial-curated Redemption Festival in their home city of Dublin, Vircolac are a quartet who believe in taking things back to the old school – to the extent that (at the time of writing) this four-track EP is only available on cassette. The result …

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Occultation – ‘Silence In The Ancestral House’

Occultation - 'Silence In The Ancestral House'

This second album from New York trio Occultation is a dark, eerie and esoteric opus which combines classic elements of doom metal, progressive rock and ambient electronics into a package which is atmospheric, thought-provoking and strangely pleasant in more or less equal measures. Ploughing a furrow somewhere between the darkest …

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Stormzone – Belfast, Empire Music Hall 18/12/2014

Stormzone - Empire Music Hall, Belfast - 18 December 2014

With 2014 drawing rapidly towards its inexorable conclusion, the PM team found themselves braving the chilly December air for the first of two year-end gigs inside the space of slightly more than 48 hours… with the Distortion Project signing off on the inbound Saturday evening (see our review elsewhere), the …

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Bakken – Belfast, Limelight 2, 20/12/2014

The last of the Distortion Project’s (almost) weekly RocKD Saturday afternoon promotions of 2014 brought together two bands, one from either side of the Irish border, who really have made names for themselves over the past 12 months, with a headline act who have been relatively quiet in comparison but …

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Dee Snider to headline Steelhouse festival

Steelhouse - Dee Snider poster

Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider has been confirmed to headline the second night of the Steelhouse Festival on Sunday July 26. He joins a line up that already includes Y&T, who perform on the Saturday night, and Tyketto, who will be the main support to Snider on the Sunday. Steelhouse …

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Arch Enemy to headline Dynamo Metalfest

Dynamo Metalfest logo

Arch Enemy have been confirmed as the headline act for the first ever Dynamo Metalfest, which takes place at the IJssportcentrum in Eindhoven on Saturday July 18. They join Death Angel, Alestorm and Nuclear Assault, with four other acts still to be announced. “We are very pleased with the addition of …

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Obituary to headline Neurotic Deathfest

Neurotic Deathfest 2015

Neurotic Deathfest, which takes place at the 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands, from April 17 – 19, have confirmed Obituary as one of the headliners for the 2015 event.  Gorod, Kronos and Holocausto Canibal also have been added to the bill, joining the likes of Bloodbath, Immolation, Hate Eternal and …

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Joe Elliott – Belfast, 17 December 2014

Joe Elliott Live in Belfast 17 December 2014

As Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott brought his self-described “little side project” to Belfast for the penultimate night of the ‘Further Adventures Of The Down ‘N’ Outz’ tour, PM pulled up to venue, took the lift to the third floor and sat ourselves down on a rather nice leather sofa …

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Sabaton – Belfast, Limelight 1 06/12/2014

Sabaton - Limelight, Belfast - December 2014

It was in the first two decades of the ninth century that the chroniclers of ancient Ulster first recorded the arrival of the fiercesome Norsemen, as they inflicted on this north-eastern corner of Ireland the same fate they had wrought elsewhere on the island and also across Britain and those …

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Shadowbane – Interview, December 2014

Shadowbane logo

Now and again, a press release lands in the PlanetMosh inbox that, out of the thousands we receive on a daily basis, piques our interest… such was the case when yours truly scanned a message from Pure Steel Records about one of their new signings, rising Hamburg five piece Shadowbane.  …

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Týr – Heri Joensen 06/12/2014

Tyr 'Valkyria' Promo Artwork

PlanetMosh hooked up with Heri Joensen, frontman with Faroe Islanders Týr shortly before their opening slot with Sabaton and Korpiklaani in Belfast this past weekend, to chat about football, rowing, tattoos and whatever else came to mind: http://www.tyr.fo/ https://www.facebook.com/tyrband

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