Album Reviews

Unhold split up in 2012 after being together for 20 years. They released 3 full-length albums but it has been 7 years since the last release, so here they are back in 2015 with a new lineup and a most challenging affair of a new album. Most of the influences …

This split brings together 2 of the most oppressive sounding bands to come from opposite sides of the Atlantic. First up is Keeper who hail from California and bring to the table a 14-minute dirge “777” which has a slow punishing beat with a guitar riff that lurches along at …

‘Abusing music’s worthless genre boundaries since 2003’ is their tagline, and it’s something that Enter Shikari have held true ever since their formation that year. Every album they’ve released has been different; from the grit and punk nature of 2007’s brilliant debut Take to the Skies right through to the electronic, politically …

This band’s fans, humorously dubbed Peripherals, are going to adore this set by Washington, D.C’s Periphery. Titled Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega, the dual-disc ‘concept album’ set serves to redefine the band for anno 2015. Seventeen songs of djenty, modern progressive metal glory will tickle the earholes of an eager …

Atlas Losing Grip a five piece Alternative Crossover Punk band from Sweden released their third album ‘Currents’ via Cargo records today (16th January 2015). Formed in 2005 ‘Currents’ marks their tenth anniversary. Atlas Losing Grip embark on the Currents European Tour 2015 Part 1 next week with support on many …

Wednesday 13 is back with a new album – “Monsters of the Universe: Come out & Plague”.  As always you’ve got their distinctive punk infused hard rock sound and themes of Horror, sci-fi and a bit of humour.  It’s a great sound – the closest comparison would be Alice Cooper’s …

A band that’s been buzzed about as “a force to watch”, Mini Mansions hit BBC 1’s Single Of The Week with “Death Is A Girl” in mid-December, 2014. With that kind of accolade, and an upcoming full UK tour with Royal Blood, this sun-drenched American band are this week’s obvious Pop Focus choice. …

There are some genuinely grinding, aggressive moments tucked away in the 11 tunes that comprise The Crown‘s early 2015 release, Death is Not Dead. These Swedish extreme metal veterans have reconvened to bring their fans some more fairly melodic, high speed death-thrash as only they can. Death is Not Dead …

Sertraline are a five piece alternative rock outfit from Stoke-on-Trent, UK. Led by the enchanting Leeds lass Lizzie on lead vocals, the band features four ex members; Tom, Josh, Mike & Hendo, of local band Blue Origin who had minor success with their debut album Somnium. Aware that they, as …

Skarlett Riot are a hard rock quartet hailing from Northern Lincolnshire. Formed in 2010 they have built a reputation for a high energy live performance with solid recorded material to back this up. Following their well received 2013 album ‘Tear Me Down’, which contained a mixture of new songs and …

When I heard there was a new album from Jorn Lande up for review, I jumped at the chance. Then I read the press release that accompanied. Alarm bells sounded in my head as the words “Rock Opera Concept Album” leapt from the page. Has Jorn taken a risk too …

Do you like the band Flyleaf? Do you like to read? Here’s something made with you in mind! Flyleaf Spreads Their Wings, a digital edition of which was offered three months ago for review, is about the “Christian but not Christian” band Flyleaf, who is currently apparently on hiatus. The …

An adroit songwriter, Marilyn Manson takes song subjects that are poignant to him and moulds them into the gargoyles and angels that fill the musical cathedral that is his tenth album ‘The Pale Emperor’. It opens with the sense of going into battle with the solid electronic beats that continue …

This second album from Hamburg-based power metallers Shadowbane is one which almost did not see the light of day, as – in common with a number of other projects – it was undergoing its mastering process, at the hands of Dirk Schlächter when the Gamma Ray bassist’s Hammer Studios spectacularly …

Sicilian black metal maestro Vardan has been described as perhaps the busiest man in the genre:  and, with an amazing work rate which has seen him release an astonishing 22 albums during his career – including three (and one split EP) in 2014 alone – that is undoubtedly a more …

This fourth album by Reading’s Sylosis is one born out of trauma:  several months before they started recording it, the band were involved in a serious road accident while touring the States with DevilDriver – and it is this incident which seems to permeate the sense of darkness which pervades …

It is not the first time a well known vocalist and guitarist have done a project together, the main example being when vocalist David Coverdale (Whitesnake) and Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) joined forces. Now two titans of classic 80s glam metal, vocalist Michael Sweet (Stryper) and guitarist George Lynch (ex-Dokken), …

Finnish metal band Battle Beast are back with their third album with the UK release being the same day the band play London alongside Sabaton and Delain.  Singer Noora Louhimo has a great voice – really powerful and perfectly suited to a traditional heavy metal style, but also capable of …

Ask any person in their twenties to name a Papa Roach song and nine times out of ten it’ll be something from 2000 opus Infest – and nine times out of ten it’ll be the same song (we all know which one I’m referring to here). Contrary to opinion though, the …

Hailing from the eastern French region of Haute Savoie, Hybrid Sheep play traditional deathcore heavy enough to induce devastating avalanches on nearby Mont Blanc and send it crumbling into Lake Geneva. For where these five young guys score heavily is in their emphasis on old-school death metal sensibilities – such …