Album Reviews

To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Epica played their largest headline show to date, at Klokgebouw in Eindhoven in March this year.  Fans from all over the world travelled to be there – something like 50 countries were represented at the venue, and even more watched the show on a live …

“Try hard…or die hard” is the third album from Italian band E.Z.Riders (or to give them their full name, Experienced Zydeco Riders).  Musically they’re Blues Rock with a definite Southern feel.  That musical feel combined with the E.Z.Riders name might lead you to assume they’re from Texas, Tennessee or one …

Excellent debut from the Swedish based Gothic duo.     Just when you think you have seen and heard it all in this wonderful, jumbled up and eclectic genre we call Metal, along pops something that knocks you back and makes you realise what a glorious tapestry these musicians weave. …

Benedictum have just released their fourth album, Obey.  Bands with female singers are often characterised with classical or operatic style vocals and this does appeal to a certain type of fan, but a lot of metal fans aren’t keen on this style of singing in metal.  With Benedictum though there’s …

Hailing from The Netherlands, reformed modern ‘power thrash metal’ band Mytholic brings us a five-song EP boasting a hard-edged presentation. This record has a crisp, modern production with well thought-out, ‘deep’ layering in the songs. Vocals are a little forward; otherwise each instrument is in balance, drums especially appreciable. The …

Belgium’s Possession have released a four-song EP, His Best Deceit, of extreme madness. After an (1:34) eternity-long intro, the real music gets going. The band channels a deep, ‘fizzy’ production and simplistic song structure in to four intense tunes. Mixing equal parts Bathory, Sodom, Bloodstorm, and maybe a little Morbid …

On the Second Day of Xmas Louella brings to you Cop This by The Deep End. G’day Mate! It’s the second day of Xmas and I couldn’t find two turtle doves so I bring you the latest Australian export The Deep End! This Aussie five piece released their début album …

Ok so it’s Christmas time and I’ve been roped into this “twelve reviews of Christmas” by our very own Steve Dempsey. I would probably be miffed as I am moving house tomorrow morning however it means I get my hands on the 2nd part of FFDP’s “The Wrong Side Of Heaven …

Back in the day when the NWOBHM movement kicked off there was no internet easily available so I had to rely on music magazines like Sounds, Kerrang, Melody Maker, NME, Record Mirror etc. for information. So all i really knew about Soldier was their 45rpm single release Sheralee which caused …

I AM I released their new single See You Again as a digital download on 11th November 2013. Former Dragonforce frontman ZP Theart formed I AM I after leaving Dragonforce. ZP assembled a line up of talented and renowned musicians to put together new project I AM I. The lineup …

The Imaginaerum tour has run for more than a year, and has seen major changes in the band.  Singer Anette Olzon left the band and Floor Jansen stepped in as a temporary replacement to enable the band to finish the tour.  Since the tour ended Floor has been made a …

Justin Lerner comes from New Jersey and has been playing guitar since an early age.  In 2006 he released his debut album, “The dividing line”.  Now, his second album “18th avenue” has been released.  Well calling it an album is a slightly debatable point – with just six tracks it’s …

Eyevory is a progressive folk rock band from Bremen, German.  They initially formed in 2009 under the name “Pink mercury” and in 2012 changed their name to “Eyevory”. They’ve previosuly released an EP, and Euphobia is their debut album. It’s a really interesting mix of styles – folk, pop, rock …

Austrian band Badhoven formed in 2001 and released their debut album “Behind the masquerade” the same year.  They followed this with “Believe” in 2005, and now eight years on, they’ve released their third album – Obsession. Although Austria may not be known for it’s rock and metal music, it has …

Alestorm have released their first live DVD – Live at the end of the world.  Handily released in time for Christmas shopping, the DVD was filmed on their Australian tour at the start of this year. Presented in a nice hardback digi-book style case, you get a DVD and a …

NiteRain a promising Glam/Sleaze band from Oslo, Norway released their début album NiteRain last month. The idea for the band came from singer Sebastian (Baz) Tvedtnæs back in 2006 and he joined forces with a classmate. However the band really started out in 2010 when Frank and Morten joined with Adrian …

Following the huge success of their big label debut, ‘The Mouths Of Madness’, earlier this year, this timely re-issue brings together san Francisco psych-doomsters Zodiac’s two pre-Nuclear Blast releases – the ‘The Through The Devil’s Doorway’ EP and 2011’s full-lengther ‘Capricorn’, both originally released on The Church Within Records – …

Zombie Lake is a multi-national band, hailing from both Sweden and the USA. Vocalist Martin Missy and crew deliver a brand of thrash-laced metal fairly close to an old-school Sodom vibe. The ten tracks of Plague Of The Undead are an aural feast, at least instrumentally. Atonal growling vocals are …

Michigan’s General Bastard (a.k.a Dean Carls) released an 11-song album, Revolution Rock, chock full of old-school punk rock attitude. This full-band effort was recorded at a professional sound studio in Michigan and sounds like it, with clear attack, good balance, and good definition between instruments. Songs have that catchy, simplified …

October  31 Formed back in 1995 and is a collaboration of members from other well respected underground bands among them King Fowley (Deceased) and Jim Hunter(While Heaven Wept, Twisted Tower Dire). The title track is a quick of the mark with a riff dragged straight from the 80s, rib cracking …