Album Reviews

Finnish melodic folk-death metal band Ensiferum has released their sixth studio album through Metal Blade Records, titled One Man Army. The band, which takes it’s name from a Latin word translating to “Sword bearing,” has included 15 aggressive tracks, counting the four bonus tracks, for eager fan consumption. Overall, One Man …

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 …

Spinefarm records are reissuing four albums by The Almighty under the ‘RE-F**KIN’-ISSUES banner.  Two albums are to be reissued on 9th February with the other two following later in the year.  As part of the Universal group, Spinefarm are re-issuing them as Deluxe editions and as with other Universal deluxe …

Spinefarm records are reissuing four albums by The Almighty under the ‘RE-F**KIN’-ISSUES banner.  Two albums are to be reissued on 9th February with the other two following later in the year.  As part of the Universal group, Spinefarm are re-issuing them as Deluxe editions and as with other Universal deluxe …

“T-byrds are go” is the debut EP from Australian band Tequila Mockingbyrd.  The name is a nice play on the famous novel by Harper Lee (To Kill a mockingbird).  Tequila Mockingbird are a three-piece all-female band from Melbourne, and play some great rock and roll.  While bands like Airbourne or …

This is the second album from up and coming UK based progressive metal band HeKz. ‘Caerus’ follows on from the self-released debut album ‘Tabula Rasa’ which was warmly received. HeKz consists of Matt Young on bass guitar and vocals, Alastair Beveridge on electric and acoustic guitars, Tom Smith on electric …

Bast are a 3 piece from London who deals in Doom and suffocating atmospheres. They have been on the circuit now for 6 years and in that time have perfected their sound whilst supporting the likes of Ufomammut, Bong and more recently with Conan. “In the Beginning” plunges headfirst into …

Two years since their last studio album ‘Solarflesh: A Gospel of Radiant Divinity’, Polish death metallers Hate are back with a new album again. Getting closer to number ten, their ninth full-length album ‘Crusade: Zero‘ is another argument showing that Hate is definitely still going their own way. ‘Crusade: Zero’ is framed between the solemn and …

One thing keeps me interested in UFO, and that is Phil Mogg, the singer of UFO (and joint founding member along with Pete Way) since the band formed in 1969, I was 4 then. Phil’s vocals are still solid; if slightly lacking in power since the hay day of UFO …

Swedish black metal icons Marduk jump back to the front with their new concept album, ‘Frontschwein’ – and it is something else!  ‘Frontschwein’ is a German colloquial term among soldiers since World War I that sarcastically described the soldiers on the front as mere cannon fodder.  It means “Front Pig” …

This album plays out like the soundtrack of a movie. Sadly the movie was never made… However, luckily for us, the music was… Perfectly structured, each track flows effortlessly into the next… Taking the listener on a sonic voyage… The listener in this case is me and it is with …

Blind Guardian is a special band; a band that has laughed in the face of convention since day one and have created some of the seminal classics of the power metal genre. With a legacy as powerful how will new release Beyond The Red Mirror fare in the land of …

@planetmosh reviews As The Crow Flies by .@LaceWeeper on .@momusicfr As The Crow Flies is the debut album from Irish four piece Lace Weeper, due to be released on March 2nd.   The band was formed in 2011 by guitarist Matt Hayward and vocalist Sebastian Florek. Os Andres (bass) and Kevin Liffey …

Sometimes an album, or even a band, is of its time.  This re-issued debut from New Jersey (at the time) upstarts Exxplorer definitely falls into that categorization – but, in a good way. Quite rightly, when first released three decades ago, ‘Symphonies Of Steel’ was regarded as a groundbreaking album, …

With a cast of infamous characters that reads like a short who’s who of the California desert rock scene, Mojave Lords are a lake of fire indeed. Featuring core members David Catching, Kevin Richey, Brian O’Connor, and Joey Castillo, the band has released an aggressive ten song debut, neologically dubbed …

Chris Appleton is perhaps best known to PM readers as the lead vocalist with his band Absolva, as well as the lead guitarist with former Wolfsbane/Iron Maiden frontman Blaze Bayley’s touring band.  To others, he might just be familiar as the brother of Iced Earth’s Luke Appleton.  He’s also part …

The latest cd I received via the postman was from a Glaswegian three piece rock band who I had never heard of before, however a quick look on their Facebook page gives me enough clues that this should be good, 4000 plus likes must mean they are doing something right. …

Satan’s Host are one of those rare bands that the much over-used musical terminologies “cult” and “underground” most definitely can be applied – and liberally! After forming around the nucleus of guitarist Patrick Evil and vocalist Leviathan Thisiren (otherwise known by his real name of Harry Conklin, frontman of Jag …

For extreme metal, anno 2015 is off to a good start, with Johansson & Speckmann‘s second studio effort, Mask of the Treacherous, being released through Vic Records. This nine-song album features Ribspreader‘s Rogga Johansson, teamed up with Master‘s Paul Speckmann. The studio-only collaboration showcases the musical and songwriting acumen of …

The scene is set by the rumble of bass, before the super smooth crunch of guitar enters the fray. With more bite than the lion enclosure at Chester Zoo, this is the sound of rock. What we have here is Nyemba, the new album from Botswanan metal outfit Skinflint. Calling …