Album Reviews

The greatest selection of albums, reviewed and rated

Beretta Suicide – ‘Beretta Suicide’

Beretta Suicide Cover Art

Apparently brought together by their mutual love of “tattoos and low slung guitars”, Leeds trio Beretta Suicide play good old-fashioned street punk mixed with rock ‘n’ roll and a not inconsiderable dose of backstreet glam, combining the carefree spirit of the likes of The Babysitters and Last Of The Teenage …

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Claim The Throne – ‘Forged In Flame’

This third album from Australia’s Claim The Throne is very much in the blackened, melodic death metal meets folk vein of Amon Amarth, and most definitely will appeal to fans of the Swedish overlords. While Australia itself may not have a long folk tradition of its own – drawing as …

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Aosoth – IV

Aosoth Cover Art

This fourth album from French blackened death metallers Aosoth is suitably dark, punishingly brutal and apocalyptically nihilistic. Built on barbaric rhythms and crushing riffs, topped with the sort of evil vocal that the Lord of Hades himself would struggle to imitate, it’s by turns depressively dirge-like and neck-snappingly fast, but …

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letlive. – ‘The Blackest Beautiful’

letlive - The Blackest Beautiful Artwork

The word emotional has been denigrated in recent years by it’s association with the dreaded ‘core scene, and its attribution to a raft of bands who have used the pretence of caring what goes on in the world about them to worm their way into the hearts, and souls, of …

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Masterly – ‘Sin Identidad’

Masterly - Sin Identidad Artwork

This Barcelona mob get off to a less than masterly start by failing the first test of any band, never mind one from an overseas country submitting their material to an English language website:  not only do they provide very little supporting material – no biog, no background information, not …

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Headcount – ‘Lullabies For Dogs’

Headcount - Lullabies For Dogs Artwork

Oxford trio Headcount’s sound has previously been described, elsewhere I hasten to add, as “Adam And The Ants being sodomized by Therapy?”. Certainly, on the basis of this new album, I can see the former comparison, as well as to the likes of Teardrop Explodes and maybe early, commercialized, stoner, …

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Die No More – Blueprint

Die No More are a British Metal band from Penrith, Cumbria. Formed in 2011 they started out playing under the name of Dynamo but changed their name to Die No More earlier this year, due to foreseeable issues with magician Dynamo, before announcing the release of their début album Blueprint. …

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Senton Bombs – Chapter Zero

Chapter Zero is the latest album from Blackpool Punk/Rock Band The Senton Bombs. Formed in 2004 as The Terrorists they have already released four Demos and two studio albums, ‘Sweet Chin Music’ and’ Gambit’. Signed to STP Records in March 2013, Chapter Zero is their first label released album. With …

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Majestic Dimension – ‘Bringers Of Evolution’

Majestic Dimension - Album Artwork

Following on from two self-released EPs, Swedish wannabe power metallers Majestic Dimension released this, their debut album earlier this year.  Unfortunately, both the band and the album are mis-named, and in numerous ways. There is nothing which even warrants the descriptive ‘majestic’ and the everything is strictly one dimensional, with …

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KaiDekA – ‘A Blissful Image Of A Dystopian Vision’

KaiDekA - Blissful Image Artwork

Having earned 8/10 from PM with their debut ‘False Idols and Pyrite Thrones’ album at the beginning of 2012, Falmouth nu-thrash crossover mob KaiDekA return with this impressive sophomore, which cements their Slipknot-meets-MachineHead style with aplomb and panache. Right from the opening bars of ‘Pre-Requisite’, the south coasters hit the …

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Vattnet Viskar – ‘Sky Swallower’

Vattnet Viskar - Artwork

Proving that first impressions can indeed be deceptive, Vattnet Viskar, despite their Swedish monicker do not, in fact, hail from the northern wastelands of Scandinavia but rather from the shores of the eastern United States… their name (which translates as ‘The Water Whispers’), however, is a definite homage to the …

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Hardreams – ‘Unbroken Promises’

Hardreams Artwork

Think of Barcelona and you think of sun-kissed beaches, curvaceous ladies and cold sangria – and that is exactly the feeling that this debut album from Spanish AOR mob Hardreams evokes. This is bright and breezy hard pop-rock, filled with catchy hooks and pleasing melodies – but, not a lot …

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Mael Mórdha – ‘Damned When Dead’

Mael Mordha - Damned When Dead Artwork

While many of their fellow countrymen have sought to adapt traditional Irish mythologies to a more blackened style of metal, Mael Mórdha have deliberately crafted a sound which is very much rooted in the Celtic folk ethic, which gives their approach to the doomier end of the spectrum a more …

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Kamasupazundown – ‘One Minute Silence’

Kamasupazundown Artwork

Given that they’ve been around in one form for eight years, it is understandable that this debut offering from south Wales trio Kamasupazundown should be an accomplished and mature offering, especially in the songwriting and musical ability stakes. And that is certainly true:  but, the problem is that it seems …

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Alter Bridge – Fortress

Alter Bridge are back with their fourth album – Fortress.  It’s been three years since their last album, ABIII, and the band have certainly been busy in that time, touring in support of the album as well as Mark Trmonti doing his solo tour and shows with Creed and Myles …

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