Album Reviews

Goth masters return with a vengeance   I genuinely can not believe that Lacrimas are now in their twentieth year, a band that have consistently produced a brand of Gothic orientated Metal that has always been uncompromising and from the heart, delivered with style and panache and maintaining a musical …

‘Utopia’, Norwegian darkened industrialists Gothminister’s fifth album, is a concept work based around the concept of ‘Mr Jekyll And Dr Hyde’ – with, on this occasion, the inspiration coming from band leader Bjørn Alexander Brem and the duality of his existence as a lawyer by day and heavy metal musician …

Astralnaut are from the dark wet plains of Northern Ireland and trade in big riffs.Formed in late 2011 the band have been gigging the length and breadth of the Island dishing out their brand of Stoner rock which is influenced by the likes of Down, AIC, Solace and even a …

Apparently Alea Jacta have been on the go since 1994 according to their Facebook page and hail from the sunny isle of Tenerife. With the island better known for its holiday beats than metal, the band have been trying to rectify this over the years locally with their own brand …

Swiss Rockers deliver a trump card with this killer album. I must admit, a certain description I came across of the band, namely “ a mix of AC/DC, Airbourne and Motorhead…” got my eyebrow a twitching, more with incredulous disbelief than anything else. However, I can definitely see the sense …

When a metal band features 2 ex members of Venom, one of whom was in the original line up then you can expect full on metal. Original member Mantas on guitar and Tony “demoltion man” Dolan on vocals/bass released their debut album Hell To The Holy in March 2012, a …

Hang on to your hena’s as Chthonic return with their strongest album to date.   The band responsible for getting us all off our arses and playing the Zheng and Pgaku flute are back, wielding their seventh studio album as they continue on a quest to spread the word of …

At present this EP release feels like it is from a young band who still need to find their own groove and own mark of originality in what is an already very crowded genre. They have the potential here, that is without question.

Obsessive Compulsive hit the heights with a mix of songs that will have you salivating for more.   Manchester’s best loved Alternative Rock band are back with their second album which follows on from the very well received ’Dreams Of Death And The Death Of Dreams’ debut which hit the …

This is the second full length from this Chilean band now based in Europe. Procession offer up Doom in the tradition of bands like Solstice and Candlemass –  epic , melodic and with plenty of weight. The band knows when to apply the pressure and when to hold back and …

This single is taken from the second album by the death metal outfit ZOMBIE INC. The Band originated in Austria and features former Pungent Stench vocalist Martin Schirenc. There is no reinvention of the wheel here but everything is in its place, the guitar sound is reminiscent of the likes of …

American Blues guitarist Walter Trout has had a long and impressive career including stints with Canned Heat and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers as well as a long solo career that has seen him release 22 solo albums.  It’s surprising then that after 25 years as a solo artist he’s only now …

Maze of time started under the name ‘Under the sun’ and released a demo under that name, but in 2003 they discovered there was already an American band of the same name, so they changed their name to ‘Maze of time’.  They released their debut album ‘Tales from the maze’ …

Norwegian band Aventyr were formed in 2001 before splitting in 2004.  In 2008 they reformed with a new lineup, and in 2011 they released an EP – Trouble.  In 2012 they recorded their debut album, which was then mixed and mastered by Beau Hill in the US and was released …

Released in March this year this is the latest album from Breed 77.  With their last album Insects released back in 2009 is this new offering worth the wait?  Absolutely. The first track Drown is a strong start to the album and comes across as a challenge to the listener; …

These boys have come about on the local scene in Glasgow after the split of a previous band and produce modern metal that has elements of metalcore, melodic death, progressive notes and some good old fashioned classic metal soloing.

Although personally this is my first encounter with DGM, if the evidence of ‘Momentum’ is anything to go by it is not hard to see why the Italian five piece are highly regarded as one of the better progressive metal bands on the continent of Europe. Featuring guest performances by …

My Dying Bride returns with “The Manuscript”. A four track EP of new material spanning 27 minutes, filled from pillar to post with trademark doomage.  Formed in 1990, My Dying Bride were part of the blessed Trinity of English Doom Metal alongside Anathema and Paradise Lost. The evolution of their …

Lord formed in the Outback area of Australia and were initially known as Dungeon.  They relocated to Sydney and by 2005 had toured with bands including Nightwish, Megadeth, Opeth, Yngwie Malmsteen and more.  They’d also released 9 albums and a DVD. Then in 2005 they had a change of lineup …

Mysteria are a female fronted band from Finland.  They formed in 2005 and have released an EP (Out of the blue) in 2007, the ‘Prefatory’ album in 2011, and have now released ‘QED’. Brief comments on a few tracks.. The album kicks off with ‘Time to go’, and the opening …