Album Reviews

Sound Storm are a symphonic heavy metal band formed in 2002 in Turin, Italy.  Having released various E.P’s, 2008 saw them release their first full length album “Twilight Opera” celebrating it’s release at the “Ilha Do Ermal” festival in Portugal alongside the likes of Sepultura and Firewind.  The band toured …

Formed by Guitarist and composer Chris Frost back in 2006, Splintered Soul have undergone various lineup changes since then and with their debut album expected later this year, have chosen to release a three track EP.  They describe their music as “Cinematic metal”, and it does seem a fairy good …

When power metal is done well, it is done bloody well. When it’s done badly, it’s done bloody atrociously. The second album by re-united Sicilian trio Holy Knights falls somewhere between these two extremes. Way back at the turn of the 21st century, Holy Knights could have been, in words …

It’s been an eventful year for In this moment.  Two of the bands founding members (Guritarist Blak Brunzel and Drummer Jeff Fabb) quit the band as did their long term manager. While Brunzel and Fabb work with an American Idol contestant, Singer Maria Brink and Guitarist Chris Howarth have rebuilt …

  The majority of my album reviews are heavy rock/metal but when i was asked to review Ian Hunter’s latest album, When I’m President  i was delighted as i grew up with early 70’s music , an era when his previous band  Mott The Hoople were in their heyday. After …

Magnum are a British institution as far as I’m concerned, as they were the first band I ever saw, I was 14 at the time ( Wigan Pier ) and I’ve followed their career, both ups and downs ever since. ‘On The 13th Day’ will be the bands 18th studio …

Formed in 1999 by guitarist Andrea Martongelli, Arthemis are an Italian heavy/thrash metal band and are about to release their seventh album, We Fight, through fledgling record label Off Yer Rocka Recordings. I was first introduced to Arthemis nearly 2 ½ years ago on the sun kissed island of Ibiza at the …

Due to be released on 27 August 2012, ‘Unsung Heroes’ is the latest offering from Finnish folk-metallers Ensiferum. This is an interesting album and one that certainly gives your ears food for thought.  There are a variety of elements collected together throughout the 10 songs and at times can appears …

The Burning Crows plough a rich vein of good-time, old-fashioned sleazy, snarling rock ‘n’f’n’ roll that traces its roots back to the likes of Mott The Hoople, Slade and Bad Company and, more especially, latterday reprobates such as Dogs d’Amour, The Quireboys and The Wildhearts. Indeed, mention of the quintessential …

If you think back to bands such as SixTh then this genre of ultra tech/ djent has been around for some time, however, with bands such as TesseracT, Periphery and Meshuggah perhaps bringing it more to the public eye and out of the groove Metal shadows, it can be no …

Reunions are such a tricky business. A band will never be followed under such scrutiny and (often biased) critique than if they’ve disbanded and eventually reunited. You can double up the cynicism if we’re talking about a band who were universally lauded and respected within their genre during their original …

If you are even slightly familiar with the UK hardcore scene there’s no way you haven’t come across north east 5-piece, Demoraliser.  Since their beginnings in 2010, they’ve released 2 EP’s and collaborated with other great bands to produce fantastic split EP’s. With the fame gained from these critically acclaimed …

Zatokrev are a Swiss 4-piece sludge metal band who are quickly on the rise. Their 2008 debut album Bury the Ashes was released to critical acclaim in Europe, the UK and the USA and after extensive worldwide touring and some heavy line-up changes they’re back with their new full-length; The …

The yeti may be a mythological creature from the higher reaches of the world’s highest mountain range, but the quartet who pay homage to ‘him’ in their band name are a whiskey- and blood-soaked loud-as-fuck riff machine from the deepest, darkest underbelly of Los Angeles. They may also well be …

This fifth album from these Vancouver progressionalists – and their second for the impressive Californian label, Ripple Music – is certainly an interesting offering, and definitely one which bears more than one listen, given its complexity and depth. At first, it comes across as a purely retrospective slab of prog, …

Right, first off the bat I am a massive Korn fan, I have been for nearly 15 years.  They were one of the first metal bands I ever really got into.  BUT I really can’t stand live albums; I just don’t see the point.  Live is about the visual as …

It’s a sensual, euphoric and mystical sounding song. It’s very well written, and it somehow manages to get going and get into the swing of the song without the listener ever actually noticing that it’s happened. It’s a really soft yet uplifting song, and with a title like The Swan …

Hertfordshire is getting a bit of a habit of producing excellent bands. First Enter Shikari appear out of St. Albans, then The Subways out of Welwyn Garden City. Now, it looks like the musical county is at it again, with Welwyn Garden City based metallers Thousand Autumns cooking up a …

  The mighty, Swedish Grave have released a new album and I have to say I am rather fucking excited.  Possession of Souls is Grave’s 13th studio album, not a bad number! Returning to Century Media this album has been long awaited by Grave fan’s since Burial Ground in 2010. …

Unsigned pop-rock quartet The City Divided, hailing from the county of Hertfordshire, last month released their début EP The Endless Moment under their own steam. Hertfordshire is a county that is rapidly becoming famous for producing rock bands, the most prominent being Enter Shikari, and then also The Subways and …