Album Reviews

There are so many bands out there who want to be the next Pantera, Down and Black Label Society and in doing so sound unoriginal and generic. Powerstroke are such a band and although their latest album entitled Awaken the Beast may be jammed full of groove polluted thrust, the …

Since reforming in early 2012, Belgium based speed metal band Drakkar have seen it fit to release a comeback album only a few months after getting back to getter… Big mistake. X-Rated Reloaded is a slow, turgid, monotonous album that really should not be classed as speed metal, putting this …

Crystal Viper is a female fronted traditional heavy metal act from Poland, founded in 2003 and led by the singer and guitarist Marta Gabriel. After doing 3 full length studio albums, several single and EP releases, appearing on a bunch of compilations, after touring in most of the European countries, …

Holy Moses may well be an unknown name to many metal fans but they were one of the 1st  German thrash metal bands after forming in Aachen, Germany in 1980. Angela Gossow from Arch Enemy seems to receive all the attention for a female fronting a heavy metal band but …

Farewell to the Flesh EP was released on February the 14th 2012. Some of the tracks on this album are remixes of tracks on their previous album Genocide Chapters. All the tracks for this album were recorded and mixed by Patrick Mundy, Volkar Kael, and Kristof Bathory at the home …

  Hailing from Austria, this is the bands second full length release and follow up to 2010’s ‘Susanna Lies In Ashes.’ This offering continues the theme of the previous, detailing a boys childhood and his experiences whilst growing up. The sound could best be described as Dark Melodic/ Ambient Doom …

Prepare to be pummelled by this latest album from the German Extreme Death Metal scenes brightest stars for some time. 11 tracks of pure brutality and malice delivered with real passion and mastery, sadly lacking in many bands of this genre. Tracks such as ‘Schone Freude’ and ‘Feine Gaben’ are …

  The New Age Of Folk Metal champions return with their best offering to date. Infusing traditional Celtic and Gaulish elements beautifully with really catchy melodic Death Metal. This is the bands first release since 2010’s ’Everything Remains…’ and shows the bands continued progression and development. From the haunting vocals …

“For vengeance and for love” is the new album from UK Gothic metal band Apparition.  They released their debut album ‘Drowned in Questions’ in 2006, then in 2009 released  ‘Ghosts of The Past’ – a compilation of new, old and demo’s songs.  This then is their second “proper” album.  The …

Mike Paradine, drummer with ArcticFlame, has released his first solo album “Death In The Family”. The album is a collection of personal songs, the subject matter consists of his on going feud with certain family members, growing up in the late 70’s, early 80’s in Bayonne, New Jersey, 9/11 and …

Riding on the teen rock wave of success of fellow label mates Black Veil Brides, Modern Day Escape have released their 2nd album ‘Under the Gun’ at what is poised to be either an exciting year ahead or to be named as the twin band to BVB. Unfortunately Modern Day …

                                                                                                                                                    Following the re-releases of Strength Of Steel,Pound For Pound and Worth The Weight at the end of 2011, Steamhammer/SPV Records will be re-releasing the  4 Anvil albums that followed them, once …

Ministry have an untarnished legacy, having released some of the finest industrial metal albums of all time as well as being fronted by one of the words greatest front men Mr Al Jourgensen – who still has one of the most distinct and gnarliest voices in the metal world despite …

After last year’s awesome release entitled Speaker of the Devil, it’s hard to think how Emmure could top such a mind-blowing hardcore album. Now in 2012, this New York five piece are back with their best album to date. Presenting Slave to the Game – a commanding and imposing hardcore …

Job For a Cowboy have only recently been accepted by the extreme metal community thanks to the killer Metal Hammer Destroyers of the Faith tour, wiping the grins off the loyalists faces as they smashed through a set of tight and lashing death metal anthems. After their last two mediocre …

With a name like Fuckhammer you automatically presume that these Northern Islanders are going to be a grindcore band and how right you would be.  Bands like Wormrot and Bolt Thrower and Terrorizer are all unique and genre defying bands that put this “controversial” and “extremely brutal” genre on the …

  Rage formed in 1984 under the name, Avenger. After releasing their debut album Prayers of Steel and their Depraved to Black EP in 1985, the band changed their name to Rage because there was another band inEnglandthat also carried the moniker. Originally the new name was to be Furious …

The Sticky Boys are a French rock band that was formed in 2008 when when Tom (drums) and Alex ( guitar/ vocals) decided to put an end to all their ongoing musical projects and to give France something that has been lacking for a long time – a genuine rock …

Swedish heavy metal band Katana had a very busy 2011.  They released their debut album (Heads will roll), they toured with bands including  “Where Angels Suffer”, featuring Chris Holmes and Stet Howland (ex-W.A.S.P.) and American metal legends Lizzy Borden. They also entered the studio to record their second album, “Storms …

Founded in Barcelona in 2001, Spanish Metal band Moonloop play progressive death metal (think Gojira and early Opeth).  Unusually these days, Moonloop are a band who have kept their lineup unchanged since forming ten years ago.  Their name comes from the album Moonloop, by prog band Porcupine tree, which gives …