Album Reviews

  Opus Diaboli is the celebration of Watain’s 13 year anniversary. It represents a stunning and fascinating insight into the forbidden realms of Satanic black metal and presents the manifesto of a truly unique band that have chosen a path very few bands have dared to tread. This package is …

From a land steeped in harsh industrial history and ancient myth come’s a new sound, a new attitude and a new force in dark music. 9xDead come to the fore with a history of growth, rebirth, and reinvention spanning a decade and a sound spanning genre’s. 9xdead explore the depths …

The Prince’s of the Polyrhythm return with their follow up to 2008’s ‘obZen’ which was the bands most commercially successful release to date, however this monster should surpass it’s predecessor with ease. Opening track ‘I Am Colossus’ sets the tone beautifully for a feast of Math Metal/Technical Death Metal/Avant – …

Although this is the bands 5th studio album release in a career spanning some 12 years, the UK has yet to latch on to the German guys offerings, until now that is, for this should turn a fair few heads with a truly winning formula of dirty, sleazy, metal tinged …

  Swedish Death Metal Pioneers return with a vengeance with the follow up to ‘As Yggdrasil Trembles’ ,continuing the theme of a Norse Mythology Doomsday vision. Johnny Hedlund and his horde deliver an epic serving of regal Death Metal second to none. From opener ’Fimbulwinter’ you’re quickly left in no …

German sleaze rockers Kissin’ Dynamite released their last record, Addicted to Metal, in 2010 via AFM records and to say it bluntly……. It was a bit of a disappointment. So many different sub-genres of rock and metal mixed together on one album really does not work. But with their new …

The North West of England is home to many an awesome hard rock band, but Carnforth based southern rock band Massive Wagon’s are a band that are a cut above the rest, combining groovy guitar riffs that reek of the 80’s, driving rhythm sections and slick, Black Label Society esque …

Hailing from Lancaster, Promethium is a super group made up of local North West based bands such as: Skin Crawl, Bodies, Desolate, Natural Thing and Massive Wagons. With a distinctive, outside the box approach to heavy metal, Promethium are a band who hold no punches, especially on their latest album, …

“Where angels fear” is the fifth album from Lullacry and the first Lullacry release since 2005’s “Vol. 4” and was produced by Mikko Herranen.  Lullacry are a gothic metal band from Finland. Whereas many gothic or symphonic metal bands have female singers who sing in an almost operatic, very pure …

My Dynamite are a new Australian band who play classic rock in the Led Zeppelin vein, with comparisons also being made to Black Crowes, The Faces, Free and more.  There is a definite 1970’s feel, but not so much that it feels dated – instead it evokes memories of some …

Hard to believe that Overkill have been around since 1980, what’s even harder to believe is that this new release could quite easily trounce all their previous albums and become known as the bands finest hour. Not only are we treated to a whopping 50 minutes playing time (which is …

Midnight Realm are a 6 piece melodic death metal band from Newcastle upon Tyne. The band originally started as a project between guitarist Daniel Russell and former keyboard player Alan Woodham back in 2007 but has since grown to become a complete unit with an ever growing fan base around …

Good news for fans of US Thrashers Municipal Waste – their fifth album, The Fatal Feast is out next month. This is the bands first album since moving from Earache to Nuclear Blast and its clear that the move to a major label hasnt led to them toning things down …

Since their formation in late 2009, Deprevate have played shows with the likes of Skindred, Evile, esOterica, Exit Ten, at venues across the UK such as the Camden Barfly, Purple Turtle and many more. As well as racking up appearances at Sonisphere UK (acoustic secret set by Rich) and Hard …

Hailing from Sweden, Man.Machine.Industry return with their fourth studio album inspired by the movie “Aftermath:Population zero”. It’s a huge beast of industrial metal that is relentless in its attack. On occasion I’ve been known to dip my toe into the sounds of industrial metal from time to time and right …

The 7th and long awaited album is finally in our midst. To call Necronomicon ‘legends’ is a huge understatement. These guys have been flying the flag for German Thrash since the mid 80’s, hell, they ARE German Thrash. This album excels all it’s predecessors by a country mile, a finer …

This is the follow up to 2011’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘From The Ashes’, and the band have obviously come a long way in the short time since, ‘Power Dive’ has a much tighter more accomplished feel than it’s predecessor . Female vocalist Maike Holzmann sounds supreme, able to deliver …

Formed in 2005 Irdorath can hardly be described as newcomers ,although here in the U.K. we may not be so familiar with the band. All that may be about to change with the release of this their second full length album, which serves up a pure feast of Black Metal …

There must be something in the Finnish air that makes it one of the most prolific Metal producing countries on the planet. Latest export Re-Armed carry on that tradition with this debut release via Massacre Records. The band’s roots can be traced back to 2001 with acclaimed demo tapes filling …

Before The Dawn - Rise Of The Pheonix