Album Reviews

The greatest selection of albums, reviewed and rated

Joanna Connor – “4801 South Indiana Avenue”

Now this is the real deal as Chicago based slide guitar virtuoso and singer/songwriter Joanna Connor releases her upcoming studio album “4801 South Indiana Avenue” on February 26th 2021 via Joe Bonamassa’s new independant blues record label Keeping The Blues Alive. Even more thrilling is that Joe plays on every …

Read More »

Spam Javelin – The Three Chords Of The Apocalypse

Spam Javelin are like a fine wine. The older they become, the better you digest them. I wasn’t sure previous release ‘The Crack Whores Of Betws Garmon ‘ could be beaten, especially not for political anger and everyday piss-me-offs, but it has, it’s been smashed. Guitarist and vocalist Neil Crud …

Read More »

Sacred Reich – The Re-Issues

After releasing their first record in twenty three years last year in the form of ‘Awakening ‘, Arizona thrash veterans Sacred Reich will re-release their early back-catalogue on 12th February 2020. ‘Ignorance ‘, ‘Surf Nicaragua ‘ (EP) and ‘The American Way ‘ are all re-introduced in what can only be …

Read More »

The Dying Lights – Crash (single)

On February 5th 2021, Cheshire based noisemongers The Dying Lights stick a big middle finger up to Covid-19 by releasing their slightly unhinged new single ‘Crash’. In just under four minutes they summon up some spine chilling inner demons. Formed in 2017 by guitarist Derek Holmes, several line up changes …

Read More »

Michael Schenker Group – Immortal

Michael Schenker

Michael Schenker celebrates his legacy and 50th anniversary as a musician by reforming MSG to release their eleventh studio album, the aptly titled Immortal and he announces that “I’m 65 now but still 16 in my head”. The album has just been released by Nuclear Blast Records and all ten …

Read More »

Skam – Sound Of A Disease

Skam was formed in Sweden in 2019 as an outlet to produce ‘cathartic music’. The main motivation for this project is the release of stress and toreduce it. Lamenting the declining mental health of the world is touched upon both lyrically as well as musically. The brutality of grindcore with …

Read More »

Second Cities – Out With The Old EP

Three singles from Birmingham based Second Cities released in 2020 got the ball rolling towards 2021 and that momentum has spawned their debut EP Out With The Old, a five track tumult that includes the three aforementioned tracks. The band proclaim that the EP title is from being sick of …

Read More »

Diamond Head Lightning To The Nations 2020

Diamond Head

Diamond Head gives LIGHTNING TO THE NATIONS a brand new lease of life for its 40th-anniversary celebration. Firing up the belly of the beast for a new generation. If you’ve never heard of Diamond Head keep reading… The dramatic powering of LTTN2020 will instantly draw you in with its pulverizing …

Read More »

HeLL PuPPeTs – From Hell (Music Video Review)

Sunday, August 8th 2015 at the Bloodstock Open Air Festival saw me alter my reviewing schedule by leaving midway through a very boring set by Black Label Society on the Ronnie James Dio Stage to check out HeLL PuPPeTs headline the Jagermeister Stage who were thoroughly a lot more entertaining …

Read More »

The Dead Daisies – Holy Ground

So the ever spinning wheel in The Dead Daisies personnel see the departure of Jon Corabi on lead vocals and Marco Mendoza on bass guitar replaced by the legendary Glenn Hughes and he has added a whole new dimension to the band, point proven by their recently released studio album …

Read More »

The Autumn Killers – Acoustic And Autumnised

South Wales based The Autumn Killers are another band that have recently given their music an overhaul as they have reworked their debut EP Dance Floor Mayhem into the tongue twisting titled ‘Acoustic And Autumnised EP’ with an added track. Said added track is a real curveball as their cover …

Read More »

Second Cities – Like A Moth (single)

Second Cities return with latest single ‘Like A Moth’ but these Birmingham based oiks sound more like a bat out of hell as they thrash out a brutal bludgeon. It’s not all noise for noise sake as there is a lot more to their oeuvre from the lead vocals of …

Read More »

Accept – Too Mean To Die

Accept

Formed in 1976 in Solingen, West Germany, Accept are still flying the flag for German heavy metal, point proven by their upcoming studio album Too Mean To Die. Whether it’s frustration from Covid (which has delayed the album release from Jan 15th till the 29th due to a pressing plant …

Read More »

Ward XVI – Unplugged And Sedated EP

As somebody a lot wiser than me once proclaimed, “Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast”. Point proven by the Unplugged And Sedated EP currently available by Preston based macabre metallers Ward XVI. Throughout the pandemic in 2020 they managed to release the over the top studio album Metamorphosis …

Read More »

Ashen Reach – Homecoming

My first review of 2021 and what a way to start the year with the quite astonishing debut album Homecoming from Merseyside based Ashen Reach. Currently available via all digtal outlets, for such a young band these 11 songs show early maturity in their songwriting. Opener ‘Fighting For My Life’ …

Read More »

Death Dealer – Conquered Lands

Ross The Boss is back with a vengeance as he unleashes Conquered Lands, the third studio album from Death Dealer via AFM and Steel Cartel Records. The quality shown from previous releases Warmaster and Hallowed Ground continues throughout these songs mainly from the astonishing drumming from Steve Bolognese as his …

Read More »