Album Reviews

In the English language, the term ‘cheeky scamps’ is usually reserved for boys no older than 10 who are generally well-behaved and sweet, but amuse themselves by partaking in the odd prank and harmless game of knockdown ginger. That the expression is as equally fitting to Bowling for Soup twenty-two …

On the 17th October 2006, my 16 year old self walked into the Mandela Hall in Belfast to watch none other than the kings of cheesy, power metal; DragonForce. It was on this night that my teenage ears were also introduced to the support band who were none other than …

Cvlt (As Fvk) is the new album from Californian industrial rock band Death Valley High.  I have to confess they’re a band I havent listened to before, so for this review I was diving into the unknown.  After listening to the first few songs, my reaction can be descrbed as …

Aussie Wrecking Crew stalwarts Black Aces released their debut album Shot In The Dark at the end of September 2016 via French record label Bad Reputation. The album was produced by Craig Harnath and mixed by Jim Giddings at Hothouse Studios, St Kilda’s and mastered by Tony Mantz at Deluxe …

In the history of music when have you ever heard an album start with the band’s lead singer shouts “ha, ha, record this?!” What’s that? You can’t think of anyone? Well that was how Scottish giants Biffy Clyro kicked off their seventh release; “Ellipsis.” Suppose when you have been on …

It is a good sense of timing to say the least when I got the chance to review the latest Obituary release Ten Thousand Ways To Die a few days after seeing them crush all those who saw them play at the Academy 2 in Manchester a few days earlier. …

As a reviewer it’s always interesting what pieces of material get sent your way. One question you start asking yourself will be “is this album going to be worth listening to?” So when I received an email with an album entitled “The Blackened Heart” by Swedish melodic metal band Enbound; …

Before I get started with this review, in 2008 an album entitled “Mirror Of Souls” graced the world of metal. This release is hands down one of my all time favourite albums but who is this band that released such an album? Well known other than Georgia’s very own Theocracy, …

The Splintered Minds Asylum is the debut album from Glasgow based Splintered Halo.  If this album guarantees you one thing it is that you will likely not have heard anything like this before.  I caught up with front woman Evilyn Van Der Hyden, who is the driving force for the band, to discuss her influences …

In March 2016, a few weeks before the release of the Santana IV album, the classic lineup of Santana played a reunion show at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. The show featured songs from the new album as well as songs from their first three albums.  Now that …

Norfolk may be that somewhat sleepy county over to the extreme right of the map but there’s nothing sedate about the second album from Bad Touch, Truth Be Told. Stacked with oomph, riddled with self-assurance and oozing vitality, this is an album tailor made for when the good times are flowing. …

‘The Aphotic Gloom’ comes three years since Skeletonwitch‘s last full-length release  “Serpents Unleashed” and after the departure of vocalist Chance Garnette. There was much buzz about their new vocalist and this four track EP does indeed feature the powerhouse that is Adam Clemans of Wolvhammer fame. The EP itself is something of …

Voluminous. Volcanic. Voluptuous. Vital: all these adjectives and more encapsulate what Dee Snider has delivered with his latest outing, We Are The Ones. A volume of veritable variance that venerates its implacable ruthlessness from the moment its opening eponymous track explodes. In short, and without the somewhat flowery verisimilitude: Damn, …

It was such a rush to hear that Coroner had comeback in 2011 to play some live shows. They are one of the most lamented bands from the 80s thrash scene. Unfortunately Coroner made no promises of new material when they reformed it was enough that they were giving us …

Here we have Atoma, the latest album release from Dark Tranquillity.  Dark Tranquillity have been producing music for over 25 years and this is likely the most accomplished and musically complete collection of songs so far. Dark Tranquillity have that great ability to produce the traditional Scandinavian melodic death metal sound we are …

Albatross is the second album from UK based rockers Thirsty featuring one of the founding members of The Quireboys, Guy Bailey, and Russian poet Irina D, who collaborated to write lyrics covering diverse subjects such as a botched lobotomy and the trials of space travel. Guy takes lead vocals on nearly …

On 27th July 1996, Bryan Adams played a show at Wembley stadium in front of a crowd of over 70,000 fans.  It was a show packed with hits, and now 20 years on, it’s finally getting a DVD release.   It’s a bare-bones release with no extras which is a slight …

Well, who saw this coming? On Wednesday last week the general consensus was that Orange County behemoths Avenged Sevenfold were releasing their seventh album Voltaic Oceans on 9th December this year, with new single ‘The Stage’ being one of the tracks on it; an Instagram picture by WWE star and Fozzy frontman …

In June 2016, Ritchie Blackmore made a lot of fans very happy by playing three rock concerts.  The legendary guitarist retired from playing rock many years ago and since then has only played with his medieval band, Blackmore’s night.  These shows then represented the first chance for an entire generation …

After a six year hiatus, Helmet have returned to the studio and released a new album titled Dead To The World. Released via earMUSIC, their formula of melody with muscle shines throughout the eleven tracks. Produced by lead guitarist and vocalist Page Hamilton who founded the band in New York …