PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal

Irish death-groove trio Dead Label return with their second album, Throne Of Bones. Recorded at East West Studios on Sunset Boulevard towards the end of last year, it sees the band maturing into a well-oiled machine. Dead Label toured sections of the States between their visits to the studio and …

The night was opened by support band Damn Dice, a 5-piece outfit based in London, to a woefully small crowd. After a short intro they went into their first song – I didn’t catch the title but it was quite fast with good harmony vocals and reminded me a bit …

I have to start this review by saying it was actually very hard for me to write. As a massive fan of Mr Wildheart I really wanted to be objective about this – after all if we all liked the same music you’d never argue with your friends or be …

Jesus Chrüsler Supercar are a trio of death ‘n’ rollers from Stockholm.  They play energetic, vibrant rock mixed with punk fury, with references to death and thrash metal, and even a hint of stoner mixed with grunge.  They play it loud.  VERY loud.  And they play it fast.  VERY fast. …

While Post Pop Depression has been billed as a collaboration, it’s Iggy Pop‘s name on the album’s marquee and spine. Producer, multi-instrumentalist, and co-writer Joshua Homme and Pop are both revered musicians and celebrated collaborators in their own realms. Homme worked with John Paul Jones and Dave Grohl in Them …

With this, the the band’s tenth album, Amon Amarth take their penchant for their epic evocations and retelling of the ancient myths and sagas, the feats of bravery and heroism which soak the bloodstained page of their homeland’s history, to next level by producing their first concept album.  Based around …

Thanks to a mizzle which had blown in from the Irish Sea overnight, the first full day at Camp Hard Rock Hell dawns damp underfoot, as the faithful thousands wake from their late slumbers and prepare for the entertainment coming their way across the three stages. Having travelled from about …

The lads from Germany are back with their new full length album “Starless.” I am going to go track by track as there is a lot to say and some of is not good. The main issue here is tone and the feel of the album. There are points on this …

I arrived in a (surprisingly) sunny Pwllheli in North Wales way ahead of schedule 1pm on the Thursday. This time last year, poor Hammerfest fell victim to a horrendous downpour – flooding the site from day 1. After checking in and exchanging pleasantries with my caravan-mates for the weekend, I …

Despite its remote location – in the crook of north Wales’ Llŷn Peninsula, between Snowdonia and the Irish Sea – Hard Rock Hell is undoubtedly one of the UK’s favourite festivals, often booking out a year in advance… and even before a single band is announced!  That was evinced yet …

                  Once seen, never forgotten, could be said of Spunk Volcano the larger than life guitarist from Midlands Punk Rock band Dirt Box Disco. He of the one-eyed, safety pinned balaclava with inbuilt orange woolly mohawk does his bit to keep the …

On an unusually mild, bright early Spring evening in our wee neck of the woods off I set to what, according to the poster promises to be a great night of good old fashioned rock n roll.. As the lights go down, the opening band Massive Wagons take to the …

It’s Saturday night and for the third consecutive week, I find myself at Fibber Magees on Dublin’s Parnell St. for the last heat of this year’s Metal 2 The Masses Ireland showcase. With 5 bands going toe to toe on the stage, could this heat be the magnificent seventh? Opening …

The new album from Ben Poole opens with the hard hitting “Lying To Me” a big, powerful, rocking number with a steady, hard bluesy riff and serious soloing which certainly grabs your attention. “I Think I Love You Too Much” slows things down a notch or two, and on this …

Boss Keloid are fast becoming a strong contender in the sludge/stoner/doom community throughout the UK. Having shared stages with the likes of Gurt, Slabdragger and Raging Speedhorn, they are on their way to changing the shape of the sludge sound with intelligent writing and impressive vocals. Boss Keloid begin with a huge slab of sludge in …

For the first time in my life I actually got off the train at Wolverhampton rather than just passing through on the way back from Birmingham! The violent hailstorm and grey miserable skies did little to dampen my spirits as I was there to see two Finnish rock bands Reckless …

      Sometimes, just now and again, an album comes by that makes you want to do bad stuff. With ‘Wrank’, Mastiff have achieved that status   It has been said that Edvard Munch played this album on his iPod shuffle as he created and painted ‘The Scream’ in …

Tonight’s gig was the first full Avantasia gig in the UK.  It’s hard to believe it’s taken so long – the band have been going for 15 years and recently released their seventh album, but apart from a set at Bloodstock festival a couple of years ago they haven’t played …

I first came across Anti-Nowhere League (ANL) five years ago when I was in Glasgow for a few days. I had a look to see if there were any gigs on, saw that they were playing, watched the video to So What and thought well so what, they’ll be a …

A storm is gathering as Cairo Son gear up to release their latest album. With helpings of stoner rock, grunge and blues and layers of great vocals, is it a storming success that the London three-piece hope for? Storm Clouds begins with the groove laden stoner rock sounds of “Lost in the Shadow”, a great opening track …