PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal

Steroid Freak Pussy are a Leeds band  who formed in 2005 whose influences include L.A. Guns and Zodiac Mindwarp.  In 2011 they had a lineup change and went from a 5 piece to a 4 piece band.  Following this they headed to the studio to record this CD. This release …

Hailing from the humble, hardworking Pittsburgh, PA, is modern rock outfit Parise, a band composed of friends in music. Spearheaded by guitarist Dan Parise, this project came in to being to showcase the prodigious talents of these musical collaborators. These aren’t any ol’ friends: the band features within it’s ranks, …

Chicken Fighting With Battlecross Battlecross is a band from the rust-belt suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. In 2005, the nascent band crafted up a few tunes and self-released a demo. What a difference a few years makes: by 2013, they’ve been signed to Metal Blade Records, and have partied like rock …

Having never been to The Doghouse venue Carlton, Nottingham before I didn’t know what to expect when I rolled up for The Aces High Festival 2013: 24th and 25th August 2013. The Doghouse turned out to be a smaller concert venue about 2 miles outside Nottingham (on the lilac bus …

This sophomore offering from Dublin instrumentalists Parhelia has been four years in the making, being as it is the follow up to their 2009 full-lengther debut, ‘Shifting Sands’ (they previously had released two EPs, ‘First Light’ in 2006 and 2007’s ‘Oceans Apart’). ‘The Precipice Of Change’ is a hypnotic album, …

Due to be released in the UK on 2 September 2013, Turisas2013 is the latest offering from the Finnish metal band.  Only two years since Stand Up And Fight was released, this is a quick turnaround and as well as a change from the previous releases by not being a concept album.  Progression has …

Dennis “Fergie” Frederiksen (Toto, Frederiksen/Philips, Mecca, LeRoux) is an inspiration. His long and storied music career continues strongly, despite advancing age and failing health. Frontiers Records brings listeners his newest material, 2013’s Any Given Moment. Produced by Alessandro Del Vecchio, this record has 11 tracks of melodic, smooth rock and …

I spoke on the phone with Floor Jansen, founder and lead singer of Revamp, and currently the singer with Nightwish (although it’s yet to be seen if she becomes their permanent new singer). We talked about the new Revamp album (Wild Card) which has just been released, the band’s upcoming …

Wretched soul are a death/thrash metal band from Canterbury.  The band played Bloodstock festival last year, and on 9th September will be releasing their debut album, Veronica. Brief comments on a few tracks… The album kicks off with ‘Where shadows ride’.  The guitars have a very traditional heavy metal feel …

Photographs of Bullet For My Valentine’s performance at the Belsonic Festival, Belfast.  Support from Bring Me The Horizon & Gojira. Photographs by Marc Leach Photography.

Belsonic is what is referred to in modern parlance as a “boutique” festival:  taking place in Belfast’s Custom House Square, a man made auditorium, close by the River Lagan, with apartment blocks to the front and one side of the stage, and the imposing edifice of the Custom House from which …

Theia’s debut EP, just self entitled that, ‘Theia‘. It has got to be one of the most professional hard rock hitting EP’s of 2013. For this extremely young group of three guy’s ( the youngest being sixteen ) to put together songs like theses you would have thought after listening …

Winter Kills is one of the most intense albums I have heard this year, any of the 11 songs will slay when played live.

Tonight’s gig in this former whiskey bonding house come music resource centre is somewhat appropriately branded as ‘Distillation 03’, being as it is the third in the series of special showcase events supported by sponsorship from Bushmills Irish Whiskey… well, such an synergistic association doesn’t really need to provide much …

The car park of a country pub in what we in this part of the universe refer to as ‘the arse-end of nowhere’ may seem an unusual location for an extreme metal event, but here we are:  in a tent, in the pissing rain, at the back of a pub …

Lending additional momentum to Swedish stalwart death metal band Hypocrisy‘s career in 2013, label Nuclear Blast decided to re-release the band’s seminal 1992 debut Penetralia, and 1993 sophomore effort, Osculum Obscenum. These albums are packaged in a 2CD deluxe box, featuring additional live recordings as bonus material. 2013 marks the …

Over the past couple of years, Voodoo – a converted restaurant just off Belfast’s main shopping thoroughfare – has become one of my favourite venues in my home city.  Having rapidly established itself as the hangout of choice for a large proportion of the local rock and metal fraternity, it’s …

UK melodic death progenitors Carcass, have released their new album “Surgical Steel”. A lot of putrid water has passed under the bridge in the seventeen years since their Swansong and Jeff Walker alongside Bill Steer surprised many with a return to the studio. In the interim, Walker gave us the …

Photographs of Hornet’s performance in the The Oh Yeah Centre, Belfast.  Support from No Spill Blood & Pigs As People. Photographs by Marc Leach Photography.

A selection of photographs from the recent Torche concert at Voodoo Belfast     Photographs by Paul Verner www.livei.co.uk