PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal

  The AOR night begins with Vega. It has been almost two years since I last saw them at AOR Firefest in Nottingham Rock City. Vega opened with “Kiss of Life” from their debut album, noted as an AOR masterpiece. They captured an great 80’s feel with crowd pleasing songs …

Sometimes, a much-loved and highly successful band needs to shake things up a bit to keep things fresh and interesting for their fans and for themselves, all the while retaining the signature sonic hallmarks that have defined their sound. For their upcoming sixth album, Massachusetts metal pioneers Killswitch Engage reunited …

Flotsam And Jetsam are stalwarts in the thrash metal sub-genre, having formed under the direction of drummer Kelly David-Smith in the very early 1980’s. These Phoenix ‘bangers hardly need introduction. This was, at one point in time, a crowd-financed album, and the quality of the output seems to be a …

I spoke to Mia Klose recently and asked her a few questions about her music and upcoming shows including Hard Rock Hell AOR, NLC/RACPA festival and Sweden Rocks Festival. First of all, for anyone who hasnt listened to you before, how would you describe your music? It’s 80s inspired classic …

Russkaja are a “Russian Turbo Polka Metal” band from Austria. Their style is a mix of Balkan Metal, Polka and a little bit thrash metal.  Their most famous song is ‘Psycho Traktor’  and always welcomed on festivals e.g. the Wacken Open Air. The upcoming album is called “Energia!” and will …

If ever an album title was appropriate, it is this one from this young Dublin hardcore quartet.  Just like the band’s previous EP, ‘Dead Dead Fucking Dead’, the album is somewhat of a cathartic experience, dealing as it does with the band’s recovery after vocalist Aidan Coogan almost died in …

As the world’s economic axis turns in upon itself, switching its power base from the colonialist West to the formerly subjugated and colonialized east, could it be argued that the crux of the metal world is about to shift in the same direction? Over recent years, the encroachment of acts …

I caught up with the Estrella lads before their gig at The Vale in Glasgow, the support band were soundchecking, so out we braved it, into the freezing Scottish, arctic like night. [youtube http://youtu.be/7Cte87nbQp4]   You can also read the full review of the gig itself right here  Estrella are: …

It was a freezing, Glasgow March night at The Vale. I was there to witness, for my very first time, Aberdeenshire band Estrella perform a full set. I had seen them perform a 25 to 30 minute set at the Highway To Hell 3 competition last year, but this was …

An exquisite blend of Scottish poetry, imagery and hard hitting Metal. Before I began writing this review and whilst doing a bit of background research, I came upon the tag Heritage Metal, which for me was a new one, although you’ll probably say it’s a tag that’s been around for …

An exquisite blend of Scottish poetry, imagery and hard hitting Metal. Before I began writing this review and whilst doing a bit of background research, I came upon the tag Heritage Metal, which for me was a new one, although you’ll probably say it’s a tag that’s been around for …

Some pictures of The Toi supporting Estrella at The Vale Glasgow

To say that Kent based metal band The Self Titled have had line up problems is a bit of an understatement. They re-formed in 2010, recorded and recently released their debut album Defaced but the line up that recorded it has undergone 2 losses since then. Lead vocalist Mark Campbell …

Since the release of their eighth studio album “Murder By Pride” in 2009, Stryper – the kings of Christian metal – have been teasing their fans about bringing out new material.  Their ninth release “The Covering” featured a wide range of classic rock cover songs that inspired the band over …

Opera Metal for the connoisseur. There comes from time to time an album that lands on your lap and hits you in a way that you were not expecting and I mean that in a good way. Formed in 2010, Molllust have chosen a pretty unique musical path by combining …

British metal lives. That’s very clear to see once you’ve caught your breath from the atom bomb that is Uprising, the third album by Bleed From Within. The Glaswegians have ruffled more than a few feathers since they formed nearly a decade ago,  and tours with the likes of Suicide Silence, …

Some pictures from the recent Estrella gig at The Vale, Glasgow

Last year I interviewed Darrin Richards from Chemicals of Democracy at Hammerfest IV and one year later I caught up with Darrin again, this time also with JQ Bass and their new guitarist Sammy Damaxx. With line-up changes, their upcoming album having its UK release 25 March and 2 sets …

Playing Stage 2 on the Thursday evening at The Goddamn Electric added themselves to the long list of bands to grace the stages of Hammerfest over the past five years. Formed only in 2010 and naming themselves after the Pantera song ‘Goddamn Electric’ their debut album Snake Bite is due …

Wardruna deliver a sophomore album with roots that delve deep into the very fabric of our existence. For people unfamiliar with Wardruna, they were formed a decade ago by Einar “Kvitrafn” Selvik in Norway. Their encapsulating use of ancient folk instruments alongside poetic metre and chanted lyrics written in Norwegian, …