Tag Archives: album review

The word legend is one which is often, and even more frequently inappropriately, bandied about. But, it is a description which definitely does apply to one man: a guitar player from the humble back streets of east Belfast whose name is cemented in the mythos of the Irish, and subsequently …

For almost two decades now, Primal Fear have been one of the cornerstone acts of the European power/speed metal scene, standing alongside the likes of Accept and Helloween and certainly matching both of them in terms of both artistic contribution and musical pedigree. While they may not have enjoyed the …

Last week saw the release of ‘Love and The Death of Damnation’, from the South California-bred Country style singer / songwriter, The White Buffalo, also known as Jake Smith. From past releases, Jake has been known for his diverse storytelling abilities through the medium of music. This new album is …

Colour Of Noise are a classic rock band from Brighton, England! In their own words ‘We are steeped in the spirit of the late 60’s British Blues Boom and early 70’s Stadium Rock, but cannot escape the urge to deliver songs with a steam-powered intensity.’ At the tender age of eleven …

Germany’s Obscura has released Akroasis (which means “hearing” or “listening” in Greek), a modern, technical death metal disc with plenty of progressive overtones. Firmly rooted in darkness, overall, the sound has a distinctly European flair, invoking early Behemoth to mid-period Vader or later Centurian with blasts of speed, precision, and …

London boys Karybdis step up the game and then some with the first release since their debut From The Depths. Their latest album Samsara is due to be released on the 19th February. Samsara features a dirty groove fused with melodic death that just…works. Every musical component in this release is perfectly entwined within …

Let’s not pretend – Super Collider and Thirteen were…questionable at best. This left me wary as I sat at my desk ready to hear the latest offering from Megadeth. Half the band had left in the last year, leaving Ellefson and Mustaine with what looked like nothing to continue the …

Darrell Bath released his latest album Roll Up via Livewire/Cargo Records last month. Darrell is an accomplished guitarist, singer and songwriter having played with many well known Punk/Rock bands including stints in UK Subs, and The Dogs D’Amour contributing to their 1993 release “More Unchartered Heights of Disgrace“. He appeared on …

Undoubted frontrunners of industrial melancholy Killing Joke present fifteenth full-length ‘Pylon’ accompanied by strong anti-political sentiment, however sadly a little too repetitive for adrenaline-soaked music lovers. On the bright side, for fans of dull five-minute epic tracks that may as well be cut down to 3 for all it repeats, …

Scandinavian symphonic metal mostly hinges quite fundamentally on a dominant frontwoman, of which Amberian Dawn’s seventh opus ‘Innuendo’ is a prime example. Fear not, this is not another carbon copy Nightwish-come-Delain.  Amberian Dawn are bursting with attitude and self-assurance that accompanies Capri Virkkunen’s bewilderingly diverse vocals. With air punch-inducing, heavy …

This fifth album by Brazilian fantasists Dragonheart is one which is truly deserving of the term epic – as not only does it clock in at a little under the hour mark (which is pretty long by today’s attention-deficit-seeking standards) but it marks the completion of a trilogy which the …

This second album from northern California’s Shadowkiller is a very loose concept album, based around the the pain and suffering of the German forces fighting to save themselves, their families and their homeland at the tail of the Second World War, but dealing with the horror of conflict on the front line …

Folky acoustic guitar and fiddle introduce listeners to the eponymous 2015 release by Sweden’s metallic and mighty Manegarm. A definite change of pace from 2013’s Legions of the North, featuring many more quiet, acoustic, moody moments, the new disc brings a welcome dynamic back into metal. As with Manegarm’s previous …

This debut album from Finnish dark lords Sacrificium Carmen is very much steeped in the black metal tradition of that region, combining deep, dense harmonic patterns with brutal blastbeats and vocals so evil you can smell their vile stench on the other side of the dark world. The difference, however, …

Am I the only one on this dirty old planet we call “Mosh” that doesn’t “get” the new Iron Maiden album, ‘The Book Of Souls‘, or believe that isn’t quite the best thing since the invention of heavy metal?  I am?  Oh well… wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been …

Having been formed in southern Italy in late 2013 by singer and guitarist Luca ‘Detonation’ Sergi, and released a single which saw them dragged ‘Down To Hell’ the following year, Nuclear Detonation have taken their time in moulding the other seven tracks which make up this debut full-lengther.  It’s a delay …

Horror Punk Rock band The Other from Köln, Germany released their sixth album ‘Fear Itself‘ on 10th July  via Steamhammer/SPV. The Other started in 2002 as a Misfits cover band, a lot has happened in the thirteen years since then, and a few line-up changes sees the remaining original members …

I read very little fiction these days, but I remember when my mother was introducing me to the weird and wonderful world of literature and exploring the shelves of dusty, leather bound volumes which dominated our living room.  Naturally, as a nascent metallian, I was drawn to the darker side …

This third album from Swedish progressive experimentalists Moloken is as dark and claustrophobic as its subject matter.  Four years after the release of their last opus magnus, ‘Rural’, ‘All Is Left To See’ is the first in a trilogy of albums based around a lyrical concept called ‘Mörkrets Kärna’, which …

So after no studio output from Def Leppard since 2008, what does the new self-titled album have to offer? Something for everyone would be the first answer that comes to mind. As a long-time Leppard fan I have always managed to find at least part of their more recent output to satisfy …