Tag Archives: album review

This second album from Hamburg-based power metallers Shadowbane is one which almost did not see the light of day, as – in common with a number of other projects – it was undergoing its mastering process, at the hands of Dirk Schlächter when the Gamma Ray bassist’s Hammer Studios spectacularly …

Sicilian black metal maestro Vardan has been described as perhaps the busiest man in the genre:  and, with an amazing work rate which has seen him release an astonishing 22 albums during his career – including three (and one split EP) in 2014 alone – that is undoubtedly a more …

This fourth album by Reading’s Sylosis is one born out of trauma:  several months before they started recording it, the band were involved in a serious road accident while touring the States with DevilDriver – and it is this incident which seems to permeate the sense of darkness which pervades …

Hailing from the eastern French region of Haute Savoie, Hybrid Sheep play traditional deathcore heavy enough to induce devastating avalanches on nearby Mont Blanc and send it crumbling into Lake Geneva. For where these five young guys score heavily is in their emphasis on old-school death metal sensibilities – such …

Bigfoot are a five piece hard rock band that were only formed in Spring 2014 .They are from Wigan and combine powerful vocals, dual lead guitars and a heavy driving rhythm section. They state their influences are from The Eagles to Pantera. The band members are:-Antony Ellis -Lead Vocals, Sam …

Formed out of the ashes of Norwegian AOR-sters Wig Wam, Ammunition is the new project from vocalist Age Sten Nilsen who, since the surprise split of his former band last March, subsequently has teamed up with guitarist/producer friend Erik Mårtensson (best known for his work with W.E.T and Eclipse), with …

Despite hailing from 21st century California, Night Demon are a band with their roots very firmly in the NWOBHM, encompassing influences from the obvious ones such as DiAnno-era Iron Maiden and Saxon through Angel Witch, White Spirit and Raven, as well as the first wave of US bands to in …

Two years on from their acclaimed second album, ‘Beneath The Surface’ (enthusiastically reviewed by PlanetMosh at http://planetmosh.com/alpha-tiger-beneath-the-surface/), young Saxony retro melodic metallers Alpha Tiger return with their third offering, and their first for the mighty Steamhammer imprint. Hailing from Saxony, the powerbase (sic) of the German power metal scene, Alpha …

While most bands try to follow their debut album as quickly as possible, Californian grinders Cretin waited a full eight years to release their second opus, with the result being issued via Relapse Records at the end of last year.  But, then, these Santa Cruzers seem to like to take …

Hailing from the darkest nether reaches of Florida, but drawing their lyrical and musical influence from Greece (their name comes from the Greek term “religion of knowledge”) both ancient and modern, Gnosis deliver a dark and malificent brand of dark and dank black metal that is as primeval and primordial …

Part homage, part parody, and all in-your-face, Massachusetts thrash-mongers Lich King‘s seven-song EP, titled Do-Over, is a jungle of fist-pumping, headbanging riffage. Released by Evil Eye Records on Christmas Day 2014 (as a present to the band’s fans old and new), this EP is an advance warning shot, serving to …

Having made their debut at the recent Primordial-curated Redemption Festival in their home city of Dublin, Vircolac are a quartet who believe in taking things back to the old school – to the extent that (at the time of writing) this four-track EP is only available on cassette. The result …

This second album from New York trio Occultation is a dark, eerie and esoteric opus which combines classic elements of doom metal, progressive rock and ambient electronics into a package which is atmospheric, thought-provoking and strangely pleasant in more or less equal measures. Ploughing a furrow somewhere between the darkest …

As a journalist, I must hold my hands up and admit that it is those of us who chosen to pursue this particular path to critique music who have invented all sorts of little pigeon holes into which slot particular bands and the “style” or “type” of music they choose …

This third album from this Croatian quartet ploughs a furrow that criss-crosses back and forth between traditional groove metal, nu-metal and world (more specifically eastern European) music in a way which sounds like a heady amalgam of Slipknot, Linkin Park (in their darker, heavier moments), King 810 and Subway For …

Maverick, a young five piece hard rockin heavy metal band born in Belfast a very short two years ago and raised through the school of hard knocks, release their debut album ‘Quid Pro Quo’ the day after tomorrow (Friday November 28) through Massacre Records. This is good old fashioned rock/metal album …

This debut album from Dublin dark metallers Zom – they’ve previously released a demo and a 7″ single, both to great acclaim in this particular corner of planet mosh – is dark and murky as you can imagine the deepest parts of the foulest sections of the River Liffey to …

I love Machine Head; they’re innovators of groove metal… but this one is as dull as dishwater.  There are points that almost hurt reviewing this album, because it gets close to being outstanding – then the vocals come in and ruin it. On the surface, this is a good album. …

The primary intention of this Italian black metal crew is to resurrect the darkened spirit of the Nineties Norwegian scene, and particularly the energy brought at that time by the likes of Ulver, Darkthrone, Borknagar and Burzum. To a degree they succeed, as this self-titled debut is a very raw, …