Tag Archives: album review

The Faceless – ‘Autotheism’

If there are two words in the musical lexicon that fill most reviewers – and especially this one, if must be admitted – with fear, then they are ‘progressive’ and ‘technical’. Especially when they are conjoined. I mean, I’m of a generation when both terms were applied to bands like …

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Dublin Death Patrol – ‘Death Sentence’

For those you who have been sitting under a rock, Dublin Death Patrol is a collaborative side project led by Testament vocalist Chuck Billy and his predecessor Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza (he was the singer in Legacy, the original version of aforesaid thrash legends, before going on to make his name …

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The Graviators – Evil Deeds

Formed in Sweden in 2009 The Graviators are on a mission to bring back the sound of 70’s heavy metal.  With heavy yet melodic riffs, they immediately caught the ear of local record label Transubstans who helped them release their self titled debut in the same year.  The band began …

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Sound Storm – Immortalia

Sound Storm are a symphonic heavy metal band formed in 2002 in Turin, Italy.  Having released various E.P’s, 2008 saw them release their first full length album “Twilight Opera” celebrating it’s release at the “Ilha Do Ermal” festival in Portugal alongside the likes of Sepultura and Firewind.  The band toured …

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Holy Knights – ‘Between Daylight And Pain’

When power metal is done well, it is done bloody well. When it’s done badly, it’s done bloody atrociously. The second album by re-united Sicilian trio Holy Knights falls somewhere between these two extremes. Way back at the turn of the 21st century, Holy Knights could have been, in words …

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All Hail The Yeti – All Hail The Yeti

The yeti may be a mythological creature from the higher reaches of the world’s highest mountain range, but the quartet who pay homage to ‘him’ in their band name are a whiskey- and blood-soaked loud-as-fuck riff machine from the deepest, darkest underbelly of Los Angeles. They may also well be …

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Korn – Live At The Hollywood Palladium.

Right, first off the bat I am a massive Korn fan, I have been for nearly 15 years.  They were one of the first metal bands I ever really got into.  BUT I really can’t stand live albums; I just don’t see the point.  Live is about the visual as …

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Thousand Autumns – Chasing Boats

Hertfordshire is getting a bit of a habit of producing excellent bands. First Enter Shikari appear out of St. Albans, then The Subways out of Welwyn Garden City. Now, it looks like the musical county is at it again, with Welwyn Garden City based metallers Thousand Autumns cooking up a …

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Grave Endless Possession of Souls- Album Review

  The mighty, Swedish Grave have released a new album and I have to say I am rather fucking excited.  Possession of Souls is Grave’s 13th studio album, not a bad number! Returning to Century Media this album has been long awaited by Grave fan’s since Burial Ground in 2010. …

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The City Divided – The Endless Moment

Unsigned pop-rock quartet The City Divided, hailing from the county of Hertfordshire, last month released their début EP The Endless Moment under their own steam. Hertfordshire is a county that is rapidly becoming famous for producing rock bands, the most prominent being Enter Shikari, and then also The Subways and …

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Lynyrd Skynyrd – ‘Last Of A Dyin’ Breed’

Ah, those were the days… the school Sixth Form common room, with it’s battered old turntable in the corner – and an equally battered copy of the 12” extended version of ‘Freebird’ sitting right beside it… and blasted out at maximum volume every each and every break time for a …

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With All The Rage – Now…Yesterday…Tomorrow…Ever

When you think of Sicily, what comes to mind?  Sea food?  Pasta?  Grandiose Architecture?   The Mafia???  Well now you can add bone crushing metal, courtesy of Palermo’s With All The Rage – or as they are known at home La Raggia (The Rage) – and their (cumbersomely named) debut release …

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Volksmetal – ‘Volksmetal’

“That looks interesting…” A dangerous phrase: an extremely dangerous one. It can lead to all sorts of madness and mayhem. And when this particular release popped into the PM inbox, little was this scribe prepared for what he would be subjected to when he decided that party metal mixed with …

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Simbiose – ‘Economical Terrorism’

Symbiosis is generally described in the dictionary as “the living together of two dissimilar organisms in more or less intimate association” – which, one has to assume is the effect this Portuguese five piece were trying to achieve when they merged crust, punk and metal nigh on two decades ago. …

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Attika 7 – Blood Of My Enemies

Attika 7 are the band for whom the term ‘biker metal’ was invented. They define it. In fact, it could be argued that they redefine it. After all, they not only feature a famed motorcycle builder – Rusty Coones – in their ranks, are the band of choice of the …

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Scarlet Anger – ‘Dark Reign’

When you think of Luxembourg, you don’t automatically think of aggressive-as-fuck thrash metal. No sir. You’re more likely to think of likely to think of fat, profligate bankers lolling around mountainside coffee tables thinking of ever more elaborate ways to grind us poor working folks’ noses into the ground: after …

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Down Royale – Proving Ground.

Storming out of Brisbane Australia come Down Royale, a heavy metal quintet looking to burst out of the colonies with their explosive sound.  Formed in 2008 by vocalist Scott Michael and guitarist Corey James, they were joined in 2009 by second guitarist Jackson Cheng and then in 2011 by drummer …

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Saint Diablo – ‘Saint Diablo’

When you think of Latino thrash, your thoughts inevitably stray in the direction of underground forces such as Brujeira and Suicidal Tendencies as well as giants of the scene such as Sepultura and Soulfly. And, certainly, there are parts of this third album from the Virginian combo which are more …

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Grog – ‘Scooping The Cranial Insides’

In olden days of yore – before even most of the Planet Mosh crew was born (and that’s saying something) – grog was (often cheap) watered-down rum served to sailors to keep them reasonably intoxicated enough to fool them into thinking they were happy with their lot and therefore less …

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Eternal Helcaraxe – ‘Against All Odds’

When this black metal crew issued their sophomore EP, ‘To Whatever End’, in 2009, it was hailed as one of the best examples of the genre to emerge from the island of Ireland at the time. It was praise which was well-deserved, as it was an excellent slab of Celtic-tinged …

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