Tag Archives: album review

Lonewolf are a French power metal band that formed in 1993.  They released a demo and single before splitting in 1996.  In 2000 the band reformed and released their debut album.  Now in 2012 they have just released their fifth studio album – Army of the damned.  France isnt a …

County Fermanagh, nestled in the south-western corner of Northern Ireland and in the elbow crook of its border, is the Province’s equivalent of the Lake District – a haven of quiet and tranquillity, a place of outstanding natural beauty which serves as a retreat away from the hustle and bustle …

Typical, isn’t it? You complain about the apparent lack of decent French metal bands and then, like buses to the mysterious ‘Not In Service’, a whole bunch come along at once. ‘A Perfect Absolution’ is the third full-lengther – and the second on Listenable – from this Bordeaux five-piece and, …

The French heavy metal scene isn’t known for its international impact – personally, and without the aid of Google or Wikipedia, I can count less than a handful bands who have made any sort of significant impact outside their homeland: Trust, of course, who in turn give us the living …

In times of desperation and trouble, people often look to their history and heritage for inspiration, recalling past glories to give them a positive outlook on the travails currently facing them, drawing upon that which has gone before to drive them forward to face up to the challenges before them. …

The phrase “heavy metal as it should be” is one of those throwaway expressions that seems to be pretty de rigeur at c’est moment du temps. Which beggars the question: just how should heavy metal be played? Except loud? And heavy. Fortunately, this Finnish six piece have veered away from …

Dan Beehler was, of course, both the muscle behind and the voice in front of Exciter – a band who, at least as far as this reviewer is concerned, never have truly got the credit they deserve for the role they played in the development of thrash metal. Their ‘World …

Re-issues are an unusual beast – usually there is an overt reason for a band ploughing their back catalogue, such as an anniversary or whatever: occasionally, they come out of the blue (or the black, in this case), without seeming to have any particular explanation for their presence… as appears …

Japanese doomsters Church of Misery – who made a huge impact on UK audiences when they toured with Cathedral in 2010 – were all set to release their debut album, the aptly titled ‘Volume 1’, back in 1997 when they developed what many might see as a decidedly unhealthy interest …

You always want to fight the corner of your hometown heroes, be it your local football team or a band that have helped to put your part of the world on the musical map. You want to stand, as one, with ‘your boys’ and, shoulder to shoulder, take on all …

This debut offering from Dubliners Xerosun actually came out in their Irish homeland back in 2010, to great acclaim on both sides of the border, but now has been picked up, re-packaged and given a worldwide release by Rising Records. And much deserved the development is, as this is – …

“Pursuit of honor” is the debut album from Battlecross.  As you can probably tell from the spelling of the title, Battlecross are from the USA (Detroit to be precise).  The band was formed in 2007 and are best described as Thrash metal. Battlecross have definitely gone for speed and power …

“Blood of the Saints” is the fourth album from German/Romanian power metal band Powerwolf. The album starts off with an intro that sounds like music from a horror film – rich gothic feeling music including what sounds like a church or cathedral organ along with a raspy voice speaking in …

“Darker days”  is the third studio album from Stream of Passion.  As the band is a female fronted symphonic metal band, you might have assumed that they originate from the Netherlands (home of so many great bands of this genre including Epica, Within Temptation, Delain, Revamp and many more, and …