Reviews: Ensiferum, Voyager, Sleepsculptor, Malsten (Rich, Simon, Liam Matt)
Ensiferum: Thalassic (Metal Blade Records) [Rich Oliver]I’ve been a fan of Ensiferum for a good few years and am of the firm opinion that they peaked with 2009’s From Afar album. The albums that...
View ArticleReviews: Static X, Tokyo Motor Fist, Urzah, Left To Suffer (Simon, Rich, Matt...
Static-X: Project Regeneration Vol. 1 (Otsego Entertainment Group) [Simon Black]This is a difficult one. When Wayne Static died in 2014, most assumed that Static-X would be history, especially given...
View ArticleReviews: Shining Black, McStine & Minnemann, Michael Grant & The Assassins,...
Shining Black: S/T (Frontiers Records) [Matt Bladen]After a small layoff due to Covid the Frontiers Records machine gears up again with yet more new bands and collaborations between well known names....
View ArticleReviews: UDO, Phobetor, Onocology, Scourge Of Suffering (Paul H, Paul S,...
U.D.O & The Musikkorps Der Bundeswehr: We Are One (AFM Records) [Paul Hutchings]Just when you think you’ve heard it all, this arrives. German band U.D.O, including icon Udo Dirkschneider (for those...
View ArticleReviews: Inter Arma, Conan/Deadsmoke, Bog Wizard, Saints Of Death (Matt &...
Inter Arma: Garbers Days Revisited (Relapse Records) [Matt Bladen]Garbers Days Revisited is a special covers album from Richmond, Virginia's Inter Arma. The band have always indulged in covers making a...
View ArticleReviews: Lonely Robot, Toby And The Whole Truth, Three Colours Dark, Enuff...
Lonely Robot: Feelings Are Good (InsideOut Music) [Matt Bladen]With the so called 'astronaut trilogy' concluded on the previous album from John Mitchell's (Frost*, Kino, Arena, It Bites, Everything)...
View ArticleReviews: Embr, Sleepmakeswaves, Bloody Heels, Night League (Reviews By Matt...
Embr: 1823 (New Heavy Sounds)1823 is a very significant album for Alabama four piece Embr. In the run up to this record drummer Eric Bigelow (drummer) had been on a kidney waiting list for around 4...
View ArticleReviews: Dark Sarah, Razor Sharp Death Blizzard, Desecrate, Valvetrain (Bob,...
Dark Sarah: Grim (Napalm Records) [Bob Shoesmith]I really shouldn’t read the bios provided by the bands themselves, as me eye-rolling about their proclamations about being “Cinematic Metal Icons” is...
View ArticleReviews: Necrophobic, Thyrant, The Big Dirty, On Hollow Ground (Rich, Paul H,...
Necrophobic: Mirror Black EP (Century Media) [Rich Oliver]Mirror Black is the new 7” EP and digital single from Swedish blackened death metal legends Necrophobic. It is the beginning of the promotional...
View ArticleReviews: Rumahoy, The Lightbringer Of Sweden, Kaiser Franz Josef, Pinnacle...
Rumahoy: Time II Party (Napalm Records)So Captain Yarrface (yep) is back along with his group of Argentinian pirates that from Rumahoy. Though the first song on this second album, Cowboys Of The Sea...
View ArticleReviews: Haken, Häxan, Massive Wagons, Catalysis (Alex, Simon, Bob & Paul H)
Haken: Virus (InsideOut Records) [Alex Swift]Vector made my album of the year in 2018. Despite the adoption of the splicing, forceful tones provoking a mixed response, largely within the prog metal...
View ArticleThe Spotlight: Interview With Haken's Richard Henshall by Alex Swift
Interview With Haken's Richard Henshall by Alex SwiftMoM: ‘Virus’ is the sequel to ‘Vector’. Was there a conscious decision at the time that there would be an accompanying record or did that decision...
View ArticleReviews: Zombi, Stonebirds, Ahtme, Ice War (Reviews By Matt Bladen)
Zombi: 2020 (Relapse Records)2020 is the first album in 5 years from Zombi. A band who supported none other than on a UK tour a few years ago Ghost. There, their style of pulsating synthwave was a...
View ArticleReviews: Bush, Morse/Portnoy/George, Gaerea, Thomas V Jager (Bob, Simon, Paul...
Bush: The Kingdom (BMG Rights Management) [Bob Shoesmith]With a career spanning nearly thirty years its always worth looking deeper at the journey travelled before we get to the here and now,...
View ArticleReviews: Primal Fear, Judicator, Volcano X, Inhalement (Reviews By Simon & Matt)
Primal Fear: Metal Commando (Nuclear Blast)Primal Fear are one of a number of established Euro Power Metal acts for whom the UK seems to hold little interest. You know, the ones who can appear mid and...
View ArticleReviews: Let Us Prey, Neck Deep, Broadside, Spirit Possession (Matt & Alex)
Let Us Prey: Virtues Of The Vicious (M-Theory Audio) [Matt Bladen]Let Us Prey...um where to start with this. They are self-categorized as a "dark, melodic, power, thrash metal" band, hailing from...
View ArticleReviews: Goldray, Sepulchral Curse, The Acacia Strain, Defeated Sanity (Matt,...
Goldray: Feel The Change (Akashic Records/Cargo Records UK) [Matt Bladen]From the very first moment Feel The Change lives up to its namesake, it sharpens and lifts everything Goldray are about to...
View ArticleReviews: Imperial Triumphant, Thundermother, Deathcraeft, Joe Bouchard (Paul...
Imperial Triumphant: Alphaville (Century Media Records) [Paul Scoble]Imperial Triumphant’s journey began back in 2005. By 2008 founder and at the time only member Zachary Ilya Ezrin was able produced...
View ArticleReviews: Septicflesh, Warkings, Dun Ringill, Zetra (Rich, Paul H, Matt & Bob)
Septicflesh: Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX (Season Of Mist) [Rich Oliver]I have always found the mix of heavy metal and symphonic music an awe inspiring mix. Like many, my first exposure to this mix of...
View ArticleReviews: Damnation Angels, Fall Of Messiah, Fleshdriver, Satanica (Simon,...
Damnation Angels: Fiber Of Our Being (Self Released) [Simon Black]It would appear that the global capital of Symphonic metal has just relocated from Finland to Doncaster. These chaps have done pretty...
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