PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
My interview with guitarist/vocalist Steve Zodiac after their headlining set on the final day of Grimm Up North 2019.
Read More »Tesla – Shock
Here’s to a big welcome back for Sacramento, California based melodic rockers Tesla as they return from a five year studio hiatus with new album Shock, released by Universal Music Enterprises on March 8th 2019. Formed in 1985 they still feature four out of five original members as they come …
Read More »Quartz – Live Quartz
Now this is how live albums should sound! Dissonance Productions have raided the heavy metal vaults and dug out this 1980 Live Quartz album, of course by the band Quartz. Actually recorded on December 1st 1979 in their hometown of Digbeth, it sounds stripped down to its bare bones. Three …
Read More »Quartz – Quartz
Those fine folk at Dissonance Productions have cranked up their time machine and unearthed the self titled debut from Quartz in 1977. Produced by Tony Iommi, they also supported Black Sabbath the same year and appeared at the prestigious Reading Festival (when it used to be rock/metal related) in 1977, …
Read More »FM – The Italian Job
Now flying the flag for AOR for thirty five years now, FM fly it even higher on their latest album The Italian Job, a live recording from their appearance at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan on April 29th 2018 that features seventeen songs and a bonus DVD released on …
Read More »The Webb – Truth Delay.
To say reviewing an electronica album is out of my comfort zone is a bit of an understatement but after seeing a gig by The Webb a few months ago at Percy’s in Whitchurch, I was kindly given a copy of their second album Truth Delay by them after passing …
Read More »Shadows Of Violence – Revolt
Leeds based thrashers Shadows Of Violence hit hard and heavy with Revolt, due for release this summer. Formed in 2007 their chops have been honed as the title track, a brief news report skit tells about the band rioting across the UK. ‘Words Unchained’ is a surefire call to arms …
Read More »Jonestown – Dyatlov
So after a two year gap between Aokigahara, the debut album by Brighton lunatics Jonestown, those trusting people at Long Branch Records have removed their straitjackets and let them loose in the studio for an even more disturbing follow up titled Dyatlov. It really is hard to define them in …
Read More »Tygers Of Pan Tang – Hellbound, Spellbound (Live 1981).
Nostalgia can be a good or a bad thing with some bands but this is not the case for Tygers Of Pan Tang with Hellbound, Spellbound (Live 1981), a gem of an album recorded at Nottingham Rock City. It reaffirms my opinion that the NWOBHM movement was best represented in …
Read More »Fugitive – The Awakening
For a reviewer personally speaking, ten tracks is fine, twelve is a challenge but come on Fugitive! Fourteen of them. FOURTEEN with new album The Awakening but I digress as I’m only joking as it’s a fine hard rock album to say the least. Due for release on April 5th …
Read More »Bloody Times – On A Mission.
The aptly titled On A Mission album from Bloody Times available now from Rock N Growl Promotion sees the core trio of John Greely on lead/backing vocals, Raphael Saini on drums and Simon Pfundstein on bass guitar/backing vocals joined by an array of guest artists including ex Manowar guitarist Ross …
Read More »Fractions – Soundness Of Mind (Single)
Jeez, how have I not heard of Fractions before? A band that slipped past my eagle eyed radar who will be releasing a rather excellent single called Soundness Of Mind on January 29th 2019, free to download on all digital outlets featuring stunning artwork from Andy Pilkington at Very Metal …
Read More »Wasted Life – World War Zero
Wasted Life. Punk rockers. The real deal, not the watered down shit that passes for punk rock that creeps ever higher at Download Festival every year. With their latest studio album World War Zero they have managed to do what Slayer did with Reign In Blood and that is to …
Read More »The Heretic Order – Evil Rising
As someone much wiser than me once said, “Never judge a book by its cover” and this certainly rings true with my first impression of The Heretic Order before I had heard any music from Evil Rising released via Massacre Records. Photos of the band and song titles suggested …
Read More »Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters – Show Me Your Teeth.
Sometimes you have to knock on a few doors to get on in the music business but with Show Me Your Teeth, the second studio album from Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters to be released on 25th January 2019, these twelve songs are taking a demolition ball to the whole …
Read More »Raven – Screaming Murder Death From Above : Live In Aalborg
In my opinion, the NWOBHM movement started in Newcastle Upon Tyne and Raven burst onto the scene when they signed to local label Neat Records in 1980 and released their classic single ‘Don’t Need Your Money’. They still play with the same verve, point proven on this warts and all …
Read More »Flotsam And Jetsam – The End Of Chaos
If you Google Flotsam And Jetsam the answer you get is “Useless or discarded objects” which is way off the mark as they return with heads held high for their thirteenth studio album The End Of Chaos. Released on January 18th 2019 on AFM Records with stunning artwork from Andy …
Read More »Midnight Prophecy – Midnight Prophecy
One of the most impressive debut albums I’ve heard in 2018 comes from Midnight Prophecy as their self titled nine track opus has more gallops than the Grand National and more cheese than Wallace and Gromit could ever eat! On a more serious note they have raised the bar high …
Read More »Cadence Noir – Physical Copy
It’s a miracle! It’s a Christmas miracle! Our saviour is here! No no no, not that fictional story we were told at school but the debut album Physical Copy by the five wise members that make up Cadence Noir! The eight year wait has finally come to fruition with a …
Read More »Massive Wagons – Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool.
All the gigs I’ve been to in 2018 met their Waterloo at the Waterloo Music Bar on Friday 22nd December 2018, a date that will be forever etched in my memory as this little gem of a venue was packed to the rafters with four sets of high octane rock …
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