Album Reviews

Despite having been around, in one shape or form, for almost a quarter of a century, and being one of the most respected but under-rated acts on the Swedish black metal scene, it’s hard to believe that this is only Grief Of Emerald’s fifth full length album… With their more …

Having loaned an entire new meaning to the phrase ‘down under’, Australia’s most OTT black metallers have split up and re-united more times than PM’s esteemed editor-in-chief has brewed a mug of Horlicks – originally calling it a day back in 1996 and then again at the beginning of 2007, …

When Cathedral announced that they were releasing one final album there was much bittersweet rejoicing. The coven was happy there would be another tome of incantations, yet disappointed that the end of one of the most important legacies in heavy metal history was nigh. With the current resurgence in the …

Ireland’s anarchic lads of thrash, Gama Bomb, return with a fourth album kicking and screaming that thrash lives, thrash is alive and well and hell mend anyone who says otherwise. Like an unruly younger brother they come, throwing themselves around like a whirling dervish, creating chaos, havoc and all manner …

Revel In Flesh is a very young band, with their first album Deathevokation released only in 2012. Their second album, Manifested Darkness, is being released by underground label FDA Rekotz in 2013. I remember when Entombed‘s Left Hand Path came out… and turned the death metal world on it’s ear. This …

Whitechapel are a fairly young band, forming in 2006. They are a death metal band, with four releases under their belt, from Knoxville, Tennessee. The band have returned with their newest offering, for Metal Blade Records: the re-release of The Somatic Defilement (their 2007 debut album), which has been re-mastered. Overall, the record …

Howl are an extreme metal quartet from Providence, Rhode Island. The band formed in 2006, so they are fairly ‘new’ or ‘young’. Howl signed with Relapse Records in 2009, releasing their first full-length effort, Full of Hell, in 2010. Their second album, Bloodlines, is slated for release by Relapse Records …

Once you see the band Cough in the title you know that this is going to be nothing less than devastatingly heavy. Cough was formed in 2005 with the sole purpose of being the heaviest band from their area. To date they have released two full lengths, split with the …

After last year’s critically acclaimed return from Stone Stour, the second part to Corey Taylor’s story driven concept album arrives and carries with it a continuing maturity of the band both lyrically and musically. Concept albums are ridiculously difficult things to pull off successfully in the world of music. While …

I would be very surprised if the studio that the debut single by American band Pyrithion was recorded in is still standing judging by the 11 minutes of apocalyptic metal on show here as it crashes and thrashes at phenomenal speed. The studio is owned by Pyrithion vocalist Tim Lambesis, …

‘Ethera’ is the fifth  album from Austrian symphonic metal band Visions of Atlantis.  I say Austrian, but like many bands they are international really – singer Maxi Nil for example is Greek.  Although this is their fifth album, it’s only the second with singer Maxi Nil, who joined the band …

 M.A.I.R was formed in Glasgow, August 2010. Their 1st ep followed a year later and since then one line up change with bassist Miranda Bradshaw being added brings us to the present day and the current release of 2nd ep Ear Ape Age. Available on digital download via iTunes it …

Full length debut loses impact as it wrestles with production. LA’s Brute Forcz is a three piece heavy metal band featuring ex-wrestlers Slammer and Jammer alongside guitarist Will Wallner. Their self-released album has been taken up by Pure Steel Records. “Out For Blood” is a collection of 10 tracks of …

This debut album from London-based multi-nationals KFE – vocalist Lyla D’Souza is Australian, guitarist Andrea Basiola hails from Italy and drummer Max Loubser has the misfortune to be a  Mancunian (isn’t that somewhere left of the third planet on the right as you pass Andromeda?) – is one almightily powerful …

  Albeit the death-core genre wouldn’t normally be one’s preferred choice in the world of Metal and having not heard previously of Thy Art is Murder, an open mind was needed before attempting to write this review. Needless to say if you like your technical, fast-paced death metal, incorporated with …

Right from the outset, this fourth album from Finnish thrash metal five piece Gloria Morti is a bruising, punishing affair, treading a path between thrash and death metal, with elements of BM thrown in for good measure. It’s not that the band can’t make up their mind which sub-genre they …

This fifth album from the Brazilian duo of Mantus and Triumphsword is very much an homage to the traditional values of late ‘80s / early ‘90s black metal.  And it carries no pretensions about being otherwise. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-GRCarR-JE] Each of the 12 tracks (the titular opener is very much a cinematic-style …

Toxic Holocaust formed in 1999 in the USA originally as a one man project in the shape of Joel Grind. The band were picked up on their third album by Relapse and to date have released four lps, four eps and contributed more tracks to splits and compilations that collecting …

Sometimes, a much-loved and highly successful band needs to shake things up a bit to keep things fresh and interesting for their fans and for themselves, all the while retaining the signature sonic hallmarks that have defined their sound. For their upcoming sixth album, Massachusetts metal pioneers Killswitch Engage reunited …

Flotsam And Jetsam are stalwarts in the thrash metal sub-genre, having formed under the direction of drummer Kelly David-Smith in the very early 1980’s. These Phoenix ‘bangers hardly need introduction. This was, at one point in time, a crowd-financed album, and the quality of the output seems to be a …