Album Reviews

Similar to the likes of Turisas and Finntroll who have slightly gone down the path of Alestorm in terms of lyrical topics, Nordheim are your typical alcoholic folk metal band from Québec, Canada; playing fast paced, giddy, party like metal anthems that will get you moving the moment the first …

If you want a Viking metal band that are heavier than the hammer of Thor, more powerful than the mind blowing powers of Loki and who guzzle more ale than Alestorm having a drinking competition with Korpiklaani, then Ohio based folk metal band, Hammer Horde, have a brilliant new album …

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 …

Oh I’ve been waiting on the release of this collaboration for what seems like an eternity. I didn’t know much about Mikee Goodman and Sikth but Adrian Smith and I go way back to Seventh Son and the album that first got me into metal back in the late 80s …

Dorota Malek is a Polish-born singer who has lived in Austria since her early childhood. She took her first steps in show business in 1999 at the age of 14.  Dorota started her solo career in 2007 and her first release was the single “All Against Me”, which led to …

I’m a simple man truth be told. I’m not complicated, I’m not fussy (regardless of what my wife says) and Chainfist’s debut album, Black Out Sunday is a lot like me in that way. They claim that they play “metal that makes the world go round, your neck break and …

  Shattered Skies are a self confessed “groove metal” band from Wicklow, Dublin, Ireland. Drawing influences from bands as diverse as Meshuggah, Pantera, Nightwish and Nine Inch Nails they have successfully created a unique sound good enough to propel them to first place in the Got-Djent New Band competition which …

Leeds based Chasing Dragons are a fresh faced, hard rock band; who are pushing the boundaries with their debut EP entitled Take Flight For a Firefight. Their mind-blowing mix of Paramore esque vocal lines and fat ass, punchy metal riffs is really something to behold – not only serving the …

In a world where hardcore and deathcore seem to be taking over as the new sound of heavy metal, it is a relief that bands such as Iron Mask are still making metal that is pure and true. A band that blend elements of 80’s Dio, Maiden era metal and …

Finland based folk tinged, melodic death metal band Enthring are back with their new album The Grim Tales of the Elder. Taking a more symphonic, power metal orientated approach to their 2010 debut Maelstrom, Enthring are a band who try to make their music sound as large and epic as …

  This is the sort of album which affirms my love of rock/metal for over 30yrs! Almost 50 minutes of metal overdose from RAM’s 3rd  full album release. The album starts and finishes with 2 atmospheric instrumentals. The 1st,Death is synth driven,accompanied by a chiming guitar over a monotone drum …

XI:The Days before Tomorrow is the eleventh release and marks the debut of new lead vocalist Brian Jones. Despite the bands long history, they have been hit and miss for me, I only like around half of the releases, but after listening to this one, i had to double check …

Sons of Icarus are a young British four piece. Three of the members, Andy Masson (vocals and guitar), Alex Masson (bass and backing vox) and drummer Mike McQuillan met at school in Northamptonshire and jammed together before enrolling at the Academy of Contemporary Music where they met the final piece …

Kent based 5 piece band The Self Titled have certainly had a tumultuous 18 months since their formation. Line up changes and putting their debut album on hold for almost a year to concentrate on their live act have given them an edge judging by the quality of the 3 …

Hailing from Italy, Silent Opera have been active since 2007, releasing a well received demo before turning their attentions to nurturing this debut almost conceptual album based around four immortals and their individual stories. An initial, listen and inevitable comparisons with Nightwish and Within Temptation may come to the fore …

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, but sometimes you can return to something that you once held fond memories of and have them dashed very quickly against what you remembered. I’ll be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve listened to anything by messers Kiske and Hansen.  People will argue …

“Vitriol” is the debut album from Italian band Evenoir.  Formed in 2007, they released an EP at the end of 2008, and are now finally releasing their first album over three years later.  The band play gothic/symphonic metal with folk or medieval influences, and the highlight of their sound has …

Dear Superstar is the 21st century equivalents of Motley Crue, without the tight leather pants and the extremely poufy hair. Their songs are like a blast from the past, transporting the listeners back to the 80’s, back when the music was pure and true, but adding a modern day metal …

Hailing from Los Angeles, Mouth of the Serpent is a five piece progressive death metal band that is simply dyeing to get their music heard and get out there into the big league, and with their latest EP entitled Manifest, it is clear that their rise to power will be …

The world already has the likes of Children of Bodom, In Flames and Wintersun, pioneering the magnificent genre that is melodic death metal, and with so many up and coming bands experimenting with this style and completely and utterly not being able to capture that manic but never the less …