There’s an old – and very much overused (as these things tend to be) – saying about how you should never judge a book by it’s cover… in terms of reviewing heavy metal albums, it is perhaps fair to adapt this ancient adage to CDs and their artwork… On first …
Read More »Sentinel – ‘Mutually Assured Destruction’
When I first came across young Armagh metallians Sentinel, opening a charity gig in Belfast, I must admit that I wasn’t overly impressed: but then, as I said, they are young (drummer Jordie Kelly is still only 15!) and it was only their third ever live performance… Move the clock …
Read More »Aeternum Vale – ‘Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges’
Black metal is a genre which, in many ways, is split straight down the middle – between those who seek to live merely on its past glories and those who desire to drive it forward and re-establish its relevancy in the modern era: those content to don the antiquated corpse …
Read More »SynaptiK – ‘The Mechanisms Of Consequence’
Definitely – and defiantly – one of the most impressive acts to have taken to the New Blood Stage at this past summer’s Bloodstock, East Anglia’s SynaptiK have subsequently produced a debut album that is fervent, fresh and vibrant in equal measure. Straddling, with consummate ease, the death, groove, progressive …
Read More »Zom to release debut album in November
Irish blackened death metal trio Zom are to release their debut album, ‘Flesh Assimilation’, through Dublin-based Invictus Promotions on November 24. Featuring cover artwork by renowned artist Zbyszek Bielak, the album is the follow up to a previously released demo and a subsequent 7″. In a statement, the band said of …
Read More »King 810 – ‘Memoirs Of A Murderer’
Unusually, I am going to start this review with someone else’s words. The following paragraphs are extracted directly from the biographical collateral which accompanied the promotional copy of King 810‘s debut album. Nothing has been edited. “You’ve never been somewhere like this before. You won’t forget it though. It’s only …
Read More »The Osiris Club – ‘Blazing World’
The Osiris Club launched on 1st January 2010 in London and have spent four years on this recently released album, ‘Blazing World’. This band has a psychedelic/ prog rock mix with a bit of a difference. Yes, it is a concept album, and, yes, the songs have an underlying story …
Read More »Witch Charmer stream debut album
‘The Great Depression’, the debut album by Sunderland-based stoner/doom act WITCH CHARMER (pictured right), is available for streaming ahead of its release this coming Monday via Argonauta Records. You can listen to it at https://soundcloud.com/argonautarecords/sets/witch-charmer-the-great-depression. The album is available for pre-order from http://witchcharmer.bandcamp.com/ For further information visit www.argonautarecords.com or www.facebook.com/witchcharmerband
Read More »WITCHRIDER DROP DEBUT ALBUM AND ANNOUNCE EUROPEAN TOUR!
Fast rising Euro stone rocksters ‘Witchrider’ release ‘Unmountable Stairs’ on Monday 3rd November through Fuzzorama Records/Code7/PHD, and tour throughout Europe with Truckfighters. When listening to Witchrider, you can not help but be drawn in by their magnetism. They have a haunting beauty that proves to engulf and ignite. As frontman Daniel …
Read More »Annisokay – ‘The Lucid Dream[er]’
You cannot really fault the ambition of young German ‘post-hardcore’ proponents Annisokay. Having already attracted considerable attention in both their homeland and elsewhere with their unique reworking of Miley Cyrus’ otherwise dire and unmentionable ‘Wrecking Ball’ (which to date has earned this Halle-based quintet almost half a million hits on …
Read More »Spunk Volcano and The Eruptions – Injection
Following the release of a five track EP in February this year, which gave a tantalising taster of what Spunk Volcano and the Eruptions (SVTAE) have to offer they released their debut album Injection via STP Records on the 7th August 2014, just a week ahead of playing Rebellion festival for the first time. There seems …
Read More »Silent Jack – Snakebite
.@louplanetmosh @planetmosh reviews Snakebite by .@silentjackband Snakebite by Birmingham based Hard Rock band Silent Jack was released late last year. I liked it immediately. Here’s a bite-size taster! From start to finish this seven track album was packed with great songs and screaming riffs. Brand New Start had a bit …
Read More »The Dagger – The Dagger
The land with the most heavy metal bands per capita, Sweden, is at it again – unleashing new band The Dagger, comprised of former Grave and Dismember death metal inmates, on an eager listening public. The Dagger’s ten-track eponymous debut has a warm, inviting tone and a pleasing, “retro” or …
Read More »John Garcia – John Garcia
Current Vista Chino vocalist, former Kyuss member and desert rocker John Garcia has finally released his eponymous debut solo disc. This 11-track romp has plenty to offer the fan of good ol’ American rock and roll, particularly flavored with a “stoner” edge. He’s enlisted fellow partner in crime (and Queens …
Read More »Toseland – ‘Renegade’
Like most self-respecting music fans, I have a real bee in my bonnet about so-called “celebrities” attempting to jump on the rawk ‘n’ roll bandwagon and establish their street creds by recording an album and playing a few gigs before returning to their various degrees of infamy and disappearing back …
Read More »Dot Legacy – ‘Dot Legacy’
One of a reviewer’s favourite dreams – and, in equal measure, worst nightmares – is to occasionally stumble across a band who are difficult, if not downright impossible, to categorize. Such an outfit are Parisien quartet Dot Legacy, and this eclectic self-titled debut, which veers between post-rock synchopation, stoner, ambient …
Read More »Black Gremlin – ‘ Rock And Raw’
This debut album from upstart Italians Black Gremlin certainly lives up to its name, in that it’s raw – not surprising, since the quartet recorded its seven songs live in one day, and using a traditional 8-track reel-to-reel tape deck. The result is a heady little collection of songs that …
Read More »Baleful Creed – ‘Baleful Creed’
One of the hardest working bands on the Northern Ireland scene, this debut full-length album from Baleful Creed is actually an amalgamation of the quartet’s three previous EPs bound together in one package. BC’s stoner-edged doom sound is very much rooted in the foundation of Black Sabbath – something for …
Read More »Lionize – ‘Jetpack Soundtrack’
The music business is a bit like politics, in that it is incestuous and often works on the basis of “it’s who you know not…” etc. Take the example of Weathermaker Music, for example: until now, every release issued by the label has had a direct link to Clutch (the …
Read More »Rusted – ‘Rock Patrol’
Rusted are a five piece hailing from Canada and have released their first album titled ‘Rock Patrol’. Mixed and mastered by Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc at Silver Wings Studios. Arranged and produced by the band themselves and Silver Wings Studios. They have been together for approximately four years. OK now down to …
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