2021 sees the return to Earth of starship Underking, piloted by space cadet Mad Maxwell Jeffries, jettisoning their latest single, the recently released ‘Shadow I’ve Become’. Multi instrumentalist Stoke-On-Trent based stormtrooper Max handles all duties and channels his inner nerd for a Star Wars based song inspired by Darth Maul, …

Now this is the real deal as Chicago based slide guitar virtuoso and singer/songwriter Joanna Connor releases her upcoming studio album “4801 South Indiana Avenue” on February 26th 2021 via Joe Bonamassa’s new independant blues record label Keeping The Blues Alive. Even more thrilling is that Joe plays on every …

The Swamp Born Assassins will give them a good seeing to and they do so with ease to the four songs featured on their ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ (Acoustic) EP. Released on the 8th of February 2021. Now then, now then, now then, if any band should have an acoustic punt …

On February 5th 2021, Cheshire based noisemongers The Dying Lights stick a big middle finger up to Covid-19 by releasing their slightly unhinged new single ‘Crash’. In just under four minutes they summon up some spine chilling inner demons. Formed in 2017 by guitarist Derek Holmes, several line up changes …

Michael Schenker celebrates his legacy and 50th anniversary as a musician by reforming MSG to release their eleventh studio album, the aptly titled Immortal and he announces that “I’m 65 now but still 16 in my head”. The album has just been released by Nuclear Blast Records and all ten …

Three singles from Birmingham based Second Cities released in 2020 got the ball rolling towards 2021 and that momentum has spawned their debut EP Out With The Old, a five track tumult that includes the three aforementioned tracks. The band proclaim that the EP title is from being sick of …

Sunday, August 8th 2015 at the Bloodstock Open Air Festival saw me alter my reviewing schedule by leaving midway through a very boring set by Black Label Society on the Ronnie James Dio Stage to check out HeLL PuPPeTs headline the Jagermeister Stage who were thoroughly a lot more entertaining …

So the ever spinning wheel in The Dead Daisies personnel see the departure of Jon Corabi on lead vocals and Marco Mendoza on bass guitar replaced by the legendary Glenn Hughes and he has added a whole new dimension to the band, point proven by their recently released studio album …

South Wales based The Autumn Killers are another band that have recently given their music an overhaul as they have reworked their debut EP Dance Floor Mayhem into the tongue twisting titled ‘Acoustic And Autumnised EP’ with an added track. Said added track is a real curveball as their cover …

Second Cities return with latest single ‘Like A Moth’ but these Birmingham based oiks sound more like a bat out of hell as they thrash out a brutal bludgeon. It’s not all noise for noise sake as there is a lot more to their oeuvre from the lead vocals of …

Formed in 1976 in Solingen, West Germany, Accept are still flying the flag for German heavy metal, point proven by their upcoming studio album Too Mean To Die. Whether it’s frustration from Covid (which has delayed the album release from Jan 15th till the 29th due to a pressing plant …

As somebody a lot wiser than me once proclaimed, “Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast”. Point proven by the Unplugged And Sedated EP currently available by Preston based macabre metallers Ward XVI. Throughout the pandemic in 2020 they managed to release the over the top studio album Metamorphosis …

Hey ho, let’s go as The Senton Bombs open their plan for World domination in 2021 with one big shit kicking get the fuck out of my way single called Dwelling In The Past now available to purchase from Amazon, iTunes, Spotify and Apple Music. Right from the off it’s …

My first review of 2021 and what a way to start the year with the quite astonishing debut album Homecoming from Merseyside based Ashen Reach. Currently available via all digtal outlets, for such a young band these 11 songs show early maturity in their songwriting. Opener ‘Fighting For My Life’ …

Iced Earth go back in time to their self titled released in 1990 debut album which has been remixed and remastered from the original 2″ tapes. Formed in Tampa Bay, Florida 1984 I’ll admit to being late on the scene for them, not checking them out until the 2011 release …

Ross The Boss is back with a vengeance as he unleashes Conquered Lands, the third studio album from Death Dealer via AFM and Steel Cartel Records. The quality shown from previous releases Warmaster and Hallowed Ground continues throughout these songs mainly from the astonishing drumming from Steve Bolognese as his …