Still thrashing away since 1984, Canadian based metallers Annihilator show no signs of slowing down with their seventeenth studio album Ballistic, Sadistic. One of the two founding members, Jeff Waters is still putting his heart and soul into delivering old school thrash metal and the ten tracks on here show …
Read More »Sky Valley Mistress – Faithless Rituals
Sky Valley Mistress, one of the most exciting bands I’ve seen live over the last few years have finally finished their debut album Faithless Rituals which will be released on March 20th, 2020 via New Heavy Sounds/Cargo Records. The Blackburn based quartet have managed to create their live vibe …
Read More »Anvil – Buckley Tivoli, 06/03/2020
I’ve been to many Anvil gigs since 1982, playing at festivals, support slots and as headliners. There has never been a bad one, some stand out more than others and another addition to the latter is the Buckley Tivoli gig last night. A pre gig interview with frontman Steve ‘Lips’ …
Read More »Ross The Boss – Born Of Fire
Ross The Boss, founder member of Manowar back in 1980 shows he still has the riffs in his metal arsenal with Born Of Fire, his fourth solo album released on AFM Records. These twelve monster songs are blazed out by his backing band of Marc Lopes on vocals, Mike …
Read More »Collateral – Collateral.
Kent based quartet Collateral came to be in late November 2016. A well received EP ‘4 Shots!’ paved the way for two singles, ‘Lullaby’ and most recently ‘Merry Go Round’, both of which feature on their stunning self titled debut album, recently released by Roulette Media Records. They have been …
Read More »Heavy Pettin – 4 Play
Not get enough foreplay on Valentines day? Well fear not as Glasgow hard rockers Heavy Pettin are here to the rescue courtesy of their just released 4 Play EP. Self produced by guitarist Gordon Bonnar, it bristles with pride throughout like a strutting peacock. Forming in 1981, they caused a …
Read More »Those Damn Crows – Point Of No Return
It’s been a long time since I’ve been so excited waiting for the second album from a band. The first time was way back in 1980 for Iron Maiden when their self titled debut was followed by Killers and now Bridgend based Those Damn Crows have shown their full potential …
Read More »Stallion – Slaves Of Time
2020 has got off to a thrashtastic start, courtesy of German lunatics Stallion with their third studio album Slaves Of Time. Due to be released by High Roller Records on Feb.28th, ten tracks of rabid thrash metal are dished up here. Formed in the Lake Constance area in 2013, the …
Read More »Izengard – Angel Heart
The heart of Izengard beats strong with their latest studio album Angel Heart. Released on Massacre Records, it’s a colossal piece of music boosted to great heights by the mixing and mastering of Paul Hume. ‘Demon Of The Night’ is a gripping opener as sparse chords and keyboards ease in …
Read More »GraveReign – The Road To Acheron (single track review)
GraveReign, the brainchild of guitarist David Shankle (ex Manowar, DSG and Feanor) along with vocalist Tony Engel (ASC and Veilside) have joined forces. Simply put as “A studio project of two friends who finally got around to writing together”. A studio album is currently planned and the first result is …
Read More »Inferiem – Burning Gold (single review)
This furious five piece band came to my attention when they were first band on the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival 2019, drawing a very impressive crowd at 10.30am on a Saturday morning! Six months on sees Inferiem releasing a brain rattling new single called Burning Gold. …
Read More »Troyen – Anthology (1981/2019)
Well here is a great blast from the past and a nod to the future courtesy of NWOBHM band Troyen with this Anthology (1981/2019) album. Released via Classic Metal Records, this double CD contains everything the band have recorded. CD 1 contains a four track demo from 1981, one track …
Read More »Wolf Jaw – The Heart Won’t Listen
A band name change from The Bad Flowers to Wolf Jaw sees them bloom into a band now barking at the moon, point proven by current studio album The Heart Won’t Listen, released via the aptly titled Listenable Records label. I’d seen the band twice before hearing this album and …
Read More »Revolution Saints – Rise
2020 will start off strongly for fans of melodic rock as Revolution Saints release their third studio album Rise via Frontiers Music S.R.L on January 24th. The supergroup trio of Deen Castronovo on drums/lead vocals, Jack Blades on bass guitar/vocals and Doug Aldrich on guitar have strengthened the promise shown …
Read More »Burning Witches – Wings Of Steel EP
Since their formation in Brugg, Switzerland 2015, all female band Burning Witches have wasted no time in getting their music out to the masses with their self titled debut in 2017 and two albums in 2018, the Burning Alive live album and Hexenhammer studio album. They end 2019 with the …
Read More »Stevie R. Pearce And The Hooligans – Give Me Everything, Live In Blackpool
There cant be many live albums that are completely live with no studio trickery after the event to tweak an out of tune guitar or vocal but here’s one to feast your ears on as Give Me Everything, Live In Blackpool by Stevie R. Pearce And The Hooligans captures …
Read More »Anvil – Legal At Last
When one of your favourite bands gets in touch to ask for an early review of their forthcoming album, proclaiming “It’s gonna rock your ass”, it had better be good. Good? With their eighteenth studio album Legal At Last in the can, Toronto based Anvil have certainly walked the walk …
Read More »The Wildhearts – Renaissance Men
God bless The Wildhearts! Rising from the ashes like a hard rock phoenix, not only have they reformed with my favourite line up, they have returned to the studio, have recorded and released Renaissance Men, my album of 2019! A Google search of renaissance translates to “A revival of, or …
Read More »Anvil – Nabbed In Nebraska (Single Review)
February 14th 2020 sees the new decade open heavily with Legal At Last, the 18th studio album from those Canadian crushers, the mighty Anvil on AFM Records, but prior to that they have just released ‘Nabbed In Nebraska’, the first single taken from it. It has a gloriously grinding main …
Read More »Small Town Saviours – Cry (Single Review)
From the ashes of The Black Bullets we have the Newbury based the Small Town Saviours to banish our blues away, point proven by their latest single ‘Cry’, an ear warming breath of fresh air power pop. It rushes in with the sugar sweet chorus and a gritty lead vocal …
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