This is my second review of 2018 that features the majestic vocals of Brian Ross. The first being Blitzkrieg and now from Satan with their devilishly new album Cruel Magic. Currently available via Metal Blade Records who state in their press release that the album is “Ten tracks of searing …

Final Rockwich 2018  day and somehow event organisers Mik Matzen and Colesia Price have managed to squeeze thirteen bands into twelve hours! First up was Quiet The Thief at the hangover worrying midday slot and no quarter was given as they dished up a heavy dollop of gritty heavy rock …

Another year and another fantastic Rockwich Festival returns courtesy of Prometheus Promotions! Two days of fantastic music starting with the Saturday night of acoustic soiree before the full on main event the next day. Local covers band Baxter made up of the very talented Paul Senior and Hayley Strangelove (but …

Sunday is always a sad day when it’s the last day of Bloodstock so it was the final journey from our hotel in Tamworth (getting too old to sleep on the ground now) to just catch the start of the rain and opening Ronnie James Dio Stage band Monument. Fronted …

As the kids TV programme TISWAS used to say, Today Is Saturday Watch And Smile and with another packed day ahead at Bloodstock Open Air Festival, there was loads to smile about! First up was The Brood laying waste to a full New Blood Stage with some full on grind. …

My annual deja vu quote of “Another year, another Bloodstock Open Air Festival” returns and 2018 saw a wealth of talent spread along four stages in the beautiful location of Catton Hall. First band up at the eye rubbingly time of 10.30am on the New Blood Stage were Dumfries based …

I was lucky to catch these lunatics at Bloodstock Open Air Festival in 2017 as Torqued tested the resilience of the New Blood Stage with their seismic onslaught. So fast forward a year and they have just unleashed an over the top six track EP titled Resurgence, available on digital …

Never mind nature calling, when Vicious Nature call you had better be ready for some over the top heavy metal, point proven by their current six track EP VII available on physical CD from the band or an unlimited streaming and high quality download options from Confidential Records. The fearsome …

Burton Upon Trent based Theia have shown great promise with the studio album releases of Back In Line and Take The Pill but it has been fulfilled by the latest opus The Ghost Light. Out now on WDFD Records with eye catching artwork from Andy Pilkington at Very Metal Art …

It’s a return flight for me with Airrace as I first saw them support Ted Nugent at the Hammersmith Odeon in Feb 1984 and here I am today reviewing their executive class new studio album Untold Stories, released by Frontiers Music Srl on August 10th 2018. Laurie Mansworth returns with …

Even by the standards Massive Wagons have set by their three previous studio albums they have raised the bar higher with Full Nelson, due to be released via Earache Records on August 10th 2018. Featuring ten brand spanking new tracks and two from previous album Welcome To The World added …

At the ripe old age of 70 Graham Bonnet can still belt it out with aplomb, point proven by current studio album Meanwhile Back In The Garage released by Frontiers Music Srl. At fourteen tracks long it’s a challenging listen in one go but the results are well worth it as …

Ryders Creed should surely call themselves Apollo Creed because of the way they come out swinging throughout their self titled debut album. Since they formed just over a year ago they have toured hard and it shows judging by how they have honed these ten songs down. Recently released on …

You know when you see a band for the first time and you know they have the X factor? Well the Takeaway Thieves have the whole alphabet and enough letters left for the Countdown conundrum! This Saturday lunchtime acoustic set recorded for a future CD release at the Waterloo Music …

It took me a while to get on the Ghost train. I stupidly dismissed them as a novelty band but their headlining set at Bloodstock Festival in 2017 got me on track and the journey is now even more full steam ahead with the release of their fourth studio album …

Something heavy this way comes from ROAR Rock Of Ages Records that goes under the name of Hellhound, the third studio album from metallers Monument! No cliche is left out as they hammer out nine songs of pure heavy metal with joyous vigour. Lead by the powerful vocal pipes of …

At last, the wait is finally over. Southampton based metallers Toledo Steel unleash their debut album No Quarter via Dissonance Productions on June 1st! Now back to a five piece the album opens up with ‘Behold The Machine’ but never mind the machine, behold these riffs that burst out of …

First caught this captivating band a few months ago opening a Cancer fundraising gig in Nantwich; proving my point to watch the opening bands as you never know what you might miss! The Surrey based The Asif Outlaws, fronted by Asif Ali were a joy to behold as they veered …

I bought the first four studio albums from Sydney, Australia based Rose Tattoo back in the early 80’s but I’m not sure how this blistering album Blood Brothers slipped past my radar in 2007 so thankfully it has been given another airing with an added bonus of six live tracks …

Jamming jamming jamming! Sky Valley Mistress jammed more than Hartley’s during their seventeen song marathon set at Percy’s last night. A little gem of a venue with corrugated iron walls and roof providing great acoustics for the seismic music the band create. Forget Marvels Fantastic Four, these are the real …