Red Eye was always going to be a bitter/sweet album for me to review. 1985 saw the release of Vardis’ last studio album Vigilante and the following year saw them split. I’ve been a fan since 1979 so I was ecstatic when they finally got together again about 3yrs ago …

Dennis from Planetmosh talked to Brian Tatler, founder member of Diamond Head following their headlining set in Northwich. Hello Brian. That was a great set to end the NWOBHM night. Yeah. It was great. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Rasmus said onstage that this is the strongest the band has ever been. …

When event organisers Prometheus Promotions told me a few months ago that they were planning an evening of NWOBHM not far from me in Northwich, to say I was over the moon is an understatement as this genre of heavy metal has been in my blood since its formation. When …

Dennis Jarman from Planetmosh talks to Salem about their new album Dark Days, influences and Spinal Tap moments.                    

NWOBHM band Salem release their latest studio album Dark Days on April 29th 2016, available from Pure Steel Records and shows them in a strong songwriting vein following the 2013 release of Forgotten Dreams. April will prove to be a busy month as the day after Dark Days is released, …

Sandwiched in between opening band I.C.O.N and headliners UDO, Anvil did what they do best and that was to entertain an appreciative crowd with their proto speed metal. Unfortunately they have only been allotted 45 minutes on these 6 UK dates after being allowed an hour previously on this tour …

Dennis from Planetmosh talks to Anvil before their set about life on the road, their latest album Anvil Is Anvil and their documentary.    

Since forming in Birmingham in 2008, Dakesis released an EP and their debut studio album Trial By Fire by 2011and it shows the confidence that they have in themselves to follow these up with a 78 minute long concept album titled The New Dawn. Concept albums can strike fear to …

Another year, another Badass Bash at the Snooty Fox in Wakefield. An excellent venue for live music with a punchy p.a system cranking out some great live music from 18 bands hand picked once again by event organiser Martin Short. At a spritely 62yrs young he also compered the event …

It is hard to believe that the English seaside resort of Brighton could give birth to a band as vicious sounding as Jonestown. Their debut July 2014 release EP The Erebus And The Terror showed promise but their debut album Aokigahara raises the bar even higher. Available digitally from March …

The name Rasmus Bom Andersen may not be familiar with most rock/metal fans but since joining legendary NWOBHM band Diamond Head in 2014 as their lead singer, his debut European tour with them fired up the band enough to want to work on a new studio album, their 7th since …

Anvil Is Anvil. Not just the title of their forthcoming 16th studio album but a statement of intent. Due for release on February 26th 2016 via Steamhammer Records it shows the Canadian power metal trio in a rich vein of songwriting form carried on from their resurgence which resulted in …

Currently on a European tour, German thrash metal merchants Exumer are still playing with the intensity shown on their 1986 debut studio album Possessed By Fire with their recently released monstrous The Raging Tides. Released via Metal Blade Records it consists of 10 fierce originals and 2 inspired cover versions. …

I first saw Wigan based Bigfoot a mere few months after they had formed when they played a short set at the SOS Festival in Manchester, July 2014. Even then their song writing suss was evident and on seeing them a few times since at Wildfire Festival and Bloodstock Festival, …

Before the luxury of the internet, the only way I could listen to new hard rock/metal music in my mid teens would be from Chris Tetley on Piccadilly Radio and Tommy Vance on the Friday Rock Show on Radio 1, so from the latter in 1980 I heard a single …

2016 has got off to a noisy start thanks to the 5 noise merchants who make up Kent based bruisers Spreading The Disease. Formed in late 2014 by bass guitarist Steve Saunders with the line up complete within 6 months, a lot of promise is shown on this refreshingly genre …

With a new album in the can for Feb. 2016 entitled Not Guilty following the 2013 release of Forgotten Dreams, Salem fans can now listen to how they crafted their songwriting with In The Beginning, a superb 17 track compilation album of demo songs recorded between 1981-1983. Released via High …

Being a mainly rock/metal fan I’m not really sure how a folk metal band like Steel Threads got under my radar. I saw them live before I heard any recorded output at a local gig here in Crewe when some friends who rated them highly took me along and I …

R40 Live, Rush’s 10th live album is so named to celebrate their 40th anniversary with drummer Neil Peart in the band. They have actually been in existence since 1968, formed by current guitarist Alex Lifeson with bassist Geddy Lee joining a few weeks later before their second gig. This 3xCD …

The last studio album from Soldier entitled Dogs Of War gave them a hard act to follow but current release Defiant shows Soldier are still in a strong song writing vein. Although slightly more melodic it still rocks hard and shows the NWOBHM survivors are a force to be reckoned …