Is the debut solo album from the Front Line Assembly main man a towering success or just a “Kollapse”?! I was quite surprised to find that Bill Leeb, the towering frontman of the above-mentioned Front Line Assembly, has only just released a solo album! As a long-time FLA fan, I …
Read More »NAILS – “Every Bridge Burning” album review
The fourth full-length release from California grinders Nails is ready to rip your ears off… Trust me – that heading is true right from the word go! As described by frontman Todd Jones “When you push play, you’re going to get smacked in the face!” And he is not joking, …
Read More »The March Violets – Crocodile Promises Tour gig Review
The March Violets – Crocodile Promises Tour gig Review
Read More »The March Violets – “Crocodile Promises”
Goth/Post-Punk royalty The March Violets are in sparkling form with their new album “Crocodile Promises” For a band that has been around since 1981, it is something of a surprise to find that “Crocodile Promises” is only the third full-length from The March Violets. It’s also the first not to …
Read More »PIG: – “Red Room” album review
The “Lord of the Lard” <PIG> is back with a crackling new album! It doesn’t seem like 2 minutes since Raymond Watts released “The Merciless Light“, but that was back in 2022! Not one to let the grass grow underneath and around his trotters, Raymond has delivered another fantastic exercise …
Read More »Plague of Angels – “What Lies Beneath” (single) review
Plague of Angels, the new band on the block, are ready to release their first interesting and unique single. Plague of Angels is a brand-new band made up of some well-known and seasoned musicians from the metal scene. The brainchild of Mark Mynett (Kill II This), Jeff Singer (Kill II …
Read More »Ba’al – “Soft Eyes” EP review
Sheffield’s post-black metal quintet Ba’al is ready to release their best music yet… Three years on from their brilliant debut album “Ellipsism” Ba’al deliver to us, three new tracks in the form of the “Soft Eyes” EP. Building upon the post-black metal of the debut, “Soft Eyes” shows a more …
Read More »Dom Martin – Acoustic tour gig review – Carol Nash Hall, Manchester 06/04/2024
Attending something outside your usual comfort zone is good, and tonight I did just that! Not just a Blues/Americana gig, but an acoustic one to boot with Northern Irish blues maestro Dom Martin with support from Demi Marriner. And then there was the venue to account for too, being one …
Read More »Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride at Bradford St George’s Hall 14/12/2023
Yorkshire’s two finest exponents of doom and gloom bring the “Embers of Europe” tour to a home finale After starting in London, and then playing several dates across Europe, Paradise Lost bring the tour celebrating 30 years of the “Icon” album back home to Yorkshire. Tonight’s gig is at the …
Read More »Haint – Terminally Evolved EP review
Belfast’s powerful 3 piece Haint Deliver a hefty 5 tracks of great music If you like your music heavy, progressive, with lots of melodies, and yet still doomy and dark, then Haint and their new EP is made for you. Gifting us 5 tracks and just over 26 minutes of …
Read More »Solothurn – Servitude EP review
Belfast once turned out the Titanic, now we have the equally titanic new band Solothurn Originating from Belfast, Solothurn are a new band comprised from several other Northern Irish bands, and an ex member of Nick Olivieri’s Mondo Generator. Describing themselves as “Alt-Metal” and citing influences such as Alice in …
Read More »Paradise Lost – Icon 30 – Album review
30 years on from its original release, Paradise Lost give us a new re-recording of their classic album Yep, 1993 saw the original release of Paradise Lost’s 4th studio album, which over the years, the band had lost the rights to. Rather than go through all the crap and costs …
Read More »The Sisters of Mercy/The Virginmarys gig review Manchester Academy 21/11/2023
To say I’m excited about seeing and reviewing this gig would be an understatement. The Sisters of Mercy have been one of my favourite bands for a very long time, and it’s also my first time seeing them live since June 1997. On that gig, they were supported by Cubanate …
Read More »The Answer, Wild Heart Tour – Club Academy Manchester 15/11/2023
On a wet and miserable midweek November evening, there is probably no better cure to any hump day blues than going to see The Answer. Continuing the live support of their latest album “Sundowners“, with their Wild Heart Tour, tonight is Manchester’s turn to see the Northern Irish band perform, …
Read More »Morlocks – “Praise The Iconoclast” album review
Morlocks deliver a bewildering array of Industrial, Neoclassical, and truly Alternative music on their third full-length release. Bugger me, that was a hell of a heading to start a review off with! But, as you will see as you read on dear hearts, it’s all true!! I had never heard …
Read More »Omnivortex – “Circulate” album review
Sophomore album from these Finnish Tech-Death wizards doesn’t disappoint Relative newcomers to the technical side of death metal, Finland’s Omnivortex released a strong debut back in 2020 called “Diagrams of Conciousness“. Following that now in 2023 is “Circulate” continuing as strongly as the last album left off. First things first: …
Read More »Ba’al – Live Review Grand Central, Manchester 17/09/2023
Ba’al, Prognosis, 4GEN7 Live Review Grand Central, Manchester Live music on a Sunday night has now become a weekly occurrence at GC, and tonight was offering a tasty line up of Ba’al, Prognosis, Idio, and Sparrowhawk. However, there is a late-in-the-day cancellation from the latter 2 bands, and so the …
Read More »HAINT to release debut EP “Terminally Evolved”
Belfast post-doom/grunge metallers Haint have announced the release of their debut EP, Terminally Evolved. The 5 track comes out across all digital platforms on September 22nd, along with the first airing of final track Genius Loci. Boasting former members of Stand Up Guy, Condemned, and now Baleful Creed, they have waded through health woes and personnel issues …
Read More »Desekryptor – “Vortex Oblivion” Album Review
The Indiana DM band’s first full-length release is pure filth… Desekryptor are relative newcomers to the death metal scene, having formed in 2017. Since then, they have released a couple of demos, one split (with Dragkhar), and one EP. Now we have their full-length debut to assault our listening flaps! …
Read More »Joe Stamps of Ba’al and Hecate Enthroned – Interview
Steve Tottle, our reviewer and lover of all that is dark and brooding musically, recently interviewed the extremely affable Joe Stamps. Joe Stamps frontman of Ba’al (blackened post-metal band from Sheffield, UK) and Hecate Enthroned (English symphonic black metal), discuss everything from lyrical inspiration, and new music in the making …
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