Despite hailing from 21st century California, Night Demon are a band with their roots very firmly in the NWOBHM, encompassing influences from the obvious ones such as DiAnno-era Iron Maiden and Saxon through Angel Witch, White Spirit and Raven, as well as the first wave of US bands to in …

Two years on from their acclaimed second album, ‘Beneath The Surface’ (enthusiastically reviewed by PlanetMosh at http://planetmosh.com/alpha-tiger-beneath-the-surface/), young Saxony retro melodic metallers Alpha Tiger return with their third offering, and their first for the mighty Steamhammer imprint. Hailing from Saxony, the powerbase (sic) of the German power metal scene, Alpha …

While most bands try to follow their debut album as quickly as possible, Californian grinders Cretin waited a full eight years to release their second opus, with the result being issued via Relapse Records at the end of last year.  But, then, these Santa Cruzers seem to like to take …

Hailing from the darkest nether reaches of Florida, but drawing their lyrical and musical influence from Greece (their name comes from the Greek term “religion of knowledge”) both ancient and modern, Gnosis deliver a dark and malificent brand of dark and dank black metal that is as primeval and primordial …

Peruvian blackened death metallers Goat Semen release their debut album, ‘Ego Svm Satana’, via Kvlt in the UK and Europe and Hells Headbangers in North and South America, on February 24. The album comes a full 12 years after the band released their self-titled demo Vocalist Neyra relates the story …

French thrash-hardcore crossover crew In Other Climes have signed with the German-based Bastardized Recordings team for the release of their new album, ‘Leftover’, due early in the year. The band said:  “This album is really different from the others with more hardcore and punk influences. “All the songs are really …

With the band drawing its three members from as far afield as Cyprus and Finland but now based in the UK, this debut EP was originally released as a single-sided 12″ single by the Iron Bonehead label back in 2013, but has now been picked up for digital re-issue by …

Following the release of their acclaimed third album, ‘Crossroads’ back in April (read our review at http://planetmosh.com/portrait-crossroads-album-review/), Swedish metallians Portrait have been keeping busy, touring in support of said opus.  Not content with that, however, they’ve also teamed up with fellow countrymen and Metal Blade labelmates RAM to record and …

Having made their debut at the recent Primordial-curated Redemption Festival in their home city of Dublin, Vircolac are a quartet who believe in taking things back to the old school – to the extent that (at the time of writing) this four-track EP is only available on cassette. The result …

This second album from New York trio Occultation is a dark, eerie and esoteric opus which combines classic elements of doom metal, progressive rock and ambient electronics into a package which is atmospheric, thought-provoking and strangely pleasant in more or less equal measures. Ploughing a furrow somewhere between the darkest …

With 2014 drawing rapidly towards its inexorable conclusion, the PM team found themselves braving the chilly December air for the first of two year-end gigs inside the space of slightly more than 48 hours… with the Distortion Project signing off on the inbound Saturday evening (see our review elsewhere), the …

The last of the Distortion Project’s (almost) weekly RocKD Saturday afternoon promotions of 2014 brought together two bands, one from either side of the Irish border, who really have made names for themselves over the past 12 months, with a headline act who have been relatively quiet in comparison but …

As the frontman of one of the biggest stadia-filling rock bands of their generation, it was perhaps fitting that Joe Elliott‘s self-described “little side project” should be born in a similar environment – in front of thousands of people supporting, and then emulating, in turn one of the most iconic …

Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider has been confirmed to headline the second night of the Steelhouse Festival on Sunday July 26. He joins a line up that already includes Y&T, who perform on the Saturday night, and Tyketto, who will be the main support to Snider on the Sunday. Steelhouse …

Arch Enemy have been confirmed as the headline act for the first ever Dynamo Metalfest, which takes place at the IJssportcentrum in Eindhoven on Saturday July 18. They join Death Angel, Alestorm and Nuclear Assault, with four other acts still to be announced. “We are very pleased with the addition of …

Neurotic Deathfest, which takes place at the 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands, from April 17 – 19, have confirmed Obituary as one of the headliners for the 2015 event.  Gorod, Kronos and Holocausto Canibal also have been added to the bill, joining the likes of Bloodbath, Immolation, Hate Eternal and …

As Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott brought his self-described “little side project” to Belfast for the penultimate night of the ‘Further Adventures Of The Down ‘N’ Outz’ tour, PM pulled up to venue, took the lift to the third floor and sat ourselves down on a rather nice leather sofa …

It was in the first two decades of the ninth century that the chroniclers of ancient Ulster first recorded the arrival of the fiercesome Norsemen, as they inflicted on this north-eastern corner of Ireland the same fate they had wrought elsewhere on the island and also across Britain and those …

Now and again, a press release lands in the PlanetMosh inbox that, out of the thousands we receive on a daily basis, piques our interest… such was the case when yours truly scanned a message from Pure Steel Records about one of their new signings, rising Hamburg five piece Shadowbane.  …

PlanetMosh hooked up with Heri Joensen, frontman with Faroe Islanders Týr shortly before their opening slot with Sabaton and Korpiklaani in Belfast this past weekend, to chat about football, rowing, tattoos and whatever else came to mind: http://www.tyr.fo/ https://www.facebook.com/tyrband