“Nobody burns churches anymore.” So begins the introduction to this latest literary investigation into the phenomenon from which this well presented tome takes its title. Many attempts have been made to document the rise of black metal and the motives of its proponents. Most of them have tended to be …

It was probably inevitable that, almost 30 years down the line, some members of the ‘Big Four’ would start collaborating at one level or another – but the teaming of Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine and original Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz may not seem to be the most obvious couple to …

Anthrax have been more regular visitors to this little part of the world than the vast majority of their counterparts, with this – their only UK headlining show, during a ‘night off’ from their support run with Motorhead – being their fifth time playing Northern Ireland. And, the sense of …

The UK doesn’t really have a reputation for producing great sleaze rock bands – well, certainly, not ones who could challenge the supremacy of the likes of the Crüe, LA Guns, GNR or Cinderella in their prime. The likes of The Quireboys, Wildhearts and Dogs D’Amour always have been more …

This powerhouse three track EP from Tipperary industrialists Borderline Prime very nearly didn’t see the light of the day, apparently. Following the release of their debut EP, ‘Blacker’, the band originally had intended to follow it up with another of the same, but then changed their minds and decided to …

It’s hard to categorize this debut album from this Italian quintet (one of a maddeningly large number of acts with the same name, as a quick Google search turns up similarly monickered outfits from as far afield as San Francisco, Singapore and Japan), as it falls between a number of …

The name of Tasmanian devils (sic) Ruins may be unfamiliar to many people outside the southern hemisphere, but that should be about to change soon, thanks to the international release of this, their fourth full length studio album. And a bloody fine slice of blackened metal it is – melodic …

The song ‘Cat’s In The Cradle’ carries a particular resonance for Northern Ireland rock fans.  While, almost exactly 20 years ago, our counterparts in the rest of the world were propelling Ugly Kid Joe’s cover of the Harry Chapin ballad back into the upper reaches of the charts, the government …

Did you know that cult surf-rockers Ugly Kid Joe possibly played an improbable role in the Northern Ireland peace process?  Well, they did – and you can find out how when PM’s Ireland editor caught up with frontman Whit Crane and guitarist Klaus Eichstadt during their stopover in Belfast (just …

Following the release of their debut album, ‘From Forgotten Worlds’, at the end of October, Planet Mosh finds out a little more about Vancouver death metal trio AUROCH. Under the interrogator’s spotlight, frontman Seb Montesi (pictured right)… Hi, and thanks for taking the time to talk to Planet Mosh. You’ll …

There are moments in life when you have to set friendships aside:  no matter how dear you hold camaraderie, a bond, you have to step back, look objectively at the situation in which you mutually find yourselves, assess the situation, calmly and in a collected manner and tell things how …

When Planet Mosh officially launched on the island of Ireland a few weeks ago, recruiting a team of writers on both sides of the border, we knew were delving into a territory steeped in musical heritage, a part of the world rich in its own identity, confident in its ability… …

For almost exactly two decades (counting from the release of their epoch-defining debut, ‘As The Flower Withers’) Bradford’s My Dying Bride have stood at the very pinnacle of the death-doom genre, not only as its progenitors but its constant innovators and re-inventors. ‘A Map Of All Our Failures’ – their …

I must admit that I get extremely wary any time anyone applies the term ‘Lovecraftian’ to anything.  Any artist, be they an author or a filmmaker, who has claimed to try and follow in the footsteps of the master of weird fiction has, by and large, failed to even pay …

There is no doubt about it, Converge have been one of the most influential and imitated extreme bands of the last two and a half decades – their mix of hardcore and heavy metal having been credited as giving birth to what we now know as ‘metalcore’ (fuck, they’ve a …

Briefly, back in the late 1980s, Dare were the darlings of the UK’s FM-friendly scene:  their stunning 1988 debut album, ‘Out Of The Silence’, is quite deservedly remembered as a classic of both the genre and the era:  spawning two minor hit singles, both it and its follow up, ‘Blood …

Sometimes, you just know it is going to be one of those days… Well, we had known for some time that this particular day was going to be one of those… and it was nothing to do with this Essex ‘post-hardcore’ (will somebody please explain what in the name of …

In Spanish, ‘El Dorado’ means ‘The Golden One’. Originally attributed to an ancient Colombian chieftain who covered himself in gold dust and then committed suicide, it has become much better known as the mythological city sought by the Spanish Conquistadores in the 15th and 16th centuries, which resulted in genocide …

Hotel Diablo should know a thing or two about sleaziness… after all, guitarist Alex Grossi has been involved with Bang Tango and Quiet Riot, as well as being an on-off-on touring (and sometime recording) member of Adler’s Appetite, the latter alongside vocalist and fellow HD founder Rick Stitch. Throw in …

As noted in our recent review of their debut hometown gig last month, Rex Shachath, as an entity, may be a new name to many but, individually, the various members are highly experienced and veterans of several stalwarts of the Belfast scene, such as Overoth and Condemned. And, just as …