If ever an album did exactly what it said in its title, it is this one. For this, the fourth album from this Italian outfit, is one sick mutha of an album. After the brooding intro of ‘The Breeding’, the title track well and truly sets the scene, and the …

Typical, isn’t it? You complain about the apparent lack of decent French metal bands and then, like buses to the mysterious ‘Not In Service’, a whole bunch come along at once. ‘A Perfect Absolution’ is the third full-lengther – and the second on Listenable – from this Bordeaux five-piece and, …

There are a number of incorruptible facts about St Patrick’s Day, not just in Belfast but almost anywhere else in the world. The main one being that it is absolutely nothing to do with a certain bloke in a long white beard and pointy hat who allegedly drove the snakes …

It’s the hottest day of the year, with the sun splitting the trees and the local spides have already taken up residence in the local park with their bottles of (still relatively cheap) white cider and Buckie… so, what is any self-respecting metaller doing? Well, we’re in a darkened club …

Manchester prog metallers Betraeus headed out on a short run of dates, which included hooking up with Planet Mosh in Belfast…   Band Links http://www.facebook.com/betraeus http://www.myspace.com/betraeus http://www.twitter.com.betraeus http://www.youtube.com/betraeusband

The French heavy metal scene isn’t known for its international impact – personally, and without the aid of Google or Wikipedia, I can count less than a handful bands who have made any sort of significant impact outside their homeland: Trust, of course, who in turn give us the living …

In times of desperation and trouble, people often look to their history and heritage for inspiration, recalling past glories to give them a positive outlook on the travails currently facing them, drawing upon that which has gone before to drive them forward to face up to the challenges before them. …

Cover versions are awkward beasts. Often they take a well-loved favourite tune, mangle and distort it beyond all recognition, to the point where you want to vomit just at the thought of hearing it again. Often, they add a fresh new twist that has you looking at that old song …

The phrase “heavy metal as it should be” is one of those throwaway expressions that seems to be pretty de rigeur at c’est moment du temps. Which beggars the question: just how should heavy metal be played? Except loud? And heavy. Fortunately, this Finnish six piece have veered away from …

Dan Beehler was, of course, both the muscle behind and the voice in front of Exciter – a band who, at least as far as this reviewer is concerned, never have truly got the credit they deserve for the role they played in the development of thrash metal. Their ‘World …

Re-issues are an unusual beast – usually there is an overt reason for a band ploughing their back catalogue, such as an anniversary or whatever: occasionally, they come out of the blue (or the black, in this case), without seeming to have any particular explanation for their presence… as appears …

Japanese doomsters Church of Misery – who made a huge impact on UK audiences when they toured with Cathedral in 2010 – were all set to release their debut album, the aptly titled ‘Volume 1’, back in 1997 when they developed what many might see as a decidedly unhealthy interest …

You always want to fight the corner of your hometown heroes, be it your local football team or a band that have helped to put your part of the world on the musical map. You want to stand, as one, with ‘your boys’ and, shoulder to shoulder, take on all …

This debut offering from Dubliners Xerosun actually came out in their Irish homeland back in 2010, to great acclaim on both sides of the border, but now has been picked up, re-packaged and given a worldwide release by Rising Records. And much deserved the development is, as this is – …