Opinion

The cavernous Odyssey Arena – built more for ice hockey and other sporting activities than gigs – is curtained off about two-thirds of the way down its length, indicating that tonight’s gig might be suffering the effects of booking two arena shows within 100 miles of each in two cities …

Damnation Festival encompasses a great deal of underground bands, with a variety of acts from around the world playing crust, grind, doom, thrash, extreme metal, to even, this year with Shining, (not the extreme, grotesque, blood everywhere on stage, black metal band) but the band that involves black jazz into …

Bolton’s Railway venue hosted the first night of the Tigetailz uk tour, with Scottish group Estrella as support. Estrella play primarily 70/80s infused rock, and they did just that, they rocked. Since kicking off their first UK Tour and the release of their debut album “Come Out To Play” – …

For many bands, it must be a burning ambition – often unfulfilled for all too many – to headline the most iconic venue in their hometown… in the case of Belfast, the venue in question is the Ulster Hall, a Victorian building which is the city’s equivalent, as more than …

My first time at Queens Hall, what an amazing place, and a first meeting with the guys and lady of Blues Pills. Coming out onto the main stage, this group of young musicians looked completely at ease as they set about getting ready for their first gig of only two …

Arriving at tonight’s gig, the long queue outside signalled both that the venue was going to be busy, but also that a lot of fans had got here nice and early to make sure they caught the opening act – Taiwanese band Chthonic.  At Download earlier this year they brought …

I spoke with Brock Lindow, singer with Alaskan band 36 Crazyfists to talk about the band, their tour and their next album.  Hear what he had to say with the player below….                

Tonight is the Metal Hammer sponsored Defenders of the Faith tour featuring Amon Amarth, Hell, Carcass and Bleed From Within.  Headliners Amon Amarth prove themselves to be great guys even before doors open by cutting their set 10 minutes short to allow Hell to go on 20 minutes after doors …

The Ocean – also known as The Ocean Collective, are currently on their part two tour, for their album ‘Pelagial’. The album is not just any old 10 to 12 song tracks but a 53 minute track masterpiece. Musically their album reflects a journey to the bottom of the sea, linking lyrically …

The boundary- pushing enthusiasts are still striving to take their music forward, with their new project just recently launched with the tranquil  and ambient alternative to their new album ‘Dead End Kings’ – ‘Dethroned and Uncrowned’. Damnation was also the anniversary of the album that revolutionized Katatonia; ‘Viva Emptiness’, as …

There are times as a music journalist when you want to cast aside the notebook and its pages of extraneous adjectives and hyperbolae and strip a review down to your most basic primal reaction to the event you have just witnessed… in the case of this evening’s debut Belfast performance …

A Selection of shots from the Satyricon/Chthonic gig at Belfast’s Limelight 2.   Photographs by Paul Verner /LIVE:i photographic agency for PlanetMosh www.livei.co.uk

I managed to have a short interview/chat with Kobra Paige and Jasio Kulakowski shortly before their gig at Alter Ego, Manchester on the 5th November 2013. Here’s what they had to say: – Hello I’m Louise (AKA LouellaDeville) from Planetmosh. Thank you for taking the time to speak to us. …

On the 1st and 2nd of November Mudfest gives us the third edition of this festival. The first edition took place in the Azijnfabriek in Roermond (the south of the Netherlands), the second editon and the third edition which we are going to talk about right now take place in …

It’s safe to say that we love speaking with Csaba Zvekan.  He’s a wonderfully warm, larger than life personality who is never afraid to give you his thoughts and more importantly is someone incredibly passionate about his music and metal in general.  He also never likes to sit still when it comes …

On the coldest day of the year so far, a black wind blew in from the north as Norwegian black metal legends Satyricon arrived on British shores as part of their European tour to promoted their self-titled eighth album. PM hooked up with front man Satyr before the band’s debut …

Alter Ego on Princess Street, Manchester was the basement venue where tonight’s bonfire night gig was taking place. Consisting or a warren of rooms with a bar to the left, as you enter, and a stage to the right, with the only access to the stage being across the dance …

I spoke to Christopher Bowes and James Cartwright from Power metal band Gloryhammer at the end of their first UK tour to talk about how Chris formed the band, the writing of the album, the forthcomign Alestorm DVD, why Alestorm decided to do a cover of “In the navy” and …

I recently spoke to Liv Kristine, Lead singer with Leaves Eyes to talk about the band’s forthcoming album, Symphonies of the night, and their UK and European tour with Atrocity planned for early next year.. Listen to what she had to say using the player below..      

I spoke to German guitar legend Michael Schenker ahead of the release of the new album from his Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock project – Bridge the Gap, due for release in the UK on the 2nd of December. Your new album, Bridge the gap is due for release in …