Opinion

A couple of years ago Thunder did a few acoustic gigs around the UK in support of the Wonder Days album, no more than a half hour set followed by a meet and greet. I was lucky enough to be at the Glasgow event and was blown away by the …

On arriving at the Olympia Theatre to see Blackberry Smoke on Saturday night we were offered the chance to sit in one of the boxes, something I’ve never done before, so I jumped at the chance.  Sitting there feeling like either Statler or Waldorf, but definitely some kind of grumpy …

With the clocks going forward an hour for British Summertime, it seemed strange to be heading into Manchester on a bright and sunny, Sunday afternoon rather than a dark miserable one, to see Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds at The Star and Garter. Which, luckily, is still trading in it’s …

I recently sat down with Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen to talk about the new album due out soon, the live shows planned for September, and more. As all your albums have a strong story element, when you start to work on a new album, what comes first – is it …

Saturday evening at Fibber Magee’s in Dublin saw the culmination of the heats for Metal 2 The Masses Ireland 2017. The seventh event in nine weeks brought together the final four acts looking for a place in the Semi Finals. On paper I assumed it was going to be a close affair …

With influences varying from NiN, New Order, Alter Bridge and the Foo Fighters, Waiting for Titor produce an eclectic sound. The band release their debut EP Halo, pt 1 on 2nd June. We had a talk with the guys and found out more about their history…..   What is the …

This was one of the first gigs at the newly refurbished Borderline, and it’s been dramatically updated although there are still a few bits to sort out (like signs to the toilets), but the toilets are now much bigger than the broom cupboard that sufficed before, the bar has moved …

Tonight is the album launch for The Charm The Fury’s new album, The sick, dumb and happy.  The venue is the Sugar Factory just opposite Melkweg in the band’s home city of Amsterdam, and a queue of fans had formed well before doors opened.  By the time the show got …

Two weeks ago, four bands in the semi finals of Bristol’s Metal 2 the Masses became six as Kikamora and Embodiment made it through their heat into the next round. I had a chat with both qualifiers recently to find out a bit more about them… Kikamora For people hearing …

On a night that I am to write about the Armored Saint’s first ever performance in Dublin it certainly doesn’t help my impartiality to quite literally bump into all of the band a small distance outside the venue. For them to then ask advice on where to grab something to …

WITTERQUICK release their blistering new single, Hiding Place, which is the first in a line of singles to be lifted from the band’s eagerly awaited new EP, out this Summer. The video for Hiding Place has just been revealed via Kerrang!.com and the single lands everywhere on Monday 27th March. …

It’s a shame more gigs don’t pass through the Colston Hall in Bristol. At present the city’s biggest indoor venue, its large main room and excellent acoustics make it far superior to the O2 Academy down the road, yet the glutton of comedians and other performance art events that come …

Hot on the heels of the Irish rugby team obliterating English dreams at the Aviva stadium, we shuffled down to Fibber Magees to see the next quartet of bands going head to head at Metal 2 the Masses Ireland. Would one of the outfits begin an unbeaten streak tonight on …

Rock Goddess opened the night with a set based around songs from their 80s albums.  The band reformed a few years ago with the original lineup, and are yet to release a new album although they do feature a new song tonight, “Back off”, to which they got the crowd …

Opening the show tonight are German duo The Picturebooks.  A few technical issues do nothing to dampen the band’s enthusiasm. Supporting Monster Truck will help gain them a new following. After a short set, highlights were ‘Bad Habits Die Hard’ and ‘Your Kisses Burn Like Fire’. If they seem like an …

Brit riff beasts Triverse Massacre make their mark with the release of their new EP Hades, out 26th May. We sat down for a chat and got the guys to fill us in on their background….   What is the full band line-up, who plays what? We have Liam Stark on …

UK modern instrumental prog crew drop their captivating new concept EP, The Squid, on Friday 12th May. We got the guys to fill us in on their background: What is the full band line-up? Instrumental Prog Rock trio: Danny Beardsley – guitars, Dave Wright – drums and Ben Edis – bass.   How …

Tonight was the second UK date for Tarja, and the attendance was good – by the time she came on stage moving around the venue was difficult due to the packed crowd.  The support act on this leg of her European tour is My Own Ghost, a band from Luxembourg. …

Saturday night saw the 5th instalment of this years Metal 2 The Masses showcase at Fibber Magees in Dublin. With one band unable to play the playing field was reduced to 4 groups vying for a place in the semi final. First up are M2TM returnees Antidotes. Fronted by Stephen …

An earlier start with almost twice as many bands as the previous day saw a mad dash for a Wetherspoons fry up before heading off once again to the Snooty Fox Club. On arrival a line up change saw planned third band Cadence Noir opening proceedings as they were two …