Album Reviews

A brilliant 13 song offering released in late 2014, Once, Forever & Again by London-based The See See showcases the band’s latest sonic journeys, and is the subject of this week’s Pop Focus. Once, Forever & Again, The See See’s third full-length studio effort, finally breaks some ground and gains a …

Hailing from Dublin, Red Enemy are a five piece signed to Mediaskare Records, boasting shows alongside names like Parkway Drive, Unearth, and Tesseract. Following on from their second EP, the well received ‘What We Are Contained In Is What We Are’, the eponymously titled ‘Red Enemy’ is the bands first …

This whole package is quite a mystery. No songtitles they are just labelled I and II, no country of origin, no pictures and no members names. The only information available is that it s coming out on Iron Bonehead productions. This leaves us with the music on its own merits, …

The Dreaming are an American industrial rock band who rose from the ashes of the powerhouse that was Stabbing Westward. Formed by lead vocalist Chris Hall and drummer Johnny Haro The Dreaming have two full length albums and a handful of EP’s to their name. Rise Again was titled by …

As is well documented throughout music history, the biggest change a band can make in terms of lineup is their singer. Guitarists and drummers are skilled enough to be chameleons and play note-for-note renditions of songs written by former members, but bring in a new vocalist and there is more onus …

South African blues musician Dan Patlansky released his debut album in 1999 and is now releasing his seventh album, Dear silence thieves.  His second album saw him signed to a major label, and in 2006 he became just one of six musicians in Africa to receive a guitar and amp …

It has been nine long years since 2006’s impressive ‘Falling In Between’ and this latest Toto release ‘XIV’, during that time Toto split up and then reformed. This version of Toto has original members Steve Lukather, David Paich, Steve Porcaro and also sees the return of the original bass player …

          I do not, as a rule, review albums that have been out for a considerable length of time, unless it is a classic Metal album from the distant past that is celebrating a milestone anniversary of course. However, in the case of Agatha’s “Gravis Atque …

Over the past 12 months or so, vocalist Simon Wright has proven himself to be a man who not only likes to keep busy, but also is capable of delivering music in diverse styles – and each time to great effect.  Around this time last year, he led Leeds technical …

@planetmosh review Versive by .@versiveofficial. Versive are a four piece alt-rock band from Dublin, Ireland who have recently released their debut EP, also called Versive. A three track EP, it’s a good taster from a band with obvious talent and the drive to go places.  Opening track Blackout is fast …

Love them or hate them, Venom turned a lot of heads and eardrums around with their debut 1981 release of  Welcome To Hell and it’s follow up Black Metal in 1982. Although they were tagged in the NWOBHM genre they heavily influenced many thrash and black metal bands. Original guitarist …

If proof were ever needed that certain things get better with age, then look no further than to Michael Schenker, as his re-emergence over these last few years with his Temple Of Rock band is nothing short of staggering. ‘Spirit On A Mission’ is the latest album from Schenker and …

“Time and Trauma” is the sixth studio album by Alaskan metal band 36 Crazyfists. The album will be released in the UK in about a week or so and it is awful; words cannot describe how awful it is. It sounds like something ripped from a failed metalcore abortion from 2006. Avoid …

“Where stories unfold” is the third album from Austrian band Illuminata.  They released their debut EP, “Lachrymal” in 2007 and in 2008 followed it with their debut album, “From the Chalice of Dreams”.  In late 2011 they released their second album “A World So Cold”.  Now at the start of …

Internationally acclaimed music legends Black Star Riders‘s ten track “second album, The Killer Instinct, is released via Nuclear Blast. Produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Mastodon, Rush), The Killer Instinct is hard rock in the classic tradition.” In 2012, the band was formed, and contains three former members of Thin Lizzy: …

When Damon Johnson and Ricky Warwick were writing their previous album, All Hell Breaks Loose, they were unsure whether it was going to be a Thin Lizzy album or something else, something that rose from the ashes of Lizzy.  This time around, and with a couple of years of playing as Black Star …

It’s been a long time since Thunder last released an album – in fact it was a year before their farewell show.  Which one I hear you ask?  I’m referring to the 2009 “20 years and out” farewell shows as opposed to their previous attempt to retire.  Happily retirement didn’t …

British Singer-songwriter Ian Siegal has won seven British Blues Awards and has been nominated twice for the U.S Blues awards.  He released his first album in 2002, but it wasn’t till last year that he released his first live album.  Now he’s following it up with another live album.  Two …

British melodic metal band Control The Storm come from the South West of England.  It’s been 4 years since their demo disc was released, but now with a new singer they’ve finally got their debut album ready to release.  The album was produced by the band’s keyboard player Raedon Mac …

Hailing from São Paulo, Jupiterian play the sort of funereal doom-laden sludge metal that is darker and denser than the rainforests which surround their home city. This EP was originally released in Brazil last July (and subsequently has been succeeded by a second EP, ‘Proclamation’, in the latter part of …