Album Reviews

The greatest selection of albums, reviewed and rated

Hic Iacet – The Cosmic Trance Into The Void

    This debut full length album has been on my radar for some time, ever since I stumbled across the ‘Prophecy Of Doom’ 7” that surfaced a while back, I had been chomping at the bit to see whether this project could continue to evolve. A full blown band, …

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Whiskey Myers, Early Morning Shakes

We’re only just into the first few weeks of 2015, but already I think I’ve just found the first of my top ten albums of the year!! Whiskey Myers is one of those groups you hope and wait will come along one day and then when they do, they proceed …

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Extreme – Pornograffitti Deluxe Edition

@planetmosh reviews Pornograffitti by .@ExtremeBand on .@UMC and .@Polydor Lots of things happened in 1990.  I started secondary school, Italy hosted the World Cup, which was won by West Germany, the last time a divided Germany would ever compete, and Extreme released Pornograffitti.  On February 9th they’ll re-release it to celebrate …

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Angelus Apatrida – Hidden Evolution

There is one thing for sure – if one would have to pick the Spanish thrash metal band in a blink of the eye, it would be Angelus Apatrida. Rolling in the thrash metal scene since 2000, this band already has proved themselves and are definitely one of most known …

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Cripper – Hyena.

Hyena, the fourth studio album by Cripper is so overwhelming I gave up taking notes about halfway through listening to it as it is almost impossible to describe these eleven tracks of an almost perfect mix of thrash and death metal. The focal point of the band for me is …

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Triggerfinger – By Absence Of The Sun

Suited and booted quirky Belgian rockers Triggerfinger return with their newest offering ‘By Absence of the Sun‘ their follow up to 2010’s ‘All This Dancing Around’ recorded in LA by Greg Gordon (Slipknot, Slayer, White Zombie & System of a Down) ‘By Absence of the Sun’ opens with the ‘Game‘ …

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Unhold – Towering (Czar of Crickets)

Unhold split up in 2012 after being together for 20 years. They released 3 full-length albums but it has been 7 years since the last release, so here they are back in 2015 with a new lineup and a most challenging affair of a new album. Most of the influences …

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Keeper / Sea Bastard – Split (Dry Cough)

This split brings together 2 of the most oppressive sounding bands to come from opposite sides of the Atlantic. First up is Keeper who hail from California and bring to the table a 14-minute dirge “777” which has a slow punishing beat with a guitar riff that lurches along at …

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Enter Shikari – The Mindsweep

‘Abusing music’s worthless genre boundaries since 2003’ is their tagline, and it’s something that Enter Shikari have held true ever since their formation that year. Every album they’ve released has been different; from the grit and punk nature of 2007’s brilliant debut Take to the Skies right through to the electronic, politically …

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Periphery – Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega [2 album set]

Periphery - Juggernaut Omega album cover art

This band’s fans, humorously dubbed Peripherals, are going to adore this set by Washington, D.C’s Periphery. Titled Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega, the dual-disc ‘concept album’ set serves to redefine the band for anno 2015. Seventeen songs of djenty, modern progressive metal glory will tickle the earholes of an eager …

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Atlas Losing Grip – Currents

Atlas Losing Grip a five piece Alternative Crossover Punk band from Sweden released their third album ‘Currents’ via Cargo records today (16th January 2015). Formed in 2005 ‘Currents’ marks their tenth anniversary. Atlas Losing Grip embark on the Currents European Tour 2015 Part 1 next week with support on many …

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Mini Mansions – Geronimo [single]

A band that’s been buzzed about as “a force to watch”, Mini Mansions hit BBC 1’s Single Of The Week with “Death Is A Girl” in mid-December, 2014. With that kind of accolade, and an upcoming full UK tour with Royal Blood, this sun-drenched American band are this week’s obvious Pop Focus choice. …

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The Crown – Death is Not Dead

There are some genuinely grinding, aggressive moments tucked away in the 11 tunes that comprise The Crown‘s early 2015 release, Death is Not Dead. These Swedish extreme metal veterans have reconvened to bring their fans some more fairly melodic, high speed death-thrash as only they can. Death is Not Dead …

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Sertraline-Bury The Ghosts E.P

Sertraline are a five piece alternative rock outfit from Stoke-on-Trent, UK. Led by the enchanting Leeds lass Lizzie on lead vocals, the band features four ex members; Tom, Josh, Mike & Hendo, of local band Blue Origin who had minor success with their debut album Somnium. Aware that they, as …

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Skarlett Riot – We Are The Brave EP

Skarlett Riot are a hard rock quartet hailing from Northern Lincolnshire. Formed in 2010 they have built a reputation for a high energy live performance with solid recorded material to back this up. Following their well received 2013 album ‘Tear Me Down’, which contained a mixture of new songs and …

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Carl Phelan – Flyleaf Spreads Their Wings [book]

Do you like the band Flyleaf? Do you like to read? Here’s something made with you in mind! Flyleaf Spreads Their Wings, a digital edition of which was offered three months ago for review, is about the “Christian but not Christian” band Flyleaf, who is currently apparently on hiatus. The …

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Marilyn Manson – The Pale Emperor

An adroit songwriter, Marilyn Manson takes song subjects that are poignant to him and moulds them into the gargoyles and angels that fill the musical cathedral that is his tenth album ‘The Pale Emperor’. It opens with the sense of going into battle with the solid electronic beats that continue …

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Shadowbane – ‘Facing The Fallout’

Shadowbane - Facing The Fallout artwork

This second album from Hamburg-based power metallers Shadowbane is one which almost did not see the light of day, as – in common with a number of other projects – it was undergoing its mastering process, at the hands of Dirk Schlächter when the Gamma Ray bassist’s Hammer Studios spectacularly …

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