Album Reviews

This sophomore album from Norwegian quintet Fatal Fusion – their first for the boutique Karisma Records label – draws heavily on the prog influences of the early 1970s, unashamedly referencing the likes of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, pre-‘Dark Side…’ Floyd, Camel, Colosseum, Focus and Van der Graaf Generator, as well as …

This third album from Canada’s DTR is as good a slice of death metal mayhem as you are going to hear this year. Packed solid with soaring riffs, which succeed in holding the right mix of melody within their overall context of bombastic beatdowns and crushing themes, the band also …

Any band boasting a pedigree that includes iconic acts such as The Rolling Stones, Guns N Roses, Thin Lizzy, The Cult and even INXS in its history inevitably has a helluva set of footsteps in which to follow, never mind a pretty impressive heritage to recall… Based around vocalist Jon …

Thunder in the Distance is the third album from melodic hard rock project Place Vendome. Released by Frontiers Records on 1st November 2013, Place Vendome being the brainchild of their President, Serafino Perugino. Fronted by Michael Kiske former vocalist for German rock band Helloween and alos for Avantasia and Unisonic. …

If Michael schenkers last album, Temple of rock was him moving away from a solo career , and being part of a band again, then this latest offering “Bridge the gap” is heading in the right direction, as this new release is called Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock: Bridge the …

  Coronatus return with not one, not two but three, yes that’s right, three female singers. Original vocalist Carmen Loch returning to the fold following a ’family commitments’ break. My initial expectation was that the vocal duties would be split between the girls but no, to their credit, all three …

Formed in 1993 by the late Jay-Jay Winter and Lenny Robinson. Tragically Jay-Jay was involved in a fatal car crash in October 2010, a terrible loss which could leave a band deciding to call it a day. However as AC/DC found Brian Johnson after the death of  Bon Scott, Asomvel …

I’ve been a fan of Ted Nugent for at least 35 years, bought all his albums and 6 of these  have been live  so to me it seemed a strange decision to release another one especially as the concert was recorded over 2 years ago on his I Still Believe …

German Stoner Rock band Sumosluts released their third album Fat.Hot.Sexy on Friday 13th September 2013 on Noisehead Records. Formed in Bamburg, Germany in 2010 their Debut album ‘An Awesome Piece of Shit‘ was released in 2011, followed by ‘Time To Freak Out‘ in 2012 and now ‘Fat.Hot.Sexy‘ When I hear …

In 1993 Def Leppard released a Four track live E.P, Live: In the Clubs, in Your Face; and that was that. We had to wait another 28 years before anything official surfaced from the Leppard camp, that appeared in 2011 and was off course ‘Mirrorball’. Now only two years later, …

Resurgent and revered following their return to not just the British metal scene but well beyond it, Hell follow-up their critically acclaimed 2011 album Human Remains with another fierce reminder of what they are capable of.

Hailing from Toronto, Breached – right from the opening bars of the title track of this five-song EP – are a band who it is extremely difficult to pigeonhole… and most definitely not in a bad way. Leaning quite heavily on the post-grunge sound of the likes of Alice In …

Now and again an album comes along that crushes your preconceptions under the heel of your size 11 New Rock boot… Just as I was sincerely starting to believe that almost every new young band coming out of mainland Great Britain was content to churn out second-rate, copycat emo-core nonsense, …

Whether we believe in it or not, like it or otherwise, the so-called “festive season” – when everyone is supposed to be nice to each people we loathe and despise for the rest of the year, indulge in rampant consumerism, eat horribly overcooked poultry for days on end, and whatever …

Breaking a silence which has lasted nigh on 15 years, Austrian progsters Mayfair should really have stayed in a state of hibernation, as this is a truly awful album with very little to recommend it to more than the casual listener. Yes, the four musicians are most definitely accomplished (vocalist …

Legendary grind merchants Brutal Truth teaming up with Bastard Noise on paper is a proposition that should produce a noise of catastrophic proportions. Alas it is not to be, this collaboration has produced an experience that fades into the background along with a hundred other Power Electronics style projects. Dan …

Every now and again, an album emerges from the vaults of rock ‘n’ roll history that represents a snapshot in time:  a moment when those who produced it were right at the top of their game, while at the same time on the cusp of transformation and transition… This is …

Levin Minnemann Rudess is the new power trio studio project featuring instrumental virtuosos Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), Marco Minnemann (Necrophagist, Paul Gilbert, The Aristocrats), and Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater, solo). On this eponymous 14-track debut opus, released in 2013, you’ll hear ample reason to appreciate the skillful depth …

Asa, the latest studio release from one-man-band Falkenbach, delights us with intense electric guitar, folk elements, abundant melody, varied tempos, and fluent usage of a near-extinct Germanic language. Ranging from the sub drop and blastbeat to the pan flute and acoustic guitar, this ‘Viking metal’ record is packed with consistent, …

When we talk about bands and music, bands who are real and step up to the mark. Bands who provide sounds that seem old, familiar but also fresh, vibrant and put on that awesome live performance. Of recent times The Answer and Rival Sons are names that spring to my …