Album Reviews

Once you see the band Cough in the title you know that this is going to be nothing less than devastatingly heavy. Cough was formed in 2005 with the sole purpose of being the heaviest band from their area. To date they have released two full lengths, split with the …

After last year’s critically acclaimed return from Stone Stour, the second part to Corey Taylor’s story driven concept album arrives and carries with it a continuing maturity of the band both lyrically and musically. Concept albums are ridiculously difficult things to pull off successfully in the world of music. While …

I would be very surprised if the studio that the debut single by American band Pyrithion was recorded in is still standing judging by the 11 minutes of apocalyptic metal on show here as it crashes and thrashes at phenomenal speed. The studio is owned by Pyrithion vocalist Tim Lambesis, …

‘Ethera’ is the fifth  album from Austrian symphonic metal band Visions of Atlantis.  I say Austrian, but like many bands they are international really – singer Maxi Nil for example is Greek.  Although this is their fifth album, it’s only the second with singer Maxi Nil, who joined the band …

 M.A.I.R was formed in Glasgow, August 2010. Their 1st ep followed a year later and since then one line up change with bassist Miranda Bradshaw being added brings us to the present day and the current release of 2nd ep Ear Ape Age. Available on digital download via iTunes it …

Full length debut loses impact as it wrestles with production. LA’s Brute Forcz is a three piece heavy metal band featuring ex-wrestlers Slammer and Jammer alongside guitarist Will Wallner. Their self-released album has been taken up by Pure Steel Records. “Out For Blood” is a collection of 10 tracks of …

This debut album from London-based multi-nationals KFE – vocalist Lyla D’Souza is Australian, guitarist Andrea Basiola hails from Italy and drummer Max Loubser has the misfortune to be a  Mancunian (isn’t that somewhere left of the third planet on the right as you pass Andromeda?) – is one almightily powerful …

  Albeit the death-core genre wouldn’t normally be one’s preferred choice in the world of Metal and having not heard previously of Thy Art is Murder, an open mind was needed before attempting to write this review. Needless to say if you like your technical, fast-paced death metal, incorporated with …

Right from the outset, this fourth album from Finnish thrash metal five piece Gloria Morti is a bruising, punishing affair, treading a path between thrash and death metal, with elements of BM thrown in for good measure. It’s not that the band can’t make up their mind which sub-genre they …

This fifth album from the Brazilian duo of Mantus and Triumphsword is very much an homage to the traditional values of late ‘80s / early ‘90s black metal.  And it carries no pretensions about being otherwise. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-GRCarR-JE] Each of the 12 tracks (the titular opener is very much a cinematic-style …

Toxic Holocaust formed in 1999 in the USA originally as a one man project in the shape of Joel Grind. The band were picked up on their third album by Relapse and to date have released four lps, four eps and contributed more tracks to splits and compilations that collecting …

Sometimes, a much-loved and highly successful band needs to shake things up a bit to keep things fresh and interesting for their fans and for themselves, all the while retaining the signature sonic hallmarks that have defined their sound. For their upcoming sixth album, Massachusetts metal pioneers Killswitch Engage reunited …

Flotsam And Jetsam are stalwarts in the thrash metal sub-genre, having formed under the direction of drummer Kelly David-Smith in the very early 1980’s. These Phoenix ‘bangers hardly need introduction. This was, at one point in time, a crowd-financed album, and the quality of the output seems to be a …

Russkaja are a “Russian Turbo Polka Metal” band from Austria. Their style is a mix of Balkan Metal, Polka and a little bit thrash metal.  Their most famous song is ‘Psycho Traktor’  and always welcomed on festivals e.g. the Wacken Open Air. The upcoming album is called “Energia!” and will …

If ever an album title was appropriate, it is this one from this young Dublin hardcore quartet.  Just like the band’s previous EP, ‘Dead Dead Fucking Dead’, the album is somewhat of a cathartic experience, dealing as it does with the band’s recovery after vocalist Aidan Coogan almost died in …

As the world’s economic axis turns in upon itself, switching its power base from the colonialist West to the formerly subjugated and colonialized east, could it be argued that the crux of the metal world is about to shift in the same direction? Over recent years, the encroachment of acts …

An exquisite blend of Scottish poetry, imagery and hard hitting Metal. Before I began writing this review and whilst doing a bit of background research, I came upon the tag Heritage Metal, which for me was a new one, although you’ll probably say it’s a tag that’s been around for …

An exquisite blend of Scottish poetry, imagery and hard hitting Metal. Before I began writing this review and whilst doing a bit of background research, I came upon the tag Heritage Metal, which for me was a new one, although you’ll probably say it’s a tag that’s been around for …

To say that Kent based metal band The Self Titled have had line up problems is a bit of an understatement. They re-formed in 2010, recorded and recently released their debut album Defaced but the line up that recorded it has undergone 2 losses since then. Lead vocalist Mark Campbell …

Since the release of their eighth studio album “Murder By Pride” in 2009, Stryper – the kings of Christian metal – have been teasing their fans about bringing out new material.  Their ninth release “The Covering” featured a wide range of classic rock cover songs that inspired the band over …