Album Reviews

I must admit, it came as somewhat of a surprise:  flicking through the PM archive, yours truly discovered that, despite the amount of coverage we have given to Plymouth groove metallers Huron over the past 12 months or so, we’ve actually been somewhat remiss in failing to cast our critical …

Belgian black metal mob Enthroned have been slowly carving out a reputation for themselves as one of the continent’s more accomplished, if hardly innovative, black metal outfits, and this ninth album is as solid as anything the genre has produced in the last couple of decades. There’s nothing hugely original …

From start to finish Saratan deliver a masterpiece of Death/Thrash Metal.   The band formed in their native Poland back in 2003 and have since been honing their craft and developing into what we see today. ‘Martya Xwar’ represents Saratan’s third full length release and is without doubt their strongest …

This second album from France’s Abinaya – their name is Sanskrit for ‘passing on’ – definitely lives up to its conjunctive title, for it most definitely is a ‘Corps’ of work that should be passed on. The problems start early on, with the apologetic Algerian drum line on the opening, …

This apocalyptic themed debut album by Berlin (self-described) melodic thrashers Declamatory has been some 12 years in the making, and apparently is the first of a triptych of similarly conceptualized offerings… The concept in question revolves around “the post-apocalyptic war between the Raiders and the Crystal Gods, fought in the …

“The boys are back – and they’re looking for a fight”.  Thus starts this latest album (the eighth) from Boston’s Dropkick Murphys.. one of a handful of bands – alongside the likes of Flogging Molly – who have successfully moulded their Irish heritage onto a hardcore/punk sound. While 2011’s ‘Going …

This unusually named German AOR band trace their roots back a quarter of a century, to 1987, and this is their 11th album – their first in 11 years and also their first with new drummer (formerly the band’s drum tech) Chris Schmidt, who replaced founder member Kosta Zafiriou, who …

Well this is an interesting concept. A 5 piece death metal band called Grand Supreme Blood Court by vocalist Martin Von Drunen whereupon each member takes on a name to match their court position and function within the court. So we have Magistrate, Judge, Prosecutor, Registrar and Executioner so with …

Gates Of Dalhalla is a live DVD and CD package that was recorded to commemorate Swedish heavy metallers Hammerfall’s 15 year-anniversary. The open-air concert was held in Dalhalla in Sweden on the 28th July 2012. With two hours and twenty minutes of HammerFall history featuring songs from every album as well as …

My introduction to rock/metal came through buying live albums as they represent a band at their peak with their best songs on them so classics  like Double Live Gonzo by Ted Nugent, Live And Dangerous by Thin Lizzy, All The World’s A Stage by Rush, Alive II by Kiss, Loud …

  The South Coast quintet deliver a debut E.P. brimming with energy and enough youthful exuberance, coupled with an amazing level of maturity to make me believe that I’ve just found the perfect mix of old school Metal riffs and modern Hardcore.     I must admit it took a …

Red Sun Revival are an alternative/Gothic rock band from London.  Formed in 2011, this is their debut album.  The album was mixed and produced by Steve Carey from The Eden House, and mastered by Andy Jackson (who produced the Pink Floyd album, The Division Bell). Within a very short time …

Red Sun Revival are an alternative/Gothic rock band from London.  Formed in 2011, this is their debut album.  The album was mixed and produced by Steve Carey from The Eden House, and mastered by Andy Jackson (who produced the Pink Floyd album, The Division Bell). Within a very short time …

Thief in the night are a hard rock band from Los Angeles.  When I say “band” that’s a fairly loose term as there are only actually two members – Johnny Rossa on vocals and Chris Van Duyn on guitar, with the other two musicians appearing to be drafted in on …

Messenger are a four piece Christian metal band who formed in 2009 in Virginia, USA.  They released their first album (I’m talking to you) in 2010, and have also released a live album.  Now they’re back with their second studio album, “You choose”. A quick glance at the track listing …

“And the meek shall inherit the earth…” the first prophetic words of Rush’s breakthrough 1976 album 2112  little did they know that those Neil Peart written lyrics would almost come true and Rush would be sitting third after the Beatles and Rolling Stones with the most gold and platinum albums …

You take one look at Melbourne Rockers Mammoth Mammoth and you think stoner rock, chilled 70s influence psychedelia. Then you listen to them and it’s a very, very different picture indeed. They channel aggressive pumping riffs and attitude together into a hard-ass rock monster, especially with latest release and album …

Classic Metal riffs aplenty as the French headbangers return with their seventh opus. The origins of Mystery Blue can be traced way back to the early 80’s, although the current line up bears no similarity whatsoever to those early days, only founding member Frenzy Philippon remaining from the bands original …

It’s probably a bit pat to say – but, then, the band do allude to it in their own press collateral – but a German band playing industrial-tinged metal and singing in their native language are inevitably going to draw comparisons with Rammstein. And, yes, there are other references with …

The problem with this EP is epitomized at the very beginning of the closing track, ‘Drowning In Atlantis’, when vocalist Stephen ‘Fire Breather’ Caffrey screams out the title as if introducing it on stage… said scream says volumes about the lack of imagination which has plagued metalcore in the recent …