Album Reviews

Bournemouth band Voodoo Vegas formed in 2006, and have spent the last few years touring as much as possible, both within the UK and in continental Europe, playing gigs in German, France, Belgium and Italy.  Last year they launched a PledgeMusic campaign to raise funds to record their debut album.  …

Australian band Unitopia play Prog rock but with other influences.  The band formed in 1996 but it wasn’t until 2005 that they released their debut album – “More than a dream”.  Two more albums have followed since then (“The garden” and “Artificial”), and now we have a new album from …

My own chaos are a Canadian metal band from Vancouver.  The band was formed in 2008, and this is their debut album.  The album is a concept album.  Vocalist Connis Chaos talking about the album says “The album was written about my divorce and the emotional rollercoaster that goes along …

Lisbon based rock band Miss Lava released their debut EP in 2008 and their debut album (Blues for the dangerous miles) in 2009.  Since then they have toured extensively within Portugal and further afield including tours of the UK and the US.  Now they have released their second album – …

Swedish band Firstborn were only formed in January 2012, but within a couple of short months they were already starting to record their debut album, which saw the light in October 2012 – just ten month since the band formed which is pretty fast work.  The band are inspired by …

Faultless display of riff driven Rock, essential listening.   Do you remember that feeling you got as a kid, waking up on Christmas Day, running down the stairs, kicking the cat out of the way to get at the presents under the tree and then actually getting the present you …

Excellent album of Gothic tinged Rock, a real ‘must listen to’ record.    Formed in Finland a couple of years ago, this album actually represents the bands second full length release in that very short period of time. ’Back To The Zone’ however, is a lot heavier than its predecessor …

A  sparkling gemstone of Progressive Metal brilliance.     If you can’t get inspired musically when you come from beautiful Rome then there really must be something seriously wrong with you. Founded in 2010 by musicians that are no strangers to the Italian scene, having played and recorded with various …

A pure Rock record of the highest quality.   At the risk of showing my age again, I remember those heady, trippy days of the mid 80’s and the effect a certain album called ’Electric’ by a certain band called The Cult had on my musical outlook and appreciation. In …

Yesterday saw the release of Pathfinder, the debut album from Japanese band Early Cross. Formed in 2002, the quartet – who describe their music style as ‘landscape rock’ – did not release any material until 2010 when the EP ‘Solstice’ surfaced. Over the next two years the band toured with …

Groundbreaking and thought provoking Doom Metal, a real triumph. For a start, I confess that Doom Metal is my guilty pleasure, I’m never happier than when I’m miserable and wallowing in the pitiful depths of my own despair, which is why I leapt, albeit with a heavy heart and a …

Mortillery are a thrash metal band from Edmonton in Canada.  Their musical influences include Judas Priest, English Dogs, Warfare, Broken Bones, Iron Maiden, Crucifix, Slayer, W.A.S.P. Motorhead, Municipal Waste and early Metallica.  That “early Metallica” bit gives you a hint what the music is going to be like – as …

Exceptional release from an equally exceptional band.   American Operatic Metal band Upon Wings are about to unveil their four track E.P. to the world next month, so we thought we had better take a look at what all the fuss is about. For a start, the band definitely can …

Four years have passed since “Amanethes” and Tiamat recently released its successor, “The Scarred People”. A new album that echoes the history of Sweden’s Gothic Rock pioneers. Not many bands get to album number ten in their career without undergoing at least one change in direction. The late nineties was …

In early 2012, Russian folk metal band Arkona celebrated their tenth anniverary with a special concert at the P!PLE Concert Hall in Moscow.  To make it really special they were joined by a 9-piece choir, a string quartet and 2 background vocalists.  The concert was recorded and is now being …

Lovelorn Dolls are a band from Belgium – home of great beer, great chocolate – and some great bands.  The band was formed by Ladyhell and Corpus Christi, and was initially called Lovelorn before becoming Lovelorn Dolls.  Ladyhell was formerly singer of Skeptical Minds from 2002 to 2007 and then …

Richard Thompson returns with a brand new, guitar driven record titled ELECTRIC for Proper Records. Recorded by famed producer Buddy Miller at his home studio in Nashville Texas with Michael Jerome and Taras Prodaniuk completing the core elements of the trio on drums and bass respectfully. Buddy Miller also supplies …

One of the true legends of the prog rock movement – he produced no less than 16 albums collectively with Spock’s Beard and Transatlantic before the (perceived) conflict between his own spiritual beliefs and the demands of performing with secular musicians sent him down his own individual path… Over recent …

I’ve often accused black metal of being staid and derivative, content to rest on its laurels:  but, part of the excitement which initially drew me to what I regard as real darkened extremism was the way in which BM artists were prepared to experiment and push their boundaries to their …

The third album from Swedish doom crew Kongh is not one which is for the faint-hearted.  For a start, its four tracks clock in at around three-quarters of an hour (give or take a few seconds here or there) long. This is loud, dirty, brutal, bruising doom metal of the …