Album Reviews

Before Gothenburg’s Graveyard had their own brand of beer in Sweden, or won a Swedish Grammy for Best Hard Rock album, or landed on three Billboard charts and multiple “Best of 2011” lists with their album ‘Hisingen Blues’, they caught the attention of Rolling Stone’s David Fricke at SXSW in …

“Attitude & Consequences” is the second album from German Alternative Metal band Orphan Hate.  The band formed in 1996, and after a few lineup changes recruited singer Sina Niklas in 2004.  They released their debut album “Blinded by illusions” in 2008.  They’ve toured extensively including festival appearances, and have played …

The German Thrash merchants unleash a powerful beast of an album. The bands history could honestly read like a play from the great bard himself, banned from playing live in their native East Germany, two tragic suicides, splits, reformations, line up changes, the dramas seem never ending, how on earth …

We’re going to play a little game here folks. 1. What does your Dad do for a living? 2. Now imagine that he’s one of the most highly respected people in his field. 3. OK, now think what it would be like if you got in to that business too. …

The Dutch Death Metal legends deliver a gem of an album that will send you reeling.   With roots way, way back in 1989 Dutch Death Metal giants Sinister are absolute legends of the genre, spewing out album after album throughout the 90’s of top class, top drawer Metal that …

If brutal death metal is your bag then you will certainly have heard of this legendary band. Formed in 1989, they were among the leaders of the New York Death Metal scene along with the more widely known Suffocation and Immolation. The band has went through more line up changes …

It was probably inevitable that, almost 30 years down the line, some members of the ‘Big Four’ would start collaborating at one level or another – but the teaming of Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine and original Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz may not seem to be the most obvious couple to …

The UK doesn’t really have a reputation for producing great sleaze rock bands – well, certainly, not ones who could challenge the supremacy of the likes of the Crüe, LA Guns, GNR or Cinderella in their prime. The likes of The Quireboys, Wildhearts and Dogs D’Amour always have been more …

More than 30 years and counting, Loudness are still going strong, these Japanese metal veterans are still finding new ways to deliver good, heavy, fresh and interesting metal. If you haven’t followed Loudness in a while,’ Eve To Dawn’ is a good record to get you back into the band. …

Steve Hackett’s latest album is a follow up to 1996’s “Genesis revisited”. This album, once again revisit’s Genesis songs and rework’s them in Steve’s own musical direction. It can be hard to do justice to this type of music, as I can only think of one Genesis song that has …

This album, Paul’s 12th solo record includes four new guitar and vocal compositions, four instrumentals, plus three live cover songs from Gilbert’s 2010 “Fuzz” tour. Ably backed in the studio by his wife Emi on keys and vocals, Kelly LeMieux on bass and the utterly brilliant Thomas Lang on drums …

All of your favourite bands will break up. Story of our lives, isn’t it? You wade through hordes of soulless, inoffensive, unimaginative tripe and just before you give up all hope, you see a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of your new favourite band. You latch on …

This powerhouse three track EP from Tipperary industrialists Borderline Prime very nearly didn’t see the light of the day, apparently. Following the release of their debut EP, ‘Blacker’, the band originally had intended to follow it up with another of the same, but then changed their minds and decided to …

  The mighty Danes return to lay waste to your stereo.   This represents the bands twelfth studio release and may well be one of the finest albums they have come up with, if not ever than at least since 2008’s ‘The Prestige’. Illdisposed are a really underrated band in …

It’s hard to categorize this debut album from this Italian quintet (one of a maddeningly large number of acts with the same name, as a quick Google search turns up similarly monickered outfits from as far afield as San Francisco, Singapore and Japan), as it falls between a number of …

The name of Tasmanian devils (sic) Ruins may be unfamiliar to many people outside the southern hemisphere, but that should be about to change soon, thanks to the international release of this, their fourth full length studio album. And a bloody fine slice of blackened metal it is – melodic …

  As a huge fan of Doom Metal I was really looking forward to hearing this album, after doing so I can state categorically that I have been blown away by the sheer power and atmospheric genius that eminates from each and every track. Red Moon Architect is the brainchild …

This debut album from sisters Sarah and Melissa Fontaine features a host of musicians gathered from the AOR fraternity and falls firmly into the Melodic Rock camp. It represents a very clever and thoughtful attempt at creating a foot tapping, sing along record and in places achieves it. Tracks such …

Not many bands can say it’s taken eight years between debut and sophomore album but Finnish metallers Wintersun have finally returned with the first part of their epic concept album, Time. It’s something akin to a fantasy soundtrack and wouldn’t sound out of place as the musical backdrop to the …

  Dust Bolt are a mighty Thrash band from Germany. Formed in 2006 Violent Demolition will be their first album released under Napalm Records. Being quite a thrasher myself I am looking forward to this. As usual I am going to admit that it is very likely that I will …