Album Reviews

The Kluster-Fux, a hardcore punk bank based in Co. Offaly, in the midlands of Ireland formed in June 2015, by former members of Corrosive Machine and Strichnine, released their debut E.P. Kill The President earlier this year and have played extensively in their home country with bands including GBH and DOA. With …

Friday the 13th of November is the date Paradise Lost chose to end their extensive European tour in Nottingham’s Rock City. Braving the fierce winds outside the venue a small queue of stalwart fans lined the side of the building chatting eagerly while seeking shelter where they could. Rock City …

The opening act of the night was local band Enkelination.  They haven’t been playing many gigs this year as they are currently focussing on working on their second album, but tonight is a rare show for them, and judging by the number of EnkElination T-shirts being worn by people in …

Bands often get an affinity with certain places they tour, for Tracer that place seems to be Sheffield with a sold out gig at Plug. Before the scantily clad teenagers and twenty-somethings spilled drunkenly out of taxis into the venue and Tracer tore through the smoke that resembled a fireman’s …

As gig lineups go this was always going to be a hard one to beat.  Megadeth, Lamb of God, Children of Bodom and Sylosis, so it’s no surprise that there was a good turnout tonight.  The night kicked off with Sylosis.  They only get a short set tonight, but they …

Back in May this year I travelled up to Dames of Darkness Festival which was hellishly brilliant, whilst I was there I picked up Control The Storm‘s debut release Beast Inside.  I gave it a spin on my long drive back and fell in love with the album; Control The …

The night kicked off with Divine Ascension, an Australian band here on their first trip to the UK. Sadly as is often the case with opening acts at midweek gigs, the venue was only half full for their set, but the fans who were there were definitely the lucky ones …

Flying Colors is the band founded by former Dream Theatre drummer Mike Portnoy and Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse. Alongside them are Neal Morse (Spocks beard, Transatlantic), Dave LaRue (dixie Dregs), and Casey McPherson (Alpha Rev). So you’ve got a mix of musicians with backgrounds in classic hard rock, prog …

It was like Halloween in Manchester for this second time this year when German Horror Punk band The Other played at Tiger Lounge, a small basement venue on Cooper Street, near Manchester Town Hall and conveniently close to one of Manchester’s Wetherspoons pubs The Waterhouse. Although The Other have been …

Up today I have Phantasma’s upcoming release The Deviant Hearts for review, ‘Phantasma is a project sprung from the collective energy of Georg Neuhauser (Serenity), Oliver Philipps (Everon) and Charlotte Wessels (Delain)’ When this project was announced there was a lot of excitement amongst the Symphonic Metal Music fans, and …

Michigan based Shitfucker a Black/Death/Thrash Metal band with Punk Influences have joined forces with Abigail a three piece Black metal, Thrash metal, Heavy metal outfit from Tokyo to release a 7″ EP via Hells Headbangers on 30th September 2015. Although the opening track on this EP has the words lovely and pussy in it, …

Midnight a three piece Black/Thrash Metal outfit from Ohio joined forces with Michigan based Shitfucker a Black/Death/Thrash Metal band with Punk Influences to release a Split 7″ Single via Hells Headbangers on 30th September 2015. Midnight’s contribution being the song ‘Sadist Sodomystic Seducer‘ and with a title like that I wasn’t …

The first two albums from All about Eve have just been reissued by Universal music.  Both albums are being released as double CDs conssiting of the original album and a whole host of bonus material. All About Eve’s debut album originally reached No.7 in the UK album chart and “Sacarlet …

Guitarist Jared James Nichols is releasing a new EP to coincide with his tour supporting Glenn Hughes.  Anyone who has listened to his album (Old Glory & the wild revival) and seen him live will know he’s a great guitarist and a great live performer, so both the EP and …

Up today I have L.A based rockers The Edge of Paradise’s album Immortal Waltz, follow up to 2013 EP Perfect Shade Of Black; since being formed in 2011 by vocalist Margarita Monet and Guitarist Dave Bates, they have been working hard and carving their name into the Rock scene.  There is something …

The Vintage Caravan were founded in Iceland in 2006 by singer Óskar Logi and former drummer Guðjón Reynisson, who were only 12 years old at the time. In 2012 they were joined by Alexander Örn on bass and released their second studio album Voyage in their home country, before it …

Tonight’s show started with Dan Patlansky, a South African blues guitarist.  His music is very different to Satriani’s, but what they have in common is that both are great guitarists.  Despite that I wasn’t sure how well Dan Patlansky would go down with the Satriani fans, but happily they weren’t …

    Hailing from the Ukraine, Raventale have been producing their brand of Atmospheric Black Metal for some ten years now. Each release builds on the previous in terms of story telling and substance, and gaining many new followers along the way. The latest offering, ‘Dark Substance of Dharma’ is …

Currently on a seemingly never ending farewell World tour with dates booked for 2016, the Scorpions, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker will be releasing some very fan pleasing remastered albums on Nov. 6th 2015 on BMG Rights, distributed via SPV in Europe and Caroline International in the UK …

As I already had plans to go down to The Big Smoke to see Spike and Tyla’s Hot Knives, and inflict myself upon my brother, I was pleased to see that The Poodles were doing a one off UK gig in Camden the same weekend. I haven’t heard much of their …

Tonight’s gig kicked off with a set from Shawn Jones, a Californian musician who has worked with the likes of Waylon Jennings.  It’s a very simple setup – just him playing guitar and singing.  It maybe a simple setup but it works well – there’s nothing to distract from what …

Now this is a night I had been anticipating eagerly.  It’s a rarity that every band on the bill is this talented and delivers such a powerful live performance, and I am so happy to say I was not disappointed!  This show was one of my favourites I’ve attended this …

Over the last 11 years I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen Cradle of Filth perform, they were really important to me growing up; I remember ‘Midian’ was one of the first cds I ever bought!  Tonight the Koko is packed out after the successful release of Hammer …

Arriving at the O2 Institute Library there was already a pleasingly a large queue for tonight’s show. Unusual in its design, you enter the venue through a set of doors onto the small balcony, which provided a good view of the already growing crowd at the barrier. It was disappointing …

If there is ever a band that truly defines the meaning of the genre heavy metal then that band is Saxon and they have been hammering it out since 1976 when they were originally known as Son Of A Bitch. Their record company recommended a name change and so Saxon …

The UK holds a special place in the hearts of Black Stone Cherry’s Chris Robertson, Jon Lawhon, John Fred Young and Ben Wells, for this is where everything really took off for them and within the UK, one place has always been extra special for them and that place is …

Horror Punk Rock band The Other from Köln, Germany released their sixth album ‘Fear Itself‘ on 10th July  via Steamhammer/SPV. The Other started in 2002 as a Misfits cover band, a lot has happened in the thirteen years since then, and a few line-up changes sees the remaining original members …

Blues guitarist Walter Trout is back with a new album, Battle Scars.  It’s his 42nd album if you include his time with Canned Heat and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and his 18th with label Provogue, and is an album some feared may never happen – at the beginning of last year …

Tonight’s show was completely sold out, and if you’ve seen Joanne Shaw Taylor perform then you’ll know why.  Unlike most shows I attend in London where it gets a lot busier in time for the headline act, audiences at the Stables are very good at turning up early to watch …

A veritable Smörgåsbord came to Manchester Club Academy last Monday. With Michael Monroe from Finland and his band, which brings together celebrated musicians who have played with such greats as Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls, Dogs D’Amour and Danzig, to name but a few. I was anticipating some top notch …

So after no studio output from Def Leppard since 2008, what does the new self-titled album have to offer? Something for everyone would be the first answer that comes to mind. As a long-time Leppard fan I have always managed to find at least part of their more recent output to satisfy …

This debut album should really have been a stone cold classic from Metal Allegiance as their core musical line up consists of Mike Portnoy on drums, Alex Skolnick on guitar and Dave Ellefson on bass guitar with an array of guest vocalists but out of the 9 tracks, only 7 …

A somewhat unusual name which conjures up images of men in corpse paint, axes, hammers and the usual paraphernalia suited to such a name. This is far from the truth. The band hail from Sweden and formed in 2006. To date have released a series of eps and now this …

          Sweden’s purveyors of Doom return with a stunning follow up to 2011’s “A Rose For The Apocalypse”. Much has happened in the Draconian camp in the intervening four years, the major upheaval of losing long time vocalist Lisa Johansson, the subsequent search for and unveiling …

There have been some fantastic releases this year so far; one I have been eagerly awaiting is Mercy Isle’s new EP; Storm.  Having been lucky enough the last few years to see Kassandra Novell in action at Metal Female Voices Festival, I knew Mercy Isle would be something special.  Kassandra really …

Probably the most famous band I know from Atlanta, Georgia is The Black Crowes. There’s a new band on the block also hailing from Atlanta, these guys are Biters, they’re not brand new, as they formed in 2009, but I only got to hear about them when their debut album …

Tonight’s show had an early start – usually on a weekday that means the first band plays to an almost empty room, but tonight there was a large queue outside well before the doors opened. First up were Xandria, the German symphonic metal band now fronted by Dutch singer Dianne …

The night kicked off with The Treatment.  Having last seen the band at their secret show in Milton Keynes which featured their new lineup although the new members hadn’t been announced at that stage.  I’d been impressed then so was looking forward to seeing how singer Mitchell Emms and Tao …

After 3 electric gigs in 7 days, the next 4 of this tour by Bernie Marsden would be acoustic affairs, the first of which was at the Crown Hotel in Nantwich aided by guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick. On entering the venue I was a bit confused as it was in a …

British Blues-rock guitarist Chantel McGregor released her debut album in 2011, and since then has been busy touring.  Last year she started work on her second album, and it will be released on 9th October this year.  Although she’s normally described as a Blues or Blues-Rock guitarist, this new album …

  Things move incredibly fast in the music world these days, fashions and attitudes change almost on a monthly basis but on the whole, the core values and building blocks of a sub genre in the world of Metal remain, almost, the same. The Symphonic Metal genre being a case …

A creeping melody creeps from the speakers as Undersmile unleash their second full length record with the track “Labyrinths” which has an uneasy atmosphere and has you expecting the worst. No jolt to the system, no hammer to the skull just yet. The cello joins the melancholy after the first …

On September 29th The Mission are due to release a new compilation album –  “Singles A’s & B’s” via Universal Music Catalogue. As the name suggests, it’s a collection of their singles that reached the charts (15 of them) and includes both the A and the B sides.  It’s a …

Bournemouth based 5 piece Voodoo Vegas seem to have darkened the vibe of their songwriting since the release of debut studio album The Rise Of Jimmy Silver on new 4 track E.P Hypnotise. Available via i Tunes on October 12th, it bristles with maturity especially on the howling vocals of …

As the nights start drawing in and evenings are getting dark earlier we head into a busy season for gig goers. The thirteenth, unlucky for some and what would otherwise, have been a quiet Sunday night in September, brought Gunzo to Club Academy in Manchester. Gunzo, not to be confused …

The first Redemption Festival was held on the 12th September 2015 at Warehouse 23 in Wakefield. Redemption Festival is a charity event to raise to raise money for Barnsley Hospice and Wakefield Hospice. With ten bands and a couple of comedians the event started just after 1pm with festival organiser …

A major line up change in late 2014 saw long standing lead vocalist/guitarist Dave Padden leave Annihilator but after forming the band in 1984, Jeff Waters soldiers on taking vocal duties himself as well as delivering his usual breathtaking lead guitar work. Suicide Society once again proves the influence he …

As the title suggests this is not for those of a weak constitution. Fuck the Facts are a Canadian band that has an impressive back catalogue of EPs and splits as well as this being their 6th full length. They started life as a studio project in the 90s before …

Huntress have been through a lot since the 2013 release of Starbound Beast; from member changes,  to guitarist Eli getting brutally assaulted on the UK tour and having to miss a show, and Frontwoman Jill Janus  recently discussing her battle with mental illness, and recent fight with cancer.  I am …

So how is the best way to spend a Bank Holiday Sunday? Watching mindless television or doing D.I.Y around the house? No! Get up early and head off to Rockwich and watch 15 bands play from midday until midnight for a measly £10! Apologies to the bands I missed whilst …

  Biters a Punk/Rock ‘n’ Roll band from Atlanta, Georgia released their début album ‘Electric Blood’ via Earache Records on 7th August 2015. Already proving that they are the new bad boys of Rock ‘n’ Roll they nearly got arrested filming the video to Restless Hearts, read the story here …

This was the sort of a gig that was not meant to be really. Draconian’s debut U.K. appearance was meant to have been some months previous but things happened and things did not happen, which resulted in this show being the replacement. The venue itself was ideal. If you have …

After the lovely hot weather of Saturday at Ramblin’ Man, Sunday was not so nice – rain for most of the day with it being heavy for much of the afternoon.  An effect of this was clear on the main stage – instead of bands playing at the front of …

This was the first Ramblin man festival, and while it’s clearly similar to the old High Voltage festival, there are some big changes.  Firstly it’s not in London, but instead is in Maidstone.  It’s rare to find a big rock festival venturing away from London or the Midlands, but Maidstone …

Immediately Splintered Halo caught my attention with their masked appearance, and enigmatic front-woman Evelyn, I had to investigate more, and i’m pleased to say their latest offering We’re All A Little Mad In Here turned out to be a rare treat.  I think they introduce themselves very well with; ‘Wonderland has …

The MacGregors a five piece punk/rock ‘n’ roll band from Essex released their début album ‘In Your Face’ via Eddie Currents Records on 19th June 2015, with an album launch party at The White Horse in Sudbury. Where did they get the name from? No idea as I haven’t asked …

They’re back… Backyard Babies – Peder Carlsson, Johan Blomquist, Dregen and Nicke Borg, born same year, same town, Nässjö, southern Sweden – have returned to action after a five-year hiatus. Formed in 1989, and with half a dozen studio albums to their name, the line-up of the band has never …

City of Thieves made their live début at Camden Rocks earlier this year. Cutting your rock teeth at a big event is fairly momentous and with their début EP Incinerator being produced by Toby Jepson former Little Angels and Gun front man, mixed by Mike Fraser and mastered by Simon Francis I …

Who are Disfago? You may ask because I can’t find much information about the band members. What I have managed to surmise is that they are a three piece thrash/punk band based in London who have all served time, in other bands, not literally! They released a five track double …

After being lucky enough to catch this band live twice this year, firstly tearing up the HMS Hammer cramming so much intensity and energy in a 15 minute slot it was crazy.  Secondly witnessing them whipping the main stage crowd at Graspop into a metal frenzy, I could not wait …

Formed in 1995 when Josh Todd and Keith Nelson met via their tattooist and a shared love of AC/DC, a few line up changes, a few name changes, a brief hiatus and with six studio albums behind them Los Angeles based Rockers Buckcherry, will release their 7th studio album, Rock ‘n’ Roll, …

After a hearty breakfast it was time to slap on the sun cream after being fried alive on the first day of Bloodstock and head off once more for more metal. First call of the day was not the beer tent but to the New Blood stage at the ungodly …

Sunday is always a bitter/sweet day at Bloodstock for me as on the plus side you have another day of metal but on the minus side when the day is over you have to wait another year for the next one. First band of the day on the Sophie Lancaster …

Another year another Bloodstock and 2015 was one of the best I have attended to say the least. All 4 stages threw up some incredible performances although 2 out of the 3 main stage headliners were below par for me. I headed off from my hotel in Tamworth early so …

Possession have been battling away for only three years and already picked up an almighty buzz about them in underground circles. During 2014 they released the well received “Anneliese” 7” which was the story of Anneliese Michel who was considered possessed and died of malnutrition and dehydration brought on as …

Los Angeles based blues rock band Vintage Trouble have just been out on tour as special guests to AC/DC see our review of the Dublin, Belfast and London shows here. They have also opened for other big names such as The Who and Paloma Faith. Their second album 1 Hopeful Rd. is due to be …

German Speed Rockers Nitrovolt released their third album Dirty Wings via Mausoleum Records earlier this year. Formed in 2004 by vocalist Tom “Voltage” Krämer and bass player Luciano “Louis” Vanini, they started out as a three piece called ‘Hi Octane Rockers’ with Micha on drums completing the threesome. In 2009 long …

Described as ‘Dirty Speed/Thrash Metal with Rock & Roll and NWOBHM influences’ Demolition Train formed in Athens Greece in 2009, making their first live appearance in 2010. They released their first EP ‘Kill Your Boss’ in 2011. When Vasilis and Michalis had to leave the band for a while, Witchkiller …

Thrash metal classics should be short, sharp and straight to the point. Slayer proved this with the 1986 release of Reign In Blood at just under the half an hour mark but Los Angeles based did it a year earlier with their debut Vicious Attack. The album has been re-issued …

Some bands treat their debut studio albums as a tentative step in their recording career whilst others go for the throat. Thankfully, County Kildare based quartet Stereo Nasty have taken the latter option with Nasty By Nature.  Early promise was shown by a three track EP just over a year …

Another treat for me to review this week, this time from Tennessee based Heavy-Metallers Straight Line Stitch, Transparency is the follow up to their self-titled EP release in 2014.  Instantly I was captivated on my first listen to the truly beautiful intro track ‘Out of the Shadows’ even after a …

I first heard soon to be released single ‘Justice Injustice’ when I was reviewing the Wildfire Festival in Lanark, Scotland in June. The song was that good I made it my highlight of Kaine’s  set and the recorded version certainly hits the mark. Lead vocalist Rage Sadler angrily barks like …

First of all an apology and correction, if you have read yesterday’s review you will need to know that actually Garage Days are Austrian and Fireforce are Belgian so your man from Nick Hellefort was correct, they WERE “ze Germans”! After yesterday’s full metal onslaught I approached today with some …

Saturday dawned bright and sunny and off I went for the second day. Special mention as well at this point to the sponsors of the acoustic stage all weekend, Metal Nation Radio. Not cos they were really nice guys who worked damn hard all weekend to broadcast live from the event …

Maiden UniteD started nine years ago as a special one-off for the Dutch Iron Maiden fan club, but then evolved into a project which has toured regularly (or as regularly as they can fit in around their other bands), and released albums – “Remembrance” is their third album. At first …

Love Zombies are a young British band with an American singer who have burst onto the scene in the last few months and who have already supported bands including Ash, The Primitives and Rock Goddess as well as playing Camden Rocks and Download festival.  Impressive stuff for a new band, …

Massive Wagons/Skam – The Yorkshire House, Lancaster: 17th July 2015 The Seventh night of the Out of Our Rocka’s tour (usually two of ‘Off Yer Rocka’ bands Massive Wagons, Skam, Texas Flood and Pig Iron with local support) saw Massive Wagons and Skam playing The Yorkshire House in Lancaster, conveniently …

What do we know about SOS Festival then? Sponsored by Rocksector records and organised by them and Chris Appleton (founder member of Fury UK and now playing with Absolva amongst other things) who also compered it, it’s now in its 8th year and showcases some of the label’s talent, along …

  This album actually saw the light of day a few months ago now but having only heard it for the first time recently I thought I would put a few words down anyway   Firstly, and this is purely an observation but there does seem to be a lot …

July 18th 2015 will be an important day for Vardis as it will see them playing live in London for the first time in 30 years at a double headlining show with Diamond Head at Bush Hall and 200 individually numbered 12″ vinyl copies of their new 200 M.P.H EP …

Perseverance is a word not used lightly by The Deep which is why Premonition has finally seen the light of day as all of the songs apart from ‘Cold Hearted’ (which was written in the early 90’s) were written in the early 80’s. The band were known then as Deep …

Screaming Eagles, sometimes abbreviated to Screagles, a Rock ‘n’ Roll band from Northern Ireland release their second album Stand Up and be Counted via Off Yer Rocka Recordings on 13th July 2015. A phoenix arising from the ashes of Soundstone the Screaming Eagles formed in 2010. (Read more about their history …

AC/DC – Glasgow, Dublin and London 2015 Review AC/DC must surely rank as one of the greatest bands of all time! Formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young with Dave Evans initially on vocals, followed by Bon Scott from 1974 until his untimely death in 1980, and for the …

As yet another old saying goes, “All good things must come to an end”, so bleary eyed we headed off to the main stage for the final day of Wildfire Festival in more glorious sunshine. Another 11am start and opening band, Sheffield based trio Silverjet faced a packed out tent …

Saturday! The second day of Wildfire and the sun has put his hat on, as the old song once said. At the unholy hour of 11am, first band on the main stage were Leeds based The Idol Dead who were the perfect opener for the change of weather with their …

Wildfire Festival, previously known as Les-Fest in recent years returned in 2015 with an extra stage with over fifty bands spread out over three days, thus making the event in Wiston the place to be! The brain child of Dave Ritchie, his towering presence could be seen throughout the weekend …

A rare sweltering hot day in London again, yet the Boston Rooms still pulls a crowd of metal heads melting in black and leather but more than happy to be there for a metal show, and we really were in for a treat! Up first we have 4 piece heavy …

After catching Cradle Of Filth‘s fantastic set at Graspop Festival, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this album, we were lucky enough to be treated to ‘ Right Wing Of The Garden Triptych‘ live and get a taste of what was to come. Hammer of the Witches is …

Tonight was one of just three UK dates on the current Primus tour.  It’s a tour that see’s them without a support act – instead, Primus play two sets. The first set was a fairly normal set (well as normal as Primus get anyway), with songs taken from their various …

Popes of Chillitown a Ska/Dub/Punk band from London founded in 2006 have gone through several line-up changes before the six piece line-up we see today. To date they have self released two EPs and pledge funded début album ‘A Word To The Wise‘ in 2013. Their second album ‘To The …

Tonight’s gig was ZZ Top’s only UK show, which would normally be more than enough to make this a gig not to miss, but to make it even better, the support act was Thunder, so two great bands on one bill. Coming on stage to the sounds of the ACDC …

When I was asked to review ‘Vibration of Sound’ by The Hicks I was intrigued by the description of an alternative/hard rock with a hint of reggae from Wigan, a town famous for it’s Pier and for being home of the annual World Pie Eating Championship.  These Hicks are not to …

Violent Restitution Razor where one of the first true underground bands that came to my attention on the classic Under One Flag release Speed Kills 2. Imagine a world where to your knowledge the heaviest metal there is was Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer, admittedly it was not a bad world …

Tonight’s gig kicked off with a set from the Dave Hanson band.  They’re a four piece band from Leeds, fronted by Dave Hanson on vocals and lead guitar, and play music that is fairly laid back – a mix of blues and funk.  It’s very good but did feel a …

Die No More a young four piece NWOBHM band from Cumbria formed in  2011, since then they have impressed people with their energetic live shows. They released self-financed, four track, début EP ‘Blueprint’ in 2013 which led to them being signed by Rocksector Records with whom they released their debut …

The 180gm vinyl re-issues of Rush‘s back catalogue continues with their 7th studio album, Permanent Waves as part of the ’12 months of Rush’ celebrations via Universal Music. Originally released on January 1st 1980, a lot of fans, myself included must have thought it was April 1st as to the …

The 69 Eyes are a dark gothic rock band from Finland, formed in 1989 in the bars of Helsinki they started out playing sleazy rock inspired by bands such as Hanoi Rocks and Motley Crue. Fairly early in their 25 year career the band allowed influences from gothic bands such …

‘Ten Years of Pussy’ is the title of Nashville Pussy’s new compilation CD to celebrate their tenth year with SPV records, with whom they have released five albums from ‘And Get Some’ in 2005 to ‘Up The Dosage’ in 2014. ‘Ten Years of Pussy’ takes sixteen studio tracks from their …

Monday 8th June saw around a thousand Nightwish fans descend on the Finnish port city of Turku for the first ever Nightwish cruise. After checking in at the passenger terminal (in the case of some fans, many hours before boarding), fans waited for the ship to arrive for them to …

Where to start with this incredible evening! A huge turnout of support and 6 talented unsigned bands, showing just how alive and exciting the local music scene is right now. There is such a supportive vibe here at the iconic Purple Turtle tonight for the Metal 2 The Masses London …

Hooligan a punk/rock ‘n’ roll band formed in Dublin, Ireland in October 2009. Their fourth and latest 7″ EP ‘Criminal Damage’ features guest appearances from Tony Van Frater (Cockney Rejects) on guitar and bass, with Decca Wade and Nicky Buck (original and latter day Angelic Upstarts) splitting drum duties. ‘Criminal …

Anzi Destruction former lead singer of Finnish rock band Stereo Junks! well known for his exciting and energetic live performances, which included fire breathing, launched his solo career in 2011 when he released his début self produced album ‘High Clash Motherfucker’, on which he played nearly every instrument.  As a solo performer the …

So after all the preliminary heats, quarter finals and semi finals, the Cheshire region of  the Metal 2 The Masses final attracted about three hundred metal heads at the Box in Crewe to watch Skeletal Damage, Headpress, Obey and Synapse battle it out for a place on the bill at …

The Seventh Life Path is the 7th Studio album from Norwegian symphonic metal band Sirenia, founded in 2001 by Morten Veland (ex-Tristania). I was lucky enough to catch these guys live last year at Metal Female Voices Festival; they put on a powerful live performance and I was impressed by …

It barely seems almost a year ago since I attended Les-fest, now renamed Wildfire, an annual 3 day classic rock & metal festival situated in the picturesque setting of Wiston Lodge, South Lanarkshire in Scotland. Now in it’s 4th year it has gone from strength to strength and organiser Dave …

Constant Source of Disappointment, often shortened to the initials C.S.O.D. are a  four piece Thrash Punk Metal band formed in Blackpool in 2004. Final Insult, released in May 2015, is the third and final E.P. in their ‘666 Trilogy’. Lead vocalist Ligzig Rightguard said “Since we formed as this line up in …

Generally when you go and see a band do a headline tour, you get a set of 90 minutes, or maybe two hours if you’re very lucky, but with Gov’t Mule because they don’t have a support act they do two sets and as a result you can expect them …

Tonight was the long awaited return of Rock Goddess, playing their first London gig in 32 years.  Judging by the amount of old rock fans dressed in Denim and Leather it’s fairly clear that a lot of the fans tonight are here because they remember Rock Goddess from the 80s, …

It would be too easy to say “Hemispheres by Rush is 2 long songs, 2 short songs, go buy it now” but as this is my favourite Rush album ever then it deserves more attention! On buying it at the age of 15 I was so struck by the music …

Graveyard Johnnys a Punk/Psychobilly trio from Chepstow formed in 2008. With a self-funded EP, ‘Streetblock and City Lights’ and debut album ‘Songs From Better Days’ already under their belts. A few line-up changes along the way, they released their latest offering ‘Dead Transmission’ via Bomber Music on the 11th May …

After the comeback with the album Silverthorn in 2012, Haven is the 11th studio offering from Kamelot and the 2nd album to feature vocalist Tommy Karevik. In this album I feel Karevik has really established he is exactly where he belongs in Kamelot; by having more input in the writing …

The second full length album from Birmingham based Captain Horizon sees them stretching their musical boundaries even more. Released on May 11th 2015 via Rocksector Records and a well attended album launch/gig in Birmingham on May 22nd shows the leaps and bounds they are making since they were formed by …

It’s not every day a fellow music journo is 50 but the big day arrived for Woodstock Punkrock, owner of PunkBob and a celebration was arranged at The Boathouse in Cambridge, a spacious white pub on the banks of The River Cam, didn’t look like a place for punk but looks …

It is rare that an album comes along that sits outside the defined genres and makes you really sit up and listen. Tribulation formed in 2004 and this is their third full length release and it defies all laws of pigeon holing into one genre or another. Sweden after all …

2015 started badly for Vardis when drummer Gary Pearson, who had doggedly searched for guitarist Steve Zodiac to reform the band again after a 30yr hiatus, decided to quit after the band had only been back together for almost 2yrs. Fans wondered what the future would hold but a few …

  Sometimes, just sometimes, when the celestial bodies align , on a clear moonlit night I’ll find myself drawn to the coast. To sit on rocky cliff tops and gaze out onto the ocean, to ponder humanity’s foibles and achievements, as the white Lunar rays dance and skip on the …

Formed in 1974 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by brothers John and Mark Gallagher, Raven have stuck to their guns through thick and thin resulting in their 13th studio album release ExtermiNation currently available via SPV/Steamhammer Records. Fan friendly formats include a CD Digipack with bonus track ‘Malice In Geordieland’ and …

Soulsteal are a Doom/Death Metal band from Cyprus that formed over ten years ago.  They released their debut EP in 2009, then in 2012 followed this with their debut album.  Now three years on, they are releasing their second album, Tenebris. The songs are fairly short with almost half clocking …

First up tonight was Belfast band, No hot ashes.  They are a band that formed in the 80’s before splitting a few years later.  After 25 years apart they reunited a couple of years ago.  As you’d expect, most of the set is songs from the 80s but they do …