Album Reviews

It’s a busy Bank Holiday Weekend for Blackpool terrors Takeaway Thieves as they release their second single ‘Spider’ today that’s taken from their forthcoming debut album ‘9’ due for release on September 17th 2021 via Rock People Management. On Saturday they spread their rollicking rock and roll onto the main …

VADER: Polish death metal classic “De Profundis” gets a new lease of life. Originally released back in 1995, Vader’s classic second album has been remastered, re-issued, and brought roaring into the 21st century. The original CD release had no lyric sheet and a rather basic insert. This has been addressed …

Now here is a name you *should* have heard of if you enjoy filthy, raw, black metal. And trust me Nunslaughter mean business on their new album release. It’s called “Red Is The Color Of Ripping Death” so if you are expecting ballads and progressive stuff, I can guarantee this …

Defying trends since forming in Gelsenkirchen, Germany in 1981, Sodom are not just still flying the flag for Teutonic thrash metal, they are flying it from the highest flagpole! This is proven by the release today of a raging three track EP titled Bombenhagel on Steamhammer/SPV Records. It kicks off …

Even by the standards that Ward XVI set with their 2017 debut album The Art Of Manipulation they forged ahead with giant steps for the follow up Metamorphosis released in 2020 on Metal Rocka Recordings and one of my major highlights from it, ‘Burn The Witch’ has recently been released …

It takes some balls to take on a song of this magnitude and come out with your heads held high as Bad Touch step up for their version of ‘Can’t You See’ from The Marshall Tucker Band, first released in 1973. The original was sublime and credit is due to …

‘Sanctify’, the third single taken from the no holds barred recently released album The Fire Cosmic is four minutes of boisterous barroom boogie driven along by snare drums that snarl and snap at your ankles. A midway slide guitar solo from Troy flies off his fretboard like bolts of lightning …

A very quick review could come from “How to have your heart broken in 5 minutes” from ‘Let Me Down Easy’ by Joanne Shaw Taylor but such brevity would not convey the sheer magnitude of this song. This recently released song comes from her upcoming studio release The Blues Album …

April 2020 saw me having my reviewing skills tested to the max by an album which blew me away on first play. That album was Last Light On The Highway by Robert Jon And The Wreck. I like a bit of Southern rock but this also had elements of country …

The constant work ethic of Bernie Marsden sees him release ‘Kings’, his first solo album in 7 years via Conquest Music and Bernie Marsden’s Little House Music. The album is the first of the ‘Inspirations Series’ as Bernie pays tribute to his peers. The idea came out in 2018 when …

A more than welcome return from Joe Bonamassa sees him release a brand new single ‘Notches’ taken from a forthcoming studio album later on in 2021 and this strong song to say the least bodes well for it. These fiery four minutes are built on a laid back barroom boogie …

Bastette, another band that have come my way via the NWOCR various artists album impress highly with their 5 track Exposed EP due for release on September 17th 2021 on RPM Records. Opening track ‘Stand Back’ has soothing keyboards and snappy snare work in the verses giving off a 1980’s …

I only heard about Dead Man’s Whiskey just over a week ago from hearing them on the NWOCR compilation album with a stunning track called ‘War Machine’ and that quality also comes from this recently released single ‘Breakout’. This 5 piece London based band kick out the jams with not …

South Wales based band The Autumn Killers are not a band who are scared to take risks. They took a sidestep from their rockier side at the end of 2020 with a spine tingling cover of ‘The Power Of Love’ by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. 2021 sees them full steam …

Taken from her forthcoming studio album due for release later this year, ‘If That Ain’t A Reason’ is a tantalizing tune to say the least from Joanne Shaw Taylor as this single is a sassy, classy foot tapper recently released on Keeping The Blues Alive (KBTA Records) set up by …

The last time I heard of a genre starting with The New Wave Of would have been in the late 70’s when the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) came to be. It was a very exciting period as bands sprung up from nowhere to give it a go, …

Strangely enough, Stoke metallers Bang Bang Firecracker played at the last gig I went to before the first lockdown in March 2020 when they opened up for Syteria. They took to the stage and really kicked out the jams and they’ve lost none of that fire as they’ve just released …