Album Reviews

The greatest selection of albums, reviewed and rated

Punk Rock Christmas Vol 2 – Various Artists

Punk Rock Christmas 2

Punk Rock Legends & Rising Stars Return With More Holiday-Themed Tunes on PUNK ROCK CHRISTMAS VOL 2 Those guys at Cleopatra Records have really gone to town this year to bring you 26 epic punk rock songs from various artists. Christmas might’ve just rolled by but’s it’s not too late …

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Anvil – Legal At Last

When one of your favourite bands gets in touch to ask for an early review of their forthcoming album, proclaiming “It’s gonna rock your ass”, it had better be good. Good? With their eighteenth studio album Legal At Last in the can, Toronto based Anvil have certainly walked the walk …

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Elyrean – Blacken The Sun

Yes I realise I’m late with this review and I apologise to UK Technical Thrashers Elyrean for that. But, as they say, better late than never!! This Wolverhampton based thrasher’s release is causing a little confusion as some are classing it as an EP, however, with seven songs and being …

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The Wildhearts – Renaissance Men

God bless The Wildhearts! Rising from the ashes like a hard rock phoenix, not only have they reformed with my favourite line up, they have returned to the studio, have recorded and released Renaissance Men, my album of 2019! A Google search of renaissance translates to “A revival of, or …

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Anvil – Nabbed In Nebraska (Single Review)

February 14th 2020 sees the new decade open heavily with Legal At Last, the 18th studio album from those Canadian crushers, the mighty Anvil on AFM Records, but prior to that they have just released ‘Nabbed In Nebraska’, the first single taken from it. It has a gloriously grinding main …

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State Of Deceit – Retribution

Cardiff based thrashers State Of Deceit have released their first EP recently after only a year together. To be fair, for a year they’ve come a long way. But I also get the impression from this EP that there’s a long way still to go yet. These guys are attempting …

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Opposition Party – Tales To Horrify

Singapore’s longest living Thrash punkers Opposition Party return with this new four-track EP ‘Tales To Horrify ‘. Blink and you’ll miss it. This dirty sounding EP is my type of sound, literally. Not only does it pulsate Slayer-style tones mixed with Exodus-esque vocals, it oozes a filthy production that makes …

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Small Town Saviours – Cry (Single Review)

Small Town Saviours

From the ashes of The Black Bullets we have the Newbury based the Small Town Saviours to banish our blues away, point proven by their latest single ‘Cry’, an ear warming breath of fresh air power pop. It rushes in with the sugar sweet chorus and a gritty lead vocal …

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Dirty Rats – End in Tears

The Dirty Rats have just released their second full length album End in Tears. Formed in 1982 and originally a five piece rock band, active in the pub rock scene in Melbourne, Australia from the mid to late 1980’s. Fast forward over 30 years and the Rats are back, as …

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Slash – Living the dream tour

Slash – Living the dream tour or to give it the full title, “Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the conspirators – Living the dream tour” is the new live release from Slash and Myles Kennedy. As the name suggests, it was recorded on the tour that followed the release of …

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The Cure – 40 live – Curaetion-25 – Anniversary

This is a two DVD release that could easily have been released as two separate DVDs. The first DVD, CURÆTION-25: From There To Here | From Here To There, was filmed at the Royal Festival Hall on 24th June 2019, the tenth and final night of the 25th Meltdown festival …

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Voluntas – Walk To Hell

A winning performance at the Bristol leg of the M2TM 2019 resulted in Voluntas securing a slot on the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival. I’ve been to the last ten and as long as they keep booking bands like Voluntas then I’ll keep on returning! Their debut …

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Grand Slam – Hit The Ground

Grand Slam

 Grand Slam, formed as a solo band in 1983 (that included Magnum keyboard player Mark Stanway) by Phil Lynott that took on the name when Thin Lizzy had completed their farewell tour the same year. A revolving line up included ex Stampede guitarist Laurence Archer who joined in 1984 but …

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Tygers Of Pan Tang – Ritual

Currently blazing a trail around Europe promoting their latest studio album Ritual, NWOBHM legends Tygers Of Pan Tang are showing that they are wildcats not to be messed with, point proven by these eleven songs here. Formed in Whitley Bay 1978, band leader Robb Weir still exists from the original …

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Praying Mantis – Keep It Alive!

Only a few years from their 50th anniversary since forming in London 1973 by brothers Chris and Tino Troy, melodic hard rockers Praying Mantis prove they are still a force to be reckoned with judging by this performance for the Keep It Alive album, due for release on Dec.6th 2019 …

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Turbokill – Vice world

Turbokill are a new band from Germany formed by Stephan Dietrich, former vocalist with Alpha Tiger. The band released their dfebut EP last year and after signing to Steamhammer/SPV they’ve now got their debut album out. It’s an album which draws on classic heavy metal for it’s sound. the album …

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Sodom – Out of the frontline trench

It’s been three years since the release of the last Sodom album, and there’s still more waiting required as the next album has yet to be formally announced or given a release date. There is however some good news, Sodom are about to release a 5 track mini-album “Out of …

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Running Wild – Crossing the blades

German pirate-metal band Running Wild are releasing a new 4 track EP ahead of their next album (due for release Summer 2020). The title track “Crossing the blades” will be on the new album, the album will feature a different version of the song, re-recorded and with a number of …

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