Album Reviews

The greatest selection of albums, reviewed and rated

Fusion Bomb – Concrete Jungle

Luxembourg’s very own Fusion Bomb release their debut album ‘Concrete Jungle’ on 25th January through Iron Shields Records. Formed in 2010 this four-piece Speed Metal unit draw inexplicable similarities to Slayer. Opening track ‘Zest Of Scorn’ is four minutes of pure audible onslaught. It fires through verse and chorus like a …

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Eremit – Carrier Of Weight

      German Sludge/Doom trio, Eremit announce themselves proper with ‘Carrier Of Weight’ An initial glance of the track listing shows a mere three songs, so more of an E.P. than an album you might be forgiven in thinking. How wrong could we be, these three mighty slabs of …

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Within Temptation – Resist

So, the new Within Temptation is finally almost here. Originally due to be released in December it was announced just a couple of weeks before the release date that it had been postponed till February 2019. It’s not a good start to their new record deal and to be blunt …

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Wasted Life – World War Zero

Wasted Life. Punk rockers. The real deal, not the watered down shit that passes for punk rock that creeps ever higher at Download Festival every year. With their latest studio album World War Zero they have managed to do what Slayer did with Reign In Blood and that is to …

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Jinjer – Micro

Ukrainian band Jinjer formed in 2009 and released their first EP the same year. I first heard them in 2013 and loved their albums but was disappointed in my hopes to see them when in 2014 their drummer Yevhen Mantulin fell out of a window and broke his back leading …

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Greenmailer – Greenmailer

South Wales grunge band Greenmailer return with this their second album release. Formed in Swansea in 2014, their debut album ‘Scattered On The Mile’ achieved critical success from the underground music press across the UK. This self-release will please many grunge fans, particularly fans of Smashing Pumpkins, as opener ‘Play It …

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Soilwork – Verkligheten

Soilwork are a Swedish metal band from Helsingborg, signed to Nuclear Blast records. On 11/01/19 they release their 11th full length studio album, Verkligheten, which also coincides with the guys starting an extensive European tour, hitting London’s Electric Ballroom on 4th February. They also have a date with Bloodstock the weekend …

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Eric Gales – The bookends

Over the last 28 years, blues-rock guitarist Eric Gales has released 18 studio albums – a fact made more impressive by the fact he’s only 44 years old now, making him just 16 when his first album was released. Needless to say, he’s a superb guitarist but on this album …

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The Heretic Order – Evil Rising

  As someone much wiser than me once said, “Never judge a book by its cover” and this certainly rings true with my first impression of The Heretic Order before I had heard any music from Evil Rising released via Massacre Records. Photos of the band and song titles suggested …

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Nailed To Obscurity – Black Frost

The German Doom Metallers, Nailed To Obscurity (NTO), return with their fourth full length album and their first on the Nuclear Blast label, and I have to say I’m not disappointed. There’s a nice eerie start to this album in the form of the title track. Drums, slowly followed by …

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Wille and the bandits – Paths

Wille & the bandits will release their new album, “Paths” on 1st February 2019 and are due to follow that with a 19 date UK tour in March with Rainbreakers as special guests. If you’ve seen them live you’ll know Wille & the bandits are a superb live act with …

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Plague Years – Unholy Infestation

Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Plague Years are an unsigned Thrash / Death Metal outfit who are unleashing their first full length album upon us. Released at the end of October in the US, we British have had to wait until 4th January to grab a copy of this album which follows 2017’s …

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The Steel Woods – Old News

Country/Southern rock band The Steel Woods released their debut album “Straw in the wind” in 2017. Now as 2019 starts they’re releasing their second album – “Old news”. There are nine original songs on the album plus several cover versions – “Changes” (Black Sabbath), “Whipping post” (Allman brothers), “The Catfish …

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Slim chance – New cross road

Slim Chance is the band founded by Ronnie Lane after he left the Small faces. Although Ronnie died many years ago, the band lives on, and it’s latest incarnation dates back to 2011 when some former members reunited to restart the band. Between them the current members have an impressive …

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Mozes and the Firstborn – Dadcore

Dutch band Mozes and the Firstborn are described as unpredictable – and they see that as a compliment. It’s certainly a good description of their new album – Dadcore. It’s a mix of grungey garage rock and pop The press release for the album had this to say…”Ask an average …

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Caustic Vomit – Festering Odes To Deformity

Caustic Vomit unleash a mind warping beast of a demo in the form of ‘Festering Odes To Deformity’   That first listen of an Album/EP/Demo is a defining moment. Although your feelings may change or alter over the course of multiple spins, a lot depends on that initial exposure. I …

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Stay Tuned – Stay Tuned

Stay Tuned is the project of Austrian multi-instrumentalist Bernhard Welz. Put simply it’s an album he put together with a few friends, with money going to the Linda McCartney fundraising centre charity. Of course with a project like this it really helps to have the right friends, and Bernhard Welz …

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Jawbone – Jawbone

Jawbone are a new London based band formed by Marcus Bonfanti and Paddy Milner, both established solo artists. They then recruited Evan jenkins and Rex Horan to finish the lineup. Between them the band members have played with the likes of Tom Jones, Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton, Van Morrisson, David …

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