Album Reviews

The Rocket Dolls, a three piece heavy rock band, from Brighton self release their second full length studio album on 6th April 2018. DeaDHeaD was recorded at British Grove Studios and produced and mixed by Mark Roberts. Since forming in 2008 The Rocket Dolls won the best new band at the Pure …

Et Moriemur  break the mould with this stunning collection of tracks that together form the album ‘Epigrammata’ For those of us not previously overly familiar with the Czech Republic Doom scene, this is as good a way as any to get your feet wet. Drawing from the rich and plentiful …

Born to Destruct (BTD) a four piece Punk band from the University City of Cambridge released their ninth studio album God Of Destruction via Punkbob Recordz on 1st February 2018.  This follows 2016 release Devasteight With Destruction. Read a detailed bio here. I like the way they cleverly work the word destruction into many of …

Ahead of their world tour, Nightwish are releasing a compilation album, Decades. Existing Nightwish fans are likely to have all their albums, which begs the question – who is going to buy this album? Existing fans who are completists and have to have everything the band has ever released will …

Has Rick Springfield gone all snake on us, meandering his followers down his blues infused rocky road of life? The intro to the opening track “In the land of the blind”, seems to have a familiar sound, maybe this as on purpose but there’s definitely a similarity to Bon Jovi’s …

Falling Red are back with their latest album, Lost Souls. Once again they’ve funed it with a successful pledge campaign, but have recorded differently to their previous releases, working with different studios and producers. While they may be referred to as a Sleaze band, Falling red are far more than …

Sometimes it’s a really bad idea to read a press release before listening to an album. The one for this album starts with “Hard rock harmonica hero”. My immediate reaction was “What the f**k? Harmonica? I’m not feeling optimistic about this one”. It’s also a covers album, so I was …

To say the least, Attrition is a major step forward for Hull based NWOBHM band Salem! Released on Dissonance Productions on February 23rd, this could be their Pyromania such is the quality of songwriting on display here. Kicking off with the title track ‘Attrition’, its hard hitting riffs from guitarists …

German thrash legends Kreator are reissuing four of their albums that were originally released in the 90s. The albums being reissued are 1990’s “Coma Of Souls”, 1992’s “Renewal”, 1995’s “Cause For Conflict” and 1997’s “Outcast”. Each of the albums has been remastered by Andy Pearce (Black Sabbath, Voivod, Motorhead, Anthrax) …

Guitarist and producer Michael Landau has over the years had a very impressive career. As a solo musician he’s released a number of albums as well as more with various bands, but as a session musician he’s worked with a string of artists. The list of artists he’s worked with …

We sell the dead is a new band whose members are Niclas Engelin (In flames, Engel), Jonas Slattung (Dromriket), Gas Lipstick (HIM) and Apollo Papathanasio (Firewind, Spiritual beggars). The album transports listeners to a Victorian world. It opens with background sounds that fit that time period and then you get …

When is a live album, not really a live album? That sounds a strange question to open a review of The Mission’s new Live album with until you look at where it was recorded. Generally a live album is recorded at one concert or more often, a run of concerts …

With their last album, 2015’s “Children of the night” having received so much critical acclaim, Swedish band Tribulation had their work cut out with the new album to try and match the success of that album. When you listen to “Down below” it quickly becomes obvious that they rose to …

        Doom Metal supergroup Towards Atlantis Lights take us on a dark historical journey deep into the past with ‘Dust Of Aeons’ With only four tracks but coming in at just under the hour mark, the first of which, ‘The Bunker Of Life’ lasting a mind boggling …

This album is billed as Sterling Ball, John Ferraro and Jim Cox present the mutual admiration society. It features a host of guests including Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Steve Lukathor, Steve Morse and Albert Lee. That’s a great talented lineup, and it all started from two friends wanting to make …

Loudness were formed in Japan in May 1981 and have been a prolific band releasing around 30 albums since then including live albums and English versions of their Japanese language albums. In 1983 they did their first US and European tours and signed a record deal with Atlantic records, in …

It’s hard to believe but it’s been ten years since Alestorm’s first album, “Captain Morgan’s revenge” was released. Since then they’ve released four more studio albums and are still singing about alcohol, women and piracy, and show no sign of stopping. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of …

Fans of Laurence Jones’ previous album Take Me High beware. The Truth, Jones’ fifth studio outing, is something of a departure from that which you might expect. A step away from the more rugged sound which has seen the Liverpool born, Warwickshire raised bluesman soar ever skyward, The Truth is …

Somehow between fulfilling his duties with Absolva and Iced Earth, Luke Appleton has written and recorded a four track EP titled How Does It Feel To Be Alive?, due for release via Rocksector Records on March 3rd 2018. Produced by his brother Chris Appleton at their studio in Manchester it …

Like a fine wine, Saxon mature to its finest age, although I expect lead vocalist Biff Byford,one of two original members from the bands beginnings in Barnsley 1977 (the other being guitarist Paul Quinn), he would probably prefer a mug of Yorkshire tea! Recently released new album Thunderbolt, number twenty …