Album Reviews

The Apocalypse Blues Revue was founded by drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola from rock band Godsmack.  They’re joined by Ray “Rafer John” Cerbone on vocals and Brian Carpenter on bass.  Shannon Larkin has this to say about the music…”A little heavier, a little darker, and has some punk …

It was a cold, miserable night as I sat aimlessly watching what was the start of the demise of MTV back in 1996.  Just one more video, if it’s not to my liking I’m off to bed I said to myself, and then it happened, four guys came on the …

Sinsaenum is a blacker, more throwback super group than what we are used to from the brain of the King of super groups, Joey Jordison. Jordison, formerly of Slipknot and currently of Vimic has teamed up with Frédéric Leclercq, the bassist of Dragonforce, and Attila Csihar of Sunn O))) and the mighty Mayhem.  …

Having given Sabaton‘s latest offering ‘The Last Stand’, a few spins by now, I would have to admit that it’s not, unfortunately, one of their strongest albums.  It seems a little uneven with some really strong songs and others that feel like they haven’t been given the full care and attention needed, …

On August fifth The Cadillac Three released their much awaited second album, Bury Me in My Boots, on Big Machine Records out of Nashville, Tennessee.  Where else would the pioneers of country fuzz record?  Singer/songwriter Jaren Johnston doesn’t have the name of that great city tattooed on his forearm for …

The Quireboys release their 10th Studio album Twisted Love on 2nd September 2016 via Off Yer Rocka. Their fourth album in as many years, again they chose to record this in the Swedish town of Klippan, where they recorded 2015 album St Cecilia and the Gypsy Soul and again it has been …

I am lucky enough to be able to review my first ever Delain album and what can I say.  This is most certainly an album which really packs a ‘Suckerpunch’. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Delain (you are about to be introduced to a slice of heaven) they …

                Dancing Crap arose from the ashes of vocalist Ronnie Abeille’s former band The Main Attraction. In 2012 he started new venture Dancing Crap, who spent three months in London playing venues including Nambucca, The Intrepid Fox and Proud Camden.  They describe themselves …

The sun, it’s turned black! The moon, it’s blood red! And the dead have risen and are walking the face of the Earth. Sorry to disappoint you folks but it’s not the apocalypse, it’s the aporockalypse and who is that leading the way? None other than the Finnish supermonsters Lordi …

Having already released ‘The Brightest Void‘ just a few months ago, we are now treated to Tarja‘s second offering this year; ‘The Shadow Self‘.  I wasn’t quite sure how ‘The Brightest Void’ would be topped; however this album is just a continuation of brilliance and even takes it up another notch! …

We’ve always been told to eat, drink and do everything in moderation and to never, ever overindulge. It’s been ingrained in us that any addiction is unhealthy and dangerous. However, what we’ve been told is wrong; there are many addictions that are not only acceptable, but healthy using supplements like …

You really do have to admire the tenacity of the members of Twisted Sister over the last forty years. From the apathy of record companies in their beginnings to the loss of their drummer A.J Pero. The Metal Meltdown DVD’s released by Loud And Proud Records consist of a concert …

“Beautiful Broken” is the new album from Heart. On paper it’s their first new album for four years, but look a little closer and it’s not quite as you’d hope.  Of the ten tracks on the album, only three are actually new songs – the rest are just new versions …

Faith or Theory is the new album from Southampton based Circle of Reason.  They’ve been getting played on Kerrang! TV and Scuzz TV, so there’s a good chance that if you watch those channels you’ll have heard something from Circle of Reason. Faith or theory in my view sits somewhere …

Dublin based quartet The Devil Wants Her Swagger Back have created a sound that brings to mind the industrial thud of early Fear Factory with the velocity of The Berzerker on their latest E.P Malice. Due for release on October 1st 2016 it contains a production that hits hard but …

A last minute mad dash to the Son Of Shinobi album launch for The Silent Fury chose to be a very wise decision as they turned a packed out White Horse pub in Nantwich into a sauna whilst hammering it out. It was that good I just had to review …

When it comes to my own personal music taste I wouldn’t normally put bands like this on my list, however, after witnessing French metal titans Gojira live, my whole world was turned upside down. For nearly two decades they have dominated the metal genre from musical masterpiece after musical masterpiece …

Twenty years after they formed, Skillet show no signs of slowing down. The Christian rockers might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the fact that they are still performing to adoring fans and packed venues across the world speaks volumes about their staying power and legacy. On August 5th, the …

To be brutally honest, as I sit down to write this review, I am struggling to know where to begin…after all, Blackfoot is one of the bands who, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, turned me on to the energy of loud rock ‘n’ roll.  They also were the …

Following on almost immediately from their debut album White Bird/ Burn The Sky, which has received much critical success, Australian Rock sextet Palace of the King have now released Valles Marineris, which has moments of high quality and also – on occasion – Bad Newsesque clichedom. Let’s get the good …