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Wednesday, February 22
by
Yiannis Stefanis
on Wed 22 Feb 2012 00:18 GMT
Milan-based Atmospheric/Gothic Metalers Lacuna Coil have managed to capture the attention of fans and music media through a string of highly successful commercial-sounding releases and through a really clever marketing strategy – one that takes full advantage of the fact that the band has in its ranks Cristina Scabbia who is one of the most beautiful looking women in the music industry. These very reasons, which brought many people closer to the band’s music these last eighteen years, were also the ones that steered me as far away from them as possible – I am not a great fan of the superficial. So, how did I end up preparing a review for the band’s sixth full length release “Dark Adrenaline”, one might rightfully ask? Believe it or not, something possessed me to actually ask the band’s label Century Media to grant me access to this release and I am truly happy to have done that as this has proven to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience! more »
Monday, February 20
by
Yiannis Stefanis
on Mon 20 Feb 2012 20:18 GMT
Ever since Amorphis first graced us with their presence back in 1990, Finland witnessed a slow but steady growth in its number of Heavy Metal bands, to the point that our beloved music is now in terms of popularity to the Finns what Lady Gaga is to the rest of the world! Throughout this process, the ‘land of the thousand lakes’ has enjoyed its own quite distinctive sound and scene so it is very strange to witness a new band such as Re-Armed looking towards neighbouring Sweden for inspiration. Anyhow, the fact remains that Re-Armed are about to release their debut album “Worldwide Hypnotize” through Massacre Records and what remains to be established is what this nine track album has to offer to Metalheads like you and me. more »
by
Yiannis Stefanis
on Mon 20 Feb 2012 19:53 GMT
Germany has for many years been the “breeding ground” for some of the most impressive Metal bands around and even though naming the most important Teutonic Extreme Metal band of all time may well be a matter of personal choice, only a fool would doubt the fact that Rage, the Power/Thrash trio with Herr Peter “Peavy” Wagner at the helm for the last twenty years, may well be the most prolific of them all! Why? Simply because there are not many bands that I know from this part of the world who are about to release the 20th studio album of their career! Riding on the success of last year’s truly impressive “Strings To A Web”, the power trio prepared yet another album full of passion and raw energy – an eleven track opus entitled “21”. more »
Thursday, February 16
by
Yiannis Stefanis
on Thu 16 Feb 2012 20:26 GMT
1987 was a very important year for me. Having been introduced to the likes of Metallica and Slayer through older acquaintances friends and the invaluable guidance of the Greek Metal Hammer, it did not take long before I realised that Thrash Metal was my genre of choice. That is when the epic task of obtaining every single Thrash Metal album available began – an almost impossible task, due to the fact that the distribution of the most obscure albums of the genre was almost non-existent in my beautiful country at the time. I cannot remember how and when it happened but at some point in the early to mid-90s a copy of “Go And Live…Stay and Die”, Vendetta’s 1987 debut album, finally landed in my hands and, even though the material on offer could hardly be described as innovative, these German thrashers made enough of an impression on me so as to be genuinely pleased when I found out that twenty five years later they are about to release their fourth studio album entitled “Feed The Extermination” – an album whose review you are now about to read. more »
Tuesday, February 14
by
Jason
on Tue 14 Feb 2012 23:24 GMT
Formed in 2004 this is the band's second album and for a three piece they make a wide soundscape. The band's line-up is Benedict Harris-Hayes (throat/guitars/piano), Sam Street (drums/percussion) and Shaun Rayment (bass) plus the Lost Orchestra who add synths/sound FX (the Lost Orchestra is composed and arranged by Benedict). ... more »
Monday, February 13
by
Jason
on Mon 13 Feb 2012 09:28 GMT
by
Jason
on Mon 13 Feb 2012 09:27 GMT
Recorded in January 2011, whilst the band were playing promotional dates in Japan in support of their recent “What If...” album, Mr Big are about to release new album “Live From The Living Room”. Recorded in front of an intimate audience at Tokyo’s WOWOW TV studio, the set ... more » Sunday, February 12
by
Yiannis Stefanis
on Sun 12 Feb 2012 21:44 GMT
It really is no exaggeration to say that London-based NWOBHM combo Angel Witch is one truly unique band. Having formed back in 1977 (under the moniker “Lucifer”) by guitarist/vocalist Kevin Heybourne, Angel Witch went through quite a decent number of line up changes prior to releasing their 1980 classic opus “Angel Witch” – an album whose power and influence was such that it granted the band legendary status but also an album which, according to many fans and media reps, has not been surpassed to date by Heybourne and his numerous collaborators. The band’s story becomes ever so comlplicated as the years go by and even though quite a few releases managed to see the light of day along the way, the last studio offering was back in 1986 – a nine track album entitled “Frontal Assault”. Twenty five years later (!) and featuring yet another new line up, Angel Witch are about to finally release their fourth full length album “As Above, So Below” and the one thing that I am sure most of you are wondering, as I certainly did, is whether this is still a band whose work is worthy of attention from fans and media alike. more »
by
Yiannis Stefanis
on Sun 12 Feb 2012 21:42 GMT
One of the things that music journalists love to do, especially the ones involved in the ever expanding Metal scene, is to create new sub-genres and then christen them with all sorts of complicated names. While this tends to become an overty complicated and ever so confusing process, there are times when one could say that it is totally justified as there are numerous bands out there whose musical orientation can no longer be confined by the strict boundaries first set more than three decades ago. One such band that defies categorisation is the French duet Alcest – an outfit that has been under the spotlight for quite a few years now and whose third studio album “Les Voyages De L’ Ame” will soon occupy a prominent position on the shelves of record stores – real or virtual - around the world. more »
Friday, February 10
by
Jason
on Fri 10 Feb 2012 15:28 GMT
The 80’s saw a raft of pop medley albums from Star Sound’s ‘Stars On 45’ through to the popular Hooked On…series, where the classical ones conducted by Louis Clark (of ELO fame) proved very popular. Then there is this one created by Geoff Morrow (from pop band Butterscotch) and Howard ... more » Thursday, February 9
Tuesday, February 7
by
Jason
on Tue 07 Feb 2012 16:37 GMT
Starting with a young kid ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 07 Feb 2012 14:21 GMT
A band from Manchester featuring Noel Fraser (vocals, guitar, keyboards, mandolin), Andy Chemney (drums. backing vocals), Steve Ferguson (guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Murray (bass). They cover a multitude of musical styles from rock to folk and blues and they already have a fan in ‘Classic Rock’s’ Dave Ling. Sunday, February 5
by
Jason
on Sun 05 Feb 2012 21:35 GMT
A fifteen song compilation from the TV series 'Sons Of Anarchy' that like any compilation is a mixed bag. The Forest Rangers back-up most of the vocalists on here and the pick of the album are Paul Brady's version of the Stones 'Gimme Shelter' and the Lions who do a ... more »
by
Jason
on Sun 05 Feb 2012 19:46 GMT
by
Jason
on Sun 05 Feb 2012 19:42 GMT
“Unbroken” is the fifth album from Fiona, and comes 19 years after her last release. Big, polished and harking back to the ‘80’s in places, the album was produced by House of Lords main man James Christian- whose wife, Robin Beck, duets on the track “This Heart”. The sound of ... more » Saturday, February 4
by
Jason
on Sat 04 Feb 2012 21:44 GMT
Warp Drive caused a stir with their debut album 'Gimme Gimme' back in the late 80's but then along came grunge and knocked them for six. This is their second album which they started to record back in 1990 but it never got released until now after those lovely folk ... more »
by
Jason
on Sat 04 Feb 2012 20:17 GMT
Another emerging new British hardcore metal act, this time from
Newquay. Envy The Fallen are exponents of fairly extreme metal core of
the shouty vocal persuasion. It is fast and furious stuff from the off
and over the six tracks on the EP they prove themselves more than
capable.
Of ... more »
by
Jason
on Sat 04 Feb 2012 20:16 GMT
Stemm have been about in various forms for a number of years and
have developed into a very tight and very heavy hardcore metal band.
Their music was adopted early in the band’s career as the soundtrack to
the Ultimate Fight Championship which suits their musical style to a T.... more »
by
Jason
on Sat 04 Feb 2012 20:14 GMT
With a name like Captain Black Beard I was fully expecting some
full-on, swashbuckling Pirate metal from this crew. This album though is
less “Aaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr” and more AOR. The Captain and crew have been
playing around the clubs of Stockholm for a couple of years and this is
their first ... more »
Wednesday, February 1
Tuesday, January 31
by
Jason
on Tue 31 Jan 2012 16:01 GMT
This is an unusual release for the Scorps, re-recording a number of fan favourite tracks after they announced their retirement… Seven of the thirteen tracks are from their own catalogue, while the remaining six songs are covers! Being a fan for well over 25 years I find this difficult ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 31 Jan 2012 15:51 GMT
Hugh Laurie is best known for his superb acting in “House”, but there’s a lot more to this Englishman than meets the eye: along with his love for motorcycles and motorcycle racing, he has a passion for the old blues. He wants others to understand and love this genre ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 31 Jan 2012 14:59 GMT
This is the band’s first release since the highly acclaimed “Vox in Excelso” and this, like its predecessor, is a concept album – this time about the life of Marilyn Monroe. The songs are good, but not outstanding and this may be due to the production not bringing out the ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 31 Jan 2012 14:57 GMT
Ilium is an Australian melodic/power metal outfit with four albums under their studded belts. “Genetic memory” is the band’s fifth release and the third with vocalist Mike DiMeo, who did time with Riot, as well as Masterplan. DiMeo’s voice is instantly recognisable, although it rasps more in places on ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 31 Jan 2012 14:43 GMT
Trillium is Amanda Somerville’s solo delving into the world of power metal. Her previous album, “Windows”, had a far more pop/rock flavour to it but, as she’s been involved with projects like Aina and Avantasia, it seems to be a natural progression to produce something in this genre. Ms ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 31 Jan 2012 14:34 GMT
It’s taken me some time to get to listen to this and the first thing that comes to mind is what took me so long?! This is Shy’s reunion album after a six year hiatus… As it transpires, the album, special as it is, provides extra meaning for fans ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 31 Jan 2012 14:33 GMT
Lee Small has the claim to fame of being the vocalist for Shy, as well as lending his vocals to Phenomena. He teams up with guitarist Martin Kronlund (Gypsy Rose) for his first solo release. This is a lovely slice of melodic rock with heavy classic rock influences, which ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 31 Jan 2012 14:28 GMT
This release is Gary Moore’s last to be filmed/recorded and is the first to be released posthumously. Gary Moore had returned to his rock roots and this set is indicative thereof. His voice sounds a bit off in places, where he barks instead of singing, but his voice does ... more » Sunday, January 29
Saturday, January 28
by
Jason
on Sat 28 Jan 2012 23:24 GMT
Pop punksters Run From Robots are about to release this, their debut
album. The ten tracks on offer here will be familiar to anyone who has
ever listened to Good Charlotte, Blink 182 etc, etc. The band go for the
twin vocal approach as with most bands of this ilk ... more »
by
Jason
on Sat 28 Jan 2012 22:18 GMT
This is the debut album from Sep7ember who are billed as a “rapidly
rising new German melodic punk band”. With this information, I was
expecting some high octane pop punk in the mould of Green Day but
instead I got what sounds like a Bush tribute act.
Having said that, ... more »
by
Jason
on Sat 28 Jan 2012 22:01 GMT
Klogr are an Italian rock/ metal project which came together in 2010
under the watchful eye of frontman Gabriele “Rusty” Rustichelli who
appears to have had a hand in several alternative projects in Italy.
This album is part of a larger project involving 10 video presentations
of the band’s sound.... more »
by
Jason
on Sat 28 Jan 2012 22:00 GMT
Danny Bryant started young on his chosen path, turning professional
at the tender age of 18. Now 13 years on and still only 31, he has
released 7 albums to date, and this, his latest offering, was recorded
live in Rosmalen, Holland, on 17th Sept 2011 to be exact.... more »
Friday, January 27
by
Jason
on Fri 27 Jan 2012 11:52 GMT
CRIMES OF PASSION ‘To Die For’ DR2 Records (2012) Crimes Of Passion return with their second album and two new members – guitarists Charles Staton and Harry Griffths, after original guitarist Andy Lindsay left the band. The band mix classic metal riffs with a more modern metal sheen, ... more » Thursday, January 26
by
Yiannis Stefanis
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 18:22 GMT
Writing about music is an activity I have undertaken with much passion and devotion over the last decade and, as it happens with every occupation outside work, it does tend to occupy much of my free time. So to answer the question, “Why bother?”, I can point to the excitement at discovering ‘new’ and interesting bands, such as that of the Finnish atmospheric metallers “Tenhi”, for example, whose fifth studio album “Saivo” is to be released by the German specialised label Prophecy Productions. more »
by
Jason
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 17:59 GMT
Lionsex’ debut album “Get It” is an interesting one, the band have a good sleazy look but when the vocals from Jef Leppard (seriously!!) come in they are in a lot lower key than you would expect. Musically the songs are sleazy and move along quite nicely, but the ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 17:51 GMT
In vocalist Emil Ekbladh, Sweden’s Dirty Passion have a singer with a sound that is reminiscent of the early ‘90’s albums by that better known Swedish band Europe. This is not a bad thing but it is an observation that became apparent within the first few notes of opening track ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 15:07 GMT
by
Jason
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 15:06 GMT
As a band Chicago’s Down & Dirty have an average age of just 18 years old- yet the influences they display on new album “Taste of Rock & Roll” are bands that had their heyday long before the boys were even born, yet they have created a record that could ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 14:15 GMT
Wrathchild were formed ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 14:07 GMT
Norway’s Seks claim they are going to save us from radio dominated by Hip Hop and pop- and whilst that may never happen, they have released a debut album that harks back to ‘80’s arena rock and it is not a bad effort either. The band members may include ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 12:54 GMT
Vocalist Markus Dangel has, for the most parts, a whisky stained, sleazy growl of a voice ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 12:53 GMT
“Untapped” is the debut album from Houston’s Drought. The album is a solid piece of modern rock that will appeal to fans of Nickelback, Shinedown, and Alter Bridge etc- in particular tracks such as “Pick and Pen” and “Look At Me”. Opening track “One Night Stand” is Simple Minds ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 10:15 GMT
The 3rd album from New York’s D Drive, “3D” is released in an interesting 3D cover- which has actually been done quite well. Now that is out of the way, let’s concentrate on the album itself, 11 tracks of solid melodic rock- catchy, sing along choruses, hooks a plenty ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 26 Jan 2012 10:13 GMT
The CD is just what is needed to blow those winter cobwebs away. Featuring a solid rhythm section of Monster Magnet’s Bob Pantella and Jim Baglino, the superb guitars of Garret Sweeney and the vocal talents of Mark Sunshine, Riotgod’s second album “Invisible Empire” is worthy of a major ... more » Wednesday, January 25
by
Jason
on Wed 25 Jan 2012 16:56 GMT
Tuesday, January 24
by
Jason
on Tue 24 Jan 2012 10:21 GMT
After leaving Samson he formed his own band and recorded the Feels Like ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 24 Jan 2012 09:51 GMT
Solid Dutch metal with a stellar cast and a decent follow up to their 2009 album Soul Collector. Hard to believe this band have been going 30 years now, and they still sound good.
With vocalist Leon Goewie is bassist Chris Glen (MSG, SAHB), guitarist Keri Kelli (Alice Cooper) ... more » Monday, January 23
by
Jason
on Mon 23 Jan 2012 22:43 GMT
A three piece band featuring former Thunderhead/Primal Fear guitarist Henny Wolter, Freedom Call's drummer Klaus Sperling (who was also in Primal Fear with Wolter) and on bass/vocals Oimel Larcher, who sang in former Motorhead guitarist's 'Fast' Eddie Clarke's band. Clarke guests on one song on the album and Larcher's vocals ... more »
by
Jason
on Mon 23 Jan 2012 10:22 GMT
This is a confusing album. The band have been together for 16 years and although I follow music closely I had never come across the name before. This is History Of Guns' fourth album and looking at the bands Wiki page there have been plenty of singles and even a ... more »
Sunday, January 22
by
Jason
on Sun 22 Jan 2012 20:56 GMT
Thursday, January 19
by
Jason
on Thu 19 Jan 2012 09:44 GMT
Irish trio, Dead Label, formed in 2008, won a nationwide battle of the bands the following year and released an EP in 2010. This album release then is the natural progression for the band and one they hope will move the band up to the next rung on the ladder ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 19 Jan 2012 09:41 GMT
A bit of Pagan death metal this time all the way from Bali in Italy. This is the debut album from the 5 piece although they released an EP back in 2010 to critical acclaim.
Brutal about sums up Vinterblot’s sound with riffs hitting you like a sledgehammer to the ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 19 Jan 2012 09:38 GMT
Antipodean thrashers 4 Arm have been peddling their wares for the past 8 years and have gathered a good fan base and a number of equipment endorsements along the way. This is the band’s 3rd album, the others being 2005‘s ‘13 Scars’ and ‘The Empires Of Death’ from 2009 ... more »
by
Jason
on Thu 19 Jan 2012 09:17 GMT
Fourth Autumn are clearly a band with a with a sense of humour, all be it of the black variety. This is the Welsh death metaller’s debut album and the band describe their sound as a mix of Behemoth, The Black Dahlia Murders and Cradle Of Filth with, and I ... more »
Tuesday, January 17
Monday, January 16
by
Jason
on Mon 16 Jan 2012 22:24 GMT
Craig Finn, for the uninitiated, is the front man of American indie
rockers The Hold Steady and this is his debut solo album shortly to be
released.
Craig has left the more guitar driven sound of The Hold Steady behind for this album and instead has opted for a more ... more » Sunday, January 15
Saturday, January 14
by
Jason
on Sat 14 Jan 2012 22:21 GMT
Now here is a band that have garnered a bit of heavyweight support
early in their careers. Slipknot’s Joey Jordison has waxed lyrical about
the band’s talents and Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden was impressed
enough to invite singer Tarin Kerrey to provide vocals for his solo
album. Not bad ... more »
Friday, January 13
by
Jason
on Fri 13 Jan 2012 11:39 GMT
SPOCK’S BEARD ‘The X-Tour Live’ Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Recorded live at the Downey Civic Centre in September 2010 this live release will make the swansong of Nick D’Virgilio who left the band last year. They play all of the ‘X’ album on disc one save for ‘Their Names Escape ... more » Tuesday, January 10
by
Jason
on Tue 10 Jan 2012 23:30 GMT
Five years on since their last album 'Retoxed' House Of Shakira are back. The band's line-up has changed radically as well with former Mind's Eye vocalist Andreas Novak joining the band, along with Basse Blyberg and Martin Larsson on bass and drums. These new members join the guitar duo of ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 10 Jan 2012 13:30 GMT
Former hail from the home of country music, Nashville, but there is little of that city’s musical heritage evident in this the band’s second album. The band are billed as pop/rock and quote Cheap Trick, The Wildhearts and Elvis Costello as influences.
Their sound though owes more to Feeder than ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 10 Jan 2012 13:14 GMT
Darker Half are a heavy metal band from the land down under, Sydney to be exact, but their influences are most definitely from the northern hemisphere. The band owe a lot to early Maiden more than anything else with a raw metal sound, twin guitar delivery and screaming vocals. Just ... more »
by
Jason
on Tue 10 Jan 2012 13:08 GMT
Tarja Turunen, as most people will no doubt know, was front women of Nightwish, a heavy metal band with major classical overtones. Tarja’s vocal delivery has always been very much in an operatic style, which was perfect for the majestic sound of Nightwish and on this DVD and CD package ... more »
Tuesday, January 3
by
Jason
on Tue 03 Jan 2012 16:34 GMT
The band released a debut EP in 2011 which received rave reviews and they release this, their full debut album in March. The Straylings are a duo consisting of vocalist Dana Zeera and guitarist Oliver Drake. An album of definite interest to those who enjoy PJ Harvey and the ... more » Monday, January 2
by
Jason
on Mon 02 Jan 2012 21:17 GMT
Angel Air have done a sterling job over the past few years bringing rare, previously unreleased and out of print titles in John Du Cann's catalogue to the shelves again and this collection forms a good overview of the man's career, or maybe a good starting point should you be ... more »
by
Jason
on Mon 02 Jan 2012 20:55 GMT
In bemoaning the fact this album got overlooked upon initial release, vocalist David DeFeis explains his decision to remaster and revisit this album again. A late 80s release it marked the band's fourth full length discs and in places certainly features some grand ideas that see rough edges smoothed by ... more »
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