Author Archives: Yiannis

Album review: DEW-SCENTED – Insurgent

Metal Blade – Out Now. Dew-Scented is a band pretty close to my heart, as my first ever album review was for their 5th studio album “Impact”. It seemed quite appropriate, therefore, that I should be the one to also … Continue reading

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Album review: ANVIL – Hope In Hell

The End Records – Out Now. Canadian Speed/Heavy Metal trio Anvil are, to put it simply, on fire! Since the release of the highly acclaimed documentary/movie ‘The Story Of Anvil’ back in 2009, long time friends and colleagues Steve “Lips” … Continue reading

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Album review: THE TANGENT – Le Sacre Du Travail

Inside Out – Out Now. The Tangent is one of those bands that have only recently come to my attention and after I realised what Andy Tillison and his highly skilled colleagues are capable of achieving, especially on the strength … Continue reading

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Interview with ANDY TILLISON (The Tangent)

Andy Tillison is a man of an mission! Two years after the release of the amazing “COMM”, and with his progressive sensibilities in full swing, the British composer came up with  another mind-blowing album in the form of “Le Sacre … Continue reading

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Album review: AVANTASIA – The Mystery Of Time

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. Some may find this pretty hard to believe but it has been two whole decades since the German vocalist/songwriter Tobias Sammet released his first documented musical contribution, specifically to Edguy’s 1994 demo release “Evil Minded”. … Continue reading

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Album review: QUEENSRYCHE – Queensryche

Century Media – [Release Date 24.06.13] There are undoubtedly many lessons one can learn in life, but the one I believe in most is not taking anything for granted, including in music. Take Seattle Prog Metallers Queensryche, for instance: if … Continue reading

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Album review: AMORPHIS – Circle

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. When Pasi Koskinen left Progressive/Melodic/Folk metallers Amorphis back in 2004, after nine years of dedicated service, many of the band’s loyal fans, myself included, were left fearing the worst concerning the band’s future. The addition … Continue reading

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Album review: ANTHRAX – Anthems E.P.

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. Experiencing a line-up change now and again is inevitable for most long-serving bands, but the way the members of the legendary Thrash Metal combo Anthrax have come and gone over the years has always caused … Continue reading

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Album review: SPIRITUAL BEGGARS – Earth Blues

Inside Out – Out Now. Michael Amott is better known as the guitarist, main songwriter and founding member of the  Swedish Melodic Death Metal quintet Arch Enemy – a band that has been under the media spotlight for quite some … Continue reading

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Album review: HYPOCRISY – End Of Disclosure

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. Peter Tagtgren is one of the busiest men in the music business. When not offering his production skills to artists like Destruction, Marduk, Overkill and Amorphis (to name a few) or when he’s not touring … Continue reading

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Album review: MOSS – Horrible Night

Rise Above – Out Now. The Bass guitar and Doom Metal are two concepts that seem to go hand-in-hand and are inter-connected to such an extent that one simply can’t imagine the one without the other. Well, the Southampton-based trio … Continue reading

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Album review: VICIOUS RUMORS – Electric Punishment

SPV – Out Now. Thirty three years is a long time for any band, especially one that has survived the death of a frontman and the departure of enough members to fill two whole basketball teams, and then some. In … Continue reading

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Album review: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM – Ugly Noise

Flotsam And Jetsam

Metal Blade – Out Now. The relationship between the Arisona-based Metallers Flotsam And Jetsan and Brian Slagel’s Metal Blade Records has been marked by many highs and lows over the last three decades and the last time that these two … Continue reading

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Album review: INTRONAUT – Habitual Levitations

Intronaut

Century Media – Out Now. When it comes to choosing which albums to review for our site, the parameters I have set are actually pretty straightforward and simple: the more diverse, demanding and unique a band is the more inclined … Continue reading

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Album review: MANILLA ROAD – Mysterium

ZYX Music – Out Now. Good promotion, or lack of it, can make the difference between life and death for most bands, especially at times like these when the music market has become over-saturated with hundreds, if not thousands, of … Continue reading

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Interview with MARK “THE SHARK” SHELTON (Manilla Road)

Throughout my relatively lengthy time as a music journalist I have often had to communicate online with artists who, for various reasons, I could not meet in person. I can say that Mark “The Shark” Shelton is one of the … Continue reading

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Interview with OLLY PEARSON (Moss)

Finding a spot where you can hear yourself think so as to do an interview at the Underworld in Camden is a real challenge, but when the interviewee is as accommodating as Moss’ frontman Olly Pearson, then everything is possible. … Continue reading

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Interview with UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER (U.D.O), May 2013

Since first fronting the mighty Accept back in the early 80s, Udo Dirkschneider had to overcome many obstacles to present us all with his fine blend of classic-sounding, honest Heavy Metal. The most recent blow, the departure of both his … Continue reading

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Album review: U.D.O – Steelhammer

AFM Records – [Release date 21.05.13] Udo Dirkschneider is a man who simply does not understand the meaning of slowing down. Even though he has recently witnessed the departure from the U.D.O ranks of his long-time friend and collaborator Stefan … Continue reading

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Gig review: MOSS – Camden Underworld, London,15 May 2013

Support Acts: Purson & Black Magician Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Having just returned from a great holiday, involving great company, awesome food and top quality wine, I had to face the cold and rainy streets of London once more. … Continue reading

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Interview with JARLE (Hvàll) KVALE from VREID (April 2013)

Norwegian Black Metal has come a long way since the early 90s, a sentiment that is definitely shared by Jarle (Hvàll) Kvale – bassist and leading Member of the Norwegian quartet Vreid. Having released a splendid album in “Welcome Farewell”, … Continue reading

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Gig review: HELLOWEEN – The Forum, Kentish Town, London, 16 April 2013

Helloween, Kentish Town Forum, 16 April 2013

If you are a frequent visitor to our pages, especially our gig reviews section, you would have undoubtedly noticed that on the 15th of April, a day prior to the one featured in this review, I attended a magnificent Pain … Continue reading

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Gig review: PAIN OF SALVATION – The Relentless Garage Islington, London,15 April 2013

Support Acts: Anneke van Giersbergen, Arstidir Review and photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis At my age, venturing out on a Monday night to a gig can only be prompted by some pretty special events, among which I count the fact … Continue reading

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Album review: SEPTICFLESH – Mystic Places Of Dawn

Season Of Mist – Out Now. Septicflesh (formerly known as Septic Flesh) are one of those bands whose target audience and greater impact was felt in the underground, however, since their reformation and the release of 2008’s magnum opus “Communion”, … Continue reading

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Album review: SATAN’S WRATH – Galloping Blasphemy

Metal Blade – Out Now. Classic, old-school, vintage, retro or whatever-else-you-want-to-call-it Metal has always been massively supported in Greece. I mean, this is the country whose fans covered all expenses themselves just to see bands like Omen and Manilla Road … Continue reading

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