Author Archives: Yiannis

BEARDFISH – The Void

BEARDFISH – The Void Inside Out [Release Date: 27/08/2012] What on earth are they feeding musicians in Sweden? Maybe an odd question, but one can’t ignore the number of prominent Prog Rock/Metal bands that hail from the ancient lands of … Continue reading

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KAIPA (Hans Lundin) INTERVIEW

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

KAIPA (Hans Lundin) INTERVIEW Hans Lundin is a very talented multi-instrumentalist who has been providing the world of Prog Rock with albums of outstanding quality through Kaipa – a group of similarly-minded musicians who have been active since the early … Continue reading

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KORPIKLAANI -“MANALA”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

KORPIKLAANI -“MANALA” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Folk Metal has evolved enormously since the early 90s, a period when bands like Skyclad gradually began convincing people that folk tunes and organs, such as the violin, in Metal can be an inspiring rather … Continue reading

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DEW-SCENTED – “ICARUS”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

DEW-SCENTED – “ICARUS” METAL BLADE (2012) Dew-Scented is a band that will forever stay in my memory as one of the first ever reviews I wrote back in 2003 was for the band’s then release “Impact”. Since then there have … Continue reading

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TANKARD – “A GIRL CALLED CERVEZA”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

TANKARD – “A GIRL CALLED CERVEZA” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) How does a band manage to play the same style of music for thirty years, restricted to a specialised and somewhat controversial topic, and still manage to make a decent career … Continue reading

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DORO – Raise Your Fist In The Air

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

DORO – “RAISE YOUR FIST IN THE AIR EP” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Metal music has employed the services of many female vocalists over the years, none being more influential, respected and humble than Dorothee Pesch – the petite Dusseldorf-born blond … Continue reading

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BURY TOMORROW – “THE UNION OF CROWNS”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

BURY TOMORROW – “THE UNION OF CROWNS” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Portsmouth and Southampton have spawned numerous Metalcore outfits over the years, one of which, the melodic quintet Bury Tomorrow, is clearly doing enough to attract the attention of a major … Continue reading

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KAIPA – “VITTJAR”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

KAIPA – “VITTJAR” INSIDE OUT (2012) It feels very strange to be reviewing a band which released its debut effort around the same year you were born but this is indeed the link between me and the Swedish Prog Rockers … Continue reading

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NILE – “AT THE GATE OF SETHU”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

NILE – “AT THE GATE OF SETHU” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) As a young man growing up in 70s/80s Athens, there were two things in life that I felt really passionate about: Egyptology and Heavy Metal. Happily, I have fulfilled my … Continue reading

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BEFORE THE DAWN – “RISE OF THE PHOENIX”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

BEFORE THE DAWN – “RISE OF THE PHOENIX” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Before The Dawn is a thirteen year old band which has always ended up falling beneath my radar somehow, even though a close friend of mine has prompted me … Continue reading

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MNEMIC – “MNEMESIS”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

MNEMIC – “MNEMESIS” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) It was back in 2003 that I was first introduced to the Danish Industrial/Progressive/Extreme metallers Mnemic but I still remember how impressed I was by the band’s debut release “Mechanical Spin Phenomena”. Following the … Continue reading

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KREATOR – “PHANTOM ANTICHRIST”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

KREATOR – “PHANTOM ANTICHRIST” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) It was twenty seven years ago that the Essen-based Thrash Metal legends Kreator released their ground-breaking debut “Endless Pain”. Since then, they have managed to etsablish themselves in the consciousness of every extreme … Continue reading

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GOTTHARD – “FIREBIRTH”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

GOTTHARD – “FIREBIRTH” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Losing a fellow band member and a dear friend is an unbelieveably difficult situation for any musician to deal with, especially when this person happens to be as inspiring as Gotthard’s frontman Steve Lee. … Continue reading

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SONATA ARCTICA – “STONES GROW HER NAME”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

SONATA ARCTICA – “STONES GROW HER NAME” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) It is not unheard of for me to be unaware of the works of high-profile popular bands…in fact, the more popular a band becomes with the mainstream music press, the … Continue reading

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MUNICIPAL WASTE – “THE FATAL FEAST”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

MUNICIPAL WASTE – “THE FATAL FEAST” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Pick up any extreme music related magazine, check out any Metal blog or Internet site and chances are that you will come across a piece of information that’s related to the … Continue reading

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NACHTMYSTIUM – “SILENCING MACHINE”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

NACHTMYSTIUM – “SILENCING MACHINE” CENTURY MEDIA (2012) Nachtmystium is a US based Black Metal quintet whose name has been popping up quite often in the music media, unfortunatelly not always for all the right reasons. Their decision to release their … Continue reading

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JON OLIVA’S PAIN (Jon Oliva) INTERVIEW

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

JON OLIVA’S PAIN (Jon Oliva) INTERVIEW Jon Oliva is one really difficult guy to get a hold of for an interview. Though I did manage to meet him for a signing session when touring the UK for the promotion of … Continue reading

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LUCA TURILLI’S RHAPSODY – “ASCENDING TO INFINITY”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

LUCA TURILLI’S RHAPSODY – “ASCENDING TO INFINITY” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Can somebody please explain to me what on earth is going on with the guys in Rhapsody? Having made quite an impression with their unique blend of Symphonic and Euro-Power … Continue reading

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MESHUGGAH – “KOLOSS”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

MESHUGGAH – “KOLOSS” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) My introduction to the Umea-based experimental metallers Meshuggah was what many would consider an adventurous one, as it included a very…challenging trip back from a prestigious UK Metal festival in my small car during … Continue reading

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BLACKMORE’S NIGHT – “A KNIGHT IN YORK” DVD

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

BLACKMORE’S NIGHT – “A KNIGHT IN YORK” DVD UDR/EMI (2012) Back in 1997, when guitar legend Ritchie Blackmore decided to abandon the world of classic Rock and instead indulge in his medieval folk musical fantasies with the help of his … Continue reading

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MOONSPELL – “ALPHA NOIR”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

MOONSPELL – “ALPHA NOIR” NAPALM RECORDS (2012) You know when you really begin to realise that you are getting older? When a band whose music you first came across what seems like only yesterday are celebrating their twentieth anniversary! One … Continue reading

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GRAND MAGUS – “THE HUNT”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

GRAND MAGUS – “THE HUNT” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Since their inception back in 1996, Swedish Heavy Metal trio Grand Magus have experienced quite a few label changes in their quest to achieve maximum value in the Metal market. Though their … Continue reading

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CANDICE NIGHT – Reflections

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

UDR/EMI (2012) The name “Candice Night” was first heard back in 1995 when she provided guest vocals on Rainbow’s tenth and final studio album “Stranger In Us All”. Though her impact was only really felt on the amazing ballad “Ariel”, … Continue reading

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JOB FOR A COWBOY – “DEMONOCRACY”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

JOB FOR A COWBOY – “DEMONOCRACY” METAL BLADE (2012) Job For A Cowboy is a Death Metal/Deathcore quintet that was first unleashed upon the world back in 2003 and which, almost from day one, has enjoyed the full support of … Continue reading

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SIX FEET UNDER – “UNDEAD”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

SIX FEET UNDER – “UNDEAD” METAL BLADE (2012) When Chris Barnes decided to leave US legends Cannibal Corpse in order to pursue a different musical path with Six Feet Under back in 1993, my initial reaction was not that positive … Continue reading

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