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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: SQUEEZE – Roundhouse, London, 22 November 2024
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Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
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Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
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Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
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Gig review: WHEN RIVERS MEET, CHANTEL MCGREGOR, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES – Dingwalls, London, 7 November 2024
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Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – 02 Arena, London, 6 November 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
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Album review: THE MOTELS – All Four One, Little Robbers
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Album review : THE RUNAWAYS – Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin (5 CD boxset)
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Album review: THE LIVESAYS – Hold On…Life Is Calling
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Album review: CONDITION RED – Illusion Of Truth
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Album review: DOUG ABRAHAM – Better Late Than…
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Album review: MAGENTA – The Twenty Seven Club
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Features
Single & EP Reviews
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Author Archives: Yiannis
Gig review: ANGRA – Camden Underworld, London, 24 June 2014
Support Act: Stormborn Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Planning a gig in London during the Football World Cup in full swing is equivalent to commercial suicide for most bands but the fact that it’s been … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 24 June 2014, ANGRA, Camden, gig, London, metal, power metal, review, Underworld
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Interview with TIM BOWNESS – 19 June 2014
Singer, songwriter, record label owner…Tim Bowness has stuck his skilled fingers in many different musical pies over the years but “Abandoned Dancehall Dreams”, his first proper solo effort, finds the Englishman finally fully taking charge of his artistic destiny. Having … Continue reading
Album Review: TIM BOWNESS – Abandoned Dancehall Dreams
Inside Out – Out Now. Tim Bowness is a much sought after singer/songwriter who is best known as Steven Wilson’s creative other half in the experimental Art Rock / Dream Pop outfit No-Man. Various collaborations have resulted in an impressive … Continue reading
Album Review: OPIUM WARLORDS – Taste My Sword Of Understanding
Svart Records – Out Now. Last time I decided to write a review for one of Sami Albert Hynnien’s musical projects, I was not impressed by the offering in question.I like to consider myself as a fairly open-minded person but … Continue reading
Album Review: RAGE – The Soundchaser Archives
Nuclear Blast – Out Now. It was not very long after they released their debut album “Reign Of Fear” back in 1986 that the German Thrash/Power Metalers Rage were first brought to my attention and subsequent heart-stopping performances, one in … Continue reading
Album Review: TORTORUM – Katabasis
W.T.C Productions – Out Now. Born three years ago and bred in Bergen, the unofficial capital of Scandinavian Black Metal, this Norwegian trio has a very important heritage to live up to. This a task that the lads in Tortorum … Continue reading
Album Review: MAYHEM – Esoteric Warfare
Seasons Of Mist – Out Now. Suicide, Murder, church burnings…when one considers that such extreme events have influenced the productive process of the Norwegian Black Metal outfit Mayhem since pretty much day one, seven years without releasing any new material … Continue reading
Album Review: CARNIFEX – Die Without Hope
Nuclear Blast – Out Now. Carnifex is a new name to me, but the Californian Deathcore quintet has been playing loud and thought – provoking music for quite some time now. It was back in 2005 that this outfit was … Continue reading
Album Review: CARNIFEX – Die Without Hope
Nuclear Blast [Release date 03.03.14] Carnifex is a new name to me, but the Californian Deathcore quintet has been playing loud and thought – provoking music for quite some time now. It was back in 2005 that this outfit was … Continue reading
Album Review: MEKONG DELTA – In A Mirror Darkly
Steamhammer/SPV – Out Now. A good thirty years since their inception, and German Prog Thrashers Mekong Delta continue to be an unknown entity for quite a few Metalheads out there – a state of affairs that surprises and annoys me … Continue reading
Album review: TRIPTYKON – Melana Chasmata
Century Media – Out Now. When Celtic Frost decided to ‘pull the plug’ for a second time in their career back in 2008, the world of extreme Metal began mourning the loss of perhaps its most innovative and influential bands. … Continue reading
Album review: BURZUM – The Ways Of Yore
Byelobog Productions – Out Now. Since his release from prison back in 2009, Kristian “Varg” Vikernes has found himself in a truly creative mode, with every passing year witnessing the release of another new Burzum album. His first recordings as … Continue reading
Album review: MOUNT SALEM – Endless
Metal Blade – Out Now. 70s Heavy Rock is back in fashion. I do not suggest for a moment that bands like Black Sabbath, Cream and Pentagram ever stopped being a massive influence on young artists, especially those of a … Continue reading
Album review: VADER – Tibi Et Igni
Nuclear Blast [Release date 30.05.14] Line-up changes have been a constant feature in the life of the Death Metal combo Vader since their inception back in 1983 but, as their relatively modest album collection clearly suggests, every new addition has … Continue reading
Album review: DESTRANGE – Are You Kidding Me? No.
Metal Blade – Out Now. Attracting the attention of a label as established and well respected as Metal Blade is no easy feat, however, Italian Technical Metalers Destranged have achieved precisely that. It was on the strength of their 2012 … Continue reading
Album Review: VAMPIRE – Vampire
Century Media – Out Now. As someone who has been actively supporting extreme Metal bands for the last thirty or so years, I am both pleased and proud to find genres such as Thrash, Death and Black Metal in such … Continue reading
Album review: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM – No Place For Disgrace 2014
Metal Blade – Out Now. For better or worse, Flotsam And Jetsam will always be known as the band where ex-Metallica bassist learned his skills and that is perhaps the reason why “Doomsday For The Deceiver” (1986), the band’s debut … Continue reading
Gig review: IAN ANDERSON – Regent Theatre, Ipswich, 10 May 2014
Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ian Anderson has been confusing and entertaining Rock fans around the globe since he first formed the short lived The Blades back in 1963. While his latest ‘solo’ effort “Homo Erraticus” has … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 10 May 2014, gig, Homo Erraticus, Ian Anderson, Ipswich, Jethro Tull, prog.progressive, Regent Theatre, review, rock
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Gig review: THE FLOWER KINGS – O2 Islington Academy, London, 8 May 2014
Support Act: Sound Of Contact Review and photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Performing a show in London on the same day that Yes are headlining the legendary Royal Albert Hall is the worst scenario for any Prog Rock band and … Continue reading
Album review: ADMIRAL SIR CLOUDESLEY SHOVELL – Check ‘Em Before You Wreck ‘Em
Rise Above – Out Now. The first time I came across an article featuring the name of the Psychedelic/Hard Rock/Heavy Metal trio…Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, I have to admit I was probably put off by it – the name, I … Continue reading
Album review: BIGELF – Into The Maelstrom
Inside Out – Out Now. Back in 2010, Prog Metal’s finest band Dream Theater went on the road in support of their then latest album “Black Clouds & Silver Linings” and with them brought us as an opening act the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Bigelf, Into The Maelstrom, progressive metal, review, rock
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Album review: EARTH CRISIS – Salvation Of Innocents
Candlelight Records – Out Now. Earth Crisis is a band whose name always aroused my curiosity but whose music, for reasons I truly cannot comprehend, I have never felt too motivated to listen to. Is it the fact that people … Continue reading
Album review: DORNENREICH – Freiheit
Prophecy Productions – Out Now. Even though they began life as a Melodic Black Metal act back in 1996, it was not long before Austrian trio Dornenreich started to follow a similar route to the majority of their Norwegian contemporaries … Continue reading
Album review: MESSENGER – Illusory Blues
Svart Records – Out Now. Forty years ago, Britain was the epicentre of all things prog and psychedelic, but with time, it started to gradually share its unique status with other European countries, mainly those in Northern Europe. While one … Continue reading
Album review: CONAN – Blood Eagle
Napalm Records – Out Now. As the birthplace of Black Sabbath, Great Britain has always been the ultimate breeding ground for Doom Metal bands, so the fact that Doom/Stoner trio Conan also hails from the Albion is no great surprise. … Continue reading
