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Category Archives: PURE METAL (All posts)
Album review: METSATOLL – Karjajuht

Spinefarm Records – Out Now. Estonia may hardly be the epicentre of all things Metal but a quick search on any well-informed music-related Internet site will reveal that this beautiful country located in the Baltic region of Northern Europe has … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Karjajuht.folk meetal, Metsatoll, review
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Album review: CROWBAR – Symmetry In Black

Century Media – Out Now. News of Kirk Windstein’s departure from the ranks of Sludge Metal super-group Down a few months ago should not come as a great surprise to those who are aware of the common threads that run … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Crowbar, heavy metal, review, sludge metal, Symmetry In Black
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Album review: CANNIBAL CORPSE – A Skeletal Domain

Metal Blade – Out Now. I have to be honest with you: when I first heard that the new Cannibal Corpse album was going to be produced by Mark Lewis, a man responsible for recording more modern-sounding bands such as … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged A Skeletal Domain, album, Cannibal Corpse, Death Metal, review
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Gig review: DARK TRANQUILLITY – The Underworld, London, 9 November 2014

Support Acts: Amoral, Acyl Review and photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis The secret to musical longevity is difficult to define, however, there are bands like the Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal quintet Dark Tranquillity who seem to know very well what … Continue reading →
Interview with MICHALIS MOATSOS (Endless Recovery) – 15 October 2014

It may be true that Thrash Metal has been enjoying a revival of sorts these last few years, however, the passion and energy that characterised this great genre in the mid-80s has long been sacrificed in return for polished production … Continue reading →
Interview with MARCEL “SCHMIER” SCHIRMER (Destruction) – 8 October 2014

Fronting a band as legendary as the Thrash Metal trio Destruction for the better part of 31 years is probably not easy but Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer has managed to do so with passion and professionalism. Following a four year hiatus, … Continue reading →
Gig review: MESSENGER – The Borderline, London, 15 October 2014

Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis In the short period since they first came together as a band back in 2012, Psychedelic/Progressive Rock troupe Messenger have really made their presence felt in the music world. Having … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
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Tagged 15 October 2014, Borderline, gig, Messenger, prog, progressive, psychedelic, review
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Album review: LUNATIC SOUL – Walking On A Flashlight Beam

Kscope – Out Now. Inspiration is an interesting thing. While most us mere mortals struggle to come up with anything remotely interesting to offer to the world in artistic terms, others like the Polish musician/composer Mariusz Duda are constantly creating … Continue reading →
Album review: RIGOR MORTIS – Slaves To The Grave

Rigor Mortis Records – Out Now. The story of Texan Speed/Thrash Metal quartet Rigor Mortis is a pretty fascinating one indeed. Having first formed back in 1983 by schoolboy friends Harden Harrison (drums) & Casey Orr (bass), they were the … Continue reading →
Album review: EXODUS – Blood In, Blood Out

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. There has been a significant number of changes taking place in the line-up of the California-based Thrash Metal legends Exodus over the last thirty four years but none has come close to being more debilitating … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Blood In, Blood Out, Exodus, metal, review
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Gig review: DESTRUCTION – The Underworld, London, 8 October 2014

Support Act: Shrapnel, Lost Society, Evil Invaders Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Attending Metal shows, even those taking place right in the middle of the week, is, strangely, still something I do with the passion … Continue reading →
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
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Tagged 8 October 2014, Camden Underworld, Destruction, gig, London, review, thrash metal
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Album review: VAINAJA – Kadotetut

Svart Records – Out Now. How I love discovering new bands; and I am especially referring to those which, though respectful of their musical influences, are not afraid to try to bring something new to the table. The latest such … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Death, Doom, Kadoetetut, metal, review, Vainaja
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Album review: DARK FORTRESS – Venereal Dawn

Century Media – Out Now. Ever since their first demo “Rebirth Of The Dark Age” saw the light of day back in 1996, German sextet Dark Fortress has been one of the most prolific entities in the international Black Metal … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Black Metal, German, Germany, review, Venereal Dawn, Vicious Rumors
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Album review: SOLSTAFIR – Otta

Season Of Mist [Release date 01.09.14] Iceland may be one of the most barren places on earth but the same cannot be said about its music scene – which is a rich gathering of like-minded and highly artistic people that … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Iceland, metal, Otta, progressive, review, Solstafir
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Album review: THE HAUNTED – Exit Wounds

Century Media [Release date 25.08.14] To lose one founding member may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness… Now, I am not normally in the habit of paraphrasing Oscar Wilde when writing music reviews but this … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Exit Wounds, metal, review, The Haunted
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Album review: U.D.O. – Steelhammer Live From Moscow

AFM Records [Release date 26.05.14] It was thirteen years ago that ex-Accept frontman Udo Dirkschneider recorded his solo band’s first ever live album in Russia and, if the AFM Records press release is to be believed, the very same logic … Continue reading →
Album review: TUSMORKE – Riset Bak Speilet

Svart Records – Out Now. Some people may have all the luck in the world but then the majority of us have to try really hard in order to achieve our goals in life. Take Norwegian Folk Rock quartet Tusmorke … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, folk rock, Jethro Tull, Norway, review, Riset Bak Speilet, Tusmorke
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Interview with TOM S ENGLUND & JOHAN NIEMANN (Evergrey) – 22 August 2014

Less than a year ago, following another unwanted line-up change, Evergrey were on the brink of calling it a day. A few months later, Evergrey welcomed back in its ranks two of its most important old members and with their … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Interviews
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Tagged August 2014, Evergrey, interview, Johan Niemann, metal, progressive metal, rock, Tom S Englund
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Album review: THE PINEAPPLE THIEF – Magnolia

KScope – [Release date 15.9.14] Bruce Soord must have felt both pretty chuffed and stressed in equal measure the moment he realised the success achieved by The Pineapple Thief’s 2012 opus “All The Wars” – pleased because this album was … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Magnolia, prog, Progressive Rock, review, The Pineapple Thief
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Interview with NIGE ROCKETT (Onslaught) – 4 August 2014

British Thrash Metal combo Onslaught are a band I have been supporting since day one, so reviewing their London show and interviewing their long term guitarist Nige Rockett was something I was looking forward to. While the former was achieved … Continue reading →
Posted in INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Interviews
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Tagged August 2014, interview, Nige Rockett, onslaught, thrash metal
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Album review: TANKARD – R.I.B. (Rest In Beer)

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. Looking at Tankard’s discography, one cannot fail but be impressed by the incredible consistency of this German outfit. Since their inception back in 1982, the German Weltmeisters of humour-driven Thrash Metal have been pretty much … Continue reading →
Album review: OVERKILL – White Devil Armory

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. Few bands have a work ethic and determination that is even remotely comparable to that of the New Jersey based Thrash/Speed Metal outfit Overkill. Even during the mid 90s, the time when Grunge’s dominance led … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, metal, Overkill, review, speed, Thrash, White Devil Armory
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Album review: SEPTICFLESH – Titan

Season Of Mist – Out Now. When the members of the Symphonic Death Metal outfit Septicflesh (originally Septic Flesh) decided to call it a day back in 2003, there were quite a few of their fans, myself included, who truly … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Death Metal, review, Septicflesh, symphonic, Titan
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Interview with MICHAEL BASTHOL DAHL (Artillery) – 20 July 2014

Of the Thrash Metal bands that made their appearance in the early 80s, the one perhaps less deserving of the total lack of support provided by the music industry were the Danish quintet Artillery. Following a few well-documented break-ups and … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Interviews
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Tagged Artillery, interview, July 2014, Michael Basthol Dahl, thrash metal
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Gig review: ONSLAUGHT – O2 Islington Academy, London, 20 July 2014

Support Act: Artillery, Nightlord, One Machine Review and photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis July is not the best of months to arrange a gig in London. This is the time of the year when most people are either counting their … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
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Tagged 20 July 2014, gig, London, metal, O2 Islington Academy, onslaught, review, Thrash
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