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Category Archives: PURE METAL (All posts)
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 →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, heavy metal, review, Vampire
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Album review : U.D.O. – Steelhammer Live From Moscow

AFM Records [Release date 23.05.14] I’m not really a fan of live albums and these days they are a dime a dozen with certain bands releasing what seems like endless streams of them. So what does Mr Udo Dirkschneider have … 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, heavy metal, heavy rock, review, Steelhammer Live From Moscow, U.D.O, Udo Dirkschneider
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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: 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 →
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
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Tagged gig, Jonas Reingold, prog, progressive, review, rock, Roine Stolt, Simon Collins, Sound Of Contact, The Flower Kings
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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
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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 →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Earth Crisis, heavy metal, review, Salvation Of Innocents
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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 →
Gig review: METAL ALLIANCE 2014 – Tremont Music Hall, North Carolina
I hate my Birthday. Hate it with a deep passion. It has nothing to do with getting older. I really couldn’t care less about my age. It’s just a number. I hate it mostly because I link my Birthday with … Continue reading →
Gig Review: GAZPACHO – 02 Islington Academy, London, 15 April 2014

Support Acts: Se Delan, Bruce and Jon from the Pineapple Thief Review and photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis On the 15 April I decided to ignore the fact that I was travelling the following day, and surrendered instead to my … Continue reading →
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
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Tagged 15 April 2014, Gazpacho, gig, London, metal, O2 Islington Academy, review
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Album review: MAYHEM – Psywar

Season Of Mist [Release 25.4.2014] Controversy and instability have characterised Norwegian Black Metal pioneers Mayhem since their very inception back in 1984, so when long standing guitarist Blasphemer decided to leave the fold after thirteen years of active service nobody … Continue reading →
Gig review: WITHIN TEMPTATION/Delain – Manchester Apollo, 11 April 2014

As I arrive at the venue tonight a full hour before it opens the draw of the bands is evident as the queues are already stretching up the road for this rearranged show. The tour originally due to be in … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
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Tagged 11 April 2014, Delain, gig, Manchester Apollo, review, symphinic metal, Within Temptation
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Album review: MORBUS CHRON – Sweven

Century Media – Out Now. Death, Autopsy, Voivod, Darkthrone. These are names that have helped shape the history and character of extreme Metal throughout the decades and whose music has and continues to influence hundreds, if not thousands, of young … Continue reading →
Album review: NERVOSA – Victim Of Yourself

Napalm Records – Out Now. Press releases are like propaganda leaflets: they allow you quick access to information otherwise unattainable, but by nature they are massively biased and their accuracy questionable. Normally I try not to pay much attention to … Continue reading →
Gig review: RIVERSIDE – O2 Liverpool Academy, 5 April 2014

Support Act: Votum Review and Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Polish Prog Metal outfit Riverside have acquired a reputation for being a top quality live band over the years, so accepting this gig assignment was a no-brainer to me. Now, … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
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Tagged 5 April 2014, gig, Liverpool O2 Academy, Poland, Polish, prog, progressive, progressive metal, review, RIVERSIDE, Votum
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Album review: WOLAND – Hyperion

Indie Recordings – Out Now. The start of 2014 has been quite exciting as far as new music is concerned as most of the albums I have been asked to review have been by bands whose work I have never … Continue reading →
Album review: INCURA – Incura

Inside Out – Out Now. Canadian quintet Incura I have only just discovered, through their same-titled debut release, but the fact that they are releasing this work under the moniker of Inside Out was enough to make me jump up … Continue reading →
Album review: HIRAX – Immortal Legacy

Steamhamer/SPV – Out Now. When you think of the San Francisco Thrash Metal scene, the very first band name that springs to mind is that of Metallica, closely followed by Exodus and Slayer. It takes a pretty knowledgeable and devoted … Continue reading →

