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Category Archives: Pure Metal/Album reviews
Album review : ANVIL – One And Only
AFM Records [Release date: 28.06.24] There’s Old School Heavy Metal bands, and there’s Anvil. On their 20th album now, the aptly titled One And Only, these Canadian legends have shed any pretence of “modernising” their sound, reaching back to the … Continue reading
Album review : NIGHTMARE – Encrypted
AFM Records [Release date: 06.06.24] Formed in 1979, French Power Metal band, Nightmare have been worshipping the mighty riff for 11 albums now. Their 12th album, Encrypted, sees ex Songbird songbird, Barbara Mogore (a smart bit of recruitment by Yves … Continue reading
Album review : RHAPSODY OF FIRE – Challenge The Wind
AFM Records [Release date : 31.05.24] Fans of the Symphonic Metal genre will know ROF is a band big on concept. This new album, Challenge The Wind, is the third in their “Nephilim Empire Saga”. The second, Glory For Salvation, … Continue reading
Album review: WARHORSE – The Recordings 1970-72
Cherry Red [Release date : 26.04.24] In 1970, on leaving Deep Purple, bassist/songwriter, Nick Simper, joined Marsha Hunt’s backing band, later striking out on its own under the band name, Warhorse. In the seventies, Metal and Hard Rock blossomed in … Continue reading
Album review: BALANCE OF POWER – Fresh From The Abyss
Massacre Records [Release date 19.04.24] Balance of Power are a band this reviewer has been aware of, mainly for featuring former vocalist Lance King, but would never class myself as a fan. Balance Of Power seemingly went missing in action … Continue reading
Album review : BLOODBOUND – The Tales Of Nosferatu – Two Decades Of Blood (CD and DVD)
AFM Records [Release date : 19.04.24] It was 20 years ago today that Swedish keyboard player Fredrik Bergh and guitarist Tomas Olsson jumped the genre ship from AOR to Power Metal. They left behind popular melodic rock band, Street Talk, … Continue reading
Album review: P.O.D. – Veritas
Mascot Records [Release date 05.05.24] It has been 30 years since they broke onto the scene with their debut album. Being a keen Nu-Metal fan, this was very exciting for me and highly anticipated. I was hoping that the album would … Continue reading
Album review : FIREWIND – Stand United
AFM Records [Release date : 08.03.24] 10th album from Power Metal band, Firewind. The band, Gus G, Herbie Langans, Petros Cristo and Jo Nunez have established their Power Metal credentials over and over again during the last 25 years, with … Continue reading
Album review : TROJAN / TALION – The Complete Recordings 1984/90 (5 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.03.24] Boxset of remastered material from UK Thrash/Speed Metal band, Trojan, aka Talion. 5 CDs, 49 tracks. CD1: TROJAN : Chasing The Storm studio album, 1985 CD2: TROJAN : Capturing The Storm – Live At … Continue reading
Album review : LEAVES’ EYES – Myths Of Fate
AFM Records [Release date : 22.03.24] Fans of the band, or even just the genre, will know that German Symphonic Metal band, Leaves’ Eyes are totally immersed in Nordic and Celtic mythology. Pipes, fiddles, choirs, growls, all spin up through … Continue reading
Album review : KMFDM – Let Go
Metropolis Records [Release date : 02.02.24] KMFDM’s 23rd album is a mixed bag of sights and sounds, each one contributing to a predominant image of a patchwork musical quilt. Each track is an auditory outcry, all cleverly stitched together in … Continue reading
Album review: DYMYTRY – Five Angry Men
AFM Records [Release date : 26.01.24] Second English language album from Czech Power Metal band, Dymytry, (their sixth overall). The arrival of vocalist, Alen Lubic has made all the difference in creating an international appeal. Musically, this new album is … Continue reading
Album review: EXIT EDEN – Femme Fatales
Napalm Records [Release date 12.01.24] Exit Eden are down to the trio of Clémentine Delauney (Visions Of Atlantis), Anna Brunner (League Of Distortion) and Marina La Torraca (Phantom Elite), for this, their second album, after Amanda Somerville left the band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged Amanda Somerville, Anna Brunner, Clémentine Delauney, Exit Eden, Femme Fatales, Heart, League Of Distortion, Marillion, Marina La Torraca, melodic metal, Napalm Records, Nightwish, Pet Shop Boys, Phantom Elite, symphonic metal, Visions Of Atlantis
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Album review: METALITE – Expedition One
AFM Records [Release date 19.01.24] Is this 15 track, high concept sci-fi metal album meant to be fun? Because it most certainly is. Not funny, but fun. It’s high energy, as well as high concept. It’s got a slick, sophisticated, … Continue reading
Album review: THE GRANDMASTER – Black Sun
Frontiers Music [Release date: 12.01.24] For The Grandmaster’s second album, mainman, guitarist and Edguy co-founder, Jens Ludwig has recruited ex Fate vocalist, Peer Johansson. Surprisingly, given the accessibility of the material they created in previous employment, much of Black Sun … Continue reading
Album review : EVERDAWN – Venera
Frontiers [Release date 08.12.23] Classy and classic symphonic metal from Everdawn. Who could ask for more? This US band made a few waves with their debut, (when they were known as Midnight Eternal), only to have internal disputes lead to … Continue reading
Album review : LAIBACH – Nova Akropola (3 CD set)
Cherry Red [Release date : 01.12.23] It was only when Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, that avant garde, politically aware metal band, Laibach gained wider acceptance in the country of their birth. Culturally, Yugoslavia was already the most … Continue reading
Album review : LILLIAN AXE – The Box Volume One Resurrection
Cherry Red / HNE [Release Date : 24.11.23] Lillian Axe is the thinking man’s heavy metal band. Even if you hadn’t heard the music, mainman Steve Blaze (writer/guitarist/producer) writes a cracking set of liner notes. Here is just a glimpse: … Continue reading
Album review : SECRET SPHERE – Blackened Heartbeat
Frontiers [Release date 10.11.23] Blackened Heart is the tenth studio album from the EU’s Power Metal poster boys, Secret Sphere. It’s also the second with original vocalist, Roberto Messina, who reunited with the band on 2021’s Lifeblood, after an 8 … Continue reading
Album review: DORO – Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud
Nuclear Blast [Release date 27.10.23] Doro Pesch is one of metal’s most consistent performers, both on stage and in the studio, having lost none of her vocal range and power, as opener ‘Children Of The Dawn’ ably illustrates. The Queen … Continue reading
Album review : VENOM – Live From The Hammersmith Odeon (CD/DVD Deluxe Digipak)
Cherry Red [Release date : 27.10.23] Formed in England’s industrial North East in 1979, there was none heavier, none more extreme and indeed none more influential in the heavy metal genre than Venom. The band’s reputation was born out of … Continue reading
Album review : NUCLEAR ASSAULT – Radiation Sickness
Cherry Red/Dissonance [Release date : 13.10.23] Despite multiple break ups over the years, US Thrash Metal band, Nuclear Assault continued touring into the new millennium, only hanging their boots up last year. The band, formed by ex Anthrax bassist, Dan … Continue reading
Album review: IMPELLITTERI – The Complete Beast 1987-2009 (6 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date: 06.10.23] Every Impellitteri album from 1988 to 2009. Nine in all, and the band’s 2 EPs. Plus a score of bonus tracks. All shoehorned into 6 jampacked CDs. (Such was the weight of heavy metal contained … Continue reading
Album review: IRON SAVIOR – Firestar
AFM Records [Release date 06.10.23] Iron Savior’s 2020 album, Skycrest, signalled a new era of Power Metal. Three years later, the voyage of the mothership has apparently been sidelined temporarily, to allow a celebration of Teutonic and indeed, in places, … Continue reading
Album review : JACK STARR’S BURNING STARR – Metal Generation 1985-2017
Cherry Red [release date 08/09/23] It seems like Jack Starr’s bands have been playing gigs and cranking out albums ever since Heavy Metal became a thing. And yet, from his beginnings with Virgin Steele in 1982, to his primary music … Continue reading
