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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL- Thames Side Brewery, Staines, 8 December 2024
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Gig review: STRAY- The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 7 December 2024
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Gig review: THE SHEEPDOGS, THE COMMONERS- Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5 December 2024
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Gig review: GUN – Barrowlands, Glasgow, 14 December 2024
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Gig review: THE DAMN TRUTH – The Grace, London, 26 November 2024
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Gig review: LAZARUS HEIGHTS – The Auditorium, Bassilac, SW France, 7 December 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
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Album review: AL DI MEOLA – Opus
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Album review: DANKO JONES – Power Trio
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Album review: ALBERT CASTIGLIA – Masterpiece
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Album review: JK NORTHRUP & DAVID CAGLE – That’s Gonna Leave A Mark
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Album review: PRAYING MANTIS – Gravity
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Album review: SAXON – 10 Years Of Denim And Leather Live 1990/The CD Hoard (reissues)
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Features
Single & EP Reviews
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Tag Archives: melodic metal
Album review: ALLEN OLZON – Army Of Dreamers
Frontiers [release date: 09.09.22] The Russell Allen, Anette Olzon, Magnus Karlsson triumvirate mined a rich seam of melodic metal on their well received Allen Olzon debut, Separate Worlds, in 2020. Individually, they are accomplished musical artists… primarily, Olzon fronted Nightwish … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Anette Olzon, Hans Zimmer, Magnus Karlsson, melodic metal, review, Russell Allen
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Album review: DYNAZTY – Final Advent
AFM Records [Release date: 26.08.22] Guided by Love Magnusson and Nils Molin, the band’s influential guitarist and vocalist respectively, Dynazty successfully transitioned from melodic rock to symphonic rock several albums ago, with 2018′s Firesign getting the target “formula” just right. … Continue reading
Album review: BRIDEAR – Aegis Of Athena
Setsuzoku Records [Release date 13.05.22] All girl band, Bridear, from Fukuoka, Japan has created a global fanbase since its inception in 2014. Aegis of Athena is its third album. The band’s skilful merge of Melodic Metal and J-Pop might not … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Amaranthe. Operatic, Epica, Evanescence, heavy metal, J-Pop, melodic metal, progrock, review, rock, symphonic metal, Within Temptation
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Album review: JANI LIIMATEINAN – My Father’s Son
Frontiers [Release date: 06.05.22] “Solo” album from Sonata Arctica/ Insomnium/ Dark Element guitar man/ composer, Jani Liimateinen. Considering that he’s put this album together with a host of guest vocalists, the finished article is a strongly cohesive whole, with barely … Continue reading
Album review: FOZZY – Boombox
Mascot Records [Release date 06.05.22] Fozzy have been present on the rock scene for over two decades and their pedigree is clearly demonstrated on this latest album – it’s a master class in pure Rock ‘n’ Roll! Fozzy have had … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Boombox, Chris Jericho, Fozzy, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, melodic metal, metal, review, Rich Ward, rock
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Album review – SEMBLANT – Vermillion Eclipse
Frontiers [release date: 15.04.22] Semblant’s second album on the Frontiers label sees this Brazilian Melodic (Death) Metal band confidently cement its leading position in the “one to watch” category. The “Death” description is misleading, and only gets used in the … Continue reading
Album review: TREAT – The Endgame
Frontiers [Release date: 08.04.22] Here’s Treat again. The Endgame, produced by the talented Peter Mansson, is the band’s fourth album since their rebirth in 2006. In the world of second and third generation melodic rock, only Harem Scarem, Leverage and … Continue reading
Album review: SHINING BLACK – BOALS and THORSEN – Postcards From The End Of The World
Frontiers [Release date: 18.03.22] Shining Black’s 2020 self titled album collaboration was tuned into Hard Rock as much as it was to Melodic Metal. Guitarist, Olaf (Labyrinth, Vision Divine) Thorsen and singer, Mark (Malmsteen, Royal Hunt) Boals’ first musical marriage … Continue reading
Album review: EDGE OF FOREVER – Days Of Future Past (Remasters, 3 CD set)
Frontiers [Release date: 11.02.22] Frontiers’ golden boy, Alessandro Del Vecchio, formed Edge Of Forever in 2004. The label has now released the band’s back catalogue in a 3 CD, remastered set, titled Days Of Future Past, with a bonus track … Continue reading
Album review: TRICK OR TREAT – Creepy Symphonies
Scarlet Records [Release date 01.04.22] ‘Creepy Symphonies’ is the seventh studio album from Trick Or Treat, who always entertain with their music. Like Freedom Call, Trick Or Treat like to think of their music as happy metal. Vocalist Alle Conti … Continue reading
Album review: BATTLE BEAST – Circus of Doom
Nuclear Blast [Release date 21.01.22] Album number six from Battle Beast, after a bit of a gap since 2019’s highly enjoyable ‘No More Hollywood Endings’. Their line-up remains the same, namely Eero Sipilä (bass), Pyry Vikki (drums), Janne Björkroth (keytar), … Continue reading
Album review: THE FERRYMEN – One More River To Cross
Frontiers [Release date: 21.01.21] The Ferrymen are Magnus (Freefall/ Heart Healer) Karlsson, Ronnie (Lords Of Black/ Rainbow) Romero and Mike (Rage/ Axel Rudi Pell) Terrana. One More River To Cross is their third album on Frontiers, and this is a … Continue reading
Album review: SONATA ARTICA – Acoustic Adventures: Volume One
Atomic Fire Records [Release date 21.01.22] After Sonata Artica toured in 2016 with an acoustic set and then again in 2019. From these two successful tours the idea was born to capture these versions on two acoustic albums, the second … Continue reading
Album review: BEAST IN BLACK – Dark Connection
Nuclear Blast [Release date 29.10.21] Beast In Black, the band that love to mix synths, Europop beats and their love of Anime into the more traditional power metal mix. This is the band’s third album with both of their previous … Continue reading
Album review: FICTION SYXX – Ghost Of My Fathers Past
MR Records [Release date 04.08.21 digital/28.09.21 physical] Here we have the third album from Fiction Syxx who have been pretty consistent in releasing a new album every couple of years since they started back in 2017. The band consists of … Continue reading
Single review: MANIMAL – Armageddon and The Inevitable End
AFM Records [Release date 06.08.21] ‘Armageddon‘ is the title track and third “single” release from forthcoming new album from Sweden’s Manimal. As the song title suggests, this video version has lots of footage of global warfare, nuclear of course, clearly … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged AFM Records, Armageddon, Manimal, melodic metal, power metal, review, singles
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Album review: SOCIAL DISORDER – Love 2 Be Hated
AFM Records [Release date 18.6.21] Social Disorder is not just another punk rock band, in fact despite its misleading name (and album title), it’s not a punk rock band at all. Love 2 Be Hated is pretty cool melodic metal, … Continue reading
EP review : RHAPSODY OF FIRE – I’ll Be Your Hero
AFM Records [Release date 04.06.21] There’s no band more adept at sucking us into their fantasy world of bombastic, exhuberant Metal than Champions League Melodic Metal band, Rhapsody Of Fire. This is one of those rarities we call an EP. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Single and EP reviews
Tagged AFM Records, album, EP, melodic metal, power, review, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, symphonic
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Album review: SUNBOMB – Evil And Divine
Frontiers [Release date 15.05.21] An outsider may see Sunbomb as the completion of Michael Sweet’s journey to the darkside. A restlessly talented musician finally freeing himself from the strictures of Christian Rock, crossing into the world of the Sunset Strip’s … Continue reading
Quick plays: KATE VARGAS, TRICK OR TREAT, CRAIG CARDIFF
KATE VARGAS For the Wolfish & Wandering Bad Reputation This is Kate Vargas’s third album, released last year, and she has recently launched a Crowdfunding campaign to finance her next album. Her press bio has her down as a reformed … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, All This Time Running, Americana, Craig cardiff, folk, For the Wolfish & Wandering, indie, Kate Vargas, melodic metal, metal, power metal, review, roots, singer songwriter, the Unlocked Songs, Trick Or Treat
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EP review: SILVER NIGHTMARES – The Wandering Angel
Bandcamp [Release date 31.03.20] Silver Nightmares were formed in Palermo in 2018 by bassist Gabriele Esposito, drummer Alessio Maddaloni, keyboardist Gabriele Taormina with guitarist Mimmo Garofalo joining shortly after. They wrote, composed and orchestrated this, their first EP, which features … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged album, EP, melodic metal, metal, prog, prog metal, review, Silver Nightmares, The Wandering Angel
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EP review: TEMPERANCE – Melodies Of Green And Blue
Napalm Records [Release date 19.02.21] Italian melodic metal band Temperance have been around since 2013, releasing their latest studio album ‘Viridian’ last year. They also feature three vocalists, namely Alessia Scolletti, Michele Guaitoli and Marco Pastorino (although he is credited … Continue reading
Album review: ACCEPT – Too Mean To Die
Nuclear Blast [Release date 29.01.21] Accept, the German masters of heavy metal for more than 40 years and key influencers on bands such as Metallica and Iron Maiden, return with their 16th studio album – ‘Too Mean To Die’. Accept … Continue reading
Album review: IRON SAVIOR – Skycrest
AFM Records [Release date 04.12.20] Installed like a figurehead at the prow of European heavy metal, Piet Sielck’s Iron Savior proudly trail the story of this classic musical movement behind them. You could argue that along with Kai Hansen, Sielck … Continue reading
Album review: IRON MASK – Master Of Masters
AFM Records [Release date 05.12.20] For those who live and work outside Power Metal territory, bands like Iron Mask sound much like every other Power Metal band. When you’re on the inside though, perspective comes easy. Different musical styles readily … Continue reading
