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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: BLACK EYED SONS- The Lexington, London, 16 December 2024
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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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Featured Album Reviews
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Album review: THE FIRST CLASS – Beach Baby – The Complete Recordings (3 CD set)
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Album review: BAD TOUCH – Truth Be Told
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Album review: DAN REED NETWORK – Let’s Hear It For The King
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Album review: SAXON – Denim And Leather, Power And The Glory, Crusader (reissues)
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Album review: BLACK BEAR KISS – Black Bear Kiss (and album launch – 3 March 2023)
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Album review: DRAGONFORCE – Reaching Into Infinity
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Features
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Tag Archives: progressive metal
Gig review: SONS OF APOLLO – Manchester Academy, 1 October 2018
It always amazes me how a less than mainstream band (even though heavyweights in their own right) can attract a sizeable crowd on a Monday night. It’s highly unlikely there were many students at this gig, although within rolling out … Continue reading
Album review: HAKEN – L-1ve
Inside Out [Release date 20.06.18] UK prog metalers Haken have the world at their feet these days. Top ranking album reviews and in depth interviews adorn the pages of some of the most high profile music magazines such as … Continue reading
Gig review: G3 2018 – JOE SATRIANI, JOHN PETRUCCI, ULI JON ROTH – Manchester Apollo, 27 April 2018
There was a moment in this latest iteration of the global guitar circus that it all fell into place. Two-and-a-half hours in, during a stellar version of ‘Super Funky Badass’ Joe Satriani underlined why we worship our guitar heroes. The … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 27 April 2018, classic metal, Dream Theater, G3 2018, gig, guitar, guitarist, hard rock, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Manchester Apollo, progressive metal, review, Scorpions, Uli Jon Roth
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Album review: BOREALIS – The Offering
AFM Records [Release date 23.03.18] Borealis started out in 2005 as a female fronted symphonic metal band before guitarist Matt Marinelli took over vocal duties in 2007. They have changed bassists since their last album with Trevor McBride replacing original … Continue reading
Gig review: OPERATION: MINDCRIME (Geoff Tate) – Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd, 14 January 2018
I won’t bore you with the details of the acrimonious Queensryche break up and fall out that followed, but in summary after a court case in 2012/14 Geoff Tate is the only person that can perform the classic Operation Mindcrime … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 14 January 2018, GEOFF TATE, gig, hard rock, Muni Arts Centre, Operation: Mindcrime, Pontypridd, progressive metal, Queensryche, review
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Album review: THRESHOLD – Legends Of The Shires
Nuclear Blast [Release date 08.09.17] Threshold have been in the metal news a lot recently after vocalist Damian Wilson left the band in March and they announced former vocalist Glynn Morgan was returning to the band – he left them back … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, The Best of 2017
Tagged album, Damian Wilson, Glynn Morgan, Karl Groom, Legends Of The Shires, metal, Nuclear Blast, prog metal, progressive metal, review, Richard West, Threshold
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Album review: EXIST – So True, So Bound
Prosthetic Records [Release date 09.06.17] I’ve made it no secret my undying love for all things Chuck Schuldiner (Death, Control Denied…not so much Voodookult) and even the band Cynic formed by former members of Death ranks as some of my … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Exist, metal, progressive metal, review, So Bound, So True
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Gig review: DELAIN, Evergrey – O2 Ritz, Manchester, 12 November 2016
In May 2013, David Randall chatted to Charlotte Wessels at the time of the release of their first mini-album for Napalm Records, ‘Interlude’. Their chat includes references to the early development of the band, the split from the Roadrunner label, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 12 November 2016, Delain, Evergrey, gig, goth, interview, Kobra And The Lotus, Manchester, melodic, metal, O2 Ritz, progressive metal, review, symphonic
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Quick plays: REDLINE MESSIAH, OPERATION: MINDCRIME, SEVENTH WONDER
REDLINE MESSIAH Buzzbomd Records Redline Messiah hail from the Mid-West and are made up from a melting pot of Chicago and California punk and metal veterans. Having formed only last year, the band’s debut album is a punk laced melodic … Continue reading
Album review: TILT – Hinterland
Tilt Music Some albums come out of nowhere with no expectations and simply blow you away musically. Tilt’s debut ‘Hinterland’ is one of those albums and I was hooked from the first playing of this album. The album itself has … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Camel, Dave Stewart, Fish, Hinterland, It Bites, John Mitchell, metal, Paul Dorley, progressive, progressive metal, review, Robin Boult, rock, Steve Vantis, Tilt
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Album review: KARMAKANIC – Dot
Inside Out – Out Now. Fans of Progressive Rock music really need not be told who Jonas Reingold is. Most of the bands that this tall and highly talented Swede has been involved in (see Kaipa, The Flower Kings, The … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Dot, Jonas Reingold, Kaipa, Karmakanic, progressive metal, review, The Flower Kings
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Album review: EVERGREY – The Storm Within
AFM Records [Release date 09.09.16] Evergrey very nearly called it a day a few years back but they regrouped with drummer Jonas Ekdahl and guitarist Henrik Danhage rejoining the band. 2014′s ‘Hymns For The Broken’ was a real return to … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Evergrey, Floor Jansen, progressive, progressive metal, review, the Storm Within, Tom S Englund
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Album review: BEHOLDER – Reflections
Razorline [Release date 12.04.16] Since 2003 Beholder have been tearing venues up all around the country. The band from the UK Midlands have been flying the flag for British Heavy Metal and Progressive Metal in the underground scene amassing a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Beholder, Gojira, Mastodon, metal, Progresive, progressive metal, Reflections, review, uk
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Album review: CIRCUS MAXIMUS – Havok
Frontiers www.frontiers.it [Release date 18.03.16] Circus Maximus have been around since 2000 and this is album number four from them. Previously they have been more into straight ahead prog metal recalling bands like Kamelot and Symphony X, this time though … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Circus Maximus, Havok, melodic, metal, prog, progressive metal, review, rock
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Gig review: THRESHOLD – O2 Islington Academy, London, 24 January 2016
This was a progressive/symphonic metal triple-header, but sadly I only caught the dying embers of the Damnation Angels as I ascended the stairs. Pretty good it sounded too, but the Northern Line had effectively robbed me of the set. French … Continue reading
Quick plays: ASHBY, AMELIA WHITE, SHADES OF SORROW
ASHBY Fragmental [Release date 13.11.15] Ashby are a progressive rock quintet from Germany. Fronted by Sabina Mosel, three thoughts immediately struck me a vocal symmetry with Sam Brown and Doris Brendel, a proggy sound that put the band in a … Continue reading
Album review: QUEENSRYCHE – Condition Human
Century Media [Release date 02.10.15] Queensryche release their second studio album featuring former Crimson Glory vocalist Todd La Torre just a couple of weeks after former vocalist Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindchrime released their latest album. Coincidence or deliberate timing? Either … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classic rock, Condition Human, metal, prog, progressive metal, Queensryche, review
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Album review: ROYAL HUNT – XIII : Devil’s Dozen
Frontiers Records [Release date 21.08.15] Danish progressive metal kings Royal Hunt return with “Devil’s Dozen” which is, surprise surprise, their 13th studio album. The man behind Royal Hunt and its music always has been (and always will be) keyboard maestro … Continue reading
Album Review: – PYOGENESIS – A Century In The Curse Of Time
AFM Records [release date 14.08.15] Pyogenesis are back with “A Century In The Curse Of Time”…their first studio album in over 13 years…but as I’ve never heard of them this isn’t really much of a concern. The accompanying press release … Continue reading
Interview: HENRIK DANHAGE (Evergrey) – June 2015
Five years ago Progressive Power metallers Evergrey looked as if they were heading nowhere, their towering front man actually contemplating calling it quits. Today, however, things could not have been any different as the Gothenburg-based quintet is a well-oiled machine, … Continue reading
Quick plays: HEKZ, STARSET, HANNE KOLSTO
HEKZ – Caerus Cherry Red Records [Released 03.11.14] This is the second album from up and coming UK based progressive metal band HeKz. They have been picked up by Cherry Red Records who will do a good job I am … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, alt rock, Caerus, electro pop, Hanne Kolsto, HeKz, Linkin Park, nu-metal, pop, progressive metal, review, rock, Starset, Transmissions
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News: Get Ready to ROCK! Radio – December 2014 highlights
December 2014 Highlights More information at the dedicated website Check back here as we add new features throughout the month. All times, GMT We are posting selected shows to our Mixcloud page. Photo: Simon Dunkerley Special features this month Christmas … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, NEWS
Tagged Biff Byford, blues, Christmas, December 2014, feature, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, interview, Mike Vernon, progressive metal, radio, rock, Saxon, session
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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
Album review: EVERGREY – Hymns For The Broken
www.afm.de AFM Records [Released 26.09.14] First off fans of the band should be glad main man Tom S. Englund kept the band going as at one point he had seriously considered calling time on the band. However having two returning … 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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