Author Archives: Yiannis

Album review: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM – The End Of Chaos

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Yiannis

AFM Records [Release date 19.1.19] My infatuation with Flotsam And Jetsam and their unique brand of Metal began sometime in the late fall of 1988 – that is when, while watching a late-night episode of the now legendary, Baily Brothers … Continue reading →

Album review: THRASHIST REGIME – Carnival Of Monsters

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Yiannis

Fat Hippy [Release date 28.4.18] You return home from work tired, you had people yelling at you all day, your kids are crying because you didn’t bring them the new Lego with the millennium falcon expansion, the wife is giving … Continue reading →

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Album review: CULTURAL WARFARE – Warmageddon

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Yiannis

M-Theory Audio [Release date 14.9.18] Stop the press. There is a new player in Metal City that deserves your immediate and utmost attention. Hailing from Oakland US, this four-piece outfit takes a shot at making a Thrash Metal record and … Continue reading →

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Album review: METAL CHURCH – Damned If You Do

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Yiannis

Nuclear Blast [Release date 7.12.18] Metal Church rank up among the founders of the early US thrash metal scene. Although never quite breaking into first tier territory, they remain a worthy outfit to this day with a series of classic … Continue reading →

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Gig review: THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Biebob, Vosselaar, 27 November 2018

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Yiannis

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Biebob, Vosselaar – 27th November 2018

Had you asked me twenty or so years ago whether I would ever consider attending a show featuring a band whose singer is sporting a shiny purple suit the answer would be a resounding ‘no’. Funnily enough, that is exactly … Continue reading →

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Album review: ROINE STOLT’S THE FLOWER KING – Manifesto Of An Alchemist

Posted on November 22, 2018 by Yiannis

Inside Out [Release date 23.11.18] The last time Uppsala-born guitar maestro Roine Stolt released a solo record was eight years ago, when “Supernal Endgame – Touch The Sky” was first brought into this world. Accusing the sixty-two-year-old musician of tardiness, … Continue reading →

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Album review: ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN – Symphonized

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Yiannis

Inside Out [Release date 16.11.18] In the summer of 1992 a good friend came to mine for a visit carrying with him “Always…”, the debut release of an atmospheric Death Metal outfit named The Gathering. My attraction to the work … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Anneke van Giersbergen, live, metal, review, Symphonized, The Gathering | Leave a comment

Album review: THE TANGENT – Proxy

Posted on November 18, 2018 by Yiannis

Inside Out [Release date 16.11.18] Since I was first introduced to the music of The Tangent via “COMM” back in 2011, Andy Tillson and his Progressive Rock ensemble have released five studio albums, so calling them prolific would be nothing … Continue reading →

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Gig review: RIVERSIDE – De Casino, Sint Niklaas, 11 November 2018

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Yiannis

RIVERSIDE – De Casino, Sint Niklaas – 11th November 2018

The first time I attended a Riverside gig was back in April 2014 and those of you who read my review of the said show will remember that the overall experience involved a very long drive from London to Liverpool, … Continue reading →

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Gig review: POWERWOLF – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, 28 October 2018

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Yiannis

It is immensely gratifying to have a band, whose career you have been closely following since day one, reach such great levels of success – case in point here being the German Heavy/Power Metallers Powerwolf. Not many people were supportive … Continue reading →

Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews | Tagged 8 October 2018, Amaranthe, Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, gig, heavy metal, Kissin’ Dynamite, melodic metal, power metal, powerwolf, review | Leave a comment

Gig review: PRIMAL FEAR – Biebob, Vosselaar, 12 October 2018

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Yiannis

Ask me to compose a list with the best Metal albums for 2018 and you are almost certainly guaranteed to find Primal Fear’s latest studio effort “Apocalypse” somewhere near the very top. It may be a good two decades since … Continue reading →

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Gig review: VOIVOD – Magasin 4, Brussels, 9 October 2018

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Yiannis

Voivod – Magasin 4, Brussels, 9th October 2018

There was a time in my young adult life where the prospect of attending a Voivod show felt less of a possibility to manning a mission for the purpose of exploring the environs of planet Mars, so it is indeed … Continue reading →

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Album review: FATES WARNING – Live Over Europe

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Yiannis

Inside Out [Release date 29.06.18] A live album by Fates Warning is always a pretty welcoming proposition, as the US Prog Metal giants belong to that elite category of bands whose live performances outdo, in principal, those featured in … Continue reading →

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Album review: HAKEN – L-1ve

Posted on July 10, 2018 by Yiannis

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 →

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Album review: PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI – Emotional Tattoos

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Yiannis

. Inside Out [Out Now] Andy Tillison is a man whose opinion I value and truly respect. Many times in the past has the leader of the The Tangent sung the praises of the Italian Rock combo Premiata Forneria Marconi … Continue reading →

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Album review: KAIPA – Children Of The Sounds

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Yiannis

Inside Out [Release date 22.09.17] According to Cambridge Online Dictionary, inspiration is defined as “the use of imagination or original ideas to create something”. The artists of the ancient world believed that their abilities came from the Gods and prayed … Continue reading →

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Interview: METAL CHURCH (Mike Howe)

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Yiannis

Mike Howe is very happy man these days and it shows. Having returned to Metal Church after a twenty year period gap, the Michigan-born singer has help Kurdt Vanderhoof and Co create in “XI” one of the most impressive comeback … Continue reading →

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Interview: THE TANGENT (Andy Tillison)

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Yiannis

Andy Tillison is a man I had the pleasure of talking to a couple of times in the past so when I was asked whether I would be interested in having a chat with him with regards the release of … Continue reading →

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Album review: THE TANGENT – The Slow Rust Of Forgotten Machinery

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Yiannis

Inside Out [Release date 21.07.17] When Andy Tillison, leader and founding member of the Prog Rock ensemble The Tangent, first started putting together material for his 2003 debut “The Music That Died Alone”, little did he know that what started … Continue reading →

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Interview: GRAVE DIGGER (Chris Boltendahl)

Posted on June 18, 2017 by Yiannis

In my capacity as a music journalist, I have had the chance of meeting up and chatting with Grave Digger’s frontman Christ Boltendahl many times over the years and there’s never been a single occasion where I have found the … Continue reading →

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Album review: STEVE HACKETT – The Night Siren

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Yiannis

Inside Out [Release date 24.03.17] Those who were lucky enough to call themselves Genesis fans back in 1977 would most certainly think that guitarist Steve Hackett had made the worst career decision of his life by leaving the ranks of … Continue reading →

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Gig review: SABATON / ACCEPT – 117 Piraeus Academy, Athens, 8 March 2017

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Yiannis

European Power Metal has always enjoyed a healthy level of support in my home country but not even the most optimistic of music fans would expect that a venue as big as the Academy (can accommodate approximately 1600 people), of … Continue reading →

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Album review: NOSOUND – Scintilla

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Yiannis

Kscope [Release Date 2.9.16] Italian maestro Giancarlo Erra has been honing his craft under the Art/Progressive Rock moniker Nosound since 2002 and, according to the press release issued by the band’s current label Kscope, in studio album number six entitled “Scintilla”, … Continue reading →

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Album review: DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT – Transcendence

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Yiannis

Inside Out [Release date 09.09.16] Innovative, daring, experimental, compositionally challenging, surprising, addictive…check any review for a Devin Townsend Project album, either online or in any of the specialized musical magazines which help promote our beloved music around the globe, and … Continue reading →

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Album review: KARMAKANIC – Dot

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Yiannis

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 →