Category Archives: PURE METAL (All posts)

Album review: DRAGONLAND – The Power Of The Nightstar

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AFM Records [Release date: 14.10.22] First album in ten years from Swedish Power/Melodic Metal band, Dragonland. A lot can change in ten years. A lot can stay the same. This is Dragonland expanded, more ambitious, with a finely developed movie … Continue reading

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Album review: BOREALIS – Illusions

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AFM Records [Release date: 07.10.22] Four years after The Offering, underrated and often overlooked Canadian metal soundscape supremos, Borealis, step up a gear with new album, Illusion. This is a metal band impossible to categorise. Anyone who thought they were … Continue reading

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News: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, BIG STAR, SLADE (October 2022)

Iron Maiden - Download Festival - 11 June 2022

The Answer release a new single ‘Blood Brother’ on October 14. Jimmy Barnes releases ‘Blue Christmas’ on November 25. Black Country Communion plan to record their fifth album next year. Black Sabbath’s ‘Heaven And Hell’ and ‘Mob Rules’ albums will … Continue reading

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Album review: IMPELLITTERI – Wake The Beast (3 CD anthology)

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Global Rock Records [Release date: 30.09.22] New kids on the block, Global Rock Records have recently licensed Impellitteri’s total back catalogue. That is quite a coup for a non-major label. This 3 CD anthology, Wake The Beast, curated by Chris … Continue reading

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Album review: IRON SAVIOR – Reforged Ironbound Volume 2

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AFM Records [release date: 26.08.22] You could argue that Piet Sielck and Kai (Gamma Ray) Hansen kick started the entire Power Metal genre in Europe when the former Helloween bandmates formed Iron Savior in 1996. That was then. More recently, … Continue reading

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Album review: DYNAZTY – Final Advent

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

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Album review: SOIL – Play It Forward

SOIL - Play It Forward

Cleopatra Records [Release date 26.08.22] A covers album from Soil whose last studio album was released back in 2013, so this covers album should keep their fans happy, even if it contains no new original songs. ‘Playing It Forward’ is … Continue reading

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Album review: JOHN STEEL – Distorted Reality

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Global Rock [Release date: 15.07.22] This 3 album/double CD set from Ivan Stalev (John Steel) is quite a coup for SFM’s new metal/rock spinoff label, Global Rock. Effectively, the package backs up the release of Steel’s new album, Distorted Reality, … Continue reading

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News: BIG BIG TRAIN, JELLYFISH, TONY WRIGHT (July 2022)

Glenn Hughes - Stonedeaf - 24 August 2019

Lee Aaron plans to release her new album ‘Elevate’ before the end of the year. A-Ha release their new album ‘True North’ on October 21. Big Big Train release ‘Summer Shall Not Fade – Live At Loreley’ through English Electric Recordings … Continue reading

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Single review: DYNAZTY – Natural Born Killer

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AFM Records [Release date: 26.08.22] Always underrated, Dynazty is one of the best metal bands around right now. On this single teaser, ‘Natural Born Killers’, they create a keyboard heavy, symphonic/melodic metal concoction that just bursts with energy and invention. … Continue reading

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Album review: PAUL DI’ANNO’s BATTLEZONE – Killers in The Battlezone (3CD Boxset)

PAUL DI’ANNO’s BATTLEZONE – Killers in The Battlezone

Cherry Red [release date: 24.06.22] The career of the currently wheelchair bound singer, Paul Di’Anno has been a journey of detours, dead ends, drug addiction and detainment. His public profile as a musician began with heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. … Continue reading

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Album review: MY SOLILOQUY – FU3ION

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Rare Artist Music [Release date 11.07.22] Third album from My Soliloquy, which is the brainchild of former Threshold guitarist Pete Morten. On this album he is joined by Threshold’s drummer Johanne James – Morten plays all the other instruments on … Continue reading

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News: PINK FLOYD, NEIL YOUNG, GREAT WHITE (June 2022)

Arch Enemy have pushed back the release date of their new album, ‘Deceivers’, to August 12 from the previously announced July 29. Jeff Beck releases a new album on July 15 entitled ’18′, which is a collaborative one with Johnny … Continue reading

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Album review: SEVENTH WONDER – The Testament

SEVENTH WONDER - The Testament

Frontiers [Release date: 10.06.22] Sixth album from Swedish Prog Metal band Seventh Wonder, for whom life began at the turn of the century. The band is full of virtuoso musicians. Guitarist Johan Liefvendal and bassist, Andreas Blomqvist are the driving … Continue reading

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Album review: RAVEN – Rock Until You Drop (the 4CD Over The Top Edition)

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Cherry Red/Sanctuary [release date : 27.05.22] Raven, the legendary heavy metal band from England’s industrial North East, have the perfect resume. They have recorded for six different labels (and never been without one) including major and major-ish imprints like Atlantic, … Continue reading

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Album review: STARCHASER – Starchaser

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Frontiers Music [Release date: 06.05.22] If you have an insatiable appetite for the genre, this meat and 2 veg power metal album from new band, Starchaser might provide reasonable, short term sustenance. It began life as a Kenneth (Tad Morose) … Continue reading

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News: JOE BOUCHARD, SLASH, SEX PISTOLS, (May 2022)

Orianthi - Manchester Arena, 24 October 2016

Alter Bridge release their latest album ‘Pawns & Kings’ on October 14 via Napalm Records. The Answer make a live return at Planet Rockstock on December 3 and plan to release a new album  in 2023 on Golden Robot Records. … Continue reading

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Album review: LILLIAN AXE – Psalms For Eternity (3 CD set)

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Global Rock [Release date 6.04.22] This month, Lillian Axe release a 3 CD retrospective on Global Rock, SFM’s brand spanking new Rock and Metal label, grandly called Psalms For Eternity. It’s been curated by mainman, guitarist and songwriter, Steve Blaze, … Continue reading

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Album review: ICON – Icon (Remaster)

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Rock Candy Records [release date: 18.03.22] Icon’s debut album from 1984 has recently been remastered by leading UK Reissue label, Rock Candy Records. The fact that the band’s set list in those early days included material by Deep Purple and … Continue reading

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Album review – SEMBLANT – Vermillion Eclipse

semblant vermillion

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

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Album review: RIOT ACT – Closer To The Flame

Riot Act - Closer to the Flame

Global Rock Records [Release date 01.04.22] This is the debut album from Riot Act, the band initially formed by former ‘classic era’ Riot members Rick Ventura and Lou Kouvaris and it is a must listen to for any classic hard … Continue reading

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News: JOURNEY, MIKE BATT, TIM BOWNESS (April 2022)

Journey - Manchester MEN, 23 May 2013 - Photo by Steve Goudie

Altaria release their new album ‘Wisdom’ on July 8 via Atomic Fire Records. Alter Bridge plan to release their new album in September. Atomic Kings – vocalist Ken Ronk, bassist Greg Chaisson (Badlands, ex-Red Dragon Cartel), guitarist Ryan McKay and drummer Jim Taft … Continue reading

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Album review: SHINING BLACK – BOALS and THORSEN – Postcards From The End Of The World

shining black postcards

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

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Album review: SHEWOLF – SheWolf

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Frontiers [Release date: 18.03.22] Aiming to climb the Power Metal mountain, SheWolf release their self titled debut album this month. Led by stunning Greek vocalist, Angel Wolf-Black, the band, The Hunter (guitars), The Predator (bass) and Alpha (drummer) might sound … Continue reading

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Album review: NEW HORIZON – Gate Of The Gods

new horizon gate 500

Frontiers [Release date: 11.02.22] New Horizon is a H.E.A.T. splinter group, or splinter duo, to be precise. Being almost famous gives you room to try other things, and so Jonah Tee and Erik Gronwall have been given the opportunity to … Continue reading

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