Category Archives: Pure Metal/Album reviews

Metal album reviews

Album review: SONS OF APOLLO – Psychotic Symphony

Posted on October 12, 2017 by jason

Inside Out [Release date 20.10.17] Sons Of Apollo only formed earlier this year and come labelled with the ‘supergroup’ tag, which can be a blessing or a curse – luckily a blessing in Sons Of Apollo case. The Sons Of … 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, Billy Sheehan, Derek Sherinian, Dream Theater, Jeff Scott Soto, metal, Mike Portnoy, progressive, Psychotic Symphony, review, rock, Ron Bumblefoot Thal, Sons Of Apollo | Leave a comment

Album review: ICE AGE – Breaking The Ice

Posted on September 25, 2017 by jason

GMR [Release date 21.10.17] Many fans of 80s thrash may well remember all girl Swedish band Ice Age. Originally formed in Gothenburg by Sabrina Kihlstrand, Pia Nystrom, Sabrina’s sister Helena (later replaced by bassist Viktoria Lafsson), and drummer Tina Stromberg, … Continue reading →

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Album review: GAMMA RAY – Reissues (Land Of The Free/Alive ’95)

Posted on September 20, 2017 by jason

earMUSIC [Release date 29.09.17] earMUSIC’s Gamma Ray re-issue schedule continues with the band’s fourth studio album (original released in 1995) getting a deluxe 2CD re-issue. The second disc adds three songs (including the band’s blistering cover of Holocaust’s ‘Heavy Metal … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Reissues | Tagged album, Alive '95, Classic Albums, EarMusic, Gamma Ray, Kai Hansen, Land of the Free, live albums, metal, Michael Kiske, power metal, review | Leave a comment

Album review: THRESHOLD – Legends Of The Shires

Posted on September 7, 2017 by jason

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 | Leave a comment

Album review: KLOGR – Keystone

Posted on September 3, 2017 by jason

Zeta Factory/Phd [Release date 06.10.17] Keystone is the new album from Italian-American alternative metal outfit, Klogr. Some may find the juxtaposition of very melodic, rather proggy instrumentation with grungy, alt-rock vocals something of an acquired taste but there are certainly … Continue reading →

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Album review: EDGUY – Monuments

Posted on July 20, 2017 by jason

Nuclear Blast [Release date 14.07.17] Edguy are celebrating their 25th anniversary in style with this 28 song compilation that has an added live CD and DVD. Edguy main man Tobias Sammet never does things by halves and there are five … Continue reading →

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Album review: ORDEN OGAN – Gunmen

Posted on June 27, 2017 by jason

AFM Records [Release date 07.07.17] Orden Ogan are back with their new studio album ‘Gunmen’ which follows hot on the heels of last year’s ‘The Book of Ogan’ compilation. They have already released a well received western themed video on … Continue reading →

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Album review: RHAPSODY OF FIRE – Legendary Years

Posted on May 14, 2017 by jason

AFM Records [Release date 26.05.17] After a lot of turmoil, and a number of recent line-up changes, the new look Rhapsody Of Fire lay their cards on the table with their new album, which sees the new line-up rerecord a … Continue reading →

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Album review: DANZIG – Black Laden Crown

Posted on May 14, 2017 by jason

AFM Records [Release date 26.05.17] My history with Glenn Danzig as a solo artist has been kinda iffy. I loved his stuff with The Misfits and Samhain, and the first three solo Danzig albums are stunningly brilliant. The fourth had … Continue reading →

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Album review: ACCEPT – Restless And Wild

Posted on January 17, 2017 by jason

Nuclear Blast [Release date 13.01.17] Legendary German metal band Accept has been a dominant force in the genre for a few decades now. Fewer bands have been as heralded and influential as Accept. Years ago original vocalist Udo Dirckschneider parted … Continue reading →

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Album review: AMON AMARTH – Jomsviking

Posted on December 16, 2016 by jason

Metal Blade [release date 25.03.16] You wouldn’t think prog rock legends Pink Floyd would have a lot in common with Swedish death metal gods Amon Amarth, however, there you’d be wrong – both bands have broken the boundaries with their … 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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EP review: SEVEN KINGDOMS – In The Walls

Posted on October 24, 2016 by jason

Band Facebook page There are so many reasons why it makes me happy to no end that I am a fan of so many great local bands (many of which I also call great friends.) Not only do I have … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Single and EP reviews | Tagged EP, Evergrey, In The Walls, metal, review, rock, Sabrina Cruz, Seven Kingdoms | Leave a comment

Album review: TESTAMENT – Brotherhood Of The Snake

Posted on October 24, 2016 by jason

Nuclear Blast [Release date 28.10.16] How many bands with let’s say a 20-30 year lifespan can you name that have consistently released excellent albums from album #1 to <insert latest>? It’s not as easy as it seems. Most bands with … Continue reading →

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Album review: NO POWER NO CROWN – The Wake Up Call

Posted on October 13, 2016 by jason

One of the most energetic and entertaining live bands out of the Charlotte, NC area also happens to be one that tends to fall under the radar. They’re called No Power No Crown and they’ve been delivering their brand of … Continue reading →

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Album review: DIRKSCHNEIDER – Back To The Roots

Posted on October 5, 2016 by jason

AFM Records [Release date 28.10.16] If you don’t know who Udo Dirkschneider is, you’re either really young or not a metal fan. Former singer for legendary German metal band Accept, Udo has one of the most distinctive voices in the … 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 →

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Album review: RUNNING WILD – Rapid Foray

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Yiannis

SPV Records [Release date 26.08.16] On paper, 2012 looked like a great year for Herr Rolf Kasparek. Thirty six months after having disbanded Running Wild, a band whose influence in Heavy Metal is both well recorded and fairly undeniable, the singer/guitarist … Continue reading →

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Album review: DENIAL – No Comment

Posted on August 14, 2016 by jason

Heaven and Hell Records [Release date 29.06.16] Old school Thrash Metal fans, especially those who are into finding those rare, obscure, and hard to find bands, need look no further for the coolest release of the year in this genre. … Continue reading →

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Album review: MEDEVIL – Conductor Of Storms

Posted on August 10, 2016 by jason

[Release date 26.08.16] I am a metalhead. There are no two ways to put it. I’ve been a rabid worshipper of all things metal for pretty much my whole life. I love damn near every sub genre of metal and … Continue reading →

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Album review: SODOM – Decision Day

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Yiannis

SPV [Release date 26.08.16] In their thirty five years of active existence, the Gelsenkirchen-based noisemakers Sodom have helped lay the foundations of the German Thrash Metal scene through sheer hard work and stubborn determination. An integral member of the “Big … Continue reading →

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Album review: FATES WARNING – Theories Of Flight

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Yiannis

Century Media [Release date 1.07.16] Those of you who have been following Fates Warning’s career as closely as I do remember damn well the almost decade-long period we had to suffer until 2013’s “Darkness In A Different Light” finally saw … Continue reading →

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Album review: VANNA – All Hell

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Dillon

Pure Noise Records [Release date: 08.07.16] Vanna are becoming one of the fastest growing bands in metalcore. With every new release the band amass even more followers and every new release the band step up their game musically, most notably … Continue reading →

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Album review: SLUDGEHAMMER – The Fallen Sun

Posted on May 26, 2016 by jason

[Release date 10.06.16] The major issue I have with some of the heavier music still remains the vocals. Sometimes I’ll press play and have my mind blown by some amazing music only to have my ears blown by bad vocals. … Continue reading →