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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2025
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2026
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Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2025)
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Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
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Upcoming: Festivals UK & Europe (2026)
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2025)
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
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Latest Album Reviews
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Album review : KEITH WEST – Cross That Bridge, The Anthology 1965-99 (2 CDs)
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Album review : COUSINS & WILLOUGHBY – The Bridge
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Album review : WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS – Covers of The Beatles 1967-70
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Feature: All Boxed Up for Christmas (December 2025)
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Album review : LYNCH MOB – Dancing With The Devil
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Album review: CYTRUS – Duality
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Latest Gig Reviews
GRTR! Greats
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Category Archives: Pure Metal/Album reviews
MYCELIA – Isolator
Self Release (Release Date – out now) When I popped this EP in my laptop, the ever reliable iTunes had it labelled as ‘pop’. Listening to it though, it is about as far removed from pop as you … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged Isolator, Mycelia
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LOUDNESS – Eve To Dawn
FROSTBYTE – Out Now There are certain songs that will forever stay in my memory as they have been instrumental in helping shape my personality and musical tastes as a young teenager. One such song was “Heavy Chains” – a … Continue reading
CASTLE – Blacklands
VAN RECORDS – Out Now No one can deny that the 70s has been probably the most important decade in the history of Rock as the sound and style that was developed during this period continues to influence Rock and … Continue reading
ELUVEITIE – The Early Years
NUCLEAR BLAST – Out Now It was only eight months ago that Folk Deathsters Eluveitie presented the world with their 5th studio album “Helvetios” and there is yet another with their name on the sleeve being released. As the title … Continue reading
GEOFF TATE – Kings & Thieves
Inside Out – Release date: 29/10/2012 The 20th of June 2012 is the day that is carved in my memory – the day when the unthinkable happened: Michael Wilton, Scott Rockenfield & Eddie Jackson informed the world through an announcement … Continue reading
CIRCLE II CIRCLE – Full Circle – Best Of
AFM RECORDS – Out Now Zachary Stevens is a man who should really need no introductions! Following a very sucessful stint as the frontman of the mighty Savatage between 1993 and 2000, he went on to create similarly impressive music … Continue reading
CATUVOLCUS – Gergovia
Deathbound Records (Release Date – Out Now) History tends to be littered with battles and brutality, especially where the Roman Legions are concerned, so the retelling of the Gauls’ battle against the Romans was never going to be … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged Catuvolcus, Gergovia
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MOTORHEAD – The World Is Ours Vol.2 – Anyplace Crazy As Anywhere Else
UDR/EMI – Release Date 24/9/2012 The world of Rock is full of passion and vice and has claimed a significant number of victims over the years – people whose resistance and ability to manage drugs and alcohol is incomparable to … Continue reading
WINTERFYLLETH – The Threnody Of Triumph
CANDLELIGHT – Out Now I am not quite sure why loving one’s country and history has become synonymous with being politically right-wing. Fears of such associations which could potentially damage record sales have deprived many artists from presenting aspects of … Continue reading
A FOREST OF STARS – A Shadowplay For Yesterdays
LUPUS LOUNGE – Release Date: Out Now An element of mystery has always been a helpful ingredient in any Rock band’s arsenal and no band has mastered the art of identity concealment better than Kiss, of course, but that has … Continue reading
BEARDFISH – The Void
BEARDFISH – The Void Inside Out [Release Date: 27/08/2012] What on earth are they feeding musicians in Sweden? Maybe an odd question, but one can’t ignore the number of prominent Prog Rock/Metal bands that hail from the ancient lands of … Continue reading
KATATONIA – Dead End Kings
(Peaceville) Following on from their superb ‘Night Is The New Day’ album – the point at which former doom-metal merchants Katatonia saw the light and crossed over from the dark side – comes ‘Dead End Kings’, an album so magnificent … Continue reading
KORPIKLAANI -“MANALA”
KORPIKLAANI -“MANALA” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Folk Metal has evolved enormously since the early 90s, a period when bands like Skyclad gradually began convincing people that folk tunes and organs, such as the violin, in Metal can be an inspiring rather … Continue reading
DEW-SCENTED – “ICARUS”
DEW-SCENTED – “ICARUS” METAL BLADE (2012) Dew-Scented is a band that will forever stay in my memory as one of the first ever reviews I wrote back in 2003 was for the band’s then release “Impact”. Since then there have … Continue reading
TANKARD – “A GIRL CALLED CERVEZA”
TANKARD – “A GIRL CALLED CERVEZA” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) How does a band manage to play the same style of music for thirty years, restricted to a specialised and somewhat controversial topic, and still manage to make a decent career … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged A GIRL CALLED CERVEZA, TANKARD
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DORO – Raise Your Fist In The Air
DORO – “RAISE YOUR FIST IN THE AIR EP” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Metal music has employed the services of many female vocalists over the years, none being more influential, respected and humble than Dorothee Pesch – the petite Dusseldorf-born blond … Continue reading
BURY TOMORROW – “THE UNION OF CROWNS”
BURY TOMORROW – “THE UNION OF CROWNS” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Portsmouth and Southampton have spawned numerous Metalcore outfits over the years, one of which, the melodic quintet Bury Tomorrow, is clearly doing enough to attract the attention of a major … Continue reading
KAIPA – “VITTJAR”
KAIPA – “VITTJAR” INSIDE OUT (2012) It feels very strange to be reviewing a band which released its debut effort around the same year you were born but this is indeed the link between me and the Swedish Prog Rockers … Continue reading
NILE – “AT THE GATE OF SETHU”
NILE – “AT THE GATE OF SETHU” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) As a young man growing up in 70s/80s Athens, there were two things in life that I felt really passionate about: Egyptology and Heavy Metal. Happily, I have fulfilled my … Continue reading
BEFORE THE DAWN – “RISE OF THE PHOENIX”
BEFORE THE DAWN – “RISE OF THE PHOENIX” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Before The Dawn is a thirteen year old band which has always ended up falling beneath my radar somehow, even though a close friend of mine has prompted me … Continue reading
MNEMIC – “MNEMESIS”
MNEMIC – “MNEMESIS” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) It was back in 2003 that I was first introduced to the Danish Industrial/Progressive/Extreme metallers Mnemic but I still remember how impressed I was by the band’s debut release “Mechanical Spin Phenomena”. Following the … Continue reading
KREATOR – “PHANTOM ANTICHRIST”
KREATOR – “PHANTOM ANTICHRIST” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) It was twenty seven years ago that the Essen-based Thrash Metal legends Kreator released their ground-breaking debut “Endless Pain”. Since then, they have managed to etsablish themselves in the consciousness of every extreme … Continue reading
FATAL SMILE – 21st Century Freaks
GMR 2012 “21st Century Freaks” is the 4th album from Fatal Smile and is good old European metal- heavy yet melodic and with big choruses thrown in. Produced by the band’s guitarist Mr Y and engineered by drummer Philthy, Fatal … Continue reading
CRUCIFIED BARBARA – The Midnight Chase
GMR 2012 Crucified Barbara is Sweden’s, if not music in generals, premier female metal band. The four-piece has been together since 1998 and have just released 3rd album “The Midnight Chase”. Pretty much picking up where its predecessor, 2009’s “Til … Continue reading
GOTTHARD – “FIREBIRTH”
GOTTHARD – “FIREBIRTH” NUCLEAR BLAST (2012) Losing a fellow band member and a dear friend is an unbelieveably difficult situation for any musician to deal with, especially when this person happens to be as inspiring as Gotthard’s frontman Steve Lee. … Continue reading
