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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Gig review: PAUL McCARTNEY- 02 Arena, London, 18 December 2024
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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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Category Archives: Pure Metal/Album reviews
RIOT – “IMMORTAL SOUL”
RIOT – “IMMORTAL SOUL” SPV (2011) Monastiraki is a beautiful market area at the very foot of the Athenian Acropolis – an area which includes, among others, a great number of second-hand record shops where vinyl connoisseurs can find that … Continue reading
ARCH/MATHEOS – “SYMPATHETIC RESONANCE”
ARCH/MATHEOS – “SYMPATHETIC RESONANCE” METAL BLADE (2011) Progressive Metal is a genre that’s responsible for the release of some truly amazing pieces of work, none more impressive and influential than Fates Warning’s 1986 opus “Awaken The Guardian” – an eight … Continue reading
GEHENNA – “WW”
GEHENNA – “WW” PEACEVILLE (2011) If you are a devout supporter of all things Black Metal and, most importantly all this Norwegian in extreme music, then the name Gehenna ought to be quite familiar to you. Gehenna were first formed … Continue reading
PAIN OF SALVATION – “ROAD SALT TWO”
PAIN OF SALVATION – “ROAD SALT TWO” INSIDE OUT (2011) Early October 2000. Spending a whole morning counting imported goods was part of my responsibility as a record shop salesman – a process that I thoroughly enjoyed as it meant … Continue reading
EDGUY – “AGE OF THE JOKER”
EDGUY – “AGE OF THE JOKER” NUCLEAR BLAST (2011) Even the most optimistic person in the world cannot deny that we are currently living through difficult times! The aftershocks of the recession, which are manifested in everything from job losses … Continue reading
BRAINSTORM – “ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT”
BRAINSTORM – “ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT” AFM RECORDS (2011) I quite recently had a conversation with a group of musically like-minded people, during which the topic of modern Power Metal was raised. One of the main conclusions of … Continue reading
SOLITUDE AETURNUS – “IN TIMES OF SOLITUDE”
SOLITUDE AETURNUS – “IN TIMES OF SOLITUDE” MASSACRE (2011) Twenty three years ago, following the demise of the Thrash Metal outfit Rotting Corpse, guitarist John Perez decided to invest all his love and passion for Candlemass influenced Doom Metal in … Continue reading
HUNTED – “WELCOME THE END”
HUNTED – “WELCOME THE END” MASSACRE (2011) Having been to more gigs that I can possibly remember or even be able to put down in paper these last few years on British soil, I thought that I was fairly up … Continue reading
DC4 – “ELECTRIC MINISTRY”
DC4 – “ELECTRIC MINISTRY” METAL BLADE (2011) DC4 is a name that I was not at all acquainted to prior to be granted access to their latest full length “Electric Ministry”, but reading through the bio provided by the band’s … Continue reading
ARKONA – “SLOVO”
ARKONA – “SLOVO” NAPALM RECORDS (2011) Russia is a country which has constantly flirted with art, ever since the time that the first Varangian merchants begun to take full advantage of the country’s interconnected waterways in their attempt to reach … Continue reading
SALTATIO MORTIS – “STURM AUFS PARADIES”
SALTATIO MORTIS – “STURM AUFS PARADIES” NAPALM RECORDS (2011) Medieval culture has been going through a revival these last few years throughout Europe, but if you are to name the one place where this historical period is mostly celebrated then … Continue reading
SINNER – “ONE BULLET LEFT”
SINNER – “ONE BULLET LEFT” AFM RECORDS (2011) Mat Sinner is a very busy man! Not only does is he heavily involved in the music industry, holding an important position in a well known record company for a number of … Continue reading
EVILE – “FIVE SERPENT’S TEETH”
EVILE – “FIVE SERPENT’S TEETH” EARACHE RECORDS (2011) Five years ago, something totally unexpected happened! Thrash Metal, a genre whose popularity began deteriorating since the mid 90s and which, for a pretty long time, remained alive only in the memory … Continue reading
ICED EARTH – “DYSTOPIA”
ICED EARTH – “DYSTOPIA” CENTURY MEDIA (2011) Iced Earth is an outfit which, simply put, thrives when under pressure and which has truly proven its endurance and resilience throughout its twenty one year history. Having said that, though, any fan … Continue reading
DEMONAZ – “MARCH OF THE NORSE”
DEMONAZ – “MARCH OF THE NORSE” NUCLEAR BLAST (2011) It is almost one and a half years since fans of Black Metal around the globe rejoiced at the news that the mighty Norwegian quartet Immortal was getting back together – … Continue reading
AMON AMARTH – “SURTUR RISING”
AMON AMARTH – “SURTUR RISING” METAL BLADE (2011) Twenty years ago a guitarist by the name of Olavi Mikkonen had a dream: to create a Death Metal band whose music would follow a musical direction common to the vast majority … Continue reading
PENTAGRAM – “LAST RITES”
PENTAGRAM – “LAST RITES” METAL BLADE (2011) Rock music has been around long enough to have claimed the lives of too many people unable to keep the balance between the components of “sex, drugs and Rock n’Roll”. There are, of … Continue reading
U.D.O. – “REV-RAPTOR”
U.D.O. – “REV-RAPTOR” AFM RECORDS (2011) When you are at the early stages of your musical career, being over-productive is somewhat expected of you – especially in an era where constant exposure through the media is the only way to … Continue reading
U.D.O. – “LEATHERHEAD E.P”
U.D.O. – “LEATHERHEAD E.P” AFM RECORDS (2011) Udo Dirkchneider is a man that needs no lengthy introductions, if you have not found yourself navigating the pages of this site by accident, that is. Having been the frontman of the mighty … Continue reading
SCAR SYMMETRY – “THE UNSEEN EMPIRE”
SCAR SYMMETRY – “THE UNSEEN EMPIRE” NUCLEAR BLAST (2011) Scar Symmetry is a Swedish Melodic Death Metal outfit whose early work I am quite familiar with, seeing as I was assigned to do reviews for both their debut “Symmetric In … Continue reading
FIREBIRD – “DOUBLE DIAMOND”
FIREBIRD – “DOUBLE DIAMOND” RISE ABOVE (2011) Thirty years ago, a young Birmingham-based outfit by the name of Napalm Death caused a massive stir in the extreme metal underground scene by releasing one of the hardest and most uncompromising debuts … Continue reading
DARKTHRONE – “TOTAL DEATH”
DARKTHRONE – “TOTAL DEATH” PEACEVILLE (2011 Re-issue) Darkthrone is one of those bands for which I have total respect, not only in terms of musical output but, most importantly, with regards to their general attitude towards the Metal scene. Though … Continue reading
KORPIKLAANI – “UKON WACKA”
KORPIKLAANI – “UKON WACKA” NUCLEAR BLAST (2011) Rock and Folk music, though seemingly different in nature, have been enjoying a healthy relationship for the last fifty years. What originated as a form of musical experimentation from the likes of legends … Continue reading
DORNENREICH – “FLAMMENTRIEBE”
DORNENREICH – “FLAMMENTRIEBE” PROPHECY PRODUCTIONS (2011) Sixteen years ago, a young musician by the name of Thomas “Valñes” Stock decided to breathe life into an outfit that allowed him to express a number of diverse, but equally strong feelings. This … Continue reading
LIFELOVER – “SJUKDOM”
LIFELOVER – “SJUKDOM” PROPHECY PRODUCTIONS (2011) Stockholm is a beautiful Swedish city and has also been the home of some of the most influential extreme metal bands ever to set foot on this earth, the vast majority of which adhere … Continue reading
