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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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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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Gig review: THE DAMN TRUTH – The Grace, London, 26 November 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
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Album review: ABI MOORE – Amoeba & Stone
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Album review: WAYSTED – Vices
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Album review: THREE COLOURS DARK – Love’s Lost Property
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Album review: IGNORE THE SIGN – A Line To Cross
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Album review: ANTHONY PHILLIPS – Slow Dance (Deluxe reissue)
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Album review: ALAN HULL – Alright On The Night (Live At Clifton Poly 1975)
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Category Archives: Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Gig review: RIVERSIDE – O2 Liverpool Academy, 5 April 2014
Support Act: Votum Review and Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Polish Prog Metal outfit Riverside have acquired a reputation for being a top quality live band over the years, so accepting this gig assignment was a no-brainer to me. Now, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 5 April 2014, gig, Liverpool O2 Academy, Poland, Polish, prog, progressive, progressive metal, review, RIVERSIDE, Votum
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Gig review: OVERKILL – London O2 Islington Academy, 13 March 2014
Support act: Soilwork & Xentrix. Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Two gigs in a row, with less than four hours of sleep in between – not a problem back in the day, but getting closer … Continue reading
Gig review: TRANSATLANTIC – London The Forum, 12 March 2014
Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Wednesday the 12th of March was in my calendar for quite some time; this was the day when Progressive super group Transatlantic were to be in London for a highly … Continue reading
Gig review: EXUMER – London O2 Islington Academy, 19 February 2014
Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis I would like to start this gig review by first apologising for how short it is and secondly by clarifying one important thing: German Thrashers Exumer did not perform a headline show on the evening … Continue reading
Gig review: SEPULTURA – O2 Islington Academy, London, 6 February 2014
Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis There are many bands out there, claiming to play high velocity Thrash Metal, but only a handful can do so with the energy and conviction which characterise the legendary Brazilian quartet Sepultura. When Andreas Kisser … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 6 February 2014, gig, London, metal, O2 Islington Academy, review, Sepultura
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Gig review: TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA – Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, London, 4 January 2014
The first time that I saw Trans-Siberian Orchestra live, it turned out to be one of the musical highlights of the year for me. The year was 2011, the venue exactly the same as tonight (note: then called The Hammersmith … Continue reading
Gig review: THERION – O2 Islington Academy, London, 20 December 2013
Support Acts: Arkona Review & Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis It was around the end of November that an acquaintance of mine asked me to name my favorite gig of the year to which my response was “It’s too early … Continue reading
Gig review: DEATH ANGEL – London, The Underworld, 10 December 2013
Support Acts: Dew-Scented Review & Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Five days on from the glorious Marduk/Grave show, I am back in The Underworld in Camden to see San Francisco Thrashers Death Angel, who are back in town, supporting their … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 10 December 2013, Death Angel, Dew Scented, gig, London, review, thrash metal, Underworld
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Gig review: MARDUK – London, The Underworld, 5 December 2013
Support Acts: Grave, Death Wolf, Valkyrja Review & Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis With Morgan Steinmeyer Håkansson being the top guy that he is and Marduk one of the most energy driven and high performance black metal bands around, one … Continue reading
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 5 December 2013, Camden, Death Wolf, gig, Grave, London, Marduk, metal, review, Underworld
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Gig review: AMON AMARTH – London, The Forum, 17 November 2013
Support Acts: Carcass, Bleed From Within, Hell Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Oh how times change! One thousand three hundred years ago, a ‘visit’ from the people of Scandinavia to these shores would have been accompanied by sheer terror and … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 17 November 2013, Amon Amarth, Bleed From Within, Carcass, Death Metal, Forum, gig, Hell, London, metal, review
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Gig review: LEPROUS – London, The Underworld, 9 November 2013
Support Acts: Blindead Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Photos by Emily Dgebuadze Two weeks or so ago I was contacted by Inside Out’s London PR rep about reviewing the upcoming London show of Norwegian Progressive Metal band Leprous. Up until … Continue reading
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 9 November 2013, gig, LEPROUS, London, progressive metal, review, rock, Underworld
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Gig review: PARADISE LOST, Lacuna Coil, Katatonia – London, The Roundhouse, 3 November 2013
My introduction to the chromatic world of Death Metal took place exactly twenty three years ago and one of the albums responsible for my immediate conversion was Paradise Lost’s debut “Lost Paradise”. It was not at all surprising, then, that … Continue reading
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 3 November 2013, anniversary, gig, Katatonia, Lacuna Coil, London, metal, Paradise Lost, review, Roundhouse
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Gig review: ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN, Trillium – London Jazz Cafe, 19 October 2013
Fifteen years ago, at the now demolished Rodon Club in Athens and in the good company of another two thousand fans of atmospheric/progressive metal, the author of this review enjoyed one of the most artistically satisfying and emotionally charged performances … Continue reading
Gig review: POWERWOLF, ASHES OF ARES – The Underworld, London, 27 September 2013
Friday the 27th of September was a day that I had been looking forward to with feverish antiscipation, the way I would have done when I was in my teens. Why? Well, Matt Barlow and his Power Metal troupe Ashes … Continue reading
Gig review: ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO – Jazz Cafe, London, 29 September 2013
This always promised to be a curious night, but if some of the audience were taking a leap of faith they were amply rewarded by a band who clearly relished a challenge as much a sharing their enjoyment with their … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 29 September 2013, Alex Skolnick Trio, fusion, guitar, guitarist, jazz, Jazz Cafe, London, rock, Testament
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Gig Review: NILE, EX DEO – The Garage, London, 10 September 2013
I love autumn, especially when it follows a particularly hot summer: the air is once again fresh (as much as this is possible in London!), friends are back from holiday and, most importantly, it’s possible to attend an intimate Death … Continue reading
Gig review: ANVIL – The Garage, London, 30 July 2013
Support Acts: Asomvel, Skreamer. Last time I visited The Garage was five days ago for Kscope’s celebratory gig, headlined by the mighty Anathema. I had firmly resolved to stay away from that place until the weather had cooled down as … Continue reading
Gig review: 5 Years Of Kscope – The Garage, London, 25 July 2013 featuring Anathema
Main Act: Anathema Support Acts: North Atlantic Oscillation, Mothlite & Leafblade Another gig, another evening drenched in sweat. I moaned about the poor ventilation at the Garage in Highbury and Islington when I was there ten days ago for Wintersun’s … Continue reading
Gig review: WINTERSUN – The Garage, London, 16 July 2013
Support Acts: Bloodshot Dawn & Savage Messiah There is something truly ironic about a Finnish band visiting London on the hottest day of the year and performing at a venue that feels worse than a sauna, or the very lungs … Continue reading
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 16 July 2013, gig, London, metal, review, The Garage, wintersun
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Gig review: MOSS – Camden Underworld, London,15 May 2013
Support Acts: Purson & Black Magician Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Having just returned from a great holiday, involving great company, awesome food and top quality wine, I had to face the cold and rainy streets of London once more. … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 15 May 2013, Black Magician, Camden Underworld, Doom, gig, London, metal, Moss, Purson, review
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Gig review: HELLOWEEN – The Forum, Kentish Town, London, 16 April 2013
If you are a frequent visitor to our pages, especially our gig reviews section, you would have undoubtedly noticed that on the 15th of April, a day prior to the one featured in this review, I attended a magnificent Pain … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 16 April 2013, Gamma Ray, gig, Helloween, Kai Hansen, Kentish Town Forum, London, metal, power, review, rock, Shadowside
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Gig review: IL NINO, SACRED MOTHER TONGUE, Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 4 April 2013
It beckoned to be a good night, the advertised line up was very strong and the venue was a good one for the crowd. However it soon became apparent that the lineup had changed but no notification of this was … Continue reading
Gig review: PAIN OF SALVATION – The Relentless Garage Islington, London,15 April 2013
Support Acts: Anneke van Giersbergen, Arstidir Review and photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis At my age, venturing out on a Monday night to a gig can only be prompted by some pretty special events, among which I count the fact … Continue reading
Gig review: ANTHRAX, Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC, April 13 2013
I’m back! Well maybe…sort of…I don’t know. Those two or three keeping track will realize that I’ve not been to a show since Raven in November. At that point it was looking bleak that I’d make it to another show … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged Anthrax, April 13 2013, Charlotte, Exodus, gig, Holy Grail, metal, Municipal Waste, NC, review, Shadows Fall, Tremont Music Hall
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Gig review: VREID – Barfly, London, 4 April 2013
Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Photos by Fabiola Santini I have been living in the UK for a good twelve years now, however, I still find myself somewhat baffled by the state of some venues here in London. Take, for … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 4 April 2013, Barfly, Black Metal, gig, London, review, Solefald, Vreid
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