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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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Category Archives: PURE METAL (All posts)
Gig review: THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Biebob, Vosselaar, 27 November 2018
Had you asked me twenty or so years ago whether I would ever consider attending a show featuring a band whose singer is sporting a shiny purple suit the answer would be a resounding ‘no’. Funnily enough, that is exactly … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 27 November 2018, Belgium, Biebob, gig, metal, Night Flight Orchestra, review, rock, Vosselaar
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Album review: ROINE STOLT’S THE FLOWER KING – Manifesto Of An Alchemist
Inside Out [Release date 23.11.18] The last time Uppsala-born guitar maestro Roine Stolt released a solo record was eight years ago, when “Supernal Endgame – Touch The Sky” was first brought into this world. Accusing the sixty-two-year-old musician of tardiness, … Continue reading
Album review: ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN – Symphonized
Inside Out [Release date 16.11.18] In the summer of 1992 a good friend came to mine for a visit carrying with him “Always…”, the debut release of an atmospheric Death Metal outfit named The Gathering. My attraction to the work … Continue reading
Gig review: RIVERSIDE – De Casino, Sint Niklaas, 11 November 2018
The first time I attended a Riverside gig was back in April 2014 and those of you who read my review of the said show will remember that the overall experience involved a very long drive from London to Liverpool, … Continue reading
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 11 November 2018, Belgium, De Casino, gig, Mariusz Duda, prog, Progressive Rock, review, RIVERSIDE, Sint Niklaas
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Gig review: POWERWOLF – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, 28 October 2018
It is immensely gratifying to have a band, whose career you have been closely following since day one, reach such great levels of success – case in point here being the German Heavy/Power Metallers Powerwolf. Not many people were supportive … Continue reading
Gig review: PRIMAL FEAR – Biebob, Vosselaar, 12 October 2018
Ask me to compose a list with the best Metal albums for 2018 and you are almost certainly guaranteed to find Primal Fear’s latest studio effort “Apocalypse” somewhere near the very top. It may be a good two decades since … Continue reading
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 12 October 2018, Belgium, Biebob, gig, heavy metal, metal, Primal Fear, Ralph Scheepers, review, Riot V, Vosselaar
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Gig review: VOIVOD – Magasin 4, Brussels, 9 October 2018
There was a time in my young adult life where the prospect of attending a Voivod show felt less of a possibility to manning a mission for the purpose of exploring the environs of planet Mars, so it is indeed … Continue reading
Album review: SAXON – The Eagle Has Landed
BMG [Release date 19.10.18] To coincide nicely with their latest opus Thunderbolt, we get this reissue of Saxon’s classic 1982 live album. This rounds off the BMG reissues of the Carrere and Phonogram catalogue. Originally a single LP, this comes … Continue reading
Quick plays: THEM, SODOM, BROTHERS OF METAL
THEM Manor of the Se7en Gables SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 26.10.18] US/German thrash/power metal band return with their second album, a horror story featuring witchcraft, murder and they use a series of spoken word parts to keep the story moving along. … Continue reading
Interview: TIM ATKINSON (LEADER OF DOWN)
The brainchild of Grammy nominated former Motörhead guitarist Würzel and bass player Tim Atkinson who after forming the band Leader of Down, busied themselves in a London rehearsal studio writing dozens of tracks in preparation for recording an album. They … Continue reading
Quick plays: DREAM CHILD, THE UNITY, PLASTIC TEARS
DREAM CHILD Until Death Do We Meet Again Frontiers [Release date 14.09.18] Dream Child is formed around former Dio guitarist Craig Goldy, who is joined by fellow Dio member drummer Simon Wright, former Ozzy/Whitesnake bassist Rudy Sarzo, Wayne Findlay (ex-MSG) … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Quick Plays
Tagged album, Angels With Attitude, Craig Goldy, Dio, Dream Child, Gamma Ray, glam, Jollymon, melodic metal, metal, Plastic Tears, pop rock, review, Rise, rock, Slimboy, The Unity, Until Death Do We Meet Again
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Album review: DORO – Forever Warriors, Forever United
Nuclear Blast [Release date 17.08.18] Doro Pesch celebrates thirty five years in metal with the release of her twentieth album and to mark this special occasion it is a double album called Forever Warriors, Forever United. Her band remains that of guitarists … Continue reading
EP review: EPICA – Epica vs Attack On Titan
Nuclear Blast [Release date 20.07.18] This EP features Epica covering songs based on the Japanese anime ‘Attack On Titan’. It features four songs (along with an instrumental version of each song) originally written and composed by Revo of Linked Horizon (who is a fan of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Single and EP reviews
Tagged anime, EP, Epica, Epica vs Attack On Titan, melodic, metal, review, Revo, Simone Simons, symphonic metal
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Album review: FATES WARNING – Live Over Europe
Inside Out [Release date 29.06.18] A live album by Fates Warning is always a pretty welcoming proposition, as the US Prog Metal giants belong to that elite category of bands whose live performances outdo, in principal, those featured in … Continue reading
Album review: POWERWOLF – The Sacrament Of Sin
Napalm Records [Release date 20.07.18] Powerwolf are back with their seventh album, or as the band would put it their latest set of psalms! They have been building on their fanbase with each successive release and tour – they are … Continue reading
Album review: HAKEN – L-1ve
Inside Out [Release date 20.06.18] UK prog metalers Haken have the world at their feet these days. Top ranking album reviews and in depth interviews adorn the pages of some of the most high profile music magazines such as … Continue reading
Album review: EVERTHRONE
In 2015 the band Everthrone released easily one of the best albums that year (The Dawning, which in fact topped my Top 5 of the year without much competition). They decided to crowd fund the follow-up and without much fanfare … Continue reading
Album review: KNIGHTMARE – Walk Through Fire
Bandcamp [Release date 16.03.18] Knightmare, out of the Raleigh, NC area have been around for a bit, and are a phenomenal live band to witness. A hybrid mix of USPM and NWOBHM, these young guys show the utmost respect, and … Continue reading
Album review: ROSS THE BOSS – By Blood Sworn
AFM Records [Release date 20.04.18] Ross the Boss has already laid out a pretty legendary career. From his time with The Dictators to Manowar to Dick Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom to his most recent group DeathDealer, Ross has recorded some pretty significant … Continue reading
Album review: BOREALIS – The Offering
AFM Records [Release date 23.03.18] Borealis started out in 2005 as a female fronted symphonic metal band before guitarist Matt Marinelli took over vocal duties in 2007. They have changed bassists since their last album with Trevor McBride replacing original … Continue reading
Album review: SPREADING THE DISEASE – Insurrection
Facebook page [Release date 26.01.18] I reviewed Spreading The Disease’s EP a couple of years ago and that featured the awesome song ‘Bulldozer’ – a song that did what it said on the tin, namely rolling over the listener with some … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rising Stars, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Pure Metal/Interviews
Tagged album, band, Breed 77, Insurrection, interview, modern metal, Pantera, review, Rising Stars, SLIPKNOT, Spreading The Disease, Thrash
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Album review: LEAVES’ EYES – Sign Of The Dragonhead
AFM Records [Release date 12.01.18] Back in April 2016 Leaves’ Eyes parted ways with singer Liv Kristine, which led to various accounts of how the departure came about surfacing on social media and ill feeling between both parties. So this … Continue reading
Album review: ALMANAC – Kingslayer
Nuclear Blast [Release date 24.11.17] Second album from the band Almanac, which was formed by former Rage guitarist Victor Smolski, who utilises a trio of vocalists, namely Andy B. Franke (Brainstorm), David Readman (Pink Cream 69) and Jeannette Marchewka (Lingua Mortis … Continue reading
Album review: TANKARD – Hymns For the Drunk
AFM Records [Release date 12.01.18] I’ve said it before and I’ll say it until I’m tits up and in the ground: Germany has produced some of the best Metal bands around. From so many varying sub genres, the German Metal … Continue reading
Album review: PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI – Emotional Tattoos
. Inside Out [Out Now] Andy Tillison is a man whose opinion I value and truly respect. Many times in the past has the leader of the The Tangent sung the praises of the Italian Rock combo Premiata Forneria Marconi … Continue reading
