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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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Category Archives: PURE METAL (All posts)
Album review: RIPPIKOULU – Ulvaja
Svart Records – Out Now. Strange as it may sound to us today, there was a time when writing lyrics in any language other than English was the equivalent to artistic suicide for a foreign Metal band. Back in 1990 … Continue reading
Album review: PROFETUS – As All Seasons Die
Svart Records – Out Now. Formed in Tampere, one of the southernmost provinces of Finland, back in 2006, Funeral Doom outfit Profetus was the vehicle that enabled guitarist/vocalist A.Maniken & keyboard wizard S.Kujansu express their love for atmospheric Doom/Death in … Continue reading
Album review: FALCONER – Black Moon Rising
Metal Blade – Out Now. When Falconer first rose from the ashes of the Viking/Black Metal noisemakers Mithotyn in 1999, the aim of its founding guitarist Stefan Weinerhall was to create an outfit whose musical output would be characterised by … Continue reading
Album review: ARCH ENEMY – War Eternal
Century Media – Out Now. Fans of the Swedish Melodic Death Metal combo Arch Enemy are probably still feeling the shockwaves from the news of Angela Gossow’s departure as this very review is being put together, but change is one … Continue reading
Album review: DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER – Tief.Tiefer
Nuclear Blast – Out Now. My introduction to the music of the German outfit Die Apokalyptischen Reiter took place when attending a renowned German summer festival many moons ago – a time when I was not quite ready to understand … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, folk, heavy metal, metal, review, Tief.Tiefer
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Album review: METSATOLL – Karjajuht
Spinefarm Records – Out Now. Estonia may hardly be the epicentre of all things Metal but a quick search on any well-informed music-related Internet site will reveal that this beautiful country located in the Baltic region of Northern Europe has … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Karjajuht.folk meetal, Metsatoll, review
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Album review: CROWBAR – Symmetry In Black
Century Media – Out Now. News of Kirk Windstein’s departure from the ranks of Sludge Metal super-group Down a few months ago should not come as a great surprise to those who are aware of the common threads that run … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Crowbar, heavy metal, review, sludge metal, Symmetry In Black
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Album review: CANNIBAL CORPSE – A Skeletal Domain
Metal Blade – Out Now. I have to be honest with you: when I first heard that the new Cannibal Corpse album was going to be produced by Mark Lewis, a man responsible for recording more modern-sounding bands such as … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged A Skeletal Domain, album, Cannibal Corpse, Death Metal, review
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Gig review: DARK TRANQUILLITY – The Underworld, London, 9 November 2014
Support Acts: Amoral, Acyl Review and photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis The secret to musical longevity is difficult to define, however, there are bands like the Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal quintet Dark Tranquillity who seem to know very well what … Continue reading
Interview with MICHALIS MOATSOS (Endless Recovery) – 15 October 2014
It may be true that Thrash Metal has been enjoying a revival of sorts these last few years, however, the passion and energy that characterised this great genre in the mid-80s has long been sacrificed in return for polished production … Continue reading
Interview with MARCEL “SCHMIER” SCHIRMER (Destruction) – 8 October 2014
Fronting a band as legendary as the Thrash Metal trio Destruction for the better part of 31 years is probably not easy but Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer has managed to do so with passion and professionalism. Following a four year hiatus, … Continue reading
Gig review: MESSENGER – The Borderline, London, 15 October 2014
Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis In the short period since they first came together as a band back in 2012, Psychedelic/Progressive Rock troupe Messenger have really made their presence felt in the music world. Having … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 15 October 2014, Borderline, gig, Messenger, prog, progressive, psychedelic, review
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Album review: LUNATIC SOUL – Walking On A Flashlight Beam
Kscope – Out Now. Inspiration is an interesting thing. While most us mere mortals struggle to come up with anything remotely interesting to offer to the world in artistic terms, others like the Polish musician/composer Mariusz Duda are constantly creating … Continue reading
Album review: RIGOR MORTIS – Slaves To The Grave
Rigor Mortis Records – Out Now. The story of Texan Speed/Thrash Metal quartet Rigor Mortis is a pretty fascinating one indeed. Having first formed back in 1983 by schoolboy friends Harden Harrison (drums) & Casey Orr (bass), they were the … Continue reading
Album review: EXODUS – Blood In, Blood Out
Nuclear Blast – Out Now. There has been a significant number of changes taking place in the line-up of the California-based Thrash Metal legends Exodus over the last thirty four years but none has come close to being more debilitating … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Blood In, Blood Out, Exodus, metal, review
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Gig review: DESTRUCTION – The Underworld, London, 8 October 2014
Support Act: Shrapnel, Lost Society, Evil Invaders Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Attending Metal shows, even those taking place right in the middle of the week, is, strangely, still something I do with the passion … Continue reading
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 8 October 2014, Camden Underworld, Destruction, gig, London, review, thrash metal
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Album review: VAINAJA – Kadotetut
Svart Records – Out Now. How I love discovering new bands; and I am especially referring to those which, though respectful of their musical influences, are not afraid to try to bring something new to the table. The latest such … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Death, Doom, Kadoetetut, metal, review, Vainaja
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Album review: DARK FORTRESS – Venereal Dawn
Century Media – Out Now. Ever since their first demo “Rebirth Of The Dark Age” saw the light of day back in 1996, German sextet Dark Fortress has been one of the most prolific entities in the international Black Metal … Continue reading
Album review: SOLSTAFIR – Otta
Season Of Mist [Release date 01.09.14] Iceland may be one of the most barren places on earth but the same cannot be said about its music scene – which is a rich gathering of like-minded and highly artistic people that … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Iceland, metal, Otta, progressive, review, Solstafir
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Album review: THE HAUNTED – Exit Wounds
Century Media [Release date 25.08.14] To lose one founding member may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness… Now, I am not normally in the habit of paraphrasing Oscar Wilde when writing music reviews but this … Continue reading
Album review: U.D.O. – Steelhammer Live From Moscow
AFM Records [Release date 26.05.14] It was thirteen years ago that ex-Accept frontman Udo Dirkschneider recorded his solo band’s first ever live album in Russia and, if the AFM Records press release is to be believed, the very same logic … Continue reading
Album review: TUSMORKE – Riset Bak Speilet
Svart Records – Out Now. Some people may have all the luck in the world but then the majority of us have to try really hard in order to achieve our goals in life. Take Norwegian Folk Rock quartet Tusmorke … Continue reading
Interview with TOM S ENGLUND & JOHAN NIEMANN (Evergrey) – 22 August 2014
Less than a year ago, following another unwanted line-up change, Evergrey were on the brink of calling it a day. A few months later, Evergrey welcomed back in its ranks two of its most important old members and with their … Continue reading
Album review: THE PINEAPPLE THIEF – Magnolia
KScope – [Release date 15.9.14] Bruce Soord must have felt both pretty chuffed and stressed in equal measure the moment he realised the success achieved by The Pineapple Thief’s 2012 opus “All The Wars” – pleased because this album was … Continue reading
Interview with NIGE ROCKETT (Onslaught) – 4 August 2014
British Thrash Metal combo Onslaught are a band I have been supporting since day one, so reviewing their London show and interviewing their long term guitarist Nige Rockett was something I was looking forward to. While the former was achieved … Continue reading
