Tag Archives: heavy metal

Gig review: SAXON – Hammersmith (Eventim) Apollo, 15 November 2025

Posted on November 17, 2025 by jason

SAXON – Hammersmith Apollo, 15 November 2025

A wonderful evening of classic rock at Eventim Apollo (that’s the Hammersmith Odeon in English), and well attended it was too, having the aura of a sellout. And after Saxon vocalist Biff Byford’s recent health scare (now clear of cancer), … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Accept, Biff Byford, classic rock, Dirkschneider, gig, Hammersmith Apollo, heavy metal, metal, November 15 2025, NWOBHM, review, Saxon, Udo Dirkschneider | Leave a comment

Album review : TOKYO BLADE – Beware The Blade – Classic, Rare and Unreleased, 4 CD Boxset

Posted on November 12, 2025 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 21.11.25] A 4CD boxset of the best of Tokyo Blade’s 14 albums (and more). It’s not called a “Best Of”, but that’s what it is. CD1 : selections from Midnight Rendezvous (1984) and Night Of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Beware The Blade, boxset, Cherry Red, Fury, heavy metal, Midnight Rendezvous, Night Of The Blade, NWOBHM, review, Tokyo Blade | Leave a comment

Album review : RISING STEEL – Legion Of The Grave

Posted on August 23, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date : 29.08.25] Third full studio album on the Frontiers’ label from French metallers, Rising Steel, who remain a solid line up. Steel Zard – drums, Tony Steel – guitar, Steff Leadmaster – lead guitar , Stone … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged French, heavy metal, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Legion Of The Grave, review, Rising Steel, Saxon, thrash metal | Leave a comment

Gig review: QUARANTUNE ROCKS – The Victoria, Coalville, Leicestershire, 17 May 2025

Posted on May 23, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

King Kraken - QUARANTUNE ROCKS - The Victoria, Coalville, Leicestershire, 17 May 2025

As many of you know, Quarantune Rocks was set up as a music haven during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Established by music fans for music fans, it quickly grew into a friendly, music supporting group that decided as soon … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged classic rock, event, festival, gig, heavy metal, heavy rock, Joanovarc, King Kraken, Quarantune Rocks, Revenant | Leave a comment

EP review: HAXAN – Death Of Me

Posted on May 22, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

www.haxan.co.uk [Release date 28.05.25] South Wales rock trio Häxan return with their highly anticipated EP ‘Death Of Me’, a blistering follow up to their acclaimed debut album, ‘White Noise.’ Produced by Grammy nominated Romesh Dodangoda (Motörhead, Bring Me The Horizon, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged Death Of Me, EP, hard rock, Haxan, heavy metal, metal, review | Leave a comment

Album review : RAVEN – Screamin’ Down The House (4 CD set)

Posted on April 22, 2025 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 25.04.25] Formed in the north of England by brothers John and Mark Gallagher, during a time of social upheaval in the UK, Raven forged their own reflective version of NWOBHM, a proto-thrash metal that found … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Reissues | Tagged Atlantic Records, Combat Records, heavy metal, John Gallagher, Mark Gallagher, Megadeath, Metallica, Motorhead, NWOBHM, RAVEN, Screamin Down The House | Leave a comment

Album review : SICK’N'BEAUTIFUL – Horror Vacui

Posted on April 16, 2025 by brianmc

BLKIIBLK/Frontiers [Release date 18.04.25] Sick’n’Beautiful’s fourth album and their first release on Frontiers’ debut “heavy music imprint”, BLKIIBLK. Horror Vacui is an artistic concept, roughly translated from Latin as fear of empty spaces. Fronted by the sexually alluring Herma Sick … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Alice Cooper, BLACKIIBLACK, Frontiers, heavy metal, Lordi, Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, review | Leave a comment

Album review : WRATH – Children Of The Wicked (3 CD set)

Posted on January 28, 2025 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 31/01/25] You’d need a degree in modern sciences to play with Chicago USA band, Wrath. Such is the technically demanding nature of their thrash metal sound. The cover depicts a fresh face bunch of lads who, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Aerosmith, Cherry Red, heavy metal, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Overkill, review, Ronnie Montrose, Testament, thrash metal, Wrath | Leave a comment

Album review : TOKYO BLADE – Time Is The Fire

Posted on January 8, 2025 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 17.01.25] The Cherry Red reach has increased dramatically in recent years, and Tokyo Blades’ latest album, Time Is The Fire will be getting a considerable PR push around the 17/1/25 release date. True heavy metal … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Alan Marsh, album, Andy Boulton, Andy Wrighton and John Wiggins, Black Sabbath. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, heavy metal, NWOBHM, review, Steve Pierce, Tokyo Blade | Leave a comment

Feature: PHIL VINCENT’s Baker’s Dozen

Posted on November 24, 2024 by jason

A Baker’s Dozen, in which various musicians choose 13 songs – a baker’s dozen – to make a playlist. The following rules apply – Maximum of three songs from any artist Maximum of two songs from any album Maximum of two … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES | Tagged Bakers Dozen, Beatles, feature, hard rock, heavy metal, Jon Butcher Axis, Judas Priest, melodic rock, metal, Phil Vincent, pop, prog rock, Queen, RAVEN, Thin Lizzy | Leave a comment

Album review : IMPELLITTERI – War Machine

Posted on November 1, 2024 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date : 08.11.24] Chris Impellitteri has always had something to say about the world and the way of it, illuminated by the occasional religious overtone. This new album, his band’s 16th, is not much different. We should be … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Chris Impellitteri, Frontiers, heavy metal, Impellitteri, Iron Maiden, review, Rob Rock, War Machine | Leave a comment

Album review : BROTHERS OF METAL – Fimbulvinter

Posted on October 26, 2024 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date : 01.11.24] Fimbulvinter (the great winter) is the third album from Swedish eight man band, Brothers Of Metal, arriving hot on the heels of the very well received Emblas Saga. The Nordic countries have their own, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Brothers Of Metal, Dawid Grahn, Fimbulvinter, heavy metal, Nordic, Norse Mythology, Sweden, The Great Winter, Viking, Ylva Eriksson | Leave a comment

Album review : VICTORY – The Circle Of Life

Posted on September 2, 2024 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date : 13.09.24] Battle hardened bands like Victory know that treading the boards for 30+ years teaches you stuff. You learn to map new paths to the same destinations. In reality, there is no substitute for experience. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged AFM Records, Circle Of Life, Gianni Pontillo, hard rock, heavy metal, Herman Frank, Mike Pesin, review, Victory | Leave a comment

Album review : MISTER MISERY – III

Posted on July 29, 2024 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date : 02.08.24] Looking like a reimagined Kiss in a Gothic horror movie, Mister Misery’s dress and music sense could not be more theatrical. Nor could it fit the music any better, and vice versa. On III, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged AFM Records, Gothic Horror, heavy metal, Kiss, Mister Misery, Nursery Rhyme, review | Leave a comment

Album review : UNCLE SLAM – Will Work For Food and When God Dies (2 CD Reissue)

Posted on July 20, 2024 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 26.07.24] Uncle Slam’s roots grew and blossomed in the fertile ground of Punk and Thrash, California style, in the late 80s, taking shape initially in the form of Suicidal Tendencies. Then splintering off into various … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Cherry Red, Crossover Thrash, heavy metal, reissue, review, Suicidal Tendencies, Todd Moyer, Uncle Slam, When God Dies, Will Work For Food | Leave a comment

Album review : PAUL DI’ANNO’S WARHORSE

Posted on July 13, 2024 by brianmc

BraveWords Records [Release date : 19.07.24] The music here serves as a fully realised reminder of the gifts that vocalist Paul Di’Anno has displayed numerous times, originally with Iron Maiden, and then anything he’s been involved with since. Despite (or … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Ante Pupacic Pupi, Croatia, Depeche Mode, heavy metal, Hrvoje Madiraca, Iron Maiden, Paul Di'Anno, review, The Champs | Leave a comment

Album review : KRYPTOS – Decimator

Posted on June 29, 2024 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date : 05.07.24] On their magnificent seventh album now, Indian heavy metal band, Kryptos still have their eyes on the prize. It’s always tantalisingly out of reach for most bands. Few ever get their hands on it. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged AFM Records, Decimator, heavy metal, India, Kryptos, Nolan Lewis, NWOBHM, review | Leave a comment

Album review: VICIOUS RUMORS – Welcome To The Ball (Remaster)

Posted on June 20, 2024 by brianmc

Rock Candy [Release date : 24.05.24] Rock Candy Records are perhaps, unfairly, more associated with AOR and Melodic Rock than they are Metal, but among reissue labels they have no peers when it comes to value judgement. The always underrated … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Reissues | Tagged Bruce Dickinson, Carl Albert, Geoff Thorpe, heavy metal, Mark McGhee, power metal, review, Rock Candy Records, Vicious Rumors | Leave a comment

Album review : ANVIL – One And Only

Posted on June 13, 2024 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date: 28.06.24] There’s Old School Heavy Metal bands, and there’s Anvil. On their 20th album now, the aptly titled One And Only, these Canadian legends have shed any pretence of “modernising” their sound, reaching back to the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged anvil, Canadian, Chris Robertson, heavy metal, old school metal, review, Robb Reiner, Steve Kudrow | Leave a comment

Album review: BLACK SABBATH – Anno Domini 1989-1995

Posted on May 12, 2024 by jason

BMG [Release date 31.05.24] Another solid box from BMG, and four long out-of-print albums get a release. This set features Headless Cross (1989), Tyr (1990), Cross Purposes (1994) and Forbidden (1995). And before anyone goes “The Tony Martin Years”, this … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged Anno Domini 1989-1995, Black Sabbath, blues rock, box set, classic rock, Cozy Powell, Geoff Nicholls, Headless Cross, heavy metal, Neil Murray, review, Tony Iommi, Tony Martin, TYR | Leave a comment

Gig review: JUDAS PRIEST/Saxon/Uriah Heep – Wembley Arena, London, 21 March 2024

Posted on April 14, 2024 by andynathan

JUDAS PRIEST- Wembley Arena, London, 21 March 2024

For a band that so proudly proclaims their British roots, there is a case that Judas Priest have simply not toured their home country enough. In the eighties they largely neglected it for the USA with the result that I … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Andy Sneap, Bernie Shaw, Biff Byford, Brian Tatler, Doug Scarratt, gig, Glenn Tipton, heavy metal, Judas Priest, Mick Box, Nibbs Carter, Phil Lanzon, Richie Faulkner, Rob Halford, Saxon, Uriah Heep | Leave a comment

Album review: LILLIAN AXE – The Box Vol 2, The Quickening

Posted on March 22, 2024 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 29.03.24] The Quickening is the second instalment of a two part series documenting the recorded life and times of metal’s most underrated band, Lillian Axe. There are six CDs. CD1: Deep Red Shadows (2010) w/7 … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News | Tagged boxset, Deep Red Shadows, Fields Of Yesterday, heavy metal, Lillian Axe, Quickening, review, Steve Blaze, The Days Before Tomorrow | Leave a comment

Album review : SMOKING SNAKES – Danger Zone

Posted on February 14, 2024 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date : 16.02.24] Swedish band, Smoking Snakes, release their debut album, Danger Zone this month. The banal band name and cliched album title will surely raise a wry smile on the face of even the most ardent genre … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Danger Zone, glam rock, heavy metal, Quiet Riot, review, sleaze rock, Smoking Snakes, Spinal Tap, Steel Panther, Sunset Strip, Twisted Sister, WASP | Leave a comment

Album review : KMFDM – Let Go

Posted on February 5, 2024 by brianmc

Metropolis Records [Release date : 02.02.24] KMFDM’s 23rd album is a mixed bag of sights and sounds, each one contributing to a predominant image of a patchwork musical quilt. Each track is an auditory outcry, all cleverly stitched together in … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, heavy metal, KMFDM, Lucia Ciferelli, mountain lion, NDY, Rammstein, review, Sascha Konietsko, Stahlmann | Leave a comment

Album review : LILLIAN AXE – The Box Volume One Resurrection

Posted on November 26, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red / HNE [Release Date : 24.11.23] Lillian Axe is the thinking man’s heavy metal band. Even if you hadn’t heard the music, mainman Steve Blaze (writer/guitarist/producer) writes a cracking set of liner notes. Here is just a glimpse: … Continue reading →