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Author Chris Davison

I've been a metal fan since before I can remember anything else, more or less. My dad was always playing Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and AC/DC, so you can probably blame whatever crap score I have just awarded your terrible demo band indirectly to him. I spent my teenage years obsessing about thrash metal, before obsessing about all metal from that point onwards until now. I started reviewing music when Doug McClure was still trying to find the Land That Time Forgot, and in that time I have single handedly listened to every album ever released from Russia and the Baltic States. I live in a rural idyll, and so I don't get to gigs all that often, and thus you can always find me at Bloodstock clutching a flagon of rot-gut cider and smelling like a recently exhumed corpse, making the most of seeing a) other metal fans and b) metal bands. I once got poked in the eye by Lee Dorrian, and Fast Eddie Clarke told me he was still great. I also pulled Lesley Crowther's hair; The rest is just rumour.

Thronehammer – Kingslayer (Supreme Chaos)

The choice of an opening track is always, always a statement of intent. Once you’ve got past atmospheric or brief instrumental guff that some bands put out there, the first proper track that you get is the benchmark and standard… Continue Reading →

Decembre Noir – Your Sunset My Sunrise (Lifeforce Records)

It’s the fifth full length album by my calculations for German band Decembre Noir since 2014. I don’t believe I had the pleasure before, but usually Lifeforce Records are a fair barometer that the music within is likely to be… Continue Reading →

Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit (20 Buck Spin)

So, I’d heard some Tomb Mold in the past, and in fairness it’s been pretty hard not to have notice them on Metal Twitter (or X, as ham-fizzoged ethics-averse replicant Elon Musk has renamed it), as they’re often spoken about… Continue Reading →

The Grief – Crucible (Self-Released)

It was back in 2020 that I reviewed a pair of great E.P.s from Cork, Ireland’s “The Grief”, at which point I gave them a collected 8.5 out of 10. Well, it’s three years later and the lads from the… Continue Reading →

Roots of the Old Oak – The Devil and His Wicked Ways (Hammerheart Records)

I’ve been reviewing things for this and other websites for around twenty years now, and for much if not all of that time, I’ve been doing that alongside our esteemed editor. One of the ways in which this relationship shows… Continue Reading →

Accelerated Mutation – Fast Food Rehearsal Demo (Necromagnetic Records)

A sharp and brutal slice of in your face DIY grindcore for your delectation today. Hailing from the West Midlands, Accelerated Mutation are making what they call “rancid grinding thrashcore”, or what you and I might call crusty grind. The… Continue Reading →

Elder Devil – Everything Worth Loving (Prosthetic Records)

I don’t know much about Fresno, truth be told. I do know that Donny from The Big Lebowski used to surf the shores of Fresno, but that’s not immediately useful in the context of telling you about this album from… Continue Reading →

Imperishable – Come, Sweet Death (Hammerheart)

Well, it’s no surprise to those of us of an extreme metal persuasion that a lot (and I mean A LOT) of great bands have come from Sweden. Imperishable look to join the ranks of our illustrious Scandinavian cousins, and… Continue Reading →

Wytch Hazel – IV: Sacrament (Bad Omen Records)

Lancashire’s Traditional Hard Rock / Metal heroes return with this, their 4th album. I’ve now reviewed each of their releases, and I’ve been a huge fan of their knack of writing classic, timeless tunes that have a way of worming… Continue Reading →

Nattehimmel – Mourningstar (Hammerheart records)

Well, this was a nice surprise. I was quite fond of “In the Woods”, and to my very great surprise, Nattehimmel features not only the Botteri brothers, but also James Fogarty on vocals. Even if you’ve not heard In The… Continue Reading →

Industrial Puke – Born Into The Twisting Rope (Suicide Records)

Well, while not perhaps the first band to merge the ferocious d-beat energy of Discharge with the all-conquering guitar sound of the HM-2 pedal, Industrial Puke do have both an amusing name, and a knack for not outstaying their welcome…. Continue Reading →

Bloodgutter – Death Mountain (Trollzorn)

Danish death metal? Did I hear that right? Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Konkhra (forever one of the most over-looked metal bands of the 90’s), but outside of a couple of bands (Hatesphere spring to mind), Denmark… Continue Reading →

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