Mausoleum Gate – Into A Dark Divinity (Cruz de la Sur Music)
I really quite enjoyed Mausoleum Gate’s 2014 self-titled debut – it was a spirited serving of 70s-inspired ‘proto metal’ with enough of a whiff of hammer horror ghoulishness and deftness of songwriting touch to elevate it above much of the pack. No mean feat these.. Read More
Air Raid – Across the Line (High Roller)
Sweden’s Air Raid have been going 8+ years now, this album features another new vocalist, and although that could be an issue with diehard fans frustrated with the personnel changes, what I will say is wow! Fredrick Werner is an exceptional find. Possessing both a.. Read More
Jag Panzer – The Deviant Chord (Steamhammer)
Jag Panzer are an institution in respect to US heavy/power metal, adored in Europe and have a strong following elsewhere. Vocalist Harry ‘The Tyrant’ Conklin has some of the most varied range in modern metal. For this album its gone further, there’s much more controlled.. Read More
Panzer – The Fatal Command (Nuclear Blast)
If you didn’t grab Panzer’s debut album “Send Them All To Hell” then have a quiet word with yourself over a stiff drink. It was one of the best heavy metal releases of 2014. A classic Teutonic power trio, Schmier (bass / vocals) Herman Frank.. Read More
Hexx – Wrath of the Reaper (High Roller)
Hexx made some great albums back in the day, their first two in particular ‘No Escape’ and ‘Under the Spell’ closing that chapter with ‘Quest for Sanity’. Later changing from their power metal roots, they evolved into a harsher death/thrash inspired outfit with a different.. Read More
Argus – From Fields Of Fire (Cruz Del Sur Music)
Having thoroughly enjoyed the Adruini/Balich album from earlier this year I felt happily honour-bound to cover the new release from vocalist Butch Balich’s main band Argus. With a voice as utterly and intrinsically “Metal” as Balich’s, with a band possessing heaviness to match, Argus always.. Read More
Arch Enemy – Will To Power (Century Media)
Another behemoth release from the current front runners in Swedish Melodeath. It’s the second release for these metal giants, with vocalist Alissa White-Gluz, and the first with new boy, ex nevermore legend, Jeff Loomis, on the strings. Arch Enemy launch into their 10th opus with.. Read More
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter – Die Rote Reiter – Nuclear Blast
Three years have passed since Die Apokalyptischen Reiter released their rather tremendous double album, ‘Tief. Tiefer’, and 2017 sees the long anticipated follow up ‘Die Rote Reiter’, ‘The Red Rider’, and no, it’s not some harbinger of doom from A Game of Thrones, rather a.. Read More
Fireforce -Annihilate The Evil (Limb Music)
With an opening track called ‘The Boys From Down Under’, it’s pretty obvious where this energetic Power Metal band hail from! Yep, Belgium. Not known for it’s Power Metal pedigree (and a fair old distance from Australia), Fireforce are certainly one of their country’s leaders.. Read More
High Spirits – Escape (High Roller)
The ever reliable High Spirits, I missed the chance to see them earlier this year as I had ticket in hand, but no bloody trains, at least I have memories of the last time I swung my hips to this infectious band. Led by multitasker.. Read More
Forged In Black – Sinner Sanctorum (S/R)
This British band play a mix of everything, thrash, power, doom, and straight up heavy metal. The opening gambit ‘There’s Always Time’ makes a good impression sitting between Bruce Dickinson’s solo material and some slight reference to famous Swedish doom legends. There is a touch.. Read More
Dead Lord – In Ignorance We Trust (Century Media)
I’ve found this a perfect continuation of their last album ‘Heads Held high’, in my review of that the unashamed influence of Thin Lizzy was mentioned. We won’t go there anymore, it gets a bit repetitive after a while as I am sure every other.. Read More
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