BattleroaR – Codex Epicus (Cruz Del Sur)
BattleroaR (still persisting with the capital R at the end of their name so lets humour them and not spoil things eh?) don’t do anything by half. It amazes me that it’s taken them until their fifth album to get the word Epic into one.. Read More
Lizzy Borden – My Midnight Things (Metal Blade)
Founded 35 years ago, Lizzy Borden has been around since the early days of hair metal. The band named after the notorious lady who used to wield an axe with deadly precision was mostly successful in the 1980s. However, like so many bands from those.. Read More
Sign of the Jackal – Breaking the Spell (Dying Victims)
It has been five years since their debut album ‘Mark of the Beast’, even longer since ‘The Beyond’ EP, and this Italian traditional heavy metal group have picked up exactly where they left off. Laura’s vocals have not changed; the style has become a mix.. Read More
Toledo Steel – No Quarter (Dissonance)
Southampton’s Toledo Steel are on a great journey. Ever present in the UK metal scene over the last few years, I am quite pleased with the progression and this, to finally get to their debut album release. It just shows what can be achieved born.. Read More
Stormzone – Lucifer’s Factory (Metal Nation records)
Belfast’s Stormzone are damn good at what they do, each release is strong, this one, is no different. They always deliver their melodic and harmonised sound with some strong song arrangements. If you take ‘Cushy Glen’ for example, which is augmented by its Celtic/folky guitar.. Read More
Primitai – The Calling (Dissonance)
Based in the UK, a country surprisingly (and disappointingly) sparse in quality Melodic Metal bands, it’s great to hear a class act like Primitai flying the flag so confidently for old Blighty. Fledgling UK Metal bands (who aren’t pummeling their way down the extreme metal.. Read More
Monument – Hellhound (Rock Of Angels)
How not to make friends and influence me; open the album with a pirate themed song called ‘William Kidd’, make it historically dubious (if ever there was a guy whose crew didn’t do their best to serve him well it was Kidd, and he had.. Read More
Evil-Lÿn – Disciple of Steel (No Remorse)
Tampere, Finland is a talented place, many bands I know come from there and Evil-Lÿn are another one. A traditional heavy metal act formed 11 years ago, with a debut EP behind them in 2012. If you like Enforcer, Chastain, Satan’s Fall (also members of.. Read More
Lordi – Sexorcism (AFM)
Guilty pleasures, let’s face it we all have them although they are only really guilty if you’re ashamed of them. For someone like me with absolutely zero street cred there is no reason to be embarrassed by such things as my enjoyment of Eurovision. My.. Read More
Traitors Gate – Fallen (No Remorse)
Reignited after a resurgence of interest following what was supposed to be a one off reunion at Newcastle’s Brofest in 2017 (I subsequently saw them in Germany too), the band decided there was more to offer. A self-released EP appeared last year; these songs appear.. Read More
Manacle – No Fear to Persevere (No Remorse)
Canada in recent times and very much in part of heavy metal history has given us some great bands. I found Manacle a while back whilst flipping through recommendations on band camp and YouTube. This heavy/speed metal band feature members and ex-members of other bands.. Read More
Black Cyclone – Death Is King (Gates of Hell Records)
There was a time in the history of heavy metal, where it was hard to know just where exactly NWOBHM ended, and thrash begun. In fact, arguably before the term “thrash” metal was even in very regular parlance, the “speed metal” term was used to.. Read More
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