RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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SIXX:A.M. – The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack: 10th Anniversary Edition
The infamous and highly talented Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) published his drug-riddled memoir entitled "The Heroin Diaries" ten years ago, which was a compelling yet disturbing journey into madness, despair, and abuse, but it was also a story about hope, recovery and redemption. The biography, or diary, if you will, was rather hard to absorb…
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IMPUREZA – La Caída De Tonatiuh
At first inspection you see the aztec/ maya inspired cover artwork and then you may think this is another South American band -as far too many bands have attempted to bring pre-columbian themes into metal with varied degrees of success. Then you read the song list and if you have any remote knowledge of spanish…
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NICK HASTED – The Story of the Kinks: You Really Got Me
The Story of the Kinks: You Really Got Me by author Nick Hasted is a balanced and well-written biography on the legendary British outfit that is The Kinks. First of all, The Kinks were a revolutionary group that changed the course of music history forever. Their songs and albums continue to inspire and they encompass…
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JEFF LYNNE’s ELO – Wembley or Bust
Jeff Lynne of ELO fame is a living legend. Of that, there can be no doubt. The man has inspired and influenced countless musicians from all kinds of different backgrounds for decades and continues to do so. There is a reason why Axl Rose (Guns N’ Roses) cites ELO as one of his favorite bands…
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SCOUR – Red
The vicious and violent black metal ensemble known as Scour has graced us with yet another EP following last year’s “Grey” release. This brand new six-track offering is appropriately titled “Red” and contains roughly sixteen minutes of face-melting darkness. Featuring Phil Anselmo (Superjoint, Down), John Jarvis (Pig Destroyer), Chase Fraser (Conflux), Derek Engemann (Catle Decapitation),…
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GLENN HUGHES – Songs in the Key of Rock
This awesome 3CD version of Glenn Hughes’ 2003 album named "Songs in the Key of Rock" is another treat for all you lovers of world-class hard rock with depth and substance to it. As with the other Glenn Hughes remasters by Cherry Red Records and Purple Records, this one is filled to the brim with…
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GLENN HUGHES – Building the Machine
The 2001 release entitled "Building the Machine" by the ever-awesome Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Country Communion, Black Sabbath) saw the legendary voice of rock combine his kick-ass hard rock with his love for soul and funk music to great effect, which is nothing new really, because Glenn has more or less always combined those…
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VANISH – The Insanity Abstract
Vanish is a progressive power metal act hailing from Germany that have been at it for more than ten years now, but I must admit that I had never come across or heard about these guys until this third full-length opus of theirs, which is entitled "The Insanity Abstract", showed up in my mailbox one…
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INNER AXIS – We Live by the Steel
The German heavy metal scumbags that are Inner Axis recently released this ten-track effort of theirs entitled "We Live by the Steel" (which sounds like something Manowar might have come up with!) via Fastball Music and we are talking about pure heavy metal inspired by Accept, Iron Maiden, Manowar, and Judas Priest here. Actually, it…
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FILTHGRAVE – Desecration
The nasty Norwegian fuckers that are Filthgrave recently spat forth this rather ugly and interesting 4-song demo entitled "Desecration" containing roughly twenty minutes of somewhat simple, murky, and catchy black metal, and the result is quite good and worth exploring in more detail. The music conjured up by Filthgrave is firmly rooted in old-school black…
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BRIAN SOUTHALL – Sex Pistols: 90 Days at EMI
This superb 149-page book entitled "Sex Pistols: 90 Days at EMI" by former EMI PR executive Brian Southall provides us with an exhaustive study of the rather tense, problematic, and ultimately incompatible relationship between the notorious Sex Pistols and the well-respected and revered EMI. The Sex Pistols/EMI coupling was an odd one to many; why…
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TAAKE – Kong Vinter
Taake is a compelling and highly interesting musical entity for a number of different reasons. Not only has the band, which is spearheaded solely by multi-instrumentalist Hoest, become better with time, but Taake never fails to amaze or captivate me whenever it spews forth a brand new opus. It is not that it is the…
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BLUT AUS NORD – Deus Salutatis Meæ
Blut Aus Nord are a french band formed in 1994. The discography is impressive and combines different styles that range from Black Metal, a bit DM as well here and there, to more experimental Industrial / Dark Wave and Avant-garde. In 2014 the band released one of their best Black Metal albums. A beautiful harmonic…
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INSANE – Evil
The lethal Swedish thrash/speed/heavy metal quartet known as Insane spat forth this ugly and intense brew of face-melting music a few months ago via Duplicate Records and I must say that I am impressed by what these fuckbags have come up with. Not only are their tunes memorable and catchy, but the musicianship is superb…
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STEVE WRIGHT – Graham Bonnet – The Story Behind the Shades. The Authorised Illustrated Biogra
"Graham Bonnet – The Story Behind the Shades" by author Steve Wright is simply put an excellent book containing 176 pages that perfectly summarize and chronicle living legend Graham Bonnet’s fifty-year long career in music. Wright takes us through Bonnet’s childhood years in Skegness and his first dabblings in music to the success of The…
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ANDY FRANCIS – When Punk Rocked
This intriguing and interesting book by author Andy Francis entitled “When Punk Rocked” is basically a timeline in words and pictures that chronicles the rise and fall of punk rock and its mutation into New Wave and so on. It takes you from ground zero, i..e the emergence of the style and genre in 1976,…
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ZIFIR – Kingdom of Nothingness
The blasphemous Turkish duo named Zifir recently unleashed this third full-length assault of theirs entitled "Kingdom of Nothingness" via the ever-reliable Duplicate Records and the blackened and ugly 13-song effort is quite satisfying in a number of ways. While the songs may appear a tad linear at first, the beauty of them is that underneath…
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SARKE – Viige Urh
Sarke released their fifth full-length Viige Urh on October 13. This time they are infusing the Viking theme into the music. This is not being done in the same metal fashion as other epic, folk bands have done. They borrow from genres which you wouldn’t normally see mixed into anything Viking. They are attempting to…
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VREDEHAMMER – Suffocate All Light (single)
This was a single I was anticipating a lot. Vredehammer has gotten even better now in my opinion. The thrashy nature of the past album has now given place to tight solid DM, and there are no visible traces of Amon Amarthish Viking to be heard anywhere. Pretty much excellent, technical and totally crushing Black…
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SATYRICON – Deep Calleth upon Deep
I am a tad too late on reviewing this excellent 2017 effort by the ever-unpredictable and awesome Norwegian entitiy that is Satyrion, but better late than never, I reckon. Needless to say, I had high expectations of this eight-track album that is evocatively (and yet cryptically) entitled "Deep Calleth upon Deep". After all, Satyricon have…
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PIG’S BLOOD – Pig’s Blood
The revolting quartet that is Pig’s Blood hails from the US, more specifically Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and this ugly-sounding self-titled effort of theirs is the band’s debut onslaught. What these guys offer is bestial, barbaric, and blackened death metal of the rumbling, violent, and bombastic kind. The vibes and atmospheres that emanate from the ten sickening…
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ATREXIAL – Souverain
The Spanish outfit named Atrexial released this excellent opus of theirs entitled "Souverain" through the awesome Godz of War Productions earlier on this year and if you have yet to familiarize yourself with the twelve atmospheric compostions that constitute this release, then I suggest you read on. "Souverain" mixes and blends different elements and traits…
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NICK SOULSBY – Thurston Moore – We Sing a New Language
"Thurston Moore – We Sing a New Language" by author Nick Soulsby ("Cobain on Cobain", "Dark Slivers") is quite the interesting literary piece on the highly talented musician Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth, Twilight, etc.) and covers pretty much eacn and every band, project, or release that Moore has ever been involved in since 1978 up…
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HAUNTED BY SILHOUETTES – Iskalde blikk
Jøye meg, dette lover bra. Har hørt disse gutta flere ganger live, men aldri helt fenget meg tidligere "Iskalde Blikk" (singel-låt) som kommer på debut-albumet (foreløpig uten tittel) rundt Mars 2018, har et fantastisk driv og det blir fort rockefot av denne. Litt ballade-feeling over denne, men det er tungt, det groover og vokalen er…
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KARNE – Symposium of Torments
French black metal sickos Karne unearthed and unleashed this malevolent and rather sinister ten-track effort entitled ”Symposium of Torments” a few months ago and I must say that I am quite impressed by the whole affair. There is hardly anything original or innovative on display here, but the songs are well-written and oppressive, the riffs…
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DRAWN INTO DESCENT – Drawn into Descent
Immortal Frost Productions recently reissued the self-titled debut album by Belgian black metal outfit Drawn into Descent in a limited edition of 1000 copies and I was not wrong when I glanced at the album artwork and thought to myself that these guys must be dabbling in melodic and atmospheric black metal. Judging from the…
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MAJOR PARKINSON – Blackbox
Personleg har eg alltid hugsa Major Parinson som den litt onde tvillingen til Kaizers. Eg hugsar ikkje kven som sa det, men det festa seg. Eg hugsar også godt ”hiten” dei hadde med ”Heart of Hickory” for ein del år sidan, men utanom det, hadde eg eit avgrensa forhold til bandet før deira nyaste plate,…
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PERSECUTORY – Towards the Ultimate Extinction
The cover artwork for this rotten and vile album by the Turkish black/death horde Persecutory tells you all you need to know about the band and what is in store for you, i.e. relentless and lethal metal of the most despicable kind. Fusing powerful black metal with pummeling death metal and neck-snapping thrash metal, the…
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BLACK BLEEDING – The Awakening
The sick and depraved Belgian death metal scumbags that are Black Bleeding originally released this 5-track EP of theirs entitled The Awakening back in 2005, but Nihilistic Holocaust recently took it upon themselves to unearth and release the filthy thing on a proper CD and the result is quite decent albeit unremarkable. Black Bleeding spew…