LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATHBaphometic Chaosium Metal Blade (2013)Rating: 7.5/10 Modern black metal really does get my back up y’know. Am I going to spend every review telling you kids just how great it used to be back in the 80s and early 90s? Well, it looks like it. Los Angeles-based black metal band Lightning Swords […]
HELLOWEEN – Waiting For The Thunder Anthony Morgan January 2013 Helloween (l-r): Michael Weikath, Daniel Löble, Andi Deris, Markus Grosskopf and Sascha Gerstner Members of German power metal outfit Helloween are scattered across Europe, vocalist Andi Deris and guitarist Michael Weikath taking refuge in Tenerife. Rhythm guitarist Sascha Gerstner and drummer Daniel Löble live in […]
VOID OF SLEEPTales Between Reality And Madness Aural Music (2013)Rating: 7.5/10 How about a dose of Italian dooooooom metal? Considering these guys formed in 2010, Tales Between Reality And Madness is an incredibly mature record, coming hot on the heels of 2011’s Giants And Killers EP. Now, if you’re after intriguing doom metal then Void […]
HOLY GRAILRide The Void Nuclear Blast / Prosthetic (2013)Rating: 9/10 Los Angeles, California-based metal leviathan Holy Grail return with their sophomore record, Ride The Void. Since their inception in 2008, when vocalist James-Paul Luna and drummer Tyler Meahl left White Wizzard, the band have been turning heads with their authentic sound and high energy. Supporting […]
HELLOWEENStraight Out Of Hell Spinefarm (2013)Rating: 9/10 After a fairly uneventful string of albums, 7 Sinners (2010) began a return to form for the mighty Helloween. Straight Out Of Hell builds on the big anthem, big production style that put the German band on the A-List, but it’s the songwriting this time around that takes […]
A LIFE DIVIDEDThe Great Escape AFM (2013)Rating: 6/10 The world of heavy music is comprised of more subgenres than you can shake a stick at. Just ask German electro metal band A Life Divided. Munich’s entry into the world of dark, keyboard-driven rock brings to mind a number of their forerunners, and not all are […]
SORCERYArrival At Six Xtreem Music (2013)Rating: 7.5/10 Whoa there! Swedish death metal just suddenly got heavier… if that was at all possible? Sorcery – not be confused with countless other bands of the same moniker – have been banging heads together since the mid 80s, as one can tell when you hear this festering sore […]
MICHAEL SCHENKER – Handmade Rock’s Architect Anthony Morgan January 2013 Michael Schenker Pic: Kevin Estrada German axeman extraordinaire Michael Schenker (ex-UFO / ex-Scorpions) performed at the 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands on May 13th, 2012, an outing taped for DVD issue. Surfacing courtesy of Temple Of Rock – Live In Europe, Schenker’s solo line-up on […]
JOEL GRINDThe Yellowgoat Sessions Self-released (2013)Rating: 7/10 Despite not being born until 1982 Joel Grind is somewhat of a heavy metal veteran. Hailing from Portland in Oregon, Grind was one of the musicians responsible for bringing extreme metal back to the headbangers when in 1999 he formed Toxic Holocaust, an old school speed / thrash […]
NEWSTED – Metal’s Soldierhead Anthony Morgan January 2013 Jason Newsted Across four nights on December 5th, 7th, 9th, and 10th of 2011, Metallica performed at The Fillmore in their hometown of San Francisco, California. Celebrating 30 years since their inception, the audiences exclusively consisted of fan club members as well as an array of guests. […]
