AORL.A. Connection Escape Music (2014)Rating: 8/10 When heavy metal and heavy rock music suffered at the hands of the grunge invasion in the early 90s it was up to talents such as Los Angeles-based French musician Frédéric Slama to keep on delivering the rock anthems, the sort of songs that had become derided and no […]

ZARPABestias Del Poder Pure Steel (2014)Rating: 8.5/10 Although the lyrics of this 15-track affair are in Spanish, the latest opus from traditional metal quartet Zarpa is a half-decent one and the sort of album some of today’s young upstarts could learn a lot from. Zarpa have most certainly been around since the age of the […]

KING OF ASGARD Release Third Full-Length Album ‘Karg’ July 18th, 2014 Mjölby, Sweden-based Viking metallers King Of Asgard issued third full-length album Karg on July 18th, 2014 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland through Metal Blade Records. The label also scheduled European release for the 21st, and North American release for the 22nd. Recording sessions began […]

FORENSICKThe Prophecy Pure Underground (2014)Rating: 5/10 German metalheads Forensick was born in 2010 out of two respective bands, namely Cruelty and Heap Of Ruins. The quintet released its self-titled album in 2012, and The Prophecy signals the return for this denim-clad bunch. The line-up consists of vocalist Tobias Hübner, bassist Andreas Armbruster, drummer Julian Rocco […]

DESOLATION ANGELSSweeter The Meat EP Reaper (2014)Rating: 7/10 In my opinion, UK rockers Desolation Angels were responsible for one of heavy metal’s greatest records in the form of their self-titled opus released back in 1986. They somewhat achieved cult status immediately, in spite of only issuing one further full-length platter, 1991’s While The Flame Still […]

ACCEPTBlind Rage Nuclear Blast (2014)Rating: 8/10 So here we have it, studio album number 14 from Germany’s Accept which introduces itself via way of ‘Stampede’; a no holds barred metal attack featuring that formidable two-pronged axe attack known as Herman Frank and Wolf Hoffmann. Vocalist Mark Tornillo goes straight for the jugular, acting up like […]

SLAUGHTERDAYRavenous EP FDA Rekotz (2014)Rating: 8/10 I really enjoyed the gore-crusted barrage of Slaughterday’s 2013 debut

BURDEN OF GRIEFUnchained Massacre (2014)Rating: 6/10 Unchained is the sixth instalment from German melodic death metallers Burden Of Grief, a band who formed back in 1994. Their sound clearly fitting in with the mid-90s climate where metal was most certainly shedding its original skin and aiming for something more accessible, Burden Of Grief has always […]

MORDRED – Back To Life Neil Arnold July 2014 Mordred (l-r): Danny White, Jeff Gomes, Scott Holderby, James J. Sanguinetti, Aaron ‘DJ Pause’ Vaughn and Art Liboon In 1989 an album would be released that would literally change the face of hard rock and heavy metal as we knew it. It was an album that […]

BAALBERITHApparition Of Skulls Sixsixsix Music (2014)Rating: 8/10 Isn’t it incredible as to how many bands with long careers can actually pass under one’s radar! I feel that execution would only be the right punishment for me in that I’ve hardly ever set foot in the murky world of UK’s Baalberith; a band which formed in […]