CRYING STEEL Agent Steel Pride & Joy Music (2026) Rating: 7/10 We are only half way through the year and already we have a band picking up an award, in this case it is Italian veterans Crying Steel for what is, without doubt, the worst album artwork of 2026. Some of these cover designs are […]

ASTRIFEROUS Atavistic Unraveling Me Saco Un Ojo / Pulverised (2026) Rating: 8/10 I’ve been waiting for these deathly Costa Rican’s to make an impact on the scene, especially since their debut opus Pulsations Of The Black Orb (2023) which caused a bit of a stir. Atavistic Unraveling is the next natural step for Astriferous and […]

PHANTOM STAR Phantom Star Classic Metal (2026) Rating: 7.5/10 There’s another new name on the block and it’s Phantom Star, who provide a healthy slice of heavy metal heaven from Brazil. Brimming with genuine buoyancy, this debut full-length slab is a slightly progressive metal platter which arcs towards twinges of Queensrÿche. Phantom Star is not […]

IRON KOBRA Eternal Dagger Dying Victims Productions (2026) Rating: 8/10 These German metallers have been floating around the scene since 2008 and this is their third full-length opus. It’s been 11 years since their last album, Might & Magic, but the line-up has remained relatively stable with the exception of lead guitarist Steffen (aka Steffen […]

LOCKHART City Pulse High Roller (2026) Rating: 7.5/10 If ever there was a contemporary example of a time machine glimpsing back to the peak era of sizzling and steamy AOR-driven hard rock, it’s via Canadian band Lockhart. With their debut full-length release, the trio of Devon Kerr (vocals, guitar and keyboards), Jason Junop (bass) and […]