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 […]

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 […]