Author: Steve Earles
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Bloodbath – The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn
To me, The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn really proves that death metal as a genre has staying power. This album builds on the classic work of Death, Autopsy, Carcass, Entombed and Unleashed and their ilk and forges its sound into something true to its roots, yet very much of the 21st century. The track “Bloodicide”…
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The Great Sabatini – Goodbye Audio
On the surface this is a well-recorded and played album of Melvins-inspired music. However, what sets it apart is the fact that the songs are strong. If they were to be played acoustically they would still work – the sign always of a good song. Moreover, the band have their own identity, and I can…
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Kosm – Cosmonaut
Cosmonaut was released on 16th November, the day before my birthday, a time of reflection and change for the future, when I reflect on just how many albums I’ve reviewed that weren’t bad, just generic… which in a way is even worse than being bad. No one ever remembers ‘it was okay’. But Kosm’s Cosmonaut…
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Iomair – Iomair
One of the most important elements of music is sincerity, and Iomair have that in spades. Think of a folky Opeth and you aren’t even half-way there. What I like most about this album is its heartfelt emotionality. This is really music for the inner you, not for the face you put on for the world. Strange…
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Space Sirens, Scientists and Princesses by Dean Conrad
Nowadays, women are rightly a central part of science fiction films, but it was not always so. In early science fiction films women were usually assistants, eye candy, or there to give the square-jawed male hero someone to save from the flying killer bots from the planet Zog! Compare, for example, Forbidden Planet (entertaining though…
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Sunrunner – Ancient Arts of Survival
Despite their Native American inspirations, Sunrunner have a lot in common with European power metal bands, in the sense that their music is melodic, well-played and optimistic. This then is a concept album, and an interesting one, though the songs would work equally well on their own. Different, but all the better for it. http://www.sunrunnermusic.com/ https://www.facebook.com/sunrunnermusic/…
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Anathema – Internal Landscapes 2008-2018
In 2008, Anathema were one of the first bands to sign to progressive label KScope. Which makes sense as their music has constantly progressed, with founders Vincent and Danny Cavanagh being the constant factors. In 2018, Anathema are very different to the band that signed to the mighty Peaceville Records almost two decades previously. Then,…
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Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest
by K.K. Downing with Mark Eglinton When a band member leaves an iconic band it’s then you’ll get the true story on the said band. Such a book is the splendidly named Heavy Duty – the autobiography of K.K Downing, formerly guitarist in Judas Priest. And it is unputdownable! K.K. comes across as a very nice…
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Transmaniacon – The Strange World of Suzie Pellet
This a concept album telling the Furiosa-esque tale of a street survivor named Suzie Pellet in a dystopian future world. The concept is the brainchild of Ian Miller, a very talented writer and artist; indeed, if he were to do this concept as a graphic novel he would be well able to both write and illustrate…
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Book reviews by Steve Earles: History and war
‘Amiens 1918: Victory From Disaster’ by Gregory Blaxland Published by Pen & Sword Military One of the many great services Pen & Sword have done for the reading public is reprinting excellent long-out-of-print books which would either be lost to posterity or command criminally high prices on the second-hand market. Gregory Blaxland served with distinction…