Author: Steve Earles
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Crafteon – Cosmic Reawakening
One of the best things about writing about music is the gems amongst the dross you come across. Such a shining multi-faceted jewel is Crafteon’s ‘Cosmic Reawakening’. Imagine a Dimmu Borgir inspired by the tales of a certain H.P Lovecraft, and you’re half-way there! The clue of course is in the band’s most original name. Musically, Crafteon…
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M.U.T.A.N.K. – W.H.A.T.S.T.H.A.T.
To misquote that great film ‘Conan The Barbarian’, ‘what is good in metal?’ And the short answer is MUTANK! Why? Because they get it. Metal is supposed to be fun, uplifting and life-affirming. It’s supposed to bring us together, which is a good thing in a world tearing itself apart. In short, Mutank get it;…
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Pereplut – At The Ancient Times
Pagan folk metal from Russia. I don’t understand the lyrics but the music is excellent. It does conjure up images of a world where Baba Yaga waits for the unexpected in a darkened forest. Production and musicianship is first class, at times melancholy but most cheerful… like a Russian Skyclad or Mael Mhordha. Love the cover artwork…
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Downcast Twilight – Under the Wings of the Aquila
Hailing from Russia, but with lyrics in English, Downcast Twilight are most accomplished musicians and could compete on any international stage. Their song-writing is strong, the tracks all cover various periods in history, and clearly a lot of work has gone into their production. It is death metal with folk influences, but really it has…
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So Let It Be Written: The Biography of Metallica’s James Hetfield
Authored by Mark Eglinton Foreword by Chuck Billy of Testament Published by Lesser Gods This book works better as a history of Metallica than it does as a biography of James Hetfield. The author has not been able to do the extensive interviews with Hetfield that would be needed to produce an in-depth biography. Thus,…
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‘Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers: The Rise of Motorhead’ by Martin Popoff
That title is a very fair description of Motorhead. They certainly were beer drinkers and hell raisers… especially in their golden years, the time of the Three Amigos line-up: Lemmy, Fast Eddie, and Philthy Phil! To put it in perspective, circa ‘No Sleep Till Hammersmith’ everyone knew who Motorhead was. They were even on programs…
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Damn The Machine – by David E. Gehlke
The Story of Noise Records Ah, this book really and truly is a thing of beauty and joy forever! It really does do what it promises, telling the fascinating tale of Noise Records in great—but always engrossing—detail. Noise’s artists are still relevant today. Whilst in the excellent Steamboat Music in Limerick recently, I noticed the Celtic…
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George Romero, Knight of the Living Dead (1940–2017)
Remembering George A. Romero (February 4, 1940–July 16, 2017) Director, producer, screenwriter: George A. Romero was all these things and more. But most importantly, he was loved by his fans, and his influence over the decades since 1968’s ground-breaking ‘Night of the Living Dead’ was truly huge. I can sincerely say he had a huge…
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The Obsessed – Sacred
It’s a pleasure to have The Obsessed back. The Church Within is one of my all-time favourite albums, and in a just universe everyone who professes to love music has a copy. Wino is one of rock’s great singers, period, an amazing sincere, powerful voice; he’s up there with Chris Cornell, Robert Plant— all the truly…
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No Quarter: The Three Lives of Jimmy Page by Martin Power
The word legend is overused in our media-saturated age of undeserved hype. But Jimmy Page truly is a legend; the proof of the pudding being the amount of people who know little of rock music but have heard of Jimmy. The beauty of No Quarter is that Martin Power has not taken the well-trodden path…