Author: Steve Earles
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Orange Goblin – Back From The Abyss
In an ever-changing world, one in which the foundations upon which our reality stands are constantly shifting, one thing you can be sure of is that the mighty Orange Goblin will release a superb album. Their music is always uplifting too. This doesn’t surprise me. I interviewed Orange Goblin’s vocalist Ben Ward for Zero Tolerance magazine,…
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Season of the Witch: How The Occult Saved Rock and Roll by Peter Bebergal
Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll is epic in every sense of the word. Author Peter Bebergal sees the influence of the occult in rock music from The Beatles to Black Sabbath and beyond. From Elvis to Led Zeppelin, he explains how the occult has not only provided fuel for rock music, but is an integral…
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Anticipating: Wolves of Avalon and Meads of Asphodel (Godreah Records)
A couple upcoming release picks from our Irish correspondent, Steve Earles: Godreah Records will release a new Wolves of Avalon MCD this year entitled Across A Twilight Field of Corpses Grey, Only The Trilling of Nightingales Can Be Heard. Keep an eye out for it in February 2015. This will include a 25-minute prog pagan epic…
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Psychostick – IV: Revenge of the Vengence
I love this album. Sometimes albums that are funny are only good for one listen, but I’ve lived with this one for a few weeks, and I still like listening to it. One of the reasons is that the band are great musicians and there are some really good metal songs here. A reference point…
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The Oath – The Oath
It says a lot for The Oath that their music actually matches the images created by the album’s cover. I’ve seen this album described as occult rock, but that’s beginning to become a catch-all term, it’s meaning worn out by over-use. Rather, to my experienced ears this a great modern take on the new wave…
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Scott Ian – I’m The Man
I met Scott Ian in Dublin years ago when Anthrax were playing there. He doesn’t mention this in his book but I supposed he’s saving that for his next book (NOT! See what I did there, Anthrax fans?). He was a very nice chap, physically small but with very good manners (I’m with Lemmy all…
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Sleep of Monsters – Produces Reason
Previously only available in Finland, and now unleashed on the world by Svart Records. The songs are well crafted, and while diverse, have a dark majesty all of their own. It owes something to vocalist Vil’s previous band, the splendidly named Babylon Whores, though I have to say Sleep of Monsters is a great name, and…
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Exodus – Blood In Blood Out
Blood In Blood Out… The title could refer to the changing of the guard in the Exodus vocalist department – Paul Dukes has been dismissed, replaced by Steve Sousa, who Dukes had replaced himself. Such is the ruthless world of metal, characterised by such games of musical chairs. But at least in the case of…
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Karkaos – Empire
I had not heard of the intriguingly named Karkaos before and this is a shame as they are a pretty decent band. Musically, the band are very adroit; they sound like a cross between Arch Enemy and Dimmu Borgir but with a twist of their own. What really gives them a strong identity of their…
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Kolony – Sledge
Review by Steve Earles Canada is like a metallic Cauldron (pun intentional!) at the moment, constantly spewing forth molten metal into the world. And now we have Kolony, who to my experienced ears sound like a collision between the New Wave of British Heavy Metal sound beloved of Cauldron and Laugh At The Fakes, while…