Category: Reviews
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High On Fire – Electric Messiah
Some people might say Matt Pike’s the new Lemmy, but when it comes to High On Fire’s consistency, I’d compare them to AC/DC. As they enter their 20th year as a band, you pretty much know what you’re gonna get before you push play – and yet, I can’t say I was disappointed by Electric…
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Create a Kill – Summoned to Rise
Being a fan of the Thrash genre since the tender young age of 12 (I’m now 45) I have been fortunate enough to hear and witness the birth of some of the greatest Thrash music known to man. For some time it seems like the genre which I have hung my hat on as my…
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Behemoth – I Loved You At Your Darkest
Behemoth, one of Poland’s biggest black metal bands, returns yet again after the successful release of their 2014 record, The Satanist. The new album, I Loved You At Your Darkest, is another album of a fully-realized vision by Behemoth frontman, Nergal, and is nothing short of atmospheric, offensive and melodic. Imagery is something that Behemoth…
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Aaron Lee Tasjan – Karma For Cheap LP
The single greatest problem from which Karma For Cheap (and its auteur, Aaron Lee Tasjan, by extension) suffers is that it’s just too polished and the seams on it are too air-tight. For that reason, it’s difficult for listeners to not meet the music with more than a little bit of suspicion. This is precisely…
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Gevurah – Sulphur Soul
Gevurah, the French-Canadian black metal duo have just released the follow-up to their debut album from 2016, Hallelujah!. This comes in the form of a four track EP titled, Sulphur Soul (Or an Inquiry on the Four Elements of the Spirit). It clocks in at just over thirty-one minutes and is roughly the same length…
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Zero Down – Larger Than Death
Minotauro Records are synonymous with quality. I have yet to listen to a release from that esteemed label and not be impressed. But even by their high standards Zero Down are truly excellent. Their songs are really catchy and strong, think classic Priest or Maiden. The production is first class and all the band members are outstanding…
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The Nude Party – s/t LP
As one listens to The Nude Party‘s self-titled album, it’s instantly easy to pick out some sounds and ideas which may have inspired the music, but not so easy to figure out how all the pieces might have aligned to produce this result. For example, the haunting keyboards which color the songs on The Nude…
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Hawkwind – Road To Utopia
Years ago, whilst writing an article on Hawkwind’s seminal Warrior At The Edge Of Time, I asked my friend Crin of Godreah Records to sum up Hawkwind in a single sentence. Godreah released a very good Hawkwind tribute compiled by Crin, so he knows the band well. He replied that Hawkwind were and are “a British…
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American Aquarium – Things Change LP
Usually when I’m reviewing vinyl records, I try to present my thoughts in a linear manner – from front to back, A-side through B-. In my mind, it just makes sense; unlike on CDs (where it’s really easy to jump around from song to song as a listener likes), records play best song-by-song and bands…
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Kingwitch – Under The Mountain
This is an extremely impressive debut album; anyone whose taste runs from Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath through to Mastodon will find much to enjoy here. Kingwitch’s musicianship is extremely strong as is their songwriting; these are truly great songs, catchy and complex at the same time, with truly engaging lyrics. At times I was reminded…