VOICE OF RUINMorning Wood Tenacity Music (2014)Rating: 4/10 Swiss quintet Voice Of Ruin has just released sophomore effort Morning Wood, and it’s the kind of contemporary metal record that makes me feel very old! These guys originally formed back in 2007, and the current line-up features vocalist Randy Schaller, the two-pronged guitar team of Martin […]
CURIMUSArtificial Revolution Freezing Penguin (2014)Rating: 6/10 Finnish thrash / death metal is growing ever popular with so many groups finding a niche in a field that had, just a few years ago, become over-populated by bands all too eager to revisit the 80s Bay Area scene. Curimus is a quartet based in Loimaa, and they’ve […]
HOLY MOSESRedefined Mayhem Steamhammer (2014)Rating: 7.5/10 All true metalheads should own at least one opus from German metallers Holy Moses. These guys have waded through metal’s rusty rivers since 1980, releasing such brilliant records as Finished With The Dogs (1987) and The New Machine Of Liechtenstein (1989). Sadly, Holy Moses struggled to overcome the weight […]
DARKEST SINS Perform In Norway In April 2014 April 25th, 2014 Ålesund, Norway-based heavy metal group Darkest Sins performed on the following dates in Norway during April 2014; April 25th – Volda, Studenthuset Rokken April 26th – Ålesund, Vega Rock Bar April 27th – Molde, Kompagniet Rhapsody Of Fire vocalist Fabio Lione made guest appearances, […]
DEVIL YOU KNOWThe Beauty Of Destruction Nuclear Blast Entertainment (2014)Rating: 9/10 Devil You Know is the “new” band featuring ex-Killswitch Engage frontman Howard Jones alongside All Shall Perish’s Francesco Artusato and John Sankey (Devolved, Divine Heresy, Fear Factory). The band came together in 2012 and hit the studio in 2013 with producer Logan Mader (ex-Machine […]
HITTENFirst Strike With The Devil No Remorse (2014)Rating: 6.5/10 With cover art that is quick to hold high the traditional heavy metal banner, Spain’s Hitten are another relatively new act flying the flag when it comes to revival metal. Immediately, like so many 80s copyists, Hitten strike the listener with a wave of galloping drums, […]
INFESTUSThe Reflecting Void Debemur Morti Productions (2014)Rating: 7.5/10 The enigmatic Infestus are back with a new album, a prolific one-man band if ever there was one. The Reflecting Void is the fourth episode in the discography of Andras, who formed this German band back in 2003. I am not familiar with the previous works of […]
EXISTANCESteel Alive Mausoleum (2014)Rating: 8/10 French metallers Existance begin their full-length debut opus Steel Alive with something akin to an 80s horror film soundtrack of throbbing guitars, pensive drums and a sprinkle of gothic keys, and then it’s onto the usual traditional metal gallop that seems to splatter thousands of heavy metal albums emerging at […]
SUNSTRIKERock Your World AOR Heaven (2014)Rating: 9/10 Swedish rockers SunStrike is a new band who were formed in 2012 by Astral Doors members Joachim Nordlund (lead guitar) and Johan Lindstedt (drums), and as debut albums go it’s one of 2014’s finest when it comes to huge melodies and epic arrangements. A few years ago, back […]
PORTRAITCrossroads Metal Blade (2014)Rating: 8/10 Although one of four bands to adopt the moniker of Portrait, these Swedish rockers have the Metal Blade machine behind them. Crossroads is their second album to be released from that label, their third overall. All clad in leather, studded waistcoats, bare-chested and with a look plucked straight from 1985, […]
