BLOODY HAMMERSUnder Satan’s Sun Napalm (2014)Rating: 6/10 I was rather nonplussed by the last conjuration of occult rockers Bloody Hammers. It seems that with all these bands who are clearly obsessed with 1960s and 1970s horror, there is a real cause for concern for the cynics. This style of doomy metal is cluttering up the […]

RUDESoul Recall FDA Rekotz (2014)Rating: 8/10 Berkeley, California’s Rude are the next bunch of demented souls to step up to the murky mic and take death metal to new, grislier levels. Soul Recall is the debut lump of blood ’n’ guts from this quartet, who formed in 2008 but then renamed themselves Forsaker in 2010 […]

DRAGON’S KISSBarbarians Of The Wasteland Killer Metal (2014)Rating: 4/10 So it looks like “contemporary” metal has hit a brick wall in its attempts to revive the past. Portuguese-based metal maniacs Dragon’s Kiss is another run-of-the-mill band featuring ex-Nashville Pussy man Adam Neal, who – alongside Hugo Conim (Dawnrider, Leather Synn) – has constructed an eight-track […]

THE LONE CROWSDark Clouds World In Sound (2014)Rating: 7/10 Now here’s a Minneapolis quartet that should appeal to those of you who like heavy rock tinged with blues, psychedelia, soul and funk. Formed in 2011, The Lone Crows are comprised of vocalist / guitarist Tim Barbeau, fellow axeman Julian Manzara, bassist Andy Battcher and drummer […]

VADERTibi Et Igni Nuclear Blast (2014)Rating: 8.5/10 Formed in 1983, Polish death metal veterans Vader are still alive and well. While many other bands experimented with their sound, Vader has always set the bar. No progressive bits creeping in, no songs with clean vocals, and no hardcore influences, but just pure, angry, metal music that […]

CHAINREACTIONA Game Between Good And Evil Pure Underground (2014)Rating: 7/10 Germany’s ChainReAction have had a somewhat chequered past. Having originally formed back in 1996, the Hamburg combo have undergone numerous personnel changes and even changed their name to Variety Law in 2000, before returning to their original moniker in 2005. But now, following the release […]

DUST BOLTAwake The Riot Napalm (2014)Rating: 7/10 German thrashers Dust Bolt share record labels with legendary power metallers Grave Digger and with second album Awake The Riot, they sort of exist as a little brother to the experienced elders. The band formed back in 2006 but it took six years for the quartet to release […]

DIVINE CHAOSA New Dawn In The Age Of War Evil EyE (2014)Rating: 7.5/10 Having formed among the drab surroundings of Slough in Berkshire back in 2005, UK thrashers Divine Chaos clearly have every reason to express their fury. Just like Black Sabbath and numerous other British bands that grew up in rainy neighbourhoods, Divine Chaos […]

SERPENTINE PATH – Long And Winding Road Anthony Morgan May 2014 Serpentine Path (l-r): Jay Newman, Tim Bagshaw, Stephen Flam and Ryan Lipynsky New York / New Jersey-based doom / death metal outfit Serpentine Path formed in 2011, its line-up initially consisting of then Unearthly Trance members Ryan Lipynsky (vocals), Jay Newman (bass), and Darren […]

BLACK ANVIL – Next Level Black Anthony Morgan May 2014 Black Anvil (l-r): Sos, Raeph Glicken, Paul Delaney and Gary Bennett The process for authoring and cutting May 2014’s Hail Death – the third full-length from New York City, New York-based metal outfit Black Anvil – was “pretty long, but a pretty natural one.” Inaugural […]