BONESAwaiting Rebirth EP Blood Harvest (2014)Rating: 8/10 It’s not often I’ve come across a death metal band hailing from Belgium, but this mysterious quartet caught my attention back in 2013 with their four-track demo. Now the band has returned to the fray with a three-track opus. Bones boasts the line-up of Stef Aertsen (vocals / […]

VIRCOLAC Codex Perfida (2014) Codex Perfida is the debut four-song demo cassette by Irish metalheads Vircolac, who formed just a year previous in 2013. The demo opens with the atmospheric introduction title track, and already I’m frothing with anticipation and then blitzed by ‘Confessio’. I’m thrilled by the tightness and maturity of this young bunch […]

MAVERICKQuid Pro Quo Massacre (2014)Rating: 8/10 Maverick is a band from Northern Ireland, and this 12-track album is their debut full-length offering. It’s one I enjoyed immensely, and so will you if you like melodic, driving metal. The band features David Balfour (vocals), Ryan Sebastian Balfour (guitar), Ric Cardwell (guitar), Richie Diver (bass) and Mike […]

WICKED SENSATIONAdrenaline Rush AOR Heaven (2014)Rating: 9/10 Apparently named after Lynch Mob’s 1990 debut opus Wicked Sensation, this German-based combo plies its trade by constructing catchy heavy rock which features strong vocals and a solid rhythm section. Wicked Sensation is very much the brainchild of guitarist Michael Klein, who over the years has seen a […]

WHITE WIDDOWCrossfire AOR Heaven (2014)Rating: 8.5/10 Featuring brothers Jules (vocals) and Xavier Millis (keyboards), White Widdow is an Australian melodic rock act which formed in 2008 out of Melbourne. The band also consists of guitarist Enzo Almanzi, bassist Ben Webster and drummer Noel Tenny. The combo released its self-titled debut platter in 2010 to much […]

AC/DC Release 16th Studio Album ‘Rock Or Bust’ November 28th, 2014 Australian hard rock group AC/DC issued 16th full-length studio album Rock Or Bust on November 28th, 2014 in Australia and Germany through Columbia Records. The label scheduled European release for December 1st, with North American issue taking place on December 2nd. The outing was […]

CADAVERIC FUMES / DEMONIC OATHEntwined In Sepulchral Darkness (Split EP) Iron Bonehead Productions / Impious Desecration (2014)Rating: 7/10 This is a four-track split project featuring two French bands that may not be familiar to you all; Cadaveric Fumes and Demonic Oath. Cadaveric Fumes are an outfit who formed in 2011 and features vocalist Romain Gibet, […]

NIGHTBLADECrisis Has No Prejudice EP Self-released (2014)Rating: 8.5/10 In 2013 I was presented with Nightblade’s sophomore outing Closer To The Threshold. For me, it was a hard rocking opus harkening back to the glory days of the original New Wave Of British Heavy Metal invasion. Although numerous current metal acts are following the same trends […]

LAWLESSR.I.S.E Escape Music (2014)Rating: 8.5/10 Blimey, these Lawless boys don’t hang about; it only seems like a few months ago I was praising their solid debut album Rock Savage, and now the boys are back for another bite. For those who never saw my review from the 2013 opus, then let me quickly fill you […]

RAUNCHYVices.Virtues.Visions. Massacre (2014)Rating: 7/10 Raunchy is a veteran Danish band that formed back in 1992 and is now on its sixth record, namely the 11-track Vices.Virtues.Visions. It’s been four years since the sextet’s last opus – 2010’s A Discord Electric – and this new offering is the first to feature new vocalist Mike Semesky, who […]