MICK MARSThe Other Side Of Mars 1313 / LLC / MRI (2024)Rating: 7.5/10 Legendary ex-Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars has provided some of the greatest riffs ever; slick, crunchy yet criminally underrated metallic creations that became the soundtrack to my teenage years and beyond. After escaping the circus of his former band, Mars has finally […]
SKYRMISHERViolent Onslaught Self-released (2024)Rating: 7/10 This German five-piece began life in 2013 as Incurable before changing their name in 2018. Since becoming Skyrmisher they have released an EP, Extractor Hood, in 2019 and now this debut full-length album. The strikingly bad cover art conceals a very contemporary thrash / death outing that does grow on […]
SUICIDE POLLUTIONTo The Weapons EP Self-released (2024)Rating: 6/10 To The Weapons is the debut five-song EP from a Mexican trio who formed in 2018 out of Puebla. The line-up of Suicide Pollution consists of vocalist / guitarist Luis Arturo Stefanoni, bassist Abban Davila and drummer Daniel Díaz Lara. I was turned onto this violent outing […]
ACE FREHLEY10,000 Volts MNRK Heavy (2024)Rating: 5/10 Ace Frehley is back with another bite – his eighth full-length studio solo album – although as expected it’s not a vicious one. Instead, the former Kiss rocker, amidst cases of swipes at his old band mates, turns in a rather tepid performance that will still no doubt […]
IRON CURTAINSavage Dawn Dying Victims Productions (2024)Rating: 7.5/10 I really like the album cover for what is the fifth full-length opus from this Spanish bunch which formed in 2007. With Iron Curtain you know what you are getting; straight up speedy destruction equipped with a Mad Max sort of apocalyptic mayhem that clanks to the […]
VINCENT CROWLEYAnthology Of Horror Hammerheart (2024)Rating: 8/10 Welcome to the haunted house of Vincent Crowley, a Columbus, Ohio-based clan fronted by former Nocturnus, Acheron and Church Of Satan member Vincent Crowley. Making up the rest of the cult are guitarists Art Taylor and Eric Stewart, bassist Tim Wilson and drummer Ryan Arter. The music these […]
LIONHEARTThe Grace Of A Dragonfly Metalville (2024)Rating: 6.5/10 Veteran Brit rockers Lionheart never really made the grade in spite of promise with their 1984 debut Hot Tonite. Having formed in 1980 and featuring a line-up of singer Jesse Cox (ex-Tygers Of Pan Tang), guitarist Dennis Stratton (ex-Iron Maiden), guitarist / keyboardist Steve Mann (ex-Liar, and […]
TOXIKULLUnder The Southern Light Dying Victims Productions (2024)Rating: 8/10 The smoke has cleared since Portugese metalheads Toxikull released their sophomore effort Cursed And Punished in 2019. Just like the 2016 debut Black Sheep, it was another 80s obsessed throwback which choked on its own smoke machine vapours and leather smelling sweat. With Under The Southern […]
MERCAPTANSocial Injustice Mercaptan Recordings (2024)Rating: 6.5/10 Being primarily the creation of Kovacs Zoltan, Mercaptan is a four-year-old band from Romania that is doing what so many bands did between 1983 and 1992, and that’s rip off Metallica. Believe me, if you’ve been fed up with Metallica pretending to be thrash for a few years then […]
BURDENSelf Prison EP Self-released (2024)Rating: 6.5/10 While this Indonesian band has obvious punk and hardcore traits, the primitive nature of this short EP drifts towards a speed and black metal chaos too. The cover art is so striking too as it depicts a cult of skeletal figures mid-ritual. It looks like an 80s thrash or […]
