Retro-flavoured Swedes The Night Flight Orchestra (ft. Soilwork, Arch Enemy, Mean Streak members) are still at it with their seventh album Give Us The Moon (Napalm Records). With an insanely catchy AOR style, with an unabashedly high level of seventies and eighties-style cheese front and centre. Half the tracks here sound like they belong in some long-forgotten, coming-of-age film from 1985. Continue reading
It’s a cliche, but this album blew me away. Blew me away like the guy in the old Maxell ads. But that’s not right because you cannot listen to ALT BLK ERA’s Rave Immortal (Earache Records) without legit dancing. Finds like this are why I love doing these reviews. Let me do a reset to where I first hit “play”.Continue reading
Do you yearn for the eighties? Do you wish the world and its music had never changed since the decade of miners’ strikes, shoulder pads, and synths? Well, the Nestor are the band for you, and they have just released their second album Teenage Rebel on Napalm Records. Formed in 1989 but going on hiatus and not releasing their debut Kids in a Ghost Town until 2021, Teenage Rebel mashes together Glam Metal, AOR, and everything eighties Rock had to offer into one cheesy-as-hell time capsule.
As a surprise to literally nobody familiar with them, it’s all change once again for German glam act Night Laser. Four full-length studio releases with four different line-ups, the only two constants within the band are founding members singer Benno Hankers and his brother, bassist Robert. Also, having presented as both a trio and a quartet since their inception in 2014, the band has grown with another member for this current iteration, switching up to become a five-piece for latest album, Call Me What You Want (Steamhammer/SPV).Continue reading
CMFT2 (Decibel Cooper / BMG) is the second solo album from one of the largest mouths in Metal, a musician who you might have thought had all bases covered for his creative output by virtue of being the frontman in two wildly successful bands.
Martin Persner, formerly a guitarist with Swedish occult metal sensation Ghost – he was “Omega” among the band’s anonymous line-up of Nameless Ghouls – has resurrected an old project (founded back in 2006) to deliver a full-length album of soft, electro-fied rock that is dramatic and atmospheric at times, but without the considerable peaks of his “other” band.
Darkwave and synth have been seeing a push in popularity thanks to the hugely successful Netflix series, Stranger Things. The television show which is set in the eighties opening theme has acted as a gateway into synthwave with more and more people checking out the dark and ominous blend of electronic sound.
Deep in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn with a nice long walk from the train, I’ve finally made it to Brooklyn Steel for a night of French musical goodness. Carpenter Brut can be considered both the name of the keyboardist/mastermind who perfers to be anonymous and also the name of the group itself. Take your pick. Starting the two-band bill night was Sierra who is making her American debut on this tour. Her EDM and Darkwave tones set the vibe perfectly for this moody dance night. She also was the sole vocalist performing live at this show. Armed with her DJ rig, drum pads, and hypnotic beats; Sierra is someone I’d like to see again.
Not even a year on from their last EP, Boston Manor is back with their fourth full-length album, Datura (Sharptone Records). Over the past five years, the band has made a name for themselves by upping the ante with each release. Anticipation is high for Datura to see what the quintet can create next, with news of the band delving deeper into concept albums for the release, this is raised even further.
Ghost Cult caught up with Billy Howerdel (also of a perfect circle) to discuss his new solo album – What Normal Was (Alchemy Records, Rise Records, BMG). Billy discusses his career up to now, the choice to use his own name instead of Ashes Divide, letting his 1980s influences fly on the new album, his upcoming tour dates, and some plans for a perfect circle too. Continue reading