Continuing the groundwork laid down by their 2021 debut, Evil and Divine, L.A. Guns ead guitarist Tracii Guns (a.k.a. Tracy Richard Irving Ulrich) and Stryper (and former Boston) frontman Michael Sweet return with Sunbomb for second album Light up the Sky (Frontiers Music Srl). Continue reading
Tag Archives: Gary Alcock
ALBUM REVIEW: Portrait – The Host
For their sixth full-length studio release, Swedish metallers Portrait journey to the land of the concept album in order to conjure up a tale of sword and sorcery set in the seventeenth century. Their first full-blown conceptual release, The Host (Metal Blade) is not an entirely fictional piece but also inspired partly by historic events, with the band imparting the tale of an unnamed protagonist seeking strength after encountering injustice and hypocrisy.
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ALBUM REVIEW: Miasmic Serum – Infected Seed
With the underground death metal scene continuing to grow at an exponential rate, there’s nothing quite like announcing yourself with a full blown conceptual theme in order to stand out from the rest of the herd. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Holycide – Towards Idiocracy
Having passed away during the nineties, the once thriving Thrash Metal scene didn’t stay dead for long and the early aughts saw a gradual, but noticeable shift back to life. By 2004, the genre’s overdue re-animation was in full swing and a slew of new acts crawled out of the crypt, desperate to make an impression on the next generation of thrashers.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Rhapsody of Fire – Challenge The Wind
If the quickest way to get from Point A to Point B is a straight line then clearly nobody thought to mention that to Italian Power Metal kings Rhapsody of Fire who to get where they are today obviously took the Enchanted Lands scenic route. This current incarnation of Rhapsody of Fire (version 666.0) might look very different to how it all began but as the fourteenth full-length studio release Challenge The Wind (AFM Records) proves in no uncertain terms, the music and the subject matter remain very much the same. Continue reading
REISSUE BOXSET REVIEW: Black Sabbath – Anno Domini (1989-1995)
While it’s certainly true that singer Tony Martin‘s time with Birmingham metal pioneers Black Sabbath is not exactly the most revered era in the band’s storied history, it’s also a little unfair to judge that period too harshly. Given the daunting, if not impossible job of following in the footsteps of Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie James Dio, and even Ian Gillan, Martin also happened to enter the fold when the band were on somewhat of a downward turn. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Night Laser – Call Me What You Want
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
ALBUM REVIEW: Hemotoxin – When Time Becomes Loss
With a name that relates to a substance that can destroy red blood cells and cause serious organ and tissue degeneration, it’s pretty obvious that Californian act Hemotoxin isn’t going to be known for radio-friendly power ballads.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Kerry King – From Hell I Rise
December 1st 2019.
The first day waking up in a post-Slayer world.
A dark day indeed. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Darkness Everywhere – To Conquer Eternal Damnation
When it comes to American influences in Metal, it’s far from out of the ordinary to find European acts adopting a more U.S.-friendly sound to grow musically or widen their fan base. It is a little more unusual, however, to find American bands who look to Europe for inspiration. Especially when that influence goes back thirty years.