Whilst veteran darkened Gothic Metallers Rotting Christ have been with renowned label Season Of Mist for seventeen years, the partnership seems to have particularly flourished with a quadrilogy of albums that began ten years ago with the revered Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού (or, Katá ton Daímona Eaytoy). The 2013 release saw a progression of their sound to a fuller, more refined and stately entity. That proud style and sound has been polished and shaped through the last decade, culminating in ΠΡΟ ΧΡΙΣΤΟU (Pro Xristou). Continue reading
Tag Archives: Steve Tovey
PODCAST: Episode 481 – The Steev, Tom and Keefy Power Hour April – May 2024
The Power Hour is back in action! We triple-teamed on ya, droppin them bees on ya 🐝 with another episode! Recapping all the essential Rock and Metal releases we covered in April ’24, and the new albums due out in May! Continue reading
REVIEWS ROUND-UP: ft – Haystack – Rough Justice – Crawling Through Tartarus – Dwarrowdelf
When Entombed followed Uffe Cederlund’s vision and produced the divisive Same Difference in 1998, the direction and sound that incorporated a hefty dose of Unsane and Cederlund’s other project, Haystack, was quickly parked following an overwhelmingly negative response -it’s genuinely not a bad record at all, with hindsight – Senior Ed], and the Stockholm massive returned to their HM-2 Death n’ Roll stylings.
Haystack, too, fell by the wayside for over two decades, too. The resurrection continues, though, with second album since their return, and fourth overall, Doomsday Goes Away (The Dogma Repertory Institute/Threeman Recordings).
REVIEWS ROUND-UP: ft. Amaranthe – Blackberry Smoke – Bokassa – Shooting Daggers
When Swedish Europop-metalcore (they’re a difficult band to put a tag on considering how distinct their sound is!) sextet Amaranthe announced their arrival with 2011’s self-titled semi-classic album, it was hard to imagine them, as great as their first shot was, still being around thirteen years later. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes – Dark Rainbow
If every action has an equal and opposite reaction (or some such other attempt to pretend I paid attention in Science class all those years ago), it is no surprise that Dark Rainbow (International Death Cult) thinks where Sticky bounded in head-first, that it shows vulnerability where its predecessor presented a larger-than-life gregarious face.
Fifth dance for Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Dark Rainbow sees Frank and partner-in-crime Dean Richardson continue their approach of creating a sound and style for each album that, while it has definable elements that ensures that despite any skin that is shed the remaining vipers are undeniably “Rattlesnakes”, sets each release apart from it’s siblings. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Magnum – Here Comes The Rain
This review was submitted before the sad news of the passing of guitarist and band leader Tony Clarkin. Our condolences and best wishes to Tony’s family, friends, and the members of the band.
It only takes a few moments of opener “Run Into The Shadows” to be welcomed with open arms back into Magnum’s world, as the opening guitar motif intertwines with the dancing keyboards and Bob Catley’s distinctive storyteller-cum-favourite-uncle’s-croon transports us into the kingdom of madness once more, forty-six years after Catley and Tony Clarkin recorded the band’s debut album, a fantastic record that laid the groundwork for a marvellous career.
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR: STAFF PICKS – Steve Tovey’s Top Albums of 2023
As we barrel down towards the end of the year, we are sharing End of Year lists from staff, bands, and some friends in the business. Check out our Senior Editor Steve Tovey’s picks for his Top Albums of 2023!Continue reading
REVIEWS ROUND-UP: ft. Magnolia Park – Atreyu – In This Moment – Hollow Front
Magnolia Park – Halloween Mixtape II (Epitaph Records)
Less is more, right? It’s a mantra I’ve often referred to in reviews, even if Yngwie would never agree. Nor, so it seems, would Magnolia Park. Seventeen tracks, nine collabs, six hundred and sixty six musical deviations taking in emo, pop-punk, nu-metal, hip-hop, cartoon horror pop and more is testament to the fact that the quintet may be on to something with their embracing of musical diversity.
CONCERT REVIEW: Ghosts of Atlantis – Existentialist – Draugrheim Live at Colchester Arts Centre
No review from the Colchester Arts Centre would be complete without hailing the best small venue in the UK. Able to host 400 when packed to the architraves, its post-COVID refurb has cleaned up and modernised where needed (toilets, bars), whilst maintaining the features and character that every converted church that is now a gig-hosting venue should. Added to that, great views and a powerful sound-system, and the stage is quite literally set for a much more adventurous and welcome Tuesday night than you might normally get in the Britain’s oldest (and newest – Google it) city*
*It’ll always be a town, to me.
ALBUM REVIEW: Blood Command – World Domination
World Domination is a big old task. Both in terms of, um, well, actually taking over the world, but also in terms of taking everything about the fifth full-length from Norwegian collective Blood Command in. Twenty tracks, and everything from Black Metal to slick pop, via snarling punk, metallic stomping Hardcore, and even the odd pause for breath (though only a sharp intake before heading off somewhere else, into urban beats, or shimmery synths, or kicking someone’s head in).