With their debut album Permission To Land, The Darkness enlivened a rock music scene dominated by the likes of The White Stripes, The Strokes, Evanescence, and Linkin Park amongst others. Their goofy lyrics and AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, and Queen sound struck a chord and twenty-two years later they are still at it with the release of their eighth record Dreams On Toast (Cooking Vinyl).Continue reading
Tag Archives: Thomas Thrower
ALBUM REVIEW: Avantasia – Here Be Dragons
Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia new record Here Be Dragons (Napalm Records) continues their bombastic brand of Meatloaf Metal. It is the German metal outfit’s tenth album and it is typically intense and grand in scale.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: The Night Flight Orchestra – Give Us The Moon
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
ALBUM REVIEW: VOLA – Friend Of A Phantom
Like with their last record a three year wait brings us Friend of A Phantom (Mascot Label Group), the new album from those musically restless Scandinavians VOLA. Their fourth album serves up more of their dynamic wall of sound, which mixes Metal heaviness, Prog Rock changeability, in your face electronica and radio friendly hooks.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: SKAM – From The Depths
SKAM are a trio from Leicester who make a big noise. Their new album From The Depths (Self-Released/Earache Digital Distribution) is their fourth offering and follows the time travelling concept of 2017’s The Amazing Memoirs of Geoffrey Goddard with straight-up, high octane Hard Rock.
ALBUM REVIEW: Massive Wagons – Earth To Grace
Earth To Grace (Earache Records) is the Lancastrian quintet Massive Wagons seventh album, following on from 2022s rather good, UK top ten hit Triggered. They have teamed up with new record producer Matt O’Grady (You Me At Six, Architects) this time round, their signature brand of humorous and catchy Classic Rock is very much intact but with tauter songwriting and slightly bigger, shinier choruses. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Jerry Cantrell – I Want Blood
Jerry Cantrell, he of Alice in Chains fame, has returned with I Want Blood (Double J Music). It is his fourth solo record and continues the Grunge flavoured Hard Rock and Metal he is known for with an array of famous friends popping in, including Duff McKagan (Guns N Roses), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Better Lovers) and the production help of Joe Barresi (Slipknot, Clutch, Tool, Mastodon) amongst others. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Bird’s View – House of Commando
From the fuzzy Alt Rock and early Foo Fighters vibe of “Vienna,” German rockers Birds View’s second album House of Commando (Drakkar Entertainment) starts as it means to go on. Influenced by ‘90s alternative rock acts such as the aforementioned Foos, Soundgarden, and Queens of the Stone Age, HOC is primed with propulsive, straight-to-the-point songs that do not outstay their welcome. Continue reading
5 MINUTE REVIEW: Blood Incantation – “Absolute Elsewhere”
Check out our review of the new album from Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere coming soon from Century Media Records. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere
Denver quartet Blood Incantation’s new album Absolute Elsewhere (Century Media Records) is a dense and unique mix of 70s Prog Rock and 90s Death Metal. As is de rigueur for the genre, and like two of their influences Pink Floyd and King Crimson, this 45-minute album is made up of just 2 tracks – “The Stargate” and “The Message” – each of which is split into three parts, or “tablets.”Continue reading