Tag Archives: classic metal

Artist: Hollow Album Title: Tower Label: Rockshots Records Date of Release: 26 November 2021 It’s great to be reminded every now and again why, in and amongst the ‘big hitters’, I like to champion those bands that struggle a little more with column inches despite being fully deserving of exposure. One of those bands is  Continue Reading »

Artist: Fifth Angel Album Title: The Third Secret Label: Nuclear Blast Date of Release: 26 October 2018 The last time Seattle-based heavy metal band Fifth Angel released an album, I didn’t know what heavy metal was. I was about eight or nine years old and obsessed with football and the original Transformers cartoon series. That  Continue Reading »

Artist: Iced Earth Album Title: Incorruptible Label: Century Media Records Date Of Release: 16 June 2017 The phrase ‘only time will tell’ features a lot in music reviews, certainly in mine. Over the years, I’ve had to listen to hundreds of albums and put pen to paper in double-quick time to submit my thoughts in  Continue Reading »

Artist: Helion Prime Album Title: Helion Prime Label: AFM Records Release Date: 24 February 2017 Science-based power metal. These four words will go a long way to determine whether or not you carry on reading the remainder of this review. It is a description that it likely to either draw you in like a tractor  Continue Reading »

Artist: Hammerfall Album Title: Built To Last Label: Napalm Records Date Of Release: 4 November 2016 Hammerfall were one of the first bands that I listened to during a period of power metal discovery around the turn of the millennium, when I simply couldn’t get enough of this genre. Alongside Gamma Ray, Sonata Arctica and  Continue Reading »

Artist: Grand Magus Album Title: Sword Songs Label: Nuclear Blast Records Date Of Release: 13 May 2016 If you’ve clicked on the link to read a review of the latest Grand Magus album that compares and contrasts ‘Sword Songs’ with the seven albums that have gone before it, you may have to search elsewhere. This  Continue Reading »

Artist: Neverworld Album Title: Dreamsnatcher Label: Dream Demon Recordings Date of Release: 4 March 2016 It is fair to say that the name Neverworld has been on my radar for some time but I’d never taken the plunge for one reason or another until now, upon the release of their second album, ‘Dreamsnatcher’. Over the  Continue Reading »

Gig line-up: Triaxis, Metaprism, Silent Divide, Powderhead Venue: The Portland Arms, Cambridge Date: 23 January 2016 **all other photographs courtesy of Neil Garratt** It has been a long time since I went to a gig. Too long, in fact. However, it is the reality for a chap that has two small children and a dwindling  Continue Reading »

Welcome to chapter 12 in my ‘Album Of The Year 2015’ countdown. I hope you’re enjoying this series as much as I am putting it all together. A reminder that the positions 30-16 are very arbitrary and are only really ordered this way to allow a new blog post each day. These albums are equal  Continue Reading »

Artist: Helloween Album Title: My God-Given Right Label: Nuclear Blast Year Of Release: 2015 There’s always an exception to the rule. In the case of Helloween, they are the exception to the rule that Germans have no sense of humour. That’s utter nonsense of course, it’s just a silly stereotype and the five musicians that  Continue Reading »