Reviews

Giving your neck a good workout from the start ‘Crossroad of Fire’ kicks in and takes control. The vocals are raspy, while the music is played at break-neck speed and tenacious. ‘This is underground’ is bred within the same vein as the previous track, creating chaos, consistently roaring and doesn’t stop to gather breath! ‘Chaos upon us’ does however, start ...

The start of this thunderous masterpiece is really an audial blaze of passion and very pleasing to the ears. It really hits the gut with force, but there is no way I am turning it down! It fair on takes your breath away and is a distinctive and irresistible track that hypnotises and taunts the senses with plenty of enticement ...

The first track is a bit of a dirge truth be known. It ambles, although be it in a slightly melodic vein with a gathering of sampled incoherent voices but appears to be just a filler. ‘Wide Awake’ however, really does open your eyes (and ears) as to what is hitting your head in some kind of psychotic outburst! The ...

From the off the angst and industrial swipes are engaging and play out with a surge of vengeance and ambiance. The title track ‘Machines of Our Disgrace’ harbours a clinical approach that is cold and unemotional although the fascinating swipes of rhythms collide with a lively melody and clean vocal, however, urgent and niggling. The twists in the tracks bury ...

As cheesy as it sounds, ‘Metal is for Everyone’ opts for catchy and epic but most important it mentions Vikings and metal in the same breath. It is definitely an ‘earworm’ moment and for those who don’t know what an ‘earworm’ is it’s when a song stays in your head and you can’t shift it, however, this is a really ...

If you looked up integrity in the dictionary, you wouldn’t see a picture of Sick of it All because dictionaries don’t have pictures, but if they did there’s a pretty good chance they’d make it in. Thirty years into their career these New York City punks have never once sold out or even dipped a toe over the line. Their ...

WARNING. Listening to this album may cause serious damage to your bank balance and add points to your license. If you have ever been caught speeding then you’ll know the following reasons are not accepted as an excuse; “I was late”, “I did not see the signs”, “I did not know the road” and so on. I think Meshuggah’s latest ...

Known for their atmospheric prog-rock, Riverside, have previously released six studio albums. From the opening track from their debut album, Out Of Myself (2003), through to last year’s Love, Fear And The Time Machine (2015), Riverside have delivered consistently high-quality music. Last year’s release was more toned-down than previous albums in terms of its heavier elements; Eye Of The Soundscape ...

Lamb of God formed a blazing trail 15 years ago and have never looked back. Whilst on their trail they inadvertently sparked the so-called New Wave of American Metal from the start of the 21st century. Together this Virginian quintet both refined and redefined the conception of intensive brutal metal in the modern age. In 15 years the band have ...

Black Orchid Empire lure you into this false sense of security, starting off with a very soft take on things that make you think “lame” and then what kicks in is a very haunting rhythm that is purely addictive. The harmonies are tempered and really superb. Black Orchid Empire certainly seem to have a lot of tricks up their sleeve, ...