December 2019 Released: 2019/ Emerald Studies Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP In my mind there are now three great explorations of Australian Metal. Brian Giffin’s book, THE AUSTRALIAN METAL GUIDE (2002), the 2015 documentary film, METAL DOWN UNDER and now Catherine Hoad’s newly published collection of academic works, AUSTRALIAN METAL MUSIC.…
Popoff, Martin – Sensitive To Light: The Rainbow Story (Book review)
December 2019 Released: 2019/ PowerChord Press Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: JP I’ll preface this by saying, I enjoy Martin’s writing, I have loved virtually everything he has ever written and consider myself a loyal supporter, fan and friend. However, sometimes, not often, but at times I get this creeping feeling that…
Popoff, Martin – UFO – Lights Out (Book review)
December 2019 Released: 2018/ PowerChord Press Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: JP Despite a small and fairly well-received series of North American club dates in 2019, the band UFO really is on their last legs. Members are dying or quitting, and the end is nigh. I suppose this is a good a…
Popoff, Martin – UFO – Lettin’ Go (Book review)
December 2019 Released: 2019/ PowerChord Press Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: JP Despite a small and fairly well-received series of North American club dates in 2019, the band UFO really is on their last legs. Members are dying or quitting, and the end is nigh. I suppose this is a good a…
Blackthorne – We Won’t Be Forgotten (Box-set review)
December 2019 Released: 2019 / Cherry Red / HNE Recordings Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: JP I don’t know what it is about this album/band that had such staying power. It was not all that long ago that Cherry Red/HNE issued the AFTERLIFE album. I actually reviewed it here in January of…
Killer- Vol 2: Only The Strong survive (box-set review)
December 2019 Released: 2019 / Cherry Red / HNE Recordings Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: JP Like an unstoppable juggernaut, the British label Cherry Red/HNE keeps their reissues campaign in high gear with a second box-set of the Belgian bashers, Killer. I reviewed the first Killer box-set (Vol 1:The Mausoleum Years) back…
THOR-Return Of The Thunderhawk (DVD Review)
December 2019 Released: 2019 / Deadline/Cleopatra Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP A couple of years back the mighty THOR released a documentary called I AM THOR. I enjoyed it and reviewed it on this site, and is was a bit of a hit on the indie film circuit and even got…
Edenbridge – Dynamind
Reviewed: December 2019 Released: 2019 / SPV Rating: 4.5/5 Reviewer: JP Long time readers will know I’m a big fan of Edenbridge. Having got on the band wagon early and joining the fan-club, I’ve been a loyalist for almost 20 years now. The Austrians are back with studio album #10, DYNAMID.…
AC/DC – Let There Be Rock (DVD Review)
Reviewed: December 2019 Released: 1979 / Warner Brothers Rating: 3.5 / 5 Reviewer: JP Over time I’ve been slowly and methodically reviewing as many old DVD’s as I can to create some sort of complete DVD review database. This is one of the latest. Since Dec 9th, 2019 will be the…
Dawn Of Disease – Procession of Ghosts
Reviewed: [December 2019] Released [2019 Napalm Records] Rating [3.5/5] Reviewer: Peter Atkinson If you ever wondered what Amon Amarth might sound like without the Viking shtick, Germany’s Dawn Of Disease would seem to offer a pretty good indication. Dawn’s muscular melodic death metal delivers many of the same sonic thrills…
Black Absinthe – Witness (SINGLE)
December 2019 Released: November 8th, 2019 / Self-Released Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Reviewer: John Haseltine Toronto’s Black Absinthe has unleashed a kick-ass new track in the form of an Mp3 single and a video titled WITNESS. You need to check this one out as well as the band in general.…
Denner’s Inferno – In Amber
December 2019 Released: November 15th, 2019 / Mighty Music Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Reviewer: John Haseltine Michael Denner, who is most notably known for his contributions to the all mighty Mercyful Fate and King Diamond’s early solo efforts returns with a new band and an all-new (yet old) style. Denner’s…
Ivory Tower – Stronger
December 2019 Released: August 23rd, 2019 / Massacre Records Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Reviewer: John Haseltine There is a lot going on here. STRONGER is the 5th full-length release by German progressive power metallers Ivory Tower, and powerful it does tend to be. Having 8 years or so since their…
Feary Tales – Feary Tales
December 2019 Released: December 6th, 2019 / Buil2kill-Nadir Productions Rating: 3.0 / 5.0 Reviewer: John Haseltine Feary Tales have a storied history so it seems. The Turin, Itlay act originally formed back is 2006 and released a highly acclaimed demo in 2008. Their story sort of just faded from…
Aggressive Perfector – Havoc At The Midnight Hour
December 2019 Released: November 22nd, 2019 / Dying Victims Productions Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 Reviewer: John Haseltine “Embracing a wealth of haunted sounds and textures, this sepulchral slab of metal conjures an atmosphere rich in the romantic repugnance of horror’s past masters which it uses the setting for a 37-minute…