Remembering The Forgotten-2020 Times flies! This is my fifth consecutive year doing this column. The greatest pleasure I’ve always derived from all this work in the Metal industry is supporting bands and artists. That is why this column has rapidly become one of my favourite to write. As always, I’ve…
Cover tunes
Brunner, Ike-Taken to The Extreme: Heavy Metal Cover Songs (Book)
Reviewed: January, 2021 Released: 2006, Indie / Bowling Green State University, Ohio Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP The number of academic studies about Heavy Metal is really quite astonishing. It seems to be the new, cool thing for academics to want to study! Generally for our Library Of Loudness section I don’t…
Don’t Run For Cover! A Very Brief And Incomplete History Of Hard Rock/Metal Covers albums.
Don’t Run For Cover! A Very Brief And Incomplete History Of Hard Rock/Metal Covers albums (Version 1.2) by JP PREFACE As we hit the 50th anniversary of Heavy Metal this year (2020), as Managing Editor of Metal-Rules.com, one of my goals is to try to add more editorial content and…
Alice Cooper-Breadcrumbs
Reviewed: May, 2020 Released: 2019, EarMusic Rating : 4/5 Reviewer: Shäman Cröwe On September 13th, 2019 earMusic released the latest offering from Alice Cooper. An EP called “The Breadcrumbs” which would see release on digital edition as well as a limited edition physical release of 20,000 numbered 10-inch vinyl versions…
Raskasta Iskelmaa – Raskasta Iskelmaa
Reviewed: February 2020 Released: 2019, Spinefarm Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP I stumbled across this album on-line and my interest was immediately captured. I do have a tendency to seek the weird, wacky and wonderful side of Heavy Metal as a break from the intensity and seriousness of so many…
Remembering The Forgotten-2019
Remembering The Forgotten-2019 I wrote these introductory comments for this same column four years ago. It still holds true today. The more things change, the more they stay the same. However (!) in a slight improvement, this year seemed to be less of a stampede to be first to publish ‘End…
Virgin Steele – Seven Devils Moonshine (Box-set)
Virgin Steele – Seven Devils Moonshine Released: SPV, 2018 Reviewed: March Reviewed by: JP Rating: 4/5 Late in 2018 Virgin Steele fans were treated to a nice end-of-year present with a massive (and somewhat unexpected) box-set called SEVEN DEVILS MOONSHINE. This set is presented in standard box, not one of…
Bonfire-Legends
Bonfire – Legends Released: 2018 Label: AFM Reviewed: November 2018 Rating: 4.5/5 Reviewed by : JP There are a whole host of long-running cool, European, melodic Metal bands that don’t get much attention or exposure in North America. I’m thinking of bands like Krokus, Pretty Maids, Axxis, Fair Warning and…
UFO – The Salentino Cuts
Reviewed: February 2018 Released: 2017, Cleopatra Rating: 3/5 Reviewer: John Haseltine After nearly 50 years of rocking with 22 studio albums, 14 live releases and a slew of comps and singles, what does a band like U.F.O. have left in their arsenal? I’m sure plenty. But for now how about…