Review: Serving as the follow up to 2022's critically acclaimed and super cheesy by design stadium-goth opus Impera, Swedish rock occultists Ghost make their grand return with sixth full-length Skeleta. The vision of Tobias Forge, renowned for his charismatic vocal cadence and immense range, but more so for his undertaking of different characters and monikers for each album cycle, the Papa Emeritus IV delving into empirical fallacies on their previous outing has been usurped by Papa V Perpetua, who promises to deliver his band of Nameless Ghouls' "most unflinchingly introspective work to date" while showcasing "distinct individual emotional vistas", touching on "demonic possessions" and the allure of succumbing to "dark forces". In other words, expect mammoth riffs, epic refrains, large doses of overt theatricality verging on camp, and on-the-nose song titles such as 'Satanized'.
Too Young To Die, Too Drunk To Live (No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll) (4:24)
Hiroshima Mon Amour (4:03)
Jet To Jet (4:55)
General Hospital (4:57)
Starcarr Lane (4:00)
Island In The Sun (4:08)
Kree Nakoorie (6:12)
Big Foot (5:00)
Suffer Me (5:22)
Review: Originally formed in 1983 in Los Angeles, Alcatrazz are one of the pioneering metallic-tinged hard rock acts of the decade of change and cheese. Often noted for once being the musical home of an at-the-time unknown Yngwie Malmsteen who served as lead guitarist for a year, before being replaced by Steve Vai, in the later years, the band have become somewhat comically known for their splitting off into separate factions of the same group, both performing under identical monikers since the release of 2020's Born Innocent with lead vocalist Graham Bonnet embarking on his own version of the band complete with Nevermore mastermind Jeff Loomis, while guitarist Joe Stump, Jimmy Waldo on keys, Gary Shea on bass, and Mark Benquechea on drums have remained united. Released as part of Record Store Day 2025, All Night Long In Japan 2019 originally arrived a year prior to all of this internal conflict, showcasing a series of shows unlike the band had ever done before, featuring two sold out nights at TSUTAYA O-EAST in Tokyo on 28th & 31st May 2019, with night one including their classic debut album No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll performed in its entirety in the intended track sequence the band originally wanted to be released back in 1983, while night two would include Graham Bonnet's Rainbow era 1979 album Down To Earth performed in full by Alcatrazz.
Review: Originally released in 2005 and celebrating its 20th anniversary, Ghost Reveries would serve as the eighth full-length from Swedish progressive metal legends Opeth. Following the 2002/2003 two-part project which showcased their most malevolent form on Deliverance and then a resolutely pleasant prog rock opus with Damnation, this follow up sought to rectify one side with the other; coalescing into a masterwork which simultaneously was regarded by longtime fans as a career height, whilst the expanded distribution from signing with major label Roadrunner opened them up to an entire new wave of unsuspecting ears. Marking their first album since 1999's Still Life to not be produced by Porcupine Tree's Steve Wilson, instead duties fell to Jens Bogren (Katatonia, At The Gates, Dimmu Borgir) who helped Mikael Akerfeldt and his cohorts to rediscover their death metal origins yet channelled through their more melancholic sensibilities. Boasting some of their most vital pieces from the epic 10-minute opener 'Ghost Of Perdition', to the even lengthier fan favourite 'Reverie/Harlequin Forest', as well as the equally adored 'The Grand Conjuration', the album has long since been held aloft as the perfect modern entry point to the world of Opeth. The project would also be the first to include keyboardist Per Wiberg as a "permanent" member while serving as their final endeavour to feature both drummer Martin Lopez and long-time guitarist Peter Lindgren.
Review: First released in 2012, Broken Bones would serve as the 11th full-length studio effort from glam metal-tinged Los Angeles hard rockers Dokken. The first album in the band's entire tenure to not feature drummer Mick Brown due to scheduling conflicts (replaced for the recording sessions by studio drummer Jimmy DeGrasso), as well as their only work to feature bassist Sean McNabb (Quiet Riot, XYZ, Queensryche), the album served as follow up to 2008's Lightning Strikes Again while initially perceived as a swansong due to the major decade-long gap until 2023's Heaven Comes Down. Packed to the brim with triumphant riffage and soaring choruses, it may not entirely capture the Dokken magic of old but still delivers a retro-fitted 45 minutes of classic-style cuts with its standout track easily being their unique rendition of Jefferson Airplane's 'Today'. Reissued for Record Store Day 2025 on super cool and artwork complimentary blue & black splattered wax.
Review: The first hard rock album to land at Number One on the Billboard 200 in four years, Swedish rock occultists Ghost make their grand return with sixth full-length Skeleta, serving as the highly anticipated follow up to 2022's acclaimed and super camp-by-design stadium-goth rock opus Impera. Still the singular vision of Tobias Forge, renowned for his charismatic vocals and immense versatility, but primarily for his adorning of different guises, characters and monikers for each album cycle, the Papa Emeritus IV who pontificated on empirical fallacies throughout their previous outing has since been usurped by Papa V Perpetua, who along with his band of Nameless Ghouls deliver their "most unflinchingly introspective work to date" while showcasing "distinct individual emotional vistas", touching on "demonic possessions" and the allure of succumbing to "dark forces". In other words, expect a gloomy gauntlet of anthemic riffage, epic refrains, gargantuan levels of cheesy theatricality, and Satanic Panic bell-ringing on-the-nose song-titled such as 'Satanized'.
Review: Caputing the band in live action during the early 80s, Black Sabbath's Born In Hell is culled from the short tenure of former Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan as lead vocalist, after the departiure of Ozzy Osbourne's replacemennt Ronnie James Dio. Therefore, among the run through the Brum band's overwhelmingly legendary back catalogue there nestles a very Sabbath take on 'Smoke On The Water'. Of course, the biggest selling-point here is simply Sabbath doing Sabbath, very loudly, although not quite as loud as the crowd's reaction at various points of the show. Not least Tony Iommi's insane solo as 'War Pigs' refuels in preparation for its monumental climax, worth the price of admission alone.
Review: Skeleta marks the sixth full-length from Swedish theatrical goth rock entity Ghost, following on from 2022's retro stadium-goth swing for the fences Impera. Known for their high-concept aesthetic solely credited to mastermind Tobias Forge, who undertakes differing mantles and characters pertaining to each era and project, Papa Emeritus IV who fronted their preceding work has now been replaced by Papa V Perpetua, and while his predecessor was said to have been driven by ruminations on empirical reigns, the latest leader of the band of "Nameless Ghouls" is more concerned with "demonic possessions" and succumbing to "dark forces", with the album promised to be their "most unflinchingly introspective work to date" while showcasing "distinct individual emotional vistas". With big riffs, soaring hooks and a lead single as brazenly titled as 'Satanized', it's time for yet another era of overtly gothic and purposefully cheesy occult-rock.
Review: Originally released in 1984, No Remorse would serve as a compilation album from London's homegrown metal legends Motorhead, marking the end of their time on Bronze Records. Following the departure of Brian "Robbo" Robertson and drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor after 1983's Another Perfect Day, this would spell the end of the classic trio line-up which had already been shaken by the replacement of "Fast" Eddie Clarke by Robertson following 1982's fan favourite Iron Fist. According to Lemmy, the label were unhappy with his own personnel changes, lacking confidence in a new lineup they hadn't heard themselves, while once they announced news of a greatest hits-style compilation, the gravel-throated vocalist/bassist surmised it as "readying the death knell" for the group, hence his insistence on including new material as well as compiling the tracklist. Marking the first recordings from the next era of Motorhead featuring Lemmy alongside Phil Campbell, Wurzel, and Pete Gill, the band would enter London's Britannia Row Studios for a week in May 1984 to bang out their contributions - 'Snaggletooth', 'Steal Your Face', 'Locomotive', and most notably, 'Killed by Death', while the collection boasts all of their past iterations' essential bangers up until this point such as 'Ace Of Spades', 'Overkill' and '(We Are) The Road Crew'.
Review: At the turn of the 21st century, Slipknot opted to take the newfound fame and success rewarded by their self-titled debut, and run it into the ground in, what has to be, one of the most intriguing examples of chaos and inner band turmoil lending to an integral work.
Named after their home state, 'Iowa', still remains an utterly frightening project, driven by addiction, depression, and encompassing negativity. Refusing to pursue a more accessible route regardless of the ensuing momentum around them, the collective would lash out with an extremely severe batch of material that remains challenging even by today's standards.
While the now iconic leads singles, 'My Plague' and 'Left Behind' remain embedded in the metal spectrum, deeper cuts such as the caustic 'People = Shit', nihilism rally of 'The Heretic Anthem' or the decrepit defeatism of 'Skin Ticket' offer the bleakest look into the band's psyche at their most temperamental of conditions.
The fact that frontman Corey Taylor has confessed that the 14-minute closing title-track was recorded while highly inebriated and cutting himself with a broken liquor bottle, should be all the background one could need when approaching this complex, unforgiving beast of an album.
Reissued after far too long an absence, this beautiful new rendering finally allows for a timeless endeavour to be rediscovered in all of its violent glory; rarely bridging the vast dichotomy between mainstream and extreme metal.
South Of Heaven/Raining Blood/Alter Of Sacrifice/Jesus Saves (10:38)
Born Of Fire (4:50)
Mandatory Suicide (4:12)
Angel Of Death (4:48)
War Ensemble (4:54)
Die By The Sword (3:46)
Dead Skin Mask (5:30)
Review: Thrash metal pioneers Slayer have a ferocious reputation in the studio, but their live shows are where the unbridled energy, rage, passion and power really reach next level. Landing on the appropriately-named Cult Legends label, this recording of a 1991 show from Paris is exactly what we're talking about. Like pressing play on a juggernaut and watching hell break loose. References to the underworld abound here, of course, from 'Angel of Death' to the epic intro medley, 'Hell Awaits/Antichrist' i if indeed "medley" is an appropriate word to use for a band like Slayer. Pedantry aside, if you're looking for a record that truly speaks to the might and rabid majesty of metal in one of its most intense forms, then you've got it right here.
Review: Melvins' back catalogue is so strong that they could make a living just re-releasing the hell out of it. But Melvins' Buzz Osborne is a true punk and has such an unrelenting passion for music that they will never stop. The good thing is that he is under no illusions that he's great... Melvins in 2025 sound absolutely incredible, like Black Sabbath good. The line-up for this album takes things back to 1983 as the band's original drummer Mike Dillard makes a relatively rare appearance. It's only the third album he's made with Buzz Osborne, but absolutely is it gold when it happens. Dillard famously played in a short-lived pre Nirvana group with Kurt Cobain called Fecal Matter and there's certainly parallels to Nirvana's frantic approach to drums on this album. In terms of the rest of the music it's tuneful in a heavy way and it's that balance between the two that was the cornerstone of grunge and you can hear how Melvins became such a prevalent influence, playing a role in shaping the sound of Nirvana, Soundgarden and countless others.
Review: Goat returns with their latest self-titled album, the third in as many years, to ecstatic fans of the band. This ever-enigmatic collective continues to push boundaries, delivering a record that blends rhythmically intense rituals with an unmistakable energy that both invigorates dancefloors and stimulates the mind. The album kicks off with 'One More Death' and 'Goatbrain,' two tracks that capture Goat's hedonistic spirit through sharp funk grooves and guitars drenched in fuzz and wah. These tracks set the tone for an album that never shies away from exploration. The closing track, 'Ouroborus,' inspired by the ancient symbol of cyclical rebirth, showcases the band's love for hip hop, combining infectious chants with relentless breakbeats reminiscent of Lalo Schifrin's work. This finale brings the journey full circle, echoing the idea of endless renewal. Goat's new album continues to affirm their dedication to transcendence and transformation, offering listeners a potent escape into a world where the only constant is change.
Review: It's difficult to describe to those too young to have been there and to those too old to give a toss, just how rife the anticipation was for the sophomore full-length from nu-metal giants Linkin Park following on from the global success of their multi-platinum selling debut album Hybrid Theory in 2000. Following what felt like an eternal three years, both shortened and lengthened by the bloated remix album Reanimation, 2003's Meteora was nothing short of lightning striking in the same place twice. Debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200, certified 8xPlatinium and currently ranked as the 8th highest selling album of the 21st century, to call the band's second album a success seems like a very muted understatement when anthems such as 'Somewhere I Belong', 'Faint', and, 'Numb' are still some of the highest charting and most world-renowned metal singles to ever blare out across the airwaves. While musically drifting further away from their nu-metal beginnings with each subsequent project, both Meteora and its predecessor belong to a subset of genre-defining classics that appear to become more embraced and less maligned with age, as the nu-metal subgenre becomes less of a dirty word. It also goes without saying that the incomparable vocal presence of late frontman Chester Bennington as well as his vulnerable and cathartic lyricism take on a far more bleak and oppressive shade with the folly of hindsight.
Review: Before 'In The Nightside Eclipse' cemented their place amongst the decrepit, controversial hierarchy of black metal, Emperor's self-titled debut EP bore the first semblance of the bleak greatness to which they would eventually aspire. Featuring earlier versions of fan essentials such as 'Wrath of the Tyrant', and, 'I Am The Black Wizards', the caustic conjured sonics of the Norwegian landscape evoke a macabre essence far beyond the members' ludicrously young age. Before controversy, murder and church burnings would become the primary point of contention within the scene, Insahn and his cohorts were teaming with frosted vision from the outset. This debut simply serves as mere proof.
Review: Arguably one of the most integral tentpoles of the grunge movement, Alice In Chains' seminal sophomore effort, Dirt, changed the game upon its release in 1992. Featuring some of the band's most classic cuts such as, 'Them Bones', 'Down In A Hole', 'Rooster', and, 'Junkhead', to name but a few; the incomparable dynamic of Wayne Staley's iconic vocals and cryptic, yet brutally honest lyricism combined with guitarist Jerry Cantrell's mammoth riffs and delicate nuance, still resides high in the echelons of alternative rock three decades on. For lifers and newcomers alike, this 30-year anniversary edition serves as an ideal opportunity to revisit a genuine classic, far murkier and riddled with antagonistic depths than any of its would-be peers.
Review: Fear Inoculum brought a 13-year Tool hiatus to an end in typically dramatic, knock-your-socks-off and blow wind through your hair style. A fine example of what the group have always done so well - running with wolves like Mogwai, only with far more metal sensibilities, and a damn-sight bigger helping of experimentalism, when this bad boy arrived in 2019 it shot straight to the top of the US Billboard 200, the third consecutive record from the group to do so.
Of course, those charts don't necessarily mean as much in this age as they did when the preceding Tool LP dropped, but 270,000 album-equivalent units within the first week do not lie. Nor does the quality of work here. From the avant-garde percussion and awkward synths of 'Chocolate Chip Trip', to the almost-ethereal ambience of 'Legion Inoculant' and the riff and crescendo heavy 'Pneuma', it's a wild thing of beauty.
Review: Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Holy Fawn have become quickly renowned thanks in no small part to their acclaimed debut LP Death Spells, released in 2018. Combining overwhelming levels of reverb-drenched shoegaze with blackened metallics whilst avoiding the obvious blackgaze assumptions, their unique brand of cathartic post-metal has been refined and polished to a severely impressive degree on the much anticipated sophomore effort Dimensional Bleed. Arriving toward the end of 2022, the work builds upon the melancholic grandiosity of their The Black Moon EP with shimmering ease, conjuring levels of emotive despair usually occupied by acts of the more extreme metal variety. Atmospheric, forlorn and utterly crushing, this is doomgazing at both its most ethereal and punishing.
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