Album Reviews

Although not as overused in the way that water, rivers, etc. have been done to death, the imagery of a stark and unforgiving desert is a well-liked way for popular culture to represent discovering oneself, and ultimately, offer some sort of redemption. Who remembers Tony Soprano shouting, “I get it!” …

Self-describing as “slightly unpleasant, but novel.” Bristolian nutters Mother Vulture are often mentioned in the same breath as Queens of the Stone Age. But in all honesty, QotSA have not been this urgent since Nick Oliveri walked away some 20+ years ago. Mother Vulture are not the next QotSA, or …

It’s no secret at this point in their career – The Damned have always loved smashing out a good cover or ten. They’ve covered some of rock’s most prestigious and notable tracks. On their debut 1976 single New Rose (released half a century ago now!), a faster and heavier cover …

2026 is an important year for Bristol-based singer/songwriter Elles Bailey. The stars have been aligning for some time now, thanks to the impressive momentum that the likeable Bailey has built up. BBC Radio are on board – still a crucial ally to have on your side – and the mainstream …

On 2020’s ‘Hørizøns’, German metallers Beyond The Black stuck their necks out and opted to pull back some of the traditional symphonic metal elements of their sound in favour of a more glossy, pop-rock/metal sound, and the BTB faithful were split. The majority were in favour of ‘Hørizøns’ – a …

At an initial cursory glance at the cover artwork, the 8th studio album from US arena-headlining rockers Alter Bridge sparks comparisons with 2010’s masterful ‘AB III’. The same simplistic, does what it says on the can, ethos. The music within is the important factor, so let’s not get distracted by …

“Throw your worries into the next trash can, at least for 38 minutes and sing, dance, headbang, do whatever feels right!” As far as press release blurb goes, that description from Nuclear Blast Records about the latest release from Finnish sextet Battle Beast hits the nail square on the head. …

Need a fresh, new album to stream this Halloween? A certain Southampton goth rock/horror punk sextet have got you all covered. Happy Halloween, one and all, guys and ghouls… After the success of their 2023 record Sanguivore, which was voted Metal Hammer’s best album of the whole year, Creeper have …

Out with the old, in with the new. Notice something different from this album cover? Some of you eagle-eyed fans will notice that a certain 3 letters have gone missing from the artist’s name. That’s right – from this day forth, Wolfgang Van Halen’s solo band will now be simply …

Since they evolved into global Metal superstars, Swedish history-nuts Sabaton have joined the ranks of such household names as AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Motörhead in having a signature sound. Within a few moments, the listener knows that it’s Sabaton. The bombast, the deep brogue of Joakim Brodén’s vocals; the choir; …