DarWin first got attention when releasing the debut album ‘Origin of Species’ in 2019 when DarWin teamed-up with Simon Phillips, known from Toto. #DarWin 2: tA Frozen War’ represented the next step of the outfit and while working on these longplayers the idea of a stripped-down version of some of the songs was born. These... Continue Reading →
Live report DEVIN TOWNSEND ‘Quarantine Concert Series #7′, Internet Stream from The Farm Studios, Sunshine Coast, BC, Canada – 01.05.2021
Devin Townsend played the last real live show in front of an enthusiastic crowd in March 2020 in Dallas. What came next was the rise of a pandemic, lockdowns and no live music. To still stay connected with fans and bring music to their homes, the iconic musician from Canada performed a live stream concert... Continue Reading →
Review MORBID BREATH ‘In the Hands of the Reaper’ – EP
There isn't that much information available when it comes to Morbid Breath. Also the omniscient internet doesn't provide a lot of insights when it comes to the band of Marcus Eriksson(b/v), Stefan Carrillo (g), Felix Klaesson (g) and David Gustafsson (d). What we can conclude is, that Morbid Breath is a Swedish band and what's... Continue Reading →
CD review TODD MICHAEL HALL ‘Sonic Healing’
Vocalist Todd Michael Hall is certainly no stranger to rock and metal, as he enriches the Riot V releases with his voice. His time with Jack Starr's Burning Star is also unforgotten and this time Hall has decided to work with another excellent guitarist. Metal Church mainman Kurdt Vanderhoof not only produced Hall's solo album... Continue Reading →
EPICA announce ‘Ωmega Alive’
Dutch symphonic metal powerhouse Epica announce live streaming event, entitled 'Omega Alive'. It's the first show the band performs after having played at Webster Hall, NYC in January 2020, although this time in a totally different format. To support the latest record, the band perform songs from 'Ωmega' for the first time ever, along with the band’s... Continue Reading →
CD review EVILE ‘Hell Unleashed’
UK thrash metal enthusiasts Evile have been away for quite a while. The latest album, 'Skull', has been unleashed in 2013 and then silence took over. Earlier this year, things changed with the release of a first single. 'Hell Unleashed' was the appetizer for a next longplayer penned by Evile. It's the grinding title track... Continue Reading →
CD review LIAR THIEF BANDIT ‘Deadlights’
'Deadlights' is Liar Thief Bandit's third longplayer and follows the debut from 2016 and the sophomore publication 'Straight Ahead' from 2018. The band, based in Malmö, Sweden dedicated themselves to garage rock, which the trio celebrates on twelve songs on the 'Deadlights' album. I have to admit that I wasn't familiar with the band and... Continue Reading →
CD review ESCAPE ‘Fire in the Sky’
'Fire in the Sky' is the new album from Escape, and not. Friends of AOR will surely know the band from Black Country/West Yorkshire from earlier times. It was in the beginning of 2011 when Vince O'Regan started this melodic rock band and two albums could be launched at that time before it became quiet... Continue Reading →
JACK SLAMER released a new EP
Jack Slamer did not want to go passively through the pandemic and had therefore decided to set up a live session. No sooner said than done. The live session took place at Hardstudios and four of the songs have now been released as an EP via Nuclear Blast. 'Live at Hardstudios' is the title of... Continue Reading →
CD review MÄDHOUSE ‘Bad Habits’
L.A. has the Hollywood Boulevard, Vienna has the Kärtnerstrasse. L.A. brought bands like Ratt and Mötley Crüe up to the surface, Vienna has Mädhouse. What all of these bands have in common is the shared passion for sleaze rock and glam metal. That Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Skid Row and others have been in a league... Continue Reading →
CD review BLACKBRIAR ‘The Cause of Shipwreck’
Female-fronted symphonic metal from The Netherlands, that brings a few names on the radar. Within Temptation, Epica and the disbanded Delain are bands that you think of right away. Blackbriar is a band that is passionate about the same genre and it was at the Delain concert in the early 2020 that I heard of... Continue Reading →
CD review WHILE SHE SLEEPS ‘Sleeps Society’
Riff and scream acrobats While She Sleeps started in 2006 and shared so far four longplayer with the metalcore community. The so far latest longplayer was send from the UK to the world in 2019 and was named ‘So What?’. The reception of the longplayer was a good one with the album entering the German... Continue Reading →
CD review VREID ‘Wild North West’
Vreid rose from the ashes of Windir and it was in 2004 when the band premiered with 'Kraft'. Since then, Vreid is a regular guest on the release schedule lists with eight longplayers that have been released so far. Following a kind of three years pattern, the year of 2021 is the one for a... Continue Reading →
CD review CAPRA ‘In Transmission’
Capra is a band, 'In Transmission' is an album and opinions can differ when it comes to the music. The wild blend of metal, punk and hardcore leads to music that is massive and furious. Although the start, '[Exordium]', is rather atmospheric, hell breaks loose with 'Hollow Doll'. 'In Transmission' is not an album that... Continue Reading →
CD review OCEANS ‘We are Nøt Okay’ – EP
Oceans published their full-length debut 'The Sun and the Cold' a bit more than a year ago and to keep the momentum rolling, the guys unleash with 'We are Nøt Okay' a next EP. With four songs, things are quite lucid and to the point. Compared to the debut, that was a bit all over... Continue Reading →









