It's been quite a while since Ihsahn released a full-length record. It was in 2018 when 'Àmr' saw the light of day and since then the exceptional Norwegian artist has focused on EP releases. Following 'Telemark' and 'Pharos', 'Fascination Steert Sessions' is now the third EP in a row. The new release contains three songs... Continue Reading →
HANOI ROCKS second album re-released as 40th anniversary edition
Svart Records released today the 40th anniversary edition of the second Hanoi Rocks album, called 'Oriental Beat'. The original was recorded in London in January 1982 and since the debut album was only released in Sweden and Finland, it was this record that paved the way for the band's international success. It was in the... Continue Reading →
Review DOWNFALL OF GAIA ‘Silhouettes of Disgust’
The German metal collective Downfall Of Gaia have been working on their sixth album and now the result of their efforts hits the record stores. After the predecessor 'Ethics of Radical Finitude' was released just before the pandemic, fans of the band had to wait four long years for a follow-up album. With 'Silhouettes of... Continue Reading →
Review GRANDE ROYALE ‘Welcome to Grime Town’
Grande Royale have already released several albums and are one of the established acts in the Swedish retro rock scene. Inspired by the Detroit sound of the 70's and influenced by the Swedish rock scene of the 90's, Grande Royale have become quite an impressive band. 'Cygne Noir' was the debut album of the guys,... Continue Reading →
Review RPWL ‘Crime Scene’
RPWL (it stands for the names of the founding members: Rissettio, Postl, Wallner, Lang) have been among the spearhead of German progressive rock for many years. Since the late 90s, the Bavarians have been enchanting their audience with great song, atmospheric density and superb melodies. The debut album 'God Has Failed' was released at the... Continue Reading →
First bands announced for LAZY BONES FEST
2023 will see the Lazy Bones Fest return to Hamburg, Germany, with an eclectic line-up that doubles down all expectations within the heavy stoner, psych, doom and fuzz rock scene! While the first edition of the indoor festival, presented by Sound Of Liberation, was taking place in the summer of 2022 at Gruenspan, Lazy Bones... Continue Reading →
Review THE ANSWER ‘Sundowners’
For several years, The Answer have been one of the highlights of a revived retro rock scene whose musical roots can be traced back in the 70s. Founded in 2000, the Northern Irishmen achieved a first respectable achievement with their debut album 'Rise' and made their breakthrough with the second release 'Everyday Demon'. Besides the... Continue Reading →
Review POP EVIL ‘Skeletons’
Droning riffs, powerful energy and sometimes sugar-sweet melodies in the chorus, that is the musical direction of Pop Evil. The beginning of Pop Evil lies in the early 00s when Leigh Kakatly and Dylan Allison founded the band. However, it took quite some time for the debut album 'Lipstick on the Mirror' to find its... Continue Reading →
BLACKMORE’S NIGHT and the anniversary edition of the debut album
Once a guitar hero and for years more of a rock bard, Ritchie Blackmore is both. Acclaimed as the guitarist of Deep Purple, respected as the bandleader of Rainbow and always a disputatious representative of hard rock, that's how fans knew the musician who significantly shaped classic rock. In the second half of the 90s,... Continue Reading →
Review JOHN DIVA & THE ROCKETS OF LOVE ‘The Big Easy’
John Diva & The Rockets Of Love is, contrary to expectations, a German band that is dedicated to glam rock. If you listen to the songs of the band, you feel like being on a time travel to the 80s when bands like Bon Jovi, Ratt, Mötley Crüe,… had their heyday. At the same time,... Continue Reading →
Review NIGHT DEMON ‘Outsider’
Following the development of a band from the beginning is always an exciting affair, because you don't know where the journey will take them. One such band is Night Demon from Ventura, California. We go back to 2012, when the band released a self-titled EP, which was re-released in August 2013 by Shadow Kingdom Records.... Continue Reading →
Review MYSTIC CIRCLE ‘Erzdämon’
After it was quiet around Mystic Circle for a long time, A. Blackwar and Beelzebub came around the corner with a new album in 2021. Simply called 'Mystic Circle' the band returned to their black roots and released grim black metal songs that caught people's attention. Now follows with 'Erzdämon' the second strike of the... Continue Reading →
Review DEMONS DOWN ‘I Stand’
Demons Down is a new band and consists of vocalist James Robledo (Sinner's Blood) and guitarist Francesco Savino (False Memories), along with hard rock scene veterans guitarist Jimi Bell (House of Lords, Autograph), drummer Ken Mary (ex-House of Lords, Alice Cooper, Fifth Angel, etc.), and bassist Chuck Wright (Quiet Riot, bass, ex-House of Lords, etc.).... Continue Reading →
Review THE BANISHMENT ‘Machine and Bone’
The Banishment is a new project or rather a collaboration between Joe Haze and legendary guitar wizard George Lynch. If you think of the latter, melodic metal highlights like Dokken but also hard rock classics like Lnych Mob come to mind. In contrast, Haze's background is among other programming and one is curious how the... Continue Reading →
Live report KREATOR, LAMB OF GOD & MUNICIPAL WASTE, edel-optics Arena, Hamburg – March 5th, 2023
A tour, which unfortunately also had to be postponed more than once, is the one of Germany's metal institution Kreator. Originally planned for April 2020, the 'State of Unrest'-tour could not take place in 2021 and 2022 either. But now the time has come. Kreator and Lamb Of God are touring Europe and have chosen... Continue Reading →