Author Andy Barker
Melancholy, inescapable heartache, night of despair, loss, exhausting, plaintive tears, velvet darkness. Just a few of the buzz-words in the promotional information that the record company kindly arms us writers with when preparing to do a review of this latest… Continue Reading →
When dealing in Avant-garde and Progressive Metal it is of course important to be both of those terms and carve out your own niche therein. With their third release this highly talented American band do just that. Opening your album… Continue Reading →
This Swedish 8 piece (yes, eight piece!) Epic Melodic Power Metal band do not hang about! Eager to capitalize on their debut released via AFM just a year ago, this band of Metal brothers (with one sister) are ready once… Continue Reading →
It’s taken a year or so, but up and coming Greek Metal label Rock Of Angels finally get to wheel out their big guns with a new album by German Metal powerhouse Mystic Prophecy. Having already shone in Steel Prophet… Continue Reading →
Veteran German Power Metal band Rage (because I reckon even Rage main-man Peavy will be OK with the ‘veteran’ term after 37 years in the business delivering 23 studio albums, not to mention all the EPs and live stuff) return… Continue Reading →
Even though this super-talented American band are new to me, this is actually their second release, which I am assured follows on perfectly from their previous album released in 2017. To be fair, there is so much variation and melded… Continue Reading →
A new addition to the retro doom/psych movement are Italian quartet Tenebra, launching a 6 tracker under their own steam this year. It’s actually 6 tracks of a similar vibe that the band like to be viewed as a single… Continue Reading →
KingCrown (as they seem to favour their name being written rather than Kingcrown or King Crown) are a French Heavy/Power Metal band with plenty of experience, talent and maturity in their ranks. They released an album as Öblivïon a couple… Continue Reading →
I was pleasantly surprised by 2015’s “Savage Requiem”, an album where Magic Kingdom nicely moved themselves up a division in the Symphonic Power Metal rankings, mixing some good song-writing with a fine production and great musicianship – everything came together… Continue Reading →
Late 2019 finds guitarist Marcus Jidell and vocalist Jennie-Ann Smith continuing to forge ahead with their doom-sprinkled retro rock/metal outfit Avatarium. Initially the band was pretty much touted as another Leif Edling (Candlemass etc. etc.) project with Jidell and Smith… Continue Reading →
I’d sort of given up on hearing anything new by Nocturnalia. This unique Swedish heavy/psyche band presented me with one of my favourite albums of 2015 – I knew nothing about them, took a punt on something I wouldn’t normally,… Continue Reading →
Let’s face it – it had to happen! I’m just amazed it took so long. From the moment I heard the orchestral version of ‘Theatre Of Pain’ as a bonus track on Blind Guardian’s fantastic “Somewhere Far Beyond” album way… Continue Reading →