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Author Chris Davison

I've been a metal fan since before I can remember anything else, more or less. My dad was always playing Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and AC/DC, so you can probably blame whatever crap score I have just awarded your terrible demo band indirectly to him. I spent my teenage years obsessing about thrash metal, before obsessing about all metal from that point onwards until now. I started reviewing music when Doug McClure was still trying to find the Land That Time Forgot, and in that time I have single handedly listened to every album ever released from Russia and the Baltic States. I live in a rural idyll, and so I don't get to gigs all that often, and thus you can always find me at Bloodstock clutching a flagon of rot-gut cider and smelling like a recently exhumed corpse, making the most of seeing a) other metal fans and b) metal bands. I once got poked in the eye by Lee Dorrian, and Fast Eddie Clarke told me he was still great. I also pulled Lesley Crowther's hair; The rest is just rumour.

The Neptune Power Federation – Can You Dig – Europe 2020 (Cruz Del Sur)

A bit of a quicky for you with this one, a four track EP of covers from Australian pomp-rockers, The Neptune Power Foundation. I reviewed their last album, “Memoirs of a Rat Queen” back in October for this very site,… Continue Reading →

Eremit – Desert of Ghouls (Transcending Obscurity)

I don’t know much about Eremit, save for the fact that they are from Germany, they are on the excellent Transcending Obscurity record label, and that their logo features a twist on the classic Conan the Barbarian sword graphic. This… Continue Reading →

Stygian Crown – Stygian Crown (Cruz Del Sur)

Right off the bat, Stygian Crown’s public relations information had me frothing at the mouth in anticipation. I hadn’t heard of them myself, but the band describe their own sound as “Candlethrower”; a melding of influences from Candlemass and Bolt… Continue Reading →

Atavist – III : Absolution (Candlelight)

Right after I started listening to “Absolution”, I was reminded of a character from Airplane proclaiming, “Looks like I picked the wrong day to give up glue sniffing”. By way of explanation, “Absolution” is four tracks of abject misery and… Continue Reading →

Rotting Kingdom – A Deeper Shade of Sorrow (Godz ov War)

I reviewed Rotting Kingdom’s three track EP back in early 2018 (remember those relatively sane times, readers?), giving it a hefty 8/10, and wanting to hear more. Well, with just a couple of years in the old time-bank, the Kentuckian… Continue Reading →

Henry Kane – Age of the Idiot (Transcending Obscurity)

I reviewed Henry Kane’s (actually, the grind alias of Death Metal royalty Jonny Petersson) last album for this very publication, giving it a 7/10, though with more repeated listens, I should have awarded it an 8, as several of the… Continue Reading →

Ruadh – The Rock of the Clyde (Northern Silence Productions)

So, as a confession, I have watched Ruadh live at the Beermageddon festival in 2019, or at least I think I have, because on the day in question, I made an ill-fated decision to sit in the sun for a… Continue Reading →

Khemmis – Doomed Heavy Metal (Nuclear Blast)

If there was ever a time to listen to doom metal, it would be now. It’s been a surreal and distinctly weird time for all of us; whether you’re a front line worker, or indeed just if you’ve been stopped… Continue Reading →

Hraun – Black Molten Essence (FDA Records)

I’m a dad of two, and I am not a great cook. It is fair to say that when I am called upon to provide sustenance for my two by now not-so-mini offspring, unless it is something that I can… Continue Reading →

White Stones – Kuarahy (Nuclear Blast)

So, as I know there are legions of Opeth fans out there among you, let’s get this up straight and centre. “White Stones” are the death metal band put together by Uruguayan Opeth band member Martin Lopez. To be honest,… Continue Reading →

Carcariass – Planet Chaos (Great Dane Records)

Right, so let’s get this out of the way straight away shall we? Yes, they have a band name that sounds a bit like Carcass, and they have a band logo font that looks like it comes straight from the… Continue Reading →

Reaper – Unholy Nordic Noise (Iron Bonehead)

So, if there was to be a prize this year for the album title that most accurately described the music therein, it would be “Unholy Nordic Noise”. I like to think that the Swedish crew have just time-travelled in from… Continue Reading →

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