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Author Martin Harris

Rock and metal have been in my existence for about 30 years and saw me go through a rapid weaning period that covered AC/DC, Maiden, Saxon, Whitesnake, Motorhead, etc from about 1982 to 1984 before shifting to thrash in the summer of 1984. At that point my only mission was to find the fastest, most violent music on the planet resulting checking out every genre in extreme music from death metal and grindcore to crust punk and hardcore all of which I still adore today and buy albums from and go see live. During the 80s I grew up in the infamous Bradford thrash scene, a time I still dearly miss such was the inventiveness and great camaraderie it held. I’m a bit of phase metaller, going from one style to another, through sheer investigation of finding something new, but always sticking with them all. I’m a total sucker for double bass and blast beats and always will be no matter what genre it comes from. I absolutely detest people that have joined the metal scene because it is trendy or their mates like it, likewise I detest people who are shallow and think this music is a fad of growing up. Most of us are extremely well educated and articulate individuals who prefer freedom of self expression than indoctrination by mass media organisations hell bent on artistic sterilisation. Much of my cash is spent on following metal and I wouldn’t change a thing about it because it is the best music scene in the world.

Lvcifyre – The Broken Seal (NoEVDia / Dark Descent Records)

The progression witnessed by this UK blackened death metal outfit is there for all to hear through their decade and a half existence, from the raw dissonant delight of the debut ‘The Calling Depths’ through to the excellent oppressive horror… Continue Reading →

Defacement – Defacement (I, Voidhanger)

You can always rely on I, Voidhanger to unleash some of the darkest, terrifying musical assaults that you will ever bear witness to, as Dutch blackened death metallers Defacement release their sophomore. Songs on their debut were relatively short compared… Continue Reading →

Jo Quail – Corporation, Sheffield 28/9/21

This was a fairly last-minute gig, that my shooter suggested we attend, plus it was free entry as part of the Sheffield Music Trails event that was taking place at various venues across the city. Added to that this was… Continue Reading →

Antediluvian – The Divine Punishment (Nuclear War Now! Productions)

Relocated to Austria, Canadian act Antediluvian have a fairly extensive discography with a raft of splits and EPs, but previously only two other full lengths as they land a sonic scourge on the Earth with their third album. If you… Continue Reading →

Ninkharsag, Ante-Inferno and Burial – Satan’s Hollow, Manchester 27/8/21

My first club gig in about 18 months couldn’t have got started with a better line-up, but like the ridiculous journey I had to the Lake District for the Northern Darkness Festival it seems the traffic Gods brought down to… Continue Reading →

Northern Darkness Open Air 2021 – Fell Foot Wood, Newby Bridge 20-21/8/21 Sat

Glancing out of the hotel window was enough to know that the second day was going to be a damp affair. However, with bands not starting until 6pm it gave our group a chance to head out. But first, no… Continue Reading →

Northern Darkness Open Air 2021 – Fell Foot Wood, Newby Bridge 20-21/8/21 Fri

A second festival in as many weeks (I was at Bloodstock the previous weekend) has been unheard of in the last 18 months giving me call to venture to the Lake District for a truly unique occasion set within the… Continue Reading →

Interview – Temple Of Dread

There are few death metal bands whose first three releases are of the quality of German act Temple Of Dread, indeed their albums stand testament to a genre that continues to thrive some three decades plus in and shows no… Continue Reading →

Vassago – Storm Of Satan (Nuclear War Now! Productions)

When I saw that Sweden’s Vassago had decided to release a new album, some 22 years after the debut, ‘Knights From Hell’, was released I just had to have it for review. I bought said debut on the strength that… Continue Reading →

Ondfødt – Norden (Immortal Frost Productions)

In a black metal world where the genre has virtually every sub-genre type you can conjure up Finland’s Ondfødt are possibly the purist form of black metal you’ll hear in recent years. There’s no trickery here, no polluting sub-genre stains… Continue Reading →

Temple Of Dread – Hades Unleashed (Testimony Records)

Three albums in three successive years, the momentum in the Temple Of Dread camp shows no signs of abating as does the creative energy on this third full length. Why change an already successful template when it delivers such top-quality… Continue Reading →

Empyreal Vault – Judgement (Great Dane Records)

There is something about the album artwork by Samuel Nelson that fixed me about this sophomore by this French band. I’ve stared at it and analysed a number of times and I’ve even got it as my computer desktop image,… Continue Reading →

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