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Author Nick Griffiths

Having grown up on a diet of ABBA, The Carpenters, Leo Sayer (Mum), Cream, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and The Beatles (Dad), it was a stormy night under canvas in the wilds of Wales where I first heard the Winston Churchill speech that proceeds ‘Aces High’ from Iron Maiden’s ‘Live After Death’ where life changed for the better. That’s not to say that this was THE pivotal moment of my life (the good lady indoors and two children may get slightly truculent if I were to suggest as much) but it’s certainly up there. Listening, wearing, watching and being into Metal is one of life’s great honours and whilst it may be far from conventional and not a broad representation of the society where we live, I think that’s the point. We are different, we like it loud, noisy, nasty and in your face. Hearing that first chord, feeling that first double kick drum, that initial growl, your first t-shirt (Anthrax Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)) …moments of pure majesty that endure for a lifetime. Luckily, I get to ramble on here after doing so in Raw, Kerrang, Metal Hammer, NME, Rock Sound, and Terrorizer over the last 25 years. It’s still as much fun reviewing music today, as it was for my first ever published ramblings (Nuclear Assault ‘Live At Hammersmith Odeon’ - never has a 140 word review been so drastically sub edited) to the last one I did 5 minutes ago. Nice Fucking Life!

WVRM – Colony Collapse (Prosthetic Records)

Hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, Grindcore four-piece WVRM, have been around for a while now, birthing a couple of split albums and a two full length efforts which, whilst not straying too far from the Grindcore playbook, offered enough distinguishable… Continue Reading →

Nerve Saw – Peril (Testimony Records)

For a debut album, Finnish band Nerve Saw (great name), seem to be existing an almost monistic existence from a virtual world perspective with very little in terms of a social media presence. It’s almost as if the band are… Continue Reading →

Human Impact – S/T (Ipecac Recordings)

In what could only be described as any self-respecting fan of so called ‘Noise Rock/Metal’, this judicious melding of minds between Chris Spencer (Unsane), Jim Coleman’s sampling mayhem (Cop Shoot Cop), Phil Puleo (Cop Shoot Cop/Swans) and sticky, pounding bass… Continue Reading →

Today Is The Day – No Good To Anyone (BMG)

It’s rare thing indeed, that a band manage to sustain themselves for eleven albums. It’s a back catalogue achievement that is usually reserved for stadium bothering behemoths such as U2, The Rolling Stones and Green Day and whilst those band… Continue Reading →

Suicide Silence – Become The Hunter (Nuclear Blast)

It’s probably not fishing in a hyperbolic pond to suggest that Suicide Silence, since their inception way back in 2002, have undergone what could best be described as a number of anus horribilis in recent times. But let me cleave… Continue Reading →

Sylosis – Cycle Of Suffering (Nuclear Blast)

An award for the most unexpected release of the year thus far goes to Reading’s Sylosis having retuned from what seemed at the time to be a very definite hiatus (that usually segues into full time retirement from said band)… Continue Reading →

Envy – The Fallen Crimson (Pelagic Records)

I feel somewhat of a fraud starting to type these words out and I’ll explain why. As a self-confirmed fan of bands such as Jesu, Mogwai, Thursday, ISIS the band and all of the other bands that make up that… Continue Reading →

Moanaa – Torches (S/R)

Polish sludge wouldn’t necessarily be something you would imagine yourself listening to, instead maybe something you’d pick up at your local corner shop and drink. But lazy cultural stereotypes aside, this is epic sounding (at least on paper) post metal/rock/sludge/doom…. Continue Reading →

Calendula – Hiveminds – De Brevitate Vitae (Retro Vox Records)

It’s often with trepidation when the esteemed lord of this manor, the cruel overseer of Ave Noctum’s darkest corridors and keeper of the beasts, suggests that this may be something that’s right up your alley sunshine. Not that he used… Continue Reading →

Sentient Horror – Morbid Realms (Testimony Records)

It can be no coincidence that both the title of this the third album from New Jersey’s Sentient Horror has not only an album title but a none-more horror themed album cover imagery that could be from Morbid Visions/Beneath The… Continue Reading →

Despised Icon – Purgatory (Nuclear Blast)

This is a strange one and I tell you why. It’s strange because there is much mumbling, tutting, sideways looks, eye rolling, slagging off, looking down at etc. etc. of the genre known as Deathcore. What is Deathcore may you… Continue Reading →

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