BDSM, black metal and opera.
There. If that doesn’t get your attention, nothing will.
Tag Archives: Gary Alcock
ALBUM REVIEW: TÝR – Battle Ballads
Photo by Gaui H.For their ninth full-length studio release, Battle Ballads (Metal Blade), Faroe Islanders Týr bring more of their brand of Viking themed folk metal to the banqueting hall but this time come armed with an orchestra. Sort of.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Witch Vomit – Funeral Sanctum
If, as the old saying goes, it’s all in a name, then Oregon’s Witch Vomit paints a pretty picture indeed. With albums such as A Scream From The Tomb Below and Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave already to their name, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that the latest full-length studio release Funeral Sanctum (20 Buck Spin) isn’t exactly going to be the most relaxing listening experience.Continue reading
CONCERT REVIEW: Mr. Big – Jared James Nichols Live at KK’s Steel Mill
You can always tell how busy KK’s Steel Mill is going to be by the amount of available parking spaces near the venue. Tonight there are none. Not a one. Forget being able to swing a cat, inside KK’s tonight there’s barely enough room to swing a tardigrade.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Coffin Storm – Arcana Rising
Formed in the forest hills of Norway, Coffin Storm comprises long-term friends Leif Nagell (aka Fenriz from Darkthrone), Jørgen Moe aka Apollyon (Aura Noir, Lamented Souls), and Olav Knutsen aka Bestial Tormentor (Infernö/Lamented Souls). Having known each other since the eighties, one of the most baffling things about this Kolbotn collaboration is that it’s taken so long to actually happen. But then again, when does Doom Metal ever feel the need to hurry?Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Perpetua – Resurgence
Scotland: a country of rolling hills and glens; forests, moorlands, and mountains. A people surrounded and enriched by a proud cultural history.
Also Scotland: bad weather, heroic levels of alcohol consumption, and a widely held intolerance of English politics and sporting teams. Also, Metal. Continue reading
DragonForce – Warp Speed Warriors
Before we start, go back and take another look at the cover art.
Go on, I’ll wait.
See, while some bands go for a subtle or even abstract “don’t judge a book by its cover” approach, other bands are Dragonforce. Everything emblazoned on the cover to ninth full length studio release Warp Speed Warriors (Napalm Records) is represented here through the medium of eardrum destroying sound. No room for understatement, metaphor or artifice – just a bold, blinding explosion of light, colour and comic book action.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Judas Priest – Invincible Shield
While the philosophy of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” might work for some bands, UK metal gods Judas Priest are clearly not counted among them. Rarely repeating themselves from record to record, Priest have always preferred creativity over repetition, unafraid to take risks even when some level of criticism inevitably follows.
ALBUM REVIEW: Bruce Dickinson – The Mandrake Project
Bruce Dickinson. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, fencer, author, entrepreneur and brewmaster; television presenter, broadcaster, screenwriter, commercial airline pilot, cancer survivor, professor of history, plus actor.
ALBUM REVIEW: Traveler – Prequel To Madness
It’s no secret that Canada has a long and storied history of producing quality Heavy Metal. From classic bands such as Anvil, Annihilator, and Exciter to more recent acts like 3 Inches Of Blood, Cauldron and Unleash The Archers, Canadians always seem to hit the traditional Metal mark. Continue reading