ALBUM REVIEW: Paradise Lost – Icon 30


 

Named after the epic 17th-century biblical poem by John Milton, Paradise Lost are without a doubt one of the real success stories of British Heavy Metal. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Hot Milk – A Call To The Void


 

It’s not often a touted Emo Pop-Punk Rock band manages to sprout up from the underground and into the veins of the mainstream pulse. The Manchester, UK duo behind Hot Milk have quickly honed in their style within their short four-year tenure, as evident by their politically fueled hit single ‘Candy Coated Lie$’ which garnished over 17M Spotify streams. No different, their debut album A Call To The Void (Music For Nations) doesn’t pull a single punch.

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ALBUM REVIEW: The Raven Age – Blood Omen


The Raven Age’s Blood Omen (Music For Nations) is a scorcher of an album. It’s an album that was played on repeat prior to any writing of reviewing. It was super easy to get into this album as it sounds like music I’ve heard before and enjoyed thoroughly. The beginning song ‘Changing of the Guard’ throws you off as its operatic, European, and very folklore driven in tone. It’s a beautiful introduction but is not in the same genre as the rest of the album.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Porcupine Tree – Closure – Continuation


“Progressive rock” is a term that can encompass a wide variety of sounds. At one point or another in their 35-year history, Porcupine Tree — the brainchild of Steven Wilson — have probably touched upon most of these. Having put out several albums of electronica-infused psychedelic space rock since their formation in 1987, the band reached a peak of critical and commercial success in the 2000s with the metal-influenced experimental songcraft exemplified by In Absentia and Fear of a Blank Planet. By the start of 2011, however, Porcupine Tree appeared to be no more, with Wilson announcing a hiatus to focus on his solo career; he stated as recently as 2018 that getting the band back together “would seem like a terribly backward step”.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Bury Tomorrow – Cannibal


Is it weird to have “should’ve leaned more into brutality” as your first thought upon completing a Metalcore album? Asking for a friend. That’s not to say that there is a total absence of the heavier and grimier stuff on Bury Tomorrow’s Cannibal (Music for Nations/Sony), but I wouldn’t have been heartbroken if they would’ve squeezed some more juice out of the amps.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Cradle of Filth – Cruelty and the Beast: Re-Mistressed


Twenty-one years ago, way back in 1998 when their star was on the ascendancy and the average metal fan was wondering whether they were Black Metal, Gothic Metal or That’s Not Metal, five years after the infamous ‘Jesus is a Cunt’ T-shirt made them a household name for a variety of reasons, Cradle of Filth release their third album Cruelty and the Beast on Music for Nations. A much-acclaimed tribute to non-vegan Ribena fanatic Elizabeth Bathory. It was a milestone in their developing sound and at the time, I absolutely loved it. Continue reading


Watch a Lyric Video for a Remastered Version of Cradle of Filth’s “Lustmord And Wargasm (The Lick of Carnivorous Winds)”


Cradle of Filth’s Gothic and Black Metal inspired masterpiece Cruelty and the Beast turned 25 years old last year. Now this November the band is finally releasing the fully remastered version of the album, with loads of remixes and extras via the old-school Music For Nations label. Watch a lyric video now for a ‘Lustmord And Wargasm (The Lick of Carnivorous Winds)’ now! Continue reading


Cradle Of Filth Books European “Cruelty And The Beast” Tour Dates


Cradle Of Filth has just booked an amazing run of tour dates, where they will perform one of their classic albums, 1998’s Cruelty and The Beast (Music For Nations) in its an entirety, plus other hits. The album. In addition to headline dates, some festivals are also included. The Spirit will provide direct support on headline shows. Hopefully, more dates will be added because to hear this album live should make for a monster show! Continue reading