Ghost Cult’s Albums of the Year 2022 Part 3 (20 – 1)

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Steve Tovey

Press on, intrepid reader, to find out our top albums of 2022, as voted for by the cast, crew and hangers-on of the good ship Ghost Cult. Over 275 albums were nominated (including one stray and errant vote for Stryper… we’ve had words), some people lauded albums as the greatest of all time that no one else noticed, other albums picked up a steady stream of votes across the board without tickling the top of anyone’s charts, but through it all, we’ve been able to compile our team list of the best 75 albums of the year. And there are some absolute corkers, here. 75 of them, to be exact…

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Ghost Cult’s Album of the Year 2022 Part 2 (40-21)

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Steve Tovey

As we move into the meaty part of the Ghost Cult albums of the year for 2022 (as chosen solely by the team that dedicate their time to promote, analyse and share the love for the great alternative music that we exist to talk about), we find a mix of old favourites and a sprinkling of new rising and shining stars…Continue reading →

Ghost Cult’s Albums of the Year 2022: Part 1 (75 – 41)

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Steve Tovey

After a false start, someone (naming no names) got rather over-excited about a new Power Metal band that promptly disappeared out of the collective consciousness, it wasn’t until mid-January, and a new 40 Watt Sun album, that alternative, rock and metal really got out of the starting blocks for 2022.Continue reading →

ALBUM REVIEWS ROUND-UP: ft. No Devotion – Sumerlands – Smith, Kotzen – Snow Coats – Voyager

Posted on September 17, 2022 by Victoria Anderson

No Devotion – No Oblivion (Equal Vision)

With an understated class that is a prevalent trait that underpins the second album from No Devotion, a collective featuring Geoff Rickly (Thursday) and Lee Gaze and Stu Richardson (ex-lostprophets), ‘Starlings’ is the gentle breath of life that ushers the album in; lush swathes of synths underpinning an emotive and earnest chorus that could have been taken from the Deftones more reflective moments. Rickly sets a stall out espousing vulnerable confidence and exceptional quality from the outset, before second track ‘No Oblivion’ shows the other side of the bands arsenal with synth motifs dancing around guitars and quasi-industrial beats, and nods to Nine Inch Nails in one of the more abrasive tunes. Continue reading →

ALBUM REVIEW: Briton Rites – Occulte Fantastique

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Chris Latta

With 2010s For Mircalla seemingly destined to be a one-off album for Briton Rites, it’s quite a surprise to see the band unleash a second full-length ten years later. Occulte Fantastique (Echoes Of Crom Records) wastes no time confirming that the group has remained faithful to their Traditional Doom Metal style. Guitarist Howie Bentley’s riffs are as beefy as ever while the prolific Phil Swanson’s vocal performance consists of the tried-and-true Satanic themes delivered in a sneer somewhere between Ozzy and Pagan Altar’s Terry Jones.Continue reading →

ALBUM REVIEW: Eternal Champion – Ravening Iron

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Chris Latta

It”s been four years since Eternal Champion unleashed The Armor Of Ire in 2016, but the hype has only intensified with their sophomore full-length. Ravening Iron (No Remorse Records) continues the Austin group”s Epic Metal aspirations as the coarse but melodic guitar work casts a dungeon friendly atmosphere and the vocals forever echo Manilla Road”s Mark Shelton (RIP) with their nasally yet bombastic character. Thankfully, there are enough alternate approaches explored that keep this album from feeling like a retread. Continue reading →

ALBUM REVIEW: Vestal Claret – Vestal Claret

Posted on June 26, 2020 by News Team

While a self-titled album often serves as a summary of an artist’s particular style, Vestal Claret’s third full-length is unlike anything else they’ve done before. The Doom Metal that defined the occult collective’s past efforts has been completely phased out in favor of a subdued presentation that is somewhere between Folk and introspective Psych Rock. An esoteric aura still wafts with vocalist Phil Swanson (Hour of 13, Sumerlands) offering his signature mournful, nasally wail, but the vibe has more in common with Hexvessel or Sabbath Assembly than Pagan Altar.Continue reading →

Decibel Metal And Beer Festival II At The Fillmore, Philadelphia

Posted on April 26, 2018 by News Team

Philadelphia, I love you! I just need to start out with that sentiment, because honestly, that was what was in my throat the entire weekend that I was down in Philly for Decibel’s Second Annual Metal and Beer Festival. I heard all the stories and the awesomeness that was last year with SLEEP and everything that came with it. I definitely had a case of FOMO, really bad. So I bused it down to Philly on a semi-spring feeling Friday and prepared for the good times to roll. Sadly due to work, I had to miss the pre-fest party show, with Midnight. Devastating, but you can’t win em all, or even some in this life. Anyway, the fest would more than deliver, and all those good feelings were gonna last from the second I got off the bus at Independence Hall until I left to go home on Monday. Continue reading →