rock/metal albums
Album Review: Sikth – Opacities
After 9 years away Sikth have come back to embarrass everyone else in the scene by just being brain meltingly brilliant. Their new mini-album Opacities is exactly what modern forward thinking metal should be, exciting, unpredictable and unique. Without missing a beat Sikth have just continued where they left off and re-emerged as frontrunners of …
Not Forgotten: The Black Crowes – The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
By mid 1991 The Black Crowes were poised on the edge of huge international success, but by the release of this sophomore album in 1992 the rising tide of grunge was washing away any hope they had of being America’s Biggest Band. Listening to the soon to be released vinyl reissue of The Southern Harmony …
Album Review: Pinkish Black – Bottom of the Morning
Pinkish Black is a gothic synth band that came out of the ashes of the Denton, TX experimental rock band The Great Tyrant. That band’s bass player Tommy Atkins killed himself in a bathroom and left keyboardist Daron Beck and drummer/synthesizer player Jon Teague to carry on. Instead of carrying on as The Great Tyrant Beck and …
Album Review: Def Leppard – Def Leppard
It’s been seven years since Def Leppard’s last album, “Songs From the Sparkle Lounge”, and the musical landscape has continued to evolve at a bewildering rate in their absence. Things have changed for Def Leppard too, as their new eponymous album is their first without the support of Mercury Records. Listening to their new album, …
Album Review: The Kinks – Sunny Afternoon
Okay, so what do we have here? Another Kinks Kompilation? Aren’t there enough of those already? The latest attempt to distil the brilliance of The Kinks onto two CD’s ties in with the jukebox musical based on their material. Whether you’re a fan of them or not, jukebox musicals have been big business for a …
Album Review: Rolo Tomassi – Grievances
Released earlier this year Grievances is arguably the bands best collection of work yet. Rolo Tomassi are a band that don’t tend to shy away from experimentation blending a whole a multitude of styles with varying results. The issues with some of the groups previous material is that it wasn’t always the most accessible, not …
Not Forgotten – Fleetwood Mac – Tusk
Back in the day Tusk was one of the most anticipated albums ever released. Rumours had launched Fleetwood Mac to the eye-watering heights of rock music’s mega-league, despite the increasingly strained relationships between the five band members, and expectation for its follow up had reached fever pitch. Behind the scenes at Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham …
Album Review: The Zombies – Still Got That Hunger
The Zombies new album, ‘Still Got That Hunger’ is after repeated listenings, hard not to like. For a band formed in 1961, they still tour a hell of a lot, so no-one can argue with its title. It’s in places semi-autobiographical, nostalgic and as technically proficient as one would expect, from a band responsible for …
Album Review: Toe – Hear You
Ever get fed up of your music collection? Tire of all the usual indie guitars and house beats? Well maybe you need something completely different. Something unlike anything else you have been listening to. Keep reading. ‘Hear You’ is the new album from Japanese math-rockers Toe, released on Topshelf Records. It is predominantly an instrumental …
Album Review: Slayer – Repentless
One of the scariest moments I ever had at a concert(besides that Petra concert at the Notre Dame ACC when I was 17…long story) was the Clash of the Titans tour in July of 1991. My older brother and I headed down to Noblesville, Indiana and for $7 we were granted access to the lawn …