Older albums
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VANGUARD – HYDRALCHEMY (SHADOW WORLD RECORDS 2009)
Vanguard from Finland made their big breakthrough back in the year 2004, when they won a band competition held by the biggest heavy metal festival, Wacken Open Air. As a reward the band got a possibility to play a gig at Wacken in the same year and also twelve months later on the very exact…
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CRYSTAL EYES – CHAINED (METAL HEAVEN 2008)
Crystal Eyes are a power metal band hailing from Sweden. They formed in 1992 and were hugely inspired by Judas Priest. Guitarist Mikael Dahl is the only remaining original member in their line-up. The band is now onto their sixth effort and have slowly gained more reputation in both their homeland and all over Europe.…
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AC/DC – BLACK ICE (COLUMBIA 2008)
2009 and a brand new AC/DC studio album. Something special, something rare and definitely something to talk about. AC/DC are like the Rolling Stones or Motörhead, you know they must have started off somewhere but when you think about it, they have always been there, forever carved into the great books written of heavy rock’n’roll.
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HEAVEN & HELL – THE DEVIL YOU KNOW (ROADRUNNER RECORDS 2009)
So, here it is – the new Black Sabbath studio album since 1995’s “Forbidden” and the fourth one to feature the classic line-up of Iommi-Dio-Butler-Appice. The band surely bided their time before releasing the long-awaited new record, but since the mentioned foursome succesfully reformed for touring a couple of years back, the metal fans knew…
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CAGE – SCIENCE OF ANNIHILATION (MUSIC BUY MAIL 2009)
The first impression is almost scary. 2007’s “Hell Destroyer” was one of the highlights of that particular year but this album if possible even surpasses that and goes to become one of the strongest metal albums so far released in 2009. Hailing from San Diego, metallers Cage offer nothing earth shaking or new but once…
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SKYCLAD – IN THE… ALL TOGETHER (SCARLET RECORDS 2009)
The quintessential folk metal band Skyclad haven’t gotten their engines rolling on full throttle since the departure of vocalist/lyricist Martin Walkyier after 2000’s ‘Folkémon’ album. The remake album ‘No Daylights… Nor Heeltaps’ (2002) offered interestingly arranged, but lame remakes of the band’s old tunes and first proper studio album with new singer Kevin Ridley, ‘A…
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MSG – IN THE MIDST OF BEAUTY (INAK 2008)
When 2008 ended I wasn’t too impressed with its overall run of metal and rock releases. Priest of course rolled out their long awaited “Nostradamus” project and Def Leppard returned to form with their best album since “Adrenalize” but other than that, those records I bought that year and those released in 2008 that I’ve…
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SAVAGE MESSIAH – INSURRECTION RISING (CANDLELIGHT 2009)
Hailing from London, England, Savage Messiah have just unleashed their second album “Insurrection Rising.” Their debut “Spitting Venom” was released roughly two years ago, and it was an enjoyable enough product. However, even for the band themselves their full potential wasn’t yet realised with that disc. A lot has changed then, establishing a new line-up,…
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NAZARETH – THE NEWZ (EDEL 2008)
With a forty year career under their belt, Nazareth can be deservedly labeled under the classic hard rock folder. And based on the huge discography of albums containing loads of good material, expecting solid quality from the scots’ new releases is just as deserved. After ten years since the band’s previous release (Boogaloo 1998), Nazareth…
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SPARZANZA – IN VOODOO VERITAS (KABUKI RECORDS 2009)
There’s a sinister smile upon the face of the voodoo doll sitting on the cover of Sparzanza’s new album. And sinister is also ‘In Voodoo Veritas’ beginning – catchy, thick riff of ‘The Blind Will Lead The Blind’ cuts the air while singer Fredrik Weileby sneers menacing lyrics with a menacing voice; ‘One by one…