Reviews-Steel-Mill
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LEVERAGE – TIDES (ELEMENTS MUSIC 2006)
Heavy metal and hard rock are going through pretty hectic times in the mid-2000’s; new bands are popping up everywhere like mushrooms in the rain and at the same time the very description of heavy metal widens. Bands are stretching the boundaries of traditional heavy metal in very inventive ways, resulting into music that in…
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SAXON – THE INNER SANCTUM (SPV 2007)
The British legends Saxon release their new album, which must be their 22nd (or something like that) effort during a nearly 30-year career. Unlike Iron Maiden and Def Leppard among others, Saxon never reaped the true benefits from the NWOBHM upsurge. By mid-1980’s disastrous attempt to go commercial in order to crack the US market,…
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BOB CATLEY – THE TOWER (FRONTIERS 1998)
When a renowned artist heads on a solo career it is always a bit of a gamble. Leaving the cohorts of a band that made them known, their past achievements follow behind and thus they are always expected to come up with something superior to any new bands attempting to break through to the world…
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VOLBEAT – ROCK THE REBEL / METAL THE DEVIL (MASCOT 2007)
It takes maybe a split second until it hits you that these guys from Denmark aren’t exactly your typical thirteen-in-a-dozen metal group and their new release “Rock The Rebel/Metal The Devil” isn’t your typical metal album. During the first thirty seconds of the opening track “The Human Instrument” you get greeted by some heavy riffing,…
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MAGNUM – PRINCESS ALICE AND THE BROKEN ARROW (SPV 2007)
What can you say about Magnum? They are essentially one of the cornerstones in British hard rock. During the last 30 years, they have created plenty of unforgettable tracks on such genre defining albums as “Vigilante” and “Wings Of Heaven.” Also their reputation as a great live band remains intact. Like many of their contemporaries,…
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GRIM REAPER – SEE YOU IN HELL (1984)
List the ultimate heavy metal songs of all time. Let’s say, top ten. You’ve got ten minutes for the task, starting…now!
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MESSIAH’S KISS – DRAGONHEART (SPV 2007)
“We wouldn’t want to mix whiskey with tomato juice” states the german-based heavy metal band Messiah’s Kiss at their website, referring to their latest release “Dragonheart” and to the fact that the band’s aim is to approach metal via very strong traditional routes, doing what they do best, delivering the goods with a formula long…
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BLACK SABBATH – THE DIO YEARS (RHINO 2007)
One of the most exciting reunions of the new millennium took place when Ronnie James Dio announced his return to Black Sabbath last year. Although to calm the angered Ozzy-fans the group named themselves Heaven & Hell (very appropriate) this new compilation and the new songs still naturally come under the legendary Sabbath-title – as…
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TAROT – CROWS FLY BLACK (KING FOO 2006)
The Finnish heavy metal pioneers Tarot have been around for two decades now and right from their debut displayed a sense of melodic quality totally unheard in Finland’s metal scene at the time. Steel Mill’s Kassu will cover this early era in his Klassik album review, while yours truly will take a look at their…
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TAROT – FOLLOW ME INTO MADNESS (BLASTIC HEAVEN 1988)
Spearheading the rise of finnish heavy metal, Tarot had conquered a lot of ground with their debut album ‘The Spell Of Iron’ released at the end of 1986. And with that album laid the foundations for their distinctive sound and offered material well worthy of it’s foreign counterparts.