Where has the time gone, I saw these guys on their first ever show outside the USA when they played in Belfast, back when they had no albums out and it was an entire Dio setlist, and already we are on album number three, coming on the back of Two and Heavy Crown comes the new album Jericho, so let's get stuck in and see what this one is all about!

Many were wondering what Ritchie Blackmore would do next following his winding up of Rainbow, the free spirited guitarist never afraid of going where his muse lead him.

5 years have passed since Kamelot took us on an orchestral, bombastic journey with their previous studio release, “The Shadow Theory” in 2018.

Xenoyr (growler) came up with the title Exul for NE OBLIVISCARIS' 4th masterpiece album.  He explained that it epitomized people's sentiments about the pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine, and that each person has their own story about banishment. 

Now this is going to be a hard sell, I love Dio and I love Paul Gilbert, but can the two work on an album?? I have only really heard one album like this that worked and that was Andy Timmons Plays Sgt Pepper, but with that said, let's crack on and see what we have here!

A mix of old and new, crafty – a little P.O.D. meets Beastie Boys meets Yngwie Malmsteen.  I’m digging the bucket hats and the three-quarter shorts in Rise of the Northstar’s  ‘One Love’ (Track 05) video.  Who said  90’s rap was dead?  Fast forward to 2023, and it’s alive and well. 

Lordi’s soon to be released Screem Writers Guild is a corpus of spooky sound effects, dark lyrics, graceful melodies, and catchy chorus lines.

Punk stalwarts new album is full of sophistication and fire, adding a quality addition to their recorded legacy. The Damned have been around for well over 40 years, and like the Kinks, are in my opinion an essential British band that often get (foolishly) ignored by the mainstream although their influence among other bands and artists is immeasurable.

After 40 years Hanoi Rocks get to finish and release their own vision of how second album Oriental Beat should have sounded first time around. 

Loved by peers and fans alike, Kings X have long since transcended the label of a ‘cult band’ and joined the pantheon of greats alongside such outfits as Clutch and Opeth as artists who really matter way beyond this limiting epithet. 

More rabble-rousing terrace anthems from everyone’s favourite chart-dominating Glam scallywags, these reissues are a very welcome addition to fans old and new as they bring back that visceral excitement of youth.

For me, when the word ‘Deathcore’ gets brought to the surface, one of the first O.G's that come to mind were introduced to me as a youngun in the early 2000’s… Californian Titans Suicide Silence.

Empyre first came to my attention back in September 2021, when I went to a gig at Leo’s Red Lion in Gravesend, Kent. The headline act that night was Mason Hill ably supported by Hollowstar and a third band from Northants, who were totally unknown to me.

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal spawned many influential bands in a form of Metal that is pure, original and from which all other sub-genres derived.

Haken are about to release their seventh album this month, no mean feat given the band's first album Aquarius came out in 2010, if you know about these guys they are a British Prog band, who have a great mix of modern influences as well as classic prog bands, exceptional players all in their own right, I am excited to delve into what this album has to offer!

For those in the know, these guys were formed from their previous band Xerath, featuring Conor McGouran on Guitar & Keys, Ben Wanders drums & vocals and Ronan Burns on bass, there are a few guest musicians on the album as well from Derek Sherinian (Planet X/Dream Theater), Sam Bell (Mask of Judas), Mal O’Brien and Dave Whyte.