Rough Trade Benelux.

Zodiac’s first introduced themselves to me at 2014’s Hellfest,  the band just grabbed my attention to such an extent that I decided that I needed to find out more about them. First thing I found out that these guy’s are from Germany and not as I expected from one of the Southern states from the US of A. Secondly the band released 3 albums in the timespan of about 2 years… Thirdly  they  covered Cortez the killer from Neil Young without losing the essence and vibe of the original…  Back to Sonic Child know….

The Order of Israfel are yet another 2014 release with musical roots planted in the occult seventies early eighties with more than a mere hint towards the first gods of doom & gloom (also known as Black SABBATH.)  It would however not be correct to describe  THE ORDER OF ISRAFEL as just another clone of the mighty SABBATH, no sir.  The Order of Israfel does have in there line up enough experience from other bands in the doom metal genre to ensure that it’s not  all just copy and paste.

Long live Rock’n’Roll, and long live Harem Scarem. I was very sad when the split of the band was announced in 2008, and rejoiced when it was announced that the reunited band would be headlining the 20130 Firefest festival in Nottingham UK, and even more so when it was announced they were recording three new tracks for the re-issue of ‘Mood Swings (II)’, an album which I’ve only recently bought by the way.

I had not heard of this German act before, but I do not think I missed anything at all. Apparently they did release seven albums before… With Zombieland, this act around singer Alex Wohnhaas brings fifty minutes of extremely catchy (after ten seconds you can sing each song along) Industrial Metal / Electro Rock with some radio-play poppiness. Gloomy and groovy, then again more integer and emotional, with the mandatory ballads included… Only once in a while, Megaherz open less trendy registers, but it can’t save the damage…

Straddling the line between the soft and the heavy Sweden’s Year Of The Goat.  Are slowly turning heads and gathering acolytes. Formed by members of GRIFTEGARD back in 2006, the band released the EP “LUCEM FERRE” in 2011 to a generally positive response? Their sound took the best elements from country mates GHOST and IN SOLITUDE fusing them with a energetic and almost positive rock sound.

Is the tenth studio album by the American stoner rock band! According to the band’s frontman Dave Wyndorf, the album is a “Reimagined” version of their previous album, 2013’s Last Patrol, featuring four new songs and two live tracks. (recorded at the AB in Brussels in 2014).

Well, why should I introduce this band? I have no idea why I should do so, for everybody knows them, these highly influential protagonists of the worldwide Death Metal scene. So I’ll skip the unnecessary crap, and go immediately to the essence, i.e. Inked In Blood.

Frontiers Records seems to be flooding the market with releases of live albums.  I really don’t know what the meaning of this is, since the market of CD’s is already overflooded with releases, and on top of that the sales are in recession since years. With an economic recession that’s still not completely over, who can afford to buy all this is really a riddle to me,especially since the younger generations are also more keen to download an album, then buying it.

When I saw the name Bailey I immediately thought of Blaze Bailey, but this is an album by Nigel Bailey, frontmen of Three Lions.  As a matter of fact the release of this album is only six months after the release of the Three Lions album.

Following The Beast is the second full album from the Swedish warriors united under the banner of Gormathon, after 2010’s Lens Of Guardian (Supernova Records). There was also an EP in 2012, Celestial Warrior, by the way, and the songs from that mini-album are part of this full length too.