The Dutch outfit Gingerpig totally awed me with their debut The Ways Of Gingerpig in 2011. Now they are back with its successor Hidden From View where they continue to play their mix of blues and hard prog rock full of variety. They often change the pace and are not afraid of more playful, jazzy or dramatic parts. My favourite songs are “Oceans” and “Pride” that even sport a certain psychedelic latin atmosphere.
A few years ago, Finland was the very first country who sent a metal band to the Eurovision Song Contest and won. That band was Lordi. Known for their catchy hard rock songs and monster costumes, they shocked the music industry throughout Europe and beyond. Another band from Finland which will definitely do the same is Snow White's Poison Bite.
The Haverbrook Disaster from Germany is a relatively new hardcore band which is about to release its new record, Weather The World.
What band could be better suited to make a record where they are paying tribute to other great (Southern) rock bands, like Thin Lizzy, ZZ Top and others, all bands that in one way or another have influenced Molly Hatchet’s sound. The album starts of with a fantastic cover of ZZ Top’s ‘Sharp Dressed Man’, and is followed by an equally impressive version of Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’. Follows a slow, almost – but not really acoustical version of ‘Desperado’ a song by The Eagles
Moss’s Horrible Night is grim, bleak, desolate, distorted, sombre, painstakingly slow yet the infernal pandemonium Chris Chantler-drums, Dominic Finbow-guitars and Olly Pearson-vocals/bass whip up is intoxicating.
While our world’s feverish impatience has been the undoing of many hopeful rock band, Psychopunch are among its most consistent and stalwart quantities. During the 14 years of their career to date, this Swedisch punkrock act has wowed countless clubs and festivals.
Since 1999, Psychopunch have brought out nine regular albums, as well as a number of EP’s, singles, split releases and videos. Their tenth studio album ‘Smakk Valey’ has again that typical sound of full throttle and diversity, toughness and melodies. Simplicity and complexity.
There really ain’t that much to say about this album. It’s a reissue from the original 2002 album ‘Recover’, and nothing has changed if you compare it to the original, except the order of the tracks has been tampered with.
This album contains a dozen covers which were given a Great White treatment. Not that it has changed that much to the tracks, they all sound a bit bluesier, and I don’t think these cover versions otherwise have much to offer, besides, the original album contained a lot more songs than this reissue.
Just before 2013's Saint Patrick's day, the most important Irish holiday, The Tossers step forward with the release of their eight studio album, The Emerald City, referring to their hometown, Chicago. It's no doubt that they both love their roots in Ireland and their current home. They're very clear about that as the fifth song on the record is simply called USA and immediately after that, we have the track simply called Saint Patrick's Day.
With the release of Violence by Tear Out The Heart from Saint Louis, USA, Victory Records returns to what they were doing seven or eight years ago: releasing the most valuable American hardcore and metalcore records. Just think of the early years of A Day To Remember. The label really set that band on their way for world domination.
Founders of the death metal scene in the beginning of the 1990's, Jungle Rot from the USA just released their eight full-length through Victory Records, called Terror Regime. Terror Regime sounds like it takes you through a cruel horror movie as if it's a roller coaster ride through a butcher's house. The quality songwriting of Jungle Rot proves to be the key to the death metal lock once again. Every song stands on its own and is a real banger.
