Escape/Sound Pollution Behind the moniker OXYGEN stands the quartet of Tony Niva, vocals (ex. ZANITY, ex. SWEDISH EROTICA, NIVA, ex. LION`S SHARE etc.), guitarist Roger Ljunggren, keyboardist and backing vocalist Marcus Persson, plus drummer Bengan Andersson. Tony released his first NIVA effort in Japan in 1994, and he has been pretty much active as a…
Massacre/Sound Pollution Ludwigsburg´s female fronted epic/goth metal merchants VOICES OF DESTINY return with their second outing. One change of personnel later the band is now lead by Maike Holzmann, the others are still founding members Christopher Gutjahr, guitars, and bass player Jens Hartwig, plus keyboard player/growler Lukas Palme and drummer Erik Seitz. A convincing album…
Napalm/Sound Pollution This taster of the forthcoming “Clash of the Gods” album, which is actually studio release number 16 (including the 1987 DIGGER album), is the best appetizer in a long time. The first three are classics of German underground heavy metal, but since the reformation in 1993 the band has been aiming at knighthood…
SPV/Playground MAGNUM formed as a house band of a night club in Birmingham in the early seventies. Quite some house band, as the nucleus of vocalist Bob Catley and guitarist Tony “The Hat” Clarkin still remains intact. Keyboard player Mark Stanway has been around since 1979, while Al Barrow, bass, joined in 2001, and Harry…
Rocksector Records/Plastichead 1980, Chris Tsangarides, Rodney Matthews, Robb Weir, ok, please find the error. This is 2012, and the revamped TYGERS OF PAN TANG, ok seasoned since they stepped back into action in 2001, with Robb as the main man, are well on their way. Along since 2001 are Dean Robertson, lead guitar, and Craig…
SPV/Steamhammer/Playground Formed in 1981, VIRGIN STEELE has released a massive eleven albums, which are now in the process of being re-released. From the first line-up of Jack Starr, guitars, Joe Ayvazian, drums, who recruited a phenomenal vocalist by the name of David DeFeis, who, in turn, brought bass man Joe O´Reilly, until the complex metal…
Pulverised/Sound Pollution July 2007 saw founding members Julkarn (bass, guitas, vocals) and Bastard (guitar, bass), conjuring up the early stages of what was to become GRAVEYARD. The oair soon hooked up with drummer Gusi from UNDERTAKER. The object was to worship bands from their teens like ENTOMBED, MORBID ANGEL and VENOM, to name but a…
FS Records/GMR Swedish troupe FATAL SMILE is continuing their quest for world domination with the release of their second outing “21st Century Freaks”. The band has been around for approximately ten years, but it was not until 2007 that guitarist/founder Mr. Y changed the lineup and started on their debut, modestly titled “World Domination”. Dominating…
Frontiers/BAM Canucks TRIUMPH had levels of success in their native country and in the States that was rather unheard of in Scandinavia. Formed in 1975, the power trio of Rik Emmett, guitar and lead vocals, Mike Levine, bass, and Gil Moore, drums and lead vocals, found success in only about three years time. They went…
Frontiers/BAM ECLIPSE feels like the band of melodic man of the moment Erik Mårtensson, but that is probably not the whole story. The band was formed in 1999 actually, and has released four albums to date. The first already back in 2001, “The Truth and A Little More”, which was followed by “Second to None”…
Frontiers/BAM PLAYER rings no bells for me, but the band has quite a history. This EP contains their best remembered songs, of which their major hit from 1976, “Baby Come Back”, has been re-recorded. The original lineup of guitarist/lead vocalist Peter Beckett, guitarist JC Crowley, Bass player Ron Moss, and drummer John Friesen were in…
Lion Music BOOK of REFLECTIONS is yet another vehicle of virtuoso guitarist LARS ERIC MATTSSON. This is the third installment in the band saga, this time featuring two great vocalists. Carsten “Lizard” Schulz (EVIDENCE ONE) and Markku Kuikka of STATUS MINOR both have what it takes for this neo-classically tinged metal. Opener “Until the Day”…