Thyrfing are a Swedish metal band that are often described as Viking metal or Pagan metal. The band take their name from Norse mythology – “Thyrfing” is a royal sword, a cursed blade that appears in several tales and myths. The band was formed in 1995 and released their first album in 1998 (the self…
Swedish metal band Enforcer are back with their latest album, ”Death by fire”. It’s their third album, and their first for their new record label, Nuclear Blast. The album clocks in at around 35 minutes – like all of Enforcer’s albums, it’s deliberately been kept under 40 minutes. Singer Olof Wikstrand explains : “We write…
Frontiers/BAM SNAKECHARMER, the name itself implicates WHITESNAKE DNA. And the truth is that there is as much WHITESNAKE here, at least, as in the version fronted by DAVID COVERDALE these days. At least if you´re a devotee of the band´s earlier works – like me. Feature here are Mr. slide guitar himself, Micky Moody, who…
Sony Music Entertainment 30 years on HELLOWEEN release their 14th studio album, and they must be content. The first 5-6 years must have been fun, the next 3 disastrous, only to rise again with the splendid “Master of the Rings” in 1994. But member changes have been many and I dare say that I´ve not…
Frontiers/BAM Reunited veterans ASIA, with all original members on board when this album was released, are somewhat productive with live albums. This is the third since their revival, and they seemed to think that “Fantasia” was too polished and “Spirit of the Night” a festival document. This one is said to be the band resonating…
Frontiers/BAM NEAL SCHON is perhaps one of the world´s most recognized guitarists. From his early days, 15 years of age, with SANTANA to the second coming of JOURNEY he has kept his calendar busy like few others. 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum discs speak for themselves too. Now he somehow found time…
Limb Music/Sound Pollution Australian band EYEFEAR was brought to my attention in 2008, and the excellent “The Unseen” – which was in fact their fourth offering. But the band´s history actually begins back in 1994, and of the founding members only drummer Zain Kimmie and guitarist Con Papazoglu remains. The rest of the band is…
Risen from what seems like the dead, 1970s punk band The Machines are back with their latest 16 track self-titled album. This record is fast paced from start to finish, with remastered opening track “Racing” setting the scene for the bands old-school rocker sound. With vocal similarity to fellow 70s Londoner rockers, The Clash, and…
Malian singer Salif Keita is often referred to as the ”Golden Voice of Africa”. As an albino he was ostracised by his family and community, and left his village to move to the capital city of Mali – Bamako, in the late 1960s where he joined the Super Rail Band and then Les Ambassadeurs before…
Lion Music/Border Project mastermind Tony Vinci has been here before, with a similar band of the same name. But after the self-titled debut he saw the need for a new formation, better suited to the more progressive stand that was taking form. This time around it is Tony on guitars, Andy Engberg of SECTION A…
Chantal Claret is best known as the singer from US rock band Morningwood, and also as the wife of Mindless Self Indulgence singer Jimmy Urine. Her latest album is a somewhat different sound to her normal rock music. The album was released in the US last year and is now getting a UK release. The…
Heidi Talbot is a singer from County Kildare in Ireland, who spent several years in New York as part of the group Cherish the ladies. Her first solo album after leaving ”Cherish the ladies” in 2008, ”In love and light” got great reviews, but it wasn’t till her 2010 album ”The last star” that she…