JUSTIN'S ARCHIVE REVIEWS PART TWO G-O

Most soundtracks are just an excuse to get fans to buy another compilation with maybe something new on it. There is always some really good tack's a few fillers and the obligatory, "What are they doing on here" tracks, until now that is. There is not one bad track or filler on this one at all. All the music has been chosen to fit the Horror of the film's story and if the film is as good as the soundtrack it should be a killer. There are the new bands like Killswitch Engage and Sinch, (both new signings to Roadrunner) as well as classics from Machine Head, Fear Factory, Soulfly and Cradle Of Filth. Even these are not the obvious tracks that you would expect, DesireTo Fire, Cloning Technology and The First Commandment, respectivley with only the Cradle track being what you would expect. All are standout tracks and you will not find yourself reaching for the stop button once, I had forgotten how good Junkie XL sounded.

Credited with almost inventing Industrial Metal, Godflesh return with their first album for Music For Nations and to say this is a good album is an understatement.

Godflesh have been around for quite a while and Fear Factory, Slipknot and quite a few other top notch bands credit the guys as being a big influence and listening to the CD you can hear touches of both in some of the songs and more than once you hear something that reminds you of Filter and have to remind yourself that these guys did it first and are not copying.

Despite having made quite a few albums they have managed to keep their raw/live, fresh feel to their recordings, which any one who has ever recorded anything will tell you is nigh on impossible sustain over a long career, but somehow Godflesh have managed it. “Deaf, Dumb and Blind” and “Paralyzed” are typical Godflesh and display their particular blend of Metal, Industrial noise superbly.

Tracks you must hear include, “”Anthem” with its haunting melodic chorus an raw guitars, “White Flag” and the totally brilliant “Jesu” where they use all their sampling techniques to their fullest. This is Godflesh at their best and they still sound so hungry.

Another British band that includes ex members from The Wildhearts and 3 Colours Red which in itself speaks volumes so you know it's going to be high powered Pop Rock with lots of melodies and with more hooks than an Angling competition. Sounds a bit like the missing link between Prodidgy and Feeder, Rock with some dance beats thrown in for good measure. Their track We Luv U has actually been featured in the promo for the film The Hole on TV so you may have already heard this track and not realised it. Stand out tracks , We Luv U,(which you may find as a sinlge with two non album tracks) if you are lucky, Death To The Infidels and Rock The House.

Just when I thought it was all Christmas compilations and best of’s Nuclear Blast go and sneak out this fantastic German metal bands debut comeback album out.

The guitars have an awesome sound to them and the double bass drums pound like an overweight Elephant having a heart attack and with song titles like “Son Of Evil”, “Raven” and “Scythe Of Time” you know what you are in for Classic Power Metal with more than a touch of Gothic/ Death in it. There is nothing original or ground breaking on this but it does Rock like the proverbial Mutha and sticks out of the dross that is floating around this time of year.

Like the Brainstorm CD I reviewed last month this is thoroughly recommended and if you got the Terrorizer with the title track on it a couple of months ago you will know what they sound like and you will not be disappointed. Forget the Xmas songs and get yourself a slab of totally ace Metal.

Hades have been around for quite a number of years now but still managed to remain relativley unknown outside of allmost all but the most ardant metal fans, me included. This is old school metal and not very fashionalbe but very good never the less. If you like your Metal with plenty of Riffs and thundering drums and with an almost unmistakable 80's tinge Iron Maiden, Exodus sort of spring to mind not exactly ground breaking or as hip as nu metal but very, very competant and listenable. Standout tracks, title track DanNation, very Maidenish in parts especially the vocals (just like Bruce), Momentary Clarity and Strssfest. INITIAL COPIES OF THE CD COME WITH A FREE CD ROM VIDEO CALLED THE METAL YEARS.

This is fantastic violent fun start to finish. Originally released a year or so again it has been re-released with a gripping live CD. The songs on here –think Stamping grounds “officer down” and At the gates “Suicide nation”. This one the finest needle to the throat set of songs. Every song sounds murderously crafted HEAVY and to the point. There are some fantastic growl along choruses, a little melody, and songs you can remember. The vocals are reminiscent of Tomas Lindberg with a bit more GUTS. There are some great guitar squeals like Kerry King. This is a pleasure wish I’d bought it first time round. “Bury your dead” and “Leech” are among my favourite ever songs. The fact that you get a well produced live 16-song disc including some songs from the first album AND another bonus song is almost beside the point. Buy this now and if anyone asks you why you have spent yet more money on CD’s say, “The haunted made me do it!!”

Review by Arathorn

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = CD1 = 36 mins - 11 Tracks CD2 = 54 mins + 17 Tracks

08/04/2002

After the Scorpions, Helloween are one of the most influential German bands and have been responsible for and an inspiration too many a European and some American bands and this 2xCD compilation charts their 27 years career.

All the greats are here, some remixed but most left just as they were, from the aggressive Power Metal of “Sole Survivor” and “Metal Invaders” to the Melodic Power of “Perfect Gentleman” and “Mr Torture”, to the beautiful Power Ballads of “In The Middle Of A Heartbeat” and the unforgettable “Forever And One”, notice the key word is POWER.

This is a very good compilation and if you are not too familiar with the band this is an excellent introduction and if you are a fan it’s nice to have all the greats on one compilation and this is a fantastic testament to a fine band, representing everything from “The Walls Of Jericho” to “The Dark Ride”, the other thing is the CD booklet, time and attention has been put in to it with great pictures and liner notes.

This does come with an optional 3rd disc containing b sides of singles, 11 in all but is not an indispensable item as it could have been, as fans of Helloween will already have them and there are at least 6 tracks that have never seen the light of day outside of Japan, had these have been included this would have been an absolute must, so unless you are a total Helloween fanatic just go for the 2 CD. Come on Sanctuary get those lost tracks out NOW, please, other than this minor gripe it’s a great compilation.

Black Metal will probably never be totally acceptable to the mainstream audience, most people will never see past image and most Black Metal fans wouldn’t have it any other way. However no one who loves Metal can say that it’s boring, as this series of compilations has proven and volume 4 is pretty representative of most sub genre’s that exist and proves that Black Metal may sing a lot about the dead but it certainly isn’t dead itself.

The first 2 tracks by Thy Primordial kick it off to a fine start, with a tremendous mix of all that is good about Black Metal with some surprising melody, all be it guttural. Listening to this compilation it occurred to me that Black Metal and Folk music have a lot in common, subject matter, myths, legends and folk lore stories and both are rooted deep in the psyche of all of us although most will deny their darker side and as Sigmund said this will lead to problems in later life.

Hecate Enthroned put in a fine performance with “So Called Savior” and the Gothic tinged sound of Waylander is a joy to hear and my personal favorite tracks are by Skymining with “XTC” and “Solitude” with their Industrial tinged sound kind of like a Black Metal Nine Inch Nails. Imemorial and Eclipse also put in a fine performance and there are no bad tracks on this CD, if you don’t know much about this type of music why not explore something new and for only five pound, if you only like half of it you are quids in. Don’t buy that new Staind CD single, they don’t need the money and this is a much better investment.

I can't believe that it's 10 years since Hypocrisy crashed onto the Metal scene but this best of compilation is proof positive. Put together by fans from lists sent into their website it has all the best of their 8 albums and apart from a few of the earlier tracks being re-recorded it has a remarkable coherience across the 14 tracks.

"Penetralia", "The Fourth Dimension" and "Fractured Millenium" all make an apperance and thete are no tracks here that shouldn't be. Hyprocisy's blend of Death/Thrash Metal with touches of Goth haven't changed much over the years but have been refined and if the new track on the bonus CD is anything to go by the next studio album should be a good one.

Speaking of the bonus CD that comes with initial copies it has the demos from 91/92 that got them the deal with Nuclear Blast and even though they are taken from old cassettes the quality is passible. The new track "Turn The Page" is a fitting tribute to the end of an era and it's nice to have 6 video clips to keep. Here's to the next 10 years.

Hot on the heels of last years indispensable compilation come the new Hypocrisy CD and I must say that to my ears it’s probably their best so far. There are a few new elements in the mix which only adds to their appeal opening track “Don’t Judge Me” kicks in with it’s industrial tinged thrash metal noise and Peter Tagtgren’s unmistakable vocal style and has everything that you could want in a top notch Metal song, Why aren’t these guys massive, if they were American and not German they would be hailed as the Saviours of the genre.

The second track aptly called “Destroyed” does just that but the one thing that strikes you about these guys is that despite being as heavy as a really heavy thing there is always an underlying melodic sensibility, somehow Peter manages to scream in harmony, how does he do it?

I defy anyone to listen to “Uncontrolled”, “Hatred” and the now familiar track “Turn the Page” (that appeared on the best of compilation) and be totally blown away. This is a fantastic CD and I can’t recommend it too highly, if you like your Metal brutal but friendly you will love this.

Iced Earth are a very 80's style band writing music like Metallica and Irorn Maiden used to, it's not very fashionable at the moment but since when did I care about fashion. This not a concept album but an album with a theme and that theme is classic Horror Films and Stories. There are a couple of new members to the band and this only strengthen them and song's like "Dracula" and "Frankenstein" demonstrate this particularly well. Standout tracks, "Dracula", "Phantom Of The Opera" and "Jack" If you're quick initial copies come with a bonus disc with the Iron Maiden cover of "Transilvania" and an extensive band interview.

It's a stinking hot day in the Midland's in England on July 4th, the temperature is in the 90's and I don't have air conditioning and I have just been moshing at home, getting even sweatier listening to the new Ill Nino CD. Occaisonally an album comes along that totally blows everything else away, it happened when I first heard the Slipknot album, the Disturbed, last year it was the Linkin Park debut, earlier this year it was the Downer CD, and now the Ill Nino CD.

Right from the start of "God Save Us" I knew this was something special, Nu Metal what ever that is flavoured with Latin , Flamenco flavoured acoustic guitars blendid with Linkin Park style melodic hooks with relentless riffs, all the moshing you will ever need with plenty of light and shade with tracks like " What Comes Around" proving that it's not a fluke, every track is a total killer. If you weant to be ahead of the pack get Revolution, Revolution now because their is nothing stopping them from being MASSIVE. There is no filler on this CD, if you don't buy this you are missing out. All the tracks are killers and all deserve a mention, God Save Us, If You Still Hate Me, Unreal, Nothing's Clear, What Come's Around, Liar, Rumbe, Predisposed, I Am Loco, No Murder, Rip Out Your Eyes, Revolution and With You.

Hailing from Sweden Insania are a band in the style of Helloween, Stratovarius and Rhapsody and was recommended to me by Gez Da Loud from Loud One Mail order I thought at first it was just a clever sales ploy to sell another CD but no, this is the best Helloween they never recorded.

The vocalist sounds not unlike Michael Kiske and the twin lead guitars are a pure joy to my ears one listen to the opening instrumental track " Finlandia" sets the CD off to a roaring start, "Heaven And Hell" and "Heading For Tomorrow" are titles that have been used before but don't sound anything like Sabbath or Gamma Ray and thunder along at a furious pace. If you like any of the aforementioned bands you will love this. The power ballad "Angels In The Sky" is nearly 8 minutes of pure genius and I defy anyone to listen to this and "Lost In Time" and not be totally blown away. This is Euro Metal at it's best.

Thanks again Gez this is excellent and if you want to get a copy I am sure he will be glad to help and when you speak to him ask him to do his impersonation of King Diamond.

This band have just been signed to Roadrunner Records and from this Mini Album I can see why. Their brand of old style Thrash / Speed Metal crossed with a modern style is simply great to hear. Sounding similar to Exodus, Slayer with a touch of Machine Head thrown in for good measure. Opening track "Temple From The Within" sets the album off to a great start, with it's chugging guitars and speed Metal riffs and thunderous drumming is a treat to hear. I first heard this track on the Ginger Snaps Soundtrack (reviewed w/c 11/06/01) and was impressed with them from the off, "Irreversal" and "In The Unblind" are just as good and I look forward to a full LP from Roadrunner later this year hopefully. If like me you love some of the old school bands you will love this and it's nice to see that their are American bands out there that don't just follow the Nu Metal trend. Good work guys.

Let’s face, it if your killswitch is engaged your intensions are very serious and you won’t be taking any prisoners and that’s just what Killswitch Engage achieve.

Taking you through the darker end of the emotional spectrum, despair, rage, hate aggression, hopelessness all done with Metallic Hardcore riffs with a touch of melody thrown in, this is everything that their mini CD promised last year. Some song’s are familiar “Temple From The Within” and “Numbered Days” but it doesn’t stop there, you have to hear “Life To Lifeless” and “The Element Of One” and “Just Barely Breathing” these are going to be standard Rock fare by the end of the Summer.

I was expecting big thing’s form this band and I am not disappointed, once again Roadrunner have done themselves proud, this is an essential purchase.

Abigail was a true classic of the 80’s and most would argue that it was the King’s finest hour and when I read on the Metal Blade website that the King was working on a follow to the original I was in tow minds as to the merits of the project but I need not have worried.

King Diamond’s vocal style has always put some people off and this is a shame as his talents for portraying a story with related song’s is truly awesome and as a teller of ghost stories even Stephen King would have to admit he can tell a good yarn with some very neat twists, details of which I wont go into here because I don’t want to spoil it for you. But it’s not just the stories that he is well known for as there are riffs a plenty on this opus as well as some very atmospheric touches which add to the dynamics of all the songs and elevate them form the rest of the pack and if you want proof of this just check out “Mansion IN Sorrow” and “More Than Pain” and both of these match any of the King’s recent output.

This is a welcome return to what is a classic story and if you like King Diamond’s solo output you will love this, will there be an Abigail III, who knows, probably not even the man himself.

Canadian Chick Metal band return with their second album and it’s better than their first, their claws have been sharpened and they are ready to kill, this time they are not playing around.

One listen to the opening title track “Oracle” and you will see what I mean, the right mixture of aggressive screamed vocals and sweet harmonies, with their hard edged brand of Rock. The Pink Floyd cover of “Run Like Hell”, a live favourite for some time actually makes it onto CD and it has not lost any of its live aggression, I just wish it went on a bit longer. The last track “Pink Lemonade” is one of their slow broody numbers and shows them at their best, with lots of emotive guitars and because it’s slower than the rest it stands out and gives them time to breath and let their creativity come out.

Overall this is a very good album and although I like Spit, this is much more mature and confident record and should see them gain new fans and will certainly keep their established fans happy.

Korn’s 5th album is easily the most accomplished thing they have ever done, from the first track “From Your Heart” to the last “Everything I Could Find”; there is not a duff moment on the whole CD.

I have never rated Mr Davies as a singer but his performance throughout is perfect and he sings like a man possessed, as if his very life depends upon it, screaming when the mood requires it and his almost soulful, jazz tinged harmonies add a new dimension to the songs. There are no real surprises on this CD but what you do have is Korn at their pinnacle, all the element’s were there before, the marching guitar riffs, the growling demonic bass, the synth touches but now it’s all together and it is well worth the wait.

In the past Korn have spawned many copyists and after this release there will be many more but none will better this, or even match it. This is album of the year easily and the title of the first single say’s it all “Here To Stay”.

Nu British Metal bringing to mind the best of Pantera, mainly because lead vocalist Rob Newson sounds not unlike Phil Anselmo. This is their first full album and is a great first start promising great things to come. All the tracks on this CD are no holds barred with crunching guitars and screaming vocals, highly reccomemded. Stand out tracks inc. The Jaded And The Eager, 50 seconds of sheer pleasure, Ophelia Sinking and Unhinged.

Don’t know too much about this one other than they come from Sweden and it was recommended to me by John of Loud one fame and once again he hasn’t let me down.

This is Melodic Rock with a definite emphasis on the word Rock. Yes there are keyboards a plenty and enough tunes to clear several blocked noses and in a similar vein to Ten crossed with some serious guitar work, take a bow Magnus Karlsson. His guitar playing is really very good and actually sound to me to be almost original, which is saying something, his phrasing is almost unique and the way he almost spits out the lead breaks is quite breath taking and has to be heard to be believed.

Kicking off with “Spellbound” and swiftly followed by “Tears of Gold” they walk the line between Melody and Rock like veterans and “Black Widow” is worthy of the great Journey when they let rip, which isn’t often enough for me. The 7 Minute long epic “Blood On Your Hands” is one you just have to hear and hold you attention for every second and MAGNUS’S LICKS ARE ABLEY DEMONSTRATED ON THIS TRACK.

This is a very strong album for this Swedish four piece and I can almost guarantee that you will not hear the last from this lot if you like your Melodic Rock with plenty of heavy guitars then this is the one for you and it will make a very pleasant change from all those Nu Metal CD’s you’ve been buying lately.

New to Lit go and buy “A place in the sun” it is amazing. Old Lit fan you are going to be a little disappointed. “A place” was SUMMER you could feel the sun and imagine the Cadillac. Well Atomic comes over like an overcast day. All the ingredients are there and on it’s own it’s a wonderful album. It’s just going to be one of those albums that’s forever compared. There are big choruses “Slip” is a great slow one “ Everything’s cool” is the drinking one “Drop D” is a moody one. It is great just not the classic it’s big brother was.

Review by Arathorn

04/06/2001

If the words TRUE METAL mean anything to you you will know where this Norweigan band are comming from. The Manowar comparisons cannot be avoided bare chests and all however they do say that immitation is the sincerest form of flattery so Joey DiMio should be well pleased. Plenty of sworld and sorcery enough to keep the most ardant role pla;ying gamer happy. The ideal soundtrack to play while playing Dungeons And Dragons. Standout tracks include Heart Of Storm, The Kingdom Of Thy Will and and Denial Of Fate.

Another re-issue, this time from Kerrang award winning British hopefuls Lost Prophets, who come across a bit like a NuMetal Faith No More crossed with Linkin Park.

This lot have a bright future ahead of them and it looks like Visible Noise no what they are doing, one listen to “Shinobi Vs Dragon Ninja” which will be the first single and you will see what all the fuss is all about. Funky rhythms, hard edged guitars and tight melodies. They aren’t just one trick ponies either there are several other good tracks on this, susch as “Five Is a For Letter Word” the title track and “She Made Me Leave” all of which are just as good.

If you like Linkin Park and Faith then you will love this and they are British and if you get the chance to see them live I would grab it while they are still doing small venues, because they won’t be for long. An excellent debut.

Kerrang gave this CD a pretty bad review but if you liked the Burning Red then you will like this one, no doubt about it. Not everyone welcomes change and the guy’s are not afraid to try out something new and there are lots of influence’s on this CD and to my ears Supercharger is a natural progression.

Opening with a short intro piece it storms into “Bulldozer” and if you have checked out my Downloads section this is currently my favourite, not Machine Heads best track but it has it’s moment’s and like the vehicle it is named after it sweeps all before it. “White Knuckle Ride” follows swiftly and the track's title is pretty descriptive of the contents and harks back to Burn My Eyes era. The slow moody intro of “Only The Ashes” lulls you into a false sense of security before letting rip with that patent Head sound.

The tracks “American High” and “Blank Generation” bring to the fore their more recent influences but still classic Machine Head. My personal favourite is “All In Your Head” which is a truly magnificent song with all the right ingredients to make it as a hit single, remember where you read it first.

Overall this is not Machine Heads best album but it is a very good album and the only reason some people have reservations is that the Head are victims of their own success.

If you get the Digipack you get 4 extra tracks but if you are a fan you already have 3 of these, the two live tracks that appeared on the Year Of The Dragon EP and the Sabbath cover version of “Hole in The Sky”. The only new track “Ten Fold” is from the Supercharger session and I cant see why this was left off the normal CD as it is a very good song. Stand out tracks are “All in Your Head”, “Deafening Silence” and “Bulldozer”.

They say you can't judge a book by it’s cover but a CD cover can tell you a lot about the contents of the music and with this the 3rd Metalium CD, one look at the Atlas type figure, holding up the world with their logo emblazoned on it you know what’s inside. POWER METAL.

The latest instalment of the saga, is as totally over the top as the last two and filled to bursting with soaring vocals, blistering lead solo’s and thunderous drums, not to mention more riffs than a guitarist convention on overdrive. With titles such as “In The Name O Blood”, “Odin’s Spell” and “Rasputin” you know what too expect and none of the song’s let you down, this is Power Metal at it’s best in the true tradition of Priest in there heyday or like fellow Germans Gamma Ray, totally awesome. If you are looking for a break from the Death or Nu Metal that you have been buying recently you won’t go wrong with this, Science Fantasy driven epic, Euro Metal at it’s finest.

Are you an old Mortiis fan like me? Well you’ve probably heard then. Our favourite Troll has had a face-lift.

Earache still maintains the old sound has not completely gone, well it has, BUT he has achieved something.

Mortiis is now a dark Manson/Zombie type of sound with the track “parasite god “ being the “beautiful people” on this album. There are some truly great moments on this album “smell the witch” another classic. There are times when it starts to wander but I think the old troll has been brave and made something special my only worry is who will fill his shoes and deliver the dark dungeon music.

If you’re worried about image over talent it does not apply hear like it doesn’t apply to Slipknot and Cradle of filth you get talent and image.

Review by Arathorn

08/04/2002

Lemmy is a legend and that is a fact and anyone who stays in the music business for 25 years deserves respect, ask almost anyone in any band weather it’s new comers like Drowning Pool, or even Iron Maiden and they will tell you how much Motorhead have been responsible for inspiring them, The Strokes could not exist without Motorhead.

Mr KIllminster has a knack of taking a few ordinary chords any turning them into great Motorhead song’s and Hammered is no different. There is political comment on song’s like “Brave New World” and “Voices From The War” and there is the songs of lust like “Mine All Mine” and “Dr Love” all of which are great song’s and could not have been written by anyone but the Killmeister himself. There are people that think they are a spent force but if this is so how come the Strokes are so big, they are just Motorhead without the personality or the attitude I defy anyone to listen to “Shut Your Mouth” and say it’s rubbish. Motorhead are the godfathers of British Rock long may the reign.

If you buy this quick you get a free 2nd CD with 2 live tracks recorded at last years Wacken festival and 1 studio track and a CD Rom track with a preview of the Motorhead DVD 25 and Still Alive.

This is another free, yes I said FREE sampler from those ever so nice people at Roadrunner, with tracks from new and forthcoming releases.

Starting off with a superb track from Coal chamber called “Glow” and is as good as anything off the classic first CD and all bodes well for their Dark Days newie in May.

Next up is Five Pointe 0 with 2 track form their soon to be released Debut “Untitled” which is featured here along with “Double X Minus” and their brand of Faith No More meets Rage Against The Machine tinged Metal that should go down well in the Rock clubs.

36 Crazyfists put up a good fight with their brace with a similar more laid back feel to Five Pointe 0, but never the less well worth checking out if these two are anything to go by.

Killswitch Engage are my personal favourites and if you have read my review of their self titled mini CD elsewhere on this sit e you will no how highly I rate these guy’s, watch this space, they will be big. As are the next band as predicted in my review of the Revolution CD last year Ill Nino have done and will continue to do well as I am sure that the last Band Sinch will as their contribution to this CD is as strong as any of the others. All in all this is a fantastic taster CD and because it’s FREE, it’s totally indispensable. All you have to do is log onto the Roadrunner site below and fill in your details and the name of the new Coal Chamber member, Nadja Puelen. OOPS.

Sonicly Nickleback play the line between the Everclear and Creed, both very successful multi million selling artists in the States and both have had only little success here. The lighter side of the the Nu Metal song's like "Leader Of Men" need plenty of air play ( I did my bit , it was my single of the week on HFM),but that's not to say that they don't have power cause they do and this is demonstrated very well by "Old Enough" and On Last Run. Standout tracks include the aformentioned tracks and Diggin' It, Hold Out Your Haand where the vocalist comes across as a cross between Kurt Cobain and Kirk Hammitt.

The 2nd CD from Nickelback is as good as the 1st, if not better and chocked full of tunes, more infectious than a measles epidemic in an infant school and destined for great success this side of the pond.

If you like the current single “How You Remind Me” you will love this CD, as it is representative of the whole, their hook laden mix of Staind / Alice In Chains, is a joy to listen to. It doesn’t stop there either as “Woke Up This Morning” and “Jut For” are just as good. The funky shuffle beat of “Hollywood” kicks in with a great riff that sounds like its changing gear half way through and its understated ness gives it a great feel. The final track is called appropriately “Good Times Gone” and it features a great slide guitar riff that is as far as I know unique In the Nu Metal genre.

This is a great CD if a little too short but I have noticed that seems to be the trend at the moment but that doesn’t distract from the fact that as soon as it has finished you will be reaching for the repeat button.

The latest contenders for the Nu Metal scene No One start off in fine style with "Coming Down" and "Chemical" sounding more akin to Pantera with touches of Soundgarden which gives them a harder edge than most of the others who just seem to emulate Korn or Limp Bizkit.

They don’t let their true colours shine until about half way through when they start to let a little grunge slip through on "Shedding" and "It's Real" both of which sound great and different from the rest of the pack.

The album goes through several moods over the 40 minutes and the best tracks are the one's towards the end of the CD, in particular "Breathe" and "Hype" where their true selves emerge and their originality shines through. There is some very good guitar work on these and the vocals are very emotive. The last track "Falling" is No One being very moody and magnificent and an excellent song to finish on.

Overall this is a very good CD and if you like the current breed of Nu metal bands you will love this. Highly recommended.

British Nu Metalers Number One Son are creating quite a buzz for those who are in the know and listening to this album I can see why, because this Liverpudlian band will give Linkin Park and Papa Roach a good run for their money.

Blending Nu metal at the hard end of the spectrum with Rage Against The Machineisms, this is truly epic stuff, like the Shark on the front cover they have a Killer instinct and once they have their target in sight nothing in Hell will stop them. One listen to "Big Nature", "Hour Glass" or the magnificent metallic "Revert To Type" is enough to set the most ardent headbanger happy.

These guys know what they are doing and are not affraid to experiment, as the Jazz tendencies that surface during the last track "A Moment" will testify. Like their label mates Lost Prophets, Number One Son have a bright future in front of them so do British Rock a favour and yourself as well and buy this terrific album now and go and see them live as they are just as good live.

New British band featuring ex members of Cradle Of Filth so you know that this is going to be Black Metal before we start. Although there is nothing outstanding on this album it still merits inclusion as it is better than some that have been released in this genre. Stand out tracks, Spiritual Rapost Dovome. Self Inflicted Enslavement.

This is British band Orange Goblin’s 4th CD and if you like Retro/ Stoner Rock you will love this and if I tell you that it is produced by ex Kyuss member Scott Reeder it may give you an idea what is in store.

Right from the first track “Your World Will Hate This” (how wrong can you be) the Kyuss influence is blatantly obvious, with that patent thick analogue sound that so many purists say you cant get on CD, it’s a joy to hear. Scott has bought out the best in O.G. and I think even they will be well pleased with this their finest hour. Even the CD booklet is in keeping with the sound and lyrical content of the project, all bright colours and hand drawn graphics, like the old Marvel comics, if only all bands put as much care into design as this has.

Musically it sits somewhere between Electric Wizard, Kyuss and Spiritual Beggars and if you like any of these bands you wont be disappointed with Coup De Grace. “Rage Of Angels” and “Getting High On The Bad Times” are fine pieces of Metal and if the new Sabbath album promised this year is half as good as this Ozzy will be a happy man.

If you don’t like this, you don’t like Metal, go on buy the damn thing and enjoy a prime example of the genre and what’s more they are British, I wonder if when they tour their will be any chance of guest appearances of ex Kyuss members?

15 / LOLLYGAGGING

This is a totally essential album of low down and sleazy / Glam rock, featuring the best of the current scene. There are 3 tracks by the excellent DNA Doll's track "Glamma Glue Girl", 2 from Sonic Boom Boys and the Blondes as well as other great track's.

There are no bad tracks on this collection and a special mention to Johnny Zhivago, Cheethas, No Direction and Supershit 666. For only a fiver you can't go wrong.

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 77 mins - 22 Tracks

16 / SMACK MY GORILLA

This is just as good as the other one but this time featuring 21 slices of the best new Rock around. Most of the names you will know such as Cortizone, Vacant Stare, Miocene, Landmine Spring and Sugacoma. Even if you have not heard anything by them you will know of them and this is a good chance to find out what they sound like and like Radio 15 it's only a fiver. Go on what have you got to lose.

Back after a 6 year absence Ozzy returns with a cracker of an album, and I must say it’s been worth the wait.

Kicking off with “Get’s Me Through” that starts with a piano and builds up to what is unmistakably an Ozzy song with Zakk Wylde on Guitars this is somewhat of a Renaissance for the OO, harking back to the Diary of a Madman days.

This is followed up with my personal favourite “Facing Hell” with it’s catchy Synth riff intro and bursts into life, Ozzy at his best, the ballad “Dreamer" is next and I know this is not to every ones taste and it took me a while to get into it but then again it’s soo good to have Ozzy back on the scene I can forgive him for this.

Overall there is not much to say about this as you either like Ozzy or not and I am somewhat biased so I won't go on, lets hope it’s not 2007 before we see the OO back again and we can look forward to a new Black Sabbath album next year. I hope.

Stand out tracks, “Facing Hell”, “Black Illusion”, with its shuffle beat and can you hear them. Also worth note are the 2 CD ROM tracks featuring Randy Rhodes, totally awesome.