Reviews by Simon Milburn

Corpsessed - Abysmal Thresholds

Corpsessed

Abysmal Thresholds

By Simon Milburn | 07 March, 2014

Dirty, rotten, filthy, stinking quality death metal

I’ve been listening to death metal for over 25 years. I think I’ve mentioned it before that I was getting into Morbid Angel, Obituary, Entombed, Dismember, etc when their ...

Legion of the Damned - Ravenous Plague

Legion of the Damned

Ravenous Plague

By Simon Milburn | 05 March, 2014

Dutch thrashers deliver more of the same

Legion of the Damned are a band I’ve been familiar with for a few years now. Their no nonsense, pedal to the metal (pardon the pun), ever so slightly blackened tinged thrash has a simple y...

Caliban - Ghost Empire

Caliban

Ghost Empire

By Simon Milburn | 05 March, 2014

Returning to their core

For the past few releases, I kind of crucified Caliban for sounding like a poor man’s Killswitch Engage, if such a thing exists. I won’t necessarily go into my thoughts on Killswitch to begin with le...

Metallica - Through the Never (DVD)

Metallica

Through the Never (DVD)

By Simon Milburn | 12 February, 2014

Larger than life in your living room...

When it was announced that Metallica were doing a 3D film, I think it’s fair to say that everyone expected it would be a concert movie. Then we saw the trailer for it and clearly it was mor...

Doyle - Abominator

Doyle

Abominator

By Simon Milburn | 29 January, 2014

Shock rocker returns with a cracker

Anyone who is into metal should know The Misfits. At worst it’s because some half assed band from San Francisco covered the likes of Last Caress, Green Hell and Die, Die My Darling and brought ...

Sepultura - The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must be the Heart

Sepultura

The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must be the Heart

By Simon Milburn | 29 January, 2014

Flogging a dead horse...

We’ve seen plenty of bands split before. Some, such as Black Flag and Cro-Mags produced two versions – both inherently continuing on from the original doing the exact same thing as the original act ...

Kreator - Dying Alive (CD/DVD)

Kreator

Dying Alive (CD/DVD)

By Simon Milburn | 29 January, 2014

Totally alive and in your face

I really like a good live release. I do like have these combo releases were you get the visual component on one medium and the audio on another so you can enjoy the live experience in your home or on your...

Metallica - Through the Never

Metallica

Through the Never

By Simon Milburn | 26 November, 2013

Hit the lights!

There was a lot of hype surrounding Metallica’s first venture into the concert movie realm. Dubbed Through the Never, it was a 3D mix of concert footage and vague story line that had fans super keen to check it ou...

Soul Remnants - Black and Blood

Soul Remnants

Black and Blood

By Simon Milburn | 26 November, 2013

Death metal to the core

Apart from their sporting icons, Massachusetts musically is well known for the number of metalcore acts that came from that area a few years back – Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, All That Remains to name...

Nirvana - In Utero (20th Anniversary)

Nirvana

In Utero (20th Anniversary)

By Simon Milburn | 26 November, 2013

Unintended swansong still sounds strong two decades on

I have to admit it’s weird and somewhat eye opening to see these deluxe reissues and anniversary editions pop up of albums that I grew up with. I still listen to these albums...

Vista Chino - Peace

Vista Chino

Peace

By Simon Milburn | 26 November, 2013

Kyuss is dead. Long live Kyuss.

It’s amazing how a band can exist for such a short time and leave such an amazing legacy. In five very short years, a totally unknown quartet from Palm Desert, California (U.S.A.) known as Kyuss wo...

Evocation - Excised and Anatomised

Evocation

Excised and Anatomised

By Simon Milburn | 26 November, 2013

Classics revisited and recognised.

Cover songs can often be hit and miss. We’ve all heard some great cover versions and some that leave you wondering what on earth the artist was thinking. But what about full releases of cover so...

Five Finger Death Punch - The Wrong Side of Heaven & The Righteous Side of Hell Part 1

Five Finger Death Punch

The Wrong Side of Heaven & The Righteous Side of Hell Part 1

By Simon Milburn | 26 September, 2013

Wrong. Just. So. Wrong.

Where does one begin with Five Finger Death Punch? Does one begin with the fact they are on a major label? Does one begin with the fact they are supposedly flying the flag of metal on said major label? Does one ...

Witherscape - The Inheritance

Witherscape

The Inheritance

By Simon Milburn | 16 September, 2013

Simply breathtaking...

Man, seriously, what is it with music that comes out of Scandinavia? Right back to the likes of ABBA and a-ha, this region of the world has put out some great music. Ok, maybe not on the a-ha front altho...

Wound - Inhale the Void

Wound

Inhale the Void

By Simon Milburn | 16 August, 2013

German quartet brings the Swedeath

Y’know, over the years, the one thing that I really liked about Swedish death metal as it grew like some rancid weed in the very late ‘80s and early ‘90s was the cutting, buzz saw li...

Resistance, The - Scars

Resistance, The

Scars

By Simon Milburn | 16 August, 2013

Swedes bond together for new project

I wouldn’t go so far as to call The Resistance a metal super group but they sure do have some names in their line-up. The Resistance is the first band formed by In Flames founding member Jespe...

Stone Sour - House of Gold and Bones Part 2

Stone Sour

House of Gold and Bones Part 2

By Simon Milburn | 04 August, 2013

Not quite the perfect ending

History has shown that double albums can be quite hit and miss when artists announce their intentions to do so. It doesn’t make an ounce of difference either if the albums are released as a set, as a ...

Firewind - Apotheosis Live 2012

Firewind

Apotheosis Live 2012

By Simon Milburn | 31 July, 2013

Greek power metallers deliver a blistering live album

There’s probably a lot out there that only first heard of Gus G once he was handpicked by Ozzy Osbourne when he and long standing guitarist Zakk Wylde parted ways a couple of ...

Scale the Summit - The Migration

Scale the Summit

The Migration

By Simon Milburn | 26 July, 2013

Pushing harder than before to reach the top

Scale the Summit absolutely blew my mind with their previous album, 2011’s The Collective. It is a stunning album. Truly. The instrumental post-rock meets metal meets prog rock cross is...

Havok - Unnatural Selection

Havok

Unnatural Selection

By Simon Milburn | 23 July, 2013

Chasing the edge and coming up short...

Colorado (U.S.A.) thrashers Havok have been around for a few years now but it really was their sophomore effort, 2011’s Time is Up, that really brought the quartet to the attention of the m...