Reviews by Simon Milburn

Megadeth

Super Collider

By Simon Milburn | 14 June, 2013

A collision of some ideas that work and others that don’t

When it comes to a new album by any of the “Big Four” bands, I’m always interested to see what they come up with after all these years. All four bands ha...

Revel in Flesh

Manifested Darkness

By Simon Milburn | 14 June, 2013

Second time is more rounded

When I reviewed Revel in Flesh’s debut slab, Deathevokation, back in the middle of last year, I was quite critical of how generic it was. With the band’s name and title of the album alone, it was...

Dark Tranquillity

Construct

By Simon Milburn | 14 June, 2013

Some softer elements make up the band’s tenth effort

Dark Tranquillity is one of those bands who have always been at the forefront of the melodic death metal movement. Rightly so, too. From their earliest days when they were more...

Ghost

Infestissumam

By Simon Milburn | 07 May, 2013

Round two and more diverse than before

I have to admit that Ghost’s 2011 debut Opus Eponymous slipped under my radar until sometime in 2012. I know, I know. Better late than never, right? When I did give it a good listen, whilst ...

Bring Me The Horizon

Sempiternal

By Simon Milburn | 10 April, 2013

The best Linkin.. huh? Wait a minute... this isn’t...

As the opening cut Can You Feel My Heart slowly comes to life, I have to second guess myself that I’ve put the right album on. This isn’t what I remember U.K. meta...

Metallica

Quebec Magnetic (BluRay)

By Simon Milburn | 10 April, 2013

One of metal’s biggest unleash another live effort

Metallica need little to no introduction. They are one of metal’s biggest and at times most talked about bands – for better or for worse. They are one of the pioneers...

Intronaut

Habitual Levitations

By Simon Milburn | 08 April, 2013

Post metallers aim high with album four

I’ll admit to being a tad green when it comes to Intronaut. This Los Angeles based quartet are a name that I’ve heard in the past but not one that I’d gone out of my way to inve...

Bullet for My Valentine

Temper Temper

By Simon Milburn | 05 April, 2013

Album number four is more like a melodic tantrum

It only seems like yesterday that Bullet for My Valentine’s debut EP, Hand of Blood, arrived on my desk. It’s amazing to see them go from strength to strength and, after witn...

Hatriot

Heroes of Origin

By Simon Milburn | 05 April, 2013

Zetro returns with his own lesson in violence

Hatriot was a word I first heard Steve ‘Zetro’ Sousa scream in Exodus’ Scar Spangled Banner from their blistering 2004 return, Tempo of the Damned. But after Zetro and Exo...

Tomahawk

Oddfellows

By Simon Milburn | 23 February, 2013

Patton’s most accessible post Faith No More act returns

Most people know Mike Patton only as the frontman of ‘90’s mega selling alterna-rock-band Faith No More. Die hard fans will no doubt have followed Patton through...

Hatebreed

The Divinity of Purpose

By Simon Milburn | 18 February, 2013

The AC/DC of hardcore return

Some bands like to explore things outside of what their fans expect from them. Some succeed, some fail. Some will return to their roots, others find a groove in something new. And some self cleanse the musi...

Megadeth

Countdown to Extinction (20th Anniversary Reissue)

By Simon Milburn | 30 January, 2013

Still a suitable symphony of destruction!

You know you’re getting old, at least in my instance, when all these albums that I grew up with are now being reissued as 20th anniversary editions, or 25th anniversary editions or m...

AC/DC

Live at the River Plate

By Simon Milburn | 29 January, 2013

Lights...sounds...drums...guitar!

Do AC/DC need much of an introduction? Surely not. Their career spans almost 40 years. They’ve released 16 studio albums, two compilation soundtrack albums and three live albums to date. Their la...

Skeletal Remains

Beyond the Flesh

By Simon Milburn | 29 January, 2013

Death reincarnated... almost...

Is everything old new again? Are we starting to see the cycle repeat at this point in time? Let’s consider this for a minute. Thrash bands are popping up here, there and everywhere and in fact, mor...

Tantara

Based on Evil

By Simon Milburn | 29 January, 2013

Based on energy, aggression and thrash

Even Swedish metal label Indie Records is jumping on the thrash band wagon. Well, ok, perhaps a single release isn’t necessarily bandwagon hopping but at least it’s a worthwhile one. T...

Evocation

Illusions of Grandeur

By Simon Milburn | 29 January, 2013

More like delusions of grandeur...

It never rains, it pours. Hot off the release of Grave’s killer new slab of Swedish death metal, Century Media have followed up with another from the revived and re-vitalised Swedish death metal...

Evocation

Evoked From Demonic Depths - The Early Years

By Simon Milburn | 15 November, 2012

Lesser known gems finally unearthed

Swedish death metal, when done well, has always been a winner for me. I’ve raved on before about Dismember, Entombed, Grave and Unleashed and now Century Media have put together a nice collecti...

Grave

Endless Procession of Souls

By Simon Milburn | 15 November, 2012

Listen up and see how death metal should be done!

Swedish death metal stalwarts Grave were one of those bands that for me, not only further developed my love of death metal but also one of those bands that helped shape the genre in its...

Watchtower

Control and Resistance (Reissue)

By Simon Milburn | 12 October, 2012

Pioneering prog metal act’s seminal release rides again

Going back to a time before the internet, one way to discover bands was via killer mags such as Hot Metal or imports from Europe or America. On very, very rare occasions, Ra...

Dublin Death Patrol

Death Sentence

By Simon Milburn | 10 October, 2012

Thrash collective enters the pit for round 2!

Remember when Slipknot entered the scene and people were trippin’ on the fact that the band is made up of nine guys? Well lesser known Dublin California (U.S.A.) metal supergroup Dubl...