Reviews by Simon Milburn

Necronomicon

Invictus

By Simon Milburn | 02 March, 2012

Predictable name, average album

Necronomicon. Not exactly the most original name for a metal band, is it? In fact, it’s quite the metal cliché really. This German four piece isn’t exactly new to the scene. Like many ...

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Duff McKagan

It's So Easy (And Other Lies)

By Simon Milburn | 22 February, 2012

An inspiring read!

For whatever reason, the “new black” seems to be for classic rockers to churn out tell all books lately of varying degrees. Perhaps the flood gates of this trend began with the Motley Crüe bio The Di...

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Terrorizer

Hordes of Zombies

By Simon Milburn | 22 February, 2012

More like a horde of Zzzzzzzzzz

I was fortunate enough to be in my formative years when grindcore and death metal were flourishing at an astonishing rate. One could consider them the golden years of these genres as very little within t...

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Psycroptic

The Inherited Repression

By Simon Milburn | 04 February, 2012

Tassie’s finest do their country proud once more

Has it really been almost four years since the last Psycroptic studio album came across my desk? Wow… talk about “seems like only yesterday”, huh? I mean, surely...

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Biohazard

Reborn in Defiance

By Simon Milburn | 04 February, 2012

It’s a rebirth but not quite as defiant as their past releases

It’s been six years since we last heard from New York (U.S.A.) hardcore metal heavyweights Biohazard. But their latest album, Reborn in Defiance, is bittersweet...

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Nirvana

Nevermind (20th Anniversary Edition)

By Simon Milburn | 19 January, 2012

Endless timeless!

Every so often an artist comes along that brings with it massive, sweeping changes to the music landscape. In the ‘90’s, that artist, without a doubt, was Nirvana. Nevermind blew open the alternative scene...

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Jim Florentine

Cringe ‘n Purge

By Simon Milburn | 26 October, 2011

This one’s a gem!

I’m sure there are a lot of good stand up comedians out there these days and I’ll admit that they are not something that come across my desk very often as you can appreciate. But in the met...

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Entrails

The Tomb Awaits

By Simon Milburn | 26 October, 2011

Complete early Entombed worship and it’s awesome

There’s always a lot of hoopla when it comes to reviews of ensuring that bands are doing something that’s not only original but also interesting. Every so oft...

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Garagedays

Dark and Cold

By Simon Milburn | 26 October, 2011

This one will leave you feeling a little like it’s title

Sometimes it’s hard to come up with a succinct description of a band and what they are about. In the case of Austrian quartet Garagedays, they can only be b...

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Jasta

Jasta

By Simon Milburn | 26 October, 2011

Hatebreed frontman dishes out solo album with a few surprises

Everyone really knows Hatebreed these days and their bandana wearing front man, Jamey Jasta. Hatebreed was the vehicle for his rise to fame within the metal and ha...

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Criminal

Akelarre

By Simon Milburn | 26 October, 2011

Choosing not to venture too far out of their box

It’s hard to think that some bands are clocking up some major milestones in their career and I’m not just talking about the likes of Metallica, either. I’m ta...

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Insidead

Chaos Elected

By Simon Milburn | 26 October, 2011

Not dead, just not full of life either

In this manufactured world of music where no names become instant sensations overnight thanks to overzealous teens with too much credit on their phones and too much time on their hands s...

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Machine Head

Unto the Locust

By Simon Milburn | 16 September, 2011

Doing what they do best even better than before

No one could ever have thought that the band that delivered the brilliant debut Burn My Eyes would be on the verge of extinction less than ten years later. But in the period leading up to...

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Don Jamieson

Live and Hilarious

By Simon Milburn | 06 September, 2011

One third of That Metal Show let off the leash

Ok, so by now, most of you have heard of That Metal Show on VH1 Classic (also known as MTV Classic in Australia) and hopefully some of you watch it. It’s good value in my books. Alre...

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Discharge

War is Hell

By Simon Milburn | 05 September, 2011

Behold one of the pioneers of hardcore!

Where does one start when it comes to a band like Discharge? I mean, seriously. Discharge is to hardcore punk what Motörhead is to metal. And whilst many will ask why a hardcore punk act lik...

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Iron Lamb

The Original Sin

By Simon Milburn | 05 September, 2011

Might not be overly original but it is good!

I always find it interesting when musos get together from different walks of life and then put something together and release it. Take Audrey Horne for example, which is made up of one time ...

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Pestilence

Doctrine

By Simon Milburn | 05 September, 2011

I’m sure mixing in fusion seemed like a good idea at the time…

The late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s produced some amazing death metal albums from around the world. Florida on the U.S. east coast was a bre...

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Foo Fighters

Back and Forth (DVD)

By Simon Milburn | 04 September, 2011

Skin and bones – Foo Fighters reveal all

For a very long time, it seems that bands were either afraid or just reluctant to reveal their true selves to their fans. Of course there’s the age old adage of one not airing their ...

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Khors

Return to Abandoned

By Simon Milburn | 04 September, 2011

A piece of beauty

As dark as a place as the Ukraine probably is, it’s not somewhere you readily associate with metal acts. I mean, really, name one metal act from the Ukraine. Yeah, I thought so. Silence. For me it’s always...

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Megadeth

Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? (25th Anniversary 2CD release)

By Simon Milburn | 30 August, 2011

Thrash titans best gets a quarter century make over in style

Twenty-five years. Twenty-five fucking years! It amazes me that it’s been a quarter of a century since this iconic album hit the streets. But here’s the kicker. F...

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