Folterkammer - Weibermacht (Century Media) [Gavin Brown] Folterkammer are an interesting prospect indeed, a colossal melding of black metal and operatic/classical music that uses the grandeur of both these varying styles delivered in a way that is both elegant and devastating and with their second album Weibermacht, they do so in style. With the bands lineup containing guitar maestro Zachary Ezrin of Imperial Triumphant, you can appreciate the decadent nature of the music of Folterkammer, but when you add in the stunning vocals of Andromeda Anarchia, you will be blown away by what the b ..read more

 EYE - Dark Light (New Heavy Sounds) Relocating from her native Wrexham to be with her partner, fellow musician Gid Goundrey, MWWB's front woman/synth player moved into a Grangetown, Cardiff flat, feet from my own house just as the pandemic hit.  They both started making music together, inspired by their situation feelings of being trapped and isolated, making this music in a tiny flat as the pandemic raged, heightened by Covid-related stroke suffered by MWWB guitarist Paul “Dave” Davies, who was left fighting for his life but slowly and sure is returning to health. All these factor ..read more

Interview With Catalysts – Heat 4 Swansea, M2TM 27th April 2024 1. Let's start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band? We're Catalysts!  A 5 piece band of best mates from South Wales.   David Challenger - Vocals Elliot Blake - Guitar Craig O'Connor - Guitar and Backing Vocals Paul Owen - Bass Haitham Alhardan - Drums 2. Where are you from and how long have you been together? We're all born and based in South Wales.   A spread from Newport, to Monmouth, to Ebbw Vale.  We've been together for 8 years.   3. Describe your mus ..read more

Couch Slut - You Could Do It Tonight (Brutal Panda Records) This is a hard listen. In a lot of ways. Musically Couch Slut are aggressive, uncompromising and relentless in their extreme noise terror, lyrically they rage about self harm (Wilkinson's Sword), killing sprees (The Weaversville Home For Boys), bloodbaths and assaults on women. It's ferocious and fiery, Megan Osztrosits' firebrand vocals that alternate between unhinged screams, guttural growls, hardcore roars and spoken word manifestos. It's thrown at you without trigger warnings and without hesitation. Confrontation through characte ..read more

Flamebearer - Brazen (Self Released) I'm usually pretty good with talking to bands, I mean they are just people, I even managed to sit through breakfast with Steve Harris without going full fan boy. But at Masters Of The Riff 2023 I made a tit of myself in front of Flamebearer frontman Andy Valiant (formerly of Oak and currently 1968), but that's only because I had seen them totally destroy Hackney with their own rip snorting rock n roll and their explosive cover of W.A.S.P's Wild Child. (And I'd had a few ales) So when this album landed in my inbox I could barely contain my excitement. It ca ..read more

Interview With Gyro – Heat 4 Swansea, M2TM 27th April 2024 1. Let’s start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band? I’m Ethan, I’m the long haired, pretty one, I play 8 string guitar and vocals and the bald, broad shouldered one is Marc, he plays the drums. 2. Where are you from and how long have you been together? I’m from Bridgend originally but have since moved to Abergwynfi and Marc grew up in Neath, moved to Bridgend, then Birmingham and now he’s back in Neath. We started Gyro in late 2022/early 2023 but prior to that we had a mostly online instrumental ..read more

Vanden Plas - The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen] German progressive metal band Vanden Plas awaken after a four year hiatus and have made sure everything on this new album is long and complex. The title, the songs, the run times, its six tracks clocking in at 54 minutes of music. The final track March Of Saints a whopping 16 minutes! If this is a case of ‘beat this’ to other prog metal bands I don’t know but The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things really highlights what a brilliant and perhaps under-rated prog metal band Vanden Plas are.&nbs ..read more

Interview With Kill By Mouth – Heat 4 Swansea, M2TM 27th April 2024 1. Let’s start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band? Cassar - vocals, guitar Lee - guitar Rich - bass Gregg - Drums 2. Where are you from and how long have you been together? We are all from Swansea. We've known each other for decades and have all shared a stage in our different bands over the years. In this incarnation, Kill By Mouth have been together just over a year. Last year's M2M heat was our first gig, and we made it through to the finals! The band in various lineups has been around f ..read more

Melvins - Tarantula Heart (Ipecac Recordings) [Rich Piva] To say that the new Melvins record is “quite possibly the band's most unconventional, catchiest and imaginative work yet, continuing a legacy celebrated for its eccentric and extraordinary output” like the promo material for album number 32-ish, depending on how you are counting, says, is the definition of a bold statement, because unconventional, catchy and imaginative pretty much sums up the band who have been at it since the mid-1980s. Tarantula Heart, however, is petty close to said quote, and not only that, it is my favourite ..read more

Kris Barras Band, South Of Salem & The Nocturnal Affair, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton 13.04.24 The lure of two of the hottest UK bands together in one night was an opportunity not to be missed and at one of our favourite venues, so it was a no brainer really. Added to the bill for this tour was The Nocturnal Affair (8) who travelled across the sea from Las Vegas to add their own brand of dark moody rock to the menu. After a blistering drum intro, they started the set with their current single It’s No Good, a cover of the classic Depeche Mode song from the ‘90s before dipping into thei ..read more