Straight out of Baltimore, Maryland comes the Death Metal of Misery Index.  Originally formed from former members of the legendary Dying Fetus, Misery Index’s brand of Death Metal is quite left wing in it’s content, and this album is no different. MI are relentless, from the opening track “We Never Come In Peace”, “Traitors” and the equally brutal “Ruling Class Canceled”. While maybe not an all-time legend, this is certainly a very solid album by the men from Baltimore, as they move to become a prominent name in the metal scene. This album has impressed me to great lengths, and has left me hungry for more brutality. All I can say is “Roll on the next album!” and here’s hoping they will play a gig here soon.

Normally Drum n’ Bass is not my style of music, but I was tempted to give the album a listen to after some amazing performances at Download ’09. Needless to stay, I was impressed by what these guys had to offer, contrary to my thoughts beforehand. My head wanted me to hate this album so much, but I cant. There are cracks of weakness though… Read on for more. (more…)

Being a huge Distillers fan, I thought it great that Brody had formed another band, namely Spinnerette. More punk lashed out at 1000MPH please, thank you very much. With the debut album though, Brody doesnt tick any of the boxes that made her so great in The Distillers. (more…)

This album is a brilliant offering from Chidren of Bodom, dark, with fast riffs, pounding drums, bass lines and keyboard playing to rival the best. Perfectly accompanied by Alexi Laiho’s growls, this album is my personal favorite Children of Bodom album, offering melodious guitars, well suited drums and striking lyrics. Songs that particularly stood out for me were Warheart, Silent Night,Bodom Night, Bed of Razors and Towards Dead End. The speed and technicality of this album, as well as the brilliant production, and the great performance by Bodom (especially considering this was only their second album under this name) combine to make one angry, beautiful masterpiece. This is a great album to get if you  are interested in the Scandinavian Metal scene, as it really is a top class example of why this band has become so popular within the metal genre.  Overall, this is my favourite Bodom album, and the second one I ever got. So if this is your thing, I would advise giving this album a try, in my view it is well worth it.

For anyone who doesnt know what SXSW is, South by Southwest (SXSW) is a set of interactive, film, and music festivals and conferences that take place every spring in Austin, Texas. SXSW first began in 1987 and is centered on the downtown Austin Convention Center. Each of the three parts runs relatively independently, with different start and end dates. The music section ran from 18th – 22nd March.
Over 6GB of upcoming artists can be obtained legally via a torrent, all music was released freely from the organisers. After extensively listening through all the bands, a few notable artists are to be had here, some to watch out for as future stars, and some who wont make it, but are still stars in my eyes. (more…)

The ever growing interest in our local Wexford band in America has made me feel inclined that I must review this album, to see what the fuss is all about. Bell X1′s previous albums have been a staple in showing the world that we are more than capable of delivering quality music which is easy on the ear and yet ferocious to a certain degree. This album, however, is nothing like that. Disappointment ensues…. (more…)

Don Van Vliet ( aka Captain Beefheart) released this hidden gem in music in 1969.  This album followed suit with his others and never really achieved mainstream success but it was incredibly influential for it’s sales many list it as a high influence and an encouragement of freedom in their music. It also gained the 58th slot in The Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (more…)

Well, here it is! Enjoy! Criticism accepted (more…)

You know a band means business when the first two songs are completely instrumental and blown out of almost epic proportions, before they sit down and get back to writing Emmy-award winning songs. Unfortunately, they would probably fail, but they come darn close to it. (more…)

It hasnt been long since Kings of Leon struck us with Because of the Times, with its elegant radio-friendly guitar-led tunes, which saw them soar in popularity, and this album will only help them maintain the limelight. This is Kings of Leon, reinvented. (more…)