Category: Interviews

By Justin Smulison I love a good ‘ol fashioned metal album and Darker Half has delivered another powerful entry to the genre with their new LP, The Book Of Fate, available worldwide from Massacre Records. The Australian quartet has picked up where their prior album, If You Only Knew, left off; with [more…]

By Justin Smulison Andy Susemihl remains an enduring force in rock and roll. The German multi-instrumentalist can seamlessly shift between the pilot and co-pilot seats (as evidenced by his solo work and with Bangalore Choir and alongside singer David Reece) and also has success as a hired gun and limited-time member (U.D.O. [more…]

By Justin Smulison Anchorite is a collective of European musicians who create powerful, epic doom metal that pays homage to the genre’s founders while maintaining a modern sonic quality. Formed in late 2018, the quartet features the talents of vocalist Leo Stivala (Forsaken, ex-Reflection) bassist Peter Svensson and drummer Marcus Rosenkvist (who [more…]

By Justin Smulison Kay Olsen is the multi-instrumentalist mastermind behind Agropelter, whose stunning debut, The Book of Hours, was recently released by the Lasers Edge. Hours is an instrumental odyssey rooted in classic progressive rock but infused with a cinematic and otherworldly sensibility. From the opening notes, it’s clear that Olsen is [more…]

By Justin Smulison After Terence Holler’s successful 2024’s debut album Reborn, the former Eldritch singer maintained his momentum this spring with his new band, Holler, which released a follow-up, Next In Line. Both albums tap into his 1970s and 80s hard rock/AOR DNA and with songs about love, loss, loneliness and existentialism. [more…]

By Justin Smulison Caregah is a Swedish sludge and groove metal quartet that recently celebrated the reissue of their highly anticipated debut album (self-released in 2023), Osmium. The wise minds at ROAR – Rock of Angels music and Reigning Phoenix Music had the good sense to produce this reissue, which includes the [more…]

By Justin Smulison I became aware of Søren Andersen over 10 years ago when I stumbled upon Artillery’s comeback albums, When Death Comes, and My Blood. These two albums changed the way I heard and felt metal as an adult. I noticed Andersen was credited as the producer on both of those [more…]

By Justin Smulison The Other Side of Midnight is the newest LP from UK-born rock guitarist Taz Taylor. Available from his label, No Hair Records, the album features various subgenres of rock and roll – from riff-driven hard rock to ballads and instrumental tracks showcasing the band’s abilities. Taz Taylor Band reaches [more…]

By Justin Smulison Kickin Valentina has proven to be one of the most popular musical exports from the U.S. to the UK and EU. The hard rock quartet has toured British and European festivals and clubs frequently in the past few years and is preparing for a return in May on the [more…]

By Justin Smulison It’s always fun time when Robert Majd stops by Jace Media to discuss his musical voyages. This time, the bassist/guitarist/songwriter is piloting Captain Black Beard’s newest album, Chasing Danger, available everywhere from Mighty Music and Target Group DK. Anyone in search of fun, melodic rock (with a dash of [more…]

By Justin Smulison Post-metal instrumentalists Telepathy are back with their first album in five years, Transmissions. Released by Pelagic Records, the UK-based quartet embraced synths and keys (in moderation) on this outing, along with real public broadcasting clips, in order to reach new cinematic heights. One of the lead singles, “Augury” embodies the focus on [more…]

Austrian purveyors of ‘Vulvarock’ – Vulvarine have just released their superb new album ‘Fast Lane’ through Napalm Records. The record is stuffed full of punk energy and metal precision along with some catchy melodies. I caught up with the band’s drummer Bea Heartbeat on a day off from their tour with Thundermother. [more…]