Category: Interviews

By Justin Smulison Whichever rock or metal group he plays in, Herman Frank’s playing stands out – which is why he is one of my favorite guitarists. Whether you want to headbang, mosh, or zero in on some of the more complex melodies and solos, his tone and songwriting is undoubtedly captivating. [more…]

By Justin Smulison One of my favorite albums from 2024 was The Path Of Decoherence by Advocacy. This under-the-radar prog-metal offering from Denmark was released in January via UPRISING! Records, and I just kept coming back to it. The band has had some lineup changes since launching in 2015 and Path marks [more…]

Toby Jepson has been a bit quite of late. He had a well-earned break from the music biz and travelled to the far east with his lovely wife Ket for 6 months. He has returned with a whole new outlook and a bad back. He is set to release the first of [more…]

we caught with the guys to find out more: Powerful UK two-piece COMMON TONGUE have just dropped their stomping new single, Done.  How and when did the band form? The band formed as lockdown rules were lifted in spring 2021. After having drinks (in line with the social distance guidelines at the [more…]

By Justin Smulison Since his early days with Shadows Fall in 2001, Jason Bittner has emerged to become one of metal’s top drummers. A former student at the Berklee College of Music, Bittner has played with several rock and metal groups, and his abilities behind the kit pushed him to new heights with [more…]

By Justin Smulison Flotsam & Jetsam continues their streak of metal mastery with I Am The Weapon, the latest in a succession of remarkable output. Available from AFM Records, I Am The Weapon picks up where 2021’s Blood In The Water left off, with a potent blend of power and thrash metal [more…]

By Justin Smulison Anyone in search of fun, melodic rock (with a dash of metal) should be heavy into Robert Majd. Best known as a bass player for Metalite, Majd’s bands, Captain Black Beard and Nighthawk, capture the freeing spirit of 1980s AOR with extra groovy flourishes that will get any listener [more…]

UK alternative crew SUNMACHINE are set to rise. The band have just released their emotive new single, Mercy Killing With this in mind, we caught up with the guys to find out more: Formed in 2023 and coming at you from Cambridge, England, SUNMACHINE are comprised of Kieran Osborne (Vocals), Jacob Wix [more…]

By Justin Smulison Danish rockers D-A-D released their 13th studio album, Speed Of Darkness, just in time for their 40th anniversary. Released by AFM Records, the 14 new tracks in many ways continue the tradition explored on their recent Greatest Hits double-disc collection (also available from AFM), where the quartet can belt out head-banging [more…]

By Justin Smulison Nick DiSalvo is a man of many musical personalities. Best known for his work fronting progressive heavy psych rockers, Elder, he rests his pipes as a composer, guitarist and keyboardist in two instrumental groups – delving and Weite. delving’s sophomore album, All Paths Diverge, was recently released via Stickman [more…]

By Justin Smulison Swedish post-punk trio THEN COMES SILENCE kicked off this year with a new album, Trickery, which is available on physical and digital formats thanks to Metropolis Records. Trickery captures the heart and essence of gothic and alternative rock, also serving as a salute to punk music, to which Then Comes Silence traces their roots. Following a successful [more…]

By Justin Smulison Power metal found a new group of champions in 2024 when Alterium debuted on AFM Records with Of War and Flames. The band is comprised of former Kalidia members Nicoletta Rosellini (vocals), Paolo Campitelli (guitars) and Dario Gozzi (drums) from who are joined in Alterium by Alessandro Mammola (guitars, also in Draconicon) and Luca Scalabrin (bass, [more…]