There are very few good young band who you could call a pure rock band. Oh I’m not talking about industrial post-hardcore slightly blackened metal bands. There are loads of all that shite, but pure rock and roll? Outside of Airbourne or The Black Spiders there are very few that aim to uphold the values of The Crue and G ‘N’ R. Well The Treatment are out to change that. These likely lads from Cambridge have released their second album Running With The Dogs and are desperate to prove that rock is far from dead.
Behemoth – The Satanist
Behemoth have not had it easy in recent years. From lead singer Nergal’s fights with leukaemia, a battle he thankfully continues to win, to his fights with the law in Poland over his ripping up of a bible on stage. In all this turmoil it’s been easy to forget that behind all of this is one of the best extreme metal bands in the world, therefore the release of The Satanist, their first album since Evangelion in 2009, is a big deal.
Periphery – Clear
Taking Back Sunday – Happiness Is
Taking Back Sunday are one of those bands who a lot of people have some memories of enjoying in their teenage years, before they discovered that they really preferred head banging to Metallica, or maybe that’s just me. However, they are still a band and they are still very much on the go having recently reformed with their original line up and having now released their sixth studio album Happiness Is.
Truckfighters – Universe
Entering the world of Truckfighters is always an interesting experience, despite originating in Sweden they sound like they’ve come straight out of Palm Desert, California in a fog of smoke. Their fourth album Universe came out in February and is a collection of stoner rock tracks drenched in the world of Kyuss and co.
Metallica – The Lords of Summer
I have never hidden the fact that the recent Metallica output leaves me cold. From the total non-entity that is Death Magnetic back to St. Anger and lets not even talk about Lulu, the band that played as big a part as any in getting me into heavy music have continually disappointed when it comes to studio releases. So why then do I instantly get super excited when I hear that there’s a new Metallica song out in the world? Why do I keep going back for more pain? Why do I let myself be continually hurt by a band I truly love.
Of Mice and Men – Restoring Force
It’s easy to forget that Of Mice and Men are still relatively young in their career. It feels like you have been hearing about them for years, yet in reality they are barely five years old and Restoring Force is only their third album. It’s the album they will be hoping pushes them away from their peers, with a bit of change in sound away from their metalcore roots and an embracing of the chunky bouncy riffs that we all associate with that brand of metal we describe as nu.
Gaslight Anthem – The B Sides
In the last few years The Gaslight Anthem have been wheedling their way into people’s hearts with their big choruses and Springsteen tinged rock and roll. Therefore, it’s not really a surprise that there has been a slight cash in on this popularity with the release of The B Sides a collection of, unsurprisingly, B sides. The question then has to be asked whether this is worthy of inclusion in the Gaslight discography, or like many before them should this be a collection of B side that should have stayed in the vault.
Skindred – Kill the Power
Skindred should be the biggest band on the planet. I know I started my live review in the exact same way, but I’m going to keep saying it until it’s true. With the release of their 5th album, Kill the Power, Skindred look to continue proving me right (spoiler: they have) and continue their quest to try and capture their live energy on record, with their supposed failure to do so the one criticism that tends to be launched their way.
Alcest – Shelter
I imagine most of the people who find their way onto my blog would remember Alcest from their post-black metal early albums. Over the last few years however, much like a growing number of their contemporaries, Alcest have found themselves leaning closer and closer to the post part of their sound and in turn leaving the black metal far behind. So if you are reading this due to your interest in black metal it might be better to look away now. As in it’s wake they have become a shoe gazing post rock band, the likes of whom generate an aura of cool that I’ve never quite understood. Continue reading “Alcest – Shelter”
Ramblings About Wrestling 