October 5, 2016 by Rich Castle • Reviews • Tags: Australia, Counting/Relief, Heart Beach • 0 Comments
A 7-inch vinyl gem has cropped up from the Land down Under. It is brought to us by Australia’s own Heart Beach, and “Counting” is two-and-one-half minutes of pure joy. The B-52s or The Replacements would be a good touchstone to get you more in touch with the fun reverb-laden sound that beats down on […]
October 5, 2016 by Rich Castle • Reviews • Tags: Heavy Metal, Into The Fire, Iron Curtain • 0 Comments
Iron Curtain have thrust out of the gate with this new raging pure Heavy Metal number on Pure Steel Records. A combination of Loudness, early Helloween, and prime Rainbow, “Into The Fire” is a towering tumultuous, turbo-charged attack on the senses. The lead guitar work burns with intensity and sparkles with perfection. Taken from the […]
October 5, 2016 by Rich Castle • Reviews • Tags: Fornace, My Journey Is Ending But The Torment Will Be Eternal • 0 Comments
Sometimes a record is released that truly must slowly seep up from the underground; a cult release, per se. Fornace are just such a band. With 6 songs clocking in for a duration of 51:29, this band from the exotic locale of Casale, Monferrato, in Alessandria (Piedmont) is a true throwback to old Abruptum and […]
October 4, 2016 by Rich Castle • Reviews • Tags: Heavy Metal, Opeth, Sorceress • 0 Comments
There are just some bands that can’t and shouldn’t try to NOT be so Metallic, (as in Heavy Metal), as they once were so ably. Opeth are an aggressive beast and function best as such. Compare “Sorceress”, the title track, from the new Opeth opus — “Sorceress” — to “In Mist She Was Standing” (from […]
October 4, 2016 by Rich Castle • Reviews • Tags: Doom Metal, Supersargasso, Taak • 0 Comments
Taak’s is back on the world scene with “Supersargasso”, 4 years on from the “Rist Viletsuse Teel” LP opus. The Urgic Doom Metal powerhouse takes listeners on a time and mind, bending/twisting/turning journey with more than of hint of good old fashioned Hard Rock poking through in the songs. Supersargasso propels fans, new and old […]
October 4, 2016 by Rich Castle • Reviews • Tags: Germany, Heavy Metal, Prison of Pain • 0 Comments
A huge dollop of Grooving Southern Heavy Metal from the Rhineland! Why not. Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, two years ago, is when this quintet first congealed. They are lead in battle by the chrome-domed Pete Stone, who muscularly propels the band. “The Witch”, as the song is called, which is seasonally apt both for Oktoberfest and Halloween, […]
October 3, 2016 by Rich Castle • Reviews • Tags: Alternative, Circadian Clock, New York, Sick • 0 Comments
Psithurismically speaking, Circadian Clock, have sailed into a brand new breezy and cool day like the Fabreze of Rock n Roll that they are. Dualistically able to sound wild and fancy free with their self-assessed “Ridiculous Rock” style lending depth to their tried-and-true consistent take on Alternative (Rock), Circadian Clock are a band whose time […]
September 29, 2016 by Rich Castle • Reviews • Tags: Bronx, Ghetto Rap, New York City, Quay Dash, Satanic, Transgender, Transphobic • 0 Comments
Satanic Transgender Ghetto Rap, anybody? From the dank project-littered streets — where the cockroaches are often bigger than the gangsta homies — of Bronx County, New York City, comes Quay Dash. The self-proclaimed M-I-C holding “Queen of NY”, Quay has thrust herself and her very direct brand of Rap into the spotlight on the strength of […]
September 29, 2016 by Rich Castle • Reviews • Tags: Freya, Grim, New York • 0 Comments
It should take only one listen to Freya track, “The Alchemist” — easily accessible on Soundcloud to understand that these boys’ take on Metal (Heavy!) is way deadly! And way cool. Mind-bendingly heavy, at that. Freya bursts forth with a collection of “Grim” battle pieces. Freya hails from the fertile mountainscape of Upstate, New York. […]
Itasca – No Consequence
October 5, 2016 by Rich Castle • Reviews • Tags: Itasca, Kayla Cohen, No Consequence • 0 Comments
Itasca’s album is called “Open To Chance”, and it is Kayla Cohen’s first foray with a full band to buffet her Judy-Collins-versus-Joni-Mitchell, easy-breezy song-stylings. Let me, firstly, give Itasca’s novice listeners a heads up: Don’t expect a booming, basso sultry-toned voice ala Hope Sandoval and you won’t be disappointed. Cohen is a simple woman. One […]
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