Author: Team Uber

REPEAT, REWIND: Our Favourite Re-Releases Of 2021

REPEAT, REWIND: Our Favourite Re-Releases Of 2021

Posted by | Dec 31, 2021 | ,

Re-issues of classic albums have always been a staple of any record company’s release schedule. Often appearing to mark the anniversary of the original appearance of a specific album, they afford bands and fans alike to look back at particular moments in musical history. They also are valuable ways of introducing new fans to discover often long-lost gems which missed the first time around – or classic albums that were released long before they were born and therefore have only heard about in the myths and stories told by their older counterparts. Three of our top ninja reviewers look back on this past year and share what classic re-releases have brought a nostalgic tear to their eyes and re-ignited their memory cells as to what attracted them to the original albums in the first place.

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EXTENDED PLAY: Our Favourite Bite-Sized Morsels of Musical Mayhem

EXTENDED PLAY: Our Favourite Bite-Sized Morsels of Musical Mayhem

Posted by | Dec 31, 2021 | ,

For many years, the EP – or ‘Extended Player’, to give it its full title – was a criminally overlooked format. But, in recent years, it has made something of a deserved comeback, as bands face the challenge of continually producing new material but often not being able to commit to the cost of, or time to, recording full-length albums. They have been especially important over the past 22 months of on-and-off-on-again lockdowns and restrictions, as the format has enabled artists to snatch valuable moments of recording time to get new product out to their fans and keep their profiles raised.

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Power Paladin – ‘With The Magic Of Windfyre Steel’ (Atomic Fire Records)

Power Paladin – ‘With The Magic Of Windfyre Steel’ (Atomic Fire Records)

Posted by | Dec 30, 2021 | ,

When one thinks of Icelandic metal acts, one’s mind is perhaps drawn to bands at the more extreme end of the spectrum, bands inspired by the country’s deserted volcanic wastelands, freezing winds and the all-embracing darkness of the long winters, as well as the darker aspects of the island’s history and mythos. The happy-go-lucky, smile-inducing shred fests of power metal would probably be the last aspect of the musical canon to come to the forefront of our thoughs… Well, these six paladins of all things gloriously OTT are out to change that perception with this, their debut offering (which is also the first album to be released on the newly constituted Atomic Fire label).

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Shotgun Facelift – ‘Dakota Blood Stampede’ (Eclipse Records)

Shotgun Facelift – ‘Dakota Blood Stampede’ (Eclipse Records)

Posted by | Dec 29, 2021 | ,

Preparing to celebrate their tenth anniversary as a musical entity – although only lead guitarist Damien Goulet has lasted the intervening years to drive the project forward to this, their second full-length album – Shotgun Facelift took the approach of recording live in the studio to its ultimate limit: every one of the ten tracks was laid down with the band all playing together – and if one of them fucked up, then they merely started from the beginning again…

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Feuerschwanz – ‘Memento Mori’ (Nuclear Blast)

Feuerschwanz – ‘Memento Mori’ (Nuclear Blast)

Posted by | Dec 28, 2021 | ,

When it is at its best, power metal, by its very nature, is gloriously bombastic, gloriously OTT, gloriously pompous – and gloriously cheesy. And, in terms of current purveyors of the genre, they don’t come any more gloriously bombastic, gloriously OTT, gloriously pompous – and gloriously cheesy – than Teutonic titans Feuerschwanz, who have become firm favourites here at ÜRHQ since our paths first crossed a little more than 18 months ago – during which time they have twice won our coveted ‘Video Of Week’ title with their equally glorious, and massively tongue-in-cheek, visual presentations.

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