Author: Team Uber

Gallows Circus – ‘II’ EP (Self-Released)

Gallows Circus – ‘II’ EP (Self-Released)

Posted by | Oct 22, 2020 | ,

To be honest, Monk hadn’t come across Kent quartet Gallows Circus until this, their second EP (as if you hadn’t guessed from the title) popped into the inbox here at ÜRHQ a week or so back. Given that it came from one of the few PR agents whose judgement the boss man trust almost implicitly – one who doesn’t send out any oul’ shite willy-nilly, but targets us journalists with stuff he genuinely believes we will like (or at least give an honest listen) – he had no qualms about checking out his latest recommendation…

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Indie Place – ‘Persistent Visions’ EP (Freemood/Heavy Load/Tanzan Music)

Indie Place – ‘Persistent Visions’ EP (Freemood/Heavy Load/Tanzan Music)

Posted by | Oct 22, 2020 | ,

Despite what their name might suggest, Indie Place are actually a heavy metal band – more precisely, one in the classic NWoBHM-meets-West Coast classic rock trope – which is why they caught our attention here at ÜRHQ. The brainchild of Italian guitarist/producer/songwriter Gianfranco Previ, they seek to appeal to a wider, international audience by virtue of the fact that they have an American singer, Aiden (no surname, no pack drill with this boy), which means that you don’t have to battle with what can sometimes be impenetrable vocal accents…

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Freaks And Clowns – ‘Justice Elite’ (Metalville)

Freaks And Clowns – ‘Justice Elite’ (Metalville)

Posted by | Oct 22, 2020 | ,

We’re fairly used to dealing with freaks and clowns here at ÜRHQ. In fact, it’s something of an occupational hazard, and we’ve had to deal with our fair share of them over the years. However, one set which we encountered around this time last year was this band of the same name, to whom we took an immediate liking, thanks to their highly impressive debut album.

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Skálmöld – ‘10 Year Anniversary – Live in Reykjavik’ (Napalm Records)

Skálmöld – ‘10 Year Anniversary – Live in Reykjavik’ (Napalm Records)

Posted by | Oct 22, 2020 | ,

Seven years ago, Skálmöld released what is possibly Jonny Bakes’ favourite live album of all time when they teamed up the Icelandic Symphonic Orchestra for a series of tour dates. It was at this point that he was absolutely sold and a couple years later he was fortunate enough to catch them at Hammerfest (even if he had snapped his ankle on the first night of the festival). It was clear then that Skálmöld are an absolute live force to be reckoned with, so when I caught wind of their new tenth anniversary live album, there was no way JB could turn down the opportunity to check it out. ..

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Raven – ‘Metal City’ (Steamhammer/SPV)

Raven – ‘Metal City’ (Steamhammer/SPV)

Posted by | Oct 21, 2020 | ,

It is comforting to know that, in these troubled and uncertain times, there are some things we can rely on. Not least of these is that the Gallagher brothers (no, not those ones) will continue to produce solid heavy metal albums and fly the flag for the NWoBHM and its abiding core values for as long as they have blood in their veins and breath in their bodies. And, while it may have been five long years since they presented us with one, that is what they continue to do with this new album, which sees us taking a welcome trip into the back alleys and sewers of the aptly named ‘Metal City’.

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