Author: UberAdmin

Carousel Kings – ‘Plus Ultra’ (Victory Records)

Carousel Kings – ‘Plus Ultra’ (Victory Records)

Posted by | May 22, 2019 | ,

For most people, pop-punk has a very specific time in their life to which it is closely connected. It brings to mind the years right around age 16 and usually the highlights of those years even if most of that time sucked. Back when you would lock your door and play your music too loud and just shut out the world for a while. Or when you are leaning against your locker and that girl you have been too afraid to talk to decides to say hello to you first. It was probably what you listened to two months later when you were getting over her dumping you for the guy with a nicer car. It is the escape from the crap that is your teenage years and later it becomes the highlights that lets you see the good that was there even if it was hidden back then. It reminds you of the lessens you learned to become who you are today. ‘Plus Ultra’ does tick all the boxes bringing to mind all the right feelings but without all the passion. It feels like it has added very little to the overall genre.

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War Curse – ‘Eradication’ (Svart)

War Curse – ‘Eradication’ (Svart)

Posted by | May 22, 2019 | ,

At first glance, War Curse didn’t do a whole lot to impress us. ‘Eradication,’ their second full length, came across as just another generic thrash record, one of hundreds that have emerged in the last decade waving the flag for the Bay Area template. Sure, they won a few points by sharing a name with a Kreator song but otherwise seemed destined to disappear into the over-cluttered “re-thrash” scene from which they’d emerged.

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Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses Northern Ireland Final – Belfast, Voodoo – 17 May 2019

Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses Northern Ireland Final – Belfast, Voodoo – 17 May 2019

Posted by | May 21, 2019 | , ,

In what proved to be the most tightly contested battle in the history of the competition, it was a case of third time lucky for Belfast-based groove crüe Lock Horns as they stormed to an extremely well-deserved victory in this year’s Northern Ireland leg of the annual Metal 2 The Masses competition to win a coveted spot at this year’s Bloodstock Open Air festival. Not that they had an easy ride, both in terms of their own performances and the sheer quality of the opposition which they faced, both throughout the competition and on this spectacular night of heavy metal beatdowns par excellence.

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Diviner – ‘Realms of Time’ (Ulterium Records)

Diviner – ‘Realms of Time’ (Ulterium Records)

Posted by | May 21, 2019 | ,

Formed in 2011, Greece based five-piece Diviner have come forward with ‘Realms of Time’. Ten power metal tracks form the follow up to 2015’s ‘Fallen Empires’. Lead single ‘Heaven Falls’ has been earning attention with an accompanying music video. Their blend of powerful melody driven metal mixes in dark, heavy undertones and has been transferred to the bands live sound further earning them a strong fanbase and critical acclaim. Diviner are looking to expand on a solid foundation built upon their debut release and live shows, does ‘Realms of Time’ have the power to take Diviner further?

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Dyrmoon – ‘Umbra Perpetua’ (Self-Released)

Dyrmoon – ‘Umbra Perpetua’ (Self-Released)

Posted by | May 21, 2019 | ,

Dyrmoon are a mysterious new black metal project from Belfast, made up of just two members – Tempest on guitars, bass and programming, and Valtiel on vocals and samples – who coalesced around this time last year to bring the darkness to the heart of their native city (not that it needs much more of that, as it can be pretty grim here even at the best of times). From the scant information they have published online, ‘Umbra Perpetua’, which roughly translates as ‘Eternal Darkness’, if Monk’s memory of high school Latin serves him right, is “the second of three atmospheric projects” from the duo, with more apparently in the pipeline…

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