With not only a dreaded gig clash, but two album launch shows some 50 miles or so apart, the ÜRHQ team had no choice but to split themselves in two, with The Dark Queen flying solo and heading into the hills of County Antrim to see if Gasoline Outlaws could light up a dark and dreary Saturday evening,never mind her world…
Read More
Monk has great admiration for bands who make the conscious decision not to make things easy for themselves but opt instead to push themselves to the limits. It would be so easy at the likes of, say, an album launch show, to assemble a relatively safe and staid undercard, in order to make you look as absolutely good as possible. But, Ketos have always striven to take themselves to the next level, and so it was no surprise that they brought along two of the most consistently intense and impressive live acts on the island of Ireland to make this one of THE “must see” metal bills of the year in this corner of the Überverse.
Read More
Despite having been kicking around the boot of Europe for more than three decades now, Italian metallians (sic) Extrema only came to the attention of ÜRHQ last month, when their declaration that they were doing what they do ‘For The Loved And The Lost’ won them a much coveted stool at the Singles Club bar. That, of course, was the lead track from what is, unbelievably, their seventh studio album (they’ve also released three EPs, two live albums and a retrospective compilation in their 32-year long recording career), ‘Headbanging Forever’ – and a more appropriately monickered opus you will not cross paths with this year, as it basically summarizes everything this band is about.
Read More
Danish five-piece Aphyxion have come back with their third album ‘Void’. The new release represents 11 tracks of the bands brand of melodic death metal. Since their formation in 2007, the band have earned wide spread critical acclaim and a large fan base. 2014 saw the debut album ‘Earth Entangled’ then follow up ‘Aftermath’ in 2016. Their rise in popularity has seen them support the likes of Metallica and become the youngest band to play Wacken Open Air. With hefty praise already earned and earmarked as saviours of melodic death metal, there is certainly pressure on for them to deliver. Aphyxion are being watched closely, will ‘Void’ be the album to send them even higher?
Read More
As they prepare to head to the UK and Ireland for a string of dates later this month, Oh Sees are again raiding their back catalogue, with the re-issue of the 2006 EP ‘Grave Blockers’ – originally released under the name of The Oh Sees – via Castle Face Records on 10 June.
Read More