Category Archives: Album Reviews

Capsule reviews of albums

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock

Hawkwind – Hall Of The Mountain Grill (Album Review)

4 Comments
Hawkwind – Hall Of The Mountain Grill (United Artists Records 1974)

Despite being a mellower and more conventionally “prog” album, with a soundscape reminiscent of Pink Floyd and mellotron-laden King Crimson, 1974’s Hall Of The Mountain Grill is one of my favourite Hawkwind albums and a great place to start if you’re new to these dystopian space rockers. Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke) is worth the price of admission alone: the band at their anarchic, street-level best. And Lemmy fans will enjoy hearing an early, pub-rocking take on future Motörhead tune Lost Johnny.

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal

Gary Moore – Run For Cover (Album Review)

7 Comments
Gary Moore – Run For Cover (10/Virgin 1985)

Gary Moore had a good voice but never quite at the same level as his fiery guitar playing so on 1985’s Run For Cover he enlists two legendary, but troubled, vocalists to help out. “Voice Of Rock” Glenn Hughes lends his powerful, soulful singing to four songs, most notably the classy Reach For The Sky which could have fit right in on his superb 1982 album Hughes/Thrall. And then Moore’s old Lizzy pal Phil Lynott basically steals the show with his larger-than-life presence: duetting on bullet-strewn hit Out In The Fields and contributing his own thumpingly macho, but characteristically vulnerable, Military Man. I enjoy the whole album but it’s these guest appearances that make Run For Cover a favourite.

My copy is from this box set. Good music, crappy packaging!
Album Reviews, Death Metal, Genre

Incantation – Onward To Golgotha (Album Review)

8 Comments
Incantation – Onward To Golgotha (Relapse Records 1992)

Immolation, Suffocation and Incantation, the big three of death metal’s “-tion” bands, are all equally deserving of umm… adulation. But these days it’s Incantation I’m enjoying the most. I’ve had their 1992 debut Onward To Golgotha on CD for years but when I saw this vinyl reissue in Edinburgh last week I had to pick it up. This is a churning, subterranean take on Morbid Angel style death metal, more concerned with blasphemy than gore. Over 30 years since it was released, it still sounds impressively brutal and atmospheric. So if you like your death metal dank and cavernous you should give Onward To Golgotha your undivided attention.

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Doom Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal

Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (Album Review)

15 Comments
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (Vertigo 1970)

Each one of the first six Black Sabbath albums has enjoyed a spell as my favourite Sabs record. At the moment though, it’s the groundbreaking 1970 debut that takes the top spot. The evil riffing is timeless, Ozzy’s voice sounds uniquely mournful and I love every note of Tony Iommi jamming away on The Warning while everyone else has nipped to the pub. And, in case the cover’s upside-down cross, haunted watermill and iconic magical, mystical woman aren’t Hammer Horror enough for you, Black Sabbath captures the Brummies at their most atmospheric and spooky musically too. Making it my Sabs of choice this Winter.

Back cover of my copy – the Sanctuary 2009 deluxe vinyl edition

The gatefold with upside-down cross!
Album Reviews, Black Metal, Genre

Marduk – Panzer Division Marduk (Album Review)

8 Comments

Marduk – Panzer Division Marduk (Osmose Productions 1999)

What did Hitler say to Marduk before they got in the tank? “Get in the tank, Marduk!”

On Panzer Division Marduk, the long-running Swedish black metallers wage satanic war on subtlety, variety, Jesus and the entire human race. Released in 1999, it’s the band’s most notorious and polarizing release. Essential listening, in other words. I think Marduk released better albums before and after this one but there’s something uniquely invigorating about Panzer Division Marduk‘s scorched earth assault. So get in the tank!

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Hard Rock

Magnum – Vigilante (Album Review)

2 Comments

Magnum – Vigilante (1986 – Polydor)

The “My Little Unicorn” artwork isn’t the only thing about Magnum’s Vigilante that will have you exclaiming “ermagherd!” There’s a whole bunch of the band’s best tunes here: the hard-rocking title track; the passionate Midnight (You Won’t Be Sleeping); the sublime anti-war ballad Need A Lot Of Love; and When The World Comes Down, the winter warmer single that should have been a Xmas number one! Shame it was released in February. Queen’s Roger Taylor produced this 1986 album and his 80s pop sheen might not be for everyone, but the songs are pomp rock heaven.

Album Reviews, Black Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock

Enslaved – Vertebrae (Album Review)

3 Comments

Enslaved – Vertebrae [2008 – Indie Recordings]
Enslaved have a ton of impressive albums to choose from, and I own them all, but 2008’s underrated Vertebrae has always been my favourite. It’s a genuinely brilliant mix of mellow prog and black metal frost. It also doesn’t hurt that it was the first album of theirs that I heard. The Norwegian band’s discography is varied and challenging so it’s always tempting to just return to the album I’ve listened to the most and know best. It’s also the Enslaved album that I have bought the most copies of. In order of purchase I’ve picked up the fold-out digipak version, a box set with a bonus live disc and also the 2019 reissue with bonus covers of Rush and King Crimson tunes (a meh Earthshine and a pretty good Red, in case you’re wondering). If you like both of those bands and fancy adding a bit of extremity to your listening then Vertebrae is a great place to start.

The 2009 Box Set with essential patch and lanyard!

The 2019 remaster/reissue

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal

The Wildhearts – The Wildhearts (Album Review)

10 Comments
The Wildhearts – The Wildhearts (Round Records – 2018 Deluxe 2CD Reissue)

The thing I enjoy the most about The Wildhearts is the thing they do where they’ll be playing a song but then take off in all sorts of directions, riffing all over the place until you wonder if they’ll ever find the song again. Other bands do this but The Wildhearts are just so good at it that I associate it with them. To be honest, I occasionally enjoy these mid-song rifferamas more than the songs that spawned them. But that’s not a problem on 2007’s gleefully aggressive The Wildhearts. My favourite albums of theirs since its release, every song is a gem and practically every song veers off into a roller coaster ride of riffs. Heartily recommended.

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock

Budgie – Never Turn Your Back On A Friend (Album Review)

15 Comments

Budgie – Never Turn Your Back On A Friend (MCA 1973)

Budgie’s third album is a classic of early metal, mostly on the strength of its bookending tracks. The speedy, rifftastic opener (and future Metallicover) Breadfan and the monumental closer Parents make Never Turn Your Back On A Friend a must-hear and a great gateway into the Welsh band. My main gripe is the shite album title. I reckon that with that artwork they should have called it “Smuggler”. A wasted opportunity.

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock

Thin Lizzy – Thin Lizzy (Album Review)

8 Comments

Thin Lizzy – Thin Lizzy (1971)

They’d go on to be one of the most definitive, life-affirming rock acts of the 70s but on their 1971 debut, Thin Lizzy seemed more nostalgic for the 60s. Lizzy mainstays Phil Lynott and Brian Downey together with original guitarist Eric Bell formed a power trio in the mould of Hendrix, Cream and The Jeff Beck Group and played an eclectic mix of folky, funky and soulful hippy rock. Honesty Is No Excuse is a sophisticated string-laden ballad, Look What The Wind Blew In has a carefree chorus and wonderful stuttering riff, Eire is a beautiful Celtic ode and Return Of The Farmer’s Son has hints of future glories in its jousting guitar and rolling drums. But many of the songs here, like the endless Diddy Levine, prove forgettable and even the album’s rockiest moments have a maudlin, nostalgic mood. All this makes Thin Lizzy a decent choice for hungover Sunday afternoons. But you know what Lizzy albums you were listening to on the Saturday and this wasn’t one of them.