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N.E.W. Metal Productions All Dayer – Nov 2025

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N.E.W. Metal Productions All Dayer

22nd November 2025

Mcleans Pub, Pentre, Deeside North Wales

Saturday night, and I was off to another Leo Sayer (that’s an All Dayer) at Mcleans Pub In Pentre, Deeside. North East Wales Metal Productions have been getting pretty regular hosting these events recently, and I didn’t want to miss this one. Seven bands of the Rock/Metal variety were on the bill, only one had played this venue before, so things were looking promising.

I wanted to get to Mcleans from the start to see the first band, Onion Mash. Intrigued by the name, I wasn’t sure if they were a comedy band or experimental nutters. They were neither. Onion Mash were a very capable Hard Rock five piece, and not silly at all! Solid musicianship and excellent female vocals provided a thoroughly enjoyable set. Onion Mash seemed a little concerned they weren’t “Heavy” enough – no need to worry, they added further variety to a stacked bill.

Onion Mash

Another somewhat different band name was on the stage next: Napierdalać. That may be Polish, it certainly stands out and is very cool. As a band described as “Symphonic, Blackened Death Metal” these guys shouldn’t have been able to set my church on fire, but I actually really enjoyed them. More old school Venom than I’d anticipated, Napierdalać played an outstanding set with their cheeky, confident stage presence and quality playing. Thoroughly evil and thoroughly good at the same time.

Napierdalać

Rattlesnakes are a young band with their feet firmly in the traditional metal of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon and the like. Their early 80s sound was phenomenal, every note, every chord, every crash of the drums was perfect and played with an obvious joy and real talent. Then you have the voice: female vocals again this evening, and OH MY GOD this woman has the skills beyond skills! A sneaky Dio cover was irrefutable proof. Rattlesnakes live were an event – everyone loved them and if they don’t go far, this world is a disgrace.

Rattlesnakes

I’m hit and miss with Metalcore, but if Gnawing Hunger are a Metalcore band, then I’m a convert. These brawlers from Brum have enough classic metal riffs to get the blood flowing, melded to tight rhythms and a Hardcore intensity. With a new drummer and guitarist in place, they were all the same pretty damn tight. Ferocious fun, but sadly the crowd was too thin for a mosh pit! Hopefully Gnawing Hunger will return.

Gnawing Hunger

The only band on the bill that I was familiar with was Omega Throne, who played Pentre Fest in 2024. Very impressive previously, I thought I knew what t o expect from this band, but Omega Throne have developed nicely since then. Still brutal and uncompromising, they’ve developed some groove along with their Thrash/Death/Black Metal and are all the better for it – there are even more textures to their lethal sound. Performed with clear emotion and conviction, this set was unmissable.

Omega Throne

The Machinist are well loved by Ever Metal (Dark Juan, take a bow) but they were a new listen for yours truly. I was looking forward to hearing what all the fuss was about, and these guys pretty much ambushed me and kicked my ribs in. Black/Death Metal dragged through a filthy factory of Industrial tension, The Machinist are a law unto themselves. There’s even glimpses of melody amongst the dense noise. I think they threatened to physically harm me if this review wasn’t positive, but no worries there: honestly, a tour de force set.

The Machinist

The initial surprise I had at first sight of the final act, Foul Body Autopsy, didn’t last long. As the headliner, I wasn’t expecting a one man show – but this was far from Extreme Metal karaoke. The guy has serious chops! Perfectly in sync with backing tracks, the lead guitar was ridiculously technical – but more importantly, Foul Body Autopsy has RIFFS! Riff after stinking, fat, nasty riff, to be precise. An illuminating and impressive one man show, Foul Body Autopsy brought the evening to a triumphant end.

Foul Body Autopsy

And that’s it for November at Mcleans. but I’ll be back soon for more. And if you can get there, please do: N.E.W. Metal Productions work really hard to put these gigs on, and bands travel from all over the country – so if you can support them, please do. Ten quid for seven bands of this variety and quality? You’d be crazy not to.

The Halloween Horror Fest Must Die

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Happy Halloween, folks! Here are a few more spooky movie reviews, hope you enjoy!

The Beast Must Die (1974)

A departure from the more familiar horror anthology tales produced by Amicus, The Beast Must Die is an interesting curiosity. We meet a millionaire big game hunter, keen to bag himself the prize of a lifetime: a werewolf. Hence he invites a group of guests, all of whom could be suspected to be a lycanthrope, to his sprawling mansion with its high security.

Only one of them is a werewolf – can you guess which one in the “Werewolf Break”?

The break is a thirty second countdown, allowing a brief pause for the audience to decide for themselves which of the guests is the werewolf, before all is revealed. And yes, it actually appears in the film. An odd gimmick, but there you go.

The film actually plays more like a detective story, or episode of a 1970s television thriller. As such, there are plenty of opportunities for some real suspense and jumpy horror that are squandered. But with a great cast including Peter Cushing, Charles Gray and Michael Gambon, this is still worth checking out. The Beast Must Die is a definite watch for any fan of 70’s British horror, like me.

8/10

Wolf Creek (2005)

Now if the snakes, spiders, sharks and God knows what else aren’t enough to put you off visiting Australia, then there’s always the deranged Outback serial killers.

In Wolf Creek, some typically annoying young studenty backpackers are travelling across the mundane wasteland when they run into some psycho called Mick Taylor (John Jarratt). Although he promises to help them with a broken down car, turns out Mick isn’t really very nice. What follows is a shocking and disturbing account of what can only be termed torture porn, as the kids try desperately to escape the clutches of the cork hat maniac.

Wolf Creek is actually a well made film, featuring some very good performances. It’s extremely tense and downright nasty. If you can deal with that, this film is definitely worth a watch. The viewer can’t help but empathise with the kids and imagine themselves being in such a horrific situation. But the plot is kinda obvious and unfulfilling in the end, a bit like an episode of Neighbours.

So, what’s the moral of this particular story? Don’t go to Australia.

7.5/10

The Fly (1958)

Not the crappy David Cronenberg remake, this is the original 1958 classic sci-fi horror starring the legendary Vincent Price. The story unfolds of Price’s brother, Andre (David Hedison), a scientific genius, and his sadly disastrous experiment with matter transferral.

After some initial success, Andre eventually goes too far in his explorations, as a rogue house fly enters the matter transmitter with him. The result is a gruesome hybrid of the human being and a fly, and the race is on to try to reverse the process before the scientist loses all trace of humanity.

This brilliantly clever film is also very touching, as the brilliant scientist and his family are subjected to terrible events that they cannot escape. Great performances, of course, and a bizarre twist in the tale make this first version of The Fly the definitive version. Absolutely unmissable.

9.5/10

Halloween Horror Fest of Frankenstein

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Groovy title, eh?  I know “Son of Halloween Horror Fest” would’ve made more sense, but I’ve used that title already.  I could’ve gone with “Son of Halloween Horror Fest 2025”, but that’s boring.  So we are where we are.  Here are the reviews…

Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Classic Universal horror, and what a cast!  Following on from Bride of Frankenstein, in this story the studio attempt to spin the franchise out with another sequel.

Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone), son of the legendary baron and obsessed scientist, returns with his family to their ancestral home after years in exile.  The locals give them a somewhat frosty reception, as the memory of the carnage wrought by the elder Frankenstein’s creature (Boris Karloff) still haunts them.

Wolf is concerned with saving the family reputation, but when he stumbles across Ygor (Bela Lugosi), a revenge crazed outcast, things can only go downhill.  Old Ygor knows where the creature is, and despite clashing objectives, he and Wolf will attempt to revive the creature again…

Although the narrative is becoming very obvious by this point in the series, this sequel is watchable for many reasons.  It looks fantastic in black and white, the shadowy sets full of secrets and menace.  And the cast are superb, though Karloff’s creature is outshone by Lugosi in a very memorable roll.

Not a patch on it’s predecessor, Son of Frankenstein is still a thoroughly enjoyable old school horror yarn.

8.5/10

Casper (1995)

More family friendly fun now, but this film really is a stinker.  Based on the old comic strip about a friendly ghost and his three horrible uncles, it starts off as well intentioned before going off the tracks.

An obnoxious, rich brat has been left a rundown, haunted mansion in her father’s will.  It’s the haunted mansion occupied by Casper and chums, obvs.  A “paranormal therapist” played by Bill Pullman is eventually tasked with sorting out the spooks, so that the vile new owner can claim some lost treasure that’s apparently hidden away there.

Bill brings along his daughter Kat, played by Christina Ricci.  Both of them have unaddressed issues following the death of Kat’s mother.  Casper has a crush on Kat (of course) and hilarity ensues (not) as they try to tame the spooks, and other stuff.

The CGI animated Casper looks really cute, and there are some amusing moments occasionally (Eric Idle, in a supporting role, is great).  But the tone is ruined by some truly ghastly additions like a machine that brings spirits back to life, and a completely unnecessary back story for Casper.

The attitude to death in this film is just plain weird, and distasteful.  Don’t worry kids, people die and become ghosts, then become people again!  This mash up of cutesy characters and flippant attitude is both odd and disrespectful.

3/10

Halloween Horror Fest Out of Space

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More Halloween friendly movies for your enjoyment – here’s Part 2 of our 2025 reviews!

Color Out Of Space (2019)

Based on the H.P. Lovecraft short story The Color Out of Space, this film attempts to create an authentic retelling in modern times. While it’s not totally derived from the source material, it makes a decent job of reimagining it for a new audience.

Nicholas Cage plays Nathan Gardner, who has relocated with his family from the city to his father’s farm in a remote New England area.  One night, a mysterious meteorite falls from the sky, bathing everything in a strange, indescribable colour. 

Very soon afterwards, things start to get weird for the Gardner family.  Unusual plants and insects begin to appear, electronic devices go haywire, and the family begin to lose the plot.  And with daughter Lavinia playing around with the dreaded book, the Necronomicon, things can only get worse…

I can’t decide if Color Out of Space is just “good” or really excellent.  As events spiral out of control, the film goes from unsettling to downright grotesque.  Cage’s performance is vintage Cage, crashing into an unhinged state.

But the sound design, music score and glorious photography make this film an unnerving experience.  Add in some nods to Lovecraft’s existential cosmic horror and you get a very disturbing, nihilistic film.  You’ll either love this film or be completely unmoved by it.  I loved it.

8.5/10

Scooby Doo (2002)

After the warped intensity of Lovecraft, it’s time for a change of pace!  And what could be better than some Scooby Doo?  The old Hanna  Barbera cartoon was a childhood gateway to all things spooky for me and many, many others – so Scoob and the gang are totally appropriate Halloween viewing.

This live action film sees the animation come vividly to life.  Though the human characters are actors, Scooby Doo is CGI so everything feels like the cartoon transposed into the real world.

Tensions are high within Mystery Inc, leading to the gang going their separate ways.  Shaggy (perfectly played by Matthew Lillard) is still paired with Scoob, and they find themselves invited to a tropical resort to solve a mystery.  Their erstwhile comrades have also been asked to attend, so slowly Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Velma (Linda Cardellini) find themselves working together again.

The casting is spot on for this film, though some of the character’s foibles have been exaggerated from the original cartoon depictions.  The Scooby Doo film is silly, but its great fun for kids of all ages – if the older “kids” can just go with the flow and enjoy it.

7/10

North West Doom Fest – Part 2

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North West Doom Fest 

4th – 5th April 2025 

The Saddle, Chester 

Saturday 5th April 

Following a blinder of an evening’s entertainment for Day the First of North West Doom Fest, I was rested and ready to go for Saturday.  Beginning at an earlier time in the afternoon, I unfortunately missed the first band of the bill, Hand of Omega, who played while I was still travelling into town.  Sincere apolgies for this to all, I must catch them again sometime. 

Arriving at the Saddle, the festivities were well and truly underway already.  A decent sized crowd were in attendance in the rear courtyard, cradling beers and nursing themselves back to full health.  There was no downer atmos that I could discern at all  however, everyone seemed amped for the music ahead. 

Moss Valley were the first band of the day that I actually got to see, and they were pretty damn good.  This three piece straddled a retro seventies vibe with added desert rock Kyuss stylings.  Great riffs and warm female vocals adding to the melodies, Moss Valley really made a huge impression.  It’s tough to pick favourites at an event like this, but MV were definitely contenders. 

https://www.facebook.com/mossvalleyband/

Up next we had a visit from the Pagan lords of the north, Sabbat Wolf.  This Leeds based band featured exemplary musicianship, again with a commanding female vocalist.  What I enjoyed here were the Sabbath worshipping riffs augmented by beautifully tuneful, mellow passages that reminded me of Pink Floyd.  Sabbat Wolf really stood out with these psychedelic flourishes and their unashamed occult theme – their song ‘Pagan Bloody Pagan’ tells you all you need to know! 

https://www.facebook.com/sabbatwolf/

Warpstormer had travelled up from Londonium to the ancient, walled city of Chester. These guys mix full throttle Metal with their Doom, think Orange Goblin rocking out at their trippiest.  It’s a Stoner Metal attack that could have been related somewhere to Entombed or Motorhead, but had enough power and groove to fit in perfectly at this gig. Warpstomer were real crowd pleasers and also really nice guys. 

https://www.facebook.com/Warpstormer/

Get your flat caps on and forget your fear of heights, it’s time for Shred Dibnah!  The world’s premier Steeple Jack Rock band graced the stage of NW Doom Fest, amid clouds of smoke and a pummelling performance.  With a portable chimney on stage belching out clouds, Shred Dibnah demolished the audience with roaming riffs and contrasting mellow sections that added to the hypnotic drill. 

https://www.facebook.com/shreddibnah/?locale=en_GB

Borehead were the next band of the day, and again a different take on the Doom template.  In contrast to other bands, these Londoners were largely instrumental – except for some weird and wonderful samples – with slow, fuzzy riffs more spaced out than Buck Rogers on a Venusian hookah pipe.  Cerebral stuff that you’d assume would be better appreciated on headphones with some refreshment, but it went over very well. 

https://www.facebook.com/boreheadofficial/

I was already familiar with the mighty Deathfiend – I caught them live a while back, and was happily smashed to pieces with their ferocious onslaught.  With elements of Death Metal and even Hardcore Punk in the Deathfiend sound, I wasn’t sure if they’d be too damn nasty for this festival, but they slotted right in neatly.  Outrageously heavy Doom riffs delivered with a fiery intensity, this band are a force to be reckoned with. 

https://www.facebook.com/DeathFiend1/?locale=en_GB

You know how sometimes you see a band that looks so cool, you want to join up?  Kill The Witch were that band at NW Doom Fest.  These guys meld together the Sludgiest of Stoner and Doom Metal, traversing varying tempos and styles but always remaining true to The Riff.  Roaring vocals top off a faster, more furious Sabbath sound that’s not without its clever invention and serpent-like surprises, throwing in some brutal hardcore along the way. 

https://www.facebook.com/killthewitchband/

Finishing off NW Doom Fest 2025 were the mighty Amon Acid. Another Yorkshire based band, their distorted Doom Metal was part Electric Wizard style occult Metal, with hypnotic, psychedelic passages added for kicks.  Yet again a different take on Doom with Hawkwind Space Rock and amazing Middle Eastern sounding passages seeping through the acid drenched fuzzy guitar, Amon Acid were a thoroughly entertaining musical experience, finishing the event in style. 

https://www.facebook.com/amonacidband/?locale=en_GB

And that, kids, was your lot.  Everything was wrapped up in a timely fashion so that the punters could make buses and trains home, all of us with beaming, happy faces – gorged on the joy of The Riff.  North West Doom Fest was a resounding success and I have to say I enjoyed every band I saw.  All of them had their own unique identities, whichever winding track they took from the original concept of Doom.  Cool venue, too.  Now I feel really stupid for not going last year.            

https://www.facebook.com/Thesaddleinnchester/?locale=en_GB

Pentre Fest 2025

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Pentre Fest 2025

Mclean’s Pub, Pentre, Deeside

Friday 21st & Saturday 22nd February 2025

Here we go with another Pentre Fest, the absolute highlight of my musical calendar! This is the crowning glory of North East Wales Metal Productions‘ festivals – and a huge deal to both the bands and the fans. I couldn’t wait to get to Mclean’s in Deeside and enjoy the music!

This year, another stellar line-up of bands from both near and far, with a good spread of genres. Ever Metal was in full force, with Beth and Mare joining myself for the festivities. With all of us in attendance, we split reporting duties to cover as much as possible as easily as we could.

And so, here are the reviews I composed all by my lonesome, concentrating on musicians that I wanted to contribute to (rather than all of them).

If you want to read the full review, try this here link to Ever Metal.

Friday 

Mother Thunder 

I saw Mother Thunder play in Pentre a few months back, they were superb.  This time around, they were even better.  MT play a hard hitting, groove laden take on classic rock/metal – think Thin Lizzy twin guitars with a bit of Maiden chug – and sublime female vocals.  Heavy rock with irresistible riffs, Mother Thunder lit up the room and could’ve (should’ve) been higher up the bill.  

Apollyon Rising 

Filling in last minute, Apollyon Rising were a man down as their bass player was on holiday in Morocco.  The selfish git.  But with a bit of soundboard wizardry, the remainder of the band confidently gave us a set of prime thrash metal that didn’t shame their reputation one iota.  I knew they could pull it off.  As a wise man once said, never doubt a band with a killer logo (and the talent to match). 

Saturday 

DXRK Winter 

Thankfully, I managed to catch the latter half of DXRK Winter’s set and I glad I did.  They were on first on the main stage in the afternoon, their brutal metal attack was brilliantly performed and went down really well with a crowd that could’ve been chilling, but didn’t.  A worthy act to play higher up the bill. 

Cry for Mercy 

You can’t go wrong with the blues based classic rock swagger of Cry for Mercy.  Great tunes, all built around the majesty of the riff and a persuasive groove.  I loved every second, it’s a shame they were on so early.  Never miss a chance to see Cry For Mercy if you get it.  Their new songs were just as good as old, new album is out soon! 

Victim of Damp 

Frank Williams, aka Victim of Damp, is becoming a popular mainstay of Pentre gigs.  His bipolar set comprises one half of mellow, hangover curing melody followed by a series of playful, Pythonesque parodies.  And he gets more confident every time. 

Bad Earth 

It just wouldn’t be Pentre Fest without these guys!  Bad Earth delivered a reliably ferocious set of raucous biker rock and despite sound hiccups on the first couple of songs, soldiered on admirably.  This was take-no-prisoners rock’n’roll to make Lemmy proud.  Their acoustic set was also a blinder, cooking up some awesome sing-a-long responses from the crowd outside. 

Mike West & the Missing Links 

It’s been a good few years since I saw Mike West play a solo acoustic show at Pentre.  Mike’s brand of dark country and bluegrass is now augmented by a band of drums and fiddle, adding a certain folky, Levellers feel to the tracks.  A brilliant diversion under the surprisingly blue skies of the late afternoon, this set was further proof that a metal festival can experiment with genres. 

The Raging Mables 

Now I was really looking forward to seeing this band.  I’d enjoyed viewing their Pentre Fest pre-event interview with Beany, plus they have one of the best band names ever.  No arguments.  The Raging Mables were like the Ramones playing ZZ Top, a 200mph Zeke-like melodic explosion of punk’n’roll.  One of the most perfect bands ever.  

Toranaga 

Back to some welcome thrash metal, it was indeed a huge bonus to get to witness the power of Toranaga at Pentre.  These guys are exceptional musicians, their shredding guitars creating a sound akin to classic Bay Area Thrash from the likes of Exodus and Testament.  And that is very, very good.  Their cover of ‘Mad House’ by Anthrax warmed my ancient heart, too.    

Stuntface 

Stuntface hail from just up the road in Wrexham, and it was great to see them finally bring their brand of flat-out, relentless hardcore punk to Pentre Fest.  Their songs are furious yet melodic, played super-fast and with a huge grin on bass player/vocalist Wayne’s face.  An absolute treat – Stuntface must play here again! 

What a blast that was! The guys at NEW Metal Productions always put on a heck of a show and this was no exception. Didn’t get tickets for the Black Sabbath gig this summer? Get yourselves out there and support underground metal, you’ll feel better.

My favourite Pentre Fest so far? Only time will tell…

N.E.W. Metal Productions Alldayer

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N.E.W. Metal Productions Alldayer  

McLean’s Pub, Pentre, Deeside 

08/06/2024 

Live review by Alun Jones 

Photos by Rachel Sian Photography 

Following in the wake of Pentre Fest earlier this year, McLean’s Pub in Pentre, Deeside North Wales was again the home of a bunch of raging metal/rock bands for a day. The good chaps at North East Wales Metal Productions held one of their fantastic alldayers, featuring several bands from all over, gracing up with their magnificent music. 

Sadly, a couple of bands couldn’t make it on the day. I was gutted that Master Charger dropped out (great band), and also The Human Condition have sadly decided to call it a day. But never mind, we soldier on, and there was plenty of music still to enjoy. 

Kicking things off in good style was Victim of Damp, aka Frank – a long-time supporter at NEW Metal Prods events. VOD opened with some lovely Pink Floyd acoustic guitar, before launching into a rousing set consisting of amusing anecdotes, shots of booze for the crowd, and sing-a-long humour. And yes, Bean’s car is still full of shit. 

Check out Victim of Damp on Facebook.

Any Given Reason were on stage next, a six headed monster of a band with two (two! Count ’em!) vocalists. Neither vocalist stayed on stage for long, preferring to take their brand of in your face metalcore right out into the audience. Great musicians too, giving us prime chunky riffs with dynamic skills. One to watch for, AGR are very entertaining with a super confident delivery all round. 

Any Given Reason on Facebook.

All the way from Belfast, Northern Ireland, to good ol’ Deeside were Nomadus – on the last date of their tour before returning home. If they were tired, it didn’t show at all – these guys are a devastating live band that left us all exhausted. A powerful combination of groove and thrash metal, with songs that are mature and progressive, make sure you see Nomadus live whenever you can. 

Nomadus on Facebook.

Surprise of the day was Crisis, who I was embarrassingly oblivious of. I was tipped off that Crisis were a NWOBHM band, which was true but doesn’t explain enough. The bands playing was razor sharp, and the songs varied from aggressive rockers to more epic, expansive numbers. This ability to let the songs breathe and grow, explore ideas and still remain in musical control set Crisis apart. If Iron Maiden were a Rush covers band, they would be Crisis.  

Crisis on Facebook.

There’s been a bit of a buzz about Warlockhunt recently, so I was very happy to finally get to see them. This band are unlike anything else: a three-piece consisting of two bass players (one singing) and drums. It’s the gloomiest of treacly doom metal decorated with beautiful, ethereal female vocals, like a dark fairy tale that may not end happy ever after. Doom pop, anyone? It’s enthralling stuff: I loved it and you need to check them out asap. 

Warlockhunt on Facebook.

Finally, our headliners for tonight, the mighty Scarfoot were back, and justly bumped to top of the bill. These guys were not fazed at all, powering through another set of intense stoner rock with a hint of grunge (at least to my ears!). The electric steel and 12 string guitars lend Scarfoot a characteristic edge, but the whole band pounding away is like Godzilla knocking at the front door. As well as being joyously heavy, Scarfoot’s songs are also epic and engrossing. Scarfoot did a superb job and closed the evening with conviction. 

Scarfoot on Facebook.

Variety was the secret spice for tonight’s event at McLean’s. Each band offered something unique and each played their hearts out. A thoroughly enjoyable event, thanks to all involved. If you couldn’t make it, readers – please try next time: nights like this need your support. 

N.E.W. Metal Productions on Facebook.

This review presented to you by Platinum Al and Ever Metal.

The Fall of the House of Halloween Horror Fest

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Brides of Dracula (1960)

Our first Hammer Films production for Halloween Horror Fest 2023, and it’s a vampire classic. In this sequel to Hammer’s very successful Dracula, the titular Count doesn’t actually appear this time round – rather we’re thrust into the thick of vampire cults that still exist after Drac’s demise.

A young teacher, Marianne (Yvonne Monlaur) is on her way to her new position in a Transylvanian school when she finds herself abandoned in a small village. A local noble woman, Baroness Meinster, offers a place to stay for the night at her castle. There, Marianne meets the son of the Baroness, who is chained up as a prisoner. Marianne agrees to free the Baron, who is of course actually a vampire and takes his revenge on his mother.

Marianne flees, her memory hazy, and is helped by Doctor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) when he finds her at the side of road. Van Helsing has been called to the area to investigate an outbreak of vampirism. Soon he, and Marianne, will encounter the Baron and his undead minions again…

Brides of Dracula is a fun escapade with plenty of chills and atmosphere, even with a substitute head vampire replacing Christopher Lee. The story is original but plays on all the standard folklore you’d expect, with Cushing fantastic in his role as the vampire slayer. It’s a nice effort from Hammer, to try and do something slighlty different with a sequel, and Peter Cushing keeps it all together brilliantly.

9/10

House of Usher (1960)

Purely by chance, another film from the same year. This version of the Edgar Allen Poe story, The Fall of the House of Usher, was the first in a series helmed by famed Director Roger Corman, most of which starred the legendary Vincent Price.

Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon) travels top meet his fiancée Madeline Usher (Myrna Fahey) at her home. The House of Usher is a gloomy, decrepit mansion and upon arrival, Madeline’s brother, Roderick (Price) initially refuses Winthrop and attempts to warn him away. The family Usher is cursed, he claims, and the line cannot be allowed to continue. Winthrop must help Madeline escape, he thinks – but is he too late?

It’s a long time since I read Poe’s original story, so I’ll let others decide how accurate an adaptation this is! Rather than worrying about that, simply revel in the wonderful sets and imagery, and allow Vincent Price to shine in this brilliant movie. House of Usher is a fantastically macabre Gothic tale with Corman and Price at their best.

8.5/10

The Halloween Horror Fest Commands

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It’s time for some more mini horror movie reviews, as the spooky month of October demands. Settle down, kids!

Scream 2 (1997)

We’ve covered the first Scream film a while back (2016, hot tub fans!) and eventually I’ve got round to watching the sequel. Unlike Scream, which I had seen before my Halloween Horror Fest review, I’d never bothered to watch Scream 2 till now.

Slasher movies ain’t really my bag, as I know I’ve mentioned before. Nor are “modern” films (OK, this is 25 years old, whatevs) or films about teenage Americans. Never the less, I’d enjoyed Scream and the second instalment has been on my watch list for a while.

Here the survivor from the first movie, Sidney (Neve Campbell) is now attending college when a spate of copy cat killings, inspired by the deeds of Ghostface in the previous film, start to occur. There follows a series of nasty murders and numerous twists and turns as the killer stalks and slays various characters. All the time, the audience is trying to guess the identity of the new Ghostface.

There’s nothing supernatural here, but there are plenty of jumps and surprises. Like the first film, this sequel attempts to play with the audiences expectations with numerous well observed references to other movies. Also like the first film, I found Scream 2 far more entertaining than I expected.

7.5/10

Renfield (2023)

Bang up to date now, with this 2023 movie starring Nicholas Hoult as the titular character, the familiar of Dracula. Yes, THE Dracula, played here with demonic glee by the one and only Nicholas Cage.

Here the trusted and sort-of immortal Renfield, the Count’s trusted servant, becomes dissatisfied with his lot – what with all the seeking victims and removing the gory evidence his life entails. Renfield joins a counselling group for people in abusive relationships, initially to stalk the abusers for Dracula’s prey. Eventually, the familiar decides to remove himself from his toxic existence, but not without resistance from his former master.

I was looking forward to seeing this movie, but sadly missed it in the cinema. The short time it ran in cinemas should have given me a clue as to whether it was any good…

What could have been a fresh look at the horror of the Dracula legend instead morphs into an action comedy, with guns and explosions and over the top fight scenes. It’s still an entertaining movie, but not what I hoped for at all. I hate dumb action movies and Renfield steers far too close to those waters.

Having said that, Cage is brilliant as the Lord of the Undead and I’d love to see more of him in this role.

Watchable but throwaway, which is a shame. Next.

6/10

The Best of 2022

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Happy New Year! And here we go, full throttle into 2023!

2022 was not an easy year for your old pal, Platinum Al. But the Virtual Hot Tub soldiered on regardless, never giving up despite the odds. NEVER SAY DIE. And in the end, the year 2022 was a successful one for this blog, with site views up approx. 2% on the year before.

Not a massive improvement, I’ll grant you – but I’ll take all the good news I can get. I certainly didn’t expect to finish the year with those stats, just the opposite.

So what were the most successful blog posts on the Virtual Hot tub in 2022? What articles brought in the hordes of avid readers? What did YOU want to read?

Here’s the traditional review of the Top 10 blog posts by number of views. In reverse order, countdown style, of course…

10. Hawarden Classic Car Show

Events started to return in 2022, and this local classic car show was a great example of the fun to be had as restrictions were lifted. Some nice pics.

9. New Skateboard 2022 – Death Benson

I like to chronicle my skateboards (or at least just the deck) for posterity, and just for myself. Despite my doubts, this rad set up made the Top 10.

8. Pentre Fest 2022

My beloved Pentre Fest was BACK in 22, with two more days of metal bands at high volume. Not long till the 2023 event!

7. Liverpool Comic Con 2022

A family trip out to Liverpool for a great con and a load of cosplay photos.

6. Scars of Halloween Horror Fest

My annual horror movie fest provided this blog, which was by far the most popular this year as it featured a Hammer classic.

5. Star Wars Figures- Empire Strikes Back Part 2

I’m happy to see the second part of my blog focussing on my Star Wars figures from The Empire Strikes Back feature in the Top 10!

4. Subskate Summer Fun!

An in depth investigation into the merits (and failings) of a pool toy that never quite made it.

3. Star Wars Figures – The Empire Strikes Back

The first part of my feature concerning my original Star Wars figures from Empire. Good to see this was popular!

2. Return of Wales Comic Con

More Comic Con and cosplay fun, with a visit to Wrexham and Wales Comic Con back on home ground.

So what was the number one blog post of 2022? It was…

  1. Chester Comic Con 2022

In the number one spot, a visit to Chester’s Comic Con! A summer afternoon, loads of merch and dozens of cool cosplayers made this article the most successful of the year!

Events back on the menu has, unsurprisingly, dominated the results this year. They were all great fun, and well worth the visit. In contrast to the results from last year, where events were (understandably) under represented.

It’s also gratifying to see some skateboards and toys being appreciated, too.

This year, we look to return to a “new normal” in our post pandemic world. But with a Cost of Living Crisis, Brexit still unleashing it’s mayhem, and the same gang of inept cowards and liars in charge, we still have plenty of obstacles ahead.

Never the less, we at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub remain vigilant – bringing you the best entertainment. Thanks for being with us in 2022. Stay tuned for ever more greatness in 2023!