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N.E.W. Metal Productions Christmosh – Gig Review

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N.E.W. Metal Productions Christmosh

6th December 2025

Mcleans Pub, Pentre, Deeside North Wales

Have you been good all year? Have you eaten your greens, minded your Ps and Qs, and got your Ever Metal reviews in on time? If yes, then good news: the final North East Wales Metal Productions shindig of the year is here – the annual Christmosh party! A fabulous six bands appearing at Mcleans Pub in Pentre, Deeside, covering a wide variety of Rock/Metal music and all gathered together to celebrate a festive end to 2025.

Warming us up like a welcome open log fire was Victim of Damp, alias N.E.W. Metal Prods ally Frank Williams, here given a seasonal makeover as Christmas of Damp. With Christmas jumper and trusty guitar in hand, COD gave us some choice cuts including new additions such as Therapy?’s ‘Screamager’ along with free shots and a melancholy Pink Floyd cover. The promise of Crimbo tunes wasn’t forgotten, with a rousing version of Slade’s evergreen ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ – event guru Fozzy (in Santa suit) on vocals.

Victim of Damp

‘Agro’ by The Raging Mabels is one of the Greatest Songs Ever. Their entire set of high speed, thundering yet melodic Zeke-like Punk Rock was an absolute, total joy from start to finish. I cannot praise this band highly enough, even though they forgot to bring merch (again). There should be a new Raging Mabels album out in the New Year, so be prepared for a cultural explosion of Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ levels. And if that doesn’t happen, every single one of you can suck balls.

The Raging Mabels

Sadly, last time SOOTO (Something Out Of The Ordinary) played Pentre a couple of months back, I failed to write up my review. That cruel oversight is about to be reversed. SOOTO deal in classic Hard Rock/Metal, and with the female vocals they’re like Stevie Nicks singing for Thin Lizzy. Professional but not superficial, SOOTO have a raw energy and love of the riff, combined with dynamic songcraft and expert playing. A fantastic set that was over too soon.

SOOTO

The only band I’d never seen before, Heroes of the Gauntlet were a pleasant surprise indeed. Billed as “Symphonic Power Metal”, I was concerned these guys would be a full-on cheese fest. They have two singers (male and female) with fantastic voices, and a microphone that turns into a sword. Add in some serious Power Metal riffage and super confident stage personas, and you’ve actually got one hell of a show. Heroes of the Gauntlet were gloriously over the top and it’s impossible not to love them! All they need is a live drummer and these Heroes cannot fail.

Heroes of the Gauntlet

Bad Earth we have met before, and yes – hands up, I am a bit of a fanboy. But when a band deliver this much power and presence on stage, how can anyone not be? A “Rockcore” trio from the North Wales area, what that genre entails is dishing out filthy Punk/Metal riffs and pummelling, killer rhythms that you can feel as well as hear. They get better and bolder all the time – though the silly buggers are very humble about it – and this night was no exception. New recorded material is due soon, so beware: Bad Earth have never shied away from delivering crushing, groove infused Rock and I don’t think they will.

Bad Earth

To say I was excited about the return of the fuzzed out, sludgy sound of Master Charger to Mcleans would be an understatement. Their album “Posthumous Resurrection” was one of the never ending delights of 2025, plus last time they were here, these boys absolutely killed it. Make no mistake, Master Charger can and will deal out a mighty, megalithic slab of Stoner/Doom that will make the earth tremble. And that’s exactly what they did, with every asteroid-heavy riff and mammoth beat ploughing through the audience mercilessly. Another off-the-charts performance and a great finale.

Master Charger

What a night. Quite possibly the strongest line-up at Mcleans that I’ve ever witnessed, featuring many of my personal favourites.

But now it’s down to you. Christmosh was the last North East Wales Metal Productions event of the year, till the return of Pentre Fest in February 2026. These events, these bands need your support. If you’ve ever considered a trip to Mcleans, then you need to be there on 27th and 28th Feb 26. No excuses!

Desert Storm – Omens Album Review

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Time for another album review: as originally published by Ever Metal, now here for your enjoyment too…

Desert Storm – Omens

APF Records

Release date: 01/05/2020

Running time: 40 mins

Review by: Alun Jones

9.5/10

Put your feet up, relax – pour yourself a drink and take the weight off your feet.  All you need to do is chill – I’ve already done the hard work.  I’ve found your new favourite band: they’re called Desert Storm, and their latest album has just been released by APF records.

If you’re new to the name, Desert Storm are from merry old Oxford; and since forming in 2007, have been building their following formidably.  They’ve appeared at major rock festivals; plus supported and toured with some personal heroes of mine (Corrosion of Conformity, The Atomic Bitchwax amongst others).  I saw Desert Storm a few years ago supporting the mighty Karma to Burn; they managed to steal the show from the headliners, as far as I was concerned.

Opening with a sombre, haunting spoken word piece, Omens proceeds to take the listener on a journey that is powerful, yet also introspective.  It’s an otherworldly trip that’s both visceral and immediate, but also demands greater exploration.

“Black Bile” demonstrates the strategy perfectly: heavy, grinding and relentless – with moments of melody that blend into the whole without jarring.  In absolute basics, this is the sludge of Down combined with the aspirational progressiveness of Mastodon.  Thudding, head banging riffs adorn “Vengeful Gods”, but there’s also an almost Morricone-like cinematic sensation as the song develops and grows.

At times anthemic, there are also magnificently effective sections of the songs that contrast beautifully with the hard driving doom metal.  “Pain, Grief and Suffering” features an extended mid-section that is beguilingly serene.  When the heavy re-enters, it’s all the more neck-breakingly persuasive.  Throw in a captivating solo and you’re on to a highlight.

“The Path of Most Resistance” builds from humble beginnings to a massive groove riff of Sabbathian splendour; whilst “Lockjaw” is short and brutal.  This leads us to the final track, “Rebirth”: a masterpiece that is heavy only in sentiment.  What a song.  Despite a medieval vibe, it’s the ideal soundtrack to spin whilst driving through the desert in a stolen Dodge Challenger as the sun sets, with Smokey on your tail.

Every song on Omens can be enjoyed on its own merits, but as a whole plays as a genuine compendium that the listener can enjoy from start to finish.  I knew Desert Storm were good, but I didn’t expect them to have grown so much.  Or deliver a new album with so much scope.  Here’s a British band that could step up into national – and then international – consciousness.  They just need your support.  Do it.  I’m off to buy the vinyl version.

Talking about deserts – did I tell you about that infamous escapade on one of my legendary soul-searching soirees into the Mojave?  I crept into my usual cave to seek shelter, only to encounter Jim bloody Morrison hogging it.   He was out of his gourd on peyote and mumbling about Aldous Huxley or some such.  There was no way I could meditate with that loon around, so I threw him out.  Break through that to the other side, Jimbo!  My Yaqui shaman and I needed the space to contact Atlantis.

STOP PRESS: Putting my money where my mouth is, I stumped up hard earned cash for a vinyl copy of this album.  I am very glad that I did!

Find Desert Storm on Facebook.

Buy their stuff on Bandcamp.

Find the band on Twitter and Instagram.

For APF records, check out their expertly crafted website here.

Ir find them on Facebook and Bandcamp, you won;t regret it.

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #11

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It’s time for another night of spinning wax and drinking booze, as we endure another Singles Night at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub!

This is all about playing through a never ending pile of old 45 rpm vinyl singles, and making the best of it.  Some of these songs are bona fide classics, some are far from it.

The only rules are: play whatever’s in the pile, in order, A side then B side.  No skipping records – however much you may want to.

Here we go:

  1. Elvis Presley – “Are You Lonesome Tonight” / “I Gotta Know”
  2. Frank Sinatra – “Love’s Been Good To Me” / “A Man Alone”
  3. Marcello Minerbi – “Zorba’s Dance” / “L’Isola Del Sole”
  4. Tom Jones – “Without Love” / “A Man Who Know Too Much”
  5. Chas & Dave – “Rabbit” / “Sideboard Song”
  6. Louis Armstrong – “What a Wonderful World” / “Cabaret”
  7. Bobby Goldsboro – “Honey” / “Danny”
  8. Wonder Dog – “Ruff Mix” / “Living on a Farm”
  9. The Four Tops – “Back to School Again” / The Cast – “Rock-a-Hula-Luau (Summer is Coming)”
  10. Right Said Fred (+others) – “Stick It Out” / “Stick It Out (Aerobic Mix)”
  11. Procul Harum – “A Whiter Shade of Pale” / “Lime Street Blues”
  12. Neil Diamond – “Rainy Day Song” / “Be Mine Tonight”
  13. Spitting Image – “The Chicken Song” / “(I’ve Never Met) A Nice South African”
  14. Carpenters – “Yesterday Once More” / “Road Ode”
  15. Bonnie Tyler – “Holding Out For a Hero” / “Faster Than the Speed of Night”
  16. Boney M – “Ma Baker” / “Still I’m Sad”
  17. The Kinks – “Come Dancing” / “Noise”
  18. Haysi Fantyzee – “John Wayne is Big Leggy” / “The Sabres of Paradise”
  19. Depeche Mode – “People Are People” / “In Your Memory”
  20. Roxy Music – “Avalon” / “Always Unknowing”
  21. The Jam – “Just Who is the 5 O’Clock Hero” / The Great Depression”
  22. Blondie – “Dreaming” / “Sound Asleep”
  23. U2 – “Angel of Harlem” / “A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel”
  24. The Vanilla Fudge – “You Keep Me Hanging On” / “Take Me For a Little While”
  25. Robert Palmer – “Addicted to Love” / “Remember to Remember”
  26. Canned Heat – “Let’s Work Together” / “I’m Her Man”

A real eclectic selection this time, with not much of preferred rock till the end of the session.  Still some great fun songs, a few novelty hits and some easy listening master pieces there.  In my defence this time, a few of those records were given to me (and I’m stupid enough to take them).

If you’re wondering what Wonder Dog is, it’s basically a pop/disco number with a dog barking the melody.  It’s actually not as bad as it seems.

And I quite enjoyed the Four Tops song – I’ve only just found out that it’s from the film “Grease 2”, which is apparently a disaster.  As the first “Grease” film is garbage,  the sequel must be really bad.

Pentre Fest 2018

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Pentre Fest

Friday 23rd – Saturday 24th February 2018

McClean’s Pub, Pentre, Deeside

And lo, the marauding hordes converged once more, reconvening from their travels far and wide.  In the Great Hall they would gather, trading tales of daring and adventure, as they caroused with rebellious abandon.  Much ale would be drunk, for tomorrow many a skull would be split asunder.

So began the revelry of Pentre Fest, wherein the brave and mighty warriors celebrated their many victories and remembered comrades long fallen.

The first of the tribes to address the throng were The Forgotten Age, young but mighty in their conviction.  Hailing from the Western Shores of Bangor, their stories were exciting yet accomplished, embellished with some fine melodies.  An exceptional and heartening start to the evening’s merriment.

Next to command the stage were Obey, who were indeed a revelation to behold.  Their immense riffs were sheer brutality, heeding no compromise as they delivered tales of destruction.  Obey were champions of the event to my ears; voraciously did I consume their merchandise (CD and patch!).  May the wind fill their sails and carry them to successful conquests aplenty.

Our next heroes were Torqued, a merciless crew who had engaged in a gruelling voyage from the far kingdom of Devon to regale us with their musical fables.  The clash of metal was devastating, the battle cries rousing.  A superb performance.  Safe voyage home, brothers – for ye shall be missed for now and welcomed warmly again.

The night’s final victors were the relentless, uncompromising Foetal Juice.  Looming over all with a malevolent thunder, the band decimated all in their path.  With grim intent they vanquished the unworthy, leaving only the gratefully redeemed in their wake.

Thus was the first part of Pentre Fest concluded.  Sadly I would embark on a personal quest of my own the next day; therefore being unable to rejoin the ceremony.

Regardless, though our warriors’ hearts were sated, for yet more metal majesty do we crave.  Till the next Pentre Fest, my brothers (and sisters) – stay strong and may your adventures be praised in Valhalla.

The McClean’s Pub Live FB page is here. 

Tat Trek Update #6: Spice Girls Mug

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Wow, what’s that saying about waiting for buses?  Yes, it’s another Tat Trek post, not too long after the last one – ‘cos you love ’em so much.  Here we go with another look at an item from my collection of kitsch.

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Item: Spice Girls Mug

Description: your common or garden drinking mug, featuring pictures of girl power legends, the Spice Girls.

Cost: 2 for £1!

Bought: from Shotton (new tat capital?)

Reason for buying: I indulged in the two for a quid offer so I could give one to my daughter and keep one for myself.  Plus I actually think that the Spice Girls were a great pop band.

I couldn’t resist picking up these mugs, especially at the price.  The Spice Girls might seem a bit naff, hence the immediate induction into the Collection de Tat, but to be fair I thought they were pretty good.  They had some genuinely good pop songs and were a lot of fun.  On the whole much better than all that Britpop crap from the time. img_20170222_184056046

Plus the best example to illustrate how fantastic the Spice Girls were is this video.  Now tell me that’s not awesome.

And my daughter likes them, so it was smiles all round.

Despite my justifying my Spice Girls love here, the novelty value of these cheap mugs makes them another fabulous find for Tat Trek.  Hope you enjoy!