Now listen here, chosen ones. Sometimes, I get a whiff of opinions like “Thrash Metal is stuck in the 80s” or “It’s old fashioned”. I am here today to proclaim that any views such as this are completely and utterly wrong. And I can prove it to you: the evidencecis in this new release from Toranaga UK.
Toranaga (nowadays with UK affixed) began their Metal onslaught back in the prime days of Thrash: yes, the 1980s. They were reasonably successful: records with Peaceville and Chrysalis, tours with big names. Sadly, the band folded – but they’re back now, and seemingly stronger than ever.
Witness the opening track here, ‘Desecration’. Commencing with a fiery lead, the full force riff soon barges in. It’s fast, it gets faster, a thundering runaway locomotive kept under strict rhythmic control. Track 2, ‘A New Order’, has a disarming melodic intro, before the crunching, super solid riff bludgeons its way in.
This EP delivers Thrash in the classic sense, straight out of the 80s heyday. But Toranaga UK also sound totally contemporary: the production is flawless; the arrangements are just as thrilling as anyhting else out there right now. ‘The Shrine’ and ‘Sword of Damacles’ complete this EP with power and authenticity.
All in all, this “A New Order” EP is a classy offering. Superb, katana-sharp musicianship (the vocals are awesome) and masterful composition, the only crime here is that the audience needs a full album. Toranaga UK are everything that Thrash could and should be – don’t miss out on them this time around.
This is a tough review to write. It’s tough, because I need to write around 400 words about this release – but all I need to say, really, is something like “do not miss this awesome new album by Master Charger, it’s great”. There’s nothing else that needs to be said. So, let’s see if I can pad that out for another few hundred words, shall we?
Yes indeed, the new release from Midlands, UK based Doom Lords, the one and only Master Charger. I’ve been anxiously waiting for this to drop, as I became a convert to their cause when I saw these filth hounds live at Pentre Fest a while back. Superb band. An unholy amalgamation of Sludgey Doom and fuzzy Stoner with a heart-warming affection for Blues based Rock’n’Roll, I’m proud to wear the T-shirt and be an advocate for this three-piece from hell.
We start with the rumbling, echoey drums of ‘Thy Kingdom Polluted’, which is quickly adorned by dirty, fuzzy guitars and trippy wah-wah lead. The riifs have groove and it’s easy to get dragged along and nod that head. ‘Only My Eyes See, Empires Rust’ follows this with a colossal doom riff that fries your brain, then it’s off on a ten minute plus odyssey with the title track. Passing through different sections, this monster is the evil offspring of Sabbath and Cathedral.
After all that full on Doom Metal savagery, even I could do with a little break. And that respite is gifted to us in the form of ‘Fallen Angel Painted Doll’, an instrumental track that begins with some quite beautiful acoustic guitar. Starting just like those genius Tony Iommi mellow moments on the early Sabbath albums, though this grows into full band folky ramble complete with harmonica. Perfect.
Before long we’re back in real business though: ‘When Hell Rode In’ and ‘Head Into The Sun’ sound like a Satanic ZZ Top jamming Venom songs. Freaky acid tipped wah-wah heralds the start of ‘The Awakening’, which grows into another filthy groover. ‘Mass Produced Mass Destroyed’ keeps on bringing the heavy, a brutal track that conjures ideas of both legendary Black bands, Sabbath and Flag.
Finally, ‘Upon Roads Less Travelled’ cools things down – a short but classy instrumental that is the calm after the storm. “Posthumous Resurrection” reaches its finale, and what a ride it’s been. Visceral, muscley Doom Metal with outrageous riffs, thoughtfully composed variations – all the promises are delivered on, tenfold. The only slight issue here is the lack of a vinyl release, which is patently criminal with an album this good. But Master Charger have given us a killer album – another one for the end of year Best Of list. Go buy it, NOW.
There you go, over 500 words – no problem. Reviews are easy when the music is this good.
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 WalesMetal 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.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Ahoy there, shipmates! Look lively with that cargo, we’re ready to set sail on these treacherous seas. Be wary, for there are many tales in these waters of fearsome beasties, rising from the depths to swipe a man from the deck and carry him to a watery grave. Here are ten such omens from the murky waves, tales of King Kraken!
Sorry folks, I got a little carried away there. We’re taking a considered view of the latest album from the mighty band known as King Kraken, though this is pretty exciting news. Their last album, MCLXXX, was a bona fide banger, and I’ve been looking forward to hooking this new release for quite a while.
From the opening track, it’s anchors away as the boys unleash ten tracks of compelling rock/metal that’s loaded with powerful riffs and greater depth than before. ‘Scream’ blazes out of the speakers and it’s obvious right away that the Kraken boys have been focussed on creating adrenaline spiking music, wasting not a second of listening time. ‘El Giganto’ is another sonic smasher, big sing-along choruses and relentless, skyscraper crushing enegy.
The guitars of Pete Rose and Adam Healey are constantly ingenious, throwing out titanic riff and lethal lead like they’ve discovered a sunken treasure chest of hidden invention. See ‘Berzerker’ as a prime example. Title track ‘March of the Gods’ deals out more mayhem, this time with a galloping, martial feel. Get in step and march along, or be bowled out of the way!
The track ‘Hero’ adds different textures to the Kraken sound, with bluesy leads embellishing a plaintive atmosphere. Mark Donoghue’s astounding vocals shine thoughout this album, but never more so than here. It ain’t exactly a ballad, it’s too damn heavy – but ‘Hero’ is an excellent emotional counterpoint.
After that, ‘Vigilante’ steers us into more familiar, Clutch-like waters: it’s a proper groove rocker with a crunchy middle section. ‘Preacher’ resonates on a grinding, Alice in Chains style rhythm, whilst ‘Magnum Opus’ ups the pace with a full-on, diesel-powered Mad Max urgency. Both tracks demonstrate the feel and sheer talent of the rhythm section, Karl Meyer on bass and Richard Lee Mears on drums.
‘Chainsaw Saviour’ is another stand out track, with a menacing, pummelling riff. No prizes for guessing who inspired that lyric! The final song, ‘Under the Sun’, has yet another pulverising pace, tempered with mellower verses that remind me of the epic song writing of classic Soundgarden.
So is it any good, then??!! Well yeah – “March of the Gods” promised a huge amount and it delivers in spades. King Kraken have obviously worked hard here, striving to push their musicianship and their song writing to a higher level than ever before. It’s a gripping listen, with new ideas and dynamics aplenty. We’re only a third of the way through the year, and we could have a contender for Best Album of 2025.
But don’t just heed this old seadog’s tall tales, go and catch this monster yourself.
Halloween is over, so time for yours truly to get back to being the legendary Rock Journo that I was born to be. Spooky month is a big deal chez moi, so we’re taking a trip back a couple of weeks here for a fairly recent All Dayer at Mcleans, Pentre, which was organised by our good friends North East Wales Metal Productions.
As usual, there was a great selection of bands playing throughout the late afternoon and evening, though sadly there’s always some last minute shuffling of the line up where someone can’t make it. No matter, there was more than enough to get your fangs stuck into.
First up, all the way from North Yorkshire way, were Alt Rock trio Kath and The Kicks. I was most excited to see this band, as they’d been unable to make a previous appearance here. A really solid, professional set with a machine-like drummer, powerhouse bass and Kath herself on super compelling guitar and voice. A bit like Joan Jett fronting Soundgarden but much more fun, it was loud, intense and grungy and a great start to the day. I loved them, and hope they come back soon!
Syntara were next, a young group who took to the stage with supreme confidence. Their music is best described as “Modern Metalcore”, which is not really my scene, man – but their performance was captivating. They owned the stage like they’d been born behind the drum kit. My only advice would be they need a live bass player to fill out the sound. Oh, and they need to get rid of the utterly vile looking, funny shaped, headless guitars. Other than that, very impressive.
Travelling up to Pentre from Leicester, Voidwalker brought the Technical Death Metal along with them to bedazzle us all. Another ultra confident band, Voidwalker unleashed a Tsunami of sonic venom, a dual guitar attack driven by a relentless rhythm section. Their front man prowled the room and growled and roared above the thunder. Powerful and performed with obvious fervour, Voidwalker’s set was brutal but unmissable.
When a bloke stands on stage wielding a huge medieval broad sword, you kinda sit up and take notice. This was how Hiraeth began their set, and though the sword soon disappeared I stuck around anyway, ‘cos they were great. Playing black metal inspired by Welsh folklore, history and culture, the band are excellent performers and obviously have a passionate message to get across. They’re also a lovely bunch of people. BENDIGEDIG!
Deified were our final band of the evening, and they were very worthy headliners. A five piece band from Merseyside, they’ve been around a few years now and have developed a confident presence to deliver their mighty Metal. They didn’t bring any merch, but they did bring a set of huge, aggressive and uncompromising Metal that devastated the entire building. Here’s hoping we get a new Deified album soon.
Change is necessary, and change is good. If we allow ourselves the chance to step away from the familiar, it can reap rewards. Such is the case with Black Project, where Mike Rawsthorne and Geoff Lilleyman of British Rock heavyweights Crisis have stepped away from their usual band and explored something new. Along with cohorts Dean Wright Cockburn, Mike Ball and Tim Campling, this five piece have set forth on a new venture that capitalises on their considerable talent and experience.
“Blood Moon” builds on the strengths we would expect, creating a mighty hard rock/metal album that delivers a wide variety of song writing expertise. From the pounding beat and chugging riff of ‘Powerglide’ with its soaring chorus to the epic feel of the title track, Black Project demonstrate the wide scope of their creativity. ‘Blood Moon Rising’ features a bluesy, classic Rock vibe with plenty of thumping pace. Elsewhere, with ‘Only the Brave’, there’s a Zep style anthemic rocker with a powerful, rolling rhythm.
The musicianship and production are spot on, clean and crisp but still organic, natural sounding. Black Project obviously have a love for the majesty of the seventies greats, but inject a healthy dose of their own style and drag it all up to date. Fans of Purple, Zeppelin and Dio will admire the ambitious breadth of composition, whilst the more energetic, no holds barred influence of Lizzy and Maiden are also keenly felt.
Far from a side hobby, “Blood Moon” captures the best of all the musicians and is never lazy or dialled in. Crisis will return, but hopefully this wander from the well trodden path will see them reinvigorated and inspired. In the meantime, Black Project have a pretty special creation of their own to celebrate. Thoroughly enjoyable, full of variety and always exciting, this is Classic Rock treated with respect but re-cast for the modern ear.
By now, you’ll know my love of Mclean’s Pub in Pentre, Deeside, North Wales – from all the Pentre Fest gigs and so on I’ve covered from there. Thankfully, rather than make us all wait till February 2026 for the next full weekend festival, North East Wales Metal Productions have set up some “All Dayer” gigs at the same, friendly venue to keep us going. Plus, even more live events at XS, Wrexham.
Sadly, two bands had to drop out of this particular event. But no matter: the show would go on! And first up was our valiant comrade, Steve AKA Geordie from Bad Earth, performing a solo set in his Miserable Sinner guise. Now Bad Earth have been regulars at Mcleans for aeons, and it’s always great to welcome them back – or at least, one of them! Much merriment was had as the Sinner launched the afternoon’s proceedings. Key songs were covers of Billy Idol and Foo Fighters tracks that successfully got the crowd moving. Plus, a couple of older, now sadly retired Bad Earth tracks – ‘120 on the 55’ receiving a much appreciated airing!
Up next, a new band on my radar, Fallen North. These boys have had a couple of new guitarists join recently, and if anything, they all seem really energised by the injection of new blood. Fallen North’s sound is a crunchy, riff laden heavy rock/metal creation, with pounding rhythm section, exemplary guitars and off-the-charts vocals. Very professional, yet still crazy good fun, these guys gave us a stunning set and even threw in a couple of cheeky covers (like RATM’s ‘Killing In The Name Of…’). This approach gave Fallen North the chance to enjoy themselves as much as the audience did!
HollowKin had travelled all the way up from the South West England area to play this gig, and it was a trip well worth it. These guys have had an EMQs featured on Ever Metal, so it was nice to actually catch them in the flesh. HollowKin gave us a set of utterly uncompromising, metalcore fury. Part speedy thrash, part bludgeoning, cold riffs and guttural vocals, the band haven’t been together all that long, but you’d never guess. An assured performance and solid musicianship.
“Some Good Riffs” is an album title by our next band, Melted Messiah. Somewhat amusingly, they took this title from an Ever Metal review a couple of years back. It’s not often I get called out at these gigs, but I did. Luckily, I escaped unscathed! Melted Messiah are in fact a very, very cool blend of Stoner, Doom and Black Metal, and they belched out a brilliantly furious set with tongue firmly in cheek. Their sludgy thrash had many “good riffs” indeed and I became an instant fan of this two-piece of Scottish nutters. They travelled far to be with us, I really hope they come back!
Our final band of the evening was Syncolima, headlining the show – and justifiably so. They played at Pentre Fest a couple of years ago and I loved them then – seeing Syncolima agaiin, it’s easy to understand why. A superb blend of stoner rock, grunge and chugging metal, they had powerful riffs and catchy melodies. Heavy music with depth, performed by excellent musicians, means you can’t really go wrong with this Mansfield, Notts three piece. Magnificent stuff, no complaints from me! They’re on tour and come highly recommended by moi.
That’s almost it – but I nearly forgot to mentioned the well intentioned N.E.W. Metal Prod Ozzy tribute that the guys threw in the middle of the evening. With the Prince of Darkness sadly departing this mortal recently, a memorial to the great Oz was nicely timed. Our mates from Fallen North led the tribute, with ‘Crazy Train’ and ‘Mr Crowley’ before a group sing along to ‘War Pigs’. I made sure I got up front for that one, hoping it would be my moment to be discovered, but sadly it never happened. No one asked me to join a band, despite my fantastic performance. Oh, well…
Despite this insult, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time and came away with several new favourite bands. So a good result, regardless. Well done to Fozzy and Beany (and Frank and Kelly!), plus the Mclean’s staff, for putting this show on. More gigs soon – BE THERE!
Celavi are a Goth, Industrial Nu-Metal project created by Sarah and Gwion, two spirited individuals from Bangor in North Wales. I picked up a copy of their new EP, “Anima”, which is a surprisingly fresh and fierce attack on all of the above genres, not to mention a whole load more.
The first track is ‘lowercase’ which opens with an Electro Rock flourish and hammers the listener with a mix of danceable beats and aggro power chords. The rest of the EP follows in a similar vein, with satisfyingly crushing Metal guitar melded to infectious Electro and embellished with glorious female vocals that run from sweet to tormented.
‘Bite My Tongue’ features whispered vocals over a restrained, pulsing beat before an enormous chorus crashes out of the speakers. ‘Iodine’ is a fast paced, punch the air rocker with a relentlessly infectious chorus and ‘Eyeliner’ is the most uncompromising track here. The catchiest song though is probably ‘Lullaby’, an Industrial Pop Metal confection that’s equal parts magnificent melodies and brutal guitar riff.
“Anima” wasn’t on my radar, but thanks to being in the right place at the right time, I’ve been able to absorb this work and enjoy it immensely. Anyone who’s a fan of Nine Inch Nails, Linkin Park, Lacuna Coil or Rammstein should be able to find something to get stuck into here. Ideal music for an unhinged time in a vampire night club, Celavi are ones to watch.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Saddle is the number one – and surely only – Rock based pub in the City of Chester. A town more famed for drunken shenanigans and expensive outfits for the Races, this is the playground of the Cheshire Set and the wannabes. A home of Metal it is not. Not usually, anyway – except for the welcoming haven of The Saddle.
And for one weekend in April, the tiny G21 venue at the back of the pub hosted the second North West Doom Fest: two days of the heaviest, doomiest metal in the land. Absolutely fan-fucking-tabulous!
The evening began with Druid’s Cross, from not far away at all Liverpool. I’ve seen this band before, and knew they would be ideal to commence the festivities. Harsh vocals lead relentless, dynamic riffs with a traditional metal feel as well as a slow, doomy pace. There’s a dark, gothic edge to the music as well, resulting in a compelling sound that grabbed everyone’s attention from the start..
Festival organisers Lorraine and Mark were up next, with their amazing three-piece band, Warlockhunt. I’d also seen this band before, and I’m always amazed by the complexity of their dual bass and tribal drums sound. The other worldly female vocals have led to this band being described as Doom Pop (I coined that phrase, actually, thank you very much) and it’s easy to see why. Always different and always captivating.
Grim skeletal figures flanking the stage, inverted crosses and a duo wearing dark cloaks: Tumanduumband aren’t exactly shy of revelling in their ominous personas. What they are, is a West Midlands based Satanic Doom band, and their music is both atmospheric and heavy as hell itself. Fuzzed out, crushing riffs mean that the visuals aren’t inappropriate – this band is growing a cult based on their own dark riff-tuals.
Headlining tonight, and admittedly one of my favourite bands out there these days, the mighty Son of Boar rightfully took their place at the top of the bill. I became a big fan after seeing them play Pentre Fest some years ago. Bass wrangler Gaz is also an Ever Metal scribe, not that I’m biased at all, honest! Son of Boar played a set that was tight and forceful, with ear-worm riffs and thundering rhythms. Tusks up! The boys brought the HEH-VEEE, then slept the night on the floor of the venue, ‘cos they rock that hard.
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