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@ Newcastle o2 Academy, February 21 2010

Imagine Yes as a polished thrash metal band and this is the sound you would hear. Progressive, intricate, mind-blowing works played with intense pace and a good degree of passion.

Mastodon might have mellowed (relatively speaking) with the much lauded Crack The Skye but at their heart is a rhythm section determined to leave no artistic stone unturned. The controlled power unleashed by drummer Brann Dailor and bass player Troy Sanders is at the heart of this band’s explosive live performance and truly is a marvel to behold. Read the rest of this entry »

Metallica – Nothing Else Matters (Hetfield/Ulrich) b/w Enter Sandman (live) (Hetfield/Ulrich/Hammett), Harvester Of Sorrow (live) (Hetfield/Ulrich) & Nothing Else Matters (demo) (Hetfield/Ulrich)

1992

This was the moment Metallica went truly commercial as the haunting ballad from the black album became a mainstream hit worldwide.

As far removed from the band’s early thrash sound as fans could imagine it divided the Metallica community. And yet Nothing Else Matters is a magnificent example of powerful, poignant metal building on the experimental One from …And Justice For All. Read the rest of this entry »

Valentine’s Day may be all about red roses, big hearts and sloppy kisses but not if you’re a member of HIM or Dommin. We look at two of rock’s chief anti-love protagonists and a whole load of other stuff this week.

There’s the long awaited Best Of from our favourite Scando sleaze kings Backyard Babies (pictured) and the debut solo album from Cradle Of Filth crooner Sarah Jezebel Deva.

Throw in some seriously heavy shit from Rising Records’ label mates Sworn Amongst and With Chaos In Her Wake and there’s plenty to keep the metal heads out there happy. Plus we check out a snappy debut from buzz band Straight Lines – fresh from a triumphant 2009 touring with Kids In Glass Houses, The Automatic and Motorhead. Read the rest of this entry »

Another diverse week of rock releases should provide all those romantics out there with plenty of food for thought ahead of Valentine’s Day but The Who’s latest greatest hits package will be the biggest seller of the week.

We rate the Super Bowl-bound vets alongside new releases from Robin Brock, Edge Of Forever, Titan and Orden Ogan.

And there’s a full review of thrash legends Anthrax’s repackaged and remastered classic Among the Living, featuring the Live In London DVD Oidivnikufesin (NFV). Read the rest of this entry »

We could have jumped the gun and reviewed the standard version of the new album by thrash legends Slayer but certain bands demand to be heard on heavyweight vinyl.

So we waited. And waited. And waited. Until our 180 gram beast of a record finally arrived with 11 thumping new anthems from Tom, Dave and the boys. 

And was the wait worthwhile? Read on for the official rushonrock verdict on World Painted Blood. Read the rest of this entry »

Testament – Trial By Fire (Skolnick/Peterson/Billy) b/w Nobody’s Fault (Tyler/Whitford) 1988

Taken from the album The New Order, which hit 136 on the Billboard Hot 200 and ultimately broke the band as a commercial prospect, this Testament classic still sounds massive today.

Had there been a big five when it came to thrash metal monsters breaking out of the US in the late 80s then Chuck Billy and his bombastic crew would have made the cut.

As it was the Big Four – Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax – enjoyed even greater success and remained in a superstar club all of their own. But tracks like Trial By Fire prove Testament’s class and those of us who have witnessed the band live in 2009 will testify to the fact that they’re still going strong. Read the rest of this entry »

Porcupine Tree (pictured) head the list of no fewer than nine bands vying for your hard earned cash this week as rushonrock goes into reviews overdrive.

Check out our verdicts on deluxe Venom and deluxe Million Dead, new metal in the shape of Cinders Fall and Last Stop China Town, reborn rock from INME, remodelled rock by Juliette Lewis (now minus her Licks) psychedelic weirdness from Stardeath And White Dwarfs and a fabulous new record by Frank Turner. Take a deep breath… Read the rest of this entry »

This week sees the return of Reuben – but only in the shape of a double CD and DVD retrospective celebrating all that was radically different about the Brit rockers who finally called it a day last summer.

And going head to head with the homegrown  hard rocking trio this week are German metalcore monsters Caliban and US deathcore deviants Winds Of Plague. Different and decidedly dangerous stuff. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy, July 22 2009

When the mood takes you it’s time for some serious thrash metal. And if you’re in the mood then there’s no better band on the planet to take you there than Testament.

Veterans of the Bay Area Thrash scene and boasting a brilliant new record to complement their uncompromising back catalogue, the US band are on a roll. And just months after upstaging headliners Megadeth at Newcastle’s Academy,  Chuck and his chums were back on Tyneside to blow away the assembled masses. Or at least that was the idea. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s time to go back to the future on rushonrock and this week we’re taking a look at the heavier stuff in the shape of Bay Area thrash legends Death Angel. Often overlooked but potentially better than Metallica, these guys really rocked…and still do!

Now…2008: Killing Season (Nuclear Blast) proved there was still plenty of life left in the old thrash beast as Death Angel followed up 2004’s The Art Of Dying with a record which better reflected their talents as purveyors of very loud and yet truly melodic thrash metal.

In a year when Metallica and Trivium would both grab the headlines with thumping new releases, this varied album fell by the wayside and yet it remains one of rushonrock’s records of the year.

Mixing the trademark power of DA’s renowned rhythm section with vocal sections which fully showcase singer Mark Osegueda’s magnificent range, it’s a sensational return to top form. 

Tracks like Lord Of Hate and The Noose grip the listener with their sheer intensity but album closer Resurrection Machine offers the best evidence yet that DA are back in a very big way. It’s classic thrash with an epic feel and stands out as the key track on this landmark release.

rushonrock rated: 8/10 Killing Time

…And Then 1990: Act III (Geffen) is often viewed by fans of the thrash genre as inferior to 1988’s Frolic Through The Park and yet it boasts some of the best heavy metal writing you’ll ever come across as Death Angel mature into a genuinely frightening music machine.

The atmopsheric opener Seemingly Endless Time sticks long and hard in the memory but things get bigger, better and more bombastic as the record develops. Max Norman’s production brings the best out of the band and A Room With A View is as good as anything any of DA’s thrash peers produced – Metallica included.

The very term thrash might put off the average rushonrock reader but we don’t care how loud a record is as long as it rocks. And there are enough unique melodies and hummable hooks scattered across Act III to make even the most hardened sceptic sit up and take notice.

If you fancy dipping in then try Veil Of Deception for size. It’s track number three and it is an all encompassing DA song which should have you demanding more. If not then what the hell’s wrong with ya!!!

rushonrock rated: 9/10 Act Of God