Tue 10 Apr – Moonspell, Behemoth, Napalm Death, Dew-Scented, Root, Wykked Witch

Aggh I love these micro festivals that start late afternoon. A day off work, a couple of beers and a great line up of bands. I didn't pay the first band too much attention, but I think they were lacking a bass player or something? Root were great,rocking satanists with a front man with an interestingly tattooed face!
Dew Scented knocked out some good fast and heavy German thrash and Naplam Death were their usual solid selves. To be honest I went to this to see one band…

Tue 3 Apr – Battered, Vreid, In Vain

Rarely have I been to such an under attended gig as this. I counted only 60 people in the venue, a disgrace for 3 bands of this quality.
All hailing from Norway, each with their own style of metal to perform, this was great.
In Vain play an eclectic blackened/death/ doom metal,epic songs and a promised album on the way, for ones so young they play with a flair and finesse to match the passion for their craft.
Battered are an all out thrash metal outfit in the style of early Haunted/Hatesphere…

Off to Spain for a week in the sun(hopefully)
Adios until next week viewers!

how the hell can bands such as My Chemical Abomination and Linkin Fart be headliners at the biggest'rock' festival in the UK.
It's the corporate bandwagon in action yet again..Slayer are obviously too controversial to be headliners, despite 20 odd years in the business.There are some bands I would go to see, but now they are saying that there will probably not be day tickets available. I am sorry but £145 gets me a flight and entrance and camping at THE worlds best metal fest.
Thats why I take my money out to Germany to a proper festival not…

I have to say this album exceeded my expectations. Whilst most definatley a Chimaira album, they have gone and recorded exactly what they wanted to record and pushed the envelope on their sound to new heavier levels. The return of sticksman Andols Herrick is welcome, as he is on fire here.
Stand out tracks are 'Six'(the best track imo) Blackheart and Empire..but they are all good.
This is a brutal slab of thrash/metalcore..a tag that is so abused by people. Essentially its a brutal metal record and if you like riffs there are tons here..its heavy,angry, with some interesting lyrical…

just booked up tickets and flights for this years Wacken Open Air..also the Excess of Evil with Melechesh Enslaved Marduk Goatwhore and Keep of Kalessin in London..
On top of that I had a new tattoo on my right arm/shoulder featuring an inverted cross, phoenix and dragons/bat wings..a good days work in my book

I am sick of politicians softening up the population for increases taxes and more government with the idea that mankind is the problem with global warming.
The planet has warmed up and cooled down to extremities in the many millennia that the earth has existed in the universe, long before man evolved and thought that the human race could effect the future of the planet.
Its typical if mans self importance and ego to think in such a way. The ecology of the earth is what effects the planet in which man is mearly a pin prick on its history.…

This was drawn by my friend Russ Wilson by hand, no computer graphics here, just organic hard workwith a pen!

If anyone is interested for a band or anything just let me know and I will get you intouch with the artist..he's a full on metal head so he understands the dark arts!

Ok its time to bite the bullet and decide on my best of 2006, in no particular order:

Disintegrate
Midvinterblot
Ruun
The Dead Eye
With Oden On Our Side
Between Two Worlds
The Adversary
Blood Mountain
Emissaries
In The Eyes Of Fire

Others that impressed were:
Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
Monotheist
A Line Of Deathless Kings
A Matter Of Life And Death
The Stench Of Redemption
Now Diabolical
The Toxic Touch

2 years gone and missed by all true metalheads..I regret never seeing Pantera live, but I saw Dime with Damageplan in 2004 and he was brilliant.