Live Review : Unleash The Archers + All For Metal @ Club Academy, Manchester on July 9th 2025

Well, hats off to Unleash the Archers. Their one-off London show back in February was completely sold out, but instigated the usual online comments of "Why only London?” or “There is more to the UK than just the capital” or simply “Come North!”. Now most other bands would see these sorts of interactions as collateral damage and occupational hazards. But with Unleash the Archers, it struck a particularly empathetic chord. Hailing from the wastes of British Columbia, they were used to having to travel miles and miles to Vancouver or even over the Border into Seattle to see the bands that mattered to them. So, they listened to the impassioned pleas to come to Nottingham, Glasgow and Manchester, found three spare days in the middle of their European Festival trek, hired a cheap and cheerful van and headed North…

Live Review : Stick To Your Guns + Love Letter + False Reality @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester on July 8th 2025

Tonight’s gig showcases some of the different elements of hardcore punk. It’s beatdown heavy one moment, thought-provoking the next. Melodic and soaring then brutal and passionate. One of the best bands at interlacing all these aspects are the headliners Stick To Your Guns.

Live Review : Slayer + Amon Amarth + Anthrax + Mastodon + Hatebreed + Neckbreakker @ Finsbury Park, London on July 6th 2025

Let's deal with the leviathan in the room. Many of us took Slayer’s proclamation eight years ago that they planned to call it a day at the end of 2019, to heart. You see, Slayer had always kept it real and told it as it is, so it was only natural that we believed their insistence that this was it. It would therefore be understandable if there was at least some level of resentment to their rather speedy U-turn and return to action. But and here is the rub, Slayer are so good this evening that a) it feels like they never went away, b) it becomes obvious a world without Slayer is an incredibly sad place, we just hadn't realised.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas8 July 2025Finsbury ParkSlayer, Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed, NeckbreakkerComment

Live Review : Back To The Beginning @ Villa Park, Birmingham on July 5th 2025

Today is a celebration, it's a veneration and an ascension. Most of all it is an acknowledgement of the effect that four working class kids from Birmingham had on millions of lives. Without Black Sabbath there is no heavy metal. Yes, rock was getting heavier in the late sixties and both Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin were experimenting with monolithic riffs but it was the opening track of the self-titled first Black Sabbath that solidified the genre and gave it material form. Without it, it is arguable that none of the bands or artists here today would have existed.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas7 July 2025Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Back To The Beginning, Live Review, BirminghamComment

Live Review : Rival Sons + Creeping Jean @ Mountford Hall, Liverpool on July 2nd 2025

When you have a week to spare sandwiched between Guns ‘N Roses support duties and a prestigious slot at the “Back to the Beginning” Birmingham mega-show, what to do with yourselves? Well in Rival Sons case you get out on the road and pound some of the streets that rock shows sometimes forget. Last night was Bournemouth and tomorrow night is the rock n' roll capital of Stockton-on-Tees, but this very evening they have decided to prove that the North West rock scene protrudes much further than Manchester. Hard rocking shows by name artists are hard to find in Liverpool and the Scouse rock aficionados have done Rival Sons proud by filling the joint.

Live Review : King Diamond + Paradise Lost + Unto Others @ Academy, Manchester on June 30th 2025

It’s not every night that you get the chance to watch a traditional heavy metal band deliver a slice of Vaudeville horror theatrics, but that’s what King Diamond provide us tonight at the Manchester Academy. In support they have the always outstanding gothic-metal veterans Paradise Lost and gothic post-punk rock outfit Unto Others.

Live Review : Shiraz Lane + XIII Doors @ The Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool on June 26th 2025

It’s a Thursday night, not one usually associated with rock n roll shenanigan, but XIII Doors and Shiraz Lane are determined to get the weekend started twenty-four hours early, each in their own very different and unique way.

Live Review : Deftones + High Vis @ The Piece Hall, Halifax on June 24th 2025

The Deftones have always existed in a rather interesting netherworld. They emerged during the reign of nu-metal, but they were always too experimental and cerebral to be fully integrated into that scene. The frankly extraordinary “White Pony” and the 2003 self-titled fourth album, thrust them into arena land and festival special guest status, but try as they might, subsequent releases never seemed able to push them any further. That is, until now. After looking like, they were cursed to always be the bridesmaid and never the bride at a total of four Download and one Sonisphere, this summer finally sees them headlining open-air shows in the country.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas26 June 2025The Piece HallDeftones, Piece Hall, Halifax, 2025, Live Review, Stewart LucasComment

Live Review : Iron Maiden @ Co-op Live, Manchester on June 22nd 2025

The fluidity of fame and fortune is incredibly fickle. We describe Iron Maiden’s late eighties period as “The biggest metal band on the planet”, as “Their Imperious Phase”. However, let’s be honest, they are more popular now than they ever were at their peak. Iron Maiden have transcended being a band and are now an institution, a cultural phenomenon. A national treasure with their own beer, stamps and merch that is sold in ASDA as part of its Father’s Day range. The Co-op arena is an inter-generational melting pot of different creeds, colours and cultural backgrounds. This selection box of diversity shares one uniting thread; they love Iron Maiden with a passion.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas24 June 2025Co-op Live ArenaIron MaidenComment

Live Review : Rosen Bridge + Eschalon + PULSE + Winter Hotel @ Lions Den, Manchester on June 20th 2025

I know I’m not the only one who really misses Tech Fest, and tonight’s gig is filled with familiar faces both in the crowd and on the stage. In fact, Tech-Fest founder and mastermind Simon Garrod is up on the stage tonight in his band Eschalon. It gives us a first chance to see them live and to say we’re excited would be a massive understatement. Add to that the varied lineup of Winter Hotel, PULSE and headliners Rosen Bridge and we’ve got a night of alternative-tech fit for any venue.

Live Review : Power Trip + Tortured Demon @ Academy 3, Manchester on June 18th 2025

The untimely demise in August 2020 of Power Trip frontman Riley Gale was tragic for two reasons. Firstly, the avoidable death of someone that young (he was 34) and that talented is always tragic. But secondly, Power Trip were on the verge of something truly special. Their second record “Nightmare Logic” had set the world on fire with its fresh and rejuvenating take on thrash. Live performances were equally lauded, and their mid-morning Bloodstock set was continually extolled as something rather special indeed. Riley’s death derailed a trajectory that looked unstoppable, and for a number of years it looked like the band would be buried with him.

Live Review : The Southern River Band + The Clan @ The Tivoli, Buckley on June 14th 2025

The Tivoli’s 100th birthday celebrations continue with a bit of a coup. Billed as “For One Night Only” this show is, as the name suggests, The Southern River Band’s only UK date outside of their appearance at Download Festival so it was a privilege to be able to go along and be a part of it.

Live Review : Dark Angel + Schizophrenia @ Academy 2, Manchester on June 9th 2025

The prevailing wisdom is that when thrash emerged in the early 1980s, it was a unified entity. A unitary sub-genre with a singular sound and context. This fits the narrative of thrash as the rejuvenative power that transformed metal, but if we are honest is more myth than solid historical fact. The truth is that thrash was a broad term used to describe an emerging hodgepodge of styles that shared a belief that metal was becoming too bloated, comfortable, and mainstream. Some purveyors hitched themselves to the emerging hardcore punk scene whilst others mined the back catalogue of NWOBHM luminaries Diamond Head, Satan and Venom.

Live Review: Electric Boys + The Spangles @ The Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool on June 5th 2025

Punk rock and funk rock, not the most obvious of bedfellows to be sharing a stage. But The Spangles and Electric Boys have more in common than you might immediately think. Both bands although musically at different ends of the rock spectrum, do things firmly their own way, defiantly and fiercely standing proud against the vagaries of time, fashion and convention.

Live Review : Trench Dogs + Continental Lovers + Suicide Bombers @ Eleven, Stoke on May 27th 2025

Sleaze punk. An evocative phrase, possibly even a contradiction in terms. However, it comfortably describes each of tonight’s bands even though they are as like each other as sleaze and punk.. If tonight’s act were coffee Suicide Bombers would be a dark, strong espresso, Continental Lovers would be a warming, familiar americano and Trench Dogs would be a light and frothy cappucino, possibly with marshmallows. All have the same roots but present them in their own style – put the kettle on and let’s settle in for the next couple of hours!

Live Review : Combichrist + Extize + Crimson Veil + Esoterik @ O2 ACademy 2, Liverpool on May 22nd 2025

Combichrist have been a massive name on the industrial metal scene since the early 00’s and they haven’t let up in recent years. This current UK/EU tour gives the lucky punters a further chance to see the aggrotech industrial metallers deliver their pounding electronic beats and thrash-heavy guitars, while dancing hard and passionately all night long.

Live Review : Kickin Valentina + Sisters Doll @ Tivoli, Buckley on May 21st 2025

Today is a big day for the Tivoli Venue. This year marks the 100th birthday of the building, and while there are celebrations galore planned to mark this auspicious occasion tonight’s gig is the official opener of the Tiv’s 100th year. Originally a venue for pantomimes, there is panto planned for later in the week but first we get to celebrate with a bit of party rock. Atlanta’s Kicking Valentina are no strangers to these shores, but support act Sisters Doll are here on their first ever UK tour, and they are raring to go.

Live Review : Michael Schenker + Wytch Hazel @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on May 11th 2025

Who are the most influential rock guitarists in the world? Well there’s a number of contenders, but not all of them are still out there plying their trade. Van Halen died, Page is retired, Blackmore is fol-de-rol-ing in the forest. One man who is definitely up there amidst the greats and still regularly bothering our ears though is Michael Schenker. Once the wunderkind who revived the fortunes of a somewhat flagging little prog band from London before returning briefly to his brother’s band and then embarking on a solo career that’s kept him busy ever since, today’s Michael Schenker is something of a living legend. Last year he revisited his youth, releasing “My Years With UFO”; a double album of his best UFO songs re-imagined with a plethora of fantastic vocalists, and now it’s time to bring the nostalgia fest to his still-adoring public. First though, the support….

Live Review : Make Them Suffer + Resolve + Conjurer + If Not For Me @ Academy 2, Manchester on May 10th 2025

Genres like metalcore and deathcore actually cover such an eclectic range of bands that it’s sometimes hard to find a balanced bill. Tonight, we have as close as you’d get to that balanced bill, with four exciting bands that while slick and cohesive, are all different in their own way. Make Them Suffer have evolved from a deathcore band to something much more creative, and headliner tonight’s offering with a couple of ROCKFLESH favourites Resolve and Conjurer in tow. All the bands tonight have evolved but never skimped on passion and raw energy.

Live Review : Blaze Bayley + White Raven Down @ The Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool on May 8th 2025

It’s quite incredible to think that Blaze Bayley has been a presence on the UK rock scene (and by extension in many of our lives) for over four decades. From Wolfsbane to Iron Maiden to his solo material, Blaze has always been a performer of passion and fire, and tonight’s show, centred around the anniversary of his first solo album “Silicon Messiah” - itself now a staggering quarter of a century old – shows just why he’s still held in such high regard by so many after all these years.