Back catalogue: Metal

Review: Rhode Island post-metal avant-garde duo The Body have made a name for themselves due to their caustic maelstrom of harsh, brutalist experimentalism as well as their prolific output and collaborative nature, releasing collab albums with the likes of Full Of Hell, Thou, Uniform, and most recently, Dis Fig. Their latest endeavour sees the pair link up with another duo of musical extremity, Toronto, Canada's recently reformed industrial two-piece Intensive Care. Was I Good Enough? has been on the cards since the artists first began making plans as far back as 2018, trading, warping and ruining mutual sessions with layers of loops, distortion, samples and even dubs, constantly striving to find the ideal haunting balance between both of their sonically hideous, oppressive worlds. For all of our ears' sakes, they just might have succeeded.

Review: The third full-length from Los Angeles-based progressive, jazz-tinged post-metal giants Intronaut was originally released in 2010 and celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Further embracing the fretless bass, jazzgazing style of its 2008 predecessor Prehistoricisms, the material found on Valley Of Smoke was the first from the band to slightly eschew the use of exclusively harsh vocals and instead utilise the harmonious cadences of dual vocalist/guitarists Sacha Dunable and Dave Timnick, conjuring a hypnotic balancing act reminiscent of the synergetic fusion of Alice In Chains' Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. Featuring Tool bassist Justin Chancellor on the epic title-track, providing double bass flourishes, as well as the pitched glitching vocal processing similar to that of progressive death metal legends Cynic (both of whom the band would subsequently tour with), Intronaut have always deserved to be spoken of within the same breath as the likes of Mastodon, Baroness, Deftones, Hum, and any other respected boundary pushing group connecting the mercurial dots between grandiose, conflicting sonics.

Review: While not officially released until 2004, as the title suggests The 1996 DEP Sessions were originally recorded in 1996 by Black Sabbath guitar wizard Tony Iommi and mid-80s frontman for the band Glenn Hughes in the DEP International Studios in Digbeth, Birmingham. Leaked and bootlegged that same year under the title Eighth Star by eager fans (a nod to the previous collab between the pair known as Seventh Star although it was attempted to be passed off as a Sabbath release), that version missed two final cuts and included a random Jethro Tull cover of 'To Cry You A Song' that didn't feature Iommi. Now as 2005's Fused LP receives a long overdue remastered repress, The 1996 DEP Sessions receive the same treatment, having been lovingly restored and remastered one lush limited translucent black ice vinyl.

Review: Originally released in 2005, and considered to be the second solo full-length from nine-fingered metal guitar pioneer Tony Iommi, Fused celebrates its 20th anniversary just a tad early with these revitalised remasters pressed to wax for the first time ever. Written in collaboration with vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (former Black Sabbath frontman during the mid-80s who would assume vocal duties on 1986's Seventh Star; released under the band moniker but long perceived as Iommi's first solitary creative endeavour), and legendary session drummer Kenny Aronoff (The Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson, John Fogerty, Bon Jovi etc), this limited translucent cobalt blue vinyl 2xLP pressing comes complete with three sporadically dispersed bonus cuts finally locked down onto own complete home.

Review: Originally released in 1984, Powerslave would serve as the fifth full-length from homegrown metal giants Iron Maiden and is often considered to be the project that finally catapulted the band to mega stardom. Filling out larger arenas than ever before, the World Slavery Tour undertaken in support has gone on to become well known as the band's longest and most arduous jaunt across the globe. Boasting some of their most iconic hits such as '2 Minutes to Midnight' and 'Aces High', as well as the fan (and band) favourite musical re-telling of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner', the project is also notable for being the first Iron Maiden album at that time to consist of the exact same line up as its predecessor (1983's Piece Of Mind) while this stable would stay in place for both 1986's Somewhere In Time and 1988's Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son.

Review: Iron Maiden are one of the world's most successful bands. They clocked up numerous hits, sold-out world tours, and chart-topping singles and were no slouches in the live area. Proving that beyond doubt is the highly collectable and limited edition picture disc which saw them deliver an electrifying performance in this concert broadcast on Dutch radio back almost a quarter of a century ago in the year 2000. The show captures the band's remarkable ability to energise and captivate live audiences with their powerful and dynamic presence across many of their most well-loved hits.

Review: 1984's Powerslave is often referred to by the members of Iron Maiden as the album that made them "really famous", as the fifth full-length from the iconic metal heroes saw them filling out larger arenas than ever previously imagined, while the World Slavery Tour would ultimately lead to their longest time ever out on the road. Featuring the iconic hit single '2 Minutes to Midnight' as well as the galloping 'Aces High', the album is most noteworthy for its epic near fourteen-minute musical re-telling of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner', with the band even confessing to it being their favourite song to play live. This would also serve as the first Maiden record to consist of the same line up as its predecessor (1983's Piece Of Mind), with this stable going on to record two more full-lengths with Somewhere In Time (1986 ) and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (1988). Celebrating its 40th anniversary, this reissue lands on limited edition zoetrope picture disc vinyl..