Released by: Steamhammer
Released on: June 7th, 2019.
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“THE RODS WERE BORN IN 1982!”

Well, despite that convincing shout out on track 8 of this rather kick ass release from New York's finest, they were really born closer to 1980, but let's not quibble over trivialities in the face of such a stellar onslaught, shall we?

This album represents a real musical rebirth for power trio THE RODS since their comeback...

Released by: SPV/Steamhammer
Released on: August 26th, 2016.
Purchase From Amazon In the pocket. German thrashers SODOM, much like the legendary MOTí–RHEAD before the death of figurehead Lemmy late last year, have been in a bit of a sweet spot for the last ten years. Ever since their eponymous 2006 release, this Kraut collective has been delivering extremely consistent CDs. Early SODOM was the gnarliest and most untamed of beasts. A brilliant mixture of unbridled in...

Released by: Steamhammer/SPV
Released on: April 15th, 2016.
Purchase From Amazon Lita Ford has been around a long time, but unlike her major contemporary in THE RUNAWAYS, she hasn't had the smoothest or most successful career. While Joan Jett launched a high profile career in the more mainstream arena with her more accessible sound, Lita hitched her wagon to the hair metal train. Anyone remember the supreme goofiness of her debut album cover? Go ahead - I won't spoil it fo...

Released by: Steamhammer/SPV
Released on: February 26th, 2016.
Purchase From Amazon ANVIL's 16th studio record is a workmanlike slab of decent midline trad metal. The Canadians - or really more specifically guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner - have been at this game since the late 70's so they have had plenty of experience in the studio. But despite the 2009 documentary made about them that gave them a momentary profile boost, ANVIL have never reall...

Mad Max: Thunder Storm & Passion
Released by: Steamhammer/SPV
Released on: September 4th, 2015.
Purchase From Amazon Re-recordings are always a dicey proposition. Anyone remember that godawful SUICIDAL TENDENCIES first LP rehash? Or more pertinent to the matter at hand, the utterly ho hum SCORPIONS suite of "new and improved versions" of some of their biggest hits on their misguided "Comeblack" CD from a few years ago? Granted, aside from some diehards in the la...

Axel Rudi Pell & Friends - Magic Moments - 25th Anniversary Special Show
Released by: Steamhammer
Released on: April 28th, 2015.
Purchase From Amazon Axel Rudi Pell has been at this metal game for a while. Following up on last year's excellent "Into The Storm" studio offering, the German axeman has unleashed this live mega set. This is a 25th anniversary show and loaded with special guests. It also has a DVD and Blu ray counterpart, but we'll be focusing on the cd v...

Raven - ExtermiNation
Released by: SPV/Steamhammer
Released on: April 28th, 2015.
Purchase From Amazon Formed in Newcastle in 1974, Raven have been playing their own brand of metal for over forty years now. 2015 sees the British legends releasing their latest studio album, ExtermiNation (funded through a successful kickstarter campaign), out now from SPV/Steamhammer and following a pretty great tour with German metal legends Accept (read our coverage of their NY...

Released by: Steamhammer/SPV
Released on: October 27th, 2014.
Purchase From Amazon RIOT, one of NYC's earliest and greatest metal acts, go all the way back to the mid-1970's with 1977's "Rock City". Through decades and a number of vocalists and other players, the one mainstay was guitarist Mark Reale. RIOT's first successful phase culminated in the brilliant "Fire Down Under" LP in 1981. That ferocious statement of intent landed them on tours all over the UK and Europe ...

Released by: Steamhammer/SPV
Released on: January 21^st, 2014.
Purchase From Amazon The sixth fifth album (sixth if you include the remixed version of From Hell To Texas that came with the Live And Loud bonus disc or the seventh if you count The Dirty Best Of Nashville Pussy - but I don't) from Atlanta, Georgia's long reigning kings of sleaze once again sees Nashville Pussy dive deep into the depths of depravity to deliver thirteen tracks predictably dealing with sex, d...

Released by: Steamhammer/SPV
Released on: January 21st, 2014.
Purchase From Amazon German guitarist Pell has been plying his trade since the mid 80's in Rhineland warriors STEELER (not to be confused with the Los Angeles based sunset strippers that featured Yngwie Malmsteen and Ron Keel from the same era). He went solo in 1989 and has been delivering some variation on trad metal ever since. "Into The Storm" is no exception. While it is often said that practice makes per...

Released by: Steamhammer/SPV
Released on: October 22, 2013.
Purchase From Amazon Running Wild have been around since the early 80's with roots under a different name going back as far as the mid to late 70's. Headed by vocalist/guitarist Ralph "Rock 'n' Rolf" Kasparek this is a band that has always sailed in trad metal waters - specifically of the German 80's variety. Almost unknown outside of Europe and especially Germany they've had limited success in the USA despite...

Released by: SPV
Released on: May 7, 2013.
Purchase From Amazon SODOM are now 30 years old. Hard to believe, but Tom Angelripper's musical Panzer division have been around since the Reagan administration. For a career this long playing "extreme" music SODOM has had surprisingly few slips into the musical abyss. There was no "pop" phase. Angelripper did do some solo albums - but they didn't break up the band. And while there have been plenty of lineup changes (and eve...