The longest serving, all female hard rock band in the world - storm back with a highly satisfying, consistent and enjoyable release to mark their "30th Anniversary" - delivering one of the strongest and most overlooked albums of the year! (9/10)
Just outed by the girls above - equally one of the year's best releases with easily the bands' best product since "Back In Black" – a surprisingly, good return! (8/10)
Easily, the biggest disappointment of 2008 - with an album that lacks grunt, spark and above all else – credibility with a product that sounds no heavier than Coldplay! There are a couple of tunes that almost make the grade, the rest ... Lame - what a joke! (3/10)
Possibly one of the toughest, slickest and definitely – one of the most satisfying releases of the year stacked with meaty riffs, good songs with plenty to satisfy the hungriest of true metal fans! (9/10)
Bouncing back with a more commerical product that sounds more like CHEAP TRICK - than themselves with an album similar to the bands' "Time Bomb" release – in both execution and substance. Not the killer we expected! (7/10)
One of the world's most loved metal acts, redeem themselves - after the hideous "St.Anger" disaster with plenty of cranking meaty riffs, good songs and that certain charm - back where it belongs. A MAJOR step in the right direction! (8/10)
The master of 'cock-rock' returns with a fuel injected WHITESNAKE - serving up one of the year's most outstanding returns, with an almost 'perfect' album - that's only mared by two, too many ballads! (8/10)
One of Europe's most underrated modern metal acts, POISONBLACK are back with album # 3 delivering yet another slab of sonic assault with one of the best guitar sounds in the world today. Another meaty masterpiece, just maybe! (9/10)
Back together again - the original 'Crue serves up a fairly consistent effort, that will please 'long-time' fans who've waited 8 years for a new album! A couple of songs standout, with the rest being equal in quality to their, "New Tattoo" CD - being a good but not a killer return! (7/10)
The King of 'shock-rock' delivers one of his finest ever, albums - that easily equals his previous best work, with flavours from both peak eras – a very, very good return! (9/10)
Talk about a 'come-back' album – US melodic rock "superstars" enlist a new singer who sounds like their old singer and write their strongest album, since their late 70's 'hey days'! Awesome! (9/10)
With easily their best output since their 'hey days' – LA's 'rolls royce' hair metal act, deliver one of the year's strongest return products, that's a breath of fresh air for this once 'superstar' band. A very good release! (8/10)
After so many years of releasing very average product, Def Leppard - return with an album that contains many of the attributes that made them 'Megastars' around the world in the late 80's. Their best work since, "Hysteria"! (9/10)
Album # 5 for this ass-kicking band and again like it's predaccessor - it delivers more crunching, infectious, good time hard rock with a hint of glam, showing most of LA's hair metal bands - how it should be done! (9/10)
A 'classic' in every true sense of the word - with one of the best traditional metal albums ever, being re-released on CD - showcasing Los Angeles based act, WARRIOR's finest moments in metal history! (10/10)
Obnoxious hard rock from Australia - that has cranking riffs, mixed styles of metal with an 'old school' feel, featuring TYRANT screamer, belting out a fistful of anthems with a reasonable debut effort! (7/10)
Over 30 years and still going strong, the British metal institution called MOTORHEAD – deliver another consistent, satisfying album that has made them the 'legends' they are today! A good solid release. (8/10)
One of New York's finest ever, ass-kickin' hard rock acts – delivers a blistering set of 'classics' that will re-ignite many good memories for 'old school' metalheads with an excellent CD. The DVD is awesome, new generation metal fans come and witness one of US Metal's best! (9/10)
Possibly, the best real, metal album release of the year – easily out-classing Metallica's return with music that's tough, tenacious and thunderous that basically leaves most of the pack – far behind. A brillant return! (9/10)
Ex-SKID ROW howler Sebastian Bach - sounds in great voice throughout this collection of mixed metal styles that almost works but fails due to too many ordinary tunes. Far from impressive! (7/10)
Second album release, recorded in 1992 - finally sees the light of day after an 'injunction' preventing it's release due to GNR members onboard! Regardless, it's great to hear the boys doing their thing again - with the same groove, that almost matches their excellent debut! Far outshines the GNR disaster! (8/10)
The kings of British metal - deliver an excellent sounding project that, unfortunately was done far better by another band a few years earlier and to be brutally honest, is a 'Major' letdown! That's 2 average albums in a row now - time to rediscover that hunger again and give us the Killer album we are all craving for?!! (7/10)
Original screamer Barlow replaces Owens - to please a 'legion' of followers of this veteran US traditional metal act with more glorious metal, that delivers a sheer masterpiece of work with a very good product! (8/10)
Also released on DVD – this blistering collection of WEDNESDAY 13 tunes captured here in all their sleazy and in-your-face glory. This is good, nasty gutter glam, tinged hard rock - at it's best! (8/10)
Rob 'Metal God' Halford post Priest outfit's excellent debut platter - is given a make-over, re-boot with a couple of new tunes thrown into the mix with an almost good quality 'demo' flavour, which sounds cool! (8/10)
The third dose of this swaggering 'cock-rock' band - proves that they haven't blown their bolt too early with a strong, consistent and fairly satisfying release that's chock full of perfect party tunes! (8/10)
Melodic hard rock at it's finest – delivering one of the best sounding, mouth watering collection of infectious, catchy, commerical and downright crunchy, melodic rock songs that shows sheer class - only a few can ever achieve! Excellent! (9/10)
Album # 2 for ex-TNT singer, Tony Harnell's new band STARBREAKER – and again, they deliver one of the years' finest, classiest melodic hard rock records that's just as brillaint, if not more so than their excellent debut platter! (9/10)
By nature maybe .... more akin to singer Mike Tramp's recent solo outings, albeit with slightly more bite and dirt under the fingernails but it's defintely not the real WHITE LION. A good product but far from outstanding (6/10)
What the hell happened here? Sounding as tough as ever, EVERGREY's new CD lacks any real standout tunes herein and that combined with a more mechanical direction which is 'light years' away from their previous magnificent product. A fairly sad effort! (5/10)
The mastermind of MOTLEY CRUE (remind you of some other rock star who also likes $$$?!) releases the soundtrack to the novel of the same name. Lunch boxes will be next? A good sounding product that doesn't deliver with just 3 songs herein making the grade, the rest .. forget. (3/10)
I don't know what happened but this CD is far inferior to their brilliant, "World Upside Down" (2006) release with a product that is very complacent, no balls, no conviction and no good songs. So very sad! (5/10)
Japan's 'legendary' metal act serves up a ballsy, modern, malicious metal release that is far more modern in flavour, approach and style - leaving behind their 'old school' sound of the past. You be the judge?! (6/10)
The guitar 'legend' dishes up his usual product with a slight difference - recruiting ex-Judas Priest/Iced Earth screamer, Tim Owens to weave his vocal magic over the whole project. While Owens delivers, it's Yngwie's heavy handed production that severly negates would could of been?! (6/10)