https://timbolithojones.journoportfolio.comRSS Feed for Tim Bolitho-JonesenFri, 30 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://distortedsoundmag.com/judicator-a-picture-of-fading-light/In some respects, The Majesty Of Decay is familiar ground for JUDICATOR. The latest album from the American quartet is an hour of elaborate power metal with a progressive edge. The songs are long, intricate blasts of riffage, choral vocals and creative musicianship, all structured around a single theme. They’ve done this before; they’ve written epic records about Byzantine Emperors and the rise of Napoleon, so long-term followers might not immediately notice a difference. But there is a reason Fri, 30 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://distortedsoundmag.com/judicator-a-picture-of-fading-light/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-thus-always-to-tyrants-arrayan-path/Even by power metal standards, Thus Always To Tyrants is really nerdy. The ninth album by veteran four-piece ARRAYAN PATH is a huge concept record that may be the most challenging the genre has produced this year. It’s based on the life of Evagoras I, the ancient ruler of Salamis and is a dense, intimidating piece of work. This is an album that speaks of pitched battles between massed ranks of spearmen, pre-Christian heroes and epic deeds. And just like a tightly packed, Hoplite shield wall, itThu, 08 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-thus-always-to-tyrants-arrayan-path/https://distortedsoundmag.com/live-review-powerwolf-the-roundhouse-london/For years, conventional wisdom dictated that the UK wasn’t interested in power metal. Bands that could headline festivals in Germany were rarely mentioned in our magazines, and if you wanted to see someone like BLIND GUARDIAN live, you’d have to go abroad to do it. Judging by the frankly insane queue that forms outside The Roundhouse tonight though, those days are long gone. A line of black-clad headbangers stretches right down to Camden market and there’s a tangible excitement in the cold nightWed, 07 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://distortedsoundmag.com/live-review-powerwolf-the-roundhouse-london/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-the-atheist-jamie-lenman/JAMIE LENMAN has had a remarkable career. The former REUBEN frontman is a long way from being a household name, but his fans absolutely adore him. He’s one of the last flag wavers for Britain’s alternative rock scene of the early 2000s and a fixture of the UK underground. Some of his peers (i.e. BIFFY CLYRO) might have sold more records and gone on to headline bigger stages, but you could make a convincing argument that our Jamie is more loved. And his latest album, his fourth since returning aThu, 24 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-the-atheist-jamie-lenman/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-iconic-obsidious/Progressive-death metallers OBSIDIOUS may be relative newcomers to the world of tech-death, but they’ve got some serious pedigree. Comprising three ex-members of OBSCURA, they deal in a highly elaborate style of song-writing that isn’t far removed from their previous band. Iconic is a confident, well-crafted debut and it’s packed full of dense, multi-layered songs that take multiple listens to truly appreciate. The comparisons to OBSCURA are inevitable, but the most notable difference is in theWed, 26 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-iconic-obsidious/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-puritanical-euphoric-misanthropia-reissue-dimmu-borgir/It’s easy to forget how terrifying Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia was when it first came out. Back in 2001, DIMMU BORGIR’s first masterpiece helped them escape the black metal underground and was often compared to CRADLE OF FILTH. But where Dani Filth’s lads were clearly having fun, DIMMU BORGIR felt like the real deal. They took their blasphemous symphonies seriously and the album art was straight out of Clive Barker’s nightmares. It was as if hell itself had belched them out into the mortalTue, 25 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-puritanical-euphoric-misanthropia-reissue-dimmu-borgir/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-final-days-orden-ogan-and-friends/If you’re even remotely interested in power metal and haven’t checked out ORDEN OGAN yet, rectify that immediately. Since 2008, the Teutonic five-piece have dished out a constant stream of high-quality albums and established themselves as one of the genre’s leading lights. They write choruses so infectious they could make your limbs turn green and fall off, have riffs beyond counting and some surprisingly chunky mosh parts as well. Like POWERWOLF and SABATON? You will adore these boys. They are Mon, 17 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-final-days-orden-ogan-and-friends/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-exist-immortal-exist-immortal/Is it finally time to give EXIST IMMORTAL their due? The five-piece have been churning out progressive-minded metalcore for years and won some major kudos with their three-part Triptych release in 2021. Those EPs were impressive, but this new full-length is really quite special. Since their early days as part of the burgeoning tech-metal scene, they’ve evolved and now resemble the successors to bands like SCAR SYMMETRY and MUTINY WITHIN. They deal in songs that are catchy as hell but have genuinTue, 11 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-exist-immortal-exist-immortal/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-of-kingdom-and-crown-machine-head/In some respects, it doesn’t matter what rating we give the new MACHINE HEAD album; they’ve been critic-proof for decades. Even during the career-low of the post-Supercharger years, their fanbase refused to abandon them and they kept selling out venues. We could give them an absolute verbal-kicking and they’d still pack Brixton Academy to the rafters. However, even the most loyal Headcase would have to admit that we’re well overdue a good album. 2007’s The Blackening was a game-changing masterpMon, 22 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-of-kingdom-and-crown-machine-head/https://distortedsoundmag.com/harbinger-a-letter-soaked-in-agony/In the past decade, Nottingham’s UK Tech-Fest has become a fixture of the UK metal scene. Focusing primarily on progressive and tech metal, it has worked as a proving ground for a lot of upcoming British bands. They’ve put fresh-faced youngsters on stage alongside established acts like LEPROUS and VILDHJARTA and worked as a launch pad for several careers. London lads HARBINGER are a classic example. The five-piece have trod the boards at UK Tech-Fest so many times they’re practically the house bThu, 28 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/harbinger-a-letter-soaked-in-agony/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-primal-fear-reissue-primal-fear/Ralf Scheepers is unlikely to ever escape the shadow of JUDAS PRIEST, but he’s probably okay with that. Back in the mid-90s, he came within a whisker of fronting them after Rob Halford’s departure, only for Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens to get the job instead. In the aftermath, he formed PRIMAL FEAR with several like-minded friends and musicians, intending to just have fun and blow off steam. Nu-metal was dominating the airwaves and his new band was only meant to be a hobby. Instead, things escalated and Thu, 14 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-primal-fear-reissue-primal-fear/https://distortedsoundmag.com/evergrey-call-out-the-dark/“I think ‘try to do everything as good as you can.’ I know that’s simple advice but it’s not easy to do,” says Rikard Zander, when asked what guidance he’d give his younger self. “I’ve been in the band twenty years and I’ve not done my best every time. I would try to convince myself to do as well as I can each time.” Rikard has spent the past two decades as the keyboard player for Swedish prog/power metal masters EVERGREY. He’s appeared on ten studio albums, played countless live shows and been Thu, 23 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/evergrey-call-out-the-dark/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-warfront-wind-rose/When you think about it, WIND ROSE’s gimmick shouldn’t work. By all logic, a ‘Dwarven metal band’ theme falls apart as soon as people realise they’re, you know, regular-sized guys. Thankfully though, metalheads are generally quite good at suspending disbelief and WIND ROSE have survived long enough to deliver their fifth album. It’s a belter too; Warfront is good old-fashioned power metal, full of cinematic flourishes, hearty choruses and fist-clenching anthems. They may be best known for their Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-warfront-wind-rose/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-warfront-wind-rose/When you think about it, WIND ROSE’s gimmick shouldn’t work. By all logic, a ‘Dwarven metal band’ theme falls apart as soon as people realise they’re, you know, regular-sized guys. Thankfully though, metalheads are generally quite good at suspending disbelief and WIND ROSE have survived long enough to deliver their fifth album. It’s a belter too; Warfront is good old-fashioned power metal, full of cinematic flourishes, hearty choruses and fist-clenching anthems. They may be best known for their Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-warfront-wind-rose/https://distortedsoundmag.com/jungle-rot-genocidal-imperium/JUNGLE ROT are a band who’ve been around a lot longer than you’d expect. In the past decade, they’ve released a string of lean death metal albums and built a reputation as reliable purveyors of violence. They’ve been on a creative roll since 2013’s Terror Regime and could easily be mistaken for being a comparatively new band. It’s a surprise then to find out they’ve actually been going since the mid-nineties. From the way frontman Dave Matrise tells us from his home in Wisconsin, the band’s earFri, 03 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/jungle-rot-genocidal-imperium/https://distortedsoundmag.com/jungle-rot-genocidal-imperium/JUNGLE ROT are a band who’ve been around a lot longer than you’d expect. In the past decade, they’ve released a string of lean death metal albums and built a reputation as reliable purveyors of violence. They’ve been on a creative roll since 2013’s Terror Regime and could easily be mistaken for being a comparatively new band. It’s a surprise then to find out they’ve actually been going since the mid-nineties. From the way frontman Dave Matrise tells us from his home in Wisconsin, the band’s earFri, 03 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/jungle-rot-genocidal-imperium/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-the-price-of-dreaming-hollow-front/There’s a certain, intangible sadness to The Price Of Dreaming. The latest album from Grand Rapids sluggers HOLLOW FRONT is metalcore at its most earnest. Even when you can’t decipher the lyrics, there’s a wealth of emotion that screams bitterness and heartbreak. It makes the album a gut-wrenching listen, but it is a good one nonetheless. And the openness and fragility are just enough to make it stand apart from legions of identikit bands. Make no mistake; while they might bring a hefty dose ofWed, 25 May 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-the-price-of-dreaming-hollow-front/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-the-price-of-dreaming-hollow-front/There’s a certain, intangible sadness to The Price Of Dreaming. The latest album from Grand Rapids sluggers HOLLOW FRONT is metalcore at its most earnest. Even when you can’t decipher the lyrics, there’s a wealth of emotion that screams bitterness and heartbreak. It makes the album a gut-wrenching listen, but it is a good one nonetheless. And the openness and fragility are just enough to make it stand apart from legions of identikit bands. Make no mistake; while they might bring a hefty dose ofWed, 25 May 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-the-price-of-dreaming-hollow-front/https://hardbeat.co.uk/2022/05/12/album-review-misery-index-complete-control/For Fans Of: Napalm Death, Lamb Of God, Bolt Thrower We need to talk about Misery Index. They haven’t done anything wrong, it’s just that they’re one of the most intense bands currently doing the rounds and yet nobody ever seems to mention them. Since forming at the turn of the millennium, they’ve evolved from a rabid death-grind riff-machine into a slightly more nuanced death-grind riff-machine, culminating in their magnificent 2019 album Rituals Of Power. That record was the finest of their Thu, 12 May 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://hardbeat.co.uk/2022/05/12/album-review-misery-index-complete-control/https://distortedsoundmag.com/sabaton-artists-of-war/Milunka Savić is the most decorated female soldier in history and her life story reads like a movie. She is also the subject of Lady Of The Dark, a song on the latest album from SABATON. She grew up in a tiny village in Serbia and her early years were unremarkable, but things took a dramatic turn during the First Balkan War. When her brother was called up for military service, the young Milunka cut her hair short, disguised herself as a man and joined the army in her sibling’s place. She was soMon, 25 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/sabaton-artists-of-war/https://distortedsoundmag.com/hammerfall-too-old-to-die-young/“Grunge was the pandemic of the nineties!” laughs HAMMERFALL singer Joacim Cans, looking back on the state of metal during the band’s formative years. He’s joining us in a Skype call to discuss their brand new album, Hammer Of Dawn, and he’s in a reflective mood. You can tell he’s not entirely serious from his tone of voice, but he’s right about one thing; traditional metal was in a bad state when the Swedish five-piece first got together to write music. The airwaves of the early-to-mid ninetiesSun, 10 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/hammerfall-too-old-to-die-young/https://distortedsoundmag.com/hammerfall-too-old-to-die-young/“Grunge was the pandemic of the nineties!” laughs HAMMERFALL singer Joacim Cans, looking back on the state of metal during the band’s formative years. He’s joining us in a Skype call to discuss their brand new album, Hammer Of Dawn, and he’s in a reflective mood. You can tell he’s not entirely serious from his tone of voice, but he’s right about one thing; traditional metal was in a bad state when the Swedish five-piece first got together to write music. The airwaves of the early-to-mid ninetiesSun, 10 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/hammerfall-too-old-to-die-young/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-liberate-the-unborn-inhumanity-mors-principium-est/MORS PRINCIPIUM EST should not be allowed to release music in the spring. Yes, yes, album and tour cycles can be unpredictable and are always fluctuating, but Liberate The Unborn Inhumanity is not meant for longer days and flowers in bloom. It’s the sound of struggling through a forest in knee-deep snow while a blizzard howls around you. We’re always glad to get more music from these guys, but this is metal that comes with its own blast of Arctic cold, it shouldn’t be turning up with the Easter Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-liberate-the-unborn-inhumanity-mors-principium-est/https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-shadowland-wolf/?fbclid=IwAR29YN27khzH-8Bd2LFDRR2ACG2Kkc83uHKrRCjZ0f2f01tVfFZpW8I8yNESwedish lads WOLF have been around since the mid-90s and carved out quite a respectable career in that time. They’ve got eight albums and multiple tours under their belts, but have never really troubled the heavy metal mainstream. One listen to Shadowland, their upcoming ninth record, and you may be able to guess why. These guys are dyed-in-the-wool old school metalheads of the denim and leather variety. It’s upbeat, crunchy and a lot of fun, but it also sounds like something your dad plays on tMon, 28 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-shadowland-wolf/?fbclid=IwAR29YN27khzH-8Bd2LFDRR2ACG2Kkc83uHKrRCjZ0f2f01tVfFZpW8I8yNEhttps://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-shadowland-wolf/?fbclid=IwAR29YN27khzH-8Bd2LFDRR2ACG2Kkc83uHKrRCjZ0f2f01tVfFZpW8I8yNESwedish lads WOLF have been around since the mid-90s and carved out quite a respectable career in that time. They’ve got eight albums and multiple tours under their belts, but have never really troubled the heavy metal mainstream. One listen to Shadowland, their upcoming ninth record, and you may be able to guess why. These guys are dyed-in-the-wool old school metalheads of the denim and leather variety. It’s upbeat, crunchy and a lot of fun, but it also sounds like something your dad plays on tMon, 28 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-shadowland-wolf/?fbclid=IwAR29YN27khzH-8Bd2LFDRR2ACG2Kkc83uHKrRCjZ0f2f01tVfFZpW8I8yNEhttp://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/musicians/dr-hell-kraven.htmOver the past few years parody Black Metallers EVIL SCARECROW have been making an impact onto the Metal scene with songs about crab robots, space dementia and everything being blackened. They are on currently touring the UK bringing conga lines, cake eating contests and crab robots to every venue; Metal Temple's Tim Bolitho Jones managed to grab a few words with Dr Hell and Kraven Morrdeth about the life cycle of a Crabulon, their live shows and what they are generally about.Fri, 25 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/musicians/dr-hell-kraven.htmhttp://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/worldwide_live_shows/evil-scarecrow-saqqara.htmTo the casual observer, EVIL SCARECROW’s sudden rise to fame might seem like it happened overnight. However, when you consider that their first album came out in 2004, their ascension to the main stage at Bloodstock and mass media coverage become more of a well-deserved success than a sudden flash in the pan. Tonight they’re on the third date of their “Boldly Going Anywhere” tour, playing loads of small clubs across the UK and Ireland. We caught them at The Firehouse, Southampton’s dedicated MetFri, 25 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/worldwide_live_shows/evil-scarecrow-saqqara.htmhttp://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/t_2/the-scintilla-project.htm?root=23It was almost inevitable thatwere going to sound like. Sure, there are extra keyboards and the songs have more Prog in them, but with powerhouse vocaliston board, the comparison just can’t be avoided. And the Yorkshire Titans legions of fans will absolutely love this.Inspired by the recent sci-fi movie(also known asin some places), the band was born out of a mutual friendship betweenand drummer, who also serves as the producer. Whether their efforts work in conjunction with the film remains to bFri, 25 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/t_2/the-scintilla-project.htm?root=23http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/k_2/kawir-father-sun.htmGreek Black Metallershave gone around the block a few times. They’ve been spreading their particular brand of Hellenistic darkness since 1993 and are now on their sixth full length album. “” is eight tracks of pagan anger that doesn’t stray too far from the trappings of their chosen genre, although they do mix things up a bit by taking lyrical inspiration from their home country’s mythology and throwing a bit of Folk in as well. It’s okay. You know, it’s all right, nothing spectacular but decentFri, 25 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/k_2/kawir-father-sun.htmhttp://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/n_2/nothing-remains.htmNow this is a frustrating listen. French Deathcore outfithave one of the more striking opening tracks in recent memory. Just over ninety seconds long, the appropriately namedis an impressive instrumental opener; a sinister music box chime, ominous piano chords and restrained-but-effective guitar work all working together to make an instant attention-grabber. It’s the kind of track that sends shivers down the spine, an excellent set-up for the first song-proper and is both terrifying and invitingFri, 25 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/n_2/nothing-remains.htm