Music Reviews

Preserved for the present, below is the list of album and gig reviews made by the Swoj.com team covering alternative music, from heavy metal to death metal, from Punk to Grunge and all in between.

Turbonegro - Party Animals
New Release

6th Studio album and 2nd since their comeback on Burning Heart records for the Norwegian outfit

Angelzoom
New Release

New Wave Gothic with Angelic Vocals

Death On The Road - DVD
New Release

Brit Metal legends release DVD to accompany live album release at the end of last year, filmed on the Dance Of Death tour

Trivium - The Crusade
New Release

The hottest band on the planet have just delivered their 3rd album in 4 years. Another of the so called saviours of metal, it's time to find out if they're up to the hype.

Duff McKagan's Loaded - Sick
New Release

Former Guns N Roses, current in-limbo Velvet Revolver man keeps himself from getting bored looking for a new singer by going out with his part time side project band. The question is can this band live with his past glories, is it just something of interest to the man himself and a waste of time and money to the rest of us?

Sepultura - Dante Xxi
New Release

Brazilian metal legends Sepultura have been soldiering on since Max Cavalera left 10 years ago, time to find out if they're surviving on former glories or are still a class act.

System of a Down - Hypnotize
New Release

Following on from the release of the astounding Mezmerize album 6 months ago, System Of A Down round off 2005 with the second instalment of their double album opus. Expectations have never been higher.

The Black Crusade - Glasgow 2007
Gig

Machine Head, Trivium, Dragonforce, Arch Enemy, Shadows Fall. I can't see any reason why any metal fan would not want to be there!

System of a Down - Mezmerize
New Release

System of a Down are releasing two albums in 2005, Mezmerize is the first of the two. Do they have what it takes to maintain their high standards while working on two albums?

Viking Skull - Glasgow
Gig

Viking Skull (part time Raging Speedhorn, part time road crew) unleashed their debut full length of traditional heavy metal a few weeks ago and have hit the road already. We went to check them out at the Cathouse on Fri 2nd Dec 2005.

Raven - Walk Through Fire
New Release

Raven's long awaited new album is finally here!

After 9 years has it been worth the wait?

Velvet Revolver - Contraband
New Release

Supergroup formed from the ashes of Guns N Roses and Stone Temple Pilots. Sounds good on paper, can they live up to the potential?

BodyCount - Murder 4 Hire
New Release

It's been a long time since we've had an album from Body Count but finally Murder 4 Hire is with us.

Slayer - Christ Illusion
New Release

Slayer are back with their first album in 5 years, let us see if they can improve on the poorly received God Hates Us All. Have they returned to their Thrash roots?

Lamb Of God - Wrath
New Release

Drummer Chris Adler apparently saying that "'Wrath' needs no hype. We have topped ourselves", a bold claim to make, so now we see if 'Wrath' does indeed speak for itself.

Ginger - Valor Del Corazon
New Release

Wildhearts frontman releases his 3rd solo album which is really his first proper studio LP. Can it live up to his illustrious past?

Downset - Universal
New Release

4th Studio album from the band that were considered equals to Rage Against The Machine in the 90's

Slayer - Reign In Blood
Classic

Slayers ultimate record, reviewed as a reminder as to why they are the kings of thrash metal.

Bullet For My Valentine - The Poison
New Release

'Saviours of Metal' is one of the labels being thrown around to describe Bullet for My Valentine and their first full album, 'The Poison'. A lot of responsibility to put on a new band, do they live up to the title?

Slipknot - Iowa
Standard

The much anticipated second album from Slipknot has finally arrived. A lot is expected from IOWA, can Slipknot deliver?

KMFDM - Glasgow 27th Oct 2005
Gig

Legendary German industrial band KMFDM land at the Cathouse in Glasgow for the Scottish stage of their new tour.

Rancid - Let The Dominoes Fall
New Release

Another release from the giants of punk music, Rancid. With a new drummer in the mix, does it maintain the high standard set by their previous work?

Raven - Wiped Out
Classic

One of the foremost bands of the NWOBHM who pioneered Power/Speed metal and paved the way for bands like Metallica. They toured America in 1983 with Metallica as support! This is their second album where they just went for it!

For Ruin - Shade
Demo

Second demo and first on their own from Ireland's For Ruin

Transplants - Haunted Cities
New Release

Second album from the side project featuring Tim Armstrong (vocalist/guitarist with Rancid) and Travis Barker (ex drummer of Blink 182)

Corrosion of Conformity - In The Arms of God
New Release

The CD case of this album carried the quote "This may well be the angriest album in the history of hard rock". A bold claim indeed, angry music is not something we have ever been short of. Is In The Arms Of God the angriest album ever? More importantly, is it even a good album?

Audioslave - Out Of Exile
New Release

Second album from the former members of Rage Against The Machine and Soundgarden with a mellower edge

Error - Error EP
New Release

Bad Religion axeman, Epitaph head honcho and all round Punk guru teams up with some other big names for a punk meets industrial side project

Static-X - Cult Of Static
New Release

10 years since their first album was released (give or take a week), Static-X bring us 'Cult Of Static', their 6th studio album.

Greenday - American Idiot
New Release

New suits, new eye shadow, old attitude. Green Day are back and are as hungry and angry as ever.

Diamond Head -The White Album
Classic

Classic NWOBHM album that spawned 4 Metallica covers from a band who should have been huge but instead went commercial and lost their hard edge with Metallica becoming what they should have been...