Last week, excited by the turning of the clock from one year to the next (and finally rid of our January hangovers) we previewed a brand new song from Finland’s Hard Action.

Promising that we would keep up the pace with a steady onslaught of new bands keeping us on our toes for 2017, we now present you Hard Action’s fellow countrymen, IRON MAGAZINE.

Now it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why a band with a name like Iron Magazine might prick our ears. But beyond the slightly gushing adoration of a name not unlike our own, we would’ve been slathering over this regardless being that it features Mr Jussi Lehtisalo, the mastermind behind Ektro Records and also Aktor, a band that saw Jussi team up with master of modern metal Professor Chris Black to give us a wildly underrated, AOR-tinged, slightly bonkers, time-travelling heavy metal dream back in 2013.

Equally bonkers, nostalgic and oh so mighty, the brand new ‘Queen Of Hell’ EP is out March 17 via Ektro and features the one-and-only Danko and John Calabrese from Danko Jones along with Jussi and his Circle/Falcon bandmate, Tomi Leppänen.

This is sunglasses-at-night rock, leather jacket sleeves rolled up and lasers set … Read More

“HIGH SPIRITS. HIIIIIIIIGH SPIIIIIRITS”. It was a simple demo that caught the attention of half the Iron Fist team back in 2009 and we’d been waiting for them to come to Europe and bring their positive heavy metal vibes ever since. Finally, they came, and we despatched DAVE SHERWOOD to get HIGH.

Lurking in the backstreets of Chicago is a positive energy bursting out to infect the city and beyond. That energy is heavy metal and the rabid carriers are High Spirits, one of the forerunners of the US heavy metal movement. Since forming in 2009, High Spirits have released the independent ‘Let’s Rock/Running Home’ EP and one full-length album, ‘Another Night’ (High Roller, 2011). However it was their first two demos that got them recognition. Their tunes and vibes have been well-received throughout Europe and they went down a storm on their recent UK tour.

Spreading their message of freedom and dreams, High Spirits are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Calling themselves “100 per cent high energy rock music”, they take the listener back to the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when Deep Purple and Steppenwolf assured us everything was free and hot rockin’, before the clouds turned … Read More

Toledo Steel are a tasty new addition to the slowly rising gang of young, old school UK metal troupes. “I’m a fan of swashbuckling films, the age of swords and gunpowder and I used to fence, so whilst trying to think of a band name that packs a punch I remembered Toledo Steel, as swords made from it were strong and hard to break,” drummer Matt Dobson tells us. “Stainless Steel didn’t quite cut it!” The four piece formed in late 2011, in Southampton, after shared friends warned of mutual plans to form a band influenced by NWOBHM and ’80s metal, saying; “We wanted to create a sound that more or less keeps the flame burning for the people we look up to.” A solid demo won them some supports slots for the likes of Iron Knights, High Spirits and Cauldron around the UK. Matt offers that; “playing to a crowd that are really into old school metal and really like what you’re playing means you must be doing something right.” The Steel are indeed an effective live unit with tasty playing and a natural energy that is both genuine and fun. So what’s next for these keen newbies? “We have … Read More