Listen: Absinthe Green cover The Spice Girls ‘Viva Forever’

In the summer of 2024, Absinthe Green’s ‘Give The Devil His Due’ was given some well deserved re-promotion. Although the track was two years at that point, it hadn’t really connected with a UK crowd. If it happened to be your first exposure to the Greek rock band, it certainly wasn’t a bad place to dive in. The track’s tonal shift from classic sounding doom into a driving hard rock riff showed off the band’s range of rock sounds very naturally, and although the featured vocal could’ve perhaps been a little sharper, the bulk of the track shared a great melodic feel.

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GATEKEEPER – Grey Maiden EP

Metal has gone through various different fashions over the decades. No longer just typified by the big vocals and studs ‘n’ leather of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, it has taken in different influences and spawned several subgenres, with each giving a very different listening experience. Very little of this seems to have been noticed by Canada’s Gatekeeper, whose debut album ‘East of Sun’ relied heavily on some very 80s riffs and the lyrical themes of an old Helloween LP.

Offering a couple of new recordings alongside an acoustic re-working of an old favourite and an obscure cover tune, their 2019 EP ‘Grey Maiden’ is similarly rooted within the 80s and although incredibly old fashioned in style, this four tracker is actually great at what it does. For those whom enjoyed the previous LP, it’ll be a more than welcome stop-gap.

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Listen: Smoke Season release cover of Don Henley’s classic ‘The Boys of Summer’

Don Henley’s ‘The Boys of Summer’ is one of the most enduring songs of the 80s.  There’s something in the narrative that seems to resonate with so many people.  Maybe it’s the thoughts of summers past; maybe it conjures memories of lost friendships.  Whatever it is, so many people love it and over the years it’s been covered in a variety of styles.

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Anthrax cover AOR classic from Kansas (video)

Anthrax’s eleventh studio album ‘For All Kings’ was released in February 2016.  The highly anticipated follow up to the critically acclaimed ‘Worship Music’ was initially available in two versions – a standard and deluxe edition.  Those opting for the affordable deluxe 2CD were treated to a handful of live tracks in exchange for a couple of extra dollars.

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