Archive for May, 2025

Just hours after the O2 Arena gig (last of the European tour), Babymetal has just announced that they will perform at the Intuit Dome (capacity 18,000) in Los Angeles on November 1. Before then they will tour America (June/July) and Asia (August/September/October). Then in January, they will play at a yet to be announced Arena in Japan (my guess would be Tokyo Dome). However, I was wondering about this gig in the States, and I really thought that they would go for Madison Square Garden in New York. Having said that, the Intuit Dome is way more modern. It really is a lot of fun to follow Babymetal on their journey.

(Babymetal ad is from official platforms, my live shot)

It has been 20 years since I published SLICE 2005. At 63, I kind of wonder if I will still be around at 83? Food for thought. I am very happy about certain magazines in the old catalogue, and this is certainly one that I can look back on and feel good. First of all, I presented a few Commando interviews in this magazine, and got permission from them to use art by the great Ian Kennedy (whom I had interviewed for this issue) for the cover. Needless to say, that alone makes this a memorable job. But there are loads of cool stuff in this issue, Deep Purple with Tommy Bolin, Jon Lord, Nightwish, Uriah Heep, James Bond, Audrey Hepburn, Catweazle, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Enid Blyton, book reviews etc etc. Best hobby in the world really. It lasted another 10 years. Good times.

(My shot of said issue and Purple/Lord spread)

Spanish WWII Comics

Posted: May 30, 2025 in Comics, Cool stuff, Hobby

There were a lot of WWII comics around in the 1960s and 1970s and Spain was no exception. If anything, the Spanish production was often imported elsewhere. Here is a couple of titles that they had over there that I have to say were pretty good. They knew what they were doing. I once had a site called Where Eagles Dare in which I presented thousands of covers from (primarily) Europe.

(Covers are from auction sites)

German publication TV Highlights, issue 89 (2 2002). Xena was coming to an end.

(My shot of said magazine, cover shot not credited)

Slaughter To Prevail will be first out to release the Babymetal collaboration track “Song 3”, as it will be included on their upcoming album “Grizzly” (July 18 release). Meanwhile, Babymetal has yet again moved the release date for their upcoming album “Metal Forth”, this time until August 8. The reasons for these delays has not been explained. Seen here are the STP “Grizzly” cover and what will be a Limited Edition LP version of “Metal Forth”.

(Covers are from official platforms, my live shot)

I predicted it and here we are. Babymetal got the cover for Metal Hammer, issue 401 (out today in the UK). Pretty good timing too, just in time for the O2 Arena gig.

(Cover is from official platforms)

I have a stump just by the roadside to my property and back in December I put a little house on display on it and blogged about it (December 14, “The Little House On The Stump”). I just did it for fun, but I did get positive feedback from locals that had seen it. So this season I am going for a red bike that is kind of cool, and this is how it looks. I mean, why not?

(My shots of said objects)

This is a European 2023 pressing of the 2020 Hell Freezes Over album “Hellraiser”. Young band from Japan, full of energy, enthusiasm and love for traditional 1980s rock and metal. Recorded to analog tape live in the studio, no editing by computer. Perhaps not a bad idea. They have captured a good dose of sheer attitude on this album. Lyrics are in English.

(My shots of said LP, cover art and photographs are not credited)

1978

Posted: May 28, 2025 in Cool stuff, DVDs & Blu-rays, Hobby, TV & Movies

Pretty sure that I saw this film at the movies back in the day. Old school high suspense movie with great stars like Charlton Heston, David Carradine and Stacy Keach. A submarine goes down and the US Navy does everything they can to save the crew that is trapped beneath the waves. The 1970s was the era of great disaster movies. They knew what they were doing.

(My shot of said DVD)

Babymetal and Slaughter To Prevail has just dropped a video for the track “Song 3” from the upcoming Babymetal album “Metal Forth”. 100,000 views in an hour and twenty minutes… Slaughter To Prevail singer Alex Terrible has also released an instrumental version of the song on his YouTube channel.

(Image seen here is the thumbnail from said video, my background shot)