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Still in their infancy but already on their second album of intricate yet unobtrusive metal, Denmark’s Ghost Iris find themselves with an identity crisis. They’re seemingly caught between the worlds of hook-friendly metalcore and adventurous progressive meandering, without really being catchy or complex enough to fit into either. On Gods Of Neglect and Detached, sharp riffs and Dennis Nielsen’s abrupt basslines should quicken the pulse of any tech-metal devotee. Sitting above No Way Out’s juddering mass is a digestible chorus and the more traditional metallic crunch and simplistic arrangements of After The Sun Sets register an impact. Meanwhile The Flower Of Life weaves in and out of effervescent guitar and vocal melodies but the staccato breakdowns are pedestrian for a band looking to flex their creative muscles. The melancholic The Silhouette threatens to stand tall but dissipates without leaving a trace. Blind World is accomplished and proficient but lacks any personality or, crucially, the inventiveness that the most revered bands in the genre pride themselves on.

Rugby, Sean Bean and power ballad superfan Adam has been writing for Hammer since 2007, and has a bad habit of constructing sentences longer than most Dream Theater songs. Can usually be found cowering at the back of gigs in Bristol and Cardiff. Bruce Dickinson once called him a 'sad bastard'.