Reviews: Carach Angren, Ahab, Votane, Green Claws, (Paul H & Matt)

Carach Angren: Franckensteina Strataemontanus (Season Of Mist) [Paul Hutchings]

Album number six for the Dutch outfit who revel in their label as masters of horror. This may be their most flamboyant album of their 17-year history, and the final one to feature drummer Ivo ‘Namtar’ Wijers who left the band in February. Franckensteina Strataemontanus sees Carach Angren resurrect the gruesome story of troubled soul ‘Johann Conrad Dippel’, the late 17th and early 18th century German occultist and alleged inspiration for Mary Shelly’s novel 'Frankenstein'.

If you are familiar with the band, you’ll know that the two masterminds behind it are Dennis ‘Seregor’ Droomers (vocals and guitar) and Clemens ‘Ardek’ Wijers (keyboards, orchestration, guitar, bass and backing vocals) who along with ‘Namtar’ had crafted and weaved five previous albums in similar dramatic and dazzling style. ‘Ardek’ has collaborated with the likes of Till Lindemann (Rammstein) and Peter Tägtgren (Pain) in the past, a sign of his orchestral mastery.

Having set out to tell ghost stories since their 2004 demo The Chase Vault Tragedy, Franckensteina Strataemontanus is the latest instalment and quite spectacular in both delivery and formatting. From the narration on Here In The German Woodland that opens the album, this an opulent sonic experience which weaves through harsh melodies and blisteringly driving drumming, giant sweeping orchestral arrangements and massive guitar riffs. All of this is underpinned by the savage vocal delivery, Seregor’s fierce rasps and shrieking vocals adding to the haunting compositions.

At times, this album drifts in its eccentricity, the band’s preference for switching language once more in use, particularly on the title track and the impressive Der Vampir von Nürnberg. The use of the orchestral elements won’t be to the taste of all, but by now, Carach Angren’s fanbase will be familiar and accepting of the variations and dramatic interplay that is their trademark. There’s still plenty of brutality, with punishing black metal segments on songs such as Skull With A Forked Tongue contrasting with soaring string sections. Of course, it’s impossible not to think of Fleshgod Apocalypse when listening to Carach Angren, but although the symphonic elements bear comparison, the Dutch approach is lighter and more melodic throughout. With a push to the most flamboyant and extravagant recording yet, Carach Angren have delivered another release that is lightly to delight their hardcore fans and may well lure in new interest at the same time. 8/10

Ahab: Live Prey (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

A band that identify themselves as playing "Nautic Funeral Doom" Ahab have always carved their own path as a band creating melancholic, pessimistic, despondent heavy music that pairs guttural chanting vocals with thunderous rapid drumming, a grooves from the bowels of the deepest sea. Now this record comes from their seminal live performance at Death Row Fest 2017 in Jena, Germany. It was recorded by the festival's in-house sound engineer, and transferred to a USB stick where it has now been mastered by Role Wiegener at Tonmeisterei and culls five songs originally featured on their 2006 album The Call Of The Wretched Sea! Live Prey. Now despite this being live there is very little crowd noise on the record just punishing, relentless funeral doom. A genre I have love hate relationship with as I do find it does drone on a little too long sometimes and yet again I struggled to make my way through the record in full, when you consider the shortest track here is 10:34, the longest being 16:55, there are moments where there is depth and tonal shifts but much of the songs are just long, slow repetition. I understand how revered Ahab are as a band but it's not for me, those who want miserable funeral doom will take themselves away to the briny deep with Ahab but call me Ishmael this is one lot of Live Prey I won't be hunting down again. 5/10

Voltane: Killing Fields (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

First seen at the Voluntas album release show last year in Bristol, Voltane are a groove-based thrash outfit from Bristol that impressed us as the first act of the night. Their style is very much in the ultra-confrontational style of US heavyweights such as Lamb Of God with the croaky roars of Christopher Grey barking the title track before we get a bluesy refrain in the middle that also brings some nods to the Southern metal acts such as Pantera and COC before it breaks down at the end. This is their debut EP and it has a massive swagger to it as Resolution which is driven by the crushing riffs from Theo Lezzeri and Jarod Frankum, it's probably the most LOG song on the record taking that blueprint of stomping aggression and steamrollering the track with it. However after this we get Joker's Mind which is more akin to Down or Crowbar before finally Burning Earth's huge grooves finish things off with Tom Southon's thumping basslines and Simon Leibbrandt's massive drum beats, taking a slower pace than he does on the rest of the EP. Well at least until the We said back at that show last year that there was a lot of potential and this EP reinforces that claim, heavy grooves from the Bristol mob that loom large on this debut. 7/10

Green Claws: Hell Is For Hugo Part I: Descent (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

The first instalment of a planned six-part release, Hell Is For Hugo Part I: Descent is a rock musical that loosely follows the Inferno section of Dante’s Divine Comedy (this appears to be a popular topic this year in the rock and metal world). Set in a fictional town, it follows the story of Hugo, who ends up in Hell after following a group of demons on Halloween and his journey through the nine circles, accompanied by Emily, who he meets when he arrives and the mysterious Theodore who aims to help them escape.

Conceived almost five years ago by Singer/songwriter George Purves, who plays all instruments and sings, it is well produced and the four tracks that total 12 minutes are adequately performed. The challenge is the quality. It’s, well, to put it bluntly, a bit basic. The sugary pop feel of this EP may well sit at home with fans of Puppy, Haunt and Weezer (according to the PR anyway) but it merely irritated me. Like a wasp trapped in the curtains, it simply annoyed me with its noise. Purves is obviously a competent musician, although the alt-rock style vocals did nothing for me at all. The four tracks are routine, repetitive, and somewhat unimaginative, despite the storyline contained within them.

If there are another five parts to come, I’ll probably give them the swerve. I’m sure this will appeal to some people. Just not me. Sorry. 4/10

Reviews: Long Distance Calling, Behold The Void, Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin, Wino (Alex, Dr Claire, Paul S & Paul H)

Long Distance Calling: How Do We Want To Live? (Inside Out Music) [Alex Swift]

Instrumental prog out of Germany, the impressive, spacey soundscapes long-distance calling create, do not require vocals to add to their sense of majestic composure. We begin on a note, many may not expect – The Curiosity Suite has more in common with an electronic ambient piece, inspired by the elusive musical movements of dream pop and trip-hop. The effect is hallucinogenic in tone and epic in magnitude, feeling akin to a film score, with the constantly swelling sense of tension which these musicians muster. Hazard is more traditional and guitar-led, yet still bears a serene feeling of travelling – of fleeing from a plane of existence, exploring planets, worlds, and galaxies – the intriguing voice-overs paint surreal images not of what our future will look like, yet the different possibilities in front of us. To clarify, Long Distance Calling are not laying down some grand, dystopian narrative here, yet using their skill to create a set of ambiances and musical realities that explore the realms of how our world may look as technology advances its relentless march and political realities take form before our eyes.

The reason pieces such as Voices and Immunity are so effective in crafting auditory narratives is that they refuse the stagnation of sticking to singular ideas - instead choosing to change and investigation. We stray serenely between haunting synthesiser and electronic passages, to impressionistic percussive moments, and sections of pure elation and melody. All this allows the scientific themes to sprawl and rejoices, as though the playing is providing the precise and exciting soundtrack to a revolutionary experiment. That's not to say there aren’t instants where this particular experiment goes awry – where sung vocals are incorporated such as on the disenchanting Beyond Limits, they dull the grandiose and molecular feel of the surrounding musicianship. Also, at times there is too much emphasis placed on creating an atmosphere as opposed to doing anything inspiring – I’m not sure if they intended to be subtle or brooding, yet the closer Ashes failed to tir much of anything in my emotions. That said, I won’t deny the talent on show, and certainly, lots of thought has been utilized in creating a vast and expansive work of art with How do we want to live? 7/10

Behold The Void: Disintegration (Self Released) [Dr Claire Hanley]

Instantly bludgeoning, Merciless One kicks off proceedings with an incredible intensity. The steady, purposeful pace locks you firmly into the Djent groove from the outset. Punchy drum patterns and slamming bass riffs dominate throughout. Behind the brutality is a blackened edge with tempo changes that layer perfectly with the overriding Deathcore influence, and the howling vocals accentuate the crushing soundscape. Encircled In Death leads with a comparatively melodic opening but maintains that sense of the macabre, fading out into Plots And Schemes which showcases a blend of symphonic synth effects and throat-stripping screams, with an atmospheric interlude that wouldn’t be out of place on a Swallow The Sun album. There is no let up from the intensity as Blindfold embodies the aural equivalent of being dragged through Hell; continuing to unleash more abrupt, blackened switches in tempo, while Light enhances this by introducing some galloping guitar riffs.

The pinnacle of the album, Distant brings the aforementioned layers together. The mix is exquisite, expertly meshing the blackened elements and borderline-beatdown riffs. However, from this point, things become repetitive. Into The Bliss possesses similar characteristics as the previous tracks, so fails to add anything novel. Much the same story for Enemy, which feels comparatively weak and lacklustre. The addition of an instrumental track, Agonia, sets the record on an upward trajectory again, before the title track Disintegration closes with some tremendous, thundering double kicks. Far more accomplished than similar offerings by artists such as Lorna Shore, Behold The Void manage to seamlessly integrate largely divergent genres. The result is impressive but sticking to a similar formula prevents individual tracks from standing out, which leaves the record teetering on the brink of background music. 7/10

Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin: Stygian Bough Volume 1 (Profound Lore Records) [Paul Scoble]

Firstly, this album is not a split, this is not one side Bell Witch, one side Aerial Ruin. This album is a rarer beast than a simple split album. This is a collaboration between Bell Witch and Aerial Ruin, in all intents and purposes the two acts have formed a three piece to make this album. Collaborative albums are not that common, some have been incredibly successful (The Body and Thou or Mare Cognitum and Spectral Lore) some haven’t (Metallica and Lou Reed), it’s a risky thing for bands to do. However Bell Witch duo Dylan Desmond (Bass and Vocals) and Jesse Shreibman (Drums and Vocals) and Aerial Ruin’s only member Erik Moggridge have worked together before in this way. Erik Moggridge has been involved with all 3 Bell Witch albums, most obviously on Bell Witch’s third album Mirror Reaper where he provided vocals. So, these two acts have some experience of working together, which bodes well for this collaboration.

The album opens with the track The Bastard Wind, which starts with strummy clean guitar and clean vocals, this has a soft, folky feel to it. The softer feel is quickly dispensed with as a huge and heavy riff comes crashing in, the clean vocals continue. Extra layers are added, suddenly this collaboration starts to feel really special, as this is similar in style to Bell Witch, but with guitar. This means that there are more depth and complexity to the layering, this also creates some extremely effective harmonies. As the song continues the feel moves towards a more menacing sense, the vocals get harsher and for a while it feels almost claustrophobic. After this nastier section everything slows down and the clean vocals are back. This section has a more relaxed tempo, slow and heavy but with a slightly drifting feel. A big and very melodic guitar line comes in over the huge and slow riff and the song slowly moves to an end.

Heaven Torn Low I (The Passage) is a piece of dark folk. Simple, slow acoustic guitar, with ethereal vocals. The track is graceful and delicate, it feels sombre and old. The track has an almost ambient break in the middle before going back to the dark, melancholy folk. Heaven Torn Low I (The Passage) leads us into the next track Heaven Torn Low II (The Toll) which erupts into life out of the melancholy, minimalism of the preceding track. Heaven Torn Low II (The Toll) is huge and heavy, it’s shorter than the other two big and heavy tracks on here as it’s only 8 and a half minutes. The track is slow and very mournful, the huge harmonies are there as well which, with the pacing of the song, has an effect that is similar to Warnings masterpiece Watching From A Distance.

Prelude is a short instrumental that leads us into the final song The Unbodied Air. As with the first track, The Unbodied Air is nearly 20 minutes long, and is a sprawling, huge track. It opens with a huge, heavy and quite discordant riff, there is a menacing quality to this part. A melody lead guitar part is added, it’s also dissonant and so makes the whole sound feel nasty and unpleasant. This feeling is continued through into a faster section, which has more drive and purpose and has harsh vocals which add to the menace. And then all of a sudden it all fades and a solitary church organ is the only instrument to be heard. Clean vocals and some very minimalistic clean guitar come in, this is now soft lilting, and genuinely beautiful. After this section the huge and heavy riffs come thundering back, but this time they are very slow, and melancholy, without the menacing feeling that this song had before. The organ has decided to join in as well, and we can also welcome back the huge and very melodic harmonies that again remind me of Warning. This track now feels as if it has almost limitless depth, it’s huge and cathartic, as it slowly builds to a massively heavy climax.

Stygian Bough Volume 1 is a stunning piece of work. It’s monumentally heavy and huge, but is also packed with melody, nuance and power. This feels like something enormous, if mountain ranges could make music this is what it would sound like, but at the same time the folk influences brought to this project by Erik Moggridge also give it a beautiful feeling of lilting, delicate beauty. The album has enormous depth, this is a very impressive compositionally, and structurally, whilst at the same time containing some great melodies that will stick in your head, I must admit I have been humming a lot of this album over the last few days. This is probably going to be a very important album, this will probably be one of the best doom albums released this year. It also gives us a hint of more amazing music to come, after all if this is Volume 1 then that suggests a Volume 2, and hopefully a Volume 3. I’m already exited at the prospect! 9/10

Wino: Forever Gone (Ripple Music) [Paul Hutchings]

One of the most recognisable frontmen in the hard rock world, Scott “Wino” Weinrich is best known as the iconic frontman of cornerstone doom metal founders Saint Vitus and The Obsessed. His history is well documented with his move to California to join Saint Vitus in the 1980s, with whom he released the seminal Born Too Late widely regarded as one of the most powerful statements in doom’s early history. His raspy, heartfelt, and punk-charged vocals have been easily identifiable for over three decades. His third album Forever Gone is his first release on Ripple Music and his first since 2010’s Adrift.

Forever Gone is 11 tracks of acoustic stripped-down melancholic rock. His third solo album ranges from Americana inspired music to deeper, darker unplugged tracks. Joined once again by fellow Maryland rocker and Clutch drummer Jean Paul Gaster, it is likely to be an album that appeals to die hard fans as well as those who appreciate the efforts of a man and his guitar. The closing track is a cover of Joy Division’s Isolation, and with the addition of drums and electric instruments it’s probably the most exciting track on the album.

Elsewhere, the opening title track is an updated version of his 2015 song with Conny Ochs, a gentle play which provides the basis for many of the tracks on this release. As pleasant as it is, there isn’t a whole lot to get excited about here and I must admit I found it just a tad dull. It’s Wino and his guitar at a slower pace than normal. Beautifully performed, just a bit dull. If you enjoy acoustic sets then this may well be something to relax to. For me, well, let’s just say it’s not going to get the heart rate much above normal. 6/10

Reviews: Kyros, Hail Spirit Noir, Stygian Crown, Hadean Cult (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Kyros: Celexa Dreams (White Star Records)

"Citalopram, sold under the brand name Celexa, is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. It is used to treat major depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia." So you can imagine that any dreams that you have while on this drug would be quite severe, varying wildly from euphoria to nightmare. However does it sound like synth-driven progressively tinged rock? I don't really know but I can tell you that Kyros' style has a certain lucidity to it that would certainly counterpoint a journey into the mind. Previously known as Synaesthesia (it all makes sense now) Celexa Dreams is the band's third full length release and they are very deep in that 80's synth revival that has been brought to a wider audience by Bastille, The 1975, Blossoms Foals and even artists like Dua Lipa and The Weeknd.

However Kyros filter this through some classic synth pop template of Depeche Mode, Duran Duran  and The Pet Shop Boys while also having a decidedly prog sound of bands like Asia and Toto who played synth/percussion driven 80's rock and also hints of both Marillion, Genesis and more recently Voyager on In Vantablack which is built around epic synths and soaring vocals from Adam Warne, some Level 42-esque bass playing from Peter Episcopo and clocks in 14 minutes of progressive deliciousness. It's one of two colossal tracks on this record the other being the 10 minute Technology Killed The Kids III a song that conjures the darkness of Porcupine Tree.

The remaining tracks though are shorter while still carrying emotional weight. Just listen to Phosphene which has the echoing vocal and balladic beauty of White Star Records co-founder John Mitchell, there's some Floydian sax parping on the jazzy shine of Rumour and robotic dreamscapes on Sentry where Robin Johnson plays some of those huge sounding Phil Collins electronic drums. I haven't yet mentioned guitarist Joey Frevola who plays it very understated for most of the record but occasionally is given the chance to shine with rocking numbers such as Uno Attack. The final track is the hair-raising Her Song Is Mine which has some jazz-lounge piano, stirring strings and a restrained sadness to it that closes the album with a heart-wrenching bang. Celexa Dreams is an evocative, beautifully sequenced and performed record from this London based band. It defies expectation and genre constraints and proves yet again White Star Records has it's finger on the pulse of modern progressive music. 9/10

Hail Spirit Noir: Eden In Reverse (Agonia Records)

Mind-Bending, the one (hyphenated) word to describe the fourth full length album from Thessaloniki's Hail Spirit Noir. Billed as a psychedelic/progressive black metal band, I did struggle a little to pick up the black metal references though, the riffs and drumming do come from a similar place as Emperor and Opeth and the end of Alien Lip Reading does contain some screamed vocals. It seems as if they have knowingly moved away from the black metal sound and that it's the Akerfeldt influence that looms the largest with vocalist Cons Marg, who makes his debut on this record, having that sonorus baritone vocal style of Mikael while musically the band have the retro leanings of the Swedish heavyweights.

Hail Spirit Noir take it much further though as they managed to employ two keyboardists Haris and Sakis Bandis (a debutant here) for layer upon layer of fizzing psych synths, massive organ stabs and the sort of space rock sounds you'd expect from bands like Hawkwind and Greece's own Aphrodite's Child melded with the electronics of Jean Michel Jarre and even a loving spoonful of musical wizard Steven Wilson. Even the other instruments ascribe to this obscure style Alien Lip Reading has Theoharis's guitar playing shimmering like 60's surf rock against some theremin, as the drumming Foivos (again on his first album with the band) and driving basslines of J. Demian add some head nodding groove. Certain parts of this record are haunting, such as the Katatonia-like beginning of Crossroads, before it becomes almost like a Ghost track but on others they really ramp up the mind melting for The Devils Blind Spot which has lots of electronica elements pulsating through it as First Ape On The New Earth brings a more black metal assault leading into the closing otherworldliness of closing track Automata 1980 a propulsive, hymn-like tracks that builds into the Vangelis synth attack at the end. Totally bonkers and utterly brilliant, I can't wait to get my arse back to Thessaloniki and watch this band live! 9/10

Stygian Crown: Self Titled (Cruz Del Sur Music)

Epic doom band Stygian Crown's self titled debut album is a statement of intent from this L.A. five piece. They have called their musical style "Candlethrower" with an equal influence from epic doom heavyweights Candlemass and death metal FUCKING LEGENDS Bolt Thrower. Now I was a little sceptical about the the second one but as soon as you hear those massive drums on tracks such as The Hall Of Two Truths and the grind on When Old Gods Die both of which come from  "An album tuned to B, with a 26” bass drum and a singer who doesn’t need auto-tune" (the bands words not mine). But that being so this is a very heavy album with some crushing guitar riffs, throbbing bass, those smashing drums and the bold, loud, classically trained vocals. Stygian Crown were formed by drummer Rhett A. Davis, bassist Jason Thomas and guitarist Nelson Miranda, then adding guitarist Andy Hicks and powerhouse vocalist Melissa Pinion, written in an unorthodox manner Stygian Crown is a cohesive doom metal record with a powerful chug witnessed on the closing Two Coins For The Ferryman the tale of Charon the boatman on the river Styx. Doom metal played with the unrepenting thunder of death metal Stygian Crown is a really powerful debut record from the band of the same name. 8/10

Hadean Cult: Don The Mantle (Self Released)

To ascribe to a Hadean Cult then you would have to worship Hades the lord of the underworld so this would have been the Ancient Greek equivalent of being a Satanist, walking the left hand path against the normal confines of society. That is certainly what Thessaloniki based two-piece Hadean Cult do, their music is imbued by the occult rock spirits of bands like Blood Ceremony, Purson, Lucifer and The Devil's Blood, pairing 70's proto-metal with doom touches, sort of like Blue Oyster Cult but with a bit more witchery. Now as I've said Hadean Cult are a duo, they feature the bewitching incantations of Stoicheia's soulful pipes along with virtuosity of self proclaimed "garage magician" Hadean who plays all of the instruments on this record. Don The Mantle is their debut release that kicks off with the slinky Witches' Circle that slides into the atmospheric 60's rocking of He Will Guide Your Hand while we get some doom folksy on Love With The Void replete with harpsichord, the keys continue on lilting interlude The Wide Black Yonder that leads into the The Broken Crook which is very reminiscent of Rosalie Cunningham's work. There's a warm analogue vinyl production to this record to that makes it sound very authentic to those days of 70's rock, join the cult and allow Don The Mantle to wash over you. 7/10

Reviews: Enterprise Earth, Thirteen Stars, Exit, Airbag (Liam, Simon, Rich & Bob)

Enterprise Earth: Foundation Of Bones (eOne) [Liam True]

Born from the ashes of Dan Watson leaving Infant Annihilator, Enterprise Earth have been on my radar for a few years, and I got the chance to see them back in 2018, and they blew me away from the technicality of their playing to the live vocals of Watson. It's now 2020 and EE have dropped Foundation Of The Bones. A short, but sweet, surprise EP. And no matter how short it is, it’s packed full of their typical slams, blast beats and Deathcore nuances. Title track FOTB is classic EE. From the moment the track kicks in to the very last cymbal hit, it’s a non-stop adrenaline rush that takes over your mind and with Watson growling at you and the band being as tight as a string of fishing wire. Now here where it gets interesting. There are two cover songs on this EP. Now You’ve Got Something To Die For by Lamb Of God & Fermented Offal Discharge by Necrophagist. Both covers are done magnificently by staying true to the bands who created them, but also with the EE Deathcore twist on it providing a brutal environment for their abilities to flourish. There Is No Tomorrow from previous album Luciferous, gets an acoustic treatment which is both beautiful and haunting as the vocals of Watson resonate through you and send shivers down your spine. The title track is then given another appearance, but this time as an instrument, if you want to try and outshine Watson’s monstrous vocals. From start to end it’s a great EP and provides us with covers from a band we didn’t know that we needed. Beautiful. 8/10

Thirteen Stars: Finest Ramshackle Jam (Rock People Records) [Simon Black]

Sophomore album for UK Southern Rockers Thirteen Stars, and they’ve been cooking this one for a while, since it’s been a five year wait since their debut The White Raven. I guess a lot has happened in the world since then and the album is very much pitched as an antidote to the madness of today, because clearly what we all need in our lives is bit more old-fashioned Southern Blues. Which is just as well because this album is positively dripping in it (who would have known that Cumbria is where it’s at?) The title of this piece tickles my sense of humour, because the album’s anything but. It’s the mark of good Rock’n’Roll that it leaves the listener feeling that what they have just heard was fresh, off the cuff and dripping with spur of the moment improvisation, whilst actually being the complete opposite, and Finest Ramshackle Jam does this very, very well indeed.

So, the highlights: Are You Ready a solid mid-paced rocker that gets things going nicely, with some nice riffage and guitar harmonies and a solid beat. The song is about the concept of music as an anthropomorphised Gypsy, and Gypsy rock is a good handle for where this and much of the rest of the album is heading. Running So Long is a bit slower and does singer/guitarist Hoss Thompson more justice (think Spike from The Quireboys) and his voice sounds much more relaxed from this second track. It stays there ‘till the end to be fair, and Sleeping is a good example of the tighter, more controlled technical interplay that goes on under the hood of a good band, with some strong rhythm interplay and a willingness to get a bit more experimental with the guitar effects. It has a highly effective hypnotic streak running through it, and is a high point of the album for me. Sorcery take sit back to more familiar R’n’R territory with some nice subtle Hammond layering in the background. Be There In The Morning opens with a great clap along drum sound and a meandering guitar line, and you could be forgiven to thinking you were listening to the opening bars of a Travelling Wilburys album, but the nods in that more Country direction work remarkably well. 

When it goes straight rockin’ it does so with ease and panache. Single Mint Jelly with its Dr And The Medics greatest hit sounding beat and intro (along with a massive nasal snort of Primal Scream), this track has a great chorus and an unexpected and effective horn section interplaying well with honky tonk piano and guitars, and you have for me the strongest song on the album. It’s quite a long album too, with 15 tracks and a run time of 55 minutes to play with and it doesn’t drag because the mix of styles is so eclectic whilst staying very much in its genre box, so think of it as a Rock’n’Roll album taking a tour round their influences. The simple sounding end product belies a tightly structured bit of music under the hood, that made this week pass just that little bit better. 7/10

Exit: Traces Of Human Existence (Art Gates Records) [Rich Oliver]

Exit are a band from Switzerland who formed in 1996 as a death metal band. From the release of their album III in 2009 the band have shifted more in a modern thrash/groove/metalcore direction and this is where we still find them with the release of their fifth album Traces Of Human Existence. The album is comprised of nine songs of fast and aggressive melodic death metal and metalcore. The death metal roots of the band aren’t forgotten as the music is played with a ferocity and intensity with a heavy use of blastbeats and ferocious riffs as well as the heavy use of melody and the chugs and breakdowns of metalcore. The vocals are a mainly done in a screaming style though there is a use of clean vocals especially in the song Empire. The music on Traces Of Human Existence though fast and intense I just generally found rather generic and pretty forgettable. This contemporary mix of modern thrash, groove, melodic death metal and metalcore is done very well though in this case it didn’t do much for me. 6/10

Airbag: A Day At The Beach (Karisma Records) [Bob Shoesmith]

In one of my other guises I am currently promoting an album with my musical co-conspirator. For reasons best known to the gods of music, said album has been warmly adopted by the Prog scene. In recent times, it seems that the Prog scene has mushroomed exponentially and has become a MUCH broader church than the traditional double album, with 25 minute keyboard fests about wizards and middle earth (although that style still lurks in there). In fact, the current Prog scene has become one of the most inclusive and encompassing categories out there, seeing a massive resurgence in interest and various mutations of the genre by new artists (I know, who saw that coming, right?). So, with my other hat on, I had already stumbled across a bit of a buzz about the latest offering by this Norwegian trio long before it came across my desk.

A Day At The Beach, is Airbag’s fifth album, and has already caused ripples on Prog based radio shows, webzines and magazines ahead of its release. Airbag, while self-confessed, unashamed Proggers, often get compared to Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree and while those comparisons are valid to a point, the band do have their own, distinct sound too. Bjørn’s Riis’s slow, Neo-Prog guitar sections are definitely reminiscent of Gilmour, for sure, and there are swathes of slow burn atmospheric keyboards and gentle emoting that would ease the soul of many a beard stroking old school Prog aficionado. But dig a little deeper and there’s a far more of an 80’s electronica vibe that permeates all the tracks and, for example (and bear with me here) on tracks like the opener Machines And Men this track genuinely bares comparison – in my head anyway - to Morten Harket singing for OMD more than leaning towards the self-indulgence of older artists they lazily get compared to, which really works – even if my comparison doesn’t. Airbag have a great commercial ear for hooks amongst the ambience. Yes, they do create soundscapes, yes, there are at least three tracks that are over 10 minutes long (hence only six of them) but they have moments of commerciality not often associated with the genre. One of the little conundrums is why the excellent bass playing of Kristian Karl Hultgren is only a guest appearance? Snap him up quick Airbag.

Only two of the six tracks you could described as more up-tempo (the aforementioned opener and Sunsets) and the remainder are slow burning mood enhancers, although, I for one would personally like to hear more in the style of Machines and Men and lose the Gilmour safety blanket references, but that’s just me. I enjoyed A Day At The Beach, the production is wonderfully crisp and deep and all the tracks draw you in, keep you interested and encourage you to engage with them. The whole album package is well conceived and you can see why it has already intrigued the Prog community as they fuse 70’s Floyd (or 80’s Marillion of you prefer) with more updated electronica and production values. Something for everyone. 9/10

Reviews: Bad Touch, Exhumed & Gruesome, Mushroomhead, Shakedown Suzies (Simon, Rich, Matt & Bob)

Bad Touch: Kiss The Sky (Marshall Records) [Simon Black]

Bad Touch have done really well in a relatively short space of time. In the 10 years since this bunch met at college the band have released 3 albums, toured with some respected names in their niche (The Quireboys, Tyketto, The Electric Boys, The Answer, Massive, Skid Row and the Kentucky Headhunters, Dan Baird and FM), delivered the goods at some high profile festival slots and got themselves properly established. Of course it helps when you have the likes of Planet Rock working hard to break them in a scene dominated by 80’s acts and fans of a certain age with fixed opinions, but credit where credit is due, because this one is a monster.

I hadn’t had the opportunity to listen to them before, but I have to say I was quickly hooked by the early Black Crowes vibe that is positively dripping from this, their fourth album and well cut at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Monmouth with Nick Brine (who has done some great work with Thunder recently). It’s a generous disk, with 13 tracks running at 46 minutes, and keeps the pace and attention well for the listener with an even variety of pace and tone, and a darn fine standard of songwriting, with lots of solid rockers keeping the energy going. Like all good blues-based rock’n’roll the instrumental interplay merges into a well-crafted homogenous whole, creating a solid groove but with some clever layering underlying it for the more curious ear to unpick. This is Richards/Wood style weaving at its absolute best, topped off by a really soulful vocal turn from Stevie Westwood.

It kicks off with a bang with Come A Little Closer, a solid riff-driven groove machine and I Get High takes this and runs to the boundary. With a title like that it is quite an unlikely love song, but one which really works. They also squeeze a stonking rendition of Kiki Dee’s I’ve Got The Music In Me, which works really well, epitomises this album and the band’s influences loud and clear in the same way that Hard To Handle did for The Black Crowes. Before I Die is a real foot-tapper, with a driving bass drum and groovy double layered guitar riff intro and chorus that sets the pace and gets the emotion through motion engaged, although very short at 2’28”.

There’s a couple of ballads on here, and they avoid the obvious cliché’s, but Can You Save Me is the strongest by far – with enough power to avoid mushiness but enough gentleness with the layering of acoustic and electric guitars so that you hardly notice the change of pace. However this is definitely a case of leaving the best ‘till last with closer Something About Your Kiss, although you will need the CD version to get this one as it’s a bonus track not available on the vinyl edition. The kick drum and acoustics interplay on this track keeps the tension up well past the halfway point before this track builds up to a soulful, intense and moving overdriven finale, leaving this ole hack really, really wanting more. For those of us in South Wales, these guys hit the Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff on the 1st October (well, here’s hoping – global pandemics and all that) and I for one intend to be there. 8/10
Exhumed & Gruesome: Twisted Horror (Relapse Records) [Rich Oliver]

I’m not the biggest fan of split releases preferring to focus my attention on a full release from a band but this one I was accepting of considering that both bands are the brainchild and are fronted by the same person - the mighty Matt Harvey. Exhumed are the longest running band of the two having been going since 1990 whilst Gruesome have been in existence since 2014. If you know anything about either band then you know what to expect but for those in the dark Exhumed play a vicious mix of death metal and grindcore very much influenced by Carcass whilst Gruesome play old school death metal very much influenced by and emulating the sound of death metal pioneers Death.

Twisted Horror (the name made up of the two latest releases by each band - Twisted Prayers and Horror) is five brand new songs with three from Exhumed and two from Gruesome. The songs from Exhumed follow the style presented on previous album Horror being short, sharp, fetid blasts of deathgrind which are also extremely catchy with opener Rot Your Brain being a particularly depraved little earworm. The songs by Gruesome are very much in that classic Death style sounding like long lost songs penned by Chuck Schuldiner himself with Led Into The Dark being suitable savage and gnarly. This is a lovely little release from two high profile extreme metal bands. As I said at the start of the review I’m not the biggest fan of splits but can more than get behind this one. Five brand new songs of filthy deathgrind and gnarly old school death metal. 8/10

Mushroomhead: A Wonderful Life (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

Written over various tours between December 2018 to January 2020, Wonderful Life is the follow up to their 2014 album The Righteous & The Butterfly. It's their eighth in total and the nu-metal stalwarts show no signs of throwing in the towel yet, their brand of 'horror metal' blends punchy percussion driven industrial sounds, spooky synths, huge bass drops and groove metal to create the style of music Mushroomhead have been delivering since 1993. On A Wonderful Life they have also added to their masked ranks with two additional vocalists Ms. Jackie and Mr Rauckhorst joining longtime vocalist J Mann across the album, with Madness Within standing out as a way that all three work together. Now I said that Mushroomhead were part of that glut of nu-metal bands from the late 90's early 2000's and they retain the sound even to this day.

Their tracks carry that throbbing bottom end driven by the double drums/percussion of Diablo and founding member Skinny, along with the down tuned guitar and bass from Tankx (guitar) and Dr.F (bass) who also supplies keys with Sitch (keys/samples). The macabre and political lyrics are weaved through the highly polished production on this record that runs too 17 tracks including bonus tracks giving you 70+ minutes of music if you're a fan but for those with a passing interest it may all be a bit too much. Mushroomhead's 'horror metal' shows no signs of changing anytime soon, it's evolved but they are still the same band from those days of baggy jeans and wallet chains, this could be good or bad depending on your view. Fans will love it, others (like me) may find it a bit tedious after 10 songs. 6/10 

Shakedown Suzies: A Business Doin’ Pleasure (Picky Is Without Records) [Bob Shoesmith]

Yet another of the legions of rock bands currently marching out of Sweden, this one, an all-male (despite the ambiguity of the name) sleaze/hair metal four piece. Having been brought up on a diet of classic British/LA hair rock, Musipedia knew this was my kind of thing and put it my way, so, happy days. I had no idea what to expect from a band name like Shakedown Suzies, and having heard the album and seen the video it still doesn’t seem to sit comfortably, but whatever, it’s a name, they said the same about Led Zeppelin’s moniker to start with!

So… to the album, A Business Doin’ Pleasure. Any question marks on the name are dismissed with a great opener of a Motley Crue-esque, machine gun rattle of ‘Buckle Up’ which is a belter and then ably backed up by the fist pumping Delicious Vice with vocalist Ricki (unfortunately members are only identified by first names) doing a very passable impression of Vince Neil in his slimmer, early, frankly better, years. Throughout the album tracks are played with energy, grit and determination and importantly, like they really mean it. They play with a sort of ‘Airbourne’ tempo and intensity that some other bands of their ilk seem to lack. Apart from some great riff n roll there’s also lots of nods to the bands influences, like the G'N'R cowbell and the November Rain of I Don’t Do Regrets, the football chant anthemic choruses, the fast play outs (Alibi and Hair Of The Dog) and the thing is with sleaze/hair rock, these are exactly the tropes that your audience want, they WANT to hear all those elements and Shakedown Suzies certainly hit all the marks.

There are some standout tracks along the way in the shape of Forever Wild, the `Motorhead-ish Savage Hearts and the bump and grind of Rascal Remedy. There’s not an ounce of fat or filler on the whole album and, to be fair, I was half expecting a lazy but ubiquitous power ballad to be thrown in somewhere but no, it’s all hard edged, up-tempo and pretty kick ass. There’s no hiding from some of the obvious clichés that come with the territory but if you’re a fan of Motley Crue, G'N'R, Airbourne, Skid Row’s Youth Gone Wild or Hanoi Rocks you will overlook the rather awkward band name or the clichéd lipstick coated lips on the cover (they don’t actually do the whole “glam” thing). A couple of odd quirks musically for me, like the lead guitar solos, while excellently executed, they sound like they were recorded in another room, I wanted them front and centre, and the drummer rather over-does the kick drum triplets a little too much for my tastes, but these are really minor niggles and not damaging at all to the overall product at all. The odd name notwithstanding,

I really liked A Business Doin’ Pleasure s determination and effort, the band sound like they love what they do which will definitely win people over. I shall look forward to seeing if they deliver the same energy live. 7/10

Reviews: Lamb Of God, Vampire, Black Orchid Empire, Chaosaint (Liam, Rich, Bob & Matt)

Lamb Of God: Lamb Of God (Nuclear Blast) [Liam True]

Lamb Of God are one of the popular bands this side of the 2000’s, there’s no doubt. With every album they get inherently better, build a bigger fan base, churn out more riffs and chorus’ than you can handle. While between 2000 – 2009 they were a machine, bringing out 5 albums in that time, however since 2009’s Wrath they’ve gifted us with three studio albums, each being better than the last. Now fast forward to 2020. The release of their self titled was pushed back from May 8th to June 19th, and I’m wasn’t complaining, because you know LOG put all of their effort into every album they release. I didn’t listen to any of the single releases of the song as I wanted to sit through the album in it’s entirety because the Groove Metal adventure I knew that was coming needed my full attention. The album itself is reminiscent of VII: Sturm und Drang, through both from the sound and production of the band, with in my opinion was their best sounding record they put out. Memento Mori starts of as a soft ambient interlude with the clean sounding guitars of Mark Morton & Willie Adler with whispers of children telling you to wake up while Randy Blythe serenades you before lunging into his vitriolic roar of ‘Wake up!’.

From that moment the album doesn’t stop. It produces the classic LOG sound. Their signature breaks. The riffs are fresh, clean and the solos are better. Checkmate is full of urging you to ‘Make America Hate Again’ (Possible nod to Thy Art Is Murders song of the same name) while mocking the ‘American Dream’. The main thing you may be listening to is the drums. As it’s Art Cruz’s first studio album with the band he has a lot to prove. Sure he can play live with them and do it flawlessly, but this is where it all boils down. And he fucking smashes it. Through Gears and New Colossal Hate he negotiates his way through them with frantic tempo shifts and sublime double-kick polyrhythms. Willie & Mark are a cohesive unit of duel guitars providing the sharpest hooks and face-melting solos you could only dream of producing. Though Randy Blythe’s supreme vocal work is the forefront of the record. His vocal ability is insane, and replicated identically in a live setting. Hands down LOG’s self-titled is the best album in 2020 so far. While there are still may more albums to come this will be held high and band will need to work hard to beat this impressive work of glory and art. 10/10

Vampire: Rex (Century Media Records) [Rich Oliver]

Vampire are another metal band who take the retro sound approach and do it very well. Rex which is the third album from the Swedish band has a sound very much rooted in the mid 1980’s but unlike a lot of the retro bands who channel classic and melodic metal influences Vampire very much have a far more nasty and evil sound. There are three bands who very much inspire the Vampire sound and that is Celtic Frost, Slayer and Mercyful Fate. This is retro sounding blackened thrash with nods to classic metal and early death metal. It’s a lot of varying influences but Vampire make it work with gnarly riffs, melodic leads and reverb drenched harsh vocals.

The songs throughout the album are nicely varied with the title track, Pandemoni and Rekviem being the gnarly thrashers whilst songs such as Inspiritus, Moloch and Anima are far more melodically led with a greater emphasis on those Mercyful Fate influences plus some nods to Iron Maiden. Whilst there are bands very much trying to define a contemporary sound for metal in 2020 it’s also great to hear bands take things back a few decades and play music directly influenced by the bands they love. Vampire may be playing a retro sound and style but they are damn good at it. Being a massive fan of thrash and ranking Celtic Frost amongst one of my all time favourite bands there was no way I was not going to enjoy this. 8/10

Black Orchid Empire: Semaphore (Long Branch Records) [Bob Shoesmith]

Before I put my fingers on the keyboard today, I have sat with my Espresso and done extra due diligence on my research (working from home brings some benefits!) and there’s much to admire about London based Black Orchid Empire’s workman like progress leading up this, their second album, Semaphore. From being spotted at the Emergenza UK unsigned competition in 2013 through several singles, a well-received debut album and lots and lots of ‘gig miles’. They are attacking their craft with deserved self-belief and a very admirable, almost old-fashioned work ethic. No “I just wannabe famous” posing for them or hanging on the coat-tails of bands they wish to mimic. A talented three piece who have clearly worked hard at getting it right in all departments.

In these days of strict music genre adherence and a slave-ish creation of multiple sub-genres in the music business, I always smile to myself when a band can successfully straddle categorisation. Don’t be mistaken though, NOT being in a clearly identifiable genre can also lead to listener or record label apathy or even a confused fusion of ideas. Not so Black Orchid Empire. With one metaphorical foot in the Prog-Metal of Tool or TesseracT and one in the indie power rock of Royal Blood or Amplifier and even a nod to old school Police (the band obviously not the actual Rozzers) to these grizzled old ears. An opening Sci-Fi/spoken passage leads into track after track of very well balanced, tight, powerful song writing and excellent musicianship.

Lyrically and commercially they’re no slouches either. I hear a lot of bands who are musical technocrats and focus on long bursts of self-indulgent shredding and time signature gymnastics to the detriment of the actual song, but have forgettable back of a fag packet lyrics. All areas of Black Orchid Empire’s game have carefully created. Black Orchid Empire’s biggest strength is balance. Only one song sails over the four-minute mark, there’s tight, technical ability, well-crafted hooks and some admirable wordsmithing. Their time on the road has clearly provided an empathetic musical understanding and the collective sound is razor sharp. As well as being a talented guitarist, Paul Visser’s vocals are perfect for their fusion of style, a mix of James Maynard Keenan (Singularity) to an impressive and emotive Matt Bellamy (Winter Keeps Us Warm). This balance means they can compete on any stage with the power and technicality of their Prog-Metal cousins in Dust or Death From Above, or deliver the commerciality that often gets forgotten, in the face of technicality in Faces and Crash.

Semaphore is a remarkably good album. As I said at the outset there is much to admire about the band’s whole work ethic and sharp progress. In his day of bands seeking the instant gratification of social media and not willing to truly put the work into their craft, Black Orchid Empire show that there is no shortcut to quality and there is quality in abundance in this album. I am already recommending Semaphore to some of my rock DJ mates and possibly one of the best things I’ve heard in 2020 so far. 10/10

Chaosaint: In The Name Of (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

In The Name Of is the latest EP form Aussie Alt/Groove metal band Chaosaint, who formed as Exhale back in 2001 smack bang in the middle of Nu-Metal, before Jon Cribb (rhythm guitar) reformed the band as Chaosaint in 2015. It's got gruff aggression in the vocals, some LOG styled stomping groove riffs, with the more melodic styling of Trivium or Avenged Sevenfold on tracks such as the title track which has a clean solo and some slinky guitar playing. On this record the band have stated they wanted to add some of the 80's metal vibe to the record drawing from as they say "Metallica, Ozzy, Iron Maiden and Motorhead" while saying that they "began jamming on this in 2016 and turned it into the fist-pumping melodic thrash anthem you hear today." Well these are certainly some fist-pumpers ideal for anyone who likes either of the two bands I've mentioned earlier. From the blistering kick off Knives Are Drawn, through the 80's thrashing of Darkness Following and into anthemic finale of Blackened Days, In The Name Of is a great piece of very modern heavy metal with the promise of more to come due to the lockdown they have started work on a full length. On the back of this EP that bodes very well for this revitalised groove metal act. 7/10   

Reviews: Power Trip, Haunt, Viatorem, Stinky (Liam & Matt)

Power Trip: Live in Seattle (Dark Operative) [Liam True]

There’s no doubt that Power Trip have dominated the underground Thrash Metal scene since Nightmare Logic dropped back in 2017 and have been on some of Metals most notable tours since. Playing with the likes of Trivium, High On Fire, Cannibal Corpse and plenty more acts to give them a taste of the big tours. Their new live album, recorded back in 2018 when they were at the top of their release tour with NL, shows the band at their best. With the setlist packed full of their most notable hits (Executioners Tax, Manifest Decimation & Crucifixation to name a few) mixed in with songs they’ve barely played live (Conditioned To Death & Drown being the main ones) it’s a perfect live album for the band to flourish in and stands even better two years down the line.

The band themselves are on fire and are as tight as any Crossover Thrash band right now. With Riley Gale’s powerful Hardcore Punk voice surging through you like 1000 volts of stimulating rage with the demolishing backdrop of the nuclear Thrash that’s being deployed by the band. Guitarists Blake Ibanez and Nick Stewart play flawlessly entwining with one another amidst the solo’s and riffs they use to melt the faces of Seattle. Bassist Chris Whetzel provides the booming backdrop with his frantic playing & drummer Chris Ulsh keeps the tempo above the recommended headbanging speed but does so without a care in the world. The band are having fun doing what they love, it’s obvious. Hell, halfway through Executioners Tax, Gale tells someone named ‘Charlie’ to get off their phone before thrusting his chords to growl "Swing Of The Axe".

If there’s ever been a band you need to see, or even hear live, Power Trip are definitely on that list. From someone who’s seen the band twice, they put their all into their shows to provide the best possible time for themselves and the audience. Seattle was subjected to a pounding, and I don’t think it’s ever recovered. 8/10

Haunt: Flashback (Church Recordings) [Matt Bladen]

Trevor William Church, frontman/guitarist of Beastmaker returns with his solo project Haunt a more NWOBHM inspired record. Now I've reviewed pretty much every Beastmaker and Haunt release so I knew exactly what to expect on this fourth full length record but does familiarity breed contempt? Flashback opens with some of that NWOBHM-like punchy riffage of Tokyo Blade and Angel Witch, Church I believe plays everything on this album once again showing his musical dexterity as he cranks out the galloping riffage on Winter's Breath, it also marks Haunt's debut release on Church Recordings, Trevor's own record label.

At just 31 minutes, there's no time to hang around as the songs come at you thick and fast with all those audio clues to that seminal 1980's UK scene. He has brought some of the occult touches from Beastmaker on Flashback as well with a little twiddling keyboard interlude behind the chorus of Electrified though One With The Universe has a lot of American speed metal to it, all frantic double kicks and some nifty flicks of the fretting wrist. Before you know it you're on your fourth beer and the eighth, and final, track of this record digging out you leather and studs ready for another mosh in your front room. A very genuine homage to the genre that have influenced so many, with a Terminator-like work-ethic I can only imagine how many Beastmaker and Haunt albums we will have later this year and next year, due to lockdown! For now though Flashback will have to satisfy those NWOBHM cravings. 8/10

Viatorem: No Saviours No Kings (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Politically charged progressive hardcore/deathcore band Viatorem (Latin for Traveller/Messenger) hail from the English capital, and use their music to call out the injustice in the world focussing on "parliamentary and political systems, the oppression and dehumanisation of peoples around the globe, the prejudice toward those needlessly deemed “not welcome”, and the rising threat of the far-right." So really never was there a more vital time for them to be trying to spread their vitriolic rage. Formed just a year ago, Ross (Vocals), Serge (Guitar), Pip (Guitar), Rodrigo (Bass), Finn (Drums), have already managed to bring together a self produced EP of 6 raging metal tracks that lay down Viatorem's manifesto against hate.

The crushing Obsolete opens up the album with blistering death riffs and snarled vocals, as with most of the core styles, the song evolves into a massive breakdown in the mid-section before bouncing into some bass-led crushing. Elsewhere we have bouncy Grendel, Exalt is fast and brutal, at least after the massive breakdown that opens it up, while Despair opening is stripped back before the aggression moves in once again climaxing this 6 track record. The production is very D.I.Y but that does give a rawness to these rallying cries. There is no quarter given on No Kings No Saviours it's pumped full of rage and puts anyone in a position of oppressive power on notice. Play loud! 7/10

Stinky: Of Lost Things (M-Theory Audio) [Liam True]

The Hardcore genre has a love/hate relationship with me. There’s only a few select bands I really like in the scene. Until Stinky came along with Of Lost Things. The record is pure pandemonium from start to finish. The French quintet have excelled from their previous releases with their song writing. While their sound has stayed the same, their ability to manufacture a great album from point A to point B has become outstanding from the instrumental side to the hellish vocals.

With Stinky, you know what you’re going to get. You're getting an explosively charged album with the raging guitar and the battering drums of Seb, Titouan & Paul respectively. Then you have vocalist Claire, who I thought was Alexi Laiho for a good amount of the album. The screeches and wails that protrude from her are breathtaking and blend well with catastrophic beatdowns in the background. Sure there’s a few songs here that are hit and miss, but Revival Fire & Nosedive more than make up for it as their crammed with riffs. It’s a pretty good album that shouldn't be missed. Even if you don’t like Hardcore, it may convert you. 7/10

Reviews: Beyond The Black, Dead Posey, Hank Von Hell, Sulferon (Reviews By Matt)

Beyond The Black: Hørizøns (Napalm Records)

We've watched the evolution of Beyond The Black across their previous records as they have re-defined the symphonic metal sound since forming in 2014. Beyond The Black is very much frontwoman Jennifer Haben's band, her voice is the integral part of the band's arsenal and the focus is very much on her stylistically and artisitcally, just check out the album cover that features just Haben three times. Still when you have a voice like hers it would be silly not to build the band around it, and from the opening moments of the title track her crystalline, powerful voice catches the ear above anything else. However that's doing  disservice to the the musical backing as her band: Stefan Herkenhoff (Bass), Chris Hermsdörfer (Guitar), Tobi Lodes (Guitar) and Kai Tschierschky (Drums) crank out symphonic metal that features the classic strings of the genre, along with some bagpipes on the massive Coming Home.

There are some darker tones, some melodic metal anthems, lots of electronic trickery and the hookiness of pop on tracks such as Misery a song that could have come off Lady Gaga's most recent album Chromatica. As with so many of the bands in the symphonic metal style, they have become more and more influenced by the Euro-pop sounds meaning that tracks like Wounded Healer sounds like a dance-metal ballad from Amaranthe, who's Elize Ryd duets with Jennifer. A very slick record Hørizøns is the culmination of what Beyond The Black have been striving for since their inception an album of powerful symphonic/melodic metal songs that move from string laden ballads such as Human and Out Of The Ashes, fist pumping rockers like Marching On which also showcase the excellent backing vocals from the guitarists while Paralysed sounds like it's from The Greatest Showman.  A much more inclusive sound here, aiming for a bigger audience that when they tour with Amaranthe (currently scheduled for November) will put them into the upper echelon of their genre. 7/10

Dead Posey: Malfunction (Sumerian Records)

Now if you've not heard the name Dead Posey before then get ready to be acquainted. Having already released one EP Freak Show in 2018, you will have heard Don't Stop The Devil from that EP featured everywhere TV shows like Lucifer, Jessica Jones, as well as WWE's Elimination Chamber 2019, suffice to say that song was pretty much everywhere propelling the band onto a 2019 tour with Theory Of A Deadman. Now that tour support will let you into what Dead Posey sound like they draw from left field influences that means they have a punk-infused, arty style of American radio rock, that dwells on the occult and the darker side of life. Dead Posey take their name from the old Nursery Rhyme "Ring Around The Rosey" so it's that spookiness that influences their music along with artists such as Rammstein, Joan Jett along with In This Moment and The Pretty Reckless.

What is surprising is that Dead Posey are a two piece comprised of Danyell Souza (Vocalist/Producer) and Tony F. (Producer/Multi-instrumentalist) but despite this the songs on Malfunction sound massive with throbbing electronic percussion the basis of every number giving a grind to the bluesy Parasite and a modern pop sound to Bad Things with it's clap-stomp rhythm. As good as they are as a band. Dead Posey aren't aimed at grizzled metal fans like me, they are very much for the youth market who love the rock with a huge heap of dark pop/electronic elements. The next in line to bands like Halestorm, In This Moment and New Years Day, Dead Posey's second EP is an amuse-bouche readying their fanbase for a full length. 6/10 

Hank Von Hell: Dead (Music For The Nations)

The former Turbonegro singer Hank Von Hell has unleashed a concept rock album, it's narrated by Frankie Loyal actor from Mayans M.C, produced by Tom Dalgety (Ghost, Rammstein and Opeth) who co-writes three tracks. It also features co-writes/performances by Cone McCaslin and Dave. Baksh of Sum 41 on the pop punk flavoured Radio Shadow. And his long term collaborator A.W Nine across 13 tracks that make up this 'death disco' where Hank muses over his dark past of drug addiction and resurrection due to scientology and getting clean, opening with the gothic, catchy as herpes, title track which sounds very much like Ghost possibly due to Tom Dalgety's influence as he produced the Swedes latest album Prequelle.

In fact this spooky Swedish rock sound cuts all the way through this album with a glorious amalgamation of 70's disco, 80's pop and sleaze garage rock, every song has a hook that will get you singing along with every chorus, it may even get you nice and sweaty with it's unashamed revelry. It's not all riffy party anthems though as he can turn his hand to muscular 80's ballads that remind this writer of the originator of glam/sleaze rocking Alice Cooper on Blackened Eyes. He's also got Disco which once again brings the spirit (pun intended) of Ghost (just listen to that synth) and a Crown featuring the addition of Guernica Mancini from the band Thundermother. Across this album Hank Von Hell is backed by his band, Jean Genus, Jones Kelly II, Mr.O who all pump these songs full of life, ironic considering the title. Dead could be the liveliest record of the year, filthy and furious, I'm sweating just sitting here. 8/10

Sulferon: Death And The Philosopher (Shub Niggurath Productions)

I've stated a few times in these pages, and it's really quite a well known fact, that Greeks love black metal, the gnarlier the better and on Death And The Philosopher we get some very gnarly old school black metal which has filthy production, a squawked vocal delivery, blistering blast beats and tremolo picking. Along with the many of the black metal underground Sulferon is also a one man project; Typhonas plays everything here including the keys that come in from time to time. Is it groundbreaking? No it's not it's basically D.I.Y black metal that favours quantity over quality, he's released 7 albums since his debut full length in 2015, sometimes two per year and they all pretty much sound like this so it's at least in keeping with the rest of his discography. Trve black metal cvltists will love it but I'm not too sure. 5/10

Reviews: Mordred, Elegis, Solaris, Lined (Paul H, Rich, Paul S & Matt)

Mordred: Volition EP (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

One of the crossover thrash pioneers, Mordred originally formed in 1984, releasing three albums and an EP before splitting in 1994. Often cited as a band ahead of its time, their first album Fools Game in 1989 blended thrash, funk, and metal with DJ Pause on the turntables, and spawned the MTV favourite Every Day’s A Holiday. Their second album In This Life was released in 1991 also received many plaudits unlike third release The Next Room which saw the band move to a Faith No More style sound. 2013 saw the band reform, the line-up including five of the original In This Life members minus drummer Gannon Hall who was replaced by Jeff Gomes of Fungo Mungo. It’s this line-up that now returns with their new EP, Volition. Mordred 2020 is Scott Holderby on vocals, guitarists James Sanguinetti and Danny White, Art Liboon on bass, Aaron (Pause) Vaughn on keyboards, vocals, turntables, and drummer Jeff Gomes.

The band released Not For You a few weeks ago, causing a bit of a stir amongst the thrash sites around the world. It’s a catchy release, full of the old-style fusion but with plenty of fresh energy and impetus. A strong message about the ‘American Dream’, it’s a punchy, chaotic, and addictive song that features some chugging guitar, the typically dangerous jagged edges, and more power than a jumbo jet. Repeated plays will have you moving. This is followed by What Are We Coming To, a harrowing powerful statement about social inequality and incredibly relevant at the current time. A slow-moving hip-hop track, it’s a contrast to Love Of Money, the third track which sees singer Holderby in full flight, matched by some driving riffing and DJ Purse’s trademark turntable abuse. It’s unmistakably Mordred.

The Baroness brings this refreshingly enjoyable EP to an end, and whilst the groove is definitely old school, the freshness of the self-titled bastard sons of the Bay Area makes Volition one of the most welcomed EPs in a year which is rapidly turning into one of the biggest steaming turds in the last 100 years. With some fabulous artwork courtesy of Andy Pilkington’s Very Metal Art, this is a package well worth checking out. 7/10

Elegis: Kultus (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]

Poland is very much a hotspot for quality extreme metal acts with many successful bands or highly renowned bands emerging from the country. Another band to add to the ever growing list of excellent Polish extreme metal bands are Elegis who have suitably impressed with their second album Kultus. Elegis very much follow in the footsteps of fellow countrymen Behemoth and Hate with a sound that sits somewhere between black and death metal and a dark, epic and grandiose approach taken to their style of extreme metal. Elegis definitely have a brutal sound but there is an epic and atmospheric feel despite the brutality of the music with symphonic flourishes maintaining the epic feel throughout the album. The performances throughout are excellent with fantastic musicianship and precise playing. 

The production is also of excellent quality being very crisp and polished yet punchy. The album is comprised of eight songs (including an instrumental and an outro) and it starts as it means to go on with the dark symphonic intro of Apollyon Ave leading into some very brutal yet precise blackened death metal. The ferocity continues with I Am A Shadow Of Thorns which also incorporates some Eastern style melodies whilst my personal favourites Aeon Omega and Deus Arcana just level everything in their path. Kultus is a great album and prime example of Polish extreme metal. It may lack a certain degree of originality (bearing a lot of resemblance to bands such as Behemoth and Hate) but it is impossible to deny the quality of the music being offered here. I for one thoroughly enjoyed. 8/10

Solaris: Un Paese Di Musichette Mentre Fuori C’è La Morte (Bronson Records) [Paul Scoble]

There are many bands called Solaris, a quick Google search of the name will reveal a very long list. This Solaris are a four piece Noise Rock band based in Cesena in Italy. The band have released one album before Un Paese Di Musichette Mentre Fuori C’è La Morte in 2017’s L’Orizzonte Degli Eventi. The style of music on offer on Un Paese Di Musichette Mentre Fuori C’è La Morte (A Few Seconds Of Doubts And Endless Hesitations) is broadly Noise Rock, with a bit of sludgy doom and a little bit of nineties grunge as well.

The band do a good line in big slightly doomy rock riffs, often with some very pleasing melody lead guitar over the top. In most of the songs these big riffs are separated by softer sections, with clean guitar and a fairly minimalist approach to the arrangement. It’s in these softer, minimal and brooding sections that the nineties grunge influence is heard. There's definitely a similarity to Soundgarden and Alice In Chains in these softer sections, it goes once the band get bigger and heavier, but it definitely gives the album an interesting addition to the musical balance of the album. There is some very impressive guitar work on Un Paese Di Musichette Mentre Fuori C’è La Morte as well. The melody leads that go over most of the big riffs are nice and blues infused, and the album also boasts some very impressive solos as well, very melodic, lyrical and expressive. A lot of the songs on here have a fairly relaxed pacing, nothing is frenetic but there is a lot of energy, whilst keeping the feel leisurely and unhurried.

If I was going to find fault with Un Paese Di Musichette Mentre Fuori C’è La Morte, it would be in the song structures on offer here. Two of the tracks are very short, opener Podio is a fast blast of noise rock, while Maledetti is a short Post Rock instrumental, are both under 3 minutes. The 3 remaining, longer tracks all have the same basic structure. Big noise rock intro, everything drops down to the minimal, softer, grungy sound, then it builds back up to the big riffs for the chorus, and then return to the softer, minimal sound. This is then repeated two or three times before the song ends. It is in no way a bad structure, but having about 80% of the album fitting into this pattern, does start to feel a little bit too familiar by the time you have reached the end of the album.

Un Paese Di Musichette Mentre Fuori C’è La Morte is a very good album. Yes, I would have preferred a little more variation in the structures of the songs, but considering the strength of the songs individually, this is a minor quibble. Hopefully the band can add a little bit more complexity to the next album, as this would make their style of Noise rock really fly, but for the time being this is a very good album is definitely worth a listen. 7/10

Lined: Soulcrifice (Art Gates Records) [Matt Bladen]

Just as a heads up before I start the review. A lot of music fans rely heavily on a band's social media for information about them, as reviewers too it is nice to have the information all in one place. Unfortunately there is absolutely 0 information on Lined's Facebook page other than a picture of the band and "PURE F*CKING METAl" and the release date of this album, they do give a link to to their record label and after some searching you find out that Lined are melodic death metal band from Spain, more accurately the Basque country. Their self titled debut was released in 2009 and since then there have been a number of line-up changes in the band that has meant that after 11 years we get Soulcrifice as a follow up and as a summing up of the record it has everything you'd want from the thrashier end of the melo-death pool of influence big thundering blast beats and twin guitar harmonies are met with screamed vocals. The songs are slick and well produced allowing these anthems to be pit ready with influences of Dark Tranquillity as well as Pantera, and these can been seen in all of the band pictures, as well as on tracks such as the groovy The Reaper, the propulsive Rotten Society while the melodic elements creep in on Buried Alive. All in all Soulcrifice is a pretty decent melo-death album, it's just difficult to find out anything about it. 7/10

Reviews: Constellatia, Cro-Mags, Dead Reynolds, Huanastone (Paul S, Paul H, Alex & Matt)

Constellatia: The Language Of Limbs (Season Of Mist) [Paul Scoble]

Constellatia are a four piece based in Cape Town, South Africa. The band feature members of Crow Black Sky and Wildernessking, and have been in existence since 2018. The album also features the vocal talents of Alison Rachel and Lucy Kruger. The main style on The Language Of Limbs is a mix of Post Metal and Post black Metal. Post Black blast beats with tremolo picked riffs are separated by lush, deeply melodic Post Metal sections, the album also features harsh male vocals and beautiful female vocals.

The album opens with the track All Nights Belong To You. The song opens with a Post Black Metal blast beat with tremolo picked riffs, it’s fast and frenetic but has that smoother feel that is common in Post Black metal, they feel similar to those use by Coldworld, Message In A Cloud or Violet Cold. Harsh vocals are added, but due to the nature of the Blast Beats and riffs this isn’t as nasty as it could be, there is still lots of melody and tune-fullness. The track then slows for some really melodic riffs, this slowly fades into an atmospheric ambient section. This section slowly morphs into clean guitar and female vocals which take the song to a really mellifluous ending.

Second track In Acclamation starts slow, mellow and relaxed before going into a very fast punky section, where the drums are bordering on D-beat, the energy in this section is very enjoyable. This then segues into a more traditional tremolo picked riff, with a big melody lead over the top. This riff and tune then slow down and we are back at the relaxed and mellow feeling that the song opened with. As the song moves along this section feels more purposeful and driving until it reaches the end of the track. Empyrean is the shortest track on the album, it opens with a part that feels like a slow Blast Beat, which then morphs into a faster more aggressive Blast, but with lots of melody. The track vacillates between these two feels until it comes to an end with a beautiful acoustic riff.

Final song The Garden has a soft, lilting opening with achingly beautiful female vocals. Harsh vocals are added and draw the song into a Blast Beat and tremolo picked riff, however the harshness of the Blast beat is tempered by really nice guitar melody. The song then slows down for a Post Metal section with a very tuneful guitar solo. These two feels of Blast Beat and the Post metal section are repeated, before a slow and comparatively heavy section takes the song and album to an end.

The Language Of Limbs is a beautiful piece of Post Black/Post Metal. The fast tremolo picked sections are full of energy and drive, but are also packed with melody and tunefulness. The softer, slower Post Metal sections are lush, and beautiful. What really make this album work is the interplay between the two main feelings on offer. This album has a beautifully realised ebb and flow, there is a fantastic balance the more savage parts and the lush beauty, which produces a cathartic feeling that is genuinely affecting. Highly recommended. 8/10

Cro-Mags: In The Beginning (Arising Empire) [Paul Hutchings]

Few would argue with the legendary status of Cro-Mags, the New York hardcore outfit who raged from 1981 -2002 and again since 2008. Numerous line-up changes have seen Harley Flanagan as the only original member, and amidst a background of legal action over the rights to the name, it’s something impressive that we finally get a new record at all. Flanagan returns to the vocals on this album after an 18-year gap, following the departure of long-standing singer John Joseph and he does a fine job. Flanagan remains the driving force behind the band, with the current line-up consisting of Flanagan (vocals/bass), and three former members in guitarist Gabby Abularach, lead guitarist Rocky George (Suicidal tendencies/Fishbone) and drummer Garry ‘G-Man’ Sullivan.

In essence, In The Beginning is a bastard mutation of thrash metal and a hardcore attitude. It’s a punishingly brutal assault but does it really catch the ear in a way you might expect? Well, I’m no hardcore expert but this album ticks all my boxes. The thrashing stomp and screaming guitars on songs like There Was A Time and No One’s Coming sit nicely in the metal camp, the muscular opening on Don’t Give In returns to the band’s ferocity on their debut The Age Of Quarrel and the battery on Drag You Under will certainly get pits moving. It’s been 20 years since Cro-Mags released an album, Revenge being their fifth release and whilst it’s been a long time, In The Beginning is certainly a blistering piece of work. From The Grave features the guitar work of one Phil Campbell, and it’s one of the best tracks on the album, a true rager which smashes from start to finish.

Whilst the album is relentless in its approach, there are certainly surprises as it progresses. The savagery of No One’s Coming contrasts with the intro to PTSD which is atmospheric before reverting to a fist pumping second section, Flanagan’s growling roars as raw and violent today as they have ever been. We even have the brooding Between The Wars, almost six-minutes of instrumental music featuring violin and a smouldering bass line. The emotive style which lends itself to the space rock of bands like Hawkwind is a massive change of approach but amid all the chaos, it really works. Elsewhere, it’s thundering, angry and everything you would want from a band cited as such a massive influence. The heritage of NY hardcore remains intact in this album. The band are due to return to the UK next year and those shows should be immense. In the meantime, this is a savage return from a legend. 8/10

Dead Reynolds: Frontier (The Fort) [Alex Swift]

East Anglian five-piece Dead Reynolds command their powerful rhythms and strong hooks with the precision of acts in the vein of Shinedown or Black Stone Cherry, and the ferocious angst of bands like Rise Against or Gallows. There’s a certain forcefulness present throughout Frontier, which speaks of a desire to make an impression in a succinct amount of time while living up to their influences. Nothing here necessarily reinvents the wheel and you wouldn’t expect that from an EP. Neither would you hope for that necessarily, as there’s an earnestness which comes from seeing these musicians flaunt their influences while making those sounds their own. Take a moment such as Bright Lights, where the soaring notes create a feeling of cosmic inspiration, beautifully lending a sense of balance to the aggressive presence of the bass and the vigorous bridge, which makes for a startling if captivating change of direction.

Alternatively, look to By Your Side – a pop-punk/post-hardcore rager, led by the frenetic rhythmic prowess, the huge chorus, and the layers of harmony which bring to mind joyous memories of summer and camaraderie. Looking to another influence, Lines bears more of a rustic, DIY indie feel, yet is imbued with changeable guitar passages, and variable drum patterns – there’s the metal fandom shining through. We finish on the contemplative P.S (I Loathe You), which feels slightly disparate and jarring compared with the other tracks, yet no less energetic. In short, there’s very much a ‘something for every rock fan’ approach being trailed here – I don’t know whether that’s a description they’ll take kindly to, though I totally mean that as a compliment, as…well…it’s what I heard when listening. I only hope they outlive the acts they clearly admire, as I’m sure with refinement and experimentation, these combinations could be a winning and successful formula. 7/10

Huanastone: Third Stone From The Sun (Argonauta Records) [Matt Bladen]

Third Stone From The Sun is the latest album from Swedish fuzz merchants Huanastone, it's their second release and deals with the same kind of explorative heavy stoner riffs that they had on their debut merging thick heaviness of The Sword on Viva Los Muertos and Bad Blood which brings some killer Sabbath-like riffs from Tobias Gonzalez and Carl Lambertus Olofsson, while Tobias's vocals are similar to that of The Sword's John D. Cronise, these first two songs on this record are deep in the stoner metal groove with Bad Blood bringing some great bass and drum work from Filip Larsson and Victor Hansson who even brings cowbell. Now from here on out we go into the outer reaches of the stoner rock realms the acoustic interlude of Oliver Pt 1 leading into Part 2 which brings things into the woozy sounds of desert rock as things get Kyuss inspired with the title track and the jazz-inflected blues of Carnivore which also brings some QOTSA funk as Tobias' voice adopts a Josh Homme soulfulness. A fuzz, riffy, bluesy treat from this Malmö quartet worth some lazy summer night head nodding. 7/10