Reviews: Accept, Edit The Tide, Vesperian Sorrow, The Loyal Cheaters (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Paul Hutchings, Mark Young & James Jackson)

 Accept – Humanoid (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

Accept embrace/reject the technology age, those historical takes in Blood Of The Nations/Stalingrad now replaced by fear of A.I and technological attachment as the German metal legends add another classic to their late period repertoire. Recorded with Andy Sneap again, it’s got all the fire and fury of the most recent Judas Priest albums, Sneap knows how to make a classic metal band sound up to date while keeping things similar to their earlier works. 

Mark Tornillo’s vocal performance on Humanoid is particularly good, snarling and snide he delivers The Reckoning and Diving Into Sin with apocalyptic venom, while on the glammy Nobody Gets Out Alive it’s refined for a more radio friendly cut and with Ravages Of Town he turns into Rod Stewart as a husky voiced crooner. Lyrically there’s focus on A.I and technology, but also the passing of time and ultimately death. The one problem I have is Man Up which I’m trying to work out if it’s serious or satirical, the idea of Manning Up in 2024 is perhaps a little old hat, but it’s got a AC/DC backbeat so may be tongue in cheek, the AC/DC influences come on Straight Up Jack too. 

Anyway away from me being a snowflake and back to this killer metal album we have. Wolf Hoffmann and Uwe Lulis bring that Teutonic twin axe terror to Humanoid, Mind Games and Unbreakable, it almost seems stupid to talk about dual harmonies and precision riffing as these are the foundations Accept, and most German metal are built on. However there’s some bluesy rock as well, the glammy stuff I mentioned earlier and neo-classical opening on Southside Of Hell. Unbreakable and Nobody Gets Out Alive highlight the work Martin Motnik (bass) and Christopher Williams (drums) put in in the backroom to keep this metal machine firing at full pace. 

Much like Priest, bands of this vintage could be just resting on their laurels but Accept are actively trying to better themselves with each album. Humanoid is a mechanical masterwork delivered by honed homo-sapiens. 9/10

Edit The Tide – Reflections In Sound (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

Bridgend five-piece emerged in 2023 and took early plaudits at their appearance at Swansea’s Station 18 festival. Their music is a combination of classic and modern styles, with some intricate guitar work adding to an overall melodic flow.

This five-track EP brings the band to the attention of the rock world in a wider way, and for a debut EP it’s certainly worth a listen. The band are no wet behind the ears outfit, with experience in other established acts evident in their confident approach. Opener Ambience is a pleasing combination of intensity and catchy hooks, ample harmonies which stick in the memory and a hard enough edge to interest those whose penchant maybe for things a little heavier.

Unite And Rebel has some heartfelt vocals that are underpinned by solid musicianship. It’s a contemporary approach, with the clean and gruff vocals working well. A song about the impact of the pandemic, it’s a darker song with a defiance that we can all appreciate. Paradigm reminds us that you get but one shot at life, so take it with both hands. It’s another deliciously crafted song, with the intricate guitar work more evident and clearer than I’ve heard when they play live. Harmonies are key to this band, and they’ve worked hard to ensure that they aren’t too intense but also deliver in the right way.

With Regret is another honest and complex piece of work, with a clear message that resonates throughout. That brings us to the final song, The Moment, a song focusing on determination and never giving up.

If I had one criticism, it’s the formula that the band use can present as a little repetitive. Whilst that could be levelled at most bands, a little more variety on style would be welcome. It’s a very minor quibble though. Overall, if you are a fan of the modern rock/metal sound, then Edit The Tide should be of interest. It’s an EP that is well delivered and provides South Wales with another band who are potentially on the edge of a wider audience, likely to appreciate their honesty and sincerity in sound. 7/10

Vesperian Sorrow - Awaken The Greylight (Black Lion Records) [Mark Young]

And now a blast of symphonic black metal to close out your April. Vesperian Sorrow bring you Awaken The Greylight, their 5th album and one that is presented as a new collection of music that ties together with that previously released over the course of their previous albums. 

With that in mind, I don’t believe that you must have experience of those in order to appreciate or enjoy what they have here. For the purposes of the review, I’m going to treat this as an album which represents their ‘jumping on’ point, is this any good, will it make you want to seek out these earlier releases and furthermore follow them going forward? This will depend entirely on if you like the symphonic genre.

What we have is 10 songs that sit in that genre very well. Fans of the band, and of this music will take pleasure as they do exactly what is expected. From the extreme drumming, melodic flourishes, guitars that rumble and vocals that switch between clean and dirty it has everything that you would associate with it. What I didn’t get was a sense of the epic, the grandeur that I thought would be present here. There are moments where it shines through, the opening of As The Pillars Were Raised screams out of the traps like a man possessed. 

There are subtle echoes of Nile and Morbid Angel in it, at least to these ears and it is effectively a snapshot for the songs that follow. There is that Middle Eastern theme that runs through it, from the vocal phrasing to the synths, the ever-present double bass, it’s all there but it runs too long and what could have been one of the best opening tracks of the year has its impact reduced. 

It feels as though this is something that is repeated as we progress through the album, there is an undeniable quality here, but the songs are stretched out too far, it’s almost as though there was a conscious decision not to have any short songs on here. A great example of a song that would have benefited from being a touch ruthless is Antediluvian – Proceeding The Unshaping. There is a section that is repeated and it doesn’t add to song at all.

The piano and harmony guitars at that usher in Traverse The Vorthonian Passage are well done, and this one zips along at a decent pace and has that bit of oomph that is needed to keep you onboard; there are some furious guitar lines, and the double bass again is laying down suppressive fire of the highest order. It’s a belter of a song and should have provided the springboard for them to kick on with but they seem to miss the target with the next one, opting for what felt like a safe option, or maybe something drawn from a template. 

Either way, the songs themselves are decent enough, well played and arranged but for me something is missing. It’s definitely a sense of familiarity bleeding through in each song, and by the time we get to the title track they hit it the mark but it’s too late. Awaken The Greylight is urgent, flying in parts and pulling back to allow their sense of melody to come in. Its rapid, heavy and there should have been more like this here. I don’t think it is a coincidence that it is one of the shorter ones here, and by being shorter it impacts so much better.

All being said, it’s not a poor release. It just feels top-heavy in execution and had the songs varied in length a little more then I could have enjoyed this more. It is not short of good ideas but the song lengths mean that these are stretched out too far. 6/10

The Loyal Cheaters - And All Hell Broke Loose (Go Down Records) [James Jackson]

This German/Italian Rock outfit, fronted by Vocal/Guitarist Lena McFrison play a mashup of Rock, Glam and Punk, all seemingly influenced by 70’s acts like Cheap Trick, a band whose song Surrender was covered by The Loyal Cheaters, on their previous album. 

The songs are short but punchy, the raucous Punk influences driving the upbeat tempo for the majority of the album, especially on tracks like Eat The Rich and Spit On Me. The tempo only dials down on a few tracks, the bluesy sway of Hound Dog shows that not everything has to be driven at full speed, for it’s change in tone makes it stand out from the rest of the album.

I feel slightly indifferent to the album however; it’s not anything I’d particularly listen to though it doesn’t make me immediately want to turn it off, the riffs are solid enough and the choruses catchy, vocally it’s a strong performance just as it is instrumentally, it’s Turbo Rock n Roll according to the bio and if that’s your style then I’m sure it’s one to try. 6/10

Reviews: Full Of Hell, Night Shall Drape Us, OU, Darkness (Reviews By GC, Rick Eaglestone, Mark Young & Richard Oliver)

Full Of Hell - Coagulated Bliss (Closed Casket) [GC]

Since their formation in 2009 Maryland’s Full Of Hell have released an absolute shedload of stuff on a variety of labels which include numerous collaboration albums, EP’s and now they are preparing to release their 6th album Coagulated Bliss, in the course of their career they have mixed powerviolence, hardcore, grindcore, death metal and noisecore all into one and that sound like something I can get on board with!

Half Life Changelings has an upbeat and slight pop melody to the first 8 seconds before all hell breaks loose and then its and uncompromising mix of grind and death metal that has all the nastiness needed before Doors To Mental Agony is a sludgy and thick death metal track all thrown together in just over a minute and a half and even manages to slow the pace down at the end to just throw you of guard before one last blast of violent grindcore finishes the song off nicely. 

Transmuting Chemical Burns has an awesome bass lead D-Beat mid 80’s hardcore feel at the start before the now familiar grindcore hits but it never loses that groove either and the way both styles are done is magnificent Fractured Bonds To Mecca then dials everything down and falls straight into doomy and uncomfortable noisecore that drags along and has an unsettling and downright horribleness running through the whole song and the changing up of tempo’s is also another curveball before the hardcore punk stomp of the title track Coagulated Bliss is here and gone in a blink of an eye in another wonderful display of short, sharp, shock treatment only for them to then thrown in Bleeding Horizon which at 6:13 is almost as long as the first 5 tracks combined. 

To start its just a slow and brooding guitar and slight feedback that sets the tone that’s build into a slow and droning riff with the vocals paired back and echoing over everything just enough to create a suffocating feeling, this doesn’t stop for the duration of the song towards the end we get a bit more depth added and while I appreciate the attempt to mix everything up drastically, I definitely feel this song is just that little bit too long, this of course doesn’t last long as the beautifully titled Vomiting Glass is 56 seconds of absolute grinding chaos that wakes you up again and reminds you to not get to complacent while listening to this album. 

Schizoid Rupture is a gloriously OTT old school death metal track, the vocals are thick and heavy to match the thundering drums, but both seem to drown out the guitars a little bit and make it hard to really pick out the vast majority of riffs but still an enjoyable track non the less, Vacuous Dose goes full of grind again and is a savage and unruly noise that shows for me that they should probably concentrate more on this side of things because when they do it just sounds phenomenal like on Gasping Dust which is another violent attack from all angles and again the unrelenting nature of this song is what makes this album such a good listen. 

Gelding Of Men then throws in an experimental alt-rock mixing jagged and jarring noisecore style in and as the song goes on just seems to get more and more aggressive and shows another way of doing things, Malformed Ligature closes the record with a mix of slow and doomy death metal with a little blast of grind thrown in for good measure.

It’s plain to see that Full Of Hell don’t like to do things half-hearted, when they put their foot down, they are an urgent and invigorating blur of violence and savagery but they can also take it right back and make you feel uncomfortable and anxious, the mix of styles creates a nervous energy in you and not knowing what is coming next is the real high point of this wonderful mindfuck of a record. 9/10

Night Shall Drape Us - Lunatic Choir (Season Of Mist) [Rick Eaglestone]

Finland’s Night Shall Drape Us unleash their own Blaze In The Northern Sky with eight heretical hymns on debut album Lunatic Choir

The albums opener Hymn Of Rebellion really lulls the listener into a false sense of security at the very start with its almost prog like tones that is before the tremolo and crashing of drums into a melting pot of fury with anthemic screams which continues into the entirety of Dead Eden which highlights the rawness that really unpins the release.

For me Ethereal Constrictor really nails the aesthetic of the album, this may be down to the atmospherics the layered vocals or just the overall grandiose nature of the presentation but whatever it maybe it is then smashed out of your subconscious as Ashes Of Man introduces the halfway point of the album kicking and screaming into oblivion.

It feels like each track is looking to outdo the previous one & well, Unification is no different – wave after wave of tempo increase, sharp guitar work and visceral vocals aplenty and if I had to select a track for someone new checking out the band it would have to be this as the inclusion of other dynamics that are subtly lurking really build up into a substantial serving of satanic majesty

The aptly named Lunacy And Horror is nicely constructed again containing fresh elements that enhance the blistering descent which weaves into Under The Dead Sky which after me mentioning for previous track I can now categorically that this is 100% the albums most relentless track and the windswept woefulness deserves a corpse painted chef’s kiss.

Lunatic Choir concludes with the short no nonsense The Queen Of The Red Streams and is a great closing choice and fitting for such a great debut offering.

Although initially conceived as a solo project the decision to form an unholy Nordic alliance bringing other musicians into the fold has proved a glorious manifestation of a collective goal. Uncompromisingly & Unrelenting.7/10

OU - II: Frailty (Inside Out Music) [Mark Young]

OU is a 4 piece that arrived on the progressive/fusion scene in 2022. Dummer, Anthony Vanacore bringing together the necessary component pieces and releasing ‘One’ via Inside Out records. OU have brought their unique vision to bear on II: Frailty, and having the mighty Devin Townsend along to Co-produce it can’t be a bad thing. This time round they look to push the envelope of prog past breaking point.

Frailty starts and straight away that promise of bringing the best of fusion sounds is delivered. Lynn Wu’s vocals have a dramatic range, moving through different gears from a gentle delivery to full bore. The mix of piano and guitar brings a heady mix with Lynn’s vocals dominating. Everything is super tight, the arrangement ever building and expanding with some of the gnarliest guitar tones coming in like a monster stomping on famous landmarks. That mix of the heavy with those clean but strident vocals is royal and serves as a statement of intent. 

Purge brings more of the electronica to the fore; background space being filled with the kind of soundscapes you’d hear in Blade Runner (Big Up Vangelis - Ed). This is not the prog I expected, it’s something else. The crazy Meshuggah riffs and drums with their stabbing feel, the building ambient sound behind, and again Lynn’s vocal stylings over it is mesmeric. There is a spot about 3 minutes in that is amazing, what the drums are doing are mental. Its brilliant stuff, especially when Devin gets in on the act and provides backing vocals that just round their sound out. 

The breadth in scope becomes further apparent with Ocean, it starts with a more restrained approach, less noisy guitar and more keyboard. This sounds like Prog, but with that modern filter applied to it. The one constant to it is Anthony Vanacore’s drums. They are just supreme, providing both the anchor and the propulsive force in moving the song forward at speed. Guitars too, with Jing Zhang dropping riff bombs that fit so well within the electronica.

Redemption is a haunting piece, soft piano and barely breathed vocals with an arrangement that builds gradually, the sound swelling just enough to carry us through to Capture and Elongate (Serenity) which starts with drum / electronica that reminds me of Raw Sex (duo that supported French and Saunders – google it, you will get the reference) in tone but not in execution. When it kicks in it is glorious, using the noise as a break and loop us back to the maddening keyboard, that starts, stops and starts again. When they get heavy, its heavy but still within the context of the song.

Spirit Broken brings back the guitar, focused and controlled with an arpeggiated section that is hypnotic when combined with the almost angelic vocals. If anything, this is like prog that I am used to, simple chords repeating without actually going somewhere. It’s the first misstep of sorts for me, of course, the vocal performance is total quality, but it feels as though the song is treading water.

Yyds is crafted from those classic prog chords that evoke a feeling of cosmic places, keys that are wandering whilst the drums are doing their magic and then they drop the technical on proceedings, just listen to it from 1.37 to 2.25, it’s a machine-built jam session and is something to behold. I actually can’t decide how to describe it, except that it is the sound of a band just on fire. Is it even prog anymore, I think that they are moving far beyond what the image of prog is. 

Reborn is the polar opposite of Yyds relying on Lynn to carry the song with an arrangement of keys to support and serves as a reset before they hit us with the final track, Recall. Unfortunately, Recall is a maddening track, the first half consisting of electronica and vocals repeating but going nowhere. The second half changes only slightly, a vocal refrain that is different, a loop that went on too long. They wish to push that envelope of what is expected from Modern prog, which is fine, but I think your last song has to be a song, one that is epic to really make it stick in the memory.

One thing I should have mentioned is that Lynn sings in her native language, not English which gives the album a unique feel but also hampers slightly. For me, the last track could have been removed and it wouldn’t have affected it one bit. The quality on display, the craft and sense of arrangement is top class. Each of the band are pulling in the right direction, all totally focused on the song. Admittedly out of the 9 songs there are 2 I didn’t care for, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. If this is the state of progressive music in 2024, then it is in a great place. 8/10

Darkness - Blood On Canvas (Massacre Records) [Richard Oliver]

2024 sees more obscure and cult old school thrash metal rearing its head though since their reformation in 2013, Darkness have been fairly prolific with a steady amount of releases. The German thrashers formed in 1984 and are probably best known for their 1987 album Death Squad and 1988 album Defenders Of Justice.  Since their comeback they have released two full length albums and two E.P.’s which were very solid but unspectacular releases. Now with the release of their sixth album Blood On Canvas it seems that Darkness have finally hit their stride and released an album that can stand tall alongside their first two albums.

Darkness have deemed this to be “the most ferocious album to date” from the band with songs that are “more aggressive and heavier than anything else in the Darkness discography” and upon listening to Blood On Canvas it is hard not to argue with this statement. Someone has definitely lit the fire underneath the collective feet of Darkness as this album does absolutely rip your head off and is an all out thrash metal attack. The latter albums by the band did have their ultra fast and aggressive songs but there were also plenty of plodding moments but Blood On Canvas mostly dispenses with any mid paced or slower moments with the sole intention of decapitating listeners with the sheer power of their thrash attack. 

If you like to more aggressive side of thrash then this album has plenty to offer from the savagery of album opener Wake Up In Rage, the raging attack of Nights In Turmoil and the speed assault of Defcon Four. The only moments of respite come in Human Flesh Wasted which opens with a brief acoustic intro before leading into one of the most ferocious songs on the album and the closing 8 minute plus title track switches between some gentler and more melodic moments and those of pure thrash chaos.

The line-up for the album remains the same as it was on the Over And Out E.P. in 2020 bar guitarist Meik who departed the band during the production process so Blood On Canvas was recorded as a four-piece. The band are on truly ferocious form with drummer Lacky truly pounding his kit, guitarist Arnd delivering some thrashtastic riffs and some very sweet solos and bassist Ben pounding out those beefy basslines. Frontman Lee is the only weaker link with his ferocious barks sounding a bit one dimensional at times though his vocals are in keeping with the aggression of the music so it is a very minor criticism.

Darkness have never been seen as an essential thrash band even by the most ardent fans of the genre but Blood On Canvas really sees the band up their game and it is easily the strongest release since their debut album Death Squad 27 years ago.  This is a pure thrash white knuckle ride which delivers on speed, aggression and attitude which are the essential component parts of any good thrash album.  Death metal may be more violent and brutal, black metal may be darker and more evil but when thrash kicks it up a notch there is nothing else like the sheer rush it gives. Blood On Canvas has those moments in abundance and will definitely be seen as one of the strongest thrash releases of the year. 8/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Tailgunner, Toledo Steel & The Rattlebacks (Live Review By Matt Bladen)

Tailgunner, Toledo Steel & The Rattlebacks, Fuel Rock Club 18.04.24

I could just recycle my last review of trad metal rising stars Tailgunner (8) when they played Fuel Rock Club but they did play things a bit more differently this time easing off on the covers for more of their originals which was welcomed though Beast In The Night and Painkiller were firm favourites with the Fuel faithful, Craig Cairns hitting those high notes with ease. For me their own songs such as the boisterous Guns For Hire, the nuclear Warhead and Revolution Scream are perfect for some Priest/Accept/Maiden worship, Tailgunner letting the leather fly while trying to navigate the Fuel stage to throw some metal poses. 

Twin axe harmonies from Zach Salvini and Rhea Thompson lead to a guitar battle and In The Hall Of The Mountain King, the Grieg version not the Savatage one, Tailgunner rattling through their set with maturity that comes from relentless touring. Using as their intro tape always throws me off, or gives me flashbacks to my Greek in-laws but as soon as the fret slides, rollicking rhythms from Thomas Hewson’s bass and punching drum beats from Jani Pasanen, kick in we’re back in Blighty with some NWOBHM power. 

Back on tour again with KK’s Priest in August, I expect more of the same but each time the British metallers improve on their showing from last time, taking up the mantle laid down by the 80’s glory days with ease.

I’m doing this backwards now as like I said it wasn’t long since I’d seen Tailgunner, but last time it was two local bands that supported. This time it was some hand picked support from West Sussex classic rockers The Rattlebacks (7) who aren’t the sort of band you expect to be out with two trad/speed metal acts. Still they came on with attitude, drawing from the bluesy rock n roll swagger of Aerosmith, a bit of G’N’R and some grunge for those who love plaid. They played a good rock set with a weighty rhythm section, two skilled guitar players and a singer who had the right voice but clearly had never played Fuel before as he turned up in a fur coat! Sweaty, booty shaking Brighton rock that got the night moving.

After this though it was our first taste of British Steel, with a band named after a hardened type of Spanish steel that was used by Hannibal. I’d wanted to see Toledo Steel (8) for a while and with two albums, two EP’s and an early years comp for those that didn’t get the EP’s they were actually the most experience band on the bill forming in 2011. They made the most of what I think was their first show in Cardiff with a set drawn from both of their albums and a couple from their EP they showcased the NWOBHM sound they are very, very good at. 

Influenced again by Maiden/Priest, they are a little more rounded than Tailgunner with a few sleaze/glam elements creeping in on Visions In The Fire driven by Felix Dock’s bass. Founder member Rich Rutter (vocals) looks for the crowd to sing back as co-founder Matt Dobson (drums) keeps the beat. With the faster cuts such as the galloping On The Loose, Writings On The Wall, the speedy City Lights or the Priest-like Rock Nights the riffs of Tom Potter and Michael Lewis come thick and fast as Rutter explodes into falsetto screams. They closed with Speed Killer/Toledo Steel gave the headliners a bar to try and beat. I’ll be seeing them again as soon as I can!

On a Thursday in April it was proven that classic British metal and also classic hard rock are both alive and well.

Reviews: EYE, Loch Vostok, Fractal Gates, McPharaoh (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

EYE - Dark Light (New Heavy Sounds)

Relocating from her native Wrexham to be with her partner, fellow musician Gid Goundrey, MWWB's front woman/synth player moved into a Grangetown, Cardiff flat, feet from my own house just as the pandemic hit. 

They both started making music together, inspired by their situation feelings of being trapped and isolated, making this music in a tiny flat as the pandemic raged, heightened by Covid-related stroke suffered by MWWB guitarist Paul “Dave” Davies, who was left fighting for his life but slowly and sure is returning to health. All these factors inspire a dark, disturbing, introspective album that is not quite on the metal or rock spectrum but dances round it with shimmering electronica, ambient and trip hop soundscapes influenced by Björk, Tori Amos, Portishead and Chelsea Wolfe. 

Many of the songs date from before MWWB so they now finally see the light of day, having had plenty of time to be composed and created into what you hear on Dark Light. Most of the record is gothic, ambient, electronic music with Jess' trademark breathy vocals, but she also rediscovers her love of the guitar with the rhythmic playing of PJ Harvey or St Vincent, that incorporated angular alt rock, doom metal and shoegaze phrasing, this is dream pop that occasionally veers into a nightmare. 

Take the disquieting and meditative, In Your Night which builds into the apocalyptic doom of MWWB, See Yourself does something similar with euphoric vocals and heavily distorted repeating riffs and twitching electronics. It's all heavy in a manner of ways the production of Chris Fielding as deep and resonant as it is with sludge and doom bands, allowing Ball's vocals and guitars, Goundrey's drums and Jonny Eye's electronics and samples to stand resonant and powerful. 

With MWWB still on hiatus EYE is a band born out of near tragedy, seriously good musicians with a collective vision to experiment with what really is 'heavy' music. 9/10

Loch Vostok - Opus Ferox II - Mark of the Beast (ViciSolum Productions)

Swedish prog metal band Loch Vostok continue the concept they started with their previous album on Opus Ferox II - Mark Of The Beast, this is the second part of a trilogy and brings more darkness as we get into the mest of tne storyline. 24 years into their career, Loch Vostok are perhaps not as well known as some of the compatriots but they managed to highlight the more gothic, introspective style of Evergrey or Nevermore founding guitarist Teddy Möller providing harsh vocals to counterpoint clean singer Jonas Radehorn. 

Co-founding guitarist Niklas Kupper brings the twin axe attack to this album as they shifted between songs Loch Vostok balance simplicity and complexity, very similarly in instrumental and vocal approach to Evergrey, atmospheres on The Great Wide Open are given dramatic vocals while Children Of Science is drilled by Patrik Orwald's bass and William Parkstam's drums and gets a load of shredding solos to open as Senses makes it all darker as we shift to melodeath. Each song on this album adds something a bit different to their established prog/power metal style. 

With another entry to go, Opus Ferox may be the defining trilogy of Loch Vostok's career. A must for fans of heavy yet melodic progressive metal. 8/10

Fractal Gates - One With Dawn (Self Released)

After 6 years floating through the ether of deep space, the French sci-fi metallers Fractal Gates emerge like a comet with their new album. You can't fault their ambition as that time in the wilderness has resulted in an album that is 16 tracks long. 

Two of said songs are re-recordings of what they call "fan favourites" but the rest of the album is brand new with a lot of tasty melodeath morsels to sample. With the founding members Stéphane Peudupin (lead/rhythm guitars/synths) and Sébastien Pierre (vocals/synths) composing all the music here, as well as handing most of the production to, they brought in Juho Raïhä of Swallow The Sun to take on the mixing and mastering.

The trio have created a record that really draws on cinematic, galactic melodic death metal where the Swedish founded sound is refined by these Frenchmen, the usage of synths really making things similar to Children Of Bodom, Scar Symmetry, Insomnium and Soilwork. The synths in union with the stunning virtuoso melodic guitar playing, as Jari Lindholm (Enshine) brings two additional solos. Peudupin also locks in very well with Antoine Verdier (bass) and Arnaud Hoarau (rhythm guitar) for some shredding, death metal riffs as Jérémy Briquet brings double kicks behind the kit. 

Yeah it's long with a lot of songs packed in to the album, special guest vocals from Deibys Artigas and Egan O'Rourke (Daylight Dies) bring yet more talent on top of the bands virtuoso performances. Fans of melodeath that is progressive and broad will love One With Dawn. 8/10

McPharaoh - The Rise And Fall Of McPharaoh (Self Released)

What do you get if you put Ray Kroc, Marty Friedman, Primus and Gioringio A. Tsoukalos in a blender add to it lots of Egyptian history/conspiracy, possible lawsuits, fast food induced diabetes and ramp up the silliness to Monty Python levels? Well you'd go halfway to expalinging what the hell is happening on the debut album from McPharaoh. 

Inspired by a terrible piece of A.I. art, virtuosos Ryan Martin and Ben Baljak, gained the inspiration to create a concept album based around the McPharaoh, telling the tale of Pharaoh who invents fast food and is then wrapped up in conspiracy, betrayal and rivalry with The Borg El King. They do this through progressive instrumental playing that merges metal with rock, blues and everything in between. Khanka Festival Conspiracy has a melody that's very similar to I've Got A Little Something For You by MN8. Papyrus Of Cornholio blends 8-bit with Beavis And Butthead. The swaggering Proper Giza Blues also reminds me of something but I can't put my finger on it as Khepri Sun is a lū'au. 

There's country picking, EDM and more and that's just on Kom Ombo, much of the album also having cutaway gags, samples from Ancient Aliens and even a bit of "Professional Geezer" Danny Dyer. The 10 songs and 12 segues making it a pretty hefty 24 songs and over 100 minutes of instrumental music, you could say it's showing off but these songs are all different, they tell the bat shit story in their own way within a designated musical genre. 

Shamelessly D.I.Y but absolutely professional, if you're a musician then it's all very moreish like 20 Chicken Nuggets at 3am, but non musicians may find it to be a little too long. Still I suggest you stick with it as the prog is very strong here. Check it out before they get sued! 8/10

Reviews: Folterkammer, Replicant, Verikalpa, Post Death Soundtrack (Reviews By Gavin Brown, Charlie Rogers, Zak Skane & James Jackson)

Folterkammer - Weibermacht (Century Media) [Gavin Brown]

Folterkammer are an interesting prospect indeed, a colossal melding of black metal and operatic/classical music that uses the grandeur of both these varying styles delivered in a way that is both elegant and devastating and with their second album Weibermacht, they do so in style.

With the bands lineup containing guitar maestro Zachary Ezrin of Imperial Triumphant, you can appreciate the decadent nature of the music of Folterkammer, but when you add in the stunning vocals of Andromeda Anarchia, you will be blown away by what the band do on this album.

Weibermacht contains eight tracks, and over them Folterkammer explore many different musical avenues, from the sublime to the brutal but the one thing that ties them all together is a desire to showcase the bands unique nature, and it does so in spades.

Folterkammer means Torture Chamber in German, and this is especially apt on the bands cover of Venus In Furs by The Velvet Underground that finishes the record off, but the whole album contains that vibe of BDSM elegance set to music especially on songs like Algonagnia and Die Unterwerfung.

One things is for sure, you won’t hear another album that sounds like this all year such is its unique approach to extreme music, and that innate uniqueness is something that should be roundly celebrated.

Weibermacht is a triumphant album and one that revels in its devotion to both classical music and black metal delivered with an air of dominance, which these differing sounds coming together and raising the bar for one another in a triumphant fashion. 8/10

Replicant - Infinite Mortality (Transcending Obscurity) [Charlie Rogers]

New Jersey death dealers Replicant are back with their third album Infinite Mortality - an angular, abrasive soundscape, that feels like the audio version of one of those colourful vibrating spiky balls you used to get as an infant. And by that I mean you turn it on, it shakes about in seemingly limitless anger, you can’t really tell if it’s the right way up (or even if there is a right way up in the first place), and it doesn’t really fit in with any of the other toys. It demands centre stage. You’re going to play with me now. Don’t ask how. Pay attention. Dissonant death metal seems to be having a renaissance at the moment, and Replicant are definitely doing their best to throw a bag of live grenades into the mix to keep things interesting.

Straight off the bat, opening track Acid Mirror jarringly crashes into the ear with discordant, obtuse riffing, tortured screaming, and a blitz of different drum attacks. There’s a good sense of groove between riffs, mixing the chaos in with moments to bob your head to. Captivating harmonic content alongside a vortex of unpredictable fret abuse. The song clumps together and comes apart like someone manipulating a piece of gum, or possibly like the fleshy mass depicted on the album artwork. 

Sticky, writhing, globular. It slides seamlessly into the next track, Shrine Of The Incomprehensible, which continues the same vibe. In fact, the whole album follows a similar pattern - that is, a pattern of pulsating, complex movements, sharing blistering blast sections with open noodling and sinewy, chewy riffs. There’s a brief atmospheric interlude for track 5, SCN9, which acts as the only real reprieve and respite, but at 61 seconds long it basically acts as an intro to 6, Pain Enduring, anyway. Like I eluded to in paragraph 1, this album insists on your attention, and refuses to compromise on that.

I’m so far not familiar with Replicant’s previous work, but given the strength of this record, it’s caustic yet oozing melodies, and it’s similarity to bands I adore (Demilich, Diskord, Chthe’ilist) - I better get listening to their other records. If you also enjoy chaotic death metal, you’ll dig this record. If you don’t, it might feel like someone trying to shove a star shape into a circular hole. 9/10

Verikalpa - Tuomio (Scarlet Records) [Zak Skane]

Hailing form Northne City of Oulu in Finland, the Troll/Beer metal band Verikalpla have made a name from forging groovy riffs and rhythms whilst infusing twisting styled folk melodies to accompany the Finnish lyrics that are sung in an Oulu accent. The band have continued their journey with their fouth 12 track instalment Tuomio.

Through out this album the band have proven that can they can still hold up with the greats such as Turisas, Sabaton and Finntrol. The battle metal sprit energy on this album comes in strong with its reckless double kick and blast beats especially on tracks like Noijan Sauna and Hakkaa Hakkaa. 

The guitars on this album deliver this type of Yin and Yang approach through track to track, from providing us neo classical styled licks filled riffs in the open track Arvon Tuomari, full thrashastic wrist snapping riffs on songs such as Noijan Sauna and Sammalsynti, then go full death and black metal inspired riffage with harmonised tremolo picking locked in with reckless blast beats. 

The orchestration of accordion and violins really makes a perfect marriage between the guitars keeping up with some of the neo classical flavoured licks especially in songs like Laulava Vinaja, the accordions can also provide polka influenced melodies in songs like Sammalsynti and can provide additional melodies non linear to the guitar riffs to in songs like Tulimerten Taa. Finally the snarling vocals throughout this album provide this classic Scandinavian snarl that is so prevalent from singers like Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom), Tomos Lindberg (At The Gates) and Mathias Lillmåns (Finntroll).

From the triplet-grooved tracks on Arvon Tuomari, the thrash and death grinding assaults on Sammalsynti and Hakkaa Hakkaa to the festival ready hits like Laulava Vainaja and Tulimerten Taa. This band keeps true to the modern battle formula but will still please the masses. 7/10

Post Death Soundtrack - Veil Lifter (Self Released) [James Jackson]

The info that comes with this one is a bit sparse, however the genre tag of Doom Grunge seems to offer an interesting, if not slightly odd, combination. In fact, the more you listen to the album from the Vancouver based duo, that tag seems quite restrictive, there’s actually so much more going on, that to define it, you’d find it easier to list genres they’ve not covered.

Whilst researching the band I’ve found references to Grunge, Alt Rock, Doom, Industrial and something called Doomtronica (note to self: look that up). After a purely instrumental and experimental intro, The Die Is Cast kicks off and the initial feeling is that of the kind of Stoner style Doom that has been often inspired by Black Sabbath, it’s dark but with a groove to it.

Killer Of The Doubt, the second track upon the album is pure Grunge, most evident within the chorus. And such is the template for the album, genres and styles thrown together to pretty much great effect; I wouldn’t class this as Doom by a long shot but the influence is certainly there, as is Electronica, the aforementioned Grunge and Classic Rock/Metal; compartmentalising this album, or pigeon holing if you will, is as easy as catching smoke.

There’s such a lot happening to good effect, the riffs are catchy, the vocals poignant and importantly, it’s cohesive, I’ve heard plenty of albums which attempt to mix genres, some to great effect whilst others fail at the first hurdle, this however is very much a good example of how taking different styles can work when done properly. 8/10

M2TM South Wales 2024: Swansea Heat #4 Interview With Catalysts By Paul Hutchings

Interview With Catalysts – Heat 4 Swansea, M2TM 27th April 2024

1. Let's start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band?

We're Catalysts!  A 5 piece band of best mates from South Wales.  

David Challenger - Vocals

Elliot Blake - Guitar

Craig O'Connor - Guitar and Backing Vocals

Paul Owen - Bass

Haitham Alhardan - Drums

2. Where are you from and how long have you been together?

We're all born and based in South Wales.   A spread from Newport, to Monmouth, to Ebbw Vale.  We've been together for 8 years.  

3. Describe your music in five words.

Energetic.  Melodic.  Loud.  Electronic.  Riffy. 

4. What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses - South Wales?

We played M2TM's in 2022 and LOVED the set up M2TM's created.  I believe I applied for us to play this year but we couldn't make one of the dates.  Luckily for us, a spot became available for Swansea April 27th, so we jumped at the chance.  (Thanks again!)

5. If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you've returned!

As per above, love the set up and competition.  It's an event that's organised really well.  With people that are friendly, passionate for music and support local artists who may not have a large following.  

6. Bloodstock is a big festival - have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend?

Never attended bloodstock but would love to go!  Would be even better to attend as an artist ;) haha  

7. Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024?

We'll soon be filming to star in BBC's Casualty for a rock concert scene.  We have new material ready to record and will start filming music videos for them songs also.  We also want to gig as much as we can.  

8. What can we expect from you in your heat?

Energy.  Passion.  

9. And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition?

We're expecting from all bands, what we deliver.  As above, energy and passion.   If i'm being completely honest, whilst we do want to do well in this competition, for us it's about having a great time, showcasing our music, meeting new local artists and ensuring the audience leave that venue entertained with great value for their entry fee.  

10. Finally, where can people find details of the band promote your socials here

LinkTree:  https://linktr.ee/CatalystsUK 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/catalysts.uk/ 

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@CATALYSTSUK 

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/1zcCikpGRcl1GlbQGFzgYg?si=iKj_daxvRTSlPODJMU1Cjg

Reviews: Couch Slvt, Hollow Blessings, Rad, Motions (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Couch Slut - You Could Do It Tonight (Brutal Panda Records)

This is a hard listen. In a lot of ways. Musically Couch Slut are aggressive, uncompromising and relentless in their extreme noise terror, lyrically they rage about self harm (Wilkinson's Sword), killing sprees (The Weaversville Home For Boys), bloodbaths and assaults on women. It's ferocious and fiery, Megan Osztrosits' firebrand vocals that alternate between unhinged screams, guttural growls, hardcore roars and spoken word manifestos. It's thrown at you without trigger warnings and without hesitation. Confrontation through characterisation is what Couch Slut do, paying tribute to things personal to them, such as a local bar on Ode To Jimbo, a home invasion on Laughing And Crying and Megan's journey with self harm, all hard to hear all viscerally performed.

Along with Megan is co-founder Theo Nobel (drums), Kevin Hall (bass), Dylan Diella (guitar) and Amy Mills (guitars), the band are now well skilled having been together for over a decade and they produce their noise very slickly, throwing huge amounts of musical curve balls featuring members of Imperial Triumphant, Pyrrhon and Uniform adding vocals, synths piano and more. I'll be honest my head hurt when I first listened to You Could Do It Tonight but after repeated listens it really opens up itself as the extreme music classic it really is. If Couch Slut are half as antagonistic live as they are on record (by all accounts they are), then it will be something to behold. Until then though make sure that You Could Do It Tonight cleaves your ears. Not for the faint of heart but worth the audio abuse. 8/10

Hollow Blessings - Who Will Dig The Graves When There Is Nothing Left Of Us (Self Released)

Hollow Blessings play nasty, abrasive hardcore which often delves deeper with feedback drenched noise. Formed by members of South Wales sludge/hardcore outfit They Live We Sleep, Hollow Blessings play music that is shorter, more direct but every bit as abusive to the ear drums. As Charonium crashes into life, it's obvious that Hollow Blessings have a lot more to them usually than just hardcore bluster and noisiness. Instrumentally there's a lot going on as this track creeps out with anguish cries, From Nothing is driven by some gut punching basslines, choppy guitar breaks and even something that resembles a melody on the chorus. 

Breakdowns are juxtaposed by arpeggios, as we get some angular riffs and more pained shouts on Host Disorder. It's visceral stuff, mixed so it sounds filthy to the ear, relying a lot on the bass for it's main rhythms as the guitars are heavily distorted and fizz like white noise. Those of a nervous disposition best not listen as Who Will Dig The Graves When There Is Nothing Left Of Us, wields a rawness suitable only for a dead planet killed by hubris, Hollow Blessings have tapped into melancholic acceptance with their debut. 8/10

Rad - Demo (Self Released)

Were you like me brought up with Tony Hawks Pro Skater? Great Rad have a demo that you'll love! Just three tracks of crossover skater thrash which is inspired by D.R.I or Suicidal Tendencies, it's actually more like 2 songs and an intro, the band formed by a member of hardcore punk band Barriers. 

They say they're inspired by all thing bodacious, chunky breakdowns and thrash riffs are the order of the day on Dying To Live which is the longest cut here closing the demo strongly. There's lots of promise on Rad, gnarly skate thrash from Brighton. 7/10

Motions - Paralysis EP (Self Released)

Recorded at homes in Teeside, Motions recorded their EP based around the psyche of a person contemplating suicide, each part of the EP telling another chapter of this story. They hope the EP will help them support and push suicide awareness and that people may find catharsis through the modern metalcore Paralysis gives you. 

With so much riding on it conceptually, musically it delivers atmosphere and introspection from the off. Pugnacious on Deathgrip, Never Enough has grooves while Save Myself is more emotive with electronics fizzing. Paralysis brings a modern metalcore sound with pertinent lyrics, emotional and powerful. 7/10

Review: Flamebearer (By Matt Bladen)

Flamebearer - Brazen (Self Released)

I'm usually pretty good with talking to bands, I mean they are just people, I even managed to sit through breakfast with Steve Harris without going full fan boy. But at Masters Of The Riff 2023 I made a tit of myself in front of Flamebearer frontman Andy Valiant (formerly of Oak and currently 1968), but that's only because I had seen them totally destroy Hackney with their own rip snorting rock n roll and their explosive cover of W.A.S.P's Wild Child. (And I'd had a few ales)

So when this album landed in my inbox I could barely contain my excitement. It came to the top of the pile and was played several times before I even sat down to write this review. The organic nature of Brazen means it gets the blood pumping, brash and indeed very brazen. Inspired by 70's heavy rock (See The Lies), 80's traditional metal as well as stoner/doom. All three are woven seamlessly through Flamebearer, for every moment of heaviness, there's a melody, every mountainous doom slab, a traditional metal gallop. 

The riff worship begins in earnest, that simple drum pattern from Thiago Pinho, direct and driving, his percussive power sturdy and steadfast. He's underscored by a grooving bass from Dom Bailey, the rhythmic heart of the band. Closing out the instrumentals are the distorted, dirty riffs from scene veteran Alastair Riddell. On Seed Is Sown these riffs weave into a harmonic guitar solo, the classic metal style bleeding into their muscular doom rocking. 

This is their full length debut, following a debut cassette/digital EP and the Wild Child single release, several tours with big names honing the Flamebearer sound enough to get them back in the studio with Wayne Adams for just two weeks and launch the next phase of the Flamebearer story where they want to make music that is a vital and vibrant as their live show. 

So what else does Brazen offer us? Well on Taste Hell they have some 80's style gang vocals with a sleazy chug to the riff, we get our first slab of doom on Walls Crumbling. Valiant addressing his followers with his Osbourne/Wyndorf reverbed vocals on this psychedelic tinged number. It leads into the thundering The Grey, which is yet more more doom but this time with a NOLA wooziness. 

Flamebearer sweat talent from every pour, hitting what is a sweet spot for me. Insecure for example is just a wild bit of doom rock, Sabbath worship but with bigger choruses. Then on Holy Rose they totally blindside you with what is similar to a Thin Lizzy Celtic macho ballad. The lyrics of Flamebearer are used to uplift the listener, they don't dwell in the maudlin, always focusing on conquering adversity than being consumed by it. 

Holy Rose recalibrates this album, segueing into the truly evil sounding Black Tower which again hints at Sabbath but also Cathedral with its slow, brooding riff and airy drumming. If you don't gurn to this your definitely dead, just as you get into a groove it speeds up into the goth punk of Misfits (it's the gang vocals). 

The wildness of Clutch, the Brit Grit of Orange Goblin (Kiss The Veil) and a singer who channels the snarl of Point Of Entry/Hell Bent For Leather Rob Halford, Flamebearer are on fire with this record!! Gather ye Greebos and hail the riff! 10/10

M2TM South Wales 2024: Swansea Heat #4 Interview With Gyro By Paul Hutchings

Interview With Gyro – Heat 4 Swansea, M2TM 27th April 2024

1. Let’s start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band?

I’m Ethan, I’m the long haired, pretty one, I play 8 string guitar and vocals and the bald, broad shouldered one is Marc, he plays the drums.

2. Where are you from and how long have you been together?

I’m from Bridgend originally but have since moved to Abergwynfi and Marc grew up in Neath, moved to Bridgend, then Birmingham and now he’s back in Neath.

We started Gyro in late 2022/early 2023 but prior to that we had a mostly online instrumental prog metal band called Earthen that we worked on together on and off for about 8 years, eventually we realised that playing a G minor scale at 300bpm is all impressive but no one wants to bounce their hips to that so we started Gyro with the intention of gigging and making crowds move.

3. Describe your music in five words.

Progpunk Grungecore up your batty.

4. What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses – South Wales?

We were in the market for gigs that would spread our kind of dirty music to audiences that wouldn’t normally hear it but that we thought would be receptive to a new sound and also the opportunity to network with other bands and get some more fun gigs organised down the line.

5. If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you’ve returned!

First time for us but we’ve got a lot of friends who’ve played previous years and previous heats this year, thought we couldn’t let them have all the fun.

6. Bloodstock is a big festival – have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend?

Never attended bloodstock ourselves but we have friends who go religiously and alcohol aside everyone is there to have a good time and to go as hard as possible which we abide heavily.

7. Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024?

We’re going to release an EP or 2 and just try to grow as much as possible and play as many great gigs as we can.

8. What can we expect from you in your heat?

Other bands will try to make you headbang, we will get your hips moving too

9. And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition?

Regarding our heat there’s some great bands who’ve played m2tm before and are very talented people and artists, we don’t really see it as a competition more so an opportunity to get our name out there and mingle with some of the other festival headliners of tomorrow?

10. Finally, where can people find details of the band – promote your socials here!

A. On everything we are @gyrocymru, this is all our links in one convenient place https://linktr.ee/gyrocymru

Reviews: Vanden Plas, Praying Mantis, Valley Lodge, Drudge (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

Vanden Plas - The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]

German progressive metal band Vanden Plas awaken after a four year hiatus and have made sure everything on this new album is long and complex. The title, the songs, the run times, its six tracks clocking in at 54 minutes of music. The final track March Of Saints a whopping 16 minutes! If this is a case of ‘beat this’ to other prog metal bands I don’t know but The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things really highlights what a brilliant and perhaps under-rated prog metal band Vanden Plas are. 

Guitarist Stephan Lill wrote all the music on this album with singer Andy Kuntz provided the lyrics, these founder members, alongside co-founder drummer Andreas Lill and long term bassist Torsten Reichert are joined by Mr Frontiers Music Alessandro Del Vecchio on keys. It’s been a while since Del Vecchio has been a part of something this heavy and progressive so he’s really on form, an ideal foil for Stephan’s virtuoso guitar while adding cinematic touches to songs such as My Icarian Flight. Though he didn’t co-write the record, his addition adds a new element to the Vanden Plas style and his production is top notch like usual. 

On Sanctimonarium there’s huge organs, which add Deep Purple-isms alongside Dream Theater comparisons too, the 10 minute playtime making it an epic mid-point. I’ve always enjoyed Vanden Plas as a band, their last four albums were quite dense conceptual pieces with and overarching story, so with a Del Vecchio on board and no need to write conceptual songs, this new album sounds a bit more free and expressive. Vanden Plas hit the mark again on this eleventh studio album, are they still underrated? In my opinion yes, should they overlooked? Not on the strength of this record. 8/10

Praying Mantis – Defiance (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]

Still touted as one of the NWOBHM originators, in recent years Praying Mantis have been much similar in their music to the melodic rock/AOR scene. Leaving a lot of the NWOBHM bands behind as they become more increasingly melodic and proggy, this is more Saracen or Saga that Maiden or Priest. On their 13th album this doesn’t seem to changing anytime soon, with the duo of From The Start and the title track fixed in the melodic rock/AOR sound. 

Big keys, dramatic vocals and some searing emotive guitars Praying Mantis continue where Katharsis left off celebrating 50 years as a band in 2024, brothers Timo (guitar/vocals) and Chris (bass/vocals) still lead the band into their fifth decade, joined by a professional band made up of drummer Hans in’t Zandt, guitarist Andy Burges and vocalist Jaycee Cuijpers, whose pipe make Feelin’ Lucky sound like a Graham Bonnet number, useful then that the next track is cover of Rainbow’s I Surrender, which was sung by Joe Lynn Turner but retained that latter day Rainbow melodic rock format. 

Not a shred of NWOBHM so it makes me think why they still refer to it in their PR, Def Leppard don’t, anyway that’s a personal thing as Praying Mantis’ in their current guise play appealing melodic rock, showing off their guitars chops on instrumental Nightswim and channelling Giorgio Moroder on Standing Tall but overall Defiance is a little too ballad heavy for me. However you have to give the band props for being able to make a living in the music industry for 50 years. Suited perfectly to Frontiers Praying Mantis continue their legacy wit Defiance. 7/10

Valley Lodge - Shadows In Paradise (Tee Pee Records) [Rich Piva]

Valley Lodge is a power pop band out of New York that wear their love for bands like Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, and Big Star on their sleave. With a former member of Cobra Verde in the band I bet they may have some Guided By Voices records too. Maybe the Fountains Of Wayne records too. They have released four records till date, with Shadows In Paradise, their new one and their fifth, an excellent addition to their discography.

In my power pop I want catchy, like the opener, Daylights, that also reminds me of my favourite power pop band, Sloan, I Wrote A Song, with a melody that will not leave my head, and Trouble that has a slick as hell chorus that will leave you humming it. Hanging Around sounds like The Cure meets GBV and I am here for it for sure. 

 Give me song jangle in my power pop too, which you get with Secret Lover, which also sounds like a 70s disco song at times including the cheese yet wonderful lyrics. Doorstep leans towards 70s psych pop, executed excellently, while After School gives off some fellow nice dressers Urge Overkill vibes. I mentioned Sloan before, I will mention them again as I listen to Dyin’. Out Of Time sounds like a hit from the 90s for sure and is probably my favourite track on Shadows In Paradise.

Valley Lodge is a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously but does seem to take their love for all things power pop extremely so. Try not to hold the fact that they do the theme song to Last Week Tonight against them, because if you dig power pop check out this and the other Valley Lodge records. 7/10

Drudge - Into The Blue EP (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

UK stoner/metal/grunge band Drudge bring to us the follow up to their 2021 debut in the form of an EP, Into The Blue. I missed the first record the first time around but the four songs on Into The Blue had me immediately correct that mistake because these guys bring the heavy rock in a style right in my wheelhouse.

What style would that be you ask? Well, check out the opening track, Swallow The Sun, where you get some fuzzy stoner goodness with hints of early QOTSA and Fu Manchu. Can’t get too much more in said wheelhouse. This is high energy fuzzy goodness with a great riff and cool drums that, at least in the files I have, are way too low in the mix. This doesn’t ruin the track but I would love to have the production a bit more even. The guitar work however is excellent and right in your face. The title track leans more grunge, with a Thayil type low end riff and more of a plodding track that complements the opener nicely. This one has the Pacific Northwest all over it, and that is, of course, a good thing. 

Covert Betrayal has a simple but effective fuzzy riff and is just a sweet straight-ahead rocker that would fit nicely on any stoner and/or modern grunge playlist. I especially like all of the cool tempo changes on this one. I heard you wanted to hear an eleven-minute stoner/grunge epic? I am here to please, so check out the closer, Unrivalled Sin, where you get slower doomy grunge, a tempo change to a more straight ahead stoner feel until a more atmospheric stoner vibe transitions us back to the front and then home.

These are four high quality tracks from a band that you should be hearing more about soon, because Drudge brings it. I wish the production was a bit different to really extenuate the band’s strengths, but overall, the four songs on Into The Blue are great and will be a nice placeholder until we get album number two. 8/10