Hyborian: Vol. II (Season Of Mist) [Paul Hutchings]
Progressive sludge metal comes to you hard and heavy from Kansas City, Missouri courtesy of another riff-drenched power trio. Hyborian are Martin Bush - Vocals, Guitar, Synths Ryan Bates - Guitar, Vocals, Bass Justin Rippeto – Drums and Vol. II is unsurprisingly the follow up to 2017’s Vol. I. This is an album that assaults you from the start with Driven By Hunger followed by the battery of riffs that make up Stormbound, a bludgeoning Mastodon style track that has both grit and heft aplenty. Bush has the perfect voice for the band’s rampaging sound, the propulsive riffs that drive each track forward. The band are tight, the tracks containing enough variety to keep interest set to high. There’s the pulsing explosive attack of Planet Destructor, which is a real face melter, and the slower but just as heavy duo of The Entity and Expanse, the latter containing an addictive groove which underpins the track. The powerful Portal gets a massive nod of approval before the climax of the album, the 8:44 In The Hall Of The Travellers, a massive, groove ridden infectious beastie which suggests that in the crowded world of sludge, Hyborian have ample quality to emerge from the pack and push for the summit. 8/10
In This Moment: Mother (Atlantic Records) [Matt Bladen]
In 2017 In This Moment's Ritual record brought a more organic sound, bathed in witchcraft and the occult it was a big shift away from the bands from the Californian modern metal/metalcore past as they shifted back to the roots of Cali Americana with nods to Fleetwood Mac etc, but still retaining that fiercely modern sound. It also featured two covers one of Phil Collins and one which was a reworking of Billy Idols White Wedding (featuring Rob Halford). They've gone one better on their new album Mother which has more special guests and three (yes three!) covers. One is a pretty odd version of Steve Miller Band's Fly Like A Eagle with a lot of industrial elements from their pre-Ritual days Maria Brink's ghostly vocal echoing over the crunching industrial riffs. It sits between two instrumental interludes and makes for an odd start to the album.
These are just three of the 14 songs on the record the first original being The In-Between which has the heavy hitting sound of Black Widow or Blood having that Lady Gaga meets Rob Zombie effect due to Brinks vocals and Chris Howorth's songwriting style. Some may see it as a backward step after Ritual but it's just In This Moment bringing back their sound that made them a world beating metal act. However what I do think is that this album suffers a little from quality control issues. The covers are not needed especially We Will Rock You which which does feature Lzzy Hale and Taylor Momsen but is surplus to requirements, as is Fly Like An Eagle and their version of Mazzy Star's Into Dust. Without them this is a pretty decent In This Moment record full thumping modern metal that the band have always been so good at, it's just the covers aren't needed and the songs tread very well worn ground. 6/10
Hällas: Conundrum (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]
Coming two years after their debut full length Conundrum is the final part of a trilogy that started with their self titled EP. These have been mysterious journeys through 70's space rock soundscapes as Hällas conjure a sound born out of prog art rock, folk and psych. Some Lizzy/Wishbone Ash riffs from Marcus Peterson (guitar) and Alexander Moraitis (guitar) are met with swirling analog organ/synthesizers of Nicklas Malmquist who is probably the member of the band who adds his fuzzing sounds throughout. I've mentioned before how influential Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds was to me and as soon as Beyond Night And Day started, again I brought that album to mind, mainly due to Conundrum's evocative mid-70's sound. Strider brings more Vangelis sounds as Tommy Alexanderson (vocals/bass) has the brilliant varied vocals of Demis Roussos while he was in Aphrodite's Child a band who Hällas owe a huge debt to especially on Labyrinth Of Distant Echoes which spirals out into psych textures, Blinded By The Emerald Mist builds around Kasper Eriskon expressive drumming before freaking out in the middle of the track. The final track though is the oddest on the whole album reminding me of Styx in their most progressive moments
Forever’s Edge: HereAfter (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]
HereAfter is the second album from New York progressive power metal band Forever’s Edge. The band are clearly influenced by progressive power metal bands such as Symphony X and Angra and their influences are clearly heard. There is also an inclusion of melodic death metal influences especially with the inclusion of harsh vocals. On the whole the album is performed very well but the main problem with HereAfter is the songwriting just isn’t there. By the end of the album there was very little that stuck out in my mind about it which was a damn shame as the guys in the band are clearly very capable musicians. There is some fine guitar work on display and the clean vocals by Clay Barton in particular were a highlight reminding me of the mighty Russell Allen of Symphony X. HereAfter has been self produced and self released by the band and unfortunately at times it does sound a bit amateurish. The band don’t have any clear identity of their own. The potential is there but the band just needs to be steered in the right direction to meet their potential. HereAfter is a perfectly listenable but ultimately very forgettable album. 5/10
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