Reviews: Paul Di'Anno, Vicious Blade, Nehoda, Mechanic Tyrants (Reviews By Simon Black, Paul Hutchings, James Jackson & Mark Young)

Paul Di'Anno - The Book Of The Beast (Conquest Music) [Simon Black]

The fortunes of the erstwhile Maiden front man Paul Di’Anno have waxed and waned over the years, which is a damned shame. His contribution to the whole genre is both worthy and significant, but the reality is most Metal fans only know him for those first two landmark Maiden records. It’s easy to get a project off the ground when you are the ex-Irons guy, but making a success of anything he’s turned his hand to since seems to have eluded him. 

I had to dig around to find them all, but the list of projects is extensive from the initial Di’Anno in 1984, the never quite getting off the ground Supergroup project Gogmagog (with one Janick Gers), Battlezone, a Japanese reboot of Praying Mantis, Killers, Nomad, Di’Anno (again), RockFellas and just plain Paul Di’Anno I count more than thirty studio and live albums post-Maiden, and that’s not included the dozens of other projects he’s contributed to as a guest artiste. And he’s still going, recently seen around the UK belting it out from a wheelchair, completely retaining the power and energy that he kicked the NWOBHM door down with in 1979. 

The trouble is a lot of his back catalogue is locked up somewhere in rights hell, having bounced around numerous labels over the decades, so this much overdue compilation is a worthy achievement since it has managed to nail down a really broad range of tracks from many of those projects, some of which I had never heard before. Best of all, the masters have been located, and these gems have all been given a thoroughly good rinse and wash and sound a lot better than they probably would even if someone did manage to track down and reissue his whole, rather extensive back catalogue.

Di’Anno was heavily involved in this compilation to boot, so it’s a choice of the songs he personally thinks represent his finest hour and a half, and I can’t fault his choices. From the not-trying-to-be-Pantera-in-1994-really moments of Die By The Gun to the subtly moody Nomad there are plenty of surprises hidden in here, and it’s probably worth investing in just for the chance to hear the sheer range of the material. 

Inevitably Maiden has to get a nod or two, but rather than pad the release out with live or straight re-recordings, Di’Anno has opted to re-record just two of those songs, but as a duet with a combination of Tony Martin, Lidya Balaban and ZP Threat (although you will probably have to splash out on both the vinyl and CD editions if you want to hear them all, as different versions are covered on different formats.

Is the Beast back? Well, he never really went away, and long may he continue. 8/10

Vicious Blade – Relentless Force (Redefining Darkness Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Everything about this band screams thrash/death metal and one minute into the howling solos of the title track and you are reassured that your knowledge is at least okay when it comes to the genres you review. 

Coming at you from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the outfit don’t leave much to the imagination and instead smash everything out of the park with every sinew they can strain. A fiery quintet led by the demonic vocal delivery of Clarissa Badini, this is as intense and in-your-face work out as you’ll get. 

It’s not long. Nine songs over 27 minutes puts it in Reign In Blood territory, and unsurprisingly, there are more than a few comparisons with the legendary four-piece. The title track is almost lifted from Show No Mercy, but it’s a song with more clout and a bit more dynamic power. In other words, this is the start of a brutal aural assault which doesn’t relinquish its stranglehold in anyway whatsoever. 

Alongside Badini’s gruesome growls and snarls stands the dual guitars of Erik Wynn and lead axeman Jeff Ellsworth, which slice with feral finesse. Drummer Kevin Parent does a fine job whilst new bassist Justin Pelissero anchors the low end, allowing the band to bring the chugging guitar work in style.

There’s nothing massively original about Relentless Force, but the sheer savage delivery of songs such as Visceral Weakness, Mistress Of Death and Blasphemous Conjuring make them all worth a listen if you like your metal coming at you with a jagged edge and a power that is conjured straight from hell. Sometimes something gnarly, aggressive and pounding is all that you need. If that’s the case, then this debut full-length should tick every box. 8/10

Nehoda - Nehoda (Gotta Groove Records) [James Jackson]

Nashville based trio Nehoda are Patrick Nehoda on vocals and guitar, Grayson Papa on bass and Chris Heard on drums; there’s is a blend of Blues infused grunge/rock and Nehoda is the band’s second full length album since the band began in 2018.

Album opener Bells channels a Foo Fighters vibe, honing in upon that grunge/rock style with a fuzzy guitar riff that instantly sets the tone of the track, it’s quite laid back and Nehoda’s vocals are just as mellow, the lyrical message positive but in a chilled relaxed manner.

Hot Blooded Woman has that country rock/blues groove stamped on it from the opening riff, it’s a low slung dirty riff that channels the Deep South with a sway that Black Stone Cherry would be proud of. Fingertips dials it down but with no less urgency, it’s closer and more personal within it’s lyrics and in its execution, it’s another Bluesy riff that carries a hypnotic, smoky bar feel to it.

Bloody Blues follows a similar path and it’s these more soulful tracks that I feel that Nehoda are at their strongest, the grunge rock of opener Bells worked well but these slower, more groove driven tracks are where the heart of the band feels more vibrant and intimate.

Always Jealous is haunting, a solemn melody forms the backbone of the song, as the track builds it offers that keen sense of urgency I found in other tracks, the lyrics are desperate, a personal condemnation of the right person, wrong time chapter in the protagonists life, something that speaks volumes despite the almost whispered tones; keys add a further layer of tense emotion - possibly my favourite track of the album. 

Screaming Out Your Name opens with as melancholy a melody as Always Jealous did, again lyrically it’s hugely emotive, soulful and personal. This six track album came with little indication that it would hit as hard as it does, that blues inspiration allows a groove to the rock riffs, that Southern feel offering soul and style, a depth of emotion that is only made more poignant through the lyrics. 8/10

Mechanic Tyrants - St Diemen Riots (Jawbreaker Records) [Mark Young]

I think that if someone asked me to name a band that took inspiration from an earlier time and then made an unashamed love letter to it, I would probably say Mechanic Tyrants. And it is most definitely a love letter, written to a time in metal when riffs were fast, and the guitar solo was king. From their bio, there is nothing to suggest that this is anything other than a serious endeavour, other than noting that we should take Speed Metal Guerrilla as a tongue-in cheek celebration.

I would think that the amount of enjoyment you derive from this would be relative to how you feel about any of the music that came out during the 80’s. Again, they do not namecheck that decade but from the first listen of Tower 42, its all-frenetic thrash and high register vocals that will plant you back in that decade, subject to your vintage. To be fair it is how you should start an album of this type, front foot and barrelling forward whilst you bring your best facemelter into play. And it does, with Murder At The Barricades following up with a traditional one-two punch. This leans more to the lighter side, I’m thinking of Maiden and that ilk, and is breathlessly enthusiastic but, I stress that if you aren’t that fond of that style, then another 8 songs might be a stretch. 

St Diemen Riots completes the opening trio, upping the tempo and blowing through like a tempest. You can’t fault it for its build or speed, or that it is a nifty track in its own right with some truly epic leads on it. With that in mind, you know it will appeal to those who love this kind of music, no matter the decade it was produced in.  Any sense of momentum is then lost with the inclusion of Madrugada, an instrumental. I think I have said enough on instrumentals this year, so onto Ruins Of The Past which channels Iron Maiden, around 85 with its high energy and harmony parts so if you are going to ape someone, ape the best.

Speed Metal Guerrilla comes in like classic thrash, you know it does its thing and leaves and Sons Of Evil has an Ozzy flavour to it, which is possibly too much of a blanket statement but what I’m trying to get across is that it has that feel to it and you can imagine the video that would accompany it – feet on monitors, hair blowing and probably a black and white segment. Those Maiden flourishes are still present and correct, and although it has all the right ingredients it’s just that I’m ambivalent to it. The remaining tracks come in thick and fast, all high energy and incendiary fretwork. Above The Law is standard speed metal, and Bad Seed has a party feel and they both are decent songs but as I reach the end, they haven’t really embedded with me, and I suppose that I can’t love everything. 

The title track, Mechanic Tyrants is our final track and is reflective of the album as a whole, bringing together all the key parts that they do well, and it is done well. As I said earlier, you will love or hate this depending on your appreciation of a certain decade and the metal released within it. I’m not completely keen on that period by any means, and as noted they have not come out and expressly said ‘it’s the well we go to’ but it would be hard to argue otherwise. You can hear that they are going for it on each track, but there is something that I don’t like and I cannot put my finger on it. So, I’ll end it on by giving it a score and move on. 6/10