Status Quo - Driving To Glory (Cherry Red Records)
Status Quo are one of the longest tenured, endearing rock bands inn the UK rock scene. They're perennial road dogs, having been touring for more than 50's and while it seems they may be finally be hanging up their Telecasters and White Sneakers, though nothing is ever confirmed in Quoland until Francis Rossi says so, there's still plenty of gold to mine in their extensive back catalogue.
Driving To Glory presents rare tracks from the late 1990's and 2000's as the Quo balanced between being a nostalgia act and one with plenty of creative ideas. Now these tracks sound like Quo, there's no surprises, it's four on the floor 12 bar blues always in search of that fourth chord but as they are mainly CD singles, soundtracks, or editions of albums only available in one country, collectors and superfans will have them in one place, remastered by Mike Paxman with co-operation of the band.
Picks of the record include the slightly proggy Fighting With The Pack and the full length version of the nostalgic but also slightly sarcastic Famous In The Last Century with a new versions of classic Whatever You Want and Don't Waste My Time, Driving To Glory is just for fans but speaks volumes about the the longevity of Status Quo as a band. 7/10
Epitaph - Path To Oblivion (My Kingdom Music)
Italian doom that begins with some dripping water, ghostly voices and solitary piano? Yeah count me in. Taking cures from Italian horror movies and gothic doom, it's a bit like Cathedral writing the soundtrack for Dario Argento flick, similar occult trappings to the likes of Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Trouble, Saint Vitus and Cathedral.
It's their first album to feature Ricky Dal Pane behind the mic, a brilliant addition to the band as his powerful vocal has the histrionic style of Bobby Liebling or Leif Edling. He brings a theatrical sound to the record, adding touches of Ronnie James Dio on Condemned To Flesh a track that features some bristling synths under the classic heavy metal riffs.
With Nameless Demon they showcase their doom credentials with an 8 minute gloomy slow burner, the choirs and organs brought in for the interlude of She's Born In Blasphemy before Epitaph adds more grunt to Voices Behind The Wall.
Ok Path Of Oblivion has some clichés to it, in the atmospheric samples especially but if Heaven And Hell/Dio fronted Sabbath was your favourite era then you'll likely love Epitaph's third full length. 8/10
Gudger - Gudger III (Self Released)
Aaron Eddleblute and his brother Matt come from Ohio guitar royalty, their father Derek Eddleblute are all worshippers of the riff, playing blues influenced heavy rock that moves through stoner, doom and classic metal too.
Matt no longer plays in the band but Aaron and his father still rock like there's no tomorrow a familial bond linked but heavy music, Justin Kaplan joining them to add to the muscular heavy rock influenced by classic rock bands, stoner, doom and more.
Gudger III brings to mind The Sword, tracks such as the pacey Dust And Shadow having the thrust of the Texas band while Fever Dream is prime Sabbath Worship. Derek's riffs bring a bit of the blues to Peaks And Valleys and while Dig Deep increases their speed, Live It Down is a massive doomster.
Aaron's vocals have that soulful grit you want from riff slinging music such as this. Taking inspiration from The Sword but also bands like Alter Bridge (Vicious Cycle), Gudger don't like to pigeonhole themselves, they just play riffs and play them well. 8/10
Altareth - Passage: The Welfare Sessions (Self Released)
The Swedes know doom, I mean they know most musical genres but they have a real affinity to doom. One of the hottest acts in the Swedish doom scene is Altareth, a five piece who play the traditional style of doom that's all heavy fuzz, distorted vocals and elongated jams. Think Sleep, Electric Wizard as well as Candlemas and Monolord.
Recorded at Welfare Studios, Passage is a record that is totally live, recorded with the five piece on unison, little added except for the keys on Archetypes, this is punch in the guts heavy doom with stoner tendencies, I'd expect this to be how Altareth managed to get signed to Magnetic Eye Records but now with an independent release they're able to show their rawer, rougher side a bit more.
Captured in situ, Passage will leave you're ears ringing for days after that finally fuzzy chord is played. 7/10
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