The pride of the Welsh rock scene, alongside Scarlet Rebels, Those Damn Crows are now bonafide headliners, playing packed houses across the country and as they move up the arena size their music reflects this change, they now write anthems, massive rock tracks with shout along choruses and ballads that deserve their lighter-to-the-sky moment.
Yes you could argue they have moved towards the American FM rock of band such as Alter Bridge or Godsmack, but this will only heighten their appeal outside of the UK. What seperates them from the many bands attempting this is that they have never abandoned their working class Welsh roots.
No matter how big they get or how many thousands of people they play too they're still a bunch of friends from Bridgend playing in a band. It's just within 10+ years they've reached a position many only dream of with many high profile tours and support slots and a Top 3 place in the UK album chart for their previous album Inhale/Exhale.
That record seemed a little more introspective, but God Shaped Hole turns the dials up to 11 with the biggest riffs, most powerful vocals and the sweetest ballads of their career. Dancing With The Enemy gets this new album going with a one-two drumbeat, a jangly guitar riff and then the weight comes in with a massive guitar riff and those huge vocals, it's not an immediate opener by any means but it is a very modern sounding rock anthem, showcasing the mature side of the band.
From here it's the poppier strains of Glass Heart that lead into the orchestral backed Fake, a song that gives me the feeling of Biffy Clyro as Dreaming adds acoustic scrubbing of a band such as Nickelback as does the heavy riffing of Let's Go Psycho. Yeah I said it Nickelback, no matter what you think of the Canadian veterans they are one of the most popular bands in the world and with God Shaped Hole, Those Damn Crows borrow a lot of what makes them great.
Frontman Shane say "I almost feel like this is an album of singles," and he's right you know! There's a lot of variety on this album, each track feels individual, adds something different, shows another side of the band and most importantly sets them up with another set of bangers to play on the live stage, I can just hear the crowds sing The Night Train back now.
Maybe not the heaviest, maybe not the fastest but God Shaped Hole is the most diverse and definitive album so far. 9/10
IQ - Dominion (GEP Records) [Matt Bladen]
Six years ago British Neo-Prog group IQ released their last album Resistance and now in 2024 their 44th year as a band they release Dominion, a five track epic that inspired thoughts of classic IQ with what the band do now. 2019's Resistance was a double album and Dominion was nearly a double album but it seems the band thought one 22 minute track, one 13 minute track and two tracks over 5 minutes was perhaps enough. They released a live album in 2022 celebrating their return to the stage and their 40th anniversary but in 2025 they bring us their 13th studio album Dominion and it's a thorough celebration of the band.
We'll start with the middle of the album with the acoustic balladry of One Of Us which is just over 3 minutes of emotive song writing built on Michael Homes guitars and Peter Nicholls lead vocals, this is the pastoral side of IQ, a prog rock band without all the epic trappings. However Dominion will be noted for it's epics and while No Dominion is only 6 and a bit minutes it's got the insistent keys of Neil Durant and a beautiful solo from Holmes leading into the 13 minute Far From Here, a slow burner, Nicholls' vocals haunting as the drumbeat of Paul Cook locks in with Tim Esau for a modern prog groove that was spearheaded by the likes of Marillion all those years ago.
It's the beginning and end of the record that will bring in the prog heads though. Never Land, the is a euphoric finale fitting into that neo-prog style perfectly with epic vocals and an anthemic quality, this is IQ celebrating what they do best with a buoyant finale. IQ though are a band who take a risk and they open with a 22 minute epic The Unknown Door bringing together every element that is to come on this album, it's a dark journey with thrilling peaks and troughs that keeps you involved for the entire run time. A majestic beginning to a fabulous album.
IQ are still experimenting and exploring with their music even after all this time and while this is only album 13 it may prove to be very very lucky. An overnight success 44 years in the making. 9/10
Leper Colony - Those Of The Morbid (Testimony Records) [Thomas Megill Jr]
The musical excellence displayed on Those Of The Morbid, make me question whether or not the musicians responsible truly hail from a Leper Colony, or if these individuals actually suffer from leprosy. Lepers generally don't perform down-tuned thrash disguised as death metal very often, if at all. Usually those suffering from leprosy do not display a level of song writing maturity found on this record that very few bands possess these days. In fact, leprosy victims, at least I think, are usually thinking about things like, "Ouch, my skin is burning causing me great agony" or "My limbs are literally falling off!"
Leper Colony - Those Of The Morbid (Testimony Records) [Thomas Megill Jr]
The musical excellence displayed on Those Of The Morbid, make me question whether or not the musicians responsible truly hail from a Leper Colony, or if these individuals actually suffer from leprosy. Lepers generally don't perform down-tuned thrash disguised as death metal very often, if at all. Usually those suffering from leprosy do not display a level of song writing maturity found on this record that very few bands possess these days. In fact, leprosy victims, at least I think, are usually thinking about things like, "Ouch, my skin is burning causing me great agony" or "My limbs are literally falling off!"
Well.... I stand corrected after a brief research break, Leper Colony are not gifted musicians with leprosy, but instead a gifted old school death metal supergroup from... all over Europe. Håkan Stuvemark is a very busy man, as he just released another album with Wombbath earlier this month. I see you Håkan. This is Leper Colony's second album since their 2020 inception. After listening, I'm now ready for their third. Those Of The Morbid will be released through Testimony Records. I implore all fans of heavy music to listen.
I would go song by song to describe how much I love this album, but I'm not trying to write a novel. Every song has an intoxicating structure that will not let the listener lose attention. As an example I was so immersed in my listen that I blissfully ignored the excreting canine in the corner, well past his scheduled walk, as he stink bombed the house. The vocals are decipherable without lyric sheets, the compositions are concise and well arranged, and the lead guitar... *chefs kiss*.
This album is catchy, awesome and fun. It's as if Obituary, the real Sepultura, and Death had a death thrash lovechild with the best features of each. A high quality must listen. 9/10
Exorcism - Spectral Aggression (Self Released) [Thomas Megill Jr]
As a thrash fiend, I am fervently tickled by the renaissance of not only thrash as a genre, but the E standard, skank beating frenzies of old. When music pulls out the primal urge to whip my head on a swivel like a tasmanian bobblehead, and pops into a New York 2 step, I'm in. Spectral Aggression is the latest curator of skin bashing thrash mania, and it's wild fun.
The debut E.P. by Exorcism out of England is a bare bones, raw, thrashterpiece that should excite any lover of all things hard, fast, and heavy. 4 songs of throwback riffs, gang chants and wild guitar solos. The bass break in Strike Of The Match would make David Ellefson proud. In fact he might..... never mind. This record is filled to the brim with youthful angst and raw energy. I could only imagine seeing this band live. Perhaps circle and push pits may come back instead of the passive aggressive karate that.... *sigh* I'll stop.
As a thrash fiend, I am fervently tickled by the renaissance of not only thrash as a genre, but the E standard, skank beating frenzies of old. When music pulls out the primal urge to whip my head on a swivel like a tasmanian bobblehead, and pops into a New York 2 step, I'm in. Spectral Aggression is the latest curator of skin bashing thrash mania, and it's wild fun.
The debut E.P. by Exorcism out of England is a bare bones, raw, thrashterpiece that should excite any lover of all things hard, fast, and heavy. 4 songs of throwback riffs, gang chants and wild guitar solos. The bass break in Strike Of The Match would make David Ellefson proud. In fact he might..... never mind. This record is filled to the brim with youthful angst and raw energy. I could only imagine seeing this band live. Perhaps circle and push pits may come back instead of the passive aggressive karate that.... *sigh* I'll stop.
For all fans of early Bay Area thrash, Power Trip, you name it, this is an E.P. for you. Spectral Aggression, by Exorcism, independently released on April 11th. What an awesome debut. Leaves me wanting more. I can't wait to see what these lads do and I'm sure after listening, all of you shall too. Exorcism, please write a full length ASAP? 8/10
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