When he’s not rocking up a storm with The Answer, Cormac Neeson can be found delving into the roots of American music with a Northern Irish influence too. The brainchild of Neeson, this is a group of friends with love of folk, Americana and country.
The sound and spontaneity of analogue recording and deeply linked to both the Northern Irish folk scene and the music of Neil Young (many featured in a theatre show inspired by Young), it’s got roots in many of the songs Neeson wrote with The Answer before their brief hiatus brought them back to a more heavy rock course. The musical moments that came out the “Laurel Canyon Scene” in the Woodstock era of the late 60’s is epitomised here by players who have a deep love for their subject matter and skill with their instruments.
So, from this you get California Irish, two musical worlds that favour melancholy and mysticism, these original songs could easily have featured on Harvest, Déjà Vu or Music From The Big Pink. You can hear, at times feel the camaraderie between the players, the locomotive shuffle from James Doone (bass) and Conor McCauley sets the easy going but insistent pulse from Live Fast Die Free, hand claps are a must here. Simon Templeton’s Hammonds/Wurlitzers cascading like the sea when they take introspective fireside moments like Old Friends.
They also give bluesy tracks such as Big Questions those CSNY moments, Cormac’s vocals accompanied by both guitarists and co-vocalist Susy Coyle for those “do, do, do” harmonies, Coyle gets to shine on Can’t Let Go, which is Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez balladry for the modern day Speaking of guitarists between Donal Scullion and Chris Kelly play acoustic, electric, lap steel guitars and mandolin layering these songs with brilliance.
Cormac himself adding acoustic guitar too when the album moves into folky love-ins. Nothing lingers here, most of the songs are between 2 and 4 minutes, the brevity in their favour as it gives an authenticity of when songs could only fit one side of wax, the longest song saved for last on the spectacular I Am Free. Two musical heritages combining to produce beautiful music that sings of its influences loudly and proudly, a wonderful record featuring one of the best singers in the game. 9/10
Grace Hayhurst - The World Is Dying (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Brought up in the classical music world but then discovering Opeth and Yes, Grace Hayhurst is a multi-instrumentalist who combines classical virtuosim and a mathematical understanding of music with progressive rock/metal influences and a socio/environmental message.
Following on from her debut EP, The World Is Dying is her debut full length and it’s got a lot of stylistic links to a band such as Kyros with the piano/synth/keys doing much of the melodic work along with the guitar, the link strengthens as Kyros’ Robin Johnson plays the drums here, produced by Kyros Shelby Logan Warne whom Hayhurst co-owns Sensible Studios with.
So if you like your prog on the more epic side but with a strong message you’ll be salivating at the thought of this debut which also features “a string quintet, French Horn, a harp player that’s played with Rick Wakeman (and) Ray Hearne from provid(ing) some clapping” the Haken influence also very clear on And It’s Our Fault.
With the accusative titles of The World Is Dying along with And It’s Our Fault, you can probably guess what Grace is trying to address here, something she calls (science fiction turned horrid reality” reacting against climate change, oligarchs and the “meh” attitude of so many. It’s a clear statement that the world is doomed, but set to jaunty prog rock inspired by modern prog metal, bands I mentioned earlier, and classic 70’s influences, such as Yes, Vangelis and even King Crimson in parts.
It’s expressive, expansive and a genre-bending look into the mind of Hayhurst, proper prog for afficionados only. 8/10
Lord Belial - Unholy Trinity (Hammerheart Records) [Spike]
Lord Belial's Unholy Trinity feels like a sharpened steel ritual: nine tracks that range from razor‑sharp assaults to atmospheric dirges, all held together by that unmistakable melodic black metal core.
It opens with Ipse Venit, a perfect gateway into their world. It grabs you with icy tremolo riffs, brutal drumming, and a sense that everything here has weight. No filler, just crushing efficiency from the outset. Glory To Darkness follows with midtempo swagger and mournful melody. It reminds you why Lord Belial stood out back in the ’90s: there’s emotional weight in the guitar lines, but the music never loses its bite.
Blasphemy is the shortest cut but one of the sharpest. It’s pure, snarling energy built on compact songwriting, lean and lethal. In Chaos Transcend and The Whore add mood and texture, showing the band’s ability to balance atmosphere and heaviness without slipping into excess.
Lord Belial - Unholy Trinity (Hammerheart Records) [Spike]
Lord Belial's Unholy Trinity feels like a sharpened steel ritual: nine tracks that range from razor‑sharp assaults to atmospheric dirges, all held together by that unmistakable melodic black metal core.
It opens with Ipse Venit, a perfect gateway into their world. It grabs you with icy tremolo riffs, brutal drumming, and a sense that everything here has weight. No filler, just crushing efficiency from the outset. Glory To Darkness follows with midtempo swagger and mournful melody. It reminds you why Lord Belial stood out back in the ’90s: there’s emotional weight in the guitar lines, but the music never loses its bite.
Blasphemy is the shortest cut but one of the sharpest. It’s pure, snarling energy built on compact songwriting, lean and lethal. In Chaos Transcend and The Whore add mood and texture, showing the band’s ability to balance atmosphere and heaviness without slipping into excess.
Scornful Vengeance and The Great Void bring a colder, more expansive feel. Both lean into slower builds and layered guitar work, but with enough menace to keep them gripping. These tracks carry a sense of ritualism that suits the album’s title and tone perfectly. Then comes Shadows Of The Fallen, arguably one of the standouts for me. It's dense, melodic, and charged with a relentless tension that makes every second count.
The closer, Antichrist, is a nine‑minute monster. It’s the culmination of the album’s intent, atmospheric, crushing, and built around controlled chaos. There’s a grandeur here that never spills into bombast, just focused fury and dark melody. The mix gives space for the melodic nuances while keeping the rhythm section punchy and relentless. Vocals cut through the mix with grit and clarity, it's harsh, yes, but never buried.
The closer, Antichrist, is a nine‑minute monster. It’s the culmination of the album’s intent, atmospheric, crushing, and built around controlled chaos. There’s a grandeur here that never spills into bombast, just focused fury and dark melody. The mix gives space for the melodic nuances while keeping the rhythm section punchy and relentless. Vocals cut through the mix with grit and clarity, it's harsh, yes, but never buried.
Unholy Trinity is Lord Belial reaffirming their place in the melodic black metal landscape. No nostalgia, no compromise; just nine tracks of precision, atmosphere, and fire. It feels both classic and current, and it’s a strong reminder of how good this band can still be. 7/10
Inhuman Condition - Mind Trap (High Roller Records) [Spike]
Inhuman Condition have always carried their old-school death metal credentials with pride and Mind Trap sees them refining that into something sharper, meaner, and just as addictive.
The opener, Severely Lifeless, lurches into view with a thick, pummelling groove and tightly snarled vocals. It sets the tone perfectly: direct and hook-laden without over-complicating anything. It’s a feral start that lets you know you're in good hands. Face For Later is the shortest track on the record but arguably the most infectious. It thrashes and sprints with a punked-up aggression that sticks, lean, tight, and over before you can catch your breath. If there's one track I went back to more than once right away, it was this one.
Things get slower and more crushing with GodShip, which stomps along with a satisfyingly thick bottom end. It’s the kind of track that would sit just fine in a setlist alongside early Six Feet Under or Massacre. Nothing flashy just pure riff-driven weight. And then there’s Recollections Of The Future the strange little standout. It creeps in with a moodier edge, veering almost into horror soundtrack territory before the guitars tear it apart. It’s a different tone, and it works well showing they’re not afraid to play with texture and pacing without losing their bite.
What Mind Trap does so well is balance. It’s raw but never sloppy. The riffs are tight, the drumming hits hard, and the vocals are grimy in the best way. Production-wise, it's old-school without sounding flat, each part has enough space to breathe, but it’s still compact and punchy. At just over half an hour, there’s no padding here. Every track earns its spot, and the album never overstays its welcome. It's a solid slab of death/thrash that knows exactly what it is and does it well.
Mind Trap won’t convert the uninitiated, but for those of us who love our death metal straight to the point with just enough atmosphere to raise the hair on your arms, this is absolutely worth your time. 7/10
Inhuman Condition - Mind Trap (High Roller Records) [Spike]
Inhuman Condition have always carried their old-school death metal credentials with pride and Mind Trap sees them refining that into something sharper, meaner, and just as addictive.
The opener, Severely Lifeless, lurches into view with a thick, pummelling groove and tightly snarled vocals. It sets the tone perfectly: direct and hook-laden without over-complicating anything. It’s a feral start that lets you know you're in good hands. Face For Later is the shortest track on the record but arguably the most infectious. It thrashes and sprints with a punked-up aggression that sticks, lean, tight, and over before you can catch your breath. If there's one track I went back to more than once right away, it was this one.
Things get slower and more crushing with GodShip, which stomps along with a satisfyingly thick bottom end. It’s the kind of track that would sit just fine in a setlist alongside early Six Feet Under or Massacre. Nothing flashy just pure riff-driven weight. And then there’s Recollections Of The Future the strange little standout. It creeps in with a moodier edge, veering almost into horror soundtrack territory before the guitars tear it apart. It’s a different tone, and it works well showing they’re not afraid to play with texture and pacing without losing their bite.
What Mind Trap does so well is balance. It’s raw but never sloppy. The riffs are tight, the drumming hits hard, and the vocals are grimy in the best way. Production-wise, it's old-school without sounding flat, each part has enough space to breathe, but it’s still compact and punchy. At just over half an hour, there’s no padding here. Every track earns its spot, and the album never overstays its welcome. It's a solid slab of death/thrash that knows exactly what it is and does it well.
Mind Trap won’t convert the uninitiated, but for those of us who love our death metal straight to the point with just enough atmosphere to raise the hair on your arms, this is absolutely worth your time. 7/10
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