The legend of Psychoberrie continues on the new record from theatrical metal act Ward XVI, returning after a gap, perhaps to carry out more villainy, the shock rock six piece step out of the asylum once again with another concept record that follows the story of their lead vocalist and serial killer Psychoberrie.
She tells her tales with some distinct powerful vocals ripped from the 80's and 90's rock scene where soil met grit and she's also responsible for the thumping electronics across this album, the keys/synths and programming playing a major role to digitally augment the sprawling metal/rock influences this album has. Doktor Von Stottenstein cranks out guitars and adds some vocals, while Wolfy Huntsman and Bam Bam Bedlam flesh out the pneumatic bottom end on bass and drums respectively.
As it's a concept record and in homage to the countless additions Alice Copper or GWAR have as part of the band in bon musical capacity, Ward XVI also have Rico Rameres and Nurse Betty to aid with storytelling and theatrics. The narrative of this album comes from a dark place, it's macabre and blood-soaked, featuring plenty of matricide and insanity on the protagonists part but exhibited through anthemic heavy music that is far beyond anything the band have released before.
The record begins with Regeneration and that's what Id3ntity feels like, Ward XVI have come roaring back with their sharpest most focused and heaviest songs to-date, bending classic rock/metal with modern moments, performance theatre and b-movie cinema, there's a lot to digest but the band deliver it in such a way that it hooks you from the first moment.
This is the third and final part of their trilogy of albums and is their strongest for me, Regeneration bounding out of the speakers with massive industrial grooves and what I think is the first mention of a BAFTA in a song! From here we get some Ghost-esque organs and spookiness of Into The Wilderness and a tribute to David Fincher, through some Vaudeville meets folk metal by way of rave, with What's In The Box?
Only three songs in and Id3ntity is already extremely eclectic, the band playing with what their own identity is as they experiment with every genre they can. At The Window is gothic nu-metal with rapid fire vocals. Macabaret has the propulsion, horns and youthful recklessness of a Jim Steinman offering. Blood Is The New Black blends death metal with a ragga middle section
The only problem I have with this album is that Psychoberrie has a voice very similar to another singer but I can't for the life of me who that is and it bugged me all the way through. Though that's probably just an age thing as she's a cracking vocalist, an engaging performer and the band absolutely rip every single song to shreds with their in-your face style of heavy rock.
Id3ntity is an album that is satisfying but also leaves you wanting more, multifaceted, malicious and majestic, it's a cinematic closing part to this blood soaked trilogy. Ward XVI look poised to take over the world with this record, join their legion asap! 9/10
Atom Juice - Atom Juice (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]
Man, am I a sucker for late 60s early 70s psych prog stuff when it is done well. Poland’s Atom Juice totally gets it, and that is why their self-titled debut absolutely rules. The six tracks over 40 minutes are part of a trippy journey leveraging all of the killer influences from the bands from that era who perfected that genre, while bringing their own spin to modernize their sound.
Their Bandcamp profile mention The Allman Brothers Band, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Pond, and Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band. Sure, I get all of that, but Atom Juice has a bit more of a heavy to them and a fuller sound, hence my comment about the modernization of their songs, especially production-wise.
The trippy Hercules kicks it off, and the Beatles stuff is all over this one, especially in those layered and harmonized vocals. The Allmans doing Floyd is what this one is all about musically, combining together for a perfect three minutes and twenty-eight seconds of music. Gooboo is more along the Pink Floyd side of things, until it is not, and has this Summer Of Love thing happening; I kind of want to join their cult now. Oh, did I mention that nice and heavy guitar work to go along with all of the psych trippiness? How about the tempo change?
Duo is straight up psych goodness, led by keys, trippy guitars, harmonized vocals, and when it kicks in look out. It is a simply beautiful ten minutes of music. The 70s rule on Dead Hookers. So do the harmonies, soaring vocals, trippy guitars, and pop on LSD vibes this one puts off. What makes sense after Dead Hookers? Why Sexi Frogs, of course, which is a funky, psych, R&B acid trip. The vocals are just so great and I love when the dual guitars kick in when it starts to rock more. I hear the Allmans influence in the guitar work on this one for sure.
Honey is the closer and starts off as the most straight-ahead rocker of the batch and his this sunny, friendly cult vibe that continues to take over me listen after listen to this record. Don’t let my straight-ahead comment let you think this isn’t an amazing, complex psych ripper that it is. I am selling all my shit and joining the cult of Atom Juice. This record rules in ways I cannot properly put into words. Just turn it on, close your eyes, and let it take you over. 10/10
Kill The Robot - S/T (Dark Lab Recordings) [Matt Bladen]
Kill The Robot is a band with a lot of experience, none more so that guitarist/synth/vocalist and bandleader Stephen Gibb, who needed to show who he really was on this with this debut record. Being the son of a Bee Gee (Barry Gibb) and long time never of his solo band carries with it some stigma I guess especially in the rock world but Stephen has always been a rocker at heart.
Having played with bands such as Slayer, Anthrax and had many friends in the rock world particularly Taylor Hawkins, whom the song Western Shores is about, a dreamy beach anthem that is part Foo Fighters, part Don Henley. He's had a 30 year career to hone his skills as side man in his father's band but also as member of Black Label Society, Crowbar, Kingdom Of Sorrow and also Saigon Kick, but this is the first major songwriting output for Gibb.
He wanted to show his skills and unite people with music as well as pay tribute to his friend, producer, Brett 'Cosmo' Thorngren who Stephen has jammed with alongside Gil Britton (vocals). The two of them ended up attending Brett's funeral together and the band expanded from there bringing in bassist Gordon Myers and drummer Jean-Pierre Esiritusanto (who has drummed for Phil Collins) to create this fusion of styles. Where stadium rock, segues into fuzzy alt rock, gigantic prog rock moves into more delicate tones.
Influenced by classic bands such as Sabbath and Pink Floyd, more modern acts like QOTSA (Agave) and Muse and a dark electro-goth heart from the likes of The Cult, The Cure or Killing Joke. There's plenty to like on this record, be it the gothy See The World which features Stephen's father on backing vocals, No13ise meanwhile has the dirge grunge of Stone Temple Pilots, or Mothership which has the propulsive emotional space rock of John Mitchell projects, an artist that Kill The Robot reminds me a lot of, as Summer Days takes in some It Bites.
Kill The Robot rallies against modernity and our obsession A.I and technology while inspiring unity and collectiveness through the power of music. It's a celebration of the music all four members love and pays tribute to some of their fallen friends. Produced by Grammy winner Warren Riker, Kill The Robot's debut is packed with anthems but more importantly sees Stephen Gibb step out his family history and his role as sideman into his own creative vision and it delivers in spades! 9/10
Sheev - Ate's Alchemist (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]
Berlin, Germany’s Sheev is one of the best examples of prog stoner metal out there today. From the stoner side, we have the riffs, and a ton of them. From the prog side, we have some serious playing skills and cool tempo changes. From the metal side, we have an excellent heavy back-end rhythm section, a killer groove, and excellent soaring vocals. All of this and more makes album number two for the band, and first on Ripple Music, Ate's Alchemist, a lesson in what complex and heavy, yet extremely accessible metal is all about.
My favorite example of getting all of Sheev’s goodness in one track is on Henry, which may have originally been called Fire, and maybe because it certainly is. The riffs, the time and tempo changes, the vocals, the almost bluesy feel to it, this song has it all and is a microcosm of how great Ate's Alchemist is. The samples in the short opening intro welcomes you to the lab where all sorts of riffs are being formulated, led by the one on the first full track, Martef, that highlights some killer guitar work and some serious goodness from the rhythm section. Those soaring vocals really takes this one to the next level.
Kill The Robot - S/T (Dark Lab Recordings) [Matt Bladen]
Kill The Robot is a band with a lot of experience, none more so that guitarist/synth/vocalist and bandleader Stephen Gibb, who needed to show who he really was on this with this debut record. Being the son of a Bee Gee (Barry Gibb) and long time never of his solo band carries with it some stigma I guess especially in the rock world but Stephen has always been a rocker at heart.
Having played with bands such as Slayer, Anthrax and had many friends in the rock world particularly Taylor Hawkins, whom the song Western Shores is about, a dreamy beach anthem that is part Foo Fighters, part Don Henley. He's had a 30 year career to hone his skills as side man in his father's band but also as member of Black Label Society, Crowbar, Kingdom Of Sorrow and also Saigon Kick, but this is the first major songwriting output for Gibb.
He wanted to show his skills and unite people with music as well as pay tribute to his friend, producer, Brett 'Cosmo' Thorngren who Stephen has jammed with alongside Gil Britton (vocals). The two of them ended up attending Brett's funeral together and the band expanded from there bringing in bassist Gordon Myers and drummer Jean-Pierre Esiritusanto (who has drummed for Phil Collins) to create this fusion of styles. Where stadium rock, segues into fuzzy alt rock, gigantic prog rock moves into more delicate tones.
Influenced by classic bands such as Sabbath and Pink Floyd, more modern acts like QOTSA (Agave) and Muse and a dark electro-goth heart from the likes of The Cult, The Cure or Killing Joke. There's plenty to like on this record, be it the gothy See The World which features Stephen's father on backing vocals, No13ise meanwhile has the dirge grunge of Stone Temple Pilots, or Mothership which has the propulsive emotional space rock of John Mitchell projects, an artist that Kill The Robot reminds me a lot of, as Summer Days takes in some It Bites.
Kill The Robot rallies against modernity and our obsession A.I and technology while inspiring unity and collectiveness through the power of music. It's a celebration of the music all four members love and pays tribute to some of their fallen friends. Produced by Grammy winner Warren Riker, Kill The Robot's debut is packed with anthems but more importantly sees Stephen Gibb step out his family history and his role as sideman into his own creative vision and it delivers in spades! 9/10
Sheev - Ate's Alchemist (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]
Berlin, Germany’s Sheev is one of the best examples of prog stoner metal out there today. From the stoner side, we have the riffs, and a ton of them. From the prog side, we have some serious playing skills and cool tempo changes. From the metal side, we have an excellent heavy back-end rhythm section, a killer groove, and excellent soaring vocals. All of this and more makes album number two for the band, and first on Ripple Music, Ate's Alchemist, a lesson in what complex and heavy, yet extremely accessible metal is all about.
My favorite example of getting all of Sheev’s goodness in one track is on Henry, which may have originally been called Fire, and maybe because it certainly is. The riffs, the time and tempo changes, the vocals, the almost bluesy feel to it, this song has it all and is a microcosm of how great Ate's Alchemist is. The samples in the short opening intro welcomes you to the lab where all sorts of riffs are being formulated, led by the one on the first full track, Martef, that highlights some killer guitar work and some serious goodness from the rhythm section. Those soaring vocals really takes this one to the next level.
As far as I can tell there is not a King Mustard I, but King Mustard II is a killer track that leans on the proggy side of the band. When the guitars really kick in you can see how the band’s combination of complex and heavy really shines. The rhythm section really stands out on the next one, Elephant Trunk, as well. I love how the opening leads to the soaring guitars and layered vocals. Love to solo too. Oh, and the start and stops. Great stuff.
Cul De Suc (listed as Cul De Sac on another track list) has a bit of a grunge feel to it, maybe like a more prog Alice In Chains type thing and boy am I here for it. Tüdelüt has some nice chunky riffs and probably the best vocal performance amongst a bunch of good ones. Love the tempo changes and complexity of this one too. The eight-plus-minute Sabress closes us out, and has more of that grunge meets prog meets stoner that this record is all about and goes in all sorts of wonderful directions. An excellent closer.
Sheev has a huge sounding, complex, expertly played, and back-end heavy masterpiece on their hands in the form of Ate's Alchemist. So much going on, but never scattered or jumbled, these riff scientists prepare and delver to you nine killer tracks of stoner prog, direct from their lab, to cure whatever ails you. 8/10
Sheev has a huge sounding, complex, expertly played, and back-end heavy masterpiece on their hands in the form of Ate's Alchemist. So much going on, but never scattered or jumbled, these riff scientists prepare and delver to you nine killer tracks of stoner prog, direct from their lab, to cure whatever ails you. 8/10
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