Synth augmented, surf punk from the North East of England. This is TV Death. Their new album Neon Dreamland expands a sonic template beyond that of many punk bands, shifting towards the 60's psychedelia revival of the early 90's as the band bought a Microkorg synth and got a homemade synth guitar pedal to lean them towards the vibrant sounds of The Cramps, The Stooges (Shangri-La), The Birthday Party and the intense sensuality of The Velvet Underground. It's not quite anarchy just and exposé of the underground of society.
Jack Burlison's vocals are frenzied and churlish, but there's a soul there on New World Disorder which takes a bit of Rolling Stones, his guitar joins with Michael Adamson to switch between psychedelic tremolo picking and four on the floor punk riffage. Jacks father was a major influence in his musical upbringing, as a photographer during the 90's indie scene, while Michael is an alt rock lover so you can hear the two sides they favour in the way they play as at times The Cure will shift into The Pixies.
At the bottom end Robert Owens takes his love of New Wave to give Village Mentality a hefty throb and a reptilian groove on the title track. Andrew meanwhile is the punk on the drum set but keeps pace with the shifting psych sound of the band. It's punk Jim but not as we know it, socio-political lyricism, raw fuzzy guitar but plenty of synths, fluid leads and an unhinged creative spirit. 7/10
Blood Offer - All That Dies... Is Forsaken (Iron Fortress Records) [Matt Bladen]
Pummelling OSDM from Lombardy Italy now as Blood Offer unleash their debut All That Dies... Is Forsaken, a 38-minute voyage through audio punishment that acts on their previous EP Evil Rites, by adding more noise, more tenacity and more brutal death metal.
Blood Offer - All That Dies... Is Forsaken (Iron Fortress Records) [Matt Bladen]
Pummelling OSDM from Lombardy Italy now as Blood Offer unleash their debut All That Dies... Is Forsaken, a 38-minute voyage through audio punishment that acts on their previous EP Evil Rites, by adding more noise, more tenacity and more brutal death metal.
Blood Offer are said to be for fans of Incantation, Entombed, Morbid Angel and Immolation, so they have lofty ambitions, but do they pay off. This is undiluted violence from the first moment, taking it back to when death was raw and savage, a more aggressive, rougher style of thrash where the guitars were tuned down and the vocals are gargling rocks.
Blood Offer have all of this, from horror movie excerpts, it’s head down and riffing on Dead Slut, snarling vocals over double kick blasts as they move at speed towards the divebomb driven solo section, growler/guitarist 'Cerberio' and co-guitarist 'Vario' putting a few melodies between the buzzsaw riffs. Elsewhere there’s some grooving thrash on False Eternity (or is it Death N Roll), a doom slog at the beginning of Saviour Demise where Noise’s bass and Cortez’s drums come into their own and there’s black metal viciousness on All That Dies.
Italian OSDM for the sickos, this Blood Offer is hard to turn down. 8/10
Dope Skum - Hollerwood (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Dope Skum have given us a smattering of singles and EPs so far, and I have enjoyed it all, but I especially enjoy the five new songs on their latest EP, Hollerwood. This is five tracks of what these guys do best: stoner/grunge with a southern twinge and a sound that lives up to their name.
Hollow Point is the opener and is a killer track, opening with a singular blues riff that explodes into a monster one. I really dig the vocals and the track gives me a heavier and filthier Masters Of Reality vibe. Levee brings the doomier side of the band out with a nice chunky riff while Fiend actually takes a sort of filthy psych route while maintaining their sparse but heavy vibe.
Dope Skum - Hollerwood (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Dope Skum have given us a smattering of singles and EPs so far, and I have enjoyed it all, but I especially enjoy the five new songs on their latest EP, Hollerwood. This is five tracks of what these guys do best: stoner/grunge with a southern twinge and a sound that lives up to their name.
Hollow Point is the opener and is a killer track, opening with a singular blues riff that explodes into a monster one. I really dig the vocals and the track gives me a heavier and filthier Masters Of Reality vibe. Levee brings the doomier side of the band out with a nice chunky riff while Fiend actually takes a sort of filthy psych route while maintaining their sparse but heavy vibe.
You like it when DS brings the groove? Well, you will be pleased with Bear Witness. Dope Skum have no shortage of riffs, as Great Horned Serpent dooms it up again with a slow, plodding one that brings some swirling effects on the guitar to give the grimy riff and song some atmosphere to go with it. The atmosphere is the back of a dirty auto repair shop, but it is atmosphere nonetheless. Great stuff.
I have enjoyed everything Dope Skum has put out, and Hollerwood is no exception. I think it is time for a full length from the boys from Chattanooga. 7/10
I have enjoyed everything Dope Skum has put out, and Hollerwood is no exception. I think it is time for a full length from the boys from Chattanooga. 7/10
Babylon AD - When The World Stops (Kivel Records) [Rich Piva]
When I was a kid if a band had a video on Headbanger’s Ball or were a hard rock band who had a song on Dial MTV I was buying it, or at least begging my parents to buy me the tape at The Wiz. This was the case for the self-titled debut from Babylon AD when I saw the video for Bang Go the Bells. The Kid Goes Wild was a great one on that record too.
When I was a kid if a band had a video on Headbanger’s Ball or were a hard rock band who had a song on Dial MTV I was buying it, or at least begging my parents to buy me the tape at The Wiz. This was the case for the self-titled debut from Babylon AD when I saw the video for Bang Go the Bells. The Kid Goes Wild was a great one on that record too.
I have always had a soft spot for the debut, but not much from them after that, as you know what happened to bands like them after the whole anarchy cheerleader thing. The band is now back with a new record, When The World Stops, and it has not, but the band’s lyrics have, as they are firmly stuck in 1989 where, unfortunately they should stay.
I am not here to trash a band that I used to enjoy, but I struggled getting though When The World Stops. Some of the hair metal stuff has aged OK, but this record in 2025 is not able to hang with the nostalgic stuff people still blast from their Firebirds. The biggest issue with this record is how it sounds. The production is terrible. Like demo terrible, and I am not sure how this happened. The lyrics are filled with 80s cheese, but not the yummy kind. The playing is still solid and so are the vocals, but that’s where I stop.
My suggestion is to listen to the track Don’t Ask Questions and see what you think. If you continue from there, you will be fine, but this record is not for me. This is the risk I run by being the guy who reviews the 80s hair bands who put out records in 2025. It makes me sad to say so, but this was a big struggle for me. 4/10
I am not here to trash a band that I used to enjoy, but I struggled getting though When The World Stops. Some of the hair metal stuff has aged OK, but this record in 2025 is not able to hang with the nostalgic stuff people still blast from their Firebirds. The biggest issue with this record is how it sounds. The production is terrible. Like demo terrible, and I am not sure how this happened. The lyrics are filled with 80s cheese, but not the yummy kind. The playing is still solid and so are the vocals, but that’s where I stop.
My suggestion is to listen to the track Don’t Ask Questions and see what you think. If you continue from there, you will be fine, but this record is not for me. This is the risk I run by being the guy who reviews the 80s hair bands who put out records in 2025. It makes me sad to say so, but this was a big struggle for me. 4/10
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