Serenity: Codex Atlanticus (Napalm Records)
When I hear one of my favourite bands is releasing a new album I do get very excited and Serenity is one such band I've followed the band for a long time and seen them a few times on tour and I'm always impressed by both their recorded output and their stagecraft. Codex Atlanticus is their fifth album and sees the band revert back to their earlier days as a four piece shedding female vocalist Clémentine Delauney who joined the band on their last album War Of Ages, this is because frontman Georg Neuhauser approaches every album with the overall concept in mind and having a full time female vocalist did not fit in with their future plans. Personally I think this is to their benefit as the dual vocals saw them being lumped in with the huge amount of symphonic female fronted metal bands around and this is something Serenity have never been their style of music is the same kind of masculine, romantic symphonic metal that Kamelot have been producing since the mid 90's. Codex Atlanticus also sees a change of six stringer with longtime axe-man Thomas Buchberger departing with Delauney, meaning that he has been replaced by Cris Tian who is a killer guitarist in his own right and makes this album more guitar driven than before.
The album itself is still of the high quality Serenity are known for, they have once again based it on a concept, this time it's the twelve volume Codex Atlanticus work by Leonardo Da Vinci with the album focusing on that work and Da Vinci's life, musically the band still have the dramatic baroque progressive, symphonic power metal sound that has seen them right for most of their career albeit on the last few albums the dramatic elements have been ramped up and on Codex Atlanticus they go one better with many of the songs sounding like they could have come from the pen of Jim Steinman, this influence is most prevailing on Perfect Woman which surely is an off cut from Dead Ringer or Bat Out Of Hell and sees Georg duetting with Amanda Sommerville on the albums most radio friendly track, another , Caugtht In A Myth has a chorus that begs to be sung out loud. There are a couple of additional singers on the record with the singular named Tasha giving some female vocals in backing and the most surprising performance coming from bassist Fabio D'Amore who supplies co-lead vocals on the excellent Spirit In The Flesh and sounds exactly like Edguy's Tobias Sammet! Serenity have crafted another album of impressive symphonic metal and one that sees them return to their original set up of just having Georg's superb passionate vocals leading the band forward. 8/10
Ecliptica: Ecliptified (Mars Music Promotion)
More music from Austria but this time a band that started their career as a power metal band with the almost obligatory dual male/female vocals. I have their breakthrough album Impetus from that time and it's since been played a lot however in the interim the band have evolved with two of the contributing members to the debut leaving and being replaced again by yet another female singer and guitarist (seems to be a theme with Austrian bands) this has meant that Ecliptica stepped away from the power metal on their last album Journey Saturnine (which is a bold move considering they are named after on of the finest power metal albums ever made) and have now adopted the idea of being a self proclaimed Metal N Roll band. What this actually means is that they have a sound if you mixed GNR with Maiden or Aerosmith with Priest, so crunchy speed driven guitar riffs and furious drum patterns mixing with the whiskey soaked, scarf waving vocals of Thomas Tieber and the sultry, smoky croon of Sandra Urbanek, so yes still dual vocals but far away from the traditional male-female bands around, in fact the nearest thing I would say they sound like are Tony Clarkin and Bob Catley Magnum side project Hard Rain.
The songs have enough of a metallic fire and hard rock groove to please both camps with the twin axes of founder member Marcus Winkler and his guitar foil Van Alen both playing like Slash if he was in Saxon, the rhythm section of Roman Daucher's drums and Petra Schumayer lay down a steady but furious bottom end meaning that the songs have that punch to the guts all good rock n roll has. From brash blues of Welcome To The Show, through the electro-filled Round N Round (not a Ratt cover), to One For Rock N Roll which is prime 80's rock and bursts into Need Your Love which is a ballad of Winger proportions. Ecliptified is a triumphant slab of heavy rock and with 14 songs the band don't seem to have any lack of ambition or of course songs, Ecliptica have melded metal and rock very well evolving from the band I once new for the better. 8/10
Nordic Union: Nordic Union (Frontiers) [Review By Paul]
If you are a fan of melodic rock, then the name Ronny Atkins should be familiar to you. The front man of Danish outfit Pretty Maids, Atkins combines with Eclipse’s Eric Martensson to debut a new project, Nordic Union which is pretty fine stuff. Completing the line-up is Magnus Ulfstedt who provides the fine drumming whilst Martensson delivers all of the other instruments. Although the tracks sit firmly in the AOR department, complete with harmonies and ridiculous melodies which are the lifeblood of every song, there is also a subtle metal steel which underpins the majority. Opener The War Has Begun contains sufficient guitar work to prick up those ears.
Hypocrisy and Wide Awake sit firmly in the FM/Thunder camp; huge keyboards combine with a melodic guitar sound to create some fine arena pomp. Of course, no AOR release is complete without the ballad and Every Heartbeat ticks all the boxes. Pleading lyrics, wailing guitar and solid rhythm. When Death Is Calling is just an excellent melodic rock track with brilliant harmonies supporting Atkins rich vocals. Nordic Union would go down a storm at Hard Rock AOR; 21 Guns follows the well-worn blueprint, huge hooks, synths galore and clean honey drenched singing compliment the mean guitar work of Martensson. The remaining tracks continue in similar vein, with saccharine drenched emotion, oozing melody and quality. If you like a bit of the lighter side of the hard rock scene, laced with a rocker underbelly, then give Nordic Union a try. It’s a fine album. 8/10
Sunday, 7 February 2016
A View From The Back Of The Room: The Cadillac Three
The Cadillac Three & Whisky Myers, The Tramshed Cardiff
Cardiff was the last stop on American Country Rockers The Cadillac Three's UK wide tour, before they hitched up their britches and skedaddled back to Tennessee. Cardiff got something special though, a unique experience that saw local record store Retro-Vibe Music host an in-store acoustic session and signing with the band which mean that in the afternoon of the gig, TC3 fans packed out the record store and jammed four of their songs, starting with the steam train shuffle of Days Of Gold the three men played a sedate set that evoked memories of a juke joint in the Cajun country somewhere as Jaren sang his lungs out aided beautifully by the Cardiff choir that had gathered in the shop (who would come into their own later) as JJ country picked at his acoustic, Kelby played Dobro (Steel Resonator Guitar) which is still the most authentic country instrument ever and Neil banged out a beat on a Cajon (drumbox). The band seemed genuinely pleased that so many had turned out and were willing to brave the rain and wind to see the band, for many this would be the only time they would see TC3 in that day as their show at the Tramshed later was sold out very quickly. From Days of Gold they went into the grooving Peace, Love & Dixie the sing-along White Lightning and the closing shot of The South. As I've said the band seemed genuinely humbled that they were allowed to play in an 'old-school' record shop to their feverishly excited fans in such a intimate welcoming environment. After the set the band headed downstairs and happily signed album covers, tickets and anything else presented (within reason of course), I for one was overjoyed to see an independent record store holding such a unique fan experience rather than the larger chain record stores. Well done to Claire, Mark and the Retro Team for their organisational skill with this coup, hopefully we will see more things like this in the future, keep an eye out.
So after some lubrication in Cardiff's watering holes it was over to Cardiff's newest venue for my virgin journey to The Tramshed. What a revelation this place is, a larger venue than most of the venues in Cardiff, this is Cardiff's answer to the O2 Academy's, with an onsite pub and a bar inside the venue boasting a wide selection of beers and ciders (not much ale though) the venue is a lot to take in with it's high ceiling, balcony and raised stage meaning that the band are visible even right at the back, as a music venue it's pretty much perfect which meant that as Whiskey Myers came to the stage looking like a younger version of Lynyrd Skynyrd all cowboy hats and Southern swagger you could hear every note the band played due to the almost perfect sound. On their first UK tour Whiskey Myers impressed with their Southern Rock stylings that saw three guitars, a bass, drums and keys all work together to honk the tonk and rock the roll, as these Texans rolled through a seven song set that saw them get the crowd going perfectly and also drew from the early days of country rock with Cody Tate and John Jeffers trading instrumental jams on their guitars which brought to mind Molly Hatchet or Gov't Mule. With great vocals, playing and stage presence Whiskey Myers started the fire burning early and with the amount of people seen wearing Whiskey Myers t-shirts post gig I think they made an impression, TC3 were going to have to step up to the plate. 8/10
Thankfully the Tennessee natives came to tear the venue to the ground and as they roared on stage it was a more animated show than the seated acoustic show earlier in the day, as is only right really, here were three men in full performance mode in front of a sold out crowd baying for some Southern loving. The boastful and filthy Back It Up started the show with some gritty, country guitars and JJ's howl backed by the walking percussion and more slide guitar than Johnny Winter. The band started strong with the Tennessee Mojo creeping along as the bands heaviest song blending seamlessly with Peace, Love & Dixie, this was the beginning of a barn burner and the crowd knew it, writhing, grooving and singing along to every line, Peace, Love & Dixie was followed by the Whiskey soaked Get Your Buzz On which encouraged everyone to find their favourite buzz and ride it (for most in the crowd this was Southern rock and lashings of alcohol), then once everyone was fully buzzed on I'm Southern became an anthem as everyone shouted about their Daddy's linking with hot sauce. The set took a slower turn a Johnstone dedicated a few songs to his partner of 14 years on this the night of their anniversary, with White Lightning and Life both getting the now larger Welsh choir singing at the top of their lungs as the band indulged in their most country output showing why Johnston has written songs for some of America's biggest Country acts.
New single Graffiti debuted live with it's percussion-driven flair it went down a storm before more influence from Hank and Waylon came on Running Red Lights and the excellent Whiskey Soaked Redemption. As the set ramped up the band once again ramped up with Down To River getting a dedication to Swansea natives Buffalo Summer who have a song with the same title, then into the free-for-all that is Party Like You and the superb Days Of Gold to close the main set meaning everyone erupted as the last chord was hit. A short time off stage and then a return for the two song encore of Girls On Fire and The South and boom they were done, inviting their tourmates on stage for a group photo decked out in the flags of Tennessee and Texas, the applause lingered in the air for a long time with whoops and hollers filling the room. Despite the sold out crowd the room didn't seem oppressive in any way as some venues do which was great as it gave us a lot of room to really enjoy this masterclass in Southern music, along with Blackberry Smoke, The Cadillac Three are at the top of the pile when it comes to good old fashioned Countrified Southern rock and on this last night (and indeed afternoon) in Cardiff they showed why. 9/10
Cardiff was the last stop on American Country Rockers The Cadillac Three's UK wide tour, before they hitched up their britches and skedaddled back to Tennessee. Cardiff got something special though, a unique experience that saw local record store Retro-Vibe Music host an in-store acoustic session and signing with the band which mean that in the afternoon of the gig, TC3 fans packed out the record store and jammed four of their songs, starting with the steam train shuffle of Days Of Gold the three men played a sedate set that evoked memories of a juke joint in the Cajun country somewhere as Jaren sang his lungs out aided beautifully by the Cardiff choir that had gathered in the shop (who would come into their own later) as JJ country picked at his acoustic, Kelby played Dobro (Steel Resonator Guitar) which is still the most authentic country instrument ever and Neil banged out a beat on a Cajon (drumbox). The band seemed genuinely pleased that so many had turned out and were willing to brave the rain and wind to see the band, for many this would be the only time they would see TC3 in that day as their show at the Tramshed later was sold out very quickly. From Days of Gold they went into the grooving Peace, Love & Dixie the sing-along White Lightning and the closing shot of The South. As I've said the band seemed genuinely humbled that they were allowed to play in an 'old-school' record shop to their feverishly excited fans in such a intimate welcoming environment. After the set the band headed downstairs and happily signed album covers, tickets and anything else presented (within reason of course), I for one was overjoyed to see an independent record store holding such a unique fan experience rather than the larger chain record stores. Well done to Claire, Mark and the Retro Team for their organisational skill with this coup, hopefully we will see more things like this in the future, keep an eye out.
So after some lubrication in Cardiff's watering holes it was over to Cardiff's newest venue for my virgin journey to The Tramshed. What a revelation this place is, a larger venue than most of the venues in Cardiff, this is Cardiff's answer to the O2 Academy's, with an onsite pub and a bar inside the venue boasting a wide selection of beers and ciders (not much ale though) the venue is a lot to take in with it's high ceiling, balcony and raised stage meaning that the band are visible even right at the back, as a music venue it's pretty much perfect which meant that as Whiskey Myers came to the stage looking like a younger version of Lynyrd Skynyrd all cowboy hats and Southern swagger you could hear every note the band played due to the almost perfect sound. On their first UK tour Whiskey Myers impressed with their Southern Rock stylings that saw three guitars, a bass, drums and keys all work together to honk the tonk and rock the roll, as these Texans rolled through a seven song set that saw them get the crowd going perfectly and also drew from the early days of country rock with Cody Tate and John Jeffers trading instrumental jams on their guitars which brought to mind Molly Hatchet or Gov't Mule. With great vocals, playing and stage presence Whiskey Myers started the fire burning early and with the amount of people seen wearing Whiskey Myers t-shirts post gig I think they made an impression, TC3 were going to have to step up to the plate. 8/10
Thankfully the Tennessee natives came to tear the venue to the ground and as they roared on stage it was a more animated show than the seated acoustic show earlier in the day, as is only right really, here were three men in full performance mode in front of a sold out crowd baying for some Southern loving. The boastful and filthy Back It Up started the show with some gritty, country guitars and JJ's howl backed by the walking percussion and more slide guitar than Johnny Winter. The band started strong with the Tennessee Mojo creeping along as the bands heaviest song blending seamlessly with Peace, Love & Dixie, this was the beginning of a barn burner and the crowd knew it, writhing, grooving and singing along to every line, Peace, Love & Dixie was followed by the Whiskey soaked Get Your Buzz On which encouraged everyone to find their favourite buzz and ride it (for most in the crowd this was Southern rock and lashings of alcohol), then once everyone was fully buzzed on I'm Southern became an anthem as everyone shouted about their Daddy's linking with hot sauce. The set took a slower turn a Johnstone dedicated a few songs to his partner of 14 years on this the night of their anniversary, with White Lightning and Life both getting the now larger Welsh choir singing at the top of their lungs as the band indulged in their most country output showing why Johnston has written songs for some of America's biggest Country acts.
New single Graffiti debuted live with it's percussion-driven flair it went down a storm before more influence from Hank and Waylon came on Running Red Lights and the excellent Whiskey Soaked Redemption. As the set ramped up the band once again ramped up with Down To River getting a dedication to Swansea natives Buffalo Summer who have a song with the same title, then into the free-for-all that is Party Like You and the superb Days Of Gold to close the main set meaning everyone erupted as the last chord was hit. A short time off stage and then a return for the two song encore of Girls On Fire and The South and boom they were done, inviting their tourmates on stage for a group photo decked out in the flags of Tennessee and Texas, the applause lingered in the air for a long time with whoops and hollers filling the room. Despite the sold out crowd the room didn't seem oppressive in any way as some venues do which was great as it gave us a lot of room to really enjoy this masterclass in Southern music, along with Blackberry Smoke, The Cadillac Three are at the top of the pile when it comes to good old fashioned Countrified Southern rock and on this last night (and indeed afternoon) in Cardiff they showed why. 9/10
Thursday, 4 February 2016
Reviews: Dissona, Reaper's Riddle, Redwest
Dissona: Paleopneumatic (Self Released)
USA progressive metal of the most intricate and technically proficient kind. They follow the tradition of Fate's Warning, Symphony X, Shadow Gallery along with youngsters such as Haken and Tesseract. The band are truly progressive with Totality giving the best example of this as it moves from aggressive growl filled modern death/groove metal into a chamber music middle section before coming to an end in a thumping breakdown, this 9 minute track exemplifies exactly what Dissona are about, progressive metal with classical elements, jazz leanings, oriental flourishes on Odium as well as the gamut of metal genres with death, black, thrash all catered for. Having supported Opeth, Cynic, High On Fire, Dark Tranquillity, Leprous you can see how Dissona would fit with any of these bands. The performances on this record are outstanding much of the kudos goes to vocalist David Dubenic who has an unbelievable voice with an expansive vocal range that knocks you off you feet, he can go from guttural growls to soaring highs in an instant, he sings his heart out on The Last Resistance in the melodic first part before the track speeds up into it's power metal final part. Dubenic has sublime backing as Drew Goddard and Craig Hamburger work their asses off in the back room blasting away in the metallic sections of this record and also providing a deft touch on the final track Sunderance which is laced with bongos, percussion, sparse piano and violin to make it a muted outro in direct response to the rapid, furious first song Another Sky which is driven by Matt Motto's excellent guitar work as it twist and turns moving between faster and slower sections, with a middle eight that incorporates some electronics mixing numerous riffs and genres into just one 9 minute song. Paleopneumatic is as its title suggests can be primitive and impactful but also it is a sometimes mind bendingly complicated listen but give it a few spins and it will open up into a rewarding intensely musical listen from a band who are musical maestros but can also write some impressive songs . 8/10
Reapers Riddle: The End Is Nigh (Self Released)
Perth Australia traditional Heavy Metal with gruff vocals and a nod to thrash think Iced Earth and you'll be there, particularly because they have a concept set around the apocalypse on this record and as many of you may know John Schaffer has been adding to his Set Abominae storyline over the last few albums. The scene is set in the intro with news reports telling that the Devil has arrived over Sydney, Disentergrate is the first song proper with a chunky guitar riff leading the proceedings, the first thing I notice is the superb voice of frontman Clayton Mitchell who has a gritty, muscular vocal delivery that gives the songs their chest beating traditional metal sound, added to the excellent vocals of Mitchell are some expressive soloing from Kristen Sanfead who also supplies songs like the title track with the head banging riffs with bassist Jason Edwards, with the stringers supplying the rhythms its up to drummer Andrew Burt to lead the doom-laden Rise Of The Macchina. Welcome To The Wasteland has an 80's metal edge, while Write Of Passage has it's head in thrash. The End Is Nigh is a strong debut record from these Aussies, yes the production is a bit hazy but not so much it detracts from the record itself. If you like tough, masculine metal with a sci-fi edge and great concept then Reapers Riddle will get repeated spins. 7/10
Redwest: Crimson Renegade (Bakerteam Records)
Redwest are a Spaghetti Western themed metal band hailing from the home of cowboys...Italy...(yeah I know right?) If that sounds like it might be travesty then think of it like this imagine if a band like Alestorm or Turisas sang songs about The Old West and Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name rather than about Blackbeard or Vikings. The band have evolved since their first couple of EP's as stylistically the are now more in the Steampunk/Cowpunk region visually, the music too is more grown up although it is still the same mix of distorted metal riffs, down-home harmonicas and songs about heroes, outlaws and as the title suggest renegades. The band have a standard metal set up with two guitarists, bassist and drummer providing the metal licks, while the band have two singers with the frontman singing most of the tracks with his gritty baritone and their backing singer adding some yeehaw cowgirl additions. The songs are metallic with big riffs and grooves but they also have the typical pastiches of Spaghetti Westerns with fierce acoustic guitars and rattlesnake percussion on the title track, they do vary it a little with the Rammstein-like electronics of The Dreamcatcher. As you'll notice I'm not naming the band as they go by pseudonyms with all of them have colourful names like The Lurid, The Harasser, The Foreigner (who presumably wants to know what love is), The Stray, The Shy and The Shady One (Losco). This is a very good debut with just enough rocking songs to put it above a joke, the Western elements are a little strong at times with Ballad Of Ed W and Bullet Rain both sounding like the soundtrack to a barn dance, especially Ballad... sounds a lot like Ghost Riders In The Sky, but hey that's kind of the point. Balancing the metal and the Western theme is done with flair meaning that Redwest could be the next in line to join bands such as Alestorm or Sabaton for silly, grin inducing metal! 7/10
USA progressive metal of the most intricate and technically proficient kind. They follow the tradition of Fate's Warning, Symphony X, Shadow Gallery along with youngsters such as Haken and Tesseract. The band are truly progressive with Totality giving the best example of this as it moves from aggressive growl filled modern death/groove metal into a chamber music middle section before coming to an end in a thumping breakdown, this 9 minute track exemplifies exactly what Dissona are about, progressive metal with classical elements, jazz leanings, oriental flourishes on Odium as well as the gamut of metal genres with death, black, thrash all catered for. Having supported Opeth, Cynic, High On Fire, Dark Tranquillity, Leprous you can see how Dissona would fit with any of these bands. The performances on this record are outstanding much of the kudos goes to vocalist David Dubenic who has an unbelievable voice with an expansive vocal range that knocks you off you feet, he can go from guttural growls to soaring highs in an instant, he sings his heart out on The Last Resistance in the melodic first part before the track speeds up into it's power metal final part. Dubenic has sublime backing as Drew Goddard and Craig Hamburger work their asses off in the back room blasting away in the metallic sections of this record and also providing a deft touch on the final track Sunderance which is laced with bongos, percussion, sparse piano and violin to make it a muted outro in direct response to the rapid, furious first song Another Sky which is driven by Matt Motto's excellent guitar work as it twist and turns moving between faster and slower sections, with a middle eight that incorporates some electronics mixing numerous riffs and genres into just one 9 minute song. Paleopneumatic is as its title suggests can be primitive and impactful but also it is a sometimes mind bendingly complicated listen but give it a few spins and it will open up into a rewarding intensely musical listen from a band who are musical maestros but can also write some impressive songs . 8/10
Reapers Riddle: The End Is Nigh (Self Released)
Perth Australia traditional Heavy Metal with gruff vocals and a nod to thrash think Iced Earth and you'll be there, particularly because they have a concept set around the apocalypse on this record and as many of you may know John Schaffer has been adding to his Set Abominae storyline over the last few albums. The scene is set in the intro with news reports telling that the Devil has arrived over Sydney, Disentergrate is the first song proper with a chunky guitar riff leading the proceedings, the first thing I notice is the superb voice of frontman Clayton Mitchell who has a gritty, muscular vocal delivery that gives the songs their chest beating traditional metal sound, added to the excellent vocals of Mitchell are some expressive soloing from Kristen Sanfead who also supplies songs like the title track with the head banging riffs with bassist Jason Edwards, with the stringers supplying the rhythms its up to drummer Andrew Burt to lead the doom-laden Rise Of The Macchina. Welcome To The Wasteland has an 80's metal edge, while Write Of Passage has it's head in thrash. The End Is Nigh is a strong debut record from these Aussies, yes the production is a bit hazy but not so much it detracts from the record itself. If you like tough, masculine metal with a sci-fi edge and great concept then Reapers Riddle will get repeated spins. 7/10
Redwest: Crimson Renegade (Bakerteam Records)
Redwest are a Spaghetti Western themed metal band hailing from the home of cowboys...Italy...(yeah I know right?) If that sounds like it might be travesty then think of it like this imagine if a band like Alestorm or Turisas sang songs about The Old West and Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name rather than about Blackbeard or Vikings. The band have evolved since their first couple of EP's as stylistically the are now more in the Steampunk/Cowpunk region visually, the music too is more grown up although it is still the same mix of distorted metal riffs, down-home harmonicas and songs about heroes, outlaws and as the title suggest renegades. The band have a standard metal set up with two guitarists, bassist and drummer providing the metal licks, while the band have two singers with the frontman singing most of the tracks with his gritty baritone and their backing singer adding some yeehaw cowgirl additions. The songs are metallic with big riffs and grooves but they also have the typical pastiches of Spaghetti Westerns with fierce acoustic guitars and rattlesnake percussion on the title track, they do vary it a little with the Rammstein-like electronics of The Dreamcatcher. As you'll notice I'm not naming the band as they go by pseudonyms with all of them have colourful names like The Lurid, The Harasser, The Foreigner (who presumably wants to know what love is), The Stray, The Shy and The Shady One (Losco). This is a very good debut with just enough rocking songs to put it above a joke, the Western elements are a little strong at times with Ballad Of Ed W and Bullet Rain both sounding like the soundtrack to a barn dance, especially Ballad... sounds a lot like Ghost Riders In The Sky, but hey that's kind of the point. Balancing the metal and the Western theme is done with flair meaning that Redwest could be the next in line to join bands such as Alestorm or Sabaton for silly, grin inducing metal! 7/10
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
Reviews: Conan, Duel, Exekuter (Review By Paul)
Conan: Revengeance (Napalm Records)
In 2014 we reviewed Blood Eagle, the previous release from the Liverpool three piece and noted that it was “about as heavy as you can get, huge slabs of slow riffs and chanting vocals which oozes Sabbath and Electric Wizard throughout”. We warned you that “You may not want to listen to this in a confined space as there is a strong chance that your cranium might fracture”. Since then, there has been a pretty big change in the line-up with only Jon Davis on guitar and vocals remaining from that incarnation. In comes Chris Fielding on bass and Rich Lewis on drums. Although the line-up has changed, the absolute power and immense heaviness of the band hasn’t; in fact, it’s got heavier.
Throne Of Fire opens the proceedings, an absolute skull crusher with Davis’ fuzzed up distortion pulverising. The angst ridden distant vocals remain an acquired taste but be in no doubt that Conan really don’t give a fuck about what you think. Their one aim is to steam roller the listener with the most enormous riffs known to man. It’s not the easiest of albums to listen to. 47 minutes for six tracks. Yes, three of the songs rock in at over eight minutes long with the epic Earthernguard, the final track just under 12 minutes long. My suggestion? Put the damn thing on, crank the sucker up and allow Conan to blast the doom through your entire being. But be warned; with tracks like Thunderhoof and the title track (apparently a real word although this is circa 1913 – not quite the Repentless made up word scenario) kicking a hole in your skull, it’s not an easy listener. Another solid crushing release from the masters of UK doom. 7/10
Duel: Fears Of The Dead (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Austin, Texas appears to be the place to be for new releases. Hot on the heels of our review of fellow Austin outfit Widower, we now have Fears Of The Dead by four-piece outfit Duel. The band only formed last year and contain some former Scorpion Child members. Fears Of The Dead is a really infectious, groove laden slab of rock which straddles the doom, stoner and psychedelic genres. Opening track Fears Of The Dead contains some really dirty guitar riffs and has a disgustingly addictive hook with the vocals of Tom Frank fitting the sound perfectly. The track rocks along, with a dash of the mighty Clutch mixing to the potent combination of Sabbath, Pentagram, bits of Grand Funk and the duelling style of Thin Lizzy. Add a splash of Scorpion Child, The Sword and the vitality of Monster Truck and you’ve got the main ingredients of the Duel sound.
For a band who wear the badge of doom, they move at a significantly swifter pace; This Old Crow steals the opening riff from Wolfmother’s Woman before getting the toes tapping. Solid bass lines courtesy of Shaun Avants (who also provides some vocals) form the foundation with drummer JD Shadowz (real name, obvs) whilst Frank and Derek Halfmann’s guitar work swirls and weaves. The band stick with what they do best throughout, although The Kraken provides more of psychedelic stomp, whilst tracks such as On The Edge and Electricity all surge (sorry) with hooks and groove. Penultimate tune When The Pigs Are Fed merges some classic Sabbath riffs with the more recent work of The Sword and really get you wanting to see these guys live. Whilst there is no point reinventing the wheel, Duel have forced me to add another band to the ‘must see’ list. A sweet piece of work indeed. 8/10
Exekuter: The Obscene Ones (EBM Records)
Formed in 2008 out of the ashes of Cryptic Realm, Greek thrashers Exekuter (not to be confused with Brazilian thrash outfit Executer) kick out their second full length release in the shape of The Obscene Ones; 33 minutes of unashamed old school thrash with all the trappings expected – songs about death, blasphemy, anti-religion and the devil. Combining elements of virtually every thrash outfit who have ever lived, but with heavy leanings toward the faster Kreator style thrash, this is a release that every discerning thrash fan should consider picking up. Brutal powerhouse drumming, cascading riffs and screaming solos and a vocal delivery from Tolis Mekras that combines an unusual number of styles to fit superbly. Tracks such as No Morals attack from the start with manic speed and a Pleasure To Kill type riff, whilst there are also some more balanced tracks which contain classic thrash edged stomping; see Secrets Of A Divine and Obsessed for starters. Obsessed is a blistering track, opening with a massive chug before developing into top gear to deliver thrash following the genre blueprint complete with slowed down middle section and driving blast beats which push the band towards death metal at times. If you love your 1980s thrash, then you really need to listen to this release. It’s old skool all the way. Really retro but great stuff! 8/10
In 2014 we reviewed Blood Eagle, the previous release from the Liverpool three piece and noted that it was “about as heavy as you can get, huge slabs of slow riffs and chanting vocals which oozes Sabbath and Electric Wizard throughout”. We warned you that “You may not want to listen to this in a confined space as there is a strong chance that your cranium might fracture”. Since then, there has been a pretty big change in the line-up with only Jon Davis on guitar and vocals remaining from that incarnation. In comes Chris Fielding on bass and Rich Lewis on drums. Although the line-up has changed, the absolute power and immense heaviness of the band hasn’t; in fact, it’s got heavier.
Throne Of Fire opens the proceedings, an absolute skull crusher with Davis’ fuzzed up distortion pulverising. The angst ridden distant vocals remain an acquired taste but be in no doubt that Conan really don’t give a fuck about what you think. Their one aim is to steam roller the listener with the most enormous riffs known to man. It’s not the easiest of albums to listen to. 47 minutes for six tracks. Yes, three of the songs rock in at over eight minutes long with the epic Earthernguard, the final track just under 12 minutes long. My suggestion? Put the damn thing on, crank the sucker up and allow Conan to blast the doom through your entire being. But be warned; with tracks like Thunderhoof and the title track (apparently a real word although this is circa 1913 – not quite the Repentless made up word scenario) kicking a hole in your skull, it’s not an easy listener. Another solid crushing release from the masters of UK doom. 7/10
Duel: Fears Of The Dead (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Austin, Texas appears to be the place to be for new releases. Hot on the heels of our review of fellow Austin outfit Widower, we now have Fears Of The Dead by four-piece outfit Duel. The band only formed last year and contain some former Scorpion Child members. Fears Of The Dead is a really infectious, groove laden slab of rock which straddles the doom, stoner and psychedelic genres. Opening track Fears Of The Dead contains some really dirty guitar riffs and has a disgustingly addictive hook with the vocals of Tom Frank fitting the sound perfectly. The track rocks along, with a dash of the mighty Clutch mixing to the potent combination of Sabbath, Pentagram, bits of Grand Funk and the duelling style of Thin Lizzy. Add a splash of Scorpion Child, The Sword and the vitality of Monster Truck and you’ve got the main ingredients of the Duel sound.
For a band who wear the badge of doom, they move at a significantly swifter pace; This Old Crow steals the opening riff from Wolfmother’s Woman before getting the toes tapping. Solid bass lines courtesy of Shaun Avants (who also provides some vocals) form the foundation with drummer JD Shadowz (real name, obvs) whilst Frank and Derek Halfmann’s guitar work swirls and weaves. The band stick with what they do best throughout, although The Kraken provides more of psychedelic stomp, whilst tracks such as On The Edge and Electricity all surge (sorry) with hooks and groove. Penultimate tune When The Pigs Are Fed merges some classic Sabbath riffs with the more recent work of The Sword and really get you wanting to see these guys live. Whilst there is no point reinventing the wheel, Duel have forced me to add another band to the ‘must see’ list. A sweet piece of work indeed. 8/10
Exekuter: The Obscene Ones (EBM Records)
Formed in 2008 out of the ashes of Cryptic Realm, Greek thrashers Exekuter (not to be confused with Brazilian thrash outfit Executer) kick out their second full length release in the shape of The Obscene Ones; 33 minutes of unashamed old school thrash with all the trappings expected – songs about death, blasphemy, anti-religion and the devil. Combining elements of virtually every thrash outfit who have ever lived, but with heavy leanings toward the faster Kreator style thrash, this is a release that every discerning thrash fan should consider picking up. Brutal powerhouse drumming, cascading riffs and screaming solos and a vocal delivery from Tolis Mekras that combines an unusual number of styles to fit superbly. Tracks such as No Morals attack from the start with manic speed and a Pleasure To Kill type riff, whilst there are also some more balanced tracks which contain classic thrash edged stomping; see Secrets Of A Divine and Obsessed for starters. Obsessed is a blistering track, opening with a massive chug before developing into top gear to deliver thrash following the genre blueprint complete with slowed down middle section and driving blast beats which push the band towards death metal at times. If you love your 1980s thrash, then you really need to listen to this release. It’s old skool all the way. Really retro but great stuff! 8/10
Monday, 1 February 2016
Reviews: Dream Theater (Monster Review By Paul)
Dream Theater: The Astonishing (Roadrunner)
One of the most revered progressive rock bands of our time, Dream Theater have never shied away from following their own musical path. In the 30 or so years they’ve been cranking out albums, they have produced some stunning works. They’ve also produced some self-indulgent twaddle. Collectively, the band are probably stronger than they’ve ever been and the departure of Mike Portnoy really allowed them to progress their sound and style. Musically very few bands can get near them for their technical brilliance and their fan base is ferociously loyal. I’m pretty sure that most people either love them for their progressive nerdish leanings or dismiss them as overhyped, bloated dinosaurs peddling music which belongs in the 1970s alongside the likes of Yes. I have to admit that I sit somewhere in the middle, which is probably quite unusual.
The Astonishing is Dream Theater’s first concept album since 1999’s (somewhat legendary - Ed) Scenes From A Memory.
Ah yes, the rock concept album. A thing of beauty or egotism of the highest order? Throughout rock history, the concept album has divided opinion like few other things. Back in the 1970s it was common place for bands to craft out double or even triple albums following a story or theme. Indeed, my all-time faves Rush are as guilty as anyone, having based 2112 on The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, and littered Hemispheres and A Farewell To Kings with the story of Cygnus X1. Of course, it hasn’t been restricted to the 1970s, with their last release, Clockwork Angels being the soundtrack to the book of the same name. Judas Priest found with Nostradamus that it isn’t always that easy to deliver exactly what you may have intended. Iron Maiden have regularly used themes for albums, with The Book Of Souls very much in the same ball park. However, what sets some of these releases apart from many others is that they contain tracks which can stand alone.
So where do we start with The Astonishing? Well, it is set in 2285 in a time where society has collapsed and has been replaced by a feudal system, with empires ruled by powerful leaders and the vast majority of ordinary people toiling for survival. Music has been replaced by artificially intelligent machines, the NOMACs who produce all the music with no need for human input. Sound familiar yet? There are a number of central characters who are pivotal to the story, including the evil Lord Nafaryus, the hero Gabriel, his brother Arhys, and the offspring of Nafaryus, his daughter Faythe and son Daryus. Gabriel becomes anointed as The Chosen One and leads the rebellion to overthrow the evil empire. Got that? Good. John Petrucci, the virtuoso guitarist of the band and driving force behind the whole concept has stated that his inspirations for the concept sit very much in the fantasy and sci-fi areas; think Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings for starters.
I’m not going to go into any more detail about the concept, or the packaging, or the plans that the band have for the numerous spin-offs. Suffice to say this is a massive project which will really appeal to the diehard DT fan. So whilst the build-up has been substantial, what’s the actual music like? Well, unfortunately, to put it bluntly, its dire. Two hours of material, which in the main sounds exactly the same. Comprising 34, yes 34 fucking tracks, this is about as overblown as it gets. Sure, the musicianship is top notch, but as James LaBrie sings every character, the variation is negligible, the score repetitive and about 75% of the tracks are completely saccharine coated.
CD 1 clocks in at over 70 minutes and to be brutally honest, it just blows. The Gift Of Music, the first release from the album is about as good as it gets, and is one of the few tracks that can actually stand on its own. At least this has something resembling Dream Theater. Pace, drive and LaBrie actually letting rip without constraint. Even early on though, the choral backing and orchestral overtures are evident. It does contain a smashing solo from Petrucci as well as the typical number of expected time changes, keyboard solos and challenging bass and drum sections.
From there on in it just increasingly resembles a West End musical … and not a good one. Of particular stomach churning note; The Answer, A Better Life and the cringe worthy Brother, Can You Hear Me. These tracks, representative of the majority of the release, contain the horrible type of composition which we’d hopefully last heard on the godawful Music From The Elder, Kiss’s ill-fated concept release in 1981. A Saviour In The Square contains trumpeted fanfare, and Act Of Faythe has an orchestral opening that segues into a solo piano and LaBrie playing yet another character which prompts you to head for the sick bucket. And so it continues; Ravenskill is just abysmal and we haven’t even got to CD 2 yet.
It’s clear by now that this album is going to be loved and hated in equal measure. What I’ve struggled with (and I’ve lost several hours of my life giving this repeated plays) is the repetition and length of the album. I appreciate that the band intend to tour it as a full performance, complete with cinematic experience and maybe I’m missing something fundamental here.
CD 2 at last gets a bit more exciting with Moment Of Betrayal which follows the opening orchestral instrumental 2285 Entr’acte. Moment Of Betrayal at least has some substance, crazy keyboard action, rampant riffs and fine drumming from Mike Mangini. Unfortunately, as the story continues, the tracks blend into one again, with LaBrie vocalising every character, and the limp musical theatrical score grates. Heavy on the orchestral and choral elements, tracks such as My Last Farewell and Losing Faythe are just toe curling in their awfulness. Eventually we get to the final track, The Astonishing. After two hours, the final six minutes provides a climatic conclusion, all soaring voices, strings and piano, ridden with emotion … and yet more repetition. It is dreadful.
I’ve nailed my colours firmly to the mast on this album. Dream Theater are at a stage in their career where they won’t give a shit what anyone thinks, and they have fully earned that right with their back catalogue. Good for them. However, The Astonishing is anything but that in my opinion. In fact, it is a stinker of the highest order. If you wanted me to confess to something, put me in a seat at the London Palladium in mid-February when they play this in full. I’d cough within about 30 minutes. Sorry. 3/10
One of the most revered progressive rock bands of our time, Dream Theater have never shied away from following their own musical path. In the 30 or so years they’ve been cranking out albums, they have produced some stunning works. They’ve also produced some self-indulgent twaddle. Collectively, the band are probably stronger than they’ve ever been and the departure of Mike Portnoy really allowed them to progress their sound and style. Musically very few bands can get near them for their technical brilliance and their fan base is ferociously loyal. I’m pretty sure that most people either love them for their progressive nerdish leanings or dismiss them as overhyped, bloated dinosaurs peddling music which belongs in the 1970s alongside the likes of Yes. I have to admit that I sit somewhere in the middle, which is probably quite unusual.
The Astonishing is Dream Theater’s first concept album since 1999’s (somewhat legendary - Ed) Scenes From A Memory.
Ah yes, the rock concept album. A thing of beauty or egotism of the highest order? Throughout rock history, the concept album has divided opinion like few other things. Back in the 1970s it was common place for bands to craft out double or even triple albums following a story or theme. Indeed, my all-time faves Rush are as guilty as anyone, having based 2112 on The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, and littered Hemispheres and A Farewell To Kings with the story of Cygnus X1. Of course, it hasn’t been restricted to the 1970s, with their last release, Clockwork Angels being the soundtrack to the book of the same name. Judas Priest found with Nostradamus that it isn’t always that easy to deliver exactly what you may have intended. Iron Maiden have regularly used themes for albums, with The Book Of Souls very much in the same ball park. However, what sets some of these releases apart from many others is that they contain tracks which can stand alone.
So where do we start with The Astonishing? Well, it is set in 2285 in a time where society has collapsed and has been replaced by a feudal system, with empires ruled by powerful leaders and the vast majority of ordinary people toiling for survival. Music has been replaced by artificially intelligent machines, the NOMACs who produce all the music with no need for human input. Sound familiar yet? There are a number of central characters who are pivotal to the story, including the evil Lord Nafaryus, the hero Gabriel, his brother Arhys, and the offspring of Nafaryus, his daughter Faythe and son Daryus. Gabriel becomes anointed as The Chosen One and leads the rebellion to overthrow the evil empire. Got that? Good. John Petrucci, the virtuoso guitarist of the band and driving force behind the whole concept has stated that his inspirations for the concept sit very much in the fantasy and sci-fi areas; think Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings for starters.
I’m not going to go into any more detail about the concept, or the packaging, or the plans that the band have for the numerous spin-offs. Suffice to say this is a massive project which will really appeal to the diehard DT fan. So whilst the build-up has been substantial, what’s the actual music like? Well, unfortunately, to put it bluntly, its dire. Two hours of material, which in the main sounds exactly the same. Comprising 34, yes 34 fucking tracks, this is about as overblown as it gets. Sure, the musicianship is top notch, but as James LaBrie sings every character, the variation is negligible, the score repetitive and about 75% of the tracks are completely saccharine coated.
CD 1 clocks in at over 70 minutes and to be brutally honest, it just blows. The Gift Of Music, the first release from the album is about as good as it gets, and is one of the few tracks that can actually stand on its own. At least this has something resembling Dream Theater. Pace, drive and LaBrie actually letting rip without constraint. Even early on though, the choral backing and orchestral overtures are evident. It does contain a smashing solo from Petrucci as well as the typical number of expected time changes, keyboard solos and challenging bass and drum sections.
From there on in it just increasingly resembles a West End musical … and not a good one. Of particular stomach churning note; The Answer, A Better Life and the cringe worthy Brother, Can You Hear Me. These tracks, representative of the majority of the release, contain the horrible type of composition which we’d hopefully last heard on the godawful Music From The Elder, Kiss’s ill-fated concept release in 1981. A Saviour In The Square contains trumpeted fanfare, and Act Of Faythe has an orchestral opening that segues into a solo piano and LaBrie playing yet another character which prompts you to head for the sick bucket. And so it continues; Ravenskill is just abysmal and we haven’t even got to CD 2 yet.
It’s clear by now that this album is going to be loved and hated in equal measure. What I’ve struggled with (and I’ve lost several hours of my life giving this repeated plays) is the repetition and length of the album. I appreciate that the band intend to tour it as a full performance, complete with cinematic experience and maybe I’m missing something fundamental here.
CD 2 at last gets a bit more exciting with Moment Of Betrayal which follows the opening orchestral instrumental 2285 Entr’acte. Moment Of Betrayal at least has some substance, crazy keyboard action, rampant riffs and fine drumming from Mike Mangini. Unfortunately, as the story continues, the tracks blend into one again, with LaBrie vocalising every character, and the limp musical theatrical score grates. Heavy on the orchestral and choral elements, tracks such as My Last Farewell and Losing Faythe are just toe curling in their awfulness. Eventually we get to the final track, The Astonishing. After two hours, the final six minutes provides a climatic conclusion, all soaring voices, strings and piano, ridden with emotion … and yet more repetition. It is dreadful.
I’ve nailed my colours firmly to the mast on this album. Dream Theater are at a stage in their career where they won’t give a shit what anyone thinks, and they have fully earned that right with their back catalogue. Good for them. However, The Astonishing is anything but that in my opinion. In fact, it is a stinker of the highest order. If you wanted me to confess to something, put me in a seat at the London Palladium in mid-February when they play this in full. I’d cough within about 30 minutes. Sorry. 3/10
Reviews: The Mute Gods, Illust8ors, Jessikill
The Mute Gods: The Mute Gods (InsideOut)
Nick Beggs is probably most well known as the main writer and bassist of 80's popsters Kajagoogoo, however he is much more than that as in recent years he has been the bassist for king of prog Steven Wilson contributing to both is recorded works and on his live tours. Suprisingly you would think someone that works closely with bonafide workaholic wouln't have much in the way of free time but apparently he has and has managed to form his own band The Mute Gods and has even managed to record a debut album with them. The record doesn't stray too far from the progressive streak that Beggs has shown in this latter career albeit this album is prog with the pop sensibility of a man that started his career writing four minute pop songs, the overtly dystopian themes are set to an upbeat melodic musical backing that means that the records sounds a lot like Yes (in fact the album dedicated to departed Yes bassist Chris Squire), encompassing some Duke-era Genesis, a touch of ELP, and some more recent stuff like Arena and Frost* all due to the heavy use of keys on the record. The band are ostensibly a three piece with Beggs playing bass guitars, Chapman Stick, guitars, and doing the majority of the vocals.
He has teamed up with Steve Hackett-man Roger King on keyboards, guitars, he also gives the record it's warm rich production, finally providing the rhythm section foil for Beggs is drummer extraordinaire Marco Minnemann who has worked with Paul Gilbert, Steven Wilson, The Aristocrats (With Guthrie Govan) who handles drums guitars and sound modelling. The trio are the main contributors as a 'band' but one look at the liner notes will tell you that Beggs has recruited many of his compatriots to help him on the record these come in the shape of Ricky Wilde (Kim's Dad), Frank van Bogaert, Gary O'Toole, Spock's Beard drummer Nick D'Virgilio, Magenta keyboardist Rob Reed, Steven Wilson's ivory tinkler Adam Holzman and even Nick's own daughter Lula who sings on Father And Daughter. The songs on this album range from the quirky regret driven Night School For Idiots, the heavy Feeding The Troll (that's about the internet variety) as well as the rocking title track and almost psych-like Swimming Horses the songs have swirling synths, shimmering guitar lines, deft bass playing all combine to create some excellent songcraft. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me is a collection of songs that have broad appeal with some truly excellent musicianship, The Mute Gods is yet another impressive string to Nick Beggs' already large bow. 9/10
Illustr8ors: Photopia (Self Released)
Ok so Photopia is the second full length album from the band formerly known as Blackwolf, now many of you will recognised the name as one of the bands that we here at the Musipedia Of Metal have touted to be very big, so as you can appreciate we were expecting their sophomore album was going to be make or break for them. Launched through Kickstarter the Bristol masters of soulful hard rock kept everyone updated about the album adding to the anticipation. Then with the release of the album to pledgers the band made the announcement that they have decided to change their name due to growing as a band on these recordings, this is where I have to criticise I'm afraid, the new name for the band is Illustr8tors, which in my opinion is a terrible name, now calling yourselves Illustrators is fine, yes you do sound a bit like indie pop darlings but the name itself is fine, unfortunately Illustr8ors makes you sound like a rap collective so it was with trepidation that I pressed play. happily their sound doesn't seem to have changed much as Something Biblical roars in with a rampaging rock riff and the excellent vocals of Scott Sharp who has a soulful weathered delivery.
Songs like the rocking Heal You the bluesy grunge bluster of Grace which sounds a lot like Soundgarden at their pomp, in fact this is also present on Citizen which has some hazy acoustics in the backing and a psychedelic lead guitar to end the album. The music on this record is as good as it was on their debut they are still plowing that hard rock groove but they've added some 90's grunge for good measure, Won't Bury Me is the perfect example of this with grunting reverb drenched riff some walking bass and punching drums leading the charge as is Steady Slow which has groove to die for. All in all Photopia is a great album nothing too much has changed from their debut which begs the question why the band felt they needed a new name, which I'm afraid is absolutely awful. Blackwolf were a favourite here they can be again, the music is still there but that name needs to go sharpish for their own good. 7/10
Jessikill: Metal Knights (Self Released)
OK so now we're talking!! Jessikill are a five -piece traditional metal band hailing from Texas in the good-ole USA. The bands name got my curiosity but when I researched and saw they had former Immortal Guardian guitarist Jyro Alejo in the band I knew that I'd probably like this album. Guess what? I do it's the kind of muscular, technical solo filled metal with furious blast beats, rumbling bass gallops, shredding guitars and glass shattering vocals. Think Armored Saint, early Queensryche and contemporaries Holy Grail you won't be far wrong, as Midnight Rush erupts from stereo it's everything you could hope for rampaging metal assault with the dual axes of Jyro and Joey V widdling like crazy trading licks and solos on every track as frontwoman Jessica yells at the top of her lungs with her incredible vocals taht would leave most metal singers in the shade. The band have written some very catchy and very metal songs that Joey DiMaio would be proud of the marching bass led The Beast would soung perfect on any modern power metal record with it's big keys (also from Jyro) head banging riff, blitzkrieg middle section and the shared vocals from Jessica and bassist Arturo that blend perfectly on the albums impressive centerpiece. With progressive touches on the excellent Give It All Jessikill show that they have an enormous amount of talent for such a young band, this EP is a real call to arms for these Metal Knights, old school metal at it's best Jessikill do indeed kill and my God is it good! 8/10
Nick Beggs is probably most well known as the main writer and bassist of 80's popsters Kajagoogoo, however he is much more than that as in recent years he has been the bassist for king of prog Steven Wilson contributing to both is recorded works and on his live tours. Suprisingly you would think someone that works closely with bonafide workaholic wouln't have much in the way of free time but apparently he has and has managed to form his own band The Mute Gods and has even managed to record a debut album with them. The record doesn't stray too far from the progressive streak that Beggs has shown in this latter career albeit this album is prog with the pop sensibility of a man that started his career writing four minute pop songs, the overtly dystopian themes are set to an upbeat melodic musical backing that means that the records sounds a lot like Yes (in fact the album dedicated to departed Yes bassist Chris Squire), encompassing some Duke-era Genesis, a touch of ELP, and some more recent stuff like Arena and Frost* all due to the heavy use of keys on the record. The band are ostensibly a three piece with Beggs playing bass guitars, Chapman Stick, guitars, and doing the majority of the vocals.
He has teamed up with Steve Hackett-man Roger King on keyboards, guitars, he also gives the record it's warm rich production, finally providing the rhythm section foil for Beggs is drummer extraordinaire Marco Minnemann who has worked with Paul Gilbert, Steven Wilson, The Aristocrats (With Guthrie Govan) who handles drums guitars and sound modelling. The trio are the main contributors as a 'band' but one look at the liner notes will tell you that Beggs has recruited many of his compatriots to help him on the record these come in the shape of Ricky Wilde (Kim's Dad), Frank van Bogaert, Gary O'Toole, Spock's Beard drummer Nick D'Virgilio, Magenta keyboardist Rob Reed, Steven Wilson's ivory tinkler Adam Holzman and even Nick's own daughter Lula who sings on Father And Daughter. The songs on this album range from the quirky regret driven Night School For Idiots, the heavy Feeding The Troll (that's about the internet variety) as well as the rocking title track and almost psych-like Swimming Horses the songs have swirling synths, shimmering guitar lines, deft bass playing all combine to create some excellent songcraft. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me is a collection of songs that have broad appeal with some truly excellent musicianship, The Mute Gods is yet another impressive string to Nick Beggs' already large bow. 9/10
Illustr8ors: Photopia (Self Released)
Ok so Photopia is the second full length album from the band formerly known as Blackwolf, now many of you will recognised the name as one of the bands that we here at the Musipedia Of Metal have touted to be very big, so as you can appreciate we were expecting their sophomore album was going to be make or break for them. Launched through Kickstarter the Bristol masters of soulful hard rock kept everyone updated about the album adding to the anticipation. Then with the release of the album to pledgers the band made the announcement that they have decided to change their name due to growing as a band on these recordings, this is where I have to criticise I'm afraid, the new name for the band is Illustr8tors, which in my opinion is a terrible name, now calling yourselves Illustrators is fine, yes you do sound a bit like indie pop darlings but the name itself is fine, unfortunately Illustr8ors makes you sound like a rap collective so it was with trepidation that I pressed play. happily their sound doesn't seem to have changed much as Something Biblical roars in with a rampaging rock riff and the excellent vocals of Scott Sharp who has a soulful weathered delivery.
Songs like the rocking Heal You the bluesy grunge bluster of Grace which sounds a lot like Soundgarden at their pomp, in fact this is also present on Citizen which has some hazy acoustics in the backing and a psychedelic lead guitar to end the album. The music on this record is as good as it was on their debut they are still plowing that hard rock groove but they've added some 90's grunge for good measure, Won't Bury Me is the perfect example of this with grunting reverb drenched riff some walking bass and punching drums leading the charge as is Steady Slow which has groove to die for. All in all Photopia is a great album nothing too much has changed from their debut which begs the question why the band felt they needed a new name, which I'm afraid is absolutely awful. Blackwolf were a favourite here they can be again, the music is still there but that name needs to go sharpish for their own good. 7/10
Jessikill: Metal Knights (Self Released)
OK so now we're talking!! Jessikill are a five -piece traditional metal band hailing from Texas in the good-ole USA. The bands name got my curiosity but when I researched and saw they had former Immortal Guardian guitarist Jyro Alejo in the band I knew that I'd probably like this album. Guess what? I do it's the kind of muscular, technical solo filled metal with furious blast beats, rumbling bass gallops, shredding guitars and glass shattering vocals. Think Armored Saint, early Queensryche and contemporaries Holy Grail you won't be far wrong, as Midnight Rush erupts from stereo it's everything you could hope for rampaging metal assault with the dual axes of Jyro and Joey V widdling like crazy trading licks and solos on every track as frontwoman Jessica yells at the top of her lungs with her incredible vocals taht would leave most metal singers in the shade. The band have written some very catchy and very metal songs that Joey DiMaio would be proud of the marching bass led The Beast would soung perfect on any modern power metal record with it's big keys (also from Jyro) head banging riff, blitzkrieg middle section and the shared vocals from Jessica and bassist Arturo that blend perfectly on the albums impressive centerpiece. With progressive touches on the excellent Give It All Jessikill show that they have an enormous amount of talent for such a young band, this EP is a real call to arms for these Metal Knights, old school metal at it's best Jessikill do indeed kill and my God is it good! 8/10
Saturday, 30 January 2016
A View From The Back Of The Room: Raveneye
Raveneye & Reigning Days, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff
Forgoing my usual gig buddies I headed to Fuel Rock Club in Cardiff with the musical family at Retro-Vibe Records to see rock trio Raveneye in their first headline tour. The gig was off the back of Welsh promotion agency Pity My Brain's Brain Freeze festival where the three man rock unit went down a storm heating up a cold winter's night in Wales.
So into the small rock club we marched and waited to see if Pity My Brain and Raveneye could deliver again. First up were radio darlings Reigning Days (6) who played rock with an modern independent radio bothering edge bringing to mind Biffy Clyro et al. The trio all played well but did seem to be a little underwhelmed that they were playing such a small room to only a hundred people they had a couple of technical hitches but for the most part played well albeit rather statically. The band have been featured on Kerrang radio and channel and this gave them a cocky edge but the songs didn't really reflect this praise until the latter part of their set. Still worthwhile if you like the kind of rock that would be featured heavily on Radio 1.
A switch over and the 'older' members of the audience started to fill the room, Raveneye (8) have an old school style blending blues and hard rock all brought together by the guitar wizardry of Oli Brown, who has been on the scene since he was only really a boy but after a break the former blues-rock wunderkid has finally found a suitable vehicle for his scores of tasty blues rock riffs and has also managed to move away from the limelight with a band rather than as a solo artist. As the three men came on to the stage the sound gremlins crept in a again with feedback a gogo from Oli's mic meaning that his bluesy tones were not that audible to most of us in the room, these issues stayed around for a while, the sound man seemingly not being able to fix the problem, however with a switch of mics the reverb abated and things got a lot louder and tougher. Brown's guitar playing is excellent when he's not laying down thick riffs he's ripping up and down the fretboard soloing with all the passion of a blues legend, his guitar showcases are strongly backed by the boileroom powerhouse of bassist Aaron Spiers and drummer Kev Hickman who keep things groove-laden and thumping along as Brown shows his skills, Spiers also gets bonus points for strength carrying Brown on his shoulders for a solo set while also playing the bass. The set featured some new tracks that sat perfectly with the older material from their debut EP showing everyone that when the debut full length does come out it is going to be jam packed with cracking songs on this evidence. Yet again Raveneye set the night on fire with their high-energy blues-rock power, come back soon guys, I'm sure many will agree with me
Forgoing my usual gig buddies I headed to Fuel Rock Club in Cardiff with the musical family at Retro-Vibe Records to see rock trio Raveneye in their first headline tour. The gig was off the back of Welsh promotion agency Pity My Brain's Brain Freeze festival where the three man rock unit went down a storm heating up a cold winter's night in Wales.
So into the small rock club we marched and waited to see if Pity My Brain and Raveneye could deliver again. First up were radio darlings Reigning Days (6) who played rock with an modern independent radio bothering edge bringing to mind Biffy Clyro et al. The trio all played well but did seem to be a little underwhelmed that they were playing such a small room to only a hundred people they had a couple of technical hitches but for the most part played well albeit rather statically. The band have been featured on Kerrang radio and channel and this gave them a cocky edge but the songs didn't really reflect this praise until the latter part of their set. Still worthwhile if you like the kind of rock that would be featured heavily on Radio 1.
A switch over and the 'older' members of the audience started to fill the room, Raveneye (8) have an old school style blending blues and hard rock all brought together by the guitar wizardry of Oli Brown, who has been on the scene since he was only really a boy but after a break the former blues-rock wunderkid has finally found a suitable vehicle for his scores of tasty blues rock riffs and has also managed to move away from the limelight with a band rather than as a solo artist. As the three men came on to the stage the sound gremlins crept in a again with feedback a gogo from Oli's mic meaning that his bluesy tones were not that audible to most of us in the room, these issues stayed around for a while, the sound man seemingly not being able to fix the problem, however with a switch of mics the reverb abated and things got a lot louder and tougher. Brown's guitar playing is excellent when he's not laying down thick riffs he's ripping up and down the fretboard soloing with all the passion of a blues legend, his guitar showcases are strongly backed by the boileroom powerhouse of bassist Aaron Spiers and drummer Kev Hickman who keep things groove-laden and thumping along as Brown shows his skills, Spiers also gets bonus points for strength carrying Brown on his shoulders for a solo set while also playing the bass. The set featured some new tracks that sat perfectly with the older material from their debut EP showing everyone that when the debut full length does come out it is going to be jam packed with cracking songs on this evidence. Yet again Raveneye set the night on fire with their high-energy blues-rock power, come back soon guys, I'm sure many will agree with me
Thursday, 28 January 2016
Reviews: Black Sabbath, Lost Society, The Slayerking
Black Sabbath: The End (Self Released)
"What is this? That stands before me?" with those immortal lines heavy metal was created by the Birmingham band known as Black Sabbath, if you don't know that stop reading and listen to some music, for the rest of you you will know that where as that immortal line was the beginning we are now at the opposite side of the coin with the current Sabbath tour touted as their last, to accompany the tour Sabbath have released a special EP, funnily enough called The End. It contains four unreleased studio tracks from the 13 sessions and four live performances of song from the 13 album, recorded on the 2013-14 13 tour. If you are an avid collector of Sabbath then this will get you as excited as Panda in snowfall, however for those that have more of a casual interest The End is not much of a loss, the live tracks are all poorly recorded and badly edited, as my compatriot Paul pointed out they are akin production wise to 1973's Live At Last, which as many will know is not a good thing.
So it's not worth buying for the live tracks, then what about the unreleased material? I hear you ask (through a written word blog) well that too doesn't cut much mustard, after listening to them you immediately realise why these tracks were left off the previous record they are just a bit...meh. It's Sabbath by numbers I'm afraid, the fodder for a thousand doom metal bands formed in Sabbath's wake, for any of them a couple of these tracks would be the lead singles unfortunately when you are the band that has Paranoid, War Pigs, Snowblind, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, N.I.B, Sweet Leaf, Fairies Wear Boots, Symptom of The Universe, Evil Woman a collection of top notch songs with their other singers and a even some excellent newer material in God Is Dead? then these four songs and this EP in general just smacks of cash in. Do yourself a favour, go and see Sabbath live on these tour dates; one it will probably be your last chance ever, two you'll get all the classics and maybe some rarely played material from the old days and finally you will see legends how they should be experienced, live with the masses gathered together for ta celebration of our favourite music. Just do one thing for me if you are a total completest then buy the The End but if your not then spend your pennies on 13 or any other album from their superb back catalogue as this is the Sabbath you'll want to watch and the songs you'll want to hear! 5/10
Lost Society: Braindead (Nuclear Blast) [Review By Paul]
Finland has more than its fair share of metal outfits, and if a recent meme is correct, about 70% of them are wandering around forests, lost in the snow after typical pouting photoshoots. Lost Society don’t really sit comfortably musically with the majority of their countrymen, who tend to favour the melancholic, but have more in common with the Bay Area of the US, such is the ferocity of their thrash assault. Indeed, the UK will get a chance to see these boys in the flesh when they open for Exodus in March. Braindead is a mature piece of work and their third full release. Opening with I Am The Antidote, a six-minute chug, Lost Society mark their line in the sand immediately. Riot comes next, edges of nu-metal mixing with a Scott Ian influenced stomp. Samy Elbanna’s vocals are pretty standard for the genre, pushing and straining whilst giving 100% The guitar work of Elbanna and Arttu Lesonen feeds off each other, with powerful riffs and some memorable hooks. A more realistic and representative track in the shape of Mad Torture follows, with shades of early Evile and other champions of the new thrash wave.
The American influence looms large, with evidence of such giants as Overkill, Exodus and the mighty Death Angel liberally sprinkled throughout the release. Indeed, Hollow Eyes could be a mixture of the three bands. It’s decent if a little routine thrash, with a solid rhythm section courtesy of Mirko Lehtinen’s bass and drummer Ossi Paananen. Rage Me Up is almost a punk track, full of aggression and adrenaline. The masterpiece of the album is most certainly the Metallica styled Only (My) Death Is Certain. It is a cracking piece, building tempo in the way that all lengthy thrash tracks do before diving into a chugging riff that will get the windmills flying. It continues to build whilst stomping along, pounding drums and duel guitars vying for centre stage. Ironically, the track contains one of the few choruses on the album, and this is almost folk metal in style which brought a raised eyebrow or two. The song segues into the traditional lull before all hell breaks loose. It’s pretty formulaic but it works well.
If there is one criticism that I’d have to level, it’s the quality of the vocals which always seem to be slightly uncontrolled and too shouty. I’ll be interested to see how the band can deliver this live, as I’ve got a sore throat just listening to it. Still, as a fervent fan of decent thrash metal, I’ll certainly be giving up a pint in the nearest hostelry in order to get a view of these guys when they roll into Cardiff on March 11. 7/10
The Slayer King: Sanatana Dharma (Finisterian Dead End) [Review By Paul]
Greek metal? Yeah, we think of Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh Firewind and Nightfall for starters but here at MOM our European contacts are now providing us with a little bit more from a burgeoning scene. The Slayer King, based in Athens and formed in 2013 are now firmly in the sights with their debut release Sanatana Dharma. Combining Doom, Progressive metal, thrash and even some industrial elements, Sanatana Dharma (the Hinduism term for eternal order) is a really interesting and complex release which demands several listens. Whilst the vocals of delivery Efthimis have a curious mix of Rammstein’s Til Lindermann, Monster Magnet’s Dave Wyndorff and Bobby Liebling of Pentagram, their sound often sits much more with the 70s sinister doom of Sabbath, Pentagram and Sleep. Opener She Is My Lazarus mixes crashing riffs with calmer moments, creating a wall of sound, fuzzed up guitar (courtesy of Kosta) solos which mix classic Iommi with Dave Murray.
Completing the line-up is drummer Anna who pounds away, combining with Efthimis’ bass to give the band a really heavy crushing sound. Black Mother Of The Lord Of The Light changes direction with a much more traditional vocal delivery, snarling guttural lyrics and more aggressive riffs, and more than a hint of reverence to their compatriots in Rotting Christ (no bad thing there). It’s good stuff. It gets even more interesting too with We Are The End merging some really different styles; along with the crushing doom I hear the industrial edge of Rammstein and some hooks which would be totally at home on King Of The Dead, the 1984 release from Californian outfit Cirith Ungol. My Lai is an atmospheric piece, almost haunting in places with a sinister undertone. The Man That Never Was contains the heaviest riff on the album, a colossally heavy piece which crushes with its weight. Album closer Southern Gate Of The New Sun builds slowly with a demonic bass line and increasing in strength and power as it develops into a brooding behemoth of a track with almost death metal vocals giving it another change of direction. The Slayer King merge a range of old influences into something quite different and fresh. This is a solid debut with real promise. 8/10
"What is this? That stands before me?" with those immortal lines heavy metal was created by the Birmingham band known as Black Sabbath, if you don't know that stop reading and listen to some music, for the rest of you you will know that where as that immortal line was the beginning we are now at the opposite side of the coin with the current Sabbath tour touted as their last, to accompany the tour Sabbath have released a special EP, funnily enough called The End. It contains four unreleased studio tracks from the 13 sessions and four live performances of song from the 13 album, recorded on the 2013-14 13 tour. If you are an avid collector of Sabbath then this will get you as excited as Panda in snowfall, however for those that have more of a casual interest The End is not much of a loss, the live tracks are all poorly recorded and badly edited, as my compatriot Paul pointed out they are akin production wise to 1973's Live At Last, which as many will know is not a good thing.
So it's not worth buying for the live tracks, then what about the unreleased material? I hear you ask (through a written word blog) well that too doesn't cut much mustard, after listening to them you immediately realise why these tracks were left off the previous record they are just a bit...meh. It's Sabbath by numbers I'm afraid, the fodder for a thousand doom metal bands formed in Sabbath's wake, for any of them a couple of these tracks would be the lead singles unfortunately when you are the band that has Paranoid, War Pigs, Snowblind, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, N.I.B, Sweet Leaf, Fairies Wear Boots, Symptom of The Universe, Evil Woman a collection of top notch songs with their other singers and a even some excellent newer material in God Is Dead? then these four songs and this EP in general just smacks of cash in. Do yourself a favour, go and see Sabbath live on these tour dates; one it will probably be your last chance ever, two you'll get all the classics and maybe some rarely played material from the old days and finally you will see legends how they should be experienced, live with the masses gathered together for ta celebration of our favourite music. Just do one thing for me if you are a total completest then buy the The End but if your not then spend your pennies on 13 or any other album from their superb back catalogue as this is the Sabbath you'll want to watch and the songs you'll want to hear! 5/10
Lost Society: Braindead (Nuclear Blast) [Review By Paul]
Finland has more than its fair share of metal outfits, and if a recent meme is correct, about 70% of them are wandering around forests, lost in the snow after typical pouting photoshoots. Lost Society don’t really sit comfortably musically with the majority of their countrymen, who tend to favour the melancholic, but have more in common with the Bay Area of the US, such is the ferocity of their thrash assault. Indeed, the UK will get a chance to see these boys in the flesh when they open for Exodus in March. Braindead is a mature piece of work and their third full release. Opening with I Am The Antidote, a six-minute chug, Lost Society mark their line in the sand immediately. Riot comes next, edges of nu-metal mixing with a Scott Ian influenced stomp. Samy Elbanna’s vocals are pretty standard for the genre, pushing and straining whilst giving 100% The guitar work of Elbanna and Arttu Lesonen feeds off each other, with powerful riffs and some memorable hooks. A more realistic and representative track in the shape of Mad Torture follows, with shades of early Evile and other champions of the new thrash wave.
The American influence looms large, with evidence of such giants as Overkill, Exodus and the mighty Death Angel liberally sprinkled throughout the release. Indeed, Hollow Eyes could be a mixture of the three bands. It’s decent if a little routine thrash, with a solid rhythm section courtesy of Mirko Lehtinen’s bass and drummer Ossi Paananen. Rage Me Up is almost a punk track, full of aggression and adrenaline. The masterpiece of the album is most certainly the Metallica styled Only (My) Death Is Certain. It is a cracking piece, building tempo in the way that all lengthy thrash tracks do before diving into a chugging riff that will get the windmills flying. It continues to build whilst stomping along, pounding drums and duel guitars vying for centre stage. Ironically, the track contains one of the few choruses on the album, and this is almost folk metal in style which brought a raised eyebrow or two. The song segues into the traditional lull before all hell breaks loose. It’s pretty formulaic but it works well.
If there is one criticism that I’d have to level, it’s the quality of the vocals which always seem to be slightly uncontrolled and too shouty. I’ll be interested to see how the band can deliver this live, as I’ve got a sore throat just listening to it. Still, as a fervent fan of decent thrash metal, I’ll certainly be giving up a pint in the nearest hostelry in order to get a view of these guys when they roll into Cardiff on March 11. 7/10
The Slayer King: Sanatana Dharma (Finisterian Dead End) [Review By Paul]
Greek metal? Yeah, we think of Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh Firewind and Nightfall for starters but here at MOM our European contacts are now providing us with a little bit more from a burgeoning scene. The Slayer King, based in Athens and formed in 2013 are now firmly in the sights with their debut release Sanatana Dharma. Combining Doom, Progressive metal, thrash and even some industrial elements, Sanatana Dharma (the Hinduism term for eternal order) is a really interesting and complex release which demands several listens. Whilst the vocals of delivery Efthimis have a curious mix of Rammstein’s Til Lindermann, Monster Magnet’s Dave Wyndorff and Bobby Liebling of Pentagram, their sound often sits much more with the 70s sinister doom of Sabbath, Pentagram and Sleep. Opener She Is My Lazarus mixes crashing riffs with calmer moments, creating a wall of sound, fuzzed up guitar (courtesy of Kosta) solos which mix classic Iommi with Dave Murray.
Completing the line-up is drummer Anna who pounds away, combining with Efthimis’ bass to give the band a really heavy crushing sound. Black Mother Of The Lord Of The Light changes direction with a much more traditional vocal delivery, snarling guttural lyrics and more aggressive riffs, and more than a hint of reverence to their compatriots in Rotting Christ (no bad thing there). It’s good stuff. It gets even more interesting too with We Are The End merging some really different styles; along with the crushing doom I hear the industrial edge of Rammstein and some hooks which would be totally at home on King Of The Dead, the 1984 release from Californian outfit Cirith Ungol. My Lai is an atmospheric piece, almost haunting in places with a sinister undertone. The Man That Never Was contains the heaviest riff on the album, a colossally heavy piece which crushes with its weight. Album closer Southern Gate Of The New Sun builds slowly with a demonic bass line and increasing in strength and power as it develops into a brooding behemoth of a track with almost death metal vocals giving it another change of direction. The Slayer King merge a range of old influences into something quite different and fresh. This is a solid debut with real promise. 8/10
Reviews: Nawather, Rhine, Widower (Reviews By Paul)
Nawather: Wasted Years (M & O Music)
Full of Eastern promise, Wasted Years is the debut release from Tunisian outfit Nawather. Formed in 2013, Wasted Years is full of soaring orchestral movements, thunderous drumming and crashing riffs which mold into a melting pot of excitement and intrigue. Unfortunately, all of this is severely damaged by the gruff death vocals of Raouf Jelassi which sit uncomfortably with the band’s sound. The elegant voice of Ryma Nakakch really enhances the duets whilst the fusion of musical styles is entrancing. Although I’m a long way out geographically, the obvious comparison is with Israelis Orphaned Land or Palestinian group Kalas.
After the atmospheric Portals to Edinya, opener Falling Down The Slope is followed by a solo vocal effort from Nakkach on Daret Layyem which provides a much more authentic feel. However, the male vocals cut back in and again really detract from the tune. Much like Lacuna Coil, it’s the female vocals that really grab your attention and this is a shame as the oriental metal style of the band is excellent with some exquisite guitar work from Yazid Bouafif and Nidhal Jaoua on the Qanûn (a stringed instrument rarely heard in our metal world).
And so it progresses in a similar pattern. Raped Dreams is a confused mess of thrash, oriental sweeps and intricate movements; it nearly works but just falls short. The majority of the album is sung in English which is impressive. I really hate being negative about a release that for massive parts is really fresh and exciting. Broken-Winged Bird for example, has some stunning vocals from Nakakch, chunky riffs with Jaoua’s playing adding melody to great effect. Nawather don’t sit in the one style though, and each track has some subtle differences. Unfortunately for me, the combination of gruff and clean vocals just doesn’t work and ultimately distract from the overall quality of the release. 6/10
Rhine: An Outsider (Self Released)
Badged as progressive death metal, Seattle based Rhine is the brainchild of Gabriel Tachell, who started this as a solo project in 2011 with a debut release, Duality out in the same year. Having written and performed all of the instruments apart from the drums on the album, new members have now been added and the band now comprise Alex Smolin (guitar), drummer Carlos Delgaudo and James Porter (bass) in addition to Tachell.
An Outsider is one of the most confusing albums I think I’ve ever heard. It contains possibly the most chaotic mix of styles I’ve ever heard in one place. It features the most complex and intricate time changes, multiple instrumental breaks and a multitude of vocal styles. Death growls, clean vocals, female voices all feature. The album is lengthy, clocking in at 71 minutes and features stunning musicianship. However, the schizophrenic nature of the changes throughout the release make it an album that even after repeated listens confuses the hell out of you. There are brass sections, folk and classical, white noise along with heads down death metal, thrash segments and then several progressive and complicated Dream Theater type meanderings. With several songs clocking in at over eight minutes, there is lots of scope for expansion and creative flow and this is exploited to the max.
Does it work? Well, I don’t know whether to be impressed or to dismiss it as over the top egotistical mayhem. I’ve read a couple of reviews that make reference to the masterful Blackwater Park, Opeth's ground breaking release. I wouldn’t provide any such eulogy, but it is an interesting and powerful piece of work requiring commitment and staying power for the listener to really appreciate it. If I had to recommend one piece to have a listen to, check out Paralyzed. At over 10 minutes long it’s ironically the single off the album but it is really well composed. 7/10
Widower: The Unholy Oath (Self Released)
Austin, Texas is not synonymous with brutal black metal but it soon will be if Widower get their way. The Unholy Oath is a blistering five track assault which rips your neck off early on and then continues to pummel you into a gibbering wreck. The EP contains all the mandatory requirements for a black metal release: massive blast beat drumming, unintelligible vocals delivered in a style that makes Abbath sound like Aled Jones, huge accelerated riffs which shred like a turbo charged meat counter slicer and the obligatory crass song titles (Whore Crusher?) as well as a pretty dreadful album cover. Underneath it all lies some impressive hooks and the odd ear scorching solo, as well as a bass line so deep it must have rattled Lucifer’s chandelier. If you like your thrash blackened and delivered at 110mph then you’ll probably like Widower. If you like Halestorm, steer clear. This will kill you. 8/10
Full of Eastern promise, Wasted Years is the debut release from Tunisian outfit Nawather. Formed in 2013, Wasted Years is full of soaring orchestral movements, thunderous drumming and crashing riffs which mold into a melting pot of excitement and intrigue. Unfortunately, all of this is severely damaged by the gruff death vocals of Raouf Jelassi which sit uncomfortably with the band’s sound. The elegant voice of Ryma Nakakch really enhances the duets whilst the fusion of musical styles is entrancing. Although I’m a long way out geographically, the obvious comparison is with Israelis Orphaned Land or Palestinian group Kalas.
After the atmospheric Portals to Edinya, opener Falling Down The Slope is followed by a solo vocal effort from Nakkach on Daret Layyem which provides a much more authentic feel. However, the male vocals cut back in and again really detract from the tune. Much like Lacuna Coil, it’s the female vocals that really grab your attention and this is a shame as the oriental metal style of the band is excellent with some exquisite guitar work from Yazid Bouafif and Nidhal Jaoua on the Qanûn (a stringed instrument rarely heard in our metal world).
And so it progresses in a similar pattern. Raped Dreams is a confused mess of thrash, oriental sweeps and intricate movements; it nearly works but just falls short. The majority of the album is sung in English which is impressive. I really hate being negative about a release that for massive parts is really fresh and exciting. Broken-Winged Bird for example, has some stunning vocals from Nakakch, chunky riffs with Jaoua’s playing adding melody to great effect. Nawather don’t sit in the one style though, and each track has some subtle differences. Unfortunately for me, the combination of gruff and clean vocals just doesn’t work and ultimately distract from the overall quality of the release. 6/10
Rhine: An Outsider (Self Released)
Badged as progressive death metal, Seattle based Rhine is the brainchild of Gabriel Tachell, who started this as a solo project in 2011 with a debut release, Duality out in the same year. Having written and performed all of the instruments apart from the drums on the album, new members have now been added and the band now comprise Alex Smolin (guitar), drummer Carlos Delgaudo and James Porter (bass) in addition to Tachell.
An Outsider is one of the most confusing albums I think I’ve ever heard. It contains possibly the most chaotic mix of styles I’ve ever heard in one place. It features the most complex and intricate time changes, multiple instrumental breaks and a multitude of vocal styles. Death growls, clean vocals, female voices all feature. The album is lengthy, clocking in at 71 minutes and features stunning musicianship. However, the schizophrenic nature of the changes throughout the release make it an album that even after repeated listens confuses the hell out of you. There are brass sections, folk and classical, white noise along with heads down death metal, thrash segments and then several progressive and complicated Dream Theater type meanderings. With several songs clocking in at over eight minutes, there is lots of scope for expansion and creative flow and this is exploited to the max.
Does it work? Well, I don’t know whether to be impressed or to dismiss it as over the top egotistical mayhem. I’ve read a couple of reviews that make reference to the masterful Blackwater Park, Opeth's ground breaking release. I wouldn’t provide any such eulogy, but it is an interesting and powerful piece of work requiring commitment and staying power for the listener to really appreciate it. If I had to recommend one piece to have a listen to, check out Paralyzed. At over 10 minutes long it’s ironically the single off the album but it is really well composed. 7/10
Widower: The Unholy Oath (Self Released)
Austin, Texas is not synonymous with brutal black metal but it soon will be if Widower get their way. The Unholy Oath is a blistering five track assault which rips your neck off early on and then continues to pummel you into a gibbering wreck. The EP contains all the mandatory requirements for a black metal release: massive blast beat drumming, unintelligible vocals delivered in a style that makes Abbath sound like Aled Jones, huge accelerated riffs which shred like a turbo charged meat counter slicer and the obligatory crass song titles (Whore Crusher?) as well as a pretty dreadful album cover. Underneath it all lies some impressive hooks and the odd ear scorching solo, as well as a bass line so deep it must have rattled Lucifer’s chandelier. If you like your thrash blackened and delivered at 110mph then you’ll probably like Widower. If you like Halestorm, steer clear. This will kill you. 8/10
Wednesday, 27 January 2016
A View From The Back Of The Room: Steven Wilson (Review By Paul)
Steven Wilson – Bristol Colston Hall 26 January 2016
A virtually sold out stalls only gig at the lovely Colston
Hall witnessed possibly the most technically brilliant gig of 2016 (already,
yes, I know). Steven Wilson and his magical band of musicians arrived with
their musical mojo well honed after ten dates in Germany and with the latest
release, the “interim” 4 1/2 threatening to breach the UK top ten.
We've reviewed the latest release and 2015’s stunning Hand. Cannot. Erase was
one of the highlights of last year. The band arrived onstage with Wilson’s
usual eye for detail in evidence. Who else could engage a theatre full of
mainly middle aged men with a visual that consisted of lighting changing in a
tower block? Not only that but fully grasp the audience's attention. A low key
entrance, initially by long serving in keyboardist Adam Holzman who began the
chords for the opening track First Regret
and then by the rest of the band began the first set; the indulgence of the
whole of Hand. Cannot. Erase. Thanking the audience for attending, Wilson
observed that on every night of the tour he was having to comment on the
seating arrangements and lamented the potential absence of energy for the band
to fed off. Unfortunately, with a band of such quality, the trade off between a
venue with standing and one with decent acoustics which supports such complex
and intricate music is often at odds. A word with your promoters might be in
order?
With that off his chest, This talented quintet delivered an
absolute masterclass with the rest of the album, which included the arrival of
Israeli vocalist Ninet Tayeb, who provided the haunting vocals for the
depressing Routine, complete with
video playing on the huge screen behind. Indeed, the screen was used to great
effect all the way until the final song of the evening where it couldn't cope
and froze. Tayeb was superb, her voice uplifting and powerful and it was a joy
to experience her live performance in such illustrious company. Other highlights of the first set? The multitalented Nick
Beggs moving from bass to eight string Chapman Stick to guitars to synth was just
brilliant whilst new drummer Craig Blundell and the amazing Dave Kilminster on
guitar slotted in perfectly. Their playing was sublime. Tayeb returned for a
duet on Ancestral which captivated the audience and whilst I appreciated Wilson’s
sentiments about the response from the audience, it was songs such as this
where you really had to sit back and allow the sheer quality on display to be
absorbed.
After an intermission which was appreciated by the majority
of the audience (these ain't young bladders you know) the second half of the
evening began with the real treat of the opening track from Wilson’s 2012 Storm
Corrosion collaboration with Opeth’s
Mikael Akerfeldt. Drag Ropes was
quite breathtaking, with the sinister and disturbing video playing in the
background.
During the evening Wilson had touched on a number of topics,
including the demise of the annual release, something which he often touches on
when being accused of prolific. He expressed his opinion that the norm of a
band releasing an album every year allowed them to experiment with styles
without the pressure from management. Now, I'm not convinced that this is fully
accurate, but certainly the current style of an album every four years is not
something that endears bands to me and I endorse Mr Wilson’s sentiments. He
also touched on the death of musical innovation, and in a heartfelt manner paid
tribute to David Bowie, citing him as an inspiration to hundreds of musicians.
Dedicating Lazarus, one of five Porcupine Tree numbers, to Bowie, Wilson and
the band hit just the right note. A rare and powerful Index from Grace For Drowning was preceded by the opening track on
4 ½ My Book Of Regrets, one of three
which were played. The others were a blisteringly heavy Vermillioncore which followed more haunting vocals from Tayeb
during Don’t Hate Me. I make no excuse for my repetition about the quality of the
musicianship on display. Kilminster is an incredible guitarist who was equally
at home fiercely shredding or adding subtle notes to enhance the depth of a
song. Beggs meanwhile is just astonishing, adding enough grunt and rumble with his bass playing
whilst his backing vocals really supported each track merging with Wilson's sublimely.
After a lengthy and fully deserved standing ovation, the
audience was encouraged to remain standing for a further Bowie homage, a lovely
Space Oddity before The Sound of Muzak and the harrowing yet
enchanting The Raven That Refused To Sing concluded the evening to wild
applause. If there is a better way to spend £22.50 then please do tell me,
because I don't believe that it exists. 10/10
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