Katatonia: The Fall Of Hearts (Peaceville Records)
It’s been four years since the last Katatonia studio release; the excellent Dead End Kings in 2012. Since then the band have released a stunning acoustic recording Sanctitude, captured at the Union Chapel in London and have undergone two changes in the line-up, with long time drummer Daniel Liljekvist departing to be replaced by Daniel Moilanen and guitarist Roger Ojersson joining the band. Despite these destabilising factors, Katatonia have delivered one of the albums of 2016. The Fall Of Hearts is quite simply breath-taking. Whilst fellow Swedes Opeth are finally beginning to achieve the revered status afforded to bands who are never afraid to deliver change their style and sound, their countrymen have also moved to a more progressive sound, whilst retaining the melancholic haunting echoes which strike deep. They have also reintroduced the grittiness of earlier releases which provides the steel inside the velvet glove.
Opener Take Over is case in point; a seven-minute masterpiece that contains both light and shade. The Fall Of Hearts has everything. The poppy indie feel of Serein contrasts sublimely with the baleful tones of Old Heart Falls, the band unafraid to express their music in whatever style needed. Old Heart Falls is a magnificent piece, ebbing and flowing, Jonas Renke’s vocals stunningly perfect. The guitar work of Ojersson and Anders Nystrom eerie and delicate. The album segues from piece to piece, building masterfully as the journey unwinds. Each composition as perfect as the previous one. This album requires patience and dedication but if you can stick with it the rewards are endless. An album of absolute beauty despite the clouded atmosphere.
It’s not all fragile despair though with some crushingly heavy riffs introducing Sanction and the powerful Serac which is laced with hooks and powerhouse drumming. An absolute stunner of a tune, Serac peaks and falls, Moilanen demonstrating some excellent percussion work. Last Song Before The Fade sees Katatonia in full pomp; this is the track that I’d give to anyone who wanted to know what one song encapsulated this incredible outfit. Penultimate track Passer blows any cobwebs away, demonstrating once again why this band now sit in the progressive stable with their countrymen before the synth laden Wide Awake In Quietus, delivered in their native tongue brings this beautiful release to a close.
Katatonia’s tenth release may well be their most majestic. Full of darkness and light, with the themes of loss, despair and desolation as prevalent as ever, The Fall Of Hearts moves the band to another level, and hopefully one that will expose them to a wider audience and the success they deserve. I can’t wait to see them live again. One of the year’s most impressive releases. 10/10
Gojira: Magma (Roadrunner)
It’s hard to believe that L’Enfant Sauvage is four years old. That crushing blow to the spleen remains one of the heaviest albums I’ve ever heard and as a massive fan of the band their wall of intensity combined with political and social commentary tick all my boxes.
Four years later and Gojira have released possibly my album of the year (at least until Opeth drop Sorceress). Magma is short for a Gojira album at 43 minutes with the title track the longest at just over six minutes in duration. It’s 43 minutes well spent. Similar to Mastodon’s The Hunter, Magma is simply superb, retaining all the guttural industrial aggression and technical intricacy of its five predecessors whilst being accessible to those who may have found the onslaught of previous releases a little off putting. Where to start? Well, if you want to focus on the full force of Gojira in all their majesty, go straight to The Cell or Pray. If these tracks don’t move your organs from front to back then you have none. Mario Duplantier’s drumming is just majestic in its power and intensity. Meanwhile, there is a subtle shift on the vocal delivery on opener The Shooting Star and the immense title track where Joe Duplantier echoes Gary Numan.
Low Lands, the penultimate track and second longest on the album is also one of the most interesting. The powerful undercurrent flows throughout but the pace is controlled, allowing the layered vocals to come to the fore. The natural Gojira stomp allows the track to reach a crescendo before the acoustic Liberation brings this incredible release to a fitting and controlled end. Four years it may have been, but it was so worth the wait. 10/10
Flotsam And Jetsam: Flotsam and Jetsam (AFM Records)
It’s been a long and eventful trip for Flotsam and Jetsam. Formed in 1981 in Phoenix, Arizona, and forever known as the band that gave the world Jason Newsted, this self-titled thrasher is the band’s 12th release. It’s a fine effort too with some fluid and passionate metal. Opener Seventh Seal is a runaway beast, shredding of the highest order and the vocals of remaining original member Eric AK Knutson impressive.
F&J is 55 minutes’ worth of quality thrash metal. Sticking closely to the blueprint which saw the band deliver some real classic moments in the 1980s, I’d go as far as to suggest that this album is their best since 1992’s Cuatro. Full of groove and power, Flotsam and Jetsam keep it simple. Life Is A Mess is a simple message. Although I’m not sure if there is meant to be a tribute contained in Iron Maiden, the punky feel of the first two releases from the East End’s finest permeates from every pore of this track. It’s fucking ace with rampaging guitar, galloping bass and drums and Knutson doing a damn fine Bruce imitation.
Social commentary is something that the metal fraternity does surprisingly well; Creeper provides a good dose of this with Shadows Fall drummer Jason Bittner who replaced long serving drummer Kelly Smith proving an able replacement. His performance on LOTD is exceptional. It’s 80s power and thrash at its best with some brooding undercurrent. Check out the battery on Time To Go and you get the overall vibe of this really solid release. Full kudos to a band that have never achieved the success they flirted with so long ago. Well worth checking out. Quality stuff. 8/10
Saturday, 2 July 2016
Friday, 1 July 2016
A View From The Back Of The Room: Vintage Trouble
Vintage Trouble & Slydigs, Tramshed, Cardiff
"All You Need Is Love, Love Is All You Need" the statement that will forever be associated with The Fab Four actually turns out to be the motto that could be applied to the current UK and US populations, with gun crime, hate crime, political turmoil and general unpleasantness seeming to be ramping up to it's highest levels since the 1970's, then like now the power of live music is a welcome escape, from the circus of horrors that is the everyday. This is especially true when Vintage Trouble come to town, the band that collectively the Musipedia Of Metal are approaching double figure viewings and every time we walk out sweat drenched and grinning from ear to ear. Once again we set out early for a few pre gig drinks and a massive burger courtesy of Cardiff's excellent Grazing Shed, full of food an beer we headed over to Cardiff's newest and nicest venue The Tramshed and met up with our resident Nomad Paul just as the support band had started their opening song.
The support in question were Slydigs who were a high energy, top class rock n roll band with indie posturings, a Jagger Swagger and riotous pop friendly songs. The band have recently come form opening for The Who (an achievement they share with tonight's headliners) and you can see why as their driving Mod-styled R&B was just as exciting and immediate as The Who were back in the heady days of Quadrophenia The band stormed through their set welcoming VT's Nalle Colt on to the stage for rollicking version of Hey Joe made famous by Hendrix (which served as Mr & Mrs H's third Hendrix cover of the week after the Top's run through of Fire and Foxy Lady) which let Colt really show his talent as Slydigs frontman Dean sang those famous words with ragged vocals. As an opening act Slydigs did great job of warming up the crowd up with the ramshackle rock n roll style and infectious sense of camaraderie. 7/10
With newly improved stage set up featuring draped curtains, VT branded floodlights and the snazziest suits the band have worn (which leads me to believe all the touring is just to pay dry cleaning bills) Vintage Trouble were ready to go. There is always a sense of anticipation when seeing the band live as like Mr Gump's box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get. With the stage still in darkness, Nalle Colt took to the stage by himself and started to kick out the jams with some opening solos that meant Richard Danielson could slide behind his kit, Rick Bario Dill slinked on with his bass and as the drums kicked in the clapping began, welcoming Ty Taylor on to the stage for the live-wire high energy opener Run Like A River, from here we were off an boogieing with the call and response of "Run Baby Run" warming up the voices for the rest of the night as hips swayed and hands clapped and pushed to the ceiling, the venue getting hotter and hotter by the second.
Allowing us to catch our collective breaths the band slowed with the heartbreaking Nobody Told Me which once again led to more singing along. Vintage Trouble are one of the few bands that try their hardest to give a memorable show every time they play and this time that meant raiding their treasure trove of unreleased songs and drawing out Can't Stop Roiling which could be a metaphor for the bands punishing tour schedule and built the set back up to the euphoric high of Strike Your Light on me which saw Taylor take his first foray into the crowd making the majority crouch until we all jumped in unison, his goading and cajoling is second to none and has the crowd eating out of his hand, frequent calls of "I Can't Even Hear You!" force the crowd to shout louder without fail.
Back on the stage and we were treated to the bands anti-love song, love song Another Man's Words which is one of the most beautiful songs in the bands catalogue and is up there with a Broadway showstopper, it had the same affect on the night with the raw emotion of the song connecting with the audience. Taylor then went on to explain the problem with only doing an hour and a half set was that many get annoyed that certain songs aren't played so they rectified this with Troublemakers Medley Soul Serenity segues into the bluesy Angel City, California (cue more handclaps) the sexy Jezebella, soulful Gracefully before rampant sexuality of Total Strangers once again whipped the crowd into sweaty, hips thrusting frenzy. The band are one of the most disciplined I've ever seen there is an element of looseness about them that betrays their professionalism even when Taylor crowd surfed back tot he stage it was done with total control although once back on stage he was lamenting people on their phones after his stage dive as a few times he was going to fall flat on his face. With the medley appeasing some of the hardcore Troublemakers the band led the room with Doin' What You Were Doin' and the newbie Turn The Sky Blue both of which kept the hands in the air.
VT have an uncanny knack of controlling the pace of a gig perfectly and this set especially was one of the most considered I've seen from the band it ebbed and flowed with aplomb as the new song was followed up by the incredibly relevant Not Alright By Me which had been proceeded by a killer speech about speaking out against hate from Taylor that caused those who were sleeping to wake up. The song itself is a powerhouse with Taylor crooning soulfully throughout the venue (yep in the crowd again) and let Nalle Colt off the leash to once again solo with power and precision. As Taylor finished the song on the stage the catharsis was evident but there was no time to rest because the evergreen Blues Hand Me Down and Nancy Lee nodded towards the end of the night, the band rounding out the set with the firebrand Pelvis Pusher led by Danielson's snare, more pent up sexuality than on works night out (you know what I mean) and probably as much hardcore twerking as there was at the Beyonce concert in Cardiff two days later.
Physically shattered, dripping with sweat and gloriously happy, the crowd and the band were one spirit both reciprocating the joy and love in the room. They came back on to the stage for the encore, just the one song and they left it up to the crowd who chose the bands guitar hero masterpiece Run Outta You it's slow pace beat, call and response chorus, stunning elongated guitar solo and final peel off as the crowd continued to belt out the chorus once again proved why it's a near perfect closer (good choice Cardiff). Then it was just bows and the show was over, the lights coming on tot he red faced, glistening punters all of whom had the biggest smile (well everyone other than the small group of four who talked during the quiet bits and seemed uninterested). There is a reason we see this band as many times as we can, they do get better every time and reestablish that music is one of the biggest unifying factors around, music breeds friendship is at the heart of love and that my friends is all you need. Thank you Vintage Trouble for bringing the love back. 10/10
"All You Need Is Love, Love Is All You Need" the statement that will forever be associated with The Fab Four actually turns out to be the motto that could be applied to the current UK and US populations, with gun crime, hate crime, political turmoil and general unpleasantness seeming to be ramping up to it's highest levels since the 1970's, then like now the power of live music is a welcome escape, from the circus of horrors that is the everyday. This is especially true when Vintage Trouble come to town, the band that collectively the Musipedia Of Metal are approaching double figure viewings and every time we walk out sweat drenched and grinning from ear to ear. Once again we set out early for a few pre gig drinks and a massive burger courtesy of Cardiff's excellent Grazing Shed, full of food an beer we headed over to Cardiff's newest and nicest venue The Tramshed and met up with our resident Nomad Paul just as the support band had started their opening song.
The support in question were Slydigs who were a high energy, top class rock n roll band with indie posturings, a Jagger Swagger and riotous pop friendly songs. The band have recently come form opening for The Who (an achievement they share with tonight's headliners) and you can see why as their driving Mod-styled R&B was just as exciting and immediate as The Who were back in the heady days of Quadrophenia The band stormed through their set welcoming VT's Nalle Colt on to the stage for rollicking version of Hey Joe made famous by Hendrix (which served as Mr & Mrs H's third Hendrix cover of the week after the Top's run through of Fire and Foxy Lady) which let Colt really show his talent as Slydigs frontman Dean sang those famous words with ragged vocals. As an opening act Slydigs did great job of warming up the crowd up with the ramshackle rock n roll style and infectious sense of camaraderie. 7/10
With newly improved stage set up featuring draped curtains, VT branded floodlights and the snazziest suits the band have worn (which leads me to believe all the touring is just to pay dry cleaning bills) Vintage Trouble were ready to go. There is always a sense of anticipation when seeing the band live as like Mr Gump's box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get. With the stage still in darkness, Nalle Colt took to the stage by himself and started to kick out the jams with some opening solos that meant Richard Danielson could slide behind his kit, Rick Bario Dill slinked on with his bass and as the drums kicked in the clapping began, welcoming Ty Taylor on to the stage for the live-wire high energy opener Run Like A River, from here we were off an boogieing with the call and response of "Run Baby Run" warming up the voices for the rest of the night as hips swayed and hands clapped and pushed to the ceiling, the venue getting hotter and hotter by the second.
Allowing us to catch our collective breaths the band slowed with the heartbreaking Nobody Told Me which once again led to more singing along. Vintage Trouble are one of the few bands that try their hardest to give a memorable show every time they play and this time that meant raiding their treasure trove of unreleased songs and drawing out Can't Stop Roiling which could be a metaphor for the bands punishing tour schedule and built the set back up to the euphoric high of Strike Your Light on me which saw Taylor take his first foray into the crowd making the majority crouch until we all jumped in unison, his goading and cajoling is second to none and has the crowd eating out of his hand, frequent calls of "I Can't Even Hear You!" force the crowd to shout louder without fail.
Back on the stage and we were treated to the bands anti-love song, love song Another Man's Words which is one of the most beautiful songs in the bands catalogue and is up there with a Broadway showstopper, it had the same affect on the night with the raw emotion of the song connecting with the audience. Taylor then went on to explain the problem with only doing an hour and a half set was that many get annoyed that certain songs aren't played so they rectified this with Troublemakers Medley Soul Serenity segues into the bluesy Angel City, California (cue more handclaps) the sexy Jezebella, soulful Gracefully before rampant sexuality of Total Strangers once again whipped the crowd into sweaty, hips thrusting frenzy. The band are one of the most disciplined I've ever seen there is an element of looseness about them that betrays their professionalism even when Taylor crowd surfed back tot he stage it was done with total control although once back on stage he was lamenting people on their phones after his stage dive as a few times he was going to fall flat on his face. With the medley appeasing some of the hardcore Troublemakers the band led the room with Doin' What You Were Doin' and the newbie Turn The Sky Blue both of which kept the hands in the air.
VT have an uncanny knack of controlling the pace of a gig perfectly and this set especially was one of the most considered I've seen from the band it ebbed and flowed with aplomb as the new song was followed up by the incredibly relevant Not Alright By Me which had been proceeded by a killer speech about speaking out against hate from Taylor that caused those who were sleeping to wake up. The song itself is a powerhouse with Taylor crooning soulfully throughout the venue (yep in the crowd again) and let Nalle Colt off the leash to once again solo with power and precision. As Taylor finished the song on the stage the catharsis was evident but there was no time to rest because the evergreen Blues Hand Me Down and Nancy Lee nodded towards the end of the night, the band rounding out the set with the firebrand Pelvis Pusher led by Danielson's snare, more pent up sexuality than on works night out (you know what I mean) and probably as much hardcore twerking as there was at the Beyonce concert in Cardiff two days later.
Physically shattered, dripping with sweat and gloriously happy, the crowd and the band were one spirit both reciprocating the joy and love in the room. They came back on to the stage for the encore, just the one song and they left it up to the crowd who chose the bands guitar hero masterpiece Run Outta You it's slow pace beat, call and response chorus, stunning elongated guitar solo and final peel off as the crowd continued to belt out the chorus once again proved why it's a near perfect closer (good choice Cardiff). Then it was just bows and the show was over, the lights coming on tot he red faced, glistening punters all of whom had the biggest smile (well everyone other than the small group of four who talked during the quiet bits and seemed uninterested). There is a reason we see this band as many times as we can, they do get better every time and reestablish that music is one of the biggest unifying factors around, music breeds friendship is at the heart of love and that my friends is all you need. Thank you Vintage Trouble for bringing the love back. 10/10
Thursday, 30 June 2016
Reviews: Sunstorm, Astrakhan, My Regime
Sunstorm: Edge Of Tomorrow (Frontiers)
Sunstorm was formed in 1999 by ex-Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner along with Dennis Ward, Uwe Reitenauer, Chris Schmidt all from Pink Cream 69. With this line up they record three albums all of which sat very comfortably in the warm, embrace of AOR that Ward and Turner are especially skilled in. Think big racks of keyboards, clean guitar riffs, crooning vocals and big sexy hooks (as Michael Bolton would call them) and if you like AOR then you'll be licking your sugar coated lips with anticipation. Edge Of Tomorrow is the bands fourth album in total and their first since 2012's Emotional Fire (is there a more AOR title than that?) it is the first not to feature any of the previous members except for Joe Lynn Turner who's unmistakable leather lunged vocal prowess is at the forefront of every song on this record. This Sunstorm album is a little bit heavier than it's predecessors as it comes off the back of Turner's Rated X project which was more a melodic rock sound that pure saccharine AOR.
Thankfully then Edge Of Tomorrow is a rockier prospect and it benefits from it meaning that it sounds a bit more like Turner's tenure in Rainbow, this can be heard on Heart Of The Storm, Don't Walk Away From A Goodbye and You Hold Me Down which all have hard rock edge to them, on the other side of the coin there is still plenty of AOR melodies The Sound Of Goodbye is very Journey in it's synth driven thump and of course there are also huge ballads such as the over-blown Angel Eyes and the muscular The Darkness Of This Dawn which ramp up the cheese factor. Much of the album's sound comes from the songwriting, production and keyboard playing of session man extraordinaire Alessandro Del Vecchio who seems to have a new band every week but all of them have the same high quality sheen to them, the rest of the band are also Italian with the band replaced wholesale from it's original members. The quality of this record is very huge indeed and should see Sunstorm back with a bang! 8/10
Astrakhan: Adrenaline Kiss (Dead End Exit)
Astrakhan hail from the snowy shores of Sweden and much like countrymen Katatonia they add a humanistic touch to their progressively tinged hard rock. They play their music in the shadow of Floyd having an ear to the Scandinavian cousins The Von Hertzen Brothers the band are made up of a singer who has background in musical theatre, a drummer, a guitarist that was part of Evergrey (one of the other acts that I would put in the same category as Astrakhan) and was founded by two brothers who are the bass and keys. The album is a musical melting pot of styles, Silver Dreams is an ominous dramatic number with spiralling keys throughout it, it's a contrast to the two opening songs that are almost two halves of one mammoth piece, in fact this entire album has thematic link to it there is an aching and longing throughout, Adrenaline Kiss is not a happy album, it's melancholic and poignant as much as it is also dynamic and rocking, the band are all masters of their instruments and this is reflected by the complexities of the songs on this record, the title track moves into the eastern influence as the keys once again show their influence, One More Day is swaying, acoustically-laced rocker that leads into the stirring melody of Ballade De Rhodes which owes a lot to Katatonia and Anathema almost as much as Gravity owes to Pink Floyd. Adrenaline Kiss is an interesting album and one that needs time to be considered properly, just enjoy the ride and let it open up it's charms. 7/10
My Regime: Dogmas (Scarlet Records)
My Regime's frontman is Spice, perhaps best known as the original singer of Swedish Stoner merchants Spiritual Beggars as well as melodic thrashers Kayser (who I still hold in high regard). Dogmas is his most aggressive record to date as he says himself: "This band is my ventilation to get rid of some unhealthy anger. Both in a musically way, but also in a mental way" there is frustration at the global socio-political situation delivered with stripped back lightning fast thrash metal. I'll get this out of the way now Dogmas sounds like Slayer, exactly like Slayer, the songs have rapid guitar riffs, frantic blast beats, Spice's Arya like vocals, political lyrics and the entire record sounds like it was recorded in a toilet. I was four songs in before I realised the track had changed such is the familiarity of these songs, the album just sounds the same and never really breaks away from South Of Heaven sound. If you worship Slayer you might get a kick out of Dogmas however it's really just too much of a blatant rip off for my liking. 5/10
Sunstorm was formed in 1999 by ex-Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner along with Dennis Ward, Uwe Reitenauer, Chris Schmidt all from Pink Cream 69. With this line up they record three albums all of which sat very comfortably in the warm, embrace of AOR that Ward and Turner are especially skilled in. Think big racks of keyboards, clean guitar riffs, crooning vocals and big sexy hooks (as Michael Bolton would call them) and if you like AOR then you'll be licking your sugar coated lips with anticipation. Edge Of Tomorrow is the bands fourth album in total and their first since 2012's Emotional Fire (is there a more AOR title than that?) it is the first not to feature any of the previous members except for Joe Lynn Turner who's unmistakable leather lunged vocal prowess is at the forefront of every song on this record. This Sunstorm album is a little bit heavier than it's predecessors as it comes off the back of Turner's Rated X project which was more a melodic rock sound that pure saccharine AOR.
Thankfully then Edge Of Tomorrow is a rockier prospect and it benefits from it meaning that it sounds a bit more like Turner's tenure in Rainbow, this can be heard on Heart Of The Storm, Don't Walk Away From A Goodbye and You Hold Me Down which all have hard rock edge to them, on the other side of the coin there is still plenty of AOR melodies The Sound Of Goodbye is very Journey in it's synth driven thump and of course there are also huge ballads such as the over-blown Angel Eyes and the muscular The Darkness Of This Dawn which ramp up the cheese factor. Much of the album's sound comes from the songwriting, production and keyboard playing of session man extraordinaire Alessandro Del Vecchio who seems to have a new band every week but all of them have the same high quality sheen to them, the rest of the band are also Italian with the band replaced wholesale from it's original members. The quality of this record is very huge indeed and should see Sunstorm back with a bang! 8/10
Astrakhan: Adrenaline Kiss (Dead End Exit)
Astrakhan hail from the snowy shores of Sweden and much like countrymen Katatonia they add a humanistic touch to their progressively tinged hard rock. They play their music in the shadow of Floyd having an ear to the Scandinavian cousins The Von Hertzen Brothers the band are made up of a singer who has background in musical theatre, a drummer, a guitarist that was part of Evergrey (one of the other acts that I would put in the same category as Astrakhan) and was founded by two brothers who are the bass and keys. The album is a musical melting pot of styles, Silver Dreams is an ominous dramatic number with spiralling keys throughout it, it's a contrast to the two opening songs that are almost two halves of one mammoth piece, in fact this entire album has thematic link to it there is an aching and longing throughout, Adrenaline Kiss is not a happy album, it's melancholic and poignant as much as it is also dynamic and rocking, the band are all masters of their instruments and this is reflected by the complexities of the songs on this record, the title track moves into the eastern influence as the keys once again show their influence, One More Day is swaying, acoustically-laced rocker that leads into the stirring melody of Ballade De Rhodes which owes a lot to Katatonia and Anathema almost as much as Gravity owes to Pink Floyd. Adrenaline Kiss is an interesting album and one that needs time to be considered properly, just enjoy the ride and let it open up it's charms. 7/10
My Regime: Dogmas (Scarlet Records)
My Regime's frontman is Spice, perhaps best known as the original singer of Swedish Stoner merchants Spiritual Beggars as well as melodic thrashers Kayser (who I still hold in high regard). Dogmas is his most aggressive record to date as he says himself: "This band is my ventilation to get rid of some unhealthy anger. Both in a musically way, but also in a mental way" there is frustration at the global socio-political situation delivered with stripped back lightning fast thrash metal. I'll get this out of the way now Dogmas sounds like Slayer, exactly like Slayer, the songs have rapid guitar riffs, frantic blast beats, Spice's Arya like vocals, political lyrics and the entire record sounds like it was recorded in a toilet. I was four songs in before I realised the track had changed such is the familiarity of these songs, the album just sounds the same and never really breaks away from South Of Heaven sound. If you worship Slayer you might get a kick out of Dogmas however it's really just too much of a blatant rip off for my liking. 5/10
Wednesday, 29 June 2016
Reviews: Stitched Up Heart, Elm Street, Albany Down
Stitched Up Heart: Never Alone (Century Media Records)
Stitched Up Heart began their career as emo/goth band clad in anime visuals and a poppy, angst filled sound, however after the initial line up of the band fizzled front woman Alecia "Mixi" Demner set about reviving and re-branding the band, their EP Skeleton Key saw the music toughen up, heavier riffs, squealing solos and angrier screams from Demner all showed that Stitched Up Heart had matured into a much more aggressive beast. The Gothic undertones remain but now they have a heavier bite to them, think Evanescence meets In This Moment and you're on to a winner, there is an awful lot of atmosphere of this record that lead into brutal blast beats, down-tuned crunching guitars and Alecia's excellent vocals that sound a lot like ITM's Maria Brink moving from crooning, emotive cleans to scarred roars sometimes instantaneously. The band have a keen ear for a massive hook and tracks such as Monster show this with a catchy refrain sticking in your head long after the record is finished, in fact this trick is repeated on Now That You're Gone, the pulsing title track and huge ballads like Bleeding Out. The band are a decidedly modern act with some nu-metal breakdowns on Catch Me When I Fall and a hefty dose of electronics featured across the board, most notably on the City Of Angels, the sleazy Turn You On and the atmospheric Event Horizon which is just as creepy as it's filmic namesake. Never Alone is a very strong debut from the Hollywood natives it's got a pop sheen to appeal to the Kerrang generation but with enough heaviness to crush in a live setting. If you like In This Moment, Motionless In White or indeed the newest Lacuna Coil album; Never Alone will be a mainstay on your record player for the next few months. 8/10
Elm Street: Knock 'Em Out...With A Metal Fist (Massacre)
Aussie metal upstarts Elm Street are now on their second album which has one of the most brain dead titles I've ever heard and the silliest cover of the year so far featuring a half naked woman, the Grim Reaper and the titular Metal Fist. It's all a bit Spinal Tap but it serves as an indicator for actual content of the record which is fist-in-the-air traditional sounding metal that tips the hat to speed and thrash metal that doesn't take itself too seriously at all. With song titles as Kiss The Canvas, Heavy Mental and Face The Reaper you can hear that the band are very musically gifted and seem to be having a lot of fun, going against the grain of some of the more po-faced metal bands around. this isn't to say the band are kooky or crazy but their subject matter is all a bit lightweight, no social commentary here. The four piece are loaded with dual guitar riffs, galloping rhythm section and gruff vocals, Face The Reaper opens with the kind of acoustics Death Angel used to favour, then the pace picks up and it opens up in to some familiar riffage, this is classic thrash/trad metal alright and if you're not convinced Kiss The Canvas delivers the first knock out blow (sorry) with a speedy guitar playing and excellent drum work. Think Gamma Bomb, Skull Fist, Cauldron and you'll get an idea of Elm Street's sound, it's not big it's not clever but it will soundtrack your next party very well. 7/10
Albany Down: The Outer Reach (Self Released)
As Albany Down's third album The Outer Reach opens there is an orchestrally backed Zep-alike riff to immediately draw you in, Feeding The Flame has a chorus that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and reminds you of Page, Plant, Bohnam and Jones at their most bombastic. Much like the mighty Zep, Albany Down are a four piece with Donna Peters on the sticks, Billy Dedman on bass, Paul Turley on guitar and behind the mic Paul Muir, the band are an organic sounding rock band untreated and raw, it's the plug in an play mentality that lends itself to this album, the songs are all the better for the collective nature of the band. Peters and Dedman are the root of the groove which is palpable on Do You Want Me Now and Supersonic Girl which has excellent use of horns and has the white man funk feel of Jamiroquai and hints at the myriad of influences throughout from slide driven country rock on Mr Hangman which has some chicken pickin banjo playing and gang vocals ably supplied by the other band members Peter's being the most audible as counterpoint ot Muir. There's touches of Bonamassa power blues on Like A Bullet which is a showcase for Turely's guitar work with silky lead breaks as the track builds into a colossal solo in the climax. Muir's excellent vocals are a key part to the band's sound they are emotive but also carry a lot of weight, from his twang you'd think that the band would be from the States but no they hail from London and just manage to be the ultimate in American stadium rock on Home which once again adds pinches of Led Zeppelin III to Aerosmith's late 80's heyday and even sneaks in a bit of Tesla for good measure. The album is about trying and failing but there is no failing on here, every song is different every song is full of top class playing and interesting ever changing songcraft. There is not a single duff track on the record I Need You is a driving rocker, The Drop brings the funk back and is layered in huge organs and the horns return for Look What You've Done To before the record is closed out by the heart breaking Sing Me To Sleep which has an infectious "na na na na" refrain intercut by some more gorgeous guitar playing. Albany Down are amazing, their brand of music draws from Zep, Bonamassa, The Black Crowes, Whitesnake, Alter Bridge, The Answer and many others besides, this is blues-based rock par excellence, you need this record in your life. Fact! 10/10
Stitched Up Heart began their career as emo/goth band clad in anime visuals and a poppy, angst filled sound, however after the initial line up of the band fizzled front woman Alecia "Mixi" Demner set about reviving and re-branding the band, their EP Skeleton Key saw the music toughen up, heavier riffs, squealing solos and angrier screams from Demner all showed that Stitched Up Heart had matured into a much more aggressive beast. The Gothic undertones remain but now they have a heavier bite to them, think Evanescence meets In This Moment and you're on to a winner, there is an awful lot of atmosphere of this record that lead into brutal blast beats, down-tuned crunching guitars and Alecia's excellent vocals that sound a lot like ITM's Maria Brink moving from crooning, emotive cleans to scarred roars sometimes instantaneously. The band have a keen ear for a massive hook and tracks such as Monster show this with a catchy refrain sticking in your head long after the record is finished, in fact this trick is repeated on Now That You're Gone, the pulsing title track and huge ballads like Bleeding Out. The band are a decidedly modern act with some nu-metal breakdowns on Catch Me When I Fall and a hefty dose of electronics featured across the board, most notably on the City Of Angels, the sleazy Turn You On and the atmospheric Event Horizon which is just as creepy as it's filmic namesake. Never Alone is a very strong debut from the Hollywood natives it's got a pop sheen to appeal to the Kerrang generation but with enough heaviness to crush in a live setting. If you like In This Moment, Motionless In White or indeed the newest Lacuna Coil album; Never Alone will be a mainstay on your record player for the next few months. 8/10
Elm Street: Knock 'Em Out...With A Metal Fist (Massacre)
Aussie metal upstarts Elm Street are now on their second album which has one of the most brain dead titles I've ever heard and the silliest cover of the year so far featuring a half naked woman, the Grim Reaper and the titular Metal Fist. It's all a bit Spinal Tap but it serves as an indicator for actual content of the record which is fist-in-the-air traditional sounding metal that tips the hat to speed and thrash metal that doesn't take itself too seriously at all. With song titles as Kiss The Canvas, Heavy Mental and Face The Reaper you can hear that the band are very musically gifted and seem to be having a lot of fun, going against the grain of some of the more po-faced metal bands around. this isn't to say the band are kooky or crazy but their subject matter is all a bit lightweight, no social commentary here. The four piece are loaded with dual guitar riffs, galloping rhythm section and gruff vocals, Face The Reaper opens with the kind of acoustics Death Angel used to favour, then the pace picks up and it opens up in to some familiar riffage, this is classic thrash/trad metal alright and if you're not convinced Kiss The Canvas delivers the first knock out blow (sorry) with a speedy guitar playing and excellent drum work. Think Gamma Bomb, Skull Fist, Cauldron and you'll get an idea of Elm Street's sound, it's not big it's not clever but it will soundtrack your next party very well. 7/10
Albany Down: The Outer Reach (Self Released)
As Albany Down's third album The Outer Reach opens there is an orchestrally backed Zep-alike riff to immediately draw you in, Feeding The Flame has a chorus that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and reminds you of Page, Plant, Bohnam and Jones at their most bombastic. Much like the mighty Zep, Albany Down are a four piece with Donna Peters on the sticks, Billy Dedman on bass, Paul Turley on guitar and behind the mic Paul Muir, the band are an organic sounding rock band untreated and raw, it's the plug in an play mentality that lends itself to this album, the songs are all the better for the collective nature of the band. Peters and Dedman are the root of the groove which is palpable on Do You Want Me Now and Supersonic Girl which has excellent use of horns and has the white man funk feel of Jamiroquai and hints at the myriad of influences throughout from slide driven country rock on Mr Hangman which has some chicken pickin banjo playing and gang vocals ably supplied by the other band members Peter's being the most audible as counterpoint ot Muir. There's touches of Bonamassa power blues on Like A Bullet which is a showcase for Turely's guitar work with silky lead breaks as the track builds into a colossal solo in the climax. Muir's excellent vocals are a key part to the band's sound they are emotive but also carry a lot of weight, from his twang you'd think that the band would be from the States but no they hail from London and just manage to be the ultimate in American stadium rock on Home which once again adds pinches of Led Zeppelin III to Aerosmith's late 80's heyday and even sneaks in a bit of Tesla for good measure. The album is about trying and failing but there is no failing on here, every song is different every song is full of top class playing and interesting ever changing songcraft. There is not a single duff track on the record I Need You is a driving rocker, The Drop brings the funk back and is layered in huge organs and the horns return for Look What You've Done To before the record is closed out by the heart breaking Sing Me To Sleep which has an infectious "na na na na" refrain intercut by some more gorgeous guitar playing. Albany Down are amazing, their brand of music draws from Zep, Bonamassa, The Black Crowes, Whitesnake, Alter Bridge, The Answer and many others besides, this is blues-based rock par excellence, you need this record in your life. Fact! 10/10
Monday, 27 June 2016
Another Point Of View: ZZ Top (Live Review By Paul)
ZZ Top - 02 Academy Birmingham
The ZZ Top date in June is becoming a bit of an annual event. Three years ago I saw the mighty Texans play on 25 June at Hammersmith Odeon; last year on June 24 we saw a blistering show with Thunder in support at Wembley Arena and this year we headed to one of my least favourite venues, the 02 Academy in Birmingham to catch the band’s warm up show for their appearance at Glastonbury. Luckily we had managed to get tickets for the balcony, and having negotiated a very lengthy queue of punters all excited to get into the venue we took our seats for an evening of foot stomping blues soaked rock.
Support came from the Ben Matthews Band (8); a pleasing four piece from Joplin, Missouri who play crazy bluegrass and delta blues. If memory serves they opened for ZZ at Hammersmith and were excellent. The four members Ben Miller, Scott Leeper, Rachel Ammons, and Smilin' Bob Lewis delivered a great warm up for the sold out crowd with their engaging stage style, multiple instrument changes and enthusiasm which was rewarded with a warm ovation from the packed audience.
The ZZ Top date in June is becoming a bit of an annual event. Three years ago I saw the mighty Texans play on 25 June at Hammersmith Odeon; last year on June 24 we saw a blistering show with Thunder in support at Wembley Arena and this year we headed to one of my least favourite venues, the 02 Academy in Birmingham to catch the band’s warm up show for their appearance at Glastonbury. Luckily we had managed to get tickets for the balcony, and having negotiated a very lengthy queue of punters all excited to get into the venue we took our seats for an evening of foot stomping blues soaked rock.
Support came from the Ben Matthews Band (8); a pleasing four piece from Joplin, Missouri who play crazy bluegrass and delta blues. If memory serves they opened for ZZ at Hammersmith and were excellent. The four members Ben Miller, Scott Leeper, Rachel Ammons, and Smilin' Bob Lewis delivered a great warm up for the sold out crowd with their engaging stage style, multiple instrument changes and enthusiasm which was rewarded with a warm ovation from the packed audience.
When the adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” was coined, I’m sure that ZZ Top (10) were in the author’s mind. A set list that comprised all the same tracks as the previous two shows, albeit in a slightly different order, a stage set so simply that there isn’t even a pedal in sight enhanced by some very clever and subtle lighting and three dudes who just do what they do.
What they do is play quality blues in a style that appeals to a huge range of people. Opener Got Me Under Pressure segued into the first of four tracks from the mighty Eliminator, the evergreen Gimme All Your Lovin’ and the band were already displaying their genuine enjoyment with the lanky frame of Billy Gibbons occupying front and centre alongside Dusty Hill, who spent a number of tracks on his keyboard with bass. Of course, Dusty is recovering from his damaged shoulder and the keyboard allowed him to keep the weight of his bass off his shoulder for part of the evening. However, the interaction between Hill and the Rev Willie G is a joy to behold as they cruised through a set that seemed to absolutely speed by.
Mid-set saw the usual covers, Hendrix’s Foxy Lady and Robert Petway’s Catfish Blues allow the Rev open up with his fluid and effortless guitar playing whilst at the back Frank Beard held a steady beat; the man is a rock holding the band together with his solid and unassuming drumming. The run delivered a quadruple whammy; Cheap Sunglasses, Chatreuse, Sharp Dressed Man and main closer Legs before the band headed off for a deserved wipe down. Back on for the obligatory and always excellent La Grange followed by a stunning Tush but tonight it wasn’t over then a second encore of Sixteen Tons ( a Tennessee Ernie Ford cover - Ed) and Elvis’s Jailhouse Rock brought 90 minutes of sheer brilliance to an end. A third view in four years and each one brought something different despite the similarity in the set. Always cool, always worth seeing.
The Spotlight: Interview With Colour Of Noise (By Morag Farley @ Stone Free Festival)
Colour Of Noise Interview, Ston Free Festival, The O2 London
Interview By Morag Farley with Bruce John Dickinson & Randy Nixon
Over the last year or so, we have had the pleasure of meeting the guys from Colour Of Noise several times, and what lovely lads they are. Bruce John Dickinson (Lead Guitar) and Randy Nixon (Drums) kindly agreed to talk to us about themselves, the band and their musical aspirations.
We knew that the venue for Stone Free was a little different to the more 'normal' gig set up, so, how did they think it went - their performance at the inaugural Stone Free Festival? Randy told us 'I really enjoyed it - it was different, having an audience that was mostly walkbys'. Bruce agreed, saying they hadn't done anything like that before. Whilst we were on the subject of the festival, we talked about what they thought of the festival itself. Bruce said that although they'd done quite a few festivals, this one was very different and seemed well organised. Festivals are risky - the weather can be cruel, but having it inside takes away some of that risk.
Both Bruce and Randy were keen to talk about the new album that is underway and they are really excited about the project. They are recording it all in one room, to give it a more substantial feel. The new recording studio has a great feel to it and they have high hopes for another successful album. We asked them what we could expect.... 'No Ballards!' cried Randy. We aren't surprised by that -there are none on the first album either! They told us that the album will have a more ancient feel to it, with old fashioned blues coming together with rhythm and blues simplicity. Bruce has constructed the songs to give the music space so that the listener can pick out the different elements and let the music speak for itself.
They are a band with big ambitions, with dreams of playing in big venues. To do that, they need to have simple arrangements that will play well in both smaller and large venues. Colour Of Noise have a few festivals scheduled in over the summer, but will be concentrating on the new album. They aren't under any pressure to bring it out quickly - preferring to get it right. They are also working hard in the Brighton rock scene helping newer bands.
From our perspective, we think those newer bands in Brighton could not ask for better and we are very much looking forward to seeing them later on in the year.
Interview By Morag Farley with Bruce John Dickinson & Randy Nixon
Over the last year or so, we have had the pleasure of meeting the guys from Colour Of Noise several times, and what lovely lads they are. Bruce John Dickinson (Lead Guitar) and Randy Nixon (Drums) kindly agreed to talk to us about themselves, the band and their musical aspirations.
We knew that the venue for Stone Free was a little different to the more 'normal' gig set up, so, how did they think it went - their performance at the inaugural Stone Free Festival? Randy told us 'I really enjoyed it - it was different, having an audience that was mostly walkbys'. Bruce agreed, saying they hadn't done anything like that before. Whilst we were on the subject of the festival, we talked about what they thought of the festival itself. Bruce said that although they'd done quite a few festivals, this one was very different and seemed well organised. Festivals are risky - the weather can be cruel, but having it inside takes away some of that risk.
Both Bruce and Randy were keen to talk about the new album that is underway and they are really excited about the project. They are recording it all in one room, to give it a more substantial feel. The new recording studio has a great feel to it and they have high hopes for another successful album. We asked them what we could expect.... 'No Ballards!' cried Randy. We aren't surprised by that -there are none on the first album either! They told us that the album will have a more ancient feel to it, with old fashioned blues coming together with rhythm and blues simplicity. Bruce has constructed the songs to give the music space so that the listener can pick out the different elements and let the music speak for itself.
They are a band with big ambitions, with dreams of playing in big venues. To do that, they need to have simple arrangements that will play well in both smaller and large venues. Colour Of Noise have a few festivals scheduled in over the summer, but will be concentrating on the new album. They aren't under any pressure to bring it out quickly - preferring to get it right. They are also working hard in the Brighton rock scene helping newer bands.
From our perspective, we think those newer bands in Brighton could not ask for better and we are very much looking forward to seeing them later on in the year.
Sunday, 26 June 2016
Another Point Of View: Stone Free Festival (Review By Paul & Morag Farley)
Stone Free Festival - The O2 London
This is the first 'Stone Free Festival'. Our decision to go was based on the two 'one off' performances that were advertised. First was the only UK performance of Alice Cooper in 2016, and second was the world premier performance performance of the reworked Rick Wakeman classic The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table. There was a wide selection of music on both days, with two stages as well as the arena and a lounge offering alternative entertainment. Day 1 was primarily 'Rock', and Day 2 ran a more 'Progressive Rock' programme.
Saturday 18 June
The day opened in the Indigo Lounge in the Indigo O2. First up for us were Jackaman (7) This band first came to our attention when they were announced to play at Rockstock. Having now seen them live, we can say that Rockstock is in for a real treat. Wow Lynne Jackaman has got a strong voice! Their music has a soul/blues feel rather than heavy rock, but they gave a powerful and moving performance, with some tracks benefitting from the inclusion of the soulful sound of a saxophone. Their short set was very well received by the lunchtime crowd.
The Virginmarys (8) are from Macclesfield and were named 'Best Breakthrough Act' at the 2013 Classic Rock Awards. It is easy to see why. They were next up and couldn't have been more different. Their sound is what could be described as 'angry rock' and the three of them put all their energy into their music. Danny Dolan (Drums) is the sort of drummer that wants to be heard. If that means standing up to hit his drums a bit harder, then he isn't afraid to do that, even if causes his drum tech a few headaches!
It was then time for us to take our seats in the main arena for the nights packed agenda. First up were Blackberry Smoke (8), (no strangers to those of us here at MoM towers - Ed) who had flown in that day at the start of their UK tour. They were late on stage - apparently due to being held up at Heathrow. Despite the late start, they gave us a blistering set of Southern Rock including some of their better known tracks such as Six Ways To Sunday and Rock And Roll Again. This is the sort of music that, even when you are sitting down, your feet just want to join in. The audience really seemed to enjoy the music from these guys from Atlanta and gave them rapturous applause as they finished their set.
After a short break for a bite to eat, we retook our seats for Apocalyptica (7). I had been sceptical about this act - to me, cellos and rock music are poles apart. They are billed as a 'Finnish Cello Metal Band'. Imagine Metallica tracks being played on a cello. Not even gracefully seated, but energetic, unique, and off the scale. It was an amazing performance. Sometimes, its nice to be wrong!
The penultimate act of the evening was The Darkness (8). They are a band with a chequered history, having been on the UK and international rock scene since 1999 and with a string of hits behind them meant that they are bound to give us a great performance. The release of their album Last Of Our Kind in 2015 brought the band back into the limelight after a bit of a lull. We had last seen them at Rockstock in December where they had been heralded as hugely entertaining, and had performed a great set. This outing was no different. Justin Hawkins was on great form, as flamboyant as ever in his skin tight outfit complete with gold codpiece, engaging some members of the crowd in the way that only he can get away with.
Some people commented that if he had engaged in a little less banter with the front row, he would have been able to get another song in before timing got the better of them. Beginning their set with Barbarian and finishing with I Believe In A Thing Called Love gave us a great variety and, overall, they were great to see again. As The Darkness left the stage to rousing applause and cheering, the crew began to move quickly to prepare the stage for the highlight of the evening. To prevent the eagle eyed audience seeing what was going on, the customary shield was raised at the front of the stage.
After what seemed like hours, Alice Cooper (10) and his band came onto the stage through a curtain of fireworks. Ever the showman, we knew we were in for a real treat. Beginning with The Black Widow, Alice takes us through a string of his music, pausing only to allow his band to take centre stage in solos. Nita Strauss delights with her versatility and energy as she delivers blistering solos whilst striding round the stage and making it her own. Things calm down a little while Alice takes a seat on an upturned and battered trash can to sing Only Women Bleed only to kick it across the stage as soon as he is done. Alice is the only person to die on stage several times a night and everyone cheers his demise and resurrection - his band seemingly helping the sources of his death as part of the show. He also pays tribute to those lost to the rock world. While tombstones bearing the names of Keith Moon, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Lemmy appear at the back of the stage, he delivers a montage of Pinball Wizard, Fire, Suffragette City and Ace Of Spades. As he closes his set with Schools Out accompanied by the entire audience, there are cheers and demands for an encore. In the brief seconds the lights are down, the only song that could possibly follow that was Elected with the accompanying show parodying the upcoming US Election. Alice for president. He'd get our vote!
Sunday 19 June
After a restful night in our hotel, we returned to the O2 on Sunday morning. There were a few bands we wanted to see who were appearing on the Fireball Stage which was sited in the main foyer, just inside the entrance. Its position meant that bands would be seen, not only by Stone Free ticket holders, but also by members of the public who were at the O2 for any other reason.
First up were Broken Witt Rebels (8), a Birmingham based band with a blues rock sound. They are predicted to have a bright future, and if their performance at Stone Free is anything to go by, that is a prediction they are worthy of. They took a couple of tracks to settle down, but it wasn't long before Danny started to enjoy himself and he built a rapport with the crowd that had formed. The whole band were appreciative of the audience - many of whom had just stopped by to watch and listen as they delivered their original music with growing confidence. By the time they were finished, the cheers and claps confirmed their successful appearance.
The next band we were keen to see, also on the Fireball stage was Colour Of Noise (9). This is a superb band who we first had the pleasure of seeing at Steelhouse Festival in July 2015, and have seen them several times since. They have a great sound, with their influences in traditional rock and roll showing through. We were lucky enough to meet up with the guys later on for a chat. You can read about it here. Matt Mitchell has a great presence on stage and really draws in the audience. They began the set with You Only Call Me When You Want Something and followed it with perfect renditions of some of the great tracks from their debut album, including their single Can You Hear Me and my personal favourite Heavy to finish with. The small stage seemed cramped for them, as Bruce moved in to fill the spaces that Matt created as he shimmied his way round his small area. Colour Of Noise do not 'do' ballads. When they play, it is difficult, if not impossible, to resist the temptation to join in and dance. As always, they were a pleasure to watch.
We made our way into the arena for the main event which had already started when we arrived. We were seated in a different area, but the first thing that struck me was the arena floor. On Saturday night, it had been a sea of people dancing, singing and joining in with the musicians on the stage. By Sunday night, it was full of people again, but this time they were appreciating the progressive rock programme from the comfort and restraint of a fully seated arena. There would be no repeat of the crowd surfing antics of last night.
Steve Hackett (8) had already been on stage for a little while when we got in we had heard him performing a Genesis track as we entered. Steve is a talented guitarist we had seen a few months ago in Cardiff on his Acolyte To Wolflight tour, and he performed a few of the same tracks, some of which were his new music, others from his previous life as a member of Genesis. As always, we were impressed by the complexity that seems to be fairly standard in prog rock and the set closed with The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.
After a brief interval, we were looking forward to Marillion (6). As the lights went down they began their set with The Invisible Man, moving through other classics including Kayleigh, Lavender and finally finishing with Neverland. They had to cut the set short, as it was going to take some time to prepare the stage for the grand finale of the weekend. Again, the audience let them leave the stage with cheering and applause ringing in their ears.
The 'Main Event' was now preparing to take the stage. Rick Wakeman (7) released his concept album The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table in 1974 and has always dreamed of re-recording and performing an extended version. With the new album on the verge of being released, this was the first live performance and the realisation of a long held ambition. We'd met Rick earlier in the afternoon, and he'd certainly seemed to be looking forward to the performance. He was on great form, entertaining those who were lucky enough to meet him.
With Ian Lavender narrating, myths unfolded as the orchestra and choir brought the music to life. Rick had centre stage dressed in a regal cloak and he played his intricate music on a bank of keyboards. Taking us through births, marriages quests and deaths, the tempo changed from melodic and choral to fast and fun-filled expressing the different chapters of the legend. Rick finished and the crowd rose for a well deserved standing ovation.
The first inaugural Stone Free festival was overall a success, yes there were a few major kinks to be worked out as there always is with the debut of a festival, but I have no doubt that by next year things will run a lot smoother, well I hope so at least as there was much to be desired about this years organisation. However with a plethora of bands and distinctive feel on both days let's hope that Stone Free will continue to go from strength to strength. (It already has a benefit over many festivals by being all undercover so perfect for the British 'summer')
This is the first 'Stone Free Festival'. Our decision to go was based on the two 'one off' performances that were advertised. First was the only UK performance of Alice Cooper in 2016, and second was the world premier performance performance of the reworked Rick Wakeman classic The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table. There was a wide selection of music on both days, with two stages as well as the arena and a lounge offering alternative entertainment. Day 1 was primarily 'Rock', and Day 2 ran a more 'Progressive Rock' programme.
Saturday 18 June
The day opened in the Indigo Lounge in the Indigo O2. First up for us were Jackaman (7) This band first came to our attention when they were announced to play at Rockstock. Having now seen them live, we can say that Rockstock is in for a real treat. Wow Lynne Jackaman has got a strong voice! Their music has a soul/blues feel rather than heavy rock, but they gave a powerful and moving performance, with some tracks benefitting from the inclusion of the soulful sound of a saxophone. Their short set was very well received by the lunchtime crowd.
The Virginmarys (8) are from Macclesfield and were named 'Best Breakthrough Act' at the 2013 Classic Rock Awards. It is easy to see why. They were next up and couldn't have been more different. Their sound is what could be described as 'angry rock' and the three of them put all their energy into their music. Danny Dolan (Drums) is the sort of drummer that wants to be heard. If that means standing up to hit his drums a bit harder, then he isn't afraid to do that, even if causes his drum tech a few headaches!
It was then time for us to take our seats in the main arena for the nights packed agenda. First up were Blackberry Smoke (8), (no strangers to those of us here at MoM towers - Ed) who had flown in that day at the start of their UK tour. They were late on stage - apparently due to being held up at Heathrow. Despite the late start, they gave us a blistering set of Southern Rock including some of their better known tracks such as Six Ways To Sunday and Rock And Roll Again. This is the sort of music that, even when you are sitting down, your feet just want to join in. The audience really seemed to enjoy the music from these guys from Atlanta and gave them rapturous applause as they finished their set.
After a short break for a bite to eat, we retook our seats for Apocalyptica (7). I had been sceptical about this act - to me, cellos and rock music are poles apart. They are billed as a 'Finnish Cello Metal Band'. Imagine Metallica tracks being played on a cello. Not even gracefully seated, but energetic, unique, and off the scale. It was an amazing performance. Sometimes, its nice to be wrong!
The penultimate act of the evening was The Darkness (8). They are a band with a chequered history, having been on the UK and international rock scene since 1999 and with a string of hits behind them meant that they are bound to give us a great performance. The release of their album Last Of Our Kind in 2015 brought the band back into the limelight after a bit of a lull. We had last seen them at Rockstock in December where they had been heralded as hugely entertaining, and had performed a great set. This outing was no different. Justin Hawkins was on great form, as flamboyant as ever in his skin tight outfit complete with gold codpiece, engaging some members of the crowd in the way that only he can get away with.
Some people commented that if he had engaged in a little less banter with the front row, he would have been able to get another song in before timing got the better of them. Beginning their set with Barbarian and finishing with I Believe In A Thing Called Love gave us a great variety and, overall, they were great to see again. As The Darkness left the stage to rousing applause and cheering, the crew began to move quickly to prepare the stage for the highlight of the evening. To prevent the eagle eyed audience seeing what was going on, the customary shield was raised at the front of the stage.
After what seemed like hours, Alice Cooper (10) and his band came onto the stage through a curtain of fireworks. Ever the showman, we knew we were in for a real treat. Beginning with The Black Widow, Alice takes us through a string of his music, pausing only to allow his band to take centre stage in solos. Nita Strauss delights with her versatility and energy as she delivers blistering solos whilst striding round the stage and making it her own. Things calm down a little while Alice takes a seat on an upturned and battered trash can to sing Only Women Bleed only to kick it across the stage as soon as he is done. Alice is the only person to die on stage several times a night and everyone cheers his demise and resurrection - his band seemingly helping the sources of his death as part of the show. He also pays tribute to those lost to the rock world. While tombstones bearing the names of Keith Moon, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Lemmy appear at the back of the stage, he delivers a montage of Pinball Wizard, Fire, Suffragette City and Ace Of Spades. As he closes his set with Schools Out accompanied by the entire audience, there are cheers and demands for an encore. In the brief seconds the lights are down, the only song that could possibly follow that was Elected with the accompanying show parodying the upcoming US Election. Alice for president. He'd get our vote!
Sunday 19 June
After a restful night in our hotel, we returned to the O2 on Sunday morning. There were a few bands we wanted to see who were appearing on the Fireball Stage which was sited in the main foyer, just inside the entrance. Its position meant that bands would be seen, not only by Stone Free ticket holders, but also by members of the public who were at the O2 for any other reason.
First up were Broken Witt Rebels (8), a Birmingham based band with a blues rock sound. They are predicted to have a bright future, and if their performance at Stone Free is anything to go by, that is a prediction they are worthy of. They took a couple of tracks to settle down, but it wasn't long before Danny started to enjoy himself and he built a rapport with the crowd that had formed. The whole band were appreciative of the audience - many of whom had just stopped by to watch and listen as they delivered their original music with growing confidence. By the time they were finished, the cheers and claps confirmed their successful appearance.
The next band we were keen to see, also on the Fireball stage was Colour Of Noise (9). This is a superb band who we first had the pleasure of seeing at Steelhouse Festival in July 2015, and have seen them several times since. They have a great sound, with their influences in traditional rock and roll showing through. We were lucky enough to meet up with the guys later on for a chat. You can read about it here. Matt Mitchell has a great presence on stage and really draws in the audience. They began the set with You Only Call Me When You Want Something and followed it with perfect renditions of some of the great tracks from their debut album, including their single Can You Hear Me and my personal favourite Heavy to finish with. The small stage seemed cramped for them, as Bruce moved in to fill the spaces that Matt created as he shimmied his way round his small area. Colour Of Noise do not 'do' ballads. When they play, it is difficult, if not impossible, to resist the temptation to join in and dance. As always, they were a pleasure to watch.
We made our way into the arena for the main event which had already started when we arrived. We were seated in a different area, but the first thing that struck me was the arena floor. On Saturday night, it had been a sea of people dancing, singing and joining in with the musicians on the stage. By Sunday night, it was full of people again, but this time they were appreciating the progressive rock programme from the comfort and restraint of a fully seated arena. There would be no repeat of the crowd surfing antics of last night.
Steve Hackett (8) had already been on stage for a little while when we got in we had heard him performing a Genesis track as we entered. Steve is a talented guitarist we had seen a few months ago in Cardiff on his Acolyte To Wolflight tour, and he performed a few of the same tracks, some of which were his new music, others from his previous life as a member of Genesis. As always, we were impressed by the complexity that seems to be fairly standard in prog rock and the set closed with The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.
After a brief interval, we were looking forward to Marillion (6). As the lights went down they began their set with The Invisible Man, moving through other classics including Kayleigh, Lavender and finally finishing with Neverland. They had to cut the set short, as it was going to take some time to prepare the stage for the grand finale of the weekend. Again, the audience let them leave the stage with cheering and applause ringing in their ears.
The 'Main Event' was now preparing to take the stage. Rick Wakeman (7) released his concept album The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table in 1974 and has always dreamed of re-recording and performing an extended version. With the new album on the verge of being released, this was the first live performance and the realisation of a long held ambition. We'd met Rick earlier in the afternoon, and he'd certainly seemed to be looking forward to the performance. He was on great form, entertaining those who were lucky enough to meet him.
With Ian Lavender narrating, myths unfolded as the orchestra and choir brought the music to life. Rick had centre stage dressed in a regal cloak and he played his intricate music on a bank of keyboards. Taking us through births, marriages quests and deaths, the tempo changed from melodic and choral to fast and fun-filled expressing the different chapters of the legend. Rick finished and the crowd rose for a well deserved standing ovation.
The first inaugural Stone Free festival was overall a success, yes there were a few major kinks to be worked out as there always is with the debut of a festival, but I have no doubt that by next year things will run a lot smoother, well I hope so at least as there was much to be desired about this years organisation. However with a plethora of bands and distinctive feel on both days let's hope that Stone Free will continue to go from strength to strength. (It already has a benefit over many festivals by being all undercover so perfect for the British 'summer')
Reviews: Anderson/Stolt, Denner/Shermann, Whitford/St Holmes
Anderson/Stolt: Invention Of Knowledge (InsideOut)
Jon Anderson and Ronnie Stolt are two names that will be very familiar to prog rock fans, one the unmistakable (and only real) voice of Yes the other a the impressive guitar prowess of The Flower Kings. the two collaborated to play all of the first side of Tales From Topographic Oceans while at a gig together, this one collaboration has resulted in the two prog rock legends writing an album together that harks back the 1970's prog rock glory days. The album is made up of four parts each then split again to make up a total of 9 tracks most of which over 6 minutes long. What I got from the first playthrough of this record was that the songs are intensely musical but sounds stripped back and at times like an acoustic record with the layered guitars both 6 and 12 string variety, shaking percussion and many world music influences coming from the addition of dobro, lap steel, Portuguese guitar. The record is a musical journey through the Invention of Lying with the title track split into four parts; Invention is the record's most Yes sounding song with the building Anderson vocal based around a Medieval folk sounding musical backing that builds into a the trademark keyboard heavy sound of the band that abandoned their frontman a few years ago, as an opening salvo it's a perfect welcome to the record Stolt's multi faceted musical palette at it's most effective and Andersons chirping falsetto in fine fettle, it's also 9 minutes long and leads into the Indian sounding We Are Truth that forms the second part of the title track and acts as a bridge into the immediacy of the final part Knowledge which once again is a direct psychedelically tinged rocker. With 23 minutes past you realise that you are only still on the first part of the record but the magical mystical journey continues through the second part Knowing, made up of Knowing and the introspective Chase The Harmony. The music on this record is fantastic it's a majestic, grandiose and played by musicians that are all top flight along with two of the prog rock genres finest names. There is too much on this record to give a full autopsy of the record so I suggest you just take up your comfiest armchair, put on your headphones and just ease your way into this progressive voyage. 8/10
Denner/Shermann: Masters Of Evil (Metal Blade)
I reviewed Denner/Shermann's debut effort last year giving the EP a solid 7/10, well the band have been working hard and their debut full length is now upon us. If the names are familiar then you were brought up with schlock-horror of King Diamond, Michael Denner and Hank Shermann were and in Shermann's case still is, the dual axe attack for the Mercyful Fate as well as many other bands including King Diamond's solo work. As I mentioned in my EP review the band unashamedly sound like Mercyful Fate, but in a question I've posed before can you actually copy yourself? Denner/Shermann are trying their hardest to do just that, right down to the cover of this record that was designed by long term Mercyful/King Diamond artist Thomas Holm and features the same bursts of yellow and Satanic beasts as Don't Break the Oath. The eight tracks on this record are prime slabs of speed metal, lightning speed riffs, trade-off solos, frequent changes of pace and a biting high frequency tone giving it a sharp 80's sound akin to DBTO and Melissa. The talent is in evidence from the outset with a thundering rhythm section of Snowy Shaw's drums and Marc Grabowski's bass in almost robotic unison, all of this would be for nothing without a vocalist that has the same powerful lungs as The King, luckily Sean Peck has that role down to a tee already familiar as the Halford-esque vocals in Death Dealer and Cage here he shows off his range a bit more on the atmospheric Son Of Satan which has the tolling bells, a chugging building riff and some ear piercing vocals in the chorus, there's a lower register on the less rapid moments such as the crunch of Pentagram And The Cross, nods to Ozzy on The Wolf Feeds At Midnight Masters Of Evil still relies heavily on the horror imagery of both men's past but you wouldn't expect anything less from two men who have made their name with Denmark's premier metal outfit. The songs on this record are just as good as those two early Mercyful Fate records and indeed better than much of King Diamond's solo output, this is proto-thrash at it's best from the duo that were two of the leading exponents of the sound back in the day. Masters Of Evil is a non stop metal assault from beginning to end and if you lament the loss of Mercyful Fate and love bands like Metal Church, Angel Witch and Satan then Denner/Shermann will come near the top of your end of year list. 8/10
Whitford/St.Holmes: Reunion (Mailboat Records)
When Brad Whitford left Aerosmith in 1980 he teamed up with ex-Ted Nugent man Derek St Holmes, their debut record was released in August 1981 and unsurprisingly was a mix of the bluesy hip shaking bluesy hard rock of Aerosmith and the Southern styled hard rock of St. Holmes' work with Uncle Ted. Without achieving any major success the band split and both went back to their subsequent charges. However in November 2015 with Aerosmith on a relative hiatus the band reformed and embarked on a reunion tour, as part of the tour package they recorded an album of new songs (packaged with a digitally remastered version of their debut as a bonus). Once again the band is made up of St Holmes on vocals and guitar and Whitford on the screaming leads with the percussive backbeat coming from Tesla's Troy Luccketta who is no stranger to bluesy hard rock with his day job. the band is rounded out by Buck Johnson's keys and the excellently named Chopper Anderson on bass. The new album is imaginatively titled Reunion and it features nine brand new songs written especially for the record with Shapes being the stand out single a big ballsy riff leading the song into it's massive "Come Tomorrow" refrain displaying St. Holmes' excellent vocals that sound very much like KISS lead singer Paul Stanley throughout, most impressively on the Rock All Day which makes the most of the organs with it's sleazy sound, Hot For You has a definite KISS sound to it and Hell Is On Fire is the album's heaviest moment and it's a benefit as a juxtaposition to the more AOR saccharine tracks like Catch My Fall and the country love song of Tender Is The Night. Reunion is a good album from two old hands that work in unison very well showing that in 2016 unlike 1981 they have become a more pressing concern. 7/10
Jon Anderson and Ronnie Stolt are two names that will be very familiar to prog rock fans, one the unmistakable (and only real) voice of Yes the other a the impressive guitar prowess of The Flower Kings. the two collaborated to play all of the first side of Tales From Topographic Oceans while at a gig together, this one collaboration has resulted in the two prog rock legends writing an album together that harks back the 1970's prog rock glory days. The album is made up of four parts each then split again to make up a total of 9 tracks most of which over 6 minutes long. What I got from the first playthrough of this record was that the songs are intensely musical but sounds stripped back and at times like an acoustic record with the layered guitars both 6 and 12 string variety, shaking percussion and many world music influences coming from the addition of dobro, lap steel, Portuguese guitar. The record is a musical journey through the Invention of Lying with the title track split into four parts; Invention is the record's most Yes sounding song with the building Anderson vocal based around a Medieval folk sounding musical backing that builds into a the trademark keyboard heavy sound of the band that abandoned their frontman a few years ago, as an opening salvo it's a perfect welcome to the record Stolt's multi faceted musical palette at it's most effective and Andersons chirping falsetto in fine fettle, it's also 9 minutes long and leads into the Indian sounding We Are Truth that forms the second part of the title track and acts as a bridge into the immediacy of the final part Knowledge which once again is a direct psychedelically tinged rocker. With 23 minutes past you realise that you are only still on the first part of the record but the magical mystical journey continues through the second part Knowing, made up of Knowing and the introspective Chase The Harmony. The music on this record is fantastic it's a majestic, grandiose and played by musicians that are all top flight along with two of the prog rock genres finest names. There is too much on this record to give a full autopsy of the record so I suggest you just take up your comfiest armchair, put on your headphones and just ease your way into this progressive voyage. 8/10
Denner/Shermann: Masters Of Evil (Metal Blade)
I reviewed Denner/Shermann's debut effort last year giving the EP a solid 7/10, well the band have been working hard and their debut full length is now upon us. If the names are familiar then you were brought up with schlock-horror of King Diamond, Michael Denner and Hank Shermann were and in Shermann's case still is, the dual axe attack for the Mercyful Fate as well as many other bands including King Diamond's solo work. As I mentioned in my EP review the band unashamedly sound like Mercyful Fate, but in a question I've posed before can you actually copy yourself? Denner/Shermann are trying their hardest to do just that, right down to the cover of this record that was designed by long term Mercyful/King Diamond artist Thomas Holm and features the same bursts of yellow and Satanic beasts as Don't Break the Oath. The eight tracks on this record are prime slabs of speed metal, lightning speed riffs, trade-off solos, frequent changes of pace and a biting high frequency tone giving it a sharp 80's sound akin to DBTO and Melissa. The talent is in evidence from the outset with a thundering rhythm section of Snowy Shaw's drums and Marc Grabowski's bass in almost robotic unison, all of this would be for nothing without a vocalist that has the same powerful lungs as The King, luckily Sean Peck has that role down to a tee already familiar as the Halford-esque vocals in Death Dealer and Cage here he shows off his range a bit more on the atmospheric Son Of Satan which has the tolling bells, a chugging building riff and some ear piercing vocals in the chorus, there's a lower register on the less rapid moments such as the crunch of Pentagram And The Cross, nods to Ozzy on The Wolf Feeds At Midnight Masters Of Evil still relies heavily on the horror imagery of both men's past but you wouldn't expect anything less from two men who have made their name with Denmark's premier metal outfit. The songs on this record are just as good as those two early Mercyful Fate records and indeed better than much of King Diamond's solo output, this is proto-thrash at it's best from the duo that were two of the leading exponents of the sound back in the day. Masters Of Evil is a non stop metal assault from beginning to end and if you lament the loss of Mercyful Fate and love bands like Metal Church, Angel Witch and Satan then Denner/Shermann will come near the top of your end of year list. 8/10
Whitford/St.Holmes: Reunion (Mailboat Records)
When Brad Whitford left Aerosmith in 1980 he teamed up with ex-Ted Nugent man Derek St Holmes, their debut record was released in August 1981 and unsurprisingly was a mix of the bluesy hip shaking bluesy hard rock of Aerosmith and the Southern styled hard rock of St. Holmes' work with Uncle Ted. Without achieving any major success the band split and both went back to their subsequent charges. However in November 2015 with Aerosmith on a relative hiatus the band reformed and embarked on a reunion tour, as part of the tour package they recorded an album of new songs (packaged with a digitally remastered version of their debut as a bonus). Once again the band is made up of St Holmes on vocals and guitar and Whitford on the screaming leads with the percussive backbeat coming from Tesla's Troy Luccketta who is no stranger to bluesy hard rock with his day job. the band is rounded out by Buck Johnson's keys and the excellently named Chopper Anderson on bass. The new album is imaginatively titled Reunion and it features nine brand new songs written especially for the record with Shapes being the stand out single a big ballsy riff leading the song into it's massive "Come Tomorrow" refrain displaying St. Holmes' excellent vocals that sound very much like KISS lead singer Paul Stanley throughout, most impressively on the Rock All Day which makes the most of the organs with it's sleazy sound, Hot For You has a definite KISS sound to it and Hell Is On Fire is the album's heaviest moment and it's a benefit as a juxtaposition to the more AOR saccharine tracks like Catch My Fall and the country love song of Tender Is The Night. Reunion is a good album from two old hands that work in unison very well showing that in 2016 unlike 1981 they have become a more pressing concern. 7/10
Friday, 24 June 2016
Reviews: The Amorettes, Persona Non Grata, Ouzo Bazooka
The Amorettes: White Hot Heat (Off Yer Rocka)
"It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll" this famous line from the immortal Bon Scott has been the motto of many rock bands throughout the years, every young up and coming band can identify with the sentiment but few make it with many falling by the wayside. Scottish all-girl three piece The Amorettes will not fall by the wayside, their snotty, riff driven style of hard rock brings to mind the rawness of Bon Scott fronted AC/DC if the songs were performed by Girlschool. White Hot Heat is the bands third album and once again attracts big hitters with Thunder's Luke Morley handling the production, he also co-writes a couple of the tracks, as does Black Star Riders' frontman Ricky Warwick so with such luminaries of the rock world supporting the band you wouldn't be surprised to find out that White Hot Heat is a rip snorting, hard riffing, kick you in the spuds rock album from word go.
The bands D.I.Y ethic is commendable but this record they have tightened their sound up a little with the rhythm section of Heather and Hannah McKay chomping at the bit, trying to get faster and louder with every song, meaning that guitarist Gill Montgomery has to be both Malcolm and Angus with the six string, she chugs along with Heather's heavy bass until it's time for her to let loose with explosive guitar solo that cut through the noise with their sparkling precision. The band have been called Airbourne fronted by Joan Jett and you can see why on The Runaways-like Batter Up and four chord attack of Eyes On the Prize and White Russian Roulette which would both sit pretty on High Voltage.
However it's not just AC/DC and the Riot Grrl mentality, Let The Neighbours Call The Cops has the loudness and fuck 'em all attitude of the great Motorhead, Come N Get It is a bit glamtastic as is Pervert Alert both sounding a lot like The Sweet in their heyday. Roll is punk at it's purest and Man Meat is yet another DC-styled track but from the woman's point of view. Bon's mantra is true to this day but with the support these Scottish lasses have had the peak of the mountain is most definitely in site. 8/10
Persona Non Grata: Confirm Your Humanity (Steel Gallery Records)
Any album that opens with a finger plucked bass led opening track is either one of two things, a Les Claypool release or a progressive metal album. Confirm Your Humanity is the latter (sorry Primus fans) and it's progressive metal that sits in the same style as Fates Warning, Shadow Gallery and Dream Theater, think a heavy metal sound, virtuosos on the instruments and passionate songwriting that is built upon mesmerising instrumental pieces and the expansive vocal range of their frontman Bill Axiotis who is a dead ringer for Pagan's Mind man Nils K Rue, I mean he sounds exactly the same with just a hint of Geoff Tate.
Musically the band are very impressive indeed the guitar and bass are the heavy components of the songs with the keys adding the orchestrations and melodies for the cleaner leads to play over all while the drums often sound like they are playing a different song, this of course is a good thing as it keeps the songs interesting meaning that even when the band slow things down on the mega ballad Hope you can still sit in awe of the excellent playing that is going on behind the slightly maudlin song.
This album is the Greek band's third and the production is handled by veteran metal producer Chris Tsangarides who has behind the desk for Priest, Helloween, Anvil, Thin Lizzy as well as Depeche Mode and Tom Jones. He makes sure every instrument pops and allows you to focus on the intricate opening of songs such as Absent and brings out the heaviness on the more jazz orientated Burning Bridges. I'd not heard of Persona Non Grata before this despite my many dalliances with Greek metal, but I'm glad I found them as for me they tick all the boxes, this is a very strong classic sounding progressive metal album that will appeal to fans of Dream Theater and Queensryche. 8/10
Ouzo Bazooka: Simoom (Self Released)
Hailing from the cultural centre of Israel Tel-Aviv Ouzo Bazooka are a band that play Middle Eastern psychedelic rock, their third album Simoom is a sweeping piece of consciousness altering, mind bending piece with desert influenced music built on as the band say "exotic food and fresh coffee". This inclusive musical nature of the album is evident on all of the ten tracks, through funky, psych-filled romps such as Black Witch and the freaky Look Around which has the spirit of Syd Barrett looming large, in fact Syd's touch is heavy across the whole of Simoom as the album's kaleidoscopic, experimental nature allows the band, much like the city they come from, to draw from a melting pot of influences.
These are sculpted into songs by mastermind frontman Uri Brauner Kinrot who along with guitarist/bassist Adam Scheflan, keyboardist/vocalist Dani Ever-Hadani and drummer Ira Raviv are the arbiters of the music contained on this release. With glam rock on Shell, hallucinogenic ambiance on It's Real the obligatory slabs of Middle Eastern promise that shine through on tracks such as Clouds Of Sorrow all show Ouzo Bazookas dedication to the psychedelic genre in general. As I've said the influences come from throughout the musical spectrum the Oud and Bouzouki bring the Mediterranean heat as the record works through surf rock, pop rock and every other sound you can think of. With a real mix of East meets West this is shamanic, trippy peace loving music that wouldn't sound out of place on the hippie caravan trail and it's really just groovy...man! 8/10
"It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll" this famous line from the immortal Bon Scott has been the motto of many rock bands throughout the years, every young up and coming band can identify with the sentiment but few make it with many falling by the wayside. Scottish all-girl three piece The Amorettes will not fall by the wayside, their snotty, riff driven style of hard rock brings to mind the rawness of Bon Scott fronted AC/DC if the songs were performed by Girlschool. White Hot Heat is the bands third album and once again attracts big hitters with Thunder's Luke Morley handling the production, he also co-writes a couple of the tracks, as does Black Star Riders' frontman Ricky Warwick so with such luminaries of the rock world supporting the band you wouldn't be surprised to find out that White Hot Heat is a rip snorting, hard riffing, kick you in the spuds rock album from word go.
The bands D.I.Y ethic is commendable but this record they have tightened their sound up a little with the rhythm section of Heather and Hannah McKay chomping at the bit, trying to get faster and louder with every song, meaning that guitarist Gill Montgomery has to be both Malcolm and Angus with the six string, she chugs along with Heather's heavy bass until it's time for her to let loose with explosive guitar solo that cut through the noise with their sparkling precision. The band have been called Airbourne fronted by Joan Jett and you can see why on The Runaways-like Batter Up and four chord attack of Eyes On the Prize and White Russian Roulette which would both sit pretty on High Voltage.
However it's not just AC/DC and the Riot Grrl mentality, Let The Neighbours Call The Cops has the loudness and fuck 'em all attitude of the great Motorhead, Come N Get It is a bit glamtastic as is Pervert Alert both sounding a lot like The Sweet in their heyday. Roll is punk at it's purest and Man Meat is yet another DC-styled track but from the woman's point of view. Bon's mantra is true to this day but with the support these Scottish lasses have had the peak of the mountain is most definitely in site. 8/10
Persona Non Grata: Confirm Your Humanity (Steel Gallery Records)
Any album that opens with a finger plucked bass led opening track is either one of two things, a Les Claypool release or a progressive metal album. Confirm Your Humanity is the latter (sorry Primus fans) and it's progressive metal that sits in the same style as Fates Warning, Shadow Gallery and Dream Theater, think a heavy metal sound, virtuosos on the instruments and passionate songwriting that is built upon mesmerising instrumental pieces and the expansive vocal range of their frontman Bill Axiotis who is a dead ringer for Pagan's Mind man Nils K Rue, I mean he sounds exactly the same with just a hint of Geoff Tate.
Musically the band are very impressive indeed the guitar and bass are the heavy components of the songs with the keys adding the orchestrations and melodies for the cleaner leads to play over all while the drums often sound like they are playing a different song, this of course is a good thing as it keeps the songs interesting meaning that even when the band slow things down on the mega ballad Hope you can still sit in awe of the excellent playing that is going on behind the slightly maudlin song.
This album is the Greek band's third and the production is handled by veteran metal producer Chris Tsangarides who has behind the desk for Priest, Helloween, Anvil, Thin Lizzy as well as Depeche Mode and Tom Jones. He makes sure every instrument pops and allows you to focus on the intricate opening of songs such as Absent and brings out the heaviness on the more jazz orientated Burning Bridges. I'd not heard of Persona Non Grata before this despite my many dalliances with Greek metal, but I'm glad I found them as for me they tick all the boxes, this is a very strong classic sounding progressive metal album that will appeal to fans of Dream Theater and Queensryche. 8/10
Ouzo Bazooka: Simoom (Self Released)
Hailing from the cultural centre of Israel Tel-Aviv Ouzo Bazooka are a band that play Middle Eastern psychedelic rock, their third album Simoom is a sweeping piece of consciousness altering, mind bending piece with desert influenced music built on as the band say "exotic food and fresh coffee". This inclusive musical nature of the album is evident on all of the ten tracks, through funky, psych-filled romps such as Black Witch and the freaky Look Around which has the spirit of Syd Barrett looming large, in fact Syd's touch is heavy across the whole of Simoom as the album's kaleidoscopic, experimental nature allows the band, much like the city they come from, to draw from a melting pot of influences.
These are sculpted into songs by mastermind frontman Uri Brauner Kinrot who along with guitarist/bassist Adam Scheflan, keyboardist/vocalist Dani Ever-Hadani and drummer Ira Raviv are the arbiters of the music contained on this release. With glam rock on Shell, hallucinogenic ambiance on It's Real the obligatory slabs of Middle Eastern promise that shine through on tracks such as Clouds Of Sorrow all show Ouzo Bazookas dedication to the psychedelic genre in general. As I've said the influences come from throughout the musical spectrum the Oud and Bouzouki bring the Mediterranean heat as the record works through surf rock, pop rock and every other sound you can think of. With a real mix of East meets West this is shamanic, trippy peace loving music that wouldn't sound out of place on the hippie caravan trail and it's really just groovy...man! 8/10
Thursday, 23 June 2016
Reviews: Manic In Lithium, Nemrud, Death Roll
Manic In Lithium: Manic In Lithium (Self Released)
Back in the early 90's guitarist Michael Hewett and vocalist Otis Mannick met at the Berklee College Of Music and Boston College Of Music, after this they moved to New York city and created two tapes of music but nothing more than that. However these recordings got lost in the midsts of time but as of December 2015 they were rediscovered by drummer Dean Rickard who mastered the recordings playing them to the res of the band and inspiring the creative spark again. This is where Manic In Lithium has come from both the album (the first of two) and the name of the band recording it, it consists of Otis, Michael, Dean and bassist Derek Cheever armed with new and old songs this record is the culmination of their career so far. With a long gestation period the record is good but it is split in to distinct parts, the two opening tracks Hell Of A High and Falling Down are both 90's sounding pieces coming from the same background of Alice In Chains with some grunge riffs and soulful vocals from Otis that conjure Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell the grunge rockers give way to a more progressive bent on You Belong To Me which sounds a bit like the band 3 with its frantic acoustics, pace changes and rumbling tom toms.
It's the stylistic differences that make this record interesting there are so many styles on offer you can tell that this record has been developed over time, There's grunge Strapped and Mud Horse, prog the Middle Eastern touches on Dead Trees Come Alive and the laid back funk on Sunshine Never Ends, southern rock on Takin It Easy, a bit of U2 with Turned Around. There is a myriad of styles on this record but I'd liken the band to the lesser known American rock band Ra they have a similar sound and are all the better for it, after a long time it's great to hear that these songs were strong when they were first written, they are enhanced by the production and the band's obvious virtuosity. If this is the first part of the bands two albums it's a good opening but it does feel a little like it's only half the story, the second part will be the real clincher but as it stands Manic In Lithium is an impressive start. 8/10
Nemrud: Nemrud (Rainbow 45 Records)
Turkish proggsters Nemrud are now on their third record and once again they carry the flag for classic sounding progressive rock. There self titled album contains four tracks all over 10 minutes in length that move from introspective acoustic numbers to sweeping orchestral pieces that draw heavily on the bands Middle Eastern heritage. The band are a traditional four piece of guitarist/singer (Mert Göçay) bassist (Levent Candaş) drummer (Mert Alkaya) and keyboardist (Mert Topel), the album benefits from this four piece approach as every instrument is important and given the chance to breathe to create the soundscapes and mystical atmosphere the album strives to create. From the ELP-like synths that open the record in a truly startling way, the album is based around the creation of the universe and the Nemrud which is a place for death to dwell, this concept is the basis for the spacey record that blurs the lines between science fiction with faith. Gods Of The Mountain is a slow opening to the record with a laid back guitar and swathes of synths for the first 5 minutes.
The vocals come in after that and vocally Mert Göçay sounds like Orphaned Land's Kobi Fahri with a beckoning insistent voice that is a major part of the bands sound. Gods Of The Mountain could come of the more recent Opeth numbers with nods to the halcyon days of progressive rock with a hard rock crunch. With such abstract lyrics, huge musical layers and a technically proficient musicians, that are able to handle any genre, with bass-led jazz during Lion Of Commagene as it changes into a sermon for the final part. Nemrud are a very impressive band part Opeth, part Orphaned Land with the right amount of classic prog that brings in ELP, Yes, Floyd (Forsaken Throne) some 80's electro (on the middle eight of The Euphrates) and countless other genres to create a sublime progressive rock album that is mostly instrumental punctuated with magical emotive lyrical passages. Nemrud is a truly excellent prog rock album from a band that I will following very closely from now on. 9/10
Death Roll: Rolling With Death
Um yeah Death Roll, they are from Norway and they play fast paced, rock and roll. So that's about all I know about the band as they seem to have absolutely no online presence, no website, no social media etc etc so I have no idea who is the band or who plays what but I know they are a four piece rock band so I guess that is something. With little to no background to the record or band I just have to talk about the music and for the most part the songs on this record are foot to the floor hard rock clad in a leather jacket and cruising down the highway with stylistic influences that are shared by countrymen Audrey Horne albeit Four on the floor riffs, crashing drums and some booming vocals and a punky attitude. Rolling With Death is a by the numbers rock release but will satisfy an urge if you have a hard rock craving. yes Heartattack Man steals the opening line of Stormbringer but Deal Gone Wrong is Chuck Berry style rock n roll and a the rest of the album is full of frantic shots of live wire rock. So Death Roll I don't know who they are but they play good honest music. 7/10
Back in the early 90's guitarist Michael Hewett and vocalist Otis Mannick met at the Berklee College Of Music and Boston College Of Music, after this they moved to New York city and created two tapes of music but nothing more than that. However these recordings got lost in the midsts of time but as of December 2015 they were rediscovered by drummer Dean Rickard who mastered the recordings playing them to the res of the band and inspiring the creative spark again. This is where Manic In Lithium has come from both the album (the first of two) and the name of the band recording it, it consists of Otis, Michael, Dean and bassist Derek Cheever armed with new and old songs this record is the culmination of their career so far. With a long gestation period the record is good but it is split in to distinct parts, the two opening tracks Hell Of A High and Falling Down are both 90's sounding pieces coming from the same background of Alice In Chains with some grunge riffs and soulful vocals from Otis that conjure Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell the grunge rockers give way to a more progressive bent on You Belong To Me which sounds a bit like the band 3 with its frantic acoustics, pace changes and rumbling tom toms.
It's the stylistic differences that make this record interesting there are so many styles on offer you can tell that this record has been developed over time, There's grunge Strapped and Mud Horse, prog the Middle Eastern touches on Dead Trees Come Alive and the laid back funk on Sunshine Never Ends, southern rock on Takin It Easy, a bit of U2 with Turned Around. There is a myriad of styles on this record but I'd liken the band to the lesser known American rock band Ra they have a similar sound and are all the better for it, after a long time it's great to hear that these songs were strong when they were first written, they are enhanced by the production and the band's obvious virtuosity. If this is the first part of the bands two albums it's a good opening but it does feel a little like it's only half the story, the second part will be the real clincher but as it stands Manic In Lithium is an impressive start. 8/10
Nemrud: Nemrud (Rainbow 45 Records)
Turkish proggsters Nemrud are now on their third record and once again they carry the flag for classic sounding progressive rock. There self titled album contains four tracks all over 10 minutes in length that move from introspective acoustic numbers to sweeping orchestral pieces that draw heavily on the bands Middle Eastern heritage. The band are a traditional four piece of guitarist/singer (Mert Göçay) bassist (Levent Candaş) drummer (Mert Alkaya) and keyboardist (Mert Topel), the album benefits from this four piece approach as every instrument is important and given the chance to breathe to create the soundscapes and mystical atmosphere the album strives to create. From the ELP-like synths that open the record in a truly startling way, the album is based around the creation of the universe and the Nemrud which is a place for death to dwell, this concept is the basis for the spacey record that blurs the lines between science fiction with faith. Gods Of The Mountain is a slow opening to the record with a laid back guitar and swathes of synths for the first 5 minutes.
The vocals come in after that and vocally Mert Göçay sounds like Orphaned Land's Kobi Fahri with a beckoning insistent voice that is a major part of the bands sound. Gods Of The Mountain could come of the more recent Opeth numbers with nods to the halcyon days of progressive rock with a hard rock crunch. With such abstract lyrics, huge musical layers and a technically proficient musicians, that are able to handle any genre, with bass-led jazz during Lion Of Commagene as it changes into a sermon for the final part. Nemrud are a very impressive band part Opeth, part Orphaned Land with the right amount of classic prog that brings in ELP, Yes, Floyd (Forsaken Throne) some 80's electro (on the middle eight of The Euphrates) and countless other genres to create a sublime progressive rock album that is mostly instrumental punctuated with magical emotive lyrical passages. Nemrud is a truly excellent prog rock album from a band that I will following very closely from now on. 9/10
Death Roll: Rolling With Death
Um yeah Death Roll, they are from Norway and they play fast paced, rock and roll. So that's about all I know about the band as they seem to have absolutely no online presence, no website, no social media etc etc so I have no idea who is the band or who plays what but I know they are a four piece rock band so I guess that is something. With little to no background to the record or band I just have to talk about the music and for the most part the songs on this record are foot to the floor hard rock clad in a leather jacket and cruising down the highway with stylistic influences that are shared by countrymen Audrey Horne albeit Four on the floor riffs, crashing drums and some booming vocals and a punky attitude. Rolling With Death is a by the numbers rock release but will satisfy an urge if you have a hard rock craving. yes Heartattack Man steals the opening line of Stormbringer but Deal Gone Wrong is Chuck Berry style rock n roll and a the rest of the album is full of frantic shots of live wire rock. So Death Roll I don't know who they are but they play good honest music. 7/10
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