Reviews: Battle Beast, Sworn Amongst, Arrival Of Autumn, Aton Five (Rich & Mark)

Battle Beast: No More Hollywood Endings (Nuclear Blast) [Rich]

Finnish power metal heroes Battle Beast return with album number five titled No More Hollywood Endings. The previous four albums have been the perfect mix of European power metal, 1980’s pop music and Eurovision camp that has endeared them to many.  Despite kicking out their main songwriter Anton Kabanen back in 2015, Battle Beast proved they hadn’t lost any of their potency with the success of 2017’s Bringer Of Pain album. The big question is can they repeat that success another time round? No More Hollywood Endings sees Battle Beast at a bit of a crossroads. The album has a more serious feel to it this time round with the band experimenting with their sound.  The big poppy hooks and choruses are on display but Battle Beast have seemed to want to go more a more dramatic and epic sound this time round especially with the incorporation of a symphonic sound most evident in the opening duo of Unbroken and the title track. There’s a definite leaning towards symphonic metal acts such as Nightwish and Sirenia but with the poppy hooks the band have become accustomed with. Also it wouldn’t be a Battle Beast album if it didn’t have a song that is gonna divide the fans down the middle and that song is Endless Summer which sees the band going further into pure pop territory than ever before.

The album is more varied in its first half and by the time epic ballad I Wish has finished it is back to the classic bouncy Battle Beast sound with a trio of songs - Raise Your Fists, The Golden Horde and World On Fire - that are pure power metal glory guaranteed to have people pumping their fists and banging their heads and have extreme metal elitists foaming at the mouth. No More Hollywood Endings is another class album by Battle Beast but is one that is going to be a bit of a grower with a lot of their fans. The band perform fantastically and of course it is all carried by the powerhouse vocals of Noora Louhimo who sounds better than ever on this album and is proving herself to be one of the best singers in the genre. No More Hollywood Endings is a mix of songs that shows the band expanding their capabilities but also showing what they do best.  Whilst not as immediate as previous albums this is bound to be another massive success for Battle Beast. 8/10

Sworn Amongst: Reclamation (Famined Records) [Mark]

Sworn Amongst are a band that have been traversing the pool of UK touring bands for a while, one I’ve seen live, one I’ve shared a stage with a few times, is it finally time for them to have the breakthrough they’re clearly hungry to achieve? This five track EP is the tenth release, one demo, four full length albums and four previous EPs before Reclamation, from the English five piece, sitting somewhere between metalcore and deathcore, with a smattering of djent, which is a departure in style from their earlier thrash leanings, the maturation of their sound is welcome, nice to hear a band who can develop and keep things fresh seventeen years after forming. Enslaved opens things up, the first thing you notice is how loud this release has been mastered, it’s a little jarring at first, but your ears do get acclimated to the wall of sound, after a brief ethereal build up, a riff with all the weight of a neutron star smacks you in the face, it’s like a statement that you’re getting into the sort of material that has taken the djent of about eight years ago, mixed it with some thrash leanings and years of studio experience, the only thing that’s missing is a catchy hook or chorus to really round this track out, the end breakdown is a lesson in heavy guitar and kick drum syncopation, a jolly good track.

Delusional picks right up where the opening track leaves off, there’s a guttural vocal at the start of the song that sounds dragged from the bowels of hell, the guitars in this track really bounce and the clean section at the end allows the next track to hit you in the face, Believe adds some space-synth noises over the top. Without checking, even though I did after thinking it, this is clearly the single of this EP, their website confirms that it’s the first video, a sing-along chorus, spacey noises, heavy, end breakdown all present and accounted for. Cleansing is fucking heavy, the opening riff has the sort of weight some bands can only ever hope of achieving, I just wish they’d stuck with the opening passage a bit longer, it’s gone before you can fully appreciate it, and that’s something I’ve noticed for the entire EP, the tracks are good but not super memorable, passages go by in a blur, the song structures are all similar, I feel like you could cut a section from one track and place it in any of the others and barely even notice.

Don’t get me wrong every track when taken as its own stand alone piece of music is good, with some astonishing pieces thrown in, but as a whole Reclamation almost sounds like five cuts of the same song. If you like Architects, Periphery or Monuments, you’ll like this, there are great moments everywhere on this punchy, short EP and if you’re a metalcore/djent aficionado then you’ll enjoy this release 7/10

Arrival Of Autumn: Harbinger (Nuclear Blast) [Mark]

If there’s one thing that’s very clear, the production of this album is pristine, every note audible, every guitar line perfectly in tune and not a note out of place, the drums are clear, clean and immaculate. Hurricane On The Horizon opens up the album, quick melodic intro with a build up and we’re into the meat of what Arrival Of Autumn are all about, heavy, complex guitar patterns, lots of kick drums and evolving drum patterns that drive the song forward, we also get our first glimpse of the vocal pattern that appears often throughout this release, a hardcore/metalcore shout followed up by very aptly performed clean vocal on the choruses, which is fine, but it is a clean vocal that will divide opinion, I don’t like it, but others will enjoy it I am sure, the chorus is catchy though and a few listens will have you humming or singing along, that’s for sure, so on that front it’s definitely a win.

End Of Existence picks the pace up a bit with a great intro build up followed by a great riff and drum combo that reminds me of some of the Gothenburg sounds from the early 00s, channeling some In Flames and early Soilwork, the chorus is great and I can see why they’ve been signed to Nuclear Blast. Stellar solo work by Brendan Anderson rounds out this track. Witness falls into the heavy/clean vocal pattern as mentioned previously, but it does contain possibly the best section of music on the entire album, roughly two minutes in after a couple of blistering leads a very heavy breakdown stomps its way through some brutal sounding drums and Jamison Frieson screaming “WITNESS” over and over. Old Bones - New Blood falls right into that melodic death metal sound that a lot of bands have tried to imitate and failed, but this is good, a very nice bounce leads the track and I can see the circle pits whirling around at some festivals in the near future.

It’s very clear that this five piece really know how to write a particular type of song, and they’ve been pushed by a fantastic producer to produce some of the catchiest metal I’ve heard in 2019, my only reservation is the album is very samey and the songs become a deluge of similar sounding cuts throughout, if this is a style of music you’re really into, it won’t bother you at all, but for the new or casual listener it’s a bit tiring to hear the same thing being thrown at you for ten songs. I did enjoy this album, it’s a very well produced, well written collection of songs and judged solely on this release Arrival Of Autumn have a bright future that will involve a heavy touring regime. 7/10

Aton Five: Solarstalgia (IndieGo Boom) [Mark]

This album is a great way to kick the week off, I absolutely love instrumental music, not that I hate singers, really, I don’t, I just enjoy it when the music is the sole focus, the energy the band has to produce to get by without vocals needs to be special. Aton Five from Russia dabble in a type of instrumental music I haven’t spent a great deal of time with until now, and I like the groove it fits into, spacey, vibey and 70s as hell. The Dreadnought opens up the album, synth noises, marching drumbeat and in 7/4, I think I am in for a treat here as these are all things I love, when odd meter, odd time or odd polyrhythms are used in music I find myself able to go back over and over again to try and pick out tricks that the writers used to keep a groove or pattern moving, even with odd numbers, it’s definitely a way of getting musos to revisit an album or piece of music, I don’t know how well that translates for people who don’t understand these concepts, but from a purely musical standpoint unless you’re listening for it, you might not even notice it in this track. My only criticism is that the track could have progressed outside of this musical pattern a little more and flourished because of it.

There is a great lead and build up towards the end, and this is definitely a good way to open the album, it lets you know exactly what you’re getting into. Did I mention that this album is 63 minutes long? With only 7 tracks? No, I definitely didn’t, but it most certainly is, which means there are some humongous tracks on here, Journey kicks in with a complete departure to the opening track, the inclusion of some jazzy piano lines and the lead synth really ups the bounce, the straight groove also gets the head nodding and the shoulders moving. It reminds me of Cream then it reminds me of Pink Floyd then it sounds like they’re drawing on the same influence pool as Opeth’s later material, which is no bad thing. Chain Of Events got me out of my chair to turn the volume up when I was on my first run through of this album, this rocking track has loads of energy then it breaks down into a section with so much depth and feel it’s hard to imagine most bands putting the two sections together, but Aton Five really pull it off well, there are some absolutely blistering solos rounding out this song and they deserve a special mention here as they really stand out.

Definitely a track I can see making it to a movie soundtrack or a game. Milky Way Incident is a 13 minute journey, like a cosmic orgasm of aural delights which twists and assaults from every angle, a complete overview of a band who are masters of their craft and my album highlight. Aton Five aren’t a band to shy away from more modern production tricks, the use of samples throughout the album is a great way to inject some human feel to this otherwise out of body otherworldly experience. The playing on Solarstalgia is absolutely immaculate and the production really lends to the immersion, this is an album that I think anyone can play and find something to enjoy, there are many layers of complex sounds that drive home the progressive and psych tendencies of a band who are clearly very talented and deserving of a more widespread appreciation. 9/10

Reviews: Vltimas, Frosthelm, Sons Of Cain, Sküma (Paul H)

Vltimas: Something Wicked Marches In (Season Of Mist)

Put together former Morbid Angel member David Vincent, Rune ‘Blasphemer’ Eriksen (ex-Mayhem and Aura Noir) and Crytopsy’s Flo Mounier and you have the ingredients for a lesson in brutality. Of course, as anyone who has dabbled in the kitchen will know, having all the ingredients does not automatically grant you immediate rights to produce masterful pieces of culinary delight. Thankfully,  Something Wicked Marches In does indeed help the palate salivate in all the right places. Nine tracks of meaty death metal, punishing and ungodly, technically tidy and featuring Vincent’s distinctive throaty roar all combine nicely to add to the ever-growing pool of top-quality output that the death metal scene appears to be excelling at once again this year. The title track sets the scene, a brutal pulverising blast which sets off fast and increases in speed steadily.

This is balanced by the immense Monolith, a five-minute epic, full of jagged chainsaw riffage, Vincent’s roar and a stellar performance in the drum department from Mounier. With the bludgeoning approach of the band’s previous outfits evident in the delivery, there is sufficient in this album to allow you to kick back and enjoy as the riffs rain down, the pace changes and the album flows. Last One Alive Wins Nothing and closing track Marching On are among the highlights of an album that at times sails very close to the Behemoth style of delivery. At times frenzied in approach, at others controlled and crushingly heavy, there is nothing here to either elevate the band to the highest table but also nothing to relegate them from the top division. This is solid, impressive and well worth grabbing hold of a copy. 8/10

Frosthelm: Pyrrhic (Revenger Records)

Blackened thrash metal is the order of the day with the sophomore release from North Detroit’s five-piece Frosthelm and follows their 2015 debut The Endless Winter. With an album whose meaning is defined as ‘a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat’, you have a feeling from the opening bars of the sweetly titled A Gift of Razors that this isn’t going to be a joyous, feel good album. And whilst that is true in terms of subject matter, if blistering razor-sharp lead breaks, battering drumming and horrible roaring vocals are your thing, then Pyrrhic should make you smile, for this is a savage and relentless album that peels the flesh and melts the skin. Bernard Pfliger is the voice, and one of unrestrained ferocity at that.

His bloodcurdling roars would damage foundations such is the gravity and power. Serpentine Embrace is just as intense, Brian Helm’s beats per minute up in the high hundreds’ whist the slashing guitar work of Dakota Irwin and Billy Zahn threaten to leave permanent damage. Whilst this onslaught would be horrific for many, the punk edges pulsating pace and beating black heart of songs such as Pisslord, Immortal Nightfall A Dreamless Lust and the closing seven-minute monster Pyrrhic II: Looming Dusk disguise a technicality and ability that is often overlooked. Sheer nastiness is often dismissed without searching underneath for the quality. Brutal? Oh Yes but Frosthlem deserve your attention. 7/10

Sons Of Cain: The Book Of Cain (Self Released)

Sons Of Cain is bizarrely one of the most used names in hard rock. This version of Sons Of Cain hail from Central Illinois and play a thick style of Southern Rock which trades on the typical style you would expect from a band whose genre is described on Facebook as ‘Southerny Metally Bluesy Ballsy Chunky Fuckin' Rock n' Roll, man’. The seven-minute second track Battle Cry possibly sums up this album best; fat riffs, a sludgy NOLA sound and a punk edged attitude with Jess Reed’s vocals reminiscent of the way Phil Anselmo snarls on latter day Pantera. The album improves as it progresses, Nomad and another thumping seven-minute track West Harrison both have gnarly chunky riffs, and switch pace as they progress.

West Harrison smoulders throughout, the ignition spark light midway through as the track expands into a full force smash in the face. There is even some Sabbath style riffage tucked away midst the mayhem that unfolds. It’s snarling, angry stuff but it hits many of the right spots, with some massive guitar work and a drum sound that sticks with you. The Book Of Cain may not be the most original album of the year, but it has heft, solidity and an overall appeal which makes me smile every time I play it. Great stuff. 7/10

Sküma: Vol. [0] (Self Released)

Badged as a band that straddles the middle ground between pop and rock, Greek outfit Sküma’s debut album consists 32 minutes of stoner style music, spread over eight songs. The band veer close to the early Nirvana sound at times although they are no clones. Tracks such as P4NDA and the opening Sküma contain some raucous, angry riffs. The band’s compositions are reasonable, with some of the better moments coming on no-nonsense head down songs like Newen and T.F.B. Disappointingly, Mixalis’s vocals are weak and often struggle to stay in tune, which hampers the overall sound of this band from Heraklion. It’s a bold attempt but one that ultimately doesn’t get me excited in anyway. 5/10

Reviews: Devil Master, Forsaken Corpses, Damon Johnson, Brymir (Paul H)

Devil Master: Satan Spits On The Children Of Light (Relapse Records)

Vicious, relentless and rawer than freshly carved meat, this debut album from the punk infused black metallers from Philadelphia burns a hole in the flesh from the open strains of Nightmares In The Human Collapse. Devil Master formed in 2016 and this sinewy flexing of unadulterated filth follows 2017’s Inhabit The Corpse EP. Unworldly guttural vocals, frantic thrashing and searingly sharp edged guitar work combine with the bludgeoning bass lines and insane drums to pull together one of the most ferocious albums since black metal crawled out of the Newcastle gutter in the early 1980s. Whilst the comparison with Venom is the obvious one to throw into the pool, this is no rip-off copycat approach. Vomited up from the bowels of hell, there is a blistering pace to tracks such as the chaos induced Skeleton Hand, Black Flame Candle and the big beats of instrumental Nuit which contains some of the filthiest riffs ever heard. 13 tracks, 37 minutes and a hollow feeling of violation when it ends. This is some album. 8/10

Forsaken Corpses: Chambers Of Undying Oblivion (Self Released)

This is the debut release from death metal outfit Forsaken Corpses, a four-piece from Thessaloniki in Greece. Combining the smallest elements of doom with a huge slice of old school death metal, the eight tracks on this release are pulverising. Huge, bone shattering riffs, monstrous concrete breaking bass and insanely intense drumming converge to create a slab of death metal the weight of which it’s virtually impossible to hold. It is crushing, with vocals that make the ‘Corpsegrinder’ sound like Aled Jones. Soul Desecration switches from lumbering mammoth riffs to frantic all out thrash style death, repetition used to massive effect. The harrowing effect of Eternity In Limbo certainly reflects the title of the song; another spine-smashing intro leads into repeat scales at blistering pace, sinister roars echoing above the cacophony of blast beats and lead heavy guitars. The band comprises Stelios on vocals, Axel on guitar and vocals, Stathis on guitar and drummer Kwstas. With five of the eight tracks here providing a lengthy pummelling, this is an album you really need to have a medical for. Lesser people have found it all too much and needed medical attention. I’m sold on the intensity and loyalty to the old school style. It’s a yes from me! 8/10

Damon Johnson: Memoirs Of An Uprising (Double Dragon Recordings)

You may well be familiar with Damon Johnson. The American guitarist/singer/songwriter has a solid CV. After forming Brother Cane in the late 1990s he joined Alice Cooper’s band and played on the album Dirty Diamonds as well as completing five tours with the master of shock rock between 2004-07 and 2009-11 when he left to join one of the many incarnations of ‘Thin Lizzy’ with fellow American Scott Gorham and drummer Brian Downey [the only remaining original member of the band]. From 2012-18 Johnson was guitarist with Gorham in Black Star Riders before leaving to work on his fifth solo album, Memoirs Of An Uprising. Unsurprisingly, the music on offer from Johnson sits very much in the style of the bands he’s worked with before; radio friendly, accessible and inoffensive all round. There is nothing here to get too excited about to be honest. It’s not a band album by any stretch with a tight and competent band playing it well, but as you’d expect, the saccharine rich comfortable style may just be too much for many. Tracks such as We Got A System, Call It A Trade [complete with an irritating chorus] and the upbeat album closer Glorious are routine lightweight hard rock. I did manage to get through it all, but it won’t be a go-to album anytime in the near future. 6/10

Brymir: Wings Of Fire (Out Of Line Records)

After a massively chaotic opening this third album from the Finnish melodic death outfit Brymir improves immensely. Combining symphonic, power and death metal in a horrible cacophony of sound had me struggling massively after Gloria In Regum and the title track has finished. It’s frantically delivered, and I got the same feeling that being a passenger in a runaway car with no brakes would experience! Totally out of control. Thankfully things take a turn for the better about half way through and by the time we get to the thumping heavy Starportal there is structure and focus, despite the continuation of the chaotic 100mph feel. I’m not sure Brymir know what sound they are aiming for. Symphonic elements dominate whilst the growling vocals add a more demonic twist. The piano opening to Vanquish The Night releases more blast beats and frantic drumming whilst the epic Lament Of The Ravenous allows for some soaring guitar work and clean chorus singing. At times this album is quite gripping, but the overblown nature of its overall style and delivery means that it’s also a bit wearing and somewhat repetitive. Power metal fans who like their music a bit heavier might well get stuck into this release, but it isn’t one that I will be returning to very often. 5/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Joanne Shaw Taylor

Joanne Shaw Taylor & Blackwater Conspiracy, The Tramshed Cardiff

Into the Tramshed we went once again this time for a much bluesier evening taking place on a Monday, than previous this year as the Queen of the blues rolled into town with support from some Oirish rascals.

After a quick catch up with the band (we last met at Fuel Rock Club) the rock n roll five piece of Blackwater Conspiracy (8) took to the stage and burst to life with Roll The Dice, their laid back approach to rock got the crowd swaying, most of whom seemed to be newbies (which is sort of the point of a support slot like this) however as they moved through Monday Club and Healing the amassed throng began to get a little more involved letting Penny For Your Dirty Mind and Blackwater Swagger do much of the heavy lifting as the rhythm section locked in to a steady groove and the keys and guitars brought the sauntering riffs. For those of us who have seen the band before a new track called Song For Yesterday was aired and it bodes well for the new album. Seemingly pleased to be there the onstage banter was running high but it never interferes with just how slick this band are, concluding the set with the brilliant Hanging Tree Blackwater Conspiracy return to Wales for Steelhouse festival this year and I'd urge you to take the trip up the mountain.

Due to the keys and drums being on risers the stage did look a little sparse when it was being set up for the main act. But this meant that Joanne Shaw Taylor (8) could use the entire stage to strut her stuff as she peels off those impressive guitar solos that make her one of the best blues players on the scene. Bedecked in red military jacket, slinging a Fender Telecaster (which is the blues guitar imo) and with what looked like a new backing band (at least a new bassist) Joanne and co ran through tracks from her newly released record Reckless Heart and tracks from the back catalogue the most known of which were the scuttling No Reason To Stay and the punchy Dyin' To Know from her previous release.

She kept the masses enthralled with each sprawling solo greeted with a huge applause of appreciation and sheer awe as her tight as all hell band matched her note for note with special kudos going to her organist for his brilliant atmosphere setting throughout. The only thing I would say is that at the side of the stage the sound was drowned out a little by the drum positioning, however this is just the one criticism, here Shaw Taylor was at her brilliant best, buoyed by new material and firmly in place near the top of the blues pile, if you can catch her live do so.

A View From Another Country: Children Of Bodom (Live Review By Manus)

Children Of Bodom, Swallow The Sun, Wolfbeat, Summoner's Circle, Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, Canada

Canada’s gotten lucky, getting the first string of shows on Children Of Bodom’s North American Hexed tour. There’s a lot of excitement in the air as fans swarm into Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre, and the venue is already packed by the time the first opening act, Summoner’s Circle (8) takes the stage. The six-piece theatrical group take their half-hour set as far as it will go, getting the ball rolling and the bar set for the evening, and likely winning over some new fans in the process. Closing with the epic Leviathan: Lord Of The Labyrinth, they get a thunderous crowd reaction and even some shouts for an encore. It would be nice to see them play a full-length headline set, and it would be a smart move to come back around soon. This is a band that could go far—they play with a level of confidence that indicates they would be comfortable headlining on a stage this size in the future. They’re absolutely stand-up guys as well, taking the time after their set to hang at their merch booth and meet the fans.

Next up is Wolfheart (7) with another energetic and stellar set. They’re on top form, also delivering a set that leaves no doubt they’re eyeing up to that coveted headliner slot. They’ve got a decent number of fans out tonight, and get a nice mosh pit going, as well as a bunch of crowd surfers. It would make sense for Bodom’s set to follow theirs, bringing a culmination to the rising intensity here. Unfortunately, Swallow The Sun’s (6) mellow doom unfortunately stalls the momentum the first two bands did a great job establishing and building. The guys in the band just don’t seem anywhere near as excited to be here. They’ve got great tunes, no doubt, but the slow, gloomy vibe is out of place. They’ve still got fans who have turned up to see them, but their performance just doesn’t really fit well on this bill.

The anticipation for Children Of Bodom (8) outweighs this little dampener, though, and the headlining act delivers almost in full. Aside from a sloppy transition here and there, Bodom’s set is incredibly tight, and the three songs they play from new album Hexed earn audience reactions nearly as hefty as the classics like In Your Face and Angels Don’t Kill. The pit is gigantic and absolutely insane, and the venue security guards look like they’re having the time of their lives catching a wild crowd surfer every 10 seconds. A thin and frail-looking Alexi Laiho starts out delivering his vocals with power and conviction, but seems to wear down throughout the 70-minute set. The encore of fan favourites Hate Me! and Downfall should be the show’s peak, but this point the frontman seems beaten down and ready to head home, even speaking through most of the verses on the former tune rather than screaming. It’s a little worrying to see Laiho in this shape only four dates into the tour. Still, it’s a really fun show, and the band have even thrown a few deeper cuts into the setlist, like main set closer If You Want Peace… Prepare For War. It’s not clear what’s going with Laiho’s health these days, but here’s hoping he’s able to be back on top form soon.

Reviews: Yngwie Malmsteen, Any Given Day, Iron Fire, Milk (Paul H, Polly, Rich & Matt)

Yngwie Malmsteen: Blue Lightning (Mascot Records) [Paul H]

I saw Yngwie Malmsteen at St David’s Hall in Cardiff in 1991. It was one of the most boring gigs I’ve ever been to see. The Swede, like many of the maestro virtuoso guitarists of the time, spent the entire gig noodling for his life. Hell, he made Zakk Wylde look brief. I admit that apart from Rising Force and Marching Out I don’t recall having either the inclination to listen to much of his work either before or after that gig. Yet here I am, nearly 30 years later and no-one else fancied having a crack at the latest in a line of album a million albums that Malmsteen has delivered over a career which has seen him do just about everything. Blue Lightning sees Malmsteen tackle some standard covers as well as add four new songs. There can be no disagreement about his ability as a guitarist. He smokes hot and hotter, flying around the frets with a speed most of us cannot even contemplate. This time around he focuses more on the blues influences in his career and with label Mascot asking him to deliver it is a blues style one can hear some of the legends that have allowed him to roll on.

So, it’s somewhat confusing to have two Deep Purple tracks on here, the fantastic Demon’s Eye and unsurprisingly an annihilation of Smoke On The Water. Both are delivered with aplomb but there is something missing. It’s probably a bit of emotion and feeling although Malmsteen claims his interest in the blues has been lifelong, from the days of jamming along to John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers as a child in Sweden. A double from the Hendrix stable sees him lose it, fretboard style, on Purple Haze whilst Foxy Lady is well, Foxy Lady. There’s also an interesting cover of The Beatles While My Guitar Gently Weeps; a track oft covered and never bettered. In fact, when I say interesting let me revise it to a butchering. 

His version of ZZ Top’s Blue Jean Blues does nothing to better the original and as for the cover of Paint It Black, well, I’ll leave it at that. I’m often astonished at the way musicians churn out cover versions and expect their fans to pay hard earned cash for it. Malmsteen may be a fantastic guitarist, and he can sing well enough, but this just reeks of ego. Still, if you are stupid enough to shell out for it then you deserve all you get. 4/10

Any Given Day: Overpower (Arisign Empire) [Polly]

I would like to start my review by making a public apology to the band for butchering their entire album by poorly singing it on a loop for the past week. Overall I’d say this album is a gem, I’m the first one to admit that metalcore as a subgenre is becoming overcrowded in a sense that some bands are just another copy of a concrete band of the genre and very ‘samey’, as I haven’t listened to AGD before I did go into listening to it with a biased view of ‘yet another metalcore band’, how wrong was I? Well, very. Track one sucked me in straight away and brought me straight back to early noughties metalcore which to me is when it peaked. The clean vocals with the heavy riffs are spot on throughout the album and is a great example of why the genre is so popular. First listen to the album did have its ups and downs, some tracks had me gripped others had me thinking “the fuck is this?”.

Loveless has some epic bridges throughout but I will say is a little bit cliché on times, this and the break in Whatever It Takes in which the lyrics are “we know, we know, we are, we are” are the areas that did make me cringe a little bit, it was just unnecessary, the silence as a break would've done a better job. Other than that I enjoyed this album a lot. On a positive note, Taking Over Me is where I reference to the metalcore that I enjoy, it’s brutal, it has the right combination on the vocal tones. I can hear a hint of frantic electronics in the song that could be a positive route way for the band to take on future song-writing. The heavier songs on the album are the ones that draw me in more and after I’ve familiarised myself to the album enough to write it I found myself skipping to it. Lonewolf had a familiar sound to it, possibly old Killswitch Engage with the vocals and general layout of the track. “I am a lonewolf” would be a great gimmick for the band and is one of the tracks on the album that leaped out to me. 

The overlap of clean vocals/screams pre-chorus make this to me. Sure To Fail is my favourite on the album and for once, not for the clean vocals, the faster paced riffs and infectious head bopping is why I love this song. The role reversal on song layout between the unclean vocals and clean vocals is the right change to the album and has the right conclusion to the track into In Deafening Silence. I’ve been recommended to listen to AGD a few times and never got around to it, I immediately regret it after listening to Overpower, it’s about time I listen to their older work too. 8/10

Iron Fire: Beyond The Void (Crime Records) [Rich]

Despite being a huge fan of power metal Iron Fire are a band I’ve never heard previously despite Beyond The Void being the ninth album by the Danish band. Iron Fire play a more straightforward and serious style of power metal than many of their counterparts in Europe with plenty of influences from thrash and contemporary metal. This works in songs such as Wrong Turn, To Hell And Back and The Devil’s Path but on the whole I found Beyond The Void to be a rather dull album with very one dimensional songwriting which seemed to be completely lacking in passion which is something that power metal usually has in bucket loads. 

Vocalist Martin Steene rather than wailing like a banshee has a gruff and raspy lower register voice but unfortunately his delivery is so flat and unengaging that it dragged down most of these songs into mediocrity. I love power metal as it is dramatic, theatrical, over the top and generally just a bit silly so it was a shame to hear a power metal album so lacking in all those elements. I commend Iron Fire for trying to take power metal in a more serious direction but for me it fell rather flat. Despite a handful of really good songs this album was completely uninteresting and unengaging for me. 5/10

The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk: Alpha (Self Released)

Welsh retro mad buggers Milk have released their debut EP which is called Alpha, (which is actually quite clever). They are Grant, Marcëll and Luke and musically they go all over the shop on this four track EP, but most of the tracks are based in the blues, including the brilliantly psychedelic Little Bit Of Love that smacks of 60's San Francisco. From the fuzzed up of the religion baiting Bishop's Dick, to the driving proto-metal Science Is A Language, with the final track, the lumbering Alfred The Great having the secret acoustic sing along at the end of it, Alpha is a brilliantly composed overview of what Milk can do. Obvious really when they've honed their performances on the UK scene for a while now. I did think that Milk are probably raised on a bountiful diet of Captain Beefheart, Cream and Grand Funk Railroad which sounds like a great meal to me. No spilt milk here to cry about just great jams from moment one, excellent work! 8/10 

Reviews: GOLD, Walking Stone Giants, At The Sun, Booze Control (Rich, Paul S, Paul H & Polly)

GOLD: Why Aren’t You Laughing (Artoffact Records) [Rich]

This album was very much unfamiliar territory. A band I had never heard of and a genre that I have very little knowledge of but I like a challenge and it’s certainly paid off with the fantastic Why Aren’t You Laughing which is the fourth album by Dutch gothic rock band GOLD. GOLD have a very unique style which merges together several different styles, genres and influences into a sound they can very much call their own. It’s a mixing pot of gothic rock and post-rock with dashings of black metal, shoegaze and dark pop and it is an utterly sublime combination with songs as dark and bleak as they are catchy and memorable.

The atmospheric and haunting vocals by Milena Eva combined with strong guitar work really drive these songs and it’s impossible not to be caught up in the driving He Is Not, the intense Taken By Storm and the defiant title track. This album has a very strong dark and melancholic feel especially evident in the more atmospheric songs such as Truly Truly Disappointed and Till Death Do Us Part. GOLD are a band that have very much carved their own unique style and one that can appeal to post-rock and gothic rock. Why Aren’t You Laughing is a magnificent piece of work and GOLD are sure to be turning some heads upon its release. 8/10

Walking Stone Giants: Some Hell In My Heaven (Self Released) [Paul S]

Walking Stone Giants are a 4 piece based in Thessaloniki, Greece. They have been going since 2013, and Some Hell In My Heaven is their second album, coming 4 years after their debut; The Sons Of Gaia. The band play a relaxed style of Hard Rock, that is rooted in the rock scene of the seventies and eighties. The album kicks off with I Feel The Burn, a mid-paced piece of melodic hard rock. The pacing has a relaxed feel, but don’t read that as being lacklustre, or plodding. The tempo is right for the song, it might not be going for the jugular, but it is very tuneful and melodic, and doesn’t need to be aggressive, the song also boasts a great solo. Next up is the title track Some Hell In My Heaven, the verse section has a little more drive than the previous song, a little more relentless, but then mellows out for the chorus.

This is a nice piece of classic rock music, the ending of the track even reminded me a little of The Cult. Next up is In The Desert, which is simpler and more direct, great track. Snake I Ride The Thunder, has a simple main riff, again with the relaxed, mellow rock feel that this band does very well. The track reminds me a little of Saxon’s cover of Ride Like The Wind. No, I’m not sure what the title means either. Another Tomorrow is one of the softest tracks on the album, mellow and bluesy, with a really great solo (all the guitar work on the album is very good). Mad Tire (another slightly strange song title) is a more up-tempo, driving piece of rock music, lots of fun! And the up-tempo theme continues with Rusty Royal, which features a great, tough main riff. Stand up completes a trio of faster songs, but all still have a slightly relaxed tempo, and bluesy feel to a lot of the guitar. Reason To Hate You is a cracking rock song with a slightly eastern feel to the riffs.

The album is brought to a close by the track The Man With 2 Shadows, which is hard rock, but with clean guitars, which ends up sounding like Making Movies era Dire Straits. That's not a criticism, this is a great track, and it features a solo that good enough to be compared to Dire Straits. Some Hell In My Heaven is a great piece of rock music. This doesn’t have anything particularly groundbreaking or innovative about it, but that's not really the point. This is just hard rock done very well, well written, well played, on an album that has been well produced and mixed. Highly enjoyable! 8/10

At The Sun: Leave Before The Light (1078463 Records DK2) [Paul H]

Rising stars At The Sun’s debut release fits comfortably into the New Wave of Classic Rock which is dominating the airwaves at the moment. With the band having made a big impact at the HRH Highway To Hell competition at Sheffield last year, and gaining airplay on Planet Rock, Total Rock and HRH radio, they have just the sound which is likely to grab the attention from large swathes of the hard rock crowd. Mixing the crunch of Black Stone Cherry and The Black Crowes with the no-nonsense approach of AC/DC, the band provide 50 minutes of slick, smooth and easy to listen to rock. Big hooks, anthems galore and enough heavy riffs to attract those who like their rock with a bit of oomph.

Only A Fool, Preacher and Breathe are a solid opening trio on this release, setting out the stall early, Harry Dale’s vocals just the right side of confident, the guitar work of Chet Jogia sharp and neat and the rhythm section of founder Kieron Heaven, bassist Alex Matthews and drummer Craig Steen locked tight. With a groove and feel which varies from Rival Sons, The Temperance Movement to contemporaries Doomsday Outlaw, Ginn Annie and Massive Waggons, At The Sun have sufficient about them to push hard for those support slots with the likes of BSC and the numerous Planet Rock events that happen across the UK each year. At 50 minutes in length this album is probably about ten minutes longer than needed but At The Sun fit nicely into a side of the rock world which appeals to many. 7/10

Booze Control: Forgotten Lands (Gates Of Hell) [Polly]

I’m not sure if I’m psychic or if this album is incredibly predictable… From begrudgingly listening to this album several times I have come to the conclusion that the album is just one really long song. I can hear throughout the influences of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, but this album just sounds like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest’s embarrassing younger brother. I’m a girl that’s big on a guitar riff and a solo and lack of either of these in an album is a no go for me, this album hits another extremity of overkill on the riffs and solos. It’s almost as if they’ve written them and not put thought into the placement of it in a song, it just seems a little sloppy and as though no thought has put into the delivery of it.

One thing that has prevented me from giving this album a 0/10 is the vocals, it’s the only part of what the band has created that allowed me to differentiate each track, but it just seems a bit too ‘samey’ and sometimes made me cringe. Usually I have one or two favourite songs in an album, but I can’t even think of one that I slightly enjoyed, as I said at the beginning of the review, this album is a really long song, and not one that I enjoyed at all. 1/10

Reviews: Skaldic Curse, Vile Apparition, Ty Morn, Chaos Realm (Paul H & Matt)

Skaldic Curse: Devourer (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) [Paul H]

This might be one of the best releases of the year. It will certainly be in amongst the best re-releases of 2019. The irony of this is that Devourer, the third album by Skaldic Curse, should have been released over ten years ago. The album did appear digitally in 2013, as various reviews do exist on the internet but let’s roll with the official press release that accompanied this magnificent piece of British black metal and suggest that this is only now seeing the light of day. Founded in 2001 and lasting until 2011, Skaldic Curse featured members of Akercocke and Fen and released two albums, Pathogen in 2006 and World Suicide Machine in 2009 before the band split. Formed in part along with the wave of new acts who were seeking to re-establish the UK’s reputation on the international extreme metal stage, Skaldic Curse adopted a resolutely cold, intricate path – searing melody, crushing dissonance, and an almost overwhelming intensity which, when you consider where the band members came from was unsurprising.

The band adopted rather ridiculous names; bassist Monolith (Adam Allain or Gunrgyn from Fen), vocalist Woundz (Jay Logan), drummer Vermin (Paul Westwood formerly of Fen and De Profundis), guitarist Astynax and Scapula (Paul Scanlan – ex Akercocke) but there is nothing remotely humorous about their music. Devour is aggressive black metal, crammed full of tritone chord progressions, ragged riffs and blastbeats, dissonant melodies and rasping vocals. At times this album is reminiscent of Voivod merged with the atmosphere that Swedish giants Enslaved bring to the table. Unorthodox time signatures abound underneath the frantic jagged riffing. Devourer is an intensely satisfying piece of work. Intricate, powerful and haunting, it blends the excellent musicianship with a nihilistic fury. There are some astonishing passages of play; Abduction Void for example rages with a venom before slowing but rarely losing the sinister tone, the ragged almost indecipherable vocals don’t even start until almost five minutes have passed. 

The title track contains a striking solo whilst the bass and guitars rage in their battling duel throughout. With the shortest track just shy of six-minutes, this is an album that demands attention, patience and devotion. The reward is, in my opinion, one of the most impressive UK black metal releases of all time. Creative and innovative, Devour also contains an accessibility that many other bands do not offer but that doesn’t detract from the brooding menace and aggression that lurks within. 9/10

Vile Apparition: Depravity Ordained (Memento Mori) [Paul H]

This is the debut release from Vile Apparition, a four-piece death metal band from Melbourne, Australia. Whilst the band may be relatively new, the members are no new boys on the block with a history in other death metal outfits. It’s a filthy, solidly produced slab of old school death metal which leaves little to the imagination. The retro-sound sitting firmly towards the New York death metal sound of the 1990s-mid noughties. Mauled and Nameless kicks things off with gusto, Jamie Colic’s gruesome growling in sync with the band’s wall of sound, Oliver Ballantyne’s blistering opening drumming salvo a taste of the consistency that he delivers throughout this release. Avoiding the relentless chug that many bands use ad nauseum, Vile Apparition have chosen to focus instead on a thrashy style whilst retaining all the elements necessary. 

Visceral guitar work, bass that is constant without overwhelming and a slightly muddy mix essential for this genre. There are no flashy gimmicks here, just four musicians (Dave Kearns on bass and Dan Harris on guitar make up the band) whose intensity and focus on their sound forces Depravity Ordained high in this year’s releases. Aeon Of Impalement with its brutal machine gun drumming and rumbling bass, jagged riffs and mid-way pause for breath sits amongst a plethora of highlights on an album which really is impressive. 8/10

Ty Morn: Istor (Self Released)

We get a lot of one man projects here at MoM Towers most of them are basic, bedroom black metal with production that sounds like it was recorded in a tin bath. Now you could class Ty Morn as a solo project as all of the songs were composed by Aron Biale who plays the rhythms guitars and bass on this record, however unlike many of these one man projects Biale has used the power of the internet to gather together a number of musicians to contribute to this album. It's not black metal either, no from the Piotr 'Kenshin' Bednarczuk designed cover art to the music contained on this nine track album is a glorious tribute to 80's heavy metal influenced by Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Dio. 

The album contains as the band put it "tales of despots, petulant gods, war & honour, sea monsters, creatures of the night" so it's the ideal soundtrack for a Game Of Thrones Marathon. Biale's compositions are very good from the epic chug of Fall On Your Sword and the cinematic The Language Of Beasts to the faster speed metal riffs of Bring Forth The Night and Reign Of The Hunter. It's unashamedly retro and catchy as hell. He has a myriad of lead guitar players on this record (as solos are important) with seven contributing six string wizardry as Per Mikkelsen lays down the grooves behind the kit and Eugene Moiseienko brings some organs to the doomy Kings Of Dishonour and the bouncing Hunt Leviathan. 

Thankfully for me he only has one singer on the record and Raphael Gazal is somewhat of an undiscovered talent having a great set of pipes for this traditional metal fayre. From the compositions and arrangements to the performance and production Istor is a fantastic debut album for fans of Grand Magus et al a truly great release with everything you could want in a 'proper' heavy metal release. 9/10  

Chaos Realm: World Under Attack (Self Released)

I do like a bit of thrash and Chaos Realm’s opening riffs on the interesting 1066 (The Battle Of Hastings) had my attention instantly. It has the combination of old school and current razor-sharp slashing riffs. Disappointingly, the vocals of Jim Lambrou (who also plays bass and manages the band) are just awful and destroy everything. From here on in it was going to be painful and whilst I normally love a bit of the growler in a vocalist, this is something else. And that’s a shame because the band’s approach musically combines many top-quality influences including Death, Maiden, Priest and Pantera. Unsurprisingly then, the best track on the album is the measured instrumental Helpless Human. The Athenians have plenty of potential, but I’d suggest that Lambrou steps back from doing the vocals and finds someone with a little more variety and tone. A real shame. 4/10

Reviews: Vile Creature, Pissgrave, Body Harvest, Acid Death (Paul S & Paul H)

Vile Creature: Preservation Rituals (Prosthetic Records) [Paul S]

Vile Creature are a duo based in Ontario, Canada. The band, made up of Vic on drums and vocals and K.W. on guitar and vocals, have been making music since 2014. Vile Creature recently signed for Prosthetic records, and this double album is a collection of everything they have released before signing to the coolest of metal record labels. The band define their sound as Blackened Doom, which is a description that I’m not going to argue with, as it’s pretty accurate. The collection features Vile Creatures first album A Steady Descent Into The Soil (2015), and the EP A Pessimistic Doomsayer (2016) on the first CD, and the album Cast Of Static And Smoke (2018) makes up the second CD. A Steady Descent Into The Soil starts with the track A Constant Yearning To Leave, which starts with a slow buildup, before crashing into a huge, blackened doom riff the size of a planet. The track has very harsh, aggressive vocals, which, despite the anger are also deeply mournful. The aggressiveness of the vocals increases as the track goes on. The pacing is slow, but there is a huge amount of inertia in this; it’s slow but it’s also very powerful, and feels as unstoppable as continental drift. I listened to this album at work quite a lot, the title always resonated. Motivated By Guilt has the same slow but unrelenting quality that the first track had. The song has a huge build up, which is released in the second half.

The vocals are confrontational and in some ways deeply anguished. Next we get the title track A Steady Descent Into The Soil. This is huge slow and mournful. The vocals are initially harsh and feel like the singer is in pain. The track has a quieter section mid way through, with a simple, sad but beautiful melody brought forth by some very lilting clean vocals. The track gets heavy again, but this time those beautiful clean vocals carry on making the ending of this song cathartic and meaningful. The EP A Pessimistic Doomsayer is one (very long) song. The track has a slow build up before a huge and heavy riff kicks in, with clean vocals. The track moves into a heavier, harsher section before tempering all of the nastiness with some very tuneful clean vocals, that remind me a little of some of Sisters Of Mercy’s backing vocals. Again the band mix the heaviness with the beautiful clean vocals, giving the ending of the track a tempered mix of nasty with elegance. The second CD in this collection is the bands 2018 album Cast Of Static And Smoke. This is clearly a concept album, but unlike most concept albums, the band give you a spoken word short story as the last track on the album. I’m assuming that the album started with the story, and then they wrote the songs to fit in with the story, lyrically and thematically. 

The songs on this album are shorter than their previous work. All the song titles are taken directly from the short story, and most of the tracks feature sections of the audiobook that makes up the final track. Water Tinter Gold and Tainted Copper gets the album off to a huge and nasty start. Both members of the band are featured doing harsh vocals and the intensity of this track is off the scales. As the song goes on it feels more harsh and intense, before a climactic ending. Circuits Bending And Breaking opens with drums, before a minimal riff comes in. The vocals are harsh and the riff becomes increasingly discordant. In fact this track is all about the build, getting more and more harsh, intense and brooding. Forest Subsists As A Tomb starts with feedback before an enormous riff and bellowing vocals crash in to wash all of the feedback away. The hugeness couldn’t last, so we also get a section that is more minimalist, but is still as heavy as all fuck. Sky In Descending Pieces starts in a slow, soft intro before it gets crushingly heavy, harsh and nasty. This is the last track that is a song, and it batters and crushes the audience into submission. 

This is almost a definition of heavy. Final track is called Audiobook, which is also a description. This is the short story that all the songs have been based on. It’s a post-apocalyptic tale of self aware robots and sentient trees. It’s very well written, and read. In style it reminded me of the more intelligent sci-fi writers like Philip K Dick or Ursula Le Guin. The track does have some very minimalist musical accompaniment, but it’s mainly about the story. Vile Creature are making a lot of noise at the moment. They are going to be huge in the next year or so. This is not hype. They are every bit as good as the praise they have garnered. This collection shows that so well. They are innovative, breathtakingly creative, heavy as anything I’ve ever heard, and incredibly beautiful. This 2 CDs collection is well worth having, nearly 2 hours, and it’s all great. Vile Creature are going to be huge pretty soon, this double album shows why. 9/10

Pissgrave: Posthumous Humiliation (Profound Lore) [Paul S]

Pissgrave erupted on to the death metal scene in 2015 with their staggeringly savage debut Suicide Euphoria. The four piece, based in Philadelphia blew thousands of minds with their brand of ultra extreme death metal. Everything about Pissgraves debut was savage and breathtakingly over the top; production, guitar, bass and drum sound, insanely angry vocals, song titles, lyrics. If it was possible to push thing to ridiculous levels of extremity, then Pissgrave did. Now, four years on they are back, and if you are expecting them to have mellowed, well, you’re wrong. The album opens with Euthanasia, and we are dropped strait into a blast beat, and an extremely nasty spiky riff. Pissgrave haven’t mellowed at all, if anything they’ve got more savage, monstrous and bestial. The guitar sound is just as insane, bass and drums are even more ridiculously savage, the vocals are still soooooo horrifically angry. The other thing that is obvious from the first track is how good the solo’s are on this album. 

Imagine a solo played by Eric Cutler or Danny Coralles from Autopsy, then make it faster, squealier, and all round nastier in every way, and you are getting close to how insane the solo’s are on this album. Next up is Canticle Of Ripping Flesh, which is dense, fast and aggressive. It’s absolutely brutal and battering, ferocious and fierce. Funeral Inversion is slow and very heavy for the first half. Although slow, it is so intense that it doesn’t feel like a drop in extremity. There is a faster section, just for some variation in nastiness, before going back to the slow and heavy again. Catacombs Of Putrid Chambers is back to fast again, with a relentless, battering and driving feel. Into The Deceased is fast and attacking, with unrelenting savagery. The song has a slow and grinding ending, with some really nasty, putrid harmonies. Title track Posthumous Humiliation has some very nasty, spiky riffs, the vocals are particularly nasty and filled with rage. This track also boasts another great solo and a slow grinding ending. My god this is album is horrific. Celebratory Defilement is mid-paced, but is still aggressive and savage. 

The guitar, bass, drum and vocal sound is so extreme, and the overall sound is so intense that mid-paced is just as extreme. The album comes to a close with Rusted Wind, another unremittingly nasty piece of work. The song does have one surprise, the second half of it is all guitar harmonies. Don’t get me wrong, they are still vile, nasty and squalid harmonies, but harmonies nonetheless. Posthumous Humiliation is a staggeringly extreme death metal album. Only a few bands can manage this amount of extremity, Drawn And Quartered manage it, but I can’t think of any other death metal acts that are this extreme. Usually, the only place to find this level of ridiculousness is in the War metal scene. This album sounds a little like Revenge playing Autopsy covers, and as those 2 bands are 2 of my favourites, I’m loving this album. Metaphorically, this is like swimming in sewage, with your mouth wide open; it’s utterly putrid and vile, sickeningly disgusting, and totally wonderful. Pissgrave don’t have that much in the way of variety, they do one thing, but they do it very, very well. If you like that thing (and I do), then this album is essential. 8/10

Body Harvest: Parasitic Slavery (Comatose Music) [Paul H]

This album should come with a fucking health warning. Listen to it through noise reducing headphones at even a reasonable volume and you may well be unable to speak to people for the next week. I’m still dribbling now! If you don’t know about these guys, then check out our interview with them before they played the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock last year. Formed in 2011, Body Harvest have been delivering true old school Bristolian death metal for the past eight years with an aggression and trauma inducing style that shatters bone and destroys ear canals. Parasitic Slavery is their sophomore release, coming after 2014’s debut album Futile Creation. Whilst that album bludgeoned listeners with its sheer intensity of delivery, Body Harvest have moved up a level on Parasitic Slavery. Will Pearson’s drumming is relentless, driving the band forward at unbelievable speed, hammering away at his kit like Bob The Builder on amphetamines. The swirling, visceral guitars of Gareth Nash and Jake Ettle-Iles slash mercilessly, their intricate patterns surviving just above the bone crushing bass of Dan Shaw Odell. 

The album opens with a dramatic intro, The Wrath Of Ra, the Egyptian echo to the military drumming before Body Harvest hit accelerate and Global Decimation kicks in. Huge, machine gun drumming, swirling razor sharp guitars and the deathly rasp of vocalist Gareth Nash intense and powerful. Hierarchy Of Grief, the band’s single from 2018 follows, and if anything, the pace increases, multiple patterns churning as the band plough forward with unyielding force. Consumed by Tyrants is next, a wall of sheer brutality, the sound blistering the paintwork and cracking door frames, guitars firing full force and as for that drumming, it is unstoppable. There is no let up from start to finish, Body Harvest show no mercy as they destroy with a passion that few bands can summon up. By the time you reach closing track Apocalyptic Abomination there should be nothing left. 38 minutes of the most brutal death metal I’ve heard all year, the tank is fully emptied by the time this album concludes. It is a ferocious monster of an album which should catapult Body Harvest forward in deserved style. 9/10

Acid Death: Primal Energies (7hard Records) [Paul H]

Originally in operation between 1989 and 2001, the Athenians reformed and refocused in 2011, producing their fifth album Eidolan and sixth album Hall Of Mirrors for their new German label 7Hard in 2015. Five years have passed but the Greek quartet are back with a blistering seventh album that is crammed full of full, heavy riffs and massive grooves that are as infectious as an Amsterdam whorehouse. Seven-minute opener My Bloody Crown starts with some atmospheric female vocals before a huge riff kicks in, the band opting for a classic thrash tinged metal sound. It’s meaty, the groove addictive and the growling vocals of Savvas Betinis perfect. There is even some raging saxophone which whilst bizarre fits in perfectly. The pace intensifies with Godless Shrines, a blistering raging maelstrom of riffs played at a frenetic pace. 

The title track is a vicious all out death metal beast, with an unusual melody and hook adding to the interest. With several changes of pace, direction and style, Acid Death stomp their way through the middle of the album. Fire Of The Insane and the burning Reality and Fear both pulse with power, the latter diverting mid-song with some haunting keyboard to add atmosphere whilst the riffs still rage alongside. It’s groove all the way on Regret/Repent, a blisteringly fast track which has a clean singing section and is reminiscent of Trivium in its melody. Final track H.U.M.A.N is an industrial edged Rammstein style tune which brings a complex and intricate album to a fitting end. Well worth the exploration, numerous styles and approaches warrant several listens to grab what is really going on here; should you invest you are likely to be rewarded. 7/10

Review: Children Of Bodom, Roulette, Dark Seal, Good Fall (Alex, Rich & Sean)

Children Of Bodom: Hexed (Nuclear Blast) [Alex]

Children of Bodom are different. Influenced by the guttural vocals and doom-obsessed lyricism of black metal, they also place tons of emphasis on hooks, contributing a melodic core to their darkened sound. Albums such as Hate Crew Deathroll, Hatebreeder and Follow The Reaper undeniably deserve to be seen as classics of whichever subgenre of metal they belong in. Whatsmore, they continue to hone their unique qualities across Hexed, an album overflowing with sinister, yet also exalted metal. Opening with This Road, we begin on a charging gallop, as a ferociously distorted guitar riff sets in and keyboard touches contribute to the dusky tone. In quintessentially Sabbath-esque style, we are granted to an exciting tempo change, before synths and lead guitars are seen to engage in an epic stint of soloing, both rebounding off one another as if caught in an enthralling battle!

Whereas the first song is incredibly dark, Under Grass And Clover are upbeat in tone, glistening melodic motifs creating an atmosphere which is joyously Eighties inspired. That is, until you read the lyrics, which read like albeit less graceful tale from Lovecraft’s Necronomicon, as they recount the thoughts of a madman, desperately trying to recount the vile sin they have committed: "Fuck me, there's blood on my hands/That's nothing new but now they're shaking too/Everything's soaked in sweat/Here comes the ‘forgive and forget’/Who should I forgive? Forget that plan/I really don't give a damn". Ultimately, this goes some way towards proving the ease with which Children Of Bodom are able to contrast macabre imagery, with positive and life-affirming composition or vice-versa. Admittedly, they don’t perform it to the same extent as Ghost, for whom irony is a defining feature, yet it is definitely a technique on show, accentuating the creativity of these musicians. Perhaps some of the greatest songs across the entire album are the visceral anthems of defiance, like Glass House. ‘’Distress and nothing less you breed/Confess and you're blessed/set free from sin, well ain't that something?/Absolution leaves me nothing’’ Alexi Laiho screams here, evidently incensed by fundamentalists and extremists. 

Platitudes and Barren Words is another moment of pure, unbridled anger where our frontman condemns apathy and meaningless sloganeering as a means for solving the world's problems, all against a set of bright, lively guitar melodies and thrashing rhythms. On a technical note, Hexed is one of the most commanding moments across the entire experience, the hurtling tempo, and unexpected juxtapositions in tone, making for rousing listening. Following this, Relapse and Say Never Look Back, make a return to the classic influenced, and tuneful instrumentation analyzed earlier. Admittedly, though it seems somewhat cliché and slightly ridiculous to see incredibly aggressive vocals screamed over bright and glimmering keyboards, there is enough crunch in the guitars, and stomp in the rhythm, to maintain a ferocious presence from start to finish! 

Overall, Hexed is far from the greatest Children Of Bodom album. As I have said time and again in my reviews, I appreciate greatly when albums go above and beyond to impress, even if that involves verging on the absurd or exaggerated. While this doesn’t quite meet my expectations, it has more than enough charm, mixed with aggression, to justify these musicians place as colossuses of modern metal. 7/10

Roulette: Now (Black Lodge Records) [Rich]

After a short period of inactivity long running Swedish AOR band Roulette are back with new album Now. AOR isn’t the most complex or forward thinking of genres and if you have heard any other AOR bands you pretty much know what you are getting. Now is no exception to this rule. When it is done right and done well AOR can be very enjoyable and Now is a great example of AOR done right and well. All the typical characteristics of the genre are in play but wrapped up in a bunch of really well crafted and enjoyable songs. The songs are all driven by strong melodies, an uplifting and positive vibe, great guitar work and the fantastic vocals of Thomas Lundgren. 

The ten songs on Now have enough variation in them to keep things interesting throughout the albums duration - some songs veer in a more hard rock direction, some songs are softer and some songs get a nice balance between the two. Roulette are one of a massive legion of AOR bands and whilst they do nothing to distinguish themselves from any other band in the genre they just do it well and with conviction. Probably not recommended for those with a heavier taste but if you are in the mood for something light and uplifting then you can do no wrong with this album. 7/10

Dark Seal: Země Našich Předků (Murderous Music Production) [Sean]

Something ancient has dragged itself from the Czech Republic, through forest and fire with all it’s heathen fury ready to unleash. I speak of Dark Seal, Brno based bards whom worship at the blackened altar of ancient ones. What’s that? This lengthy preamble doesn’t hint of the power that dwells within? FINE! Pagan Black Metal! Yah happy now!? *hastily regains composure* Indeed, there is no other way to describe Dark Seal’s olden onslaught. Having already sharpened their blades across 2 releases, Dark Seal return with 3rd album, Země Našich Předků. Steeped in ancient beliefs and an anger towards all thing monotheistic, the finished product is a skilled demonstration of druidic darkness. Truly, I’m only but a few minutes in and am already in the thrall of these Moravian marauders. I guess all that’s left is to fully succumb….

When A Voda quickly establishes the crux of what Dark Seal are all about, scathing blackened melodies accompanied by throat tearing howls. The strong rhythm section propels their assault onwards, a choir bringing up the rear to complete their arsenal. The din of war occasionally dissipates, with clean strumming allowing a modicum of breathing space before fading out to the sound a thunderstorm. Země Našich Předků dispenses with the speed in favour of a slower tempo and a heavier atmosphere, the returning choir increasing its power tenfold. Sluence continues this, though the mournful air has been replaced by something altogether more sinister. The riffs become more hookier in nature, with the pace alternating to accommodate a clean chorus. Exodus Niterne Slabych begins in an almost trance like state, it’s cascading guitars falling on each other with hypnotic grace. Zrade Nasich Oren introduces a change of key, melancholy and muscle melded seamlessly with some syncopated blast beats for good measure. The most melodic (and longest) track thus far, lead melodies leading the charge, occasionally harmonising with each other to great effect. Duse is a somber number, almost introspective, contrasting nicely with the battle hymn that is Lughnasad. Reminds this author of old Falkenbach, which can only be a good thing. Gelert’s grave, my arm hairs are ‘a standing! Alban Arthuan closes Země Našich Předků, it’s deliberate march eventually fading into nothingness. Goosebumps receding, I exhale, taking pleasure in knowledge that my time with Dark Seal was well spent. Best give the verdict then, hadn’t I?

When something is done with this degree of sincerity and zeal, it’s difficult to find fault with Země Našich Předků. The quality of the songs and the air they conjure is constant throughout, arranged by those with a keen ear and a story to tell. Would the inclusion of some shorter, more immediate songs be of any benefit? Perhaps, but dwelling on what “could” be is futile in the face of what Země Našich Předků IS; a damn good album. The performance is tight, the riffs are strong and it never wanes in atmosphere or ferocity. Wrapped in a suitably crisp production, Dark Seal have produced a fine piece of work, certain to make necks move and the spirit soar. If you yearn for the old ways and wish to see all Rome (or Christendom, for that matter) burn in heathen fire, Země Našich Předků is a worthy clarion call. 8/10

Good Fall: Editors Letter (Self Released) [Alex]

Performing a style of alternative which is experimental, with multiple dabbles in ambiance and atmospherics, Good Fall remind me comfortably of acts like Multisensory Aesthetic experience, or Jellyfish. Now that I have successfully alienated everyone who isn't familiar with the weirder side of Indy, which happened alongside the heyday of the genre in the early 2000s, how about I recommend Y'all an album which tries to reinvent that style for the modern day. Editors Letter is accessible enough to be loved by alt-rock fanatics while maintaining an air of uniqueness about it which sets it apart from more widespread titles.

A light twinkling of piano opens Iababo, before swelling of guitars come in, perfectly complimenting the light and shade aesthetic which Good Fall embrace throughout their debut album. Schematics feels almost sensual and swaying, in tone, before a huge middle section takes hold, later giving way to some precisely plucked guitar arpeggios. These two tracks alone paint a vivid and detailed musical experience. One perfectly summed up by the colorful wave on the album artwork. The exploration of different sonic palates doesn't cease though, as Relevance feels decidedly morose and anxious in tone and Song Three (the fourth track on the album) rejoices in unpredictable complexity. 

Only getting more fascinating from there on, Something Dark is precisely as the title suggests, incorporating discordant noises and outlandish effects, to create an atmosphere which you don’t usually expect to hear brought to life a record bearing the label ‘alternative’! Knows is formed of gracefully executed ascending and descending guitar and key patterns, while Windows plays around with distorted frequencies, in a way which is disquieting yet incredibly effective. The final three songs bring the piece to a gorgeous end, as Physics sums up the chaotic and aggressive side of these musicians’ musical personalities, Light Something flirts with jazzy or symphonic textures, while One More Thing again demonstrates their excellent use of dynamics and contrast.

Perhaps part of the reason I am so excited by this record is that I simply did not expect to hear one like it, coming from a new act. Yes, there has been an influx of bands bringing together emo and prog recently, yet they rarely capture the textured and layered nature which Good Fall brings to the table. I look forward to hearing what they present in the future 8/10