Reviews: Pantheon, The Vigil, Sandness, Ekko Park (Paul S, Alex, Rich & Lucas)

Pantheon: Age Of Wolves (Neurotic Records) [Paul Scoble]

There are many, many bands called Pantheon. If you do a quick Google search, as I did in preparation for writing this review, you will find lots of different bands using this moniker. This Pantheon is based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Age Of Wolves is the bands first album, the four piece made up of Donnie Larkan on Drums, B.J. Cook on Guitar and Vocals, Buzzy Leistikow on Guitar and Vocals and Jeremiah James Baker on Bass and Vocals, have released one single before this album. 

Musically the style that Pantheon have developed is a mix of Thrash and Death mixed in with some very melodic passages that remind me of NWOBHM or bands like Mercyful Fate. All of this has a blackened quality to it, and it all feels quite Old School; so Blackened, Old School Death /Thrash with some melody and tunefulness. The vocals are harsh all the way through, with a nasty Black Metal quality to them that is very effective. 

The opening track, Serpent Death Cult, is a good example of how packed with melody this album is. The track is mid-paced trash, to my ear there is a similarity to Kreator in the thrash elements, and the track is soaked in a Mercyful Fate like melodic centre. The track is savage in places, but is always tempered with melody and tunefulness. The track Left My Mark also has a very pleasing mid-paced and melodic part that really adds to the second half of the song. The final track Eclipse Of The Worm Moon is another great example of where this album just drips musicality and melodiousness. The track, which also features some beautifully flowing fast Death metal riffs, has a fantastic melody packed section in the second half of the track.

However, this album is not just about great melodies and hummable tunes, as I mentioned earlier there are some very effective fast thrashy riffs, fast tremolo picked Death Metal riffs all over Age Of Wolves. Lust Of The Beast features some very aggressive Thrash riffs, that pummel the audience, the riffs feel driving and purposeful and drive the song forward. The fact that the fast thrashy riffs are sandwiched between slow and very heavy riffs, just adds to how feral the fast riffs feel. Another track that really pushes the more extreme elements is Choir Of Death. The track has a very aggressive opening which then goes into a more expansive part, the track then puts it’s foot down and we get a savage old school Death metal riff that is superb, beautifully nasty tremolo picked riffing. 

Age Of Wolves is a great Blackened Death/Thrash album. I’m deeply impressed that this is a debut album, it feels like an album from a band with much more experience. Every track is tight and to the point, very little time is wasted. The album as a whole comes in at 33 minutes, which is another Old School quality. The album is savage and extreme in places but is also very melodic and enjoyable. Great album, highly recommended. 8/10

The Vigil: Hypervigilance (Fever Dog Records) [Alex Swift]

Sometimes, especially in the midst of a year like this one, I need a break from music with pretensions and complexity, to indulge in some energetic, virulent and non-diluted rock. I wouldn’t be a true worshiper of this subset of music if I didn’t occasionally have that craving, and The Vigil works powerfully to provide that sound in spades. From the grimy yet memorable Out Of Plans to the abrasively throttling Skeleton Crew, the tone here is one of pure unfiltered fun. Some elements which may take you out of the experience insofar as you’re willing to let them prove a distraction are the distinctly clean vocals that bear more in common with pop-punk than grunge. However, speaking as someone who really appreciates when acts combine pop-centered sensibilities, with an underlying passion for aggression and anger, the singing style definitely grew on me after about two tracks. 

Secondly, I’ll be the first to admit that the specific production style doesn’t do this group any favours, which sounds strange to say considering Dave Draper – famous for his work with Ginger Wildheart - is behind the mixer. I think I kind of understand what they were going for here. The recording has that dulled, muted sound aimed at conveying a retro feel, which works to an extent yet also takes a lot of power out of the otherwise pulverizing rhythm section. If I had to compare Hypervigilance to anything else I’ve heard, I’d honestly say they bear a resemblance to Puppy – one of the most exciting pop-metal acts to emerge over the past few years, or even insecticide era Nirvana. Outside of a few minor gripes here and there, I’d say that this act bears a lot of potentials. There’s not much to these songs outside of that element of raw energy, so I wouldn’t dive in expecting to have your life changed. However, if I can put aside that side of me with desires experimentation and theatricality at all times, anybody can. 7/10

Sandness: Enter Please EP (Rockshots Records) [Rich Oliver]

Enter Please is the new EP by Italian hard rockers Sandness. It follows on from their third album Untamed which was released last year. This is a bit of an odds and ends EP with a brand new song Alive & Kickin' which was the first song written by the band after the release of their third album and they liked it so much they decided to release it immediately instead of waiting for the rest of the tracks for the fourth album to be ready. The rest of the EP is made up of some cover versions and live recordings.

The new song Alive & Kickin’ is some pretty standard sugary melodic hard rock which whilst pleasant enough to listen to doesn’t have much about it that stands out. There are some passable covers of Get It On by T-Rex and Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting by Elton John with the Elton John cover being the better of the pair with a much needed injection of energy. The live recordings are all decent with the songs all taken from last year’s Untamed album.

Enter Please is a decent but rather forgettable and unnecessary release. The new song is ok but it’s not good enough to warrant a whole EP release. This is more of a release for the hardcore fanbase of the band. It all sounds very pleasant but it’s very standard fare melodic hard rock and very disposable. 5/10

Ekko Park: Horizon (D.F.W) [Lucas Tuckwood]

Sometimes, it’s good to take a breather. There I was, blasting some nasty aggressive thrash metal, when along came Horizon, Ekko Park’s brand spanking new album to cleanse my palette. The rockers from the land of kiwis and fantasy movies have been reliably churning out tunes since 2013, and their latest album is sure to please.

Horizon is ten tracks of freshly squeezed radio friendly goodness. I usually stay well away from anything labelled radio friendly, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this record. The riffs are clean, the bass is fuzzy, the drums are superb and the vocals are top notch- the songs are well crafted, and it’s easy to see why they’ve achieved such notoriety among fans of their scene. Listening to each song back to back, one can easily appreciate each song’s little nuances, but I fear that if one was to just catch any of these songs on the radio, it might simply blend in among others of its ilk. Each song is expertly put together, but to the those not intimate with the finer aspects of modern rock, this is just radio music, nothing more, nothing less. Fans of the genre are bound to adore this record, and if a burnout headbanger like myself is able to appreciate its intricacies, I’m sure they will as well.

To those of you dead set against radio music, this album will do little to change your mind, but those of you craving a soundtrack to a casual house party, or just something to groove to while doing odd jobs, I can wholeheartedly recommend this album. Regardless of my personal tastes, this is a finely crafted record that’s bound to keep fans satisfied. 8/10

Reviews: Terra Atlantica, Fortune, Red Room Ensemble, Archaeologist (Dave, Steve, Bob & Alex)

Terra Atlantica: Age Of Steam (Pride and Joy Records) [Dave Marcovecchio]

At first glance the notion of reviewing a power metal concept album sequel about the story of a 19th Century steampunk Atlantean empire seemed like an almost intimidating collection of geek tropes stacked on top of each other, like something that you could only encounter while locked in a deadly game of 1 on 1 Necromunda with the final boss of Games Workshop. Imagine my surprise then, when said album turns out not only to be a fine example of the genre at its best, but also one of the most enjoyable records I've listened to this year!

Hamburg Power metallers Terra Atlantica's second full-length Age Of Steam continues the narrative established by their 2017 debut A City Once Divine. It's 1815 and Atlantis has risen from the deep and kick-starts a steam powered industrial revolution all whilst engaged in a battle with the British Empire. If that lore dump sounds like an intimidating prospect then do not be put off, as Terra Atlantica manage to pull of this lofty concept without leaning too far into either of the 2 extremes of the genre (self-apologetic “look how silly we are” ironic parody or po-faced “I am a serious composer” humourlessness). The band's delivery, especially the performance of Frontman/guitarist Tristan Harders, is one of confidence, sincerity and an infectious enthusiasm that you can't help but be drawn into, a talent that is rare in this genre.

Whilst it's clear that Terra Atlantica worship at the altar of their fellow countrymen Tobias Sammet and Helloween it rarely sounds derivative or like pastiche. Tracks like Across The Sea Of Time, Forces Of The Oceans Unite and lead single Age Of Steam are rip-roaring power metal anthems that perfectly balance speedy metallic fury with luscious arrangements while containing a full Wacken-Open-Airs-worth of Pilsner-fuelled sing-along choruses. When not in full speed, mid-tempo tracks such Mermaid's Isle and Believe In The Dawn provide a welcome change and give the album a great sense of pacing.

Some notable “guest” slots include a sonorous vocal from Oleg Rudyg of Magistarium on The Treachery Of Mortheon as well as a fantastic portrayal of a mermaid (Yes, really) from Katharina Stahl. The orchestral sections, expertly arranged by Alex Hunzinger or Aeternitas, elevate the album with some remarkably realistic sounding backing tracks (bar the occasional cheesy sounding brass synth). The closing one-two punch of Rage Of The Atlantica War/Until The Morning Sun Appears add an epic, cinematic finale to the album, both musically and in terms of the storytelling.

It is clear that a huge amount of meticulous effort went into crafting this record over its 2 year gestation period, and it shows in the end result. Marc Wustenhaugen's production is dense, punchy and sleek, reminiscent of much bigger bands with much bigger budgets. The songwriting, album structure and orchestral parts have been crafted with a staggering amount of attention to detail. With this album, Terra Atlantica have created an album that holds its own against power metal's stadium-filling heavyweights, a class that they very well could soon be joining. 

To those of you missing festival season this summer (particularly European listeners), grab a few beers, sit out on your lawn, blast this record and let Age Of Steam give you 55 minutes of pure escapist joy. 9/10 (measured in Brass Goggles of course)

Fortune: The Gun’s Still Smokin’ Live (Frontiers Records) [Steve Haines]

The story of Los Angeles rock band Fortune is an interesting one with familiar themes of record label bankruptcy, fan-driven reunion all woven together with a backdrop of soaring synthesizers, screaming guitars and the incredible vocals of Larry Greene. The sound of the band is one of a progressive, cinematic soft rock outfit – perhaps a Starship meets Magnum kind of deal. Listening to the album, it is impossible to tell that there was an eye-watering 35 years between their second and third albums which is testament to their songwriting and signature style.

Album opener Thrill Of It All is perhaps the best track but the high standard, while dipping below the bar set by the opening track, remains high throughout and all tracks hang well together despite the huge hiatus in the band’s career. This record really is a celebration of the band and indeed the genre, with the quality so good it is hard to believe this is a live recording. As well as songs from the band’s history, one track Through The Fire is a solo track that vocalist Greene recorded for the Top Gun soundtrack but its sound is so stylistically similar to Fortune that one could be forgiven for thinking it was by the entire band.

While a live album from a lesser known American band may be for die-hard fans only, it really is a pleasure to listen to for the superb production and musical values displayed and I believe the album would be enjoyed by anyone with a liking for 80s rock. They may be veterans but they could certainly teach many of the young upstarts in music a thing or two about putting on a show so polished that only a smattering of crowd noise reveals it as a live album and not a studio recording. I recommend the album to anyone with a liking for likes of Magnum, Winger, Europe, White Lion and the like but outside this, I think many music fans will be less impressed. Luckily, I’m in the first camp so I really did enjoy it. 7/10

Red Room Ensemble: Endless Dark Red (Spinnup Records) [Bob Shoesmith]

Formed in 2014 this Finnish quintet was born out of a cover band called Moonburn. It’s a brave move to set course for the wide oceans of originals material from the safety of Sweet Child O Mine in the local bar and compete with the armada of quality rock bands Finland seem to regularly launch, let alone with a well-stocked global market. Their debut and eponymous full release in 2015 got a fairly luke-warm reception from the critics Metal Altar observing “…Red Room Ensemble is well-played, despite not doing anything particularly original... For an independent release, it’s solid enough, but it isn’t anything you haven’t heard before 6/10”. So, fast forward five years and have the ensemble got up a head of steam or built up a following? Well, no, not really. The previous synopsis could easily transpose on to Endless Dark Red in 2020. There are a lot of tired, stock, classic heavy rock ingredients here such as twin guitar work, fantasy and gothic references and some plundering of several other power metal bands that have gone before (and have done it better) which is fine if you were shining exponents of the genre.

The opener, Sacred Masterplan a mid-pace riffy affair that tends to plod along with both very capable guitarists Kari Sundstrom and Sebastian Soderland working really hard trying to make something of a fairly decent track that vocalist Torgny Ttjarnfelt tends to hold back by being a little shouty then switching to a pitchy/melodic vocal and overall a provides distinctly average performances throughout that remind me (slightly) of Paul Di'Anno. This is followed up by the hugely ambitious The Sunken Cathedral which meanders through 12 minutes of various slow chug riffs, acoustic sections, an attempt at some gothic/symphonic infills & vocalization culminating in a loping Maiden gallop and then a drawn out ending that lasts for the remaining two of the 12 minutes while lyrically and conceptually it doesn’t relate to the title at all. Here in lies some of the issues with RRA as you navigate your way through their second album (and presumably the first) & some niggling issues that reappear time and again. Most of the songs drift between breakdowns & build ups without a particularly coherent path. They have a box of power metal ingredients and clichés, ably expressed by the guitarists and then bolted them together in a rather haphazard fashion, provided it a relatively rudimentary production and then there is the niggling issue of the vocals. 

Only really listenable in parts when Ttjarnfelt gets in the zone and is underpinned by layers of harmonies such as in This Fallen Life he does struggle in places (Carry My Darkness and Fire Will Walk With Me). A mish-mash of stock power metal tropes and all similar key riffery that starts to blend into one by track 4 despite the constant style changes. Its solidly played by the guitarists but unremarkable overall. Red Room Ensemble are miles away from competing with some of their current contemporaries in Finland let alone on a global stage based on this outing. There are flashes of creativity and potential but it’s nothing you haven’t heard before done with more aplomb by others. 6/10 

Archaeologist: Volume II (Self Released) [Alex Swift]

From the opening notes which resound from the guitars on Aggressor, you get a sense of the density which these musicians pour into their music. The cavalcade of notes and rhythmic structures on display means the experience will be a treat for those who enjoy the complicated, and intricate side of prog. I can certainly appreciate the album from a purely technical standpoint. Lucid Dreams is my favourite moment in this respect due to the soaring feel which emanates from the arpeggiated changes in speed and therefore, mood. I do feel that these commit the same sin as Dance Gavin Dance or Polyphia at times, allowing the musicianship to overtake the songwriting, in such a way that the album bleeds distraction and alienation. The Void is a perfect example of this kind of cleverness with constraint or precision without patience. 

Despite this, the superficial moments are short-lived, and Archaeologist does have an ear for timing and theatricality. Take the closer Beyond The Edge where the intersecting melodies and duelling rhythms create a feeling of interstellar joy and emancipating discovery. Here's where Volume II really excels. In underpinning that sense of tension, they are able to create a cinematic feel which matches the accomplishments of some of the greats in modern prog. Considering the understandably short run length, I would be acting in bad faith to reach a conclusion about an entire band based on one EP. However, I can definitely see their work growing on me over time, as I learn to notice and respect the subtleties and nuances which lie at the heart of their experiments in complexity. 7/10

Reviews: Unleash The Archers, The Georgia Thunderbolts, Moths/The Stone Eye, Black Lesion (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Under The Archers: Abyss (Napalm Records)

Hot on the heels of their covers EP, Brittney Slayes and her merry men return with their latest full length, the bands fifth (!) it's a conceptual record that acts as the follow up to their previous full length Apex. Unleash The Archers have really become something of a leader in the power metal genre since their inception in 2007, much of this is due their thrashier, modern electronic assault than many of their contemporaries as well as Slayes' amazing vocal prowess, a four octave mezzo-soprano, which if you don't know anything about singing is about as good as you can get. Now she uses this to full effect throughout, but it really grabs you on the brilliant Return To Me where there are even growls (and orchestration) but also on the rampaging title track which also shows off Unleash The Archers' classic metal chops with nods to Helloween and Priest as well as the pinpoints of Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica. Much of this due to their employment of synths that are used as a garnish more than a main course, infusing the riffs with a more melodic feel that harks right back to the neon 80's, just listen to Through Stars and you'll be able to make the connection. 

However due to synths only really coming into their own on the big ballsy ballads that this record features the faster heavier numbers are very much about letting the guitar interplay of Grant Truesdell and Andrew Kingsley speak out loud as the often echoed, galloping drumming of Scott Buchanan binds these tracks together like Gorilla Glue. Yet again, like so many bands the production comes from Danish knob-twiddler extraordinaire Jacob Hansen it zings with a clarity that sends shivers down your spine when there is an emotional moment and makes you put your fist in the air when the anthemic choruses kick in. Although Hansen can't take all the credit as the Canadian's are at their most impressive on Abyss, keeping up the incredibly high quality of songwriting they have always brought to the table but there is more variation on this record than before as the rollicking power metal numbers such as Soulbound and the rampaging Faster Than Light (which would give Dragonforce a fright with its speed) are counterpointed by ballads like The Wind That Shapes The Land and big AOR styled rockers such as the epic sounding Carry The Flame which evolves into some Manowar-like "woahs" at the climax. Unleash The Archers are operating on a bigger scale than before cementing their place as one of the premier heavy/power metal bands around! 9/10

The Georgia Thunderbolts: EP (Mascot Records)

The Georgia Thunderbolts hail from the Appalachian Hills of Rome, Georgia (I mean the name gives it away) and as such they are very much in the Country/Southern Rock vein, with lots of laid back, whiskey sippin vibes that scream to be played in the blazing sunshine on a porch somewhere. It's a scorching fusion of blues guitar playing, heavy rock riffs and the honesty of country music that is brought to the listener across five tracks that are there to impact on the listener, to show the talents of this quintet to an audience that has been privy to quite a strong resurgence of the Southern rock genre over the past few years. The band have toured with big hitters such as Black Stone Cherry and Blackberry Smoke, so they have cut their teeth with the best in the genre and that has rubbed off on this young and hungry blue collar rock band. 

On tracks such as Spirit Of A Workin' Man you can hear the band really pushing that rock n roll swagger to the forefront with some big riffing met with the downhome lyrics of working class heroes, a well worn troupe of this style of music. Elsewhere on the album we get that layered acoustic/slide sound on Looking For An Old Friend. As Riley Couzzourt and Logan Tolbert share the six stringing in the style of Allman/Betts back in those good ol' days. Tying things down in the engine room are Zach Everett's bass/keys bringing grooves as Bristol Perry's drumming keeps the beat on numbers like So You Wanna Change The World and the riffy hip shaking Lend A Hand. Up behind the mic are the soulful vocals of TJ Lyle whose drawl resonates across every song wringing out emotions most notably on the proggy Set Me Free which closes out this EP. A debut is always a risky thing for a band but here everything is peachy The Georgia Thunderbolts could be the next Southern rock heroes 8/10 

Moths/The Stone Eye: Split (Electric Talon Records)

Back 2018 I gave Puerto Rican doom/sludge metal band Moths a big 8/10 for their debut EP comparing it favourably to bands like Rush, Jane's Addiction, although they also have a lot of Sabbath and Neurosis too. So I was intrigued to see what they could do when put against Philly garage rockers The Stone Eye on this 4 track EP. Both bands play one original and one cover on this record which opens with Moths psychedelic stoner metal sound, Intervention is a monolithic slab of shamanistic left of center heaviness with the fuzz-drenched bass of Weslie Negrón and crunchy Electric Wizard-like riffs of Omar González, underpin the jazzy proggy lead guitar of Jonathan Miranda. It's a 6 minute ride into the world of Moths as Daniel Figueroa's drumming gives power and spacial awareness to the songs as Damaris Rodríguez's vocals move from a Grace Slick croon to a colossal growl. 

Their cover is of Sabbath's Hand Of Doom is loaded with huge pounding organs and a sucker punch of explorative prog jazz. The Stone Eye however takes things into more traditional sounds with some powerful riffs on Presence Of Mind that take things into the spacey rock realms but their cover is more obscure taking traditional folk song Wayfaring Stranger which sounds like it's a Nick Cave song, in a good way of course. I'd heard of Moths before as I said and here they once again show why their brand of doom is so interesting to listen to, but having never heard of The Stone Eye I can say that they have more than outdone themselves on this split providing a great counterpoint to their heavier compatriots. 8/10

Black Lesion: Mindless Feeding Device (Self Released)

From Edinburgh Scotland Black Lesion are trio comprised of Andreas Koutoupas (Lead Vocals & Bass), Andrew Murray (Guitar) and Craig Whitelaw (Drums). From their social media they seem to be a relatively new and young band that draw quite heavily from the sounds of grunge and post-grunge so you can hear elements of Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and more contemporary acts like Alter Bridge. The key to this is Andreas' resonant vocals which due to his European pronunciation (I believe he is Greek) makes them sound unlike many UK based bands. Mindless Feeding Device is their debut release and it's a hard hitting 5 song selection. 

From the thundering Anomaly which opens the EP with a grooving bassline and the repeating chorus of "Kill Your Body", you can not only hear those influences I mentioned earlier but also that Black Lesion are a very slick unit as these songs sound like they come from a band who have played together for years. Sin and Formless bring some great riffage that could have come from a Disturbed record full of down-tuned riffs and those excellent sonorous vocals. Mindless Feeding Device are a band that are very much stuck in the late-90's early 2000's style of big grungy riffs. 7/10

Reviews: Master Charger, Cytotoxin, Psychlona, Hannah Aldridge (Matt, Charlie/Dr Claire, Lucas & Mike)

Master Charger: Origin Of The Lugubrious (Stoned Rocka Records) [Matt Bladen]

What do you get from a Master Charger? Not the ability to power all of your devices but riffs, big fat dirty riffs, that straddle the sounds of stoner and doom metal. Origin Of The Lugubrious is the 3rd album from these Midlands based noise merchants are just a trio (again) but make the fuzzed up noise loud enough for ten men, it's a sound that has been refined and made much more destructive on this third album featuring some of the most aggressive and best songwriting of Master Charger's career. From the gutter dwelling opening crunch of the title track you can hear that the bands sludgy rock n roll that has been called "Satanic Blues Rumble" is at full strength summoning the beasts from the deep with a rumbling groove from the outset. 

This instrumental sweeps into the first vocal track the swaggering Embers Of The Sun which is based around the throbbing bass of Dave Hayes and groove laden guitars from J P. Vocally there are links to both Viking Skull and Blind River as J P's sleazy raw vocal adds another level of filth to this record. The influences on this record are exactly what you expect them to be with Sabbath the most obvious, especially on Who The Hell Are You? On which Jon Kirk half inches the drum fill from Fairies Wear Boots but that's no issue as for bands like this Sabbath Worship is expected so long as they write songs such as the proggy Blood & Sand or the hard rocking final duo of Our Time Has Come and Earthbound & Hellbound. Origin Of The Lugubrious sees Master Charger at their meanest, heaviest and most focussed ever! 8/10

Cytotoxin: Nuklearth (Unique Leader Records) [Charlie Rogers and Dr Claire Hanley]

German tech death bruisers Cytotoxin have been around for nearly a decade, and upon releasing their fourth album Nuklearth, it’s clear that the gamma rays absorbed over this time have only increased their powers.

Atomb opens the album with aggressively catchy, melodic hooks. Incredibly stylistic, it sets the bar sky high from the beginning; the tremolo picked riff into the sweeping section is the bomb! Following this impressive start, is one of the first singles we were teased with, Lupus Aurora. The song structure and passages sound purposeful, with an unwavering resolve and direction. Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into the composition. In particular, drummer Stocki’s immense talent is well and truly on display here, with flawless execution and perfect snare tone. It’s got just the right amount of punch to hit hard through the mix, without being overbearing. The weaving intricacies and harmonic flavour of the guitars sit perfectly alongside, painting a sonic picture in stunning 4K HD. Grimo’s vocals only intensify this further, with a style that oozes brutality, without compromising clarity. Next up, is Uran Breath, which is no doubt going to create absolute carnage live. The unrelenting pace and energy is perfectly suited to whip up a frenzied throng of berserk moshing. There are few moments to catch your breath, which only serve to emphasise the intensity, thus making it that much more impactful. 

Dominus kicks down the tempo, with an insurmountable flex of an intro. Guitar duels between Fonzo and Jason are jaw dropping, showcasing their absolute mastery of the instruments. The mid section tempo decay is absolutely dripping with attitude, swagger, and bravado. This certainly takes you back to Cytotoxin’s roots of heavy slam style writing, yet incorporates their evolution as musicians by adding an intricate melodic line to contrast against the uncompromising brutality. Switching things up yet again, Drown In Havoc changes the game. With more thrash laden riffs and a song structure that leads with a clear melodic focus, the heaviness is imparted purely by the nature of their writing style - as opposed to it being the primary goal. The bass snarl is unmistakable during the intro to Soul Harvester, like the clanging of suspension bridge cables. Vt’s tone and playing throughout the album is superb, and this track highlights that exceptionally well. Bringing back all the bravado and swagger unleashed during Dominus, the timings and use of syncopation are super effective at building anticipation here, culminating in a neck snapping groove. Possessing an infinitely huge sound, and tons of atmosphere, Coast Of Lies is the opposite of predictable. It’s anthemic guitar lead comes from left field, and is yet another jaw dropping display of musicianship, which is magnified in Quarantine Fortress, which melts your face from the outset. 

The album’s final section is led by Dead Zone Anthem, which is a foreboding, atmosphere building transitional piece. It’s a great example of how bands can create original material of this nature, without the overuse of samples - a common cliche in this genre. Title track, Nuklearth, is another demonstration of the refined, restrained approach Cytotoxin have adopted on this record. It’s magnificent, and yet understated. In particular, the blistering outro, featuring lead lines over tapping parts, encapsulates the grandiose theme. Mors Temporis closes the record as the instrumental epilogue. A Geiger counter crackles over the sound of crashing waves, while a solemn piano and string section emphasizes the gravitas of the subject matter. A feeling of gut wrenching emptiness takes over. It’s not often a death metal record can hit you right in the feels, but this track evokes a sincere emotional connection, and serves as a chilling reminder of the horrors of Chernobyl. 

If there was ever any doubt, Nuklearth cements Cytotoxin’s stellar musicianship, and ability to create a dynamic death metal masterpiece. A firm contender for album of the year. 10/10

Psychlona: Venus Skytrip (Ripple Music) [Luca Tuckwood]

Delivered to my hard drive this morning was the latest cargo from Yorkshire space truckers Psychlona their fresh new album, Venus Skytrip. Billowing out of the speakers amidst the hash fumes are eight of the sludgiest and heaviest tracks I’ve heard all year, and boy are they something to behold. 
Venus Skytrip is a magnificently heavy record- each track boasts a sound heavier than a brontosaurus, and positively oozes with that sludginess that you just don’t get with other sorts of music. Frankly, some of these songs are so heavy and dense they’re starting to form their own gravitational pull. The guitar and bass are mixed to perfection, and combined with the laser-precise drumming on display, contribute to this album’s utterly monolithic sound- vocals are on point too, adding a nice punky edge to the relentless riffs.

  
The highlight for me was the track 10,000 Volts, where the slow and gentle crooning of the verses suddenly kicks into a chorus heavier than the earth’s core, sludgier than the La Brea tar pits and nastier than a bag of hornets. Excellent as this album may be, there are some minor hiccups in the form of some rather simple solos that shoot high, but fall somewhat short, often wavering on a few notes for just a tad longer than they ought to. Regardless, they never feel out of place, and perfectly suit the rest of the songs- hell, even without any solos at all I think I’d still adore this album, and I can’t imagine how much better it is listened to while baked out of one’s gourd. 

If you’re looking for the soundtrack to your trip across the universe or your next hot boxing session with the lads, Venus Skytrip is absolutely the record for you. I cannot recommend this album enough. 10/10

Hannah Aldridge: Live In Black In White (Icons Creating Evil Art) [Mike Chapman]

They say music speaks to you, this I can attest to, but when you come across a special sort of songwriter, one that makes each word resonate deeper than most it makes for a compelling experience. Raised in the State of Alabama, true Bible Belt territory, Hannah Aldridge has courted the darker side of things, dealing with subjects as heavy as depression and hopelessness she found her home in the craft of Southern Gothic Country. The fact that this is a live album adds a level of intimacy, as if a curtain is slowly pulled across to reveal a rare brand of raw and melodic gothic country. you really feel each word, each chord, her masterful grasp of the songwriting craft is laid bare, this lends a certain vulnerability sure, but Aldridge meets this with such defiance, speaking with a maturity and tone only found in those who have truly lived a life, even at the tender age of 33 Aldridge has lived the life of someone beyond her years. 

Standout examples of this include the magnificent Goldrush, Aldridge’s voice is exceptional throughout the album but Goldrush lays it bare as the guitar takes more of a backseat. The beautiful harmonies provided by Robbie Cavanagh conjure memories of The Civil Wars, a rare treat I must say. Aftermath is another track that showcases Aldridge’s fierce defiance in the face of adversity, it feels Springsteen-esque but in a style that is absolutely hers. My final pick is the captivating Born To Be Broken, a folk tale that once again shows how adept Aldridge is at her craft, a mesmerizing performance from start to finish. A must for fans of Seth Lakeman, Laura Marling & Larkin Poe, I implore you to give this a try. 9/10

Reviews: Veonity, Volcanova, ThrashGangsters, Psychotron (Simon, Matt, Lucas & Dave)

Veonity: Sorrows (Scarlet Records) [Simon Black]

Sweden has no shortage of cracking Power metal acts these days, and this album is fourth time out for this bunch. With an album title like Sorrows I was expecting a fairly mournful affair and in this respect the traditional instrumental Broken delivers, with its haunting piano refrains reminding me of more doomy opuses, but from Graced Or Damned, the power kicks in and stays with us all the way, albeit with plenty of darkness added to the mix. It’s classic Euro Power Metal – fast paced, strong melodies, Neo-Classical touches to the keyboard work and soaring twin guitar work - and yes, I’m tapping my feet along from that moment onwards.

The darkness begins properly with the moody Back In The Dark, particularly with the somewhat impassioned vocal performance of lungsman/guitarist Anders Sköld. This chap has an impressive vocal range, which he seems to manage effortlessly and I am continually surprised at how rich a sound they have for a four piece, particularly given they have extended into some more technically experimental directions here. I am curious to know if they will take a keyboard playing out with them live. Blinded Eyes Will See, keeps the Neo-Classical theme going and has some absolutely spot on guitar work from Samuel Lundström. They pack a lot in here, and Back Into The Dark and Where Our Memories Used To Grow are great examples of this. 

Acceptance is probably my favourite on here – it’s dark, moody, heavy as hell and with an absolutely blistering performance vocally, with all the instruments firing full pelt and what you always need in Power Metal – a chorus to sing along too (even if few of us have a hope in hell of hitting the top end notes). War verges into more traditional Power/Veonity territory and with its more growled vocal approach could have fallen off the side of a Sabaton album. The closer Fear Of Being Alive brings it all together in the end, as the best elements of the whole album shine through here, and play out effectively with a vocal solo.

This is a significantly darker tone that their previous three albums, with the subtle Symphonic (and in parts verging on the Progressive) elements really help. The rather depressing cover of a stitched up decaying human heart made me think this was not a Power metal band, who let’s face it corner the market in artwork glorifying historical warriors scenes (something Veonity have definitely been guilty of in the past). Refreshingly for the genre, the album is not an full over-complex concept to attempt to unpick, but a series of songs with a tonal commonality, playing with themes of darker, moodier and down beat aspects which to be fair is fairly rare for a normally upbeat major chord dominated-genre. Is this a ground-breaker – no. Is it a strong example of how to do Power Metal a little differently – absolutely, and a refreshing change from all the Vikings, Templars and glorification of war that usually dominate the genre. 8/10

Volcanova: Radical Waves (The Sign Records) [Matt Bladen]

Is there anything better than some thick desert rock grooves on a gloriously sunny day? Yeah I know those glorious sunny days may be a little behind us now due to the change in weather but there is comfort in knowing that you can throw on a band like Kyuss and be immediately transported to Sky Valley. Now Volcanova are another band that bring those breezy Californian vibes and desert rock grooves however they are about as far from the Golden State as you can get as they reside in the arctic tundra of Iceland. That shouldn't put you off though as the Nordic countries do groovy hard rock really well (The Vintage Caravan anyone?) but Volcanova have embodied that surfer/stoner ethos epitomised by Garcia, Homme, Bjork & Reeder. 

Radical Waves is the band's debut album and it features some of the soon to be trademark features of Volcanova's sound as the swirling fuzzy desert rock vibes often are enveloped with crushing sludge riffs along technical virtuosity and three part harmonies, as each member of the band is confident vocalist trading lead vocal turns across this album. From the bouncy Super Duper Van, through the shimmering psych of I'm Off, to the punky Sushi Sam and the crushing Mountain Volcanova are a band who owe nods to the stoner rock legends along with a liberal sprinkling of Sabbath Worship (M.O.O.D) for good measure. Blissful summer grooves to keep those sunny days in the memory Radical Waves is groovy rock record...dude. 7/10     

ThrashGangsters: Perseverance (Self Released) [Lucas Tuckwood]

Perseverance is the debut album from the Teutonic headbangers, Thrash Gangsters, returning after a five year gap since their 2015 demo. The album bristles with all the aggression befitting thrashers from the same lands that gave us Sodom and Kreator, but lacks some of the refinement needed to kick it into the stratosphere. 

If there was one word to describe this album, it’s energy. This is thrash at its thrashiest, with none of that ballad bullshit. Tracks like Cheating Death and Blood For Gang War spend absolutely no time beating around the bush- they’re here to make your head bang, and they achieve that goal and then some. The riffs are crushing, the drums are brutal, and the bass rips through the bottom end like a four stringed buzzsaw. These lads have certainly got the chops to make some killer thrash, which they certainly do, but it’s not perfect. The compositions are great, but there’s a number of little timing slip-ups dotted throughout, as well as a few missed beats with the guitars and bass. Not major problems, but they can tend to be a bit distracting (Perhaps a lack of precision might be expected based on the rather precarious manner in which the fellow on the cover is handling his pistols.). 

The lyrics can also be a little silly at times, but I won’t knock them for it considering that they’re not singing in their native language. Tribute to Dimebag particularly suffers from some rather heavy handed songwriting, but one can clearly see that it’s a heartfelt homage, and the music is still great regardless. 
All in all, Perseverance is a wonderful debut album and a tasty piece of thrash. Despite its shortcomings, I still had an easy time banging my head, and I’m sure the rest of you will too. 7/10

Psychotron: Pray For Salvation - Re-Issue (Self Released) [Dave Marcovecchio]

In terms of metal, 2006 feels like a lifetime ago. A time where old-skool traditionalism sprung forth from the ashes of nu-metals wake, enjoying a few years of mainstream resurgence prior to the djent-boom of the early 2010s. Bands embracing revival thrash or the New wave of Power Metal were two of the types of acts vying for slots in any self-respecting Guitar Hero's Myspace “Top 8” (remember those?). So with a new re-issue of Stuttgart-based power-thrashers Psychotron's 2006 album promising the best of both worlds, surely the listener is in for an absolute blast? Unfortunately, this bag of treats is an incredibly mixed one.

When Pray For Salvation fires on all cylinders it absolutely holds up with some of the best records of that decade. Opener At The Graves gallops off the starting line like a maddened racehorse, and tracks like Circle Of The Damned would not sound out-of-place in the discography of Tim Owens-era Iced Earth (it IS 2006 after all). When the record is focussed and in full thrash mode it hits all the right notes. The drums are absolutely thunderous and Guitarists Matze Braun and Kai Huissel are no strangers to the Jeff Loomis style of chuggy, thrashy riffs. While the influences from their contemporaries does seem very obvious in hindsight, it still serves as a fine example and snapshot of the genre at the time.

Sadly, the record is not without it's flaws, frustratingly all self-inflicted. Some tracks are overlong due to a lot of repetition and a lack of variety in the album's opening half only highlights this. There are moments where the arrangement primes the listener for a soaring singalong chorus which vocalist, Matze Morbitzer, seems to never deliver on. Other downsides include some frankly baffling production choices which, given it's a re-release, feel like absolute oversights. Entire sections are out of sync and sloppy sounding and a weird, arhythmic, percussive scraping throughout the entirety of the otherwise great closing ballad Shattered Illusion turns a potentially epic finale, into something akin to a Nevermore B-Side recorded in a Cheese grater factory.

While Pray For Salvation gets a lot right, its moments of greatness are let down by careless and clumsy mistakes, both creatively and in its production. 5/10

Reviews: Blues Pills, Jesus Wept, Navian, The Fall Of Troy (Paul H & Liam)

Blues Pills: Holy Moly! (Nuclear Blast Records) [Paul Hutchings]

If you reflect on the journey of Blues Pills, it’s somewhat bewildering to realise that as the band reach their tenth anniversary, Holy Moly! is only their third full-length studio release. But with a discography that includes a live album after each studio release, accompanied by three EPs, maybe it’s not such a surprise. Such has been the strength of the band’s live shows, capturing their sound has almost been essential. Regardless, it’s been four years since sophomore release Lady In Gold arrived, and in the meantime, we’ve seen the band whose ethic was built on touring undergo the trauma of a major line-up change with original guitarist Dorian Sorriaux departing (amicably) and founder member, writer and bassist Zack Anderson now taking up the six-string challenge. Enter bassist Kristoffer Schander, alongside drummer André Kvarnström and of course, vocalist Elin Larsson.

Happily, for those fans who feared that Sorriaux’s departure may have rocked the Blues Pills ship, Holy Moly! is possibly the most dramatic and impressive album the band have produced. Anderson’s guitar work smokes as hot as the virtuoso he replaced, whilst Larsson’s aggressive and powerful performance is without doubt the best of her career. Listen to her performance on Bye Bye Birdie and you’ll identify a frontwoman whose confidence is at its peak. She simply explodes out of the speakers. It’s not all roaring psychedelic blues though, with a neat blend of pace and style distributed throughout the album. Song From A Mourning Dove and Wish I’d Known show the mellower side to the band, although the former starts gently before exploding into life, Larsson’s incredible voice once more soaring wildly whilst Anderson’s work is incredible.

Recorded and self-produced at their own Lindbacka Sounds studio using analogue equipment, the band enlisted Grammy award winning producer Andrew Schepps to mix the album. If Lady In Gold was a step up from the self-titled debut, then Holy Moly! is another giant leap. It’s classy, mature, and confident from the opening bars of the anthemic Proud Woman through to the emotive and personal closing song Longest Lasting Friend. Stripping back to their raw power, smouldering with blues influences and including a smattering of the psychedelia that was one of the influential traits on Lady In Gold, the third album from Blues Pills is as good as we could have wished for. 9/10

Jesus Wept: Apartheid Redux (Redefining Darkness Records) [Paul Hutchings]

If you search Jesus Wept on Google, the first hit you get is the American Christian hardcore outfit from Eire, Pennsylvania. Thankfully, this version of Jesus Wept is the antithesis of that band. Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Jesus Wept originally self-released their (digital only) debut EP Crushing Apartheid in 2017. A description of sleaze-soaked Death Metal is an apt phase, as is the other description of ‘Carcass for the next generation’. Utilizing a filthy combination of Heartwork era death metal ala the Liverpudlian legends blended with the spirit and attitude of 80s L.A. metal, Apartheid Redux sees the original EP remixed and mastered, with two new tracks and a scorching fun cover of cover of W.A.S.P.’s infamous Animal (Fuck Like A Beast). 

There’s something quite comforting about this EP. 20 minutes in length, Jesus Wept keep things simple but bury a load of intricacy within each track. The first four songs are those originally on Crushing Apartheid. The bludgeoning grindcore of Drowning In Holy Water blasts from the speakers at frenetic pace whilst the three other tracks all contain enough bruising death metal to raise the dead. Short And Sweet, Hammering In The Nails, Buried Face Down and Jesus In Chains (Father In Hell) all bring an old school rabidity to the table. 

The new tracks, Comfortably Dumb and Fucked On The Cross are typically irreverent, highlighted by stomping aggression which one of the band’s trademark sounds. Growls, roars, and the odd razor-sharp solo emerging from the maelstrom make Apartheid Redux a solid riff fest. Jesus Wept won’t be the first band to cover the W.A.S.P song but it’s a faithful, raging version which sticks true to the original, albeit with more grit and fire. 7/10

Navian: Reset (Indie Recordings) [Liam True]

I’m not a huge fan of instrumental music at all. To me it’s usually just full of noodling and and mindless droning. But Navian sort of do it for me with their different sound. Most usually with instrumental albums it’s a mix of Rock and Metal, where as Navian make a fusion of Djent, Power Metal and have added a whole lot of symphonic elements to beef up the background with flavour.

Seemingly coming out of nowhere and being booked into a festival in their hometown of Norway with no material, they recorded Reset in just a month. Now to go from zero music to record a 5 track EP that spans 21 minutes within a month is quite a big feat and is a testament to the skills of the musical trio and their dedication. The EP itself is full of more than just your standard noodling. It doesn’t focus on just the guitar side of things. Bassist Christian Espeseth performs astonishing licks with his bass and is as technical as John Myung. Drummer Ola Dønnem is as versatile as most modern drummers and has the future skills of Gene Hoglan with the way he uses his abilities to stretch around the kit with his miraculous fills and catchy beats. And guitarist Martin Selen uses his skills to control the fretboard with his precise sweet picking and soaring notes while unleashing his inner Yngwie Malmsteen.

It’s a pretty impressive album, as far as instrumental albums go, but there’s no doubt that Navian are to be expected bigger things in their future. If they do decide to go down the route with a vocalist, I’d be interested in their choice. But for now, Reset is a fine piece of modern musical ability. 7/10

The Fall Of Troy: Mukiltearth (That Feeling Of Time) [Liam True]

It’s been a while since I've heard an album that made me reminisce about the early to mid 2000’s Post Hardcore music scene. I was excited when I heard the opening moments of A Tribute To Orville Wilcox as I was hoping to be thrown back to that time. And I was. That was until vocalists Thomas Erak & Tim Ward spewed forth their vile vocals. And I don’t mean that in a good way. Their vocals sound painful, strained and to be completely honest, unlistenable. Splitting the unclean vocals between themselves is a hefty task, but none of them provide a listenable scream. The clean vocals of Erak however do kind of make up for it. The real spark from the band is the instrumentals. Providing odd time signatures to set them apart from the other Post Hardcore bands in the scene does add a certain distinguishing element of Mathcore, but it’s not enough to get past the vocals. It could have been a brilliant album, but it’s been let down severely. 3/10

Reviews: Mercury Circle, Slaves, Kiljin, Yargos (Rich, Bob, Lucas & Matt)

Mercury Circle: The Dawn Of Vitriol (Noble Demon) [Rich Oliver]

The Dawn Of Vitriol is the debut release from Mercury Circle which is the new project from Jaani Peuhu of Iconcrash and Swallow The Sun fame. With a sound that is dubbed as ‘new doom’ this EP is a very compelling and luscious mix of Katatonia-esque doom and dark gothic synth-laden soundscapes. It’s a unique fusion that works tremendously well and very much caught my undivided attention.

This EP is comprised of five songs working as a teaser for a full length album to follow in due course. This is beautifully dark and atmospheric music which as well as somber and stirring is cinematic in its scope with songs that build up beautifully and pay off tremendously. The opening song Oil Of Vitriol is very much a slow burner but builds up to an epic crescendo whilst the lead single The Beauty Of Agony has a wonderful balance of the metal elements and the atmospheric soundscapes. Black Flags is more in the synth and electronically driven whilst The Last Fall is more inclined towards the metal side of the bands sound. Closing song New Dawn again balances both elements of the bands sound whilst adding a more experimental edge.

Whilst Mercury Circle is Jaani’s baby with him handling vocals, keyboards and guitars he is joined by Jussi Hämäläinen of Hanging Garden on guitars and synths, Juppe Sutela of To/Die/For on guitars, Ande Kiiski of Sleeping Monsters on bass and fellow Swallow The Sun member Juuso Raatikainen on drums. Mercury Circle have very much impressed me with the debut EP. It hits all the spots when it comes to dark and atmospheric metal but with the greater use of synths and soundscapes it very much stands on its own in the dark and doomy subgenres of metal. I very much look forward to hearing more from this band. 8/10

Slaves: To Better Days (SBG Records) [Bob Shoesmith]

When I first saw ‘Slaves’ on my album review pile I thought it was another release from the gold album releasing, UK Indie-Punk duo of the same name who are frequently blasting out in the Bobster household, but no. (FULL DISCLOSURE! So did I, that'll teach me for not checking - Ed) I must confess I was unaware there is a post-hardcore five-piece hailing out of Sacramento, California with the same name before today and I am quite amazed that the two outfits seem to have successfully co-existed without record company litigation or copyright controversy. So just to be clear, we are talking about the US version.

Slaves, often stylised as SLVS (the ‘V’ replacing a vowel seems bang on trend at the minute, probably as it has the added commercial bonus of focussing internet searches specifically to those artists especially if it’s a common name; CHVRCHES, PVRIS etc). Also, due to the recent BLM movement in the USA, the band have announced they are ditching the name and this is the last release using the moniker feeling it is no longer appropriate. Slaves have had quite a tumultuous journey since their inception in 2014, with five members departed/been replaced and eight musicians having come and gone for touring purposes. Yet, in amongst all the comings & goings, it hasn’t prevented Slaves being well supported by their fans and label alike, and being quite prolific in the studio with this, To Better Days their fourth full release and a shopping list of 21 singles in five years to 2020.

This latest (and last under the current name) album sits very comfortably at the high gloss, commercial end of American pop/rock which, with the recent addition of The Voice US runner-up Matt McAndrew’s pop/rock TV appeal, creates a modern sounding, chart friendly, mashed up fusion of synth walls, occasional nu-metal riffery and an almost R&B styling in places. McAndrew has a very clear, higher range, that when dipping into tracks could be mistaken for a Justin Timberlake type or even LeAnn Rimes in places (Footprints, Prayers and Like I Do). This should not be mistaken for a criticism at all though, Slaves have certainly fallen on their feet in nabbing a great vocalist and benefitting from the huge exposure and audience that the global TV audition process that is The Voice franchise will bring. The recent addition of McAndrew has clearly impacted on the original bands direction it seems though as (without trawling through all their back catalogue) their bio description of ‘Post Hardcore’ has long since left the building and should be roundly ignored when choosing your choice of listening.

The album starts off with a just-over a one minute intro track, the eponymous To Better Days which will give you the blueprint as to where their direction lies. Breathy vocal, drum machine and 80’s synth. The next track Prayers, weaves itself into Witch Hunt which continues to incorporate sporadic commercial samples with autotune and echoey background vocals throughout. This is a theme that continues over the entirety of the album and it’s all produced extremely well to a high gloss finish. Talk To A Friend is another drum machine & keyboard soulful, dance vocal meets rocky chorus fusion. It’s a track that will no doubt get stuck in the US top ten or on a car commercial. It’s a catchy album, aimed at the heart of as many popular US music markets as they can point at.

Slaves (and whatever name they will be called in their next incarnation) appear to have stumbled their way to a commercially successful, squeaky clean product, seemingly ditching the darker elements of their original DNA along with some members along the way in favour of the commercial rewards of being a chart friendly vehicle for a reality TV singer – albeit a very capable one. There definitely seems to be a theme developing from some areas of the US rock scene at the minute where I’ve heard several formerly “rock” bands being rebuilt, rebranded, given some chart friendly studio jiggery-pokery and pointed at the charts. I guess it’s the way of the world, with the financial lifeblood of musicians being squeezed out it by streaming, the leviathans of TV and media ownership and COVID a lot of musicians are taking a more pragmatic view and going with the flow. To Better Days is, as described earlier in this review is, high gloss, very commercial American chart pop/rock which, with the recent addition of The Voice US runner-up Matt McAndrew. It’s far too saccharine and obvious for my tastes but I’m sure it will sell in bucket loads. 6/10

Kiljin: Master Of Illusion (Self Released) [Lucas Tuckwood]

Master Of Illusion is the debut album from Kiljin. Adorned on the cover is who one can only assume to be the Master himself in a rather good looking piece of art, but unfortunately it’s the best thing on offer here. Across thirteen tracks, the lads from Michigan manage to bring rather little to the table, and the album fails to quite hit the mark in a number of ways. This record incorporates all the ingredients of standard heavy metal, but unfortunately does nothing to add spice to the recipe, and as such one is left with a rather bland meal. It’s a shame, because I think the vocals on display here have some potential; they feel quite reminiscent of Biff Byford’s legendary pipes, but they’re in need of a little refinement. Frankly, I think Trevor’s vocals are better suited for slower tracks like Point Of No Change, but he manages to do a decent job all around. 

The same can’t be said for the fretwork, as the riffs are nothing to write home about, and the solos simply meander aimlessly before slinking back into step with the rest of the song. The drums and bass offer nothing of note. Lyrically, fantasy themes are heavily utilised, however the sometimes dumbfounding simplicity of the lyrics make them feel less like Dio, and more like a Jack Black parody with none of the comedy. Heavy metal doesn’t need to be Shakespeare, but this is just lazy. Overall, there’s some potential here, but Master Of Illusion brings just shy of nothing to the table. While there’s nothing great here, there’s nothing awful either, but it’s the debut after all, they’ve got plenty of time to practise their craft and come back swinging. 5/10

Yargos: The Dancing Mermaid (STF Records) [Matt Baden]

Yargos released their last album all the way back in 2012 (you can just hear the owner of Spotify having a fit!) but they do have an excuse for inactivity. Yargos' frontman for both of these albums was the versatile Andrew 'Mac' McDermott who you may also recognise as a previous vocalist for UK progressive metal act Threshold. Unfortunately Mac passed away in 2011, after recording the vocals for Yargos' second album, which meant that the band were pretty much brought to a halt. However the band have never really rushed into anything so any fans of the German prog rock band knew never to write the band off, but the music industry is a fickle thing and many could be forgiven if you thought that their 2012 release would be their last. But with about as much chance of appearing as an erudite user of Tik-Tok, Yargos' third album has arrived in 2020, the year of the virus, I mean it might be an omen but hey let's avoid any more conspiracy theories.

Since 2015 the voice of the band has been Becky Gaber who not only sings in a melodic metal band but also a black metal band so she must have some range. Becky joins with the other new addition of Kai Reuter (Guitar,Bass, Programming) with established members Andreas "Andigitarre" Kienitz (Lead Guitars) and band founder Wieland "Wielo" Hofmeister (Guitars, Keyboards, Bass, Piano, Programming) who founded the band in 1973 (see told you long waits for this band were a thing), they are the core of this record with some special guests in the shape of Fritz Randow (Drums), Michael Ivert (Acoustic Guitar, Bass), Ottfried Mietzke (Orchestra, Programming) and Ecki Hüdepohl (Piano). Now they have finally released their third record how does it stand up to the sometimes grandiose, often quite avant-garde progressive metal record they produced with Mac?

Well let it first be noted that this is pitched as a 'rock opera' and with Becky's incredible vocals leading the cinematic compositions of this record The Dancing Mermaid is possibly the most diverse and also heaviest record in the Yargos cannon. Becky shifts between soaring cleans and growled roars with ease while the musical accompaniment is very much harder than on the first two records taking this but without sacrificing the deeply progressive and grandiose sounds of their past. Especially due to this being a 'rock opera' styled album you can get away with an awful lot more than on a standard release (like a 73 minute run time!), however there is a lack of the 'quirkiness' that made their earlier albums quite left field, The Dancing Mermaid sounds a little too like bands such as Epica for me to invest my time for the entirety of it's gargantuan length. I'm very happy to see Yargos continuing after the loss of their vocalist but I just wish they didn't really go down the route of becoming 'heavier' as i means they've become a little lost in the pack. 6/10

Reviews: Good Tiger, Obsecration, In Hearts Wake, Seer Of The Void (Matt & Lucas)

Good Tiger: Raised In A Doomsday Cult (Self Released) [Lucas Tuckwood]

Raised In A Doomsday Cult is the new studio album from the prog rock outfit Good Tiger, featuring a slightly softer approach than their last release. Contained within are eleven tracks of that nice alternative goodness that’s sure to satisfy the cravings. They claim to bring tasty jams all over the world, and while Cult certainly doesn’t disappoint in that regard, some might argue that it lacks the same bite as previous records.

All the quintessential ingredients of a progressive album are present here: gentle openers, later met with tricky drums that weave in and out and up and down, but always finding their way home. The fretwork here is razor-sharp, and creates some truly artistic and serene melodies. However, I find the vocals brought by Elliot Coleman stole the show, and he belts out some wonderful bars that perfectly compliment the music. I decided to take a glance at their previous record, We Will All Be Gone, and I noticed that track for track, this is a notably lighter album, and while there are some good rockers on show here, they don’t reach the same magnitude as those found on their last album. While it doesn’t detract from the great musicianship it’s something I felt I’d include as a cautionary caveat, because if you’re looking for more of the heavier sort of alternative rock, you may want to look elsewhere.

While alternative isn’t my particular cup of tea, I think there’s plenty on offer with this album for fans of the genre. The excellent musicianship on display makes up for most of its few shortcomings, but maybe a bit more heavy wouldn’t have gone amiss. 7/10

Obsecration: Onwards The Mystic Paths Of The Dead (Witching Hour Productions)

Obsecration are an ODSM band from Athens Greece, so you'll immediately know what to expect as soon as you press play especially when you consider that the band have been around (under this name) since 1990. They are not a band that have been influenced by the death metal bands of the past, they are one that were a part of that early 90's uprising in nasty, vicious death metal. Onwards The Mystic Paths Of The Dead is the band's seventh album and they are still led by the 'bowels of hell' vocals of founding member C. Dead V who writes most of the lyrics, so expect Lovecraft, horror, gore and death to feature heavily with Drakhon on bass and Ungod on drums and guitars, though the explosive Jeff Hanneman-like leads on songs such as Incest, Brutality & The Abuse (Avoriaz Pt. I & Pt. II) and Circle Of The Nemesis (Avoriaz Pt. III) are provided by EL (Soulskinner). Despite being 47 minutes long Onwards The Mystic Paths Of The Dead whizzes past at a rate of knots the thunderous blastbeats and lightspeed picking of Ungod leading the way as Drakhon locks in the rhythms. If I were to make a comparison I'd say they owe a debt to Glen Benton and Co though there are touches of Bolt Thrower on tracks such as At The Bonds Of Lucifer. ODSM does what it says on the tin so often but I'd hesitate to call this record 'by the numbers' it's the sound of well versed flesh eating death metal machine taking no prisoners. 7/10    

In Hearts Wake: Kaliyuga (UNFD Records) [Lucas Tuckwood]

Kaliyuga is the fresh new record by the headbangers from Down Under, In Hearts Wake. Featuring more brutal riffs and harsher vocals than ever, as well as numerous collaborations with other artists, it’s a truly fierce piece of work, and is sure to satisfy those of you craving that metalcore bite.
This album is absolutely packed with great songs, but the standout here for me is the opener, Worldwide Suicide. It features an utterly crushing breakdown, and some truly brutal vocals. It’s noteworthy as well due to the absence of any clean harmonic vocals, a staple of this genre. Some metalcore aficionados may not appreciate such a departure from tradition, but personally, I enjoyed the hell out of it. The clean vocals are still present for a majority of the run time, but the harsher singing tickles the squishy bit in my brain that loves more traditional extreme metal vocals.

Other experimentation comes in the form of the numerous collaborations with other artists, who each add a unique flare to the songs they contribute to, and their placement keeps the album from becoming repetitive. The experimentation present here may even make this an album I’d recommend to those who aren’t fans of the genre, and may present a nice starting point to get them into it. I have little experience when it comes to metalcore, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album, even going so far as to recommend it to those who may not be keen on the genre. It’s got all the trimmings of metalcore one would expect, but it’s also got some real hard hitters, and enough variety to keep the whole thing feeling fresh. 8/10

Seer Of The Void: Revenant (Made Of Stone Recordings)

Seer Of The Void are a trio made up of Ilias Samartzis (drums), John Amariotakis (guitars), Greg "Maddog" Konstantaras (bass/vocals) and they play occult doom metal. Having only been around since 2019 Revenant is their debut album made up of 8 heavy bottomed, groove laden doom metal from the streets of Athen. They class themselves as a Mephistophelean trio so you can naturally assume (if you've read your Faust) that the music here is going to be wicked in tone and one look at the cloaked figures on top of a mound of skulls on the cover and it's got a similar kind of feeling that you would from classic Candlemass and Saint Vitus. 

Musically too Seer Of The Void have those classic sounds of doom but also the stoner vibes of fellow Greek bands such as Nightstalker. Prodigal Son opens things with a groove heavy rocker before the slower doom atmosphere's make their way into Venom Black. Both of these songs pretty much show you what to expect for the rest of the album as the bass and guitars of Maddog and John are fuzzy and distorted with Ilias' drumming keeping everything moving, shifting between the sludgy slow moving numbers and the pacier rockers. Maddog's vocals are gravel-filled, spewing the occult imagery on the dark chugging blues of Dullahan. There's an analogue feel to this recording that gives it a old school feel and yes occasionally it does veer into pastiche especially on Lysergus Mons which steals the riff from Sabbath's Children Of The Damned but there's enough originality to these songs to make Revenant an enjoyable doom metal record for lovers of all things creepy and heavy. 7/10

Reviews: This Is Endless, Awake By Design, Fixation, Raider (Paul S, Simon, Liam & Lucas)

This Is Endless: Formations Of A World Below (Endless Records) [Paul Scoble]

Formations Of A World Below is the first full length album from This Is Endless. The band, who formed in 2016, have also released one EP in the year that they formed named Inherit The Sun. To say this band have some experience of extreme metal would be an understatement; the band features former and current members of Akercocke, Voices, Ted Maul, Pantheist, Order Of Apollyon and Meta-stasis to name just a few of the bands that members of This Is Endless have played with. Musically This Is Endless play what I would describe as broadly Death Metal with elements of Hardcore, Deathcore and Melodic Death Metal. 

Opening track Skin Cyst is a good example of the bands sound. A droney, dissonant intro goes into choppy mid-paced Death Metal, there's a nod to old school Death Metal in how the riffs are written, but it feels quite modern in execution and production, it’s very interesting rhythmically, the riffs are highly structured. The track then goes into a section that is all out blasting, and this is one thing that the band really excel at, all the blast beats are very fast and are pleasingly savage and brutal. We then get a slow and bastard heavy part, before a great solo and then the song blasts to the end. Although there is a decent amount of complexity in the individual parts, the songs themselves are quite simple. All the tracks (with the exception of the sixth track, Noise Track, which as you’d expect is an instrumental noise track) have the same juxtaposition of blasting fast sections and slower, mid-paced or very slow parts. 

Creature Of Habit is another example of where this really works well. The fast parts are beautifully fast and flowing, juxtaposed with some great slow and heavy parts, and also features a fantastically pounding ending. Insect has some very effective fast parts that have a bit of Grindcore feel to them, whilst its slower parts are a little bit reminiscent of Meshuggah. Into The Hive is another interesting track, it’s more melodic than a lot of the material on this album, it feels more like Melodic Death Metal and is packed with melody and tune-fullness. 

It’s not all good though; there are places where this album doesn’t work as well. The tracks The Damned And The Weak and Imprinted In Life both feature parts where it feels a little lacklustre rhythmically (which is usually one of this albums strong points) and it all gets a little bit deathcore, which is a shame as these riffs don’t really go anywhere and it lets the songs down. 

Formations Of A World Below is a very strong Death Metal album. It’s packed full of great riffs, blasts and solos, and is a great listen. It’s a shame that there are a few parts that are lacking in drive, where the aggressiveness drops; but it’s only in a few parts, and considering this is the bands first album, this is probably just me being picky. All in all, a very strong album. 7/10

Awake By Design: S/T (Self Released) [Simon Black]

This is the third time round the course for these boys, and it’s been quiet on the Awake By Design front since 2018. Although they are best known for being quite Symphonic, this feels much more of a Power Metal album with Symphonic seasoning, perhaps from the influence of produce Karl Groom (Dragonforce and Threshold). With a run time of an hour and twenty minutes and a total of thirteen tracks, this album takes its time.

The opener The Coming Tide is an inoffensive start to the album, hinting at the technical capabilities of the chaps, but somehow not ever quite grabbing you by the throat and taking you with them. To be fair that’s pretty much the case for a few of the opening songs on the album and it’s not until we get to Nothing Hurts, which is definitely one of the stronger tracks on here and benefiting from a strong sense of structure and pace that things start to liven up. Is there anything wrong with what gets us to this point, no. Technically these guys are on the ball and can certainly play, but up to this point the structure and energy is lacking. This is a slow burner of an album in many respects. You aren’t going to appreciate it on the first listen, so don’t rush this one and you do appreciate it more 2nd and 3rd time around, so don’t write it off too early.

Calling You Home is a promising ballad but which doesn’t build to a crescendo in the traditional way at the point you expect, because this song is nearly seven minutes long, but when it gets there it does so in a satisfactory way, albeit with a surplus of a minute of running time that could have been stripped out. Echoes For Eternity is a bit more satisfying, with some nice galloping breaks and some strong drive and energy and again a good ballad in The Unspoken Truth takes so long to get where it needs to that it has lost me by the time it gets there, despite some lovely keyboard sequences. As Strangers Divide with its catchy keyboard and guitar harmonised riff brings some much needed energy back to the album, followed by a pile driving bit of work from the drum stool, bringing to a great instrumental crescendo and again is a track I keep coming back to. If there were more like this I would be much happier. 

To be fair, there is more energy in the remainder of the album, but for some reason this album doesn’t quite gel for me overall, which is odd as all the ingredients are there. The production is spot on, the musicians and vocal performance are excellent, but the songs don’t punch hard and clearly consistently. I guess the challenge I have with this album, is that it needs some serious tightening up and the indulgences reigning in a little this could be a tight and punchy piece of work. 6/10

Fixation: Global Suicide (Indie Recordings) [Liam True]

Fixation are a newer band to the scene, releasing their first EP Global Suicide, tackling subjects like the climate crisis, political injustice and mental health. Starting the EP off with first single Neurosis it’s apparent they’re reintroducing the earlier style of Thirty Seconds To Mars with the gritty guitar tones, taking their own sound but paying respect to their elders with subtle differences. The soaring vocals of Jonas Hansen are some of the most emotionally charged I've heard in a while, as you can tell he’s putting every fibre of his being into this entire EP. While only being 4 tracks and covering just over 20 minutes, the band creates an atmosphere not felt in modern Metal/Hard Rock for a few years.

While the band does rely on the melodic sounding synths in the background, but it can easily sound this good without them, it’s just an added extra to make it feel more intense. Behind everything you have the remarkably talented Mats Holm on the drums creating the pounding backdrop. Then there’s duel guitarists Tobias Østerdal & Martin Selden who perfectly resonate into your eardrums with the crushing tone they provide. Then there’s Martin Gravdal on the bass who uses his ominous deep polished sound to create the balance of the EP.

There’s only one flaw with the EP that I cannot stress enough. It’s only four songs. Granted it’s not a full studio album, but when the final chime of What Have We Done lingers through your ears, it’s over. And there’s nothing else like it. With it’s unique sound it’s grasped the soul of modern music. Don’t miss your chance to jump on the hype train for Fixation. Global Suicide is just the start. 9/10

Raider: Tokyo EP (Self Released) [Lucas Tuckwood]

Tokyo is the new EP from South Wales hard rockers, Raider, featuring a wonderful homage to the rock and roll of the 1980s. Kicking off the EP comes the title track, which begins with a nice atmospheric intro blending rising electronic ambience and triumphant riffs, before kicking into gear. Featuring some fantastic vocals, it’s a slick little track, perfectly encapsulating its theme. Track 2, Boys Will Be Boys, bursts out of the gates with quick and heavy riffing reminiscent of Motley Crue. the speediest track on the EP is a satisfyingly heavy number that grabs you by the throat, and doesn’t let go till it’s bloody well finished. The fretwork featured in this track is electrifying, which, combined with soaring vocals, make it my favourite track of the EP.

Track 3, Going Down, is a slower, far groovier affair. Featuring a wonderful yet somewhat short jazzy interlude, incorporating clean piano, even groovier basslines, and some foot tapping drums. The momentary calm sweetens the payoff, when the guitar roars back into life with a vicious solo before the final reprise. The final track, Begging For More, is the definitive anthem of the EP, which feels perfect for a live setting, with a melodic chorus and slower tempo. Here the synth provides a nice extra layer to the thick riffs during the chorus, but some may find it a tad cheesy. A nice album closer, I find this song to be the one most emblematic of the 80s hard rock this band draws their inspiration from, but I’d say it’s overall my least favourite out of the bunch.

The fretwork and vocals on display here easily warrant a purchase. This is a wonderful little EP, and definitely worth a listen if you’re hankering for that glammy 80s feel. 8/10

Reviews: Kamelot, Divide By Design, Renunciation, Nervosa (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Kamelot: I Am The Empire - Live From The 013 (Napalm Records)

Filmed and recorded at the 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands back in 2018 the setlist for this show is similar to the one I saw American/European symphonic metal icons Kamelot play in Birmingham however here there are a few more songs debuted and some very special guests welcomed as this show was being recorded/filmed for this release. Despite being a live record the production, mix and master has been done by Sascha Paeth so the clarity is off the scale meaning you do feel as if you are at the show itself. As the orchestral/choral intro swells and the excitement builds, the members of the band taking to the stage to applause and cheers, the show properly kicks off with Thomas Youngblood's riffs backed by the heavy metal thunder of Sean Tibbetts bass attack and Alex Landenburg machine gun double kicks, obviously there is also the massive synths/orchestrations of Oliver Palotai which are as integral to the Kamelot sound as the metallic music. Phantom Divide features the first guest vocalist in the shape of touring co-lead/backing singer Lauren Hart giving a soaring cleans and growls in opposition to the wonderfully soulful voice of frontman Tommy Karevik. 

Now I know how good Karevik is as a frontman but you can hear from the first song that he's got the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, although the call response stuff never really works on a recording without the visuals. From a newer song they plunge into the moody Rule The World accompanied by much audience participation, we go back to Haven with Insomnia, in fact the Haven and The Shadow Theory tracks make up a lot of this show but the classics such as the double hit of The Great Pandemonium and When The Lights Are Down. The whole show sees the band going full tilt from the off, which with a 21 song setlist is no mean feat, special mentions have to go to Tommy who never fails to hit a note, while also being the amiable MC and crowd stoker-in-chief, as well as drummer Alex who only really gets one or two brief chance to stop blasting at full speed and Oliver who is the on stage composer of all the huge walls of orchestrations even leading when string quartet Eklipse come for My Confession. 

As I said guests have always been brought in to enhance the Kamelot experience and here there are a fair few as I noted earlier. Ballad Under Grey Skies features Delain chanteuse Charlotte Wessels, the theatrical March Of Mephisto has Arch Enemy screamer Alissa White Gluz who also re-appears on Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife) with Amaranthe's Elize Ryd but also she adds the growls to Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy), they even bring out the producer (Paeth) to shred a bit on Ravenlight. After Sacrimony there's a bit of Drum/Key solo which again is not really that interesting on a record but it's the indicator that the end is near as the band power through Here's To The Fall and the always great to hear Forever which elicits the biggest reaction even though it was released 19 years ago, it's still an anthem. The last three songs are from the last two albums but they are future classics for sure Burns To Embrace has a Children's Choir, Liar Liar is a big hitter and the finale Ministrium (Shadow Key) is a grandiose outro essentially to finish things properly. If you love Kamelot's music or are just missing gigs, I'd say that you should pick up this (with the DVD/Blu-Ray) as it's got a very talented and always impressive live band at the height of their powers in front of a rabid audience. 8/10 

Divided By Design: Stages To Osiris (Self Released)

Stages To Osiris is the 5 track debut album from instrumental technical metal band Divided By Design. Liam Stephenson (guitar/programming), Joe Messingham (bass/programming) and Tom Chambers (drums/percussion/programming) make up the band and they create intensely progressive, heavy yet atmospheric soundscapes. Hailing from Leeds, all three members of this band are instrumental wizards, Liam's virtuosic guitar playing seamlessly shifts between crunching djent inspired riffs and clean melodic passages, while Joe and Tom bring a thumping rhythmic assault that can shift into jazz or ene death metal realms at a moments notice.

The tracks are all part of the Orion suite with the second one Reactionary bringing a really heavy touch that moves into some post metal leanings. If I were to make a comparison I'd say Divided By Design share similarities to Animals As Leaders or Plini where the lack of vocals don't take anything away from the amazing complexity of the music, just listen to the insane bass playing on The Negotiation, a song that moves into Tool realms you'll understand the talent on offer. Expanding the sound of this record are Sara Chamber (violin/viola) and Joanna Wislocka Lidgett (cello) as the band take us through this musical journey of different styles with the opening of Collapsing Reality having an industrial throb before the insane lead guitar kicks it off properly, as things shift into a classic prog metal sound that you could find from Dream Theater etc. 

Stages To Osiris is a stunningly progressive, intensely musical offering from this Leeds based band, they would certainly leave you a little gobsmacked if you saw them in a little Leeds pub! For prog metal fans this is a delicious morsel of incredible playing and emotive songwriting. Don't sleep on it. 9/10

Renunciation: The Terminal Archetype (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

From Moscow, Russia Renunciation class themselves as a black/technical death metal band. The Terminal Archetype is their debut EP, four full length tracks and a piano intro the whole point of this release is to grab you by the collar and shout about their music. How they do this is with technically precise yet uncompromisingly aggressive black/death metal, Deliverance From God has raging black metal/hardcore like screaming but some killer lead guitar playing, something that continues on every song, both guitarists channeling Chuck Schuldiner but also the more melodic touches of bands like Dimmu, although Arrogance Of Worms really ups things into the sounds of Obscura as the time changes shift and one songs segues into another the lush twin guitar harmonies leading the charge as the intense boiler room blasts away. Russia has really been upping it's heavy metal game over last couple of years and Renunciation show that they're extremity is up there with any of the countries you'd associate it with more. Ferocious from the start, musically impressive throughout and slickly delivered The Terminal Archetype is a killer start for these Moscow Metal Maniacs! 7/10

Nervosa: Wasteland (Self Released)

No not the Brazilian thrash band this Nervosa are from Cornwall and rather than pointy guitars and speedy riffs, they take a much more melodic and progressive approach, full of introspection and beard stroking. This 6 track album is full of breezy alternative edged rock and ambient progressive textures, it's Nervosa's second full length with many of the tracks having the elongated run times you expect from progressive music. The band cite influences such as Arcade Fire, Porcupine Tree and Muse, which gives you a flavour of what to expect to hear, I'd say they move much more into the Steven Wilson realms than anywhere else due to the intelligent lyricism delivered by Jon Winter's keening vocal that does have some Wilson and Soord-isms to it. Chevron is the first song on the record and it starts out as poppy art-rock number before evolving into some Pink Floyd-esque guitar explorations as Jon and axe man Andy Cunningham weave a thick tapestry of long drawn out notes and echoed riffs towards the end. 

What's immediately noticeable about the album is that every instrument sounds bold as brass (especially the sax) due to the wonderful production/mix of Dean Forrest while Pineapple Thief's Steve Kitch handled the mastering. The second and third tracks on the record are suite called The Wasteland; Part 1 is an instrumental featuring some guitar playing David Gilmour would be proud of, while the second part is a emotive lyric set to an almost jaunty piano rhythm from Bethany Wade, in fact if you've ever heard Cannonball by Supertramp you'll get what I mean about the piano, it's dramatic but also playful, leading things into the hooky chorus as the drumming of Ant Barrett lets the song move from solem to epic in a matter of moments. After this we get the throbbing Prelude the simple bass line of Matthew Duggan aided by some synths and then a minor key chord, it builds from there in a Oldfield like repeating pattern before that bass gets fuzzier as the atmospherics are increased at time just leaving Winter's voice. 

Despite this only being their second album, it's of an incredible skill level, fusing the deft emotive alt/indie strains with electronic prog rocking Wasteland is not the heaviest album you'll hear all year but the musicianship and compositions are brilliantly realised. On Countrycore we get a persistent drumbeat and some synths ripped from the Genesis songbook as Bethany Wade's vocals take the lead rather than just providing the harmonies, that is until the middle/chorus section where those country vibes do really shine through suiting the sense of longing in Bethany's vocal. Finally the record closes out with the 8 minute Circle Of Friends a moody little number that brings back those Porcupine Tree/Pineapple Thief/Anathema sound I mentioned earlier, again using emotive lyrics and this time some slightly jazz-inflected playing, (along with the Echoes bing) that segues into the sax I referenced a paragraph ago, with a clear synthwave sound at the end. I'd never hit upon the UK Nervosa before but I've obviously been missing out. Time to rectify that with a splurge on their back catalog, hopefully too they will end up laying somewhere near us once this is all over. Until then though you need to check out Wasteland if intelligent, poetic prog rock is your thing. 9/10