Reviews: Periphery, Warfect, Macabre, Kvilla (Alex, Matt, Liam & Lucas)

Periphery: Live In London (Century Media Records) [Alex Swift] 

Known for their technical and intricate stylings on progressive rock, Periphery are an act who very much divide opinion. I love a vast array of their work. Personally, I feel that the Alpha and Omega double album from 2015, where they leaned into the melodic and atmospheric side of their work, is where they really shone. That said, despite being inconsistent, their 2019 release, HAIL STAN, painted them in an experimental and exciting light. That said, having never seen them live, I was curious as to how their complexity would translate over into a live album. My opinion on live albums as a whole is that they need to have a reason to exist. Do they, like the Triptykon album from earlier this year, capture a particularly unique on-stage moment that just needs to be recorded in history? Do they, like a live offering from Rush, help convey the experience of a live performance, for fans who couldn’t attend?  Do they, like Enter Shikari for me, paint a band in a different light that might help convert detractors? 

Concerning Live In London, the answer to each of these questions, in turn, is: definitely not, probably not and…um…kind of, but not really. I guess you could argue that this release helps to show to Periphery’s detractors that they are not just skilled at studio trickery, and can execute their craft in a real-life setting, And, if for some reason you didn’t think they would be able to, this piece is especially impressive, as these musicians don’t miss a note, and their performance echoes that of the record. However, that’s the same factor that holds the piece back. There is very little audience interaction, improvisation is - as far as this writer can tell - non-existent and the performed versions of these tracks do not differ in any significant way from the album versions. The setlist is not even terribly diverse – at ten tracks, five of them are from the last record! Why on earth would I listen to this again, when I can just listen to one of the studio recordings? 

That’s not to invalidate the show itself. I would have probably loved to have been there, singing along with the crowd, basking in the spectacle of the light show and allowing the loudness of live music to absorb me, yet without bringing that excitement to the home listener, even in a small fashion, by not offering them anything unique, Periphery has granted us with a disc which has no reason to exist. In a year when we are all being told to “stay indoors” (see what I did there?) we desperately need something, anything that will replicate the thrill of live music from our own home. Hell, lots of musicians have been busy organizing streams or releasing live albums of their own. Still, as far as bringing those atmospheres to us are concerned, Periphery have failed to arouse an ecstatic sensation. 5/10

Warfect: Spectre Of Devastation (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

Despite hailing from the Gothenburg underground there is a very Germanic sound to Warfect's style of thrash metal, think Kreator, Sodom, Destruction and you're on your way though there is a bit of the second wave American sound too, it's a bit angrier and nastier than some of the traditional thrash crews. Spectre Of Devastation is the band's fourth record and it reinforces Warfect's straight ahead thrash metal assault, croaked vocals, explosive drumming and riffs the pummel kick in from Pestilence and it rarely drops in pace from there with a death and black influences creeping in as it moves through it's 8 tracks. 

It's skillfully produced and mastered by Grammy winning Flemming Rasmussen who produced the Metallica holy trinity so he's a man that knows thrash and he eeks out every single ounce of aggression and heaviness from this trio. Made up of Fredrik Wester (vocals & guitar), Kris Wallstrom (bass) and Manne Flood (drums) Warfect manage to bring grooves to track such as the Obituary-like Left To Rot while also bringing back ferocity on Into The Fray. Spectre Of Devastation as I've said takes from Teutonic thrash metal with an American sheen, these Swedes avoid falling into the Gothenburg sound stereotypes. An ideal thrashfest for fans. 7/10

Macabre: Carnival Of Killers (Nuclear Blast) [Liam True]

Being described as ‘Murder Metal’ and being anywhere between Thrash & Death Metal I was a bit excited to hear the record considering it’s their first in 8 years. But instead I was greeted with a whirlwind of tempo changes, vocals that sound like nails against a chalkboard and catchy yet terrible songs. Tongue in cheek humour is my bread and butter, but Macabre have used forced humour in their attempts to be funny with song titles such as Richard Speck Grew Big Breasts which may make some people laugh, but for me it just fell flat. 

The song contents themselves are more horrific than I thought to be, as we have nursery rhymes altered to include Ted Bundy, a song about your bones connecting to each other and a song about being stinky. It’s just a childish attempt at dark gross humour for the sake of trying to be edgy. And considering the band have been going since 1985 they must be doing something right. I have to admit, the songs are catchy, I can see myself humming the tune of Stinky and Tea Cakes to myself, but that’s it. That’s all this album has going to them. It’s a shambolic album as the band doesn’t sound like they’re I time for about 85% of the album. If you’re a fan of the band I’m sure you’ll love it, hands down. But good god, it was an excruciating listen. 1/10

Kvilla: The Ward (Self Released) [Lucas Tuckwood]

Today we’ve got the debut EP from Manchester based hardcore outfit Kvilla, The Ward. Kvilla aim to blend aspects of black metal, hardcore and shoegaze into a brand new style, and while it doesn’t necessarily stick the landing, it’s still a fiery little debut in its own right. Across the eight tracks it certainly leaves an impression on the listener, but struggles to find its own distinctive sound. Blending genres is never easy, and managing to do so convincingly while also providing one’s own unique sound can be pretty challenging, and unfortunately Kvilla don’t quite hit the mark in that regard. 

They’ve got the hardcore down to a fine art, but it’s the black-metal inspired riffs that fail to impress, as they never stray beyond well-trodden territory. As for the shoegaze, I simply can’t hear it. No tracks really stick out, but they’re all well performed, even if the mix is a little too clean. It’s heavy, but it offers nothing you haven’t heard before. Overall, this is a decent EP, but it lacks any real spice to separate it from its contemporaries. If you enjoy hardcore and black metal you’re bound to enjoy it, but it just leaves a little to be desired. 6/10

Reviews: My Dying Bride, Ashen Reach, Avandra, Garagedays (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

My Dying Bride: Macabre Cabaret EP (Nuclear Blast)

A three track EP may seem like not much to bother with however when a band such as My Dying Bride release an EP, three tracks makes for 20+ minutes of music starting with the 10 minute title track. Just over half a year since their last full length The Ghost Of Orion the Halifax doomsters return with an EP that deals with dark romance and morbid fascination with it's links to death, I mean same old same old right? My Dying Bride have always been able to conjure morose, miserable music that resonates long after the record finishes on this EP they once again pair slow, low end riffs from guitarists Andrew Craighan and Neil Blanchett as the rhythm section of Jeff Singer (Drums) and Lena Abé (Bass) boom out hooking the songs on ear rattling low end giving the songs space to flow across the elongated run times. 

Add to this the haunting vocals of Aaron Stainthorpe and Gothic flourishes such as heavy organs/strings from Shaun MacGowan on the title track and on the the dramatic A Purse Of Gold And Stars really ramp up the dark aura of this EP as we segue into the more traditional bite on A Secret Kiss which sits in the middle of the record. My Dying Bride have spent their time between full lengths wisely bringing more music to the fans, in March The Ghost Of Orion was the band's first album since 2015 and they have quickly brought more music so they are clearly riding a wave of creativity. 7/10       

Ashen Reach: Homecoming (Self Released)

When you call an album Homecoming it's either a debut album from a young, scrappy and hungry band or an established act moving back to past glories. Ashen Reach are very much the former, the Merseyside band have already gained a huge following supporting Bullet For My Valentine in Russia back in 2019, however line up changes meant just three of the line up were left, luckily they didn't call it quits adding singer Kyle Stanley and rhythm guitarist Joe O'Sullivan to that original trio lead guitarist Paddy Cummins, bassist Mike McCarroll and drummer Jess Stanley. They set about with a renewed focus and energy to create this debut record. The tenacity of the band shows through on every single nuance of this album, which takes on the Yanks at their own game with incredibly melodic, hard hitting, hook-filled songs that could easily features on an heard rock radio station. 

The punchy boiler room of Jess, Mike and Joe give big grooves to tracks such as the opener Fighting For My Life which has the 80's influence the band mention in their press and also on Heir To The Throne a distinctly modern edge that remind this writer of bands such as Alter Bridge, Shinedown and the UK's own New Device. The cracking opener leads into the rest of this album, but the quality rarely dips, that rhythms section working wonders as Paddy lets loose with a lot of Tremonti-styled solos and leads that include divebombs, little flourishes that brings more of that broad accessibility. With subjects that range from mental health, stalking, domestic abuse, love and determination no two songs on this album sound the same, the genre influences shifting as Homecoming progress. Now with the musical base established of being of a high level they have found magic with Kyle, he has a resonant, clear vocal that is very Myles Kennedy-esque able to hit colossal highs and soulful lows on tracks such as Tear It Down while also adding a genuine evilness to Prey a song about obsession. 

Now in this blog over the years I have berated alternative/radio rock bands for being too samey, for resting on their laurels and very often for aiming at the lowest common denominator which strips them of any vitality they may have had. Ashen Reach are a breath of fresh air, their music is heavy on the influences but it's all their own, played with real conviction that makes them all essential. Homecoming is the album that should have followed ABIII having that records darkness but the bouncy anthems of Blackbird. Definitely one of the AOTY! 9/10

Avandra: Skylighting (Layered Reality Productions)

Prog is a genre that I hold a huge amount of affection for and much like my thrash maniac colleagues it does mean that I can be hyper-critical of it, I'm a hard man to please (ask my fiance) but when it comes to prog there's not much I haven't heard. Well creeping out of Puerto Rico is Avandra which started as one-man project by Christian Ayala Cruz (Vocals, Guitars, Synths) before adding a live band of Luis Javier Rivera Guilbot (Guitars), Adrián Arroyo Schuck (Drums) and Gabriel Rodríguez Martinez (Bass). Their previous album Descender brought them to a wider audience even getting them on the now postponed Progpower Europe 2020 line up. 

So with accolades like that what can you expect from Skylighting their third album? Well it's a wonderful mix of shimmering ambient synth-work (with Vikram Shankar giving additional electronic touches) and technically proficent progressive metal that never strays to far into being too complex for comfort, the songs are all quite tight timewise but pack in a lot of intricate musicianship that lend themselves to the band's cinematic soundscapes. From the darkly percussive ambience of Eternal Return (a song that is pure Octavarium-period Dream Theater) into the harder tones of Afferent Realms.    

What I instantly notice that the playing here is anthemic and brilliantly delivered, what draws me though is that Christian's vocals are heavily saturated at times adding them to the rest of the musical bedrock, Skylighting has got sounds of bands such as Haken, The Contortionist and even Karnivool as they build layer upon layer to makes Noetic Probes a driving progger in direct opposition to the repeating synthwave beats on Life Is Not A Circle, But A Sphere. Avandra have taken a more introspective route here to their previous releases and it makes for a enthralling journey from the first track until the last. Interesting modern prog loveliness. 9/10

Garagedays: Something Black (El Puerto Records)

Garagedays is not the best name for a band I will admit, but then when said band is influenced so heavily by Metallica (and Motorhead) it's easy to see why it was chosen. This Austrian heavy metal act have been doing the rounds since 2011 and have released records with Massacre records, had their previous release produced by Flemming Rasmussen and toured with the likes of Jake E Lee's Red Dragon Cartel, UDO, Master and Exodus playing their thrash-inspired heavy metal across Europe building towards their fourth release which has been produced by Andy La Roque (King Diamond) and is released through German record label El Puerto Records. 

So what is Something Black like? Well if you like a lot of catchy riffs and big hooky choruses then Something Black will be one for you, opening up with the speedy Back In Line that shifts into the the thrashy title track and the big ballsy rocker And Again which is pure Black Album groove Marco Kern's Papa Het vocals and crunchy rhythm guitar letting those influences loom large. Dominik Eder (bass) and Matthias Mai (drums) linking with Kern's guitar for riffs that shift between speedy thrash run downs, classic metal anthems and an obligatory ballad which is the not so great My Own Way while To My Soul brings some Load/Reload spirit. Straight up meat-and-potatoes thrashy metal from Austria that does get the head nodding nicely. 7/10       

Reviews: Pyramaze, Soulskinner, Twister, GhØstkid (Paul H, Matt, Simon & Liam)

Pyramaze: Epitaph (AFM Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Formed in Denmark in 2001, Pyramaze is a melodic power metal band who have released five previous albums. Amongst the ranks of former singers, Pyramaze include Matt Barlow (ex-Iced Earth), Urban Breed (Serious Black, ex- Bloodbound) and Lance King, who owns Nightmare record label. The band’s hiatus in 2011 saw a rejig of the line-up with founder guitarist Michael Kammeyer and bassist Neils Qvist departing. Pyramaze regrouped and in 2015 returned with their latest line-up, which included long standing drummer Morton Gade Sonrensen and fellow long serving keyboardist Jonah Weingarden together with singer Torje Haroy, guitarist Toke Skjønnemand and Jacob Hansen (guitar/bass). Having signed to AFM records, the band has pushed ahead with sixth studio album Epitaph. 

Crammed full of melody, soaring guitar solos, powerful riffs, and warm rich vocals, this is an uplifting melodic metal album. At 59 minutes long, there is a lot to explore. The band aren’t afraid to use orchestral elements, sweeping string sections that add to the epic feel of their songs. It’s a melodic ride, rich on keyboards and the multiple harmonies that give breadth to the choruses. Songs like Particle should appeal to those who enjoy their melodic rock, all dramatic juxtapositions and sweeping cinema scope style delivery. The guest appearance of Brittney Slayes of Unleash The Archers on Transcendence and the majestic 12-minute concluding epic The Time Traveller featuring Barlow and King add extra spice. With a polished production, Pyramaze’s sixth release is an invigorating blend of melodic hard rock and power metal which should maintain their position amongst the elite of the European progressive power metal outfits 7/10

Soulskinner: Seven Bowls Of Wrath (Xtreem Music) [Matt Bladen]

Greek death metal act Soulskinner have been around since 2000 and have been bringing chainsaw-like flesh ripping brutality since then across 4 previous albums. On this fifth release the gut-wrenching voice of Gothmog have gone replaced with Marios Lampouridis of Necrogasm, not that it really matters so long as there are brutal grunts on top of the bands visceral death metal assault. it's the added sense of drama that Soulskinner have that put them at odds with many of the blast like hell and piss off death metal bands out there the album kicking off with a doom-laden dramatic intro before things build into the first track proper Night which shifts between melodic doom and bludgeoning death metal with The Principles Of Truth dive bombs into a much faster realms bookended by the slower style that is reminiscent of American's Obituary and our own Bolt Thrower especially when we get into the thunderous raging of Eternal and the crunching Regeneration Of The Soul where the twin harmonies run into lightspeed and the drumming is percussive enough to flatten concrete. Despite the album title sounding like something that may happen if you piss off the cook at Wagamama's it's a nasty slice of death metal from these Ionian heavies. 8/10 

Twister: Cursed & Corrected (Off Yer Rocka Records) [Simon Black]

Twister are a new and refreshingly young act hailing from the Durham in the North East of England, although they’ve managed to gain some presence much further afield to lay the ground for their debut album. This Hard Rock four piece have done really well in a very short space of time, and you can hear why very quickly. This is also the first time that I can recall a debut album where the album title track is actually the short instrumental album opener, but whatever – it’s one of many subtle tricks thrown through the course of the fifty-one minutes and thirteen punchy, hook-laden and anthemic numbers. 

Yup, you read the length correctly – and yes, that is a lengthy album for the genre that normally struggles to give you a consistent thirty minutes of quality, but these boys manage it effortlessly. This album really holds the attention, and I cannot point my finger at any of the tracks and accuse them of fobbing us off with a filler. And you have no idea how refreshing that is when you review hundreds of albums a year. This is tight and punchy Melodic, but soulful Hard Rock – with crisp, bright tunes and cracking guitar hooks, plus added smatterings of technical virtuosity where you don’t expect them. It’s a bit like hearing Thunder for the very first time and thinking “Fuck me, that rhythm section is tight”. Twister, are a very different beast however, and there’s an extra rawness and energy usually found in the Sleaze end of the spectrum and you get the tightly polished feel of well-crafted Hard/Melodic Rock - plus some incredibly technical time change and beat jumps. It really is a clever piece of work. Then there’s the freshness in the playing. Beyond the gnat’s arse-crack tightness of drummer Jack Corbett and bassist Ryan Lee, there’s some cracking guitar work coming from lead guitar Jake Grimes, who brilliantly weaves along in the classic Stones way with frontman Stevie Stoker. 

Single Save Us Yourself is pure anthemic heaven – with superb catchy hooks and sing-a-long chorus, and the lockdown economy video to go with it, recorded in a sports field presumably in the North East shows that all you need is a camera, a band that can really write and really, really play. No frills, no nonsense, just damned fine toonage. If I could pick a track that absolutely encapsulates this band, it’s going to be a toss up between Monroe or Fist Fight At The Waterside, both of which are clearly going to work great live. The former because it showcases many of the techniques that give them their unique sound; the latter because it absolutely encapsulates the energy and sheer wow factor of a band who are really pointing in the right direction to go somewhere, and explode like a rocket fired down the street. This, I really want to see live soon. There are some bands that explode exponentially off the back of debut albums of this calibre and I really hope that Twister are going to be one of them. What makes this act work in such a well-trodden genre is that their sound is their own, their energy infectious and their music fresh and very, very moreish. 10/10

GhØstkid: GhØstkid (Century Media Records) [Liam True]

Born from the ashes of former Eskimo Callboy vocalist Sebastian ‘Sushi’ Biesler earlier this year, we were informed about him moving forward under the moniker GhØstkid. When a band member starts their own project you normally look to their previou band to look what direction they may take. And with GhØstkid, Sushi has taken the formula used in EC, changed it just a little, by mainly being more serious within the lyrics and song writing, which is made to sound has ugly a possible by the band. Guitarist & bassist Danny Güldener & Stanislaw Czywil (Both former members of To The Rats And Wolves) take the duty to make the record stand out with the nasty filthy guitar tones from Güldener backed by the booming blunderbuss that is the bass sound of Czywil. Then we have drummer Steve Joakim who brings the band together like glue with his hard hitting style that shatters your personification that he can only play simple Metalcore as he disembowels the kit as he plays. The album itself is a hybrid of sorts. 

The bastard son on Eskimo Callboy and Marilyn Manson as the venom spitting from the gullet of Sushi is a throwback to his earlier days but also has a hint of Manson's signature snarl that beefs up his delivery. Opener FØØl is a treat for the heaviness the album will bring. Start A Fight shows the bands ability to write a good song with a catchy chorus. Sharks shows the slower side to the record, and does it beautifully. YØu & I is a perfect blend of both the fast and slow elements to the album as it encompasses it beautifully. SupernØva is a heavy yet melodic slice of the Metalcore pie that’s being served up, made even better with the guest vocals of one Marcus Bischoff from Heaven Shall Burn. All in all it’s a tremendous album from start to finish with some guest spots that make the album just that more exciting. Even though it’s only their first album, GhØstkid have made a name for themselves by utilizing the Metal-trance of the last ten years with the added spice of the Industrial Metal side of life to create an album that hits the spot perfectly. If it’s Eskimo Callboy you’re expecting, it only has hints of them, as GhØstkid creates their own aura. 9/10

Reviews: Soulburn, Scarlet, Of Feather And Bone, Intervals (Paul H, Simon, Rich & Matt)

Soulburn: Noa’s D’ark (Century Media Records) [Paul Hutchings] 

Initially formed in 1996 by guitarist Eric Daniels, drummer Bob Bagchus (Asphyx) and frontman Wannes Gubbels (Pentacle), Soulburn’s journey has been far from plain sailing. Their seminal debut album Feeding on Angels was a stripped down doom-laden black metal release. Having regrouped in 2013, Daniels, Bagchus, guitarist Remco Kreft and vocalist/bassist Twan van Geel (also Legion Of The Damned) released The Suffocating Darkness. The conclusion of that era of the band coming with 2018’s Carpe Noctem EP. A refreshed line-up sees Bagchus replaced by Marc Vehaar on drums although it would take a very keen ear to note the difference as Vehaar studied the Bagchus style, which remains very much Bathory and Venom. 

The band’s fourth album, Noa’s D’ark now looms large out of the mist. Daniels is the main writer, and the ten tracks contained within this record retain all the old attributes of the previous versions of the band, whilst continuing to evoke the spirit of the blackened old school. Soulburn straddle the lines between death and black metal with an ease that is unnerving. Full of relentless riffing, blasting drumming and a rhythm section that holds everything together in a vice-like grip, it’s Van Geel’s bilious black diatribes that roar out, curling fingers that grip tightly, closing around the throat. The opening track The Morgue Of No Hope captures everything in it’s seven-minute sprawl. From bludgeoning explosive segments to more harrowing, echoing parts, it’s demonic utterings make it a truly perfect opener. 

Thematically ambiguous, the title is a mischievous play on words, much to Van Geel’s delight. His lyrics will need deciphering through liner notes, but Van Geel admits to keeping them deliberately vague. The sonic blasting that erupts from this album is at times wild, almost uncontained. The brutal speed of Tempter Ov The White Light, the propulsive drive of Anarchrist and the two-minute doom laden Triumphant One all emit a venom that sits within the blackened soul of Soulburn. Draped in darkness, there are moments of despair, light, and harrowing darkness. It’s savage and raw yet contains just enough in the production values to keep it on the right path. Ultimately, the visceral feel sits exactly right. 8/10

Scarlet: Obey The Queen (Arising Empire) [Simon Black]

It really is long overdue you know. My wife asked me once why so many of the bands in the metal scene are male fronted, and my only answer until relatively recently was that there were simply very few female fronted acts around. In the last ten years the reversal of that mode has been phenomenal, and although there’s still a way to go it feels to me now that this trend has been well and truly disrupted. Enter Scarlet, who seems to be very much a solo affair, which brings me to my next point. Scarlet has potentially a bit of a challenge on her hands. When you’re fighting for recognition in a crowded marketplace it really helps to have your own clear brand and identity. A quick internet search on the name Scarlet gives me five different bands, two of which are defunct and none of which are this Swedish act. 

I don’t think this makes any difference – this is something different, and quite, quite brilliant and it’s going to get noticed for all the right reasons. The title track positively explodes with energy and venom for the world we live in, and an absolute celebration of women, from a woman’s perspective in the age of Ignorance that led to the MeToo movement. Scarlet has built a bit of a reputation on not pulling her punches – think early Marilyn Manson, with a snort of Ghost and a splash of Static-X, playing a combination of Rap and Industrial Metal tunes. Diversity is the watchword of this album. From the opening spoken introduction, it spits bile and crashes into a stripped back Industrial Rap sound unlike anything I have quite heard before. 

I Spit Fire actually perfectly sums up what this act are about – shocks, vitriol and the unexpected. It doesn’t actually start sounding like a metal album until track four - #bossbitch, and it doesn’t stay there. Love Heroin is even more unexpected, and shows her vocal skill more or less unaccompanied in this darkest of ballads. I understand the song-writing features contributions from a whole bunch of experienced writers which no doubt contributes to that diversity, but notwithstanding this is an album of shocks and thrills. It’s a record that focuses on the vocals, and the sound also mixes is in bits of Djent guitar and programming that touches (almost) on the Nu-Metal movement. Once in a blue moon an act comes along who manages to take ingredients like Metal, Rap and produces a very different recipe. Mark my words, before long there will be many copycats around. 9/10.

Of Feather And Bone: Sulfuric Disintegration (Norman Records) [Rich Oliver]

My first exposure to Of Feather And Bone was watching them support Tomb Mold back in September last year and they were a truly ferocious act who pummelled the eardrums and internal organs in equal measure. The terrifying intensity they performed with that evening is definitely captured in their third album Sulfuric Disintegration. The three piece band formed in Denver, Colorado back in 2012 and were more of a metal leaning hardcore and crust punk band. As they have progressed they have incorporated more death metal influences into their sound before they truly embraced the death metal ways on 2018’s Bestial Hymns Of Perversion which was a violent and uncompromising album. Now with Sulfuric Disintegration, Of Feather And Bone have certainly upped the ante. Sulfuric Disintegration is intense. From start to finish this album does not relent, pause or take a breath.  It is a completely unflinching and uncompromising blast of death metal which is very old school in sound and delivery but takes a lot of cues from contemporary death metal. 

Influences from death metal masters such as Incantation and Bolt Thrower can be heard but it is the sound and influence of such bands but taken into a far more extreme and terrifying sounding direction.  Frontman and guitarist Dave Grant unleashes bowel rupturing gutturals as well as unhinged screams and howls whilst also providing a maelstrom of riffs that thrash and contort to devastating effect.  He also provides some tasty lead guitar work. Bassist Alvino Salcedo is the rhythmic backbone to this onslaught whilst drummer Preston Weippert erupts onto his kit with devastating precision and shocking ferocity. The album itself is short at just over half an hour and comprises six songs which are all utterly relentless though there are deviations into doomy territory such as on Noctemnania but on the whole songs such as Regurgitated Communion and Baptized In Boiling Phlegm are on a singular mission to crush everything and everyone in their path. 

Even though Sulfuric Disintegration is a single minded album of mass destruction what makes this so enjoyable are the inventive riffs, evil atmosphere and the general unhinged feel of this album. Death metal is normally a genre that reaches out and pummels you from the speakers but with Sulfuric Disintegration, Of Feather And Bone take a sledgehammer to your skull and keep hitting you with blows until your head is nothing but a splattered mess of bone, brains, blood and flesh. It is an absolutely wonderful listen and a must hear album for any self respecting death metal fan. 9/10

Intervals: Circadian (Sheet Happens) [Matt Bladen]

Released via Protest The Hero's record label, Circadian is the latest creation from Toronto-based progressive instrumental act Intervals. Intervals is essentially guitarist Aaron Marshall who has been delivering instrumental rock playing for long time now almost reinventing the genre with every release allowing the explorative, intensely musical compositions speak for themselves. Circadian is the first Intervals album since 2017 and his fourth overall moving away from the pop culture references for more abstract themes of being a "reminder that seeking ideal circadian flow is integral to cutting through the static noise of modern life to find true peace" inspired by Marshall's own search for balance in his life. 

The album is designed to tell a story with the tracks here all combined to flow as one long piece maximising listener engagement in a genre that occasionally suffers from style over substance. There is no such issue here as Circadian ebbs and flows with those playing the record in mind keeping engagement high, Marshall has put a huge amount of time and effort constructing the record almost forensically so it seamlessly blends the varying stylistic approaches that appear on this record with some 8-Bit influence on Vantablack, some pop punk on 5-HTP, more epic prog sounds on Lock & Key which features up-and-coming guitarist Joshua De La Victoria.Johnson is very much the brains but he is joined by the brilliant bass playing of Jacob Umansky and the explorative drumming of Nathan Bulla with sound design from Milen Petzelt-Sorace and Sergei Kofman. 

Along with De La Victoria the album also features guest guitars from Marco Sfogli (James LaBrie) on the dueling djenty String Theory as the poppy tones of D.O.S.E has some funky sax from Saxl Rose (Antonio Hancock) and more than a little bit of Toto. Circadian breaks the boundaries of what you expect from instrumental prog rock, it grabs you from the beginning and keeps you excited until the end and you want to go round again when it finishes. Circadian is brilliant, really brilliant. 9/10

Reviews: Cult Burial, Death Dealer, After The Smoke Clears, White Magician (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Cult Burial: S/T (Self Released)

Sometimes this reviewing lark throws up something out of left field that rips your bloody face off. Cult Burial's self titled record is the musical equivalent of a a belt sander to the chops with a torrid, raging maelstrom of destructive death metal ala Deicide with the technical brilliance of Bloodshot Dawn or Suffocation, they also however have a major black metal side with the kind of rampaging nastiness of bands such as Cradle Of Filth and Behemoth. The album doesn't just stick rigidly to these conventions though, yes there are bottom scraping guttural vocals, but we get some squeals later on (End) as the songs become more expansive and musically dense towards the end of the album with industrial discord creating an ominous atmosphere that creeps in on Chaos. 

The album crawling to almost a halt with a post-metal dissonance built on a singular drum beat and large open chords before the brutal beating begins again, where Chaos begins the transition into tortuous doom, it's realised fully on Plague which moves the album into Alcest/Ghost Bath levels of jarring harshness, with Kill building more on that base layering and layering until it becomes a cacophony of extreme noise. From what I can see Cult Burial are just two men with the music from one and vocals another, well for a two piece this debut album is at the highest level in both the composition and production, equally melodic and bucolic the 10 tracks here rarely dip in quality adding searing lead guitar runs to the battering extreme metal offensive that bridges many genre gaps. Cult Burial is a brilliant debut record for anyone that likes their metal darker and dirtier than anything else, play loud, aiming at your neighbours where possible. 9/10 

Death Dealer: Conquered Lands (Steel Cartel)

When Death Dealer first hit the scene they were a a band who I really enjoyed with guitarists Stu Marshall (Night Legion/Dungeon) and Ross The Boss (ex-Manowar) joined by vocalist Sean Peck (Denner/Shermann, Cage, The Three Tremors) and drummer Steve Bolognese (Ross The Boss) for some fist-in-the-air epic metal anthems that sat in between the styles of Manowar and latter-period Judas Priest. Their first two albums were pretty standard in terms of style but they featured some stellar performances which gained them high marks from me. So I was expecting more of the same on Conquered Lands their third album, which now features Michael LePond on bass, as they were never going to move away from power/thrash/epic metal style but as I pressed play all was not right. 

This record does seem like it's going heavily through the motions of Manowar-like histrionic metal but the sound isn't quite right, the instruments were all treated at Monolith Studios in Melbourne Australia by Chris Themelco as the album was mastered by Maor Appelbaum in Los Angeles, California with Stu Marshall as co-producer/mixer/masterer and it's all a little harsh, however the most jarring part of the record is Sean Peck's vocals which are very screechy using his high register a little too often to be bearable, only when he drops things down is it ear friendly. Unfortunately Conquered Lands doesn't do anything new and it's focus on physical-only release and distribution which the band call an "old school campaign, directed at the true metal supporters and long- term fan engagement" seems a little elitist (like a certain American metal band I may have mentioned in this review), but really it's just that this album isn't up to their previous releases. 5/10  

After The Smoke Clears: Edification (Self Released)

Edification is the debut from London 4-piece After The Smoke Clears and from the first few seconds it's easy to get a handle on what you're going to get on the 9 tracks that follow brutal opener The Vine. The album tracks a journey from destruction into self-realisation, they chart this journey through aggressive groove metal that brings to mind bands like Machine Head and Chimaria,as the huge bass rattles around in your skull and the vocals are raw and ragged. This album has been foreshadowed by a few videos all of which are linked to the concepts on this record, generating buzz and also widening the scope of their music into a much more multimedia affair. These videos and singles were followed by turns with Incite, Thecityisours and Mtxs which has made their groove metal razor sharp and delivered with a controlled fury, only the last track releasing the aggression with a more emotive final part as some female vocals bring another more melodic addition to the groove metal battery. I'm never the biggest fan of groove metal as I do find it a little one dimensional but After The Smoke clears have hit upon what makes the genre so popular. 5/10

White Magician: Dealers Of Divinity (Cruz Del Sur Music)

What's the difference between a White Magician and a White Wizard? Well both in name and musically there is a lot that links the LA NWOBHM enthusiasts and these Detroit classic heavy metal crew, with penchant for galloping heavy metal filled with twin guitar harmonies, White Magician are a little bit more suited to the late 70's sounds of Thin Lizzy, BOC and Wishbone Ash with songs that are full of great lead playing from Mars Mysterio and The Great Kaiser who also the lead vocalist, Magia Nostra is a shining example of this with a hell of a lot of soloing closing out the song. 

The songs on this debut full length, following an EP and a Split (which weirdly also features The Great Kaiser's White Magician?), there's a big focus on the occult here as things shift into the sounds of Angel Witch and Mercyful Fate while elsewhere there's a power that remind me of Manilla Road too, there also seems to be an Italian influence here, not just in some of the titles but also on the albums instrumental track Fading Into Ages which has the fluttering acoustics of a Morricone Western theme. This whole album has a wider musical scope than just the classic metal influences it purports to have, so the difference is that White Magicians spells are a little more potent than the now defunct metal band bringing a brighter sound to the often repetitive trad metal genre. 7/10  

Reviews: Lunatic Soul, Harlott, Nuclear, Balothizer (Reviews By Paul Hutchings)

Lunatic Soul: Through Shaded Woods (Kscope Records)

2018’s Under The Fragmented Sky, the sixth album by Lunatic Soul was heavily electronically based. Never one to rest on his laurels, Mariusz Duda has now moved to an album devoid of everything that he used in the previous release. Instead he has extended his repertoire to explore dark Scandinavian and Slavic folk music. Through Shaded Woods is the first album that Duda has played all instruments and follows the concept of facing our worst traumas by courageously going through the woods. Influenced by his childhood home in Poland, the album is steeped in nature and woodlands. References to Wardruna and Heilung are evident. Lunatic Soul’s most recent releases have been deep and dark, the result of the grief and mourning that enveloped Duda and his Riverside comrades after the death of Piotr Grudzinski. Through Shaded Woods sees the shadows lift, with more optimistic elements creeping into the music. 

As with all Duda’s releases, there is plenty going on. The atmospheric intro of Navvie leads into the pulsing drama of The Passage, one of three lengthy workouts on the album. A combination of instruments blends into meandering progressive passages which absorb and captivate. There are almost tribal elements within these tracks, the mood flowing and traversing as the album develops. It is worth picking up one of the extended versions of this release, because disc 2 contains three additional songs which total over 35 minutes worth of music. Before you get to the bonus disc, navigate through the delicious Summoning Dance, a beautifully delicate ten-minute song that sees Duda at his most enigmatic. And when you do get to the finale, then immerse yourself in the near 28 minutes of Transition II. Enthralling, captivating and progressively majestic – this is an exercise in exploration. 

There is little else that needs saying. Duda can create an atmosphere that others don’t get near. Intelligent, creative, and enchanting. Throughout the album there are echoes of other influences, notably Dead Can Dance on Oblivion. You can search for whatever you want. This record matches his other work. It glows with a warmth rarely seen. Once more, the Pole has delivered a spell binding piece of work. 9/10

Harlott: Detritus Of The Final Age (Metal Blade Records)

Another slab of raw thrash to throw your way with the fourth album from Australian outfit Harlott. The Melbourne band have been active since 2006 and since 2013 have consistently turned out an album every couple of years. 2017’s Extinction got positive reaction here and it’s easy to see why with album number four sharper than a reversing porcupine. A feisty As We Breach opens proceedings before the two-minute blitz of Idol Minded careers into you like a runaway car. Six minutes in and you are left in no doubt that Harlott are on a mission. The mission to rip your head off with ferocious but high-quality thrash. Huge riffs kick in on Bring On The War, the tempo slowed but the crushing power retained. There’s a Germanic feel to this track, the band throwing in a big chunk of Kreator influenced thrash which is no bad thing. Two line-up changes have taken place since Extinction, with Glen Trayhern on drums and Leigh Bartley on guitar bringing new impetus. Trayhern’s drumming is on point throughout while Bartley adds some serrating solos that soar. Vocalist/guitarist Andrew Hudson is as aggressive in his vocal delivery as before, spitting his bilious lyrics about the state of the world. 

According to Hudson, he went into the writing phase with a blank sheet. Over a year later, the final product is as explosive as the three albums that preceded it. Fans of the band will know that the first three albums formed a trilogy - Origin (2013), Proliferation (2015) and Extinction. With Detritus Of The Final Age, Hudson takes a shot at the aftermath of death. There’s plenty to be angry about these days, and Australia has been through the mill in 2020. “I’ve never really had a good opinion of mankind and its systemic conditions - war, religion, greed, hate, evil - all of these things are so ingrained in what we are that it’s hard not to want angry words for the angry music we write.” Alongside that, Hudson experienced a significant loss and noted with horror how aggressively grief can take over. These issues are all reflected in this album. Whilst Prime Evil (featuring Cephalic Carnage guitarist Brian Hopp) and the title track are both thrash beasts, the first epic track on this album arrives midway with Nemesis. A seven-minute monster that focuses on the internal struggle of doubt and hatred that happens inside, and the feeling of being your own worst enemy. It features some of the most lacerating guitar work on the album and evolves at a blistering pace. 

The other gargantuan piece on the album comes towards the tail with penultimate song Miserere Of The Dead. A snarling, thrashing ball of aggression, this has a classic thrash stamp all over it. A thunderous first section, the track then slows to an acoustic central segment before the bass of Tom Richards segues back into an adrenaline surge. The song is propelled by Hudson spitting his lyrics, some slicing solos erupting and a final gentle fade closing the song. As if that wasn’t enough, Harlott finish with a blistering cover of Cannibal Corpse’s The Time To Kill Is Now. When you’ve picked yourself up from the floor, add Detritus Of The Final Age to the ever-growing list of excellent thrash for 2020. 9/10

Nuclear: Murder Of Crows (Black Lodge)

The gentle solo acoustic intro of Pitchblack segues into the title track of the sixth studio record from Nuclear, a wall of crushing riffs collapsing on top of you as the Chilean outfit explode into life. There is little in the way of frills to Murder Of Crows, this is full on face melting thrash metal and it’s rather good as well. Five years since Formula For Anarchy, the band who I last saw and who impressed me massively in January when opening for Abbath in London are fired up. The punk fused aggression of No Light After All follows, a frenetic punishing rager, all jagged edges and vicious guitars with more than a nod to old school death metal. Things slow down considerably on When Water Thickens Blood, a grinding, doom laden song with powerful heavy riffs. 

For the most part, Nuclear switch between the more traditional South American thrash of Abusados and Facing Towards You, all powerhouse riffing and the gruff vocals of Matias Leonicio and the faster, furious short, sharp bullets of Friendly Sociopath, No Light After All and Hatetrend. The band go for the dramatic climax with the cinematic Blood To Spare that leads into the grand finale, the seven-minute Useless To Mankind, five minutes of complete thrashing goodness before the song fades out with a similar acoustic solo outro that the album opened with. Nuclear capture the essence of 90s thrash, the time when Sepultura were still dominating, but add a modern take on it. It’s tightly played, the four musicians in harmony as they deliver their savage onslaught. As I said, no frills, merely a smash to the face with 40 minutes of aggressive thrash metal. Another to add to the thrash metal list of 2020. 8/10

Balothizer: Cretan Smash (Louvana Records)

If you fancy something a little different, then the post-Cretan chaos of power trio Balothizer is well worth checking out. The band play what is described as ‘Cretan music from Hell’, fusing Cretan music with heavy bass lines and explosive drumming, all topped off with some aggressive gravelly vocals and a large portion of thrash. It’s maniacal, crazy, and utterly compelling. Things get off to a flying start with the thunderous Jegaman, which begins with a funky beat, traditional sounds and tunes merging into a flying blitz of Hellenic chaos. Pav Mav’s driving bass and native tongue combine to give the band a genuine authenticity. It’s every bit as good as a souvlaki. Damn, now I’m hungry! Mav is joined by Nikos Ziarkas on electric lute, electronics, and backing vocals with drummer Steve J. Payne apparently not from the fair isle. 

In fact, the band originate from London, but their Greek vocals combined with the powerful compositions is a bizarre but intriguing consideration. Tribal drums introduce Peace, the Arabic overtones conjuring images not just of Greece but Arabian lands. The intoxicating ethnic elements draw you close with the imaginative compositions playing out in style. It’s impossible not to tap along as the lute weaves and winds its way around. Things take a turn for the heavier with the piledriving Penante & Levante, chanting, pounding drums and thunderous bass along with a myriad of other effects which jar and crash but somehow work. 

That leaves the psychedelic overtures of Foustalieris 2, which just runs all over the place and the concluding doom-laden Anathema. I’m not sure what to say after listening to this album. It is off the chart in places, endearing and warming in other parts and as original an album as I’ve heard despite the obvious sourcing of traditional songs. My best advice would be to grab a Mythos, a thickly cut and filled gyro and settle down for a bit. Listen to this album and then try and work out what you’ve just heard. 7/10

A View From The Living Room: Moonspell Live Stream (Review By Paul Hutchings)

Moonspell: Halloween 2! 6th November

Live streams are becoming a way of bands keeping in touch with their fans. And also, a way of band members getting back on the stage with each other, and kicking out those jams. A gentle, slightly artificial but necessary reminder of those pre-March days when we took concerts as part of everyday life. Originally planned for Halloween night, Portuguese gothic rockers Moonspell finally lifted the cobwebbed curtain a week later and delivered a show that reminded us exactly what we are missing. 

Pax Julia is a local theatre, built nearly a 100 years ago which sits in the ancient town of Beja, some two hours north of the Algarve capital Faro. It was this setting that provided the backdrop for Moonspell to cast their magic. 300 socially distanced guests, sat at gaps across the stalls, provided a mouth covered roar, punching the air, applauding, and raising the devil horns with a ferocious regularity. Witnessed by thousands of the band’s loyal wolfpack worldwide, Moonspell demonstrated why, 28 years after their formation, they remain an impressive machine. A recent change to the band’s line up is the arrival of drummer Hugo Ribeiro, who this year replaced original member Miguel Gaspar who had been with the band since 1992. Ribeiro slotted in nicely, anchoring the engine with energetic bassist Aires Pereira, whose head banging and constant movement despite being allocated a small area of the stage was one of many highlights.

The evening opened in dramatic style. Frontman Fernando Ribeiro was bathed in red strobes, his cape stretched out wide as he introduced the intro to Vampiria, the first of 17 songs in an action-packed evening. Moonspell’s sound is more than just gothic metal. They switch between the gothic sound they have created over the years with elements of other genres, and often blend elements of symphonic metal with choral string effects. Fernando Ribeiro was the focal point for much of the evening, but he didn’t overshadow any of the other members of the band. Pereira was the most active, whilst guitarist Ricardo Amorim went about his business with little fuss, shredding when needed, with the thick layered melody of keyboardist Pedro Paixão adding to the depth of the songs.

It may have been a slightly artificial event, but those in the seats were clearly enjoying what they saw despite the face coverings and the requirement to stay seated. Moonspell pulled out all the stops with a full production. Banks of lighting, lasers and pillars of smoke were all utilised to provide a first-class show. There was an energy that Moonspell were determined to generate, with Fernando regularly expressing the band’s gratitude in both Portuguese and then English. Two sets of encores concluded the event, with the finale the aptly titled The Future Is Dark.

I’ve watched two live streams in successive nights. One with an audience, one without. Obviously the one with punters was more enjoyable. I’ll take this option for now but if this is the future, then it is indeed dark. To Moonspell, thank you for the effort and enthusiasm. I’m not scoring this. That would be wrong.

Reviews: AC/DC, Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons, King Creature, Accuser (Reviews By Paul Hutchings)

AC/DC: Power Up (Colombia Records) 

Thursday 9th July 2015. Wembley Stadium. Probably the last time that I’ll ever see AC/DC and I’m alright with that. If we ever get gigs again, the thought of a giant stadium event may not be the most enticing. But if it was the last time, it was a good way to go out. To be honest, I thought the band had fallen in on itself at the tail end of the Rock Or Bust tour. Brian Johnson departed under doctor’s orders, drummer Phil Rudd who hadn’t played on the tour faced charges of procuring murder, threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine, Axl Rose took up the microphone and then Malcolm passed away, Cliff Williams retired and for even the most hardened fan, it was time to dust down those High Voltage and Highway To Hell albums and think wistfully about one of the most amazing rock n’ roll bands of all time. A band that rivalled Status Quo for formulaic yet addictive rhythm and blues, a band that changed line-up extraordinarily little over four decades and a band who have sold over 200 million albums worldwide. 

And then, earlier this year, as we dug out Back In Black and revelled in what was an extraordinary record which was celebrating its 40th anniversary, the rumours that had started circulating back in 2018 with photos of Johnson, Rudd, Williams, Angus and Stevie Young at a recording studio in Vancouver, British Columbia were confirmed, bizarrely by Dee Snider amongst others. And here it is. The 17th album by AC/DC. Power Up is 12 tracks, 41 minutes of well, AC/DC. But there’s more. The legacy of Malcolm looms large. All tracks on Power Up are credited to Angus and Malcolm, Angus having raided the vault to find unreleased songs, and the album serves as a tribute to their late rhythm guitarist. Purists will argue over whether Bon Scott or Johnson is the definitive vocalist. I’m a bigger fan of the Aussie, but it’s an academic debate. Johnson has been in the band for 40 years, give or take and this is his 11th album. His performance here is as solid as ever, his growling, smoky gravel-soaked delivery on tracks such as Shot In The Dark, opener Realise, and Witch’s Spell brings a kind of comfort. Johnson is back on the mic, and all is right in the AC/DC.

Opening track Realise is like greeting an old friend. Rudd’s solid thumping, the pumping bass and Stevie Young’s rhythm guitar carrying on the straightforward but oh so clever style that Malcolm patented over all those years. It’s all there and then there are the feisty, blues-soaked lead riffs that Angus has done so well. It’s a quick slap, to remind you that AC/DC are back and still rocking. If you claim that AC/DC are a one trick pony, then Power Up will not change your mind one bit. The tracks are similar in style and sound, Rejection slightly slower, allowing Angus to flick out those little licks and show that he still can cut it, Johnson’s vocals astonishingly good for a man in his 73rd year. This band are well past veteran status but to me they do what they do, and they do it damn well. One of the criticisms about Rock or Bust was that the songs were in general a little flat. That isn’t the case here. 

Single Shot In The Dark is a real fist raiser, Through The Mists Of Time retains the blues rock that is what the band have always been about, and the ZZ Top smooch of Demon Fire just purrs. Elsewhere Power Up simply does what AC/DC have always done. It provides several tracks of high quality that are perfect for listening to whatever you are doing. Sure, much of it has been done before but even the weaker tracks like Wild Reputation and No Man’s Land are delivered with such class that you find yourself nodding along with pure enjoyment. Brendan O’Brien’s production is as flawless as it was on Black Ice and Rock Or Bust. The whole album is polished, crafted and in times where old friends are but a distant hope, the reassuring thump of AC/DC may just be something to lift the spirits. It certainly did for me. 8/10

Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons: We’re The Bastards (Nuclear Blast)

It’s always amused me that whenever PCATBS get played on Planet Rock, and let’s face it, that’s a reasonable amount, the digital purveyors of blandness and keeping it safe have to squirm and pass over the word bastard. Yeah, the same station that happily broadcasts songs about domestic violence, objectifying women and hard drug abuse can’t say the word bastard. Where is Sean Bean when you need him? Anyway, I digress. We’re The Bastards is the second full-length album from Phil Campbell, his sons Dane, Todd and Tyler and the powerful pipes of Neil Starr. And it’s a bloody marvellous release, full of swagger, confidence and solid hard rock songs that demonstrate an organic progression from The Age Of Absurdity. Produced by Todd during lockdown, it’s got a huge sound to it. The playing is sublime, Phil Campbell demonstrating once more what an underrated player he is, ably supported by Todd whilst Tyler and Dane lock things down nice and tight. It’s an album crammed with memorable songs, full of hooks and groove that linger long after they have finished. 

The obvious place to start is the blood and thunder tribute to the band’s legion of fans of the title track which rips and roars. The ideal set opener, should we ever get to those sweaty beer filled gigs again, We’re The Bastards and Son Of A Gun which follows are both classic PCATBS tracks. This is an album that may strut and preen, but there isn’t an ounce of arrogance within the 53 minutes. The band move to the bluesy stomp of Desert Song, showcasing Starr’s smoky emotion filled vocals, a song ideal for taking the temperature down a notch mid-set. Flanking that the raging good time rock n’ roll of Bite Your Tongue and Keep Your Jacket On. Both typically fluid and memorable, this is the kind of music that we take for granted. It sounds easy, but that’s because this is one classy outfit, regardless of what you may think. It’s evident that Phil remains fulfilled by playing, and after Old Lions Still Roar last year, his third full release in three years proves that the fire still burns. 

With huge touring runs behind them, including stadium gigs with the likes of Guns N’ Roses in 2017, the band is now a well-oiled machine. I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived with this album for several weeks. It soaks into the memory banks and it is now as familiar as a comfy jacket. And it finishes in style with the pounding rocker of Hate Machine and the gung-ho Destroyed (another destined to become a firm fan favourite) leading into the curveball of the grunge soaked Waves which closes the album in style with some of Phil’s playing sublime. Mixed and mastered by Soren Anderson (Glenn Hughes, The Answer), there is a necessary polish for the band’s sophomore release. Underneath it all, there is still dirt under the nails, oil on the overalls. We’re The Bastards works on so many levels. It’s a classic hard rock album in the truest sense. It needs to be heard. Over and over again. It cries out for the live experience. We can but hope that one day soon these tracks will be blasting out of a huge Marshall stack. 9/10

King Creature: Set The World On Fire (Marshall Records)

2017 saw the debut release by Cornwall’s King Creature. Vol I was a solid release, good enough to make the top 20 of one of the team and came on the back of a great show at HRH. The band were however, a little flat when supporting Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons in November 2019 so it was with some interest and a little trepidation that I began this review. The first thing to note is that the band are not afraid to move things forward. They have placed their faith on an epic ballad Wisdom Told, a celebration of fathers, past and present. Does it work? It certainly carries gravitas, aided by some excellent production values. At over six minutes it is the longest track on the record by some distance, and the final couple of minutes are an extended, emotive guitar solo extravaganza which criminally fades out. 

It’s when they are at their most bombastic that I find King Creature at their best and there are a few balls out rockers to contend with here. Opener Desolation (which didn’t pull up any trees live) and Falling Down Again and the melodic yet crunchingly powerful No Getting Out Alive are amongst the better songs. The heartfelt The Storm will appeal to the classic rock fan, with it’s melodic, Stone Sour feel. There is more than a touch of Corey Taylor in the delivery of Dave Kellaway. It’s evident that King Creature have improved. Musically, they are tighter and more confident that they were on Vol I. There is, however, a distinct absence of real hooks which grab your attention and pull you in. The songs are decent enough, but do they really live long in the memory? Not hugely and that’s the biggest problem for me with Set The World On Fire. Their progress is still upwards even if a little stunted for now. It’s not a blaze but a smouldering heap. 6/10

Accuser: Accuser (Metal Blade Records)

I enjoyed Accuser’s 11th album, The Mastery when I reviewed it in 2018. The Germans are one of the supporting cast who stand behind the big four German Thrash outfits. Formed in the 1980s, the band have continued to deliver consistent thrash metal and this self-titled release is no different. Vocalist/guitarist Frank Thoms continues to deliver hard cutting aggression, his vocal delivery still echoing Max Cavalera in gruffness. Accuser are bolstered on this album by the return of lead guitarist René Schütz, appearing on his first album since 2011 whilst bassist Frank Kimpel and drummer Olli Fechner remain the powerhouse engine room of the outfit. They have a distinctive sound but vary their style throughout the album. There is little rest in the tempo, it’s a thrash album after all, but tracks such as Psychocision and Temple Of All contain contrasting delivery in both pattern and pace, with more melody in the choruses in comparison to the bludgeoning opening salvo of Misled Obedience and Phantom Graves. 

Lux In Tenebis switches pace and feel multiple times without losing any of the power. The melodic lead breaks shine through the ferocious wall of heavy riffs, Schütz’s slicing work one of the standout features of this album. Thoms has always followed hardcore punk in his themes, challenging political systems and calling out injustices. This is no different on Accuser, with several tracks focusing on similar topics and the inevitability that man will ultimately be reliant on himself. Temple Of All considers the contradictions of religion, and Seven Lives sees the question of regulated coexistence. Be None The Wiser, with it’s slower, softer change of tempo highlights the limitations of Thoms vocals, which are much better suited to snarling, roaring thrash. Thoms admitted that he had no voice for three weeks after the recording of the album and it’s easy to see why. 

Ultimately, Accuser’s strengths lie in the fast, heads down battery that has long been their trademark. Songs like Rethink and the piledriving Contamination are what Accuser do best. Recorded before lockdown, Accuser is a solid album with enough moods and styles to keep the listener engaged. Long-time collaborator Martin Buchwalter, who has worked on five Accuser albums, was once again the producer’s chair with mastering by Dan Swanö. If you like your Germanic thrash, then this album is certainly one to get involved with. 8/10

Reviews: Pulchra Morte, Pteroglyph, L.A Guns, L'Uomo Nero (Rich, Liam, Simon, Paul S)

Pulchra Morte: Ex Rosa Ceremonia (Transcending Records) [Rich Oliver] 

Pulchra Morte are a death doom band from the US made up of members from bands such as Skeletonwitch, Wolvhammer and Eulogy amongst others. They are not a band I have previously heard of but they have certainly impressed me with their second album Ex Rosa Ceremonia released through Transcending Records. Pulchra Morte have a sound that transports us back to the early 1990’s and is very much influenced and inspired by the style and sound of the bands of the ‘Peaceville Three’ which is Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema so this is a bleak concoction of doom and death metal. On the whole the songs on this album are far more riff driven rather than relying on forlorn melodies with songs such as The Serpent’s Choir, In The Mourning Light and the title track being more doom laden pieces of death metal. 

 On the flip side you do have songs which play to the more melodic, melancholic and atmospheric side such as Knife Of The Will, Prince Of Shadows and The Archer & The Noose. All the songs are relatively short and compact with the longest being around the five and a half minute mark meaning that nothing is drawn out longer than needed. The guitar work from Jeffrey Breden and Jarrett Pritchard is excellent with a mix of doom and death metal riffs and those essential forlorn melodies which sound very reminiscent of the style of Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost. The vocals from Adam Clemans are a mix of blackened screams and deathly gutturals with the inclusion of some baritone clean vocals at times. Ex Rosa Ceremonia is a great album and whilst not wholly original sounding, the quality is there and it is a wonderful love letter to the early 1990’s when these pioneering death doom bands were releasing unrelentingly bleak and unsettling music. 8/10

Pteroglyph: Solaire (Bloodblast Records) [Liam True]

Despite being around since 2012, touring the underground UK Metal scene for years, gaining media attention from the likes of Metalsucks & Kerrang!, playing both Bloodstock & UK Tech Fest in 2016 & 2017 respectively, they’ve never come into my radar. And with their debut album out in 2017 I thought I would have heard of this band earlier. But finally, on their eagerly awaited follow up they’ve hit the nail on the head for everything I look for in a powerful Metalcore band. With a six-song album the Leeds trio are thrown back into the spotlight with Solaire. A meaty chunk of technical, but melodic, Metalcore it shows you can combine two genres to curdle into a sickening collaboration of Djenty sound with the melodic chorus’ of Metalcore. Entwining the two together to produce the 28-minute album to crush all other newcomers to the party. Fronted and lead by vocalist & lead songwriter Jimmy MacGregor heads the charge with his signature vocal charge as the band commence their thrones on the battlefield of Solaire. 

Doing double duty on the vocals and guitars can be somewhat challenging, but MacGregor pulls it off like he’s been doing it since birth. Both himself & fellow six string compadre Ainsley Prothero don’t dabble with atmospheric intro’s as they let their guitar tones do the talking before both the album & title track Solaire is off to a punishing start with sticksman Bradie Nixon coming from the dark to unleash the machine gun like tempos of pure destruction that don’t let up for a second. While the band annihilate your senses with their almost Death Metal sound, they also bring a more melodic side with chorus’ in songs like Black Death & Forlorn that enhance the sound of the album. From start to finish it’s a perfect album with riffs aplenty and air drums to perfect. It took a long time to reach my radar, but now I'm glad it found me as it’s easily my contender for album of the year. It’s worth your time to wreck your neck headbanging to and to learn the album through and through back to front. Meaty. Vile. Monstrous. This is Pteroglyph. And they’ve just slayed the competition. 10/10

L.A. Guns: Renegades (Golden Root Records) [Simon Black]

Poor old L.A. Guns. Despite being a key component of the history of the rise of Guns ’N’ Roses and the whole Holywood 80’s phenomena, and despite producing some classic contributions to the remarkably resilient (but now mercifully underground) Sleaze scene in their early days, they never really got the kind of attention they may have been entitled to. They are always referred to in the same breath of the Rock Gods of that era, but that has never translated into sales, mainstream recognition or big venues even in their heyday (much as Diamond Head sit in the shadows of Metallica).

Any attempt to do this now is massively hampered by the fact that for the second time in his history, the recording incarnation of the band bearing his name no longer actually has Tracii Guns contributing to it. For those not in the loop, L.A, Guns are yet another example of the acrimony of the early noughties that led to parallel incarnations of bands to come into being as rival versions vie for the attentions of a smaller slice of the Sleazy Hard Rock pie. Although by keeping the ongoing tradition of including the L.A. Guns Skull badge logo, the Steve Riley version of the band are determined to try and claim that legitimacy.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t followed these guys in any way since their debut album many moons ago, so the trials tribulations, splits and line up fluctuations have passed me by completely. Looking at this album as it stands is not easy, because as ever when there are multiple acts vying for the same brand (and in this case the one without the man who lent his name to it), I can’t shake off the feeling that I’m not listening to the real thing…

So what I am listening to is a perfectly competent, if slightly flat Rock’n’Roll album. Although a little dated lyrically from time to time – for example single Well Oiled Machine drips sleazy 80’s cheesiness; sorry this is not 1987. It’s got the feel, but recording wise is just a bit to clean for the genre. This kind of music works best when it’s really rough around the edges, and this sadly lacks that slightly dangerous quality that their early albums dripped. Songs like The Lost Boys have the mood and the songwriting, but the production kills it dead. And there’s the challenge – the songs should work, but the spark is missing. It’s the kind of low slung riff machinery that works a treat in a sweaty club where the energy of the audience can feed the musicians, but this album is unlikely to move them beyond those sorts of venues. The legal profession may have decided that the two halves can continue independently, but this album is nowhere near whole. 5/10

L’Uomo Nero: Andiamo Nel Deserto (Desert Records) [Paul Scoble]

L’Uomo (The Boogeymen) are a 3 piece based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The band, which features Dominic Cagliostro on Vocals and Guitar, Robson Guy on Bass guitar and Luke Seelau on Drums, are in the process of making a 3 part concept piece using 3 EP’s, of which Andiamo Nel Deserto is the first part. The trilogy is about ‘Occult’ detectives, and is inspired by true events, and by H.P. Lovecraft.
Musically L’Uomo Nero play quite a bluesy style of Boogie Woogie Rock and Roll. The opening track Andiamo is an uptempo 12 bar, with a certain amount of swagger. 

Second track Afterman is My Sharona by The Knack, but with different lyrics, it’s played well, and is a lot of fun, but it’s basically someone else’s song. Nel Deserto is a big blues ballad, that is huge and dramatic. Final track is bit of blues with a swaggering swing tempo called Walk Away, it’s a nice bombastic way to end the EP. Andiamo Nel Deserto is a fun and well played Ep, but the material is fairly generic. There isn’t a note that I haven’t heard before, and Afterman is just too close to being someone else’s work. This EP reminds me of The Commitments Soundtrack, in the style of the music on offer, and in that The Commitments were a covers band. Not bad at all, but this EP might give you Deja Vu. 6/10

Reviews: Orianthi, Mountain Caller, Susan Santos, Erja Lyytinen (Reviews Matt Bladen)

Orianthi: O (Frontiers Music)

O is the sound of Orianthi Panagaris' returning to what made her the go to six stringer for artists such as Michael Jackson (who is commemorated on Moonwalker), Carlos Santana, Carrie Underwood and Alice Cooper. Putting behind her the absolutely awful Richie Sambora collaboration RSO, which Paul generously gave a 2/10, O is Orianthi taking back creative control of her career, signing to Frontiers Music to do it. O is her first solo album since 2013 and it features 10 tracks of melodic radio friendly rock with obvious pop influences, from the Muse-like throb of Contagious which immediately brings us into that US Radio Rock style favoured by bands such as Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless, the former coming strongly on the stripped back ballad Crawling Out Of The Dark.   

A sound that's continued into the big bluesy swagger of Sinner's Hymn. Orianthi sings and plays guitar here, vocally she sounds a lot like one Ms Hale while her guitar playing is astounding the kind of shredding that will get social media buzzing but never detracts from the song structures. Unlike RSO which was everywhere musically, here we have the general sounds of rock, blues and some foot stomping country on Rescue Me (which reminds me of Carrie Underwood but with a heavier edge) Behind Orianthi are Evan Frederiksen (drums, bass) and Marti Frederiksen (percussion, programming, bass) in the rhythm section who give us a strut on the achingly modern Sorry. O takes Orianthi back on the path she has charted since the beginning of her career, not as heavy as her friend Nita Strauss, but still based on virtuoso guitar playing with catchy songwriting ready to take the live arena when safe to do so. 7/10

Mountain Caller: Chronicle I - The Truthseeker (New Heavy Sounds)

Claire (Guitar), El (Bass) and Max (Drums) makeup elemental, primeval, instrumental band Mountain Caller. It's pretty much a given that Chronicle I -The Truthseeker is going to be a heavy offering due to it being released on New Heavy Sounds but it's not just colossal knuckle dragging doom riffs but it's also punctuated by progressive melodic, ambient soundscapes. If you check out their PR you get a good idea of what they sound like when they say Sleep jamming with Mogwai and Trial By Combat really displays this by having a slow clean repeating riff that eventually moves into downtuned heaviness for a few bars as it shifts into groovier stoner riffs with some thrashy drumming. 

As we reach the end of Trial By Combat we are taken into the very proggy A Clamour Of Limbs which has that choppy, erratic riffs that move into the realms of Mastodon although with added jazz and it is also the only song with vocals which are really good so I hope that they incorporate them a little more on their next release for an extra dimension. The trio use their music to allow the listener to create images in their mind as these 6 tracks unfurl their musical journeying, letting the instruments speak for themselves none of them ever trying to compete with one another, rather they are all equally important to the cinematic sound of songs such as the brilliant closer Dreamspirals. Produced by Joe Clayton of Pijn and mixed by Magnus Lindberg of Cult Of Luna Chronicles I - The Truthseeker is a fruitful climax to three years toil for this excellent debut album. 8/10

Susan Santos: L.A Sessions (Self Released)

Well established and critically acclaimed blues guitarist recorded this EP in December 2019 (before the world went nuts), it features Santos on guitar/vocals, Tony Morra on drums and Fabrizio Grossi on bass, the Supersonic Blues Machine man also recorded, engineered and produced the record in his L.A Studio. So what do these four tracks do that Santos hasn't done before on her previous 5 releases? Well nothing really, but if it ain't broke and so on. Santos' soulful vocals make songs like the moody Somebody To Love and the late night blues of Fever really shine as her guitar playing is at the top level unleashing searing blues rock riffs on Wait. A stopgap before her next full length L.A Sessions is an ideal intro to Santos music. 6/10 

Erja Lyytinen: Lockdown Live 2020 (Tuohi Records)

Yet more blues rock mastery this time from the rockier tones of Erja Lyytinen, without any chances to tour her previous album Another World and her tour put off until next year Erja Lyytinen decided to record an 'empty arena' show for CD and DVD. Before the pandemic Lyytinen was riding a crest of a wave in her creative life but with Lockdown in force and separation from her band she decided to hole up in Bluesounds Studios in her hometown of Kuopio, Finland get her band behind her and give her fans a fully immersive livestream concert. The result of which is on this record, which contains tracks from her whole discography but the most come from her most recent record. It's a novel concept but without a crowd it's only the oddly hollow production that gives away that this is live at all, it sounds like it was recorded in an empty room, which of course it was but with a little studio trickery this could have been rectified (hey if Thin Lizzy can do it). Much like Santos' EP this would make a good starting point if you've never heard Lyytinen before so it's worth checking out at least. 6/10