Reviews: Overthrow, Erebor, Catalysis, Cult Burial (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Overthrow - Strike Down The Saviour (Self Released)

Overthrow play thrash, blackened thrash in fact, gnarly, nasty explosive thrash that takes as much from the Teutonic thrash scene as it does from the Scandi black metal scene. So bands such as Aura Noir, Sodom and Venom all come to mind as soon as you start to spin this London band's debut offering. A dramatic intro guides you into the record, but soon the riffs come fast, ripping and clawing their way out of the their way of the speakers, blast beats going hell for leather and that's before the growling vocals come in. The title track easily switches from choppy grooves the fluid thrash riffs, Alex Harris and Jay White playing off each other well as the bands axe-men, touching on a more modern sound than many of their blackened thrash friends, making the title track, and most of the album in fact become similar to the style of bands like Trivium, Revocation or Sylosis. 

White has great voice too, growled but with a black metal edginess to it, Seeds Of Disease probably his most powerful performance. It's a brooding doomy track where drummer Scott Lindsay, unleashes double kicks underneath a mid-paced riff, his concussive percussion leads us into the final Altar Of The Fallen which is a great slab of modern thrash metal, underpinned by Alin Iordache's bass riffs. Strike Down The Saviour is a record that is full of the type of thrash I really enjoy, it's got melodies and solos, lots of moody darkness and explosive riffage. I'll be catching them if they play live anywhere near me as this album is impressive. 8/10

Erebor - Inherent Malevolence (Self Released)

Named after the Lonely Mountain, home to the Dwarves in J.R.R Tolkien's collected works. This Erebor are a technical death metal band from Durham, which is a home of tech death right? Now when I say technical, I mean technical jazz time signatures, inhuman drumming, janky guitar riffs, fret slides, guttural vocals, the works. Fans of Nile, Obscura, Beyond Creation etc will get deep into this record lapping up the multitude of time changes on tracks such as the bruising title track as Shadows Of An Age Negated presses the button for lightspeed, the riffs coming almost to fast that they are relegated to cutting in over the relentless drumbeats and bullet train speed bass. Erebor don't really do nuance, no cinematic flourishes, no clean vocals or strings. It's about being in your face as much as possible, even with the instrumental interlude Of A Starred Continuum everything is at 11 before it leads into the 10 minute closer The Stillness Of Unending Sleep which is a journey to say the least, virtuoso playing and bludgeoning heaviness, evolving as it moves through it's run time. Delivered with the precision of a laser guided missile Inherent Malevolence is a destructive, tech metal album that will excite fans of the genre. 7/10    

Catalysis – Relicta (Self Released)

Having previously covered their debut album in 2020, with Paul Hutchings taking Connection Lost, so now it’s’ my turn to delve into another offering from the Dundee metal crew. Catalysis are a five piece groove metal act that have been around since 2016 and Relicta is their third EP release. This one coming off the debut full length as the most current modern sound Catalysis has to offer. By modern I mean the sort of metalcore/groove metal sound of bands such as Machine Head and Chimaira from the 2000’s, thrashy riffs, grunted/roared vocals and some pit ready breakdowns, along with a bit more melody than they have previously had, especially in the solo department. Tracks such as Laid To Waste and The Point Of No Return, are ideal examples of Catalysis’ at their most brutal, crushing riffs that shift into explosive solos and gang vocals. The lyrics dealing with loss and mental health issues in a change to the normal content the band deal with. At six tracks Relicta doesn’t hang about longer than required but unless you are a massive fan of Machine Head and that NWOAHM from the 2000’s then Catalysis’ groove metal won’t do much more than be a single time listen. However if you love music to pit too then Relicta is a recommendation. 6/10

Cult Burial - Oblivion EP (Self Released)

Written after their previous full length record the three tracks on this EP are Cult Burial changing up their sound, moving away from their doom beginnings into the thrash/death metal style. Oblivion opens up this EP of the same name with some double kick blasts, frantic tremolo picking and some doom elements as well. The tremolo picking comes back on the crushing Parasite which is probably the best song on the record as the EP finishes with the crushing Paralysed a song that adds some more synth elements towards the end. It's a heavy EP, the change from the doomier sound to this faster, aggressive style of music gives you a hint towards what their next album will be like. Oblivion is over in a flash, but doesn't settle in for long enough to really hook you. Lets see what that next full length offers. 6/10

Reviews: Andrew W.K, Charlotte Wessels, Mono, Into The Valley Of Death (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Andrew W.K – God Is Partying (Napalm Records)

God Is Partying Andrew W.K’s sixth studio album sees him embracing the dark side for the first time in his career, the singles and videos for this record, Babalon especially even saw the normal white shirt and jeans combo switched to black. So has the power of positive partying left our intrepid hero? Well it’s a distinct possibility as God Is Partying, streamlines and matures W.K’s maximalist party offerings into a more melodic, darker toned sound, he has done something similar before with his second, third and fourth albums but none had the quite the same emotional grunt as this one does. If you didn’t know it was an Andrew W.K record you’d have thought it was Papa Emeritus and his band of merry ghouls, due to the heavy metal riffs, augmented by layers of keys and counter-spiritual lyrics. Now it’s the keyboards of this record that stand out W.K a brilliant player and it’s clear that the songs have been written around the synths and organs. It’s not AOR though opening with the attitude filled Everybody Sins, we go into some Gothic crushing start stop riffs, Andrew’s voice at its most measured and fragile than on any previous release, showing that he’s more than a one trick pony.

All the instrumentation is played by him and he co-produces along with Ted Young. But those who have only heard I Get Wet will be a little confused by this album as it really does sound a lot like Ghost or Blue Oyster Cult for you older readers. There are less mentions of partying and any positivity is hidden under a sheen of caution but with the world the way it is it’s clear that even this bastion of positivity may have to relinquish a little bit. God Is Partying takes you under the skin of its creator a little more than any previous record, the thrashing Babalon aimed at an unnamed female destroyer, before No One To Know crashes down around you as the albums first raw emotional moment, the stripped back verses building into the clarion call of a chorus complete with regal trumpet-like parps. The album feels like a failure and redemption arc, or more likely a tale of lost love and broken relationships. Things get more positive on Stay True To Your Heart and after I’m In Heaven is the heaviest song on the album, both figuratively and metaphorically.  As we near toward the end And Then We Blew Apart is a song of acceptance done in the style of Queen or ELO, I Made It is a classic pro-party message, but the reprise of Everybody Sins the saga the saga ends with a nod to the next chapter. God Is Partying is essentially a record where this Andrew W.K’s bulletproof upbeat armour, showed vulnerability and in doing so he’s probably made the album of his career! 9/10

Charlotte Wessels – Tales From Six Feet Under (Napalm Records)

Ex-Delain singer Charlotte Wessels, has certainly had an inspirational lockdown period. Without any touring commitments or writing to do with her former band she channeled her creative ideas into a solo project. Writing, recording and performing everything you hear on this record Tales From Six Feet Under is a compilation of songs created during her sessions at her Six Feet Under home studio. She has released a song every month since the pandemic began and now has curated what she considers to be the best for this debut solo release. Now many will guess that this album will be full of the symphonic metal style of band Wessels has been a part of in the past, but much like how she brought a poppier/darker edge to Delain with her writing, here she is able to go fully down the rabbit hole into dark, gothic alt pop and throbbing synth rock. Lana Del Rey, Marina and Billie Eilish are the references I would relate to along with bands such as Depeche Mode, whose definitive sound crops up on Afkicken, a song sung in her native Dutch (a bit of Muse in this one too) 

It is not her only foray into other languages either, the percussive Victor featuring some French. The synths and programming are very well orchestrated, adding a depth of sound to the record, on the moody, industrial Cry Little Sister, there’s a similarity to Alison Moyet and Billie Eilish, balances out Charlotte’s most impressive vocal delivery. Masterpiece moves the sound towards that of The Weeknd, a smooth electro pop banger (as the kids say). Then on the next track Lizzie there’s an understated string arrangement for Charlotte and Alissa White-Gluz to duet over, this must have been influenced heavily by Delibes’ Flower Duet. It’s towards the end of the album that the symphonic metal style comes back on the heavyweight FSU (2020). Wessels voice has always been wonderfully broad in range a juxtaposition of power and fragility and it’s her own songs highlight them better than anything before. Tales From Six Feet Under is an intimate, introspective collection of songs culled from many, to announce Wessels as a solo artist. Here’s hoping she can take these tales on the road soon. 8/10

Mono - Pilgrimage  For The Soul (Pelagic Records)

The 11th album of a 22 year career, will always garner respect from the music listening public. Japanese instrumental rockers Mono have been very firmly at the top of their genre for the majority of their career, bringing a cinematic scope to instrumental post-rock meanderings, each album since their has seen them build on the previous one, experimenting as much as possible with the quiet/loud dynamic structure of this style of music adding touches of genres one wouldn't usually link to post rock. On Pilgrimage For The Soul Mono once again push the envelope of their 'traditional' sound, the quiet elements are often a nuances whisper while the louder moments are deafening shouts, they have also written faster songs, I mean no, there's no thrash or death metal blasbeating but there is some EDM beats and even some disco. 

The album was recorded during the Japanese lockdown in summer 2020, overseen by longtime collaborator Steve Albini, this time in forced isolation has probably made them a more experimental, if that's even possible! The core trio of Takaakira "Taka" Goto (guitar), Tamaki (bass, piano), Yoda (guitar), hasn't changed since the beginning of the band, with drummer Dahm joining in 2018, the music is still sorrowful, downbeat guitar-driven instrumentals no matter what genre tropes they morph into tracks such as Imperfect Things with it's repeating drum beat and synth riff rounded off by a single guitar melody, there's an anticipation of a build that never pays off as Heaven Is A Wild Flower is a melancholy piano piece that beautifully evolves into strings but tracks such as The Auguries still retain that frenetic post rock frenzy moving into the albums longest track Hold Infinity In The Palm Of Your Hand. A beautiful and moving album that again sees Mono as one of the principal proponents of experimental rock music. 9/10    

Into The Valley Of Death - Space Age EP (Self Released)

Recorded at Studio 405 in Echo Park, California, the Space Age EP is the debut release from former The Lords Of Altamont bassist Spencer Robinson. Released under the name of Into The Valley Of Death, this EP is five tracks of stoner/desert metal full of woozy vocals, fuzzy riffs and a general drug addled fug on songs such as Under The Ground which slithers through the haze before it moves into some rumbling Strip a song with a solitary guitar and a distant drum beat. That's pretty much the story of this entire EP, it very much sounds like a totally solo album from Robinson, and while at times there are some decent riffs, Space Age is a bit too much of a one man show to make it more than just listenable. 5/10

Reviews: Employed To Serve, Holy Death Trio, Kadabra, Little Jimi (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Employed To Serve – Conquering (Spinefarm)

Calling your fourth album Conquering is a real statement of confidence, but one playthrough of the record and you know that this is the culmination of what Employed To Serve have been working towards since Justine Jones and Sammy Urwin formed the band as a grindcore project back in 2013. The band membership has increased and they have gone from strength to strength gathering a loyal following and numerous high profile shows and festivals, each album adding another style to their multi-genre offence. On the back of 2019’s Eternal Forward Motion, ETS took their place amongst the brightest and most innovative bands on the UK scene, their melting pot of hardcore, djent, groove, thrash, speed and classic metal influences blending seamlessly, on Conquering though they have really refined it to produce their most accomplished album yet. 

The album title is in reference to nurturing the positive and growing even in the face of adversity, it’s this attitude that can be heard throughout the record, on the title track the hardcore aggression and beatdown grooves are broken up by flashes of twin guitar harmonies, Universal Chokehold meanwhile takes a more atmospheric route in it’s opening before building into a modern melodic thrasher that you could expect from Trivium or a band of their ilk Sammy Urwin and David Porter using plenty of twin lead guitar breaks. Exist firmly sits in the crossover thrash sound of bands such as Suicidal Tendencies or Powertrip, Justine Jones’ ragged screams met by Urwin’s guttural growls. The album is deliberately antagonistic and hostile throughout, nothing approaching a ballad comes here as the noise they make shifts more towards metal but without losing their hardcore/punk/grindcore beginnings. 

As soon as I played this record once I wanted to return to it again, hearing raging numbers such as Twist The Blade and heavy groove power on Sun Up To Sun Down just gets you nodding in anticipation and wanting to delve deeper into the lyrics as you get caught up in the experimental sound of the instrumentation. The rhythm section of Casey McHale (drums) and Nathan Pryor (bass), drive both the full on blasters such as the death metal inspired World Ender and the slower numbers like the militaristic We Don’t Need You. Both Justine and Sammy vocally do brilliant work here, Sammy even breaking out some clean crooning on Stand Alone as Justine is just unrepentantly irate. A coming of age for Employed To Serve, Conquer is the start of even bigger things for this Woking five piece. 9/10

Holy Death Trio - Introducing (Ripple Music)

You must be something a little special if you have been handpicked by Ozzy bassist Blasko as the first band he chose as part of his partnership with Ripple Music (although he is also the manager of Black Veil Brides so you could be a little wary). Holy Death Trio are a little special though, this Austin three piece are a modern boogie unit befitting their statesmen Scorpion Child and ZZ Top (R.I.P Dusty). This raw and ready debut, feels vivid and alive, the intro even featuring the band walking to the studio and plugging in before kicking into the country inspired White Betty which does pinch riffs liberally from Ram Jam’s seminal boogie rocker Black Betty, but that is the point. 

It’s a breathless opener, filthy, frothy and brimming with rock n roll attitude, Holy Death Trio set out their stall early as the bastard sons of Sabbath, Hendrix and Grand Funk, John P Rosales (guitar/vocals), Jonathan Gibson (bass) and Trey Alfaro (drums), take no shortcuts on the road to rock n roll stardom. They put in the work with some excellent psych/blues influenced heavy rocking, the choppy punk licks of Bad Vibrations culminating in a wild guitar solo as a cheeky drum fill takes us into the chunky Black Wave. This unity between song transitions feels as if you’re listening to the album as it was recorded, in real time, live in the studio with few overdubs. Producer/engineer Charles Godfrey, there just to try and capture the bands live show on recorded format. 

Get Down brings out the funk, and guarantees that you’ll shake your money-maker to Gibson’s basslines. The Killer rings out with a deviant late night strut, Fishsticks upping the psych quotient and Witchdoctor moving into the echoing doom sound, closing out the record with a controlled savagery and the footsteps of the band leaving the studio after job well done. It’s not often that a debut album makes this sort of impact but Holy Death Trio have set themselves up to be stratospheric. 8/10

Kadabra – Ultra (Heavy Psych Sounds)

The seven tracks on Washington state trio, Kadabra’s debut album are all fuzz drenched, lumbering, riff fests. The guitars of Garrett Zanol are brought alive by the distortion, the bass of Ian Nelson rumbles and rolls, laying down steady grooves with drummer Chase Howard, combining for a heady mix of psych, blues, grunge and doom. The 7 tracks all see to weave into one another, almost like an ouroboros the album feeling as if it has a cyclical nature to it. There is a noticeable similarity between the songs, due to the factors previously mentioned but despite feeling the same, but they are different enough to keep the attention as you hop on board the Kadabra magic bus on its maiden voyage. 

Inspired by the uncertainty of the world and the ever lingering sense of dread that many have been feeling since February 2020, the reverbed vocals of Garrett, having a shamanic, unsettling quality that makes me think of a more downbeat The Sword. Comparisons have been drawn to All Them Witches and on final song Settle Me I can understand why the shift between strutting blues riffs and doom breaks makes for a strong end to a strong album, it even has a fade out again highlighting this idea of the music being a self-repeating journey as the opening stab of Graveyard could have easily come after the final track had faded. Sonic travelling on a psychedelic plain Ultra is a trip into the unknown. 7/10

Little Jimi - The Cantos (Mrs Red Sky) [Matt Bladen]

The Cantos is the second album from Bordeaux fuzz psych trio Little Jimi. Released digitally in August but on LP in September through the label. As you may expect from that spelling of Jimi, they take from numerous 60's bands, but Hendrix, Atomic Rooster and Blue Cheer are all the ones you can hear. Though the name comes from their EP regarding the disturbing adventures of a boy named Jimi. There's Syd Barrett fronted Pink Floyd on the opener First Cantos and across this 6 track effort. The fuzzy 60's style that is on offer is taken further with the progressive stoner sound, which has many of the songs unravelling into big, reverbed riffs that come from two guitar players, ignoring any bass guitar so they rely on both guitars working in a harmonic mind-expanding unison. The atmospheric, slow burning sound on this album is deliberate as thematically The Cantos deals with Homer's Odyssey, and Jimi's extended journeys which is an almost hallucinogenic journey across multiple wonders, the songs on the album shift tonally through space rock, crawling doomscapes and psychedelic wandering making for a transcendental listening experience. 7/10  

A View From The Back Of The Room: Del Amitri (Live Review By Matt Bladen)

Del Amitri, St David's Hall, 13 September 2021

Ah I hear those cries now. "Del Amitri aren't heavy! They're a pop band" Well you're wrong, live they are as heavy as any hard rock act, with a lot more diversity in the music and lyrics that would make doom bands loose hope. Plus I was attending this gig with one of my best and most trusted friends (henceforth referred to as M'colleague in true Fry & Laurie style) so essentially this review is for him but you can read it if you want. 

Now we managed to miss The Byford Family (not Biff & Son), the new band featuring ex-Temperance Movement man Phil Campbell on vocals, this was due to travel along with the allure of food and German beer, but we managed to head into the venue with 10 minutes to spare before the main event. Taking our seats in a pretty packed St Davids Hall, a far cry from the Manics gig, I'd seen there a few weeks earlier, we masked up and awaited the arrival of one of Glasgow's most lauded bands. 

At this juncture I must say it's a bloody ballsy move to play a show where you don't perform your biggest hit. But on the inaugural show of Del Amitri's 2021 tour they managed to enthral the entire St David's Hall audience without the need to perform Nothing Ever Happens.

What we did get instead was nearly 2 hours of back catalogue classics such as Spit In The Rain, Move Away Jimmy Blue, Kiss This Thing Goodbye, Stone Cold Sober and Roll To Me along with tracks from their latest album Fatal Mistakes such as the bouncy Can't Go Back, the heavy Musicians And Beer and the beautiful duo of Mockingbird Copy Me Now and Lonely. Justin Currie in fine voice, delivering the bands often bittersweet lyrics against the more often than more upbeat rock backing.

What you do notice when seeing the band live is that with the re-addition of Kris Dollismore to the band the songs take a heavier style his stinging Telecaster used on conjunction with founder member Ian Harvie's Les Paul and various acoustics. In fact the three guitarists (Harvie, Dollismore and Currie) switch instruments all three playing acoustic guitar, electric guitar and bass at any one point. As they do this, all three also uniting for wonderful vocal harmonies, Andy Alston lays down the keys, organs, melodica and accordion depending on the nature of the songs, it gives the folky ballads depth and the rockers a more rounded sound.

Behind the drum kit wasn't Ash Soan the bands album drummer, but whatever the name (answers on a postcard please) he carried the pace of the songs even when they couldn't remember what song was next due to Justin, Ian and Kris not having setlists in front of them! Because of this, and of course this being the first date on an extensive tour there were one or two mishaps but no one really noticed, or cared for that matter most enjoying the brilliant music and performances, the crowd singing along not only to the classics but the new songs too.

With a tight, well conceived set that ebbed and flowed, there was was some usual self depreciation from Justin and Andy had a go at some Welsh. After the main set ended the encore was made up of four songs, the final one being the emotional atom bomb that is Be My Downfall, bringing many in the audience including M'colleague to tears. After this nothing else was needed. Del Amitri are an effortlessly cool band whose music often carries a message, since their reformation they have been welcomed back by countless fans and live the really deliver. As the tour roles on the jitters will subside so by the time they hit London at the end of October in preparation for two shows at the Barrowlands in Glasgow near Xmas they will be back to being a well oiled machine. 9/10    

A View From The Back Of The Room: While She Sleeps (Live Review By Megan Jenkins)

While She Sleeps, Hobos Bridgend, 12th September 2021.

I know say that I like a lot of things but While She Sleeps are genuinely one of my favourite bands and seeing them live was on my bucket list. On Sunday night, I finally got to tick it off the list. The anticipation surrounding this once-delayed tour to promote the bands fifth studio album Sleeps Society was extremely clear in the extremely cramped and sweaty venue that is Hobos in Bridgend.

I’d never actually been to Hobos before, so I didn’t know what to expect but waiting in the queue for doors to open looking in through the window of a tanning salon wasn’t exactly top of my list of “things I thought I'd be doing on a Sunday night”. There's something quite bizarre about waiting outside a venue like Hobos and seeing some of your favourite musicians (guitarists for While She Sleeps Sean Long and Mat Welsh) walk through Bridgend high street and say ‘hello’ to those of us that got there early. The venue itself is littered with posters encouraging attendees to join the 'Sleeps Society’; a members-only subscription service that the band run via Patreon that supports the band through monthly donations in exchange for exclusive merchandise, secret shows, play-throughs, and anything else you could possibly think of. The band have previously stated that we are in an age where “no one buys music anymore” and such an initiative has begun to pave the way for other bands to make music a full-time profession.

Support for the tour is provided by Liverpool-based Loathe (8) a band that has made waves over the last year with the release of their second album I Let It In And It Took Everything and a main stage set at the Download Festival Pilot. Frontman Kadeem France’s guttural vocals and energized presence made up for the sound – low tunings and small venues don’t often mix well and everything but the drums and vocals sounded like a wall of noise for most of their set, which is a real shame.

Then came the main act and the moment we were all waiting for. While She Sleeps (10) kicked off their set with the title track from Sleeps Society, beginning the show with a bassy synth riff that already had the crowd bouncing before the band themselves had even shown their faces on stage. And then the carnage began. Each member of the band brings something completely different to the table than the next and their live shows are evidence of this. Drummer Adam Savage is an absolute machine on stage. Yes, I understand that he’s a professional drummer, but he didn’t slack even once. His driving beats keep the crowd going throughout the set and he got to show off some more technical and fast drum skills in songs like Anti-Social and Four Walls. 

Mat Welsh takes the rhythm guitar spot and provides most of the backing vocals throughout the set, keeping everything in place and carrying the melody of the band. Bassist Aaran McKenzie uses his lack of backing vocal to his advantage and spent a lot of his time on stage riling the audience up from practically inside the crowd itself. Lead guitarist Sean Long spent a lot of the set with a furrowed brow concentrating on his pedal board and that’s not a bad thing in the slightest. He’s written some of the most complicated riffs that are at the forefront of a lot of their music – case and point: You Are All You Need – but when he didn’t have to be too focussed, he joined in with the rest and let loose. Charismatic frontman Loz Taylor knew he had the entire crowd wrapped around his little finger with his intoxicating energy. He spent most of the set practically hanging off the speakers that hung from the ceiling and throwing his half-drank bottles of water over the pitting crowd.

I never thought that I would be happy to be in a cramped little room with a couple hundred people who all have sweat dripping down their backs the same as I did, but after the last eighteen months I would take it in a heartbeat. There’s something so unbelievably special about hearing crowds shout along with the lyrics to songs like Silence Speaks or the cheer they let out when the acoustic guitar at the start of You Are We began to play. We’ve all been in exactly the same situation and I’m so glad that my first ‘real’ gig back was with While She Sleeps and the rest of the Sleeps Society, who really knew how to welcome us back to the pit.

Reviews: Carcass, Rage, Whyzdom, Iron lizards (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Zak Skane)

Carcass - Torn Arteries (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]

If you were to make a list of the top names in British death metal then Liverpudlian extreme metal crew Carcass would certainly be near the top. Having reunited in 2007, Torn Arteries is their first full length since 2013's Surgical Steel, though there has been a few EP's since then, the anticipation for a new album has been building since 2013. Especially as this album was due in August 2020, so it has delayed for more than a year, increasing the clamour for it to unleashed on the metal scene. So now it has arrived were we right to be getting so excited. I'd say hell yes we were. Torn Arteries has everything you'd want from the band formed by Jeff Walker (bass/vocals) and Bill Steer (guitars) back in 1985, and lots more. Long gone is the bands grindcore roots as Carcass take their sound into further reaches of death metal, yes the title track and Eleanor Rigor Mortis (a tribute to their hometown) are both full of battering thrashy speed riffs and stomping grinds from Steer and Tom Draper. (The band's first as a foursome since 1996's Swansong.) 

However the track wedged in between; Dance Of IXTAB (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No.1 in B) regularly veers into the stoner/blues of Steers other projects. Carcass are now much more comfortable with a more melodic, proggy style of death metal as witnessed by the frequent changes of pace in tracks such as first single Under The Scalpel Blade which beats you into submission and the inclusion of a nine minute song Flesh Ripping Torment Limited displays the virtuosity of Carcass as well as their ear for a nasty melodic hook. Sitting at the mid point of the record, the acoustic opening gives way to some traditional death metal assault, then a sludgy dirge and back to the trad death, the rest of the song moving between melody and battery across the running time. The inclusion of Draper adds further depth to the lead breaks and solos on this record. 

Walker's filthy basslines and Daniel Wilding's deft, detonating, drum patterns give The Devil Rides Out it's blissed out middle eight, as the pace comes back at the end in blast beats galore and a Middle Eastern edge in the additional percussion. Torn Arteries is 45 minutes of top drawer death metal from these veterans of the scene. I've listened to this record numerous times and it gets better with repeated plays as you hear the skill on tracks like Wake Up And Smell The Carcass and The Scythe's Remorseless Swing. Winging its way to high on my AOTY list, I can't wait to catch the band at Damnation festival on November 6. 9/10      

Rage - Resurrection Day (Steamhammer SPV) [Matt Bladen]

An album from German metal stalwarts Rage is always met with both anticipation and praise. They are also always met with a sense of mystery as there has been numerous line up changes throughout their 30 year plus career. The one consistent part of their career though is that the band continues to be lead by vocalist/bassist Peavy Wagner. As well as Rage he also collaborated with Lingua Mortis Orchestra and Refuge (classic Rage line up) but it's with this band that he flexes his creative muscle the most. After their 2020 release Wings Of Rage guitarist Marco Rodriguez left the band, but ever the evolutionist Peavy quickly recruited the talents of Stefan Weber (ex Axxis) and Jean Bormann (Angelinc) to bring back Rage as four piece for the first time since 1999's Ghosts. (Much like Carcass above)

The addition of two guitarists to the Rage sound means that Resurrection Day features a multitude of metal genres from the epic title track which is classic Rage, through to A New Land which hints at Pirate metal, the heavy hitting grunt of Arrogance And Ignorance to balladry on Black Room, Wagner and co pull no punches and take a few stylistic chances on this 25th album, the most prominent being Travelling Through Time which lights battle metal pyres. That being said the battering drums of Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos along with that full throttle bass of Wagner, powers the classic German metal sound on tracks such as Man In Chains, the two men laying down the foundation for every track here. On album number 25 Rage show no signs of slowing down, this album bringing the slick brand of heavy metal they have been known for since 1984, although they can still surprise. 8/10

Whyzdom - Of Wonders And War (Scarlet Records) [Zak Skane]

Whyzdom are a four piece symphonic metal band hailing from France, with Marie on vocal duties, Regus on guitar, Vynce on Bass and Nicolas on drums they have a brand new full length coming out called Of Wonders And Wars via Scarlet Records on September 17. When listening to this album, I have to congratulate the bassist Vynce Leff on the orchestration on this album especially on songs like Stonehenge and War where the intro and instrumental sections are very cinematic and moving at times. To a point you can imagine it being on a feature film score. I also have to give Vynce the credit for being responsible for the production quality of this album, he has made a great job in making sure that the bands instrumentation and symphonic orchestrations melded well together. 

When it came to listening to the songs my personal highlights was the second track Child Of Damnation in where the band tackle subjects of young children coming from war torn backgrounds but also writing about how they are going to be a big part of our future, I which I found is quite a contemporary topic. Another highlight on this album is Metropolis Of Light because you get to hear the band at their best as songwriters with Marie combining hard rock vocals with her operatic voice melded with chunky riffs, groovy drums and uplifting orchestration. My final highlight of this album is the second last track The Final Collapse beginning with Spanish guitars before it hits us with punchy rhythms provided by the guitars and drums. 

Overall it’s a very good produced album there’s a great marriage between classic rock instrumentation and theatrical orchestration, especially on songs like Stonehenge, Pyramids and Metropolis. The song writing is great on songs like Metropolis Of Light and The Final Collapse, the criticisms that I have with this album is that sometimes the songs don’t have time breathe and can be quite fatiguing on the ears especially on songs like Wonders And Dreamers, War and Pyramids where there’s too much going on a once. For me it's an album of two sides. 6/10.

Iron Lizards - Hungry For Action (The Sign Records) [Zak Skane]

Iron Lizards are a Biker Rock trio hailing from Paris, the band formed in 2015 with a mission statement to make music feel alive again by providing rip roaring lead guitars, screaming vocals and thundering bass and drums whist paying homage to their influences such as MC5 and The Stooges. Since their formation the band have released an E.P and have gained support slots with bands like Get Dead, Zeke and Mammoth Mammoth. Currently the band have signed to The Sign Records to release their debut album Hungry For Action which will be released on multiple platforms on the 17th September. 

The Motorhead and Guns ‘n’ Roses are very strong in this bands sound, Elio channelling his inner Slash/Phil Campbell inspired guitar chops matched with Kevin energetic drum patterns that will please any Fast Eddie Clarke era of Motorhead. The band comes out swinging with their opening track It’s About Time! greeting us with their cocktail of 80/90’s hard rock. Other highlights of from this album is surf rock inspired intro No Escape and the bass driven (provided by Valentin) mid tempo groove of Deathride. 

In conclusion this is a good energetic hard rock album, the 80’s influences have been projected perfectly whilst also displaying their own artistic flare. The only criticisms I have for this album is that the vocal tracks were too low in the mix and as a result I couldn’t really connect to the songs as much as I would if I was listening to a band like Motorhead due to the lack clarity in the lyrics. 7/10

Reviews: Seven Spires, Between Worlds, Impact Approved, Headless (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Seven Spires - Gods Of Debauchery (Frontiers Music Srl)

Formed at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Gods Of Debauchery is Seven Spires third album following on from 2017's Solveig and 2020's Emerald Seas. It is again a record that is darkly cinematic, the five piece bringing huge symphonic elements and progressive songwriting, wrapped up in a heavy style of metal that can be associated with bands such as Arch Enemy, The Agonist and Soilwork. Much of Seven Spires' approach is driven by singer/keyboardist Adrienne Cowan who easily changes between soaring highs and powerful roars, meaning the band can put as much power and melodic metal as they do death and black metal. Again this album was born out of the pandemic with touring not possible, either as Seven Spires or for Cowan as the vocalist for Sasch Paeth's Master Of Ceremonies. 

It seems that like with a popular brand of canned crisps, once they popped they couldn't stop because Gods Of Debauchery is a 16 track, 70+ minute record which features some guest turns from Casey Lee Williams, Jon Pyres and Roy khan (Conception, ex-Kamelot), the three of them adding to the theatrical nature of this record. I do have a bit of a problem with this record though, as musically it's slick and powerful, with the best bits of bands like Kamelot along with Soilwork but it is probably about 6 tracks too long, especially when they don't play four minute pop songs, though the dreadful Lightbringer is the exception. There's still lot of people who enjoy the symphonic metal style and when the melo-death sounds come in, it makes Seven Spires stand out from a very dense genre. 7/10

Between Worlds - Self Released (Frontiers Music Srl)

The return of Ronny Munroe is welcomed by myself , the well versed vocalist has tread the boards with Trans Siberian Orchestra and Metal Church, but his powerful pipes haven't featured on a release for a while but in 2019 he began to collaborate with... yep you guessed it! Alessandro Del Vecchio to write the songs for the project that eventually became Between Worlds. The resulting record is very much in the style of American heavy/power metal bands such as Metal Church, Savatage and Jag Panzer.The style of music suits Munroe's vocals perfectly, his powerful delivery and wide range adding some dynamism to heavy bouncing tracks such as Soul Chaser and on Scent Of An Angel that experience with TSO shines through, on what is a massive ballad. 

There's a talented band behind this creative duo, Alex Jansen and Michele Sanna are on bass and drums respectively. While Del Vecchio's long time collaborator Pete Alpenborg and TSO's Jack Frost take the guitars (rhythm and lead), with some guest appearances from TSO members John Lee Middleton (bass) and guitarist Chris Caffery, while the guest performers are rounded out by Joel Hoekstra with some six string wizardry. A melodic heavy metal album that sits comfortably in the US style of traditional metal, as a vehicle for the return of Ronny Munroe to non TSO projects. It's a record to showcase his excellent voice that features professional playing and songwriting. 7/10 

Impact Approved – Into The Fray (Wormholedeath)

Recorded and produced by drummer Uwe Reese, Into The Fray is Impact Approved’s debut album. Everything on the record was played by Uwe, with the exception of the vocals that were added by Philipp Kock over three week period. However as the album was coming together Uwe and Phil were joined by Armin Witt (guitars) and Maurice Zwoch (bass), who collaborated with the final mix of the record. The German band signed with Wormholedeath to release it digitally (having already been brought out as a CD). Into The Fray is Melodic Death metal nothing more or less, the band say they have drawn from djent, math/deathcore for new material but Into The Fray has quiet/loud dynamics in the guitar playing, shouted/croaked vocals and blasbeats so it’s about as melo-death as it gets. There’s a cinematic strings intro to Flame Of Madness, while many of the songs are probably a little too deathcore for my liking, especially in the vocals. However when they play a bit cleaner, like on Last Good Fight they are decent enough, although I have an issue with Phil’s almost black metal sounding vocal. At nine tracks it’s not an album that will have you giving up hope halfway through but I’m picky when it comes to melo-death and Impact Approved was just a little too one dimensional for me to enjoy it more than just in passing. 5/10

Headless – Square One (M-Theory Audio)

Italian band have featured the golden larynx of ex-Yngwie Malmsteen and Signum Regis vocalist Göran Edman since 2011. He returns along with founding members Walter and Enrico Cianciusi who take guitars and drums, long term guitarist Dario Parente and new bassist Martin Helmantel of Elegy for what is only the fourth full length from this band since they came together in 1993, though they were on hiatus from 2000 to 2011. So what style of music do Headless play, I hear you ask? As probably like me you will have never heard of the band (and if you have well done you). Headless are melodic metal band that balance AOR and prog rock/metal, a style that the Swedes do well with the now defunct Seven Tears coming to mind as soon as I pressed play on this one. Other influences are Styx and Queensryche who’s Scott Rockenfield was once a member of the band. Square One isn't going to change your life, but it's entertaining enough if you want a bit more bite to the normal AOR style. 6/10

Reviews: TRNA, Auri, Goatfather, Cult Of Scarecrow (Reviews By Paul Scoble, Matt Bladen, Paul Hutchings & Richard Oliver)

Trna - Istok (Candlelight Records) [Paul Scoble]

Based in St. Petersburg, Trna have been making music together since 2013. The three piece have made three albums before Istok; Patterns Of Infinity came first in 2015, then just one year later the band produced their second album, Lose Yourself To Find Peace, and two years later in 2018 Trna released Earthcult. The band is made up of Anton Gataullin on Bass, Andrey Novozhilov on Guitar and Timur Yusupov on Drums. The band play a mix of Post Black Metal and Blackgaze, which is sometimes termed as “Celestial Blackgaze” which after listening to the album fits the sound perfectly. Up until this album Trna have been a purely instrumental band, however they have made an exception for this album as the track Shining features the band Gaerea, who provide the song with vocals, other than that this is an instrumental album. The album also features an instrumental version of Shining, I’m not sure if including the instrumental version in addition to the original is needed, but some long term fans might be accustomed to Trna albums being music only, so this gives them the choice of what they want included on the album.

The album opens with the title track Istok. Istok is a mix of huge and expansive Post Black Metal, which is fairly keyboard heavy and very layered so that it has a wall of sound hugeness, quieter post rock parts and faster blast beats. There is a feeling of turmoil and resolution that is cathartic and this track is in some ways reminiscent of Italian Post Black Metal band Falaise. Echoes Of The Past features more blast beats than the track that preceded it, and in style is a little closer to Atmospheric Black Metal, there is a similarity with early Violet Cold. The track has a soft, quiet and lilting section in the middle before building back up to blasting Atmospheric Black Metal which bring the track to an end.

Next comes Shining, The track that features Gaerea and vocals. The track opens with mid-paced Post Black Metal and fervent harsh vocals, this then drops into a soft Post Rock section which slowly builds in heaviness and intensity with harsh vocals until we drop into blasting Atmospheric Black Metal. The track segues into quiet Post Rock again before building back up to a slow and very heavy end. Burning Bridges, Shattered Dreams is a mix of fast and savage Black Metal and slower and very heavy sections that have a very dark feel. After the complexity and progression of the tracks that came before Burning Bridges, Shattered Dreams, this track is refreshingly direct. This feel is continued with the first section of next track Hearts Turn To Stone, which is aggressive and very fast Black Metal. After the savagery of the songs opening it changes to a section that is soft and almost delicate Post Rock before slowly moving back towards a driving Post Black Metal style, and finally back to the aggressive Black Metal that track started with.

Final track Rebirth opens with fast and clean guitar riffs that are part fast Post Rock and part New Wave, in places this reminded me of The Cure, its taut, blissful and uplifting. This then goes into some Blasting wall of sound Post Black Metal that is a little reminiscent of Deafheaven, this then slows down, but loses none of it’s hugeness. The track then goes into a very quiet and delicate section before a slow, expansive and very beautiful ending. Istok is a great album. The individual tracks work very well on their own, but the way this album as a whole ebbs and flows is really something, as a complete piece of work this is an impressive achievement. The tracks all have some beauty and some blasting nastiness, earlier in the review I mentioned turmoil and resolution, and this is written through every track. This mixture feels cathartic, and as all the tracks always seem to end on resolution, the final track in particular emphasising this, this album feels uplifting and joyful. Beautiful album, highly recommended. 8/10

Auri - II: Those We Don't Speak Of (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]

The dark folk trio comprised of Tuomas Holopainen, his wife Johanna Kurkela and Troy Donockley return with their second full length album, II - Those We Don't Speak Of, yet again they bring about the musical world of fairytales, myths and magick. Johanna's bewitching vocals wonderfully rich and harmonious, as she brings fragility on tracks such as magical The Duty Of  Dust, a song that should by rights feature on a soundtrack, such is the brilliant composition, Light And Flood is similar, almost an entire score in one song. Holopainen's mastery of keys, synths and orchestral sounds is what most of these songs are hinged on. Yes ladies and gents much like on the debut album, there is no metal, or even rock here, just wonderous soundscapes born from soundtracks, British folk bands like Lindisfarne and even the Celtic flavours of bands such as Clannad. 

The three of them are conjuring magic with this second album, the beautiful duo of Kiss The Mountain featuring emotive piano but of course Tuomas is not the only musician here as the multi-talented Troy Donockley not only plays those wonderful, Uilleann pipes, low whistles, I have heard numerous times on Mostly Autumn records but also the guitars and chanted male vocals too, he fleshes out what would be a sound close to Iamthemorning, into something more rounded and theatrical than just wistful. II - Those We Don't Speak Of  keeps Auri firmly in the sound they established on their debut, there are some additional accoutrements on this follow up but it maintains it's mystery and sense of wonderment. 8/10 

Goatfather – Monster Truck (Argonauta Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Any band that opens their sophomore release with an excerpt from Convoy, the 1978 trucker movie directed by Sam Peckinpah is always going to score well with me. French stoners Goatfather do just that on the song Convoy, and it sets the tone for 47 minutes of thundering heavy rock which is a crushing listen. Blending large slabs of riffage with well-constructed songs that are underpinned by plenty of groove and catchy hooks, this is music to enjoy. It’s been five years since the Frenchmen released their debut Hipster Fister, but the wait has been worth it as this is a solid follow-up in every respect.

The stoner vibe is fully alive on the bruising title track, the ferocious Punish The Punisher and Mile After Mile. Combining the fuzz you’d expect with some excellent bluesy guitar work, and beefy vocals that roar with attitude, Monster Truck is one of the best stoner releases I’ve heard this year. Having the audacity and confidence to conclude the record with the brooding 12 minute Shelter demonstrates the quality of the band, which is comprised Quentin Jusforgues on bass, Raphaël Jaudon on drums, guitarist Pierre "Menhir" Beluze and vocalist/guitarist Yann ‘Olaf’ Sambuis. If you like your riffage heavy and thick, then this is an album to check out. Thunderous stuff. 8/10

Cult Of Scarecrow - Tales Of The Sacrosanct Man (Wormholedeath Records) [Richard Oliver]

Tales Of The Sacrosanct Man is the debut full length album from Belgian doom metallers Cult Of Scarecrow. The band formed in 2017 made up of members of the band Die Sinner Die (formerly Dead Serious) and released a self-titled E.P. in 2018. Like every band 2020 plans were completely derailed and all shows, rehearsals and writing were put on hold. Also during this time keyboard player Eddy Scheire decided to leave the band but was quickly replaced by new member Robbie Eelbode. Once the covid situation started to calm down the band were able to resume and with their slightly tweaked line up entered the studio in late 2020 to record their debut album.

Cult Of Scarecrow have a sound that is essentially in an epic doom metal style such as Candlemass and Sorcerer but with touches of old school heavy metal, some riffing inspired by thrash metal and the dirgy feel of grunge bands such as Alice In Chains. The songs mix these elements together in fantastic style with songs such as Sacrosanct Man and Doorkicker03 having those epic doomy riffs mixed with traditional metal melodies whilst you also get songs such as Lazarus and Robotized which are more based in traditional metal with nods to thrash. This album is chock full of killer riffs throughout and the keyboards also play a prominent role creating moments of atmosphere or carrying the melody. The vocals by Filip De Wilde aren’t particularly flashy or showy but very much get the job done and sit well with the music.

This is a great debut album from Cult Of Scarecrow. It sits in a comfortable spot between epic doom and traditional heavy metal and is full of fantastic performances, great songwriting and of course lots of killer riffs. 8/10

Reviews: Anette Olzon, Ethereal Sin, Tuesday The Sky, Black Stone Machine (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Anette Olzon - Strong (Frontiers Music Srl)

Clearly Anette Olzon's experience of being in The Dark Element with guitarist Jani Liimatainen, was a good one as her new solo album Strong is a symphonic metal masterclass from the ex-Nightwish vocalist. It will of course be compared to her 2014 debut Shine, which was lighter and more introspective. Strong is neither of those things, it's a harder edged, with border musical scope along with a much higher level of toughness. Anette shows the quality of her voice throughout this album, she's a bloody brilliant singer, not just that but a bloody brilliant metal singer, no matter what Nightwish fans may think. She brings a poppier style of course but Olzon seems to have hit the nadir of her voice on this album, her range alone is worth the price of admission, check out Catcher Of My Dreams for evidence. 

Magnus Karlsson handles the bulk of the songwriting with Olzon, the Primal Fear guitarist/producer cranking out the riffs with Anders Köllerfors behind the kit. The addition of Johan Husgafvel's growling vocals adds another element to this record, mixing well with Olzon when a bit more aggression is needed, on Who Can Save Them especially. Parasite is a galloping heavy rocker, as is twitching opener Bye Bye Bye which reminds me of Delain, while Sad Lullaby is a ballad with some stirring strings and hint of Queen. It's one of the few slower songs on Strong as the majority of the album anthemic modern symphonic/melodic metal. With numerous bands doing this style of music, Anette's pedigree is far higher than most of them, her voice is brilliant and she has proved, to everyone, if she needed to, that she is a fantastic metal singer and Strong is an excellent metal record. 8/10   

Ethereal Sin - Time Of The Requiem Part 1 (King Records)

As soon as I saw Japanese symphonic black metal horde Ethereal Sin at HRH Metal a few years ago, I was mesmerized, it was either the best or the worst thing I had ever seen, but my God it was entertaining! The face painted, enrobed five piece play furiously fast black metal, singing of legends, paganism and fantasy but with swathes of orchestrations and a permanent violin player to bring some of the traditional sounds of their Japanese heritage. Based in the style of Dimmu Borgir but with more strings Time Of The Requiem Part 1 is their fifth full length album once again lead by the vicious vocal stylings of founding member Yama Darkblaze and they aren't going to mellow out on this one Beyond Love And Hate is a cacophonous beginning to the album shifting through several phases, almost as if to say "this is what we do!" as loudly as possible. 

Like A Garuda brings a more melodeath sound favoured by Children Of Bodom, with power metal style speed and synths, we stay here for Into The Misty Rain the drumming moving at lightspeed dragging everything else along with it. Once they get up to speed on Like A Garuda there's no stopping them, the battle metal sound coming again on Dash To Across The Sea And Sky as they have progressive/symphonic sounds that remind me of Wintersun. The cvlt members of the audience will probably dismiss Ethereal Sin as a 'black metal' band due to their extensive use of symphonic sounds but I enjoyed this record for what it is. 7/10

Tuesday The Sky - The Blurred Horizon (Metal Blade Records)

Started in 2017, Tuesday The Sky is Fates Warning/OSI guitarist Jim Matheos' solo project built around songs that wouldn't fit in any of his other projects. He returns with another record from this project again playing a mix of ambient and electronica, expressive guitar playing and synths projecting wide cinematic soundscapes as well as intricate post-rock shimmers. Unfortunately despite the present of Gavin Harrison on drums, this record for me is boring as all hell, it never really goes anywhere and while many may say, but you love when acts such as Steven Wilson move into ambient sounds, I will say yes I do but an entire album of this stuff is the reason I don't listen to bands like Sigur Ros. For me it's like the music that is played in coffee shops. I respect Jim Matheos, I do. But this album had me falling asleep. 3/10

Black Stone Machine - One With The Horde EP (Self Released)

Athenian grunge/stoner band released their debut full length in September last year, a year later they have followed it up with this three track piece of Southern rock influenced heavy riffing. The best track out of the three is Rickenbastard 4004 which is a rager of a track in the middle of the EP. Bookended by the dark, acoustic, country style of Bounty Hunter which follows it and preceded by the punchy Rebel Utopia. The EP features some help from Planet Of Zeus' Babis Papanikolaou and Vaggelis Karzis from Full House B.C but it's more of the Southern flavoured blues rocking from Black Stone Machine that made their debut a very good listen. You have to think this was a lockdown creation but it's a timely reminder of Black Stone Machine. 7/10

Reviews: Aborted, Hawkwind, Vulvodynia, Argesh (Reviews By Charlie Rogers, Dr Claire Hanley & Paul Hutchings)

Aborted - ManiaCult (Century Media Records) [Charlie Rogers & Dr Claire Hanley]

The almighty Aborted return with their 11th full length gore-filled release ManiaCult. Instantly recognisable by their trademark bludgeoning brutality and insatiable energy, existing fans of the band know what’s in store and soon-to-be fans are in for a treat.

The record begins with an atmospheric opening, before the title track lets rip. A frantic, manic tune, it blends razor sharp riffing with a grandiose groove. Joe Bad (Fit For An Autopsy) graces us with the first of many guest vocals, meshing superbly with Sven’s signature bark for an exquisite soundscape. This is also the case for Ben Duerr (Shadow Of Intent) who features on I Prediletti: Folly Of The Gods, and Filip Danielsson’s (Humanity’s Last Breath) performance on Drag Me To Hell, which is an absolute banger of a song. It’s menacing as...well..hell; encapsulating the unmatched ferocity, and boundless energy that Aborted are known for, while introducing their evolved song writing approach including a sprinkling of new elements like the distinct blackened theme.

The final guest performance from Ryo Kinoshita (Crystal Lake) features on Ceremonial Ineptitude, however this track fails to have the same impact. Another track to depart from the classic Aborted sound, yet this one isn’t so captivating due to a lack of drive. Portal To Vacuity suffers the same fate, feeling lackluster in comparison to the other tracks. Impetus Odi on the other hand, is aggressive and visceral. Ian’s guitar work on this track is jaw dropping, particularly the solo section. Dementophobia also deserves high praise for this reason as the solo seamlessly integrates with the vocal chaos that ensues thereafter: a lesson in precision and control. It’s a thrashtastic bouncy offering, which brings even more dynamics to the album. The track also has tons of Stefano’s glorious finger thumping bass licks, as does A Vulgar Quagmire - where we both pulled some serious stinkface (apt for a song about poop).

As ever, the production is sublime. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to Ken’s consistently blistering blastbeats, which are showcased perfectly without overwhelming the record. It’s also apparent in the more subdued sections, designed to emphasize atmosphere, where crystal clarity is crucial. Yet even when a monsterous wall of sound is needed, you can still hear every element with ease. ManiaCult is a brutally sophisticated record that shouldn’t be missed. 8/10

Hawkwind – Somnia (Cherry Red Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Search this esteemed site and you’ll find my name attached to many reviews of the sonic spacelords. It’s no secret that I find Hawkwind utterly captivating. For a band that were formed before even I was born, the fact that Hawkwind are even still a functioning musical entity sometimes amazes me. The timelord Dave Brock, now in his 80th year remains at the wheel of the starship, supported by the rock steady Richard Chadwick on drums (33 years and counting), Magnus Martin on keyboards, guitar and vocals and new personnel in the legendary Thighpaulsandra (Timothy Lewis) of Julian Cope, Spiritual and Coil to name but three and bassist Doug Mackinnon bringing the line-up to full strength after the reduction in members for 2020’s Carnivorous, released under the name of the Hawkwind Light Orchestra.

Album 34 takes fans on a journey of sleep; unsurprising given the album title and it gets off to a dreamy start with the ten-minute meander of Unsomnia, full of swirling keys and the legendary Hawkwind guitar sound that has been a signature of all that is good with this band. The band can still rock out with the best and that’s demonstrated with Strange Encounters, an explorative six and a half minutes which sees the band flex their space rock muscles.

As the album continues its exploratory trajectory through the allusions of sleep, we hear lyrics which refer to sleepless paranoia, feverish dreams and nightmare, mediation and Roman mythology. The songs ebb and flow, all in the inimitable style that Hawkwind deliver with such consistency and ease. China Blues combines electronica with psychedelia, Chadwick’s high tempo drumming maintaining the beat. It’s Only A Dream is short and propelled along by a thumping bass line, and Brock’s heartfelt lyrics “It’s hard to know what to do, when everyone relies on you”; reflective words perhaps and ones that chill a little – no Brock would surely be no Hawkwind.

Meditation sees Eastern influences penetrate the sound, not for the first time in their fifty years. Sweet Dreams is a dramatic, sinister two minutes, and there is plenty of hypnotic semi-trance in the final few tracks just for good measure. Another album people might say, but Somnia once again has quality tamped right through it. Although the band’s autumn tour has been postponed, they remain on course for their London Palladium show in late October. I won’t be there this time round but if you get the chance, I recommend it. 9/10

Vulvodynia - Praenuntius Infiniti (Unique Leader) [Dr Claire Hanley]

You’d be forgiven for thinking you were about to enter a Disney theme park from the sparkling intro to Praenuntius Infiniti, the fourth album from South African slammers Vulvodynia. Yet, as soon as the ominous narrative starts up you know this is going to be one messed up fairytale. The Shadowy Descent Of Gaia is as bludgeoning as you’d expect, with the mix of vocal styles and angular riffs contributing to the intensity. The Meshuggah-style rhythmic sections make Eternal Wasteland Of Galaxies an unexpectedly catchy little number, and despite being noticeably slower than the preceding track the lightning quick vocals keep the pace and interest high. 

At this point, however, the initial euphoria starts to diminish, as the following trio of songs contain a lack of distinctive elements – not even the tasty sewer vocals in Praenuntius Ascends and breakneck death chopping of Oliver Rae Aleron (Archspire) can bring these tracks back from the brink of boredom. Despite the attempted swagger and imposing vibes offered up by these tracks, they simply lack a real sense of aggression, energy and purpose, which is essential for such a record. Thankfully, The Seven Judges and Ravenous Revolution are much more dynamic, atmospheric and gritty; injecting some life and much needed groove back into the album, with the slam element really coming through. 

Maintaining the energy, A Cosmic Betrayal and The War Within are vibrant and punchy offerings, with the latter featuring an attention-grabbing solo section laden with lashings of bass. However, just as things are looking up, the final three songs dramatically pale in comparison. Overall, a real rollercoaster of interest; with some dizzying highs but equally borderline coma-inducing lows. The appeal of slamming brutal death metal, and therein Vulvodynia, lies in its ability to make you want to move – and in a live setting, that infectious groove should whip a crowd into a frenzy. While this record is undeniably brutal and technically impressive, the majority of tracks fail to pull you in and leave a lasting impression, even with the host of noteworthy guest vocals on display (e.g., Elliot Desgagnés of Beneath The Massacre). While I’m all for a band evolving their sound, if this is an attempt at maturing, I’d advise a return to adolescence. 6/10

Argesh – Excommunia (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

Apostate black metal anyone? Argesh deliver just that. Formed in 2010, the outfit from Lombardy have taken many years to plan and craft their debut record, Excommunia. Thematically, Argesh state: “Excommunica wants to point out how much can be spiritually self-sabotaging being born and grown in a religious context bare of awareness and consciousness. Its concept is based on disrupting these restrictions in order to find the human need to evolve and become something different from the herd, expressing the harsh hate against the hypocrisy which this moral society proves to be with its values. We're all suffocating in this oxygen ruled by corrupted divine idols."

Limited to 300 copies of CD digipack, this is something of a niche release but don’t let that deter you because it is a ferocious maelstrom of hatred, sucking in influences from the likes of Dimmu Borgir and Omega without using excessive orchestration that can often overpower such music. It’s a wall of shimmering tremolo riffs but with a sublime edge that ensures that a fraction of melody underpins their sound. 

At 32 minutes the album doesn’t outstay its welcome, concentrating on intensity and ferocity rather than over lengthy bloated songs. Source Of Miracles and closing track The Elohim’s Mark are the longest, at six and seven minutes respectively, and both cram masses into the tracks. Flowing organically, its uncompromising fare. Darkness has descended and a new force has landed in the black metal world. Welcome Argesh. 8/10