Reviews: The Velveteers, Blackwater Holylight, Persona, Muddibrooke (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

The Velveteers - Nightmare Daydream (Easy Eye Sound)

When I watched The Velveteers in Cardiff their fuzzy, psychedelic garage rock was intense and exhilarating to watch. Since then they have built up a cult following and a bigger audience with the incendiary live shows and innovative music videos that caught the attention of The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach. He invited then to his studio to record and handled the production on Nightmare Daydream The Velveteers' debut full length record. Comprised of the intelligent, virtuoso, baritone guitar playing and sneering vocals of Demi Demitro along with twin drummers Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig. The Velveteers have a very intriguing sound, which is what drew Auerbach to the band. 

Demitro's guitar playing is brave and experimental doing riffs that are a little off kilter while the twin drum punch is what drives the grooves on tracks like Bless Your Little Heart, while Charmer And The Snake, co-written with Auerbach, has a throbbing late night blues feel to it as Brightest Light is an acoustic interlude in the middle of the album that feels like a MTV Unplugged Session. As the second part of the album kicks off with What A Smile Can Hide that primal rock sound comes back with a force Pottersmith and Fig in a forceful unison as Demitro fires off more fuzz drenched riffing, that switches out for psych soundscapes on the title track. With a wide ranging soundscape present here is The Velveteers' announcing themselves as one of the best young bands in the rock. If you love artists such as The Black Keys or Jack White then welcome to the Nightmare Daydream. 8/10

Blackwater Holylight - Silence/Motion (RidingEasy Records)

Third album from Blackwater Holylight is their most experimental offering yet. Both expansive and intimate Silence/Motion encapsulates both of the sides of the title across the 7 psychedelic/post rock offerings here. The repeating, evocative riff of Delusional opens the record in a slow burning fashion the savage grunts of Thou's Bryan Funck contradicting the haunting voice of Allison Faris, on the finale Every Corner features Mike Paparo (Inter Arma) and A.LN. (Mizmor, Hell) with more aggressive vocals. After that Floydian opening Who The Hell brings a pulsating dark synth arpeggio from Sarah McKenna invoking Siouxsie And The Banshees along with Tangerine Dream and as it shifts into Silence/Motion the introspective nature of this record is almost overwhelming, taking cues from bands such as Radiohead with lyrical inspiration from trying to understand and deal with sexual assault. 

It's possibly this record's darkest moment, but also it's most beautiful. Much of the album revolves around dealing with grief, the harrowing voice of Faris countered by her bass/guitar (on four tracks) as she trades between both instruments with Mikayla Mayhew (who plays bass where Faris handles six strings), Eliese Dorsay's percussive prowess on show for everyone with songs like the grooving dream pop of Falling Faster. Silence/Motion is Blackwater Holylight's coming-of-age record, their journey into the unknown. Imagine a soundtrack to a David Lynch film not yet made and you'll understand what magic to expect on Silence/Motion. 8/10

Persona - Animal (Self Released)

On their last album Metamorphosis, Tunisian metal band (though now based in Germany), did as their album title said and shifted their sound. Whereas their debut was Middle Eastern influenced symphonic metal, on the follow up they made things much heavier, with a lot of down tuned grooving riffage, much more progressive compositions and more versatility in the vocals  of front woman Jelena Dobric who incorporated screams along with her soaring classical cleans. Now on to their third full length Persona are persisting with this 'modern metalcore' style while still having the symphonic flourishes of their debut. Animal begins with some precision riffage from co-founding members (along with Jelena), Melik Khelifa (lead guitars) and Yosri Ouad (rhythm guitars), unleashing the bands current, forceful, modern metal approach. 

Tracks such as You Can't Stop Me and Oracle, skillfully shows you what 2021 Persona are about, soaring clean vocals on the chorus hook as the down-tuned bass lines of Eike Nehen grind away, Simon Schröder's powerful drumming carrying the muscular rhythms of this album, Oracle especially having a Gothic/progressive sound, full of tempo shifts. For those wanting out and out thrashing should check out Ghost or the title track but Persona are not a one note act allowing ballads such as Shadows which is primarily Jelena showing her vocal prowess as she accompanies herself with a solitary piano as the track becomes full of atmospheric synths. Animal is Persona continuing on their heavy path without losing the symphonic/progressive elements. 8/10

Muddibrooke - Lunacy (Self Released)

Grunge/alt rock trio Muddibrooke, have finally released their debut EP. Entitled, Lunacy it's packed with five riffy, hooky, alt rockers with a keen ear for melody and a streak of feminist attitude. The band are Harriet McDonnell (lead vocals/guitar) who goes under the nickname of Brooke (ergo the band name), she is flanked by Anna Melidone (bass) and Mary Prince (drums) and they have only been a band since January 2020, however in that time they have been featured on BBC and Kerrang Radio. So they've spent a year honing their sound and what they have come up with is a thrilling mix of Skunk Anansie, Pearl Jam and Halestorm, the powerful vocals of Brooke the bands clarion call on the punky, sleazy Liverpool Guy. 

The EP is linked by the idea of what it sounds like to be one of society's rejects and how to pick yourself after falling down. The swaggering confidence displayed on Liverpool Guy is offset by the jangling, emotional Devil which opens the EP, the introspective, angsty lyrics set against the open chords and haunting shuffle. These feelings of distance and isolation made more real by the fact that the band recorded this EP separately from each other so they have yet to play together in front of an audience something that is being rectified this year, with a few dates left and more to be announced. 

From the sound of this EP, Muddibrooke have crafted this EP to play well in a live arena, Straight Jacket having the groove of Kiwi's Devilskin or Skunk Anasie, it's followed by Turn To Dust which is a song that strips back their sound into a keening grunge ballad while Fake It speaks of daily struggles and putting on a brave face. Lunacy is an EP that displays the talent of this Derby trio, alt rock with grunge tendencies, put through a fresh lense and forward thinking mindset. Welcome Muddibrooke with open arms, I can see their trajectory only soaring from here. 7/10 

Reviews: The Pineapple Thief, Massacre, The Agonist, Blasfeme (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

The Pineapple Thief - Nothing But The Truth (Kscope)

The Pineapple Thief have always delivered live, Bruce Soord's main musical outlet has always been a group that manages to perfectly capture their album sound on stage, usually marrying it with brilliant visuals that enrapture you, in the post-progressive mastery. Due to Soord's unwavering musical creativity, the Pineapple Thief released their thirteenth album Versions Of The Truth in September 2020 with an eye to playing live early 2021, that didn't materialise as most us will know so with their tour moved to November 2021, they embarked upon making a one off on-demand live concert with videographer George Laycock. 

Shown in April 2021, Nothing But The Truth features the first performances of songs from Versions Of Truth along with others from their extensive catalog all captured in a cinematic visual style befitting of their live show. If you have seen the visual portion of this release you will know it is more than a live concert film, the band going to great lengths to make it as creative and fun to watch as possible. As I only have the musical version of this album I can only really comment on that but it's The Pineapple Thief doing what they do best. 

Soord taking front and center with guitars and vocals as he has on every The Pineapple Thief release since 1999, this release also features Gavin Harrison behind the drum kit as bassist Jon Sykes and keyboardist Steve Kitch fleshing out these numbers with George Marios providing session guitars. Much like the live films that were produced by the Onassis Cultural Center, the focus is on marrying the visuals with the performance, so I would definitely say picking up the visual version of this album which features a "Dolby Atmos immersive mix along with DTS-HD 5.1 and high-definition stereo" making for the best audio and visual quality, still even the audio only part is The Pineapple Thief at their magnificent best. Rightfully hailed as one of the best bands on the UK progressive music scene, The Pineapple Thief speak Nothing But The Truth on this very special release. 9/10

Massacre - Resurgence (Nuclear Blast)

Founding Massacre members Kam Lee (vocals) and Michael Borders (bass) rise above the numerous line up changes the Florida death metal titans to return to leading it into the bands fourth decade. Rounding out this most recent line up is a man who seems to be in every single death metal band on the planet; Rogga Johansson (Megascavenger, Rib Spreader) on guitars, along with Jonny Pettersson (Wombbath) on guitars, Scott Fairfax (Memoriam, As the World Dies) on guitars and Brynjar Helgetun (Crypticus) on drums. Essentially this version of Massacre is a bit of death metal supergroup but with two founding members and this collection of musicians that are surely influenced by Massacre, Resurgence is an album that sees the reawakening of this ancient monster. The focus from Lee and Borders was to try and recreate the nasty, Lovecraftian inspired death metal assault of their demos and that classic 1991 debut From Beyond. Much like the new Halloween Movie being a direct sequel to original, Massacre wanted to do the same with Resurgence trying to capture the feel and passion of that debut but not recreate it. 

The tracks were composed across various parts of the world primarily on line as it was the middle of the pandemic the production was overseen by the veritable Dan Swanö and Jonny Pettersson and they have made sure that this record puts the 'old school' in the old school death metal, forgoing any gloss for dirty, nasty riffage and those resonant growls of Kam Lee. He has brought some guests along too with Marc Grewe (Insidious Disease), Dave Ingram (Benediction), Anders Odden (Cadaver), and Pete Slate (Druid Lord) all adding their talents to the record but it is very much a Massacre record, from the slow burning, Gothic, opening of Eldritch Prophecy, through the blistering The Innsmouth Strain, the grinding Into The Far Off Void and the frenzied Fate Of The Elder Gods all conjure that classic Massacre sound. These Florida death metal legends are well and truly back on course with a renewed focus that sees them already writing a follow up. Praise the Old God's! 9/10

The Agonist - Days Before The World Wept (Napalm Records)

Returning with their first new music since their 2019 album Orphans, Canadian melodeath crew The Agonist have been busy bees fresh off their Juno Nomination, writing and recording this 5 track EP which according to the band is a concept release dealing with "greed, gluttony, confusion, pain, redemption and hope", it's The Agonist going to places that they have only dallianced with before, with the strings that swell at the beginning of the the title track or the piano into choral vocal of Remnants In Time, here the band are bolstering their melodeath sound with additional styles though the frantic double kicks, laser beam guitar playing, lightning quick riffs and progressive touches are all in place as they have been throughout the existence of the band. Danny Marino and Pascal Jobin provide these songs with stunning lead breaks and along with bassist Chris Kells they lock in to some technically impressive riffage too as Simon McKay explodes behind his kit. 

What a lot of people know The Agonist for though are the vocals, having fully dispelled the ghosts of their previous vocalist this is their fourth release with Vicky Psarakis and it's her vocal that really captures the theatrical sound of songs such as the stomping Immaculate Deception. Her savage roars are full of depth and drama while her soaring cleans are classically tinged soaring into soprano, she is also responsible for the pianos and keys here but most importantly her vocal work often lifts these songs out of the traditional Melodeath rut. The EP was  given it's pin-sharp production values by Christian Donaldson (Beyond Creation, Cryptopsy, Despised Icon) meaning you can almost 'feel' every blastbeat, tremolo sweep and guttural growl. Often EP's are there as a way to lead into another album but this one takes on a life of it's own, a fully formed five track, suite that shows The Agonist as vicious and vital as ever. 8/10

Blasfeme - Fuck Your Starving Planet (Self Released)

Recorded at Woodcroft audio in this summer, Satan worshipping, black metal duo Blasfeme release their latest hate-filled EP just in time for Samhain (doing a similar thing last year as well). Performed by Moord (guitar/bass/vocal) and Striga Hell (drums/synths). Fuck Your Starving Planet is an uncompromising, hell march through three tracks of nasty black metal. The production is raw and scratchy (deliberately) as Death Prayer gets us started, the classic black metal riffs of the first part shifting into a mid-paced groove, Moord's tremolo picking and disgusting vocal style backed by the blitzkrieg of Striga Hell's percussion battery. Death Prayer has even got dare I say it a bit of melody to it, following on from here is Nothing Bleeds Forever which takes from death metal's groove and even has a bit of Venom's thrash nastiness to it. 

These additions to their style make you understand why the band say this EP is Blasfeme without boundaries as they are stretching out their black metal tag into new places. Closing out the EP is the doomy, nihilistic title track where the post-black metal dissonance is the overriding style making for a primarily instrumental offering until almost the final part of the track where it become more chaotic and aggressive than anything before. Fuck Your Starving Planet is a defiant, black metal album with depth and atmospherics. Well worth a listen. 7/10

Reviews: Armored Saint, Leverage, The Grandmaster, Necrofier (Reviews By Paul Hutchings & Matt Bladen)

Armored Saint – Symbol Of Salvation Live (Metal Blade Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Described by the band’s vocalist John Bush as a ‘cornerstone record’, Symbol Of Salvation’s release in 1991 was possibly the most important in the band’s career. It arrived not long after the death of founding guitarist Dave Prichard to leukemia, and after a period where the band had been in the wilderness label wise before being picked up by Metal Blade. Whilst bands of a certain vintage are now celebrating anniversaries on an almost daily basis, this is an album that has provided several live staples for many years. The decision to take the album on the road in 2018 proved prophetic and timely. This recording wasn’t the first but third show on the tour, with all the stars aligned for the recording at New York's famed Gramercy Theatre. 

From the opening Reign Of Fire, it’s an album that captures the power, quality, and overall dynamism of one of metal’s most underrated bands. "I felt like showing 'Symbol' in another light was a great homage to the record itself," stated bassist Joey Vera. "Also, having all the fans be there and part of that event is a way for us to say, 'Thank you!' For, without them, we can't do any of this in the first place." Unless you are a diehard fan, it’s likely that a couple of these songs may be new to you. The likes of Hanging Judge, Tainted Past and Spineless sit perfectly alongside more well-known tracks like Last Train Home, Tribal Dance, and the title track. What is evident in this excellent recording is the joy that the band had playing the album in full. Vera commented: "It was really great seeing the reaction from the crowds when we'd play the really deep cuts. Not only the songs we very rarely played, but also the couple of songs that we had never played before. Some of these tunes took on a whole new life and it was very motivating for me, to see these songs in a different light. I would say that experience was an inspiration when I began writing for Punching The Sky." 

Alongside the live recording, the vinyl version of the record contains five demo tracks from the Symbol Of Salvation writing sessions with Dave Prichard, which have never been released on that format. As John Bush told me recently, they are a homage to one of Armored Saint’s founding members. Listening to them now, it’s a testimony to the songs that did make the cut, for even the demos stand the test of time. "They're songs that didn't make the record, however, there still is a vibe to those tunes, plus Dave's playing is on them, so that makes them special," says Bush. Live recordings are often hit and miss. This sits in the former camp. The songs still sound fresh, the band tight and Bush’s vocals working their magic, albeit at a slightly different pitch to 30 years ago. 9/10

Leverage - Above The Beyond (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]

Leverage are one of the longest serving members of this melodic metal style, where the gallop of European power metal is offset by AOR influences. Since 2006 they have been steadily releasing records that fall comfortably into that category. Though in 2009 there was almost a ten year gap before they returned with an EP in 2018. This was the first to feature singer Kimmo Blom replacing Pekka Heino who sings with Brother Firetribe along with new guitar player Mikko Salovaara, both of whom are still a part of the band now. Their music has always reminded me of Royal Hunt with their knack of combining the symphonic metal sound of bands like Kamelot with the AOR bounce of bands such as Journey, as well as adding hints of progressive metal here coming on the Into The New World which reminds me of Kansas with that folky style. 

The melodic metal tag leaves a lot of room for experimenting and Leverage have always done this with their music making them different to classify and also to review as no two songs stick in one style. A track like Do You Love Me Know is an AOR rocker, Angelica is campside acoustics, Falling Out Of Grace ups the progressive/symphonic quota as does the final 9 minute cinematic final number Silence. Rounding out the band are Tuomas Heikkinen (guitar), Sami Norrbacka (bass), Valtteri Revonkorpi (drums) and Marko Niskala (keyboards) together they combine for yet another quality release. Above The Beyond is Leverage at their finest, long may it continue. 8/10

The Grandmaster - Skywards (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]

Another Frontiers collaborative project, from the mind of the Frontiers president. This time it's the pairing of Brazilian singer Nando Fernandes with Edguy guitarist Jens Ludwig who is appearing on his first recording since Edguy's 2014 album Space Police: Defenders Of The Crown. Under the guiding hand of Alessandro Del Vecchio (bass/keys/production), The Grandmaster project is heavy rock, with some more melodic balladry, making it exactly the style Ludwig is known for as a guitarist. He shines on this record, peeling off riffs with ease while burning up the fretboard with solos galore as Del Vecchio guides the tracks with Mirkko De Maio on drums. 

The other star here is Nando Fernandes who has a soulful, gritty vocal in the style of Jorn Lande or Russell Allen, able to deliver power and emotion on anthemic tracks such as The Tempest, giving Dead Bond and Cannot Find The Way their gravitas. He's a hell of discovery holding his own with the more experienced band and for the musical style of Jens Ludwig, he marks the perfect vocal foil for Ludwig's melodic metal riffing. Skywards is a decent entry into the Frontiers annals, marking the next phase of Ludwig's career, picking up where he left off at the end of Edguy with a new vocal powerhouse behind the mic and the watchful eye of Del Vecchio overseeing everything. As a debut it delivers on its promises while also leaving the door open for a second album. 7/10

Necrofier – Prophecies Of Eternal Darkness (Season Of Mist) [Paul Hutchings]

To me, nearly every genre in metal is now saturated. Death metal, thrash, classic, power and even black metal throw up band after band whose talent is unquestioned, but whose ability to stand out from the crowd with true uniqueness is questionable at best. Such is the challenge of this debut album from Necrofier, part of the American black metal movement. Formed in 2018 by vocalist/guitarist Bakka Larson (Venomous Maximus, Night Cobra) and drummer Dobber Beverly (Oceans Of Slumber, Insect Warfare) the band produced their debut EP called Visions In Fire with the help of bassist Mat Valentine from Oceans Of Slumber before adding Josh Bokemeyer to flesh out their sound on second guitar.

Prophecies Of Eternal Darkness summons the sound of Norwegian black metal, combines it with an American gothic feel and spits out what is described as ‘Southern Darkness’. What we get is 35 minutes of interesting yet ultimately safe melodic black metal which doesn’t go anywhere. The riffs are present, the harrowing screams send shivers down the spine, the drumming powerful and the overall effect is of shimmering, cascading tremolo riffage which at times threatens to cascade and overflow. But it failed to move me in any way whatsoever, and I found that the time dragged. It was only at the dramatic change in dynamic via the concluding track Plague Requiem, which contained funeral doom and numerous overlaid sound clips to the accompaniment of a mournful piano that I really paid that much attention.

That’s not to say that this isn’t a solid album. The opening track The Black Flame Burns ticks all the black metal boxes you can throw at it, Death Comes For Us All briefly slows the pace but not the intensity, but there’s absolutely nothing new here to snag in the same way, as say Necrophobic or Winterfylleth did last year. So, in summary, it’s a black metal album that doesn’t quite push over the edge. A little bit average but listenable all the same. 6/10

Reviews: Ice Nine Kills, Twelve Foot Ninja, Bloodred Hourglass, Lords Of Black (Reviews By Megan Jenkins, Zak Skane, Paul Scoble & Simon Black)

Ice Nine Kills – Welcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 (Fearless Records) [Megan Jenkins]

If you like a good (or absolutely awful) horror film, chances are you will like Ice Nine Kills. The Boston-based band use their music to pay tribute to the horror genre, with each song being inspired by a different specific film. Its predecessor The Silver Scream 1, released in 2018, follows the same model.
While their music may be quite campy in some places, there’s a reason why. Take a quick look at the first taste we had of this album back in July: Hip To Be Scared featuring Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix. Based on American Psycho, the song is haunting from the start, before the band kicks in and it becomes this driving piece full of powerful vocal lines. It cuts out halfway through and starts a parody of Huey Lewis and the News’ Hip To Be Square, playing out a version of the scene in which frontman Spencer Charnas discusses Ice Nine Kill’s work, just like Bateman in the film. Then the driving riffs kick back in and carry the song to the end. It's not for everyone, but you have to admit that its extremely clever and they’ve done it well. 

The album has a mix of styles, switching seamlessly between more aggressive guttural vocals, or the more emotive guitar chords and guitarist Dan Sugarman’s technical lead riffs. There are orchestral elements that blend in with furious double kick drums and chugging riffs, just like in The Shower Scene. If you hadn’t guessed already, the song is about the 1960 film Psycho and flawlessly blends the most recognisable element from its score, the stabbing violin, to make it extremely clear to the listener. A stand out track on the album is Rainy Day, which is based on the Resident Evil franchise, and it's not even because of the subject matter. For me, it’s the most put together song on the entire album and is definitely the catchiest. It uses a pulsing electronic synth throughout and incorporates all the best elements of the band to create what I think is the best song on the album. 

If you don’t like horror, then you’re probably not going to like this album because of the sheer number of references throughout. As any good sequel should, Ice Nine Kills have upped the ante with The Silver Scream 2, with catchy choruses, more brutal breakdowns, and a ridiculous number of high-profile guest features. Ice Nine Kills have diversified their sound to make anyone that listens want to watch a cheesy 90s slasher. 8/10

Twelve Foot Ninja – Vengeance (Volkanik) [Zak Skane]

The (now) Australian four piece that has been melding genres since 2012. With two albums under their belts, the band have released their thirdly anticipated 80’s sonic laced album Vengeance. Throughout this album the band swing from genre to genre effortlessly in there new album. For example the opener Start The Fire beings with some eastern style soundscapes before coming in with some chunky Periphery inspired riffs which then lead us into a 80’s synth sounding verses. Long Way Home infuses System Of The Down inspired Nu-Metal and Flamenco together, where as Vengeance channels Marilyn Manson crossed with Muse swagger, and Shock To The System mixes disco and groove metal. 

The singer Kin Etik has just as much flexibility Mike Patton of Faith No More when it comes to performing over compositions that transcend over multiple genres. The guitarist Steve Mackay has done great job producing this album and ensuring and each genre is melded together perfectly ass well as capturing the best performances from Shane Russells drum tracks and Rohan Hayes guitar performances. If you are a fan of bands like Faith No More, System Of A Down and Incubus this is a great effort from the Australian (now) four piece. 10/10

Bloodred Hourglass - Your Highness (Out Of Line Records) [Paul Scoble]

Bloodred Hourglass have been making music together since 2005. The Finnish five piece have released 4 albums before Your Highness; their debut Lifebound came out in 2012 and was followed 3 years later by the album Where The Oceans Burn. 2017 gave us the album Heal, and then 2 years later the bands most recent album was released in 2019’s Godsend. Bloodred Hourglass is Jarkko Koukonen on vocals, Jarkko Hyvönen on drums, Jose Moilanen on bass, Lauri Silvonen on guitar, Joni Lahdenkauppi on guitar, and Eero Silvonen on guitar. The style of most of the material on Your Highness is Melodic Death Metal, I can hear is a similarity to Children Of Bodom, In Flames and Bloodshot Dawn. A good example is the track Drag Me The Rain which is fast, flowing Melodic Death Metal which has some great riffs in it, some fantastic melody leads and is packed with tunefulness and mellifluousness. The track Nightmares Are Dreams Too is a great track that is slower and is driving and dramatic, the song has softer parts that helps to emphasise the heaviness of the other parts. 

There are Thrash influences on Your Highness as well; the track Veritas has a definite thrashy quality to the choppy riffs, Veritas also boasts a great and very energised guitar solo. The album comes to an end with the track Until We Meet Again, which is the longest track on the album and has a much more epic, traditional Heavy Metal feel to it. The song feels expansive and huge and is a very effective way to end the album. At the beginning of this review I talked about ‘most’ of this album being Melodic Death Metal; what I was referring to is that 3 of the tracks have a different feel to the rest of the album. The song Kings_Queens has a lot of electronics on it, giving it a slight Industrial sense, it also has a kind of early 2000’s Nu Metal feel to it. This Nu Metal feel is also present on the tracks Tell Me About Yesterday Tomorrow and Gone For Now, which have more electronics on it than a lot of the other tracks, and has a much more staccato, start / stop tempo than the Melodic Death Metal material. These two songs also have a combination of harsh and very emotional clean vocals which combine to make them sound similar to Linkin Park, or even to some Emo bands. 

I’m quite happy for bands to experiment, or try other styles, but this is quite different from the other material and sounds incongruous and out of place in this context. The tracks sound very turn of the century, and in many ways this feels out of date. However, I’ve never been a fan of Nu Metal or Emo, so this could be just my personal taste, someone who is into Melodic Death Metal and Nu Metal probably wouldn’t have any issue with this. The copy of the album that I have has 3 bonus tracks on it which fit in to the Melodic Death Metal style and are very good tracks which are full of melody and tunefulness. Your Highness is a good Melodic Death Metal album with a few tracks that are fairly different from the material that surrounds them. Whether you like the songs I found incongruous or not will be down to your personal taste, they’re not to my taste, but that doesn’t mean you won’t like them. Either way, this is definitely an interesting album. 7/10

Lords Of Black - Alchemy Of Souls, Part II (Frontiers Music Srl) [Simon Black]

The first part of this Melodic / Power Metal project landed last year and I have to say was a palpable hit. Having been put on hiatus whilst Romero filled some big shoes in Rainbow, Vandenburg and others, this act was dusted down in 2020.The beating heart of this revived band are guitarist Tony Hernando and vocalist Ronnie Romero and last year’s offering was incredibly well delivered and strongly positive at a time when the world was staring into a pit of despair. The tone of this second part is subtly different, taking a much darker, moodier tone than the first.

Musically this is still clearly in the Melodic Metal camp, but with fewer of the Progressive twists and flourishes that made the first such a breath of fresh of warm air (although Death Dealer shows they have not ditched that style completely yet). That said Hernando’s guitar work remains effortlessly brilliant, but that little bit more restrained with flourish being sacrificed at the altar of heaviness, which this record delivers with monolithic, slab-like precision. It’s interesting hearing Romero contributing vocals that suit that more heavy turn. There’s still plenty of examples of classic Romero herein, with the very AOR What’s Become Of Us showing his range and power, but that heavier sound needs a more guttural style than we are used to him delivering, although he really does pull it off well, as tracks like Maker Of Nothingness indicate and he drops his voice an octave or two lower than we are used to without losing any of the power. If anything this has cemented for me why he is such a great singer, as he can turn his hand with flexibility of range to suit whatever mood the song requires.

At first this tonal difference jarred, expecting as I was for this to pick up where part 1 had left off, but to be fair there were hints of this at the tail end of that record, implying to me that the whole piece had been pretty much authored in one go but the releases staggered for commercial reasons. Whatever the reason, this continues to balance the classic 80’s feel with the Modern sentiment, and works again for the sole reason that despite the songs not quite being as strong as last year, the performances remain completely on point. The songs don’t quite grab and hold in the way the first record delivered, but this is definitely a grower and the heavier sound works a treat. 8/10

Reviews: Necromantia, Stheno, Fliptop Box, THSL (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Necromantia - To The Depths We Descend... (The Circle Music)

Part of the unholy triumvirate that founded the Hellenic Black Metal scene along with Rotting Christ and Varathon, Necromantia are less productive than their two compatriots having released their previous album in 2007. That being said part of this is probably due to things in the background that led to co-founding member Baron Blood, whose 8-String bass was integral to the Necromantia sound, passing away in 2019. The other co-founding member The Magnus, stated then that any material will be released will be in tribute to his fallen brother. 

This was initially scheduled to be an EP but has now expanded into a full length album and will be the final album Necromantia will ever release, effectively bringing an end to a 32 year career. As with all previous albums, the rest of the band is filled out by session men so to pay tribute to his comrade, The Baron has brought in George Emmanuel (Lucifer's Child) on guitars and Yannis Votsis (Dephosphorus) on drums to record this final testament in the legacy of Necromantia. The album itself is 6 tracks of new music along with two 2021 re-recordings of classic Necromantia offerings in Lord Of The Abyss and The Warlock, both of which have been given new lease of life by this record. 

We kick off in ideal style with Daemonocentric a rampaging Hellenic black metal opener that is hooked on The Magnus' bass thump and his croaked vocals while George Emmanuel shows why he is one of the best black/occult metal guitar players around adding a touch of classic metal mastery to his solos while Yannis is a machine behind the kit. A thrashy opener to the record, where the keys are a little distracting, however the brooding, And The Shadows Wept starts out as a stomper, changing tact a few times across it's 8 minute length, this song is the most obvious tribute to Baron Blood with The Magnus saying goodbye to his friend. 

It's the albums best track, a brief instrumental shifting into more Hellenic black metal from Inferno and Eldritch with the Occult/Gothic keys high in the mix, for both of these tracks. To The Depths We Descend is as close to the classic Necromantia sound as you can get, The Magnus paying tribute doing exactly what they have done for their career. The closing instrumental title track brings some clarinet and acoustics which is disconcerting but I guess it's signaling closure and the descent into the underworld. The added spark of Baron Blood's 8-String is missing for sure but with the new versions of some of the duo's earliest tracks ringing in your ears as this album ends, the final chapter of this bands legacy is as strong as the first. Rest In Power Baron Blood and Necromantia. 7/10   

Stheno - Wardance (7 Degrees Records/Chaos & Hell Productions)

Featuring Christian Chaco of Keitzer on vocals, the second album from Greek blackened/grindcore band is a steamroller of force. Wardance lives up to it's name (though maybe not the dance bit) as it's an all out war from the opening moments to the closing roars. It takes an unrelenting pace, that will for sure completely destroy any live arena they come across, but on record does leave you a little breathless despite the brevity of the song. The furious riffs shift between black, death and grindcore on tracks like Bestial Battalion which are those short destroyers mentioned earlier, that remind me of bands like Napalm Death, while Deadly Camouflage and Snake Eater bring more industrial death metal, sounding a bit more like Anaal Nathrakh. A few of the tracks having a fully formed audio destruction, but there is perhaps even a little nuance as things take a slower turn now and again before exploding again. The majority of the album follows this blueprint. However the final number Bellum Internecinum is much more industrial and experimental. A vicious record and a true Wardance that rallies against everything. A soundtrack to a riot from this Greek grindcore act. 6/10 

Fliptop Box - Final Scene (Self Released)

Comprised of John Pomonis (vocals/guitar), Jim Samios (drums), Teo Plystakas (bass) and Stavros Gulielmos (guitars), Fliptop Box are a alt-grunge rock band from Athens. Final Scene is their fourth album of heavy riffing grunge, drawing from bands like Alice In Chains and Danzig (who they repeatedly compare their sound to). Final Scene was written during the lockdown, the band working in unison to record the album ready for this release. Their sound is characterised by chuggers such as Divine and the title track both of which give decent example of what Fliptop Box do, the latter also bringing in some of their progressive elements too. Fliptop Box have been together since 2003 and have previously released 3 albums, so they are experienced. This experience is translated into the record, the compositions are all quite complex, but also hook you quite easily. Final Scene has some good alt rocking on it, if you're a child of grunge or 80's heavy you'll enjoy it. 6/10  

THSL - Memories Of A Dream (Self Released)

Ambition is a great thing, it's what drives creativity. Thanasis Labrakis has a lot of ambition, the founder of the band Lightfold, ahs created yet another project but this time it's a collaborative effort along with Thanos Bertsatos also of Lightfold and PowerCrue and various voices from the Greek metal scene. What we have here is an attempt at a metal opera, now I say an attempt and that will become clear in a bit, but first I'll say that the guest musicians cover a huge spectrum of genres and they all add to these individual stories of life and death. However, some of the guests are more suited than others, while a few have awful vocals which detract from the songs massively. Now I said this was an attempt and by saying that I mean that the record is a little quiet production wise meaning that it pales in comparison to projects such as Avantasia and Ayreon. Cinematic metal needs a huge production and importantly here some guests that people outside of Greece will know. Still ambition is a great thing and you can't fault that too much. 5/10 

Reviews: Gemini Syndrome, Dynatron, Scrape, 4 Way Split (Reviews By Alex Swift & Matt Bladen)

Gemini Syndrome – Third Degree: The Raising (Century Media Records) [Alex Swift]

Alternative Metal has a reputation issue. The genre is bound up closely with nu-metal and today's acts who fall within the genres parameters can choose either to distance themselves from that legacy – Shinedown, Starset – or embrace it – Five Finger Death Punch, Ice Nine Kills. Gemini Syndrome bear all the distinctive marks of this genre – melodrama, a reliance on synthetic or else industrial instrumentation, anger. However, they are clearly shooting for something grander. Something which transcends the stereotypical hallmarks of alternative and marks them out for their lofty atmospherics and galaxy spanning ambitions.

Listening to ‘third degree – the raising’ I’d say that this was certainly achieved, even if at times the album lurches back into habits which are the definition of ‘safe’. Take the first two songs – Reintegration and IDK - these were the singles so naturally they exit to make a monstrous impression and enthuse the listener which they do through huge choruses as well as incredibly loud and polished production which leaps out at you and begs you to pay attention. These are not unfamiliar traits, yet I can’t say they weren’t effective in sharpening my senses and intriguing me as to what the rest of the album would sound like. Indeed, by front-loading the record with two towering stadium ready anthems, they captivate attention before the more experimental moments begin.

I should stress that despite the myriad of different influences throughout, this is still firmly an alt-metal piece of work that won’t convert you if you can’t find anything to enjoy in this style. That said, Die With Me leans into folk-rock, in a way that’s mysterious but also charming. Baptized In Fire is insatiably danceable in a mercurial and circus-inspired way. Later, Children Of The Sun begins on careening blues inspired not but later transitions into being a synth-inspired piece, while Abandoned is inspired by extreme metal, brilliantly contrasting the peaceful acoustic textures of Sum Quod Eris and Best Of Me.

In these moments, the album shines, proving itself to be a diverse and intriguing listen. That said, there are some moments that could have been easily cut. Broken Reflection does not stand out in the slightest and does not match the more adventurous side of the album. Likewise, Absolution chugs along mechanically for a few minutes before ending, failing to make any impression on the listener. These did not need to be on the tracklist, and with the fifty-minute runtime they only serve to make the experience seem less lean and considered.

I count myself lucky then, that the record redeems itself in its final moments, with Hold The Line proving a progressive and emotional moment that takes multiple twists and turns keeping you constantly enthralled. Indeed, while Where We Started From pivots back to the stadium-rock sound of the first two tracks, it’s place here feels earned, albeit not as much as that of the closer Fiat Lux which Is subtle yet also haunting and ethereal, in a way that excites for future entries in the ‘third degree’ series, should that be the route the band decide to take in their career.

Although there are elements to be scoffed at on this piece, what Gemini Syndrome have achieved here is a mature and acutely crafted alt-metal album which makes me question why they are not more famous than they already are. This sets a precedent for the act which if they continue to pursue, will make them one of the finest bands of their genre. 8/10

Dynatron - Origins (Blood Music) [Alex Swift]

As per the title, on this record Dynatron explore traditional synth-wave, taking influences from acts such as Kraftwerk to Depeche Mode. The result is a hallucinatory and psychedelic experience that perplexes the listener and takes them on a journey from the roots of electronic led music right up to the modern day. However, while ambient records that are largely or instrumental based always stimulate me throughout listening, I rarely feel an intense need to return to them, except when I’m in a very specific sort of mood and need music that will relax me, while not demanding too much consideration or emotional investment. 

While Origins is evidently a record which required great skill and precision to make, and though Dynatron clearly loves synth-music with a passion, I can’t say that the album interested me from start to finish. I found the piece a very pleasurable, relaxing, and inspired listening experience yet not an interesting one, in the sense that while I could see this band occasionally providing a soundtrack to my drowsy, tired or even melancholy moods, I was not taken on the emotional journey that I usually look for in records of this nature. 

This will certainly appeal to some more than others and if you are really invested in synthwave as a genre, I would recommend listening to this as it’s a passionately crafted piece that combines new and old. That said, this is definitely a case where my appreciation outweighs my intrigue. 7/10

Scrape - Armed With A Mindset (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

As they impressed me at the recent All Day show from DFTS Promotions a month or so back, I was excited to see their four track ep drop into my inbox. Hardcore is something that has always been like Marmite to me but Scarpe infuse it with just enough stoner grooving to keep my attention. At around 15 minutes these four songs give you a brief but comprehensive introduction to what Scrape do with some hardcore punk savagery that all too often merge into bouncing stoner riffage. 

The rhythm section build for comfort and speed as they dive into both with aplomb. The guitars are full of distortion and low end while the vocals are barked but clear enough to shout along on tracks like Booze And Good Company. After listening to this record you get the feeling that Scrape would be an ideal band on a Tony Hawk's soundtrack with just enough of a snarl to get any greebo moshing. The D.I.Y production is a boon to the recording making it all the more authentic sounding. Scrap come Armed With A Mindset and it's hard to disagree. 7/10

Slabdragger/Wallowing/Thin/Vixen Maw - 4-Way Split (Sludgelord Records/Black Voodoo) [Matt Bladen]

A transatlantic split between British bruisers Slabdragger and Wallowing and American aggressors Vixen Maw and Thin. It's a four bands giving you a taste of what they do well, Slabdragger have been separated by the pandemic but the trio return here with three songs bristling with powerviolence and hardcore influences instead of their usual sludge, it's a slightly different side of the band but one that works with the remaining music that's on offer. Fellow Brits Wallowing have two tracks here but they are both prime slices of wall shaking grindcore/sludge recorded by the band in isolation putting all their frustration and rage into these two offerings building up a head of creative steam for their next full length. 

Over to the Americans and Vixen Maw are yet another grindcore band, but this time with much more experimental edge that shifts them into the realms of noise and just weirdness. Finally it's Thin who have the the most amount of songs on the album but all of them are short sharp shocks of pure viciousness with yet more quirks that you wouldn't expect. A testament to what can be achieved when bands are not together, this four way split is four bands hooking you in to what they do best. 7/10 

Reviews: Dream Theater, Aeon, Dødsdrift, Reaping Asmodeia (Reviews By Simon Black, Matt Bladen & Richard Oliver)

Dream Theater – A View From The Top Of The World (Inside Out) [Simon Black]

Dream Theater like everyone else, have had to completely restructure their planning over the last two years. Unlike most of their peers they have responded to the pandemic by positively deluging the market with a series of archive releases of live recordings, with a second and really not necessary live outing of the Scenes From A Memory material starting this off and then followed (so far) by four separate releases in the Lost Not Forgotten series (of which their most recent attempt to play the whole of Metallica’s Master Of Puppets live is definitely the most noteworthy). Prolific is simply too small a word and has put both Neal Morse and Devin Townsend in the shade in terms of output for once, which is no mean feat. So alongside these five live pandemic filler releases, there’s a new studio album demanding our attention and this one was not even planned, as to be fair they never really got the chance to put Distance Over Time thoroughly through its album cycle.

Ah well, onwards and upwards…

Now DT have been a little more experimental with their style in recent years. I’ve made no bones over the fact that I utterly detested 2016’s The Astonishing, because quite frankly it wasn’t – other than as exercise in excessive over-indulgence. Their response (well, not to me alone obviously) was to take a different approach entirely with Distance Over Time, which saw a much more stripped back sounding album, that tried to sound more modern, accessible and less Proggy. It’s a good album in its own right, but when I want to listen to Dream Theater, I want to listen to the kind of material that presses all the right buttons, striking the balance between a rich and harmonic production sound, instrumental virtuosity and accessibility which neither of their last two studio albums really succeeded in doing for me.

The problem I have with A View From The Top Of The World, is that it’s landed on my desk at the last minute (although that’s not really the band’s fault). Progressive albums like this are so richly layered that it often takes multiple listens to even start to unpick them, which with a run time of an hour and ten minutes for this baby is not going to happen when I’m in a hurry and a publishing deadline looming. But this time out this is absolutely not a problem, because the material strikes that balance I was taking about perfectly – it’s accessible on the first listen and the unpicking is not going to be a chore because I know I am going to be listening to this one again and again a lot. 

For a start, production wise it sounds absolutely fantastic. This act have always had a really rich sound, which they can miraculously reproduce live and this is a glorious return to that full fat sound that makes you realise what a damn fine set of musicians they are. The addition of studio maestro Andy Sneap taking a break from all things Judas Priest into the production team is significant, as he has captured the traditional Dream Theater sound and presented us with a fresh and thoroughly Metal sounding delivery to boot, as only he can.

The songs are really accessible as well, despite the fact that across that lengthy run time there are only nine of them, with the title track weighing in at a monstrous twenty minutes. Normally when they go into this mode, I know that it’s going to be uphill work liking the material, but that does not happen here. It does that epic length without boring the listener (well, this listener at least), but then this whole album seems like a distillation of all the elements I love about this band rolled in to one. I also defy anyone to not take opener and single The Alien as a prime example of Dream Theater at their best and I can foresee this one being a staple live for some time to come. Surprisingly as well, there’s not really a full on ballad here either, although parts of the title track step back the pace a little, making this lengthy beast something of a rattle by affair, and much the stronger for it. This is Dream Theater back on top form – indulgent, but not boring; impressive, but accessible and thoroughly, thoroughly repeatable. 10/10

Aeon – God Ends Here (Metal Blade Records) [Matt Bladen]

Last releasing an album in 2012, a new album from Swedish tech death masters was anticipated to say the least. With such a gap between records, you have to believe that Aeon will be doing there best to make this the strongest Aeon album yet. Well they have managed to write 16 songs for the album, cut from how many is unknown but in that time they have also added Dark Funeral drummer Janne Jaloma to the band ready to destroy his drum kit for the sake of musical expression, while Tony Östman long time touring bassist makes his recorded debut on God Ends Here writing a few of the songs an imbuing the rest, with his intensely virtuoso bass playing. 

This album also welcomes back guitarist Daniel Dlimi who left in 2013 but came back in 2019 who locks in with Zeb Nilsson once again for some incredibly explosive riffage on tracks such as Let It Burn where the speed is relentless welcoming Tommy Dahlström's guttural roar. The thrash elements from Aeons Black are retained here, but more sonic aggression is explored here, the band explains that many of these songs are reinterpretations or alternate versions of what they did on Aeons Black as well as adding newer riffs and songs. tracks like Forsaker are destructive but lead into choral intermissions like Into The Void thats shift seamlessly into the steamrolling title track and the shattering doom of Severed. 

As the album comes into its final third they move into more symphonic textures on Mephistopheles and the final two tracks Overture:Magnum Reginae/Queen Of Lies where the Aeon sound is expanded again. After nearly 10 years of waiting Aeon come back with more precision heaviness and an inventive sound, lets hope they come back a bit quicker next time. 8/10

Dødsdrift - Ødnis (Vendetta Records) [Richard Oliver]

Ødnis is the second album from anonymous German based black metal collective Dødsdrift. Following on from their critically acclaimed debut album Weltenszission, it sees the band in fine form for the follow up. Dødsdrift play a style of black metal that is equal parts melodic and atmospheric with an overwhelming air of sadness and melancholy that permeates the music. It is black metal musically but has the atmosphere and heart of bands such as Swallow The Sun and Ghost Brigade with its melancholic overtones. The melodies themselves are somber and mournful and drenched in emotion and play well against the fury and aggression in the music. 

This may be melancholic and emotional in nature but the core black metal elements such as tremolo riffs, blast-beats and harsh vocals are all present and prevalent. This is music you can windmill to whilst wearing your heart on your sleeve at the same time with songs such as Ruß, Laere and Adern des Abgrunds being personal highlights. The performances throughout are fantastic with wonderful guitar work and a blistering rhythm section working in tandem together. The vocals aren’t the standard for the genre and sit somewhere between a black metal shriek and a death metal growl. 

With the members of the band shrouded in anonymity and the lyrical content of the songs a mystery (unless you are fluent in German) the only thing you can really focus on during Ødnis is the music and that is a very good thing as the music here is absolutely stunning. I love a more melodic black metal style and Dødsdrift deliver that here in spades as well as having a gloomy, melancholic atmosphere that I so love in metal. Ødnis is a fantastic album and Dødsdrift are a band that now most certainly have my interest. 8/10

Reaping Asmodeia - Darkened Infinity (Prosthetic Records) [Matt Bladen]

According to the accompanying info on this third full length Darkened Infinity is a "conceptualised story of dream logic, states of consciousness and awakening" well from what I can hear this Minnesota trio have written yet another extreme technical space metal record that often strays into deathcore. There is something thematic to the record as on the first listen I seemed to have heard what sounded like one or two tracks and was actually on track 7. Now this can either be a triumph for the band as it really makes the conceptual nature of the album ring true as things blend together neatly, or it's that I find all deathcore very similar and didn't even notice when the songs changed. 

This is part of the problem with this review I'm afraid as much as I understand the talent, and I do really enjoy a lot of tech death, I find Reaping Asmodeia a little too one dimensional for my tastes. They stick rigidly to their style which is commendable and are of course highly gifted musicians but for me repeated listens of Darkened Infinity became an exercise in futility as it never grabbed me in the way it would someone who loves this style of music. Still fans will lap it up and of its a gateway to proggier listening habits then I'm all for it, I just don't...get it. 5/10

Reviews: Hate, The Record Company, Vildhjarta, Redscale (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Hate – Rugia (Metal Blade Records) 

Polish black/death destroyers Hate, return to once again lay waste to any structures you will put any near the stereo you’ll play this on. Extreme metal doesn’t quite get as direct and vicious as Hate and once again they have managed to contain their violence for 10 tracks that assault you from the first few chainsaw-like riffs. Rugia is their twelfth full length album and it sees Hate still not mellowing in the slightest, but as with all of their works adding enough differences to create another record that stands alone to the previous eleven. Part of this is due to the addition of drummer Nar-Sil who replaces Pavulon due to health issues, band leader ATF Sinner says that he plays much differently so the band had to write for that meaning that there is a whole host of fresh ideas on this record but nothing that will take you out of Hate’s rage inducing moshfests. 

As with most 2021 albums the tracks were written during the pandemic due to lack of touring meaning that Sinner could get most of the tracks written with Nar-Sil ready for lead guitarist Domin and bassist Tiermes to work on collaboratively meaning that this album is possibly one of the most raw and intense yet, bringing more from death bands like Decapitated than from the black metal style, though they retain gothic sounding atmospherics that almost link the tracks with some chants and pagan influences that sound like Enslaved, Obscured or Unleashed. These elements also present in the albums lyrics, which are centred on Slavic history and mythology, it’s partly because of this that Sinner has a much more expressive vocals style on this record than on any previous, they are of course still harsh but almost inhabit different characters depending on the nature of the song. 

The pace of these tracks is pretty relentless just as soon as the industrial title track finishes, you’re diving straight into the crushing Exiles Of Pantheon which is moody and poised but with some furious drumming. Then as Awakening The Gods Within grinds, it’s only moments before the first real pace change on Velesian Guard. Rugia is another excellent entry into Hate’s album runs. Celebrating 30 years of aggression, there is much more here to love than to hate, if you love extreme music! 8/10

The Record Company – Play Loud (Concord)

On third studio album Play Loud, garage/blues rockers The Record Company, have broadened their musical focus a little bringing in a few surprises that long term fans may not be expecting. However these come a little later as opener Never Leave You, is a grooving modern blues rocker that echoes The Record Company’s past along with bands such as The Black Keys, Alex Stiff’s slithering bass and Marc Cazorla’s driving kick drum/percussion adding a funky flair to the opener which is radio fodder definitely. The Black Keys influences continue on How High which is still true to The Record Company’s previous efforts full of grooving basslines and rhythms as Chris Vos’ choppy guitar and howling blues vocals, will get you shaking in your seat. 

What is obvious is that the sonics are fleshed out a little, there’s a lot of backing synths and also harmony vocals, most of which come due to their collaboration with Grammy winning producer Dave Sardy as they shift away from the in-house recording/producing of their last two albums. This different creative atmosphere has allowed them to experiment with some hip-hop stylings on Gotta Be Moving, a track that is very Gary Clark Jr meets Queens Of The Stone Age, they have also written with some outside songwriters for this record which explains why there’s a shift in styles for tracks that will appeal to the masses. That being said this trio haven’t lost their identity on Play Loud, they are just moving into a style that will amass them a wider following than just the hardcore R&B/Blues/rockers they have appealed to before. 

For example Live As One has that shoulder swinging vibe of the Madchester scene that created Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses and Oasis, psychedelic swathes in the bass and keys, open guitar chords and lots of percussion are what’s on offer, taking things further away from the first two albums. Their intentions are made clear on the title of the record as these tracks are meant to be played at volume so those rhythms can resonate through your speakers and into your soul. A sonic gamble that has paid off, heed their advice and Play Loud. 7/10

 
Vildhjarta - Måsstaden Under Vatten (Century Media Music)

Consisting of Vilhem Bladin (vocals) Daniel Bergrstrom (guitars) Calle Thomer (guitars) and Buster Odeholm (drums), formed in 2005 this album has been 10 years in the making and is a follow up to their last full length release Måsstaden. Where as that album hinted at the what the Swedish band could do, this one is a steamrolling 17 track monster that firmly places Vildhjarta up there with fellow Swedes Meshuggah. Every track has massive djent riffage, concrete cracking grooves and it's about as progressive as it gets, this mysterious foursome used messageboards to get their initial recordings out there generating buzz before releasing their debut. Here they have relied on anticipation, with such a long gap between albums, many forgiven believing that one may never arrive, the band have come back with over an hour of music. Unfortunately, unless you're a colossal djent fan then Måsstaden Under Vatten may fall a little on deaf ears, as it did with me. I understand the virtuosity behind it, I really do but after about 45 minutes, the sheer heaviness of everything made it all just a bit too overwhelming to be overly enjoyable. I'm sure if you've been waiting for it you'll love it but not for me. 5/10

Redscale - The Old Colossus (Majestic Mountain Records) 

When I pressed play on Redscale’s The Old Colossus, I had to double check the membership as, the singer of this German band sounds uncannily like Clutch’s Neil Fallon. Henning Claußen has got the same burly vocal style as the Clutch frontman, shifting from soulful to frenzy on a whim, while he also takes his share of the riffs on the guitars. The band behind him Christian Reuter (guitars), Grant Price (bass) and Martin Stabler (drums) and the four piece crank out meaty stoner rocking straight from the first song. Their style of stoner is also similar to that of Clutch, direct and forceful with some fuzzing distortion and pace, though they also often shift their focus skywards into some desert rock jams. 

Hailing from Berlin the band have two full lengths and an EP to their name before this record but The Old Colossus feels like it could be Redscale at their absolute best, the songs here are all sculpted for maximum power, giving you the feeling that Redscale could be pretty incendiary live, as the faster offerings such as On The Run and It’s A Death Cult, Baby blast away with muscle, the title track crawls with a psych doom drag as Hard To Believe and Wall Of Bricks are both big riffing mid-pace rockers. The album sounds huge from both the compositions and production making for a great listening experience. Ballsy, thunderous stoner metal/rock The Old Colossus is a serious slab of stoner, from these Berlin based bruisers. Turn it up and bang your head. 8/10

Reviews: Dig Lazarus, Mercury Circle, Kowloon Walled City, Raven's Creed (Reviews By Simon Black, Matt Bladen, Paul Scoble & Paul Hutchings)

Dig Lazarus - Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time (Self Released) [Simon Black]

If you ever wondered what would happen if The Wildhearts decided to experiment with Stoner two ton heaviness and grooves, the Nuneaton’s Dig Lazarus would go some way to satisfying your curiosity. This debut full length album has been a while coming, with quite some time passing since 2019’s Figure It Out EP, but then when you’re self-produced then there’s nothing like a global pandemic to grind your cash raising potential into the ground. Perhaps it’s just as well, as so many bands have punted their first boat into a huge oceanic market with no ability to get out there live and drive the brand forwards. Let’s hope this wait pays off.

But then patience is part of their DNA, as the material on here has been gestating for a while, with the band having known each other since their teens. A&R men always used to say that a band had ten years to write their first album, which is true in so many ways, but it also means they’ve really worked out what their sound is to a tee. With an experienced hand like Dave Draper on the desk that also means that they’ve a damn good chance of that sound being captured in a manner which does justice to the work that’s gone into the creation of the songs. The production is beautifully crunchy, rich and subtle, but also retains a stripped down bare bones feel that allows every instrument clear definition whilst retaining that cohesive band feel. Add to this a great use of vocal harmonies and what you have here is a rather stonking door-kicker of a debut.

I love the punchy delivery that retains the subtle slow-build that’s the trademark of a great songwriting team, with tracks like Tell Me Why capturing the moody depths, but not before you’ve been hooked by some really catchy song structures and the kind of delivery that you cannot help but tap along to. To be fair, the band have had some great support slots along the way, so have clearly had the chance to hone the material, but the end result is this sounds like a band punchy well above their weight, with the kind of heaviness that not many three pieces can pull off. Like so many debut’s that have been cooking for a while, this is filler free and even though thirteen tracks seems a lot to cram in, does not outstay its welcome at all. It’s energetic, it’s raw and its thoroughly well delivered. 8/10

Mercury Circle – Killing Moons (Noble Demon) [Matt Bladen]

Coining the phrase ‘new doom’ on their 2020 EP The Dawn Of Vitriol, Mercury Circle bring yet more haunting, atmospheric, doomy music to the masses with their full length offering Killing Moons. If the quality of the EP won you over then the absolute majesty of this record will send you into esoteric raptures. Killing Moons is a 63 minute traverse through wonderfully, vibrant yet dark soundscapes, bandleader/producer and mastermind Jaani Peuhu, paused Swallow The Sun activities purely to concentrate on this album, which kind of shows you how this is more than just a side project. It is him discovering this alter ego of dark, melancholic music that owes more to the 80’s scene than anything else, elements of The Mission, Bauhaus and of course Echo & The Bunnymen (from whom the album title is derived) are melded with the more recent sounds of Katatonia, Solstafir, Paradise Lost and of course Swallow The Sun but with less reliance on heavy riff driven guitars (though Death Poem is true doom riffer). 

Rather there is plenty of swirling synths, orchestral features and low end brooding on tracks such as Avalanche and the cathartic climbing riff of An Arrow. The album is a conceptual piece that deals with escapism from real life inspired by drummer Jaska Raatikainen’s (Children Of Bodom) love of science and space as well as Jaani’s involvement with the occult, spirits and the occult along with the more poignant influence of his father’s Alzheimer’s and the notion that he is able to escape to anywhere he wants. All of this inspire the heart rendering compositions of this album, the darkness increased on Like Matches which features the bewitching vocals of Cammie Gilbert (Oceans Of Slumber) to further increase this records otherworldly feel. With this full length record Peuhu has cemented Mercury Circle as a fully-fledged independent band rather than a side project. 8/10 

Kowloon Walled City - Piecework (Neurot Recordings) [Paul Scoble]

Kowloon Walled City have been away for longer than usual in preparation for their fourth album. The band, who formed in 2007, have previously only taken three years between albums rather than Piecework’s six. Lead singer and Lyricist Scott Evans has suffered from writers block in competing the lyrics, according to the band the music for this album was finished before the lyrics. In addition to Scott on Vocals and Guitar, KWC feature Jon Howell on Guitar, Ian Miller on Bass and Dan Sneddon on Drums.

Kowloon Walled City’s first release was an Ep called Turk Street in 2008, a year later they released their debut album, Gambling On The Richter Scale. After this their second album Container Ships was released in 2012 and then after another three years we got their last album Grievances. The band have also released a number of splits with acts such as Thou, Fight Amp and KEN Mode.

So how has the band changed in the time they have been away? Well, Kowloon Walled City have always shown a lot of different influences, but have mainly been known as a Sludge band, so huge, heavy and aggressive. However, on this release the band have taken a step back from overt aggression and have embraced a style that is far closer to Noise Rock than Sludge. In many ways this album is a study in dynamics, in ebb and flow. All of the songs feature driving Noise Rock riffs, tempered with quieter, more restrained sections. This means that the feel of the album is dark and brooding, rather angry and aggressive.

The title track Piecework and second track Utopian probably have the most aggressive mix of Loud and Quiet which gets the album off to a positive and driving start. Oxygen Tent is initially much quieter, but builds to huge ending. Splicing is a more relaxed track with more gentle tempo and a very good bluesy solo. The album ends with Lampblack, one of the more relaxed tracks on the album, there's a dreamlike and expansive feel to the riffing that makes this a great song to end an album that is mainly dark and brooding, with occasional chinks of light.

Piecework is a great addition to Kowloon Walled City’s body of work. It sounds like the album had a difficult birth, but considering how good it is the effort was clearly worth it. Ok it isn’t a massive slab of aggressive Sludge, but the added subtlety has really added to their sound. By adding space to their songs they have built a dynamic that uses the restrained and minimal sections to give the bigger and more aggressive parts room to be huge, whilst adding a darkness that is so much more effective that mere rage. A brilliant examination of Dynamics and Intensity. 8/10

Raven’s Creed – Give War A Chance (Metal Bastard Enterprises) [Paul Hutchings]

One of the unsung heroes of the death metal scene in the UK, Raven’s Creed have been bringing the thunder for 15 years. Formed in Nottingham in 2006, the band featured Ben Ward and Martyn Millard of Orange Goblin from 2006 – 2010 although the line-up of Jay Graham (drums), Steve Watson (guitar), vocalist Al Oster (ex- Cerebral Fix) and bassist Rod Boston has been settled for over a decade.

Give War A Chance brings the band back into the spotlight for the first time since 2018’s Get Killed Or Die Trying and sees Raven’s Creed make their debut for the Metal Bastard Enterprises label. To say it’s brutal is an understatement. This is bruising stuff from the start. 32 minutes of cranium crushing death metal very much in the vein of Bolt Thrower, Benediction and the like, there’s a swagger and groove which threads through the album, allowing you time to slam off the wall or simply bang the head. “If it Ain’t broke, don’t fix it” so the saying goes, and Raven’s Creed know what they do and do it well. This is at times gargantuan in its aural assault, the relentless riffage a tide that eventually will overcome. 

Tracks such as Panzer Maniac, Crimea River (I see what they did there!) and the thrashfest of The Knot That Binds are all haemorrhage inducing. And if that isn’t enough, the outro, with a filthy pulsating cover of Venom’s Witching Hour will surely push you over the edge. 8/10

Reviews: Deviant Process, Destinity, Perpetual Etude, The Georgia Thunderbolts (Reviews By Paul Scoble, Paul Hutchings, Simon Black & Matt Bladen)

Deviant Process - Nurture (Seasons Of Mist) [Paul Scoble]

Canada seems to be a productive breeding ground for Technical Death Metal; from legends like Gorguts or Cryptopsy to more modern acts like Beyond Creation, there seems to be something in the water. A notable addition to this scene has been Deviant Process. Formed in 2009, the four piece, who are based in Quebec, have released 1 Ep (Narcissistic Rage) in 2011, and a debut album named Paroxysm 5 years later. The band features Jean-Daniel Villeneuve on guitars and vocals, Stéphane Simard on guitars, Philippe Cimon on bass and Michel Bélanger on drums.

The style on display on Nurture is closer to the melodic and tuneful style of Technical Death Metal played by Obscura and originated by Necrophagist, than the more difficult and avant guard style of Gorguts or Pyrrhon. Although there is melody and tunefulness all through this album, Deviant Process are on the more extreme end of the melodious Tech Death sound. As this is Technical Death Metal all the performances are pretty much perfect. Staggering virtuoso playing that in any other genre would be considered exceptional, in Technical Death metal this means they are at the same level as their contemporaries. The guitar and bass work is brilliantly well played and the drumming is fast, fluid and elaborate. The riffs are complicated and intricate, but have a flowing nature that makes songs feel very fluent, smooth and effortless.

In a recent interview with Deviant Process the band claim to be more interested in writing decent songs, rather than using the songs as simply structures to hang impressive solos and blasts on. This was clearly no idle boast. Nurture is a collection of very well realised songs that all have their personality and identity. So there are absolute raging blast heavy tracks like opener In Worship, In Blood or Homo Homini Deus, both songs that are extremely rapid, packed with blast beats and super fast riffs, both tracks have short slower parts that seem to emphasise the faster sections. Homo Homini Deus also has a softer, more minimal section where it feels like the song takes a short breather, before dropping back into super fast riffing.

There are also slower, more considered tracks. The song Asynchronous is an interesting track, it’s slower than a lot of the material on Nurture, and in places the slower riffs feel expansive, which is not something I’d usually expect from a Technical Death Metal album. The song does contain blast beats, but they feel looser and less aggressive. Syrtis Magna is another interesting track that is a little less aggressive and savage, the track feels more like Melodic Death Metal, very technical Melodic Death Metal, the song is very melodic and tuneful, with some huge melodies.

Although the band have clearly concentrated on great songwriting on this album, this is Technical Death Metal so it would be remiss of me not to mention guitar solos. There are lots of solos, they are very technical, lyrical and packed with melody. The solos all fit with the songs, and are an integral part of the songs, rather than being an exercise in shred wanking.

Nurture is a great album. The album as a whole has a great ebb and flow, and works as a whole as well as individual songs. The songwriting is the main standout of this album, well rounded songs that are full of melody, great blast beats and fantastic performances from all the members of Deviant Process. One of the most enjoyable Technical Death Metal albums I have heard in a very long time. 9/10

Destinity – In Continuum (Crimson Productions/Season Of Mist) [Paul Hutchings]

If my research is correct, French melodic death metal outfit Destinity haven’t released a record in nine years, their last being Resolve In Crimson in 2012. The Lyonnaise outfit were active from 1996 – 2014, before reforming in 2018 with the current line-up of Mick Caesare – Vocals, Stephan Barboni - Rhythm Guitars, Seb V.S - Rhythm & lead guitars, programming, and orchestration, David Richer – Bass and Florent Barboni – Drums.

I’ve no reference point but In Continuum is a solid release, with a combination of Amon Amarth, At the Gates and Dark Tranquility instantly springing to mind. The album contains plenty of searing lead breaks, edgy riffs, and thunderous drumming as well as periods of calming melody. There are symphonic elements, towering orchestral parts and ample opportunity to lose it with passage after passage of pummeling metal to bang that head.

The songs are punchy, full of tremolo picking, gruff vocals that fit the overall power of the music and a Swedish feel that is undeniable despite the band’s heritage and nationality. This is a band born from the Gothenburg sound. That’s no bad thing and tracks such as Reflections with its subtle synths adding layers to the band’s sound are instantly enjoyable. The inclusion of ex-Mors Principium Est guitarist Andy Gillion adding a bit of shred on Dawn Never Breaks adds weight.

Where things come a bit unstuck is in the memorability stakes. The opening three tracks whilst rampant, are all a bit of a blur and that appears to be the same throughout the album. The use of harp to introduce Shadows gives a bit of distinction and Dawn Never Breaks contains a string section that provides individuality. There are some ambient segments but after three plays I couldn’t remember many of the songs. Maybe that’s not a problem but when others in the genre can hit me with more memorable songs, it’s not an album I’m going to return to that often.

This is an album that provides 50 minutes of thunderous metal. Certainly not one that I would turn off, but I’d have liked a little more to capture my imagination which would have fired the rating a little higher. 7/10

Perpetual Etude - Now Is The Time (Sound Pollution) [Simon Black]

The definition of the word ‘étude’ comes from the French word ‘to study’ and in a musical context is defined as a piece of music intended to be played to improve a musician's technical skills, so it’s a pretentious way of saying ‘always striving to improve’ - which let’s face it applies to all musicians if they want to eat on a regular basis in this day and age. How appropriate for a band who’s raison d'être is to fuse the Hard Rock with a touch of Progressive sounds that led to the whole Symphonic and Power Metal movements in the first place with all that has happened since in an attempt to create a band sound that wears its influences on its sleeves whilst still sounding modern and relevant and incorporating flourishes from those later sub-genres in their sound. This sort of approach is often only partially successful in this for a number of reasons.

Firstly, there are way too many 80’s Retro acts chomping at this particular bit right now and when some of those quite big guns are acts who were there first time round (if not always successfully at the time) then the competition is going to be stiff and fierce. Secondly, acts treading these boards often get too caught up in trying to recreate analogue production sounds in a digital age, instead of trying to focus on simply getting the best sound out of the technology available today. Finally the balance between the historical influence and the contemporary has to be balanced very finely. If the Retro aspects are allowed to dominate too much, then this just sounds jaded and irrelevant, because let’s face it it’s not like the source material isn’t immediately out there either to stream or in your own record collections of whatever formats.

Perpetual Etude as a young act formed in 2019 have stepped right into the fray on point number one, but have very wisely chosen to steer clear of the second. The production mix is definitely what I would call ‘full fat’ in that there’s a focus on clear, well-balanced mixes with every contributor clearly audible in the mix whilst maintaining a cohesive band sound – if this was easy, every band would do it and believe me they don’t. There are nods to the past, in that no-one’s spared the reverb in the studio but it does sound like they tried to be modern whilst hinting at their roots, so score points for subtlety here. However on the third point, they fall slightly too foul of a song-structure that is back-foot weighted in the 80’s.

Now, don’t get me wrong I have a deep love for 80’s Hard Rock with its catchy choruses and extravagant guitar hero solo self-indulgence and the band do a great job of capturing the sounds and delivering top notch musical performances with instrumental flourishes that would not sound out of place on a Malmsteen album at his peak and a soaring vocal performance from singer Krystian Fyhr that really evokes Joe Lynn Turner at his best. There are moments when the band leans forward into the future a bit more and some complex but subtle time signatures and flourishes creep in from guitarist Magnus Mild and keyboardist Kaspar Dahlqvist that acknowledge that bands like Stratovarius and Nightwish started with the same base but took their genres forward as well. At the points where they strike the balance correctly between the past and present then this is shit hot stuff, however there 80’s are the louder voice and that might not be for everyone. That said, the performances and effort that have gone into capturing this have to be lauded, and the eight songs on here all flow well and do not outstay their welcome. One to keep an eye on for sure. 8/10

The Georgia Thunderbolts - Can We Get A Witness (Mascot Records) [Matt Bladen]

Taking their debut album title from a Grand Funk Railroad/Gospel Church refrain and featuring an Allman Brothers cover in the middle of it, The Georgia Thunderbolts leave you in no doubt that they are grooving, Americana/Country infused rock band. Tipped as one of the hottest young things on the Southern rock scene, they are a bit grittier and rockier than their Georgia brethren Blackberry Smoke. Songs such as Can I Get A Witness having a thicker, meatier guitar sound that firmly puts them in the rock side of Southern rock, much like Georgia Satellites or Molly Hatchet on Walk Tall Man especially. Their debut album sees TJ Lyle (vocals), Riley Couzzourt (guitar) , Logan Tolbert (guitar), Zach Everett (bass/keys), and Bristol Perry (drums) writing plenty of blue collar rock n rollers, about working hard, paying your dues and staying true to yourself. 

It's an honesty and authenticity that needs to be there so they can sing tracks such as Spirit Of A Workin' Man without any pretension. They are also cleary respect their roots and influence as their cover of Midnight Rambler is dealt with reverence but played with a heavier touch than the original. With a bubbling pot of Appalachian rocking, American blues and Southern gospel Can We Get A Witness will certainly excite anyone that enjoyed their EP. Yeah a few of the songs appeared on their on their EP, but they feature here for anyone that missed them fleshed out with new numbers and that cover. Southern rock jams that will win over many new fans for sure. 8/10