Reviews: Sonata Arctica, VRSTY, Reckless Souls, Spartan (Reviews By Simon Black & Matt Bladen)

Sonata Arctica - Acoustic Adventures - Volume One (Atomic Fire Records) [Simon Black]

Stick around for long enough and bands inevitably succumb to the temptation to do something subtly different with their core sound, because let’s face it doing the same thing for decades on end might not wear the punters out, but it does wear down on the players. If you have to spend months in studio writing, recording, rehearsing and then many nights cranking the same set out again and again live, you can forgive an act for wanting to spice things up a little from time to time, even if this tends to scare the crap out of label A&R staff. 

Sometimes this comes with a complete (and highly risky) change of musical direction for a core studio release, but many also dip their toes in the slightly safer territory of taking their existing catalogue and either playing with a full blown orchestra, or a scaled back acoustic version of their hit list. Sonata Arctica did the later live a few years back and well-received it was at the time, so rather than risking a release of new material getting lost in the pandemic chaos, the band have elected to cherry pick a whole bunch of songs and re-record fully acoustic versions over a two release set, of which this is the first (although this set is fairly close to that 2016 set list).

I have to confess I’m none too familiar with much of their extensive catalogue, but that means I can be objective - but then so too have the band. With a ten studio album backlog, there’s a lot of material to choose from and fortunately the band have remained pragmatic whilst approaching this - which is why you aren’t just hearing the same tracks played beat for beat and note for note with acoustic guitars and the odd tambourine thrown in for good measure. 

In some cases that has meant completely rearranging the arrangement to fit a totally different format and an almost complete genre shift to boot and I can’t think of a better example than the Neo-Classical power metal speedball that is Wolf & Raven, which here transmogrifies into a frenzied punk polka, whilst losing none of its charm and gaining buckets more catchiness along the way. Most of the material does not go that far off at a tangent though, retaining that heartfelt melodic melancholy that is their stock in trade.

Tony Kakko has always had a melodic, slightly folky timbre to his voice anyway, but always has delivered plenty of metal guts and power to boot - particularly live, which makes the dramatic transformation in his quite frankly beautiful singing on this disk all the more emphatic. Although the whole band are cohesively and fluidly working together, hearing Kakko with none of the rawer aspects of his delivery makes this sound like a completely different band, although you can clearly hear their distinctive essence in these versions. 

If anything it illustrates quite how accomplished their song writing actually is, allowing the ear to unpick subtle melodic refrains that might otherwise be buried under the bravado and overdrive of their power metal mode. Either way, I’ve found this fascinating enough to go back and compare the louder versions, so if nothing else I’m grateful for the opportunity to dig into a band I had previously only had a passing acquaintance with that little bit more deeply. Roll on Volume 2… 8/10

VRSTY - Welcome Home (Spinefarm Records) [Simon Black]

Imagine if you will, what might happen if an artist who grew up with an R&B and pop background went to a metal show and realised that he’s missed out on something pretty big up to that point? The answer is indeed VRSTY (pronounced “varsity”) who are a very unusual sounding beast indeed. Now I’m old enough to have been around when bands’ started experimenting with fusing metal with other seemingly eclectic genres in the 80’s, with not a care that their one-off song or side project might inadvertently spawn a whole sub-genre of followers capable of eclipsing their own place in the panopticon. I’m sure that was the last thing on Anthrax’s mind when they produced their Rap-Metal fusion spoof I’m The Man, little knowing that it would allow not one but two whole sub-genres to emerge and Martin Walkyier is still kicking himself for creating, but failing to earn a crust from his experiment in Thrash-Folk with Skyclad.

So enter singer Joey Varela, whose fusion of styles vocally produces a sound that might trick the casual observer into thinking they missed a key step in the Nu-Metal movement. Musically the instrumental side of things is clearly influenced by the heavier end of the musical spectrum though, but the R&B lyrical phrasing and styles (mercifully free from any hint of an auto-tuner) work surprisingly well with this and I will be curious if the subtlety of this can be pulled off in a high volume live environment, although Varela turns in a good extreme grunt or two to keep his metal credentials in order.

Actually the Nu-Metal comparison is relevant instrumentally as well, given that we have heavy riffs and rhythms, but soloing is de-rigueur and some of that layering comes from some light touch keyboards, but don’t underestimate the heaviness of that riffage on tracks like Closer. The album generally gets lighter as it goes on, but that feels more like Linkin Park ballad territory rather than R&B crooning. In fact the whole album is very moody and minor key driven, but there’s some good anthemic material in there – Paranoid being a good example of this and it’s exactly the kind of crossover stuff that could spawn band offspring and bring more people into the wacky metal world by accident.

Interesting, original and surprisingly catchy – I shouldn’t like it, but I do. 8/10

Reckless Souls - Timeless (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

We reviewed Norwegian band Reckless Souls debut album, What About Us back in 2018 and decided that it was prime slice of retro sounding rock n roll. A few years later and they are now in place to release their follow up. What you can notice is that despite the band having been together since 2013, on this album they have tried to change their sound a bit, adding a bit more punk and grunge to the mix. It means that Timeless is a darker record than the predecessor, a reflection perhaps of the time we live in at the moment. 

An emotional build gets us going on the intro leading into first song proper, the Western themed Where I Belong, atmospheric guitars and a tolling bell coming at the start before the distorted riff gets going. Starting off with a swagger were brought into big open chords on All Of Nothing shaped to be an arena offering. Musically there's a lot of dexterity on this record however personally I'm not too enamoured with the dulcet vocals, but that's possibly just me. 

If you can get round it, Timeless is a hip shaking rock n roll record, one that has garage rock directness and fuzziness on Voodoo Girl as well as straight up punk snarling on Room 114 leading to the proggy climax of Lost In Time. Timeless sees Reckless Souls following up their 2018 record with an eclectic rock record. 7/10 

Spartan - Of Gods And Kings (Pest Records) [Matt Bladen]

Inspired by Amon Amarth, Children Of Bodom and In Flames, Netherlands based band Spartan move away from Viking or Roman inspired lyrics, focussing theirs on the Greek myths and legends, thus their name. They have previously released an EP and an album, so what does their sophomore album offer? Well it's characterized as power death and that, is quite an apt way of putting things. Mainly sitting in the melo-death style, choppy metalcore riffs, bring some big beatdowns on Tomb Of The Great (Alexander Pt.2), there are old school twin axe attacks aplenty from the intro that gives way to opening number Prometheus. 

You may think that this album has a lot of sounds like Trivium due to the style seems to stick in, but there are also some cinematic flourishes on A Siren Song (Odysseus Part 2) which features some guest female vocals that brings touches of Epica as the harsh vocals work in conjunction with these soaring cleans. Of Gods And Kings was actually recorded in 2019 but delayed due to pandemic, I can understand why, as on record the band's music does seem a little similar, so without the ability to tour it, Of Gods And Kings may have been lost in the pile. Still if mythology themed melodeath appeals then check out Spartan's second album. 6/10  

Reviews: Pridelands, Worm Shepherd, Lee McKinney, Enterprise Earth (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Matt Cook)

Pridelands - Light Bends (Sharptone Records/Resist) [Matt Bladen]

Australia is quickly becoming the go to country for modern metalcore. Yet another addition to the glut of emotionally charged metalcore acts coming from Down Under is Pridelands. They are a five piece that features two vocalists, the ferocious screams come from Mason Bunt, while Joshua Cory brings the emotional cleans, both have a glorious unison telling these very personal stories. The band state that this is a therapeutic record, coming from the bands life experiences both good and bad. 

They must have impressed with the demos as they have been snapped up by Sharptone Records and when you listen to their debut Light Bends, you can hear why there would be buzz around it. Building from the repeating radar ‘bing’ atmospheric and bubbling percussion from Joe Lipsam, I Reach Into Your Heart is a slow burn into the raging final part where we have screamed vocals and thick groove riffs. A dramatic opening that is followed by the insistent The Walls, which is driven by the riff from down tuned bassist Daniel Lohery and guitarist Liam Fowler, especially when the palm muting heaviness kicks in. 

It’s a rager that really shows the vocal dexterity of the band the clean/harsh voices working well. Pridelands draw their influences from a number of bands but on Parted Time they sound like Architects or Northlane, the use of atmospheric synths sitting side by side with the stop/start riffs. There is a vein of real emotional depth that cuts through Light Bends, when you’re listening to it, you almost feel the turmoil and experiences the band are going through in every vocal phrasing and every riff. It’s a strong debut that bodes well for a bright future. Pridelands confidently assert themselves against the glut of modern metalcore performers. 7/10

Worm Shepherd - Ritual Hymns (Unique Leader) [Matt Cook]

Devin Duarte is likely a name you should familiarize yourself with. The Worm Shepherd frontman leaves his mark on the deathcore five-piece’s latest album, Ritual Hymns (Unique Leader), punishing and pulverizing his vocal cords for our listening pleasure and flexing an array of abilities. Whether it be blasting a song to life on the opening titular track while nearly bellowing into pig squealing, the inhumane yelping and shrieking heard on Ov Sword And Nail or giving Travis Ryan a run for his money on Chalice Ov Rebirth, Duarte pulls no punches. 

Blood Kingdom is a particularly atmospheric and ferociously technical piece, complemented by damn good riffing on The Ravens Keep. The opener itself incorporates uncharacteristic (for the genre, at least) snare drums before skinsman Leo McClain unleashes a rapid-fire stomp fest. Worm Shepherd meticulously weave strings and orchestrations that whisper throughout the composition, neither overstaying its welcome nor feeling unnecessarily inserted. 

The aforementioned Ov Sword And Nail did, however, incorporate a rather chaotic mishmash that isn’t particularly comfortable on the ears and wandered more into noise territory. Fear not, however, because Ritual Hymns has enough vocal versatility, sensational shredding and death-defying drumming to please any fan of the genre. 7/10

Lee McKinney – In The Light Of Knowledge (Sumerian Records) [Matt Bladen]

Probably known to most as the guitarist in progressive metalcore act Born Of Osiris, Lee McKinney is one of the creative driving forces behind the band, but like most metal guitarists there is another side to his virtuosity that’s not all down tuning and crushing riffs/expansive solos. McKinney is a virtuoso musician so the other side of his musical mind is revealed through his instrumental solo project. Having already released one record in 2019, In The Light Of Knowledge is the second full length to come out under his own name and it’s packed with incredible guitar playing, off-kilter compositions but also an ear for melody and keeping those who maybe aren’t fans of his main band or instrumental guitar music entertained. 

The musical dexterity on the record leaves moves between blissed out shoegazing, bouncing technical savagery, progressive soundscapes and even some 80’s style melodies on Highmountain. It’s a wonderfully, inviting album that could easily make you think of Joe Satriani as the virtuosity manages to balance with the musicality. As far as songs go Stormrage duels with a sax in a way fans of jazz fusion will love, Vitruvian Park is full of swirling atmospheric synths and piano, building into one of the most impressive numbers on the record. 

The Reason uses luscious classical guitars to lull you into the final song of the record. For Born Of Osiris and guitar instrumental fans, this will be a manna from heaven, however there is also lots to enjoy for those who like well crafted music. 8/10

Enterprise Earth - The Chosen (MNRK Heavy) [Matt Cook]

One of the more compelling aspects involving Spokane, Washington’s deathcore troupe Enterprise Earth is the mere fact there are only four members. I say that because The Chosen (MNRK Heavy) is filled to the brim with 14 blistering tracks of technical prowess on a level one would expect from a more conventional five- or six-person band within the genre. It starts with Dan Watson’s Jekyll-and-Hyde-esque vocal range which flows freely from harsh, pugilistic shrieks to guttural bouts of brutal growls, oftentimes rapidly interchanging in the same sequence. 

He even incorporates clean singing on Unleash Hell and Overpass, because of course he can. Likewise, guitarist Gabe Mangold lays down heavy, labyrinthine riffs, cascading on opener Where Dreams Are Broken. I Have To Escape is straightforward, by-the-book headbanging chug with damn good rhythms. You Couldn’t Save Me sneaks in a hint of groove and one of many electrifying solos. They Have No Honor provides everything you need for a killer live experience: a mosh-inducing sequence and a very breakdown-y line, making for what should be an explosive showcase to witness in person. 

Aside from a few interlude pieces that really didn’t need to be shoehorned into the already-crowded full-length, The Chosen stands as a cogent deathcore effort. It’s technical. It’s abrasive. And it’s a testament to the talent the foursome possess. 7/10

Reviews: Wiegedood, Shadow Of Intent, Power Paladin, King Bastard (Reviews By Paul Scoble, Richard Oliver, Matt Bladen & Rich P)

Wiegedood - There's Always Blood At The End Of The Road (Century Media Records) [Paul Scoble]

Anyone who has had a passing interest in black metal in the last few years will be very aware of Wiegedood, the Belgian three piece has been one of the hottest properties in black metal through a trilogy of amazing albums and many incendiary live sets. The band formed in 2014 in Ghent, Flanders. The three piece made up of Levy Seynaeve on Guitar and Vocals, Gilles Demolder on Guitar and Wim Coppers on drums have released the aforementioned trilogy of albums; De Doden Habben Het Goed I, II, and III. I was released in 2015, II in 2017 and III in 2018. 

The three albums all had a very similar sound and structure; atmospheric black metal with savage and aggressive blasting melded with soft and introverted sections, all structured into 4 long songs. The more aggressive parts always had a very focused feel, as if all the fast, savage elements had been brought to a point. It made sense for the De Doden Habben Het Goed albums to be similar in structure and sound as together they form a complete whole, and it also makes sense for the band to change things with their forth album, and change they have.

The album opens with FN SCAR 16 which is a very nasty beast. The song starts with a bloodcurdling scream from Levy Seynaeve, whose vocals are unbelievably nasty, extreme and in places downright inhuman. The song features very fast and furious black metal, that has a definite second wave feel to it, in places reminding me of early Ulver. The song also features a simple 5 note melody that is repeated throughout the song, in some way similar to black metal pioneers Von, the repetition is very effective as after a couple of listens that nasty little tune was imbedded in my consciousness like a burrowing brain parasite drilling it’s way into my frontal cortex. 

Next comes And In Old Salamano’s Room, The Dog Whimpered Softly which is very fast, blasting black metal. The track does have a slower, more minimal part (a rarity on this album), but is quickly battering your skull in again. The song feels relentless and also features vocal samples, some Harsh noise elements and vocals that are staggeringly nasty. Noblesse Oblige Richesse Oblige has more of a dissonant black metal feel, very fast tremolo picked riffs drip with jarring cacophony as the blasting drums batter you into submission. At the end of the track some of these tremolo picked riffs are layered together to form a feeling of insane swirling chaos.

Until It Is Not is fast and flowing with some mid-paced parts, to make up for this pleasantness the vocals are savage and unhinged. The track has a section which has a bit of a noise rock feel, before those horrific vocals return send you back to drowning in anxiety. Now Will Always Be has a brooding intro before a simple riff and blasting drums crash in. The song features throat singing (which works so well on Wiegedood's material, I’m surprised more bands aren’t using it) and has simple riffs added to achieve a layered sound that is hypnotic and swirls around your head. The song comes to an end with one of the tremolo picked riffs dominating, whilst the song calms down and drifts to an end. Wade is a short clean instrumental that is brooding and very effective.

Nuages is a savage beast. War metal fast blasting, with so much aggression, particularly in the vocals. The track has a slower part that manages to be just as angry and aggressive as the staggeringly fast parts, a section that is very Industrial/Harsh Noise and a nicely dissonant ending. Theft And Begging is all about dynamics. The song opens very fast, before going into a slow and measured part, the track then speeds up but has a brooding feel to it. After this the song is slow, but very driving and purposeful, it then builds itself back for a very extreme end.

The album comes to a close with the track Carousel (no, it’s not a song from the musical). The track is fast and simple, this is another track that features a simple little tune that is repeated until it is burrowing it’s way into your prefrontal lobe to join it’s friend from the opening track, the song also features throat singing in a very effective way. The track has a dissonant solo and comes to an end with blasting and that simple, brain worm melody that runs through the whole song.

There's Always Blood At The End Of The Road is a staggeringly good album, it’s also very nasty, very fast, very angry and filled with filth and squalidness. The focus that was present on the De Doden Habben Het Goed albums is gone, but it has been replaced with frenzy, dissonance, viciousness and spite. Wiegedood have not fallen into the trap that a lot of bands who are initially successful fall into; they have developed and grown. Whether or not you like the new direction the band have gone in (and I like it a lot!), you cannot fault the band for playing it safe, or been timid. 

They have taken the bands already successful sound and by adding chaos, savagery and some of the most angry and vengeful vocals I have ever heard, produced a stunning black metal album. 9/10

Shadow Of Intent - Elegy (Nuclear Blast) [Richard Oliver]

Shadow Of Intent are a new band for my ears and Elegy which is the fourth full length album for the band is my first exposure to them. When reading up on the band I’ll fully admit that I sighed deeply upon seeing deathcore in the description but I really should not have written off the band before listening as Elegy is an excellent album. Although the sound of the band is rooted in deathcore there is so much more going on here and crossovers in other genres that deathcore is a lazy term to describe the glorious music on this album. One of the big overriding and impressive aspects of the band's sound is their use of symphonics which elevates this music giving it a cinematic scale and scope whilst managing to sound restrained and resisting the urge to go over the top. 

There are also elements of melodic death metal, technical death metal and symphonic black metal present throughout Elegy. Songs such as Farewell, The Coming Fire and Of Fury are prime examples of this mix being vast epic pieces of music whilst simultaneously being savage and brutal pieces of death metal. Life Of Exile is my personal favourite from the album with the cinematic elements being pushed to the fore and being a far more emotion driven and atmospheric piece of music with the excellent and effective inclusion of some clean vocals though the most ambitious moment comes at the end of the album with the expansive three part Elegy suite. Performance wise the band are on absolute fire with some fantastic drumming from Bryce Butler and some absolutely killer lead guitar work from Chris Wiseman. 

The vocals from Ben Duerr also need special mention for his ability to effortlessly switch from extremely guttural death growls to blackened shrieks. Elegy is an album that modern death metal fans should be all over with its compelling mix of deathcore, symphonics, melody and technical ability and at just over an hour it is just the right length as well. The band as well as being phenomenal performers are excellent songwriters and this is definitely an album that I will be happily revisiting. Though definitely rooted in deathcore this is a band that is very much transcending that genre into something very special indeed. 9/10

Power Paladin – With The Magic Of Windfyre Steel (Atomic Fire Records) [Matt Bladen]

Previously known as Paladin between 2017 and 2020, I would assume the name change came from there being several other bands with that name, the most prominent being the Atlanta Georgia power metal act. So now Power Paladin, who are also a power metal band have unleashed their debut album which flies in the face of most of the Icelandic music scene. The windswept, glacial introspection is replaced by galloping fantasy influenced tunes, powerful vocals, twin axe attacks and a keen ear for European power and traditional metal. 

The band are trying to actively trying to distance themselves from the extensive extreme metal representation Iceland has by bringing some chest beating, swords held aloft fun to the islands musical landscape. As soon as you press play you can pretty hear that they have nailed it, tracks such as the rampaging Into The Forbidden Forest remind me of the genre greats such as Helloween as well as fellow Scandi’s such as Stratovarius. It’s a thunderous effort that stands as the penultimate song on the record but, it is only one of the nine excellent songs featured on this debut. 

Kraven The Hunter kicks us off and while it’s got that NWOBHM punch and a shouted repeating chorus, it’s a delight for fans of soloing as guitarists Ingi Þórisson/Bjarni Þór Jóhannsson, bassist Kristleifur Þorsteinsson all get a solos in the middle eight. It’s a punchy opener that puts a smile on your face and a fist in the air. They take their inspiration from all of the classic power/symphonic bands, Evermore feels like Rhapsody meets Running Wild as it tells of sailing too far off lands, with Bjarni Egill Ögmundsson’s orchestrations and piano giving a cinematic sound. Atli Guðlaugsson’s piercing vocals are well in the realms of Michael Kiske or Jocaim Cans, delivering tracks such as Dark Crystal brilliantly as Óskar Rúnarsson adds some death growls, the speed metal feel driven by the relentless percussion of Einar Karl Júlíusson.

Single handedly trying to shift the Icelandic music scene into a more accessible realm Power Paladin's debut; With The Magic Of Windfyre Steel (an incredibly cheesy album name), is a brilliant album that fans of swords, sorcery and solos will love. 9/10

King Bastard - It Came From The Void (Self Released) [Rich P]

Heavy. That was going to be my one-word submission for this review for the debut from Long Island’s
King Bastard. That was the first thing that came to my head upon first listen; I was blown away by the
heaviness of this album. As you start to explore It Came From The Void more you get bits of a lot of
really great stuff. The mostly instrumental album brings the self-described “Psychedelic Filth” over the

six tracks. You can really vibe with the 70s space horror theme that is carried throughout, at times
feeling like you are on that ship floating to your doom. Or with the final track, Succumb To The Void,
alone in heavy space, with no ship, minutes before your oxygen runs out, marking the end with a nice
acoustic outro to really bring it home. 

This album makes you feel like you are there and does so amazingly with almost no vocals and just a few audio clips. Beginning to end you are engrossed in the story and can visualize the plight of the crew, leveraging many styles and instruments to get you there. You get the heavy doom on the opening track, From Hell To Horizon. Some heavy psych, with some nicely place saxophone on Kelper-452b. Some straight-out psych infused black metal on Psychosis (In A Vacuum), and that killer closing track where you get a bit of it all, including some keys, that bring a nice touch. I tend to lean more towards bands with vocals, but King Bastard has taken telling a story with (mostly) music alone to a new level. I did not need to crutch of the signer telling me what was happening on It Came From The Void, which is a testament to how good this album is, especially for a debut. 8/10

Reviews: Party Cannon, Impending Doom, Big Scenic Nowhere, Necrophagous (Reviews By Charlie Rogers, Zak Skane, Rich P, & Richard Oliver)

Party Cannon - Volumes Of Vomit (Gore House) [Charlie Rogers]

It’s taken me a while to gather my composure after another listen through Volumes Of Vomit. Featuring guest appearances from some of extreme metal’s most grotesque vocalists, Party Cannon’s signature blend of brain damaging riffs, inhuman mouth noises, punishing drums, and peak sample choice are enough to warrant at the very least, a sit down. 

Opening the album is a brief distorted sample, some ambient guitar screeching, before the band grab the back of your head and shove you face first into the heavy. Massive grooves punctuated by frantic technical flourishes. Chris’s unavoidable bass tone clanking away at the foundations, like a Kaiju strumming a suspension bridge, perfectly complementing Martin’s Gatling Gun drums. Stony’s incomprehensible grunts add a sinister layer of filth across the already stinking music to form a formidable wall of sound. All brought together by Mike’s razor sharp rhythm guitaring, and Craig’s menacing leads. 

The sound these lads from Scotland make is nothing short of monstrous. Paired with their already unbelievable heaviness, they bring in some scene big guns through Waking The Cadaver’s Don Campan, Exhumed’s Ross Sewage, and Cerebral Incubation’s Andrew LoMastro. While fans of slam and some of the more ridiculous parts of deathcore might be able to pick apart the nuances, and recognise these big hitters, I couldn’t distinguish their contributions from Stony’s ghoulish utterances. Good thing, bad thing? I don’t know at this point - at the very least it shows that he’s gurgling with the best in the business. There’s a fair bit of inner variation within each song, with the tempo shifting up and down the gears as faster, blastier sections laden with frantic guitar picking give way to spine destroying slam riffs, where the tempo bottoms out and the urge to do press-ups becomes almost overwhelming. 

However, the variation between songs is lacking, with many songs having a similar overall feel. If this is what you want from an album, then I can’t say it’s a downside, but for slam casuals it’ll take you multiple listens to hear the differences between each song, aside from the opening/closing sample. Luckily, the production has been expertly put together, balancing clarity with a layer of death metal grime that sounds laser calibrated. There’s never a point where I feel like anything is lost, which is great to hear from a band with so much going on within the riffs. Another special mention to the bass here, as Chris’s bass playing is well out in the forefront, and is spectacular. It would be a crime to bury that tone. 

Overall, Volumes Of Vomit is an intense ride, not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for people who want to hear the lyrics. Highlight of the album for me is the outro to I Believe In Dani Filth, which has one of the filthiest riff sections I’ve ever heard. It’s also the best music video I’ve seen in a long time, so go check that out too. If you fancy a potential spine injury, and some near guaranteed IQ loss, stick this in your ears. 8/10

Impending Doom - Hellbent (MNRK Heavy) [Zak Skane]

Impending Doom were and Deathcore act that formed in the 2005 when they first released their demo The Sin Of Doom And Godless Men the band have released five full length releases, but the band wanted to return to their roots by releasing a five track E.P Hellbent. This belter of a five track starts off its opening song with some Nu-metal swagger coming with this Wah chocked riff, whist the singer instantly works his ear worms as soon as the listener puts their headphones on. He whispers the chorus line about "how he feels that the noose is getting tighter" which reminds me of Drowning Pool's Bodies. It builds up that suspense to the bludgeoning beatdown/deathcore crossover riffs that this track follows. 

New World Horror continues the brutality with some classic deathcore groove that switches between meaty riffs and groovy drums beats coated with snarling vocals. Culture Death and Hellbent brings in the brutal triplet chugging riffs with layers of atmospheric dissonance leads to keep up some spooky vibes. The closing track I Must End brings the album to a climatic end, by beginning the song with some relentless blast beats before coming back to some serious groovy guitar riffs and some old school Slipknot swagger. 

With the lyrical content based on insecurities and self destruction leaves this bands EP on a melancholic note. I really enjoyed this five track release from the three piece deathcore act. Joseph Calleriro and Will Putney did a great job with the production on this album…but then again when you see Will’s name on the liner notes you’re guaranteed it’ll be a good production. The riffs sound crushing with the vocals captured to the best of their range, whilst being on par with the matching machine gun precision. 

Even though the nu-metal influences and the eerie ambient sounds made the bands sound interesting, I wished that they added some more interesting elements to make their sound more unique. 7/10.

Big Scenic Nowhere - The Long Morrow (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich P]

The idea of Big Scenic Nowhere has always been an excellent one. Combining the talents of desert rock legends Gary Arce of Yawning Man and Bob Balch of Fu Manchu fame with other special guests that wander the fuzzy landscape that their primary bands have ruled over for decades seemed like a recipe that could not fail. However, their full length and two EPs really did not do anything to live up to the huge expectations that such a pairing would bring. This all changes with the release of their latest album, The Long Marrow. 

The five tracks on The Long Marrow are all outstanding, with Defector (Of Future Days) kicking off setting the tone for the amazing guitar work that you get through the album BSN goes a bit more straight-ahead fuzzy rock with the first four tracks, which is a perfect set up for the title track closer. The closing title track is simply breathtaking. It is hard for me to think of a 20 minute plus track that seemed to fly by like The Long Marrow does. The guitar work including a couple absolutely ripping solos, are something to behold. The back-and-forth guitar work around the ten-minute mark brings back the days of the guitar hero that we miss often with this genre. 

The instrumentation through the album is top notch, but the guest appearances by Reeves Gabrels (The Cure, David Bowie) and Per Wiberg (Opeth, Spiritual Beggars) take this to the next level, which is saying something. Even after the sixteen-minute mark when you think we a wrapping up back comes the guitar hero antics to bring us to an end that never once seemed to long or bloated. Just amazing stuff and a track that will be on all my 2022 playlists, 20-minute run time be damned. This is the first “must listen” album of 2022. Don’t be intimidated by the long closer; it flies by and will be totally worth it. If you are even remotely down with the stoner/fuzz/psych/prog stuff The Long Marrow is mandatory listening. 9/10

Necrophagous - In Chaos Ascend (Transcending Obscurity) [Richard Oliver]

In Chaos Ascend is the debut release from Swedish death metal band Necrophagous who are a three piece made up of Tommy Carlsson on bass and vocals (Visceral Bleeding. ex-Entrails), Jocke Svensson on guitars (ex-Entrails) and Martin Michaelsson on drums (ex-Entrails). It’s safe to say these guys know their death metal and have forged a debut album that sits comfortably in a space between old school and contemporary death metal with riffs aplenty, sick amounts of groove, a pummelling rhythm section and ferocious roars. 

It is far more influenced by the American death metal sound than the Swedish sound with the band counting bands such as Morbid Angel, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus as influences. The influence from these bands can clearly be heard in songs such as At Dawn Thee Immolate, The Vile Embalmed, Horns Of Seven and the extremely catchy title track. That being said the album suffers at times in its very straightforward approach being very meat and potatoes death metal and some of these songs lack staying power. 

When this album hits well it hits damn hard as in the aforementioned songs. Necrophagous have a solid debut album with In Chaos Ascend. Whilst not he most dynamic sounding death metal album this is an album that should you find yourself in the mood for some straightforward death metal carnage then this album will definitely help scratch that itch. 7/10

Reviews: Magnum, Infected Rain, Toundra, Dymytry (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Magnum - The Monster Roars (Steamhammer/SPV)

There are a few things in life that are inevitable. Death, taxes, political sleaze and Magnum albums. Seemingly drawing from an endless wealth of creativity, the Midlands Melodic Rockers are now on album number 22 and they show no signs of stopping with The Monster Roars. Still led by the core duo of Tony Clarkin (guitar) and Bob Catley (vocals) who have been in the driving seat since 1972! Here they are joined by keyboardist Rock Benton, drummer Lee Morris and new bassist Dennis Ward, who many will know as a member of Unisonic, ex-Pink Cream 69 and Gus G's solo band. 

This melodic/prog troubadour brings a renewed focus on the vocal element of this record, his excellent backing vocals working in tandem with Catley's gruffer, more wisened, delivery. It seems like a small thing but when Magnum have songs such as Kingdom Of Madness in their canon, having that additional vocal power will be very much welcomed on stage. The Monster Roars sees Magnum focusing more on real life than their more recent conceptual fantasy lyrics. It's a record that deals with social and political issues, Clarkin confirming that the record is inspired by the upheaval of the past few years. 

This influence of the real makes the album sound a bit grittier than usual, yes there's huge swathes of melodic rock but cuts like the title track and the piano bashing Remember are brooding, darker-tinged numbers with lots of drama and pathos. After Remember comes the muscular ballad All You Believe In as the romance returns on melodic I Won't Let You Down. 

The Monster Roars has a lot of classic Magnum sounds here, ballad The Silent Hours is full of 80's atmospheres. Clarkin's persistent guitars match well with the sweeping keys. On the moody That Freedom Word especially, but No Steppin' Stones brings a bit of brass and there are a lot of modern flavours to keep Magnum relevant well into their 50th year! 8/10

Infected Rain - Ecdysis (Napalm Records)

Sometimes in this reviewing lark you get bands that you can wholly appreciate the talent of, but will never really enjoy the music as much as you should. Moldovan band Infected Rain are one of these, fronted by Lena Scissorhands' expansive vocal style, Infected Rain mix nu-metal; Longing features some rap-like vocals, with proggy metalcore (Djent) on groovers like Goodbye. They also touch on industrial and alt metal as well. It's this wide mix of styles that have seen them climb the ladder of the music industry, gaining more recognition as they go. 

Continuing where 2019's Endorphin left off, Ecdysis is full of palm muted heavy riffs, maelstrom's of aggression, heavy grooves and the obligatory switches between clean and harsh vocals, everything augmented with twitching electronics. It's certainly very modern but also sounds as if it's come from the early 2000's as a lot of the time, it's as if Evanescence have been thrown into the blender with Slipknot and early In This Moment. November and Postmortem Pt. 1 have the obligatory 80's synth punch that seems to be all the rage, Fighter has the stop-start percussion of Iowa's nine headed beast, while The Realm Of Chaos is groove driven ranger featuring Butcher Babies' Heidi Shepherd. 

Across the 12 songs it's Lena who shows why this band are revered, I can't fault her vocal performance at all, strong cleans and shouts that tear flesh, and while the band play with precision, unfortunately Ecdysis does have a strange feeling of deja vu, probably because a few of the songs seem to blend together and it draws heavily from every other Djent band around. Still fans will lap it up and live this record will get the pits moving. 7/10

Toundra - Hex (Inside Out Records)

The eighth album from Toundra wasn't really supposed to have arrived yet. Their previous album was released in 2020 and should have been toured all over Europe and the World. Obviously this didn't happen so the instrumental foursome refocused and started to write and record. They moved between Madrid and Cantabrian Coast, concocting this record, beginning with the 22 minute long El Odio (Hatred) it's a stirling opening which channels a hell of a lot of rage and frustration throughout the expansive soundscapes, driven by Esteban Girón's impressive guitar playing. 

The three part opening suite culminates with a cathartic climax where the release is definitely felt. The record as a whole is inspired by racism/sexism/homophobia that is so powerful at the moment in our society. The remaining 4 stand alone songs all feel like Toundra but in different ways. La Larga Marcha features some EDM style looping guitar motifs from Girón and David López Macón as Alberto Tocados' bass keeps the beat. Drummer Alex Pèrez, is an anchor to the whole album working well across the 7 songs but on Watt especially his expansive playing brings depth. 

The last four songs on this album are very similar to what Toundra have done on previous albums, although there are some experiments that they do with their sound. It's the opening El Odio trio though that this record is hooked on. An album born of frustration and restriction but very much forward looking yet again. 7/10

Dymytry - Revolt (AFM Records)

In this topsy turvy world of music, many bands will do anything to gain an advantage and get themselves heard by a larger audience. For Czech based, mask wearing, psy-core (I'm not sure what that is either?) metal band Dymytry, they have taken the decision to have two vocalists. Revolt was originally released in their native Czech, with their regular vocalist Prometheus, with whom they have played tonnes of concerts I their homeland however they have now recruited additional singer Alen 'A.L' Ljubic to record the album in English. 

Going forward A.L will be their international singer while Prometheus will perform in Czech only. This means that Revolt is not only their first album recorded in English it's also their first released internationally. So what does it sound like? Well Revolt, the bands sixth album, is full of heavy, at times power metal sounding songs that also bring to mind bands such as Disturbed due to the vocals, and the use of groove driven riffs. In fact there's a massive influence of bands such as, Five Finger Death Punch, Mushroomhead and even bands such as Lordi and Rage, with ex-Rage man Victor Smolski joining on Somebody's Watching. 

It's an odd musical style, that pairs lots of EDM synths with thumping metal breakdowns, that are straight out of metalcore, but there's also horror imagery on tracks such as Awakening The Monster In Me put against more anthemic defiant song choices and lots of melody. How popular they are in their native land, I don't really know but kudos to them for trying to branch out into the English speaking musical audience, by recording this record in English, though that is not always necessary, it shows that Dymytry are trying to broaden their touring horizons. They certainly have a style of music that will appeal to the masses so good luck to them. 6/10

Reviews: Wilderun, Nocturnal Graves, Feuerschwanz (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Wilderun - Epigone (Century Media Records)

In my review of Wilderuns last album Veil Of Imagination, I said that that Boston band have that sound favoured by Opeth up to Watershed. The expansive progressive rock passages, thunderous black metal phases, duality between good and evil in the vocals, all featured heavily but Wilderun are much more than a blatant copy, they have been honing their sound for a fair few years now and building upon the absolutely wonderful Veil Of Imagination we now have their newest offering Epigone. The record starts off with the acoustic Exhaler, this is essentially a folk song, beautifully orchestrated by Wayne Ingram who has worked with Hans Zimmer's Bleeding Fingers Custom Music Shop. Exhaler draws you into this much darker record, the frenetic acoustic guitars and emotive vocals, building a feeling of introspection, that moves into the second track Woolgatherer. 

Here is where we fully get a blast of why Wilderun are quickly becoming the next great progressive metal band. The ambient opening offers us some, Raven That Refused To Sing-era Steven Wilson, coming from bassist Daniel Müller's Hammered Dulcimer, as we are taken into full on symphonic black metal blasting, those bold orchestrations expanding the ferocious tremolo picking, as the clean singing returns and we are brought back into the delicate melodies, before the ominous, darkness builds again. Yes it's very Opeth but if you're going to emulate a band then emulate the best. Notice I said emulate not copy, as Wilderun bring a definite style of their own, upping the symphonic sound more so here than on their 2019 record. On just Woolgatherer alone we have an album of the year candidate but the remaining 7 tracks are all brilliant as well, all featuring personal lyrics that at times cut to the bone, mainly due to Evan Anderson Berry's affecting, expressive croon. 

Passenger manages to condense the full spectrum of Wilderuns style into just over 6 minutes featuring Daniel Teachey blasting away with conviction, while also playing a more expansive deft style of percussion when needed as Wayne Ingram provides us with some searing lead guitar wonderment. If there was radio stations s playing this type of music Passenger would be a definite single as it encapsulates exactly who Wilderun are as band as briefly as possible for a prog band. There's a clear cinematic feel to Epigone, the layers of orchestration alongside the freedom to experiment with time signatures, quiet/loud dynamics and pace shifts all highlight this, but also the fact that the last four songs on the record are part of suite are all notable to the far reaching sonic style of Wilderun's fourth album. 

Before that though we get shifting, prog rocking of Identifier which laced with mandolin, then evolving into a quirky Devin Townsend-esque offering, built on Bel Canto vocal style at the beginning as they add some Djent heavy grooves that come in the last third. It's definitely the most 'progressive' song on the record. As small interlude, the ambient offering of Ambition, serves as transitional number to the four part Distraction suite. It fades into where Distraction I begins, things heading in the right direction, becoming more ferocious on II, as III drops back into glorious classical soundscapes and the records most dramatic and epic guitar solo, Ingram having his Gilmour moment as we reach the climax of both the song and the record itself. 

The finale coming with Distraction Nulla, which is a raging torrent of fury to finish, feeling as if all the emotion that has been eked out across the previous three songs comes to a terrifying head. Words aren't really enough to express how good this record is. It's crying out to be listened to. Epigone is a magnificent album, and this early into 2022, it's going to take something special to knock off its AOTY spot! 10/10

Nocturnal Graves - An Outlaw's Stand (Season Of Mist Underground Artists)

Comprised of long term extreme metal stalwart, lead guitarists Decaylust and Shrapnel, along with J.R who provides drums, rhythm guitar, bass, lead vocals and additional vocalist Prain. Nocturnal Graves are a rampaging, occult/horror/death influenced band who have slowly been climbing up the ranks in their native country, along with forays overseas. It seems a little odd to me that they have a two vocalists when both are using the shouted/growled style. 

It seems that this Aussie four piece have been delivering a nasty, savage style of black/death/thrash metal that is reminiscent of other Aussie bands Deströyer 666 and Razor Of Occam. The guitars are biting, sharp and very raw, from the opening distorted moments of Death To Pigs you know what you're going to get with this fourth full length album. Nocturnal Graves have been upping the rage and fury with every record. 

These Victoria natives have been harbouring an apocalyptic grudge with each of their albums but with An Outlaw's Stand the band have clearly set their sights on total destruction. Ruthless Fight rages with thrash metal aggression, speeding along at full bore, Across The Acheron takes things in much more black metal direction as does the blistering No Mercy For Weakness. This is the second album with the current line up and they have certainly built on their 2018 release Titan, their first on Season Of Mist, with a vicious follow up that carves flesh from bone. 

Conceived in the cut off, pandemic world they hunkered down blasted through the 8 tracks on this record, bringing what has come before together. They not only manage to make a collection of songs that have a violent amount of riffage but on tracks such as on Law Of The Blade there also tonnes of searing leads. 2022 is kicking off with absolute violence from the land down under. 8/10         

Feuerschwanz - Memento Mori (Napalm Records)

Released on New Year's Eve the fourth album from Undead Vikings Feuerschwanz sees them return with more tales of epic battles and fantasy wrapped up in a humorous/party vibe and plenty of folk metal trappings. The German band launched this record on New Year's Eve with a live stream album release show, so they have put plenty of work into it which pays off when you listen to the record itself. 

The use of violin, whistles, bagpipes and the good old hurdy gurdy, will put you in mind of bands such as Eluveitie and also the party sound Korpiklaani. There's also a greater feeling of introspection and self reflection on this release (as the album title suggests). It's used as a counterpoint to the first pumping fantasy lyrics and galloping riffs. Bringing this record a maturity that they have previously been without, expanding their sound to fireside balladry on Das Herz eines Drachen as well as having a choral effect on the less than festive Krampus. These additions to their defined style that shows a lot of progression for this German band, nothing really goes to far to alienate but it gives them more depth. Fans of the band will lap this up, beers in hand shouting along to the anthemic folk metal (so long as they can sing in German!). 

At 11 songs you get a fair chunk of music here however with the deluxe edition you not only get the entire record in an instrumental format but you also have a disc of eclectic covers, with Manowar's Warriors Of The World and Amon Amarth's Twilight Of The Thunder God obvious choices however Ghost's Square Hammer and Bloodhound Gang's The Bad Touch are slightly odder choices. Though they are nothing compared to Dragostea Din Tei by O-Zone and Blinding Lights by The Weeknd both of which are given folk metal makeovers brilliantly. Memento Mori is another great collection of folk metal bounce-alongs, but I do suggest getting the deluxe edition. 8/10

Reviews: Agarthic, The Drippers, Land Of Gypsies, Age Of Wolves (Reviews By Simon Black & Matt Bladen)

Agarthic - The Inner Side (Frontiers Music Srl) [Simon Black]

Sometimes, the Frontiers factory-like production line of bespoke projects produces some absolute gems. This rather well-crafted symphonic metal product revolves around bassist Mattia Gosetti and vocalist Valeriano De Zordo, with Frontiers line producer Aldo Lonobile on the desk. A word about this though. Often with this label, such is the throughput going through the house team, that sometimes the output can be a bit formulaic, particularly if the musicians involved are locked down and contributing from different continents, but this project – perhaps because everyone is based in Italy, seems to feel like a much more carefully crafted and consistent project. 

Much of Frontiers output is about relaunching moments in time for musicians with stalled careers, or super group projects, but this feels like a proper band entity probably because the remaining positions in the lineup aren’t the usual house session players. Jesai Fiabane on guitars and Denis Novello on drums complement Gosetti and De Zordo well and this cohesive band feel is an important part of why this record works well.

It’s a concept piece exploring some of the more obscure myths and legends around hollow earth theory and such ilk, but as always these story arcs are rarely easily to unpick for a reviewer. De Zordo waxes lyrical about the joys in un-peeling these story layers with a CD booklet in one hand, but with review audio streams you don’t get that luxury, but either way it doesn’t mar the enjoyment that comes from listening to a bunch of technically gifted musicians crafting well-structured music that keeps on giving the more you listen to it.

That said, the piece would have benefited from a little tightening up and does feel like it’s running out of steam towards the end, with the strong and distinctive songs that open the piece losing momentum as the album reaches it’s inevitable, lengthy ten minute finale piece. That said, it does benefit from repeat spins, because the building musical emblems and refrains become more obvious after the first pass, so this is not an album for the faint of heart surface skimmer, but it does reward your patience at unpicking the patience and craft that went into making it. 8/10

The Drippers - Scandinavian Thunder (The Sign Records) [Matt Bladen]

Filthy, furious, garage rocking from Scandinavia. The trio of Viktor Skatt (vocals/bass), William Dickborn (vocals/guitar) and drummer Niclas Kristoferson play high voltage rock n roll drawing from the Detroit scene that spawned The Stooges and MC5 along with bands such as The Hellacopters who are the precursors to bands such as The Drippers. Scandinavian Thunder is their second album, written and recorded during the pandemic, it was a way for the band to once again show their incendiary live sound, but obviously transferred to vinyl. Their debut Action Rock was well reviewed here, and this second record is equally as good. 

Distorted fuzz riffage on No Stars is met by the punky Time For Some Action and Shine No Light where the trio blast away with a real revelry. This record again was produced, recorded and mixed by Scandinavian production legend Tomas Skogsberg and he has made sure that the ferocity of the bands live show is translated well here, making you feel like the band are playing in your front room, obviously if your stereo plays it loud enough. It's supposed to feel dirty and raw, tracks such as Rollin' Aces give you that feeling of being in a sweaty club. A massive punch of Scandinavian Thunder will make you want a tonne of beers and just rock out! 7/10

Land Of Gypsies - Land of Gypsies (Frontiers Music Srl) [Simon Black]

I have to be brutally honest – despite being a long term fan of Californian also-ran rard Rockers Great White in 2012, the point when Vocalist Terry Ilous joined was the point that I stopped caring. The Elation album did not really register, because frankly without Jack Russell’s distinctive, soulful voice, this just wasn’t the band I knew or loved. I was sad to hear of the appalling treatment Ilous received from Great White though, because no-one should be fired from a band like that, but to be honest the car crash in slow motion had been happening for a long time and that means people inevitably get hurt. Sadly in this business usually this means the hired hands. So with the knowledge that Land Of Gypsies is a project spawned by Ilous, producer/bassist Fabrizio Grossi and guitarist Serge Simic this moved from being involved in an act circling the drain to being something of a supergroup.

It doesn’t disappoint.

I haven’t heard the infamous solo album Ilous released that was the trigger for him getting the boot from Great White, but this is a world away from the frankly stale material that came from the GW camp during his brief tenure. I guess the adage that you can’t make a silk purse our of a sow’s ear holds true, as this record is the product of a core of experienced and highly skilled hard rock veterans firing on all cylinders with total artistic and creative freedom. Musically this is gutsy, well-crafted hard rock, with a gutsy and deep bluesy edge to it. Being only a four piece with a single guitar, this is quite stripped back, meaning every note and instrument sounds put loud and clear, so yes, the justifiable comparisons to Bad Company meets 70’s Whitesnake with one axe are not too far away ... or indeed Supersonic Blues Machine given they share half of their lineup. Musically Grossi and Simic manage to sound like there’s way more than just the two of them, and not by overdubbing the hell out of their work, but careful and precise, yet fluid musical delivery and song craft.

The difference in Ilous’s performance here and what I had heard from Great White is a country mile apart. Here he is confident, in charge and totally demanding your attention. He holds the vocal lines with power, prestige and real gutsy class, and before I know it I am three spins into this ballsy debut. You would not know it was the same man, There are some stomping rocking tracks here just screaming for a live audience – Get It Right, Shattered and Trouble are just top notch crowd pleasers, so I really hope that they tour the ass of this record and that this doesn’t get relegated to a lockdown studio project, as for me this has serious legs. 8/10

Age Of Wolves - Age Of Wolves (Pitch Black Records) [Matt Bladen]

Brought together by some of the most experienced members of the Canadian heavy scene, Age Of  Wolves is the debut album from the band of the same name. What we have here is a thundering mixture of heavy rock and hard hitting metal, bringing together classic rock, stoner, doom and traditional metal. Imagine Thin Lizzy jamming with bands such as Monster Magnet and you'll get an idea of what the record sounds like, concrete riffs put with big choruses. It's all pretty standard fare but played well. Michael Edwards has a great voice, whiskey soaked and smoky, he easily shifts from chest beating rockers like Overlord to the more bluesy tones of Grease Monkey And The Monkey Wrench. 

The bottom end of Dwayne LaFramboise (drums) and Ray Solomon (bass) bring a thick syrupy sound to Temple Bar, a throb to My Love Ends All, along with a punchiness to the thumping We Rise which feels like a track by Down (hopefully without the Anselmo racism). Rounding out this foursome is Al 'Yeti' Bones who is the six stringer that has wide ranging style to his playing, having big riffs interspersed by more artistic flourishes. While recording this album they have also been featured in a documentary that will be on Amazon Prime. Age Of Wolves is a big stomping heavy record worth a place on your listening pile. 7/10

Reviews: The Murder Of My Sweet, Cap Outrun, Zelbo, Usurper (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

The Murder Of My Sweet – A Gentleman’s Legacy (Frontiers Music Srl)

Right, just hang in there while I explain this. The Murder Of My Sweet are no strangers to a concept record but their sixth studio album A Gentleman’s Legacy is the sequel to a concept album A Gentleman’s Hurricane by the band Mind’s Eye. The link between the two is producer/drummer Daniel Flores who is the main creative force behind Mind’s Eye and The Murder Of My Sweet. So I suggest going back and listening to the Mind’s Eye record if you want to have a hope of understanding what the heck is going on story wise (or read the press release where everything is explained). But lets’ move away from that and concentrate on this album. 

Again Daniel Flores’ has crafted a dramatic theatrical record that skillfully blends prog, symphonic and power metal, Flores influenced heavily by Queensryche and Genesis on the original album so trying to recapture that here, as the lyrics delivered brilliantly once again by vocalist Angelica Rylin as the new female protagonist of the continuing story line. Clocking in at just over an hour this is prog metal record, the songs undulate and shift in tone throughout. The addition of experienced prog bassist Patrick Janson and Frontiers Music house guitarist Mike Palace upping the musical power of this record, Palace especially was fan of Mind’s Eye so jumped at the chance to play on this sequel. 

The album was true labour of love, taking longer than any previous TMOMS record but the resulting completed record makes for a thrilling listen that is worthy follow up to the Mind’s Eye original. Fans of both bands will enjoy this record due to the cinematic music, the expansive vocals and conceptual story. Whether they will revisit the story again is up in the air but A Gentleman’s Legacy is no difficult follow up. 8/10

Cap Outrun - High On Deception (Frontiers Music Srl)

Despite having one of the worst album covers I've ever seen, Cap Outrun's latest album is a quality slice of Swedish melodic prog rock. Formed in 2008 they went on hiatus shortly after however they have reformed to write their debut full length album. Still led by guitarist Andrée Theander and keyboardist Erik Wiss, Cap Outrun have a style not far off bands such as Boston and Toto, utilising AOR, Prog and other crossover/fusion elements, High On Deception is a record that will move between melodic rockers like the title track and piano led ballads such as Disaster Mindset where they also have a lot of technical elements that are taken from bands such as Dream Theater. 

Theander has brought in some quality musicans for this album adding ex-Creye drummer Carl Tudén and ex-Constancia bassist Linus Abrahamson for the bottom end while behind the mic are the smooth as silk vocals of Outloud's Chandler Mogel, once again showing his vocal versatility. What Cap Outrun is the fusion between melodic touches and technical dexterity, take a song such as Shadow On The Wall where it's a powerful piano based ballad but with some excellent guitar playing. Now there are probably too many ballads on the record, much of it sat in a slower pace but Chandler's voice is suited that, personally I like the jazz influenced stuff such as My Destination as it has massive Toto vibes. In fact I'd say if you are a fan of the silky smoothness of Toto you'll find a lot to like about Cap Outrun. A pleasing return. 7/10

Zelbo – In My Dreams (Frontiers Music Srl)

In My Dreams is packed full of keyboard heavy Scandi AOR. A Norwigiean act the Zelbo have musical links to bands like Europe, Work Of Art and Da Vinci, the last one due to Zelbo being the solo project of Da Vinci keyboardist Dag Selboskar. He has been tinkling the ivories in AOR bands since the 80’s so he’s got bags of experience, putting all of this into the slick melodic rock that features on this record. Now it’s nothing you wouldn’t have heard before if you’re an AOR fanboy/or girl but it’s delivered with a heavily buffed shine. 

The musicians Dag has assembled all giving 100% here from the soulful vocals to the deft rhythm section and the soaring guitar solos on songs such as Wild, Young And Free. Now it’s not all ballad based, thankfully as things get rocky moving into the style of Europe on Next Flight To Venus and also there’s a big whack of Journey, in fact Fortune & Fame steals the riff from Don't Stop Believing, but there are a lot of tracks that are ready to bother melodic/classic rock radio stations that will lap up these mid-80’s sounds. In My Dreams is Scandi AOR in its simplest form but with a heavily experienced band who were there the first time adding to the authenticity. 6/10

Usurper – Master Of The Realm (Self Released)

Do you like Iron Maiden? Usurper like Iron Maiden, so much so that it seems they’re trying to take their crown (get it? Usurper). Coming from Newcastle Upon Tyne, this Geordie band are clad in leather, chains and probably have every NWOBHM album released, even the obscure ones on cassette. It certainly seems that they have nailed their colours to the mast of the NWOBHM with their debut album Master Of The Realm. The first two tracks alone bring everything you’d want from the genre, War Of The Machines is a theatrical chugging anthem, that sets the tone for fantasy/historical lyrics, while Freerunner is speedy riffer with a repetitive chorus, the sort meant to be sung with fist in the air and a beer in the hand. 

What I fully appreciate here are Paul Atkinson’s vocals which are better than many NWOTHM band, though he does sound more like European screamers such as Michael Kiske than Bruce Dickinson, just to have a good singer fronting a traditional heavy metal band is a win. On the The Devil & The Traveler he manipulates his voice for both parts. The production on the album too feels tough but authentic to the style, there’s clearly been a lot of time and work put into this record to make it a much more superior offering to the EP. 

The twin axe attack of Ian Fisher and Liam Kennedy is prominent throughout, on Sailing At Full Mast (ooh err missus) especially while bassist Joe Summerfield and drummer Den Taylor flex their muscle as the driving force beneath the guitar riffs on Witchfinder. Master Of The Realm is a really strong debut from Usurper, with all the Maidenisms you'd want and much more it's a great listen. 8/10

Reviews: Wicked Sensation, Wombbath, Gore Brigade, Flying Guillotines (Reviews By Simon Black, Richard Oliver, Matt Cook & Matt Bladen)

Wicked Sensation – Outbreak (ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records) [Simon Black]

The one thing I love about doing this reviewing lark is the ability for something to come completely from left field and surprise me. Now, I often pick up things from the melodic, power, progressive and symphonic ends of the metal spectrum (plus combinations thereof), as it seems not many of us across the two sites I contribute to seem to want to, despite this being quite a commercial viable corner of the market. The reality is that this is the style of music that turned my head back in the 80’s and if it’s done right in the here and now, still does so. This is just such an example…

The danger with a lot of melodic metal/hard rock is that too many of the acts are either trying to recapture their long gone heyday, or sound like they were actually all alive back then and this often sticks out as a forced attempt to sound retro, without actually capturing the zeitgeist of it. When it works just right, it’s because the style and heritage dates back thirty years, but the song-writing, delivery and performances take into account all those decades in between. 

That’s one of the reasons I have become more and more appreciative of the modern hard rock and metal scene, because it’s unashamedly carrying in the same musical spirit whilst trying to forget all about the all the back combing and hairspray, because musically the love of the scene has not faltered over time and still has a growing audience. The band are (mostly) German, which makes Wicked Sensation a bit of an oddity, as this is unashamed full-throttle stadium rock from a bygone age, but with the freshness of delivery that 2021 audiences demand.

For a start there’s no retro embarrassing lyrical content, with the choice of subject matter being all about the Covid outbreak that what we have all lived through for the last three years. OK, they’ve stepped back from the sensitivities slightly by adding a conceptual science fiction allegorical story element to it (in this case a ‘time walker’ being sent back to this point in history), but the sensitivity is appropriate, not to mention subtly wielded political commentary in tracks like Face Reality, which rather directly illustrates the dangers of what happens when public health issues become politicized. It’s also an incredibly catchy and well-crafted number and one of the stand out moments on the record. 

There’s plenty of fist-pumping anthemic material on here – Jaded Lady opens like it was still 1987 and it’s infectious enough to get past the risk of the lyrics being a bit too retro, but this is a surface issue only, and when that’s your weakest track, then it gives you a sense of the overall quality here. The highlights include Light In The Dark, which is catchy as hell and anthemic to boot, with the added bonus of a guest spot from Gus G., but also sees vocalist David Reece push his style into a more varied approach which works well. Equally catchy, but a little more moody is Child Of Sorrows, but to be honest I can’t find a single track to bitch about, which is just what you need after a tough working day. 9/10

Wombbath - Agma (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Richard Oliver]

If you are a fan of Swedish death metal then no doubt Wombbath are a band well known to you but if you are just a casual listener then they are probably a band that has not fallen onto your radar despite being an established band in the Swedeath scene since 1990. The band split in 1995 but reformed in 2014 and have been active since. There is only one original member left in bassist Håkan Stuvemark but Wombbath has managed to maintain a solid lineup and have released an impressive amount of material over the last four years.

Agma is the sixth full length album from Wombbath and their second for Transcending Obscurity Records. It is a very hefty album with a running time of nearly 73 minutes and sixteen songs. It is maybe a bit overlong for a death metal album but to be fair Wombbath manage to maintain the quality from start to finish and provide enough variation in their sound to maintain interest throughout. You get gnarly filth riddled blasts of old school death metal such as The Law Of Everything, Blindly They Follow and Divine Pain to slightly slower and more atmospheric songs like The Seventh Seal, In Decay They Shall All Fester and Departure From The Light but you also get more experimental ones such as Misantropi Och Förakt, Breathe In The Flames and The Age Of Death which incorporate elements such as clean vocals, choirs and strings bringing forth a far more expansive, epic and at times melodic feel.

If you are a fan of Swedish death metal and all things HM-2 then Agma is an album that you should definitely get your ears around. Despite its seemingly excessive length this is an absolutely killer piece of death metal which mixes the violence of the genre with creepy melodies, dark atmosphere and epic stylings. It is the boldest album the band have done to date and I would say it is also the strongest since their 1993 debut Internal Caustic Torments. Being released right at the end of the year this might get overlooked by some but hopefully that won’t be the case as this is one of the strongest death metal releases of 2021. 8/10

Gore Brigade - Gore Brigade (Redefining Darkness) [Matt Cook]

With song titles such as Show Me The Gore, A Wretched Taste and The Rot Becomes You, death metallers Gore Brigade declare loud and clear their intentions. The latest self-titled EP (Redefining Darkness) is the canvas with which the band brings life to those words in only six songs (14:38 of total runtime) of scintillating, acerbic venom. Featured within are heavy quick-hitters (March Of The Gore Brigade, World Wide Death) and brutal instrumentation (A Wretched Taste). Show Me The Gore piqued my interest with its titular anthemic-yet-unfortunately-underutilized-chant that, if drawn out, would make for a killer live experience. Gore Brigade isn’t a pushover, however, because the guitars drip with thrashy intentions and the drums are consistently pulverized with putrid abandon. You wanted gore, you got it. 7/10

Flying Guillotines - Olympus (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Not Greek but German, Flying Guillotines' debut album is however heavily inspired by Greek mythology. Every song is named after a God from Greek mythology, thus why the album title is called Olympus. It's a loose concept record around each God telling their story while atop Mount Olympus. Flying Guillotines are a stoner metal band and have previously released three EP's their last two in 2018. After a long tumultuous journey they have finally finished their debut full length. 

They are now also a three piece consisting of Marcus Engel (guitar/vocals), Tamino Kirchner (drums/vocals) and Sean Elleman (bass/vocals), however they have guest appearances from guitarist Arved Wehling and Paul Graffenberger who also recorded/mixed/mastered the album. So with the loose concept surrounding it you may be thinking Flying Guillotines will head into the theatrical but they are all about heavy stoner riffs, as soon as the lilting title track sets the tone for the record you get lots of them on first song proper Zeus. 

Influence wise I'd say there's nods to The Sword and Mastodon on this record as the stoner riffing is often wrapped up in some prog. Hera brings some groove along with guest vocals from Alia Spaceface of Travelin' Jack, while the nastier Hades features Irish singer Sean Loftus. It's the Mastodon influence that really shines through on this record though, making for a more entertaining listen than the Atlanta bands album from earlier this year. There's a lot of groove, some great vocals and progressive tendencies on this debut, delivering a real treat to fans of stoner metal with a conceptual sound. 7/10

Reviews: Solarus, Memory Garden, Serpent Lord (GR), Kemerov (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

 Solarus – A Dance With Tragedy (Self Released)

I first heard Sarah Dee’s vocals featured on numerous albums by Canadian prog/power metal band Borealis. It was enough for me to start following her own band Solarus who have had the majority of their current line up since 2018. Dee’s voice is a brilliant fit, powerful to classically soar but also with some pop flourishes to mean it’s not just an exercise in technique, but you can feel her voice deliver these lyrics. Their previous albums Reunion and Darkest Days, set them on a path of making symphonic metal music that has much stronger power metal flourishes than many of the symphonic bands. A Dance With Tragedy can be seen as both a continuation and an evolution of the Solarus style. 

The guitar playing of founding member Lucas McArthur and Troy Longe, is a bit meatier than you’d expect, while also relying on lot of  dexterous virtuosity in the solos that stand as examples of the power metal sound. New drummer Chris Demelo is the unstoppable percussion battery on songs such as Shades Of Truth while the bass of Daniel Gebzcynski sets about galloping whenever possible. Orchestral swells make tracks such as The Keeper feel more like Nightwish as Sarah really moves into the soprano range. While The Wandering gives us chugging riff for some excellent lead playing to come on the top. On the title track she is joined by Vicky Psarakis of The Agonist her growls in unison with Sarah’s excellent clean vocal. The ballad Promise Me is also a brilliant showing of Sarah’s voice feeling very much like those early Nightwish records. 

Having been built from a studio project it’s with this third record that Solarus finally feel like the band they have been striving toward being, despite losing their rhythm section just before the pandemic, they have managed to make A Dance With Tragedy an impressive record for fans of power/prog/symphonic metal. Wonderfully epic work. 9/10

Memory Garden – 1349 (No Remorse Records)

 
Having played numerous festivals and shows around the world, Memory Garden have been flying their Swedish doom flag since way back in 1992 during the doom metal boom years. They have previously released a myriad of records on Metal Blade Records and Vic Records but 1349 is their first offering from Athens based trad/doom label No Remorse Records. Their sixth album overall, and their first new music since 2013. 1349 is a concept album that is based around the black plague, so subtly hinting at the pandemic we are in now but from historical point of view. Because it’s conceptual the record can fully use Memory Garden’s style of powerdoom, where the slow crushing riffs are counterpointed with melodic choruses and searing leads. 

For example Rivers Run Black does this very well, piling on the slow moodiness but also having some dual leads, a trick repeated on The Flagellants where the middle section is driven by trad metal influences but the verses are throbbing bass driven doom riffs from Johan Wängdahl and Andreas Mäkelä, who play bass and rhythm/classical guitars on the record. This track, along with a few others are replete with choirs to add to the emotive vocals of founding member Stefan Berglund. Lead guitarist Simon Johansson does a stellar job here, bringing some excellent lead playing to this record even heading into some Iron Maiden/Blind Guardian realms on The Messenger where Josefin Bäck adds some haunting vocals for the first time since their 1993 demo. She isn’t the only guest as Wolf’s Niklas Stålvind appears on The Empiric, which feels a lot like Queensryche, as Göran "Freddy" Fredrikson provides Medieval instruments for a more cinematic feel. 

1349 does have a huge scope, helped by Dan Swanö’s mixing, there is more than a nod to Nightingale, possibly due to drummer/pianist Tom Björn’s involvement with that band. The penultimate offering Blood Moon is definitely one of the best feeling like My Dying Bride, 1349 comes as a powerful return from Memory Garden. 8/10

Serpent Lord (GR) – Apocrypha (From The Vaults)

Occult influenced heavy metal from Thessaloniki as Serpent Lord (GR), return with the follow up to their 2018 debut record Towards The Damned. Here they seem to have upped the histrionics of their sound moving away from the trad metal sound in to a more muscular style of progressive power metal meets thrash, favoured by Nevermore and Iced Earth, in fact former Iced Earth vocalist Stu Block lends his pipes to Divine Plane. 

Recorded without a drummer I believe, the record takes much faster aggressive sound to the speakers, guitarists George Terzitanos and Lazaros Bouroutzoglou laying down thrash styled riffs, that come distorted and down tuned, but also bring plenty of twin guitar harmonies. It’s underpinned by the shifting bass rhythms of Konstantinos Sotirelis, meaning that there’s plenty of the start-stop style that Nevermore do so well. The comparisons to this legendary band don’t stop here though as vocalist Marios Arikas does his best to utilize that Warrel Dane vocal range. 

Apocrypha (biblical books received by the early Church as part of the Greek version of the Old Testament, but not included in the Hebrew Bible – Ecumenical Ed) relies on its occult sound a lot with tracks such as Inner Darkness drenched in Gothic moodiness, while there’s still a strong classic metal vein to Humanity’s End. Improving on their debut tenfold, Serpent Lord (GR) need to now find a drummer and get out spreading their gospel. Until then though this second album will be a real winner for fans of the bands mentioned earlier in the review. 8/10

Kemerov - Anti Hero (Self Released) 

Defiantly walking the Left Hand Path, Serres, Central Macedonia, based Death N Rollers Kemerov have brought together another 39 minutes of vicious death metal that draws heavily from Entombed. This is full HM-2 nastiness, lashings of biting guitar tone, thumping grooves and gutturals, the comic style of the album cover may make you think this record will be a more melodic affair but no. Anti-Hero is pretty much anti-everything. Taking shots at religion, radicalism and the world today, these ideologies are held to account across 9 full on death n roll ragers. 

Guitarist Giorgos Lezkidis, is clearly obsessed with making his guitar sound like a bloody buzz saw, especially in the riffs, the only cleaner sounds coming from the solos on tracks such as Anti-Hero Tights among many others that get that little flash of guitars solo. The rhythm section of drummer Tasos and bassist Spiros Diamantidis are abusive to their instruments, the production making everything sound nice and raw on Nail. Rounding out this ferocious foursome is shouter Matt Karampalios, he barks and snarls like an animal.

Kemerov set a rapid, punk driven pace but when they slow down for tracks like Channeling Hatred, there is still an aggression, a torrid, bubbling aggression that infuses the doom sound of this track. It’s not long before we are brought back to blasting death n roll. The perfect record to get rid of your family at Xmas, when you’ve had enough. Be an Anti-Hero and play loud. 7/10