Reviews: Hanoi Rocks, Gideon, Ignominy, Bad Bones (Reviews By David Karpel, Zak Skane, Erick Willand & James Jackson)

Hanoi Rocks - Oriental Beat (Svart Records) [David Karpel]

Sleaze royalty, purveyors of flashy, glam-punk fashion and street stained, Decline of Western Civilization Part II rock & roll excessiveness, Hanoi Rocks deserve a revisit. While it’s fun to recognize them as a key influence to a bunch of American bands who borrowed from their looks, sounds, and antics, a new listen reminds us that the variety of styles in these songs are rooted in the band’s own musical context, including such diverse bands as New York Dolls, the Clash, Cheap Trick, and The Police. 

They remain one of those bands that if you missed them way back when, their relevance persists to such an extent that it may be your music-loving duty to give an attentive listen to their remixed and remastered, consequential 1982 album Oriental Beat. The band hated the original production value, even though the album and subsequent tour were a turning point for them, solidifying them as rising rock stars, and they took part in the production of this 40th Anniversary reissue. The new version does an excellent job of bringing the right elements forward, giving us a better sense of Michael Monroe’s sensuous vocals, and of Sami Yaffa’s foundational bass playing, not to mention the clarity given to the guitars, drums, and other elements. 

If you’re already a fan, the reshuffling of a few songs might bug you, at first. It made no difference to me. The title song opens the album with a scratchy, punchy beat. A scream imitated by so many androgynous, hair-sprayed lead singers follows until the song breaks into a fat-tired punk rock rager that manages melody and catchiness with ease until a break for an all too brief and swanky sax solo, after which the band returns to stomp that punchy beat right to the end.

Drums open Motorvatin’, Yaffa’s bass rolls in, and then Monroe’s voice, dripping with that knowing attitude, becomes the pull. It’s a debauched rock & roll anthem sweetened with harmonies that add to the infectiousness. No Law Or Order incorporates that punk-reggae sound Hanoi Rocks adapts with panache, the new mix providing a much better listen than the original, too, the bass warmer, the guitars so much more crisp. Teenangels Outsiders bursts with that energetic “wild and free, yeah, yeah, yeah” chorus and back up singing that makes it a pretty perfect, straight up rock song, including that awesome sax again. 

When Sweet Home Suburbia shuffle-beats through the speakers, my already attentive senses are spiked with renewed interest. This is my favorite moment on the album because it defies all my previous notions of the band and because it’s just a fantastic, sleazy rock song to get up and dance to. Much of what I liked about early Chili Peppers is here, that funk driven rock, the swing, the dirty concrete-born scrapes and bruises. MC Baby brings that punk rock energy back with a hoppin’ beat, guitar licks, harmonies, and Monroe’s vocals twisting everything into submission. 

Don’t Follow Me gets more breezy, ever more sweet, and the new production gives each instrument, including Monroe’s voice and sax, their due. Visitor continues the mid pace of the Don’t Follow Me, but has an almost disco-goth mood with a chorus that will hook you without mercy. Lightnin’ Bar Blues is a fun cover song, and Devil Woman is a hair-slicked boulevard cruiser of a song that incorporates harmonica and bluesy heartbreak. The album closes on the appropriate piano ballad, Fallen Star, that showcases how Monroe’s talents can conjure Bowie as much as anyone else, while also foreshadowing the many imitators that would follow. 8/10

Gideon – More Power, More Pain (Rude Records/Equal Vision Records) [Zak Skane]

This album comes to a swinging start with their opening track Back 2 Basics. From just a quick flick of a drum fill we are pummeled by classic hard core styled chugging rhythms mixed with modern flavour from the screeching of Digitech Whammys and the tight percussive rhythms from the guitars and the slapping attack of the kick drum. The drum performance gives this track a push and pull feeling, which really makes this performance, sound live and organic. Damned If I Do shows the guitars taking a step back whilst delving into bowl rumbling low tuning to allow the talents of Jake Smelley drum skills to shine through with every tasty drum lick flavouring this track with attitude and swagger whilst keeping the listener interested through the track. 

I Will Carry You will sends the listener into consistent curve balls with it’s haunting slide guitar intros, melodic hardcore choruses and classic metallic hardcore verses. Listening through the lyrical content on this song you can feel the passion seeping more than ever through every lyric that Daniel McWhorter barks out. Midnight Blue brings in some nu metal swagger with it’s bouncy energy, bass driven verses with rap swaggered vocals. 

From the eerie sounding voice soundscapes to the bludgeoning blows of the guitars ganging up with the drummers pounding rhythms combined with catchy vocal hooks and their climatic apocalyptic ending More Power More Pain stands out as one of the most punishingly heavy songs on the album. Another highlight on this album is the nu metal energy of Take Off which band incorporate classic hip hop inspired break beats bouncy tempos and 2000’s inspired choruses.

From start to end this album packs so much attitude and flavour from the opening punches of Back 2 Basics to the melodic passages from tracks like Midnight Blue and I Will Carry You to the punishing tracks like More Power More Pain and Too Much Is Never Enough this is an album you can put on your angry playlist, if you are specifically craving some hard core aggression. 9/10.

Ignominy - Imminent Collapse (Transcending Obscurity) [Erick Willand]

Ignominy hails from Quebec in the wonderfully frozen northern realms of fabled Canada and has only an EP, Fear The Living from 2019 proceeding this full length. I remember their single from last year and I'm totally ready for this blast of cold dissonance.

I dig when a song or album opens with weird little details like this, the sound of someone plugging their guitar in before the song proper starts, it’s the little things. Frantic Appeasement starts this way and slides quickly into a sort of false grinding start before finally, at 2:03 and well past the song's midpoint we get the real meat via some very solid blasting and some harsh as a winter wind vocals. Track ends with a guitar peel that bleeds cleanly into track two, Defaulting Genetics and I instantly feel the difference here, no opening song shenanigans this time it’s right into the frozen crevasse. The drum work here by M. Lazure is fierce and feels like the fabric that ties this together and keeps it from flying off completely unhinged. This is a good moment to mention that including the lyrics with the press kit is always a really good idea. 

Reminiscence Of Hatred was released late 22 as a single and ended up in my playlist after the third listen. Easily the most, and I hate to say it, ‘accessible’ song on the album it has a straightforward approach both musically and vocally, it does however burn a bit of time coming in at a hefty 5 minutes and 56 seconds. It is very tight with some downright frightening guitar sounds and conveys a clear sense of aggression. This is followed immediately by a 49 second ambient piece called Premonition Of A Dead End that has a creepy machine vibe and is placed in exactly the right spot on the album. It also bleeds right into the opening seconds of Nightmare Bacteria for an interesting effect of almost tying the three pieces together in an eerie way that just works. Again I feel like I have to mention the drumming as the high point here, it’s tight and holds this speedy juggernaut together despite the 6:09 run time.

Visceral starts slow and purposeful, building on a solid almost distant riff that becomes a ruthless buzzsaw and the angriest vocals yet. It’s a looser song then the previous and seems to suffer for it, meandering back and forth in speed and general ‘feel’. Prelude Vers L’angoisse is another machine noise ambient ‘interlude’ that does come off a bit weird, and that becomes Visuals. The last track of the album and one of the longest at 6:18 seconds and like previous tracks starts off slowly and builds into a solid wall of dissonant aggression. Then at the 4:03 mark comes a low growling roar and the proceedings shift for a moment before re-blasting comes. Everything is in place here and works, and the ending second is …abrupt in that you’ve just hit a wall at 90 mph kind of way.

Imminent Collapse is a strong album there is no denying that, Defaulting Genetics and Nightmare Bacteria are both very solid songs. The atmosphere throughout works so well based entirely on the band's use of the space between the songs and a few well placed ‘interludes’ that tie the whole together. Having said that, a few of these tracks could have used a trim, by the end even my attention was flagging and that's a bad sign.

And finally album art…or rather lack thereof as I have no idea what’s going on here, it’s some kind of gray smudge…and for some reason the cool black and white rotting zombie head is on the back of the CD but all over the merch. Speaking of merch, these guys did go all out, they even have Ignominy coffee mugs available. As cool as that is and all things considered though I have to give this cold slab a 7/10.

Bad Bones - Hasta El Final! (Rockshots Records) [James Jackson]

Oh dear……

There’s an old saying that goes something like this: I’m not good at advice.. can I interest you in a sarcastic comment ? And if I were to be stood in front of these guys live then I’d be turning towards the bar and asking for anything from the top shelf.

Bad Bones are a Hard Rock act, hailing I believe from Italy and have a Motörhead kind of raucous Rock element to them, there’s a segment in the track Rattlesnake that sounds almost, that’s almost Maiden-esque, it’s brief but there and whilst it could have showed some promise, it’s so short lived that it’s never going to redeem anything.

I’ll be up front here, say it like it is, call a spade a spade etc.. I’m not a fan.

I just don’t get that angsty, booze fuelled jock rock vibe (I used a “cool” term). It all just sounds like it’s trying way too hard to be hard, like the guy you worked with, the one that had been there done that, read the book, wore the shirt only to find out that he’s at home, alone (unless you count the three cats) watching reruns of Coronation Street from 1983.

First impressions count, yet another saying and in most cases it’s completely true, since starting these reviews I’ve wondered how many times I need to listen to an album in order to review it, to honestly review it that is but what if I can’t bring myself to listen to it more than once, what if one song is three songs too many? I literally can’t listen to anymore of this album, I’m not finding anything that I can enjoy within the first two tracks so spending any more time on it would be a complete waste of time.

I’m certain that if you’re a fan of this band then you’ll be excited to know that they’ve a new album out, probably drooling at the thought but it’s sure as hell not for me and this is a first I believe but my score for this is the lowest I’ve ever given. 0/10

Reviews: Pop Evil, Hatesphere, Excalion, Late Night Venture (Reviews By James Jackson, GC, Richard Oliver & Mark Young)

Pop Evil - Skeletons (MNRK Heavy) [James Jackson]

A brief intro opens the new album from Pop Evil, a band who have quite often been on the distance as far as my musical horizon goes, the name and various videos have popped up over the years but I’ve never actually sat and listened to any of their material, so this is a whole new experience for me.

Paranoid (Crash & Burn) is the first of 11 tracks on Skeletons and it comes in hard, their wiki page states the band’s genre(s) as Hard Rock, Alternative Metal, Post-grunge (whatever the hell that is) and there’s definitely a sense of Metal, alternative or not, about this track, it’s got a Nu-Metal feel about it and it’s a head bobbing belter of a track.

There’s a mix of styles within the tracks as Circles and Eye Of The Storm follow and a band I’m reminded of is Lansdowne, for those that don’t listen to them - you should; they’ve a great sense of anthemic songwriting and Pop Evil have that too and as Sound Of Glory opens with it’s “stand up and fight” message to the masses, I can quite easily see how well this would play out in a live show.

Skeletons is the first of two anomalies on the album, no it’s not a bad track, it’s got a Country tinge to it, that Country Rock kind of sound that when you hear it you know what it is but aren’t sure whether you like it or not, but you do and the Kenny Rogers fan in you would be proud.

The rest of the album is full of sing along tracks, Worth It is a slower paced track full of the value of self worth, Who Will We Become and Wrong Direction pick up the pace, the latter featuring Devour The Day, Fit For A King feature on Dead Reckoning and it’s an onslaught of clean and growled vocals on top of a chugging riff that’s as heavy as it’s groove ridden.

Final track, the second anomaly, Raging Bill has to be my least favourite in all honesty, lyrically it’s a bit cliche but it’s the guest artist upon this track that ruins it for me, Zillion is as far as I can tell, a Rapper and anyone who has read my previous reviews (thank you) will know of my aversion to most things Rap based.

Altogether this is a great album, just skip the last track. 7/10.

Hatesphere - Hatred Reborn (Scarlet Records) [GC]

After a quick scan over the web, I can see that Hatred Reborn is the eleventh album from Danish thrashers Hatesphere, I mean they have been around for over 20 years but still that is a mighty output to have behind you! Let’s see if they have still got after all these years!

Skipping past intro, The Awakening and directly into first track Hatred Reborn the build-up is done expertly and what is then unleashed from the speakers shows father time has not slowed these guys down one bit! It’s a whirlwind of super sharp, staccato thrash riffs and when the vocals kick in they sound absolutely FURIOUS the pace is never too much and whips along nicely and they even manage to throw in a groove infused section that breaks everything up nicely. 

Cutthroat could be taken off any top end Megadeth album and not seem out of place and the riffs are so good they stick in your mind long after that song has finished, they stomp and smash all the way through showing they clearly know how to craft fantastic thrash anthems and once again the vocals just sound huge this is probably because its Mathias Uldall’s debut and he wants to prove a point, and he does emphatically!. 

Gravedigger seems to up the pace significantly and it wasn’t slouching previously! It’s just a full-on thrash assault with no letting up from start to finish and the closing section of this song drops in a massive groove infused riff before ending with more of the same full on thrash onslaught, breath taking stuff! 918 is the longest track, clocking in at 6 minutes which is just about the threshold for my concentration levels but, you are never likely to get bored or want to skip because the levels these guys are on is spectacular, the song interweaves the now familiar thrash with a modern metal edge that doesn’t sound forced or paint by numbers its done with conviction and thought and a lot of bands could learn from Hatesphere. 

Darkspawn dials down the tempo and rage for all of one minute before throwing some death metal infused thrash at us and it’s a mix that just hits the spot every time and once again the riffs and structures from Peter Lyse Karmark and Kasper Kirkegaard are phenomenal, I usually start to complain at this point that a lack of variety can get a bit tedious because sometimes thrash can get real boring, real quick but not here! I don’t give 2 shiny shits if it all sounds a bit samey, it’s got me hook line and sinker!

The Truest Form Of Pain starts with an acoustic intro making you think they possibly might be having a rest until the song blast forwards like a steam train and is everything you have come to expect from this record, Brand Of Sacrifice then leans directly on the groove metal part of the sound and this does slow the pace down slightly for once but doesn’t effect the power of the song and the change actually adds to the way the album flows. A Violent Compulsion is an instrumental that isn’t realty needed at all and does just sort of get in the way, wish bands wouldn’t do things like this, pointless, skip and move on! Spitting Teeth though immediately picks up where we should have left off and blasts and savages its way through you in the way we have come to know and love. 

But then, Another Piece Of Meat is a bit of a weird one, it’s got a stop start dynamic and is littered with pitch harmonics and the way the vocals are done is just plain odd, it sounds like a 2003 nu-metal band cast off and I do not like it one bit! Its good it has taken this long to find a major fault, but this song leaves a horrible taste in the mouth! Shame as its the last actual song of the album and it’s a bit of a disappointing way to end. We then get a live rendition of The Fallen Shall Rise In A River Of Blood from an album released in 2005 and I don’t really see the point in this? It’s a decent enough track but why is it on here??

It all started so fucking well and continued right up until the last part of the album with some questionable choices. I shouldn’t really let the last 2 songs and a couple of instrumentals take away from my enjoyment of this fantastic album and it doesn’t, it just annoys me that they could have probably just put one more song on and probably got a perfect score as it really was that good but, little things like that make the difference I’m afraid. Having said that, I loved the vast majority of this album and wont slag it off, it comes highly recommended for fans of the death/thrash genres and is full of absolute dynamite tracks, this is 100% worth your time. 9/10

Excalion - Once Upon A Time (Scarlet Records) [Richard Oliver]

Once Upon A Time is the sixth album by Finnish power metal band Excalion and sees the band going from strength to strength building upon the impressive Emotions album they released back in 2019. Once Upon A Time sees the bands songwriting skills hit new heights and Excalion have produced an impressive and varied album.

Excalion’s style of power metal is built around melody more than anything else with the melodies provided through a combination of guitars, keyboards and the powerhouse vocals of frontman Marcus Lång who, on his third album with the band, gives his best performance to date. Whilst the sound is very melody and keyboard driven, the guitars still pack a punch when needed and whilst the riffs aren’t particularly dynamic they add a good bit of crunch when needed. 

The songs are a varied bunch with energetic and fast-paced power metal bangers such as Resolution, I Am I and Band Of Brothers which bristle with energy and have some of the biggest and catchiest choruses of the album. There are some more mid-paced but no less anthemic songs such as Words Cannot Heal and Amuse Me whilst When A Moment Turns Into A Lifetime and Eternals are firmly in ballad territory but still retain a good deal of power and metal crunch.

If you are a fan of power and melodic metal then you can really do no wrong by giving Once Upon A Time a listen. It is chock full of powerful, catchy and memorable songs and has fantastic performances throughout with excellent guitar work from Aleksi Hirvonen, excellent and varied keyboard work from original member Jarmo Myllyvirta and a commanding vocal performance from frontman Marcus Lång who has a style similar to Marco Hietala (ex-Nightwish, Tarot). If you are already a fan of Excalion and have enjoyed the last couple of releases then Once Upon A Time will not disappoint and is easily one of the strongest albums in their discography. 8/10

Late Night Venture - V Bones Of The Extinct (Trepanation Recordings/Vinyltroll Records) [Mark Young]

Late Night Venture have been releasing their distinct take on Post-metal, Doom and Psychedelic since 2009 and looking online, their history goes further back to 2005 where they were formed from the ashes of the Flying Virgins. I struggle with certain label tags such as Post-metal which is probably due to my age but if a band comes across with Doom and Psych as such tags, I have a fair idea of what they are going to sound like and although I don’t mind it, it is not my go to for audio relaxation.

Hostile Nature starts off proceedings with a dense chord pattern with screamed vocals over the top. What begins as just ok moves into a bigger space, as background noise joins a more urgent riff which is then culled for an almost whispered vocal part. The intertwining background noise gives way to an anthemic breakdown, delivered at mid-tempo. Considering that the opener is 7 minutes plus, they have managed to make it interesting and emotionally engaging. This is not one riff repeated ad nauseum it is a story, and It certainly sets a high bar to start with.

Mammut picks up the baton and walks quickly with it, tempos are similar but there is a lot going on here, the arrangement on this as well as the first track are excellent with the ambient noise in the background, not overused but just enough to then bring in the next sequence with subtle differences in speed and texture. One issue is the slow for the quiet guitar section, which if overused becomes an almost expected crutch. Here they take that motif as use it as the foundation to bring this to an end with a solo break that is unconventional and completely in keeping with the music preceding it.

Reappear switches vocal approach, with an almost Nick Cage delivery which makes way for the music to come through and build to an expected crescendo, which is probably the lightest song here. Hate Speech comes in with some monolithic riffing as if to underpin the message of the song. The vocal delivery is the same, as the lyrics are almost eviscerated before dropping back to let it all breathe. For me, this would be one of the stand-out tracks live.

Armed Warrior amps up the Psychedelia, whilst there is a guitar line that would not be too far removed from some of the early films of John Carpenter which really lifted this song. It’s a soundtrack in need of a film that really starts to motor towards its end.

Speaking of ends, Prognosis Negative brings us to an incredibly satisfying end. It’s a great book end, full of crashing drums, screams and then it is done. I may have mentioned before that I’m really fond of slower music, but I can appreciate where a band have gone in and put together something that deserves a wider audience. This is one of those.

Live this would be an experience, with the six tracks here all displaying a craftmanship and thought that makes it unmissable for fans of this genre. Despite some of the song lengths there is no fat anywhere which makes it more remarkable considering there are no technical displays or fretwork fireworks. Everything matches, but it is far from boring or one note. 8/10

Reviews Phantom Elite, Cross Country Driver, Stormwarning, Transworld Identity (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Phantom Elite – Blue Blood (Frontiers Music Srl)

Another week another set of Frontiers Music Srl releases. Yet again another walk on the melodic side but through the medium of symphonic metal this time. Phantom Elite have released two previous full length albums but their beginnings are in Sanders Gommans (After Forever) HDK project many moons ago. Gommans still languishes behind the producer’s desk and ramps up the cinematic, but the core trio of guitarist/bassist Max Van Esch, who also arranges the synths and electronics, drummer Joeri Warmerdam and vocalist Marina La Torraca (Exit Eden/Avantasia), are the writers and creative force for this third album as they were on the two previous records. 

Sat firmly in the modern style of metal, Phantom Elite use synths and electronics very well, the drums are huge and deafening, boosted by the electronic percussion, giving a throb to Inner Beast, but the progressive sound they also cultivate, means Birdcage is a ballad where they can display their introspective moment, Laid With Vines too is beautiful in it's longing and building atmosphere. While on the other side Apex is a EDM 'banger' and Skin Of My Teeth is the heaviest outing. Blue Blood is an album that has been performed by a talented musicians though it's not as tenacious as it could be, with a lot of focus on slower songs. 7/10

Cross Country Driver – The New Truth (Frontiers Music Srl)

Take one member of Riverdogs, Rob Lamothe (vocals/guitar), one member of Fighting Friday, James Harper (guitar) and one member of Logan Staats Band, Zander Lamothe (drums) and you get Cross Country Driver. If any of those bands mean nothing too you essentially get three, long time, veteran musicians in the studio together with Grammy winning producer Nick Brophy, let them loose with free reign and an address book of some of their high profile buddies and you get The New Truth. A rocking, classic sounding affair drawing on the blues and Americana, as well as a whole host of eras of rock music, though it's the late 80's and early 90's that they stick to mostly the decade where Rob made his bones. 

The guests are from numerous genres but includes Mike Mangini (Dream Theater), Greg Chaisson (Badlands), dUg Pinnick (King's X), Rhonda Smith (Jeff Beck), Jimmy Wallace (The Wallflowers), KFigg (Extreme) and Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard/Last In Line). A Man With No Direction has the funk of Kings X, guided by dUg Pinnick as it touches on Extreme, Rio Tulerosa too features Pinnick and Mike Mangini behind the kit on a track that's very Mr Big, and it's with those two references that you get the influences of Cross Country Driver. An honest, blue collar rock album, but doesn't do as much as perhaps it should. 6/10

Stormwarning - Stormwarning (Frontiers Music Srl)

Yet another band guided by the production team of Sergio Mazul (Semblant) and Marcelo Gelbcke (Landfall) who oversaw the Icon Of Sin album. Stormwarning is a project from Argentinian vocalist Santiago Ramonda who has been writing and performing since 2007, but he then decided on vocals as his primary outlet. Vocally he has a set of pipes such as Joe Lynn Turner, whom he's covered in the past. Ramonda is joined by Marcelo Gelbcke playing most of the instruments adding Felipe Souzza on drums, the music on this record in the AOR/melodic rock tone of Joe Lynn Turner/Firestorm, House Of Lords and Axel Rudi Pell. 

The opener Eye Of The Storm, is Down To Earth Rainbow as Marcelo manages to do a bit of Blackmore soloing, from here the Question Of Time is the first ballad of the album but it’s followed by the choppy riffs of Neon Skies and Way Of The Warrior. At 11 tracks long Stormwarning is a melodic rock record that punches above its weight and another great addition to the melodic rock sphere from South America. 7/10

Transworld Identity - Seven Worlds (Frontiers Music Srl)

I’ll just get this out of the way now, Livin’ On The Run is a dead ringer for Ghost’s Dance Macabre, but that’s only a minor criticism of what is otherwise a good melodic rock album. This Finnish/English band started out as a covers act and the influences of big names is evident across the record, but Transworld Identity’s (bit of a mouthful) debut album is all originals, singer Mila Bosa backed by quite an experienced selection of musicians from the Finnish rock scene, Michael Monroe/Hanoi Rocks being the reoccurring names. Seven Worlds though is quite modern hard rock with some melodic metal added to make it a wider sound. 

The title track, Time, Starchild and few others have a storytelling, fantastical lyrics that remind me of Magnum and Gary Hughes Ten, the acoustics used to join the electric guitars for some folk whimsy but also blues backing and lots of synths for drama although In For The Long Haul uses them like an 80’s pop track, in fact it’s Nena meets hard rock. Mila’s vocals are great, the songs are pretty good too, especially for a debut, and where they go from here though is a guess as there’s quite a bit of variation to this record so I’ll be interested to see if they go towards the pop route of or the proggier conceptual one. 7/10

Reviews: Triumpher, Riffobia, Beyond Perception, Green Yeti (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Triumpher - Storming The Walls (Floga Records)

I expected epic heavy metal, I got epic heavy metal, bassist/vocalist/main songwriter Mars Triumph is the unholy union of Joey DeMaio and Eric Adams in one body, playing each note like a black arrow into the heart of false metal and using his voices to sing of victories won and battles yet to come.

Yep Athenians Triumpher sound like Manowar. As close to Manowar as you'd care to want to get to, the machismo oozing off every single note played here the blood of their enemies sliding down the sword from the swelling orchestral and guitar spiral that kicks off galloping rager The Thunderer,  to the dark clouds gathering for the epic title track, all keys and synths by producer George Emmanuel to add cinematics.

It's hard to believe at times this is a debut album, the songs are well composed and anthemic True Metal with NWOBHM, Power Metal along with Thrash too, choruses that demand shouting in unison, riffs to bang your head to and as much muscle as Pyrros Dimas. The difference between Triumpher and Manowar being that the Greeks use two guitarists but they still play on ten throughout.

Apostolos Papadimitriou and Christopher Tsakiropoulos are the guitarists wielding their axe to cause devastation and like a clarion call towards the battles continued on this record, shifting between solos and rampaging riffs at will, especially on the dive bombing thrash of I Wake The Dragon, the artillery barrage coming from drummer John "Maelstrom" Votsis on Mediterranean Warfare.

Usually I'd rag on a band for being so closer musically to another, they do also have some Mercyful Fate influences on The Tomb as well. I was just having too much fun listening to Storming The Walls. 8/10

Riffobia - Riffobia (Floga Records)

Shredding like it's 1985, Trikala based thrash band Riffobia come back with their self titled third album, their first since 2016. If you like your thrash metal that's on the side of evil, with dark atmospheres and a hearty salute to anti-commercialism, anti-religion, horror and the occult then Riffobia will be have you turning up the volume.

Opening intro The Divine Infinity and closing track Soul Collector both cast those black magic spells of Slayer on Seasons Of The Abyss with the exploding dive bomb solos Slayer and evil intentions that were always trademark's of the legendary band.

Riffobia with their name may perhaps give the impression of being a beer swilling sloppy thrash band but their music is quite technical, huge influences from Kreator in the vocals and the songwriting, they've even got a song called God Of Hate. A good thrash metal album will rally against the ills of society and cause a riot, Riffobia do just that with this self titled record. 8/10

Beyond Perception - Guile EP (Self Released)

The new EP from Beyond Perception is a 20 odd minutes of heavy groove metal that will be loved by fans of Pantera, Prong and Crowbar as hardcore, thrash and groove are pushed through your speakers in the angriest way possible, given a Southern sludge metal style too. Having been delving into heavy riding groove since 2004, Guile is their first music from the Greek band since their last studio album in 2017. 

So it's the band returning with a renewed passion captured by Fotis Bernardo. A track such as Spare Chains is the exemplar of how Beyond Perception do business as swaggering riffs unfold in to technical leads, the EP closing with the heaviest track Shellshock Blues the haunting vocals of Chrysa Tsaltampasi weaving in an out of the crushing sludge. Most definitely back in business, Beyond Perception sling riffs like a group of fisherman sling nets and they land every time. 7/10

Green Yeti - Necropolitain (Self Released)

Athenian trio Dani Avramidis (bass), Michael Andresakis (guitar/vocals) and Giannis Koutroumpis (drums), are the noise behind Greek band Green Yeti. Necropolitain is their third album and if I could describe their music it would be woozy psychedelia meets mind melting stoner doom, captivating you with desert rock exploration and the heavy slow builds of bands such as Sleep or Bongzilla. 

The riffs insistent but never overwhelming, just laying down a steady groove, building into scaling solos, alongside the repeating grumbling rhythm section as the vocals growl, snarl and sneer when needed. Distortion and reverb abound from this trio as the run times get longer when we head towards the final song, the distorted and fuzzy One More Bite. Dirgy, stoner doom, that keeps consistent pace and power but bubbles with anger. Necropolitain is a riff-filled expedition through desert, stoner doom from the mists of the Aegean. 8/10 

Reviews: Robert Jon & The Wreck, Ingraves, For The Fallen Dreams, Theory Of A Deadman (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Zak Skane, James Jackson & GC)

Robert Jon & The Wreck - One Of A Kind (Journeyman Records) [Matt Bladen]

Released as part of Joe Bonamassa and Ray Weisman's new endeavour Journeyman Records, it was produced by award winning producer Don Was and legendary producer Dave Cobb. It's Cobb who adds the rootsy, classic sound to the title track, twin guitar harmonies, vocal harmonies and swirling organs set to a bluesy beat.

This EP is supposed to be the first of many from Robert Jon & The Wreck where they weren't bound by release schedules and could work with various producers to try their hand at styles that are not always in their remit. Almost like a jam/experimental arrangement where they have complete freedom. The country rock Pain No More gets it going with Blackberry Smoke swagger, while Who Can You Love shows their tender side, dialling up those lush arrangements of The Eagles pre-Hotel California, it's with closer Come At Me that we have the rollicking rock n roll return.

Four individual cuts giving different aspects of the bands style, in this format though they can do whatever they want musically and crucially will always have some new music to play on their relentless tour schedule without having to stop and record a full album or retread over old ground every time. It's a risky strategy but with a band as good as this and support from Bonamassa/Weisman it's hard to see how it can fail. 8/10

Ingraves – Human Abyss (Self Released) [Zak Skane]

Ingraves are a new band that have formed in the summer of 2018 and started gigging in the following year. Since their formation and their time on the road the band have accumulated a five track e.p that descends the listener into the raw emotions of anger and sadness.

The journey of angst and resentment begins with swells dissonant guitars and static and glitching effects before the bawl rumbling breakdowns come in reminiscing me of the 2010’s. Williams vents about the philosophical side of human idealisation through his mid harsh growls. The track arrangements transcend from the brutality of Emmure to the melodic tenacity of Korn. 

Stress Depress Repeat channels some serious 2000 nu metal crossover energy with William challenging some Mark Hunter old Chimera venom, whilst the Byran and Matts guitar riffs are delivered with sledgehammer brutality accompanied with Adams drum parts which sway from head banging up tempos to throwing down beats. Wake Up takes the tempo down a notch to allow some eerie soundscapes whilst containing some classic Hatebreed inspired group chants. 

Self Medicated takes the band down a dark path with it’s lyrical themes of toxic forms of self medicating whilst the instrumentation tears the listeners world around them by arming themselves with cold atmospheric tones and skull crushing breakdowns. Isolated ends with album on a venous climax with swings grooves, deathcore inspired riffs and Mathews cried of isolation. 

Reflecting back on this EP it has great potential, the venom spiting out of Williams vocals are fatal, the crushing wall of and the moving atmospheres from the guitar team of Brian, Matt and Jamie along with pounding rhythms of (insert name) are tied together in a well produced bow. 

Songs like the old-souled Stress Depress Repeat and Self Medicate really show the bands potential instrumentally. The only down side I find with this album is that the message of their lyrics could be delivered with more nuance instead of it being too on the nose, I have heard plenty of this delivery from this type of metalcore in 2013. 6/10

For The Fallen Dreams - For The Fallen Dreams (Arising Empire) [James Jackson]

The band, For The Fallen Dreams, have been around for a decade or so and seem to have had a revolving door when it comes to band members; the current incarnation holds only one member that has been with the band since it’s conception, multi instrumentalist Jim Hocking, the rest of the band having been members on and off; as this is my first time listening to them I don’t know whether this heavy rotation has helped or hindered them along the way. Current vocalist Chad Ruhlig performs that clean/unclean style that has become synonymous with the metalcore genre, that the band play within.

Their self titled, seventh album kicks of with Reanimate, a blistering intro leads into an angst ridden track, sitting somewhere between Metalcore and NuMetal it’s got a groove to it that alongside clean/growled vocals really kick the album off to a great start. What If follows next and it poses the question: what if we completely f..k up and start with the most cringe inducing Rap I’ve heard since Roland Rat. If the Rap sections of this track were left on the cutting room floor then this would have been another great track - I am all of a sudden wary of what is going to come next. Last One Out goes some way towards redeeming the album from its previous sins but I’m only three songs in and once bitten, twice shy. 

Waiting for the next big disappointment, I tentatively work my way through the rest of the album. Without You follows and if there has to be a “ballad” on the album then this is the closest thing to it, it’s not a bad track but Testify, track 5 upon the album has more of that Rap that I’ve enjoyed so much and I’m moving on to Searching and after 6 tracks, I’ve decided enough is enough. When For The Fallen Dreams get it right, when the riffs are heavy but full of groove, the drums on point and the vocals aren’t rapping then, for me, they’re solid, the Metalcore side to this album is pretty good but those ill advised ventures into crossing over and incorporating Rap into the mix, just don’t work for me and let it downs.

Genre blending needs to feel effortless and symbiotic, to be fluid and complimentary of each separate genre working as a whole, countless bands have done it to great effect, for me this album and this band aren’t good examples of that. 4/10

Theory Of A Deadman - Dinosaur (Roadrunner Records) [GC]

Disclaimer: I hate radio friendly arena rock and always have since the day my mate made me listen to Nickelback insisting, they were actually quite heavy, his view of course was completely incorrect, and it has scarred me for life, so having said that I have absolutely no idea why I picked the new Theory of a Deadman to review but, here we are! T.O.A.D.M are about to release album, number 8 upon us and it’s called Dinosaur.

First track Dinosaur actually opens up with a fairly decent riff and has a nice catchy hook to it but then the vocals start and although they are not bad to melodically it’s the actual words that are being sung; they are fucking side splittingly bad! I can’t believe nobody flagged this up!? Medusa continues on with the awful lyrics and this time the delivery matches the cringe factor and that they lead the song so heavily just makes this an absolute shit show of a song, trying to mute the noise of the vocals and pay attention to the music doesn’t help either as its just so bland and one paced its insulting usually filler track are towards the end of an album surely not track 2? 

Sick honestly might be one of the worst songs I have ever heard in my 41 years of being on this planet and I reviewed So Long, Space Girl recently its an attempt to create an up lifting and bouncy song but it falls flat on its arse and is a joke of a song, SKIP.THIS.SONG. Two Of Us (Stuck) is a play on the Bill Withers classic and of course that is where any comparison ends as it is, not surprisingly complete fucking garbage and frankly embarrassing how they though this would be a good idea I will never know?! These are grown men making these choices. Fucking Dickheads. 

Ambulance then actually shocks me and begins in a half decent way, until Captain Shit Vocals opens his mouth, seriously this guy is a wanker, decent riff in the song though, so there’s that little bonus at least? Sideways is the predictable piano led balled type song that bands like this thrive off and honestly, listening to it made me feel sick, its so limp & weak, it just offers nothing and at this point this album is just an embarrassment, how have this bunch of wankers lasted this long and had so many albums?? Shocking.

Get In Line sounds more like Nickelback than Nickelback does but it manages to be a watered down version and because of this just drifts around trying to get your attention before you just get bored and pray for it to be over when it thankfully does end Head In The Clouds then bores you to tears with vomit inducing saccharine and earnest “I’m so sensitive” lyrics that seem to completely clash with the “I’m a fuckin’ badass” vibes they have been pushing for the vast majority of this heaping turd of an album. 

Hearts Too Wild has a straight up country feel and sounds like fucking Lonestar and because of that it just sits directly out of sync with everything else and makes zero sense to include it, although I will say it’s probably the best song on the whole album and that’s because it doesn’t sound like the rest of it, still shit though! 

Thankfully, Summer Song is the last song and it’s another attempt a sing a long in an arena song and it will come as absolutely no shock to anyone that is another steaming turd of a song! There really aren’t enough words to describe how much I hated this album, it started bad, got worse and carried on getting worse on every song! 

The lyrical content is embarrassing and he should really have look at himself and ask some serious questions, the music was timid, weak and offered absolutely nothing bar a couple of riffs that lasted about 30 seconds and that is the only reason this didn’t get a big fat zero. 

Now pay attention to this finishing statement as it might be the best advice I have ever given out, ahem, clears throat: AVOID THIS PIECE OF SHIT ALBUM AT ALL COSTS. 1/10

Reviews: Chelsea Grin, Mystic Circle, Narnia, Beyond Extinction (Reviews By GC, Paul Scoble, Simon Black & Mark Young)

Chelsea Grin - Suffer In Heaven (ONErpm) [GC]

Hello, I’m Graham and I have a problem, I can’t stop reviewing deathcore albums. Today is the turn of Chelsea Grin and part 2 of their double album set Suffer In Heaven. The first part Suffer In Hell came out last year and was given some decent reviews on release, I didn’t hear it then and haven’t listened to it prior to this release, so not sure if that will affect the whole picture they are trying to paint but there’s not much I can do about that as right now I only have this to review, not my fault they released 2 albums??

The atmospheric and haunting intro to Leave With Us is interrupted by a wall of big double bass drums and chugga chugga riffs that then are violently interrupted by Tom Barbers black metal-esq vocals which leads nicely into some blasting drums and seriously chunky riffage courtesy of Stephen Rutishauser, it also has an unhealthy dose of beatdowns thrown into the mix for good measure and the ambient electronics that are also running through the song add a nice and unexpected depth, so it’s a good and most importantly heavy as a concrete rhino type start, continuing with the weirdly titled Orc March its very much more of the same but the black metal vocals are replaced with some incredible guttural noises this time, musically again its akin to getting jumped on by an overly enthusiastic elephant and the midway point groove/beatdown combo works so well you just sit and smile, subtlety is not a serving on this menu! 

The only type of break you ever get is from the samples and atmospherics that are mixed into most of the tracks but even these create a sense of unease that really ramps up the whole heaviness factor a good few notches. Fathomless Maw is an absolute savage of a song and has some absolutely incredible vocals that elevate the track to another level, the riffs are big and brutal and the bottom end rumble from David Flinn’s bass and Nathan Pearson’s drums is relentless but it’s really the vocals that are the start on this track, wonderfully disgusting, Soul Slave sounds like Fear Factory and Emmure mixed together and turned up to 100, it’s an absolutely exhilarating 2 minutes of pure violence and easily the best song on the album!

The Mind Of God once again builds from a sampled atmospheric opener and just bounds forward with such disregard for the listener, its full of massive riffs and some absolutely subhuman drumming tempo’s but having said that it does feel like its missing something I just don’t seem to fully embrace it like I have the rest of the album. Yhorm The Giant is another oddly titled song but that’s where the fun ends as it explodes into a thundering monster chocked full of the type of beatdowns capable of levelling a building and the harmonious mixing of guitar and black metal vocals halfway through lifts it up onto a whole new level before incinerating everything with an apocalyptic end section. 

Sing To The Grave is another 2 minute violence fest and these short songs mix everything up so well as the focus everything they have on just pure, unadulterated brutality and it pays off big time! And before I have even noticed it’s onto the last song The Path To Suffering of course it follows the well-trodden path of spooky intro sample into a wall of riffs and drums permeated with electronics and finished off with gutturals and black metal vocals together, if it aint broke don’t fix it as they say!

To be 100% honest with you I wasn’t expecting very much from this record as a lot of recent deathcore releases have been disappointing or have all just sounded the same (Distant & Suicide Silence I’m looking in your direction) but Suffer In Heaven was an absolute beauty of an album and really produced everything I want from a deathcore record, do yourself a favour and go listen to this right now, you won’t regret it! 9/10

Mystic Circle - Erzdämon (Fireflash Records) [Paul Scoble]

Mystic Circle have had a very long history, starting in 1992 the German band have had several periods of activity, a brief 2 year blast from 1992 to 93 where the band played death metal. In 1994 they reformed as a black metal band and this time they stayed together till 2008. In this part of their career they produced 7 full length albums (first being Morgenröte - Der Schrei Nach Finsternis in 1996 and the last, The Bloody Path Of God in 2006) before going on hiatus. The duo re-formed in 2021 and have produced an EP and a self titled album. The duo is made up of Aaarrrgon on Drums and Graf Von Beelzebub on vocals and bass, guitars and keyboards.

 
The style of music Mystic Circle play is very melodic and tuneful black metal with a few death metal elements, but it’s mainly about great tunes and up-tempo black metal. There is a similarity to acts such as Watain (Circa 2010), The Spirit, and Der Weg Einer Freiheit, but Mystic Circle definitely have their own sound.

A good example of the bands basic sound is opening track Erzdämon (Part 1), a song full of very melodic black metal, its a mid-tempo stomp that is full of great tunes, using melody leads on guitar and a fairly prominent keyboard melody to drive the song along, it’s an energetic track with a great guitar solo (lots of very good guitar solos throughout the album). The keyboards also take a prominent role on The Scarecrow where they add some nice atmosphere, but are also used in a way that sounds just like a theremin, and gives the song a definite sci-fi feel, clearly Mystic Circle are going where no black metal band have been before.

 
One of the things I have really enjoyed about this album is the energy and pacing, most of the songs have lots of drive and vigour, one of the best for great energy is the black thrash blast of Unholy Trinity, the song races along in a fantastic way, the kind of blast that makes you want to break into a run and punch the air, it’s an absolute riot of melody, riffing, and head-banging that should put a huge smile on the face of any metal head who hears it!

Another great song that wears its influences on its sleeve is the track Skinwalker, which has a real Emperor vibe. The similarity is in the keyboard use and the guitar melodies that feel straight out of Emperor’s middle period (Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk, IX Equilibrium). The song is reminiscent of Emperor, but they pull it off so well it’s a really good addition to the album.

 
Erzdämon comes to an end with the track The Princess Of The Deadly Sins (Erzdämon Part 2), which is the slowest track on the album. The song is dark, brooding and unhurried, ritualistic and Sacerdotal. You can almost smell the incense and the disturbing Black Candles, and it’s a really atmospheric way to end the album.

Erzdämon is a great piece of melodic and tuneful black metal, Mystic Circle have shown that they can produce really engaging black metal that draws you in with great tunes and perfect tempos that fill the music with great energy, I have really enjoyed this album and found it to be very memorable, once the tunes are in your head it’s very difficult to get them out and stop humming them, it’s bordering on possession. 8/10

Narnia - Ghost Town (Narnia Songs) [Simon Black]

Narnia have been around the block a few times, and it’s refreshing to hear new music from the Swedish neo-classical/power metal influenced five-piece still sounding distinctly from the same stable as their earlier efforts in the late 90’s. Given that the founder members guitarist Carl Johan Grimmark and singer Christian Liljegren are still there, and although drummer Andreas Johansson wasn’t there from the start, he’s played on every album so it’s no wonder the core sound remains distinctively consistent. That’s really important here, as Narnia categorically don’t sound just like everyone else who in the power or neo-classical world, which is why I used the word “influenced”.

 
The trouble is you put those two genre labels in front of many metal fans, particularly here in the UK, and you’ve turned a lot of folks off before they’ve even given them even a chance casual listen. Particularly when you add the word “Christian” as well... Now, personally I don’t care that they have a Christian message, any more than I do when someone plays to the Satanic end of the market (because when you’re an atheist you really are impossible to offend in that regard), but as a music writer I do care if the product fails the quality tests, and fortunately Narnia hit the back of the net quite nicely in that regard.

This attitude to anything power metal inclined pisses me off no end though and the UK in particular is really bad for this. It seems without someone like Bloodstock festival patiently working a band up until they have an audience, so many Euro bands never get a look in over here (Powerwolf and Sabaton being notable examples of power bands who now have a similar stature as they do in Europe that would not have done that if Bloodstock had not broken them in first long after they were already much larger on the continent). 

To be fair to our discerning listeners though, it’s a ridiculously over-crowded pair of sub-genres with far too many homogeneous acts endlessly trooping out the same repetitive fodder, so it’s refreshing when bands like Narnia come along and bring their own distinctive sound with them. Not being an over-strained concept piece always scores points in my book, and this collection of songs has been brewing a while, and so has a nice and broad stylistic range to it, although ballads are kept to a minimum.

The technical side of things works a treat, with just enough flourish in the playing to make you notice, without sounding like everyone wants you to notice how talented they are, which in my book is a sign of greater talent than overt noodling and OTT time changes any day. The song-writing here is what really holds this together, as even with the vast majority of the tracks keeping up a good fast pace, the variety in here means that the near fifty-minute run time doesn’t feel overlong. Special nod to the anthemic Ghost Town and Hold On, but the more progressive Thief and Modern Day Pharisee are particularly strong.

 
With some really robust melody structures throughout, just the right amount of flourish and a sterling performance particularly from the three gentlemen I mentioned at the outset, this was a surprisingly well written, well delivered and very well rounded package, that I did not expect to like as much as I did. 8/10

Beyond Extinction: Nothing More Wretched EP (Self Released) [Mark Young]

UK based Beyond Extinction serve up a 6-track ep and is their second release ahead of a UK run this month. It’s got a quick run time of 22 minutes so I’m hoping for something fast and brutal.

Warmth of the empty light is a short introduction, whispered voices and morse code which then drops off a cliff into The Subjugator with some of the deepest growls I’ve heard. This is heavy, slow and has enough groove to keep you going with it with a monstrous riff just stamping its authority. It rocks itself away with neat trem picked part before it halts before the inevitable breakdown.

Nothing More Wretched starts with a class opening before dropping back into the groove. The riffs are so thick and gnarly they will probably cause a number of broken bones in the live setting. There is a danger that with the first two tracks sounding similar, no matter how well executed they are you hope that they will adopt a different tact with Gravedigger that picks up the pace with some double bass against some urgent guitar but then it almost stops to repeat a similar motif from before until its starts to kick off with some faster guitar that wraps around the main riff. This is really good stuff until it decides to slow down again which is starting to grind on me. There is talent here, the songs sound absolutely horrific (in an extreme way) but the reliance on a slow meter on the first three songs just sucks the energy out of it.

Then, Eyes Of God Look Down Upon Me comes in like its raging, it’s got some momentum and thankfully they keep this going to a point but then it happens once more, with the really heavy, slow bit which by now has been repeated too much. Final track, Plague Monarch comes in with a clean intro which shows they have more in their armoury than what we have heard previously. This is the best song on here by a mile, because it has a balance running through it – memorable riffs, spat vocal delivery, the expected slow breakdown that runs into a spot-on progression.

All in all, its not a bad effort at all. Others may really love this, might really love this style of extreme metal and for them it will be top class. For me, it was like there was 4 variations of the same song which I feel is not good enough when you look at some of the Brit bands currently setting fire to music in general at the moment. They have the slow groove thing down, it’s solid and like I said live it will be a different prospect all together. 6/10

Reviews: The Answer, Kamelot, Ice Age, Elysion (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

The Answer - Sundowners (Golden Robot Records)

Seven years is a long time in rock n roll but only a few years after the release of their last album Solas, one rock radio station, which was built on the NWOCR revival started by The Answer back in 2000, audibly asked the question "Whatever happened to them?" after playing one of their songs. Well it turns out they didn't go anywhere they just took a bit of time off, feeling like they needed to reset a little.

They went back to their native Northern Ireland, frontman Cormac Neeson recorded a solo album and engaged in some roots music and they all spent time with their families to just be outside of the constant album/tour rigmarole for a while. I mean The Answer's initial career saw them supporting some of rocks biggest bands, playing their own packed shows and riding high as being one of the best homegrown rock bands in the post-millennium age.

Now, older, wiser and raring to rock again, Cormac Neeson (vocals), Paul Mahon (guitars), Micky Waters (bass), James Heatley (drums), have returned as The Answer and that fire is reignited. Heading down to Middlefarm Studios in Devon, the first time they had played together in a studio since 2015, Dan Weller behind the desk to capture the sparks and from there they started to write what would become Sundowners.

Using the atmospherics they utilised on Solas, with the swampy belly of the blues, that they've always carried, the rhythmic tribal sound of the title track kicks us off, unlike Led Zeppelin, who, along with Free, they have always been compared to, Sundowners (the song) feels like the Robert Plant solo records from his days with The Strange Sensation.

It's moody, sexy and animalistic, really grabbing you with its slow burning, karmic magic, the rolling and tumbling drumming of Heatley hooking this opener. From here we're given a fuzzy glam stomp on Blood Brothers, if that T-Rex like guitar tone, stomp/clap percussion and plenty of cowbell, doesn't get your ass shaking then you've got no soul.

So far The Answer are back with a vengeance, not the band of their debut but the more mature version of them, with a life given to rock n roll infused into every song. Saying that though California Rust is very similar to the infectious, blues rock jams of their debut Rise while Oh Cherry brings some slinky surf rock reverb and bass mastery from Waters.

Sundowners is eclectic but every track sounds like The Answer did on one of their six previous records, drawing inspiration from the biggest and brightest in the rock arena. However behind all the hard rock trappings there's always been a rootsy vein of Americana to them which shines through on the gospel influenced No Salvation where Neeson's hued, honeyed, (Irish) whiskey soaked vocal is used to its fullest.

As Sundowners gets into its groove with the swaggering Cold Heart, the prowling All Together and the pounding Livin' On The Line all 'classic' The Answer, Paul Mahon's guitar kicking out the riffs. As the solemn but hopeful Always Alright closes out this rebirth for The Answer, it's a fantastic, fabulous return for a band who mean a lot to me and my journey as a rock fan. "Whatever happened to The Answer?" Well life got in the way but rock n roll never truly dies, consider them back in business. 10/10

Kamelot - The Awakening (Napalm Records)

Still captained by guitarist Thomas Youngblood Kamelot are comfortably in the driving seat of being the most experienced symphonic metal band around. The Awakening is their 13th studio album, their first in five years, and they are again embracing the dark for some of their heaviest, most cinematic music yet, while always keeping their impetus of being a power metal band at heart. Having always been more Gothic, brooding and dramatic than many of their peers, Kamelot have always been more Phantom Of The Opera than say Starlight Express.

I make reference to Lloyd-Webber as Kamelot have had a flair for the theatrical since their early days, that side becoming more pronounced with the addition of keyboardist/composer Oliver Palotai. He weaves his magic here too with the addition of violinist Florian Janoske and cellist Tina Guo who gets a hell of a solo duel with Youngblood on Opus Of The Night (Ghost Requiem).

As with most of their albums Sasha Paeth produces and Jacob Hansen masters, for audio perfection, from the swelling Overture (Intro) to the finale of Ephemera (Outro), it's more crystalline Kamelot soundscapes. First track proper is The Great Divide, Sean Tibbetts' gallop and Alex Landenburg's double kicks building the power with Youngblood's riffs and Palotai's synth runs and then it's Tommy Time as Tommy Karevik unleashes that brilliant voice for the first time, captivating you from the first notes and then it's off we go on another Kamelot adventure.

I always struggle to be critical of Kamelot as I've been a fan since the early 2000's so you won't hear me say this is bad, though I have criticised one of their previous albums, not this one though it's got exactly the right amount balls and baroque that Kamelot music needs. From the achingly modern One More Flag In The Ground additional vocal layers by Brian Howes who has produced/written with bands like Nickelback and Halestorm.

There's also Celtic folk on Midsummer's Eve, a soaring ballad in the shape of Willow and the huge chorals of New Babylon which also features Melissa Bonny of Ad Infinitum while Bloodmoon has pumping synth and choppy riffs. Having been masters of their craft for years now, and The Awakening is another strong display of their skills. 9/10

Ice Age - Waves Of Loss And Power (Sensory Records)

Forming in 1991, in Long Island New York and playing progressive metal it's almost impossible being compared to Bostonians Dream Theater who at this time were right at the nadir of being the biggest prog metal band on the planet. In fact if you listen to The Needle's Eye, the first track on Waves Of Loss And Power it's incredibly reminiscent of Images And Words but the band don't get stuck in that rut for long. 

More on that later as I want to say I hadn't heard anything about Ice Age when this dropped on my desk but apparently they were formed by Josh Pincus (vocals/keys) and Jimmy Pappas (guitars) drummer Hal Aponte joined but after their 2001 album original bassist Arron DiCesare was replaced by Doug Odell. They have had ups and downs since then with a hiatus called but in the 2010's they realised they were were still a progressive force to be reckoned with and my do they show it on this new album, only their third!

Going fully prog on the go to prog label (Sensory) they adopt a take no prisoners, do what we want attitude and have made a prog rock/metal jukebox, paying tribute to their influences, shifting genres with every tune. Seriously one minute you're listening to them continuing themes from their previous albums in Perpetual Child and To Say Goodbye Parts IV/V retrospectively, where the band fall into that class of Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Psychotic Waltz style, but then you're in a Kansas record (Riverflow), the next minute a Rush record (Together Now) and then shifting into Genesis (Float Away).

Musically all the members are virtuoso, the guitar playing built on chunky, shifting riffs, fluid guitar solos while the drumming regulates the pace, power and direction of the songs, especially the longer ones. The bass is played as a lead instrument, getting lead breaks and solos of its own. Finally the keys are used brilliantly great walls of synths joined by organs and piano, but for me the vocals truly stand out they're almost operatic, bombastic and diverse. Waves Of Loss And Power is a stunning progressive metal album, you need to hear it. 10/10

Elysion - Bring Out Your Dead (Massacre Records)

The third album from Greek band Elysion is more of their style of gothic, symphonic, alternative metal, but now refined to be bigger and bolder. Now I'm quite on board wit the Greek metal scene but I hadn't heard of the band before so I jumped into this record a little blind, as soon as I hit play on the chugging. Blink Of An Eye my initial thoughts were that Elysion have a lot of similarities to Italians Lacuna Coil.

There's lots grooving metal riffs from Johnny Zero and Nid but all are given big choruses, lots of synths and orchestrations, a song such as Blue Seasons as stripped back as it gets, oddly where they sound the most like their Italian comrades. Christianna's vocals are very wide ranging, she's the star here for sure, soaring high on the operatic tracks such as Eternity, then giving it all on the pumping Amaranthe-like offerings such as Crossing Over and Far Away but restraining herself on the ethereal Raid The Universe.

The concept behind this record is light coming from darkness, which explains the duality of their music as the metal riffs and the pummelling rhythm section of drummer Ilias Laitsas and bassist FXF are then balanced by more mysterious, dramatic ballads such as Buried Alive and the electro-metal stompers like As The Flower Withers. The band have used their longer time to record, to make sure that Bring Out Your Dead is their biggest album yet. 8/10

Reviews: Night Demon, Downfall Of Gaia, Dez Dare, Die Like Gentlemen (Reviews By Rick Eaglestone, GC, Alex Swift & Mark Young)

Night Demon - Outsider (Century Media) [Rick Eaglestone]

California’s heavy metal institution Night Demon return with their third full length album Outsider

Opening like the intro to an obscure 80’s slasher movie Prelude is laden with soundscapes that really leans into title track Outsider almost serving as an extension of it. My highlight track then appears very early on with the heavy, intense Obsidian which not only has an earworm of a chorus but the guitar tones in this are just goosebump inducing.

Taking a slower, doomier approach adds a nice ominous splash to the album with Beyond The Grave and because of this tells a great story, this followed wonderfully by Rebirth and old school solo laden, full throttle Escape From Beyond and absolute collections of gems from the Night Demon trio.

Moving on into ballad territory A Wake weaves wonderfully into seven and a half minutes of The Wrath and although my highlight track appeared quite early on, this is hands down my favourite section of the album. There is time for one last track, cd exclusive bonus track The Last Day and yeah, it’s always nice to get something extra but I feel that it wasn’t particularly needed, as the album is well constructed enough not to have its inclusion.

NWOBHM Worship elevated. 7/10

Downfall Of Gaia - Silhouettes Of Disgust (Metal Blade Records) [GC]

I don’t know much about Downfall Of Gaia, in fact this is the very first time I have listened to them but the description of this album as post/black crust punk had me 100% interested immediately. I have a feeling this could be a very interesting listen.

First song Existence Of Awe absolutely cascades out of the speakers with a wave of absorbing black metal and the little blast of vocals we get already tells a story and you get the impression it won’t be a happy ending its then into a suffocating wall of noise and tortured vocals that creates an unease in this listener and its ability to make you just sit and listen is unparalleled it is beautifully executed and wonderfully emotional and has the ability to take you completely out of your headspace and away to somewhere totally different and this is only the first song! 

The Whir Of Flies starts with a blackened d-beat punk beat and then unleashes the sound of hell with some basic but savage black metal that envelopes you and unsettles you before re-introducing the more straight forward but no less savage d-beat mood and you can feel every word that vocalist Dominik Goncalves dos Reis spits out is done with total commitment and an almost emotional distress that is truly something to listen to.

The mid-section here is full of atmospherics and sparse drums that lull you into a false sense of security before another wall of sound is dropped on you and you just have to hang on until its all over, then While Bloodsprings Become Rivers enters your conscience with no warning and just completely obliterates you with waves of buzzsaw riffs and echoing atmosphere but also complete savageness and the suppressing nature of the music is just done so well its almost like you don’t know what has hit you and 7 minutes and 16 seconds later your just stood wondering what has just happened. 

Bodies As Driftwood starts off with a bass line and sparse echoey guitars that has a sample of some haunting female voces fed through before the black metal assault is continued until we get to the halfway point, which is again full of beautiful atmosphere but is undercut with a rage so spiteful you wonder just what has happened to this guy! Its beautiful but also ultimately upsetting to listen to, Eyes To Burning Skies has an unsettling and frankly creepy start that then is cast aside and swathed in chaos for the rest of the song and the mix of dark ambience and relentless savagery is a genius bit of songwriting.

Final Vows has a stop start electronic intro and seriously dials up the already sky high intensity even more and takes on a very Today is the Day feel to this and really continues to ramp up the unease and tension expertly until they decide to ease up on and just play some scathing black metal but the intertwining of styles and the way its done is the real highlight of this song. Unredeemable is drenched in tension but also a has a sense of grandeur in the way it builds everything up slowly and menacingly to just then brutalize us in ways we have now come to expect as standard but never get tired of hearing. 

Optograns Of Disgust is the final round of punishment for this record and once again the sense of dread and foreboding created by the atmospherics and the wall of sound is so breathtaking you just get swept away before the rude awakening and for one last time you just close your eyes, listen and take it all in before curling up in ball and just being thankful for what has just happened.

This was a truly breathtaking album that is full of every type of emotion heavy music can create, it makes you sad, it makes you angry and at times it simply stuns you into silence, theres not much music like this in the world and while it is hear you should really take the time to listen to is and appreciate greatness. A truly breathtaking and stunning album. 9/10

Dez Dare – Perseus War (CH!MP Records) [Alex Swift]

Commanding a raucous combination of punk and noise-rock, Dez Dare’s frenetic blend of influences encapsulates the neurodivergent experience. Dez, like this reviewer, is autistic, and like many of us, he’s frustrated by the misinformation and chronic lack of understanding that exists within society towards people on the spectrum. 

Indeed, the ferocious mix of electronics, with entrancing, otherworldly textures, and boisterous ferocity seems to echo the exhausting process of searching for your own truth about yourself after a lifetime of having myths about your condition breathed down your neck, by people who conform to the agenda of “normalcy at all costs!” As you can imagine, this was an incredibly cathartic and relatable listen for me, both in its musical approach and deft lyricism

“Fly right bozo, they bellowed and sighed into the mindless void” runs one line on opening track Bozo, as we’re surrounded by a cascading torrent of noise, the relentless fuzz-laden riff further lending to the sense of menace. A cutting satire of the perception of neurodivergent people as empty vessels, the barked orders of “be kind, fly right, scream more, chin up” , captures the anxiousness and pressure to conform that many of us feel behind our masks, at being made to pretend we’re not autistic for risk of strange glares and sarcastic remarks. 

Perseus War reframes the struggle between despots and Greek Gods as a rallying cry for the disenfranchised, set to bluesy, desert wasteland textures. It’s pieces like this that remind the listener that Dez Dare’s message is an empowering one even if songs like the crazed psychedelic sermon of Myopic Tropic paint dystopian images of “melting minds bleeding across the seas”, as the track condemns those who mine the earth for resources while begging us to ignore the “sinking rot” and “just tow the fuckin’ line”.

Bloodbath-On-HI brilliantly counterbalances hypnotising electronics and memorable guitar melodies with a sese of rollicking tension, being a heart-racing anti-war anthem. Pointedly, although this might on the surface seem like a far cry from the theme of neurodiversity that we started on, its worth pointing out that to me, these songs resonate with the intensity of emotions many autistics feel towards policies that destroy peoples lives and the natural world. 

That’s not to say that these aren’t very universal worries, that should be felt by everyone, but that the instinctive, emotional intensity that comes with having to live in this kind of world, here captured through the encircling atmospherics and the mind-bending production style, is one that’s particularly felt by people like me. 

The wordplay in A Chimp, A Tricycle, New World Order is a little difficult to decipher but its this sensation of attempting to transcend the chaos in your mind and wrench something positive out that volatility that I believe underpins the ecstatic guitar work, and cerebral wonder present in this song. Life isn’t always easy for those of us living in a neurotypical society, but we find solace in our special interests, and fascinations. 

The passion that exudes from every note in a song like I Know Why You Always Cry At Adam Sandler Films, for all of its acerbic wit, is proof alone that, despite all the misconceptions, autistics are capable of happiness and impressive feats of expressiveness. Creativity isn’t the only thing that gives our lives value but it’s how artists like Dez Dare succeed in challenging the fears of society so effectively.

From this point, the focus of the album shifts to capturing the sensory experience of being on the spectrum. OUCH! Beguiles with strange, echoing vocals, and nervous, erratic guitar textures that speak to the precarious balancing act of taking care of our sensory needs, while feeling the pull of peers and social pressure, keeping us in a constant state of unease. 

My Heels + My Toes, My Lies + My Nose continues in this vein, the intentionally clumsy rhythmic pace of the song working to communicate the unique bodily experience of having your senses be incredibly aware, all the time – an experience that, yes, can cause incredible discomfort, yet also incredible joy as we learn to love and nurture some sensations while utterly despising others. 

Following this we get to one of the most relatable songs on the album of BEACH, which has a chorus seeing Dare yelling “BEACH!!! WHY!?”. Speaking as someone that also hates the sensory hell of being on a sandy beach on a punishingly hot day, I felt the closing line of “I’d rather just go to the pub” in my soul. Me too Dez, me too.

“I looked into the void to find solace/I can’t bear all this chattering, nonsense. Scratching bleating, causing a mess/simply need to find quiet, that sweet descent” unfurl the opening lyrics to final song Stop. Stop. Stop. Talking, acting as a sombre expression of how autistic people often find peace in the spaces and moments in which they are allowed to be themselves, free from the stigma and superstition which surrounds our existence. In service to giving music to this sensation, synths give the song its distinct form, while guitars swell to impressive crescendos. 

“Focus on your choices. The ones we think we make, are we truly free? Are we really awake?” our frontman questions, in a particularly poignant moment. That’s the crux of Perseus War. It’s tempting, especially for those of us in the neurodiverse community, to see our lives as if they’re not really our own, with the cavalcade of social pressures, and challenges to “prove” ourselves autistic that we face on a routine basis. It’s in those moments when we’re free of that, and allowed to express ourselves, be that through a love of music, writing or simply pacing back and forth lost in our own thoughts, that we feel like we’ve conquered the insurmountable. 9/10

Die Like Gentlemen - Hard Truths (Drink This Music) [Mark Young]

Portland, like every other town has faced challenging times in the last few years, from Covid to politics to wildfires and the general day to day grind faced by normal people who have just tried to go about their lives as best they can. We have seen that those in the arts have come back with sometimes strong, almost career best material having used this backdrop to inspire their work.

Die Like Gentlemen are no different in this respect and with Hard Truths they have moved beyond just being a stoner band or just being a sludge band or just being anything other than a band that fans of guitar music should get onto. This is important because they themselves know who their musical influences are – Sabbath, Priest but do not want to be pigeonholed by those same influences.

So, what is it like? Is it progressive, has they evolved past their previous efforts? On initial review is that they are not afraid to backwards in order to go forwards. Further listens allow you to pick up on moments you missed the first-time round.

This isn’t a collection of riffs put together with no thought behind them. Vocals switch from anguished howls to quiet almost whispered passages to full on metal delivery, underpinned by the same approach with the music behind it. in the nine songs they run on often blurring lines. 

With album closer, Unliving having fast guitar lines with a delicious rich tone before dropping down the speed to throw some monstrous break downs with some death metal growls in a tandem effect. The way they change their sound as warranted and it comes from a belief that they can do anything they like and defy you to try to give them a label.

The album just doesn’t want to beat you over the head with repetition or with a super-heavy guitar sound that suffocates the writing beneath it. 

Kicking off with Guts Of A Beggar they open their arsenal of differing dynamics with some weapons grade riffing that provides the dark before the light – maybe meandering a touch before reigniting into a tension heavy passage. 

It sets the tone for the next 9 songs that offer everything from classic sounding rock to heavier sludge to more introspective moments and some almost late 60’s psychedelia. None Of It sounds out of place and I love that each song navigates its own musical path and they all crackers.

Going back to my earlier comment: To me, it doesn’t sound like anybody else and although they don’t leave their roots completely behind, they are not rehashing anybody else. There is a lot to love here and by rights they should be heard by a wider audience. 8/10

Reviews: Periphery, Foretoken, Contrarian, Redemption (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

Periphery - V: Djent Is Not A Genre (3Dot/Century Media/eOne) [Matt Bladen]

Don't worry folks, one of the pillars of the entire djent scene aren't going AOR on us anytime soon. The title of their new album alludes to the fact that Djent for them is not just a genre it's a way of life, their entire ethos is to make music that is interesting, experimental, heavy and melodic, but none of their previous records have had the scope or the ambition of this one in my opinion.

V is actually their seventh album and it sees them writing and performing their best music of their career. Marrying poly rhythmic riffs of Misha Mansoor, Jake Bowen and Mark Holcomb with ambient, atmospheric synths/programming from Mansoor and Bowen it's a dense, evocative album with 70 minute run time but it never feels too long, most of the tracks clocking in at over 5 minutes but are all dynamic enough to make you wonder what's coming next. Beautiful moments like in the middle of Wax Wings, where the orchestration and piano (also Mansoor) changes the shape of the song as it leads towards the end of the song itself, then in a shift back to their early days with the vicious Everything Is Fine the drumming of Matt Halpern furious here, Adam 'Nolly' Getgood giving the low end thrum and the bright, luscious production in unison with the band themselves.

Those experimental elements are more pronounced on V as well, Silhouette a throbbing ambient pop break to the palm muting and Spencer Sotelo again baking up claims he maybe the best vocalist in metal, his cleans emotional and passionate, his roars having the same passion but also a tenacity that many in the djent scene have tried to emulate but few have bettered. As the latter half of the album builds back up we get to Dracul Gras, one of the album's best tracks, it's a 12 minute distillation of what Periphery do, every element of their musical style is used in this song alone. While it's Thanks Nobuo that closes the album with a hooky as hell chorus and a beautiful ambient final fade out. Djent may still be a genre but on V it has transcended into something much bigger than itself. 9/10

Foretoken: Triumphs (Prosthetic Records) [Mark Young]

Sometimes you get incredibly lucky when reviewing music. This is one of those occasions where an album just crashes onto my desk and once you press play that is it, you are in for the long haul!  Foretoken return with their second full length effort which combines rapid fire guitar and drums with eastern modes of music. Revenant Of Valour just absolutely slaps, I mean it just doesn’t stop. 

Demon Queller continues with that same breakneck speed with some technical riffs thrown over the top. The best thing is that the songs show that speed and technical dexterity are important but without having the arrangement to match they just become a constant blur of music with no substance. I could go on and name more songs but it would be redundant because each one just scorches and are imbued with such drive you could pick any as a stand-out (personally the double hit of Devil O’ The Sea and A Tyrant Rises As Titans Fall are mine). 

They have pulled in the above requirements in death metal whilst keeping the brutal stakes up to maximum and adding the tonal shifts from Middle-Eastern influence they make its so much more interesting to the listener. Even when there is the inevitable slower song the support synths just raise the song that little bit more without overpowering or becoming a crutch to hide gaps in the sound. 

Of the 9 tracks here, there are 8 original compositions and a cover of I Am Vengeance, originally performed by Naglfar. Ironically, this almost detracts from the songs that have run before it as you can see the join between them. It’s still an impressive cover and who am I to say it wasn’t required. They have set a high bar on track 1 and meet it every single time. There is such a vitality here, and a confidence that comes from knowing they have turned in their best album to date and that it should form a benchmark for others to follow. 

I don’t know what it is about duo’s at the minute, but both Foretoken and Sarcoptes are hitting this out of the park. There is some top level stuff on here, it’s brutal, fast, heavy, full of hooks and just rules. I know we said that February was a banner month for releases but March is shaping up to be as good. If you love extreme music you need to listen to this because it is an absolute cracker. The only problem is translating this into the live setting because they will have to provide something visual to accompany the riches presented here. 

Can I suggest that you go out now and purchase this and give it the love it deserves, in a suitably blackened way, obviously. 8/10

Contrarian: Sage Of Shekhinah (Willowtip Records) [Mark Young]

Contrarian bring their distinct brand of progressive/technical death metal for their latest release, Sage Of Shekhinah. It has been a long time since I’ve heard something that reminded me so much of death without it being a carbon copy of them. This is a wild ride and will take you a couple of listens to really appreciate it. It’s the sort of stuff that if I practised religiously for the next twenty years, I still wouldn’t be able to play. And I absolutely love it. If someone asked me for an example of technical death metal in 2023, I would point them to this. 

Sage Of Shekhinah starts with a middle eastern introduction with off kilter drums and then it starts to build to a manic crescendo before it boots off into the song proper. It’s like Nile and Death had kids. I know this is a flippant thing to say, but it’s the closest thing I can think of in trying to describe it. its just mental. And it doesn’t stop, In Gehenna continues the same path with crushing parts, start – stop tempos and these fiendish guitar lines that just burrow into your brain. It isn’t technical for the sake of it, rather that this is the only way they can communicate the ideas that they have. It’s a blast of a thing in that you can love it for its brutality and for the technical prowess on show. It isn’t just bang, bang, bang there are controlled moments of audio demolition which stops it from blurring from one track to another. 

Album closer, Madman From Island Patmos brings us to the end with a gradual fade in of mental riffing and a frantic bass that seems to be everywhere on the neck that then proceeds to smash you with the happiest sounding guitar fill. I’m not they would like me describing it as that, but there you go. It just runs, changing tempos and styles from straight up riffing to technical and back again. There is literally something for everyone who loves extreme metal here and you should give them the chance to convert you as a fan, it is well worth it!!!

The run length is just over 30 minutes which I think is a good thing because it doesn’t get the chance to become repetitive as they manage to avoid re-using the same motif’s over and over as well making sure the listener doesn’t tap out from exhaustion of being battered from the number of riffs that come from all angles. What this proves is that technical metal in the right hands can be a joyous experience rather than sterile and clinical collection of ideas tacked together to show off those performing. 

And obviously, anything that evokes the diverse back catalogue of death is no bad thing at all. 9/10

Redemption - I Am The Storm (AFM Records) [Matt Bladen]

Redemption are a long running progressive metal band founded by guitarist/keyboardist/producer Nick Van Dyk having had Ray Alder behind the mic until 2016, they now have Evergrey man Tom S Englund behind the mic and Vikram Shankar on keys, who is a member of Silent Skies with Englund. Joining them are bassist Sean Andrews and drummer Chris Quirarte, this team working together to create a type of progressive metal that's both heavy and melodic.

Having steadily built their style and sound over the course of 7 previous albums, all of which have been well received, Redemption have always been a band I've liked but due to the collaborative nature never really get out on the stage much. Thankfully in the studio they do everything you'd want in prog metal, sat between Fates Warning, Dream Theater and of course Evergrey; the strong, soulful vocals of Englund perfect for the heavy riffs of Van Dyk on tracks such as Resilience and the more sombre moments such as The Emotional Depiction Of Light, a song featured twice as the album version and the original version Shankar envisioned when he wrote the song originally.

Much like so many prog metal bands, it's the longer tracks such as Action At A Distance and All This Time (And Not Enough), where Redemption are in their element, the addition of Simone Mularoni, Chris Poland and Henrik Danhage giving lead guitar solos to the tracks a definite bonus, Mularoni also engineered the record. I mentioned the bands who they sound like earlier in the review, but an influence is surely Genesis as both Turn It On Again from the Collins-era and Red Rain by Peter Gabriel are covered in I Am The Storm both given the Redemption daub of heaviness. Redemption are producing top tier progressive metal after over 20 years of existence. 9/10

Reviews: Frozen Crown, Demons Down, Seventh Crystal, Decemberance (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Frozen Crown - Call Of The North (Scarlet Records)

Frozen Crown's fourth album in six years, sees the Italian band heading to the frozen Northlands with songs inspired by the shows Game Of Thrones and Vikings, the Norse mythology used throughout the power metal genre for years so it's well trodden path but Frozen Crown have managed to inject a bit of life into songs about Vikings and runes by adopting a similar musical style to Blind Guardian where the rampant speed metal riffs are offset with fireside folk, opener and title track along with Black Heart both reminding me of Blind Guardian. They have also used lots of cinematic orchestration and choirs, all three of these elements combining on the epic sounding One For All. 

The vocals of Giada 'Jade' Etro are powerful and soar well without relying on the soprano classically trained style that so many bands employ, her leads are offset by the gruffer voice of Federico Modelli, he shares guitar duties with Fabiola 'Sheena' Bellomo the duo shredding and soloing their way through the songs with a modern rougher style of riffs on In A Moment as well as the acoustics on tracks such as the beginning of Victorious. A track like In A Moment or Now Or Never also features the galloping rhythms of bassist Francesco 'Ikki' Zof and drummer Niso Tomasini. Power/speed/symphonic metal call it what you want but fans of bands like Battle Beast will find much to like on Call Of The North. 7/10

Demon's Down - I Stand (Frontiers Music Srl)

A Chilean, an Italian and some American veterans walk into a recording studio. No it's not the beginning of a terrible joke it's the line up of new band Demons Down. Fronted by the husky voice of former The Voice Chile and Sinners Blood singer James Robledo and the guitars of Italian gothic metal artists Francesco Savino (False Memories) Demons Down is a place where European and American hard rock meet. 

It's a talent and experience exchange really as these two up-and-comers are joined by veterans such as guitarist Jimi Bell (House Of Lords/Autograph), drummer Ken Mary (ex-HoL, Alice Cooper) and bassist Chuck Wright (Quiet Riot, ex-HoL). With these three members it's no wonder the band are described as sounding like early House Of Lords stripped of a lot of the modern trappings this is prime 80's/90's hard rock that was excellent but got overlooked in the wake of grunge. 

Songs like Down In A Hole feature lots of big keys from producer Alessandro Del Vecchio, while Book Of Love brings more keys and huge hooks. It's on Stranded In The Middle Of Nowhere that they have their rock chops while songs like To The Edge Of The World take things more towards a ballad. Melodic rock that's done with slickness and experience Demons Down could be a big hit for Frontiers. 8/10

Seventh Crystal - Wonderland (Frontiers Music Srl)

Having only been formed in 2021 Swedes Seventh Crystal return with their second full length record Wonderland, seeing them build on their debut with a much more defined identity the addition of a second guitarist and keyboardist to broadens their sonic horizon. Seventh Crystal are Scandinavian melodic rock/AOR with a huge nod to bands such as H.E.A.T with massive choruses, twinkling keyboards and bright layered guitars on tracks such as Someday or the rocking Rodeo. 

Kristian Fyhr's vocals brilliant here as the are throughout the record. The use of dual guitars are also used well on the title track while the modern sound comes through on Hollow, reminding you that Seventh Crystal are not a retro act, they play a type of melodic rock that is very much in now. Having evolved from their debut album, Wonderland is Seventh Crystal consolidating their sound to maximum impact. 7/10

Decemberance - Implosions (Razorbleed Productions)

This Athenian death doom band Decemberance have been around since 1994 which puts them as a contemporary to the Peaceville Three but if course in Greece not the UK. Their music is loud, long and cathartic this most recent studio album, their third overall, continues that trend with just 3 songs but a 70 minute runtime. 

The powerful metronomic beat of Yiannis Filippaios guides the 24 minute opener Scaffold, shifting into blast beats before going back to the slower doom crawl. Filippaios also writes the lyrics, dealing with the way Pressure and death deals with the human mind. His barked vocals telling tail of anguish and trauma. Chris Markopoulos and Sakis Vlachakis are the riff machines of the band, distorted and desolate as Aggelos Malisovas links with Filippaios to guide the monolithic pace. 

The album has some additional cello/piano from Iliana Koretsi and keys/samples from producer Manos Kousourlis which makes for more atmospheric elements on these audio journeys. If you're not a fan of long songs then I'd say stay away but these three songs are a great indicator of what Decemberance are all about. 7/10