Reviews: Yakuza, Heretoir, Miscreance, Craving (Reviews By Mark Young)

Yakuza - Sutra (Svart)

Here we have Sutra, from Chicago outfit Yakuza, who according to the incredibly helpful tags from online sources are doom metal with experimental and improvisational aspects to their sound. So, before we start, does anyone have a dislike of saxophones?

2is1 builds upon a repeating melodic measure with vocals that sound like they have been recorded slightly out of phase. It’s a promising start that sets up the album to follow as the song falls back to that repeated phrase. Alice starts with an urgent riff with vocals coming in from what feels like the sides as the song itself twists and turns through different attacks – fast, slow but always with that vocal carrying itself above the supporting music behind it that finds itself giving over to Echoes From The Sky, which is a stomper of a track. It has that class to it that grabs from the outset and takes you on a journey, similar to earlier Mastodon which is always welcome. When they put the brakes on to allow some off-kilter moments to really shake it up, its like a kaleidoscope of themes that allows this to take off for part unknown.

Embers grounds things, with a controlled approach and vocals that build in synch with the guitar behind it. Capricorn Rising keeps this going with a mournful backing, again with sax providing the base for this. It breaks out of this by changing approach, riffing drums going heavy for the final minutes and even here its changing in its attack and approach, just so many good ideas here and is spot on in execution. Burn Before Reading, has that soft middle with sax once again adding layers to already great melody line. The preceding riffs to get us to this point were sharp and this gives it that organic, living quality to it.

Walking God with that insistent guitar line that skips almost happily into a death gaze, with subtle percussion backing things up. It slowly increases in accompaniment and intensity then picks up into a riff-out and back into that doom type tempo which closes us out and brings us Into Forever which is possibly the most straight forward in terms of a metal blast It’s the shortest song that feels longer than its length, this is followed by Psychic Malaise with its droning attack on the senses, with mixed vocals and discordant background noise which is suddenly shaken off as the song leaps to life. It’s the strangest feeling as the song seems to be stretching and compressing in real time, as the music changes speed almost imperceptibly. Its unsettling and brilliant at the same time.

We finish with Never The Less, slow and pained before that slightly off time riff comes in to shake it up. I don’t know what it is, but it adds that tension to it, which is offset by that sax again, playing off against the guitar. That tension builds and builds along middle eastern themes, keeping that refrain going. It’s heady and heavy stuff and is a fitting end to the album.

This is a great album. Don’t be put off by the tags bestowed on it via online sources. First and foremost, it rocks. This is not Yoko levels of experimental, it’s a band that is in full flow and confident in its art and how it wants to be heard. Of course, it won’t be for all metal heads but then if everything sounded like everything else then it would be boring. This isn’t an album that you can put on and rock out to at a party, but it is an album that will keep you listening as there are things you will miss on that first go run through. You may hate the use of sax in your heavy metal. I don’t believe that Yakuza will care too much about that. 7/10

Heretoir - Wastelands (AOP Records)

Wastelands is a mini-album or EP, depending on your perspective on things from German post-metal intensives Heretoir. There are three new tracks and three live versions of previously released material and from the outset, Heretoir have a lot to say. Anima builds on an almost soft guitar part that underpins a brilliant chord movement that is built to pull on your emotions. This is combined with the more traditional BM drumming and vocals until they switch into the anguished cleans all the while maintaining that guitar part is just royal. The melodic parts of this song just pour forward and its just immense, heavy and soft at the same time of delivery and is one the best songs I’ve heard in ages.

At Dusk comes in on what feels like a cosmic spiral of light, whispered choir like backing, simple piano accompaniment and that slow drum build that herald in the softly delivered vocals again with a beautiful arrangement. The dual vocals from Eklatanz and Emily Highfield (Suldusk) is just awesome. Its unhurried in its journey and is completely different from Anima, with the song building to its climax with the music swelling until only drums are left to then take us straight into the title track of Wastelands. It’s a stark opening sequence of drums until that dual guitar attack of melody comes in for the kill building that tension up, in a mournful track that is devasting when the heavy section comes in as the vocals are offered as a cathartic scream. I cannot believe how good these three songs are. They just seem to hit differently somehow, but they have been crafted with laser guided precision. Exceptional stuff.

The final half of this collection is a live in the studio recordings of three songs that appeared previously on The Circle and again seem to have been given a new lease of life, with the sonic qualities shown on the new songs having leeched their way here, with Exhale being a highlight. This is a stunning collection of songs that show an amazing breadth of skill and understanding of how to write and arrange some of the best songs I’ve heard that take in black metal, soft moments and all out bombast. If you get chance to pick this up then do it. Lets hope there is not another 6 year wait for new music. 9/10

Miscreance - Convergence (Season Of Mist)

The shadow of Chuck Schuldiner/Death still looms large on the death metal scene, with his music still being looked to as being the gold standard in melding brutality and musicality. Sometimes you can hear new music from a band you have never heard before and just know where they got their cues from. This is the case with Miscreance, who unashamedly have gone for that latter era of Death for Convergence, their debut full length album.

So what we have is basically a 31 minute love letter to Death, it’s the best way I can describe it in all honesty because as soon as it starts it hits you with the opening track Flame Of Consciousness it’s all there – changing time signatures, the high level of musicianship and the vocal delivery all in place. This attention to detail is remarkable as each track just rips along and is great to listen to. This runs through each of the 8 tracks presented and there is no doubt that it is a great collection of death metal, but my problem is how much of Miscreance is in there? Each song has readily identifiable moments that we have heard before so in that respect its not new and it doesn’t offer a new take or spin for it to engage. I am being harsh here, but it cannot be helped as I feel that with this, they could be labelled a Death clone.

How you enjoy this album will largely depend upon on approach. On one hand, we have the back catalogue that stands alone in its field so if you want the OG technical death metal you will listen to that. If you are hankering for a very good technical death metal band, then you have these in amongst those who came afterwards. The material is good but if it is being directly compared to Death then it falls short, just because Death did it first. The next album that Miscreance do will be so important for them because they will either continued down this road they have started here, or they will start to bring their own identity into what they write. For me that is more exciting than hearing another collection of Death-like material. 6/10

Craving - Call Of The Sirens (Massacre Records)

German three-piece are hoping to entrance you with their latest offering, Call Of The Sirens. This is an incredibly atmospheric, melodic and heavy album that has that balance down pat. It just starts and is not content to sit back until the last note of the last song. They have also pulled together an extensive roster of guest musicians to help them fill out the sound, which is done expertly on Call Of The Sirens and Death March with the addition of guest vocalists take them to another dimension.

The songs are in a constant state of movement, even during the slower parts and its this that keeps the whole thing pounding along, as they go into battle knowing nothing, but full tilt attack will be enough. Mich Packt Die Wut just explodes following an acoustic start, producing their mission statement right there. This should be opening their live shows as it pounds you into the ground. Call Of The Sirens, is full of atmosphere, pounding drums and frantic guitar, with keys filling the gaps in the sound. Despite the length it’s in a constant state of movement, with the black metal vocals moving into an almost gang/choir effect with multiple voices swelling it

Death March keeps possession of those multiple voices for a melodic blast that starts and ends with acoustic passages before it blasts off into trem picking, ably backed by drums, which just seem to get faster as it goes on. Melody is very much in the Craving playbook. Simple but effective especially when combined with backing vocals that are pitch perfect. Maiden Of The Sun is another blast filled monster, scorching from start to finish. 

They do lean into almost Viking-beer drinking territory with the melody line at the start of Blood Ov Franconia but manage to avoid falling into parody, by keeping that insane tempo going and moving that melody up and around to keep it familiar but different at the same time. It’s great stuff and is followed by Gods Don’t Negotiate which follows the same route as Blood... This fell more into that rousing, celebratory style but with a guitar work out just to add spice. I’m not fond of this style of song but it is done with style and builds to a rising climax that I’m sure will be wild live.

Prayer For The Rain finds them back on that folk metal approach, certainly in the vocal line. It’s still fast when it needs to be and throws in a whispered middle section before it builds back to that expected heavy climax. Star By Star closes out the original material and possesses that innate sense of melody that has been present all the way through. They are full on here, playing like their lives depended on it. The extended solos are welcome, and they end the song just that bit faster than when they came in before they put the brakes in the final minute with what by rights should provide them an epic audience singalong and then Bang, done.

The bonus tracks consist of two covers – El Diablo (Elena Tsagrinou), and Shum (Go A). The former is a song sung originally for Eurovision 2021 Semi-final and I’ll leave it to you to form your own opinion on it. The latter was the Ukrainian entry for the same year. Again, I’ll leave it to you as to the merits of it. So, bonus songs to one side, what we have is a well-crafted and recorded set of black / melodic metal. It does stray too far into the folky side for me on some of the songs. For that I’m going with a 7/10

Reviews: Arjen Lucassen's Supersonic Revolution, Roadwolf, Thulcandra, Weapon (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Arjen Lucassen's Supersonic Revolution - Golden Age Of Music (Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group) [Matt Bladen]

Billed as "The Real Arjen Lucassen", this Supersonic Revolution is far away from the sci-fi based concept epics of Ayreon, Star One and Guilt Machine. Golden Age Of Music is Lucassen celebrating and playing tribute to the music that inspired him, the music of his youth, no guests, no fantastical concept just five guys playing songs inspired by their influences and a few covers for fun. This breezy collaborative feel makes for an easy listen even if the album is 15 songs long with the additional bonus covers. 

Let's deal with those covers first and they're from the 70's sounds that are the crux of this album; T-Rex’s Children Of The Revolution, ZZ Top’s Heard It On The X, Earth Wind And Fire’s Fantasy and the most obscure being Roger Glover’s Love Is All are all given a go by Lucassen (bass) and his band consisting of keyboard player Joost van den Broek, guitarist Timo Somers, drummer Koen Herfst and singer Jaycee. They are not radically changed only given a rock make over, Children Of The Revolution was the basis of this project originally recorded for a tribute, the speed that was needed necessitated the quick formation of the band and they then spent a few weeks knocking out the covers and their own songs culminating in this record that pays homage to Jon Lord’s hammonds with the intro Sr Prelude. 

Before Glamattack is just that a 70’s glam track with some speed metal riffs, the use of organs particularly good as it makes much of the album sound like Montrose, the vocals of Jaycee a dead ringer for Sammy Hagar (he actually sings in Hagar-Era Van Halen tribute band in The Netherlands) with a similarity to Dio too. As it’s Arjen there’s prog here but not too much the inspiration of Deep Purple, Burn It Down, Arjen has admitted is Smoke On The Water written from the other side, organs and guitars in unison and Rainbow on Odyssey which is more progressive edging into Symphony X. 

They Took Us By Storm will remind listeners of The Universal Migrator and the smooth style of Holy Holy Ground takes the route of Whitesnake. Golden Age Of Music is Arjen Lucassen reliving his youth with his favourite bands, playing songs in their style, a cheerful record for fans of 70’s rock. 8/10

Roadwolf - Midnight Lightning (Napalm Records)

Made up of Franz Bauer (vocals), Valentin Strasser (guitar), Christoph Aigner (bass) and Emanoel Bruckmüller (drums), Roadwolf storm back with their second album of traditional heavy metal that is inspired by the greats of the NWOBHM scene citing Priest, Saxon, UFO, Dio and Ozzy in the press release. I hadn't heard the first album so this was my first exposure to the band, however if it lived up the billing of the PR. Yeah...yeah they do...is the simple answer, pitched just at that point where hard rock evolved into the heavy metal, On The Run gets going like Montrose or Stained Class-era Priest, the solitary guitar harmonized sonit sounds like twin guitars. 

The Schenker-like riffs coming on the bluesy title track, which also has a bit of W.A.S.P to it. After only two songs it's a run through of the best bands from that late-70's early 80's as the gallops hit up on Mark Of The Devil, Scorpions come creeping on Supernatural while the driving hard rocking comes back on High Under Pressure which has a sax solo trading off with the guitar, you can just imagine Hagar and Ronny rocking out to this one. The tracks are all fist pumping heavy rockers that will get the blood pumping, filled with energy and enthusiasm. Midnight Lightning is a throwback for sure but a fun one as Roadwolf look to cement their place in the heavy metal scene with this second record. 8/10

Thulcandra - Hail The Abyss (Napalm Records)

Black/death is a style that takes a lot of skill to pull off especially when you bring in some strings and piano to make it sound more epic than other bands in the genre. Their fifth album in 20 years, Hail The Abyss picks up where the critically acclaimed A Dying Wish left off with ferociously heavy but still melodic death metal but with a dissonance of black metal. Not a hint of clean vocals on any of these 10 tracks it’s down to the music to conjure the atmosphere, as most of the record revolves around thrashy buzzsaw riffs and blastbeats, it’s the twin guitar harmonies, atmospheric synth passages and changes to the pace that reduce the listening fatigue of pure death metal. 

The production is deliberately old school, the drums for instance are quite raw, but it means that tracks such as the title track have that nastiness to snap a neck or two, while also employing some acoustics for tracks such as At Night that segues into the grinding mid-pace stomp of Velvet Damnation, the acoustics returning on the gothic refrain of Acheronian Night, a track that builds into something a little Celtic Frost, complete with the “ough”, they use the acoustics a lot actually with In Darkness We Descend, turnign into the final song The Final Closure. 20 years of making music and Thulcandra have managed to get down to fine art, Hail The Abyss as they take you through it in a flurry of blackened death metal. 7/10

Weapon - New Clear Power (Pride & Joy Music)

Is it still NWOBHM is there’s only one two Brits and the rest of the band are Swedish? Well at least Weapon are one of the original NWOBHM bands, having formed in 1980 and led to this day by singer Danny Hynes, like most NWOBHM bands there’s has been a tale of mismanagement, various line up changes, reformations and deaths. Signed initially to Virgin Music, they split, reforming in 2005 for a one off performance and in 2010 they began a run of three albums with Hynes and long-time guitarist Jeff Summers the two members who were steering the band forward. Due to the pandemic Summers quit leaving just Hynes as the sole member. 

In 2021 the rebuild began Robert Majd began writing with Hynes leading to the return to the NWOBHM sound (with a modern sheen), Majd calling in some favours from the Swedish metal scene to fill out the rest of the band, though long time bassist Tony Forsythe managed to record all the bass parts despite still receiving prostate cancer treatment. With members of Lionheart, Praying Mantis, Palace and Deathstars all joining in, New Clear Power is a record that leans heavily into the NWOBHM sound, choppy riffs, galloping rhythms with a bit of thrash too. Tracks such as Take It Or Leave It, the triumphal In For The Kill (not a Budgie cover) and Hard Road are great (this one’s a proper shred session). 

Though a ballad like Live For Today is not really needed but it’s well performed, the inclusion of Samson’s Riding With The Angels is a bit of treat. Weapon are a throwback musically but at least they have the history to back it up. In a world of bands inspired by the NWOBHM, Weapon were there the first time and are looking get the recognition 40 years later. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Trevor's Head & Lacertillia (Live Review By Matt Bladen)

Trevor's Head & Lacertillia, The Moon, Cardiff 20.05.23

Psychadelic Rock Strumpets Lacertillia (9) got the evening going crashing head first into their spiritual home of The Moon with funky, psych rocking and stoner riffs, playing a set of classics, the cramped stage always fully taken up by the five piece space machine, Carl now firmly back behind the kit as a he and Ed dig a deep groove for Lucas and Mike to unleash their trade off guitar, Mike's somewhere up in space while Lucas' knuckle drags the caveman distortion. The musical backing gets the whole place nodding and hip shaking to the sounds of Round And Round along with Furthur and select cuts from their catalogue.

Fry is still one of the wildest frontmen around face painted, hands gloved, shirtless and diving into the crowd as much as possible he controls this madness like a crazed conductor, wild eyed and dangerous during the songs, but warm and welcoming between them. Apologising for the early start (8:30) they smashed out their set to a partisan audience hopefully gaining some new fans as Lacertillia shows are a bit of rarity now. Proving that when in The Moon they're near to untouchable.

Tonight's Headliners were London based weirdos Trevor's Head (9) Their angular riffs ready to get The Moon pulling awkward shapes. A noisy punk infused trio with a triumvirate of vocalists, drummer Matt Ainsworth sings on the groovy Grape Fang and ferocious Roll It Over. But they work together in some kind of inharmonious unison for most of the songs. Their style was a bit slower and more methodical than Lacertillia but they managed to incite lots of fervent head banging with their style.

They were also the only band on the bill to have a bass solo, courtesy of Aaron Strachan showing that they come from the more cerebral side of the stoner/psych spectrum they still have a good time with an injection of the humour and sarcasm in all their songs. Drawing the set list from their three albums they managed to win the crowd over as the set wore on, each set of ears getting better aquatinted with the sounds of Trevor's Head, early cut Blood Moon entering Status Quo go doom regions the blues riffs of Roger Atkins nice and fuzzy, his vocals snarling, bravely playing through a broken string for the last two songs.

A two band set of great greebo riffs, perfect for the misfits, potheads and freaks of the Cardiff scene. This style of music always does very well in this city so more of this would be very welcome. Bands/labels/promoters take note Psychonaut Sunshine, Pity My Brain (and Snuff Lane) are doing wonders with this scene. South Wales and South West and tonight was the perfect example of that.

Reviews: Black Spiders, The 69 Eyes, Bring The Hoax, Heaven's Edge (Reviews By Matt Bladen, James Jackson, Mark Young & Rich Piva]

Black Spiders – Can’t Die. Won’t Die (Spinefarm Records) [Matt Bladen]

With their comeback firmly now in concrete British rock n rollers Black Spiders return with another new album. Their fourth in total and second since returning from their hiatus, Can’t Die. Won’t Die is the continuation of their story and also a motto for the band. Their self-titled third record, was there to remind you of who they were before the break, this album is them defiantly claiming that this is who they are, with a jubilant celebration of all forms of rock n roll, keeping the party alive with 11 strutting, punching, head banging rock tracks, designed to be played loud while screaming down the motorway.

Opener (after the needless Intro) Hot Wheels is exactly that kind of song, a proper radio rocker, that is the obvious choice of the first single. While Driving My Rooster manages to pair grunge with thundering blues, the lead guitars blending into the punk rock, Gene Simmons come back on Destroyer not content with trying to kill the band in their first incarnation. The Demon makes his presence felt on the heavy bass heavy strut and the chant of “Gene’s Obscene” (which is a little Faith No More) while Alright Alright Alright, which must be subtitled the Matthew McConaughey song is more fleet footed blues boogie. 

So far it’s Black Spiders doing Black Spiders but Can’t Die. Won’t Die spins a wider web than before on the woozy Traitor’s Walk and the Strange having some quirky percussion (more cowbell) for a bit of desert rocking. Taking those rock sounds further than before as Make Me Bleed has bit of Def Leppard and A Rat Is A Rat the punk thunder of The Ramones.  

Four albums in an Black Spider still eat thunder, shit lightning and hail, hail rock n roll, a party soundtrack if there ever was one, Can’t Die. Won’t Die has more nuance to it than that but it’s best played loud with friends (and beers). 8/10

The 69 Eyes - Death Of Darkness (Atomic Fire Records) [James Jackson]

What happens when you cross the Glam Metal of Motley Crue and the Goth Rock of The Sisters Of Mercy ? The 69 Eyes, that’s what, a band who started as far back in the annals of time as 1989, in Helsinki Finland.

They’ve been a band that I’ve only ever listened to a handful of times over the years, considering my love of The Sisters Of Mercy and a brief dalliance with Motley Crue, mainly because of the film; it made sense for The 69 Eyes to appear on my musical horizons. I’ve always enjoyed it but there’s often been something else to listen to, I genre hop more frequently than I change my boxer shorts; so this is the first time that I’ve actually sat and listened to the band more intensely.

And if this is an example of what The 69 Eyes have to offer then I’ve been missing out; it’s as catchy as all hell, from the opening track Death Of Darkness, through the country sound of This Murder Takes Two featuring Kat Von D, which is probably my favourite song on an album full of solid tracks; Call Me Snake has a distinctive Billy Idol approach to it, Sundown has a feeling of The Cult to its intro, the whole album is a hook laden ode to the bands and genres that inspired the Goth N Roll title that their fans have given to their music.

There’s plenty to enjoy on Death Of Darkness as it’s an album stacked with sing along choruses, gloomy melodies and Rock and Roll swagger, this one will be on repeat for some time to come. 8/10.

Bring The Hoax - Single Coil Candy (Lövely Records) [Mark Young]

And now something from the lighter side of the sonic spectrum!! Bring The Hoax, a fourpiece hailing from Sweden who have embraced the fuzzy sounds of indie-rock especially those from around the start of the 90’s, which is as good a place as any to take your influence from. Also, I don’t know if I’m reaching here but naming your album after the possible sensation that playing guitars with single coils gives you is a good start.

And it is exactly what you get, with the sound bringing forward memories of that fertile period from 89 to 92 when guitars soaked in fuzz seemed to be everywhere. It starts brightly enough with Los Angeles with a riff that could come straight out of that period its that authentic with the lo-fi theme going on and it has those little touches that show that they are serious students of that period.

Jonestown has a little bit of Ash in there and again is something that would have been on heavy rotation on alternative radio at that time, its all pretty good stuff and they weave their way through the ten songs here that all look to different bands from that period but with that summer feel to them. 1993 has that slow build chord progression going into the loud chorus which is straight from the period and is a belter, showing they have the necessary tools to open up and rock out when necessary.

The album does have that build through it as we cross the halfway point, Final Day following the good work from 1993, and Once follows this, all drums into an isolated guitar that again builds up to give it an added boost. Penultimate song, Singles has that happy vibe to it and has an everlasting summer written all over it and should go down a blast on the festival circuit. Final track Down Below closes us out with that classic slow meter and manages to finish things off strongly with a heavier passage where the fuzz is turned up a notch.

What we have here is a good set of songs, well presented and Its good that bands are looking to that part of the 90’s whilst trying to put their own stamp on things. Sometimes it acts as an audio palate cleanser from all the technical, progressive, brutal, death metal being released at present. None of the songs are overlong, and obviously if you were there at that time, they will be familiar to you.

How you enjoy this would depend on if you liked this style of music back then: if you love Pavement, Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr. et al, then you will find a lot to like here. Give it a whirl, they might be your new favourite band. 7/10

Heaven’s Edge - Get It Right (Frontiers Music Srl) [Rich Piva]

Heaven’s Edge is back! This is going to matter to a very small group of people who remember the 1990 self-titled debut from the Philadelphia, PA hard rock/hair metal (for back of a better term back then) band that then disappeared for eight years after album two was shelved amongst that cosmic shift in what music was in 1992. Their first album was certainly above average and had a pseudo hit with Skin To Skin. But for some reason this band never stuck out to me, and I found myself getting them confused with Hurricane, which was not age or substance induced, I just had trouble distinguishing them amongst the crowd of bands doing what they did back then.

Which leads me to their first album since 1998 (technically the second album was ready but shelved in 1992, so you can do the math either way) Get It Right. The new record contains all four of the surviving members of the band and a new bassist after the original passed away. Well, here we are in 2023 and we have a solid rock record that just doesn’t stand out amongst all the other bands having comebacks or never went away from that era. Sound familiar? It certainly sounds like Heaven’s Edge (I did go back and re-listen to the first record to confirm) and that is fine for those who dig the band. But there is nothing that is going to bring the casual listener back to dive deep after the first couple listens.

There are some solid (that word again) rock songs on here, like the opener, Had Enough, Raise ‘Em Up, and my favorite track, the closer I’m Not The One which has a catchy little chorus. Nothing Left But Goodbye is a nice little rocker too. The ballads struggle and seem a bit forced, especially When The Lights Go Down, and tracks like Gone, Gone, Gone are hard rock lite 1990 radio friendly second single off the album before the ballad hits the airwaves type stuff.

If you are fan, I am sure you will dig Get It Right just for nostalgic purposes. But for me, Heaven’s Edge never stood out for me back in the day, and they really did nothing here to change this. Given how some bands of that time are releasing some pretty amazing material (see the L.A. Guns, Skid Row, and the so far released tracks from the new Extreme record) Get It Right is a nice shout out to the fans that have been waiting for new stuff for years, but for the casual listener looking for something that will get them into the band this will do nothing to stand out compared to the thousands of bands releasing music out there today, even on their own label. 5/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Steel Panther & Winger (Live Review By James Jackson)

Steel Panther And Winger, O2 Academy, Birmingham, 18.05.23

The first time I’d heard of Steel Panther was a day maybe two before I saw them live at Download 2010 and I can’t recall listening to something so catchy, familiar or downright funny since I’d had and outgrown my ICP phase. Lyrically it’s not clever, it’s juvenile but that’s the appeal, it’s like listening to an American Pie movie and conjuring up your own visuals. Honestly I loved it and the album was on heavy rotation once I’d bought it but to be honest, following albums went downhill for me; having said that though on the 18th of May, Michael Starr and co hit the O2 Arena in Birmingham and whilst it’s been well over ten years since seeing them live and a fair few albums in between, I am looking forward to it.

Before the headline act so much as show a hint of hairspray though it’s support act Winger (8) that take to the stage and they are who I’ve been asked to review tonight (My love of Winger and bias against Steel Panther - Ed). As I write this post gig, I’ve had to do a bit of research into who the hell Winger actually are, for despite them being nominated for various awards and being quite popular during the late 80’s to early 90’s, they’re not a band I’ve heard of, though I do seem to recall their logo on a character’s shirt in Beavis And Butthead. Winger were victims of the rise of Grunge, as many bands of that Hair Metal style of playing were when Grunge dominated the scene but it would seem that from the reception at the Arena, they are very much a band to enjoy.

Not knowing a single song did little to stem any enjoyment or participation for me, the songs were well played, melodic and radio friendly crowd pleasers. An obviously well rehearsed guitar solo from Reb Beach Jr, whilst looking like a cross between Norman Reedus and David Spade led to, an equally well rehearsed, visit from Michael Starr as he joined the band for one song.

One song in particular stood out, mainly for the wrong reasons though I have been singing it on and off all day; Seventeen. 87th Best Hard Rock Song Of All Time according to VH1; Billboard Hot 100 placed it at No. 26 in 1988. Dubious lyrical content 35 years on, catchy song.

Steel Panther (10) were a for the performance and comedy sketch alone, I was expecting a mix of songs taken from the bands back catalogue with the focus being on material from the latest release.
Opening with Eyes Of A Panther and Let Me Come In from Feel The Steel and Balls Out respectively, setting the tone for the rest of the night. Asian Hooker was accompanied by a woman from the audience who proceeded to flash her wares whilst dancing along to the song, it takes a special kind of bravado or just sheer stupidity to encourage a girl on stage based on her ethnicity whilst singing a song about an Asian prostitute but this is Steel Panther. 

Basing a career on sex, drugs and heavy metal obviously comes with its own attractions and there were plenty of girls hiked up onto their partners shoulders and obediently flashing to the shouts from onstage. Girl From Oklahoma was yet again accompanied by a member of the audience, to much amusement as her thick Birmingham accent caused a few moments of confusion for the Americans in spandex, the band each sang a song to her, a short ditty each professing their love for her, or at least their desire before newest member of the band, Spyder managed to get her to flash. 

I was trying to remember on the way home just how many songs were played during the nearly two hour slot and though it didn’t feel like many, the majority of those played were from their first album with Glory Hole and The Burden Of Being Wonderful from All You Can Eat and All I Wanna Do Is Fuck from 2019’s Heavy Metal Rules alongside at least five tracks from this years On The Prowl; I think it was just a case of time flying by when you’re having fun. The rather untraditional love song Community Property, got as many girls on stage as could possibly fit, each getting their few minutes of fame. 

A great evening all in all, somehow Steel Panther have managed to release six albums based on the same juvenile jokes and whilst I felt that the albums have shown that those same jokes can get old, live they make it work, between songs about hookers, the Eighties and tour bus antics the band cracked the jokes, some aimed toward each other and their respective musical abilities whilst others were aimed at Sheffield and Def Leppard, you had to be there for a rather awkwardly funny impression.

Fun times for all.

Reviews: Rush, Devildriver, Currents, The Unresolved (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Zak Skane)

Rush - Signals: 40th Anniversary Edition (UME/Mercury Anthem) [Matt Bladen]

Continuing the comprehensive 40th anniversary editions of Rush studio album we get to the 1982 album Signals, the record that firmly established Rush's move towards synths. In the 80's electronic music was becoming the norm so the Canadian trio began to really incorporate this change in music on this album. 

Following their most popular album Moving Pictures, Signals is Rush evolving into the decade, their ninith album and shift in direction hailed by single Subdivisions, those huge synth walls coming from the first minute and becoming a major part of the track, merged with Alex Lifeson's intricate guitar parts, Neil Peart's expressive drumming and emotional/reflective lyrics, it's become a Rush classic but was removed from the dual guitar wielding, prog monster of the 2112 and Hemispheres. More pop driven and dare I say accessible this is the style Rush would continue with until they began to fuse both of their history's together in the late 90's/2000's.

Co-Produced by Terry Brown, their long time collaborator, even to this day it stand out for its shift in sound and futurisms such as the conversations between Colombia astronauts and ground control on Countdown and the rise of the digital age which is dealt with on Digital Man, the repeating binary sequences and one of Peart's best drum licks. Signals also is where Geddy sounds the most comfortable with his voice, not as nasal as he has been previously, the poppier sound was a benefit to his vocal, displaying his virtuosity on both the bass and the keys too. So if you've heard the album you already know what it sounds like, this isn't a remaster or remix it's the 2015 remaster with added extras. 

There's three distinct versions including a Dolby Atmos version and a limited edition box set featuring a lithograph of Neil Peart's lyrics. It's also wrapped in some new artwork from Hugh Syme plus lots of 7" singles, backstage photographs while the Blu-Ray has the album mixed in Dolby Atmos which sounds amazing! There's no extra tracks though just this career changing album from the greatest band Canada has ever produced, if you're a true fanatic or want the Atmos version then this is great pick up. Let the re-release campaign continue! 9/10

Devildriver – Dealing With Demons Vol 2 (Napalm Records) [Zak Skane]

Beginning with a curve ball of an introduction that consists of their ambient delayed effected guitars which you would hear on a Bad Wolves song, as a result my ears are pricked with interest before the classic bouncy grooves that we are accustom to come striding in. With the main riffs holding a modern technical metal vibe with its string skipping prowess but also still sticking to it’s roots once matched with the stamping drum beats and the spitting venomous flare from front man Dez Fafara. Mantra takes it back to early Devildriver with it’s classic down picked guitar riffs matching the energy of the double kick driven grooves and the catchy choruses. 

Nothing Lasts Forever’s bowel rumbling intro and pummeling dark sounding riffs accompanied with Dez's ferocious lyrical delivery leaves this to be the most angry song on the album. There is some interesting ambient atmospheric clean sections in Summoning and Through The Depths pushes the bands limitations with the use of; exotic guitar scales, blast beats, strategically placed double kick drum grooves and an outro of orchestrated gypsy sounding violins. 

The Mastodon influenced closing track The Relationship Is Broken keeps the sonic brew interest till the last note is struck. Devildriver have always been a band that have been consistent and true to their sound and their audience and this album is no exception. With the interesting elements that started off tracks such as I Have No Pity, Nothing Lasts Forever and Summoning I wish they rode more on those in the writing process to generate something different. 7/10.

Currents - The Death We Seek (Sharptone Records) [Zak Skane]

The modern metalcore act Currents are back with a their darkest album to date The Death We Seek. With it’s title track we greeted with every element and subgenre of metal being thrown at us at 100 mph, stemming from the brutal low tuned deathcore sounding breakdowns accompanied synthonic effects, followed by tech metal leads and blackmetal inspired blastbeats. Living In Tragedy gets groovy with it’s caveman simplified grooves, bouncy riffs but also Breaking Benjamin styled soaring choruses which is also carried on in the technical yet anthemic Unfamiliar. 

Other highlights on this album is the technical, ambient crushing sections of So Alone and Over And Over, the ear punishing low rumbling assault of Vengeance that would possess anyone with the energy to break necks upon listening and the moving and meaningful tracks of Gone Away and Remember Me and Guide Me Home. This album is just another example why Currents are on the ones to watch list. From back to front this album will promote every emotion that the listener is capable of. From tear jerking atmospherics to lyrics to neck snapping breakdowns this band gives it all. 8/10

The Unresolved - Convalescence (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

West Midlands rockers The Unresolved have are very much classic rock, opening this album with old school rock n roll, I'm talking 50/60's here but from there they change into several types of hard rock all of which is radio friendly and driven by a number of influences, from the Zep stomp of Manifesto, through the swaggering blues rocking of Snake Eyes and the surf rock of Chinese Whispers. 

Now the music is decent but it is a little all over the place stylistically, Moonlight Sonata is very bloody slow but without much emotion to it. I feel that Convalescence is an album by a pub band, nothing offensive but nothing outstanding, the vocals as well I find a little annoying. It'll get you jigging in your seat but not going to crazy. 5/10

Reviews: The Ocean, Mystic Prophecy, Tankzilla, Voul (Reviews By Mark Young, Matt Bladen, Rich Piva & GC)

The Ocean - Holocene (Pelagic Records) [Mark Young]

Right, new band for Mr. Young. The Ocean (Collective) have been around for a while, and I’ve never got round to listening to them. Until tonight.

Preboreal is a song that just builds and builds, starting from single stabs to guitar lines and drums taking its time to expand. As an introduction to The Ocean this is a good start with electronic and more traditional weapons of musical destruction in place. The rousing finish sets the rest of the album to come in and show me what they have.

And it does.

Boreal comes in softly, almost creeping up with isolated guitar, echoing background keys that barely register and like Preboreal they provide another masterclass in filling the space in sound so gradually that you go from nothing to almost being overwhelmed. The brass, keys all sitting together just to get shifted by a dirty, low guitar that is being stabbed, in a slow but effective phrase. This builds with a middle eastern sound, vocals/drums/keys everything in synch. Then as soon as it comes it finishes. Excellent.

Sea Of Reeds adopts the same approach with brass swells against a whispered vocal line that expands to bring in a beautiful guitar line that just hangs. This is a thing of beauty and smacks of a creative process that recognises that they exist out of conventional labels or genres. I have no idea of how to exactly describe it (which I think is a wonderful thing) apart from the fact it is just stunning.

There is a change in Atlantic, it is not immediate but more of a feeling as it unfolds with backing music cutting in and out all the while the vocals continue on a desolate trail. Until it really starts as they power through with a storming guitar part that they snatch back from you. The music engages and keeps you trying to guess what they will do next. The constant is the vocals, ever present Löic Rossetti anchoring the structure as different textures come and go. And then they drop THAT riff, and we are off. Its dirty, heavy and just squats over everything else presented in this song to just alter the composition and attack. *Chef’s Kiss*, it’s just that good.

Subboreal uses an electronic approach that is front and centre that evokes classic NIN, but this has that perpetual motion that NIN have not had for a while (yes, yes) and then drop another a-bomb riff, that twists and turns like a restrained animal. This is a top example of a band understanding the value and importance of balance to deliver something unique. This is frankly brilliant stuff as it navigates its way from clean to screamed vocals with frantic riffed out run to the finish line.

Uncomformities weighs in at 9minutes long and they are joined by a guest vocalist with that heavy influence of 90s electronica leaning in, joined with the brass and is fantastic. I can’t find any information on who it is, but they were incredible here. They change things up a gear to really batter you with repeated screamed vocals that come from both sides with full on attack that could have come from a different song all together. Ever present is the sense of melody, of composition, of just making the best music they can make. Always there is the electronica, rising / falling as we reach the end.

Except there isn’t one as it leads into Parabiosis, electronica now central to the early stages falling to one side as we gather speed but not in the traditional way. There are subtle little things taking place that make the song seem faster than it is, similar to a dance which has those moments of ebb and rise when another king-size riff comes in and starts to push tall buildings over. Fighting against it is the brass, equally laying down some low end.

And so, we come to the end with Subatlantic. That brass once more acting like whale song, I’m not sure but they bring us once of the most effective guitar melody lines before the heavy is dropped. The use of a secondary voice just fills so much space but doesn’t feel as though it was tacked on. Everything fits, and this is a fitting album closer.

This is some endeavour, as they hit you with track after track that is familiar to the one before its without being any sort of rehash of ideas. It’s just one of those albums that you will hear once, and it will become an instant favourite. I confessed earlier I hadn’t heard their music before. If you are in the same boat don’t make the same mistake as I have so jump straight in and listen to this because it is a wonderful, wonderful album. 8/10

Mystic Prophecy - Hellriot (ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records) [Matt Bladen]

Noted German heavy/power metal band Mystic Prophecy bring us a Hellriot with their 12th studio album following Metal Division in 2020. They promise more Teutonic power metal riffs and those gruff vocals of R.D Liapakis and with the fast paced title track and the stomping Unholy Hell they deliver what is promised from the first two songs. Continuing what they did on the last album and have been doing for most of their career, Mystic Prophecy are masters of twin riff harmonies, big solos and fat choruses, most of which here deal with hell, fire or demons, with the exception of Road To Babylon.

It puts them more toward the classic metal vein than power metal Markus Pohl and Evan K's riffs a bit dirtier than many of the power metal bands around, taking from the blues base and ramping up the noise, for example on a track like Metal Attack. The whiskey soaked vocals of Liapakis is also based in the blues as Joey Roxx's bass and Hanno Kerstan's drums guide the grooving Paranoia as do some synths.

Mystic Prophecy make heavy metal to be played live and all of these songs could be included in their set and shouted along to, even the slower numbers will have you humming along as you listen. Catchy, classy, experienced heavy metal from Mystic Prophecy, it's exactly what you expect. 7/10

Tankzilla - Tankzilla (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

The Dutch duo Tankzilla have been jamming together for a while now, coming out of other bands and with three demos under their belt, are now ready to unleash their stoner rock swamp boogie with a touch of the blues on the masses with their self-titled debut record courtesy of Heavy Psych Sounds. These guys make a ton of sound for a duo, and that sound is nothing but killer heavy rock and roll fun.

Lucifer starts us off, and you get the stoner side of the band right off the bat, but there is not to these two Dutch rockers. You get riffs, but this is oddly danceable in the best way possible. These guys want you to shake your ass and stomp your feet along to their brand of rock, and I challenge you to try not to. The drum work is killer and keeps up with the driving guitar throughout all the record. You get a bit more of that bluesy boogie with Crossroads (go figure), with some White Stripes vibes (too easy? Maybe…). 

Some other killer highlights include Soulsurfer that offers some excellent riffs, Down Below that also brings riffs and is one of the more straight-ahead stoner tracks on the record, and Wolfpack, which is the most ass kicking track and must be the live highlight of the band’s probably very sweaty set, oh and cowbell). I can see this one being their band’s theme song. Pluck The Rooster is another standout track, as you can see these guys can be bluesy and catchy too. The highlight to me is Brother From Another Mother, which was one of the original demos they put out, here in its complete form, and is a stoner blues classic.

All in all, Tankzilla’s debut is great rock and roll fun, blending several cool elements that make these eleven tracks in forty-four minutes fly by. There is something overtly familiar about this record, in a very positive way, in that it incorporates a lot of very cool stuff but with a spin that is unique to these two dudes. Very cool stuff, be ready for a heavy rock kick ass party. 8/10

Voul - Concrete Cult (Abstract Emotions) [GC]

Its back to Spain again for my second review this week but today it’s an altogether different proposition musically because I have the new album from sludge 3-piece Voul, their influences stretch from Bad Brains and Black Flag right through to Eyehategod and Iron Monkey which has me interested but, I may have mentioned my non-existent attention span in previous reviews and with most songs here registering at 6 minutes plus, I won’t lie, I head into this review slightly worried!!

Screeching into life on a wave of feedback and noise The Abyss Awaits then introduces us to a bass line so filthy a pig would probably turn its nose up at it, its low and fuzzy and drags the song crawling along with the equally fuzzed up and low end guitars and the drums are just as rough and it all creates a sound that just grabs hold of you and wont let go, it surrounds you and climbs over you but never lets you out of its grasp until about 4 minutes in when it all just kind of stops and twiddles about a bit and loses all the urgency it had but, thankfully the end does bring it back and finishes nastily before fading out on the same feedback/noise style from when its started.

Pain Brigade is a heavily bass line lead song with minimalist drums that begins to build up and when the guitars crash in the riff is a thing of doomy beauty this is the Iron Monkey influence starting to take hold in a wonderfully disgusting way, all the way through the riff is repeated and instead of becoming tedious it just seems to get heavier as it goes and the backline do an absolute class job of keeping everything grooving along at a slow and steady but heavy as hell pace and they use the bring the riff back but not slower, but heavier and then slow it down to phenomenal effect towards the end. 

My Ruin cascades into your conscience with more breeze block solid guitars with the main riff here being another beast that you just can’t help but nod along to and the huge rumbling bass lines make the earth beneath you quake and the drums just smash and destroy in a subtle but devastating way for the entire length of this song its slow and pummelling but also relentless in its attack.

Infernal Factory has an ominous and echoey opening that creates a sense of unease and dread before dropping another monstrous riff into the mixing pot and this drops in and out of the slow/quiet dynamic and creates another layer of heavy and that’s even before there are any vocals which don’t kick in until almost 4 minutes in and when they do yet more layers of filth are added and its all just wonderfully grim and bleak in the best possible way! 

The Regulator is a bit of a swing and a miss to be honest, its their attempt to showcase their hardcore influences but against the rest of what has been on this album so far it it’s just completely out of place and upsets the whole flow of the album, not really a wise choice and this 1 minute 40 seconds could probably just have been included into an actual song instead of being a stand alone track, frustrating. 

Lime Wall is the last and longest track on the album and at 8 minutes 43 seconds it does a good job of getting everything back on track and mixes some cleanish vocals into the sound, which are ok but glad they weren’t on the majority of the songs as the harsh vocals are miles better, the song itself is a lumbering and thunderous racket, its just a huge wall of fuzz and sludge noise but, and here’s the attention span kicking in, it’s probably at least 2 minutes too long and kind of just drags on and on and on and on until its finally over.

I came into this review worried; I needn’t have been to be honest as the vast majority of Concrete Cult is very good and ironically the worst song on it was the shortest one. The whole thing is dirty, scuzzy and downright filthy sounding and that’s what I want from this sort of album music so disgusting it makes me feel like I need a shower! This for the most part produced exactly that. 8/10

Reviews: Ghost, Gozu, Henget, Servers (Reviews By Rick Eaglestone, Rich Piva, Paul Scoble & Matt Bladen)

Ghost - Phantomime (Loma Vista Records) [Rick Eaglestone]

Papa Emeritus IV and his nameless ghouls return with collection of covers for latest EP Phantomime.

Now this isn’t the first time the band have done something like this as possibly one my favourite releases was 2013’s If You Have Ghost which was the band’s first EP produced by Dave Grohl a decade on this one does differ as it is made up entirely of covers.

First up was a track I was unfamiliar with, Television’s See No Evil so therefore I had to do my due diligence and first checked out the original and I think the collective have done a fine job and I hope that many including myself will check out the band Marquee Moon album because of this.

Next up is quintessential Ghost for me, the Genesis track Jesus He Knows Me is a perfect tongue in cheek choice, this was the first taster of the EP and has a great accompanying video. This is followed up by the band’s take on The Stranglers Hanging Around.

Something that was only released very recently and for me was easily the most anticipated track, Iron Maiden’s Phantom Of The Opera which frankly is sublime, personally as big maiden fan I am really glad that something from the Paul Di’Anno era was selected. I pre ordered this EP the moment it was released, and this alone justifies the purchase.

If that wasn’t enough the EP concludes with the Tina Turner classic from the movie Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome We Don’t Need Another Hero compliments the previous track wonderfully as there is no denying just how powerful the track, and well the solos sound wonderful do.

Again, The band have demonstrated just why they are one of the biggest bands on the planet, they haven’t picked predictable choices and they have covered artists from different genres and decades. A Collection of Sermons that the congregation will be thankful for. 8/10

Gozu - Remedy (Metal Blade Records / Blacklight Media Records) [Rich Piva]

Gozu rules and now they are back with their fifth album, Remedy. Lovers of all things fuzzy and riff-filled rejoice, because this new record kicks a lot of ass. The Boston, Massachusetts band brings their perfect blend of heavy stoner rock with touches of the grunge (and excellent track names) back to the ever-loving fanbase, honoring us with nine absolutely killer tracks that will cement this band as one of the best ever doing what they do.

Why does Gozu rule and specifically why does Remedy do the same? Well let’s check out the first track, Tom Cruise Control, because it has it all. A killer, driving riff right from the open? Check. Excellent vocals? Check. Harmonies? Check. Great song title? Check. This checklist can be completed for all nine tracks on Remedy, and there is not anywhere close to a stinker in the bunch. This album sounds excellent from a production standpoint where you can see they have upped their sound game but not to the point where it is in any way polished. Another cool riff kicks us off with CLDZ, a track that you get that grunge influence, and if Gozu was going to have a hit it would be this song. How about those background vocal ooooohs and harmonies? Outstanding. That solo is not too shabby either. 

Rambo 2 is where we head into Soundgarden territory, as this starts like something that could have been demoed for Louder Than Love (Gozu really should have a track on one of the upcoming Soundgarden Redux records, but that is for a different review…). A Thayil-like riff with some crunching groove and more killer harmonies (I love the bapbapbaps), this will be a favorite track on Remedy. Joe Don Baker (I had to Google him, but one I did I knew) is a quick blast stoner ripper leading into Pillow Talk, with another cool riff and probably the best vocal performance on Remedy. Naming a song after one of my favorite 80s wrestlers will make me happy no matter what the song sounds like, but The Magnificent Muraco is a slower paced stoner jam with (surprise!) another great riff and a nice groove that would make even the beach bum happy and adds some different background harmonies and layered vocals that makes this track stand out. 

Be Gazzara Loves No One continues the tuned down riff party and is the slowest burn on Remedy until midway through the pace picks up and punches you in your stupid stoner face with the one two of guitar and vocal harmonies. Ash has my favorite riff on an album (a bit Wizard-like, no?) full of them until it dips its toe in a pool filled with magic mushroom tea as we get a little mind bending on this one. Gozu goes doom on the closer, The Handler, but with almost falsetto vocals to start, which I was not expecting, but adds something special to the crushing final chapter to this nine-track masterpiece.

Gozu, once again, does not disappoint, as Remedy may be their most complete album yet. Remedy has everything a Gozu fan would want from a new record, and if you are not familiar with the band this would be a fine place to start. The harmonies really make Gozu stand out amongst the other playing similar styles, and combine that with the riff party, excellent songwriting, and expert playing and here you have an album of the year candidate. It’s pretty much a perfect Gozu record, and one that should go down as possibly their best. 10/10

Henget - Beyond North Star (Season Of Mist) [Paul Scoble]

Henget is a new project from two established metal musicians; Jesse J. Heikkinen from The Abbey, and Iterum Nata, and King Aleijster De Satan of King Satan and Saturnian Mist. The intention is that Beyond North Star will “depict a Violent hallucinatory journey to the depths of the mind and beyond with psychedelic and syncretistic outlook”. The duo is joinded on Beyond North Star by Lasse J. Lounimaa on keyboards and Ville J. Rissanen on drums.

The style on Beyond North Star is a mix of black metal with lots of influences that on the surface seem disparate, but are treated by Henget in a way that makes them seem to fit together as if they were made that way. During the course of Beyond North Star there are influences from jazz, electronica, 70’s prog rock, second wave black metal, psychedelia, progressive metal and Eighties synth pop, all seamlessly melded together with a great sense of the dramatic.

The music and vocals are both deeply creative and complex, with impressive performances from everybody involved, this is doubly impressive as most of the performances were improvised in the studio, with Vocalist King Aleijster De Satan working from written notes rather than from prewritten lyrics.

The album opens with Dive, which is a mix of synth heavy blasting black metal sections and sections where the black metal is tempered with what sounds like a saxophone to give a jazz infused feel. There are similarities with Oranssi Pazuzu and Imperial Triumphant, but in many ways these similarities are superficial as both band have used these combinations of instruments, however Henget definitely have their own unique sound, they are fellow travellers, rather than bandwagon jumpers. The next track I Am Them drops us staight into a blast of aggressive black metal with a beautifully unhinged vocal performance from King Aleijster De Satan, elements of jazz are added and the tempo becomes more staccato, this them morphs into a slow and very heavy riff with a prominent synth riff. The song has a short minimal section, a brief breather before battering the audience with some synth heavy blasting black metal.

Henkivallat is a glorious mix of savage blasting black and progressive metal sections that full of melody, very bright and have a slight reminiscence to some of Devin Townsends more aggressive prog metal. The Great Spiral is a great piece of keyboard heavy black metal that is fast and flowing and has huge amounts of inertia. The second half of the song has some slower passages with some really impressive guitar work.

Title track Beyond North Star mixes dramatic black metal with lots of keyboards, quieter more minimal sections that have much less aggression, blasting fast, savage black metal sections, a fairly jazz influenced guitar solo and ends with a sample of babies crying. Lovi is a great track, probably my favourite on thew album. On Lovi Henget have mixed the black metal with a great keyboard line that very 70’s prog rock, the song is full of great melodies and a lot of guitar solos that, as with all of the solos on this album, is melodious and really adds to the song. The vocals are great as well!

Nouse is a short instrumental interlude that feels quite prog rock with the guitar becoming more prominent in the second half. The album comes to an end with the song The Chalice Of Life And Death, a piece of dramatic, driving extreme metal with a very distinctive synth line that is quite 80’s synth pop in feel. The song has a relentless, quality that works very well and keeps on pushing the song forward all the way to a very abrupt ending.

Beyond North Star is a brilliant piece of deeply creative extreme metal art. The album is full of ideas, full of layered creativity, in some ways the album feels like a complex piece of construction that should could have been an out of control mess, but is in fact a masterpiece of measured, considered creativity. The fact that Henget have mixed all of the different elements together into such an affecting and impressive debut is so impressive. The performances are superb as well, the Music and Vocals are stunning, if you like your extreme metal to be challenging, interesting, creative and absorbing then this will be an album for you. 9/10

Servers - The Vertical Plane (Undergroove) [Matt Bladen]

Compared to numerous bands such as Gojira and Devin in their PR. For me Servers have the proggy sludge metal of Baroness with the alt rock weirdness of Therapy? and Killing Joke. It makes a very interesting listen as this Yorkshire quintet release their fourth album The Vertical Plane. Since their last album in 2019 they have added a new guitarist in Will Price giving them the triple guitar harmonies of modern day Maiden though on a track such as Try To Get Some Sleep, they have managed to have a similar vocal stanza as Maiden's Prowler.

Like Baroness and Mastodon, who they also sound a lot like on the tracks such as Despond To Despair, Servers use dual vocals well new boy Price and founder member Lee Storrar harmonising, but not sweetly, their voices unify in frustration and fear while their guitars along with those of Jamie Beaston are impressive, the melodic lead lines often counterpointing the heavier riffs on Stranglehold, which is a tough cut that leads into the avant garde You Still Come Willingly which uses either a bouzouki or a balalaika for its main furious rhythm.

The title comes from the tale of an allegedly haunted BBC computer, inspiring the overall concept of the paranormal and religion that seems to be a lyrical theme on all of their albums. His dealings with theism, philosophy and the otherside mean that this record is experimental, while thunderous bass and drums of Lee Wilde and Liam Power are key parts of the record on the final track Incorruption and the industrial-tinged opener Absolom but there is no fear of adding a lighter moment, or some psych flights of fancy on King Of Nothing and Despond To Despair, as the alt rock influence is at its biggest on Here There Everywhere, the scintillating synths undulating behind the main riffs.

Formerly the frontman of GU Medicine Storrar's his dirty rock n Roll roots infiltrating Servers more progressive style. I'd not been that aware of Servers before this but on this fourth album they have converted me so I'll be heading back to their previous albums. 8/10

Reviews: Sacred Outcry, The Silent Rage, Rusty Bonez, Artificial Sun (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Sacred Outcry - Towers Of Gold (No Remorse Records)

Ahhh Daniel Heiman, one of the best power metal vocalists out there, the Swede made his name in Lost Horizon amongst others but now is the singer of two Greek bands; Warrior Path and Sacred Outcry. Having this legendary voice in their band Sacred Outcry unleashed their debut album Damned For All Time in 2020 and took the world by storm. Released on No Remorse Records three years later they have returned with their next fantasy epic inspired by the works of Michael Moorcock.

Coming from that style of power metal from the late 90's early 2000's that brought us Hammerfall, Blind Guardian and of course Lost Horizon, Sacred Outcry merge European melody with American might on the second chapter of The Sacred Chronicles that started on Damned For All Time. The creative project of bassist George Apalodimas, he writes, produces and arranges everything here. Since the last album Sacred Outcry have added new guitarist Steve Lado and drummer Defkaliom Dimos to their ranks, the latter proving his power on the galloping The Voyage (Towards Immortality)

After the distinctly Helloween/Running Wild style opening of The Flame Rekindled (Lurid Lights & Drunken Revelry), Towers Of Gold goes into the battlefields of Manowar and Virgin Steele the swelling orchestrations behind galloping metal riffs. Heiman sitting in the higher end of his register with more power and passion than I've heard since the first Sacred Outcry record. His range on Into The Storm (Beyond The Lost Horizon) is mightily impressive, sounding as if he hasn't missed a step since those Lost Horizon days.

As the epic tale progresses 12-string and acoustic guitars are used to flesh out the intros, middle sections and bring the folk/bardic sounds of Blind Guardian as the short passages lead into longer pieces such as A Midnight Reverie (Whispers In The Wind) which adds layers on top of it's acoustic beginnings, building into an epic. Speaking of epic the title track is a monster that switches genre styles multiple times, George's bass playing guiding the alterations in pace with Defkalion joinging him as they increase and decrease with ease, the guitar playing of Steve also is out of this world. All of the band really displaying their abilities as orchestras and choirs are brought in for a widescreen apporach. 

Towers Of Gold continues the ascent of Sacred Outcry, veterans in the scene, delivering top tier power metal. 9/10

The Silent Rage - Nuances Of Life (Scarlet Records)

Now signed to Scarlet Records, a label that understands power metal, The Silent Rage return with their second full length album, their first released in 2016. They've struggled with a few set backs since then, founder Nikos Siglidis (guitar) having basically changed the whole bands since that album, these changes being for the better as on Nuances Of Life, they sound bolder and brasher with plenty of riffs on the heavier end of the power metal spectrum as they will definitely appeal to fans of Nevermore, Primal Fear and they-who-shall-not be named from the USA. Another Fallen Dreamland actually features the final "Cold Planet" singer Stu Block (Into Eternity) in brilliant unison with new singer Michalis Rinakakis, it's actually hard to hear where one ends and the other begins. 

Having seen this version of the band at Power Metal Quest Fest last year, I know Michalis can do it live so, be prepared as he is very much in the Dane/Halford/Scheepers/Owens style of snarling mids and ear pierecing screams. A perfect vocalist for the more American/tougher power metal style of The Silent Rage. Siglidis' riffs melodic and muscular on all of the album but Carve Your Rage gets nasty quite quick, the bass of George Haniotakis chugging alongside the Nikos' who play guitar Nikos Sarbanis playing most of the leads. Produced by Fotis Bernardo and mastered by George Nerantzis, The Silent Rage have thrown the kitchen sink at this second record, so much so you copuld even call it a re-debut, establishing their name outside of their native Greece with a slick new line up and some killer new heavy metal anthems. 

Behind the drumkit Stamatis Katsafados is mechnical, engineeing the battery of Crows Fly Back, as they add Nevermore influences here, the additon of Block on the rampaging Another Fallen Dreamland and Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin (Jag Panzer) on the tough Scarlet Dawn, does a lot to support those American power metal claims, though Jag Panzer, Nevermore, "Cold Planet" etc have always been incredibly popular in Greece so it's no wonder The Silent Rage adopt this style. On Black Monday they feature Bob Katsionis on keys, he also directed The Serpent Lord video. (Now if they could do a tour with Stray Gods I may actually explode). At the end of the album you get a special CD bonus track and my version icnluded the re-recorded Harvester Of Souls from 2021. Nuances Of Life is the rebirth for The Silent Rage, a brilliant record from aband who deserve your attention. 9/10   

Rusty Bonez - Brainworm (Self Released)

Produced by Fotis Benardo, Brainworm is a huge sounding record, the riffs bursting at the seams as Rusty Bonez, stake their claim to the pantheon of Greek stoner bands having already shared the stage with Planet Of Zeus and Nightstalker so they have seen firsthand the level they will need to ascend to as the Greek stoner/doom is diverse and strong. Having released their debut album Wrath in 2017, this record has taken a bit longer to come out than was expected but it's meant that they can craft their music properly, making Brainworm the best stoner rock album they can. 

The punches get rolling fast with Nowhere as Kostas Karapetsas kicks out the jams, distorted riffs and some good old fashioned rocking. These Athenians are a bit Clutch, a bit of Fu Manchu, a lot of CoC and the dirt and grime of Motorhead, it's down and dirty stoner rocking as Kostas links up with George Silivridis' grooving basslines on the Soundgarden-like Rain tracks such as If getting the head nodding and the face contorting into all sorts of shapes, while Alesaandro Varouxis' slide guitar adds a bit of bluesing on Shadows Of Faith. 

There's also some Down influences too due to the rawness in Nondas Emmanouli's vocals, he's a great singer, with a voice that can be used well no matter if they go down and dirty route or into the hazy riffs of Do You Remember, the drumming of Alexandros Varsanis' anchoring each song with prescision and power. Expect a rapid ascent in the Greek stoner scene from Rusty Bonez on the back of Brainworm and album of top class riffs. 8/10  

Artificial Sun - The Giants Collapse (Sliptrick Records)

The Giants Collapse is the debut album from Athenian band Artificial Sun and it's full of great metalcore/melodeath and groove metal with references to the Gothenburg scene, the NWOAHM and that breakout sound that came from the USA in the early 2000's. Using lighter, moments like they do on Thin Line, it means that they can fully unleash the harsh screams to greater effect later. 

In their press blurb it counts In Flames (Pathetic Race), Slipknot (Scapegoat/Sicko) and Pantera (Dead Man's Misery) as influences and these can all be heard in Artificial Sun's music but they also try to expand away from there with some early Trivium style on Hoax and the opener Hell-O and harder edged death metal with the battering title track Kostas Tsifopoulos drumming particulay good here. 

The bass of Giannis Synodinos giving a low end throb to Pathetic Race, where Kostas Lolis' vocals are the most diverse, his screams also excellent on the attitude driven Monkey Society. Its towards the end of the album that they add extra strings to their bow, Thin Line is especially melodic and has a lot of prog to it; Stamoulakis Bouris's lead guitar fluid and emotional. As a debut album The Giants Collapse is one that lays a sturdy foundation and also allows evolution for Artificial Sin. 7/10

Reviews: Frozen Soul, Moor, Blindfolded And Led To The Woods, Lust (Rick Eaglestone, Paul Scoble, Mark Young & GC)

Frozen Soul - Glacial Domination (Century Media Records) [Rick Eaglestone]

Texas Death Metallers Frozen Soul return once more to unleash some cold-blooded, bone-chilling destruction with their new album Glacial Domination. Immediately setting the tone for the album is its opener Invisible Tormentor which has subtle sci-fi tones amongst unforgiving riffs & drum patterns, this is then followed up with a track that Memoriam's Karl Willetts would be proud of Arsenal Of War

The ferocity & intensity continues with the short sharp Death And Glory whilst Morbid Effigy sounds like something straight out of a John Carpenter movie as too does the short follow-up instrumental track Annihilation. The title track Glacial Domination keeps a steady pace with immediately catchy riffs & solos with early Amon Amarth tinges, with the follow-up track Frozen Soul once again experimenting with science fiction. The combination of these two tracks makes up my favourite section of the album.

Forging on with Assimilator & Best Served Cold" it's clear that Frozen Soul are laying the groundwork to take their spot as death metal heavyweights and as the album progresses to Abominable & final track Atomic Winter it's safe to assume that when Glacial Domination is unleashed to the masses the band will be standing high and proud on top of that ice topped mountain.

Absolute Article Annihilation. 8/10

Moor - Heavy Heart (Blood Blast/Believe) [Paul Scoble]

Heavy Heart is the first album by Hamburg based band Moor. The lineup that recorded this album was made up of Erüment Kasalar on guitar and vocals, Christian Smukal on bass, Ben Laging on guitars, David Kaisar on guitars, and Chad Popple on drums. The band members have had experience in several other bands such as Tephra, Sport, The Ocean, Gorge Trio or Rha.

The reason I have referred to the lineup that recorded this album rather than Moor's current lineup, is for tragic reasons. In 2022 Christian Smukal and Ben Laging were diagnosed with Cancer. Later that year founding member and bass played Christian Smukal lost his battle with Cancer. Heavy Heart is a very apt title for Christians last recording, forming a part of his musical legacy and a tribute to his memory. “For Me, its a gift to be a part of Christian’s last recordings” says guitarist David Kaiser, “Everything we did during that time, all the strokes of fate we went through together formed this Heavy heart, and it will keep on Beating”.

The style of music on Heavy Heart is broadly doom, but not of the traditional Black Sabbath worship or Stoner, this is of a far more murky and dense sound closer to Neurosis, Drown or Omega Massif. Dark, thick and impenetrable riffs with mostly harsh vocals batter the listener, there is a sludgy feel to some of this, not overt, but more in how some sections have a furious aggressive aura. The sound is fairly simple, but relies on dynamics to build the songs, this album is all about ebb and flow, minimal sections with clean guitar juxtaposition with huge aggressively heavy riffs and in some places lots of dissonance.

A good example of the bands main sound is the opening and title track Heavy Heart. Built out of heavy and opaque riffs that drive forward in a purposeful way, the vocals are harsh and aggressive, and get more so as the song progresses. Heavy Heart builds as it goes, not in tempo but in intensity, and when it has reached its zenith the song abruptly ends. Restless has a similar feel to it, riffs that are slow and almost ridiculously heavy build throughout the song to become some of the heaviest I have heard. The track does have a section in the middle where the riffs feel much more expansive, with softer clean vocals, but the abiding feeling is of monumental heaviness.

Under Your Wings is an interesting song. The track features a riff with a simple melody that stands out as melody is only used sparingly on this album, but when Moor do use it, it shines out and is very effective. As with everything on this album the dynamics are impressive, the song vacillates between this riff with a simple melodious feel and much softer, minimal sections giving the song a beautiful ebb and flow that is very powerful.

The song that I probably find the most fascinating is the track Pale Grey Snow. This track has a slow measured pace and layered riffs. These layered riffs interact in a way that gives a sense of dissonance, where one guitar holds a note it feels inharmonious and this adds an extra piece of nastiness in to the mix that really works well. The song has a less aggressive section, with quite a minimal feel, but it quickly disappears to be replaced by Dissonance that builds and builds to a huge and horrific ending.

Heavy Heart is such an appropriate name for this album, as it forms a tribute to Christian Smukal and his final recordings; but it also fits with the music that Moor are making. It takes a less travelled path to heaviness and doom, although I have mentioned other bands to give you an idea of what this sounds like, Moor’s sound is unique. It might be less comfortable that a traditional approach to doom, but in making their audience less comfortable they have made something that is challenging, but is also very original and enjoyable. Highly recommended if you have an open mind and a love huge, heavy music. 8/10

Blindfolded And Led To The Woods - Rejecting Obliteration (Prosthetic Records) [Mark Young]

A name can suggest many things and this name certainly conjures up a myriad of different situations, all of them bad. As we know, one of the metal rules circa 1981 was ‘Cool band name, cool music’ and this was a hill that you would die as you defended your choice against attack. Therefore, they should be one of the coolest bands out there. Hailing from New Zealand, here they throw their 4th album of progressive death metal in your face and say, ‘take a look at that’.

Over the next 45 minutes you get taken on a multiple speed and vary-directional journey from a band that wants to split your head open and are not content to stay within the box labelled death metal. From how the songs are built and put together they have a very unique take on what they feel progressive technical death metal should sound like and have no interest in being constrained by opinions of others. The skill on display is often mesmeric and the riffs seem to be coming from everywhere. Monolith, for example starts proceedings with that speed split of maniac drums vs grinding guitar that mutates into an electronic equivalent of a spider spinning a web that is just intent on trapping and then consuming you. 

It is like this all the way through, and Cicada is another that start with blast beats, savage and discordant riffs, and guitar lines that seem to be running from anywhere on the neck. It settles into a pulled back moment that is almost happy in its sound. Almost, as they break back in and kick the remainder of the song to its dizzying completion. Its furious, absolutely furious. Funeral Smiles hits you with more of that mental dexterity combined with some killer riffs that get as low as you can get and still hear everything going on. Its that clarity here that really shines through because with music like this you have to hear everything to get that full effect.

Caustic Burns hits every stop on its way to finish the album, from pure rage and speed to delicate solo breaks. The riffs carry a dark emotional heft, all set against an atomic clock of percussion. They really go for it on this last song and is one of the finest album closers I’ve heard in a while. Fans of technical death metal will have an absolute ball with this, those whose love of metal is perhaps more straight-forward might struggle to get into it (me included in this) as it will need repeated listens to get under its skin. 7/10

Lust  - Invictus (Violence In The Veins, Cruzade Records, Vinilako Records, Egg F#cktory Records, Knuckle Records, Hombre Montaña, Sin Piedad Records) [GC]

 
Formed back in 2019 in Madrid after doing a bit of reading up on Lust you can see they have a lot to say about a lot of things such as (deep breath) anti-fascist struggle, racism and not supporting any kind of discrimination to any vulnerable collective they also support the defence of animal rights, as well as solidarity towards those in need and in a very ‘’we are hardcore’’ way they are always working together as a brotherhood. Let’s see if they have what it takes to back all this up.

Opening track Revelation doesn’t fill me with much hope as it’s a drumbeat loop with a bit of guitar included which is just pointless really, however first actual Traitors fares much much better, starting off at a break neck speed with a huge roar of defiance and blast beats a plenty it then kicks into a big ugly hardcore rhythm and just refuses to let you be at ease throwing the blasts in and out of the two step heavy hardcore and before you know it Fenix has started and is another full throttle hardcore attack all done with very old school vibe that mixes enough modern influence so as not to sound like some weak tribute act. 

You can tell that this isn’t going to be a dressing gown and slipper type album and Live To See doesn’t stray too far from what has proceeded but is probably the most metal sounding song without losing the hardcore edge and even throws in some melodic vocals to good effect, Inquisidor has a fantastic riff that is sure to get the pit circling and everyone 2-stepping and starts to build up a tension from halfway through and then fully explodes back into life right at the end to finish on an exhilarating high.
Halfway in and only clocking in at around 12 minutes, this is how hardcore is done! Isolation has all the hallmarks of a classic hardcore track with its big jumpy bass line, groovy as fuck riff, simple but effective drumming and a set of impassioned and heartfelt vocals and that easily makes it my favourite track on the album, everything here is on point, and it just hits in all the right places and there is not a single second wasted in the whole song. 

Exodo carries on with another barnstormer of a track that I can’t stop smiling while listening too from second one and it reminds me a lot of Misery Index when they get all hardcore and that’s a compliment of the highest order in my book as they are one of the best about but this isn’t about them it’s about Lust and 2K21 carries on the death metal infused hardcore savagery and manages to throw in some atmospheric death metal variant in as well which is another decent surprise and just like that its onto Palabras Vacias to close the album and it now takes over as the most metal track on the album but does again mix in more blast beat filled sections in between the usual chunky hardcore riffs and then does the bring the riff back but slower thing to end the song and it all just feels like it rounds everything off nicely.

As you may have guessed already, I thoroughly enjoyed this album! It’s no frills, angry as fuck hardcore that also mixes in a decent amount of death metal but never get too lost in one style or the other and manages too always be interesting. This is Lust’s debut album and if they are capable of this type of stuff on their first album, I cannot wait to hear more from them! If you like hardcore, listen to this, if you don’t like hardcore you can fuck off but, listen to this anyway because it’s one of those albums that might make you change your mind, it really is that good! 9/10