Reviews: Venom, White Tundra, War Curse, Dead Addiction (Reviews By Paul Hutchings, Rich Piva, Zak Skane & Kira Hughes)

Venom – Live From The Hammersmith Odeon Theatre 1985 (Dissonance Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Regardless of your view, seminal is a word that is synonymous with Newcastle’s Venom. Their early works combined punk and heavy metal in a way not seen before. They were ropey as hell live, but such was their impact that it didn’t really matter. Their first three albums, Welcome To Hell, Black Metal and At War With Satan contain all the music that influenced millions of bands, and still retain a fondness in those of us who were thrilled by their complete shake-up of the establishment at a time when metal was in many respects bloated and overdone.

It’s their first show at Hammersmith on June 1st, 1984, that will sit longest in the memories of most Venom fans. I know that my best friend, who is a couple of years older than me, went to that show, much to my disgust, as I couldn’t make it due to school. This recording isn’t taken from that show, but their third appearance at Hammersmith Odeon on 8th October 1985, as part of the World Possession tour. Now, given that the band in this guise played few shows at all, it’s still incredible to think that they managed to sellout three nights at the veritable old venue.

With their fourth album Possessed rather unimpressive, it’s not surprising that the set here is drawn predominantly from those first three records. Only Too Loud (For The Crowd) and Satanchist feature from Possessed. If you discount the godawful bass solo and equally challenging guitar solo, then there’s not much different to the shows that took place 15 months earlier and again in January 2015.

The production isn’t brilliant but, in many ways, you probably wouldn’t want it to be. The rawness of Buried Alive, Countess Bathory, and Black Metal was a huge part of the band’s appeal. The Seven Gates Of Hell still sends shivers down the spine, whilst the intro to Don’t Burn The Witch is a mighty riff. The fact that the bass solo is the second longest track on the album speaks volumes though. It’s Venom’s instant impact through short, blasting tracks that worked. There is one long track though, the eight minutes of the mighty Warhead.

Whilst Possessed wasn’t a great album, Too Loud (For The Crowd) stands out as the perfect opener. Blistering thrash-tinged metal which explodes the band onto the stage. They are certainly more cohesive than that first show, with some small signs of progression, mainly in the guitar work of Mantas rather than the continually loose bass playing of Cronos. But as I said, this isn’t about musicianship but about the overall shock waves that the band were continuing to case, even though by here their influence was starting to fade, Songs like In Nomine Satanus, Welcome To Hell and Warhead still hold the attention over 40 years later.

It's raw, frantic, and at times feral. There is a DVD to accompany this release, and that’s where the difference between the first and third show is likely to be seen. I’m not convinced that the crowd noise is genuine, but regardless, this release brings together the greatest tracks that Venom ever wrote. And for 60 minutes, I was 15 again. And that is a great feeling. 8/10

White Tundra - White Tundra (All Good Clean Records) [Rich Piva]

Norwegian heavy stoner rock is what the trio White Tundra brings to the party, and they are not messing around with their brand of metal on their self-titled new album. This seems to be their first full length after some EPs and singles and for the most part I am digging what I am hearing. But there are a ton of bands playing this style today. Does White Tundra stand above the current crop of heavy stoner bands? Let’s find out.

Overall, I feel White Tundra is a solid yet unspectacular heavy stoner metal effort. The opener, Erwachen…, is a chunky instrumental that is a bit too long but leads to the best track on White Tundra, …Of The Earth, with a nice riff, a gravelly, echoey vocal style, and overall cool guitar work that makes this song pretty killer. Find You is a more straight-ahead stoner jam leveraging those vocal styles and more crunchy riffs and an absolute killer solo. Addicted is more of the same, which is mostly a good thing, but you know at this point into the album what you are getting on all the eight tracks. I hear a heavier STP vibe peaking out on this one. 

Space Wars slows the album down a bit, but I don’t love how the vocals mesh when the pace slows down and the placement of this track in the middle of the record makes the whole album drag a bit with it’s six-minute plus runtime, but that guitar work shines through again. Third Floor is a nice three-minute ripper that shows the band when they are at their best; short bursts of heavy rock. A short instrumental interlude leads us to the closer, Byting, that at eight minutes is a bit long, but once again brings the nice riffs and guitar work but could have been shorter by at least two to three minutes, but I do love the epic scream at the end.

There is nothing that I dislike about White Tundra’s debut full length. It is a solid first record that shows lots of promise. The record is a bit uneven, however. I don’t love the vocals and it drags a bit at times, but there are some good songs and killer guitar work on White Tundra that is worth your time. I am looking forward to hearing what we get from the band next but for now this is a solid, yet imperfect debut from a band with a ton of possibilities. 7/10

War Curse – Confession (Metal Blade Records/Blacklight Media Records) [Zak Skane]

Like any classic thrash album we are greeted with clean guitars that composed of the Dream Theater-esque exotic virtuoso like chord choices before the melodic lead guitars are summoned to levitate us the same level that this band is going to unleash it’s thrashy goodness. Once the thrash driven assault commences we are greeted with pounding down beats, big four honouring down picked riffs, topped with Dave Mustaine styled snarling vocals. 

The precisely delivered Fortress Of Agony brings in some razor sharp riffage, eastern spiced melodic leads and punishing breakdowns. Confession comes with some cinematic strings before the gates are opened with some tribal sounding drums, followed by thunderous galloping Testament style riffs, cymbal polishing drum fills and catchy religious themed lyrics. Miracle Broker brings in some Dave Ellison styled clanky bass tones, followed by pick digging slow paced riffy grooves and eastern spiced solos. 

To close the first half of the album Power Of The Powerless brings in punchy down beats and some classic riffs. Highlights from the second album is the edge crushing The Convoy which brings Metallica styled guitar riffs and tribal beat styled grooves combined with Disturbed David Draiman styled vocal melodies. Return To Dust contains some punishing breakdowns and the closing track Illusion Of Choice ends the album with riffs that quickly change time signatures with switchblade accuracy, fist pumping choruses and stomping rhythms till it grinds to a classic 90’s fade out.

From the open track The Nothing (That Is Me) to the faded out closer Illusion Of Choice the band have provided us religious servings of fist pumping beats, thunderous down picked riffs and soaring vocals. This album will get thrashers and groovers coming together in harmony. From the tempo side of things, this album does definitely lean more to the speed of groove metal then what it’s been pigeon holed in but it still has the strength to break necks. For fans of Testament, Metallica and Megadeth. 7/10

Dead Addiction – Of Vice And Men (Self Released) [Kira Hughes]

Of Vice And Men is the latest album from Dead Addiction holding 11 solid tracks with a Hard Rock sound using classic music elements that’ll take you back a few decades.

Kicking it off with Welcome To The Sector immediately grabbing your attention with police sirens and police radio chatter then ending with a voice snippet leading into the upcoming track. Live At The Crime Scene continues the start of the album ever so smoothly with a fade-in from the album's intro, this track is where the vocals make an impressive appearance transporting you back to the 80’s. Frozen Dream starts with classic rock guitar riffs that immediately get your head banging with the smooth rock groove. The song is incredibly catchy with gorgeous harmonies and to make this song even better the energetic guitar solo blows you away. 

Blood Money has a drum-heavy stomping start continuing with a punchy guitar riff, it’s quite an impactful opening that is then held throughout the track, overall giving me Skid Row vibes! The pace picks up for the following track Chaos, making this song title quite fitting for a speedy tune! White Line shouts out to the album title Of Vice And Men within the chorus, which is awesome and lyrically captivating. The guitar solos throughout this track Sick City are rip, roaring and raunchy this reminds me of the band Poison. 

Every 80’s inspired album has to include a smooth ballad and this being the track Not Alone, an empowering and passionate song giving the album a soft touch. Dead Addiction is covering all the bases on this album! Warning Shot shouts Metallica with the heavy floor tom sections accompanied by harsh guitar riffs, low tones of bass and not forgetting the added depth in the vocals. The penultimate song Unsung Justice truly shows off his vocal range with the use of falsetto whilst the song carries a nice chugging riff. 

The finale track Tip Of The Blade rounds it out with a strong statement, as the track starts with smooth guitar picking, opening up for the vocals to come in with a powerful sense of purpose. As the chorus kicks in, the track starts to sore finalising the story. Of Vice And Men is a storytelling album that includes different samples from radio clips to police intercom chatter, that adds impact to the tracks and the narrative told throughout them. 8/10

Reviews: Dream Nails, Auriferous Flame, Putrid Torso, Dirty Sound Music (Reviews By Alex Swift, Erick Willand, Mark Young & Rich Piva)

Dream Nails – Doom Loop (Marshall Records) [Alex Swift]

With their eponymous debut Dream Nails left their stamp on the alternative music world. That record shot at a variety of social and political evils, bringing attention to specific crimes that serve to divide all communities of all kinds. It was a piece which truly captured the volatility of global events at the time, with real-world news skits woven throughout their frantic songs. 

A few years on from that outing, the group have reemerged with Doom Loop - a name that effectively concedes that nothing has improved and that the exact same problems stated in their initial call to action are still there or even worse, as the band are propelled by an even greater sense of resentment and rage. In spite of that though, elaborating on the theme of the record, singer Ishmael Kirby commented that “A doom loop is a crisis that starts to feed on itself. It feels like there is no escape. But there is. This album reflects ourselves, the world we live in, and the one we want to create”. That sense of conquering the insurmountable is one that stands out in every moment of this effort!

Beginning with a sinuous riff, Good Guy sets the tone, causing a groove to form that instantly locks you in. On a superficial level, the song appears to be appealing and full of hooks, particularly with its refrain that begs to be sang along to. However, the words and subject matter soon reveal the inherent menace concealed by the accessibility, as the band confront police brutality and institutional violence with the words ““it’s not a bad apple, it’s the whole damn tree”. Proving yet another earworm-inducing tune is Geraniums. This one truly displays the evolution of Dream Nails' sound, being filled to the brim with enormous riffs and melodies. There's still opportunity for proceedings to get messy, despite the cleaner production and improved technical prowess, while the more concentrated sound allows more diversity of moods to come through in the compositions.

Later, Prevenge messes with the speed and the vocals in order to intentionally sabotage the rhythm. A little amount of improvisation is added, which is completely realised in the song Sometimes I Do Get Lonely, Yeah, which forgoes the use of guitars in favour of a bass-led arrangement that truly stands out. This acceptance of diversity perfectly complements the revolutionary sense of acceptance and unity Dream Nails seek to set out. Femme Boi is a euphoric piece about feeling free to be comfortable in your gender and sexuality, while Monster demands the audience to “find the light and crack it open”. Even the sombre closing track of Time Ain't No Healer exposes the trauma's enduring destruction, reminding the listener that sometimes ‘recovery; doesn’t mean overcoming all of our faults, but learning to understand them and see them as part of who we are.

The underlying appeal of Doom Loop offers a sense of hope while being as bold and vocal as it is. Although it often seems confrontational and angry, its subjects are relatable and heartfelt. Dream Nails view living as an accomplishment in itself, standing up against the slings of oppression rather than giving in to them. Doom Loop strives to live by the tenet that while that's rarely an easy path to take, it's always worthwhile. The band are still a vital part of the punk scene today because they embrace uniqueness and innovation, which gives their voice a powerful boost. And since the aforementioned voice has such passion and importance to proclaim, you'll want to listen! 8/10

Auriferous Flame - Ardor For Black Mastery (True Cult Records) [Erick Willand]

Black metal project Auriferous Flame hailing from Greece is a solo affair by a dude by the name Ayloss. Solo projects like this can be hit or miss, on the one hand you are given a glimpse into a singular vision by someone who is clearly very driven. On the other hand they can be messy and underdeveloped on account that there usually isn’t anyone else to say “hey…that might sound better like this…”.

Auriferous Flame seems to have circumvented this solo project stigma as I can tell right from the first few seconds of Wielders Of Secrets that Ayloss has the chops to get the job done. Wielders rips open with no fan-fair, just instant swirling riffs and relentless drumming. Intensity is clearly the name of the game here, grabbing your attention and holding it tightly for almost 10 minutes. That’s right, this track clocks in at 9 minutes 39 seconds and … I’m not bored out of my mind. Track 2 is Thaumaturgical Irresolutions has a more raw, in your face with my guitar approach and this is wickedly noticeable in the drum work as well, harsh and pounding and just a tiny bit sloppy. Huge old school vibes start kicking my pizza glazed thrash metal brain and damn this is a really good song. In classic black metal fashion the following track Behind The Gentle Breeze is a synth heavy eerie piece drenched in mournful howls and creepy vibes. Also the shortest track so far.

Then comes album title track, Ardor For Black Mastery which opens with enough guitar heroics for a full band. It's a captivating and intensely fun little ride into the song proper and seriously…this is one guy!? This song is so vast without losing any aggression for it’s grandiose yet feral attack. Again, this song breaks the 5 minute mark and not once did I notice. I spin it again to make sure. Song length be damned here as Auriferous Flame keeps blasting forward like a demonic cavalry charge. Beyond Light, Beyond Reason starts with an almost classic thrash riff that quickly mutates into a black metal frontal assault. Again, full aggression on display and just over 7 minutes disappear. You’re left stumbling from this only to then instantly be healed back to full health by the short, mostly acoustic instrumental guitar love fest that is Ophidian Hallways, a fantastic little piece with a distinctly Mediterranean flare that at first seems out of place but necessary.

It’s only the calm fake-out before the final audio assault that is last track Recommencing The Great Work, an epic song that opens with an immediate vocal - riff combo attack that only grows in howling intensity until the grand, chaotic, shouted, guitar heavy blast before a final fade out.

This one surprised me, it’s big, well produced and the songs are all longer than usual but interesting and arranged in good flow. The light thrash or even trad touches added the right spice to hook and hold my attention. I don’t always agree with having a ‘light’ instrumental piece second to last on an album but it works here. Also the cover art is weird and cool, like a suit of ghost armor just chilling out. This is a solid listen and earns a 8/10

Putrid Torso - Tales Of Hypnotised Human Veins (Pathologically Explicit Records) [Mark Young]

Huzzah!! Some blast beats to round off the week. Starting the sonic assault with The Second Coming Of Negative Utopia, this is a breakneck, guttural and visceral attack on the senses. As openers go, it’s a full-on statement of intent of exactly what you can expect for the next 30 minutes or so. And this is what you get: dense, compact riffs. Perpetual drumming and the lowest of the low growling.

This is fine but if you are trying to review it doesn’t leave a lot of room to manoeuvre. Each of the song is more or less the same as the last one, some with more discordant guitar than others but they all have that constant speed of attack. I appreciate that writing death metal is hard and then trying to make this, so it stands out is something else. The level of musicianship on display from the three-piece is superb, there is absolutely no criticism there and it really does fly past. Even when there is a slight change, for example Path To Avoid as an example which has a slower start, they drop back into that brutal delivery which you have heard on the three songs before.

This is going to sound whiny, but I’m doing it anyway. In terms of keeping me interested in listening to it all the way through, it didn’t. It’s because I’ve listened to a lot in the past year and its possibly a fatigue thing, or it’s because I didn’t find it engaging. Either way, there will be those who disagree and will place plaudits on it for what it is, and they would be right to do so if this is what they like. It’s been a funny month for reviews so far, there has been a lot of solid releases (this is one of them) which are perfectly fine but that’s it. 

Again, let me say that this is a fantastically brutal sounding piece of death metal / brutal death / death grind / brutal death slam (taken from social media as tags on this band) that does exactly what you think it would do. It just didn’t do it for me. 6/10

Dirty Sound Magnet - Dreaming In Dystopia (Wild Thing Records) [Rich Piva]

I loved the last Dirty Sound Magnet record, DSM III, but to be honest, I am struggling with the latest from the Swiss psych freaks. Dreaming In Dystopia is a pretty apt name for this record, but while it is as freaky as I want a DSM record to be, there is something missing for me.

Dreaming In Dystopia is super chill and starts off strong with Melodies From Distant Shores, which is a nice little psych ditty with some fun guitar work. The title track is where I start to disconnect a bit, as I just didn’t feel the vibe on it. I hear some Flaming Lips on this one, but something is keeping me from fully understanding where this is going.

It is the same with the next one, The Tragedy Of Men, that is delightfully weird but just not sticking, but I do enjoy the guitar work. This is the overall sentiment for me across Dreaming In Dystopia. Utopia is the track that I really did not connect with. Vocally and lyrically I just want to turn it off when it comes up and brings the whole record down. I didn’t hate anything until this song, but Utopia really turned me off to the whole overall album experience.

I appreciate how weird this album is and I am always cool with bands expanding their sound, but I really struggled with Dreaming In Dystopia which is disappointing since I do really enjoy Dirty Sound Magnet. I love how psych they are, and I like that they are expanding their scope and our minds, I jut really struggled with the new one. 6/10

Reviews: Temperance, Elegy Of Madness, Raining Nails, Derdian (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Temperance – Hermitage: Daruma's Eyes Pt. 2 (Napalm Records)

Italian symphonic metal band Temperance, can’t seem to hold on to singers. Founded by guitarist/singer Marco Pastorino (Even Flow, Fallen Sanctuary, Serenity, Virtual Symmetry and Wonders) and bassist Luca Negro (Even Flow/Wonders) Temperance have always been about fusing the symphonic/progressive style of Italian metal with multiple vocalists. Marco provides cleans and harsh screams, but there have been a few male singers though Visions Of Atlantis man Michele Guaitoli has taken that role since 2018 (along with keys), they have had two female singers since their inception with vocal coach/opera/metal singer Kristin Starkey taking the role as their third on new record Hermitage - Daruma's Eyes Pt. 2, the bands seventh.

They also have a new drummer for this album in Marco Sacchetto, also their third, who brings an impressive style to tracks such as the dynamic Darkness Is Just A Drawing. Now this album is a concept record, the story of time travel and warring siblings, Hermitage... really increases the scope of what has come before from Temperance, the addition of Kristin’s varied vocal range matching well with Michele and Marco, her darker, lower vocal a counterpoint to the higher range of her male compatriots, it’s a new collaboration that tells the story brilliantly, through cinematic orchestrations, progressive compositions (Into The Void), and melodic power/heavy metal of their older releases. Pastorino and Negro are old hands with the melodic/prog/symphonic soundscapes so it’s no wonder that this album is done so well.

The story told brilliantly through the music and lyrics as additional performances come from Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie, Illumishade), Laura Fella (Faun) and Alessandro Conti (Twilight Force) as Arjen Lucassen himself provides narration. Can you have a cinematic concept album without Arjen? No I don’t think so. Hermitage - Daruma's Eyes Pt. 2, is a buoyant new era for Temperance, hopefully this line up will hang on as it works well. 8/10

Elegy Of Madness – XI (Scarlet Records)

XI is the first Elegy Of Madness to feature new singer Kyrah Aylin, she joined the band in 2022 and takes both the soprano and harsh growl vocals (I think I couldn't see anything that said it wasn't her). However it's done both are used to great effect on Hybrid Love and Goddess. Elegy Of Madness is the creation of guitarist Tony Tomasiccho, he’s been the driving force since the formation in 2006, I’ll admit at this juncture I’d never heard of the band until this record.

However it seems like the best time to listen to them as XI is something of a redefinition for the band with new singer and a focus on writing heavier more concise material. With Kyrah on the mic, Elegy Of Madness remind me of Epica and After Forever, taking a melancholic route with their music that is driven by the distorted riffs of Tony and Marco Monno, the cinematic orchestrations/keys helping track such as Revelation and Insanity to bring the more gothic pomp of Lacuna Coil.

Lyrically inspired by the significance of the number eleven in spirituality, occult etc. XI is a symphonic metal album that doesn’t redefine the genre but is a gateway into the music of Elegy Of Madness. 7/10

Raining Nails - Human Deeds (Rockshots Records)

I always find it amazing how there are so many symphonic/power metal bands from Italy. I understand of course that many of the best classical/opera composers are Italian but they have more synphinc metal than Norway does face painted church burners. Newest on the piazza are Raining Nails, their debut album Human Deeds. There's a loose concept around the songs, they're about finding positivity in the bleakness of our world, channeled through a symphonic style of metal that incorporates some European power metal. 

Driven by the rapid basslines and production of Massimiliano Flak, Raining Nails are very much in the classic style of power metal but with symphonic elements. Flak links well with Mattia Rubino behind the drums on rockers such as Chained, the Maiden-like Queen Of Thorns and the more dramatic Every Angel Has Its Demon. Marika Vanni's vocals are good and a bit more varied than the normal soprano, especially on the big ballad Close To You. Forr me though Giacomo Paradiso is the best part of this album as his electric and acoustic playing is superb. Human Deeds is a decent debut power/symphonic metal record from this Italian mob. 7/10  

Derdian – New Era Pt.4: Resurgence (Self Released)

More Italian symphonic power metal, this time with independent veterans Derdian who have been existence since 1998. They sound more Swedish than they do Italians less Rhapsody more Hammerfall, Just listen to The Evil Messiah and you’ll hear what I mean. Having been through multiple labels, members and all of the trials associated with being long established metal band, they return after the pandemic hiatus with their new album New Era Pt. 4 – Resurgence, a continuation of their first three albums, the last of which came out in 2010. 

They have released a plethora of albums since then but this one is a conscious effort to celebrate their first three records by adding the fourth part to their fantasy concept, although with long term singer Ivan Giannini on the vocals rather than their original singer Joe Caggianelli. This will definitely excite their huge fanbase in Japan and anyone who listened to those early albums. They’ve looked back musically too with a more ‘classic’ brand of galloping triumphal power metal on Dorian and Resurgence, saving the darker style for Black Typhoon and symphonic The Grin Of Revenge. Blending where they came from and where they are now as a band well. 

All Is Lost is an obligatory folksy ballad that builds, but any saccharine doesn’t last long as Derdian (the song) comes back with more symphonic metal bombast. Having been doing what they do for 25 years, Derdian aren’t reinventing the wheel, but they are paying homage to where they came from with this fourth part of their saga started back in 2005. Strong power metal from veterans of the game. 8/10

Reviews: Myrkur, Rival Sons, Ozric Tentacles, Sylvatica (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

 Myrkur – Spine (Relapse Records)

Having indulged more in the Scandinavian folk songwriting tradition on her last album, Amalie Bruun, aka Myrkur returns with the third chapter of music that blends the light and heavy. A multi-instrumentalist, Myrkur has always been an act that incites opinion, she has battled internet trolls who consider her not to be cvlt, posting vile things online which would be enough for most people to throw in the towel. However after the birth of her child, the multi-sensory set of emotions that come with that and deeper understanding to the folk traditions around the world, Bruun went back to the heavier side of music, although with no restraint, meaning that for every triumphal blast beat on Valkyriernes Sang, there’s the reflective, ghostly title track or the oscillation synthwave of Mothlike. 

The sense of claustrophobia heard in all the tracks here, the production of Randall Dunn bringing it your ears as a slightly muffled, introspective sound that means you have to play it louder to hear the instrumental nuance, while it means that tracks such as Devil In The Detail is much more effective, the piano driven first part carried by spectral vocals that move into dazzling extreme metal ferocity. Essentially it’s a headphone album, allowing you connect physically and emotionally with the music, be it the folk or metallic parts. On Spine the black metal that was so pronounced on M and Mareridt albums has been reduced, giving way to a wider metal sound, the speedy tremolo picking and blasts are still there, but so are traditional metal twin harmonies, electronic music, gothic overtones, post-rock gazing and most importantly a defiance to be anything that Bruun has been labelled as. 

With multiple listens Myrkur’s fourth album stands as a record of where she stands musically right now, everything before has led to here and this multi-faceted, densely layered musical exploration of the human psyche post motherhood is affecting, exhilarating and uncompromising. Multiple listens are suggested but Myrkur’s return should be heralded. 9/10

Rival Sons - Lightbringer (Parlaphone Records)

 

When Darkfighter was released in June it was the first part of a double album release this year. So as the nights draw in Lightbringer comes to show the way. Recorded at the same time, Darkfighter was a stripped back classic rock record, the kind Rival Sons are now used to making, slickly produced, played with virtuosity and coming from the heart like all Rival Son's music, though these two records deal with more introspective and personal lyrics than any previous effort.

Darkfighter was the reinvention of what Rival Sons were as a band, connecting their past to their present, Lightbringer on the other hand is their redefining of what the band can be, their present moving towards their future, both albums used to cement the band for what they are in 2023. Darkfighter pulled from folk and Americana, Lightbringer does the same but also from prog on the smouldering Darkfighter and the 60's British invasion on Sweet Life.

While the former goes down to a darker place than its moody namesake album the latter is the first upbeat number on either album, the riffs of Scott Holliday, choppy and bright while Jay Buchanan wails like the bluesmen of old. It's the blues that has always been the central point for Rival Sons' popularity but with these two recent records they have delved deeper, gone further to when blues music, gospel music and folk traditions were songs of liberation and protest, a catharsis from the horrors of the the world.

So too then are the songs on Lightbringer with the Zep fuzz of Mercy, the emotion of Redemption and the folksy Before The Fire all keeping an urgency as Mosaic closes the record with a track built around loud and quietness the understated rhythms of David Beste and Michael Miley building into that passionate chorus..

Stripped back to their skeletal form, Lightbringer and Darkfighter are Rival Sons laid bare, honest, open and ready for whatever comes next. 8/10

Ozric Tentacles – Lotus Unfolding (Kscope)

Formed during the solstice at Stonehenge Free Festival 1983, Ozric Tentacles have become one of the most revered psych/dance/prog bands around. Countless visits to Glastonbury, along with dance, rock, psych and prog festivals, they will hit the road with labelmates Gong in November and March but before then you all have time to take onboard their new studio record Lotus Unfolding. 

It’s the 23rd outing for the band, if you include the cassette only releases and it again sees, band founder/multi-instrumentalist Ed Wynne leading his psychonauts through 6 tracks of trippy soundscapes. Storm In A Teacup is a percussive opener formed on top of oscillating modular synths of Silas Wynne and probably Ed too, the bass of Brandi Wynne (and Ed again) throbbing below the surface as screaming guitar solos are changed into a bouncy middle section, the pace created kept by Tim Wallander with added percussion from Paul Hankin. 

All Ozric albums are musical journeys, so with Storm In A Teacup the initial blast off we head into the cosmic realms with the pulsating Deep Blue Shade, the dance music influence writ large as we shift into the title track which is heavily inspired by world music, the flute of Saskia Maxwell used well to establish are rainforest atmosphere. 

The musicianship is top drawer as normal, the 6 instrumental excursions here never suffering from a lack of vocals, Crumplepenny increasing volume and forcefulness as it goes through the 10 minute movement, adding Middle Eastern flavour to the sublime guitar playing, tribalistic drumming and swelling synth, the rhythmic percussion also carrying Green Incantation which shows of some slinky acoustic playing. 

Meditative, ethereal, cosmic but tied to a human endeavour, Ozric Tentacles wrap themselves around your brain and leave you dancing in the rain with tea spiked with peyote, blissful and open-minded. 9/10

Sylvatica - Cadaver Synod (Mighty Music)

Melodic death metal inspired by the bloodiest/ideologically corrupt period in history, the Middle Ages, is what Danish band Sylvatica strive for on their third album Cadaver Synod. Forgoing the huge cinematic production of their previous two records, here they attempt something rawer the melodic flourishes brought by some clean guitars but mainly Hammond organs, synths, church organs and chants (see Song Of The Leper). It means that Cadaver Synod brings about a sound of Ghost playing with Wintersun (Papa Poltergeist), Candlemass with Cradle Of Filth (Titivillus), 70’s doom amalgamating with 2000’s melodeath (Pope Innocent VIII). It’s interesting concept that is brought about with technical precision and a commitment to making an entertaining listen.

Heavily reliant on guitars from, Jarden Schlesinger and Christian Christiansen, their dual attack riffs and solos peel off brilliantly across the record, as they have on the last two but on this third album, there’s a broader soundscape at play, just check out the eerie Scapegoat which features tonnes of Theremin, backed by the stomping rhythm section of Thomas Haxen (bass) and Jacques Harm Brandt Hauge (drums), things getting unhinged on In The Eyes Of God which takes us back to the melodeath assault, Schlesinger’s growls barking the heretical lyrics before the acoustics weigh in. A record that brings a broad soundscape but doesn’t sacrifice their roots. If Medieval metal seems like your bag then I can’t recommend Cadaver Synod enough. 8/10

Reviews: Unverkalt, Dream Unending/Worm, Lynch Mob, Catch Your Breath (Reviews By Mark Young, Rick Eaglestone, Rich Piva & GC)

Unverkalt - A Lump Of Death: A Chaos Of Dead Lovers (Argonauta Records) [Mark Young]

Greek post rock, alternative and doom metal come together to provide a heady and engaging mix with A Lump Of Death: A Chaos Of Dead lovers from Unverkalt.

This is their second full-length release following in the footsteps of L’origine du monde, and it’s 8 tracks of atmospheric metal that places its emphasis on hooks, on melody over crushing riffs. Dimitra Kalavrezou weaves a powerful web, keeping the vocal delivery clean which fits the music behind it. Terrible Secret (Intro) is just that. A spoken piece with sparse soundscapes behind it that wrongfoots you as we go from this into Mass Hysteria.

This is full of melancholic chord stabs with a sound that is expansive, giving room for Dimitra to sing. The synths swell and It feels as though there is the slightest effect on the voice which initially grates but as the song continues its travels this becomes less noticeable. The guitars rise and fall building so well and is a great start. Loathe And Love, has that delicious sequence of guitar that is played off against the voice. 

Its unhurried, building within itself, never losing sight of the need for some of the doomiest guitar work that isn’t downtuned to a low rumble. The movement they employ is just fantastic. This is incredibly catchy despite that doom’ feel, live this will become one huge choir. Even within these two songs, its apparent they have placed a lot of the work with how the songs are phrased. The vocal lines just stay with you long after they finish.

They continue on like this, making the voice the primary weapon of choice of in getting these songs to land. Everything sits together so well with what could be taken as being simple arrangements where everything is supporting the song. Mr. Monster with a continued refrain, Heart Of Darkness with its minimal opening that blows into a rising crescendo that is built so well. In both cases their ability to craft memorable songs is there for all to see. Its just a constant level of quality right the way through.

Le Triomphe de la Mort is nothing short of epic. From the opening slow burn with barely sung words that rise into a chorus, with the music building around it to become whole. A Greater Evil provides the closing act, and they bring a heavier edge to this one without it sounding at odds to the preceding tracks. This has an urgent edge to it without ever upping the tempo. It’s a fitting end to a great album.
As I said earlier there is something in how the vocals have been produced that seems to ease off as we get to the end of the album. The arrangements on each song are intelligent and varied to make sure you listen in one run. 

Any negative points I have is that possibly it could have been more prominent but that would detract from the rest of the song. I’m trying to think of someone who sounds similar to provide an example, the closest I could get is Gwen Stefani, which is probably still wide of the mark. As with anything that is labelled Post rock it is a varied pool in which to drink from and so you should fetch a glass and try it. You might find you like this a lot. 8

Dream Unending/Worm - Starpath (20 Buck Spin) [Rick Eaglestone]

Two colossal forces team up for a new 5 track split Starpath

First up with their two tracks are Dream Undending who come in with So Many Chances at an impressive twelve minutes with is ample time to reacquaint yourself with their blend of doom prog -it’s rich atmospheric and experimental soundscapes are entwined with the most despairing and visceral vocals.

They follow this up with If Not Now When dissolve the post punk elements that existed previously embracing a darker incantation which personally is a welcome move forward. Continuing the virtuosic blackness is Worm who instantly changed the dynamic flooding the split with icy keys and eerie melodies all with a vampiric black metal, Ravenblood is very Principle Of Evil Made Flesh in places so of course this was always going to be my highlight track.

Moving onto Midwinter Tears contains some really sweeping gothic parts which dominate even over the abundance of atmosphere that is deeply embedded. This split has demonstrated the joining of forces but for me Worm’s Sea Of Sorrow reaffirms that the latter trio for me personally has had the strongest pull for me with the gothic darkness really pulling me through a well of emotion and straight up smoked machine led nostalgia.

Cosmic duality delivered effortlessly. 9/10

Lynch Mob - Babylon (Frontiers Music Srl) [Rich Piva]

While I patiently wait to shit all over the new Dokken record that comes out the week after, I, as the guy who has settled into my role of the reviewer of 80s and early 90s hair/mental bands who put on albums in 2023, gets to review the new one from the shredder that came from said band, George Lynch and his (still) unfortunately named band Lynch Mob, who somehow are on on album number eight. 

I remember very definitively listening to their debut, Wicked Sensation while sunning my mid-teens self on Jones Beach, and at the time I loved it, even more than I loved the Don Dokken solo album that came out around the same time. Now, once again, these guys have albums coming out within weeks of each other, and I am pretty sure not as many people care. But some do, including your reviewer, so let’s look and listen to what Lynch and his latest cast of revolving musicians bring us with Babylon.

Well, this definitely has the Frontiers vibe to it for better or worse. Of course, Lynch rips it up, but the production is a bit to slick for my liking and I don’t love the new vocalist’s voice for the band. Musically the Mob isn’t veering too far off their normal formula, but the solo on the opener, Erase, is classic Lynch. Song wise these are basic straight ahead hard rock, nothing bad but nothing all that memorable either. I hear bands like Buckcherry coming through with the new vocalist. I dig the track Caught Up and Time After Time is a catchy and fun straight ahead rock tune. 

I thought we were getting a cover of Panama with the opening riff of I’m Ready but not so much as this is a less memorable generic straight-ahead rock tune. How You Fall is the heaviest track on Babylon and is one of the better ones but leads into one of the softest ones, Million Miles Away, which doesn’t really work for me, mostly due to the vocals, which I know I am harping on, but I am really struggling with the voice. I think the closing title track is another winner on here, which would be a strong addition if there was a Lynch Mob hits album.

This was fine for another Lynch Mob album. Fans of Geroge will dig it as he is in top form as usual, but the songs are pedestrian and the vocals bring this one down, but it is a respectful effort in 2023 given all the factors at play for having a new Lynch Mob album today. I can say one thing definitively: Babylon will be better than whatever garbage his old bandmate throws out there next week. 5/10

Catch Your Breath - Shame On Me (Thriller Records) [GC]

Catch Your Breath are from Texas, and they claim that they ‘’inject a unique mix of synth sound scaping elements, imaginative production, and refined songwriting for an intense amount of emotion’’ Fancy! I can see there have been a couple of EP’s and a handful of singles and l this is their debut album?

Opener No Evil is full of off-kilter guitar work and squealing pitch harmonics and sprinkled with some decent enough beatdowns, but it does sound all a little bit to computerized and clean, there is obviously nothing wrong with nice production but this just sounds like everything else in this genre at the minute, this trend carries on into Dying On The Inside but here they go for a more vocal lead approach and the verse relies on the loud/quiet dynamic and once again while its decent enough it just doesn’t stand out from the crowd and there are so many bands doing this electronic/melodic hardcore style of music at the minute you need something to make you stick out. 

Dial Tone does nothing to really make the situation better and if I hadn’t seen the last song had finished I would just think this was still it, from the opening jolt the last 2 songs have instantly killed any momentum that might have been built, Cycles then does pick up the pace a bit and throws some nice crunchy riffs around and finally shows a bit of fight but as usual the clean vocals kick in and slow everything down but when they get back to the heavy parts it makes for a decent listen, Deadly continues to stick with the slowed down more thoughtful approach and honestly its just boring, I have now noticed there are 13 songs on this album which already seems like way to many! 

5 in and not much to write home about, 8 more to go, sigh. Y.S.K.W doesn’t offer much hope thigs are going to pick up anytime soon and again is just boring and predictable and following this with My Confessions doesn’t help either, its like they have just decided to stop playing music and just use electronics and its just so mind numbingly tedious at this point, then we get Savages and they have picked the instruments up again but what has been created is now just some radio friendly rock with an bit of an edge to it but the problem is the edge is blunt and its just dull and uninspiring. Mirror does fare slightly better and has a nice vocal to it but then they drop in a fucking rap verse out of nowhere and it sounds fucking horrendous and completely ruins the song! Whoever thought that was a good idea needs a slap!! 

Don’t Go is easily the best song on the album as it FINALLY shows something and opens with a scathing and jagged riff assault and even when the cleans come in the verse it still mixes in with heavy outbursts and finally there is something positive to write about! It is then instantly cancelled out by Cold Light which is another ambient and electronic piece of depression in music form. When it does liven up it does so for about 10 seconds then its back to the woe is me shit and its time to skip this track. The last 2 tracks 21 Gun Salute and Shame On Me sound identical and really don’t close the album on a good note for me, both are pretty much the same as the main body of this album, dull, uninspiring, and frankly boring.

Having heard nothing about them before this album I really wish it had stayed that way and I hadn’t bothered, barring couple of decent tracks there was nothing here that would make me want to recommend this album or follow Catch Your Breath in the future. If you want safe, easy and unchallenging radio friendly hard rock, this is 100% for you, if however, you want something that will make you sit up, pay attention and get excited about what your hearing this is not it! 4/10

Reviews: The Rolling Stones, Creeper, Of Mice & Men, Modern Technology (Reviews By Rich Piva, Alex Swift, Danika Ulrich & Mark Young)

Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds (Polydor) [Rich Piva]

I am not going to waste any time explaining who the band I am about to do a review for is, because if you are not aware of a little band called The Rolling Stones you have some serious issues that need to be attended to and I am not equipped to assist in these matters. What I can say is that this may be the best Stones album since Steel Wheels and maybe even Tattoo You. Think I’m nuts? Well, you may be right, but I stand my ground that I have not been as entertained by a Stones album since 1989. You get the trademark Stones sound, a bunch of cool guests, their best songwriting in a long time, and just an overall great rock record from the kings.

Angry is such a great opener, a totally Stones track one. I love the guitar and how catchy the song is. The album sounds excellent which is a testament to why the Stones have always ruled; they could make this all glossy and over the top produced (considering the dude who produced as worked with Post Malone and Justin Bieber) but there is no need to when you own Rock and Roll. You get a bit funky and get some sax on Close To You, which somehow doesn’t come across creepy at all coming from an 80-year-old. 

Depending On You is a trademark Stones ballad (pick any of them) it that slow burn leads perfectly into the edgy Bite My Head Off where Mick’s teen angst somehow returns in the form of a loose, fun, and naughty track with an up-and-comer playing bass, some guy named McCartney. We have not heard as many f words from Mick since 1973 and it works perfectly. Speaking with others regarding a couple of the tracks like Whole Wide World, musically they are great but comes across a bit whiney, where the world is against them and the just want to get away. I mean you’re the Stones, I don’t really want to hear about the troubles you have…unless this is Mick singing about having a six-year-old at 80, that I could get behind. 

Dreamy Skies with its bluesy slide guitar and country vibes recalls any number of tracks in this style in the catalog, but the whole take a break from it all brings back that whiney vibe, but I am willing to overlook it considering cool it is. Mess It Up sees the Stones getting funky with their bad selves. While Live By The Sword is kind of silly lyrically it is probably the coolest song on the album considering it includes both the late Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman, reuniting the original rhythm section for one last time. I love the piano work done by another random new guy named Elton John. Tumbling Dice vines emit from Tell Me Straight. Even Keith gets lead vocals on the chill and reflective Tell Me Straight. 

The highlight of Hackney Diamonds is Sweet Sounds Of Heaven, with Stevie Wonder on the keys and Mick trading vocal licks with Lady Gaga and hanging in there like he was 30. The song is something to behold and is my favorite Stones song since the early 80s. The closer, a cover of Muddy Waters’ Rolling Stone Blues is such a fitting close to what could possibly be the last Rolling Stones album. Who knows though, there could be three more given how these guys are still going.

This may be my first review of a band with a guy in their 80s, but the Stones are in no way any kind of ordinary band. I am not here to debate if they are the best rock band of all time, but what I am here to say is that The Rolling Stones keep giving us gifts even sixty years since they changed the world. Hackney Diamonds is the perfect Stones record for 2023 and will hang with anything else you listen to this year. I hope it is not their last. 8/10

Creeper – Sanguivore (Spinefarm Records) [Alex Swift]

Charting Creeper’s musical reinventions is no small feat. Thay emerged on to the scene in the mid 2010’s with a cult appeal, and a sound that drew on horror punk and post-hardcore in equal measure. This was made grander on the bands 2017 debut, Eternity In Your Arms, which brought a fantastic theatrical zeal to proceedings – merely a taste of experiments to come. Not long after though, the band had fans panicked when on the final show of the tour cycle for that album the band unexpectedly “disbanded”. Of course, this was all a ruse, partly inspired by David Bowie’s decision to kill the character of Ziggy Stardust at a gig in the 70’s, and soon enough the band returned to with the alias of “the fugitives of heaven” for a sound that drew on Americana, new wave and glam rock – an incarnation of the band that lasted all of one album, when in another of their stunts, vocalist William Gould was beheaded by his fellow band members at the end of that tour.

This brings us to Sanguivore which see the band reinventing themselves as leather clad servants of hell, perfecting a sound that draws on the entire history of music inspired by our infernal master, from Meat Loaf to Sisters Of Mercy. Still, even though there’s temptation to try and identify each and every influence on the album, what really sets Creeper apart is their ability to lean into the realm of utter ridiculousness while sounding absolutely convincing and committed to the act!

Further Than Forever opens the experience, Will Gould – hilariously renamed William ‘Von’ Gould, for the purposes of this project – crooning atop a delicate piano. A rush of guitars and choir vocals usher in the bombast, with the band taking the mantra of “what would Jim Steinman do?” that they employed in making this album to heart, as the over-zealous chorus speaks of Armageddon forged in the fiery romance between a pair of demonic lovers. The middle section of this nine-minute piece see’s the band experimenting with spoken word, and a post-punk surrealism, before the closing few minutes confounds with duelling guitars, and an ambitious zeal that see’s the track progressing towards a gigantic crescendo, before fizzling out in a blaze of glory, the chants of “dragged down to hell!” brilliantly setting the listener up for a ride through the most flamboyant excesses of these musicians imaginations.

Cry To Heaven belongs to a specific subdivision of Creeper songs that we’ll refer to as ‘horny goth rock’, this time with deliciously sinister Vampire imagery. A pulsating synth line pervades the verses, before a gigantic chorus seeing Hannah Greenwood excellently navigating some tricky key changes, gives the song a sense of smirking villainy, that’s only accentuated by the fierceness of the lead guitar work, the soloing on this project outdoing that of any previous work by the five-piece. Sacred Blasphemy again see’s the band leaning into the Misfits-esque aesthetic, but this time with a distinctly gothic twist that allows the lower frequencies to really resonate and chill you to your core. By contrast, the Ballad Of Spook and Mercy is an eerie folk tale that through clever use of tension and atmosphere develops into an operatic piece warning of demons and spirits coming to reap dark days “for us all”.

Not content with already changing styles multiple times, Lovers led Astray is a sincere tribute to the metal of the 80’s, with a blues-laden beginning that gives way to a throbbing electronic section replete with spooky background vocals, before the two styles come together into a vicious dance-rock chorus! Remarkably, I don’t believe you can even criticise these contrasting moods for sounding out of place next to each other. While at a stretch, you could have potentially made the argument with regard to previous Creeper releases that the transitions were sometimes discordant, there is no such randomness here, with every creative decision-making perfect sense within the concept the act are aiming to achieve! Pieces like the NWOBHM-inspired Teenage Sacrifice, and the Damned-esque Chapel Gates shouldn’t work so well next to each other, yet through a powerful grasp of how to write records like a piece of musical theatre, each of these moments feel absolutely earned!

After the ghostly electronic interlude of The Abyss, we get Black Heaven, which might be one of Creepers finest experiments at layering multiple elements to make for an immersive descent into the black. “All hail the original sinner! God’s kingdom will come crashing down!” runs one line, against enveloping layers of synths and guitars, and ethereal backing vocals. While all of these songs play with the idea of fear exceptionally well, this one abandons almost any pretence of irony, for a track that truly sends shivers up the spine!

In keeping with the tradition of the band ending their albums on beautiful piano ballads, More Than Death might be their most beautiful yet, as we’re serenaded with the words “And death fears us, we don’t fear death!” and the final goodbye of “I’ll see you in hell, if I don’t see you before”. Quite why this is so moving is a mystery. I guess its testament to the sheer strength of the songs and performances, that they wrench out an emotional reaction, even when the lyrics play on the fantastical and the otherworldly. That’s the magic of Creeper – far from belonging to any one genre, they exist in a reality of their own. This shameless creative freedom has allowed them to create their greatest project yet with Sanguivore and will continue to serve them well as they shock and inspire with future experiments. 10/10

Of Mice & Men - Tether (Sharptone Records) [Danika Ulrich]

Of Mice & Men have never shielded away from being heavy in their music and their new album Tether is no exception. The album is full of crushing riffs, aggressive screams, and intense breakdowns that was such a joy to listen to. Since the bands ex-frontman Austin Carlile left the group in 2016, Of Mice & Men have not just persevered but also produced some of their best music. The aggression and the major melodic moments that make up the foundation of their sound have been expanded well beyond what they were originally known for.

The evocative opening track Integration ushers listeners into the album with a steady, melancholic start. It serves as a slow, melancholic preface of what's to come with an anthem worthy chorus and massive thunderous drums. Warpaint really brings out the vicious aspects of metalcore. Clean vocals and a slowed tempo at the chorus skillfully temper the tracks angsty vibe that precedes it with screaming vocals and a formidable beat.

Eternal Pessimist, possibly the most aggressive and heaviest on the album, is a noteworthy track that is a wild assault on the senses and doesn't hold back. Whenever the track seems like it's going slow down the relentless breakdowns draw you back in. It's the ideal blend of harsh vocals with a sharp, catchy chorus. One of my favorite songs on the album is Into The Sun. The song's base is laid by a synth intro that gives way to a pounding drum beat. The vocals are really melodic but the heaviness is still present.

Enraptured amplifies the intensity even further. The instrumental part really goes all out in a grandiose way while the resonant and haunting vocals add a really eerie feel to the track. Indigo and Zephyros, the album's final tracks, are a little too serene but nevertheless tie the whole thing together. They serve as reminders that Of Mice & Men are just as thoughtful in their selection of track arrangement and album coherence as they are in their songwriting and the result is a profoundly mesmeric experience.

Tether does a remarkable job of showcasing the bands development while remaining true to their signature sound. The group self-produced and engineered every track on this release. Aaron mixed and mastered the album and drummer Tino designed the cover. Whether he's going for a melodic or aggressive sound, Aaron's influence on Of Mice & Men’s eighth is particularly notable. The group have always managed to have a fair balance of melodic and brutal. My only critique is that the vocals occasionally seem to get lost in the dissonance, especially on the heavier tracks. Otherwise this is yet again another strong release from the metalcore heavyweights. 8/10.

Modern Technology - Conditions Of Worth (Human Worth) [Mark Young]

It must be the weather, changing of the seasons and all that which accounts for this one slipping through the net. Apologies all round! Modern Technology their latest with a portion of the proceeds being donated to Choose Love, to provide humanitarian aid and help those displaced through whatever reason around the globe, which I think is ace.

Onto the music, the duo manage to make an unholy noise, sounding both modern and harking back to influences of the past. It’s not an easy listen, nor an immediate one as fans of speedy, technical etc should look elsewhere. Those who dig on long jams will find a lot to love, as they crank their way through 8 tracks of sonic destruction. This is low down, gritty with a keen eye on making sure every song contains no fat. It has that repetitive riff build that gets in your ears and stays there for ages afterwards. It certainly reminds of the early 90’s and they name-check the Melvins, Helmet and The Jesus Lizard as a base, bands that would go onto influence countless others. Modern Technology take those ideas and mould them into a noise that although sounds as though it could collapse at any moment.

There are no duff songs here, some such as Dead Air could be seen as a traditional doom-noise offering, whilst The Space Between opts for a stripped back opening before dropping the heavy on you. What doesn’t change is the emotion that is there, they have been pushed on to take the cork off and the result is fantastic.

For me, the standout is Conditions Of Worth, a ten-minute opus with a riff that could strip the enamel from your teeth. Its relentless with Chris Clarke switching from spoken word to a voice that cracks as the story is told. It’s the perfect encapsulation of what modern noise rock / sludge should sound like. It just sits and boils until it can no longer be contained, and that fury is let out for all to hear. The rising synths echo some of John Carpenters work on his early films (Escape From New York for one) and there is no doubt that this could sit in any films of that ilk. It’s an incredible song.

I’ve said previously that sludge and its offshoots are not my bag and yet I’ve listened to a load of it this year. Torpor being another recent first so more and more I’m getting into it. This is a strong, strong album for this time of the year, and fans of this should leap onto it. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: The Dust Coda & Doomsday Outlaw (Live Review By Paul Hutchings)

The Dust Coda  & Doomsday Outlaw – The Globe, Cardiff 19.10.23

Throughout the day, Cardiff has at times been wetter than an otter’s pocket. But tonight, it’s heartening to see a good 100+ souls have roused themselves from the sofa and headed to The Globe in Cardiff for an evening of outrageously good hard rock and roll.

Date three of the Loco Paradise UK tour, and a nice combination to enjoy. The Dust Coda have been on the radar for several years and have released one of my favourite albums of the year in Loco Paradise whilst support act Doomsday Outlaw are road hardened, having been out with Jared James Nichols in the preceding weeks.

Little fanfare as Doomsday Outlaw (8) hit the stage. The Sheffield band start slowly, but quickly hit their stride with one of three from their 2023 release Damaged Goods. It’s easy to see why the band are well respected in the NWOCR circles, for their music is easy on the ear, but contains the necessary steel to appeal to more than the ardent fan. In Too Deep shows the band’s underlying swagger, and although five of them are on stage, they make the most of the limited space available.

Vocalist Phil Poole is an enigmatic character. He’s improved measurably since I last saw the band in 2018 supporting Graham Bonnet, and now has developed a much more confident style. Vocally, his soulful bluesy delivery works well, with Turn Me Loose and Runaway, both also from Damaged Goods catching the ear. He’s good with the banter, bemoaning the challenge of finding parking around the venue (he’s right. It can be a nightmare). There’s some stellar lead guitar work throughout, whilst the engine room is tight and focused. Smiles, gurning, grimaces, Doomsday Outlaw have a good time on stage and encourage you to do the same. As they finish with Bring You Pain which sees bassist Indy Chandra spring to life on backing vocals, its job done. The venue is warm. Very warm. And Doomsday Outlaw have stoked it up just a little bit more.

The Dust Coda (9) are approaching that difficult stage between new band and veteran. Three albums and a decade under their belt, they prove tonight why they remain highly rated. Loco Paradise is a stunner, a heady mix of styles, from delta blues to hard rock, seventies influences swap fluidly with more contemporary sounds. It’s a delight from start to finish.

Frontman John Drake smoulders. Three songs without so much as a nod to the audience, he looks like he’s having a bad day. But you quickly realise that this is a band who are focused on their job, and that’s delivering a high energy set. Over the 75 minutes they play, Drake smiles a couple of times, but I think that’s more his style than surliness, although the looks that are fired at those daring to chat during his solo performance of The Streets threaten to do serious damage.

I may be being a bit harsh, for as the set develops, he and his colleagues visibly loosen. They are only three shows into their tour, and as many musicians have told me, it takes a handful to get the cohesion going. Set wise, we get treated to a fabulous mix. New tracks such as Call Out The Dogs, the emotional Lovesick, opener Rock ‘n’ Roll Paradise and closer Road To Hell are premiered, interspersed with a smattering of older songs that are greeted with whoops of approval by the band’s hardcore following down the front.

Halfway through the set and The Dust Coda are fully into their stride, the crowd are engaged, and it is turning into one cracking show. The Welsh crowd may not be the most raucous, but the applause that greets each track confirms that they know good music when they hear it. Good music, excellently performed, there’s not much else to say. The Dust Coda are an excellent band, and this show demonstrates exactly why they are so well placed to push on to the next level. If you can get to see them on this tour, then you really should. Like Empyre, another band who sit within the same genre, headier days await.

A View From The Back Of The Room: Cult Of Luna (Live Review By Richard Oliver)

Cult Of Luna, GGGOLDDD and Slow Crush - Live at Marble Factory, Bristol - 17.10.23

Ahead of their curated Beyond The Redshift festival in London on the weekend, Cult Of Luna have headed out on a small run of UK dates alongside a couple of other bands also playing the festival. This small tour saw the bands stop off at the Marble Factory in Bristol for a chilly evening of intensive music with all three bands all providing the intensity in their own unique style.

Opening up the evening were Belgian shoegaze band Slow Crush (7). This was my first time seeing or hearing this band and they definitely made a good first impression with their dense yet melodic sound. The guitars were both bright and shimmering as well as providing a thick wall of sound with the bass and drums also providing a barrage of intensive sound which were offset by the delicate vocals of Isa Holliday. The songs mixed shoegaze, dream pop and post-rock together ensuring a range of sonic perspectives from the calm and serene to the chaotic and dissonant. A nice sound mix ensured the band sounded at their full power and an impressive light show accompanied the intensive nature of the music. A good start to the evening.

In the main support slot were Dutch darkwave band GGGOLDDD (9) who took the music in a different direction but lost none of the intensity and if anything added to it. Dark themes are a prevalent part of this sort of music but the darkness and trauma on which this music is based has been very much lived by band leader Milena Eva whose experiences of sexual assault and the resultant trauma very much shape the band. It is very brave for one to bare their soul in front of an audience and relive their trauma through musical performance but GGGOLDDD do it in mesmerising style with Milena being an incredible performer with enormous stage presence. 

 Songs such as Spring, I Let My Hair Grow and I Won’t Let You Down are equally confrontational as well as heartbreaking and the emotion in the music and performance was breathtaking and ensuring that there were more than a few weepy eyes in the audience especially during the stark yet beautiful set closer On You. The heavy lyrical themes, impressive light show and impressive choreography and stunning vocals from Milena mixed with the harsh electronica, intensive industrial and post-rock sounds ensured that GGGOLDDD left a lasting impression on the crowd watching.

Headlining the evening were Swedish post-metal legends Cult Of Luna (9) who brought an intensity of the bludgeoning kind. Cult Of Luna have a huge sound which is not surprising considering they have six members on stage but a perfect sound mix ensured that the none of the multiple layers and textures which make up the Cult Of Luna sound got lost. A good deal of material was drawn from the bands latest album The Long Road North with the epic Cold Burn kicking things off but I: The Weapon, Lights On The Hill and Finland ensured others albums from the bands vast back catalogue were covered. The band were suitably animated on stage with frontman Johannes Persson passionately roaring into the microphone ably backed by keyboardist Kristian Karlsson. 

 The duo of Thomas Hedlund on drums and Magnus Lindberg on percussion were both very active and playing with a passion and ferocity that was a joy to watch. The music was as devastatingly heavy as it was euphoric and life affirming and the sheer amount of lightning and dry ice were a spectacle to behold and ensured that the set absolutely flew by. Unfortunately to ensure I got the last train I very begrudgingly had to leave the show before the band finished but what I saw was an awe inspiring experience. This was my first time watching Cult Of Luna live and it is definitely an experience I want to repeat.

Reviews: Archangel, Afterbirth, Occult Hand Order, Atlas (Reviews By Paul Scoble, Mark Young, Rich Piva & Matt Bladen)

Archangel - Total Dark Sublime (Scarlet Records) [Paul Scoble]

Over the years there have been several bands in the Rock and Metal sphere that have used the name ‘Archangel’, this one is a punky rock band based in Denmark, Total Dark Sublime is the bands first album. Archangel are made up of Kenneth Frandsen on bass, Søren Crawach on vocals and Janus Kragh on guitars. The band describe their music as horror rock, and have an impressive live show to go along with the music. Listening to the album it isn’t a surprise that Archangel started out life as a Misfits cover band.

The style on offer on Total Dark Sublime is punk rock but with a bit of a Metal sense to how it is produced and sounds, so metal sounding guitar, bass and drums but playing punk that is mainly a little softer than the Misfits, but definitely not pop punk (the band name isn’t a short word and some numbers so we’re safe from pop punk). The majority of the material is mid-paced punk with loads of melody, and very good vocals that again are filled with tunefulness. 

The New God opens the album and is a very good example of the style, a brisk walking pace with lots of drive and energy, there some soft sections with very fervent vocals. Take My Soul has a similar feel and a tempo that is perfect for head nodding. In my notes on this album the track Dance Demon Dance is labeled ‘party punk’, it’s a mod-paced piece of punk with fantastic chorus, one of the many brilliant choruses on this album, it is dripping with melody and has a great guitar solo and guitar harmonies near the end of the track.

Apollyon Vistas is another party punk track that is at a fast walking pace and is full of positive energy, something that flows through a lot of this album. Cast Down is a fast and short piece of punk that I thought was a little reminiscent of The Offspring, and the Title track Total Dark Sublime is a beautifully melodic piece of high energy punk.

The album does feature a couple of faster and harder tracks that are closer to Misfits more extreme material, that I find in places to also be similar to Suicidal Tendencies material that is super fast, and in some ways quite thrashy punk or hardcore. The tracks Blind Dragon and Sunslayer have a definite harder and much faster feel to the material that surrounds them. The pacing is breakneck, aggressive and nasty, but still manages to be full of melody and tunefulness.

Total Dark Sublime does also have two tracks on it that are a little bit different to the other material. Vidine and the rather strangely titled Catatonic Children are, and there is no other way to describe them, power ballads! The songs both start very softly with gently sung vocals, they both have big choruses with a little bit of distortion, and they both build slowly to epic proportions. I can’t describe them any other way, I hope the band isn’t offended by that classification. However, the really important question is: Are they good power ballads? Well, yes they are very effective power ballads, lots of melody and lots of emotion, in fact apart from the odd name Catatonic Children would probably have been a major hit if it had been released as a single in 1988.

Ok Vidine and Catatonic Children are closer to Whitesnake, than the Misfits, but they are still good songs, and I have enjoyed them.

Total Dark Sublime is a very enjoyable album full of melody, drive, great energy and loads of huge singalong punk choruses. The scope of the material stretching from power ballads through to thrashy hardcore punk is pretty wide, but the way Archangel manage to pull it off very well without anything feeling Incongruous, or out of place is very impressive. The main thing you take away from this album is the huge amount of positive energy and the melody that drips from every note of this album. 7/10

Afterbirth - In But Not Of (Willowtip Records) [Mark Young]

Formed in 1993, New York veterans are starting off in a hurry, Tightening The Screws comes in amongst a blur of drums, and some of those almost unintelligible vocal deliveries, with riffs seemingly looping back and feeding on themselves. It’s a quick, devasting opener and with barely a breath Devils With Dead Eyes picks up that pace. This is a different proposition with a mosquito like guitar line played rapid fire whilst the cacophony of drums keeps things tight. A sub Iron Maiden harmony / solo break comes in from the left, totally unexpected. The break down after this is super dense, giving way to what could be described as a cool lead before they get back to mud stomping. It’s certainly not boring. Vomit On Humanity continues the path dug out, with a little throwback to some classic death metal, but there is more going on than that. Subtle changes in timing and riff patterns are dropped in and they are quality. It mixes up speed from hyper-fast to super-dense. 

The one constant is the vocal delivery that occupies that range that I have never been able to get past and so is affecting my view on this. I just don’t like it. According to online sources, its termed ‘toilet bowl' guttural vocals (Encyclopadia Metallum I thank you). Autoerotic Amputation is a quick technical burst that blows into that super speed without losing any clarity and then Vivisected Psychopomp does the same except there is a real shift in the arrangements the hammer is replaced for parts for a cracking section which switches back to that elastic feel of chords being stretched here and there. This gives hints of what is to come as they start to play with the form. Hovering Human Head Drones kicks off, and tonally its almost like a different band as it weaves in and out, with this absolutely lush solo break, its so at odds with what they have presented so far. That isn’t to say they don’t heavy it up they do but not to any detriment to how the song plays out. Brilliant stuff and In But Not Of is next up and just takes flight. 

Its full of epic movements that are just excellent, absolutely excellent. All the parts work so well,
and it moves in a way that once they come back with the heavy once more it just slots in. Like the track before it, its quality stuff. Angels Feast On Flies moves, it just hits so well. That change that has manifested in the two tracks before is all over this. Its not so much how its played, its more of the feeling behind it. Its still rapid, but now there is keys in there, all of it coming together in a wonderful noise. Their technical side is just a level above, for me because of the actual emotion behind it as opposed to being able to play a flurry of notes.

 
Time Enough Tomorrow takes on a more sorrowful start and is their version of an easy listening journey where one can imagine a trip of many steps is being undertaken. A darkness comes over, expressed by keys / synths that swell and expand into...nothingness. Death Invents Itself has one of the best drummed starts I’ve heard this year, vital, like an octopus is behind the kit (step forward and take a bow, Keith Harris) there is a corking guitar line that exploits that ascending feeling, giving you no warning as Succumb To Life starts the countdown to the album end. 

This takes that exceptional work done in Death Invents... and takes it forward, all pounding drums and echoes. The main riff is storming, it’s the sort of thing that gets you into playing the guitar in the first place. Just royal and is a fitting end to an exemplary display of music. 

They are certainly progressive, definitely technical and possessed of old school brutality this is one of those rare things, it’s a collection where they haven’t been content to plough down a particular path. The way those later songs open up, they are just excellent. The balance is bang on,.they don’t just add heavy or soft or subtle without it meaning something to them. This brings me to the one thing I don’t like. That vocal style. Just don’t like it and its difficult to get past it. You are no doubt reading this like ‘WHAT?!’youjust said it was excellent. I did, and with that in mind so I don’t further embarrass myself. 8/10

Occult Hand Order - Silence By The Raging Sea (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

Slow burn heavy psych stoner/doom is the calling of Lyon, France’s Occult Hand Order, and they do it well. Silence By The Raging Sea is the third release from the trio who have stayed true to their style where everything takes its time. Nothing is rushed and nothing is hurried, though occasionally you want to have the band just let it go and rock out with some tempo. But there will be to rippers here, and for the right mood and headspace this works very well.

Sink is the perfect microcosm of what you are getting on all six of the tracks on Silence By The Raging Sea. Slow burning riffs, a heaviness that is not just from the music but from the overall vibe, and some killer heavy psych guitar work, with an almost gentle vocal style. Sailors brings more of the same goodness, with some crunchy riffs and plodding doom pace. Vocally we are getting significantly less gentle, adding to the heavy of Sailors. 

The guitar work stands out once again here as it does all over Silence By The Raging Sea. The vibe is basically the title character on that mentioned sea, and you can feel it like you are experiencing it on this track, and rough seas are ahead for the foreseeable future. Pyre may be the heaviest riff on the album, and it is an angry one at that. This is a ten-plus minute epic psych doom trip with heavy as hell riffs and haunting, echoey vocals that is probably two to three minutes too long. 

This is the only concern with Silence By The Raging Sea. The songs can drag a bit. Some editing may have helped to keep the impression of the album dragging in places. Fever is up next, and you get hit with an almost church vibe until that towering riff comes in to blow your ship to smithereens. This is some doomy psych as the vocal go from gentle to scary leading up to the next track, Tidal Waves. 

I am sure there is a story on Silence By The Raging Sea but even after a bunch of listens I have no idea what it is, but I can picture a lone sailor in distress with no hope for rescue through the album, this is expressed in this track. The atmosphere and almost shoegaze feel of this one acts as the last gasp dreaming of surviving this not survivable conundrum the sailor find himself in. Golden Bones is the eleven minute closer and by now you are fatigued. It is a strong closer but could have been a couple minutes shorter.

Like Sonic Moon on their great record from this year, Occult Hand Order plays their psych/stoner doom slow and steady, which cool, but you keep wanting them to let it rip at some point. Unlike Sonic Moon, Silence By The Raging Sea tends to drag in parts and each song could have been a few minutes shorter, making the fifty-minute run time seem about ten minutes more. but overall, this is some really good doom that you just need to be in the right mood and headspace to really enjoy. 7/10

Atlas - Built To Last (Metalapolis Records) [Matt Bladen]

Founded by keyboardist James Thorley in 2017, Atlas have been pretty industrious releasing two previous albums since then. Built To Last is their third record and again Built To Last is a loving homage to the melodic rock of the 80's but rooted in the modern revival, combining AOR, prog and even metal in parts. 

The keys of Thorley permeate every moment of this album whether it's against the metallic riffing of Howie Little on muscular opener All Or Nothing, the polished Another Heartbreak or the big swathes of synth on You're Not Alone, Thronley comes through as the main instrument. Though Little gets a lot of riffage on Unfamiliar Love, where Ryan Biggs' drumming melds electronic with analogue. 

Bury A Lie adds the progressive flourishes of Dream Theater as Chris Redfearn's bass is the undercurrent to the twisting rhythms. The album features a three part suite to really hammer home their prog credentials but it's the songwriting really that does that as bands such as Pagan's Mind, Craig Wells' vocals high and mighty like Nils K Rue, though I will say they do take a bit of getting used to. 

With an album that features tracks that straddle prog/melodic rock, Tears similar to Follow You Follow Me as One More Night goes into Toto or Saga, Built To Last shows that Atlas are just that. A band with complex but anthemic songs that come of age on this third album. 8/10

Reviews: Cirith Ungol, Appalooza, Game Over, Angelus Apatrida (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Rich Piva, Paul Hutchings & Richard Oliver)

 Cirith Ungol - The Dark Parade (Metal Blade Records) [Matt Bladen]

With the recent announcement that they will cease live activities at the end of 2024, The Dark Parade will be the last Cirith Ungol album that you will be able to see played live. So it better be good then? Of course it’s good! It’s a Cirith Ungol, the American epic metal pioneers have only five studio albums, one live album and an EP to their name (this is their sixth) but they are rightly regarded as one of the most influential acts on the trad/doom/heavy metal scene. 

Hailing from Venture California, they have always been a band who like the gloomier side of things, inspired by dark fantasy and horror, the swords and sorcery fantasy that inspired their name long distant in their lyrical content, it’s the horrors of the mundane that they are inspired by now, our own minds and psyche’s that take us down much more vivid nightmares than anything fictional. Vocalist Tim Baker is especially enamoured with Lovecraft, his knack for making the everyday genuinely chilling the major thought process behind the lyrics of this album, his screeching delivery morbid and twisted on the multi-part title track, singing like Kyle Thomas trying King Diamond, it’s now a key to the Cirith Ungol style. 

Along with Baker are guitarists Jimmy Barraza and Greg Lindstrom, who are given as much room as they need to multifaceted their lead breaks and solos, controlling the pace of the riffs as bassist Jarvis Leatherby establishes the true groove on Distant Shadows. Drummer/band founder Rob Garven is the anchor for any journeys into the black holes the band take on this record. Always in the middle of the NWOBHM and doom sound, there’s gallops on Velocity, an elongated shifting track such as Sailor On The Seas Of Fate, some Middle Eastern flourishes on Relentless and the final quartet of songs combine to make the Dark Parade saga where the world collapses around you. 

A nightmarish vision of the future that Lovecraft would have revelled in. Deeply pessimistic but prophetic, The Dark Parade is Cirith Ungol dealing with the horrors we see now in front of us, perhaps this influenced their decision to stop touring. Either way the record needs to be heard, at full volume and I have to catch them live in 2024. 9/10

Appalooza - The Shining Son (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

The Brittany, France band Appalooza and Ripple Music team up to bring you the band’s third and possibly best album, The Shining Son. Stoner grunge goodness is what you are getting with these guys, with an almost world music vibe just lying underneath. Bands such as Kyuss, AIC, Soundgarden and Red Fang are mentioned in their bio and I can get behind all of them, but the band brings their own special (French) sauce to the party to take those influences, mix them around, and create something that is unique to the listener.

 
The opener, Pelican, may be my favorite song by the band up till now. I love the groove and the drums that drive this track. The vocals are excellent, and the band creates their own wall of sound as there is so much going on here. That vibe or world music is present too, just like on the next track, Unbreakable. A grungy crunch and scream kick off one of the heavier tracks on The Shining Son and you can hear where the Soundgarden comparison comes from. Super catchy at times to go along with the heavy, the thing that stands out to me on these first two tracks are the drums. The sound is made fuller by the percussion. 

It sounds like the drums from Children Of The Grave constantly driving the beat, and it’s wonderful. The Kyuss/QOTSA vibes shine through on Framed, as the quirky tempo brings me right to Josh and company. You want that Alice In Chains comparison to shine through, check out the vocals on Groundhog Days, but partner it with more of that cool percussion and world beat vibes. Wasted Land is their epic track, an odyssey in eight minutes, and is placed perfectly on The Shining Son for full effect of this song. The drums, the vocals, the stoner/grunge gallop, this one has it all. 

Wounded has a Spoonman vibe, a bit funky, crunchy, and with plenty of cowbell, it also gives me a Pearl Jam W.M.A. vibe. Sunburn is another sweet grungy jam, as the rhythm section really drives Appalooza. I love all the unique instrumentation on this one. The closer is an interesting choice, as Killing Maria is a sparce, slow burn that reminds me of closing Nevermind with Something In The Way. It is a fuller song that that, but that is what comes to my mind first.

 
Album three may be Appalooza’s best. I love the fullness of the sound, the drums, the killer vocals and harmonies, the world music vibes, and the step up in the songwriting from the band. Another amazing release from Ripple music, as The Shining Son does just that. 8/10

Game Over – Hellframes (Scarlet Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Thrash in unadulterated form is a simple thing. Italians Game Over know this and over the past 15 years have consistently followed the blueprint. Solid, reliable thrash metal which echoes those early days when the genre was a feisty, boisterous youngster, all spit and muscle, high energy, and attitude.

We’ve covered most of their releases here at MoM towers, but it’s been six years since Claiming Supremacy was released, and as a result, the band has faded a little from the memory. The pleasing thing to report is that the line-up remains intact, at last according to the Metal Archives, and the band have continued where they left off.

Hellframes is Game Over’s most mature work to date. The playing is assured, composed and as always, the frantic elements that comprise decent thrash are present in spades. There is some variation. Count Your Breaths echoes Metallica circa 1990, a lower vocal range, slower pace, and some fine guitar work that bookends the track. Atonement sits mid-album, a two-minute instrumental, in classic thrash metal style, which provides the bridge into the second half of the release.

It's side B that offers the most interesting tracks. The six-minute Deliver Us and the epic title track that closes the album are both standout songs. The former has a manic gallop which shows the band’s roots, with the gang chants, and some decent chugging riffs, whilst the latter is a brooding beast that drips with atmosphere. Hellframes is a welcome return for a band who I must admit, had slipped from vision. 7/10

Angelus Apatrida - Aftermath (Century Media) [Richard Oliver]

Angelus Apatrida are a band that have been forging away at their thrash metal craft for 23 years and finally over the last few years their stature has been growing in metal circles ably aided by a signing to Century Media Records. This attention is well deserved as Angelus Apatrida are a force to be reckoned with in the world of thrash metal and with their eighth album “Aftermath” the band shows no signs of running out of steam or indeed inspiration as Aftermath deftly manages to balance the bands signature thrash metal attack with some experimentation in sound.

Angelus Apatrida have been a band who have always managed to balance the ferocious and melodic elements of their sound with neither elements overshadowing the other. The band have always had a keen ear for hooks as well ensuring that their music is a riotous lesson in violence which sticks in the mind afterwards and has a melodic edge. Aftermath is very much this trademark Angelus Apatrida style but this time round the riffs are a bit chunkier sounding with a bit more of a hardcore influence at times and the melodic elements are pushed to the fore at times as well with some stealthily placed clean vocal choruses. 

Songs such as Cold, Fire Eyes and the epic To Whom It May Concern are hook driven monsters with the aforementioned melodic vocals but they equally rip our face off with pure thrashing ferocity showing that Angelus Apatrida are damn good songwriters in being able to balance out these elements. The hardcore influences come to the fore in Snob with features Jamey Jasta on guest vocals and he is one of a number of guest artists who appear throughout the album with Todd La Torre lending his power metal vocals to album closer Vultures And Butterflies. Less successful is the appearance of Spanish rapper Sho-Hai whose guest spit on What Kills Us All sounds very shoehorned in and doesn’t fit in with the song at all.

To the thrash metal purists some of the elements on Aftermath might rub them up the wrong way as this is an album that sounds equally contemporary as it does old school but the more open minded metalhead this album offers lots and delivers. The songs on Aftermath will appeal equally to fans of bands such as Trivium and Machine Head as it will to fans of Exodus and Testament. Fantastic musicianship, killer songwriting, savage thrash riffs and finger bleeding solos ensure that Aftermath is one of the strongest thrash releases of 2023 and another killer entry in the Angelus Apatrida discography. 8/10