A View From The Back Of The Room: Dawnwalker & Healthyliving (Live Review By Matt Bladen)

Dawnwalker, Healthyliving & Goat Major, Le Pub, Newport 07.12.23

In what they are calling 'The Magical Misery Tour' two of the best introspective noisemakers around. Bringing with them a local opener on every show, the beginning of this tour took place in South Wales mainstay of misery, Newport.

Happily the gig happened in Le Pub, one of the brightest spots in the otherwise dark streets of Newport, flowing with good beer, good food and a welcoming atmosphere to anyone, it's also got a great little performance area, helmed by an excellent sound guy.

So with that in mind up on the stage first it was West Wales chief doom export Goat Major (8), having just released their debut EP, called Evil Eye, on the seminal Ripple Music, the trio took to the Le Pub stage, downtuned and got the riffs going for the evening.

Having seen them before I knew what to expect but they were right on the balance of being louche and disinterested, letting the riffs flow, and being focussed and technical, especially their drummer who plays deftly and hits hard behind the wall of guitar/bass riffs. Most of the set came from the Evil Eye EP as they filled their opening salvo with heavy doom.

Getting things going is difficult, following up is more difficult but bloody hell Healthyliving (9) are probably one of the most beguiling bands over ever seen live. The international trio (based on Edinburgh) play a startling style of post metal that brings in both shoegaze wandering and post punk gothism. Comprised of Amaya López-Carromero (vocals), Scott McLean (guitar), Stefan Pötzsch (drums) and a bass player who I didn't catch the name of.

Playing songs from their brilliant April album Songs Of Abundance, Psalms Of Grief, you couldn't take your eyes of Amaya who headbangs like theres no neck to injure when the volume is turned up and low slow riffs coming creeping, but then throws illicit shapes on the faster post punk rockers, it's like watching David Byrne sing with the voice of Tori Amos or Beth Gibbons (Portishead).

Mesmeric and ear piercing while also making you want to do a sad boogie, Healthyliving will be on my 'must watch' list from now on.

Concluding the evening was the post rock atmospheres of Dawnwalker (9), not long having released a remixed/remastered version of their breakthrough album Human Ruins. A musical collaboration, founded and helmed by Mark Norgate is similar in terms to membership as Crippled Black Phoenix.

Norgate on guitars and soaring clean vocals as, Matteo Bianciotto on guitars, I think Chris J. Allan was behind the drums and taking up the bass and harsh vocals was Luke Fabian (ex-Pupil Slicer), the use of two vocals made for music that was, experimental, textured and multi-layered, that made me think about if Mastodon were slower and sadder.

Shimmering post/shoegaze atmospheres are counterpunched by crashing prog metal riffage, the elongated songs shifting sometimes between both sides and more with a cinematic composition. I'd never seen Dawnwalker before but they seem to be at their tightest with this well versed foursome.

All three bands made for a fantastic night of music, another triumph of a Thursday gig.

Reviews: Mark Tremonti, Health, Warcoe, Dune Pilot (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

Mark Tremonti - Christmas Classics New & Old (Take A Chance For Charity) [Matt Bladen]

If you didn't already know, Mark Tremonti (Creed/Alter Bridge/Tremonti) is something of a crooner. His voice is suited almost as well to big band standards as Seth MacFarlane, so much so that he released an album in 2022 where he sang the songs of Frank Sinatra. So at this festive time of year, rather than out out some more virtuoso shredding he's turned his attention to some Christmas classics. This is not a metal album, neither is it a rock album, this is a collection of Christmas songs, delivered in the original style with and orchestra and Tremonti on vocals.

If you're fed up of Mickey Bubbles then perhaps play this while you carve the turkey. You get The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Andy Williams), Jingle Bells, The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole), Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and of course Have Yourself A Merry Christmas from Ol' Blue Eyes himself, backed by Let It Snow originally by his best buddy Deano. So there's Ratpack tracks, traditional songs, hymns and one original composition called Christmas Morning, which is a schmaltzy ballad but can be forgiven as it's Christmas.

Recorded authentically with that 50'/60's crackle, a full orchestra Bury Bacharach would be proud of and the major suprise of Tremonti having the ideal vocals for a crooner, as well as the chops of a virtuoso. Scrooge's need not apply, it's a curious album but one way to make sure the metal scene influences the holidays, and it's for Tremonti's Take A Chance For Charity organisation. (Follow it up with Higher, granny will love it!) 7/10

Health – Rat Wars (Loma Vista Recordings) [Matt Bladen]

So Rat Wars opens with, Demigods, the intro of which is a pastiche on the Terminator 2, theme, they thought I wouldn’t notice but I did. This quickly breaks and we are brought into the gothic, industrial, nightmarescapes of Health. Jake Duzsik (vocals/guitar), John Famiglietti (bass/producer), and BJ Miller (drums) make up this L.A band and this is their fifth album. 

No I’ve never heard of the band I’ll admit but industrial music is not always my go to. Health do it well though, NiN-like introspection, with Laibach-like soundscapes as pulsing electronics, oscillating synths and heavy bass drops are set to stabbing riffs, mechanical drumming and ghostlike vocals. It’s their most personal album while also being their most aggressive the inclusion of Lamb Of God’s Willie Adler on Children Of Sorrow and sampling Godflesh’s Like Rats on Sicko, showing that they draw from the darker reaches. 

Inspired by the pandemic the music here is called “The Downward Spiral for people with at least two monitors and a Vitamin D deficiency”, the young tech savvy kids uncomfortable in their own skin and looking for an outlet are the audience Health are made for. I suppose you could call it “Reddit Metal”, the angst of Millennials, giving way to a resignation of hopelessness that breeds complacency from Generation Z, condensed into modernist, apocalyptic synthscapes. 

Health and Rat Wars define their generation, an inhospitable nightmare, where a sneer and sarcasm mask the pain. 7/10

Warcoe - A Place For Demons (Morbid And Miserable Records) [Rich Piva]

When I heard the name and saw the album art for all the material for the Italian band Warcoe I immediately thought that their stuff was going to be either hardcore punk or some kind of black metal. Oh, how wrong I was, because the trio bring an almost lo-fi, doomy Sabbath worship groove that I did not expect the first time I heard them on their last album, The Giant’s Dream, from last year. The band is back now with their latest full length, A Place For Demons. Warcoe hasn’t evolved much on their new one, but that is OK. Give me their brand of old school groovy doom any day, evolution be damned.

There are riffs aplenty on A Place For Demons, starting out with the title track. Warcoe sound like they recorded this in a tiny, dingy studio in the mid-80s, and yes, that is a complement. Like all the tracks, this is some solid Ozzy era Sabbath love that grooves along and has some catchy elements as well. The tuned down everything gives the band a more sinister sound, like the opening riff on Pyramid Of Despair. 

Warcoe reminds me of a less produced Sahg, especially on this one. A three-minute sparse acoustic interlude introduces us to Leaves, which has the best riff on an album filled with great riffs and the most up-tempo track on A Place For Demons, a certified proto ripper, and my favorite track on the album. I love to vocals, and I love the guitar sound right behind the voice. Ishkur bring the tempo down a notch, but not too much, for some more proto doom done right. 

Once again, the vocals really do it for me on A Place For Demons and this one has the chunkiest riff out of all of them. Boys Become Kings slows it down to a more traditional doom pace and has serious Ozzy vocal vines going on. This could be a Sabbath B-side. The album wraps up solidly with some more killer proto doom with Wounds Too Deep To Heal and the nine-minute instrumental doom epic Buio that is chock full of riffs and has old school Trouble vibes. Great stuff.

Do not judge a book (album) by it’s cover because I could have easily dismissed Warcoe as another black metal or punk band that I really do not have time for. Instead, we get some killer proto doom, riffs, and excellent vocals from the eight tracks on A Place For Demons. A nice December treat for those who worship the riff. 8/10

Dune Pilot - Magnetic (Argonauta Records) [Rich Piva]

Bands are probably not thinking about year end lists when deciding when to release their next record, but there is an unfortunate habit of reviewers and list makers to build their year-end lists in early December and miss some killer stuff. 

Last year I had to scramble to adjust my list when Mos Generator dropped their killer record, Time/Wounds. The German stoner rockers Dune Pilot may cause the same problems I had last year for many people 2023 list, because their new album, Magnetic, is a killer stoner rock ripper that if released, in say, July, may wind up way higher than it probably will, given how locked in people are by now. But lists be damned, Magnetic rocks.

Starting with the title track, you get super solid stoner/desert rock with lots of riffs and a nice driving tempo. The production is super clean but not overly so and combined with the vocals give me a bit of a Valley Of The Sun vibe. Visions is the best track on Magnetic, with its cool tempo changes and crunchy riffs. Serious Kyuss worship hits us next with Lumi, also recalling the excellent new record from Fire Down Below. Love the background vocals on this one and you get some more of those tempo changes as well. 

You get a bit of a slow burner next with Take Your Lies, but still with some abstract tempos and great riffs. So Mad and Pied Piper bring more of those Valley Of The Sun vibes while Next To The Liquor Store continue the Kyuss tip. Heap Of Shards is a weird one in a good way, kind of a if stoner rock had ballad situation to start until the ripping kicks in and I am here for it. Highest Bid is another strong track, with great guitar work and killer groove. All 11 tracks rock and are worth your time.

The new Dune Pilot record is some more December goodness that people need to recognize. 2023 has 12 months, and Magnetic, even though it is towards the end, will most likely be near the beginning of several end-of-year lists. At least it would have if it came out in July, no matter how unfair that is to the great record. 8/10

Reviews: Inculter, Six Foot Six, Rage Behind, Super Pink Moon (Reviews By Paul Hutchings, James Jackson, GC & Matt Bladen)

Inculter – Morbid Origin (Edged Circle Productions) [Paul Hutchings]

Thrash metal isn’t a genre I associate with Norway. No, the frozen North always conjures up images of the Black Metal variety, such is the predominance of bands who favour the corpse paint and blast beats. But wait a minute, for Inculter have slipped through the net and are releasing album number 3, Morbid Origin, and an intriguing slab of Thrash it really is.

 
A quick hunt finds that the band have been plying their trade for over a decade, with their last album Fatal Visions released in 2019. For a three-piece, their sound is big and meaty, full of chunky riffs. A blend of 80s old school US style combined with the savageness of the European sound, think Metallica meets Sodom / Kreator and you won’t be far wrong.

 
The nine tracks here vary in tempo, strength, and style. What they all have is solid compositions. Even the opening track, simply entitled Intro has Spaghetti Western echoes, before Inculter show their real mettle as they race into Death Reigns. It’s exactly what I like in my Thrash, with a raging pace, snarled yet fluid vocals, and a band in synch with each other as they piledrive the song at frenetic speed. 

Sometimes, it’s not what is played but how it is played that matters, and Inculter demonstrate in the first five-minutes that they can bring it. The mid-section drops into a Sepultura-esque passage, think Beneath The Remains, before opening into an expansive piece that leads back into the concluding hyper speed finish. It’s within this first song that you feel every influence that Inculter have drawn from. And it continues.

 
The Sepultura vibe resonates deeply, especially on Child Of Demise, where the band drop the shoulder and really power out the riffs. It contrasts with the Metallica-tinged feel of Extinction which follows. The title track stands apart; an eight-minute monster that spreads its shadow over the final third of the album, it’s got a catchy riff and a chug that would make Scott Ian proud. It’s a sprawling, hefty epic, which is neatly delivered despite a little bit too much repetition in the final moments although it’s rescued by a delightful final ending.

 
Morbid Origin is almost an album of two halves, with the more ferocious Thrashers frontloaded, leaving room for the more expansive, brooding songs in the second part. Penultimate song Perennial Slaves is case in point, a terrific contrast to almost everything that has gone before it, using atmosphere and a slower tempo to convey the heaviness.

They may not be reinventing the wheel, but Inculter have delivered a strong and confident third album. If you like your Thrash steeped in the old school but with a contemporary twist, this may be the album for you. 8/10

Six Foot Six - Beggar’s Hill (Scarlet Records) [James Jackson]

What happens when you take the Thrash element of early Metallica and throw it together with the classic melodic heavy metal sound of Iron Maiden? Well Six Foot Six is the answer, stemming from a side project I believe, the band developed and Beggar’s Hill is their third album in approximately six years. Raise The Dead opens with a classic Thrash style riff before a very Iron Maiden like guitar melody takes over. Tears follows and I’m reminded of Gary Moore, such is the composition and rhythm of the song.

 
Voices Inside starts with and contains throughout the song a gorgeous Spanish/acoustic guitar melody, it also contains a riff and vocal melody that sounds similar to The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats - just listen to the track and you’ll pick it up straight away. Title track Beggar’s Hill lands in at track 4, again that Gary Moore comparison is apt, though this comes through more in the storytelling rather than within the music, lyrically it’s very Over The Hills And Far Away.

 
There are some interesting moments within the next few songs, the foreign language spoken word bridge in Analog Man, the rather catchy chorus of Riding The Tide and the very Motley Crue sounding intro to Fire Will Burn.

The following three songs are all part of one epic saga, subtitled A Templar’s Tale; these final songs really channel that Iron Maiden influence and particularly within The Siege (Part 2) a very Folk influence. There’s a rather odd song that follows, something about goats and cats and a fellow called Pete McOats and a troll called Grumpy Stock (I think). 

It’s an exceptionally odd but catchy track containing a tune most familiar to those who’ve been to Alton Towers, In The Hall Of The Mountain King composed by Edvard Grieg. There’s an instrumental piece that brings the album to a close, I truly did not know what to expect from this album, having not heard of the Swedish band before it was anyone’s guess as to what was in store.

Fortunately it’s been a far from unpleasant experience, the songs are catchy, full of sing along moments that are instantly memorable, the influences that have inspired the band are worn well and truly on their sleeves and there’s little wrong with that. 7/10

Rage Behind - Eminence Of Disgrace (Atomic Fire Records) [GC]

Its Christmas season so what better way than to blast away the year than a bit of a metalcore/thrash hybrid in the shape of Rage Behind’s new album Eminence Of Disgrace with this record they are promising to ‘’defend the legacy of modern groove and thrash metal titans’’ whatever that means? Suppose its up to me to find out!?

Opener and title track Eminence Of Disgrace doesn’t really sound like metalcore at all in fact it sounds EXACTLY like Slipknot and while many people wouldn’t find this to be a problem, it wasn’t what I was expecting so kind of throws me off, it all chugs away easily enough and has some decent-ish guitar solos thrown in but ultimately is a bit of an underwhelming start, things do pick up a bit on Eye For An Eye which is definitely a more hardcore/thrash crossover mix but also seems to have a bit of nu-metal influence included and while it doesn’t ruin the song, it also doesn’t improve it much, again decent enough but nothing earth shattering. 

Rage Behind starts with some eerie symphonics that are then weaved through parts of the song to add try and a bit more depth to the chugs and thuds but its already all starting to sound very one dimensional and mediocre, Season Of Blood does show a bit more promise and has some nice thrash parts mixed with a more straight forward metal mix and I can imagine that this would sound good live and it’s a relief that we finally get something with a bit of force behind it! The flow continues into Through Wrath, and it feels like they have hit their groove now as this is another snarling thrash based track with some nice chunky guitar parts mixed in and out only bit I’m not sure on are the vocals on the chorus bit but not enough to spoil the song, Dictated Freedom is probably my least favorite song on the album, its just missing something to take it from meh to decent, its just flat and a bit throw away, typical mid-track filler type of song. 

The Blind is then upon us and flies in on a huge riff and the continues with some techy and jagged guitar work there are some messy parts in this song but overall, probably one of the better tracks on the album as a whole and needed after the last track stunted the momentum that had been building. Not sure what to say about Hourglass and Revenge if I am honest? Its trying to throw in too many different styles and they all just sort of bounce off each other and don’t create a harmonious mix and again some of the lyrics and the way they are delivered just get on my nerves, Don’t Break jolts everything back into life with another thrash fueled battering and reminds that when they want to Rage Behind are capable of delivering the goods. 

Worldwide Hostility is the longest track on the album and a full minute of that is just pointless ambient noise and when it kicks in it does get the blood pumping with a more stripped back approach to prove that sometime less is more and when they concentrate on one sound, they can nail a killer track. The Reign has a nice thick groove metal vibe that goes all the way though and here the vocals actually lift the song to another level and are probably the best on the whole thing! The Hands Of Revenge finishes everything off with another groove infested chug along and while it not the worst its also not the best and they probably should have finished on the previous track.

Eminence Or Disgrace wasn’t really either of those things, it wasn’t brilliant, and it wasn’t awful either, it was good in places but then it was also very mediocre in a lot of places, I feel also that it was at least 2 songs too long. If you listen to this, you won’t be annoyed you did but you also won’t be blown away and that’s probably all I can say about it? 6/10

Super Pink Moon - Inertia (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Formed by Somali Yacht Club guitarist/vocalist Ihor Pryshliak in 2019, Super Pink Moon is a project that is perhaps more personal and more experimental than his day job. With indie shimmering, post rock emotional and shoegazing atmospheres this thrid album is conceptually and titularly linked to the idea of being in Inertia. In this case Super Pink Moon is the cause of his Inertia, low risk and easy, Pryshliak feels that perhaps that it has "lost it's relevance", so has decided to release an album of his home recordings as is, delivered with a sense of finality that this moon is setting a little sooner. 

So what's it like? Well it's got flashes of brilliance, anthemic melancholy, with the angular psychadelia of Deftones, before blasts of mechanised industrial metal appeal to the fans of Godflesh. The dynamic range is wide and cinematic, audio storytelling that will keep your head bowed and moving rhythmically. If this is the final record from his solo project Pryshliak has crafted a record that delves deep into the psyche of it's creator and the experiments with tone. 7/10

Reviews: Tuber, Solitary Sabred, Silver R.I.S.C, Extremity Obsession (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Tuber – Joyful Science (Self Released)

Could Joyful Science be a late entry to my AOTY list? Maybe, it’s certainly got a hold of me quite firmly, even though I don’t usually like bands who are sans vocals. But this instrumental band from Serres has got a hold on me with their blissed out, sunny rhythms proving to be an antidote for these dark depressing winter nights. I can’t really work out what to call them but if you got Kyuss in the studio with Bossk and Plini and let them jam some Yacht Rock, Mike Oldfield and synthwave you’d get close to the musical trip produced on this 6 track EP. 

If you want to know why this record is so good just listen to the final song Burning Florescence, a slow burning number hooked on a repeating piano, layered with fuzzy synts that evolves into a slide guitar solo at the end, it’s like High Hopes from Division Bell but without Gilmour’s dulcet tones, but the same emotion. The musicianship is astounding, they seem to be a foursome, but there’s so much instrumentation here, there’s either special guests or they go for the multi-instrumentalist thing, I’d prefer the latter. 

The title track/title Joyful Science, is perfect for casting what this EP is all about, upbeat, catchy song writing that takes on life through the scientific and probably painstaking method of composition, making sure that the melodies fit and do the job of a singer. I call this an EP because the band, provide musical journeys the shortest track is six minutes, the longer times needed to make sure the songs get room to grow. 

The title track has those 80’s sunshine vibes with the open chords and synth flourishes, No Cure For Life goes down the route of trip hop and 90’s indie rock, putting a drum machine with a Hammond organ, evolving into vapourwave. From here we get weird as Chain Of Signs comes with a mix of Steven Wilson moodiness and Danny Elfman oddness, more cinematic electronics put against big rock chords, the darkest track on the album being Eau Rouge which could be a Vangelis’ sci-fi soundscape. 

Pushing boundaries and making a brilliant noise with Joyful Science, Tuber have stolen my heart. 9/10

Solitary Sabred - Temple Of The Serpent (Vinyl Store)

Cypriot metal band Solitary Sabred return with their new album. Based around the concept of the fall of the Akkad Empire (Modern Iraq). It concerns itself with djinns and undeed sorcerers and tells a fantastical tale through ten tracks of epic metal. Temple Of The Serpent is their fourth studio album, and anyone who loves Manowar, Running Wild and Manilla Road. Vocally Petros “Asgardlord” Leptos has the high velocity scream of Eric Adams or Ripper Owens, shrieking the word "Transgressor" on Bound By The Lich with the same histrionics as both these frontmen. 

They have played with Omen, Manilla Road, Helstar, Enforcer, Ashes Of Ares and others that come from that epic metal style, honing their sound to fully realise their potential on this concept record. With speed metal workouts such as Flight Of The Banshee, Fotis “Defiler” Mountouris' percussion hits warp speed, George “Stainlesz” Papaioannou's bass galloping like a wild stallion. 

They drive these epic metal songs perfectly, Demetris “Spartacus” Demetriou and Nikolas “Sprits” Moutafis' snarling, rough guitar riffs, having the tone of Ross The Boss on The Undead City, widdling leads adding to the Mercyful Fate darkness of Lord Of Ganzer, the pace slowing for the melodic Reaper Of Kur. Solitary Sabred's fourth album channels Manowar in the best ways, if you like your metal music macho and theatrical then Temple Of The Serpent will be for you, the glory days of Auburn, New York's favourite band. 7/10

Silver R.I.S.C - Knot Over (No Remorse Records)

Formed in 1989, Silver R.I.S.C are a 90's rock band that are revealed in their home country of Greece. Contemporaries of Thunder, Little Angels and Extreme, the band were lauded due to the inventive guitar playing of founder Dimitris Gasparatos, who is also an award-winning actor, a book writer and a music teacher, things he's done in the interim while the band were spilt up for most of the 90's/2000's, only actually releasing one album in 1993. 

They were part of scene that featured Raw Silk and Trademark, coming from melodic rock/NWOBHM style rock music that reminds me of Saracen, Magnum and Ten on tracks such as the swaggering Cry No More and the string-laden Nothing For Me. As well as Gasparatos (guitar/vocals), the other members of the band including co-founder Spiros Fousekis (guitar), drummer Tony V and bassist D.M all involved with msuic while the hiatus continued. 

However in 2019 they reformed taking to the stage in Athens and set about following up their debut 30 years later with their second album cleverly titled Knot Over. There's a cross over between hard rock and heavy metal here, Anna gallops, Bad Person feels like 90's Maiden, as She Smiles To The Rainbow sounds like Rainbow/Purple, Trapped Under The Ice ends the album with an odd atmospheric song. They may have a pedigree in Greece but Silver R.I.S.C's reunion album is pretty standard heavy rock, entertaining but doesn't break any new ground. 6/10

Extremity Obsession – Coalescence (Hellenic Metal World)

Ultraviolent death metal from Corinth anyone? Good. Extremity Obsession have you covered. With name like that it’s not all fluffy bunnies, just steamrolling blast beats, down picked riffing and growled vocals. It’s also got all the track titles in Greek but lyrics in English, not that it matters as you can’t hear what they’re on about anyway, unless of course you are well schooled in death metal to English translation. 

Musically in the vein of Decapitated, Vader or Suffocation they have some serious technical chops on this fifth full length record, released through Hellenic Metal World, a YouTube channel that champions the Greek underground. A song such as Προπύλαια ζωής...Retribution, will instantly make you realise what you’re dealing with as the introductory strings, bleeds into blastbeats from Chris Goudelos, crushing d-bass from Chris Tekas and chugging riffs from Angel Batsalias. It undulates as it destroys, twisting and turning around the whomp of the bass playing, their death metal credentials upped on Βουτιά στο φως...Fading Shadows which is skin peeling, the expert use of choirs and orchestrations making it more than just a shredder. 

These small snippets of classical instruments, or spoken word/samples allow Extremity Obsession to distance themselves from being one note. Πέντε λεπτά σιγής...Deportation even adding some slower emotion, the eerie atmospheres of Έξοδος...Nightfall building into a thrash metal bounce. While prog comes on Επτά Στιγμές...Dark Matter and Οκτάβα πνοής...Meteora both using the synths well. 

Coalescence is a death metal record that features more musicianship than perhaps you’d think considering the name, its heavy and oppressive but uses melody and non-metal instrumentation well. 7/10

Reviews: Lazy Man's Load, Jehovah On Death, Scumf*cks, Fatalism (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Lazy Man's Load – Saints Full Of Sin (Self Released)

Let’s see if Lazy Man’s Load can make more of an impact with me than they did on their 2021 debut All Hat No Cattle. Well they had their official release show on 10th December headlining Kyttaro Club in Athens, sponsored by heavy metal show TV War. They are clearly a band on the rise but I found their debut to be just tried and tested stoner rock riffs. Pressing play on Saints Full Of Sin we are brought back into the book of their main character Lazy Man who records his journey’s through a post-apocalyptic dystopia. 

These dystopian themes lead to a style of music that is dark and ominous as Abfall brings some melodic doom metal riffs from guitarist Johnny Fixx and The Resurrected. Building from slow half-tempo rhythms into angular leads and a drum outro where Pani Blaster speeds up into the grooving/proggy title track, the thrusting heaviness hooked on Chow’s bass. Waltz No.9 and Crimson Prayer bookend with some slow heavy apocalyptic stoner/doom. LML have some Southern metal on Slackjawed, a track that will have you yelling “Getcha Pull!” there’s Sabbath worship of Fed To The Shrine, while The Pilgrim And The Witch comes from the deep tradition of Greek stoner metal, the heavy riffs and solos just on point. 

With a mixture of big riffing songs, you need a vocalist that can carry the edgier sound of Lazy Man’s Load and Roxx Krash, they got a brawny, gravel voiced shouter, plying his trade well on Heavy Is The Crown. Lazy Man’s Load have greatly improved on their debut record with a bigger set of influences and refinements. Well on their way to being a the new big boys in the Greek riff scene. 8/10

Jehovah On Death – Heart Of Guilt (Self Released)

The second release from Occult rock group Jehovah On Death, is “fervently based on stigmata, ecstasies and blood” building from the triumphal instrumental Lo, Behold, Heart Of Guilt ignites the unholy flames with the title track, a 70’s inspired psychedelic rocker, borrowing from Lucifer, Blood Ceremony and Jess And The Ancient Ones, the vocals of their priestess conjuring catholic guilt on top of some distorted hard rock. 

Yep it’s definitely full of the occult rock vibes of Coven, BOC and of course Ghost. Let Me Die (And Die Of Love) moving towards the hip shaking hard rock of the masked Swedes. Retro for sure, using the sacrament to their own devices as psych rock and post punk collide into a hot and heavy stew of sinful lust and wicked incantations. I can’t find any info on the band, but maybe that’s for the better as it keeps the mystique, making their inverting of religion shtick a bit more mysterious. 

Heart Of Guilt slows with Wherein Converge Sad Destinations, the shadow of Ozzy hanging over this song. Bringing themselves to a collective climax with Deathwish a cover of gothic death rock pioneers, Christian Death, a band who they borrow liberally from (and why wouldn’t you). They may have a Heart Of Guilt but Jehovah On Death have enjoyed accruing it with this sleazy, sultry occult rock. 7/10 

Scumfucks – Scumfucks (Sliptrick Records)

Thessaloniki foursome, proudly wear the fact they are trying to sound like Motorhead on their sleeve, dedicating three songs on this debut album to the members of the original trio of the British rock n roll legends. Scumfucks are a foursome, and have been since 2018, made up of; Nick a.k.a. Goulthor on guitars and Lemmy-like growling, Sak a.k.a. Morgoth on drums, Dim Gkavis on bass and Jim Sermon on guitars, the pseudonyms sounding vaguely like they are from black metal bands so I suppose you could also say they are trying to be Chrome Division. 

Whatever their background, Scumfucks is deliberately trying to be Motorhead, from the bluesy 49% Scum, 51% Fuck (dedicated to Lemmy), to the blitzing Not As Fast As (dedicated to Eddie Clarke), the country tones come on Drinkin Alone Ain’t Bad and Increased Chances, which is a cover of a country song by Chitlins, Whiskey & Skirt, and the percussive Rat (dedicated to Phil Taylor), every facet of Motorhead is covered on this record. 

Is it original? No. But at least it copies one of the best and loudest rock bands ever, faithfully, meaning that it’s fun to listen to. 7/10 

Fatalism - The Darkest Descent EP (Self Released)

Athenian death metal band Fatalism were formed in 2019 by guitarist Theodore Katsikonouris, in an attempt to live up to his influences such as Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel and Death. Technical in that it rapidly shifts between riffs, Below Reason for example must be about six songs in one. Much of the album is driven by some seriously meaty bass playing from George Haniotakis on The Serpent’s Cloud and the title track. 

Since 2019 there have been a few changes to the line up but Theodore has managed to record 6 slices of brutal death metal that have been captured at Made In Hell Studios in Athens and at Elias Kapravelos’ home studio. Both of them have given this record a D.I.Y feel to the production but it is a debut so it can be forgiven, mainly as the bass playing is so good that it needs to be heard, though often over the guitars. 

Utopic Lobotomy displays the drumming of Bill Prentzas and the rhythm playing of Kastsikonouris perfectly, obscure time signatures that turn into explosive soloing from John Savvidis. Vocally I hope you like growls because Leonidas Stavropoulos just does that and nothing else. The Darkest Descent is a debut EP that shows a lot of skill but still feels like there’s some maturity to come with age. 6/10  

Reviews: Varathron, ΧΞΣ (Sakis Tolis), Fuel Eater, Lethal Fate (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Varathron - The Crimson Temple (Agonia Records)

One of the corner stones of the Hellenic Extreme Metal scene Varathron spearheaded the genre along with Rotting Christ and Necromatia, the unholy triumvirate establishing black metal as it's own force in Eastern Mediterranean. With Rotting Christ the unbelievable force they are today and Necromatia now finished, Varathron could be considered to be overlooks a little in the last few years. 

With this seventh album they return after the critically acclaimed previous album Patriarchs Of Evil, still fronted by Stefan Necroabyssious, with Achilleas C on guitars & keyboards, Sotiris on guitars, Stratos on bass and Haris on drums, with The Crimson Temple, Varathron have sculpted 10 tracks of cinematic black metal, the uncompromising vision of Stefan playing tribute to those that have followed the band for over 30 years. Ascension gets us going with Balkan/Hellenic folk instrumentation, building into the first song proper Hegemony Of Chaos, a maelstrom of frantic double kicks and thrashing riffs. This is before it slows to anthemic fist pumping and groove, those traditional instruments sticking around for the melodic choruses. 

It's these shifts that make Varathron such a well respected band in the genre as they shift between different stylistic approaches. Crypts In The Mist goes back to a more death metal with the classic metal gallops on Cimmerian Priesthood putrong speed metal with orchestral swells. The twin guitars of Achilleas and Sotiris weave a rich tapestry on this record between the tremolo picking, heavy grooves and trad metal soloing, Achilleas also gives the album, and Sinners Of The Crimson Temple especially, the stirring orchestrals and synths. 

Haris' drumming is musclar linking well with the thick basslines of Stratos for the crushing Immortalis Regnum Diaboli. Varathron again show their mettle on The Crimson Temple, more melodic at times than Necromatia, having a more progressive bent than Rotting Christ, their influence is felt throughout the Hellenic scene and beyond, enter this temple and prepare to worship. 9/10

ΧΞΣ (Sakis Tolis) - The Seven Seals Of The Apocalypse (Self Released)

If any of this seems familiar, it's that the idea of the seven seals of the apocalypse (Revelations) were referenced and quoted throughout Aphrodite's Child's seminal 666 double album. The lead song of that record; Four Horsemen has been covered by Sakis Tolis' day job Rotting Christ so as he is a man that has always been staunchly anti-religious, the idea of him quoting Bible scripture (whether it's about the apocalypse or not) is quite odd.

But then all of Sakis' solo stuff is different to what he does with the Hellenic black metal legends. Among The Fires Of Hell was more gothic but still had hints of extreme metal. On this second solo album under the name ΧΞΣ, he has turned the scriptures into a musical assault very similar to RC, full of blistering blast beats, extreme metal riffs and the snarled vocals of Sakis, put togther with spoken word and choral liturgies, it's a record that is cinematic and all-consuming, the slow unveiling of the seven seals as the four horsemen bring about the rapture, is a wonder to behold. Disturbing and enthralling equally, The Seven Seals Of The Apocalypse is an album that you definitely shouldn’t overlook. 8/10

Fuel Eater - Echoes Of Absurdity (Self Released)

Third full length album from Patras heavy riffers Fuel Eater, brings a new maturity to their music as they are now in their second decade. They've changed their bass player since 2018's Soberian Kinship, but the main trio of Vasilis Koutsobinas (drums), Thanos Dritsas (guitar/vocals) and Gordon Kansas (vocals) are still the core of the band with George Moustos joining on bass. Echoes Of Absurdity, throws a lot into the pot from the Seether/Nirvana style Of Dust And Lust into the Latino QOTSA groove of Ill Noma, continuing on the woozy, repetition on Sen. 

I mentioned the maturity if this album and Echoes Of Absurdity feels more...adult, using introspection and emotion in the lyrics to carry the stripped back balladry of The Whisperer, a song that owes a lot to Alice In Chains, dual vocals and all, Equidistant meanwhile has a bit of Stone Temple Pilots about it with the loud and soft dynamics. With the grunge overtones, progressive swirls on The Book Of Absurdity and some heavy psych riffs Fuel Eater step up on this third album. 7/10

Lethal Fate - Argonauts (Self Released)

Weirdly, Lethal Fate formed in 2010 but this is their debut album. There's also no information about the band at all so you'll have to bear with me a little. What I can tell you is that Lethal Fate play epic/classic metal that sits between Manowar (Edge Of Madness) and Iron Maiden (Sworn To Secrecy), though much more Bruce's solo and 2000's Maiden than the earlier stuff. 

This is where it stays, little variation but bags of talent in emulating the British metal institution, if it's a band, then they all play well, if it's one guy then he's not only got the musical talent but a good voice too. Swords, sorcery and epic adventures make up the lyrics, especially the title track, conceived around the quest for the Golden Fleece. Basically if you like Maiden, you’ll like Lethal Fate. Simple. 6/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Lorna Shore (Live Review By Matt Bladen)

Lorna Shore, Rivers Of Nihil, Ingested & Distant, Great Hall, Cardiff 04.12.23

Cardiff got their heavy on for this mammoth four band deathtour. Ranging from tech metal, to blackened Deathcore, to disgusting death metal, there was diversity to the line up but enough similarities that the collected mass of South Wales' metal scene (and there was a lot of them) would be able to start pits and keep them going all night.

What I was struck by entering into the brand new students union, is that the Great Hall is relatively unchanged, like a fossil inside a brand new rock formation. 

There's something comforting about that but what I also noticed was how diverse the fandom was for the headliner, goth kids, emo kids, old school ravers people who should have known better, I had this fear that's I'd be like a metal grampa in there but nothing was further from the truth as there were actual grampas in there. It shows the appeal of the headliner.

Anyway in to the bands and we managed to catch the last half of Distant's (7) set, the Dutch Deathcore machine beating down Cardiff from early doors, gutteral growls and shrieks as black metal blast beats gallop behind heavy mechanical breakdowns, while the conceptual lyrics may not have had quite the effect without the synchronisation of an album but the crowd didn't care as it was their first chance to slam dance.

With a short change over it was time for Mancunian marauders Ingested (8) to take the stage with ferocity throwing in more brutal and technical death metal flourishes while retaining the deathcore vein that was present through the evening. 

Faster, harder and disgustingly br00tal Ingested were probably the odd ones out on the bill but it was great way to introduce themselves to a wider audience. Relentless drumming from Lyn Jeffs, flesh ripping guitars from Sean Hynes and paint peeling vocals from Jay Evans, Ingested stood their ground in a sea of deathcore.

If I went to a shrink to analyse my Rivers Of Nihil (5) experience, she'd say it's lack of sax that's brining me down. (Sorry Green Day). Nowhere to be heard was the brass instrument that made me love them on Where Owls Know My Name. Unfortunately without that there music is a little one dimensional, repeating grooves with very little deviation, the nuances washed out in Great Hall's vastness. 

It wasn't just me as many of the folks around me took this time to head to the bar or the bathroom, maybe it was an off night but thes rivers didn't flow as strongly this time around.

Then it was time for the main event, a band who are still immensely popular, despite having a former vocalist who was 'cancelled' for sexual abuse and no original members. They have acquired a fanbases avid enough to be headline venues of this size, having a more consistent line up since 2020. 

Their sound is brutal, the lowest frequency crushing deathcore with massive riffs that make the mass of bodies undulate and head bang in time to the rhythmic violence. When the opened up the pace a little the pits formed, the band chugging away with through tracks taken from their 2022 album Pain Remains and 2021 EP ...And I Return From Nothingness. 

The vocals from Will Ramos are expressive, he's got huge range, guttural lows and screaming highs, he's a heck of a modern metal singer. The show was punishing but Cardiff didn't care if it was a Monday night, with Lorna Shore (8) laying down the beatings, it was a Saturday in The Great Hall.

Reviews: Cassidy Paris, Everdawn, Fifth Note, Trick Or Treat (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Cassidy Paris - New Sensation (Frontiers Music Srl)

New Sensation is the debut album from Aussie rocker Cassidy Paris, inspired by the likes of Pat Benatar, Heart, Lzzy Hale et al, she’s on a mission to inspire more women into the rock n roll sphere. Cassidy is only 20 but has already got 2 EP’s under her belt, but on her first international release, she’s all about making a statement. 

The Heart/Benatar sound comes from the opener Danger, open chords and big chorus showing both Paris’ soulful vocals (she’s also a guitar player live endorsed by Fender but doesn’t seem to play on the record), in conjunction with Paul Laine (ex-Danger Danger) she has written an album that will appeal to any fans of melodic rock, utilising the AOR scene of the 80’s as a major inspiration, using her platform to spread the anti-bullying message that she’s been so active in campaigning for, on the track Stand. 

Having not long finished another UK tour, this album couldn’t have come at a better time as anyone that saw her perform will be actively trying to seek out music so it will hopefully be snapped up. Here I Am takes a more modern approach, Halestorm/Evanescence the keys of Alessandro Del Vecchio important, as well as all his other instruments and production (probably), he also brings modernity to On The Bright Side. 

The rest of her band are also on fire two guitarists and a drummer as Laine adds some additional vocals, slick 80’s melodic rock at just 20 Cassidy Paris has a very bright future ahead, similarly to Chez Kane there’s a homage to the past but Paris also adds modern American metal and even some punk/emo on Song For Broken Hearted. I’ll be honest and says it suffers from ballad bloat, but there’s enough on New Sensation to present a bright future for Cassidy Paris. 7/10

Everdawn - Venera (Frontiers Music Srl)

Everdawn’s 2021 Frontiers Music debut Cleopatra received an 8/10 by Mr Hutchings on this blog back when it was released, so with the band having been plying their trade since 2014 and formerly featuring a member of Symphony X then you’d expect that the quality wouldn’t dip just two years later. 

The answer is no, despite being 14(!) tracks they whizz by with a breakneck pace, keeping the progging to the 12 minute Truer Words Ever Spoken. Since that album only the quartet of Boris Zaks (keys), Richard Fischer (guitars), Dan Prestup (drums) and Alina Gavrilenko (vocals) remaining from Cleopatra, band co-founder and bassist Mike LePond needed in too many other places so they have Alan D’Angelo playing on Venera. You can’t hear the join as he’s a brilliant bass player giving the low chugs to tracks such as Karmic Partner. 

Everdawn are a really speedy style of symphonic metal much like early Kamelot/Sonata Arctica/Nightwish, the orchestrations/synths intermingling with the guitars for melodic widdling on tracks such as Samsara, the drumming hitting the sort of pace black metal bands dream of while the vocals soar operatically but also carry weight in the lower register. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (yep him again), its jumps off the player allowing all the instruments to breathe on tracks such as the instrumental Crimson Dusk & Silver Dawn. 

Venera manages to capture lightning with neo-classical playing, progressive song writing and a massive ode to the power/symphonic genre. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though perhaps a one or two fewer songs would have made the difference, due to a shorter more direct runtime. 8/10

Fifth Note – Here We Are (Frontiers Music Srl)

A brand new signing from India, Fifth Note release their debut album on Frontiers Music. Originally a Christian metal themed covers band, playing songs by Stryper and Circus Maximus, they now adopt more secular influences for an album that can be a little jarring.

Rider opens the record with the sleazy hard rock of a band such as G’N’R, but then Always Love You adds strings and 80’s AOR stylings reminding me of Stryper, but with the keyboards from the prog rock genre as Dreamer gets a hard rock groove which is like Kingdom Come where Zep inspired some sleaze scene of the 1980’s.

Popular in their own country, the Zep influence comes from the vocals but often they are stretched a little too far. Then without warning Fantasy evolves into modern progressive metal, as I Won’t Give Up takes it back to AOR. The influences are wide but a little all over the place, using progressive as a bookmark for trying too many things.

Are they AOR (Here We Are)? Or are they prog metal (Misfortune/Falling Apart/Confused Trauma)? Well they’re sort of both I think, but also neither, no matter how slick they are the record was a bit of a slog. Hopefully with a bit of refinement they will have a better showing on album number two. 6/10

Trick Or Treat – A Creepy Symphony (Scarlet Records)

To celebrate more than 20 years as a band, Hellowee… I mean Trick Or Treat have released their first live album. A Creepy Symphony was recorded on their Creepy Symphonies tour, from their beginnings to their modern incarnation of Italy’s premier ‘happy metal’ band. 

Now I’ve always perhaps been a little harsh on the band as they do ape the German pumpkins a lot. But with Alessandro Conti (Twilight Force/Ex Luca Trulli’s Rhapsody) behind the mic, they have someone who is both Kiske and Lione in one, though when you hear him without the studio trappings, his voice is a bit pitchier than it is on record, there’s not quite the polish either though Simone Mulroni does a great job of mixing and mastering so that you can hear it’s live but the crowd noise isn’t too loud, and none of the instruments drown the others out. 

This was obviously recorded in Italy as the between song banter is in Italian, and it features some special guests such as Michele Luppi (Secret Sphere/Whitesnake), Chiara Tricarico (Moonlight Haze/ex-Temperance) providing vocals while former guitarist Luca Cabri appears on final track Like Donald Duck. Included as well is an Xmas single featuring Tommy Johansson of Sabaton/Majestica, which is actually kind of funny. 

Trick Or Treat don’t take themselves seriously and neither should you, if you like the quirky humour of Helloween or Rocket Ride period Edguy as well as the cheesiness of Freedom Call then you’ll do worse than checking out this live career overview. 7/10

Review: Peter Gabriel (Review By Matt Bladen)

Peter Gabriel - i/o (Real World/EMI/Republic)

There's is only one Peter Gabriel, no matter what Life Of Rock With Brian Pern tells you. He's an artist that transcends music, his Real World Studio is the most sort after production studio around, he still curates WOMAD and stands as one of The Global Elders. 

He also happens to be one of my favourite artists of all time, so to say this album is anticipated would be an understatement. His tenth studio album i/o has been in development since it was supposed to be the follow up to 2002's Up, but has been gestating since 1995 and Us.

Recorded in countess studios, and on tour, it was pushed back by the two covers/orchestral records and soundtrack works Gabriel has released over the last few years. It was also delayed due to Peter taking time away to look after his wife. But in 2019, he focussed on whittle down the record from 130 tracks to 12. 

Gabriel though has never done anything by the book and the entirety of 2023 he has released a single every Full Moon and an alternate mix on the New Moon, this has resulted in 12 'Bright Side' mixes from Mark ‘Spike’ Stent and the 'Dark-Side' mixes, by Tchad Blake, 12 of the same songs, reshaped and mixed in different ways to bring out both significant and minor differences. The standard edition is Bright Side and Dark Side but the deluxe edition continues and Blu-Ray In-Side mix which is Dolby Atmos. 

But what about the music? Well it's Peter Gabriel so to my ears it's perfect, awash with synthesisers/programming, world music tropes, wrought with emotion and topped with a voice that defies his years. Gabriel has been again joined by his go to players, guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Manu Katché, all flexing their muscle over these songs, all three keep their place in the upper echelons of the art rock genre. 

Along with them though Brian Eno collaborates with his longtime friend, co-producing with Richard Russell. Pianist Tom Cawley, trumpeters Josh Shpak/Paolo Fresu, cellist Linnea Olsson and keyboard player Don E all add to the record in their own way. Peter’s daughter Melanie contributes backing vocals with Ríoghnach Connolly while the "Real World Regulars" Richard Chappell, Oli Jacobs, Katie May and Richard Evans provide programming and play various instruments. Collaborative and creative this is Gabriel at his finest. 

Tackling life and the universe, the passing of time a overarching concept but never steps to far into sadness, though So Much is a heartbreaker, a track such as Road To Joy has the So-like funk rhythm. Lyrically intelligent and musically expressive, I could go into the nuances between the two mixes but it's better to listen and fawn over yourself, picking out every moment as the Soweto Gospel Choir, Swedish all-male choir and the New Blood Orchestra all provide their tracks with magic. 

It's forward thinking but also looks back to Gabriel's past, you can hear influences from all of his first seven records on i/o, the album cover having a manipulated image of Peter, similarly to all of his albums with the exception of So. Gabriel encouraged and invited a range of visual artists to contribute to the music videos in their own medium. 

I could spend hours explaining each track but the whole thing needs to be heard fully, I've listened to it over 15 times already and each time I've been moved, enthralled, overjoyed and excited at what I'm hearing. 21 years since his last album and nearly 50 years as a solo artist, Peter Gabriel proudly stands alone as a true legend in the music industry and i/o is a late career masterpiece. 10/10

Reviews: The Feral Ghosts, Sons Of Eternity, Swarf Damage, Destrukt (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

The Feral Ghosts – Black Sun (Seeing Red Records)

Having been heard in the 2022 vampire movie Appetite For Sin, it’s no surprise sound like the bastard son of post punk and garage rock. It’s sultry, sexy, dangerous and will get you reaching for the eyeliner. Stranger even tells you to “get your make up and your lace” after a dingy intro that shifts into the thrusting, bass driven groove of a Sisters Of Mercy track, vocals bellow in anguish, the guitars in heavy reverb and played when needed against a drumbeat that is hypnotic and robotic. 

If one song tells you what these Latin death rockers do, it’s Stranger, the trio born out of the shadows of the Chicago scene, 1989 conjuring all the feel bad vibes of that year (hey I was born lets be sad about it together), while Witcher has the slow burning intensity of Joy Division, the distorted swirl of Ocean Of Fire feels like Nick Cave. 

If you’re post punk/darkwave aficionado you’ll be picking up all manner of influences on this record, however if you’re not there’s enough musical deviance and raw emotion to get you sweating, so make sure that eyeliner is waterproof. 7/10

Sons Of Eternity – End Of Silence (Massacre Records)

Before I even looked at the info with this album, I immediately noted the word German and then “heavy metal Scorpions”. As that’s what Silence the first track of this debut album reminded me of. If the long running German rock legends moved away from the radio and went down the power metal route they’d probably sound a bit like Sons Of Eternity, who are German. 

Much of the comparison comes from singer Matthias, who writes lyrics that are inspired by modern problems, global matters and politics (no whistling thankfully). Musically they put together classic and power metal with a louder, heavier brand of riffage, so it feels modern but doesn’t break any boundaries. All of the members are experienced having been a number of bands, but considering they are less than a year old, you have to admire how well the gel on this album. 

Ultimately though they don’t take that many risks but have an album that has one or two tracks that could break out such as the strutting The End, the Maiden-like Eye Of The Storm or the ballad Ruins but most of it is competent heavy/power metal. 7/10

Swarf Damage – Swarf Damage (Self Released)

Remember when thrash was political? Swarf Damage remember, their crossover thrash is furious, snarling, pissed off and ready for a fight, from Kill 2 Survive, through Four Minute Warning, Decayed and culminating in Father, the inspirations of Cro-Mags, D.R.I are obvious. Suprising then that the band are from the Isle Of Man not the New York, the elting pot of the crossover scene where anarchistic hardcore punk met with unfiltered thrash. 

Unfiltered is what you get here, the language is brash, the vocals brasher as the grooves and pit inciting riffs get you bouncing, that’s not saying there isn’t melody, there is mainly when the guitars aren’t playing buzzsaw riffs. If you’ve been enamoured with the current wave of crossover bands such as Power Trip or High Command, then Swarf Damage will have you begging to run in circle and rage at society. 

Even a song called Doom Or Be Doomed comes in with pace and power, annoying or the doom fans. Supporting Discharge early next year, the door is wide open for Swarf Damage to wreck a venue near you soon. 7/10

Destrukt – The Ascent (Cruz Del Sur Music/Woven Hoof)

Released as a cassette in conjunction with Woven Hoof to convinced with Keep It True Rising 3 in October. The Ascent, the latest EP from French speed maniacs Destrukt is now available as a free download on their bandcamp. 

Since 2014 they have been laying down sick speed metal that is as retro as it comes, oozing with swords sorcery and machismo, led since 2014 by guitarist Karburator. The current line up is less than three years old with the exception of drummer Deathripper who joined in 2016, Krossbones (bass) added in 2012 and Athena (vocals) and Ravenheart (guitar) joining last year. The Ascent is a three tracker that rips and shreds through the over 15 minutes of classic heavy metal. 

Influenced by Manowar, Tower, Leather Leone and bands such as Enforcer, there’s twin axe harmonies, blitzkrieg rhythms and histrionic vocals, speaking of Enforcer Olof Wikstrand mixed and mastered this record which is why it sounds like a cassette tape from the 80’s. It’s short, it’s fun, it’s free, get your bullet belt on and enjoy! 7/10