Out Of The Beyond 18

I'm going to concentrate on the Tony Iommi solo albums due to his recent fight with lymphoma as they show that the man is more than Black Sabbath.

Tony Iommi: Iommi

This is the album that took 5 years to make and features Iommi with guest vocalists. the album is mainly written by Iommi, producer Bob Marlette and the vocalists themselves. There is variation between the tracks, but all of them have Iommi's spectacular guitar work which contributed to the classic Sabbath style. The most Sabbath-like track is Who's Fooling Who which features Ozzy on vocals and has the bells and slow dirge doom riff that early Sabbath perfected. Many of the tracks share similarities with their respective vocalist's day jobs. Time Is Mine with Phillip Anselmo has all the hallmarks of Pantera, Patters with Serj Tankian has SOAD tendencies and the incredibly doomy Just Say No To Love is pure Type O Negative due to Peter Steele's unmistakeable vocals. As I have said this is a great album that mixes the legendary guitar of Iommi with guest turns from friends Bill Ward and Brian May with a fantastic collection of vocalists all of whom fit the songs (some of whom also provide instrumentation on the tracks Dave Grohl drums on his track, Peter Steele bass on his and so on). This is a great start to a solo career from a legend. 8/10

Tony Iommi: The 1996 DEP Sessions

Despite the title this album was released in 2004 with re-recorded drums as original drummer Dave Holland (formally of Judas Priest) was scrubbed from the album due to his conviction on child porn charges. The album is collaboration between Iommi and the "Voice Of Rock" Glen Hughes (who also handles the bass). It was Tony's demo sessions with an old friend and the result is a somewhat experimental album. Opener Gone is Dio-era Sabbath but the rest of the album is very hard-rock with Glen's soulful vocals taking the pride of place, however the album seems quite reserved with three ballads on an 8-track album being a bit too much. Time Is A Healer is a doom-riff heavy track and Don't Drag The River is a perfect song for Hughes vocals but it is a bit folky and psychedelic for what many would associate with Iommi. This is a very experimental album as I have said but is shows sides to the "Iron Man" that many would have not seen. 7/10

Tony Iommi: Fused

This is probably what Tony was aiming for with the DEP Sessions it is a full on power-trio metal album featuring Iommi shredding, Glen Hughes in full 'Rock God' mode on vocals and bass with Kenny Arnoff drums. The album is produced by Bob Marlette who also provides some keys. This is by far a heavier album than its predecessor and is probably what would have happened if Hughes had stayed in Sabbath after the Seventh Star album. Opening with the fantastic Dopamine which is a heavy metal lament to both men's misspent youth, as is the second track Wasted Again (which features a killer solo). The ballad Living Deep Inside A Shell is both dark and melancholic which gives it an atmospheric vibe. What Your Living For is an almost thrash shredder. This is brilliant album from three (four) immensely talented men, mixing classic song writing and legacy with crisp modern touches. 9/10

Reviews: Dragonforce, Unisonic, We Are Augustines, Steak Number Eight

Dragonforce: The Power Within (Electric Generation)

The first album after a member leaves is always a difficult one especially if that person is the vocalist. They do so much to entrench the sound of the band that when they are changed the band can either move on to better things (See DiAnno/Dickinson) or fall to pieces (Dickinson/Bayley). Luckily the former is true of Power Metal jokers Dragonforce who after recruiting Brit Marc Hudson to replace ZP Threat, have released what is their best album since Sonic Firestorm. I will say now that many believe that Inhuman Rampage was the best Dragonforce album but I am not of that opinion as I have followed them since the beginning and IR is their most commercial offering and is too focussed on speed and soloing to create a niche. The same cannot be said about The Power Within on the whole the songs are shorter and more concise, which makes the whole album seem more grown up. The Dragonforce hallmarks are still there with Give Me The Night, Holding On, Heart Of The Storm and Die By The Sword. However tracks like first single Cry Thunder have a more classic metal sound akin to Manowar and final track Last Man Stands is the ballad that they have wanted to write since Valley Of The Damned as it encompasses speed and power. Marc gives a fantastic vocal performance and has a more expressive voice than ZP which adds some flavour to the pot. Both Sam and Herman's guitar playing is still top drawer however now they can be a bit more reserved unleash in small blasts, they have also let bassist Fred perform a few guitar solos on at least two of the tracks because he is actually a guitar player (formally of Heavenly). The keys and drums are also atypical of their sound but still gorgeous alnog witht he crisp modern production. It seems Dragonforce have risen from the fire (and the flames). (Sorry.) 9/10

Unisonic: S/T (Earmusic)

So the full length debut from the Kai Hansen, Michael Kiske and Dennis Ward alliance. After the taster of their power in the E.P released earlier this year I was waiting with baited breath for this album and it is great. Opening with Unisonic and Souls Alive (both of which featured on the E.P along with My Sanctuary.) These songs I have already reviewed so now for the rest of the album, Never Too Late is a raging rocker, I've Tried is an 80's influenced love song with lashings of keys and D-bass. It is very refreshing to hear Kiske's voice put to melodic metal again after his dalliances with AOR (of which here is a smattering on here see big ballad Star Rider). The guitar playing of Mandy Meyer and Kai Hansen is also brilliant blending twin-guitar shredding and melodic leads. Dennis Ward's bass playing is chunky, tight and powerful and his production is thick and very European this is something that Ward does very well. If your fan of very well performed melodic metal in the style of Voodoo Circle or Pink Cream 69 then purchase this album because it's a corker. 8/10

We Are Augustines: Rise Ye Sunken Ships (Oxcart records)

Formed by singer/guitarist Billy McCarthy and bassist Eric Sannderson the album draws on the dark subject matter of his brother and mothers Schizophrenia and subsequent suicides. Despite this unsettling idea the album itself has all of the upbeat melancholia of Springsteen with added folk influences provided by the acoustic guitars as well as lashings of punk. McCarthy's voice is the biggest selling point of the album as it has the gritty, emotional power of Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem. Opening with the repeating riff of Chapel Song the album has a hollow ghostly sound filled with hand-claps, percussion and jangly indie guitars that often build into crescendos of noise. The old school production techniques feature heavily especially on the biographical Book Of James which is based on just an acoustic guitar and a drum machine yet still being very effective. The whole album is an absolute treat for anyone who is a fan of The Boss, Neil Young and even Dylan. It's concept of loss and redemption coupled with the truly fantastic vocal delivery of McCarthy makes this album an absolute stormer. It needs to be heard by anyone and everyone. 9/10  

Steak Number Eight: All Is Chaos (Play It Again Sam Records)

Belgian noise merchants Steak Number Eight have released their debut effort and it is truly an experience, the band play a mix of shoe-gaze and sludge metal, their mix of long instrumental passages, downturned riffage, atmospheric instrumentation and the occasional burst of Cobainesque vocals from frontman Brent Vanneste. The band are primarily post-rock bringing long heavy, sonic laden guitar driven passages that merge with crushing heaviness however songs like Dickhead and Pyromaniac are also very well written for a band who are all teenagers. Defiantly one for fans of Isis and Pelican with a definitive grunge influence on the vocals. These guys will destroy as they grow, but now they are still very accomplished and they shit all over Brit teen 'sensations' One Direction. 7/10

Live & Dangerous: Charlie Simpson, The Martin Harley Band, Union Sound Set

Charlie Simpson, The Martin Harley Band, Union Sound Set (Solus, Cardiff)

Opening act I can't remember but he was shit so moving on:

Union Sound Set

Formed by Simpson's eldest brother Ed. Union Sound Set are a band that are equal parts Arcade Fire, Radiohead and Band Of Horses, they play atmospheric post-rock rich in melody and progression. For a band that consists of guitars, drums, bass, keys and even a cello they are very streamlined in their sound. This is stirring uplifting music that has many links to Fightstar because of Ed's uncanny vocal resemblance to his brother Charlie (who came on as a guest for one track to a rapturous applause). Union Sound Set are a thinking band that play with the utmost professionalism, they are musically gifted and also great song writers the only shame is that I hadn't heard of them until now. 8/10

The Martin Harley Band

Again another band I had yet to hear despite them being from Cardiff. They are trio that play variations of blues and folk. However the band straddles genres and introduces instruments that you wouldn't associate with these genres. Martin himself handles vocals and mainly acoustic guitar, however his prowess with a lap-slide guitar is daunting especially when playing set closer Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) the other musicians are not to be ignored either with bassist Jay Carter holding everything together which means that drummer Pete Swaton can let it all hang loose on his cocktail drum kit as well as playing a mean Balalaika. Their unique and not-quite-placeable sound is truly a highlight and their stage presence for a trio is excellent (despite spending most of the gig sitting down) Great band that need to be seen. 9/10

Charlie Simpson

The co-frontman of Fightstar and former member of pop-Muppets Busted, Charlie Simpson is a musical chameleon that has proved all his doubters wrong. He has yet again changed his spots and become an acoustic troubadour on his first solo album Young Pilgrim. Opening with the upbeat Parachutes Simpson receives a fantastic welcome from the very busy Solus. the crowd itself is made up of scene kids, teenage girls, indie kids, hipsters, Fightstar fans and probably even some Busted fans (although they wouldn't reveal themselves). Simpson is backed by great band and was in clear voice all night. He played the majority of his solo album with   Down, Down, Down, The Farmer & His Gun and the cathartic Riverbanks all being favourites. Simpson easily won over the crowd and by the end he had left them wanting more. Also as a passing comment the sound was good and the crowd were on fire (albeit with more shrill screaming than I'm used to at gigs). Great night from a man who is a good entertainer and also a fantastic songwriter. 9/10

Reviews: Shinedown, Flying Colors, Zodiac N Black

Shinedown: Amaryllis (Roadrunner)

According to frontman Brent Smith "Amaryllis is the manifestation of that vision, the centrepiece of what Shinedown is" and it is hard to argue, this is what Shinedown have been working towards since their inception, whereas their first album was pure American rock, the second added solo and their third Sound Of Madness made them famous through radio hits Second Chance, If You Only Knew and The Crow & The Butterfly. As many will probably know despite the rock and metal tendencies Shinedown seem to have excelled at big radio hits so it's no surprise that this continues on Amaryllis. Yes there are rockers in the shape of Adrenaline, Enemies and Nowhere Kids however it's the ballads and pop influenced hits. The ballad quotient is filled with the title track, Unity, I'm Not Alright and Through The Never meaning that the album has more mid-paced and slower moments and the poppier rock moments are filled by tracks such as Bully which has a hook that most bands would die for, all this means that this is prime American radio rock fodder but before you groan it is superbly done American radio rock, each track is brilliantly written and performed, the production is also fantastic (but when you get the current chairman of Warner Bros. Records Rob Cavallo to produce your album because he produced that last one it helps). This is a great album for fans and it’s guaranteed to do brilliantly in America and probably here as well. 8/10

Flying Colors (Mascot)

Formed as an "Experiment" Flying Colors are a collection of virtuoso musicians who are expanding their musical palate. The members are Mike Portnoy (Transatlantic, ex-Dream Theater) on drums, Dave LaRue (Dixie Dregs) on bass, prog god Neal Morse (Transatlantic, solo, ex-Spock's Beard) on the keys/vocals, Steve Morse, no relation to Neal (Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs) on guitars. The unknown quantity is vocalist Casey McPherson who is the singer in Alpha Rev an alt rock band. The album varies wildly in its influences, all of the songs are expertly performed with all the players parts given equal room to breathe, the guitar of S. Morse and the keys of N.Morse brilliantly interplay throughout giving many of the tracks like Blue Ocean, Kayla and Infinite Fire all have a 70's sound with many of the tracks also having more modern influences with All Falls Down having a distinct Muse sound. The drumming of Portnoy is subdued but still technical (and his singing voice is good shown as while the jazz bass of Dave LaRue anchors all of the tracks. McPherson (who also provides extra keys and guitar) brings his excellent vocals to every track and is equally adept with rockier tracks as he is with the ballads. The songs are not 'metal' but have some Deep Purple vibes along with the aforementioned Muse and even some pop-proggers like Supertramp. The production of legend Peter Collins is perfect giving a very mainstream pop sound to the album along with classic warmth. This is a mixed bag of tracks that are more of compilation of influences rather than a full album from a single band, it is project for these immensely talented musicians to get away from their day jobs and see if it would work. On the whole it has worked but whether they can make another with their busy schedule is debateable, still if is their only album then it's a corker. 8/10

Zodiac N Black: The Aftermyth (STM Records) 

Zodiac N Black are a British metal band. They have released their debut album The Aftermyth and fans of well played stoner/psych metal will love it. The band are very similar to Monster Magnet with frontman Jad having the Wyndorf howl down to a tee. The band is held together by the funky basslines of Hank dulling with the powerhouse drumming of Luca, with the guitar of Jim providing crunch and melodic touches with its fuzzed up sound. The album opens with the storming Bastinado which is an incredibly catchy track that sets the tone with its groove laden bass and heavy riffage, the album continues in this vein but every track is different enough to not be boring. The final track Lights On Blues is a bluesy/psychedelic 10 minute opus that shows the bands chops. The production is punchy and raw which adds to the sound. The vocals can be a bit one dimensional at times but on the whole of the album is an excellent of British rock. 7/10
   

Reviews: Primal Fear, Adrenaline Mob, Phase Reverse

Primal Fear: Unbreakable (Nuclear Blast)

Returning from out of a their experimental wilderness and back doing what they do best, which is balls-out Teutonic heavy metal. Let’s not beat around the bush Primal Fear sound like late period Priest ala the Painkiller era. Ralph Scheepers vocals are on top form as he wails and screams over the powerful backing laid down by drummer Randy Black and bassist/producer/writer and all around metal icon Mat Sinner. The shredding is provided by long-time guitarist Magnus Karlsson and new boy (and Mat Sinners long-time collaborator in Sinner and Voodoo Circle) virtuoso Alex Beyrodt who adds his free flowing style to the album. Starting out with the instrumental Unbreakable Part 1 before tearing listeners a new one with Strike and the pace doesn't relent with Give 'Em Hell, chunky rocker Bad Guys Wear Black and And There Was Silence. It's with Where Angels Die that everything slows as this is an overwrought ballad which really shows of Scheepers fantastic vocal range. This is a stunning return to the old school sound of one of Germany's premier trad/power metal bands, long may they reign! 9/10

Adrenaline Mob: Omerta (Century Media)

When Mike Portnoy left Dream Theater many wondered what route he would follow. After a false start with Avenged Sevenfold and his continuing work with Transatlantic, Mike has finally pulled his finger out and has returned with two distinctive albums. The Flying Colours album I will review next time however in this review I'm going to concentrate on the harder edged Adrenaline Mob album. The band are Portnoy on drums, Symphony X's Russell Allen on vocals and hitherto unknown (by me anyway) virtuoso guitarist Mike Orlando from Sonic Stomp. The band play crushingly heavy, melodic and technically proficient (naturally) modern metal. The sound is distinctly heavier than anything Dream Theater have done (although it's on a par with recent Symphony X output). After the E.P underwhelmed me even with the talent involved (this was mainly due to bad production) my expectations of the album were low, however from the muscular Nu-Metal riff of opening track Undaunted I was blown away. The production was faultless, Portnoy's drumming is stunning, Allen's voice has a vicious snarl that adds to the aggressive nature of the music and Orlando's guitar playing (he also handles bass) is jaw dropping, he has technicality but applies it sparingly knowing just when to take the track up a gear. The influences come from everywhere Undauted is like a super charged Disturbed, Indifferent and Psychosane have the progressive influences of Allen's and Portnoy's former day jobs. All On The Line is a ballad of Alter Bridge proportions and the rest of the album ebbs and flows excellently letting in BLS and others barely letting the pace and enjoyment slip (they even make Duran Duran sound like Dio fronted Sabbath on their cover of Come Undone featuring Lzzy Hale of Halestorm). This is a top class album from top class musicians (now featuring Disturbed's John Moyer on bass to give a crushing bottom end live). Definitely one for any fan of modern metal or any of the bands these musicians are in and any of the bands I've mentioned, or for anyone into metal in general. Cracking. Buy It! 9/10

Phase Reverse: S/T (Aural Music)

Phase Reverse are a stoner/blues metal power trio from Greece. They play a mix of AIC, Soundgarden and BLS with bassist/vocalist Tas' shout being somewhere between Zakk Wylde and Chris Cornell. They are the 'flesh and bones' of a rock and roll band and mix heavy stoner metal and powerful riff driven rock. The bass is the main rhythm of the band with the drums of Alex providing a pounding back beat, both of them underpin the chunky and reverb drenched guitar playing of John who also provides the crystal clear production. Songs like Cross To Bear, Crash And Burn and Death Ride show the power and musicality of the band, the pace barely lets up with Wide Awake, High Hopes and the progressive Long Gone giving a wider spectrum to their sound. A great album from a band that should get bigger because of this album. 8/10  

Live & Dangerous: Serenity, Pythia, Lost In Thought

Serenity, Pythia, Lost In Thought (Bogiez Cardiff)

Lost In Thought

Last minute replacements for Nemesea were Swansea Prog-metallers Lost In Thought. Despite playing confident technically proficient metal, they really didn't do it for me as I thought they were trying a bit too hard to sound like Dream Theater with vocalist Nate Loosemore doing a good impression of LaBrie's vocals albeit without the range. Although the 20 minute set was fine they didn't win me over. 6/10

Pythia

Female fronted British symphonic metal band Pythia were next and they also were doing a good covers act with their slightly heavier Nightwish style. Emily Alice Ovenden has powerful classical voice that has good range and she is quite a confident front woman, the band were also very good bringing a classic metal vibe to the overarching symphonic keys. Accomplished and entertaining but not really doing anything new in a genre that is very overpopulated which may hinder their progression. 7/10

Serenity

Austria's Serenity are a melodic power metal band in a similar vein to Kamelot. They play full on prog/symphonic tinged power metal delivered with passion and grit. Vocalist Georg Neuhauser has great voice that is almost identical to Sonata Arctica's Tony Kakko and the keys of Mario Hirzinger interplay beautifully with Thomas Burchberger's guitar playing which means they sound alot like both Sonata and Kamelot. The band stormed through a set of their back catalogue focussing mainly on the pounding speed anthems for the majority stopping only occasionally to pull out a lighters-in-the-air ballad that melodic PM bands do so well (I'm thinking Replica here). The band even brought along Whyzdom singer Clementine Delauney to handle the female vocals on tracks such as Serenade Of Flames (performed by Charlotte Wessels from Delain on the album). The band were excellent and pulled a decent enough crowd, they should get bigger on this evidence, and if they don't it would be a great shame because they are very entertaining. 8/10

Live & Dangerous: Amon Amarth & Grand Magus

Amon Amarth & Grand Magus (Cardiff Solus)

In Solitude were the openers but due to the 'always correct' nature of the internet I managed to see their final few minutes unfortunately.

Grand Magus

The Swedish metal trio strode onto the stage and immediately set the place rumbling with their old school doom/trad metal. Their 40 minute set was comprised of songs from their last two albums Iron Will and Hammer Of The North with the title of the latter being the opening track, the band played a concise balls out metal show with storming riffs and vocals coming from frontman/guitarist JB, who has the customary Swedish rock star 'I the fucking man' attitude intact. The band were able to make the small crowd shout and chant like a crowd twice the size. Tracks like The Shadow Knows and Like the Oar That Strikes The Water were excellent in the live setting and the band were able to be nearly as heavy live as they are on record. Finishing the set with Iron Will the band looked to have visibly enjoyed the set and the warm reception they had received from the crowd. 8/10

Amon Amarth

Viking Metallers Amon Amarth had just finished a sub headline show at Hammerfest the day before playing Solus and the crowd there was perhaps 10 times bigger than the one that greeted them in Cardiff, (this was probably due to it being a Sunday night, the aforementioned Hammerfest and Wales Six Nations win the day before) however despite the small crowd Amon Amarth gave a great performance of their power metal influenced Viking metal. Johan Hegg (and his voice especially) focal point of the band due to his large commanding nature and his booming, guttural death metal roar (he even talks like that). The dual guitars of Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Soderberg give the band its PM vibe and the crushing rhythm section flattened the crowd throughout. The set too was well thought out with 5 songs coming from newest album Surtur Rising as well as 4 from their previous and breakthrough album Twilight Of The Thunder God the band also brought in classics such as Pursuit Of Vikings and Cry Of The Blackbirds before ending the main set with Death In Fire. The two song encore consisted of the opening tracks from Twilight Of The Thunder God with the title track and Guardians Of Asgard ending the set on a high. This was a great set from a band that has an identifiable sound and do what they do very well. 9/10  

Live & Dangerous: Hammerfest Day 2

Hammerfest Day 2 (Pontins Holiday Park, Prestatyn Sands, North Wales)

After a night of drinking we reconvened and made our way to the fun house one more time.

Oaf (Queen Vic Stage)

Consisting of Metal Hammer writer Dom Lawson on Bass and Shouting and his mate James on the drums Oaf are the very meaning of DIY. With just the two of them they play proto-punk with achingly funny (but mainly indecipherable) lyrics. Lawson is a good frontman who uses his miserable and self-depreciating disposition to win the crowd over. Any band that can play songs called Tiny When Erect and O Yes Sir I Can Tina Turner are alright in my book and if there was any justice in the world Fuck Off Seagull would be a number one. 8/10

Collapse (Queen Vic Stage)

Staying on the third stage I saw Collapse who impressed me when they supported Devil Driver at the end of last year. They did so again with their brand of LOG style groove metal filled with crushing breakdowns and some killer solos. The vocals were also great and guttural and the band as a whole were really professional in their delivery. Catch them if you can. 7/10

Bit of a break in the proceedings for me as it was the Six Nations final and not much was happening so filled up on beer and rugby and proceed back once we had won.

Hell (Main stage)

After releasing one of my favourite albums of last year I REALLY wanted to see Hell live as I had heard they were awesome, however I did not anticipate how good they could be. The playing from Andy Sneap and Kev Bower was flawless with the rhythm in perfect sync. They merge NWOBHM with proto thrash and speed metal of King Diamond as well as adding keys and effects courtesy of Kev Bower. The complex song writing and all out metal assault is bolstered by the superb performance of frontman Dave Bower who is the obvious focal point, his numerous costume changes, vocal range and his passionate and theatrical delivery, means that the band are fantastically entertaining (if Lloyd Webber ever wants to make Antichrist Superstar then I nominate him as the lead) They managed to play almost their whole debut showing off how good it is in live setting. With another album under their belts Hell could (and should) be become everyone's new favourite band. 9/10

Wizard (Main stage)

Wizard are a German Power metal band and as so are trying to sound like Helloween and Manowar with lyrics about Odin etc. however they failed to make an impression on me. Lacklustre middle-of-the-road metal added to by the pauses because of the guitarist’s broken instrument (Not a euphemism). 4/10

Dream Evil (Main stage)

Having been around for years Power metal veterans Dream Evil brought their brand of OTT metal to Hammerfest and rocked it hard. Unlike Wizard they don't take themselves seriously with frontman Niklas Isfeldt admitting that his lyrics are clichéd before announcing the next song was Fire! Battle! In Metal! They played a tight fun set filled with PM anthems before ending with their signature tune The Book of Heavy Metal which got the crowd chanting along. 7/10

I skipped Amon Amarth because I saw them the day after in Cardiff

Skindred (Main stage)

With the Wales win earlier the masters of live performance were going to be bolstered to an even higher level and boy were they. Coming on to the Imperial March from Star Wars they burst immediately into Ratrace with the band playing with great precision but a looseness that indicated they were having a blast. Frontman Benji Webbe is a master of his craft, having the audience eating out of his hand by the end of the first song, his vocals are excellent and he has quite a range but it's his between song banter that makes people love him, he is a cheeky South Wales take on a 'Rude Boi' with great humour. A partial Sad But True riff gave way to Trouble and Cause A Riot before the band enlivened the crowd further with the sing-a-long Doom Riff. A brief pause for Benji to work his magic and introduce the DJ that started Tinie Temper's Pass Out which was mashed-up (if that's the correct term) with Selector and it worked excellently before merging seamlessly into Rude Boy For Life. After some more banter and a Heavy metal robot the set ended with the steam rolling quadrilogy of Pressure, Cut Dem (their tribute to Newport obviously), Destroy The Dancefloor and the explosive Nobody. Then came a rest but only until the encore which saw a Benji costume change, the 'Newport Helicopter', the entire crowd leapfrogging and Stand For Something followed by Warning which ended the set. Truly Skindred are one of the best live bands around they combine musicality with extreme level of enjoyment rarely seen (anyone who can get metal heads actually dancing is doing something right) they really are near flawless. As their outro by Carly Simon says "Nobody Does It Better" and on this evidence it's hard to argue. 10/10

Live & Dangerous: Hammerfest Day 1

Hammerfest Day 1 (Pontins Holiday Village, Prestatyn Sands, North Wales)

The Metal Hammer organised Hammerfest reared its head again and this year’s headliners were thrash titans Anthrax and Welsh ragga metals Skindred. After the 4 hour trip to get there we arrived in the middle of the afternoon so I missed Kyrbgrinder but got accommodation sorted and then went back to catch some bands.

Spriytus (Queen Vic Stage)

Funk-metal band Spriytus were the first band we saw and they played a good set of RATM like metal with the occasional cover thrown in to add to the mix (the inclusion of MC Hammers Can't Touch This with its slightly altered refrain of "Stop. Hammerfest" brought a smile to your face) there was nothing out of the ordinary about this band but for an enjoyable band to get slowly drunk to they scored points. 6/10

Heaven's Basement (Second Stage)

Having been around for a while and changing both name and line-up frequently I was looking forward to Heaven's Basement. Unfortunately I should have seen line-up changes for the omen it was as they were nothing more than mediocre Velvet Revolver-lite with many bands i.e. The Treatment doing a much better job of the classic hard rock sound they were trying. 4/10

Paradise Lost (Main Stage)

British miserablists Paradise Lost opened with The Rise Of Denial and proceeded to play a 'greatest hits' set relying more on their faster material from Icon and Draconian Times onwards rather than their slower doom-laden stuff. The juxtaposition of their songs and the way frontman Nick Holmes addressed everyone as 'campers' shows the innate sense of British humour that lies behind all of the gothic darkness. An excellent set from a British institution that should have had longer to show their full repertoire. 8/10

Anthrax (Main stage)

Always the underdog of the 'Big 4' Anthrax's reunion with Joey Belladonna has meant they have slowly become one of the elder statesmen of metal. Kicking off with two tracks from newest album Worship Music the band have no intention of looking back on former glories by coming out of the blocks with two modern tracks before due fully opening the floor with Caught In A Mosh. it's this seamless blending of new and old that is Anthrax's strength and their downfall as much of their set sounds very similar, punk-edged thrash with Belladonna's powerful vocals thrown over the top. Their cover of Antisocial came next causing more craziness before adding another two tracks from Worship Music that were split by the still-fucking crazy Indians (which had to be started twice because of the crowds inability to war dance correctly) before the main set closed with classics Medusa, Deathrider and Among The Living. The entire band played excellently (despite Belladonna still not knowing where the hell he was). The band reconvened for the encore of Madhouse, Metal Thrashing Mad and the perennial I Am The Law. Anthrax played what was a concert set at a festival which meant that not as many classics got an airing as they should (I'm still waiting for a live performance of Bring Tha Noise personally) and the crowd were a little lacklustre despite its size, however Anthrax persevered and delivered the goods. 9/10

Evile (Main stage)

Following one of your heroes would be hard for most bands but not Evile as they admirably followed Anthrax with their modern take on the classic thrash sound. having more in common with Slayer and Metallica. Evile are in a slightly different vein, but with three albums they have already acquired some bonafide classics songs with Thrasher, Killer From The Deep, Infected Nation and the huge Cult. With most of the songs drawn from their newest record they showed just how good they now are as songwriters and with their now established stage show and Matt Drake's perfected vocals they can only get bigger. Great stuff from the UK thrashers. 8/10

Reviews: Bruce Springsteen, Primal Rock Rebellion, Red Fang

Bruce Springsteen: Wrecking Ball (Columbia)

The man who both inspires and unites all American's whether Black, White, Latino, Republican or Democrat, returns with his most politically charged and passionate album in years. Drawing lyrics from the social and economic climate of the past few years, The Boss' everyman story telling is at full force from opener We Take Care Of Our Own which is a classic E-Street Shuffle (despite only some members appearing). However Springsteen brings other influences to the table with Irish folk: Death Of My Hometown, countrified the title track (dedicated to the now demolished Giants stadium) and also some hip-hop and electronic influences. This is The Boss at his most passionate, seeming angry in places. As far as great tracks they're hard to pick out just because of the sheer quality of the record, We Take Care Of Our Own is generic but fun, Shackled And Drawn is a politically motivated country rocker, Jack Of All Trades is a haunting protest ballad that features a guest guitar solo from Tom Morello, the title track is a racer and finally Land Of Hope And Dreams is powerful as it is poignant due to it being Clarence Clemons final performance. Wrecking Ball is the sound of The Boss going back to his roots and it makes you wonder why no-one has elected him President yet? 9/10

Primal Rock Rebellion: Awoken Broken (Spinefarm)

Formed by former SikTh vocalist Mikee Goodman and Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith. This unlikely alliance produces an even more unlikely album that draws influences from modern and classic alone. The key selling point is Mikee's schizophrenic vocals which range from a menacing scream to a Matt Barlowesque croon. The tracks as I said all differ in terms of style there is modern metal (No Place Like Home), RATM (No Friendly Neighbour), prog (Bright As A Fire) and spoken word rap (As Tears Come Falling From The Sky). Smith's guitar playing is stunning and varied (which has always been Smith's trademark in Maiden and his other side projects) he handles all the stringed instruments (and all backing vocals, most notably on I See Lights) with drums handled by another former SikTh man Dan Foord, also most of the tracks is the great Viola playing of Abi Fry who lifts many of the songs with her contribution (and does a Maiden rundown on No Friendly Neighbour). For those who are wondering whether Maiden features heavily well it's yes and no with it coming later in the album and mixed with Goodman's expansive vocal range it puts me more in mind of Iced Earth or Hell. A really good and different album that will appeal to fans of complex and modern metal. 8/10

Red Fang: S/T (Sargent House)

Originally released in 2009 Red Fang's debut has just been re-released (probably to coincide with their high profile support of Mastodon). This album is a collection of their first two E.P's. This Portland based band immediately state their intent on opening track Prehistoric Dog which has muscular riffiage and barking vocals from Bassist/vocalist Aaron Beam who sounds very similar to Viking Skull's Roddy Stone. This theme of heavy, hard rocking continues over the next two tracks with guitarist Bryan Giles' Josh Homme style vocal delivery giving a great harmony to the gritty vocals of Beam. Red Fang then open up a little on Humans Remain Human Remains which is a six minute stoner trip filled with atmospheric guitars and an overarching feeling of doom. Red Fang do share similarities with tour mates Mastodon but they have their own sound which has a slightly more punky edge to it especially on Good To Die. This is a good introduction to a band that are only going to get bigger as the years progress mainly due to their high profile support slots. Get the CD now. 8/10