Will Wallner & Vivian Vain: The Battle For Clyst Heath (Self Released)
Will Wallner is the British born guitarist of the semi-defunct White Wizzard (It is too complicated for words) and Croatian singer Vivian Vain, their debut album was released in 2012 and now with The Battle Of Clyst Heath they have set about creating another album of hard rock that nods it's head at the more classic style of music from the late 70's and 80's. Wallner is considered a blues rock guitarist and while this album has got blues rock passages the over arching style is that of Rainbow, Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy. Things kick off with a guitar rendition of Vangelis' Blade Runner theme which has the synth backing topped with some silky guitar lines from Wallner which bursts straight into the rocking riffage of The War Of The Roses which is a historical tale ripped right out of the Thin Lizzy song book, in fact Vain's strong, unique and smoky vocals are perfect for this kind of hard rock. She croons and crows on tracks like Eye Of The Storm which does sound a lot like vintage Dio and features some great guitar work from Wallner like the super speed solo at the end. Wallner has also got some great musicians helping him out too with Dio Disciples Bjorn Englen bassist and former White Wizzard drummer Giovanni Durst contributing to most of the tracks he also has both the Appice brothers drumming on the album Tony Franklin adding bass and final track the instrumental The Loner is a tribute to Gary Moore, the bluesiest track on the album if features Moore's former bandmates Neil Murray and Don Airey on bass and keys respectively. As I said the album draws from classic hard rock with Black Moon harks back to Wallner's Wizzard days with a NWOBHM stomp, You Won't Take Me Alive is a Purple-like propulsive rocker and the title track is pure Blackmore in his Rainbow days with some truly stunning guitar playing and some cracking walking bass. Wallner and Vain have produced yet another album of quality hard rock with top class musicianship and some great songwriting. 8/10
Kaledon: Antillius: The King Of The Light (Scarlet Records)
As the orchestras swell we are plunged straight into symphonic metal territory here, with nods to Rhapsody, Sonata Arctica and even Blind Guardian, Italians Kaledon have been playing this kind of music since 1999 and this is their 8th album, much like countrymen Rhapsody the band rely on cinematic concept albums as their stock in trade with this being the second album in their second conceptual arc based around this albums titular King Of The Light. As far as the music goes that too is very similar to Luca Trulli's mob with dual guitar assault throughout with the solos coming from Alex Mele, rhythms from Tommaso Nemesio both of whom are founders of the band along with bassist Paolo Lezziroli, fast paced drumming from Massimiliano Santori, sweeping keys and orchestrations of Paolo Campitelli and the soaring Euro vocals of Marco Palazzi. The songs are well written but there are many bands already doing this sort of thing who have a bigger profile so that may mean this album will not be recognised. This is good album for power metal fans and it does have all the hallmarks of the more symphonic/cinematic side of the genre with some good musicianship from all involved but most, even dyed in the wool, power metal fans, will find it to be another album full of swords and sorcery gimmickry that sticks rigidly in the Rhapsody mold. 5/10
Black Book Lodge: Tundra (Mighty Music)
Black Book Lodge are a four piece band based in Copenhagen, Tundra is their debut album and is very hard to classify. For the most part they seem to be stoner based heavy rock with QOTSA, Monster Magnet, Soundgarden and even The Sword. Many of these comparisons are due to the vocals of Ronny Jønsson who also plays guitar along with Jonas Budtz Møller bringing some huge heaving slabs of riffage, Ronny's voice is similar to Audrey Horne's Toschie meeting Chris Cornell in a frozen wasteland. His vocals are especially prevalent on Black Sheep/Prodigal Sons which is a hell of a song with its swaggering riff and final swirling solo that melts into the chunky rocking of Pendulum which swings (sorry) with some gang chants and some perfect guitar work. As with all stoner style rock music the rhythm section that drives the massive riffage Trygve Borelli and Lund Jakob Gundel are the powerhouse engine room making sure the songs rattle your bones allowing Ronny and Jonas to rock like bastards on an album that has a definitive old school flavour sounding as if it was made to be on vinyl, the production and otherworldly songwriting creates soundscapes that many bands would kill for, see Thalassa as an example of this as the song still has the bulldozer guitars but also lots of dynamics that mean it doesn't sound same and also lets the screamed intro of The Call smash you in the face with it's fuzzed up distortion assault, which continues through the trippy Cripplegate as this fades out in a wall of feedback, things get all Planet Caravan on the title track which is an acoustic, percussion based track with a laid back sparse feel much like it's geographical namesake, with the break over we go back into electric territory as once again the fuzz is in charge with the finale of Empire which wouldn't seem out of place on a Josh Homme record and starts with some atmospheric guitar playing in the verses before the rock kicks in in the 'choruses'. These four Danes have created a storming debut filled with big juicy riffs, but they also have enough melody to make every song make it's own mark, all of this together leads to a great listening experience of an album that has snuck in at the end of the year and blown my face clean off . 10/10
Saturday, 6 December 2014
Reviews: Exodus, Bloodshot Dawn (Reviews By Paul)
Exodus: Blood In Blood Out (Nuclear Blast)
Building quickly with sirens blazing, the unmistakable thrash of Californian veterans Exodus unload immediately with opener Black 13. The incredible vocals of Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza make a welcome return to the Exodus fold, his first since 2004’s Tempo Of the Damned. For all that man mountain Rob Dukes filled the front of the stage, Souza’s voice really is the one for this band. Since the initial days of Paul Baloff, Souza’s snarling slightly histrionic delivery have become synonymous with Exodus as he featured on several of their early albums post Bonded By Blood.
This is a straight down the line ferocious slab of classic Exodus. No holds barred attack from start to finish, driving rhythms from powerhouse drummer Tom Hunting and bassist Jack Gibson, slicing dangerous fretwork from the legend and Slayer member Gary Holt and long standing co-guitarist Lee Altus combine with the tried and tested chant along choruses which you would expect. I fucking love Exodus. They do everything you want from a thrash band. Collateral Damage is a galloping race, the guitar work frenetic with Hunting’s drumming relentless. Salt In The Wound features a neat solo from ex-Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett and is a tasty piece, grizzly vocals and a balls-out chorus from Souza, riffs galore and those hooks! Absolute killer hooks ooze through this album and the riffs are just brutal. Catchier than an STD, Exodus know that the formula for their music ain't broke … and they have no intention of fixing it.
BTK features another guest, this time the awesome Chuck Billy. This track opens with a stomping, thundering front section before Souza preaches away, duelling with Billy on the chorus. Billy has a definitive delivery and merges with Souza to magnificent effect. BTK has a huge slab of Testament about it, crushing riffs laced with lashings of melody. I always thought Exodus hit you hard and fast but several of the tracks on Blood In Blood Out clock in at over six minutes. My Last Nerve has a pulverising bass and drum line propelling it forward, with Holt and Altus peeling off licks like spitfires diving towards a squadron of Heinkels. Exhilarating stuff. Some quick time changes and its back to the forward transmission; a good bloody wallop over the head. Penultimate track Food For The Worms builds slowly with massive menace before a double riff and staccato drumming powers the track into an all-out thrash monster which leads nicely to the special edition closer, Angel Of Death. Not the Slayer version, but a thrashing stomping cover of Angel Witch's track. It’s an impressive cover too, with Souza joining in vocals to excellent effect.
At several points in the album I pinched myself to confirm that I was indeed in 2014 and not the late 1980s, such is the retro vibe to this album. And I say that in a positive way, with Blood In Blood Out capturing the feel and sound of the emerging late 80s thrash era. This is my kind of thrash, and this album is about as good a release as anything this year. See you in the pit! 9/10
Bloodshot Dawn: Demons (Self Released)
UK outfit Bloodshot Dawn have been in our sights at MOM for a long time. Their spell binding self-titled debut caught the metal world by storm in 2012, a rather tasty long player of exceptional melodic death metal, full of technical musicianship which grabbed you by the scruff of the neck and proceeded to bang your head on the desk for the next 50 minutes. The band toured it relentlessly, and I think I caught them at least four times last year, each time happily observing their improvement. BD earned many plaudits for their debut including best unsigned band awards two years running from the mighty Terroriser magazine. An opening slot on the main stage on Friday at BOA this year pulled in a very healthy crowd and was reward for the hard work and promotion that the band had invested.
So, on the back of a very successful Pledge Music campaign, BD promised to deliver the follow-up Demons in the late autumn and they duly complied with their promise. This really was the difficult second album but holy crap, how they have delivered. The musical delivery on Demons is a massive step up from the already technically excellent debut. Smoke And Mirrors opens with the damaging drumming that you would expect from a death metal band, unstoppable pounding from new skins man Janna Jaloma merging with the brutal bass delivery of bassist Anthony Ridout. The vocals of Josh McMorran’s fit the track perfectly, whilst his guitar duelling with Benjamin Ellis is stunning. Intricate and immersed in technicality, they give BD a sound which is immediately recognisable as their own. Consequence Complex follows, an out and out face melter with the drumming almost unbelievable, it is so fast. Detailed time changes and memorable riffs emerge as the track develops, the solos still sharp enough to cut you. It is the next track, Unified where things really take a step up with one of the most stunning songs that BD have ever created. A brutal riff and blasting drums drive the track forward, the vocals guttural and insanely chaotic, huge hooks underpinning the chorus and solos pouring out from every side.
It doesn't slow down at any point; however what makes the album such a quality one is the ability of BD to create a moment of calm despite the maelstrom that they create around them. Inadequacy showcases a band anything but that, with a quite blistering bass delivery from Ridout, his lines ascending and descending all over the place, stomping you hard like a buffalo in a mud-hole. The middle section of the track develops into real old school stomping thrash for a brief minute before the pace accelerates allowing the guitars to shine; a brief period of respite then allows you to catch your breath before the charge recommences with a stunning piece of dual shredding. Black Hole Infinity is a mighty slab of death metal, yet retains a melodic element that makes BD that little bit more accessible than several of their older peers. The introduction of Ellis into the vocal fold has spiced up the delivery for the better throughout the album and having already seen BD perform a couple of these tracks, I can vouch for the live experience too. Black Hole Infinity contains some intricate breakdowns with subtle layered changes, all the while bound with the BD sound. Human Void has guest vocals from Aborted frontman Sven Caluwe whilst an all-star cast litter penultimate (and quite stunning) track The Image Faded. As well as an absolutely ball-dropping number of hooks and riffs, solos flooding this track, with some cutting edge axe work from guests Teemu Mantysaari of Wintersun, Per Nilsson of Scar Symmetry, Andy James (Sacred Mother Tongue) and Chris Amott alongside the already flawless fretwork of Ellis and McMorran. This track is an absolute monster, groove coursing through its lifeblood. It is quite blindingly brilliant. Demons is a fittingly epic closing track, with Ellis’ vocals a neat addition whilst there are huge shades of In Flames cascading through the track, string sections and some beautifully crafted solos.
Bloodshot Dawn have provided a quite breath taking follow up to an outstandingly good debut album. They have combined power and brutality with technical delivery of sheer quality whilst firmly establishing their own unique sound. Lashed together with some intricate and quite delicious playing, this is an album that improves with every listen. It will be in my top ten of the year. 10/10
Building quickly with sirens blazing, the unmistakable thrash of Californian veterans Exodus unload immediately with opener Black 13. The incredible vocals of Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza make a welcome return to the Exodus fold, his first since 2004’s Tempo Of the Damned. For all that man mountain Rob Dukes filled the front of the stage, Souza’s voice really is the one for this band. Since the initial days of Paul Baloff, Souza’s snarling slightly histrionic delivery have become synonymous with Exodus as he featured on several of their early albums post Bonded By Blood.
This is a straight down the line ferocious slab of classic Exodus. No holds barred attack from start to finish, driving rhythms from powerhouse drummer Tom Hunting and bassist Jack Gibson, slicing dangerous fretwork from the legend and Slayer member Gary Holt and long standing co-guitarist Lee Altus combine with the tried and tested chant along choruses which you would expect. I fucking love Exodus. They do everything you want from a thrash band. Collateral Damage is a galloping race, the guitar work frenetic with Hunting’s drumming relentless. Salt In The Wound features a neat solo from ex-Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett and is a tasty piece, grizzly vocals and a balls-out chorus from Souza, riffs galore and those hooks! Absolute killer hooks ooze through this album and the riffs are just brutal. Catchier than an STD, Exodus know that the formula for their music ain't broke … and they have no intention of fixing it.
BTK features another guest, this time the awesome Chuck Billy. This track opens with a stomping, thundering front section before Souza preaches away, duelling with Billy on the chorus. Billy has a definitive delivery and merges with Souza to magnificent effect. BTK has a huge slab of Testament about it, crushing riffs laced with lashings of melody. I always thought Exodus hit you hard and fast but several of the tracks on Blood In Blood Out clock in at over six minutes. My Last Nerve has a pulverising bass and drum line propelling it forward, with Holt and Altus peeling off licks like spitfires diving towards a squadron of Heinkels. Exhilarating stuff. Some quick time changes and its back to the forward transmission; a good bloody wallop over the head. Penultimate track Food For The Worms builds slowly with massive menace before a double riff and staccato drumming powers the track into an all-out thrash monster which leads nicely to the special edition closer, Angel Of Death. Not the Slayer version, but a thrashing stomping cover of Angel Witch's track. It’s an impressive cover too, with Souza joining in vocals to excellent effect.
At several points in the album I pinched myself to confirm that I was indeed in 2014 and not the late 1980s, such is the retro vibe to this album. And I say that in a positive way, with Blood In Blood Out capturing the feel and sound of the emerging late 80s thrash era. This is my kind of thrash, and this album is about as good a release as anything this year. See you in the pit! 9/10
Bloodshot Dawn: Demons (Self Released)
UK outfit Bloodshot Dawn have been in our sights at MOM for a long time. Their spell binding self-titled debut caught the metal world by storm in 2012, a rather tasty long player of exceptional melodic death metal, full of technical musicianship which grabbed you by the scruff of the neck and proceeded to bang your head on the desk for the next 50 minutes. The band toured it relentlessly, and I think I caught them at least four times last year, each time happily observing their improvement. BD earned many plaudits for their debut including best unsigned band awards two years running from the mighty Terroriser magazine. An opening slot on the main stage on Friday at BOA this year pulled in a very healthy crowd and was reward for the hard work and promotion that the band had invested.
So, on the back of a very successful Pledge Music campaign, BD promised to deliver the follow-up Demons in the late autumn and they duly complied with their promise. This really was the difficult second album but holy crap, how they have delivered. The musical delivery on Demons is a massive step up from the already technically excellent debut. Smoke And Mirrors opens with the damaging drumming that you would expect from a death metal band, unstoppable pounding from new skins man Janna Jaloma merging with the brutal bass delivery of bassist Anthony Ridout. The vocals of Josh McMorran’s fit the track perfectly, whilst his guitar duelling with Benjamin Ellis is stunning. Intricate and immersed in technicality, they give BD a sound which is immediately recognisable as their own. Consequence Complex follows, an out and out face melter with the drumming almost unbelievable, it is so fast. Detailed time changes and memorable riffs emerge as the track develops, the solos still sharp enough to cut you. It is the next track, Unified where things really take a step up with one of the most stunning songs that BD have ever created. A brutal riff and blasting drums drive the track forward, the vocals guttural and insanely chaotic, huge hooks underpinning the chorus and solos pouring out from every side.
It doesn't slow down at any point; however what makes the album such a quality one is the ability of BD to create a moment of calm despite the maelstrom that they create around them. Inadequacy showcases a band anything but that, with a quite blistering bass delivery from Ridout, his lines ascending and descending all over the place, stomping you hard like a buffalo in a mud-hole. The middle section of the track develops into real old school stomping thrash for a brief minute before the pace accelerates allowing the guitars to shine; a brief period of respite then allows you to catch your breath before the charge recommences with a stunning piece of dual shredding. Black Hole Infinity is a mighty slab of death metal, yet retains a melodic element that makes BD that little bit more accessible than several of their older peers. The introduction of Ellis into the vocal fold has spiced up the delivery for the better throughout the album and having already seen BD perform a couple of these tracks, I can vouch for the live experience too. Black Hole Infinity contains some intricate breakdowns with subtle layered changes, all the while bound with the BD sound. Human Void has guest vocals from Aborted frontman Sven Caluwe whilst an all-star cast litter penultimate (and quite stunning) track The Image Faded. As well as an absolutely ball-dropping number of hooks and riffs, solos flooding this track, with some cutting edge axe work from guests Teemu Mantysaari of Wintersun, Per Nilsson of Scar Symmetry, Andy James (Sacred Mother Tongue) and Chris Amott alongside the already flawless fretwork of Ellis and McMorran. This track is an absolute monster, groove coursing through its lifeblood. It is quite blindingly brilliant. Demons is a fittingly epic closing track, with Ellis’ vocals a neat addition whilst there are huge shades of In Flames cascading through the track, string sections and some beautifully crafted solos.
Bloodshot Dawn have provided a quite breath taking follow up to an outstandingly good debut album. They have combined power and brutality with technical delivery of sheer quality whilst firmly establishing their own unique sound. Lashed together with some intricate and quite delicious playing, this is an album that improves with every listen. It will be in my top ten of the year. 10/10
Friday, 5 December 2014
The View From The Back Of The Room: Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel Motorpoint Cardiff
The Prog legend Peter Gabriel graced us with his presence on this tour that celebrated his breakthrough solo album So. To do this he was playing the album in it's entirety along with other tracks from his storied career. As we arrived at the Motorpoint myself, my brother and my father (A die hard Genesis/Gabriel/Collins fan) took or seats and waited for the show to begin; the irony of my situation wasn't lost on me that that the previous night I'd been watching heavy metal in smaller sweatier venue and would be doing so again the following night at Mastodon, this was in stark contrast to the large airy venue full of CEO's, Dentists and the upper middle class of a Gabriel audience.
The man himself came on to the stage and introduced the support act, this was comprised of the two female members of his band, Jennie Abrahamson on glockenspiel and haunting vocals and Linnea Olsson on cello and richer vocals, they played a laid back mix of their own songs which were beautiful lulling the audience into their world of haunting, ethereal music with intense musicianship from both. A short sweet set but one that was a nice interlude before the main event and after a short change around it was time for the main event.
Gabriel once again came out and introduced the band, Abrahamson on vocals and percussion, Olsson on vocals and cello, Manu Katche on drums, David Sancious on keys/accordion with the band being rounded out by his long term collaborators Tony Levin on bass and David Rhodes on guitar, Gabriel himself took on the role of pianist moving between that and his Fairlight synthesiser. We were told that the set would be in three parts, the first would be acoustic, the second part electric and experimental and then the final part would be So in it's entirety. Bravely the set started with a new composition called What Lies Ahead, which was so new that it didn't have any lyrics and it saw Gabriel mumbling for the most part as he played, working the occasional word in to a song that could be very very good when finished. Straight into Come Talk To Me which worked well in acoustic form as did Shock The Monkey which at the slower pace showed how good the lyrics in this song are. A rapturous applause and while looking at the crowd I noticed that the house lights were still on but all would become clear as the Gabriel crooned "The Streets Alive With Camera Crews" which beckoned Family Snapshot and as the key changed happened the lights shut down and the giant screens turned to monochrome. As the song moved on the lighting booms at the back of the stage also stirred rising above the stage like something out of War Of The Worlds, more latter period stuff with the industrial chug of Digging In The Dirt which was accompanied by some superb visuals and showed of Rhodes' guitar and Levins bass to the full, we were still in Us territory with Secret World which again was reworked slightly to make it a heavier prospect and saw Gabriel almost snarling in parts. Gabriels vocals throughout were amazing he can still hit the notes (although used the instrumental parts to recover his voice because of his previous tour halting illness). He can also still move like a man half his age with moves galore on No Self Control which became very dark as Gabriel was stalked by the lighting booms as if they were a nemesis, this accompanied with the video made for some fantastic audio visual performances, the light came on Solsbury Hill's upbeat mandolin and hints to the yellow brick road at the finale of the song with Gabriel, Levin and Rhodes following the spiral stage to it's conclusion and the main set ended with Why Don't You Show Yourself. With the experimental part finished it was time for, as Gabriel put it, our dessert. I personally enjoyed the heavier, darker arrangements of the songs but my father had some reservations about them (he is a traditionalist). Still now it was time for So in it's entirety.
As Katche started with the liquid percussion of Red Rain I personally squeaked a little as it one of my favourite songs ever and this was a perfect rendition of the emotive and explosive song which kicked off the album brilliantly and was immediately followed by the number one single Sledgehammer which did get the biggest reception of the night and is still a brilliantly funky song with it's strutting beat. Because I (and the rest of the crowd) knew the album so well we knew what was coming next with Levin's bass leading the way on the plaintive Don't Give Up which still brings a tear to the eye, especially when Abrahamson sang the Kate Bush part perfectly and received a standing ovation for doing so, directly into the more upbeat That Voice Again before the mood once again turned to the downbeat on Mercy Street which just featured Gabriel laying on the stage filmed from a ceiling based camera and surrounded by the lighting booms as he writhed while singing, he is indeed ever the showman and he bounded to his feet for the fame aping, horn fuelled Big Time which was slightly adapted and saw Gabriel singing slightly out of time with the song. The shade once again followed the light with We Do What We're Told (Milligram's 37) which took an Orwellian turn with it's fly on the wall CCTV style camera work, This Is The Picture once again added the weird dimension with both Abrahamson and Olsson handling the Laurie Anderson parts and the album set ended with the world music influenced In Your Eyes which came as an upbeat ending to the album set and got everyone's hands held high!
A break a rest and they came back on for the techno drum looped, industrial sound scape of The Tower That Ate People which was very visual with an alien orb descending from the ceiling and engulfing Gabriel as he moved inside as the song sped up towards it's climax. The final song was the still affecting Biko on which Gabriel preached against non-violence and injustice world wide, the song pulsed as Gabriel sang his heart out before leaving the crowd to chant, as he reeled off the injustices affecting the world today. As the crowd chanted the band left the stage one by one leaving Katche to just drive the song with his drums until its eventual end. That was it the lights when up the stage started coming down and we filed out in awe of what had just happened a perfect two hour set that oldies would love and even newbies would find something in. He is a master showman and one of the most unique vocalists in music. Simply staggering 10/10
The Prog legend Peter Gabriel graced us with his presence on this tour that celebrated his breakthrough solo album So. To do this he was playing the album in it's entirety along with other tracks from his storied career. As we arrived at the Motorpoint myself, my brother and my father (A die hard Genesis/Gabriel/Collins fan) took or seats and waited for the show to begin; the irony of my situation wasn't lost on me that that the previous night I'd been watching heavy metal in smaller sweatier venue and would be doing so again the following night at Mastodon, this was in stark contrast to the large airy venue full of CEO's, Dentists and the upper middle class of a Gabriel audience.
The man himself came on to the stage and introduced the support act, this was comprised of the two female members of his band, Jennie Abrahamson on glockenspiel and haunting vocals and Linnea Olsson on cello and richer vocals, they played a laid back mix of their own songs which were beautiful lulling the audience into their world of haunting, ethereal music with intense musicianship from both. A short sweet set but one that was a nice interlude before the main event and after a short change around it was time for the main event.
Gabriel once again came out and introduced the band, Abrahamson on vocals and percussion, Olsson on vocals and cello, Manu Katche on drums, David Sancious on keys/accordion with the band being rounded out by his long term collaborators Tony Levin on bass and David Rhodes on guitar, Gabriel himself took on the role of pianist moving between that and his Fairlight synthesiser. We were told that the set would be in three parts, the first would be acoustic, the second part electric and experimental and then the final part would be So in it's entirety. Bravely the set started with a new composition called What Lies Ahead, which was so new that it didn't have any lyrics and it saw Gabriel mumbling for the most part as he played, working the occasional word in to a song that could be very very good when finished. Straight into Come Talk To Me which worked well in acoustic form as did Shock The Monkey which at the slower pace showed how good the lyrics in this song are. A rapturous applause and while looking at the crowd I noticed that the house lights were still on but all would become clear as the Gabriel crooned "The Streets Alive With Camera Crews" which beckoned Family Snapshot and as the key changed happened the lights shut down and the giant screens turned to monochrome. As the song moved on the lighting booms at the back of the stage also stirred rising above the stage like something out of War Of The Worlds, more latter period stuff with the industrial chug of Digging In The Dirt which was accompanied by some superb visuals and showed of Rhodes' guitar and Levins bass to the full, we were still in Us territory with Secret World which again was reworked slightly to make it a heavier prospect and saw Gabriel almost snarling in parts. Gabriels vocals throughout were amazing he can still hit the notes (although used the instrumental parts to recover his voice because of his previous tour halting illness). He can also still move like a man half his age with moves galore on No Self Control which became very dark as Gabriel was stalked by the lighting booms as if they were a nemesis, this accompanied with the video made for some fantastic audio visual performances, the light came on Solsbury Hill's upbeat mandolin and hints to the yellow brick road at the finale of the song with Gabriel, Levin and Rhodes following the spiral stage to it's conclusion and the main set ended with Why Don't You Show Yourself. With the experimental part finished it was time for, as Gabriel put it, our dessert. I personally enjoyed the heavier, darker arrangements of the songs but my father had some reservations about them (he is a traditionalist). Still now it was time for So in it's entirety.
As Katche started with the liquid percussion of Red Rain I personally squeaked a little as it one of my favourite songs ever and this was a perfect rendition of the emotive and explosive song which kicked off the album brilliantly and was immediately followed by the number one single Sledgehammer which did get the biggest reception of the night and is still a brilliantly funky song with it's strutting beat. Because I (and the rest of the crowd) knew the album so well we knew what was coming next with Levin's bass leading the way on the plaintive Don't Give Up which still brings a tear to the eye, especially when Abrahamson sang the Kate Bush part perfectly and received a standing ovation for doing so, directly into the more upbeat That Voice Again before the mood once again turned to the downbeat on Mercy Street which just featured Gabriel laying on the stage filmed from a ceiling based camera and surrounded by the lighting booms as he writhed while singing, he is indeed ever the showman and he bounded to his feet for the fame aping, horn fuelled Big Time which was slightly adapted and saw Gabriel singing slightly out of time with the song. The shade once again followed the light with We Do What We're Told (Milligram's 37) which took an Orwellian turn with it's fly on the wall CCTV style camera work, This Is The Picture once again added the weird dimension with both Abrahamson and Olsson handling the Laurie Anderson parts and the album set ended with the world music influenced In Your Eyes which came as an upbeat ending to the album set and got everyone's hands held high!
A break a rest and they came back on for the techno drum looped, industrial sound scape of The Tower That Ate People which was very visual with an alien orb descending from the ceiling and engulfing Gabriel as he moved inside as the song sped up towards it's climax. The final song was the still affecting Biko on which Gabriel preached against non-violence and injustice world wide, the song pulsed as Gabriel sang his heart out before leaving the crowd to chant, as he reeled off the injustices affecting the world today. As the crowd chanted the band left the stage one by one leaving Katche to just drive the song with his drums until its eventual end. That was it the lights when up the stage started coming down and we filed out in awe of what had just happened a perfect two hour set that oldies would love and even newbies would find something in. He is a master showman and one of the most unique vocalists in music. Simply staggering 10/10
Thursday, 4 December 2014
Another Point Of View: Mastodon (Review By Paul)
Mastodon – Bristol O2 Academy
The O2 Academy was crammed to the rafters as Mastodon completed the last date of their latest UK tour in support of their latest release Once More Round The Sun.
Krokodil
Opening band Krokodil is hyped in some quarters to be one of the next big things in UK metal. Quite how I'm not sure. An assortment of members from other bands, their very recent release Nachash is one heavy slab of metalcore, although the similarity in their song writing means that the tracks tended to blend into each other. Live they fared little better although in fairness the upper balcony is never going to afford the best sound in this dire venue. Playing a selection of tracks from their debut release, the heaviness of the band’s sound dominated their set, with the bass of James Leach combining with Dan Foord’s drums to provide a huge foundation for the three guitarists, including Radio 1 ‘rock jock’ Daniel P Carter to riff away. Unfortunately those riffs were inaudible in the top part of the venue. Disappointingly, the screeching vocal delivery of frontman Simon Wright was audible and his guttural growling and screaming in general left me cold. I've said before that I'm not even a small fan of this type of band and their sound does absolutely nothing for me. A limited stage presence with restricted movement from the band apart from Wright meant that there was little to observe visually. Whilst many in the O2 appeared to respond favourably to Krokodil’s set, I’d love to know who would actually pay to watch this lot as headliners in a small venue. 5/10
Big Business
Next up were Big Business, a two piece from Los Angeles. Now these guys have been around for a while and both were members of The Melvins for a time, so it should be no surprise that their sound is sludgy yet frantic energy filled rock. As a two piece, much of the effort falls on excellent drummer Coady Willis who moves around his kit like an octopus. Bassist and vocalist Jared Warran completes the line-up and his dry wit was received warmly by the by now absolutely crammed in audience. However, once again, they were limited visually and I found my attention wandering at various parts of their set. Yes they are competent and make a demon sound and Warran's humour is very endearing, but once again they just weren't my cup of tea. 6/10
The O2 Academy was crammed to the rafters as Mastodon completed the last date of their latest UK tour in support of their latest release Once More Round The Sun.
Krokodil
Opening band Krokodil is hyped in some quarters to be one of the next big things in UK metal. Quite how I'm not sure. An assortment of members from other bands, their very recent release Nachash is one heavy slab of metalcore, although the similarity in their song writing means that the tracks tended to blend into each other. Live they fared little better although in fairness the upper balcony is never going to afford the best sound in this dire venue. Playing a selection of tracks from their debut release, the heaviness of the band’s sound dominated their set, with the bass of James Leach combining with Dan Foord’s drums to provide a huge foundation for the three guitarists, including Radio 1 ‘rock jock’ Daniel P Carter to riff away. Unfortunately those riffs were inaudible in the top part of the venue. Disappointingly, the screeching vocal delivery of frontman Simon Wright was audible and his guttural growling and screaming in general left me cold. I've said before that I'm not even a small fan of this type of band and their sound does absolutely nothing for me. A limited stage presence with restricted movement from the band apart from Wright meant that there was little to observe visually. Whilst many in the O2 appeared to respond favourably to Krokodil’s set, I’d love to know who would actually pay to watch this lot as headliners in a small venue. 5/10
Big Business
Next up were Big Business, a two piece from Los Angeles. Now these guys have been around for a while and both were members of The Melvins for a time, so it should be no surprise that their sound is sludgy yet frantic energy filled rock. As a two piece, much of the effort falls on excellent drummer Coady Willis who moves around his kit like an octopus. Bassist and vocalist Jared Warran completes the line-up and his dry wit was received warmly by the by now absolutely crammed in audience. However, once again, they were limited visually and I found my attention wandering at various parts of their set. Yes they are competent and make a demon sound and Warran's humour is very endearing, but once again they just weren't my cup of tea. 6/10
Mastodon
Once More ‘Round The Sun was released earlier this year and was another solid album. Not as instantly catching as some of the tracks on The Hunter, and certainly not as progressive as Crack The Skye, it still contains a wealth of decent tunes. Mastodon treated us to eight tracks from their latest release in a 90 minute set which kicked off in rip roaring style with Tread Lightly and Once More ‘Round The Sun as they signalled their intent. As the set developed, it was interesting to observe the change in dynamics within the band. Drummer Brann Dailor has come much more to the fore, delivering powerful clean vocals on several of the tracks. This compared to the less distinguishable drawl of Brent Hinds, who also appeared to have one of the quieter microphones for his vocal performance. Dailor is also one mighty fine drummer and his rolls and fills were quite impressive from our vantage point high in the venue. A storming Oblivion, one of two tracks from Crack The Skye received one of the biggest ovations of the evening whilst some of the newer stuff, Chimes At Midnight for example, unsurprisingly garnered a slightly less enthusiastic response.
As the show progressed it was evident that the change in the way the band are now composing has allowed bassist and main vocalist Troy Sanders to deliver a much more measured and developed vocal performance. Both Hinds and other guitarist Bill Kelliher delivered killer guitar throughout the evening, with old tracks Aqua Dementia and Ole' Nessie crushing all around. After a further two new tracks, Divinations encouraged the crowd to get even more involved before a brutally heavy Bladecatcher ripped the place apart. Sometimes you forget just how heavy this band is. As Black Tongue got the crowd singing, the first real shock of the evening hit like a hammer as Troy Sanders not only spoke to the crowd but then introduced Ember City, the last track to be played from the latest release. A triple whammy to conclude the evening was then unleashed with the powerful Megalodon, Crystal Skull and finally Blood And Thunder exhausting both the band and audience. There was also the rare sight and sound of Kelliher filling in on backing vocals for this final track of the evening. As we slopped out of the arena, Brann Dailor’s rather long “chat” continued to ring in our ears; both unexpected and interesting with a promise about a return to the UK festival circuit revealed. The rest of the band had already made a hasty exit as Dailor flapped his gums for about five minutes. Watch out for the Download announcement. Overall, a solid if unspectacular evening with the excellence of Mastodon compensating for the awfulness of the first two. 8/10
Once More ‘Round The Sun was released earlier this year and was another solid album. Not as instantly catching as some of the tracks on The Hunter, and certainly not as progressive as Crack The Skye, it still contains a wealth of decent tunes. Mastodon treated us to eight tracks from their latest release in a 90 minute set which kicked off in rip roaring style with Tread Lightly and Once More ‘Round The Sun as they signalled their intent. As the set developed, it was interesting to observe the change in dynamics within the band. Drummer Brann Dailor has come much more to the fore, delivering powerful clean vocals on several of the tracks. This compared to the less distinguishable drawl of Brent Hinds, who also appeared to have one of the quieter microphones for his vocal performance. Dailor is also one mighty fine drummer and his rolls and fills were quite impressive from our vantage point high in the venue. A storming Oblivion, one of two tracks from Crack The Skye received one of the biggest ovations of the evening whilst some of the newer stuff, Chimes At Midnight for example, unsurprisingly garnered a slightly less enthusiastic response.
As the show progressed it was evident that the change in the way the band are now composing has allowed bassist and main vocalist Troy Sanders to deliver a much more measured and developed vocal performance. Both Hinds and other guitarist Bill Kelliher delivered killer guitar throughout the evening, with old tracks Aqua Dementia and Ole' Nessie crushing all around. After a further two new tracks, Divinations encouraged the crowd to get even more involved before a brutally heavy Bladecatcher ripped the place apart. Sometimes you forget just how heavy this band is. As Black Tongue got the crowd singing, the first real shock of the evening hit like a hammer as Troy Sanders not only spoke to the crowd but then introduced Ember City, the last track to be played from the latest release. A triple whammy to conclude the evening was then unleashed with the powerful Megalodon, Crystal Skull and finally Blood And Thunder exhausting both the band and audience. There was also the rare sight and sound of Kelliher filling in on backing vocals for this final track of the evening. As we slopped out of the arena, Brann Dailor’s rather long “chat” continued to ring in our ears; both unexpected and interesting with a promise about a return to the UK festival circuit revealed. The rest of the band had already made a hasty exit as Dailor flapped his gums for about five minutes. Watch out for the Download announcement. Overall, a solid if unspectacular evening with the excellence of Mastodon compensating for the awfulness of the first two. 8/10
Another Point Of View: Saxon (Review By Paul)
Saxon – Bristol 02 Academy
The Musipedia crew headed en masse across the bridge to yet another Bristol gig, this time for one of our favourite bands, Barnsley’s finest, the mighty Saxon. Here at Musipedia Towers we were disappointed to learn a few weeks ago that Northern Irish power metal outfit Stormzone had pulled out of the opening slot and instead had been replaced by German outfit Beyond the Black.
Saxon need no introduction. Regular readers will have noted my long standing affection of the first band I ever saw back in 1982. The lyrics to set closer Denim And Leather mean a huge amount to me as it describes those first steps into the world of heavy metal over 30 years ago. Yes, we did queue for tickets through the ice and snow; we did listen to the radio every Friday night (the much missed Tommy Vance and his Friday Rock Show to be precise) and we did wear denim and leather (and some of us still do!). 35 years after their first release, Saxon can still compete with the best. It is fair to say that the past five or so years have seen a massive surge in popularity for the band, with the audience containing a huge mix of ages. Our party had two generations with ages from 19 – 48. So why are Saxon so damn good? Well, it is mainly the songs, with classic after classic filling their first few albums. Opener Motorcycle Man set the pace, closely followed by their most recent release, the excellent Sacrifice. Despite being billed as an evening of old school music from Wheels Of Steel, Strong Arm Of The Law and Denim And Leather, Saxon chose to liberally sprinkle the set with tracks from a range of other albums as well. Lionheart, Solid Ball Of Rock, Power And The Glory and I've Got To Rock all got rare airings, and stood shoulder to shoulder with the stone wall quality of And The Bands Played On, a vicious Heavy Metal Thunder and 747.
However, to have the songs you also need the musicians and in Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt Saxon possess two damn fine guitarists who unleashed solo after solo as the evening developed. The solid and powerhouse drumming of Nigel Glockler (no drum solo too - bonus!) is complemented by the energetic enthusiasm of bassist Nibbs Carter who must burn calories by the bucket load as he charges around the stage. And then you have the main man, Biff Byford. Is there a finer frontman in rock? Apart from Robert Plant few vocalists have the presence on stage like Biff. His long hair flows as he swaggers around the stage, his banter is pitched exactly right and his voice can still carry a note. Calm and measured during The Eagle Has Landed and Crusader, and anthemic during main set closer Princess Of The Night and genuinely endearing all round, Biff is the very essence of British Heavy Metal. He’s also as fit as a butcher’s dog; compare him to the husk of a man that Lemmy has been reduced to. Biff also acknowledged our Welsh flag on the balcony, which buys the band an extra point in this review. Although the set lost a little momentum in the middle section, with a couple of real oldies, Suzie Hold On and Frozen Rainbow struggling to maintain the momentum, the encores of Dallas 1PM and the inevitable Denim And Leather ensured the evening climaxed on a real high.
A set that lasted just shy of two hours, with huge energy and effort expended from a band who had been on the road for six weeks (with five days off), Saxon once again proved that there are few who can compete with them in the live arena. I’d be more than happy if Paul Gregory rectifies what he should have done this year and gives them the Friday night headline slot at BOA 2015. I know it won’t happen … but it would be bloody brilliant if it did. Then we could see the Eagle rise on British soil once again. 9/10
The Musipedia crew headed en masse across the bridge to yet another Bristol gig, this time for one of our favourite bands, Barnsley’s finest, the mighty Saxon. Here at Musipedia Towers we were disappointed to learn a few weeks ago that Northern Irish power metal outfit Stormzone had pulled out of the opening slot and instead had been replaced by German outfit Beyond the Black.
Beyond The Black
Given the links that Saxon has with Germany, it was unsurprising that a German band were given the opportunity to providing the initial warm up. Hitting the stage shortly after the doors opened they delivered a short symphonic metal set, with most of the focus on female vocalist Jennifer Haben. The Mannheim based outfit had an interesting image, with Haben in leather trousers and boots and chiffon robe flowing, whilst other members of the band were kitted out in muscle vests and shorts! Apparently the band made their live debut at Wacken earlier this year and whilst their set was pretty routine symphonic metal, the band gave it a really good go and appeared to be having a good time on stage, something that always makes you warm to them a little more. A solid start to the evening. 7/10
Given the links that Saxon has with Germany, it was unsurprising that a German band were given the opportunity to providing the initial warm up. Hitting the stage shortly after the doors opened they delivered a short symphonic metal set, with most of the focus on female vocalist Jennifer Haben. The Mannheim based outfit had an interesting image, with Haben in leather trousers and boots and chiffon robe flowing, whilst other members of the band were kitted out in muscle vests and shorts! Apparently the band made their live debut at Wacken earlier this year and whilst their set was pretty routine symphonic metal, the band gave it a really good go and appeared to be having a good time on stage, something that always makes you warm to them a little more. A solid start to the evening. 7/10
Hell
Next up was a band much more familiar to us, the resurrected kings of NWOBHM, Hell. This band is a firm favourite of the Musipedia gang, and as usual they were on excellent form. Kicking off with Age Of Nefarious, Hell delivered a fiery (sorry) set with the twin guitars of Andy Sneap and Kev Bower shredding away. Frontman David Bower is the obvious focal point for the band but given the cramped stage, the theatrics for which he has become renowned were limited. However, his presence at the front of the stage was as captivating as ever with his vocal delivery continuing to impress with every viewing. The set comprised of tracks from both albums, The Oppressor following the set opener whilst Something Wicked This Way Comes eased towards set closer On Earth As It Is In Hell. Having seen the full spectacle of Hell at BOA last year, in the smaller venues it is the music that has to do the talking and with two full albums to choose from, Hell don’t have a problem. I appreciate that they may not be to everyone’s taste but the reaction from the Bristol crowd suggested that they certainly impressed the majority of those present. 8/10
Saxon
Next up was a band much more familiar to us, the resurrected kings of NWOBHM, Hell. This band is a firm favourite of the Musipedia gang, and as usual they were on excellent form. Kicking off with Age Of Nefarious, Hell delivered a fiery (sorry) set with the twin guitars of Andy Sneap and Kev Bower shredding away. Frontman David Bower is the obvious focal point for the band but given the cramped stage, the theatrics for which he has become renowned were limited. However, his presence at the front of the stage was as captivating as ever with his vocal delivery continuing to impress with every viewing. The set comprised of tracks from both albums, The Oppressor following the set opener whilst Something Wicked This Way Comes eased towards set closer On Earth As It Is In Hell. Having seen the full spectacle of Hell at BOA last year, in the smaller venues it is the music that has to do the talking and with two full albums to choose from, Hell don’t have a problem. I appreciate that they may not be to everyone’s taste but the reaction from the Bristol crowd suggested that they certainly impressed the majority of those present. 8/10
Saxon
Saxon need no introduction. Regular readers will have noted my long standing affection of the first band I ever saw back in 1982. The lyrics to set closer Denim And Leather mean a huge amount to me as it describes those first steps into the world of heavy metal over 30 years ago. Yes, we did queue for tickets through the ice and snow; we did listen to the radio every Friday night (the much missed Tommy Vance and his Friday Rock Show to be precise) and we did wear denim and leather (and some of us still do!). 35 years after their first release, Saxon can still compete with the best. It is fair to say that the past five or so years have seen a massive surge in popularity for the band, with the audience containing a huge mix of ages. Our party had two generations with ages from 19 – 48. So why are Saxon so damn good? Well, it is mainly the songs, with classic after classic filling their first few albums. Opener Motorcycle Man set the pace, closely followed by their most recent release, the excellent Sacrifice. Despite being billed as an evening of old school music from Wheels Of Steel, Strong Arm Of The Law and Denim And Leather, Saxon chose to liberally sprinkle the set with tracks from a range of other albums as well. Lionheart, Solid Ball Of Rock, Power And The Glory and I've Got To Rock all got rare airings, and stood shoulder to shoulder with the stone wall quality of And The Bands Played On, a vicious Heavy Metal Thunder and 747.
However, to have the songs you also need the musicians and in Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt Saxon possess two damn fine guitarists who unleashed solo after solo as the evening developed. The solid and powerhouse drumming of Nigel Glockler (no drum solo too - bonus!) is complemented by the energetic enthusiasm of bassist Nibbs Carter who must burn calories by the bucket load as he charges around the stage. And then you have the main man, Biff Byford. Is there a finer frontman in rock? Apart from Robert Plant few vocalists have the presence on stage like Biff. His long hair flows as he swaggers around the stage, his banter is pitched exactly right and his voice can still carry a note. Calm and measured during The Eagle Has Landed and Crusader, and anthemic during main set closer Princess Of The Night and genuinely endearing all round, Biff is the very essence of British Heavy Metal. He’s also as fit as a butcher’s dog; compare him to the husk of a man that Lemmy has been reduced to. Biff also acknowledged our Welsh flag on the balcony, which buys the band an extra point in this review. Although the set lost a little momentum in the middle section, with a couple of real oldies, Suzie Hold On and Frozen Rainbow struggling to maintain the momentum, the encores of Dallas 1PM and the inevitable Denim And Leather ensured the evening climaxed on a real high.
A set that lasted just shy of two hours, with huge energy and effort expended from a band who had been on the road for six weeks (with five days off), Saxon once again proved that there are few who can compete with them in the live arena. I’d be more than happy if Paul Gregory rectifies what he should have done this year and gives them the Friday night headline slot at BOA 2015. I know it won’t happen … but it would be bloody brilliant if it did. Then we could see the Eagle rise on British soil once again. 9/10
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Reviews: AC/DC, Soundgarden, Persian Risk
AC/DC: Rock Or Bust (Columbia)
Legends, the word is bandied around a lot but AC/DC are one of the few bands that can lay claim to this title, Rock Or Bust is the bands fifteenth studio album and the first without founding member rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young who was diagnosed with dementia, it will probably be the last album with drummer Phil Rudd who has some serious legal problems! Still the band have not let any of these things affect the album as from the title track (which could be seen as the bands motto), through Play Ball and from then on we have the leg stomping, blues guitar based hard rock that the 'DC have always been known for. You know what you are going to get with Acca Dacca and here you get it in spades, Rudd has his one two shuffle which backs the walking rhythms of Cliff Williams bass and Stevie Young's (Malcolm and Angus' nephew) rhythm guitar. Despite the change in the engine room, Captain Angus is still present soloing with aplomb while the Geordie screamer Brian is once again belting it out like a man half his age. AC/DC are one of those bands that will never change (there won't be a ballads album) but also they will never die, the riffs are still iconic and most of all instantly recognisable see Dogs Of War a song which the O'Keefe brothers would kill for, the filth factor is up to maximum on Miss Adventure and Sweet Candy and tracks like Baptism By Fire and Rock The House ramp up the rocking. I go back to that first word I used, AC/DC are rock and roll legends and because of that they will never change or move with the times, thankfully they can still write an album of hard rock songs to blow away most modern bands, despite the loss of key members the 'DC will never die. 7/10
Soundgarden: Echo Of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path (A&M)
This is an odds and sods collection, from the Seattle kings of grunge. It is a compilation of B-sides, EP tracks, non album singles and songs featured on compilations. There are two versions with both a single disc and a massive three disc collection, I only have the single disc album as it seemed the most concise, it kicks off with two tracks from the Loudest Love EP both of which have that early psychedelic haze that featured heavily on Loud Love and Nothing To Say. Cornell's voice is almost unrecognisable on Heretic until he starts to shout and the unmistakeable voice kicks in. H.I.V Baby too is not very Soundgarden more Stooges style punk, Cold Bitch is Soundgarden through and through and provides a strong b-side to the classic Spoonman, Show Me is a trippy pop song from an AIDS benefit and the feedback fuelled Birth Ritual comes from the soundtrack to the film Singles. Because of the nature of this album there are highlights and indeed lowlights, I personally could do without the punky stuff but the more heavy riff based songs like She Likes Surprises, the excellent Black Rain (from the Telephantasm compilation) and Live To Rise (from Avengers). The album ends with two previously released songs first up is Kristi which carries on where their last album King Animal left off with Kim Thayll and Cornell's guitars down tuned and dirty and Storm has a more psych delivery with some lead bass from Ben Shepard. The single disc is a great little stop gap featuring some of the bands more hard to find songs in one place, the three disc is for collectors and die-hards only, still with the talent of Soundgarden the quality is always going to be high and both will appeal no matter which version you go for. 7/10
Persian Risk: Who Am I? (Self Released)
Formed in the late 70's by Phil Campbell and Jon Deverill Persian Risk were one of the few NWOBHM bands to come from Cardiff, always popular in the scene frontman Deverill left to join Tygers Of Pan Tang and was replaced by Carl Sentance, the band continued with Sentance at the helm even when Campbell left to join Lemmy and Co finally though the band broke up but Sentance has always tried to keep the name alive. The reactivated Persian Risk returned in 2012 with Sentance at the helm being the sole original member of the band bringing in a wealth of musicians to aide him on the recordings; their first album since reforming Once A King received a warm welcome and was reviewed even better so finally 2 years later they are now on their second album (third overall) and yet again it's pure NWOBHM fury. Don't Look Back gets things firing on all cylinders with the twin guitar intro before the gallop kicks in and Sentance starts hollering with his amazing voice which can reach some very high peaks, the title track is pure Maiden and features Sentance in full Dickinson mode on a song that this bathed in light and shade. After two rampaging tracks the pace needs to slow and it does on the bass heavy walk of My Creation which is part Dio, part Foreigner and features some organs from Don Airey (a long time collaborator of Sentance). I could talk about Sentance's voice all day but his cast of musicians don't disappoint either the Wayne and Jason Banks supply the bass and guitar respectively, Tim Brown is the percussive powerhouse, used to great effect on Writing On The Wall, with extra guitar coming from Danny Wilson, Manny Maurer and Sentance himself. The real guest star of the record though is Phil Campbell who supplies guitar on the two re-recorded old school tracks Dark Tower and Calling For You both of which are classic NWOBHM but as good as these tracks are for nostalgia fans the newer tracks like the speedy I Feel Free, the anthemic Ozzy-like Facing Your Demons and the final jazz influenced I Thought It Was You which harks actually sounds a bit like Diamond Dave's solo stuff. A great album from a band that hold a special place in any Cardiff metal fans heart, happily the band aren't resting on their laurels they are prepared to look back to their history and also move forward with their sound. Another great album from these NWOBHM survivors. 9/10
Legends, the word is bandied around a lot but AC/DC are one of the few bands that can lay claim to this title, Rock Or Bust is the bands fifteenth studio album and the first without founding member rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young who was diagnosed with dementia, it will probably be the last album with drummer Phil Rudd who has some serious legal problems! Still the band have not let any of these things affect the album as from the title track (which could be seen as the bands motto), through Play Ball and from then on we have the leg stomping, blues guitar based hard rock that the 'DC have always been known for. You know what you are going to get with Acca Dacca and here you get it in spades, Rudd has his one two shuffle which backs the walking rhythms of Cliff Williams bass and Stevie Young's (Malcolm and Angus' nephew) rhythm guitar. Despite the change in the engine room, Captain Angus is still present soloing with aplomb while the Geordie screamer Brian is once again belting it out like a man half his age. AC/DC are one of those bands that will never change (there won't be a ballads album) but also they will never die, the riffs are still iconic and most of all instantly recognisable see Dogs Of War a song which the O'Keefe brothers would kill for, the filth factor is up to maximum on Miss Adventure and Sweet Candy and tracks like Baptism By Fire and Rock The House ramp up the rocking. I go back to that first word I used, AC/DC are rock and roll legends and because of that they will never change or move with the times, thankfully they can still write an album of hard rock songs to blow away most modern bands, despite the loss of key members the 'DC will never die. 7/10
Soundgarden: Echo Of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path (A&M)
This is an odds and sods collection, from the Seattle kings of grunge. It is a compilation of B-sides, EP tracks, non album singles and songs featured on compilations. There are two versions with both a single disc and a massive three disc collection, I only have the single disc album as it seemed the most concise, it kicks off with two tracks from the Loudest Love EP both of which have that early psychedelic haze that featured heavily on Loud Love and Nothing To Say. Cornell's voice is almost unrecognisable on Heretic until he starts to shout and the unmistakeable voice kicks in. H.I.V Baby too is not very Soundgarden more Stooges style punk, Cold Bitch is Soundgarden through and through and provides a strong b-side to the classic Spoonman, Show Me is a trippy pop song from an AIDS benefit and the feedback fuelled Birth Ritual comes from the soundtrack to the film Singles. Because of the nature of this album there are highlights and indeed lowlights, I personally could do without the punky stuff but the more heavy riff based songs like She Likes Surprises, the excellent Black Rain (from the Telephantasm compilation) and Live To Rise (from Avengers). The album ends with two previously released songs first up is Kristi which carries on where their last album King Animal left off with Kim Thayll and Cornell's guitars down tuned and dirty and Storm has a more psych delivery with some lead bass from Ben Shepard. The single disc is a great little stop gap featuring some of the bands more hard to find songs in one place, the three disc is for collectors and die-hards only, still with the talent of Soundgarden the quality is always going to be high and both will appeal no matter which version you go for. 7/10
Persian Risk: Who Am I? (Self Released)
Formed in the late 70's by Phil Campbell and Jon Deverill Persian Risk were one of the few NWOBHM bands to come from Cardiff, always popular in the scene frontman Deverill left to join Tygers Of Pan Tang and was replaced by Carl Sentance, the band continued with Sentance at the helm even when Campbell left to join Lemmy and Co finally though the band broke up but Sentance has always tried to keep the name alive. The reactivated Persian Risk returned in 2012 with Sentance at the helm being the sole original member of the band bringing in a wealth of musicians to aide him on the recordings; their first album since reforming Once A King received a warm welcome and was reviewed even better so finally 2 years later they are now on their second album (third overall) and yet again it's pure NWOBHM fury. Don't Look Back gets things firing on all cylinders with the twin guitar intro before the gallop kicks in and Sentance starts hollering with his amazing voice which can reach some very high peaks, the title track is pure Maiden and features Sentance in full Dickinson mode on a song that this bathed in light and shade. After two rampaging tracks the pace needs to slow and it does on the bass heavy walk of My Creation which is part Dio, part Foreigner and features some organs from Don Airey (a long time collaborator of Sentance). I could talk about Sentance's voice all day but his cast of musicians don't disappoint either the Wayne and Jason Banks supply the bass and guitar respectively, Tim Brown is the percussive powerhouse, used to great effect on Writing On The Wall, with extra guitar coming from Danny Wilson, Manny Maurer and Sentance himself. The real guest star of the record though is Phil Campbell who supplies guitar on the two re-recorded old school tracks Dark Tower and Calling For You both of which are classic NWOBHM but as good as these tracks are for nostalgia fans the newer tracks like the speedy I Feel Free, the anthemic Ozzy-like Facing Your Demons and the final jazz influenced I Thought It Was You which harks actually sounds a bit like Diamond Dave's solo stuff. A great album from a band that hold a special place in any Cardiff metal fans heart, happily the band aren't resting on their laurels they are prepared to look back to their history and also move forward with their sound. Another great album from these NWOBHM survivors. 9/10
Reviews: Crazy Lixx, Divine Ascension, Sky Valley Mistress
Crazy Lixx: S/T (Frontiers)
Crazy Lixx have been doing the rounds since 2002 and since then they have been one of the bands at the forefront of the 80's Glam rock revival. So this self titled album is their fourth and once again they bring together G'N'R, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue and bands of their ilk to put together 11 tracks of top drawer glam metal. From the anthemic Sound Of The Loud Minority, through the swaggering Outlaw (surely the follow up to Blaze Of Glory). With the two guitars driving the sleazy riffs and double tap soloing and a locked in rhythm section its the job of frontman Danny Rexon to take up the mantle of Joe Elliot and JBJ himself with his strong melodic vocals. The backing the Elliot influence is at it's strongest on Girl's Of The 80's which has some big backing harmonies, Missed The Mark and All Looks, No Hooks are little Steel Panther like but keep things straight enough not to be considered parody. All of the tracks on this album are strong, rocking 80's style songs with big hooks, huge choruses and a real sense of fun throughout, thankfully the band have focussed more on the rock side things than the massive ballads that plague this genre, in fact there isn't a single slow paced song on this album just a lot of fun hard rocking songs, the with Call To Action and Wrecking Ball Crew being two of the strongest on the album. With bands like Reckless Love, Outloud and Brother Firetribe all flying the modern AOR flag Crazy Lixx are another band at the forefront of the melodic rock renaissance, much like the first time round many will hate this kind of bubblegum tinged rock but for those that just want to rock out like it's 1984 then Crazy Lixx is the perfect record. 8/10
Divine Ascension: Liberator (Nightmare Records)
Progressive/power metal from Australia? A rarity indeed but Divine Ascension are just that; female fronted and brimming with blast beat drums, powerful guitar work and strong keyboard rhythms throughout all backing the strong vocals of Jennifer Borg who unusually doesn't have the normal classically trained vocal but a more mainstream almost Maria Brink style vocal that is a refreshing relief. her vocals are great and work well with the rest of the band who are rooted deep in the Euro power metal tradition but with a lot of progressive tenancies. the Progressive tendencies start on the first track which breaks into a piano led middle section before ending in an explosive guitar solo. The title track features some time signature changes and a keyboard solo from David Van Pelt. My Contender Lies is heavier, slower more modern metal style track but still maintains the power metal keyboard melodies and orchestrations, before Sorrow's Sacrifice starts off with a slower balladic style before turning into faster, heavier chorus. Over the 11 tracks the band play some great metallic music with a strong progressive vein, its nice to hear a band with a female singer, take a shot at the more male orientated progressive metal style of Symphony X, Shadow Gallery etc rather than fall into the more symphonic classical style of Nightwish, Within Temptation and bands of their ilk. The musicianship is virtuoistic and songs are well constructed and delivered with style. A good second album from these Aussie prog metallers that really shows their skill. 7/10
Sky Valley Mistress: Rival, Hounds & Rebel Sisters (Holy Roller Records)
There does seem to be a a resurgence in female fronted blues at the moment with The Blues Pills, Black State Highway, Saint Jude all featuring Joplin-like vocals set to a bluesy rock backing. Sky Valley Mistress from Darwen, Lancashire are new to the party but they come in ready to challenge the big hitters with their "Dirty Blonde Blues". The band set about playing groove laden hard rock that merges the classic bombast of Sabbath and Zeppelin with the sledgehammer rhythms of the bands such as Soundgarden and QOTSA while rapping it all up in a package that Jack White would be proud of. The rhythm section rattles the brain with Russell's bass and Maxwell Harvey William Newsome III's drums providing the chunky bottom end for Squire's dirty guitar licks and Kayley 'Hell Kitten' Davies' sultry vocals, she is all about the presence a man eater of the highest calibre with a mic in one hand and a knuckleduster in the other; see her croon through She Is So for this. As the Hell Kitten beckons, the band rock out royally setting hips shaking and fists pumping. This is just a four track EP but is does a lot to endear you to the band, the songs are well written, expertly (and menacingly) delivered with some fat fuzzy riffs and voodoo rhythms. A great little snippet of what Sky Valley Mistress can do and as the band sign off with the shamanistic Blood, Sweat & Blisters they leave you wanting more of their fuzzy, garage blues rock. 7/10
Crazy Lixx have been doing the rounds since 2002 and since then they have been one of the bands at the forefront of the 80's Glam rock revival. So this self titled album is their fourth and once again they bring together G'N'R, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue and bands of their ilk to put together 11 tracks of top drawer glam metal. From the anthemic Sound Of The Loud Minority, through the swaggering Outlaw (surely the follow up to Blaze Of Glory). With the two guitars driving the sleazy riffs and double tap soloing and a locked in rhythm section its the job of frontman Danny Rexon to take up the mantle of Joe Elliot and JBJ himself with his strong melodic vocals. The backing the Elliot influence is at it's strongest on Girl's Of The 80's which has some big backing harmonies, Missed The Mark and All Looks, No Hooks are little Steel Panther like but keep things straight enough not to be considered parody. All of the tracks on this album are strong, rocking 80's style songs with big hooks, huge choruses and a real sense of fun throughout, thankfully the band have focussed more on the rock side things than the massive ballads that plague this genre, in fact there isn't a single slow paced song on this album just a lot of fun hard rocking songs, the with Call To Action and Wrecking Ball Crew being two of the strongest on the album. With bands like Reckless Love, Outloud and Brother Firetribe all flying the modern AOR flag Crazy Lixx are another band at the forefront of the melodic rock renaissance, much like the first time round many will hate this kind of bubblegum tinged rock but for those that just want to rock out like it's 1984 then Crazy Lixx is the perfect record. 8/10
Divine Ascension: Liberator (Nightmare Records)
Progressive/power metal from Australia? A rarity indeed but Divine Ascension are just that; female fronted and brimming with blast beat drums, powerful guitar work and strong keyboard rhythms throughout all backing the strong vocals of Jennifer Borg who unusually doesn't have the normal classically trained vocal but a more mainstream almost Maria Brink style vocal that is a refreshing relief. her vocals are great and work well with the rest of the band who are rooted deep in the Euro power metal tradition but with a lot of progressive tenancies. the Progressive tendencies start on the first track which breaks into a piano led middle section before ending in an explosive guitar solo. The title track features some time signature changes and a keyboard solo from David Van Pelt. My Contender Lies is heavier, slower more modern metal style track but still maintains the power metal keyboard melodies and orchestrations, before Sorrow's Sacrifice starts off with a slower balladic style before turning into faster, heavier chorus. Over the 11 tracks the band play some great metallic music with a strong progressive vein, its nice to hear a band with a female singer, take a shot at the more male orientated progressive metal style of Symphony X, Shadow Gallery etc rather than fall into the more symphonic classical style of Nightwish, Within Temptation and bands of their ilk. The musicianship is virtuoistic and songs are well constructed and delivered with style. A good second album from these Aussie prog metallers that really shows their skill. 7/10
Sky Valley Mistress: Rival, Hounds & Rebel Sisters (Holy Roller Records)
There does seem to be a a resurgence in female fronted blues at the moment with The Blues Pills, Black State Highway, Saint Jude all featuring Joplin-like vocals set to a bluesy rock backing. Sky Valley Mistress from Darwen, Lancashire are new to the party but they come in ready to challenge the big hitters with their "Dirty Blonde Blues". The band set about playing groove laden hard rock that merges the classic bombast of Sabbath and Zeppelin with the sledgehammer rhythms of the bands such as Soundgarden and QOTSA while rapping it all up in a package that Jack White would be proud of. The rhythm section rattles the brain with Russell's bass and Maxwell Harvey William Newsome III's drums providing the chunky bottom end for Squire's dirty guitar licks and Kayley 'Hell Kitten' Davies' sultry vocals, she is all about the presence a man eater of the highest calibre with a mic in one hand and a knuckleduster in the other; see her croon through She Is So for this. As the Hell Kitten beckons, the band rock out royally setting hips shaking and fists pumping. This is just a four track EP but is does a lot to endear you to the band, the songs are well written, expertly (and menacingly) delivered with some fat fuzzy riffs and voodoo rhythms. A great little snippet of what Sky Valley Mistress can do and as the band sign off with the shamanistic Blood, Sweat & Blisters they leave you wanting more of their fuzzy, garage blues rock. 7/10
Saturday, 29 November 2014
Reviews: Neonfly, Axenstar, Yama
Neonfly: Strangers In Paradise (InnerWound)
Neonfly's first album Outshine The Sun is played often on my stereo so I was looking forward to their follow up and thankfully it is here and delivers what their debut did in spades and also improves on it greatly. Having witnessed the band supporting Dragonforce I was blown away by how great they are live and this bombastic, melodic heavy metal translates on to this second album. The multi-European crew bring, dual guitars galore from Patrick Harrington and Frederick Thunder, a hearty bass gallop from Paul Miller and some amazing drums from Boris La Gal. The band merge the classic metal of Maiden, the melodic metal of Firewind, the huge hooks of AOR, the baroque nature of Met Loaf and loads of technical progression all thrown into the mix. Highways To Nowhere is a great example of Neonfly at their best as it has huge modern sounding metal riff, a percussion driven Middle Eastern middle section, tight concise solos all of which is paired with some rapid fire vocals from Willy Norton to create a song to too dissimilar to Disturbed. However they can also deal with the pomp of AOR on Better Angels on which Norton shows off his excellent and somewhat unique set of pipes, the 80's sheen continues on the overwrought Bon Jovi-esque Rose In Bloom and indeed the entire album sounds like it could easily fit in that decade due to the production of Pink Cream 69/Unisonic's Dennis Ward This album works through all types of music hoovering them up and adding them to the mix, the double header of Heart Of The Sun and Aztec Gold have a symphonic metal basis with some great keys from Gunter Werno and some great bass and drum work on the instrumental Aztec Gold. Before being plunged into the war on the Dragonforce-like Fierce Battalions and the rampaging Chasing The Night before the album ends with the firelight acoustic balladry of Falling Star which is pure cheesy but is an uplifting climax to this excellent album of glossy, crunchy melodic metal that will appeal to a wide audience. If you love some excellent songwriting, powerful tracks and a huge mix of ideas thrown into the pot then Neonfly could be your new favourite band. 9/10
Axenstar: Where Dreams Are Forgotten (Inner Wound)
Swedish power metal, it's nearly always a by-word for quality, not necessarily invention but quality nonetheless. Axenstar started plying their brand of power metal in 1998 (as Powerage before changing to Axenstar in 2001) and now they are on album number six (I do sometimes wish I lived in the middle of the EU so I didn't find these bands so late). As the rapid fire drumming kicks of Fear all bets are off this is Euro power metal at its most bombastic, the guitars soar and Magnus Wintefield provides the bottom end, the keys and the strong European vocal style. With nods to Sonata, Dragonland and countrymen Hammerfall fans of Power metal will eat this up as the songs gallop like a band of wild horses, the vocals are emotive with choirs galore, the solos burn up the fret board, the keys are tasteful and understated and the album rarely gives you a break from the madness songs like My Sacrifice (thankfully not a Creed cover), the drum heavy Curse Of The Tyrant, the thrashy stomp of Greed and the Maidenesque The Reaper Axenstar really show off their power metal credentials, they a definitely a band that have been doing this for a long time indeed and as I've said the album doesn't slow down until the mid paced Sweet Farewell which is a very modern sounding track with a cracking choir in the chorus and a chugging middle eight that builds into a solo any power metal fan would get excited by. As with many genres of metal these days Sweden seems to be the place to be at the moment, but they do seem to excel at power metal and Axenstar are no exception to that rule; strong songs, great playing and a big heaving whack of fist pumping metal tuneage. 8/10
Yama: Ananta (Lighttown Fidelity)
Big sledgehammer grooves from Tilburg, NL now with Yama's debut album. As the tile track swaggers in with cocksure stoner riff the scene is set for a album of bluesy, grungy, doomy metal with a narcotic haze. Yama are named after the Verdic God Of Death and their songs are the sound of of aural deafening in the style of former tour mates Orange Goblin, Graveyard and Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Anchor Of Time is bass heavy and rumbles along with aplomb, things slow down on the psych influenced Hollow which sounds just that with it's reverbed guitar which starts things off before crashing into the heavy middle section, but it still keeps things mid-paced with it's swirling riffs, the shadow of the blues comes a looming on the mouth harp driven Ruach Elohim. The four men in this band obviously know their roles inside out the drums drive the rhythm in conjunction with the big low end, the riffs come with big layers of thickness and the vocals shout and snarl on top of the aural assault. Over these eight songs Yama have constructed an album full of fist pumping rock anthems that will get heads nodding, beers drunk and weed smoked like salmon. If you like huge slabs of stoner rock with a grungy underbelly Yama will be right up your street. 7/10
Neonfly's first album Outshine The Sun is played often on my stereo so I was looking forward to their follow up and thankfully it is here and delivers what their debut did in spades and also improves on it greatly. Having witnessed the band supporting Dragonforce I was blown away by how great they are live and this bombastic, melodic heavy metal translates on to this second album. The multi-European crew bring, dual guitars galore from Patrick Harrington and Frederick Thunder, a hearty bass gallop from Paul Miller and some amazing drums from Boris La Gal. The band merge the classic metal of Maiden, the melodic metal of Firewind, the huge hooks of AOR, the baroque nature of Met Loaf and loads of technical progression all thrown into the mix. Highways To Nowhere is a great example of Neonfly at their best as it has huge modern sounding metal riff, a percussion driven Middle Eastern middle section, tight concise solos all of which is paired with some rapid fire vocals from Willy Norton to create a song to too dissimilar to Disturbed. However they can also deal with the pomp of AOR on Better Angels on which Norton shows off his excellent and somewhat unique set of pipes, the 80's sheen continues on the overwrought Bon Jovi-esque Rose In Bloom and indeed the entire album sounds like it could easily fit in that decade due to the production of Pink Cream 69/Unisonic's Dennis Ward This album works through all types of music hoovering them up and adding them to the mix, the double header of Heart Of The Sun and Aztec Gold have a symphonic metal basis with some great keys from Gunter Werno and some great bass and drum work on the instrumental Aztec Gold. Before being plunged into the war on the Dragonforce-like Fierce Battalions and the rampaging Chasing The Night before the album ends with the firelight acoustic balladry of Falling Star which is pure cheesy but is an uplifting climax to this excellent album of glossy, crunchy melodic metal that will appeal to a wide audience. If you love some excellent songwriting, powerful tracks and a huge mix of ideas thrown into the pot then Neonfly could be your new favourite band. 9/10
Axenstar: Where Dreams Are Forgotten (Inner Wound)
Swedish power metal, it's nearly always a by-word for quality, not necessarily invention but quality nonetheless. Axenstar started plying their brand of power metal in 1998 (as Powerage before changing to Axenstar in 2001) and now they are on album number six (I do sometimes wish I lived in the middle of the EU so I didn't find these bands so late). As the rapid fire drumming kicks of Fear all bets are off this is Euro power metal at its most bombastic, the guitars soar and Magnus Wintefield provides the bottom end, the keys and the strong European vocal style. With nods to Sonata, Dragonland and countrymen Hammerfall fans of Power metal will eat this up as the songs gallop like a band of wild horses, the vocals are emotive with choirs galore, the solos burn up the fret board, the keys are tasteful and understated and the album rarely gives you a break from the madness songs like My Sacrifice (thankfully not a Creed cover), the drum heavy Curse Of The Tyrant, the thrashy stomp of Greed and the Maidenesque The Reaper Axenstar really show off their power metal credentials, they a definitely a band that have been doing this for a long time indeed and as I've said the album doesn't slow down until the mid paced Sweet Farewell which is a very modern sounding track with a cracking choir in the chorus and a chugging middle eight that builds into a solo any power metal fan would get excited by. As with many genres of metal these days Sweden seems to be the place to be at the moment, but they do seem to excel at power metal and Axenstar are no exception to that rule; strong songs, great playing and a big heaving whack of fist pumping metal tuneage. 8/10
Yama: Ananta (Lighttown Fidelity)
Big sledgehammer grooves from Tilburg, NL now with Yama's debut album. As the tile track swaggers in with cocksure stoner riff the scene is set for a album of bluesy, grungy, doomy metal with a narcotic haze. Yama are named after the Verdic God Of Death and their songs are the sound of of aural deafening in the style of former tour mates Orange Goblin, Graveyard and Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Anchor Of Time is bass heavy and rumbles along with aplomb, things slow down on the psych influenced Hollow which sounds just that with it's reverbed guitar which starts things off before crashing into the heavy middle section, but it still keeps things mid-paced with it's swirling riffs, the shadow of the blues comes a looming on the mouth harp driven Ruach Elohim. The four men in this band obviously know their roles inside out the drums drive the rhythm in conjunction with the big low end, the riffs come with big layers of thickness and the vocals shout and snarl on top of the aural assault. Over these eight songs Yama have constructed an album full of fist pumping rock anthems that will get heads nodding, beers drunk and weed smoked like salmon. If you like huge slabs of stoner rock with a grungy underbelly Yama will be right up your street. 7/10
Thursday, 27 November 2014
Reviews: The Tea Party, Benjamin Booker, Goat
The Tea Party: The Ocean At The End (InsideOut)
The Canadian originators of Moroccan roll have returned with their first album since 2004 (not to be confused with the right wing American political movement) . After their previous release the band all but gave up citing creative differences which led to frontman Jeff Martin's solo career and eventual downfall due to his extra curricular activities. The band seemingly buried the hatchet in 2011 reforming with their three original members all returning to the fold, most importantly Martin and drummer Jeff Burrows both of whom were the reason for the initial implosion. This reformation has led to a new album and thankfully very little has changed in The Tea Party camp, the band still merge, prog, rock and middle eastern influenced music flawlessly with Martin supplying guitar, sitar and a multitude of instruments and Stuart Chatwood handling bass, keys and again a plethora of instrumentation much of it coming from the Middle East, all these instruments are anchored by Burrows who is no slouch himself using drums, tabla etc to drive the songs along. Things kick off with The L.O.C which is sonically similar to fellow countrymen Rush albeit with Martin's sonorous baritone rumbling over the top of it, The Black Sea comes next and is a heavier track but still has the Middle Eastern flavour, something that continues on Cypher which also ramps up the prog stakes with it's big synths and off kilter rhythm straight into the airy electronica of Brian Eno's The Maker which shows off Martin's emotive vocal. It's a case of business of as usual for this virtuoso band as the songs move through various genres from progressive rock the title track, hard rock on The Cass Corridor, electronica on the industrial Submission as well as working through indie rock, soul, funk and of course their trademark Middle Eastern flavour see The 11th Hour. Black Roses is a countrified, shanty, Brazil has the percussive yet dark and political message built on Burrows drums and Martin's distorted guitars. The Tea Party are definitely back with a vengeance on The Ocean At The End this eighth album reaffirm the band as one of the most innovative and indeed exciting bands around. If you like your music intelligent, progressive and very competent then you need this in your life. 10/10
Benjamin Booker: S/T (Rough Trade)
25 year old Benjamin Booker hails from Virginia and when he was younger he moved to Tampa Florida where he was involved with the the D.I.Y punk scene. This influence is paramount in Bookers debut album which is lo-fi, garage, blues with an attitude. Violent Shiver kicks you in the teeth as it starts the album with punk guitar stabs mixing with the tumbling drums and Bookers superb howl screaming the lyrics at full force. For a debut album this is very accomplished Booker is a great guitar player relying more on the rhythm than the firework soloing of modern blues men like Gary Clarke Jr. and Joe Bonamassa, that's not to say he is a slouch or indeed adversed to some fret bending, he can still chuck in the odd lead break and solo; see Chippewa. In fact for the most part Booker has a lot in common with the modern main man of garage blues Jack White (a former tour mate of Booker's). For the most part Booker plays with a punk rock snarl and stabbing his guitar violently, but he can also slow down on Slow Coming and I Thought I Heard You Coming, he brings in some hip shaking R&B on Have You Seen My Son? which features a drum solo and moves seamlessly into the organ drenched country of Spoon Out My Eyeballs. He also adds the 70's rock vibe of Happy Homes before returning to the explosive blues finale of By The Evening. The myriad of influences on this record means that it is never boring or stagnant, which does do a lot to set Booker apart from the many garage blues propagators around at the moment, the songs are immediate, punchy and played with a real fire. A great debut album from this young man who has a huge career ahead of him. 8/10
Goat: Commune (Sub Pop)
Swedes Goat are not strictly metal but I think they will appeal to any fans of powerful music. The band play experimental music fusing hard rock, world music and psychedelia endowed with a sense of power that many heavy bands don't possess. The bands music is pulsating, percussion driven psych rock that will take the band and the listener on a journey and will help them reach a higher plane of conciousness (or something). Commune is a perfect name for this record as it is the type of music that would be played in a bazaar or in the presence of the Maharishi, this is a musical journey that at it's core is the kind of voodoo psych that the 60's was made of. the band themselves are an enigma as they wear colourful costumes and masks and as yet have not revealed their identities (going by names only); with the two female vocalists who's echoed chants are backed by the reverb drenched guitar, funk laden bass work and overarching percussion that is at the core of their sound. The trippy, hallucinogenic music is punctuated by the occasional spoken word piece that gives breathing room between the freak outs, however despite the louche, lucid almost liquid natural nature of the music and possibly even because of it; the band are all clearly top drawer musicians moving between the frantic driving delivery of Talk To God and Goatslaves, the Nick Cave goes funk of Goatchild and the hippy trail serenity of To Travel The Path Unknown. As I've said the power behind this album is very strong, the percussion particularly is fantastic, it draws you in and helps you just enjoy the vibe the band are trying to create, this is not the kind of album that will have hit singles and it is indeed hard to mark out individual songs. Commune is a collection of music that winds its way around your mind and takes you on a journey, that sounds like a cliché but when music has the power to move you like this then really it's the only way to describe it, I can only imagine what this band are like in a live setting with their propulsive music merging with their dervish of colours and movement, I hope I can see it soon! For now though I'm giving the record another spin, I urge all music lovers to do the same!! 9/10
The Canadian originators of Moroccan roll have returned with their first album since 2004 (not to be confused with the right wing American political movement) . After their previous release the band all but gave up citing creative differences which led to frontman Jeff Martin's solo career and eventual downfall due to his extra curricular activities. The band seemingly buried the hatchet in 2011 reforming with their three original members all returning to the fold, most importantly Martin and drummer Jeff Burrows both of whom were the reason for the initial implosion. This reformation has led to a new album and thankfully very little has changed in The Tea Party camp, the band still merge, prog, rock and middle eastern influenced music flawlessly with Martin supplying guitar, sitar and a multitude of instruments and Stuart Chatwood handling bass, keys and again a plethora of instrumentation much of it coming from the Middle East, all these instruments are anchored by Burrows who is no slouch himself using drums, tabla etc to drive the songs along. Things kick off with The L.O.C which is sonically similar to fellow countrymen Rush albeit with Martin's sonorous baritone rumbling over the top of it, The Black Sea comes next and is a heavier track but still has the Middle Eastern flavour, something that continues on Cypher which also ramps up the prog stakes with it's big synths and off kilter rhythm straight into the airy electronica of Brian Eno's The Maker which shows off Martin's emotive vocal. It's a case of business of as usual for this virtuoso band as the songs move through various genres from progressive rock the title track, hard rock on The Cass Corridor, electronica on the industrial Submission as well as working through indie rock, soul, funk and of course their trademark Middle Eastern flavour see The 11th Hour. Black Roses is a countrified, shanty, Brazil has the percussive yet dark and political message built on Burrows drums and Martin's distorted guitars. The Tea Party are definitely back with a vengeance on The Ocean At The End this eighth album reaffirm the band as one of the most innovative and indeed exciting bands around. If you like your music intelligent, progressive and very competent then you need this in your life. 10/10
Benjamin Booker: S/T (Rough Trade)
25 year old Benjamin Booker hails from Virginia and when he was younger he moved to Tampa Florida where he was involved with the the D.I.Y punk scene. This influence is paramount in Bookers debut album which is lo-fi, garage, blues with an attitude. Violent Shiver kicks you in the teeth as it starts the album with punk guitar stabs mixing with the tumbling drums and Bookers superb howl screaming the lyrics at full force. For a debut album this is very accomplished Booker is a great guitar player relying more on the rhythm than the firework soloing of modern blues men like Gary Clarke Jr. and Joe Bonamassa, that's not to say he is a slouch or indeed adversed to some fret bending, he can still chuck in the odd lead break and solo; see Chippewa. In fact for the most part Booker has a lot in common with the modern main man of garage blues Jack White (a former tour mate of Booker's). For the most part Booker plays with a punk rock snarl and stabbing his guitar violently, but he can also slow down on Slow Coming and I Thought I Heard You Coming, he brings in some hip shaking R&B on Have You Seen My Son? which features a drum solo and moves seamlessly into the organ drenched country of Spoon Out My Eyeballs. He also adds the 70's rock vibe of Happy Homes before returning to the explosive blues finale of By The Evening. The myriad of influences on this record means that it is never boring or stagnant, which does do a lot to set Booker apart from the many garage blues propagators around at the moment, the songs are immediate, punchy and played with a real fire. A great debut album from this young man who has a huge career ahead of him. 8/10
Goat: Commune (Sub Pop)
Swedes Goat are not strictly metal but I think they will appeal to any fans of powerful music. The band play experimental music fusing hard rock, world music and psychedelia endowed with a sense of power that many heavy bands don't possess. The bands music is pulsating, percussion driven psych rock that will take the band and the listener on a journey and will help them reach a higher plane of conciousness (or something). Commune is a perfect name for this record as it is the type of music that would be played in a bazaar or in the presence of the Maharishi, this is a musical journey that at it's core is the kind of voodoo psych that the 60's was made of. the band themselves are an enigma as they wear colourful costumes and masks and as yet have not revealed their identities (going by names only); with the two female vocalists who's echoed chants are backed by the reverb drenched guitar, funk laden bass work and overarching percussion that is at the core of their sound. The trippy, hallucinogenic music is punctuated by the occasional spoken word piece that gives breathing room between the freak outs, however despite the louche, lucid almost liquid natural nature of the music and possibly even because of it; the band are all clearly top drawer musicians moving between the frantic driving delivery of Talk To God and Goatslaves, the Nick Cave goes funk of Goatchild and the hippy trail serenity of To Travel The Path Unknown. As I've said the power behind this album is very strong, the percussion particularly is fantastic, it draws you in and helps you just enjoy the vibe the band are trying to create, this is not the kind of album that will have hit singles and it is indeed hard to mark out individual songs. Commune is a collection of music that winds its way around your mind and takes you on a journey, that sounds like a cliché but when music has the power to move you like this then really it's the only way to describe it, I can only imagine what this band are like in a live setting with their propulsive music merging with their dervish of colours and movement, I hope I can see it soon! For now though I'm giving the record another spin, I urge all music lovers to do the same!! 9/10
Another Point Of View: Skindred (Review by Stief, with contributions by Nicola and general ramblings by Rhod)
Skindred, The Globe
After a quick drink in the Pear Tree with our designated driver, Nic and our designated drinker, Rhod, we headed down the road to what seems to now be a frequent haunt for the Musipedia crew, The Globe for a night of English, Polish and pure welsh metal.
Feral Sun
Starting the night off is London based Hard Rock band Feral Sun. Although playing to a small crowd, the quartet seem to enjoy the atmosphere nonetheless. Their slow-to-medium heavy rock, chugging riffs seem to be a strange fit considering the headliners of this gig, but their sound is pretty much solid. Mick Burns' voice (which, although good, doesn't jump out), Alex Nikitin's heavy bass riffs paired with Marco lo Coco's guitar gives a good steady flow to the beginning of the night The highlight of the band however is drummer Jay Stephenson, whose expressions range from determined to pure happiness, showing he's there to have fun and play music. 6/10
Chemia
Next up is Chemia from Poland...or Isengard as lead singer Łukasz Drapała keeps telling us. Much like Feral Sun, Chemia start off with heavy riffage, sounding very much like a lesser Grand Magus at points. This isn't a bad thing, however, as Łukasz's singing sounds just shy of JB Christofferson's soulful voice. As they continue through their set, Chemia pick up the pace with each song building with tempo, getting the crowd pumped up for the headliners. Having already played Hard Rock Hell earlier in the month, I'd say Chemia are a band to look out for. 7/10
Skindred
Not many bands can get away with using two songs to introduce themselves, but Newport's Skindred are one that are exempt. After pumping the crowd up with AC/DC's Thunderstruck in its entirety, the band file on stage to a remixed Imperial March, with the crowd going haywire at the sight of front-man and all around snazzy dresser, Benji Webbe. Adorned in a white top hat, dyed white Jacket and white sunglasses, he immediately tears into Rat Race. Throughout their entire set, Skindred keep it going with Benji giving no quarter to the Cardiff crowd, letting us know exactly how he feels about sub-par responses to Cardiff chants and lack of dancing. Benji's vast vocal range is backed up by the excellent musicianship of his fellow band members, Mikey Demus' guitars, Arya Goggin's drums and Dan Pugsley's bass relentless in their attack on the crowd's ears. Songs from this year's Kill The Power are mixed with classics such as Pressure and Destroy The Dancefloor, the night ending with crowd favourite Warning. We're even treated to a few remixes over the night, the first being Macklemore's Thrift Shop,which is interwoven with Metallica's Sad But True and Skindred's own Trouble, which the band blast into afterwards. However two major highlights of the night occur towards the end of the night, the first being a singalong of Slipknot's Duality which breaks unexpectedly into a huge, heavy drop halfway through. The second highlight of the night is a Christmassy singalong of McCartney's Wonderful Christmastime with a personal spin on the lyrics by Benji. Overall a blistering set and as we file out of the venue, there's not a single frown to be seen. 10/10
After a quick drink in the Pear Tree with our designated driver, Nic and our designated drinker, Rhod, we headed down the road to what seems to now be a frequent haunt for the Musipedia crew, The Globe for a night of English, Polish and pure welsh metal.
Feral Sun
Starting the night off is London based Hard Rock band Feral Sun. Although playing to a small crowd, the quartet seem to enjoy the atmosphere nonetheless. Their slow-to-medium heavy rock, chugging riffs seem to be a strange fit considering the headliners of this gig, but their sound is pretty much solid. Mick Burns' voice (which, although good, doesn't jump out), Alex Nikitin's heavy bass riffs paired with Marco lo Coco's guitar gives a good steady flow to the beginning of the night The highlight of the band however is drummer Jay Stephenson, whose expressions range from determined to pure happiness, showing he's there to have fun and play music. 6/10
Chemia
Next up is Chemia from Poland...or Isengard as lead singer Łukasz Drapała keeps telling us. Much like Feral Sun, Chemia start off with heavy riffage, sounding very much like a lesser Grand Magus at points. This isn't a bad thing, however, as Łukasz's singing sounds just shy of JB Christofferson's soulful voice. As they continue through their set, Chemia pick up the pace with each song building with tempo, getting the crowd pumped up for the headliners. Having already played Hard Rock Hell earlier in the month, I'd say Chemia are a band to look out for. 7/10
Skindred
Not many bands can get away with using two songs to introduce themselves, but Newport's Skindred are one that are exempt. After pumping the crowd up with AC/DC's Thunderstruck in its entirety, the band file on stage to a remixed Imperial March, with the crowd going haywire at the sight of front-man and all around snazzy dresser, Benji Webbe. Adorned in a white top hat, dyed white Jacket and white sunglasses, he immediately tears into Rat Race. Throughout their entire set, Skindred keep it going with Benji giving no quarter to the Cardiff crowd, letting us know exactly how he feels about sub-par responses to Cardiff chants and lack of dancing. Benji's vast vocal range is backed up by the excellent musicianship of his fellow band members, Mikey Demus' guitars, Arya Goggin's drums and Dan Pugsley's bass relentless in their attack on the crowd's ears. Songs from this year's Kill The Power are mixed with classics such as Pressure and Destroy The Dancefloor, the night ending with crowd favourite Warning. We're even treated to a few remixes over the night, the first being Macklemore's Thrift Shop,which is interwoven with Metallica's Sad But True and Skindred's own Trouble, which the band blast into afterwards. However two major highlights of the night occur towards the end of the night, the first being a singalong of Slipknot's Duality which breaks unexpectedly into a huge, heavy drop halfway through. The second highlight of the night is a Christmassy singalong of McCartney's Wonderful Christmastime with a personal spin on the lyrics by Benji. Overall a blistering set and as we file out of the venue, there's not a single frown to be seen. 10/10
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