Behemoth: O2 Academy, Birmingham
Potentially one of the most explosive and exciting packages to hit these shores for many years, the four band line up of Winterfyllth, Grand Magus, Decapitated and Behemoth captured the imagination several months ago and tickets were duly snapped up. The anticipation had been heightened as all bands on the bill have released possibly their best works this year. It was therefore incredibly disappointing to discover a few days before that the curfew at the venue was 10 pm due to the 02's weekly Propaganda club night. This is clearly a nationwide policy as members of MoM have experienced the same problems at Bristol and Islington venues in the past few months. The challenge of getting to Birmingham from Cardiff for 6pm doors was incredible, and although I was lucky enough to take a half day to ensure early arrival, poor Ant and Elle didn't actually make it to the venue until the end of the Decapitated set, at a ridiculously early 8:10pm. Clearly something that we have to take into account for next year’s gigs, especially when the majority of our events take place away from our home soil. Food for thought. So, what about the actual music?
Manchester’s Winterfylleth (8) were afforded a mere four songs in a 25 minute set. Hitting the stage bang on 6:15pm, the black metal titans wasted no time in ensuring that all of those lucky enough to get into the venue early were fully rewarded. Building on their storming sets at BOA and Damnation (which I sadly missed) Chris Naughton and Mark Wood’s excellent guitar work combined with the powerhouse rhythm section of drummer Simon Lucas and bassist Nick Wallwork to create a wall of death metal laced with delicate and technical elements which sets the band apart from many others in this genre. A double serving from their recent superb release The Divination Of Antiquity, the title track and the quite breath taking Whisper Of The Elements demonstrated why this band are much loved in the underground metal scene. Sheer endeavour, hard graft and excellent technical skills: hopefully their star is in the ascendency.
Swedish power trio Grand Magus (9) are no strangers to the MoM crew, although for Alex and Chris this was their first time and the very reason for their attendance; they captured pride of place on the centre of the barrier for the mighty Swedes (and indeed for the entire evening – much to the admiration of the rest of the crew). JB and the band were also afforded limited stage time and they got straight to it, blasting off with I, The Jury, a svelt and shorn JB peeling off riffs ably support by bassist Fox and drummer Ludde. Grand Magus have an old school heavy metal sound, but there is also something refreshingly new about them. Inciting much fist pumping and head banging, Like The Oars Strike The Water was quickly followed by the title track of this year’s brilliant Triumph And Power before JB encouraged the ever increasing numbers in the crowd to sing along to Steel Versus Steel, which to be fair they did. Set closer Hammer Of The North proved that the audience were now totally engaged with the Swedes and a huge ovation indicated that they are well loved on UK shores.
As the strains of War Pigs kicked in over the PA, the lights dropped to announce the entry of Polish technical Death Metal outfit Decapitated (8) Another extremely short set saw Vogg and his band demonstrate that sometimes quality over quantity does work. A mere five tracks allowed, with the engaging and intimidating front man "Rasta" Piotrowski dominating the front of the stage, dreads flowing freely and guttural death vocals repeatedly delivering tough jabs to the ribs. Blistering drumming and fast moving songs helped ensure that the crowd were still engaged. A couple of tracks from the excellent Blood Mantra combined with some old school stuff such including Spheres Of Madness allowed the band to deliver nothing more than a taster of their music. This band are brutal live and it was a shame the serving was so limited.
A 30 minute change over saw the O2 change in atmosphere as the impressive stage set for Nergal and his cohort was constructed. A huge backdrop, the traditional star of chaos microphone stands and platforms for the band to stand on. Combined with an impressive light display that adapted to each song throughout the set, Behemoth (9) always put on an impressive visual show. As the house lights dimmed, orchestral music heralded the entrance of the band, complete with capes and hoods. Opening with Blow Your Trumpets, Gabriel, the next 90 minutes mesmerised, enchanted and captivated the crowd. The fury and sheer assault of the Black Death metal which has become so recognisable incited some very aggressive pits at the front of the stage and some impressive head banging in the rest of the venue. The set comprised a fair slab from the quite mind-blowing The Satanist, including the title track which was quite stunning. The drumming of Inferno throughout was absolutely destructive, powerful double bass pedals combining with rapid fire snare and symbol action. The band powered through tracks from Demigod (Conquer All And Slaves Shall Serve), Evangilon (Alas, Lord Is Upon Me) and the brutal Ov Fire And The Void along with cuts from Satanica And The Apostasy, Nergal and Seth laid down demonic riff after riff, moving around the stage with authority, and combined effortlessly with the imposing Orion on bass who stalked the stage with a demonic grin, like a serial killer hunting his next victim.
Each track was accompanied by different intros and the band slowly shed some of the stage outfits they had started with. Of course, Behemoth wear the corpse paint and this remains an intimidating element of their stage presence, adding a sinister edge to the already deathly satanic edge to their music. Closing with Chant For Eschaton 2000 the band took the obligatory photo in front of the crowd before departing. As the encore commenced, spotlights picked out each member of the band, cloaked and complete with devil goat masks with huge horns. The lighting creating a black mass type atmosphere, adding the already dark imagery. Behemoth ripped through O Father, O Satan, O Son with the crowd going crazy. A huge crescendo brought the evening to an end bang on the 10:00pm mark. Behemoth are a force to be reckoned with live and a match for anyone. The joy of seeing a fully fit Nergal is simply magical. A set worth waiting for. Just a shame the other bands didn't have enough time to really get into their own sets.
Tuesday, 16 December 2014
Wednesday, 10 December 2014
Reviews: Primordial, Lonewolf, Temperance (Reviews By Stief)
Primordial: Where Greater Men Have Fallen (Metal Blade)
The first album from the band in 7 years, Primordial's Where Greater Men Have Fallen is a great return. Title track and album opener Where Greater Men... immediately grabs you and doesn't let go, with pounding drums and grinding guitars. Alan Averill or Nemtheanga's voice does take some getting used to if you haven't listened before, but generally, fits well with the distorted guitars and heavy bass that come with the territory of black/extreme metal. The album is relentless in its heaviness, Babel's Tower and Come The Flood are both slow and heavy before The Seed Of Tyrants rips you right back up again. There are some great riffs throughout and Primordial show their Irish roots in nearly every song, especially Born To Night, which includes a heavy, almost folk-like 4 minute intro before getting into the song. Album closer Wield Lightning To Split The Sun is just as heavy as the rest of the album, the chanting of the band reminiscent of later-era Rotting Christ. Founding members Ciáran MacUiliam and Pól MacAmhlaigh (on guitars and bass respectively) are supported by Simon Ó Laoghaire on drums and Micheál Ó Floinn on guitars. A brutal and heavy album throughout. 7/10
Lonewolf: Cult Of Steel (Massacre)
There's something about European power metal bands with wolf-based names that just seems to capture me. Lonewolf is no exception with Cult Of Steel, their follow up to last year's The Fourth And Final Horseman. Album opener Cult Of Steel builds up with an eastern-style sound, before breaking into fast paced guitars and heavy drums. Lonewolf pretty much keep the speed throughout the entire album with solos galore and the lyrics are basic power metal fare, promoting the religion of heavy metal and (as the name would imply) wolf-related subjects, Werewolf Rebellion and The Grey Wolves being prime examples. Both Funeral Pyre and Mysterium Fidei are highlights of the album, breaking away from the quicker pace of the rest of the album for a heavier, slightly slower sound. Lead singer Jens Börner's voice is a mix between Powerwolf's Attilla Dorn and a less gravelly Lemmy, which, when combined with the guitar of Alex Hilbert, the bass of Rikki Mannhard and Antoine Bussière's drums give a great sound. Overall a great album with some brilliant music 8/10
Temperance: Temperance (Scarlet)
The first full release from Italy's Temperance, their self titled album does not disappoint. The opening track Tell Me is an uplifting track with soaring vocals from lead singer Chiara and awesome riffs from Marco, who provides the backing vocals and growls, as well as some of the clean vocals on songs such as Breathe and Stronger. While it would be easy to compare Temperance with other female fronted symphonic bands, I don't think it would do them justice. The band seem to mix the clean vocals with growls perfectly, neither seeming too much at any given time. The solos are great too, not taking up too much of the song, but providing a great bridge between the verses. The album has something for pretty much everyone; from in the form of Stronger, more dramatic songs like Lotus and The Fourth Season. A personal favourite is To Be With You which feels like a love song to the fans and how it feels how to be a fan of a band. The special edition has a surprising addition with a cover of Christina Perri's A Thousand Years, which seems to fit extremely well with the band's vocal style. With a new album out early next year, this is a band to look out for. 9/10
The first album from the band in 7 years, Primordial's Where Greater Men Have Fallen is a great return. Title track and album opener Where Greater Men... immediately grabs you and doesn't let go, with pounding drums and grinding guitars. Alan Averill or Nemtheanga's voice does take some getting used to if you haven't listened before, but generally, fits well with the distorted guitars and heavy bass that come with the territory of black/extreme metal. The album is relentless in its heaviness, Babel's Tower and Come The Flood are both slow and heavy before The Seed Of Tyrants rips you right back up again. There are some great riffs throughout and Primordial show their Irish roots in nearly every song, especially Born To Night, which includes a heavy, almost folk-like 4 minute intro before getting into the song. Album closer Wield Lightning To Split The Sun is just as heavy as the rest of the album, the chanting of the band reminiscent of later-era Rotting Christ. Founding members Ciáran MacUiliam and Pól MacAmhlaigh (on guitars and bass respectively) are supported by Simon Ó Laoghaire on drums and Micheál Ó Floinn on guitars. A brutal and heavy album throughout. 7/10
Lonewolf: Cult Of Steel (Massacre)
There's something about European power metal bands with wolf-based names that just seems to capture me. Lonewolf is no exception with Cult Of Steel, their follow up to last year's The Fourth And Final Horseman. Album opener Cult Of Steel builds up with an eastern-style sound, before breaking into fast paced guitars and heavy drums. Lonewolf pretty much keep the speed throughout the entire album with solos galore and the lyrics are basic power metal fare, promoting the religion of heavy metal and (as the name would imply) wolf-related subjects, Werewolf Rebellion and The Grey Wolves being prime examples. Both Funeral Pyre and Mysterium Fidei are highlights of the album, breaking away from the quicker pace of the rest of the album for a heavier, slightly slower sound. Lead singer Jens Börner's voice is a mix between Powerwolf's Attilla Dorn and a less gravelly Lemmy, which, when combined with the guitar of Alex Hilbert, the bass of Rikki Mannhard and Antoine Bussière's drums give a great sound. Overall a great album with some brilliant music 8/10
Temperance: Temperance (Scarlet)
The first full release from Italy's Temperance, their self titled album does not disappoint. The opening track Tell Me is an uplifting track with soaring vocals from lead singer Chiara and awesome riffs from Marco, who provides the backing vocals and growls, as well as some of the clean vocals on songs such as Breathe and Stronger. While it would be easy to compare Temperance with other female fronted symphonic bands, I don't think it would do them justice. The band seem to mix the clean vocals with growls perfectly, neither seeming too much at any given time. The solos are great too, not taking up too much of the song, but providing a great bridge between the verses. The album has something for pretty much everyone; from in the form of Stronger, more dramatic songs like Lotus and The Fourth Season. A personal favourite is To Be With You which feels like a love song to the fans and how it feels how to be a fan of a band. The special edition has a surprising addition with a cover of Christina Perri's A Thousand Years, which seems to fit extremely well with the band's vocal style. With a new album out early next year, this is a band to look out for. 9/10
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Another Point Of View: Electric Six (Review By Paul)
Electric Six: Islington Academy
A disappointing absence of the annual Welsh date for the Detroit powerhouse that is Electric Six was turned into an excellent opportunity for a weekend visiting friends in London whilst also managing to ensure that we were able to catch the irrepressible Dick Valentine and his cohorts.
Electric Six are best viewed when well on the road to destination “bladdered” and this year was no exception. I've described this venue before; located in North London it is an 800 capacity and it was very close to capacity as Dick and the boys took the stage for 70 minutes (inclusive of encore!) of their tongue in cheek rock infused rock with disco, funk and a dash of new wave thrown in for good measure. Kicking off with Karate Lips from their excellent 2014 Human Zoo release, Electric Six were in fine form, with Mr Valentine stalking the stage, wisecracks and deadpan delivery after every song. If you've never seen these boys live you really need to sort it out as there is something for everyone. The band delivered tracks from nine albums, including some of their lesser known stuff along with four tracks from the new album. As you would expect, the older “classics” always provoke the most vigorous reaction and Gay Bar part 1 and part 2 incited parts of the crowd to deliver some rather dodgy shapes whilst spilling Hobgoblin all over themselves! She's White was rabidly received with the guitar riffs strong enough to please the metal loving elements of the audience. New track It's Horseshit prompted a smashing sing-along whilst Improper Dancing was exactly what it said on the tin!
The focus of the band is always on Valentine whilst the rest of the group remain firmly in the background; however, they are all fantastic musicians, whether it is the White Wolf on guitar cranking out the riff to Danger! High Voltage, “My drummer” pounding the rhythm to the disco funk irreverence of Adam Levine or the smooth keys of new wave infused Synthesiser. Added together they produce a heady mix which absolutely screams for a balls-out good time, something lost on a few members of the audience near us who complained about our dancing; “She’s bumped into me five times”. Unsurprisingly, the shortest of shrift was supplied and they wisely moved out of our way. The majority of the audience were quite happy to lose their shit, especially as set closer and firm favourite I Buy the Drugs swept all before it. What a song. Epic shapes thrown all around.
A raucous evening was brought to an end in fine style with the infectious Dance Commander providing the opportunity for some final brutal riffs to encourage a last boogie. As always, the band delivered a fine set, oozing with quality and fine musicianship. This band don’t take themselves seriously but are always serious about delivering a good performance. Roll on December 2015 … in South Wales this time lads please. 9/10
A disappointing absence of the annual Welsh date for the Detroit powerhouse that is Electric Six was turned into an excellent opportunity for a weekend visiting friends in London whilst also managing to ensure that we were able to catch the irrepressible Dick Valentine and his cohorts.
Electric Six are best viewed when well on the road to destination “bladdered” and this year was no exception. I've described this venue before; located in North London it is an 800 capacity and it was very close to capacity as Dick and the boys took the stage for 70 minutes (inclusive of encore!) of their tongue in cheek rock infused rock with disco, funk and a dash of new wave thrown in for good measure. Kicking off with Karate Lips from their excellent 2014 Human Zoo release, Electric Six were in fine form, with Mr Valentine stalking the stage, wisecracks and deadpan delivery after every song. If you've never seen these boys live you really need to sort it out as there is something for everyone. The band delivered tracks from nine albums, including some of their lesser known stuff along with four tracks from the new album. As you would expect, the older “classics” always provoke the most vigorous reaction and Gay Bar part 1 and part 2 incited parts of the crowd to deliver some rather dodgy shapes whilst spilling Hobgoblin all over themselves! She's White was rabidly received with the guitar riffs strong enough to please the metal loving elements of the audience. New track It's Horseshit prompted a smashing sing-along whilst Improper Dancing was exactly what it said on the tin!
The focus of the band is always on Valentine whilst the rest of the group remain firmly in the background; however, they are all fantastic musicians, whether it is the White Wolf on guitar cranking out the riff to Danger! High Voltage, “My drummer” pounding the rhythm to the disco funk irreverence of Adam Levine or the smooth keys of new wave infused Synthesiser. Added together they produce a heady mix which absolutely screams for a balls-out good time, something lost on a few members of the audience near us who complained about our dancing; “She’s bumped into me five times”. Unsurprisingly, the shortest of shrift was supplied and they wisely moved out of our way. The majority of the audience were quite happy to lose their shit, especially as set closer and firm favourite I Buy the Drugs swept all before it. What a song. Epic shapes thrown all around.
A raucous evening was brought to an end in fine style with the infectious Dance Commander providing the opportunity for some final brutal riffs to encourage a last boogie. As always, the band delivered a fine set, oozing with quality and fine musicianship. This band don’t take themselves seriously but are always serious about delivering a good performance. Roll on December 2015 … in South Wales this time lads please. 9/10
Another Point Of View: At The Gates (Review By Paul)
At The Gates - The Globe, Cardiff
Morbus Chron
First up on a night of sheer brutality was Stockholm outfit Morbus Chron. The band have been in existence for seven years and create a formidable noise. An amalgamation of old school death metal and the more melodic groove of the progressive death scene, the band powered through a short set with aplomb. Musically they were tight, with plenty of riffs and hooks to get you interested whilst vocally Robert Andersson (according to their FB page anyway) has a tried and tested death growl approach. A decent reception was afforded from the relatively healthy but not sold out crowd (shame on you, Cardiff). 6/10
Triptykon
The opportunity to see Thomas Gabriel Fischer in the dry and in my home City meant I was always buying a ticket and was as much as a draw for me as the headliners. I have a long affection for Fischer’s (or Warrior’s) work, dating back to the early Celtic Frost days and I hold fond memories of seeing them in the long defunct Top Rank Club in the mid-1980s. I've already reviewed Triptykon this year in the live arena at BOA and on record with their excellent Melana Chasmata release earlier this year. The band battled with an appallingly fuzzy sound (which Fischer painfully acknowledged) to deliver one of the heaviest slabs of metal The Globe will have ever witnessed. Opening with Goeita from Eparistera Daimones, the room was filled with that unique skull crushing doom laden mid-paced delivery that has been the hall mark of all of Fischer’s bands. Altar Of Deceit followed, surprisingly the only track from Melana Chasmata with the huge bass sound of Vanja Slajh combining with the furious percussion of Norman Lonhard. A real treat followed with a double Celtic Frost serving; the mosh inducing Circle Of The Tyrants which got the room moving in earnest followed by The Usurper with Fischer and V. Santura combining brutal riffs with sledgehammer intensity. The final song, The Prolonging from Eparistera Daimones closed the set, albeit in a slightly extended manner. Few bands close out a five set song with a 20 minute track but this is Triptykon. Throughout the set, Fischer was engaging in his interaction with the audience and it was a pleasure to see the band and the great man in such close confines. What the hell he must have made of it all I’m not sure. 7/10
At The Gates
At War With Reality, ATG's first release for the best part of 20 years ensured that Gothenburg's death metal legends put themselves firmly back in the shop window for this tour. However, nothing could prepare for the onslaught that hit the crowd. Hitting the stage to the strains of El Altar, the band blasted into Death And The Labyrinth from At War... at full steam, pits kicking off immediately. However, any band that hits track two with Slaughter Of The Soul has serious confidence in their set list. Pulverising guitar work from Anders Björler and Martin Larsson combined with Jonas Björler’s cement mixer heavy basslines and the breathtakingly fast drumming of Adrian Erlandsson provided a captivating spectacle throughout the hour and a half show. Vocalist Tomas Lindberg delivers whether his is playing to 300 people or 3000 (This band sold out the Forum in London with ease).
A liberal dose of stuff from the new album, seven in all, was interspersed with several classics from Slaughter Of The Soul as well as a representation from their other three releases. Cold, Nausea and Under A Serpent Sun received fanatical responses whilst many of the crowd were just as familiar with some of the new stuff, such as the title track and The Book Of Sand. ATG deliver with a high degree of intensity, Lindberg urging the crowd to give as much as the band, whilst the band continue to layer slab after slab of melodic death. Closing with Blinded By Fear, Kingdom Gone and The Night Eternal, ATG demonstrated why they are revered and remain one of the metal legends in the death arena. 8/10
The only shame was that there were so few there to witness it. As a metal City, Cardiff may be able to see out Slipknot at the MIA but this is where it’s at and the South Wales metal community rarely delivers. Get into the smaller gigs, see the band really close up and have an awesome time.
Morbus Chron
First up on a night of sheer brutality was Stockholm outfit Morbus Chron. The band have been in existence for seven years and create a formidable noise. An amalgamation of old school death metal and the more melodic groove of the progressive death scene, the band powered through a short set with aplomb. Musically they were tight, with plenty of riffs and hooks to get you interested whilst vocally Robert Andersson (according to their FB page anyway) has a tried and tested death growl approach. A decent reception was afforded from the relatively healthy but not sold out crowd (shame on you, Cardiff). 6/10
Triptykon
The opportunity to see Thomas Gabriel Fischer in the dry and in my home City meant I was always buying a ticket and was as much as a draw for me as the headliners. I have a long affection for Fischer’s (or Warrior’s) work, dating back to the early Celtic Frost days and I hold fond memories of seeing them in the long defunct Top Rank Club in the mid-1980s. I've already reviewed Triptykon this year in the live arena at BOA and on record with their excellent Melana Chasmata release earlier this year. The band battled with an appallingly fuzzy sound (which Fischer painfully acknowledged) to deliver one of the heaviest slabs of metal The Globe will have ever witnessed. Opening with Goeita from Eparistera Daimones, the room was filled with that unique skull crushing doom laden mid-paced delivery that has been the hall mark of all of Fischer’s bands. Altar Of Deceit followed, surprisingly the only track from Melana Chasmata with the huge bass sound of Vanja Slajh combining with the furious percussion of Norman Lonhard. A real treat followed with a double Celtic Frost serving; the mosh inducing Circle Of The Tyrants which got the room moving in earnest followed by The Usurper with Fischer and V. Santura combining brutal riffs with sledgehammer intensity. The final song, The Prolonging from Eparistera Daimones closed the set, albeit in a slightly extended manner. Few bands close out a five set song with a 20 minute track but this is Triptykon. Throughout the set, Fischer was engaging in his interaction with the audience and it was a pleasure to see the band and the great man in such close confines. What the hell he must have made of it all I’m not sure. 7/10
At The Gates
At War With Reality, ATG's first release for the best part of 20 years ensured that Gothenburg's death metal legends put themselves firmly back in the shop window for this tour. However, nothing could prepare for the onslaught that hit the crowd. Hitting the stage to the strains of El Altar, the band blasted into Death And The Labyrinth from At War... at full steam, pits kicking off immediately. However, any band that hits track two with Slaughter Of The Soul has serious confidence in their set list. Pulverising guitar work from Anders Björler and Martin Larsson combined with Jonas Björler’s cement mixer heavy basslines and the breathtakingly fast drumming of Adrian Erlandsson provided a captivating spectacle throughout the hour and a half show. Vocalist Tomas Lindberg delivers whether his is playing to 300 people or 3000 (This band sold out the Forum in London with ease).
A liberal dose of stuff from the new album, seven in all, was interspersed with several classics from Slaughter Of The Soul as well as a representation from their other three releases. Cold, Nausea and Under A Serpent Sun received fanatical responses whilst many of the crowd were just as familiar with some of the new stuff, such as the title track and The Book Of Sand. ATG deliver with a high degree of intensity, Lindberg urging the crowd to give as much as the band, whilst the band continue to layer slab after slab of melodic death. Closing with Blinded By Fear, Kingdom Gone and The Night Eternal, ATG demonstrated why they are revered and remain one of the metal legends in the death arena. 8/10
The only shame was that there were so few there to witness it. As a metal City, Cardiff may be able to see out Slipknot at the MIA but this is where it’s at and the South Wales metal community rarely delivers. Get into the smaller gigs, see the band really close up and have an awesome time.
Reviews: Bloodbath, Emigrate, Incinery (Reviews By Paul)
Bloodbath: Grand Morbid Funeral (Peaceville)
The long awaited fifth long player from death metal super group Bloodbath has landed and dear reader, it is fucking evil. Hammering drums from Opeth sticksman Martin Axenrot, bone crushing bass lines from the normally eloquent and softly spoken Jonas Renke combine with terrifyingly heavy guitar work from Katatonia’s Anders Nystrom and Per Eriksson to deliver one of the blackest, nastiest releases of the year. After two years of speculation since the departure of Mikael Akerfeldt, it was revealed earlier this year that Paradise Lost frontman Nick Holmes would deliver the voice. Questions were asked about his death metal vocal credentials and if he would be able to continue the Bloodbath sound. The answer: Oh yeah. An absolutely devilish opening scream on Let The Stillborn Come To Me leaves you in absolutely no doubt that Holmes is the perfect fit. Total Death Exhumed hammers that final doubt deep in the metaphorical coffin, with a guttural growl of such intensity I struggle to find a more sinister voice this side of Nergal. Of course, early Paradise Lost had a very similar vocal delivery from Holmes but he hasn't had to perform like this for a few years now.
The album is pure death metal, the majority of it played at absolutely breakneck speed, with the guitar duels lacing the tracks with a visceral undercurrent. Renke and Axenrot revel in their freedom and cut loose, driving the tracks forward at unstoppable speeds. There are moments of calm hidden within the assault. You just have to hunt bloody hard for them. Anne is an eerie composition which takes a quick pause before assaulting you whilst Church Of Vastitas opens with an atmospheric build up, doom laden drums combining with slower, crushing riffs and Holmes allowed a slower more measured delivery. And the rest of the album just pulverises you with its demonic overtures, clawing at your intestines and ripping you apart. Mental Abortion, Infernal Necropsy and My Torturer, all are dripping with malevolence and vile intent. Dripping with possibly the most brutal work that Bloodbath has ever delivered, Grand Morbid Funeral just destroys. Even the album closer, the title track is absolutely brutal with a combination of every element of the album; the cloisters echo with chanting until Holmes provides the killer conclusion with the rest of the band blasting away. The Devil does indeed have the best tunes. 9/10
Emigrate: Silent So Long (Vertigo)
The second release from Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe is a powerful chunk of industrial soaked rock with a plethora of guests scattered across the album. Emigrate’s first album was released seven years ago and had a slightly less industrial tinge than Kruspe's main gig. Silent So Long has a much greater industrial feel to it, with flavours of NIN, Kraftwerk and Marilyn Manson hitting you in the face from the off. Opener Eat You Alive features Frank Delle from Seeed and is very much a classic opener, rocking guitars hitting the down tuned delivery that immediately brings Manson’s sound to mind. Get Down has a guest appearance from Peaches and is a slower, grittier tune. Rock City features Lemmy leading on the vocals and sounds like a Motörhead track; pounding drumming and a fast pace as Lemmy delivers his unique style of vocal. The god of fuck himself appears on Hypothetical and is one of the stand out tracks on this solid album. Manson's voice combines perfectly with the pulsing techno back beat, huge riffs and dirty guitar. “Let's fuck” commands Manson. It's anthemic and would stand alongside any of Manson's own compositions. Rainbow has a real Depeche Mode feel with synths merging with the driving guitar work. Two other collaborations feature at the tail end of the album; firstly Margaux Bossieux, a French expatriate who was former bassist of punk outfit Dirty Mary and who is Kruspe’s partner and collaborator on his other side project, Slippin Away. Bossieux provides backing vocals on both Emigrate albums and on Happy Times sings a duet with Kruspe. Final track Silent So Long features Korn main man Jonathan Davies and like the rest of the album fuses the guitars of Kruspe and Olsen Involtini with thumping bass lines of long time Emigrate member Arnaud Giroux and Apocalyptica drummer Mikko Siren in an industrial maelstrom bringing the album to a fitting conclusion. It takes a few listens to get into this album and if the darkness of Reznor, Manson et al isn't your thing then it's unlikely that this will do much for you. It's a solid release and certainly worth a spin. It would be interesting to see Emigrate in the live arena at some time in the near future. 7/10
Incinery: Dead Bound and Buried (Independent)
Nottingham based thrashers Incinery's debut album is a fine reminder that the UK can still deliver quality thrash metal. In a year when some of the old school from across the pond have punched hard, (See releases from Exodus and Overkill for starters), Dead Bound And Buried builds on their two earlier EP releases, Nothing Left and Dawn Of War. After the obligatory atmospheric opener With Strange Aeons, it is heads down thrash all the way with riffs screaming out through Death May Die. Deceiver delivers a slightly slower paced track with skull crushing, grinding chords and some awesome solo work from the dual axe attack of Chris Kenny and Jason Chaikeawrung. Having caught some the Incinery set at BOA this year this was an album which contained no surprises but delivered brilliantly. Sometimes you really want to have the comfort of solid, well played music which kicks you in the nuts and this album does that alright. Whilst it won’t win awards for originality, it should win something for the sheer effort and drive that courses throughout. Tragedy Of One only needs the drawl of Chuck Billy to sit comfortably on the next Testament release, though James Rawlings vocals deliver in their own excellent style. Destroy The Gods pinches part of the riff from Sad But True before building into the mid-point epic of the album, slow paced power chord action moving through the Anthrax stomp before a Slayer style full frontal attack rips off the majority of your face in one hit. There is a mass of influences coursing through this release and it is monstrous. With the seemingly hopeless state of once great UK hopes Evile, Incinery along with bands like Seprevation have grasped the UK thrash mantle with both hands and are intent on maintaining a firm grip. Their appearance at Hammerfest already has classic stamped all over it and I can see a number of the MoM crew losing their shit in the pits. Devastating stuff. 8/10
The long awaited fifth long player from death metal super group Bloodbath has landed and dear reader, it is fucking evil. Hammering drums from Opeth sticksman Martin Axenrot, bone crushing bass lines from the normally eloquent and softly spoken Jonas Renke combine with terrifyingly heavy guitar work from Katatonia’s Anders Nystrom and Per Eriksson to deliver one of the blackest, nastiest releases of the year. After two years of speculation since the departure of Mikael Akerfeldt, it was revealed earlier this year that Paradise Lost frontman Nick Holmes would deliver the voice. Questions were asked about his death metal vocal credentials and if he would be able to continue the Bloodbath sound. The answer: Oh yeah. An absolutely devilish opening scream on Let The Stillborn Come To Me leaves you in absolutely no doubt that Holmes is the perfect fit. Total Death Exhumed hammers that final doubt deep in the metaphorical coffin, with a guttural growl of such intensity I struggle to find a more sinister voice this side of Nergal. Of course, early Paradise Lost had a very similar vocal delivery from Holmes but he hasn't had to perform like this for a few years now.
The album is pure death metal, the majority of it played at absolutely breakneck speed, with the guitar duels lacing the tracks with a visceral undercurrent. Renke and Axenrot revel in their freedom and cut loose, driving the tracks forward at unstoppable speeds. There are moments of calm hidden within the assault. You just have to hunt bloody hard for them. Anne is an eerie composition which takes a quick pause before assaulting you whilst Church Of Vastitas opens with an atmospheric build up, doom laden drums combining with slower, crushing riffs and Holmes allowed a slower more measured delivery. And the rest of the album just pulverises you with its demonic overtures, clawing at your intestines and ripping you apart. Mental Abortion, Infernal Necropsy and My Torturer, all are dripping with malevolence and vile intent. Dripping with possibly the most brutal work that Bloodbath has ever delivered, Grand Morbid Funeral just destroys. Even the album closer, the title track is absolutely brutal with a combination of every element of the album; the cloisters echo with chanting until Holmes provides the killer conclusion with the rest of the band blasting away. The Devil does indeed have the best tunes. 9/10
Emigrate: Silent So Long (Vertigo)
The second release from Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe is a powerful chunk of industrial soaked rock with a plethora of guests scattered across the album. Emigrate’s first album was released seven years ago and had a slightly less industrial tinge than Kruspe's main gig. Silent So Long has a much greater industrial feel to it, with flavours of NIN, Kraftwerk and Marilyn Manson hitting you in the face from the off. Opener Eat You Alive features Frank Delle from Seeed and is very much a classic opener, rocking guitars hitting the down tuned delivery that immediately brings Manson’s sound to mind. Get Down has a guest appearance from Peaches and is a slower, grittier tune. Rock City features Lemmy leading on the vocals and sounds like a Motörhead track; pounding drumming and a fast pace as Lemmy delivers his unique style of vocal. The god of fuck himself appears on Hypothetical and is one of the stand out tracks on this solid album. Manson's voice combines perfectly with the pulsing techno back beat, huge riffs and dirty guitar. “Let's fuck” commands Manson. It's anthemic and would stand alongside any of Manson's own compositions. Rainbow has a real Depeche Mode feel with synths merging with the driving guitar work. Two other collaborations feature at the tail end of the album; firstly Margaux Bossieux, a French expatriate who was former bassist of punk outfit Dirty Mary and who is Kruspe’s partner and collaborator on his other side project, Slippin Away. Bossieux provides backing vocals on both Emigrate albums and on Happy Times sings a duet with Kruspe. Final track Silent So Long features Korn main man Jonathan Davies and like the rest of the album fuses the guitars of Kruspe and Olsen Involtini with thumping bass lines of long time Emigrate member Arnaud Giroux and Apocalyptica drummer Mikko Siren in an industrial maelstrom bringing the album to a fitting conclusion. It takes a few listens to get into this album and if the darkness of Reznor, Manson et al isn't your thing then it's unlikely that this will do much for you. It's a solid release and certainly worth a spin. It would be interesting to see Emigrate in the live arena at some time in the near future. 7/10
Incinery: Dead Bound and Buried (Independent)
Nottingham based thrashers Incinery's debut album is a fine reminder that the UK can still deliver quality thrash metal. In a year when some of the old school from across the pond have punched hard, (See releases from Exodus and Overkill for starters), Dead Bound And Buried builds on their two earlier EP releases, Nothing Left and Dawn Of War. After the obligatory atmospheric opener With Strange Aeons, it is heads down thrash all the way with riffs screaming out through Death May Die. Deceiver delivers a slightly slower paced track with skull crushing, grinding chords and some awesome solo work from the dual axe attack of Chris Kenny and Jason Chaikeawrung. Having caught some the Incinery set at BOA this year this was an album which contained no surprises but delivered brilliantly. Sometimes you really want to have the comfort of solid, well played music which kicks you in the nuts and this album does that alright. Whilst it won’t win awards for originality, it should win something for the sheer effort and drive that courses throughout. Tragedy Of One only needs the drawl of Chuck Billy to sit comfortably on the next Testament release, though James Rawlings vocals deliver in their own excellent style. Destroy The Gods pinches part of the riff from Sad But True before building into the mid-point epic of the album, slow paced power chord action moving through the Anthrax stomp before a Slayer style full frontal attack rips off the majority of your face in one hit. There is a mass of influences coursing through this release and it is monstrous. With the seemingly hopeless state of once great UK hopes Evile, Incinery along with bands like Seprevation have grasped the UK thrash mantle with both hands and are intent on maintaining a firm grip. Their appearance at Hammerfest already has classic stamped all over it and I can see a number of the MoM crew losing their shit in the pits. Devastating stuff. 8/10
Saturday, 6 December 2014
Reviews: Will Wallner & Vivian Vain, Kaledon, Black Book Lodge
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
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)