Satyricon: Live At The Opera (Napalm)
18 months ago I was fortunate enough to catch Norwegian black metallers in Belfast in support of their excellent self-titled album. That was a fantastic evening and I awarded them a 10 for a quite astonishingly excellent show. Two months before that night, Satyricon had performed with the Norwegian National Opera Chorus and the resulting release is nothing short of breath taking.
The opening strains of Voice Of Shadows give little clue as to how effective the combination of Satyricon’s dark metal groove, Satyr’s gruff delivery and the operatic choral will be but this soon changes as Now Diabolical followed by Repined Bastard Nation are given an incredibly sinister edge. At first, I thought this was going to be another of the many combined orchestral/band releases, some of which can be pretty special and some of which are utter dirge. However, this is Satyricon plus choir, so the metallic edge remains throughout with the usual demonic drumming from Frost propelling the band. Each track benefits from the enhancement provided by the choir, whether it be from the soprano voices on Our World, It Rumbles Tonight, the tenor and bass harmonies during Die By My Hand which really add The Omen type atmosphere to the song or an absolutely captivating Phoenix from Satyricon, complete with a tenor duet with Sivert HØyem, reprising her vocal duties from the studio album.
As I said, every track is enhanced by the operatic choral voices, but also retains the brutal metal assault that Satyricon deliver. In fact, as the concert moves through the middle section, with Den Siste, (and then what would have been at the time new tracks) Tro Og Kraft and The Infinity Of Time And Space you can feel the pacing slowly increasing towards an absolute classic crescendo: To The Mountains and The Pentagram Burns once again highlighting the incredible drumming skills of Frost, blast beats powering out whilst the rest of the band provide musicianship of the highest quality. The encore of Mother North, complete with excellent audience participation which merges with the Chorus and favourite K.I.N.G bring one of the best live albums I've ever heard to an end. 92 minutes of absolute quality and I defy any metal head who listens to this not to be desperate to catch them live at some point in the future. Quite brilliant. 10/10
Sunday, 17 May 2015
Thursday, 14 May 2015
Another Point Of View: The Prodigy (Review By Paul)
The Prodigy: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
The devastating results in the general election ironically segued into the arrival in Cardiff of THE drum and bass outfit of the last 20 years, The Prodigy. Ironic because the government was Tory when the Essex outfit’s first release hit the shelves, and it’s the fucking Tories who find themselves in control again on the day The Prodigy roll into town.
Anyway, enough of the political analysis (Agreed - Ed) what about the live experience of The Prodigy? Well, first off, it is worth saying that The Prodigy can draw a crowd. The MIA was rammed to capacity, busier than any metal gig I've seen in there since Maiden in 2006 and even surpassing the last visit by the Foo Fighters, a gig so hot I was sweating in the balcony.
It has to be said that away from the metal/rock festivals of Download and Sonisphere, The Prodigy draw a much more varied crowd than just the Slayer or Metallica fan. However, despite the limited metal contingent, full marks to all of those present; a complete absence of menace or any aggravation which I have to admit surprised me; just a lot of people who enjoyed a few beers or chemical enhancements and a chance to blow off some steam.
Our crew numbered 10, which included Sir Rhod Of Moose, complete with the smell of the 20 litres of oil he had spent most of the day cleaning up. After a reasonably early meet in the Gatekeeper, we headed to the MIA at around 8.20 and caught some of the most insane sights ever witnessed in this god awful venue. Massive queues at the bar, huge numbers trying to access the loos and overall just a bit of a cluster fuck. Did the management not know that the crowd was likely to want to booze? It was Wales for fuck’s sake!
Although the security staff had told us it was 9 pm start, the opening bars of the immense Breathe didn't blast out until 9:15 pm. However, it was so worth the wait. For the next 90 minutes, Howlett, Flint and Maxim controlled the rabid crowd, exhorting and coercing them into a pit of absolute insanity. What can I say about the set list? Blisteringly good, a mixture of tracks from the latest album The Night Is My Enemy, and a greatest hits package (Firestarter, Invaders Must Die, Omen, Run With The Wolves) which maintained momentum throughout the evening. I have to be honest here: I spent little time looking at the stage (impressive lighting aside) as I was too busy kicking the shapes which this band demand from you.
A brutal encore of Their Law and Take Me To The Hospital concluded the evening by a civilised 10:40 pm. We were exhausted, soaking wet with sweat (even Stief had begun to glow) and having given a really good account of ourselves (some shapes thrown hadn't been seen since 1996). The Prodigy live are a force of nature; breath-taking, impressive and unstoppable. I doubt that a better gig will cross my vision this year (and I have two Opeth gigs to cover yet). My bitch was truly smacked up. A most awesome evening all round. 10/10
The devastating results in the general election ironically segued into the arrival in Cardiff of THE drum and bass outfit of the last 20 years, The Prodigy. Ironic because the government was Tory when the Essex outfit’s first release hit the shelves, and it’s the fucking Tories who find themselves in control again on the day The Prodigy roll into town.
Anyway, enough of the political analysis (Agreed - Ed) what about the live experience of The Prodigy? Well, first off, it is worth saying that The Prodigy can draw a crowd. The MIA was rammed to capacity, busier than any metal gig I've seen in there since Maiden in 2006 and even surpassing the last visit by the Foo Fighters, a gig so hot I was sweating in the balcony.
It has to be said that away from the metal/rock festivals of Download and Sonisphere, The Prodigy draw a much more varied crowd than just the Slayer or Metallica fan. However, despite the limited metal contingent, full marks to all of those present; a complete absence of menace or any aggravation which I have to admit surprised me; just a lot of people who enjoyed a few beers or chemical enhancements and a chance to blow off some steam.
Our crew numbered 10, which included Sir Rhod Of Moose, complete with the smell of the 20 litres of oil he had spent most of the day cleaning up. After a reasonably early meet in the Gatekeeper, we headed to the MIA at around 8.20 and caught some of the most insane sights ever witnessed in this god awful venue. Massive queues at the bar, huge numbers trying to access the loos and overall just a bit of a cluster fuck. Did the management not know that the crowd was likely to want to booze? It was Wales for fuck’s sake!
Although the security staff had told us it was 9 pm start, the opening bars of the immense Breathe didn't blast out until 9:15 pm. However, it was so worth the wait. For the next 90 minutes, Howlett, Flint and Maxim controlled the rabid crowd, exhorting and coercing them into a pit of absolute insanity. What can I say about the set list? Blisteringly good, a mixture of tracks from the latest album The Night Is My Enemy, and a greatest hits package (Firestarter, Invaders Must Die, Omen, Run With The Wolves) which maintained momentum throughout the evening. I have to be honest here: I spent little time looking at the stage (impressive lighting aside) as I was too busy kicking the shapes which this band demand from you.
A brutal encore of Their Law and Take Me To The Hospital concluded the evening by a civilised 10:40 pm. We were exhausted, soaking wet with sweat (even Stief had begun to glow) and having given a really good account of ourselves (some shapes thrown hadn't been seen since 1996). The Prodigy live are a force of nature; breath-taking, impressive and unstoppable. I doubt that a better gig will cross my vision this year (and I have two Opeth gigs to cover yet). My bitch was truly smacked up. A most awesome evening all round. 10/10
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Reviews: Triaxis
Triaxis: Zero Hour (Rocksector)
Welsh metal band Triaxis are technically the MoM house band (though they may disagree I'm sure). I discovered them a fair few years ago and I've slowly introduced all the members with each one of them being won over by the bands immense stage presence and great songs. So yes we all follow this band but for me especially the forthcoming release of their third album was much anticipated. As the digital version of the album that I pledged for arrived on my Pledge Music page (Yep crowd funded in record time folks!) it was downloaded immediately and the played repeatedly upon arrival to; one to learn the songs for their album launch show this Friday, two to get the best review possible for you the discerning reader and three rock out to one of the best bands on the UK scene.
The next track Voices is the penultimate on the album and blows away any lingering thoughts of sadness by rampaging along like a psycho on a killing spree, which surprisingly is also the lyrical content as well. The album closes in style with a 10 minute epic in the shape of the title track Zero Hour. This final blast of Welsh heavy metal, balances light and shade throughout moving between slow and fast time signatures, balancing fury with finesse and even expanding the musical palette more by bringing in acoustic guitars in the intro that build the drama and pathos before adding keys to make it sound very cinematic. It's after this slow burn build that we get CJ and Glyn shredding like hell in the metallic bulk of the songs main body while the rhythm section bring everything together and set the pace throughout. This track yet again brings more thrashy heavy metal to the table albeit this time with an apocalyptic bent ending the album in suitably grandiose style.
So then Zero Hour is yet another fantastic addition to the bands catalogue and the perfect follow up to their last album Rage And Retribution. The band are only on their third album and yet they effortlessly merge classic and modern metal, perfectly blending melody and aggression through passionate and professional performances. All of this then melds together to create songs that are made to be played loudly and repeatedly. With Zero Hour they have not only added yet more anthems to their live set they have also crafted an album that could well be the first step towards world domination!! 10/10
Welsh metal band Triaxis are technically the MoM house band (though they may disagree I'm sure). I discovered them a fair few years ago and I've slowly introduced all the members with each one of them being won over by the bands immense stage presence and great songs. So yes we all follow this band but for me especially the forthcoming release of their third album was much anticipated. As the digital version of the album that I pledged for arrived on my Pledge Music page (Yep crowd funded in record time folks!) it was downloaded immediately and the played repeatedly upon arrival to; one to learn the songs for their album launch show this Friday, two to get the best review possible for you the discerning reader and three rock out to one of the best bands on the UK scene.
So album three what's itall about? Taking a leaf out of Mr Hutchings' book I decided to dedicate this one blog to the album in order to give a comprehensive overview of the album in full. So as I turned the volume up to beyond my normal settings (a band like this needs to be played on or near 11) I pressed play the album started and with no pre amble it was straight into riffs from the outset. First song Liberty has a guitar driven, building intro echoing the classic thrash era before exploding into ultra quick thrash metal riffage from CJ and Glyn the twin axe attack; as frontwoman Krissie croons with her powerful lyrics. The song moves along at pace like the golden age of thrash replete with gang shout vocals on the chorus. The album has a theme of rebellion with many of the tracks dealing with struggle and overcoming adversity which gives it a loose concept and leads neatly into the punishing razor sharp riffs of Death Machine which features some death vocals from guitarist Glyn and superior drumming from Giles (and his resplendent beard), the riffage of Glyn and CJ is more akin to the recent NWOAHM bringing in a modern metal sound of Machine Head or Trivium. Ministry Of Truth is an Orwellian influenced tale with a more progressive delivery yet maintaining the modern metal tendencies with a mid song breakdown before a lighting fast solo from the fleet fingered Glyn whose solos shine throughout on this album.
The Modern metal influence takes a back seat and we move straight into Maiden territory for the Sci-Fi space opera of Terraform which has all the hallmarks of a Maiden tale having Steve Harris' treasured backing whoa's and as with many of 'Arry's finest it deals with a story; this one being the loneliness of space travel and has the man himself's big bass sound from new girl Becky that anchors the track perfectly. From there we go diving head first into the first longer track and one that once again gets fists pumping with its classic metal nod. Dying Sun is the perfect sequel to the proceeding track as it follows the Sci-Fi theme and makes a mean a mid-album concept one-two. This track especially really shows off Krissie's impressive vocal range, she can really belt out theses songs as well as soften her vocal when she needs to to bring emotion to tracks. Not needed on the next track Victorious however as this is the sound to an invasion spearheaded by the band and one that will have Joey DeMaio and co quaking their boots as Krissie gets into her Amazonian Queen mode in chest beating style backed by the speed of Glyn and CJ's shredding, Becky's bass rumble and Giles' machine gun drumming. Back to the old school with some 80's motorbiking music on Stand Your Ground. This is the kind of sound that Priest, Saxon et al used to make back in the day and will get many an old rocker nodding heads. An uplifting raise your fist in the air and shout metal with twin axe attack and plenty of guts backing it.
We go back into Maiden territory on Queen Of The Iceni this track is stuffed full of the historical lyrics Maiden have always relied upon. In this case we are drawn to the story of Celtic warrior queen Boudicca; with the historical lyrics, meeting the galloping metal that moves and twists its time signatures like a Maiden epic. The band have also thrown a little folk metal (see Blind Guardian) on this track to flesh things out a little casting their net a little wider and sounding all the better for it. This is a cracking powerful track which is great for history buffs like me. Back to the more modern sounding thrash, on End Of Time, driven by rapid drums and searing riffage before building at the end into a solo and a piano led break, before things resume with the speed and passion of the early part of the track. Each song sounds huge due to the production of the band's guitarist Glyn and James Stephenson at Stymphalian studios, they produced the band's last album as well and makes this album sound huge, strident and as the song has says Victorious! The drums are recorded and mixed by Scott Adkins who has worked with Sylosis, Cradle Of Filth and Savage Messiah and he makes our man behind the kit sound like a thunderstorm in a power station. From power to a poignant reminder of those lost in the field of battle on Lest We Forget. The stirring lyrics are backed by some muscular musical backing. The song was particularly resonant as I was listening to this album not long removed from the 70th anniversary of VE day.
The Modern metal influence takes a back seat and we move straight into Maiden territory for the Sci-Fi space opera of Terraform which has all the hallmarks of a Maiden tale having Steve Harris' treasured backing whoa's and as with many of 'Arry's finest it deals with a story; this one being the loneliness of space travel and has the man himself's big bass sound from new girl Becky that anchors the track perfectly. From there we go diving head first into the first longer track and one that once again gets fists pumping with its classic metal nod. Dying Sun is the perfect sequel to the proceeding track as it follows the Sci-Fi theme and makes a mean a mid-album concept one-two. This track especially really shows off Krissie's impressive vocal range, she can really belt out theses songs as well as soften her vocal when she needs to to bring emotion to tracks. Not needed on the next track Victorious however as this is the sound to an invasion spearheaded by the band and one that will have Joey DeMaio and co quaking their boots as Krissie gets into her Amazonian Queen mode in chest beating style backed by the speed of Glyn and CJ's shredding, Becky's bass rumble and Giles' machine gun drumming. Back to the old school with some 80's motorbiking music on Stand Your Ground. This is the kind of sound that Priest, Saxon et al used to make back in the day and will get many an old rocker nodding heads. An uplifting raise your fist in the air and shout metal with twin axe attack and plenty of guts backing it.
We go back into Maiden territory on Queen Of The Iceni this track is stuffed full of the historical lyrics Maiden have always relied upon. In this case we are drawn to the story of Celtic warrior queen Boudicca; with the historical lyrics, meeting the galloping metal that moves and twists its time signatures like a Maiden epic. The band have also thrown a little folk metal (see Blind Guardian) on this track to flesh things out a little casting their net a little wider and sounding all the better for it. This is a cracking powerful track which is great for history buffs like me. Back to the more modern sounding thrash, on End Of Time, driven by rapid drums and searing riffage before building at the end into a solo and a piano led break, before things resume with the speed and passion of the early part of the track. Each song sounds huge due to the production of the band's guitarist Glyn and James Stephenson at Stymphalian studios, they produced the band's last album as well and makes this album sound huge, strident and as the song has says Victorious! The drums are recorded and mixed by Scott Adkins who has worked with Sylosis, Cradle Of Filth and Savage Messiah and he makes our man behind the kit sound like a thunderstorm in a power station. From power to a poignant reminder of those lost in the field of battle on Lest We Forget. The stirring lyrics are backed by some muscular musical backing. The song was particularly resonant as I was listening to this album not long removed from the 70th anniversary of VE day.
The next track Voices is the penultimate on the album and blows away any lingering thoughts of sadness by rampaging along like a psycho on a killing spree, which surprisingly is also the lyrical content as well. The album closes in style with a 10 minute epic in the shape of the title track Zero Hour. This final blast of Welsh heavy metal, balances light and shade throughout moving between slow and fast time signatures, balancing fury with finesse and even expanding the musical palette more by bringing in acoustic guitars in the intro that build the drama and pathos before adding keys to make it sound very cinematic. It's after this slow burn build that we get CJ and Glyn shredding like hell in the metallic bulk of the songs main body while the rhythm section bring everything together and set the pace throughout. This track yet again brings more thrashy heavy metal to the table albeit this time with an apocalyptic bent ending the album in suitably grandiose style.
So then Zero Hour is yet another fantastic addition to the bands catalogue and the perfect follow up to their last album Rage And Retribution. The band are only on their third album and yet they effortlessly merge classic and modern metal, perfectly blending melody and aggression through passionate and professional performances. All of this then melds together to create songs that are made to be played loudly and repeatedly. With Zero Hour they have not only added yet more anthems to their live set they have also crafted an album that could well be the first step towards world domination!! 10/10
Sunday, 10 May 2015
Reviews: Luciferian Light Orchestra, Omicidia, My Refuge
Luciferian Light Orchestra: S/T (Adulruna)
LLO is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Christofer Johnsson who is the founder member and creative mind behind symphonic metal project Therion. This album is a collection of songs deemed to retro sounding for that bands OTT, symphonic, Gothic and more metallic influences. This retro style is evident from the outset as this album has the same kind of occult retro feel as Purson, Black Widow, Blood Ceremony and indeed Ghost. Johnsson plays most of the instruments on this album with the help of many current and former Therion members all handling different parts of the record. He has also found a some great vocalists who bewitch and beguile with their her haunting female vocals, especially on Church Of Carmel which encourages the listener to "Take off your dress, join us at the sabbath" as well as chant and worship with the male leads. Every song is filled with occult and sexual references see Sex With Demons, Venus In Flames and Black Mass In Paris and is imbued with the honeyed textures of the late 60's and early 70's. Johnsson's musical history is one of overblown epics in Therion with more than their fill of occult lyricism and he adds all of this experience to this record. He really 'gets' the genre, filling this album with spooky organs, clean guitar lines and backing chants see the doomy Moloch. The album draws authenticity from the analogue style production and Gothic styled retro rock, LLO are the sound of Jeff Lynne worshipping Satan with multi-layered songs, that are keen on the ear but filled with blood, guts and sexual deviance (and in the end isn't that all you need?) 8/10
Omicidia: Certain Death (Self Released)
Former White Wizzard drummer Giovanni Durst grew tired of the internal band politics of White Wizzard so struck out on his own to form a heavier style of band. Omicida is that band and he recruited ex-White Wizzard alumni guitarist Will Wallner (also of Will Wallner & Vivian Vain) and vocalist Joseph Michael along with guitarist Roy Levi Ari and bassist Roman Kovallik to the cause. These men set about creating this album that is far away from anything White Wizzard were known for; this is straight up rip your face off Bay Area thrash metal, drawing from Testament, mainly due to Michael's vocals, but also Exodus and even Slayer. With excellent use of light and shade the album kicks off with Cult Of Fear which some melodic guitar lines before Wallner and Ari let loose with riffs galore shredding for their lives as Durst himself blast beats like a madman. From here on in there is very little restbite with only some intros and middles sections slowing things down and letting you breathe. Tracks like Disobey, Star Striped Death and Strike Back all having the snarling, political rallying of the early 80's thrash scene coupled with some great guitar work, punishing drums and perfect vocals. This is the kind of thrash that has scene a revival of late and Omicidia do it better than most, with seven perfectly crafted tracks that all bludgeon you from start to finish. Things look good for this band and with a new vocalist in tow I hope they start destroying the live scene soon! 8/10
My Refuge: A Matter Of Supremacy (Bakerteam)
My Refuge hail from Italy and as such tap into that countries vein of progressive power metal favoured by genre legends Labyrinth but also drawing in influences from Rage, Evergrey, Crimson Glory and Iced Earth. The band are by no means a happy band they rely on a darker and more melancholic influences than many power metal bands but for the most part the music is heavy, melodic with a hint of progressive. Musically they are still very much power metal vein albeit the more modern vein with dual guitars, thumping rhythm section and sky shattering vocals especially on Living In Anger. The song writing on this album is very good; Calling Of The Wind is a fast thrashy song that is bookended by the mid-paced and paranoid The Cage and the soaring ballad Endless Night. Their influences are worn clearly on their sleeves the Maiden-like This Wall which is one of the best tracks on the album, but if you like modern, power metal with a bit of prog and lot of melody then you would do worse than My Refuge. 7/10
LLO is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Christofer Johnsson who is the founder member and creative mind behind symphonic metal project Therion. This album is a collection of songs deemed to retro sounding for that bands OTT, symphonic, Gothic and more metallic influences. This retro style is evident from the outset as this album has the same kind of occult retro feel as Purson, Black Widow, Blood Ceremony and indeed Ghost. Johnsson plays most of the instruments on this album with the help of many current and former Therion members all handling different parts of the record. He has also found a some great vocalists who bewitch and beguile with their her haunting female vocals, especially on Church Of Carmel which encourages the listener to "Take off your dress, join us at the sabbath" as well as chant and worship with the male leads. Every song is filled with occult and sexual references see Sex With Demons, Venus In Flames and Black Mass In Paris and is imbued with the honeyed textures of the late 60's and early 70's. Johnsson's musical history is one of overblown epics in Therion with more than their fill of occult lyricism and he adds all of this experience to this record. He really 'gets' the genre, filling this album with spooky organs, clean guitar lines and backing chants see the doomy Moloch. The album draws authenticity from the analogue style production and Gothic styled retro rock, LLO are the sound of Jeff Lynne worshipping Satan with multi-layered songs, that are keen on the ear but filled with blood, guts and sexual deviance (and in the end isn't that all you need?) 8/10
Omicidia: Certain Death (Self Released)
Former White Wizzard drummer Giovanni Durst grew tired of the internal band politics of White Wizzard so struck out on his own to form a heavier style of band. Omicida is that band and he recruited ex-White Wizzard alumni guitarist Will Wallner (also of Will Wallner & Vivian Vain) and vocalist Joseph Michael along with guitarist Roy Levi Ari and bassist Roman Kovallik to the cause. These men set about creating this album that is far away from anything White Wizzard were known for; this is straight up rip your face off Bay Area thrash metal, drawing from Testament, mainly due to Michael's vocals, but also Exodus and even Slayer. With excellent use of light and shade the album kicks off with Cult Of Fear which some melodic guitar lines before Wallner and Ari let loose with riffs galore shredding for their lives as Durst himself blast beats like a madman. From here on in there is very little restbite with only some intros and middles sections slowing things down and letting you breathe. Tracks like Disobey, Star Striped Death and Strike Back all having the snarling, political rallying of the early 80's thrash scene coupled with some great guitar work, punishing drums and perfect vocals. This is the kind of thrash that has scene a revival of late and Omicidia do it better than most, with seven perfectly crafted tracks that all bludgeon you from start to finish. Things look good for this band and with a new vocalist in tow I hope they start destroying the live scene soon! 8/10
My Refuge: A Matter Of Supremacy (Bakerteam)
My Refuge hail from Italy and as such tap into that countries vein of progressive power metal favoured by genre legends Labyrinth but also drawing in influences from Rage, Evergrey, Crimson Glory and Iced Earth. The band are by no means a happy band they rely on a darker and more melancholic influences than many power metal bands but for the most part the music is heavy, melodic with a hint of progressive. Musically they are still very much power metal vein albeit the more modern vein with dual guitars, thumping rhythm section and sky shattering vocals especially on Living In Anger. The song writing on this album is very good; Calling Of The Wind is a fast thrashy song that is bookended by the mid-paced and paranoid The Cage and the soaring ballad Endless Night. Their influences are worn clearly on their sleeves the Maiden-like This Wall which is one of the best tracks on the album, but if you like modern, power metal with a bit of prog and lot of melody then you would do worse than My Refuge. 7/10
A View From The Back Of The Room: Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep: Y Plas, Cardiff
So myself and Mr Perry rocked up to the university building to watch one of British rocks oldest bands, having always been ridiculed as Deep Purple copyists, Uriah Heep have gone through many phases but after their particularly dodgy middle period they have been experiencing somewhat of a 'purple' (no pun intended) patch since 2008's Wake The Sleeper. Uriah Heep are a band I have never seen live but I have always heard that they give 100% for every show so I was eager to see if the stories were true:
Blurred Vision
As we waited for The Heep we were welcomed by three white suited gents who were the support act Blurred Vision, they took their places guitar, bass, drums respectively and started off the night. Blurred Vision are a Canadian band that have only recently released their debut album which was produced by Terry Brown (Rush, Tiles etc) so that gives you a hint to what this band sound like; part Von Hertzen Bros, part Orphaned Land; due to their Persian heritage and songs dedicated to it and part Pink Floyd fusing prog, pop and psychedelia together with virtuoso musicianship from the two guitar slinging brothers Sepp and Sohl Osley and drummer Ben Riley. With tracks like the driving No More War, the Floydian Rollin On and their set piece Organised Insanity the band have a great set of songs that were played in their stripped back three piece style (different to the album versions, which I will be reviewing soon). The set finished with their cover/re-interpretation of Floyd's Another Brick Part 2 (Hey Ayatollah) which is a protest song about their native Iran and was given to them to perform by their patron Roger Waters. A great way to open the night from a band that I will definitely keeping an eye on. 8/10
Uriah Heep
So it was time for The Heep, the 45 year veterans burst onto the stage to Speed Of Sound from their latest record The Outsider, which was the first of 5 songs from that album nearly all of them being big ballsy rockers The Law, Can't Take That Away and The Outsider, as well as ballad single One Minute. Nearly all the songs off this album have a western theme to them accentuated by front man Bernie Shaw's holster for his mic. Shaw is a great front man and has a great and at times ear piercingly high voice, drummer Russell Gilbrook works like a fucking machine, he was the sweatiest man in the room by far, new bassist Davey Rimmer works the stage as the youngest member of the band while the two oldest; members stood their ground and matched any energy with professionalism. Keyboardist Phil Lanzon (who had a fantastic and dazzling white shirt to match his feathered and lethal hair) worked his keys like Lord and guitarist and founder Mick Box cut a solitary but spellbinding figure, busting out riff after riff. As well as having a great voice Shaw is an affable front man encouraging participation with humour and joviality.
As I said much of the set list comprised of half of their new album but as this was their 45th anniversary they hand picked some songs they hadn't played in a long time as well as old favourites and classics; two came from The Magician's Birthday with Sunrise and the prog rock epic title track (which is still bonkers) both getting and airing, before they showed they still have that prog rock streak with the What Kind Of God? coming from Wake The Sleeper. However it was tracks like Stealin', July Morning and main set ender Lady In Black that won the crowd over the most although the new stuff slotted in perfectly showing how their prowess as a band steeped in history but able to sit in the present quite comfortably. As the encore of Gypsy and Easy Livin' came in rapid succession it was quite obvious why people rate Uriah Heep so highly as a live act. Despite the small crowd everyone was involved during the set which was non stop fun bolstered by some truly legendary tunes. 9/10
So myself and Mr Perry rocked up to the university building to watch one of British rocks oldest bands, having always been ridiculed as Deep Purple copyists, Uriah Heep have gone through many phases but after their particularly dodgy middle period they have been experiencing somewhat of a 'purple' (no pun intended) patch since 2008's Wake The Sleeper. Uriah Heep are a band I have never seen live but I have always heard that they give 100% for every show so I was eager to see if the stories were true:
Blurred Vision
As we waited for The Heep we were welcomed by three white suited gents who were the support act Blurred Vision, they took their places guitar, bass, drums respectively and started off the night. Blurred Vision are a Canadian band that have only recently released their debut album which was produced by Terry Brown (Rush, Tiles etc) so that gives you a hint to what this band sound like; part Von Hertzen Bros, part Orphaned Land; due to their Persian heritage and songs dedicated to it and part Pink Floyd fusing prog, pop and psychedelia together with virtuoso musicianship from the two guitar slinging brothers Sepp and Sohl Osley and drummer Ben Riley. With tracks like the driving No More War, the Floydian Rollin On and their set piece Organised Insanity the band have a great set of songs that were played in their stripped back three piece style (different to the album versions, which I will be reviewing soon). The set finished with their cover/re-interpretation of Floyd's Another Brick Part 2 (Hey Ayatollah) which is a protest song about their native Iran and was given to them to perform by their patron Roger Waters. A great way to open the night from a band that I will definitely keeping an eye on. 8/10
Uriah Heep
So it was time for The Heep, the 45 year veterans burst onto the stage to Speed Of Sound from their latest record The Outsider, which was the first of 5 songs from that album nearly all of them being big ballsy rockers The Law, Can't Take That Away and The Outsider, as well as ballad single One Minute. Nearly all the songs off this album have a western theme to them accentuated by front man Bernie Shaw's holster for his mic. Shaw is a great front man and has a great and at times ear piercingly high voice, drummer Russell Gilbrook works like a fucking machine, he was the sweatiest man in the room by far, new bassist Davey Rimmer works the stage as the youngest member of the band while the two oldest; members stood their ground and matched any energy with professionalism. Keyboardist Phil Lanzon (who had a fantastic and dazzling white shirt to match his feathered and lethal hair) worked his keys like Lord and guitarist and founder Mick Box cut a solitary but spellbinding figure, busting out riff after riff. As well as having a great voice Shaw is an affable front man encouraging participation with humour and joviality.
As I said much of the set list comprised of half of their new album but as this was their 45th anniversary they hand picked some songs they hadn't played in a long time as well as old favourites and classics; two came from The Magician's Birthday with Sunrise and the prog rock epic title track (which is still bonkers) both getting and airing, before they showed they still have that prog rock streak with the What Kind Of God? coming from Wake The Sleeper. However it was tracks like Stealin', July Morning and main set ender Lady In Black that won the crowd over the most although the new stuff slotted in perfectly showing how their prowess as a band steeped in history but able to sit in the present quite comfortably. As the encore of Gypsy and Easy Livin' came in rapid succession it was quite obvious why people rate Uriah Heep so highly as a live act. Despite the small crowd everyone was involved during the set which was non stop fun bolstered by some truly legendary tunes. 9/10
Saturday, 9 May 2015
Reviews: Kiske/Somerville, Palace Of The King, Klogr
Kiske/Somerville: City Of Heroes (Frontiers)
Second album from the Kiske/Somerville project, brings to the table all of the talent that both these singers posses and backed by a collection of the finest musicians Power Metal has to offer, nearly all of the songs are written by bassist Mat Sinner, the hardest working man in the metal scene and his partner in crime guitarist Magnus Karlsson. Now Mr Hewitt reviewed the first album many moons ago but he found it to be a bit of a mixed bag. Since then everything seems to have clicked a bit, as the title track kings things off we have the same kind of Teutonic metal Helloween, Primal Fear (of whom Sinner & Karlsson are both members) are known for, the unmistakeable vocals of Michael Kiske start things off before Amanda gets involved matching Kiske for power and intensity. From speedy metal to more melodic rock feel as the emotive Walk On Water brings a symphonic element making the sound more in the Nightwish camp especially with the huge drum sound of Veronika Lukesova which is bolstered by production legend Jacob Hansen's amazing mix. This album still has the mix of ballads and rockers meaning and it's an even split however there are a lot more symphonic elements this time around making it more accustomed to Somerville's operatic vocals see Salvation but there is enough metallic grit for Kiske to snarl and scream like the good old days. As I've said these songs are all very well written with Breaking Neptune being a guaranteed single to my ears; weirdly it was written by After Forever guitarist Sanders Gommans (and Somerville, who is Gommans wife) a man more accustomed to heavier works, yet this song is very like Amaranthe in it's poppy electro-backed style. This will appeal to fans of everyone involved as well as anyone that loves quality power metal. 8/10
Palace Of The King: White Bird/Burn The Sky (Listenable)
Palace Of The King have been lauded by Airbourne's Joel O'Keefe as "six-stringing, soul singing, stomping Rock’n’Roll! They are the real deal!" and he's right. The band play riff filled, blues based hard rock and roll favoured by Rival Suns, Crobot and fellow countrymen Wolfmother. This Aussie band spent their formative years touring every corner of Australia and by doing that they Have honed their craft so they can play guitar slinging hard rock with a stomping blues inflection and a whole heap of psychedelia coming from the organs and keys. As with many bands of this ilk they owe a lot to the legends like, Aerosmith, Zep (Take Your Medicine) and Purple, they even have a track; Another Thing Coming, that does half inch Smoke On The Water but what is music without a little homage. Luckily their own stuff is as good as any of the masters with the huge hip swinging riffs of Maden and Harrison forcing your head to nod along while the rhythm section of Gilpin and Troiano as good as JPJ and Bonzo ever where see the chaotic White Bird (Bring Your Armies Against Me) for this where it all goes a bit trippy in the middle driven by Troiano's drumming. As I said the band have created some storming tracks filled with huge riffs, Sean Johnston's swirling organs and Tim Henwood's classic shirt ripping rock vocals that are part Axel Rose part Robert Plant, Got Nobody To Blame But Myself has slabs of guitars, Leave Me Behind is a shimmying sleazy track that would be right at home on an album by The Answer, (with a sax break mid-section) as well as the blistering hard rock of No Chance In Hell which is a real old school rocker. The band are the newest in a long line of retro styled hard rockers previously mentioned but they have the talent and the songs to rise above the froth and really go somewhere, a huge amount of promise trading on some well worn grooves but as their song says If It Ain't Broke. 9/10
Klogr: Make Your Stand (Zeta Factory)
Italian alt-metallers Klogr ranked up there with one of the best albums of last year in my opinion so when I recieved this EP I got a little spike of excitement. This EP is a one that has three new studio tracks and then a live album too, the album starts off with Breaking Down which has the bands big thrashy riffs, mixed with some chunky groove and Rusty's scarred vocals. The band merge influences perfectly deep in the grunge vein and 1990's Metallica with Make Your Stand having the same kind of riffage that Mr Tremonti is known for. The first two tracks on this album are heavy ballsy rockers but Breathing Heart is a slower moment with a a bit more gravitas meaning it can;t really be called a ballad. So the three album tracks all bode well for another album as this band do seem to have a knack for coming up with great songs. So onto the live part of the album and this again shows off the bands older material perfectly in the live arena, the tracks sound a little rawer but still sparkle. A great little stopgap that looks forward to a good future for these Italians. 7/10
Second album from the Kiske/Somerville project, brings to the table all of the talent that both these singers posses and backed by a collection of the finest musicians Power Metal has to offer, nearly all of the songs are written by bassist Mat Sinner, the hardest working man in the metal scene and his partner in crime guitarist Magnus Karlsson. Now Mr Hewitt reviewed the first album many moons ago but he found it to be a bit of a mixed bag. Since then everything seems to have clicked a bit, as the title track kings things off we have the same kind of Teutonic metal Helloween, Primal Fear (of whom Sinner & Karlsson are both members) are known for, the unmistakeable vocals of Michael Kiske start things off before Amanda gets involved matching Kiske for power and intensity. From speedy metal to more melodic rock feel as the emotive Walk On Water brings a symphonic element making the sound more in the Nightwish camp especially with the huge drum sound of Veronika Lukesova which is bolstered by production legend Jacob Hansen's amazing mix. This album still has the mix of ballads and rockers meaning and it's an even split however there are a lot more symphonic elements this time around making it more accustomed to Somerville's operatic vocals see Salvation but there is enough metallic grit for Kiske to snarl and scream like the good old days. As I've said these songs are all very well written with Breaking Neptune being a guaranteed single to my ears; weirdly it was written by After Forever guitarist Sanders Gommans (and Somerville, who is Gommans wife) a man more accustomed to heavier works, yet this song is very like Amaranthe in it's poppy electro-backed style. This will appeal to fans of everyone involved as well as anyone that loves quality power metal. 8/10
Palace Of The King: White Bird/Burn The Sky (Listenable)
Palace Of The King have been lauded by Airbourne's Joel O'Keefe as "six-stringing, soul singing, stomping Rock’n’Roll! They are the real deal!" and he's right. The band play riff filled, blues based hard rock and roll favoured by Rival Suns, Crobot and fellow countrymen Wolfmother. This Aussie band spent their formative years touring every corner of Australia and by doing that they Have honed their craft so they can play guitar slinging hard rock with a stomping blues inflection and a whole heap of psychedelia coming from the organs and keys. As with many bands of this ilk they owe a lot to the legends like, Aerosmith, Zep (Take Your Medicine) and Purple, they even have a track; Another Thing Coming, that does half inch Smoke On The Water but what is music without a little homage. Luckily their own stuff is as good as any of the masters with the huge hip swinging riffs of Maden and Harrison forcing your head to nod along while the rhythm section of Gilpin and Troiano as good as JPJ and Bonzo ever where see the chaotic White Bird (Bring Your Armies Against Me) for this where it all goes a bit trippy in the middle driven by Troiano's drumming. As I said the band have created some storming tracks filled with huge riffs, Sean Johnston's swirling organs and Tim Henwood's classic shirt ripping rock vocals that are part Axel Rose part Robert Plant, Got Nobody To Blame But Myself has slabs of guitars, Leave Me Behind is a shimmying sleazy track that would be right at home on an album by The Answer, (with a sax break mid-section) as well as the blistering hard rock of No Chance In Hell which is a real old school rocker. The band are the newest in a long line of retro styled hard rockers previously mentioned but they have the talent and the songs to rise above the froth and really go somewhere, a huge amount of promise trading on some well worn grooves but as their song says If It Ain't Broke. 9/10
Klogr: Make Your Stand (Zeta Factory)
Italian alt-metallers Klogr ranked up there with one of the best albums of last year in my opinion so when I recieved this EP I got a little spike of excitement. This EP is a one that has three new studio tracks and then a live album too, the album starts off with Breaking Down which has the bands big thrashy riffs, mixed with some chunky groove and Rusty's scarred vocals. The band merge influences perfectly deep in the grunge vein and 1990's Metallica with Make Your Stand having the same kind of riffage that Mr Tremonti is known for. The first two tracks on this album are heavy ballsy rockers but Breathing Heart is a slower moment with a a bit more gravitas meaning it can;t really be called a ballad. So the three album tracks all bode well for another album as this band do seem to have a knack for coming up with great songs. So onto the live part of the album and this again shows off the bands older material perfectly in the live arena, the tracks sound a little rawer but still sparkle. A great little stopgap that looks forward to a good future for these Italians. 7/10
Friday, 8 May 2015
A View From The Back Of The Room: Panic Room
Panic Room: The Fleece, Bristol
British progressive rockers Panic Room are now four albums into their career and they have been producing some inspiring and staggering music for a fair few years now separating them from the glut of female fronted prog rock bands the British scene is full of. This Wildfire Tour was a celebration of their career in the still stunning Fleece, with a night made up of two sets, the first an acoustic set hinted at on their last tour and also in the wake of their all acoustic pledge music album. The second set was their impressive, passionate electric set finishing things off loudly.
British progressive rockers Panic Room are now four albums into their career and they have been producing some inspiring and staggering music for a fair few years now separating them from the glut of female fronted prog rock bands the British scene is full of. This Wildfire Tour was a celebration of their career in the still stunning Fleece, with a night made up of two sets, the first an acoustic set hinted at on their last tour and also in the wake of their all acoustic pledge music album. The second set was their impressive, passionate electric set finishing things off loudly.
Bang on 8pm I walked into the Fleece awaiting the 8:15 start time, which came and went, then at 8:45 the band came on the stage strapped on their acoustics and kicked things off with Song For Tomorrow which was a jazzy number driven by drummer Gavin Griffiths' drumbox and the keys of Jonathan Edwards who was unfortunately tucked away at the back of the stage leaving the front of the stage to be dominated by bassist Yatim Halimi, frontwoman Anne-Marie Helder who also plays a mean rhythm guitar while bewitching with her vocals on songs like the jaunty Cat. For a band that seem to have a problem with lead guitarists they unveiled their latest lead guitarist Dave Foster who swapped between acoustic and electric leads and melodies during this set. The band moved through the set with aplomb giving the gig an almost fireside feel, Screens (one of my favourites) was funky in acoustic mode and they even experimented a bit turning one of their heavier tracks Black Noise into a reggae song (and adding a whole new aspect to the lyrics). There was a relaxed feel that throughot the set with Helder sipping wine and the band laughing and joking throughout especially with 'new boy' Foster. The band took this opportunity to debut a new song Rain & Tears & Burgundy which is a true acoustic song laid back and emotive. The set finished with Firefly and Promises by which time everyone was well warmed up and after a brief break the band were back for their electric set.
This set opened with the awesome Into Temptation which saw Helder showing off her pipes and her prowling the stage in her Rock Goddess mode, her range is magnificent and as they plunged straight into the rocker Freedom To Breathe it was evident why she is constantly nominated at the classic rock awards, she has the kind of voice that could make Pink Floyd's The Great Gig In The Sky look easy, she is also a multi instrumentalist taking up her Fender Telecaster for many of the songs as well as a bongo on Tightrope Walking and the obligatory flute on the slinky Chameleon. Still this is very much a band effort as Jonathan Edwards is veteran of the scene and is a keyboard and synth wizard providing the majority of the bands sound, on the Eastern influenced Yasuni he goes a bit ELP and also on the The Waterfall which is poppier proposition with a New Age leaning that the band do so well. The band are anchored by the superb drumming of Griffiths who has won numerous awards for his skills he can rumble with the best of them on the rockier tracks but he can also play subtle on more laid back tracks like the romantic The Fall, he is aided by his partner in crime Yatim who plays 'lead' bass driving much of the rhythm. This tour was a celebration of the bands career and they drew tracks from their four albums with Incarnate from their latest album preceding Apocalypstick which comes from their debut, it was great for an old Roomie (the name for their fans) like me to hear the old stuff especially when it has an amazing keyboard solo from Edwards and indeed an incredible guitar solo from Foster. This man is a talent and a half and I hope he stays for the duration his solos and lead playing was spot on throughout considering this gig was his fourth with the band having only a month to learn the songs! He knows when to use his speed techniques, but he also plays with soul and passion. Skin moved into the heavy Darkstar which still has that beautiful organ opening before the riffs kick in.
The set ended strongly with the creeping Dust and a track that could be an alt-rock number one Hiding In The World, Panic Room has always been a band to adapt their sound moving away from their early 'classic' prog sound to a more accessible progressive style however their defining moment is still their jaw dropping epic Satellite which despite being a beautifully crafted song is a bit morbid and sad, the band thought this to so their parting shot was the also fantastic Sandstorms where Helder gets in touch with her inner Kate Bush leaving us with a an upbeat number (this is a celebration after all). A simply staggering set from one the UK's best kept secrets, a band with such a wide appeal that they really should be more well known than they are. Go and see this band when they are next on tour I promise you won't be disappointed, this could be in my top gigs of 2015. 10/10
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
Reviews: Byzantine, Tribulation, Dopethrone (Review By Paul)
Byzantine: To Release Is To Resolve (PledgeMusic)
Byzantine are a progressive thrash outfit from West Virginia, comprising of Chris “OJ” Ojeda on vocals and rhythm guitar, Brian Henderson on lead guitar and rhythm section Sean Sydnor on bass and Matt Wolfe (drums). Having formed in 2000, very much part of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, the band split in 2010 only to reform by 2012. To Release Is To Resolve is their fifth album and it is a really solid release. Byzantine combine a number of different styles in their sound which makes them an interesting listen. The guitar work of Henderson is excellent with solos thrown out with almost careless abandon, whilst the compositions contain elements of light and shade; some really heavy parts on a par with Pantera and Lamb Of God segue with some much quieter balanced segments; for example on track two Justinian Code where the tempo changes from all-out assault to a much calmer pace. Ojeda’s vocals cover a wide range, from brutal metal core style through to almost Myles Kennedy in places although I think I’d mention Ivan Moody from 5FDP as a similar peer. The technical aspect of Byzantine has been compared to Meshuggah and I can hear that, although I’d throw Xerath into the mix in terms of quality technical playing as well. Underpinning the whole album which lasts an old school 43 minutes and eight tracks is a massive slab of groove, unsurprising given their heritage but sufficient to get the head moving and the foot tapping. This is a stomping and brutal album which is well worth a listen. 8/10
Tribulation: The Children Of The Night (Century Media)
Another death metal outfit from Sweden, this time Tribulation from Arvika who have released their third long player. Formed in 2005, the band play pretty no-nonsense death metal with a real punk rock feel combined with the faster elements of Dimmu Borgir and the like. The Children Of The Night contains solid playing and a less familiar death metal style; indeed some of the tracks are positively slow by comparison though still retaining a very dark and sinister approach. Tracks such as Melancholia probably don’t need much of a description but suffice to say there is a black atmosphere whilst the vocals of Johannes Andersson who also plays bass are traditional death growls which fit nicely with the rest of the band. The guitar work is haunting at times, with Adam Zaars and Jonathan Hultén giving the tracks some meaty riffage as well as a more balanced and introspective feel. All of the tracks on this generous serving (just under an hour) are well paced following a reasonably standard formula, but if it isn't broken, keep with it. In The Dreams Of The Dead clocks in at just under six minutes and is a killer track, with several time changes and some evil death vocals to support the frantic soloing of the guitarists. Many of the tracks have a rather epic feel about them, with huge build ups ultimately climaxing in a fireball of death metal gloom. This is an album you can put on to listen to when you want to really annoy the neighbours. It’s noisy, it has death growls and a massive feel to it. If you like the doom style vocal work of Shagrath and Satyr then get involved. But be warned, it’s not going to cheer you up! 7/10
Dopethrone: Hochelaga (Totem Cat Records)
Canadian sludge/doom metal outfit Dopethrone’s third album does exactly what you would expect. Dirty, no, change that to filthy crushing riffs, smashing heavy bass and guitar and putrid vocals are all present and correct as this visceral outfit deliver seven tracks of pure slime. Each track has a spoken introduction before the distortion kicks in; Chameleon Witch for example, which possesses some of the darkest riffs since Electric Wizard spewed out the classic stoner/sludge based Dopethrone in 2000. Now I'm not a fan of this grinding heavy onslaught by any means, and I would rarely put the Montreal outfit, or Electric Wizard on for a spot of easy listening. However, I can appreciate that in the stoner/sludge scene this is top drawer. If you like your metal slow, powerful and as mucky as Caroline Street (notable Cardiff tourist era - Ed) at 2am on a Sunday morning, grab yourself a listen to Hochelaga. It’ll burn a hole in your mind. 7/10
Byzantine are a progressive thrash outfit from West Virginia, comprising of Chris “OJ” Ojeda on vocals and rhythm guitar, Brian Henderson on lead guitar and rhythm section Sean Sydnor on bass and Matt Wolfe (drums). Having formed in 2000, very much part of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, the band split in 2010 only to reform by 2012. To Release Is To Resolve is their fifth album and it is a really solid release. Byzantine combine a number of different styles in their sound which makes them an interesting listen. The guitar work of Henderson is excellent with solos thrown out with almost careless abandon, whilst the compositions contain elements of light and shade; some really heavy parts on a par with Pantera and Lamb Of God segue with some much quieter balanced segments; for example on track two Justinian Code where the tempo changes from all-out assault to a much calmer pace. Ojeda’s vocals cover a wide range, from brutal metal core style through to almost Myles Kennedy in places although I think I’d mention Ivan Moody from 5FDP as a similar peer. The technical aspect of Byzantine has been compared to Meshuggah and I can hear that, although I’d throw Xerath into the mix in terms of quality technical playing as well. Underpinning the whole album which lasts an old school 43 minutes and eight tracks is a massive slab of groove, unsurprising given their heritage but sufficient to get the head moving and the foot tapping. This is a stomping and brutal album which is well worth a listen. 8/10
Tribulation: The Children Of The Night (Century Media)
Another death metal outfit from Sweden, this time Tribulation from Arvika who have released their third long player. Formed in 2005, the band play pretty no-nonsense death metal with a real punk rock feel combined with the faster elements of Dimmu Borgir and the like. The Children Of The Night contains solid playing and a less familiar death metal style; indeed some of the tracks are positively slow by comparison though still retaining a very dark and sinister approach. Tracks such as Melancholia probably don’t need much of a description but suffice to say there is a black atmosphere whilst the vocals of Johannes Andersson who also plays bass are traditional death growls which fit nicely with the rest of the band. The guitar work is haunting at times, with Adam Zaars and Jonathan Hultén giving the tracks some meaty riffage as well as a more balanced and introspective feel. All of the tracks on this generous serving (just under an hour) are well paced following a reasonably standard formula, but if it isn't broken, keep with it. In The Dreams Of The Dead clocks in at just under six minutes and is a killer track, with several time changes and some evil death vocals to support the frantic soloing of the guitarists. Many of the tracks have a rather epic feel about them, with huge build ups ultimately climaxing in a fireball of death metal gloom. This is an album you can put on to listen to when you want to really annoy the neighbours. It’s noisy, it has death growls and a massive feel to it. If you like the doom style vocal work of Shagrath and Satyr then get involved. But be warned, it’s not going to cheer you up! 7/10
Dopethrone: Hochelaga (Totem Cat Records)
Canadian sludge/doom metal outfit Dopethrone’s third album does exactly what you would expect. Dirty, no, change that to filthy crushing riffs, smashing heavy bass and guitar and putrid vocals are all present and correct as this visceral outfit deliver seven tracks of pure slime. Each track has a spoken introduction before the distortion kicks in; Chameleon Witch for example, which possesses some of the darkest riffs since Electric Wizard spewed out the classic stoner/sludge based Dopethrone in 2000. Now I'm not a fan of this grinding heavy onslaught by any means, and I would rarely put the Montreal outfit, or Electric Wizard on for a spot of easy listening. However, I can appreciate that in the stoner/sludge scene this is top drawer. If you like your metal slow, powerful and as mucky as Caroline Street (notable Cardiff tourist era - Ed) at 2am on a Sunday morning, grab yourself a listen to Hochelaga. It’ll burn a hole in your mind. 7/10
Reviews: Moonspell, Apocalyptica, Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion
Moonspell: Extinct (Napalm) (Review By Paul)
Moonspell’s excellent and very heavy 2012’s Alpha Noir and its Gothic twin Omega White saw Portugese gothic metallers pay homage to both the thrash metal world and Gothic heroes Sisters Of Mercy and Type O Negative. Three years later, the quality of their music continues with Extinct. Another storming album comprising light and shade, Extinct once again demonstrates that when you get it right, boy do you get it right. Fernando Ribeiro combines the best of Andrew Eldritch with some almost death metal growls to great effect. Orchestral samples courtesy of Pedro Paixao and the massive guitar riffs of Ricardo Amorim swirl with the rhythm section of Aires Pereir and Miguel Gaspor to produce dark and depressive heavy rock that drives forward at pace. Opener Breathe (Until We Are No More) could have been written for The Mission or The Sisters, whilst Medusalem includes some riffs and hooks that Jaz Coleman would love get hold of. If you don’t like your rock soaked with the introspective, blackened elements of the 1980s then you may not like this. However, I think it’s an absolute stunner which improves on every listen. Tracks like Domina and The Last Of Us capture the very essence of the Gothic metal scene, shades of old school Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and early Anathema immediately come to mind. Another marmite album I suppose; for me the songs are beautifully crafted and capture the heart and soul of another excellent band who still fly under the radar in the UK. 9/10
Moonspell’s excellent and very heavy 2012’s Alpha Noir and its Gothic twin Omega White saw Portugese gothic metallers pay homage to both the thrash metal world and Gothic heroes Sisters Of Mercy and Type O Negative. Three years later, the quality of their music continues with Extinct. Another storming album comprising light and shade, Extinct once again demonstrates that when you get it right, boy do you get it right. Fernando Ribeiro combines the best of Andrew Eldritch with some almost death metal growls to great effect. Orchestral samples courtesy of Pedro Paixao and the massive guitar riffs of Ricardo Amorim swirl with the rhythm section of Aires Pereir and Miguel Gaspor to produce dark and depressive heavy rock that drives forward at pace. Opener Breathe (Until We Are No More) could have been written for The Mission or The Sisters, whilst Medusalem includes some riffs and hooks that Jaz Coleman would love get hold of. If you don’t like your rock soaked with the introspective, blackened elements of the 1980s then you may not like this. However, I think it’s an absolute stunner which improves on every listen. Tracks like Domina and The Last Of Us capture the very essence of the Gothic metal scene, shades of old school Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and early Anathema immediately come to mind. Another marmite album I suppose; for me the songs are beautifully crafted and capture the heart and soul of another excellent band who still fly under the radar in the UK. 9/10
I’ve never paid much attention to the Finns. When they first arrived on the scene they were just a bit of a gimmick to me, playing orchestral Metallica covers and trying to establish a niche in the world of metal. They have substantial staying power though and 22 years since they first appeared they release Shadowmaker, album number 8. Interestingly, it is the first album to feature just one singer, who happens to be Scars on Broadway guitarist Franky Perez who was also a member of Slash’s original live band. So, what is Shadowmaker like? Well, the cellos are still very much in evidence, leading the charge on the 7 minute title track, and Perez’s vocals are easy on the ear, very much with an AOR bent although containing a much harder edge at times. The Metallica influence runs deep and the majority of tracks have more than a nod to Hetfield and co. The sound and style of the band varies throughout, some hard rockers weaving in and out softer radio rock ala Sixx AM style softer rock; see Slow Burn for an example. Reign Of Fear has an atmospheric intro, with the cellos supported by the percussion of Mikko Siren and some heavy guitar power chords.
It helps that the band have secured the excellent producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has a list of credits longer than your arm and he has done a super job, capturing the classical elements of the band whilst allowing the heavier side of the band to come to the fore. In fact, it is on the instrumental tracks that you get a real feel as to the true soul of Apocalyptica, with the frenetic yet controlled orchestral elements setting the band apart. Although Perez has done a great job, it’s the classical side of the band that has earned their reputation. It’s not all good stuff mind; Hole In My Soul is just horrible mid-paced soft rock whilst House Of Chains, stomping riffs and all is second rate Soil.
As I said at the start of this review, my attention was never focused on Apocalyptica. Although there are some decent enough tracks on Shadowmaker, it isn't going to make me change my mind and seek them out with any great effort any time soon. A reasonable release but there is much more out there more deserving of your hard earned cash. 6/10
Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion: HFMC (Glassville Records)
Hasse Froberg is the vocalist and occasional guitarist of prog rock titans The Flower Kings, that band are one of the top bands in the prog rock sphere and over eleven albums they have consistently developed their sound while retaining the true sound of progressive rock favoured by Yes etc. As well as the numerous Flower Kings albums Hasse Froberg also has a solo career HFMC is his third album he handles his the vocals and rhythm guitars, Anton Lindsjö on lead guitar, Ola Strandberg on drums, Kjell Haraldsson on keys and Thomas Thomsson on bass. Thompson and Strandberg have already collaborated with Froberg in the 80's band Spellbond and were hand picked along with the other members of the band. All of these men are excellent musicians each one adding their own talent to this album that has a huge scope of influences, this album draws more from various genres than sticking rigidly to the prog rock format drawing from blues, folk, jazz, classic rock and yes prog rock. As things kick off with Can't Stop The Clock we are in prime prog territory with huge organs and some big riffs before we get into Everything Can Change which is steeped in jazz, the first real epic is Pages which clocks in a over 15 minutes taking the listener on a musical journey before Genius strips things back with an acoustic based Steven Wilson-like track. In fact this album has a lot of Steven Wilson about it as well as Neal Morse which is mainly due to Froberg's high vocals and the poppier overtones to tracks like the very Morse-like In The Warmth Of This Evening which has swathes of keyboards and a melodic upbeat delivery. Hasse Froberg and his musical companion have crafted an album that has a wide palette of colours and sounds, however there will be few that may be put off by the sheer density of the music here. 7/10
As I said at the start of this review, my attention was never focused on Apocalyptica. Although there are some decent enough tracks on Shadowmaker, it isn't going to make me change my mind and seek them out with any great effort any time soon. A reasonable release but there is much more out there more deserving of your hard earned cash. 6/10
Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion: HFMC (Glassville Records)
Hasse Froberg is the vocalist and occasional guitarist of prog rock titans The Flower Kings, that band are one of the top bands in the prog rock sphere and over eleven albums they have consistently developed their sound while retaining the true sound of progressive rock favoured by Yes etc. As well as the numerous Flower Kings albums Hasse Froberg also has a solo career HFMC is his third album he handles his the vocals and rhythm guitars, Anton Lindsjö on lead guitar, Ola Strandberg on drums, Kjell Haraldsson on keys and Thomas Thomsson on bass. Thompson and Strandberg have already collaborated with Froberg in the 80's band Spellbond and were hand picked along with the other members of the band. All of these men are excellent musicians each one adding their own talent to this album that has a huge scope of influences, this album draws more from various genres than sticking rigidly to the prog rock format drawing from blues, folk, jazz, classic rock and yes prog rock. As things kick off with Can't Stop The Clock we are in prime prog territory with huge organs and some big riffs before we get into Everything Can Change which is steeped in jazz, the first real epic is Pages which clocks in a over 15 minutes taking the listener on a musical journey before Genius strips things back with an acoustic based Steven Wilson-like track. In fact this album has a lot of Steven Wilson about it as well as Neal Morse which is mainly due to Froberg's high vocals and the poppier overtones to tracks like the very Morse-like In The Warmth Of This Evening which has swathes of keyboards and a melodic upbeat delivery. Hasse Froberg and his musical companion have crafted an album that has a wide palette of colours and sounds, however there will be few that may be put off by the sheer density of the music here. 7/10
Monday, 4 May 2015
The View From The Local Scene: Red Sun 2015
Red Sun 2015: The Moon Club, The Full Moon Clwb Ifor Bach & Fuel, Womanby Street Cardiff
A three day festival in Cardiff; featuring the finest in local, national and international talent, all falling under the stoner/doom/heavy category? Well yes please!! Happily this exactly what I was attending on this fine bank holiday weekend, a festival in my own city where I could watch a day of heavy (and I mean heavy) metal before returning to my own house seemed like a godsend. Also it was interesting to me as I only knew a few bands playing so it was a nice way to see some of the new talent in the current 'underground' scene. So post work Friday myself and my old friend Lee packed up and descended, along with most of the Cardiff metal scene, on Womanby street in our fair city to watch as the alcohol-fuelled brutality started in earnest. With three venues to choose from there was enough for everyone, split into genres (for the most part), the three venues served as a guide to what was happening where.
Friday
Firstly we descended on the Moon to witness our first band; Swansea's Attercopus (7) a trio that bring a cool brand of riff filled metal (a running theme for the weekend) however they shook things up in the finale and also proved that there is a lot of room for experimentation in this genre as Guitarist/Vocalist Rob put down his guitar and took up a flute for while the rhythm section pounded away, it was during his freakout flute solo that bassist Lloyd took another drum both men began to rhythmically back the parping flute. The crowd lapped it up before the band took up their instruments again and finished to a roar. First band in and already anything can happen I think I'm going to like this festival I thought to myself. As we waited for the next band the brilliantly named Baron Greenback (7) who I think took the name from the American slang for money rather than the DangerMouse villain although I could be wrong. We waited and waited and finally the band arrived after some travel trouble with a doom, stoner blues sound the band immediately caught the crowds attention, I was particularly impressed with Max's vocals however the band could only play three song set yet they did enough to impress. Over to Fuel where the more extreme end of the spectrum was opening up we walked in as The Art Of Burning Water (6)were in full flight their breakdown heavy extremity really bludgeoning the assembled throng, not really my cup of tea but my companion and those watching enjoyed them thoroughly.
Back upstairs to the Moon for Vails (8) who were recommended by another couple festival goer, their recommendation was well received as Vails are a two piece with Bass and Drums but they sound like a lot more members, their sprawling bowel rupturing assault shook the walls and caused many pained expression however they played with so much style that it was hard to not like the band, this was a clinic in fusing melody with extremity which left many breathless, almost like they'd been winded to be honest. Back on more familiar territory with Trippy Wicked (7) who do exactly what it says on the tin, low, slow, fuzzy Goblin style stoner riffs that were the perfect antidote for Vails. After calming down with the fuzz we moved over to Clwb to catch the end of Valleys Punk rock anarchists Gung Ho (7) who managed to stir up a frenzy in the downstairs bar. So we came to the end of the day with local boys Lacertilla (10) who once again blew away the competition with their blissed out space rock. Every time I see this band they are still fantastic, with the instrumental part of the band now featuring new bassist Tom they immediately slip into a heavy groove that gets your head nodding. Kicking things off with Do Something! they followed up with a new song which shows the band still on top form, with a set made up of Tryin' To Do A Good Thing and Crashing Into The Future the band were all on top form as the rhythm section of Tom and Carl drove the groove, Lucas riffed like a bastard and Mike's lead playing added that extra edge to things. Once again all eyes were on frontman Fry who is mental dressed like an insane version of Clint Eastwood in a poncho and rubber gloves while acting like a crazy shaman throwing himself around the room as he performs in the packed out room. They are still one of the most entertaining bands on the local scene consistently trippy, brilliant and a perfect end to day one. Smiles all round then as we taxied it home (due to the few shandy's we'd had) awaiting tomorrow.
Saturday
Day two and a 1:40 start was just right for the sore heads that had come from the previous day's festivities and it was straight into Fuel for heavyweight death/doom metal band Conjurer (7) who were a vicious way to start the day and pulled double duty after some bands failed to turn up. Mr Burnell loved this band and I found them to be a tight, powerful young band with some huge songs. Over to the Moon for Anta (8) who had so much stuff on stage they couldn't actually fit on it. They are an Instrumental stoner/doom band that sound similar to Karma To Burn and The Sword albeit with lashings of organ for good measure. Stoner/doom metal/rock is one of the few genres that works equally in instrumental form due to it's worship of the riff. Anta have a huge atmospheric sound with furious percussion, powerful guitars and of course the aforementioned organ all contributing to the bands immense sound. Over to Fuel for Welsh noiseists Tides Of Sulphur (Set 1 7) (Set 2 8) who also played two sets both of which were aggressive, violent and full of fury, part one of their set was fuelled by vitriol and was warm up for their slightly drunker 'greatest hits' set later. With songs like the monolithic Trench Foot and Ypres Tides Of Sulphur never fail to excite and indeed deafen. Back again to The Moon to calm down a little with Vena Cava (7) who are trippy psych rock featuring some haunting vocals from the front woman frequent changes of pace meant that they were a nice change of pace as they had a little bit of alt/psych in their mostly instrumental sound.
Any calm was blown away by Leeds scuzz rockers Blind Haze (9), coming down from Leeds (and then proceeding to liberate the venues of beer all weekend) this three piece play old school, dirty biker rock fusing NWOBHM with a bit of Orange Goblin and a shitload of Motorhead to boot with some rapid drumming from Jason Hope, shredding from Joe Clements and a Rickenbacker bass assault from leviathan frontamn Conan who also has a mighty hollar! This was just relentless riff age with Take A Look Around You and The Quick And The Damned causing a pit in the floor and copious amount of beer drinking, this band are amazing and I for one was longing for a longer set. Back down to Fuel for some extreme noise terror with The Air Turned To Acid (7) who brought a thunderous ominous riffs to the bunker stage (that's what I'm calling it now). With all of the venues being less than thirty seconds away it meant we could sample a good number of bands in a very short space of time. More stage hopping back upstairs for Valfader (7) and this young bands final gig together, this is a shame as this three piece had the right chops and some groove for good measure. They definitely went out in style with an impressive set. Next up were the South West's answer to all your riff dreams, I had seen Grifter (9) before at Hammerfest and they impressed but this time they rocked the hell out of The Moon, this was classic stoner rock with nods to Sabbath, hell they even covered Fairies Wear Boots (brilliantly I might add) with Goblin in the vocals, the southern style of Clutch and songs about Princess Leia it means that Grifter are intensely watchable and I for one will be watching them again! Ten Foot Wizard (7) were up next with more of the same with riffs a gogo in the classic style.
Over to Clwb for the heaviest band of the day (so far) with three guitars, two vocalists and a drummer that looks like Willie Nelson this Newport based band encompass colossal doom walls of doom riffage with an experimental bent, imagine if you will The Eagles meet Electric Wizard and you wouldn't be far of. All three guitars in Spider Kitten (8) make a cacophony of noise while both drummer Chris and guitarist Chi provide the sparse vocals (the band focus on their instrumentals rather than vocal work) but their noise was very good heavy metal with some southern swagger played through vintage equipment, add to this to a brave cover of Frank Zappa's Muffin Man and Spider Kitten are a band that I would absolutely watch again! Back upstairs to watch Suns Of Thunder (8) whose style of blissed out retro rock I've seen before and they played the best set I've seen them play which was a great final act of retro riff rock before the nights headliners. Saturday's headliners were a band who I will admit that when I saw them first I was not impressed by their heavy, sludgy audio assault however this time with their added theatrics and almost laser guided precision Hogslayer (10) were one of the bands of the day. As the gong was struck the hooded figures of the band arrived on stage one by one to an apocalyptic atmosphere and as their frontman made his way to the stage the band exploded into life with their sinister sludge/doom that is violent, oprressive and all-consuming. Their mix of one guitar and two bass players backed by volatile drumming and their frontman's guttural screams, the band whose appearance is even auspicious decked in hoodies and black facepaint (something mirrored by the baying mob in the crowd) The audio assault didn't stop for their entire set and the crowd lapped it up. There is a reason why they are on the upward trajectory and pulled the largest crowd of the day. A terrifyingly good way to end the second day!
Sunday
Third day, less booze and more music, with the capital busy as hell it was a nice to have a restbote filled with heavy music. First up is Tradish (7) a three piece who have expansive desert rock sound full of blissed out rhythms and grit and provided a cool opening for the day. Next up were local lads Ak'bal (9) who once again were phenomenal, otherworldly and heavy as hell. The familiar opening of The Ride started things of with their tribal power as Thoby and Rob played frenzied guitars, as Michael provided intricate bass patterns and Mic played double kick drums with ferocity, their unique progressive delivery is always awesome to watch and as they moved through the anthemic Equilibrium showing off their dual vocal delivery. The band finished up after three songs, their finale being Totally Recalled which brought things to a heavy close. A more stripped back than usual only relying on their wide pedal set up for the changes in sonics a fully charged electric set, that was to be followed by an acoustic set later in the day. Away from the progressive to the downright weird with valleys oddities Dead Shed Jokers (8) the bastard sons of stoner rock, The Doors and Frank Zappa. the jokers are gonzoid hard rock with a trippy edge. Swirling psych meets thumping hard rock. They get better every I see them and since the last time I saw them I feel I understand the band now they are finally on the right kind of bill, they were perfectly suited for this bill with their hip shaking mind expanding rock n roll.
After the weird and wonderful Dead Shed Jokers it was time for Gulah (9) They ply their trade with proggy, classic Sabbath style doom, huge riffs and some Down style vocals, even if frontman Chong had been caning it a bit hard meaning the vocals were a little raw, along with the Stoner doom they also have a huge chunk of southern groove. This was bud smoking, beer drinking, hard riffing rock music to bang your fucking head to. The band finished their set with a song christened Red Sun which like the rest of the set was a hard rocking solo filled riff-fest. Moving on from the stoner riffs we went into see the hardcore crossover of Grand Collapse (7) who delivered maximum aggression with stabbing guitars super fast punk and buckets of noise. A real wake up call to shake off the evening comedown. followed by yet more aggression with Nomad (7) who were brought their riff based beatdowns, huge noise and harsh vocal delivery to the table and brought to mind Superjoint Ritual with the shouted vocals massive booming bass and guitars and a nod to the more extreme side of doom/stoner. Something quickly washed away by the dreamy hippy psych of Elephant Tree (8) who have a a unique delivery of the traditional instrumentation plus the added effect of a sitar pitching them somewhere between Monster Magnet, Ravi Shankar and Captain BeefHeart especially in Riley Macintyre's vocals, who knew that the sitar would combine so well with stoner rock riffage? Elephant Tree were a worthy addition to the bill with their hippy influenced blues based stoner rock. Back to Fuel with the local Instrumental stoner legends Thorun (8) who showed yet again why they are revered with a solid set of bass driven stoner rock that got heads a-bobbin and fists pumping yet again showing that vocals are optional.
I am a little annoyed that I missed Bast however the allure of an Ak'bal acoustic set was too much as the band collected in the small Full Moon for their second set. Ak'bal (9) they were sans wires this time with acoustic guitars, Mike on tabla drums/bass, extra man Jimmy on cello, drummer Mic on bass and indeed drums, with Rob fixed to the guitar and Thoby moves between guitars on Equlibrium which still retains it's power while getting an Eastern twist, they then played stripped down acoustic cover of Comfortably Numb before taking everyone on a journey with the Tool like Pacha Mama which saw Thoby on tank drum before moving to violin for the finale, never ones to do what what is obvious they waived a Tool cover in favour of a Puscifier cover to finish which saw Thoby using a unique Bohran/guitar. The band have a problem though which is that really they need to fuse both of their style however this would require a lot more members however this is minor in regards to my other problem; which is that the Full Moon was a free entry venue meaning that their were many there just on a night out and had no interest in the band which destroyed the ambience, still this is a minor gripe in what was an otherwise fantastically organised festival. These small gripes were washed away by the no-nonsense, balls to the wall filth and fury rock and roll of The Admiral Sir Cloudseley Shovell (10) who are style wise a cross between Chas & Dave, Budgie, Motorhead and The Goodies. This is rock n roll with no frills just punch you in the face biker rock. Opening with the immediate Do It Now! which came after the set up, no warm up bollocks just straight into madness. The band are all very professional in their looseness looking as if they don't know what they are doing is a skill. There was a major cockup with a broken string and no back up guitar but time was filled by bad jokes and one note bass solo and it was all gloriously shambolic. with tracks like 2 Tonne Fuckboot, Tired And Wired, Bulletproof, Scratchin And Sniffin' and the final one two of the doomy Red Admiral, Black Sunrise and the chugging The Thicker, The Better (dedicated to the ladies). A fitting final band for this hard rocking, hard drinking, hard living festival! Same time next year guys yeah!?
A three day festival in Cardiff; featuring the finest in local, national and international talent, all falling under the stoner/doom/heavy category? Well yes please!! Happily this exactly what I was attending on this fine bank holiday weekend, a festival in my own city where I could watch a day of heavy (and I mean heavy) metal before returning to my own house seemed like a godsend. Also it was interesting to me as I only knew a few bands playing so it was a nice way to see some of the new talent in the current 'underground' scene. So post work Friday myself and my old friend Lee packed up and descended, along with most of the Cardiff metal scene, on Womanby street in our fair city to watch as the alcohol-fuelled brutality started in earnest. With three venues to choose from there was enough for everyone, split into genres (for the most part), the three venues served as a guide to what was happening where.
Friday
Firstly we descended on the Moon to witness our first band; Swansea's Attercopus (7) a trio that bring a cool brand of riff filled metal (a running theme for the weekend) however they shook things up in the finale and also proved that there is a lot of room for experimentation in this genre as Guitarist/Vocalist Rob put down his guitar and took up a flute for while the rhythm section pounded away, it was during his freakout flute solo that bassist Lloyd took another drum both men began to rhythmically back the parping flute. The crowd lapped it up before the band took up their instruments again and finished to a roar. First band in and already anything can happen I think I'm going to like this festival I thought to myself. As we waited for the next band the brilliantly named Baron Greenback (7) who I think took the name from the American slang for money rather than the DangerMouse villain although I could be wrong. We waited and waited and finally the band arrived after some travel trouble with a doom, stoner blues sound the band immediately caught the crowds attention, I was particularly impressed with Max's vocals however the band could only play three song set yet they did enough to impress. Over to Fuel where the more extreme end of the spectrum was opening up we walked in as The Art Of Burning Water (6)were in full flight their breakdown heavy extremity really bludgeoning the assembled throng, not really my cup of tea but my companion and those watching enjoyed them thoroughly.
Back upstairs to the Moon for Vails (8) who were recommended by another couple festival goer, their recommendation was well received as Vails are a two piece with Bass and Drums but they sound like a lot more members, their sprawling bowel rupturing assault shook the walls and caused many pained expression however they played with so much style that it was hard to not like the band, this was a clinic in fusing melody with extremity which left many breathless, almost like they'd been winded to be honest. Back on more familiar territory with Trippy Wicked (7) who do exactly what it says on the tin, low, slow, fuzzy Goblin style stoner riffs that were the perfect antidote for Vails. After calming down with the fuzz we moved over to Clwb to catch the end of Valleys Punk rock anarchists Gung Ho (7) who managed to stir up a frenzy in the downstairs bar. So we came to the end of the day with local boys Lacertilla (10) who once again blew away the competition with their blissed out space rock. Every time I see this band they are still fantastic, with the instrumental part of the band now featuring new bassist Tom they immediately slip into a heavy groove that gets your head nodding. Kicking things off with Do Something! they followed up with a new song which shows the band still on top form, with a set made up of Tryin' To Do A Good Thing and Crashing Into The Future the band were all on top form as the rhythm section of Tom and Carl drove the groove, Lucas riffed like a bastard and Mike's lead playing added that extra edge to things. Once again all eyes were on frontman Fry who is mental dressed like an insane version of Clint Eastwood in a poncho and rubber gloves while acting like a crazy shaman throwing himself around the room as he performs in the packed out room. They are still one of the most entertaining bands on the local scene consistently trippy, brilliant and a perfect end to day one. Smiles all round then as we taxied it home (due to the few shandy's we'd had) awaiting tomorrow.
Saturday
Day two and a 1:40 start was just right for the sore heads that had come from the previous day's festivities and it was straight into Fuel for heavyweight death/doom metal band Conjurer (7) who were a vicious way to start the day and pulled double duty after some bands failed to turn up. Mr Burnell loved this band and I found them to be a tight, powerful young band with some huge songs. Over to the Moon for Anta (8) who had so much stuff on stage they couldn't actually fit on it. They are an Instrumental stoner/doom band that sound similar to Karma To Burn and The Sword albeit with lashings of organ for good measure. Stoner/doom metal/rock is one of the few genres that works equally in instrumental form due to it's worship of the riff. Anta have a huge atmospheric sound with furious percussion, powerful guitars and of course the aforementioned organ all contributing to the bands immense sound. Over to Fuel for Welsh noiseists Tides Of Sulphur (Set 1 7) (Set 2 8) who also played two sets both of which were aggressive, violent and full of fury, part one of their set was fuelled by vitriol and was warm up for their slightly drunker 'greatest hits' set later. With songs like the monolithic Trench Foot and Ypres Tides Of Sulphur never fail to excite and indeed deafen. Back again to The Moon to calm down a little with Vena Cava (7) who are trippy psych rock featuring some haunting vocals from the front woman frequent changes of pace meant that they were a nice change of pace as they had a little bit of alt/psych in their mostly instrumental sound.
Any calm was blown away by Leeds scuzz rockers Blind Haze (9), coming down from Leeds (and then proceeding to liberate the venues of beer all weekend) this three piece play old school, dirty biker rock fusing NWOBHM with a bit of Orange Goblin and a shitload of Motorhead to boot with some rapid drumming from Jason Hope, shredding from Joe Clements and a Rickenbacker bass assault from leviathan frontamn Conan who also has a mighty hollar! This was just relentless riff age with Take A Look Around You and The Quick And The Damned causing a pit in the floor and copious amount of beer drinking, this band are amazing and I for one was longing for a longer set. Back down to Fuel for some extreme noise terror with The Air Turned To Acid (7) who brought a thunderous ominous riffs to the bunker stage (that's what I'm calling it now). With all of the venues being less than thirty seconds away it meant we could sample a good number of bands in a very short space of time. More stage hopping back upstairs for Valfader (7) and this young bands final gig together, this is a shame as this three piece had the right chops and some groove for good measure. They definitely went out in style with an impressive set. Next up were the South West's answer to all your riff dreams, I had seen Grifter (9) before at Hammerfest and they impressed but this time they rocked the hell out of The Moon, this was classic stoner rock with nods to Sabbath, hell they even covered Fairies Wear Boots (brilliantly I might add) with Goblin in the vocals, the southern style of Clutch and songs about Princess Leia it means that Grifter are intensely watchable and I for one will be watching them again! Ten Foot Wizard (7) were up next with more of the same with riffs a gogo in the classic style.
Over to Clwb for the heaviest band of the day (so far) with three guitars, two vocalists and a drummer that looks like Willie Nelson this Newport based band encompass colossal doom walls of doom riffage with an experimental bent, imagine if you will The Eagles meet Electric Wizard and you wouldn't be far of. All three guitars in Spider Kitten (8) make a cacophony of noise while both drummer Chris and guitarist Chi provide the sparse vocals (the band focus on their instrumentals rather than vocal work) but their noise was very good heavy metal with some southern swagger played through vintage equipment, add to this to a brave cover of Frank Zappa's Muffin Man and Spider Kitten are a band that I would absolutely watch again! Back upstairs to watch Suns Of Thunder (8) whose style of blissed out retro rock I've seen before and they played the best set I've seen them play which was a great final act of retro riff rock before the nights headliners. Saturday's headliners were a band who I will admit that when I saw them first I was not impressed by their heavy, sludgy audio assault however this time with their added theatrics and almost laser guided precision Hogslayer (10) were one of the bands of the day. As the gong was struck the hooded figures of the band arrived on stage one by one to an apocalyptic atmosphere and as their frontman made his way to the stage the band exploded into life with their sinister sludge/doom that is violent, oprressive and all-consuming. Their mix of one guitar and two bass players backed by volatile drumming and their frontman's guttural screams, the band whose appearance is even auspicious decked in hoodies and black facepaint (something mirrored by the baying mob in the crowd) The audio assault didn't stop for their entire set and the crowd lapped it up. There is a reason why they are on the upward trajectory and pulled the largest crowd of the day. A terrifyingly good way to end the second day!
Sunday
Third day, less booze and more music, with the capital busy as hell it was a nice to have a restbote filled with heavy music. First up is Tradish (7) a three piece who have expansive desert rock sound full of blissed out rhythms and grit and provided a cool opening for the day. Next up were local lads Ak'bal (9) who once again were phenomenal, otherworldly and heavy as hell. The familiar opening of The Ride started things of with their tribal power as Thoby and Rob played frenzied guitars, as Michael provided intricate bass patterns and Mic played double kick drums with ferocity, their unique progressive delivery is always awesome to watch and as they moved through the anthemic Equilibrium showing off their dual vocal delivery. The band finished up after three songs, their finale being Totally Recalled which brought things to a heavy close. A more stripped back than usual only relying on their wide pedal set up for the changes in sonics a fully charged electric set, that was to be followed by an acoustic set later in the day. Away from the progressive to the downright weird with valleys oddities Dead Shed Jokers (8) the bastard sons of stoner rock, The Doors and Frank Zappa. the jokers are gonzoid hard rock with a trippy edge. Swirling psych meets thumping hard rock. They get better every I see them and since the last time I saw them I feel I understand the band now they are finally on the right kind of bill, they were perfectly suited for this bill with their hip shaking mind expanding rock n roll.
After the weird and wonderful Dead Shed Jokers it was time for Gulah (9) They ply their trade with proggy, classic Sabbath style doom, huge riffs and some Down style vocals, even if frontman Chong had been caning it a bit hard meaning the vocals were a little raw, along with the Stoner doom they also have a huge chunk of southern groove. This was bud smoking, beer drinking, hard riffing rock music to bang your fucking head to. The band finished their set with a song christened Red Sun which like the rest of the set was a hard rocking solo filled riff-fest. Moving on from the stoner riffs we went into see the hardcore crossover of Grand Collapse (7) who delivered maximum aggression with stabbing guitars super fast punk and buckets of noise. A real wake up call to shake off the evening comedown. followed by yet more aggression with Nomad (7) who were brought their riff based beatdowns, huge noise and harsh vocal delivery to the table and brought to mind Superjoint Ritual with the shouted vocals massive booming bass and guitars and a nod to the more extreme side of doom/stoner. Something quickly washed away by the dreamy hippy psych of Elephant Tree (8) who have a a unique delivery of the traditional instrumentation plus the added effect of a sitar pitching them somewhere between Monster Magnet, Ravi Shankar and Captain BeefHeart especially in Riley Macintyre's vocals, who knew that the sitar would combine so well with stoner rock riffage? Elephant Tree were a worthy addition to the bill with their hippy influenced blues based stoner rock. Back to Fuel with the local Instrumental stoner legends Thorun (8) who showed yet again why they are revered with a solid set of bass driven stoner rock that got heads a-bobbin and fists pumping yet again showing that vocals are optional.
I am a little annoyed that I missed Bast however the allure of an Ak'bal acoustic set was too much as the band collected in the small Full Moon for their second set. Ak'bal (9) they were sans wires this time with acoustic guitars, Mike on tabla drums/bass, extra man Jimmy on cello, drummer Mic on bass and indeed drums, with Rob fixed to the guitar and Thoby moves between guitars on Equlibrium which still retains it's power while getting an Eastern twist, they then played stripped down acoustic cover of Comfortably Numb before taking everyone on a journey with the Tool like Pacha Mama which saw Thoby on tank drum before moving to violin for the finale, never ones to do what what is obvious they waived a Tool cover in favour of a Puscifier cover to finish which saw Thoby using a unique Bohran/guitar. The band have a problem though which is that really they need to fuse both of their style however this would require a lot more members however this is minor in regards to my other problem; which is that the Full Moon was a free entry venue meaning that their were many there just on a night out and had no interest in the band which destroyed the ambience, still this is a minor gripe in what was an otherwise fantastically organised festival. These small gripes were washed away by the no-nonsense, balls to the wall filth and fury rock and roll of The Admiral Sir Cloudseley Shovell (10) who are style wise a cross between Chas & Dave, Budgie, Motorhead and The Goodies. This is rock n roll with no frills just punch you in the face biker rock. Opening with the immediate Do It Now! which came after the set up, no warm up bollocks just straight into madness. The band are all very professional in their looseness looking as if they don't know what they are doing is a skill. There was a major cockup with a broken string and no back up guitar but time was filled by bad jokes and one note bass solo and it was all gloriously shambolic. with tracks like 2 Tonne Fuckboot, Tired And Wired, Bulletproof, Scratchin And Sniffin' and the final one two of the doomy Red Admiral, Black Sunrise and the chugging The Thicker, The Better (dedicated to the ladies). A fitting final band for this hard rocking, hard drinking, hard living festival! Same time next year guys yeah!?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)