Another Point Of View: Blackwolf (Review By Nick)

Blackwolf: Exchange, Bristol

Another hop across the bridge to the second home of the Musipedia, Bristol was calling again as Matt and I escaped the horrific fans and musical styling of One Direction to take in some real music. Arriving a little late (courtesy of an obligatory quick pint) we rocked up just in time to catch the main support of the evening Wreckage Of Society.

Wreckage Of Society

Quickly breaking out into their first track of a 30 minute set the Bristol based band set out their stall pretty early, presenting us with a unique brand of alternative ballad rock, filled with future anthem like lyrics. Unfortunately I couldn't tell you the song names from memory, however each song had a clear formula to them; ballad verse and an in your face hard rock chorus. This went down a treat for myself and from what I could see, the rest of the packed exchange too. The highlight of Wreckage Of Society for me were the vocals of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Luke Smith, melodically reminiscent of Five Finger Death Punch’s Ivan Moody but possibly a little cleaner and better. While in the bouncy chorus’s he really lets his deep voice free and hits every note with ease, impressive. The rest of the four piece were on their game too, lead guitarist Morgan Weeds matching Smiths rhythms and braking out melodic solos with great tenderness, led by the addictive bass lines laid out by Jim Matthews and topped off by hard hitting drums of Cameron Jarvis. Not too much else I can say here except, considering this was only their third gig as a band, it was pretty darn good. Catch these guy if you can, I'm looking forward to their EP! 7/10

Blackwolf

Now for the main event and something I had been looking forward to for a few weeks now. Having seen these guys a few times now, each time they seem to get better and never fail to impress. Hitting the stage to a great applause the Bristol favourites opened up with a bit of a curve ball, a track from their EP, Seeds. As expected the band ripped open the following silence with their instruments, playing them as hard and as loud as possible, filling the exchange with Blackwolf's patented hard-hitting bass led bouncy hard rock. Again my original draw to this band was always the vocals of Scott Sharp, wow what a voice this man has! However, he did put the frighteners into Matt and myself during opening track Seeds as he clearly struggled through, not hitting many high notes and at times his voice breaking even in the lower scales, with a quick look to each other, we decided that everybody gets one. Now, whether it was a case of first song warm up or the fact that Sharp simply hadn't played Seeds in a while I don’t know, but thankfully as the next few tracks kicked in, fan favourites Moving Mountains and Kiss The Fire his voice kicked right back in and damn did it sound good?! As Moving Mountains and Kiss The Fire were duly delivered flawlessly, both band and crowd jumped around the room to the bass filled grooves Ben Webb delivered throughout both tracks, while the riffs shot out by Jason Cronin and John Greenhill complemented the entire make up of the Blackwolf's sound, the set was flying through with smiles on fans faces clear to see. Next a new track from the album that the band is currently recording, sticking with the theme of fire, we were presented with Breathing Fire. Chocked full of bouncy rhythm guitar and groove-laden bass, while vocally a much quicker track for Sharp, which is new and something a little different for Blackwolf. However, what makes them so good remains; no compromise hard rock. If this is what we can expect from the next album… I can’t wait!

Back to the stuff the Blackwolf fans know and love for the next few tracks as the slower paced Sleepwalking was offered faultlessly followed by Steady Slow and Black Hole Friend, each song provided to the highest order and with the passion they deserve. Time for a taster of what is to come with another new track Grace. Similarly to Breathing Fire this was a little different to what we usually hear from the Bristol band, while at the same time not forgetting their style. Grace presented us with slower ballad like verses with a chorus that packed a punch like a mule, forcing the crowd to jump about aimlessly as they loved to do. Soon the set had to come to an all too soon end due to a following cub night. The band left the fans with what they came to see, classic unadulterated Blackwolf. Finishing off with anthems Moving On, Relief and Mr Maker both band and crowd were either hopping around or banging their heads to the riffs in-between supporting Sharp on the vocals. A well paced set with some new jewels slid in for good measure, Blackwolf truly are a live band that are not to be missed and hard to beat. Honest, fun and high quality hard rock how it should be… now messing round here, just quality music. I personally can’t wait to catch these guys again! 9/10.

A View From Many Rooms: Camden Rocks 2015

Camden Rocks 2015: Various Venues In Camden

So Camden Rocks is the annual music festival in the alternative centre of London, spanning numerous venues throughout Camden and encompassing more than 200 bands I knew I was going to be in for a slog but what better way to see artists that tour infrequently or indeed bands that only play the London area and at £30 it was an opportunity not be sniffed at. Arriving late on the Friday I checked into my hostel in Swiss Cottage (£45 for two nights) and after a few beers with friends awaited the following morning.

So this was the day, packing light and heading on tot he top end of Camden before moving down Chalk Farm Road and onto Camden Highstreet to the legendary World's End Pub to collect my wristband and my press pass. After collection it was band time and back to the top of the street to The Enterprise, first up were London based alternative rockers Mercutio (7) who played expansive driving alternative rock in the style of Radiohead, Anathema or Porcupine Tree with huge bass and guitars and bass from Naz and Staf while Alessio kept a beat and Miriko has a keening, mournful vocals that work as another instrument than overpower anything, meaning that the band have a big sound in a little venue (I mean it was 12pm). Still a great opening band for the day but as soon as they were over it was a brisk walk over to the Stables Market and into Proud Camden from female three-piece The Amorettes (7) who played to a packed crowd, due to their sponsorship from Planet Rock, they play riff-filled Airborne style rock that was good to watch but didn't really do anything new for me as it was all a bit generic, still back up to The Enterprise with all the beer I had drunk coming off with perspiration to catch local lads (well Aberdare/Merthyr) Dead Shed Jokers (8)who yet again played their unique brand of gonzoid rock n roll with big riffs and Hwyl's vocals evoking Nick Cave, Zep and QOTSA all in one mixed in with valleys banter thrown in endearing them to the big crowd that had gathered to watch them in this little venue, well done boyos!!

Straight back down to The Stables Market and to the Cuban for a band that I have liked since their debut was released on Classic Rock magazines long forgotten Powerage records, the band was New Device (8) who usually only play London and play bouncy chart bothering modern metal with a mix of the rockiest tracks from both of their albums. Singer Daniel Leigh was hellishly sick which meant his voice went a few times but with a set full of great songs, a responsive tightly packed crowd and an excellent performance. I do hope this band travel a bit further on their next tour as I'd love to see them do it all over again. However I was about to get blown away as I walked the short distance over to Proud to catch the Wildhearts erstwhile front man Ginger (9) in full flight, as I waited the room filled and filled and filled again until people had to be stopped from entering, Ginger was on his Songs And Music tour which mixes his career defining songs with stories from his colourful history. As he started the set it was all systems go playing a solid 20 minute medley taken from the first few Wildhearts albums which got the entire crowd singing along to every word, as he ended (only reaching 1993) the affable front man the told a few stories from his past, explaining how he got sacked from his record label. Then he proceeded to play another medley that was a run through of latter part of the career. This was the biggest crowd of the entire festival, I personally spent most of the gig in the doorway, but the crowd was right Ginger managed to bring the house down with headline performance in the middle of the day.

Over to the largest venue the Ballroom to catch the rock and roll madness of The Black Spiders (8) who drove through their set with the obligatory "Eat Thunder, Shit Lightning" shtick with their rollicking rock getting the crowd moving to songs like Stay Down, Stick It To The Man, Just Like A Woman and Kiss Tried To Kill Me, there were a few technical hitches but once again Black Spiders showed what real rock and roll is still alive that the Black Spiders are the flag bearers of it. Back over to Proud for Scottish rock legends Gun (9) who showed once again showed that they are one of the most underrated bands in the rock genre, mixing old and new the played classics like Better Days, Money (Everybody Loves Her) fusing them with new tracks Let It Shine (which opened the set), Frantic and One Wrong Turn all of which fit perfectly with their older stuff. All of their songs have huge hooks which is something that one forgets about Gun. Jools Gizzi fits perfectly as their new singer (he was their old bassist) and stamps his Scottish charm all over the songs giving them new life. Ending with their cover of Word Up, the rocking Steal Your Fire and Shame On You to a rapturous applause. A band that I would again in a heartbeat, they were that good. Back over to the cavernous ballroom for While She Sleeps (8) who managed to lay waste to it with an insanely brutal set filled with riffs, breakdowns and screams, the supposed new kings of metal managed to cement their claim to this by causing huge pits and supplying more noise than I'd heard all day, hell they even took a song into the pit an proceeded to start a fight with a punter to protect another, their no compromise attitude was endearing and their songs are some of the heaviest and most tuneful out there.

I'll admit I had a dilemma here as three bands that I wanted to see clashed first was Turbowolf in the Barfly, then Skindred in the Underworld and the reinvigorated Bullet For My Valentine in the Electric Ballroom. Due to sentimental reasons and the band having a special place in my heart, I stuck with the Bridgend massive for Bullet For My Valentine (10). The band were welcomed like returning heroes driving straight into new track No Way Out which is nasty riff filled thrasher kicking off the set with violent pits before moving straight into Your Betrayal which is far heavier live than on record. The gig was their first in over 14 months and saw the debut of new bassist Jamie Mathias who slotted in perfectly prowling the stage along with Padge and Matt Tuck while Moose smashed away at the kit as 4 Words (To Choke Upon) got a huge cheer from the loyal and huge crowd. This was a celebratory, hit filled set that pleased the gathered masses, the pace didn't drop as the band ploughed through Raising Hell and Scream Aim Fire showing that they have arena filling tunes, the band seem to have made transition into a snarling riff spilling beast but also they have managed to merge that with hooks galore that gives them the air of Black Album period Metallica.

Acoustics came out for All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me) before the heavy second half kicked in and any sentimentality was blown away by another new song Broken, on the face of both of these tracks their new album Venom could be scorcher and was swiftly followed up by The Last Fight. Now with a list as long as your arm of songs that they could have played they opted for medley starting with Hand Of Blood, the Room 409, Hearts Burst Into Fire (which had the biggest sing along of the night, your writer included) ending with Begging For Mercy and Riot. As the set drew to a close the heaviness didn't relent as Waking The Demon and Pleasure And Pain ended the main set, thoroughly worn out and breathless it was time for the encore and it was their masterpiece angst ridden ballad Tears Don't Fall which had the crowd in raptures until the very last note. There is a lot of talk about who will be the next festival headliners when Metallica and Maiden stop and many would have ruled out BFMV a few years ago however on the basis of this performance they are definite headline material, their October tour is going to be in relatively small venues across the country see them there now before they finally reach that position they have been aiming for since The Poison. Perfect setlist, flawless performance and Welsh, what more could you want?

They also served as the perfect end to a tiring but cracking day of live music, this is gem in the yearly music calendar and if the acts are as good next year then your intrepid reporter will be amongst the masses yet again.

Reviews: Leprous, George Kollias, Emerald Sun

Leprous: The Congregation (InsideOut)

On their fifth album now and Norwegian madmen Leprous are still a premier provider of technical, progressive music that is both dark and melodic showing the talent Leprous have gained as Ihshan's touring band. As things open with The Price we get numerous time changes, odd vocal harmonies and an electronic beat backing the guitars and drums. Now Leprous draw from all manner of influences with a dual guitars of Tor Oddmund Suhrke and Øystein Landsverk mixing rock, metal and punk perfectly providing the guts and noise to all of the tracks, while Baard Kolstad and has a particular jazz style to his drumming while also handling the harder faster parts perfectly see Third Law which moves from sparse soundscapes to furious metal passages. However as with all of the Leprous albums their sound is the brainchild of frontman Einar Solberg who drives the songs along with his virtuoso keys, synths and programming and also his wild multi-octave vocal. shown on the the relentless Rewind where he moves from a chant, to a high register croon and then a fractured shout  before the climax. Unlike their earlier efforts both The Congregation and it's predecessor Coal have seemed to be much more immediate than their early efforts, the songs are accessible but also musically dexterous, darkly endearing and intensely progressive in their delivery. From the start stop processed beats of Red through to the burning, sombre passion of Slave, the fist pumping passion of Down amongst others. The Congregation is yet another great expansive, expressive, progressive record full of extremely talented songwriting and chock full of great songs that are perfect as part of the album but will be even more well received in the live arena later this year. Well worth a punt if you like powerful progressive music! 9/10

 George Kollias: Invictus (Seasons Of Mist)

George Kollias is the Greek drummer of American Death Metal merchants Nile and this is his debut solo album, now it is on this album that Kollias shows he is more than just a tub thumper as he handles every instrument of this album as well as the guttural vocals, so by definition this is about as solo as and album can be, however he dose have a fair few guests on the album, these are nearly all guitarists who provide the lead guitars and solos to the death metal creation Kollias has crafted. His Nile bandmates Karl Sanders and Dallas Toller-Wade show up on the title track and Voices, Rotting Christ's George Emmanuel gives his six string violence on Shall Rise/Shall Be Dead, Outloud/Firewind man Bob Katsionis on Apocalypse adds keys to the track and virtuoso Rusty Cooley on Aeons Of Burning Galaxies which also shows off Kollias' drumming talent. So is the album any good? Yes in a word, if you like relentless blastbeats, furious guitar playing and guttural roars, this is similar to Kollias' day job albeit without the Egyptian lyrics, so if you like any of these things then you will love this album. In fact it is a real technical death metal clinic with all the instruments played with precision, but Kollias has managed to create a myriad of styles within the death metal genre meaning that this album doesn't get boring or indeed dip in quality at all. A fantastic first shot by Kollias who manages to do what's familiar while adding new elements throughout. 8/10  

Emerald Sun: Metal Dome (Pitch Black)

Thessaloniki's Emerald Sun have been around since 1999 and they have been playing their brand of power metal for a fair few years now so they are pretty accomplished at it and as the relentless drumming of Screamers In The Storm hits you are deep in the kind of muscular power metal that fellow Hellas Firewind and Innerwish deal so well in. Galloping power metal in it's purest form then with furious twin guitars from Paul and Johnnie, the rock solid rhythm section of George and Fotis, big keys from Sefis and the powerful vocals from Stelios. The title track echoes Warriors Of The World, Black Pearl would fit perfectly on an Alestorm album, where as Freedom Call is a power ballad worthy of the band themselves but it's Mere Reflection that stops the show before it is blown away by Dust And Bones. The production is a little tinny on this record meaning that everything feels a little washed out but as the album hurtles along at 100mph it's hard not to caught up in maelstrom of silly, grin inducing power metal. Not, big, not clever but damn fun! 7/10  

Reviews: Lucifer, Ten Foot Wizard, Forgotten Suns

Lucifer: Lucifer, I (Rise Above)

A few years ago a band called The Oath appeared on the occult doom rock scene formed by two leather clad rocker chicks in the shape of guitarist Linnea Olsson and singer Johanna Sadonis, they released a great debut then as fast as they appeared they split up leaving everyone unsure of what happened. However in what was a slow release promo campaign including snippets of sounds, not much information on the band and a non album single (very retro), Sadonis reappeared with another band named Lucifer, (no prizes for guessing what the songs are going to be about then) but after sneak peeks and another single finally their debut album Lucifer I. The album was written by Sadonis and ex-Cathedral man Gaz Jennings and as such is a prime slice of occult 70's style rock of Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult and indeed Pentagram or any proto-metal band you care to mention. Things start off with Abracadabra and Jennings (known as The Wizards here) gives us a thumping riff while ex-The Oath drummer Andrew Prestridge rumbles like distant thunder and bassist Dino Gollnick underpins with a voodoo bassline. The key element of Lucifer's sound though are Sadonis' haunting vocals she croons, howls and bewitches on every track while holding sermons on the occult and the Satanic (what else). From bell tolling doom of Sabbath, through the glistening Izrael, the doom laden Morning Star and the powerful Grave. This is a solid slab of occult doom rock, let's hope this band lasts longer than Sadonis' last effort as this album has a lot of potential. 8/10

Ten Foot Wizard: Sleeping Mountains (Beard Of Zeus)

Oof this is a bit of alight riff heavy stoner rock with head spinning bass, thunderous drumming, rocking and rolling riffage and shouted vocals. Coming from Manchester these men describe their sound as hailing from the Beard Of Zeus and they might be right as this is 70's style psych rock fitting perfectly into the stoner rock genre that means that Ten Foot Wizard have a Clutch meets Orange Goblin style of heavyweight rocking with a bit of Desert rock sun gazing thrown in. On We Go is pure Clutch replete with time change in the middle of the track that oozes with the blooze. All four members play their instruments with loose precision allowing the songs to breathe freely letting their blues and 70's rock influences shine through, Emlyn's bass walks tall on the QOTSA-like Up & Away, Jonny's drums anchor the groove throughout while the guitars of Adam and Gary are the bands wall of riffage that allow Gary to shout like man with too much whiskey and weed. The band don't need to stretch themselves too much as they stick to a solid stoner groove but with tracks like Railway Shuffle, Covered In Tits, Through This World and Sabbath worshipping, jazz inflected Ode To Death the band have really hit upon the Southern rock/stoner mix that Neil Fallon and co does so well. Cracking album from these Wizards of heavy rock. 8/10  

Forgotten Suns: When Worlds Collide (Premiere Music)

Forgotten Suns are progressive metal band hailing from the sunny shores of Portugal and they draw from the sounds of Dream Theater, Symphony X and Shadow Gallery, with thrashy metallic guitar riffs, melodious keys and synths, blast beat drums, galloping bass and powerful vocals. They are also not adversed to a longer track with five of the 7 tracks on this album coming in at over 10 minutes long with the concept track The Road To Nowhere Parts 1 & 2 bookend the album at 11 minutes and 17 minutes respectively, the songs move and twist (like those dark figures Maiden sang about) through various time signatures and even sometimes genres. The guitar playing of Ricardo Falco is ad you would expect adding sublime solos and riffs over J.C Sambora's powerful drumming while Ernesto Rodrigues  provides the slinky keys and driving synths. So musically the band have a lot of talent however vocally I'm wasn't impressed by Nio Nunes his voice has a habit of bordering on the whiny while trying to do his best James LaBrie (who has got a unique voice) still if you can get past this then When Worlds Collide is a good little prog metal album. 6/10

Reviews: The Darkness, Valkyrie, Section IV

The Darkness: Last Of Our Kind (Canary Dwarf)

Fourth album from the new reinvigorated The Darkness and finally the spark has returned after the hit-and-miss Hot Cakes, now I'm not saying that their comeback was bad, it was just not the glorious return to form many would have come to expect from a band who's debut took the world by storm. However Justin, Dan, Frankie and new drummer Emily Dolan Davies (who has subsequently been replaced by Rufus 'Son Of Roger' Taylor) are giving it another go with Last Of Our Kind to try and reach the heady heights of their debut., so achieved the comeback they had been threatening to release since they reformed? As the intro monologue tells the story of the decapitation of Edmund The Martyr the band smash straight into the the sledgehammer proto-metal riff of Barbarian which explains the story in more detail with Justin and Dan riffing like bastards, Frankie Poullain underpinning the riffs as Dolan Davies smashes away at the kit, with the ott lyrics, mid-song speech and guitar solo from nowhere there is no doubt that the songwriting flare of old is back.

Mixing tongue in cheek lyrics with Hawkins still insane vocal delivery and walls of glam-inflected thumping rock riffs, Open Fire is part Queen, part The Cult, and has Justin giving his most gonzoid vocal performance before bursting forth with another fuzzy solo at the end. Hawkins has said that this album is Medieval rock and this is most evident on the title track which is both a battle cry and a mission statement for the band as they add mandolins and 80's style solo to this huge Queen style track. The mandolins continue on Roaring Waters, before they stray into ballad territory on Wheels Of The Machine which sounds like it could have come off Pink Floyds Momentary Lapse Of Reason album. Stylistically the band mix it up throughout while sticking with ballsy hard rock, see the synth-laden sky scraping ballad Mighty Wings which would fit right in on Hot Space, before some bluesier tracks in the latter part of the album on Mudslide and Hammer & Tongs, hell they even give Frankie a chance to sing on the majestic final track Conquers who shows that he has great vocal delivery too (Something that those, who've seen them live already know). The Darkness are indeed the last of their kind, they seem very happy about that and are determined to defend their position at every turn. They do this by being in the unique position that they can really do what they want, as they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They have come back with what could be their second best album which for a band with The Darkness' potted history is a huge compliment I can assure you! They are back folks just deal with it and embrace it! 9/10   

Valkyrie: Shadows (Relapse Records)

Valkyrie have been treading the boards for over ten years now yet this is only their third full length album. The band is made up of guitar slinging brothers Jake and Pete Adams along with bassist Alan Fary and drummer Warren Hawkins, they play pre-metal style stoner rock with a serious blues backing that brings to mind Graveyard, Witchcraft, The Sword, Pentagram, with the dual guitar attack echoing that of Thin Lizzy (see rollicking opening Mountain Stomp for a slice of prime Robertson and Gorham wizardry) and Wishbone Ash especially in the more psychedelic methods. The gaps between the albums can be attributed to Pete being the lead guitarist in Baroness a band who Valkyrie also share some traits with. This album bristles with stoner rock professionalism big riffs, hollered vocals and lashings of groove. Valkyrie have always produced quality and Shadows is no exception from the slow burning old school doom of Temple to the mind expanding Wintery Plains which sees the brothers playing for their lives as Fary and Hawkins punish with their rhythm section through to fine finale of Carry On which sees guitars slither and slice through the rhythmic fug and the brothers call you to "Carry On" like a shaman from the void. Valkyrie have always released quality and yet again they impress, if you like your rock with a fat order of riffs then Valkyrie will be right up your street. 8/10  

Section IV: Superhuman (Self Released)

A long time ago (the late 80's and nineties) there was an influx of new progressive bands in the UK, bands that came from the same musical background as Marillion; keyboard driven music, mixing progressive, technically played music with mainstream pop edge. Among these bands were It Bites, Pendragon, Arena and the criminally underrated Frost*, now with the exception of Pendragon all of these bands are now gone but their spirit lives on, mainly through John Mitchell who has played in three of the bands mentioned, but also through Steven Wilson and now Section IV who are the perfect baton carriers for the sound of Arena and It Bites. The band start their album with the 12 minute plus title track which is a concept within itself  and it nails their colours to the wall showing that the band deal in accessible, intelligent music with swathes of keys, technical rhythm section, undercut with flowing guitar parts and keening vocals. The songs are cathartic, romantic (Inside) but also thought provoking and intelligent So Far Away and Guiding Light and they are played with some expert musicianship. Now I will admit this kind of music has always been a bit like musical Marmite (even for prog fans) and many will ridicule the music for being too poppy in places but for those that have an open mind, Section IV play it so well that they are close to reaching the Premier league of neo-prog. 7/10

Reviews: SiXforNinE, Hinder, Banditos

SiXforNinE: S/T (No Regrets)

SiXforNinE are alternative/progressive metal band from Athens Greece, the band was formed by guitarist George Kapa, Bassist Herc Booze and drummer Pete Outfox, while writing their debut album they acquired the services of former Septicflesh drummer Fotis Bernardo as producer and sound engineer, during the recording process they found that Fotis also has a hell of a voice and he duly became the bands lead singer. This was a superb step for the band as Fotis' voice is the cherry on top of what is already a very sweet musical cake. Sound Of Perfection starts things off with Floydian Run Like Hell style before the heaviness kicks and we move straight into the Alter Bridge/Disturbed style metal with a huge bassline from Booze, Kapa's furious guitar work and some cracking drumming as Bernardo uses his powerful vocals that are perfect fit for this kind of chest beating metal, in fact while I was listening to this album I immediately thought of bands like Adrenaline Mob or Sacred Mother tongue that tried this style of progressive tinged alternative metal but ultimately couldn't pull it off; SiXforNinE however do it with style part Alice In Chains, part Porcupine Tree bringing in progressive elements throughout their muscular riffs.

All My Heroes Are Dead is of that style with some big grooves augmented by Booze's voodoo groove, Kapa's melodic flowing playing style in the solos that flash like lightning before moving back into the thumping metal rhythms. Hourglass slows up the pace relying on a funky prog bassline to move things along as Bernardo howls with his superior voice. His production too allows everything to stand out, from the thunderous drumming, to the anchoring bass, impressive leads and great vocals, the production is modern and gives you a crystal clear sound meaning that all elements can sparkle. More Floyd comes in on the opening to Save Me which has a staccato reverbed guitar riff to open before turning into the albums most emotive song until the acoustic When The Roses Turn Back which is classic AIC, featuring some beautiful lyrics and orchestral swells behind. The rock kicks back in on 649 and the punky Drifted before climaxing with the heaviest track on the album God Among The Silence which ends the album perfectly. SiXforNinE are an amazing blending classic metal influences with heaps of modern metallic goodness, couple that with spellbinding performances from all those involved, sterling production and most importantly excellent songs that bridge that gap between mainstream and underground. SiXforNinE remind me a lot of Brit groove masters Panic Cell, I loved them and I love SiXforNinE, pick up their album and you will too. 9/10      

Hinder: When The Smoke Clears (The End Records)

Hinder hit the big time with their debut album Extreme Behaviour the album sold over three million copies in the U.S and their debut single Lips Of An Angel went in at number one on the rock charts, things looked great for the band, they continued a strong streak on second album Take It To The Limit. However the band had a few problems with their singer Austin Winkler who became increasingly erratic with his behaviour and fianlly he entered rehab, it also saw the band moving away from the Buckcherry like sleaze rock into a Motley Crue pastiche on All American Nightmare and Welcome To The Freakshow, I'll admit both of these albums were uninspired in my eyes however Winkler has gone now and the band are in a new era. When The Smoke Clears can be seen as metaphor for their rise from the ashes with drummer Cody Hanson producing the album with new singer Marshal Dutton who has been writing with the band since All American Nightmare, Dutton has breathed new life into the band his voice is cleaner than Winkler's having a more Bon Jovi-like croon which gives the band a new edge on the Hit The Ground and first single Rather Hate Than Hurt. Hinder have moved back into their hard rocking American radio rock style fusing Papa Roach with Guns & Roses all wrapped up in a Nickelback blanket, cue big guitars, big hooks and chant along choruses. There are also some country elements creeping in on Wasted Life, I Need Another Drink with the heaviness supplied by Intoxicated, electro elements on Dead To Me. As with all bands like this there are more than enough lighters in the air balladry with If Only For Tonight, the very JBJ Foolish Eyes and the shout along Nothing Left To Loose. Hinder have really stepped up their game on this album, welcome to the party guys it's nice to have you back! 7/10

Banditos: S/T (Bloodshot)

Southern to the core Banditos hail from Birmingham, Alabama but are now based in Nashville (yes folks that Southern) these Stetson wearing, banjo toting, gospel howling, bourbon drinking, blues loving, country pickin' good ole' boys (and girl) have all the necessary elements to impress a crowd in a spit and sawdust honky tonk bar (that play both country & western) and down & dirty rock show. The band were formed by singer/guitarist Corey Parsons and singer/banjoist(?) Stephen Pearce who spent their time in D.I.Y punk and hardcore bands and you can hear that punk ethos throughout this debut album the band sound a lot like Dylan when he went electric (Can't Get Away) mixed with some early ZZ Top, some Drive By Truckers with a bit of Grateful Dead and Brother & The Holding Company thrown in for good measure. The band have a wide eclectic sound with three vocalists giving a breadth of delivery the opening The Breeze has all three giving blast over fuzzy electric rocking, a U-turn comes next with the hillbilly explosion of Waitin' which is a banjo led bluegrass track and shows of Mary Beth Richardson's seriously soulful delivery, she made her name in gospel choirs and it shows through on this track where she does her best to channel June Carter Cash and Janis Joplin howling as the song gets faster.

The band are all talented musicians their technical prowess perfectly understated and loose while never missing a beat, the locomotive shuffle of Golden Grease shows this driven by Randy Wades shuffling drums, Danny Vines double bass, the dual chugging guitars of Jeffery Salter and Corey Parsons (who also shows off his pained gruff voice) and underscored by Stephen Pearce's banjo. As I've said this is 'proper' Southern music honed on the road and drawing from a multitude of influences including doo-wop on No Good and Old Ways on which Richardson does her best to take the roof off the place. Banditos have managed to distil all of the sounds of the South into 12 distinct tracks and as the rollicking Cry Baby Cry and the smoky blues of Preachin' To the Choir end the album this six piece have taken you on a journey through the history of Southern music with Banditos as your hariy, denim clad guides. 9/10

Reviews: Blurred Vision, Magic Kingdom, Chaos Divine

Blurred Vision: Organised Insanity (Self Released)

Blurred Vision are a three piece rock band with a progressive edge hailing from Canada, the band is made up of to Iranian brothers Sepp Osley on vocals and guitars, Sohl Osley on bass and their friend Ben Riley on drums. The band draw influences from many places but mostly you can hear Pink Floyd, The Beatles (especially in Sepp's vocals), Muse and Von Hertzen Bros, they play a progressive kind of music brimming with melody but also intricate and with a wide breadth of musicality provided by the three members and their fourth contributor Joel Lightman on keys. The band have a patron in Floyds founder Roger Waters and due to that it is the spirit of Floyd that looms the largest from the sax break on marching opener No More War and the dreamy Rollin' On which sounds a little too like Pigs (Three Different Ones). Unlike Floyd there are no long freakouts or solo sections the songs are concise and well written allowing for the most amount of experimentation without compromising the songs structure, melody (something they have a keen ear for) and message.

The band are very politically aware and active and this is reflected in their lyricsim (10% of their album proceeds go to the poverty charity WhyHunger) Arms Of Our World and Dear John being the two most evident, the latter being a paean to the departed Mr Lennon but also to the the legacy of peace he sought. The band however they aren't preachy using their music to inform rather than ear bash. Tonight has the chart bothering euphoria of Kings Of Leon while Long May You Run sees Sepp use his deep hushed voice to mirror Roger on this dreamy piece of music where he shows of his Gilmour-like solos as his brother and Ben Riley keep the pace with superb drumming, stirring basswork and contribute the backing ah's to make this one of the most Floydian tracks on the record. The album has a great sound to it with every nuance captured by Terry Brown's excellent production, many will know him as a the man that has produced Rush for many years and this experience shows as he makes this young band sound like they have been treading the boards for years. Promise is a modern sounding up tempo rocker that driven by a repetitive guitar and keyboard riff before exploding at the end, it is also one of the tracks that doesn't really have an influence to it, it is a song that sounds fresh and new. This is a top quality debut album that both draws from it's influences perfectly allowing them to shine through but also create their own sound around them. 9/10      

Magic Kingdom: Savage Requiem (AFM)

Belgium guitar virtuoso Dushan Petrossi is now on his fourth Magic Kingdom as well as five albums with his other band Iron Mask. The man clearly has riffs and solos coming out of every pore and whereas Iron Mask is straight up neoclassical power metal about historical at all and war themes, Magic Kingdom focuses on the lives of Mickey & Co in Disneylan....no sorry that's not it (although that idea needs to happen). No the Magic Kingdom albums focus on fantasy themes played to a symphonic metal backing, since their last album in 2010 it's been all change in the Magic Kingdom camp with only long term bassist Vasiliy Molchanov still around since the bands inception (he is also the other founding member in Iron Mask) Petrossi has recruited Michael Brush behind the skins and a new voice in the shape of former Adagio and current Random Eyes vocalist Christian Palin. Palin's only album with Adagio Archangels In Black was one of their best and showed that Palin is equally adept with sky scraping highs and guttural lows, this stays him in good stead to join Magic Kingdom who added some guttural vocals for their previous effort (something that needed two vocalists). So back to Savage Requiem and what immediately strikes you is that when Petrossi has a formula he sticks to it, Magic Kingdom is symphonic metal at its purest and even though Iron Mask are similar there are enough differences in both bands to separate them. Petrossi is a hell of a guitarist, playing with style and flair contributing rocking riffs and fleet fingered solos that burn the fretboard, he also contributes the orchestral arrangements that make this album sound so big in scope, think Yngwie Malmsteen playing with Rhapsody and you wouldn't be far off Rivals Forever is a rampaging metal track on which Brush impresses on the drums, then without a beat it is followed by the slower fist in the air filled with orchestral power. Yes it's cheesy and things go a bit Spinal Tap on Ship Of  Ghosts when Petrossi adds Beethoven's Ode To Joy to his solo section (all that's missing is playing it with a violin) but if you like your metal with a cinematic scope and more guitar wankery than you can shake a stick at then Magic Kingdom will be right up your street. 8/10

Chaos Divine: Colliding Skies (Firestarter)

Chaos Divine (not be associated with thrashers Divine Chaos) are modern progressive rock/metal band hailing from Perth Australia. I say modern as they will fall into the djent category along with Tesseract and Karnivool with palm muted, off kilter riffs, filled with groove but they also draw from influences as wide as Opeth, Devin and even Mastodon. Despite the elements of djent the band are so much more than a tag using bass heavy riffs from Michael Kruit in conjunction with clean flowing guitars from Simon Mitchell and Ryan Felton the band set about creating music with a wide scope and intense musicality, the songs spring from the record drawing you in with massive hooks backed by some technical drumming from Ben Mazzoral, an intricate weaving of guitars and David Anderton's sublime vocals, he serenades Badge Of Honour before tearing at the jugular on Painted With Grey which sees him move between roars and his normal vocal delivery. This album is made up of some great tracks such as the anthemic Soldiers, the dreamy Tides, the Muse meets Tool of Before The Dawn but it is difficult to pick out individual songs however as this album needs to be taken in as whole piece because of the musical breath to it. Chaos Divine are just that a perfect mix of metallic fury and melodic precision. 8/10

Another Point Of View: Flotsam & Jetsam (Review By Paul)

Flotsam & Jetsam: The Underworld

Another overnight stay in London with work allowed me the opportunity to pop along to the Underworld in Camden for what was apparently Flotsam & Jetsam’s first UK visit (sans last years’s BOA appearance) for 27 years. Given that the band are always going to be most famous for the Jason Newsted connection, I don’t suppose this was that surprising.

For the uninitiated amongst you, F & J first hit the metal scene in 1981 but gained popularity with their debut album, Doomsday For The Deceiver in 1986. This was a mighty slab of thrash metal which had massive potential and some killer tunes. The follow up, No Place For Disgrace in 1987 no longer contained Newsted on bass but contained a few blistering tracks (see the title track and the all-out assault of P.A.A.B); however, from here on in the Phoenix outfit kind of disappeared from the radar, struggling to maintain the momentum that bands like Metallica, Anthrax, Testament and Exodus were achieving. I have to admit that until I saw that they were playing in London, it had been a long time since I had listened to any of their stuff.

A sparsely populated Underworld were treated to two support bands. I arrived in time to catch the last track from openers Desolation; quite an apt description given the small crowd and I was not at all surprised to find pretty solid thrash metal. It would be unfair to review them on one song so I won’t. Twenty minutes later and main support Bliksem hit the stage. Now, I can name very few (okay none) thrash metal outfits from Belgium and the band from Antwerp gave it their all. Double guitars in the shape of flying Vs, thumping bass and some solid drumming all sounded okay, but the vocals of Pegg Meeussen were just not very strong. Having been treated to the superb voice of Krissie (Triaxis) three nights earlier, a shouty, screamy vocal assault just did nothing for me. The band gave their all, but their songs were not brilliant and overall they just passed me by. 5/10

Bang on 9:20, the riff for No Place For Disgrace rang out and F&J hit the stage. The band consists of original vocalist Eric A. 'A.K.' Knutson, old school guitarist Michael Gilbert, Steve Conley (guitar) Michael Spencer on bass and newest recruit drummer Jason Bittner. The slightly larger crowd of around 200 provided a rousing response which was heart-warming. The band launched into the first of six tracks from Doomsday, the all-out thrasher Desecrator which ignited a small but ferocious pit in the middle of the floor. Although the band were tight and at times provided glimpses of their obvious talent, such as the awesome Iron Tears and Swatting At Flies from 1992’s underrated Cuatro, overall F&J just don’t have the arsenal of quality tracks to have pushed them from the second division of the thrash metal league.

Despite this, Knutson remains an excellent front man, warm and engaging and still able to hit some of the notes which he screamed all the way back in the 1980s. The band were able to riff it up and the old school heavy set (12 tracks from the first two albums) certainly stirred some memories. I certainly got goose bumps when the atmospheric build-up to Doomsday For The Deceiver arrived before crashing into the monstrous riff which provoked mass head banging throughout the venue. A few of the more recent tracks balanced the set although it was the older stuff that received the most positive responses from the audience.

However, as I watched, it felt quite sad to see a band that had never pushed on in quite the way expected back in 1986 going through the motions on a UK tour 27 years in the making, and a mere three dates long; London, Nuneaton and Glasgow. It was perhaps no surprise that the crowd was pretty low. Still, they ended on a high with the brutal P.A.A.B concluding the evening with one final mosh pit swirling around the floor. It was certainly worth seeing the band in a headline capacity, and on occasion I was taken back to that 16 year old sat in the bedroom with a copy of Doomsday For The Deceiver on the record player. It was also clear why the band are the Bradford City of metal; the occasional foray towards the top but generally average lower division fare. Overall a 7/10 and a reasonably entertaining evening.

Reviews: Sammy Hagar & The Circle, Howlin Rain

Sammy Hagar & The Circle: At Your Service (Mailboat Music)

We here at the Musipedia don't really review live albums all that often but this was a massive exception. As many of you may know Sammy Hagar made his name as the second singer of Van Halen, he was the man that brought them into the nineties and skilfully stepped into the void left by Diamond David Lee Roth. However Hagar is much more than that; he was also the first (and arguably most famous) singer of classic underrated rock band Montrose, he has a successful solo career for many years, he formed supergroup Chickenfoot with Joe Satriani, Chad Smith and VH's Michael Anthony and he is shrewd businessman creating his own brand of tequila and his own restaurants/bars. A man of many talents then but one who is obsessed by music, his previous band Chickenfoot had run it's course due to the commitments of Satch and Chad Smith so Hagar was left at somewhat of a loose end, here was his chance to record and album featuring some of his best friends in the business, this came to fruition in the album Sammy Hagar & Friend album which saw him hook up with guitar virtuoso Vic Johnson. Since this album, Hagar has found some kindred spirits and he has formed another band this time called The Circle.

The band is formed by longtime cohort Michael Anthony on bass, Vic Johnson on guitar, Hagar on vocals (obviously) and behind the kit one Mr Jason Bonham (a man who is no stranger to a supergroup himself). This album is taken from various dates on their US tour and while it shows the band in full flight showing all of their collected skills it also is a picture of four guys having a great time, the production is slick, the crowd is not too intrusive, the performance is mesmerising, Hagar is humble yet fierce frontman and while you do get a bass solo (mercifully short) and a guitar solo (also short) all can be forgiven by the tracklist that includes a drum solo that breaks into Bonham's Dad's magnum-opus Moby Dick. Yes it is indeed the track listing that is the best part of this album never has the word 'greatest hits' been so apt. Opening with Hagar's own There's Only One Way To Rock the band kick off with full steam ahead, however when this is followed by Rock Candy from Montrose, Good Times Bad Times from Led Zeppelin and Poundcake from Unlawful Carnal Knowledge then you know you are in for a good time. The set brings in Zep classics like When The Leveee Breaks, Rock & Roll and the perennial Whole Lotta Love on which Hagar does his best Plant impression while Johnson and Anthony are Page and JPJ respectivly, through some Hagar era Van Halen tracks like When It's Love, Finish What Ya Started, Right Now, The Best Of Both Worlds and Why Can't This Be Love and a sprinkling of Hagar solo stuff with Can't Drive 55 and Heavy Metal.

These well known rock songs combine perfectly with a band that have passion and skill, special kudos to Vic Johnson for having Page's feel and EVH's flair, to create a live album that makes you wish you were there. There are some failings in Hagar's voice at times but this is live album capturing the band in raw environment not with studio overdubs or trickery. A passionate, powerful album that has seen these legends come full Circle (although I still think Bonham's suggestion of Red Zeppelin would be better). A must for fans of The Red Rocker, Zep, Van Halen and indeed rock music itself! 10/10

Howlin Rain: Mansion Songs (Easy Sounds)

Howlin Rain's last album The Russian Wilds was widely critically acclaimed, the band are the creation of Ethan Miller frontman and guitarist for the band, the album was released on a major label and despite the critical plaudits, as Miller puts it himself he "walked out of the back end of my major label run and the first 9 years in Howlin Rain with no band, no label, no foreseeable immediate move forward" however he also goes on to say that he had "a figurative suitcase full of songs, my talent, invigorated by having nothing else to lose, exhausted by the bullshit and grind of the music business, this musical life, and all it's absolute bullshit and fucked tests" that inevitably made him cynical but not bitter. The Russian Wilds has the honour of being one of my most played albums so I was very excited to see what Miller had up his sleeve next. To his latest record then, apparently the first of a supposed trilogy, Mansion Songs which was made with a handful of musicians and continues the last album's Americana infused Californian rock vibe while adding new elements and stripping it back with more country and folk additions.

Big Red Moon opens proceedings with a Nashville twang, sounding like it could have come off Blackberry Smoke album, all blustering mouth harp and slide guitar (both coming from Miller) topped with Miller's full throated howl and Southern honey croon which is part Springsteen, part Young, part Petty with the same kind of delivery of an ageing punk rocker although Miller himself evokes the spirit of The Big Lebowski's The Dude or a hard rocking Rabbi. This song is an upbeat whiskey drinking song that hides the dark subtext, a theme that continues on Meet Me In The Wheat which could have featured on a Outlaw Country record with it's "Hallelujah" refrain and pounding electric organ. Miller handles most of the instrumentation but he has acquired some top level musicians to help him out with Meg Baird being the one that reoccurs regularly and is most notable by providing drums, acoustic guitars and vocals; most notably on the haunting Coliseum which has all the the hallmarks of a self-loathing, emotion filled track from a Roger Water's album as Miller whispers his vocals as Baird floats in and out of the song built on just two acoustic guitars providing great juxtaposition from the two preceding tracks. The New Age is a song that speaks of redemption and reinvention think a folky version of U2 driven by a viola and a double bass, this song passes by quickly resetting things for the organ drenched 70's stomp of Wild Bush a song that would sound great blasting out of an open top Chevy in 1970's Harlem.

For an album with only 8 tracks this album is a grower after repeated listens it opens up into something else entirely, there are immediate elements but on the slower more atmospheric songs like Restless they take a few spins to really grab you. This is a good thing however as it means you have to really listen to this album, I suggest playing it through a set of headphones, or outside as the sun sets. Everything on Restless is numbed and smothered leaving just Miller's broken vocals to tell the tale of a man descending into madness, Lucy Fairchild is a song of redemption and morality set to an Elton John-like backing full of driving piano and orchestral swell in the finale. This final part of the album is slower burning affair than the opening part which could be due to the trio aspect creeping in, this is only part one of the story that leaves you in a dreamlike state on Ceiling Fan filled with references to the most creative directors, musicians, artists and writers and driven by one acoustic guitar hook, whispered train of thought vocals and a choral chorus before bursting into a crescendo at the end that sees guitars fizz behind the Floydian track that imitates The Walls hope filled finale. I do hope the second part of this trilogy comes soon as yet again Ethan Miller has shown why Howlin Rain are the thinking man's rock band, intelligent lyricism merging with deft considered playing to create a vibe that is both nostalgic and fresh. A truly fine piece of music yet again 10/10

Reviews: The Vintage Caravan, Lesoir, Godsized

The Vintage Caravan: Arrival (Nuclear Blast)

The history of rock music is littered with classic three pieces but The Vintage Trouble draw from the early 60's style of Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, and Mountain. Now all three of these bands are seen to be based around their legendary guitarists but they were also made up of bunch of legendary bassists and drummers such as Felix Pappalardi, Jack Bruce, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell and Ginger Baker. Those band's sounds were due to the fact that all those involved were immensely talented worked together to create the fantastic songs that they were known for. The same can be said for The Vintage Caravan, Óskar Logi has a sonorous wide vocal range and plays his guitar like demon on rockers like Babylon while Alexander Örn shuffles the bass licks on Carousel on which he gets a bass solo and Stefán Ari Stefánsson who plays for his life anchoring everything especially on the latter part of Innerverse on which he really shows his mettle. Now as I said the band draw most of their influence from the late 60's early 70's style of hard rock based in blues and adding psychedelic elements that allow them to have wig outs in their songs relying more on the feel of the songs than too much structure, Shaken Belief's is a prime example of this, where as Crazy Horses (not a Osmond cover) is a balls out rocker that is part Neil Young, part Ted Nugent with it's Western piano playing and chugging riffage, Sandwalker has the sound of another three piece echoing the boogie of Billy, Dusty and Frank. The Vintage Caravan have upped their game on this second album really honing everything they showed on their debut, Arrival is a testament to just that; this is The Vintage Caravan's statement of intent more so than their looser debut and because of that this may be the album that sees them explode in the next 12 months. 8/10

Lesoir: Luctor Et Emergo (V2 Benelux)

I will admit I hadn't herd too much of Lesoir but with some research I found that they are Dutch rock band formed and fronted by Maartje Meessen, they fall into the Artrock category drawing influences from Anathema, Skunk Anansie, Crippled Black Phoenix and A Perfect Circle. The album title translates to "I Struggle And Emerge" and this echoes the dark tone of the record with loud dynamic guitars from Ingo Dassen (with Eleen Bartholomeus and Meessen contributing live) who also provides the pulsing synths and electronic beats on tracks like the Porcupine Tree-like (A Lady Named) Bright and the pulsating Flawless Chemistry. The rhythm section of Ingo Jetten's bass and Bob Van Heumen's drums provides the band with a wide and compelling backing that gives them a real sense of force on the rockier tracks such as Going Home and Deliberate but equally on the quieter moments they both show off their expertise and technical prowess mostly on Hold On To Fascination which has progressive tendency. With the wall of sound style of playing Dassen's guitars sound like a tidal wave of sound bringing to mind Anathema and CBP who also get a nod in the lyrical content with struggle and strength all being included. The sound of Lesoir is very much anchored by their front woman she is the reason for the dark, chaotic heaviness and the fragile, whispered emotion her piano and flute undercut the electric assault on the more melodious quieter moments such as the title track. Her voice however is where her true talent lays it is stunning, effortlessly moving between an almost aggressive operatic roar to a lulling, hushed chant, vocally she sounds a lot like Alanis Morrisette with her feisty fired up vocal delivery that can move from sweet to shouted in an instant on Press Play From Start and the thunderous In Reverse. Luctor Et Emergo is a stunning piece of work that sits perfectly in the same category as Steven Wilson, Anathema, A Perfect Circle and British Artrockers Panic Room this is alternative rock music with a progressive bent and a hell of a lot of talent on show. Buy this album! 10/10    

Godsized: Heavy Lies The Crown (Metalville)

Godsized have always been compared to their American cousins and multi time tour mates Black Label Society and yes they do have a similar style to Zakk and his boys; huge slabs of riffage based on a pace setting rhythm section that bring everything together. Things kick off slow on Welcome To Hell with some intricate clean lead playing starting the song before it gets heavier and faster from there on in. As I've said the band have a pounding rhythm section in the shape of Dan Kavanagh and Gavin Kerrigan and when underscoring the twin guitars of Chris Charles and Glen Korner their contribution speaks for itself. Charles and Korner are no slouches themselves riffing like bastards throughout bringing some big rockers that Charles can boom over with his Myles Kennedy like vocals. In fact the band have drawn a lot more from the Tremonti school of musicianship with a modern metal sound with heaps of melody they play well and their songs are good. However there is a problem, they are trying a little too hard to be Alter Bridge on this record, this maybe to move away from their British BLS crown but it makes them sound like a different band. There are glimpses of their old biker metal background but not as much as I and indeed anyone who enjoyed their debut album would want, the songs on this album are a little boring in places. I have no doubt that in the live arena they will still punch you in the mouth but this record does seem a little restrained. 6/10