Reviews: Vintage Trouble, Praying Mantis, Stormzone (Reviews By Paul)

Vintage Trouble: 1 Hopeful Road (Universal)

It is no secret that Vintage Trouble are one of our favourites at Musipedia HQ. Regular touring since the 2011 release of the soulful debut The Bomb Shelter Sessions has enabled several opportunities to catch the band in their most captivating setting, the live arena. Having seen them several times including twice this year (the last in the cavernous Wembley Stadium supporting AC/DC), the arrival of the long awaited follow-up is timely to say the least.

Full of soul and blues, 1 Hopeful Road contains a number of tracks that have been played live for some time so in some respects it doesn't feel like a brand new album. In fact, it feels more like an old friend than a new acquaintance. Opener Run Like The River has an infectious rhythm and blues drive, highlighting the rockier edge of the band whilst retaining the soulful feel of a band very much in touch with the blues roots of the 1950s and 1960s. Stomping homage to their home town, Angel City, California has the Stones trademark groove whilst Strike Your Light, another live favourite chugs along in the best blues rock tradition (it should be on the Blues Brothers soundtrack) with the classic sing-a-long chorus and driving rhythm and guitar work of Nalle Colt. However, as anyone who has ever seen the band live will testify, Vintage Trouble are a band of light and shade and some of their best work lies in the real tender and calmer songs, the pick of them probably the beautiful Doin’ What You Were Doin’ which really tugs at the heart strings.

1 Hopeful Road is a feel good album; one to put on when you get in from a difficult day at work, allowing you to relax with a cup of tea whilst being soothed by the velvet tones of Ty Taylor; it is an album to have up front or in the background, such is the quality; dance around the room or chill, it works either way; put it on at a house party or in the car. Quite simply, it is a stunning piece of work and one of the albums of the year. If you like a bit of blues rock, then make sure you pick up this album. You won’t be disappointed. 10/10

Praying Mantis: Legacy (Frontiers)

Back in the late 1970s, there was a stampede of new British heavy metal bands, emerging from the bloated corpses of the behemoth progressive rockers who had ruled the music landscape for much of the previous decade. This was of course the dawn of NWOBHM. Right in the middle of the clamour for recognition was a band called Praying Mantis, who for a short time sat alongside the likes of Iron Maiden, Saxon and Raven at the top table. Formed in 1974 by brothers Tino and Chris Troy, they released their best known work Time Tells No Lies in 1981. As with many of the bands who achieved minor recognition, they have continued throughout the years with numerous line-up changes, hiatuses and reformations. In fact, if you look at their line up details on Wikipedia, you will see almost a who’s who of UK  metal vocalists who have spent time with the Mantis; for example, Paul Dianno, Bernie Shaw, Doogie White and Gary Barden whilst Clive Burr (late Maiden drummer) had a couple of stints on the skins.

Unsurprisingly the band are big in Japan and have released several albums over the years. Legacy is album no.10 and the first to feature Jaycee Cuijpers and Hans in’t Zandt (vocals and drums respectively. And it is actually a pretty good if formulaic slab of melodic AOR. Cuijpers vocals fit perfectly with the sound, whether it is the old school metal of Fight For Your Honour or the cheese filled homage to their favourite city, Tokyo, complete with oriental lead breaks. Yes, it is pretty standard melodic rock, the kind that fills the halls at Hafan-y-Mor every year for Hard Rock AOR, but it does a job. Some tracks are a little too close to Bon Jovi/Def Leppard for my liking, Better Man for example makes me feel a bit queasy. However, the musicianship on the album is excellent, the classic layered rock sound with subtle keyboards and large riffs, some excellent guitar work from Troy and And Burgess, choruses a plenty which everyone joins in and opportunity galore to pump the air with your first. Eyes Of A Child is possibly THE best AOR track ever written, containing every ingredient necessary. It is unlikely that Praying Mantis will be playing an arena near you soon, but they have sufficient longevity and quality to deserve an opening slot for one of the many packages which rumble around the country from time to time. If you like your rock with a large slice of cheese, slightly melted, then you’ll enjoy this. 7/10

Stormzone: Seven Sins (Metal Nation)

So just over a year ago, there we stood in the Sophie Lancaster Tent watching these guys blow our minds with some excellent power metal. And then we discovered they were not from mainland Europe as we had expected, but from across the water in Northern Ireland. Quickly purchasing their latest release Three Kings confirmed that this is a band with more than a bit of quality. Their fifth album Seven Sins cements that view, crammed full of top notch power metal. Huge riffs, symphonic vocals and pounding drumming, it’s all here. Opener Bathsheba sets the bar high, before the chugging Another Rainy Night has you reaching for the air guitar. What sets Stormzone apart from the gazillion other power metal bands? Well, for a start they are a British band which is a rarity in itself. They also vary their delivery so that it is not too formulaic.

From the stomping The One That Got Away to the anthemic Your Time Has Come and the more textured and crafted title track Seven Sins, there is a range of songs which keep you interested. They also have one hell of a vocalist in John "Harv" Harbinson who has a great range. Ably supported by bassist Graham McNulty, former Sweet Savage drummer Davy "Basher" Bates, and guitarist Steve Moore. Yes, shades of Maiden run throughout this album, but so what? Maiden are surely the blueprint for power metal and if you can use that blueprint then go ahead. Seven Sins is strong throughout, with Raise The Knife and virtual thrasher and Helloween tinged Abandoned Souls amongst the highlight. Yes, it is traditional in composition and delivery. No, it won’t pull up any trees or win awards but it is a solid, well produced and good quality release which sits comfortably alongside the more familiar names of the genre. Now guys, how about some live dates? 8/10

Reviews: Bullet For My Valentine, Ghost, Disturbed

Bullet For My Valentine: Venom (RCA)

Lets lay it on the line shall we? Bullet For My Valentine have always been a band that have split opinion, bursting out of South Wales during the early 2000's as metalcore and the NWOAHM were all the rage, their debut The Poison was a masterclass in breakdown filled, solo loving, thrash with the clean and harsh vocal mix, the lyrics were full of angst and the music full of aggression. Since then they haven't really fulfilled the potential that was hinted at by their debut, Scream Aim Fire was in my opinion a very good that was criminally overlooked, Fever brought a more pop sound to their metallic backing and then we have Temper Temper which is best left not talked about as even the band have admitted that even they are not fans of that album. So after this bit of tumultuous back story the band are now back, albeit without founding bassist Jason James, (happily he has been replaced live by former Revoker man Jamie Mathias), still they are indeed back and yes it is with a vengeance. What is immediately noticeable about this new record is that it harks back to their debut (not just with the title) the aggression, fury and speed are all present and correct, with furious guitars from frontman Matt Tuck and guitarist Padge who supplies the searing leads and furious soloing on tracks like the opener No Way Out which explodes out of the stereo with a huge swaggering riff and the glorious sing along chorus that is in stark contrast to the screamed vocals in the verse.

So an old school vibe straight from the opening and as Army Of Noise picks up the pace with a speed thrash delivery, it's the faster songs that show off Moose's superb drumming, he is relentless like a machine gun on the faster tracks but on the slower more epic songs like Worthless and You Want A Battle (Here's A War) he also holds his own supplying the rhythms for Matt and Padge to ease up on allowing the songs to breathe. Tuck's voice is excellent on this record, his screams are venomous (no pun intended) especially on The Harder The Heart (The Harder It Breaks) where he shows off his scream and also his melodic vocals which soar clearly over the furious metal assault of Skin. With 11 tracks on the normal album and 15 on the special edition you get very little filler on this album, each song just fits and many of the huge choruses will go down well in the live arena as well as starting some serious pits, the band have finally found a way to balance the emotive, reflective part of their music with the more ferocious parts of their music such as main album closer Pariah and final bonus track the non album single Raising Hell. Bullet For My Valentine are back folks and whether you love them, hate them or just don't get them the band have released their best album in years, hopefully this will finally be their time; the headline slot at Download awaits and along with their debut Venom will be their call to arms!! 9/10

Ghost: Meloria (Loma Vista)

Papa II is dead long live Papa III!! The Swedish occult ghouls return with their third album which sees them playing in a similar vein to their previous album but with a concious move towards a more modern and indeed progressive sound. As the carnivalesque organs at the intro of Spirit give way to the NWOBHM style riffs we are once drawn back into the strange, iniquitous yet uplifting musical world of Ghost, Spirit is a twisting turning first gasp before the bass led intro of the heavier From The Pinnacle To The Pit brings the more occult Satanic imagery as well as more modern sound that is also present on Mummy Dust which rocks like hell and features a particularly malevolent vocoder topped performance from Papa as well as some very 70's keys and synths (even a synth solo). The heavy aspect follows through into Cirice which is a very doom laden track that Ozzy and co would be proud to write (although am I the only person that hears Down Under by Men At Work?)

It has the right amount of dark and light along with the nameless Ghouls providing some fantastic drumming, keys and guitars that give Papa a strong backing to deliver some almost sorrowful and romantic lyricism, as usual his vocals are amazing clear, powerful and unique commanding the listener to pay attention what is being said. As I said this album has a lot more experimentation on it with the band flexing their muscle a little, this is never more evident than on the spiritual folky sounding He Is which is probably the most beautiful song ever written about Mephistopheles, Majesty sounds like a lost Deep Purple track albeit it does at time err on to the side of the Gillan fronted Sabbath. With every album Ghost add yet more excellent songs to their bursting live repertoire, this is still where Ghost are at their most impressive, but what they have also done on this third record is grow as a band adding more elements to their sound to make sure that their occult shtick doesn't grow stale, with songs like the amazing Absolution and the all encompassing Deus In Absentia which ends the album perfectly as Papa invites you to "Burn With Me" before the choir sings you out as you are absolved of grace and devoured by sin. Meloria sees the band standing on the precipice of greatness, they have become a cult act but now they are well on their way to becoming a band that may just cross over into the mainstream. Don't resist ladies and gentlemen come to the altar of sin and kneel before your Satanic majesties! 9/10

Disturbed: Immortalised (Reprise/Warner Bros)

When Disturbed announced a hiatus after their last studio album Asylum many though that would be the end of the band as frontman David Draiman formed his other band Device and and guitarist Dan Donegan formed Fight Or Flight, both albums were OK but both these men do their best work in the Disturbed mothership. After the two solo albums there was a relative silence and then from out of nowhere came the announcement that the new Disturbed album was in the can and ready to be released, shortly after the first single The Vengeful One was unleashed, this blood splattered clip has the bands mascot destroying injustice with a shotgun, which is very cool but what is best about the clip was that the band were indeed back to their previous musical form, indeed they fell straight into the sound that they had on Asylum which saw them branching out from their nu-metal routes (although not too much). The Vengeful One and the title track set the tone for the rest of the album with Draiman's unique rapid fire vocal delivery, his snarling lower register and soaring highs which drive the massive choruses with the trademark rhyming couplets. Add to this a massive, chunky rhythm section from  John Moyer's bass licks as well as Mike Wengren's blasting drums and you are immediately brought back into world of Disturbed.

As well as Draiman, who is always the focal point of the band, it's Donegan who is the other star of the band, he is a simply amazing guitarist, however he is highly underrated due to many believing Disturbed are a bit of a joke. Still Donegan plays like his life depends on it adding to the swaggering groove with technical lead playing that many are praised for, listen for it and you too will be converted, as well as the guitars he also handles the synths that undercut all of Disturbed's music. The synths are the major contributing factor to The Light which is an uplifting track that yes does have a religious overtone, but this is theme that permeates all of Disturbed's career.   As I said the signatures of Disturbed's sound are present on this album, in fact this album is more retrospective than it's predecessor, although this is probably deliberate to announce that the band are back by giving fans something that they know and love before. The electronic elements continue on You're Mine which could have been off the debut record, Save Our Last Goodbye has the staccato guitar sound, Fire it Up continues this vein and then the curve ball comes with their orchestral, dark reinterpretation of Simon and Garfunkel's Sound Of Silence. Still this is classic Disturbed with the modern edge and even though it's good to have them back they are still a band that will have critics but fans will lap this album up. 8/10 


  

Reviews: Year Of The Goat, Voodoo Vegas, Messerschmitt

Year Of The Goat: The Unspeakable (Napalm)

They say the devil has all the best tunes, well with the recent surge in more occult bands like Ghost, Lucifer, Death Penalty, Avatarium, Blood Ceremony, Orchid, Electric Wizard becoming more widely known it's time for those sinful souls to worship at the altar of Year Of The Goat. The Swedish (of course) band had long gestation before their debut and yet again they have taken their time creating this paean to Lucifer and all things demonic. As the whispered chants start off All He Has Read the track builds with  Marcus Lundberg's, Don Palmroos' guitars picking up pace before Fredrik Hellerström's drums and Tobias Resch's bass let the rhythm infect your soul, it's almost four minutes before the song kick in proper but as it does we have the guitars providing satisfying leads on top of the driving bottom end and Pope adds mellotron and organ flourishes that bring a sound not to dissimilar to fellow countrymen Ghost, the track then slows in it's final part which lets Thomas Sabbathi's vocals show off their summoning style conjuring images of His Infernal Majesty.

With a lot of the occult bands Sabbath is probably the go to influence but in YOTG's case they are more settled in the psychadelic style of occult music with lots of trippy keys and synths adding to the sturdy lates 60's and early 70's rock base, think Blue Oyster Cult on Vermin (which even features cowbell) Mercyful Fate on terrifying Carnival doom of The Emma. They have a Doors-like vibe to The Wind, a country style chug on Black Sunlight (which is one of the best tracks on the record) but mostly they continue to promote the distilled sound of the more modern neo-pagan, occult rock bands like Graveyard, Ghost, The Devils Blood and Purson with songs such as Pillars Of The South, The Sermon both of which rattle along driven by some superb percussion and guitar licks The percussive nature of the music continues on songs like World Of Wonders which is possibly the albums most psychedelic and hypnotic track as the mellotron bubbles under the surface as the pagan chants of Sabbathi's unique voice and Hellerström's metronomic drumming lead the way. Year Of The Goat have yet again made a great record, personally I found their first album second hand in a record shop and after the first spin I was in love with the band, this second release on solidifies what the first album made me feel, Year Of The Goat have danced with the devil and they make it sound like real fun indeed, Devil has the best tunes? You bet he does and happily most of those songs belong to Year Of The Goat! 9/10   

Voodoo Vegas: Hypnotize (Self Released)

Voodoo Vegas are a hard working good time rock and roll band from Bournemouth, they plied their trade across the country touring with everyone they could find, this meant that they honed their craft under the likes of Y&T and Status Quo before embarking on a PledgeMusic campaign to fund the recording of their debut album they went on to raise a jaw-dropping 344% of the figure the band first aimed for. The Rise Of Jimmy Silver was that debut and it led to the band having yet more exposure and yet more tours, relentless touring their ballsy hard rock all around the world. The debut album was very well received and on the back of that acclaim the band have given their fans a taster of their next album on this four track EP. Hypnotize continues the story of their debuts title character Jimmy Silver almost setting a prequel for the debut. The band ply their trade with hip shaking, rock and roll in the style of Aerosmith, Guns & Roses with a bone rattling rhythm section coming from the four strings of Ash Moulton and the sticks of Jonno Smyth. As the opening title track kicks things off with sleazy style before things speed up on Tied Up which shows off the guitar prowess of Merylina Hamilton and Jon Dawson while all of the songs are bolstered by the fantastic vocals of Lawrence Case especially the heavy final track of Killing Joke. This is a strong teaser from Voodoo Vegas, four powerful tracks that give a real overview of Voodoo Vegas' sound, on the basis of this album number two could be a stormer! 8/10

Messerschmitt: No Dread To Kill (Independent)

The Messerschmitt BF 109 "Was one of the first truly modern fighters of the era, including such features as all-metal monocoque construction, a closedcanopy, and retractable landing gear. It was powered by a liquid-cooled, inverted-V12 aero engine." They were one of the most famous planes in German military history and have been forever ingrained in metal history by coming out of the sun in Iron Maiden's Aces High. So for a German metal band to name themselves after these war machines would take a lot of balls, luckily Messerschmitt do their flying metal namesake justice as they play good old fashioned speed metal with high tops and bullet belts galore, these denim and leather clad rockers roar through nine tracks of twin guitar wielding metal driven by Kristian Tamm and Florian Piwek's thrash metal drum and bass playing; however unlike a lot of thrash bands there is nothing simple about Messerchmitt they weave a frenzy of distortion moving between time signatures like a fighter jet as the guitars of Christian Fass and Maik Jegszenties swoop in with rapid trade offs and nimble soloing. Messerschmitt have managed to hark back to the glory days of the early trash era, equally indebted to Kreator and Megadeth as they are to Judas Priest and Venom. So have they done the jet justice? Well with a flash, bang and hell of a lot of noise Messerschmitt make their impact felt beating you into submission with every note. 7/10  

Reviews: Fear Factory, Soulfly, Gentle Knife

Fear Factory: Genexus (Nuclear Blast) [Review By Paul]

Fear Factory, a band that stand in the halls of heavy metal history as innovators of the fusion of industrial, extreme and thrash genres. A band that was also ripped apart in the 2000s by internal division, legal battles over the name and the legacy. A band that always delivered live and crushed skulls with alarming regularity, such was the driving intensity of their music. 2009’s Mechanize and the impressive Industrialist in 2012 suggested that Fear Factory was still a vital and relevant machine, unwilling to sit on their laurels and play the classics but able to craft and culture their unique form of brutality for their dedicated fan base. With their latest release, Genexus, Fear Factory continue to demonstrate that they have the hunger and the desire to create new music.

Opener Autonomous Combat System reassures the listener that the industrial power and grind present in spades on Industrialist has survived intact. Although the band no longer have the powerhouse that is Gene Hoglan behind the kit, new man Mike Heller does an excellent job on all of the tracks he features on, pounding the skins throughout in the style that you would expect from a Fear Factory release. The combination of Heller and ex-Soulfly bass badass Tony Campo ensures that the engine room is firing on all cylinders and this allows the brutality of Dino Cazarres’ guitar riffs room and freedom. Andonized combines the powerful riffs with Gary Newman style synthesisers adding layers to the sound. Meanwhile Burton C Bell’s vocals range from the typical snarling spewing aggression one minute to the calmer, cleaner harmonies (can he cut it live though?). Whilst Genexus generally follows a tried and trusted formula, the album does contain the odd surprise. Dielectric merges the old school Fear Factory sound with a fresher, modern industrial slant, swirling synths meshing together with the evil ground out fret work of Cazarres. The last time I saw Fear Factory Bell’s vocals really struggled to hit the heights, out of tune and generally disappointing. Now I have no doubt that a bit of technical wizardry has assisted his performance on Genexus but his delivery throughout is excellent here, nowhere better illustrated than on the nu-metal feel of Soul Hacker, which has Bell in classic form, screaming his lungs out at times. The track is also the only one to feature Deen Castronovo on the drums.

What also enhances the album is a great production courtesy of Rhys Fulber and the engineering genius of Andy Sneap. The sound is crisp, allowing the full force of Fear Factory to wash over you like a tsunami. Album closer Expiry Date is reminiscent of Therapy For Pain, the closing track on the classic Demanufacture album. Two bonus tracks on the deluxe edition add value with Mandatory Sacrifice’s electronica remix providing shades of The Prodigy before it hits warp speed. Enhanced Reality is another less traditional Fear Factory battering ram, with Bell’s softer vocals smoothing over another electronic beat, almost Anathema-like in parts. Fear Factory may not be the innovators they once were but in Genexus they have proved a timely reminder that in the industrial metal genre, they stand proudly at the top. 7/10

Soulfly: Archangel (Nuclear Blast) [Review By Paul]

This week the medical profession in the UK published research that music in the operating theatre, as well as pre and post –operatively can aid your recovery. A timely discussion point then, as Archangel arrives, mere weeks after Max and La Familia destroyed the Globe in Cardiff. Just as happened at the gig, Archangel proves that there is no escape from the brutality of the Soulfly main man. Archangel is album number 10 from Soulfly and demonstrates that as Max reaches middle age he is in no mood to age gracefully. Archangel is also the shortest Soulfly release at a mere 36.5 minutes in length but as the saying goes, sometimes quality is better than quantity. Ably assisted by the ever faithful Marc Rizzo on guitar and the absolutely hammering family rhythm section of Igor and Zyon, Archangel is an all-out onslaught of thrash metal with the usual hard-core punk infusion. Opener We Sold Our Souls To Metal sounds better here than it did in the live arena, anvil heavy drumming and thrashing guitar and Max’s trademark guttural vocals. The album is loosely themed around religion and Old Testament themes but cleverly avoids the Christian label that afflicts so many bands. The title track is a surprisingly intricately paced track with a superb Mastodon style break down in the middle.

A number of guest vocalists enhance the album; Todd Jones from Nails adds real anger and hatred to Sodomites, a powerful stomping number with a massive churning guitar sound; credit to producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Children of Bodom, Monster Magnet) who has really captured the Soulfly live sound. King Parrot frontman Matthew Young provides a completely different vocal performance on Live Life Hard, screeching hard-core edged. However, for all the guest appearances, if you could bottle the essence of Soulfly, you would not have to go further than Titans, a venomous thrasher with enormous hooks and Max screaming at the top of his voice before slowing to a grinding riff which allows Rizzo to shred viciously. Final guest arrives on Mother Of Dragons; Richie Cavalera, Max’s step-son and metal frontman with Incite joins in the two and half minute frenzy. Brutal is too calm a word for this assault. The bonus disc gets you three extra tracks including the ten second Napalm Death cover of You Suffer. So, a shorter, more focused Soulfly album, full of rage, aggression and short sharp thrash that we've grown to love from Max Cavalera. So back to the medical debate. Soulfly whilst having a full frontal lobotomy? Absolutely. 8/10

Gentle Knife: Gentle Knife (Bajkal) [Review By Matt]

Norwegians Gentle Knife have managed to defy time and indeed geography here on their debut album. Although the album was released this year it sounds like it was recorded in England in around 1971. When you think of this band you must think of the pastoral, progressive music of bands like Yes, Van Der Graaf Generator, King Crimson and early Genesis before throwing in a little of Jeff Waynes' War Of The Worlds and you wouldn't be far off. The album features long sprawling songs, intricate instrumentation and whimsical songwriting which as well as being hallmarks of the bands mentioned previously, are also a very major part of Gentle Knife's resume. This 10 piece band have lovingly crafted this 10 track album that features a jazzy rhythm section who readily change the time signatures allowing the two guitarists to show their deft but intensely technical playing see Tear Away The Chords That Bind for masterclass in understated but intensive guitar playing.

The keys/organs are one of the main draws of the record, keeping everything together with waves of melodies as the synths wash over the songs. In just an extra bit of musical experimentation trumpets, saxophones and flutes all add to more pastoral tracks like Eventide which is where they really shine, along with the Epilogue: Locu Amoenus and the closing Coda:Impetus, as well as on the 'heavier' tracks like Our Quiet Footsteps where the keys and guitars do the work but the wind instruments flesh out the songs giving them a third dimension. As well as the impressive music element vocally the album is perfect with a crooning deep male vocal (and acoustic guitar) working in conjunction perfectly with the more haunting female vocals that sound an awful lot like Kate Bush at her most wistful. As with many of the original progressive rock bands (e.g King Crimson Procol Harum) the band also have a silent member who contributes the words music and some sound samples to the album which is the basis on which the musicians compose their magic. Take a trip back to prog's glory days with Gentle Knife who will take you trip far beyond the realms of normality so you can get Close To The Edge and then into Court Of The Crimson King just like the old days!!! 8/10  

Reviews: Teenage Time Killers, Gus G, Tracer

Teenage Time Killers: Greatest Hits Vol 1 (Rise)

What is a supergroup? Well there can be a good case for Teenage Time Killers for being the supergroup of super groups, formed by My Ruin guitarist Mick Murphy and Corrosion Of Conformity drummer Reed Mullin the two men have garnered a veritable who's who of rock and metal artists for this album which is essentially an album that allows the two men to explore their punk influences. Amongst the artists featured are: Dave Grohl ( Nirvana/Foo Fighters), Stephen O'Malley (of Sunn O))) and Burning Witch), Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stone Sour), Nick Oliveri (formerly Queens of the Stone Age), Jello Biafra (formerly Dead Kennedys), Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio and currently Blink-182) and Randy Blythe (Lamb of God). Along with these both COC's Mike Dean and Woody Weatherman, My Ruin's Tarrie B and Clutch's Neil Fallon all feature on this album that passes by at a fair speed as none of the tracks are over 3 minutes long (as is only right for snotty nosed punk).

Exploder kicks things off suitably with Reed Mullin snarling as the band thrash about behind him with a this blast of aggression and a Cali punk stomp, then it's hold on as the next 19 tracks proceed to kick you around the head as much like Grohl's Probot album there are experiments in the more fringe and extreme sides of music. Crowned By The Light is a doom style song with driven by Neil Fallon's unmistakable drawl. the D.I,Y ethos is very strong on this record with all of the musicians jumping in and out of the songs meaning that they all have a immediacy from a live-in-the-studio feel, Hung Out To Dry is one of the most brutal songs on the record as Randy Blythe growls over the top, Jello Biafra adds his lunacy to John Cleese's poem Ode To Sean Hannity while Bario is pure MexiCali punk that wouldn't sound out of place on a Misfits or indeed early The Offspring and shows why Matt Skiba is the best replacement for Tom Delonge (being that his voice is bearable). As the album moves on Corey Taylors confrontational vocals work well on Egobomb (Written for Taylor surely?) Tarrie B has raw attitude on Clawhoof and Municipal Waste's Tony Foresta adds his thrash tones to Ignorant People. This is an album that will appeal to those who like their albums primal and aggressive and indeed anyone that is a fan of anyone involved will find something to bang their head to. 8/10

Gus G: Brand New Revolution (Century Media)

Six string wizard Gus G returns with his second solo album. Having made his name with Firewind and now as Ozzy's guitarist he has set about creating yet another solo record that follows in the vein of his debut. This record however is more concise than the previous effort as it starts things with off fret destroying instrumental The Quest which harks back to his power metal halcyon days with the Greek power metal heroes. Vocally as well this album sticks with just four vocalists with the lion's share of the vocals taken by Jacob Bunton who has a clear melodic voice that he honed in his hair-style band called Lynam. His vocals are great and suit Gus G's more melodic hard rock style on this album, if I was to liken it to anyone it would be a big part of G'N'R, mixed with modern American radio rock. In fact much like former GNR six stringer Slash he has found his Myles Kennedy in the shape of Bunton who just fits like a glove on the five tracks he sings on.

From the Alter Bridge sounding We Are The One to the muscular ballad Behind Those Eyes. So this all means that the album style differs to that of both Gus' day jobs although the tracks on this album still features some sublime soloing that really shows off Gus's talent, Firewind drummer Jo Nunez and bassist Marty O' Brien add the wall of sound backing, Amaranthe's Elize Ryd provides her vocals to the best track on the album the symphonic metal baiting What Lies Below. The other voices on the record are Jeff Scott Soto who's smooth tones are perfect for Gone To Stay but he really isn't needed and Mats Leven once again shows his face on the metallic trio of Come Hell Or Highwater, If It Ends Today and The Demon Inside which goes to show why he should be the new Firewind singer. Everything has come together on this second album and even though it's not Firewind (or indeed Ozzy) while many are waiting for a new Firewind album this will have to do. 7/10

Tracer: Water For Thirsty Dogs (Rough Trade)

Young guns Tracer are now on their third full length album and since their debut min album they have been a band evolving their sound, they have always straddled the line between classic rock and 90's alternative rock. Spaces In Between had enough of a mix to keep them sounding fresh where as El Pistolero was rigidly fixed in the classic rock era (possibly due to Kevin Shirley's influence) but once again the band mix up their sound with Water For Thirsty Dogs which plants this Aussie bands feet in the 90's and early 00's, with more grunge influences than classic rock of previous releases much of this record harks back tot he glory days of AIC, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Much of this is to do with the excellent guitar work and vocal delivery of founder Michael Brown who is a dead ringer for Cornell with the title track and indeed many of the songs on this record being pure Cornell and Soundgarden, Us Against The World has the immediacy of Pearl Jam, while Lazy has the dreamy, melancholic tone of AIC and We're Only Animals and Owe You Nothing echoes the driving desert rock of QOTSA. Lots of influences on this record then but enough talent to make their songs stand out from the crowd see Astronaut Juggernaut, the spacey The Machine and the beautiful Homeward Bound which sounds like a Cornell solo song. Brown can really play and indeed his gruff croon too is excellent, also he is ably backed bassist Jet and drummer Andre Wise who provide the strong, swaggering bottom end for every song. Water For Thirsty Dogs is a great album that shows that this band have now found their sound and jolly good it is too!! 8/10

A View From A Sun Drenched Field: Bloodstock 2015 (Reviews By Paul & Matt, Contributions by Nicola & the MoM family)

Bloodstock 2015

12 hardy souls set out from South Wales at a quite disgustingly early hour to rendezvous at Strensham Services at 9:00am as we once again headed North to the hallowed grounds of Catton Hall for Bloodstock Open Air 2015. As always, cars were packed with too much, anticipation was high and the weather forecast bloody amazing!

Thursday

All parked up and in the queue by 11:10am, we were pleasantly surprised by a much more relaxed and friendly approach from ShowSec security this year and even happier when the metal hordes began pouring into the camp sites before the advertised opening time. By 1:00pm we had pitched the nine tents and commenced sortie No. 2.

Having made three trips to the cars to retrieve all the items we had brought with us, organised sleeping quarters and set up camp chairs, it was time for our traditional Sunday roast, this year with rump steak as the meat of choice. The steak was accompanied by a selection of vegetables and potatoes and the option of gravy too, not forgetting the mandatory glass of wine. By now Rhod had already hit the deck and was lying unconscious in a pile between the tents. Nick heroically volunteered to stay with the booze sodden bartender as the rest of us headed to the Sophie Tent for a bit of pirate metal.

One of the finds of the weekend in March at Hammerfest had been Red Rum (8), the East Midlands pirate outfit whose folk metal had been great fun to watch. A packed tent enjoyed 40 minutes of jigging and generally having a good time as Red Rum belted out tune after tune. Dedicating They’re Taking The Hobbits To Isengard to the recently departed Sir Christopher Lee generated a reception that wouldn't have been out at place at Comic Con and maybe that one moment genuinely sums up the world of the metal head. Make Port, Drink Port, Drenched In Ale and Elixir Of Death continued the pace before the place went nuts for Red Rum. Another excellent show from a band well worth catching if you get the chance. Heading back to the tent we marvelled at Stief’s newly purchased A-Ha t-shirt (five whole Welsh pounds). Little did we know that he would not even finish in the top three come Sunday.

(From this review onwards we will strive to provide the most niche t-shirt seen at said gig- Ed)

As the rest of the crew headed back to the tent, I (Matt) honed in like an intergalactic space hunter on the Action Adventure Rock And Roll of ArnoCorps (8) who play the music of Austrian historical tales that have been bastardised by Hollywood (Their words not mine). When Long Tall Sally blared out of the P.A we were strapped in and ready to GET DOWN!! As the drummer, two bassists, two guitarists (rock and roll symmetry) and frontman Graf all piled on to the stage they pumped out riff after riff of muscular metallic music with Preadator kicking off the assault before Commando, Terminator and I'm Ballsy getting the heroes and sheroes in the crowd chanting along as the band flexed their musical and physical muscle. As a tribute to the work of our Lord Schwarzenegger ArnoCorps are a band that take their music seriously albeit with a tongue in cheek, the band can whip up a crowd perfectly, finishing the 'party' night on a high, make sure you check out ArnoCorps in a sweaty club near you as they are bound to make you Let Off Some Steam!! (Sorry)

Friday

On Friday morning with the weather not just holding but absolutely stunning, it was no surprise to find Rhod up and ready to mosh at 6:00am, with absolutely no sign of any hangover whatsoever. Bastard!

Kicking off things on the main stage, New York thrash legends Nuclear Assault (6) transported some of the older members of the party back to 1986. Crashing through a 12 song set, which combined old school thrashers, including five from Handle With Care, and with a couple of tracks from their latest EP Pounder sitting comfortably in amongst the set list, Dan Lilker and crew blew out the early morning cobwebs without really pulling up any trees. Still, a decent enough start to the day but things were about to get a whole lot better with one of the sets of the weekend.

Back in 1984 an album cover with a knight on it caught my eye in a record store in Cardiff. That album was March Of The Saint by Los Angeles outfit Armored Saint. Although they never reached their full potential, their undoubted quality and the vocal talents of one John Bush were never in doubt and of course, Bush went on to front Anthrax for several years, releasing some real quality with the New Yorkers. A really decent release this year in Win Hands Down meant that the Armored Saint set at BOA was pencilled in from the start. It proved to be a good move as Armored Saint (8) put in a storming 40 minute set laden with goodies. Opening with Win Hands Down and then having the confidence to hit March Of The Saint second, Bush and co really worked the crowd and their traditional metal laced with thrash was well received by the early afternoon crowd, by know blinking into the strong sunshine that was flooding the field. Finishing with the excellent Can You Deliver and Madhouse (no, not THAT Madhouse) complete with young family member on additional guitar and backing vocals, Armored Saint demonstrated vitality and quality. 

Drifting into the Sophie tent, caught by the pull of German power metal I found Nick and Matt already nodding their heads along to some catchy riffage from a band making their first appearance on UK soil for many years. Good, honest power metal always goes down well with the Musipedia crew and Messiah’s Kiss (7) was pretty solid if unremarkable. (Great leather trousers on frontman Mike Tirelli and a solid showing from Persian Risk man Wayne Banks on bass)

After a quick break it was back to the RJD stage to catch Swedes Enslaved (7) who were whipping up a storm (okay, dust cloud) with their unique melodic infused extreme metal. Kitted out in black uniforms the band, who I've always liked without being over-enthused benefited from a decent sound and crushed a few heads with a range of tracks from their vast back catalogue. Grutle Kjellson, bassist and vocalist cajoled the crowd who responded well. However, one of the sets of the weekend was just minutes away and this was a real treat. New Jersey thrash outfit Overkill (9) has been delivering the goods for over 30 years and their last album, the outstanding White Devil Armory showed no let-up in form or style. You know what you get with Overkill and we got it. Kicking off with the pit-inciting Armorist, founder members Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth and DD Verni, ably supported by 15 year veteran Dave Linsk and Derek Tailer on guitar and drummer Ron Lipnicki tore a big hole in Catton Hall with a set list honed from 16 full releases over the past years. Hammerhead and Electric Rattlesnake emphasised Blitz’s unique vocal delivery whilst in between songs it is always funny to hear him speak in exactly the same way he signs. The action at the front was relentless and by the time Iron Bound, Elimination and the inevitable Fuck You had been delivered it was a real opportunity to be able to catch your breath. (I think Nick put this better than any of us with his cry of Fuckin' Overkill accompanied by a mini fist pump)

Over on the Jager stage I (Matt) managed to catch some of City Of Thieves (7) who played a short but rewarding set of booty shaking rock n roll getting the small crowd grooving, there is always some great talent on Bloodstock's smallest stage and City Of Thieves have proved themselves to be ones to watch in the future.

Inevitably, given that several members of our party are massive Sabaton fans, we made sure we got much further into the action for the arrival of Friday’s special guests. After a set sabotaged by appalling technical issues two years ago, the Swedes were clearly determined to put on a blistering set and brought their full pyro set including the tank! As then The Final Countdown segued into The March To War the arena, by now packed to capacity, exploded as Hannes Van Dahl took his seat atop the drum kit set on the top of the tank and the band ripped into Ghost Division. Is there a better set opener in the world of rock and metal? I doubt it very much. Sabaton (10), who in the minds of many should have been provided with the headline slot then provided possibly the best hour of the weekend. A varied set which mixed tracks from several albums and included three goodies never played live in the UK before (No Bullets Fly, Panzerkampf and Far From The Fame). The interplay between Joakim Brodén and the rest of the band was filled with humour, verging into cabaret at times but demonstrating how tight a unit the current line-up has become. The ovation that they received as The Art Of War brought the main set to a close eclipsed virtually anything else seen over the weekend. A powerful encore of Night Witches, Primo Victoria and old favourite Metal Crűe brought too short a set to an end. God knows how they will follow this in their UK club tour in March but it'll be just as much fun. Quite Brilliant fun and decent heavy metal to boot!

The decision to include Trivium at BOA raised the hackles of many of metal's keyboard fraternity; as much rage as the angst that greeted the Machine Head announcement. Putting the band on as headliners was a huge move. Now, Trivium is, in my mind, a band large enough to at least hold the top billing at the Second Stage at Download, but hello Gregory family, this ain't Download. To be fair to the Florida outfit, they obviously play where they are booked. It’s the name of the game. Trivium (8) bravely hit the stage with a new track, the title track from the forthcoming Silence In The Snow. Now that takes some balls. And then the gremlins hit again. No Corey Bealieu guitar, leaving frontman Matt Heafy to shoulder full fret duties along with vocals. Did it notice? I've got to be honest; although you could see the anxiety on the stage, hardly surprising for their first outing for several months; Trivium is a really professional outfit and held it together excellently. Beaulieu’s guitar was not back on line until the third track, Becoming The Dragon by which time he’d also suffered an electric shock or two from the mic stand. It took a while but once they got into their stride, Heafy and co. really did look like a band now ready to fulfil their promise and cope with the pressure of being the new torch bearers of metal. The Trivium back catalogue contains some monster tunes with crushingly heavy riffs and we got a fine selection during the 90 minute set. Into The Mouth Of Hell We March, Throes Of Perdition and the obvious Anthem (We Are The Fire) got the majority of the crowd banging furiously. Supported by an impressive stage set and back drop of two huge skulls, we also got another new track, Blind Leading The Blind before a mighty finish with Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation and the double hammerhead encore of In Waves and Pull Harder. My only negative is that Matt Heafy still presents himself as a latter day Hetfield, right down to the cut off denim with patches. Now, given that 50% of the crowd was dressing in a similar vein, this might be a harsh criticism but I’d like him to become a little more relaxed and develop his own identity. However, that is small beer in an otherwise impressive headline set.

Friday’s winner of the t-shirt faced stiff competition but the reaction from the crew to the man wearing the Cliff Richard tee surpassed the totally brilliant Cilla Black shirt which was also spotted.

Saturday

As Saturday dawned bright and sunny, a leisurely start for the crew with nothing much whetting our appetite first thing, we rested with a few beers and prepared for an afternoon in the field. First up was some black metal malarkey courtesy of Norwegians 1349 (7), who looked quite bizarre in the blazing sun and heat. 1349 deliver black metal by numbers and kicked out 40 minutes of Satan worshipping filth to a healthy turnout who had been starved of corpse paint clad lovelies to watch. Olav "Ravn" Bergene delivers standard BM vocals whilst Satyricon drum machine Frost drums the shit out of his kit. It should have got a whole lot better with the arrival of Finnish folk nutters Korpiklaani (7) who arrived on stage to a massive ovation. However, a dull and leaden middle part of the set killed much of the enthusiasm that had been building and their set was rescued by the inevitable Vodka, which reignited the jigging and usual bad dancing. That was worth the 7 on its own.

Over to the Jager tent to witness Pig Iron (7) for the second time within a year, this was an acoustic style show which suited Pig Iron's bluesy style, with songs like Golden, Hitch and Wildcat Birdhead the band played their biggest tracks but a few were left off due to frontman Johnny Ogles' obvious illness, for a man who was clearly sick as a dog his voice was still flawless and the band rounded out by Dan Edwards bayou acoustic, Hugh Gilmour's thumping bass licks and Joe Smith's drumming meant that the band still carried a sense of heaviness in the acoustic format, as Edwards guitar duelled with Ogles' harmonica. The band seemed to be having a great time and won over a lot of people who had never heard of them, for a fan like me (Matt) it was just great to see them live again!

A trip to the Sophie Tent was rewarded by a quite brilliant set from UK traditional metallers Godsized (9) who delivered 35 minutes of simple awesomeness. This is a band that has been around since 2008, and their Sabbath/Zepplin infused metal went down a storm to those seeking a bit of respite from the relentless heat. Glen Korner (vocals and guitars), Chris Charles (guitars), Gavin Kerrigan (bass) and Dan Kavanagh (drums) take a bow. A real highlight.

Back to the main stage to catch the tail end of the Gene Hoglan double duty afternoon and as you neared the RJD stage there was no doubt which mountain of muscle was seated at the rear of the stage. Hoglan is an absolute machine and he was absolutely destroying. Dark Angel (8), a meaty thrash outfit from California has been in existence since the early 80s although there have been several hiatuses. Having reformed in 2013 the band was on fire, with Jim Durkin and Eric Meyer shredding viciously whilst Ron Rinehart was ringmaster, exhorting the dust clouds to rise from the huge circle pits. Closing with a monstrous Darkness Descends and Perish In Flames Dark Angel left a huge mark on the afternoon which was building nicely. A small detour to catch Mordred's (8) set in the Sophie Tent with some hip shaking funk o' metal Mordred flawlessly merged thrash, rap, funk perfectly, for a band that have only recently started gigging again they were tight and played like it was the 1980's all over again.   

As Hoglan took a deserved rest, it was time for a real tribute band, the arrival of Death DTA (9). All metal heads who know their history will acknowledge the place of Death and Chuck Schuldiner in the development of extreme thrash metal. Founded in Florida in 1983, they were hugely influential. Comprising Gene Hoglan, Bobby Koelble (Death), Max Phelps (Cynic) and Steve Di Giorgio (Testament, Sadus, Death), this was one trip down memory lane and a total acknowledgement that they were on stage to honour one of the metal fallen. Ten tracks of brutality covering the Death catalogue, opening with The Philosopher and closing with a phenomenal Crystal Mountain and Pull The Plug; this was a performance that had everyone entranced for the entire hour.

And so to Saturday’s special guests. The mighty Swedes Opeth (9) who delivered a faultless set in their allotted hour. The months on the European festival circuit take their toll on bands and Opeth had clearly flown in only hours before. An hour allows Opeth to provide you with a mere taste of their wares, with Mikael Akerfeldt keeping his dry humour and wit to a minimum. The set provided a taste of Pale Communion with Eternal Rains and Cusp Of Eternity before a stunning Drapery Falls from Blackwater Park increased the tempo. Sticking to a riff heavy formula, the hideously heavy Heir Apparent broke necks before a pulverising 14 minute Deliverance battered the rest of the crowd into submission. And they said Opeth had gone soft. Fuck. 

So the Saturday headliners had to follow Akerfeldt and co and even though the style was different the delivery was slick, the visuals astounding and the musicianship was as tight as a cyclists shorts. With Mr H heading back to the tent the it was left to me (Matt) to cover the headliner and as they set up myself and my beautiful other half (camera in hand as always) headed down the front. The anticipation grew and as The Silent Force intro started up the small but loyal crowd awaited and as the band came on stage they burst straight into Paradise (What About Us?) with drummer Mike Coolen and Jeroen Van Veen's bass laying down a steady rhythm and Ruud Jolie and Stephan Helleblad's guitars giving chunky licks, it was Martijn Spierenburg's keys that had the most power though giving Paradise and indeed the rest of the set it's symphonic power, just before the first verse Sharon Den Adel came on to the stage throwing the horns and Within Temptation (8) were cooking with gas. Within Temptation started life as a purely symphonic band but after the Unforgiving the band took a more metallic, straight forward rock style expressed perfectly on the anthemic Faster and the Maiden-like Iron which featured riff after riff and sublime solos. 

Den Adel is fantastic frontwoman her stage presence is beguiling, with various costume changes adding a theatrical element, but it's her flawless vocal delivery that wins over the crowd, all the guests featured on the albums appeared by screen and backing track rather than live, Howard Jones came on Dangerous, before Fire And Ice led into the mass singalong of Stand My Groud moved via Iron into And We Run which has electronic hip hop style to it allowing Coolen's drums to really shine (until later) and had Xzibit spitting rhymes on the screen, yet again a mass singalong to What Have You Done? led into the final part of the main set, now this is where things got a bit disappointing, After Edge Of The World and The Heart Of Everything it was time for Ice Queen and the track started out quietly with the keys doing the work and as the guitars kicked in a bang and then nothing. The band continued playing but nothing was coming out of the P.A. After a bit of frantic playing the sound returned and they started again and yet again bang nothing, the frustration was bubbling below the surface, but Sharon maintained a calm exterior.

The band went of stage but Coolen remained and filled with possibly the most heroic drum solo I've ever seen, around five minutes later the band returned the sound returned and the build up began, everything crossed we waited and yet again as the guitars hit a pop and nothing, more playing around the mic came back, Sharon shouted to bring her some wine and they went off again. Upon returning they opted to skip the song and went straight into the encore of Covered With Roses and Mother Earth realising that time was not on their side. A truly majestic, greatest hits, set spoiled by technical gremlins that apparently dogged them on previous dates, my advice is to sort out the sound problems whatever it takes as this sort of thing should not happen to a headline band (never mind two!)      

Saturday had only one winner: The 2005 Rod Stewart tour t-shirt beat all around. The competition was hotting up.

Sunday

Sunday morning at BOA is traditionally a day to hold one’s head gingerly after two full days of metal combined with substantial amounts of booze and bacon. However, this Sunday was a bit special and we headed out at the ridiculously early time of 10:15am to get pride of place on the barrier in the Sophie tent. Two beautiful Welsh flags draped the barrier as South Wales finest, the superb Triaxis (9) went through their sound check. Yes, it was fan boys to the front. What a treat we had, with Krissie, CJ, Becky, Glyn and Giles proving once again what a fantastic outfit they truly are. Launching straight into Liberty from the excellent Zero Hour, we gained the benefit of a quality sound system and the rare opportunity to see the band on a larger stage than normal. The band took full advantage, Glyn peeling out the solos, CJ delivering another supremely confident performance and Becky running back and fore as if she was trying to shred calories, all the while, combining her pounding Rickenbacker bass lines with the powerhouse drumming of Giles. Meanwhile, stage front and centre was owned by Krissie who continues to amaze with her stunning vocal range. Once again the microphone was held far away from her mouth as she belted out Sand And Silver, Victorious and Stand Your Ground, already classics from the new release. Closing with the fine Black Trinity, Triaxis made that early start 100% worth it. They never fail, they never disappoint.

As we hit the main stage again, another Swedish outfit arrived and delivered a decent 40 minutes of standard heavy metal fare. Wolf (7) entertained and got the head nodding for their set although much of their stuff sounds a little much too routine. That is not a description you can apply to London’s Orange Goblin (9) who came, saw and owned the entire field. There is no such thing as a bad Goblin show and in the lunchtime heat with a beer in hand, this was absolute bliss. Big Ben Ward (you have to describe him as that) beamed from ear to ear, encouraged a wall of death and managed to get many circle pits going during their 45 minute set. Opening with Scorpionica, the band scorched through a mix of old and new, including the retro Saruman’s Wish, The Filthy And The Few and a rare outing for Quincy The Pig Boy before Red Tide Rising from Eulogy For The Damned completed a ball busting set. I'm already counting the days until we see them in the Bier Keller in December.

It continued to get heavier and heavier with the arrival of Sepultura (7). Currently celebrating 30 years, the Brazilians drew an enormous crowd. Packing their set with old school Sep classics, the mosh pits didn't let up for a minute. A new song, Sepultura: Under My Skin didn't do a lot for me but the opening riff of Refuse/Resist and set closer Roots always make you nod your head (or want to break something). Having seen Soulfly kick the shit out of the Globe recently, I’d have to sit firmly in the Max camp if forced to choose but the Seps continue to move forward, celebrating the legacy of one of metal’s most influential bands of recent times. More folky music metal with Ensiferum (6) who did very little for me providing more violin and squeeze box than you can shake a stick at but many of their songs just blended into one

A quick 40 winks in the tent enabled me to push into the final afternoon and evening and 20 minutes watching Lawnmower Deth (7) always raises a smile. My only visit to the Jagermeister stage was worth it as I caught four songs from Blind Haze (8) from Leeds who were excellent. A power trio carved out of the Motorhead School, the bizarre sight of Ben Ward’s wife dancing on stage with the band for the opening number whilst the security guy looked on helplessly very amusing. Between the jokes and general drinking the Leeds three piece played rampaging rock music that got the head nodding and the drinks flowing.

In between this I stuck my head above the parapet to catch a couple of songs (if you call them that) from George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher and the rest of Cannibal Corpse (7). Ice Pick Lobotomy and I Cum Blood was sufficient to reassure myself that the godfathers of death metal remained true and hadn't added a keyboard solo or two. Following CC, the worst decision of the weekend: I plumped for Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society (6) instead of French crazies Trepalium. I’ve seen BLS several times, most recently in February in Bristol where the 15 minute solo had been bored to tears. With little interaction between songs, the special guest slot of Sabaton and Opeth seemed a million miles away as Zakk delivered solo after solo after solo. A slightly disappointing set list did include The Blessed Hellride and Suicide Messiah and as always concluded on a high with Stillborn. However, it was a bit of too little too late and I think it will be a while before I put myself in front of Zakk and his Marshall stack. Oh, and using sheets with the lyrics on? Really? Take off another point.

Meanwhile on the Sophie stage our newest intrepid reporter Nicola went with Nick and Stief (old hands at all this by now) to soak in the sights and sounds of the aforementioned crazies: Sunday evening saw a quick detour to the Sophie stage to catch the French Death/Groove/swing metal outfit; Trepalium (9). Despite contending with a set clash with one of the weekend's notorious crowd-pleasers, Black Label Society, Trepalium pulled an impressive crowd to deliver an all-round blinding set. The tempo was kept high during a setlist that intermixed the swing-metal songs they have become more recently associated with, i.e. Guede Juice and Sick Boogie Murder, to the more death-metal induced songs such as Usual Crap. A particular highlight included their rendition of Fire On Skin, fuelled by the rage of an off-stage scuffle between Punda and event security that served to heighten the intensity and atmosphere. Overall, Trepalium used their set to command the stage and remind us that their brand of 'swing metal' provides entertainment without being gimmicky or sacrificing on the heaviness of the metal. To quote our very own Nick Hewitt "It shouldn't work, but it just does."

As the end rolled in, with the backdrop of one of the most gorgeous sunsets I've ever seen over Valhalla, we trooped back in to catch one last set. It was a good one with a 75 minute extravaganza from Rob Zombie (8), Piggy D, John 5 and Ginger Fish. The usual B-movie stage set with Kong at the rear and a cracking light show enhanced the bubble-gum anthems that Zombie has become known for. A couple of covers which he’s been throwing out this tour slightly weakened the set list in my opinion, with Blitzkrieg Bop adding nothing. The more obscure Lords Of Salem, and the staples of Thunder Kiss '65 and Pussy Liquor ensured that there was ample opportunity for jumping and head banging. A final blast of Dragula and bang, that was Bloodstock Open Air for another year. (A fair few minutes before the advertised finish time).  As always, an excellent weekend with fine company and some bloody brilliant music. Next year has Venom and Behemoth. It will probably have me but we shall see (A point I agree upon - Matt)

Oh, and Sunday’s t-shirt winner: Lionel Richie. Nice.

Reviews: Roger Waters

Roger Waters: Amused To Death 2015 (Colombia)

After leaving Pink Floyd Roger Waters set about on a solo career, he focused on the concept album format that he was the architect of in Pink Floyd. Waters was the main contributing factor to Dark Side Of The Moon, The Wall and continued on The Final Cut, which many still believe is a Waters solo album. Now Waters' solo career came to a head with Amused To Death in 1987 (which expains the outdated use of currency on the later tracks). This album was considered to be Waters best solo album (mainly by Waters himself) but was criminally overlooked, much of this was due to the albums depressing theme of technology's increasing contribution to a disconnected society and it's very specialist production, giving a 3D sound (essentially 2.1) meaning that many didn't get the full effect desired from this intensely musical album that features many sound effects driving the concept of disillusionment and apathy. Remember this album was released in a time of unrest in the Middle East, the country emerging from a recession and new technology meaning that meaning that people were more informed about world events and as a consequence of that they were more disconnected from it. If this sounds familar then this will go some way to explain why Waters has now re-released the album in 2015. This version has a full stereo remaster and remix along with a 5.1 Blu-Ray mix of the album all mastered by James Guthrie the original producer of the album.

Musically the album is as good as it's always been with Waters' vocal still uniquely impressive moving between a hushed calming whisper to a vitriolic screech within a bar, he has Jeff Beck supplying the Gilmour style guitars on the instrumental intro The Ballad Of Bill Hubbard and the Floydian What God Wants Part 1 which deals with a all of the evil in the world done in the name of one maker. The rest of the six strings are added by Geoff Whitehorn, Tim Pierce B.J Cole, Toto's Steve Lukather and long term guitarist Andy Fairweather-Low, drums are from Grahma Broad and the keys are all supplied by long time Madonna collaborator Patrick Leonard who is the driving force on Perfect Sense Part 1 which has a plaitative piano, cinematic synths, lyrics inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey and P.P Arnold soulful vocals, this leads into Perfect Sense Part 2 which has Waters wailing on a track that wouldn't sound out of place on The Wall with it's diatribe of the money obsessed world (backed by a submarine battle commentated on by the voice of MLB Marv Albert). In fact the entire album continues with the themes Waters first touched on with The Wall and The Final Cut, The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range has huge hammonds and is the rockiest track on the album with the aforementioned organs and some searing guitar from Tim Pierce. The album takes a break with Late Home Tonight Part 1 and 2 which is a more acoustic in nature with some orchestral flourishes at the back as it swings away like a 50's doo-wop track albeit with an upsetting lyrical tone.

The sound of this album is improved, nearly everything now is audible at lower volume than the previous release, if I was to give one piece of advice though it would be to listen to the album on headphones to get the full effect especially on Too Much Rope which features lots of numerous light and shade and has an fantastic dynamic range and the albums primary lesson which is "Give any one species too much rope and they'll fuck it up" reinforcing that this album is not all smiles and sunshine, we are brought back to the beginning with What God Wants Parts 2 and 3 which is the intro to the final part of the album that starts with Watching T.V which is a more country flavoured duet with The Eagles Don Henley about those that lost their lives at Tienanmen Square and the history behind it, moves through the jazz infected Three Wishes which yet again features Beck's sublime guitar playing, before the cathartic, chanting It's A Miracle brings the political and indeed biblical rallying to a head for the finale of the title track which exclaims that this species has indeed amused itself to death. Then as now Amused To Death is a damming indictment of the modern society fuelled by Roger Water's carefully observed paranoia about how the human race are becoming slaves to the machine and thus losing our humanity in the process. This album is a slog, depressing, thought provoking and very near the knuckle in places, not one to listen to when you're feeling down or need a bit of light relief but it is an intensely musical and ultimately rewarding listening experience with a new crystal clear audio. 9/10   

Another Point Of View: Queensryche (Review By Paul)

Queensryche: The Motion Bristol

With the car packed and all travel arrangements in place, a quick trip across the Severn was the ideal precursor for our annual trip to Catton Hall for Bloodstock Open Air.

Opening the evening were upcoming Portsmouth based outfit Dendera (8) whose recent album Pillars Of Creation certainly whet the appetite here at MoM. A truncated set as a result of some technical difficulties demonstrated why we are particularly enthused about these guys. Full out Maiden influenced metal, Dendera have captured a sound that really resonates with the classic heavy metal fan whilst still sounding fresh and new. The guitar work of Stephen Main was excellent, ably supported by David Stanton, Bradley Edison and drummer Andy Finch whilst the vocals of Ashley Edison were most impressive, with the combination of Geoff Tate and Bruce Dickinson most apparent. Playing tracks from the aforementioned Pillars and previous release The Killing Floor, Dendera received an enthusiastic response from the crowd. Definitely worth checking out live.

A quick change around and then it was time for some Californian thrash from the always enjoyable Death Angel (8). Kicking off with Left For Dead from the most recent The Dream Calls For Blood, Death Angel tore through their 40 minute set at full throttle, ripping into the back catalogue with Claws In So Deep and Buried Alive which combined well with the current tracks Son Of The Morning and title track The Dream Calls For Blood. Having reformed in 2001, Death Angel have been consistently good live for many years with original member and totally engaging frontman Mark Osegueda seemingly thrilled that there was a good turn-out. In a venue which appeared to be predominantly there to see the headliner, Death Angel worked the small stage effortlessly, with the twin thrash attack of original guitarist Rob Cavenstany and Ted Aquilar shredding viciously. Driving rhythm section Will Carroll and Damien Sissan maintained the momentum with Osegueda prowling the stage and delivering a quality vocal performance. Closing with the aggression laden Thrown To The Wolves from The Ultra Violence, Death Angel once again demonstrated their standing in the thrash world.

Having seen the revitalised Queensryche (7) really hit the mark at Hard Rock Hell last November, I really wanted to see the band again in the live arena. Unfortunately, vocalist Todd La Torre was suffering with a very heavy cold and struggled throughout the short set. Opening with Night Rider, it was clear from the off that La Torre was really going to find the set hard going and whilst his voice didn't let him down, it was evident that this was really hard work. Breaking The Silence and Walk In Te Shadows followed, La Torre hitting the high notes with apparent ease despite the cold and guitarists Parker Lundgren and Michael Wilton ensuring that they took up the slack with some brilliant guitar work. Old classics featured heavily, with some of the very early Queensryche music particularly pleasing to the ear; En Force and Warning to name but two. New track Arrow Of Time sounded interesting and received a good reception but as always it was the music from Operation Mindcrime which received the best response; The Needle Lies and Eyes Of A Stranger getting particularly warm receptions. Closing with Queen Of The Reich and The Lady Wore Black, Queensryche finished strongly and La Torre in particular proved that the show must go on.

Another Point Of View: Soulfly (Review By Paul)

Soulfly: The Globe

Less than 24 hours after the classic rock fest of Saturday at Steelhouse had warmed us on the mountains of Aberbeeg, I found myself with some of the MoM posse at The Globe for sweatfest 2015; yep, the arrival of Max Cavalera and La Familia to the ‘Diff for 85 minutes of absolute brutality. The Globe was sold out and if you've ever been there when it is sold out you’ll know that it is nose to nipple. Well, tonight, most of the nipples had substantial amounts of male hairiness surrounding them as the best part of 300 sweaty, heaving blokes smashed into each other.

Arriving on stage bang on time, the legendary frontman of Sepultura and all round metal legend Max Cavalera and his troops of doom immediately launched into the pulverising Frontlines; cue mayhem on the floor. “I don’t give a fuck” indeed. Max has been in the game a long time and in Soulfly he has honed and developed one of the most aggressive, punk edged metal bands on the circuit. There is absolutely no respite; huge riffs, demonic powerhouse drumming (courtesy of one Zyan Cavalera who nailed everything) and an all-out 100mph attack. The only respite of the night came from the short “Soulfly tribe” shout outs and the tribal edge of Umbabarauma from Soulfly. Either side of this it was just a smorgasbord of noise, with the tracks coming hard and fast from the full Soulfly back catalogue. Fire, Downstroy, Blood Fire War Hate and the immense Prophecy which predictably prompted Ant to lose his shit and spend the rest of the evening directing traffic in the middle of the pit, much to the amusement of the crew on the balcony.

As I've said, Soulfly don't fuck around one bit and the Welsh Soulfly tribe knew what to expect. When Blood Fire War Hate hammered home, you either get on it or get out of the way. We even got a new track from the forthcoming Archangel, the ludicrous We Sold Our Souls To Metal which unsurprisingly sounded as hard, fast and heavy as any other Soulfly track. Of course, with Max, you always get a couple of classic Sepultura tracks thrown into the mix. Refuse/Resist almost moved the building into the middle of Albany Road such was the reaction and the slamming of body into body was quite astonishing. In fact, I've struggled to think of another gig at The Globe which incited such a consistent pit. Max has always known his limits on the guitar, content to hit out riff after riff in the quest to provide concrete weighted rhythm whilst allowing long time lead guitarist Marc Rizzo to hit the shredding. On the other side of the stage, Igor Jr worked tirelessly with his brother to maintain the backbone of the band with powerhouse bass work.

Closing with a monstrous Roots, Soulfly returned for the absolute killer finish of Primitive and Eye For An Eye which I think had the staircase shifting sideways. I've never seen so many people jumping up and down in the balcony and at one point you really questioned if the most recent safety check had included a load bearing assessment. A final blast of Creeping Death and off they went, leaving a heaving, sweaty mass of totally bruised and damaged metal heads incredibly satisfied. If you don’t like your metal with the aggression of punk and hard core then Soulfly won’t float your boat one bit. However, when Max Cavalera makes the effort to come to your back yard, homage has to be paid and Soulfly never disappoint because they do (to coin a phrase) ‘exactly what it says on the tin’. Brutal but damn fine entertainment. 8/10

Reviews: Lamb Of God (Monster Review By Paul)

Lamb Of God: VII Sturm Und Drang (Nuclear Blast)

Is there anyone in the Western world of metal who hasn't heard or read about D. Randall Blythe’s unjust incarceration in Pankrac prison in the Czech Republic in 2012? Numerous metal bands proclaimed their support with banners at gigs whilst the internet buzzed and crackled with rumour and speculation about the LOG frontman. As we know, justice prevailed and the incredible dignity and humanity that Blythe demonstrated throughout the whole sad episode was a lesson to us all. He certainly earned the admiration of many who had previously thought that all metal frontmen were just a step above Neanderthal man in both lyrical content and vocal delivery.

Now, whilst LOG are definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, there can be no denying the sheer quality of their hook laden riffage which has improved with every release. I could list about 30 favourite LOG tracks just to illustrate my point but find me a track with more hooks than Ruin and I’ll be there in a flash. LOG’s appeal? Where do you start? Randy’s delivery? Gutteral, brutal and aggressive but strangely understandable and laced with intelligent lyrics. Chris Adler’s octopus-like drumming? Ever watched a drum-cam of him on stage? No wonder Mustaine made him an offer. And don’t forget the sharp riffage of Mark Morton and Willie Adler, held together by the pounding bass lines of John Campbell. It’s the complete package, powerful yet thoughtful and live, well if you've never caught these guys live then you really need to get out and sort that out. But take an extra oxygen cylinder because you’ll be gasping for breath by the end.

So, after all the shit that the band went through, it was a real joy to read that they’d got back into the studio and over the past few months there has been a steady build up toward the release of VII – Sturm Und Drang with the release of a couple of tracks easing the tension before the final release. What you get with this release is an album full of darkness, an exploration of the worst elements of humanity, a searching journey of exploration of the effect of incarceration on the human soul. Opener Still Echoes, written by Blythe whilst in Pankrac is a stunning opener. Focusing on the history of the prison, Chris Adler’s drumming is ferocious whilst Blythe’s gruesome narrative is delivered with real brutality. Riffs galore, more hooks than the butcher’s shop and a powerful statement of intent. As the album progresses with the themes continuing to focus on the dark depths of atrocities, you feel the passion and tension come flooding out in the playing of the band. Erase This basically kicks your head in, such is the intensity whilst 512, another penned whilst locked in the gloom and despair of the 135 year old prison recalls the horror of a place where over 1500 people were beheaded by the Nazis during WWII. 512 contains some of the most memorable riffs on the entire album, complete with the atmosphere of a place you cannot contemplate unless you've been there. However, it has the feel of a track that could sit comfortably on Sacrament, an album that is already nine years old.

That’s not to say that LOG haven’t moved on with their sound. Two tracks on Sturm Und Drang feature guest vocalists. Deftones Chino Moreno adds a completely brilliant and unexpected layer to Embers whilst Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan) features on Torches, a song which covers the subject of self-immolation and Jan Palach who immolated himself in Wenceslas Square in protest at the Warsaw Pact Invasion. Who said metal was all about tits, beer and the devil? The other change on this album is the clean vocals on Overlord. Now as we know Blythe sang some of Insurrection on Resolution with clean vocals but this is another level and it is breathtakingly good. Vocally melodic, Overlord retains the typical LOG steel spine; cue the explosion into more familiar territory from about three minutes in. No messing with the rest of the tracks on the album. Anthropoid focuses on more history, this time Operation Anthropoid, the plot to take out the Butcher of Prague, Reinhard Heydrich. A particularly gruesome tale, this track hits you like a freight train and doesn't stop until you get to the end of the line.

As well as the intellectually stimulating if depressingly dark theme, Sturm Und Drang also highlights what excellent musicians this band are. The pressures of the past few years appear to have been released, demons exorcised in a flurry of razor sharp riffs, powerhouse drumming and driving bass. LOG have probably released the album of the year and possibly their best ever long player. It really does rival Sacrament as an album with no weaknesses. Storm and Stress? Very possibly given what they have been through. This is a welcome return to one of the best metal bands in the world. 10/10