Sumo Cyco: Opus Mar (Self Released)
“Listen to raggapunk” read the slogan on an old school Skindred t-shirt. This would be good advice if there were any bands other than the Dred making music of that genre (well, there was Zeroscape I suppose but let’s overlook their failed attempt to start a musical feud with Benji & co). Fast forward a mere decade or so later and enter Canadian four-piece Sumo Cyco whose style is probably best described as punk laced with elements of dance hall and who clearly owe a very large musical debt to Skindred and – by extension, as they are still a going concern today – Dub War.
Despite singer Skye “Sever” Sweetnam’s recent assertion that without Skindred there would be no Sumo Cyco rest assured they are no mere clones. Sprinkling their influences into their own musical melting pot they manager to evoke similar sounds yet clearly have their own musical identity. Much of this is down to Sever’s distinctive vocal style, effectively combining moments of rapid-fire delivery (as on The Broadcasters) with melody (Kids Of Calamity) and aggression (Anti-Anthem) all of which gives the Cyco's their own unique sound. Couple this with guitarist and co-songwriter Matt “MD13” Drake’s knack of writing catchy, spiky riffs (such as on Sleep Tight) and killer choruses (Free Yourself) and we have a very tasty musical feast here on their sophomore PledgeMusic-funded album.
Opus Mar’s lead single and opening track, the aforementioned Anti-Anthem, is in many ways the quintessential Sumo Cyco song, showcasing as it does Sever’s vocal flexibility, MD13’s riffing, the signature dance-hall-flavoured breakdown and of course that all-important killer chorus, all underpinned ably by the rumbling bass of Kenny “Thor” Corke and the rhythmic drumming of Matt Trozzi (who, oddly, isn’t credited as a full-time member of the band in the CDs notes, even though he played on every song bar one). The dance hall elements of SC’s sound appear to be more emphasised on this release than 2014’s debut Lost In Cyco City but in this writers opinion it’s to the benefit of the album as whole giving some of the albums quieter moments (such as during Brave II, a successor to a song on that debut) a funky swagger and attitude all their own.
There is also second single Move Mountains which features a guest verse from none other than Benji Webbe himself which is yet another highlight amongst a very strong set of tracks. It’s probably safe to say that if you enjoy the two singles released thus far then you’ll enjoy the rest of this album. Upon it’s release on March 31st, I strongly suggest you take the advice adorned on that Skindred t-shirt. In fact I’ll give you some more specific advice – listen to Sumo Cyco. 9/10
Sunday, 19 March 2017
Friday, 17 March 2017
Reviews: Them, Sail, Basement Torture Killings (Reviews By Rich)
Them: Sweet Hollow (Empire Records)
Them are an internationally based King Diamond tribute band who have decided to write and record their own material with 'Sweet Hollow' being their debut album. The band is formed from members and ex-members of bands such as Symphony X, Ross The Boss, Suffocation, Coldsteel & Lanfear so this is no bunch of amateurs. As you can tell from their tribute act past and influenced band name there is a massive King Diamond influence throughout the album both in tone and in the horror inspired lyrical themes.
Musically though generally the band stand on their own two feet and play classic heavy metal with touches of power metal and thrash metal. With the calibre of musicians involved in the band everything is played to perfection and special mention must go to vocalist Troy Norr who ranges from King Diamond falsettos and mid range clean vocals to a harder gruffer vocal style. The songs throughout are catchy and theatrical but also hard hitting enough for fans of the heavier end of metal to still enjoy. All in all this is a very enjoyable album which has enough King Diamond influences throughout to please fans of his but also enough originality for general heavy metal fans to enjoy. 8/10
Sail: Slumbersong (Hibernacula Records)
Slumbersong is the debut album by Sail formerly known as Husk. The album incorporates many different sounds and is a big reflection on the variation currently within the sludge metal genre. The album ranges from groovy riffs to atmospheric progressive soundscapes to catchy almost poppiness. The band wear their influences on their sleeves and you can hear bands ranging from Mastodon, Baroness, Pallbearer and Torche in their sound. The album almost works as a love letter to the genre of sludge metal in 2017. The harder hitting songs such as Righteous and Old Tom work better and are more preferable than some of the most drawn out atmospheric songs which can get a little tedious. This is still a very enjoyable album which celebrates sludge metal in the 21st century though it does lack a bit of its own identity. 7/10
Basement Torture Killings: There's Something About Beryl (Grindscene Records)
Basement Torture Killings return with album number three There's Something About Beryl which is the first album with frontwoman Millie Crampton aka the eponymous Beryl. The album is 34 minutes of extreme metal insanity taking elements from old school death metal and grindcore and mixing them into a concoction of blood, guts and terror. There is very much a retro sound to this album sounding a lot like early 90's death metal and grindcore albeit complimented by a modern production sound. The songs all hurtle by with plenty of speed and ferocity and have all the common traits of the genre - savage riffs, blastbeats, guttural vocals and horror movie samples. Unfortunately there is very little in the way of variation and many of the songs are difficult to distinguish apart from each other but that being said this is a very fun and enjoyable album. 7/10
Them are an internationally based King Diamond tribute band who have decided to write and record their own material with 'Sweet Hollow' being their debut album. The band is formed from members and ex-members of bands such as Symphony X, Ross The Boss, Suffocation, Coldsteel & Lanfear so this is no bunch of amateurs. As you can tell from their tribute act past and influenced band name there is a massive King Diamond influence throughout the album both in tone and in the horror inspired lyrical themes.
Musically though generally the band stand on their own two feet and play classic heavy metal with touches of power metal and thrash metal. With the calibre of musicians involved in the band everything is played to perfection and special mention must go to vocalist Troy Norr who ranges from King Diamond falsettos and mid range clean vocals to a harder gruffer vocal style. The songs throughout are catchy and theatrical but also hard hitting enough for fans of the heavier end of metal to still enjoy. All in all this is a very enjoyable album which has enough King Diamond influences throughout to please fans of his but also enough originality for general heavy metal fans to enjoy. 8/10
Sail: Slumbersong (Hibernacula Records)
Slumbersong is the debut album by Sail formerly known as Husk. The album incorporates many different sounds and is a big reflection on the variation currently within the sludge metal genre. The album ranges from groovy riffs to atmospheric progressive soundscapes to catchy almost poppiness. The band wear their influences on their sleeves and you can hear bands ranging from Mastodon, Baroness, Pallbearer and Torche in their sound. The album almost works as a love letter to the genre of sludge metal in 2017. The harder hitting songs such as Righteous and Old Tom work better and are more preferable than some of the most drawn out atmospheric songs which can get a little tedious. This is still a very enjoyable album which celebrates sludge metal in the 21st century though it does lack a bit of its own identity. 7/10
Basement Torture Killings: There's Something About Beryl (Grindscene Records)
Basement Torture Killings return with album number three There's Something About Beryl which is the first album with frontwoman Millie Crampton aka the eponymous Beryl. The album is 34 minutes of extreme metal insanity taking elements from old school death metal and grindcore and mixing them into a concoction of blood, guts and terror. There is very much a retro sound to this album sounding a lot like early 90's death metal and grindcore albeit complimented by a modern production sound. The songs all hurtle by with plenty of speed and ferocity and have all the common traits of the genre - savage riffs, blastbeats, guttural vocals and horror movie samples. Unfortunately there is very little in the way of variation and many of the songs are difficult to distinguish apart from each other but that being said this is a very fun and enjoyable album. 7/10
Thursday, 16 March 2017
Reviews: Memoriam, Anewrage, Havok (Reviews By Paul)
Memoriam: For The Fallen (Nuclear Blast)
If like me you were lucky enough to have seen Bolt Thrower before their untimely but totally understandable cessation in 2015, you will have been waiting for this release with a real sense of anticipation. The Hellfire Demos certainly whet the appetite and Memoriam’s pre-Christmas show at The Asylum in Birmingham demonstrated that the band were the real deal in the live arena. However, the arrival of their debut album, For The Fallen is the acid test. And it does not fail in any aspect. The reunion of Karl Willetts and former Bolt Thrower drummer Andrew Whale elicits many memories but this is not a trip down memory lane.
As Willetts stated recently in Terrorizer, “This is a new band and we’ll do things our way”. With the addition of Benediction bassist Frank Healy and live guitarist Scott Fairfax, Memoriam contains enough fire power to destroy anything in their path. Opening track Memoriam is a real statement of intent, a crushing brooding beast which segues neatly into the now familiar War Rages On. This is a mesmerising track, full of power and bone crushing riffs. Willetts has added a little melody to his death metal growl but this merely enhances a truly magnificent vocal performance. Reduced To Zero is a slower, muscular track, one of four on the album clocking in at way over six minutes.
The punk infused battery of Corrupted System follows, Whale’s spine crushing drumming making a mockery of the fact that the guy hadn’t been in a studio for the best part of two decades. A statement about the current political shambles, Corrupted System is razor sharp, pacey and just full throttle. Flatline is next, a huge chunky slab of old school extreme death metal, Whale and Healy holding the song together whilst Fairfax unleashes some brutal slicing guitar. The song also contains an almost Slayer like chug in the middle section, evil and atmospheric whilst retaining the heaviness expected. The speed increases for the next two, with Surrounded By Death possibly the best three minutes you’ll hear this year.
Crashing power chords, ball shattering bass drumming and Willetts once again delivering in his own inimitable style. The change of pace is impressive, allowing you little time to draw breath until the final beat. It’s far from over though with the might of Resistance crashing straight in, the memorable riff both familiar and refreshingly new. Album closer Last Words is emotionally charged but holds no prisoners with a charging gallop. At close to nine minutes it is a fitting closing track, epic in both construction and delivery.
It's been over 11 years since Bolt Thrower’s For Those Once Loyal was released. It’s good to have Willetts and Whale back delivering the goods. For The Fallen lives up to all the expectations. Quite magnificent. 10/10
Anewrage: Life Related Symptoms (Scarlet Records)
If like me you were lucky enough to have seen Bolt Thrower before their untimely but totally understandable cessation in 2015, you will have been waiting for this release with a real sense of anticipation. The Hellfire Demos certainly whet the appetite and Memoriam’s pre-Christmas show at The Asylum in Birmingham demonstrated that the band were the real deal in the live arena. However, the arrival of their debut album, For The Fallen is the acid test. And it does not fail in any aspect. The reunion of Karl Willetts and former Bolt Thrower drummer Andrew Whale elicits many memories but this is not a trip down memory lane.
As Willetts stated recently in Terrorizer, “This is a new band and we’ll do things our way”. With the addition of Benediction bassist Frank Healy and live guitarist Scott Fairfax, Memoriam contains enough fire power to destroy anything in their path. Opening track Memoriam is a real statement of intent, a crushing brooding beast which segues neatly into the now familiar War Rages On. This is a mesmerising track, full of power and bone crushing riffs. Willetts has added a little melody to his death metal growl but this merely enhances a truly magnificent vocal performance. Reduced To Zero is a slower, muscular track, one of four on the album clocking in at way over six minutes.
The punk infused battery of Corrupted System follows, Whale’s spine crushing drumming making a mockery of the fact that the guy hadn’t been in a studio for the best part of two decades. A statement about the current political shambles, Corrupted System is razor sharp, pacey and just full throttle. Flatline is next, a huge chunky slab of old school extreme death metal, Whale and Healy holding the song together whilst Fairfax unleashes some brutal slicing guitar. The song also contains an almost Slayer like chug in the middle section, evil and atmospheric whilst retaining the heaviness expected. The speed increases for the next two, with Surrounded By Death possibly the best three minutes you’ll hear this year.
Crashing power chords, ball shattering bass drumming and Willetts once again delivering in his own inimitable style. The change of pace is impressive, allowing you little time to draw breath until the final beat. It’s far from over though with the might of Resistance crashing straight in, the memorable riff both familiar and refreshingly new. Album closer Last Words is emotionally charged but holds no prisoners with a charging gallop. At close to nine minutes it is a fitting closing track, epic in both construction and delivery.
It's been over 11 years since Bolt Thrower’s For Those Once Loyal was released. It’s good to have Willetts and Whale back delivering the goods. For The Fallen lives up to all the expectations. Quite magnificent. 10/10
Anewrage: Life Related Symptoms (Scarlet Records)
This is album number 2 for the Milan based outfit and if you enjoy the alt-rock scene then it’ll probably be something to get hold of. It’s full of chunky rhythmic changes, beautifully clean vocals and some intense guitar work. There is a whole range of influences cascading through Life Related Symptoms, with djent style bass work, all leaping and driving very noticeable. Evolution Circle for example swings into nu-metal territory and splashes a bit of grunge into your face whilst Linkin Park spring to mind on Floating Man.
The overall atmosphere is one of melancholic and misery, something that sits comfortably within the genre. Axel Capurro and Mauel Sanfilippo’s intricate guitar work is never lost in the mix whilst Capurro’s clean voice really gives this release a bit extra. Bits of Soundgarden and the Deftones drift in and out but Anewrage are far from a tribute band. Their compositions are crafted and well-constructed. A very interesting release and worth a listen. 8/10
Havok: Conformicide (Century Media)
It’s been four years since Denver thrash quartet Havok released Unnatural Selection. Conformicide captures the best of Megadeth and Exodus thrown into a snarling mosh pit and vomited out at 100mph. Fast, furious and spectacularly old school. David Sanchez’s vocals sit somewhere between Bobby “Blitz” Ellesworth and Steve Souza. You’ll either love or hate them. New boy on board is Nick Schendzielos whose bass lines are running riot throughout. Otherwise, Havok deliver exactly what you’d expect. It’s solid thrash metal with chunky riffs, enormous stomping sections and flat out speed. However, when you compare Conformicide to this year’s fantastic offerings from Overkill and Kreator, both 30 year plus veterans you realise that Havok have a way to go before they get to the Premier League. 6/10
The overall atmosphere is one of melancholic and misery, something that sits comfortably within the genre. Axel Capurro and Mauel Sanfilippo’s intricate guitar work is never lost in the mix whilst Capurro’s clean voice really gives this release a bit extra. Bits of Soundgarden and the Deftones drift in and out but Anewrage are far from a tribute band. Their compositions are crafted and well-constructed. A very interesting release and worth a listen. 8/10
Havok: Conformicide (Century Media)
It’s been four years since Denver thrash quartet Havok released Unnatural Selection. Conformicide captures the best of Megadeth and Exodus thrown into a snarling mosh pit and vomited out at 100mph. Fast, furious and spectacularly old school. David Sanchez’s vocals sit somewhere between Bobby “Blitz” Ellesworth and Steve Souza. You’ll either love or hate them. New boy on board is Nick Schendzielos whose bass lines are running riot throughout. Otherwise, Havok deliver exactly what you’d expect. It’s solid thrash metal with chunky riffs, enormous stomping sections and flat out speed. However, when you compare Conformicide to this year’s fantastic offerings from Overkill and Kreator, both 30 year plus veterans you realise that Havok have a way to go before they get to the Premier League. 6/10
Wednesday, 15 March 2017
A View From The Back Of The Room: Devin Townsend Project
Devin Townsend Project, TesseracT & Leprous, Colston Hall, Bristol
Finally a chance to see Devin Townsend in a venue with good sound and promising support was too much of a opportunity to pass up so, over the bridge to the majestic Colston Hall arriving shortly after the doors opened, through the labyrinthine venue I took a seat at the back of the venue due to the limited standing space at the front and within five minutes Norweigian band Leprous (7) took to the stage, this was my second viewing of Leprous and my how things have changed their songs are now more direct, euphoric and emotive than before, using the low-lights to dramatic effect Einar Solberg prowling the stage with mic in hand before getting back behind his keyboard, it was great to see an animated keyboard player for a change as Solberg commanded the stage from Foe through to Slave. With a prog-metal crowd and more than a few Ihshan t-shirts (Leprous are his solo backing band) Leprous' electronica-driven prog metal received a warm response from the Hall and set a high watermark
Next it was time for TesseracT (8) who have always been at the forefront of djent but appeal to me due to the soaring clean vocals the employ, but my one criticism of them live is that they are not the most visual of acts, well consider that changed, the use of lighting in this set was some of the best I've seen in a long time, the band were pretty much in shadow for the majority of the set as the lighting set the mood in sync with the poly-rhythmic riffs, it was great to hear Dan Tompkins once again behind the mic displaying one of the widest vocal ranges in the business. The songs came thick and fast each flowing in and out of one another making the set flow well, the band are all incredible musicians and their powerful, modern sound, resonated with the crowd who cheered during the very short gaps between the songs, with so much turmoil surrounding vocalists having Dan back means the band are now firing on all cylinders and taking the position in the prog metal world that they deserve.
Whereas TesseracT had little chat and messing about the same cannot be said about the headliner, one of the issues I've had with Devin Townsend (7) is that he does tend to ramble on a bit too much during his sets, he has gonzoid sense of humour we all know but he also seemed to be in the grip of an anxiety during the set, he punctuated each song with incessant rambling and churlish humour. I'll be honest Devin is a genius but I came to this show because the last one I attended in Bristol was a washout due to Devin's voice being all but lost, I didn't enjoy that set and unfortunately I found this set a bit stale, yes he played the best tracks from most recent release Transcendence with Failure, Stormbending and Higher all featured but most of the set was the normal Devin mixed bag of older solo material drawn from Devin Townsend, Devin Townsend Band and Devin Townsend Project.
The heaviness coming from Hyperdrive! March Of The Poozers and the heavy as all hell Planet Of The Apes, there is a reason why they call him Hevy Devy but he also showed the duality of his work with Where We Belong and the sing along acoustic Ih-Ah. Yes the playing was at the normal high level, the band all as good technically as Devin but the whole show just lacked a little something, I've been on the Devin train for a long time now but maybe it's a sense of consistency breeding contempt, as good as everything is played and delivered there was a sense of going through the motions of a normal Devin gig. Is Devin still in a league of one? Yes he is. Will I see him again? I'm not sure, for me the train is approaching it's last stop.
Finally a chance to see Devin Townsend in a venue with good sound and promising support was too much of a opportunity to pass up so, over the bridge to the majestic Colston Hall arriving shortly after the doors opened, through the labyrinthine venue I took a seat at the back of the venue due to the limited standing space at the front and within five minutes Norweigian band Leprous (7) took to the stage, this was my second viewing of Leprous and my how things have changed their songs are now more direct, euphoric and emotive than before, using the low-lights to dramatic effect Einar Solberg prowling the stage with mic in hand before getting back behind his keyboard, it was great to see an animated keyboard player for a change as Solberg commanded the stage from Foe through to Slave. With a prog-metal crowd and more than a few Ihshan t-shirts (Leprous are his solo backing band) Leprous' electronica-driven prog metal received a warm response from the Hall and set a high watermark
Next it was time for TesseracT (8) who have always been at the forefront of djent but appeal to me due to the soaring clean vocals the employ, but my one criticism of them live is that they are not the most visual of acts, well consider that changed, the use of lighting in this set was some of the best I've seen in a long time, the band were pretty much in shadow for the majority of the set as the lighting set the mood in sync with the poly-rhythmic riffs, it was great to hear Dan Tompkins once again behind the mic displaying one of the widest vocal ranges in the business. The songs came thick and fast each flowing in and out of one another making the set flow well, the band are all incredible musicians and their powerful, modern sound, resonated with the crowd who cheered during the very short gaps between the songs, with so much turmoil surrounding vocalists having Dan back means the band are now firing on all cylinders and taking the position in the prog metal world that they deserve.
Whereas TesseracT had little chat and messing about the same cannot be said about the headliner, one of the issues I've had with Devin Townsend (7) is that he does tend to ramble on a bit too much during his sets, he has gonzoid sense of humour we all know but he also seemed to be in the grip of an anxiety during the set, he punctuated each song with incessant rambling and churlish humour. I'll be honest Devin is a genius but I came to this show because the last one I attended in Bristol was a washout due to Devin's voice being all but lost, I didn't enjoy that set and unfortunately I found this set a bit stale, yes he played the best tracks from most recent release Transcendence with Failure, Stormbending and Higher all featured but most of the set was the normal Devin mixed bag of older solo material drawn from Devin Townsend, Devin Townsend Band and Devin Townsend Project.
The heaviness coming from Hyperdrive! March Of The Poozers and the heavy as all hell Planet Of The Apes, there is a reason why they call him Hevy Devy but he also showed the duality of his work with Where We Belong and the sing along acoustic Ih-Ah. Yes the playing was at the normal high level, the band all as good technically as Devin but the whole show just lacked a little something, I've been on the Devin train for a long time now but maybe it's a sense of consistency breeding contempt, as good as everything is played and delivered there was a sense of going through the motions of a normal Devin gig. Is Devin still in a league of one? Yes he is. Will I see him again? I'm not sure, for me the train is approaching it's last stop.
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Reviews: Blaze Bayley, Majesty, OHHMS
Blaze Bayley: Endure & Survive (Blaze Bayley Recordings)
This record is the second part of a trilogy following a re-programmed assassin on a quest to dealing with what it is to be human, it's the follow up to Infinite Entanglement and continues the high concept science fiction storyline, with the protagonist finding out what his true purpose is. Once again Blaze is backed by Chris Appleton (guitar), Martin McNee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass) aka Absolva and they clearly know how to make a traditional metal racket with a thundering rhythm section, galloping riffs and explosive solo's they play like they are more than just a three piece. As I've mentioned before Blaze's solo records are much heavier than Wolfsbane and even his Maiden work, it sets them apart and actually enamours me to them because of this.
This ninth release is no exception with the title track expertly moving between, power-thrash riffs, Blaze's booming unique vocals and spoken word storytelling from Aine Brewer, Proprietor of Cardiff's Fuel Rock Club Rob Toogood and Michelle Sciarrotta; who also provides Nylon Guitars along with long term Bayley collaborator Thomas Zwijsen, see Remember for the classical acoustic sound. Endure & Survive adds a darker sound than the previous record, the story gets grittier and as such so does the music.
It's a great heavy metal record full of horn throwing proper metal, an interesting cinematic story concept and Bayley's muscular vocals being flexed better than ever before. With tracks such as Blood, Destroyer and the gargantuan Together We Can Move the Sun it means this record not only satisfies as the second part of the trilogy but stands up on it's own merit as well. 8/10
Majesty: Rebels (Napalm) [Review By Rich]
Majesty seem to be one of heavy metals best kept secrets. They have been pumping out album after album of heavy metal greatness since 2000 yet don't seem to be very well known outside of their native Germany or mainland Europe. With the release of their ninth album Rebels they will hopefully garner some new fans internationally as it is an absolutely cracking record. Majesty play a very Manowar-inspired style of heavy metal also mixing in elements of speed metal and European power metal.
The album of chock full of cheesy fist-pumping metal anthems which will be stuck in your head for hours on end with highlights such as Rebels Of Our Time, Fireheart and Heroes In The Night being simply irresistible to a fan of cheesy metal such as myself. With Rebels Majesty have continued down the path of true metal greatness they have laid with their previous albums. It doesn't add anything new to the Majesty sound but is catchy, silly and damn good fun which is exactly what you want with this style of metal. 8/10
OHHMS: The Fool (Holy Roar) [Review By Rich]
UK sludge metal outfit OHHMS return with their first full length release The Fool. For an album with only six tracks there is a lot going on throughout The Fool from dense crushing riffs, atmospheric passages and shoegaze soundscapes. After an acoustic intro you have a trio of songs that mix that sludgy denseness with atmosphere that veers between epic and melancholic. Although these are lengthy songs the amount of changes throughout simply demand your attention. The most noticeably different song here is The Lovers with it's almost dream-pop/shoegaze sound complimented by clean male and female vocals.
This then goes into what is the centrepiece of the album - the monolithic 21 minute plus The Hierograph which starts with hypnotic droning guitars slowly building as the song begins to take shape ending in what is the most atmospheric song on the album. Unfortunately at 21 minutes it does tend to go on a bit too long but this is an extremely minor criticism. With The Fool OHHMS prove themselves to be one of the top sludge bands in the UK at the moment and I cannot wait to see what they have in store next. Fans of Neurosis and Cult Of Luna really need to check this album out. 8/10
This record is the second part of a trilogy following a re-programmed assassin on a quest to dealing with what it is to be human, it's the follow up to Infinite Entanglement and continues the high concept science fiction storyline, with the protagonist finding out what his true purpose is. Once again Blaze is backed by Chris Appleton (guitar), Martin McNee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass) aka Absolva and they clearly know how to make a traditional metal racket with a thundering rhythm section, galloping riffs and explosive solo's they play like they are more than just a three piece. As I've mentioned before Blaze's solo records are much heavier than Wolfsbane and even his Maiden work, it sets them apart and actually enamours me to them because of this.
This ninth release is no exception with the title track expertly moving between, power-thrash riffs, Blaze's booming unique vocals and spoken word storytelling from Aine Brewer, Proprietor of Cardiff's Fuel Rock Club Rob Toogood and Michelle Sciarrotta; who also provides Nylon Guitars along with long term Bayley collaborator Thomas Zwijsen, see Remember for the classical acoustic sound. Endure & Survive adds a darker sound than the previous record, the story gets grittier and as such so does the music.
It's a great heavy metal record full of horn throwing proper metal, an interesting cinematic story concept and Bayley's muscular vocals being flexed better than ever before. With tracks such as Blood, Destroyer and the gargantuan Together We Can Move the Sun it means this record not only satisfies as the second part of the trilogy but stands up on it's own merit as well. 8/10
Majesty: Rebels (Napalm) [Review By Rich]
Majesty seem to be one of heavy metals best kept secrets. They have been pumping out album after album of heavy metal greatness since 2000 yet don't seem to be very well known outside of their native Germany or mainland Europe. With the release of their ninth album Rebels they will hopefully garner some new fans internationally as it is an absolutely cracking record. Majesty play a very Manowar-inspired style of heavy metal also mixing in elements of speed metal and European power metal.
The album of chock full of cheesy fist-pumping metal anthems which will be stuck in your head for hours on end with highlights such as Rebels Of Our Time, Fireheart and Heroes In The Night being simply irresistible to a fan of cheesy metal such as myself. With Rebels Majesty have continued down the path of true metal greatness they have laid with their previous albums. It doesn't add anything new to the Majesty sound but is catchy, silly and damn good fun which is exactly what you want with this style of metal. 8/10
OHHMS: The Fool (Holy Roar) [Review By Rich]
UK sludge metal outfit OHHMS return with their first full length release The Fool. For an album with only six tracks there is a lot going on throughout The Fool from dense crushing riffs, atmospheric passages and shoegaze soundscapes. After an acoustic intro you have a trio of songs that mix that sludgy denseness with atmosphere that veers between epic and melancholic. Although these are lengthy songs the amount of changes throughout simply demand your attention. The most noticeably different song here is The Lovers with it's almost dream-pop/shoegaze sound complimented by clean male and female vocals.
This then goes into what is the centrepiece of the album - the monolithic 21 minute plus The Hierograph which starts with hypnotic droning guitars slowly building as the song begins to take shape ending in what is the most atmospheric song on the album. Unfortunately at 21 minutes it does tend to go on a bit too long but this is an extremely minor criticism. With The Fool OHHMS prove themselves to be one of the top sludge bands in the UK at the moment and I cannot wait to see what they have in store next. Fans of Neurosis and Cult Of Luna really need to check this album out. 8/10
Reviews: Danko Jones, The Charm The Fury, Lux Perpetua
Danko Jones: Wild Cat (AFM)
Danko Jones is a man that bleeds rock n roll, it's his reason for getting up in the morning over the course of his career and 8 albums he may not have gained arena level status but he has what a lot of top level musicians lack, honesty, making music is more than just his bread and butter it's his life force and you can hear that coming out in every song he writes. Wild Cat is his eighth album and once again along with his partner in crime bassist John Calabrese and drummer Rich Knox it's 11 slabs of fast and furious, attitude filled proper rock n roll.
If you've never heard Danko Jones or can't picture proper rock n roll then imagine AC/DC and The Ramones jamming Chuck Berry songs on a speeding train. From track 1 to track 11 it's non stop riffs and naughtiness, the lyrics rarely change, rebellion, loving and rocking are the main factors but that's no matter Danko as usual has a party going on and everyone's invited. Take a track like My Little RNR it's filthy, flirty but also romantic in a horny teenage way coupled with the garage rock riffs it's a prime indicator of what Wild Cat is about.
Occasionally though he does shift the musical influences Let's Start Dancing teams funk with rockabilly fury and You Are My Woman stands out as a favourite on the record due to it's smooth Thin Lizzy-like vibe, yes it still rocks, hard, but Jones channels Mr Lynnott with some spoken word vocals in the middle of the track. Wild Cat doesn't do anything drastic but it does once again show that this trio bring the party and hard. 8/10
The Charm The Fury: The Sick, Dumb & Happy (Arising Empire)
There has been a lot of talk surrounding The Charm The Fury, a lot of press has been garnered and this sophomore album has been advertised for a while now. I actually had never heard of the band until I saw the press for this record, after a bit of searching I found that the band are based in Amsterdam and have released an EP and a full length before this album, they are characterised as a metalcore band and after the first listen to this record I can clearly hear the influence of Killswitch Engage et al as the songs are full of chugging groove filled riffs, there are nods to Lamb Of God on opener Down On The Ropes which sees frontwoman Caroline growling as well as Mr Blythe commanding the microphone with her aggressive snarl.
However later in the album on Blood And Salt she displays her cleaner delivery. As this record progressed I felt like The Sick, Dumb & Happy was similar in sound to much of the In This Moment early albums, it's aggressive and powerful but features a melodic touch on tracks such as Silent War that shows a lot of maturity. Metalcore is not usually my bag and at points during this record I did find myself getting a little distracted, but if you like razor-sharp modern metal with ferocious riffs and savage vocals you'll love this pit-inciting record. 7/10
Lux Perpetua: The Curse Of The Iron King (Underground Symphony)
Lux Perpetua used to be called Sentinel and after numerous line up changes finally they have settled on the name Lux Perpetua (Perpetual Light - Latin Ed), a steady line up and they have finally recorded their debut album. If you couldn't tell from the band name, album title or cover image Lux Perpetua are a power metal band, they hail from Poland and they share a name with the third book in a historical fantasy trilogy by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski (as well as a mass). They also share a narrative influence with the book, this album deals with historical fantasy with tales of and Iron King, an old Bard and a Werewolf, coupled with the intensely symphonic, heavy metal The Curse Of The Iron King could easily played in the same marathon gaming session as Blind Guardian or Rhapsody (Of Fire or otherwise).
The record opens with the triumphant instrumental Celebration before the title track starts the album properly with Paweł "Kaplic" Zasadzki drumming like crazy, he rarely drops from 100mph turning the normal power metal gallop into a sprint, Krzysztof "Kormak" Rutkowski ably aides him with the bass riffs. Tomasz "Tommy" Sałaciński and Mateusz Uściłowski are the axemen of the band and they ramp up the metal with dual leads see Army Of Salvation giving the traditional power metal sound. While other tracks such as The Legend super fast rhythm licks and supersonic solos. They also take on a Blind Guardian-like folk ballad on Eversong which sits neatly in the middle of the Claymore wielding battle themes.
Artur Rosinski delivers each line with a gruff power he really hits his stride on the progressive An Old Bard however the band really stand out due to the incredible keys of Magdalena "Meg" Tararuj who adds the symphonic elements to the tracks such as a church organ to The Werewolf, cinematics to Desert Of Destiny, a Templar clarion call to the title track. Lux Perpetua have taken a long time over this debut album and it shows, the record is full of power metal anthems, turn it up loud and raise a fist to the sky. 9/10
Danko Jones is a man that bleeds rock n roll, it's his reason for getting up in the morning over the course of his career and 8 albums he may not have gained arena level status but he has what a lot of top level musicians lack, honesty, making music is more than just his bread and butter it's his life force and you can hear that coming out in every song he writes. Wild Cat is his eighth album and once again along with his partner in crime bassist John Calabrese and drummer Rich Knox it's 11 slabs of fast and furious, attitude filled proper rock n roll.
If you've never heard Danko Jones or can't picture proper rock n roll then imagine AC/DC and The Ramones jamming Chuck Berry songs on a speeding train. From track 1 to track 11 it's non stop riffs and naughtiness, the lyrics rarely change, rebellion, loving and rocking are the main factors but that's no matter Danko as usual has a party going on and everyone's invited. Take a track like My Little RNR it's filthy, flirty but also romantic in a horny teenage way coupled with the garage rock riffs it's a prime indicator of what Wild Cat is about.
Occasionally though he does shift the musical influences Let's Start Dancing teams funk with rockabilly fury and You Are My Woman stands out as a favourite on the record due to it's smooth Thin Lizzy-like vibe, yes it still rocks, hard, but Jones channels Mr Lynnott with some spoken word vocals in the middle of the track. Wild Cat doesn't do anything drastic but it does once again show that this trio bring the party and hard. 8/10
The Charm The Fury: The Sick, Dumb & Happy (Arising Empire)
There has been a lot of talk surrounding The Charm The Fury, a lot of press has been garnered and this sophomore album has been advertised for a while now. I actually had never heard of the band until I saw the press for this record, after a bit of searching I found that the band are based in Amsterdam and have released an EP and a full length before this album, they are characterised as a metalcore band and after the first listen to this record I can clearly hear the influence of Killswitch Engage et al as the songs are full of chugging groove filled riffs, there are nods to Lamb Of God on opener Down On The Ropes which sees frontwoman Caroline growling as well as Mr Blythe commanding the microphone with her aggressive snarl.
However later in the album on Blood And Salt she displays her cleaner delivery. As this record progressed I felt like The Sick, Dumb & Happy was similar in sound to much of the In This Moment early albums, it's aggressive and powerful but features a melodic touch on tracks such as Silent War that shows a lot of maturity. Metalcore is not usually my bag and at points during this record I did find myself getting a little distracted, but if you like razor-sharp modern metal with ferocious riffs and savage vocals you'll love this pit-inciting record. 7/10
Lux Perpetua: The Curse Of The Iron King (Underground Symphony)
Lux Perpetua used to be called Sentinel and after numerous line up changes finally they have settled on the name Lux Perpetua (Perpetual Light - Latin Ed), a steady line up and they have finally recorded their debut album. If you couldn't tell from the band name, album title or cover image Lux Perpetua are a power metal band, they hail from Poland and they share a name with the third book in a historical fantasy trilogy by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski (as well as a mass). They also share a narrative influence with the book, this album deals with historical fantasy with tales of and Iron King, an old Bard and a Werewolf, coupled with the intensely symphonic, heavy metal The Curse Of The Iron King could easily played in the same marathon gaming session as Blind Guardian or Rhapsody (Of Fire or otherwise).
The record opens with the triumphant instrumental Celebration before the title track starts the album properly with Paweł "Kaplic" Zasadzki drumming like crazy, he rarely drops from 100mph turning the normal power metal gallop into a sprint, Krzysztof "Kormak" Rutkowski ably aides him with the bass riffs. Tomasz "Tommy" Sałaciński and Mateusz Uściłowski are the axemen of the band and they ramp up the metal with dual leads see Army Of Salvation giving the traditional power metal sound. While other tracks such as The Legend super fast rhythm licks and supersonic solos. They also take on a Blind Guardian-like folk ballad on Eversong which sits neatly in the middle of the Claymore wielding battle themes.
Artur Rosinski delivers each line with a gruff power he really hits his stride on the progressive An Old Bard however the band really stand out due to the incredible keys of Magdalena "Meg" Tararuj who adds the symphonic elements to the tracks such as a church organ to The Werewolf, cinematics to Desert Of Destiny, a Templar clarion call to the title track. Lux Perpetua have taken a long time over this debut album and it shows, the record is full of power metal anthems, turn it up loud and raise a fist to the sky. 9/10
Monday, 13 March 2017
A View From The Back Of The Room: Blaze Bayley
Blaze Bayley, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff
The former Iron Maiden current Wolfsbane singer made his third trip to Cardiff in three years, this time on the back of his latest album Endure And Survive which is the second in Bayley's sci-fi trilogy dealing with space travel, murder and all kinds of other shenanigans. Having seen Blaze in the same venue around the same time last year, I was anticipating a similar show with a different setlist and that's exactly what I got taking a few more songs from the most recent record Endure And Survive the set opened up with two newbies the title track Endure And Survive and Escape Velocity which opened the set strongly, I was impressed that the hardcore at the front of the stage were shouting along with every word even though the album is barely a week old.
The former Iron Maiden current Wolfsbane singer made his third trip to Cardiff in three years, this time on the back of his latest album Endure And Survive which is the second in Bayley's sci-fi trilogy dealing with space travel, murder and all kinds of other shenanigans. Having seen Blaze in the same venue around the same time last year, I was anticipating a similar show with a different setlist and that's exactly what I got taking a few more songs from the most recent record Endure And Survive the set opened up with two newbies the title track Endure And Survive and Escape Velocity which opened the set strongly, I was impressed that the hardcore at the front of the stage were shouting along with every word even though the album is barely a week old.
After the two new songs it was straight back to the Maiden days with the chugging Futureal which whipped the crowd into a frenzy as Chris Appleton handled Janick and Dave Murray's guitar parts easily, with Karl Schramm doing his best Steve Harris (while trying to avoid smacking his head on the alcove at the side of the stage). Back to the new album for the aggressive Blood and then probably one of Bayley's best solo songs the fist pumping, crowd singalong Kill & Destroy which was the first song that really displayed Bayley's antagonistic stage banter where he claimed the crowd was better last year and that he wanted every other crowd to be in awe of Cardiff, he threatened cajoled and gave a heartfelt speech about supporting live independent music, so when it came to the "Kill" refrain in the song the audience were all in one voice.
Bayley is a master manipulator and neatly segued from Kill & Destroy into I Am Alive which was followed by road anthem Watching The Night Skies with I Live For 1000 Years, Eating Lies, I Am Human all in rapid succession Martin McNee's drumming driving along everything at a ferocious pace. A huge cheer was elicited for Silicon Messiah from the album of the same name with Calling Them Home and Stare At The Sun both displaying Bayley's Midas Touch for epics. However his own epic was over-shadowed by the one song from his back catalogue I've never seen him play live, Chris Appleton played the harmonic chords that open The Clansman there was an almighty cheer and we set off. With the rallying cry of "Freedom" every word was shouted back, fists were in the air and it was a glorious celebration of what is in my opinion one of Iron Maiden's best songs.
Chris once again played all the guitar solo parts with ease commanding the stage like the frontman he is (Blaze's backing band are also the three members of Absolva). With little time to rest between the songs we were promised danger next and that's what we got, no not Bayley's Wolfsbane band mate but a song from his first band, it had to be of course the intense Manhunt which created chaos as the Howling Mad Shitheads near the front reverted back to their teenage years and started to bounce with reckless abandon, with some extended solo sections from McNee, Appleton and Schramm before Blaze burst back onto the stage for the climatic Man On The Edge. The hot and sweaty venue was cheering wildly as the set finished and the band left the stage, before being drawn back for one more *free* song Ten Seconds from Blood And Belief .
It was a glorious celebration of Blaze's career with tracks drawn from every period, the sound was pretty much spot on not suffering from the feedback that occasionally affects the venue. I urge you to see Blaze when he returns to these shores later this year, he's a one man heavy metal machine with a backing band that are extremely talented, he is clearly enjoying every minute and that joy rubs off on everyone witnessing the show. 9/10
Saturday, 11 March 2017
Reviews: Bloodbound, Bonafide, Screamer (Reviews By Stief)
Bloodbound: War Of The Dragons (AFM Records)
How I've not heard more of Swedish outfit Bloodbound before now is a shock to my system. Dragons, battles, kings, this album has it all. The intro, A New Era Begins, is a spoken track about, well a new era beginning , foretelling a war of dragons. The use of a Jurassic Park T-Rex roar tops it all off before the real fun begins with Battle In The Sky, a rapid salvo of drumming and riffs, topped with delicious synth. Speaking of which, the use of synths throughout the album is a great touch, but it sometimes feels as if they're drowning out the rest of the music. The entire album is pretty much standard power-metal fare, choirs and deep, foreboding voices punctuate tales of battles with dragons. There are a few slower songs, such as Fallen Heroes, which honestly would not sound out of place on a Sabaton setlist. Pata Johansson's vocals fit perfectly with the bombastic sound of Fredrik Bergh's synths, with Bergh providing backup vocals. The Olsson brothers work brilliantly together on guitars, with Tomas taking the lead with some great solos. This is power metal with genuine passion, and definitely worth a look. 8/10
Bonafide: Flames (Off Yer Rocker Records)
Claiming to be 'Sweden's finest in Low Down, Dirty & Mean Rock´n´Roll' is a pretty confident thing to say, but listening to their 5th album, Flames, you can't help but think Bonafide may have a point. Right from the outset, the band's sound is energetic and you can hear the influence of early American blues ringing throughout the album. Opening song Back In The Flames immediately slaps you in the seat of a motorbike doing 100mph down the freeway, and there isn't a rest stop in sight. Stand-out songs include Like It Now, an uplifting toe-tapping tune. The slower Under Your Spell, which closes the album, is a great ballad in the vein of Lynyrd Skynyrd. The amazingly named Pontus Snibb's vocals are perfect for the sound the band put out, like a young Rod Stewart singing proper Rock n' Roll, and the rest of the band work excellently with each other. Great Rock n' Roll you can sit back and listen to or just go crazy with. 8/10
Screamer: Hell Machine (High Roller Records)
Yet another great band from Sweden, Screamer are on their third full length album and it's a cracking one. First off, let's get this out the way, it's hard to listen to heavy metal bands with Screamer's sound without the inevitable comparison to bands like Iron Maiden and the influence is definitely noticeable throughout, but by the gods do Screamer do it well. Andreas Wikström's voice is great, never going beyond it's limits, but the stand-out sound of the album is the dual guitars of Anton Fingal and Dejan Rosic, pumping out those delightful Maiden-esque harmonies and riffs left right and centre. Although very similar to many of the heavy metal acts out there, Screamer are definitely in the top half of them, an extremely enjoyable listen from start to finish. 8/10
Reviews: Emmure, Suicide Silence, Aversions Crown (Reviews By Lee)
Emmure: Look At Yourself (Sharptone Records)
Keeping on par with traditions of previous albums where the introduction track lasts roughly around 1 minute 40 seconds, You Asked For It eases the way into a solid riff for about 35 seconds before the ass kicking starts. One thing I’ve always liked about Emmure’s material is most of it is made to get pits started, the crowd jumping and this starts off exactly where the previous line up ended with 2014s Eternal Enemies. Shinjuku Masterlord doesn’t give you a chance to breath with the fantastic growl of Frankie Palmeri starting the song off with “I’m Back”.
The essence of Emmure seems to come back with this track combining Deathcore and elements of Rap within the vocals, it’s clear to see that the musical influence stayed with Frankie. Smokey introduces the turntables into the album, similar to how it was incorporated into E from their previous release. Natural Born Killers continues to bring the riffs and keeps up the high tempo of the record so far. Flag Of The Beast, the third single release, dials back the hard hitting music and focuses primarily on the vocals with a nice audio sample at the start and if a song starts with “You know what you are? You’re the antichrist” then you know it’s going to be good!
Taking the aggression down a bit, Ice Man Confessions brings in some beats and audio samples with the chorus utilising the aggression, with the verses being the complete opposite which compliments the song very well. Second single release with Russian Hotel Aftermath is just simply a song about self-loathing and it was only fitting for the lyrics to be backed by brutal riffs throughout and it just seems as if the album doesn’t know when to tone it down and that’s only a good thing! The theme certainly continues with Call Me Ninab, Major Key Alert and Turtle In A Hare before toning it down slightly with Torch, the first single release.
Torch seemed to take the album in a different direction as the musical focal point was simply to slow it down and let the vocals do the work and although the single was released in October, it still packs a punch. A Djent-y break now with Derelict which lasts only 70 seconds before the album finishes with Gucci Prison which ends the album the way it started, hard and fast. Solid album with the new line-up 9/10.
A lot of controversy surrounded this album with Eddie Hermada confirming that the album would be at least 70% clean vocals. With bands such as Whitechapel testing the water with clean vocals, Deathcore seems to be trying to change direction but with it, there’s been a lot of fan backlash. Starting off with the song that seems to have triggered the debate on clean vocals, Doris kicks off with a riff that screams Suicide Silence and the verse vocals match but the chorus changes and that’s where I think the band starts to lose its identity a bit and tries to become Deftones. It’s tough to be objective with this album, as a band I’ve followed since 2009's No Time To Bleed, seeing a dramatic change in the band’s direction is a bitter pill to swallow but for what it is, I’m keen to see how they can incorporate the clean vocals.
Well, I was keen until I heard Silence. This song single-handedly kills everything that the band had been working towards and what they stood for musically, this isn’t the Suicide Silence that fans know and seems to be an album more toward Korn/Deftones fans. Listen claws it back slightly, utilising a slow bass line and screeching vocals before coming clean again. So far this has been a frustrating listen but for what it is, it’s not bad, it just needs a different band name on the cover. Dying In A Red Room and Hold Me Up, Hold Me Down are two completely contrasting songs with Dying In A Red Room being 100% clean but Hold Me Up, Hold Me Down brings that essence of Suicide Silence back slightly but when this is track 6 out of 9, the damage seems to have been done. A dramatic U-turn musically and a risk which didn’t seem to pay off. The rest is more of the same and overall is only worthy of a lesser score and I think that’s a bit generous. 5/10
Aversions Crown: Xenocide (Nuclear Blast)
Moving onto Aversions Crown’s third album, Xenocide, we start off with Void, a kind of battle music-esque intro, full of atmospheric tones and although the song is relatively brief, the tone starts to change towards the end before Prismatic Abyss kicks in. Deathcore gallore with intricate drumming, blast beats but with a focus on the lead guitar whilst the rhythm is generally hidden behind everything else. Mark Poida, who replaced Colin Jeffs to front the band leaves his vocal mark on the album sounding scarily like Phil Bozeman from the This Is Exile record. The general pace of the album remains the same throughout, often fast paced with slight breakdowns to bridge elements of the songs together and this is finely reflected on The Souless Acolyte. The nature of the album continues with Hybridization but sweep picking is now added into the mix. So far it’s a solid album but I’m still waiting for something to stand out. With bands such as Chelsea Grin, Whitechapel and Thy Art Is Murder, they bring their own element into the Deathcore genre, Aversions Crown seem bring their own stamp onto the genre with harmonising lead guitars breaking out from the rhythm riff which to be fair, not many bands can do this well without detracting away from the heaviness. Ophiophagy takes the pace down slightly but the drum triggers and blast beats do a great job of quickening the pace when needed with the vocals picking up the pace alongside. The album more or less continues in this fashion and is a solid outing from the Brisbane lads. A band who are getting a good reputation behind them solely on the material they’ve put out and rightly so! Keep it up lads! 8/10
Keeping on par with traditions of previous albums where the introduction track lasts roughly around 1 minute 40 seconds, You Asked For It eases the way into a solid riff for about 35 seconds before the ass kicking starts. One thing I’ve always liked about Emmure’s material is most of it is made to get pits started, the crowd jumping and this starts off exactly where the previous line up ended with 2014s Eternal Enemies. Shinjuku Masterlord doesn’t give you a chance to breath with the fantastic growl of Frankie Palmeri starting the song off with “I’m Back”.
The essence of Emmure seems to come back with this track combining Deathcore and elements of Rap within the vocals, it’s clear to see that the musical influence stayed with Frankie. Smokey introduces the turntables into the album, similar to how it was incorporated into E from their previous release. Natural Born Killers continues to bring the riffs and keeps up the high tempo of the record so far. Flag Of The Beast, the third single release, dials back the hard hitting music and focuses primarily on the vocals with a nice audio sample at the start and if a song starts with “You know what you are? You’re the antichrist” then you know it’s going to be good!
Taking the aggression down a bit, Ice Man Confessions brings in some beats and audio samples with the chorus utilising the aggression, with the verses being the complete opposite which compliments the song very well. Second single release with Russian Hotel Aftermath is just simply a song about self-loathing and it was only fitting for the lyrics to be backed by brutal riffs throughout and it just seems as if the album doesn’t know when to tone it down and that’s only a good thing! The theme certainly continues with Call Me Ninab, Major Key Alert and Turtle In A Hare before toning it down slightly with Torch, the first single release.
Torch seemed to take the album in a different direction as the musical focal point was simply to slow it down and let the vocals do the work and although the single was released in October, it still packs a punch. A Djent-y break now with Derelict which lasts only 70 seconds before the album finishes with Gucci Prison which ends the album the way it started, hard and fast. Solid album with the new line-up 9/10.
Suicide Silence: S/T (Nuclear Blast)
A lot of controversy surrounded this album with Eddie Hermada confirming that the album would be at least 70% clean vocals. With bands such as Whitechapel testing the water with clean vocals, Deathcore seems to be trying to change direction but with it, there’s been a lot of fan backlash. Starting off with the song that seems to have triggered the debate on clean vocals, Doris kicks off with a riff that screams Suicide Silence and the verse vocals match but the chorus changes and that’s where I think the band starts to lose its identity a bit and tries to become Deftones. It’s tough to be objective with this album, as a band I’ve followed since 2009's No Time To Bleed, seeing a dramatic change in the band’s direction is a bitter pill to swallow but for what it is, I’m keen to see how they can incorporate the clean vocals.
Well, I was keen until I heard Silence. This song single-handedly kills everything that the band had been working towards and what they stood for musically, this isn’t the Suicide Silence that fans know and seems to be an album more toward Korn/Deftones fans. Listen claws it back slightly, utilising a slow bass line and screeching vocals before coming clean again. So far this has been a frustrating listen but for what it is, it’s not bad, it just needs a different band name on the cover. Dying In A Red Room and Hold Me Up, Hold Me Down are two completely contrasting songs with Dying In A Red Room being 100% clean but Hold Me Up, Hold Me Down brings that essence of Suicide Silence back slightly but when this is track 6 out of 9, the damage seems to have been done. A dramatic U-turn musically and a risk which didn’t seem to pay off. The rest is more of the same and overall is only worthy of a lesser score and I think that’s a bit generous. 5/10
Aversions Crown: Xenocide (Nuclear Blast)
Moving onto Aversions Crown’s third album, Xenocide, we start off with Void, a kind of battle music-esque intro, full of atmospheric tones and although the song is relatively brief, the tone starts to change towards the end before Prismatic Abyss kicks in. Deathcore gallore with intricate drumming, blast beats but with a focus on the lead guitar whilst the rhythm is generally hidden behind everything else. Mark Poida, who replaced Colin Jeffs to front the band leaves his vocal mark on the album sounding scarily like Phil Bozeman from the This Is Exile record. The general pace of the album remains the same throughout, often fast paced with slight breakdowns to bridge elements of the songs together and this is finely reflected on The Souless Acolyte. The nature of the album continues with Hybridization but sweep picking is now added into the mix. So far it’s a solid album but I’m still waiting for something to stand out. With bands such as Chelsea Grin, Whitechapel and Thy Art Is Murder, they bring their own element into the Deathcore genre, Aversions Crown seem bring their own stamp onto the genre with harmonising lead guitars breaking out from the rhythm riff which to be fair, not many bands can do this well without detracting away from the heaviness. Ophiophagy takes the pace down slightly but the drum triggers and blast beats do a great job of quickening the pace when needed with the vocals picking up the pace alongside. The album more or less continues in this fashion and is a solid outing from the Brisbane lads. A band who are getting a good reputation behind them solely on the material they’ve put out and rightly so! Keep it up lads! 8/10
Reviews: Unruly Child, Lionville, Tokyo Motor Fist
Unruly Child: Can't Go Home (Frontiers)
Can't Go Home is American AOR band Unruly Child's seventh album and sees the core membership of trailblazing vocalist Marcie Free, guitarist Bruce Gowdy, keyboardist Guy Allison reuniting with original band members drummer Jay Schellen and bassist Larry Antonino who took part on the debut record, it's their first record since 2014 and sees the band doing what they do best with highly polished AOR driven by the shimmering guitar lines and the ramped up keyboards of Allison which are so 80's it hurts.
With mid-paced rockers such as Get On Top which is powered by some cracking use of organs, The Only One is a fist pumping emotive rocker, Four Eleven is tough Whitesnake-like ballad which builds on a massive hook that really displays Marcie's soulful vocals, as with all AOR bands it's the ballads that set them apart and Unruly Child are no exception, See If She Floats is an intelligent slice of FM bothering layered with acoustics but it leads into the albums mega ballad She Can't Go Home which moves into Def Leppard territory as it slowly burns into a storming finale.
Can't Go Home is an album that takes as much as it can from the band's past but puts it on a bullet train to the 21st Century sitting somewhere between history and modernity and all the better for it. 7/10
Lionville: A World Of Fools (Frontiers)
Lionville have managed to make it to a third album, formed in Italy by Stefano Lionetti along with Lars Säfsund (Work Of Art/Enbound) and Alessandro Del Vecchio (pretty much every band). Since then Del Vecchio has left and it's the core duo of Lionetti and Säfsund forging ahead with the project on this third record that comes five years after the previous album. Lionville are a European band with a very American radios sound they play the sort of breezy Westcoast AOR of Toto, Survivor and Richard Marx with floaty keys and melodic guitars the order of the day, it's music to be played at the beach with a leggy blonde sitting in the passenger seat of your sports car (clearly a Lamborghini in this case).
There is a huge dollop of FM radio friendliness on this record huge hooks are merged with searing guitar solos, stand out songs on the record are the groovy Bring Me Back Our Love, the piano driven One More Night (not a Phil Collins cover) and the tougher rocking single I Will Wait. Säfsund displays the vocal prowess that always impresses, the rest of the band all play with drive but this is Lioneeti's baby from the songwriting to the production his mark is all over the record and all the better for it. Smooth grooves and sunny anthems mean A World Of Fools is a AOR delight. 7/10
Tokyo Motor Fist: S/T (Frontiers)
With Danger Danger vocalist Ted Poley and Trixer guitarist Steve Brown you'd think this record would have more rock songs on it and when they really rock out on the Van Hagar sounding Pickin' Up The Pieces, the dirty Love Me Insane and the speedy Fallin' Apart the record is at it's best however from about song four on there seems to be one two many ballads. Now whether that is due to the nature of the band or the sequencing of the record it just seems like all of the ballads are squashed towards the back end of the album. That's not to say the songs aren't good they are slick and played with confidence, but it would just be better for me personally if there was a bit more pace on this album, Poley has a voice made for ballads crooning well throughout, I just felt my attention wandering as the record went on. For fans they will lap this up for anyone else try it and see. 6/10
Can't Go Home is American AOR band Unruly Child's seventh album and sees the core membership of trailblazing vocalist Marcie Free, guitarist Bruce Gowdy, keyboardist Guy Allison reuniting with original band members drummer Jay Schellen and bassist Larry Antonino who took part on the debut record, it's their first record since 2014 and sees the band doing what they do best with highly polished AOR driven by the shimmering guitar lines and the ramped up keyboards of Allison which are so 80's it hurts.
With mid-paced rockers such as Get On Top which is powered by some cracking use of organs, The Only One is a fist pumping emotive rocker, Four Eleven is tough Whitesnake-like ballad which builds on a massive hook that really displays Marcie's soulful vocals, as with all AOR bands it's the ballads that set them apart and Unruly Child are no exception, See If She Floats is an intelligent slice of FM bothering layered with acoustics but it leads into the albums mega ballad She Can't Go Home which moves into Def Leppard territory as it slowly burns into a storming finale.
Can't Go Home is an album that takes as much as it can from the band's past but puts it on a bullet train to the 21st Century sitting somewhere between history and modernity and all the better for it. 7/10
Lionville: A World Of Fools (Frontiers)
Lionville have managed to make it to a third album, formed in Italy by Stefano Lionetti along with Lars Säfsund (Work Of Art/Enbound) and Alessandro Del Vecchio (pretty much every band). Since then Del Vecchio has left and it's the core duo of Lionetti and Säfsund forging ahead with the project on this third record that comes five years after the previous album. Lionville are a European band with a very American radios sound they play the sort of breezy Westcoast AOR of Toto, Survivor and Richard Marx with floaty keys and melodic guitars the order of the day, it's music to be played at the beach with a leggy blonde sitting in the passenger seat of your sports car (clearly a Lamborghini in this case).
There is a huge dollop of FM radio friendliness on this record huge hooks are merged with searing guitar solos, stand out songs on the record are the groovy Bring Me Back Our Love, the piano driven One More Night (not a Phil Collins cover) and the tougher rocking single I Will Wait. Säfsund displays the vocal prowess that always impresses, the rest of the band all play with drive but this is Lioneeti's baby from the songwriting to the production his mark is all over the record and all the better for it. Smooth grooves and sunny anthems mean A World Of Fools is a AOR delight. 7/10
Tokyo Motor Fist: S/T (Frontiers)
With Danger Danger vocalist Ted Poley and Trixer guitarist Steve Brown you'd think this record would have more rock songs on it and when they really rock out on the Van Hagar sounding Pickin' Up The Pieces, the dirty Love Me Insane and the speedy Fallin' Apart the record is at it's best however from about song four on there seems to be one two many ballads. Now whether that is due to the nature of the band or the sequencing of the record it just seems like all of the ballads are squashed towards the back end of the album. That's not to say the songs aren't good they are slick and played with confidence, but it would just be better for me personally if there was a bit more pace on this album, Poley has a voice made for ballads crooning well throughout, I just felt my attention wandering as the record went on. For fans they will lap this up for anyone else try it and see. 6/10
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