Kepler Ten: Delta V (White Star Records)
Starting out as a Rush tribute called R2 (which they still perform as) the trio of James Durand, Richard Cahill and Steve Hales have their own band playing original music called Kepler Ten (also the name of a Sun-like star in the constellation of Draco that lies 173 parsecs from Earth). Delta V is their debut record and it's quite possibly one of the finest progressive rock albums I've listened to this year. Ultraviolet opens the album in fine style moving from Floydian textures into harder rocking territory driven by Hales' unbelievable percussive skill (well he does try to emulate Neil Peart) it's got a heavy groove from Durand's bass and Cahill's guitar, there are little beeps and twitches underpinning the song that runs at 9 minutes long but you don't notice as the band's songcraft is magnificent.
Time And Tide has a much more recent sound with the electronics of Muse powering it, The Stone has heavy Rush-like feel and is the nearest thing on this to the Canadian prog legends. The trio are all multi talented with keys, synths and the obligatory bass pedals handled by all three members but what separates the band from Rush are the soul-drenched vocals of Durand who sounds a lot more like Glenn Hughes and Doug Pinnick.
Especially on the dramatic Swallowtail which is a superb middle section to the album orchestral and inspiring with a massive sound however we go back to Rush on The Shallows which has the band's post Signals era nailed. Delta V is progressive rock masterpiece, taking from the glory days of progressive rock but dealing with it in their own way, ambitious, musically interesting and full of virtuosity Kepler Ten are a band that shine bright like their namesake. 9/10
Art Nation: Liberation (Sony/Gain Music Entertainment)
Art Nation's debut record was an AOR tour-de-force, managing to perfectly encapsulate Scandi-AOR perfectly, the keys and choruses were as big as the hair and this young band looked to be the newest band to follow in the wake of countrymen Eclipse and H.E.A.T, if there was one criticism to be levelled at the band was that they were afraid of experimentation, their songs were strong, played by an accomplished band but lacked variation on repeated listens. Second album Liberation redresses this balance, from minute one you can hear the evolution of this group.
The buzzing synths have been ramped up for this album, touching on the euro dance hard rock amalgamation of Amaranthe and Reckless Love, so many of the songs on this record could fit in both rock and dance clubs due to the heavy beats, blazing solos and the excellent melodic vocals. There are thumping rockers such as A Thousand Charades, Ghost Town, power pop with What Do You Want and also massive ballads suitable for Eurovision domination in Take Me Home and the punchier I'm Alive. Liberation takes Art Nation to the next stage of their development and for the better, bringing AOR into the modern era. 8/10
Jupiter Falls: Faces In The Sand - Part One (Broken Road Records)
Swirling orchestras, choirs and a storm open this record, before they segue into acoustic guitars that set the scene for a killer guitar solo, the riff kicks in and Welcome To My World starts off the second full length album from Leeds metallic rockers Jupiter Falls, it's sublime opening song with a huge head banging riff, a chant along chorus and more guitar fireworks throughout, the song and album are multi-tracked to a polished American sound and that is no easy feat, this record sounds like something Avenged Sevenfold, Alter Bridge could release, the production is stellar the songs move between massive rockers, ballads and the occasional misogynist sleaze rocker for good measure, Nothing To Me has vintage Motley Crue feel to it complete with some female moans of pleasure and talkbox guitar ala Kickstart My Heart.
In fact the songs on this record sit between the dramatic rocking of Sixx:A.M and Slash's solo project although with vocals that are neither James Michael nor Myles Kennedy but fit the music due to their gruffer nature. A massive attraction to this record is the incredible guitar playing heard throughout and just the general audacity of the band to sound like the heavy hitters of American radio rock and pulling it off, ballads like Call Me are corny, the wall of acoustic guitars driving the emotive lyrics with it all culminating in yet another solo, yes it sounds like Alter Bridge at their most lighter friendly but you can't argue with just how well these Leeds lads do it. Jupiter Falls aren't going to win any awards for originality but when a pastiche is this good awards don't matter, you listen with smile on your face and I promise you'll be humming the songs for days to come, whether you want to or not. 8/10
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Reviews: Coldstone, Prayers Of Sanity, Darcee Fox (Reviews By Paul)
Coldstone: Behind The Words (Self Released)
French power trio Coldstone (not to be confused with at least four other bands from around the globe with the same name) formed in 2005. Behind The Words is their second release, and it’s a high-octane ride of quality hard rock and metal. Sitting very much in the same camp as Tremonti, Godsmack and Staind, it’s full of driving riffs and crashing drums which will be perfect for a hot summer day on the motorway.
High energy from start to finish, the band comprise Cyrille F on guitar and vocals, Phil F on bass and the crazy pounding of drummer Marc S. Tracks like Never Die and It’s Not Over are impressive power, causing the foot to tap and the head to nod. It’s powerful stuff and whilst the sound is quite generic at times, it’s competently played and well worth a listen. Cyrille’s fuzzy guitar and gritty vocals impress from start to finish and the cohesion of the band who also slip in some neat Metallica style chugging is noticeable throughout. Well worth getting an earful. 8/10
French power trio Coldstone (not to be confused with at least four other bands from around the globe with the same name) formed in 2005. Behind The Words is their second release, and it’s a high-octane ride of quality hard rock and metal. Sitting very much in the same camp as Tremonti, Godsmack and Staind, it’s full of driving riffs and crashing drums which will be perfect for a hot summer day on the motorway.
High energy from start to finish, the band comprise Cyrille F on guitar and vocals, Phil F on bass and the crazy pounding of drummer Marc S. Tracks like Never Die and It’s Not Over are impressive power, causing the foot to tap and the head to nod. It’s powerful stuff and whilst the sound is quite generic at times, it’s competently played and well worth a listen. Cyrille’s fuzzy guitar and gritty vocals impress from start to finish and the cohesion of the band who also slip in some neat Metallica style chugging is noticeable throughout. Well worth getting an earful. 8/10
Prayers Of Sanity: Face Of The Unknown (Rastilho Records)
Portugal is one of my favourite places to visit but until recently my knowledge of metal from that beautiful country was pretty limited; yeah, Moonspell and Malevolence and a couple of others and that was about it. Prayers Of Sanity hail from Lagos and have been plying their intense thrash since 2007. For a three piece they make a fine noise, with Tiao’s straining howls a welcome fit to their retro sound.
With a mix of influences, the best way of comparing their sound is to merge the aggression of Exodus and Overkill with the speed of Death Angel and Lost Society and the stomp of Anthrax. It’s nothing new but good thrash is always a joy to listen to, a genre that when done well is fantastic and when delivered poorly is abysmal. Face Of The Unknown sits in the former category. Slicing guitar work, huge riffs, machine gun drumming and snarling vocals. It may not be big, it may not be clever but it’s a very decent third release. 7/10
Darcee Fox: Islands (Self Released)
Islands is the debut release from Aussies Darcee Fox and it’s a good ‘un. In a shock change from the usual type of music hitting us from Melbourne, this isn’t thrash or beer soaking balls out down n’ dirty rock but quality blues drench rock n’ roll with of course, the typical Aussie swagger. I’ve played this release a few times now and it gets better every time. The band comprise vocalist Elliot Okerstrom who has an uncannily similar sound to RavenEye’s Oli Brown, the twin guitars of Nick Casalini and Mark Day and the powerhouse rhythm combination of Jay Morgan on bass and drummer Karl Mallet.
Just shy of 50 minutes, Islands has a range of styles which all contain some heartfelt blues which get the foot tapping from the start. There’s bits of everything on this release. There’s the acoustic Night Owl, with some superb guitars and layered vocals, Teeth which is a rocking good track and the title track which opens the album with a large stomp and some chunky riffs. If you like Rival Sons, The Black Crowes and all stations in between then Darcee Fox should really float your boat. 8/10
Portugal is one of my favourite places to visit but until recently my knowledge of metal from that beautiful country was pretty limited; yeah, Moonspell and Malevolence and a couple of others and that was about it. Prayers Of Sanity hail from Lagos and have been plying their intense thrash since 2007. For a three piece they make a fine noise, with Tiao’s straining howls a welcome fit to their retro sound.
With a mix of influences, the best way of comparing their sound is to merge the aggression of Exodus and Overkill with the speed of Death Angel and Lost Society and the stomp of Anthrax. It’s nothing new but good thrash is always a joy to listen to, a genre that when done well is fantastic and when delivered poorly is abysmal. Face Of The Unknown sits in the former category. Slicing guitar work, huge riffs, machine gun drumming and snarling vocals. It may not be big, it may not be clever but it’s a very decent third release. 7/10
Darcee Fox: Islands (Self Released)
Islands is the debut release from Aussies Darcee Fox and it’s a good ‘un. In a shock change from the usual type of music hitting us from Melbourne, this isn’t thrash or beer soaking balls out down n’ dirty rock but quality blues drench rock n’ roll with of course, the typical Aussie swagger. I’ve played this release a few times now and it gets better every time. The band comprise vocalist Elliot Okerstrom who has an uncannily similar sound to RavenEye’s Oli Brown, the twin guitars of Nick Casalini and Mark Day and the powerhouse rhythm combination of Jay Morgan on bass and drummer Karl Mallet.
Just shy of 50 minutes, Islands has a range of styles which all contain some heartfelt blues which get the foot tapping from the start. There’s bits of everything on this release. There’s the acoustic Night Owl, with some superb guitars and layered vocals, Teeth which is a rocking good track and the title track which opens the album with a large stomp and some chunky riffs. If you like Rival Sons, The Black Crowes and all stations in between then Darcee Fox should really float your boat. 8/10
Reviews: Labyrinth, Pteroglyph, Walk On Fire
Labyrinth: Architecture Of A God (Frontiers Records)
Italian power metal group Labyrinth have a potted history forming in 1991 their debut record wasn't released until 1996 but it was their 1998 record Return To Heaven Denied that was to become their signature records, a symphonic power metal masterclass it put Italian power metal on the map and along with Rhapsody, Labyrinth became one of the most recognisable names in power metal. Since then they have changed multiple members and after their 2010 release Return To Heaven Denied, Pt. 2 - A Midnight Autumn's Dream they went on a hiatus, but seven years later they have returned with original guitarist's Andrea Cantaraelli and Olaf Thörsen along with longest serving vocalist Roberto Tiranti.
Their eighth album is their first for Frontiers records and it takes their power metal sound and expands it with melodic rock tendencies on Still Alive although the rampaging classic power sounds are still present on Take On My Legacy which has duelling guitars and keys set to a furious percussive power. This is progressive record one that takes Labyrinth into the modern day with a sound that has been adapted and refined to take Labyrinth into the next period in their existence, with Frontiers behind them and stable band that has had an injection of new blood the future is bright for this Italian metal institution. 8/10
Pteroglyph: Death Of A Prince (Self Released)
No it's not a tribute to the Purple one, Death Of A Prince is a thundering slab of modern technical metal that takes elements of Gojira, Meshuggah and Devy at his most Hevy, this Leeds based mob take angular riffs, clean/harsh vocal delivery and a percussive barrage and mix it with more ambient soundscapes for a record that catches your interest from the first palm-muted chord. There are so many bands doing this at the moment that adding your own slant as a band can be difficult, Pteroglyph try hard but bands such as Tesseract (who's Acle Kahney mixed the record) do this kind of music much better, it's the vocals that are my bugbear, the cleans are a little flat and the harsh not as powerful as they could be. With nine tracks the record should fly by but you does feel a little like treading water in the middle, they are trying to do something different but unfortunately acts such as Gojira are far superior. If you love this techincal, groove heavy metal then Pteroglyph will be soemthing to sink your teeth into, however I just think they should evolve or they will become extinct. 5/10
Walk On Fire: Mind Over Matter (Escape Music)
It's been nearly 30 years since British melodic rockers Walk On Fire released their debut album Blind Faith when the album didn't perform as expected, despite high critical praise their relationship with record label MCA soured and they disbanded joining other projects and bands as session musicians. Well now they have released their second album and the band sound exactly the same as they did in 1989, big AOR hooks, David Cairns' heavy use of keys and Alan King's gravelly, soul vocals, the songs dwell on love everything that goes with it and the band have the funky, bluesy riffs of compatriots Little Angels, Skin, Tyketto et al.
This album serves as a tribute of sorts to Walk On Fire's guitarist Michael Casswell who reunited with founder members King and Cairns for this record but tragically died in 2016, his guitar playing is slick, adept to the faster rockers such as the title track as it is to open power chords on ballad The Price Of Love. Mind Over Matter is an AOR album that sees the band show no real differentiation from their 1989 debut, but that's a positive, they haven't let the years chip away at their sound, quality British AOR. 7/10
Italian power metal group Labyrinth have a potted history forming in 1991 their debut record wasn't released until 1996 but it was their 1998 record Return To Heaven Denied that was to become their signature records, a symphonic power metal masterclass it put Italian power metal on the map and along with Rhapsody, Labyrinth became one of the most recognisable names in power metal. Since then they have changed multiple members and after their 2010 release Return To Heaven Denied, Pt. 2 - A Midnight Autumn's Dream they went on a hiatus, but seven years later they have returned with original guitarist's Andrea Cantaraelli and Olaf Thörsen along with longest serving vocalist Roberto Tiranti.
Their eighth album is their first for Frontiers records and it takes their power metal sound and expands it with melodic rock tendencies on Still Alive although the rampaging classic power sounds are still present on Take On My Legacy which has duelling guitars and keys set to a furious percussive power. This is progressive record one that takes Labyrinth into the modern day with a sound that has been adapted and refined to take Labyrinth into the next period in their existence, with Frontiers behind them and stable band that has had an injection of new blood the future is bright for this Italian metal institution. 8/10
Pteroglyph: Death Of A Prince (Self Released)
No it's not a tribute to the Purple one, Death Of A Prince is a thundering slab of modern technical metal that takes elements of Gojira, Meshuggah and Devy at his most Hevy, this Leeds based mob take angular riffs, clean/harsh vocal delivery and a percussive barrage and mix it with more ambient soundscapes for a record that catches your interest from the first palm-muted chord. There are so many bands doing this at the moment that adding your own slant as a band can be difficult, Pteroglyph try hard but bands such as Tesseract (who's Acle Kahney mixed the record) do this kind of music much better, it's the vocals that are my bugbear, the cleans are a little flat and the harsh not as powerful as they could be. With nine tracks the record should fly by but you does feel a little like treading water in the middle, they are trying to do something different but unfortunately acts such as Gojira are far superior. If you love this techincal, groove heavy metal then Pteroglyph will be soemthing to sink your teeth into, however I just think they should evolve or they will become extinct. 5/10
Walk On Fire: Mind Over Matter (Escape Music)
It's been nearly 30 years since British melodic rockers Walk On Fire released their debut album Blind Faith when the album didn't perform as expected, despite high critical praise their relationship with record label MCA soured and they disbanded joining other projects and bands as session musicians. Well now they have released their second album and the band sound exactly the same as they did in 1989, big AOR hooks, David Cairns' heavy use of keys and Alan King's gravelly, soul vocals, the songs dwell on love everything that goes with it and the band have the funky, bluesy riffs of compatriots Little Angels, Skin, Tyketto et al.
This album serves as a tribute of sorts to Walk On Fire's guitarist Michael Casswell who reunited with founder members King and Cairns for this record but tragically died in 2016, his guitar playing is slick, adept to the faster rockers such as the title track as it is to open power chords on ballad The Price Of Love. Mind Over Matter is an AOR album that sees the band show no real differentiation from their 1989 debut, but that's a positive, they haven't let the years chip away at their sound, quality British AOR. 7/10
Monday, 1 May 2017
Save Womanby Street
The huge social media response to the submission of planning applications for flats and a hotel in Womanby Street, combined with Fuel Rock Club being hit with a noise abatement order ensured that the march to City Hall was well populated and supported by a community that is wierdly attached despite the wide range of cultures and tastes that exist within it.
Arriving at Fuel only 15 hours since I left it summed up why I was there. On Friday evening I'd seen local band Slob play their first ever gig to about 30 punters, Merthyr death metallers Chaos Trigger lay waste to venue and headliners Krysthla destroy everything in their path. There is no where else in Cardiff where you'd have got this line up playing.
The Street was packed from top to bottom and there were smiling faces. Everywhere! A protest march against decisions made by soulless bureaucrats whose intention is to concrete over everything that is different and independent, a march about something that has the potential to impact on thousands of lives and everyone had the biggest smiles. This was brilliant. It got better. Campaign organiser Daniel Minty appeared above the newly reopened Moon Club and, after some thoroughly entertaining megaphone cock ups, he stirred the crowd with a lovely heartfelt speech which accurately captured the views of the assembled masses. Protection of the arts and live music in a unique environment. Huge thanks to Daniel for his consistency and determination.
Off we went to City Hall, a huge human snake comprising the different members of South Wales alternative community, as we appear to be badged. You all looked pretty normal in my eyes. Heavily inked ladies chatted with bearded rockers, youngsters waved placards on their parents shoulders and the samba band blasted out their tunes as they led the way, accompanied by the three local MPs, Jo Stephens, Kevin Brennan and Stephen Doughty. Towards the back of the procession chants of "oggi oggi oggi" were matched by Fuel's Rob Toogood whose own megaphone antics included the chant "what do we want", response "metal", "when do we want it?" to be met by a wall of death metal growls "nnnnooooowwwwww". Brilliant stuff.
It was astonishing to see the looks of the average punter in the streets as we marched by, as it was clear most didn't have a clue what we were about. I didn't see any negative responses as we passed some of the plastic chain bars and restaurants and most shoppers were friendly with a couple even coerced into joining the march. These are the same people whose night out in Cardiff involves the horrendous St Mary Street mile, lined with bars that play the same manufactured music, serve the fight inducing lagers and shots and where every weekend the police are tested. Walking through St Mary Street a few hours later in the evening was both frightening and intimidating, and for a 47 year old bloke in the City I had lived in from birth until three years ago this makes me sad. The sanctuary of Womanby Street was so welcoming by comparison ... and we were not alone in expressing this sentiment.
Arriving at Fuel only 15 hours since I left it summed up why I was there. On Friday evening I'd seen local band Slob play their first ever gig to about 30 punters, Merthyr death metallers Chaos Trigger lay waste to venue and headliners Krysthla destroy everything in their path. There is no where else in Cardiff where you'd have got this line up playing.
The Street was packed from top to bottom and there were smiling faces. Everywhere! A protest march against decisions made by soulless bureaucrats whose intention is to concrete over everything that is different and independent, a march about something that has the potential to impact on thousands of lives and everyone had the biggest smiles. This was brilliant. It got better. Campaign organiser Daniel Minty appeared above the newly reopened Moon Club and, after some thoroughly entertaining megaphone cock ups, he stirred the crowd with a lovely heartfelt speech which accurately captured the views of the assembled masses. Protection of the arts and live music in a unique environment. Huge thanks to Daniel for his consistency and determination.
Off we went to City Hall, a huge human snake comprising the different members of South Wales alternative community, as we appear to be badged. You all looked pretty normal in my eyes. Heavily inked ladies chatted with bearded rockers, youngsters waved placards on their parents shoulders and the samba band blasted out their tunes as they led the way, accompanied by the three local MPs, Jo Stephens, Kevin Brennan and Stephen Doughty. Towards the back of the procession chants of "oggi oggi oggi" were matched by Fuel's Rob Toogood whose own megaphone antics included the chant "what do we want", response "metal", "when do we want it?" to be met by a wall of death metal growls "nnnnooooowwwwww". Brilliant stuff.
It was astonishing to see the looks of the average punter in the streets as we marched by, as it was clear most didn't have a clue what we were about. I didn't see any negative responses as we passed some of the plastic chain bars and restaurants and most shoppers were friendly with a couple even coerced into joining the march. These are the same people whose night out in Cardiff involves the horrendous St Mary Street mile, lined with bars that play the same manufactured music, serve the fight inducing lagers and shots and where every weekend the police are tested. Walking through St Mary Street a few hours later in the evening was both frightening and intimidating, and for a 47 year old bloke in the City I had lived in from birth until three years ago this makes me sad. The sanctuary of Womanby Street was so welcoming by comparison ... and we were not alone in expressing this sentiment.
The march arrived on the lawn outside City Hall where the crowd, by now a thousand plus in number gathered to listen to a couple of speeches. One of SWS's organisers, Ewan Moore kicked things off with an emotional narrative. And then we had the politicians. The leader of the Cardiff Lib Dems was up first, and after the hecklers had been hushed Elizabeth Clark provided the first sound bites of the day. With local council elections only days away, this was a fantastic opportunity to make a real statement. Despite some references to past time spent in the Horse and Groom there was little in her speech which reassured me that Womanby Street would be any safer in the hands of the Liberal Democrats. Next up was Plaid AM Neil McAvoy, whose recent conduct record has been less than impressive. His aggressive response to a heckler at the front was interesting, and whilst I appreciated that some may be unimpressed with his record, he did work hard to get his point across. Whilst I dislike the man and his manner, his stark message that the real issue for protection of live music venues sits in Cardiff Bay was accurate. The final speaker was Phil Bale, labour councillor for Llanishen and leader of the City Council. His limp and generic speech was lacklustre and again didn't provide me with any reassurance whatsoever about any protection for Womanby Street. The hushed crowd didn't heckle, just listened with the resignation of those who know that the fight is far from over.
Ewan's final thanks were echoed with cheers and applause before the crowds melted away, many back to Womanby Street. We had a detour, grabbing some drinks and food before heading back to Womanby Street about 8.30pm. The street was bouncing, The Moon busy and full of live bands, Clwb open for business and in Fuel the first round of the Metal to the Masses competition.
A day of high hopes, of solidarity and of a clear demonstration of the strength of feeling. The disappointment of the local politicians' performances was understandably high. This is however, just the start and the strength and commitment of all those who gathered and use any of the venues in Womanby Street is growing. Look up the pages on Facebook and twitter. Womanby Street must not die.
Ewan's final thanks were echoed with cheers and applause before the crowds melted away, many back to Womanby Street. We had a detour, grabbing some drinks and food before heading back to Womanby Street about 8.30pm. The street was bouncing, The Moon busy and full of live bands, Clwb open for business and in Fuel the first round of the Metal to the Masses competition.
A day of high hopes, of solidarity and of a clear demonstration of the strength of feeling. The disappointment of the local politicians' performances was understandably high. This is however, just the start and the strength and commitment of all those who gathered and use any of the venues in Womanby Street is growing. Look up the pages on Facebook and twitter. Womanby Street must not die.
Sunday, 30 April 2017
A View From The Back Of The Room: Krysthla (Live Review By Paul)
Krysthla, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff
A night of crushingly heavy metal at the under threat rock club with three bands for a mere £5 proved an excellent night out. Opening up proceedings was local outfit Slob (6) playing their first ever gig. The grind death growls of Alex Lord were intense whilst the noise from drummer Wayne Fingerz and string man Phil Brookes sounded like a quartet, not a duo. Grind isn't my bag but full marks to the band for getting things moving. A decent number of supporters roared Slob on throughout their short set. Promising beginnings.
Merthyr metallers Chaos Trigger (7) have been familiar faces in the South Wales scene for some time. Skull crushing metal since 2006 no less. With their excellent very fresh debut Degenerate Matter still on the playlist the band started at 100mph only to have the wind rudely removed from their sails by a broken string for guitarist Mark Llewellyn. This slowed their momentum somewhat, but after a few minutes the guys were back on it and blasting their heavy technical death metal. Tracks such as Fucking Machines and Release The Hounds got the faithful moving with Ben Duffin Jones high energy movement on and off the stage complete with his swinging dreads a fine sight. The band have played many venues across the country including a stellar set at Bloodstock a couple of years ago yet they still have that local band in the pub approach at times. Their loyal following lapped it up all the while. Good stuff.
If there is a UK band with a more professional approach than Wellinborough's Krysthla (9) then I'd real like to see it. These guys do things by the book and it is demonstrated in the quality of their work. Bizarrely nearly all of the crowd had disappeared when the band kicked off their set, and the bemusement on Adi Mayes face as five of us stood in front of them was evident. This didn't stop them and the band launched into 45 minutes of the most bone breaking heavy metal. Of course, with Eradication Festival only the weekend before I wouldn't dream of saying that these guys are the heaviest to play at Fuel but they must have hit the top ten for foundation shaking.
Their blasting technical, thrash, progressive and death metal, combined with the sheer aural assault of Adi Mayes was a delight and as the tardy audience filed back in things soon heated up. Tracks from the fantastic new Peace In Our Time already sit comfortably alongside older stuff from 2015's A War Of Souls And Desires. Visually the band are impressive with bassist Carl Davies and guitarists Neil Hudson and Noel Davies shredding and relentlessly head banging. Mayes prowls the stage, coercing the crowd to participate, resulting in a couple of female stage invasions and some of the weirdest crowd surfing you've ever seen.
Meanwhile the battery from drummer Wayne Minney was just relentless. As the on stage sound blew a fuse, the band closed their set possibly a little early but 45 minutes was sufficient to fill the Krysthla banks once again. This is a band on the up. They work exceptionally hard, they know their stuff and they deserve bigger things. If they are in your town, you owe it to yourself to check them out.
A night of crushingly heavy metal at the under threat rock club with three bands for a mere £5 proved an excellent night out. Opening up proceedings was local outfit Slob (6) playing their first ever gig. The grind death growls of Alex Lord were intense whilst the noise from drummer Wayne Fingerz and string man Phil Brookes sounded like a quartet, not a duo. Grind isn't my bag but full marks to the band for getting things moving. A decent number of supporters roared Slob on throughout their short set. Promising beginnings.
Merthyr metallers Chaos Trigger (7) have been familiar faces in the South Wales scene for some time. Skull crushing metal since 2006 no less. With their excellent very fresh debut Degenerate Matter still on the playlist the band started at 100mph only to have the wind rudely removed from their sails by a broken string for guitarist Mark Llewellyn. This slowed their momentum somewhat, but after a few minutes the guys were back on it and blasting their heavy technical death metal. Tracks such as Fucking Machines and Release The Hounds got the faithful moving with Ben Duffin Jones high energy movement on and off the stage complete with his swinging dreads a fine sight. The band have played many venues across the country including a stellar set at Bloodstock a couple of years ago yet they still have that local band in the pub approach at times. Their loyal following lapped it up all the while. Good stuff.
If there is a UK band with a more professional approach than Wellinborough's Krysthla (9) then I'd real like to see it. These guys do things by the book and it is demonstrated in the quality of their work. Bizarrely nearly all of the crowd had disappeared when the band kicked off their set, and the bemusement on Adi Mayes face as five of us stood in front of them was evident. This didn't stop them and the band launched into 45 minutes of the most bone breaking heavy metal. Of course, with Eradication Festival only the weekend before I wouldn't dream of saying that these guys are the heaviest to play at Fuel but they must have hit the top ten for foundation shaking.
Their blasting technical, thrash, progressive and death metal, combined with the sheer aural assault of Adi Mayes was a delight and as the tardy audience filed back in things soon heated up. Tracks from the fantastic new Peace In Our Time already sit comfortably alongside older stuff from 2015's A War Of Souls And Desires. Visually the band are impressive with bassist Carl Davies and guitarists Neil Hudson and Noel Davies shredding and relentlessly head banging. Mayes prowls the stage, coercing the crowd to participate, resulting in a couple of female stage invasions and some of the weirdest crowd surfing you've ever seen.
Meanwhile the battery from drummer Wayne Minney was just relentless. As the on stage sound blew a fuse, the band closed their set possibly a little early but 45 minutes was sufficient to fill the Krysthla banks once again. This is a band on the up. They work exceptionally hard, they know their stuff and they deserve bigger things. If they are in your town, you owe it to yourself to check them out.
Saturday, 29 April 2017
Reviews: God Dethroned, Kobra & The Lotus, Samsara Blues Experiment, Adrenaline Rush (Reviews By Paul)
God Dethroned: The World Ablaze (Metal Blade)
It’s been seven long years since God Dethroned released Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross. Album number 10, The World Ablaze places the Dutch blackened death metal outfit firmly back in the field of vision and its an outstanding piece of technically diverse music. It retains all the ferocity of their back catalogue and continues the themes of war, with a particularly poignant cover of troops going into battle during the Great War. What it also has is a wide range of styles, with oodles of melody threaded intricately between the brutal blast beats, shredding riffs and slicing hooks. Escape Across The Ice (White Army) for example, is full of power whilst restrained in comparison from the break neck speed of tracks such as Breathing Through Blood and Annihilation Crusade which are just crushingly heavy.
If you want the biggest riffs of the year then stop at Messina Ridge, which tells the story of the allies attempt to take land southeast of Ypres in 1917. This track is immense, sitting alongside the mighty Memoriam in terms of absolute suffocating power. Founder father Henri Sattler continues to deliver the vocal goods, whilst his guitar work is superbly bolstered by new man Mike Ferguson. Album closer The 11th Hour honours the end of World War, Armistice Day and is stunning. A slower paced melodic death metal approach containing some technically blistering guitar work and massive control from drummer Michiel Van der Pilcht and bassist Jeron Pomper. The World Ablaze is an album that should appeal to all who like metal. It is a massive return for one of the genres most important bands. 9/10
Kobra And The Lotus: Prevail I (Napalm)
Canadian outfit Kobra and the Lotus led by the enigmatic Kobra Paige have now been around for eight years and Prevail I, the first of two albums to be released this year, is their fourth full release. I must admit I’ve been unimpressed by their live performances when I’ve seen KATL live, although last year’s opening slot for Delain was a vast improvement on their show at BOA a few years ago. Prevail I contains some very powerful symphonic metal combined with the more routine metal which works well. First single TriggerPulse is a smouldering bruiser of a track, with Paige’s voice impressive.
The rest of the band work hard to provide a solid platform, Jasio Kulakowski’s heavy duty guitar work giving the album the metal edge. In a challenging field where the quality of female fronted bands is currently high, KATL have their work cut out to make an impact. Prevail I will do no harm to their profile and is worthy of an hour of your time. Check out the head banging penultimate beast Hell On Earth, a rip snorting battering ram of a track with the heavy duty drumming of Lord Marcus Lee and the slick time changes effective. Another release that’s worth devoting an hour of your time to. 7/10
Samsara Blues Experiment: One With The Universe (Electric Magic)
Adrenaline Rush: Soul Survivor (Frontiers)
2014’s debut release was a collaboration between vocalist Tave Wanning and the immensely talented Erick Martensson of Eclipse who performed many the instruments on the melodic rock release. Three years on and things have changed slightly and quite interestingly with a collaboration with Firespawn’s Fredrik Folkare although Martensson remained around to contribute and act as a sounding board. With a new band on board, Soul Survivor is a heavier and darker release than the self-titled debut, whilst retaining the melody and sleekness. New discovery Sam Soderlindh acquits himself well with some very sharp guitar work and the band is technically tight. Tave Wanning’s voice is something else though, and you’ll either love it or hate it.
To me it’s far too close to pop diva style and the saccharine soaked title track is one that curled the stomach. When the band do let rip they so with aplomb. Album opener Adrenaline, the throw away Stand My Ground and the Kiss style stomp of Shock Me (not the original don’t panic) are all decent if lightweight rock tunes. If you love your rock with a tongue in cheek fist pumping and a large slice of Gorgonzola you will be over this like a fat bird in a cake shop. If you struggle with the Def Leppards, H.E.A.T. and FMs of this world then you might want to ensure you have an empty stomach before getting involved. It’s a Marmite album alright. 6/10
It’s been seven long years since God Dethroned released Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross. Album number 10, The World Ablaze places the Dutch blackened death metal outfit firmly back in the field of vision and its an outstanding piece of technically diverse music. It retains all the ferocity of their back catalogue and continues the themes of war, with a particularly poignant cover of troops going into battle during the Great War. What it also has is a wide range of styles, with oodles of melody threaded intricately between the brutal blast beats, shredding riffs and slicing hooks. Escape Across The Ice (White Army) for example, is full of power whilst restrained in comparison from the break neck speed of tracks such as Breathing Through Blood and Annihilation Crusade which are just crushingly heavy.
If you want the biggest riffs of the year then stop at Messina Ridge, which tells the story of the allies attempt to take land southeast of Ypres in 1917. This track is immense, sitting alongside the mighty Memoriam in terms of absolute suffocating power. Founder father Henri Sattler continues to deliver the vocal goods, whilst his guitar work is superbly bolstered by new man Mike Ferguson. Album closer The 11th Hour honours the end of World War, Armistice Day and is stunning. A slower paced melodic death metal approach containing some technically blistering guitar work and massive control from drummer Michiel Van der Pilcht and bassist Jeron Pomper. The World Ablaze is an album that should appeal to all who like metal. It is a massive return for one of the genres most important bands. 9/10
Kobra And The Lotus: Prevail I (Napalm)
Canadian outfit Kobra and the Lotus led by the enigmatic Kobra Paige have now been around for eight years and Prevail I, the first of two albums to be released this year, is their fourth full release. I must admit I’ve been unimpressed by their live performances when I’ve seen KATL live, although last year’s opening slot for Delain was a vast improvement on their show at BOA a few years ago. Prevail I contains some very powerful symphonic metal combined with the more routine metal which works well. First single TriggerPulse is a smouldering bruiser of a track, with Paige’s voice impressive.
The rest of the band work hard to provide a solid platform, Jasio Kulakowski’s heavy duty guitar work giving the album the metal edge. In a challenging field where the quality of female fronted bands is currently high, KATL have their work cut out to make an impact. Prevail I will do no harm to their profile and is worthy of an hour of your time. Check out the head banging penultimate beast Hell On Earth, a rip snorting battering ram of a track with the heavy duty drumming of Lord Marcus Lee and the slick time changes effective. Another release that’s worth devoting an hour of your time to. 7/10
Samsara Blues Experiment: One With The Universe (Electric Magic)
Any album that opens with a track that lasts 11 minutes is going to be a crazy ride. So it is with One With The Universe, the fourth album from German's Samsara Blues Experiment. Samsara means ‘wandering’ or ‘world’ in Sanskrit, a word very apt for the vast number of blends that flow through this quite astonishing release. The band, who were formed in 2007 by guitarist and vocalist Christian Peters, deliver five of the most brilliant psychedelic/stoner tracks which lasts over three quarters of an hour.
Each track is a complex exploration, full of meandering travel and tangent side streets. Vipassana opens the proceedings, just under 11 minute, shifting from stoner Clutch type riffage to heavier doom laden passages before drifting effortlessly into the astral plain. Sad Guru Returns sticks a little closer to the blueprint, with some swirling synthesisers adding to the Mastodon-esque maelstrom before the pace slows to a calm and gentle middle section. Glorious Daze has elements of Jim Morrison and The Doors, steeped in the late 60s/early 70s sound, trippy bass and drums and fuzzy guitar work combining with some haunting keyboards as it builds.
It’s the title track which really allows the band to let rip, with Thomas Vedder’s drums and the bass of Han Eisett working magically with Peters’ guitar work, the synths and the odd bid of sitar to provide a palate of sounds that is ethereal and enchanting. It burns slowly, flashes of fire appearing as the intensity flares before returning to a more relaxed journey as the track builds to a stomping majestic finale. Superb! Overall, if you like a bit of trippy shit then this is right on the button. Well worth a go. 8/10
Each track is a complex exploration, full of meandering travel and tangent side streets. Vipassana opens the proceedings, just under 11 minute, shifting from stoner Clutch type riffage to heavier doom laden passages before drifting effortlessly into the astral plain. Sad Guru Returns sticks a little closer to the blueprint, with some swirling synthesisers adding to the Mastodon-esque maelstrom before the pace slows to a calm and gentle middle section. Glorious Daze has elements of Jim Morrison and The Doors, steeped in the late 60s/early 70s sound, trippy bass and drums and fuzzy guitar work combining with some haunting keyboards as it builds.
It’s the title track which really allows the band to let rip, with Thomas Vedder’s drums and the bass of Han Eisett working magically with Peters’ guitar work, the synths and the odd bid of sitar to provide a palate of sounds that is ethereal and enchanting. It burns slowly, flashes of fire appearing as the intensity flares before returning to a more relaxed journey as the track builds to a stomping majestic finale. Superb! Overall, if you like a bit of trippy shit then this is right on the button. Well worth a go. 8/10
Adrenaline Rush: Soul Survivor (Frontiers)
2014’s debut release was a collaboration between vocalist Tave Wanning and the immensely talented Erick Martensson of Eclipse who performed many the instruments on the melodic rock release. Three years on and things have changed slightly and quite interestingly with a collaboration with Firespawn’s Fredrik Folkare although Martensson remained around to contribute and act as a sounding board. With a new band on board, Soul Survivor is a heavier and darker release than the self-titled debut, whilst retaining the melody and sleekness. New discovery Sam Soderlindh acquits himself well with some very sharp guitar work and the band is technically tight. Tave Wanning’s voice is something else though, and you’ll either love it or hate it.
To me it’s far too close to pop diva style and the saccharine soaked title track is one that curled the stomach. When the band do let rip they so with aplomb. Album opener Adrenaline, the throw away Stand My Ground and the Kiss style stomp of Shock Me (not the original don’t panic) are all decent if lightweight rock tunes. If you love your rock with a tongue in cheek fist pumping and a large slice of Gorgonzola you will be over this like a fat bird in a cake shop. If you struggle with the Def Leppards, H.E.A.T. and FMs of this world then you might want to ensure you have an empty stomach before getting involved. It’s a Marmite album alright. 6/10
Friday, 28 April 2017
Reviews: Vicinity, Slydigs, Perfect Blue Sky
Vicinity: Recurrence (Mighty Music)
Vicinity are a Norwegian progressive metal with a melodic streak. Similar to Circus Maximus and Haken in style with racks of keys, emotive songs and long run times, that are not really noticeable due to the constant light and shade keeping you hooked. The choruses are huge and encourage much fist pumping from the listener which is never a bad thing, when a progressive song becomes an earworm you can tell the quality of a band as this is no mean feat.
What really impresses me about this record are the vocals of Alexander, high and nasal but with wide range able to expertly adapt to get constantly undulating musical palate below. Now at 6 songs in length you won't be expecting 4 minute pop songs but they really outdo themselves with elongated tracks as the fantastic duo of Phoenix and the jazzy, drum heavy Mountainfall clock in at 10 and 12 minutes respectively linking together almost seamlessly.
It's the last track however that really defines the world epic in all senses, The Last Goodbye has a 21 minute run-time and numerous shifts in tone with the keys and guitars in harmonious unison underpinned by the virtuoistic drumming and four stringing. This is only the bands second album and it's incredible, it never really misses the mark but also looks toward the future and hints that Vicinity can really go wherever the hell they want next time. 9/10
Slydigs: How Animal Are You? (Self Released)
With high profile supports of The Who, Catfish and The Bottlemen, The View and Pete Doherty and two full European tours with Vintage Trouble, UK rock band Slydigs definitely aren't inexperienced when it come to performing, we actually saw them on the Vintage Trouble and were impressed by their distinctly British R&B. Do you remember the band Jet? Well Slydigs do what they tried to do with a bit more authenticity and grit.
They have lauded by The Who and Eddie Vedder with particular kudos given to Dean Fairhurst's raw vocals. How Animal Are You? is their second EP and it has 6 songs that show you what Slydigs are all about, 3 slices of acoustic troubadouring and 3 of bluesy, 60's tinged rock n roll that is reminiscent of The Stones and The Kinks but with a Northern honesty last heard from Oasis who have a sonic imprint on The Kids Feel Underrated.
This is the perfect kind of music for those that still cling to their afghan coats and John Lennon sunglasses, from the hip shaking title track, to the bluesy flavour of The Truth Will Be Found rounded out with the southern style slide rocking of Suburban Confinement. The lyrics are honest and thought provoking, commentating on modern culture both good and bad. Fairhurst is joined by partner-in-crime Louis Menguy on lead guitar and the funky bottom end of Peter Fleming (drums) and Ben Breslin (bass), together they make some very good music together, premium fodder for youth stations such as Radio 1, but with a bit of gravitas to it. To answer the question posed by the EP title I'm 80% bear so I hope that helps. 8/10
Perfect Blue Sky: The Eye Of Tilos (SMG/Right Recordings)
Perfect Blue Sky are the collaboration between Swedish metal guitarist/vocalist Pontus (Pna) Andersson and Australian female rock vocalist/guitarist Jane Kitto. The Eye Of Tilos is their full length debut, their sound is hazy, pastoral, psychedelic rock from the Woodstock era, think Paisley Shirts, long hair and mind-expanding narcotics. Both Pna and Kitto share vocals on the tracks and they blend perfectly throughout, tracks like Silvertram remind me of Mostly Autumn at their most folky, with the track built around acoustic strumming and Pna's Floydian guitars there also some Jethro Tull spread thickly over everything.
The album flows well and is the ideal accompaniment to relaxing on the grass in the sunshine moving between Big Brother & The Holding Company Psych rock and more stripped back folk meandering, speaking of BBHC their mark is given to the music by Kitto's soulful holler and the inclusion of Dave Getz on drums who was in BBHC and provides the percussive groove he did to the original band. Elsewhere the duo are aided by Frank Bessard on drums (who plays the majority), guitarist Jerry Donahue, and keyboardist Danny Oakhill, they all add their talent to the songwriting of Kitto and Pna.
The Eye Of Tilos is great album that authentically takes from the Summer of Love and into the Californian rock scene of the early 70's if you had Lyndesy Buckingham and Stevie Nicks dropping acid rather than cocaine then this would probably be the result. Let The Sunshine In! 8/10
Vicinity are a Norwegian progressive metal with a melodic streak. Similar to Circus Maximus and Haken in style with racks of keys, emotive songs and long run times, that are not really noticeable due to the constant light and shade keeping you hooked. The choruses are huge and encourage much fist pumping from the listener which is never a bad thing, when a progressive song becomes an earworm you can tell the quality of a band as this is no mean feat.
What really impresses me about this record are the vocals of Alexander, high and nasal but with wide range able to expertly adapt to get constantly undulating musical palate below. Now at 6 songs in length you won't be expecting 4 minute pop songs but they really outdo themselves with elongated tracks as the fantastic duo of Phoenix and the jazzy, drum heavy Mountainfall clock in at 10 and 12 minutes respectively linking together almost seamlessly.
It's the last track however that really defines the world epic in all senses, The Last Goodbye has a 21 minute run-time and numerous shifts in tone with the keys and guitars in harmonious unison underpinned by the virtuoistic drumming and four stringing. This is only the bands second album and it's incredible, it never really misses the mark but also looks toward the future and hints that Vicinity can really go wherever the hell they want next time. 9/10
Slydigs: How Animal Are You? (Self Released)
With high profile supports of The Who, Catfish and The Bottlemen, The View and Pete Doherty and two full European tours with Vintage Trouble, UK rock band Slydigs definitely aren't inexperienced when it come to performing, we actually saw them on the Vintage Trouble and were impressed by their distinctly British R&B. Do you remember the band Jet? Well Slydigs do what they tried to do with a bit more authenticity and grit.
They have lauded by The Who and Eddie Vedder with particular kudos given to Dean Fairhurst's raw vocals. How Animal Are You? is their second EP and it has 6 songs that show you what Slydigs are all about, 3 slices of acoustic troubadouring and 3 of bluesy, 60's tinged rock n roll that is reminiscent of The Stones and The Kinks but with a Northern honesty last heard from Oasis who have a sonic imprint on The Kids Feel Underrated.
This is the perfect kind of music for those that still cling to their afghan coats and John Lennon sunglasses, from the hip shaking title track, to the bluesy flavour of The Truth Will Be Found rounded out with the southern style slide rocking of Suburban Confinement. The lyrics are honest and thought provoking, commentating on modern culture both good and bad. Fairhurst is joined by partner-in-crime Louis Menguy on lead guitar and the funky bottom end of Peter Fleming (drums) and Ben Breslin (bass), together they make some very good music together, premium fodder for youth stations such as Radio 1, but with a bit of gravitas to it. To answer the question posed by the EP title I'm 80% bear so I hope that helps. 8/10
Perfect Blue Sky: The Eye Of Tilos (SMG/Right Recordings)
Perfect Blue Sky are the collaboration between Swedish metal guitarist/vocalist Pontus (Pna) Andersson and Australian female rock vocalist/guitarist Jane Kitto. The Eye Of Tilos is their full length debut, their sound is hazy, pastoral, psychedelic rock from the Woodstock era, think Paisley Shirts, long hair and mind-expanding narcotics. Both Pna and Kitto share vocals on the tracks and they blend perfectly throughout, tracks like Silvertram remind me of Mostly Autumn at their most folky, with the track built around acoustic strumming and Pna's Floydian guitars there also some Jethro Tull spread thickly over everything.
The album flows well and is the ideal accompaniment to relaxing on the grass in the sunshine moving between Big Brother & The Holding Company Psych rock and more stripped back folk meandering, speaking of BBHC their mark is given to the music by Kitto's soulful holler and the inclusion of Dave Getz on drums who was in BBHC and provides the percussive groove he did to the original band. Elsewhere the duo are aided by Frank Bessard on drums (who plays the majority), guitarist Jerry Donahue, and keyboardist Danny Oakhill, they all add their talent to the songwriting of Kitto and Pna.
The Eye Of Tilos is great album that authentically takes from the Summer of Love and into the Californian rock scene of the early 70's if you had Lyndesy Buckingham and Stevie Nicks dropping acid rather than cocaine then this would probably be the result. Let The Sunshine In! 8/10
Thursday, 27 April 2017
A View From The Back Of The Room: Eclipse (Live Review By Paul)
Eclipse & One Desire Thekla, Bristol
Whilst the dying embers of Eradication Festival continued to glow in Fuel in Cardiff, a slightly less intense and cranium crushing evening took place at the always quite bizarre boat that is the retired cargo ship Thekla on the Bristol waterfront.
A small but enthusiastic crowd had gathered for openers Franklin Zoo (7), a five piece from Copenhagen, Denmark. Showing a few signs of tension which is totally expected at the end of their stint on the tour, and struggling with some of the worst sound I’ve heard at a gig for a long time, the Danes battled bravely with their music a fine blend of Soundgarden, Alter Bridge, Alice in Chains and Mastodon. Heavier than the rest of the bill and led by the intimidatingly tall Rasmus Revsbeck, Franklin Zoo gave it their all in a short set with tracks from debut release Untamed and 2016’s follow up Red Skies. Just a shame the sound was so poor.
It didn’t improve much for main support One Desire (7). The Finns energetic and humorous approach almost disguised the fact that they were unable to hear anything apart from the keyboards on stage. With a single self-titled album released within the last month, lead singer Andre Linmann’s repeated introduction of songs from “our only album” was delivered with great humour.
Jimmy Westerlund showed some fine guitar work as the band delivered a set of competent melodic rock including the obligatory ballad. Interestingly, many of the crowd were word perfect to Hurt, This Is Where The Heartbreak Begins and Apologize, hinting at a hidden fan base. Appearing genuinely pleased that there was a reasonable gathering, the band battled gamely to the end of their set, bottling the frustration of a dog shit sound.
With their own stack of Marshall amps and their own sound man at the helm, things certainly improved for headliners Eclipse (9). The Swedes have been around for a long time, having formed in 1999. Their set was perfectly pitched, with a storming first 40 minutes full of harder rock than you might imagine. Frontman Erik Martesson, as fresh faced as he was almost 20 years ago a ball of energy, charging around the small stage as the band charged through a mix of older classics and a healthy serving from the most recent Monumentum release.
Guitarist and co-founder Magnus Henriksson, complete with smooth hat was totally at ease as he delivered solo after solo. Newer band members Magnus Ulfstedt on bass, a dead ringer for Nikki Sixx and drummer Philip Crusner were superbly connected, ensuring plenty of drive and secure platform as the show wore on. Crusner’s kit, ringed with lights was eye catching and as the impressive drum solo in harmony with O Fortuna split the set it came alive, a sinister glow cast over the front few rows.
Pacing a set is never easy but Eclipse made it look straightforward, with the breakdown for Black Rain, from the new release allowing Henriksson, Ulfstedt and Crusner to let rip with an instrumental blast that allowed Henriksson to let fly. An acoustic bridge paused the intensity, Martensson and Henriksson combining to deliver a stunning Live Like I’m Dying from Armageddonize and Battlegrounds from Bleed & Scream before the run in which concluded with the Eurovision challenger Runaways from 2016’s Melodifestivalen.
The band were in superb form, demonstrating a slickness that comes from those who’ve served their time. Once again, the melodic rock crowd showed why there is such a demand for this type of band. A double encore ending with Bleed & Scream and an enormous ovation. Whilst this type of music rarely floats my boat, the sheer energy, enthusiasm and effort that Eclipse put into the show was impressive
Whilst the dying embers of Eradication Festival continued to glow in Fuel in Cardiff, a slightly less intense and cranium crushing evening took place at the always quite bizarre boat that is the retired cargo ship Thekla on the Bristol waterfront.
A small but enthusiastic crowd had gathered for openers Franklin Zoo (7), a five piece from Copenhagen, Denmark. Showing a few signs of tension which is totally expected at the end of their stint on the tour, and struggling with some of the worst sound I’ve heard at a gig for a long time, the Danes battled bravely with their music a fine blend of Soundgarden, Alter Bridge, Alice in Chains and Mastodon. Heavier than the rest of the bill and led by the intimidatingly tall Rasmus Revsbeck, Franklin Zoo gave it their all in a short set with tracks from debut release Untamed and 2016’s follow up Red Skies. Just a shame the sound was so poor.
It didn’t improve much for main support One Desire (7). The Finns energetic and humorous approach almost disguised the fact that they were unable to hear anything apart from the keyboards on stage. With a single self-titled album released within the last month, lead singer Andre Linmann’s repeated introduction of songs from “our only album” was delivered with great humour.
Jimmy Westerlund showed some fine guitar work as the band delivered a set of competent melodic rock including the obligatory ballad. Interestingly, many of the crowd were word perfect to Hurt, This Is Where The Heartbreak Begins and Apologize, hinting at a hidden fan base. Appearing genuinely pleased that there was a reasonable gathering, the band battled gamely to the end of their set, bottling the frustration of a dog shit sound.
With their own stack of Marshall amps and their own sound man at the helm, things certainly improved for headliners Eclipse (9). The Swedes have been around for a long time, having formed in 1999. Their set was perfectly pitched, with a storming first 40 minutes full of harder rock than you might imagine. Frontman Erik Martesson, as fresh faced as he was almost 20 years ago a ball of energy, charging around the small stage as the band charged through a mix of older classics and a healthy serving from the most recent Monumentum release.
Guitarist and co-founder Magnus Henriksson, complete with smooth hat was totally at ease as he delivered solo after solo. Newer band members Magnus Ulfstedt on bass, a dead ringer for Nikki Sixx and drummer Philip Crusner were superbly connected, ensuring plenty of drive and secure platform as the show wore on. Crusner’s kit, ringed with lights was eye catching and as the impressive drum solo in harmony with O Fortuna split the set it came alive, a sinister glow cast over the front few rows.
Pacing a set is never easy but Eclipse made it look straightforward, with the breakdown for Black Rain, from the new release allowing Henriksson, Ulfstedt and Crusner to let rip with an instrumental blast that allowed Henriksson to let fly. An acoustic bridge paused the intensity, Martensson and Henriksson combining to deliver a stunning Live Like I’m Dying from Armageddonize and Battlegrounds from Bleed & Scream before the run in which concluded with the Eurovision challenger Runaways from 2016’s Melodifestivalen.
The band were in superb form, demonstrating a slickness that comes from those who’ve served their time. Once again, the melodic rock crowd showed why there is such a demand for this type of band. A double encore ending with Bleed & Scream and an enormous ovation. Whilst this type of music rarely floats my boat, the sheer energy, enthusiasm and effort that Eclipse put into the show was impressive
Another Point Of View: Eradication Festival (Live Review By Rich)
Eradication Festival 2017
Eradication Festival returned to Fuel Rock Club in Cardiff bringing a line up of extreme metal madness to the Welsh capital. Despite being a Cardiff resident this was the first time I had managed to make it to Eradication Festival and my anticipation levels were very high with some phenomenal bands on the line up.
Thursday
Things kicked off on the Thursday night with a handful of bands playing. Getting to the venue straight from work the first band of the evening were Sublime Eyes (7). Lumbered with the early slot these Norwegians still played to a half full room and brought an enthusiastic reception with their modern melodic death metal sound. It took them a couple of songs to really get going but once they did, heads were banging and voices were cheering.
Next up were Organ Dealer (7) who completely upped the pace and intensity with their set of grindcore madness. Some of the crowd were lapping it up and others were a bit intimidated especially with frontman Scott Moriarty's very in your face approach but it was a very fine set of grinding ferocity. Following them were the UK's own Wretched Soul (8) who very much surprised and entertained me with their mix of thrash, death and traditional heavy metal. The songs were savage, melodic and anthemic all in one. Due to overrunning and time constraints the band were forced to cut their set a bit short but they won me over as well as many in the audience.
It was back to insanity for Department Of Correction (8) who were easily the most off the wall and psychotic band of the evening. Hailing from France this three piece played an absolutely schizo brand of grindcore. Razor sharp guitar riffs combined with some absolutely inhuman drumming and the demented screams and gurning of frontman Grégoire Duclos. This was exactly how I like my grind, completely and utterly mental.
Finally were the headliners and most anticipated band of the evening for me the mighty Norweigian death metal masters Blood Red Throne (10). The venue was absolutely packed out and buzzing with excitement as the band took to the stage and unleashed one of the most devastatingly heavy and brutal death metal sets I have witnessed. The band were on absolute top form and wasted no time in obliterating the crowd with a set that mixed material from their latest album Union Of Flesh And Machine with selected cuts from their back catalogue such as Homicidal Ecstasy, Primitive Killing Machine and Unleashing Hell. A broken string meant one of the guitarists disappearing to fix it for five minutes so the audience were treated to a Pantera jam with Arvid Tjelta from Sublime Eyes temporarily jumping on vocals. With a fixed string it was back to business with a a finishing trio of The Light, The Hate, Smite and Mephitication. A mighty fine start to the festival.
Friday
Unfortunately due to work I had to miss most of the bands playing in the daytime on Friday but I headed straight from work in time to catch Forgotten Remains (7) whose savage mix of death and thrash metal helped clear the cobwebs from a day at work. The songs were a little repetitive with most of them being at the same pace with little to distinguish between them but it was still an enjoyable set and a cover of The Haunted's D.O.A. got heads a banging.
Matt - This was the day I also managed to attend, having missed Forgotten Remains, I walked in just as Animator (7) was starting their set, the Irish band play classic thrash metal that leaves little to the imagination, with the crowd at the front of the stage going mad, I'd say it was job done for the band who managed to whip the room into a frenzy with their music.
Next band I managed to grab were Solothus (9). This band was a complete surprise for me having never heard of them before this festival and these guys from Finland played a devastatingly heavy set of death/doom metal. A variety of tempos and styles were employed throughout the songs from crushingly slow doom to mid paced head banging riffage to blasting death metal. The ultra guttural growls of Kari Kankaanpää complimented the dark doomy evil atmosphere of the music and special mention must go to lead guitarist Veli-Matti Karjalainen whose lead guitar solos were absolutely jaw dropping.
Matt - After the very impressive showing from Solothus, Sworn Amongst (7) had a lot to do to match the band that proceeded them, their style of metal moves into the groove-laden groove scene and saw the crowd swap, such is the nature of this festival, if one style of extremity doesn't suit then another will. Big grooves riffs filled the room and got people moving but with many of the hardcore struggling to get their breath back after Solothus, Sworn Amongst didn't quite hit the spot for many although being good at what they do and giving a good account of themselves.
The final band I of the Friday were UK thrashers Bull-Riff Stampede (8). These guys played an amazingly tight set combining old school thrash metal with elements of modern metal and melodic death metal. The songs ranged from mid paced stompers to ripping thrash anthems all played with intensity and passion. A great way to see out the second day of the festival.
Saturday
With work requiring my good behaviour for the previous two days of the festival Saturday was party time and the day provided a fine soundtrack for some partying - plenty of death metal! After a bit of lunch and a few pre-drinks I got to the venue in time for one of my most anticipated bands of the day the mighty Blasphemer (9). Blasphemer played a blinding set of no frills old school death metal. Having formed back in 1990 Blasphemer knew their craft and had heads banging relentlessly to killer riffs full of that violent old school groove which is so lacking in much modern death metal. A fantastic start to the day and one of the best bands of the weekend.
Next up were Anoxide (7) who have a modern take on death metal but with plenty of old school influence. Savage riffage, blasting drums and the ferocious vocals of frontman Omar Swaby. Nothing to write home about but played with passion and conviction and to a crowd who went nuts for every second of their set. They were followed by Chainsaw Castration (7) who played an ultra brutal slam variant of death metal. This style leaves me a bit cold on record but when seen live is great fun with absolutely monstrous riffs and silly amounts of brutal breakdowns. There are plenty of bands doing this sort of style and many better but Chainsaw Castration were bags of fun.
A brief rest-bite and the next act on were my most anticipated of the day avart garde death metallers The Monolith Deathcult (7). The Monolith Deathcult are a strange entity mixing the brutality of death metal with industrial, electronica and symphonic influences. Unfortunately the band were a victim of poor sound with everything seemingly turned up to maximum the multiple layers of sound the band has becoming lost in a wall of noise at points. The band played phenomenally though with their experimental sound either winning over or completely alienating members of the audience. Had thier been a better sound mix The Monolith Deathcult would have been one of the stand out bands of the day for me.
The finally it was time for slam's finest Crepitation (8). Having caught these at Ritual Festival in Leeds a few weeks back I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for - high levels of silliness, absolute brutality and totally insane vocals. The band played to an absolutely packed out room with the crowd down the front going absolutely bananas. The band fed off the levels of chaos and insanity in the room and played a glorious set which entertained and laid waste to the audience.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to make the Sunday of Eradication Festival but the experience I had was certainly memorable. Hats off to Gavin Davies for organising this festival as there's nothing else like it in South Wales at the moment and he managed to bring some incredible bands to Cardiff. With next years festival already confirmed and the first wave of bands announced I highly recommend any extreme metal fan in the South Wales area and beyond makes an effort to attend this fantastic weekend.
Eradication Festival returned to Fuel Rock Club in Cardiff bringing a line up of extreme metal madness to the Welsh capital. Despite being a Cardiff resident this was the first time I had managed to make it to Eradication Festival and my anticipation levels were very high with some phenomenal bands on the line up.
Thursday
Things kicked off on the Thursday night with a handful of bands playing. Getting to the venue straight from work the first band of the evening were Sublime Eyes (7). Lumbered with the early slot these Norwegians still played to a half full room and brought an enthusiastic reception with their modern melodic death metal sound. It took them a couple of songs to really get going but once they did, heads were banging and voices were cheering.
Next up were Organ Dealer (7) who completely upped the pace and intensity with their set of grindcore madness. Some of the crowd were lapping it up and others were a bit intimidated especially with frontman Scott Moriarty's very in your face approach but it was a very fine set of grinding ferocity. Following them were the UK's own Wretched Soul (8) who very much surprised and entertained me with their mix of thrash, death and traditional heavy metal. The songs were savage, melodic and anthemic all in one. Due to overrunning and time constraints the band were forced to cut their set a bit short but they won me over as well as many in the audience.
It was back to insanity for Department Of Correction (8) who were easily the most off the wall and psychotic band of the evening. Hailing from France this three piece played an absolutely schizo brand of grindcore. Razor sharp guitar riffs combined with some absolutely inhuman drumming and the demented screams and gurning of frontman Grégoire Duclos. This was exactly how I like my grind, completely and utterly mental.
Finally were the headliners and most anticipated band of the evening for me the mighty Norweigian death metal masters Blood Red Throne (10). The venue was absolutely packed out and buzzing with excitement as the band took to the stage and unleashed one of the most devastatingly heavy and brutal death metal sets I have witnessed. The band were on absolute top form and wasted no time in obliterating the crowd with a set that mixed material from their latest album Union Of Flesh And Machine with selected cuts from their back catalogue such as Homicidal Ecstasy, Primitive Killing Machine and Unleashing Hell. A broken string meant one of the guitarists disappearing to fix it for five minutes so the audience were treated to a Pantera jam with Arvid Tjelta from Sublime Eyes temporarily jumping on vocals. With a fixed string it was back to business with a a finishing trio of The Light, The Hate, Smite and Mephitication. A mighty fine start to the festival.
Friday
Unfortunately due to work I had to miss most of the bands playing in the daytime on Friday but I headed straight from work in time to catch Forgotten Remains (7) whose savage mix of death and thrash metal helped clear the cobwebs from a day at work. The songs were a little repetitive with most of them being at the same pace with little to distinguish between them but it was still an enjoyable set and a cover of The Haunted's D.O.A. got heads a banging.
Matt - This was the day I also managed to attend, having missed Forgotten Remains, I walked in just as Animator (7) was starting their set, the Irish band play classic thrash metal that leaves little to the imagination, with the crowd at the front of the stage going mad, I'd say it was job done for the band who managed to whip the room into a frenzy with their music.
Next band I managed to grab were Solothus (9). This band was a complete surprise for me having never heard of them before this festival and these guys from Finland played a devastatingly heavy set of death/doom metal. A variety of tempos and styles were employed throughout the songs from crushingly slow doom to mid paced head banging riffage to blasting death metal. The ultra guttural growls of Kari Kankaanpää complimented the dark doomy evil atmosphere of the music and special mention must go to lead guitarist Veli-Matti Karjalainen whose lead guitar solos were absolutely jaw dropping.
Matt - After the very impressive showing from Solothus, Sworn Amongst (7) had a lot to do to match the band that proceeded them, their style of metal moves into the groove-laden groove scene and saw the crowd swap, such is the nature of this festival, if one style of extremity doesn't suit then another will. Big grooves riffs filled the room and got people moving but with many of the hardcore struggling to get their breath back after Solothus, Sworn Amongst didn't quite hit the spot for many although being good at what they do and giving a good account of themselves.
The final band I of the Friday were UK thrashers Bull-Riff Stampede (8). These guys played an amazingly tight set combining old school thrash metal with elements of modern metal and melodic death metal. The songs ranged from mid paced stompers to ripping thrash anthems all played with intensity and passion. A great way to see out the second day of the festival.
Saturday
With work requiring my good behaviour for the previous two days of the festival Saturday was party time and the day provided a fine soundtrack for some partying - plenty of death metal! After a bit of lunch and a few pre-drinks I got to the venue in time for one of my most anticipated bands of the day the mighty Blasphemer (9). Blasphemer played a blinding set of no frills old school death metal. Having formed back in 1990 Blasphemer knew their craft and had heads banging relentlessly to killer riffs full of that violent old school groove which is so lacking in much modern death metal. A fantastic start to the day and one of the best bands of the weekend.
Next up were Anoxide (7) who have a modern take on death metal but with plenty of old school influence. Savage riffage, blasting drums and the ferocious vocals of frontman Omar Swaby. Nothing to write home about but played with passion and conviction and to a crowd who went nuts for every second of their set. They were followed by Chainsaw Castration (7) who played an ultra brutal slam variant of death metal. This style leaves me a bit cold on record but when seen live is great fun with absolutely monstrous riffs and silly amounts of brutal breakdowns. There are plenty of bands doing this sort of style and many better but Chainsaw Castration were bags of fun.
A brief rest-bite and the next act on were my most anticipated of the day avart garde death metallers The Monolith Deathcult (7). The Monolith Deathcult are a strange entity mixing the brutality of death metal with industrial, electronica and symphonic influences. Unfortunately the band were a victim of poor sound with everything seemingly turned up to maximum the multiple layers of sound the band has becoming lost in a wall of noise at points. The band played phenomenally though with their experimental sound either winning over or completely alienating members of the audience. Had thier been a better sound mix The Monolith Deathcult would have been one of the stand out bands of the day for me.
The finally it was time for slam's finest Crepitation (8). Having caught these at Ritual Festival in Leeds a few weeks back I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for - high levels of silliness, absolute brutality and totally insane vocals. The band played to an absolutely packed out room with the crowd down the front going absolutely bananas. The band fed off the levels of chaos and insanity in the room and played a glorious set which entertained and laid waste to the audience.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to make the Sunday of Eradication Festival but the experience I had was certainly memorable. Hats off to Gavin Davies for organising this festival as there's nothing else like it in South Wales at the moment and he managed to bring some incredible bands to Cardiff. With next years festival already confirmed and the first wave of bands announced I highly recommend any extreme metal fan in the South Wales area and beyond makes an effort to attend this fantastic weekend.
Reviews: Need, Paladine, Strikelight, Project Renegade
Need: Hegaiamas - A Song For Freedom (Self Released)
I've always had a bit of a penchant for progressive metal, it takes my love of prog and makes it heavier, bands like Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Seventh Wonder are the records I go back too again and again. I realise this is not the case for a lot of people as they are put of the by long track times, inflated egos and wankery of the highest order, however the bands that do prog metal well know when to not play a note, it's the judged nuanced approach that normally wins out over out and out technicality and showing off. Need's third record Hegaiamas: A Song For Freedom
is most definitely in this second category, their music is as you'd expect intricate, scientific and complicated but it's also wringing with emotion, incite and they judge when they need to impress and when to show restraint.
The Greek band are about to embark on a North American tour with Evergrey, Seven Kingdoms and Ascendia and it's the sound of Tom S Englund's Evergrey that looms large over Needs style of progressive metal, Jon V has a strong timbre to his vocals similar to Englund, Ray Alder (Fates Warning) and even Apollo Papathanasio, he never hits too high but it suits the darker sound the band convey. At just over an hour the record is well paced most of the songs clock in at around seven minutes but hold your attention the interplay between Ravaya's guitars and Anthony's keys are practically perfect weaving in and out of each other almost competitively in the solo sections but locking in with Victor and Stelios' bottom end for a tough metal delivery. The record opens with the beautiful vocals of Mina Giannopoulou starting Rememory a song that is the ideal first track powerful, full of riffage and immediately establishes the bands style, as the album progresses the songs all keep the interest, this is classic sounding progressive metal that sounds like the bands I mentioned at the beginning of this review.
It builds throughout adding layers and layers to their sound however it's towards the end of this record that things really shoot into the progsphere, Iota is a spoken word discourse on dreams and the universe with a classical piano backing, it sets the scene perfectly for the title track, this 22 minute finale takes everything heard previously and stuff it into one elongated epic full of changes in pace and tone, yes some parts are little repetitive in the instrumental sections but what do you expect of a 22 minute song? Hegaiamas: A Song For Freedom is a record of bold, brave and brilliantly presented progressive metal, personally I'm going to seek out the bands other albums asap. 9/10
Paladine: Finding Solace (No Remorse Records)
Athens band Paladine play epic power metal based around Dragonlance series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The album opens with mini epic Dragonrider which starts with dextrous acoustics before turning into a tough power metal song with a great hook before the middle eight brings the acoustic flourishes back. the band was founded by Chris “Crazy” Stergianidis (bass), Thanos Kollintzogiannakis (guitar also of Desert Near The End) and Stamatis Katsafados (drums also of The Silent Rage) all former members of the band Mythraal, they came together again to create Paladine as a band with it's roots in the American power metal sound of Iced Earth, Manilla Road, Jag Panzer, Savatage and even Manowar (they are scheduled to support Manilla Road on their 40th anniversary show in Athens 1st May 2017).
Finding Solace is their debut album and you can hear the Savatage influence strongly on Master Of Present And Past much of this is due to frontman Nick "The Metalizer" Protonotarios who is an amalgamation of both Oliva brothers handling the throaty, powerful vocals and searing lead guitars easily, this album has an epic sound to it as you'd hope from their influences, instrumental The Inn Of The Last Home is a good break piece layered with Marilena Plitsi's synths and keys and it leads into the moody Knight Of The Black Rose which builds into a galloping metal track with punishing percussion the Iced Earth similarities are uncanny.
The record has concept from the Dragonlance series running through it based around fantasy elements, knights, dragons, good vs evil, all that jazz. The one thing that lets this album down for me is that the mix is a little bit flat, with a deeper sound the song would be more effective, but that's personal taste. Finding Solace is a confident debut from some established musicians, it just misses the mark sonically. 7/10
Strikelight: Beyond The Afterglow (Eat Metal Records)
Whereas Paladine suffered from the production of their record being a little flat, fellow Athenians Strikelight have a case of too much bass, the four strings and the drums are overly high in the mix meaning they overpower everything else. Not that you would really be missing that much, Strikelight play 80's trad metal that seems to be in vogue at the moment, unfortunately they are just generic by the numbers 80's metal even by the NWOBHM standards. In this genre you have to do something a bit different and Strikelight don't the songs are a boring, the vocals get on your nerves after a bit and it's all just a bit meh. Nothing here really stands out, but then equally nothing is terrible the band play well especially the very audible bass and drums but they are let down by rigidly sticking to the formula without fail. 5/10
Project Renegade: Cerebra (Self Released)
Project Renegade are a four piece from Athen Greece, their alternative metal will be familiar to fans of Lacuna Coil, driven by Ody's drumming the band blur the lines between goth, nu, industrial metal with the three songs on this record. Released to promote the band and create anticipation for both their live shows and their debut record (still in progress) the EP starts with the industrial flavoured Pressure which has chunky rhythms, haunting vocals and pulsing electronics and breaks down at the final part displaying all the facets of Project Renegade's sound. Natural Born Killer is very bass and drum heavy with ghostly ambient synths floating over the top, while One Of The Crowd is the heaviest of the three songs with downtuned riffs pummeling things as the siren-like electronics chime in and frontwoman Marianna adds some feistiness to her vocals. Cerebra does exactly what it needs to do it makes you prick up your ears and want to hear more from Project Renegade, a three track Ep full of thumping alt-metal. 7/10
I've always had a bit of a penchant for progressive metal, it takes my love of prog and makes it heavier, bands like Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Seventh Wonder are the records I go back too again and again. I realise this is not the case for a lot of people as they are put of the by long track times, inflated egos and wankery of the highest order, however the bands that do prog metal well know when to not play a note, it's the judged nuanced approach that normally wins out over out and out technicality and showing off. Need's third record Hegaiamas: A Song For Freedom
is most definitely in this second category, their music is as you'd expect intricate, scientific and complicated but it's also wringing with emotion, incite and they judge when they need to impress and when to show restraint.
The Greek band are about to embark on a North American tour with Evergrey, Seven Kingdoms and Ascendia and it's the sound of Tom S Englund's Evergrey that looms large over Needs style of progressive metal, Jon V has a strong timbre to his vocals similar to Englund, Ray Alder (Fates Warning) and even Apollo Papathanasio, he never hits too high but it suits the darker sound the band convey. At just over an hour the record is well paced most of the songs clock in at around seven minutes but hold your attention the interplay between Ravaya's guitars and Anthony's keys are practically perfect weaving in and out of each other almost competitively in the solo sections but locking in with Victor and Stelios' bottom end for a tough metal delivery. The record opens with the beautiful vocals of Mina Giannopoulou starting Rememory a song that is the ideal first track powerful, full of riffage and immediately establishes the bands style, as the album progresses the songs all keep the interest, this is classic sounding progressive metal that sounds like the bands I mentioned at the beginning of this review.
It builds throughout adding layers and layers to their sound however it's towards the end of this record that things really shoot into the progsphere, Iota is a spoken word discourse on dreams and the universe with a classical piano backing, it sets the scene perfectly for the title track, this 22 minute finale takes everything heard previously and stuff it into one elongated epic full of changes in pace and tone, yes some parts are little repetitive in the instrumental sections but what do you expect of a 22 minute song? Hegaiamas: A Song For Freedom is a record of bold, brave and brilliantly presented progressive metal, personally I'm going to seek out the bands other albums asap. 9/10
Paladine: Finding Solace (No Remorse Records)
Athens band Paladine play epic power metal based around Dragonlance series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The album opens with mini epic Dragonrider which starts with dextrous acoustics before turning into a tough power metal song with a great hook before the middle eight brings the acoustic flourishes back. the band was founded by Chris “Crazy” Stergianidis (bass), Thanos Kollintzogiannakis (guitar also of Desert Near The End) and Stamatis Katsafados (drums also of The Silent Rage) all former members of the band Mythraal, they came together again to create Paladine as a band with it's roots in the American power metal sound of Iced Earth, Manilla Road, Jag Panzer, Savatage and even Manowar (they are scheduled to support Manilla Road on their 40th anniversary show in Athens 1st May 2017).
Finding Solace is their debut album and you can hear the Savatage influence strongly on Master Of Present And Past much of this is due to frontman Nick "The Metalizer" Protonotarios who is an amalgamation of both Oliva brothers handling the throaty, powerful vocals and searing lead guitars easily, this album has an epic sound to it as you'd hope from their influences, instrumental The Inn Of The Last Home is a good break piece layered with Marilena Plitsi's synths and keys and it leads into the moody Knight Of The Black Rose which builds into a galloping metal track with punishing percussion the Iced Earth similarities are uncanny.
The record has concept from the Dragonlance series running through it based around fantasy elements, knights, dragons, good vs evil, all that jazz. The one thing that lets this album down for me is that the mix is a little bit flat, with a deeper sound the song would be more effective, but that's personal taste. Finding Solace is a confident debut from some established musicians, it just misses the mark sonically. 7/10
Strikelight: Beyond The Afterglow (Eat Metal Records)
Whereas Paladine suffered from the production of their record being a little flat, fellow Athenians Strikelight have a case of too much bass, the four strings and the drums are overly high in the mix meaning they overpower everything else. Not that you would really be missing that much, Strikelight play 80's trad metal that seems to be in vogue at the moment, unfortunately they are just generic by the numbers 80's metal even by the NWOBHM standards. In this genre you have to do something a bit different and Strikelight don't the songs are a boring, the vocals get on your nerves after a bit and it's all just a bit meh. Nothing here really stands out, but then equally nothing is terrible the band play well especially the very audible bass and drums but they are let down by rigidly sticking to the formula without fail. 5/10
Project Renegade: Cerebra (Self Released)
Project Renegade are a four piece from Athen Greece, their alternative metal will be familiar to fans of Lacuna Coil, driven by Ody's drumming the band blur the lines between goth, nu, industrial metal with the three songs on this record. Released to promote the band and create anticipation for both their live shows and their debut record (still in progress) the EP starts with the industrial flavoured Pressure which has chunky rhythms, haunting vocals and pulsing electronics and breaks down at the final part displaying all the facets of Project Renegade's sound. Natural Born Killer is very bass and drum heavy with ghostly ambient synths floating over the top, while One Of The Crowd is the heaviest of the three songs with downtuned riffs pummeling things as the siren-like electronics chime in and frontwoman Marianna adds some feistiness to her vocals. Cerebra does exactly what it needs to do it makes you prick up your ears and want to hear more from Project Renegade, a three track Ep full of thumping alt-metal. 7/10
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