Orden Ogan: Gunmen (AFM)
I've had a soft spot for Orden Organ since their third record To The End the German band successful marry heavy power metal with a cinematic feel but in an unfussy way, they are not as over the top as bands such as Rhapsody but have the same pomp. The band is the brainchild of frontman Seeb Levermann who is the bands' vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist/producer and writer he pretty much is the sound of Orden Ogan and his creates excellent power metal soundscapes, with the thunderous riffage, elegant keyboards, large backing choirs and his own deep powerful vocals tracks such as the dramatic Vampire In A Ghost Town, the Teutonic-metal of the title track and the epic final track Finis Coronat Opus which is just that an opus of operatic proportions.
Aiding Seeb are the band that have been with him since To The End guitarist Tobi, bassist Niels and drummer Dirk and they all are top flight musicians giving a really tight performance throughout as the songs twist and change numerous times during their relatively short run times, the amount of melody to metal is measured almost perfectly and on ballads seem muscular rather than airy Come With Me To The Other Side is the ideal example of this it's a great folk-influenced song that features Seeb duetting with Liv Kristine for maximum drama. Gunmen continues Orden Ogan's purple patch classy, heavy power metal with the occasional lighter moment added for a more rounded experience. 8/10
Blackwater Conspiracy: Shootin' The Breeze (Bulletproof 20/20)
Do you remember Million Dollar Reload? They released two albums and a live record between 2010 and 2013, highly touted as 'the next big thing' by the rock press their sleazy rock n roll was part AC/DC, part Guns N Roses. The comparisons were drawn mainly due to Phil Conalane's whiskey soaked Bon Scott-like vocals, the album's were very good and the band more than lived up to their press tag, however in 2015 the sleaze influences sank away and the music they were creating was much more laid back and blues-influenced.
Phil continued with vocals and strapped on a guitar and along with M$R bassist and co-founder Kie McMurray they added to their ranks the lead guitar wizardry of Brian Fallon, the tub thumping of Fionn O’Hagain and the keys of Kevin Brennan before deciding that a new name was needed and so Voilà Blackwater Conspiracy came about. This is their debut album and the years of service to rock n roll is written all over it, the songs bristle with energy that is captured by fellow countrymen The Answer.
The Gaelic spirit is writ large all over this record, as well as The Answer comparisons can be drawn to The Temperance Movement, The Quireboys and of course The Faces, Phil's raw vocals are particularly Rod-like on the breezy Blackwater Swagger and Roll The Dice, the band go a bit Skynyrd on Waitin' On Hollywood which teams a fuzz riff with church organs and A Penny For Your Dirty Mind continues in the soulful Southern vibe. Hanging Tree is a packed with soul bearing from Phil, '85 Rockstar builds on bubbling organs with an easy shuffle into a tale of self destruction that could have come from their previous incarnation.
Decadent Highway goes the other way by landing squarely in The Black Crowes territory matching boogie piano running with rock n roll guitar heroism. Recorded at Rockfield and Studio 2 in Portadown the album brims with confidence, intelligence and a real love for the music contained herein, Blackwater Conspiracy have spent time crafting an album that goes from slide-driven blues through to driving rock n roll via confessional country, it's a fantastic record that like all the best albums is British rock influenced by American blues, come and shoot the breeze it's comforting, familiar and boy howdy does it feel good. 10/10
Bloody Hammers: The Horrific Case Of Bloody Hammers (Napalm Records)
The Horrific Case Of Bloody Hammers is a vinyl only EP of Transylvania County goth, horror, schlock rockers Bloody Hammers. On their full length records they have slowly adapted their sound from doomy Sabbath-like rock to a more Cure-like goth styling and the six tracks on on this EP draw from both of those different style. The EP opens with the low down dirty riff of Gates Of Hell which is the heaviest track and has frontman/guitarist/bassist Anders Manga conducting the the ceremony with his resonant vocals and low end guitars.
His wife Devallia's organs come in on Blood which has the percussive melancholy of Type O Negative, it's on the synth heavy The Beyond that the band show their sexy gothic stylings. As a short slice of what the band can do The Horrific Case Of Bloody Hammers is a great EP that brings together the best of the band and takes it's place as a taster for their next album. 7/10
Friday, 16 June 2017
Thursday, 15 June 2017
Reviews: Municipal Waste, Secret Sphere, Anasarca (Reviews By Rich)
Municipal Waste: Slime And Punishment (Nuclear Blast)
Municipal Waste have always been one of the best loved bands of the thrash metal revival and their sixth album Slime And Punishment shows just why. It's been a five year wait since previous album The Fatal Feast (Waste In Space) and anticipation for this record is very high amongst thrashers like myself. Thankfully with Slime And Punishment Municipal Waste have not let us down. If you've heard previous Muncipal Waste albums then you know exactly what you're getting and that is a blast of short, sharp punked up thrash anthems.
The main difference on Slime And Punishment is the addition of Nick Poulos as second guitarist which has upped the musical prowess on display with exceptional performances all round. Muncipal Waste have never taken themselves seriously and this attitude is still evident especially on songs such as Breathe Grease, Shrednecks and Bourbon Discipline. Slime And Punishment is probably the strongest album Municipal Waste have released since The Art Of Partying and whilst it doesn't deviate from the formula laid down on previous albums it is 29 minutes of damn good thrashing fun. 8/10
Secret Sphere: The Nature Of Time (Frontiers Records)
Secret Sphere are an Italian progressive power metal band who formed back in 1997 and latest release The Nature Of Time is their eighth album. Secret Sphere are a band I have heard of but despite their longevity and lengthy discography I have yet to hear them until now. The music on The Nature Of Time is melodic power metal with progressive and symphonic influences. The performances on the album are fantastic with some jaw dropping lead guitar work from Aldo Lonobile, impressive keyboard work by Gabriele Ciaccia and truly outstanding vocals by frontman Michele Luppi. If you enjoy clean vocals in metal then this guy has to be heard as his vocals are out of this world and one of the strongest aspects of this album.
The songwriting is fairly good throughout the album with things starting very strong with songs such as lead single The Calling, the power metal leaning Courage and semi-ballad Kindness before the album takes a midway dip in quality with a bunch of forgettable and disposable songs. Things do pick up once again with the lengthy and epic The Awakening and impressive closer The New Beginning. The Nature Of Time is a very enjoyable melodic metal album though the midway slump does affect the flow of the album and the album does tend to have a few too many gentle moments for my liking. Despite these criticisms this is a worth checking out if you are a fan of melodic metal. 7/10
Anasarca: Survival Mode (Sevared Records)
The joy of reviewing is the discovery of new bands and especially the discovery of bands who play the sort of music that you absolutely love. Anasarca are my latest discovery - they are a death metal band from Germany and Survival Mode is their fourth album. The album is a re-recording of the 2015 demo of the same name but with an additional five new songs on there. Survival Mode is an all out old school death metal feast with a sound very reminiscent of the US scene in the early to mid nineties with influence coming from some of the greats of the genre such as Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation and Suffocation.
The band put in a extremely tight performance and very much know the art of good death metal which is violence, aggression and a certain degree of catchiness. If you like your death metal the old way then these riffs will be causing you neck injury. With Survival Mode Anasarca have put together a fine album of old school death metal worship which while lacking in originality is more than made up for in quality. Who needs originality in death metal when it sounds as good as this? If it ain't broke don't fix it. 8/10
Municipal Waste have always been one of the best loved bands of the thrash metal revival and their sixth album Slime And Punishment shows just why. It's been a five year wait since previous album The Fatal Feast (Waste In Space) and anticipation for this record is very high amongst thrashers like myself. Thankfully with Slime And Punishment Municipal Waste have not let us down. If you've heard previous Muncipal Waste albums then you know exactly what you're getting and that is a blast of short, sharp punked up thrash anthems.
The main difference on Slime And Punishment is the addition of Nick Poulos as second guitarist which has upped the musical prowess on display with exceptional performances all round. Muncipal Waste have never taken themselves seriously and this attitude is still evident especially on songs such as Breathe Grease, Shrednecks and Bourbon Discipline. Slime And Punishment is probably the strongest album Municipal Waste have released since The Art Of Partying and whilst it doesn't deviate from the formula laid down on previous albums it is 29 minutes of damn good thrashing fun. 8/10
Secret Sphere: The Nature Of Time (Frontiers Records)
Secret Sphere are an Italian progressive power metal band who formed back in 1997 and latest release The Nature Of Time is their eighth album. Secret Sphere are a band I have heard of but despite their longevity and lengthy discography I have yet to hear them until now. The music on The Nature Of Time is melodic power metal with progressive and symphonic influences. The performances on the album are fantastic with some jaw dropping lead guitar work from Aldo Lonobile, impressive keyboard work by Gabriele Ciaccia and truly outstanding vocals by frontman Michele Luppi. If you enjoy clean vocals in metal then this guy has to be heard as his vocals are out of this world and one of the strongest aspects of this album.
The songwriting is fairly good throughout the album with things starting very strong with songs such as lead single The Calling, the power metal leaning Courage and semi-ballad Kindness before the album takes a midway dip in quality with a bunch of forgettable and disposable songs. Things do pick up once again with the lengthy and epic The Awakening and impressive closer The New Beginning. The Nature Of Time is a very enjoyable melodic metal album though the midway slump does affect the flow of the album and the album does tend to have a few too many gentle moments for my liking. Despite these criticisms this is a worth checking out if you are a fan of melodic metal. 7/10
Anasarca: Survival Mode (Sevared Records)
The joy of reviewing is the discovery of new bands and especially the discovery of bands who play the sort of music that you absolutely love. Anasarca are my latest discovery - they are a death metal band from Germany and Survival Mode is their fourth album. The album is a re-recording of the 2015 demo of the same name but with an additional five new songs on there. Survival Mode is an all out old school death metal feast with a sound very reminiscent of the US scene in the early to mid nineties with influence coming from some of the greats of the genre such as Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation and Suffocation.
The band put in a extremely tight performance and very much know the art of good death metal which is violence, aggression and a certain degree of catchiness. If you like your death metal the old way then these riffs will be causing you neck injury. With Survival Mode Anasarca have put together a fine album of old school death metal worship which while lacking in originality is more than made up for in quality. Who needs originality in death metal when it sounds as good as this? If it ain't broke don't fix it. 8/10
Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Reviews: Jorn, Gentle Knife, Dream Tröll
Jorn: Life On Death Road (Frontiers Records)
There is an ongoing battle for who can really be considered 'The Voice' of rock but every time I'd throw my hat in the ring for Jorn Lande, the Norwegian Masterplan vocalist has carved out a name for himself as one of the go-to vocalists for many artists, he features in both the Ayreon and Avantasia projects and has had continued success in the power metal band Masterplan, personally I've always been more blown away by his solo career which has always carried a thumping hard rock grunt to it, now the quality of some of these records has varied wildly but on this his ninth studio album he sounds better than ever, his vocals are astounding, strong full of vigour and soulful but for the first time he has a backing band that are up to his carrying his talent.
The band in question are essentially all of Voodoo Circle, the pumping rhythm section are Mat Sinner (bass) and Francesco Iovio (drums) both of Primal Fear, the keys and organs are from Alessio Del Vecchio (Hardline) and the guitar prowess is unmistakable the Blackmore loving Alexander Beyrodt (also of Primal Fear), it's this line-up that recorded the last Voodoo Circle album and as that band does seem to be on a hiatus what better way to continue the Purple/Rainbow/Whitesnake vibes than with the man who could easily be the singer of any of those bands with ease, the aim of this record was to make the best album possible and that is exactly what they have done.
With an experienced musical team contributing all of the songs are the ultimate examples of what you'd want from a Jorn album. From the galloping title track, through to the heavy but melodic Purple-like Love Is The Remedy the album, the gutsy ballad Dreamwalker, the rifftastic The Slippery Slope (The Hangman's Rope), the AOR influences creep in on Devil You Can Drive and The Optimist is the proper ballad with a very heartfelt message. Life On Death Road is possibly the finest album of Jorn's career, a rock n roll masterpiece; Lande, Beyrodt, Vecchio, Sinner and Iovio have crafted 12 anthems and delivered a vital hard rock album. 10/10
Gentle Knife: Clock Unwound (Caerlysi Records)
I gave the Norwegian progressive rock ensemble Gentle Knife a glowing review back in 2015 and now they are back with their second concept album, this time the eleven piece band have dealt with the relentless passing of time. In their words the record "delves into lives overshadowed by longing and disappointment. Plans go askew, lovers betray and dreams fade. Yet, as a sense of resignation descends upon a dystopic inner landscape, moments of beauty remain"
So perfectly normal for prog then, musically it's once again a very layered, intensely musical affair, picking up where the last album left off as the traditional instruments of bass, drums, keys and a trio of guitars are augmented by woodwind and brass (on the jazzy title track). It's the sort of progressive rock favoured by King Crimson, Van Der Graaf Generator and Yes, check out the folky Fade Away which washes over you displaying the duality of the male and female vocals and moves into the Smother which has Latin rhythms and huge organ stabs the battle with the parping trumpet. Clock Unwound is another piece of progressive near perfection from Gentle Knife, I really want to see the band in concert as I can see it being an incredible show with all eleven members translating the soundscapes on these records to a live crowd. 8/10
Dream Tröll: The Knight Of Rebellion (Self Released)
Leeds metal band Dream Tröll's debut record has cause a bit of a stir before it was released as it features guest vocals from Labour MP and Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon (who retained his Leeds East seat in the May 2017 Election fact fans). The press accused the band of being Satanic (really it is the 80's all over again) but when your band features songs about sorcery, mythic creatures, warriors and trolls I think Satan is pretty far down on the list. The mainstream press also said the band were inspired by Black Sabbath, well maybe overall but this record is stuffed full of NWOTHM, it's denim leather all over ladies and gents and it's of a high quality.
Tongues planted in their cheeks, the band set out their stall by playing melodic epics that draw from Maiden, Saxon, Dio and bands of that ilk. Galloping basslines, lead harmonies, melodic vocals, progressive tendencies and a slightly goofy D&D style, all make this record. It's this mix of technical precision and joyful heavy metal cliches that can't fail to put a grin on your face. With a new vocalist in tow, Dream Tröll look set to follow up this record, lets hope there are more orcs to slay and more quests to conquer. 8/10
There is an ongoing battle for who can really be considered 'The Voice' of rock but every time I'd throw my hat in the ring for Jorn Lande, the Norwegian Masterplan vocalist has carved out a name for himself as one of the go-to vocalists for many artists, he features in both the Ayreon and Avantasia projects and has had continued success in the power metal band Masterplan, personally I've always been more blown away by his solo career which has always carried a thumping hard rock grunt to it, now the quality of some of these records has varied wildly but on this his ninth studio album he sounds better than ever, his vocals are astounding, strong full of vigour and soulful but for the first time he has a backing band that are up to his carrying his talent.
The band in question are essentially all of Voodoo Circle, the pumping rhythm section are Mat Sinner (bass) and Francesco Iovio (drums) both of Primal Fear, the keys and organs are from Alessio Del Vecchio (Hardline) and the guitar prowess is unmistakable the Blackmore loving Alexander Beyrodt (also of Primal Fear), it's this line-up that recorded the last Voodoo Circle album and as that band does seem to be on a hiatus what better way to continue the Purple/Rainbow/Whitesnake vibes than with the man who could easily be the singer of any of those bands with ease, the aim of this record was to make the best album possible and that is exactly what they have done.
With an experienced musical team contributing all of the songs are the ultimate examples of what you'd want from a Jorn album. From the galloping title track, through to the heavy but melodic Purple-like Love Is The Remedy the album, the gutsy ballad Dreamwalker, the rifftastic The Slippery Slope (The Hangman's Rope), the AOR influences creep in on Devil You Can Drive and The Optimist is the proper ballad with a very heartfelt message. Life On Death Road is possibly the finest album of Jorn's career, a rock n roll masterpiece; Lande, Beyrodt, Vecchio, Sinner and Iovio have crafted 12 anthems and delivered a vital hard rock album. 10/10
Gentle Knife: Clock Unwound (Caerlysi Records)
I gave the Norwegian progressive rock ensemble Gentle Knife a glowing review back in 2015 and now they are back with their second concept album, this time the eleven piece band have dealt with the relentless passing of time. In their words the record "delves into lives overshadowed by longing and disappointment. Plans go askew, lovers betray and dreams fade. Yet, as a sense of resignation descends upon a dystopic inner landscape, moments of beauty remain"
So perfectly normal for prog then, musically it's once again a very layered, intensely musical affair, picking up where the last album left off as the traditional instruments of bass, drums, keys and a trio of guitars are augmented by woodwind and brass (on the jazzy title track). It's the sort of progressive rock favoured by King Crimson, Van Der Graaf Generator and Yes, check out the folky Fade Away which washes over you displaying the duality of the male and female vocals and moves into the Smother which has Latin rhythms and huge organ stabs the battle with the parping trumpet. Clock Unwound is another piece of progressive near perfection from Gentle Knife, I really want to see the band in concert as I can see it being an incredible show with all eleven members translating the soundscapes on these records to a live crowd. 8/10
Dream Tröll: The Knight Of Rebellion (Self Released)
Leeds metal band Dream Tröll's debut record has cause a bit of a stir before it was released as it features guest vocals from Labour MP and Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon (who retained his Leeds East seat in the May 2017 Election fact fans). The press accused the band of being Satanic (really it is the 80's all over again) but when your band features songs about sorcery, mythic creatures, warriors and trolls I think Satan is pretty far down on the list. The mainstream press also said the band were inspired by Black Sabbath, well maybe overall but this record is stuffed full of NWOTHM, it's denim leather all over ladies and gents and it's of a high quality.
Tongues planted in their cheeks, the band set out their stall by playing melodic epics that draw from Maiden, Saxon, Dio and bands of that ilk. Galloping basslines, lead harmonies, melodic vocals, progressive tendencies and a slightly goofy D&D style, all make this record. It's this mix of technical precision and joyful heavy metal cliches that can't fail to put a grin on your face. With a new vocalist in tow, Dream Tröll look set to follow up this record, lets hope there are more orcs to slay and more quests to conquer. 8/10
Tuesday, 13 June 2017
Reviews: Vallenfyre, Shadowman, Kings Of Broadway, Endeavour (Reviews By Paul)
Vallenfyre: Fear Those Who Fear Him (Century Media)
Paradise Lost guitarist Gregor Mackintosh returns with the third album from side project Vallenfyre, the brutal death metal outfit he created in 2009. Fear Those Who Fear Him is quite simply an exercise in total obliteration. Massive power chords, skin slicing riffs and some of the heaviest death metal vocals around combine to provide a heavyweight album of sheer class. Accompanied by drummer Waltteri Vayrynen and My Dying Bride axe legend Hamish Glencross, this is a non stop assault on the senses. Underpinned by some gut-splitting grindcore passages, tracks such as Amongst The Filth, Soldier Of Christ come at you full bore and the epic Cursed From The Womb allows Mackintosh to explore a more doom drenched sound, although no less heavy. Indeed, if there is one word to describe this release it would be 'heavy'. Well worth a listen if you enjoy some old school, powerfully constructed death metal. 8/10
Shadowman: Secrets And Lies (Escape Music)
So what do you get if you let Steve Overland (Heartland), Chris Childs (Thunder), Harry James (Thunder, Magnum, Snakecharmer), Steve Millington (Heartland) and Steve Morris (Heartland) get together? The answer is album number 4 from one of the most competent melodic rock outfits ever formed. Six years since Watching Over You, this release is full of saccharine coated AOR which you will either love or want to throw up to. The slower ballads like Put It All On Love are polished, effortless and smoother than Greg Wallace's head rubbed with butter.
Opener Gravity is possibly the essence of AOR, vocal harmonies, crystal clean guitar lines, and as always, the solid, reliable drumming of Harry James, whose style fits in superbly. Overland's voice is perfect, the man having been around the scene for a long time. The influence that having a couple of members of Thunder on board is evident on Secrets And Lies, such is the similarity. If you like your AOR smooth, clean and straightforward then Shadowman's fourth release will be right up your street. As AOR releases go, this is almost perfect. 8/10
Opener Gravity is possibly the essence of AOR, vocal harmonies, crystal clean guitar lines, and as always, the solid, reliable drumming of Harry James, whose style fits in superbly. Overland's voice is perfect, the man having been around the scene for a long time. The influence that having a couple of members of Thunder on board is evident on Secrets And Lies, such is the similarity. If you like your AOR smooth, clean and straightforward then Shadowman's fourth release will be right up your street. As AOR releases go, this is almost perfect. 8/10
Kings Of Broadway: Self-Titled (Pride & Joy)
The self-titled debut from Italian hard rock outfit Kings Of Broadway sits very much in the Shinedown, Nickelback and Godsmack camp. It's well written, well performed and very competent. Vocalist Tiziano Spigno has a voice which is totally suited to the music, whilst the rest of the band can play. Guitarist Aldo Lonobile is well known in the Italian scene with his work with bands such as Secret Sphere and Shadowspell and his duel guitar work with Ricky Messeri is effective.
Tracks such as Shallow Ground (which has the Mr Big Undertow riff) and Iron Lady have fire and power, ideal for an afternoon slot at a festival. The difficulty for this type of album is that it tends to become very similar to bands of the same genre and therefore slightly repetitive. The album finished with a cover of One Republic's Counting Stars, a fucking awful song which does not win them any plus points. In fact, they lose one as a result. 7/10
Tracks such as Shallow Ground (which has the Mr Big Undertow riff) and Iron Lady have fire and power, ideal for an afternoon slot at a festival. The difficulty for this type of album is that it tends to become very similar to bands of the same genre and therefore slightly repetitive. The album finished with a cover of One Republic's Counting Stars, a fucking awful song which does not win them any plus points. In fact, they lose one as a result. 7/10
Endeavour: Bring Upon The Rising Day (Self Released)
This four track EP from the Bristol based progressive outfit is impressive. Skull crushingly heavy at times, yet full of melody and the progressive time changes associated with bands like Dream Theater. It may only be four tracks, and one an excellent cover of Alice in Chains Them Bones but it's value for money, with Death In Lies clocking in at just shy of nine minutes and the epic title track 13 minutes duration. What you get with Endeavour is the aggression of Pantera combined with the less bloated elements of Dream Theater. These guys are no tribute act though. The band play the Sophie stage on Friday 11 August at BOA. They are well worth checking out. 8/10
Monday, 12 June 2017
A View From The Back Of The Room: Help For Heroes Festival IV
Help For Heroes Festival IV, Fuel Rock Club Cardiff
The fourth edition of Cardiff's bi-annual all day festival for the Help For Heroes Charity rolled it's way into Fuel rock club, facing tough competition for audience with Download happening at the same time, hopes were high for a larger turnout than the previous year turnout. Arriving early it was bunting and banners a-go-go before the punters started to fill the venue, along with headliners Mordrake who arrived stupidly early and provided a drum kit for the day as they are jolly nice chaps.
With money starting to flow and the day kicking off it was up to In Requiem (7) to start the show. The 4 piece play modern rock with touches of Muse, 30 Seconds To Mars. The music is full of keening melodies and proggy tendencies that let the music breathe and drew in the crowd. The curse of being first on meant many missed a very good set, but the boys played it like they owned it to be fair there was passion on show and their stage show was pretty slick they set the pace well, In Requiem were the lightest band on the bill but they allowed for the rest of the bands to increase the volume and distortion.
Next up were Holoson (7) who play fuzzy alternative rock, they brought a healthy amount of support with them and you can see why they have a following. Their music swings between hard rock and crunching metal with some pop sensibilities. All three members great musicians with the vocals a particular draw, if you like you rock with an edge Holoson are worth a watch and the crowds were receptive with applause rippling through the small room. Next on the bill were Hereford lot Season's Hollow (7) play a very modern hybrid metal/rock; this brought the heaviness up again and maintained the crowd with fists pumping and feet tapping. Their songs ranged from heavy metal on Last Confession to the hard rocking of Broken, with sizzling solos, a wide vocal range of Joe Dawson and a soulful groove it all contributes to give Season's Hollow a lot of promise with the name of the band on most people's lips after their set.
The final three bands are where things really picked up, first were the band I was most excited to see live, having reviewed their excellent debut album recently the anticipation of seeing Chepstow stoners Beneath The Divine (8) was high and they delivered in spades. This is proper stoner metal with the band decked out in Orange Goblin, Raven's Creed T-shirts you can guess what they sound like. Kev riffing like a bastard with Tim and Barney powering through the grooves. With every head nodding in the room the bewitching stoner sounds were converting even the most po-faced of black metal fan to the cause. Jason's vocals are an ideal fit for the band delivering his lines with a confident ease. The band sounded almost exactly like they did on record but with a bit more oompf, they were the first band to really step up the show giving a noticeable change to the proceedings. Things got much heavier from here as we all turned to the darkside.
Hell fire and brimstone became the order of the day as the de-facto house band of Fuel Agrona (9) that can only be a good thing as they get better every time I see them. Their set was packed with blastbeating black fucking metal, the hour long time slot gave them enough time to conduct their Satanic rituals properly. The band are all ominous presences on stage with corpse paint and leather the uniform and the music is intensely dark with furious battery from the outset. The vocals are now shared by Taranis and Adara both excreting yelps, barks and roars as Ankou, Kreulon, Arwan and Phoenix bludgeoned with the blackest of all metal, touches of thrash and death crept in. With a non-partisan crowd in the room, there were some who had pained looks on their faces however others dove in wholeheartedly embracing the mayhem. They get better each time and were the heaviest nastiest band so far Agrona are a band well worth an hour of your time as it's black metal done right. They are touring again in July make sure you check them out.
The headliners for the evening, Bristol boys Mordrake (9), were a worthy headliner, having to follow the maelstrom of Agrona is a a tough task for any band but the self-styled 'dark melodious metal' of Mordrake was powerful enough to weather any storm. Continuing the blackened theme well Mordrake have more thrash and groove elements to their music than the straight up black that proceeded it, think more Primordial than Gorgoroth. They feature dual guitar harmonies and killer soloing adding melody to the aggressive metal style, kudos to vocalist Drakkar who was in fine form screaming and singing. They have been touted for big things and you can see why, their stage style is polished, rehearsed to give maximum impact, (much like Behemoth) and their music is a diverse mix of black, death, viking and groove metal. Drawing the biggest crowd of the night they deserved the reception as they were a definite headliner receiving the largest ovation of the day when their set finished.
With all the bands supplying their time for charity this was a pretty stacked line-up, organiser Julian increases the quality of bands every year and as such he also increased the amount raised, this time the total was £570.00 which included money from the raffle which featured many weird and wonderful items (from Denim cuts worn and signed by members of BFMV through to sex toys). A great night was had by all, with smiles on faces and booze flowing plentifully. It's a pleasure to be a part of these gigs, a real joyous atmosphere, lots of shenanigans and most of all some brilliant bands for a worthy cause. Hopefully we'll see you all in January for the next one!!
The fourth edition of Cardiff's bi-annual all day festival for the Help For Heroes Charity rolled it's way into Fuel rock club, facing tough competition for audience with Download happening at the same time, hopes were high for a larger turnout than the previous year turnout. Arriving early it was bunting and banners a-go-go before the punters started to fill the venue, along with headliners Mordrake who arrived stupidly early and provided a drum kit for the day as they are jolly nice chaps.
With money starting to flow and the day kicking off it was up to In Requiem (7) to start the show. The 4 piece play modern rock with touches of Muse, 30 Seconds To Mars. The music is full of keening melodies and proggy tendencies that let the music breathe and drew in the crowd. The curse of being first on meant many missed a very good set, but the boys played it like they owned it to be fair there was passion on show and their stage show was pretty slick they set the pace well, In Requiem were the lightest band on the bill but they allowed for the rest of the bands to increase the volume and distortion.
Next up were Holoson (7) who play fuzzy alternative rock, they brought a healthy amount of support with them and you can see why they have a following. Their music swings between hard rock and crunching metal with some pop sensibilities. All three members great musicians with the vocals a particular draw, if you like you rock with an edge Holoson are worth a watch and the crowds were receptive with applause rippling through the small room. Next on the bill were Hereford lot Season's Hollow (7) play a very modern hybrid metal/rock; this brought the heaviness up again and maintained the crowd with fists pumping and feet tapping. Their songs ranged from heavy metal on Last Confession to the hard rocking of Broken, with sizzling solos, a wide vocal range of Joe Dawson and a soulful groove it all contributes to give Season's Hollow a lot of promise with the name of the band on most people's lips after their set.
The final three bands are where things really picked up, first were the band I was most excited to see live, having reviewed their excellent debut album recently the anticipation of seeing Chepstow stoners Beneath The Divine (8) was high and they delivered in spades. This is proper stoner metal with the band decked out in Orange Goblin, Raven's Creed T-shirts you can guess what they sound like. Kev riffing like a bastard with Tim and Barney powering through the grooves. With every head nodding in the room the bewitching stoner sounds were converting even the most po-faced of black metal fan to the cause. Jason's vocals are an ideal fit for the band delivering his lines with a confident ease. The band sounded almost exactly like they did on record but with a bit more oompf, they were the first band to really step up the show giving a noticeable change to the proceedings. Things got much heavier from here as we all turned to the darkside.
Hell fire and brimstone became the order of the day as the de-facto house band of Fuel Agrona (9) that can only be a good thing as they get better every time I see them. Their set was packed with blastbeating black fucking metal, the hour long time slot gave them enough time to conduct their Satanic rituals properly. The band are all ominous presences on stage with corpse paint and leather the uniform and the music is intensely dark with furious battery from the outset. The vocals are now shared by Taranis and Adara both excreting yelps, barks and roars as Ankou, Kreulon, Arwan and Phoenix bludgeoned with the blackest of all metal, touches of thrash and death crept in. With a non-partisan crowd in the room, there were some who had pained looks on their faces however others dove in wholeheartedly embracing the mayhem. They get better each time and were the heaviest nastiest band so far Agrona are a band well worth an hour of your time as it's black metal done right. They are touring again in July make sure you check them out.
The headliners for the evening, Bristol boys Mordrake (9), were a worthy headliner, having to follow the maelstrom of Agrona is a a tough task for any band but the self-styled 'dark melodious metal' of Mordrake was powerful enough to weather any storm. Continuing the blackened theme well Mordrake have more thrash and groove elements to their music than the straight up black that proceeded it, think more Primordial than Gorgoroth. They feature dual guitar harmonies and killer soloing adding melody to the aggressive metal style, kudos to vocalist Drakkar who was in fine form screaming and singing. They have been touted for big things and you can see why, their stage style is polished, rehearsed to give maximum impact, (much like Behemoth) and their music is a diverse mix of black, death, viking and groove metal. Drawing the biggest crowd of the night they deserved the reception as they were a definite headliner receiving the largest ovation of the day when their set finished.
With all the bands supplying their time for charity this was a pretty stacked line-up, organiser Julian increases the quality of bands every year and as such he also increased the amount raised, this time the total was £570.00 which included money from the raffle which featured many weird and wonderful items (from Denim cuts worn and signed by members of BFMV through to sex toys). A great night was had by all, with smiles on faces and booze flowing plentifully. It's a pleasure to be a part of these gigs, a real joyous atmosphere, lots of shenanigans and most of all some brilliant bands for a worthy cause. Hopefully we'll see you all in January for the next one!!
Reviews: Insatia, Enemy I, Perpetual Rage
Insatia: Phoenix Aflame (Pitch Black Records) [Review By Stief]
A bit of a mixed bag, this album, but don't get me wrong, this bag is full of delicious power metal treats. Starting with an ethereal siren song before breaking into some brilliant sounding metal, replete with strings and excellent vocals care of lead vocalist Zoë. The band's focus shifts from the classical sounding strings of Act Of Mercy to the synth filled Memory Of A Sapphire and this pattern continues throughout the album. Bassist Dave Ablaze shows his vocal chops as well during Not My God, his soulful voice contrasting well with Zoë's. If you enjoy Temperance and similar bands, then Insatia is definitely a band you should be checking out! 8/10
Enemy I: Dysphoria (Self Released) [Review By Stief]
Something a bit heavier from Berlin here, the first full album from Enemy I is full of vicious industrial sounds from start to finish. From the strange beginning of Don't Trust to the pounding drums of Placebo God, you can hear the sinister feeling the band are trying to purvey leaking throughout. This is pure industrial metal, head banging heaviness spread right through, lead vocalist Rob DeVille's clean vocals and growling working perfectly with Alex Swienty's drumming, Arthur Antagonist's bass and distorted guitars from Jay Agana and Marco Neujahr. DeVille shows a softer side with final song Spell-cast, which, while slower and quieter than others on the album, still has that underlying sinisterness seen through the rest of the album. Check them out if you like your industrial metal dark and brooding! 8/10
Perpetual Rage: Empress Of The Cold Stars (Inverse Records) [Review By Paul]
This is the second album from Finland’s Perpetual Rage. The band are a four piece who have been around since 2009. It’s traditional fast paced heavy metal, Iron Maiden, Priest etc. all come to mind. Musically very competent, the whole album is let down by the voice of Tomi Viiltola, whose high-pitched Kai Hansen style grates from start to finish which is a shame because the band play some decent if formulaic heavy metal. By the time I’d got to the third track Boundless I was ready to stop listening. One to avoid. 5/10
Reviews: Mean Streak, Radiation Romeos, The Wizards
Mean Streak: Blind Faith (ROAR - Rock of Angels Records)
Sweden's Mean Streak play classic 80's heavy metal that occasionally adds hard rock and AOR touches, probably because guitarist David Andersson and drummer Jonas Källsbäck also play in the slightly higher profile unashamedly 80's Night Flight Orchestra. Where as songs such as Fire At Will and Love Is A Killer feature some explosive fretwork and rampaging rhythms others such as Tears Of The Blind are chunky stompers led by Peter Andersson's bass. Elsewhere Animal In Me has sleazy 80's feel of Def Leppard and Come Undone ramps up the attitude.
With great performances throughout sometimes the band are let down by the songwriting Caught In The Crossfire tries to be tough but it's cheesy and opening track Blood Red Sky is decent enough but there are better openers, like Maidenesque Retaliation Call or the bouncy Settle The Score. Mean Streak share similarities with Edguy due to their fusion of hard rock and blistering heavy metal, vocally too Andy Le Guerin is a ringer for Tobias Sammett hitting the huge highs with ease as the rest of the band crank out the classic metal riffs, which bring to mind Judas Priest, Dokken and even Y&T. Blind Faith is the bands fourth album, their first since 2013 and having gone back to their previous records it's a step up in terms of quality and performance, these are songs built for the live stage, having been formed in 2006, their 11 years of experience means they can be seen as veterans of scene and with Blind Faith they have executed a direct hit of Post-Millennial heavy metal. 8/10
Radiation Romeo's: Radiation Romeo's (Frontiers Records)
I've mentioned how Frontiers' main output are melodic metal supergroups, well the other side of their roster are performers who first saw success in the 80's and 90's returning with new material that they have written with or have had written for them by Frontiers crack in house team of writers/producers/performers. Radiation Romeo's is in this category, the name is about as 80's chees as you can get and the songs contained within would also sit perfectly on a GTA: Vice City soundtrack. I'm not sure what a Radiation Romeo is but if you listen to the song of the same name that opens this record, I think they are guys that are romantically involved with their music, literally in love with rock. I could spend all day looking for higher meaning in these songs but that's not the point these are FM radio ready rockers and the occasional ballad built for highway cruising in red Corvette on the sickly sweet Ocean Drive.
The record is as I say the vehicle for returning performer and this time it's singer Parramore McCarty who is 'best' known for fronting Steve Stevens (Billy Idol's guitarist) solo project and the American metal act Warrior and his vocals haven't lost a note they are powerful and gruff but it's only on the sleazy Bad Bad Company and the orchestral Ratt-meets-Zep of Promised Land can you hear him at full power. With the obligatory slick Frontiers production Radiation Romeo's is a showcase for McCarty's vocals, some may not know who he is (I'll admit I didn't) but in the US metal circles he's kind of a big deal so this is a great accessible introduction. 7/10
The Wizards: Full Moon In Scorpio (Fighter Records)
Draw a pentagram on your floor and crank this second full length up loud, it's pure occult rock riff worship form start to finish, with one foot in the 1970's the album plays out like a contemporary of Blue Oyster Cult and Pentagram with heaviness cut through with melodic harmonic guitars. The first two tracks give you all you need to know, Avidya and Calliope (Cosmic Revelations) are ideal openers with the dirty riffs giving way to harmonic leads and lead guitar explosives worthy of Buck Dharma's hot rails to hell. It's a quality that's maintained throughout the course of the record as the vocals wail the rhythm section grooves and the guitars play sizzling leads.
The band have toured relentlessly supporting the The Dictators, Iggy Pop or Turbonegro, in fact The Dictators current bass player Dean Rispler produced the record and their guitarist Ross The Boss (yes that one) contributes a solo to Leaving The Past Behind which stands out as on of the best songs on the record along with the brooding 7 minute plus finale When We Were Gods. This is proto-metal with a punk attitude that has became a staple for UK and East Coast American bands in the 70's so this kind of authenticity that is well received, especially when you consider this band are from Bilbao it's all the more impressive, check out Full Moon In Scorpio it's one of the best albums of the 70's underground released this year. 8/10
Sweden's Mean Streak play classic 80's heavy metal that occasionally adds hard rock and AOR touches, probably because guitarist David Andersson and drummer Jonas Källsbäck also play in the slightly higher profile unashamedly 80's Night Flight Orchestra. Where as songs such as Fire At Will and Love Is A Killer feature some explosive fretwork and rampaging rhythms others such as Tears Of The Blind are chunky stompers led by Peter Andersson's bass. Elsewhere Animal In Me has sleazy 80's feel of Def Leppard and Come Undone ramps up the attitude.
With great performances throughout sometimes the band are let down by the songwriting Caught In The Crossfire tries to be tough but it's cheesy and opening track Blood Red Sky is decent enough but there are better openers, like Maidenesque Retaliation Call or the bouncy Settle The Score. Mean Streak share similarities with Edguy due to their fusion of hard rock and blistering heavy metal, vocally too Andy Le Guerin is a ringer for Tobias Sammett hitting the huge highs with ease as the rest of the band crank out the classic metal riffs, which bring to mind Judas Priest, Dokken and even Y&T. Blind Faith is the bands fourth album, their first since 2013 and having gone back to their previous records it's a step up in terms of quality and performance, these are songs built for the live stage, having been formed in 2006, their 11 years of experience means they can be seen as veterans of scene and with Blind Faith they have executed a direct hit of Post-Millennial heavy metal. 8/10
Radiation Romeo's: Radiation Romeo's (Frontiers Records)
I've mentioned how Frontiers' main output are melodic metal supergroups, well the other side of their roster are performers who first saw success in the 80's and 90's returning with new material that they have written with or have had written for them by Frontiers crack in house team of writers/producers/performers. Radiation Romeo's is in this category, the name is about as 80's chees as you can get and the songs contained within would also sit perfectly on a GTA: Vice City soundtrack. I'm not sure what a Radiation Romeo is but if you listen to the song of the same name that opens this record, I think they are guys that are romantically involved with their music, literally in love with rock. I could spend all day looking for higher meaning in these songs but that's not the point these are FM radio ready rockers and the occasional ballad built for highway cruising in red Corvette on the sickly sweet Ocean Drive.
The record is as I say the vehicle for returning performer and this time it's singer Parramore McCarty who is 'best' known for fronting Steve Stevens (Billy Idol's guitarist) solo project and the American metal act Warrior and his vocals haven't lost a note they are powerful and gruff but it's only on the sleazy Bad Bad Company and the orchestral Ratt-meets-Zep of Promised Land can you hear him at full power. With the obligatory slick Frontiers production Radiation Romeo's is a showcase for McCarty's vocals, some may not know who he is (I'll admit I didn't) but in the US metal circles he's kind of a big deal so this is a great accessible introduction. 7/10
The Wizards: Full Moon In Scorpio (Fighter Records)
Draw a pentagram on your floor and crank this second full length up loud, it's pure occult rock riff worship form start to finish, with one foot in the 1970's the album plays out like a contemporary of Blue Oyster Cult and Pentagram with heaviness cut through with melodic harmonic guitars. The first two tracks give you all you need to know, Avidya and Calliope (Cosmic Revelations) are ideal openers with the dirty riffs giving way to harmonic leads and lead guitar explosives worthy of Buck Dharma's hot rails to hell. It's a quality that's maintained throughout the course of the record as the vocals wail the rhythm section grooves and the guitars play sizzling leads.
The band have toured relentlessly supporting the The Dictators, Iggy Pop or Turbonegro, in fact The Dictators current bass player Dean Rispler produced the record and their guitarist Ross The Boss (yes that one) contributes a solo to Leaving The Past Behind which stands out as on of the best songs on the record along with the brooding 7 minute plus finale When We Were Gods. This is proto-metal with a punk attitude that has became a staple for UK and East Coast American bands in the 70's so this kind of authenticity that is well received, especially when you consider this band are from Bilbao it's all the more impressive, check out Full Moon In Scorpio it's one of the best albums of the 70's underground released this year. 8/10
Sunday, 11 June 2017
Reviews: Nargaroth, Wode, The Infinite Trip, Tainted Lady (Reviews By Paul)
Nargaroth: Era Of Thredony (Inter Arma Productions)
This is the seventh full release from the one man German black metal outfit that is Nargaroth. Fronted by Ash, who also delivers virtually all the instruments as well as the brutal vocals, Era Of Thredony maintains the consistency of previously releases. It’s as heavy as the proverbial sack of anvils, yet throughout it a melody pulses with the influences of other musical styles evident. Opener Dawn Of Epiphany for example, has a Greek bouzouki sound running through it. Don’t worry about the evil intent through, for all the brutality which you’d expect with such a legendary black metal outfit remains.
This is the seventh full release from the one man German black metal outfit that is Nargaroth. Fronted by Ash, who also delivers virtually all the instruments as well as the brutal vocals, Era Of Thredony maintains the consistency of previously releases. It’s as heavy as the proverbial sack of anvils, yet throughout it a melody pulses with the influences of other musical styles evident. Opener Dawn Of Epiphany for example, has a Greek bouzouki sound running through it. Don’t worry about the evil intent through, for all the brutality which you’d expect with such a legendary black metal outfit remains.
The Agony Of A Dying Phoenix is blisteringly fast and crushingly heavy, with some astonishingly intricate guitar work before a classical, almost flamenco break down. Love Is A Dog From Hell, which appears to be a throwaway track of under three minutes in comparison with the other lengthier songs on the album, turns out to be based on the 1970s work by US poet Charles Bukowski. Technically superb throughout, Era Of Thredony is epic black metal that demonstrates again that the genre, often dismissed due to the corpse paint and theatrical stage shows often contains some of the most talented musicians in metal. For those who witnessed the band live on their recent short visit to the UK, you will know that the band can deliver the same high quality in the live arena. 9/10
Wode: Servants Of The Countercosmos (Avantgarde Music)
Mancunians Wode’s follow up to last year’s self-titled debut album is stunning. Full of classic UK black metal, it is six tracks and 31 minutes of jaw dropping music. From the opening track Crypt Of Creation to the short haunting acoustic Undoing, there is everything you need here. Ethereal haunting vocals, spine-crushingly heavy riffs and explosive drumming, underpinned by some superbly technical musicianship.
The songs segue neatly into each other, leaving the listener with little time to recover between songs. The switch from Celestial Dagger to Temple Of Internment had me gasping for air, such was the ferocity and power. Wode powerfully convey the evil rage that their name is taken from, although at times there is an almost cosmic feel to their music, with the occasional acoustic break down providing welcome contrast. The nine minute plus Chaos Spell demonstrates this perfectly. Superb stuff. 9/10
The Infinite Trip: Unearthly Pleasures (Self Released)
Unearthly Pleasures is album number 7 from the unashamedly psychedelic duo The Infinite Trip. Full of deep, sonic resonance, you’ll either love this or hate it. I must say, being partial to a bit of space rock, that I think it’s a fantastic release. The steady, recurring beat, the swirling synths, crashing drums and haunting ethereal vocals make for a heady mix which real takes you on a journey through space.
Wode: Servants Of The Countercosmos (Avantgarde Music)
Mancunians Wode’s follow up to last year’s self-titled debut album is stunning. Full of classic UK black metal, it is six tracks and 31 minutes of jaw dropping music. From the opening track Crypt Of Creation to the short haunting acoustic Undoing, there is everything you need here. Ethereal haunting vocals, spine-crushingly heavy riffs and explosive drumming, underpinned by some superbly technical musicianship.
The songs segue neatly into each other, leaving the listener with little time to recover between songs. The switch from Celestial Dagger to Temple Of Internment had me gasping for air, such was the ferocity and power. Wode powerfully convey the evil rage that their name is taken from, although at times there is an almost cosmic feel to their music, with the occasional acoustic break down providing welcome contrast. The nine minute plus Chaos Spell demonstrates this perfectly. Superb stuff. 9/10
The Infinite Trip: Unearthly Pleasures (Self Released)
Unearthly Pleasures is album number 7 from the unashamedly psychedelic duo The Infinite Trip. Full of deep, sonic resonance, you’ll either love this or hate it. I must say, being partial to a bit of space rock, that I think it’s a fantastic release. The steady, recurring beat, the swirling synths, crashing drums and haunting ethereal vocals make for a heady mix which real takes you on a journey through space.
Yes, it’s trippy as balls in places, but that just makes it even more enjoyable. No rush to get where you are going, just enjoy the ride. The Lorelei Serum shades it as my favourite track, with a bit more pace and a real 70s space rock feel about it but there is not a bad track on this release. My mission, when I get back down to earth is to source the heady mix of the back catalogue. 8/10
Tainted Lady: How The Mighty Have Fallen (Mighty Music)
A bit of classic rock crashing through your speakers in the form of the debut from Denmark’s Tainted Lady. Fronted by British singer Michael Catton, this is a strange release that is interrupted on too many occasions. A raucous opening in Set Us Free stomps in the style of The Strokes before slowing to allow a rather self-important rant, regardless of the sentiment which calls for the rock world to strip it back to the ‘true’ meaning. The Best Days is a decent power ballad. Much of the rest is solid, but often fails to really get going. On The Loose has the opportunity to really let rip but ends up stuttering along. Decent but nothing to grab you by the balls. 6/10
A bit of classic rock crashing through your speakers in the form of the debut from Denmark’s Tainted Lady. Fronted by British singer Michael Catton, this is a strange release that is interrupted on too many occasions. A raucous opening in Set Us Free stomps in the style of The Strokes before slowing to allow a rather self-important rant, regardless of the sentiment which calls for the rock world to strip it back to the ‘true’ meaning. The Best Days is a decent power ballad. Much of the rest is solid, but often fails to really get going. On The Loose has the opportunity to really let rip but ends up stuttering along. Decent but nothing to grab you by the balls. 6/10
Friday, 9 June 2017
Reviews: SikTh, Antichrist, Tombs (Review By Rich)
SikTh: The Future In Whose Eyes (Millennium Night)
British progressive metallers SikTh return with their eagerly anticipated third album The Future In Whose Eyes? their first in eleven years! I remember when SikTh released their debut album back in 2003 and it was a mind blowing piece of music sounding like absolutely nothing else at the time. SikTh released one more album before splitting up. In their inactive years they massively influenced bands who would go on to form the current djent scene. SikTh finally returned in 2013 and released an EP in 2015. Back to present day and album number three and the big question is does it meet expectations? The answer is a resounding yes.
Antichrist: Sinful Birth (Electric Assault Records)
Sometimes you hear a band who are so far up your street that you are kicking yourself that you have never heard them before. Antichrist are such a band. These Swedish blackened thrashers have struck gold with their second album Sinful Birth and fans of old school thrash and early black metal are gonna absolutely love it. Antichrist sound like they have been magically transported from 1985 to present day. This is pure old school worship of the highest order bowing at the altar of bands such as Slayer, Celtic Frost, Possessed, Venom and Bathory. This is blackened thrash metal straight out of the gates of Hell with a sound that combines speed, ferocity and technicality but which is absolutely dripping with evil.
British progressive metallers SikTh return with their eagerly anticipated third album The Future In Whose Eyes? their first in eleven years! I remember when SikTh released their debut album back in 2003 and it was a mind blowing piece of music sounding like absolutely nothing else at the time. SikTh released one more album before splitting up. In their inactive years they massively influenced bands who would go on to form the current djent scene. SikTh finally returned in 2013 and released an EP in 2015. Back to present day and album number three and the big question is does it meet expectations? The answer is a resounding yes.
The elements of previous SikTh releases are all on display - insane technical playing, crazy time signatures and rhythms and huge soaring melodies but their sound is a bit more refined and dare I say it mainstream leaning this time round. The musicianship on display throughout this album is absolutely jawdropping. This is also the debut of new vocalist Joe Rosser who puts in a fine performance. There are a few pointless moments throughout the album such as the three atmospheric spoken word tracks which detract from the rest of the album and end up an annoying distraction especially when there are three of them. Overall though SikTh have released a fine comeback album which will please all their old fans and hopefully gain the band a whole legion of new ones. 8/10
Antichrist: Sinful Birth (Electric Assault Records)
Sometimes you hear a band who are so far up your street that you are kicking yourself that you have never heard them before. Antichrist are such a band. These Swedish blackened thrashers have struck gold with their second album Sinful Birth and fans of old school thrash and early black metal are gonna absolutely love it. Antichrist sound like they have been magically transported from 1985 to present day. This is pure old school worship of the highest order bowing at the altar of bands such as Slayer, Celtic Frost, Possessed, Venom and Bathory. This is blackened thrash metal straight out of the gates of Hell with a sound that combines speed, ferocity and technicality but which is absolutely dripping with evil.
It is impossible not to throw your horns and bang your head to such vicious tunes such as Savage Mutilations, Burned Beyond Recognition and Fall Of The Temple Of Soloman. In Sinful Birth Antichrist have crafted an album which what it lacks in originality more than makes up for in songwriting, playing and sheer enthusiasm. Minor criticisms would be that there is a lack of variation throughout the album and instrumental Chernobyl 1986 maybe goes on a little bit too long but these criticisms are pale compared to the moments where the album really shines. Essential listening for fans of nasty old school metal. 9/10
Tombs: The Grand Annihilation (Metal Blade)
New York black metallers Tombs strike back with their fourth album of bleak and misanthropic black metal the suitably titled 'The Grand Annihilation'. Tombs have always been a band to push boundaries and experiment within the realm of black metal and The Grand Annihilation is no exception taking cues from doom metal, post-metal and gothic rock.
Tombs: The Grand Annihilation (Metal Blade)
New York black metallers Tombs strike back with their fourth album of bleak and misanthropic black metal the suitably titled 'The Grand Annihilation'. Tombs have always been a band to push boundaries and experiment within the realm of black metal and The Grand Annihilation is no exception taking cues from doom metal, post-metal and gothic rock.
There is also far more of a straight black metal sound to this album as well with some of the most straightforward and hooky songwriting and riffs that Tombs have committed to tape so far. The vocals by frontman Mike Hill add layers of dread and malevolence to the proceedings ranging from throaty black metal screams, menacing clean vocals to mighty roars. Overall this is a mighty fine record which evokes darkness, despair and the horrors of humanity. At a time when it truly feels like the world is going to Hell this is the perfect soundtrack. 8/10
Reviews: Lion Shepherd, 7 Miles To Pittsburgh, Theia, Syteria (Reviews By Paul)
Lion Shepherd: Heat (Self Released)
Back in October 2015 we discovered Polish progressive oriental outfit Lion Shepherd when they were main support to Riverside at The Marble Factory in Bristol. Their debut release, Hirath, received a 9/10 when we reviewed it a few days later. The duo, Kamil Hiadar and Mateusz Owczarek are back with sophomore release Heat, and it’s just as bloody good. Containing the same uplifting mix of prog, rock, blues, trance, world music and Middle Eastern sounds as Hirath, it is a real masterpiece. The title track encourages you to jump around, such is the middle hook. Code Of Life begins gentle and subtle, with essence of Floyd mixing with impressive eastern influences in the percussion. Haidar’s vocals, nicely supported by some female backing vocals are even better than the debut.
It’s difficult and perhaps wrong to try and pigeon-hole Lion Shepherd to one genre, such is their range. When The Curtain Falls fuses the sounds of bands like Orphaned Land and Riverside perfectly, the progressive elements of the band’s sound quite magical, and the harmonies at the end of the track bring to mind elements of another prog master, Devin Townsend. Dream On is mystical, with Kate Bush type percussion amidst the kaleidoscope of sounds. Every track is different, maintaining interest. Storm Is Coming is perhaps the rockiest song on the release, superb guitar work chopping across a myriad of aural delights. A beautiful release, one which I would highly recommend you check out. Lion Shepherd are fascinating. 9/10
7 Miles To Pittsburgh - Self Titled (Suburban Records)
Although 7 Miles To Pittsburgh are a new outfit, having formed as recently as 2014, the three members have substantial collective experience between them. Bassist Martin Helmantel was the cornerstone of prog rockers Elegy for 17 years whilst guitarist Martin Elt and drummer Joris Linder have also vast experience. The result of their efforts is the self-titled debut which is as classy a hard rock album as you could wish for. Full of Zeppelin style quality, deep Hammond organs combine in a cacophony of sound with some stunning guitar work from Elt, shored expertly by the perfect rhythm section. The Dutch outfit deliver a range of styles, from the funk fused hard edged rock of Same Size Soul, the Sabbath riff filled Earth Dance and the uplifting Jambalaya. There was no point in this release where my attention wandered for a second such is the stimulus that their sound brings. I strongly recommend getting a bit of this quite magnificent release. It is superb. 9/10
Theia: Back In Line (WDFD Records)
Theia is a power trio from Burton-on-Trent. Back In Line is their second album. It sits in the Black Stone Cherry camp, with clean melodies, catchy hooks and throwaway choruses. The songs are well written, steadily performed with a confidence that belies their young age. Vocalist and guitarist Kyle Lamley has a rather generic vocal delivery but never waivers whilst the rest of the band join him to really kick out the jams on tracks like My Poison and Back In Line, both delivered with a southern swagger, whilst Just Go has shades of Shinedown, Airbourne and early Def Leppard (circa On Through The Night). The band are confident, building on their solid foundations and would be a welcome addition to any hard rock festival. Heads down, no nonsense hard rock is always welcome and Theia is very much on the invitation. Well worth checking out. 8/10
Syteria: Rant O Bot (Pledge/Independent)
Syteria first came to my attention supporting Joanovarc earlier this year. They were routine, with throwaway rock tracks that didn’t really make a lasting impression. The band contain Girlschool guitarist Jackie Graham, whose guitar work is perfectly competent but with little to spark the interest. Rant O Bot is their debut release and like their performance at Fuel, it’s a routine 35 minutes of throwaway pop rock, mainly written in a similar style, relying heavily on harmonies and repetition. Stand out track Loner allows vocalist Julia Cavo to let rip and show that she has a decent voice. The riff is catchy with a solid solo holding the middle together. The band sound better on this release than they did live. And that’s about the best I can offer. 5/10
Back in October 2015 we discovered Polish progressive oriental outfit Lion Shepherd when they were main support to Riverside at The Marble Factory in Bristol. Their debut release, Hirath, received a 9/10 when we reviewed it a few days later. The duo, Kamil Hiadar and Mateusz Owczarek are back with sophomore release Heat, and it’s just as bloody good. Containing the same uplifting mix of prog, rock, blues, trance, world music and Middle Eastern sounds as Hirath, it is a real masterpiece. The title track encourages you to jump around, such is the middle hook. Code Of Life begins gentle and subtle, with essence of Floyd mixing with impressive eastern influences in the percussion. Haidar’s vocals, nicely supported by some female backing vocals are even better than the debut.
It’s difficult and perhaps wrong to try and pigeon-hole Lion Shepherd to one genre, such is their range. When The Curtain Falls fuses the sounds of bands like Orphaned Land and Riverside perfectly, the progressive elements of the band’s sound quite magical, and the harmonies at the end of the track bring to mind elements of another prog master, Devin Townsend. Dream On is mystical, with Kate Bush type percussion amidst the kaleidoscope of sounds. Every track is different, maintaining interest. Storm Is Coming is perhaps the rockiest song on the release, superb guitar work chopping across a myriad of aural delights. A beautiful release, one which I would highly recommend you check out. Lion Shepherd are fascinating. 9/10
7 Miles To Pittsburgh - Self Titled (Suburban Records)
Although 7 Miles To Pittsburgh are a new outfit, having formed as recently as 2014, the three members have substantial collective experience between them. Bassist Martin Helmantel was the cornerstone of prog rockers Elegy for 17 years whilst guitarist Martin Elt and drummer Joris Linder have also vast experience. The result of their efforts is the self-titled debut which is as classy a hard rock album as you could wish for. Full of Zeppelin style quality, deep Hammond organs combine in a cacophony of sound with some stunning guitar work from Elt, shored expertly by the perfect rhythm section. The Dutch outfit deliver a range of styles, from the funk fused hard edged rock of Same Size Soul, the Sabbath riff filled Earth Dance and the uplifting Jambalaya. There was no point in this release where my attention wandered for a second such is the stimulus that their sound brings. I strongly recommend getting a bit of this quite magnificent release. It is superb. 9/10
Theia: Back In Line (WDFD Records)
Theia is a power trio from Burton-on-Trent. Back In Line is their second album. It sits in the Black Stone Cherry camp, with clean melodies, catchy hooks and throwaway choruses. The songs are well written, steadily performed with a confidence that belies their young age. Vocalist and guitarist Kyle Lamley has a rather generic vocal delivery but never waivers whilst the rest of the band join him to really kick out the jams on tracks like My Poison and Back In Line, both delivered with a southern swagger, whilst Just Go has shades of Shinedown, Airbourne and early Def Leppard (circa On Through The Night). The band are confident, building on their solid foundations and would be a welcome addition to any hard rock festival. Heads down, no nonsense hard rock is always welcome and Theia is very much on the invitation. Well worth checking out. 8/10
Syteria: Rant O Bot (Pledge/Independent)
Syteria first came to my attention supporting Joanovarc earlier this year. They were routine, with throwaway rock tracks that didn’t really make a lasting impression. The band contain Girlschool guitarist Jackie Graham, whose guitar work is perfectly competent but with little to spark the interest. Rant O Bot is their debut release and like their performance at Fuel, it’s a routine 35 minutes of throwaway pop rock, mainly written in a similar style, relying heavily on harmonies and repetition. Stand out track Loner allows vocalist Julia Cavo to let rip and show that she has a decent voice. The riff is catchy with a solid solo holding the middle together. The band sound better on this release than they did live. And that’s about the best I can offer. 5/10
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