A View From The Back Of The Room: Sumo Cyco (Live Review By Neil)

Sumo Cyco, Swansea Bunkhouse

I imagine that most of you will have an opinion on the VIP experience that seems to be so common at gigs nowadays. Maybe you dislike the concept, maybe you don’t. For me I’m mostly OK with paying for access to bands as long as the experience on offer is fairly priced. With that in mind I stumped up for the VIP for Sumo Cyco’s show in Swansea’s Bunkhouse and I have to admit it was worth every penny. For the best part of half an hour the dozen or so VIPs gathered in the venue’s downstairs bar area were treated to a four song acoustic set and plenty of banter and chat from the band (including vocalist Skye “Sever” Sweetnam doing a hilarious brief bit of country dancing, guitarist Matt “MD13” Drake spilling his - full - pint during the first song and drummer Matt Trozzi playing a child’s toy xylophone with gusto), which really made the experience feel intimate and I believe genuinely made those who were there feel a real connection with the band members, which is kinda the point of this type of thing after all. Top stuff.

So the show proper got started with Swansea’s own I Digress (7) who play a very agreeable (to me anyway) brand of alt-rock. The band in my opinion may be lacking slightly in the stage presence department but they can only improve from this point and they are already off to a good start. I was however slightly disappointed to see that they didn’t actually have anything for sale as I would have happily picked up a copy of their EP if it were available here but alas not, so Spotify will have to do.

Next up were local bruisers Levianth (6) who are celebrating their tenth anniversary as a band, although they haven’t been active for all of those years as they have recently reformed. Their sound is pretty much your straight forward death/thrash a la Arch Enemy or Job For A Cowboy and, as much as I like certain proponents of that style I have to say that on this night Levianth didn’t really grab me. Their sound was good, their set was tight and vocalist Rachel Kate can get guttural with the best of them but something wasn’t quite clicking with me; might be just me though, horses for courses and all that.

And so on to tonight's headliners the aforementioned Sumo Cyco (10). I’ve seen the Canadian punk/dancehall troupe a number of times now and I’ve never seen a bad show – at this point I’m not sure they’re capable of one. Every member seems to play every gig like it’s their last so they’re a huge whirlwind of energy on stage with bassist Oscar Anesetti being particularly enthusiastic on this outing (although admittedly I was standing on Oscar’s side of the stage). It was however Skye who had the audience in the palm of her hand as all good front-people should. Their seventeen (!) song set included a brand new track (which I was given two different titles for, so I’ll stick with This Dance Is Doomed although it’ll probably end up being called something else *nudgenudgewinkwink*) which shows that their knack for crafting great tunes with fantastic choruses remains undiminished and which certainly bodes well for their upcoming yet-to-be-titled third album. 

The latter half of their set - which was just over an hour long all told - apparently comprised the songs the band are due to play at this years’ Download Festival where they will be the second band performing on the Kerrang! Avalanche stage on the Friday. Also, as it seems is their tradition the band hung around following the show to chat with fans, sign stuff, pose for photos and so on. They do seem to genuinely love their fanbase, and in return said fanbase loves them back. This fan does anyway.

Reviews: Timo Tolkki's Avalon, Legacy Of Brutality, Vexes, Holy Tide (Paul S & Matt)

Timo Tolkki's Avalon: Return To Eden (Frontier's Records) [Matt]

It's difficult to mention Timo Tolkki without talking about Stratovarius, the band he helmed as guitarist and lead songwriter from 1989 until 2005, since then he has formed and disbanded the bands Revolution Renaissance, Symfonia (featuring the recently deceased Andre Matos), he has also left Chaos Magic (new album due soon) so the Avalon metal opera project, now on it's third part, is now his sole creative output so he can take his time as has done with this new record. It comes six years after the previous edition and in this time Tolkki has battled a lot of personal demons so on this record he is aided by Aldo Lonobile of Secret Sphere in a co-producer role who was very beneficial when it came to recording all the featured artists on this album.

Yes like every good rock opera there are some very special vocalists adding their pipes to the various conceptual songs here the most recognisable is Anneke Van Giersbergen who you can instantly identify on We Are The Ones, she of course is no stranger to concept metal albums being a part of the Ayreon family. Away from Van Giersbergen he has more female talent from Tristiana frontwoman Mariangela Demurtas (on the beautiful ballad Godsend) with the male vocals coming from Riot V's Todd Michael Hall, Ex-Elergy man Eduard Hovinga and ex-Savatage, Circle II Circle man Zachary Stevens all giving their own unique voices to these songs, sometimes three of them on the title track. Return To Eden is a bombastic album from a man who's name has always been associated with symphonic, classically influenced guitar driven music. Welcome back Mr Tolkki! 8/10

Legacy Of Brutality: Realm Of The Banished Gods (Hecatombe Records/No Humano Records) [Paul S]

Legacy Of Brutality are a Spanish Death Metal band, who have been brutalising since 2006. In that time they have produced 3 EPs and 2 albums; Path Of Forgotten Souls in 2011 and Giants in 2014. The five piece have taken 5 years to produce their 3rd album, so, have the years been well spent?

Yes, they have. They have been spent writing and recording a fantastic piece of fairly brutal Death Metal. I said ‘Fairly’ as this album has a beautiful mix of Brutal Death Metal with some elements of technical Death Metal, and some of Melodic Death Metal. So what we are lucky to get is brutal Death Metal with bags of melody and tunefulness, and a good helping of technical ability, and innate musicality. The album is also beautifully produced, it sounds really great. All the individual instruments have very good sounds to them, and the mix is spot on, one of the best sounding Death Metal albums I’ve heard in a long time.

Musically we get brutal riffs and blast beats to batter us, while fantastic guitar harmonies, and more melodic riffs temper that brutality. So, on title track Realm Of The Banished Gods we get a very tight brutal and very nasty tempo on most of the song. The tempo is a little reminiscent of the last Krisiun album, designed to batter the audience; but when we get to the solo it flow beautifully and gives the audience a break from the battering. On As We March the track vacillates between tuneful mid-paced Death Metal and very fast and brutal blasting, giving a very pleasing juxtaposition. Sometimes the tracks are just fast and flowing death metal that feels like it has so much pace and inertia, Behind The Black is one of those tracks.

It’s not all about being fast, Gods Of The Deep is much slower and heavier, with a nice discordant ending. The song has a relentless quality that I really enjoyed, it also boasts a fantastic solo; although so do all the songs on this album, if you are a fan of amazing guitar solos then this is an album you will want to check out. Realm Of The Banished Gods is a fantastic album, well written, played and produced. In some ways it reminds me of 2 Death Metal albums that came out last year; Monstrosity’s Passage Of Existence, and Krisiun’s album Scourge Of The Enthroned. Both those albums were brilliantly produced albums, made by masters of this genre. Legacy Of Brutality can now be added to that category, they are masters, because Realm Of The Banished Gods is a masterpiece! 9/10

Vexes: Ancient Geometry (Silent Cult) [Paul S]

Vexes are made up of the ex-members of A Life Once Lost, Vessl, Fury Of Five, and Downstage. The New Jersey based band, seem to be happy to wear their influences on their sleeves, every bit of research I did for this review I found a list of bands that Vexes love, and sound like. Unfortunately for the rest of us, the list is mostly Nu Metal acts, although, not the ones I thought they sounded like. They appear to be saying that they sound like Deftones, and Cave In and Thrice, but mainly sound like Linkin Park, with maybe a little Korn thrown in as well. I’m going to wear my influences on my sleeve too, I hate Nu Metal, sorry but to me Nu Metal was just awful. To me it was just an attempt to sell pop music to metalheads, and I was happy as anything that it died, and this album demonstrates why I hated it so much.

So, let’s start with the music. Firstly the production job is very good, the mix isn’t but that is a trait of Nu Metal rather than something wrong with the album. All the instruments sound very good, it has clearly been recorded and engineered very well. The mix is an issue, but then so is the mix on every Nu Metal album. The sound is all about drums and vocals, slightly hip-hop style drumming, with horrifically over the top, angsty vocals. The guitar and bass are too low in the mix, and are not at all riffy, Nu Metal is NOT about riffs, it’s just one chord going into another chord, there's no damping, to choppiness, nothing that I would consider a riff. I’ve always thought that the Nu Metal style of guitar and bass is much closer to indy or pop, but with distortion; trying to sell pop music to Metalheads. The vocals are a major issue as well, very similar to Linkin Park, and so overly emotional.

On some of the bands social media it talks about having huge choruses, what it really means is the choruses push that overly emotional style to ridiculous levels. I have always felt that there is an infantile aspect to these overly emotional Nu Metal tropes. I can understand it when Nu Metal bands were selling records to kids and younger teenagers, but surely they’ve grown up by now. On some of the more ballad like songs like Lush or Ancient Geometry, this comes across as being saccharine sweet and is almost vomit inducing. Let’s not forget the worst thing about this album; the track No Color contains a Rap. It’s as bad as it sounds, like a white, middle class guy trying to do an impression of Will Smith, and it is so bad, just awful. So, if you liked the worst bands in the worst type of metal, then here is an album for you.

I realise that this review is pretty bad, but the album comes with a surprise at the end. The version of the album I have has 3 bonus tracks at the end. They are covers of eighties pop songs, not kiddies pop, but slightly more grown up pop. We get covers of Tears For Fears track Head Over Heels, Johnny Hates Jazz’s Shattered Dreams and ’Til Tuesday’s Voices Carry, and they are great! By far the best thing about this album! The guitar can be heard, ok it isn’t distorted but it’s nice to be able to hear it. The terrible overly emotional vocals have been replaced by normal vocals, that are very good. The quality on offer from the bonus tracks is really impressive, Vexes should be doing stuff like this, not dire Nu Metal. If Vexes tried to be a modern Tears For Fears, they could really go somewhere.

It says a lot for how I feel about Nu Metal that I’ve just suggested this band go pop, but they are so much better when they don’t do a half arsed impression of Linkin Park. I realise I’ve been harsh, but Nu Metal should stay dead, I’d much rather have an ok pop act than anything that sounds like Nu Metal. 5/10

Holy Tide: Aquila (My Kingdom Music) [Matt]

Holy Tide are an international metal band that play melodic heavy metal with a few symphonic elements added to lashings of heavy metal. I'll get my biggest gripe out of the way first this is a power/traditional metal styled album and as such doesn't really differ too much from the countless other bands out there playing this style of music so at 14 songs, it's too damn long, each track is between 3 and 5 minutes making the album over an hour in length with very little variation except when they have some special guests, The Shepherd's Stone has some massive organs courtesy of Don Airey and as such sounds like Deep Purple, while Lamentation has some German language vocals from Tilo Wolff and a dramatic Rammstein stomp, in fact weirdly there are a lot of changes towards the end of the record. Holy Tide are Italian Joe Caputo and Brazilian Gustavo Scaranelo on guitars, Brazilian Fabio Caldeira behind the mic and Brit Michael Brush on the drums, this international membership makes for well performed metal music that won't change the world but may keep you entertained for just over an hour. 7/10

Reviews: Starkill, Lo-Pan, Of Virtue, Emerald (Manus)

Starkill: Gravity (Massakren Inc.)

Starkill’s newest effort is s fine one. Album number four for the Chicago melo-death group is more of what fans would expect, with a few new additions to the sound. Or maybe just one big new addition. Gravity is Starkill’s first album to feature new clean vocalist Sarah Lynn Collier, who joined the band in 2017. The results are excellent, with Collier’s voice blending perfectly with the music and the heavy vocals. It’s a change to be sure, and one fans would be forgiven for being skeptical about, but it works. The songs are powerful, with an operatic feel. They all channel futuristic sci-fi-tinged images similar to that on the album’s cover, and do an excellent job sticking with that theme. Not Alone is an epic, bombastic composition that stands out as one of the album’s highlights, along with the symphonic Manufactured Bliss and the alien-sounding Face The Dark. It’s hard to listen to any one song though. This is an album you want to listen to all the way through, probably more than once. 8/10

Lo-Pan: Subtle (Aqualamb)

Wait… is this a stoner metal band with good vocals? By the time the first track is over, Lo-Pan’s Subtle already clearly boasts all the elements we wish every stoner metal album had. The riffs are catchy and don’t drag on forever, the rhythm section is solid, and the album is not just good in spite of the vocals like so many records in this style seem to be; the vocals are one of the best things about this album. Many of the songs follow a similar formula—but that’s not to say the album is repetitive. Tunes like Ten Days, Sage and Everything Burns sound like they would go over particularly well in a live setting, but really, any of these songs would translate easily from recording to stage. There’s no studio trickery and no impossible-to-recreate effects. It’s just some guys playing their instruments, and nothing else is needed. 8/10

Of Virtue: What Defines You (SharpTone Records)

Upon a first listen, the new Of Virtue record sounds like something that should have come out around 2013… and been left there. The style just feels tired, generic and already burnt out. It’s pretty standard metalcore, being made up mostly of heavy verses and melodic choruses, and with lyrics that drip teen angst. It’s more or less the same music that made a crop of bands fairly big the first half of this decade, but what’s worse is that this album actually isn’t even particularly good for its style. There are a few catchy riffs, like on the song Alone, but most of the guitar work consists of just typical chugs, and the vocals just lack power. The screams feel weak and the melodic vocals often feel wimpy, especially on the album’s “slow song,” Pictures Of You. This album might be enjoyable to high school kids who can empathize with its shallow lyrical content, but listeners over the age of 16 will most likely find it laughable. 3/10

Emerald: Restless Souls (Rock Of Angels Records)

Power metal doesn’t need to be anything fancy, really. When it’s done right, it rocks. Emerald’s Restless Souls isn’t missing anything you’d look for in a solid power metal record. The fantasy-fueled, swords and sorcerers-style power metal has already been perfected, and as such its unlikely anyone new will come along and completely dwarf the greats of the scene, but with this record, Emerald nevertheless show their ability to firmly hold their ground. The first half or so of the album is epic and fast-paced, with songs like Valley Of Death and Son Of Sam throwing the record into gear. About mid-way though, it starts to drag a little, and never really fully recovers to the force and vigor it has at the beginning. That’s not to say the songs on the second half of the record aren’t good enough; it’s more of a pacing thing and could easily be fixed by switching up the order of the songs. Still, this is a solid album, and is probably what any Emerald fan would expect. 7/10

Reviews: Biffy Clyro, Artificial Language, Jesus Chrüsler Supercar, Of Man And Machine (Alex, Sean & Liam)

Biffy Clyro: Balance, Not Symmetry (Warner Records) [Alex]

Ah, Biffy Clyro. Of course, I’ve known about them for a long time. Who hasn’t? For music fans of my generation, the singles off Only Revolutions and Opposites have become notoriously memorable. Yet lately I have been delving deeper into their back catalogue. From the rawness and occasional utter strangeness of albums in the vein of Blackened Sky and Infinity Land to the fantastic qualities of Puzzle, Biffy have always gone about making music in their own way. Even when their music has adopted a more accessible angle, as on 2016’s Ellipses, they have kept their sense of identity. That’s without mentioning the six B-side collections which show yet another side to their creativity. Praise aside, a movie soundtrack feels like a perfectly logical progression for Biffy given how fruitful their experiments with theatricalism and light and shade have been in the past. We still know little still know about the film, yet the music stands on its own terms, proving intriguingly multifaceted and different. Balance Not Symmetry is a stimulating if occasionally muddled showcase of how the Scottish three-piece both within and outside the boundaries of traditional rock.

Opener, Balance Not Symmetry, is in many ways a quintessential Biffy song. A powerful guitar riff precedes a huge chorus and an equally strong bridge. We don’t have to wait long until the album explores some new territory though. All Singing All Dancing is one of the most chirpy and cheerful anthems the Biff’ have ever committed to record, bearing all the exuberance suggested within the title. Different Kind Of Love proves a humble yet wonderfully paced acoustic ballad, the clever backing vocals, and subtle instrumental embellishments, adding a few delightful touches. Spiralling into yet weirder territory, Sunrise opens on a psychedelic note, before becoming a retro-infused homage to the ’80s and then suddenly launching into a stint of strong-willed intensity. Carrying on a determination to be different, Colour Wheel and Fever Dream are two sides of the same coin, both ambient pieces, the former takes on a blissful and comforting tone, while the later strays into anxious and spine-tingling terrain. I point this out as, while there is some familiarity to be found, the ease with which the soundtrack utilizes contrast by playing with the qualities of colour and mood, suspends the listener in a state of fascination, even if they may be bewildered at times.

While I can foresee opinions being divided for a long time over Balance, Not Symmetry, I would argue that the second half is somewhat more cohesive and focused than the first half. Tunnels and Trees seems to open the second act with ascending instrumentals, rising and falling dynamics, and a cosy usage of changeability. Aside from the lyric ‘don’t get shirty with me’ which takes me out of the song for a few seconds, Plead serves as a unique, beginning on a smooth and pleasant note, before adopting a huge and bombastic aura, bridging two of the many musical personalities on show throughout. The Natural’s is one of my absolute favourite moments, the use of strings and the overarching triumphant feel of the track, reminding me of earlier favourites like The Captain or Mountains. In keeping with Biffy Clyro’s fondness for strong love songs, Touch is truly sentimental in its aspirations, while Jasabiab feels decidedly Beatles-esque, largely owing to the luscious harmonies and 60’s style strut. Aside from the beautiful piano ballad which closes the record, the second to last track, Following Master serves to tie all the ideas together into one incredibly dramatic, theatrical piece, rounding off the ambition which the movie experiment thrives on.

There is a lot more I could have said here, and I would urge anyone who hasn’t looked into Biffy beyond the singles, to give Balance, Not Symmetry a try. I truly hope that the film lives up to the dramatics, emotion and detail of the music 8/10

Artificial Language: Now We Sleep (Self Released) [Alex]

After impressing gloriously with The Observer in 2017, I only expected the best of Artificial Language’s next project. Strangely, the five-piece do not have nearly as strong a media presence as their contemporaries, yet their name often appears alongside Haken and Leprous in discussions of modern prog. Poignantly, I get the feeling that we will be seeing a growth in that trend. Playing with gorgeous soundscapes, Now We Sleep proves an immersive and deep spectacle of progressive music.
Occupying a place between looming and blissful, a light humming of strings, followed by chirping of birds, followed by precise acoustics, opens The Back Of My Mind. We soon surge into a huge composition as a plucking of violins accompanies striking guitars and drums, and the vocals float in on a wave of atmospherics, both serene and dramatic. 

Moving in crests and nadirs, the opener once more accustoms us to that grandiose, splendid nature which comprised so much of the debut’s charm. Spiralling in constantly ascending and descending patterns, the piano and electric guitar phrases of Endless Naught are anything if not inspiring. Still, the occasional pause or subtle change does not go amiss in creating effect. Incidentally, the amount of detail and colour these musicians succeed in utilising in a short measure of time is remarkable. At two minutes and 50 seconds, Pulses transports the listener through stints of uplift and sadness. Further From The Surface is the perfect companion anthem its enormous sound conjuring images of beautiful natural landscapes, all in the space of three minutes. Everything is perfectly measured and timed, as to become inspirational, yet never drawn out or patronising. 

Although it can be difficult to accurately define the tone of Now We Sleep, I would make a case for it being elusiveness and mystery, as you never truly know what’s hiding around the corner. The Wild Haunt excellently demonstrates this theory, the changes in the mood from mellow to anxious, settled to maddened, scattering any notions of predictability or shallowness to the winds. Trail Of Lights is grippingly blissful in its instrumental fluttering, and elevated harmonies. Carrying on the bizarre yet fascinating trend, There’s No Bottom To This begins on a wonderfully strange synth line before igniting, impressing the listener with dramatic sway and weighty passion. On a different note, Keep Yourself Hidden has a traditionalist, noir-esque flavour, turning out different yet weirdly charismatic. These well-timed discrepancies in songwriting keep anything from becoming laborious, behaving towards the listener’s expectations, the same way you’d expect a fox to behave to a rabbit - with cunning and savageness. 

To finish with a contemplation on the band’s name, an artificial or constructed language is one which is consciously devised. Many people have termed music as a type of language, and while that’s a debate for another time, if true, it would be a language Artificial Language are fluent in. Poignantly, in conveying meaning and emotion the music here excels, in detailed and precise fashion 9/10

Jesus Chrüsler Supercar: Lucifer (Dr Music Records) [Sean]

Yah know what rock and roll needs? No, I’m not talking about Led Zeppelin rip offs, such a thing is a temporary fix at best. Yah know what it really, and I mean REEEEALLY needs? A big ‘ol dose of BOSS HM-2, that's what! Y’see kiddos, back in the wee moments of the 90’s, Entombed may (or may not) have realised that the inevitable saturation of Swedeath was destined to happen. That, or they all uttered in unison “Fuck it, I wanna get laid and play groovy riffs”. And thus, death’n’roll was born in the form of the rough, rowdy and purist polarising Wolverine Blues. Fast forward to 2019 and fellow Stockholm sadists, Jesus Chrüsler Supercar (lol). Proving that genre has FAR more to offer than whatever Chris Barnes feels like covering, Jesus Chrüsler Supercar brings buzzsaw riffs and booze soaked swagger on their third album, Lucifer. Let’s ‘ave it then!

It doesn’t take long for Jesus Chrüsler Supercar’s formula to establish itself. Thick as fuck guitars plugged into the GREATEST PEDAL EVER MADE, groovy riffs, stompy drums and all led by Robban’s whiskey wetted vocals. A straightforward, no frills approach here ladies and gentlemen. With the Swedeath element providing the foundation, first and title track Lucifer get the foot ‘a tapping and the head ‘a bobbing. Ripping solos only add to the overall bar brawl feel of it all, and a solid start indeed. Flesh’n’Bones is more of the same, albeit with d-beat drumming. It’s essentially a nastier Motorhead, though that’s hardly a criticism. It continues on Never Sleep Again, it’s simple, tight and chunky as all hell. Some harsh vocals are thrown into the brawl and ALL the bar stools of flying. High Times For Low Crimes really brings the adrenaline, somehow meatier than all that came before. Inferno era Entombed is an obvious reference point and still sound boss, the slightly sludgier approach greatly enhancing the already brawny sound a thousandfold.

Boogeyman puts further emphasis on the harsh vocals, whilst Suck On My Balls (fuck subtly, eh?) employs the subtle us of a way pedal, though it’s still very much that same satisfying flavour of pure bloody beef. That is until the tempo slows to a drag, doom vibes in full force and providing a much needed bit of variation. More ripping solos later, Out Of My Head adopts a sterner disposition, not sounding a million miles away from like something off of Wolverine Blues. The rest of Lucifer flies by without deviating too much from it’s core sound, but never loosening its grip on my jugular. Then the closing track happens and a curveball is thrown, via the hilariously named You Can't Spell Diesel Without Die. Bell chimes lead us in, the buzzsaw (mostly) traded for doomy blues. It fits seamlessly into their oeuvre, it’s Sabbath/St.Vitus vibes providing ending Lucifer on an unexpected high. More of this, lads!

I now it’s only rock and “death’n’roll, but I like it! Totally excellent puns aside (admit it), Lucifer is one hell of a fun listen. Sure, I could busy myself with how many notes Archspire can vomit per second (and I sometimes do, they’re great), but deep down all I crave for is good riffs, catchy songs and a cold one to match. Jesus Chrüsler Supercar are one such band and Lucifer is one such album, oozing metallic machismo via a hearty blend of tight songwriting, solid musicianship and all the dirt than can ever be offered. 8/10

Of Man And Machine: The Void Architect (Self Released) [Liam]

It's gritty. It's heavy. It's in your face. It's exactly what we need in the Metalcore scene at the minute. Hailing from Colorado, Of Man & Machine are here to reinvent Metalcore for your pleasure. From start to finish it's a heart-pumping, headbanging frenzy of Metalcore madness. The mix of Vocalist Michael Mitchell's growls and cleans with the destructive guitar & drum work of Jake Stern, Daryl Martin & Harde Eddison are fantastic. With the ground-shaking gutturals and the Matt Heafy sounding cleans the band are untouchable. Just pounding out riff after riff, chug after chug, but not sounding like any other band. The band has their own unique sound and it helps to stand out. Stand out tracks The Storm & Death By Fate are just great tracks. In all honesty, I'm in two sides that it has no chorus'. On the one hand, a catchy chorus and really sell a song or album. But it doesn't need any. It has its own take on the genre. And frankly, it works a charm. 7/10

Reviews: Hate, XentriX, Silent Winter, Chon (Paul H & Matt)

Hate: Auric Gates Of Veles (Metal Blade Records) [Paul H]

Now the vehicle for original member Adam ‘ATF Sinner’ Buszko, Polish black metallers Hate have been pounding their own brand of black metal since the early 1990s. Their visit to Cardiff for the Tremendum promotion in May 2017 was one of the most ferocious nights I’ve seen at Fuel, with their wall of sound levelling the place. Buszko has been accompanied by drummer Pawel ‘Pavulon’ Jaroszewicz since 2014, and during that time they’ve released two other albums, Crusade Zero and Tremendum. With a prolific output that few black metal outfits can match, Auric Gates Of Veles is the fifth album since 2010 and the band’s 11th overall.

Hate’s sound has long been described as no-nonsense black metal, full of blast beats, roaring vocals and tremolo riffing and the atmospheric opening track Seventh Manvantara’s immersive sound picks up where the band left off in 2017. The sonic wall of guitars and frenetic soloing continues on Thriskhelion, the sheer intensity of the assault jaw dropping. Assistance is provided from guitarist Dominik ‘Domin’ Prykiel and bassist Tomasz ‘Tiermes’ Sadlak. The Volga’s Veins maintains the thrashing velocity, another astonishingly brutal yet organic track which swirls around the listener, enveloping and crushing. Sinner’s vocals are as extreme as ever, his guttural growls spewing forth with fascinating horror. But it is the guitars and drumming that make Hate such a forcefully powerful outfit, and this is demonstrated by the blistering centrepiece Sovereign Sanctity. With the field of black metal as crowded as it has ever been, it requires something special to stand out and once again Hate demonstrate their mettle.

Path To Arkhen is a classic example to anyone who states that black metal is merely noise; underpinned by a machine gun battery of blast beats, a wall of riffing and an undercurrent of melody which is scathingly dismissed too often by the naysayers. Gather around the fire for the epic title track, a beautifully crafted beast which majestically varies pace and form or immerse yourself in Salve Ignis, a black metal track which is about as perfect as you can get. This is incredible stuff which leaves you breathless. Repeated plays make this album an essential listen, a blazing flame burning brightly. There is nothing about this album which I didn’t love. The haunting atmospheric elements, soaring solos and scorching assault all combine to make this one of the most astonishingly brilliant albums of 2019. 10/10

Xentrix: Bury The Pain (Listenable Records) [Paul H]

23 years since Scourge was released, Preston’s Xentrix power back into our consciousness with their fifth long player, and it’s a vital album for any respecting thrash fan. Whilst the band has been active sporadically since 2013, their heritage is firmly located in the late 1980s, with their debut album Shattered Existence from 1989 considered by many to be one of the finer UK thrash albums. Bury The Pain is the first album to feature vocalist/guitarist Jay Walsh, (Bull Riff Stampede) stepping into founder member Chris Astley’s formidable shoes, alongside Kristian Havard on guitar, drummer Dennis Gasser and bassist Chris Shires. Whilst many bands suffer from the loss of a vocalist, that this is far from the case here, with Walsh’s snarling vocals perfect for the full throttle thrash that Xentrix deliver with such style.

To me, they mirror the technical ferocity of Canadians Annihilator but with typical UK spine. Gritty, gnarly and uncompromising, Bury The Pain grabs the listener from the opening bars of the title track and spends the next 50 minutes kicking the stuffing out of you. There Will Be Consequences drives at 100mph, Bleeding Out has echoes of Testament in its stomping groove whilst The Red Mist Descends is simply imperious. The dual guitar work knits together neatly, the drums are huge and the bass rumbles like thunder exploding across the Black Mountains. With the unique stamp that UK thrash always brings, this is not only one of the thrash albums of the year and that is against such alumni as Death Angel and Overkill, but one of the albums of the year. It’s been a long time, but Xentrix are back. Welcome home! 8/10

Silent Winter: The Circles Of Hell (Sonic Age Records) [Matt]

Formed in Volos in the middle of the 90's they reformed in 2018 with a new line up, leaving only guitarist/composer Akis Balanos as the only link to their past. Last year they released an EP that I called "Assured, confident, faced paced and brilliant" so what does their debut full length hold? Well along with Mike Livas (vocals), Giorgos Loukakis (bass), John Antonopoulos (drums),Yiannis Manopoulos (keyboards and synth) Balanos has really pitched this at fans of old school power metal that sits somewhere between the synth heavy sounds of Stratovarius and the Teutonic gallop of Helloween, mainly due to Livas' vocals. It is loosely based on the The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri with the title track they have their broadest sound with a lot of drama and progressive touches, it's a fitting end to the record but before we even get here we have a lot more to listen to.

Final Storm has big, German balls behind it, as does Soul Reaper where Livas does his best work, Warriors Of The Sun has some amazing drum work to it while Follow The Night which has huge keyboard swathes. Time Has Come which is a bit more emotion to it driven by blastbeats before the guitar solos trade off. There is a 'proper' ballad in the shape of Silent Cry which features Serbian vocalist Dragica Maletic from the band Demist, just piano, vocals and drums with the guitars coming in on the massive dual vocal chorus. The Circles Of Hell is a great power metal record from a Greek band with a lot of history behind them that are finally given a chance to show their skill to a wider audience on this powerful debut album. 8/10

Chon: Chon (Sumerian Records) [Matt]

Have you ever played any 80's arcade game? Most importantly Outrun or any other racing game, preferably with a big plastic vehicle to sit in/on. Well you know the menu music, or indeed the game music itself well that's what Chon sound like, whether that's a good thing or not is purely dependent on your point of view. This instrumental band consisting of guitarists Mario Camarena and Erick Hansel, drummer Nathan Camarena and bassist Esiah Camarena are on their third album and they once again bring yet more math-rock styled  flowing guitar lines, acoustic underpinning, melodic passages and twitchy rhythms, their style if heavily effects driven with nods to other genres such as hip hop and electronica, all wrapped up in plenty of jazz trappings. The technical ability on display here is at the highest level, however if you don't enjoy instrumental music and prefer the heavier side of things then you won't find much. However if you're a fan of some esoteric instrumental musings with lashings of technical expertise but a keen ear for melody then Chon will excite you. 7/10 

Opinion: Anti-Fascist Black Metal & NSBM UPDATED (Essay By Paul S)

Discussion Of Anti-Fascist Black Metal and NSBM.

I love Black Metal. Out of all of the sub-genres of Heavy Metal, Black Metal is the one that speaks to me the most. Although I love it almost unconditionally, there is a part of Black Metal that has always bothered me a lot, to the extent that I feel deeply embarrassed of it. I’m talking about NSBM. For the uninitiated thats National Socialist Black Metal, Black Metal that is ideologically and lyrically obsessed with Hitler's National Socialist Party, yes that's Nazi Black Metal (I’ll be using the term ‘Nazi’ in this discussion, I’m not playing Richard Spencer’s dirty little game of re-branding Nazism as ‘Alt-Right’. I’m also not going to name any of the NSBM Bands, it’s easy to find them and I’m not giving them the oxygen of publicity).

About 18 month ago I was talking to a metalhead friend about Black Metal. I suggested that she have a listen to a particular type of Black Metal (atmospheric) as I felt it was emotionally close to some of the music that she listened to, and I thought she would get a lot out of it. I found her response a little worrying, “I don’t listen to Black Metal, I’m not a satanist or a fascist so I don’t think It’s for me.” She was someone who I know has been a fan of Heavy Metal since she was a teenager, she is very knowledgeable about Heavy Metal, and yet she thought Black Metal was only about satan or fascism? Was this really how Black Metal was perceived from outside? Do people automatically think I’m a Nazi simply because I’m wearing an Immortal shirt? My friend and I carried on talking, I explained to her how much of Black Metal was actually Nazi (very little), and I think I managed to convince her that her impression of Black Metal wasn’t accurate, in fact, I’m pretty certain she does now listen to Black Metal. I managed to clear up my friends misapprehension, but how many other metalheads have avoided Black Metal due to this perceived connection to Nazism? It’s not just how Black Metal and its fans are seen by people outside of the scene that bothers me. I have always been baffled by the use of Nazi and Fascist ideologies in Black Metal, anyone who knows anything about Heavy Metal or Black Metal should be bemused by the connection, it simply does not fit. Let me explain.

Fascism is a political ideology that emerged in the first half of the Twentieth Century. The term was first used by Benito Mussolini, when he named his political party Combat Fascism, shortly after the end of the first world war. Fascism is an ultra right wing ideology that is based on having a political and financial elite, who rule over the masses. Fascist parties and leaders tend to use nationalistic rhetoric, racism and prejudice against immigrants as a way to gain popular support. In 1930’s Europe the demonised minority was Jews as they were a convenient scapegoat. Hatred of Muslims is currently being used in Europe and America. It does not matter who is demonised and attacked, as long as they are ‘other’, separate from what is considered the mainstream.

This year in Poland there have been very large (numbers in the tens of thousands) far right marches and rallies, that have been attended by members of Poland's very far right government, where chants and placards have been calling for a “Muslim Holocaust”. Fascism is usually anti-democratic, fascist parties use democracy to come to power, before dismantling all democratic structures from the administration of their society. Fascism is about power, maintaining power and not allowing dissent by crushing freedoms and individuality. Fascism usually goes hand in hand with extreme versions of capitalism, both ideologies are based on exploitation of the weak or poor. The racist / anti-immigration rhetoric is usually used to distract people from the damage to society caused by capitalism. Fascism, Capitalism, Racism and hatred of minorities have been used for years to protect political and financial elites.

Nazism is an ideology that grew out of fascism. Created by Hitler, Nazism is an extreme version of Fascism. Fascism states that subjugation of certain parts of society is acceptable, that people of different races, sexes, classes, sexual preference etc. have different values, so discriminating against people based on these differences is acceptable. Nazism takes this further. Nazism states that not all races have a right to life, and that the extermination of those races is acceptable as it allows peoples that do have a right to life to have more space and resources. As Hannah Arendt put it in The Origins Of Totalitarianism “The principle difference between Fascism and Nazism is violence, mass murder”. If you display the swastika, if you do the Nazi salute, if you wear a T-shirt with the slogan ‘Hitler Was Right’ on it, then you are calling for racist mass murder. Not just condoning it, calling for it, you are screaming for thousands of people to be killed due to being slightly different from what the mainstream consider is acceptable.

So, how does an authoritarian, deeply controlling, capitalist loving doctrine fit in with Black Metal? Black Metal is a musical style that has always championed individuality. One of the main reasons Black Metal has so many sub-genres and sub-sub-genres and sub-sub-sub-subbity-sub-genres is due to this love of individualism. Bands are criticised for sounding like other bands. Experimenting and combining different musical styles is SO Black Metal, no other genre of metal would have produced Enslaved, Sigh, Thy Catafalque, Solefald, Ulver or A Forest Of Stars. A political ideology that hates individualism and has as one of its aims a population that thinks, acts and feels the same way is the antithesis of this. If Black Metal was naturally a right wing thing, then the level of creativity and individuality that it contains could not exist.

Nazism is about authority and control of a population. To put it bluntly, you do as you are told or you are killed. So, Nazism is about conforming, it’s about being good. Conforming? How is that a trait of Black Metal? If Black Metal is anything, it’s Rebellious. NSBM bands are telling you obey, to observe the rules, to be good little children that do as their leaders tell them. At the moment America has a very right wing President who is supporting White Supremacists (Basically American Nazis who are obsessed with inbreeding), so at the moment American Nazism involves saluting the flag and supporting the president. How is this rebellious? The world we live in is very right wing, how is supporting an ideology that is a slightly more extreme form of the status quo an act of rebellion? It isn’t, not in any way. Most NSBM bands would happily agree with anything that is published in The Daily Mail, included in a UKIP pamphlet or broadcast on Fox News. All the views put forward by NSBM bands are the height of conformity, masquerading as some form of revolutionary act. Stop telling me to be good and conform, I didn’t behave when my parents told me to, I’m buggered if I’m conforming because some corpse-painted Nigel Farage say so.

Anti-individualism and pro-conformity aren’t traits I’d associate with Black Metal. Maybe rampant capitalism and commercially, are essential qualities of Black Metal? No, not even close. How many times have you heard of Black Metal bands only releasing 500 copies of an album, and then only 250 on tape and 250 on vinyl? How many times have you heard of Black Metal bands having no band pictures, or not allowing journalists to know who they are? Joseph Goebbels pioneered many techniques that are still used in the PR industries, the rampant saturation of advertising and marketing we have in our society grew out of Nazi experiments with propaganda. Nazi Germany was probably the most effectively branded society in history. Strong Brand Identity? Again, the opposite of what we see if we look at Black Metal. Fascist and Nazi societies tend to have very commercialised media and culture. The Nazi’s were massively supported by large corporations.The Holocaust was sponsored by major brand names that would be recognisable to anyone reading this today. A scene as underground and anti-commercial as Black Metal does not fit into this at all. Also the home made, do it yourself ethos of Black Metal is far closer to a punk, and therefore Anarchist (non-authoritarian Left wing) outlook than an ultra-commercial Nazi one.

Right, well capitalism is out then, maybe this is about Satan, maybe the connection with Satanism is how you get Nazism into Black Metal? I am an atheist, I take as much notice of Satanists as I do of Christians; none. I was, however, raised in a very, very christian household. I am aware of the Fall of Lucifer myth that is common to the Abrahamic religions. As I understand it, Lucifer and the other angels that rebelled against god, rebelled because god would not give them free will. Angels were gods slaves, and lucifer led a rebellion against god to free himself and his fellow angels. Lucifer free’d slaves, Lucifer was an anarchist rebelling against an oppressive, authoritarian leader. Germany was a devoutly Christian country in the first half of the twentieth century, Hitler used this, he compared Nazi leaders to saints and himself to Jesus Christ. No matter what the plot lines of Indiana Jones or Hellboy films might suggest, Hitler was not Satanist, Nazism isn’t getting into Black Metal that way.

O.K. so Satanism is out then. Odin, maybe Odinism is a way to crowbar Nazism into Black Metal, could it be those pesky Vikings? I have seen statements from NSBM bands claiming that they follow a belief system called Hitleric Wotonism, a combination of Nazism and Nordic Mythology, Mein Kampf with added Odin. No, that doesn’t work either. Although viking raiding parties are very well known, the vikings weren’t all about violence and conquest. They also used their seafaring skills to trade and settle areas. In viking society, authority was from a Ground Up model, not a Top Down model (authority is given from the masses to leaders that are accountable to their people, rather than authority being forced on them from an unaccountable authoritarian leader). Viking society was much more like an anarchist society, far less hierarchical than an extreme right wing society. People were governed by consent, involved in their own government, not by a threat from above. There were far fewer coercive laws and always an option to opt-out.

The same can be said about pre-roman Anglo Saxon society, much closer to an anarchist model, rather than Fascist. Although, with the last 2 points, I should say that comparing ancient societies with modern political ideologies, is always going to be problematic. Many early forms of government were due to necessity caused by scarcity of resources and low population densities. It is pointless to try to compare Pre-industrial with Post-industrial, repressive societies. So many of the factors needed for a repressive regime are not present in a Pre-industrial society; mass transport, mass communications and mass media infrastructure are all essential for the control of the masses in a fascist or nazi society, so the lack of them makes ancient Nazism an impossibility . Any attempt to connect ancient societies with extreme right wing ideologies is deeply disingenuous.

Fascism and Nazism are both openly racist ideologies. Heavy Metal grew out of the Blues, a type of music intimately associated with Black culture, that was an important source of identity and strength during the oppression of people of colour, and in the civil rights movement. If The Nazi’s had won the second world war, or if Britain had gone fascist in the 1930’s, the British Blues explosion of the 1960’s would never have happened. No Hendrix coming to this country in 1967 and influencing just about everyone who had ever picked up a guitar. No Cream, no Blue Cheer, no Earth Blues Band, no Black Sabbath, so no Heavy Metal, and by extension, no Black Metal.

Nazism and Fascism also tend to be homophobic as well. Apart from Black Sabbath, probably the most important band involved in the formation of Heavy Metal was Judas Priest. Lead singer of Judas Priest and all round Metal God Rob Halford is gay. If fitting in with your NSBM orthodoxy means hating Rob Halford, well, that's just about the least metal thing I can think of. Also, Rob Halford is responsible for the ‘look’ that we associate with Heavy Metal, maybe the NSBM bands and fans should think about where the leather and studs they wear came from.

There are also bands who use Nazi semiology whilst claiming that “We are not a political band, so it can’t have been a political act”. Well once you Nazi salute or use the swastika you have made your band into a political band, that's how it works. Do a political act, you’re a political band.

As you have probably picked up already, If I was going to ascribe a political ideology to Black Metal (I’m not sure if we should be making music fit in with political ideologies, but I didn’t start this, the NSBM bands did), then it would be Anarchism and not Fascism or Nazism. Black Metal simply isn’t authoritarian, commercial, conforming, controlled or narrow in its outlook. Black Metal is wild and free, Black Metal feels like anarchism.

For quite a few years I’ve been bothered by NSBM, but I’ve also been bothered by the attitude of a lot of Black metal fans to NSBM. The occasional bit of condemnation of the metal media, along the lines of “this publication does not agree with, or condone the views etc.” just doesn’t cut it. It felt like metalheads are a little embarrassed of speaking out, terrified to say what they think in case someone accuses them of not being ‘Cvlt’ or ‘True’. Other extreme genres, particularly those that grew out of Punk like Hardcore and Grindcore are happy to have a go at Nazis. Napalm Death have been telling Nazi Punks to Fuck Off for years. I agree with Dietrich Bonnhoeffer when he said: “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” (Bonnhoeffer was a member of the German Resistance to Hitler, he was murdered by the Nazi’s 2 weeks before the end of the Second World War) So, in the last couple of years I’ve been pleased to see that Black Metal has started to kick back at these viscous, deeply un-metal idiots. The first band I was aware of were Dawn Ray’d. Although Dawn Ray’d have an anarchist stance rather than strictly anti-fascist, as anarchism is the political opposite of fascism, they have clear anti-nazi sentiments. Dawn Ray’d have been joined by a whole host of other bands that are taking an obvious anti-nazi attitude to Black Metal, but also an obvious anti-NSBM stance.

Calling out NSBM bands for what they are: conforming racists who are so part of the status quo it would be laughable if some people didn’t take them seriously. Bands like Libtrigger,, Underdark, Twilight Fauna, Void Ritual, Kosmogyr, Forbihavet and Neckbeard Deathcamp (I’ll be reviewing both Neckbeard Deathcamp albums after this discussion, in fact this whole article started as a review of their original album), have stepped up to push in the opposite direction. These Black Metal bands have been joined by bands from all over the Heavy Metal world, so we also have Nekroi Theoi (Death Metal), Stormland (Death Metal), My Lonely Sea (Post Black Metal), Violet Cold (Post Black Metal), Ithaca (Hardcore), Allfather (Hardcorey doom or Doomy Hardcore, I’m not totally sure how to class Allfather, but whichever way it is, their riffs kill fascists, and that's what matters!), Redbait (Crust Punk), Misandr (Harsh Noise), Hellripper (Black Thrash) and many, many others. There are more and more new bands every day, the Anti-fascist metal scene is one of the most exiting areas of music at the moment. It’s not just bands, where you get a scene full of bands, you will also find record companies as well.

There are now several Record Companies that specialise in bands with an overt Anti-Fascist stance, the music is extreme but the ethos is welcoming and inclusive. Some that have this overt Anti-Fascist outlook are: Tridroid Records (@tridroidrecords), An Out Recordings (anout.storenvy.com), Music For Liberation (musicforliberation.com), Alerta Antifascista Records (@DoomrockShop Doomrock.com), and Astral Noize Records (astralnoizeuk.com). There are also record companies that are officially apolitical, but seem to only be signing bands that have an ethical outlook. Probably the most well known of these would be Prosthetic Records (prostheticrecords.com @prostheticRcds) who have a roster of bands that shows a clear intent not to sign ‘problematic’ bands. Also most Anti-Fascist bands would have problems with being on a record company with NSBM bands, so if a record company has lots of Anti-Fascist bands on their books, then they are probably safe. Here's a few that I’ve been advised are decent: Yehonala Tapes (Bandcamp, Facebook), Vendetta Records (vendettarecords.de), Pushteek Records (Bandcamp), and Exalted Woe Records (exaltedwoerecords.com). All these companies are on Bandcamp, I’ve put in website and twitter names if they have that as well. I’ve just scratched the surface, I’m sure there are many more out there, Happy Exploring!

It’s almost as if there was a massive number of metalheads who felt the same way about NSBM, and were just waiting for an anti-fascist heavy metal movement to start! A lot of the bands are very wary of letting people know who they are, as the reaction from the NSBM world has been very angry and violent (it’s amazing how easily triggered these Nazi snowflakes are). The people who are behind these bands are taking a real risk by attacking NSBM. Now THAT is radical, THAT is rebellion. The natural place to find Anti-fascist Black Metal is on Bandcamp and Twitter, have a look at a few bands, they’ll help you find more (this is a proper musical movement after all), and have a listen to some truly radical bands.

I’m sure that there are NSBM fans reading this and composing threats and insults about me, they’re probably using words like Loser, Faggot or Poser. I’m probably making them incredibly angry as they don’t have the intellect or knowledge of politics or history to counter any of these arguments. They are probably clutching at their tiny, tiny penises for comfort. To these people I’d like to take this opportunity to say: Stop telling me to conform, don’t tell me to be good, how dare you tell me what music I can and cannot listen to, and I don’t want to sound intolerant, but: Bugger off out of my sub-culture and stop embarrassing the rest of us who aren’t braindead racist arseholes.

And, one last point about NSBM; Hitler hated music that was not traditional and German, he was a particular fan of Bavarian Oompah bands. So maybe NSBM bands should put the guitars away and should start learning the Trombone or the Tuba.

Reviews:

Neckbeard Deathcamp:White Nationalism Is For Basement Dwelling Losers (Prosthetic Records)

As you’ve probably picked up from the piece above this, Neckbeard Deathcamp aren’t a fan of NSBM. I can’t tell you anything about the members of the band as no information is available due to the level of risk Anti-fascist bands take criticising Nazism. As America is a country where White Supremacy and guns are legal, speaking out is risky. Neckbeard Deathcamp play War Metal. That's the most extreme form of Black Metal that exists. It’s deliberately difficult and impenetrable, war metal bands go out of their way it alienate their listeners. The music is low-fi and as brutal, fast, and nasty as it’s possible to get. To my ears the style is quite similar to Black Witchery. A lot of metalheads will not like this album, it’s just too extreme. I’ve always quite liked War Metal, it is niche, but if you want staggering brutality, there really isn’t anything that will touch it. This album has horrific, de-tuned, dense riffs, echoey guttural vocals and blast-beats that, well, sound like a war.

Lyrically, this is going to annoy all those oh so serious NSBM fans. The album mercilessly rips the piss out of the NSBM scene, the music, the culture, the ideology, nothing is safe. Humour has always been an effective tool against extreme political ideologies. Thats why satirists are the first people to be arrested when a despot comes to power. Nothing destroys the veneer of power more than being laughed at. Neckbeard Deathcamp are in the same business as Charlie Chaplin was in, when he made The Great Dictator. Song titles like XXXL Obersturmfuhrer Leather Duster, don’t really need to be explained. They also rip into the behaviour of Neckbeards online with the wonderfully titled Please Respond (I Showed You My Penis). The album is brought to an end by an outro called The Fetishization Ov Asian Women Despite A Demand For A Pure White Race, which is an industrial noisescape, with a pretty intelligent voiceover that deals with how people are conned into these beliefs. This is a really extreme album. It won’t be to everyone's taste. I really like it, and I love the band simply for existing. Anyone who can annoy this many Nazi’s, is alright with me. 8/10

And in case you missed it their new album:

Neckbeard Deathcamp: So Much For The Tolerant Left (Prosthetic Records)

Neckbeard Deathcamp are a bit of an enigma. Hated by fascists, loved by anarchists, communists and anti-racists. Very little is known about the 2 main members or the live members (Neckbeard Deathcamp are now a live entity) of the band, according to their Bandcamp page they are based in Bordeaux, France, although that is probably just to troll Nazi poster boy Varg, who now lives in France (where he was arrested a couple of years ago for far right terrorism offences). So Much For The Tolerant Left is their second album, the follow up to last years White Nationalism Is For Basement Dwelling Losers. Musically this is war metal, so everything is pushed to ridiculous levels of extremity and savageness. This massively over the top approach to sonic extremity will put a lot of people off, war metal is purposely impenetrable, and difficult. This extreme music, mixed with a political and ethical standpoint that is diametrically apposed to some of the grandee’s of black and war metal elite, has gained the band the tag of ‘Joke band’ to a lot of fans of those Grandees. So, let’s deal with this label first.

Yes, Neckbeard Deathcamp use humour to attack the far right. The cover of Richard Spencer being wedgied by a spiked arm-banded hand is funny. Ok, if you like Richard Spencer it isn’t funny, but then, if you like Richard Spencer enough to be upset by this cover, you probably didn’t have a sense of humour in the first place. Also, song titles like Shitpostnacht, and What Are The Cargo Pockets For Lanza Extra Mags?, are also funny if you aren’t a nazi. However, using humour as a weapon against the far right, is a very well used way of attacking Nazism, just look at Charlie Chaplin’s Film The Great Dictator, Neckbeard Deathcamp are just continuing this tradition is taking the piss out of pathetic Nazi losers.

The accusation that Neckbeard Deathcamp make music that is a joke, is also not really a valid argument. The riffs are simple and brutal, the pacing is insanely fast, and the vocals drip reverb and staggering aggression. Or, to put it another way, it’s war metal. If Neckbeard Deathcamp are a joke, then so are all war metal bands, you can add Revenge and Black Witchery to the ‘Joke’. There are some really great, filthy riffs on here, the aforementioned track What Are the Cargo Pockets For Lanza Extra Mags? has some cracking second wave black metal riffs in it. The opening riff of Bricks Out For Harambe have a blackened grindcore feel to them that is really great. So the riffs are sickening and extreme, whats not to like about that?

Personally I really like the vocals, the reverb makes them sound ridiculously huge, and if people are complaining about that, then that shows an issue with war metal rather than specifically with Neckbeard Deathcamp. Another note about vocals, this album features vocals from Karl Willets of Bolt Thrower and Memoriam, and Denis Boardman of Doom; any other war metal albums have vocals by Extreme Metal royalty? No didn’t think so. This is not an album for the faint hearted (Musically or politically), it’s extreme and nasty, and it really upsets Nazi’s. What more do you want from your war metal? After all, isn’t this sort of extremity meant to upset people? 8/10    

A View From The Back Of The Room: Magnum (Live Review By Paul H)

Magnum, Hand Of Dimes, Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare 5th June 2019

It’s been a while since I renewed my acquaintance with Magnum. Having first seen them way back in the long defunct New Ocean Club on Rover Way in Cardiff in 1984 on The Eleventh-Hour tour, my most recent experience of them live was a rather flat show at the Steelhouse Festival in 2013. I’ve deliberately missed their last couple of Welsh appearances as a result of that showing and the Ed suggested that their 2016 show at The Tramshed saw frontman Bob Catley struggling badly. But the lure of the Midlands melodic giants is always strong, their early albums sitting amongst my favourite music of all time and with a recent output that is as strong as anything they have ever written it seemed an appropriate time to travel to the heart of the Valleys and catch the band in the intimate setting of the Coliseum Theatre in Aberdare. It was also an opportunity for fellow writer Rich to see Magnum for the first time. Neither of us were to be disappointed.

One of the masterstrokes of Orchard Live’s promotion of this special show was to add local lads Hand Of Dimes (8) to the bill. As we strolled to the theatre from the ample local parking, the HoD army were out in force with probably as many t-shirts displaying their logo as those wearing Magnum shirts. Having seen Hand Of Dimes several times in recent years, I knew that we’d get nothing but professionalism and as soon as the band launched into Looking At You that was confirmed. Bassist Mark Maybry having returned from his role as part of Bernie Marsden’s band and he had the added buzz of being confirmed as Marsden’s bass player for the forthcoming Joe Bonamassa cruise. There was certainly a spring in his thumping bass lines as he fought through the inevitable fatigue to play his part in another high-quality Dimes performance.

I’ve reviewed the band a number of times, but it is always worth mentioning that Dimes possess three things in spades: magnificent musicians who do what they do with the minimum of fuss and maximum effectiveness; quality songs which appeal to everyone; and a genuine humbleness which is the foundation of every show. As always, it was Nev McDonald whose stunning vocals took centre stage, but this is a band who are a collective unit. Alongside Maybry and McDonald, who loved the typical Welsh banter the partisan crowd threw at him, drummer David Stephenson held it tight at the back, Colin Edwards added the sublime lead guitar work and Nev’s long time sparring partner Neil Garland on keyboards, backing vocals and harmonica was as uber cool as usual.

Unsurprisingly the bulk of the set came from the excellent Raise album, which is a release I never tire of listening to. Pinstripe Arrogance, Guilty, Bad Reputation, Stranger In My Own Town and my personal favourite, the fantastic Jacobs Ladder sandwiched the Kooga track Like I’ve Never Known from the 1986 album Across The Water (McDonald and Garland go back to those days together). With the temperature rising, Dimes brought their 45-minute set to a close with Sail On. You know when a support band is good when it comes as a shock when they announce their final song and you are genuinely gutted. This happened … again. Welsh shows are rarer than hen’s teeth now, so this was a fabulous opportunity to see on of the best Welsh hard rock bands up close and personal.

Magnum (9) need little introduction. Formed in the mid 1970s, the band have been through more turbulence than a Boeing 737, but the nucleus of frontman Bob Catley and guitarist Tony Clarkin has been solid through thick and thin. Joining these two septuagenarians were long time bassist Al Barrow (since 2001) and more recent additions Rick Benton on keys and Lee Morris on drums. Opening with Wild Swan from the 1988 Wings Of Heaven, the band showed a passion that belied their years. Catley a ball of energy, air shapes thrown continuously, and whilst he has put on a few pounds over the years he still has the moves. In recent years he has tuned his vocals down an octave or two and this allows him to deliver those classics without murdering them. Clarkin rarely moves, but at 72 can still deliver the killer solo, as he demonstrated on the extended How Far Jerusalem. His presence and playing adds the heavy to the band.

Magnum chose the new tracks to open the show after Wild Swan, with three from 2016’s Sacred Blood ‘Divine’ Lies (The title track, Crazy Old Mothers and Your Dreams Won’t Die) and two from the excellent Lost On The Road To Eternity, (sadly minus Tobias Sammett for the title track). After that this was a set littered with classics. How Far Jerusalem, Les Morts Dansant and a spellbinding All England’s Eyes from the legendary On A Storyteller’s Night, an emotionally charged Don’t Wake The Lion (Too Old To Die Young) from Wings Of Heaven and a rocking Vigilante which shook the venue to its very foundations. Live Magnum are slick and tight, with the subtle lighting adding to the atmosphere and a stunning crystal-clear sound making this venue one of the gigs of the year. With Benton’s lush layered keyboards enhancing the songs, the implementation of some orchestral backing tapes added still further and no-where was that more evident than on the encore, where The Spirit was followed by the most amazing Sacred Hour I’ve ever heard. The hairs on the back of the neck were standing tall as my spine tingled and I was filled with joy at hearing orchestral sections accompany the band as they played this most iconic of all the band’s songs once more. Finishing to a huge ovation, there remains plenty of life in these veterans yet. With a new album due this year, Magnum’s star may well shine for a while longer.

Reviews: Duff McKagan, Stoner Kings, Sepulchre, Stormhammer (Paul H, Matt & Rich)

Duff McKagan: Tenderness (Universal Music Enterprises) [Matt]

Out of all of the Guns N Roses/Velvet Revolver offshoots that came about when both of these bands were on hiatus/split up/were a tribute act. The ones that I enjoyed most were the ones Duff McKagan made with his band Loaded, these and his dalliances with The Walking Papers showed a side of a man far removed from the spindly four stronger of "The World's Most Dangerous Band". Built around his love of Hanoi Rocks/Heartbreakers guitarist the iconic Johnny Thunders, McKagan has used his music as a rallying cry that draws from the American traditions of country and Americana as well as the acerbic British punk scene.

On his third solo album (second to be released officially) he has lowered the volume a little but not the resolve, this is bubbling mixture of Nashville country and blue collar grit at its finest much of that due to the influence of Shooter Jennings who takes the role of guitarist and producer for this album bringing most his band with him to add those oh so familiar fiddles and lap steel sliding. There's emotion to this record much more so than on any GNR track, Feel is a tribute to Chris Cornell that resonates for a long time after as does the rap-like Parkland (about the schools shooting of the same name) and the brilliant Last September where he shows his solidarity with the #MeToo movement. 

It's a record that simmers rather than burning brightly but that's due to the lap steel and slide guitars that ring true, with even a few brief solo flourishes adding to the strings that swell. If you're looking for a hard rocking album this...isn't it...but if you want a considered, laid back record that has some serious points to make. 8/10

Stoner Kings: Alpha Male (Self Released) [Paul H]

Unreconstructed stoner rock with all the charm of Cro-Magnon man? If for some bizarre reason you are looking for such a thing, then please alight at this station because Finnish four-piece Stoner Kings are perfect for you. Formed initially in 2000 in Helsinki, the band split in 2008 following two albums [2001’s Brimstone Blues and 2006’s Fuck The World]. Founder member Michael ‘Starbuck’ Majalahti then turned to professional wrestling before resurrecting the band in 2016. Influenced by Sabbath, Kyuss, Cathedral, Trouble, Grand Magus and QOTSA, Alpha Male is 45 minutes of heavy riffs which are chunkier than a bag of chips from chip alley in Cardiff on a Saturday night at 2am, primitive drumming and an attitude bigger than the Cardiff City Soul Crew. Designed to be played loud, there are elements of sleaze in Starbuck’s delivery which is generally bombastic and full on. Tracks such as Fucked AD, Damnations Own and Born of Ape leave little to the imagination; blasting hard and heavy, Stoner Kings’ approach may well belong to a bygone age, but they certainly do what they do with a swagger which is kind of endearing. Play this loud. It’ll certainly annoy those pesky neighbours. 7/10

Sepulchre: Thrill Of A Kill (Self Released) [Paul H]

The latest release from Swansea death-thrash beasts Sepulchre promises much. Opening with a brooding riff driven instrumental, Raptures End. This track is massive, imposing in stature with the switch between slow, crushing riffs and all-out speed balancing neatly. Disappointingly it stutters to an end when it is crying out to segue directly into Ignored which follows. That gap drops the needle on the accelerator when it needed to be blasted into orbit. Ignored remains a brutal punch in the face, one of five tracks on this album that formed the second EP, The Great South Western Depression. The pace doesn’t slow on the following track Entropy which chugs along nicely, Darren Evans’ snarling vocals spitting out the chorus with venom. Three tracks in, less than ten minutes gone and its already at a pleasingly frantic pace. Sadly, the mix is regrettably poor, and as a result instead of the razor-sharp lacerations of Evans and Dan Yeoman’s dual guitars, we get a muffled sound, with the guitars lost in a soupy fog. 

Evans’ lead on Jolly Jane for example, is almost intelligible when it should be slicing like a hot knife through butter. Aimee Coppola’s snare sound on the other hand is front and centre and her reliable time keeping throughout the album is impeccable. Acid For Blood is a gruelling beast, whilst the familiar gnarly Modern-Day Slavery ebbs and flows, the underlying repeating riff crawling inside the brain. Move Or Die is another favourite from the EP, but it’s two of the new tracks, the monstrous Clouded, which has one massive mother of a hook, and the showpiece central song Desolate with its wave of bone crushing riffage, cohesive rhythm section and guttural roars which really demonstrate how tight a unit Sepulchre are. At times Thrill Of A Kill is punishingly good. I just wish I could hear it a little more clearly. 7/10

Stormhammer: Seven Seals (Massacre Records) [Rich]

It’s common knowledge that if you want to find some good power metal then the place to look for it is in Germany. Despite there being a countless number of German power metal bands it is rare to find a dud band amongst them and thankfully Stormhammer do not break the trend and have greatly impressed with their latest and seventh album Seven Seals. Seven Seals is very much on the heavier end of the power metal spectrum with clear influences from thrash metal and melodic death metal as well as the standard anthemic European power metal sound. Ably steering the ship into all these directions is frontman Matthias Kupka making his debut appearance fronting the band.

 He covers a wide array of different vocal styles seamlessly slipping between them from gruff thrash style vocals, power shouts, throat shredding screams and growls and epic soaring cleans. Plus to boot he even performs lead guitar duties. This is one talented gentleman. The songs range from thunderous opener Sleepwalker to speed metal assaults such as Your Nemesis and Downfall to softer ballads such as Deal With The Dead to more heavy metal anthems such as Prevail and Under The Spell. This mix of sounds and styles keeps things interesting throughout the album and my attention was held from start to finish. Seven Seals whilst nothing groundbreaking is another great piece of German power metal. 8/10

Reviews: Darkthrone, Heart Of A Coward, Until Rain, Destrage (Paul H, Matt, Sean & Liam)

Darkthrone: Old Star (Peaceville Records) [Paul H]

Three years after Arctic Thunder roared, the legendary duo of Fenriz and Nocturn Culto return with album 17. Historically vital to the Norwegian black metal scene, Darkthrone retain elements of their early raw black metal but have moved some distance away from the ravaging sound of the early 1990s. Early on it’s worth noting the earthy sound, mixed by Sanford Parker and mastered by Jack Control, with the old school drum sound of Fenriz captured perfectly is exactly what the album needs. It’s also the first album for a long time not to have included Nocturn Culto on the production side of things. The other interesting thing about Old Star is the fantastic cover art by Chadwick St John. At 38 minutes it isn’t a long album. Six songs, which mix up styles and pace, opens with I Muffle Your Inner Choir, a rampant dark track which leads neatly into the almost old school heavy metal style of The Hardship Of The Scots complete with Tom G Warrior style “ugh”, a Dio style riff incorporated within the track. The title track is a slower, almost doom metal piece and the shortest on the album. Alp Man has an interesting chug to it, whilst Duke Of Gloat returns to the punk-infused rapid power. Closing with the haunting The Key Is In The Wall, a Celtic Frost style chopped guitar and a Motorhead flavour added to the ballsy punch that underpins this song. Old Star is a grower; spin it several times in a row and marvel at the talent. It may not please the purists anymore, but Darkthrone have always delivered what they want when they want. Old Star is no exception, a punchy, heavy and sometimes blisteringly good release. 8/10

Heart Of A Coward: The Disconnect (Arising Empire) [Liam]

Having had this band recommended to me by a friend and enjoyed their previous record, i was looking forward to it. I wasn't expecting anything amazing, but it's actually blown me away with how good it is. With the addition of new vocalist Kaan Tasan, the London Metalcore mob are more focused toward riffs and the chorus' of songs rather than trying to be generic. With the furious guitar work of both Carl Ayers & Steve Haycock backed with V on bass and Noddy destroying the drum kit, the band prove they’re a force to be reckoned with in this genre. From start to finish the album is great. Just hitting you with a barrage of metalcore but not sounding stale at the same time. The band has a unique sound about them that makes them stand out. I'm unaware of what that sound is, but that makes it better, if you have a unique sound to any other band in the scene, then use it to your advantage. If anything, with this new record, the boys have proved they are more than capable of handling themselves and keeping their music fresh. With a spot at this years Download festival, they are worth a watch. I know I'll be there watching! Will you? 8/10

Until Rain: Season V (Rock Of Angels Records) [Matt]

Originally founded in Thessaloniki in 2008, Until Rain are now based out of London but they are still playing the stirring mix of alternative/progressive rock that has been a part of their career for a while now. They may have been a more metal based act earlier in their career but now on this their fifth album, they have touches of the melodic dexterity of Haken but also the fragility of Anathema, who's Daniel Cardoso mixed this record. The album deals with the TV series Leftovers, featuring Christopher Eccleston, where 2 percent of the population (140 million people) disappear completely leaving the remaining people to deal with it in different ways. It's a show that makes for somber and dour viewing but it makes for great progressive music, for me if a band are experimental or emotional the more melancholic the better. The concept of this record, the title is a double meaning towards a fifth album and a fifth season of the show, sees numerous characters trying to deal with "grief, inability to adjust, loneliness, search for meaning/weakness, the need to save themselves and their loved ones."

It's a very musical record with Lef Germenlis contributing to the lion's share of the music as he provides keys, guitars, backing vocals, string arrangements & programming, as Theodore Amaxopoulos adds yet more fluid guitarwork, Linus Abrahamson takes deep grooves with both fretted and fretless bass underpinning things and linking up with the flowing percussion of Matthew Vella. Musically these men all converge together excellently bringing a cinematic tone to songs such as Miracle. Musically with so much going on it's great that they have a dexterous vocalist in the shape of Cons Marg who has a fantastic set of pipes that can be soaring, be sorrowful and scream (Time Escape) equally well, the harmonies are fleshed out with some beautiful female vocals from Donna Zed in the backing role and on The Long Break we get special guest Vicky Psarakis from The Agonist taking the co-lead vocal, this is where things get really Anathema sounding with emotion ringing out of every line.

Season V are really impressive progressive metal/rock album from a band who have gradually improved their craft with every releases. They hook you and resolutely try to keep you on their journey from the opening moments until the closing bars. Their sentiment is never overshadowed by their musical agility and they never stray into tedium when they try to address complex topics. As a prog fan this album is amazing, I loved it, I think you will too! 9/10

Destrage: The Chosen One (Metal Blade Records) [Sean]

Maturity is word that’s thrown around a lot. In some cases, it’s managing the summon enough resistance to not purchase yet another VST amp suite, knowing full well you’ll never achieve tonal greatness (the pain is real). It’s used quite a bit by us music journalists, a catch all term to adequately (or lazily) describe an artists musical growth. Generally a positive, as I’m sure most would agree. An yet sometimes, just sometimes, you’re left yearning for the days of youth full exuberance, piss, vinegar and full blown balls to the wall! Take Italian progressive metalcore act Destrage for instance. When word had reached me of their inevitable “maturity” via 2014’s A Means To No End, I’d be lying if a small part of me didn’t die on the inside. Such was the wacky schizoid fun of Are You Kidding Me? No, I fell in love with these stupidly talented Italians and their brand of technical amazing tomfoolery. I couldn’t bare the notion of them eschewing fun to be “super cereal” but as you and I both know, the party ends for everyone and it’s time to grow up. Enter new album, The Chosen One, swaggering in with big boy pants in tow. Aight Destrage, let’s do this!

And they’re off! Immediately out of the gate with title track The Chosen One, Destrage waste little time in establishing their musical chops, blasting and grooving with as much might as they can muster. Their innate poppy sensibilities soon make themselves knows, coming across as an djentier Every Time I Die. It’s over pretty quickly, About That picking things back up again with guitarists Ralph Salati and Matteo Di Gioia firing off all manner of riffy pyrotechnics. It’s pretty energetic, with vocalist Paolo Colavolpe’s ever contorting delivery never failing to amaze. He morphs from boy band crooning to death metal gutturals in the blink of an eye, perfectly in sync with the rest of the band. Whilst it may not be the cartoony antics of yore, this is still very much Destrage and it’s really, REALLY tight. Hey, Stranger! mostly recalls everything I loved about them in the first place, rocking the fuck out yet never failing to inject a rip roaring fret run here or cheeky breakdown there. At The Cost Of Pleasure is djentier number, alternating between ambient passages and thunderous lows.

Whilst not as hooky as the others, it’s good track in it’s own right with it’s reserved demeanour acting as nice counterweight. And god damn, those lush lays of melody at the end! Mr. Bugman takes us back to classic Destrage. Playful, pop laden vocal hooks drive it onwards, complex guitar work never derailing its structure. Rage, My Alibi displays signs that “maturity” I’m ever so wary of, industrial beats and what can only be described as a “I whisper my words to sound damaged” vocal delivery. Interesting, though not the most enjoyable of songs. Still, it fits in well in the general flow of The Chosen One with Headache And Crumbs getting things back on track. We soon reach the finale of The Gifted One, with Destrage fully embracing ambience and all manner of synth and strumming. Dense chords above a slow and steady pace give way to groove laden stomping, Destrage employing every single trick at their fingertips. It briefly revisits opener The Chosen One, ending in a suitably oddball fashion.

Well, that was certainly a rush! For all my trepidation that one of my favourite bands had “matured” into normies” was mostly all for naught. Sure, the fun factor is dialled down a few notches but it isn't absent. Traces of those ol’ shenanigans are still there, just married seamlessly with Destrage’s newfound level headedness. It’s like bumping into an old schoolmate that you haven't seen in a while. Sure, he’s a bit more serious than you remember. But at the heart of it all? Even if he’s tidied himself up a bit, he’s still a blast to be around and The Chosen Ones is a blast to listen to. Good stuff. 8/10

Reviews: Gloryhammer, Damim, God Shaped Devil, Reveal (Paul H & Matt)

Gloryhammer: Legends From Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex (Napalm Records) [Matt]

Epic metal madmen Gloryhammer have done this trilogy thing the correct way round. If you follow the the Holy Trinity (Star Wars) it's supposed to be like this: Part 1: Establishing Story, Part 2: Baddies Win, Part 3: Starts out bad but goodies win. Gloryhammer have followed this to the letter, as their third album Legends From Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex we see our hero Angus McFife return from the future explored on their previous record to an alternate version of The Kingdom Of Dundee which sees Emperor Zargothrax (Chris Bowes - keys, harsh vocals) now controlling the Kingdom Of Dundee so when Angus McFife (Thomas Winkler - vocals) and his companions Ser Proletius (Paul Templing - guitar), Ralathor (Ben Turk - drums) and Hootsman (James Cartwright -bass) return to try and destroy.

The conceptual story is told by galloping metal tracks such as The Land Of Unicorns, Power Of The Laser Dragon Fire, filled with Bowes' trademark keyboard solos duelling with the solos of Templing while the orchestrations swell more and more making this record pretty cinematic in it's scope. I do love Winkler's vocals he really gets into the bonkers Sci-Fi/Fantasy concept of this record, which gets very loose here mixing Ziltoid with Rhapsody through songs like the brilliant Gloryhammer which is brilliant and had me smiling from ear to ear as McFife builds his forces against Zargothrax ready for the almighty melee on the 12 and a half minute finale The Fires Of Ancient Cosmic Destiny which is the most ambitious song Gloryhammer have ever created. Unlike with Star Wars this third chapter Legends From Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex is most definitely the best entry. Now all I hope is that they don't start a prequel trilogy after this album as we all know how that ends. 8/10

Damim: A Fine Game Of Nil (Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings) [Paul H]

This has been one of the most anticipated albums of the year and I’m pleased to report that the first album from Damim under their revised name is an absolute belter. It’s been 12 years since The Difference Engine was released under the Dam moniker. Although only Nathanael Underwood remains from that brutality, this remains very much the Damim who have devastated Cardiff in their recent appearances. In A Language They Understand opens the album, bursting with huge thrashing riffs, head splitting drumming and Underwood’s ferocious snarl. Descendent Of Amalek possesses an opening groove ridden riff of filthy magnitude before the track expands with intensity, raging guitar work topping the thunderous drumming and dirty bass rumbling. There is little to disappoint on this album, with Underwood on fine form and joined by Flow Toulman on drums, Faust Perez on bass and guitarist Edd Amos. Beyond The Call Of Emptiness is a harrowing, almost melancholic reflection, dark and menacing with an air of malevolence that is truly unsettling whilst Something For The Weakened not only boasts one of my favourite song titles for ages but is also heavy and powerful enough to peel paint from the walls.

Then we arrive at NecroKino. A haunting electro introduction which lurks eerily whilst the tension builds, holds and then explodes into a blistering instrumental. At over six minutes, Body Is Broken is the longest track on the album, and one of the most intense. It bludgeons from start to finish, the tsunami of blast beats, chugging riffs and numerous time changes making it one of the most interesting and impressive tracks on the album. Intriguingly, despite the blackened thrash that dominates, and there is plenty of nasty aggressive thrashing here, A Fine Game Of Nil veers sharply at times, whilst retaining the underpinning principles that you’d expect. Penultimate track Existential Epiphany Within A Waking Dream is case in point; an acoustic melodic piece, which provides an oasis of calm with the maelstrom that rages all around. The peace doesn’t last long though as the battery of the aptly named closing track All I Want To Know Is How It Ends brings a quite stunning album to a fitting close. Damim are incredible live and with this album they’ve achieved that live ferocity. 42 minutes which you should invest in. 9/10

God Shaped Devil: Dark Fields (Self Released) [Matt]

So this album got reviewed on the day one large orange baby entered UK airspace and touched down. Whether he's a God Shaped Devil you'll have to decide however he is American and from the opening fret slides of this debut album you'd be forgiven for thinking God Shaped Devil were too. In fact they aren't, splitting their membership between British and Hungarian the band are based in Manchester and was formed by frontman/lead guitarist Bécy Füzéri (Bex) and bassist/vocalist Lajos Borsi who make up the Hungarian contingent but didn't know each other before meeting at work and forming GSD. They brought on Luke Ellwood on drums and later his cousin Matt Morris on rhythm guitar after their original singer left. Their Creator Of Sodom EP was released in 2015 to high acclaim but this is the first set of recordings to feature the current line up of the band.

Now I mentioned they sounded American and what I mean by that is that they meld pit inciting thrash and head crushing groove in the same way as Machine Head and Lamb Of God do, though it's the MFH influence that looks large from the guitar work to the vocals GSD definitely owe a debt to the Oakland natives. The sharp biting riffs begin Guiding Light which has some delicious pinched harmonics beginning it before the kicks in properly with a technically excellent thrash, the vocals varying between snarls and grunts (Deadly Sign), Drowning Gravity adds a bit more of chunky beatdown, clearly a song made for pits and waves of headbanging. The music on offer is thrash at it's core but with big chunks of metalcore grooves and some a few extreme flavours making it more than just standard stuff. One of the standout tracks for me is Barbed Wire which has a lot of Trivium influence to it with the very melodic style and a tasty solo. Dark Fields is muscular debut album from this British/Hungarian act, they'll no doubt be slaying stages somewhere near you soon so I suggest you pick up Dark Fields in anticipation, play it loud, jump around and air guitar wildly, it's the only way. 8/10    

Reveal: Overlord (Wormholedeath Records) [Paul H]

Put together by Tino Hevia, one of the founders of Darksun and Nörthwind, Reveal’s sophomore album is a combination of power metal and melodic rock. Hevia recruited singer Rob Lundgren (well known on the internet due to his YouTube channel apparently) and several respected Spanish musicians to complete the line-up. Overlord opens brightly with the Egyptian themed The Name Of Ra before the thrashing I’m Elric, an ode to the high king of Melniboné in the Moorcock written saga. However, Master Of Present And Past is bloated, trying to be too clever whilst containing an irritating riff and a sugary chorus. 

Lundgren may well be an internet sensation, and he can certainly hit the notes, but his Jon Bon Jovi style saccharine delivery combined with material that is rather generic power metal in its quality means interest soon wanes. The Crusaders is mediocre, and the album also becomes more lightweight as it progresses. By the time you arrive at Remember My Words, a ghastly effort, the Bon Jovi comparisons are unavoidable and dominant keyboards weaken the release further. I gave this album three spins and it got worse on every listen. If you fancy power metal, stick to Blind Guardian, Rage or Primal Fear (ironically members of each band feature on the band’s debut album!). 5/10