A View From The Back Of The Room: Lacuna Coil (Live Review By Paul Hutchings)

Lacuna Coil, SWX, Bristol

Editor's Note: Due to the 6pm start time (club night afterwards) we weren't able to get to SWX for either Infected Rain or Eluveitie meaning we arrived just before the headline act took to the stage

Back in 2016 the Milanese gothic rockers had dropped Delirium, a darker and heavier album than the previous Broken Crown Halo. The supporting tour was superb, full of emotion and passion. I caught the band at The Marble Factory, a mere mile or so from tonight’s venue and they were brilliant. Roll forward three years and we arrive at Black Anima, a further step down the dark and heavy path that the band started to follow. Black Anima is a solid album, but it’s also massively sonically polished. It’s taken all the rough edges out and smoothed them.

An imposing stage set, with the band’s name stencilled in black against a foil red background dominating the back of the stage was revealed as Lacuna Coil (7) took their places. New drummer Richard Meiz taking his place first, swiftly joined by bassist Marco Coti Zelati and guitarist Diego ‘Didi’ Cavalotti, all in their gothic horror outfits. Very scary. The band launch into Blood, Tears, Dust, one of four songs from Delirium. Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro arrive, in matching outfits to a hero’s welcome. Hands and iPhones in the air. A sea of phones, capturing those blurred images that will be placed on social media which no-one will look at. But at least you were there. That’s what matters. Fuck.

Ferro’s vocals take time to level, Scabbia’s initial notes are also wobbly and the first questions come to mind about the number of samples, loops and effects that the band are relying on. Trip The Darkness follows, the light show impressive, smoke and dry ice creating the required atmospheric effect on stage. The first chatter with the crowd. It’s all a bit stadium style. Unsurprisingly. Our Truth, the first real oldie arrives, Ferro and Scabbia appear slightly less connected than on previous times. The synths, loops and harmonies on the vocals are becoming an irritant now. From the rear of the venue it’s hard to tell who is playing what. Cavalotti’s guitar sound is thin, the bass and snare drums dominating the mix.

The show progresses. It’s slick. It’s polished. It’s totally scripted. A minor technical problem dealt with without challenge. Layers Of Time arrives. The first from Black Anima and it sits comfortably into the set. Maybe too comfortably. There is little here to get too excited about. Scabbia’s scripted intros lack feeling. Reckless, a real fist pumper on vinyl is flat, devoid of the power it has on record. Does Scabbia hit those notes or is it the tapes? I can’t tell. Attention is lost, the band go through the motions,  and the chatter near the bar distracts. Sword Of Anger does provoke some response, Ferro returns to form and roars his way through it; the duel with Scabbia a brief highlight. We reach song 12 in under an hour. It’s that fast, like a production line. Bang ‘em out.

Then it’s time for that cover. The one everyone knows. Depeche Mode’s Enjoy The Silence. It’s the one everyone apparently has come to see. Even the bar flies stop chattering and join in. It’s good but a sad reflection that the reception tops anything else on the night. Time to leave. I miss the horrendous Naughty Christmas. Thank fuck. Three of their best songs follow. I don’t really care. Nothing says you have to stay ‘til the end.

But let me take a moment to balance this largely negative review. I didn’t enjoy this gig. The venue was massively oversold. Arriving 30 minutes before they were due on stage, it was impossible to get further than the bar area. Would have been more enjoyable if I’d had a good vantage point with clearer sound? Well, obviously. But my observations about the band remain. Their stadium sized show was too big for the venue. Or at least that’s how it appears. The fact that Enjoy The Silence is still the best received song is a massive irritation. But people are lazy, people are fickle. Maybe I’m an elitist. Who the fuck knows?

A final observation: Pinned at the back of the venue for Lacuna Coil’s set, it was astonishing how many ‘fans’ were prepared to chatter loudly rather than watch the band. Crap beer, shouting at your mate to be heard whilst some annoying Italian band blathers away in the background. Sounds like a great night out to me. What? We’ve mentioned it before on here but why people spend £25 on a ticket to do that mystifies me. As does the steady stream of people who even though Lacuna Coil were on stage for a mere 75 minutes felt the need to head back and for to the bar rather than watch one of Italy’s premier metal outfits.

A View From The Back Of The Room: Trep (Live Review By Paul Hutchings)

Trep, Excursia, NO:IR UK & Lead By Lies – Fuel Rock Club

A filthy night followed a filthy day. Womanby Street eerily quiet; devoid of people except for those scurrying between buildings. The sound of jazz from Bootleggers and the occasional blast of indie from The Moon permeating the silence. Welcome to Cardiff’s beating musical heart with only five shopping weeks before the visit of the fat man in a Santa suit.

Yet step behind the doors on this usually most vibrant of streets and the heart is still beating. In Fuel, four bands have travelled to the Capital through Christmas shoppers laden with pointless commercially driven purchases, rush hour traffic and who have heaved and struggled their gear through load in and sound check. The bands that in the main have bulked the audience into double figures by remaining to watch their peers. This is South Wales metal at its most raw.

Headlining the evening are Trep (8). Familiar to most of us now, the three-piece are the most assured outfit of the evening, with their recent pedigree including finalists in the Bristol M2TM 2019 event. Rhys Evans (guitar and vocals), drummer Max Hill and comedian Sam Green (bass and backing vocals) deliver 40 minutes of their progressive wonderment. Tracks from the Lucian EP are now old friends. The band is competent, smoothly entwined, and the sparse crowd applauded hard. Green has a distinct style of banter between and during songs whilst his constant gurning at Evans throughout failed to put the frontman off his stride. A typically muddy sound in Fuel never helps a band like Trep whose clean lines deserve a crisp sound. Although I’ve seen Trep in more majestic form than this, they still won the night. Easily.

It’s been a turbulent year for the thrash vehicle that is Excursia (6). Recruiting and then having to fire a vocalist in such traumatic style has rocked their very foundations but the band has retained bite and fire. A choppy set sees the band a little disjointed, clearly still reeling from the recent events. A’Dan Shide has stepped up to the vocal plate in recent weeks and does a manful job, but it was fair to say that despite the lyrics on a stand in front of him, this isn’t his comfort zone and the change in demeanour when Lewis Temby steps up to deliver the final song of the night was clear. Whilst the talent remains, Excursia need tightening up between songs; developing their own style of banter and ironing out the joins. The next viewing will be interesting.

Trep aren’t the only Bristol M2TM Finalist alumni on show as the Nu-Metal stomp of NO:IR UK (6) take the centre night slot. I’ll be honest here; I don’t like their fusion of hip hop and Nu-metal but I cannot fault the effort the band puts in. Working off little response from the sparse numbers in front of them, the five-piece ignored the absence of crowd feedback and exploit the opportunity for a decent work-out. Hip hop, nu-metal and hardcore fuses in a schizophrenic sound which swerves and changes at will. Soaring, screaming and roaring vocals combine, sometimes pleasingly, sometimes more awkwardly. The band’s style relies heavily on movement, but the Korn style antics haven’t aged well. Add in a rather idiosyncratic image and it doesn’t quite gel for me.

The evening opens with Lead By Lies (6), who have gigged hard throughout the year. I was impassive about their metalcore style at a previous viewing and the unenviable task of playing to a room of about eight punters doesn’t energise them much. Full marks for their efforts though, as they filled their 30-minute slot with tracks from their recent EP release Punch, Fall. Ryan Griffiths remains the centre of attention, especially on such a small stage and once again vocals range from excellent to ropey; his roars far more impressive than the cleans where he struggles to maintain clarity and tone. Lead By Lies remain enjoyable without being captivating.

A View From The Back Of The Room: Dragonforce (A Live Review By Matt Bladen)

DragonForce & Lovebites, The Tramshed, Cardiff

Back to The Tramshed for the originators of Extreme Power Metal. First though it was Lovebites (5) from Japan. Unfortunately we had missed synthwave/virtuoso McRocklin & Hutch, but we were there in enough time to see all of Lovebites set who h failed to ignite any excitement in this writer. The guitar/video game loving crowd were well into it but Lovebites' speed metal style is a little one dimensional, the vocals are pitchy and their entire set was mired by too much dry ice and muddy sound.

With a change over finished and photographers warned about the CO2 cannons and confetti explosions it was time for a band who will be forever known as "the ones who did that song on Guitar Hero" yes Through The Fire And The Flames was their final number but they have embraced their video gaming based audience fully decking out the stage with two huge arcade machines that played loops of old Sega games on top of which guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman would climb for a few of their guitar solo duels (of which there are many). Kicking off the evening with Highway To Oblivion from their latest album Extreme Power Metal and oldie Fury Of The Storm, they had the crowd eating out of their hands from the off, fists held high voices full singing back every fantasy tinged lyric. The video game theme was continued The Last Dragonborn, which is based around Skyrim and Heart Demolition, which apes some Whitesnake lyrics against the frantic power metal assault.

With a much bigger production value than ever seen from them before and also the best sound I've heard from them for a few years (let's not talk about that disastrous show at The Globe) things became rather weird in the middle of the set due to vocalist Marc picking up a guitar to play the themes from Castlevania & Final Fantasy 7, after which Herman quipped that "the one thing we need is more guitars" before he introduced the girls from Lovebites and Sam in tweed and carrying a Banjo to run through the theme tune of Farming Simulator (yes this actually happened) Herman then made the best joke of the night after Marc asked how it felt to be out played by two Japanese women, I won't repeat it here but needles to say Herman was the only person that could make it. As the set wore on with Black Fire from Valley Of The Damned they introduced Damien Rainaud on bass, who not only produced Extreme Power Metal but had learnt the entire set in 2 weeks! 

With time running short Cry Thunder led into the last track of the main set was ballad Remembrance Day which was more emotive due to the show taking place one day removed from Armistice Day itself, leaving the arcade machine screens on during the song was a little crass, however this may have been an oversight. Before 'that song' came their ridiculous cover of Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On which incited a pit building the excitement for Through The Fire And The Flames. This was probably one of the best Dragonforce (9) shows I've seen, sublimely silly, full of virtuoso performances, big anthems and now a stage show with ambition it seems like Dragonforce have levelled up before our eyes!

A View From The Back Of The Room: Buckcherry (Live Review By Matt Bladen)

Buckcherry & The Treatment, The Tramshed, Cardiff

Arriving a little tardy we missed the opening act for the evening. The Tramshed was probably half full with a mix of sleaze lovers, classic rockers, a smattering of punks and what is still an odd sight at a gig (but shouldn't be) a huge amount of women (Buckcherry have quite a big female following) in their best leather and lace.

As the stage was cleared it was up to The Treatment (8) to get the crowd fired up for the headliners and they are a band that can do this with an ease a lot of bands haven't got. Having seen them with pretty much all of their singers their latest Tom Rampton is a mix of all their previous frontmen with a touch of Axl and Bon in his voice too. He was flanked by the rest of the band who have remained since day one. The tattooed leather jacket wearing brothers Tagore and Tao Grey swung their guitars like Slash and Izzy back in the day, with a louchness that is undeniably cool. Bassman Swoggle still is a bundle of energy switching sides of the stage numerous times and in the middle squashed a little is drummer Dhani Mansworth keeping the pace a fast one.

They stormed through tracks from every album (I think) however it was the 2 from their debut, The Doctor and Shake The Mountain that got the best reception, still the newer stuff is just as hard hitting getting the crowd moving, helped by Tom telling everyone to take 3 steps forward at the beginning of the set. For the final number they welcomed Stevie D from the headliners on to the stage to play guitar with them eliciting a big cheers from the crowd. Firey and hard hitting following The Treatment is always a challenge mainly due to their youth and talent.

Unfortunately it was little bit of leap too far for the headliners Buckcherry (7) who despite being one of the leading lights in that Cali sleaze rock scene seemed like they were going through the motions a little (perhaps because this was the last show of the UK tour) they opened with a cover (dangerous) but Head Like A Hole suits Josh Todd's scarred vocals well and it was received positively though most of the audience were more impressed with Lit Up, Radio Song, Somebody Fucked With Me and Too Drunk. It was these originals that brought about mass dancing and sing alongs though both the cover of Footloose and their stripoer anthem supreme Crazy Bitch cut with Jungle Fever and Proud Mary were probably the songs that had the loudest response. There were a few technical gremlins, creeping in (last date of the tour things start to fail) but Buckcherry have been doing this long enough to overcome these giving the small bit loyal fan base exactly what they wanted. It's not going to change the world but it's all rock n roll to me.

Reviews: Jakub Zytecki, Necronomicon, Buck & Evans, Bloody Unicorn (Matt, Rich, Steve & Val)

Jakub Zytecki: Nothing Lasts, Nothing's Lost (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

There are thousands of solo guitar players around today so it's quite burgeoning genre to try and stand out in. Jakub Zytecki does this by having a very expressive soundscape that incorporates ambient electronica, funk, jazz fusion and soul on opener Somewhere Quiet all of which is driven by his mastery of his instrument managing to merge technical dexterity with an almost primal accessibility. Much like his peer and touring partner Plini, Zytecki crafts sounds that may see 'metal' fans reaching for the off button but if you have more than a passing interest in more diverse music then Nothing Lasts, Nothing's Lost will be an album to discover. That isn't to say there's nothing heavy on it as the thumping synths do their work on Creature Comfort especially which also features Meshuggah guitar legend Fredrik Thordendal who provides a trademark solo to this slab of buzzing electronica-influenced number.

He's one of two guests the other being Polish singer Paulina Przybysz who lends her voice to the surf styled Bonsai. Everything else you hear here is Zytecki, from the euphoric Spring, which features some classic Motown samples, to the soulful Light A Fire (Fight A Liar) which gives us a chance to head Zytecki's excellent vocals too. Nothing Lasts, Nothing's Lost owes as much to the current wave of guitar heroes such as Plini, Guthrie Govan or even Jon Gomm and John Mayer as it does to acts like Foals, Anna Calvi and Vampire Weekend. An interesting listen that requires headphones for full effect, Jakub Zytecki has created a record for those times when you just take any more blastbeats or aggression, laid back, (mostly) upbeat this ambient/indie/virtuoso album is a rewarding listen. 8/10

Necronomicon: Unus (Season Of Mist) [Val D'Arcy]

Keeping the recent theme of new releases from Canada going, one of the country's more long-standing metal institutions Necronomicon present their latest studio album, Unus. Historically they've been more of a straight up Death/Blackened Death Metal band. In the last five or six years they've leant more of the symphonic elements which are prevalent here. In many ways this album continues on the path Advent Of The Human God set them on in 2016, maybe taking it a step too far in my opinion. The first track, From Ashes Into The Flesh starts with a synthesised intro, which leads into a spoken word passage that (when combined) screams Dimmu Borgir. Indeed, it doesn't stop here, frequent moments of choral backing, and the lead vocal effects over the spoken passages are equally reminiscent of the aforementioned Norwegian band's modern day sound. On top of this, Unus has a production quality unlike any of its predecessors. The overtly punctuated and defined sound to the drums was a trademark of Dimmu Borgir's 2001 album Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and on top of everything else it does contribute to something of a copy-cat sound. That said, the clean production is a welcome development from the almost unbearable finish on their 2010 album Return Of The Witch.

Symphonic elements are stripped back for first two minutes of Infinitum Continuum to a more traditional form of Blackened Death metal, after a brief respite it kicks back in again, there's even a single handed synthesised piano to be heard in the background. The guitar solo at the end of this track is quite glorious and the way it rides over the melodic background riff is really pleasing. I should stress that if you ignore the (unfortunately unavoidable) parallels and similarities with that Norwegian Band, the musicianship, melodies and general sound of this album is first class. Once more as we enter the third track, Paradise Lost we're treated to a cleaner Blackened Death Riff and ear-splittingly fast blast beat (what is this, like, 320bpm? Not sure.. I can't count that fast, but its speedy!) before settling into a more old-school Death Metal chug of riff. Despite the furious start this is one of the more reserved and guitar led melodic songs, there's less of a dependency on synths and backing, quite enjoyable. Following a fairly short, synthesised interlude Singularis Dominus presents a track that is broadly, more of the same but a solid piece.

Ten Thousand Masks which follows takes something of a Middle Eastern detour that leaves you feeling like you may have briefly slipped in and out of a Septicflesh song. If I can get over how much this album sounds like other bands (bands I really like!) then it's really not bad at all. The production is spotless, the songs are catchy, full of hooks and the instrumentals are all world class. But it is very hard to see (or hear) past the similarities with certain contemporary artists. Artists who, were doing all this stuff long before this album came along. Originality pulls this score down, on what is otherwise a really well executed recording. 6/10

Buck & Evans: Write A Better Day (Cargo Records) [Steve Haines]

Though this is a debut album in 2019, it could quite easily have been a ‘found album’ in an archive from the 1970s. With a very bluesy sensibility driven by Chris Buck’s excellent guitar work and Sally Ann Evans’ vocals sounding like Joss Stone with a bit of extra rock oomph, they have created a very strong debut album. Opening track Slow Train is a banger. A belter. A tour de force. Unfortunately, the rest of the album does not match the standard this sets – not that the rest of the album is crap by any means, just not as good as the opening track. While some tracks feel like fillers between stronger songs like Trail Of Tears, Sunrise and Fix You, there is still an infectious and chilled ambience that creates a cohesiveness that unites all the tracks as a body of work and this is rare to find. There are very strong elements here.

The guitar work in the outro to Sinking and the almost disco-esque feel to Ain’t No Moonlight elevate the rest of the album but in opening the album with their best track, they almost set the rest of the album up to fail as it never reaches the heights of Slow Train. There is more than enough here from the Cardiff-based band to suggest that they have a strong future in music and their style makes them a shoo in to be included on Radio 2 playlists if they continue at this level. My complaint, if you can call it that, is purely in the arrangement of the tracks on the album. I would perhaps have scored it a little higher if the standout track was later in the album because the songs all hang together really well in terms of vibe and general ambience and you don’t often find this with albums these days. It is a strong debut and it has a chilled feel that can really carry you like a wave but, as I say, it peaks far too soon. 7/10

Bloody Unicorn: Of Monsters Under The Bed EP (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]

Of Monsters Under The Bed is the debut EP from Italian melodic death metal band Bloody Unicorn. Previously known as Azra’il the band split and some of the members came back together to form Bloody Unicorn. This short EP is a release that shows plenty of promise from an up and coming band but there are areas that also need some improving. As well as a vicious melodic death metal style the band incorporate a symphonic metal influence with a use of keyboards which give the songs a dark and epic atmosphere. The band are seamlessly able to fuse the two styles together though you have some songs such as Crushing Down and Faith which lean to be bands more savage side whilst Running Out Of Time has a more epic gothic atmosphere to it. Frontwoman Irene “Eva” Scapin has a ferocious death metal growl on her but her clean vocals really need improving either being flat or completely out of tune. These need to be either worked on or ditched altogether. Of Monsters Under The Bed is a promising EP definitely showing the bands potential and with some improving and tightening of the bands sound that potential could definitely be realised. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Pity My Brain 5th Birthday (Live Review By Matt Bladen)

Pity My Brain 5th Birthday, Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

Having been slogging away trying to bring shows to the South Wales scene for 5 years it was probably only right that Pity My Brain gathered together some of their most booked acts into one gig for their fifth anniversary. Taking place in Clwb Ifor Bach (upstairs for a change) it was supposed to be headlined by the greasy rockers The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell however they pulled out, luckily they were replaced by Henry's Funeral Shoe, unfortunately on the night Heavy Flames also pulled out meaning that this is went down to a four band show on the day, however this didn't deter the Pity My Brain faithful for heading up to Clwb and grabbing a beer ready for some big riffs.

Openers were Peter Greene (8) who kicked off with some 60's style rocking that also had some stoner and grunge sound, it was lots of lovely grooves right from the off. Opening with a cover of Hendrix's Foxy Lady these young uns prove there is still life in this style of music as they clearly have old souls to play the kind of music that gets you moving. From then it was all originals that got the audience moving as much as their cover. Climaxing their set with some crunching doom this four piece named after the founder of Fleetwood Mac (before they went Hollywood) started the evening in style. There's lots to come from this band, mark my words.

With Heavy Flames pulling out last minute it was Lacertilia (9) up next to keep things moving and in true Lacertilia style they ripped the roof of the place. A band who get better with every viewing, (and I've seen them alot) if you're sleeping on them then you're missing out. They have thick riffs for days from Mike and Lukas as Tom and Ed layer things with syrpy bottom end. There aren't many band who can get a crowd going with such ease, frontman Fry conducted the audience in his own unique way, as he also writhed on the floor during their final song. The set was drawn mainly from their new as yet unreleased album and despite Lukas breaking a string on the first song, they weren't put off their stride, it was a little jam then ready again for some absolute riffs. Once again it was these madmen who nuked the room, making near impossible to follow them.

It was lucky then next up were Dead Shed Jokes (8). The band had impressed in HMV earlier in the day stripping back songs from their new album All The Seasons to a crowd of devotees and also some slightly bewildered punters. In Clwb everything was amped up properly showing DSJ in full flight and playing tracks from their amazing new album to a grooving crowd. Opening with Phantom Pains it was a rifftastic way to begin, they continued on fine style playing tracks mainly from the latest release as they blended the sound together for one hazy set. Always a delight to watch especially from an instrumental perspective as Nicky, Kristian and a guitarist Nathan who was filling in for a few gigs for Chris. They all swapped between guitar and bass for the duration of the show as frontman Hwyel shifted across the stage feeling the vibes as he unleashed that unique powerhouse voice leaving the beat to Sean behind the kit, though he does do some singing as well like a Welsh Taylor Hawkins. I've been watching DSJ for a few years now and they have morphed into a monster of band with songs that resonate through every person's soul, with a fantastic album behind them 2020 looks bright.

Finally it was time for our headliners, the brotherly duo of Aled and Brennig Clifford make up Henry's Funeral Shoe (9) and they brought the Delta Blues to Clwb drawing the evening to a close with the fury of a band who have been doing this for long time (since 2008). The slickness was off the charts as they got the room grooving to some swaggering blues riffage that was far too easy for the hips. This wasn't supposed to be their gig, but they played it like it was, dropping in some self-deprecating humour in between the punchy blues rock. It had been left to these Ystrad bluesers to close the night and they did so in fine style playing to an inebriated audience they absolutely smashed it with a set of rockers that got the crowd moving for the whole set.

All in all a great showcase of South Wales rock scene, these bands have been supported by Pity My Brain since the beginning, here's hoping that going forward that they bring more great gigs to South Wales, while also retaining their place as the champions of the overlooked side of the scene. When your better half says she'd have all of the bands at your wedding you know they are doing something right!

Reviews: Slayer, Reign Of Fury, Laura Cox, Eleine (Paul H & Matt)

Slayer: The Repentless Killogy (Nuclear Blast) [Paul Hutchings]

Recorded at the Forum, Inglewood, CA as the soundtrack to the recent motion picture (which I haven’t seen although reviews of the actual short film are mixed to say the least), this double disc full concert captures the power and majesty of the seminal thrash band on their farewell tour. For anyone who caught the band on that tour, which is racing to its conclusion on November 30th at the same venue, it was hard not to be overwhelmed by the intensity that the band put into each show.

The set list, whilst retaining the nucleus of the songs that fans would have seen in the UK last November, contains a few variations with the inclusion of The Antichrist, You Against You, Cast The First Stone and Bloodline in favour of Jihad, Blood Red, Dittohead and Black Magic. With Holt and King firing on all cylinders, the guitar work is a ruthlessly jagged and cutting as ever, searing work on Dead Skin Mask, the pulverising War Ensemble and of the smouldering Seasons In The Abyss. Tom Araya definitely can’t hit those piercing screams anymore, but he manages to maintain the pulsing breakneck speed delivery necessitated on Born Of Fire; unfortunately, he doesn’t fare so well on Bloodline and his struggle on South Of Heaven sees him pushing every sinew and come up short. However, Paul Bostoph’s drum work is as immense as ever, the double bass battery in constant action and one of the few highlights on a laboured Cast The First Stone where Araya again struggles.

A Slayer live album will never capture the blistering intensity of their live shows. In fact, it’s galling to even try as I know that in the live arena the band simply bulldozer. I listened to Americans whooping and hollering whilst the band spill their guts and I was jealous; despite having seen the band three times last year and despite Araya’s croaking performance here. Slayer have repeated this week that they will continue in some shape or form. One can but hope that the legacy remains intact. This band mean too much to too many. The Repentless Killogy is a record of a moment in time for one of the most important metal bands of all time. Enjoy it, relieve those gigs, ignore the occasional struggling vocals and thank Satan that you got to see them. 7/10

Reign Of Fury: Exorcise Reality (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

It’s been a while since the Midlands thrashers wowed us with Death Be Thy Shepherd; 2015 in fact. Well, the good news is that the band are back and firing on all cylinders with their latest, hybrid thrash/NWOBHM style release, Exorcise Reality. A band that relies heavily on melody to support their sound, they also possess Bison Steed, one of the best sets of vocal pipes on the circuit and he has delivered a majestic performance once more. The band have released the album via YouTube and then music platforms such as Spotify due to the changes in the way music is delivered. I am fully appreciative of the implications of this, but financially we all know that this is merely a reflection of how the world has changed.

Is Exorcise Reality any good then? Well, the truth is yes, it’s a blinder. Opening song To Fight And Conquer sets the pace, intensive riffing kicking matters off at accelerated speed, the duel guitars racing each other in a seemingly crazy race, whilst Steed’s vocals soar above the cacophony. I May Be A Bastard But I’m Not A Fucking Bastard wins best song title of the month but is also a roar of frustration. Perfect harmonies dominate without ever impacting on the sharp, raging delivery, very much the trademark of the Cheltenham based outfit. New guitarist Joey Jaycock (I say new, he’s been with the band for over two years) slots into the Reign Of Fury line-up with easy, the Maiden style guitar work laced with hooks and catchy elements, such as on Addiction Hymn, a melancholic theme but a raging hard rocker. CapitalJism needs little interpretation but it is certainly worth drawing attention to the ferocious pace which will insight circle pits with ease. A pulsing, throbbing runaway horse, Steed (sorry, no equine pun intended!) demonstrates his class with a vocal masterclass.

And it continues. Destroy The Night is pumped up and jumping, the fresh approach supported by shouted backing vocals which do not detract in anyway. A little BFMV in style, Reign Of Fury have created a style which bridges both the old and the new; it could be the early 1980s or the 2000s. It is solid, charismatic and rewarding metal. Chunky riffs on Haunt The Murderer give way to a Megadeth’s style rampage, whilst the title track strays into the territory of Slayer for a brief minute before the slow, pounding stomp of the track slowly builds, the guitar work once more sharp as anything. This leads to the final song, the title track and about as anthemic a song as you could get. Powerful, mighty and clearly demonstrating that when it comes to thrash Reign Of Fury remain at the forefront of the UK scene. 8/10

Laura Cox: Burning Bright (Verychords) [Matt Bladen]

Parisienne guitar slinger Laura Cox returns with her second album which is big step up from her debut record, she's found her niche and yes it's bluesy hard rock but it does well as she stays true to the album title by burning brightly up and down the fretboard on rockers like As I Am where she shows off her guitar prowess, but also on this album the vocals are better wrapping Cox up as the full package now as she's developed a Beth Hart drawl on numbers like the Southern soulful River and the closing ballad Letters To The Otherside. Cox and her band state their influences as AC/DC, ZZ Top, Aerosmith and Blackberry Smoke fusing Southern American rock with Australia boogie, these influences shine through on this record making it ideal Planet Rock fodder, though there is a authenticity here especially on the sultry Looking Upside Down. Hopefully on the back of Burning Bright we'll be seeing Laura crossing the channel to play some gigs here which will probably be as incendiary as this album suggests. Très Bon! 7/10

Eleine: All Shall Burn (Black Lodge Records) [Matt Bladen]

I reviewed Eleine's second record Until The End and I was impressed by it's modern/symphonically-tinged metal sound and powerful vocals from singer/alt model Madeleine Liljestam so while we wait for another full length we have this five song EP made up of three new songs, one remix and a cover. Enemies blows things away as it opens with fat riffs and the symphonic style as the title track brings things back to modern metal aggression. Again it's Madeleine's vocals that bewitch though guitarist and band co-founder Rikard Ekberg has a great roar on him which gives a death metal sound to their cover of Rammstein's  Mein Herz Brennt which on the whole sounds like the orginal. The best song for me is Hell Moon (We Shall Never Die) a stirring cinematic song that could be a Bond theme as both singer's duet on top of the totally orchestral song, it's brilliant to see them show that their symphonic stylings are not an addition, this is where the band start adding the metal to it afterwards, the symphonic version of the title track shows this brilliantly as it's probably better all symphonic than it's metallic counterpart. A neat little interlude as we wait for a new full length. 6/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons (Live Review By Paul Hutchings)

Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons, Tramshed, Cardiff

On a night when you could have attended several top quality gigs in the Welsh Capital and surrounding area, for me there was only one place to be as one of Wales’ favourite sons finished off his latest tour in style at a bouncing Tramshed. It’s been a bizarre and remarkable four years since the passing of Lemmy, and his right hand man for 30 years, Phil Campbell. The grief which at times remains viciously raw for fans and which Campbell spelt out in Rocking Chair on his recently released solo album has spurred Campbell onward to a new career and direction. The All Star Band morphed into The Bastard Sons, much to Mrs Campbell’s displeasure, and Campbell, vocalist Neil Starr and Campbell’s three sons, Dane, Todd and Tyla have forged a reputation as one of the most exciting bands in the UK today. Hard working bands are in plentiful supply in the UK right now but PCATBS must be in the top division with their relentless tour schedule.

Cornwall’s King Creature (6) were one of several surprise packages a couple of years ago at a freezing HRH in Pwllheli. They had sufficient cutting edge to stand out from the crowd with an energy and fire that spiced up their generic classic rock style. Whether the effects of the current tour had caught up with them or whether it was the somewhat muted response from the Welsh crowd I don’t know, but Creature were rather flat. New song Desolation didn’t last long in the memory, whilst early sing-a-longs to Lowlife elicited a response which whilst rousing didn’t take the roof off. King For A Day upped the intensity a little but despite plenty of sweat and no little effort, the band failed to really ignite the partisan crowd to the extent one might have expected.

Unsurprisingly, a heroes welcome awaited PCATBS (9) as they took to the stage following a roaring Highway Star. The band are sharper, tighter and simply a rock and roll juggernaut. A setlist that mixed tracks from The Age Of Absurdity, two songs from the brilliant Old Lions Still Roar and a scattering of Motörhead classics raced by and by the time Lost Woman Blues and final encore Killed By Death had finished, there was limited oxygen left in the venue. Campbell may be carrying slightly more weight than when he first linked up with Lemmy back in 1984, but he remains a masterful guitarist, his calm and easy style belies his blues values which had always been allowed to shine in Motörhead. Plenty of opportunity to share the axe work with son Todd, whose own fretwork improves on every showing. Neil Starr’s honest working of the crowd harks back to the old school style, the audience participation on Get On Your Knees honed from hundreds of gigs. Phil’s forays to the microphone were brief, mainly a humbled “thank you” but he did bring a tear to the eye when dedicating a ferocious Ace Of Spades to all who had ever sailed in the good ship Motörhead. As a band, PCATBS get better every time I see them, and judging by the roar of the crowd in the venue, most in attendance would agree.

The setlist for those interested: Step Into The Fire, Freak Show, Rock Out, These Old Boots, High Rule, Born To Raise Hell, Dark Days, Get On Your Knees, Rockaway Beach, R.A.M.O.N.E.S, Straight Up, Silver Machine, Ace of Spades, Ring Leader. Encore: Big Mouth, Lost Woman Blues, Killed by Death.

Reviews: Hypno5e, Seven Kingdoms, Metal De Facto, Devil Rolling Dice (Paul S,Rich & Matt)

Hypno5e: A Distant (Dark) Source (Pelagic Records) [Paul Scoble]

French band Hypno5e have been in existence since 2003. The four piece based in Montpellier have made four albums before A Distant (Dark) Force, the last one being 2018’s film soundtrack Alba - Les Ombres Arrantes. The band play progressive metal, but these days that label covers a lot of ground; so let's be a bit more accurate: Hypno5e play a very Djent and Meshuggah influenced brand of Progressive Metal. The band also refer to their style as ‘Cinematic’ progressive metal. Although there isn’t anything on this album that sounds like the soundtrack to Lawrence Of Arabia, or Out Of Africa. There are samples of voices talking, which have a definite cinematic feel to them, very French New Wave, I can almost smell the Gauloise! These samples do add to the songs, they aren’t just tacked on, I wished I had tried harder in French lessons at school so I could tell you what they all mean, I feel like I might have missed out on a great story. If you are french, or can speak french, then you will probably get a little more out of the album than I did, maybe you could contact the blog with a story synopsis?

The structure of the album is quite complex. We get 11 tracks, the opening and closing tracks are stand alone songs (On The Dry Lake & Tauca - Part II (Nowhere)), but the other 9 are 3, 3 part songs named In The Blue Glow Of Dawn Parts I, II & III, A Distant Dark Source Parts I, II & III and On Our Bed Of Soil I, II & III. Most the tracks are a mix of very rhythmic and choppy Djent riffing, with some genuinely beautiful softer sections that have clean guitar and vocals that are smooth and deeply melodic, there is a shimmery quality to these softer parts. Sometimes the riffing falls into fairly simple chugging on one note style djent, which is unfortunate, but a lot of the heavier riffs have more complexity than this regressive, simplistic Meshuggah worship. A Distant Dark Source Part I and On Our Bed Of Soil I are purely soft and beautiful.

If I’m being totally honest I’m more of a fan of the Enslaved/Opeth style of progressive metal, rather than this Djent and Meshuggah influenced style. I’m a fan of melody rather than rhythmic dynamics; but this is not Hypno5e’s fault. So, some of this isn’t to my taste, however I would be being remiss if I criticised this for simply being a different style to what I’m a fan of. For example I’m not that keen on the harsh vocals, they are a little to emotional, maybe a little too like Metalcore; but if you like vocals like that, then you’ll love this (The clean vocals are to my taste, and they are very good!). Again, I’m not that keen on one note chugging, but most of the riffs have more complexity than that, and I’ve quite enjoyed them, which is a very good sign if you are a djent fan. A Distant (Dark) Source is a very good album, I’ve enjoyed listening to it, and that is a big compliment, as I’ve discussed. If you are into Meshuggah and Djent then this is an album you should dive into, you’ll find a lot to enjoy. I have to be honest in the mark I give this album, but if you’re a fan of this sort of thing, then you could probably add a point or two. 7/10

Seven Kingdoms: Empty Eyes EP (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]

Empty Eyes is the new EP from US metallers Seven Kingdoms. Not a band I am familiar with but Seven Kingdoms have four albums under their belt and have toured with some very prolific bands. From reading about the band they are described as having a power metal sound with heavy influences from thrash so this EP must be a bit of a departure as this is a straightforward heavy metal sound with some leanings towards power metal. The songs are all slow to mid paced and whilst melodic never really take off and go anywhere but all whilst showing promise whilst to be ultimately isn’t delivered. The opening title track has too slow of a tempo to muster much enthusiasm, Monster whilst mid paced does have enough of a catchy melody to hold some interest whilst The Water Dance kicks up the tempo a little bit with its power metal gallop before things slow right down for the snoozefest Valonqar which leans of the ballad side of things but without going anywhere or doing anything. The EP closes off with a fairly redundant cover of Heart’s classic Barracuda. The band put in decent performances despite the lacklustre material they are working with and singer Sabrina Valentine has a fine voice at times sounding very reminiscent of Simone Simmons from Epica. This EP was a disappointment as whilst reading up on the band I had read many promising things but this release ultimately just does not deliver. 5/10 

Metal De Facto: Imperium Romanum (Rockshots Records) [Matt Bladen]

Now this is more like it! Formed by Esa Orjatsalo (ex-Dreamtale) and Sami Hinkka (Ensiferum), Metal De Facto has been formed to "Make Power Metal Great Again" this Finnish act have brought the bombast back to power metal definitely with this Roman themed album. Now Roman's have been done by a few bands (Ex Deo for example) but the fanciful, extravagant sometimes unbelievable nature of Roman history makes it prime content for power metal bands. There's war, political strife, betrayal and even a lot of sex/romance, it's full of heroes and villains (sometimes one and the same) and for many it's a very popular part of history. Now this album is a concept record based around the Roman Empire (thus Imperium Romanum - Latin Ed) dealing with the ideologies, stories, culture and mythology of one of the largest Empires in history.

From the total loyalty of the soldiers on Legionnaires Oath, the sheer debauchery of Bacchanalia (which sounds like Helloween), the pomp and drama of the Colosseum (which admittedly is an instrumental) and of course the murder of Caesar on Ides Of March. These are all delivered in a no  nonsense power metal style with galloping riffs, widdly solos and soaring vocals that just bring a goofy grin to your face (bigger for me due to the lyrical content). Now I mentioned Ex Deo earlier who are probably the leaders in 'Roman Metal' so it's only fitting that their singer/mastermind Maurizio Iacono provides the spoken word for the finale of Germanicus, the epic tale of a prominent Roman general. Imperium Romanum is a brilliant first shot by Metal De Facto, slick keys, swelling orchestral backing, powerful vocals, thundering rhythms and some nifty guitar work.

It's bloody silly but so entertaining dammit! I'd put this in the same category as Helloween, it doesn't take itself too seriously and is all the better for that. Now if they could follow it up with a full metal opera about Caligula that would possibly push me over the edge into euphoria. 9/10

Devil Rolling Dice: The Catastrophic Sequence (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]

The Catastrophic Sequence is the debut album from Greek thrashers Devil Rolling Dice. With this album Devil Rolling Dice have recorded just over an hour of stomping mid paced thrash metal which varies little throughout its duration. As an avid thrash metal maniac I’m very particular about my thrash metal and The Catastrophic Sequence unfortunately did very little for me. One of the overriding factors for thrash metal is the speed and Devil Rolling Dice very rarely venture from a mid paced chug which means virtually every song sounds identical or at least extremely similar. The band do kick up the tempo in a couple of songs opener Prison Dead and closer Judas Paradox have a bit of speed and velocity to them but everything else in between those two songs is pretty much monotony. The band play as a tight unit and frontman Dimitris Stathopoulos has a bark similar in style to Max Cavalera but the material recorded just sent me on a one way journey to boredomville. Thrash is meant to be fast, vibrant and exciting but The Catastrophic Sequence is a catastrophic failure in how to do thrash metal. 3/10

Reviews: Avatarium, A Pale Horse Named Death, Nightglow, The Lone Madman (Paul Hutchings)

Avatarium: The Fire I Long For (Nuclear Blast)

Written during and after the arrival of the first child of singer Jennie-Anne Smith and guitarist Marcus Jiddell, album number 4 from the Swedes is another impressive opus which builds on the fantastic Hurricanes And Halos. Rickard Nilsson’s thick Hammond organ threatens to dominate the opening track Voices, but Jiddell ensures that his signature guitar work is heard. First single Rubicon allows the band to flex, a muscular almost metal track which skilfully retains the essential doom feel that has been the soundtrack to this most captivating of bands. Lay Me Down has a Catch The Rainbow feel to it, and there are plenty of old school influences evident here whilst the band manage to retain their own sound with comfort. Lay Me Down also allows Avatarium to depart from their usual bone crushing doom with a more psychedelic piece that also echoes The Doors and Zeppelin in parts.

Leif Edling may no longer tour with the band he created, but my recent conversation with Jiddell revealed that the Candlemass legend is still fully involved in the band, contributing three songs to the album. It’s Jennie-Anne Smith’s soulful vocals that give Avatarium an edge to so many other doom-filled outfits and her performance here is superb. The racy rocking Shake That Demon, possibly my favourite track on the album allows the band to kick out the jams, as it thunders along with thick riffs and a drive that is impossible not to react to. Elsewhere, there is unexpected variety across the album with the powerful Porcelain Skull at odds with the mournful Great Beyond and the epic title track. Stars They Move closes the album, a solitary piano and minor effects accompanying Smith’s melancholic vocal. One of the most impressive releases of the year and hopefully some live dates to come in 2020. 9/10

A Pale Horse Named Death: Uncovered (Long Branch Records) [Paul Hutchings]

A two-track single from Brooklyn’s APHND, Uncovered features two covers, the first Three Dog Night’s One, which retains the melancholic echoes and the song structure of the original but inevitably adds the unique elements that make APHND such an interesting band. Crushingly heavy at times, APHND ensure that the psychedelic elements are in situ. Track two is Prayers For Rain, from The Cure’s 1989 album Disintegration. A brave move to cover such a revered song from the band’s bestselling album, APHND manage to capture the gloom and depression that lay over the creation of Disintegration as Robert Smith faced the realisation that he was approaching 30. Contrasting styles of songs, covered with respect and panache, and well worth a listen once you have checked out their superb When The World Becomes Undone from earlier this year. 7/10

Nightglow: Rage Of A Bleedin’ Society (logic(il)logic)

Badged as a thrash band, Italian four-piece Nightglow were a lot more melodic than I was expecting. There is certainly a thrash element to the band, their power and pace suggests that they could fit into that category. However, at times, such as on the quite bizarre On My Own, the band veer closer to the path that Disturbed follow. I’ve listened to this album several times and I still can’t decide if it is anything more than average (which suggests not). Musically tight, there’s nothing that irritates or annoys me, but I can’t say that it grasps me tightly screaming “this is brilliant” either. In part it’s the vocal delivery of Daniele ‘Abba’ Abate, which is an acquired taste and one which I’m not over fussed on. His raspy, full-throated style sits in the nu-metal arena as do several of the band’s songs, such as Fuck@looza and the unimpressive album closer MOFO Social Club. Overall this album tries hard but doesn’t light the spark. 5/10

The Lone Madman: Let The Night Come (Self Released)

Formed in Helsinki in 2014, The Lone Madman is a four-piece doom outfit whose heavy dark riffs belong in a hammer horror film. Sinister, evocative and cranium-crushingly heavy, this album contains a mere four songs which combined total 42 minutes. Yes, they are massively long. Häxan, the shortest song on the album at a mere 7:29 is based on the 1922 film of the same name and deals with how magic and witchcraft have been misrepresented over the ages. It’s gloomy, intense and old school, with a freakish flute solo reminiscent of 1970s occult outfits at the three-minute mark. The remaining three songs all pass the 11-minute mark and for a debut release are impressively constructed, full of heavy, low end riffs and gargantuan slabs of stoner doom rock. Heavy as the bus full of elephants, if you like your doom in the style of Crypt Sermon then allow The Lone Madman into your head. 7/10