Reviews: KING, Despised Icon, Lionheart, Silked & Stained (Matt, Zach, Liam & Stief )

KING: Coldest Of The Cold (Indie Recordings) (Matt Bladen)

Aussie Blackened Metal anyone? Not the country that would make you think of the frozen tundra, usually associated with the genre but KING are an Australian band who clearly have ice in their veins. Coldest Of The Cold is their sophomore album three years in the making and it’s full of the frostbitten black metal anthems but with moments of melody rather than just automated battery. Think Immortal or Satyricon and you’ll on the right iceberg as the destructive blastbeats and tremolo riffs give way to folkier and clean passages on the title track, these more melodic moments returning throughout the record giving you time to take breath during the frenzied attacks of glacial force. KING’s debut was critically acclaimed with many mistaking the band for one who were deep into their discography not on their debut.

However Coldest Of The Cold ups their output again bringing a bigger musical scope, at times it’s almost cinematic One More War especially begs to be played through good speakers. What’s remarkable is that KING are just three men Tony Forde whose scream are pained and raw, David Hill who abuses the fretboard like politicians do the truth and David Haley, who is a one man artillery barrage. They slow for the moody opening to King but soon it builds again, layered with blackened metal trappings on the albums most atmospheric song, that brings to mind Alcest while Ways Of The Forest has a bit of Amon Amarth to it mixing extremity with traditional metal twin axe harmonies. Coldest Of The Cold is brilliant blackened metal album from a band still early in their career, if they evolve from here then they may be real force to be reckoned with. 8/10

Despised Icon: Purgatory (Nuclear Blast) [Zach Williams]

If I had to choose between METAL bands and CORE bands (death metal vs deathcore, for example) I would choose metal every single time. I must have once heard a grindcore band I didn’t like and simply dismissed the whole genre, even though that type of generalisation really winds me up when it comes to heavy music. I have unwittingly reduced myself to the level that person you work with who ‘doesn’t understand how you can listen to shouty bands’. What I am trying to say is that Purgatory – the latest offering from Canadian Deathcore legends Despised Icon – made me realise I’m a hypocrite.

This record really has a lot to offer. The first thing that stands out to me is the drumming. I had no idea the human body could move that fast. I am not a fan of the overuse of breakdowns in metal but these feel warranted just to give poor Alex Pelletier a break – and he STILL blasts through most of them. I also like the duality of the vocals. It’s a really great mix of guttural pig squeals and old school hardcore vocal patterns (fun fact - the vocals are so blisteringly heavy I was halfway through the track Vies D’Anges before I realised they were singing in French). If you like your music fast, technical and uncompromising in its brutality then Purgatory is not an album you want to miss. 7/10

Lionheart: Valley Of Death (Sharptone Records) [Liam True]

Hardcore music. Real lyrics. World domination. Two of these things have already been conquered by Lionheart. The third is well on it’s way. I don’t really like Hardcore music, but Lionheart change the tape for me. It’s Hardcore without being Hardcore. The build ups, lyrical content and brutal bone-smashing instrumentals are there. They one thing they need to do now, is tour this absolute banger of a record. From start to finish it’s a blood pumping adrenaline ride through the Californian five piece wrecking crew. ‘If I said it, then I meant it!’

Screams frontman Rob. Calling out music reviewers, bloggers and everyone else on For The Record, they don’t shy away from making their feelings toward the entire world known. There’s not a single bad song on the album which makes it hard to pick a favourite song. If you’re going to listen to this album make sure it’s in a single sitting. No breaks or distractions. It’s a testament to the Hardcore scene and you’ll owe it to yourself to play it. Dropping an album during a tour (Lionheart currently being on their European album release tour) is a bold move, but LH work it in their favour and hold the title, for me personally, the best Hardcore record of the year! 10/10

Silked & Stained: Goes Up To Eleven (Lions Pride Music) [Stief Illingworth]

Silked & Stained are an interesting one to listen to. Seamlessly shifting from solid hard rock in How Many Miles To Heaven to the brilliantly synth filled opening of Come Closer, each song is a new outlook on heavy rock, and keeps you looking forward to what’s coming. Haris Mos’ vocals are great, never pushing himself too far, and he’s backed up by guitarist Tony Gavalas and drummer Orpheus Lazz on many of the songs, giving a great layered effect. Tommy Fotiadis's chugging bass gives a great underlying groove to the album, and Gavalas’ riffs and licksare almost filthy in places (in a good way of course!) While many people who know me are aware of my feelings on too much hard rock, Silked & Stained are one of those bands that make me want to take a step back and maybe delve into it again.Top notch music from start to finish! 8/10

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

Ghost, All Them Witches & Tribulation, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff

Now it's no secret that we try to avoid Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena by choice, it's an absolute of a shed of a venue, poorly maintained, expensive beer and constantly middy sound no matter what band are playing there. However every now and again we are drawn back in on the strength of a line up and in this case it's a band who have become probably the next arena headliner in the rock genre. Touted by Metallica and all manner of major acts they have rapidly risen up the bill to their own arena shows, now this has happened to a number of bands in the past and not worked out as a lot of the venues are half full at best. This was not the case here but I'll go into that later.

The stage dressed in black with Celtic crosses everywhere the band themselves are mostly in shadow but that's pretty much what you'd expect from the Goth N Metal of Tribulation (8). A band who owe as much to Danzig as they do The Cult, using thrashy adrenaline charged riffs with doomy sections, harsh vocals and soaring clean guitar solos the band never seemed to stand still for the entirety of their 40 minute set with only a short time to impress they picked songs mainly from their two most recent records with Nightbound and Motherhood Of God impressing most. Due to the headliners eclectic appeal it would be safe to say that most of the crowd probably didn't know who they were but as the number increased and the set wore on Tribulation were met with applause that turned into cheers by the final song. As this was a Sunday sermon the visuals resonated and happily so did the music so these Swedes had done an ideal job of whipping up the crowd.

Next were a band out of place on this bill, no occult sorcery here just three Americans, three instruments and lots of lovely noise. Nashville trio All Them Witches (9) blend reverb drenched fuzz, with wide expressive drumming and some tasty blues licks. They were so unlike anything on the night that you couldn't help be mesmerized though a lot of the audience were bewildered as they waited for the headliners. Again they relied heavily on their most recent material and with the stripped back set there was nowhere to hide as the vocals wailed over the wall of noise they created. For me they were brilliant for many others they were met with indifference, however this may be due to their lost as being so radically musically distant to both other bands. Still they left to a warm applause but we were gearing up to the moment everyone had been waiting for.

As the curtain was put up while the changeover took place so as not to ruin any mystique, choral music came over the PA to heighten the mood, then after 30 minutes the lights went dark Ashes played over and we were off with drop of the curtain and a punch of the opening riff to Rats the sheer majesty of a headline Ghost (10) performance was realised, a Gothic, all white, church stage set up with numerous staircases, housed an expansive drum kit, keyboard set up and also some tasteful foliage. What was immediately evident was that the number of Nameless Ghouls had increased, there were now two Female ghouls on keys, one also taking the gospel backing vocals and percussion. Along with the three guitarists (1x bass & 2x six) there was now an additional Ghoul on acoustic guitar, percussion and backing vocals. The majority of the audience though had their attention firmly on vocalist Cardinal Copia, resplendent in his red outfit who belted out Rats with gusto as they moved through Absolution and Faith, extending the songs so members could switch and costumes could be changed. What was noticeable was that the Ghouls were more animated than I've ever seen them interacting with each other and the Cardinal throughout the night.

Though not as much as on Devil Church a solo guitar duel between the two guitarists which saw them egging each other on as the one who belittles his opponent was finally dragged to the front of the stage and forced to show his skills. With baited breath and a wee bit of impatience that the black guitar toting guitarist pumped out the opening riff from Motorcycle Emptiness by The Manics to illicit a loud but very cheap pop from the crowd. Cirice came next with the Cardinal now in his ceremonial robes leading another mass sing along, before instrumental Miasma had the crowd jumping up and down and featured Papa Nil on Sax as it segued into the always dramatic Ghuleh/Zombie Queen as Cardinal Copia decked himself out as a vampire. This middle part of the set featured numerous changes of pace and instrumentals which meant that Copia (Tobias Forge) could save his voice for the big final part of the show.

As Helvetesfönster brought this part of the evening to a close, it was full on rock mode with Spirit, From The Pinnacle To The Pit, Ritual, Satan Prayer and Year Zero all got the audience bouncing and shouting back to the band, it was truly religious experience of He Is that brought the Welsh to full voice. In between a few of the songs Copia spoke to the audience largely to whip up them up, albeit with limited success. He promised to wiggle are asses and tickle our taints (ooer missus) on their heaviest song Mummy Dust, everyone was thoroughly tickled though it was the more recent Kiss The Go-Goat, Dance Macabre and their breakthrough Square Hammer that closed the set and brought the house down.

Ghost were at the most regal and majestic I've ever seen them and it was a fitting way to see them move into a bonafide arena headliner from a band who I've been following since their debut UK show, they are definitely ready to take on festivals bigger than Bloodstock now, they have the scope, the staging and most importantly the songs to almost sell out venues such as Motorpoint in Cardiff. If this was an experiment, in the bands appeal then consider it a success, this is one Ghost that does not need busting.

Reviews: Red Death, Kamchatka, Fit For An Autopsy, Rising Insane (Liam, Zach & Matt]

Red Death: Sickness Divine (Century Media) [Zach Williams]

It’s 13:15 on a Tuesday afternoon and I am still in my dressing gown. Mucus runs from almost every hole in my head. My first cold of the winter and boy, oh BOY it’s a doozy. I have so much housework I need to get on with, but the idea of getting off the sofa is enough to make me want to weep. I press play on Sickness Divine – the third album by Washington, DC’s crossover titans Red Death – and instantly something changes in me. I don’t want to just get up and hoover the stairs; I want to ride down them on a door I’ve pulled off the hinges. And I want to chug a beer while doing it. This, my friends, is the power of the thrash this record brings to the table.

The album opens a beautiful, if not haunting, acoustic guitar piece like so many other great thrash records (Beneath The Remains by Sepultura and Conformicide by Havok are the first two that spring to mind). Apart from this and The Anvil’s Ring - which is pretty much a minute and a half of the most triumphant sounding guitars you’re going to hear on an album this year - the album is just balls-to-the-wall crossover thrash. Fast, chuggy, angry and in your face. Production was handled by the incredible Arthur Rizk who also produced Nightmare Logic by Power Trip, and it has that same kind of feel that pays homage to the early days of thrash, without trying to sound purposefully dated. If I could be knit-picky I would have preferred a bass tone with more bite, but that’s about the only criticism I really have. This album kicks an alarming amount of ass. 9/10

Kamchatka: Hoodoo Lightning (Border Music) [Matt Bladen]

After taking a hiatus in 2017, Swedish retro blues rock masters Kamchatka came back to the live circuit last year with their classic power trio sound of The Jimi Hendrix Experience or Cream back expanding minds it was only a matter of time that a new album would come and here it is ready to land on your record player as you dial up the volume. Hoodoo Lightning is the bands seventh full length and it is the sound of a band with a renewed vigour, throwing some grit down as the swaggering rhythm section of Tobias Strandvik (drums) and Per Wiberg (bass) bring deep grooves ripe for the explosive guitar prowess of Thomas "Juneor" Andersson to walk all over.

Both parts of Blues Science the two that open this album are exactly what you would want from these retro styled rockers as they take that explorative sound nailed by Bruce, Baker and Clapton to the 21st Century, Thomas and Per even share the vocals on this album, making it a much more rounded record as both are suited to certain styles. Hoodoo Lightning has some analogue production which benefits the record and it's got a "live-in-the-studio" vibe to it as the band kick out the jams, but without any of the audio loss that you get from early vinyl releases, every virtuosity note is audible, showing just why the band are revered, as well as being a regular touring partner of Clutch, who know a thing or two about what it takes to be a great band! Hoodoo Lightning is a rocking return from Kamchatka with some psych touches on Stay In The Wind, heavy blues on A Drifter's Tale and a boat load of jam rock anthems, welcome back Kamchatka, stay groovy! 8/10 

Fit For An Autopsy: The Sea Of Tragic Beasts (Nuclear Blast) [Liam True]

Before I wrote up the review for this album I had to listen to this album a few times. Not because I had too get my head around it, but because the album is that damn good. From start to finish it’s an adrenaline filled absolute diabolical sounding album. And that’s the best part, on TSFTB the sound is as dark and downright filthy as Deathcore is right now, and it adds to the aesthetic of the next 44 minutes of ear-destroying breakdown glory. FFAA are one of those bands who get progressively better with each album and learn from previous records evolving their sound while staying true to their roots. The revolting growls of vocalist Joe Badolato mixed with the stomach churning down-tempo fury makes the album more enjoyable than it already is, as the production is impeccable. I only have one point of criticism here. The cleaner vocals just feel like they don’t belong on the record, and they were a bit rushed into the songs. Apart from that, the album is just a rollercoaster of destructive breakdowns and unearthly vocals. 9/10

Rising Insane: Porcelain (Long Branch Records) [Liam True]

This band is exactly what we need right now in the Metalcore scene. I’m not going to run the genre into the ground again. That schtick is old now. Rising Insane are a powerful Metalcore group with the intensity of a flaming inferno, but can be as melodic and soothing to tame the most harsh beasts. The album itself is full of the classic Metalcore elements, breakdowns, build ups and beefy growls. The main thus that sets this record out from the crowd is that’s mainly riff based. Somewhat unusual in modern day Metalcore. But Rising Insane know what they’re doing with it and perfect their craft while laying on the massive dose of heavy as cinder blocks dropping on your balls meaty instrumentals. Vocalist Aaron has no issued navigating the deep gutturals and high impact cleans that bring the record together like glue. The only issue i have with the record is the production. You can’t really hear the riffs buried under the bass filled record. But other than that, the record is, simply put, a Metalcore revival. 8/10

Reviews: Eluveitie, God Alone, Singularity, MSRY (Lee & Manus)

Eluveitie: Live At Masters Of Rock (Nuclear Blast) [Lee Burgess]

I recently learned the correct way to pronounce Eluveitie, but that won’t help us here. Seriously, the new album, Live At Masters Of Rock is a great starting point if you’ve never heard them before. It also shows you just how good they are in a live setting. What you will discover is wonderful collection of folk metal. Unlike a lot of bands who wait until the end of albums and smack a few very badly recorded live tracks on the end of a record full of mediocre fare, Eluveitie have given their all and shown us all what can be achieved if you care enough. We all know being in the metal scene can sometimes be quite difficult. We go to gigs in shitty little venues, giving our cash to bands that often have to haul ass in less than glamorous vans and busses only to play to small crowds for less money than it costs to tour.

So, it really is a gift when bands like this put out live performances of such magnitude. There really is nothing not to like here, unless of course you hate folk metal, then I think you need to stop reading. Many of these songs are not performed in English. This adds to the mysterious nature of the music and the traditional folk that is the bedrock of so much European extreme music. This is vital in an age when us metal heads find it far too easy to cry elitism when listening to the more savage end of the metal scale. These seem to have gained a large commercial following, which pulls them away from the elitist label somewhat. Having said that the music here is full of complex mystical wonder that takes us through magical journeys across lands we would never see if it weren’t for the music which carries us above dark plains and through cursed valleys.

What makes this so special is the talent these have for their craft. The music is just something to savour. It is both blistering and cloaked in tradition. The folk instrumental passages have an infectious anthemic quality and we become lost in them as they show us a long-forgotten time and place before giving way to crushing, pounding melodic death metal that acts as a battle cry to the hoards. Anyone who has seen this band do what they do will know that to see them is close to worship, which is quite apt, as it is with their track entitled Worship that this band really show what they are made of. A brilliant melding of historical European melody with an unfathomable sense of violence and bloodshed. This is just a beautiful album. 9/10

God Alone: God Alone (Cosmonaut) [Lee Burgess]

God Alone do post-rock and/or prog mixed with suggestions of heavier sub-genres and bugger me they do it well. I say suggestions because rather cleverly they often sound like the score from Italian genre flicks of the 70’s and 80’s, with riffs coming straight from the likes of Goblin or John Carpenter, and then we go batshit crazy with black-metal tinged insanity. In some ways, this is very similar to the experimentation of early Mike Oldfield, had Mr. Oldfield downed one too many cans of cheap pop and added breakdowns and DM growls to Tubular Bells. Actually, in parts there is no telling just what these weirdos are going to give us. It’s best if you just pop this on and be prepared to expect, well just don’t expect anything, because you’ll just get confused and nobody wants that. Right now, as I hear this, I’m not sure just what the fuck I’m listening too, but I really like it. It’s prog, it’s jazz, it’s rock, it’s metal, it’s all and none of the above. If only more records sounded like nothing you’ve ever heard before.

It’s really blissful to know that there are bands out there who want to give listeners something referenced in the past, but with a unique spin. I’m so in awe of people that can put art like this together. It’s really just so good to hear something so utterly bonkers, but also breath taking in the way it’s put together. The production is almost perfect, as if somebody paired a band with a higher power. The sheer balls of this lot, taking post-rock and adding pinches of other styles and genres is something that we don’t get enough of in what can seem a bit of a tedious or just pretentious field of music. I could listen to this band for hours, because although it sounds at times like you’ve stepped into a strange time warp, within the vortex is a whole dimension of fully formed ideas that just keep on giving. The only negative point is that at times the change between one style to another seems a little clumsy. This is the only reason this gets a point deducted, and it does feel a bit mean. It’s hard to find a more descriptive way to tell you just how God Alone manage to pull off something so expansive. 9/10

Singularity: Place Of Chains (The Artisan Era) [Manus Hopkins]

Rather than bludgeoning listeners to death with excessive technicality just for the sake of it, Singularity build complexity from simplicity on Place Of Chains, approaching the music from an interesting and ultimately effective angle. It’s still technical, of course, but the songs are composed with technicality, rather than having layer upon layer added to convolute the music. The excellent riffwork combined with piano-led passages throughout the record does a great deal to shape the sound—but the vocals are impressively haunting as well and the versatile drumming serves each song well. Like many others of its style, Place Of Chains is best listened to front to back, without any skipping or any breaks. 8/10

MSRY: Loss (Self Released) [Lee Burgess]

MSRY are a straight-forward, simple old-fashioned outfit. It’s pretty much a say it as you see it affair. The hard-hitting post hardcore riffage is fun and unrelenting. There is no real imagination on show here. This is a bunch of guys having the mother of all teen hissy fits. It’s all about how hard life is and how people will just have to cope with what life throws at them. Listening to them, you can almost see the gurning and the base-ball caps dripping with sweat and spit. It’s not bad. It’s just not really giving us anything very meaningful. It’s a bit old, well OK, really old. This sound is something that has always kind of annoyed me, because at one point just about everyone and next door’s dog was doing it. Chunky riffage, spitting vocals, thundering drums and an all-out barrage of angst. Think Terror, Madball, Agnostic Front and Biohazard and you’ve pretty much got the idea of exactly where this record is going.

Then think of a 14 year old boy ranting like a twat because he’s forgotten to put his P.E. kit in the wash and it’s everyone else’s fault. Then, you will have an exact idea of what this sounds like. This is not clever, mature or complex. It’s fast, break down galore and if we’re being honest quite amusing. Yes, I giggled. The trouble with bands like this is that they quite often become their own spoofs, and I’m afraid this is very much the case with this bunch. If MSRY were to make a concept album, it would probably be called something like A Bit Grumpy, or Grrr Go Away! It’s fun, or maybe funny. I’m not quite sure. The point being that there are far more interesting and grown up ways to make Hardcore music. Just because go around sticking the word post on everything doesn’t make it mature, or complex. This record is well made, but I’m not sure it’s good for the right reasons. 6/10

Reviews: Magic Kingdom, Kaine, Meshiaak, The Old Dead Tree (Paul H, Manus & Rich)

Magic Kingdom: MetAlmighty (AFM Records) [Paul Hutchings]

If you trawl through the pages of this esteemed website, you’ll find a review by the Ed way back in 2011. Already immersed in the world of ridiculous power metal, a retrospective review of 2004’s Metallic Tragedy laid bare that this was quite fantastically crazy neoclassical symphonic power metal, showcasing the virtuosity of Belgian guitarist Dushan Petrossi. Fast forward eight years, past 2015’s Savage Requiem and we arrive at album number five, MetAlmighty (see what they did there? Very clever!) Once more it’s frenetic, over the top shred heavy and quite ludicrous in many parts. High pitched harmonies, the blast beats at about a million beats per minute and acceleration that even Lewis Hamilton evading the tax man would be proud of. Lyrically, the songs are the typical fantasy bollocks, with the opening Unleash The Dragons, all 8:45 of it introducing us to new singer, American Michael Vescera who has a set of pipes to rival all those who went before him, including Christian Palin whose sole work with Magic Kingdom was Savage Requiem. Vescera can hit those high notes with ease, his soaring vocal on the silly In The Den Of The Mountain Trolls matching the quite phenomenal noodling of Petrossi.

It’s guitar masturbation at its finest; is there is such a thing?. And it continues from start to finish; fast paced air guitar heaven, the guitar work quite astonishingly brilliant to the point of excess. With English drummer Michael Brush (ex-Control The Storm and current Sirenia sticksman) and Russian bassist Vasilli Mochanov, a stalwart of both Magic Kingdom and parallel band Iron Mask which also features Petrossi, nailing down the engine room, this allows their bandmates to shine. Fear My Fury has added synths whilst Rise From The Ashes, Demon benefits from some orchestral symphonic arrangements. If you like this sort of thing, then you are probably living with your mum, your clothes smell of damp and you fear the opposite sex. If you think that power metal is overblown dungeons and dragons by ugly blokes who still read Tolkien at least once a year MetAlmighty really isn’t going to change your mind. Choose a side, take your choice. 7/10

Kaine: Reforge The Steel (Independent) [Manus Hopkins]

Ignore the somewhat unimaginative song titles—musically, the contents of Kaine’s Reforge The Steel are enough to prove that the new wave of traditional heavy metal is alive and thriving, and that Kaine deserve a spot as one of its frontrunners. The record definitely recalls the glory days of classic heavy metal, but it breathes new breath into the music at the same time, producing something fresh and exciting. There’s not a weak song among the album’s eight tracks. Between straight-ahead bangers like Loudwire and the title track and longer, more epic tunes like Black and The Dragon Reborn (Rebirth) there’s enough variety that the album doesn’t get boring or run out of steam. Kaine is an independent act with a lot of potential, and at least one great album out. Next, some promotion is in order. 8/10

Meshiaak: Mask Of All Misery (Mascot Records) [Rich Oliver]

Mask Of All Misery is the second album by Australian metallers Meshiaak. Three years after their debut album Alliance Of Thieves Meshiaak are back with an album of melodic groove/thrash metal which nods to old school heavy metal and contemporary mainstream metal. The album starts in great style with confident and ambitious instrumental Miasma which has progressive and symphonic leanings but this strangely ends abruptly and is followed by the title track which has a completely different feel and style to it. The songs that follow are definitely in a contemporary thrash/groove style and whilst having thrash based riffs none of the songs really kick into gear employing a steady pace and being reliant on the melodies and the verse chorus structure of the songs. This is definitely more aimed at modern Metallica, Machine Head and Trivium fans rather than Exodus and Sodom fan base. Whilst it is all played to perfection with some cool riffs dotted about the place this album didn’t do too much for me. My tastes are way too old school and this just leaned too far into mainstream metal territory to get a full appreciation from me. A great band for the kids but as an old fart I’ll slip back into the old school and the underground where I’m far more content. 5/10

The Old Dead Tree: The End (Season Of Mist) [Paul Hutchings]

This five-track release finally calls time of the band’s career, a final tribute to drummer Frédéric Guillemot, who took his life in 1999. Written before then, The Old Dead Tree had continued with Manuel Munoz (vocals, guitars) and Nicolas Chevrollier (guitars) following their creative approach with a mixture of progressive death and gothic metal combined with dark rock and alternating clean singing and death death growls. This final act is both classically impressive and truly melancholic. Drummer Raphael Antheaume and guest musicians Brice Guillon, bass and Pierre Le Pape on keys allow the band flesh out their tribute. Sorry opens the album with a haunting tone whilst Someone Should Know (The Truth) enables crushing riffs to blend with a delicate acoustic finish. Kids is a total change of direction, the rock/pop beats strangely different to the rest of the release. This final chapter ensures that all loose ends are tied. 7/10

Reviews: Pretty Maids, Blood Incantation, Strigoi, Mustasch (Rich, Claire/Charlie, Paul H & Matt)

Pretty Maids: Undress Your Madness (Frontiers Records) [Rich Oliver]

Pretty Maids are a Danish institution having been going since 1981 yet seem to have a very minimal audience in the UK which is a damn shame as they are one of the most consistent bands in hard rock and heavy metal. In recent years especially the band have been on an absolute roll with a streak of absolutely belting albums (or as our editor terms it ‘a purple patch) and with Undress Your Madness which is the sixteenth album by the band this winning streak or purple patch continues.

The band pretty much pick up where they left off with previous album Kingmaker and deliver a bunch of really strong songs that straddle the line between heavy metal and melodic hard rock. After 38 years in the business these guys have developed a great knack of combining the two elements seamlessly with songs that are crunching heavy but with the hooks and sensibilities of melodic hard rock and AOR bands. You have songs such as opener Serpentine, If You Want Peace (Prepare For War) and Slavedriver which sit on the heavier send of the Pretty Maids spectrum alongside melodic hard rockers Firesoul Fly and Runaway World and we are also in rock ballad territory with Strength Of A Rose and Will You Still Kiss Me (If I See You In Heaven). The strength of Pretty Maids is that all these songs are bloody good and all sit comfortably together on one album.

Ronnie Atkins despite being the elder age of 55 still has a hell of a voice on him switching effortlessly from a gruff yet melodic voice to a smooth croon. The performances from the whole band are faultless with long serving guitarist Ken Hammer delivering badass riffs and sweet solos, some tasty keys work from Chris Laney whilst the rhythm section of bassist René Shades and (now departed) drummer Allan Sørensen provide the rock hard backbone of the band. Undress Your Madness doesn’t reinvent Pretty Maids by any means but it is another incredibly strong and solid album from the band. Ronnie Atkins is sadly currently battling cancer at the moment so have to wish him the best of luck with his fight and hope that the Pretty Maids purple patch will long continue. 8/10

Strigoi: Abandon All Faith (Nuclear Blast) [Paul Hutchings]

There can be fewer more apt names for your latest project than Strigoi, the troubled spirits in Romanian mythology who could rise from the grave and assume different forms. Having laid Vallenfyre to rest in 2018, Gregor MacKintosh and Chris Casket have indeed risen swiftly from the ashes onto their next band and Abandon All Faith is the brutal result. The Paradise Lost guitarist explores his love of old school death metal, grindcore and punk in this visceral 12 track album alongside his Vallenfyre and ENT buddy Casket. Ably assisted by Paradise Lost drummer Waltteri Väyrynen who contributed to the studio drumming, this is a punishing album, with Mackintosh’s trademark riffage and deathly growl linking with Casket’s punishing bass lines. Phantoms thrashes like a netted tuna fish, Nocturnal Vermin switches between doom laden heavy riffs, searing guitar work and frantic grind pace.

Things hot up with the pulverising Throne Of Disgrace, at under two minutes long the shortest song on the album. But it isn’t pace or power that is the real beast here, it’s the complexity and variety which stands out. Carved Into Skin is a behemoth of a track, massive doom with malevolent overtones, contrasts with the industrial introduction on Parasite, which then gives way to a proper old school death metal monster. Plague Nation and Enemy Of God follow suit and drive forward with real bite and venom. This isn’t an album for the faint hearted, but it is a release that should really be devoured with all the vitriol and pain that comes with it. Essential stuff. 8/10

Blood Incantation: Hidden History Of The Human Race (Dark Descent Records) [Claire Hanley & Charlie Rogers.

To say we’ve been eagerly anticipating this album is an absolute understatement. Countless solar cycles since the previous record, Starspawn, graced us with its intergalactic riffs, the Blood Incantation boys bring it home to Terra with a monstrous soundscape that presses you back into your seat; like Han just made the jump to lightspeed. A full speaker set-up is needed to enjoy this properly, ear buds just won’t do it justice and you’ll be left out in the coldness of spaaaaaaace.

There’s no messing around as you’re thrown right in at the deep end with Slave Species Of The Gods. Rumbling out of the speakers at breakneck pace, the song wraps a tentacle around your throat and pulls you out for the ride. Expertly composed, you can hear every musical brick in this sonic wall of sound. Blood Incantation’s song writing is impressive enough but when the layers of riffs from bass to solo in every section are clearly audible, and each element contributes effortlessly to the overall ambience, the result is out of this world. Resisting the urge to air blast along to the drum patterns is inconceivable - the sections are discerningly executed without overdoing it on the snare, which some extreme metal drummers have to rely on for heaviness. Definitely not an issue in this case.

The Giza Power Plant opens a wormhole to the groove dimension. Its epic guitar effects and pinch harmonics galore from the word go. Contrasting dramatically with the preceding onslaught, in true Blood Incantation style, the track evolves into something akin to material from Karl Sander’s 2004 release Saurian Meditation. You’re instantly transported to Ancient Egypt, imagining the Great Pyramids opening a gateway to beyond. A Stargate, if you will. It’s a completely immersive experience as you lose yourself in the soundscape. Your consciousness enveloped by a myriad of swirling atmospheric deliciousness.

With an equally trippy video to accompany this psychedelic masterpiece, Inner Paths (To Outer Space) binds the album together. This was the track that introduced us to the new material, and while it seemed like an odd choice to lead with an instrumental, the band are clearly confident enough in their song writing ability to do so, and in the context of the album it fits seamlessly. The balance of beautifully intricate moments, contrasted against the skull crushingly heavy sections, will leave you utterly spaced-out yet satisfied. It’s pure instrumental artistry, illustrating the evolution of the band and cementing their identity, as well as their ascent to death metal royalty. The whole of this record is, without doubt, far greater than the sum of its parts.

Before you know it, you’re catapulted back to the blastbeats. Harking back to Eqypt, the song title of the final track wouldn’t look out of place on a Nile record - “Awakening from the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature Of Our Reality (Mirror Of The Soul). It might be 18 minutes long but you’re going to wonder where the time went, during this riff buffet. Despite a strong start, the colossal track feels a little lacklustre around five minutes in; with an extended period of quiet ambience that could ultimately have been better filled, given the calibre of this band when it comes to composing killer instrumentals. 

Before long the track transitions into a very Melechesh style riff but possibly the biggest curveball of the entire album is a section reminiscent of Death circa Individual Thought Patterns but it absolutely works. Then you’re thrown back into the discordant chaos, like you’re spinning though a kaleidoscope, when you approach the twelve minute mark. The pace slows at this point to a sludgy trudge, collapsing into the bogs of Dagobah, leaving you feeling like you’re drifting through space, as the acoustic outro transports you back to the theme riff from Inner Paths, before fading into the unending blackness of the abyss. Sheer stratospheric bliss. 9/10.

Mustasch: Killing It For Life (Tritonus Records/Mustasch AB) [Matt Bladen]

Since 1998 Swedish riff monsters have been blasting out heavy rock music at full volume, their ship is steered by frontman/guitarist Ralf Gyllenhammar and bassist Stam Johansson who are the only founding remaining on board this lead bottomed ship. They have this obscure name as many of their musical heroes have moustaches, most notably Freddie Mercury who they have written a song about on this their 10th studio album Killing It For Life, now I've been on board this heavy freight carrier since their self titled record and there have been ups and downs in their catalogue but they were on hot streak from their last album Silent Killer so can they continue that with this 10th record. Well what's in place are the crunching riffs and powerful vocals of Ralf front and center along his rhythm guitar locked in with Stam's bass guitar.

The songs are fleshed out by David Johannesson's ripping solos and Robban Bäck's propulsive drums, kicking off with Where Angels Fear To Tread builds up into a bass lead verse as Gyllenhammar lets rip with his explosive voice as the riff kicks in proper. Mustasch have always had very clever lyrics along with compositions that have punk rock snarl, stoner grooves, progressive forays and even some orchestral washes. Ransacker is more straight down the line as it gallops along, Before A Grave balances as part ballad-part doom metal song. Now things get trippier on Go To Hell as Mustasch show the multifaceted nature of their sound, this song featuring some electric fiddle as well, yes they are all about the riffs but this is just the base of their sound, there's a lot more to Mustasch that worth exploring, after 20 odd years it seems they will still be Killing It For Life. 8/10

Reviews: Denner's Inferno, Mammoth Mammoth, Cyhra, Edge Of Paradise (Matt & Paul H)

Denner's Inferno: In Amber (Mighty Music) [Matt Bladen]

In Amber is the debut album from Denner's Inferno, the new band formed by ex Mercyful Fate/King Diamond guitarist Michael Denner. Now for those expecting the over the top 80's speed metal sound of The Fate/King Diamond and even his previous Denner/Shermann project with his axe slinging Mercyful Fate cohort, you'd be sadly mistaken. In Amber has its roots in 70's hard rock the bouncy opener Matriarch has a nod to Lizzy, while Fountain Of Grace is a bit more Sabbath, with it's doom sound and crunching riff. Denner had to get a band for this record and he's chosen his old friends Flemming Muus (bass) and Bjarne T Holm (drums) as the engine room for the band, on vocals he hasn't gone for a high pitched screamer of previous acts, here he's opted for New York vocalist Chandler Mogel of Outloud.

His soulful classic rock tinged vocals fit this more retro sound ideal for tracks such as Taxman (Mr Thief) which has bubbling organs that permeate through much of the record, as well as Run For Cover and Pearls On A String, two atmospheric tracks  It's odd to hear Michael Denner playing music like this as there are currently a whole host of bands playing a similar style of retro proto-metal who would have been inspired by Denner's playing with Mercyful Fate, so this is almost like the master paying it forward while also saluting his heroes. Great piece of retro heavy music well worth your time. 7/10

Mammoth Mammoth: Kreuzung (Napalm Records) [Paul Hutchings]

We’ve covered a couple of this band’s filthy scuzzy releases in recent years. The Aussie outfit blasted the craniums with 2017’s Mount the mountain, when I eulogised that one could quite easily get spannered whilst enjoying a set by this powerful Melbourne outfit. Well, the buggers are back with their latest piece of filth, Kreuzung, which picks up where they left off. New members Marco Gennaro and Kris Fiore join Mikey Tucker and Frank Trobianni on the band’s fifth album. It’s greasy, it’s dirty and it’s full on rock n’ roll. Tracks include Motherfucker, Tear It Down and God’s Gonna Hate Me. They are all full-on stomping mud hole types, demanding you crack open a brew or two and come party. It may be badged as stoner, but I’d say most of this album is too fast to wear that badge. Instead, enjoy the punk fused Motörhead style of Mammoth Mammoth for what it is. A rocking rollercoaster onslaught that kicks as hard as that ole’ government mule. 7/10

Cyhra: No Halos In Hell (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]

Back in 2017 I reviewed Cyhra's debut album Letters To Myself, back then I gave the band formed by ex-Amaranthe vocalist Jake E, ex-In Flames guitarist Jesper Strömblad along with drummer Alex Landenburg (Rhapsody & Annihilator), a not-so-great 6/10. So has this second record done anything to change the score of the debut, has there been any improvement? Well actually yes, a heavy start on the Out Of My Life, a punchy fist pumping rocker along with the title track which has more melody to it, the first part of this record is full of arena ready anthems that are dying to be sung back to the band by ranging crowds. The curse of too many ballads creeps still lingers and when this happens things get weaker musically in the middle of the album.

However the folky Blood Brothers is an absolutely brilliant track that washes away any maudlin from the ballads, Elsewhere numbers like I Am The One and Bye Bye Forever are heavy nodding to Jake's previous work in Amaranthe as the electronic twitches are part of the heavy rhythms, there's even a bit of melodeath on Hit Me which will appeal to those who want a bit of that old Jesper Strömblad magic. I will also say that Jake E.'s lyrics have improved a lot since the debut album, making this a much easier on the ears than the first albums simplistic sound, though Hit Me is very uninspired. All in all much better from this Swedish powerhouse, it's modern melodic metal ripe for live stages. 7/10

Edge Of Paradise: Universe (Frontiers Records) [Paul Hutchings]

US hard rock/metal outfit Edge of Paradise are currently on tour supporting Sonata Arctica in Europe, promoting their latest album Universe. If I had a ticket, I’d probably stay in the pub until the main act. Elements of symphonic and industrial metal means plenty of loops and samples within their sound, something I’m becoming increasingly challenged by. Margarita Monet’s auto tuned vocals, her high-pitched poppet delivery is something that you either love or hate. The title track is ghastly, a blend of Eurovision and rock pop which leaves no memory. Better stuff awaits on occasion, with the guitars of Dave Bates and David Ruiz at least heard on Alone but those vocals. Oh dear. Possibly fans of In This Moment, Halestorm and Paramore may like this but its sugar coated, glossy, polished and generic in every way, there is little to commend. Produced by Mike Plotnikoff (Halestorm, Three Days Grace) and mixed by Jacob Hansen (Amaranthe, Volbeat, Pretty Maids) tells you just about all you need to know. A late entry into my top ten worst of 2019 3/10

Reviews: Zinc Bukowski, Woodhawk, Stoned Jesus, Paricia's Patience (Matt, Paul H & Zach)

Zinc Bukowski: Care For This? (Red Sun Sounds) [Matt Bladen]

Zinc Bunkowski are something of an enigma in terms of sound, they fuse together snot nosed punk, open chord alt rock and spacey desert rock sounds on this 8 track album. It's the follow up to their 2012 debut album Nature Finds A Way In The Face Of Woe and it benefits from years of touring between the two releases as the duality of the bands sound meshes together well, Zero Sum Game has the jangling guitars of the Manics This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours but with a driving rhythm section and the spoken/shouted vocals from singer/guitarist David Foley, it leads into the crawling title track which builds layers of dissonance over Chris Baker's bass and Carl Richards' drums, taking you to those more otherworldly realms. Autopsy has more surf rock riffs, paired with a defiant vocal, it's a bit Pixies and that's no bad thing.

Care For This? was recorded in March 2019 with Phil Smith at One Louder Studios, Newport and he's done a bang up job of capturing Zinc's intense musical fusion as aggression comes across on Shoot The Messenger while Port Talbot is a lot breezier than it's town namesake, Engulfed does just that with the repeating riff evolving into First Fail Forward, two songs that are clearly two parts of the same number as they both have samples, open clean guitar riffs as First Fail Forward changes into a pogoing punk number at it's climax. I've mentioned The Pixies in this review but these Pontypridd dwelling rockers have a lot of similarities to to Sonic Youth with their musical experimentation and even at their most expressive they even move into Hüsker Dü realms. One word of advice though is give this album time, preferably listening to it in one sitting rather than individual tracks and you'll be rewarded with an album that has its influence in the early to mid 90's and is brilliantly realised. 8/10

Woodhawk: Violent Nature (Self Released) [Zach Williams]

I don’t quite know what it is about autumn that makes me want to sit in a dark room and listen to Carcass until I can wear shorts outside again. I call it S.A.D.D (Seasonal Affective Death-Metal Disorder), and I think it is why on my first listen to Violent Nature – the third offering from Canadian riff trio Woodhawk – my first thought was ‘this is too poppy for my liking’. How wrong I was. This album has more hooks that a cenobites tackle box. It is REALLY catchy. From the opening track Snake In The Grass which has riffs for days, to the closing number Our Greatest Weakness which starts off with an almost Neil Young vibe, and ends by battering you across the head with a chorus you won’t soon forget. And just to clarify, please don’t be put off by the word ‘poppy’. This album is plenty heavy. There are two things that will get my attention on a record; big rockin’ riffs and a filthy bass tones and Violent Nature’s got ‘em both to spare. Thank you, Woodhawk, for breaking my autumnal funk. 7/10

Stoned Jesus: From The Outer Space (Napalm Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Those stoner dudes from Ukraine are back, a mere 14 months after Pilgrim blew a hole in the living room wall with it’s massively down tuned vibe and lengthy sojourns into the abyss. This time the trio from Kyiv have decided to blow another hole in the wall with a five-track album that lasts just shy of 50 minutes. That means that we have some lengthy shit going on here, with three tracks way over the ten-minute mark. Occult is the longest, drawn out, sludgy grinding riffs; the death throes of a dying leviathan would surely be accompanied by this soundtrack. As well as the unearthly musical crawl, the pained tortured croak of Igor Sidorenko adds significantly to the overall feel. It’s heavy as the bag of anvils dropped from the tenth floor and when the band let rip the neck aches without moving. It doesn’t have to be fast to be heavy and the Ukrainians know how to cave your cranium without breaking a sweat. Bludgeoning stuff. 6/10

Paricia's Patience: Self Titled (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

The Self Titled debut EP from Puerto Rican prog metal band Paricia's Patience is one that will impress fans of thunderously heavy riffs and old school metal flavour. They've been categorized as prog metal and while there are some progressive touches to this album, mainly on opening track Headless Horseman which has a choppy, trad metal riff and a solo that takes you away to a dream. They are difficult to categorise as Rise Of The Old Ones which is a swaggering doom as the title track brings some proggy rock sounds. Where Paricia's Patience shine is with the dual guitar prowess of brothers José Luis and José Miguel Vázquez on guitar and the brilliantly full bodied vocals of bassit/singer Damaris Rodríguez, who brings Latin flavours to Modern Prometheus a song that also has some great harsh vocals. A strong debut EP from Paricia's Patience that hints at more to come. 7/10

Reviews: The Dark Element, Human Fortress, Idlewar, Crisix (Matt & Paul H)

The Dark Element: Songs The Nights Sings (Frontiers Records) [Matt Bladen]

The collaborative project between ex-Nightwish vocalist Annette Olzon and Jani Liimatainen (ex Sonata Arctica/Cain's Offering) brings yet more symphonic metal following on from their 2017 debut album. It's poppy, dramatic and heavier than the previous album but this has come from both members of the band gelling more due to having already released an album, so the cohesion comes easy. Liimatainen is a particularly good writer, there is a reason that Sonata Arctica's output declined after he left as he manages to find the right balance between galloping power metal guitar playing, fuzzy synths and sweeping orchestrations.

It's the perfect setting for the musical theatre styled vocals of Olzon, she has such clarity to her voice that she carries emotion on numbers like Silence Between The Words, or the ballad To Whatever End and also brings drama to the anthemic title track, that has twitchy keys throughout it along with a neat little bass break from Jonas Kuhlberg. When It All Comes Down ramps up the histrionics again as the synths get heavier for Pills On My Pillow a song about mental health, it's I Have To Go that proves one of the most interesting songs on the record, with it's jazz stylings. Songs The Night Sings is an ideal follow up for this band, taking what they did well on the debut and refining it, as Rolf Pilve's drums anchor the driving, pop-tinged compositions of Liimatainen and Olzon's voice glides over the top. A more cohesive second album that shows where the band will be heading on further records. 7/10

Human Fortress: Reign Of Gold (AFM Records) [Matt Bladen]

Ah power metal! It's always a go to genre for me when I'm feeling shit, it was the first kind of metal I got into after my youthful obsession with Iron Maiden and Judas Priest (outside of the prog love). I've listened to literally 1,000's of power metal records and it's very rare that they are just meh, it's one of those genres where it can either be very good or complete crap. Reign Of Gold by Human Fortress falls into the middle category, their style of epic battle metal sound, features choirs, folk instruments and some fist raising metal anthems such as Lucifer's Waltz, where Gus Monsanto can show his gruff vocal style on this slower theatrical number, however the band really shine on the pacier offering such as Thunder where they can go into the realms of Hammerfall.

Now Human Fortress have had a bit of potted history with members but this is their third record for AFM record and the third to feature Monsanto with the only constant in these years being guitarist Torsten Wolf who duels with Volker Trost (the second founding member) throughout as Dirk Liehm provides the keys and orchestrations. There is something missing here though, it doesn't really have that epic sound of a band like say Orden Ogan (who's Seeb has worked with the band before), the production of Tommy Newton is a little thin meaning that for all the folk trappings of Bullet Of Betrayal, Surrender, Martial Valour and mega ballad Shining Light, the record sounds a little thin and never really immerses you. Still as a mid-level power metal record it's enough to get your head nodding but nothing that will last more than one listen. 6/10

Idlewar: Cede (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

The fourth album from Orange Country fuzzsters and their fourth in quick succession, a mere year after last year’s thumping Fractured. James Blake, Rick Graham and Pete Pagonis clearly never got off the horse as Cede continues where Fractured left off. After two fuzzed up riff heavy openers in Pound and Bullet, the blues soaked My Hesitation brings out everything that is so good about this band. Blake’s soulful vocals, the tight and deep rhythm section of Graham and Pagonis and the heavy duty riffing that Blake brings to the table. Although the band remain devout in their stoner style, the Alice In Chains feel on Hey Old Man varies the direction. Whilst most of Cede is face melting hard riffing, Scratch slows the pace, delicate, gentle passages fluctuate with crashing riffs that pound like waves on the beach. Idlewar are quickly developing a distinctive sound, the thick chunky riffs and Blake’s soaring vocals distinctive in a congested stoner world. Any band whose inlay card reads “Thank you for buying this CD. You are an awesome person for supporting music” scores highly with me. Idlewar are a band who never fail. 8/10

Crisix: Session #1: American Thrash (Listenable Records) [Paul Hutchings]

After 2018’s Against The Odds, the fourth album from the Spanish thrashers, the band have now released the first album in the ‘Crisix Sessions’. American Thrash pays homage to a few of the more influential songs that inspired the band in their early days. Interestingly they steer clear of the bigger guns in the main, kicking off with a rousing version of Vio-lence’s World In A World and finishing with a solid attempt at the underrated Demolition Hammer’s Infectious Hospital Waste, a straightforward thrash masterpiece. Whilst a few of the names on the album are less surprising it’s pleasing to hear the still massively relevant Critical Mass by Nuclear Assault included. There isn’t a bad cover on this release although Imitation Of Life from Anthrax’s 1987 album Among The Living is a tough one to capture. Juli Bazooka’s rasping vocals are pitched at the right level for most of the songs, whilst the riffage of B.B. Plaza and Albert Requena is relentless. With tracks from Forbidden, Testament, EvilDead and Exodus also given the once over, this album will prompt you to dig out the originals and relive some of thrash metal’s most important releases. 7/10

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.