A View From The Back Of The Room: Brutality Will Prevail (Live Review By Liam True)

Brutality Will Prevail, Guilt Trip, Mass Worship & Asidhara, Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

With a very short time allotted Asidhara (8) delivered a three song set, and they were not pissing about. The Cardiff four piece unleash their Hardcore to the half empty room. That doesn’t matter because they dominated the stage with their presence and everybody was banging their heads in tune with the grisly vocals and beatdowns. Looking into the crowd asking everyone to take a few steps forward to the stage to become more intimate. The band themselves were on point and crushed the room with their blend of Thrash and Hardcore. The only issue I had with the set is the sound of the bass drum. It was louder than the band at some points, almost drowning out the vocals and instrumentals completely. But they power through the issue and deliver a powerful small set. And I think I've found a new favourite local band.

With their heavy riffs and breakdowns to match, Mass Worship (8) laid waste to Cardiff. The Scandinavian five piece weren't messing around and go full force through their set. While not speaking a word to the audience through their set, they let the music do the talking. Whether it’s the demonic like growls of vocalist Claes Nordic or the violent instrumentals, Mass Worship showed us they have the means to become bigger and better and to fill out their own headline tours in these sized venues. But tonight they’re also plagued by the insanely loud kick drum. Not their fault by any means, because they blew me away with their downright dark style. This is a band to keep an aye on. Who knows, next time the come back around they may be headlining? Here’s hoping.

Being the heaviest and most aggressive band of the night so far, Guilt Trip (8) have shown that Hardcore is stronger than ever in the UK. Coming from Manchester, the quintet blast their way through the violent set and lay waste to any concerns that anyone may have had about them tonight. With vocalist Jay Valentine heading the charge he patrolled the stage and never stops moving and commanding the crowd to do that same. With the first mosh pit of the night Guilt Trip pulled no punches and make sure the crowd left happy at the end of their set. The band themselves were on point tonight, being technical yet straight up Hardcore with the beatdown riffs and destructive breakdowns, there’s not a single head that wasn't banging to the down tempo guitars. From start to finish GT don’t let up, don’t slow down and above all, they’ve blown some minds and made a whole lot of new fans.

Here comes the moment we were all here for. The hometown boys playing their first show in Cardiff for quite some time, so it was going to be a special one. Taking to the stage to do a quick sound check before vocalist Louis Gauthier urges everyone to take a few step forward so he can "See all of your beautiful faces." Before saying "Kill the lights". The room goes dark and the build up to opener Misery Sequence starts. Through the darkness you can barely see the band on stage getting themselves ready for what’s about to being. Then with no warning, the band launch into Misery Sequence barking at the crowd to move and get the pit opened. For the next 60 minutes the band does not stop moving, the crowd is thrown into chaos with the flailing limbs from the mosh pit. 

With Louis getting up close and personal with the crowd by giving a few select people the microphone to scream the lyrics with him or being in the pit himself, there’s no shortage of energy from the band and that’s what made the show better because you can see the passion in their faces when they play and when they singalong with everyone themselves. From start to finish it’s complete chaos, and that’s what the band thrive off. And when the show comes to a close, the band don’t want too leave the stage and thank everyone for tonight and their support. If there’s one band you need to see, it’s Brutality Will Prevail (10), because these guys have worked themselves to the bone for this moment. And it did not disappoint.

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

Blood Church, Incursion, ??? & Hellfekted,  Fuel Rock Bar, Cardiff

And so, it came to pass, that a mere 19 days before consumer ecstasy, the hordes were summoned by Legion Promotions to their second evening of dark, sinister metal and malarkey. There was plenty of the former and even more of the latter, which we will get to in a short while. Kudos to Legion Promotions for putting a stellar bill together and even bigger cheers to all those who made the effort to get there. It was well worth it.

Fuel, like most of Cardiff city centre, was in vibrant move, and during the night the gig drew a reasonably healthy crowd. The curse of the opening act is that they invariably draw the smallest numbers of the night. Those that made it in time were richly rewarded as Stoke-on-Trent’s blackened thrashers Hellfekted (7) stomped a size 12 hole in the venue. A bruising and brutal set full of power and intensity, the band roared their way through their set, with riffage galore from vocalist and guitarist Liam, whose snarling delivery added spice and fire to the band’s sound. Alongside him, bassist Chris, splendidly attired in his Metallica battle jacket (who I found out later works with Demon’s Dave Hill) brought the thunder, linking neatly with drummer Myles whose rapid-fire attack cemented the band’s sound. With influences ranging from Power Trip to Bolt Thrower evident in their sound, Hellfekted certainly have captured the punishing side of those influences and threw a raging gauntlet to the floor for those to follow.

Shortly before arriving at Fuel, social media announced that Swansea thrashers Sepulchre had been forced to pull out at short notice. The reason? Because Darren Evans is a melon head who managed to pump petrol in the band’s diesel van. Cue much mirth but also a frenzied hour of sheer panic for Alyn and Tim who desperately searched for a last-minute replacement. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and with Uber duly dispatched, Agrona, Cranial Separation and Levitas drummer Sam arrived in the nick of time for the Agrona Stripped (???) set. With Jonny from Incursion stepping in as well, their four-song set which consisted a cover of The Windmills Of Your Mind by Val Doonican, Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe And Wine and a rather lovely When A Child Is Born, most famously covered by Johnny Mathis. At least that’s what I thought I heard from outside the door. Reality may have been slightly different. Feedback from the weeping punters as they streamed out varied from “fucking awful” to “best thing I’ve seen in a long time”. I guess you had to be there.

2019 hasn’t been the easiest for RCT’s hob knob wielding holocaust survivors Incursion (8) and main man Jonny Foxhall but with the drum seat now occupied by maniacal Josh Griffiths and Thom Taylor giving the bass rumbles for a final time before heading to Canada, the band reminded all in the room that there is plenty of mileage in the Incursion wagon yet. Continuing with their green camo theme, the three emerged on stage in their battle garb, and hit through a knockout set which struck all the right chords. After the Agrona-lite show a bit more grit was welcomed, and the return of the hob knobs saw a slightly less violent but still energetic scuffle amongst the audience. With Scourge purged of those clean vocals Incursion proved there is still life in the old dog and 2020 should be an interesting year for the band.

It’s always good to be exposed to new bands and Telford Satanic blackened death metal four-piece Blood Church (8) were another ‘new’ band to add to the list. Their aural battery was intense, the meaty bass and extreme vocals of Chris Thomas pulverising whilst the razor-sharp duel attack of guitarists Liam Simpson and Scott Gater shattered ear drums. The Metal 2 The Masses finalists are a force to be reckoned with and their death metal was at best spine-crushing. A cover of Sepultura’s Roots Bloody Roots got the venue pumped and it’s fair to say that the atmosphere picked up. Thomas has a striking appearance, stripped to the waist, covered in chains and corpse paint, his wild image linking perfectly with the deathly sound the band deliver. Duel blasts from Chris Massey anchor this interesting outfit together. With time running out it was with regret that I headed for the last train, Blood Church continuing to punish those who remained.

*NB: There may be some artistic licence in this review. May be. *

A View From The Back Of The Room: Devin Townsend (Live Review By Rich Oliver)

Devin Townsend, Great Hall, Cardiff

It will be no secret to people who read this blog that I am an enormous fan of Devin Townsend. His latest album Empath received a full 10/10 score from me and in my opinion he has rarely put a foot wrong in his long and extremely varied career so when it was confirmed that Devin would be playing in my home city for the very first time there was no doubt that I was going to be there with bells on.

Unfortunately due to some confusion to the start time with conflicting times shown on the tickets and the event page on social media I missed the vast majority of the support act Haken walking into the venue for the last half of their final song so this review will only be covering Devin’s set.

Devin had previously announced that the tour for Empath would comprise of different stages starting with the total deconstruction of his music and rebuilding it step by step throughout the various stages of the tour. Stage 1 was the acoustic tour back in April which was Devin’s music in its most raw and stripped down form and this show was part of Stage 2 which is taking Devin’s music and performing it in a freer almost improvisational style with the usual backing tracks removed and the vast majority of the music performed live by Devin and his supporting musicians. For these shows Devin gathered together a bunch of seasoned musicians from various backgrounds. A few of these had played on Empath including bassist Nathan Navarro, drummer Morgan Ågren (who also played on the Casualties Of Cool album), multi instrumentalist Mike Keneally and singer/guitarist Ché Aimee Dorval (who also collaborated on Casualties Of Cool as well as the Ki album). You also had Haken keyboard player Diego Tejeida pulling double duty, guitarist Markus Reuter (known for his King Crimson related work) as well as a trio of choral backing singers.

Now onto the actual performance itself. This was a bit of a different Devin show. The set drew heavily from Empath and was quite light on the crowd pleasers instead drawing on material which matched the skills of the musicians he had joining him. There was also plenty of jamming and doodling between everyone showing that they had magnificent musical chemistry. It was a quite self indulgent set and I don’t think a chunk of the audience quite got what they were seeing but the self indulgent nature of the set was offset by the usual goofing around that is synonymous with a Devin Townsend show from Diego’s on stage cocktail bar to jazz hands to the entire audience screaming KITTENS in a death metal growl Devin ensured that entertainment was the key of the evening and as stated at the start of the show “You shall have fucking fun!”.

Songs wise it was a good mix with plenty of picks from Empath such as Borderlands, Evermore, Sprite and Genesis. A good chunk of songs were played from Ki many of which I had never seen performed before including Coast, Gato, Heaven Send and Ain’t Never Gonna Win. For the older fans we also had War, Lucky Animals and a jaw dropping performance of the magnificent Deadhead which was a clear highlight for me and pretty much everyone else in the room. Other highlights for me were the absolute silliness of Why? which saw both Devin and Ché wearing tutus and a quite frankly beautiful version of Spirits Will Collide which saw Ché and the backing singers take the lead on the vocals to absolutely stunning effect. After a routine mocking of the ritual of encores at rock and metal shows the band returned to stage and performed the last song anyone was expecting (unless you knew it was coming of course) which was a cover of The Trammp’s disco classic Disco Inferno. Most people got into the spirit and danced along apart from the staunch metalheads who stood there arms folded looking decidedly unimpressed. Another curveball was thrown as then Mike, Morgan and Markus started jamming on the Frank Zappa song The Black Page #1 which added to the bewilderment of some of the audience. Things were brought back to a semblance of normality (as much as you can expect at a Devin show) with a finale of the classic Kingdom.

I thoroughly enjoyed this show and whilst not the best Devin Townsend show I have seen it was still hugely entertaining and enjoyably different. I’ve heard a few mixed opinions from people about the show with others fully enjoying like myself and some others not enjoying it at all. I think a good chunk of the audience were expecting a more traditional Devin Townsend show (if there is such a thing) so were a bit put off by the more improvisational and experimental nature of the music performed. In a set of two hours there were a ridiculous amount of musical tangents from calypso to funk to disco to avant-garde to fusion as well as the usual progressive rock and metal. For those wanting a more standard Devin show I recommend going to see a show in Stage 3 of the tour which will be more metal based and will also see Devin revisiting the Strapping Young Lad material which is gonna be a sight to behold. All in all I would give this show an 8/10.

Reviews: Ironvolt, At Night I Fly, Artillery, Beyond Chaos (Matt & Paul H)

Ironvolt: Grimm (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

An insistent string intro belies what is to come on this debut album from Bristol's Ironvolt as The Pale Red Gentlemen brings some funky guitars as the grooves work their way in. This is Ironvolt's raison d'etre low slung groove metal with some alternative metal intrigue. Led by the soulful vocals of Minka Miles who has a snarl of attitude on Satan Taxi where she decries "show me that your just no good" as the funk-styled guitar continues. Ironvolt bring a melting pot of influences to this album, Aaron Miles' lead guitar is unique sounding, kicking out choppy riffs and twisting solos bring punk to a band that owe as much to RHCP and No Doubt as they do to Korn (Pigs) and Soundgarden. The rest of riff focussed energy come from  Lewis Weyman (rhythm guitar), Butters (bass) and Sam Harbridge (drums) they creep on Sloth but Defiled is more of a classic rocker, and a raging pit starter I'd think, there's even a killer cover of Filthy/Gorgeous by Scissor Sisters. The songs on Grimm are made to be played live, riffs that breakdown into thick grooves, funk/punk and alt influences abound and hooks-a-plenty it's no wonder why this band are making a big splash across the bridge. 7/10

At Night I Fly: Mirror Maze (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

At Night I Fly are something of a supergroup, they were formed by prominent members of the Hungarian progressive metal scene. So because of that you can probably assume, rightly, that Mirror Maze is a progressive metal album. A distinctly good progressive metal as well, based in the style of Dream Theater, Psychotic Waltz, Evergrey and even Pain Of Salvation. After the choral Silent... it's Gethsemane that opens the record with some melodic guitars and keys a the grittier metal sound runs through this track, The Pit brings some more Pink Floyd styled atmosphere and a seriously superior guitar solo. The music here has introspection, it's emotive and filled with power due to the heavy distortion of the rhythm section on tracks like Uriel, as the guitars soar with intricate fluidity and the excellent voice of Zoltán Bátky carries the passion of the lyrics. It's prog metal as straightforward as it can be if you like you'll fine a lot here to love, if not then I'd suggest you look elsewhere. 7/10

Artillery: In The Trash (Mighty Music) [Paul Hutchings]

Raw, loose and totally honest, this 11-track compilation from the Danish thrashers consists of songs from their formative years, 1982 -1986 when the band were starting to make a name for themselves in the burgeoning thrash movement which was mushrooming. Early songs, such as their first ever demo We Are the Dead with the line-up of Per Onink on vocals, Jørgen Sandau on guitar, Michael Stützer on guitar, Morten Stützer on bass and Carsten Nielsen on drums are ragged but show the potential the band had. The demo In The Trash was recorded for Neat Records at the time but was never released. It’s earthy, gritty and full of vibrant enthusiasm. Listening to tracks such as Bitch in 2019 isn’t pretty, with the vocals rather poor but overall this is an album that holds interest for those who love their thrash unadulterated and straightforward. 6/10

Beyond Chaos: The Mind Trauma (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

Apart from the fact that Beyond Chaos are from Sweden, I have very little information about this band. What I can tell you is that they play a vicious style of explosive death metal which is slightly marred by the duel vocals. Whilst I appreciate the Johan Hegg style roar, the additional screeching which runs in parallel with many of the vocals, such as on The Last Minute fail to impress. Musically it is tight enough, with some interesting melodies and switches in style providing atmosphere. Thick heavy riffs aplenty, as you would expect and at 35 minutes it is a reasonable listen. Few memorable tracks though and some of the more formulaic styles fail to elevate overall. 5/10

Reviews: A New Tomorrow, Power Theory, SL Theory, Cursed Sun (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

A New Tomorrow: Universe (Frontiers Records)

Formed by ex-Power Quest & Arthemis vocalist/guitarist Alessio Garavello, Andrea Lonardi (bass) and Tim Hall (drums) in London in 2009, adding Michael Kew (guitars) later. A New Tomorrow return with their debut full length having released 2 EP's before. Those expecting the power metal or thrash of Garavello's other bands will be surprised to hear that A New Tomorrow are a slick well honed hard rock machine that are influenced by Alter Bridge, The Foos and Metallica (Black Album onwards). Universe has been crafted by years on the road through all the good and bad times making melodic riff driven music, built around the brilliant vocals of Garavello and the hook filled hard rock they bring, Universe is an album of sing along numbers made for rock radio.

Now this is where the problem is as they do sound a little too much like Alter Bridge, musically and vocally, to say that they are influenced by the American megaband, at times A New Tomorrow sound like a pastiche, bordering on a tribute at times. Take a song like Golden Sands, it's got layered acoustics underneath everything, the AB backing vocals and slows things down with some added drama similar to much of ABIII. There's nothing wrong with how A New Tomorrow go about this record, the songs are as good as anything Alter Bridge is currently releasing, it's just they sound so much like Tremonti and co that they limit themselves any expansion of their fan base...still Alter Bridge are bloody massive so maybe I'm being cynical. 7/10

Power Theory: Force Of The Will (Pure Steel Records)

So in the power metal/heavy metal genre, there are distinct differences between the European style and the American style, while the Euro sound has lots of keys/gallops and shrieking vocals the US bands have heavier riffs and lower register singing. For an easier comparison see the obvious differences between Stratovarius and Iced Earth who were both formed around the same time. Power Theory are American and they stick to the US style of power metal, full of thrashy riffs, heavy rhythm sections and bellowed vocals the Pennsylvania five piece have been around since 2007, with Force Of Will being their fourth album. It's the first with new vocalist Jim Rutherford who took the mic in 2018, The Force Of Will has an epic feel to it from the intro track that segues into the blasting title track this is heads down heavy riffs from moment one the classic heavy metal style getting those fists pumping.

Power Theory share a lot of similarities with their countrymen Iced Earth, in the vocals chiefly but also with the muscular riffage. They bring a bit more modernity with If Forever Ends Today which sounds a little like Disturbed, though they ramp up the metal savagery on Mountain Of Death, the album does slow with almost cinematic Albion (though there is a little bit of irony as an American band play a song about Albion). Albion sits in the middle of the record as a great split between side 1 and side 2, which kicks off with the Th13teen which is a brilliant battle metal anthem and the rampaging Spitting Fire. In fact it's the second half of this album where the heaviness really increases until the grandiose finale of The Hill I Die On. Force Of Will is an excellent fourth album from these US Power Metal stalwarts. 8/10

SL Theory: Cipher (Self Released)

"Sturm–Liouville theory is the theory of a real second-order linear differential equation of the form where y is a function of the free variable x" complicated Maths, not the most entertaining way to open an album review but the music of SL Theory is equally as complicated but much more accessible. Formed by multi-instrumentalist Sotiris Lagonikas who has amassed a now 8-piece band for this band who play heavy prog band with AOR touches. This is their third studio album and their first after a live release that captured their spectacular audio-visual shows. On this record Lagonikas has shown you immediately what they are about with a 13 minute first track that could have come off a Kansas album as the AOR singalongs are wrapped around numerous time and tempo changes. Although the band are lot heavier than Kansas with their heavy riffs nodding to numerous Mike Portnoy releases, especially Transatlantic, so it must be soemthing about drummers.

Like with Portnoy's projects this album too has hints of Queen, The Beatles and of course Pink Floyd (what prog band doesn't). You Never Happened is a more direct rocker as Devil's Suites brings some Toto level shimmer, mainly due to the smooth vocal style of Mike Karasoulis, who is ably backed by Margarita Papadimitriou and Anna T. TaRba, the girls bringing some harmony vocals, for those tracks perfect for Miami night cruising. I could go on ad-nauseum about the styles on this record but really all you need to know is that there's an ideal balance between sunny AOR rocking and progressive mastery as the rest of the band; Alex Flouros (guitars), Giannis Nigdelis (guitars), Chris Kollias (bass) and Manos Gavalas (keyboards), are all as virtuosic as their band leader. Clearly picked for their prowess they are equally adept to rock tracks such as Grave Danger as they are with the dramatic double ballad of If It Wasn't For You/Anyone, Anymore. Now these two tracks do kill a little of the atmosphere but Anyone, Anymore is still a brooding number, with down-tuned guitars it's the second longest song on the record but better for it. Cipher is an enigma of an album, full of musical dexterity and great songwriting, for some it may peter out towards the end, though they will miss Happy the blistering funk rocker that sits at the end of the record, along with an alternative version of If You Saw Me Dead. An accomplished, progressive rock album. 8/10


Cursed Sun: Vendetta (Sudden Strike Records)

It's probably fate that I was listening to this EP from Cursed Sun on the anniversary of Dimebag's death as it's got the same power groove that Pantera had in the early days, as thick riffs beatdown while the lead guitar flourishes fire up in the background on Replicant, as well as face melting solo towards the end. There's also the aggression of Lamb Of God due to the barked vocals and pit ready riffage that comes across on these four tracks. Vendetta is the bands fifth EP following on from four previous EPs and a full length album, Cursed Son are one of the longest running bands on the Northern Irish metal scene, they've been carrying the flame since 2007 which is no easy feat in the current disposable music market where the underground is all but ignored by major publications. Still they have battled on with very aggressive style of metal that brings thrash, death and groove together, but it's nothing haphazard here the songs are written by an experience band built for live arenas, with progressive flourishes that lead to changes of pace especially on Crawlspace which slows in its middle section adding some melody to the metallic assault, while Fallen City has a stripped back beginning and big breakdown to it. The strength of this EP is probably why Cursed Sun are still surviving 10 years plus into their career, let's have some South Wales shows please guys! 8/10

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

Sacred Reich, Night Demon, Eradikator KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

Following the chaos and intensity of Municipal Waste the night before was always going to be a challenge. Luckily this bill certainly provided similar value and entertainment. Hauling our still aching arses across from the second city to the heart of the Black Country on a freezing cold day we holed up in a welcome (and warm) hostelry to recover and prepare for the next round on our thrash mini break. Despite the failure to meet up with Jarvis Leatherby (Lead singer, Night Demon) as planned for an interview, we were in place on the barrier well before the opening band of the evening hit the stage.

The Steel Mill Is an interesting venue. Kenneth (KK) Downing, former guitarist with Judas Priest if you’ve been under a rock, has invested some finances into the venue, creating a premier rock and metal venue in the industrial heartland of the Midlands. A Grade II listed building, the venue is located on the site of the Star Motor Company, run by Edward Lisle at the turn of the twentieth century. Look closely and you’ll see steel columns supporting parts of the original A frame roof. A bar and merchandise area are located separate to the main hall, a concrete floored arena holding, according to Ticketweb, 3000 punters. I’d hate to be in there with over 500 to be honest so I’ll consider that slightly inaccurate. Nevertheless, it has an industrial feel which is in keeping with the location and the venue’s history.

It’s been a couple of years since I last saw Birmingham’s Eradikator (6) and I was excited to see how the band had developed since that encounter at Hard Rock Metal in the Birmingham O2 third venue back in a chilly February 2017. Their latest release Obscura earned a very deserved and favourable review back in July this year with a change in their style which retained the thrash elements of their earlier work but with an added progressive edge. Sadly, the band’s 30-minute set was plagued with challenge. Drummer John MacNevin was clearly quite unwell, struggling after a couple of tracks and having to leave the stage at one point to use his asthma inhalers. That, combined with Liam Priest suffering technical nightmares with his pedal board throughout the set meant that Eradikator experienced a bit of a ‘mare and whilst bassist and singer Pat Cox declared that the crowd had been “awesome” at the end it was a relief for punters and the band alike when everything stopped. The band appeared on edge throughout, the absence of any evidence of enjoyment palpable and the small crowd, feeding off the band’s discomfort were in general rather silent. A bit of reflection would probably be useful.

Wolverhampton on a freezing damp Wednesday night is far removed from Ventura, California but that didn’t stop traditional metal trio Night Demon (8) from bringing the full show. A huge red banner proudly proclaimed their name at the back of the stage as the band’s intro tape started the set. For the next 40 minutes front duo Jarvis Leatherby (vox and bass) and guitarist Armand John Anthony simply tore around the stage, shredding with abandon and delivering a highly energetic up tempo set which drew from their three studio releases. Leatherby is an old stager, currently bassist with the legendary Cirith Ungol and his mere presence was enough to command respect. Anthony shreds for fun, his hyperactive racing across the stage captivating but the guy can play too. Meanwhile drummer Dusty Squires maintained a brutal artillery of double bass drumming which gave this three piece a mighty tone. The Chalice saw the arrival of Rocky, the band’s mascot, a skeletal figure cloaked and carrying a smoking chalice, much to the audience’s bemusement. Earlier we’d also been treated to a blast of Overkill which warmed the crowd. Closing with their anthem Night Demon this was a stellar set from a band who can only give 100%. Oh, and they were brain meltingly heavy as well.

The Boys Are Back In Town heralded the dimming of the house lights and the arrival of the revitalised thrash legends Sacred Reich (10). August saw their first release in 23 years with Awakening and despite the small audience the Americans showed exactly how to deliver a master class. 70 minutes, 15 songs and an exercise of simple quality. I had the pleasure of interviewing frontman Phil Rind in late July and the guy was a joy to chat with. Here he could not stop beaming, his joy at being able to do this evident. Anecdotes, stories and general positive vibes exude from the guy and rub off on all. How can you stay in that work rage with such a bubbly character grinning at you?

Alongside Rind, veteran guitarist Wiley Arnett showed his chops with some fluid and impressive work whilst new rhythm guitarist Joey Raziwill held the engine tight, his youth masked by a confidence and stage presence which looks good for the future. Early tracks included Divide & Conquer, one of five from Awakening and a thick American Way which got the old school roaring. Rind was comfortable asking younger fans questions and confirming that the craziness in the main pit was from a group of Cypriot metalheads who had been raging at Municipal Waste the night before. Meanwhile the incredible Dave McClain nailed everything down with his blistering drumming. Rind’s vocal performance was as impressive as it was on record, the fluid, relaxed style earning a lot of new fans.

All too quickly this masterclass was ending, with a thumping Killing Machine, Death Squad from Ignorance and then of course, Surf Nicaragua which finished off a remarkable set in style. Some of us had waited years for this. It was worth every minute of it and I will be front and centre when the band hit Bloodstock 2020.

Reviews: Sodom, Stormwarrior, Oni, Birdeatsbaby (Reviews By Paul Hutchings)

Sodom: Out Of The Front-Line Trench (SPV/Steamhammer)

It’s been three years since 2016’s Destruction Day, an album that pleased me in its consistency and classic thrash approach. Sodom now return with their refreshed and revised line-up, including guitarist Frank ‘Blackfire’ Gosdzik who is back for his first album since 1989’s Agent Orange. Alongside him, guitarist Yorck Segatz and Asphyx drummer Stefan Husky" Hüskens make their debut. It’s Tom Angelripper who remains the glue in Sodom though, his blistering bass and guttural roar shortly to enter their fourth decade and he still sounds as energised as ever. Genesis 19 kicks of the five-track EP, and it’s a bruising beast which unsurprisingly takes no prisoners. New songs Down On Your Knees and the haunting but annihilating title track follow the traditional blueprint and unsurprisingly smash hard. A reworked and blistering Agent Orange reminds you that Sodom remain one of thrash metal’s all-time classic bands whilst rounding things off, a live version of Bombenhagel from the band’s 2018 hometown show in Gelsenkirchen. Sodom continue relentlessly, Angelripper never resting in his quest to drive the band forward and for that we should be grateful. Their new album in 2020 could just be the biggest in the band’s stunning history. 7/10

Stormwarrior: Norsemen (Massacre Records)

It’s highly unlikely that Stormwarrior could be anything else but a power metal band. Formed in 1998, Norsemen is their sixth album from the Germans and once more it follows a Viking theme. It’s a bit like Amon Amarth but on warp speed ten. Every track is played at the most blistering pace, the high harmonies reminiscent of fellow countrymen Blind Guardian. The band initially drew their influences from 80s outfits Helloween and Running Wild, but I’d suggest that Norsemen can outrun either of those bands, such is the speed and energy on display here. Founder member Lars Ramcke’s vocals are a little irritating, but that’s more a personal preference than anything critical. His guitar playing however, alongside current fellow guitarist Björn Daigger is as fluid and impressive as any top power metal shredder today.

The water-tight rhythm section of Jörg Uken (drums) and Yenz Leonhardt on bass propel everything forward at astonishing pace. The opening introduction To the Shores Where We Belong provides a classic lead into Norsemen (We Are), an anthemic rip-roaring opening which soon segues into a perfect power metal track in Storm Of The North. The album continues to impress with Shield Wall drawing instant comparisons with Amon Amarth’s song of the same name. Focusing on the same topic, it gives another take on the defensive weapon which served the Vikings so well in their conquests. It’s also delivered at scorching pace. I’m not power metal’s biggest fan but I enjoyed this album immensely. Its crazy pace, the technical ability and the overall heaviness make it one that all metal fans should really give a go. 8/10

Oni: Alone (Metal Blade Records)

2016’s Ironshore saw Rich rave about the Canadian progressive outfit. In fact, he deemed it a “modern metal masterpiece”. Former writer Lee was almost as effusive at their support slot for Devil You Know a year later. Well, three years on Oni are back with their new EP Alone. It combines progressive metal with the Djent and metalcore genes and whilst I wouldn’t say it’s anywhere near the music that I would choose to listen to, there is certainly enough here to maintain the interest. The title track is dominated by the staccato bass chug of Chase Bryant and the clean vocals of Jake Oni. Rift isn’t as instant, the jagged rough singing contrasting with the cleaner vocals; again, not my favourite style and one that seems to be very much in vogue these days.

The intricate guitar work impresses, whilst the fleeting Xylosynth work adds depth. However, track four Breathe Again really gets all the antenna twitching. It’s a massive tune that kicks off with roaring guttural vocals, soaring guitar work and that bass sound to the fore before racing away at pace. With the Xylosynth at full bore and fully engaged in the mix and clean vocals that at times echo early Chester Bennington. At 24 minutes in length, this isn’t an EP that overstays its welcome but is crammed full of quality. It may not have got me quivering as much as Rich, but I cannot dispute that Oni are an interesting and powerful band who have produced a solid second release. 7/10

Birdeatsbaby: The World Conspires (Dr Music Records)

This is a fabulous release. Bursting with energy, emotion and carefully crafted melancholic soft melodies. There are changes of direction and style in every song. Although they were new to me, this is their fifth album from the Brighton outfit and provides the listener with 67 minutes of dark progressive rock which interlaces with a myriad of other influences. There are strings that soar, powerful drumming and even bludgeoning riffs which juxtapose neatly with less aggressive songs. Painkiller has an Eastern feel but is viciously heavy at times; there is a steampunk feel to Kill No One The electronic style of Zero Fortythree slowly builds, with the enchanting vocals of Mishkin Fitzgerald supported by Hanna Maria and Garry Mitchell. The emotion is clear in Box Of Razor Blades. References to dark cabaret are understood, and captivating tracks such as Lady Grey and Dido’s Lament (with guest vocals by Feline Lang) keep you entranced. Birdeatsbaby comprises Mishkin Fitzgerald: vocals, piano, accordion, synthesizer, Hana Maria: violin, cello, vocals, harp, barrel organ, Garry Mitchell: bass, guitar, vocals, double bass, Rhodes organ and Anna Mylee: drums and percussion. This album benefits from a crisp production from the legendary John Fryer (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, HIM). The World Conspires is an album that should entice and ensnare fans of ambient atmospheric progressive rock. 8/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Municipal Waste (Live Review By Rich Oliver)

Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Enforcer & Skeletal Remains, The Asylum, Birmingham

With the year coming to an end and the last tours hitting the UK for 2019, a few of us headed up to the homeland of heavy metal the Midlands for a couple of thrashtastic shows, the first of which was in the birthplace of metal, Birmingham. Hosting this gig was the fantastic venue The Asylum which I had never been to before and it was a cracking place with great sound and clear views. We managed to get a good vantage point by the bar and were treated to four fantastic bands which although each slightly different in style all complimented each other well. Each band I would have quite happily paid to see headlining their own shows so to get all four on one bill was brilliant and applause must go to the booking agents who put together this fantastic tour.

With it being a Tuesday night, the venue was only slightly full when Skeletal Remains (8) hit the stage. These Californian death thrashers only had a short set so wasted no time in absolutely pummelling the audience with a mix of crushing thrash and brutal Florida style death metal. Bone fracturing heavy renditions of songs such as Devouring Mortality and Internal Detestation warmed the audience up for the continual onslaught to come.

Next up were Enforcer (9) who whilst being based in more traditional heavy metal played with enough speed, ferocity and aggression that no one could say that they did not belong there. A few of the hardcore thrashers did not look too impressed but most of the crowd were absolutely loving it with the Swedish band’s trad metal on speed style. The only new song played was Die With The Devil but the rest of the set was made up of the older and faster songs such as Undying Evil, Mesmerised By Fire and Take Me Out Of This Nightmare. I have been a fan of Enforcer for many years and this was my first time seeing them live and I absolutely loved every second of it. According to my mates I was with I had a shit eating grin on my face for the entire set.

With the crowd loosened up and with a good quantity of booze down their necks the intensity kicked up a notch for the main support Toxic Holocaust (9), whose blunt and crust punk influenced style of thrash got the crowd moving and the circle pit erupting. Despite being a three-piece, Toxic Holocaust play with a ridiculous amount of volume and intensity and their set was riff after riff and riff with my neck threatening to give out part way through their set. The set was mainly made up of older material with cuts such as Nuke The Cross, The Lord Of The Wasteland, Acid Fuzz, Bitch and War Is Hell ensuring there were some sore necks the next morning.

Bringing the night to a close and the intensity and craziness to a ridiculous level were party thrashers Municipal Waste (9). It’s safe to say that as soon as they hit the stage the crowd absolutely erupted, and it took less than 30 seconds for the first crowd surfers to come flying over the barrier. People were climbing on top of the bar and flying off, the circle pit did not stop until the band finished and a guy even walked into the middle of it with a waste bin at some point. It’s no surprise that things got crazy as Municipal Waste are a feral force of energy live and that energy feeds directly into the crowd. Hell, even my old arse dived into the pit for a short while. The band opened with Unleash The Bastards and it was nonstop from there on with You’re Cut Off, Beer Pressure, Headbanger Face Rip, Breathe Grease, Wrong Answer, Sadistic Magician and Born To Party amongst others. It was also nice to hear Substitute Creature off the bands mostly forgotten debut Waste‘Em All. The band put in such a ridiculously tight performance even though they did not keep still on stage at all. I’ve only ever previously seen Municipal Waste at big outdoor festival shows so to see them in a small sweaty venue was amazing as the arena is where they truly shine.

All in all, this was one of the best shows I’ve been to this year. Every single band smashed it and the energy and intensity made this show such ridiculous fun. Thrash is certainly still king.

Reviews: Church Of The Cosmic, Silent Call, Gévaudan, Archaeologist (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Church Of The Cosmic Skull: Everybody's Going To Die (Self Released)

The third album from Church Of The Cosmic Skull, who are collective that observe The 7 Objects, check out their website the Inner Sanctum to be received by their warm embrace into the cosmic family. Now much like the universe itself the nothing stays the same and since their previous album Sister Amy has departed the collective but the Electric viola of Brother Joseph has been brought in for this third collection of audio recordings. What hasn't changed is the band's blend of prog/pop/glam/rock, part Queen, part The Beatles and with big swathes of space rock and a lot of soundscapes borrowed from Jeff Lynne's ELO, COTCS are band who have always intrigued and entertained me on record but I was disappointed on my sole viewing of them live, however with this third album entering in my orbit it would be remiss not to spin it a few times around my axis and give my opinion.

Fantasy opens with some Brain May guitar playing from Brother Bill, who's soulful, sometimes spoken vocals are an integral part of the band as are the harmonies of Sister Caroline and
Sister Joanne which are often fleshed out to five part harmonisation by Brother Samuel and Brother Michael who along with Bill's fuzzy, Lizzy-like guitar playing is the main instrument of this band layering tracks like Don't You Believe In Magic with both boogieing piano and organ stabs. He is also the major contributor to the title track which talks about death in an upbeat way, without being judgemental as they are "feeling alright" in embracing the darkness which is at the outer reaches of this album. It's followed by Do What You Want (With Love In Your Heart) which has some fleet fingered guitar playing and piano runs on top of a rampaging rhythm section from Brother Laurence (drums) and Brother Samuel (bass).

This record has the most amount of tracks the band have put on a record and along with them with being the most eclectic I'd also say they are some of the best, it's almost like the band have really nailed down their sound, balancing the rockier sound with the pop and psych sounds brilliantly. It's a joyous celebration of the free loving late 60's into the progressive 70's, from the doomy The Hunt to the jazzy Seven these are the Church opening their doors to a wider congregation, which bodes well for their shows in February billed as An Evening With. Yes Everybody's Going To Die but when you have music that doesn't matter, all is love! 8/10

Silent Call: Windows (Rockshots Records)

This is the fourth album from Swedish progressive metal act Silent Call, their first since 2014, and first with new singer Göran Nyström who replaces founding member Andi Kravljača. It is also dear reader their final studio album, it was recorded in 2016 and produced Richard Hinks of Aeon Zen (which features Kravljača on vocals). It seems as if Silent Call are going to go out they are going out swinging with another album of melancholic, emotional progressive metal, something they have been doing since their inception. Opening with Faceless the swansong of Silent Call's career gives you the first taste of Nyström's vocals from the off as the piano-led intro moves into some tough riffs. It's a melodic enough start that brings to mind Symphony X, while Soulshaker has some electro-dance synths and more hard rock edge to it with more power metal touches of Evergrey come in on Imprisoned In Flesh and Clouded Horizon. Windows is very strong way of seeing out Silent Call's career, for any progressive metal fans who like it a bit darker then they have always been a band who can be name checked along with those mentioned here so, this album is more bittersuite than even they can muster. 7/10

Gévaudan: Iter (Self Released)

Iter is the debut full length of Hertfordshire doom band Gévaudan. The 5 track album (don't worry the songs are nice and long) tells stories of the interactions between gods and mortals along with the wider themes of the passage into, through and out of existence. Nice heady topics ready for some very heavy metal. Dawntreader starts with Adam Pirmohamed's vocals almost whispered while backed by Bruce Hamilton's solitary guitar, it's an anguished scream and the rhythm section of Andy Salt (bass) and David Himbury (drums) bring the crushing doom riffs as the stripped back opening returns. It's a melancholic opening to the album and one that is very strictly modern doom emotional and raw it leads into the more traditional realms of Maelstrom which has fuzzy doom riffs the drag their way through it's 7 minute plus run time, The Great Heathen Army is more on epic doom track Cathedral would be proud of, with some mind melting psych in the solo. Pirmohamed's voice ideally suited for the bands fusion of new and old as his dramatic delivery is bewitching. The album closes with two longest tracks, the 11 minute Saints Of Blood simmers with more psychedelic passages before boiling over into the heavier sounds where there is even some harsh vocals. The final number is Duskwalker 15 minutes plus of atmospheric doom metal that closes this fantastic doom record, it's miserable, downcast, gloomy and at time monumental in it's scope Iter is a must for any doom metal fans. 8/10

Archaeologist: Winter's Wake (Self Released)

Ok we don't usually review singles but when that single is one 12 minute song in two parts we do get a little interested. Now Archaeologist was founded as the side project of Kyle Schaefer, after number of instrumental releases, including the well received debut Odysseys, Winter's Wake is the first that takes a vocals approach in conjunction with the band's progressive mastery, Schaefer has teamed up with guitarist Sean Johnson, drummer Ryan Johnson and bassist George Lallian to make this EP their most accomplished music yet, they've even managed to recruit special guests Scott Carstairs (Fallujah) and Wes Thrailkill (prog-fusion guitarist) to provide some six string assistance on part 1 and 2 respectively. So what is it actually like? Well Part 1 starts with some tapped floating clean guitar playing as Schaefer shows off his melodic vocal, which hasn't been heard on previous releases, he's a great singer with that Haken edge to his voice that moves into screams as well. There's a djent style to this, it's thoroughly modern with palm muted grooves coming in on the soaring choruses, Part 2 is a bit livelier with some heavy prog metal riffs and that stunning solo in the middle taking your breath away. Lively, progressive and heavy Winter's Wake is the next chapter in Archaeologist's evolution. 7/10

Review: No Man (Large Review By Alex Swift)

No Man: Love You To Bits (Caroline International)

To indulge in genre debates for a moment, I Love You To Bits is not a rock album, by any stretch of the imagination. In many ways, its disco, trip-hop and synth-pop tendencies are divorced from that world entirely. Perhaps the only reason I’m covering No Man here is their two members, Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness, deserve significant admiration for their contributions to the world of rock and metal. Still, I think we are doing ourselves a disservice by not considering the minefield of influences which made the musicians we celebrate who they are today. Also, make no mistake, while No-Man may be pop, they’re not playing by the traditional rulebook, instead opting to present a dark, multifaceted view of love and relationships, melded by the erratic yet socially conscious imaginations of our collaborators.

In describing the record Bowness has called it ''The least prog thing we’ve ever done in terms of the music but the most prog thing we’ve ever done in terms of capturing the spirit of what that music did’. He’s not wrong in that analysis. The throbbing beats, changeable melodic phrases and elusive dances which compose Love You To Bits, embody the revolutionary nature of early dance acts, while still being a unique creation by a modern act.

You can tell its progressive by the fact that the entire album is made up of two songs, in five movements each. The first – the self-titled love you to Bits, begins on a surreal, almost otherworldly nature, as the swirling synthesizers and pulsating drums escalate in hypnotism. ‘What are you thinking? What are you dreaming? I’d like to know what’s on your mind. Who are you holding? How are you coping? Did you move on or stay behind’ elucidates that this record is not, as the name initially suggests, a document of a happy marriage. Obsessions. Jealousy and anxiety are all held up to the microscope here, aided by the ceaseless and entrancing compositions of Wilson. Bit 2 slows the lead melody to a slow and haunting weep.

This transitions beautifully into Bit 3 where a harsh – if still insanely danceable guitar riff – loops persuasively, as dissected samples swell and subdue in the background, lending excellently to that sense of doubt embroiled in feelings of unrequited love. Bit 4 reintroduces the trippy nature of the duo’s ambience, the instrumentals, lyrics and electronics blurring into an amorphous musical hallucinogenic which slowly worms its way throughout your senses, before spilling over into a maddened and enraged guitar solo. The final bit draws us back into the lead rhythms and hook, with darkly altered lyrics to reflect the consequences of our protagonist’s lust. ‘I love you, until I can’t love at all’

Next up is Love You To Pieces and considering the ever blackening nature of the first track, the listener has no cause to believe that this will be any more cheerful. While, to some that may seem like a detraction, remember this is Wilson and Bowness we’re considering. They thrive off sadness like a bee thrives off pollen. Indeed, carrying on the themes, the anthem expounds on the shard remnants of the narrator's so-called ‘love’. A droning, whirring melodic phrase plays out here, while dissonant effects, many of them distantly reminiscent of earlier ones, now glare and dazzle. ‘Hopelessly waiting, while feelings were fading, the way it always seemed to me. I found my survival in dreams of escaping, a sticky love, just left me weak’ ring out the first words we hear on Piece 1. From there, the suite takes on a harsh, exacting and mechanical nature. The disco ball representing the albums image, while still echoing the style of the music, now feels strangely dystopian as keyboards, bass and distortion screams and reverberates vexingly. Piece 3 and Piece 4 feels strangely mocking in its bright glittering melodies, contrasted against ceaselessly haunting wordplay.

The album ends on a blissful yet melancholic note, proving a contemplative finish to a work coloured in detail and complexity. As I’ve said before contrast will forever be a strength of these players, and as long as their sadness in the world to contemplate, they will forever continue to meld it into something beautiful. 8/10