Reviews: Wormwood, Negative Frame, Sinsid, The Vicious Head Society (Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Wormwood - Å (Black Lodge) [Mark Young]

A two track EP from the Stockholm based melodic black metal act Wormwood. There is a subtitle, Contemporary Decay Of Stockholm, in two parts which suggests that this could be on the darker side. I’ll leave others to tell me if its darker than their other material. Their bio certainly suggests a lot, so let’s dive in.

YRA|Extas starts in a way that expected; no messing or wasted moments but without the traditional speed fest of blasting drums or manic vocals. Instead, it coasts along until they decide its time to show their teeth. 

This is a brief moment, manic until they fall back into slight chordal movements and melodic lines that play off each other. The song length should have clued me that this was going to be an exercise the band showing off their talents in being able to fill that space by doing whatever they want. 

This is fine, but once they kick it into gear it becomes something else. The trouble is that they feel the need to pull that speed back once more and dive into the cinematic side of their sound. This might mean more to me if I’d heard more by them prior to this, but hey ho. Comparing this against other black metal I’ve reviewed recently, this sounds like what could be the higher end of that movement. 

Other bands are approaching it from maybe one perspective, and the music they are releasing is good, don’t get me wrong but there is a huge amount of confidence on display here. Here is a band that have touched down in a number of different lanes and are closing this out with a brilliantly pitched lead break. 

This is quality, and Purposeless Geometry starts with what sounds like a choir singing, but I think it’s a guitar tracked many times. It’s like night and day compared to YRA, just another facet of a band that grows more and more interesting as this song unfurls. 

I mean if you dived into this at around 4 minutes 40, you could be forgiven for thinking you were listening to a completely different style of music. Its as far removed from extreme metal and then they kick the legs from under you and throw in the guttural vocals to provide that extreme edge, working as a counterpoint to the music underneath it.

And that is all she wrote. Two songs, 16 minutes of frankly spellbinding music. 9/10

Negative Frame - Break The Ice (Blood Blast Distribution) [Matt Bladen]

The UK has become a center for bludgeoning metallic hardcore in recent years, with bands like Malevolence, Guilt Trip and Pest Control all bringing the disgusting breakdowns, mechanized precision, some epic soundscapes, hardcore punk aggression and melodic elements that steal from early metalcore and melodeath.

Maybe it's the weather or the insane times we live in politically but bands have a lot to be angry about so there's and influx of bands coming from the underground grabbing on to the cultural zeitgeist that the whole metallic hardcore sound brings with it. A rage against oppression, injustice and a general feeling of emptiness that many may have with this world.

The extremity of the daily grind has informed this debut album from Negative Frame, a band born from the London skate scene who throw together their love of hardcore punk, thrash and groove metal on Break The Ice, their first studio record where these influences are very strong especially on tracks such as the lead guitar filled Cut Throat and the thrashing Cold Nights.

It's visceral and volatile as any bands who've emerged from the UKHC scene always are, songs with an intense communal spirit that are designed to get you moving, be that circle pits, stage dives or throwing high kicks, it's music for stages and you can feel the livewire energy bristling though every single note of this record.

However there's also maturity shown, more complexity coming through with a dedicated lead guitarist offering plenty of solos as a accoutrement to the stomping riffs on tracks such as the incensed Pay To Play, the steamrolling, fret sliding monster that is Rat Trap or the Pantera-like Heavens Blue which shows Negative Frame in whole new light.

Negative Frame are a band born from UKHC scene but Break The Ice, is a different beast with the lead guitar parts and the shift in tone towards more melodies in the latter part of the record, there's evidence that Negative Frame could ascend to the lofty heights of Malevolence and even beyond. 9/10

Sinsid – All That Remains (Pitch Black Records) [Matt Bladen]

Like traditional heavy metal with vocals that sound like prime Blackie Lawless? Then I’d suggest picking up a copy of All That Remains from Norwegian metal act Sinsid.

A band that is built on the foundation of Terje Singh Sidhu’s raw, gritty vocal, they’ve been playing classic heavy metal for 14 years and they’re a band who do thing traditionally. Those vocals, the twin axe riffs, melodic elements and choruses that are built to be shouted back by loyal warriors.

All That Remains is their fourth album and I’d love to tell you it’s a revolutionary piece but it isn’t, this is Sinsid doing what they do with a record of heavy metal that’s got grit and guts, elements of Grim Reaper, Helstar, Accept, Running Wild or any of the NWOBHM/Teutonic crew who play down tuned and tough heavy metal.

There’s galloping work outs like Breaking All The Rules and Sarcophagus, anthemic moments such as the Title Track some strutting street metal on the very W.A.S.P-like Running and the spooky The Horror (I Know), all delivered by a band who live for heavy metal and mixed/mastered to give it an authentic throwback sound of the bands I've mentioned.

If you like traditional heavy metal but a bit gnarlier then Sinsid's new record will get you pumping that fist. 7/10

The Vicious Head Society - Call Of The Void (Crime Records) [Mark Young]

This is one of those albums where there is so much going on, a lot of it good, a lot of it very good and some of it that caused me to skip forward. I have to be honest with you, that prog isn’t my thing at all, but I would suggest that lovers of prog, especially with a technical skew this has (is that just prog?) will go nuts for this.

The Vicious Head Society hail from Ireland, with Graham Keane occupying the creative and driving force behind it. What the band does is provide an outlet for some of the most virtuoso displays of musicianship you will hear anywhere. Some of this is mind blowing, absolutely jaw dropping in execution and in some ways, they hit like a modern day Deep Purple – guitar/keyboard interplay that is something to behold.

Fractured is as good as example of what they can do – pummeling double bass, off-kilter riffs and some soaring cleans that are machine built to sit with each other, its difficult to put into words how good this sounds as opening blast. That technical approach I mentioned starts to creep in, but the real quality is in how this has been put together. You will know what I mean when you hear it, promise. And obviously there is the lead breaks that come in around 4 minutes. Just fabulous stuff. 

The Edge Of Time occupies the same space as Fractured, well built on a solid riff foundation and giving the vocals room to do their thing. I’m not doing the best in describing this but just take my word for this. I need to give a shout out to Nathan Max, who delivers a stunning vocal performance on this and deserves his moment in the sun. These two are belters, dripping with quality. When they are firing like this, I have to say I could listen to it all day long. 

It’s when they step off the gas a little that I find myself losing a little bit of interest, such as with Holding On To Forever which after a good start pulls back into what I call ‘soft track three mode’ and makes me skip onwards. The Tide picks up after this, and its back on track, admittedly with a familiar riff build. This one does have those mint chord changes to it, plus more of that stunning guitar work, it can’t fail.

And then they do it again, Ignite opting to lean into that softer style of things, which turns me off almost instantly. I think a lot of its is to do with my personal preferences, and the way that the band have pulled this together. Its their art, not mine but it didn’t work for me. The Void comes back stronger, but still feels light in its touch, driven more by synths which is no bad thing but for me something is missing. 

The Edge Of Time Pt 2 comes across like they want it to be an epic piece and certainly possesses all of those required ingredients but I can’t get on with it. That heavier approach that I locked into has gone, at least to this point and its likely that this will excite fans of the scene. 

So Speaking of epics, They close up with Distant Lights of Home, which is an epic piece of work. There are elements, that remind me of the Running Man’s soundtrack (the OG one) and yes, it does pick up after a soft opening section. I think that it represents the good and bad in one spot, and I guess that it fits into milieu that they are going for – a journey taking in a number of steps, changes in arrangement and the use of light/dark tones to get to where they need to be. I’ve said this before that some songs don’t need to be the length they are, and if you are going to do this make the song interesting all the way through. 

Whether this is derived from an extended jam that has been hammered into shape, I don’t know but depending on your tastes this will either be a climax of climaxes or something you skip onwards.

For me, this is one of those albums that has some amazing moments on it that are undone. Again, you cannot argue with the virtuoso displays on here, or with the vocal performances. Had they kept that momentum built from the first two tracks, we would have been having a different conversation. 6/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Repent Fest - Summer Bash (Heather Louise Ash)

Repent Fest - Summer Bash: Cro-Mags, The Oppressed, Rancour, Flubber, System Slaves & Bottom Of The Barrel, Corn Exchange Newport, 08.08.26



Repent Summer Fest saw Bottom Of The Barrel, System Slaves, Flubber, Rancours, The Oppressed and Cro-Mags take over the Corn Exchange for a day of Punk/Hardcore.

Presented by South Wales Collective who strive to keep hardcore, ugly, real and for the working class. 

It was my first time at the Corn Exchange and when I arrived the room was almost empty. Concrete floors, exposed pipes across the ceiling and accessible seating near the front of the stage, meaning those using it could still be part of the experience, something I don't usually see at a venue.

There had been some changes to the line-up before the event. Hoods were removed following footage of transphobic comments being made at another gig, with the bands touring alongside them also coming off the bill. It was quite clearly the right call.

Bottom Of The Barrel (7) got things started to a small crowd, with messages of support around gender, sex and race. “Don't be a cunt” probably summed it up best. 

They also spoke about free speech not meaning freedom from consequences, particularly fitting given the changes to the line-up. The crowd engaged well and they were a great start to the day. I'm looking forward to hearing more from them.

System Slaves (7) were next. I really enjoyed the vocals but just wished the crowd had pulled in and moved more like the other sets. There was plenty of space at the front, with most people choosing to hang further back. 

One young teenage girl clearly wasn't bothered, dancing away and enjoying herself regardless. With the age range already standing out to me, it was nice seeing someone so young getting involved and supporting the local scene.

Before Flubber (8) started I overheard someone say, “I'm gonna get Flubbed to fuck”, followed by “any band can become a verb”.

Then came the Cape Fear intro with “Councilor, Councilor I am as big as God and he is as small as I” being bellowed down the mic.

Once things got moving there was plenty of pacing and swinging arms back and forth in front of the stage, with members of the band smirking at each other clearly enjoying themselves. 

Someone two-stepped onto the stage before later being carried around over someone’s shoulders with their legs stretched out. One of those legs ended up against my back and accidentally pushed me along with them, so I unexpectedly went for a little walk through the crowd too, but that's hardcore/punk.

By Rancour (8), the crowd had picked up. Their energetic set came with messages of a "Freee Palestine" and the climate crisis, alongside a dedication to their friend. More people started moving as the set went on until arms and legs were flying and that familiar musky smell of trainers started filling the room.

The Oppressed (9). With age comes experience and they have nailed the art of storytelling, something I wish we had more of at shows personally. Each song had a story and everyone hung off every word. 

At times it felt really intimate, particularly when another man joined them on the mic. You could really sense the respect between them both. The love for these Cardiff legends was clear throughout the crowd as they sang along and moved their bodies to every song.

Cro-Mags (10) finished the day. Harley showed that age really is just a number. A few songs in and the shirt came off, with compliments about the shape he was in coming from several directions around me. Then there were the vocals, followed by fists pumping, bodies piling at the front and high energy throughout, with the rest of the band matching Harley's intensity.

There were messages of equality and peace between songs, with Harley thanking The Oppressed for being such a big influence. It was nice seeing that respect between two bands from different ends of the world who have both been doing this for decades.

Harley also spoke about how music connects us, and it was something I saw all evening . In-between sets I noticed people gathering outside, catching up with friends, making new ones, networking and sharing stories with each other. Inside there were teenagers alongside people who had been going to shows for decades. 

I'd watched younger and older generations throwing themselves around the same floor, while multiple generations of bands shared the same stage. People who perhaps would never have met if it hadn't been for this particular gig.

Reviews: Electric Callboy, Din Of Celestial Birds, Temple Of Dread, Niveous (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

Electric Callboy - Tanzneid (Century Media/Sony) [Matt Bladen]

Tanzeid, which translates to 'Dance Envy' for you non German speakers, is the anticipated new record from German rave metal kings Electric Callboy.

Staring back in 2010 with a chillier name, since they've added the Electric moniker they've taken the world by storm with a style of music that is almost unclassifiable but also has a massive following from lovers of multiple genres.

Within the metal community there's just as many who love them as loathe them but you know what they're headlining both Waken and Bloodstock next year so what do the gatekeepers know? Their previous album Tekkno (2022) was a worldwide smash so they are looking to recreate that with this new record, their seventh studio release.

They're looking to do by taking more risks musically than on their other records, pushing the Electro pop choruses, techno hyperbeats, emo anthemics and metal breakdowns further to create a collision of sounds that swirl together resulting in a record of urgent, heavy music that's right on the pulse of modern metal while also taking them further into a genre of one.

Their meteoric rise can been witnessed by the company they keep as single Ratatata brims with Euro/J-Pop Dance energy and features Babymetal. Let The Good Times Roll however has a nostalgic pop punk bounce as The Offspring add their gang shout choruses. The pop punk influence doesn't stop there though as Still Waiting is an electo metal cover of the Sum 41 hit, the band where drummer Frank Zummo played until they disbanded.

Written while in tour, in backstage areas, flashes of studio time, Tanzeid feels like a band who are creating music for the stage, there's few breaks in the pace, but definitely a more mature way of songwriting that uses space to create more an impact than just audio battery, even on the metallics blasts of Heartclub there's huge clean choruses, as The Way You Are takes us into the realm of boy bands and close harmonies then explodes into the heaviest track here.

Tanzneid encourages you to dance like no one's watching and with the ten new Techno-metal bangers and four remixes you'll definitely be hearing these in an arena near you soon so start throwing shapes. 8/10

Din Of Celestial Birds - Takeoffs & Landings (Big Scary Monsters) [Matt Bladen]

Din Of Celestial Birds are Matt Benatan (bass/synths), Chris Core (guitar), Andie Gill (guitar/synth), Tom Hazlehurst (guitar) and Vince Knight-Schrijver (drums/percussion).

They've been making waves in the post rock scene for a while now and with their second record Takeoffs & Landings they've enlisted Joe Clayton and Brad Boatright to make sure it sounds the absolute best it can.

On their sophomore record the have made a concept album about "adventure, travel, and the journey of life" these journeys and experienced channeled though their progressive, vibrant, instrumental post rock. Three expansive, cinematic guitars sounds interplay, an insistent rhythm section and innovative synth patterns make sure that this Leeds based band are able to showcase serious emotion without vocals.

They've become post rock scene darlings after performances at Arctangent and across the UK and beyond, following their 2023 debut album The Night Is For Dreamers. This established their heart on sleeve style of instrumental goodness and directly influenced this follow up release.

Even though many of the songs were written before these ventures onto stages across the world they all are connected by a sense of discovery and the spirit of adventure, the melodies of the record soar high from the Title Track where clean and heavy combine and through the anthemic Marmoris that shimmers in post rock brilliance.

There's a cinematic quality here which does feel like the beginning of a journey, leading into From This Summit We Can See The Heavens, a more intense number that does feel like a climb towards the top of mountain, while there's a grooving detour on the thundering electro rock of When Suddenly.

The dreamlike You Are My Temple imbues itself with a sense of deep longing as Migratory Patterns follows repeating motif that mimics that of birds in flight with the guitars and bass, layering the approach until once again into harmonic brilliance.

Takeoffs & Landings is a captivating listen, instrumental post rock at is absolute finest, dynamic, inventive and just emotionally powerful, it's stunning! 10/10

Temple Of Dread - Dreadspawn Dominion (Testimony Records) [Mark Young]

This is why I love reviewing music. Sometimes you get release that is the musical equivalent of meat and potatoes; filling, comforting food that does a job. Dreadspawn Dominion is little bit more than that, but I think you get the picture. Temple Of Dread formed in 2018 and have consistently dropping new music since 2019.

After the now customary acoustically driven introduction with Wings Of Immortality, we are driven headlong into a full bore death metal kicking, customary of these scene veterans. This is death metal with no time to lose, the title track flying in and setting us up for some old school goodness. This might not be groundbreaking in any shape or form but what it lacks in modern day subtlety or production it makes up for it in the brutality stakes.

Born To Rot takes that delicious old school flavour and keeps it in check. Its like going back to the early 90’s and as a fan from then its great to hear. Its similar in execution to Left To Die, in the way that the songs are built from what feels like a fans perspective. I’m sure that it won’t have the same affect on everyone but sometimes you need your death metal to sound like its 1990. Riffs are the order of the day here, hard edged riffs and after all that is what we have come for.

Even when they slow down, and I use that description loosely, there is still a feeling of movement to it. Death March opting for that approach, building to one of those head shaking arrangements that will cause spontaneous head banging live. Its also controlled, deciding to avoid going down the expected route of blasting itself with increased speed. Blood Pyre does it in a similar way but breaks out the lead breaks so we forgive them for that.

 As good as these slower paced tracks are, an injection of speed is sorely needed otherwise that good work they have built up will disappear. Scorched By Cosmic Fire starts off slowly, but wisely they take the brakes off and increase the temperature accordingly, until they pull back at the end. Rites Of Blasphemy is then sent from the gods, a snarling 3 minute burn that injects that pace back into the album, recovering some of that momentum lost earlier. It is possibly my favourite track on this, just for its intent. 

Artisan Of Oblivion sees them back on solid ground, this time mixing tempo to suit but keeping that push going. You remember I said meat and potatoes? This is a prime example of that, Solid riffs, speed and aggression. Infernal Eternity sees them close out in a barrage of solid riffs and that medium crawl that has dominated elsewhere. All things being equal it is a suitable end for the album, one that provides a decent set of songs with a lot to like.

For me had they avoided that mid-album lull, and maintained that early intent, then I would have scored it higher. As it is, its still a strong album. 7/10

Niveous - Cult Of The Void Star (Hypnotic Dirge Records) [Mark Young]

If someone was to ask me what does black metal sound like, at least in 2026 then I would have no issue in putting Niveous forward as an ideal example of what it is supposed to sound like. This is their debut full length record, following in the footsteps of an EP (Endless Snowfall) which dropped in 2025. The fact that this is a (whisper it) concept album of sorts doesn’t change that view, and having such a strong focus in place does them no harm at all.

The six songs, all weigh in on a hefty side with only two of them coming in under 6 minutes. The rest are all six plus, so it gives you an indication of their approach on this. It takes in the classic tropes you would expect – frantic chord changes, the blast beats, the shriek style of vocals these are all in place, which is great what is added to that is a frigid energy that courses though each of these tracks as they unravel this concept story. 

Harbinger Of The Void Star is their opening ticket, a blast through those comforting black metal touches but done in their own style. It’s worth listening to this with decent headphones just to pick up on those little touches that are dropped in throughout. Its that kind of attentiveness to making this and the others such an engaging listen. Does it go on slightly too long, well yes and that is something that you can level at this genre, but when the riffs within are as a good it is something, you can put up with. 

Servants Of The Monolith is up next and seizes the opportunity to pummel you. Again, its style is familiar but, in their defense, trying to sound too dissimilar would move them away from their core audience. This one is built more from a speed perspective The question you have to ask yourself is does it grab you, is it interesting? The answer is yes. Even the lead break that comes in towards the end is spot on, flash without being overly technical. I’m not the greatest fan of black metal, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate good metal when I hear it and there is plenty of it on here. 

From Frostborne Resistance and its sing-along refrain that should be quality live through to Northbound, each track has a forward thinking approach hammered into it. I’m sure that there will be those that will decry them as not being from Scandinavia, but what are you going to do? They write good extreme metal that ensures that the key objectives are met: Its aggressive, its fast and sounds like they enjoyed making it. 

Boreal Stronghold is the last track and brings those core requirements one last time. This one has this rapid build to it, which still allows for little flourishes to be observed right through it. What it gives you is a closing moment that is as strong as the opener, and for me that is the sign of good metal, no matter the genre. Niveous don’t lose sight of doing what they know they must do, approaching this from a fan perspective in ensuring they let no one down.

It will be interesting to hear what they have in store next, and I’m hoping that they maintain this level of craft and quality observed on here. 8/10

Reviews: Rezn, Dead Meadow, Emptiness, Hexorcist (Matt Bladen, Rich Piva, Mark Young & Joe Guatieri)

REZN - Cycles In The Infinite Dream (Sargent House) [Matt Bladen]

Doom? Prog? Psych? Saxophone? Flute? Lap Steel? Ok you got me, I guess I'll dive into and probably love another album from Chicago, Illinois, virtuosos REZN.

It's been a decade since they formed and defined their own niche in the music world, coming from the heavy foundations of psychedelic stoner doom over the years and across five previous albums they've added extras that have shifted them into the prog-sphere, using instruments I've mentioned that may be more at home in jazz or country genres.

It's this experimentalism that has gained them a very dedicated following and positive reviews across the board, fusing cavernous doom riffs and a tsunami of synths, on new record Cycles In The Infinite Dream they've expanded their minds to go further into psychedelia while amplifying the other elements of their music as well.

The album explores "the nexus of our waking and nocturnal worlds" as if lost in the subconscious, they weave a sonic tapestry that combines multiple skilled performances into nine complex songs, that never stay too long as prog often does, but squeezes a lot into run times that are between 4 at their shortest and 8 at the longest.

With Rob McWilliams up front on guitars/vocals, he's joined by Phil Cangelosi on bass and rainstick, Patrick Dunn on drums and Spencer Ouellette, who has a lot of work to do with synths/lapsteel/sax/flute/keys, this is the four piece who create all of incredible music here as Natalie Drakes and Ómkara Gil add violin and cello to two tracks, to add yet more musical dexterity and dynamism.

Dreamy textures on Aerial Birth, through to the Mastodon meets King Crimson of Transient, and the cascading melodic doom of The Vessel which reminds me of Pallbearer while Primal Thread takes me into the realms of Elder whom REZN will be supporting on tour next year. That promises to be a brilliant set of shows as Cycles In The Infinite Dream is another incredible record from these Chicago innovators. 9/10

Dead Meadow - Foundlings (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

Dead Meadow rules, so any new Dead Meadow material is very welcomed, even if it is an odds and sods type deal, like the band’s latest release, Foundlings. Foundlings is one of those “deep dive into the archives” type releases that, not surprisingly, has some pretty great songs on it, both covers and original material from sessions over the past two decades. 

What makes this one even more special is that it is dedicated to late band founder and bassist Steve Kille, who recently passed away from cancer and who plays on all of the tracks on Foundlings.

So what are these seven songs all about? Fuzzy, spaced out psych goodness that you expect from one of the best bands ever to do it, like on the opener, Lost To Light, which quality-wise is as good or better than anything that wound up on the great Voyager To Voyager, the sessions from which it was recorded. A killer version of the track Nobody Home, from the 2018 record The Nothing They Need, recording for an EarthQuaker session, is up next and it is more of the same greatness from the band, with the rhythm section locked in and that guitar tone, highlighting how great the band is live, even if it is live in the studio. 

Also recorded live in the studio, Kingdom Of Heaven is a cover of a Powell St. John, who I have not heard of before, but whose song is a spacy, atmospheric Twin Peaks vibes journey that has a killer solo. We even go back to 2001’s classic Howls From The Hills, and a session version of the killer trippy-as-hell Everything's Goin' On. Sure, throw in a cover of one of the greatest songs of all time, The Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows, done in Dead Meadow fashion, and have me listen to it 20 times in a row. 

This one is worth the price of admission alone. While we are at it, let’s get a cover of the Led Zep classic No Quarter. Also great. From The Children Of Planet Earth closes Foundlings out, and is a weird, synth driven mindbender that closes this set up perfectly.

Any Dead Meadow is great Dead Meadow, and the seven “from the archives” tracks on Foundlings are certainly worth your time, especially if you are a fan who can’t get enough of unheard material from one of the best bands out there. RIP Steve Kille. 9/10

Emptiness - Nowhere Speaks (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]

Emptiness’s Nowhere Speaks is a timely reminder that its simply impossible for me to like every piece of music that I hear. There are some things that were they to fall into someone else’s lap then the conversation would be different and to be fair I have been on a good run so I guess it’s the law of averages. 

 In any event, it’s the kind of thing that attempts to do something different and ends up being falling short, at least of the promises made in the extensive bio that accompanies the release. Its good enough to explain to those who may not know that its opening track directly where a track from 2014 abruptly finished, bearing in mind that there have been releases in between then and now. I’m not sure if that statement set the tone for me, are those in the community really scratching their collective heads as to what happened back then? I don’t know, I’m sure someone will tell me.

What follows next is a collection that merges differing approaches – true extreme metal, noise, electronica that looks to shine a light on them for how unique they are as a band. One thing their bio gets right is that they have no interest in making things easy for the listener. That’s completely fine, be abrasive and uncompromising but come armed with songs that provoke a reaction, be it joy or pain. Their songs fall largely into the middle groove, offering neither to me. 

I expect extreme metal to excite me, to be visceral and here they fail until they get late into things and drop The Clash Of Forces, which at least has a direct, forward kicking movement to it. It is saying a lot that we have got to track 8 before something has landed and has made a mark. Is this what they had in mind, is this what they wanted from this release? 

No idea but the cacophony falls away, replaced by Next In Line. It’s a 4 minute track where 2 or more minutes are wasted and any kind of late album momentum is lost. Its more than likely that fans of the band will get onto this immediately, understanding and maybe expecting that the content here will deploy the way it does. For me, it just feels like a gigantic waste of my time. 

All For Nothing is the closing piece and lives up to its name. I've looped backwards to the start again, just to see if I pressed play at the wrong time, but no. Its definitely you not me. 5/10

Hexorcist - Evil Reaping Death/Bestiarum Vocabulum (Invictus Records) [Joe Guatieri]

Hexorcist are a Death Metal band out of Miami, Florida, in the United States. They’ve been together since 2019, already having a sizable discography then any band would be happy with two demos, a full-length and two splits to their name. Known for their raw sound, your poor ears won’t last long with the sound being turned all the way up.

A unique situation for me today as I’m not only covering their new LP, Crucificial Imprecations, but also a combo release featuring two remasters, one being their first studio effort Evil Reaping Death and the other one is of their first demo, Bestiarum Vocabulum.

Starting off with their first album, Evil Reaping Death, it presents pummelling drums and bass which reach through your stereo and contort your body into shapes that you didn’t think were possible.

In under 40 minutes it achieves chaos and what it set out to do but at what cost? The crop of songs that flow in and out of each other have a real hitting quality to them, a lot of them with dynamic changes which keep you guessing and your head banging. Hexorcist are definitely showing a lot of love here for classic Death Metal, Raw Black Metal and for sure a lot of old-school Doom too.

Now I haven’t heard the original mix but if this is a remaster then you can definitely here it. A lot of the time in this warts and all approach the bass often gets forgotten about but not here, it seems to be turned all the way up. It’s organic though as slides and curves around the other instruments very well.

As I mentioned beforehand, packaged alongside Evil Reaping Death, you also get the band's first moment with the demo, Bestiarum Vocabulum. This early recording strikes me as more of a full on assault by Hexorcist. What I mean by that is, the instruments come together in one full swoop, comparing it to their other releases, Bestiarum Vocabulum is more like a gun, every little element works together to form a movement, whether the others feels like five archers, shooting their arrows at one target, it’s not the same. 7/10

Hexorcist - Crucificial Imprecations (Invictus Records) [Joe Guatieri]

2026 is a new era for Hexorcist, their last record at this stage was their split with Morbid Messiah which was put out in 2023 and a lot can happen in three years, now Crucificial Imprecations awaits…

The album presents half an hour of power with eight tracks, again keeping things concise which is something that we all like to see. Guess what happens here? Yep full-throttle blasting from every direction, sending you to an early grave.

The drums across the album are the highlight for me, being at times they are so overpowering, they might as well have knocked out the bass and guitar in real-time. Crucificial Imprecations takes on a deep love for Black Metal here, so much so that all of the dynamics and detail are sucked into a black hole.

If you’re looking to be buried by repetition then this record is for you. Compared to the band's previous material it only really has one thing going for it, it’s an evil scientist that focuses on one thing constantly and rolls around in bed endlessly sleeping on that thought and that is destroying the world that created him.

Thankfully it ends before the point where it gets far too much for me, I can only hear the same thing so many times. I’m left hungry for more and I come out of Crucificial Imprecations with the same feeling that I have a lot of the time with Death Metal, if you want to end existence, it doesn’t have to be done in one way. 

It’s easy for a band to make something sound dark but it’s going to take a lot more than that for Hexorcist to scare me. 5/10

A View From The Castle: The Sex Pistols (Michael Chapman)

The Sex Pistols, The Stranglers, The Undertones & Panic Shack - Cardiff Castle - 01.08.26

This castle has seen many things, but tonight may be something new, as the keep towers over the castle grounds there is a rumbling…the Punks are coming.

Celebrating 50 years of Punk, the Sex Pistols with Frank Carter are here to take us on a journey from Punk’s inception, and those turbulent and innovative days back in the late 1970s.

Starting the afternoon were Welsh band Panic Shack (7), bringing an energy that was truly infectious. Hailing from Cardiff, the male-backed band ripped through a confident and electrifying set of punk rock tunes. Sarah Harvey (lead vocals), Meg Fretwell (guitar, backing vocals), Romi Lawrence (guitar, backing vocals), Emily Smith (bass) and accompanied by Nick Doherty-Williams on drums engaged with the crowd and looked every bit a headline act in waiting, songs such as Jiu Jits You, Tit School and Ick were standouts in a set that should ignite the interest of any punk rock fan young and old, a tremendous outing by the five piece that set the tone for the evening ahead.

Following Panic Shack were Norther Irish stalwarts The Undertones (7). Kicking off with Jimmy Jimmy and flowing into You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It) and Male Model the audience was hooked, by the time the indelible Teenage Kicks arrived the tempo shifted upwards. Ending a well balanced set with My Perfect Cousin The Undertones proved to be a more than welcome addition to the lineup.

Soon it was time for The Stranglers (8) to take the stage. Toiler On The Sea beginning what would be a fantastic set, the audience with them every step of the journey. Duchess & ‘Nice ‘n’ Sleazy’ preceded the ever popular ‘Golden Brown’ & ‘Peaches’, their unique sound complimenting the speed and energy of the support bands, ‘Always the Sun’ a tempo shift before ‘Hanging Around & ‘No More Heroes’ round of a brilliant set and very much laid the way for the main act to take to the stage.

The Sex Pistols (8) need no introduction, but for those very few amongst us who aren’t familiar with one of British Punks originators, Guitarist Steve Jones, Drummer Paul Cook, Bassist Glen Matlock definitely made themselves and their legacy known. Front man Frank Carter, of Gallows & Rattlesnakes fame felt a perfect addition to the band, ‘Holidays in the Sun’ beginning a raucous set of Punk classics. Not long into the set the brilliant ‘Pretty Vacant’ was sung by Carter in the thick of a circle pit, surrounded by feverish fans young and old, very much showing the world that Punk is not dead. As ‘God Save The Queen’ was displayed on the huge screen and guitar chords rattled it really was a pinch me moment, these songs helped to usher in a movement and still resonate as strongly today as ever. As the band prepared for ‘No Feelings’ Carter demanded all Men to vacate the mosh pit, creating a Women's only space as the drums pounded and guitars rang. Finishing their ferocious set with ‘E.M.I.’, a cover of ‘My Way’, then straight into ‘Anarchy in the UK’ was the perfect statement to punctuate a fantastic night of nostalgia and everlasting punk energy, you really had to be there.

Review: Flamebearer - Igniter (Matt Bladen)

Flamebearer - Igniter (Interstellar Smoke Records)



A punchy drum beat, a big bass throb, a filthy riff, a massive shout and yeah Flamebearer are back and it feels good!

Flamebearer are a veteran band from the doom/stoner underground scene, brought together through the love of the riff to create doom punk, dank and heavy but propulsive and volatile.

Their EP and debut album were well received, reviewed and loved by yours truly so when the the London based band returned with their second album, Igniter and it hit my inbox, it went straight on, and the dial was turned right up.

What I notice is that, like their debut Brazen, the immediacy of this record is paramount, these are tracks written for the stage, the filth and fury of basement clubs, where everyone gets hot and sweaty down the front, they've been all over the country with their debut so they've had time to hone these songs and figure out where they want to go next as a band.

The result is this more streamline, direct second album, they've injected their energy into Igniter, with the bluesy, stoner meets heavy rock of Electric Haze, the first track on the record, setting the tone immediately for what's about to happen over the remaining 7 incendiary cuts.

Flamebearer manage to juggle their influences perfectly, Orange Goblin one minute, Clutch the next, then some Ozzy (solo) even a bit of RJD Rainbow, throw in some punk and even some glam and you get the Flamebearer, who I like to refer to as the British equivalent of Corrosion Of Conformity, a band with both punk and stoner/doom DNA, especially when they sling fuzzy riffs like Don't Think (Your Life Away)

However Flamebearer like to keep you guessing and as long as it's loud and raucous they'll get behind hit which means that Bow Down To Me has the hip shaking glam grooves and dual vocal approach of Queens Of The Stone Age, the rhythm section of bassist Dom Bailey and drummer Tiago Pinho, always keeping the engine running nice and hot as the slip between their various guises and influences.

Brazen set the table, Igniter is the feast, written after bouts touring you can hear muscle and peacocking of their livewire shows coming through this record, Sense Of Freedom having an intensity behind it that will surely get frontman Andy Valiant writhing like a madman when they take these songs on the road, so too will the gang vocal thrust of Falling Down.

On the record he's also unhinged, his vocals are all over the place from bellowing cleans to snarls, tracks such as Burning Soul feels like two distinct vocalists but that's all part of the program on planet Flamebearer as even when Andy is shouting his head off, the rhythm section has everything locked down tight for Alastair Riddell's exemplary guitar work.

His playing isn't about how many notes he can hit, though there's plenty of speedy 80's metal solos, more so than on Brazen, but he's more about the riff, giving the song it's bare bones, he's the doom punk at cornerstone of the band, always playing it distorted and dirty, through fist swinging punk with those bursts of metallic excellence, for instance Something Going On.

The riffs are louder but the whole ethos of this record is to make something catchier and Flamebearer have succeed with that as once the atmospheric dooming of Whispering Wind finished I wanted to press play again and go back for more, the production of Misha Hering at Holy Mountain studios, adding the toughness and retro perception but keeping it contemporary as they try to recreate their performance volume here.

Brazen was the sound of band breaking down the door and announcing their arrival, Igniter is Flamebearer taking a sledgehammer and matches to the rest of the room, with a record that is pure unfiltered (punk) rock n (doom) roll, so my suggestion is just sit back, watch it all burn and turn the volume as loud as it'll go! 10/10

A View From The Green Rooms: TGR Fest Friday (Matt Bladen)

TGR Fest: Celebrating 17 Years Of Green Rooms, Treforest, Day One 31.07.26

TGR Fest kicked off another weekend of celebration, this time for it's 17 years of existence, with an incredible Friday line up that features some of South Wales best acts across two stages.

The mainstage built outside (meaning we here lovingly given it the nickname Carpark Fest) and the second stage inside the Green Rooms itself. Built by Jonny and the team who all made the whole experience as smooth and as welcoming as they could.

It was a hot an humid day but luckily there was plenty of beverages to cool us off as the acts took to the stages, playing from 3pm until late into the evening.

No scores for this one as every band is absolutely worth your time so let's gyes going with the indoor stage shall we?

Indoor Stage  

Getting the grooves going were nu-metal lads Syndicate who have improved substantially since I saw them last right back at the beginning of M2TM this year, rap vocals, chunky riffs it was a great way to get started. 

From there it was the turn of Zion who brought some more aggressive metalcore sounds to the indoor stage, boisterous and breakdown hungry it kicked off inside.

From there the noise got a bit more classic in nature as Winter brought their bellowed, solo filled style of traditional/thrash metal to TGR, another brand who's stock continues to rise after M2TM. 

It was great to see them looking like they were on fire, as this led into yet more vicious beatdowns from Cold Heart who play visceral melodic hardcore that has been wowing local karate fans!

Coming over from Bristol were former M2TM winners Vulture God, bringing with them some progressive death metal that was all about technically impressive playing, keys and inspiration from bands like Opeth.

They upped the technicality ready for local industrial metal heavies Manumit to take the stage with the mechanised assault, masked stage presence and heavy grooves.

Concluding the indoor stage was Calvaria, a melodic metalcore meets alt metal four piece who I've never seen but impressed me massively with their slick, riff driven approach that blended both aggression and melody, dragging themselves from Milton Keynes this was fine way to close the indoor part of the day.

Outdoor Stage 

Over to outdoors and there's not a heavier way to start than Clarity As Arson, classic hardcore/metalcore crossover, it was aloud aggressive and brought lashings of groove at 3pm setting.

More heavy, more metalcore, more vicious than before Paradox To Stay were next and again with a change of vocalist they've dialed up their delivery so it's right on the modern metal pulse.

A band with their own pulse as always was surf metal punks Grindhorse83 who again brought the weird and wonderful and although hindered by some technical gremlins still managed to surf the stage if TGR Fest with their hybrid madness.

Before fellow M2TM finalists Disrupt The Continuum brought the heavy again, though slimed down to a four piece temporarily, they still pack a massive punch and in Danny they probably have one of the best lead guitarists around.

After this there was a break from the heaviness as the Daughters Of Darkness dance troupe, well two of them set The Green Rooms alight with a fire routine outside, perhaps a little dangerous during a hose pipe ban, but a great way to take a bit of break from noise and riffs adding variation to the day with some serious skill.

Though the noise came back and none more noisier than Bridgend trio Icantdie, who probably were the band who travelled the least so made sure to unleash some madcap, unhinged garage riffs that splay punk and metal, they're a combative and a little crazy on stage but there's a virtuosity you may lose if you're not paying attention.

Always a pleasure always intense Icantdie got the music back on track as Yorkshire lads The Mechanist made the six hour journey to steamroll Treforest with artillery barrages, technical precision and modern electronically layered metal, impressive stuff, excellent merch and an unhealthy obsession with biscuits what's not to like?

For me though the real treat of the evening was with the final three bands on the main stage. Beginning with our good friends in Pantheïst their set was just two songs but when they're in the epic timings this funeral doom juggernaut compose that can only be expected.

As per normal the music hit hard, equal parts distortion and emotion, the cinematic scope of this band on full display while the harsh vocals blended perfectly with the soaring soprano made sure that anyone who had not seen the band before stood in stunned silence while the songs were performed.

While Pantheïst demands you to listen and lose yourself in their all encompassing approach Adfeilion are about pace, playing with it through spoken word storytelling, electronic pulses, post metal dissonance and the new addition of flute and vocalisations, to bring yet more layers to their musical journeying.

A band who constantly seem to be evolving with their sound, and their membership Adfeilion add new strings to their bow with every show I see them at, it means that know two of their shows are the same, even if they keep a similar narrative they can adapt to their surroundings through tone and dynamics, though they are in danger of becoming the folk metal Slipknot, Folknot if you will!

Then it was time to end the first day in the most intense way possible, Ofnus too have had a change of membership, with a new vocalist but it has brought them an increased tenacity that brings a new weight to their older material, still epic, atmospheric black metal but now with some DSBM ferocity up front.

Those of us who have seen the band before (I mean double figures in my case), were treated to two new songs off the as yet announced Ofnus III and they have yet again brought new brilliance to their songwriting with more progression, technicality and those huge orchestral movements getting me very expectant of how good their new album will be.

This was Ofnus live though, a place they also thrive and for me there's no better way to end the first day of music at TGR Fest, some fireworks musically and literally, this was one of the best bands in South Wales, hell the UK on top form!

A View From Shredenhams: SOHC Takeover (Heather Louise Ash)

FoeFest x Betrayed By Life Records Presents: SOHC Takeover, Shredenhams Bristol, 01.08.26

FoeFest and Betrayed By Life Records presented SOHC Takeover which saw Chained Existence, Curfew, Concrete Jungle and Not Without Punishment take over Shredenhams (the former Debenhams, now skatepark/venue/event space) for an evening of hardcore.

Chained Existence (8) got things started with a heavy set that you could feel through the concrete floor. It didn't take long before the first two-steppers appeared and the crowd started warming up, setting the tone for the evening.

Between bands, people wandered between the bar, caught up with friends outside or grabbed their skateboards for a session on the ramps. The clatter of skateboard wheels and the crack of boards landing between sets and became part of the soundtrack to the night.

The vocals from Curfew (9) during soundcheck cut through the venue like a siren call. Instinctively, everyone scurried back towards the stage, quickly filling the room back up ready to watch them. Their breakdowns caused a chain reaction of spin kicks and windmills, with the pit in constant motion from start to finish. It was one of those sets where the intensity never let up.

Concrete Jungle (8) kept the momentum going, the room in constant motion. People pacing the edge waiting for the next breakdown before throwing themselves back in. Their energy never dipped, with everyone feeding off every riff and breakdown from start to finish. You only had to look around the room to see how much everyone was enjoying themselves.

Not Without Punishment (9) took to the stage and there wasn't a hint of anyone slowing down. During the final song, everyone seemed determined to get to the microphone, climbing over each other just to be part of it. It instantly reminded me of the painting The Raft Of The Medusa, bodies piling on top of one another, all reaching for the same thing. What a way to close the night.

One thing I really noticed throughout the evening was how much the bands supported each other. They weren't just turning up to play their own sets and leave. They were watching each other, joining in and clearly enjoying seeing everyone else do well. It felt like a community rather than just any old line-up.

Shredenhams suited the event perfectly too. Because it's so well lit, you don't miss the little moments. The grins from ear to ear, feet stomping, fists pumping, hugs, jazz hands, spin kicks, windmills and people picking each other back up all become part of the experience.

One moment summed the whole evening up for me. Someone slipped on wet patch in the pit and within seconds people had helped them back to their feet while others grabbed blue roll and cleaned the floor so nobody else would go over. A few minutes later, everything carried on as normal and shapes were being thrown.

That's one of the reasons I love hardcore. If you've never been to a show, it's easy to look at the pit and think it's just aggression. Spend an evening in a room like this and you'll see something completely different. People look after each other. They celebrate each other's bands, pick each other up when they fall and make sure everyone leaves with the same smile they came in with.

A View From The Castle: The Streets (Richard Herbert)

The Streets, CASISDEAD, Jimothy Lacoste & Local And Lucas, Depot Live, Cardiff Castle, 31.07.26

Elevate!

Explain!

Exterminate!

"It was supposed to be so easy." From the opening words of the 2004 album about the life of a geezer, Mike Skinner turned this 50-minute classic into as much of a theatrical event as any gig. Here in the sun, with the castle providing a perfect backdrop, he invited us on a well-polished journey of everyday folks—like the Waltons of the drug-fuelled generation.

Before he took the stage, Cardiff’s own Local And Lucas (8) opened the day. It was a little early for the masses of the sold-out crowd to be in the venue just yet, but it was a lively set for the faithful nonetheless, with them singing back Of Course We’ll Have A Look in all its glory. It was a great opener for this day at what must now be Alexandra's second home.

Jimothy Lacoste (7) then brought his unique look and sound to the stage. It was a set that he grew into, but he seemed to fail slightly to engage with the audience, despite saying all the right things.

CASISDEAD (8), in stark contrast, prowled the stage, spitting dark lyrical content over synth-laden beats. He seems to be growing into this new persona, becoming slightly less elusive and embracing his infamy. The crowd definitely filled out for this set, and it was great to see so many people singing along and recognising a genuine legend of the UK scene.

And so, as the bus stop from the album cover was revealed and Mike Skinner sat beer in hand, the live musicians broke into It Was Supposed To Be So Easy. Could Well Be In and Not Addicted quickly followed, as Mike scrawled a Doctor Who tribute on the plexiglass as an ode to Cardiff’s links to the TV series. As the syncopated beat of Blinded By The Lights kicked in, Cardiff was in full voice.

Inevitably, Fit But You Know It took things to even higher levels, as the crowd bounced through what is perhaps the most crowd-pleasing song from A Grand Don’t Come For Free. However, the unexpected highlight for me was an intense rendition of What Is He Thinking?, as Mike and Kevin Mark Trail debated exactly what was going on.

This was followed a few songs later by the epic Dry Your Eyes. The crowd sang every word. So many people had their arms around each other—lovers, mates, and even the stags from Swindon standing behind me. It is a truly great breakup song that everyone understands and has lived through at some point, and it was delivered with huge success this evening.

The last track on the album, Empty Cans, is a typically clever The Streets (9) anthem. It shifts from a dark, brooding first verse about a man who has given up, to a positive second spin on the exact same verse, with major keys coming into play to paint a much brighter ending to a great first hour. Taking a bow, the whole ensemble of cast members played their part in an epic retelling of a classic album.

What happened next was fast and furious: Turn The Page, Who's Got The Bag?, Let's Push Things Forward, and Don't Mug Yourself. It was banger after banger, and the crowd loved it. Never Went To Church laid things back down before Mike got somewhat distracted. Eventually getting what he wanted, he ended up crowd-surfing from the back of the venue right to the front as he sang Take Me As I Am, pink fan in hand.

All in all, it was a great day out, complete with a fantastic vista of the castle lit beautifully by the setting sun.

Reviews: Madball, Disfiguring The Goddess, Allt, Coven Japan (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

Madball - Not Your Kingdom (Nuclear Blast Records) [Matt Bladen]

It’s Madball, it’s NYHC, and it’s what you’ll expect and what you’ll want from these bonafide legends of the scene. 

Politically charged, rage fuelled and still consistently pissed off with the world, Not Your Kingdom is their tenth studio album but their first since 2018’s For The Cause, so somewhat of a return but Madball never went away.

They just seethed on stage and in the studio until this record was right, perfecting the bouncy groove riffs and gang vocals as they balance the full on raw hardcore punk of their early days on Don’t MisStep with the perhaps more mature sound it has today with tracks such as Clockwork.

This isn’t saying that there’s any notion of selling out, Madball don’t sell out frontman Freddy Crcien is a lifer, since his early days watching his brother Roger Miret in Agnostic Front, he’s been hardcore until death and every Madball album is just an extension of that passion, that lifestyle and his unwavering commitment to the hardcore scene. 

Their discography have shown the evolving face of the genre, the energy, the stomping riffs, the gang shouts all still there but now with some nuances that have brought Madball into the 21st Century, and on Not Your Kingdom, they’ve gone further recording in Nashville to add wider sonic elements. Though nuances haven’t softened the blow just found a new way of delivering it, they’re still angry and disillusioned, telling everyone who will hear what they think.

Hardcore, especially the New York variety, is more than a genre it’s a state of mind and few bands encapsulate that more than Madball, ten albums, nearly 40 years and still vital! 8/10

Disfiguring The Goddess - Bloom (Seek & Strike) [Mark Young]

Well, I’m not sure what or who this is aimed at, or if there is a masked figure stood behind a curtain barely covering a laugh. Looking online, its noted that this is a combination of death/slam/industrial which on paper felt like it would be a heady mix up of genres that if done right would be something else.

Just before we get into it, DTG is a project essentially driven by Big Chocolate (or Cameron Argon) and there has been a steady stream of releases that started back in 2008 (or so). I need to remind myself that whenever someone says that ‘insert content name’ is continually pushing the boundary or stretching the envelope, I need to ground and prepare myself that it might not be that good.

Samba Of The Faceless kicks it off, a colossal guitar tone and a repeated vocal line I can’t make out. Then come the death vocals but it doesn’t do or go anywhere. It must have meant something to him, but to me it feels like a waste. That approach is shifted on Echoes Fade, I Remain which is straight up extreme metal for a spell, until electronica is brought in. I don’t know what point it serves, but I do know that I’m barely two songs in and I’m not sure I want to continue.

So I’m going to continue and review by exception and concentrate on the good. In its favour, and something that is maintained across the album is that crushing guitar tone. I mean it is massive, especially when its slowed down to a crawl but what you find is that riffs are generally recycled across the album. 

The vocals though, they are top class; the guttural is super low, the screams anguished and you can hear why this talent is in demand elsewhere. I don’t necessarily pick up on an industrial tone, its more that there is an EDM bleed into it, such as on AWOL. I don’t hate it, but I can appreciate its use. It’s likely that the intent behind this has passed me by.

There are some crushing moments on here; Mask Off is blinding and Sweet Dreams is that head-splitting combination of themes that work incredibly well. This is my issue with it – there are these moments where it batters you (looking at you Low Slam Low) that increase as the album runs to the end. The problem is that they feel like we are in a loop and that they start to merge into another, no matter what samples are dropped into them.

Bloom comprises 17 songs, deployed in 50 minutes. Was there a need for all 17? its representative of how this material came to fruition; no filters, just get this down on tape and get it out the door. I’m probably being mean in saying that, after all this is someone’s art and just because it does nothing for me, you can’t say that the next person won’t be all over this. It just won’t be me. 6/10

Allt – Ataraxia (Century Media) [Matt Bladen]

Get ready to set your neck to chug and your face to the deepest gurn it can do, as two years after their critically acclaimed debut record, Swedes Allt return with more Meshuggah inspired ultra-heaviness,, or do they?

As it does seem that Allt have shifted focus as you can throw in comparisons to Vildhjarta and ten56 and you get a follow up record that manages to shift djent into nu-metal (rap vocals on Omerta) metalcore into alt metal all through a readjusted lens that focusses on the reality. 

Making this a more personal record than their more conceptual debut, there’s still a theme to the record as they linger in doubt but it’s not as pronounced, letting the individual tracks tell their stories. It means that Ataraxia is Allt at their most open, written from their own experiences, their own vulnerabilities, its Allt embracing the human and the search for peace and fulfilment.

It means that they can bring more clean vocals to tracks such as Nevermind and Enemy, which both rely more on melody and ambience cut with heaviness rather than the other way round. They still are heavy, crushingly heavy but the massive cavernous riffs are used to punctuate the tracks more often than not, electronics, angsty vocals and introspective lyrics playing a bigger part than heavy chugs and growls do, for instance the title track feel like Daft Punk goes metal, from here the clean vocals are the most prominent.

Tracks such as High Hopes still features some more extreme blasting but I do find Ataraxia to be a bit too melodic and angsty, it’s much closer to post hardcore than anything else and while there’s flashes of Swedish face melting, but Allt have shifted their approach on album two and while I don’t hold that against them, it didn’t do much for me. 6/10

Coven Japan - Promised Land (No Remorse Records) [Mark Young]

OK, now for a change of pace an approach. Hands up who likes Saxon? Maiden (early 80’s classic) and maybe NWOBHM as a basis. Are those hands up? Then you should jump onto Coven Japan whose approach is to drop melodic, fists in the air metal that is heavy on guitar lines and epic lead breaks served up with a bit of panache. 

Promised Land is straight from that songbook; In fact if you had a time machine and played this at the start of that decade it would be looked upon most favourably. With this in mind, if your tastes fall more towards a genre that ends in ‘Core then you might not find much here. Same for those who play that overly technical material. For those who do love a bit of it, this will scratch an itch. 

The opener, Promised Land is pure Maiden, replete with an epic solo break. The vocals are a bit rough; I think that there is an attempt to hit certain high’s and it doesn't quite happen for them. Samurai Rising is a foot on the monitor; hair being blown epic. That wish to replicate a certain sound is done on here, the dual harmonies and guitar lines, including that slow gallop are totally Maiden, and its difficult to say anything else. 

With this in mind, I guess your enjoyment of this will depend on your view; is this a shameless rip-off of certain albums and artists from that time, or is the sound comparisons unavoidable given that particular style? Each song is so deeply rooted in that style that it is difficult to ignore but then given the cyclical nature of music, and that everyone ‘borrows’ from everyone else you should give this a fair shout. And by a fair shout is by staying until the end. 

Some tracks work better than others, Sein zum Tode is too close to home when it picks up the pace, I’ll acknowledge that as is What Is Called The Life, and I’m sure that someone would be able to say that they echo these tracks. Not me now, I’m just enjoying this for what it is; Good clean metal fun that ticks all of the right boxes: Riffs, leads and histrionic vocals. I mean, what is wrong with that? 

Heading towards the end they give us the one-two of Eternal Oath and Retribution Of Death. Both are exactly what you would expect them to give us in order to close the album. Eternal Oath is the set-up, quick and to the point, its length reduced in order to allow them to drop a 7 minute master-blaster. Retribution Of Death has everything you associate with this time; Fast and loud into quiet and introspective and back again, it does what good metal should do; be exciting, and in some ways offer a little bit of nostalgia. 7/10