Ultha: The Inextricable Wandering (Century Media)
Black metal huh? A massively wide-ranging genre which encourages the elitists amongst the metal community to exercise their ‘superior’ knowledge of Bathory, Behemoth and Belphegor whilst mere mortals merely dabble. There are so many black metal outfits around these days that it’s nigh on impossible to keep tabs on them all if you also want to listen to any other genre. Hailing from Koln in Germany, Ultha’s melancholic yet ear splitting dark art peaks interest from the opening bars of The Avarist (Eyes Of A Tragedy). Although reminiscent of the atmospheric power of Wiegedood, Fen, Wode and Wolves In The Throne Room, Ultha instead insist they are focused towards the thicker end off grunge (Alice In Chains), noise rock (Helmet) and the gothic style of The Sisters Of Mercy and this certainly plays out.
Whatever they insist, the Germans third full length is a superb collaboration. Consisting of only six songs, it manages to clock in at over 65 minutes in length. With Knives To The Throat continues in the frenzied technical blur of the opening track before There Is No Love, High Up In The Gallows changes direction completely. Opening with haunting bird calls, this is six and a half minutes of electronic tone, individual notes held for the duration whilst an eerie symphonic concerto reminiscent of the music from the opera in The Phantom Menace plays out.
Cyanide Lips opens with ugly down tuned guitars, the beat of a lonely drum merely a precursor to the hell that follows, the track building incrementally on a single guitar riff before exploding into chaos. Use of repetition has long been a favoured tactic for the black metal musician and Ralph Schmidt and colleagues employ it to great effect throughout this descent into melancholia. We Only Speak In Darkness is mesmeric, the slow beat, darkened lyrics and echoing tone transport the listener into The Fields Of Nephilim territory before the quite magnificent 18 minute I’m Afraid To Follow You There, with its opening coldness enveloping the listener and draws you in. Whilst Ultha start this album in a true black metal style, there are many more elements in this complex machine. The Inextricable Wandering is an album that demands attention, commitment and repeated plays. The rewards for committing to this endeavour are massive with one of the most richly crafted releases of 2018. 9/10
Iamthemorning: Ocean Sounds (Kscope)
Russian duo Gleb Kolyadin and Marjana Semkina, known as Iamthemorning, have already released three albums, with their last two Belighted and Lighthouse highly-praised. Ocean Sounds is a new intimate studio film shot and named after a remote recording studio on Giske, a Norwegian Island. As well as the film, there is an accompanying CD with a setlist from the three albums along with an unplugged recording of Blue Sea, from their forthcoming fourth album (only on the Blu-Ray release unfortunately). With Lighthouse winning the 2016 Progressive Music Award for Album of the Year and Semkina also winning female vocalist of the Year in Prog Magazine in the same year, the band has clearly laid strong foundations on which to build.
Ocean Sounds is certainly a delicate and delicious release. Semkina’s vocals are a delight, crystal clear, ranging from ethereal to full out rock chick, whilst the beautiful compositions of Kolyadin and the additional musicians provides an almost spiritual experience. Unlike many of their peers, the tracks are not unduly long, with only three of the 12 tracks lasting over four minutes. Ocean Sounds is at times totally captivating. There is the dramatic Scotland with its spiralling string section. Or the thought provoking Os Lunatum with its wild solo piano accompaniment joined towards the end by additional strings and drums. Although there is no doubt that chamber prog rock is not a taste shared by all, Ocean Sounds is an album that is well worth a listen, even if just for a change from the norm. 8/10
Snakes In Paradise: Step Into The Light (Frontiers Records)
Another Frontiers band to cross our paths, Snakes In Paradise are from Stockholm, Sweden. Step Into The Light is the band’s fourth album, but their first since 2002’s Dangerous Love. Having released their debut album way back in 1994, you kind of wonder why it’s taken until now to get album number four out. Heavy on the 1980s melodic rock style, rich synthesisers merging with dual guitar work, smooth bluesy vocals and soaring harmonies as 12 tracks of pulsating melodic rock cascade over you. With a huge nod to the late 80s Whitesnake present throughout, it’s nothing new but AOR is always a bit of fun when done well. Will You Remember Me is super ghastly, but like a rabid earworm the bastard is also hauntingly catchy, much like an STD. Think Asia’s most stomach-turning tunes and this is roughly where we are.
There are elements of Europe, Eclipse and the like all over this album. A couple of ballads, such as After The Fire Is Gone, ensure the full AOR album blueprint is followed. “From a distance, I can see those broken lips, that used to be full”, Wow! Things ensures that at least one anthem is on board, and yes, the lyrics are spectacular here too: “remember the summer nights, when we were making love”. It’s so bad it’s great. Liza encapsulates everything about AOR in under four minutes. Catchy high-pitched harmonies in the chorus, awful lyrics, (“let me be the one to take you through the night”), thumping rhythm section and jumping keyboards all combine to hideous effect. If you love your AOR you’ll no doubt be familiar with Snakes In Paradise and so you should be. Melodic rock at its worst and its best. 7/10
Junkyard Drive: Black Coffee (Mighty Music)
Apparently, if you are into straight forward honest rock and roll, Denmark’s Junkyard Drive are the answer to your prayers. I assume that’s if you ignore the thousands of other bands who deliver the same type of generic rock today. Black Coffee is the follow up to the band’s 2017 debut Sin & Tonic (aha. See what they did there?) and it is a reasonable piece of work. Southern swagger mixed with melodic hard rock, there is a touch of Guns n’ Roses and Aerosmith about them. Sweet Little Dreamer offers some neat guitar work, and you can’t fault the smokey roar of vocalist Kris. The problem I have with Junkyard Drive, is that they offer absolutely nothing new.
So, in a similar vein to Those Damn Crows, Ginn Annie and the myriad of other bands who churn this stuff out, they are enthusiastic, powerful and create decent music; it’s just so bloody generic. I have no doubt that in the burgeoning world which is the new wave of classic rock Junkyard Drive will go down a storm. Black Coffee is perfectly listenable, and the band are tight. Good luck to them. However, I like my coffee hot and this just leaves me cold. 6/10
Into Eternity: The Sirens (M-Theory Audio)
A sweeping orchestral introduction momentarily disorientated the listener before the battery of blast beats and power metal scales crashes in. A brief pause allows you to catch your breath before The Sirens really opens out into a rather schizophrenic cacophony which combines progressive rock with death and black metal in a somewhat uncomfortable merger. It’s fast, to the point of Dragonforce pace, and just about controlled in the same way that a race horse may push the limits. Into Psychosis follows, in much the same vein, although we do get the first vocals from Amanda Kieran, who provides clean vocals alongside the growls and screams of guitarist Tim Roth and bassist Troy Bleich.
It’s frenetic stuff, with frequent time changes and movement of styles. At times it feels more a showcase of how fast the band can play. Which isn’t particularly exciting. Add in elements of classical to the mix, as well as acoustic moments, such as the opening to Sandstorm which is quickly consumed by a viciously heavy riff and it all appears a little uncoordinated. The Canadian outfit has been together since 1997 and have released several albums, experiencing several line-up changes since their formation. Whilst the band are technically superb, The Sirens feels as if the very soul of the band has been sucked out and replaced by ludicrously complex and unnecessarily overblown lengthy pieces. It’s all rather unsatisfactory. 5/10
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