The Struts: Young And Dangerous (Interscope)
The re-release of The Struts' debut record Everybody Wants became my album of the year last year, so it was with a heck of a lot of anticipation I pressed play on their follow-up Young And Dangerous, the finger clicks and fuzzy base-line of Jed Elliot start the opening salvo of Body Talks Luke Spiller is still the first thing that grabs you with Jaggerisms meeting the Freddie Mercury-esque vocal phrasing, it's a filthy flirty start based on jangly traditional blues (the duet version with Kesha is better still). As the record progresses you get the feeling that the huge tour supports and their American fan base has really let them take some risks here, the record sounds huge production wise like true arena headliners and that cocksure confidence is brought out in the songwriting as well, Primadonna Like Me is the paragon of this with Spiller on full rockstar mode on top of a rollicking boogie piano.
In Love With A Camera is another upbeat number that has modern pop sheen to it with the vocal gymnastics and searing lead breaks of The Darkness, Fire (Part 1) powers along with a Queen guitar sound while the second part Ashes fades out with some The Who style keys. The guitar playing of Adam Slack is much more pronounced on this sophomore album he's growing into his guitar-hero role, that's not to underplay the effectiveness of Jed Elliott and drummer Gethin Davies who are locked in with some R&B, rock and blues beats. I mentioned the experimenting with sounds and Bulletproof Baby has electronic rhythms behind it making it a song ready to be sung back to the band by crowds all over the world due to the "woah's" in the chorus, while Who Am I? has disco beat to it that sounds a lot like Miss You by The Stones, I Do It So Well has 90's electro swagger.
Young And Dangerous is a lot immediate than the debut, the rocking has been diversified it's still your classic guitar, drums, bass, vocals affari but with some synths, piano and modern production touches they are aiming at the big time with big melodic rockers and ott power ballads such as Somebody New. After living with their first album for four years it was probably pretty obvious that there would be some differences on this record, it's nothing to drastic but the sound of a band establishing their sound for the future, not a difficult second album but one intent on establishing a legacy. 8/10
Witherfall: A Prelude To Sorrow (Century Media)
Witherfall's debut album simply exploded out of the gates last year with slick, heavy, aggressive, progressive thrash metal. It scored a cool 8/10 from us here as we praised the songwriting, guitar playing and vocals so without further ado what about their follow up? Well it's thankfully more of the same, no drastic genre changes it sticks to a similar style favoured by Fates Warning, Nevermore, Iced Earth and Sanctuary, as you can tell I've mentioned two bands fronted by the recently departed Warrel Dane so it's no surprise when you learn that after Dane's death Witherfall frontman Joseph Michael was chosen to round out Sanctuary's tour behind the mic.
You can hear right away why he was the first choice on the twisting Moment Of Silence he adds expressive, emotive vocals to a song that has destructive black metal blast beats from Steve Bolognese (Death Dealer) underpinning the progressive technicality of Fili Bibiano and and founding member Jake Dreyer who spends his day-job soloing for Iced Earth. I mentioned in the previous review that both Dreyer and Michael are former members of White Wizzard and much like the rest of the bands that came out of WW it's a much more complicated and interesting project, dark and epic there's some King Diamond occult witchery on Communion Of The Wicked, blasts of thrash littered throughout (Shadows), touches of extremity on the elongated masterful Vintage and even a ballad on Ode To Despair all brought together by the multi-faceted vocal of Michael who growls, howls, croons and shrieks effortlessly adapting his voice to every single switch of a time-signature or a genre.
A Prelude To Sorrow continues the winning streak of the debut but tops it's predecessor in every aspect, if the thought of a world without Nevermore leaves you cold then embrace Witherfall. 9/10
Cold Night For Alligators: Fervor (Long Branch Records)
Uncompromising and brutal are just two of the words you can use to describe the obscurely named Danish band Cold Night For Alligators. The progressive metal scene in Denmark is perhaps best known as the birthplace of the amazing VOLA, but if you like the atmospheric prog of their compatriots then be prepared to be suprised by CNFA as their style of metal is a heck of a lot heavier than their countrymen, although they do more than dabble with with melody putting them into a more rounded state taking the metalcore base but adding more technicality and atmosphere, it's djent Jim but not as we know it.
Violent Design opens with and extreme vocal assault but as it unfolds the clean vocals come into play adding a more ambient textures, Drowning Light is the first song on the record that clearly uses the clean/harsh dynamic as Johan Jack Pedersen gets a chance to stretch his vocal chords with emotional piece, he's tested throughout though as the instrumental aspect of the band playing some blisteringly accomplished music. Fervor does have a very rebellious feel to it, the record paints itself as something of an outsider, never really sticking to one style taking risks at every turn with electronics buzzing (Canaille and Get Rid Of The Walls), jazz bass wandering (Black Swan), changes of time signatures (Nocturnal) and boat loads of emotion etched into every note.
With brilliant vocals and some insane guitar playing (Wilderness), it might be a Cold Night For Alligators but this record is a red hot slice of modern prog metal. 8/10
Jo Quail: Exsolve (Self Released)
Virtuoso Cellist and composer Jo Quail's new record Exsolve is not something you'd expect a metal blog to cover but seeing as we like anything a bit dark and mysterious it's the sort of record we will always check out. Jo does have metal credentials though performing with Boris, Amenra, Caspian, Myrkur and Winterfylleth, she's also got Chris Fielding of Skyhammer Studios (Electric Wizard, Primordial Witchsorrow, Conan) producing this record meaning that he can really bring out the density of this album. The influence of the record is the "Arp Museum in Bonn, to celebrate the Barbara Hepworth ‘Sculpture for a Modern World’ exhibition" it sees Quail experimenting with her instrument exploring what actually playing the cello is like physically.
It's resulted in a three part record clocking in at 45 minutes that sprawls in various movements, Jo playing her electric cello with an unbridled passion and natural ferocity that allows her to take this classical instrument to hitherto unexplored areas. Guests on the record include Dan Capp (Winterfylleth), Nik Sampson (Devilment, Prolapse A.D.) and Lucie Dehli who add their talents to this record that Quail believes is a snapshot in time as she plans on developing the songs with every live performance. It's not classical crossover, not one of those classical rock albums, no this is the demonstration of a virtuoso player using her instrument to traverse unknown soundscapes. It's dark, brooding and brilliant, ignore any prejudice you may have. 9/10
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