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Monday 17 December 2018

Reviews: Venom, Arwen, Dark Moor, Reckless Souls (Reviews By Paul H)

Venom: Storm The Gates (Spinefarm Records)

Back in 2015 I was gushing in my praise for From The Very Depths. In fact, I gave it a 10. Three years on and Cronos, Rage and Dante are back, with another 13 slabs of Venomised Black Metal. Having enjoyed their 100 Miles To Hell EP last year, this album has appeared with very little fuss or fanfare. So, as the year ends, what does the Venom of 2018 sound like? Well, completely unsurprisingly, very much like the Venom we’ve had for the past few years but there is a change on those foul winds. As well as the usual crash, bang, wallop approach, there are outbreaks of almost blues style guitar work and whilst I hate to use the word mellowing, the occasional track here is lighter than in days of old.

Cronos remains the voice of Venom, and Satan and Hell remain the predominant themes. Opener Bring Out Your Dead batters, I Dark Lord is sinister, malevolent and gnarly with echoes of Welcome To Hell and 100 Miles To Hell remains a ferocious banger of a song. There are a few duds on here though. Dark Night (Of The Soul) for instance kicks off at thunderous speed before some dreadful lyrics “Hey Motherfucker, what you looking at, born a fucking loser, acting like a twat” just make you laugh at the throwaway nature and whilst it’s a punk crusted stomp, it’s a bit weak. Beaten To A Pulp is similar in its throwaway nature. However, there is enough meat on this bone to enjoy the feast and whilst it is not as strong or fierce as their previous release, this is still an enjoyable listen. 

Venom were never going to be progressive rock virtuosos but if you want some full on in your face dark metal then maybe you’ll be punished by Krampus with a copy of Storm The Gates. 7/10

Arwen: The Soul’s Sentence (Self Released)

So when I received this I assumed the Ed was asking me to pass it on to Mrs H, who shares her name with Elrond’s daughter. Oh no, despite the obvious humour bone that must have been tickled when he sent it to me, Arwen is a Spanish power metal outfit from the capital Madrid, who have been together for 22 years. This is only their third full release and it’s an eclectic mix. Part Coheed And Cambria, mainly down to the vocals of José Garrido, part Dream Theater due to their intricate compositions and part Primal Fear. 

With some Eastern influences also adding depth to their compositions, each track feels grandiose and epic. Torn From Home is a good example, with hard hitting drums and fiery riffs complimented by Javier Díez’s orchestral keyboard sound. Garrido’s vocals are chameleon in style, changing to suit each song. Us Or Them sees him move to a clean Myles Kennedy delivery. With a passable cover of Chris Cornell’s You Know My Name closing the album, The Soul’s Sentence is worthy of repeated listening. 7/10

Dark Moor: Origins (Maldito Records)

Madrid’s neoclassical metal outfit are back, three years after Project X, an album so bizarre that I gave it 1-10/10 back in 2015. One listen to this release and I’m going to struggle to repeat that. This was a real challenge to get through. Raggle Taggle Gypsy left me speechless with its bouzouki playing traditional score, flute fluttering around in the background and a beat that would get everyone up and dancing badly at a wedding. In The Middle Of The Night is one of the most ghastly light rock tracks I’ve ever heard, a Beat It riff failing to save it from being filed in the stomach churning cabinet. Once more crammed full of cheesy Eurovision style melodic rock tracks, tracks such as Druidic Creed leave you astonished that there is a market for such dirge. It’s perfectly well performed, with strings, the hint of an accordion and some of the cleanest singing you’ll ever hear from Alfred Romero once more tugging at the heart strings. Fair play to Dark Moor, they keep churning it out. I think my stomach might be about to as well. 4/10

Reckless Souls: What About Us (Indiego Boom)

A four-piece from Trondheim, Norway, What About Us is the band’s debut full-length release and in the days of one-track downloads it is heartening to both hear and see. This is 31 minutes of full throttle classic rock but with much more punch than many of those bands who are also badged under the same banner. Vocalist and guitarist Nikolai Eilersern has a gritty voice which works perfectly with the tracks that the band has crafted over their recent years together. 

There are a few tub beating anthems such as their self-titled track, which motors along with a defiant almost rebellious stomp. Forget About Love benefits from some delicious female vocals, reminiscent of The Answer who enhanced Nowhere Freeway with Lynne Jackaman back on Revival. Their closing track Memories is a powerful change in pace, full of emotion and passion. Reckless Souls have taken the beat of AC/DC, added a bit of Motörhead rock n’ roll and the energy of early Foo Fighters to deliver an impressive foot tapping album. 7/10

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