Destroying speakers straight out of Kelowna, BC, Canada, Gomorrah (no not that one, or the other one) are a two man crushing machine consisting of Jeff Bryan and Bowen Matheson with guest vocals by Jeff Bryan, Robin Harris (The Carnage Wrought), and Jeff Radomsky (The Blade Itself), a lot of bands seem to have this approach these days, getting the music written and recorded then getting guesting vocals, I wonder how they manage to organise for live shows? I’ve been in a band and know full well how hard it is even with permanent members. This is the most musically diverse album I’ve heard in a long time, with influences from death metal to ambient, it’s a different sensation and one I am not unhappy with. Blast beats out of left field, riffs that do massive (in tune) string bends, ambient noises. Gomorrah are heavy, like really heavy, Ion Dissonance heavy, in fact if you’re a fan of them then you’ll likely be a fan of this.
The instrumentation and playing on this self titled release is all 100% immaculate, the modern production sounds full and nothing sticks out or makes you feel uncomfortable when listening through expensive speakers or cheap headphones. There’s a foreboding feeling over all the tracks that grips into you like daggers in your skull, listened to at high volume this is a constant crush, from track to track that doesn’t out stay its welcome at any time, in fact if anything I think at 26 minutes we could have probably had a couple more tracks to round out this incredible album. 9/10
Hot Suede: Hot Suede (Self Released) [Alex]
First of all, the name Hot Suede screams classic rock. If these musicians played anything other than high tempo, riff-based, rock n’ roll, I would see fit to sue for false advertising offenses. Joking aside, this five-piece play typical, catchy, memorable anthems, with a heap of charm. In a sense, the simple construction and traditional musical motifs are nothing to be marvelled at. However, they do bear that factor which is essential if you are imitating oft repeated styles: Sincerity. I have said this before, but it merits pointing out that bringing an attitude and confidence your music can help immensely, by dragging you from the depths of being portrayed as generic, into the light of being seen as revitalizing and passionate.
Roll A Bone opens, its driving riff and bouncy rhythm, immediately compelling the listener's attention. The Otherside continues the energetic nature, with a guitar melody which rises and falls with precision, and a vocal line which proves euphoric. Forget About You and Watch Me Burn are equally convincing in their resolve to be commanding. In moments like this, we see Hot Suede proudly flaunting their influences – AC/DC, Aerosmith, perhaps even modern acts like Queens Of The Stone Age or Primal Scream. Distinct from sounding exactly like any one of those acts, however, you see bits and pieces of the marks they have left shining through. I won't pretend that anything here is stunningly original. Far from it, everything here has been done before at some point. I’m sure the band would be the first to admit that fact. Still, what this self-titled record does demonstrate, is that it is possible to create a distinctive tribute to the legends while maintaining identity and individuality.
Overall, I would recommend Hot Suede to anyone who enjoys classic rock, with a somewhat modern twist. By all means, do not go looking for innovation and deep artistry in this piece. You won't find it. Still, if you are content with music which honours musical eras gone by, doing so both proudly and unashamedly, you might see something special in this album 7/10
First of all, the name Hot Suede screams classic rock. If these musicians played anything other than high tempo, riff-based, rock n’ roll, I would see fit to sue for false advertising offenses. Joking aside, this five-piece play typical, catchy, memorable anthems, with a heap of charm. In a sense, the simple construction and traditional musical motifs are nothing to be marvelled at. However, they do bear that factor which is essential if you are imitating oft repeated styles: Sincerity. I have said this before, but it merits pointing out that bringing an attitude and confidence your music can help immensely, by dragging you from the depths of being portrayed as generic, into the light of being seen as revitalizing and passionate.
Roll A Bone opens, its driving riff and bouncy rhythm, immediately compelling the listener's attention. The Otherside continues the energetic nature, with a guitar melody which rises and falls with precision, and a vocal line which proves euphoric. Forget About You and Watch Me Burn are equally convincing in their resolve to be commanding. In moments like this, we see Hot Suede proudly flaunting their influences – AC/DC, Aerosmith, perhaps even modern acts like Queens Of The Stone Age or Primal Scream. Distinct from sounding exactly like any one of those acts, however, you see bits and pieces of the marks they have left shining through. I won't pretend that anything here is stunningly original. Far from it, everything here has been done before at some point. I’m sure the band would be the first to admit that fact. Still, what this self-titled record does demonstrate, is that it is possible to create a distinctive tribute to the legends while maintaining identity and individuality.
Overall, I would recommend Hot Suede to anyone who enjoys classic rock, with a somewhat modern twist. By all means, do not go looking for innovation and deep artistry in this piece. You won't find it. Still, if you are content with music which honours musical eras gone by, doing so both proudly and unashamedly, you might see something special in this album 7/10
Periphery: Hail Stan (Century Media) [Mark]
Is it possible to be a massive fan of a band whose music you don’t really like? That’s the relationship I have with Periphery. It’s a one way relationship, they don’t even know I exist. I look forward to their YouTube content, tour videos, studio reports, mixing lessons from Misha, guitar clinics from Mark, and all the other amazing content they put up there, but I don’t really like their music that much, well their earlier music anyway. I enjoy The Bulb Content, that’s got some killer grooves and weirdness that I really dig, but every album has left me a bit wanting in the song department, I appreciate that the musicianship is absolutely top notch, the production is normally spot on, the tone achieved on all instruments is great, the singing is performed excellently, but the total package never glues for me as a listener.
Is it possible to be a massive fan of a band whose music you don’t really like? That’s the relationship I have with Periphery. It’s a one way relationship, they don’t even know I exist. I look forward to their YouTube content, tour videos, studio reports, mixing lessons from Misha, guitar clinics from Mark, and all the other amazing content they put up there, but I don’t really like their music that much, well their earlier music anyway. I enjoy The Bulb Content, that’s got some killer grooves and weirdness that I really dig, but every album has left me a bit wanting in the song department, I appreciate that the musicianship is absolutely top notch, the production is normally spot on, the tone achieved on all instruments is great, the singing is performed excellently, but the total package never glues for me as a listener.
Hail Stan might be a bit different. Any album that opens up with a track that is 16 minutes long grabs the attention, the heavy parts sound like Periphery, the breaks and cleans remind me of Queensryche or Dream Theater, with spoken/gruff talking and there’s little repetition. Reptile is a really long song, but the attention doesn’t really wander off because of the interwoven layers of different sounds, from the real orchestration at the start, to the synth noises. A great solo at 11 minutes and we’re back into beautiful strings, this is really well made. The band have already released the studio update of this album, which I watched before receiving the album for review, and they have a very interesting way of creating music, recording guitars in one studio, arranging with the vocalist, writing strings that are recorded by a session musician and his troupe, then recording drums in a different studio, then recording vocals in a different studio, then being mixed in a completely different studio, halfway across the planet, that’s a lot of moving parts and it sounds exhausting.
Blood Eagle is the reason I was excited for this release, this track sounds like Meshuggah and Sikth had a love child and it was brought up on a diet of djent and deathcore. This is a dirty sound, filthy stinking and jagged, cutting across the melody and layers of the opening track in a complete 180, with open space staccato riffing and huge sounding drums. Pick scrapes, too, nice. This song really does a great job in showing just how heavy Periphery can be when they want to write horrible noises. CHVRCH BVRNER follows and is no less jagged, really letting the Sikth influence shine through. This is another very heavy track.
This is where the review takes a different turn, because there aren’t that many other tracks I really like on this release, Garden In The Bones, is like weak metalcore with a Dream Theatre influence, just not digging it, It’s Only Smiles reminds me a bit of New Found Glory, I don’t say it to be disparaging to Periphery, it’s just not my thing and I know Periphery fans will like it, lap it up. Follow Your Ghost is a heavy track half way through the album that brings things back to a more metal feel. I could take the tracks I do like on this album and have a great EP to listen to, but that’s not what an album should be, it should be consistent and cohesive, which isn’t something I take away from Hail Stan, I think I will hail it from a distance. 6/10
Palehørse: Dead Wrong (Indie Recordings) [Alex]
Bringing together traditional rock with alternative and metalcore, Palehørse is working off an interesting premise. How can three related yet distinct styles come together into a project which is intended as both modern sounding and dark? The answer is mixed. Palehørse brings energy and bombast to their songs, which proves admirable. At the same time, there is a dreadful sense that they are clinging to some facets from their genre choices which are archaic and questionable. Dead Wrong is a decent, yet deeply flawed piece.
We open on the title track, where the chorus is gripping and the multitude of melodies keep the listener enticed from start to finish. There are still problems present, however, the bass/guitar duel riff reeks of generics and adds nothing interesting to the opener. Meanwhile, Calandra’s vocals have a tendency to slip into the outright bad territory as he tries to replicate the angst and frustration embraced by so many nu-metal and hardcore singers. The Passenger and Darkened Waters are significantly more interesting on an instrumental front, yet disappoint upon descending into cliché and becoming structureless. Catharsis inspires with its heavy/melodic contrast but feels dragged down by poor lyrics and overly compressed production. See where I’m going with this? Palehørse has a sound of their own which is unique and forceful. There are moments across this self-titled piece where I found myself gripped by the piercing melodies, enveloping darkness or hard-hitting execution. There were other points in which I found myself with my head in hands, despairing at the typicality, fake aggression, and wasted potential.
Conclusively, the way I see it, Palehørse can show their potential, by honing in on the aspects of their sound which are unique and interesting. They dazzle in places, with inspiring progressions, carefully crafted structures and precise playing. For every aspect where they demonstrate their uniqueness though, there are pieces in which they take up the mantle of toting the metalcore formula, dragging down the quality of the entire experience as a result. For that reason, while I undoubtedly see promise hiding in these musicians’ skills, they need to flesh out their eccentricities and hone their creativity, if they are to prove themselves to be beyond mediocrity 6/10
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