If you call yourself a progressive metal fan and the two names in this band leave you cold then I suggest you hand in your wizard’s hat. John Arch and Jim Matheos are the original founding members of seminal prog metal band Fates Warning, who arguably laid down the blueprint for Dream Theater et al. While Arch is no longer in the band Matheos has been the driving force for the band for 35 years. They collaborated back in 2011 on Sympathetic Resonance, which while good was just a Fates Warning album as even the backing band was taken from Fates Warning musicians. On Winter Ethereal there was a concerted effort to do something a different and not to fall into the same old patterns and themes. The album has been in gestation since 2017 and everything was composed to be part of this record, which you can hear from the mammoth Vermilion Moons which opens the record as it has the metal edges of course but it has the ethereal nature of Yes too.
They worked on the album in their own separate studios, as modern technology dictates that you can do this. They also have glut of musicians contributing the other parts, yet again this lineup comprises both present and former Fates Warning drummers and bassists - Joey Vera, Bobby Jarzombek, Joe Dibiase and Mark Zonder. But also Steve Di Giorgio (Death, Testament, Charred Walls Of The Damned), Cynic's Sean Malone and drummer Thomas Lang. So it’s a pretty star studded line up but the bands namesakes take centre stage, Matheos showing why his guitar-work and compositions are so influential in both the prog and power metal scenes (Straight And Narrow) and Arch’s voice is still the archetypal progressive metal vocal, listen to Solitary Man if you don’t believe me. Winter Ethereal delivers on its promise to take what started on Sympathetic Resonance and improve upon it. 8/10
Worshipper: Light The Fire (Tee Pee Records)
We listen to a lot of stuff here at MoM, myself especially loves anything a little complex, however I love a good riff and sometimes you just need a big, meaty riff to get stuck into. Thankfully Worshipper provide more meat than a good butcher, a solid foundation of fuzz and distortion is boosted by the psychedelic nature of many of the tracks. Opening with Coming Through you get a little of the Witchcraft and even early Ghost from the occult-laced lyrics, that sit on the musical foundation of sounds that bleed into on another as organs gurgle into guitars as the drums and bass both mimic and duel, giving the music on this album an organic feel as nothing fights for precedence.
This Boston four piece have spent a long time honing their sound live and it pays off on Light The Fire, tracks such as Nobody Else has a slab of groove, the title track is driven by spooky synths, Visions From Beyond is a proper doom number that creeps into your mind and elsewhere there’s rock n roll, punk and all manner of musical detours. Mostly though there are riffs, sweaty, ballsy riffs that get the head banging. Unlike Billy Joel Worshipper are ready to admit they’ve started this fire and long may it burn. 8/10
Corrosive Sweden: Blood & Panic (BMP)
Corrosive Sweden (not the death metal band reviewed recently by Manus) this Swedish version (hence the name) are a different beast altogether. They have more of a groove heavy American sound with FFDP a notable comparison, as the songs hit you like a tonne of bricks full of swaggering groovy thrash riffs and aggressive vocals, they also have a hint of fellow Swedes Mustasch. According to Johan Bengtsson “The lyrics for this album are brought up mostly from a very dark period in my life” this doesn’t lead to maudlin though as these songs are all big hitters with hooky as hell choruses, unfortunately Bengtsson’s vocals are one of the reasons why this album didn’t really do it for me as his harsher tones are great but his clean vocals witnessed on Speed are very nasal and pitchy meaning they do aggravate me a little, spoiling the enjoyment. If he could stick to the grittier style they’d be a pretty decent groove/thrash band, mainly because musically they tick all the right boxes, however the clean vocals do detract. 6/10
Primal Static: The Corrupting Of The Revolution (Self Released)
Primal Static are a two piece consisting of American songwriter/beat creator/singer/guitarist G.T. and Chinese keyboardist/bassist HouFei. The Corrupting Of The Revolution is their latest EP and it’s the biggest load of codswallop I’ve heard in while, jangly guitars are paired with repetitive electro synths, while G.T gives faux-shamanic wail that has this notion of being somehow revolutionary. It’s frankly a load of bollocks, they would have been better getting a drummer, becoming a proper three-piece and writing some songs, rather than trying (and failing) to be some kind of Royal Blood meets Depeche Mode hybrid. Crap. 3/10
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