Church Of The Cosmic Skull: Everybody's Going To Die (Self Released)
The third album from Church Of The Cosmic Skull, who are collective that observe The 7 Objects, check out their website the Inner Sanctum to be received by their warm embrace into the cosmic family. Now much like the universe itself the nothing stays the same and since their previous album Sister Amy has departed the collective but the Electric viola of Brother Joseph has been brought in for this third collection of audio recordings. What hasn't changed is the band's blend of prog/pop/glam/rock, part Queen, part The Beatles and with big swathes of space rock and a lot of soundscapes borrowed from Jeff Lynne's ELO, COTCS are band who have always intrigued and entertained me on record but I was disappointed on my sole viewing of them live, however with this third album entering in my orbit it would be remiss not to spin it a few times around my axis and give my opinion.
Fantasy opens with some Brain May guitar playing from Brother Bill, who's soulful, sometimes spoken vocals are an integral part of the band as are the harmonies of Sister Caroline and
Sister Joanne which are often fleshed out to five part harmonisation by Brother Samuel and Brother Michael who along with Bill's fuzzy, Lizzy-like guitar playing is the main instrument of this band layering tracks like Don't You Believe In Magic with both boogieing piano and organ stabs. He is also the major contributor to the title track which talks about death in an upbeat way, without being judgemental as they are "feeling alright" in embracing the darkness which is at the outer reaches of this album. It's followed by Do What You Want (With Love In Your Heart) which has some fleet fingered guitar playing and piano runs on top of a rampaging rhythm section from Brother Laurence (drums) and Brother Samuel (bass).
This record has the most amount of tracks the band have put on a record and along with them with being the most eclectic I'd also say they are some of the best, it's almost like the band have really nailed down their sound, balancing the rockier sound with the pop and psych sounds brilliantly. It's a joyous celebration of the free loving late 60's into the progressive 70's, from the doomy The Hunt to the jazzy Seven these are the Church opening their doors to a wider congregation, which bodes well for their shows in February billed as An Evening With. Yes Everybody's Going To Die but when you have music that doesn't matter, all is love! 8/10
Silent Call: Windows (Rockshots Records)
This is the fourth album from Swedish progressive metal act Silent Call, their first since 2014, and first with new singer Göran Nyström who replaces founding member Andi Kravljača. It is also dear reader their final studio album, it was recorded in 2016 and produced Richard Hinks of Aeon Zen (which features Kravljača on vocals). It seems as if Silent Call are going to go out they are going out swinging with another album of melancholic, emotional progressive metal, something they have been doing since their inception. Opening with Faceless the swansong of Silent Call's career gives you the first taste of Nyström's vocals from the off as the piano-led intro moves into some tough riffs. It's a melodic enough start that brings to mind Symphony X, while Soulshaker has some electro-dance synths and more hard rock edge to it with more power metal touches of Evergrey come in on Imprisoned In Flesh and Clouded Horizon. Windows is very strong way of seeing out Silent Call's career, for any progressive metal fans who like it a bit darker then they have always been a band who can be name checked along with those mentioned here so, this album is more bittersuite than even they can muster. 7/10
Gévaudan: Iter (Self Released)
Iter is the debut full length of Hertfordshire doom band Gévaudan. The 5 track album (don't worry the songs are nice and long) tells stories of the interactions between gods and mortals along with the wider themes of the passage into, through and out of existence. Nice heady topics ready for some very heavy metal. Dawntreader starts with Adam Pirmohamed's vocals almost whispered while backed by Bruce Hamilton's solitary guitar, it's an anguished scream and the rhythm section of Andy Salt (bass) and David Himbury (drums) bring the crushing doom riffs as the stripped back opening returns. It's a melancholic opening to the album and one that is very strictly modern doom emotional and raw it leads into the more traditional realms of Maelstrom which has fuzzy doom riffs the drag their way through it's 7 minute plus run time, The Great Heathen Army is more on epic doom track Cathedral would be proud of, with some mind melting psych in the solo. Pirmohamed's voice ideally suited for the bands fusion of new and old as his dramatic delivery is bewitching. The album closes with two longest tracks, the 11 minute Saints Of Blood simmers with more psychedelic passages before boiling over into the heavier sounds where there is even some harsh vocals. The final number is Duskwalker 15 minutes plus of atmospheric doom metal that closes this fantastic doom record, it's miserable, downcast, gloomy and at time monumental in it's scope Iter is a must for any doom metal fans. 8/10
Archaeologist: Winter's Wake (Self Released)
Ok we don't usually review singles but when that single is one 12 minute song in two parts we do get a little interested. Now Archaeologist was founded as the side project of Kyle Schaefer, after number of instrumental releases, including the well received debut Odysseys, Winter's Wake is the first that takes a vocals approach in conjunction with the band's progressive mastery, Schaefer has teamed up with guitarist Sean Johnson, drummer Ryan Johnson and bassist George Lallian to make this EP their most accomplished music yet, they've even managed to recruit special guests Scott Carstairs (Fallujah) and Wes Thrailkill (prog-fusion guitarist) to provide some six string assistance on part 1 and 2 respectively. So what is it actually like? Well Part 1 starts with some tapped floating clean guitar playing as Schaefer shows off his melodic vocal, which hasn't been heard on previous releases, he's a great singer with that Haken edge to his voice that moves into screams as well. There's a djent style to this, it's thoroughly modern with palm muted grooves coming in on the soaring choruses, Part 2 is a bit livelier with some heavy prog metal riffs and that stunning solo in the middle taking your breath away. Lively, progressive and heavy Winter's Wake is the next chapter in Archaeologist's evolution. 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment