Victorius: Space Ninjas From Hell (Napalm Records)
When you were a kid and you used to play with your mates in the school playground, you'd invent all sorts of games to play, most of which would make no sense but would be an amalgamation of various things you'd seen on TV or read about in comics or books all mashed together. I think this is where Victorius have got the theme for their new album Space Ninjas From Hell, it definitely sounds like something I would have played in the playground (not a sporty kid see) as I tried to roundhouse kick my mates head off in slow motion (space you see). If you're expecting galloping power metal then you'd be spot on as this is the fifth album from the German power metal maniacs who have previously written numerous fantasy metal epics and an EP about Sci-Fi Dinosaurs in 2018.
Space Ninjas From Hell is a concept album, similar in theme to those of Gloryhammer but this time about Evil ninjas who team up with a dragon but were banished by a Wu-Shu-wizard-master only to survive in space and return to conquer Earth. Shakespeare it isn't but tracks like Super Sonic Samurai bring a big goofy grin to your face with the mentions of "laser Katana's"as the tracks whizz past in a flurry of blastbeat drumming, twin guitar harmonies and histrionic vocals. Nippon Knights rumbles forth with a shout along hook as Shuriken Showdown ramps up the speed again. There's even a comedy skit before the symphonic heaviness of Wasabi Warmachine, weirdly the heaviest track on the record. It's not supposed to be serious, this is an album about joy, it has that childlike quality about it, for adults the lyrics will make you laugh but you'd easily be able to play it to a load of Primary School kids as it's the aural equivalent of Pixie Sticks. Bouncy power metal with a bonkers concept, switch off your cynic sense as enjoy. 7/10
Pink Cigs: S/T (Harvest Studios)
Pink Cigs are from Sheffield but you'd be forgiven for thinking they were American, especially when they start to kick out the jams on their debut full length album. Pink Cigs are Cris (guitar/vox) Fids (guitar/vox/keys), Babs (bass/vox) and Kyle (drums) and this album has 10 tracks of fuzzy stoner rocking with it's arse in the blues but the volume up to 11, tracks like the slithering Noose and the bouncy Nightstalker bring to mind Orange Goblin, The Sword and Witch Tripper with a potent mixture of classic heavy metal, thundering doom, psychedelic wooziness and a whole heap of grit on numbers like the choppy Low Blow a track with a punk attitude, the sleazy Lazy Lover which morphs into a explosive guitar duel to climax with (clearly not lazy at all). They add a touch of Zeppelin to Whiskey Woman and some barroom boogie on Black Widow making this self titled debut record rammed with riffs that will make you want to party hard, I'd never heard of Pink Cigs before but with this still ringing in my ears I'm desperately looking for gigs near me, sleazy metallic biker metal with some head banging riffage throughout Pink Cigs needs big speakers! 8/10
Dies Holocaustum: Scorched Promised Land (Self Released)
We first laid eyes on Bristol death metal mob Dies Holocaustum at the Bristol M2TM last year. They had been around for a long while mainly as vehicle for guitarist Jon Alcover but things only started coming together in 2017 with the addition of drummer Will Pearson (Body Harvest) and bassist/vocalist Rob Innell they finishing touch coming in 2019 with K-lum Schmit coming in on guitar. They impressed enough to go to the final of the M2TM competition with their snarling style of old school death metal, though it was K-Lum's other band Voluntas that took the crown. After this they retired to the studio to record this debut full length album, recorded by Alcover, Pearson and Innell this is the sound of Dies Holocaustum distilled over the course of 45 minutes.
11 blistering, face melting slabs of death metal that rarely sees the bpm drop due to Pearson's beastly drumming. Only on Glories Of Hell do things take a bit of a tone down but Pearson still blasts away like the kit has insulted him leaving Innell to keep pace and roar over the top while Alcover shreds with vicious precision and brings nifty Hanneman leads. They build up the drama on Macabre Rebirth before it once again turns into visceral death/thrash, as Funeral Dawn brings some more complexity and Burial Ground dive bombs into more violent death metal. Production wise Innell has left it nice and murky giving it the sound of those early death metal releases, but if you are a devotee of OSDM then you'll want to pick up Scorched Promised Land as it's a brutal display of force from this Bristol metal machine. They are back in M2TM this year and I wouldn't bet against them as for as fierce as they are here, live they are a force to be reckoned with. 7/10
Hollow Seasons: As Misery Fades (Self Released)
From Tromsø, Troms County Norway, Hollow Seasons are a relatively young band having only formed last year. As Misery Fades is their debut EP and collects the first five songs they have written, it's 30 minutes of progressive/melodic death metal, rammed with technicality, fluidity and aggression it kicks you in the teeth from the opening moments, As Misery Fades has a huge sound despite the band only being a three piece, they bring the progressive feel of Wintersun and Alcest as tracks such as Chains Of Fate has black metal speed, while I Will Not Follow brings some more shoegazing and a death metal grunt. The tracks here are quite progressive despite the short run times they managed to pack a lot of musicality into them which makes it impressive for a debut. They aren't breaking the mold when it comes to this style but they are doing it at a high enough level to gain traction on the scene. 6/10
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