It’s no secret that we love this band here at MoM Towers. Search the band’s name on the site and you’ll find several live reviews of the band where they are at their most ferocious and impressive. 2018 saw Blind River release their self-titled debut and it was a stormer. Blind River quickly became an old friend, an album to rely on, to go to when a bit of filthy grinding heavy rock was needed. I still play it about once a fortnight. But, having seen the fire that burns inside these musicians, you know that they must have been gagging to get more music out from the inside. After all, these boys have been around with a list of bands in their history including Earls Of Mars, Pig Iron and Godsized.
Made Of Dirt picks up where Blind River left off, and from the opening bars of Waste Of Life, you know this is going to be an enjoyable ride. There is still dirt under the fingernails, and I doubt that will ever change with this band; nor should it. These guys don’t do polished. It’s down, it’s dirty, it’s a pint in your hand as you sway and bounce to the energy. But don’t let that for one minute mislead you because this is quality from start to finish. The title track is as raucous as anything on the debut record, thick riffs, and the roaring delivery from Harry Armstrong right in your face. But Blind River can mix it up with ease. There’s the smouldering bluesy swagger of Acid Tongue, which the band do so well, and the similar smoking Gone which builds slowly but drips with emotion. Evidence if you somehow required any convincing.
Slow Begins The Sickness draws its roots from the swamps of the deep south, and I don’t mean Guilford. There’s a NOLA feel to it, a soulful, all encompassing vibe which harnesses Armstrong’s blistering vocals. Horsehead demonstrates the band can change pace, the short punchy style contrasting with Burn The Sun, Will Hughes pumping bass lines and the subtle interplay between guitarists Dan Edwards and Chris Charles making the track reminiscent of Soundgarden at their finest. Of course, it’s the riotous fist pumping rock n’ roll that is what makes Blind River such a stunning band and Learn To Lose steers the ship back in that direction, all filthy groove and hook, before the final duo which once more change the tone and flavour. Psycho Sapien is possibly the band at their most reflective, deep and mellow, Armstrong’s gravel-soaked tones blending with the gentle yet forceful soundtrack. The punk edged rage of No Surprise provides a feisty finish with a song that should be great fun live, if that kind of thing is ever a thing again.
I make no apology for my love of this band. They combine the steel of metal, the soul of the blues and the spirit of rock n’ roll. There’s a maturity to Made Of Dirt which comes because of the band’s experience and hard work. This will be in my top ten. It should be in yours. 9/10
Dennis DeYoung: 26 East - Volume 1 (Frontiers Records) [Bob Shoesmith]
Unless you’re a fan, the name Dennis DeYoung may not instantly register with you, but his history will. DeYoung is a founder member, vocalist and major contributor to the Chicago based, arena (soft) rockers Styx. He fronted them 3 times over their nearly 50-year history of bust ups, splits & some untimely deaths of its members. Since they last parted ways he has had a mixed career of some acting, some Broadway shows and some appearances performing the songs of Styx (apparently due to ‘legal reasons’ he can’t use the name despite having penned most their hits – rock stars eh?!).
Now at a seemingly still productive 73 yrs old, Dennis has gone back in the studio with a collection of songs and a roster of session musicians that timeline his lengthy personal musical career. He clearly feels he has more in his locker. As soon as you hit the first track, East Of Midnight you instantly hear THAT distinctive voice, instantly recognisable from 1980’s, Grammy Award winning No.1 single Babe (ask your parents). His voice has stood the test of time remarkably well. Given Dennis was the main writer behind most of his former bands array of huge selling, hook laden power ballads and stadium anthems, 26 East: Volume 1 is very much more of distinctive Styx stamp, it is unmistakably and unsurprisingly all over most of the songs (You My Love, Damn That Dream, To The Good Old Days, Run For The Roses and the rather sad epilogue track, A.D 2020). It is also apparent that Dennis’s stints on Broadway has coloured his songwriting as a lot of this album would sit very comfortably in musical theatre (The Promise Of This Land, Unbroken). I’m guessing that despite the passing of time, Dennis’s Styx experiences still rankle as there is a rather wonderfully unexpected bit of feistiness and fire about the track With All Due Respect (You’re An Asshole). Go Dennis!
According to the bio, sufficient songs were recorded for a Volume 2 to be released, but we’ll see. It wouldn’t be on my personal shopping list as it’s a little too saccharine for my tastes but your Mum will love it. Dennis DeYoung, despite advancing years, still writes a great hook, has a tune in him and still has, for the most part, the crystal-clear vocals that won so many awards & plaudits back in the day. A word of caution though, if you are looking for rock, despite a few guitar licks and solos here and there this is very much at the softest edge of that classification. Its more Broadway than Black Sabbath. I wish Dennis DeYoung well with it though, he has earned his success over decades of hard work and I hope I could still be as creative in my 70’s. 9/10
Temnein: Tales: Of Humanity And Greed (Bloodblast Records) [Rich Oliver]
Melodic death metal is one of my favourite subgenres of metal. It has its ups and downs like with any long running metal subgenre either sounding tired and generic or powerful and dynamic reminding you why you love this music in the first place. One melodic death metal band I have not come across until now are Temnein who hail from France and have just released their third album titled Tales: Of Humanity And Greed. Thankfully this album is a prime example of just how melodic death metal should sound in 2020. This is an incredibly solid melodic death metal album which is chock full of fantastic melodic death metal riffs with plenty of slick leads and melodic solos. The musicianship is very tight throughout with a powerful rhythm section as well as an effective use of synths in the background which compliment the rhythm and the melodies. The harsh vocals by Jocelyn Fidry are at that nice mid level growl which perfectly suit melodic death metal being not too deep and therefore full of clarity. The songwriting has a progressive nature throughout which keeps the songs flowing and invigorated.
There was rarely a moment throughout where my attention started to wander as the songs are nicely varied throughout. You have very solid melodic death metal songs such as The Blind And The Greedy and A Few Drops Of Blood, solid headbangers such as Rise Of The Sontarans, more epic and atmospheric songs such as I Am Davy Jones, dark and doomy songs such as Dirge For Terminus and far more progressively minded songs such as Scums Of Hamelin. Lyrically there are songs about fairytales and folklore as well as songs based around popular culture such as The Legend Of Zelda video games and the television series Doctor Who (which pleased this Whovian reviewer). Tales: Of Humanity And Greed is a fantastic album from Temnein and encapsulates a lot of what I love about melodic death metal. It is not wholly original sounding but to be honest not much is these days. It is incredibly well written, performed and produced. If you are a fan of Dark Tranquillity, Omnium Gatherum or In Mourning then this album is highly recommended. 8/10
Souls Of Tide: Black Magic (Mighty Music) [Simon Black]
Black Magic is the second album from Norwegian 6-piece Classic Rock influenced Souls Of Tide, and a long time has passed since their debut Join The Circus in 2016. These guys wear their influences proudly and there is a healthy dollop of Deep Purple in here, along with some touches of the more moody late-sixties sound – not quite psychedelic, but you can tell someone found The Doors and Cream in their dad’s record collection at some point. At this point I should point out that I’m always a sucker for the sound of the Hammond Organ, especially as here when it’s used as an instrument in its own right, rather than just as an occasional setting on a synth. Equally, this is very much a modern metal band doing their thing, and the two styles blend very well together here to create a fresh-sounding record with keeps you listening for its 34 and a bit minutes.
Title track Black Magic probably encapsulates my feelings towards these guys – a bouncy guitar intro with a well-paced flow into a catchy chorus, but with enough interesting fills that tip the hat to decades past whilst still sounding news and racy, topped off with a riff-driven instrumental section, and definitely the stand out track on the record. They even pull it off when the go full-on instrumental with the appropriately titled Interlude, which takes the album into its more even-paced and moody closing tracks. I get a strong sense that this album will play well in its entirety live, and there’s a string conceptual feel running through the whole piece that just works, and is topped off by a strong vocal performance from Vegar Larsen, who knows how to hold your attention. Groovy Man, 7/10
Black Magic is the second album from Norwegian 6-piece Classic Rock influenced Souls Of Tide, and a long time has passed since their debut Join The Circus in 2016. These guys wear their influences proudly and there is a healthy dollop of Deep Purple in here, along with some touches of the more moody late-sixties sound – not quite psychedelic, but you can tell someone found The Doors and Cream in their dad’s record collection at some point. At this point I should point out that I’m always a sucker for the sound of the Hammond Organ, especially as here when it’s used as an instrument in its own right, rather than just as an occasional setting on a synth. Equally, this is very much a modern metal band doing their thing, and the two styles blend very well together here to create a fresh-sounding record with keeps you listening for its 34 and a bit minutes.
Title track Black Magic probably encapsulates my feelings towards these guys – a bouncy guitar intro with a well-paced flow into a catchy chorus, but with enough interesting fills that tip the hat to decades past whilst still sounding news and racy, topped off with a riff-driven instrumental section, and definitely the stand out track on the record. They even pull it off when the go full-on instrumental with the appropriately titled Interlude, which takes the album into its more even-paced and moody closing tracks. I get a strong sense that this album will play well in its entirety live, and there’s a string conceptual feel running through the whole piece that just works, and is topped off by a strong vocal performance from Vegar Larsen, who knows how to hold your attention. Groovy Man, 7/10
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