Reviews: Tim Bowness, Hinayana, The Hawkins, Stryper (Paul S, Rich, Stuart & Paul H)

Tim Bowness: Late Night Laments (Inside Out Music) [Paul Scoble]

Tim Bowness has been making music since the early nineties. He is best known as Vocalist and Co-writer for the band No-Man, a collaboration with Steve Wilson. Late Night Laments is his sixth solo album, Tim’s first solo album came out in 2004, solo albums 2 - 6 have all been made since 2014. The style on offer on Late Night Laments is described by the album title. The album is a collection of soft, lilting and very minimal and intimate songs. This is mellow and reflective singer / songwriter style that uses minimalist electronica and acoustic soundscapes. In all the tracks the music is quite low in the mix, with Bowness’s vocals being highest in the mix. This would be a problem if it wasn’t for the fact that Tim Bowness has a stunning voice, and he gives great performances on every track. The album opens with Northern Rain, minimalist electronica and Tim’s voice at a relaxed tempo. The percussion is subtle and the whole track has a feeling that is reflective and up-lifting. I’m Better Now, again has a very subtle and understated feel to it. 

The song has a great chorus that after a few listens you just have to sing along with. There is a similarity between the electronica based songs on this album and some of David Bowie’s electronic material, it reminds me of the less aggressive tracks on Earthling. Darkline is a mix of the soft and lilting electronic sound and a more purposeful and driving sound. The track vacillates between the 2 different feels. We Caught The Light has a more positive and uplifting quality to the songs that came before it. The track features backing vocals in addition to Tim Bowness’s vocals, as well as some bell-like instrument. This track has a positivity that reminds me a little of Devin Townsend, but without the wackiness. The Hitman Who Missed is soft and reflective, at the start of the song it is just piano and vocals. As the track progresses more electronic elements are added before the song has a very mellow and soft ending. Never A Place features a soft piano and (what sounds like a) Mellotron. The song gets more speed and drive as it moves along, and in the second half of the song has some very interesting percussion. The Last Getaway has a bit of a glitchy feel to the percussion. It reminds me of Aphex Twin, but only Aphex Twin’s most minimal and atmospheric tracks. Hidden Life is very soft and ballad like. It features electric piano, very subtle percussion and vocals that are soft and mellow. 

The album comes to an end with the song One Last Call. As with most of the rest of this album it’s very soft and minimalist, the track has a double bass on it which gives it a slight jazz feeling, and is dreamlike and ethereal. The track slowly drifts to a very satisfying end. As with most singer / songwriter material, this album rests on great tunes and effective songwriting. The style is minimal, and it takes a little time to get into; but it’s worth it, if you give this album some time, the tunes get into your head and the album really starts to fly. This album also relies on Tim Bowness’s voice, with it being very high in the mix if his vocal melodies weren’t spot on, or if he didn’t have lots of personality in his voice this album would have been painful. Yes, it’s minimal, but if you give it some time, the album will flourish and you will get a lot of enjoyment out of it. 8/10         

Hinayana: Death Of The Cosmic EP (Napalm Records) [Rich Oliver]

Hinayana are a band I have seen get quite a few mentions and from people whose musical tastes I really trust so they have ended up on my ever growing and never shrinking list of bands to check out one day when I get a chance. Thankfully though with their new release landing in my inbox I now have the perfect chance to check out this band and see what the fuss is about. Death Of The Cosmic is the new EP from the Texan band and their style can be categorised as melodic death doom metal. There are a lot of bands who perform this sub-genre of metal and a lot of them are bands that I am a very big fan of and whilst Hinayana don’t really do anything different what they do is write and perform this genre startlingly well. They manage to balance both the heavy and melodic aspects of their sound perfectly with songs that are very metal yet very delicate with wonderful melodies which really embrace the melancholic nature of the music. 

The mood of the music balances both darkness and light which whilst melancholic doesn’t go too deep into a well of misery. Sadness and melancholy with that nice glimmer of hope. The EP is made up of five songs with the fantastic title track kicking things off and really setting things up nicely. Two of the songs feature guest musicians with Toni Tonivonen of Hanging Garden providing vocals to In Sacred Delusion and the late Naturre Ganganbaigal of Tengger Cavalry performing Morin Khurr (a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument) to outstanding effect on Cold Conception. The only song that seems slightly out of place is the short instrumental Yet Here I Wait Forever which although very enjoyable does slightly interrupt the flow of the already short EP. This song would have been better placed at the end. 

All in all I can see why people have been raving about Hinayana. Whilst they don’t do anything particularly groundbreaking they perform melodic death doom metal at an extremely high standard with well structured songs with plenty of emotional depth. This short EP is a great introduction to the band and will certainly have me checking out their 2018 album Order Divine. If you are a fan of bands such as Insomnium, Wolfheart and Ghost Brigade then this is must hear stuff. 8/10

The Hawkins: Silence Is A Bomb (The Sign Records) [Stuart Blythe]

The Hawkins second record is certainly something of a statement of intent “This is the best thing you’ll ever hear” sings lead vocalist Johannes Carlsson on the track Cut Moon Bleeds. The band even go so far as exclaiming that they are the result of some mad science experiment, crossing Queen with nitroglycerine. I can’t say I agree with their bold stance, but I certainly admire their attitude. I wish I could be that optimistic about myself when I look in the mirror! So, Silence Is A Bomb, what are we looking at here then? Imagine if you will a band skirting round the edges of The Hives, Weezer and fellow Scandinavians the, long forgotten Span and you’ll get a basic idea. Pop Punk, (just a little bit heavier than) Indie Rock infused with the swagger you’d expect of a band who think of Queen as the first point of comparison when describing themselves. 

There are some undeniably good songs hiding here. Opening track proper Roomer is absolutely great. A two-minute, hi- octane pop punk master class, with some driving riffs, inventive drumming and, yes some actual Queen harmonies from the whole band. Hilow is a light, bouncy song with a hook that does indeed get caught in your head (another boast of the band is that you’ll say “Damn, that song is stuck in my head”… they’re not wrong). Carlsson’s vocals are showcased well here alternating from measured control, to high ranged hysteria. Black Gold has the feel of a more Irish style pop punk anthem, and features a return to the much under-used Queen harmonies., something that I think would have benefitted the whole record, but that is used rather sparingly throughout. 

Closing out with the double whammy of Fisherman Blues and All My Birds Are Dead, Silence Is A Bomb is a record oozing in confidence, musicality and a sense of strutting arrogance (but… er, in a good way?). It has some flaws, specifically the mid-section where tracks like Stones, Mynah and Minuette fail to excite, but damn if this isn’t some fine Scandinavian rock! 7/10

Stryper: Even The Devil Believes (Frontiers Music) [Paul Hutchings]

If there is a god then he or she certainly has a strong sense of humour. Here we are again, two years since God Damn Evil and those stalwarts of the Christian faith are back with their millionth album. I was incredibly scathing about their last album and I’m afraid that nothing much has changed. I still find Michael Sweet’s vocals like nails down the blackboard, the glorying of a non-existent deity still ridiculous, and the saccharine flavoured harmonies horrible. I gave this album more time than it should have had, in the hope that I could ignore the lyrical themes and focus on the music, because the band can play. Recorded during the pandemic, this is the first Stryper album to feature Perry Richardson (Firehousse) on bass and background vocals. Sweet believes it is relevant, with a message pertinent to the times we are living in. 

It makes little difference if you ask me. The band are stuck in the horrific glam/hair metal era of the late 1980s, when Great White, Dokken and the like were all flashy guitar riffs, shredding solos and ponderous, plodding songs. Example number one – Divider. A staggeringly bloated track that doesn’t get going but which does threaten to, for about a minute. Then we have the traditional ghastly guff of This I Pray, along with Invitation Only which features some impressive guitar work but little else. And if you wanted something crass to finish with, sample album closer Middle Finger Messiah, one of the most ridiculous songs I’ve ever heard with the riff from Judas Priest’s Exciter stolen to boot. It still astounds me that this band have sold over Ten million albums worldwide. 

Clearly God does move in mysterious ways, but he can stay the fuck away from my credit card! If Christianity is your bag, then that’s your choice. I’m pleased that it works for you. Stryper clearly appeal to enough who lap up the ‘heavenly metal’. If you are curious, give this a go. Just don’t say you weren’t warned. 3/10