Formed in Denmark in 2001, Pyramaze is a melodic power metal band who have released five previous albums. Amongst the ranks of former singers, Pyramaze include Matt Barlow (ex-Iced Earth), Urban Breed (Serious Black, ex- Bloodbound) and Lance King, who owns Nightmare record label. The band’s hiatus in 2011 saw a rejig of the line-up with founder guitarist Michael Kammeyer and bassist Neils Qvist departing. Pyramaze regrouped and in 2015 returned with their latest line-up, which included long standing drummer Morton Gade Sonrensen and fellow long serving keyboardist Jonah Weingarden together with singer Torje Haroy, guitarist Toke Skjønnemand and Jacob Hansen (guitar/bass). Having signed to AFM records, the band has pushed ahead with sixth studio album Epitaph.
Crammed full of melody, soaring guitar solos, powerful riffs, and warm rich vocals, this is an uplifting melodic metal album. At 59 minutes long, there is a lot to explore. The band aren’t afraid to use orchestral elements, sweeping string sections that add to the epic feel of their songs. It’s a melodic ride, rich on keyboards and the multiple harmonies that give breadth to the choruses. Songs like Particle should appeal to those who enjoy their melodic rock, all dramatic juxtapositions and sweeping cinema scope style delivery. The guest appearance of Brittney Slayes of Unleash The Archers on Transcendence and the majestic 12-minute concluding epic The Time Traveller featuring Barlow and King add extra spice. With a polished production, Pyramaze’s sixth release is an invigorating blend of melodic hard rock and power metal which should maintain their position amongst the elite of the European progressive power metal outfits 7/10
Greek death metal act Soulskinner have been around since 2000 and have been bringing chainsaw-like flesh ripping brutality since then across 4 previous albums. On this fifth release the gut-wrenching voice of Gothmog have gone replaced with Marios Lampouridis of Necrogasm, not that it really matters so long as there are brutal grunts on top of the bands visceral death metal assault. it's the added sense of drama that Soulskinner have that put them at odds with many of the blast like hell and piss off death metal bands out there the album kicking off with a doom-laden dramatic intro before things build into the first track proper Night which shifts between melodic doom and bludgeoning death metal with The Principles Of Truth dive bombs into a much faster realms bookended by the slower style that is reminiscent of American's Obituary and our own Bolt Thrower especially when we get into the thunderous raging of Eternal and the crunching Regeneration Of The Soul where the twin harmonies run into lightspeed and the drumming is percussive enough to flatten concrete. Despite the album title sounding like something that may happen if you piss off the cook at Wagamama's it's a nasty slice of death metal from these Ionian heavies. 8/10
Twister: Cursed & Corrected (Off Yer Rocka Records) [Simon Black]
Soulskinner: Seven Bowls Of Wrath (Xtreem Music) [Matt Bladen]
Greek death metal act Soulskinner have been around since 2000 and have been bringing chainsaw-like flesh ripping brutality since then across 4 previous albums. On this fifth release the gut-wrenching voice of Gothmog have gone replaced with Marios Lampouridis of Necrogasm, not that it really matters so long as there are brutal grunts on top of the bands visceral death metal assault. it's the added sense of drama that Soulskinner have that put them at odds with many of the blast like hell and piss off death metal bands out there the album kicking off with a doom-laden dramatic intro before things build into the first track proper Night which shifts between melodic doom and bludgeoning death metal with The Principles Of Truth dive bombs into a much faster realms bookended by the slower style that is reminiscent of American's Obituary and our own Bolt Thrower especially when we get into the thunderous raging of Eternal and the crunching Regeneration Of The Soul where the twin harmonies run into lightspeed and the drumming is percussive enough to flatten concrete. Despite the album title sounding like something that may happen if you piss off the cook at Wagamama's it's a nasty slice of death metal from these Ionian heavies. 8/10
Twister: Cursed & Corrected (Off Yer Rocka Records) [Simon Black]
Twister are a new and refreshingly young act hailing from the Durham in the North East of England, although they’ve managed to gain some presence much further afield to lay the ground for their debut album. This Hard Rock four piece have done really well in a very short space of time, and you can hear why very quickly. This is also the first time that I can recall a debut album where the album title track is actually the short instrumental album opener, but whatever – it’s one of many subtle tricks thrown through the course of the fifty-one minutes and thirteen punchy, hook-laden and anthemic numbers.
Yup, you read the length correctly – and yes, that is a lengthy album for the genre that normally struggles to give you a consistent thirty minutes of quality, but these boys manage it effortlessly. This album really holds the attention, and I cannot point my finger at any of the tracks and accuse them of fobbing us off with a filler. And you have no idea how refreshing that is when you review hundreds of albums a year. This is tight and punchy Melodic, but soulful Hard Rock – with crisp, bright tunes and cracking guitar hooks, plus added smatterings of technical virtuosity where you don’t expect them. It’s a bit like hearing Thunder for the very first time and thinking “Fuck me, that rhythm section is tight”. Twister, are a very different beast however, and there’s an extra rawness and energy usually found in the Sleaze end of the spectrum and you get the tightly polished feel of well-crafted Hard/Melodic Rock - plus some incredibly technical time change and beat jumps. It really is a clever piece of work. Then there’s the freshness in the playing. Beyond the gnat’s arse-crack tightness of drummer Jack Corbett and bassist Ryan Lee, there’s some cracking guitar work coming from lead guitar Jake Grimes, who brilliantly weaves along in the classic Stones way with frontman Stevie Stoker.
Single Save Us Yourself is pure anthemic heaven – with superb catchy hooks and sing-a-long chorus, and the lockdown economy video to go with it, recorded in a sports field presumably in the North East shows that all you need is a camera, a band that can really write and really, really play. No frills, no nonsense, just damned fine toonage. If I could pick a track that absolutely encapsulates this band, it’s going to be a toss up between Monroe or Fist Fight At The Waterside, both of which are clearly going to work great live. The former because it showcases many of the techniques that give them their unique sound; the latter because it absolutely encapsulates the energy and sheer wow factor of a band who are really pointing in the right direction to go somewhere, and explode like a rocket fired down the street. This, I really want to see live soon. There are some bands that explode exponentially off the back of debut albums of this calibre and I really hope that Twister are going to be one of them. What makes this act work in such a well-trodden genre is that their sound is their own, their energy infectious and their music fresh and very, very moreish. 10/10
GhØstkid: GhØstkid (Century Media Records) [Liam True]
Born from the ashes of former Eskimo Callboy vocalist Sebastian ‘Sushi’ Biesler earlier this year, we were informed about him moving forward under the moniker GhØstkid. When a band member starts their own project you normally look to their previou band to look what direction they may take. And with GhØstkid, Sushi has taken the formula used in EC, changed it just a little, by mainly being more serious within the lyrics and song writing, which is made to sound has ugly a possible by the band. Guitarist & bassist Danny Güldener & Stanislaw Czywil (Both former members of To The Rats And Wolves) take the duty to make the record stand out with the nasty filthy guitar tones from Güldener backed by the booming blunderbuss that is the bass sound of Czywil. Then we have drummer Steve Joakim who brings the band together like glue with his hard hitting style that shatters your personification that he can only play simple Metalcore as he disembowels the kit as he plays. The album itself is a hybrid of sorts.
The bastard son on Eskimo Callboy and Marilyn Manson as the venom spitting from the gullet of Sushi is a throwback to his earlier days but also has a hint of Manson's signature snarl that beefs up his delivery. Opener FØØl is a treat for the heaviness the album will bring. Start A Fight shows the bands ability to write a good song with a catchy chorus. Sharks shows the slower side to the record, and does it beautifully. YØu & I is a perfect blend of both the fast and slow elements to the album as it encompasses it beautifully. SupernØva is a heavy yet melodic slice of the Metalcore pie that’s being served up, made even better with the guest vocals of one Marcus Bischoff from Heaven Shall Burn. All in all it’s a tremendous album from start to finish with some guest spots that make the album just that more exciting. Even though it’s only their first album, GhØstkid have made a name for themselves by utilizing the Metal-trance of the last ten years with the added spice of the Industrial Metal side of life to create an album that hits the spot perfectly. If it’s Eskimo Callboy you’re expecting, it only has hints of them, as GhØstkid creates their own aura. 9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment