W.E.T.: Retransmission (Frontiers Records) [Richard Oliver]
Retransmission is the fourth album from melodic hard rock supergroup W.E.T. who were formed in 2008 by core members Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Erik Mårtensson (guitars/keyboards) and Robert Såll (guitars/keyboards). The line up is completed by Magnus Henriksson (lead guitars), Andreas Passmark (bass) and Robban Bäck (drums). W.E.T. are not a band I have heard previously though I’ve seen the name mentioned before and seeing as they are signed to Frontiers Records I was expecting some melodic hard rock and AOR and that is exactly what I got. Not a bad thing as when this genre is done well it can be wholly captivating and W.E.T. are a great example of this style of music done extremely well. The key components of melodic hard rock are all there - cool riffs, slick leads, cheesy keys, melodic vocals and colossal choruses.
The songs are generally upbeat and are a healthy mix of hard-edged rockers such as The Moment Of Truth, Beautiful Game and One Final Kiss and soft rock ballads such as Got To Be About Love and What Are You Waiting For. The band put in great performances especially frontman Jeff Scott Soto who is an accomplished singer from his work with Journey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Sons Of Apollo. The album is also immaculately produced and mixed and sounding like it had a huge recording budget. This is a good album from W.E.T. which whilst meeting all the standards of melodic hard rock you would expect though W.E.T. seem to aim to have a more contemporary sound rather than sounding like an 80’s throwback band (although I personally love a bit of 80’s throwback). This is still a very limited genre with a very defined sound and if you’ve heard a few similar bands from this genre then you’ve heard them all. Still this album sounds incredible and has a great bunch of songs. 7/10
Barbarian Hermit: One - Reissue (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]
Manchester riff merchants Barbarian Hermit's album Solitude And Savagery was one that rarely left my stereo after it's release in 2018, in the review I erroneously called it their debut, when in fact it was One that was their first album. (I mean that's obvious right?). Although it was originally only available on CD-R bootlegged by the band from their demo. On the back of Solitude And Savagery the band have looked back at their debut, due mainly to original vocalist Simon Scarlett (who sang on One) returning to the band mid-2020 replacing Ed Campbell. One is Barbarian Hermit exploding out of the gate with crushing down-tuned fuzz that marries the grooves of stoner metal with the monumental sludge battery.
This record has been remastered by the legendary Chris Fielding (who waved his magic over the 2018 record) and his sonics make sure that tracks such as Tigerhorse really resonate through your old lug holes, Mike Regan and Adam Robertshaw's fuzzy guitar playing really cranking out through your speakers as the Chris Wood's driving bass and Loz Brindley's hammering drumbeats rattle around in your skull powering chuggers like Barbarian Enforcement. As well as being sonically bolstered by Chris Fielding there is also a new track to tickle your fancy. Through The Periscope Of The Deadly Sub is a monolithic new song that hopefully hints at the direction of any potential new record.
Yes One is a revisiting of Barbarian Hermit's early years but it's also marks the next stage in the bands history as Simon (and his cracking voice) returns to the fold. If you loved Solitude And Savagery (and why wouldn't you?) you will love diving back into One if you didn't the first time around. 8/10
Crystal Viper: The Cult (Listenable Records) [Paul Hutchings]
We’ve reviewed the last two albums by Polish outfit Crystal Viper. Neither Queen Of The Witches or Tales Of Ice And Fire stirred our metal loins too much, but our meagre views won’t stop the Poles as they return with album number eight. With Blazon Stone main man Cederick Forsberg now on drums, it’s another 45 minutes of solid heavy metal led once more by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Marta Gabriel. The Cult contains ten full tracks that follow the atmospheric intro/opener Providence and unsurprisingly Crystal Viper stick closely to their previous formulas. Its loud, fast, and unashamedly traditional heavy metal.
Tracks such as Sleeping Giants, The Calling and the rip-roaring title track contain everything that you want. Duelling guitars, driving bass lines, anchoring drumming, and Marta’s powerful vocals. Sometimes if it ain’t broke, you don’t fix it and it’s clear that Crystal Viper have no intention of reaching for the toolbox anytime soon. If you enjoy Helloween, Primal Fear, Maiden, Priest and even Grand Magus, then there will something for you in this album. As we’ve said in previous reviews, it’s not ground-breaking in any sense but it is well played, well-constructed and the songs are solid if unspectacular. Certainly, an enjoyable listen once again. 6/10
The Straddlerz: The Straddlerz (Self Released) [Simon Black]
These guys have an interesting backstory. Although plugged as a US act in the press release, the core of the band is singer Linda Filippin from Italy and guitarist Michael Reynal from Argentina who came together in New York, seemingly pulling the band’s name out of a hat five minutes before their first gig. It’s not clear where the rest of the band’s guest line up are located – not that it probably matters in these remote times, but the core have since relocated to Filippin’s native Italy. It’s clearly taken a while to pull this together judging from the number of drum credits alone, and this slightly chaotic effect is both a positive and a negative aspect of this particular record.
This is down and dirty Rock’n’Roll, which when at its best has the energy and rawness of a live moment captured in digital amber for all time and there are definitely plenty of moments like this on the record. Without You and Junkie Bastards are great examples of this - they are down, dirty, and feel like they could have been recorded in a rehearsal room or semi-live, with raw vocals, and the dirty energy of a band riffing off each other.
But then again some tracks are almost polished and clinical in places, which leads me to think some of this material has been assembled in pieces remotely and is consequently lacking that vital energy. It really does sound like two completely different albums have been spliced together, although they are clearly from the same act. Compare these rough and ready later (and presumably older) tracks with the likes of Circle Of Insanity. In these instances the instruments are all clear and distinct (as opposed to weaved together as a living whole), the vocals are cleaner and some of the guitar work positively shreds technically. None of this is bad by the way, but the net effect is very disconcerting as the record does not have a consistent house sound.
Where it works well is that this is Rock’n’Roll song writing at its best, with an energy and enthusiasm that even the most clinically laid down songs on the record cannot stifle. I suspect these guys need to gel their thing on the road, to the point where the players can anticipate each other’s tics and make the harsh reality and fact of remote recording irrelevant - which is pretty damn hard if you’ve not spent the time face to face honing your set for the punters. Nevertheless a damn promising start. 6/10
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