From 1993 – 2003 I worked in the Homeless Unit at Cardiff Council. I worked with hundreds of families and individuals who were homeless or threatened with homelessness. It was a challenging decade, often fighting for limited resources and applying a law that didn’t always fit with the available supply of accommodation. I was mentally broken at times from the stories that I experienced and all the time I had the luxury to return to a warm bed with a roof over my head. Why am I telling you this? Well, one of the key sources of support was Shelter Cymru, the charity who housing advice has been helping thousands since it was set up in 1981. Now badged as the ‘People and Homes Charity’, they continue to advocate, campaign, and provide practical help for those with housing problems.
Last year’s incredible effort by UK Thrashers’ Neil Brannigan Fuller saw a whole bucket load of cash (over £2000) raised for Shelter through the album Moshin’ The Roof On. The album showcased some of the best thrash bands from across the UK, all of whom freely donated their music for this venerable cause. But like a rottweiler on a bone, Brannie is not one to let things lie, and as well as all the relentless work he does for the UK thrash scene, he’s now curated Volume 2, following the same format as before but with a plethora of new additions alongside some older favourites who are back for a second serving.
Put simply, if you like UK metal, this album is worth buying. If you are thrash fan of any denomination, this album is an essential purchase. 30 UK thrashers combine forces for over two hours of face melting fast paced riffage. And there’s hardly a dud across the whole release, with some absolutely blistering tracks for your money.
What’s most impressive across the album is the well-balanced mix of angry, feisty young guns who are straining at the leash, standing tall alongside the older school veterans who are still razor sharp over 30 years since they first cut their teeth. The likes of Virus, Elimination, Solitary and Trapped in Purgatory are happy to show their younger peers like Tortured Demon, Steel Mage and Elyrean that there is nothing to beat experience and these gnarly elder statesmen do it with some style.
There’s a swell of pride for the South Wales scene as well, with the inclusion of two of our favourites from the M2TM scene who take over the flag carrying from Excursion who appeared on Vol One. Swansea four-piece Sepulchre managed to get enough of the correct fuel in the tank to get their track Kill Me placed midway through side one, whilst West Wales boyos In Which In Burns, throw in The Silence In My Head, fresh from their recent full length release Silence the Nothing.
The production values vary, which is unsurprising as many of the bands assembled are unsigned and very much follow the DIY ethos, something the old timers amongst us remember only too well. There’s also a pleasing variation in quality and style, and as I said there isn’t a bad song on the whole release.
There are too many bands to cover each one, so let’s pick out a few highlights. Side one features a broad range, from the riff heavy veterans Virus with their ferocious The Hand That Feeds You and the returning Trapped In Purgatory whose Hung Out To Dry is taken from one of the best thrash albums of the year, Damned Nation. There’s additional Scottish goodness from Edinburgh’s Ifreann who solo like it’s going out of fashion with the pulsating Of Blade And Blackened Wings. Sepulchre’s Kill Me slows things down, and despite the muddy mix it remains one of my favourites by the band.
The inclusion of Birmingham’s Ashen Crown adds heft, with Kieran Scott’s guttural vocals and the overall death metal approach injecting some fire and brimstone into proceedings. Nottingham’s Incinery bring even more credibility, sharing Hollow Earth from last year’s magnificent Hollow Earth Theory which was a highlight of last year. And who could leave out the North East music collective Scarred By Truth whose song Sociomedia is another razor-sharp social commentary and a welcome inclusion.
Diving straight back into Side Two is crammed with quality. The resurgent Solitary kick off the second disc, and we see the Preston old school thrashers savage with Abominate, before a double shot from London with the bludgeoning style of Thrasherwolf’s A Thousand Eyes which contrasts dramatically with the rapping thrash of Tempashot whose Gunning For Gatekeepers demonstrates the breadth of quality within the UK thrash scene.
Time for the youngsters to show their steel and it would be unacceptable to bypass Oldham’s Tortured Demon whose debut album In Desperation’s Grip rightly caused a wave of excitement earlier this year. Sufferers Of The New Plague isn’t their best track, but the progressive nature of the song demonstrates a maturity that augers well for the future. Alongside them, Manchester’s Steel Mage throw in their lockdown inspired single Mandatory Detention.
The powerfully thick riffage of Imperium’s Here Comes The Night is another massive track, following the punch to the face that is Novichok, the nerve agent thrashers from the North East whose savage Cease And Desist leaves nothing to the imagination. Just bang your head and ask no questions! And if all that isn’t enough there’s still time for the clubbing crossover thrash of Sidewinder, which leaves a boot print on the side of your head.
Hellfekted should be well known to more metal fans these days. The Stoke-On-Trent lads have been building momentum with their blackened thrash for the past couple of years and Method Of Destruction is a nasty little beast which leads to the final song on the album. Glaswegian black speed metallers Night Fighter have the honour of closing proceedings and don’t mess about with Ripper.
If you only buy one release this year, then Moshin’ The Roof On Two is the one to get. Should you need help with housing, then more information about Shelter can be found at https://sheltercymru.org.uk/ and https://www.shelter.org.uk/ You can find more about the UK thrash scene at https://ukthrashers.org/ or on all the usual social media platforms. 10/10
Last year’s incredible effort by UK Thrashers’ Neil Brannigan Fuller saw a whole bucket load of cash (over £2000) raised for Shelter through the album Moshin’ The Roof On. The album showcased some of the best thrash bands from across the UK, all of whom freely donated their music for this venerable cause. But like a rottweiler on a bone, Brannie is not one to let things lie, and as well as all the relentless work he does for the UK thrash scene, he’s now curated Volume 2, following the same format as before but with a plethora of new additions alongside some older favourites who are back for a second serving.
Put simply, if you like UK metal, this album is worth buying. If you are thrash fan of any denomination, this album is an essential purchase. 30 UK thrashers combine forces for over two hours of face melting fast paced riffage. And there’s hardly a dud across the whole release, with some absolutely blistering tracks for your money.
What’s most impressive across the album is the well-balanced mix of angry, feisty young guns who are straining at the leash, standing tall alongside the older school veterans who are still razor sharp over 30 years since they first cut their teeth. The likes of Virus, Elimination, Solitary and Trapped in Purgatory are happy to show their younger peers like Tortured Demon, Steel Mage and Elyrean that there is nothing to beat experience and these gnarly elder statesmen do it with some style.
There’s a swell of pride for the South Wales scene as well, with the inclusion of two of our favourites from the M2TM scene who take over the flag carrying from Excursion who appeared on Vol One. Swansea four-piece Sepulchre managed to get enough of the correct fuel in the tank to get their track Kill Me placed midway through side one, whilst West Wales boyos In Which In Burns, throw in The Silence In My Head, fresh from their recent full length release Silence the Nothing.
The production values vary, which is unsurprising as many of the bands assembled are unsigned and very much follow the DIY ethos, something the old timers amongst us remember only too well. There’s also a pleasing variation in quality and style, and as I said there isn’t a bad song on the whole release.
There are too many bands to cover each one, so let’s pick out a few highlights. Side one features a broad range, from the riff heavy veterans Virus with their ferocious The Hand That Feeds You and the returning Trapped In Purgatory whose Hung Out To Dry is taken from one of the best thrash albums of the year, Damned Nation. There’s additional Scottish goodness from Edinburgh’s Ifreann who solo like it’s going out of fashion with the pulsating Of Blade And Blackened Wings. Sepulchre’s Kill Me slows things down, and despite the muddy mix it remains one of my favourites by the band.
The inclusion of Birmingham’s Ashen Crown adds heft, with Kieran Scott’s guttural vocals and the overall death metal approach injecting some fire and brimstone into proceedings. Nottingham’s Incinery bring even more credibility, sharing Hollow Earth from last year’s magnificent Hollow Earth Theory which was a highlight of last year. And who could leave out the North East music collective Scarred By Truth whose song Sociomedia is another razor-sharp social commentary and a welcome inclusion.
Diving straight back into Side Two is crammed with quality. The resurgent Solitary kick off the second disc, and we see the Preston old school thrashers savage with Abominate, before a double shot from London with the bludgeoning style of Thrasherwolf’s A Thousand Eyes which contrasts dramatically with the rapping thrash of Tempashot whose Gunning For Gatekeepers demonstrates the breadth of quality within the UK thrash scene.
Time for the youngsters to show their steel and it would be unacceptable to bypass Oldham’s Tortured Demon whose debut album In Desperation’s Grip rightly caused a wave of excitement earlier this year. Sufferers Of The New Plague isn’t their best track, but the progressive nature of the song demonstrates a maturity that augers well for the future. Alongside them, Manchester’s Steel Mage throw in their lockdown inspired single Mandatory Detention.
The powerfully thick riffage of Imperium’s Here Comes The Night is another massive track, following the punch to the face that is Novichok, the nerve agent thrashers from the North East whose savage Cease And Desist leaves nothing to the imagination. Just bang your head and ask no questions! And if all that isn’t enough there’s still time for the clubbing crossover thrash of Sidewinder, which leaves a boot print on the side of your head.
Hellfekted should be well known to more metal fans these days. The Stoke-On-Trent lads have been building momentum with their blackened thrash for the past couple of years and Method Of Destruction is a nasty little beast which leads to the final song on the album. Glaswegian black speed metallers Night Fighter have the honour of closing proceedings and don’t mess about with Ripper.
If you only buy one release this year, then Moshin’ The Roof On Two is the one to get. Should you need help with housing, then more information about Shelter can be found at https://sheltercymru.org.uk/ and https://www.shelter.org.uk/ You can find more about the UK thrash scene at https://ukthrashers.org/ or on all the usual social media platforms. 10/10
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