Reviews: Civil War, Your Highness, Paddy & The Rats, Waiting 4 April (Reviews By Matt Cook & GC)

Civil War – Invaders (Napalm Records) [GC]

It’s better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all. Or something like that. Civil War did technically try, in that they released their first album in six years. Invaders assuredly belongs in the power metal folder, but beyond that, the record lacks experimentation or daring. The compositions are what they are, and strive not to be anything bigger or more majestic than that. In times like these, the keyboard is often a saving grace, transporting listeners to vast landscapes or futuristic environments. 

Unfortunately, Daniel Mÿhr does the opposite, failing to garner enough gravitas to make a positive impact. Oblivion and Dead Man’s Glory see the Swedes deviating into unchartered territory, much to their detriment. Put simply: stay in your lane. The former is the soundtrack for a seafaring expedition (which instantly conjures images of the American Civil War circa 1862, doesn’t it?). The latter reads like a Viking saga: “They came from the North / Pillaging hoards / Clamoring to rape and defile / As their longships break shore / The horn blast of war, shatters the still of our Emerald Isle.” A tad disingenuous, no? 

Naturally, the two strongest songs are the last two on Invaders. Battle For Life ratchets up a strong melodic, rumbling introduction and implores you to “throw all your fear into the fire.” Followed by that is Custer’s Last Stand, an appropriate debunking of the titular character who is often painted as an American hero but actually was nothing more than an Indian-hunting coward who left his men on the battlefield and died in disgrace, though somehow still gained fame and glory. The true American way. “A foolish game / a game he couldn’t survive.” At least we got a song about Andersonville, the oft-chronicled, deplorable Confederate POW site. But the dizzying lyrical themes touched upon and the tepid musical arrangements is a dud that falls harmlessly into the open ocean. 6/10

Your Highness - The Ragbag EP (Hoogheid Records) [GC]

Coming into this one blind as I have got to admit that stoner/doom/sludge music is not one I am overly familiar with, however on the evidence provided here it’s something I could really see myself embracing and listening to more of! The opening track of the EP, To Dust: starts off with a fuzzed out bass and drum intro and then makes a steady pace towards the sort of groove filled riff that make you instantly pay attention and want to get up and shake, the vocals sit nicely on top and it all makes for a great start and the next 5 minutes are pure, unadulterated fun, with an almost punk like pace that lasts to the closing seconds of Tie It Up. 

Obviously as it’s only an EP its over fairly quickly and overall, there’s not much to get your teeth into but what is on offer you can’t fault as all 3 songs really are fun and definitely make me want to try other releases from Your Highness. I really enjoyed this EP a lot and imagine fans of High On Fire, Clutch and the like will find this to their tastes, and for me it has worked as a good introduction to Your Highness, which is surely what is most important!? 7/10

Paddy And The Rats – From Wasteland To Wonderland (Napalm Records) [Matt Cook]

By now, there should be no doubt about the staying power that Piratic Folk Metal has established. Gone are the days when bands with that label were unceremoniously cast off as joke groups more consumed by rum than by a desire to achieve musical excellence. Paddy And The Rats have boasted a consistent track record since 2009’s Rats On Board and with support from mega-label Napalm Records, From Wasteland To Wonderland is ready to set sail and sally forth. 

The approachability of the album stands out quickly and voraciously. The subtle variety amplifies the fresh feeling sloshing about the 13 tracks. A more descriptive (albeit much less rolling-off-the-tongue) categorization for Wasteland should be power pop folk with waltz tendencies and Mariachi revelry. Northern Lights not only glistens and awes in the clear evening sky; the standout song is catchier than a lobster trap full of bloody chum tossed on top of a school of starving sharks. Taking it a step further, it personifies the aurora borealis as a breath-taking maiden with “shiny green hair.” Fiddler Sándor Szabó lays down beautiful riffs and melodies, topping out with a sultry solo (Wasteland). Party Like A Pirate dual wields a waltzy melody and a swashbuckling take on a Rammstein hook. 

The dazzling music benefits greatly from crystal-clear vocal production. Kristóf Oravecz is polished, unblemished. Everybody Get Up declares “let’s spread the music not the virus.” Who could argue with that suggestion? Well, I know who, but that’s what Twitter is for. It is a bit of an undertaking when deciding to crack the code of the 45-minute album. But you don’t need to be a folk metal fan – or a metal fan in general – to enjoy and admire the quality and listenability. Sip on a refreshing fruit punch or an old white rum (or both) and let weathered professionals whisk you away. 8/10

Waiting 4 April - Photo Memory EP (Self Released) [GC]

Imagine the year is 2006 you’re at a gig and someone with a black bowl cut, checked shirt, skinny jeans & Converse trainers on have just plugged in his guitar on stage, yeah, you know EXACTLY where this is going! Unfortunately, the year is 2022 and I honestly can’t believe that there is still a market for this type of shit!? Now, without actually mentioning the music that may seem unnecessarily harsh on Waiting 4 April (Eye roll at the band name) but once you get to the music it is just SO formulaic it is almost painful to listen to! We get started with a quiet plinky riff that leads into a slightly faster boring riff then BOOM into predictable massive boring chorus, repeat for boring 7 songs! 

Now, there is nothing wrong with that formula if you like that sort of thing but, it has been done 8 million times before and MUCH MUCH better than this! One of the main things I cannot get my head round is this guys voice it’s so high that sometimes only cats would be able to understand what the hell he is going on about and the music just doesn’t inspire anything in me as its just so wet and sugary that it’s made me diabetic. 

With song titles like Answers, If Only You Knew, Love Is and Dead Inside this is just everything you expect from an emo release, the release blog labeled it as post-hard core and unfortunately there is just nothing here to make me think that is what this is and quite frankly it an insult to Texas Is The Reason, Taking Back Sunday and other actual post-hardcore bands! I actually wanted to try and give this a second listen to be proved wrong but just I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Awful. 3/10