Reviews: Anthrax, Gutlocker, Lord Vigo, Bad Salt (Reviews By Simon Black, Matt Bladen, Rich P & Finn O'Dell)

Anthrax – XL (Nuclear Blast) [Simon Black]

Now, it is simultaneously not so long ago and also what seems like a lifetime ago when live-streams were the only means we had to consume ‘live’ music. Like ‘em or loathe ‘em, for what felt like an eternity they were the only game in town and to be honest there may still be a place for them for special occasions that might not work commercially otherwise. An obvious example might be playing the anniversary of a specific release in full, with an online show for the hardcore fans - as these things rarely get the same level of turn out as the regular album cycles to justify a full tour, so could be more cost effective, or when a band member is incapacitated. Whatever, you get the gist – they were a symptom of the pandemic and the fact is most of us are happy to leave them in the bin along with facemasks, hand gel and Covid passes.

This particular livestream was intended to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary and at the time at two and a quarter hours of run time was pretty good value for the format, since most were around the ninety-minute mark. The reality was they were quite expensive to stage and not always commercially successful, so it does make sense that this is getting a posthumous audio release and with a three CD duration is pretty good value for money. That said, three CD’s may be generous in terms of content for money, but in this case ‘XL’ might just as easily stand for ‘eXtra Long’, for those less familiar with Roman numerals.

Now you forgave live streams a lot at the time because of the nature of the beast, but the problem is that as an audio only exercise this doesn’t work half as well. The sound on these things is often a lot flatter, because the band are playing on a small sound stage, not a large venue with acoustics to absorb full on power, so they really do need the visuals to compensate for that lack of audible zeitgeist. Not that the band aren’t playing their socks off, but when you are missing the natural acoustics of a hall and the adrenaline of the fans, that’s Anthrax missing a lot of important bits of their live chemistry. Plus, let’s face it, these things aren’t really live – ‘as live’, we just don’t see the breaks when a camera breaks down or someone needs a slash.

And to be honest, you can tell that the band are on form, it’s just missing the edginess that you get when you’re in the same room with them. There are snippets of footage out there live, and you can tell they were trying to make this something special, but they are performing for the cameras, not the fans and that’s a subtle distinction.

That said, value for money is definitely the order of the day and despite the natural inclination to include mostly material from their 80’s heyday it’s quite a varied set list. That said there’s nothing from the John Bush era, which in some ways is a shame if you really are going to cover your forty-year history, missing a key decade out seems a bit remiss (although with Stomp 442’s album cover forming part of the cover collage, this seems a little odd).

Performance wise though, the band are tighter than a gnat’s bum hole as always, and that’s what saves this from being a little odd. Add to the fact that as they get into the rhythm of the medium, the performances notable jump up a notch, building more of the energy and chemistry that make this a band I always go out of my way to watch live. Definitely one for the collectors though. 7/10

Gutlocker - To Be Alive (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Since their 2018's Cry Havoc EP there has been plenty of adversity and hardships thrown at Woking groove merchants Gutlocker but they have managed to whether the global pandemic making the most of the 2020 lock down by writing/recording this album, holding themselves up in a studio bubble in order to be able to experiment with their sound and craft a record that features their most ambitious musical output yet. To Be Alive is also their most personal output, the lyrics reflecting the mental health conditions that frontman Craig McBrearty and so many others have been dealing with over the last 2 years, this album being their vessel in which to tell others having the same issues that you are seen and you are heard. Admittedly they do this through unleashing some fat, juicy groove metal that will be familiar to fans of bands such as Chimaria, Devildriver, Lamb Of God et al but with other influences creeping in too.

Noted producer Lewis Johns (Employed To Serve/Conjurer) makes the album sound cavernous but also you are still well aware that Gutlocker are a tight, precise four piece, each instrument getting ample space to breathe and benefiting from the production/mix/mastering of Johns. Pete Tucker's impressive guitar playing is heavily distorted, ripping and tearing its way through tracks such as Make My Day where the riffs undulate and shift. Joined by the crunchy low end of Ben Rollinson who is the anchor for much of this records groove especially on SFS, Send Them All In and that fuzzy tone of the very Devildriver sounding Once A Snake. McBrearty's vocals are as expressive as ever on this record, scarred and abrasive, though he has crystal clear diction coming through with his roars, for me one of his best performances is the title track where he shows his versatility against the proggier leanings of the track itself and on SFS/Absence Of Change where there's touches of a clean vocal too. 

On Sink Or Swim too where Kieran Scott (Ashen Crown) adds his grunts there's a great duality to the voices. Dean Walker is beast behind the kit beating the hell out of it on the pacier tracks such as Out Of Sight and SFS but as well as percussive battery he can also reign things in when needed such as it is on the evocative, sprawling final song A Man Too Proud. To be Alive is a collective light at the end of what seemed to be a long tunnel for members of Gutlocker. However they come swaggering out of said tunnel with fist full of riffs and a record that does much to re-establish these Surrey savages! 8/10

Lord Vigo - We Shall Overcome (Self Released) [Rich P]

Gigantic. That is the one word I would use to describe the latest record from the German epic doomsters Lord Vigo. We Shall Overcome is huge in every way. It sounds big. The vocals are big. The album just has a big presence when you listen, like something you can’t contain in your little speakers. The second part of a trilogy and the follow up to the excellent Danse De Noir, We Shall Overcome may exceed even that doom classic in quality and giganticness.

If you have not heard Lord Vigo, they sound like if Robert Smith of The Cure started an epic, gothic doom band. The vocals at times to me are a dead ringer for Mr. Smith (which may be a turn off for some, but I love it) and combine that with the energy and vibes of a band like Unto Others, but doomier and you get what Lord Vigo is dealing. Tracks like Since The Sun Was Young and A Gathering Of Clouds sound like it could be on side E of Disintegration, but bigger (and doomier, of course). The latter even has some dare I say 90s emo vibes vocally, in the best way possible. 

From Ashes We Will Rise is a more of an upbeat track that brings those Unto Others vibes I mentioned (there is even one of the trademark grunt things) and is more gothic rock then doom, and they do the goth quite well. I hear some serious Paradise Lost vibes in a song like We Shall Overcome, but supersized. Words cannot do justice to how the record sounds. Sometimes it is almost too big for its own good and some of the songs could have been shortened to keep the album more crisp, but those parts are few and far between.

Lord Vigo has a breathtaking, epic goth/doom classic trilogy in the making with 2020’s Danse De Noir and now with We Shall Overcome. Danse De Noir leaned more doom, We Shall Overcome incorporates more of that big energy that takes this release to the next level. An end of year list addition for many I am sure, including yours truly. 9/10

Bad Salt - Bad Salt (Self Released) [Finn O'Dell]

Fresh off the presses, July 1st saw this band who just formed last year in Los Angeles releasing their self-titled debut album. The band is Tom Golden handling vocals, Fred Ferrari on guitar, Stephen Allan dropping the bass and Corey Manske on drums.

The album starts of with Rubber And Stone, a song that somewhat grates on me. It reminds me of a less intense System Of A Down song with time changes making is choppy. Weight In Gold isn't winning me over as Tom's vocals just seem off or out of key to me. Something just isn't working here, for me. Violent Medicine is a bit more laid back alternative rock. Some Kind Of Horror slows things down, though it has a few random heavier moments. 

I have no idea what they are trying for here. It is like some kind of disjointed jam session. Borderlines starts promising before Tom's singing drops it off in the alternative rock junkyard. On a positive note, Stephan displays some good bass playing here. Next up, Scream. Let's just acknowledge the fact that this isn't improving, but maintaining the jumbled up oddness. It is a little like the Red Hot Chili Peppers with the funk removed. 

Cain In You plods along in similar fashion and then the album ends with The World Burns, an attempt to bring a little groove to this trainwreck. This is like alternative rock with an occasional pinch of grunge, a dash of prog and a hint of funk. For me, the recipe just isn't palatable and I wish I had not heard it. 1/10