Bands have certainly embraced their love of the 90s. Mezzoa is Exhibit A for the longing of the times when flannel flew high, and that flag is waving furiously on the San Diego trio’s second album, Dunes Of Mars. A lot of their bio info throws “stoner” around, which I get. Their album title may be the most stoner album title of 2022. But to me this is way more 90s grunge/heavy alternative than stoner. This is not a knock on it; it is killer and perfectly fills the void for those of us who’s musical tastes were sculpted during that (mostly) amazing time in music history.
The opener, Where’d You Go, which is thankfully not a Mighty Mighty Bosstones cover, sounds like something Sub Pop could have put out in 1993-1994. Grungy but still fuzzy, it is a killer opening track. The Fuzzmaster General Himself Turbo reminded me that the vocals are reminiscent of Page Hamilton from Helmet when he wasn’t barking out his lyrics. The title track leans more on the stoner side, but still harkens back to some 90s Alt rock, like the more psych leanings of a band like Tripping Daisy (this is a compliment). Riches Of The Road is more down the Fu Manchu path that they call out in their bio and they do it very well where then a track like Afternaut is goes heavy on the 90s alt rock. I even hear some Tad influence on the cover of the War classic Cisco Kid.
Other track highlights are the excellently named Mezzoan Hammer Hurler which sounds like a stoner Audioslave track while Hyde sounds like a 90s indie rock track right off of a CMJ Sampler or an Overwhelming Colorfast EP. I have been racking my brain as to what 90s band Mezzoa sounds like. There is one at the tip of my tongue that maybe one of the loyal readers will identify and help me out. But what I do hear is an excellent combo of all things that were good from the 90s heavy rock scene. Mezzoa has been an excellent discovery for me and Dunes Of Mars will be in heavy rotation for me for the foreseeable future. 8/10
Blackbraid – Blackbraid I (Self Released) [Elliott Spencer]
Controversies and some deplorable political ideologies aside, black metal has long been associated with a strong sense of place; the icy landscapes evoked by the Norwegian scene, the towering Appalachian folk of Panopticon, and Wolves In The Throne Room’s ability to evoke the sweeping Cascadian region. Blackbraid then, is yet another project to follow in this tradition. Hailing from the Adirondack wilderness, the Native American heritage of Blackbraid conjures rushing rivers and windswept peaks.
The River Of Time Flows Through Me is a compelling opening track, possessing a thunderous first half which briefly dissipates into something more triumphant before both parts of the song coalesce into something grand and deeply emotive. There’s something so arresting about the blistering pace and production on this album and it’s best evidenced by the galloping Sacandaga which sounds as overwhelming as the great lake the song takes its name from. The intensity isn’t totally oppressive though. As The Creek Flows Softly By and Warm Wind Whispering Softly Through Hemlock At Dusk break up the album with beautiful instrumentals of acoustic folk guitar and soft whistling flute melodies.
The opener, Where’d You Go, which is thankfully not a Mighty Mighty Bosstones cover, sounds like something Sub Pop could have put out in 1993-1994. Grungy but still fuzzy, it is a killer opening track. The Fuzzmaster General Himself Turbo reminded me that the vocals are reminiscent of Page Hamilton from Helmet when he wasn’t barking out his lyrics. The title track leans more on the stoner side, but still harkens back to some 90s Alt rock, like the more psych leanings of a band like Tripping Daisy (this is a compliment). Riches Of The Road is more down the Fu Manchu path that they call out in their bio and they do it very well where then a track like Afternaut is goes heavy on the 90s alt rock. I even hear some Tad influence on the cover of the War classic Cisco Kid.
Other track highlights are the excellently named Mezzoan Hammer Hurler which sounds like a stoner Audioslave track while Hyde sounds like a 90s indie rock track right off of a CMJ Sampler or an Overwhelming Colorfast EP. I have been racking my brain as to what 90s band Mezzoa sounds like. There is one at the tip of my tongue that maybe one of the loyal readers will identify and help me out. But what I do hear is an excellent combo of all things that were good from the 90s heavy rock scene. Mezzoa has been an excellent discovery for me and Dunes Of Mars will be in heavy rotation for me for the foreseeable future. 8/10
Blackbraid – Blackbraid I (Self Released) [Elliott Spencer]
Controversies and some deplorable political ideologies aside, black metal has long been associated with a strong sense of place; the icy landscapes evoked by the Norwegian scene, the towering Appalachian folk of Panopticon, and Wolves In The Throne Room’s ability to evoke the sweeping Cascadian region. Blackbraid then, is yet another project to follow in this tradition. Hailing from the Adirondack wilderness, the Native American heritage of Blackbraid conjures rushing rivers and windswept peaks.
The River Of Time Flows Through Me is a compelling opening track, possessing a thunderous first half which briefly dissipates into something more triumphant before both parts of the song coalesce into something grand and deeply emotive. There’s something so arresting about the blistering pace and production on this album and it’s best evidenced by the galloping Sacandaga which sounds as overwhelming as the great lake the song takes its name from. The intensity isn’t totally oppressive though. As The Creek Flows Softly By and Warm Wind Whispering Softly Through Hemlock At Dusk break up the album with beautiful instrumentals of acoustic folk guitar and soft whistling flute melodies.
Blackbraid I may end with a ten-minute epic book-ended by doom-laden passages in the form of Prying Open The Jaws Of Eternity but it is Barefoot Ghost Dance On Blood Soaked Soil that provides the album’s crowning achievement. This song is easily the album’s most furious and incendiary offering. With lyrics like ‘taken against her will, made to suffer. Rape and defilement of our earthen mother. Who will stand against her desecration?’ the anger here is significant, historically-rooted, and jaw-dropping. With Blackbraid I, Sgah’gahsowáh – the man behind this solo project – has assembled 6 songs which surely comprise not just one of the year’s best black metal releases, but one of year’s essential metal releases overall. 9/10
Rituals – Show Me The Signs (Self Released) [Quinn Mattfeld]
Rituals covers a lot of ground on their second EP Show Me The Signs. The Newcastle quartet comes out of the gate with an absolutely stunning opening track In Devastation that roars hard and cuts fast before collapsing into an absolutely gorgeous chorus.The follow-up track pivots from the Groove Metal heaviness of Gojira or Irist into shades of Linkin Park but fortunately Rituals manages to pivot again into a monster bridge that anchors the Metalcore seeping out of the chorus in a more substantial sound. So, closing with the title track is a bit of a disappointment.
Rituals – Show Me The Signs (Self Released) [Quinn Mattfeld]
Rituals covers a lot of ground on their second EP Show Me The Signs. The Newcastle quartet comes out of the gate with an absolutely stunning opening track In Devastation that roars hard and cuts fast before collapsing into an absolutely gorgeous chorus.The follow-up track pivots from the Groove Metal heaviness of Gojira or Irist into shades of Linkin Park but fortunately Rituals manages to pivot again into a monster bridge that anchors the Metalcore seeping out of the chorus in a more substantial sound. So, closing with the title track is a bit of a disappointment.
Don’t get me wrong, Show Me The Signs is a well written and expertly performed song but in comparison to In Devastation, the EP’s opener, sounds like a completely different band. Show Me The Signs has more in common with My Chemical Romance than it does with Killswitch Engage and for a band that opened their sophomore effort sounding more like Conjurer than Panic At the Disco, it may be a bridge too far for metal purists. 7/10
Bad Luck Friday - Bad Luck Friday (Wide Fire Records) [Matt Bladen]
Built around the vocals and harmonica skills of Will Wilde, brother of folk/blues artist Dani Wilde, Bad Luck Friday are the newest heavy blues band on the block favouring harmonica solos to guitar solos, they still have some big swaggering riffs from guitarist Steve 'The Beak' Brook who has the louche but technically gifted style of Paul Kossof of Free or Chris Robinson of Black Stone Cherry. Taking a more modern sound Jack Turnbull (bass) and Alan Taylor (drums) a big, ballsy rhythm section and gritty riffs though can't hide that this Brighton band don't quite have the songs to keep the attention for as long as I'd hope.
Bad Luck Friday - Bad Luck Friday (Wide Fire Records) [Matt Bladen]
Built around the vocals and harmonica skills of Will Wilde, brother of folk/blues artist Dani Wilde, Bad Luck Friday are the newest heavy blues band on the block favouring harmonica solos to guitar solos, they still have some big swaggering riffs from guitarist Steve 'The Beak' Brook who has the louche but technically gifted style of Paul Kossof of Free or Chris Robinson of Black Stone Cherry. Taking a more modern sound Jack Turnbull (bass) and Alan Taylor (drums) a big, ballsy rhythm section and gritty riffs though can't hide that this Brighton band don't quite have the songs to keep the attention for as long as I'd hope.
Also while Wilde has a good voice and some serious harmonica chops there's only so much harmonica one person can take and there are times where you could really do with is a searing guitar solo, happily Dust & Bones, Jealous Woman provide that, however mostly the harmonica is the 'lead' instrument here appearing on pretty much every song. By the middle of the album though I found my attention was wandering a little as BLF's music is a little simplistic using blues riffs such as on, Low Down Dirty, that have been recycled many times. Still Bad Luck Friday will gain new fans with this album but not me I'm afraid. 5/10
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