Spanning four decades(!), Lamb Of God is way past the point of name recognition and pioneering status. They’ve been touring across the world armed with an impressive arsenal of catchy ragers and groovy diatribes. So it should come as no surprise that the Richmond, Virginia-based powerhouses created a mammoth record worthy of being shared with the masses at any arena or large-capacity venue they tear through next. Omens is the band’s ninth full-length to date, and its 10 songs bob and weave through stop-and-go arrangements, pit-opening headbangers and the typical unhinged territory the Randy Blythe-lead group has perfected. His razor-sharp, soldering-iron screeches that we’ve all grown to recognise and appreciate rears its ugly head once more, most effectively on Gomorrah.
The apt refrain, “Everything is doomed to fail” allows for Blythe to insert his signature shriek on the second shout of “FAILLLL.” Omens is a conglomeration of consumable, clean vigor. Vanishing sees exquisitely polished riffing, courtesy of the insatiable pairing of originals Mark Morton and Willie Adler. Ditch clears the general admission floor better than someone projectile vomiting regurgitated $14 beers all over proceedings. It’s nearly outdone by the arena-metal-friendly To The Grave, which cleverly allows for in-sync crowd screams at the end of the chorus. The title track is chanty, lending more credence to Lamb Of God’s ability to pack large arenas filled with fans of a variety of metal sub genres. Denial Mechanism, arguably the most aggressive of the album, is diesel-fuelled despite clocking in under three minutes.
Grayscale coldly proclaims, “I feel the greatest love inside the worst revenge.” This release shouldn’t alienate the die-hard LOG fan base, nor should it turn off any newcomers to their particular brand of groove-laden, clean metal. Eighty percent of the band has been around since the beginning way back in 1999, and that alone should be proof Lamb Of God know what they’re doing, but also haven’t forgotten where they’ve come from. 8/10
Wednesday 13 – Horrifier (Napalm Records) [Simon Black]
For what was started as a side project by Joey Jordison of Slipknot, the Murderdolls proved to be highly influential act, despite their brief (and indeed fragmented) existence. Co-founder/frontman Wednesday 13’s solo act came about to satisfy demand after the ‘Dolls first paused in 2004 and has clearly surpassed anything the original collaboration produced, whilst indeed carrying on the flame for them. If you are looking for something different from that template, then Horrifier may disappoint. If, however you are looking for something that stylistically captures the best elements of Wednesday 13’s solo years and the original Murderdolls, then pull up a chair and your favourite brew and prepare to be a happy bunny. And oh look, it’s just in time for Halloween…
The Antichrist Imperium - Volume III: Satan In His Original Glory (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) [Paul Scoble]
Antichrist Imperium is a band that is part of the Akercocke Musical universe. The band formed in 2010 to record material that had been written for Akercocke, but not recorded due to the bands demise. The Antichrist Imperium features three Akercocke members in David Gray on drums, Samuel Loynes on vocals and keyboards and Matt Wilcock on guitars and bass, who are joined by ex Berzerker and current Werewolves member Sam Bean on vocals, keyboards and bass. As the title suggests the band have released two albums before Volume III: Satan In His Original Glory; they released a self titled debut in 2015, and Volume II: Every Tongue Shall Praise Satan in 2018.
The Antichrist Imperium play a mix of death and black metal with a progressive edge, but have set themselves apart by going the opposite way to most progressive extreme metal. Rather than adding lots of extra elements to increase the size of the arrangements, The Antichrist Imperium pare things down, becoming more minimal. The sections that aren’t blasting extreme metal, are made up of clean guitar, minimal drums and clean vocals from Samuel Loynes (I think, apologies if I’ve got the singers confused). These sections have a feel that is a little bit post rock, possibly post punk and also a little bit gothic, however you classify them, they are very well done with great vocals and are just as important as anything else on this album.
The more extreme elements are mainly death metal with a little bit of black metal, and some parts are more difficult to classify. One track that manages to have all of these parts is Vilest Of Beasts, which opens with a taut minimal clean section, before going into a section that is simple and heavy with a kind of black n roll feel to it, the two sections are repeated and then we are dropped into some blasting black metal that feels atmospheric and has some great chanting. The song then turns towards brutal death metal with a superb solo, before heading back to the clean sound. As you can see the songs twist and turn and never stay the same for very long, all the transitions work well, some are smooth and feel natural, others are deliberately abrupt and sudden, like a musical slap around the face.
Everything about this album has been done very well, musically the performances are nigh on perfect, the drumming is stunning, guitar riffs are tight, crushing and very memorable, the solos are excellent, and the vocals are fantastic whether it’s clean or harsh. There is no drop in quality anywhere on this album. Menage A Triumvirate is a great example of this, full of near technical death metal riffs, and spiky solos, the song is in places almost ridiculously fast and ferocious, there are slower sections, but this is mainly about pummelling the audience.
One of the places where the clean guitar and vocals style excels itself is on the track Tu Verus Mundi Lucifer, the softer, clean parts have a real gothic feel, that works so well. The spooky feel is tempered by great Blasting and Solos, but this track does feel a little different from the material that surrounds it. I could quite happily keep describing each of the eight tracks on Volume III: Satan In His Original Glory, but I think I should let you discover the album yourselves, there are a lot of beautiful surprises.
Volume III: Satan In His Original Glory is a stunning album. What surprises me about it is how filled with great tunes it is; this album has more hooks than an International Crochet Convention, for the last 2 weeks I have been humming riffs, solos and vocal melodies to distraction. This massive catchiness makes the album feel joyful, which is a strange thing to say about an album that contains so many extreme elements, but that is how it makes me feel. In some ways this shouldn’t surprise me; the lyrics keep on giving praise to Satan, and if this is a praise album, then it should feel joyful. Whether or not you agree with me on this feeling joyful, it is one of the best extreme albums I have heard in a very long time, and it comes highly recommended. 9/10
Midnight Rider - Beyond The Blood Red Horizon (Napalm Records) [GC]
Let’s get something clear right off the bat here, this is not something I would usually listen to, the name instantly puts me off as it sounds cheesy and I can just tell what this is going to sound like without listening to it but alas, I must so get prepared to meet Mr Grumpy (Again). I have just read on the Napalm Records website, ‘’One need not worry, should JUDAS PRIEST ever end their career, that there would be no potential successors’’ so, I am supposed to believe that this lot are the heirs to the JP throne?? Well, based on what I have heard today that is total and utter bollocks!
Wednesday 13 – Horrifier (Napalm Records) [Simon Black]
For what was started as a side project by Joey Jordison of Slipknot, the Murderdolls proved to be highly influential act, despite their brief (and indeed fragmented) existence. Co-founder/frontman Wednesday 13’s solo act came about to satisfy demand after the ‘Dolls first paused in 2004 and has clearly surpassed anything the original collaboration produced, whilst indeed carrying on the flame for them. If you are looking for something different from that template, then Horrifier may disappoint. If, however you are looking for something that stylistically captures the best elements of Wednesday 13’s solo years and the original Murderdolls, then pull up a chair and your favourite brew and prepare to be a happy bunny. And oh look, it’s just in time for Halloween…
Bouncing between Rob Zombie-esque industrial metal, catchy glam punk arrangements and even verging on the thrashy chug in places (the title track taking that hat) this is a mostly dark piece of macabre fun, with plenty of catchy riffs and choruses, this walking musical comic horror book reminds us that he may not have been the first, but he remains one of the best for the genre. If anything, the record feels slightly heavier than what you might expect from Wednesday 13, but that’s a really positive improvement, and comes closer to what they sound like live than previous studio efforts. It’s short and sweet at just under forty minutes of run time, but what it delivers is bang on the money.
The songs are all well crafted and structurally typical of what this act delivers best, this time seeming to have a lot of 80’s era feeling content inspired by the original John Carpenter Halloween movies, and plenty of other horror schlock from Stephen King’s prolific pen. Top marks go the ridiculously catchy Good Day To Be A Bad Guy, and the surprisingly personal The Other Side dedicated to Joseph Michael Poole’s deceased mother. Is it cutting new ground? No. Is it cutting you a bleeding slice of graveyard just the way you like it? Oh yes… 8/10
The Antichrist Imperium - Volume III: Satan In His Original Glory (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) [Paul Scoble]
Antichrist Imperium is a band that is part of the Akercocke Musical universe. The band formed in 2010 to record material that had been written for Akercocke, but not recorded due to the bands demise. The Antichrist Imperium features three Akercocke members in David Gray on drums, Samuel Loynes on vocals and keyboards and Matt Wilcock on guitars and bass, who are joined by ex Berzerker and current Werewolves member Sam Bean on vocals, keyboards and bass. As the title suggests the band have released two albums before Volume III: Satan In His Original Glory; they released a self titled debut in 2015, and Volume II: Every Tongue Shall Praise Satan in 2018.
The Antichrist Imperium play a mix of death and black metal with a progressive edge, but have set themselves apart by going the opposite way to most progressive extreme metal. Rather than adding lots of extra elements to increase the size of the arrangements, The Antichrist Imperium pare things down, becoming more minimal. The sections that aren’t blasting extreme metal, are made up of clean guitar, minimal drums and clean vocals from Samuel Loynes (I think, apologies if I’ve got the singers confused). These sections have a feel that is a little bit post rock, possibly post punk and also a little bit gothic, however you classify them, they are very well done with great vocals and are just as important as anything else on this album.
The more extreme elements are mainly death metal with a little bit of black metal, and some parts are more difficult to classify. One track that manages to have all of these parts is Vilest Of Beasts, which opens with a taut minimal clean section, before going into a section that is simple and heavy with a kind of black n roll feel to it, the two sections are repeated and then we are dropped into some blasting black metal that feels atmospheric and has some great chanting. The song then turns towards brutal death metal with a superb solo, before heading back to the clean sound. As you can see the songs twist and turn and never stay the same for very long, all the transitions work well, some are smooth and feel natural, others are deliberately abrupt and sudden, like a musical slap around the face.
Everything about this album has been done very well, musically the performances are nigh on perfect, the drumming is stunning, guitar riffs are tight, crushing and very memorable, the solos are excellent, and the vocals are fantastic whether it’s clean or harsh. There is no drop in quality anywhere on this album. Menage A Triumvirate is a great example of this, full of near technical death metal riffs, and spiky solos, the song is in places almost ridiculously fast and ferocious, there are slower sections, but this is mainly about pummelling the audience.
One of the places where the clean guitar and vocals style excels itself is on the track Tu Verus Mundi Lucifer, the softer, clean parts have a real gothic feel, that works so well. The spooky feel is tempered by great Blasting and Solos, but this track does feel a little different from the material that surrounds it. I could quite happily keep describing each of the eight tracks on Volume III: Satan In His Original Glory, but I think I should let you discover the album yourselves, there are a lot of beautiful surprises.
Volume III: Satan In His Original Glory is a stunning album. What surprises me about it is how filled with great tunes it is; this album has more hooks than an International Crochet Convention, for the last 2 weeks I have been humming riffs, solos and vocal melodies to distraction. This massive catchiness makes the album feel joyful, which is a strange thing to say about an album that contains so many extreme elements, but that is how it makes me feel. In some ways this shouldn’t surprise me; the lyrics keep on giving praise to Satan, and if this is a praise album, then it should feel joyful. Whether or not you agree with me on this feeling joyful, it is one of the best extreme albums I have heard in a very long time, and it comes highly recommended. 9/10
Midnight Rider - Beyond The Blood Red Horizon (Napalm Records) [GC]
Let’s get something clear right off the bat here, this is not something I would usually listen to, the name instantly puts me off as it sounds cheesy and I can just tell what this is going to sound like without listening to it but alas, I must so get prepared to meet Mr Grumpy (Again). I have just read on the Napalm Records website, ‘’One need not worry, should JUDAS PRIEST ever end their career, that there would be no potential successors’’ so, I am supposed to believe that this lot are the heirs to the JP throne?? Well, based on what I have heard today that is total and utter bollocks!
This collection of second-rate seventies rock isn’t fit to lace the leather studded boots of Mr Halford and Judas Priest and is quite frankly embarrassing that they are even mentioned n the same universe nevermind the same sentence! It starts with the un-urgent and flat sounding title track which sounds uninspiring and boring because the production stunts everything as the cymbals drown out the dated guitars and the snare sounds like someone is hitting a wet cardboard box, I mean the guy can sing a bit, but it sounds like he’s pushing to his limits and its just cringe worthy if I am honest!? It doesn’t get any better on Majestic Warfare either as it’s just so mid paced and drab and the lyrics are just embarrassing!
On No Man’s Land it sounds like they have just listened to Black Sabbath and decided we can do that and surprisingly its nowhere near as good and should be erased from existence then we get the inevitable ballad style song with Time Of Dying and guess what? Yep, its also a complete load of shit, it starts slow and tries to build towards some sort of crescendo but just falls completely flat and the vocals are really something else! Then we get the cherry on top of the steaming pile of shit in the form of Intruder which is just a horrific mess of a song, they try to throw in some clever time changes and it just makes everything sound awful and this guy and his embarrassing vocal takes are now really starting to piss me off, I can’t believe I am only hallway through this album, there is nothing here that makes me want to carry on and listen to another 5 songs.
No Regrets has absolutely no right at all to last 6:48 as it just drags out the pain longer than is necessary and adds nothing to the album but time. At this point I had to stop for a bit as I was getting so annoyed by this album, I wanted to smash my speakers to bits so I couldn’t listen to anymore. Once I had calmed down and had a breather I ploughed on and was greeted mercifully with the shortest song on the album Rising Dawn which at 1:29 could probably just have been left off as it’s just a pointless little interlude before Demon kicks in and just sounds like one of the songs you used to hear on Guitar Hero and think I am not doing that one, skip! Wish I had skipped it, because it’s just so soul draining to hear something this bland pass as music!
From here all I can say is that the last 3 songs all sound exactly the same as before, boring, uninspiring and bland 70’s rock I have had enough now and am glad it’s over. Plain to see I hated this album and the only reason I would recommend that anyone listens to it is to hear just how awful it really is! There is nothing for me to see as a positive and think, well maybe if they expanded on this or that it might improve this record because they need to make everything better and probably have a re-think on their whole sound as frankly it's awful. Please do not ever bother with this album. 1/10
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