The debut album from mystery women Dogma has some positives and negatives as far as the reviewer is concerned going in to listening and writing this review. On the positive side, I love a good mystery band, especially when they are all evil nuns. I mean come on, who is not going to be intrigued by this? Their website helps with building interest with all sorts of band mantras and pictures of said evil nuns.
Negatively, musically the comparisons I heard were more mainstream, slickly produced “metal” bands that I usually have zero interest in. I thought this was going to be some evil black metal project, but that is very far from reality here, but that may have been more interesting to me then a overproduced, cinematic crap fest that by all accounts I thought I was going to get reading all of the promo materials. I was partially right; the production is super slick, musically this is way more mainstream metal than I usually go with but to tell you I enjoyed this album is an understatement. I love the debut from these mysterious and rocking evil nuns, even with all the things working against it for me.
Dogma’s debut is catchy, well played, and tells a fun story of how these ladies descended to the depths of hell rather than a celibate life at the feet of the lord. Musically the comparison that was provided to me by the boss of this blog is “In This Moment type modern metal” which means nothing to me, (I am known for being fantatically inaccurate with genres - Ed) which should explain how out of my normal wheelhouse this is. What I hear is a bit of Ghost if they doubled down on the synths and had a powerful female vocalist instead of whatever Papa version we are up to.
Dogma’s debut is catchy, well played, and tells a fun story of how these ladies descended to the depths of hell rather than a celibate life at the feet of the lord. Musically the comparison that was provided to me by the boss of this blog is “In This Moment type modern metal” which means nothing to me, (I am known for being fantatically inaccurate with genres - Ed) which should explain how out of my normal wheelhouse this is. What I hear is a bit of Ghost if they doubled down on the synths and had a powerful female vocalist instead of whatever Papa version we are up to.
Don’t get me wrong, lyrically this can be a bit heavy handed and cheesy, but never is it too much. The guitar work is great on Dogma, case in point the solo on Feel The Zeal. I love the heavy synth presence on the opener. Forbidden Zone. Yes, the song is about how the band wanted to be like Mother Superior at the coven but could not forgo all their carnal desires…and I am all the way here for it. My First Peak is a great example of how catchy Dogma can be, just check the chorus. These naughty nuns can rock for sure, just check out the up tempo Made Her Mine. I love the use of the chanting monks on Carnel Liberation as well as the cool solo.
The monks return on the ultra-catchy Free Yourself, along with some more spooky sounding synths and somehow a mid-song jazz breakdown, which I was not expecting. Bare To The Bones is a naughty ripper (right on the altar!) with a cool dual guitar solo partnered with our monk friends. King Diamond vibes musically start us off on Make Us Proud, and now we get some male vocals from a golden throated Satan on this somehow touching and catchy duet. I had to re-read that sentence a few times. You want a synth solo? You can have one on the shredding Pleasure From Pain. The debut wraps up nicely with the earworm Father I Have Sinned, even with some evil nun growl, and the cinematic closer, The Dark Messiah that wraps up the narrative nicely.
If I had one complaint about Dogma is that it is a bit long. I think we could have optimized their debut at about the 35-minute mark, maybe editing one or two tracks to make this a bit more streamlined, because it runs the risk of being too repetitive. Other than that, this was a super fun debut from these ladies not of the cloth. Yes, it is way too produced for my normal taste and yes, the cheese factor musically is dialed up a bit, but I am all in with Dogma. Give it a try, even if it is not your usual thing. I am glad I did. 8/10
High Spirits - Safe On The Other Side (High Roller Records) [Rich Piva]
The aptly named High Spirits is back, and I am super excited because I love their (his?) brand of high energy, up tempo, and positive spin on hard rock and traditional metal. High Spirits is the one-man band project of super-prolific Chris Black of Dawnbringer and Professor Black (and others) fame where he gets to straight ahead rock out and be catchy as hell. High Spirits last album, Hard To Stop is beloved by your reviewer and is still in constant rotation since it’s release in 2020. The new album, Safe On The Other Side, doesn’t change up the hard rocking positivity too much, and that is alright by me, because the ten three-to-four-minute rippers on this short burst of rock fun continues all the goodness that the last album brought to us.
Catchy as hell with hard rock and even some NWOBHM vibes, the opener, In The Moonlight, is the perfect example of what High Spirits is all about. Super catchy, great guitar work, up tempo rock and roll that is radio friendly enough for traditional rock fans but just enough heaviness so that it is acceptable for all the headbangers out there. Think Haunt but a bit more pop leaning, but not pop enough to poo poo this as false metal. You get a fun howl too. Till The End Of Time shows the layered guitar skills of Mr. Black and like all High Spirits songs will leave you singing the chorus after the first listen.
If I had one complaint about Dogma is that it is a bit long. I think we could have optimized their debut at about the 35-minute mark, maybe editing one or two tracks to make this a bit more streamlined, because it runs the risk of being too repetitive. Other than that, this was a super fun debut from these ladies not of the cloth. Yes, it is way too produced for my normal taste and yes, the cheese factor musically is dialed up a bit, but I am all in with Dogma. Give it a try, even if it is not your usual thing. I am glad I did. 8/10
High Spirits - Safe On The Other Side (High Roller Records) [Rich Piva]
The aptly named High Spirits is back, and I am super excited because I love their (his?) brand of high energy, up tempo, and positive spin on hard rock and traditional metal. High Spirits is the one-man band project of super-prolific Chris Black of Dawnbringer and Professor Black (and others) fame where he gets to straight ahead rock out and be catchy as hell. High Spirits last album, Hard To Stop is beloved by your reviewer and is still in constant rotation since it’s release in 2020. The new album, Safe On The Other Side, doesn’t change up the hard rocking positivity too much, and that is alright by me, because the ten three-to-four-minute rippers on this short burst of rock fun continues all the goodness that the last album brought to us.
Catchy as hell with hard rock and even some NWOBHM vibes, the opener, In The Moonlight, is the perfect example of what High Spirits is all about. Super catchy, great guitar work, up tempo rock and roll that is radio friendly enough for traditional rock fans but just enough heaviness so that it is acceptable for all the headbangers out there. Think Haunt but a bit more pop leaning, but not pop enough to poo poo this as false metal. You get a fun howl too. Till The End Of Time shows the layered guitar skills of Mr. Black and like all High Spirits songs will leave you singing the chorus after the first listen.
Musically there are some Maiden vibes on Loney Nights, vibes you hear a lot with High Spirits. Do not get me wrong, you are not going to listen to this and have it scream Maiden in your face, but there is a subtle nod to them and other bands of that ilk on Safe On The Other Side. Dual guitar riffage opens One Day Closer which may be my favorite on the album and the chorus I find myself singing the most. Black is all about love in High Spirits, and he let’s his target know it in Anything You Need, leading his pitch with some riffs and high energy rock, which should woo any love interest worth his time. Other highlights include the very radio friendly, Loving You that also includes a great solo, the Maiden-esqe chug of Memories, and the catchy, movie soundtrack ready closer, Good Night.
High Spirits rock makes you feel good, gets you pumped up and ready to take on the world. Chris Black has perfected his craft when it comes to up tempo hard rock songwriting, and his playing of all the instruments shows how much of an all-around talent this guy is. Safe On The Other Side continues with everything I love about High Spirits and everything you should love about High Spirits as well. 8/10
PaleHørse - Hunting Grounds (Indie Recordings) [Mark Young]
And here we go with some Finnish Metal with an accompanying PR that is suitably bombastic and paints a mental picture of what this is going to be. So, I’m going to ignore it as best I can and just give it the listen it deserves.
Revival comes in and straight away you get exactly what they mean by genre defying, in which they go from hard rock singing and riffing into a ‘modern’ detuned-spider web melodic passage replete with harder screamed singing. I suppose that labelling it genre defying is technically the truth. I think. It’s not that its bad, it’s just odd. Deathless Endeavour has that spark within the opening melodic line that allows some fast riffing to come in with some soaring vocals and this is pretty good. It’s fast paced, and Lassi Mäki-Kala can really belt it out.
High Spirits rock makes you feel good, gets you pumped up and ready to take on the world. Chris Black has perfected his craft when it comes to up tempo hard rock songwriting, and his playing of all the instruments shows how much of an all-around talent this guy is. Safe On The Other Side continues with everything I love about High Spirits and everything you should love about High Spirits as well. 8/10
PaleHørse - Hunting Grounds (Indie Recordings) [Mark Young]
And here we go with some Finnish Metal with an accompanying PR that is suitably bombastic and paints a mental picture of what this is going to be. So, I’m going to ignore it as best I can and just give it the listen it deserves.
Revival comes in and straight away you get exactly what they mean by genre defying, in which they go from hard rock singing and riffing into a ‘modern’ detuned-spider web melodic passage replete with harder screamed singing. I suppose that labelling it genre defying is technically the truth. I think. It’s not that its bad, it’s just odd. Deathless Endeavour has that spark within the opening melodic line that allows some fast riffing to come in with some soaring vocals and this is pretty good. It’s fast paced, and Lassi Mäki-Kala can really belt it out.
This shows that they write music that really flies as long as they avoid those sudden changes in approach mid-song. Magnetism is a kind of an 80’s rock mashed up with that modern sound again but is done better than Revival. It’s actually sleazy in its sound as you might have guessed from its name, but that central melody line anchors the whole thing and its infectious so when they go all deep with the guitar it works once more.
What is apparent just in these three songs is that they have a handle on writing songs that are hook laden. Skeleton Shuteye has a manic guitar intro with some epic rock singing going on, harmonies and all. And then they drop The Sweetest Of Bloods on you, which is a cracker. Full bore riffs, screaming those morphs into singing, but its total quality on this track.
We Created This Silence ushers in the second half and takes the template from Skeleton and The Sweetest... and uses it to great effect. I wish I could articulate how they are different from Revival. Its possibly because that as opening tracks its nowhere near as strong as the songs that have followed. We Created utilises the detuned riffing again but in a tasteful and heavy way. Aimless In Our Aim is a different again, with a classic rock guitar line and singing to match. When they do give it the boost its pure 80’s heavy metal – clean, clear picking which is always welcome.
We Created This Silence ushers in the second half and takes the template from Skeleton and The Sweetest... and uses it to great effect. I wish I could articulate how they are different from Revival. Its possibly because that as opening tracks its nowhere near as strong as the songs that have followed. We Created utilises the detuned riffing again but in a tasteful and heavy way. Aimless In Our Aim is a different again, with a classic rock guitar line and singing to match. When they do give it the boost its pure 80’s heavy metal – clean, clear picking which is always welcome.
I’m still not keen on that vocal switch but they get away with it here because it’s a bloody infectious song. Revenant (Part 1) takes another turn, making a softer feel to it even in the louder sections. It’s a giant call back to bands that sang (some that still do – Grand Magus for one) and causes involuntary raising of the fist. That’s what these guys do. They have riffs and are not afraid of mixing it up as they do on here.
Promised Land (Part 2) all pinched harmonics and grandiose intro riffs has a late 80’s thrash picking pattern that conjures up Slayer. I don’t think Slayer ever dropped into an arpeggio with classic rock singing. Again, it’s a storming track that brings us to Unravel, which goes straight in for that modern feel again, but like water rising from a main the classic rock stylings come through.
And it works for the most part, as they have done a good job on the songs here and there are some stormers here. I still think that genre defying is probably over the top, but I appreciate they have to write something. I think this will appeal, because it is heavy, and it really moves. Give it a go!! 7/10
Maul - Desecration And Enchantment (20 Buck Spin) [Marl Young]
The North Dakota natives Maul offer the following whilst working away like the demons they are and if they are any indication of what we can expect, then there is an OSDM treat heading our way. With this in mind, this will be a relatively short review, given that there is only two songs so let's get into it.
The Sacred And The Profane/Hovering, Sinking starts with that glorious OSDM sound with squalling whammy bar abuse and that barely audible guttural vocal that occupies the lower register of your hearing. Quality riffs on display as it navigates its way out of traditional death metal into a more progressive approach. One thing doesn’t change is the brutality of Garrett Alvarado’s vocals. It’s a belter.
Disintegration Of The Soul comes in on the lengthy side. With a grand OSDM introduction where the riffs ring out against a melodic passage. This is a slow burner that picks up its heels, solo break and all. The atmospheric touches come in to shake things with a softer melodic passage that evokes the end-credits of your favourite horror film and then bang! They return to that full-bore goodness that is more in line with a sludge/black gaze approach. And its fantastic.
The two songs are of a stupidly high standard, especially Disintegration with that change in tack. What I really need to hear is the full album to see how this sit within the whole. As a sampler/EP it’s a cracker and I recommend you get it pre-ordered immediately 7/10
Ps – I know I said it was really good. It is, but I think that 7 is a fair score for two songs as a pre-cursor to the main event. On this display it should be a classic.
Maul - Desecration And Enchantment (20 Buck Spin) [Marl Young]
The North Dakota natives Maul offer the following whilst working away like the demons they are and if they are any indication of what we can expect, then there is an OSDM treat heading our way. With this in mind, this will be a relatively short review, given that there is only two songs so let's get into it.
The Sacred And The Profane/Hovering, Sinking starts with that glorious OSDM sound with squalling whammy bar abuse and that barely audible guttural vocal that occupies the lower register of your hearing. Quality riffs on display as it navigates its way out of traditional death metal into a more progressive approach. One thing doesn’t change is the brutality of Garrett Alvarado’s vocals. It’s a belter.
Disintegration Of The Soul comes in on the lengthy side. With a grand OSDM introduction where the riffs ring out against a melodic passage. This is a slow burner that picks up its heels, solo break and all. The atmospheric touches come in to shake things with a softer melodic passage that evokes the end-credits of your favourite horror film and then bang! They return to that full-bore goodness that is more in line with a sludge/black gaze approach. And its fantastic.
The two songs are of a stupidly high standard, especially Disintegration with that change in tack. What I really need to hear is the full album to see how this sit within the whole. As a sampler/EP it’s a cracker and I recommend you get it pre-ordered immediately 7/10
Ps – I know I said it was really good. It is, but I think that 7 is a fair score for two songs as a pre-cursor to the main event. On this display it should be a classic.
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