Earthside - Let The Truth Speak (Music Theories Recordings) [Matt Bladen]
I knew to approach this second album from progressive metal mavericks with the same focus and training as a super marathon runner but I wasn't quite prepared for what a monolith it would be.
Earthside's previous record A Dream In Static released in 2015, they considered to be an "I" record then this is a "We" record all about the collective duty on this planet and to each other. The idea of truth present throughout the record, as they battle their idealistic values against the harsh realities of the world.
In the bands own words it almost destroyed them numerous times but Let The Truth Speak arrives as the most comprehensive collection of music from the band and also their longest and cinematic experience to date.
In keeping with their collective ethos and continuing what they started on the ADIS they have collaborated with some very special guest to take up several roles of this instrumental band from the incredible Daniel Tompkins (Tesseract) and world music vocal performer Gennady Tkachenko-Papizh, who can adapt his voice in to almost anything, duetting on the majestic title track, swollen with a full string section.
To the Sandbox Percussion adding Gabrielisms on But What If We Are Wrong. Tkachenko-Papizh reappears again as part of the incredible sound design on Vespers. For me though Keturah who debuts in We Who Lament is an absolute revelation, that is one hell of a voice and if any of the singers here were to tour with the band I'd pick her. Pritam Adhikary takes the mic on Tyranny, a breathy delivery for a moody number built on orchestral's and the synths, those keys/synths/programming coming from Frank Sacramore but also Jamie van Dyck too.
Pattern Of Rebirth pulsing with electronics before Jamie and Frank share the weighty riffage on the choruses AJ Channer of Fire From The Gods crooning over the top. Watching The Earth Sink allows a breath, at it's beginning fluid, clean, reverbed guitars that build into a 10 minutes opus that is Earthside at their purest, deft drumming from Ben Shanbrom building the power as Ryan Griffin's bass carve out those thick grooves.
He adds the funk to The Lesser Evil which sounds like Haken due to the parping brass, Larry Braggs soul vocals and the sax of Sam Gendel. It's a hip shaker that adapts the djent format into a R&B direction with incredible results.
Keturah returns along with VikKe and harpists Duo Scorpio on the Celtic flavoured Denial's Aria. Let The Truth Speak ends with that fantastic title track and the poignant All We Ever Knew And Ever Loved which features Baard Kolstad of Leprous, percussive, propulsive and concludes with a full orchestral swell, but most importantly doubles down that Earthside could be the present and future of progressive music.
Approach with an open mind and time to indulge as Earthside Let The Truth Speak with conviction and brilliance. 10/10
Terromania - Nyctophobic (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]
Ripple Music releasing a death metal album out of Finland was not on my 2023 bingo card, but here we are with the debut album from Terromania, Nyctophobic. Ripple is not known for their death metal you say. Well yeah, you are right, but Ripple main man Todd Severin is not burdened by things like genres and labels, instead focusing on shit that rocks and Terromania certainly does rock. Now I am in no way a death metal guy nor am I equipped to compare these guys to other bands in the genre, but for me, I can say this rips and will have you in your circle pit right when the first riff hits.
Now when I think of death metal I think of a couple of things, including the potential for cookie monster style vocals and not a ton of catchiness. Well, Terromania is neither of those things, as the tracks on Nyctophobic are melodic and memorable with vocals where you can distinguish what the singer is saying. So maybe this is not death metal? Whatever you want to call it the eleven tracks here are a much smoother and easier listen than some of the more dissonant death metal you may be familiar with. So why does this rock as hard as I say it does?
Now when I think of death metal I think of a couple of things, including the potential for cookie monster style vocals and not a ton of catchiness. Well, Terromania is neither of those things, as the tracks on Nyctophobic are melodic and memorable with vocals where you can distinguish what the singer is saying. So maybe this is not death metal? Whatever you want to call it the eleven tracks here are a much smoother and easier listen than some of the more dissonant death metal you may be familiar with. So why does this rock as hard as I say it does?
First, the production on here is clean but not too clean, so it sounds excellent. Check out Demon In The Rain as an example. Second, the band are all great players making this musically excellent, the evidence being tracks like Disturbingly Beautiful, Lake Natron, and In A Broken Mirror. Third, the songs while heavy are also catchy as hell, case in point The Pain Makes You Feel Alive and Lovely Nightmare. The band mentions bands like Lordi and Ghost as additional influences which you can hear in a track like Ceremonial Graveyard.
Now the album may be a song or two long, but it does not take away from the overall quality of Nyctophobic in its current form. Could there be a thing that is pop death metal? Well, if there was not before, there is now, because Terromania brings all the stuff you like about both genres, together in the form of Nyctophobic. Rippers that are frantically and expertly played but are both melodic and catchy. In Todd we trust (again), as once again Ripple steps out of the comfort zone successfully with the debut from Terromania. 8/10
Eldritch – Innervoid (Scarlet Records) [Matt Bladen]
Italian prog metal, there's loads of it! We cover massive amounts of it here, most of it in the last month. So here's a bit more from Eldritch on their 13th studio album Innervoid. It's their first with new singer Alex Jarusso who replaces founding member Terence Holler, his voice instantly making an impression on Handful Of Sand (Right Or Wrong). He's got soul in his mids and power in his highs similar to Jeff Scott Soto, meaning that I'm instantly drawn to his singing style. It's a fresh new sound and his broad range deserves some of Eldritch's most complex songs in their history, though they never go too far into the progressive noodling, leaning more on the power side of prog metal.
Eldritch – Innervoid (Scarlet Records) [Matt Bladen]
Italian prog metal, there's loads of it! We cover massive amounts of it here, most of it in the last month. So here's a bit more from Eldritch on their 13th studio album Innervoid. It's their first with new singer Alex Jarusso who replaces founding member Terence Holler, his voice instantly making an impression on Handful Of Sand (Right Or Wrong). He's got soul in his mids and power in his highs similar to Jeff Scott Soto, meaning that I'm instantly drawn to his singing style. It's a fresh new sound and his broad range deserves some of Eldritch's most complex songs in their history, though they never go too far into the progressive noodling, leaning more on the power side of prog metal.
They are also some of their darkest songs they've written musically, Eugene And Rudj's guitars downtuned for most of the record Born On Cold Ash, the cleans coming through the solos, in the same way Symphony X do things, To The End emphasizes this with a colossal pre chorus and chorus that takes the lighter elements and pitches them against buzzing guitars and synths. Yes synths create more melodies, Oleg's keys playing a lead role as much as the guitars and vocals, Elegy Of Rust for example uses the keys really well to add some trappings of Serenity/Evergrey, on From The Scars the synths add the electronic pulses of dance music that are very on trend.
To The End showcases the back room of Dario and Raffahell directing the shifts in pace and tone, the drumming a highlight. The bass meanwhile is prominent on Wings Of Emptiness the albums big ballad. Innervoid actually becomes more progressive as it continues saving their heaviest and epic moments for the last trio of tracks on this album. With new life in the vocal department Eldritch are revamped on Innervoid. 8/10
The Rattlebacks - Kink (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
The UK band The Rattlebacks are a 90s throwback to a time when G 'N' R were putting out the over bloated Use Your Illusion and grunge was crossing over and destroying hair metal. These guys have a little bit of both. The Guns love is strong, but I hear some grungy stuff too. Their debut EP, Kink, is four fun tracks that show a lot of promise and some cool, straight-ahead rock and roll that probably translate well to their live set where the band says they excel.
Kink is a quick one but is enough to show the promise of what these guys have to give to rock and roll over the next number of years. The opener, Rattleback is like an Early Goo Goo Dolls song with Slash on guitar which is very much a compliment. I hear Buckcherry too here and with the next track, Amon. Amon has more of the Seattle vibes, but somehow also reminds me of Kik Tracee. Like a My Sister’s Machine/Kik Tracee mash up, which is something I never thought I wanted until just now.
Burn It Down reminds me of when the hair metal bands saw the writing on the wall in the early 90s and realized they had to adjust to the new now sound. I wonder if The Rattlebacks ever heard anything by Mother Love Bone? I dig it. Favorite Son has the same vibes and is fun, straight-ahead rock that leverages all the stuff I mentioned thus far and maybe even brings some southern rock feels to the party with an outstanding solo to boot.
No frills rock and roll that will sound great live and pays tribute to a bunch of killer stuff from the 1990s. Kink is a great teaser for what should be some more great material from the up-and-coming Rattlebacks. Worth checking out for sure .7/10
No frills rock and roll that will sound great live and pays tribute to a bunch of killer stuff from the 1990s. Kink is a great teaser for what should be some more great material from the up-and-coming Rattlebacks. Worth checking out for sure .7/10
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