Reviews: Hawxx, Yawning Balch, Gozer, Acid Force (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Rich Piva, Mark Young & Paul Hutchings)

Hawxx - Earth, Spit, Blood And Bones (Self Relased) [Matt Bladen]

Hawxx are a band with something to say, with so many acts using their music to be political, Hawxx use there's to remind the listener that oppression against women, against the LGBTQ+ community, against minorities and the wilful disregard of the planet we live on will no longer be tolerated (Soulbreaking Machines). They have a message and this fourpiece loll to deliver it as loud and defiantly as possible. They also put their money where their mouths are attending campaigns and protests for all of the campaigns that they support, encouraging their devoted fanbase, Kettle, the collective name for Hawks, to do the same. 

The quartet come from Greece, Italy, Wales and England have been creating safe spaces at their gigs for a number of years. Encouraging anyone but especially women, trans and non-binary people to come and feel the catharsis of heavy music. And yes the music is as heavy as the subject matter, modern metal riffs with punk sensibilities are melded with massive choruses, it grips on to you by the lapels and shouts its message at you full volume, just to make sure you are listening. Having conquered big stages in support of Mark Tremonti, along with numerous festival shows, including Download, Radar Fest and Bloodstock, Hawxx have become a live force to be reckoned with and this album fully does their live show justice, it’s raw and savage but also contains hope and despair. 

Earth, Spit, Blood And Bones is a lot to take in at first, there are very direct moments that kick your ears into shape ready to listen but there’s lots of things to discover with repeated plays. The dual guitar assault of Anna Papadimitriou and Hannah Staphnill intertwine brilliantly, causing unison and oppositions as they carve out the palm muted riffs, snotty punk blasts and technical solo sections, they’ve been slated as a guitar duo to watch and the evidence is obvious on the brutal Embrace The Ugly, Filth and Fathertongue. The power of this album though is based in the organ rattling bottom end grooves of Julia B Cadau’s bass and the pneumatic percussion of Jessica Dann’s drumming, combing these with the guitars allows Hawxx to explore whatever sort of musical experiment they want, just check out the rumbling The Worst Thing or the thrashy Bite. 

Vocally too Anna snarls, spits, shout and soars operatically, her vocal style as dynamic and exhilarating as the music, from the anthemic chorus of Reckless to Trust Your Rage (good use of Dylan Thomas) or the ferociously angry opening of Death Makes Sisters Of Us All, that roar of "I want this city to the ground! For what he did to her" a cry against the killing of Sarah Everard and the slaughter of women by men that still seems to be more acceptable in the name of ‘morality’. Earth, Spit, Blood And Bones is the album with the strongest identity this year, defiant against all forms of oppression, Hawxx have cultivated a spirit of rebellion that will only broaden on the back of this debut. Join their cause and play this album loud and often! 9/10

Yawning Balch - Volume Two (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

Now we have part two of the awesome team up of the original innovators of instrumental desert rock, Yawning Man, and Bob Balch from Fu Manchu, who is turning out to be one of those guys who just is a killer when he joins up with other great bands and lends his unique and downright amazing guitar skills to a project.

It turns out Volume Two is also pretty f-ing awesome. As a reminder, the aptly named Volume Two comes from five hours of Bob and YM jamming at Joshua Tree (of course it does) and the results this time are the three additional epic tracks of desert/stoner instrumental genius. Track one, A Moment Expanded, is a spacy, dreamy, eighteen-plus minute swirl that is all about atmosphere and floating over your desert base camp. It is super chill and spine-tingling led by Mr. Balch showing his ability of be restrained and flow with the laid back, psych vibes of the song. 

Flesh Of The Gods flows almost seamlessly from the previous track and is very much more of the same in the best possible way. These could be one song, but it works on its own as well, the highlight being Balch’s work about halfway through. You lose none of the quality with the third track, Psychic Aloha, which to me is the best of all of the tracks on both volumes due to Balch’s unique work that melds beautify with the steady YM backing.

So, I say once again, yes, give me all five hours of the Yawning Balch jam session. I called Volume One the instrumental album of the year so far along side of the amazing Clouds Taste Satanic record, and now we have a three-way race with Volume Two. I don’t go instrumental often, but when I do 2023 is giving me some great options with Yawning Balch leading the way. 8/10

Gozer - The Path Always Leads To The End (Trepanation Recordings) [Mark Young]

There has to be something in the water in Sheffield given the amount of talent we see (and hear) in the UK scene. Gozer present their latest EP / mini-album (take your pick) and in doing so bring us one of the releases of the year.

The Beginning ushers in a rising soundscape, all ambient noise to unsettle and to allow what is one of my favorite songs of the year, Celestial River to kick in. Instantly the balance within the song just hits with that sort of movement that is constantly building and progressing. The use of keys to echo/mimic and then BOOM the vocals come in and we are off.

Implored to follow the river, the arrangement of guitar and keys is just fabulous and it’s a journey with a start and end. It reminds me of 28 Days Later, the final act instrumental when Jim goes postal on the soldiers who have trapped him and friends in a manor house. Apologies if you haven’t seen it (it's good). To add urgency there is a gradual increase in tempo to it before falling away with that ambient noise present once more, conveying the feeling of being out of one's body. Just excellent.

Gone Away brings that futuristic science fiction to the fore, grinding ever so slowly, stepping forward with barely audible spoken word until it dissipates and the final song comes in, with the sound of lapping waves and viola that underpin plaintive vocals. Where The River Meets The Ocean is a tender, acoustically driven belter that as soon as it establishes that form its skin is shed and the electrics come in. The build is fantastic, with a power to it and a real majesty and it’s a fantastic bookend to the songs here.

Gozer just seems to be able to write and record music that hits so well, and you know that there is so much to come from them. Presented possibly as an essay on life and death there is a constant movement within the arrangement of the songs here which reflects on that continual cycle that is part of our existence. Celestial River just has that something that makes it a song you can listen to over and over. I wish I knew how to describe that something, but I think you get my point. 8/10

Acid Force – World Targets In Megadeaths (Jawbreaker Records) [Paul Hutchings]

“What caught my attention on 'World Targets In Megadeaths'“, says Jawbreaker Records boss G.G. Sundin, “is that is not stuck in the same old grooves that most thrash metal albums coming out nowadays are. Instead, Acid Force have created a fresh mix of thrash, speed, and traditional heavy metal.”

A bold statement indeed, but having given World Targets In Megadeaths a few plays, I’m included to agree with old G.G. The Slovakians have put together a pulsating burst of vibrant thrash and speed metal which I must admit, works on every level. There’s a fresh approach to the band’s music and whilst the inevitable influences are still apparent, there is something a little different about their style.

The vocals are gruff, at times ragged, but completely fit the music that Acid Force deliver. The opening salvo Out Of The Trenches isn’t the most inspiring though, one of the more basic tracks on the album. But despite the thrash by numbers that crashes out of the speakers, there’s something here that grabs the attention. Whether it’s the high tempo which reminds me of early Raven, or the Metallica-tinged riffs I’m not sure, but fast, frenetic, and with a raw edge, it’s enough to keep the attention.

Two other punchy thrashers fly by before we reach Rebirth Of The Sun, and it’s here that things get extremely interesting. A more expansive, progressive, and slightly more crafted song, it’s still got the high intensity that Acid Force bring to every song, but there’s a blacker metal (circa Venom 1983) approach here, albeit with far better musicianship. There’s some fine lead guitar work from Erik Leško whilst the engine room holds things solidly in place.

Confident enough to rip through a five-minute instrumental, Acid Force show their chops with one of the best tracks here. Definite shades of Metallica, but with the style of Maiden also present, Beyond The Concrete Fields demonstrates a maturity in writing that is welcome. This leads us to the final track, the title track and it’s another explosive thrasher to conclude what is an enjoyable release. If you like your thrash, then Acid Force should really be in your sights. And I’ve not even commented on the album cover art… 8/10