EBB are an arty prog rock band who have been slowly building themselves an audience and a niche for a few years now. Having released a debut EP in 2019, full length studio album in 2022, they've played a glut of gigs exposing as many audiences as possible to the music of "5 women and 1 guy, writing and playing in their own style, telling their own stories and wrestling with their own concepts" musically dense and dexterous, their songs are like Björk and Four Non Blondes, jamming Big Big Train, Pink Floyd and King Crimson records.
The band is led by Erin Bennett, who plays the searing guitars, gives the brilliant vocal performance and even some trumpet, as well as writing all the music here. Joining her are Nikki Francis who provides saxophone, flute and clarinet as well as moulding the Hammond/piano/synths along with backing vocalist Suna Dasi. In the rhythms section Anna Fraser is behind the kit, Bad Dog is on bass and production as the band is rounded out by backing vocalist, percussionist and spoken word performer Kitty Biscuits. So it's prog, art, space rock from Scotland and with two releases already tucked away at the beginning of 2024 they have released their "companion piece" to previous album Mad & Killing Time, it resolved issues that arose on the album through three tracks and 18 minutes of expressionist rock music.
The basic concept is that anything we struggle with in the human condition is irrelevant when compared to something like Sagittarius A* the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. A cheery thing to think about as the year turns, but The Management Of Consequences begins in earnest with Silent Saviour which features brass and wind instruments like it's off Islands by King Crimson at the very beginning before it shifts into synth driven jazzy mid section, multiple voices join in chorus below the bluesy main vocal of Erin, closing out with Celtic tones, we're taken into the swirling emotional prog of Coast & Consequences which goes The Great Gig In The Sky played by Frank Zappa.
Nieu closes out the EP with Krautrock fuzzing and swirling psych, continuing to keep you guessing as to what EBB will do next. A three track coda to their last album that will close the chapter and allow them to focus on the next phase. 8/10
Imperialist - Quantum (Transcending Obscurity Records)
Sci-Fi seems to be a go to influence for black metal bands, there are a glut of bands from around the globe that forgoes church burning and demons for unrelenting horror from the vastness of space. As Gateways sets the atmosphere (or lack their of as the case may be) the raw, fuzzing black metal of Imperialist is unleashed on Echoed Demise, similar vocal-wise to Strapping Young Lad, Sergio Soto's snarls are heavily processed while his guitar playing in union with Bryant Quinones is technically gifted, playing some of the most lethal music of their career.
They absolutely blitz through the songs on this EP five tracks in nearly 22 minutes. The guitars still have melodic touches to them but on tracks such as Quantum Annexation they are unchained and absolutely relentless. Rodney Quinones' drums punish as Joshua Alvarez's bass helps manoeuvre their spacecraft on its journey on chugging tracks such as Quiescent Terror. Quoted as being for fans of Dissection, Necrophobic and Vektor, Quantum continues the full force assault of Imperialist's mechanical, extra-terrestrial musical journey. 7/10
Yoth Iria - Embracing Mexican Shadows (Azermedoth Records)
After releasing a two track EP in the middle of last year, Greek black metal band Yoth Iria ended 2023 with their first ever live album. Captured in Mexico, the 11 song set contains tracks from Jim Mutilator's latest project as well as two Rotting Christ covers one of two legendary Greek black metal bands he co-founded, along with Varathron, but the one he was in the longest. As the Yoth Iria vocalist The Magus was not part of this tour, possibly due to his solo project, so they have brought in Merkaal (Order Of The Ebon Hand) on vocals. Filling out the live band is drummer Vongaar (Disembowel & Terrordrome) and guitarist Nick Perlepe (On Thorns I Lay) as Jim Mutilator takes his place on bass.
Yoth Iria - Embracing Mexican Shadows (Azermedoth Records)
After releasing a two track EP in the middle of last year, Greek black metal band Yoth Iria ended 2023 with their first ever live album. Captured in Mexico, the 11 song set contains tracks from Jim Mutilator's latest project as well as two Rotting Christ covers one of two legendary Greek black metal bands he co-founded, along with Varathron, but the one he was in the longest. As the Yoth Iria vocalist The Magus was not part of this tour, possibly due to his solo project, so they have brought in Merkaal (Order Of The Ebon Hand) on vocals. Filling out the live band is drummer Vongaar (Disembowel & Terrordrome) and guitarist Nick Perlepe (On Thorns I Lay) as Jim Mutilator takes his place on bass.
Now this is a live album but the crowd is not that audible, making it seem a little bit like they are playing in their practice studio, occasionally talking to the crowd. The mix too is muddy, there's a cymbal that sounds like a bicycle bell which is a little distracting, but the tracks are played well, the band storming through this Hellenic black metal for an hour. Was the release needed? Perhaps not and in front of a hope town crowd it would feel a bit more vital but if you like raw live recordings then you'll find a lot here to like. I may stick to the studio album though (seeing them live when they tour. 6/10
At The Plates - Omnivore (Self Released)
That's not a typo, this band are actually called At The Plates, their logo looks like the legendary Swedish metal band's logo. Formed in 2018 by Tony Rouse as a means to combine his love of extreme metal with gourmet food, his medical past making him re-evaluate his relationship with food. After an EP called Garden Salads Of Grief and a debut album entitled Starch Enemy in 2020, they now return for the second course, Omnivore. More heavily inspired by Rouse's more balanced lifestyle choices, but of course with gore soaked lyricism of Cannibal Corpse.
With Their Cutlets about eating your neighbour's, Open Buffet Surgery goes all Mr Creosote featuring gutturals from Ryan Wolanski (Slamadeus) grinding along, another guest comes on the epic Terminal Filter Disease, as Danica Amore (ex- Can Ride Home) unleashes on this brooding Florida meets New York groover. Rouse definitely has a penchant for all forms of death metal his riffs from guitar, bass and drums all move from Swedeath, to Floridian, to New York and more, across 10 culinary themed tracks. The central theme is "you are what you eat" and this is a buffet for DM fans.
Joining Rouse is the lead guitar dive bombs and squealing solos of Tyler McCarthy while Mario Alejandro provides the vocal growls, the trio letting us all enjoy this smorgasbord of riffs. 7/10
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