Backstabber opens up the album with vindictive furious lyrics to its gut punching low tuned riffs performed with machine like precision, Tempo bouncy drums and producing synths sounds that sound like they have been resurrected from the 90s. The vocalist channels the industrial metal gods by combining Wanye Static and Burton C Bell snarled verses whilst providing Stitch D (from The Defiled) styled choruses. The following track The Devil Made Me Do It still continues the low bouncy tuned guitar riffs and drum grooves but we get to hear some dynamics from the drums with it’s hi-hat varied drum beats. We also get to hear the vocalist infusing more pop styled catchy chorus hooks.
Happy Birthday To You brings in some dirty sub octave riffs that sound like they have been pulled straight out of Korns play book whilst also incorporating weaving guitar melodies sown into their F-You choruses and industrial influenced constructed verses. In the final moments of the first half the album the band start to inject their pop music influences with tracks such as Levitate with it’s upbeat pentatonic guitar melodies, bubble gum poppy sounding synths and catchy choruses with it being binded by a chart topping styled song structure.
The 80’s sounding track The Ghosts brings in some Bad Omens vibes with its rhythmic driven analogue synths sounds and huge sounding drums whilst incorporating metal guitar arrangements in the choruses. The second part of the album still shows the band experimenting with other influences such as the opener Love Will Fix it All which incorporates some poppy chord progressions and upbeat strummed rhythm patterns along with ambient lead guitar melodies that accompany their soaring power metal styled verses and choruses that depict the themes of love and unity. On the theme of love, She’s Not Coming Home lyrically explores themes of unfaithfulness in a mature manner that is accompanied with the return of the Korn inspired arrangments from it’s bouncy riffs and drum grooves to the sinical note choices in the chorus melodies.
Dreams brings in some massive choruses sandwiched with gothic 80’s era verses with it’s eerie low pitched synths and The Cure inspired clean guitars. Their closing track shows the band returning to singing about themes of unity with their closing ballad Together…which I might say is quite U2 inspired, from it’s ambient guitars with it’s huge clean low end, chimmy strummed chords, poppy off beat drum grooves and lyrics that sound like Bono wrote them. This must be one of them most diverse sounding metal albums of the 2024 so far! This band really knows how to bring in the metal goods from it’s Korn and Tim Burtonesque heavy tracks such as Backstabbers, Happy Birthday To You and She Ain’t Coming Home, whilst still splashing some positive light with their more commercially friendlier sounding tracks like Levitate, Love Will Fix All and Together.
Love Will Fix It is a swiss army knife of an album which comes with a lot more tools which could can be a bit overwhelming to some metal listeners. For fans of Korn, Bad Wolves and Avatar. 9/10
Cold In Berlin – The Body Is A Wound (New Heavy Sounds) [Matt Bladen]
The inaugural part of project that will stretch to this EP and a full length record later this year London goth doom crew release their first part of The Wounds. The Body Is A Wound, consists of clobbering occult doom, guitars in sordid liaison with synths and electronics as Maya Berlin channels the mesmeric wails of Siouxsie Sioux. Dream One cascades into life with distorted guitars and discordant strings evoking an uneasy atmosphere. This is the first material since 2019’s Rituals Of Surrender and sees them extend their sound with extensive explorations into jerky, awkward post-punk on Found Out, all Stranger Things meets Bauhaus.
They also pick the darker depths of oddness from the krautrock scene but of course keeping their mountain levelling doom to make sure they bewitch you with their rhythmic motions but also have the ability to rearrange your organs. If music could encompass the aloof, sensual world of gothic culture it would this. Themes around sex, murder, suicide and broken dreams, are wrapped up into the hypnotic Spotlight and the Joy Division-like racket of When Did You See Her Last. Cold In Berlin have ice in their veins, smoke in their lungs, dress in all black and play morose but sexy music. Can’t wait for the full length. 8/10
Metalite - Expedition One (AFM Records) [Patches]
Expedition One the new album by 2015 formed Metalite is my introduction to the Swedish quintet. The album tells a fictitious story of a survival expedition to transport our damaged kind from a dying planet to a new world, in hope that new life will develop. Now, I love a concept album and I love a lengthy album! So, with an epic tale to hear over a massive 16 song album expectations were high.
Metalite - Expedition One (AFM Records) [Patches]
Expedition One the new album by 2015 formed Metalite is my introduction to the Swedish quintet. The album tells a fictitious story of a survival expedition to transport our damaged kind from a dying planet to a new world, in hope that new life will develop. Now, I love a concept album and I love a lengthy album! So, with an epic tale to hear over a massive 16 song album expectations were high.
The title track instantly gave me the cheesy self aware vibe of David Hasselhoff’s True Survivor written for the half hour crowdfunded masterpiece Kung Fury. (If you are yet to see it, check it out on Youtube, you’re in for a treat). Erica Ohisson’s vocals are perfect for power metal but quickly shift to a more ‘pop music’ tone as the influences from early 21st century trance take hold. I’m happy to hear an old 90s hip-hop-esque orchestra hit anytime of day … and it’s quite hilarious when combined with metal.
Guitarists Edwin Premberg and Robert Ornesved give themselves some serious shred time over the curious mix of nostalgic video game sounds and nauseating euro-pop. In fact, all the musicians are great and the production is tremendous. However, out of the 16 songs there is very little variation and a large percentage of them start with an arpeggiator. I found the so-called hooks to blend into the same prefabricated sounding generic pop chorus over time and after the initial novelty started to fade had very little to pick out and write about.
It was at this point that I checked a few other reviews of the album and found out that the main concern of other reviewers was the length of the album and the suggestion of removing the instrumental number Utopia. Well, we’re clearly on different terms .As for me, while the concept and delivery of this euro-pop, modern metal techno inspired compilation definitely has its fun moments. Utopia was the only one that felt like it had any soul. A similar break to the melodic instrumental tracks of an Arch Enemy album.
Final Words; It’s accessible, Metalite are well, Metal-light. A bad example but, the album kind of reminded me of Electric Callboy without the humour. I can tell it is fun and many will enjoy it, but it doesn’t resonate with me after the initial smirk. I do, however INSIST that Metalite enter and win Eurovision; because for me, that’s the only place I’d like to hear this again.
Guitarists Edwin Premberg and Robert Ornesved give themselves some serious shred time over the curious mix of nostalgic video game sounds and nauseating euro-pop. In fact, all the musicians are great and the production is tremendous. However, out of the 16 songs there is very little variation and a large percentage of them start with an arpeggiator. I found the so-called hooks to blend into the same prefabricated sounding generic pop chorus over time and after the initial novelty started to fade had very little to pick out and write about.
It was at this point that I checked a few other reviews of the album and found out that the main concern of other reviewers was the length of the album and the suggestion of removing the instrumental number Utopia. Well, we’re clearly on different terms .As for me, while the concept and delivery of this euro-pop, modern metal techno inspired compilation definitely has its fun moments. Utopia was the only one that felt like it had any soul. A similar break to the melodic instrumental tracks of an Arch Enemy album.
Final Words; It’s accessible, Metalite are well, Metal-light. A bad example but, the album kind of reminded me of Electric Callboy without the humour. I can tell it is fun and many will enjoy it, but it doesn’t resonate with me after the initial smirk. I do, however INSIST that Metalite enter and win Eurovision; because for me, that’s the only place I’d like to hear this again.
Check them out! they have a handful of singles already released on all major platforms and perhaps you’re not as grumpy as I. Top points for musicianship and production! But anything this cheesy needs to be more openly self aware to not activate my gag reflex (and I didn’t gag when I had to clean up a regurgitated decomposing rat from a snake’s vivarium after coming back from a holiday … Did I mention that it was found on the heat mat ? Pungent). 6/10 (Watch Kung Fury)
Well, Caccia Grossa has a lot going for it to be a candidate for frequent spinning instrumental album in this reviewer’s collection. In its brief 30 minutes you get some cool stoner psych, with Dead Tropic leading us off with some QOTSA vibes specifically in the guitar work a really cool stoner vibe. The Kyuss/QOTSA minus vocals comparison extends to the next track as well, No Amico, which has some killer guitar work and a cool riff. I love all the percussion work on this track as well.
Tropic Santos give us a fun little album and a nice quick blast of instrumental psych stoner when you are sick of words and just want to jam on the music. Caccia Grossa has a place in my instrumental playlist, and if you dig stoner/psych instrumental work this one should be considered for your listening enjoyment. 7/10
Tropic Santos - Caccia Grossa (Argonauta Records) [Rich Piva]
I tend to normally prefer vocals in my rock, but there are some exceptions and situations where a killer instrumental album will scratch that musical itch. Tropic Santos out of Milan, Italy are certainly candidates for this, bringing some very cool instrumental stoner rock that lovers of the genre can surely get behind on the album Caccia Grossa. But can this be one of my go to albums given I only reach for the instrumental occasionally?
I tend to normally prefer vocals in my rock, but there are some exceptions and situations where a killer instrumental album will scratch that musical itch. Tropic Santos out of Milan, Italy are certainly candidates for this, bringing some very cool instrumental stoner rock that lovers of the genre can surely get behind on the album Caccia Grossa. But can this be one of my go to albums given I only reach for the instrumental occasionally?
Well, Caccia Grossa has a lot going for it to be a candidate for frequent spinning instrumental album in this reviewer’s collection. In its brief 30 minutes you get some cool stoner psych, with Dead Tropic leading us off with some QOTSA vibes specifically in the guitar work a really cool stoner vibe. The Kyuss/QOTSA minus vocals comparison extends to the next track as well, No Amico, which has some killer guitar work and a cool riff. I love all the percussion work on this track as well.
The pace slows down on Mystic Liver, with an almost doomy psych dead march vibe, until the prisoner breaks away and makes a run for it and gets away via a killer psych solo. Convoy has a cool groove and more of that nice percussion while Jaguar Mamas has more sweet guitar noodling and upbeat pace. Closing out with Sacred Forces Saturation, you get more of the same psych stoner goodness that Caccia Grossa delivers across the six tracks over a half hour.
Tropic Santos give us a fun little album and a nice quick blast of instrumental psych stoner when you are sick of words and just want to jam on the music. Caccia Grossa has a place in my instrumental playlist, and if you dig stoner/psych instrumental work this one should be considered for your listening enjoyment. 7/10
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