Reviews: The Gems, Any Given Day, Show N Tell, Savaged (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

The Gems - Phoenix (Napalm Records)

A new record from three ex-members of Thundermother was always going to feature a lot of hard rocking but Phoenix their debut album The Gems features a LOT of hard rocking. Like 16 tracks including and intro, two interludes and an acoustic version, it's certainly a piece of work but is it substance over style? The Gems are made up of vocalist Guernica Mancini, drummer Emlee Johansson and guitarist/bassist Mona “Demona” Lindgren, after the various issues with their previous band they have locked down as a riff slinging trio that's got the AC/DC swagger on Domino, the big joyous choruses on Queens and take no prisoners rock n roll on the rumbling Silver Tongue. 

Guernica Mancini's vocals are rough and bluesy, they are used brilliantly on this rootsy rock n roll but shine on ballad Ease Your Pain and on Send Me To The Wolves as well. Mona "Demona" Lindgren's riff generalship is superior, grooving basslines and thick riffs that get the head nodding, using solos when required but not reliant totally on them. The idea here is to get you moving and Lindgren's collaboration with Emlee Johansson's percussion shows why they were such a good fit in their previous act, a track such as Running injecting pace. The solo guitar is joined by violinist Maria Jern on the interlude Maria's Song but we're only halfway through! 

It's the length that's the problem I think, when you're playing a style that is so known, i.e. AC/DC-like pub rock, brevity is king, 16 tracks is about 6 too many, do a 10 track hit and run and leave the others for an EP later in the year or early next year when you're promoting a tour. Still the quality is high, it's just the quantity. 7/10

Any Given Day - Limitless (Arising Empire)

Germans Any Given Day, turn their caps around and get ready to bring big beefy beats to a stage near you. As soon as their new album Limitless got going I thought I was listening to Killswitch Engage with Howard Jones. In the PR it says the embody the American Dream and they do so by sounding as American as possible. After this introduction they resort to macho groove metal, flashes of Trivium yes but Bad Wolves, Parkway Drive and Five Finger Death Punch too unfortunately. 

I've mentioned before that these bands do little for me and no matter how good vocalist Dennis Diehl is, and he is, the music leaves me cold. Big chorus, solo, breakdown, rinse, repeat. It's very American, emotion and angst brought to the ear with grooving, crushing modern metal, fit for stomping. This will do really well, I'm sure there will be lots of writers praising it but it really doesn't tickle my taste buds. 6/10

Show N Tell - The Ritual Has Begun (No Remorse Records)

American speed metal inspired by Dokken, W.A.S.P and more modern bands such as Skull Fist, The Ritual Has Begun aims squarely at the NWOTHM revival that is still going strong over 10 years after it's inception in the late 2000's. Formed in 2019 by guitarist/singer Dave Rodriguez, this debut album builds on their demo with some high voltage, high speed trad metal, worked over with sleaze and stinging, analogue sounding production, all ready to be released by seminal metal label No Remorse Records. 

Show N Tell don't hold their cards to their chest as they have King Diamond-like vocals are stuck over the proto-thrash and Maiden riffs, maybe their influences should also include Mercyful Fate as a lot of this record sounds like The Danes. The Ritual Has Begun sounds exactly as you'd expect it too. Nine tracks of galloping pace, guitar solos, production and song writing out of the 80's. Show N Tell, are a throwback yes but only to a sound that was perfected just over a decade ago. It's almost like a homage to a homage but good enough for a few spins. 6/10 

Savaged - Night Stealer (No Remorse Records)

Another throwback, another NWOTHM band, formed even later than Show N Tell. Savaged come from Barcelona and emerged in 2021, playing Headbangers Open Air in 2023 with only two singles to their name. Night Stealer is their debut and firmly plants them in the second level of NWOBHM worship, less Maiden and Priest, more Tokyo Blade, Satan and Angel Witch, on the progressive Tons Of Leather for instance has varying riffs and tonnes of prog.

Knights Of Metal is borderline power metal while Elm Street revs up the strutting street metal ala Ratt. Influenced heavily by the 80's metal world, as you'd expect, Night Stealer perhaps has more variation than some of their No Remorse buddies, but again though it's music that will be enjoyed by fans of the style. A bit more diverse but still some retro flavoured trad metal. 6/10