Welsh riff merchants rapidly follow up their digital only Evil Eye EP from last year with their debut full length on the always brilliant Ripple Music. Hailing from the Wild Wild West Of Wales, the trio play heavy occult doom that bangs it’s head very slowly to the likes of Electric Wizard and Uncle Acid, embracing Celtic myths, the occult, the more sinister black magick.
Ritual is an 8 track journey through woozy, distorted guitars with reverbed vocals and an altar built to Sabbath Worship. The band was brought together in lockdown as longtime friends Jammie Arnold (guitar), Simon Bonwick (drums) and Tom Shortt (bass), initially started out as instrumental only, with Shortt taking up the vocals, not long after formation. It brings a new dimension to their sound as Shortt commands these pagan sermons with the wide eyed intensity of Vincent Price as Matthew Hopkins on Power That Be.
Goat Major though never move that far from their instrumental origins though as for every chorus that’s sung out, there’s a long section of the trio in monolithic union, Simon and Shortt’s rhythmic jackhammer controlling pace with ease as Mountains Of Madness undulates in to some serious, serpentine Sabbath, sounding just as good here as it did on the EP, so too does the creeping Evil Eye and the crushing Turn To Dust.
Goat Major though never move that far from their instrumental origins though as for every chorus that’s sung out, there’s a long section of the trio in monolithic union, Simon and Shortt’s rhythmic jackhammer controlling pace with ease as Mountains Of Madness undulates in to some serious, serpentine Sabbath, sounding just as good here as it did on the EP, so too does the creeping Evil Eye and the crushing Turn To Dust.
But it’s the new stuff that speaks to longevity of Goat Major, drawn from songs honed over their rigorous live schedule, Jammie Arnold’s guitar playing especially good on the hazy Lay Me Down, where acoustics and feedback creates a mysterious closer, but there’s also some effects driven doom on Snakes (Goddess Of The Serpent), proper stoner grooves on the title track and yet more cavernous rhythms on Light Of The End.
Establishing themselves as a force to seen on the UK live circuit, Goat Major back up their live hype with this slab of sacrificial stoner doom, with Ripple Music firmly behind them, one and all will soon experience this heady Ritual. 9/10
Valhalla Awaits - Perdition (Self Relased) [Paul Hutchings]
You may have heard of Valhalla Awaits. The band has a substantial pedigree in the South Wales music scene, drawn from bands that include Buffalo Summer, The Blackout and Revoker. They’ve got a string of high profile shows under their belts, and the promise of many more to come soon.Perdition is a five-track EP, full of confident and bombastic hard rock, but with a strong social commentary underneath. A collection of stories of humanity, aspirations, and a yearning to take their country back to better times. Nothing to argue about there surely?
It opens strongly with Door Of No Return. Scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find the haunting story of the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade. A thumping riff and a raging tempo kick things off, demanding you move that head. Andrew Hunt is surely one of the most underrated vocalists in the South Wales area, with a soulful yet forceful voice, and he brings a powerful performance on a stomper of a track. This is explosive stuff to kick things off.
There’s a familiarity to Staring At The Gun, an anthem of resilience. It’s got a grungy, Alice In Chains vibe, combined with the power of fellow countrymen Florence Black and the smoothness of Those Damn Crows. A combination of all three makes this an epic song. The groove that underpins it keeps things flowing nicely, whilst there’s a pleasing switch of pace that allows the listener to let it sink in.
Two in, and three more to go. It’s a promising start, and emotionally it hits a new peak with first single Is There Anybody Out There? The background to the song is a bit eerie, with supernatural events having happened since the song was written. It’s a classically hard rock slow burner, one that grabs the heart strings, and pulls you in. Hunt gives another smouldering performance, whilst the intricate guitar work of Rhys Carter and Chris Green give it an extra edge.
Valhalla Awaits bring a different style to most of their songs, but the swagger of We Remain sees them grab their inner sleaze monsters, with a Velvet Revolver vibe surging through the song. There’s a beautiful soaring chorus that lifts the track, whilst the addictive riffs remain stuck in the memory for days. It’s a real grower of a track, getting better every play.
That leaves All Hope Is Lost, and as bleak as it is, maybe there is a little hope hidden within the darkness. Hunt comments “The song was written at the standing stones in Tredegar, where Aneurin Bevan, the great Welsh socialist and founder of the NHS preached to the masses. We long for the time where people are put first before profits and our islands aren’t run into the ground by power and greed.”
Perdition is one solid EP. Cohesive, impressive, vibrant, organic. Catch them if you can, for live, these songs are likely to blow your head off. 8/10
Fathomless Ritual - Hymns For The Lesser Gods (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Charlie Rogers)
Demilich worship from Canada.
Now if you’re like me, you’re sold already. Just in case you need more description than that to get on board with this release, I’ll attempt to describe the aural chaos that Brendan Dean has conjured forth. Dense, angular riffs, smattered with globules of putrid swamp monster vocals, all held together by frantic wandering drums. Intermittent lead lines. A crunchy, janky, nasal bass tone. Utterances requiring a subwoofer to hear properly.
The album varies in pace, centred around a mid-paced stomp for the most part but also utilising some swift passages to add flavour, and slower selections to invoke more of the swampiness that’s a staple in this style of death metal. Tons of groove and hooks splattered across the songs, each having its own draw and pull to move your neck. Production blends parts where the sound is a pure muddy wall, stacked sections where everything has a bit more room to breathe, all the way to spaced out refrains where single instruments take the spotlight. I’m not sure what Mr Dean’s main instrument is, but he excels at both guitar and bass, and the drum programming is tastefully done while also being suitably bonkers.
I can absolutely see this being a tough record to listen to if you’re just beginning your foray into death metal, with the barrier for appreciating the madness that Finnish style riffs encapsulates being sky high. However, for those of us already redeemed in the church of unhinged, chaotic death metal, it’s an easy sell to get this record on. Let’s hope Brendan can get a band together to do this live, because it’d absolutely pop off, and I’d very likely try and be there. 10/10
Now if you’re like me, you’re sold already. Just in case you need more description than that to get on board with this release, I’ll attempt to describe the aural chaos that Brendan Dean has conjured forth. Dense, angular riffs, smattered with globules of putrid swamp monster vocals, all held together by frantic wandering drums. Intermittent lead lines. A crunchy, janky, nasal bass tone. Utterances requiring a subwoofer to hear properly.
The album varies in pace, centred around a mid-paced stomp for the most part but also utilising some swift passages to add flavour, and slower selections to invoke more of the swampiness that’s a staple in this style of death metal. Tons of groove and hooks splattered across the songs, each having its own draw and pull to move your neck. Production blends parts where the sound is a pure muddy wall, stacked sections where everything has a bit more room to breathe, all the way to spaced out refrains where single instruments take the spotlight. I’m not sure what Mr Dean’s main instrument is, but he excels at both guitar and bass, and the drum programming is tastefully done while also being suitably bonkers.
I can absolutely see this being a tough record to listen to if you’re just beginning your foray into death metal, with the barrier for appreciating the madness that Finnish style riffs encapsulates being sky high. However, for those of us already redeemed in the church of unhinged, chaotic death metal, it’s an easy sell to get this record on. Let’s hope Brendan can get a band together to do this live, because it’d absolutely pop off, and I’d very likely try and be there. 10/10
Arms And Sleepers - What Tomorrow Brings (Pelagic Records) [James Jackson]
The Electronic elements of Arms and Sleepers come as a surprise for me, writing for a generally “Metal” review site like Musipedia has, over the last year or so offered me the opportunity to listen to albums that would have never been on my list. I’ve discovered acts that I didn’t know before and have gone onto enjoy their work and seen them live, I’ve also had a good deal of music come my way that I know I’ll never try again, but that’s part of the fun.
The Electronic elements of Arms and Sleepers come as a surprise for me, writing for a generally “Metal” review site like Musipedia has, over the last year or so offered me the opportunity to listen to albums that would have never been on my list. I’ve discovered acts that I didn’t know before and have gone onto enjoy their work and seen them live, I’ve also had a good deal of music come my way that I know I’ll never try again, but that’s part of the fun.
Arms And Sleepers are, according to a bio I found, ambient trip hop, a sub genre I know absolutely nothing about, over the years I’ve delved into the otherworldly releases of Enigma, hooked since the release of MCMXC.a.D in the early 90’s; the Gregorian chants and dance beats, blending with various percussion elements and haunting melodies was something altogether new to me; Arms and Sleepers offer a similar feel to the more ambient sounds found on the album but the use is subtle rather than prominent as with Enigma.
It’s a fair comparison to make in general, the odd track or two are of a different spin, the jazz infused Belfast hits differently compared to the hypnotic sounds of Have You Gone To The Moon Yet? but that Ambient Trip Hop tag seems more than apt, What Tomorrow Brings is an album that you can listen to in the background, I don’t think there’s anything particularly special or unique about it but it’s certainly something that would keep you company as you while away the hours; becoming a not altogether unpleasant soundtrack to your day without interference. I think I’m trying to politely say that I’ll not be giving this one another go. 4/10
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