Twenty One! Darkthrone have released twenty one albums, perennial meme Fenriz and Nocturno Culto have been churning out various types of metal since 1986, beginning their career as one of the pioneers of black metal but in recent years they've adapted their sound to bring more classic, speed, punk, doom, thrash and death.
On this album putting together the anguished barks of Nocturno with Fenriz providing more of the clean vocals on this album to make it much more like classic metal album than previous efforts, if you've heard Coffin Storm you'll know the score.
The sounds of Celtic Frost are very strong on Black Dawn Affiliation, the production is raw and dirty, recorded live as per usual, both sharing the bass work and doubling up on the guitars, so they can bring some shredding leads on The Bird People Of The Nordland.
The sounds of Celtic Frost are very strong on Black Dawn Affiliation, the production is raw and dirty, recorded live as per usual, both sharing the bass work and doubling up on the guitars, so they can bring some shredding leads on The Bird People Of The Nordland.
Far beyond genre tags at this point in their career I'm sure there will black metal aficionados that will decry this as not cvlt but screw it as Darkthrone have never really been ones to concern or restrain themselves by genre boundaries.
Swelling synths beckon the beginnings of Howling Primitive Colonies The Heavy Hand grinds away with early black metal meets doom, those slow heavy riffs continuing to power the epic cinematic The Lone Pines Of The Lost Planet.
Swelling synths beckon the beginnings of Howling Primitive Colonies The Heavy Hand grinds away with early black metal meets doom, those slow heavy riffs continuing to power the epic cinematic The Lone Pines Of The Lost Planet.
It's a natural continuation of what they have been doing on previous albums Eternal Hails and Astral Fortress, Darkthrone carve a path of their own as always but It Beckons Us All is in the style I enjoy most from their shapeshifting. 9/10
Inter Arma - New Heaven (Relapse)
There are bands that sit in one extreme metal genre or another but then there are bands like Inter Arma. Bringing a concoction of doom, death, black, prog, hardcore and god knows what else, their latest album New Haven is not a casual listen, not a one and done review either.
Inter Arma - New Heaven (Relapse)
There are bands that sit in one extreme metal genre or another but then there are bands like Inter Arma. Bringing a concoction of doom, death, black, prog, hardcore and god knows what else, their latest album New Haven is not a casual listen, not a one and done review either.
It wants your time, it needs to bludgeon you, it has to tell you that not everything will be ok, sometimes you don’t triumph over adversity, you just have to accept it and move on. Swirling maelstrom of angular leads, tumbling, cacophonous rhythms, vocals pulled from the depths of despair and thrown at your ears full throttle all the time, New Haven is not an album to relax on a sunny night with.
Moreover it’s the type of thing parents would describe as ‘just noise’, but behind that there is some, impressive musicianship going on, Joel Moore saving the bands bacon as he stepped into be their bass player after they had gone through four in the writing process of this album.
Moreover it’s the type of thing parents would describe as ‘just noise’, but behind that there is some, impressive musicianship going on, Joel Moore saving the bands bacon as he stepped into be their bass player after they had gone through four in the writing process of this album.
His musical talents are usually of the six string variety so he plays the bass like and additional lead guitarist, joining Trey Dalton, Steven Russell and T.J Childers as the guitar players on these blistering slabs of blackened sludge such as the title track and Violent Seizures, putting the bottom end gurgle to the harmonic Endless Grey.
He like most of the band is a multi-instrumentalist, adding synths, tape loops, samples and noise, Dalton bringing mellotron and synths as well. These electronics are vital to the panoramic sound Inter Arma have been trying to perfect on their previous records.
He like most of the band is a multi-instrumentalist, adding synths, tape loops, samples and noise, Dalton bringing mellotron and synths as well. These electronics are vital to the panoramic sound Inter Arma have been trying to perfect on their previous records.
They improve the Gothics of Gardens In The Dark, singer Mike Paparo adopting a baritone croon over his harsh vocal style. He does so again on The Children Of The Bombs Overlooked, T.J Childers drumming feeling like falling armaments, he too bringing extra instruments such as percussion, lap steel and piano.
New Haven is Inter Arma trying to shake off their ‘curse’ one that over 20 years, has led to multiple episodes of member changing, visa issues, stolen passports, near death experiences and much more, it’s about taking on these battles and producing music that they want to make, no matter whether people decry them for not being what they want.
New Haven is Inter Arma trying to shake off their ‘curse’ one that over 20 years, has led to multiple episodes of member changing, visa issues, stolen passports, near death experiences and much more, it’s about taking on these battles and producing music that they want to make, no matter whether people decry them for not being what they want.
They consider it to be the most cohesive and honest they have been in these 20 years, I’d consider it to be absolutely skull crushing. A New Haven isn’t easy, but it’s rewarding for fans of extreme experimental music. 8/10
Moon Shot - The Power (Reaper Records)
Finnish band Moon Shot bring the modernity with their second album The Power. Following up their debut in 2021 with a punchy rock record that comes from a long line of Finnish bands such as H.I.M, The Rasmus and Poets Of The Fall, but also Von Hertzen Brothers as well. The foursome have honed their chops in bands such as Disco Ensemble, Children Of Bodom and Lapko.
They have refined themselves into a radio pop rock juggernaut, with an experimentalism that a lot of bands would shy away from on the Linkin Park-like Ride Faster. This is rock music redefined, there's massive choruses on the title track, the hooks grabbing you on every track.
Moon Shot - The Power (Reaper Records)
Finnish band Moon Shot bring the modernity with their second album The Power. Following up their debut in 2021 with a punchy rock record that comes from a long line of Finnish bands such as H.I.M, The Rasmus and Poets Of The Fall, but also Von Hertzen Brothers as well. The foursome have honed their chops in bands such as Disco Ensemble, Children Of Bodom and Lapko.
They have refined themselves into a radio pop rock juggernaut, with an experimentalism that a lot of bands would shy away from on the Linkin Park-like Ride Faster. This is rock music redefined, there's massive choruses on the title track, the hooks grabbing you on every track.
It's Ville Malja's diverse and impassioned vocals tag are the reason for this. On tracks such as Shadow Boxer, Moon Shot remind me of 30 Seconds To Mars as the excellent drumming from Mikko Halila is a key feature, but on Stars Are Holes they propagate intelligent Coheed & Cambria style progging.
This can also be said about Yes! where the VHB influence I mentioned earlier comes in from the oscillating keys is locked onto the guitars of songwriter, composer and producer Jussi Ylikoski, his playing really the core sound of Moon Shot, from the choppy riffs, varied effects driven parts, that brings some Muse-like thrust to Deep Hood, to the proggy structures, aided by Henkka Seppälä's basslines on the funky Supercharged Love.
I went into this album not quite knowing what to expect but it unveiled itself to be a brilliant modern rock album, if you love poppy, radio friendly progressive rock the Moon Shot' second album The Power will excite you as much as it did me! 9/10
Old Painless – Demo Songs (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Andy (bass), Dave (vocals), Lewis (drums) and Nathan (guitar) aka Old Painless are the latest band to emerge from the grim Yorkshire stoner/sludge/doom scene, championed by APF, a label Old Painless would slip into like a fine smoking jacket and an aged whiskey.
This can also be said about Yes! where the VHB influence I mentioned earlier comes in from the oscillating keys is locked onto the guitars of songwriter, composer and producer Jussi Ylikoski, his playing really the core sound of Moon Shot, from the choppy riffs, varied effects driven parts, that brings some Muse-like thrust to Deep Hood, to the proggy structures, aided by Henkka Seppälä's basslines on the funky Supercharged Love.
I went into this album not quite knowing what to expect but it unveiled itself to be a brilliant modern rock album, if you love poppy, radio friendly progressive rock the Moon Shot' second album The Power will excite you as much as it did me! 9/10
Old Painless – Demo Songs (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Andy (bass), Dave (vocals), Lewis (drums) and Nathan (guitar) aka Old Painless are the latest band to emerge from the grim Yorkshire stoner/sludge/doom scene, championed by APF, a label Old Painless would slip into like a fine smoking jacket and an aged whiskey.
They’re inspired by Fu Manchu, Clutch, Helmet and I’d also say Viking Skull and Pig Iron as they put bluesy backing riffs and distort them through sludge nastiness.
All four men are veterans of the Manchester scene and have played in stoner/sludge/punk bands, so they bring all this experience Old Painless and they’ve got what they want to be nailed from Deep & Wide, forward marching fuzzy rock n roll that is made for live shows.
All four men are veterans of the Manchester scene and have played in stoner/sludge/punk bands, so they bring all this experience Old Painless and they’ve got what they want to be nailed from Deep & Wide, forward marching fuzzy rock n roll that is made for live shows.
No aspirations of taking the world by storm but to share their riffs with the masses, and they have plenty of riffs to spare, on these four songs they showcase just some of them but I’m sure there’s plenty more lingering in their hazy brains.
Fleetfooted Mankiller adds lashings of groove while Just Another Case Of Bad Luck gets dirty in the low end, those sludge metal backgrounds rumbling here as this set of demos closes with the stomping Rusty Hammer.
Fleetfooted Mankiller adds lashings of groove while Just Another Case Of Bad Luck gets dirty in the low end, those sludge metal backgrounds rumbling here as this set of demos closes with the stomping Rusty Hammer.
The production on these demos isn’t actually that bad as some bands actual records so this feels finished rather than early recordings. If we get a full length anywhere near this good, then I’m sure Mr Field will come calling! 8/10
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