In December 2023 American heavy rock sensations Halestorm played their largest ticketed show to date at Wembley Arena (OVO). The show was recorded for both a live album and concert film that will be available on their YouTube Channel.
Both dropped as a surprise on Friday 17th May so here’s what it’s like. While the video portion will capture the entire show, with all the visuals, lights etc, if you want the full experience then go hear. However the album does a pretty darn good job of making you feel as if you were there. Especially if you, like I did, played it loud in the garden during this weekend’s summer-like weather. Yes you can’t see Lzzy prowling the stage or Arejay beating the hell out of his kit on his drum solo but just the audio portion reminds you why a band such as Halestorm are able to play arenas this size now.
Armed with a wealth of well-known material that have been featured all over radio, TV, films and more, kicking off a set with I Miss The Misery, Love Bites (So Do I) and I Get Off gets older fans on side, moving into their more recent stuff such as Wicked Ways and Terrible Things. The setlist is balanced well between old and new, fast and slow, hooky and thrashy as the more anthemic tracks such as I Am The Fire, Here’s To Us and The Steeple are left until towards the end letting the lighters and phone torches illuminate the arena. Live At Wembley is a best of set, played to a rabid crowd by a band who are well drilled, experienced and now firmly an arena act.
More arenas and festival top billings await. 8/10
Castle Rat – Into The Realm (Wise Blood Records)
“Medieval Fantasy Doom Metal” Yes alright then. That about sums up the Castle Rat experience, if you packed a tonne of Dungeons & Dragons lore into the B-movie costuming and styling of Masters Of The Universe or Deathstalker (seriously watch Deathstalker) then you’d get the whole Castle Rat aesthetic.
Fronted by the Rat Queen (Riley Pinketon) on guitar and vocals, The Count (Franco Vittore) on lead guitar, The Plague Doctor (Ronnie Lanzilotta III) on bass and The Druid (Josh Strmic) on drums this foursome are on a mission to defend ‘The Realm’ from The Rat Reapress (Actress Maddy Wright).
Doing so by playing retro doom metal with D.I.Y production that captured their two and a half days recording period inside and abandoned church in Philadelphia. Cranking out Sabbath/Pentagram/Coven worshipping doom cloaked in the mysticism of this abandoned holy building and with fuzz pedals on high they shamelessly lean on their influences, taking you back to the point where proto-metal and doom collide.
Cry For Me adding the psychedelics of Jefferson Airplane on its slow build. Steeped in the occult and high fantasy they have latched onto that direct to vinyl/cassette sound in the production which give it authenticity. However if you’re used to the ultra-modern production this two channel, at times wavy sound could put you off.
For me though it’s that right style of doom metal I enjoy, getting enough trad metal riffs but slowing them down, never mind what you may think about the concept or the image this Brooklyn foursome play great music. 8/10
Iron Slug – Debauched And Bored (Self Released)
Crawling from the underground of Kent is sludge/doom trio Iron Slug. Are they as heavy as the Irish Ten Ton Slug? Well their debut EP Debauched And Bored (never a good mix) shares a level of filth that no Karcher Washer could ever get off. Will Rayner’s guitar riffs are distorted to the point of no return, borrowing from both Conan and Electric Wizard’s fuzz on Beauty Left In Woods.
From here Blade Marks The End increases the gothic sludge, with Rayner’s low vocals and crushing bass of Will Bond as Perfect Mistake closes out their three track EP with some chugging stoner/doom riffs Tino Di-Donato’s drums keeping the beat flowing through a steady march and then a stoner bounce. Strong sludge sounds come from Iron Slug’s debut, but with some movements into Sleep-like doom there’s a lot of promise when a full length rolls around. 7/10
Druidess - Hermits & Mandrakes (Self Released)
The heaviest thing to come out of Newcastle since Brown Ale, Druidess shamelessly and outwardly worship at the altar of Sabbath.
The tolling bell welcomes us into the opening fuzz dirge of Witches' Sabbath, and yeah Daniel Downing's (Aloeswood, ex-Ravenage) guitar has to be an SG but on this EP he also handles bass, drums, keys and production, his musical partner in crime being vocalist Shonagh Brown (ex-Juniper Grave) adding the influence of bands such as Alunah or Lucifer.
Since the EP was recorded they have added James Hill (Kylver) and Sam Armstrong (Shan) to their ranks and have played with bands such as Eyehategod and Margarita Witch Cult, as well as playing a show with Smoulder this week in Bristol. Back to the EP and Knightingales brings psychedelic keys with a heavy chug but we're back to Sabbath with The Hermit Of Druid's Temple.
It’s the inspiration of Iommi who is the major driving force behind their music but Druidess slot themselves into the current wave of retro occult doom nicely. 7/10
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