Young Acid is a Swedish heavy music super group of sorts with members of Greenleaf, Grand Cadaver, Domkraft, and Besvärjelsen amongst others who step away from the usual heavy riff rock stoner psych side and lean more towards the punk side with their debut record, Murder At Maple Mountain, brought to us by the amazing Majestic Mountain Records who knows a thing or two about what is awesome in heavy rock music.
Now all of the guys in Young Acid come from great bands, but having current Greenleaf vocalist Arvid Hällagård, one of my favourite vocalists, involved really sealed the deal for me. So, based on this information how on earth can this not be killer? Well, it is and then some, because Murder At Maple Mountain rips shit up.
This is a 30-minute blast of punk with psych and stoner leanings (of course) that kills right from the opening track, Into The Depths. Hällagård’s vocals lead the way over some up-tempo stoner punk that has amazing sound and excellent mix. I love the start and stop in this one and you can tell the guys are just having fun with this project.
This is a 30-minute blast of punk with psych and stoner leanings (of course) that kills right from the opening track, Into The Depths. Hällagård’s vocals lead the way over some up-tempo stoner punk that has amazing sound and excellent mix. I love the start and stop in this one and you can tell the guys are just having fun with this project.
Bitter Little Man is no too off from a Greenleaf track but if the band leaned more towards the garage, which is as great as it sounds. The driving base and the echoed vocals give some serious early 90s punk vibes and I feel like I am hearing some Social Distortion love happening musically. I love the frantic nature and weird riff of Fightmaker Street that shows that these guys don’t want to move too far away from their stoner/psych leanings, as I get a Masters Of Reality vibe on this one.
Speaking of frantic, I love the drum work on PV 444 which may be my favourite track on the record. Woodshed Blues is just as great as the last track, and goes a heavy blues/White Stripes sort of direction and I am here for it. I’m sure these guys all love The Helicopters given a song like The Crust that just kicks ass, just like the simple yet extremely effective The Kids Of Rumble Village. Shortcomings And Longstockings is a chunky ripper while the aptly named Run Boy Run sounds like its name and blasts right past you with the driving base and very cool guitar work. 2002 wraps up the non-stop action, bringing us down gently with excellent layered vocals and a wall of sound guitar.
Young Acid better not be just a side project, because Murder At Maple Mountain leaves you wanting more from these guys for sure. It is the perfect length, tempo, and vibe and has excellent playing and the song writing sounds like a band that has been together for years. This record rips and should be experienced by all. A Greenleaf and Young Acid record in the same year, in back-to-back months? What did we do to deserve such awesomeness? 9/10
Grain Of Pain - The Moon Lights The Way (Noble Demon) [James Jackson]
Treading that path between death and doom metal are Finland’s Grain Of Pain, fronted and masterminded by Timo Solonen but joined by quite the team of session musicians, particularly guitarist Juho Raiha and drummer Juuso Raatikainen both of whom are in Swallow The Sun.
Young Acid better not be just a side project, because Murder At Maple Mountain leaves you wanting more from these guys for sure. It is the perfect length, tempo, and vibe and has excellent playing and the song writing sounds like a band that has been together for years. This record rips and should be experienced by all. A Greenleaf and Young Acid record in the same year, in back-to-back months? What did we do to deserve such awesomeness? 9/10
Grain Of Pain - The Moon Lights The Way (Noble Demon) [James Jackson]
Treading that path between death and doom metal are Finland’s Grain Of Pain, fronted and masterminded by Timo Solonen but joined by quite the team of session musicians, particularly guitarist Juho Raiha and drummer Juuso Raatikainen both of whom are in Swallow The Sun.
Beneath opens the album and already it’s easy to see that Timo is more than adept at composing something dark and melancholy. Layered black/death metal style vocals lead as clean vocals take the chorus, the cycling script feeling more desperate with each new turn; the drums driving a solemn pace alongside a funereal guitar.
Sun For Thee is a faster paced track but no less dark for it, vocally the focus is upon a cleaner style, the death/black metal style used minimally with far greater impact than having this style being the sole focus.
Sun For Thee is a faster paced track but no less dark for it, vocally the focus is upon a cleaner style, the death/black metal style used minimally with far greater impact than having this style being the sole focus.
The Moon Lights The Way, being not only the title track but also the lead single from the album opens with a picked guitar melody and an underscore of bass, clean vocals offer lead and harmonies, it’s a far more prog affair than it is doom or death metal but those elements are evident at times.
As Suffering Ends brings the doom back in glorious fashion whilst The Witch adds an altogether more interesting twist to its verses that after an acoustic style intro becomes funkier, almost sultry in its atmosphere.
Can’t Be Fallen and Last Morning, another track showing a more diverse mix, round out the album before two “bonus” tracks conclude events completely.
The writing credits go solely to Timo Solonen and within the nine tracks on offer, he has crafted an impressive collection of songs that not only fall within that doom/death category but are also comfortably drawing inspiration from other sources. 9/10
Graywave - Dancing In The Dust EP (Church Road Records) [Mark Young]
Representing something of a departure from the steady diet of death metal / traditional extreme music comes Graywave with their EP, Dancing In The Dust. They recently popped up on my Twitter / X (delete as you see fit) feed via Revolver magazine as one of 5 bands to watch out for and they described the new EP as ‘REM-disturbing storm cloud of grunge-gloom moodiness and haunting vocal work’ which is a pretty good statement to kick off with.
As Suffering Ends brings the doom back in glorious fashion whilst The Witch adds an altogether more interesting twist to its verses that after an acoustic style intro becomes funkier, almost sultry in its atmosphere.
Can’t Be Fallen and Last Morning, another track showing a more diverse mix, round out the album before two “bonus” tracks conclude events completely.
The writing credits go solely to Timo Solonen and within the nine tracks on offer, he has crafted an impressive collection of songs that not only fall within that doom/death category but are also comfortably drawing inspiration from other sources. 9/10
Graywave - Dancing In The Dust EP (Church Road Records) [Mark Young]
Representing something of a departure from the steady diet of death metal / traditional extreme music comes Graywave with their EP, Dancing In The Dust. They recently popped up on my Twitter / X (delete as you see fit) feed via Revolver magazine as one of 5 bands to watch out for and they described the new EP as ‘REM-disturbing storm cloud of grunge-gloom moodiness and haunting vocal work’ which is a pretty good statement to kick off with.
Formed in 2019 initially as a solo venture for Jess Webberley they have evolved (and are continually evolving) into the band that has dropped the EP we have today.
And it’s a cracker.
Falling Apart leads off and straight away you can see where they are coming from, there is an underlying darkness that pervades even in those quieter ‘gaze’ moments so when they go loud it gets darker. It’s so well put together and sounds so vital, that dark energy putting a lot of the extreme bands to shame because of the honesty behind it.
And it’s a cracker.
Falling Apart leads off and straight away you can see where they are coming from, there is an underlying darkness that pervades even in those quieter ‘gaze’ moments so when they go loud it gets darker. It’s so well put together and sounds so vital, that dark energy putting a lot of the extreme bands to shame because of the honesty behind it.
Blur Into One launch with what could be described as an atypical grunge motif, large guitar dropping back to showcase Jess Webberleys vocals which shine through. What is also apparent is that command of required melody that keeps this pushing forward. It may evoke memories of bands past, but it is firmly of this time.
Dark Spell would have been the song played just after midnight at the extreme nights I used to go to, its balance and rising tempo would have filled the floor as there are hints of that darker aggression that has been bubbling away, its quality and leads to Undone, which is just more of that sumptuous vocal hooks that are everywhere on this EP.
I can only assume that when they play this live it will elicit a storming response because it is built for a crowd to sing this back. It’s heavy and it just grabs you from start to finish. Cycle with those chorus effects that lead into a hypnotic journey with Jess’s vocals once again running away with it as the song rises to an end.
There is power within it as it traverses its course and suddenly, we are on the title track, which sees them switch it a little as they look further backwards, at least to me sounding similar to new wave synth from the 80’s. It has those earworm melodies to it which makes it difficult to shake and you know that this would get the crowd up.
Dancing In The Dust lands differently from the others, it is not a jarring change, but it works so well and shows that they can’t sit still over the course of an EP. Big thanks to Church Road for putting this out and you should check their site out because this is not a one off.
We have talked about the health of UK music, generally in more extreme genres – Heriot, Burner, Mastiff amongst others all putting out exceptional music and you can add Graywave to that growing list who do what they do so well. I didn’t think I would appreciate it as well as I did, but I’m glad that I got the opportunity to review it.
We have talked about the health of UK music, generally in more extreme genres – Heriot, Burner, Mastiff amongst others all putting out exceptional music and you can add Graywave to that growing list who do what they do so well. I didn’t think I would appreciate it as well as I did, but I’m glad that I got the opportunity to review it.
It is a cracker, and you shouldn’t be put off by the fact there are no blast beats or hyper-speed guitar because it is a thing of beauty. 8/10
Two years on and we are facing a similar aural assault as the band’s second album lands. The line-up remains the same, with Alex Kafer’s powerful bass lines and gravel-soaked delivery once again front and centre. He is joined by Jairo ‘Tormentor’ Guedz and Marcelo Vasco on guitars, and drummer Alexandre Oliveira.
It’s a familiar, almost welcoming layout. The spooky, atmospheric intro of Solve Et Coagula (dissolve and coagulate) is expected and gives way to the frantic opening riffs of single Chapels of the Unholy. It’s a skin removing blast, which attacks with typical savagery. The riffs are brutal, the vocals abrasive, and the drumming blistering. It doesn’t let up from here until the final notes of sinister album closer Venomous Creed. And to be fair, why would you expect anything else?
The Troops of Doom balance out their songs on A Mass To The Grotesque. Two longer songs are mixed with much shorter, punishing bursts. Dawn Of Mephisto is one, a six-minute battery which flies along. The other lengthier track is Psalm 7:8 – God Of Bizarre.
The Troops Of Doom – A Mass To The Grotesque (Alma Mater Records) [Paul Hutchings]
They’ve been a blur of releases since their formation in 2020, with a work rate that is exhausting just to read. It was The Rise Of Heresy that first grabbed my attention, but it was debut album Antichrist Reborn which really grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns with a 40-minute onslaught of nothing but old school Brazilian death metal.
Two years on and we are facing a similar aural assault as the band’s second album lands. The line-up remains the same, with Alex Kafer’s powerful bass lines and gravel-soaked delivery once again front and centre. He is joined by Jairo ‘Tormentor’ Guedz and Marcelo Vasco on guitars, and drummer Alexandre Oliveira.
It’s a familiar, almost welcoming layout. The spooky, atmospheric intro of Solve Et Coagula (dissolve and coagulate) is expected and gives way to the frantic opening riffs of single Chapels of the Unholy. It’s a skin removing blast, which attacks with typical savagery. The riffs are brutal, the vocals abrasive, and the drumming blistering. It doesn’t let up from here until the final notes of sinister album closer Venomous Creed. And to be fair, why would you expect anything else?
The Troops of Doom balance out their songs on A Mass To The Grotesque. Two longer songs are mixed with much shorter, punishing bursts. Dawn Of Mephisto is one, a six-minute battery which flies along. The other lengthier track is Psalm 7:8 – God Of Bizarre.
The latter allows the band to expand their sound much more, and whilst the intensity which has become their trademark remains, the elongated intro that eases you into the song works well. It’s a sprawling monster, and probably the best song on the album. The slower chug allows a balanced delivery and whilst the influences are evident, there is something quite killer about this song.
Elsewhere, The Troops continue to demolish with a reliable solidity that is hard to fault. It may not be the most original of styles, but they do what they do well. All out thrashers like Terror Inheritance, the feverish rage of The Imposter King and the blast of Blood Upon The Throne all work and should entice those who like their death thrash.
Once more, The Troops Of Doom has delivered. Now, when do we get some UK dates? 8/10
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