Having Rifflord back in our musical lives is a wonderful thing and having them back in our lives on Ripple Music makes this even better, because the new record, 39 Serpent Power is just a gigantic beast of heaviness coming from the best label in heavy rock.
The first record in six years and full-length number three overall is the heaviest and darkest record from the South Dakota band yet, with lead crazy man Wyatt Bartlett leading the way across the eight tracks of foundation shaking metal. Seriously, this is some heavy ass metal…forget the stoner and whatever other labels you have put on these guys in the past. The 70s are over and we are now closer to the 80s thrash than anything else, and I am here for it.
You may think I am nuts when I say things like thrash and Rifflord in the same sentence, but I hear way more Slayer in these songs than I do Queens Of The Stone Age, for example. Upon listening to the first two songs, the title track and Ohm Ripper, I though that Rifflord made a Motorhead album, and that would be fine with me. This is some heavy stuff. Some of the heavy stoner side came out with Blessed Life, which is very dark and deep lyrically, reminding me during certain parts of Monster Magnet at their heaviest.
You may think I am nuts when I say things like thrash and Rifflord in the same sentence, but I hear way more Slayer in these songs than I do Queens Of The Stone Age, for example. Upon listening to the first two songs, the title track and Ohm Ripper, I though that Rifflord made a Motorhead album, and that would be fine with me. This is some heavy stuff. Some of the heavy stoner side came out with Blessed Life, which is very dark and deep lyrically, reminding me during certain parts of Monster Magnet at their heaviest.
There needed to be song about an amp, so LM 308 represents nicely, with some a seriously chunky riffs and a heavy fuzz that makes this one my favourite of the eight tracks. I love the vocals on this one too as well as the back end of this track when the band just goes off with some killer metal goodness. Grim Creeper is the slowest burn on 39 Serpent Power, and incorporates some elements of psych and a kind of metal blues to the heaviness.
Church Keys opens with handclaps (!) and a very cool and unique riff that then morphs into full on thrash metal, executed perfectly. The drum work is excellent on 39 Serpent Power all through the record, with Hoof being the number one example, partnered with some insane guitar parts and some kind of industrial cowbell that takes this one to the next level. Wow, that breakdown during the “chorus”. This record never let’s its foot off the gas, even with the closer, Tumbleweed, that continues the Motorhead/thrash comparisons I mentioned earlier, but with Rifflord’s unique spin on this kind of heavy. We finally can hear some of that organ that has been ubiquitous with the band in the past too. So great.
This album kicks so much ass. This is heavier than anything that Rifflord has done and heavier than anything I was expecting from the band. The only thing missing to me is that organ I mentioned; I have come to really enjoy that aspect of the band and it was, for all intents and purposes, missing on the album, but nevertheless, 39 Serpent Power is such a glorious and heavy return for Rifflord. 9/10
Overall, the production on The Morrison Project is very slick as you may imagine for a project like this, and maybe a bit too slick for me, but there are certainly some great tracks on the record. Give me Ozzy on just about anything and I am happy but partnering him with Morrison and the aforementioned Steve Stevens on the bluesy and riff heavy Crack Cocaine makes me very happy. It’s Come To This is a fun little ripper and of course I love the track, The Ayes Have It, with Uncle Al from Ministry where he brings his trademark delivery and industrial heaviness.
The Morrison Project is a mixed bag for me, some really good and fun and some that I didn’t connect with. I think this record would have been more fun as 12 songs all with guest stars or maybe just a record with all his stuff and no guests to get away from the feeling of such a mishmash of material, but at the very least check out the Ozzy, Al, and Billy Idol tracks and raise up a lighter during Chasing Shadows. 6/10
This album kicks so much ass. This is heavier than anything that Rifflord has done and heavier than anything I was expecting from the band. The only thing missing to me is that organ I mentioned; I have come to really enjoy that aspect of the band and it was, for all intents and purposes, missing on the album, but nevertheless, 39 Serpent Power is such a glorious and heavy return for Rifflord. 9/10
Bus The Unknown Secretary - We Are The Night (Sound Effect Records) [Matt Bladen]
Third album from Greek riff masters Bus The Unknown Secretary and they've moved away from Heavy Psych Sounds towards Athens based label/record shop Sound Effect Records. Recorded live in the studio in just three days alongside John Vulgaris at Electric Highway Studio it's a righteous slice of D.I.Y doom/stoner/proto metal, which moves more towards the latter than on their first two records. The title track gets the joint moving, the gravestones shaking and the corpses rising from the grave for some occult tinged rocking.
It feels a like an album recorded in a hurry, Bill Politis and Fotis Kolokithas with those lush twin axe harmonies of Lizzy, Priest and Wishbone Ash, filling the songs with as many solo sections as they can. With the title track they set out the stall, this is what's on offer like it lump it. Bill's vocals are in the vein of Angel Witch or Satan, as they rush through the NWOBHM inspired Somebody Spits On You, the gang vocals coming into their own as Efthimis Ragousis (bass) and Aris Fasoulis (drums) play those galloping rhythms with pace and precision.
Their earlier days are revised on the doomy Rumours and the grooving Rise Of The Fallen too while I'll Be Dead For You adds some synths which go into the likes of Uncle Acid and even Ghost. Amass Empathy diving right back into bass heavy NWOBHM and this is where they mainly stand their ground on We Are The Night, I mean listen to Under My Skin and tell me I'm wrong!
It seems as if Bus The Unknown Secretary have packed up their bongs for leather and studs, but they've shined both up really nice on this frantic third release. 8/10
Billy Morrison - The Morrison Project (Virgin Music Group) [Rich Piva]
Billy Morrison has been around for a while, most known for being the rhythm guitarist, partnering with the legend Steve Stevens, in Billy Idol’s band for the last 15 years or so, as well as a stint playing bass with the Cult. The Morrison Project is a cumulation of tracks that Morrison wrote, produced, and brought in a bunch of his buddies to guest on resulting in what is a fun, yet uneven collection of 12 tracks that in some cases work better as stand alone tracks then they do as a free-flowing full length, but still mostly an enjoyable listen nonetheless.
Billy Morrison - The Morrison Project (Virgin Music Group) [Rich Piva]
Billy Morrison has been around for a while, most known for being the rhythm guitarist, partnering with the legend Steve Stevens, in Billy Idol’s band for the last 15 years or so, as well as a stint playing bass with the Cult. The Morrison Project is a cumulation of tracks that Morrison wrote, produced, and brought in a bunch of his buddies to guest on resulting in what is a fun, yet uneven collection of 12 tracks that in some cases work better as stand alone tracks then they do as a free-flowing full length, but still mostly an enjoyable listen nonetheless.
Overall, the production on The Morrison Project is very slick as you may imagine for a project like this, and maybe a bit too slick for me, but there are certainly some great tracks on the record. Give me Ozzy on just about anything and I am happy but partnering him with Morrison and the aforementioned Steve Stevens on the bluesy and riff heavy Crack Cocaine makes me very happy. It’s Come To This is a fun little ripper and of course I love the track, The Ayes Have It, with Uncle Al from Ministry where he brings his trademark delivery and industrial heaviness.
I love having Steve Vai on the record but I could do without him partnering with Corey Taylor on vocals but dig that solo. Points for creative partnering with DMC for Just Like A Movie but the real star of that one is Gary Numan’s daughter, Persia. The track with Stevens and Billy Idol, Mr. Dream, is a lot of fun too. The track I was most surprised that I enjoyed was the closing ballad, Chasing Shadows, where he partners songwriter and head 4 Non Blonde Linda Perry that is a cool hair metal meets Beatle-esque ballad. The songs Morrison collaborated with Twiggy Ramirez on mostly fall flat to me and are the main reason why the record seems so uneven.
The Morrison Project is a mixed bag for me, some really good and fun and some that I didn’t connect with. I think this record would have been more fun as 12 songs all with guest stars or maybe just a record with all his stuff and no guests to get away from the feeling of such a mishmash of material, but at the very least check out the Ozzy, Al, and Billy Idol tracks and raise up a lighter during Chasing Shadows. 6/10
Floating Worlds - Skywatcher (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
The fourth album by Greek conceptual metal band Floating Worlds. It sees the story of journalist Paul Rogers who this time narrates the disappearance of Winston Smith a young boy who wanted to meet his lost father in a distant star by peering through a telescope. Winston's father was directly involved in the events of their previous album Battleship Oceania but of course neither characters now that.
What follows is the full story, played once again with their usual melodic prog rock sound shifting towards 80's and 90's AOR and movie soundtracks. The trio of Jon Soti (vocals), Andreas V (guitars/synth/drum programming) and Mike Papadopoulos (bass) as Stelios Pavlou is the special guest on drums.
I loved Battleship Oceania and while I liked Skywatcher too, I found it a little too, I want to say, upbeat for the story it's trying to tell. It's like H.E.A.T doing a concept album, there's layers of story and they do still manage to write some interesting, engaging music with a cinematic feel to it but it's quite a powerful shift from their previous record. Skywatcher continues the long running thematic releases of Floating Worlds in a new musical identity. 7/10
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