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Tuesday 23 July 2024

Reviews: Deep Purple, Dream Evil, Dead Monarchs, Dehumanaut (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Deep Purple - =1 (earMusic)

While many of the rock dinosaurs have long since gone extinct, Deep Purple seems to keep on kicking, maybe it's due to their revolving door membership (though they have a long way to go if they want to reach the levels of Yes), but the fact that there are many different versions throughout the years allows them to continue touring and recording since 1968, though admittedly with a small gap in the middle between 1976 and 1984.

We're now on Deep Purple Mark IX, the most recent change being long time guitarist Steve Morse stepping away from the band to care for his wife, the man stepping up to take over is Northern Irish bluesman Simon McBride, who has served time in Sweet Savage and DP keyboard player Don Airey's solo band. He's also been a solo artist and has played with Purple since March 2022 as a touring guitarist, becoming a permanent member in April of that year.

=1 the 23rd Deep Purple album is his first recorded showcase with the band and Purple's first album of original material since 2020's Whoosh. It's another grower similar to Infinite, with a mish mash of styles covered, where it stays firmly though is in the belly of the blues, Deep Purple always were a heavy blues band at heart but with the classical influences of Blackmore, Lord and Morse they adapted this into the grandiose heavy rock they're known for.

A few of the tracks here go back to those blues beginnings, McBride peeling off some slinky blues solos for If I Were You and Pictures Of You as that long established rhythm section of Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice (drums) set the tone and cantor of the tracks such as Portable Door, flashing out some shaking grooves, jazz flourishes and even some good old fashioned funk. The latter coming on tracks such as Old Fangled Things which feel a bit more like Gillian solo tracks than Purple ones.

That's something I get from the whole of this record, there's moments where it's a Gillian song or a Don Airey song, even though all the band members and producer Bob Ezrin wrote the album but between there's there's some of the massive dinosaur rock anthems (Sharp Shooter/Now You're Talking) that come lumbering out of the 70's, Airey getting to show off his huge organ (Ooh Matron!)

It's a best of all worlds, lyrically erudite and politically/socially aware with songs such as Lazy Sod and Bleeding Obvious but also keeping that randy at times smutty lyricism (Show Me) of Ian Gillian and his aged but still bloody good and unique vocal prowess. Already going straight to No1 in numerous album charts, like Rexy in Jurassic Park/World series, there's plenty of life in this old dinosaur. 8/10

Dream Evil - Metal Gods (Century Media)

A long way from the band former by producer/guitarist Fredrik Nordström and Gus G (Firewind) it's been seven years since the last time Dream Evil convened for another album of classic heavy metal. This one is a tribute to the Metal Gods of old, many of them name checked on the title track, although the whole band is named after a Dio song so you could say they've been bailing heavy metal for years!

Fredrik Nordström states that the band have been lazy, life has gotten in the way but now they are back with another load of anthemic heavy metal. They stress that Dream Evil is not a full time thing, they all have other jobs Nordström in particular is a noted producer but he, alongside vocalist Niklas Isfeldt, bassist Peter Stålfors, lead guitarist Markus Fristedt and new drummer Sören Fardvik, still enjoy playing but very much at their own pace and they have the ability to write what they want.

Whether that's the dramatic Chosen Force, the swashbuckling The Tyrant Dies At Dawn, the thrusting classic metal of Lighting Strike or the more dynamic numbers such as Masters Of Arms or Y.A.N.A, with Metal Gods, Dream Evil return as a lean mean metal machine. 8/10

Dead Monarchs - Titan (Self Released)

Fat riffs, sludge aggression and some snotty Brit grit, Titan is the debut album from Northern England based stoner punks Dead Monarchs.

Having recently played Ruination Festival the band have been releasing singles for this album for a while but they all now sit here in one record. Dead Monarchs are; Al (vocals/bass), Will Grinder (guitar), Adam O'Grady-Marshall (guitar) and Kevin McGonnell (drums/vocals), I think. They were the foursome that played on the EP,

However I know that this foursome play the sort of stoner/desert/punk which reminds me of Orange Goblin, Planet Of Zeus and a bit of Monster Magnet too. They've got psychedelic jams on Monte Rosa with long instrumental passages on Return To The Ocean but also foot on the throat riffage such as Memory Of Lies or the hardcore kick off Galactic Blast.

Growled/shouted vocals give it a rawness as they pump out their riff n roll, guitars entwined with distorted riffs and a expressive rhythm section on tracks such as Doubt-Self. Dead Monarchs crank out the riffs on this debut record. I'll be checking them out live when they finally head down our way on the strength of Titan. 8/10

Dehumanaut - Of Nightmares And Vice (Self Released)

The debut album from Bristol trio Dehumanaut, Dust In The Giants Hand, was released in 2020. Then after it the band seemed to disappear, however in 2024, they are back with their second album Of Nightmares And Vice. The trio of Jon Rudin (drums), Katy Montgomerie (guitar/bass) and Will Jones (vocals) return with another album of heavy groove metal.

Jones has some black metal like screams and guttural roars, as the tracks such as A Perilous Path shift between Lamb Of God groove and death metal battery. Reject The Knife meanwhile flits between thrash and OSDM the riffs from Montgomerie like a buzzsaw as the drumming from Rudin batters on the bouncy and bludgeoning Nexus Of Decline.

Of Nightmares And Vice is a more aggressive and has a wider scope than their debut. Adding some melody and cleans to Battle Weary there's a lot more progression in the song writing and the music has become more progressive as a fusion of groove, thrash, death and hardcore.

Speaking of hardcore Backbone & Guile features guest vocals from Simon and Dave from Falmouth crossover thrash/hardcore crew Rash Decision as the keyboard/synth outro comes from Albert Rathbone while the final song Black City (an odd to Bristol's Metal Record Shop perhaps) I believe also features voices from Wormbbath and Skineater.

The thrash and death metal influences are much more pronounced, the riffs bite more, the solos are more complex, the drumming destroys and the vocals make me want a Strepsil. A much more accomplished, brutal, record than their already strong debut. New heavy noises from just over the bridge are always welcome. 8/10

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