Werewolves – Die For Us (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]
“Same shit…blastbeats and incoherent ranting, sick riffs, that sort of thing. We’ll slip in some big choruses, brilliant samples, a few hints of black metal, one slow track that actually resembles music, and an amazing guest appearance. But at the end of the day, it’s still going to sound like a school bus getting fed into a metal shredder”.
Not my words, but those of bassist/vocalist Sam Bean, of the Australian band Werewolves, describing the fifth album of gnarly, filth ridden death metal. Or Caveman Death Metal, as they are also self-proclaimed, they were after bursting onto the scene in 2019 with the express aim of ten albums in ten years.
Halfway to that target, and still as self-deprecating as ever, something is starting to give as the trio have now added a list of death metal legends that they have played with to their CV. Archspire, Exhumed, Ingested, Mayhem, Ulcerate, all now stand on the list. So, regardless of what Bean, guitarist Matt Wilcock and drummer David Haley protest, they’ve continued to deliver in their own chaotic, aggressive and totally brutal way.
An album that [hopefully] tongue in cheek urges everyone to kill themselves is very much in keeping with the whole death metal sound that Werewolves revel in, but if you were in any doubt, opening track Die For Us removes any final barriers. It’s the start of 35-minutes of snarling, high energy death metal that rarely stops for a breather. My Hate Is Strong sees a guest appearance from Rok from Sadistik Exekution, another Australian outfit, more blast beats and nasty riffing.
In fact, that’s the formula throughout, and even though they switch more to the black metal style in Under A Urinal Moon, with slower pacing and atmospheric intent, Die For Us is another crushingly intense blast that hits you hard, then comes around for a further slap before laughingly running away, leaving you wondering what the hell just happened. Tracks include the vitriolic Fuck You Got Mine and the savage Spittle-Flecked Rant and with a suitably horrifying piece of artwork [by Mitchell Nolte] adoring the album, it’s fair to say that Werewolves are well on the way to achieving whatever their actual objective is. 8/10
Not my words, but those of bassist/vocalist Sam Bean, of the Australian band Werewolves, describing the fifth album of gnarly, filth ridden death metal. Or Caveman Death Metal, as they are also self-proclaimed, they were after bursting onto the scene in 2019 with the express aim of ten albums in ten years.
Halfway to that target, and still as self-deprecating as ever, something is starting to give as the trio have now added a list of death metal legends that they have played with to their CV. Archspire, Exhumed, Ingested, Mayhem, Ulcerate, all now stand on the list. So, regardless of what Bean, guitarist Matt Wilcock and drummer David Haley protest, they’ve continued to deliver in their own chaotic, aggressive and totally brutal way.
An album that [hopefully] tongue in cheek urges everyone to kill themselves is very much in keeping with the whole death metal sound that Werewolves revel in, but if you were in any doubt, opening track Die For Us removes any final barriers. It’s the start of 35-minutes of snarling, high energy death metal that rarely stops for a breather. My Hate Is Strong sees a guest appearance from Rok from Sadistik Exekution, another Australian outfit, more blast beats and nasty riffing.
In fact, that’s the formula throughout, and even though they switch more to the black metal style in Under A Urinal Moon, with slower pacing and atmospheric intent, Die For Us is another crushingly intense blast that hits you hard, then comes around for a further slap before laughingly running away, leaving you wondering what the hell just happened. Tracks include the vitriolic Fuck You Got Mine and the savage Spittle-Flecked Rant and with a suitably horrifying piece of artwork [by Mitchell Nolte] adoring the album, it’s fair to say that Werewolves are well on the way to achieving whatever their actual objective is. 8/10
Sable Hills – Odyssey (Arising Empire) [Matt Bladen]
Japanese metalcore band Sable Hills have been near the top of their scene for a while now, formed in 2015, their 2019 debut album saw them playing all over their native country alongside many of the American acts they are inspired by musically. Odyssey is their third studio album and keeps them playing the shredding metalcore that has seen them play internationally too, even appearing at Waken Festival by way of winning the Metal Battle 2022. In the bio there’s comparisons to Killswitch Engage, and as guitarist Rict shreds up a storm the influence of Adam D’s virtuoso style playing couldn’t be more obvious, be it with the groovers such as Misfortune or the speedy Battle Cry the guitars really shine on Odyssey.
Japanese metalcore band Sable Hills have been near the top of their scene for a while now, formed in 2015, their 2019 debut album saw them playing all over their native country alongside many of the American acts they are inspired by musically. Odyssey is their third studio album and keeps them playing the shredding metalcore that has seen them play internationally too, even appearing at Waken Festival by way of winning the Metal Battle 2022. In the bio there’s comparisons to Killswitch Engage, and as guitarist Rict shreds up a storm the influence of Adam D’s virtuoso style playing couldn’t be more obvious, be it with the groovers such as Misfortune or the speedy Battle Cry the guitars really shine on Odyssey.
Vocally Rict’s brother Takuya has a strong growl and uses clean vocals sparingly for added melody. There’s also influences taken from As I Lay Dying and Parkway Drive (up to Deep Blue), the breakdowns crushing as they slow occasionally before building back up into the lightspeed riffs. It’s all very exhilarating and the virtuosity of the guitar playing is definitely the most intriguing part of the music, Battle Cry and Bad King, stopping it from being another metalcore band. That’s not to downplay the talent of Ueda (bass) or Keita (drums) in anyway as they make tracks such as Tokyo, Carry The Torch (which is augmented by some electronics) and Misfortune.
Odyssey brings neo-classical shredding into metalcore as Sable Hills will win themselves a host of new fans on this third release. 8/10
Odyssey brings neo-classical shredding into metalcore as Sable Hills will win themselves a host of new fans on this third release. 8/10
Paul Di'Anno's Warhorse – Warhorse (BraveWords Records) [Paul Hutchings]
He’s a genuine marmite character is Paul Di’Anno. The voice of those early Iron Maiden classics Iron Maiden and Killers, he’s forever etched into the history of the greatest heavy metal band the UK has ever produced. Yet for many, there’s a period when his behaviour and conduct was such that he’ll never pass their ears again. Only recently, a good friend was recounting one of his infamous incidents which has forever blacklisted him.
It's for you to take the moral stance about whether to listen to a man who has been beset by life-threatening health problems for the past decade, many no doubt self-inflicted. However, if we step past the challenges of whether to even press play, we can consider what is the latest release in a fragmented career that has sporadically last over 50 years.
Warhorse, or Paul Di’Anno’s Warhorse as they are also known, has been releasing individual bits of material for three years, starting with single Stop The War / The Doubt Within in 2022, aimed at the Russia / Ukraine conflict. This was followed by the Warhorse single, and then the EP Stop The War released earlier this year. Together with Hrvoje Madircaca and Ante Pupačić Pupi, the full-length album recorded in 2022 and 203 in Croatia and the UK is now ready for release.
Nine original songs with two covers thrown in for good measure straddled just over 35 minutes. Beginning with Warhorse, there’s no messing around, just a good old heavy metal heads down banging. Di’Anno has tempered his vocal delivery, bringing a more throaty, lower pitched voice to the songs, unsurprising and sensible. We aren’t going to get those soaring screams we heard back in 1980 after all.
Get Get Ready confirms that the band’s sound is soaked in the 1980s; a combination of Saxon, Accept and a bit of Maiden / Priest are all in the mix. It’s decent enough musically, and it’s Eastern European metal feel is possibly expected given the personnel on this release. Some stellar guitar work enhances it.
Most songs are short and sweet, only three get over the four-minute mark and subject wise, it’s a bit of a collection of themes. Go is average at best, although I like the hook, whilst Stop The War is now familiar. Latest single Here Comes The Night is a solid song, with Di'Anno’s slightly strangled vocals working well, although I’m not sure how well he’ll be able to perform it on most recent showings. But taking it on face value, it’s one of the strongest on the album.
Now, a song by The Champs may not be an obvious choice for many but Tequila seems appropriate for Di'Anno and the cover here brings a smile to the face for it’s a tune impossible not to singalong to, and I hope it’ll be in any set they do, merely to see the crowd reaction to the surf classic!
It’s followed by Forever Bound which drags for the starting minute before suddenly exploding into a fiery gallop, comparisons with Maiden are impossible to avoid. From a dreadful opening, it expands into one which sees Di'Anno singing at his best and expands into a bit of a banger. And then, the curve ball as a cover of Depeche Mode’s Precious knocks things out of the park. It’s a fine cover, and one that is given a real sensitive delivery. Is it wrong to say that a cover might just be the best song on this album? For this version is simply worldly and demonstrated why Dave Gahan and Martin Gore are so widely respected.
As difficult as it is to follow that, Going Home, with it’s 1980’s Maiden vibe makes a decent fist and concludes what is a far better album than anticipated in fine style. Warhorse have made an album that is way above possible expectations. It may be the last recordings that Di'Anno makes, who knows, but if it is the swansong, then he’s at least going out with a bang, not a whimper. 7/10
Far From Refuge - False Flag (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
False Flag have been a band for 8 years now and the Cambridgeshire prog metal act have released one EP before this just before the Pandemic, so this has been a long time coming. So what is False Flag like then? Well it's an album that is experimental in its approach to genre, there's punk, melodeath and LOTS of metalcore, clean and harsh vocals trading off well as the music comes from a style that comes from the Swedish scene and the early 2000's American one.
Its five tracks long and they kick off with Daybreak, which sets a mean pace, musically similar to Trivium or early BFMV, especially the clean vocals and then it doesn’t really move too much out of that furrow. That’s no bad thing as they have hooky choruses, propulsive riffs and good vocals. There’s just not as much to separate them from the countless metalcore acts out there, with the exception of the djenty title track which is the best track here for me. Modern metalcore from this UK band, there’s a lot of talent here, I just think it needs a bit more deviation from the very saturated sound. 7/10
He’s a genuine marmite character is Paul Di’Anno. The voice of those early Iron Maiden classics Iron Maiden and Killers, he’s forever etched into the history of the greatest heavy metal band the UK has ever produced. Yet for many, there’s a period when his behaviour and conduct was such that he’ll never pass their ears again. Only recently, a good friend was recounting one of his infamous incidents which has forever blacklisted him.
It's for you to take the moral stance about whether to listen to a man who has been beset by life-threatening health problems for the past decade, many no doubt self-inflicted. However, if we step past the challenges of whether to even press play, we can consider what is the latest release in a fragmented career that has sporadically last over 50 years.
Warhorse, or Paul Di’Anno’s Warhorse as they are also known, has been releasing individual bits of material for three years, starting with single Stop The War / The Doubt Within in 2022, aimed at the Russia / Ukraine conflict. This was followed by the Warhorse single, and then the EP Stop The War released earlier this year. Together with Hrvoje Madircaca and Ante Pupačić Pupi, the full-length album recorded in 2022 and 203 in Croatia and the UK is now ready for release.
Nine original songs with two covers thrown in for good measure straddled just over 35 minutes. Beginning with Warhorse, there’s no messing around, just a good old heavy metal heads down banging. Di’Anno has tempered his vocal delivery, bringing a more throaty, lower pitched voice to the songs, unsurprising and sensible. We aren’t going to get those soaring screams we heard back in 1980 after all.
Get Get Ready confirms that the band’s sound is soaked in the 1980s; a combination of Saxon, Accept and a bit of Maiden / Priest are all in the mix. It’s decent enough musically, and it’s Eastern European metal feel is possibly expected given the personnel on this release. Some stellar guitar work enhances it.
Most songs are short and sweet, only three get over the four-minute mark and subject wise, it’s a bit of a collection of themes. Go is average at best, although I like the hook, whilst Stop The War is now familiar. Latest single Here Comes The Night is a solid song, with Di'Anno’s slightly strangled vocals working well, although I’m not sure how well he’ll be able to perform it on most recent showings. But taking it on face value, it’s one of the strongest on the album.
Now, a song by The Champs may not be an obvious choice for many but Tequila seems appropriate for Di'Anno and the cover here brings a smile to the face for it’s a tune impossible not to singalong to, and I hope it’ll be in any set they do, merely to see the crowd reaction to the surf classic!
It’s followed by Forever Bound which drags for the starting minute before suddenly exploding into a fiery gallop, comparisons with Maiden are impossible to avoid. From a dreadful opening, it expands into one which sees Di'Anno singing at his best and expands into a bit of a banger. And then, the curve ball as a cover of Depeche Mode’s Precious knocks things out of the park. It’s a fine cover, and one that is given a real sensitive delivery. Is it wrong to say that a cover might just be the best song on this album? For this version is simply worldly and demonstrated why Dave Gahan and Martin Gore are so widely respected.
As difficult as it is to follow that, Going Home, with it’s 1980’s Maiden vibe makes a decent fist and concludes what is a far better album than anticipated in fine style. Warhorse have made an album that is way above possible expectations. It may be the last recordings that Di'Anno makes, who knows, but if it is the swansong, then he’s at least going out with a bang, not a whimper. 7/10
Far From Refuge - False Flag (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
False Flag have been a band for 8 years now and the Cambridgeshire prog metal act have released one EP before this just before the Pandemic, so this has been a long time coming. So what is False Flag like then? Well it's an album that is experimental in its approach to genre, there's punk, melodeath and LOTS of metalcore, clean and harsh vocals trading off well as the music comes from a style that comes from the Swedish scene and the early 2000's American one.
Its five tracks long and they kick off with Daybreak, which sets a mean pace, musically similar to Trivium or early BFMV, especially the clean vocals and then it doesn’t really move too much out of that furrow. That’s no bad thing as they have hooky choruses, propulsive riffs and good vocals. There’s just not as much to separate them from the countless metalcore acts out there, with the exception of the djenty title track which is the best track here for me. Modern metalcore from this UK band, there’s a lot of talent here, I just think it needs a bit more deviation from the very saturated sound. 7/10
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