Reviews: Nails, Tantrum, Entropy, WALL (Reviews By GC, Paul Hutchings, Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Nails - Every Burning Bridge (Nuclear Blast Records) [GC]

Is has been 8 long and depressing years since Nails released their last album and, in that time, we can all agree that the world has changed and in most ways its for the worst, so there really is no better time for them to return with their nihilistic and punishing sound and a new album in the form of Every Burning Bridge.

They take absolutely no time to re-introduce themselves on Imposing Will which has no subtlety or finesse and is a full on grinding attack on all senses all at the same time, if you could distil chaos into a sound then this would be as close as you could get and is an absolutely breath-taking start to proceedings and shows that the 8 years away has not dulled the fire one little bit! 

Punishment Map then manages to somehow up the violence and blasts and crashes its way in and out of your consciences in just over 1 minute of intense guitars and 1000mph drumming it really is a case of blink and you will miss it but if you do just skip back and listen again just so you can really take in the utter unrelenting viciousness of it all, with Every Burning Bridge we get a title track that is the perfect distillation of the record as a whole it’s got the unpredictability of grindcore mixed with mixed with some brutal hardcore to outline that while you can be fast and to the point you can also mix in sections that are focused and pinpoint but no less heavy and precise in their delivery. 

Give Me The Painkiller is the first track that finally clocks in at over 2 minutes, but it does not lose one bit of the urgency or brutalness that we have had so far and when the lock into the groove of this track it is infectious and really takes you along for the ride and the raucous guitar solos towards the end are another nice layer of noise and on Lacking The Ability To Process Empathy there is a complete 360 degree turn and they slow the pace of the attack down and it is a death metal influenced hardcore stomp that gives you some time to re-group but still manages to feel like its suffocating you and never lets go of its grip once it hooks you in, that is then kicked directly to the curb on Trapped which is just 38 seconds of pure grindcore delight, no time for subtlety or measure her it’s just start, play, done, fuck you! Wonderful! 

Made Up In Your Mind is another absolute battering from all angles that never really gives you the chance to take in fully what is happening on first listen so another spin really solidifies the relentless nature of the song and exactly the same can be said of Dehumanized the short fire nature of these songs could maybe hinder a lesser band but Nails absolutely, well no to be too obvious absolutely nail it every time and the force and feeling involved in every single second is gobsmackingly brilliant. 

I Can’t Turn Off is almost an epic at 2:19 and we once again get another heavily hardcore influenced track and the ‘’longer’’ run time allows for the sound to expand and incorporate more death metal influences as well and of course it’s all done with such conviction you just sit and admire the beautiful noise before what seems way to soon we are on the last track No More Rivers To Cross and at 3:14 we have the longest track on the album and her they now mix in some wonderful sludge sounds and incorporate every sound we have heard into one final blitzkrieg of a track that ties everything together in a brilliant and dizzying fashion to finally put us out of our misery and is one last big fuck you to the world.

So, after those 8 years away? Was Every Burning Bridge worth the wait? The answer is a resounding yes and this is probably one of the most obviously easy scores I have given an album this year, it’s a horrible, chaotic and wonderfully savage noise and its all done in under 20 minutes, what is not to like about that? 10/10

Tantrum – No Place For The Damned (Self Release) [Paul Hutchings]

Totally unaware of this Glasgow outfit, I’d selected No Place For The Damned purely on the promise of old school heavy metal. And what a choice, for this is as solid a heavy metal album as you’ll get in 2024.

The third album by the band follows 2023’s Another Life and debut record Melt It Down, Tantrum describe themselves as having classic guitar-driven riffs and driving rhythms. They are not wrong, for this is the backbone of everything the band do, with dualling guitars, a thunderous drum sound, and the soaring vocals of Mark Reid which present as a cross between Blaze Bayley and Michael Kiske and tick every box I needed them to do.

Put simply, this is a joyous and glorious celebration of pure heavy metal in the best traditions of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Helloween, Thin Lizzy and UFO, although the latter two were no-where near to NWOBHM movement.

With 11 songs over just shy of an hour, there is ample to become absorbed into here. Opening duo Manifest Destiny and the snarling rage of Minotaur provide the bombastic entrance that you need, and within minutes I defy you not to dive full on into this album.

Yes, it’s nothing new, and some of the tracks veer very close to the Maiden sun, but it is joyful, routine and non-complex yet provides all the intricacy that one needs for an album like this. Rampant, fast in tempo, and powerful from start to finish it’s difficult not to keep this on repeat and power along.

There’s plenty of heaviness here, the two guitars combine well, the rhythm section ensures that nothing is going to slip, and Reid’s vocals are fantastically suited to the band’s sound. There’s the stellar Hellbound Planet, which makes you want to scream “METAL” at the top of your voice, and the majestic closing eight-minute The Pit and the Pendulum, the standard ‘epic’ that really demonstrates what the band are about.

A band that are now firmly on the radar, if you like your metal with one foot firmly in the 80s but with a contemporary flavour, then Tantrum should be on your list. It’s solid from start to finish. 8/10

Entropy - Dharmakāya (Crazysane Records) [Mark Young]

So, digging into the online fount that is Bandcamp, it notes the following about Entropy (DE):

‘Trading In heavy shoegaze, indie rock and grunge’ which if I have to be blunt does not make me leap up like a gazelle shouting Huzzah. Although, I don’t believe that Gazelles shout Huzzah.

Opening track Dharmakāya certainly does evoke a sense of the early 90s, especially of Bob Mould and Sugar (If you haven’t heard Copper Blue, please amend that immediately) and this is a very strong start. Using Bob Mould as a starting point, he has this knack of just making his songs fly. Entropy are drinking from the same well, and on this have distilled that same ability to craft a song that flows superbly, almost effortlessly. 

What they do have in common with those bands from the 90’s is how the running order is scheduled. Americans Will Save You (In The End) occupies the position of ‘the one that is not as speedy / immediate as the first one’ but is still a class song. I appreciate that in typing this I’m being a bit snide. It’s not, its just a description that will make sense to listeners of my vintage. As a song, it shows that the clever arrangements that float and hooks that catch was not a fluke. It is a steady away number and is joined by Don’t Deny Me as the third of three opening tracks that manage to successfully capture that sound of 1991 / 1992, at least for me. The first three must grab you, get you onboard, and make you invest yourself in the music that is coming.

On the basis that the opening trio has paved the way for getting me on board, Pyrotheology comes in with stabbing chords that swiftly move into the classic quiet verse structure which gives them room to sonically go large with some nifty rhythm work and a change in direction that shows a heavier turn into the closing moments of the song that reminds you that they can bring a harder edge if required. 

However, as we reach King Of Rain there is a familiarity creeping in with this one. It’s certainly doesn’t stray too far from the blueprint they have in place and is a good song but after the heavier moments in Pyrotheology I would have liked them to explore that heavier side a bit further. Gap-Toothed ups the tempo a little, and like King Of Rain stays within familiar territory but because of that increased speed it hits a little differently. It zips along at a decent rate and you could call it their ‘bouncy’ one. I mean that it comes over like a summer song, yet there are moments of cloud that obscure the sun briefly and it’s one of the stand-out tracks on here for me.

Papered Over Some owes more to that heavy start / quiet school but drags whilst Olympian takes a leaf out of Gap-Toothed’s book, going for that quick snappy delivery which after Papered is required. The preceding track was fine but sat between Gap-Toothed and Olympian it felt a little lifeless and almost unnecessary. Are the final three going to be as good as the openers? To an extent yes, on Kenoma they go for that subtle pace with bright chords and there is an overall joyous vibe running through it. It has that build and feel that used to be commonplace on alternative radio and it is as good as anything you would have heard back then. 

When their songs have that bit of zip to them, they land so much better, and you can say that for Pleroma which starts off brightly and stays there, keeping that up-tempo approach in place, setting us up for the final track that nails that Bob Mould style perfectly. Well/Sad is a fine song to close out on, and I would recommend headphones just so you can pick up on those quality chords deployed here (and elsewhere).

All in all, this is an impressive set of songs that fans of early 90’s alternative will dig into. It has a confidence running through it that comes from knowing that they have written the best songs they can. Looking back over it, you can’t say that there are any truly weak songs and for those wanting something a little different from the more extreme types of music available this would be the place I would start. 8/10

WALL - Brick By Brick (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]

Desert Storm brothers Ryan & Elliot Cole, build their WALL once again. After 2 EP's and some major performances, this lockdown project has taken on a life of it's own, a two piece riff machine that worships Sabbath and sludge, inspired by crushing Iommi riffs and instrumental masters such as Karma To Burn, both of whom are covered on this debut full length.

When the Cole brothers are involved you'll get quality and WALL has quality, packed with stoner/doom jams, the lack of vocals is nothing to miss though on their cover of Electric Funeral,they show if they ever wanted to add them they could easily. The album is inspired by many things but a lot comes from Stephen King and horror movies, maybe not Filthy Doner Kebab On A Gut Full Of Lager perhaps.

Ryan and Elliott know riffs and WALL has them slow and low. 8/10

Reviews: Oceano, Forlorn Hope, Deliver The Galaxy, Mojo Thunder (Reviews By GC, Matt Bladen, Mark Young & Rich Piva)

Oceano - Living Chaos (Sumerian Records) [GC]

When you think of big names in the deathcore scene there are only really a few that could claim to be household names, I won’t start naming other bands in a review I am doing as that’s not the point because I am here to focus on one in particular and they are one of those few that everybody should know it is of course the mighty Oceano, over the course of their recorded output they have never failed to impress with the heaviness they manage to produce and it seems like they have been away forever but now they are back with their new album Living Chaos.

It begins with the uncomfortably slow and menacing sounds of Wasted Life the intro lulls you in and when Adam Warren unleashes his vocals you know there is going to be no messing about, he sounds like a man possessed as always and even with the music at a slow almost crawling pace the way Scott Smith throws riffs around is a joke and as always, the drumming is thunderously wonderful! The lead single Maas Produced has been streamed close to 2 million times so far and with very good reason it’s a furious and unrelenting barrage of brutal guitars and drums with Warren once again showing top form and cementing his place in the annals of deathcore vocal history, his vocal dexterity is something to behold and adds another weapon to the overall attack of Oceano. 

Darkness Rising has an ethereal intro that of course is nothing like the rest of the song which is chock full of huge beatdown, chugging riffs yet they do manage to insert some softness with some nicely added atmospherics in places but this never lasts too long and its back to savage business as usual but it’s worth noting that the way the tempos shift on this song is also wonderfully done. Into The Flames dials up the pace a few notches and has an unmistakable nu-metal influence running throughout the song but it doesn’t hinder the sound and rather than sound like its throwing back and staying in the past, its striving to update the sound and push it forward which it does with style. 

With Wounds Never Heal we are back to the more familiar dark, mid-paced crunching that mixes some jagged edged stabbing guitar work with the usual huge walls of staccato guitar attack and to really throw you off it has a little electronic dancey beat underneath everything that keeps popping up out of nowhere for another added surprise as I would not expect it to work in this setting but it really does! Then just out of nowhere everything just stops, and Interlude is exactly what it says it is! It’s a bit of a disappointing addition as the album was absolutely running riot and this nearly 3-minute stalling of the pace is a bit of a disappointment on an album that only has 9 tracks?! 

Anyway, The Price Of Pain wastes no time in making you forget your dissatisfaction and absolutely smashes you back into gear and is probably the heaviest track so far, there is simply no let up or relaxation from the onslaught and the more that comes the more you want it’s just an exhilarating rush from start to finish, utter brutal brilliance! Living Chaos goes slightly under the radar for me and believe me it’s not like it’s a bad song in any way but its just compared to everything else so far it just doesn’t feel like they are giving everything they could.

I mean most bands would kill for this type of song and as the standard has been so high you can get past a slight dip in form, but Broken Curse is nothing of the sort its an astonishing way to finish the album full of emotive guitar work that has proggy echoey sections mixed with the unnecessary heaviness that is now the norm and for one last time Adam Warren absolutely throws everything he has at you and bares his soul in a way that you wouldn’t normally get on a deathcore record it has beauty and darkness in equal measure and is a spectacular way to finish.

Another album and another absolute triumph for Oceano, this fits in perfectly with their back catalogue and adds another spectacular chapter, these guys have been there since deathcore was just starting and are showing that they intend to be around for the future to show all the newer bands exactly how it’s done. I understand that there were a couple of moans from me but overall Living Chaos is a triumph of an album and even with a couple of slight misses the standard of the rest was just so good that this should be heralded as a triumph for many years to come, if you like deathcore, listen to it, if you don’t, still listen to it, whatever the hell you are into JUST FUCKING LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM!!! If you haven’t noticed I like this album A LOT. 10/10

Forlorn Hope - Valour - Part I (Self Release) [Matt Bladen]

Sweden may have Sabaton, but we have Forlorn Hope. While the Swedes have taken songs about war to new heights and have found themselves doubling down on The Great War themes with the last few albums. They'll be the faces of this sort of thing for years to come but Forlorn Hope for me is better, essentially the work of one man, it's meticulously researched, historically accurate and musically a bit more British. 

The PR screams Maiden, Priest, Dio etc al but there's a major similarity to Saracen, the vocals, the drama, the storytelling and the heroic sound all reminds me of the often overlooked member of the NWOBHM fraternity. Valour Part I is an EP that is the debut chapter of Forlorn Hope's second album, it's going to be spilt into two half and released separately. Why I'm not sure but there is a linking concept to the record which is that it conceptually about recipients of the Victoria Cross. So it's about heroes, going above and beyond in the field of battle, their gallantry and bravery leading to them receiving the highest Military Honour. 

Why I like Sabaton and why I like Forlorn Valour too is that the music is very up my alley but mainly as I'm a historian (I have a degree in classics with a focus on military history). So part of the enjoyment with me is to find out the stories behind the songs. Stories wrapped up in better production values than on their debut album Over The Hills, so it's more cinematic in the song writing. 

The stories featured are this of Luke O'Connor the first ever recipient of the VC, James Brindley-Nicholson the only Battle Of Britain Pilot who received a VC. William 'Billy' McFadzean who has become a Loyalist hero in Ulster for his selfless actions during The Somme or Nevill Coghill and Teignmouth Melville whose medals are on display at Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh in Powys, for their attempt to recover colours during the Zulu war. 

Now whatever you think of these conflicts, this is all history and only by learning about it can we change our own present and futures so if bands such as Forlorn Hope and Sabaton inspire a new generation to seek out this information and turn them on to anthemic heavy metal then that can only be a positive. With Part II in the offing, Forlorn Hope have improved on every aspect of their sound with Valour Part I. 8/10  

Deliver The Galaxy - Burn Your Gods (Massacre Records) [Mark Young]

The 3rd full-length album from Deliver The Galaxy brings forth more SF-tinged metal that doesn’t forget to bring the required riffs amongst their melodic leanings. Noted online as melodic death metal, I think that having tags applied to a band could negatively affect opinion before listening to it and to be honest it did with me. My experience with it as a genre is very much hit and miss, but you always hope to be proved wrong.

Given their SF leanings, it is to be expected that Ancient Alien would be instrumental, acting as our introduction and because of the Sci-Fi approach, I didn’t mind it but as we are now entering the last days of August, can someone please ban instrumental opening tracks? Bury Your Gods follows up with a solid, stomping riff that has all the right ingredients – heavy when it needs it, double bass that fires like an UZI and impressive extreme vocals from Matthias Mente. 

There is a Middle Eastern flavour to it with an expansive sound and tone that grabs you from the off. If the rest of the album sounds like this, then we are in for a treat. Insetopia is up next, and it shares / borrows inspiration from an 80’s pop classic, which is fine by me!! The main song build keeps that front-foot approach in place, with some top-level riffing and those maniac double bass again. It’s a fabulous start and Unsterblich keeps this rich vein flowing with the kind of melodic death that I can get behind, especially with the vocal lines that are just spat like bullets. 

There is a restrained break to catch a breath and then the furious closeout. Get Down is a short blast with some technical riffery in there with some fiendish drumming before Dead Planet comes in. The trouble is that after the visceral blast of Get Down, it feels a little tired and possibly redundant. However, they pull the Live.Die.Repeat out of the drawer and it is a stormer. Giving full range to the extreme vocals, it also takes us on a journey through different tempos and arrangement but they don’t let that energy flag. It is a stand-out track here, and unfortunately also ushers in a two song drop in momentum.

Shadows has a slower arrangement until the expected (and it is expected) take-off occurs to shake it up a little. This doesn’t last and it returns to the slower overall pace which again was telegraphed. It’s not a bad song, just one that follows a well-worn path and like Dead Planet could have been left off the album. Path Of Existence it stays in that similar tempo area as Shadows but with that darker edge. There is a great lead break that comes in and it fits in so well. It’s not flashy for the sake of it, simply comes in and does its job before they pull the same trick with upping the pace for a brief burst before closing it out. I think having this once is expected, having it happen back-to-back really sucks the energy out of what they have built so far, especially after Live.Die.Repeat.

Deathlight however understands that something speedy is required, and it delivers on this. The drop-in of clean vocals is unnecessary, especially with the abilities on display for extreme singing by Matthias but apart from that this is a much-needed kick in the pants, required to get me back onboard and they keep that going with Serpent’s Lament is massive, with some chef’s kiss extreme moments as it as it navigates its way between those different genres It hopes to sit in. Straddling between straight-up, intense death metal and the melodic side. Serpent’s Lament shows off DTG's ability to pull the two genres together without resorting to predictable arrangements. Along with Deathlight, it ensures you are now paying attention to the final act. It is unfortunate that with In Retrospect they take the foot off the gas and go for a lighter touch which manages to flatten the momentum built.

PE3 also does nothing to raise the temperature, a piano-led piece that closes out the album, but it doesn’t add anything here. Overall, there are some blinding tracks on here whose impact is reduced by a couple of duff ones. For me, the running order is not right, placing two similar builds together arrested a lot of the energy. Also, the ending songs needed to be just the best, and held up against the opening tracks they were nowhere near. Ultimately, the high’s do outweigh the low points and for that I’ll go with a 7/10

Mojo Thunder - The Infinite Hope (Agelaius Music Group) [Rich Piva]

I think the headline here is that I did not hate the new Mojo Thunder album. The record, titled Infinite Hope, had a couple things working against it for me. First, I did not like the few of singles I had heard. Second, the artwork on the album cover is God awful. Third, leading with Kings Of Leon, outside of their first EP, as your main comparison, isn’t going to get this reviewer all worked up except to turn whatever it is off. But overall, the second album from these boys from Kentucky did not offend me in any way. 

That is not to say that I loved or will even go back to this record at any time, but the songs are fine, some are catchy and soulful, and they have a nice Southern Rock meets Classic Rock in a test tube and this is what is created kind of vibe. Something is missing though. It is too clean, too polished, and lacks any kind of urgency that I like in my rock. It is a very safe album number two, and safe is never the best bet in rock. 

Songs like Let It Fall sound too much like KOL and Holy Ghost is them trying a bit too hard, but other tracks like the opener, The Sun Still Rises, Step By Step, and Grace are really good songs that people who are into the band and other bands of this ilk will dig. To me, the Formula, with a capital F, is missing an ingredient and with this creates a big hole where the awesome should be for a band with this level of skill and influences they are leveraging.

But like I said, I didn’t hate this. Mojo Thunder can play, they can write, but I think they need to step away from trying to fit in and/or sell a lot of downloads to get to the heart of what the band’s sound truly is. Only then will we hear the full potential of the Mojo Thunder. The Infinite Hope is not that true potential, though some small bits of it does shine through. Let’s hope they find it on album three. 5/10

Reviews: Zeal And Ardor, Thunderbird Divine, Spectral Wound, Earth Lux (Reviews By Mark Young & Rich Piva)

Zeal And Ardor - Greif (Self Released) [Mark Young]

Every now and then wires are crossed, and the spectre of a Chucklebrother ‘To Me, To You’ mishap looms large. Which is a roundabout way of saying that this review of Zeal And Ardor’s latest, Greif is later than planned. So, let’s get straight into it. I caught them twice last year, once supporting Meshuggah and then on their own headlining run later in the year with Heriot in tow. Reaction differed between both gigs, and I wasn’t sold the first time round. Second time it was with a reduced team, with just vocals by Manuel Gagneux which seemed a better night. Crowd reactions on each night was insane so they must be doing something right.

So, on the strength of Greif, I’ve not heard anything here that is world-shattering. On each of the songs there are moments where it comes in like Nine Inch Nails, circa With Teeth, and other times like QOTSA where you have rhythm and counter-rhythm at play. Its ambitious and sounds great, with Kilonova a prime example of that attack, it’s a busy song and has plenty of zip to it. Elsewhere they go for that tried and tested quiet start and repeating vocalisation that will no doubt translate so well into the live arena. The use of Black Metal vocal stylings on Are You The Only One Now? Breaks up those repeated mantras before combining to a decent effect. You just know it will blow minds live because they have similar songs in their armoury that do this trick.

What you can’t disagree with is that Manuel is a top vocal talent, sublime voice and can make anything sound good, and I mean anything. They also don’t forget that they can make riffs with the best of them, giving them that quirk such as the stretching patterns on Clawing Out which hits like its two songs fighting for supremacy. Despite the heaviness of the riff, it has some downright filthy dance motifs running through it and the opening bars of Disease is as sleazy as it comes. On here you can see where some make comparisons to latter-day QOTSA, in the way the arrangement hangs, just flowing in the breeze with that repeating guitar line coming and going. It excels in its simplicity but doesn’t excite.

Making your way through the album will largely depend on how much of a fan you are. I’ve not listened to their recorded output so maybe seeing them live first has slightly skewed it for me. The songs on here are fine, but there isn’t one where you go ‘Wow’. The use of electronica fits well, Such as the instrumental Une Ville Vide or giving that extra sonic space to Clawing Out. 

As they close out, Solace is a slow and melancholic number where you can imagine a single light being shone as these pained words are sung, as the arrangement gradually builds around him, lead break and double bass kicking in for those final moments as it gently dissipates into Hide In Shade, and finally the brakes are removed, those call and response vocals set directly against the extreme metal ones, it is one of the things that impresses on here. To My Ilk is a gentle, plucked affair that closes out what could be described as a mild disappointment to me.

Comparing this against what I’ve heard/seen live, it doesn’t have the same impact as those songs. Maybe it was because it was live, and those songs had grown in that live setting. Or maybe because they are not as good. It’s not made me want to listen to it on repeat, so maybe its me? 6/10

Thunderbird Divine - Little Wars (Black Doomba Records) [Rich Piva]

The new record from Philadelphia rock veterans Thunderbird Divine took me a few listens to grab onto, but when I did, I held on tight. The band mentions Monster Magnet, Hawkwind, Flower Travellin' Band, The MC5 and Grand Funk Railroad in their bio (I would throw The Doors in there too), so with that kind of musical taste how could they go wrong? Well, they could, given how bands have a habit of putting names and tags that don’t always paint the full picture, but rest assured, Thunderbird Divine is the real deal, and their new record, Little Wars, pushes all the right buttons for me.

The bio also calls Thunderbird Divine “riff heavy psychedelia/stoner/doom”. Yup. The first full track after the instrumental opener Pony Express, Times Gone Bad, has all of that and more. You hear the Monster Magnet influence, the keys that add the Hawkwind element, and there is a heavy rock circa 1974 vibe that permeates through this one. The riff is heavy and the song is overall heavy, but it still manages to float around you at the same time. I think the vocals didn’t do it for me the first couple of listens as they are more shouted that sung at times on this track, but after a few listens you see how it works perfectly. Musically this song has everything I want to hear in my heavy rock. 

Last Laugh is up next, and you get some heavy blues to go along with all that other goodness, with some seriously soaring female background vocals that brings you to the church of the Thunderbird Divine. I love the psych guitars that accompany the serious riffs and how freaking back end heavy this one is. That Doors thing I mentioned is all over Black Rhino Mantra, but in only the best ways, because I have to be careful when I mention Mr. Morrison and crew, but this is for another review. This track is Monster Magnet meets The Doors, and that is all you need to know. 

  These Eyes has an absolutely thundering riff before the pace slows a bit and you get doomy goodness paired with organ. I love the vocals when they do the call and response like they do on this one and other tracks on Little Wars, and the spacy freak out and more of those female voices at the end of the song are awesome. The instrumental Tides has a killer organ intro and an amazing heavy galop to it, bringing me some feelings of Deep Purple to go along with all of the other great influences Thunderbird Divine brings to the party, and how about that spacy freak out at the end? Monster Magnet with lots of organ is what Highway Dawn is all about. The album closes a bit strangely, with Old Black Crow which is a fun little dusty western type ditty and the instrumental Carousel, which sounds like the soundtrack to an evil one. An odd way to end, but it does not distract from the overall awesomeness of Little Wars.

It took me a second, but the New Thunderbird Divine record kicks all sorts of ass. The heavy riffs, the 70s vibes, the organ, the Monster Magnet meets Grand Funk meets Hawkwind vibes, what’s not to like about Little Wars? Great stuff. 8/10

Spectral Wound - Songs Of Blood And Mire (Profound Lore Records) [Mark Young]

With an album title like that, I’m praying to my lord and saviour Jeebus that this is a cracker. It's as stripped back as you can get, the accompanying bio is straightforward, Spectral Wound plays Black Metal. It’s this kind of up-front, warts-and-all all approach that you can get behind.

And they do, straight off the bat as Fevers And Suffering comes in, hitting like a Black Metal tsunami that delights in crushing all in its path. It sounds as you might expect – double bass is there, the extreme vocals, guitars worked furiously and song lengths that are a little on the lengthy side, its all there. Because it’s all there, once you have delved into Song 1, the following tracks won’t hold any real surprises for you, especially if you are an avid devotee of the scene. Where it excels are in its unwavering approach to maintaining this traditional Black Metal attack, they are totally focused on it and if you like it, great. If you don’t, go and listen to Nickelback.

At Wine-Dark In Mouldering Halls is superb, a relentless journey that delights in taking us around gothic piles at the dead of night, whilst the awesomely named Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal is just nuts. They are played completely straight, and I love them for it because it feels like its Black Metal, written by fans of Black Metal for fans. There is some quality riffing on Aristocratic, the arrangement coming together exactly as you would hope – it’s fast, furious and takes no prisoners with an ace lead break that comes in, does what it needs to do and leaves without overstaying its welcome. Its that kind of thing that I love, its built properly by fans of the scene.

Whilst I know that this is not the longest review I’ve ever done, I’d like to think that it is a fair one. As I’ve said, the complete focus on writing and recording their vision of Black Metal means that there is little wriggle room for offering anything that could be considered new within the scene. But what it does mean is that every song on here is played to an inch of its life, there is no chance that they could be accused of slacking on the job. A Coin Upon The Tongue has this sliding riff amongst its incendiary start that devolves into this almost mid-paced arrangement. 

Almost, it is still punishing, drums pushing onwards and onwards with a face-melting solo whilst the final track Twelve Moons In Hell is full on, just apocalyptic drums from the off and that furious riffing that the genre is famous for. For me they left the most visceral till the end and I can’t see any fans being disappointed by this which I think is the key. I mentioned that you get the feeling that its by fans for fans, which could be wrong but that is how it comes across. They delight in just battering you with this and it is one of those ‘out of nowhere’ releases that deserves to do well. 8/10

Earth Lux - Earth Lux (Metalville Records) [Rich Piva]

Earth Lux is a melodic hard rock band and the brainchild of French composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Steph Honde and Brazilian composer and drummer Fred Mika. They were in a band called Sunroad together. Earth Lux features former members of incarnations of Eloy, Lionheart, MSG, and Yngwie Malmsteen’s band, which should give you a bit of an understanding what these guys sound like.

Their debut self-titled album is straight out of the mid to late 1980s, before Mr. Cobain sang about that deodorant and ruined it for bands like them, and may have done well back then too. To me, now, this is kind of stale, with nothing that really stands out or gets me very interested in what these guys can bring. Sure, they can play, check out the solo at the end of the closing track, Lorraine. Sure, some of the songs are catchy and kind of rock, like Stormy Tower and the almost funky Kyrie Eleison.

But if I really wanted to listen to something like this, I would pull out records from Dokken, Slaughter, Winger, and maybe even Van Hagar stuff, minus the Eddie shredding. Not the cheesier songs from those groups, but the ones where they didn’t smile as much in the videos. Like those bands, the lyrics on Earth Lux can go from cliched to the aforementioned cheese, like on In Your Room, where the singer can still smell her perfume, making it a cringe listen at some points.

Earth Lux definitely has talent, but may be a few decades too late, because their self-titled record feels very much done before and offers nothing fresh. The skill of the players cannot save this melodic hard rock from mediocrity. 5/10

Reviews: Paralydium, Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks, The Georgia Thunderbolts, Rising Insane (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Paralydium - Universe Calls (Frontiers Music Srl)

Oh we are so back! Universe Calls is the second album from Swedish progressive metal band Paralydium. Beginning as a Dynazty off shoot, since their name change from The Paralydium Project, they released a debut album Worlds Beyond, which was given a 9/10 by yours truly and now they return with new singer Alexander Lycke formerly of Astrakhan. His flair for the dramatic in his past band and Paralydium themselves going back to their more progressive roots means that Universe Calls is longer and more epic than the debut.

Band mastermind John Berg (guitar/keys) alongside Georg H Egg (drums), Jonathan Olsson (bass) and Mike Blanc (keys) wanted to differentiate this album from any of their other projects while also making it more grandiose and cinematic than before. Consider the job done as I'll say it here that Universe Calls took my breath away, I listened to it three times in a row and every time it got better and better.

Musically invoking the prog metal sounds of fellow Swedes Evergrey and Seventh Wonder but also Dream Theater and Shadow Gallery. They don't try to shift towards the more populist prog metal sound, sticking to the one that influences as many power, melodic and death bands as they do prog bands. Guitars and keys duel between each other on the very DT-like two-parter The Arcane Exploration and the opening Prelude.

With Caught In A Dream and Sands Of Time, there's more of the influence from Evergrey. Huge orchestrations sweep through the epic tracks while Alexander is the ideal find behind the mic, his rough but soulful delivery doing wonders for the emotional resonance of this record. Carrying the various theatrical changes in Forging The Past well. I'm in love with this album, for me it's a massive improvement on their debut, which I loved so this is perfect. 10/10

Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - True (Frontiers Music Srl)

Are you of the opinion that Yes is nothing without Jon Anderson? Well then you should check out True by Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks, the album was announced as Jon and his band are on tour in the USA playing a Yes classics, epics and more tour. So I'd assume this al in was written in prep for that tour so it's no wonder that all the songs sound like Yes. Acoustic guitars are everywhere, the very Roundabout beginnings Make It Right, but especially on the 16 minute Once Upon A Dream which also has dreamy keys, sweeping atmospheres, dramatic shifts and Anderson's perfectly pitched vocal.

It's also the penultimate track of a near 60 minute musical journey through all the progressive musical brilliance of the band Jon will always be so closely associated with. The rest of the album is also heavily inspired by the band True Messenger having the classic Yes feel while Shine On comes from the Trevor Rabin-eras, there are also several facets of Anderson's solo career featured as it weaves through the many offshoots with other members of the Yes mothership. Of course the music could be terrible of it wasn't for the extremely talented band behind him.

Led by Richie Castellano’s bass/guitar/keys/vocals and co-production, his Chris Squire bass playing is spot on while Andy Ascolese has the feel and exploration of Alan White. Andy Graziano’s guitars are beautiful on tracks such as Build Me An Ocean and Still A Friend while there’s plenty of keys from Christopher Clark and Hammond Organ from Robert Kipp. It’s a masterclass of Yes-style progressive music and probably the best Yes album for a long time, shame it’s not actually by the band, but some Band Geeks instead. 9/10

The Georgia Thunderbolts - Rise Above It All (Mascot Records)

As much as Rock N Roll Record would like you to think that the entirety of Rise Above It All sounds like Bad Company, there's only a few moments, such as Moonlight Play where Mr Rodgers and Co can be heard, there is thankfully some rock n roll on the album too, the title track for instance is a Black Stone Cherry-like heavy rocker with squealing guitar solos.

Much of this second album stays with blues/country/Americana influences, though with their debut coming during the pandemic, the massive amount of touring after the pandemic focuses this record towards being played live. It's a bit more grandiose, more experimental but also more emotional. TJ Lyle digging deep into his own blue collar heritage and the bands days of busking in gas stations around Georgia.

A soulful track such as Crawling My Way Back To You comes from those lamp-lighting country troubadours, written while in the depth of depression, it's about never giving up the fight, something we can all associate with. On the other hand She's Gonna Get It is a sleazy Southern rocking Logan and Riley trading off 80's rock riffs on a track that sounds like a lost Don Henley track, It Ain't Easy takes a bit of stomping blues fused with a dub guitar line.

TJ's voice is killer as is his harmonica and keys, Zach's bass driving a groove on Stand Up which is influenced by tour mates Black Stone Cherry, his voice adding harmonies to TJ's. Locking everything down is Bristol on drums the core part of the rock n roll of Pricetag. So Rise Above It All is a rock n roll record, one that has a lot of different branches to it but sees The Georgia Thunderbolts rapidly ascending to the top of the Roots Rock tree. 8/10

Rising Insane - Wildfires (Long Branch)

Well this is all very modern. German metalcore band Rising Insane take the blueprint of what is popular in the metal world and recreate it step by step. Angsty, emotive cleans, cathartic shouts, anthemic choruses, grooving breakdowns and electronic processed beats on track such as Carousel, this is the modern metalcore sound 101.

I'm trying not to be cynical but I do sometimes want a metalcore band to say sound like Killswitch Engage or post hardcore like Silverstein or Hawthorne Heights. Still Wildfires has a lot of upsides if you're a fan of Bad Omens or BMTH, then you'll enjoy the album that is a statement of change. 7/10

Reviews: Death League, Orra, Vonavibe, Cult Of Orpist (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Death League - Inferno (Theogonia Records)

Death metal has many forms and on Inferno, Death League's debut album they are inspired by the melodic death metal scene of Sweden and rampage through your speakers with this record. It's like a fire ranging through a barren forest, the guttural vocals of Astrous delivering a hell of a performance as the band behind him provide punishing death metal.

The thick bass of Vassilis Liakos booms to set a killer pace alongside the intense technical drumming of Nikos Tsintzilonis both come from power metal band Black Fate. Together they add the muscular rhythms to tracks such as Approaching The Madness and Annihilated Race. Across the whole album Jim Gaianos' guitars shred and solo with virtuosity, he tears through things with speed, although it's Gus Drax of Suicidal Angels/Sunburst/Black Fate who provides the solo for Approaching The Madness.

Melodeath with the focus on melody, be it Swedish or Finnish, these Greeks do it pretty damn well. 7/10

Orra - Glimmer Of Hope (Sleazsy Rider Records)

Glimmer Of Hope is a slow burner, the debut album from Greek prog metal band Orra is meant to be played multiple times. The tracks smoulder and simmer as they build into elongated workouts of virtuosity. Featuring Louis Hatzimihalis the singer of Fatal Morgana and Equal Vector. Orra are inspired by Fates Warning, King Crimson and Queensryche, they merge modern and classic prog metal, focussing on the 70's sound (Infinity) but with modern production.

Open melodic chords are used for some stirring melodies on Brace The Fall as In Light's Shadow is layered by organs. There's quite a good mix of shorter snappier tracks and elongated atmospheric ones such as In Pulse (The Long Errand) and At The Edge Of The World. The blending of prog rock and metal works well. Musically it's good stuff though the vocals let it down a little when Louis tries to hit the Geddy Lee but never quite gets there. The music here is good, the vocals are ok, for the most part but Orra's prog is well worth a listen. 7/10

Vonavibe - Locked Up (Eclipse Records)

I assume Locked Up was conceived by Athens alt metal band during Covid as it's called Locked Up and consists of covers. Whatever the reason for it, it's actually a pretty decent little EP while we wait for another full length album.

Opening with Mad World, by Tears For Fears, it breathes a bit of pace and heaviness into what is originally a gothic ballad, retaining the passion and pathos of the original. Next it's Blinding Lights, the Weeknd's electronic pop shifting into some proggy rock that sounds like Von Hertzen Brothers and is the best song on the EP. Lastly it's Linkin Park's Bleed It Out which doesn't change much from the normal version other than grittier vocals. A fun experiment but not essential. 6/10

Cult Of Orpist - Attack Of The Zombie Cans (Brutal Records)

Attack Of The Zombie Cans is the debut full length from Greek death/thrash band Cult Of Orpist, formed on 2021 they have one EP to their name but here's they have made a full record of nine songs that's are still inspired by the likes of Slayer, Kreator and Sodom.

It's ruthless and aggressive, thrash and death coming together with gore soaked 90's worship driven by Chris Panagitsas' ferocious rhythm playing, he's got a HM-2 and knows how to use it as Sotos Dimitropoulos blasts on the kit locked in with Hector Sohos' rampant bass abuse and raw, gargled vocals.

Now his voice is clear which is god send it's just like gargling sand paper and while it's mainly about the riffs, George Dimitrakakis dive-bombs in and out with solos. They take the Left Hand Path on Chainsaw Justice and Humiliation, grooving with the rage of Entombed. 90's thrash/death worship that will in incite pits. 7/10

Reviews: Wintersun, Uniform, Erronaut, Elkapath (Reviews By Richard Oliver, Dan Bradley, Rich Piva & James Jackson)

Wintersun - Time II (Nuclear Blast) [Richard Oliver]

This is an album that has certainly taken its time to get here. A long-awaited and extremely overdue sequel to the Time I album by Finnish band Wintersun that was originally released in 2012 that has hit delays and setbacks to the point where it has become a running joke amongst the heavy metal community and seen as the Chinese Democracy of the metal world. Wintersun were formed by Jari Mäenpää in 2003 upon his departure from Ensiferum and their debut self-titled album was released in 2004 to universal praise and in my opinion is one of the finest metal albums to come from Finland with its sprawling mix of folk, power and melodic death metal album. 

Time I followed in 2012 and expanded upon the sound of the debut with more technical and progressive songwriting and a greater emphasis on symphonic sounds. A stop gap album The Forest Seasons was released in 2017 but wasn’t too well received as the Wintersun fans just wanted Time II but now in 2024 Time II is FINALLY being released. Anyway enough on the history of the band and circumstances of this album, the all important question is how does it sound? The answer is rather fucking good!

Time II builds upon what has come before with Wintersun and especially on Time I with epic sprawling compositions, symphonic soundscapes and folk melodies incorporated with melodic death metal ferocity and power metal passion. Japanese folklore plays a big part in this album as it did on Time I with luscious Japanese folk instrumentation and melodies seeping their way through the entire album. The album is only six songs but each song has a different mood and feel to it. 

Only four of these are proper songs as well with there being an instrumental intro and an instrumental interlude but the four proper songs of the album are all sprawling epics from the triumphant power of The Way Of The Fire to the atmospheric melancholy of One With The Shadows to the progressive complexity of Storm to the gorgeously epic and melodic album closer Silver Leaves. The other two compositions also have their merit with album intro Fields Of Snow being a real scene setter with some absolute gorgeous orchestration and folk melodies whilst Ominous Clouds is a nice stop gap and breather with some gorgeous guitar playing.

The musicianship on this album is at staggering levels from the sublime guitar playing of both Jari Mäenpää and Teemu Mäntysaari with exquisitely intricate solos and plenty of neoclassical shredding. Jari also performs all keyboards on the album and it has some of the orchestration and folk instrumentations sound absolutely breathtaking. This is also a prime demonstration of just how good of a drummer that Kai Hahto is with complex shifting rhythms and a powerhouse display of extreme metal drumming. The bass playing of Jukka Koskinen is a bit buried under the layers of guitars and keyboards but he also has his moments to shine. The vocals from Jari are the mix of lovely cleans and ferocious snarls that we have come to expect on a Wintersun album but his clean vocals sound better than ever.

Time II is a complex and intricate album that really requires multiple listens to fully digest and it is one that definitely gets better with more listens much like its predecessor. It is a worthy follow up to Time I but doesn’t really offer many surprises. There will be many that will question whether this album was worth the 12 year wait and might feel a bit short-changed with only four full songs (albeit long songs) but removing the anticipation and long wait that surrounds Time II, it is another superb album from Wintersun. 

Gorgeously melodic, breathtakingly epic and with moments of relentless ferocity, there is no denying that this is a fantastic album. It would have probably just been a more effective release if it had come out ten or so years ago as originally intended. 9/10

Uniform – American Standard (Sacred Bones) [Dan Bradley]

On their 5th album American Standard, New York industrial metal and noise rock act Uniform drag their demons into the light. Singer Michael Berdan says, “I’m done with creating surface-level art. If it doesn’t kill me a little bit, there’s no point committing to it.” In this harrowing yet transcendent full-length, Berdan opens up about a lifetime of bulimia, alcoholism and the destruction that has wrought on his mind, body and relationships.

The album opens with the ambitious 21-minute American Standard, confronting you immediately with over a minute of Berdan’s snarling vocals, rendered vulnerable by the absence of the band. He shrieks desperately into a cavernous space – “A part of me/ but it can’t be me.” – but every horrified yell is echoed mockingly back by a crowd of Berdans, creating a perverse call-and-answer that evokes the splintered mind, self-loathing, and conflicting impulses of his illness (The track is named after the plumbing company name that’s often stamped on toilet bowls: “I’ve spent countless hours of my life with my head bowed before that clumsy blue script etching. I will doubtlessly spend countless more.”). 

A rising wall of unsettling glitch and noise threatens to overwhelm his voice, before the track builds and lifts him on a wave of fuzzed-up arpeggios and synths from cofounder and guitarist Ben Greenberg. But you’re never allowed to get too comfortable, and this lighter-toned shoegaze is soon sucked back down into sludge with monstruous riffs, the song slowly collapsing under its own weight into chaos, and silence. And then, out of the depths, the song ascends again into searing black-gaze and a euphoric climax. I’m only at the album’s halfway mark, and I’m already emotionally wrecked.

Across previous albums, and essential collabs with The Body and Boris, Uniform have always borrowed from other heavy genres. Here that openness to testing the limits of their sound creates a powerful emotional counterpoint between the voice-shredding howls, bleak industrial soundscapes and harrowing lyrics co-written with cult writers BR Yeager and Maggie Siebert, on the one hand, and sections of uplifting and rich melodic textures that prevent the whole piece from collapsing into nihilism and despair. The breadth of dynamics on show is a huge step up for the band too, aided by Interpol bassist Brad Traux, and drummers Michael Sharp and Michael Blume, who combine to form a brutal assault on This is Not A Prayer.

The album closer and main single Permanent Embrace opens with familiar territory for the band –relentless industrial beats and Greenberg’s brash guitar led by Berdan’s belligerent snarl – but the song suddenly slams to a halt around 90 seconds in, Berdan lets out an incredible scream, and then the whole track ascends into soaring, transcendent synth-led blackgaze. It’s an exhilarating and cathartic shift, but as with other sections in the album, this respite from the horror never lasts long. The heart-stopping shock of its ending, and the devastating impression of the album as a whole, is one that’s reverberated long after I finished listening. 9/10

Erronaut - The Space Inbetween (London Doom Collective) [Rich Piva]

Of course, I am going to angle to get my grubby paws on an album labeled “stoner grunge” in the promo bin. This is how the boss labeled the debut record from the UK’s Erronaut. On their Bandcamp page they take it one step further, calling out a “fusion of Stoner, Grunge and Desert influences.” Where do I sign up? The real question though is how the band lives up to their labels and if The Space Inbetween is something memorable and/or remarkable or just another band using tags to get clicks.

Well, if the first full track, Way Down Below, is any indication, then yes, this kicks all sorts of heavy ass. This has a sick riff and a grungy slow burn while bringing an out of space like atmosphere to the ear that lives up to and incorporates all of those buzz words listed earlier. Lost Cause has an Early Soundgarden feel and just assaults you with its riff. The fuzzy bass drives this one and partners perfectly with the vocals until that riff returns and destroys your world. 

The Space Inbetween is filled with excellent grungy heavy slow burns, with Per Contra being another one that stands out, where you also get the best vocal performance of the ten tracks on the record. What to be crushed by riffs some more? The check out the opening of 1202. This one has a post rock feel to go along with its heavy grunge vibes, a heavier Failure perhaps, a vibe I get with the next one too, Underneath The Sun. I think my favourite part of The Space Inbetween is the last part, the two tracks that make up Beyond Sleep: The Insomnia and The Subconscious. What a way to close out, and makes me think that Erronaut could be the stoner/grunge answer to Rush.

Another excellent debut record in a year with a whole bunch of them, Erronaut has make a huge splash with The Space Inbetween. My only real complaint is the spelling of the title, as Inbetween is making my spell check go crazy, but other than that, this record is chock full of heavy riffs, grungy goodness, and some serious space via post rock goodness to combine together to create what will be one of the debut records of the year. 9/10

Elkapath - The Twisted Jester (Self Released) [James Jackson]

Gloucester based female fronted Goth Electro Metal act Elkapath, started off as a solo project by vocalist Carla Elkapath in 2004, during the next decade or so the project developed into a more metal sounding band releasing the Black Spiders album in 2021.

Follow up EP The Twisted Jester is preceded by two singles, Fakery and Show Me, the first and last tracks respectively; both showcasing the songwriting style of the band, Fakery is an energetic assault on an unknown protagonist whose lies are are being called out within catchy riffs and a pretty solid solo.
Show Me has a synth led slower pace at its core, a tale of love, quite befitting for an almost ballad like piece.

 
The rest of the album plays out in various versions of these tracks, balanced between a driven pace one moment and indulging in Goth tinged melodic notes through the next, The Twisted Jester may only sit at six tracks long but each is well crafted and worthy of a listen, there are a few tour dates left through the year, promoting the EP which may well be worth checking out. 7/10

Reviews: Demiser, Orme, Sidewinder, Drenched (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Rick Eaglestone, James Jackson & Rich Piva)

Demiser - Slave To The Scythe (Metal Blade Records/Blacklight Media Records) [Matt Bladen]

Despite having some rubbish pseudonyms and titles that only gore soaked death metal bands would use. South Carolina band Demiser sign to Metal Blade records for their second album Slave To The Scythe, it's another record that has been born out of the likes of Venom, Bathory and Slayer with lashings of 80's speed/thrash, black metal and some bullet belted NWOBHM and Motorhead on Carburetted Speed.

Like the soundtrack to a B-Movie action flick that doesn't exist, Slave To The Scythe, moves from one sort of action scene to the other, very little messing around, keeping with the analogy no room for plot, just set pieces, here's formed by shredding guitars and blast beats. Whether it's songs such as Phallomancer The Phallomancer, Hell Is Full Of Fire or Infernal Bust, Demiser play it fast, furious and goddamn fun.

You can almost forget about the alter egos and track titles, so you can just indulge in some filthy rock, metal n roll from Demiser. 7/10

Orme – No Serpents, No Saviours (Self Release) [Rick Eaglestone]

Hertfordshire’s Drone Doom trio Orme a back with a dose a sludge laden singularity for No Serpents, No Saviours. At over just twenty-four minutes Orme’s latest creation is an amalgamation of styles that the majority with a particular presence of a sub-genre would be able to gravitate to as there are so many directional shifts and a swirling underpinning of well-crafted influences. 

Through this grittier and darker side, the duo have seemed to lean towards there are more intense vocals that interweave the musical compositions which flit from the ominous to the serene all the while keeping a doom heartbeat throughout. The sprawling atmosphere is hard to be pulled away from as there are almost constant elements that draw the listener in with elements such as roaring distortion and interludes that stand out throughout the piece heightening the overall listening experience.

At times its woefully bleak, other times is delicately sorrowful with sprinkles of psychedelia that enrich the overall aesthetic and is certainly something that more elements come to the forefront with each listen.

An ambitious juxtaposition of sound. 7/10

Sidewinder - Talons (Wyrmwood Records) [James Jackson]

Talons arrives on the back of two singles, Disarm The King and Guardian and is the second full length album from the New Zealand based band. Before I go any further I want to point out that the opening riff of Disarm The King sounds quite similar to Nickelback’s Burn It To The Ground; depending on your point of view of course then this will either be a good or bad thing. 

The album opens with Guardians and a sleazy vocal accompanies a mellow intro before the band brings the distortion and heavy feel into the fore, there’s a very Blues inspired tone, part Stoner Doom part Blues Rock. An interesting start to the album so far and Wasted Space is no exception, Prisoner follows and I’m reminded of Lzzy Hale, a similar soaring vocal performance but the riffs are dirtier, weightier.
The Depths has a monolithic Sabbath style opening to it, delving into something that could easily have been written and performed by the Birmingham based legends. 

I’ve already discussed Disarm The King and it’s a good track, plenty of drive and groove steeped in its scuzzy guitar sound and there’s a great bass bridge that’ll please any low end admirer. Desert Song is next, another head nodding, foot tapping track that keeps the album’s momentum moving until the slower pace of penultimate track Northern Lights. Taking its name from Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is the final song on the album and for its namesake it’s only fitting that once again Sidewinder channel Black Sabbath. 

I didn’t know what to expect when I put this album on, the band name doesn’t give much away and the artwork is just as ambiguous, but the content within is pretty damn good and definitely worth listening to. 8/10

Drenched - Grey (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

Drenched are a young and new band out of Newcastle, England whose dads had a whole bunch of Korn, Chevelle, and Linkin Park in their CD collections. These guys are firmly ensconced in late 1990s early 2000s heavy rock, unfortunately mostly the stuff your reviewer thought was tired and mostly passable after the true seismic shift that occurred with the real grunge movement of the early 90s. Hey, I saw the tag of grunge on the debut EP, Grey, and got excited, but this is way more 2000s alt metal than anything that came out of the Pacific Northwest.

The guys in Drenched can play their instruments well but if I wanted to listen to Chevelle I would. Drenched are too much on the nose with nothing that would make them stand out or be unique in a sea of a million bands doing this today. They have a crunch to them and can be heavy, using (In)sane as a good example. The Change, the opener, right off the bat gives you a feeling like you have heard all this before. Chevelle looms large over the track Cycles a little too much, while the closer of this quick four track EP, is the strongest of the batch but still lacks anything that would want me to go back to this set.

Drenched can play, they understand the content, but Grey lacks anything different or worth revisiting that I could not get from the bands who did this a couple decades ago. Let’s hope they get out from what happened in the past and leverage their talent to add something new to a tired genre. 5/10

Reviews: Gravenoire, Kingcrow, All For Metal, Mammoth Volume (Reviews By Mark Young, Matt Bladen, Zak Skane & Rich Piva)

Gravenoire - Devant La Porte Des Étoiles (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]

The accompanying bio for Gravenoire’s debut EP intrigued me. Traditionally, the associated PR will promise much and sometimes lose sight of what the artist strives to achieve. Here, the message is simple, this is 4 musicians in a room, captured live with no studio chicanery to hide behind. They intend to look to their past to build their future and bring their vision of what black metal should be.

So, how do they do?

Pavens is the obligatory opening instrumental complete with pounding drums and a rising orchestral arrangement that seeks to build atmosphere before France de l’Ombre comes screaming in (literally). From there on, they deliver on their promise of bringing their vision of what black metal should be. It’s blasting drums, melody lines and lyrics that are dripping in venom. If anything, it sounds ultra raw but that is the way you think It should be. It is not over produced, or polished it is just furious and you know that this is exactly how they would sound on stage.

Ordo Opera Cultura keeps that fantastic pace going and follows that traditional black metal approach laid out in France... and is just full of those little moments that give it that something extra. The drum fills from Emmanuel Zuccaro are top-class, powering them forward at an ungodly pace. 

The songs are wrung so tight that although there is little difference between the tracks, sonically each one slams home. Aux Chiens rips onwards, the central guitar line like the ones before standing proud with the drums behind it as they pulverise. It is like stepping back in time to when this was a fresh off-shoot of extreme metal and the way they attack is like they have just started out.

Granit pulls the rug a little, going for a slower arrangement (it’s still rapid, mind) and if anything makes their sound bigger and shows that there is more to them than 1000mph guitars. What doesn’t change is the intensity behind it. That doesn’t drop at all especially when they do start picking up that pace as the song winds to its climax. Gravenoire bookends the EP, strings set against a spoken word narration, providing a mournful background that is followed by an isolated piano track that continues that melancholic feel and it closes out proceedings the right way.

In terms of black metal, it doesn’t bring anything new to it. There are no wild changes and musically it is as you would expect it to be. What it does have though, is a belief, unshakable belief in the way they have approached it and ultimately delivered. It is authentic and combined with energy that is there for all to see. Any discerning black metal fan should grab this immediately. 8/10

Kingcrow - Hopium (Season Of Mist) [Matt Bladen]

Italy's Kingcrow have taken a very familiar route towards Hopium, starting out by playing music that was inspired by Dream Theater, Symphony X, Shadow Gallery and others, they have evolved over the course of seven albums into a band with sound that is similar to acts like Caligula's Horse and Leprous, atmospheric, ambient, emotive progressive music.

It's the culmination of a long road and as I said sees the band adopt a style that seems to be in vogue, blending accessibility with progressive mastery. Kintsugi brings the anthemic choruses, a big bold opener to set the tone as the electronics and repeating beats are featured heavily on Glitch and Parallel Lines, both having the start/stop rhythmic patterns used by Leprous especially.

It's the drumming that has the Baard Kolstad-like style even on New Moon Harvest which is bit more introspective, the keys having an integral role in the experimental but accessible sound. That's the kicker, Kingcrow have adopted a style of progressive metal/rock that is all the rage, be it with Leprous or Rendezvous Point or even Evergrey (collaborator Vikram Shankar adds piano to the title track).

I don't blame them as Hopium is a well performed record from an experienced band, it'll gain them plenty of new fans. But they are another great band to add to what is rapidly becoming and over crowded scene. 8/10

All For Metal – Gods Of Metal: Year Of The Dragon (Reigning Phoenix Records) [Zak Skane]

The intro track Cry For Help sets the tone of the album with it’s female narrative setting the scene of journey that the listener is going to adjourning throughout the collection of twelve songs. Whilst the narrative echoes through out the track the orchestral strings are swelling into the mix and tribal drums pound. Following this, Gods Of Metal brings pulsing basslines pounding through the mix whilst we are greeted with the deep godly baritone vocals. The track also features some mid paced galloping guitars thundering alongside the pumping drum beats whilst the choruses are backed by ballsy brass sections and heavenly choruses. 

Year Of The Dragon takes us to the other side of the globe with it’s oriental elements plunking stringed instruments and fluttering flutes to accompany the eastern story telling of Japanese folklore. The solos produced by the great Ursula and Jasmine have come falling suit with it’s exotic scales preformed with legato and whammy bar trickery. The Way Of The Samurai continues the lyrical eastern themes bringing furious double kicks that cut through the mix like a katana and accompanying the sharp 80’s flared guitars. 

The vocals bring some awesome trade offs from demonic baritone roars to high range cries. Temple Of Silence brings in some exotic percussion before we get honoured with some catchy riffs along with the continuation of trade off with baritone and tenor vocals giving off this Paul Stanley and Gene Simons chemistry on steroids. When Monsters Roar gets heavy with it’s evil sounding pedal note riffs whilst the furious double kick grooves return. We also get some uplifting guitar melodies and shredding guitar solos. Path Of The Brave brings in some soothing acoustic melodies, whilst the male vocals provide us an enriching ballad that empowers us through the rest of the album. 

Throughout the track the song crescendos with powerful brass and string sections whilst the classic metal ensemble comes in with pounding groovy drums and soaring guitars solos. Like Thor And Loki talks to us about the tales of Ancient Greece with some marching snare patterns, whilst we get the resurgence of the greatly baritone vocals. The band brings back the galloping rhythms whilst shooting some uplifting choruses honouring the Greek tales. Valkyries In The Sky brings in the guest performance from Laura Guldmon from Burning Witches where she brings in her wicked raspy delivery into this melodic dance between Tim and Antonios main vocals. 

Welcome features a meat and potatoes approach to the songs structure whilst guitars brings in some Eddie Van Halen styled solos that pack in some sharp pinch harmonics laces in with neo classical finesse whilst packing the bluesy sleaze. The dynamic Who Wants To Live Forever brings in a marriage of acoustic melodies and distorted guitars. The track also has it’s quirks with baritone vocals struggling to keep in key over the quite acoustic passages. The track also has a unique woodwind type of instrument providing solo in this song whilst the closing track The Journey will Not End brings a narrative close to the album.

Gods Of Metal continues the sonic momentum straight from their debut full length album Legends. The meat and bones metal instrumentation still sounds just as powerful. The drums sound colossally huge especially with the thundering double kick sections, the guitars create this perfect dance between trading riffs and solos between Ursula and Jasmine. Both of the vocals Tim and Antonio create this Gene Simons and Paul Stanley like chemistry on steroids. 

By elevating their tales to a global scale it has allowed the band to incorporate other influences into their sound. From their classic triumphant instrumentations in songs like Gods Of Metal and When Monsters Roar to their eastern influenced Year Of The Dragon and The Way Of The Samurai the band still keep true to their image whilst still exploring new heights. 8/10

Mammoth Volume - Raised Up By Witches (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Rich Piva]

To be honest, I have generally been very hit or miss with the output from Swedish heavy stoner/rock/prog band Mammoth Volume. Not just album to album, but even song to song. These guys have been going at it since the 90s, with a big break in between, until starting to be very productive again in the 2020s, so there is a good amount of content to cover. Their new record, Raised Up By Witches, brought to us by Blues Funeral Recordings, continues my love/not love so much vibe that I have with the band, which results in a good, but uneven listen for me.

Let’s cover the good. The opener, The Battle Of Lightwedge, is killer. The riff, the vocals, all of it is great. The song reminds me of Dozer, or maybe Valley Of The Sun, in the best sort of way. The record sounds great, and the band continues to be super tight. I really like the psych prog vibes of the second track, Black Horse Beach. The layered vocals are great and the song has a unique feel to it that really makes it stand out, sort of a stoner Yes thing going on. I really dig track three as well, Scissor Bliss. 

There is more of that out there proggy elements and weird tempos that make Mammoth Volume so cool, but there is also some sweet riffs and a tad of heaviness to this one, even if it may be a minute or so too long. After that we get another weird little ripper, Diablo III – Faces In The Water. This may be my favourite track on Raised Up By Witches as it as a heaviness and urgency that is spotty on the album as a whole. After this is where they lose me a bit. 

Not really a fan of Lisa, as I am not sure how it fits in the grand scheme of the whole record and I am just not vibeing with it at all. The weird Genesis sounding opening and funky tempo of the title track is kind of cool, but it is missing something, especially following Lisa. While I like but don’t love the two tracks leading up to the closer, neither Cult Of Eneera or A Tale About A Photon grab me where I really have a hard time connecting with said finishing number, Sången Om Ymer.

Raised Up By Witches is par for the course for me with Mammoth Volume; love some, not so much love others, but nothing that makes me turn the record off. This is definitely a tale of two halves or a record, but the stuff I dig I really did dig a lot. 6/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Doom For Mental Health

Pantheist, Warcrab & Lung, Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, 24.08.24

Doom For Mental Health, may sound like a juxtaposition but for many, my wife and myself included, listening to something downbeat, sad, maudlin when we're depressed or upset or worried, acts as sort of a catharsis, a way of letting these feelings flow through us and be released, letting us feel better, hopefully.

A gig in support of the charities Help Musicians and Music Minds Matter, both are funded entirely by music lovers, one allows musicians and those in the music industry to access the right tools to thrive, the other is concerned with mental health of those involved in what is an increasingly hostile industry.

With the headliners playing as much as possible since their live reactivation, they have moved up from various Fuel gigs onto the more grand stage of Clwb Ifor Bach bringing with them two support acts that brought the heavy and the extreme to Clwb.

First off were Lung (8) a weed influenced doom trio who I've seen kill in The Moon, brought more fuzz and thunder to Clwb, perfect sound made sure that they were able to "speed run" through their set despite having marathon length songs. Halfway through one of those said songs there was a string break on the guitar but a little bass and drum action as there was a change, and an admirable job of filling was rewarded with a gremlin-less rest of the set. Lung do doom well, It's bong driven loudness that invites slow headbanging.

Next then something a bit quicker as black/death band Warcrab (8) from Plymouth made their mark on the audience. Aggressive and vicious, they have played with the headliners before and made the most of the audience by showcasing their near 20 years of experience as a band. Bridging the gap between death, black and sludge metal they locked into furious blasts of DM extremity and longer louder sludge grooves. Warcrab came to Cardiff to prove why they belong on a bill like this, well I'd say that was job done.

Finally it was the now Wales based atmospheric doom veterans Pantheist (9). Since their reactivation, they have adapted boasting soprano vocals and new material too, there's a distinct evolution to Pantheist which has taken the project founded by vocalist/keyboardist Kostas to new heights. Each time I see them they seem to get better, Atanas' custom Ltd 7-String rings out with distorted, echoed, reverbed heaviness, typical of the doom genre, cresting a cacophony that is matched by the throbbing, hypnotic bass of Matt.

Playing three songs in an hour set could be dangerous but bands that dwell in the doom and prog genres can get away from it. Fanel's drumming allows various changes of pace and propulsion, giving space but also letting the songs have devastating heaviness too. Kostas' keys/organs/synths evoke the inverted-religious atmosphere they try to create, clad in cassocks and rosaries it's always an attempt at a spiritual experience that pays off. As they closed the night with new track Kings Must Die, the counterpoint of Kostas' rage-filled blackened screams and Linda's incredible soprano range brings Pink Floyd merged with Esoteric as funeral doom is given a progressive overhaul.

Probably the best I've seen them perform with this line up, a true experience akin to an hour long distorted liturgy. All for charity and incredibly successful, Pantheist are in rude health in 2024, longer sets and more recognition await.

A View From The Back Of The Room: The Obsessed (Live Review By Matt Bladen)

The Obsessed, Ritual King & Sigirya, The Bunkhouse Swansea, 20.08.24

A big ol' bag of riffs hit Swansea as one of the stoner/doom tours of the year rolled it's way into The Bunkhouse in a haze of weed smoke and Orange Amps. This kind of thing has a history in in Wales' second city and many of the old faces from the years made their way to The Bunkhouse on a Tuesday night ready to witness a legend of the game, some new faces and meet up with some old ones too. 

The Bunkhouse ranks up there as being one of my favourite UK venues. If you want to blueprint of how to do an intimate, community led music space then this is how you do it. Yeah it's a little rough around the edges but there's always a warm welcome, plenty to drink and ample room for watching bands or just chilling out. There's a lot of venues that could learn from The Bunkhouse. 

The relaxed atmosphere meant that many of us there early were chatting and mingling with Scott Wino Weinrich and the rest of the band, as some of the scene veterans said their hellos to old friends and colleagues. Before long though it was time for the first band and opening the night were veterans Sigirya (8), currently squirrelled away in the studio recording album number three (?) they got the night going with the partisan crowd hanging on every riff. With a deputy bassist filling in for Mead, the foursome are always quality on stage bringing bags of experience and some grooving, stoner riffage, from the band formed by former members of Acrimony. 

Stuart's guitar comes with all the reverb and bite of Ionmi's. After the massive Dragging The Bones, there was the usual banter from vocalist Matt, every hometown Sigirya show feels like they're playing in their front room. We were treated to some new stuff and while the punky thrash of King Of The Ditch has been in the set for a while, the perfect song for Rhys to get a bit of pace behind the kit, but the second new one (name unavailable) was more classic Sigirya grooves. The new record is sounding great already but alas it was time to end as Sleeping With The Dogs closed out their account for the night. 

Next it was change of pace as the more progressive, psychedelic strains of Ritual King (8) made their way through The Bunkhouse. The Manchester trio are a bit more retro harking back to the psych rock 60's though keeping the distortion levels high, it meant that there was less stoner rock stomping and much more space rock wandering as most of their tracks shifted into instrumental blues rock jams.

Jordan Leppitt content to let his guitar playing say much more than his vocals, despite having a great soulful voice. As he lets the passionate solos rip the bottom end of Dan Godwin (bass) and Gareth Hodges (drums) steer this intergalactic journeying. A Hawkwind-esque palette cleanser between two servings of Sabbath worship, Ritual King managed to entice the hardened stoner/doomsters away from the bar with their psychedelic leanings.

Then it was time for the main event a man who has frequented these shores a number of times in a number of different guises over the years. Scott 'Wino' Weinrich is a bit of legend in the doom/stoner scene of the USA, and over here too. There are very few people who can claim to be a hero of Dave Grohl, played with Lemmy, members of Sabbath, Clutch and Pentagram, he's been a member of Saint Vitus (one of the big four of doom coming in the wake of Sabbath) and has formed numerous bands including Spirit Caravan and the band we were all hear to see...The Obsessed (9). 

Having been the band he initially formed they've had a tumultuous history but in 2016, Spirit Caravan evolved into the this current version of The Obsessed and they've released two records since then; Wino and drummer Brian Costantino adding Chris Angleberger on bass and Jason Taylor on guitar in 2022. So this was the line up that took to the stage and it was a full bore run through of a setlist drawn from every album, particular focus on 1994's The Church Within which they play in full on the American tour, but I mean we got six songs from that including Skybone, Streetside and Mourning, equal billing for Gilded Sorrow and Sacred, with two each from The Obsessed and Lunar Womb. 

Each song was greeted as an old friend, the mix between old and new balanced well as The Obsessed have always been a band that gives the people what they want, heavy stoner/doom riffs, those sneering vocals of Wino and a rebel soul behind them. An 18 song setlist flew culminating in a Spirit Caravan track (Lost Sun Dance) to end the show on a doomy note. One to tick off the bucket list for sure, in a city that appreciates the riff. 

Review: Steve Cropper And The Midnight Hour (Review By Paul Scoble)

Steve Cropper And The Midnight Hour – Friendlytown (Provogue Records)

Steve Cropper is one of the most important musicians and producers of popular music, in many ways he is more responsible than most for how popular music has developed. Despite how massive his influence is, I find it surprising that he isn’t as famous as a lot of the acts he has worked with. Croppers influence started as a founding member of Booker T And The MG’s, who had several hits in their own right, but were also Stax Records House Band, as the house band for one of the most influential soul and funk labels Cropper played on and produced some of the most ground breaking acts of the 1960's 

The reason Steve Croppers band is called The Midnight Hour is because Steve co-wrote the song, In The Midnight Hour, that has been a huge hit for several different artists, with Wilson Picket who originally recorded the song. Apart from Wilson Picket, Cropper also worked with Otis Redding, co-writing and producing (Sitting On The) Dock Of The Bay, he also worked with Bill Withers, Albert King and a huge number of other legends. Away from Stax Records Cropper has worked with Jeff Beck, John Cougar, Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Buddy Guy, Elton John, John Lennon and Steppenwolf. On top of all that awesomeness, Steve was also a member of The Blues Brothers Band, the list of amazing accomplishments just goes on and on.

As you would imagine Cropper has got together some interesting artists to help him out on this album; Billy F Gibbons plays lead Guitar, Tim Montana provides Guitar, Drums on one track were provided by Simon Kirke formally of Free and Bad Company, and Queen Guitarist Brian May plays Guitar and sings on one song. In addition to these guests the album features Jon Tiven on Bass and Co-production, Nioshi Jackson on Drums and Percussion and Roger C Reale on Vocals who all performed on Steve Cropper And The Midnight Hour’s first album.

The album opens with the title track, Friendlytown, a purposeful piece of mid-paced Blues, the lyrics are nice and positive, there are some great Guitar riffs, some very nice Brass and a very good melodic Guitar solo, great start! Next comes the song Too Much Stress featuring Brian May on Guitar and Vocals, Brian's voice works very well in this duet, and the song is a great Rock and Roll boogie full of amazing guitar (what else?) and has a fantastic chorus and some fine Backing Vocals near the end.

Hurry Up Sundown is a great, fun, funky tune. There is some wonderful Brass and great funky Guitar riffs. The song is great fun, it’ll put a big smile on your face and will make your feet move. Next comes a track called Lets Get Started, a great piece of up-tempo Blues / Blues Rock. It’s got a great stomping tempo, a wonderful chorus and a very effective and melodic Guitar solo. Next comes a song about Politics called Liars Crooks & Clowns, with Cropper showing contempt for the deeply corrupt duopoly of American Politics. The song is full of the cynicism you get from following politics for years and being aware of how much you have been lied too. The song is a great piece of Blues with a pulsing Bassline.

Next we get the track I'll Take Tomorrow, a very soft and gentle Blues track. It’s slow, minimal and subtle, and just drips with melodic melancholy. Lay It On Down is a great piece of melodic Soul. The song has measured Verse and an up-tempo chorus with some great Brass work. You Can't Refuse is a driving short Blues / Blues Rock song, it’s a great track to strut too and has a fun Guitar solo.

Rain On My Parade is a wonderful little soul track. It has a similar energy to The Commodores song I’m Easy, with some very good Brass work and a very expressive and melodic Guitar solo. There's Always A Catch brings the Funk back. A wonderful driving Bassline pushes everything forward and, as you would expect the song has some great Brass on it and the whole thing just struts about being Funky as all fuck. In God We Trust is a mid-paced Blues track, it’s about religion and money grabbing Preachers, kind of a bluesy Send Me Your Money or Miracle Man. Reality Check is a great up-tempo Blues / Blues Rock track with a great stomping tempo and great chorus.

Friendlytown comes to a close with the song I Leave You In Peace, a soft and gentle Blues track. The song is a great way to end the album, it does what it says on the tin: it Leaves You In Peace.

Steve Cropper has written, produced, and played on so many amazing albums and classic, important songs, he is probably incapable of making a bad album. When he gets lots of other incredibly talented musicians involved and then on top of that adds guests of the calibre of Brian May or Billy F Gibbons you get what Friendlytown is; a fantastic album, full of great songs, wonderful choruses, brilliant solos, strutting riffs superb brass, cracking soul, and some great melancholic blues. To be honest, considering Steve’s history a fantastic album is what I expected, however by anyone else’s standards this album is stunning, and is yet another triumph to add to Steve Croppers huge list of other triumphs. 9/10

Reviews: Nile, Fostermother, Simone Simons, Endless Chain (Reviews By Charlie Rogers, Rich Piva, Matt Bladen & James Jackson)

Nile - The Underworld Awaits Us All (Napalm Records) [Charlie Rogers]

The South Carolina Ancient Egypt and Sweep Picking Appreciation Society, also known as Nile, break into the double digits of full length releases with The Underworld Awaits Us All. 10 albums in, and Karl et al refuses to let the eternal flame of Egyptian mythology worship die out. Known for blisteringly fast riffs, written with distinctly eastern sounding scale patterns, Nile have carved their glyphs into the sandstone of the technical death metal scene for over 3 decades now, and few contemporaries can hold a candle to their impressive back catalogue. 

If you’re somehow not familiar with these Mummy’s boys, where do you jump in? With most bands that have reached a tenure of this length, there’s usually an argument to start at the beginning and listen through to the present day, however I would posit that Nile’s modern production is far more accessible to those just beginning their journey into the underworld, and this album is a great jumping off point to begin your archaeological exploration into the tombs of Nephren-Karl.

Stelae Of Vultures opens the album with all the hallmarks of Nile’s song writing - intricate sweep picked guitar parts duelling over the thunderous rumble of George Kolias’ monster drum lines, catchy riffs switching between furious chugs to spiderlike chaos riffs dancing across the fretboard. The bass is also clearly audible in the mix, which has been a hallmark of more recent Nile albums, and new member Dan Vadim Von punctuates the guitar playing with tasteful basslines that poke out of the audio wall without becoming comical or distracting. The second song brings us this album’s challenge to learn the whole song name - Chapter For Not Being Hung Upside Down On A Stake In The Underworld And Made To Eat Faeces By The Four Apes, which sounds like a very important chapter for us to all learn if I’m honest. Song is great too. 

The third song is over by the time you’ve finished pronouncing the previous one, which is unusual for Nile who typically have longer tracks on offer than your average band, but the sheer intensity of To Strike With Secret Fang suits the just less than 2 minute length. Indeed, there’s all the elements of what makes a great Nile album on display here, and the vocal triple threat adds plenty of variety to keep the tracks distinct, and that’s not including the female choruses in tracks like Overlords Of The Black Earth. 

My favourite track on the album is also one you could also describe Nile with - True Gods Of The Desert - it’s got a load of those stompy, mid tempo riffs that make you pull a stink face and test how securely your eyes are fixed into your head. Long term fans will be split into two camps by this album - those happy to hear more of that distinct Nile sound, and those wishing to hear something different and innovative. Those in the former camp will be most satisfied with this record, because largely it is more of that particular flavour we all know inside out. 

For those in the second camp, I imagine you’re going to need to hop into a DeLorean and head back to when Nile first stepped out onto the scene to experience any major innovation, because their approach to song writing and composition was hewn into the tablets long ago. I think I speak for nearly all fans in saying that we’d be disappointed if Nile went soft and did what Opeth did by dropping the iconic vocals, for example. Nay, Karl knows what the fans want from this project, and he’s delivered yet another high quality offering for followers new and old to enjoy. 9/10

Fostermother - Echo Manor (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

When I reviewed Fostermother’s second album, 2022’s The Ocean, I lamented on how much of a step forward it was from their debut record and how much more realized an effort it was. Well take that and multiply it tenfold for their third album from Houston, Texas band, as Echo Manor is next level in every way. From the playing, the song writing, the sequencing, and even the great artwork, Echo Manor brings Fostermother amongst the giants in the Texas heavy music scene and the overall scene at large.

When I say “heavy” in regards to Fostermother, it is not in the traditional sense of heavy metal. The band is heavy, but there are elements of psych (the boys love them some Pink Floyd) and even an underlying pop sensibility to Echo Manor. Some of this is super catchy, catchier than anything the band has done before, but never without the output challenging you and maintaining the heavy vibe. There is also a significant change in tempo for the record overall, as more songs lean towards faster, relatively speaking for the band’s prior output. 

The overall sound on Echo Chamber is fuller and more realized, with the opener, Wraith, being a microcosm of all of the previous points. The second song, Empty One, continues this, creating a heavy psych soundscape that reminds me of a brighter version of their labelmates Obsidian Sea. All We Know has that pop sensibility I mentioned, and also highlights the vast improvement in the vocals of the bad as well. The most Fostermother song on Echo Manor is the title track and could be their trademark track. It has all of what you love for the band as well as cool layered vocals and great guitar work. I think a lot of people’s favourite track, and for good reason, is going to be King To A Dead Tree, which both rips and crunches, and features a killer solo from Rusty Miller of High Desert Queen. 

The boys go off their usual path with the acoustic driven Carry Me, which is more CSNY does Pink Floyd than anything else. Following that one with what is probably the heaviest track on Echo Manor, Watchers, was perfect sequencing to go along with that killer riff, but not without that very cool heavy psych vibe that is ever-present across all ten tracks. Lighthouse is more vintage Fostermother, slowing the pace a bit, bringing the riffs, and placing the track perfectly in a way that sets up the closer, the epic In The Garden Of Lies, in the best possible way. The closer is their closest take on Floyd and leverages keys more than any other track. I love how this one fades out to bring the journey to a close.

Echo Manor is the next step you wanted from Fostermother and a whole lot more. This is the band fully realized and about to conquer the heavy music world with their unique take on heavy psych that is executed as good or better than any band out there today. Great stuff, and a top tier record for 2024. 9/10

Simone Simons - Vermillion (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]

The crimson chanteuse that is Simone Simons looks to bring a scarlet overkill with her debut solo album Vermillion. Yes you read that right Vermillion is her debut solo album, finally on a brief break from fronting the pioneering Epica, Simone made her way to the studio of fellow Dutch metal music pioneer Arjen Lucassen where Vermillion was conceived. With Arjen on board it's bound to be epic, if anything it's epic(er) than anything you may expect, auditory journey through Simone's career to date.

From the beginnings of symphonic metal scene on the dramatic Dystopia or the anthemic In Love We Rust, through songs that merge the classical soprano vocals with guttural death metal growls, provided on Cradle To The Grave by Alissa White-Gluz and on R.E.D by her Epica cohort Mark Jansen and her love of electronic/industrial metal (The Weight Of My World) and film soundtracks, no wonder then that Simone worked with Arjen for this album as he's got a pretty long resume when it comes dealing with different genres and creating colossal soundscapes.

They have also curated a very talented band, Arjen on guitars and keys with long time Arjen collaborators Rob Van Der Loo on bass, Koen Herfst (drums) and John Jaycee Cuijpers to add backing vocals they also have a string section from Ben Mathot (violin) and Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso (cello) on closer Dark Night Of The Soul. It's Simone's vocals and Arjen's compositions though that are the magic of this album, it's the closest to a new Ayreon album we'll probably get for a while so it's wonderful to hear more of the bombastic Lucassen metal with Simone taking the lead. The lady in red enraptures with this solo effort. 9/10

Endless Chain - Agony (Self Released) [James Jackson]

There’s an intro to Agony and it’s an acoustic piece that hints at the melodic elements to come, the title track follows, opening with an Eastern flavour to its guitar parts, picking up from that acoustic guitar and developing it into a song that holds all the elements of gothic metal with a healthy dose of melodic death metal style that you could ever ask for. Human Race showcases the range of the dual vocalists that the band sports, a typically gothic/doom style opens the track, death metal vocals offer a harsher element to proceedings and when accompanied by a cleaner vocal offer a great mix.

Agony is the second full length album from the band, its predecessor, Forthcoming Past was released in 2021, an EP containing the tracks Beyond What You Believe, We Are We, Until No One Comes and Blind Kings was released earlier this year, tracks which all appear on this latest release.
After We Are We and Burn The Skies Above comes the album’s equivalent of a ballad and whilst everything that proceeds and follows the track is massively on point, I’m slightly unsure about how Ghost hits, but it’s not until I give it another listen or two that it’s worth shines through, it’s a different style, but holds its own in retrospect.

Until No One Comes and Blind Kings follow, both of which previously released upon the aforementioned EP, the latter is probably my favourite song so far. Beyond What You Believe, the title track of that EP, is the penultimate song on the album and sees a brief return of that Eastern mysticism, another song that ticks all of the right boxes.

Album closer We Are All Vulnerable is an epic track, the most melancholy of them and weighs in at around seven minutes, unfortunately it meanders its way through the midsection and the melody and emotion get somewhat lost, though I’ve a feeling that as with Ghost, a further and perhaps more concentrated listen, would offer a different perspective. Agony, it was not. 9/10