Reviews: House Of Lords, Cleanbreak, Fans Of The Dark, Radioactive (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

House Of Lords - Full Tilt Overdrive (Frontiers Music s.r.l)

James Christian has been the voice of melodic rockers House Of Lords for 35 years and he's still up there vocally with some of the best. Inspired by powerhouse hard rock bands such as Whitesnake and Van Halen, they perhaps never got the dues they should have, like many hard rock bands the influx of grunge and then Nu metal overshadowed a lot of bands such as House Of Lords, Thunder, Little Angels, Winger etc.

This led to a hiatus until 2000 then persistent touring, line up changes and the blessing of co-founding member Gregg Giuffria, they have been forging the path they are on now since then, constantly traversing the globe and releasing seven albums in their current form, Full Tilt Overdrive being their twelfth overall. Keeping the same line up as 2017's Saints And Sinners, they are now more in sync, Mark Mangold especially showing why he's so vital to HOL with his keys, writing and co-production alongside Christian.

For House Of Lords newbies imagine a band that merges Def Leppard with Deep Purple or even modern day Europe and anything with Jeff Scott Soto. There's some very modern production, making the record boom out of the speakers with big rock riffs from Jimi Bell underpinned by the bass groove of Christian and the steady beat of drummer Johan Koleberg with tracks such as Bad Karma, the bluesy Cry Of The Wicked.

Mangold's Lord-like organs burst on the title track while his synths fizz on You're Cursed, State Of Emergency and the industrial Not The Enemy. They slow down with the Southern acoustics of Taking The Fall a bit of a throwback to their early days as Don't Wanna Say Goodbye is full of modern pop the finale 9 minute Castles High is a massive part prog, part rock feast. Full Tilt Overdrive doesn't change what House Of Lords have been doing for 35 years it just gets more modern and refined with each release. 9/10

 
Cleanbreak - We Are The Fire (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

Cleanbreak is another collaborative project under the Frontiers banner, fronted by James Durbin who made his name as a singer for many high profile performers and featured on American Idol as a contestant that stuck to heavy metal. 

He’s released a solo album that was shameless tribute to the likes of Dio and Priest, and has previously sung on the debut Cleanbreak album. Together with guitarist Mike Flyntz (Riot V), Cleanbreak are another band that play classic heavy metal, chugging riffs, killer solos and anthemic choruses about overcoming obstacles in your life, just check out song titles such as Resilience In Our Souls, Unbreakable, Can’t Lose Hope and they’ll tell you that this is music to be defiant and sing loudly. 

Proper classic heavy metal and while the first album featured a rhythm section from Stryper, this one takes the more familiar shape of Alessandro Del Vecchio on bass/keys and Nicholas Papapicco on drums, two players who have featured on countless Frontiers projects. This new record feels a bit heavier a bit nastier, the rhythms hit a bit harder while Flyntz plays some killer riffs born from Riot V, Priest and Accept, you'll be nodding your head along to every track which is a sign of quality for heavy metal of this kind. 

Durbin has nothing to prove vocally and if the ‘Voice Of Rock’ title was up for grabs I’d say hand it to him as he’s got the same versatility and power as Glen Hughes. While their debut was an introduction, We Are The Fire seems like Cleanbreak cementing themselves as a band with some classic heavy rock. 8/10

Fans Of The Dark - Video (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

Fans Of The Dark return with their new album, Video, famously what killed the radio star, FOTD are paying homage to the video store, choosing what to watch, taking time on it, looking at the blurb and the cover, the little snippets that played on the screens, it’s something that is quite nostalgic to me as well, and is actually how I use something like Spotify, listen to an album if I like it buy it. 

It’s about taking time and era now lost, a paean to the 80’s and early 90’s where AOR ruled the airwaves. This is their third album and nothing changes too much, there’s plenty of Bonnet fronted Rainbowisms from the vocals and the keyboard heavy backing, I’d say that perhaps the songs have been refined a little as the band have now performed together after the release of their second album and after covers EP showed their influences.

They have now defined what they do as band, sat somewhere between anything with Joe Lynn Turner, Toto and also Mike And The Mechanics, they’re built on Freddie Allen’s big drum sound and Alex Falk’s soulful vocals. One for AOR lovers, Video puts on its rose-tinted glasses and takes you back to when songs like this ruled the airwaves and MTV played music videos. 7/10

Radioactive - Reset (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

Another AOR project, this time from the mind of guitarist/songwriter/producer Tommy Denander, Reset is the sixth album from Radioactive and marks a return for the Radioactive project. With a title track and one other written by legendary producer Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange, Reset is Denander returning to the roots of this project. 

So of course it sounds like Toto, when Radioactive released their first album in 1991, Jeff Porcaro, Mike Porcaro, Steve Porcaro and David Paich were his backing band, from there he’s made more albums each featuring some of the best players and vocalists around. This one, his sixth record, not only features Mutt Lange but virtuoso bassist Tony Levin, Robin McAuley (MSG), Bryan Adams’ guitarist Keith Scott. So expect huge in your face production, massive backing vocals and anthemic radio friendly AOR. 

No whether you like it or not depends if you like Toto, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams, as there is very heavy Mutt Lange influence to the record, in terms of the writing, Shame On You, Shame On Me is a lost Bryan Adams cut surely? So if his slick style of production and pop writing isn’t your thing the you may want to avoid it but if AOR with some top notch musicians and a focus on ‘the band’ rather than the singers then you’ll enjoy this Reset. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Imminence, Aviana & Allt (Live Review By SJ)

Imminence, Aviana & Allt, Electric Ballroom, London - 10.10.24

The last time I was at the Electric Ballroom was circa 6 years ago to see a Korean Rap group called Epik High and the venue is exactly as I remembered it - electrifying (no pun intended... or maybe just a little). The queue formed outside but went down really quickly and unfortunately as I entered, I realised I had forgotten my earplugs. I did ask the bar staff if they had any spare but they hadn't.

The venue was really full from the offset as eager fans were excited to see all the bands, first up were the progressive metalcore band, Allt (8). The lights dimmed and "Daylight, we haven't seen it in forever. It's all just different shades of ash" belting out Remnant. Allt were blazing the stage their presence which echoes through the crowd as mosh pits formed. Allt mainly performed songs from their debut album From The New World. All the members put their all into their performance but Robin on vocals really stood out. I was so impressed by the visceral low growls and screams.

Aviana (8) hit the ground running from the moment they jumped on stage with their latest single, Delirium. Most of the songs were from Corporation which highlighted how they can mix genres seamlessly with metalcore and electronic sounds. They hyped the crowd up by playing fan favourites such as Retaliation, Oblivion, Rage and Anomaly.

The crowd were now riled up from Allt and Avianas performances, the cheering and rumbling was elevating the crowd even more, clearly very excited to see Imminence (8). The stage looked like it had old church style windows in the background, with Eddie's violin glistening on the stage. A shadowy figure emerged from the back in a long black hooded cape, white lights then illuminated the stage with the figure fuming over the crowd. 

"Come hell or high water" faintly ruminated from the stage. After this, the hooded figure took off the cape to unsurprisingly reveal Eddie. Imminence performed most of their songs from The Black, including my personal favourite Infectious. Everything about Imminence was immense. Their stage presence, vocals, instrumentals... all of it made for an amazing show that I will remember for a long time and hope to see them again live.

Throughout the night, the lighting was probably some of the best I've seen. It matched the music tempo so well and was part of the experience of hyping the crowd up. The red, blues and white filtered through the crowd for Allt, blue purple for Aviana, and green and lilac for Imminence, just like the Northern Lights that glisten over Sweden.

Reviews: Maatkare, Escuela Grind, Obnoxious Youth, Hell Valley High (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Mark Young, Paul Hutchings & Rich Piva)

Maatkare - Rise To Power (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

When you think of death metal musicians you probably think of big dudes in camo shorts and no shirts. Machismo incarnate, it's usually always about flaying people, blood gore and violence, its women who are invariably the scapegoat for this violence, Entrails Ripped Etc.

Maatkare look to change this, the all female, and damn proud of it, death metal crew have taken the name from Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s official title another woman in a man's world she was one of only six female Pharaoh's and the most successful ruling for 20 years. Embodying the power and persistence of their namesake with blistering death metal, inspired by Ancient Egypt (obviously) they embrace the female power of that era that too is often overlooked by historians and bands such as Nile and Scarab. Defined totally by the powerful blast that is Long Live The Queen.

Musically this is an album that has blistering metal that blends death and black metal, of course you can compare it to Arch Enemy, because of the intense delivery of Janneke de Rooy, she has rabid tenacity, ferocious growls and screams set over the technical playing of guitarist Georgia Bell and bassist Amie Chatterley (who also produces the record). All from varying musical backgrounds this trio have combined to channel the force of powerful women of history through their music, the Eastern feels created with the intro to melodeath battery of War Before Peace, then into the title track which is a Bolt Thrower-like bludgeoning, driven by lots of low end and background synths.

Preceded by singles to give you a taste of the smorgasbord of death Maatkare present their fusion of extreme metal styles. The blackened aggression of May The Gods Bear Witness giving way to the acoustically laced melodic grunt of Maatkare. This trio are taking back death metal (and history) from it's male domination, Maatkare are a pioneering and vital metal band in their scene. 9/10

Escuela Grind - Dreams On Algorithms (MNRK Heavy) [Mark Young]

Earlier this year, I reviewed their EP, DDEEAATTHHMMEETTAALL and came away from it with a positive reaction in that they served up some brutal noise and would be one of the best things you would hear this year. Admittedly, there has been a ton of top-notch metal released this year so it is possible that comment may have been a trifle early. No matter, it’s still a belter. Since then, it’s been quite the year for them, members leaving, allegations made and refuted and some absolutely wild online discourse, amounting to conspiracy theories about the band which I am happy to stay away from.

So, is it any good?

I compared that EP to the equivalent of a ‘sonic smash and grab’ its length making it a repeated blow to the face with a blunt object as they just blew through those four songs in rapid succession. In that situation it worked a treat, but here that same approach lessens the impact. It sounds immense, absolutely huge with these crushing riffs and an all-out vocal performance from Katerina Economou that sees the vocal chords stretching and shredding in equal measure. 

They kick in straight away with DOA, and from there its just an exercise in pummelling brutality. This is a prime example of a clenched fist; each member knows what they need to do and acquit themselves accordingly. It’s also a template for the remaining 9 songs and they fly in with nary a pause for breath. What I found is that although it’s heavy and is likely to cause maximum carnage when played live, there isn’t anything else going on. I’m not looking for subtle interludes or instrumentals or even technical wizardry, but I am looking for something that gives this a difference from other bands, and I can’t find that. I can appreciate it for what it is, but it hasn’t grabbed me in the same way the EP did. 

What I don’t get is the online hate for them. They are a focused and aggressive act that can do it live. On record, they know what they want to write, and they know that it isn’t for everyone (me, this time around). It is a difficult thing to say, because there is nothing wrong with this at all. In terms of being heavy, aggressive and cathartic it ticks those boxes. But, despite that it feels that there is something missing from it, and I don’t know how they could change that. I think that if they tried to widen their sound, maybe pull back a little they would lose that potent attack. I know that fans of Escuela Grind will devour this and should give those online types something to complain about, but I feel that they need to do something to make that next step a successful one. 7/10

Obnoxious Youth – Burning Savage (Svart Records) [Paul Hutchings]

First impressions of Burning Savage were not good. A cacophony of noise, a band unsure of direction and how to play their instruments, it was all a burning ball of chaos wrapped up in a thankfully short 36-minutes. That first play suggested a band who were cutting their teeth, who were fresh from the garage stage, raw and chaotic but with underlying traits that provided shoots of optimism about their progress. Yet further spins have broadened the view.

It was something of a surprise to read that the band’s roots sit almost two decades ago in Uppsala, Sweden. Brought to a cohesive collective in 2009 by John ‘Zeke’ Finne, Affe ‘Phantasma’ Piran and Frans ‘Cult’ Utterström and now joined by live members Edde ‘Shit’ Aftonfalk and Lukas ‘Spine’ Häger, Burning Savage is the first album for seven years, following 2017’s Disturbing The Graves.

It's a fiery hybrid of speed, death, black and traditional metal with the odd doom element thrown in for good measure. Fast, snarling, furious, it’s evident from the start of the album that this is one nasty, aggressive, razor-sharp record. The songs are phenomenally fast, with several ripping along at under two-minutes. Screaming lead guitar breaks wail, the dual guitar aspects are as welcoming as a rusty scalpel in the operating theatre, and the vocals are as raw and crude as it is possible to experience.

Opener Alpha Diabolos, Imminent Evil and the title track race by, and the opening torrent of searing riffs and clunky interchanges concludes with instability of Black Magic Whore. It’s only at this point and the track Torrents Of Black Blood that things change, with a Sabbath-esque riff straight from that 1969 masterpiece, and a direction change which favours the traditional route. It’s visceral, soaked in evil and darkness but with some welcome tempo adjustments that allow the breath to be caught. Thick Hammond organ reigns for a moment before crushing doom riffs cascade with unstoppable force. There are huge Candlemass influences here.

It's evident that Obnoxious Youth aren’t influenced by any fashions though, as they blend up punk, thrash, death and black metal into a whirling vortex of carnage. Ultra Death and Bitchkrieg are both explosively fast, a combined total of just over four-minutes for the pair making them in keeping with most of the album. This is music that they want to play, and live, I imagine it is pretty volatile.

Ethereal Termination is one of the more routine tracks on the album, and by that, I mean it’s more a combination of NWOBHM and punk-edged aggression than the more vicious rapid fire of other tracks. At least for the first couple of minutes before all hell breaks loose in a blisteringly fast second half to the song. By this point though, you’ll either be warming to the Swedes or turned off long ago. One can only allow you to make your choice.

If you are still with the band by here, then you’ll be rewarded with two of the longer tracks on the album. Tornado Of Blades drenched in blackened thrash whilst the closing song, Omega Therion surprises with a space rock introduction which leads into an almost cinematic theme tune – totally unexpected and another curve ball which suggests that underneath the at times raggedness, this is a band who can really play. 

Of course, there are a whole host of bands that also feature members of Obnoxious Youth, so it’s probably not as surprising as I suggest. Perhaps one of the more confusing, surprising and ultimately challenging albums of 2024 to review, I have a sneaking respect for Obnoxious Youth and their in-your-face attitude. 7/10

Hell Valley High - Welcome To Hell Valley (Argonauta Records) [Rich Piva]

Dutch rockers Hell Valley High are back and following up their debut EP with their debut full length, aptly titled Welcome To Hell Valley (that title sounds very familiar…). I really enjoyed their short and sweet EP from earlier this year and was pleased to see more coming at us so quickly. The band’s stoner grunge with some punk vibes resonated with me on the EP so I would assume I would feel similarly to their new stuff, and that certainly is the case.

Hell Valley High is only here to rock, and that is exactly what they do on the eight tracks on Welcome To Hell Valley. The opener, Clean Slate, is solid stoner grunge with some cool guitar work and great vocals. Musically in parts there is a late era Soundgarden vibe until the pace picks up and they embrace more of the stoner side of the equation. I like the tempo changes on Clean Slate and this may be the most complex song they have released so far. 

To Each His Own has a groove with the riff that sounds like the band they borrowed the title for the record from, but is more straight-ahead catchy stoner rock, more like Sasquatch or a similar heavy stoner band who understands melody too. Future Nomads is a straight-ahead rocker that is not going to win prizes for originality but isn’t here to do that, just to kick your ass in a bar fight. Easy Rider may be my favourite track on the record, as it has the heaviest groove and actually gives me late 80s vibes in the best sort of way. Maybe I am nuts but I hear some Kik Tracee in this one and that is a damn good thing, combined with their stoner rock leanings, creating a super cool track good enough for any year end playlist, even at eight-plus minutes. Their most ambitious song till date, and it is excellent. 

Blameless continues the late 80s hard rock/metal combined with stoner vibe I dig so much from some of the tracks on this record. This one will be killer live I bet. HVH busts out a cover of fellow Dutch band Shocking Blue with Send Me A Postcard from 1968. A very cool choice for multiple reasons and it works here (check out the version done by indie band The New Pornographers too). The vocals, originally female, are delivered flawlessly for a song I assume is not that easy to belt out. One O One is the most straight-ahead stoner rock track on Welcome, reminding me musically of Valley Of The Sun while the closer, The Grind, brings more of the same goodness you get from the other seven songs on Welcome To Hell Valley.

Hell Valley High is not going to win any awards for originality, but what they do get lots of points for is rocking your socks off. The eight tracks on Welcome To Hell Valley does just that, leveraging their combination of stoner and grunge, some punk attitude, and some late 80s vibes to give us a fun little debut full length. 8/10

Reviews: Sylosis, Kosmodome, Oranssi Pazuzu (Reviews By GC, Rich Piva & Matt Bladen)

Sylosis - The Path EP (Nuclear Blast Records) [GC] 

Following hot on from the release of their last album Reading shredders Sylosis had a few tracks left over and though fuck it, release them as an EP so here we have The Path for our listening pleasure! On a random personal note, I have played on the same shows with Sylosis live a few times back in Berkshire way back in the day when they were just cutting their teeth and to see how far they have come since then is absolutely mind boggling! 

Anyway, let’s get stuck into it shall we!? It takes no time at all for Josh Middleton to take control on The Path with a passionate and driven vocal introduction that then explodes into a thrashy and relentless savaging they also manage to mix in some throwbacks to their earlier metalcore sound and the way that all the different styles interact is a beautiful thing to listen to and of course the addition of Debbie Gough is another wonderful part of the song.

Soured Ground mixes a stompy hardcore essence with another thrash attack and the mid song beatdowns and pitch harmonics hark back to the glory days of the mid 00’s when the NWOAHM was taking over everything and you can see that this was the sound Sylosis grew up on because they embrace it here so well and this song feels like a brilliant tip of the hat to their influences and Josh’s vocals are the real star here, with his breathtaking display of variety and also the guitar solos are ridiculous, what a fucking song this is! 

So Above, So Below has the unenviable task of following on and of course it is done with such force and utter class you almost wonder why these tracks weren’t included on the album but you are also glad they weren’t just set aside until a later date because to sit on something this good would be an absolute crime, this is probably the most straight up metal track so far but that’s not me trying to say anything negative about it, it just follows a more straightforward musical path and doesn’t take as many twists and turns as previously, still a track most bands would kill to be able to write though! 

No Saviours is a fucking blast of a tune, it has got big chugging riffs and a groove as huge as anyone could ever want, the way this track just grabs onto you and shakes you for dear life is fucking breath  taking and I guarantee this will be an absolute killer track when they play it live, the pit will be a dangerous place to be! And just like that we get to the closing track Disavowed which has an almost heart breaking chorus and shows that melody is not a dirty word if you are in a heavy band, if it is done well it can be devastatingly good and here it is just that, also the guitar harmonies back everything up with such an expert sound and of course there are more shredding solos that add a crescendo to everything and they end on an absolutely devastating high. 

I guess saying that these were spare tracks is a bit of an insult to the musicianship and utter brilliance that is on show here, The Path is unbelievably good and shows just why Sylosis are held in such high esteem in the metal scene, the UK has some amazing bands and these guys are now challenging to be the very best of the bunch and on this showing I really would not want to bet against them doing that with ease! Ignore this at your peril and make no mistake that this is 100% essential listening if you like any kind of heavy music. Breathtakingly brilliant stuff. 10/10

Kosmodome - Ad Undas (Stickman Records) [Rich Piva]

Norwegian prog psych stoners Kosmodome bring their second album to the masses, Ad Undas. I am always up for some prog with elements of stoner and psych built in, and Ad Undas is all about that, with six tracks that lean heavy on the prog side and includes some very cool instrumentation and excellent vocals throughout. You could throw some comparisons out there on the prog side like Yes and Van Der Graaf Generator, but Kosmodome’s version of prog sounds a bit more minimalist to me, in a very good way. The production is clean, but not sterile; clean in a way that let’s all of the instruments shine without overpowering each other. 

The guitar and bass work perfectly with one another on the start and stop of the almost nine-minute opener, Neophobia, with the jamming at the end being the perfect example. I loved the layered vocals on Hyperion and how it gets all psych on us. There is an overtly late 60s vibe across the six tracks on Ad Undas, with this one being one that leans heavily in that direction. Obsternasig has some very cool guitar work and is on the heavier side in parts, for Kosmodome at least. The band has really perfected the quiet-loud-quiet dynamic on Ad Undas. 

Dystopia picks up the pace the most of the six tracks, until it doesn’t, but then does again, which really is one of the main themes here. I dig the groove on this one, especially around the 2:30 mark. Turmoil sounds like Primus in parts (think Big Brown Beaver when the pace picks up) and is my favourite track on the record. While the closer is in the same vein as the rest of the record, and this is the conundrum for me. The one issue I had with Ad Undas is that even though it is proggy and all over the place it is still is kind of one note. 

While all the songs are really good, they all really sound the same, with similar instrumentation and the start and stops, which can make the record seem to drag at points, but if you like their sound, you should dig the whole thing end to end. If not, don’t go looking for the track you like, because it is all or nothing on Ad Undas. Overall, I really dig the proggy psych vibes of Kosmodome. I am just afraid it is going to be all or nothing for the listener, but give this trip a chance as the playing and complex yet sparse compositions are very enjoyable if you like that sort of thing, and I certainly do. 7/10

Oranssi Pazuzu - Muuntautuja (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]

Yeah this is a weird one, when I first pushed play on the new record from Oranssi Pazuzu, one of those bands where I had heard the name but nothing else, I instantly thought my stereo was broken. If Hawkwind decided to replace Lemmy with Necrobutcher (I know he would have been about 8 it's a metaphor), you may get something that resembles the psychedelic extreme metal found on Muuntautuja.

Their sixth album it sees them still pushing the boundaries of heavy music defying any sort of pigeonholes with rapid shifts between black metal savagery, space rock wandering and headache inducing noise. It's weird, inventive and a little scary. Translating to shapeshifter in English Muuntautuja lives up to it's billing, sounds tracking the slow moving intergalactic evil that like the red weed in War Of The Worlds eventually suffocates everything it touches.

Oranssi Pazuzu are an audio version of Lovecraftian horror, disturbing and unearthly and while I like some parts others left me cold. But then they are a band that define 'acquired taste' your best bet is to let this infect your speakers and see where it takes you. 6/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Eleine & Ignea (Live Review By Debby Myatt & Tony Gaskin)

Eleine & Ignea, The Asylum, Birmingham, 10.10.24

Tonight's outing sees us relatively close to home with a night of European symphonic power metal at The Asylum in Birmingham city centre.

Just two bands on tonight with Ukrainian outfit Ignea (9) on first.

This 5 piece have been around a long time now, and have built up a strong following throughout Europe with their heavy death metal tinged symphonic metal that has become more technically progressive in recent years. They open up with the track Dunes taken off their most recent release Dreams Of Lands Unseen from which a number of tracks tonight are taken from. This track has huge chugging riffs that are a counterpoint to the middle eastern feel to the keyboards, which is echoed in vocalist Helle Bohdanova’s singing as she effortlessly transitions from harsh gutturals to soaring melodies with ease.

Their music is rooted deeply in their Ukrainian culture and takes much of its inspiration from historical figures and mythology. The heavy/melodic phases in their songs echo the Ukrainian psyche, from deep pain to joyful highs. You feel fully immersed in their all encompassing music as they take you on an epic journey. The set fittingly ends on the beast of a track Leviathan from the album A Sign Of Faith, a full on power metal anthem, the crowd love it and a perfect end to a great set.

With just the two bands on tonight, we get plenty to savour from headliners, Swedish quintet, Eleine (10). We’re treated to a stonking 15 track set of pure dark symphonic metal that makes our black hearts very happy. Opening up with the heavy pounding riffs of Enemies they barely stop for a breather as they work their way through a selection of tracks taken mainly from the last two albums with a couple of older tracks thrown in for good measure. Madeleine Liljestem is a superb vocalist, incredibly powerful range and tone, and the play off between her and guitarist Rikard Ekberg’s growls is sublime. The interplay, particularly on We Are Legion and Dancing In Hell is as good as any metal duo on the circuit.

The epic set list seems to be over in the blink of an eye, always a good indication that it’s been a great gig. They end on the title track of their latest album We Shall Remain, a grand opus that somehow only lasts about 5 mins but feels like a symphony, this band packs a lot into their songs, and with the anthemic chorus of "We Shall Remain…" bouncing around in our heads, we certainly hope that Eleine remain around for a long time to come.

Reviews: Myles Kennedy, Wind Rose, Ihlo, Sweet (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Myles Kennedy – The Art Of Letting Go (Napalm Records)

As his Alter Bridge cohorts make that nostalgia back over in the USA by reforming Creed and getting Millennials everywhere singing along in stadiums around the country, his buddy Slash going on blues trip with various singers and guitarists, Myles Kennedy has recorded a third solo album, following up from The Ides Of March in 2021, and with his main band sitting idle, Myles, his band Zia Uddin (drums) and Tim Tournier (bass) and producer Michael ‘Elvis’ Baskette (Creed/Alter Bridge/Tremonti) has moved away from the acoustic/roots approach of his first solo records for an out and out rocker, one that has a bit more bite than the last few Alter Bridge records. While they now mainly consist of singles, The Art Of Letting Go, is an album, one to be taken in fully, like say Blackbird of ABIII. 

With songs that are designed to be performed as trio, they’re barebones, guitar/bass/drums in harmony with those brilliant vocals that are so unmistakeable. Miss You When You’re Gone keeps the acoustic beginnings of Myles’ solo tracks alongside that euphoric catharsis Kennedy always has with his lyricism. This is a clear radio single, the same can be said for the country rocking of the title track, while Eternal Lullaby feels like a Chris Cornell solo track, as Mr Downside is a bit more akin to the Creed/Alter Bride mothership. 

Oh yeah this is definitely a rock record, be it the swaggering groove of Saving Face, the strutting riff of Nothing More To Gain and that fat chug of Dead To Rights, The Art Of Letting Go is right up there with the best records in the Alter Bridge and Creed catalogues. Not just an acoustic troubadour and singer for talented guitarists, Myles Kennedy shows that he’s every inch a rock star all on his own with this third solo album. 8/10

Wind Rose - Trollslayer (Napalm Records)

Italian Dwarven metal band Wind Rose have long been an internet sensation. One of the few power metal bands to go viral, this has seen them support some of the genres biggest and brightest, with their stage costumes and anthemic party metal tracks they have captured not only the internet's attention but the wider metal crowd. 

So then Trollslayer, their sixth album again features eclectic tracks which vary between drinking anthems, videogame soundtracks, growled vocals, bags of hooks and the usual tributes to Warhammer, I wonder when Games Workshop will sponsor them? 

So Trollslayer offers up more medieval metal which will get their fans excited, be it the anthemic Rock And Stone, the mighty title track or The Great Feast Underground which with it's chorus about drinking and folky elements is very Korpiklaani. 

There not much else to say about these troll slaying dwarves, if you've heard that song they did then there's nothing too different, but it's all fun. 7/10

Ihlo - Union (Kscope) 

Originally formed as a duo of Andy Robison (vocals) and Phil Monro (guitars) Ihlo added guitarist Rob Mair, drummer Clark McMenemy, and bassist Michael Roberts. They released Union originally in 2019, but now it has been picked up by seminal prog label Kscope for a vinyl release. 

However that's not all, the album was remastered by Tesseract man Acle Kahney and features two bonus live tracks recorded at their ProgPower Europe show in 2023. Ihlo play modern prog rock the sort that is so en-vogue right now, chunky start-stop riffs, electronics and pop nuances all blended into a Union in many ways. 

With influences of Caligula's Horse, VOLA and Rendezvous Point, Ihlo jump out of the gates with Union the riffs counterpointed against the soaring vocals which speak of surrealism and nature, Starseeker is anthemic as Reanimate is constructed by bubbling electronics. 

Hollow meanwhile is dreamy, otherworldly, a futuristic fantasy which continues with the Parhelion a track that adds the likes of Leprous, the album coming to an end with the epic Coalescence. If you've heard the album on the first release, which I had but didn't review because I'm an idiot, you can see why it was picked up by Kscope, it's exciting modern prog that deserves to be heard! 9/10

Sweet - Full Circle (Metalville)

I mean where do you begin with Sweet? Having been a band for more than six decades, they were at their peak during the glam rock era with several huge radio hits. Notable a major influence on Def Leppard, all these years later they are still going despite, declining mainstream popularity, deaths, splits and legal wrangles, still led by founding member Andy Scott (guitar/vocals) they are probably still the premier purveyors of glam rock. 

While you may not have heard every single record by them, perhaps any as for me they are more of a singles band, coming from a time when singles mattered. They, well Andy's version (there was another of Sweet until 2020), have been releasing records infrequently since the original line up dissolved. This is their first album of original material since 2012 as 2020's Isolation Boulevard was an album of remotely recorded songs new spin and couple of newbies. 

Reconvened in the studio, they love to record their songs 'live' how they perform them, so there's a bit of meat under the glam rock catsuits, Andy Scott and Tom Cory shifting the stomping guitar riffs of Burning Like A Falling Star, though Tom's keys are also just as important. Lee Small (bass) and Adam Booth (drums) give a great backroom beat to the epic Everything and the NWOBHM thrust of Destination Hannover. 

The real treat though are the vocals of former Cats In Space man Paul Manzi who has a Coverdale-like soulfulness, it means that with Circus it's only in the backing vocals that the Sweetisms can be heard, if you didn't know who the band was you'd think it was another member of the NWOCR crew, somewhere between melodic rock and AOR, with some Beatlesesque moves on Defender and Coming Home. 

Anyone that hasn't heard Sweet since the 70's may be a little thrown due to this change to a bluesy rock/AOR band but they were that before the Chapman/Chinn mega-hits and that's where they are more than comfortable now, coming full circle indeed. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Orange Goblin (Live Review By Joe Guatieri)

Orange Goblin & Conan, The Fleece, 10.10.24

As a Bristolian, routes always seem to lead back to The Fleece, I attended my very first gig there back in 2014 and now in 2024, the same rules still apply. I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few sold-out shows there recently including the likes of Chat Pile and Ugly Kid Joe, yes really, to name a few. It was safe to say that I was very excited for this one!

Up first was the Liverpool based Sludge Metal band, Conan (8). I saw them for the very first time back in August during ArcTanGent Festival. I had heard of them before that experience because I had seen people wearing their T-Shirts everywhere but never listened and that set proved to me that I should check them out as they blew me away, combining a lot of elements of Metal that I loved. From the get-go at The Fleece there was a low and slow head-banging groove going on which was immediately enticing, full of Black Sabbath worship.

To my surprise there were a lot of cymbals used during Conan’s set courtesy of Johnny King’s drumming, which really caught me off guard as you don’t hear much of that in Metal like this. So much so that I had a conversation with a friend about it afterwards out of interest and they said that it keeps the crowd guessing in a sort of what the fuck was that kind of way and it feels out the sound well and makes for creative transitions into other sections of the songs. 

I really agreed with that comment, as someone who loves and values the art of the unexpected, it’s a very good view to have. Although I could hear aspects of the bass, with it feeling like it was trying to find me within the floor, it felt very much situated in one place on the stage which was disappointing and unfortunately this was a warning sign for later. As I passed the sound technician booth at the back of the room just after Conan had finished, I noticed a spat going on to the side of me as a punter shouted “That sounded like shit” and the tech retaliated by shouting “Fuck off”, things are slowly adding up.

Finally, as the crowd had their hands together with anticipation, we have the headliner being the legendary British Stoner Rock band Orange Goblin (7). They burst onto the stage with energy and fire in their eyes as they snapped into Cemetery Rats. People were bouncing with pretty much every song played as the mosh pit next to me was non-stop for the entire set. They played songs that I really wanted to hear like Scorpionica from The Big Black and Whiskey Leech from Coup De Grace and despite myself enjoying them it was only in-part as the bass felt next to non-existent for the majority of the performance. You could see Harry Armstrong pounding away to the best of his ability but getting nothing from it, this was not the band's fault at all but in-turn it was a huge let down for me. So much so that another comment was made from the people just in front of me with one guy shaking his head and saying “I can’t hear anything”.

Overall, despite Orange Goblin and Conan performing well and attempting to give it their all, the sound of The Fleece failed them on that night. With bands like these two within the musical spaces that they occupy, the bass is vital to me as it doesn’t only provide those earth-shaking tones but also a huge source of fun, so when taken away a band can only feel at second rate. It’s not the first time that I had seen this happen here with a sell-out before at this venue before as Eyehategod and Church Of Misery fell into a similar boat for me with the sound not hitting as well as what it should. Thekla I think suits metal gigs like this a lot better. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never stop going to The Fleece for gigs but this has to improve soon, otherwise a good night could go south very quickly.

A View From The Back Of The Room: Apocalyptica (Live Review By Simon Black)

Apocalyptica & The Raven Age, The Great Hall, Cardiff 05.10.24

I have to be honest, I came tonight because it’s a friend’s birthday party, and he wanted to come, so come we all did. I also have to confess I had low expectations going in, for a variety of reasons…

The Raven Age (7) are fully into their set by the time I arrive, and there’s a good-sized crowd already there to watch them perform. I’ve been aware of the band for a while but have to confess to being a little disinterested on the grounds that the amount of hype surrounding them, plus the not insubstantial boosts the band have received in the game of musical snakes and ladders from having the likes of Steve Harris watching out for you has always felt a little false to me. 

There’s plenty of acts out there grinding it from the bottom the hard way, so having someone’s famous dad exert their clout to get them the right label, management and tour slots always makes me cautious, and yes, a little harder to win over. But to be fair, the whole business used to work like this when major labels ruled the roost and decided who they were going to promote, ignore or bury that year…

Another challenge for me for this act initially is getting a sense of their musical identity, because influence-wise they are a real stylistic hotch-potch, running the gamut from elements of traditional Metal, bits of Groove, some straight ahead Melodic elements and a bit of Metalcore for good measure. However, with three albums and a lot of touring under their belt it quickly becomes obvious that there is more to The Raven Age than nepotistic hype. 

They seem slightly lethargic when I first arrive, but definitely hit their stride after a couple of songs as the audience, and indeed myself start to get what they are about. Front man Matt James is blessed with a strong set of pipes and a good, dynamic and charismatic stage presence, and within no time has both the band and the crowd feeding each other with energy, but the skill and effortless delivery of the rest of the band has me nodding along as well. By the time they are onto safe ground from their debut Darkness Will Rise, which the crowd are more familiar with the room is safe to say warmed up nicely, and I am forced to acknowledge that whatever short cuts may have been offered at the start of their careers are irrelevant now, because The Raven Age deserved to be here on their own merit. An unexpectedly good start to the night indeed…

Ah, covers and tribute acts… 

Those who may have read my ramblings before (and I’m assuming someone other than our esteemed Meister und kommandant editor Matt does) will know that I am often somewhat frustrated when audience’s flock to sell out a venue for some tribute act, whilst ignoring original acts and bands struggling to make their marks. It is deeply saddening that this happens, and I can think of a handful of gigs in recent months when the bands themselves and a handful of lucky journos have made up the bulk of an audience. And here we are tonight, to a large crowd here to see three cellists and a drummer churn out their instrumental versions of Metallica’s greatest hits… ‘80’s Kerrang! Bitch Mode’ engaged and ready for deployment…

But this is Apocalyptica (9), and after twenty-one years and a whole bunch of records of their own I think it’s fair to say that they have carved their own niche and evolved way beyond the mere ‘tribute’ hallmark. Whilst most of their discography stays in the territory of Messrs Hetfield et al, they have produced plenty of original material in the same style, but with a second volume of pure Metallica worship being their most recent opus, you know exactly what you are going to get on the set list tonight.

I’m all ready to be brutal here, but within minutes they have me in their grasp, along with the whole audience. Having never seen them work a room before, it becomes clear instantly that this is a group of gentlemen who knows how to enliven a crowd. Most bands rely on a vocalist as frontman and band leader when it comes to getting the punters going, but when your three instrumentalists not locked onto a drum stool at the back are wielding full size 4/4 violoncellos almost as tall as the players, you would think mobility would be a problem. Nope, these boys can move, utilising every inch of the stage in such a dynamic way that I am completely taken by surprise. And when lead cellist Perttu Kivilaakso flips his behind his head for a turn, and I think my need for a bitchy review has just been shredded.

It's perhaps not surprising that Apocalyptica first started to become well-known around the time Metallica’s ability to write good music went the way of all flesh, and the set does heavily rely on Burton-era classical-infused belters to whip the audience in the right direction (I may have punched the air when The Call Of Ktulu hits the airwaves), but I am equally surprised at how Black album era material works well with this treatment. 

Christ, they even make St. Anger sound good, which deserves a medal in and of itself. Closing out with a belting version of One, I find that this has been a very good night all round, and when low expectations get kicked out of the back doors and down the fire escape like that, I am reminded why I do this reviewing lark.

Reviews: Blood Incantation, The Crown, Ad Infinitum, 10 Years (Reviews By Charlie Rogers, Mike Pickett, GC & Zak Skane)

Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere (Century Media) [Charlie Rogers]

Incorporating more of their personal influences, rather being constrained to stick within one genre, Blood Incantation have opted to present their 3rd album as 2 compositions, split into 3 tracks each. There’s no doubt some symbology there that’s flown right over my head, but I’m hired to speak about the music rather than rustling through the hidden meanings on these things. Self describing the record as “a 70s Prog album played by a 90s Death Metal band from the future” (again, best not to question the maths on offer here), the claim within the promotional pamphlet is that the record is “unlike anything you’ve ever heard before”. 

Hype aside, from a purely technical analysis of the musical offerings, this claim falls flat. It actually does sound like someone who is into 70s prog, 90s death metal, film score, and even a tinge of modern death metal did their best to write a coherent overture as an introduction to their tastes - nothing in and of itself novel or ground-breaking, however it is done with expertise and there’s high craftsmanship on offer. As for that being a unique experience I’ve never heard before, I’m fairly sure the same effect can be replicated if my iTunes library shuffled a track from Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds to Suffocation’s Effigy Of The Forgotten, then to Rush’s Moving Pictures, finishing up with Baphomet’s The Dead Shall Inherit.

Strewn among the songs are callbacks to previous Blood Incantation releases, with some passages being reminiscent of their prior works, bordering on what I guess you’d call their signature riffs. There’s floaty, ethereal, atmospheric sections that encapsulate the feeling of drifting through nebulae. Spoken word over proggy noodling reminded me of Dream Theater’s masterpieces Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, and Scenes From A Memory. There’s even a tasty slam in The Message (Tablet I) which caught me by surprise the first time I heard it, further proof that this style of riff is most effective when done sparingly. The musicianship on display is superb, as one would expect from the Denver 4 piece by now. Riedl’s vocal barks suit the mood perfectly, bringing a darkness and gruff edge to the already angular and writhing death metal sections.

Production is clear and precise for the most part, however the track to track transitions are a little jarring, with all digital versions that I’ve checked out so far having a little road bump for your ears that should’ve been ironed out properly. Guitars and bass sound magnificent, and the drums are perfectly levelled, including the non-drumkit-drums. I’m guessing the flute on The Message (Tablet III) is actually done via a synthesiser, but it does sound very convincing. Definitely a record you’re meant to play in it’s entirety, from start to finish, it’s a bold ask of today’s media consumers to commit to 45mins of uninterrupted attention on effectively 2 pieces, but it’s one that I’m glad Blood Incantation have put forward. 

I can’t imagine how jarring and mood ruining this experience would be if the songs were to be interrupted by adverts, or other vibe altering nonsense, so there’s a strong argument to go out there and get your hands on the vinyl, CD, or buy the digital tracks from Bandcamp. Sit back on your sofa with a strong beverage, and commit to letting the soundscape take you away from reality for a short while. It’s an enjoyable experience, and no doubt a contender for a lot of people’s AOTY. 8/10

The Crown - Crown Of Thorns (Metal Blade Records) [Mike Pickett]

Crown Of Thorns by The Crown is an impressive showcase of how far this Swedish Death Metal band has evolved since their formation in 1990. The album transcends traditional death metal, pulling in elements of Black Metal, Thrash, Speed, and their own brand of Melodic Death Metal, making it a dynamic and captivating listen from start to finish.

Each instrument stands out without ever blending into an indiscernible wall of noise. The production ensures that the guitars, bass, drums, and vocals are all distinct and balanced, creating a powerful, clear sound. Marko Tervonen’s rhythm guitars are an onslaught of brutal, yet clean, death metal riffs, while Marcus Sunesson provides lead guitar work that elevates the album's complexity. The harmonies between lead and rhythm guitars on various tracks add another layer of depth and musicality, creating some truly memorable moments. The opening track, I Hunt With The Devil, sets the tone immediately with face-melting riffs, establishing a relentless pace that doesn’t let up.

The vocals, provided by Johan Lindstrand, are clean growls—throaty yet discernible, allowing the lyrics to be heard without losing their intensity. Mattias Rasmussen's bass holds its ground in the mix, and Mikael Norén’s drums are earth-shattering, maintaining break-neck speeds and keeping the intensity at an all-time high.

The album as a whole feels cohesive, with each track building on the last. Fans of bands like Sepultura, Death, and Obituary will find much to appreciate here, as The Crown continues to push the boundaries of death metal while paying tribute to its roots. Crown Of Thorns is not just a standout release in The Crown’s discography—it’s a masterclass in how death metal can evolve without losing its essence. 9/10

Ad Infinitum - Abyss (Napalm Records) [GC]

Some weeks there are just so many releases knocking about at Musipedia Of Metal Towers that we all must take a risk and just grab something that normally wouldn’t be our usual style of music, and this is exactly what has happened here! I am usually the last person you would want to review symphonic metal but today dear readers I am doing just that in the form of Abyss the newest album from Swiss/German band Ad infinitum, not sure what I am thinking but here we go none the less!!

My initial reaction to the opening of My Halo isn’t actually one of disgust, its mainly one of intrigue because the atmospheric background is a bit on the cheesy side but, it’s Melissa Bonny’s vocals that keep me interested because it sounds like she has great voice and I want to see how it is used, throughout the song the music takes a bit of a sickly sweet, commercial rock radio metal turn and is not really for me even the ‘‘heavy’ bit tacked on towards the end seems a bit forced, having said that things do instantly improve with Follow Me Down which is a lot more raucous and aggressive, not in an overtly heavy way obviously but the injection of energy is pretty decent and unexpectedly gets the foot tapping and the mixture of vocal rhythms are beautiful and really the highlight of the track.

Outer Space actually shocks me slightly as the aggressive vocals lead the song and there is some lovely djenty guitars added in by Adrian Theßenvitz and it actually sounds really good, the more melodic and spacey verses mix in well and it creates a good mix of heavy and melodic that while obviously not groundbreaking, is still done very well. Aftermath carries on in the same vein and really just follows the same path and structure with the aggression opening, falling into the open and airy verses with the shouty bit popping up every now and then and of course it has been done better before but Ad Infinitum certainly know how to create a catchy tune! 

Euphoria is probably the most Evanescencey type track on the album with its soft keys and big vocals interweaving with some nu-metal-tinged guitar work and while I can appreciate the musicianship it’s not my type of thing at all, Surrender has an altogether different vibe as when it begins it is chock full of electronic beats and is probably just a straight up pop song that then drops in a bit chunky guitar drop from nowhere that seems oddly placed and unnecessary really until you get towards the end and they do it again and this song gets a bit lost in itself as the varying styles don’t really mesh very well at all. 

We then get to the most obvious single on the whole album Anthem For The Broken with another twinkly piano opening, followed by the mid paced chugging guitars and the echoy breakdown on the verse that build up to the inevitable big chorus and guitar solo’s for no reason, this is aimed directly at radio play and I wouldn’t bet against it getting a lot of it in time! To follow that you get The One You’ll Hold Onto which should be the next single as it is a bloody good song, its full of high tempo riffing and soaring vocals that really get you invested and there isn’t a let up in the tempo even the weird heavy bit that gets thrown in towards the end weirdly works! 

Parasite in contrast is an absolute borefest and was probably destined for the cut but somehow survived its just a play by numbers angry song chucked in to add that little bit of edge and it just not needed and unfortunately Dead End doesn’t really finish on a high note the electronics sound really cheesy and the way the vocals are delivered made me cringe its just a bit of a poor song which is a shame as it had all been going so well!

Ok, so I am slightly shocked here, for all my ‘’I only like extreme metal-ness’’ actually I enjoyed Abyss it was fun and easy to listen to, yes there were some bits I really didn’t like but overall I have to say it wasn’t really what I was expecting and it surprised me in the best way, bravo Ad Infinitum, bravo! 7/10

10 Years – Inner Darkness (Mascot Records) [Zak Skane]

Hailing and formed from Knoxville Tennessee in 1999 the veteran alternative rock band 10 Years have a vast list of achievements under their belts. Through out their 25 year career, the band have had a consistent journey of sharing stages with the likes of Korn, Disturbed and Deftones whilst releasing most viewed singles such as Wasteland, Shoot It Out and Novocaine. Through out the last few decades the band still proves to be ones of the surviving alternative rock bands of the 2000’s whilst still putting out new music like their up and coming E.P Inner Darkness.

The Optimist featuring Conquer Divide opens the album with some garage rock vibes with the guitars coming in with some octave bouncing fuzzy riffs that are complimented with some chonky bass lines and pounding drums. The optimistic post-hardcore styled lyrics are traded off with Kia's are laced with megaphones styled fuzz, to soak the emotion and light it up with attitude. The following track Rise wears it’s 2000’s rock influences on it’s sleeve by bringing in some Breaking Benjamin vibes with it’s anthemic choruses accompanied with bouncing riffs. The Breaking Benjamin influences really come into fashion with the baritone strummed guitars in the bridges.

Speechless pushes the bass past the guitars to provide thundering sections alongside the pounding off beat drums grooves. The vocal patterns bring in some Maynard James Keenan approaches bringing it this progy edge and especially when the perfect circle sounding lead guitars come in. The gothic tinged track I remember brings in some H.I.M sounding keyboard melodies whilst their classic mid 2000’s alternative rock riffs punch through the mix. The Trench Master is the darkest song on the EP with it beginning with some Silent Hill styled soundscapes followed by crushing bass tones played over guitar layers and gothic sounding chorus effects helps highlight the dark lyrical themes of haunting past memories rising to the surface. 

The closing track Gravity brings in the waltz feel with its Deftones influences holding this song by the hand with it’s huge sounding chord progressions, swinging guitar riffs and the layers of feedback. The track ends with this well arranged score that consists of ambient twanging guitars whilst cinematic string arrangement glide this track to a smooth finish.

The Knoxville alternative rock outfit has kept their delivery short but it is defiantly sweet. From it’s fuzzy bouncing collaboration with Conquer Divide on their opening song The Optimist to the symphonic outro of Gravity, it shows that the alt rock veterans know when if it’s not broke why fix it, but it doesn’t stop them whisking it up a bit. For fans of Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and A Perfect Circle. 8/10

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

Geoff Tate & Kim Jennett, The Patti Pavilion Swansea, 04.10.24

The continuing reinvention of the "pocket sized powerhouse" Kim Jennett (7) seems to have been very public over the last few years, always around the rock sphere, she's been part of a band, featured on some guest singles, been a lead singer for other bands that needed one but with her latest reinvention and new music she flits between being in acoustic duo format and fronting her solo rock band. 

Comprised of some of the best guns for hire around, Kim Jennett is a fine rock singer with bags of attitude and anthemic tracks of her own, this tour signalled her first after the major rebrand and new single Hell Is Wherever You Are and they're a slick unit cranking out rock riffs. For me I think Jennett's vocals works better when she goes a bit grittier, like she did on the cover of Zeppelin's Immigrant Song, though all of her material is a bit rawer and riffier live. 

Proof that talent will always shine though when faced with adversity Kim Jennett made the most of this high profile support slot to win over a partisan crowd.

Partisan is definitely the word when it comes to fans of Geoff Tate (9), I do wonder how many in the audience have listened to Queensryche since he left, or indeed since 1994's Promised Land. It's languishing in the past that makes Mr Tate money these days, this tour marketed as a Greatest Hits Tour playing songs from Warning, Empire, Rage For Order and Operation: Mindcrime, the latter Tate's masterpiece, a conceptual record that can be compared to The Wall or Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, both records that are so linked to their creators. 

Yes if in doubt play Mindcrime, a mantra that coined by myself and my gig buddy Mr Hewitt, mainly because when track such as NM156 and Screaming In Digital didn't grab the crowd as much as Breaking The Silence and I Don't Believe In Love from Operation Mindcrime, Jet City Woman from Empire, Take Hold Of The Flame from Warning etc etc. Basically the 'bigger: more recognised songs excited Swansea more than the 'album' cuts. 

The biggest reaction though was saved for Silent Lucidity the mega ballad sung loud by the Welsh choir. It also closed the main set setting up for hide and seek and in a set of 'covers' I mean technically, these were all covers but the beginning of the encore we got a really dark metallic version of Welcome To The Machine by Pink Floyd as Take Hold Of The Flame sent everyone home.

Geoff Tate has been forging a career with songs from his history for a while now, his band are great at playing the music as similar to the originals as it gets. However his crowd come for the voice and that is still there doing what he does best. 

A View From The Fringe: Swansea Fringe (Overview By Liam Williams)

Swansea Fringe Festival, Various Venues, Swansea South Wales 2024 04/05.10.24

This last weekend marked the 7th year of the Swansea Fringe Festival. A celebration of some of the finest music, comedy and art that Swansea and South Wales has to offer as well as a chance for newer acts and artists to showcase their talents. Despite wanting to for a few years now, this year was the first time I’ve actually been involved with the festival and wow... What an incredible experience it has been! 

I might be slightly biased, since I’ve lived here all my life, but I truly believe that Swansea has one of the best music scenes in the whole UK and the Fringe perfectly encapsulates that. Everyone involved has done an amazing job, from the organisers, fellow volunteers and the bands/artists that performed. It really was something special to be a part of. In this article I will be providing some short reviews of the bands and artists I was lucky enough to catch, as well as talk about my experience with volunteering for the festival for the first (and definitely not last) time.

I had a pretty busy weekend, working on the doors at some of the different venues. People had the choice to pay at the door to get in to venues or buy a weekend wristband for £20, which if you ask me is great value for that price since the wristband will get you in to all of the venues for the whole weekend. All of the money we made goes straight back to the performers and all the volunteers get a free wristband, so everyone’s a winner! 

I had my first shift at Piñatas Burrito Bar who ended up stepping in last minute to run the comedy night after a booking error from the original venue. Despite the last minute venue change, there was a pretty good turn out and it started to get lively by the time the comedy started. Just as the first act was starting their set, I was finishing my shift and promptly made my way to Hippos to catch a couple of bands there.

When I got to Hippos I was able to catch the last 2-3 songs from psychedelic rock quartet, Rainyday Rainbow. An very interesting band that sounds like a blend of Sgt Pepper era Beatles and Nirvana. At one point the singer had the mic in his mouth while he was thrashing out some chords and yelling at the top of his lungs and I was slightly concerned that he was going to swallow the whole mic. But thankfully he didn’t and they managed to finish their set, with everyone still relatively alive and well, to a rapturous applause.

For most of the bands and artists I got to see, I only caught a couple of songs here and there so I don’t think giving them a rating would be fair. But the next couple of bands I saw at Hippos both get a well deserved high marks:

Right after Rainyday Rainbow, we had Grindhorse 83. A surf-punk gothic jazz horror genre-bending quintet who really got everyone in a party mood. Before they even started their set, they were handing out inflatable rings, beach balls and foam crab pincers to the crowd to simulate that beach party vibe. They are a very talented and eclectic bunch of musicians who have been in different bands and who decided only earlier this year to form this band together. They have only played a handful of shows so far, with their performance at Fringe being the last for this year. But I really recommend checking them out when they hit the stage again next year, especially if you are looking for something a bit different! 

Best way I can describe their sound is “evil B-52s”. Considering this band was only formed a few months ago, they played as if they’ve been together for years, with each member of the band giving a solid performance, even playing a great little intermission while one of the guitarists had to fix a broken string. At the start of their set I stood back and tried my best to write down some notes for this review, but a couple of songs into their set, I couldn’t stand back anymore so I put my phone away and danced my ass off. The band members themselves were having a lot of fun and you could tell, and because of their amazingly energetic presence, everyone else in the room also had a lot of fun.

Next up, after Grindhorse 83 finished their set, we had the headliners for Friday night at Hippos, local party rock legends, King Goon. I’ll be honest, it was my first time seeing these guys, even though they’ve been on the scene for a few years now, and I didn’t really know what to expect, but wow... do they put on a show! These guys know what they’re doing and how to get the whole room moving. Again, I was too busy dancing to write any notes but that just goes to show how much fun I had. I can’t actually think of any way to describe their sound. They are a little bit of everything. You need to see them to believe them! Another high energy, solid performance that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. A perfect end for my first day of Fringe!

Day 2 was a busier one and started with me heading to The Bunkhouse to grab everything I needed to start my first shift of the day at Elysium. While I was working on the door, I had a great seat close to the stage area and got to watch the first couple of acts, Rhiannon O’Connor and Loafus perform some beautiful folk music. Rhiannon performed an amazing set of original songs, mostly in Welsh, and Loafus played a really good set too, involving a great acoustic cover of a Jimi Hendrix track. Just before leaving for my second shift, I got to catch a part of a solo performance from King Goon’s frontman, James Morgan. James had literally just written a brand new song while also hosting the event at Elysium and interacting with the other performers and the crowd. What an incredibly talented guy! That’s the level of being productive that most of us can only dream of reaching.

My second shift of day 2 was at Hangar 18. As I was getting ready to start, I caught the very end of Baby Schillaci's set. Not really enough to write a review about but from what I heard, they’re pretty good. While I was on the door, Suns Of Thunder played a set, and although I couldn’t hear everything from the door, I liked what I could hear. Nice and heavy! Then, before I moved on to my third and final shift of the day, I managed to catch a couple of songs from Sigiriya. Again, heavy, good stuff! I’m looking forward to seeing these bands again properly.

My final shift at Fringe was at The Bunkhouse, which has recently been given protected status from the Music Venue Trust. That fact alone should be celebrated and I really hope to see more venues being protected from closure in the near future! While working on the door, I had a couple of breaks here and there just to go see a couple of songs from each of the bands. 

Nova Scotia were coming to the end of their set when I got there and I’m so glad I managed to catch a couple of their songs because they were brilliant! In fact, as soon as they finished their set, I bought myself one of their t-shirts. First time I’ve seen them and they were that good, I instantly wanted to show my appreciation by getting some merch. Next up was the punk band Kikker. They were a lot of fun to watch and the frontman is very entertaining. Minas were the last band on before the Fringe After Dark party begun. Again, another very entertaining, high energy set from them.

After my final shift was over, I decided to stick around at The Bunkhouse for the Fringe After Dark party. I got to see Cities, an instrumental, alternative electronic rock group, and Movement 81, an electronic duo. Both acts were really great to see. The visuals and the music were absolutely stunning for both acts and they kept the party going until about 2am, but I could have easily stayed longer if they had kept playing after that!

So, all in all, it was a fantastic weekend! I had the chance to work with some incredible people and see some bands/artists I might not have stumbled upon by myself, thanks to the variety of music on offer. I want to say a massive thank you to the organisers, my fellow volunteers and all the performers who got involved and I absolutely cannot wait to see what comes next year! I will definitely be along for the ride again and I urge anyone reading this to come along and join in, either by volunteering or to just come and see some really great live music!

A View From The Back Of The Room: The NWOCR III (Live Review By Debby Myatt & Tony Gaskin)

The NWOCR III Festival, KK’s Steel Mill Wolverhampton, 28-29.09.24 (Review by Debby Myatt/Photos by Tony Gaskin)

Saturday 

The New Wave Of Classic Rock Festival at KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton delivered a weekend of pure rock 'n' roll bliss. With a stellar lineup featuring headliners The Virginmarys and Gin Annie, the festival showcased some of the most exciting new talent in the UK rock scene. This was the third event put on by the team, that is purely volunteers and non-profit, with all money raised going towards the next event.

The festival wasn't just about the headliners. A host of talented bands stacked out both days’, the variety of music on offer ensured that there was something for everyone. KK's Steel Mill proved to be an ideal venue for the festival. The intimate atmosphere and excellent sound quality created a perfect environment for enjoying the music. 

Kicking off in explosive style on the Saturday were hard rocking quartet Ransom. They were perfect to get the early crowd into gear from the off. Great fun and frontman Matt was a natural and seemed perfectly suited the big stage.

It set the tone for not just the Saturday, but the whole weekend. 

Further highlights of the Saturday were the fabulous Jack J Hutchinson Band, with their Americana and Blues influenced rock, Sons Of Liberty, who, like Ransom played straight up hard rock with  joyful glee, tongue in cheek and a glint in their eyes. We also had excellent sets from Unknown Refuge, Ashen Reach (despite being a bass player short!) and Doomsday Outlaw. 

But it was high flying Collateral who stole the show for me. This is a band that should be playing big stages and arenas on a regular basis. Front man Angelo is a dynamo full of energy that doesn't stop or falter for the whole set. In his long Afghan style patchwork coat and bare chest he certainly has the women folk swooning, but it’s not all eye candy, this man has some pipes on him, they remind us very much of early Bon Jovi and they take the festival to another level.

Having to follow that were the two lads from Macclesfield, otherwise known as The Virginmarys. Their visceral, pulsating rock is mesmerising, hypnotic and a sight to behold. Maybe not the classic rock many in the room would like, but their alternative take on British rock as won them many fans over the years and they close out the Saturday in emphatic and electrifying style.

Sunday

Day two began with the news that Oli Brown had pulled out, but a last minute replacement had been found, so another day of top notch British rock was in store

And we started off this second day, just as we did on day one with a raucous ballsy set from hardrockers Kinstrife. A full throttle heavy rockin’ onslaught that blew away any first day cobwebs. This was followed up by the foot-tapping Americana country rock of Tom Killner and his band. This style of rock is quite popular at the moment with bands like Blackberry Smoke and the Brothers Osbourne flying high, so it was no surprise to see the early crowd rocking out to Tom’s British take on the genre.

That last minute replacement we spoke of were up next and it proved to be one of the highlights (if not the highlight) of the weekend. Local youngsters Jayler have rapidly made a name for themselves in a fairly meteoric rise over the past 18 months or so. The obvious and main influence here is Zeppelin, the music and the look is straight out of the Page/Plant workbook, but they do it in a fresh, energetic way that belies their young age.

It was great to see them on a big stage like this and get this exposure as I can see big things happening for Jayler. I would just say though that frontman James just needs to reign in the Plant persona a tad though, you’re not a tribute band, be yourself.

Following that was not going to be easy, but The Hot One Two are seasoned rockers by comparison and if anything they took it up a notch with their infectious songs that really got the party going, which, for me, stalled a little with next band Black Lakes who on the face of it seem a bit out of place on this weekends bill. 

Their rock is dark and gothic like, verging on industrial and as good as it was, it took some of the energy away that had been building with the early bands. I would definitely see them again, but they would probably benefit from a more metal line-up.

We had just three bands left and it was triumvirate of bands that have the experience, fans and most importantly the songs to close out this weekend.

First of those three were The Karma Effect, currently touring and riding high on the success of the brilliant album Promised Land. They inject the energy back into the room with the tracks taken off that album making up the majority of their set and this is continued by the effervescent Dead Man’s Whiskey who can knock out a head banger or a power ballad with consummate ease and a lot of emotion.

Closing out this fabulous weekend were local heroes Gin Annie who treat us to set full of their hard rocking songs that have won them many admirers and they have a fair few new tunes that they’ve been drip feeding us over the last twelve months or so,and it was great to see them performing those new song live. The songs are catchy, the crowd loving it. 

A perfect way to finish off what has been a brilliant weekend showcasing some of the best of British rock talent and the organisers have already announced that NWOCR IV will take place again next year at KK’s on the 27th and 28th Sept. You can get early bird tickets at this years prices for a short while, just head to www.wegottickets.com/nwocr 

Huge thank you to Richard and his team for their hospitality and especially to Helen who organised, informed and looked after the press over the weekend.

See you all next year!

Reviews: Cemetery Skyline, Stöner, Dragony, Amputate (Reviews By James Jackson, Joe Guatieri, Matt Bladen & GC)

Cemetery Skyline - Nordic Gothic (Century Media) [James Jackson]

I discovered Cemetery Skyline towards the end of July and at that time the band; a Goth Rock Supergroup, containing members of bands such as Sentenced, Dark Tranquillity, Dimmu Borgir, Insomnium and Entombed; were a few singles in to releasing their debut album and I’d had a damn good taste of what was in store, eagerly awaiting new singles as they were released, slowly forming an album that’s been on repeat for weeks. 

Listening through the album as a whole is a journey through a world of melodies, gothic sensibility and soaring songwriting; Mikael Stanne’s rich and solemn vocals bring the most melancholy of score to life, whilst everything that you could ever ask of a Gothic Rock album is played out. Personal highlight has to be the first track the band released as a single, the rather driven and upbeat Violent Storm, there’s a great synth/key melody to it and a hugely catchy chorus that has had me replaying the track over and over. 

I’ve only one issue with the album and that’s the track Never Look Back, which at times, mainly the chorus, reminds of a Richard Marx track, Hazard; a lyrically dark song about small town mentality and a murder which brings the town pointing fingers at the song’s protagonist; I like the song so that “issue” is not negative in the slightest. An album that’s simultaneously epic, grandiose, haunting, full of catchy lyrics, driven riffs and Goth Rock sensibilities; there’s absolutely no reason whatsoever that you shouldn’t listen to it. 10/10

Stöner - Hittin’ The Bitchin’ Switch (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Joe Guatieri]

After a great run of a live album, two studio albums and an EP, Stöner returns with a new live album, Hittin’ The Bitchin’ Switch which was recorded live from a gig that they played at Altroquando in Treviso, Italy. This band features Nick Oliveri and Brant Bjork, formerly of Kyuss and Ryan Güt who has been performing in Brant’s other band since 2015. The record put out on Heavy Psych Sounds has fifteen tracks which spread across the band’s entire discography as well as two Kyuss covers.

Going into the album we have track four, Rad Stays Rad. It’s listening to this song here within this live context that gave me a new appreciation for it, I think that it’s a love letter of the Palm Desert Scene where the band originated from. Growing up in this hot landscape, Nick and Brant had nothing to do but play their instruments together to cure their boredom and while the scenery didn’t change, the music did and made its impact upon the world. There's no other way to say it, this song with its smooth groove is the definition of Stoner Rock and my favourite song on the album, “shit don’t change and rad stays rad”.

Later on we have Tribe - Fly Girl, a gargantuan live version of the song at over fourteen minutes long and the fact that during the run-time it doesn’t bore me once is a testament to how great of a band Stöner is. Brant is at his very best here, from the beginning his wah infused guitar acts as the ghost of the space, drifting from side to side trying to find a home and by the end of the song, it has found solace by digging its own grave, sounding very sharp and strung out. Before Hittin’ The Bitchin’ Switch I had never rated Brant’s guitar playing but it has made me change my mind on it, just like the man himself, it can be smooth, versatile and an attitude of not giving a fuck about what other people think.

Lastly we have the two Kyuss covers, now I would say for the majority of the time with bands like this, people would skip to the last two songs and that’s it but this whole gig has felt like a joyous ride up to this point, with the previous song Nothing, the crowd participate with their loud chants and now it all seems worth it for the encore. With Gardenia it’s interesting because despite Nick’s time in Kyuss, he didn’t actually play bass on Welcome To Sky Valley as Scott Reeder did but that doesn’t stop him from doing a great job serving the song. Putting his own spin and intricacies into the low frequency rumblings of the jam section. Then we end with Green Machine where Brant’s guitar sounds a lot fuller compared to Josh Homme’s original riff, this all definitely put smiles on the fans faces and sent them home happy.

Overall this live album shows the band in top-form, highlighting countless great moments of spontaneity, passion and performance. I haven’t mentioned him that much here as he just seems like a ready-made machine but Ryan is phenomenal all over this thing being locked in with the other members, especially with his hard pounding behind the kit on Own Yer Blues, that would tear holes into the ground. The biggest compliment that I can give is that listening to this and closing my eyes made me believe that I was there watching this live. 9/10

Dragony - Hic Svnt Dracones (Steamhammer/SPV) [Matt Bladen]

Opening with Dvorak’s New World Symphony, this Austrian band brought to mind current WWE World Heavyweight champion, and fellow Austrian Gunther, who previously known as Walter used this as his theme so it still creates a certain mood for us wrestling fans.

Anyway it’s used here as an intro to the fifth studio album by Dragony Since their formation in 2007, the band have shaped their power metal into a style that follows the current trend of using lots of buzzy, 80’s sounding synths. Beast In Black do it, Amaranthe do it even, Dynasty do it, loads of bands do, however much of it comes in the latter half of this concept album.

The first half is full of swashbuckling adventure, the nautical theme carried over from Visions Of Atlantis on Dragon Of The Sea. VoA being where singer Siegfried Samer is a former member and bassist Herbert Goss is still a member, it was with their previous record, Viribus Unitis is where they really hit their stride. Another concept, this time steampunk themed, possibly due to the shift to that more retro-modern sound favoured by many power metal bands.

Power metal was always upbeat, with bouncy rhythms but with these 80’s synths (from Manuel Hartleb) you can almost dance to it, so it certainly makes the appeal broader no matter where you stand, I’ll admit to grooving to Twilight Of The Gods. Anyway I digress as here it works, well in fact making the album catchy, bombastic and joy to listen to. You can get enthralled by the story, “The fate of the British colonists who disappeared in the Lost Colony of Roanoke in the New World”, from the galloping Dreamchaser’s the new additions of drummer Christoph Auckenthaler and guitarist Mat Plekhanov join bassist Glos and guitarist Simon Saito to play high quality concept power metal. 

It seems they have found their niche, they thrive in storytelling without the massive need for theatrics any band name Rhapsody would want. Jacob Hansen gives it his special touch, letting the orchestral shine on nine minute, baroque title track Hic Svnt Dracones (Here Be Dragons), which has a bit of Meat Loaf to it, The Einherjar (What Dreams May Come) goes a bit folky (it’s the whistle). If you want quality power metal, here be Dragony. 8/10

Amputate - Abysmal Ascent (Massacre Records) [GC]

Reading up on the latest Amputate album Abysmal Ascent there is a lot of talk about pushing back against A.I on all levels but then it also says that is what their last album was about? Here they are aiming for ‘’pure, honest death metal, the old school way’’ and apparently this album ‘’is almost a statement for art itself’’ not sure what that is meant to mean but let’s hope they can produce something decent.

I Am Genocide is all about the evils of releasing A.I upon the world and the downfall of mankind, which is what their last album was about remember? And it is certainly death metal at its core and mixes in all different time signatures and tempo’s but probably to the detriment of the song as it just sounds a bit muddled and confused you never really know what is coming and not in an exciting way more in a kind of what the fuck is this doing now kind of way? 

Abysmal Ascent feels like it takes a bout a week to get started but thankfully when it does it fares slightly better than the opening track and has some nicely done death metal that integrates elements of black metal and thrash nicely but by about the midway point once again, it feels like they try too much too often so the mix just sounds all off as every different section feels like its mixed separately, Malevolent Manifestation feels like it takes a stab at tech death which helps and does make the song sound like it is more coherent and together in places as you kind of expect it to be a bit all over the place but I always seem to get the feeling that there’s just a lot going on, all the time and the juxtaposition of all the differing styles just dulls edge of everything on offer. 

Cavernous Temple Of The Absurd I think finally achieves what it sets out to, it’s a thunderous and scathing attack on the Vatican and the disgusting crimes they have committed on children over the years, and you can feel the vitriol dripping from every note and vocal line and the passion and hatred shines through majestically. Hybrid Organism is probably what most of the tracks on this album needed to be, short! but is also an instrumental which is a real shame as it’s a bludgeoning, ruthless and most importantly precise song which with vocals would probably have been a real stand out on the album, bit annoying really! 

Extractive Monolith does at least carry though the relentless nature of the previous track and there are some interesting vocal sections included and overall is a decent and urgent track, maybe they are starting to just concentrate and not mix things up too much which ultimately pays off! Sepulcro continues with the good run her they add some more measured and slower sections into the track and the confusion of previous tracks doesn’t creep in and they keep it simple and dark and again the more thoughtful approach really pays off.

Venomous Prophecies then falls back into the old ways and throws a lot of differing bits into the mix and starts to sound like its all just too many ideas all at once and nothing really meshes as it should and the song overall sounds disjointed. Visceral Dominion is more concentrated and precise again and with the extra couple of minutes shorn off the song it provides no room for them to try too much and get the sound confused, Perpetuum ends in a furious and blasting way in just under 2 minutes and it a perfect example of how less is more.

This was a frustrating listen, Abysmal Ascent was good in places but then the next minute you were thinking, what is going on here? They could sound like 2 different bands from one song to the next, and obviously variety is the spice of life an all that but, sometimes it helps to just concentrate on one thing, so you don’t sound like you’re trying too much all at once all the time. 6/10

Reviews: Allt, Fixation, Hell Is Other People, Bozoo (Reviews By Liam Williams & Mark Young)

Allt – From The New World (Century Media Records) [Liam Williams]

From The New World is the first full length album from Swedish progressive metalcore band Allt. This album is full of sick breakdowns, epic guitar riffs and some really great vocals, while the rhythm parts jump from groovy to thrashy and chaotic with ease. The album starts with the intro track A Flash Of Light. It has what sounds like a droning synth, playing one held note or chord, along to some spoken word vocals which sound like a voice message on a phone. The synth starts to sort of flash loudly towards the end of the track, getting you ready for the chaos that’s to follow. 

The next couple of songs, Remnant and Aquila, have elements of death metal, progressive metal and huge sounding metalcore choruses, with some really great breakdowns thrown in to keep throwing you off your expectations of what’s coming next. You think you’re going straight back in for a second verse after the chorus? Well BOOM, guess again, here’s a breakdown! Memory Of Light shakes things up with throwing in a bit of a nu-metal sound into the mix. Still keeping it heavy and even giving us some nice guitar harmonics to keep things fresh. Echoes starts off a bit softer, but this song has perhaps my favourite bass and vocal parts on the whole album. 

The Orphan Breed and Dissect Yourself pick things up again and both retain that nu-metal vibe thrown in from Memory Of Light. The Orphan Breed has a great use of vocals with low growls and fried screaming and Dissect Yourself has a nice bouncy guitar riff leading into the first verse. Emanate is my favourite song on the album. Again quite groovy and bouncy with a lot of guitar harmonics thrown in for good measure. Ephemeral has a very creepy sounding piano intro and outro. It also has some really cool lead guitar parts. Cycles sounds a bit like Architects with the vocals. There’s not much else to say about it. 

One of the weaker songs on the album but that’s because the other tracks are so damn good. Not a bad track to end it on but could have been a bit better perhaps. The only major criticism I have for this album is that although the tracks are pretty solid by themselves, the album as a whole doesn’t seem to flow very well from start to finish. It might just be me, but the pacing just doesn’t quite hit the right mark. Maybe the intros and outros for the songs could have done with a little bit more work so that each song leads into the next to feel more connected, rather than having several pieces of a puzzle and not being able to see the full picture. 

Another minor criticism is that the vocals could have done with being turned up just a bit on most of the tracks. But apart from all that, it’s a very good album, it’s got some really great tracks, more breakdowns than I thought was possible for an album that’s only just over half an hour long, and some great performances by each member of the band. Go check it out! 9/10

Fixation – Speak In Tongues (Indie Recordings) [Liam Williams]

Here we have Speak In Tongues, the second album from Norway metalcore group Fixation. Although it’s closer to being an EP rather than a full length album since it is only 8 tracks long and really only 4 proper tracks with the rest being interludes. But with that being said, this is a great album to listen to. Especially if you’re fans of Bring Me The Horizon and Architects. The main tracks are full of energy and the mix is pretty strong from start to finish. Random Acts Of Violence is epic when the full band kicks in. Blue Skies has a really cool guitar intro and a groovy section in the first verse. 

There’s a good build up to the breakdown followed by a calmer bridge section which then builds up again for the final chorus and epic outro. Tyrannical Miracle is my favourite track. It has a nice groovy intro and calmer verses before coming in with another massive chorus. The breakdown in this song reminds me of the breakdown in Kingslayer from Bring Me The Horizon. Fever Dreaming is the last track and it is also the longest, being around 6 and a half minutes long. It starts off slow with just the guitar and vocals but builds up as the song progresses. It even has a little bit of a progressive metal part after the first chorus. I really like the bridge section of this song too. 

Not much can be said about the other tracks, they’re just filler, although the intro track (grow a flower) almost sounds like the intro to The Greatest Show from The Greatest Showman soundtrack which I thought was quite funny. This album is short and sweet. It sounds great, the mix is pretty spot on and the songs themselves (apart from the interlude tracks) are well paced and great to listen to. It’s good but it leaves me wanting just a little bit more! 9/10

Hell Is Other People - Moirae (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Mark Young]

Another busy week, another cracker for its respective genre. Hell Is Other People are from Canada and have quietly dropped an album of black metal that is so much more than that. It’s the sort of album that warrants multiple plays because it of the layers it possesses. Its five tracks come across, cloaking you within its darkened atmosphere. Moirae leads us off on this journey, traditionally in its approach with a standard full rhythm that is set against a simple melodic guitar line. 

That simple line distracts from the subtle work that is being done. Its descending line hinting at that darkened motif to follow. It is unhurried, controlled and we hit the half-way mark before the vocals kick in. Sparse in delivery as they build, expanding the velocity giving you a taste of the traditional before they drop it back. It’s an exercise in restraint, a mature and worthwhile opener that doesn’t forget to bring the heaviness in amongst the melodic touches. It only scratches the surface of what is to come. 

That controlled focus is brought to bear on Fates, and this time it’s a more immediate affair. Guitars are picked in that classic style; vocals are more prominent, and that dark sentiment settles over us once more. I think I’ve said this before, but with some songs they seem shorter than they actually are and that is the case here. The way this, and Moirae before it is put together is just so good so that when you reflect on them with a critical eye its uncomplicated and that is its attraction. They get the basics right, those little guitar moments and the changes in attack that carry it along and you don’t even notice. Fates leads us into Degrade, isolated chords strummed, joined slowly, that atmosphere building until they hit. It’s not delivered at super-speed, just the right speed. When they pick it up, it means something. Instead of stupidly fast beat downs, the tempo makes sense providing it with a sense of urgency. 

As we progress, the songs get longer, but with no drop off in quality. Loss is off the mark quickly, and yet they still imbue it with those special melodic touches that offer a satisfying counterpoint to the guttural vocals. I mean it when I say you need to listen to this a few times to pick all of those touches up. Moreso, I’m struggling at this point to establish my favourite track, which says something to what they have delivered here. Loss takes us on a winding path, leading us to the final destination of Atropos, which comes in after a prolonged measure of guitar lines that appear to be folding in on themselves. This time, they really hit the ground running, subtle chanting and then we are off. 

Atropos is a 13-minute tour-de force that takes all of the groundwork built and proclaims, ‘look upon me and see’. Its balance of the traditional, of atmosphere, speed everything is perfection. The transition from about 4.40 onwards into the introspective is a welcome reprieve before they wind back up again. It’s not with speed, but with feeling and emotion. Again, when they do go fast, it means something in the context of the song and that is what I love about this. Everything they do is for the song, to make it the best they can, and they succeed with every track here. 

Its October and we are seeing a late surge in what should be held up as defining statements of their relative genres. Undeath and Maul last week, Heriot the week before and now these. Moirae rightfully joins that select group as one of the standard bearers of this genre. 10/10

Bozoo - Bozoo (Argonauta Records) [Mark Young]

A little departure from the high protein, all things death metal diet with the stoner stylings of Bozoo and that change of pace is a welcome one. This is one of the perks of reviewing, there is a varied stream of genres that come to you and gives you a little break from the norm. Since forming in 2019, this is the three-pieces debut album that follows on from a successful EP Three Heads and in all honesty their release is a solid collection of tracks that are mined successfully from the stoner/alternative scene. 

My experience with this genre is admittedly limited, but here it that alternative aesthetic is driven through a European filter, it is definitely an immediate start with Mayday, with a simple arrangement that is meant for rocking out to. Guitars are crisp, stabbing power chords and effective backline and we are off to a good start, but I have to say that on Flushing Action they hit it out of the park. Great vocals and a build that flows. I’ll temper this by saying that the shadow of QOTSA amongst others (maybe the Lemonheads too?) looms large and I suppose it is difficult to escape that. There is a fantastic bass tone to this, and putting those comparisons to one side they have crafted what should be a great live track to bounce to. It has enough in it to lift it beyond mere homage material and leads onto Cut, which has a 90’s alt feel which is no bad thing. 

What they have shown on these opening tracks is that they have a knack for building simple but incredibly effective songs that stick with you after listening. On this one, they do leave room for live expansion with a pre-closing section of just pounding drums and bass, just as the guitar starts to rise again. The idea isn’t new by any means but when it is done well like this it still works. Any criticism of this one is that you could argue for the length probably stretching it too but then they hit you with that up-tempo funky start to Scott Mary and things take a little detour into latter day Arctic Monkeys in terms of the vocal delivery. Again, this isn’t a bad thing and shows that they aren’t afraid to mix it up. The riff building here lands firmly in classic rock territory and for me it’s a definite high point. 

Rolling shows that willingness to further change things around, with a guitar part that I can best describe as bouncy. They depart / return to more traditional stoner ground with higher register vocals along with the barest of riffs before picking it up and giving it a shake around the three minute mark with a decent lead break that fits tonally with the arrangement around it whilst on later tracks they channel 70’s rock, maybe even early 70’s solo John Lennon material (Not Imagine) in how it sounds and how they phrased it (I just can’t put my finger on it) on They Call Me Nobody, in its early moments until they lean back into that alternative approach favoured earlier on, and that approach is front and centre on Two Holes which mixes in the quick and filthy to carry it along whilst Over You opts for the melancholic. 

Both offer different sides to Bozoo, and both are crafted well, with Over You providing a more expansive sound and experience and is a quality song. Choked Noise is their closing statement and is a solid track to end on. It has a traditional build which leans more into early QOTSA (to these ears) and has all the right ingredients to it and caps a fine album from them. Generally speaking, this is a decent full-length album and there are definite indications that they are able to forge their own path as their career progresses. It shows promise for the future and should appeal to fans of early 90’s alternative rock. 7/10