Jerry Cantrell - I Want Blood (Double J Music) [Rich Piva]
When it is all said and done Alice In Chains will be one of, if not the most influential band that came out of the 1990s. This is one hundred present true for the music that I love, as I hear AIC in a huge chunk of the new bands I dig.The main reason for this is Jerry Cantrell for so many reasons. Jerry should be revered for all he has done for heavy music, as his guitar playing, songwriting, and use of harmonies is still widely heard in new music today. After Black Sabbath, Alice In Chains is the most mentioned influence I get when interviewing or reading about heavy bands today.
All of this is to say that we should all celebrate when we get new Jerry music, this time in the form of his fourth solo record, I Want Blood. Jerry’s solo stuff has been anywhere from good to great to me, but somewhat of a mixed bag, relatively speaking for a guy who can really do no wrong to my ears.
His solo stuff has veered a bit away from AIC stuff, but never too far, as you always know it is him, but leaning in to a more bluesy or straight-ahead hard rock feel then the dark gunge of what his band brings. I Want Blood, however, leans into his AIC past and present, with a heavier and darker record, filled with those riffs he is known for and some songs way closer to Alice songs then on his previous solo records, with excellent results.
You can hear this right off the bat with the opener, Vilified. Jerry’s guitar is in full AIC mode with vocals that could be from Dirt. This is a filthy solo Jerry track that we all are dying for when we hear there is new music from him dropping. Off The Rails is more like other solo material but somehow darker, especially the guitar work and how he merges two of his parts into one. I love the title track, a straight-ahead, no BS heavy rocker that fits perfectly with the nine tracks.
You can hear this right off the bat with the opener, Vilified. Jerry’s guitar is in full AIC mode with vocals that could be from Dirt. This is a filthy solo Jerry track that we all are dying for when we hear there is new music from him dropping. Off The Rails is more like other solo material but somehow darker, especially the guitar work and how he merges two of his parts into one. I love the title track, a straight-ahead, no BS heavy rocker that fits perfectly with the nine tracks.
Throw Me A Line is great too, a nice combination of AIC and Jerry solo wrapped up in one tune. Same idea with Let It Lie. Tracks like Afterglow and Echoes Of Laughter are solid Jerry solo tracks, and I enjoy them, but I like it darker, so while these tracks are not skips in any capacity, they are not my favourite on the record. The record ends in grand fashion, with Held Your Tongue which sounds like something from the self-titled AIC record and It Comes, one of those Jerry tracks that crawls along, catches you, and doesn’t let go.
I Want Blood is a great combination of the great Jerry solo stuff and more AIC leaning material. This may be Cantrell’s best solo work since Boggy Depot and a set of nine songs that should in no way disappoint his loads of fans. 8/10
I Want Blood is a great combination of the great Jerry solo stuff and more AIC leaning material. This may be Cantrell’s best solo work since Boggy Depot and a set of nine songs that should in no way disappoint his loads of fans. 8/10
Pyrogaric - The Serpent (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Welsh proto-doom band Pyrogaric return with their second full length album The Serpent, having been a duo before this, this second album sees them recording as a trio as bassist Rhys Hone joins guitarist Keelan Deri Powell and drummer/vocalist Jamey-Leigh Butcher. With this added bottom end grunt, it not only means these songs have a broader sonic palette, from the chugging Over The Line to the doomy I'm Invisible that added bass rumbles heavy letting Keelan get some chances to do some lead breaks as Hone takes the rhythm.
Jamey-Leigh's breezy drumming and wailing on God's Plan showcases her skills, the gothic moment of The Serpent harks to some Sabbath as does Fly On The Wall and they have added strings to some of their tracks here too especially on a new version of Sweet Insomnia. The Serpent takes Pyrogaric strongly into their trio era, these stage honed tracks of fuzzy proto-doom have finally been put to record and it will slither its way under your skin. 8/10
Assassin – Skullblast (Massacre Records) [Paul Hutchings]
Reach back in the annals of thrash metal and you’ll find Assassin. You can also read a review by Rich Oliver of 2020’s Bestia Immundis in these very pages. As Rich says, Assassin has never reached anything more than cult status, and with their first ever EP and first music for four years, it’s probably in the underground where the five-piece from Dusseldorf are likely to stay.
Welsh proto-doom band Pyrogaric return with their second full length album The Serpent, having been a duo before this, this second album sees them recording as a trio as bassist Rhys Hone joins guitarist Keelan Deri Powell and drummer/vocalist Jamey-Leigh Butcher. With this added bottom end grunt, it not only means these songs have a broader sonic palette, from the chugging Over The Line to the doomy I'm Invisible that added bass rumbles heavy letting Keelan get some chances to do some lead breaks as Hone takes the rhythm.
Jamey-Leigh's breezy drumming and wailing on God's Plan showcases her skills, the gothic moment of The Serpent harks to some Sabbath as does Fly On The Wall and they have added strings to some of their tracks here too especially on a new version of Sweet Insomnia. The Serpent takes Pyrogaric strongly into their trio era, these stage honed tracks of fuzzy proto-doom have finally been put to record and it will slither its way under your skin. 8/10
Assassin – Skullblast (Massacre Records) [Paul Hutchings]
Reach back in the annals of thrash metal and you’ll find Assassin. You can also read a review by Rich Oliver of 2020’s Bestia Immundis in these very pages. As Rich says, Assassin has never reached anything more than cult status, and with their first ever EP and first music for four years, it’s probably in the underground where the five-piece from Dusseldorf are likely to stay.
The first thing to say is that if you are a fan of no-nonsense savage thrash metal, then Skullblast is likely to be one worth checking out. It is ferociously played and delivered, with dual lacerating guitars and guttural vocals that rip through your heart. You want gang shouts? You got ‘em. You want paint peeling lead breaks? It’s all here. And there’s also a robust cover of Peter Green’s Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) to irritate the purists. What more can you ask for?
The band have welcomed Patrick Pagliaro to add some vocals on Blood For Blood and Cut Your (Own) Throat, which brings added heft to proceedings. Think Sodom, Destruction and the like and you’ll have a good idea of what’s going on here. It’s well delivered, well produced and played loud caused me to break the speed limit on a drive a few times.
As a thrash fan, I found this perfectly acceptable, well-honed fare. It won’t propel Assassin to stardom, but if you saw these in a festival tent, you’d be hard pressed not to be raging in the pit within seconds. And for me, that’s all a thrash band can ask. Skullblast is uncomplicated, full of groove, but sharp enough to risk injury if you don’t handle with care. 7/10
The Hypothesis - Evolve (Noble Demon) [Mark Young]
Finnish Prog-metal outfit The Hypothesis bring their second full length release via Noble Demon to our ears and being honest it’s a mixed bag. I appreciate that we have limited time to get under the skin of new releases and some bring a more immediate reaction than others. There is a definite skill on display here in how they put their sound together, to make it sound as expansive as it does and opening track Wanderer makes a good fist of bringing that expansive effect to bear as they drop a slice progressive melo-death riffing, complete with harmonics and some exceptional drumming.
Finnish Prog-metal outfit The Hypothesis bring their second full length release via Noble Demon to our ears and being honest it’s a mixed bag. I appreciate that we have limited time to get under the skin of new releases and some bring a more immediate reaction than others. There is a definite skill on display here in how they put their sound together, to make it sound as expansive as it does and opening track Wanderer makes a good fist of bringing that expansive effect to bear as they drop a slice progressive melo-death riffing, complete with harmonics and some exceptional drumming.
My problem with it is that it takes a while for the vocals to kick in. When they do, they are spot on, adding and carrying the song until they switch to the cleans and then it falters. The cleans just flatten the song completely. The musicianship on display is faultless, the lead breaks that come in towards the end are spot on but the use of the cleans doesn’t feel right at all. Here I Stand comes in with a meaty riff and death style vocals that underpin, working in unison making it live.
The addition of keys to the mix makes it that little bit more than just the standard melo-death material. It fits the song and gives it that little extra bit of oomph until the cleans come in once more. Here its slightly different, as the cleans work better within the context of this song but after two songs I’m building a picture of what the rest will sound like. And I’m honest enough to say that I’m not enthused to continue.
However, it would not be fair to stop without giving the rest a sufficient try. Watch The World Burn With Me brings those keys along for the ride, taking on a more prevailing role as the vocals switch from cleans to those impressive roars again backed by some decent riffing. When it’s like this, they really shine, everything coming together in a package that really engages you. And this takes me back to my comment about it being a mixed bag. Its apparent that there is so much they do well, and I mean really well. It sounds great, the production is spot on and when they are on it, it’s a glorious noise.
However, it would not be fair to stop without giving the rest a sufficient try. Watch The World Burn With Me brings those keys along for the ride, taking on a more prevailing role as the vocals switch from cleans to those impressive roars again backed by some decent riffing. When it’s like this, they really shine, everything coming together in a package that really engages you. And this takes me back to my comment about it being a mixed bag. Its apparent that there is so much they do well, and I mean really well. It sounds great, the production is spot on and when they are on it, it’s a glorious noise.
However, when the cleans are in, such as on Evolve it doesn’t work anywhere as good as when it is the full-throated roar. The musicianship is first class, just listen to the opening bars of Where The Dreams Come To Die for that. From The Ashes is another that has a top build, mixing in the melodic and the heavy in such a brilliant manner as it drops some quality guitar lines as it shows their progressive class. Extended solo breaks that are just royal.
What is frustrating is that the other songs are equally as impressive in how they are played, the craft is there but the use of the cleans is a misstep. Dead Cold Silence is another belter, showing that the growls fit their sound so well. Its heavy, aggressive and takes the momentum built by From The Ashes and pushes it further. Thousand Skies opts to slow it down, letting the melodic come flying through whilst allowing their progressive edge to take flight.
Stray is the ending track and comes flying out of the traps with those drums doing some heavy lifting along with their knack for melody until they break out the cleans again. Stray pelts down that dirt/clean road with considerable effort and some mental guitar work and it almost brings the album to a satisfying close.
As I said, it’s a mixed bag with some truly brilliant music on display here. The later tracks are monumental and for me it shows that they need to decide which path to go on because their extreme vocals are fantastic and fit so well with the music behind it. There’s no doubt that others will dig both styles on here, its just not for me. 6/10
As I said, it’s a mixed bag with some truly brilliant music on display here. The later tracks are monumental and for me it shows that they need to decide which path to go on because their extreme vocals are fantastic and fit so well with the music behind it. There’s no doubt that others will dig both styles on here, its just not for me. 6/10
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