Shining continues the evolution of Swallow The Sun. 23 years since they appeared on the scene, they have moved from the progressive death doom sound towards a more focussed gothic style, this shift began on 2015's Songs From The North I, II & III and has continued over their last few albums. I can't really believe that a track such as Tonight Pain Believes could have featured on their early albums.
It like a lot of the album reminds me of Juha Raivio's work with Trees Of Eternity and Hallatar, both of which are tributes to his wife who tragically passed. This grief has been filtered though his song-writing for a number of years but on Shining, Juha turns his focus to disillusionment in human interactions, shifting their audio for more introspection, cleaner guitar sounds, backing electronics, the songs feeling brighter but also more direct.
Crafted to be shorter and more impactful, the way fellow death doomers such as Katatonia and Draconian have moving into the style of Amorphis, Soen and Leprous too on MelancHoly. Though there is more reliance on the gothic strains, they don't forget the death altogether though tracks such as What Have I Become featuring growled vocals.
I've seen a lot of long term fans say both good and bad things about this record, it does sound different to much of their previous albums but Swallow The Sun still maintains an emotional punch, just with a more melodic soundtrack. 8/10
The Outlaw Orchestra - La Familia (Self Released)
La Familia is the third album from The Outlaw Orchestra, based in the South Coast of the UK their songs owe a lot more to the South Coast of the USA with their rootsy country/Americana rock n roll.
The trio have played some of the biggest classic rock festivals around, the hybrid of country and rock favoured by bands like Cadillac Three, Whiskey Myers and Blackberry Smoke, the smooth bluesy licks on Sunday Drivers, there's banjo behind the electric guitar on El Dorado and a slide guitar on Holy Ground which builds into some crunchy heavy rock.
La Familia adds more classic rock to the country influence, appealing to the metal and rock fans gained through their cover of Iron Fist. The thing is there's bands like this throughout the USA, ones who were born into the sound without just trying to emulate it, not that this lacks authenticity but I'm not sure why the UK needs a country rock band when there's plenty of Americans who are played on Planet Rock and featured in the media?
Still that's a personal thing, The Outlaw Orchestra do what they do well, authentic Southern rock from the UK's South Coast, no matter how weird that sounds to say. 7/10
Never Obey Again - The End Of An Era (Scarlet Records)
Well this is all very modern isn't it? Italian alt metal unit Never Obey Again return with their second album The End Of An Era, yeah it's very modern, heavy grooves, electronic backings and the muscular vocals of Carol. In the blurb it compares them to Evanescence, Halestorm and Linkin Park.
Those influences are all there, the clean/harsh vocals style, atmospheric synths, groove driven riffs and anthemic sing along choruses all part of the Never Obey Again soundscape. The thing is there's a load of bands that do this just as well so Never Obey Again may be lost in the mix a little. 6/10
Red Giant - Red Giant (Radio Silent Records)
Dave Simpson is something of a wizard, a guitar wizard, amassing 135, 000 followers on YouTube for his guitar tutorials and gear demos. All fine and dandy being an intenet celebrity but does that translate into him being able to do it in the context of a band? well lets find out with the self released album from Red Giant, the power trio Simpson put together alongside drummer John Joe Gaskin and bassist Carina Powell, playing songs Simpson wrote in 2020 during the lockdown and afterwards.
This is specifically a heavy blues power trio, though a heavy blues trio with nods to psych, grunge and alt rock. The latter comes on Why? and Monsters, both having emotive lyrics and fluid melodics, the choppy Don't adds the bluesing of bands such as Cream, the What You Gonna Do? an atmospheric emotive blues piece. While Tell Me has a riff similar to Monster Magnet's Space Lord, fuzzy as all hell but very similar. The guitar playing is of course fantastic on tracks such as Free Me and The Dark Of Me, but his vocals too are great, a bit like Alan Nimmo of King King, the rhythm section with plenty of groove and feel.
Away from the hordes of YouTube followers Dave Simpson can use his skills in the confines of a band, making for some modern heavy blues. 7/10
La Familia adds more classic rock to the country influence, appealing to the metal and rock fans gained through their cover of Iron Fist. The thing is there's bands like this throughout the USA, ones who were born into the sound without just trying to emulate it, not that this lacks authenticity but I'm not sure why the UK needs a country rock band when there's plenty of Americans who are played on Planet Rock and featured in the media?
Still that's a personal thing, The Outlaw Orchestra do what they do well, authentic Southern rock from the UK's South Coast, no matter how weird that sounds to say. 7/10
Never Obey Again - The End Of An Era (Scarlet Records)
Well this is all very modern isn't it? Italian alt metal unit Never Obey Again return with their second album The End Of An Era, yeah it's very modern, heavy grooves, electronic backings and the muscular vocals of Carol. In the blurb it compares them to Evanescence, Halestorm and Linkin Park.
Those influences are all there, the clean/harsh vocals style, atmospheric synths, groove driven riffs and anthemic sing along choruses all part of the Never Obey Again soundscape. The thing is there's a load of bands that do this just as well so Never Obey Again may be lost in the mix a little. 6/10
Red Giant - Red Giant (Radio Silent Records)
Dave Simpson is something of a wizard, a guitar wizard, amassing 135, 000 followers on YouTube for his guitar tutorials and gear demos. All fine and dandy being an intenet celebrity but does that translate into him being able to do it in the context of a band? well lets find out with the self released album from Red Giant, the power trio Simpson put together alongside drummer John Joe Gaskin and bassist Carina Powell, playing songs Simpson wrote in 2020 during the lockdown and afterwards.
This is specifically a heavy blues power trio, though a heavy blues trio with nods to psych, grunge and alt rock. The latter comes on Why? and Monsters, both having emotive lyrics and fluid melodics, the choppy Don't adds the bluesing of bands such as Cream, the What You Gonna Do? an atmospheric emotive blues piece. While Tell Me has a riff similar to Monster Magnet's Space Lord, fuzzy as all hell but very similar. The guitar playing is of course fantastic on tracks such as Free Me and The Dark Of Me, but his vocals too are great, a bit like Alan Nimmo of King King, the rhythm section with plenty of groove and feel.
Away from the hordes of YouTube followers Dave Simpson can use his skills in the confines of a band, making for some modern heavy blues. 7/10
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