Reviews: Yoth Iria, Shattered Hope, Tidal Shock, Shinigami GR (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Yoth Iria - Blazing Inferno (Edged Circle Productions)

The second album from Greek black metal veterans Yoth Iria is another slice of Hellenic extreme metal from one of it's originators. Yep Yoth Iria still march to the savage beat of Jim Mutilator's bass, just listen to Rites Of Blood And Ice. With the doomy, mid paced stomp of the title track starting the record off, it's a slow build into the rest of the record where the drumming of Vasilis Stavrianidis is an absolute stand out, no matter the pace or direction of the track he's a powerhouse.

While the debut EP and first album were Jim re-announcing his importance on the Greek extreme metal scene, this second album is them it full power, the flame is indeed blazing, the ravenous black metal growls of HE, conjuring evil spirits and the the unholy ones while guitarists Nikolas and Naberius trade off grubby distorted riffs, trem picked melodies and classic metal lead breaks/solos on Purgatory Revolution.

These basic sounds augmented by extensive use of traditional Greek instrumentation and folk traditions, the clarinet in Our Father Rode Again His Ride. However they never shy away from the scene Jim help build, Mornings Of The One Thousand Golds proudly still exclaiming "Non Servium" with an epic extreme metal backing. Yoth Iria keep the fires of early Rotting Christ and Varathon burning strong, Hellenic Black Metal at it's most vital. 8/10

Shattered Hope - Memoir (FYC Records)

Nick (vocals), Sakis (guitars), Thanos (guitar), Thanasis (bass) and Yiannis (drums) make up Greek doom/death band Shattered Hope. A band who are definitely classed as funeral doom, without keys since 2014, they use heavy guitar riffs and feedback to portray the sense of dread and foreboding.

This three track record is their first new music for a while and feature two long, heavy doom tracks, playing with harsh and clean vocals throughout they're typical of Shattered Hope. Then there is a cover of Ble Himonas (Blue Winter) a song originally recorded by Greek language post punk/alt rock band Diafana Krina.

It's this track that's the most interesting if I'm honest as it's a much heavier version but keeps the innate sadness and gothic overtones of the original. Memoir keeps the doom flowing from Shattered Hope, throwing in a couple of new spices to keep it interesting too. 7/10

Tidal Shock - Riffs Of Ha (Self Released)

Tidal Shock are band all about the riffs, so much in fact that don't even let a little thing like vocals get in the way! With comparisons to Clutch and Red Fang, they also have a lot of the Greek stoner scene in their sound with Planet Of Zeus and 1000mods comparisons. For me though they sound a lot like Karma To Burn and Earthless, using the full scope of the stoner/psych/doom sound to kick out the jams on this six track record.

Now I'm usually a vocal guy, I love a good singer but there's something about instrumental stoner rock that means I can easily listen to it as is, it's about the power of the riff and there's loads on Riffs Of Ha. Formed in Greece but now based in Luxembourg, Tidal Shock have toured with some of the biggest names in the Greek stoner scene and it shows in the skill that bleeds through the epic title track and the rest of the record. Whether you dig this depends on your opinion of instrumental bands but Tidal Shock had me nodding along the whole time so that's a win in my book. 7/10

Shinigami GR - Borderline PD (Self Released)

Shinigami GR are a heavy metal band from Greece, formed in 2007 they have gone through a few like up changes but they are still led by guitarist Dion and now give us their second album Borderline PD.

The band name comes from a Japanese spirit who guides people towards their death. Produced by Bob Katsionis so it booms out of your speakers, Shinigami GR play classic heavy metal, the vocals of Vasiliki reminding me of Wales' own Krissie Kirby or Ann Wilson of Heart, she's a vocal powerhouse able to tell the story of this cat and mouse, murder mystery.

Dionysis and Leuteris are the guitar duo that music like this needs, Kostas it's percussive backbone alongside new bassist Christina and the keys of Konstantinos adds the theatricality to the this concept album where a detective hunts down a killer, the use of the keys steps up the classic heavy metal style with some prog metal drama on At The Scene Of The Crime or the huge AORisms on The Chase.

Basically this album sounds like Benedictum playing Metropolis PT 2: Scenes From A Memory, so yeah I love it. 8/10

Review: Klone, Neal Morse & The Resonance, Sólstafir, Sol Invicto (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Klone - The Unseen (Pelagic Records)

I've seen Klone a number of times in the last but the last time I watched them play will stay with me for a while. Supporting Riverside, the French band played an acoustic set, the lighting set to the tonal changes, the sound crystalline perfection of a band stripped back but mesmeric. 

For me they were better than Riverside on the night, the acoustic show deliberate so they didn't blow the headliners off the stage with their ever impressive art-rock. This acoustic expression has come to influence Klone over their past few albums, and here with the percussive Magnetic. The atmospheres and tones of electronic/alternative and progressive music brought into a fusion similarly to the way Leprous have shifted their sound away from djenty heaviness into lighter melodies and emotive warmth.

Klone have taken a similar route for all of the dreamscapes such as Slow Down, there's the heavy thump of grunge and alternative rock. Soundgarden-like metallic sheen to their music on Interlaced but much more reminiscent of Porcupine Tree playing Alice In Chains, much of their music floats in a spectral landscape of undulating colours and textures. Emotive and conceptual, Klone have once again broken new sonic ground and built further on their signature expansive sound. It's a concoction they have been refining since 2019's Le Grand Voyage, gaining them a bigger audience, one worthy of a band on their tenth studio album.

Yes 25 years into their career and they have an album where every member shows what they can do, be it the meticulous, fluid playing of guitarists Guillaume Bernard and Aldrick Guadagnino, the open chords on the epic Spring feeling like Leprous or Steven Wilson via Opeth. In the powerhouse of the rhythm section Jean Etienne Maillard's bass spindly as it takes on a life of it's own set against the dexterous drumming of Florent Marcadet, who brings jazz to interlaced and After The Sun, the influence of jazz also felt by the use of saxophone. 

With tracks such as The Unseen and Desire Line it's Yann Ligner's voice that heals a d soothes you, the vocal guides through these journeys, he's one of my favourite vocalists around and his emotion and fragility on this record is hair-raising. I've played The Unseen countless times and each listen unveils something more, a stunning album from a special band. 10/10

Neal Morse & The Resonance - No Hill For A Climber (Radiant Records)

Whatever you think about rock music that has a strong religious message, the commitment Neal Morse has to his faith is something that must be commended. Since he left Spock's Beard, the band he co-founded, he has dedicated quite a significant amount of his solo material to celebrating his faith going as far as full blown concept records based around passages of The Bible.

What Morse has also stuck to is the sound he pioneered with Spock's Beard, inspired by the prog rock gats such as Yes, Genesis and Emerson Lake And Palmer, Neal Morse albums and those with Transatlantic, are always grandiose affairs with epic run times, cinematic shifts and plenty of virtuoso musicianship invariably from a who's who of prog rock/metal players.

However his new project Neal Morse & The Resonance tries to add a freshness and shake up the formula. It's a record based on Barbara Kingsolver's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Demon Copperhead, a stark and dark retelling of the Dickens classic David Copperfield but unlike previous projects Morse chose a talented group of local musicians to make up his band here, on the urging of his wife.

Joing Morse on keys/guitars/bass/percussion/vocals is Chris Riley with Andre Madatian on guitars/orchestrations and drummer Philip Martin behind the kit. He also has a dedicated vocalist in Johnny Bisaha, another drummer in Joe Ganzelli, backing singers, string player and horn section. A massive band then for a massive album. Three 5-6 minute numbers wedged between two 20+ epics, the title track nearly 30 minutes long.

It's these middle songs that are the ones where this injection of youth comes in, adding new ideas, but some familiar lyrical content, while the two epics are classic Morse. Sat somewhere between his Spock's Beard latter period and the second Transatlantic release, No Hill For A Climber is another great Neal Morse record. 9/10

Sólstafir - Hin Helga Kvöl (Century Media Records)

Are Sólstafir Iceland’s most successful metal band? Well they’re certainly the most recognised by those outside of their native Scandinavia. As with so many bands who compose and live within the Arctic Circle in the constant darkness or eternal twilight, surrounded by the barren, beautiful, volcanic landscape of their native country, the music the band produce defies a lot of genre tropes. At times it shimmers with crystalline post rock, the next dives into the molten darkness of extreme metal, performing in their native language somehow making it more emotive, relying on how you interpret it (as an English speaker) an not whether you can understand.

 
Aðalbjörn Tryggvason’s vocals carry a power to bewitch, there’s an angst, a longing that comes through with the driving numbers such as Hún andar, the stripped back beauty of Freygátan and when they slow to doomy percussive blows that so often evolve into full bore elemental black metal, such as the title track. As the band shifted focus towards more anthemic tones in their music, they have embraced a type of open chord post punk that incorporates the swagger of a Morricone western. 

I suppose it reflects their country being one of the last few truly wild frontiers. Tryggvason and Sæþór Maríus Sæþórsson’s guitars are a full widescreen experience, the clean open melodies layered for full effect, but then distorted and raw for the aggressive parts, both coming with Vor ás. Svavar Austmann’s bass used to full effect on the wailing post rock of Sálumessa, the steady, studious drumming of Hallgrímur Jón Hallgrímsson a solid backbone here an on the raging Nú mun ljósið deyja. 

Haunting and atmospheric due to stripped back production and the influence of their countries co-existence in both dark and light, Hin Helga Kvöl (The Holy Suffering) encourages you to lose yourself in Sólstafir’s beautiful gloom. 8/10

Sol Invicto - Loosely Aware (Omyac Records)

Loosely Aware are the first three 'official' tracks released by underground metal band Sol Invito. Formed by producer/guitarist Richie Londres, Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter and Cypress Hill percussionist Eric Bobo. Originally based in the D&B/Industrial sound, they formed the Sol Invicto Comiti, an experimental members only club that resulted in a double album of demos and experiments. So Loosely Aware then is as I've said the first official release for the band outside of their own comiti.

A track such as Lost In Translation is testament to what Sol Invicto do as a band, Latin rhythms, crushing modern heavy metal, industrial desolation, it's almost like a combination of the members other bands but with a take no prisoners style of composition. With Bobo now off with London Symphony Orchestra's Londres tapped Dan Foord of Sikth to sit behind the drums so they could think about playing live. Every moment of these three tracks is aggressive, the percussion plays a major part of their style as you'd expect but Carpenter and Londres' riffs are choppy and techy with that thump of industrial metal in the background adding dissonance.

With a full length in the works as Sol Invicto and remixes under the Comiti banner there's a lot of music that's left to be explored by this collaboration. 7/10

Reviews: Earthburner, Paganizer, The Body, Anomalie (Reviews By GC & Mark Young)

Earthburner - Permanent Dawn (M-Theory Audio) [GC]

There is nothing more exhilarating than a well done grindcore record and today I have Permanent Dawn from Earthburner who promise to deliver ‘’uncompromising grind’’ as far as I am aware there isn’t really any other type of grindcore, but they have my attention now!

It begins promisingly enough on Necrodisiac which is a blitzkrieg of thundering drums and guitars that seem to have a muddy production on purpose but it doesn’t take anything away from the sound and nothing gets lost even if the vocals are maybe mixed a little high but overall it’s a good start, Like Dogs is exactly what you want, its fast, scuzzy, scathing and more importantly 37 seconds long which gives you no chance to really moan about anything as everything is precise.

On point and razor sharp then at the other end of the spectrum we get Broken Head which at 2:08 is practically an epic, but seriously the longer run allows for a more death metal groove to be added in and bounce off the grinding assault which is a nice touch as it’s a definite old school throw back and adds a real depth to the track that you may not get with a straight forward grind track. 

Facelift is back to the core sound, and they really deliver again here with more DM groove and some hardcore influences sprinkled on top for good measure to really beef up the sound nicely but never straying to far from the essence of what makes good grindcore so exciting! 

Permanent Dawn is another 2-minute epic and once again shows a more death metal pacing, its still ultra-fast and doesn’t let up on the viciousness but needs the more bulked out sound to fill the time of the track because as much as I love sonic nastiness sometimes it can get tedious but not here as it’s all done brilliantly well.

Uncreation ramps the pace back up and leans heavily back into the uncompromising grind that we were promised at the start and when they sound this furious its hard not to get comparisons to the mighty and much missed Insect Warfare which says a lot about how good Earthburner really are at times! 

Perception For Profit charges forward and just batters you about with another honed and brutal slice of grinding death but again more on the grind side here but the way they seamlessly switch between both styles is absolutely amazingly done, there’s no gaps or obvious missed beats anywhere.

Cadaveric Coprophagia is a title that could have been lifted of any early Carcass album and musically its not too far removed from it either, with the low fi and muddy guitars still produced well enough not to get lost in the mix and the drumming just continuously pounding your skull and the vocals while still a little high in the mix do not actually overpower everything there’s not a foot put wrong here

Then with Hunger Pains we almost crack the 3 minute mark for the first time, which is pushing it a bit for me, the track itself doesn’t lose any of the savageness you expect and it is another well executed song but, I am sort of missing the sub 1 minute tracks I would be expecting.

Slaves To The Screen doesn’t disappoint and is just fucking brutal in every way, musically and vocally it really does just hit the sweet spot with an unrelenting grinding death attack which just leaves Positive Outlook that has an 80’s D beat influence mixed in to the more old school grindcore sound which is of course an absolute thing of beauty and really ends the album on a quality note.

After listening to Permanent Dawn, I only had a couple of issues, and they were minor in the grand scheme of things and would never stop me from listening to this again or recommending it highly. This is a brilliant grindcore record that is vitriolic, angry and urgent and also has a lot of great death metal and hardcore influences throughout and what is not to like about that? 9/10

Paganizer - Flesh Requiem (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Mark Young]

Having a quick shufty online for background on Paganizer, I was amazed that they had been present and releasing music since 1998 and are considered one of the torchbearers for that style of Swedish death metal. Their latest release, Flesh Requiem continues in their attempt to keep that flame burning with a solid, if unremarkable collection of metal with album number 13.

Normally, I’m quite enthused about reviewing any music that comes from Scandinavia, especially Sweden as they seem to do that gnarly guitar/blast beat combination better than most. Paganizer are no different, and as Life Of Decay starts off with that unmistakable tone, all frenzied trem picking with manic drumming it feels like if the whole album is like then it’s going to be a cracker. 

However, what develops is that it is a quick 3-minute blast that serves to basically set the table for how the next 12 songs will drop. Given that they are in the veteran bracket now, there is still a fire burning within them for bringing the heaviest material they can. 

There is no arguing with their application and what happens is that the basic approach on Life Of Decay is then repeated on Meat Factory, with more or less the same arrangement and already I’m disappointed.

Flesh Requiem changes tack slightly, a looser feel to it that has a punk vibe to it but still shares the same ideas as those we have heard already. It’s fine, heavy but that’s it. It feels that with the first three tracks, they represent what the remainder will be like. 

Hunger For Meat picks up that pace once more and I should be happy with that except that it confirms my suspicions that what we will be getting is further variations on a theme. And we do (I hate being a smart-arse like this) as Viking Supremacy echoes both Flesh Requiem and Hunger For Meat in terms of how they play out.

World Scythe goes for the melodic, and again its perfectly decent and you and I know that words like decent should not be used when describing this type of music. Decent equals meh and it makes me want to throw the towel in. This kind of music should elicit feelings of excitement and it doesn’t.

Fare Thee Well (Burn In Hell) is next and doesn’t go any better than those that preceded it. Neither does Necromonolithic and by this point I’m actually sick of listening to it. I’m frustrated by this because I expected so much more from them given their rich history and reputation. 

I’ve never tapped out of a review before (and let’s be clear, I’ve reviewed some soul sapping stuff) but this is the first time I’ve considered skipping songs because they do not offer any reward in listening to them. The final quartet of The Pyroclastic Excursions, Just Another Doomsday, Suffer Again and Skeletons come and go with varying degrees of success. Each one sounds like the one before and ultimately the album as a whole. 

There is nothing wrong with them, but there is also nothing here that makes me want to recommend them to anyone else. I’m pretty sure that fans of the band will love it, at least initially. For me, it was uninspired and a flat experience. 5/10

The Body - The Crying Out Of Things (Thrill Jockey) [GC]

When I get a new release to review it’s always good when you get a bit of background on the band and their story, nothing has been provided for The Body, so my old friend the internet tells me that this is their eighth album!!! That’s quiet (if you will excuse me) the body of work they have! So, The Crying Out Of Things is here and ready for review, let’s get going.

There is a subdued opening that goes on for an absolute eternity before opening track Last Things kicks into life and when it does, I’m not actually sure what I am listening to as the track sounds like its feeding back and the instruments are being hit with sledgehammers and the screeching vocals are an absolute nightmare to try and listen to.

Its an uneasy and uncomfortable listen in both good and bad ways, it doesn’t get any easier on Removal with its sparse and eerie drawn out crawl that incorporates dense atmospherics and noises to ramp up the already uneasy feeling you have when listening, it sounds like a nightmare being soundtracked by someone having a nervous breakdown and I like it but also don’t like it, easy listening this is not!! 

Careless And Worn does actually have some music that is almost audible to the human ears with another draining and harrowing noise coming from the drums and the echoey atmospherics that bathe you in misery and the vocals are ear piercingly horrible but at this point you are almost used to them and they really create a disturbing and painful picture and you are actually pleased when the song is over for your own sanity more than anything! 

A Premonition is what you might imagine the sound of the very bottom of the ocean would sound like and all the horror of modern-day life feels like it is cascading forward and into your conscious and once again its so uncomfortable and weird to listen to but you are just hooked and intrigued as to what is coming next. 

Unfortunately for anyone listening its Less Meaning which is now throwing in thudding dance beats into the already disturbing mixing pot of sounds and the they are fed through a distortion filter so have that feeding back nature and it sounds like your speakers might explode at any second if you continue with the song and of course you have to at this point but it never gets any easier to listen to and I’m saying that in a good way. 

The Citadel Unconquered is a bit of a relief amongst all the nastiness its more of a mid-album break than a song as it’s just a bit of electronics and atmospherics but it does allow you the time to prepare yourself for the next round of punishment.

However End Of Line does take its time to become as unhinged as the rest of the album it’s a slow build that creates a tension you should not get when listening to music but in a way that is the best thing about this record it just grips you and takes you on a journey, once you’re in your hooked.

The Building continues with the slow and menacing build up that has worked well on the tracks and when it does eventually spring into life its not for very long and the calm before the storm effect is wonderfully done on this track, so then All Worries is the last track and it’s the slowest and probably most haunting track of all, it just drags its heels and pulls you along for the journey and then just like that it’s all over and you can breath again.

This was not an easy listen! It was harrowing and painful but beautiful in its own horrific way, full of raw emotion and unhinged brutality that hid behind a wall of upsetting and disgusting noises, there was no let up from the engulfing nature of the sounds you here on this album and it’s well worth you preparing for the worst because nothing can prepare you for what you are about to hear, in a good way, I think? You really need to hear this album to know what I mean! If you dare!? 8/10

Anomalie - Riverchild (AOP Records) [Mark Young]

As I finally catch up with myself, Anomalie’s Riverchild is next up on my ‘to do’ list. It’s another first time for me with a band that has been active since 2011. Described as post-black metal, I’m not quite sure how it will land.

Well, it starts very well, Mother Of Stars kicking off with an expansive arrangement with a vocal delivery that took me by surprise. Chris ‘Marrok’ Brauch opts for a goth-tinged style that I found quite refreshing. The song build is engaging, unhurried and is very thoughtful in how they go for an economic riff. When the black metal vocals come in, they still have a rich timbre to them instead of the shriek which again really serves the song well. There is a lot going on in the background with this and true to their word they provide something you can get your teeth into. It’s a strong start that doesn’t come in at a 1000mph. 

An Unforgiving Tide is next, those clean vocals coming again, and they just fit so well within the context of the song. Switching it for the extreme as it changes gear is spot on, and I know its not a new thing but on here it sounds right, it feels like it is a natural choice as opposed to being something that is shoehorned in for effect. Its not super heavy, but it is heavy enough to work. They work in some dissonant touches too and again these are work so well.

Perpetual Twilight sees them change those gears up, showing that they can offer that traditional build when required. What they aren’t afraid to do is to keep that clean vocal style going and why not because it works so well. This style gives them so much more scope in building a more unique sound that represents them. Don’t worry though because they drop the extreme style in when required. There is a section around the three-minute mark where they do this subtle guitar measure that’s in combat with Lukas Schlintl on drums as they power away like they are possessed. 

Its these little touches that I love, the band knowing that they don’t have to do the normal thing here. There is a great melodic flavour that runs through this and continues into Heart To Beat, and I begin to see what Post Black metal is all about. This is a gentle, measured take on traditional black metal motifs and arrangements whilst Awakening goes old-school in its attack. This is something that they do so well, that balance between knowing when and where to do what they do. I always say that if a song makes you want to pick your guitar up then it is doing its job very well. Awakening does that, the guitar lines are quality and playing it would be a ton of fun.

The best thing is that they keep this level going too, Riverchild has its acoustic opening whilst the sounds of nature are played over it. Obviously, they kick it up and go loud but it’s done in that balanced way where they are still able to tell the story. It’s a deft, glorious track and one that shows a subtle change from the earlier goth atmosphere. The vocal style switches are handled organically, with an audible transition instead of an immediate start/stop. It’s the little things that make this the album it is. Among Shadows picks up the traditional once more, chiming chords and blast beats but with that commanding clean vocal that has changed again, and as I mentioned on Riverchild it’s the attention to how the voice should be used and when that sets this apart.

A Cosmic Truth and Thoughts are our closing tracks here, with the former weighing in at a hefty 7minutes it is an expansive work that gradually builds into a stomping measure whilst the guttural singing is in play. The addition of swirling background effects provides a touch of cosmic wonder to it, and it has momentum to it that belies its length. The guitar sound here has more of a brittle feel and the ending barrage that blitzes you is perfectly done. Thoughts could be the only track I didn’t get on with. It is an introspective affair, possibly leaning into folk territory and under normal circumstances I would find this to be ok. Except it follows A Cosmic Truth and being honest it pales against it. Let me be clear, its not a bad track at all and I’m glad its at the end but it doesn’t sit well with the tracks that preceded it.

So, it’s a masterwork. I don’t believe I can add anymore to what I have said above, apart from the fact that it is a stunning piece of work. Any fan of metal should get behind this really because it is that good. Again, the last track is the only thing stopping it from getting full marks and even saying that it is subjective opinion. You might love it and think it was the right way to finish. Anyway, I’ll leave it at that. 9/10

Reviews: Delain, Stranger Vision, Impellitteri, Seventh Crystal (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Delain - Dance With The Devil (Napalm Records)

Delain follow up their 2023 album Dark Waters, their first with Diana Leah on vocals, with this new EP that features two new tracks, two re-recorded older songs and host of live cuts. With their previous singer, much of her influence came into the song writing towards her final releases with the band, many re-appearing in her solo work but now Delain sounds like what founding member Martijn Westerholt wants them too. Heavy on the electronics, I mean he is a keyboard player, but with the metallic backing too, Dance With The Devil feels like electro-pop, a gothic thump that has been the trademark of Amaranthe for a while, putting a little Eurodance fuzziness in their mixture too.

It does breakdown too, the heaviness coming from the harsh vocals, a moreish new addition to their setlists, it's followed by The Reaping a track that has a style that is perhaps a bit more familiar to long term Delain fans. Speaking of long term fans, the version of Sleepwalkers Dream, originally on Lucidity, does a lot to dispel any criticism others may have of Diana. She soars and gives a powerful performance here with the full use of her voice. In the middle of the record is the live tracks which will show anyone who has not seen the band in this formation what to expect on their up coming UK tour. It features April Rain, which is still an absolute classic and will make even the coldest detractor embrace Diana as the singer.

Capping off this collection of curios with some instrumental versions of the new tracks Dance With The Devil is an ideal little stopgap ready for their tour. 7/10

Stranger Vision – Faust Act 1 : Prelude To Darkness (Wasteland Records)

Anyone who has read this publication for the 13 years we've been going, then you'll know that prog and prog metal are one of my go to genres. Bands like Dream Theater, Symphony X, Fates Warning and many more are all in my favourite artists, so when I first heard the music of Italian's Stranger Vision, I knew I would enjoy what they had to offer. 

Formed only in 2019, Stranger Vision have three releases behind them one EP and two full length albums so they are not a band who rest on their laurels, inspired by the bands I've mentioned earlier. On this third full length they even features some guest vocals from James LaBrie on Nothing Really Matters and also from Italian rock singer Angelica Patti on Two Souls.

These extra vocalists are brought in to tell more of the concept that this album is based upon. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe’s play about the human condition and a spiritual journey, this is as the title says, part one of the concept and it's a marked improvement sonically to the previous Stranger Vision records, as with so many prog bands, concept records usually define who they are as a band and with Faust all the band are playing at the highest level.

It's well orchestrated, Riccardo Toni not only the mastermind of the orchestrations, but also the keys and the guitars. He like the rest of the band of Alessio Monacelli (drums) and Daniele Morini (bass) is a virtuoso, the instrumental trio balancing the progressive and power metal influences well.

The little interludes link the shifts in the narrative as the vocals of Ivan Adami are gruff but carries melody well, when things get emotional and he also can growl when duetting with LaBrie and Patti. With the pace at which Stranger Vision seem to be releasing records, I wouldn't be surprised if Act 2 comes within a year but until then enjoy this if you're a fan of prog/power metal then Stranger Vision will be a band to seek out if you haven't already. 8/10

Impellitteri - War Machine (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

Chris Imperllitteri has been shredding up a storm since the 1980's. He's one of those metal guitar players like Marty Friedman, Michael Angelo Batio or Paul Gilbert who is worshipped in Japan, where shred has never died.

A few times he's been named one of fastest guitarist in the world so if you're a fan of hardcore guitar playing you'll have your jaw drop a few times on this record. His band features powerhouse vocalist Rob Rock, bassist James Pulli and on this album former Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph.

Of course with so many Strat wielding virtuoso's there's a huge inspiration from Ritchie Blackmore and Dio, this is extremely obvious on Out Of Mind (Heavy Metal) and Superkingdom, each of the songs coming from that classic heavy rock meets virtuoso guitar playing sound that also featured in bands such as Racer X or Dokken. 

The latter can be heard on the neo-classical Superkingdom where James Pulli shows off his bass prowess. War Machine feels nastier than a fair few of the most recent Impellitteri records, maybe this is due to the machine gun assault of Bostaph on tracks such as Wrathchild, the thrashy Hell On Earth.

What Lies Beneath which reminds me of Mercyful Fate due to the lyrics and Rock's histrionic vocals, Gone Insane is bit more on the melodic side as Just Another Day ends the album with more shredding thrash. War Machine continues the high quality of Impelitteri releases, a shred veteran still delivering classic heavy metal. 8/10

Seventh Crystal - Entity (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

Sweden's Seventh Crystal are classed as melodic rock but I'd say they're a bit more than that. There's the epic quality of Evergrey to tracks such as Path Of The Absurd, the low tuned guitars playing technical riffs as heavy piano chords hit in the background. 

Entity is their third album and takes a conceptual turn with songs based around disinformation and mass media, this adds to the emotive darkness of the record, but the decision of whether is technology is good or bad is left up to the listener, but the journey you are taken on as a listener is driven by some of the most accomplished music Seventh Crystal have produced.

Since forming in 2019 Seventh Crystal have released two previous albums on Frontiers Music, but Entity feels like the band attempting to evolve in front of our eyes, or ears. Having already been a very guitar based band already here they are able to indulge in their heavier style due to now being without Johan Älvsång's keys. Even with the lighter, more melodic tracks such as Siren's Song, it's the guitars that play the role of shifting melodies. 

However there's still lots of electronics, on tracks such as Mayflower, which is partly why I compared them to Evergrey earlier, Kristian Fyhr's vocals too are part of this comparison. Slickness in their music, top level performances and a sound that is changing for the better. 8/10

Reviews: Paragon, Dead Icarus, Molder, MC5 (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Zak Skane, Mike Pickett & Rich Piva)

Paragon - Metalation (Massacre Records) [Matt Bladen]

Metalation has to be good? Right? It almost led to the breakup of Paragon. Their previous album Controlled Demolition was recorded fast, something they didn’t want to repeat as bassist Jan Bünning and guitarist Martin Christian started to write the new record in 2019 and decided to record everything themselves due to the pandemic putting a halt to their touring. This proved to be much more stressful to the band than they first thought as they strived to make it a bit more melodic and wider ranging, bringing in Piet Sielck to produce/mix/master Metalation is an album that looks back at the Paragon discography and tries to recreate some of their earlier work but with modern trappings. 

Due to lockdowns their guitarist left, his replacement left, then their drummer left, all these setbacks led there to be a serious conversation about disbanding the band after some farewell shows. However Paragon’s metal resolve is stronger than that so with Martin’s son Jason on drums and the line-up is renewed and enthused, which can be heard in their best album to date. Metalation blasts out of the gates with the snarling Fighting The Fire, Teutonic heavy metal at its best, a speed injection from the drums and bass sets a galloping pace while the twin axes are ablaze, MarioNET going full speed metal. 

Slenderman is crunchier suiting the gruff vocals with a horror theme, getting darker with Beyond The Horizon, Battalion though is a mid-pace battle metal track. There’s a breadth of styles within this record, you can hear how well it’s been thought out as it keeps your attention and more importantly your head banging. Filled with horror themes and darker lyrical imagery, Metalation is a heavy metal record that nearly didn’t happen, however it has strengthened the union between these German metal veterans. 8/10

Dead Icarus – Zealot (MNRK Heavy) [Zak Skane]

Dead Icarus shows former Atreyu vocalist Alex Varkatzas putting his past behind him by collaborating with members of Enterprise Earth Gabe Mangold and Brandon Zackey to create a fiery new beginning.

The Unconquerable opens up with walls of symphonic tinged guitars before we are launched in with gothic influenced death and metal core aggression. The frantic and precise tried and tested pedal tone riffs are accompanied by berserk skank and blast beats whilst being laced in a gothic cocktail of choirs and synths. Alex brings in a mix of classic metalcore style fry vocals whilst also bringing in some new modern deathcore low gutturals into the mix. 

The following track Bearing Burdens and Saving Skin comes in faster, heavier and catchier with it opening with some hyper energetic hardcore beats before we are lured into walls of chaos that consists of frantic riffs and stab chords before we are brought up for air with some classic 2010’s styled choruses before plunged back down with some brutal sounding breakdowns. 

The title track Zealot brings in the classic nu metal riffs with the vocalist trading in the vocal frys for the classic post- grunge growl taking the bands directions to a more Pantera type sound but with a more modern twist. 1 Million Ways brings in some classic nostalgic All That Remains style metalcore, with it’s anthemic American rock radio styled soaring choruses that match with technical level of guitar work whilst machine gun precise kick patterns provide some face tearing brutality. Temptations Kiss transcends us to the second part of the album by bringing in some ominous atmospheric layers whilst hi passed classical guitars are plucked in the back ground whilst the haunting reverbed male and female vocals float over the mix. 

Fountains Of Death continues the melodic direction but bringing it back the gothic vibes with the vocals floating over the dark dissonant guitar riffs, whilst dark angelic pianos flutter over the chaotic arrangements. Fountains Of Death continues the melodic direction but bringing it back the gothic vibes with the vocals floating over the dark dissonant guitar riffs, whilst dark angelic pianos flutter over the chaotic waltz rhymed arrangements. Casting Spells brings together wizard like technicality along with caveman brutality with it’s fast melodic lead playing flowing into bludgeoning breakdowns. Hell Opens It's Mouth basically advertises it’s self. 

As soon as the first notes are played we get discordant heavy noise and pounding breakdowns from the first and last bar. Secrets In The Dark brings another short interval track which features chilling guitar harmonics, spacey crunch guitars whilst the vocals brings in some bluesy lyrical phrases before it crescendos into heavy lead harmonies and powerful backing chords and triumphant pounding drums. Betrayal Shaped Daggers brings this album to a balls to the wall closer with it’s anthemic choruses, classic swinging riffs whilst featuring the rhythms sections going hell for leather.

Dead Icarus' debut album brings in their classic metalcore influences to be re-sharped with a modern edge, for example the brutality on songs like the opening track The Unconquerable and Fountains Of Death have the classic metalcore technically whilst being glazed with their gothic influences of twinkling pianos and gothic tinged clean vocals. There are also moments on the album where it feels like it takes a few sharp turns where it goes from being gothic influenced metalcore, to Pantera sounding groove metal on the track Zealot whilst 1 Million Days is just classic nostalgic All That Remains style metalcore containing technical melodic riffs and soaring radio friendly choruses. 

For album connoisseurs this can feel a bit jolting when listening to the album from start to finish, but if you like your metalcore made by the masters in the game then this is the one to check out. For fans of Bleeding Through, All That Remains and old school Motionless In White. 8/10

Molder - Catastrophic Reconfiguration (Prosthetic Records) [Mike Pickett]

"This time around, I'm listening to Molder and their latest full-length album, Catastrophic Reconfiguration. Founded in 2017, this foursome from Shorewood, Illinois, has already released its third studio album—a quick pace for most bands. As I hadn’t heard of Molder before receiving this album, I wasn’t sure what to expect. 

The opening track, Catastrophic Reconfiguration, begins with a brief three-second synth intro, making me think I was about to hear some technical death metal. But I was quickly pulled in a completely different, and welcome, direction. The album is packed with chunky riffs that recall the birth of the genre, along with vocal stylings that feel like a tribute to early Death or Obituary. Each track pays homage to death metal’s forefathers, taking listeners on a gritty trip down memory lane. While the nostalgia is real, there isn’t much here that stands out as unique. 

Don’t get me wrong—it’s a solid collection of songs, and I’ve come back to it a few times since my first listen. But the album feels like a band deeply devoted to the old-school sound, working to stick closely to a classic formula set by the genre’s pioneers. That said, Catastrophic Reconfiguration is well-executed. The lyrics plunge into the grotesque and putrid, perfect for a journey through death metal’s dark side. The slow, chunky riffs carry a level of distortion that’s satisfyingly grimy. 

The vocals transport even the most die-hard death metal fan back to the genre’s roots, while the beats and bass fill every gap, giving fans everything they need to headbang along. It may sound at times like I’m being harsh, but I have nothing but respect for this album. I just want to be clear—it’s old-school death metal, not a reinvention of the genre. If you’re looking to add a band with a Death- or Obituary-like sound to your roster, then this is a great pick. While not highly original, Catastrophic Reconfiguration is still a strong listen. 7/10

MC5 - Heavy Lifting (Crash Records) [Rich Piva]

There is no denying the impact that MC5 had on the music scene. It was a short stint, between 1969 and 1971, with their two studio albums and their debut live record, but the influence Wayne Kramer and crew had upon music and the culture in general is as large as any other band with such a small window and limited discography. Kick Out The Jams could be considered the reason punk exists, not just from the song but the whole movement behind the band as well. 

Sadly, we lost the last two remaining living members of the band this year, with Kramer passing away back in February and drummer Dennis Thompson in May, both before they could see the band enshrined in the Rock Hall and before their new album, their first in 54 years, Heavy Lifting, was released to the listening world. It is close to being a Kramer solo record, and Thompson plays on a couple of songs too, along with a whole bunch of their famous friends, but it is a fitting send off to the trailblazing group.

It is hard to be too negative in listening to a record by a band like MC5 at this point given all that has happened, but what I will say is Heavy Lifting is a fun listen. Sure, the record sounds like old guys coming back and releasing new material, like what the new Blue Oyster Cult and Deep Purple records sound like. I mean it has been 54 years, the fourth longest gap in a discography ever. But hey, I enjoyed both the Blue Oyster Cult and Deep Purple records for what they are, and the same goes for this one. Gone is the frantic energy and not knowing what is going to happen next. Now we have some solid heavy rock songs with a message and great playing from the original members and their guests. 

The title track is solid, with Kramer’s playing sounding great and of course Tom Morello weaselled his way into the project to add some of his signature noodling. I dig The Edge Of The Switchblade that has William Duvall of Alice In Chains and the other guitarist that shows up on all albums like this, Slash, with a great solo. The guestless Barbarians At The Gate may be my favourite track and has the most spirit of the old days that any of the thirteen tracks have. Change, No Change has a serious 60s protest song vibe that works today and is another standout track. Thompson plays on two tracks, including one with Vernon Reed shredding, Can’t Be Found, which is another favourite of mine on the record.

I am not sure there is a better way to say goodbye to Wayne Kramer and the band than with Heavy Lifting. The MC5 did not need a eulogy, instead they needed one more “Kick Out The Jams, Motherfucker”, and 54 years later that is what we get. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Wednesday 13 (Live Review By Debby Myatt & Tony Gaskin)

Wednesday 13 & South Of Salem, KK’s Steel Mill 03.11.24

After a weeks much needed break to recharge our batteries, we’re back at KK’s in Wolverhampton for horror punk presario Wednesday 13.

First up though are South Coast goth rockers, South Of Salem (9) who we’ve covered a couple of times here at MoM. Not much as changed since we last caught these guys, they still put on a high octane show full of energy! They’ve had an incredibly busy year since the launch of their second album Death Of The Party, countless festival appearances, some high profile tour supports and their own headline tour and shows promoting the album.

Most of today’s set is lifted from that album, with a couple from the first album The Sinner Takes It All and as you would expect from a band that’s been playing these songs live for the best part of a year, they are slick and well rehearsed. Front man Joey Draper grows in stature every time we see them, more swagger and bravado as his confidence and experience grows. You’d think that after such a busy time that getting up on stage would become a bit of a drag, but not for these guys, they have boundless energy and love every minute of it, which spills out into the crowd, many of whom are sporting the latest line of SoS merch. They end their set with the crowd favourite Cold Day In Hell and I think it will be such a day when South Of Salem stop gigging! Surely the hardest working band on the circuit at the moment! 

Now, I've got to be honest and admit to not knowing much Murderdolls (9) stuff, despite having a 16 year old at the time who was obsessed with the first album Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls. It was a massive part of his life and musical journey and he’s here tonight to relive his youth! But apart from their cover of White Wedding I’d struggle to name another song, so after 22 years I thought it’s about time I found out why this band had such an impact on my son.

Murderdolls was the side project of Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, sadly no longer with us, who recruited the outrageously shocking Wednesday 13 from horror punk band Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 to be in this new outfit. They released two albums, 2002’s aforementioned debut and Women And Children Last in 2010 and tonight show features a number of tracks from those two albums plus a few from the FDQs back catalogue.

When I think of horror punk I think of The Misfits and its various spin-offs, so I was intrigued to see what Wednesday 13 had to offer. Well with tracks like Chapel Of Blood, Slit My Wrist”, Blood Stained Valentine, this was Misfits on steroids. W13 bounded onto stage, an absolute cannonball of energy. The songs are fast and furious, in the vein of The Misfits, but with extra gore and shock treatment, like some weird science experiment merging the Prince of Shock Alice Cooper with the manic shock rocker Marilyn Manson. It’s theatrical and bombastic and he loves to engage with the audience. It’s a great spectacle, and the music ain’t bad either, although to be honest, I rarely took my eyes off W13, he’s so enigmatic!

So, 22 years late, but we’ve been well and truly enrolled into the Murderdolls ghoul army, it’s never too late to introduce yourself to a new band, I just wished I’d taken more notice of my son all those years ago! A very enjoyable evening.

Review: The Cure By Alex Swift

The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World (Polydor Records)

“It doesn't matter if we all die” proclaims one of Robert Smith’s most beautifully poignant musings, from one their most beloved albums – 1982’s Pornography. Indeed, the band have often been lauded as masters of sorrow, their macabre imagery and melancholy compositions inspiring many musicians to knit sadness into a kind of art that can serve as both comforting and chilling. That’s far from the only emotional states The Cure are capable of understanding though as albums like The Head On The Door explored the fleeting moments of joy that give our lives meaning and saw a widening of the band’s musical palate. Their ‘comeback’, as such, is surrounded by expectation and trepidation for how the band will, or should, sound after a sixteen-year absence.

Songs Of A Lost World feels familiar, yet reflective. “This is the end of every song that we sing. The fire burned out to ash, and the stars grown dim with tears” Smith sings on Alone. Inspired by an Ernest Dowson poem simply titled Dregs, the song explores grief and those quiet moments of pensive introspection, when all that’s left are the memories, and the scattered fragments of what once existed. Like all of the pieces here, the opener takes its time, Simon Gallup’s bass echoing out over disparate synths, reverberating drum patterns, and delicate keys.

In a lot of ways, the album revisits the bands past portrayals of mortality, sadness and love, with And Nothing Is Forever seeming to call back with that opening line from One Hundred Years, with the line “my world has grown old. But it really doesn't matter, if you say we'll be together”, the swaying strings, and gorgeous touches of piano lending a beautiful quality to Smith’s bittersweet recounting of a promise he made to family member, to be with them on their last day on earth. The concept of the temporal nature of life might be familiar to the Cure but is one they approach with a mature confessionalism here, proving they can still craft deeply affecting music from those ideas, even in the late days of their career.

A Fragile Thing continues on the path of portraying relationships as delicate and fleeting, that can decay and turn to dust with the passage of time. With the ominous piano progression ushering the song towards a yearning and desperate chorus, this marks the beginning of a fraught and chilling second act for the record. Warsong feels made up of disparate parts, the wailing of distortion and clattering of percussion portraying the “bitter end” of a love defined by disdain and animosity. Equally Drone; Nodrone enthrals with a hypnotising chorus and seething lead guitar interplay between Smith, Gabrels and Bamonte, that carries a sensation of desperation, as the lyrics describe “staring down the barrel of the same warm gun” in search of “one last shot at happiness”.

Returning to the mournful yet strangely uplifting sound palate, I Can Never Say Goodbye is led by a simple piano melody that never changes throughout the song. This provides a foundation which allows the piece to become an emotionally layered ode to goodbyes, that grows louder and more heart wrenching with each contribution, before being scaled back in the final seconds to leave only the opening motif ringing out, as if to evoke the permanent, unchangeable nature of the past.

All I Ever Am is the song on the album that feels most evocative of the post-punk and new-wave movements that The Cure helped to shape the sound of. The sullen drone of keyboards, rhythmic beating of drums, and the erratic yet gloom-laden chord progressions of the guitar all feel deeply reminiscent of albums like Seventeen Seconds or Disintegration, whilst complimenting the slow-burning and instrumental-led ambience of Songs Of A Lost World.

Finally, we come to the aptly titled Endsong, which slowly unravels across ten minutes, with Robert Smith’s vocals not heard until well past the five-minute mark. This underlines the way The Cure allow their songs to breath on this record, as they tend to sprawl out into magnificently brooding compositions, demonstrating this band’s ability to provoke a strong emotional reaction, even when there are few words with which to accurately describe the sensations of loneliness, loss and despair. And yet even then, the lyrics work excellently to accentuate and provide perspective to those emotions. “Wondering what became of that boy and the world he called his own. I'm outside in the dark wondering how I got so old” our frontman muses on this final track, reflecting back on The Cure’s career, and the loss of his father, mother and brother, which inspired this albums discussions of fragility and absence.

However, despite the ever-present reminders of the inevitability of age and decay throughout this release, if you needed proof of The Cure’s timeless quality, you could do a lot worse than these eight songs! Across less than an hour, they recapture the stunningly sorrowful textures that, for many, lend beauty to sadness, whilst reinventing their sound enough to show they are far from becoming a pastiche of themselves. In a recent interview, Robert Smith outlined his intentions for the coming years. 2025 will see a follow up album to this one, which I hope expands on its ideas and themes, for what will likely be their last record. This will be followed by years of touring until 2029, and Smith’s 70th Birthday, at which point the band hope to retire. Whether plans pan out that way remains to be seen, but while we are constantly losing certainties of this world that we take for granted, I look forward to the final years of a world where the Cure still exists! 9/10

Reviews: Make Them Suffer, Innerwish, Seven Kingdoms, Witchpit (Reviews By Liam Williams, Matt Bladen, Simon Black & Rich Piva)

Make Them Suffer – Make Them Suffer (Sharptone Records) [Liam Williams]

Here we have the self-titled 5th studio album from Australian metalcore legends Make Them Suffer. You just know when a band releases a self-titled studio album at this point in their career that they have truly found their sound and they mean business! And this is a fine example of that. Absolutely chaotic and brutally heavy, this album is without a doubt something the band should be incredibly proud to put their name to.

The album starts off with a nice little intro track The Warning, it comes in with a choir and some appreciated synths before slowly building up with some drums and distorted screaming vocals creeping in. Weaponized comes in with a nice chuggy low tuned guitar riff and really kicks off when the vocals come in. The verses feel quite choppy and chaotic and they’re followed by a really good chorus with some excellent clean vocals from the keyboard player. The song ends with a breakdown for the outro which is excellent.

Oscillator is another absolutely smashing track with another epic chorus. There’s a lot of electronic elements which gives the song some dubstep vibes mixed with some nice djenty riffage from the guitars. Next up is Doomswitch which keeps up the momentum, some great playing from the guitars and drums. There’s a nice little bit of piano in the choruses which calms things down just a little bit before kicking back into the chaos. This track even features a great little guitar solo in the second verse. I absolutely love the breakdown before the outro.

Mana God has a lovely bouncy intro before a very well executed tempo change into the first verse. We have a nice little synth and drums intro for Epitaph before the band comes in and kicks things up a touch in heaviness. Absolutely love the chorus in this track, some great singing again. No Hard Feelings has some more great clean singing but still keeps things heavy. I love the build up to the final chorus.

Venusian Blues is a great track, a bit shorter than the rest (apart from the intro track) but the verses and the choruses are fantastic! Some more great playing from the guitars and drums. Ghost Of Me has a fantastic drums driven intro. The electronic parts in the verses almost sound a bit like a car alarm going off. The chorus is really good but it almost sounds out of place compared to the rest of the track. There’s a nice calmer bridge section. I do really like the final chorus overlapped by the bridge section, it works really well.

Then we get into Tether, there’s a fantastic guitar riff the comes in before the first verse. Another really cool chorus before going back to that sick guitar riff before the second verse starts. This track has a lovely little piano part before another chaotic tempo change with a heavy outro. 

The final track on the album, Small Town Syndrome, is my favourite track on the album. More fun heavy chaos and another huge sounding chorus. Absolutely fantastic playing from the whole band once again. An absolute banger of a track to end the album on. There’s a nice haunting sounding string section right at the end to slow things down and end on a slightly calmer note.

This album was an absolute blast to listen to. The mix and overall production was excellent, everything sounded loud and bombastic. The songs were well written and structured in a way that makes it unpredictable but still really catchy, especially the choruses. Everyone in the band gave a solid performance and their hard work has definitely paid off! 10/10

Innerwish - Ash Of Eternal Flame (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Matt Bladen]

One of the most long tenured metal bands in Greece, Innerwish began in 1995 but they came to wider audience when they signed to Limb Music in 2004, from there they really established their tough power metal sound, signed to Ulterium Records and two members left making them re-group in 2016, their self titled fifth album a rebirth for the band with their line up that sees them release their sixth studio album on Reigning Phoenix Music.

This collaboration with one of Europe's top metal labels and Rock Hard Greece magazine also means that Innerwish are able to feature Hansi 'Freaking' Kürsch of Blind Guardian on Sea Of Lies. It seems Innerwish are throwing everything they have at Ash Of The Eternal Flame and album that doesn't do anything too differently to what Innerwish have always done but much like contemporaries Hammerfall, they have chosen to not mess with the formula too much but over years become the best example of it.

Each album is a collaborative effort stemming from song ideas of the founding guitarists while the bulk of the lyrics come from their drummer, but each member adds their own flavour meaning that Innerwish's music is melodic power metal in a broad sense, but you will find thrash, symphonic and prog as well as a Blackfoot cover. Yeah you read that right Innerwish drop their version of the Ricky Medlocke and co's 1983 track not being confused for the Real Life or Scorpions songs of the same name!

It's the cover that closes the album with neat piece of fun, the rest of Ash Of Eternal Flame though is Innerwish displaying why their steely resolve has taken them through the changing face of heavy metal for nearly 30 years. 8/10

Seven Kingdoms - The Square (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Simon Black]

Florida’s Seven Kingdoms have been ploughing their power metal furrow since 2007, with five studio albums and a couple of EP’s under their belt already. I have not come across this act before, but I was very much reminded of earlier Nightwish, as there’s a strong symphonic vein running through the arrangements as well as the more traditional power metal tropes. 

When it comes to the power aspects, this also took me by surprise, as this aspect is very much rooted in the European branch of the sub-genre rather than what one would expect from the USA, which is subtly different in style.

They are a strongly independent act, and use crowdfunding to kick start each recording project, including this one, which for bands who have built themselves a good fanbase from the ground up is a solid way of working. Not to mention an impressive one, as apparently, they raised a whopping great $30k through this approach, which for a five track EP is a lot. 

And it shows, because the production values for this are very high indeed. It’s an odd situation, because there is a label involved (Reigning Phoenix, who are a German splinter from Noise International) and probably reflects how the labels are increasingly less involved with the direction of the product than adding a margin to get it out there.

Musically this is a cracking little EP, whose five tracks whizz along at a fair old lick in a mere 20 minutes, so despite the symphonic touch added by Sabrina Valentines powerful voice, it doesn’t lead into over-lengthy arrangements, and keeps a strong sense of pace and energy throughout. Her voice really is something special, with power, emotion and one hell of a charismatic delivery, and I really would like to see what she can do in a live performance. 

It’s clearly a vehicle for the speed metal rip-roaring title track, which definitely stands out as exceptional, but I was also pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of a cover of Kyrie from US Pop Rock outfit Mr. Mister, which is a fun way to close the EP out.

The band are well established in the USA, and next year sees them over in Europe supporting Unleash The Archers, which now gives me two very good reasons to drag myself to London in February. That was a pleasant surprise. 9/10

Witchpit - Forever Spoken (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

If killer sludge is what you have been searching for look no further than the new record from Spartanburg, South Carolina’s Witchpit. 

They combine Sludge, Southern metal ala Down, and have this hardcore thing going on just below the surface to create some excellent heaviness with Forever Spoken. This is filthy, swamp-ridden sludge from the backwoods of South Carolina, but lurking under all of this dripping heaviness is a sense of melody the band may not want to admit is there but makes these guys stand out amongst the throngs of sludge bands doing it today.

Riff are all over the place on Forever Spoken, and the Down vibes are unescapable and that is fine by me. Just check out Through Eyes Of Apathy to find out. Phillip Cope, who has recorded like-minded bands like Kylesa, Baroness, and Black Tusk is back working with Witchpit and really understands house they are supposed to sound. Mouth Piece Of Hate is an example of where I hear the hardcore vibes from Witchpit, combined with some seriously killer riffs and some heavy ass chugging. 

Panacea slows the tempo but not the heaviness while New Age Fallacy is here to clobber you over the head. My favourite riff is from Becoming I and very much reminds me of Pantera. The vocals on this one are great. The closer, Silver Turns To Rust exists to kick your ass, dragging you though the bog emitting Black Tusk vibes all the way.

Heavy Psych Sounds has another winner on its hands with Witchpit, because if you are looking for your new favourite sludge band who does not compromise on the heavy or on the hidden melody then they are your band, and Forever Spoken is your record. 8/10

Review: Crippled Black Phoenix (By Matt Bladen)

Crippled Black Phoenix - The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature/ Horrific Honorifics Number Two 2 (Season Of Mist)

Somehow it seems apt that when I sat down to write this review the results of the American Election were all but confirmed, it seems the old adage and the title of the first of these two special albums from Crippled Black Phoenix still rings true after all these years. With what could be a very scary time for anyone different from the 'norm' globally, bands like CBP are needed, they are vital.

For Twenty years Justin Greaves has sought to give a voice to the voiceless, try to incite change, for the benefit of the world, for the benefit of those on the fringes, for anyone who is against the mistreatment of animals for anyone who will be even more marginalised, maybe even criminalised by people like D*nald FUCKING Tr*mp.

20 years is a milestone that deserves recognition and so often CBP, avoid these things due to their constant need to keep their fandom guessing, but it seems nostalgia has hit hard and they are commemorating two decades with a double album release. It feels like a celebration, well if not a celebration then at least an acknowledgement that they are still alive and still fighting.

It's the early part of their career that CBP focus on with The Wolf... Greaves compiling 8 songs from across earlier days of the band those Pink Floyd influences that were so clear back then still here on tracks such as We Forgotten Who We Are, one of the finest songs in their repertoire and very clearly on Songs For The Unloved where it all goes very Run Like Hell.

There's also that anti-establishment streak on 444 a song that features another continual element of the early days, counterculture masterpiece Kelly's Heroes. For anyone that perhaps found the band on Bronze and the albums after that, these are the songs that built CBP, reimagined and reanimated here as a visceral, volumous delight.

Alongside Greaves is long time singer Belinda Kordic, piano/synth/trumpet player Helen Stanley, guitarist Andy Taylor and bassist Matt Crawford, continuing their membership from the last record but such is the collaborative nature of CBP there's a host of old friends and new that join. Most notably Kostas Panagiotou of Pantheïst contributes piano/Hammond/accordion, having featured on multiple CBP albums and vocally Belinda has company from Ryan Patterson (Fotocrime/Coliseum and Justin Storms (Wailin Storms).

The second half of this anniversary release is the follow up to their covers record Horrific Honorifics, a band who have notably been very picky with their covers, taking a crack at artists that have inspired them rather than ones that suit their musical style. The linking factor between Volume 1 and Volume 2 is The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, on HH1 it was Faith Healer, while here it's Hammer Song, a song transformed into a snarling heavy rocker.

Outside of that it's another selection of bands that share an ethos with CBP. Opening with New Model Army's raging Vengeance, we're swept along with the call to arms before Laura Branigan's Self Control adds mysticism with what will be the touring line up of CBP showing their cohesion as punk pioneers Fugazi's Blueprint keeps the pace alive, similarly the choice of My Pal by Aussie punks God is inspired. Deep Purple's When A Blind Man Cries is shortened and made more ethereal and breathy by Belinda's vocals while Kostas gets to be Jon Lord for a bit.

Horrific Honorifics Volume Two, is another selection of post punk, punk rock, alternative and left field music that inspired Greaves and co. Although it also features a huge piece of Dinosaur rock. Paired with the re-recorded retrospectives of The Wolf... you couldn't really have asked for a better way to truly celebrate the uniqueness, talent and tenacity of this band. 9/10

Reviews: 1000mods, In Which It Burns, Tungsten, SoftSun (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Liam Williams, Simon Black & Rich Piva)

1000mods - Cheat Death (Ouga Booga And The Mighty Oug Recordings/Ripple Music) [Matt Bladen]

1000mods are back, fresh from their most recent tour, one which saw them lay waste to The Bunkhouse in April, the perennial road dogs have gathered in the studio to release their fifth studio album Cheat Death. It's been four years since their last record Youth Of Dissent and with them being on the road ever since, so I assume these songs were written while on tour, as they have a heaviness that definitely reflects the hard hitting sound of the band on stage.

Well actually scratch that, Cheat Death is the heaviest album 1000mods have written, there's plenty of Sabbath worship, check out that middle eight coda on Overthrown where guitarist Giorgos add melody to Dani's bass thump, this changes to Iron Maiden-like dual harmonies and gallops towards the end. There's a filthy drum sound on the first couple of songs, the dynamic production of Matt Bayles, giving a track such as Götzen Hammer a punk attitude, Lambros' cymbals quite fuzzy in the mix. Singer Dani getting some help vocally by female singer Api.

There is a reason for this, for theirs being lots of production changes, a 7 minute opener and frequent style shifts, Cheat Death is 1000mods in experimental mode, keeping the QOTSA, Kyuss psych/stoner influences of their earlier albums on Astral Odor and the grooving Love. However it's an album that has the band, recalibrating who they are as a band.

Now a trio (in the studio at least) Cheat Death is a coarse, crude record that brings nastiness on Speedhead while Misery is a grooving doomster, that kick is put with some more twin axe riffs at the end. Both though are so different to the orchestral chamber music style offering that is Bluebird, almost like an intermezzo before the classic metal riffs of the title track. 1000mods reflect their live power on Cheat Death, riffs galore from one of Greece's best heavy bands. 9/10

In Which It Burns - Terra Nullius (Self Released) [Liam Williams]

Local thrash metal legends In Which It Burns recently announced that they are disbanding, which truly is a shame and they will definitely be missed! But on the bright side, they have blessed us with their third and final album, Terra Nullius. This album is fantastic, some really solid playing from these guys from start to finish. It’s some proper good thrash metal fun.

The album starts with For Those Who Wish Our End which kicks off the album with some nice chuggy guitar riffs, fantastic drumming and some really good scream vocals. There’s a slower, calmer bridge section with a bit of clean guitar and strings followed by a really cool guitar solo which is closely followed up by a nice little drum solo before the main riff kicks back in and the track gets heavy for the last part of the song until the clean guitar from the bridge comes back in to end the song. 

Stand has some nice tribal sounding drums in the intro playing along with the main guitar riff. There’s some excellent blast beats at the start of the verses and a really good little breakdown before the guitar solo comes in. The guitar solo ends with a really sick dive bomb which I’m a big fan of.

Barrack The Puffin Slayer starts with a bit of crunchy guitar which is soon joined by the bass and drums before the first verse comes in. This track also features 2 guitar solos, the second of which is a proper face-melter! Preach The Words Of Ignorance is next and this one is very fast and heavy! There’s a nice slow chuggy section before another absolute face-melter of a solo which is then followed by a really cool instrumental section.

Then we have the title track of the album which has some nice clean guitar in the intro before the band comes in and picks up momentum for the first verse and keeps up that momentum for the rest of the track. Beneath The Darkness Of Skies begins with another clean guitar intro. This track has my favourite guitar parts on the album, the instrumental sections are very solid. There’s some nice whammy action at the start of the guitar solo which I also enjoyed.

Next we have Hatred In Disguise which also starts with some clean guitar. I really like the riffs in this track, although the main riff does remind me of Laid To Rest by Lamb Of God but I love that song so I’m not complaining! There’s a lot of guitar solos in this track, but they’re all pretty great so again, it’s not a complaint.

22 And Down has some more great lead guitar playing. The tempo picks up for the guitar solo and the outro of the song to keep things moving along nicely. Prophets Of Misdirection is my favourite track. The drumming is superb and the guitar and vocals work great together in the verses. The clean guitar that plays in the intro comes back in about halfway through and another excellent guitar solo plays over it. Then the main riff comes back in to pick up the speed again for the outro.

Finally we have Chaos Weeps (Inside My Wounds). This track starts with a nice calming piano intro which is to allow the band to come in out of nowhere and catch you off guard. There’s some great fry screaming in the choruses and another flashy guitar solo. The piano comes back in and slows down the track a little but then another epic guitar solo comes in over the top of it. We are treated to one last guitar solo which fades out, allowing the piano to take the lead and end the song. Unfortunately this is probably the weakest track of the album in my opinion. The pacing is a little bit off and the sudden fading out of the band at the end could have been executed better. It’s still a pretty good track though.

This album sounds great for the most part, there are a couple of sections where the mix could have been adjusted to allow the rhythm guitars and bass to be a bit louder and there are some awkward long pauses at the end of most of the tracks. But apart from that it’s a really good album. The guitar work is really good, the drums are solid and the vocals are very gritty and fit right in with the songs. This band are definitely going out with a bang! Well done guys and thank you for the music! 9/10

Tungsten - The Grand Inferno (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Simon Black]

Here in the UK, the whole power metal scene is regarded with no small amount of derision, which is a little odd. Given that it’s the closest thing in tone and style to the original 70’s first wave and NWOBHM bands that nearly everyone can agree on despite their subsequent sub-genre inclinations you would have though there would have been a little more love for it. It’s dominated by European bands, most of who don’t invest in breaking what’s seen as too tough a market nut to crack. 

Consequently, as I type this, I am conscious that our esteemed editor is attending a power metal festival in Birmingham, which is about the only thing going over here. By way of comparison, you could transplant the same line-up currently playing to a relatively small nightclub in a run-down corner of the UK’s second largest city to the continent, and it would be taking place in a small arena or a large field. And it’s not like the bands that do try and risk the UK don’t reap the rewards for their persistence (ask Sabaton or Powerwolf), but it’s arguable that without Bloodstock taking the risk on their behalf that would not have happened.

Anyway, what does this have to do with the current review queue I hear you ask (well I don’t, but that’s because I don’t really care)? Tungsten is a good example of the current Euro Power crop, with a heritage leading back to HammerFall (another band who missed a trick over here), have been around for nearly a decade when drummer Anders Johansson left the ‘Fall and gave his sons Niklas and Karl a gig, with singer Mike Andersson completing the line up. 

This is their fourth album, and I can guarantee that you aren’t going to see them playing over here any time soon. Which is a damned shame, because despite being in a very crowded marketplace, this is one of the best new examples of the sub-genre to hit my deck in a while (and since I’m about the only one on the site who chooses this stuff from the slush pile, I’m reasonably confident in my brazen statements).

The record manages two contradictory things quite remarkably. Firstly, the quality of all the songs on here is remarkably consistent, which as any band (or journalist) will tell you is harder to achieve than you would think. The second confrontational factor is that it does this by actually making a huge number of stylistic leaps from song to song, to the point where a casual listener might think that they are listening to a decades spanning greatest hits compilation rather than the most recent album. 

Now here’s the thing – I reviewed their sophomore album Tundra back in 2020, and it did little for me, with one of my gripes being the way the style flip-flopped between traditional power and modern metal tropes, and they seem to have taken that criticism to heart, because this really does run the gamut when it comes to style with power, symphonic, traditional metal, hard rock and a whole bunch more being selected with seemingly every track.

Like all good power metal, there’s a strong sense of melody throughout, with every track having that catchy quality that wins ambivalent festival crowds over, but with enough technical and musical complexity in there for those that want a little more depth. These are the two rods of iron holding the record together, and why the stylistic changes work, because the foundations they are built on are so solid. Were it not for the distinctive and wide-ranging vocal skills of Mr Andersson, you would not know that this was the same band I reviewed previously, and the difference is that this is a record I actively want to keep playing. 

What a difference four years can make… 9/10

SoftSun - Daylight In The Dark (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

SoftSun is the new collaboration project from Pia Isaksen (bass and vocals) from Superlynx and who also appeared on the Yawning Balch volumes, Gary Arce (guitar) of Yawning Man and other related Yawning projects as well as in Big Scenic Nowhere, and Dan Joeright (drums) who has played with and produced a whole bunch of excellent bands, including Yawning Man and Big Scenic Nowhere. 

So, this background gives you an idea of where and how this team up formed, and it makes perfect sense, given the overall vibe of all of those projects there is no doubt why these musicians drifted together to form SoftSun, a nice combination of all of the bands mentioned but leans more towards a shoegaze vibe, something like Slowdive or the Cocteau Twins who were always a band I went to when I wanted to just hear my surroundings. That is what you get from these six songs; an atmosphere you can feel and that transforms you to a place indescribable in words but perfectly clear in the music.

This is probably the most chill record on Ripple Music, but it is its own kind of heavy. You will understand when you drop the needle and hear the first track, Unholy Waters. This record is all about atmosphere. The album constantly floats. Whether it is Arce’s guitar work or Pia’s vocals, you are always off the ground and looking down. I feel this way about the band Spotlights too, but they give me a darker vibe then SoftSun do, as the name works perfectly for the sound. Daylight In The Dark has a cool and calm riff from Arce who has perfected this and all of the shoegazy atmosphere you can fit in seven minutes and thirteen seconds. 

While in some cases it could be looked at as a negative, but all six songs on SoftSun could be one, broken into movements, as the vibe is the same but the trip is a bit different from section to section. Arce’s work on Exit Wounds is breathtaking. Pia’s bass brings a good explanation of the different kind of heavy on Continents. Remember when Verve was still good and put out A Storm In Heaven? Can you mention shoegaze and not mention MBV? That is what I get from the guitar work on this one. Dragged Across The Desert Floor is one of the best titles of the year and so fitting for this track and album as that is what happens to you, but with such a light touch. Songs named after a band and after the album are almost always awesome, and SoftSun is no exception. The closer is beautiful and incorporates keys into the mix with perfection the result. It’s over eleven minutes but could not be more worth your time.

SoftSun is the logical next step for the output from the musicians involved here. The Yawning projects but more shoegaze leaning and haunting female vocals? Yes, please. While I say logical, I also mean awesome, as SoftSun really have something here and logical doesn’t always mean great like it does on these six tracks. This is a trip, a journey, and an album that transports you right there in the heart of whatever lonesome planet or desert oasis you have built up in your subconscious. 9/10

Reviews: The Death Of Money, The Pineapple Thief, Dug Pinnick, Vessel (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

The Death Of Money - Error After Era (Suntreader) [Matt Bladen]

The Death Of Money are a band from the underground, playing every toilet venue, back room, windowless club around the country, these hardened South Wales/Manchester veterans have been slinging noise around the UK for nearly two decades, performing with with underground, left-field luminaries such as Jarboe, Gnod, Pelican and others, never wavering in their own vision of what they are as a band, you either get it or you don’t. TDOM thought that their last album 2017’s Ghost Pains would be their last but there was something stirring in the background, a burning desire to do it again, to create new sounds, heavier sounds than they had before.

Sonically much more what TDOM sound like live, the title track begins with undulating, repeating synths and guitar riffs, feeling primal the addition of Bethan Lloyd’s wails are demonstrative of a band looking to expand their sonic horizon. As I said at the beginning The Death Of Money were forged in the underground and still make music on the fringes, from sludgy doom (Living In Fear) through introspective shoegaze and foot shuffling gothic post rock, Error After Era, plays around with synths and loops, building a queasy synthetic foundation to unleash the rage on songs such as Poems or building the tribal beat of Wasp Screams.

Error After Era is an album the band claim has rejuvenated them. More oppressive than any of their previous releases, they sound hungry again here, daring to experiment but still reliant on their near 20 years of noise. The Death Of Money, reincarnated. 8/10

The Pineapple Thief - Last To Run (Kscope) [Matt Bladen]

Last To Run is a collection of songs that were recorded during the sessions for The Pineapple Thief's previous album It Leads To This, from earlier this year, now that album made a huge impact and went to number one. So this is 20 minutes of music that has been left over, put together to showcase the talents of The Pineapple Thief once again.

Now these aren't just carbon copies, they're songs that were born in this sessions but have been adapted and taken on a new life since then. All Because Of Me is an insistent opener, as Last To Run builds on shifting percussion from Gavin Harrison and electronics from Steve Kitch. You can hear new elements and classic The Pineapple Thief composing on this EP.

Election Day's cry of "It Will Be Over Soon" resonating strongly on the day I sat down to write this album (November 5th). This track is classic Bruce Soord art rock it's got sensitivity and emotion while No Friend Of Mine shows their darker side. The World To Me on the other hand is much more inline with classic prog hooked on a delicate guitar line and Jon Sykes' bass.

Last To Run shows that not everything that's left off an album should stay on the cutting room floor. Especially for a band with the skill of The Pineapple Thief. 8/10

Dug Pinnick - Thingamajigger (Rat Pak Records) [Rich Piva]

King’s X is one of my favourite bands of all time. There is something magical when those three guys get together to create music that not many others have. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy when one of the three (mostly dUg and Ty) decide to put some solo or side band material out in between new King’s X music, I just know I have to temper my expectations that the work is not actual King’s X material. Solo and side stuff from the guys range from good to excellent, and I would put the new dUg Pinnick record somewhere in between those two categories. Thingamajigger is a quick 31 minutes of (mostly) prototypical solo dUg stuff that has some real gems and is a record that never outstays it’s welcome.

It is easy to forget that Pinnick is 74 years old because he still sounds like he did on the early records. His voice is still the same and his love for music still seems to be there as well like it was all those years ago. dUg played and programmed almost everything on the record outside of some cool guitar work from some guests on a few tracks. The one-two punch of Climbing Up The Mountain and Keep On Going may be his best solo opening combination. With the former a super catchy straight ahead trademarked dUg rocker and the latter bringing some slide guitar work and blues swagger ala his Grinder Blues side hustle, with fantastic results. 

More Strings Attached has some of dUg’s unique sing/talk vocals and that southern preacher vibe that makes his delivery so powerful. Let the Music Play has a soulful feel and is a little bit funky too, while Love Defines You brings the low-end sound and highlights dUg’s bass playing and ability to bring the soulful heaviness. Shout out to Jimi Hazel for the solo here. Add some Ty and Jerry harmonies and From The Now could fit nicely on a late period King’s X record. The Alarm is dUg getting all pop and jangly on us and it so works, pulling off his best Smithereens impersonation. How about grungy dUg on The One Thing? Love it. The Valley has some great guitar work to go along with some more classic dUg, including some amazing vocals, while Working It Out is an inspirational little ditty with all you want from a Pinnick tune. The closer, Believe It, may be the most un-dUg track out of the eleven and is actually my favourite, with its layered vocals and interesting melody.

Don’t blink, because Thingamajigger flies by quick with eleven songs in 31 minutes with no songs over three and a half minutes and zero filler. This is a much more focused effort than the last one, Joy Bomb, which felt a bit bloated and lacked stand out tracks. dUg has certainly found his solo groove again with Thingamajigger, one of his finest solo works to date. 8/10

Vessel - The Somnifer (Majestic Mountain Records) [Rich Piva]

Four years after their last record, heavy psych duo from Australia Vessel is back with its most mind expanding and gigantic record yet, The Somnifer. This one is big and bold and their most ambitious record, branching out even further into the next astral plane with ten tracks that exist to take you on a heavy desert trip.

A good chuck of The Somnifer is instrumental and these compositions transport you to the desert on some distant planet. You seem to be on earth for the first three minutes of the opening title track until song two, Draining The Labyrinth, takes you to a whole new level with some absolutely killer guitar work. The bass leads the exploration of this mystery planet until the guitar and spoken work vocals begin to help you to understand what you have gotten yourself into. I love the sound and the tones of The Somnifer, as you really are transformed, especially when you play this loud. The track Eat The Day is the most straight ahead heavy stoner track on the record and it absolutely rules. A sweet bass riff with some excellent guitar work and great vocals, this one has it all and will be on my year end playlist for sure. 

The trippy instrumental interlude Delta Waves leads to heavier stuff in the form of Recurring Nightmare, which sounds like its title, from the heavy bass, to the vocals, to the doomy guitar work. Image Rehearsal Reaction is where we may lose some, as it is a ten-minute psych out that you need to hang in for to really get it, but if you do hang in it is so worth it. Another instrumental interlude brings us to the closer, Body And Soul, that has such a cool heavy vibe and somehow reminds me of a 80s song run through a stoner rock song generator, and what comes out is so damn cool.

The new Vessel record is a challenge that is worth accepting and hanging in for. The Somnifer is out there in the best sort of way and is ready to take your listening in a whole different direction from your straight-ahead stoner and doom listening habits and ready to mess with your mind. 8/10

Reviews: InMe, Lifesick, Ethereal, Ataraxie (Reviews By Liam Williams, GC, Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

InMe – Overgrown Eden Reissue (Music For Nations) [Liam Williams]

Alternative metal band InMe are back with a re-re-release of their very first album Overgrown Eden, which was originally released back in 2003 and then re-released in 2006 after their original label went out of business. It features the classic album in it’s entirety along with 9 extra tracks which have never previously been released. Bringing the total number of tracks up to a whopping 22, and the total length of the album being bumped up to just under 1 hour and 20 minutes, meaning there is over half an hour of bonus riffage to please your ears!

I’ll be honest, I listened to this album a few years back and I wasn’t really feeling it, but I must have been having an off day because after giving it another listen I don’t know why I didn’t like it back then. This album is spectacular from start to finish! Seeing as this isn’t an entirely new album I think it might be best if I just break this review down into 2 mini reviews, first covering the original album and my thoughts on it now, listening to it again after some time has passed, and then the second part will be covering the 9 previously unheard B-sides.

So first we have the original 13 tracks from the album. These tracks are absolutely fantastic. Lots of great guitar riffs, groovy basslines, excellent drumming and some really great vocals. The vocals were the main reason why I wasn’t a fan of this album when I first heard it, at times they’re a little bit too nasally sounding which kind of put me off. But after my most recent listen, I can appreciate the variety of techniques that the vocalist used to make each song sound different from each other and not just keep things safe and sing the same way from start to finish. 

There’s some great gritty, grungy vocals throughout most of the album, but it’s broken up by some nice clean vocals and really great screaming sections. I really like the parts where there are some nice backing vocals added in to broaden the range of sound in certain parts of the songs. The guitars and bass playing is on another level, some really great chuggy riffs and other techniques thrown in to keep the songs grooving along while the drums help to drive the songs forward and keep up the momentum. There are some slower and calmer sections sprinkled throughout, but make no mistake, this album demands to be heard and it will definitely grab your attention! My favourite tracks on the album are Wounds, Lava Twilight, Icewarm, Neptune and Mosaic.

Now we move onto the 9 “new” tracks, starting off with Web. This song has a really cool intro followed by a nice groovy bassline in the first verse. After that we have Gelosea which features a very thrashy intro and some great vocals. Spur Of Moment goes from heavy to calm back and forth without ever really slowing down which may cause whiplash! Ruins starts off quite upbeat sounding (apart from the lyrics) until about halfway through when it gets heavier again, featuring a great little guitar solo, before going back to the calmer upbeat sound for the outro. Alaya is a short but really great track. Probably my favourite out of these 9 tracks. Sounds like very heavy grunge, think Nirvana but on steroids.

May (As Well Kiss Me) is an acoustic track which only features vocals and acoustic guitars. It helps slow things down a bit after the chaos that came before it. Gently Hurting is nice and heavy again featuring a nice bouncy bassline in the verses. It also has a nice chill bridge section. Receipt For Life has some more bouncy bass in the verses, with the guitar joining in on the bouncy action in the second verse. There’s also a great little guitar solo with some harmonic arpeggios which sounds so good. Miracle is another fun little jam with some tempo changes in the verses which sounds interesting. And finally, we have Deep Regret, another really nice sounding acoustic track which feels like a real definitive ending for the album.

I really enjoyed diving back into this album, I appreciate it a lot more compared to when I first heard it. The new tracks sound just as good as the rest, although I can see why they didn’t add them in originally since there was already 13 amazing tracks picked for this albums original release. This album still holds up and sounds good over 20 years after it’s release. 10/10

Lifesick - Loved By None, Hate By All (Metal Blade Records) [GC]

After a quick scan of the song titles for Denmark hardcore mob Lifesick’s latest Metal Blade release Loved By None, Hated By All, I can assume that I am not in for a very easy time and a quick scan over there label page seems to back up this with a description that it is about the roughness of living in today’s world, and I think we can all get on board with that, I am prepared for the worst (hopefully in a good way obviously!)

The opening chords for Death Wish have an undoubted Slayer-ish quality about them and the first 20 seconds or so sound like it might actually be Reign In Blood but, of curse its not and when it all settles in it takes the shape of metallic hardcore that has the stomp and swagger of peak Biohazard and sweeps the song forward on a wave of vitriol in an impressive way, you get absolutely zero seconds to re-group before Peace Through Superior Firepower is pummelling you into the ground with a razor sharp hardcore punk that even manages to insert a little sludgy elements into bits of the song which adds a really interesting contrast as your never really sure what is coming next? 

What comes next is the stomping and vitriolic Double Cross which carries on with the hardcore punk but ups the ante considerably and at times has a grindcore element added in and then just for the hell of it a thundering beatdown with added 2 step is thrown into the mix, fucking breathtakingly good stuff this! Hollow Treats doesn’t do too much different but this time there is another punk element added in the shape of an 80’s D-beat rhythm a la Discharge and I know I have compared them to 3 bands already but look at those bands I have compared them to? That should tell you everything about just how good this really is, anyway, this is just another savage and unrelenting 4 minutes of pure rage filled with anger that you will never get tired of hearing. 

Cheeringly titled Legacy Of Misery in contrast is a bit more metal focused and really has a force behind everything that’s played, you can practically feel every ounce of spite flowing from your speakers and the ominous and slow ending just adds to the horrors of the song even more. You may expect Poems For My Funeral to be a sombre and laid-back affair, but it is of course nothing of the sort, it is probably the slowest song so far but that doesn’t stunt the delivery at all and if anything, it gives it more room to sound bigger and angrier and that’s quite the achievement considering what’s come before it! 

Liquid Courage continues with the metallic hardcore sound and it’s a storming track that mixes some death metal elements into the already unrelenting and nasty sound and provides no let up in the barrage you are facing as the listener, Loved By None gets the bit between its teeth and bites down hard with another shot of vital and life affirmingly angry hardcore punk with not a nanosecond of time wasted, it is just another brilliant way to push this album forward before another misleading title is upon us The Mourning March may be expected to be another slow, thoughtful track. Right? Wrong! It’s yet another furious display of absolute disdain and hatred for life and the shit it brings and when anger sounds this intense it’s the best form of protest, and so Straight Jacket is now here to finish us off and it does so in gloriously horrible fashion with a final blast of white hot metallic hardcore anger mixed with some furious punk.

This was as close to perfect as you could get really, the only point I have is that some of it sounded almost too much like other bands, which is fine and didn’t ruin the effect of any part of the album, I think I would just like Lifesick to shine through as their own being! But seriously apart from that there is nothing here to moan about, this is an unrelenting, savage and angry album that should get repeated listens if you know what is good for you. 9/10

Ethereal – Downfall (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Think Katatonia, think Sentenced, think Moonsorrow, think Draconian or any number of Gothic bands with dual female/male vocals and you can sort of conjure up the style of Portuguese gothic doom band Ethereal. I mean if the name doesn’t give it away then the slow brooding soundscapes, sweeping orchestras, huge wall of guitars and soaring classical female vocal from Christina Lopes and gruff clean/growls from band founder Hugo Soares will definitely will. 

Formed in 1997 they recorded and performed until 2008 to go and do other things but the lure of crinoline and introspection proved too much and Ethereal returned with their original line up in 2021, adding third guitarist Pedro Arsénio. The addition of a third guitarist makes Downfall very guitar centric, the Maiden-isms strong on choral backed opener Betrayal as Pedro, Marco Agostinho and Carlos Monteiro, channelling Nightwish and Sentenced too. These influences continue on The Last Peaceful Journey, which has the drive of Katatonia and a bit more Maiden.

Even with a song such as The Hour Of Infinity, which is anchored around the piano of Mário Serrano, the guitars link between each other, harmonies on top of harmonies as there’s also a doomy chug. Ethereal were quite highly touted when they first emerged and it’s easy to see why as even after all these years, their music is perhaps more popular than it was then, the title track for instance something that you could hear world beaters such as Leprous or Devin Townsend produce. 

Slow burning, multi-layered and emotive build on great rhythms from Miguel Ledo (drums) and Jorge Bentes (bass) it’s a triumphant way to end this rousing comeback album. Ethereal are something special, hopefully they stick around as their third album is just what I needed this time of year. 8/10

Ataraxie - Le Déclin (Ardua Music & Weird Truth Productions) [Mark Young]

A late, late review for your consideration!!

 
There are some releases that test your level of patience to the point that it stops being a pleasant listening experience and becomes a trial of endurance, almost to the point that having completed it there is a badge of honour bestowed upon you by others who have braved it and lived to tell the tale. I’m exaggerating, well at least about the badge of honour but I’m comparing my experience of this as being like navigating the Banyan Tree in Jet Set Willy (look it up kids). 

This is a long album, 4 tracks that altogether clock in at 1 hour and 21 minutes long and yet in order to appreciate its qualities you have to sit and digest it in one sitting. This is a throwback to the early days of doom/death metal, extended and stretched beyond its natural form. Each of the 4 tracks provide something different, all of it pitched within a blacker than black delivery. They are built to evolve at a glacial pace before exploding into traditional/OSDM tempos such as Vomisseurs De Vide which see it moving between melancholic, soft guitar into that doom territory without a backwards glance.

 
The opening salvo Le Déclin drags itself along with ponderous arrangement that moves at pace reserved for tectonic plates but within that movement it starts to unfold, evolving as the vocals enter. They narrate, at first in an almost gentle way and start to build in intensity until its time for the extreme growls to take over. Musically, the pattern shifts as those darker overtones take shape and the real aural punishment starts as Vomisseurs De Vide comes in with a statement riff pattern that is just huge. This isn’t like anything else I’ve heard; it isn’t just recycling of detuned guitars that spit out the same ideas as it feels like an album’s worth of ideas in one go. That constant switch between into death metal is unsettling, the way they turn that they change into this blast beat monster is incredible. It’s not forced, it is completely natural to hear.

 
Glory Of Ignominy continues that slow-burn approach, their heavy attack giving way into the subtle once more in a subversion of Vomisseurs, again using that switch and bait approach to wrong foot you. The Collapse is the final battering, and this one starts like the doom you know and love, guitars that grind, drums that epically crash and roll and that guttural performance by Jonathan Théry that forms the foundation from which it all springs.

 
There is no point me trying to find new ways to describe to you how heavy they are because in all honesty it’s pointless. This is their 5th album, and if you have listened to the other 4 then you will have a pretty good idea of what is in store for you. Within each track there are moments of speed that evoke memories of what death metal was like in the early 90’s. It’s brutal, dark and without any mercy whatsoever. 

That they choose to punish over this length of time is something else, and I think under normal circumstances I would have attempted to send this back to the boss for someone else to have a stab at. What they do within each track is tell a cohesive story that touches on subtlety, melody and gives you some monstrous sounding guitars. Each one is like a distorted mirror of the one before and the one after, often twisting similar movements so that they come at you from a different place, almost like a different time.

 
It goes without saying that this will be an acquired taste to those who have not come across Ataraxie before. I’ve no idea if their earlier music would be better as a jumping on point when compared to this. Or maybe you should just take the plunge and let it wash over you like the water in a cold, dark lake. 8/10