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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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