Top 20 Of 2024 By Matt Bladen (Editor MoM)
1. Opeth - The Last Will And Testament
2. Flamebearer - Brazen
3. Judas Priest - Invincible Shield
4. Lowen - Do Not Go To War With The Demons Mazandaran
5. Sergeant Thunderhoof - The Ghost Of Badon Hill
6. Pantheïst - Kings Must Die
7. Oceans Of Slumber -Where Gods Fear To Speak
8. Louise Patricia Crane - Netherworld
9. Fellowship - The Skies Above Eternity
10. Warpstormer - Warpstormer
11. Dawnwalker - The Unknowing
12. Paralydium - Universe Calls
13. Goat Major - Ritual
14. Iotunn - Kinship
15. Frost* - Life In The Wires
16. Witherfall - Sounds Of The Forgotten
17. Unto Others - Never, Neverland
18. Old Horn Tooth - Mourning Light
19. Klone - The Unseen
20. Dvne - Voidkind
Monday, 30 December 2024
AOTY 2024: Giacomo Fiderio
Top 20 Of 2024 By Giacomo Fiderio (Root Zero/Risperidrone)
Intro: The 2020’s have been a turbulent decade so far. Defined largely by wars, a pandemic, ever increasing living costs and a rise in extreme right-wing ideology, it’s certainly a period in time where catharsis through music is needed more than ever, especially in the wake of so many grassroots venues in the UK struggling to make ends meet.
Intro: The 2020’s have been a turbulent decade so far. Defined largely by wars, a pandemic, ever increasing living costs and a rise in extreme right-wing ideology, it’s certainly a period in time where catharsis through music is needed more than ever, especially in the wake of so many grassroots venues in the UK struggling to make ends meet.
Thankfully, amidst all of this chaos there have been some superb releases in the calendar year 2024. The following 20 albums are the ones that stood out to me within the broad spectrum of alternative music.
20. Night Verses - Every Sound Has a Color in the Valley of Night
Is it wrong to include an album on this year-end list when half of it was technically released last year? Maybe, but this latest Night Verses album was too good to emit from this list. After losing their vocalist in 2017, Night Verses decided to continue as an instrumental trio and it paid off, with their third album From the Gallery of Sleep being the strongest release of their career. This album is simply a continuation, with the band moving from strength to strength, once again demonstrating that they can hold their own without a vocalist and still create engaging prog metal. This album even has a few curveballs thrown in, with some great features such as Tool bassist Justin Chancellor and Industrial powerhouse Author & Punisher. There is even the brief reappearance of vocals with Incubus singer Brandon Boyd and Circa Survive singer Anthony Green appearing on two tracks respectively towards the tail-end of the record. These brief vocal appearances help to diversify this record and help it to stand out on its own from its predecessor.
19. Iotunn – Kinship
Is it wise to start an album with a song more than 13 minutes long? Probably not, but that’s what Danish prog metallers Iotunn decided to do on their second album Kinship and it pays off so well. Like many prog albums, this album is a grower and demands multiple listens, but the songwriting and musicianship on display is excellent. Instrumentally it sits somewhere between progressive and melodic death metal, drawing comparisons to bands like Insomnium, but the vocals are primarily soaring operatic cleans, coupled with death growls to compensate the heavier sections. This focus on power metal-style vocals helps to set Iotunn out from their contemporaries, and they are definitely a name to keep an eye on in the future.
18. Amiensus – Reclamation Part I & II
Although these were two separate albums released during different parts of this year, I’m counting them as a double album. This progressive black metal project really outdid themselves with this release; whilst their previous records were no slouches these two albums really feel like a step up for this band. Fans of bands like Enslaved will feel right at home with Amiensus, as their sound is equal parts black metal and equal parts prog metal worship. Despite an obviously long run-time, both of the Reclamation albums remain engaging throughout. This band seems to have flown under the radar for a lot of people this year too, so definitely give these albums a listen.
17. Judas Priest – Invincible Shield
I generally try and avoid filling my year-end lists with legacy acts, partially because if you want a list of the best year-end albums by popular bands you can just go to Loudwire for that but mostly because I like to give the spotlight to bands that you may not have heard of before. However, every now and again a legacy act releases something that really is worth mentioning and Judas Priest have done just that with Invincible Shield. Following on from their already impressive 2018 album Firepower, Invincible Shield sees these metal grandads go from strength to strength, essentially using the aforementioned Firepower as a foundation to build an even stronger album on top of. Rob Halford’s vocals sound amazing as per usual, the rhythm section is as strong as ever and Glenn Tipton still shows he can write a shredding solo in spite of his health difficulties.
16. Opeth – Last Will and Testament
After a long period of absence, Opeth mastermind Mikael Akerfeldt has brought death growls back into his music, so this album was bound to be on this list right? Well, it’s not quite as simple as that. Opeth has shown in the past they can make fantastic progressive rock with albums like Damnation, but their foray into progressive rock since 2011 has been hit and miss mostly as it seems to lack that signature Opeth melancholy. However, thankfully 2019’s In Cauda Venenum recaptured some of that spirit, and Last Will and Testament further builds upon that and combining it well with the retro prog worship Opeth have been doing recently. The reintroduction of harsh vocals is the icing on the cake, and makes this album the best Opeth album in quite a long time.
15. Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown
Including a chamber pop album on a list like this may raise some eyebrows, but the first solo album from Portishead frontwoman Beth Gibbons should be something that a lot of rock and metal fans will really appreciate. Portishead as a band have always appealed to me personally as a trip-hop/electronic group that really capture a similar sense of melancholy that you get from a lot of the darker metal styles, and the lo-fi production on their debut album in particular really scratches the same itch for me musically as a lot of black metal does. Lives Outgrown very much continues with that same sense of melancholy, although it abandons almost all of the electronic elements from Portishead, but it’s definitely one of the strongest non-metal albums of 2024 and one that I think deserves a spot here.
14. Múr – Self-titled
This album is a bit of a deceptive one; from looking at the cover you’d assume them to be some sort of Eurovision-ready pop act, but what you actually have is an excellent debut album from these Icelandic post-metal newcomers. Fans of Cult of Luna and The Ocean will feel right at home here with lots of dense synth sections coupled with pummelling sludge riffs, and whilst it does get a little repetitive at times, it’s still a captivating and very solid album, and this band is definitely a name to watch in the future.
13. Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She
Chelsea Wolfe has had a busy past few years. After having an incredibly strong album streak from 2011s Apokalypsis through to 2017’s Hiss Spun, she followed up with the enjoyable if slightly underwhelming Birth of Violence before doing a slew of collaborative projects, including a song with Emma Ruth Rundle, a full-length album with metalcore stalwarts Converge and featuring on the Dark Nights: Death Metal soundtrack. After a few quiet years she has returned with her 7th full-length She Reaches Out… This album sees Wolfe returning somewhat to the darkwave sound present on her albums Pain is Beauty and Abyss and is another shining example of Wolfe’s ability to blend abrasive walls of sound with her incredibly delicate and sombre vocals. This album is absolutely a must-listen for anyone needing a dose of mopey electronic goth music.
12. Alcest – Les Chants de L’Aurore
There’s something so uniquely blissful about listening to Alcest’s music that no other metal band can quite replicate, even other blackgaze contemporaries such as Deafheaven, and that is very much the case with their latest album. After wading into darker lyrical territory on the past two records, Alcest mastermind Neige expressed a desire to return to the band’s roots as such, with dreamier topics and a less riff-oriented approach. The result is an album that sits somewhere in between the band’s earlier outputs and Shelter, their purely dream-pop album. This was the soundtrack to my summer this year, no less as it was released on the summer solstice, which seemed so apt I refuse to believe it was a coincidence.
11. Fit for an Autopsy – The Nothing That Is
I’ve really grown to despise modern deathcore, largely due to the fact that most of the bands aren’t really interested in writing music, but instead churning out YouTube reaction-ready slop with the most over-the-top breakdowns imaginable. Thankfully, Fit for an Autopsy stand out as an anomaly in this regard, being a deathcore band that actually focuses on writing good songs. They have been going from strength to strength since 2017’s The Great Collapse, and The Nothing That Is is a continuation of that, with a lot of crushingly heavy riffs reminiscent of bands like Revocation and Gojira coupled with breakdowns that actually compliment the songs rather than overshadow them.
10. Orgone – Pleroma
Undoubtedly one of the wildest albums included on this list, Pennsylvania death metallers Orgone have been at it for a while with their name largely going unnoticed. Pleroma is their third album and their first in 10 years, and my personal introduction to them. Their music is very diverse, ranging from dissonant death metal you’d expect on an Ulcerate or Gorguts album, all the way through to soft folky acoustic sections. Of course, a lot of progressive death metal bands combine soft passages with big riffs but never before have the contrasts been quite as extreme as they are here, and despite that, this album is incredibly well put-together and flows exceptionally well.
9. Ihsahn – Self-titled
Ihsahn has come a long way over the years. From his days in legendary black metal band Emperor throughout his solo work, his evolution as an artist has been a real treat to observe and experience when listening to his discography. His self-titled release feels like a celebration of that evolution, as it combines some of the best elements of all of his past releases into one. Far and beyond the most symphonic release he’s done since Emperor, the extra orchestral parts compliment this album fantastically, giving it an almost Devin Townsend-esque sense of grandiose.
8. Job for a Cowboy – Moon Healer
Job for a Cowboy were one of my favourite bands back during the Myspace era, and following the evolution of the band was a real treat, that culminated with their 2014 release Sun Eater, a progressive death metal beast of an album that was equal parts memorable and very technically proficient. Despite waiting 10 years for the follow-up album, Moon Healer doesn’t miss a beat and sees the band build on Sun Eater. The vocals and bass are the standouts for me on this record, but really the musicianship on this album in general is so impressive. Hopefully we won’t be waiting another 10 years for the next release!
7. Chat Pile – Cool World
I opened this piece by outlining some issues that the 2020s have been plagued with so far, and Oklahoma noise metal band Chat Pile have no qualms about tackling these topics head-on with their music. Continuing where their previous album God’s Country left off, Cool World offers listeners with their signature blend of noise rock, sludge metal and industrial metal and frontman Raygun Busch snarls and yells about how much the world sucks, and unfortunately I am inclined to agree with him. It’s a bleak and grimy listen, but it’s impossible to deny the catharsis this album offers, and the raw production makes the whole thing really sound like it was recorded in a garage in the 1990s, but in the best way possible.
6. Jerry Cantrell – I Want Blood
Anyone who has even a surface-level interest in heavy music should already be aware of Jerry Cantrell and his contributions throughout the years, obviously most notably with grunge legends Alice in Chains. His solo career started in the late 90s during his band’s hiatus which would ultimately lead to the tragic death of the beloved Layne Staley. After two solo albums, Cantrell seemingly retired his solo work and reformed Alice in Chains, but he brought his solo material back in 2021 with Brighten, an enjoyable but ultimately flawed listen. I Want Blood, however, shows Cantrell back on top form and firing on all cylinders. Although a relatively short affair for his standards, not a single minute is wasted on this 9-track album which is easily the strongest work Cantrell has put out since Alice In Chains released Black Gives Way to Blue. Joined by plenty of familiar names that he has worked with before, Jerry Cantrell brings in the riffs aplenty on this album, going back into the darker musical territory he is known for. This album may not rock the boat too much, but it is a fantastic display of Jerry’s strong songwriting skills and is an essential listen for fans old and new.
5. Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
In recent years I have all but given up on most metalcore bands. Gone are the days when bands would bother to pull you in with hard-as-feck riffs, the Gothenburg rip-off bands that popularised the genre, or even the over-the-top scenecore of the late aughts, and instead most modern metalcore bands seem to be more interested in churning out generic butt-rock or djent riffs, brickwalled production that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Imagine Dragons album and vocals so over-processed that any remaining humanity left in the music is completely squeezed out. However, one name in the most popular echelon stood out to me, that being Kentucky band Knocked Loose. Uninterested with sanitising their sound at all, their traction is the antithesis of practically all of their contemporaries, and this has only continued to work in their favour. On You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To that really pays off, and despite being such an ear-splittingly heavy listen it is a surprisingly dynamic work with each song having its own identy and the entire album flowing seamlessly like some sort of beatdown musical suite. Their career should really serve as an example that you can experience a growth in popularity without sanitising your sound, and this was perhaps best showcased when the band played Suffocate live on Jimmy Kimmel, to the dismay of pearl-clutching conservatives aplenty.
4. Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere
Blood Incantation have been on my radar for a few years now and I’ve definitely been interested in their somewhat unique approach to death metal, even if I haven’t revisited their past material that frequently. However with Absolute Elsewhere they have finally won me over, and the way they did that was by adding fantastic keyboard and synth arrangements to their signature death metal sound. Absolute Elsewhere is a masterclass in progressive death metal; the entire album consisting of two songs both split into three separate movement (or tablets) that move between death metal brutality and serene proggy space rock almost effortlessly. Don’t mistake this album for an Opeth clone though; despite clearly sharing similar influences to the Swedish heavyweights, Blood Incantation have a much spacier, sci-fi themed approach to their sound, thanks to the vast array of synthesizers they accumulated for this album’s composition. The end result is very Pink Floyd-esque, and to top it all off there’s a Tangerine Dream feature on here too.
3. Crippling Alcoholism – With Love from a Padded Room
Yes you’re reading that right; a band called Crippling Alcoholism is on my year-end list of 2024. Before the band name leaves you running for the hills, let me explain why this band has ended up so high on my list in the first place. With Love from a Padded Room is the sophomore release from this Boston gothic/noise rock project, and it delves into some truly dark and depraved musical and lyrical territories during its 61 minute runtime. Anyone who is a fan of aforementioned noise metal stars Chat Pile or the disgraced former heavyweights in this style, Daughters, should feel right at home with this record, although even then With Love from a Padded Room truly stands out from their contemporaries, combining wailing noise rock swells and leads with downright creepy synth passages and goth rock macabre. Despite all of that, this album is absolutely littered with earworms and before you know it you too will be humming along to vocalist Tony Castrato’s Mark Lanegan-esque croons, in spite of how fucked up the lyrical content is. To top it all off the album sounds amazing, with some of the best production you’ll hear this year.
2. State Faults – Children of the Moon
In a very short period of time this Northern California band have become one of my favourite contemporary names within post-hardcore. On previous albums such as Clairvoyant they proved to me that they have a real knack for effortlessly fusing post-hardcore with a variety of other styles of music such as screamo, black metal, shoegaze, post-rock and more. However, nothing could have prepared me for their fourth release, Children of the Moon. A miraculous release in and of itself given some financial and personal difficulties the band have struggled with in recent years, this 63 minute mammoth album is a culmination of everything that is great about post-hardcore in general and then some. Throat-shredding screams, incredibly heartfelt and relatable lyrics and melodic hooks galore, State Faults also use this long runtime to reach into the aforementioned genres, such as the 10 minute long No Gospel which gives their sound a progressive edge, or the Underoath-tinged Distant Omen or the blackgaze-inspired Nazar. Despite such a broad range of influences on display, nothing ever feels out of place or forced, and the songwriting and musical talent on display is nothing short of astounding. This is a genre-defining record for post-hardcore and should not be missed by anyone remotely interested in any of the genres mentioned.
1. The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
As I reach the end of my 20s I have been looking back and reflecting on the last decade of my life. As far as musical discoveries go, no band have had quite as profound an impact on me this decade as The Cure have, and hearing they had a new album coming out was obviously a cause for celebration for me and every other mopey goth out there. It truly is a testament to The Cure’s level of talent that they return after a 16 year album gap with not only a great album, but the best release since their seminal 1989 album Disintegration. This is one of Robert Smith’s most emotionally raw performances, staring his own mortality in the face and reflecting on the death of loved ones, and the spacey instrumentation surrounding these sombre topics fits perfectly, with extended instrumental passages supplementing Smith’s vocals in a way that fantastically encapsulates what this band is all about. Comeback albums after over a decade of musical inactivity are rarely good, and ones like this are a needle in a haystack. This album is a masterpiece, an absolutely essential listen, not just for the aforementioned mopey goths like myself, but music fans in general.
20. Night Verses - Every Sound Has a Color in the Valley of Night
Is it wrong to include an album on this year-end list when half of it was technically released last year? Maybe, but this latest Night Verses album was too good to emit from this list. After losing their vocalist in 2017, Night Verses decided to continue as an instrumental trio and it paid off, with their third album From the Gallery of Sleep being the strongest release of their career. This album is simply a continuation, with the band moving from strength to strength, once again demonstrating that they can hold their own without a vocalist and still create engaging prog metal. This album even has a few curveballs thrown in, with some great features such as Tool bassist Justin Chancellor and Industrial powerhouse Author & Punisher. There is even the brief reappearance of vocals with Incubus singer Brandon Boyd and Circa Survive singer Anthony Green appearing on two tracks respectively towards the tail-end of the record. These brief vocal appearances help to diversify this record and help it to stand out on its own from its predecessor.
19. Iotunn – Kinship
Is it wise to start an album with a song more than 13 minutes long? Probably not, but that’s what Danish prog metallers Iotunn decided to do on their second album Kinship and it pays off so well. Like many prog albums, this album is a grower and demands multiple listens, but the songwriting and musicianship on display is excellent. Instrumentally it sits somewhere between progressive and melodic death metal, drawing comparisons to bands like Insomnium, but the vocals are primarily soaring operatic cleans, coupled with death growls to compensate the heavier sections. This focus on power metal-style vocals helps to set Iotunn out from their contemporaries, and they are definitely a name to keep an eye on in the future.
18. Amiensus – Reclamation Part I & II
Although these were two separate albums released during different parts of this year, I’m counting them as a double album. This progressive black metal project really outdid themselves with this release; whilst their previous records were no slouches these two albums really feel like a step up for this band. Fans of bands like Enslaved will feel right at home with Amiensus, as their sound is equal parts black metal and equal parts prog metal worship. Despite an obviously long run-time, both of the Reclamation albums remain engaging throughout. This band seems to have flown under the radar for a lot of people this year too, so definitely give these albums a listen.
17. Judas Priest – Invincible Shield
I generally try and avoid filling my year-end lists with legacy acts, partially because if you want a list of the best year-end albums by popular bands you can just go to Loudwire for that but mostly because I like to give the spotlight to bands that you may not have heard of before. However, every now and again a legacy act releases something that really is worth mentioning and Judas Priest have done just that with Invincible Shield. Following on from their already impressive 2018 album Firepower, Invincible Shield sees these metal grandads go from strength to strength, essentially using the aforementioned Firepower as a foundation to build an even stronger album on top of. Rob Halford’s vocals sound amazing as per usual, the rhythm section is as strong as ever and Glenn Tipton still shows he can write a shredding solo in spite of his health difficulties.
16. Opeth – Last Will and Testament
After a long period of absence, Opeth mastermind Mikael Akerfeldt has brought death growls back into his music, so this album was bound to be on this list right? Well, it’s not quite as simple as that. Opeth has shown in the past they can make fantastic progressive rock with albums like Damnation, but their foray into progressive rock since 2011 has been hit and miss mostly as it seems to lack that signature Opeth melancholy. However, thankfully 2019’s In Cauda Venenum recaptured some of that spirit, and Last Will and Testament further builds upon that and combining it well with the retro prog worship Opeth have been doing recently. The reintroduction of harsh vocals is the icing on the cake, and makes this album the best Opeth album in quite a long time.
15. Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown
Including a chamber pop album on a list like this may raise some eyebrows, but the first solo album from Portishead frontwoman Beth Gibbons should be something that a lot of rock and metal fans will really appreciate. Portishead as a band have always appealed to me personally as a trip-hop/electronic group that really capture a similar sense of melancholy that you get from a lot of the darker metal styles, and the lo-fi production on their debut album in particular really scratches the same itch for me musically as a lot of black metal does. Lives Outgrown very much continues with that same sense of melancholy, although it abandons almost all of the electronic elements from Portishead, but it’s definitely one of the strongest non-metal albums of 2024 and one that I think deserves a spot here.
14. Múr – Self-titled
This album is a bit of a deceptive one; from looking at the cover you’d assume them to be some sort of Eurovision-ready pop act, but what you actually have is an excellent debut album from these Icelandic post-metal newcomers. Fans of Cult of Luna and The Ocean will feel right at home here with lots of dense synth sections coupled with pummelling sludge riffs, and whilst it does get a little repetitive at times, it’s still a captivating and very solid album, and this band is definitely a name to watch in the future.
13. Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She
Chelsea Wolfe has had a busy past few years. After having an incredibly strong album streak from 2011s Apokalypsis through to 2017’s Hiss Spun, she followed up with the enjoyable if slightly underwhelming Birth of Violence before doing a slew of collaborative projects, including a song with Emma Ruth Rundle, a full-length album with metalcore stalwarts Converge and featuring on the Dark Nights: Death Metal soundtrack. After a few quiet years she has returned with her 7th full-length She Reaches Out… This album sees Wolfe returning somewhat to the darkwave sound present on her albums Pain is Beauty and Abyss and is another shining example of Wolfe’s ability to blend abrasive walls of sound with her incredibly delicate and sombre vocals. This album is absolutely a must-listen for anyone needing a dose of mopey electronic goth music.
12. Alcest – Les Chants de L’Aurore
There’s something so uniquely blissful about listening to Alcest’s music that no other metal band can quite replicate, even other blackgaze contemporaries such as Deafheaven, and that is very much the case with their latest album. After wading into darker lyrical territory on the past two records, Alcest mastermind Neige expressed a desire to return to the band’s roots as such, with dreamier topics and a less riff-oriented approach. The result is an album that sits somewhere in between the band’s earlier outputs and Shelter, their purely dream-pop album. This was the soundtrack to my summer this year, no less as it was released on the summer solstice, which seemed so apt I refuse to believe it was a coincidence.
11. Fit for an Autopsy – The Nothing That Is
I’ve really grown to despise modern deathcore, largely due to the fact that most of the bands aren’t really interested in writing music, but instead churning out YouTube reaction-ready slop with the most over-the-top breakdowns imaginable. Thankfully, Fit for an Autopsy stand out as an anomaly in this regard, being a deathcore band that actually focuses on writing good songs. They have been going from strength to strength since 2017’s The Great Collapse, and The Nothing That Is is a continuation of that, with a lot of crushingly heavy riffs reminiscent of bands like Revocation and Gojira coupled with breakdowns that actually compliment the songs rather than overshadow them.
10. Orgone – Pleroma
Undoubtedly one of the wildest albums included on this list, Pennsylvania death metallers Orgone have been at it for a while with their name largely going unnoticed. Pleroma is their third album and their first in 10 years, and my personal introduction to them. Their music is very diverse, ranging from dissonant death metal you’d expect on an Ulcerate or Gorguts album, all the way through to soft folky acoustic sections. Of course, a lot of progressive death metal bands combine soft passages with big riffs but never before have the contrasts been quite as extreme as they are here, and despite that, this album is incredibly well put-together and flows exceptionally well.
9. Ihsahn – Self-titled
Ihsahn has come a long way over the years. From his days in legendary black metal band Emperor throughout his solo work, his evolution as an artist has been a real treat to observe and experience when listening to his discography. His self-titled release feels like a celebration of that evolution, as it combines some of the best elements of all of his past releases into one. Far and beyond the most symphonic release he’s done since Emperor, the extra orchestral parts compliment this album fantastically, giving it an almost Devin Townsend-esque sense of grandiose.
8. Job for a Cowboy – Moon Healer
Job for a Cowboy were one of my favourite bands back during the Myspace era, and following the evolution of the band was a real treat, that culminated with their 2014 release Sun Eater, a progressive death metal beast of an album that was equal parts memorable and very technically proficient. Despite waiting 10 years for the follow-up album, Moon Healer doesn’t miss a beat and sees the band build on Sun Eater. The vocals and bass are the standouts for me on this record, but really the musicianship on this album in general is so impressive. Hopefully we won’t be waiting another 10 years for the next release!
7. Chat Pile – Cool World
I opened this piece by outlining some issues that the 2020s have been plagued with so far, and Oklahoma noise metal band Chat Pile have no qualms about tackling these topics head-on with their music. Continuing where their previous album God’s Country left off, Cool World offers listeners with their signature blend of noise rock, sludge metal and industrial metal and frontman Raygun Busch snarls and yells about how much the world sucks, and unfortunately I am inclined to agree with him. It’s a bleak and grimy listen, but it’s impossible to deny the catharsis this album offers, and the raw production makes the whole thing really sound like it was recorded in a garage in the 1990s, but in the best way possible.
6. Jerry Cantrell – I Want Blood
Anyone who has even a surface-level interest in heavy music should already be aware of Jerry Cantrell and his contributions throughout the years, obviously most notably with grunge legends Alice in Chains. His solo career started in the late 90s during his band’s hiatus which would ultimately lead to the tragic death of the beloved Layne Staley. After two solo albums, Cantrell seemingly retired his solo work and reformed Alice in Chains, but he brought his solo material back in 2021 with Brighten, an enjoyable but ultimately flawed listen. I Want Blood, however, shows Cantrell back on top form and firing on all cylinders. Although a relatively short affair for his standards, not a single minute is wasted on this 9-track album which is easily the strongest work Cantrell has put out since Alice In Chains released Black Gives Way to Blue. Joined by plenty of familiar names that he has worked with before, Jerry Cantrell brings in the riffs aplenty on this album, going back into the darker musical territory he is known for. This album may not rock the boat too much, but it is a fantastic display of Jerry’s strong songwriting skills and is an essential listen for fans old and new.
5. Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
In recent years I have all but given up on most metalcore bands. Gone are the days when bands would bother to pull you in with hard-as-feck riffs, the Gothenburg rip-off bands that popularised the genre, or even the over-the-top scenecore of the late aughts, and instead most modern metalcore bands seem to be more interested in churning out generic butt-rock or djent riffs, brickwalled production that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Imagine Dragons album and vocals so over-processed that any remaining humanity left in the music is completely squeezed out. However, one name in the most popular echelon stood out to me, that being Kentucky band Knocked Loose. Uninterested with sanitising their sound at all, their traction is the antithesis of practically all of their contemporaries, and this has only continued to work in their favour. On You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To that really pays off, and despite being such an ear-splittingly heavy listen it is a surprisingly dynamic work with each song having its own identy and the entire album flowing seamlessly like some sort of beatdown musical suite. Their career should really serve as an example that you can experience a growth in popularity without sanitising your sound, and this was perhaps best showcased when the band played Suffocate live on Jimmy Kimmel, to the dismay of pearl-clutching conservatives aplenty.
4. Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere
Blood Incantation have been on my radar for a few years now and I’ve definitely been interested in their somewhat unique approach to death metal, even if I haven’t revisited their past material that frequently. However with Absolute Elsewhere they have finally won me over, and the way they did that was by adding fantastic keyboard and synth arrangements to their signature death metal sound. Absolute Elsewhere is a masterclass in progressive death metal; the entire album consisting of two songs both split into three separate movement (or tablets) that move between death metal brutality and serene proggy space rock almost effortlessly. Don’t mistake this album for an Opeth clone though; despite clearly sharing similar influences to the Swedish heavyweights, Blood Incantation have a much spacier, sci-fi themed approach to their sound, thanks to the vast array of synthesizers they accumulated for this album’s composition. The end result is very Pink Floyd-esque, and to top it all off there’s a Tangerine Dream feature on here too.
3. Crippling Alcoholism – With Love from a Padded Room
Yes you’re reading that right; a band called Crippling Alcoholism is on my year-end list of 2024. Before the band name leaves you running for the hills, let me explain why this band has ended up so high on my list in the first place. With Love from a Padded Room is the sophomore release from this Boston gothic/noise rock project, and it delves into some truly dark and depraved musical and lyrical territories during its 61 minute runtime. Anyone who is a fan of aforementioned noise metal stars Chat Pile or the disgraced former heavyweights in this style, Daughters, should feel right at home with this record, although even then With Love from a Padded Room truly stands out from their contemporaries, combining wailing noise rock swells and leads with downright creepy synth passages and goth rock macabre. Despite all of that, this album is absolutely littered with earworms and before you know it you too will be humming along to vocalist Tony Castrato’s Mark Lanegan-esque croons, in spite of how fucked up the lyrical content is. To top it all off the album sounds amazing, with some of the best production you’ll hear this year.
2. State Faults – Children of the Moon
In a very short period of time this Northern California band have become one of my favourite contemporary names within post-hardcore. On previous albums such as Clairvoyant they proved to me that they have a real knack for effortlessly fusing post-hardcore with a variety of other styles of music such as screamo, black metal, shoegaze, post-rock and more. However, nothing could have prepared me for their fourth release, Children of the Moon. A miraculous release in and of itself given some financial and personal difficulties the band have struggled with in recent years, this 63 minute mammoth album is a culmination of everything that is great about post-hardcore in general and then some. Throat-shredding screams, incredibly heartfelt and relatable lyrics and melodic hooks galore, State Faults also use this long runtime to reach into the aforementioned genres, such as the 10 minute long No Gospel which gives their sound a progressive edge, or the Underoath-tinged Distant Omen or the blackgaze-inspired Nazar. Despite such a broad range of influences on display, nothing ever feels out of place or forced, and the songwriting and musical talent on display is nothing short of astounding. This is a genre-defining record for post-hardcore and should not be missed by anyone remotely interested in any of the genres mentioned.
1. The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
As I reach the end of my 20s I have been looking back and reflecting on the last decade of my life. As far as musical discoveries go, no band have had quite as profound an impact on me this decade as The Cure have, and hearing they had a new album coming out was obviously a cause for celebration for me and every other mopey goth out there. It truly is a testament to The Cure’s level of talent that they return after a 16 year album gap with not only a great album, but the best release since their seminal 1989 album Disintegration. This is one of Robert Smith’s most emotionally raw performances, staring his own mortality in the face and reflecting on the death of loved ones, and the spacey instrumentation surrounding these sombre topics fits perfectly, with extended instrumental passages supplementing Smith’s vocals in a way that fantastically encapsulates what this band is all about. Comeback albums after over a decade of musical inactivity are rarely good, and ones like this are a needle in a haystack. This album is a masterpiece, an absolutely essential listen, not just for the aforementioned mopey goths like myself, but music fans in general.
AOTY 2024: Rich Piva
Top 20 Of 2024 By Rich Piva (MoM)
1. Luna Sol - Vita Mors
1. Luna Sol - Vita Mors
2. Kitsa - Dead By Dawn
3. Shotgun Sawyer - Shotgun Sawyer
4. Free Ride - Acico y Puto
5. Tangled Horns - Lighter
6. Daily Thompson - Chuparosa
7. Greenleaf - The Head and the Habit
8. Tarot - Glimpse Of The Dawn
9. Psychlona - Warped Vision
10. 10,000 Years - All Quiet On The Western Front
11. Phantom Hound - From Boon Town To Ghost Town
12. Hazehound - Macrodose
13. Magick Potion - Magick Potion
14. Sons Of Arrakis - Volume II
15. Sacri Monti - Retrieval
16. Big Scenic Nowhere - The Waydown
17. Blue Heron - Everything Fades
18. Gjenferd - Gjenferd
19. Full Tone Generator - Refuge Of Sinners
20. Horseburner - Voice of Storms
3. Shotgun Sawyer - Shotgun Sawyer
4. Free Ride - Acico y Puto
5. Tangled Horns - Lighter
6. Daily Thompson - Chuparosa
7. Greenleaf - The Head and the Habit
8. Tarot - Glimpse Of The Dawn
9. Psychlona - Warped Vision
10. 10,000 Years - All Quiet On The Western Front
11. Phantom Hound - From Boon Town To Ghost Town
12. Hazehound - Macrodose
13. Magick Potion - Magick Potion
14. Sons Of Arrakis - Volume II
15. Sacri Monti - Retrieval
16. Big Scenic Nowhere - The Waydown
17. Blue Heron - Everything Fades
18. Gjenferd - Gjenferd
19. Full Tone Generator - Refuge Of Sinners
20. Horseburner - Voice of Storms
Sunday, 29 December 2024
AOTY 2024: Mark Young
Top 10 Of 2024 By Mark Young (MoM)
1. Heriot - Devoured by the Mouth of Hell
2. Homecoming - Those We Knew / Mountain Caller - Chronicle II: Hypergenesis
3. Voidgazer - Dance of the Undesirables / Still - A Theft
4. Shadow Limb - Reclaim
7. Azell - Death Control
8. Knocked Loose - You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
9. Monument of Misanthropy - Vile Postmortem Irrumatio
10. Black Lava - The Savage Winds of Wisdom/Celestial Sanctuary - Visions Of Stagnant Blood - EP
1. Heriot - Devoured by the Mouth of Hell
2. Homecoming - Those We Knew / Mountain Caller - Chronicle II: Hypergenesis
3. Voidgazer - Dance of the Undesirables / Still - A Theft
4. Shadow Limb - Reclaim
5. Tombstoner - Rot Stink Rip
6. Old Horn Tooth - Mourning Light
7. Azell - Death Control
8. Knocked Loose - You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
9. Monument of Misanthropy - Vile Postmortem Irrumatio
10. Black Lava - The Savage Winds of Wisdom/Celestial Sanctuary - Visions Of Stagnant Blood - EP
AOTY 2024: GC
Top 20 Albums Of 2024 By GC (MoM)
1. The Hope Conspiracy- Tools of Oppression/Rule by Deception
2. Earthtone 9- In Resonance Nexus
3. Umbra Vitae- Light of Death
4. Mother of Graves- The Periapt of Absence
5. Nails- Every Burning Bridge
6. Terminal Nation- Echoes of the Devils Den
7. Turin- The Unforgiving Reality in Nothing
8. Orecus- Dreadnought
9. ACxDC-G.O.A.T
10. Child- Shitgeist
11. Atrae Bilis- Aumicide
12. The Last of Lucy- Godform
13. Oceano- Living Chaos
14. Daufoft- Glitter
15. 200 Stab Wounds- Manual Manic Procedures
17. Desolate Tomb- Scorned by Misery
19. Earthburner- Permanent Dawn
20. Full of Hell- Coagulated Bliss
Top 5 EP’s Of 2024
1. Sylosis- The Path
2. Worn Out- Low
3. Comeback Kid- Trouble
4. Chaos Reigns- Sweet Violence
5. Dwelled- Suffering Heritage
1. The Hope Conspiracy- Tools of Oppression/Rule by Deception
2. Earthtone 9- In Resonance Nexus
3. Umbra Vitae- Light of Death
4. Mother of Graves- The Periapt of Absence
5. Nails- Every Burning Bridge
6. Terminal Nation- Echoes of the Devils Den
7. Turin- The Unforgiving Reality in Nothing
8. Orecus- Dreadnought
9. ACxDC-G.O.A.T
10. Child- Shitgeist
11. Atrae Bilis- Aumicide
12. The Last of Lucy- Godform
13. Oceano- Living Chaos
14. Daufoft- Glitter
15. 200 Stab Wounds- Manual Manic Procedures
16. Lifesick- Loved by None, Hared by All
17. Desolate Tomb- Scorned by Misery
18. Brat- Social Grace
19. Earthburner- Permanent Dawn
20. Full of Hell- Coagulated Bliss
Top 5 EP’s Of 2024
1. Sylosis- The Path
2. Worn Out- Low
3. Comeback Kid- Trouble
4. Chaos Reigns- Sweet Violence
5. Dwelled- Suffering Heritage
Saturday, 28 December 2024
AOTY 2024: Joe Guatieri
Top 10 Of 2024 By Joe Guatieri (MoM/BristolVinylGuy)
10. Uboa - Impossible Light
9. Shellac - To All Trains
8. High On Fire - Cometh The Storm
7. Human Impact - Gone Dark
6. Chat Pile - Cool World
5. Knoll - As Spoken
4. Slomosa - Tundra Rock
3. Urzah - The Scorching Gaze
2. Maudissez - Maudissez
1. The Malefic Grip - Virtue and Industry
AOTY 2024: Rick Eaglestone
Top 10 Of 2024 By Rick Eaglestone (MoM & A Certain Taste)
1. Winterfylleth – The Imperious Horizon
2. Hekeseblad – Kaer Morhen
3. High Parasite – Forever We Burn
4. Ard – Untouched By Fire
5. Opeth – The Last Will And Testament
6. Burial – Rejoice In Sin
7. Devastator - Conjurers Of Cruelty
8. Vemod – The Deepening
9. Andracca – To Bare The Weight Of Death
10. Kingcrow - Hopium
1. Winterfylleth – The Imperious Horizon
2. Hekeseblad – Kaer Morhen
3. High Parasite – Forever We Burn
4. Ard – Untouched By Fire
5. Opeth – The Last Will And Testament
6. Burial – Rejoice In Sin
7. Devastator - Conjurers Of Cruelty
8. Vemod – The Deepening
9. Andracca – To Bare The Weight Of Death
10. Kingcrow - Hopium
Friday, 27 December 2024
AOTY 2024: Dan Sierras
Top 20 Of 2024 By Dan Sierras (DoomCharts Contributor)
20. Guenna - Peak of Jin ‘Arrah
19. Magick Potion - Magick Potion
18. Erronaut - The Space Inbetween
17. Kitsa - Dead by Dawn
16. Valley of the Sun - Quintessence
15. Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown - Electrified
14. The Cold Stares - The Southern
13. Baardvader - When the Stars Arrive
12. Heavy Temple - Garden of Heathens
11. Daily Thompson - Chuparosa
10. Stonekind - Hollow Ground
9. Jerry Cantrell - I Want Blood
8. Huanastone - Son of Juno
7. Shotgun Sawyer - Shotgun Sawyer
6. Sundrifter - An Earlier Time
5. Greenleaf - The Head & The Habit
4. Psychlona - Warped Vision
3. Blue Heron - Everything Fades
2. Abrams - Blue City
1. High Desert Queen - Palm Reader
20. Guenna - Peak of Jin ‘Arrah
19. Magick Potion - Magick Potion
18. Erronaut - The Space Inbetween
17. Kitsa - Dead by Dawn
16. Valley of the Sun - Quintessence
15. Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown - Electrified
14. The Cold Stares - The Southern
13. Baardvader - When the Stars Arrive
12. Heavy Temple - Garden of Heathens
11. Daily Thompson - Chuparosa
10. Stonekind - Hollow Ground
9. Jerry Cantrell - I Want Blood
8. Huanastone - Son of Juno
7. Shotgun Sawyer - Shotgun Sawyer
6. Sundrifter - An Earlier Time
5. Greenleaf - The Head & The Habit
4. Psychlona - Warped Vision
3. Blue Heron - Everything Fades
2. Abrams - Blue City
1. High Desert Queen - Palm Reader
AOTY 2024: Llyr Williams
Top 20 Of 2024 By Llyr Williams (Root Zero)
2. Oranssi Pazuzu - Muuntautuja
3. Vower - Apricity
4. Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To
5. Codespeaker - Scavenger
6. Chat Pile - Cool World
7. Crippling Alcoholism - With Love From A Padded Room
8. Heriot - Devoured By The Mouth Of Hell
9. Stoort Neer - essensen av smärta, reflektion och återhämtning
10. Blanket - Ceremonia
11. Opeth - The Last Will And Testament
12. Hollow Blessings - Who Will Dig The Graves When There Is Nothing Of Us Left
13. Smothering - Cannibal Pride
14. Skycamefalling- 10.21
15. Hippotraktor - Stasis
16. Julie Christmas - Ridiculous And Full Of Blood
17. Kollapse - AR
18. State Faults - Children Of The Moon
19. Sumac - The Healer
20. Blind Girls - An Exit Exists
Sunday, 22 December 2024
A View From The Back Of The Room: Alcest (Live Review By Nat Sabbath)
Alcest, Svalbard & Doodseskader, Manchester Academy, 12.12.24
On a cold winter evening in December, Manchester Academy 2 opened its doors to a night of sonic exploration and emotional resonance. With a line-up spanning diverse genres and themes, this gig proved to be an unforgettable experience for every music lover in attendance.
The night began with Belgian two-piece drum and bass noise machine Doodseskader (7), who delivered a performance that can only be described as a sonic assault on the senses. With their minimalist setup, they defied expectations, creating a colossal wall of sound.
On a cold winter evening in December, Manchester Academy 2 opened its doors to a night of sonic exploration and emotional resonance. With a line-up spanning diverse genres and themes, this gig proved to be an unforgettable experience for every music lover in attendance.
The night began with Belgian two-piece drum and bass noise machine Doodseskader (7), who delivered a performance that can only be described as a sonic assault on the senses. With their minimalist setup, they defied expectations, creating a colossal wall of sound.
Opening with Pastel Prison, their set was a perfect introduction to their unique blend of industrial sludge and noise-infused rap. Tracks like The Sheer Horror Of The Human Condition and It’s Not An Addiction If You Don’t Feel Like Quitting were visceral, drenched in raw emotion and relentless energy.
Closing with the blistering FLF, Doodseskader left the audience stunned, their intensity setting the tone for the night. For a support act, they managed to command attention like seasoned headliners.
The second act, Bristol-based quartet Svalbard (9), brought a heartfelt and electrifying set that resonated deeply with the crowd. It was a special night for the band, as it also marked their drummer’s birthday, which added a celebratory atmosphere to the emotional undertones of their music.
Finally, the highly anticipated Alcest (10) took to the stage, met with deafening cheers from an eager crowd. The French pioneers of black-gaze delivered a masterclass in emotional intensity and musical precision.
The second act, Bristol-based quartet Svalbard (9), brought a heartfelt and electrifying set that resonated deeply with the crowd. It was a special night for the band, as it also marked their drummer’s birthday, which added a celebratory atmosphere to the emotional undertones of their music.
Opening with the hauntingly beautiful Eternal Spirits, Svalbard guided the audience through a set-list that tackled themes of depression, resilience, and self-empowerment. Tracks like Open Wound and Defiance were met with fervent applause, the room pulsating with energy.
Vocalist Serena Cherry’s passionate performance was the beating heart of the set, blending ferocity and vulnerability in equal measure. By the time they closed with Faking It, Svalbard had the entire room in their grasp. This was a performance that not only showcased their technical skill but also created a sense of collective catharsis; a moment shared and cherished by everyone present.
Finally, the highly anticipated Alcest (10) took to the stage, met with deafening cheers from an eager crowd. The French pioneers of black-gaze delivered a masterclass in emotional intensity and musical precision.
Opening with L’Envol, Alcest immediately transported the audience into a dreamlike realm, where lush melodies and soaring vocals intertwined seamlessly. The set-list was a journey through their discography, featuring highlights like Écailles De Lune - Part 2 and Souvenirs D’un Autre Monde.
Each track was executed with remarkable precision, but it was the emotional weight behind their performance that truly captivated the audience. Neige’s vocals, ethereal yet powerful, carried an almost spiritual quality, and the band’s tight instrumentation amplified the impact of every crescendo.
One of the standout elements of the night was the stunning stage design. The lighting was synchronized perfectly with the music, casting shadows and colours that mirrored the mood of each song. Alcest’s performance wasn’t just a concert; it was an immersive experience. A perfect blend of sound and vision.
They closed the night with L’Adieu, a fittingly emotional farewell that left the crowd in awe, many visibly moved. For fans of Alcest, this performance was a dream come true; for newcomers, it was an unforgettable introduction to their world.
This gig was more than just a line-up of performances; it was a journey through sound, emotion, and artistry. Doodseskader’s raw energy, Svalbard’s heartfelt intensity, and Alcest’s transcendent beauty combined to create a night that will linger in the hearts of everyone who experienced it.
This gig was more than just a line-up of performances; it was a journey through sound, emotion, and artistry. Doodseskader’s raw energy, Svalbard’s heartfelt intensity, and Alcest’s transcendent beauty combined to create a night that will linger in the hearts of everyone who experienced it.
This was live music at its best: a celebration of creativity, vulnerability, and connection. If you missed it, you missed something truly special.
Saturday, 21 December 2024
A View From The Back Of The Room: Fury (Live Review By Tony Gaskin)
Fury & The Black Hounds, The Billesley Rock Club, 07.12.24
We recently popped along to our “local”, The Billesley Rock Club, a favourite haunt of ours tucked away in a leafy suburb of Brum that puts on gigs most Fridays and Saturdays that covers a wide range of rock genres by original and tribute bands.
We recently popped along to our “local”, The Billesley Rock Club, a favourite haunt of ours tucked away in a leafy suburb of Brum that puts on gigs most Fridays and Saturdays that covers a wide range of rock genres by original and tribute bands.
It’s a really friendly, laid back venue with great sound and lights in a decent sized room above the Billesley pub. Run by the fabulous Nancy and Bear you’re always guaranteed a warm welcome and a great night! Go check out their upcoming gigs at https://www.billesleyrockclub.com/
Tonight we’re here for two outstanding local rock bands that are firm favourites with us and full disclosure, great friends as well! Headlining are perennial visitors Fury with support from Black Country hard rockers The Black Hounds (9).
As I said, The Black Hounds are no strangers to us, so we knew what to expect, but this was their first time here at BRC and new to a lot of the crowd, but judging by the reception they received, I’m sure they’ll be back here in the future.
From their very early roots leaning heavily on a classic rock style, they’ve evolved and refined their sound to be much heavier. Songs like Gallows and Tyrant are pounding riff laden songs that show off their great songwriting abilities, but it’s the title track off their latest album All Kingdoms Fall that encapsulates everything that The Black Hounds are about.
Tonight we’re here for two outstanding local rock bands that are firm favourites with us and full disclosure, great friends as well! Headlining are perennial visitors Fury with support from Black Country hard rockers The Black Hounds (9).
As I said, The Black Hounds are no strangers to us, so we knew what to expect, but this was their first time here at BRC and new to a lot of the crowd, but judging by the reception they received, I’m sure they’ll be back here in the future.
From their very early roots leaning heavily on a classic rock style, they’ve evolved and refined their sound to be much heavier. Songs like Gallows and Tyrant are pounding riff laden songs that show off their great songwriting abilities, but it’s the title track off their latest album All Kingdoms Fall that encapsulates everything that The Black Hounds are about.
Heavy , epic and songs that grip you. If you like your rock to be at the heavy end then check them out, all their releases are available on the usual platforms.
You know when someone says “this band should be bigger”, well I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve heard people say that about Fury (10).
You know when someone says “this band should be bigger”, well I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve heard people say that about Fury (10).
Main man and power force behind the band, Julian, is an incredible all round performer, musician and songwriter and would most definitely love to be “bigger”, but he’s also very down to earth and realistic and knows that the music biz is a fickle mistress. This hasn’t stopped him from continuously writing, recording and performing for many years, because he simply loves doing it.
The sheer range of songs and styles that Fury brings to a show is a testament to those song writing skills, and this current, very settled line-up is probably the best I’ve seen from Fury.
The sheer range of songs and styles that Fury brings to a show is a testament to those song writing skills, and this current, very settled line-up is probably the best I’ve seen from Fury.
They can literally turn their hand to anything and the set is full of rock bangers that go from straight up hard rock to cheesy power metal. Throw in some epic prog and even some soft ballads and you have an evening of fun and variety. There's magic on the stage and they just bring the party whenever they play.
If you’ve not been to a Fury show yet, then I highly recommend it.
They should be and deserve to be bigger!
If you’ve not been to a Fury show yet, then I highly recommend it.
They should be and deserve to be bigger!
Friday, 20 December 2024
Reviews: White Tower, Yovel, Nothing Thrives, Arysithian Blade (Reviews By Matt Bladen)
White Tower - Night Hunters (Steel Gallery Records)
Speed/power/thrash metal band White Tower come from Thessaloniki and name themselves after the White Tower in that famous city. Night Hunters is their second album and a significant increase from their debut, it's more mature, bolder, brasher and heavier, influenced by Megadeth as much as it is Maiden, Anthrax as it does Accept. Night Hunters features lighting quick riffs, chugging mid tempos tracks and great vocals.
It's classic heavy metal and it surprised me how much better White Tower sound on this record in comparison to their debut and EP, they've got the viciousness of Overkill, Kreator and Helstar the screeching vocals of Gago Karapetian are wild and varied from those early days of thrash metal alongside the NWOBHM/speed metal scene.
Theodoros Trohidis drumming is a blitzkrieg of percussion in union with Nick Vekis' bass and Orestis Koulas' rhythm guitar bring the gallop to Banshee and a meaty chug on Warmonger while on the NWOTHM-like Tear Up The Night Nikos Patronopoulos gets to shred like a madman. Night Hunters then is a classic thrash/speed/heavy metal record that caught me by surprise with how good it is. 8/10
Yovel - The Great Silence (Self Released)
Yovel are an extreme metal band who follow a very strong and right on agenda of being proudly Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Corruption and Anti-Oppression, using their mantra of "Better Days Will Come/By Any Means Necessary" they have another five expansive tracks of atmospheric black metal which rages with the fires of revolution and resilience.
Their new record is called The Great Silence and it is "of the oppressed, for the oppressed", this mysterious band have made sure to tell anyone as much as possible that fair pay was given to everyone who worked on it and no GenAI programmes were used, it's honest music coming from human beings with soul. Interspersed with spoken word passes that preach their message or from new reports that back up why their beliefs are so important.
The haunting Corpses On Leave drifts from riffy mid-pace into acoustics while Better Days Will Come builds from post rock ambience into triumphant, defiant black metal all blastbeats and trem picking in the mid section of this 11 minute epic. The Great Silence is more intelligent black metal that tries to be the antithesis of what can be quite a problematic scene. 8/10
Nothing Thrives - Tales Of Disgrace (Ouga Booga And The Mighty Oug Recordings)
It's classic heavy metal and it surprised me how much better White Tower sound on this record in comparison to their debut and EP, they've got the viciousness of Overkill, Kreator and Helstar the screeching vocals of Gago Karapetian are wild and varied from those early days of thrash metal alongside the NWOBHM/speed metal scene.
Theodoros Trohidis drumming is a blitzkrieg of percussion in union with Nick Vekis' bass and Orestis Koulas' rhythm guitar bring the gallop to Banshee and a meaty chug on Warmonger while on the NWOTHM-like Tear Up The Night Nikos Patronopoulos gets to shred like a madman. Night Hunters then is a classic thrash/speed/heavy metal record that caught me by surprise with how good it is. 8/10
Yovel - The Great Silence (Self Released)
Yovel are an extreme metal band who follow a very strong and right on agenda of being proudly Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Corruption and Anti-Oppression, using their mantra of "Better Days Will Come/By Any Means Necessary" they have another five expansive tracks of atmospheric black metal which rages with the fires of revolution and resilience.
Their new record is called The Great Silence and it is "of the oppressed, for the oppressed", this mysterious band have made sure to tell anyone as much as possible that fair pay was given to everyone who worked on it and no GenAI programmes were used, it's honest music coming from human beings with soul. Interspersed with spoken word passes that preach their message or from new reports that back up why their beliefs are so important.
The haunting Corpses On Leave drifts from riffy mid-pace into acoustics while Better Days Will Come builds from post rock ambience into triumphant, defiant black metal all blastbeats and trem picking in the mid section of this 11 minute epic. The Great Silence is more intelligent black metal that tries to be the antithesis of what can be quite a problematic scene. 8/10
Nothing Thrives - Tales Of Disgrace (Ouga Booga And The Mighty Oug Recordings)
Dirty, snotty rock n roll from the streets of Athens, Nothing Thrives and their debut album Tales Of Disgrace are a band who take no prisoners, signed to the independent label that recently spearheaded the new record from 1000mods, the band who Nothing Thrives opened for at their recent album launch party. Nothing Thrives have a similar snarl but instead of stoner vibes, this is punk n roll inspiring comparisons to Motorhead and Turbonegro (Title Track) but also The Ramones (Out Of Here), The Stooges or MC5.
So it’s got garage rock fuzz, punk rock gang vocal and flashes of solos come towards the end of four on the floor ragers such as Riot. Tales Of Disgrace is a record of raw, live energy from start to finish, even when they slow a little with the swaggering Danzig-like Medicine and the Motorhead-esque Down The Well there’s always some fierce skater punk on Troublemaker Shooting or the punk metal fire of Shallow. Righteous dudes shredding punk n roll riffs, it’s grimy and grizzled dragged from the urban sprawl of Greece’s capital. 7/10
Arysithian Blade - Iriath (Steel Gallery Records)
Formed by some veterans of the Greek metal scene Arysithian Blade are band who are heavily influenced by the William J Tsamis' projects Warlord and Lordian Guard where the US style of power metal was met with a Greek sensibility for "arcane epic metal". The band are singer Chris Papadakis, guitarist and programmer (drums) Giannis Aktypis and bassist Petros Vasiliadis and while I should like this by Crescent Of The Two Moons I was a little bored, the music is quite similar to countless other bands and the vocals were quite one dimensional sitting in the high pitched shrieks and never really doing much else. I usually love epic metal with all its chest beating machismo but I found this blade a bit dull. 5/10
Arysithian Blade - Iriath (Steel Gallery Records)
Formed by some veterans of the Greek metal scene Arysithian Blade are band who are heavily influenced by the William J Tsamis' projects Warlord and Lordian Guard where the US style of power metal was met with a Greek sensibility for "arcane epic metal". The band are singer Chris Papadakis, guitarist and programmer (drums) Giannis Aktypis and bassist Petros Vasiliadis and while I should like this by Crescent Of The Two Moons I was a little bored, the music is quite similar to countless other bands and the vocals were quite one dimensional sitting in the high pitched shrieks and never really doing much else. I usually love epic metal with all its chest beating machismo but I found this blade a bit dull. 5/10
Reviews: Mörk Gryning, KillerKorp, Magic Kingdom, Sequester (Reviews By Mark Young, Zak Skane, Simon Black & Rich Piva)
Mörk Gryning - Fasornas Tid (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]
As I sit in the comforting glow of a Christmas display, amongst tinsel and Mariah Carey giving it large, I'm drawn back to Fasornas Tid and what is a frankly savage blast of freezing cold black metal. The de rigueur intro piece is stamped on by The Seer, which attacks straight from the off and announces that while they might reflect current trends of bringing a touch of melody into their sound, searing guitars and epic arrangements are the order of the day. The Seer starts exactly how you want it to with blasting drums, trem picked guitar and an almighty scream that sets a high vocal bar for Draakh Kimera.
I hope they forgive me for this, but it has an almost jaunty build to it but don’t let that put you off. Its energetic and is a statement of intent of what is to follow with some blinding riff-work and even when some cleans pop up, they work within the context. It flies along at pace, background keys giving it just enough atmosphere without distracting from the visceral attack.
Magic Kingdom - Blaze Of Rage (Massacre Records) [Simon Black]
Belgium’s Magic Kingdom have been gently releasing this kind of Power Metal material since 1999, and remarkably have until this pointed resisted the temptation to release a dreaded concept album. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of Power Metal acts, but the genre is littered with many acts who repetitiously crank out overwrought sword and sorcery concept pieces with stories within endless multi-album arcs that no-one is going to bother to unpick, because frankly regardless of the skill of the musicians, there’s nothing stand out there to lure more casual listeners in enough to listen to overlong records end to end, never mind go back and unpick the story. Sadly, the Euro Power scene is rife with this, particularly the nearer you get to the Mediterranean…
First off, this record captures my attention by immediately demonstrating that there is no small amount of instrumental prowess amongst Magic Kingdom’s alumni, with the kind of well weaved keyboard and guitar parts that are less Neo-Classical and more Progressive, but with moments of wonderful shred which is a massive thumbs up for a start. Secondly stylistically, although it touches the Neo-classical and Symphonic, it bounces around the sub-genres as well, taking in Speed Metal, bits of Thrash complete with growl vocals and good old fashioned Trad Metal. This variety means despite the lengthy one hour and five minutes run time, it doesn’t get repetitious, although to be fair I would have preferred a punchier forty to fifty minutes, because inevitably there is more than a little bit of padding in here.
Vocalist Michael Vescera is into his sophomore run with this outfit, and like the instrumentalist can switch styles at will. The downside is sometimes he’s quite a way back in the mix, and you need a strong charismatic front presence to carry this sort of material off, but on the upside is this feels like a cohesive band working well together. Overall, I struggled to find any standout moments of ‘everyone’ hit appeal that kick down the doors to new listeners, but this is a band with a lot of skill and warmth that carries off well, if not perhaps enough to want to unpick that story arc… 6/10
Sequester - Cosmic Considerations (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
Sequester is the one-man prog/psych/grunge/metal/folk/everything else project of Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Boc, who really hits just about every genre on his latest outing, Cosmic Considerations. He also plays a whole bunch of instruments and shows how multi-talent he is on the seven tracks that makes up the new record.
This is the eighth release from Boc as Sequester and one that stays pretty firmly in the psych prog territory of the genres listed above. I really dig the opener, the catchy, synth and guitar combo platter of Universal Cycle. I like the spacy atmosphere, and while this one is heavy on the synths and less on the guitar, it still really works for me. Boc does a good job with his vocal layering on this one and throughout the album. The Hill is up next, and it is more of a space ballad that heads into an almost love-song era Chicago song, which also strangely works for me.
As I sit in the comforting glow of a Christmas display, amongst tinsel and Mariah Carey giving it large, I'm drawn back to Fasornas Tid and what is a frankly savage blast of freezing cold black metal. The de rigueur intro piece is stamped on by The Seer, which attacks straight from the off and announces that while they might reflect current trends of bringing a touch of melody into their sound, searing guitars and epic arrangements are the order of the day. The Seer starts exactly how you want it to with blasting drums, trem picked guitar and an almighty scream that sets a high vocal bar for Draakh Kimera.
I hope they forgive me for this, but it has an almost jaunty build to it but don’t let that put you off. Its energetic and is a statement of intent of what is to follow with some blinding riff-work and even when some cleans pop up, they work within the context. It flies along at pace, background keys giving it just enough atmosphere without distracting from the visceral attack.
Tornet is another straight for the throat blast, foot down and is a storming one-two with The Seer. I’ve said before I’m not massive on black metal, but if its good I’ll like it, whatever the genre (well, maybe not folk) and if it makes you want to play it then that is another plus point. And this I like. Make that three for three as the title track comes in, riding on some maniac drumming from C-G it pelts along until they decide it’s time to back off a little. That cracking sense of melody is front and centre on this one.
Before The Crows Have Their Feast is sublime, absolutely sublime and is my favourite track, just a perfect mix of melody, atmosphere and a furious attack whilst Savage Messiah brings a controlled tempo that allows for more muscular guitars and a grand feel. The lead break that comes in mid-way is excellent too, measured so well and like everything else purpose built for what it needs to do.
An Ancient Ancestor Of The Autumn Moon with C of Avslut contributing (Also on Tornet) sees them reset and reach into that bag labelled ‘Grand Arrangements’. The keys play a bigger role on this, making for an expansive sound and one that feels warmer than the songs that preceded. But by Crom, it’s another stormer in an album of stormers. Black Angel is next and is possibly the most throw-away track here. There is nothing wrong with it at all, it’s just that I have been spoiled by the tracks that preceded it.
Barren Paths is a latter album instrumental/interlude, with some gorgeous playing on it and leads us into the final act. The Serpent’s Kiss is first up and continues with that brilliant mix of aggression and melodic touches. I know that in getting to this point there are two instrumentals/intro’s so basically this is the 8th proper track, and they are still hitting that high bar of quality.
An Ancient Ancestor Of The Autumn Moon with C of Avslut contributing (Also on Tornet) sees them reset and reach into that bag labelled ‘Grand Arrangements’. The keys play a bigger role on this, making for an expansive sound and one that feels warmer than the songs that preceded. But by Crom, it’s another stormer in an album of stormers. Black Angel is next and is possibly the most throw-away track here. There is nothing wrong with it at all, it’s just that I have been spoiled by the tracks that preceded it.
Barren Paths is a latter album instrumental/interlude, with some gorgeous playing on it and leads us into the final act. The Serpent’s Kiss is first up and continues with that brilliant mix of aggression and melodic touches. I know that in getting to this point there are two instrumentals/intro’s so basically this is the 8th proper track, and they are still hitting that high bar of quality.
I mentioned that Black Angel was ok (in the context of the album) but let me be frank, both are very good songs and I think that there are a lot of bands who would love to be able to write songs like this. Det Svarta (vocals from Goth Gorgon) brings a colder touch with it, and a more stripped back approach that is very 90’s and of course quite speedy.
The final track is Age Of Fire and represents the sound of a band that is quite literally on fire with this album. Ending it in the same way as they started with an arrangement that perfectly balances the need for melody, brutality and atmosphere Mörk Gryning show that they can do it all, and do it very, very well. 10/10
KillerKorp – Vices (Self Released) [Zak Skane]
Formed in 2018 the five piece British act consists of Ben Lyddiatt (vocals), Jakey Day (lead guitar), Jon-Luke Bloomfield (rhythm guitar), Daniel Lyddiatt (bass), and Sonny Wright (drums). Since then KillerHorp has paved ways in the under ground live scene with their high octane live performance gaining them shows with UK heavy weights such as Raised By Owls, Celestial Sanctuary and Beyond Extinction. Through out their seven years the band they’ve released their debut E.P in 2019 Vile and their stand alone singles The End in 2020 and their 2021 Death Day. Now in the end of 2024 of the band have released their new E.P Vices.
To start this E.P Vices greets us with some eerie sounding horror samples before we are sonically assaulted with some blast beats, and some thunderous sounding riffs that come with some black metal eeriness whilst still having this punchy attack. Through out this track it also features this organic production, which really highlights the raw emotion that the vocalist is launching from each word whilst the drums bring in this tight but humanistic delivery.
The final track is Age Of Fire and represents the sound of a band that is quite literally on fire with this album. Ending it in the same way as they started with an arrangement that perfectly balances the need for melody, brutality and atmosphere Mörk Gryning show that they can do it all, and do it very, very well. 10/10
KillerKorp – Vices (Self Released) [Zak Skane]
Formed in 2018 the five piece British act consists of Ben Lyddiatt (vocals), Jakey Day (lead guitar), Jon-Luke Bloomfield (rhythm guitar), Daniel Lyddiatt (bass), and Sonny Wright (drums). Since then KillerHorp has paved ways in the under ground live scene with their high octane live performance gaining them shows with UK heavy weights such as Raised By Owls, Celestial Sanctuary and Beyond Extinction. Through out their seven years the band they’ve released their debut E.P in 2019 Vile and their stand alone singles The End in 2020 and their 2021 Death Day. Now in the end of 2024 of the band have released their new E.P Vices.
To start this E.P Vices greets us with some eerie sounding horror samples before we are sonically assaulted with some blast beats, and some thunderous sounding riffs that come with some black metal eeriness whilst still having this punchy attack. Through out this track it also features this organic production, which really highlights the raw emotion that the vocalist is launching from each word whilst the drums bring in this tight but humanistic delivery.
The second track Last Grasp brings in some classic Hatebreed style bouncing riffs, whilst the vocalist brings in some hints Jamie Jasta influences with it’s optimistic lyrics whilst also being accompanied with some classic death metal vibes. Even with the rustic production Sonny's blast beats really sound concise and edge cutting.
Scathed opens up with the a classic cranked snare count in which is then followed up with some angry discord riffs that reminisce on the classic 2010s metalcore sound from which Emmure and Every Time I Die did in the mid 2000’s whilst also bringing in some classic tempo drops sections that get the groves down and dirty. Their eerie closer Weak brings in flanger effected guitars that bring in spooky sounding arpeggios that add to the creepy energy that the vocalist is channelling which crescendos into heavy sections. Through out this whole track we are getting Korn on steroids with it’s emotional driven vocals whilst bringing in a modern metalcore approached of the likes of Knocked Loose and Cane Hill.
Through out start to end, the five piece British bruisers have slightly strayed away from their death metal approach and gone for a more groovy direction whilst also showing no signs of the band mellowing out. Even with the rustic production, all it’s has done is sharpen their edges bringing in some classic Korn energy that reminisces on the Ross Robinson era of production.
Through out start to end, the five piece British bruisers have slightly strayed away from their death metal approach and gone for a more groovy direction whilst also showing no signs of the band mellowing out. Even with the rustic production, all it’s has done is sharpen their edges bringing in some classic Korn energy that reminisces on the Ross Robinson era of production.
The eerie sections in their opening track Vices to their closer Weak really see the vocalist challenging old school Jonathan Davies vibes whilst also bringing in some frantic aggressive vocals that only Spites’ vocalist Darius can muster in relation to the heavier tracks on the album. Jak and Jays guitar work brings in bludgeoning deathcore style riffs on tracks such as Vices with it’s slamming power chords followed by the chunky hardcore riffs on Last Grasp to it’s eerie arpeggios on it’s closing track Weak ensuring that the band have covered all heavy areas in this short run time.
For fans of Korn, Spite and old cool Emmure. 8/10
Magic Kingdom - Blaze Of Rage (Massacre Records) [Simon Black]
Belgium’s Magic Kingdom have been gently releasing this kind of Power Metal material since 1999, and remarkably have until this pointed resisted the temptation to release a dreaded concept album. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of Power Metal acts, but the genre is littered with many acts who repetitiously crank out overwrought sword and sorcery concept pieces with stories within endless multi-album arcs that no-one is going to bother to unpick, because frankly regardless of the skill of the musicians, there’s nothing stand out there to lure more casual listeners in enough to listen to overlong records end to end, never mind go back and unpick the story. Sadly, the Euro Power scene is rife with this, particularly the nearer you get to the Mediterranean…
First off, this record captures my attention by immediately demonstrating that there is no small amount of instrumental prowess amongst Magic Kingdom’s alumni, with the kind of well weaved keyboard and guitar parts that are less Neo-Classical and more Progressive, but with moments of wonderful shred which is a massive thumbs up for a start. Secondly stylistically, although it touches the Neo-classical and Symphonic, it bounces around the sub-genres as well, taking in Speed Metal, bits of Thrash complete with growl vocals and good old fashioned Trad Metal. This variety means despite the lengthy one hour and five minutes run time, it doesn’t get repetitious, although to be fair I would have preferred a punchier forty to fifty minutes, because inevitably there is more than a little bit of padding in here.
Vocalist Michael Vescera is into his sophomore run with this outfit, and like the instrumentalist can switch styles at will. The downside is sometimes he’s quite a way back in the mix, and you need a strong charismatic front presence to carry this sort of material off, but on the upside is this feels like a cohesive band working well together. Overall, I struggled to find any standout moments of ‘everyone’ hit appeal that kick down the doors to new listeners, but this is a band with a lot of skill and warmth that carries off well, if not perhaps enough to want to unpick that story arc… 6/10
Sequester - Cosmic Considerations (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
Sequester is the one-man prog/psych/grunge/metal/folk/everything else project of Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Boc, who really hits just about every genre on his latest outing, Cosmic Considerations. He also plays a whole bunch of instruments and shows how multi-talent he is on the seven tracks that makes up the new record.
This is the eighth release from Boc as Sequester and one that stays pretty firmly in the psych prog territory of the genres listed above. I really dig the opener, the catchy, synth and guitar combo platter of Universal Cycle. I like the spacy atmosphere, and while this one is heavy on the synths and less on the guitar, it still really works for me. Boc does a good job with his vocal layering on this one and throughout the album. The Hill is up next, and it is more of a space ballad that heads into an almost love-song era Chicago song, which also strangely works for me.
Venus By Tuesday starts off like a Guided By Voices song until it morphs more towards a lo-fi Hawkwind type deal, very heavy on the synths once again, but once again is pretty cool. The guitar makes more of an appearance here, but generally is too muted for my taste. I think you could turn the volume up on the guitar parts and still get the same vibe.
Egg is the perfect example of this as well where you have a nice riff that would have made this one more dynamic by bringing the guitar more forward in the mix. It is a great track though and fits perfectly in the album sequence. This one goes full on heavy prog in a good way. Into Perspective has an 80s vibe to it, once again in a good way, while Heartbeat stays in the decade but offers a Abacab Genesis type feel.
The closer, Pillars Of Eternity, is a synth driven nine-minute instrumental that shows off Boc’s multi-instrumental range. The one issue I have with one-man projects is when it sounds like it is a one-man project, and the tracks on Cosmic Considerations sound like one guy played all the parts and it was then constructed in the lab. It is a bit distracting while listening, but doesn’t take away from how good the songs are and how talented Boc is.
The new Sequester record is a fun listen and Cosmic Considerations should be considered for your listening pleasure. 7/10
Reviews: Neckbreakker, Subway To Sally, Dom Martin, Marcus Trummer (Reviews By Matt Bladen)
Neckbreakker – Within The Viscera (Nuclear Blast)
Neckbreakker, spelt with two K’s to separate it from the pro wrestling move of the same name, have just the same amount of impact and flash as that lauded finish used by Rick Rude. This of course is bullshit as the band name is just an anglicised version of the Danish spelling Nakkeknaekker, though Rude’s move is still classic. I digress as this Neckbreakker play death metal, gory, bone breaking death metal, the sort of death metal that grabs you by the throat and throttles you in submission. This sort of reaction being the correct one for a death metal album.
Inspired by the Scandi DM and US DM scenes. It’s brutality to the maximum, the vein of frenzied hardcore sitting behind the maelstrom of blastbeats. This fusion of extremity is done very well by Neckbreakker, one moment they’ve got an Entombed grind on the brilliant Nephilim, then another break down at the climax of Shackled To A Corpse. The next minute it’s a Cannibal Corpse battery (Absorption) or movements into and it all feels raw and rough edged but there’s modern production values to make sure it batters you with a full sound of their rampant death metal.
From the whirling ferocity of Horizon Of Spikes you know what to expect from these youngsters, the opening part of the track beats you around the head savagely and then like anything with hardcore edge, the tone shifts and it’s a breakdown to close. It’s not long before the violence is unleashed again with Putrefied Body Fluid, this second track adding a bit more of the American scene with plenty of lead guitar breaks and solos, a whirlwind of mechanical modernity especially in the bass playing, that razorsharp modernism coming too on Purgatory Rites, the guitars sounding like their fighting each other against the punishing rhythm section and constant shifts.
As the year comes to a close you may miss this record as you think about AOTY and things but with youth on their side and clear vision of what they want to be, Within The Viscera is a monstrous debut from Neckbreakker. It will make some peoples year end list as a Rude Awakening. 8/10
Subway To Sally - Post Mortem (Napalm Records)
“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” – Mark Twain
Seemingly the same can be said about German folk metal band Subway To Sally, their 2023 record Himmelfahrt was behind closed doors intended to be their last, 14 albums and out, however due to the infectious nature of that record, the corpse still kept kicking, a re think was had and 20,000 volts put through the neck bolts to reanimate the corpse.
Inspired by the Scandi DM and US DM scenes. It’s brutality to the maximum, the vein of frenzied hardcore sitting behind the maelstrom of blastbeats. This fusion of extremity is done very well by Neckbreakker, one moment they’ve got an Entombed grind on the brilliant Nephilim, then another break down at the climax of Shackled To A Corpse. The next minute it’s a Cannibal Corpse battery (Absorption) or movements into and it all feels raw and rough edged but there’s modern production values to make sure it batters you with a full sound of their rampant death metal.
From the whirling ferocity of Horizon Of Spikes you know what to expect from these youngsters, the opening part of the track beats you around the head savagely and then like anything with hardcore edge, the tone shifts and it’s a breakdown to close. It’s not long before the violence is unleashed again with Putrefied Body Fluid, this second track adding a bit more of the American scene with plenty of lead guitar breaks and solos, a whirlwind of mechanical modernity especially in the bass playing, that razorsharp modernism coming too on Purgatory Rites, the guitars sounding like their fighting each other against the punishing rhythm section and constant shifts.
As the year comes to a close you may miss this record as you think about AOTY and things but with youth on their side and clear vision of what they want to be, Within The Viscera is a monstrous debut from Neckbreakker. It will make some peoples year end list as a Rude Awakening. 8/10
Subway To Sally - Post Mortem (Napalm Records)
“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” – Mark Twain
Seemingly the same can be said about German folk metal band Subway To Sally, their 2023 record Himmelfahrt was behind closed doors intended to be their last, 14 albums and out, however due to the infectious nature of that record, the corpse still kept kicking, a re think was had and 20,000 volts put through the neck bolts to reanimate the corpse.
So this is Subway To Sally Post Mortem, album number 15, over 30 years in the business and still alive (said in the style of Igor).They head into their afterlife with a new record that is perhaps darker than their predecessor, that one was intended to be a celebration to see out their career, this one deals with many socio-political issues, showing them as a band who have their finger on the pulse and one who can play folk metal without resorting to the tropes of the genre, exploring the links between Nero, Oppenheimer, Putin and Prometheus.
Melodic, driven by traditional instruments such as flutes, bagpipes, violin, hurdy gurdy on Herz In Der Rinde or but tinged with melancholy on Kummerkind and Eisheilige Nacht. There’s also a lot more metallic moments, cranking up the amps for Nero, the victorious Unter Dem Banner and the triumphant Stahl Auf Stahl which features Warkings. It’s an album that dissects the past and how these things can influence the present, conducting a Post Mortem on our modern era through historical moments and the heaviest music the band have produced, sung as normal in their native German, with the exception of the chorus for Stahl Auf Stahl.
Post Mortem revives Subway To Sally not as a slow moving zombie but with a fresh outlook on the world and their music. 7/10
Dom Martin – Buried Alive (Forty Below Records)
Belfast born bluesman Dom Martin treats his fans and newcomers alike to a double live album through Forty Below Records. Drawing songs from all three of his studio albums the UK blues hall of fame inductee wants to show what you missed if you didn’t catch him on his last tour, or if you did remind you of that evening when one of the most authentic songwriters and players around hit the town.
Dom Martin – Buried Alive (Forty Below Records)
Belfast born bluesman Dom Martin treats his fans and newcomers alike to a double live album through Forty Below Records. Drawing songs from all three of his studio albums the UK blues hall of fame inductee wants to show what you missed if you didn’t catch him on his last tour, or if you did remind you of that evening when one of the most authentic songwriters and players around hit the town.
Despite being on this side of the pond, Martin’s musical influences stems from small town USA, blue collar Americana when the blues, country and bluegrass matters, slide guitars are all the rage and the vocals have the whiskey hued smokiness that Martin has in spades.
Beginning with Daylight I Will Find, the live recording does a lot to show you how talented Martin is as a singer and performer, there were a few times the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, mainly on the atmospheric Government, which is only the second song of the ‘electric’ portion of this record, both sides have been recorded live but the first half is electric, the chugging Howlin’, the searing rock of Unhinged or the slide driven 12 Gauge expressing those blues guitar chops the best.
The second half of the album though is the ‘acoustic’ portion of the record, filled with nods to SRV and ZZ Top it’s some top quality blues rock. But for me Dom Martin is at his best when he’s at the acoustic part of the show, his rugged vocals and layered approach to the ‘acoustic’ tracks really take you back to the early blues artists such as Robert Johnson, Bo Didley, Howlin’ Wolf et al.
There’s some repetition but this only because some of the songs are merged together. Buried Alive is a bit like Zeppelin III merging electric and acoustic well keeping one foot in the traditional but in the modern era. Buried Alive has made a fan out of me. 8/10
Marcus Trummer – From The Start (Gypsy Soul Records)
Closing out 2024 with a bit of the blues, this record only just reached us but when it’s 10 tracks of slinky, soulful blues then there’s always time to get it playing. Canadian singer/guitarist/songwriter Marcus Strummer’s new album From The Start is a must for anyone that loves a bit of ‘true blues’ swaggering breezy guitar lines, soulful vocals, Hammond organ and a brass section inspired by the New Orleans sound.
Marcus Trummer – From The Start (Gypsy Soul Records)
Closing out 2024 with a bit of the blues, this record only just reached us but when it’s 10 tracks of slinky, soulful blues then there’s always time to get it playing. Canadian singer/guitarist/songwriter Marcus Strummer’s new album From The Start is a must for anyone that loves a bit of ‘true blues’ swaggering breezy guitar lines, soulful vocals, Hammond organ and a brass section inspired by the New Orleans sound.
From The Start is debut record and was produced by The Commoners’ guitarist Ross Hayes Citrullo and Renan Yildizdogan who has produced records for The Commoners and Bywater Call. Together they give this debut a warm, rich feel of the late 60’s early 70’s sound it’s emulating.
The Commoners link goes deeper as both Miles Evans Branagh and Adam Cannon provide keys/piano and drums, they join Silas Trummer (drums) and Stacey Shopowitz (bass) and a horn section comprised of Tom Moffett (trumpert) and Andrew Moljgun (sax), the keys and brass delivering authenticity throughout but especially on the smoky Hard Time or Waiting For A Change.
It’s Marcus’ record, he’s been nominated for many awards in his native Canada and it’s easy to see why, much like John Mayer he’s got old bones, his vocals come from the classic soul era while his guitar playing is deft and emotive made for songs about love, loss and redemption. Now this isn’t blues rock, there aren’t many moments where there’s a big rock n roll blow out, Trummer’s music is slow burning and understated with plenty of soul, a dash of funk and gospel reverence.
In recent years the blues has become a place for young artists and Marcus Trummer carries this burden of the blues brilliantly with his debut record. 8/10
Wednesday, 18 December 2024
The Spotlight: Interview With Rain City Drive By SJ
Interview with Rain City Drive’s Matt & Zachery; conducted before their Manchester show
SJ: I'd read online, but you all met in Manchester.
Matt: True, yeah, that's why we kind half-heartedly refer to it as our hometown. These guys were all in a band called Slaves, with Jonny Craig once upon a time and Johnny flew home last minute, but on the tour, they didn't have a singer and through mutual friends they found me we didn't know each other. I got on a plane like last very last minute like the next day or something and met them. I'm here and we met under a bridge in Manchester.
Matt: So that's so when it came time to kind of do our own thing with the band and start Rain City Drive. That's where the idea of calling it Rain City ‘something’ came from, I was looking up stuff up about Manchester and it's a rainy city, which I know a lot of places claimed, but that's where it comes from.
SJ: I can imagine and you've come today as well, the best season. I didn't have this question written but it's something I thought of because when it's cold, I tend to find that my fingers get really stiff. Do you find it hard playing instruments when it's cold?
Zachery: Absolutely. Like my joints, get so stiff and just like it, it hurts a bit until you finally start warming up a little bit. But for the most part, yeah, I just like to try to just keep hands in pockets the whole time and I'm just like keep the blood flow and keep fingers and hands moving and trying to fight through it, I guess but definitely playing in the cold is not ideal.
SJ: So, you’re the one fighting over the radiator and the heat then?
Zachery: I will throw hands for a warm hand.
SJ: Does Manchester hold a special place in your heart?
Matt: Yeah, for sure, I think it's a cool reminder of how we all came together, and people usually like it if you say that it's a hometown show. The crowds usually pretty good here anyways, but maybe we'd have to just really lean into that kind thing and just have a big Manchester flag behind us.
SJ: Absolutely. I'd love that. So, I found out about you guys when I was doom scrolling on Instagram and I came across the song Medicate Me, which, of course you did with Dayseeker. How did that song come into existence? What's the story there?
Zachery: The instrumental was kind of started through, well, I was at a bachelor party with my friends, and they were all going skiing one day and I came up with the song and I didn't want to go skiing, so I stayed back and started writing the instrumental for it. Then we worked with a buddy of ours and wrote top line with him on it and tried to kind of come together with one of his songs, which we kind of smooched both together. We ended up kind of reworking it a bunch more after that.
Matt: It was like at a pretty good place, but we never really had a solid second verse, and we had that show that was open. So, when it kind of came together to have Rory to do the feature, he wrote a great verse in the studio, we were in with Dan Braunstein and him, and Dayseeker did a lot of work together, so Rory came down studio and did a second verse. Then I just kind of kind of rehashed what we do in the first verse for the outro, and it felt pretty smooth.
Zachery: At one point in time, I remember we're trying to get him to scream but he was very precious and considerate of our sound. He wanted to protect how we sound sonically and to go about things a bit more on the poppy side and he just knew exactly what we needed.
SJ: I like that, I think that shows a lot of respect as a musician to consider that.
Zachery: Oh yea, he’s a pure talent. He's awesome for sure.
SJ: With Things Are Different Now how did you know what direction you wanted to take? And when did it start to take shape?
Matt: I think like early phase of this record was pretty exploratory and like I don't think we had a super narrow focus in terms of what direction we wanted to go early on. There was kind of seeds of maybe wanting to go a little bit heavier, at least for us, things like the Sacrifice and the Over Me breakdown and Medicate Me, so that was kind of cool. I feel like for self-title (Rain City Drive), maybe we were trying to spread our wings and make sure we're writing things that were pretty catchy and accessible and this time for some reason, it just felt fun to lean into the rock thing a litter more. I feel like we always try to do songs that are accessible and still within a hard rock lane and this time it felt the most effortless. There wasn't that much of a preconceived plan.
Zachery: Kind of just kind of go with the flow, see where it needs to go and shape it up from there.
Matt: Yeah, the songs kind of reveal themselves and sonically, we are always just trying to do something new and exciting.
Zachery: Yeah, I do remember at point in time we had the conversation where, we do want to go heavier and simultaneously more pop at the same time, because I feel like we were kind of towing the line a little bit. This time we're kind of a bit more, okay, this is this part, this is going to be the poppy part etc. There's definitely a bit more confidence in diving into those soundscapes.
Matt: I think it works so too, just because I can't do harsh vocals so I'm just going to do my thing and try to do pretty pop leaning stuff and you know, we can you can do that over pretty heavy tracks, you can have cleans over breakdowns and stuff. We always trying to do stuff with like a little bit more group, I thought that's the one that I can think of personally, I knew I wanted to do more of a kind of bounce, like an Over Me tempo, I wanted something that was kind of bouncy and doesn't feel stiff. Feels kind of like a party kind of vibe. I think for me, lyrically, it just depends on what's going on in my life, but I'm always trying to break away from feeling like I have to be like in a sad place, and so that's why Medicate Me is really fun because it's sort of like a fun, sexy song that's not the same as like a Talk To A Friend. Which I love but I don't want to feel that way just to make music.
SJ: That's really interesting. Have you seen the film, Almost Famous? You know there's a bit right at the end when he says, “Do have to be sad to write sad song, you have to be in love to write a love song?” and that kind of leans into what you were saying Matt, do you have to mentally be in that place to be able to write that type of music?
Matt: I don't think so, but it's just, it's hard. Maybe there's certain people that are better at writing formulaically and not having come across that way. I think I can write a generic song, but it'll probably sound generic somewhat, and I think the stuff that feels most authentic is because it’s coming from a real place. You're always going to be sad from time to time and that's going to be there, but just for me it's about expanding the brand of the band sonically and lyrically.
SJ: Yeah, that makes sense and it's what resonates with the audience as well. Leaning into that little bit more, creativity, inspiration, motivation, are all key parts of any form of art. What do you do to get out of those phases where you're not feeling inspired or motivated?
Zachery: I think you kind of have to lean into it and take breaks when necessary. Unless you're in a pressures where you’ve got to create a diamond here or something where you have to do. For the most part, if you're not feeling it, I don't think forcing yourself, and just kind of being frustrated with is really going to achieve a goal necessarily.
Matt: Yeah, there's definitely been times in studio for us where you're under a deadline, you just have to push through and find a solution, but this last record was really cool because we'd did 99% of the writing of the basic song structure and vocals before we went into the studio which took a lot of pressure off. Instead of you know, writing songs in the vocal booth when I'm supposed to be tracking them, that's way trickier. But yea, I think what Zac said a lot of times the answer is to step away and do anything but music and live your life. Somebody once said “Live like a song writer, write like a person” do you know what I mean?
SJ: Alternatively, when you're in that mindset, where you are focused, you're making changes to tracks, how do you know when a track is complete and when to stop?
Zachery: For me, it's when you're running out of problems to fix if that makes any sense? You listen to it and be like, oh, this needs something more here, or this melody needs to change or something's not sitting right, what do we need to do to fix it? And for me, I feel that it's when you're no longer being like I'm like it's taking my ear away from the song when it just kind of feels and flows naturally.
Matt: Yeah, I feel like vocally, I just always know when it's finished. Like objectively and critically and a lot of times I pretend that I'm like a sceptic outsider and if I think ‘this is going to suck’ and then if I'm forced to keep working on it but if I’m like ‘this actually pretty cool’ then it’s in a good place, if you know what I mean.
Zachery: Do you ever feel like when you have somebody new in the room, listening to a song for the first time, do you never get this like kind of new insight on the song where it feels like you're listening to it for the first time?
Matt: Yeah, without really, maybe trying for it exactly. Yeah, I think that's in super valid.
SJ: That's really interesting. I'd never thought of it that way, because I'm a painter and sometimes I find that when I'm creating something and somebody else is looking at it, I'm looking at it through their eyes for the first time, but I've never considered that before.
Matt: Maybe just puts you in an actual mode of a listener, whereas when you're just listening by yourself and you're alone, it's like you kind of have your hands-on the clay still where you’re thinking, yeah, I can change it if I want. You can’t be playing it for somebody and be like ‘let me just change that bit’ you know?
SJ: So, you'd mentioned in a previous interview that Sacrifice was supposed to be the album opener for ‘Things Are Different Now’ and it's now classed, in your words, as a bonus track at the end. Was there a track on this album that almost didn't make it?
Matt: Hmm, well, there's 2 that didn't make it that we'll be on the Deluxe, right? They’re both fun songs, but I think it just made a stronger album without them. I think if you believe in the format of the album at all makes sense to try to be like well, this is our statement when you start playing with album order and flow and stuff, it's like, yeah, you know, I think singles like win the game. You know and I guess they have for a long time to certainly understand age, because of how music's released, but um, there are people that are still going to be like what do you think about the album? and so like thinking about that as like an art form you want to make sure the albums as strong as it can be so two didn't make it, but they will be heard at some point.
SJ: What are the names of those songs?
Matt: Rip Cord and The Way It Was.
SJ: Do you have any ideas to what direction your future material may go? You mentioned earlier about leaning into the heavier side as well. Do you think that's going to be a direction you're going to go?
Matt: Potentially.
Zachery: Yeah, I mean, I don't want to leave anything kind of unturned. I just want to explore and see kind of where it goes. Sometimes songs just need something and whether it be something heavier or something poppy, or just a stark difference between a verse and a chorus - like 2 totally different moods, but yeah, I don't know, instrumentally, at least nothing is out of bounds.
Matt: Yeah, I think that makes sense. When we did To Better Days, we were trying to keep fans of Slaves on board with and so, we kind of mindful of like not having too big of a departure. Which it wasn't a big deal, I think we made the record how we would have made anyways, but it was something to be mindful of and that I think with self-titled [Rain City Drive] it was something to be mindful of because it was the first album that was initially released under Rain City Drive. So, we wanted people to know that it wasn't completely different band and then for some reason on this record, I feel like, not that we have to, but we can have a big departure if we want. So, I'm hoping that we could just this next album, surely, surely, we earned the right to do something a little different if we want. Not that I'm not saying that we will. I just I don't like when that comes up in conversations because I see it in the reviews, I mean for the past couple records there's sometimes people who are like, yeah, it's good, but it's kind of like what we expect from them, you know? So, I think might be said that I think we've earned the right to…
Zachery: Kind of explore it…
Matt: Even if we don't, I don't like to push back.
Zachery: I also think Medicate Me kind of gave us the freedom to kind of branch off at that because it's not necessarily a super typical RCD sound.
Matt: Definitely no. Not musically, not lyrically, not tonal, yeah.
Zachery: I feel like that kind of opened the gates for us to explore it a little bit more. Let's see where this can take us a bit more.
Matt: Yeah, I feel like in the past, we were maybe trying to mix in the wrong kinds of pop with our heavier sound and it's like a harder sell, but if you're pulling from like that, almost kind of like creepy Billie Eilish, kind of world, it's a little more seamless. I look forward to the next album where everybody's like we need another Medicate Me and it's like no, we don't. I don’t know what the next thing is, but I'd rather that than we need another Talk To Friend, because I'm very proud of both songs and I don't think we could have done them better.
SJ: I agree they're perfect the way they are.
Matt: Yeah, thank you.
SJ: So, you'll be coming back for Slam Dunk.
Matt: Yeah, I know about that. I’ve been hearing about this festival for a long time and that we should do it, so I'm glad it’s happening.
SJ: Absolutely Slam Dunk’s amazing. You've predominantly sold out this tour which begs the question. Do you have any plans headline in your own UK European tour, and will you be coming to Wales?
Matt: Oh man, I don't know about Wales, it’s never even been brought up sadly. Do bands usually come to Wales?
Zachery: Yes, we played it a while ago.
Matt: As Slaves?
Zachery: Yea, as Slaves.
Matt: Then, I guess it's not off the table, I'd like to go just because I haven't been so, I think look out for a potential RCD headliner, late 2025.
SJ: I do have one fun question, with you guys’ touring, staying in these old venues and hotels, do you have any ghostly or unexplained experiences?
Matt: No and I wouldn't allow such things, because I'm very scared of ghosts. I won't watch a scary movie with ghosts, everybody that knows me knows that's my one rule. I don't f*** with ghosts. There was one time in the States. We stayed in an Airbnb, we stayed in this old, converted church and like the way we had the room setup, I had a room to myself at first and there's just creepy the old family photos and stuff everywhere and I picked another room where I could have people around me. I'm like, yeah, I'm not f****** sleeping alone in here.
SJ: Well, that was the last question, but is there anything that you want people to know that I haven't directly asked about, if you have any shout outs or anything to look forward to?
Matt: I think we're going to be touring a good bit off of Things Are Different Now and I'm excited that we're going to south-central and south-central America and Mexico for the first time at the middle of the year, really excited for that and I think this record has some legs and we'll be touring on it for a little bit before we get back in the studio. Soaking it all into write whatever the next thing is um.
Zachery: Yeah, let us know what songs you like the most as that definitely helps inform the next releases, the next albums and everything.
Matt: True, yeah, that's why we kind half-heartedly refer to it as our hometown. These guys were all in a band called Slaves, with Jonny Craig once upon a time and Johnny flew home last minute, but on the tour, they didn't have a singer and through mutual friends they found me we didn't know each other. I got on a plane like last very last minute like the next day or something and met them. I'm here and we met under a bridge in Manchester.
Matt: So that's so when it came time to kind of do our own thing with the band and start Rain City Drive. That's where the idea of calling it Rain City ‘something’ came from, I was looking up stuff up about Manchester and it's a rainy city, which I know a lot of places claimed, but that's where it comes from.
SJ: I can imagine and you've come today as well, the best season. I didn't have this question written but it's something I thought of because when it's cold, I tend to find that my fingers get really stiff. Do you find it hard playing instruments when it's cold?
Zachery: Absolutely. Like my joints, get so stiff and just like it, it hurts a bit until you finally start warming up a little bit. But for the most part, yeah, I just like to try to just keep hands in pockets the whole time and I'm just like keep the blood flow and keep fingers and hands moving and trying to fight through it, I guess but definitely playing in the cold is not ideal.
SJ: So, you’re the one fighting over the radiator and the heat then?
Zachery: I will throw hands for a warm hand.
SJ: Does Manchester hold a special place in your heart?
Matt: Yeah, for sure, I think it's a cool reminder of how we all came together, and people usually like it if you say that it's a hometown show. The crowds usually pretty good here anyways, but maybe we'd have to just really lean into that kind thing and just have a big Manchester flag behind us.
SJ: Absolutely. I'd love that. So, I found out about you guys when I was doom scrolling on Instagram and I came across the song Medicate Me, which, of course you did with Dayseeker. How did that song come into existence? What's the story there?
Zachery: The instrumental was kind of started through, well, I was at a bachelor party with my friends, and they were all going skiing one day and I came up with the song and I didn't want to go skiing, so I stayed back and started writing the instrumental for it. Then we worked with a buddy of ours and wrote top line with him on it and tried to kind of come together with one of his songs, which we kind of smooched both together. We ended up kind of reworking it a bunch more after that.
Matt: It was like at a pretty good place, but we never really had a solid second verse, and we had that show that was open. So, when it kind of came together to have Rory to do the feature, he wrote a great verse in the studio, we were in with Dan Braunstein and him, and Dayseeker did a lot of work together, so Rory came down studio and did a second verse. Then I just kind of kind of rehashed what we do in the first verse for the outro, and it felt pretty smooth.
Zachery: At one point in time, I remember we're trying to get him to scream but he was very precious and considerate of our sound. He wanted to protect how we sound sonically and to go about things a bit more on the poppy side and he just knew exactly what we needed.
SJ: I like that, I think that shows a lot of respect as a musician to consider that.
Zachery: Oh yea, he’s a pure talent. He's awesome for sure.
SJ: With Things Are Different Now how did you know what direction you wanted to take? And when did it start to take shape?
Matt: I think like early phase of this record was pretty exploratory and like I don't think we had a super narrow focus in terms of what direction we wanted to go early on. There was kind of seeds of maybe wanting to go a little bit heavier, at least for us, things like the Sacrifice and the Over Me breakdown and Medicate Me, so that was kind of cool. I feel like for self-title (Rain City Drive), maybe we were trying to spread our wings and make sure we're writing things that were pretty catchy and accessible and this time for some reason, it just felt fun to lean into the rock thing a litter more. I feel like we always try to do songs that are accessible and still within a hard rock lane and this time it felt the most effortless. There wasn't that much of a preconceived plan.
Zachery: Kind of just kind of go with the flow, see where it needs to go and shape it up from there.
Matt: Yeah, the songs kind of reveal themselves and sonically, we are always just trying to do something new and exciting.
Zachery: Yeah, I do remember at point in time we had the conversation where, we do want to go heavier and simultaneously more pop at the same time, because I feel like we were kind of towing the line a little bit. This time we're kind of a bit more, okay, this is this part, this is going to be the poppy part etc. There's definitely a bit more confidence in diving into those soundscapes.
Matt: I think it works so too, just because I can't do harsh vocals so I'm just going to do my thing and try to do pretty pop leaning stuff and you know, we can you can do that over pretty heavy tracks, you can have cleans over breakdowns and stuff. We always trying to do stuff with like a little bit more group, I thought that's the one that I can think of personally, I knew I wanted to do more of a kind of bounce, like an Over Me tempo, I wanted something that was kind of bouncy and doesn't feel stiff. Feels kind of like a party kind of vibe. I think for me, lyrically, it just depends on what's going on in my life, but I'm always trying to break away from feeling like I have to be like in a sad place, and so that's why Medicate Me is really fun because it's sort of like a fun, sexy song that's not the same as like a Talk To A Friend. Which I love but I don't want to feel that way just to make music.
SJ: That's really interesting. Have you seen the film, Almost Famous? You know there's a bit right at the end when he says, “Do have to be sad to write sad song, you have to be in love to write a love song?” and that kind of leans into what you were saying Matt, do you have to mentally be in that place to be able to write that type of music?
Matt: I don't think so, but it's just, it's hard. Maybe there's certain people that are better at writing formulaically and not having come across that way. I think I can write a generic song, but it'll probably sound generic somewhat, and I think the stuff that feels most authentic is because it’s coming from a real place. You're always going to be sad from time to time and that's going to be there, but just for me it's about expanding the brand of the band sonically and lyrically.
SJ: Yeah, that makes sense and it's what resonates with the audience as well. Leaning into that little bit more, creativity, inspiration, motivation, are all key parts of any form of art. What do you do to get out of those phases where you're not feeling inspired or motivated?
Zachery: I think you kind of have to lean into it and take breaks when necessary. Unless you're in a pressures where you’ve got to create a diamond here or something where you have to do. For the most part, if you're not feeling it, I don't think forcing yourself, and just kind of being frustrated with is really going to achieve a goal necessarily.
Matt: Yeah, there's definitely been times in studio for us where you're under a deadline, you just have to push through and find a solution, but this last record was really cool because we'd did 99% of the writing of the basic song structure and vocals before we went into the studio which took a lot of pressure off. Instead of you know, writing songs in the vocal booth when I'm supposed to be tracking them, that's way trickier. But yea, I think what Zac said a lot of times the answer is to step away and do anything but music and live your life. Somebody once said “Live like a song writer, write like a person” do you know what I mean?
SJ: Alternatively, when you're in that mindset, where you are focused, you're making changes to tracks, how do you know when a track is complete and when to stop?
Zachery: For me, it's when you're running out of problems to fix if that makes any sense? You listen to it and be like, oh, this needs something more here, or this melody needs to change or something's not sitting right, what do we need to do to fix it? And for me, I feel that it's when you're no longer being like I'm like it's taking my ear away from the song when it just kind of feels and flows naturally.
Matt: Yeah, I feel like vocally, I just always know when it's finished. Like objectively and critically and a lot of times I pretend that I'm like a sceptic outsider and if I think ‘this is going to suck’ and then if I'm forced to keep working on it but if I’m like ‘this actually pretty cool’ then it’s in a good place, if you know what I mean.
Zachery: Do you ever feel like when you have somebody new in the room, listening to a song for the first time, do you never get this like kind of new insight on the song where it feels like you're listening to it for the first time?
Matt: Yeah, without really, maybe trying for it exactly. Yeah, I think that's in super valid.
SJ: That's really interesting. I'd never thought of it that way, because I'm a painter and sometimes I find that when I'm creating something and somebody else is looking at it, I'm looking at it through their eyes for the first time, but I've never considered that before.
Matt: Maybe just puts you in an actual mode of a listener, whereas when you're just listening by yourself and you're alone, it's like you kind of have your hands-on the clay still where you’re thinking, yeah, I can change it if I want. You can’t be playing it for somebody and be like ‘let me just change that bit’ you know?
SJ: So, you'd mentioned in a previous interview that Sacrifice was supposed to be the album opener for ‘Things Are Different Now’ and it's now classed, in your words, as a bonus track at the end. Was there a track on this album that almost didn't make it?
Matt: Hmm, well, there's 2 that didn't make it that we'll be on the Deluxe, right? They’re both fun songs, but I think it just made a stronger album without them. I think if you believe in the format of the album at all makes sense to try to be like well, this is our statement when you start playing with album order and flow and stuff, it's like, yeah, you know, I think singles like win the game. You know and I guess they have for a long time to certainly understand age, because of how music's released, but um, there are people that are still going to be like what do you think about the album? and so like thinking about that as like an art form you want to make sure the albums as strong as it can be so two didn't make it, but they will be heard at some point.
SJ: What are the names of those songs?
Matt: Rip Cord and The Way It Was.
SJ: Do you have any ideas to what direction your future material may go? You mentioned earlier about leaning into the heavier side as well. Do you think that's going to be a direction you're going to go?
Matt: Potentially.
Zachery: Yeah, I mean, I don't want to leave anything kind of unturned. I just want to explore and see kind of where it goes. Sometimes songs just need something and whether it be something heavier or something poppy, or just a stark difference between a verse and a chorus - like 2 totally different moods, but yeah, I don't know, instrumentally, at least nothing is out of bounds.
Matt: Yeah, I think that makes sense. When we did To Better Days, we were trying to keep fans of Slaves on board with and so, we kind of mindful of like not having too big of a departure. Which it wasn't a big deal, I think we made the record how we would have made anyways, but it was something to be mindful of and that I think with self-titled [Rain City Drive] it was something to be mindful of because it was the first album that was initially released under Rain City Drive. So, we wanted people to know that it wasn't completely different band and then for some reason on this record, I feel like, not that we have to, but we can have a big departure if we want. So, I'm hoping that we could just this next album, surely, surely, we earned the right to do something a little different if we want. Not that I'm not saying that we will. I just I don't like when that comes up in conversations because I see it in the reviews, I mean for the past couple records there's sometimes people who are like, yeah, it's good, but it's kind of like what we expect from them, you know? So, I think might be said that I think we've earned the right to…
Zachery: Kind of explore it…
Matt: Even if we don't, I don't like to push back.
Zachery: I also think Medicate Me kind of gave us the freedom to kind of branch off at that because it's not necessarily a super typical RCD sound.
Matt: Definitely no. Not musically, not lyrically, not tonal, yeah.
Zachery: I feel like that kind of opened the gates for us to explore it a little bit more. Let's see where this can take us a bit more.
Matt: Yeah, I feel like in the past, we were maybe trying to mix in the wrong kinds of pop with our heavier sound and it's like a harder sell, but if you're pulling from like that, almost kind of like creepy Billie Eilish, kind of world, it's a little more seamless. I look forward to the next album where everybody's like we need another Medicate Me and it's like no, we don't. I don’t know what the next thing is, but I'd rather that than we need another Talk To Friend, because I'm very proud of both songs and I don't think we could have done them better.
SJ: I agree they're perfect the way they are.
Matt: Yeah, thank you.
SJ: So, you'll be coming back for Slam Dunk.
Matt: Yeah, I know about that. I’ve been hearing about this festival for a long time and that we should do it, so I'm glad it’s happening.
SJ: Absolutely Slam Dunk’s amazing. You've predominantly sold out this tour which begs the question. Do you have any plans headline in your own UK European tour, and will you be coming to Wales?
Matt: Oh man, I don't know about Wales, it’s never even been brought up sadly. Do bands usually come to Wales?
Zachery: Yes, we played it a while ago.
Matt: As Slaves?
Zachery: Yea, as Slaves.
Matt: Then, I guess it's not off the table, I'd like to go just because I haven't been so, I think look out for a potential RCD headliner, late 2025.
SJ: I do have one fun question, with you guys’ touring, staying in these old venues and hotels, do you have any ghostly or unexplained experiences?
Matt: No and I wouldn't allow such things, because I'm very scared of ghosts. I won't watch a scary movie with ghosts, everybody that knows me knows that's my one rule. I don't f*** with ghosts. There was one time in the States. We stayed in an Airbnb, we stayed in this old, converted church and like the way we had the room setup, I had a room to myself at first and there's just creepy the old family photos and stuff everywhere and I picked another room where I could have people around me. I'm like, yeah, I'm not f****** sleeping alone in here.
SJ: Well, that was the last question, but is there anything that you want people to know that I haven't directly asked about, if you have any shout outs or anything to look forward to?
Matt: I think we're going to be touring a good bit off of Things Are Different Now and I'm excited that we're going to south-central and south-central America and Mexico for the first time at the middle of the year, really excited for that and I think this record has some legs and we'll be touring on it for a little bit before we get back in the studio. Soaking it all into write whatever the next thing is um.
Zachery: Yeah, let us know what songs you like the most as that definitely helps inform the next releases, the next albums and everything.
A View From The Back Of The Room: Dayseeker/Rain City Drive (Live Review By SJ)
Dayseeker, Rain City Drive & Heart Of Gold - Albert Hall, Manchester, 10.12.24
I arrived early to Albert Hall to interview Matt and Zachery from Rain City Drive before the gig (more on this later!). So, my first impression of Albert Hall, although quiet at the moment, is that it's beautiful and it filled me with excitement for the gig later. There was a decorated Christmas tree on the right side of the stage and stained-glass windows framing the walls of the upper story. For this sold-out show, I could envision how crowded this venue was going to be later.
I hadn't heard of Heart Of Gold (5) before, albeit I appreciate discovering new bands via support acts. Heart Of Gold were instantly met with cheers when they walked on stage and the head bobbing started as soon as they kicked it off with Stranger (To Your Love). The singer exclaimed that they feel the love in Manchester as every song from their recent release Human Nature, was written in Ezra & Grill coffee shop in the Northern Quarter. During the last song, the crowd put their phone lights on and swayed to See Through. Overall, they displayed a more mellow vibe compared to Dayseeker and Rain City Drive but still provided energy, especially from the bassist.
Rain City Drive (9) are my #2 most played artist of 2025, so this was a momentous occasion for me to finally see them live and they didn't disappoint. As soon as the crowd caught sight of them getting ready for the stage, they were roaring. Matt's clear vocals "I thought the ending was the worst of all." from their song Frozen illuminated the venue. I got goose bumps. A perfect way to hype the crowd up from the start. RCD performed a mixture of old songs from To Better Days and Rain City Drive and newer ones from Things Are Different Now.
One of the stand outs for me was when Rory (of Dayseeker) came on stage to perform Medicate Me. The crowd erupted, people who were sat down stood up and it was a stellar live performance. This is the song where I personally discovered both RCD and Dayseeker. Thematically, the lights cascaded in blue throughout the set, except for songs from To Better Days, where it shrouded the stage in orange/red. Visually, I understood why but my photos didn't come out great (but that could be my old phone camera). I would have loved to have heard Concrete Closure as its one of my favourites from their recent album. RCD put on an unforgettable polished stage that I will treasure.
The lights dimmed and the background visual effects blasted on illuminated the crowd in blue and pink. Rory’s "Always told me to keep you close. The feeling's fading when you're a ghost" from Dreamstate filled the venue. Mosh pits started immediately, and everyone stood up it was time for Dayseeker (9). Rory’s sparkly black shoes were like disco balls on the stage reflecting light. Throughout their set, it felt like an emotional journey, going from upbeat songs to slower sad songs - but that’s why we love Dayseeker. "I wrote this after my dad died and I felt I never had the capability to find happiness and move on from a big loss..." before bellowing Homesick. The lights faded and a spotlight shone on Rory alone with the keyboard and the mosh pits morphed into sways ending with Rory turning around and forming a heart with his hands whilst "In memory of..." came up on the screen.
Rory later expressed that he lives with "Anxiety on a daily basis" and having to "put on a good poker face. During the process of making Paper Heart, I had a few moments where I cracked." Matt from RCD joined Dayseeker on stage duetting 'I'm not made of stone and I'm not a machine', they beautifully sang together. The emotional songs continued to cascade with Rory wished his dad was still alive to see what the band has turned into. They also reflected on the tour itself and how it felt surreal as this is the first time they've toured the UK in 10 years and back then they were performing to crowds of 30-40 people. Rory shed a tear or two singing the cover of My Immortal and ended the set on Sleep Talk "Now I can see that I should have left you alone. The worst is yet to come.”
I arrived early to Albert Hall to interview Matt and Zachery from Rain City Drive before the gig (more on this later!). So, my first impression of Albert Hall, although quiet at the moment, is that it's beautiful and it filled me with excitement for the gig later. There was a decorated Christmas tree on the right side of the stage and stained-glass windows framing the walls of the upper story. For this sold-out show, I could envision how crowded this venue was going to be later.
I hadn't heard of Heart Of Gold (5) before, albeit I appreciate discovering new bands via support acts. Heart Of Gold were instantly met with cheers when they walked on stage and the head bobbing started as soon as they kicked it off with Stranger (To Your Love). The singer exclaimed that they feel the love in Manchester as every song from their recent release Human Nature, was written in Ezra & Grill coffee shop in the Northern Quarter. During the last song, the crowd put their phone lights on and swayed to See Through. Overall, they displayed a more mellow vibe compared to Dayseeker and Rain City Drive but still provided energy, especially from the bassist.
Rain City Drive (9) are my #2 most played artist of 2025, so this was a momentous occasion for me to finally see them live and they didn't disappoint. As soon as the crowd caught sight of them getting ready for the stage, they were roaring. Matt's clear vocals "I thought the ending was the worst of all." from their song Frozen illuminated the venue. I got goose bumps. A perfect way to hype the crowd up from the start. RCD performed a mixture of old songs from To Better Days and Rain City Drive and newer ones from Things Are Different Now.
One of the stand outs for me was when Rory (of Dayseeker) came on stage to perform Medicate Me. The crowd erupted, people who were sat down stood up and it was a stellar live performance. This is the song where I personally discovered both RCD and Dayseeker. Thematically, the lights cascaded in blue throughout the set, except for songs from To Better Days, where it shrouded the stage in orange/red. Visually, I understood why but my photos didn't come out great (but that could be my old phone camera). I would have loved to have heard Concrete Closure as its one of my favourites from their recent album. RCD put on an unforgettable polished stage that I will treasure.
The lights dimmed and the background visual effects blasted on illuminated the crowd in blue and pink. Rory’s "Always told me to keep you close. The feeling's fading when you're a ghost" from Dreamstate filled the venue. Mosh pits started immediately, and everyone stood up it was time for Dayseeker (9). Rory’s sparkly black shoes were like disco balls on the stage reflecting light. Throughout their set, it felt like an emotional journey, going from upbeat songs to slower sad songs - but that’s why we love Dayseeker. "I wrote this after my dad died and I felt I never had the capability to find happiness and move on from a big loss..." before bellowing Homesick. The lights faded and a spotlight shone on Rory alone with the keyboard and the mosh pits morphed into sways ending with Rory turning around and forming a heart with his hands whilst "In memory of..." came up on the screen.
Rory later expressed that he lives with "Anxiety on a daily basis" and having to "put on a good poker face. During the process of making Paper Heart, I had a few moments where I cracked." Matt from RCD joined Dayseeker on stage duetting 'I'm not made of stone and I'm not a machine', they beautifully sang together. The emotional songs continued to cascade with Rory wished his dad was still alive to see what the band has turned into. They also reflected on the tour itself and how it felt surreal as this is the first time they've toured the UK in 10 years and back then they were performing to crowds of 30-40 people. Rory shed a tear or two singing the cover of My Immortal and ended the set on Sleep Talk "Now I can see that I should have left you alone. The worst is yet to come.”
A View From The Back Of The Room: Eyehategod & Goatwhore (Live Review By Matt Bladen)
Eyehategod, Goatwhore & Silverburn, Hangar 18 Music Venue, 10.12.24
What better way to get into the festive spirit than with two of NOLA's loudest bands? Hangar 18 played host to these New Orleans based heavy acts and with a crushing local support in tow it promised to be a good night.
Before Silverburn (7) began the room began to fill, surprising for a Wednesday night, even more surprising for those us now reaching 'veteran' gig going status that it was full of students and young people. Two of them (18+) having polished off a little bottle of JD Honey on the way to the venue. Jolly good work lads!
I did mention that perhaps it was "for the memes" (I'll explain later) but it was great to see a packed house from the opening band, Swansea always does themselves proud in this respect. Those who came early got to experience the auditory aggression that is Silverburn.
I saw their first show as this band in The Bunkhouse and from there they've gone from strength to strength, with higher profile gigs and festival appearances, while the material and setlist is now well known they always seem to bring a new edge to the way it's performed, mechanical precision driven by creative soul.
Well received in their native city, the band members are all veterans of the scene, Silverburn continue to impress but I'd suggest they need to add a new tune or two to the set going forward to mix it up in 2025.
Silverburn also have a great merch game due to frontman Jimbob Issac's artistic pedigree however they had very stiff competition from Goatwhore (10). This is where I noted the memes thing earlier, I've seen so so many, mainly women and girls, wearing Goatwhore shirts at gigs and festivals. Now it's not up to anyone to challenge them if they've even heard of the band (if you do you're a dick) but there does seem to be something about having this bands name inscribed on you that always gives them plenty of merch sales and thus a crowd of people wanting to check out the band so proudly adorned on them.
It helps of course that Goatwhore are absolutely brilliant live, ferocious pagan blackened thrash metal that keeps you focused on frontman L. Ben Falgoust II at all times. He's a mammoth of a man with leather gauntlet and the wild performance style of Orange Goblin's Ben Ward. Their heathen music gets you involved, the crowd jumping, headbanging and shouting along as Goatwhore savage you. There's rarely any let up, tracks from their most recent record Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven taking the bulk of the eleven song set but they ran the gamut of their discography much to the crowd's delight.
Someone after the show described it as perfect and it was very hard to argue, my main reasoning for coming to this show was that I had never seen either of the main bands before and it was Goatwhore that stole the show, I very much look forward to seeing them again as soon as possible (and yes I bought a shirt)
The last band of the evening were NOLA sludge legends Eyehategod (7), with that incredible set from Goatwhore ringing in our ears, I anticipated a similar level of excitement from one of the loudest bands in the NOLA scene. They are up there with Crowbar in terms of influence, inspired by Discharge, early CoC and various extreme and hardcore bands, Eyehategod are legends of the scene. Unfortunately they seemed a bit disjointed in Swansea, complaints from the stage about the sound (I heard no issue), the lights (I saw no issue) plagued the first part of their set as frontman Mike Williams made a few snide remarks during the long silent pauses while they tried to sort things out.
That being said when they were playing it was exactly what I expected, crushing distortion and tortured vocals, aural torture at it's very best. The similarity of the songs and the breaks in the set meant that perhaps I, and a few more in the crowd weren't as invested as they could have been but Eyehategod played to their strengths towards the close of the set bludgeoning Swansea before heading off stage and returning for and encore to close the night. Eyehategod of course have earned their headliner status over along career but there was a few times when I did think they dost protest too much.
Still all told a brilliant evening of heavy music with a packed Swansea crowd who again turned up to support their scene.
What better way to get into the festive spirit than with two of NOLA's loudest bands? Hangar 18 played host to these New Orleans based heavy acts and with a crushing local support in tow it promised to be a good night.
Before Silverburn (7) began the room began to fill, surprising for a Wednesday night, even more surprising for those us now reaching 'veteran' gig going status that it was full of students and young people. Two of them (18+) having polished off a little bottle of JD Honey on the way to the venue. Jolly good work lads!
I did mention that perhaps it was "for the memes" (I'll explain later) but it was great to see a packed house from the opening band, Swansea always does themselves proud in this respect. Those who came early got to experience the auditory aggression that is Silverburn.
I saw their first show as this band in The Bunkhouse and from there they've gone from strength to strength, with higher profile gigs and festival appearances, while the material and setlist is now well known they always seem to bring a new edge to the way it's performed, mechanical precision driven by creative soul.
Well received in their native city, the band members are all veterans of the scene, Silverburn continue to impress but I'd suggest they need to add a new tune or two to the set going forward to mix it up in 2025.
Silverburn also have a great merch game due to frontman Jimbob Issac's artistic pedigree however they had very stiff competition from Goatwhore (10). This is where I noted the memes thing earlier, I've seen so so many, mainly women and girls, wearing Goatwhore shirts at gigs and festivals. Now it's not up to anyone to challenge them if they've even heard of the band (if you do you're a dick) but there does seem to be something about having this bands name inscribed on you that always gives them plenty of merch sales and thus a crowd of people wanting to check out the band so proudly adorned on them.
It helps of course that Goatwhore are absolutely brilliant live, ferocious pagan blackened thrash metal that keeps you focused on frontman L. Ben Falgoust II at all times. He's a mammoth of a man with leather gauntlet and the wild performance style of Orange Goblin's Ben Ward. Their heathen music gets you involved, the crowd jumping, headbanging and shouting along as Goatwhore savage you. There's rarely any let up, tracks from their most recent record Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven taking the bulk of the eleven song set but they ran the gamut of their discography much to the crowd's delight.
Someone after the show described it as perfect and it was very hard to argue, my main reasoning for coming to this show was that I had never seen either of the main bands before and it was Goatwhore that stole the show, I very much look forward to seeing them again as soon as possible (and yes I bought a shirt)
The last band of the evening were NOLA sludge legends Eyehategod (7), with that incredible set from Goatwhore ringing in our ears, I anticipated a similar level of excitement from one of the loudest bands in the NOLA scene. They are up there with Crowbar in terms of influence, inspired by Discharge, early CoC and various extreme and hardcore bands, Eyehategod are legends of the scene. Unfortunately they seemed a bit disjointed in Swansea, complaints from the stage about the sound (I heard no issue), the lights (I saw no issue) plagued the first part of their set as frontman Mike Williams made a few snide remarks during the long silent pauses while they tried to sort things out.
That being said when they were playing it was exactly what I expected, crushing distortion and tortured vocals, aural torture at it's very best. The similarity of the songs and the breaks in the set meant that perhaps I, and a few more in the crowd weren't as invested as they could have been but Eyehategod played to their strengths towards the close of the set bludgeoning Swansea before heading off stage and returning for and encore to close the night. Eyehategod of course have earned their headliner status over along career but there was a few times when I did think they dost protest too much.
Still all told a brilliant evening of heavy music with a packed Swansea crowd who again turned up to support their scene.
Tuesday, 17 December 2024
A View From The Back Of The Room: While She Sleeps (Live Review By Toki Ward)
While She Sleeps, Currents, Thrown & Resolve, O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester, 07.12.2024
Despite the horrendous weather and early doors at 6:00PM, Resolve (7) played to a very respectable turn out. The French four piece lead the charge with a tight groove and some tight breakdowns. With electronic elements to help lift the band's sound, they’re a good way to start the evening and get us all moving.
Next are Swedish hardcore titans Thrown (8) and they’re in the awkward position of keeping the energy up which they do with ease. And despite a bit of a heavy bass tone the band is balanced extremely nicely. You can really hear the detail in the drums, along with well balanced heavy riffs. Finally, some nicely mixed heavy vocals make for a very tight overall sound. Lastly the band's slightly muted stage outfits work well and don’t distract from an amazing light show.
Last up, before the main event are Currents (7) and they are able to keep a now fairly full Victoria Warehouse going. This band has some great riffs and overall groove to match, building from a nice mid tempo vibe. They even manage to get in some cheeky Gojira like pick scrapes and slides into their riffs, Living In Tragedy being a particular favourite. Finally, they bring things back to the mid tempo groove with anthem Remember Me that lands with the crowd extremely well and Guide Us Home closes out a great main support act.
With the new album Self Hell being a great but different direction of the band, it was interesting to see what While She Sleeps (9) were going to bring to the table tonight, with me being a long term fan of the band since their third EP, 2010's The North Stands for Nothing.
Coming on to Self Hell opener Peace Of Mind that blends seamlessly into Leave Me Alone, it’s when kicking into more well known material such as Anti-Social or the amazing intro’ riff to You Are All You Need that the crowd really gives Sleeps all their energy, and too right! The high energy is kept up with the heavy down beat of The Guilty Party and when going back to new material, Rainbows it sounds like it was always in the band's set as it’s played with such ease.
Lead guitarist Sean Long is now a master of whammy solos and this proves it in spades. Not forgetting rhythm guitarist Mat Welsh and bassist Aaran Mckenzie bringing great riffs under the solos and making the stage space very much their own. Finally drummer Adam Savage is able to keep a solid groove for the whole band to play to. The band look so comfortable on stage together, having the same line up since 2009.
A personal live favorite from the band for me has always been Systematic and thankfully the opening synth line and guitar riff sound absolutely massive. With Malevolence not supporting on this leg of the tour, this means that it’s up to Currents vocalist Brian Wille to do backing vocals for Down, which they do a very respectable job with
Hurricane starts to get us wonderfully on the home stretch and after a fantastic rendition of Enlightenment, crowd favourite Silence Speaks features Resolve vocalist Anthony Diliberto stepping into the shoes of Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes, of which he is more than capable. Speaking of vocals, frontman Loz looks very much in his element throughout the entire set.
Very much looking and sounding like he was always meant to be on stage. Splitting the vocals between himself, Sean and Mat for the most part means that he can really push it when he needs to. To The Flowers sounds so wide and definitely would fit a festival atmosphere. And honestly with the last two albums it feels like the band are aiming for some well deserved bigger crowds.
Finishing with fan anthem Sleeps Society to bring things to an epic close, a very happy and grateful Loz reminds the crowd that While She Sleeps exists because of them. And I think that’s what this band has always been about, community and fan support. Overall, a fantastic set and well worth braving the weather for.
Despite the horrendous weather and early doors at 6:00PM, Resolve (7) played to a very respectable turn out. The French four piece lead the charge with a tight groove and some tight breakdowns. With electronic elements to help lift the band's sound, they’re a good way to start the evening and get us all moving.
Next are Swedish hardcore titans Thrown (8) and they’re in the awkward position of keeping the energy up which they do with ease. And despite a bit of a heavy bass tone the band is balanced extremely nicely. You can really hear the detail in the drums, along with well balanced heavy riffs. Finally, some nicely mixed heavy vocals make for a very tight overall sound. Lastly the band's slightly muted stage outfits work well and don’t distract from an amazing light show.
Last up, before the main event are Currents (7) and they are able to keep a now fairly full Victoria Warehouse going. This band has some great riffs and overall groove to match, building from a nice mid tempo vibe. They even manage to get in some cheeky Gojira like pick scrapes and slides into their riffs, Living In Tragedy being a particular favourite. Finally, they bring things back to the mid tempo groove with anthem Remember Me that lands with the crowd extremely well and Guide Us Home closes out a great main support act.
With the new album Self Hell being a great but different direction of the band, it was interesting to see what While She Sleeps (9) were going to bring to the table tonight, with me being a long term fan of the band since their third EP, 2010's The North Stands for Nothing.
Coming on to Self Hell opener Peace Of Mind that blends seamlessly into Leave Me Alone, it’s when kicking into more well known material such as Anti-Social or the amazing intro’ riff to You Are All You Need that the crowd really gives Sleeps all their energy, and too right! The high energy is kept up with the heavy down beat of The Guilty Party and when going back to new material, Rainbows it sounds like it was always in the band's set as it’s played with such ease.
Lead guitarist Sean Long is now a master of whammy solos and this proves it in spades. Not forgetting rhythm guitarist Mat Welsh and bassist Aaran Mckenzie bringing great riffs under the solos and making the stage space very much their own. Finally drummer Adam Savage is able to keep a solid groove for the whole band to play to. The band look so comfortable on stage together, having the same line up since 2009.
A personal live favorite from the band for me has always been Systematic and thankfully the opening synth line and guitar riff sound absolutely massive. With Malevolence not supporting on this leg of the tour, this means that it’s up to Currents vocalist Brian Wille to do backing vocals for Down, which they do a very respectable job with
Hurricane starts to get us wonderfully on the home stretch and after a fantastic rendition of Enlightenment, crowd favourite Silence Speaks features Resolve vocalist Anthony Diliberto stepping into the shoes of Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes, of which he is more than capable. Speaking of vocals, frontman Loz looks very much in his element throughout the entire set.
Very much looking and sounding like he was always meant to be on stage. Splitting the vocals between himself, Sean and Mat for the most part means that he can really push it when he needs to. To The Flowers sounds so wide and definitely would fit a festival atmosphere. And honestly with the last two albums it feels like the band are aiming for some well deserved bigger crowds.
Finishing with fan anthem Sleeps Society to bring things to an epic close, a very happy and grateful Loz reminds the crowd that While She Sleeps exists because of them. And I think that’s what this band has always been about, community and fan support. Overall, a fantastic set and well worth braving the weather for.
Sunday, 15 December 2024
Reviews: After Lapse, Illusion Force, DELLA NOVA, Trouble County (Reviews By Matt Bladen)
After Lapse - Pathways (Frontiers Music Srl)
Spanish prog metal band After Lapse have already released one record on the Italian label and they look to follow up their debut with Pathways. This second album keeps the strong influence of bands such as Dream Theater the debut had alongside some more modern prog metal elements too.
Pathways though gets going with so The Shadow People which incorporates so much of the Dream Theater style you half expect James LaBrie to start singing from the “S.O.S” Morse Code intro, the stop start riff and melodic chorus it’s all very Dream Theater, on Dying Star too there’s that emotive quality to DT’s music Rubén Miranda’s voice putting a lower European gruffness on the fragility of LaBrie’s.
After Lapse aren’t a one trick pony, they add some of the epic sounds of Haken on Dust To Dust, a modern sounding prog track where the guitars and keys interplay, guitarists Miguel Ángel Rueda and Iván Marín adding the djenty riffs to the oscillating synths of Pablo Sancha. What you’ll notice about After Lapse’s music, is that it’s very percussive, driven by the drumming and synths both use counter rhythms and repetition to carry the tracks.
This is perhaps because drummer Roberto Cappa and keyboardist Pablo Sancha are the founding members, the drumming and the keys play a major role, especially on the funky Dirty Loop’s like Thanks, But No Thanks, where Javier Palacios bass comes to prominence too.
With Pathways After Lapse express more of their influences, from the epic prog rock of Walking By The Wire, the djenty Wounds Of The Past and the atmospheric Turn Into Light. Pathways has you investing a bit more time and consideration into who After Lapse are as a band. 8/10
Illusion Force - Halfana (Frontiers Music Srl)
Japanese power metal band Illusion Force are massively influenced by the lighting fast power metal that is integral to the shred obsessed Japanese scene.
Spanish prog metal band After Lapse have already released one record on the Italian label and they look to follow up their debut with Pathways. This second album keeps the strong influence of bands such as Dream Theater the debut had alongside some more modern prog metal elements too.
Pathways though gets going with so The Shadow People which incorporates so much of the Dream Theater style you half expect James LaBrie to start singing from the “S.O.S” Morse Code intro, the stop start riff and melodic chorus it’s all very Dream Theater, on Dying Star too there’s that emotive quality to DT’s music Rubén Miranda’s voice putting a lower European gruffness on the fragility of LaBrie’s.
After Lapse aren’t a one trick pony, they add some of the epic sounds of Haken on Dust To Dust, a modern sounding prog track where the guitars and keys interplay, guitarists Miguel Ángel Rueda and Iván Marín adding the djenty riffs to the oscillating synths of Pablo Sancha. What you’ll notice about After Lapse’s music, is that it’s very percussive, driven by the drumming and synths both use counter rhythms and repetition to carry the tracks.
This is perhaps because drummer Roberto Cappa and keyboardist Pablo Sancha are the founding members, the drumming and the keys play a major role, especially on the funky Dirty Loop’s like Thanks, But No Thanks, where Javier Palacios bass comes to prominence too.
With Pathways After Lapse express more of their influences, from the epic prog rock of Walking By The Wire, the djenty Wounds Of The Past and the atmospheric Turn Into Light. Pathways has you investing a bit more time and consideration into who After Lapse are as a band. 8/10
Illusion Force - Halfana (Frontiers Music Srl)
Japanese power metal band Illusion Force are massively influenced by the lighting fast power metal that is integral to the shred obsessed Japanese scene.
Famously brought to the West by DragonForce, this 'extreme' power metal sound is rife across this third album. Halfana is their debut for Frontiers though, previously releasing two albums through Japanese label King Records, they have a large amount of touring behind them so the virtuosity on this record has been honed on stage and in the studio.
Musically if you like DragonForce or a faster Helloween or Stratovarius (who's guitarist Matias Kupiainen mixed the record) then you'll love the hour of Illusion Force's warp speed shredding and fretboard trickery fed by blast beats and most importantly some excellent vocals that will certainly open them up to a Western audience, singer Jinn having a bluesy tone that sits well in the crazy shred metal, adding a 80's metal style.
Musically if you like DragonForce or a faster Helloween or Stratovarius (who's guitarist Matias Kupiainen mixed the record) then you'll love the hour of Illusion Force's warp speed shredding and fretboard trickery fed by blast beats and most importantly some excellent vocals that will certainly open them up to a Western audience, singer Jinn having a bluesy tone that sits well in the crazy shred metal, adding a 80's metal style.
Featuring a 4 part suite in the middle of the record unless you love this style of music it's not going to change your mind but Illusion Force have a big following in their home country and will gain more fans with this new record. 7/10
DELLA NOVA - Della Nova (Self Released)
There's a drum solo on this record, a bloody drum solo! There's also a LOT of info about DELLA NOVA, that's how it's written all caps, the band clearly having something to shout about. Born as project during lockdown for frontman/guitarist/songwriter Alex Bowmer who recorded in the converted church/warehouse where he lives. This debut album has been a long time coming and is inspired totally by Alex's experiences and musical influences.
The trio on the recording is rounded out by long-time collaborator Joe Chauncy on bass and drummer Karl Hall, who happens to be Alex's cousin and has since left the band replaced by Adam Szabo. It was mixed/mastered by Ben Jeffes another long term friend of Alex. So clearly Alex is a man with connections and a lot of luck, his own recording studio, talented musician friends and family, so this album is a ten then yeah?
Well no as the music DELLA NOVA have produced is actually quite generic for my taste. There's talk of Royal Blood, QOTSA and AIC, and while the first one is true, I'd have to pitch this record as heavier Brit Pop, the influence of the Madchester scene is quite pronounced in the vocals while the music swaps E for lithium, using crunchy 8 string guitar riffs for a 'heavy' sound for me it's a bit too constructed and a bit too safe.
Della Nova (the album) is a decent debut but that's about it, DELLA NOVA (the band) are an indie band trying to tap into the heavy rock market. 5/10
Trouble County - Blacken The Sky (Epitronic)
From Portsmouth via California and Seattle, NWOCR crew Trouble County release their debut album. If we're making comparisons then track such as Desperado reminds me of Alice In Chains and Awake of Black Label Society, while the opener 12 Gauge has some Allman swagger. Trouble County aim their music at the darker side of southern rock, incorporating grunge, the 80's Sunset Strip and an outlaw country ethos.
The vocals have a Weiland/Rose-esque sneer on Buckcherry sleaziness of You Again, while over on Gotta Try there's a gospel approach against the ever present distorted riffs and powerful drumming. Songs about drinking, getting high and generally being a ner'do well are mixed with a environmental message. A lot of this album brought to mind Velvet Revolver, a band I absolutely loved (it's the best band Slash and Duff have been in).
While Trouble County don't quite reach the same heights as that band did. With Blacken The Sky they have delivered a strong debut album crafted through live show refining. 7/10
There's a drum solo on this record, a bloody drum solo! There's also a LOT of info about DELLA NOVA, that's how it's written all caps, the band clearly having something to shout about. Born as project during lockdown for frontman/guitarist/songwriter Alex Bowmer who recorded in the converted church/warehouse where he lives. This debut album has been a long time coming and is inspired totally by Alex's experiences and musical influences.
The trio on the recording is rounded out by long-time collaborator Joe Chauncy on bass and drummer Karl Hall, who happens to be Alex's cousin and has since left the band replaced by Adam Szabo. It was mixed/mastered by Ben Jeffes another long term friend of Alex. So clearly Alex is a man with connections and a lot of luck, his own recording studio, talented musician friends and family, so this album is a ten then yeah?
Well no as the music DELLA NOVA have produced is actually quite generic for my taste. There's talk of Royal Blood, QOTSA and AIC, and while the first one is true, I'd have to pitch this record as heavier Brit Pop, the influence of the Madchester scene is quite pronounced in the vocals while the music swaps E for lithium, using crunchy 8 string guitar riffs for a 'heavy' sound for me it's a bit too constructed and a bit too safe.
Della Nova (the album) is a decent debut but that's about it, DELLA NOVA (the band) are an indie band trying to tap into the heavy rock market. 5/10
Trouble County - Blacken The Sky (Epitronic)
From Portsmouth via California and Seattle, NWOCR crew Trouble County release their debut album. If we're making comparisons then track such as Desperado reminds me of Alice In Chains and Awake of Black Label Society, while the opener 12 Gauge has some Allman swagger. Trouble County aim their music at the darker side of southern rock, incorporating grunge, the 80's Sunset Strip and an outlaw country ethos.
The vocals have a Weiland/Rose-esque sneer on Buckcherry sleaziness of You Again, while over on Gotta Try there's a gospel approach against the ever present distorted riffs and powerful drumming. Songs about drinking, getting high and generally being a ner'do well are mixed with a environmental message. A lot of this album brought to mind Velvet Revolver, a band I absolutely loved (it's the best band Slash and Duff have been in).
While Trouble County don't quite reach the same heights as that band did. With Blacken The Sky they have delivered a strong debut album crafted through live show refining. 7/10
A View From The Back Of The Room: Gun (Live Review By Debby Myatt & Tony Gaskin)
Gun, Kira Mac & Collateral at KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, 05.12.24
Tonight’s offering on a grim, grey night in Wolverhampton is a triple header of Brit Rock spanning a generation.
Up first are a band we’re very familiar with, Collateral (8). They owned this stage a couple of months back at the NWOCR Fest and although they are on first and only have 30 mins, they play as if they are headliners. A big portion of the crowd are, like us, well acquainted with the lads and the room is pretty full for them with lots of Collateral t-shirts on view. A sign that the band have been growing exponentially these last 12 months or so, especially since the release of their new album Should’ve Known Better. Not much we can say that we haven’t already said about this band, they are exciting, vibrant and continue to impress and gain new fans whenever they play.
Kira Mac (8) are new to me, despite being Planet Rock favourites and at the forefront of the latest wave of brilliant young rock bands that we are lucky to have in this country. Dynamic and full of energy, this band pull no punches with their lively set full of catchy songs that’s made them such a favourite on the radio. Vocalist Rhiannon is an imposing figure on stage and exudes an aura of sheer brilliance. Her bluesy vocal style is the key to this hard rocking outfit, that leans heavily on Americana roots rock. It’s that little spark of magic that makes them stand out.
Tonight’s offering on a grim, grey night in Wolverhampton is a triple header of Brit Rock spanning a generation.
Up first are a band we’re very familiar with, Collateral (8). They owned this stage a couple of months back at the NWOCR Fest and although they are on first and only have 30 mins, they play as if they are headliners. A big portion of the crowd are, like us, well acquainted with the lads and the room is pretty full for them with lots of Collateral t-shirts on view. A sign that the band have been growing exponentially these last 12 months or so, especially since the release of their new album Should’ve Known Better. Not much we can say that we haven’t already said about this band, they are exciting, vibrant and continue to impress and gain new fans whenever they play.
Kira Mac (8) are new to me, despite being Planet Rock favourites and at the forefront of the latest wave of brilliant young rock bands that we are lucky to have in this country. Dynamic and full of energy, this band pull no punches with their lively set full of catchy songs that’s made them such a favourite on the radio. Vocalist Rhiannon is an imposing figure on stage and exudes an aura of sheer brilliance. Her bluesy vocal style is the key to this hard rocking outfit, that leans heavily on Americana roots rock. It’s that little spark of magic that makes them stand out.
They open up with One Way Ticket and Dead Man Calling a swift one/two that pulls you in and they waste no time in blasting through their short set before closing out with new tracks Falling and Climbing. 2025 looks like it will be a big year for Kira Mac, they kick it off with a headline appearance at Planet Rock’s Winters End festival at the end of January and fingers crossed we’ll be getting a new album and tour announced soon!
35 years on from their debut single and the Gizzi Bros are still going strong. Dante is still loving life as the man that’s front and centre, with brother Jools by his side, Gun (9) are as vibrant and powerful as ever and they are busy promoting the new album Hombres which has been critically acclaimed and their best selling release since 1994’s Swagger. And no surprise really with every track a banger in their usual style of rock that is easy to listen to, very radio friendly and even able to cross genres into catching the attention of non-rock fans. Stand-out tracks are All Fired Up and Falling which both get an airing tonight.
35 years on from their debut single and the Gizzi Bros are still going strong. Dante is still loving life as the man that’s front and centre, with brother Jools by his side, Gun (9) are as vibrant and powerful as ever and they are busy promoting the new album Hombres which has been critically acclaimed and their best selling release since 1994’s Swagger. And no surprise really with every track a banger in their usual style of rock that is easy to listen to, very radio friendly and even able to cross genres into catching the attention of non-rock fans. Stand-out tracks are All Fired Up and Falling which both get an airing tonight.
As well as the new songs we’re treated to plethora of classics from their long career - Inside Out, Taking On The World, Vicious Heart all get the crowd singing along, and of course there was their classic cover of the Cameo song Word Up, but the emotional highlight was hearing their debut hit Better Days. It’s still a belter 35 years on and sounds as fresh as ever. The obligatory encore was back to 1989 and the aforementioned Taking On The World plus Shame On You before ending the night with a party classic, a cover of the Beastie Boys Fight For Your Right (To Party). Gun have shown tonight that they are still a force to reckon with, can still write great songs and can still entertain big crowds, not a single blank was fired tonight, they blew us away.
Friday, 13 December 2024
Reviews: Helloween, Orbiter, Caressing Misery, Weapon Of Pride (Reviews By Simon Black & Rich Piva)
Helloween - Live At Budokan (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Simon Black]
Helloween have the virtue of being the first band I ever saw live at a festival waaayyyy back in 1988, where I promptly fell in love with them, but they really dropped from my radar in the years following the collapse of that original line-up early in the 90’s. Like many fans from that period, it’s taken the splicing of the three distinct incarnations of the band back into one to reignite my love of their music – the whole being so much greater than the sum of its parts.
The Pumpkins United reunion was captured with a the Live In Madrid album recorded a few years back, and a Blu-Ray snapshotting bits of the global tour, but that really was a reunion Greatest Hits package. However, that led release of a full-length new self-titled studio album in 2022, for which this double live album is a superb memento of. Our estimated princeps Matt and I had the pleasure of catching Helloween on this new album tour as the world was emerging from Covid back in May 2022, and what I can remember of that night was spectacular. The lack of memory can be blamed of the bizarre craft beer pub we found in a backstreet near Brixton Academy, but the band left an indelible performance on my memory nonetheless, and suddenly I was that delighted eighteen-year-old again (only with added arthritis).
For those who have been living in a hole in recent years, the reunion of this Euro Power Metal legend brought singers Michael Kiske and Andi Deris duetting the vocal lines, with founder Kai Hansen stepping up to the mike to medley the Walls Of Jericho material from the days before they had a dedicated singer. The new album went further, showed how confident they had become, borrowed a page or eight from the collaborative opera Avantasia project (which inspired the reunion in the first place) and saw all three of them splitting the vocal lines across the new material.
It works really well. Despite all being quite high register and ranged singers, they are also very, very different and having the powerhouse guitar playing of Kai Hansen in the mix is always going to work. Especially live, because like Iron Maiden retaining Ganick Gers in the mix when they rebooted, having three strong guitar players means all the tricks that you can mix into the arrangements in the studio can be done live without all that cheating with click-tracks. Well, you still need those to time big stage productions like these guys are now delivering, but you get the point…
This live performance at Tokyo’s legendary Bukokan is a milestone for the band and splices a generous handful of tracks from the recent opus and lots, and lots of content from the rest of their extensive discography. Obviously for old farts like me, hearing Kiske bringing back Keeper Of The Seven Keys era material will always send a chill down the spine, not least because his vocals are impeccably still in that original register, but the spread of material over the years is fairly evenly distributed. Deris also gives him a good run for his money, and has as much of a range, so those two compelling frontmen splitting the work is nothing short of epic. They could have taken the simple route of alternating the front spot, with each singer taking the lead on the songs from their respective eras, but they don’t - they share the load, with each bringing new nuance and dimension to the others material and hammering the message home that this combined gestalt is Helloween now.
Did we need another live double album this close to the last one? Possibly not, but the band have just signed a new album deal with Nuclear Blast splinter label Reigning Phoenix, and that means new material next year, and in the meantime, this warms up the palette nicely. At over two hours of run time, it’s great value for money, and despite the overlap of material from the previous live release, I’m more than happy to have a snapshot of the tour, because live these boys really can do no wrong. 10/10
Orbiter - Distorted Folklore (Salvaged Records) [Rich Piva]
There are few bands out there using the Orbiter name. The one we will be discussing today is the American band from Gainesville, FL, home of the college, cows, and Hot Water Music. The Florida Orbiter put out the excellent EP, Head Wounds, back in 2022 and are now back with their second full length, Distorted Folklore. Yeah, I hear some of the standard influences from these guys (Sabbath is mentioned in their bio, but…) but what really gets me are the Torche and Hum vibes emanating from the nine songs on Distorted Folklore. So of course, with that you get big, soaring post rock, post metal, heavy and atmospheric goodness that should attract a much bigger fan base.
Safe As Houses is the opener and is more like Hum or Failure that the more metal side of the band, and they pull it off perfectly. A band like Astronoid comes to mind too when I listen to these guys, or maybe even the Cave In stuff from Jupiter and beyond. The sound is big and the vocals make the sound even bigger. The awesome really kicks in on Time Rips, where you will hear where I get the Torche stuff from. This song is killer and the vocals are next level cool. I love how the heavy guitar and riffs are always there but sometimes you have to really pay attention to how great the guitar work is, like on Lightning Miles, that distracts you with its big, open feel and sprawling vocals.
The Pumpkins United reunion was captured with a the Live In Madrid album recorded a few years back, and a Blu-Ray snapshotting bits of the global tour, but that really was a reunion Greatest Hits package. However, that led release of a full-length new self-titled studio album in 2022, for which this double live album is a superb memento of. Our estimated princeps Matt and I had the pleasure of catching Helloween on this new album tour as the world was emerging from Covid back in May 2022, and what I can remember of that night was spectacular. The lack of memory can be blamed of the bizarre craft beer pub we found in a backstreet near Brixton Academy, but the band left an indelible performance on my memory nonetheless, and suddenly I was that delighted eighteen-year-old again (only with added arthritis).
For those who have been living in a hole in recent years, the reunion of this Euro Power Metal legend brought singers Michael Kiske and Andi Deris duetting the vocal lines, with founder Kai Hansen stepping up to the mike to medley the Walls Of Jericho material from the days before they had a dedicated singer. The new album went further, showed how confident they had become, borrowed a page or eight from the collaborative opera Avantasia project (which inspired the reunion in the first place) and saw all three of them splitting the vocal lines across the new material.
It works really well. Despite all being quite high register and ranged singers, they are also very, very different and having the powerhouse guitar playing of Kai Hansen in the mix is always going to work. Especially live, because like Iron Maiden retaining Ganick Gers in the mix when they rebooted, having three strong guitar players means all the tricks that you can mix into the arrangements in the studio can be done live without all that cheating with click-tracks. Well, you still need those to time big stage productions like these guys are now delivering, but you get the point…
This live performance at Tokyo’s legendary Bukokan is a milestone for the band and splices a generous handful of tracks from the recent opus and lots, and lots of content from the rest of their extensive discography. Obviously for old farts like me, hearing Kiske bringing back Keeper Of The Seven Keys era material will always send a chill down the spine, not least because his vocals are impeccably still in that original register, but the spread of material over the years is fairly evenly distributed. Deris also gives him a good run for his money, and has as much of a range, so those two compelling frontmen splitting the work is nothing short of epic. They could have taken the simple route of alternating the front spot, with each singer taking the lead on the songs from their respective eras, but they don’t - they share the load, with each bringing new nuance and dimension to the others material and hammering the message home that this combined gestalt is Helloween now.
Did we need another live double album this close to the last one? Possibly not, but the band have just signed a new album deal with Nuclear Blast splinter label Reigning Phoenix, and that means new material next year, and in the meantime, this warms up the palette nicely. At over two hours of run time, it’s great value for money, and despite the overlap of material from the previous live release, I’m more than happy to have a snapshot of the tour, because live these boys really can do no wrong. 10/10
Orbiter - Distorted Folklore (Salvaged Records) [Rich Piva]
There are few bands out there using the Orbiter name. The one we will be discussing today is the American band from Gainesville, FL, home of the college, cows, and Hot Water Music. The Florida Orbiter put out the excellent EP, Head Wounds, back in 2022 and are now back with their second full length, Distorted Folklore. Yeah, I hear some of the standard influences from these guys (Sabbath is mentioned in their bio, but…) but what really gets me are the Torche and Hum vibes emanating from the nine songs on Distorted Folklore. So of course, with that you get big, soaring post rock, post metal, heavy and atmospheric goodness that should attract a much bigger fan base.
Safe As Houses is the opener and is more like Hum or Failure that the more metal side of the band, and they pull it off perfectly. A band like Astronoid comes to mind too when I listen to these guys, or maybe even the Cave In stuff from Jupiter and beyond. The sound is big and the vocals make the sound even bigger. The awesome really kicks in on Time Rips, where you will hear where I get the Torche stuff from. This song is killer and the vocals are next level cool. I love how the heavy guitar and riffs are always there but sometimes you have to really pay attention to how great the guitar work is, like on Lightning Miles, that distracts you with its big, open feel and sprawling vocals.
Every turn of Distorted Folklore brings me back to the 90s/early 00s post rock stylings of Hum and Failure, and this is a wonderful thing. Timeworn is such a perfect example of this. Same with a song like Coil, which brings a very cool bassline too. The most 90s of the batch is the much more chill and sparser I'll see you on the backside of water…but it is no less awesome and works as a great atmospheric bridge between all of the huge sounds on Distorted Folklore. The sound and comparison I keep coming back to is Hum, and that is alright by me, when you have tracks like Cicada Hymn and Svalbard.
You will not hear me complain when bands are influenced by the ones I mentioned related to Orbiter. If you dig that sound and get as excited as I do when Hum and Failure are mentioned then you are going to really dig Distorted Folklore. 8/10
You will not hear me complain when bands are influenced by the ones I mentioned related to Orbiter. If you dig that sound and get as excited as I do when Hum and Failure are mentioned then you are going to really dig Distorted Folklore. 8/10
Caressing Misery - Lost And Serene (The Circle Music) [Simon Black]
Caressing Misery are a side project formed by guitarist Zac Campbell and vocalist Julian Aust’s deep love of old school 80’s and 90’s Gothic Rock – a style of music that went underground even back then and has stayed deeply so ever since. There used to be whole labels catering to this sort of material, such as the wonderful and sadly defunct Nightbreed from my hometown of Nottingham, but this is the first time in a long time something new from the genre has landed on my review platter in a long time.
The height of the movement seemed to be the late 80’s, almost as a counterpoint to the colourful excesses of everything else that was going on in the decade when you couldn’t move for black lace and crimping irons but started to fade when the 90’s shifted musical direction. I’m not sure that was a bad thing at the time, because even the genre’s nod to more extreme styles of music when it went Darkwave rapidly got repetitive, and the challenge remained the risk of everything struggling to sound original. Even it’s close cousin the doom movement felt the wind of change, with bands like Paradise Lost sounding more like Depeche Mode for a while, so it’s a refreshing change all these years later to hear an act that both absolutely traces its influences back to the very roots of Goth, whilst sounding fresh and modern.
The opening bars of Swansong Of The Night immediately evoke Andrew Eldritch stylistically, but as the album progresses it’s clear that despite sticking in the baritone register, that Julian Aust has a lot more range in his pipes, adding far more subtlety, mood and emotive depth to the lyrics and within two songs I’m not interested in comparisons with the influences than I am listening to the product. These two are the heart of the project, and apart from a couple of guest appearances on a couple of tracks all the music is handled by Campbell, although it’s his fluid and moving guitar work which really makes this work.
It’s moody, moving and mellifluous despite the darkness, and if I have a negative it’s that the tone does not vary too much. A Thousand Seasons does take the tempo up a bit, but the challenge always remains that this is a genre of music that rarely shifted its tone and style, which is part of the reason it died out. The fact that it sounds contemporary, rather than a straight retro tribute is why it works though, and a couple of plays in I can tell I am hooked. 8/10
Weapon Of Pride - Beneath The Surface (Wormholedeath Records) [Rich Piva]
Stoner thrash from the Arizona desert? Sure, I’ll bite. Weapon Of Pride certainly bring some desert/stoner influences on their new record, Beneath The Surface, but what dominates is some serious 80s thrash love lurking under the sand that wants to leap up and engulf you during the 46 minutes or so of their new record.
The opener, Axeman, rips, but I think listeners will need to get used to the vocals a bit. Staying in the 80s thrash discussion, it is kind of like having to get used to the guy who sings for Megadeth to truly understand the genius of those early records. There is a high-pitched punk snarl to the thrash influenced vocals that may be jarring at first but really work once it sinks in and clicks. These guys are not afraid to shred, like on the solo for this opening track. Speaking of shredding and Megadeth, how about Priestess? This track is way more thrash than anything stoner, and I am just fine with that. I could have done without the horns on Carni, which is probably my least favourite track on the record, but I get it as it relates to the 80s thrash vibe you get from the whole album, and there is no denying the solo rips up the place.
On their website the band mentions they are for fans of The Sword, The Atomic Bitchwax, and Fu Manchu. I would counter with Megadeth, Overkill, Scatterbrain (the more straight-ahead songs), and Destruction when listening to songs like Wrath and Awaken. I really dig the track Siren, which is a slower paced thrasher that incorporates some killer traditional metal stylings and like ten different vocal styles. I also really like how the bongos and bass interlude of Floating leads to Shredder, which does just that. Temptation has a nice groove too it while the closer, Into The Storm doubled down on the heavy with a nice southern style metal crunch to go along with the thrash love.
Yes, the record is probably ten minutes too long and yes, the vocals take some getting used to and yes, this is way more thrash than stoner, but when Beneath The Surface is good, it shreds and rips you up with no end in sight. Weapon Of Pride brings us a fun record for fans of 80s thrash who dig the stoner stuff too and can argue the positive point of view for Mustaine’s vocals. 7/10
Yes, the record is probably ten minutes too long and yes, the vocals take some getting used to and yes, this is way more thrash than stoner, but when Beneath The Surface is good, it shreds and rips you up with no end in sight. Weapon Of Pride brings us a fun record for fans of 80s thrash who dig the stoner stuff too and can argue the positive point of view for Mustaine’s vocals. 7/10
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