Reviews: Benediction, Lo-Pan, Lordi, Phil X And The Drills

Benediction - Ravage Of Empires (Nuclear Blast Records) [Matt Bladen]

In the halls of British death metal there are a few bands who have name recognition like Benediction, they've been stomping across the world for 35 years and will bulldoze you all over again with Ravage Of Empires.

Throughout their 90's heyday they were often spoke about in the same breath as Bolt Thrower, the two towers of ODSM even share a vocalist in Dave Ingram, who rejoined the band in 2019 taking over from Dave Hunt who had replaced him in 1998 when he joined Bolt Thrower.

Got all that? Good! Ingram's growl and bark is unmistakeable as soon as we get going with A Carrion Harvest, his twisted, blood soaked lyrics all a part of the Benediction experience. The blistering, blast beats of Giovanni Durst come like lighting on Genesis Chamber.

The interlinking death metal riffage of founding members Darren Brookes and Peter Rew as they control the chugs on Deviant Spine with bassist Nik Sampson and the torrent of aggression on Engines Of War where Durst gallops.

Ravage Of Empires is another goldmine of British ODSM, ferocious vocals, crushing riffs and machine gun drumming it's all here on another Benediction classic. 8/10

Lo-Pan - Get Well Soon (Magnetic Eye Records) [Matt Bladen]

Catchy tunes, psych grooves and stoner rock riffs it's another record from Ohio rockers Lo-Pan. They've been kicking out jams since 2005 and don't seem to be stopping any time soon with their new album Get Well Soon.

They're a band who use some vintage rock n roll style vocals and Southern rock vibes on this fifth album they have moved away from the introspection of their 2019 record for a brighter, more upbeat record this time round.

Tracks such as Harper's Ferry and Six Bells showcase the heavier side of their sound as they drift into psychadelic fuzz but it's tracks such as The Good Fight and Northern Eyes that will get the airplay with their melodic elements.

That said they are the first two tracks here, the rest are full of chunky stoner riffs that have seen them supporting High On Fire and Red Fang. With Get Well Soon, Lo-Pan re-establish their positivity in the face of political turmoil. 7/10

Lordi - Limited Deadition (Reigning Pheonix Music) [Mark Young]

Ok, on with the show. Lordi will be forever known as the besuited Finnish metal band that completed Eurovision some time back and whilst I was happy, no amazed that this happened I never got on the Lordi bandwagon that followed.

Limited Deadition is their 19th full length release (according to online sources) and I’m happy to report that following my listen through this, I won’t be checking on the other 18 albums.

As I understand it this is an album that looks to what makes them tick which I thought was a great conceit as a base for an album but that initial feeling of this could be good gives way to this is not my bag at all.

Songs are presented within snippets from trailers or TV spots and have a certain 80’s vibe to it which with some music is great and here it admittedly sounds good but the Lordi vocal style soon starts to grate on you.

There is some burning guitar work on here, I’ll give them that but I’m not sure of what angle to approach this from. Is it a joke, is it serious? Who knows but one thing I know is that it leans more into that style of rock / metal that Ozzy fell into in the mid-80’s. You know, the puffy sleeves and massive blouse.

I think that lurching of stylistic approaches is a conscious decision but I hated that style of metal as a kid and I hate it now. I cannot forgive light sounding guitars and a pedestrian drum beat, I just can’t.

When it does pick up the pace, like they do on Killharmonic Orchestra it immediately smacks of that Ozzy period and it feels like it has been written possibly as a homage to the great one, I don’t know but it just isn’t a good song.

And don’t get me started on Collectable, which I think is their version of Changes but I could be wrong. What I’m not wrong about is the use of piano and that ‘arms / cigarette lighter / mobile phone light in the air’ bollocks that just finished the album off for me.

I have no idea who this is aimed at, I guess that there are fans who dig this (and that is ok, more power to you) but it feels like this started off as a joke and then they decided to write a full album to suit. I don’t know and what’s more I don’t really care to know. 4/10

Phil X And The Drills - POW Right In The Kisser (Frontiers Music SRL) [Mark Young]

From one extreme to another, Phil X And The Drills is hard rock. That’s it.

So right off the bat I might as well say that I have a narrow view of hard rock, in that I didn’t like it growing up (not heavy enough) and now at 50 I still don’t like it. Throw in that Phil has also held the lead guitar berth in Bon Jovi, then I dislike it even more.

So, now I have got that off my chest, what is the album like? Well, for those that like singers that sing, and guitar solo’s that go all over the neck you will love this. Each song has a template that it doesn’t move far from and to be fair to them they do it very well.

It sounds good, well produced and I would say that it would make the perfect soundtrack to an album where a stranger turns up In a small town, looking for a place to get away from trouble and ultimately ends up putting the bad guys in jail (or the ground), getting the girl and rides off on some monstrous motor bike whilst the credits roll.

Fully realising that this would have been massive around the end of the 80’s just before Nirvana and co turned up they occupy the same territory as Little Angels, Thunder etc who got good press before everyone started wearing plaid.

I don’t have a lot of good things to say about this, and I’ve really tried to put my personal taste to one side but it feels like that songs on here would feature on a ‘Dad rock compilation’ which is one this Dad would not buy. Ever.

In my defence I did listen to the whole thing which shows that I am nothing if not committed but I can’t find any real redeeming qualities to recommend this to you or anyone else. I’m sure that fans of his work in Bon Jovi will lap this up, but it’s a no from me. 5/10

Reviews: Verheerer, Iron Form, Tyrannosatan, Sicksense (Pete J, Matt Bladen, Thomas Megill Jr & Mark Young)

Verheerer - Urgewalt (Vendetta Records) [Pete J]

German Black metal troupe Verheerer return with their 3rd album of Teutonic darkness, an album with a concept truly horrifying. Never a band to use commone cliches in their art the 4-piece have always crafted deep, harrowing stories to compliment the equally horrific bararism they hammer out. 

This particular album has a concept about one of the most dramatic time sin history; the First World War and all its horrors that created a dehumanization effect on all that participated in it. The loss of humanity that era demanded seeps though every aspect of this release, from the foreboding artwork, through the utterly desperate subject matter to the vicious Black Metal that engulfs you, smothering you with a darkness so thick you can taste it.

The heavily Germanic torrent that erupts when the title track bursts to life, after a little but harrowing intro, is palpable. You not only hear it you feel it deep in your soul, your very being is infected with this contagious torment that slowly eats away at you from the inside out, painfully. 

Then the following number Hail Mary takes it up a few notches, its almost hymnal presence coupled with a merciless feeling of loss that oozes forth on this medium paced barbaric riff, the agonizing guitar of SWN makes your bones ache and body shiver as he unfolds this utterly majestic song. 

The beauty of Verheerer is the way they meld 2nd wave Black Metal aesthetics to a more polished modern sound not that far from what Panzerfaust dish out, the brutality is utterly barbaric while the slower more melodic elements bring you to your knees with emotionally charged misery. 

Lungs has a Monotheist-era Celtic Frost feel about it, while Arsonist reverts back to that 2nd wave tremolo abuse, harking back to those early Darkthrone albums. Once again SWN astounds, unleashing caustic, savage guitar aligned with a melodic, heartfelt aura of complete blackened beauty.

Verheerer have crafted an album that combines intense Black Metal with a concept of true horror, the furious barrage suits the horrific subject matter perfectly. A fine album that grabs you by the face right from the off and doesn't let up until, it is finished with you, discarding you like the lifeless husk you are left with. Damn fine! 9/10

Iron Form - Cut From Cold Blood (Church Road Records) [Matt Bladen]

Two friends who have forged their careers in the metalcore/hardcore scene, make a band together that brings together the best parts of the metalcore they have been such a big part of.

Alex Heffernan and Mario Gambardella have made Iron Form to showcase their love of that early 2000's Victory Records metalcore sound where the slamming riffs, breakdowns and throat shredding vocals were so often still accompanied by melodic classic metal guitar harmonies.

A time where aggression didn't take too much of a hold like it did later as deathcore arrived. This is music that still has Post-Hardcore roots where there was still emotion and reverence was paid to the previous generation while paving the way for something new.

This is a concept EP that deals with pain, willpower and resilience, tracks such as Sprit Rain, Vengeance Prayer are influenced by Converge (of course) but also bands like Atreyu, Underoath and also Unearth while Become The Blade has echoes of early Trivium. 

A new band, with veteran members and a throwback sound but treated with the right respect. 7/10

Tyrannosatan - Babylons Skräck (Jawbreaker Records) [Thomas Megill Jr]

Existence in this universe is inherently uncertain. There is no true metric that can be applied to predicting the future with certain infallibility. I believed this to be true until about 45 minutes ago when I spun Tyrannosatan's new E.P. , Babylons Skräck. I can assure to all who are reading this review, with utmost certainty, I will be yelling Astronomicon at random points, at the top of my lungs, every single day for at least the next week.

With a name like Tyrannosatan, there were only two options for this E.P. Either it would be a sensational display of Blackened Thrash Metal packed to the very last second with a divine offering true to the genres' creed, or it would be the aural equivalent of that vile stench of dog shit ambushing your nostrils on a sweltering summer afternoon. I'm happy to announce that this E.P. represents the former, and is indeed NOT a pile of metaphorical dog shit. Babylons Skräck is indeed an excellent display of Blackened Thrash Metal.

I must say, I love the imagery of Satan as a giant, red dinosaur. I hope there is no alternate meaning that has been lost on me, because imagining Tyrannosatan, the giant red dinosaur, struggling to play his fiddle with tiny arms and unleashing his frustration in firebreathing fury on the helpless prisoners of hell amuses me in ways I don't believe the greatest psychotherapists can comprehend, but I digress.

Tyrannosatan have delivered an excellent short record to the metal underground. Perfectly disturbing melodies indicative of black metal infused with crushing riffs and catchy choruses of thrash. The first 3 songs of this record pummel the listener with killer riffs. The melodic guitar lines are catchy themselves and at points have the ring of advertisement jingles and I love it. Astronomicon is a nice doom jam to end the record off and contains one of my favourite hooks I've heard in a while.

Babylons Skräck was an absolute pleasure to listen to and I can't wait to see what this trio does next. 8/10

Sicksense - Cross Me Twice (Earache Records) [Mark Young]

I was going to start this off with some biting commentary about the band being on Earache and then thought better of it. Cross Me Twice is the debut release from the Phoenix 5-piece and despite seeing some positive press about them, I came away from this feeling that I’d wasted 37 minutes of my life. 

It mixes that dual vocals that see soaring cleans from Vicky Psarakis and growls from Robby J. Fonts and to be honest that vocal performance from Vicky is the highlight here. I treat every review the same way, from bands I admire to those I have never heard of before and something has to be truly dire in order for me to feel the way I feel about this.

It doesn’t resonate with me at all in any way. The way the songs are put together feel contrived and written with an age-group in mind (not mine) who will take this music as being the best thing. Ever. 

Putting the two singing styles together isn’t new but on here they do not sit well at all. Throw in the nu-metal paint job and it immediately starts to irritate. The whole thing just feels forced and without any sort of merit. The songs just blend into each other without staying in the memory and I couldn’t wait for it to finish. 

What I would say is this, they will either blow up and be everywhere in 6 months (if that is the case, then good luck to them) or just disappear from view. I think that they have an absolute powerhouse in Vicky P, and if they could shape the band around that voice then it could be a different proposition. 4/10

Reviews: Cabal, Daevar, Amammoth, Pillars Of Cacophony (Matt Bladen, Rich Piva, Mark Young & Thomas Megill Jr)

Cabal - Everything Rots (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]

Heavy as the heaviest thing you can think about Cabal have been slaying stages and bulldozing crowds for a few years. Brash, uncompromising metallic hardcore with synth powered industrial thud these Danes do not make music to smile too.

They've had a lot of the media in raptures over their previous records and you can hear why on this fourth release, from the opening track to the last there's a severe heaviness in the instrumentation and in the lyrics, songs dealing with suicide, depression, addiction, abuse and how things are generally fucked.

I mean with a title such as Everything Rots, it wasn't going to be a bed of roses but it's a surprise just how dark this record is even if you've listened to the band before. The initial crush of Become Nothing is a enough to show you that Cabal means business as Redemption Denied erupts with that intense metalcore/industrial hybrid.

A style that features focus on the raging vocals, huge percussion strikes and down tuned and fuzzy guitars. Everything Rots is 13 tracks of ferocity, as Cabal beat, batter and bludgeon. 7/10

Daevar - Sub Rosa (The Lasting Dose Records) [Rich Piva]

To me it has felt like Cologne, Germany’s Daevar have been around for a long time, but as I look back on their discography their first record dropped in 2023 and have had one release each year, with 2025 bringing their third, Sub Rosa. If I had to throw some tags on the band, I would include grunge and doom, but what you get from the band on Sub Rosa is much deeper than that, as this is chock filled with killer tracks, making their third record their best so far.

The opener is thankfully not a cover of the Gn’R Chinese Democracy track, but Daevar’s Catcher In The Rye is killer doomy grunge, with a crunch and a fuzzy wall of sound right out of the 90s. The haunting female vocals bring an almost heavy shoegaze feel to the song and I am certainly here for it. Siren Song reminds me of the 90s band Belly, but if they decided to fuzz it up, put their heads down, and just rock out. Love the psych-tinged solo on this one. There is a certain pop sensibility to Daevar, and it comes across strong on the track Wishing Well. 

Daughter (not a PJ cover) reminds me of the band Wytch and we know that is great. That female led 90s band thing is all over Sub Rosa, which is fun to write here given the track Mirrors is like a doom Pixies song. Forgotten Tale is the heaviest track on Sub Rosa and the most traditional doom that the bad gets over the eight tracks, while still having some MBV and Slowdive vibes all over the place. FDSMD closes out the record with a slow burn over almost eight minutes and doubles down on why Daevar is an excellent band.

Sub Rosa flies by; at just around 30 minutes it is a quick and fun listen. Daevar leans heavily on the 90s here and that sure works for me. Doomy 90s influenced Shoegaze goodness is what this record is all about. 8/10

Amammoth - Distant Skies And The Ocean Flies (Electric Valley Records) [Mark Young]

Now, its time for a touch of sludge with an Australian slant to it as Amammoth bring us their second full-length slice with Distant Skies And The Ocean Flies, a title that promises a trippy and groove-ridden journey over 40 minutes and 8 songs.

Intro is exactly that, a slow and fully laden scene setter that gives you notice of what is to follow. Regular readers will know that intro’s get on my nerves but Amammoth get a pass because it sounds mental and makes sure that you are full invested in what happens next. At least for the next song, which is a lot to be said for a track that lasts just under three minutes.

Among Us lumbers into view as they now hit us with a guitar tone that is just filthy and a tempo that could be described as ‘unhurried’. Its as if they thought ‘right, we will do one dragged out song, get it out of the way and see what happens’ so when the vocals do come in, they are coated in an almost palpable bleakness. 

The background organ sounds add to the trippy vibe with riffs ringing out for days and whilst it doesn’t really go anywhere, they succeed in delivering what I feel is classic sludge, which is found in the attitude of those bringing it. This made perfect sense typing it and I’m hoping that once you listen to the song it will become clear. What I loved is that it segues into Chosen without missing a (slow) beat and it just rumbles on and on, that guitar tone laying waste as you might expect it to. 

The muted opening to So High So Numb gives way to an arrangement that sees them taking a run at knocking the earth off its axis with a descending pattern with the drums building around it. Sink Or Swim starts off from the end notes of So Numb, and by now you are either onboard with their consistent form of attack or being driven mad by it. They do change up the sound on this one, with the use of Wah but it doesn’t alter the overall leaden feel. 

I think if you approach this from an angle of it being one song that has been split into chapters then I believe it will make more sense to you, instead of it just feeling like the same content repeated over and over. I can’t fault their commitment to this style of music, but I have got to say that by Satellite I had mentally tapped out and skipped forward to Ashes Remain, which resulted in the feeling that I had missed nothing apart from that deliciously gnarly guitar tone. They bring the weird-out on last track Interstitial which is just an exercise in noise with nothing else to say and then, done and good-night.

Sludge, doom, psych, either on their own or as a hybrid can be devastating and I know that I’ve reviewed some bands in the last year that do it incredibly well. This ultimately disappointed because the early promise falls away to what is effectively an exercise in repetition. It isn’t without merit though, because this for me feels like a pure distillation of what sludge is about and for the attitude that is required in actually doing it. 

I’ve already mentioned that it feels like one song chopped down to suit but that is just my opinion and I’m probably wrong about that. I do feel that it will appeal to fans of the genre because of what it does well and that a 7 is a fair score. 7/10

Pillars Of Cacophony - Paralipomena (Teratogen / grazil Record) [Thomas Megill Jr]

We enter the mind of Dominik, the mastermind behind the one man technical death metal project Pillars Of Cacophony. Inside, is a cavernous labyrinth of caves with the sounds of his new album Paralipomena echoing off the walls. With scientific themed lyrics and masterfully difficult and complex structures and guitar parts, even the most hardened death metal gatekeepers would be hard pressed to find issue within.

Dominik, from Graz, Austria is credited with quite literally everything that went into the creation of Paralipomena. From composing the music, on all instruments, guitar, bass, vocals, and drums, to performing said instruments, to recording, mixing and mastering. Recording an album completely alone is an awesome feat in itself, the fact that the album is really good is just an added bonus. The guitar and bass tones are perfect and are mixed extremely well. I wonder if the drums are programmed or not. If Dominik played the drums on this record as well, I'd question if he were really human, or a being from an alternate dimension of death metal mastery.

Paralipomena is a masterclass in technical death metal with hints of Prog and jazz fusion, such as the section of smooth jazz in the song Mitosis. I may even be forced to use the forbidden "Djent" word for certain parts of infectious groove such as the end of Retina and parts of the closing track Maps Of Disintegration. This album ebbs and flows like a heart monitor. Running at a steady pace with high peaks and valleys, it should keep listeners engaged for its' entire 41 minute duration. Pillars Of Cacophony have delivered an excellent record of unapologetic, yet listenable technical death metal. It's like Soreption meets Animals As Leaders meets Meshuggah. 8/10

Reviews: Deafhaven, Greenleaf, Arch Enemy, Eonian (Pete J, Rich Piva, Thomas Megill & Mark Young)

Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power (Roadrunner Records) [Pete J]

Deafheaven are one of those bands that divide opinion and spark furious debate. Are they Black Metal? Are they Indie Shoegaze? Or jusy maybe a perfect combination of both. 

The bands debut album Sunbather launched a band into many minds, its dark sinister overtones and almost gentle dreamy pop sensibilities astounded. What followed was a few albums that didnt quite make the grade, that masterful debut eclipsing them. Until now.

One listen to Lonely People With Power shows Deafheaven to be as brutal as anything from the modern day Black Metal scene, with George Clarkes acidic vocals putting a lot of so-called kvlt screamers to shame. His raw vocals have a touch of a young Dani Filth about them, mostly high-end screeching that either compliments the coruscating cacophony perfectly or they fight against the more Indie Shoegaze elements. 

Both styles bring their own charms to this, admittedly, outstanding album, an album so much harsher than previous, disappointing album Infinite Granite. After the first of 3 interludes, Doberman erupts like Hell has been unleashed! The band locking into a ferocious groove that simply tears flesh from bone. 

The particularly nasty Amethyst is the highlight of an album full of highlights, Kerry McCoy and Shiv Mehra unleash some truly barbaric tremolo abuse while drummer Daniel Tracy and bassist Chris Johnson drive everything onwards at a crushing pace. Then there are the more gentle, dreamy moments like the soul-crushing Heathen which brings the album into a territory often tried by various artists that have failed. 

Deafheaven have succeeded in creating an album that straddles the bleak shoegaze-ness of My Bloody Valentine with the utterly ferocious black metal onslaught the likes of Wolves In The Throne Room craft. Interlude III lulls beautifully before Winona tears your face off with an almost Bosse-De-Nage rage, creating the juxtaposition of heartfelt beauty and dark pure evil.

If you need something rather unique, dreamy and full of fury then Lonely People With Power is for you. Imagine the sublime Alcest coupled with the atmospheric, suffocating battering Wolves In The Throne Room dish out and you have this jaw-dropping new Deafheaven album. An album that returns the band back to their more ferocious original guise. Long may it continue. 8/10

Greenleaf - Revolution Rock Deluxe (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Rich Piva]

When Greenleaf was conceived, I don’t think anyone though that the band would be as big and go on as long as they have, given this is year 25 for the collective. 

Some might even say that the “side project” has surpassed the original band, but that is a discussion for a different medium. Originally a 70s riff rock side project of Tommi Holappa from Dozer with some of his friends from bands like Lowrider and Demon Cleaner, the first Greenleaf record is very different than the Greenleaf of today, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome, because it is. 

Revolution Rock was a not widely distributed and was quickly out of print from its original 500 pressing. That is, until now, thanks to Blues Funeral, we not only get a beautiful repressing of this long-lost gem, but we also get the first, also out of print, Greenleaf EP, all in a stunning package as Revolution Rock Deluxe that has fans of the band rejoicing.

Revolution Rock just kicks all sorts of ass. There is this kind of punk and garage rock feel to the record, MC5 and the Stooges, but with a Hammond Organ. Just listen to the first track, Vat 69, and tell me how you cannot be hooked. It is just raw, in your face rock. Now, the current sound of Greenleaf is actually one of my favourite bands, but when you look at the whole picture, you can’t help but to see the overall genius and skill that Tommi and whatever crew that brought along at the time has had. 

The organ is turned way up, which is exactly how I like it, on songs like Devil Woman. The fellas get all trippy at times too, like on Status: Hallucinogenic, Phase II, that turns the fuzz meter up to 11. You want their version of a Mountain song? Sure, go with You Got Me High, but really if Mountain and Fu Manchu did a split 7”. Going through this track by track would do it a disservice, just know that this is kick ass, high energy rock and roll that will get you going no matter what mood you are in. The EP is great too, giving you an insight into the frantic rock the band was looking to conceive in the early days, with a shout out to Daniel Liden for his amazing drum work.

Do not go into this thinking you are going to hear the same Greenleaf you have loved for the past decade or so. Go into this ready to get your ass handed to you by some high energy, raw, rock and roll. Major props to Blues Funeral for the amazing packaging for the vinyl. It is beautiful and does the record a major service. Excellent stuff all around and a major hole filled in a lot of Greenleaf fan’s collection. 9/10

Arch Enemy - Blood Dynasty (Century Media Records) [Thomas Megill Jr.]

Few death metal bands have climbed the commercial ladder of success to the heights Arch Enemy have reached. On March 28th, three decades after the band's inception, Arch Enemy graced the world of heavy music with their 12th album, Blood Dynasty, through Century Media. This is a flawlessly produced record. In my opinion, it is too flawless. My personal preference for death metal production are records sounding like they were ejected out the bowels of hell from a cannon, with vicious intentions to cause barbaric violence, and on fire. Blood Dynasty is very much not that. But that does not make it a bad record, quite the contrary.

This record is theatrical and extravagant. Arch Enemy stretch the melodic death metal banner to its outer limits, sometimes overlapping into the realms of power metal, neoclassical shredding and mid-2000s metalcore on this record. The guitar acrobatics are a circus side adventure throughout the entire record. I believe this would've been a better record had they ditched most of the song structures and committed entirely to making this a shred album.

To be quite honest, while the musicians on this record are precision technicians and seasoned professionals, I felt the writing slightly uninspired. Songs like March Of The Miscreants come to mind. Perhaps a few extra minutes of work on the lyrics would've done the whole band a favour. Lacklustre lyrics aside, Alissa White-Gluz vocal performance throughout was well executed. The clean vocals on the tracks Illuminate The Path and Vivre Libre were a nice change of pace.

Most of the tracks on this album seem to be collaborations from the Arch Enemy collective on Joey Concepcion's solo guitar record. This wasn't Arch Enemy's greatest record in their catalogue by a long shot, but it wasn't terrible either. It will definitely appease their diehard fans and can serve as a gateway record into death metal with some of the clean vocals. 5/10

Eonian - Born From Ice (Thunderflash Productions) [Mark Young]

Anyone for Symphonic/melodic death metal?

Ok, so for the interests of clarity I’m not too fussed for it in all honesty. In the past I’ve felt that sometimes it can be overblown and, in some cases, too ambitious and gets in the way of the song itself. That being said, I’ll always approach with a clean slate and then go from there.

Invocation is the start, and as half-expected it is a mood making intro track, a subtle acoustic piece that launches into Blood Of My Blood, which starts on the front foot with a super tempo and double bass approaching the speed of sound. Unfortunately, I took exception with the vocals, they sound muted within the mix especially when the dual shriek / growls are deployed. This changes when the orchestral parts come in and the vocals are given the due respect and space to shine. 

Elsewhere, everything else you expect is there and it’s a good start overall. The title track doesn’t waste time either, mixing in speed and technical ability in just the right balance. The symphonic aspects are there too but are kept to a level that suits the song as opposed to overshadowing it. The main vocals are clearer on here and it has a solid feel to it which for me shows they have considered that riffs are required first and foremost.

Similarly, on For All The Nights To Come the focus is on bringing the metal first and it’s as charged as Born From Ice but as you dig into it there is not a lot to it once you get past the speed and orchestral backing. Its simply ok but doesn’t provide anything that makes me go ‘fuck yes’. The piano led start to Máthair and mournful arrangement points me in the direction that this is either going to be a ballad of a sort or an instrumental. Luckily its neither, as its breaks those shackles and detonates to bring what is the high point here. Its not that its overly better than the others, it’s the overall build of it that makes it fly better. 

All the component parts are together and fit correctly and the use of the classical vocals lifts this further. There is a wonderful riff that comes in around 3.30 as the singing duel comes in, underpinning them both. For me it is the most complete song on here and as we navigate to its end, they hit us with The Emperor’s Hounds which comes across as a companion piece and is a showcase for virtuosity. Despite this approach, and the feel that comes with it I still lean into Máthair as a more complete song when you hold the two together.

Oathkeeper is the closing piece, acting in much the same way as Invocation, using its subtle moments almost as a thank you and good-bye for listening. Again, there is nothing wrong with this, except after the madness of The Emperor’s Hounds you would expect something like that close us out. So, they chose to drive a symphonic bus over ABBA.

Lay All Your Love One Me (in case you didn’t know is an ABBA cover, who made black metal in the 70’s…) comes in, and well your enjoyment of it will vary dependent on how much you like ABBA. I don’t know if its tongue in cheek or meant as a serious treatment and I’ll be honest it didn’t do anything for me.

Overall, I didn’t find anything I loved, but then I didn’t hate it either. I think that fans of this genre will take it to their hearts, but I don’t think others like me will find anything to make them sit and listen. I reckon that on metal club nights, that ABBA song will get played though. Like Limp Biscuit’s Faith. 6/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Skunk Anansie (Live Review By Simon Black)

Skunk Anansie & So Good, Great Hall Cardiff, 31.03.25

I had never heard of openers So Good (6) before, but to be fair considering there’s bugger all information about them online, it’s perhaps not surprising (OK, they’re all over TikTok, but I’m in my 50’s, so I’m not - but at least I’m still going to gigs several times a week, even if I do have to lie down afterwards nowadays). 

This act revolves around dynamic frontwoman Sophie, aided by two synch-dancing backing singers and three instrumentalists in hazmat suits and orange balaclavas, the net sartorial effect of this London sextet looks more like the they’re on their way to a rumble on an estate than a gig…

I’m a bit ‘meh’ about using the term ‘Bratpop’, to describe their music, but I can see why it’s flung around them. For some reason my addled brain was reminded of the brashness of the Beastie Boys, but with London housing estate attitude and a Punkish sense of danger, with the added bonus that they actually play their instruments live, rather than dancing to a click track.

To be fair, blagging a support slot with a headliner of this stature means that’s probably not going to remain either unknown or anonymous for long. With a handful of singles / EP’s released over the last few years, but no album as yet (‘No Sleep ‘Till Matalan’, anyone?), the target market for this act is probably more likely aimed at the handful of students who actually attended the gig (if you don’t hail from Cardiff, the Great Hall is part of the University campus) who were sadly vastly outnumbered by my generation, so they had their work cut out for them. 

But they rose to the occasion well and worked this room hard, given how little space there was on the stage for them. As the crowd filled up and got the infectious sense of humour, their two fingers up to the right political ire and their sheer energy won most of the audience over, leaving me time for a little lie down before the headliners.

It really is a long time since I’ve seen Skunk Anansie (10) …

The first time was back in 1995, when they were a bright new thing touring their debut Paranoid & Sunburnt and opening up for Therapy? This turned out to be unfortunate for the headliner, because despite being at their commercial peak, Skunk Anansie completely blew them off the stage at every venue and quickly bypassed them in terms of popularity. 

For a while it seemed they could do no wrong, and despite the huge changes in tone and popularity turning the market upside down for heavy music in that decade, Skunk Anansie snowballed and bulldozered successfully (in the UK and Europe at least) for three stellar albums, culminating in a headline slot at Glastonbury in 1999, before fizzling out as the millennium turned.

I’ve not followed their studio work since, but they’ve been busy since reforming a decade ago and from the rammed state of the hall tonight, it’s clear that they are absolutely back in business. If it’s not a sold-out crowd, it’s darned close.

Exploding on to a stage resplendent with bizarre inflatable black spikes (it’s so Pythonesque that I’m going to call it ‘Spiny Norman’), Skunk Anansie don’t have much more room than their support act, but they own every inch of that stage from the opening seconds. In fact, they pretty much own the audience space too, with Skin leaving the stage to surf and sing from the pit at several points. 

The security and EH&S team may have been a little bit upset by that, but breaking the fourth wall like that, making a huge hall feel like a sweaty club and making the crowd feel an integral part of the show is one of the things that makes Skunk Anansie so darned good to watch.

When you have a band fronted by such a powerful voice that’s been gifted to the force of nature that is Skin, the years melt away. Age often sees a slowing down of the dynamism, energy and power of many a singer – particularly one pushing the top end of a human vocal range for their trademark sound, but that was absolutely not the case tonight. If anything, her voice has got better, adding power, control and gravitas to those heart-wrenchingly emotive soprano vocal chords, whilst losing none of the scale and range from when I first saw them three decades ago.

Tonight’s set list does not favour any era, and for folks like me who’ve missed out on much of the intervening period, it’s a great catch-up opportunity, and also showcased a few new tracks from The Painful Truth, inbound in a couple of months. The newer material has a lot more depth in the writing, and the political fury has if anything grown in line with the complete mess that has been made of the world of late.

I remember being incredulous at the lyrics of Little Baby Swastika when I first heard them, because it was massively removed from my frame of reference, but the current state of the politics of the world gives them much, much more to work with to the point that I really am looking forward to the new record on the basis of the teasers we heard tonight.

They were hugely relevant back then; they are as relevant as ever now and tonight was an absolute masterclass in how to deliver a show. Fantastic seems too small a word…

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025: Interview With Damek (Cardiff Heat #4)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025

1. Please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know you. Tell us a little bit more about you as a band.

DAMEK Omsk - Guitar Vokillz

DNR - Bass

Dbomb - Drums

We've been together since 2016 after the demise of our bands Hogslayer, Zonderhoof, Thorun and Desalvo. DAMEK Omsk was raised by Wolves on a Norwegian Fjord, Dbomb was raised by Kittens in Europe and DNR was raised by Sheep in Wales.

2. What made you want to participate in the Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 campaign? Have you had previous experience? Or is this your first time

When our Lord and Master DAMEK was with HOGSLAYER he luckily played the New Blood Stage and he said it was such an amazing experience. He made so many friends and went on to do so many good gigs etc. The crowd were amazing, I was there it was carnage and it opened a lot of opportunities for them. And I hope it has the same result for us.

3. M2TM is all about supporting your local scene. How important is the local scene to you as a band?

The local scene is very important to us, there's so much talent out there and we've been part of it for long time now and it opens up plenty of opportunities for bands and for fans to experience live music

4. What are your expectations from being a part of M2TM?

We aim to deliver a strong dynamic professional performance with heavy crushing riffs and a few theatrical surprises which will destroy Fuel Rock Club and melt faces. 

5. What would playing a Sold Out Bloodstock Festival mean to you?

We love Bloodstock Open Air and go every year. So once the band was ready it was our dream to play the New Blood Stage / Jaegermeister Stage and fulfill our dreams with this amazing chance. It's such an amazing festival with always a great lineup but one of the nicest things about it is the friendly homely vibe all the best people go to Bloodstock and everyone is super cool and friendly. As well as the brilliant bands theres a lot of fun shenanigans happening in the fair ground and campsites til the small hours. Class. 

6. We encourage all the bands in M2TM to try and check out the other bands, who are you most looking forward to? Who should your fans also try to catch?

There's so many great bands this year and we're hoping for lots of support for all the local bands and a fierce battle to the death!! (maybe not to the death - Ed)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025: Interview With Paradox To Stay (Cardiff Heat #4)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025

1. Please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know you. Tell us a little bit more about you as a band.

We are Paradox To Stay, a 5-piece metalcore band from south wales, UK with influences in both the melodic and deathcore side combined to create and deliver melodic, heavy and hard hitting anthems.

2. What made you want to participate in the Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 campaign? Have you had previous experience? Or is this your first time

We took part in Metal To The Masses last year and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and gained a lot of experience in working in this kind of environment and really enjoyed the overall experience of it. We even managed to network with other bands and have expanded our contacts list with new and like minded bands. We wanted to take the opportunity to participate again and take the chance of potentially performing at bloodstock open air, but most importantly to take part to have fun, meet new people and maybe even get in a few more gigs with different bands and to network even further.

3. M2TM is all about supporting your local scene. How important is the local scene to you as a band?

The local music scene is probably the most important thing to us, as without it, ourselves along with other bands wouldn’t be where they are today. That goes for bigger bands as well, as without the local scene, they wouldn’t have even had the chance to get anywhere near where they are now.

4. What are your expectations from being a part of M2TM?

Our biggest expectation of being a part of Metal To The Masses would be performing infront of a near full room of metal heads/ people that enjoy live music along side other bands and having a blast on stage and then networking with other like minded musicians to help each other grow. To be able to play at bloodstock would be a massive milestone for us and would mean a lot, especially since it is one of our main goals within the next few years to play at a festival, and bloodstock is high up there on our list if festivals we would love to play at.

5. What would playing a Sold Out Bloodstock Festival mean to you?

It would honestly mean the world to us, as a lot of bands we look up to have been on the bloodstock lineup multiple times, and to be able to be on the lineup where our influences have been one day is something we have set as a goal.

6. We encourage all the bands in M2TM to try and check out the other bands, who are you most looking forward to? Who should your fans also try to catch?

We would encourage all our fans to see as many bands that are apart of this as possible to not only give the other participants a fair chance and opportunity, but also to potentially help grow their fan base’. The bands we are most looking forward to as part of the heats, would definitely be Akuma, Beyond Sorrow from the Cardiff side, but Swansea side would be Hollowed Existence and Lead By Lies.

Reviews: Tómarúm, Ritual King, This Summit Fever, Ash Twin Project (Matt Bladen & Rich Piva]

Tómarúm - Beyond Obsidian Euphoria (Prosthetic Records) [Matt Bladen]

Three years ago I praised Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons highly, recommending that everyone listen to it as soon as possible. Will I have the same feelings about their follow up album Beyond Obsidian Euphoria? Let's find out!

Again it's a conceptual release, continuing the narrative they established on their debut, this is an immediate follow up from where we ended on Ash In... as our protagonist goes through a pursuit life after tragedy and defeat. It's based in a fantasy world but has some very real world connotations too.

They've expanded from the core duo of Kyle Walburn (guitar, vocals, programming) and Brandon Iacovella (guitar, vocals, programming, contrabass, narration) adding Matthew Longerbeam (guitar, vocals), Michael Sanders (bass, vocals) and Chris Stropoli (drums, vocals, programming, sound design), this quintet now have done the rounds on stage so they have brought this live cohesion to this new album looking to move beyond being a duo with guest musicians to a fully furnished band.

I could talk about influences such as Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Wolves In The Throne Room and more contemporary acts such as White Ward or Wilderun but Tómarúm inject their own style into these progressive blackened death metal tracks, it's the use of multiple vocal styles that I love here, cleans, growls, screams all combining, as if told from different character perspectives.

The constantly fluctuating music behind them is a also a strong theme throughout the album. Black metal passage will shift into acoustics, then into ambience and then face melting solo guitar on tracks such as Shed This Erroneous Skin for example. Linking the storyline is spoken word narration for additional concept.

They are a band who don't show fear in shfting the Sonic's of a song such as Halcyon Memory: Dreamscapes Across The Blue, ferocious blast beats don't relent even when there's emotional contrabass (double bass to you and me), and classic metal guitar section, it will easily move from here back to the savage black metal

I could go into every track but that would take away somewhat of the scale and enormity of this album. I suggest that if you like intelligent extreme metal that early stays within the pigeonhole of the genre, or if you want a more refined version of their debut, then you should snapping up Beyond Obsidian Euphoria asap. 9/10

Ritual King - The Futureworks Sessions (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Manchester, UK’s Ritual King is one of the best bands out there playing heavy psych/blues/stoner rock. Their small but mighty discography is pretty much perfect, especially their two full length records, including 2023’s Infinite Mirror which was second on my album of the year list that year. So of course I am ready for a live record from the trio. There are not enough live records these days and a band like Ritual King was meant to be heard in this form. The Futureworks Sessions is a live in the studio take on seven of the band’s best songs in their rawest form but still with all of the greatness that makes up Ritual King.

What makes up that greatness? So very much, but starting with the overall tightness of this band as they seem to really be locked in during these sessions. The playing is excellent of course, but they are also able to bring in their vocal harmonies in the live setting expertly, translating these already amazing studio songs to killer live jams that lose nothing from not having some kind of wizardry behind them. 

Check out Headspace and Worlds Divide if you need any proof of this. The latter is my favourite track by the band and it absolutely rips on here. The track list of the set is made up of four of the five tracks from Infinite Mirror and three from 2020’s self-titled record, all excellent picks, but with RK you can’t go wrong. The ten-minute version of the track The Infinite Mirror is worth the price of admission alone, as it hits on everything that makes this band great. 

Overall, this is 55 minutes of killer live jams from a band hitting on all cylinders at their peak. More bands need to put out live records, and hopefully The Futureworks Sessions from Ritual King will be a proper motivator. 9/10

This Summit Fever - This Summit Fever (Majestic Mountain Records) [Rich Piva]

This Summit Fever started as a lockdown project for guitarist/vocalist Andy Blackburn and has now grown into a full-fledged band, with a full-length album and vinyl from Majestic Mountain Records for the band’s debut self-titled record. This is a fast ascend from that bedroom, now ready to bring their riffs and fuzz to the world via these eight tracks.

I hear some Seattle going on here in the form of Mudhoney and Melvins vibes, a bit of a stoner QOTSA/Fu Manchu thing, along with a Jack White style guitar tone over the just under 30 minutes on This Summit Fever. The Mudhoney thing comes in on the opener, Breathe You In, while the grungy side continues on Currents while ramping up that JW tone as Blackburn shreds the place up. 

 This is no longer a solo project, as multi-instrumentalist Jim McSorley brings it as the glue that keeps it all together. There is not a weak track on here, with a couple of other standouts being the chunky riff filled Hooks, the doom psych of Superfluous, the stoner ripper Party To Blame, and the spacy, slow burn closer It Haunts Us.

A very strong debut for a band that is growing exponentially, This Summit Fever has shown they know how to bring it, and show some serious promise with their self-titled debut that is here to rock your socks off. 8/10

Ash Twin Project - Tales Of A Dying Sun (Klonosphere Records) [Matt Bladen]

Prog of a different kind here with French post-rock meets prog metal band Ash Twin Project. Tales Of A Dying Sun is quite a diverse soundscape, reminding me of Steven Wilson early solo period or late PT period if you will but with melodic vocals that creep towards pop with a tip of the hat to the recent Envy Of None record for genre blending.

There's also the post-metal aggression that has chunky off time riffs and harsh screams inspired by BTBAM and Oceansize. This is a debut album and it does feel like it's been rushed or had multiple ideas just thrown at it, there's study here, complexity, the emotion and technical ability balanced to make sure it draws you in.

Ash Twin Project have a brand of prog that takes from harsher, modern sounds so with Tales Of A Dying Sun they showcase a varied musical vision. 7/10

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025: Interview With Digital Resistance (Cardiff Heat #4)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025

1. Please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know you. Tell us a little bit more about you as a band.

If you like your metal laced with dystopian themes and a rebellious energy, join the resistance.

2. What made you want to participate in the Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 campaign? Have you had previous experience? Or is this your first time?

We’ve always admired what Metal To The Masses stands for—giving bands a platform to reach new audiences. The competition works only if bands support it, even bands with no chance of making past the first stage, so we’re happy to support in our own way.

3. M2TM is all about supporting your local scene. How important is the local scene to you as a band?

The local scene is everything. It’s where bands cut their teeth, where communities form, and where underground movements thrive. Without a strong local scene, there’s no foundation for the next generation of artists to build upon.

4. What are your expectations from being a part of M2TM?

We hope to find new bands to collaborate with.

5. What would playing a Sold Out Bloodstock Festival mean to you?

It’s too unrealistic to think about.

6. We encourage all the bands in M2TM to try and check out the other bands. Who are you most looking forward to? Who should your fans also try to catch?

They should try to catch all bands!!

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025: Interview With Disrupt The Continuum (Cardiff Heat #4)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025

1. Please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know you. Tell us a little bit more about you as a band.

We are Disrupt The Continuum, we have been together just over 10 years, a mix of styles and genres blended to make our own take on different types of metal music, fast, heavy, melodic and in your face from the first to last riff. We have been on a break for a while but are back and have a new song out soon followed by a album later this year.

2. What made you want to participate in the Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 campaign? Have you had previous experience? Or is this your first time?

We played M2TM back in 2017 so know the ropes but wanted to showcase our new material at the best place for live music in south Wales (FUEL) and the best competition for local bands in the UK to play in our opinion the best festival in the UK for many years now.

3. M2TM is all about supporting your local scene. How important is the local scene to you as a band?

It is of course very important to us and to anyone who loves live music, nothing beats watching live music at a venue that's easy to get to and affordable, not to mention the great and surprising acts you can watch that you may never have heard of.

4. What are your expectations from being a part of M2TM?

We have been out of the loop for a while so making new connections and making new friends and seeing old friends in the local scene and beyond is something we are very looking forward to, plus the chance to play Bloodstock festival would be amazing.

5. What would playing a Sold Out Bloodstock Festival mean to you?

Playing Bloodstock would be a dream come true just to feel the buzz of a big sold-out crowd enjoying our music, life is all about building memories

6. We encourage all the bands in M2TM to try and check out the other bands. Who are you most looking forward to? Who should your fans also try to catch?

Painted As Monsters, Karmen Field, State Of Deceit, Akuma, Kill by Mouth, Struggler and I could go on and on, just clear examples of how awesome and diverse the local South Wales music scene is  at the moment, get your asses to a heat and check out any of the bands playing Cardiff and Swansea as you are sure to find someone you like

Reviews: Severed Angel, Stainless, Guiltless, Aeonian Sorrow (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

Severed Angel - When Eternity Ends (No Life 'Til Metal Records) [Matt Bladen]

Severed Angel give me the impression of being one of those bands who recorded a load of albums in the 90's and then going on hiatus only to reconvene in recent years. However they have actually only been a band since 2022 but have released two albums so far as When Eternity Ends is their third.

The band hail from North-eastern part of the US, a region that has some serious kudos when it comes to melodic/progressive metal as it's the home of Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Shadow Gallery and Symphony X, so Severed Angel have a pretty good pedigree to lean on with bands from their religion and they manage to hold their own, my one criticism is that Alex Repetti's vocals are much better when they're in the Dave Mustaine snarl than the clean parts.

He links up with Lou Mavs as the guitar duo on this record shredding up a storm on the nastier tracks such as Like Lightning while they embrace the more melodic sounds on the Marc Muchnik's synth powered Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, the organ drenched drama at the beginning of The Demon's Alive ruddered by Wayne Noon's huge drum sound as George Dimitri's bass giving groove to One Life To Live.

With prestige of a long line of legendary acts to take inspiration from Severed Angels will appease any long time melodic/power/prog metal fans on their third album When Eternity Ends. 8/10

Stainless - Nocturnal Racer (High Roller Records/Soulfood) [Mark Young]

And now, an unashamed blast of what I would call classic rock and metal, the sort that would have been everywhere in the early 80’s and most certainly used in the Demon’s franchise (mid 80’s check it out). I mean this with total sincerity, because from the opening strike of Nocturnal Racer, it immediately transports you to a time when Motorhead, Priest and Maiden were everywhere. 

The four piece from Oregon have placed their focus on this less complicated time in order to put an EP together that captures that vibe, from solid riffing to incendiary leads and a powerful vocal performance from Larissa Cavacece who brings the required hard edge that backs this music up.

Nocturnal Racer kicks off and it’s a straightforward hard rock blast that does everything right without trying to reinvent any wheels. It’s not deep, it’s not trying to be political it’s all for having a good time. It’s not a pastiche, its delivered with passion and they carry this over into Shot For Shot with a cracking wah-infused lead break which is proper foot up on the monitor. This is party music, without a shadow of a doubt.

Believer comes straight in with tempo’s set in the red and its hard to not nod along to this as it tears its way through to the uplifting lead break, replete with harmony parts. Its as the 4th and final track starts that I think was put in the wrong order. The Evil Lies has a pace to it that would have been perfect as ‘track number 3’ where you have the ascent from Nocturnal/Shot and this would have kept it at that level until the high blast from Believer would kick in and we finish on an energetic high. 

This is nit picking in all honesty, as The Evil Lies fits in with that feel the first three songs have built so well. It’s a song that cultivates that mid-pace tempo well but placing it at the end takes a little of the momentum away. Like I said, its nit picking and if you dug the first three then you won’t dislike this one. It’s a showcase for Larissa’s vocals as well as a touch of guitar pyro from Jamie Byrun and there is a storming riff set running under the lead break that closes the song out.

Your appreciation of this will depend on how much you like those bands I mentioned at the start, and if you don’t mind good time rock. Everything I thought It would be from looking at the album art it delivered. Could they sustain it over a full-length album, on this display I would say yes. 7/10

Guiltless - Teeth To Sky (Neurot Recordings) [Mark Young]

From the early 80’s stylings of Stainless to the enamel stripping effect of Guiltless with Teeth To Sky. This is a 42-minute-long monolith of a thing, where they bring in their aural stamp with Into Dust Becoming and effectively set the blueprint for the rest of the songs that come battering through. It starts at a high level of intensity and then stays there, with Josh Graham’s hard as nails vocals cutting through each track. 

This is what is technically known as a ‘hard as fuck album’ with that reliance on stabs, bends and the non-stop percussive blasts from Billy Graves who turns in a masterwork in how drive this music forward. All of this point towards a promising round of ear-flattening which we all love. Except that it’s not quite like that, because the songs are built in similar ways that over the course of a listen feel ‘samey’. It is an accomplished piece of work in terms of delivering an experience that brings in aspects of noise, sludge and other areas into play but after the initial blast I fought the urge to skip forward. This does point towards me not being aligned with it, but what can I say? I have to be honest.

What I would say is that fans of experimental, noise, sludge, doom will go to town with this. It hits each of those targets dead centre with subject matter to suit. It’s played with passion and talent, and I’ve already mentioned about the drum performance which is spot on in giving this the sort of forward movement that I think is required to keep my engagement in place. Despite this, its still an absolute beast of an album in terms of how it sounds. It sounds absolutely massive, landing like a sledgehammer but that is not enough for me. 6/10

Aeonian Sorrow - From The Shadows (Self-Released) [Matt Bladen]

Scandinavian melancholy meets Greek tragedy as Aeonian Sorrow bring us their new EP From The Shadows, not as this is death doom, an EP can often be as a long as some albums and here we have 31 minutes of music over four songs.

The band are now in their tenth year together and have racked up shows all over the place, the pandemic leading to some line up changes but since 2023's Anemos they've stayed as they are with From The Shadows a follow up to Anemos, continuing the funeral/death/doom dystopia they created on that record.

Inspired by isolation and longing the band composed songs that move between fierce blasts and atmospheric stillness, the duality of the vocals is well done throughout harsh male grunts and soaring female cleans give Your Blackened Forest an epic scale, packed with emotion, the keys and guitars synching well for maximum impact, strings swelling in the background.

Inspired by and for fans of bands such as My Dying Bride, Draconian and Swallow The Sun, Aeonian Sorrow's new EP invokes introspective darkness with brief glimpses of cathartic light. 8/10

Reviews: STORMO, Grey Mountain, Seven Sisters, Chordoma (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

STORMO - Tagli/Talee (Prosthetic Records) [Matt Bladen]

Described as an "autobiographical account of a band out on the road creating art" Italian noisemakers STORMO deliver their new album Tagli/Talee which is a vicious, abrasive, aggressive fifth album from the Roadburn loved band. STORMO's music is inspired by punk and they rip and tear in vitriolic passion with tracks such as Bordi and Riva, the latter evolving into some atmospheric moments before the violence dials back up again.

Tagli/Talee translates to cuts and grafts, and these songs sound as if they have been laid out on the studio floor and pasted together like old film, structured but constantly fluctuating between post hardcore melodies, punky noises and caustic riffs, each track just rips through in less than a couple of minutes and is sequenced like STORMO's incendiary live set. You will need to be a fan of noise, mathcore or punk to enjoy Tagli/Talee but try it as you'll get a ferocious album to dive into. 7/10

Grey Mountain - Grey Mountain (Eat Lead And Die Music) [Mark Young]

Coming from the other end of the musical spectrum is Grey Mountain, the transatlantic trio who bring their self-titled release which comprises a mixed bag of styles that swings between doom, progressive and a touch of post-metal. They themselves know that it’s to pin them down to a style which must drive fans of pigeon-holing mental.

Grey Mountain is our starting point and is a slow-burn with vocals that switch from the guttural to the higher register whilst it rumbles along. The first signs of them wanting to move gears comes in as the song bursts into life with an exceptional lead break before they return to that slower starting point. 

The progressive side comes through, with that quality lead work nestled within a storming riff set and suddenly we are near the end of a track that is just a brilliant start which continues into Perpetual Imbalance, which at its heart is a rock-solid foundation that bounces along and allows the guitars to shine. I think a shout out to James on drums is in order, who is dropping some percussive bombs on this one and provides that base and the double bass on this cuts through like a knife.

A Universal Evil has this mix of the barely holding on by fingernails and super controlled feel to it at the same time if that makes sense. Like the others it is chock-full of changes, not just in timing but in stylistic approach, especially during the heavier moments with some truly epic sounding riffs that just come out thin air. What doesn’t change is the face-melting lead breaks, those are a constant on this and the album in general and there is this sense of each track naturally slotting in place next to each other, from the percussive driven Hermitage with its myriad guitar lines through to the change on a penny.

Many Shades, A Storm through to Decline And Fall, all of which show their natural talent in being able to write absolute killer songs that shouldn’t work but do. I’m all for those bands who can do this and do it well and Grey Mountain can. The closing piece is Living Mythology, a languid start that is soon kicked to the kerb as they change gear once more. This is a blinding mix of leads and a storming bottom end chug but is not a one note affair. Just as the others it moves with grace – heavy here, subtle there and in terms of closing things out on here it does a cracking job of it.

This is a brilliant debut from them, one that I hope is augmented with UK shows because the vibe I get from this is that it would be a top live experience. There is a lot to digest in here and on first listen you will get it but its on repeated listens that you start to pick up on the little moments that add and add. I can only apologise for getting this review completed so late, but it’s an essential purchase, especially for those who like their metal to be ambitious and expansive. 9/10

Seven Sisters - Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt.2 (Cherry Red Records) [Matt Bladen]

Make no mistake about the number of tracks Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt.2 is an album not an EP and it's also a companion piece to 2021's Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt.1, continuing the sci-fi storyline established on that album. The British metal act Seven Sisters have transcended what is often a long winded NWOTHM evolution and gone straight into Seventh Son/post Dance Of Death Maiden, where they embraced the irrepressible pull of prog, leaving Kyle McNeil to stick to more traditional metal with his Phantom Spell side project.

Starting with an 8 minute track and closing with the 20 minutes finale of this saga, this follow up is more grandiose and bombastic than it's predecessor, Astral Prophecies gets us going with a slow burning intro and explodes into some riffs in the vein of a band such as Sonata Arctica, European power metal with plenty of pace as they shift through the the classic NWOBHM on Solar Winds and the Maiden-like twin axe attack of Heart Of The Sun.

Andromeda Ascending (A Fallen Star Rises) is the incredible final part of this album, 20 minutes of cinematic heavy metal where the NWOTHM sound is filtered through epic space soundscapes and melodies, from NWOTHM/Power Metal/Prog it's got everything.

What a way to close this chapter of Seven Sisters existence, where they go from here is anyone's guess but it'll be worth looking out for if you're a classic metal/prog fan. 8/10

Chordoma - Chordoma (Comatose Music) [Mark Young]

Well, you have to admire a band that sets it's stall out to encompass all out brutality and then stay in that lane to the bitter end. That is exactly what Chordoma do with their debut slab of all out aural warfare. Although the band is new, the trio that make up its numbers are no newcomers to the world of extreme metal, hailing from bands such as Vituperate, Purulent Necrosis and Anal Stabwound amongst others and that experience shines through here on this self-titled EP courtesy of Comatose Music.

From start to finish this is one of the most intense listening experiences you are likely to have. From Medically Induced Asphyxiation it just starts at a 100mph and stays at that speed right through each of the five stops on the way. There is no let up at all as each one whips by in lightning fashion and it's difficult to say this one is better than that because unfortunately, they are all incredibly similar to another. 

Having that forward attack in place is great but there's not a lot to it once you get past its speed or heaviness. It's a call back to giving song names the best titles you can, and ones that show there can be no misunderstanding of what they are about. From Innermost Intestinal Exposure to Splashing Innards Abound, the music backs up the titles to a tee.

Giving it a score is difficult, because young me, well my head would have just popped as this would have had legitimate claim to being the nastiest sound going. Old me, well I appreciate its endeavour but ultimately find it a little dull after the 3rd or 4th round of blast beats. But if you look at it in terms of what they were attempting to do that have succeeded in delivering a collection of songs that do what the band says they were going to do. It sounds excellent, and it should no doubt bring visceral pleasure to those brutally driven friends out there. 

Overall, I believe that it deserves your attention because of what it does. Fans of extreme death metal should get on this immediately. 7/10

Reviews: Rotting Christ, Lucifer's Child, No Hand Path, Anglachel (Matt Bladen)

Rotting Christ - 35 Years Of Evil Existence: Live In Lycabettus (Season Of Mist)

35 Years Of Evil Existence is a celebration of Greece's most recognised extreme metal act. One of three bands who established their own genre of Hellenic Black Metal that stood toe to toe with the Scandinavians.

Over the 35 years they have adapted their sound to become a bands with a both glacial shredfests and muscular anthems, while the rawness of those early albums has gone in their recorded output live they never forget their roots and put these early tracks right alongside the orchestrated modern offerings.

With this Live album you get a chance to go on a 2 hour musical journey with these Bastard Sons Of Athens, live from the historic and iconic Lycabettus Hill Theater which sits across the Athenian skyline from the Acropolis. It's an outdoor theatre and I can only imagine how amazing the Rotting Christ light show and the power of that music would be coming out of the Athenian night.

I'm sure the Orthodox Church had more than just reservations to hosting the band in such a venue but as ever Sakis and his brother Themis will forever be Non Servium so nothing could stop this force of nature.

The album itself is recorded in front of a devoted raucous hometown crowd, the set is packed with old and new songs, paced well so the faster numbers are often followed by the mid paced groovers,Sakis' growls and shouts still as potent as ever as he has the crowd in the palm of his hand, organinsing choirs, clapping and chanting. The production is a little washed out occasionally but this was recorded in an open air theatre so it's not going to sound intimate by any means.

He doubles down with bassist Kostas "Spades" Heliotis on the grooving death and thrashers and also plays twin leads and plenty of riffs alongside Kostis Fouk. For me though the stand out performance is from Themis, it's often hard to pick out a drummer on records but you can hear every massive strike, pace change and powerful percussive hit with real clarity and you can hear why he's the heartbeat of this band.

35 Years Of Evil Existence: Live In Lycabettus is 25 tracks of Rotting Christ in their natural habitat, storming a stage, proving why they are such a long tenured and beloved part of the Greek metal scene. 9/10

Lucifer's Child - The Illuminant (Agonia Records)

Continuing with Heathen Hellenic Black Metal we have the new album from Lucifer's Child. Called The Illuminant it's their first new music since their spilt with Mystifier but it's their first album since 2018's The Order. Co-founder George Emmanuel (guitar/production) calls it "a bold evolution in our sound" and he's not wrong as on their third album Lucifer's Child increase their intensity on The Illuminant.

An expulsion of unholy fire comes with first song Antichrist, ferocious black metal blast beats, light speed tremolo picking riffs and Marios Dupont's vocal howl giving praise to the Dark Lord. The production is pin sharp George Emmanuel's skill behind the desk matched by his guitar prowess with complex arrangements on As Bestas where a thrash-like groove moves into some melodic widdly leads.

The Serpent And The Rod puts Kostas Gerochristos (drums) to the test with some blistering black metal meets hardcore, the shortest song on the record it's the most aggressive turning into a breakdown/solo section at the end. The Illuminant is very different to their two previous albums, while they paid homage to the foundations of the Hellenic black metal genre, this one incorporates other influences from across Europe and the USA too.

Songs such as Ichor more vivid and more complex than what has come before, closing the first half of this record. On side two Righteous Flama has an industrial tinge, Curse and The Heaven's Die more traditional black metal, the latter having a some great bass playing from Nick Vell.

As the epic feel of And All Is Prelude finishes this third album, Lucifer's Child return from their self imposed slumber with their finest work yet. λατρεύουν τον σατανά! 9/10

No Hand Path - Μυστικισμός της Ενηλικίωσης (Floga Records)

Translating to Mysticism Of Coming Of Age Greek black metal act No Hand Path continue on the frostbitten journey they began on previous album An Existence Regained way way back in 2010. Since then the rhythm section have been playing Varathron, who alongside Rotting Christ and Necromantia (R.I.P) were widely regarded as the founders of Hellenic Black Metal.

No Hand Path are a much rawer act, inspired more by the Scandinavian style of black metal where it's rougher, angrier and more intensely focussed on introspection and dread. This album though is about catharsis as you can probably gain from the title, it's about taking a more conscious approach to life, fighting against the dogma of religion and nationalism, to have a more educated outlook.

In their PR it's said there's nods to Swedeath (Κοσμογονία/Cosmogony) and crust punk and these are audible, the experimental spirit of Darkthrone coming through on Εξορκισμός (Exorcism) while Προδότης (Traitor) is a clear showcase of that rawness I talked about earlier.

No Hand Path pair flesh peeling black metal with intelligent lyrical concepts, proving they still have the goods even after 15 years! 8/10

Anglachel - Of Tuor, Idril And their Departure from Gondolin (FYC Records)

Dungeon synth. Heard of it, not heard too much of it but apparently Anglachel are one of the top names in the community. If you don't know what Dungeon Synth is, then here's a bit of history, it's an offshoot from the black metal scene, using the synthesized textures that are so often creating atmospheres on black metal albums as the main bulk of the music.

Inspired often by history, mythology and connected to RPG culture, Dungeon Synth is very akin to the classic video game classics of old and also to D&D etc. It's not really "metal" but as most of the musicians also play in metal bands, black metal bands, then it's been embraced or at least tolerated by the metal scene.

Dungeon synth bands also are nearly always one-man projects and Anglachel is no different, it's creative space for Admetos, who has played in a few Greek black metal bands but here lives out his fantasy as an orchestrator, writing music that is inspired by the works of Tolkien.

Of Tuor, Idril And Their Departure From Gondolin was the debut full length released in 2019, preceded by an EP, which documents Tuor's arrival at Gondolin and has been followed by two more albums and two EP's all within the Tolkien mythos.

FYC has taken the decision to re-release this record and if you're a fan of dungeon synth or indeed soundtrack music then you'll probably love this decision. These are instrumental showcases which move with the story, adding darkness and intrigue as they follow the path of the story conveying what's happening without words or any instruments other than synths.

If I'm honest I did get a little restless as it's not a genre I would normally seek out but if you're a Tolkien addict, a tabletop gamer or love music that could be a game soundtrack, then this will be for you. 7/10

Reviews: Telepathy, Sometime In February, Wombbath, Mindwars (Matt Bladen & Thomas Megill)

Telepathy - Transmissions (Pelagic Records) [Matt Bladen]

Welcome to the hypnotic, techtronic world of Telepathy and their stunning fourth album Transmissions. The Polish/English foursome based in Suffolk have been causing a stir on the festival circuit since 2011 with their sludgy, instrumental, post metal a favourite amongst both Arctangent and Desertfest crowds. They made a name by being loud, avantgarde and packing each song with gargantuan riffs drawing comparisons to Tool and Deftones, their love of film scores and use of samples and field recordings.

However this fourth record is culmination of four years of looking inward, languishing in introspection and nostalgia they ut away some of the crushing heaviness for more use of atmospheric synths and lighter textures that speak to the reflective nature of the song writing. Much of the influence for this record came from brother's Piotr, Albert and Krystian Turek, who form the band alongside Richard Powley, sorting through their family home and uncovering old photographs creating disharmony between then and now.

They also found one of the first radio broadcasts from Józef Piłsudski, arguably the founder of modern Poland, using the speech as part of the record but also having it inspired them to be more creative, more genre pushing than they have before. This is obvious with a track like Augury which has a ticking clock for pace and waves of Vangelis synth into the industrial Knife Edge Effect that shifts into the epic heaviness of Tears In The Fibre.

Transmissions is huge, a cinematic and seismic shift in Telepathy's sound, you need to experience this album rather than just listen to it. 9/10

Sometime In February - Where Mountains Hide (InsideOutMusic/Sony Music) [Matt Bladen]

Beginning as a solo project for guitarist Tristan Auman, Sometime In February is now a fully formed band with Scott Barber on drums and Morgan Johnson on bass. Where Mountains Hide is their sophomore album and it's got all the tricks and melodies of a acts such as Plini or Intervals, with some influence from the earlier prog bands too.

Where Mountains Hide is a bright album, brimming with sophisticated instrumentals but an uplifting melodic maturity that hooks you. Moments of jazz fusion, evolve into Djent palm muting as bluesy elements collide, but never conflict with the traditional prog metal styles. All three players do so at a virtuoso level, their individual performances are stunning but they have a cohesiveness that makes for some entertaining listing.

They've called in a few favours with Paul Waggoner and Dan Briggs of BTBAM adding extra guitar and other instruments, as Rich Castillo of The Callous Daoboys imparts sax on Bad Fight which reminds me of The Dirty Loops. They've also collaborated with Eric Guenther of The Contortionist on the Sound Design of the record, his skill giving it a fluidity that allows each song to stand independently but also as part of a whole. Impressive and uplifting Where Mountains Hide will be warmly welcomed at Arctangent this year I'm sure. 8/10

Wombbath - Beyond The Abyss (Pulverised Records) [Thomas Megill]

In collaboration with Pulverized Records, Swedish Death Metal veterans Wombbath struck for the 7th time with their latest album, Beyond The Abyss. Consisting of an intro and 9 songs, this is an interesting record. The band weaves between complex, almost progressive structures to caveman riffs with relative ease, all ahead of an atmospheric backdrop of synthesizers and violins. At first the atmospheric elements were a bit distracting, but after listening further to the album, and coming back around for a second listen, the violins and synths actually gave the album a unique identity. 

The song, Discord Of Doom stuck out to me. The juxtaposition of dissonant, nearly technical guitar parts and harmonies with brutal riffs exploding out of left field really caught my attention. This song made me feel like I was trapped on a rocket ship in outer space with a feral, wild gorilla. Some parts made me envision the unease and wonderment that could result from experiencing the vast complexities of space, only to be brought back suddenly into the moment by the fact I'm being hunted by a raging monster in an enclosed aircraft in space. 

The lead guitars were the highlight of this album. The solos and harmonies were crafted by some real technicians that truly understand their instruments. The tracks A Symphony Of Dread and Beneath The Abyss truly stick out in this regard. I very much appreciated the emotion in some of the primal howls from the vocalist on the last track, Consumed By Fire. That was a nice touch. I very much enjoyed this record and would recommend Beneath The Abyss to all who enjoy Old School Swedish Death Metal with a splash of Prog. 8/10

Mindwars - V (High Roller Records) [Thomas Megill]

The thrash doctors in Mindwars just prescribed a healthy dose of thrash metal to all old and new school thrashers alike, with their fifth album V. Released through High Roller Records, this record shall quell any and all thrash withdrawals. V has all the elements of a classic thrash record. Melodic and stompy riffs, blazing solos, and adventurous, catchy lyrics. Most of the songs on this record follow a no nonsense, classic thrash structure. The songs are mostly short, sweet, and to the point. 

That is until we hit Vultures Of The Eighth Wonder which clocks in at 9 minutes and change, but what is an Old School thrash record without a long epic amirite? The Road to Madagascar, the only instrumental track on the album, contains my favourite part of this record where they randomly burst into a Lamb of God-esque breakdown that is so unexpected, I've re-listened to the section about 70 times. That riff could melt glaciers. The bass guitar shines on this record. Some of the bass parts really pop through the mix in some sections, especially on the track Chasing The Wind. 

The band meshes very well together, as the bass and guitar complement each other perfectly on every track. Upon listening to this album, one can deduce that Mindwars have a lot of fun playing music together. The Supertramp cover is enough evidence of that, at least to me. That was an entertaining take on The Logical Song to say the least. This was a fun and enjoyable listen. A healthy dose of classic thrash metal with a tinge of modern flavour. I would recommend to any fans of the genre. 8/10.

Reviews: Black Spiders, Vulvarine, Kazea, Ellis Mano Band (Duncan Everson & Matt Bladen)

Black Spiders – Cvrses (Dark Riders/Cargo) [Duncan Everson]

Black Spiders have been around since 2008 gradually building a fanbase but not yet getting to the next size up in venues. Could Cvrses be the album to take them to the next level?

Never Enough kicks off the album and is a fun, upbeat song with a hooky chorus which gets things off to a great start, while also setting a pretty high bar. Cool Reaper follows and is one of my favourites with it’s simple, spiky riff and driving drum beat, the bar is cleared and maybe raised some more. 

Sorry Not Sorry is another great track and I do find the chorus quite funny with it’s refrain of “not really sorry, not even close” – is this a reference to online apology videos? Again, is a ridiculously hooky chorus that will have you singing along after the first listen. Sorry neighbours (not even close, haha!).

Idol Hands features a beast of a riff, the song builds really well towards the chorus, that again, gets in your head from the first listen. This one gives me Mason Hill vibes, which is no bad thing for me, especially while we wait for something new from them. Very tasty guitar solo too, making this one possibly my favourite (again). 

Dia De Muertos is a slower, more stripped back song that shows another side to the band and is equally effective as the more fun, upbeat tracks, proving they can do “a bit more serious” very well too. Could this be my favourite?

No Superman is just so infectious and catchy, it’s ridiculous. Seriously, this album should come with some sort of warning label on the cover, it contains so many hooks! Killer solo on this one as well. Go! is full of punk-like energy and is sure to be a future live favourite making crowds go crazy keeping up with the pace, I can already tell that. 

Obey is also destined to go down a storm with a live crowd - short and sweet, full of energy with a chorus begging to be sung along to, it’s another winner.

Rotten To The Core closes out the album and is a slower number to start with beginning with acoustic guitar and percussion, giving a Western campfire vibe and is a nice change of pace. 

Some lovely harmony vocals follow before the beat picks up and we’re now on horseback crossing the plains. More instrumental layers are added next with a really effective guitar picking pattern sitting just below the surface of the other instruments. 

The chorus of “this whole world is rotten to the core, I don’t think that we should take it anymore,” is seemingly at odds with the joyous music, yet shows the band have a serious side too. 

I think the term blistering is the most appropriate for the solo that ends the song and indeed the album. That makes it sound as though it’s quite a departure from the rest of the album and in some ways, it is and yet fits perfectly just the same.

Having gone back to listen to their last album to see how they compare, I can say that Cvrses is a positive move forward and I think existing fans will be impressed, and should also gain the band many more new fans too if there is any justice - like me for example. 8/10

Vulvarine - Fast Lane (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

Vulvarine love rock n roll, they love Mötorhead, they love Girlschool, they love The Runaways and they love The Donnas. They love dirty rock n roll and Fast Lane is packed with it from the opening riffs of The Drugs, The Love And The Pain, they will remind you of all the bands I mentioned alongside acts like Status Quo, Ash and Tokyo Dragons (go look them up).

Hailing from Austria Vulvarine released their debut album in 2020 and an EP in 2023 and they have been pumping out high energy rock since then combining denim wrapped biker rock, catsuit clad glam and some pop punchiness for a sound that hard not to smile to. With Fast Lane they look to sharpen their hooks with some refined song writing that gives them a few more tricks to play with.

Be it the dark Demons, the grooving Alright Tonight, the sleazy Fool is a US radio ready single as Dark Red comes with a bit of punk sneer. With the penultimate track, the cover of Cheri Cheri Lady by German pop duo Modern Talking is given a high energy blast and has Filippa Nässilof Thundermother on guitar. Vulvarine take to the Fast Lane with this second album and it could quickly make them household names. 7/10

Kazea – I, Ancestral (Suicide Records) [Duncan Everson]

Post-rock, post-metal? I don’t know how to tell the difference personally but I’m starting to get more of a feel for these things and after attending the last 6 ArcTanGent festivals I really should know by now. 

I don’t know where one starts and the other has someone screaming, “Get orf my land!” to be honest but my education continues with this album from Kazea, a three piece band from Sweden.

On first listen I wasn’t blown away if I’m honest but felt there was something here worth more time and I’m glad I stuck with it. Before I knew it, I’d listened to this at least ten times and still am now.

Trenches is where the line starts to blur between post-rock and post-metal (I think) with the screamed vocals coming in half-way through maybe being the thing to push the boundary. The music itself is still mid paced with a distorted guitar tone and the other, more standard vocal style combine well with the screams to great effect.

Whispering Hand is a faster paced blast through more standard sounding rock territory, although utilising the same guitar tone so it fits in nicely. A Strange Burial is next and more the kind of thing I’d expect to live in post-rock town, all big chords, slow drums, atmosphere and instrumental except for a sample from a movie (I’m guessing as much anyway). 

This short track leads directly and effectively into Wailing Blood which initially continues on from the previous track before morphing into something quite different. This track somehow seems quite epic despite coming in at just over four and a half minutes, featuring peaks and troughs of sound, with slower, stripped back moments which skilfully blend into faster choruses without being jarring. Great drumming in this one too.

The North Passage makes effective use of those dynamics again and the dual vocal style shown earlier is even more effective here. Seamlessly Woven closes out the album and this is probably the most easily classified as what I imagine post-rock to be. 

Dark and moody with layered guitars and a long instrumental section in the middle which is just gorgeous, before the vocals come back and in and the track just keeps building and building before coming full circle to close out with just a simple piano repeating the main riff to end. Bloody wonderful.

I hadn’t heard of Kazea before this album, but the editor suggested I might like it, and he was right. There’s enough variety here that if one track doesn’t appeal too much, another may very well tick your boxes but at the same time there is a consistent sound to the album, so the tracks sit cohesively together. 

I have a feeling that I’ll be listening to this for quite some time to come. 9/10

Ellis Mano Band - Morph (SPV) [Matt Bladen]

Elis Mano Band follows that great blues tradition of naming yourself after band members. Like Tedeschi Trucks Band, Marshall Tucker Band, Crosby, Stills And Nash and Fleetwood Mac. 

Ellis Mano Band is made up of vocalist Chris Ellis, guitarist Edis Mano, bassist Severin Graf, drummer Nico Looser and Lukas Bosshardt on keys.

They're all from different countries and Morph is their fourth album and because it's their fourth album, they have tried to redefine or perhaps refine what their sound should be. Rooted still in blues rock, here they continue on an evolutionary path towards a more mature, diverse style.

They first played these tracks in support of Deep Purple and Ellis Mano Band clearly have drawn inspiration from bands like Purple who languish on the blues but always want to add different flavours. Virtually Love starts off this record with some Springsteen/Petty-like rollicking rock n roll however Count Me In and Madness And Tears are reminiscent of Bowie and Madrugada.

That Madrugada comparison continues with the album, throwing in some Tom Waits, some Stevie Ray Vaughan and Southern rock too. Heartfelt, blue collar music from this talented group, Morph sees them fluctuate their influences to great effect. 7/10

Reviews: SOM, Desert'Smoke, Jesse Stilettö, Sykofant (Rich Piva)

SOM - Let The Light In (Pelagic Records)

SOM has been deemed “Doom Pop” and why not, but to me, this band is heavy shoegaze all the way, and boy am I here for it on their third record, Let The Light In. 

Swirling guitars, a wall of sound, impossibly high vocals, and some serious riffs to go along with everything else, SOM sure have perfected their recipe with the eight tracks on record number three.

Remember the band Mew? I do, they had a killer record, And the Glass Handed Kites, that came out in 2005 and incorporated some heavy with some shoegaze nicely, while applying their pop sensibilities to the songs. 

SOM also has this skill, but turns up the heavy a bit more than Mew did. Take the title track, which shakes you while it mesmerizes at the same time. You get the usual suspects when you mention shoegaze, like MBV, Slowdive, Swervedriver, maybe even some Cocteau Twins. 

I also hear bands like Elliott, who were a sensitive yet heavy when they want to be emo band, and of course, some of the beauty The Smashing Pumpkins could bring on those early records. 

Whatever you want to call it, the guitar wall of sound on Chemicals is awesome while being chunky as hell in parts too. There is not a bad track on Let The Light In, and the record flows effortlessly across the 38 minutes of heavy beauty.

SOM’s third album is their best, and I really enjoyed the previous one, The Shape Of Everything, so this is saying a lot. If you dig shoegaze but want just a bit more kick, and if you like beauty in your heavy, go listen to Let The Light In, you will not be disappointed. 8/10

Desert'Smoke - Desert Smoke (Raging Planet Records)

Lisbon, Portugal’s Desert'Smoke give us some really cool desert-y and smoky instrumental heaviness on their third, self-titled record. Heavy psych, stoner, desert, a little prog…all sorts of good stuff going on across the five tracks with no words.

The highlights include the absolute shredding on the track Fuzzy Txitxu, which may make the dual guitar players axe heroes, because boy does their work kick ass. I really dig how the heaviness of the first track melds into the atmosphere of the next one.

Gravity Absence, which is way more chill and gives off Yawning Man vibes, until it gets all heavy on you with that killer guitar work. Blind Watcher starts like something out of Twin Peaks but Desert'Smoke have mastered the soft to loud dynamic and it works so well here too. The heavy psych leaning 49th Steam Box is a trippy way to end this romp though the desert.

Instrumental records can tend to be too long, but Desert'Smoke got the right balance on this one, with four songs in 35 minutes, which is perfect for this journey and the vibe this one gives off. 

Some really good stuff here if you dig the instrumental bands like your Clouds Taste Satanic, Yawning Man, and the like, but with the guitars turned way up into the front and even more acid dropped. 8/10

Jesse Stilettö - Jesse Stilettö (Self Released)

Jesse Stilettö does not sound like the name of a hard rock band out of Minnesota, but that is exactly what they are, blending 70s hard rock with some psych leanings that give of serious Blue Öyster Cult vibes in multiple ways on their self-titled debut. The duo offers seven hard rocking tracks that are raw and almost garage rock, but garage rock played by a stoner band, and this is a good thing.

As The Portal Opens just does that with a killer riff, QOTSA vibe, echoey vocals, and spacy bridge that all works very well together. The psych-leaning middle is the best part of this great starting point for the record. A jangly guitar opens the more chill and very cool The Plaid Man, which is very, very 70s in an excellent way, but certainly get rocking as it gets going. 

Proto/BOC goodness all the way. There is some really great guitar and drums interaction on this record, especially on this track. NWOBHM vibes with layered guitars ring out on Devil's Lunch, but it also has this underlying blues vibe to it from the lyrics, while emanating some Thin Lizzy-like tendencies as well. 

A lot going on, but all of it going on very well. I don’t mention The White Stripes in a lot of my reviews but that is what came into my head when Feed The Moon started, but then it gets all BOC and moody, which I am here for. Spectre just rips it up and is some very cool proto that probably would kill live.

I have mentioned BOC a few times, so it is only fitting the boys do a cover of one of their classics, Stairway To The Stars, and do it justice for sure in their own way. The closer, Dream Into The Future, actually has a 90s feel to it, perhaps a preview of what is to come in that future for the duo.

The only turn off to some for this record may be the sound, as it is raw and occasionally sounds like it may have been lab enhanced a bit too much, but you could also call that charming for a new band on their debut record. 

I personally think Jesse Stilettö put out a fun little ripper of a debut that touches on a lot of the music I love while giving the band room to grow on their next one. Good stuff. 7/10

Sykofant - Red Sun EP (Self Released)

Sykofant is a prog band from Oslo, Norway who bring us three songs to follow up their self-titled record from last year in the form of the Red Sun EP. Bands mentioned in the bio for these guys include Elder, and Pink Floyd and I can hear it on these three tracks that offer all sorts of direction and styles over the 23 minutes of music.

I am not the biggest Floyd fan but I am very familiar with their work, and the opener, Ashes, reminds me very much of the latest period of recorded Floyd, but with a bit more bite to the sound. 

There is a funky prog thing going on here too, and it is very cool, but leads us into a very familiar Floyd sound on song two, Red Sun, which is a bit too on the nose for me, but I am sure people who like that stuff will be fine with this. The closer, Embers, has a bit of a bite to it, and is my favourite of the three songs. It is the proggiest song of the three and is also the most adventurous and unique of the three on the EP.

I dig the atmosphere and the playing is strong on the three songs on Red Sun. I wish all three tracks were more like the last one, as I think the band excels when they go their own way and open up their writing and playing to unique tempos and styles, rather than trying to sound like Pink Floyd. 6/10