Wastefall - Soulrain 21 (SleaszyRider Records)
Originally released in 2004, the second album by Greek prog metal band Wastefall, Soulrain 21 has now been remastered by Yannis Manopoulos (Thelemite) and re-released as a 20 year anniversary version. Led in 2024 by Domenik Papaemmanouil (vocals/guitars/keys) after they went on hiatus in 2008, they reformed in 2013 with a new line up.
They are now revisiting this album sees them again delving into 21 Students who lost their lives in worst car accident in Greece. Domenik is now forging his own path looking for live allies to get Wastefall back on the stage but obviously this album has the line up from the time.
Don't let the Nu-Metal influences that come through on Soulrain (record scratches) and Stunned To The World put you off, Wastefall are a prog metal band just using the sounds of the time time to make their prog contemporary, shifting riffs, chugging rhythms and some Russell Allen-like vocals come on Stunned To The World, mirroring what many of the big prog players were doing around this time.
Empty Haven adds some Nevermore melodicism as it shifts towards church organ driven Lullaby For The Gods something that's got some of those early 2000's synths sounds, the drama brought back on the building Lesser. This is a very musically complex, emotionally dense record, written about a horrific incident, it's a concept record but also a tribute this who lost their lives done with some excellent prog metal fans of Dream Theater, Symphony X, Shadow Gallery or Nevermore will lap up.
Soulrain 21 deserves revisiting as it's an excellent prog metal record, made better with the modern remaster, if Wastefall are using this re-release to highlight where they're going in 2025 then I'll be waiting in anticipation. 9/10
Stormcast - Tremors In The Ether (Self Released)
Cypriot/UK based melodeath band Stormcast were formed in Nicosia in 2007 and have been steadily building a fanbase and recording since then. They didn't release a debut until 2014 after playing MetalDays on 2013 then rapidly followed it up in 2018 after some line up changes. Now led by Mike Angastiniotis (vocals/guitars) they entered and won the 2019 Brighton Metal To The Masses.
So with all that behind them they have set about releasing their third album Tremors In The Ether, Mike refers to it as their most mature album yet and that's obvious from Gods From A Stranger Land which has some orchestral swells and haunting female vocals while Kings Of The Everlost is a total blitz at the end, full of shifting proggy rhythms and Gojira-like fret slides. They have embrace modernity too though, with the synths that build through the title track.
Mike's vocals are brilliant, growled and clean while his guitar playing, alongside Diogo Jones is similar to the Heafy/Beaulieu of Trivium on Oceans, intricate and muscular hand in hand it's got influences from melodeath, metalcore and Swedish scene, the guitar duo backed by Panayiotis Chrysostomides' bass as Jack Wrench provides the session drums, keeping a double kicking percussive part even on the lighter moments of Collective Incompetence.
Tremors In The Ether is definitely a mature record from Stormcast, it's also their best record, modern, meaty and brimming with technical prowess, Stormcast show the full spectrum of their talent with this third studio album. 8/10
Scarflood - Scarflood (Self Released)
Only three years in existence, Rethymo based band Scarflood know their way around a riff and on their debut album there's plenty of them for those of you that love your metal with an alternative edge then you'll be banging your head to tracks such as The Wrongdoer and Safer On The Cross quite readily.
Influenced by bands such as Chevelle, 10 Years, Sevendust and Godsmack, they are an alt metal band driven by the thick rhythm section of bassist George Kourakis and drummer Antonis Petridis, they bring some proggy moments to Reset Reality shifting the pace as they bring syrup grunge to Shadows Subside.
Nick Marinakis punches out the guitar riffs and provides the rough vocals too, the AIC acoustics of Dirt Road sit comfortably in the middle of the record. Antonis Pk gives the melodic leads and arpeggios on the choppy Gale and the tough Bones Don't Lie. A relatively new band on the scene, Scarflood impress with their debut. Brash but emotive alt metal from Crete. 7/10
Empty Mirror - Deus Profanus (Self Released)
Something a bit more gothic now from Greece's capital. Athens band Empty Mirror have been through the ringer a few times since forming in 2020. The line up has changed a few times since they first arrived but they have released and EP (Echoes Of Eternity) in 2022 and have now followed it up with Deus Profanus which is touted a debut album but at 6 tracks and 30 minutes I'd consider it to be EP but hey let's get into it anyway.
Featuring some heart tugging violin from Johanna Von Der Vögelweide of Feuerschwanz, Empty Mirror also features two vocalists (male and female), two guitarists, a rhythm section and a keyboardist, it sounds big moody and evocative, the pouring rain and spoken word brings you into the record Luminous Child starting the record properly with some dramatic goth metal, soaring soprano vocals against lower croons/growls.
For the rest of the record not much changes, the metallic elements sit in harmony with the classical piano and acoustic moments. It's gothic symphonic metal that was so popular in the late 90's and Empty Mirror is a great example of it. 7/10
Friday, 3 January 2025
Thursday, 2 January 2025
Reviews: Status Quo, Epitaph, Gudger, Altareth (Reviews By Matt Bladen)
Status Quo - Driving To Glory (Cherry Red Records)
Status Quo are one of the longest tenured, endearing rock bands inn the UK rock scene. They're perennial road dogs, having been touring for more than 50's and while it seems they may be finally be hanging up their Telecasters and White Sneakers, though nothing is ever confirmed in Quoland until Francis Rossi says so, there's still plenty of gold to mine in their extensive back catalogue.
Driving To Glory presents rare tracks from the late 1990's and 2000's as the Quo balanced between being a nostalgia act and one with plenty of creative ideas. Now these tracks sound like Quo, there's no surprises, it's four on the floor 12 bar blues always in search of that fourth chord but as they are mainly CD singles, soundtracks, or editions of albums only available in one country, collectors and superfans will have them in one place, remastered by Mike Paxman with co-operation of the band.
Picks of the record include the slightly proggy Fighting With The Pack and the full length version of the nostalgic but also slightly sarcastic Famous In The Last Century with a new versions of classic Whatever You Want and Don't Waste My Time, Driving To Glory is just for fans but speaks volumes about the the longevity of Status Quo as a band. 7/10
Epitaph - Path To Oblivion (My Kingdom Music)
Italian doom that begins with some dripping water, ghostly voices and solitary piano? Yeah count me in. Taking cures from Italian horror movies and gothic doom, it's a bit like Cathedral writing the soundtrack for Dario Argento flick, similar occult trappings to the likes of Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Trouble, Saint Vitus and Cathedral.
It's their first album to feature Ricky Dal Pane behind the mic, a brilliant addition to the band as his powerful vocal has the histrionic style of Bobby Liebling or Leif Edling. He brings a theatrical sound to the record, adding touches of Ronnie James Dio on Condemned To Flesh a track that features some bristling synths under the classic heavy metal riffs.
With Nameless Demon they showcase their doom credentials with an 8 minute gloomy slow burner, the choirs and organs brought in for the interlude of She's Born In Blasphemy before Epitaph adds more grunt to Voices Behind The Wall.
Ok Path Of Oblivion has some clichés to it, in the atmospheric samples especially but if Heaven And Hell/Dio fronted Sabbath was your favourite era then you'll likely love Epitaph's third full length. 8/10
Gudger - Gudger III (Self Released)
Aaron Eddleblute and his brother Matt come from Ohio guitar royalty, their father Derek Eddleblute are all worshippers of the riff, playing blues influenced heavy rock that moves through stoner, doom and classic metal too.
Matt no longer plays in the band but Aaron and his father still rock like there's no tomorrow a familial bond linked but heavy music, Justin Kaplan joining them to add to the muscular heavy rock influenced by classic rock bands, stoner, doom and more.
Gudger III brings to mind The Sword, tracks such as the pacey Dust And Shadow having the thrust of the Texas band while Fever Dream is prime Sabbath Worship. Derek's riffs bring a bit of the blues to Peaks And Valleys and while Dig Deep increases their speed, Live It Down is a massive doomster.
Aaron's vocals have that soulful grit you want from riff slinging music such as this. Taking inspiration from The Sword but also bands like Alter Bridge (Vicious Cycle), Gudger don't like to pigeonhole themselves, they just play riffs and play them well. 8/10
Altareth - Passage: The Welfare Sessions (Self Released)
The Swedes know doom, I mean they know most musical genres but they have a real affinity to doom. One of the hottest acts in the Swedish doom scene is Altareth, a five piece who play the traditional style of doom that's all heavy fuzz, distorted vocals and elongated jams. Think Sleep, Electric Wizard as well as Candlemas and Monolord.
Recorded at Welfare Studios, Passage is a record that is totally live, recorded with the five piece on unison, little added except for the keys on Archetypes, this is punch in the guts heavy doom with stoner tendencies, I'd expect this to be how Altareth managed to get signed to Magnetic Eye Records but now with an independent release they're able to show their rawer, rougher side a bit more.
Captured in situ, Passage will leave you're ears ringing for days after that finally fuzzy chord is played. 7/10
Status Quo are one of the longest tenured, endearing rock bands inn the UK rock scene. They're perennial road dogs, having been touring for more than 50's and while it seems they may be finally be hanging up their Telecasters and White Sneakers, though nothing is ever confirmed in Quoland until Francis Rossi says so, there's still plenty of gold to mine in their extensive back catalogue.
Driving To Glory presents rare tracks from the late 1990's and 2000's as the Quo balanced between being a nostalgia act and one with plenty of creative ideas. Now these tracks sound like Quo, there's no surprises, it's four on the floor 12 bar blues always in search of that fourth chord but as they are mainly CD singles, soundtracks, or editions of albums only available in one country, collectors and superfans will have them in one place, remastered by Mike Paxman with co-operation of the band.
Picks of the record include the slightly proggy Fighting With The Pack and the full length version of the nostalgic but also slightly sarcastic Famous In The Last Century with a new versions of classic Whatever You Want and Don't Waste My Time, Driving To Glory is just for fans but speaks volumes about the the longevity of Status Quo as a band. 7/10
Epitaph - Path To Oblivion (My Kingdom Music)
Italian doom that begins with some dripping water, ghostly voices and solitary piano? Yeah count me in. Taking cures from Italian horror movies and gothic doom, it's a bit like Cathedral writing the soundtrack for Dario Argento flick, similar occult trappings to the likes of Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Trouble, Saint Vitus and Cathedral.
It's their first album to feature Ricky Dal Pane behind the mic, a brilliant addition to the band as his powerful vocal has the histrionic style of Bobby Liebling or Leif Edling. He brings a theatrical sound to the record, adding touches of Ronnie James Dio on Condemned To Flesh a track that features some bristling synths under the classic heavy metal riffs.
With Nameless Demon they showcase their doom credentials with an 8 minute gloomy slow burner, the choirs and organs brought in for the interlude of She's Born In Blasphemy before Epitaph adds more grunt to Voices Behind The Wall.
Ok Path Of Oblivion has some clichés to it, in the atmospheric samples especially but if Heaven And Hell/Dio fronted Sabbath was your favourite era then you'll likely love Epitaph's third full length. 8/10
Gudger - Gudger III (Self Released)
Aaron Eddleblute and his brother Matt come from Ohio guitar royalty, their father Derek Eddleblute are all worshippers of the riff, playing blues influenced heavy rock that moves through stoner, doom and classic metal too.
Matt no longer plays in the band but Aaron and his father still rock like there's no tomorrow a familial bond linked but heavy music, Justin Kaplan joining them to add to the muscular heavy rock influenced by classic rock bands, stoner, doom and more.
Gudger III brings to mind The Sword, tracks such as the pacey Dust And Shadow having the thrust of the Texas band while Fever Dream is prime Sabbath Worship. Derek's riffs bring a bit of the blues to Peaks And Valleys and while Dig Deep increases their speed, Live It Down is a massive doomster.
Aaron's vocals have that soulful grit you want from riff slinging music such as this. Taking inspiration from The Sword but also bands like Alter Bridge (Vicious Cycle), Gudger don't like to pigeonhole themselves, they just play riffs and play them well. 8/10
Altareth - Passage: The Welfare Sessions (Self Released)
The Swedes know doom, I mean they know most musical genres but they have a real affinity to doom. One of the hottest acts in the Swedish doom scene is Altareth, a five piece who play the traditional style of doom that's all heavy fuzz, distorted vocals and elongated jams. Think Sleep, Electric Wizard as well as Candlemas and Monolord.
Recorded at Welfare Studios, Passage is a record that is totally live, recorded with the five piece on unison, little added except for the keys on Archetypes, this is punch in the guts heavy doom with stoner tendencies, I'd expect this to be how Altareth managed to get signed to Magnetic Eye Records but now with an independent release they're able to show their rawer, rougher side a bit more.
Captured in situ, Passage will leave you're ears ringing for days after that finally fuzzy chord is played. 7/10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)