After three self released EP's, APF's newest suppliers of heft Praetorian take their place at the right hand of Imperial sludge/doom legends such as Iron Monkey, Acid Bath, Electric Wizard and Sleep. Praetorian bring the dirtiest riffs from the sludge scene and pair them with the black metal starkness.
Recorded/produced by underground master Wayne Adam (Petbrick, Big Lad) at Bear Bites Studio (Green Lung, Wallowing, TORPOR). Pylon Cult is caked in the filth and fury of their Stevenage home, if you've been to Stevenage you know. Pylon Cult explodes with eardrum piercing noise as their nihilistic homage to their home Fear & Loathing In Stevenage is ferocious and foreboding, massive doom, hooked on Richard Stevenson's distorted bass and the deafening drum beats from Andrew Bisgrove, his hammering locking down the more traditional doom of the title track.
Dormant Psychosis is a break from the grime with some oscillating electronics ala Wallowing as they crash into Remnants Of Head a 16 minute exploration of loudness which is heady and nauseous, shifting into a spoken word middle, it's here that the Electric Wizard and Sleep influences crash in. Tom Clements shred his throat across all eight songs, raging, screaming, growling and grunting their often sarcastic, satirical words on top of their rhythm section and of course those gargantuan chunks of riffage.
Praetorian's debut album throttles you, for once the grimness of the South is represented by the elite blackened sludge of Praetorian. 9/10
Recorded/produced by underground master Wayne Adam (Petbrick, Big Lad) at Bear Bites Studio (Green Lung, Wallowing, TORPOR). Pylon Cult is caked in the filth and fury of their Stevenage home, if you've been to Stevenage you know. Pylon Cult explodes with eardrum piercing noise as their nihilistic homage to their home Fear & Loathing In Stevenage is ferocious and foreboding, massive doom, hooked on Richard Stevenson's distorted bass and the deafening drum beats from Andrew Bisgrove, his hammering locking down the more traditional doom of the title track.
Dormant Psychosis is a break from the grime with some oscillating electronics ala Wallowing as they crash into Remnants Of Head a 16 minute exploration of loudness which is heady and nauseous, shifting into a spoken word middle, it's here that the Electric Wizard and Sleep influences crash in. Tom Clements shred his throat across all eight songs, raging, screaming, growling and grunting their often sarcastic, satirical words on top of their rhythm section and of course those gargantuan chunks of riffage.
Praetorian's debut album throttles you, for once the grimness of the South is represented by the elite blackened sludge of Praetorian. 9/10
ALT BLK ERA - Rave Immortal (Earache Records)
Ever since I heard the Freak Show EP from ALT BLK ERA I've been following these young women's career with a keen interest as they represent a fusion of genres that will bring rock and metal into the mainstream.
Formed by sisters Nyrobi and Chaya, their debut album Rave Immortal expands on the genre bending of their debut with 31 minutes of exploration in everything from Alt Metal, DnB, Rap, EDM, Goth metal and everything in between. While a song such as Hunt You Down evokes The Fame Monster era Lady Gaga, Come On Outside reminds me of Evanescence in its angsty moodiness inspired by Nyrobi's disabling illness and the love and support she received from her sister, creating an inseparable bond that is the core of their band.
It's not just me though this duo (and their live band) have played Reading/Leeds and Download Festivals, they've opened for Tom Morello and had that EP nominated for both a Heavy Music Award and a MOBO, they are boundary breakers as both represent many minority groups that are so often underrepresented by the mainstream. Their music is a reflection of them finding a 'safe space' in music, a place they can create without boundaries or restrictions.
This is why ALT BLK ERA have such a mishmash of influences and styles to their music, they welcome all, the day-glo ravers, the hardcore bass heads, the alternative weirdos, all ethic backgrounds, all abilities and all sexual orientations and genders. The theme here is be yourself no matter what and it glares through every single track of rebellion and liberation.
Upstairs Neighbours would absolutely smash at a club, it's a full on high energy rave-em-up as is the title track. Come Fight Me For It brings the aggressive, twitching EDM of The Prodigy or Pendulum while Catch Me If You Can stirs up sinister cinematic vibes and crushing djent breakdowns. The sisters switching vocals on a whim with the music set to full volume so it will sound best on a massive pair of speakers in the boot of a suped-up Citroen Saxo.
We live at a time where artists such as Charli XCX, Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish can turn pop on it's head with their defiant attitude then by following trail of Neneh Cherry, Skunk Anansie, The Prodigy and even Skindred, ALT BLK ERA carve a niche all of their own. 9/10
Sunrot - Passages (Prosthetic Records)
Intended as a companion piece to last year's The Unfailing Rope, Passages is the new EP from Sunrot, the sludge/post/noise band have been riding a wave of kudos for this record and some high profile shows at Roadburn Festival. The New Jersey band went down a storm at the Netherlands festival that draws from the widest ranges of the underground for its own little musical commune.
So with more touring experience they forging ahead with the Sunrot project, adding some guests such as Dylan Walker (Full Of Hell), Brandon Hill (Cloud Rat) and a closing spoken word piece from Sun Ra. Recorded at the same sessions as the album the themes of grief and depression are prominent on this EP too but there's more experimentation and a sense of finality on Passages, as if they are transitioning out of this era into their next one.
The catharsis and conclusion of this chapter begins with Death Knell and closes with Ra two short intro/outro numbers with the transitional Sleep in the middle, the songs, i.e. the ones over just a minute are two are the concrete crush of The First Wound is brutal, while Untethered is rolling post rock ambience that ascends into extremity. Passages transitions Sunrot to their next chapter with this short EP. 8/10
blacktoothed - Headway (Arising Empire)
Comprised of Juli Hendrik Rathgeber (vocals), Mathilde Keitel (guitars, vocals) and David Sommer (drums), blacktoothed (that's a weird name right?) are a band from Germany who have shared the stage with some of the best and brightest in the modern/anthemic metal scene, fitting on bills with The Ghost Inside, Annisokay, Thundermother and Bad Omens.
Ever since I heard the Freak Show EP from ALT BLK ERA I've been following these young women's career with a keen interest as they represent a fusion of genres that will bring rock and metal into the mainstream.
Formed by sisters Nyrobi and Chaya, their debut album Rave Immortal expands on the genre bending of their debut with 31 minutes of exploration in everything from Alt Metal, DnB, Rap, EDM, Goth metal and everything in between. While a song such as Hunt You Down evokes The Fame Monster era Lady Gaga, Come On Outside reminds me of Evanescence in its angsty moodiness inspired by Nyrobi's disabling illness and the love and support she received from her sister, creating an inseparable bond that is the core of their band.
It's not just me though this duo (and their live band) have played Reading/Leeds and Download Festivals, they've opened for Tom Morello and had that EP nominated for both a Heavy Music Award and a MOBO, they are boundary breakers as both represent many minority groups that are so often underrepresented by the mainstream. Their music is a reflection of them finding a 'safe space' in music, a place they can create without boundaries or restrictions.
This is why ALT BLK ERA have such a mishmash of influences and styles to their music, they welcome all, the day-glo ravers, the hardcore bass heads, the alternative weirdos, all ethic backgrounds, all abilities and all sexual orientations and genders. The theme here is be yourself no matter what and it glares through every single track of rebellion and liberation.
Upstairs Neighbours would absolutely smash at a club, it's a full on high energy rave-em-up as is the title track. Come Fight Me For It brings the aggressive, twitching EDM of The Prodigy or Pendulum while Catch Me If You Can stirs up sinister cinematic vibes and crushing djent breakdowns. The sisters switching vocals on a whim with the music set to full volume so it will sound best on a massive pair of speakers in the boot of a suped-up Citroen Saxo.
We live at a time where artists such as Charli XCX, Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish can turn pop on it's head with their defiant attitude then by following trail of Neneh Cherry, Skunk Anansie, The Prodigy and even Skindred, ALT BLK ERA carve a niche all of their own. 9/10
Sunrot - Passages (Prosthetic Records)
Intended as a companion piece to last year's The Unfailing Rope, Passages is the new EP from Sunrot, the sludge/post/noise band have been riding a wave of kudos for this record and some high profile shows at Roadburn Festival. The New Jersey band went down a storm at the Netherlands festival that draws from the widest ranges of the underground for its own little musical commune.
So with more touring experience they forging ahead with the Sunrot project, adding some guests such as Dylan Walker (Full Of Hell), Brandon Hill (Cloud Rat) and a closing spoken word piece from Sun Ra. Recorded at the same sessions as the album the themes of grief and depression are prominent on this EP too but there's more experimentation and a sense of finality on Passages, as if they are transitioning out of this era into their next one.
The catharsis and conclusion of this chapter begins with Death Knell and closes with Ra two short intro/outro numbers with the transitional Sleep in the middle, the songs, i.e. the ones over just a minute are two are the concrete crush of The First Wound is brutal, while Untethered is rolling post rock ambience that ascends into extremity. Passages transitions Sunrot to their next chapter with this short EP. 8/10
blacktoothed - Headway (Arising Empire)
Comprised of Juli Hendrik Rathgeber (vocals), Mathilde Keitel (guitars, vocals) and David Sommer (drums), blacktoothed (that's a weird name right?) are a band from Germany who have shared the stage with some of the best and brightest in the modern/anthemic metal scene, fitting on bills with The Ghost Inside, Annisokay, Thundermother and Bad Omens.
Their new album Headway is all about getting to know yourself unlocking your headspace to deal with all the hardships you'll face. This Leipzig lot again team with Sawdust Recordings and in collaboration with producers Christoph Wieczorek (Annisokay) and Julian Breucker to make this album burst to life with mega catchy modern hooks. The influence of bands like Shinedown, Pop Evil and Papa Roach, Juli and Mathilde's vocals work well together, his are gritty while hers are poppier, similar to how Flyleaf used to do it.
Massive riffs are abound from Mathilde, who also brings some nifty Alter Bridge-like solos too, a good guitar riff is the anchor for a radio friendly rock track and Headway has loads of them. If the riffs are massive then the choruses are supermassive, soaring high, anthemic and will be sung back to them by crowds across the globe, even when there's a bit of harsh vocals on Novocaine, or the breakdown driven Hell's Paradise.
blacktoothed keep a modern rock touch. True Colours has a thick electronic heart to it, augmenting the percussion power of David on a song like the ballad Walls or the monstrous Time Bomb. When I saw the blurb for this record I wasn't sure what to expect but I really enjoyed Headway, it's got a load of American radio rock on it but also the modern metalcore edge of a song like Carried Away too. 8/10
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