March Of Scylla - Andromeda (Klonosphere Records/Season Of Mist)
French prog metal, now before you start shouting Gojira! March Of Scylla come from the style that's more influenced by Djent bands such as TesseracT, Architects and they've even been compared to Sleep Token which I can hear but they've got a bit more heaviness to them.
Hailing from Aimes, they're a relatively new band on the scene but have releases a couple of EP's before Andromeda but these have bled into creating this debut album. Lyrically inspired by the vastness of space and how our relationship with science can influence our expectations of the afterlife, March Of Scylla makes thought provoking music that has a metallic chug driving an atmospheric post-metal melodious quality.
Now a four piece Andromeda displays the more focussed sound, though I'm not totally sold on the clean vocals, there's still a good balance in the harsh/clean dynamic. Andromeda has March Of Scylla shifting into the alternative metal of today, born from djent but wrought with emotional and radio melodies. 7/10
Crown Magnetar - Punishment EP (Unique Leader Records)
Ah deathcore, the Marmite of genres, on the whole you either detest it or you base you're existence around it. I've always taken it case by case, the bands that add something a little bit different to the mix always interest me more for instance a lot of the Blackened Deathcore bands have gained decent reviews from myself.
Crown Magnetar are about as deathcore as it gets Decapitation Ritual turns breakdowns into breakdowns, into more breakdowns, getting slower and more intense each time as the guttural vocals gurgle and the drums blast at an inhuman pace. It's the last track on this four shit EP but it could be the first, third or second, there's lots of similarities in the music but that's sort of why people like this.
Deathcore is about violence, bloodshed, making sure you punish the listener and terrify then by showing what to expect when you come to see the band live. That's probably why it's called Punishment as if you're a fan you're going to be revelling in smashing the shit out someone in the pit to tracks such as Barbed Wire Noose while if you aren't a fan then you'll be able to hear how long you have to make yourself scarce, about 39 seconds on the intro to Nailed The Fuck Down.
It's pretty simple if you like deathcore you'll like Punishment if not, you won't. Crown Magnetar are prolific proponents of this divisive genre and there seems to be no stopping them. 7/10
Adamantis - Reforged (No Remorse Records)
Yes, yes and yes again! This is a bit of me, epic power metal, high energy songs and histrionic vocals, Reforged is an album that when I pressed play, I immediately turned it up and oiled up my chest. Forming in 2016 and releasing their debut in 2020, Adamantis are obviously inspired by American acts such as Manowar, Helion Prime, Visigoth and Ironflame plus a glut of European bands such as Hammerfall and Blind Guardian.
Lyrical inspiration comes from J.R.R. Tolkien, Michael Moorcock and Andrzej Sapkowski, this is fantasy metal at it's most brazen, the vocals of Jeff Stark telling these tales of Swords and sorcery abound. Tracks such as Sailor On The Seas Of Fate bring swaying nautical themes, while Ride To Ruin gallops at speed, Alex Scofield's bass runs against, Jeff Loomis' extra guitar.
Time Of Contempt heavily leans on Iron Maiden anthemics, Javier Estrada and Vance Simmons trading guitars here and widdling on anthemic Gates Of Miklagard as drummer Evgeny Gromovoy comes in as the cavalry barrage. Reforged keeps Adamantis marching towards their next battle. 8/10
Circu5 - Clockwork Tulpa (Self Released)
Very similar to a bands such as Rush, Tiles, Frost* and Lonely Robot, Clockwork Tulpa is the second album from UK progressive rock act Circu5.
Started as a solo project by multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Steve Tilling, this is their first album with a full band, though Tilling plays most of the music, similar to the way John Mitchell curates a band around his impressive mastery of instruments.
Tilling goes further though playing guitars, keys, synths and even providing the field recordings, but he is joined by Tin Spirits frontman Mark Kilminster on bass/vocals and drummer Lee Molding to make this now a band, more collaborative and more conceptual.
There's that word, one of the most used in prog rock and with debut of Circu5 in 2017 there came this story of a boy who was moulded from birth to be part of a cult-like organisation. This means the album is dark and dramatic but also brimming with complexity and melody, sitting in the gap where pop meets prog the inspiration of the bands I've mentioned and a huge amount of XTC and Talk Talk too.
Bringing a wide range of influences to this second album is important as Circu5 now have this 'band' line up that creates brilliant British prog rock. 9/10
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