This is a thoroughly modern record from a thoroughly modern band, influenced by the 90's alt rock scene you can hear moments of The Smashing Pumpkins on Limassol, wooziness of Deftones on Laughter or the sleazy of QOTSA on Class A Cherry and Matador and there's also a bit of Chappell Roan in Katie Oldham's vocals too, sneering, powerful and empowering in equal measure.
Slung's musical ideas come from the alternative rock movement but lyrically their inspiration is diverse as sex workers, bullfighters, drug use, trauma and gender politics, Katie especially using the band as a way to offer, women, those who identify as women, those in the LGBTQ+ community and others who may feel isolated or forgotten by our cruel society, a safe space.
So these are anthems with an ideology, driven by a powerful dynamic between the band and the audience and between all of the members too. Before recording anything they built a following on the road, drummer Ravi Martin spearheading the formation of the band after his previous act InTechnicolour split up.
They were rated highly in these pages and I'll let you in on a secret Slung will be too. Ravi and Katie are joined by guitarist Ali Johnson and bassist Vlad Matveikov, the instrumental trio locked in long before Katie joined after a long and arduous, self inflicted process.
Because of the collaborative beginnings of this band a few of the songs have outside writers such as Zac Jackson of El Moono, Mykl Barton of Sick Joy, Lucy Sheehan of Projector and CLT DRP's Annie Dorett, their input allowing In Ways to feature a few different stylistic choices that are always wrapped around dreamy, riffy, grooving alt rock. 8/10
Maestrick - Espresso Della Vita: Lunare (Frontiers Music Srl)
Take a lot of Dream Theater, a chunk of Savatage, some Queen, a bit of Meat Loaf, modernity of Haken and then filter it through the gothic story telling of Tim Burton or the conceptual gaze of Avantasia and you'll get Maestrick. A Brazilian progressive metal band they follow up their previous records Espresso Della Vita: Solare with Espresso Della Vita: Lunare, so we've moved away from the sun and towards the Moon.
The concept between the two albums is linked the first focusing on daytime while this one is set at night. It means that they can get a bet darker with the music here, vocalist/keyboardist/orchestrator Fábio Caldeira plays the Jon Oliva/Tobias Sammet role on this record but vocally reminds me a lot of Roy Khan or Georg Neuhauser of Serenity, filling these ambitious songs with soul and gravitas both vocally (be that in English or Portuguese) and through his film score orchestrations.
Joining Fábio are guitarist Guilherme Carvalho, bassist Renato “Montanha” Somera and drummer Heitor Matos, but there's a whole host of additional musicians on this album that add classical female vocals, and three vocalists who join Fábio that you may know. Jim Grey is the voice of Caligula's Horse, Tom S Englund of Evergrey and Roy Khan of Conception/ex-Kamelot, they're super guest stars but don't detract from just how good this album is.
Even without the extra muscle I'd be raving about how good this album is. I'm a sucker for all things conceptual and theatrical so Espresso Della Vita: Lunare really speaks to my taste, the bombastic nature of the music letting them approach subjects such as addition, racism and even the holocaust in the same way that Savatage do.
The record tells a story of a character called Dante (as in Divine Comedy) exploring many of the themes I mentioned earlier, the songs sprawling many genres and styles, heavy metal one minute, musicals the next, then Brazilian rhythms after that with the acoustic heart of band such as Angra who are such a huge part of the Brazilian power/prog scene.
Because of the collaborative beginnings of this band a few of the songs have outside writers such as Zac Jackson of El Moono, Mykl Barton of Sick Joy, Lucy Sheehan of Projector and CLT DRP's Annie Dorett, their input allowing In Ways to feature a few different stylistic choices that are always wrapped around dreamy, riffy, grooving alt rock. 8/10
Maestrick - Espresso Della Vita: Lunare (Frontiers Music Srl)
Take a lot of Dream Theater, a chunk of Savatage, some Queen, a bit of Meat Loaf, modernity of Haken and then filter it through the gothic story telling of Tim Burton or the conceptual gaze of Avantasia and you'll get Maestrick. A Brazilian progressive metal band they follow up their previous records Espresso Della Vita: Solare with Espresso Della Vita: Lunare, so we've moved away from the sun and towards the Moon.
The concept between the two albums is linked the first focusing on daytime while this one is set at night. It means that they can get a bet darker with the music here, vocalist/keyboardist/orchestrator Fábio Caldeira plays the Jon Oliva/Tobias Sammet role on this record but vocally reminds me a lot of Roy Khan or Georg Neuhauser of Serenity, filling these ambitious songs with soul and gravitas both vocally (be that in English or Portuguese) and through his film score orchestrations.
Joining Fábio are guitarist Guilherme Carvalho, bassist Renato “Montanha” Somera and drummer Heitor Matos, but there's a whole host of additional musicians on this album that add classical female vocals, and three vocalists who join Fábio that you may know. Jim Grey is the voice of Caligula's Horse, Tom S Englund of Evergrey and Roy Khan of Conception/ex-Kamelot, they're super guest stars but don't detract from just how good this album is.
Even without the extra muscle I'd be raving about how good this album is. I'm a sucker for all things conceptual and theatrical so Espresso Della Vita: Lunare really speaks to my taste, the bombastic nature of the music letting them approach subjects such as addition, racism and even the holocaust in the same way that Savatage do.
The record tells a story of a character called Dante (as in Divine Comedy) exploring many of the themes I mentioned earlier, the songs sprawling many genres and styles, heavy metal one minute, musicals the next, then Brazilian rhythms after that with the acoustic heart of band such as Angra who are such a huge part of the Brazilian power/prog scene.
I won't go too deep into each song as you need to experience the record in it's grandiose theatricality, but Espresso Della Vita: Lunare is Maestrick's magnum opus. 9/10
Power Surge - Shadows Warning (FHM Records)
Formed by Primitai/Cutlass guitarist Srdjan Bilic and singer Roko Nikolic, Power Surge are a band based between Belgrade, Croatia and London, they are inspired by the likes of Judas Priest, Queensryche and Armoured Saint, Power Surge move beyond the bands both men are involved with by taking a little bit of everything moving from NWOTHM, through prog and AOR too.
A retro throwback to the late 80's where the bands just needed a hell of a singer and a hotshot guitarist. If you've heard Srdjan before you'll know that he's a hotshot, joining him are his Primitai co-shredder Calvin Lever and Cutlass bass player Radek Koval, the engine room rounded out by multifaceted sticksman Milan “The Yeqy”Jejina.
In Roko they have a hell of a singer, his voice on tracks like A Dream Into His Nightmare and the rapid No Turning Back are all classic metal and soaring, the dual harmonies on the latter rampant. With The Dreaming goes more toward Empire period "Ryche and with Carry On they not only cover cult Yugoslav band Warriors but bring Dejana Garčević (vocals) and Vlad Invictus (guitars) of Claymorean to add to the Manowar-like swagger.
A set of retro-leaning anthems from this Balkan based metal band. That region has it's own metal history with many metal bands forming after Maiden played behind the Iron Curtain, even though it was not always strictly allowed. Power Surge share their passion but with experience of the musical landscape as it is today. 8/10
Formed by Primitai/Cutlass guitarist Srdjan Bilic and singer Roko Nikolic, Power Surge are a band based between Belgrade, Croatia and London, they are inspired by the likes of Judas Priest, Queensryche and Armoured Saint, Power Surge move beyond the bands both men are involved with by taking a little bit of everything moving from NWOTHM, through prog and AOR too.
A retro throwback to the late 80's where the bands just needed a hell of a singer and a hotshot guitarist. If you've heard Srdjan before you'll know that he's a hotshot, joining him are his Primitai co-shredder Calvin Lever and Cutlass bass player Radek Koval, the engine room rounded out by multifaceted sticksman Milan “The Yeqy”Jejina.
In Roko they have a hell of a singer, his voice on tracks like A Dream Into His Nightmare and the rapid No Turning Back are all classic metal and soaring, the dual harmonies on the latter rampant. With The Dreaming goes more toward Empire period "Ryche and with Carry On they not only cover cult Yugoslav band Warriors but bring Dejana Garčević (vocals) and Vlad Invictus (guitars) of Claymorean to add to the Manowar-like swagger.
A set of retro-leaning anthems from this Balkan based metal band. That region has it's own metal history with many metal bands forming after Maiden played behind the Iron Curtain, even though it was not always strictly allowed. Power Surge share their passion but with experience of the musical landscape as it is today. 8/10
Tumble - Lost In Light (Stickman Records)
Lost In Light is 20 minutes of psychedelic proto-metal from Canadian trio Tumble. Inspired by MC5, Blue Cheer and Grand Funk Railroad, produced with no frills by Ian Blurton, Tumble have garnered fans from all over and the attention of Pentagram's Bobby Liebling.
So there we have it, Lost In Light is a five tracker that is a retro treat stuck in that fertile late 60's/early 70's musical style where the grooves are thick, the guitars wild and the vocals wailed. Dead By Rumour unleashes Liam Deak's psychedelic guitar soloing as The Less I Know is a hip shaking rocker.
While on Wings Of Gold, Tarun Dawar's bass and Adam Guerra's drums hook the doomy Sabbath-like track and the brooding opener Laid By Fear. If you haven't heard anything by Tumble before then I'd say this would be a good place to start, retro psych rocking with a lot of proto-vibes. 7/10
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