Reviews: Trivax, Volbeat, Thomas Carlsen's Transmission, Törzs (Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Trivax - The Great Satan (Osmose Productions) [Mark Young]

With a title like this, you could be forgiven for expecting a traditional death or black metal album, and as a result of that initial opinion maybe you put it back on the shelf or scroll past it. I almost did that but once it gets underway with Atash, you realise that you would have been wrong to do so. 

Recently I’ve tried to avoid online sources of information about bands, but I had to do a little bit of digging on this because at its core is a concept album but one that is delivered with panache and a laser beam focus on quality music. 

Trivax, originally from Iran, now residing in the UK with a back story that is incredible and it seems fitting that they should take that oppression fuelled anger and shape it into the pummelling form that sits before you. It is a set of songs that take the events that shook the Middle East in the late 70’s transformed into a statement which as they put it is real world darkness.

Atash is where this journey begins, with a heavily middle eastern sound to it and even in its less electronic state it has that heavy vibe to it. If you imagine Nile in how their sound leans into this part of world as your initial starting reference but delivered with an authentic tone. It builds to a proper crescendo, with guitars, synths and some exemplar drumming giving you a hint of what is to follow. This is quality stuff and normally I’m dismissive of intro tracks but this is a pearler. 

To Liberation And Beyond is pure black metal, rhythms that charge along in an urgent manner backed with vocals that elevate it further. After settling it pushes forward and anyone with ears can tell that this is an outfit that knows what makes good extreme metal. As one-two’s go this is great stuff and it’s backed with a feeling that it is completely authentic and motivated by an artistic want to get this out there. 

Lawless Eternal goes for a more subtle start with a brilliant melody line that is part melancholic and part uplifting. Yes, it is an instrumental piece but here it fits as a kind of closing chapter before Here Comes The Flood blasts in and suddenly a switch has been flicked. It cannons along like a train ready to leave its tracks until the last minute a brake is found. 

That respite doesn’t last long and they return to super-speed but it’s done in a way that is so engaging that it sounds different from others. It’s likely that because of where the music is coming from it hits differently from metal elsewhere in the world. It’s being written from a place of bitter experience. And it absolutely rocks.

The Great Satan has a spoken word narration that builds as the track progresses with operatic vocals that swoop in, building to a satisfying end. The ability to find the right chords and sequences that manage evoke emotional responses is spot on, and as Lawless Eternal they follow this with another belter. 

Daemon’s Melancholia is controlled black metal fury which shows that they are unafraid to dial back the distortion when required. At the base of the song is a simple arrangement but it is layered so well the 7-minute run time doesn’t feel like it is that length of time at all. 

The best is that they repeat that trick on Operation Ramadan, which explores the depths of where evil can go. This is a furious tale and manages to take standard forms of black metal attack – blasting drums (take a bow Matt) and those melody lines that are played at a ferocious level. 

Other bands may tell you they are angry, Trivax don’t need to. There is a constant though amongst these songs in the way that they build the arrangements. The songs have a stirring, no inspirational feel to them that is hard to describe and I suppose its relative to the person listening. It’s the sort of song that from a player’s perspective would be brilliant to play.

Tamam Shod brings proceedings to an end and it is a mournful one. The use of keys to provide a symphonic composition that is closed with a gentle narration. I didn’t expect this to be the way they finished but on reflection it was the best way to do it. It’s a great piece of work and one that deserves your attention. 9/10

Volbeat - God Of Angels Trust (Vertigo/Universal) [Matt Bladen]

Volbeat have always been a bit of an enigma to me. They're a Danish band, whose beginnings lay in blending rockabilly with metal, often referred to as 'Elvis fronted Metallica' but as they've progressed and gained more recognition and a fan base they have shifted their sound towards the American radio rock/metal of bands such as, former touring partner Alter Bridge for example. 

This shift to what could be considered more 'mainstream' sounds has been a while coming as the more recent Volbeat albums where things have tried to go heavier (when they had ex-Anthrax man Rob Caggiano in the band) mixing with their already established rockier sound was a bit confusing. 

One of many odd choices Volbeat have had during their existence, the entire rockabilly-metal thing for instance has been seen as a joke by quite a few (not me), however it endeared them to countless more, so Volbeat’s popularity and skill is undeniable.

Thankfully on Gods Of Angels Trust, their ninth studio album, they stick to just a heavy rock sound, frontman and band leader Michael Poulson now having Asinhell to scratch his extreme metal itch. 

So Volbeat can focus on playing anthemic heavy rock, as they gain FM (well Billboard) supremacy. God Of Angles Trust also sees them do away with a lot of their bluegrass, rockabilly styling too.

Poulsen doesn’t sound like he’s just trying to be Elvis, singing in a more natural tone. It’s all part of the plan though as Volbeat tried to strip back the process for this ninth release, writing and recording the album in just five weeks working in the studio as a trio of Poulsen (vocals/guitar), Jon Larsen (drums) and Kasper Boye Larsen (bass), they have produced 10 tracks that all sound immediate, punchy and made for stages.

Delivered like the bands of old where an album was written to take on tour, something they will do for the rest of the year with Bush in support, which in this format is a much better fit than say Gojira and Napalm Death who they toured with a few years ago in yet another odd choice. 

It’s this kind of support act that dictates the band Volbeat are in 2025, the influence of Metallica is still there, a strong alt metal edge too, the rockabilly sound is diminished and this Danish band sound like one that has had 11 previous singles go to the top of the Billboard Charts. 

It’s very American sounding, simple yet effective with choruses you can shout along to, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, and Volbeat seem to have finally decided on the band they want to be, God Of Angels Trust strips them of their individuality and their dare I say it Europeanism. 6/10

Thomas Carlsen's Transmission - Clockwork Sky (ViciSolum Productions) [Matt Bladen]

Clockwork Sky is the second album from Norwegian multi-insteumentalist Thomas Carlsen. Clearly his previous Transmission, A Brace Horizon in 2023, was widely received in the melodic metal world as this follow up features some quality vocal talent.

The album is based around the passage of time and the time it focuses on is the 80's be it the proggy Queensryche riff of One With The Storm, where Mike Livas of Silent Winter does his best Geoff Tate, the full bore power metal of Hourglass where Power Paladin's Atli Guðlaugsson feels right at home. 

Atli Guðlaugsson was on the first album and he makes his return along with Sebastian Palma (Blizzard Hunter), who has a lower register that suits the classic metal of The Crimson Cross and Arnaud Ménard (Ecclesia) who's best moment comes on Defiant Heart.

Now of course when you have a guy like Thomas who writes everything, plays everything and also produces there's going to be chances for him to show off his skills, so there are two instrumentals that blend into one Clockwork Sky/Chronos Rising, where the sound of Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore or Joe Stump style of neo-classical metal.

So Thomas Carlsen's second Transmission is more masterful, melodic metal from this musical polymath. 8/10

Törzs - Menedèk (Pelagic Records) [Mark Young]

Instrumental post-rock is not a genre that I would normally listen to as a rule and yes, rules are made to be broken so here we are, getting cozy with Törzs, and their return to the sonic arena after a break of six years. 

Menedèk, and I’m not afraid to crib from the accompanying PR notes is translated (loosely) as meaning refuge, and this is a theme that the band explore via the instrumental medium over the five songs that make up the 40-minute run time the album holds. None of the songs are short blasts either, with Földet Ér coming in at 5 minutes plus, which should give you a little indication of how things will play out.

Egy Pillanatban a Végtelen opens the door to the journey we are about to start and its one that is a measured and controlled arrangement that sees them effectively slow-burn a start which is a bold move considering that for me your starting point has to hit the ground running to have a chance to get me onboard. 

It seems to take an age to do anything worthwhile and whilst it goes along moving from one point in its journey to the next, I’m sat waiting for something to happen, something that will grab me. 

My personal feelings shouldn’t detract from that fact that it is a mournful piece that relies on subtle moments with chords ringing out but always in that slow measure. With having reviewed so much material you can ‘see’ the musical cues unfolding, the grand finish where they shift into a louder gear if that makes sense. 

Should it have been nearly 13 minutes long, I’m going with no. It takes a long time to get to where it wants to go without doing an awful lot in between which makes me think will the rest be like this? 

Levegovetel recognises that it has some work to do in keeping me interested and for 30 or so seconds does so before it drops back into what I can only describe as lightly driven guitar. They seem content to let it drift, and in doing so unlock an absolutely storming progression that comes in around 2 minutes thirty. It is a magical piece of guitar work that keeps its tempo the same but pulls the rabbit out of an emotionally driven hat.

Now I can see it a little more clearly, there is a drive now with a harsher tone that still allows them to keep the fine detail in place. It still manages to infuriate by being overlong and not keeping that harsher action going. 

Atfrodul is the halfway point and keeps the overriding theme running – gentle guitar, bright chords and that focused approach on tempo which hasn’t wavered one bit since pressing play. Again, there is nothing wrong with the music here its just dull. And by saying that I’ve coloured the rest of the review in one swoop. 

Like the others, it follows that lethargic way of moving and despite a heavier sound coming in later it just doesn’t move. I could probably count on one hand how many albums I’ve skipped through because I’m not engaged with it. 

This is one of those times where I’m debating whether to give this anymore of my time and I feel terrible about saying it. There are signs on here that show that they could have done so much more with it but chose not to.

Földet Ér starts up in a way that is almost a carbon copy of the others and does exactly what I expected it to. Lush chords, gentle arrangements but no action to keep me interested.

I tapped out before the last song started because I found myself getting frustrated with it and I wanted to avoid expending any energy on a review that seemed poised to turn into a hatchet job so I felt it was best to walk away. 

I’m not sure who this is aimed at and obviously there must be fans of this band and the genre who will be all over this. More power to them but It wasn’t for me. 5/10