I love the fact that the original Alice Cooper band, not just the solo act, but the actual band that was once called “Alice Cooper” as a collective, that created some of the best records of the 1970s and was the gateway for what Alice the solo act is today, is back together, minus their one deceased member (more on that later) , for a brand new record, 56 years after their first one dropped.
There is going to be a nostalgia angle here, given how many people love the band’s output and love to see them back together, but the new record, The Revenge of Alice Cooper, has some great songs and great moments beyond the emotional aspect of it. You cannot compare it to the work of the 70s when the band was one of the best of that time, but taking it for what it is, this is a fun record that even sounds like the band enjoyed the hell out of doing together.
Let’s start with the good. The opener Black Mamba is exactly what you would expect from these guys back in the same room and recording together. Spooky lyrics and vibes, Dennis Dunaway’s classic bass sound, Neal Smith holding it all together behind the kit, Michael Bruce’s lyrics and steady rhythm stylings, and, of course, Alice, the man, and his unmistakable vocals. The opener has it all and is one of the best tracks on the record. It also includes old buddy Robby Krieger from The Doors on lead guitar, so that makes it extra cool.
Let’s start with the good. The opener Black Mamba is exactly what you would expect from these guys back in the same room and recording together. Spooky lyrics and vibes, Dennis Dunaway’s classic bass sound, Neal Smith holding it all together behind the kit, Michael Bruce’s lyrics and steady rhythm stylings, and, of course, Alice, the man, and his unmistakable vocals. The opener has it all and is one of the best tracks on the record. It also includes old buddy Robby Krieger from The Doors on lead guitar, so that makes it extra cool.
I enjoyed Wild One too, one of the more up-tempo tracks the Alice Cooper band has done. I love the riff on Up All Night even if the lyrics are a bit corny, which is a bit of a trend on The Revenge Of Alice Cooper. It kind of sounds like an Ace Frehley solo song. I really dig Funny Face and the weird swing of What A Syd, about a gentleman they met in the early days of the band of whom you may be familiar with. The coolest song is What Happened To You, mostly because they were able to use some of the late Glen Buxton’s work on it. What I can only think is a tribute to Glen, See You On The Other Side is quite the tearjerker and one of the better tracks.
The not so great includes the very skippable Crap That Gets In The Way Of Your Dreams, which kind of highlights the “cringe but not in the good way” lyrics on the record as a whole, and lyrics that lack some of the cleverness you heard in the old records back in the day. The album is a bit long too at almost an hour as well. But hey, this is the original Alice Cooper Band, so I should not be complaining… …and I am really not. The Revenge Of Alice Cooper is a fun trip down memory lane with some solid songs and a band that sounds like they have not missed a beat since braking up in the early 1970s. Fans will enjoy this for sure. 7/10
Moths - Septem (Self-Released) [Matt Bladen]
Doom and prog collide on the third album Septem. It comes after their 2018 debut, a split with Stone Eye and their 2022 record Space Force, the Puerto Rico based band take a dark and ruminating journey through the seven deadly sins, the incredibly expressive vocals of Mariel Viruet shift between howling, screaming aggression and soaring, haunting croons, as the sheer energy of this record jumps though your speakers.
Recorded in five days, Septem takes Moths down a heavier pathway, exploring death and black metal here, more than ever before they use the extreme tendencies to bring ferocity to Greed and Wrath while they still have stoner/doom/psych pitched just right as Envy is a percussive progger following from the jazzy openings of Sloth, hooked on the bass of Weslie Negrón and the seismic drum shifts of Daniel Figueroa.
On the opener the finger style guitars of Jonathan Miranda, evoke Latin styles, but elsewhere he's all about some melodic, fluid leads as Omar González' riffs lock in with the bottom end, adding hefty to the psychedelic moments. Septem is a bit like The Mars Volta jamming with Opeth, Greed growling as it leads into the space rocking of Pride, those jazz rhythms coming back here with a touch of Yes too.
These upbeat moments are brought back down with the crushing doom of Lust, a song that has the techy riffage akin to Devin Townsend Project, as Gluttony adds the true doom slowness. On Septem, Moths have also managed to pack all this into shortish run times, giving the album a pace as well as some virtuosity, concluding the album with symphonic black metal sounds of Wrath, Septem takes Moths down new routes, though galactic extremity. 8/10
Silk Spinster - Silk Spinster EP (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Having appeared at Call Of The Wild and the Yorkshire Metal To The Masses Final along with countless gigs across the country, biker rockers Silk Spinster have been working harder than Rumpelstiltskin to gain a following and play as many places as they can, drawing visual cues from Mad Max and Friday The 13th and musical ones from the NWOBHM, sleaze and glam metal scenes.
They have just released their debut self titled EP which is six tracks that show what the band can do, basically 80's heavy metal, now musically they're decent enough band, rock n roll with galloping rhythms and plenty of leads, but vocally they're let down a little and that ballad is boring as hell. This EP shows potential but there's still a bit more to work on. 5/10
Wolv - Endgame (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
A mysterious album shows up in the July folder a couple of weeks late from a band called Wolv that is labeled “Occult Stoner”. So of course I grab it. My crack research finds that Wolv is from Zottegem, Belgium, and according to their Bandcamp bio:
“Wolv is a metalband from Belgium. They mingle with epic glam and total destruction at a pace you'll feel comfortable with!”
Cool. I can work with that. Let’s talk the good first from their debut long player, Endgame. The female vocals are excellent, at times layered to really enhance the experience. Think the band Wytch, just not as evil. Acid Reigns is a great example of this. The playing is solid, and the record sounds great, polished but not overly so. How about the not so great? This record is way too long. At almost an hour, it tends to drag, especially in the middle.
Moths - Septem (Self-Released) [Matt Bladen]
Doom and prog collide on the third album Septem. It comes after their 2018 debut, a split with Stone Eye and their 2022 record Space Force, the Puerto Rico based band take a dark and ruminating journey through the seven deadly sins, the incredibly expressive vocals of Mariel Viruet shift between howling, screaming aggression and soaring, haunting croons, as the sheer energy of this record jumps though your speakers.
Recorded in five days, Septem takes Moths down a heavier pathway, exploring death and black metal here, more than ever before they use the extreme tendencies to bring ferocity to Greed and Wrath while they still have stoner/doom/psych pitched just right as Envy is a percussive progger following from the jazzy openings of Sloth, hooked on the bass of Weslie Negrón and the seismic drum shifts of Daniel Figueroa.
On the opener the finger style guitars of Jonathan Miranda, evoke Latin styles, but elsewhere he's all about some melodic, fluid leads as Omar González' riffs lock in with the bottom end, adding hefty to the psychedelic moments. Septem is a bit like The Mars Volta jamming with Opeth, Greed growling as it leads into the space rocking of Pride, those jazz rhythms coming back here with a touch of Yes too.
These upbeat moments are brought back down with the crushing doom of Lust, a song that has the techy riffage akin to Devin Townsend Project, as Gluttony adds the true doom slowness. On Septem, Moths have also managed to pack all this into shortish run times, giving the album a pace as well as some virtuosity, concluding the album with symphonic black metal sounds of Wrath, Septem takes Moths down new routes, though galactic extremity. 8/10
Silk Spinster - Silk Spinster EP (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Having appeared at Call Of The Wild and the Yorkshire Metal To The Masses Final along with countless gigs across the country, biker rockers Silk Spinster have been working harder than Rumpelstiltskin to gain a following and play as many places as they can, drawing visual cues from Mad Max and Friday The 13th and musical ones from the NWOBHM, sleaze and glam metal scenes.
They have just released their debut self titled EP which is six tracks that show what the band can do, basically 80's heavy metal, now musically they're decent enough band, rock n roll with galloping rhythms and plenty of leads, but vocally they're let down a little and that ballad is boring as hell. This EP shows potential but there's still a bit more to work on. 5/10
Wolv - Endgame (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
A mysterious album shows up in the July folder a couple of weeks late from a band called Wolv that is labeled “Occult Stoner”. So of course I grab it. My crack research finds that Wolv is from Zottegem, Belgium, and according to their Bandcamp bio:
“Wolv is a metalband from Belgium. They mingle with epic glam and total destruction at a pace you'll feel comfortable with!”
Cool. I can work with that. Let’s talk the good first from their debut long player, Endgame. The female vocals are excellent, at times layered to really enhance the experience. Think the band Wytch, just not as evil. Acid Reigns is a great example of this. The playing is solid, and the record sounds great, polished but not overly so. How about the not so great? This record is way too long. At almost an hour, it tends to drag, especially in the middle.
If you took two minutes off all of the tracks over eight minutes and 30 seconds to a minute off of the rest, this would have been much more digestible, but as it is, it feels way too long. My favourite tracks include the dual guitar attach of The Devil's Eyes, the aforementioned Acid Reigns, the under three-minute ripper The Bourbon Killer, and Cling To Me, which has a bit of a Neptune Power Generation vibe.
There is some good stuff on Endgame. I am not hearing the glam mentioned, but I do hear some cool straight-ahead stoner-like rock and bits of modern metal with great vocals and nice guitar work. Worth a listen, but could have used some editing. 7/10
There is some good stuff on Endgame. I am not hearing the glam mentioned, but I do hear some cool straight-ahead stoner-like rock and bits of modern metal with great vocals and nice guitar work. Worth a listen, but could have used some editing. 7/10
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