Appalooza - The Emperor Of Loss (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]
The Horses Of Brittany, France, Appalooza, triumphantly return with their fourth record of heavy grunge with sludgy and proggy bits on The Emperor Of Loss. This one is a bit heavier that their previous work, but keeps up their killer material with great vocals, excellent musicianship, great songwriting, and perfect production for their sound.Horses gallop, and so does the opener, Grieve, which is the perfect example of what Appalooza is all about; a grandiose grunge sound, led by the riffs and vocals from Wild Horse. I have mentioned before in reviews that no band since Kyuss has been more influential than Alice In Chans, and you certainly hear that on the tracks on The Emperor Of Loss, but never as a straight up rip off, but it’s always there.
An example is Magnolia, which has an AIC vibe but sounds more like Into Another, which makes this reviewer very happy. Stockholm highlights the tightness of the rhythm section, with Black Horse on bass and Lone Horse destroying those drums. The tempo changes and harmonized vocals make this one stand out as one of the best tracks on the record. You get some ‘Rain When I Die” vibes from Cradle To The Grave and I am here for it, while Emperor starts with an acoustic opening partnered with the great vocals until the riff kicks in and the rest of the track drags you around by your feet.
Some of Appalooza’s proggy tendencies can be heard on this one, and maybe some Mastodon vibes too. Tarantula is chunky goodness, with all three Horses super tight and some of the additional percussion delivered by The Horse, which makes a positive difference on this one. The screams on this song are killer. Great stuff. Queens Of The Stone Age get mentioned a lot with Appalooza’s work, and a track like Iscariot is why, but this one is more of a QOTSA/AIC hybrid, and boy does it work. Adios Maria is a different sort of track with an almost flamenco guitar thing going on that provides such a great and unique way to close out the record.
Appalooza is such a solid band. You know you are going to get killer proggy grunge with bits of sludge and other cool stuff on whatever they put out. You also know it’s always going to be great. The Emperor Of Loss is no exception, with Ripple music once again proving that it is the best label in heavy rock, with albums like The Emperor of Loss providing a shining example. 8/10
Arjen Anthony Lucassen - Songs No One Will Hear (InsideOutMusic) [Matt Bladen]
Read all about it: "Dutch prog musician prophecises end of the world!" Well. Kind of. Songs No One Will Here is actually the new album from Ayreon main man Arjen Anthony Lucassen, his second solo album, thirteen years after his first.
Though it's only one small part of a sprawling career of conceptual prog records, this is another concept, one that is a "soundtrack to humanity's final days", it's based around the idea about what would you do if you had five months left on this planet? If an asteroid was going to wipe everything out, would you be good or would you be bad?
This duality is explored throughout the record, with a mix of music where things can get darkly serious or comically light, in that epic scope that Arjen has defined through Ayreon, Star One and his other projects.
With Arjen taking guitara, bass, keys and vocals, like with his other projects he's joined by his core collaborators of drummer Koen Herfst, Hammond player Joost van den Broek, flautist Jeroen Goossens, violinist Ben Mathot and cellist Jurriaan Westerveld while Irene Jansen takes vocals.
There's also appearances from long time guest vocalist such as Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Robert Soeterboek and Marcela Bovio as there's a new some new blood with Patty Gurdy's Hurdy Gurdy. The album also has two versions one with narration and one without as Peter Daltrey and Mike Mills (Toehider), provide the spoken parts.
So it's an exhaustive list of people involved with the record and as far the music goes, it's classic Arjen, I would say more towards Star One or Supersonic Revolution, with a classic 70's prog, psych rock and folk the prevailing styles visited on Songs No One Will Hear.
The Clock Ticks Down is pure Arjen magic while the bawdy Shaggathon brings some Jethro Tull and avoids being tawdry by placing it's tongue squarely in it's cheek. Our Final Song closes things with near 15 minute blow out that brings the asteroid towards the Earth ending the record and the world, or does it?
With this question lingering in the air, the first Arjen solo record in thirteen years shows he is still the master of the concept record. 8/10
Slomatics - Atomicult (Majestic Mountain Records) [Rich Piva]
Heavy, atmospheric, and huge, the Belfast, Northern Ireland trio, Slomatics, are back with a new record that is all of those things a so much more. Backed by more of their trademarked sci-fi themes and gigantic riffs, album number eight, Atomicult, is a space doom colossus lumbering through the universe on a crash course with earth.
Obey Capricorn is Ufomammut heavy, but with soaring vocals and transmitting from space. There is such a crunch to the riffs on this one and I love how the quiet part with the keys closes out this opening space monster. Phantom Castle Warning is along the same path, maybe like Conan with more of a straight up singer. The synths on this one are what lets Slomatics stand on their own as they combine with the riffs seamlessly.
Appalooza is such a solid band. You know you are going to get killer proggy grunge with bits of sludge and other cool stuff on whatever they put out. You also know it’s always going to be great. The Emperor Of Loss is no exception, with Ripple music once again proving that it is the best label in heavy rock, with albums like The Emperor of Loss providing a shining example. 8/10
Arjen Anthony Lucassen - Songs No One Will Hear (InsideOutMusic) [Matt Bladen]
Read all about it: "Dutch prog musician prophecises end of the world!" Well. Kind of. Songs No One Will Here is actually the new album from Ayreon main man Arjen Anthony Lucassen, his second solo album, thirteen years after his first.
Though it's only one small part of a sprawling career of conceptual prog records, this is another concept, one that is a "soundtrack to humanity's final days", it's based around the idea about what would you do if you had five months left on this planet? If an asteroid was going to wipe everything out, would you be good or would you be bad?
This duality is explored throughout the record, with a mix of music where things can get darkly serious or comically light, in that epic scope that Arjen has defined through Ayreon, Star One and his other projects.
With Arjen taking guitara, bass, keys and vocals, like with his other projects he's joined by his core collaborators of drummer Koen Herfst, Hammond player Joost van den Broek, flautist Jeroen Goossens, violinist Ben Mathot and cellist Jurriaan Westerveld while Irene Jansen takes vocals.
There's also appearances from long time guest vocalist such as Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Robert Soeterboek and Marcela Bovio as there's a new some new blood with Patty Gurdy's Hurdy Gurdy. The album also has two versions one with narration and one without as Peter Daltrey and Mike Mills (Toehider), provide the spoken parts.
So it's an exhaustive list of people involved with the record and as far the music goes, it's classic Arjen, I would say more towards Star One or Supersonic Revolution, with a classic 70's prog, psych rock and folk the prevailing styles visited on Songs No One Will Hear.
The Clock Ticks Down is pure Arjen magic while the bawdy Shaggathon brings some Jethro Tull and avoids being tawdry by placing it's tongue squarely in it's cheek. Our Final Song closes things with near 15 minute blow out that brings the asteroid towards the Earth ending the record and the world, or does it?
With this question lingering in the air, the first Arjen solo record in thirteen years shows he is still the master of the concept record. 8/10
Slomatics - Atomicult (Majestic Mountain Records) [Rich Piva]
Heavy, atmospheric, and huge, the Belfast, Northern Ireland trio, Slomatics, are back with a new record that is all of those things a so much more. Backed by more of their trademarked sci-fi themes and gigantic riffs, album number eight, Atomicult, is a space doom colossus lumbering through the universe on a crash course with earth.
Obey Capricorn is Ufomammut heavy, but with soaring vocals and transmitting from space. There is such a crunch to the riffs on this one and I love how the quiet part with the keys closes out this opening space monster. Phantom Castle Warning is along the same path, maybe like Conan with more of a straight up singer. The synths on this one are what lets Slomatics stand on their own as they combine with the riffs seamlessly.
The outer space riff party continues with Auto-Skull which has a slight gallop to it of which fans of Kal-El would enjoy. I love the synths on this one too. What a great sound the band has developed on Atomicult. In case you want to take a short chill out in between crushing riffs you get Relics, an atmospheric and sparse interlude from which you get what can only be called crooning vocals. It is an interesting change up, and it works.
Fear not fans of heavy, because your crushed in space experience continues with riffs and synths on Night Grief. Rush vibes start out Physical Witching which is a slow burn that shows how great vocals can really make a huge difference with a heavy band like Slomatics when they want to create a vibe like the do on this one. Chrome Sisters brings all of Slomatics best stuff together in one track and is my favourite song on the album, while Biclops gives me more “Kal-El but a tad slower” vibes and is another great addition to the ten tracks on the record.
The short interlude Summer Skeletons brings us to the closer, To Ultramegaphonium, which takes us home with the heaviest riff on the record and more of those amazing vocals which really makes Atomicult something special. Ufomammut meets Kal-El in outer space is what you get on the new Slomatics record. But make no mistake, those reference points are for the new listeners only. Slomatics have created a great and vast discography that has them at the top of the list for what they are putting out.
Atomicult continues this journey, and is filled with killer riffs, amazing vocals and well-placed spacy synths. It's one overall killer space trip. 8/10
Barbarian Hermit - Redux (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]
Before they go on an indefinite hiatus Manchester steamrollers Barbarian Hermit, decide to "tie a bow around it" with one final show called Exit The Hermitage at Manchester’s The Bread Shed on 25th October as well this two track EP.
Both songs here are originals but ones that have already appeared on previous Hermit records, however Burn The Fire, a live favourite has been re-recorded as part of drummer Gaz Manning's coursework, he engineered both the tracks here but this is the first time he and bassist Rob 'Bobby' Sutcliffe were finally able to play on a recorded version as Mike Regan adds a new solo.
While they were in the studio they decided to lay down a version of Del Toro which features original vocalist Si Scarlett's lyrics. It was sung by Ed Campbell as Beyond The Wall on Solitude And Savagery but this is it in it's original form with Si behind the mic and his lyrics. After these sessions the band made the decision to go on hiatus but this two track EP stands as a fitting tribute to their legacy of loud.
Wrapped in a cover image from Truespiltmilk which has a Manchester factory (near where they rehearse) ablaze, perhaps a metaphor for the band themselves. Their may be rebuilt in the future but as for now this Hermit returns to solitude, leaving behind these last two slabs of noise. 8/10.
Barbarian Hermit - Redux (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]
Before they go on an indefinite hiatus Manchester steamrollers Barbarian Hermit, decide to "tie a bow around it" with one final show called Exit The Hermitage at Manchester’s The Bread Shed on 25th October as well this two track EP.
Both songs here are originals but ones that have already appeared on previous Hermit records, however Burn The Fire, a live favourite has been re-recorded as part of drummer Gaz Manning's coursework, he engineered both the tracks here but this is the first time he and bassist Rob 'Bobby' Sutcliffe were finally able to play on a recorded version as Mike Regan adds a new solo.
While they were in the studio they decided to lay down a version of Del Toro which features original vocalist Si Scarlett's lyrics. It was sung by Ed Campbell as Beyond The Wall on Solitude And Savagery but this is it in it's original form with Si behind the mic and his lyrics. After these sessions the band made the decision to go on hiatus but this two track EP stands as a fitting tribute to their legacy of loud.
Wrapped in a cover image from Truespiltmilk which has a Manchester factory (near where they rehearse) ablaze, perhaps a metaphor for the band themselves. Their may be rebuilt in the future but as for now this Hermit returns to solitude, leaving behind these last two slabs of noise. 8/10.
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