I think everyone has certain expectations when Wino is involved in a project with one of his many bands, especially when it is a Wino solo record, which have mostly been acoustic, man with only his guitar type records, similar to the killer Forever Gone from Ripple Music’s Blood and Strings collection. However, with the very aptly titled Create Or Die, Wino brings his most diverse solo record yet, including all sorts of instrumentation and even plugging in for this one, with a renewed spark in his songwriting and creativity on full display over the ten tracks offered here.
Right off the bat, you know that Create Or Die is going to be a different Wino solo record, especially when the riff hits you on Anhedonia, which is vintage, plugged in Wino and one of my favourite tracks he has done in years, on any project. New Terms is next, and more along what you expect from solo Wino, except how about some Irish bodhrán drum and banjo with those deeply personal lyrics? Killer stuff.
Carolina Fox could probably have worked as an Obsessed track with some slide guitar to go along with it, but it fits nicely on Create Or Die as another riff filled, plugged in, Wino classic. Killer solo too. Wino can certainly jerk a tear to your eye with a song like Never Said Goodbye. Hopeful Defiance is punk rock Wino that rips and might be my favourite track on here. Us Or Them keeps Wino plugged in, and the mid-tempo rocker is vintage stuff from a guy who has been doing this for decades.
I love how this record shifts from electric to acoustic so seamlessly, with Cold Or Wrong being the most stripped-down man and his guitar track on the record…of course it is excellent. Lost Souls Fly is an amazing slow burn, like if The Obsessed was doing Skynyrd or Neil Young. So deep, so emotional, and so very cool. Speaking of deep and Neil Young, the countryfied Bury Me In Texas is the perfect solo Wino song for 2025. There could not be a better closer for Create Or Die than Noble Man, which sums this whole thing up perfectly.
Given it is Wino we are talking about, maybe we shouldn’t just assume what direction a solo album from him in 2025 will go. What is for sure though is that it will be heartfelt, heavy in its own way, pure Wino awesomeness that we are all so spoiled to be able to experience. Create Or Die, indeed. 9/10
Given it is Wino we are talking about, maybe we shouldn’t just assume what direction a solo album from him in 2025 will go. What is for sure though is that it will be heartfelt, heavy in its own way, pure Wino awesomeness that we are all so spoiled to be able to experience. Create Or Die, indeed. 9/10
Werewolves - The Ugliest Of All (Back On Black) [Mark Young]
The second of the ‘slipped through the cracks’ reviews of the week is Werewolves, and their 6th album The Ugliest Of All. Now, a question. With the bands you follow, do you like to see them grow and develop as artists, even to the point where they no longer resemble the band they were? They could still be releasing heavy music but the actual execution of it is completely different from their debut.
Or do you prefer it when a band stays true to their beginnings and only carrying out minor refinements album to album? I think we can agree that when a band talks about their latest release being their heaviest or has recaptured the ‘fire’ displayed in a certain period then you must take it with a pinch of salt. This is a roundabout way of saying that change is not necessarily a good thing.
In this instance Werewolves do what they have always done over the course of their career. Deliver extreme metal. That’s it, no abrupt changes, no surprises, no dallying with orchestral arrangements or heartfelt acoustic moments, just abrasive heavy metal. So, there are two ways of looking at this, which kind of loops back to my opening statement.
In this instance Werewolves do what they have always done over the course of their career. Deliver extreme metal. That’s it, no abrupt changes, no surprises, no dallying with orchestral arrangements or heartfelt acoustic moments, just abrasive heavy metal. So, there are two ways of looking at this, which kind of loops back to my opening statement.
There is no denying that this is a strong album that stays true to what heavy metal is all about – fast, aggressive, nasty but laced with antipodean humour. It also sounds remarkably similar to their other albums and with that there is a sense of having heard this from them before. Putting that to one side though, are the songs any good? From a death metal perspective, they are because Werewolves understand what is required of them which each new release.
1. They.Must.Not.Slow.Down.
2. They must bring the most visceral metal possible.
3. And they must not—absolutely must not—go soft.
Take it from me, they haven’t.
If you didn’t know (and I didn’t) they have set themselves the target of releasing new music every year. Which is insane (and they say it themselves) and when consider this then of course there is going to be feeling of slight repetition but this is soon forgotten as the album stomps over you in the best caveman fashion. It does what it has to do, wrapping up before it wears its welcome out. If you have heard them before then this will hold no surprises for you. You know what you are letting yourself in for and this is a guilt free experience where you can just enjoy the primal energy and forget everything else. If you haven’t, and love death metal, why not? Get in there and give them a bash! 8/10
Grailknights – Forever (Perception/RPM) [Spike]
Let's start with the hard truth: Grailknights is a band that exists entirely to make me feel old and cynical. Their aesthetic is a glorious, neon-coloured nightmare straight out of 1980s television, featuring superhero armour, a constant battle against arch-villain Dr. Skull, and calling their fans the "Battlechoir." This isn't music; it's a Power Rangers audition tape that somehow grew into a full-fledged Power Metal institution. And honestly, I hate that I kind of respect it.
Forever is their seventh album, and that experience means they know exactly how to execute this particular brand of muscular, high-kicking fantasy metal. This record is pure, unadulterated, disco-infused power metal. You get 11 tracks designed not for headbanging angst, but for synchronized jumping and the kind of group sing-alongs that make you check your reflection for a cape.
The first punch is Yes Sire, which immediately sets the tone with the expected double-bass gallop and highly orchestrated choral sections. It’s a clean, polished sound, built with the intention of being a live spectacle. Then you hit Grail Gym. If there is a single song on this planet designed to be played while bench-pressing a horse, this is it. It’s lyrically ridiculous and musically infectious, marrying a heavy, anthemic riff with a bouncy rhythm that is undeniably catchy. This is the calculated, corporate-approved version of rebellion.
They have zero intention of easing off the accelerator. Tracks like Necronomicon and Grailforce One maintain that fast, precise energy, delivering exactly what the Battlechoir wants: layered, harmonized guitars and huge, soaring choruses. The vocal trade-offs, oscillating between clean, booming choir parts and quick bursts of harsh death metal growls, keep the formula from flatlining. They even manage to rope in Chiara Tricarico on In The Eyes Of The Enemy, a track that delivers maximum dramatic flair. It’s the closest they get to traditional metal elegance, but it still smells faintly of theatrical smoke machines.
What saves Forever from being a total skip is its complete lack of self-doubt. The band knows the gimmick is the point. They are taking the most dorky elements of the genre and playing them with the conviction of an invading army. If you need a soundtrack for escaping reality into a world where all problems can be solved with a catchy chorus and a well-choreographed fight scene, this album works. It’s an infectious, well-executed piece of pop-metal theatre that manages to make even an ABBA cover of Super Trouper feel like a battle hymn.
If you like your metal to tell you everything is fine, pump your fist, and remind you to do your squats, then I guess Forever is the answer. It does however make me feel old and cynical and for that. 6/10
1. They.Must.Not.Slow.Down.
2. They must bring the most visceral metal possible.
3. And they must not—absolutely must not—go soft.
Take it from me, they haven’t.
If you didn’t know (and I didn’t) they have set themselves the target of releasing new music every year. Which is insane (and they say it themselves) and when consider this then of course there is going to be feeling of slight repetition but this is soon forgotten as the album stomps over you in the best caveman fashion. It does what it has to do, wrapping up before it wears its welcome out. If you have heard them before then this will hold no surprises for you. You know what you are letting yourself in for and this is a guilt free experience where you can just enjoy the primal energy and forget everything else. If you haven’t, and love death metal, why not? Get in there and give them a bash! 8/10
Grailknights – Forever (Perception/RPM) [Spike]
Let's start with the hard truth: Grailknights is a band that exists entirely to make me feel old and cynical. Their aesthetic is a glorious, neon-coloured nightmare straight out of 1980s television, featuring superhero armour, a constant battle against arch-villain Dr. Skull, and calling their fans the "Battlechoir." This isn't music; it's a Power Rangers audition tape that somehow grew into a full-fledged Power Metal institution. And honestly, I hate that I kind of respect it.
Forever is their seventh album, and that experience means they know exactly how to execute this particular brand of muscular, high-kicking fantasy metal. This record is pure, unadulterated, disco-infused power metal. You get 11 tracks designed not for headbanging angst, but for synchronized jumping and the kind of group sing-alongs that make you check your reflection for a cape.
The first punch is Yes Sire, which immediately sets the tone with the expected double-bass gallop and highly orchestrated choral sections. It’s a clean, polished sound, built with the intention of being a live spectacle. Then you hit Grail Gym. If there is a single song on this planet designed to be played while bench-pressing a horse, this is it. It’s lyrically ridiculous and musically infectious, marrying a heavy, anthemic riff with a bouncy rhythm that is undeniably catchy. This is the calculated, corporate-approved version of rebellion.
They have zero intention of easing off the accelerator. Tracks like Necronomicon and Grailforce One maintain that fast, precise energy, delivering exactly what the Battlechoir wants: layered, harmonized guitars and huge, soaring choruses. The vocal trade-offs, oscillating between clean, booming choir parts and quick bursts of harsh death metal growls, keep the formula from flatlining. They even manage to rope in Chiara Tricarico on In The Eyes Of The Enemy, a track that delivers maximum dramatic flair. It’s the closest they get to traditional metal elegance, but it still smells faintly of theatrical smoke machines.
What saves Forever from being a total skip is its complete lack of self-doubt. The band knows the gimmick is the point. They are taking the most dorky elements of the genre and playing them with the conviction of an invading army. If you need a soundtrack for escaping reality into a world where all problems can be solved with a catchy chorus and a well-choreographed fight scene, this album works. It’s an infectious, well-executed piece of pop-metal theatre that manages to make even an ABBA cover of Super Trouper feel like a battle hymn.
If you like your metal to tell you everything is fine, pump your fist, and remind you to do your squats, then I guess Forever is the answer. It does however make me feel old and cynical and for that. 6/10
Octotanker - Voidhopper (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Formerly known as Prąd, this Wrocław, Poland based psychedelic stoners are now known as Octotanker and they bring us their new record Voidhopper. Setting out their approach early with the doomy title track, they're a band that have slow slung, down-tuned riffs but they aren't a band with just the one trick as below the slow moving doom there's a tingle of goth.
This gets stronger on Starships where there's some shuffling post-punk that adds echoed vocals, a throbbing bass line and jangling/fuzzy guitars. This addition to their sound makes them a bit more interesting if you're feeling doom/stoner fatigue. The 80's post-punk, brings the early days of U2 on All Suffer, as Aghori dials up the goth.
While what they do is not too innovative, there are bands that put doom with post punk and psych, they do it pretty well and this album does have some enjoyable tracks on it. 7/10
Formerly known as Prąd, this Wrocław, Poland based psychedelic stoners are now known as Octotanker and they bring us their new record Voidhopper. Setting out their approach early with the doomy title track, they're a band that have slow slung, down-tuned riffs but they aren't a band with just the one trick as below the slow moving doom there's a tingle of goth.
This gets stronger on Starships where there's some shuffling post-punk that adds echoed vocals, a throbbing bass line and jangling/fuzzy guitars. This addition to their sound makes them a bit more interesting if you're feeling doom/stoner fatigue. The 80's post-punk, brings the early days of U2 on All Suffer, as Aghori dials up the goth.
While what they do is not too innovative, there are bands that put doom with post punk and psych, they do it pretty well and this album does have some enjoyable tracks on it. 7/10
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