The Halo Effect - We Are Shadows (Nuclear Blast Records)
This House We Built - Get Out Of The Rain (Self Released)
Scarborough rockers This House We Built release their second album Get Out Of The Rain and it's chock full of the sort of modern rock that's all over classic rock radio. Having had countless positive reviews from other media along with personal recommendations from none other than Danny Vaughan from Tyketto.
They've been playing the rock festival circuit this summer and wowing audiences at Call Of The Wild, Love Rocks, Wildfire, SOS Festival and Maid Of Stone Festival. So clearly they're on the right path and have the right music for these events so what do they have to offer on album number two? Well Rain begins with some moody lead guitars that's conjure a storm before the bass throb of Wayne Dowkes-White gets the song going properly, the choral vocals sitting against the excellent lead pipes of Scott Wardell who mixes Mike Patton with Shane Greenhall and Chris Robertson.
Bringing a classic meets modern delivery on this slow burning beginning and the more propulsive Addiction where there's a strong Alter Bridge influence in the guitars from Wardell and Andy Jackson, the latter playing some flashy leads that add to the swaggering heavy rock riffs.Jackson also takes gritty lead vocals on Broken Dreams which comes from that furious late 80's early 90's rock scene, that sound of the 80's continuing on rock ballad Desires which features some great drumming from Chris Mayes. There's a bit of bluesing of the Crowes/Stones on It's Only Rock N' Roll as One By One takes a leap towards the radio.
They follow this with a proper ballad in Coming Home To You where the word "Bon Jovi" jumped into my brain when I first heard it, while second ballad Better Man just said Creed as loudly as it could, the finale of Drifter meanwhile could easily be an MTV Unplugged session. They do return to massive rock riffs on Crash N Burn and Wheels but this variation in style is a real benefit to This House We Built is that they have a lot inspiration coursing through their music but they're able to channel it into something of their own. Danny Vaughan was right about this band, expect huge things to come! 8/10
Edit The Tide - The Space Between Seconds (Self Released)
I've always said there's something in the water in South Wales and Bridgend in particular, outside of the USA it seems to be the biggest concentration of metalcore and post-hardcore bands in the world. Bullet For My Valentine, Funeral For A Friend, From Her Eyes all come from Bridgend with The Blackout, Casey, Holding Abscence and others come from the surrounding Valleys.
Basically if they played the Big Ponty circa 2005/6 then they probably come from Wales. There is a reason why Noizze, another publication with roots in South Wales puts on a showcase of metalcore/hardcore/post-hardcore etc in Cardiff every year.
Edit The Tide do emotional metalcore and they hail from Bridgend, formed in 2023, they have specifically honed into the sound of FFAF and the early BFMV material where melodic metal leads meet with chunky riff breakdowns and the vocals shift from emotional angsty cleans to cathartic screams.
They released their debut EP in April last year they have rather quickly followed it up with their newest release The Space Between Seconds, this work ethic is evident here as even though they are only three years into existence they are trying to produce and release as much music as possible so it's recognised at shows. In a world where content is key, Edit The Tide know the deal.
Thankfully the music they make is really good if you're a fan of metalcore/post-hardcore, the technical leads from Rob Norris bring those crystalline melodies over the top of Dave Snell's head moving grooves, the open drumming of Rudy Mason a perfect anchor for both the emotion and power of these tracks.
Slickly produced and mixed by Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Bullet For My Valentine) at Longwave Studios, Edit The Tide have tightened their songwriting here, adding some Djenty touches that bring it bang up to date as the vocals of Benjamin James speak for themselves as he carries the weight of the lyrics through his affecting vocal.
Five tracks of modern alternative metal from a band born to do it, the Bridgend/South Wales metal scene magic works again with Edit The Tide and The Space Between Seconds. 8/10
Maha Sohona - Visions (Bonebag Records)
For fans of Elder, Tool and Alice In Chains huh? Yeah sign me up to the trippy stuff right now.
Psychedelic meditative throbs of fuzz drenched guitars, repeating grooves and vocals that put angst alongside apathy. Visions is the Swedish band's third album following 2021's Endless Searcher which took them on extensive tours across Europe, it's their first on Bonebag Records and as Liquid Motion Medicine begins you know what to expect from the rest of the record.
These are Visions of a world beyond ours, psych soundscapes that have crawled on their belly out of Sky Valley and into Europe getting dirtier and rougher as they travel through a different sort of vista. The use of analogue instruments brings a warmth to Uddh where they let go of the fuzz and just settle on straight astral wandering.
Though these moments of ambience are rare as Maha Sohona are a band who love fuzz, the bite of the distortion through a tube amp just gives you the satisfaction you want from a record like this. Ostera moves with the crunch of heavy doom, the drums exploring the space while the bass carries those hypnotic grooves on Voyagers.
These are the collected Visions of Maha Sohona, experience them as loudly as you dare. 8/10
Covers albums/EP's can always been a bit hit and miss, they're usually stopgaps used to cash in on an up coming tour, in between albums of new music. We Are Shadows doesn't break that trend but it is more hit than miss. What we have here is a five track EP with each cover specially chosen by a band member to showcase the diverse influences The Halo Effect have.
For a band with members who are originators of the Gothenburg melodeath scene you may expect lots of nasty death metal but no, We Are Shadows actually only features two songs you could consider to be by metal artists. How The Gods Kill, by Danzig was chosen by vocalist Mikael Stanne, who gets to interpret the lyrics of 'Goth Elvis' in his own style, while W.A.S.P's I Wanna Be Somebody, chosen but guitarist Jesper Strömblad gets a sonic melodeath overhaul.
Co-guitarist chose Dance With The Devil by Phenomena, rightly giving the kudos to Tom and Mel Galley for the All-Star multi album spanning prog/AOR concept project, that did it long before Mr Sammet and Mr Lucassen. It's in the rhythm section that things take a left turn as they so often do, as bassist Pete Iwers decided on If You Were by synth pop rockers Kent and drummer Daniel Svensson, chose Shoreline by Swedish indie-pop artist Broder Daniel, both of these are shown a bit more of a lighter touch to the EP.
Is it a stopgap? Yeah of course, but it's an interesting look into the influences behind The Halo Effect and for fans will be a must have curio. 7/10
For a band with members who are originators of the Gothenburg melodeath scene you may expect lots of nasty death metal but no, We Are Shadows actually only features two songs you could consider to be by metal artists. How The Gods Kill, by Danzig was chosen by vocalist Mikael Stanne, who gets to interpret the lyrics of 'Goth Elvis' in his own style, while W.A.S.P's I Wanna Be Somebody, chosen but guitarist Jesper Strömblad gets a sonic melodeath overhaul.
Co-guitarist chose Dance With The Devil by Phenomena, rightly giving the kudos to Tom and Mel Galley for the All-Star multi album spanning prog/AOR concept project, that did it long before Mr Sammet and Mr Lucassen. It's in the rhythm section that things take a left turn as they so often do, as bassist Pete Iwers decided on If You Were by synth pop rockers Kent and drummer Daniel Svensson, chose Shoreline by Swedish indie-pop artist Broder Daniel, both of these are shown a bit more of a lighter touch to the EP.
Is it a stopgap? Yeah of course, but it's an interesting look into the influences behind The Halo Effect and for fans will be a must have curio. 7/10
This House We Built - Get Out Of The Rain (Self Released)
Scarborough rockers This House We Built release their second album Get Out Of The Rain and it's chock full of the sort of modern rock that's all over classic rock radio. Having had countless positive reviews from other media along with personal recommendations from none other than Danny Vaughan from Tyketto.
They've been playing the rock festival circuit this summer and wowing audiences at Call Of The Wild, Love Rocks, Wildfire, SOS Festival and Maid Of Stone Festival. So clearly they're on the right path and have the right music for these events so what do they have to offer on album number two? Well Rain begins with some moody lead guitars that's conjure a storm before the bass throb of Wayne Dowkes-White gets the song going properly, the choral vocals sitting against the excellent lead pipes of Scott Wardell who mixes Mike Patton with Shane Greenhall and Chris Robertson.
Bringing a classic meets modern delivery on this slow burning beginning and the more propulsive Addiction where there's a strong Alter Bridge influence in the guitars from Wardell and Andy Jackson, the latter playing some flashy leads that add to the swaggering heavy rock riffs.Jackson also takes gritty lead vocals on Broken Dreams which comes from that furious late 80's early 90's rock scene, that sound of the 80's continuing on rock ballad Desires which features some great drumming from Chris Mayes. There's a bit of bluesing of the Crowes/Stones on It's Only Rock N' Roll as One By One takes a leap towards the radio.
They follow this with a proper ballad in Coming Home To You where the word "Bon Jovi" jumped into my brain when I first heard it, while second ballad Better Man just said Creed as loudly as it could, the finale of Drifter meanwhile could easily be an MTV Unplugged session. They do return to massive rock riffs on Crash N Burn and Wheels but this variation in style is a real benefit to This House We Built is that they have a lot inspiration coursing through their music but they're able to channel it into something of their own. Danny Vaughan was right about this band, expect huge things to come! 8/10
Edit The Tide - The Space Between Seconds (Self Released)
I've always said there's something in the water in South Wales and Bridgend in particular, outside of the USA it seems to be the biggest concentration of metalcore and post-hardcore bands in the world. Bullet For My Valentine, Funeral For A Friend, From Her Eyes all come from Bridgend with The Blackout, Casey, Holding Abscence and others come from the surrounding Valleys.
Basically if they played the Big Ponty circa 2005/6 then they probably come from Wales. There is a reason why Noizze, another publication with roots in South Wales puts on a showcase of metalcore/hardcore/post-hardcore etc in Cardiff every year.
Edit The Tide do emotional metalcore and they hail from Bridgend, formed in 2023, they have specifically honed into the sound of FFAF and the early BFMV material where melodic metal leads meet with chunky riff breakdowns and the vocals shift from emotional angsty cleans to cathartic screams.
They released their debut EP in April last year they have rather quickly followed it up with their newest release The Space Between Seconds, this work ethic is evident here as even though they are only three years into existence they are trying to produce and release as much music as possible so it's recognised at shows. In a world where content is key, Edit The Tide know the deal.
Thankfully the music they make is really good if you're a fan of metalcore/post-hardcore, the technical leads from Rob Norris bring those crystalline melodies over the top of Dave Snell's head moving grooves, the open drumming of Rudy Mason a perfect anchor for both the emotion and power of these tracks.
Slickly produced and mixed by Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Bullet For My Valentine) at Longwave Studios, Edit The Tide have tightened their songwriting here, adding some Djenty touches that bring it bang up to date as the vocals of Benjamin James speak for themselves as he carries the weight of the lyrics through his affecting vocal.
Five tracks of modern alternative metal from a band born to do it, the Bridgend/South Wales metal scene magic works again with Edit The Tide and The Space Between Seconds. 8/10
Maha Sohona - Visions (Bonebag Records)
For fans of Elder, Tool and Alice In Chains huh? Yeah sign me up to the trippy stuff right now.
Psychedelic meditative throbs of fuzz drenched guitars, repeating grooves and vocals that put angst alongside apathy. Visions is the Swedish band's third album following 2021's Endless Searcher which took them on extensive tours across Europe, it's their first on Bonebag Records and as Liquid Motion Medicine begins you know what to expect from the rest of the record.
These are Visions of a world beyond ours, psych soundscapes that have crawled on their belly out of Sky Valley and into Europe getting dirtier and rougher as they travel through a different sort of vista. The use of analogue instruments brings a warmth to Uddh where they let go of the fuzz and just settle on straight astral wandering.
Though these moments of ambience are rare as Maha Sohona are a band who love fuzz, the bite of the distortion through a tube amp just gives you the satisfaction you want from a record like this. Ostera moves with the crunch of heavy doom, the drums exploring the space while the bass carries those hypnotic grooves on Voyagers.
These are the collected Visions of Maha Sohona, experience them as loudly as you dare. 8/10
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