Reviews: STORMO, Grey Mountain, Seven Sisters, Chordoma (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

STORMO - Tagli/Talee (Prosthetic Records) [Matt Bladen]

Described as an "autobiographical account of a band out on the road creating art" Italian noisemakers STORMO deliver their new album Tagli/Talee which is a vicious, abrasive, aggressive fifth album from the Roadburn loved band. STORMO's music is inspired by punk and they rip and tear in vitriolic passion with tracks such as Bordi and Riva, the latter evolving into some atmospheric moments before the violence dials back up again.

Tagli/Talee translates to cuts and grafts, and these songs sound as if they have been laid out on the studio floor and pasted together like old film, structured but constantly fluctuating between post hardcore melodies, punky noises and caustic riffs, each track just rips through in less than a couple of minutes and is sequenced like STORMO's incendiary live set. You will need to be a fan of noise, mathcore or punk to enjoy Tagli/Talee but try it as you'll get a ferocious album to dive into. 7/10

Grey Mountain - Grey Mountain (Eat Lead And Die Music) [Mark Young]

Coming from the other end of the musical spectrum is Grey Mountain, the transatlantic trio who bring their self-titled release which comprises a mixed bag of styles that swings between doom, progressive and a touch of post-metal. They themselves know that it’s to pin them down to a style which must drive fans of pigeon-holing mental.

Grey Mountain is our starting point and is a slow-burn with vocals that switch from the guttural to the higher register whilst it rumbles along. The first signs of them wanting to move gears comes in as the song bursts into life with an exceptional lead break before they return to that slower starting point. 

The progressive side comes through, with that quality lead work nestled within a storming riff set and suddenly we are near the end of a track that is just a brilliant start which continues into Perpetual Imbalance, which at its heart is a rock-solid foundation that bounces along and allows the guitars to shine. I think a shout out to James on drums is in order, who is dropping some percussive bombs on this one and provides that base and the double bass on this cuts through like a knife.

A Universal Evil has this mix of the barely holding on by fingernails and super controlled feel to it at the same time if that makes sense. Like the others it is chock-full of changes, not just in timing but in stylistic approach, especially during the heavier moments with some truly epic sounding riffs that just come out thin air. What doesn’t change is the face-melting lead breaks, those are a constant on this and the album in general and there is this sense of each track naturally slotting in place next to each other, from the percussive driven Hermitage with its myriad guitar lines through to the change on a penny.

Many Shades, A Storm through to Decline And Fall, all of which show their natural talent in being able to write absolute killer songs that shouldn’t work but do. I’m all for those bands who can do this and do it well and Grey Mountain can. The closing piece is Living Mythology, a languid start that is soon kicked to the kerb as they change gear once more. This is a blinding mix of leads and a storming bottom end chug but is not a one note affair. Just as the others it moves with grace – heavy here, subtle there and in terms of closing things out on here it does a cracking job of it.

This is a brilliant debut from them, one that I hope is augmented with UK shows because the vibe I get from this is that it would be a top live experience. There is a lot to digest in here and on first listen you will get it but its on repeated listens that you start to pick up on the little moments that add and add. I can only apologise for getting this review completed so late, but it’s an essential purchase, especially for those who like their metal to be ambitious and expansive. 9/10

Seven Sisters - Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt.2 (Cherry Red Records) [Matt Bladen]

Make no mistake about the number of tracks Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt.2 is an album not an EP and it's also a companion piece to 2021's Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt.1, continuing the sci-fi storyline established on that album. The British metal act Seven Sisters have transcended what is often a long winded NWOTHM evolution and gone straight into Seventh Son/post Dance Of Death Maiden, where they embraced the irrepressible pull of prog, leaving Kyle McNeil to stick to more traditional metal with his Phantom Spell side project.

Starting with an 8 minute track and closing with the 20 minutes finale of this saga, this follow up is more grandiose and bombastic than it's predecessor, Astral Prophecies gets us going with a slow burning intro and explodes into some riffs in the vein of a band such as Sonata Arctica, European power metal with plenty of pace as they shift through the the classic NWOBHM on Solar Winds and the Maiden-like twin axe attack of Heart Of The Sun.

Andromeda Ascending (A Fallen Star Rises) is the incredible final part of this album, 20 minutes of cinematic heavy metal where the NWOTHM sound is filtered through epic space soundscapes and melodies, from NWOTHM/Power Metal/Prog it's got everything.

What a way to close this chapter of Seven Sisters existence, where they go from here is anyone's guess but it'll be worth looking out for if you're a classic metal/prog fan. 8/10

Chordoma - Chordoma (Comatose Music) [Mark Young]

Well, you have to admire a band that sets it's stall out to encompass all out brutality and then stay in that lane to the bitter end. That is exactly what Chordoma do with their debut slab of all out aural warfare. Although the band is new, the trio that make up its numbers are no newcomers to the world of extreme metal, hailing from bands such as Vituperate, Purulent Necrosis and Anal Stabwound amongst others and that experience shines through here on this self-titled EP courtesy of Comatose Music.

From start to finish this is one of the most intense listening experiences you are likely to have. From Medically Induced Asphyxiation it just starts at a 100mph and stays at that speed right through each of the five stops on the way. There is no let up at all as each one whips by in lightning fashion and it's difficult to say this one is better than that because unfortunately, they are all incredibly similar to another. 

Having that forward attack in place is great but there's not a lot to it once you get past its speed or heaviness. It's a call back to giving song names the best titles you can, and ones that show there can be no misunderstanding of what they are about. From Innermost Intestinal Exposure to Splashing Innards Abound, the music backs up the titles to a tee.

Giving it a score is difficult, because young me, well my head would have just popped as this would have had legitimate claim to being the nastiest sound going. Old me, well I appreciate its endeavour but ultimately find it a little dull after the 3rd or 4th round of blast beats. But if you look at it in terms of what they were attempting to do that have succeeded in delivering a collection of songs that do what the band says they were going to do. It sounds excellent, and it should no doubt bring visceral pleasure to those brutally driven friends out there. 

Overall, I believe that it deserves your attention because of what it does. Fans of extreme death metal should get on this immediately. 7/10

Reviews: Rotting Christ, Lucifer's Child, No Hand Path, Anglachel (Matt Bladen)

Rotting Christ - 35 Years Of Evil Existence: Live In Lycabettus (Season Of Mist)

35 Years Of Evil Existence is a celebration of Greece's most recognised extreme metal act. One of three bands who established their own genre of Hellenic Black Metal that stood toe to toe with the Scandinavians.

Over the 35 years they have adapted their sound to become a bands with a both glacial shredfests and muscular anthems, while the rawness of those early albums has gone in their recorded output live they never forget their roots and put these early tracks right alongside the orchestrated modern offerings.

With this Live album you get a chance to go on a 2 hour musical journey with these Bastard Sons Of Athens, live from the historic and iconic Lycabettus Hill Theater which sits across the Athenian skyline from the Acropolis. It's an outdoor theatre and I can only imagine how amazing the Rotting Christ light show and the power of that music would be coming out of the Athenian night.

I'm sure the Orthodox Church had more than just reservations to hosting the band in such a venue but as ever Sakis and his brother Themis will forever be Non Servium so nothing could stop this force of nature.

The album itself is recorded in front of a devoted raucous hometown crowd, the set is packed with old and new songs, paced well so the faster numbers are often followed by the mid paced groovers,Sakis' growls and shouts still as potent as ever as he has the crowd in the palm of his hand, organinsing choirs, clapping and chanting. The production is a little washed out occasionally but this was recorded in an open air theatre so it's not going to sound intimate by any means.

He doubles down with bassist Kostas "Spades" Heliotis on the grooving death and thrashers and also plays twin leads and plenty of riffs alongside Kostis Fouk. For me though the stand out performance is from Themis, it's often hard to pick out a drummer on records but you can hear every massive strike, pace change and powerful percussive hit with real clarity and you can hear why he's the heartbeat of this band.

35 Years Of Evil Existence: Live In Lycabettus is 25 tracks of Rotting Christ in their natural habitat, storming a stage, proving why they are such a long tenured and beloved part of the Greek metal scene. 9/10

Lucifer's Child - The Illuminant (Agonia Records)

Continuing with Heathen Hellenic Black Metal we have the new album from Lucifer's Child. Called The Illuminant it's their first new music since their spilt with Mystifier but it's their first album since 2018's The Order. Co-founder George Emmanuel (guitar/production) calls it "a bold evolution in our sound" and he's not wrong as on their third album Lucifer's Child increase their intensity on The Illuminant.

An expulsion of unholy fire comes with first song Antichrist, ferocious black metal blast beats, light speed tremolo picking riffs and Marios Dupont's vocal howl giving praise to the Dark Lord. The production is pin sharp George Emmanuel's skill behind the desk matched by his guitar prowess with complex arrangements on As Bestas where a thrash-like groove moves into some melodic widdly leads.

The Serpent And The Rod puts Kostas Gerochristos (drums) to the test with some blistering black metal meets hardcore, the shortest song on the record it's the most aggressive turning into a breakdown/solo section at the end. The Illuminant is very different to their two previous albums, while they paid homage to the foundations of the Hellenic black metal genre, this one incorporates other influences from across Europe and the USA too.

Songs such as Ichor more vivid and more complex than what has come before, closing the first half of this record. On side two Righteous Flama has an industrial tinge, Curse and The Heaven's Die more traditional black metal, the latter having a some great bass playing from Nick Vell.

As the epic feel of And All Is Prelude finishes this third album, Lucifer's Child return from their self imposed slumber with their finest work yet. λατρεύουν τον σατανά! 9/10

No Hand Path - Μυστικισμός της Ενηλικίωσης (Floga Records)

Translating to Mysticism Of Coming Of Age Greek black metal act No Hand Path continue on the frostbitten journey they began on previous album An Existence Regained way way back in 2010. Since then the rhythm section have been playing Varathron, who alongside Rotting Christ and Necromantia (R.I.P) were widely regarded as the founders of Hellenic Black Metal.

No Hand Path are a much rawer act, inspired more by the Scandinavian style of black metal where it's rougher, angrier and more intensely focussed on introspection and dread. This album though is about catharsis as you can probably gain from the title, it's about taking a more conscious approach to life, fighting against the dogma of religion and nationalism, to have a more educated outlook.

In their PR it's said there's nods to Swedeath (Κοσμογονία/Cosmogony) and crust punk and these are audible, the experimental spirit of Darkthrone coming through on Εξορκισμός (Exorcism) while Προδότης (Traitor) is a clear showcase of that rawness I talked about earlier.

No Hand Path pair flesh peeling black metal with intelligent lyrical concepts, proving they still have the goods even after 15 years! 8/10

Anglachel - Of Tuor, Idril And their Departure from Gondolin (FYC Records)

Dungeon synth. Heard of it, not heard too much of it but apparently Anglachel are one of the top names in the community. If you don't know what Dungeon Synth is, then here's a bit of history, it's an offshoot from the black metal scene, using the synthesized textures that are so often creating atmospheres on black metal albums as the main bulk of the music.

Inspired often by history, mythology and connected to RPG culture, Dungeon Synth is very akin to the classic video game classics of old and also to D&D etc. It's not really "metal" but as most of the musicians also play in metal bands, black metal bands, then it's been embraced or at least tolerated by the metal scene.

Dungeon synth bands also are nearly always one-man projects and Anglachel is no different, it's creative space for Admetos, who has played in a few Greek black metal bands but here lives out his fantasy as an orchestrator, writing music that is inspired by the works of Tolkien.

Of Tuor, Idril And Their Departure From Gondolin was the debut full length released in 2019, preceded by an EP, which documents Tuor's arrival at Gondolin and has been followed by two more albums and two EP's all within the Tolkien mythos.

FYC has taken the decision to re-release this record and if you're a fan of dungeon synth or indeed soundtrack music then you'll probably love this decision. These are instrumental showcases which move with the story, adding darkness and intrigue as they follow the path of the story conveying what's happening without words or any instruments other than synths.

If I'm honest I did get a little restless as it's not a genre I would normally seek out but if you're a Tolkien addict, a tabletop gamer or love music that could be a game soundtrack, then this will be for you. 7/10

Reviews: Telepathy, Sometime In February, Wombbath, Mindwars (Matt Bladen & Thomas Megill)

Telepathy - Transmissions (Pelagic Records) [Matt Bladen]

Welcome to the hypnotic, techtronic world of Telepathy and their stunning fourth album Transmissions. The Polish/English foursome based in Suffolk have been causing a stir on the festival circuit since 2011 with their sludgy, instrumental, post metal a favourite amongst both Arctangent and Desertfest crowds. They made a name by being loud, avantgarde and packing each song with gargantuan riffs drawing comparisons to Tool and Deftones, their love of film scores and use of samples and field recordings.

However this fourth record is culmination of four years of looking inward, languishing in introspection and nostalgia they ut away some of the crushing heaviness for more use of atmospheric synths and lighter textures that speak to the reflective nature of the song writing. Much of the influence for this record came from brother's Piotr, Albert and Krystian Turek, who form the band alongside Richard Powley, sorting through their family home and uncovering old photographs creating disharmony between then and now.

They also found one of the first radio broadcasts from Józef Piłsudski, arguably the founder of modern Poland, using the speech as part of the record but also having it inspired them to be more creative, more genre pushing than they have before. This is obvious with a track like Augury which has a ticking clock for pace and waves of Vangelis synth into the industrial Knife Edge Effect that shifts into the epic heaviness of Tears In The Fibre.

Transmissions is huge, a cinematic and seismic shift in Telepathy's sound, you need to experience this album rather than just listen to it. 9/10

Sometime In February - Where Mountains Hide (InsideOutMusic/Sony Music) [Matt Bladen]

Beginning as a solo project for guitarist Tristan Auman, Sometime In February is now a fully formed band with Scott Barber on drums and Morgan Johnson on bass. Where Mountains Hide is their sophomore album and it's got all the tricks and melodies of a acts such as Plini or Intervals, with some influence from the earlier prog bands too.

Where Mountains Hide is a bright album, brimming with sophisticated instrumentals but an uplifting melodic maturity that hooks you. Moments of jazz fusion, evolve into Djent palm muting as bluesy elements collide, but never conflict with the traditional prog metal styles. All three players do so at a virtuoso level, their individual performances are stunning but they have a cohesiveness that makes for some entertaining listing.

They've called in a few favours with Paul Waggoner and Dan Briggs of BTBAM adding extra guitar and other instruments, as Rich Castillo of The Callous Daoboys imparts sax on Bad Fight which reminds me of The Dirty Loops. They've also collaborated with Eric Guenther of The Contortionist on the Sound Design of the record, his skill giving it a fluidity that allows each song to stand independently but also as part of a whole. Impressive and uplifting Where Mountains Hide will be warmly welcomed at Arctangent this year I'm sure. 8/10

Wombbath - Beyond The Abyss (Pulverised Records) [Thomas Megill]

In collaboration with Pulverized Records, Swedish Death Metal veterans Wombbath struck for the 7th time with their latest album, Beyond The Abyss. Consisting of an intro and 9 songs, this is an interesting record. The band weaves between complex, almost progressive structures to caveman riffs with relative ease, all ahead of an atmospheric backdrop of synthesizers and violins. At first the atmospheric elements were a bit distracting, but after listening further to the album, and coming back around for a second listen, the violins and synths actually gave the album a unique identity. 

The song, Discord Of Doom stuck out to me. The juxtaposition of dissonant, nearly technical guitar parts and harmonies with brutal riffs exploding out of left field really caught my attention. This song made me feel like I was trapped on a rocket ship in outer space with a feral, wild gorilla. Some parts made me envision the unease and wonderment that could result from experiencing the vast complexities of space, only to be brought back suddenly into the moment by the fact I'm being hunted by a raging monster in an enclosed aircraft in space. 

The lead guitars were the highlight of this album. The solos and harmonies were crafted by some real technicians that truly understand their instruments. The tracks A Symphony Of Dread and Beneath The Abyss truly stick out in this regard. I very much appreciated the emotion in some of the primal howls from the vocalist on the last track, Consumed By Fire. That was a nice touch. I very much enjoyed this record and would recommend Beneath The Abyss to all who enjoy Old School Swedish Death Metal with a splash of Prog. 8/10

Mindwars - V (High Roller Records) [Thomas Megill]

The thrash doctors in Mindwars just prescribed a healthy dose of thrash metal to all old and new school thrashers alike, with their fifth album V. Released through High Roller Records, this record shall quell any and all thrash withdrawals. V has all the elements of a classic thrash record. Melodic and stompy riffs, blazing solos, and adventurous, catchy lyrics. Most of the songs on this record follow a no nonsense, classic thrash structure. The songs are mostly short, sweet, and to the point. 

That is until we hit Vultures Of The Eighth Wonder which clocks in at 9 minutes and change, but what is an Old School thrash record without a long epic amirite? The Road to Madagascar, the only instrumental track on the album, contains my favourite part of this record where they randomly burst into a Lamb of God-esque breakdown that is so unexpected, I've re-listened to the section about 70 times. That riff could melt glaciers. The bass guitar shines on this record. Some of the bass parts really pop through the mix in some sections, especially on the track Chasing The Wind. 

The band meshes very well together, as the bass and guitar complement each other perfectly on every track. Upon listening to this album, one can deduce that Mindwars have a lot of fun playing music together. The Supertramp cover is enough evidence of that, at least to me. That was an entertaining take on The Logical Song to say the least. This was a fun and enjoyable listen. A healthy dose of classic thrash metal with a tinge of modern flavour. I would recommend to any fans of the genre. 8/10.

Reviews: Black Spiders, Vulvarine, Kazea, Ellis Mano Band (Duncan Everson & Matt Bladen)

Black Spiders – Cvrses (Dark Riders/Cargo) [Duncan Everson]

Black Spiders have been around since 2008 gradually building a fanbase but not yet getting to the next size up in venues. Could Cvrses be the album to take them to the next level?

Never Enough kicks off the album and is a fun, upbeat song with a hooky chorus which gets things off to a great start, while also setting a pretty high bar. Cool Reaper follows and is one of my favourites with it’s simple, spiky riff and driving drum beat, the bar is cleared and maybe raised some more. 

Sorry Not Sorry is another great track and I do find the chorus quite funny with it’s refrain of “not really sorry, not even close” – is this a reference to online apology videos? Again, is a ridiculously hooky chorus that will have you singing along after the first listen. Sorry neighbours (not even close, haha!).

Idol Hands features a beast of a riff, the song builds really well towards the chorus, that again, gets in your head from the first listen. This one gives me Mason Hill vibes, which is no bad thing for me, especially while we wait for something new from them. Very tasty guitar solo too, making this one possibly my favourite (again). 

Dia De Muertos is a slower, more stripped back song that shows another side to the band and is equally effective as the more fun, upbeat tracks, proving they can do “a bit more serious” very well too. Could this be my favourite?

No Superman is just so infectious and catchy, it’s ridiculous. Seriously, this album should come with some sort of warning label on the cover, it contains so many hooks! Killer solo on this one as well. Go! is full of punk-like energy and is sure to be a future live favourite making crowds go crazy keeping up with the pace, I can already tell that. 

Obey is also destined to go down a storm with a live crowd - short and sweet, full of energy with a chorus begging to be sung along to, it’s another winner.

Rotten To The Core closes out the album and is a slower number to start with beginning with acoustic guitar and percussion, giving a Western campfire vibe and is a nice change of pace. 

Some lovely harmony vocals follow before the beat picks up and we’re now on horseback crossing the plains. More instrumental layers are added next with a really effective guitar picking pattern sitting just below the surface of the other instruments. 

The chorus of “this whole world is rotten to the core, I don’t think that we should take it anymore,” is seemingly at odds with the joyous music, yet shows the band have a serious side too. 

I think the term blistering is the most appropriate for the solo that ends the song and indeed the album. That makes it sound as though it’s quite a departure from the rest of the album and in some ways, it is and yet fits perfectly just the same.

Having gone back to listen to their last album to see how they compare, I can say that Cvrses is a positive move forward and I think existing fans will be impressed, and should also gain the band many more new fans too if there is any justice - like me for example. 8/10

Vulvarine - Fast Lane (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

Vulvarine love rock n roll, they love Mötorhead, they love Girlschool, they love The Runaways and they love The Donnas. They love dirty rock n roll and Fast Lane is packed with it from the opening riffs of The Drugs, The Love And The Pain, they will remind you of all the bands I mentioned alongside acts like Status Quo, Ash and Tokyo Dragons (go look them up).

Hailing from Austria Vulvarine released their debut album in 2020 and an EP in 2023 and they have been pumping out high energy rock since then combining denim wrapped biker rock, catsuit clad glam and some pop punchiness for a sound that hard not to smile to. With Fast Lane they look to sharpen their hooks with some refined song writing that gives them a few more tricks to play with.

Be it the dark Demons, the grooving Alright Tonight, the sleazy Fool is a US radio ready single as Dark Red comes with a bit of punk sneer. With the penultimate track, the cover of Cheri Cheri Lady by German pop duo Modern Talking is given a high energy blast and has Filippa Nässilof Thundermother on guitar. Vulvarine take to the Fast Lane with this second album and it could quickly make them household names. 7/10

Kazea – I, Ancestral (Suicide Records) [Duncan Everson]

Post-rock, post-metal? I don’t know how to tell the difference personally but I’m starting to get more of a feel for these things and after attending the last 6 ArcTanGent festivals I really should know by now. 

I don’t know where one starts and the other has someone screaming, “Get orf my land!” to be honest but my education continues with this album from Kazea, a three piece band from Sweden.

On first listen I wasn’t blown away if I’m honest but felt there was something here worth more time and I’m glad I stuck with it. Before I knew it, I’d listened to this at least ten times and still am now.

Trenches is where the line starts to blur between post-rock and post-metal (I think) with the screamed vocals coming in half-way through maybe being the thing to push the boundary. The music itself is still mid paced with a distorted guitar tone and the other, more standard vocal style combine well with the screams to great effect.

Whispering Hand is a faster paced blast through more standard sounding rock territory, although utilising the same guitar tone so it fits in nicely. A Strange Burial is next and more the kind of thing I’d expect to live in post-rock town, all big chords, slow drums, atmosphere and instrumental except for a sample from a movie (I’m guessing as much anyway). 

This short track leads directly and effectively into Wailing Blood which initially continues on from the previous track before morphing into something quite different. This track somehow seems quite epic despite coming in at just over four and a half minutes, featuring peaks and troughs of sound, with slower, stripped back moments which skilfully blend into faster choruses without being jarring. Great drumming in this one too.

The North Passage makes effective use of those dynamics again and the dual vocal style shown earlier is even more effective here. Seamlessly Woven closes out the album and this is probably the most easily classified as what I imagine post-rock to be. 

Dark and moody with layered guitars and a long instrumental section in the middle which is just gorgeous, before the vocals come back and in and the track just keeps building and building before coming full circle to close out with just a simple piano repeating the main riff to end. Bloody wonderful.

I hadn’t heard of Kazea before this album, but the editor suggested I might like it, and he was right. There’s enough variety here that if one track doesn’t appeal too much, another may very well tick your boxes but at the same time there is a consistent sound to the album, so the tracks sit cohesively together. 

I have a feeling that I’ll be listening to this for quite some time to come. 9/10

Ellis Mano Band - Morph (SPV) [Matt Bladen]

Elis Mano Band follows that great blues tradition of naming yourself after band members. Like Tedeschi Trucks Band, Marshall Tucker Band, Crosby, Stills And Nash and Fleetwood Mac. 

Ellis Mano Band is made up of vocalist Chris Ellis, guitarist Edis Mano, bassist Severin Graf, drummer Nico Looser and Lukas Bosshardt on keys.

They're all from different countries and Morph is their fourth album and because it's their fourth album, they have tried to redefine or perhaps refine what their sound should be. Rooted still in blues rock, here they continue on an evolutionary path towards a more mature, diverse style.

They first played these tracks in support of Deep Purple and Ellis Mano Band clearly have drawn inspiration from bands like Purple who languish on the blues but always want to add different flavours. Virtually Love starts off this record with some Springsteen/Petty-like rollicking rock n roll however Count Me In and Madness And Tears are reminiscent of Bowie and Madrugada.

That Madrugada comparison continues with the album, throwing in some Tom Waits, some Stevie Ray Vaughan and Southern rock too. Heartfelt, blue collar music from this talented group, Morph sees them fluctuate their influences to great effect. 7/10

Reviews: SOM, Desert'Smoke, Jesse Stilettö, Sykofant (Rich Piva)

SOM - Let The Light In (Pelagic Records)

SOM has been deemed “Doom Pop” and why not, but to me, this band is heavy shoegaze all the way, and boy am I here for it on their third record, Let The Light In. 

Swirling guitars, a wall of sound, impossibly high vocals, and some serious riffs to go along with everything else, SOM sure have perfected their recipe with the eight tracks on record number three.

Remember the band Mew? I do, they had a killer record, And the Glass Handed Kites, that came out in 2005 and incorporated some heavy with some shoegaze nicely, while applying their pop sensibilities to the songs. 

SOM also has this skill, but turns up the heavy a bit more than Mew did. Take the title track, which shakes you while it mesmerizes at the same time. You get the usual suspects when you mention shoegaze, like MBV, Slowdive, Swervedriver, maybe even some Cocteau Twins. 

I also hear bands like Elliott, who were a sensitive yet heavy when they want to be emo band, and of course, some of the beauty The Smashing Pumpkins could bring on those early records. 

Whatever you want to call it, the guitar wall of sound on Chemicals is awesome while being chunky as hell in parts too. There is not a bad track on Let The Light In, and the record flows effortlessly across the 38 minutes of heavy beauty.

SOM’s third album is their best, and I really enjoyed the previous one, The Shape Of Everything, so this is saying a lot. If you dig shoegaze but want just a bit more kick, and if you like beauty in your heavy, go listen to Let The Light In, you will not be disappointed. 8/10

Desert'Smoke - Desert Smoke (Raging Planet Records)

Lisbon, Portugal’s Desert'Smoke give us some really cool desert-y and smoky instrumental heaviness on their third, self-titled record. Heavy psych, stoner, desert, a little prog…all sorts of good stuff going on across the five tracks with no words.

The highlights include the absolute shredding on the track Fuzzy Txitxu, which may make the dual guitar players axe heroes, because boy does their work kick ass. I really dig how the heaviness of the first track melds into the atmosphere of the next one.

Gravity Absence, which is way more chill and gives off Yawning Man vibes, until it gets all heavy on you with that killer guitar work. Blind Watcher starts like something out of Twin Peaks but Desert'Smoke have mastered the soft to loud dynamic and it works so well here too. The heavy psych leaning 49th Steam Box is a trippy way to end this romp though the desert.

Instrumental records can tend to be too long, but Desert'Smoke got the right balance on this one, with four songs in 35 minutes, which is perfect for this journey and the vibe this one gives off. 

Some really good stuff here if you dig the instrumental bands like your Clouds Taste Satanic, Yawning Man, and the like, but with the guitars turned way up into the front and even more acid dropped. 8/10

Jesse Stilettö - Jesse Stilettö (Self Released)

Jesse Stilettö does not sound like the name of a hard rock band out of Minnesota, but that is exactly what they are, blending 70s hard rock with some psych leanings that give of serious Blue Öyster Cult vibes in multiple ways on their self-titled debut. The duo offers seven hard rocking tracks that are raw and almost garage rock, but garage rock played by a stoner band, and this is a good thing.

As The Portal Opens just does that with a killer riff, QOTSA vibe, echoey vocals, and spacy bridge that all works very well together. The psych-leaning middle is the best part of this great starting point for the record. A jangly guitar opens the more chill and very cool The Plaid Man, which is very, very 70s in an excellent way, but certainly get rocking as it gets going. 

Proto/BOC goodness all the way. There is some really great guitar and drums interaction on this record, especially on this track. NWOBHM vibes with layered guitars ring out on Devil's Lunch, but it also has this underlying blues vibe to it from the lyrics, while emanating some Thin Lizzy-like tendencies as well. 

A lot going on, but all of it going on very well. I don’t mention The White Stripes in a lot of my reviews but that is what came into my head when Feed The Moon started, but then it gets all BOC and moody, which I am here for. Spectre just rips it up and is some very cool proto that probably would kill live.

I have mentioned BOC a few times, so it is only fitting the boys do a cover of one of their classics, Stairway To The Stars, and do it justice for sure in their own way. The closer, Dream Into The Future, actually has a 90s feel to it, perhaps a preview of what is to come in that future for the duo.

The only turn off to some for this record may be the sound, as it is raw and occasionally sounds like it may have been lab enhanced a bit too much, but you could also call that charming for a new band on their debut record. 

I personally think Jesse Stilettö put out a fun little ripper of a debut that touches on a lot of the music I love while giving the band room to grow on their next one. Good stuff. 7/10

Sykofant - Red Sun EP (Self Released)

Sykofant is a prog band from Oslo, Norway who bring us three songs to follow up their self-titled record from last year in the form of the Red Sun EP. Bands mentioned in the bio for these guys include Elder, and Pink Floyd and I can hear it on these three tracks that offer all sorts of direction and styles over the 23 minutes of music.

I am not the biggest Floyd fan but I am very familiar with their work, and the opener, Ashes, reminds me very much of the latest period of recorded Floyd, but with a bit more bite to the sound. 

There is a funky prog thing going on here too, and it is very cool, but leads us into a very familiar Floyd sound on song two, Red Sun, which is a bit too on the nose for me, but I am sure people who like that stuff will be fine with this. The closer, Embers, has a bit of a bite to it, and is my favourite of the three songs. It is the proggiest song of the three and is also the most adventurous and unique of the three on the EP.

I dig the atmosphere and the playing is strong on the three songs on Red Sun. I wish all three tracks were more like the last one, as I think the band excels when they go their own way and open up their writing and playing to unique tempos and styles, rather than trying to sound like Pink Floyd. 6/10

Reviews: URSA, Gates To Hell, Destruction, Black And Damned (Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

URSA - Call Of The Infinite (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Shame. Shame on me for almost missing this album from March's review pile. Call Of The Infinite could not be more up my street if they bought the house next to me. Admittedly they'd fill that house with widdly guitar textures, chunky repeating riffs, spatial atmospheres and aggression in all the right places. So I'd probably want live there as well.

Enough about houses though what is this album from Belgian 5-piece like? Well it's got all the things I referred to in my long-winded analogy but also much more. It's a progressive record in that each song delves into the technical ability of these musicians but forms songs that have intense melody, moments of clarity and then the all important riffs metal fans want.

Growled vocals and angular heaviness on tracks such as Major, make you sit up and take notice of this debut album, the switch to ambient moments like on New Levels is organic never feeling forced as they encompass a whole host of progressive music styles, never quite letting you feel comfortable before they whisk you away into so fluid guitars solos or a widdly bass part, a percussive flourish.

I wonder if there's an influence from the freeform Belgian jazz scene as URSA don't seem constrained in their composition, you can definitely hear that the band started out as an instrumental act, the depth of playing is at such a high level that you still get shivers when listing to the instrumental version of the record. There is a need for vocals though, they're often brought in as counterpoint to the melodic tones, increasing the gutteral punch of the heavy parts such as Advance.

Only just a year old, there's years of talent in this band and it shines through in every moment of Call Of The Infinite. 9/10

Gates To Hell - Death Comes To All (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]

Enlisting Randy LeBoeuf as the producer for this record is a very smart decision, he his a maximum noisemaker as anyone who heard the new Kubali Khan TX album will attest. With Randy in the producer chair you know Gates To Hell's new album will be utterly devastating sonically.

Death Comes To All is their second album and this Louisville death metal mob want to fully wreck your skeleton with grimy, grungy, ear shredding extreme metal. The record has a lot of death dirtiness, the ferocity of hardcore and many other gnarly sounds in between. It forces you to confront aggressive music head on, it's raw and intense and not for the faint of heart.

Tracks such as Weeping In Pain have that brutal Nu-Core vibe of bands such as Slipknot as abrasive guitar slides shift into blasts and then breakdowns, 21 Sacraments is bludgeoning and many of these tracks such as Sacrificial Deed pack multiple riffs, breakdowns and frenzy into less than two minutes of run time on average.

A skin peeling death metal record that is a brash as it is brisk, Gates To Hell have big things ahead. 8/10

Destruction - Birth Of Malice (Napalm Records) [Rich Piva]

I was once banned for life from all Caldor stores in the US for attempting to steal the cassette of Destruction’s Cracked Brain. Joke’s on you Caldor, since you have not existed since you closed all 145 of your stores in 1999. Wait, I think I am off track here. I am actually supposed to be reviewing the new record from the German thrash legends, Birth Of Malice, their sixteenth album, and what do you know, it is really good. 

There has been some of these “legendary thrash bands release good records 30-40 years in” situations over the past couple of years, specifically the latest Flotsam and Jetsam record and the absolute ripper from Overkill. I am not sure Birth Of Malice is as good as those records, but it is a worthy effort 40 years in, with this incarnation of the band.

Why it took 40 years for the band to have a song called Destruction is a miss on their part, but they have fixed this with the first full track, which rips and is super fun thrash, finally announcing to the world that they are Destruction. I love it when bands get heavier as the years go by, because Destruction sounds as heavy as they ever have on tracks like No King – No Masters and Scumbag Human Race. 

God Of Gore is as good as any thrash song that has come out in a long time, period. The production on the record sounds great too. Let’s be real though, this is not a bunch of 60 or 70-year-olds up there, as Marcel Schirmer on bass is the only original member and the guy who has been in the band the longest besides him has been only since 2019. 

The record is a bit long, at 50-plus minutes it is a lot. We could have done without a couple tracks and we really didn’t need the Accept cover, but overall, this is a fun outing from a classic thrash band.

A fun record if you dig old school thrash done by a legendary band, especially can get around the fact that Destruction is a much different band personnel-wise then they were back in the day. Birth Of Malice is a good release for this version of Destruction in 2025. 7/10

Black & Damned - Resurrection (RPM - ROAR)[Rich Piva]

Black & Damned play a traditional metal style that sounds a bit too polished for my taste, but certainly can pull off sounding like the Judas Priest stuff people rank at the back end of their discography on their latest and third full length, Resurrection. 

The band is very polished, too polished, and there are all sorts of layers of instrumentation and vocals going, as if there were 96 tracks used, when really all they needed were a few, because these guys can play and understand old school metal. But there are ten songs on this record, and they all kind of sound the same. 

I can not really tell the difference between Ruthless Wrath and Silence Breaker, or really any of them for that matter. The songs are fine, but do I ever need to hear them again, and if I did would I know who it was? Probably not. Resurrection is also a lot, as the 45-minutes seems like 65. 

I am sure there are some people who will like this, but given all of the other amazing metal bands out there today doing this style and bringing something different to the party, I can say that the new Black & Damned record is not for me. 4/10

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025: Interview With Empire Of Dust (Swansea Heat #4)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025

1. Please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know you. Tell us a little bit more about you as a band.

We are Empire of dust, 5 piece sludge/doom band from Bristol.

2. What made you want to participate in the Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 campaign? Have you had previous experience? Or is this your first time?

First time competing in anything like this. Never been too sold on the idea of competition between bands, however its a great opportunity and were stoked to come and see some new faces in the scene.

3. M2TM is all about supporting your local scene. How important is the local scene to you as a band?

The local seen is massive to us, Bristol is a special place for alot of creative things and the heavy music scene is one of them. We have done countless underground shows and put many great nights together for the real music heads and other communities alike. The scene keeps everyone thriving, its amazing to see so many of the same faces in every possible venue/festival/skatepark you name it.

4. What are your expectations from being a part of M2TM?

Expecting to have a good time! Its our first time in Swansea, we really enjoyed any shows we've played in Cardiff and hope that the crowd share the same love.

5. What would playing a Sold Out Bloodstock Festival mean to you?

Obviously would mean the world! Festival shows are always great, one of our most memorable gigs was closing the squatters tights stage at shambala last year. To have an experience like that but targeted directly to the metal heads would be unreal.

6. We encourage all the bands in M2TM to try and check out the other bands, who are you most looking forward to? Who should your fans also try to catch?

The whole M2TM has a lot of sick bands involved, id recommend any fans to try and go to the other cities not just the local show. I wouldn't worry about names I'm sure every heat will have something to offer the crowd.

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025: Interview With Kill By Mouth (Swansea Heat #4)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025

1. Please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know you. Tell us a little bit more about you as a band.

We are Kill By Mouth from Swansea.

Cassar - Vocals & Guitar

Lee - Guitar

Rich - Bass

Gregg - Drums

People describe us as “groove metal”, I like to think we are a bit more complex than that, we do groove, but not in 4/4! Definitely a hardcore sound, with a good helping of thrash thrown in for good measure.

2. What made you want to participate in the Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 campaign? Have you had previous experience? Or is this your first time?

With this lineup, this will be our third year, although previous incarnations of the band entered before that. We were lucky enough to get to the finals the last two years too, so we must be doing something right!

3. M2TM is all about supporting your local scene. How important is the local scene to you as a band?

Without the local scene in Swansea, there would be no bands. We are grateful to all the venues here who are really striving to be more than just “pubs who do bands”. We've been gigging for over 30 in separate bands, and the standard of the music scene is the best I think it's ever been.

Having the final at the Patti Pavilion is amazing too. The final at Fuel in Cardiff was ok, but it felt like another round of heats. Having the all dayer in Swansea, with bands like Discharge (last year) and Acid Reign (this year), show that the organisers are really taking the whole thing to the next level

4. What are your expectations from being a part of M2TM?

As I said, we have reached the finals twice in two years, as have a lot of other bands. It's easy to become disheartened to get so far, but the actual learning experience is probably more valuable than a prize. Obviously you can take what you want from the competition, but the ability to really push your professionalism as a band is worth it for me. The fact that we sold all our merch at last year's final is a bonus too!

5. What would playing a Sold Out Bloodstock Festival mean to you?

Obviously, it would be the pinnacle of any unsigned bands career, especially since it's the only “proper” metal festival in the UK now. I don't think that any band would want to pass up an opportunity like that.

6. We encourage all the bands in M2TM to try and check out the other bands, who are you most looking forward to? Who should your fans also try to catch?

We are big fans of Bleed The Fifth, and one of this years newcomers Made Of. There is probably more of a diverse range this year than previous years. From early 80’s NWOBHM to more modern Metalcore type stuff. There's really a surprise in every heat!

Reviews: The Darkness, Envy Of None, Sammale, Torn From Oblivion (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

The Darkness - Dreams On Toast (Cooking Vinyl) [Matt Bladen]

The Darkness are at their best when they're eclectic, their albums such as Hot Cakes and Pinewood Smile for me are the ones that really stand out. In a catalogue and a pigeonhole of blasting out big rock anthems, one of which had Tay Tay belting out the lyrics at the US Open and sending I Believe In A Thing Called Love to #1 in the iTunes chart. 

If you're looking for these massive glam rock anthems here then you'll be left wanting. However if you want some clever, at time hilarious lyrics, punctuated with heartbreak, celebration and some introspection about ageing and life as a former Rock N Roll Party Cowboy or about farting on Hot On My Trail. 

The Darkness delve deeper into their influences with this record than any previous, The Battle For Gadget Land a track with fuzzy late 70's garage punk, the kind that were rallying against the loadsamoney types of the Thatcher era.

These images playfully explored on the album photos, seeing the band in the pastel suits and slicked hairdos of the Yuppies. However they also have one or two forays with country on Cold Hearted Woman, and Southern rock on Rock N Roll Party Cowboy, when this began I didn't actually think it was Justin singing as he gives the broadest performance to date.

The band come right along with him whether is the Wings-like pop rock of The Longest Kiss or the big strutting rock of Walking Through Fire, this one's as close to "classic" The Darkness as you'll get. Rufus-Tiger and Frankie laying down the big rock beat, while Dan blasts out THAT Quo riff on I Hate Myself. The production of Dan Hawkins used to the fullest in the Weekend In Rome which features one or two similarities to Freddie Mercury's Barcelona.

Described by Justin as an "aromatic aural ragu" Dreams On Toast needs to be devoured by a refined pallette, it ain't just any old slop, this is Michelin Star rock n roll. 9/10

Envy Of None - Stygian Wavz (Kscope) [Matt Bladen]

Envy Of None is a vehicle for the vocalist Maiah Wynne, make no mistake about that. It packs some serious star powered but the focal point of these songs are the breathy, evocative vocals of Wynne, part alt rock, part folk, part dream pop, she is the link between Portishead, PJ Harvey and Chappell Roan, bewitching and beguiling with her haunting voice.

If you've read the reviews or articles on their previous two releases through you'll know behind her Maiah has a hell of band who can deal with the experimental and not always linear style of music this band makes. On bass and programming is Andy Curran, on keys and production is Alfio Annibalini and guitars is Alex Lifeson.

Now if you don't recognise the others, go look them up, you should know Alex as one third of Canadian prog legends Rush. But with Envy Of None, he's more than happy to just be the guitarist, playing music that is quite far removed from the style he's associated with.

A showcase of collective writing talents and with this album a collective sense of growth between the players. On their debut they were all bringing massive talent to the album but only with the EP did they start to find their voice as a band. On this second album they've cemented what Envy Of None is as a band.

Stygian Wavz, named from the works of the Roman poet Ovid begins with the woozy Not Dead Yet, a track with a big heap of Alice In Chains all over it. It's a defiant beginning that quickly shifts into Pixies-like fuzz on The Story, the broadest use of instruments comes on Under The Stars which features some mandola and lots of orchestrations, synths to create a Middle Eastern flavoured groove, these diverse instruments also appear again on The End.

These songs are more cinematic and densely structured than any previous offerings the theatrical scores of sci-fi blockbusters inspiring the title track while Handle With Care brings oscillating synths and trip hop, That Was Then comes with a bit of Floyd atmosphere and Thrill Of The Chase welcomes a bigger influence of 80's music in some funky pop.

With whisperings of live dates and an album that solidifies what this virtuoso combination can really do, Envy Of None navigate theses Stygian Wavz with ease. 9/10

Sammale - Ikiharmaja (Naturmacht Productions) [Mark Young]

Ambient Black Metal, upon first contact I wasn’t even sure if this was a thing. Even now, I’m still confused, but enough about me, what about this which according to the web is their 3rd release and comes courtesy of Naturmacht Productions. 

Digging a little deeper they also note that there is a touch of the atmospheric about their releases which given where they have taken influence from on this, suits the mood perfectly. And it should also be noted that this, with the exception of guest vocals by Jesse Laatikanien on Karjalan Kunnailla has come from one person alone and with that in mind it’s an extraordinary effort.

I’m not going to drill down onto each track because for a release of this scale it would be a redundant exercise. What I would say is that this release has a massive scope to it, where it utilises soft, subtle guitar and thoughtful backing as a way of lulling you into a real false sense of security such as on the opening of Vapauden Virsi (The Hymn Of Freedom) it then detonates into a full black metal assault.

Even within the initial blitzkrieg, it knows that it cannot simply sustain one form of attack. It progresses whilst keeping the melody high on its agenda. It has everything that you could possibly want from black metal in 2025. It has intensity to it that begats speed but also it has this natural ebb and flow to it not unlike a river finding its own path from mountain to the lake. 

There are breathtaking moments and suddenly its 10 minute plus runtime has elapsed and the piano led intro to Soitto Soi Suruisasti (Sorrowfully the Music Plays) starts with Zannibal’s guttural vocals taking centre stage. Of course, the sound and the fury is soon deployed and again it’s a great central melody from which the song springs from. Its this where the song shines, the use of that descending line as a base, an anchor to tether the rest of the song. This is prime black metal, never mind it being ambient or atmospheric. 

The problem with having these as the openers means that the following tracks have to work harder to keep up to their level. By comparison, Karjalan Kunnailla (At the Hills Of Karekia, ft. Jesse Laatikainen) doesn’t have the same reach, which is probably due to it being a more personal track and has that feel of an oft handed down folk tale.

Ruska ja Ahdistus (Autumn And Anxiety) swings the dial back to full speed, leaving the folk behind in its dust. This is more direct and will cause involuntary head banging such is its forward movement. This has that classic vibe to it with some quality riffing in there as well harmony parts that warms the soul. It is not content to stay in that lane for long, the slow down allowing for the speed to be reintroduced gradually and for me there is just a little of Iron Maiden in there too. 

Kaipuu (Longing) is the closing statement, which in some ways is a collection of the best parts of this album. This is not meant as a snarky comment, but more like if someone was to ask me to pick a song that best reflects the album, I would go with this. It has the melody lines, the double bass attack and a classic vibe to it that takes in symphonic, atmospheric approaches and just puts them into a complete package.

This is an album which should wow fans of black metal, no matter what their persuasion. Over the five songs, it displays more range that it has any right to have and to think that this has come from one person, well that is something else. There is a lot on here that works incredibly well and goes a long way to raising the bar for what black metal in 2025 should aspire to be like. It’s a unique endeavour that can only come from someone who has an unshakeable faith in what they believe is the right way to do this form of music. 

I’ll be honest, I didn’t like Karjalan Kunnailla, and for that reason top marks eludes it. However, it does have 4 of the strongest songs that deserve to be heard, and for that it gets a 9/10

Buy it.

Torn From Oblivion - Transcend (Prime Collective) [Mark Young]

And now a slice of Eindhoven extreme music to finish the week off!!

TFO bring their latest EP, Transcend to your friendly streaming service and if your leanings are into Deathcore / Hardcore then you will find lots to love here. Its five quick blasts that clock in at a shade over 20 minutes and manages to mix in enough from each genre to make it a generally worthwhile exercise. Guitars are heavy, vocals do what you’d hope they would do and that hardcore edge shines through. There are some fiendish breaks which resemble being hit in the face by a brick. 

Ill Fate has that balance of brutality and danceability set just right and there is absolutely no doubt that this will cause carnage. Banshee has that same vibe to it but its on here that the similarities to Ill Fate come through, which is probably due to the genre they find themselves in.

There is nothing wrong in its application, its heavy enough but (and this is something that I personally find with this music) is that it feels like they have punched themselves into a corner. On the surface it sounds great, and as an EP this works well but only as an EP. Its one of the reasons I never got into hardcore was that the songs were generally variations on the same arrangement. 

TFO don’t quite fall into that trap, but the overall approach is similar from one track to the next. Putting that to one side, you can hear why they are being lauded as one of the promising new bands coming through, especially on Portrait Of Empty Faces (ft. Sugar Spine) where they hit that sweet spot in terms of balancing the rhythmic assault with a deft melodic touch and for me is the high point here.

Of the final two tracks, they both occupy that same space – violent riffing, vocals that are spat with all the venom you could possibly want to hear. There are definite plus points because it sounds great and it’s a non-stop attack from start to finish and rather than concentrate on the negatives, I’ll just say that fans of this music may have just found their new favourite band. 

What they do next is massive for them, and from what they have done on here there is a lot to back up the praise they have been getting. How they make those next steps will be interesting because you can hear they have the tools to write heavy music. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Phil Campbell And The B*stard Sons (Debby Myatt & Tony Gaskin)

Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons, Fury & Liberty Lies, KK’s Steel Mill, 22.03.25



My biggest regret is never getting to see Motöhead live despite them being one of my all time favourite bands, but for whatever reason, the opportunity never arose and with the passing of Lemmy in 2015 it was never going to happen. But, the music lives on and former Motöhead guitarist (1984-2015) Phil Campbell is celebrating 50 years of the worlds great rock ‘n’ roll band. So we find ourselves once again at our home from home, KK’s Steel Mill for a night of nostalgia and memories.

Opening up tonight were a local band that called it a day three years ago after 15 years of hard slog on the UK rock circuit, but after this short hiatus they have reformed for a few shows including tonight. Liberty Lies (9) stride onto stage with massive grins and waves to familiar faces in the crowd, it’s as if they haven’t been away, the core of the band – Shaun (vocals), Josh (guitar) and Adam (drums) are still here with the addition of Miles Bagshaw now taking up bass duties and they seem very excited to be back!

Their short set is rammed full of the old Liberty Lies favourites kicking off with Someone Else from their highly acclaimed album Reflections before working their way through tracks from their discography of two albums and numerous singles/EP’s. 

The nostalgia is strong tonight as they go right back to their roots with the songs The Wire and Day In The Sun form their debut 2010 EP New Addiction. The music is as strong and powerful as ever, stadium rock, the Black Country’s own Black Stone Cherry. Melodic, soulful tunes with a kick ass attitude. Shaun still has a powerful voice, and Josh’s guitar licks are damn fine.

They are off on tour in April with Fallen State, what happens after that who knows? But if this is their swan song then they bowed out in style.

We make no bones here at MoM at how much we love Fury (10). They are simply one of the most exciting and entertaining bands on the UK rock/metal circuit right now. They always put on an incredible show. The vocal interaction between Julian and Nyah is a joy to watch, the tunes are killer.

They go straight for the jugular with the heavy hitting If You Get To Hell First and you barely have time to catch your breath and wipe the grin off your face before they hit you again with the Maidenesque Prince Of Darkness I just love Toms drumming on this one and it suits Nyah’s voice.

If you’ve been to a Fury show then you know why we get a bit excited when they come round, their shows really are fun, but they are also incredibly talented musicians. Becky is one of the finest bass players you will see and Tom on guitar is the perfect addition to this band. 

The outstanding thing about Fury though is their songwriting, every one is well written and constructed and you can really sing a long to them all. They finish with the epic Road Warrior, another triumphant gig!

There can be no greater influence on the world of heavy metal than Motöhead. When Lemmy was kicked out of Hawkwind and decided to form his own band then a legend was born. 50 years later we have a legacy of music that is uniquely Motöhead thanks to the vision of the original bass assassin.

Tonight, Campbell takes a dive into the back catalogue of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band of all time and takes us through a journey of some of the greatest heavy metal songs ever written.

I guess the hardest decision was what to include. There are the obvious ones of course. Opening up with Iron Fist there’s also Born To Raise Hell, (We Are) The Road Crew, Killed By Death, Bomber, Motöhead, Ace Of Spades and Overkill – Those are the gimmes, but what else would make the cut? Well it was quite a mixed bunch and some not so obvious ones, Damage Case, Going To Brazil, Orgasmatron, Rock Out, Metropolis, Smiling Like A Killer, Lost Woman Blues, R.A.M.O.N.E.S. The Chase……, Heroes and Whorehouse Blues make up the rest of the set, certainly a few surprises – no Stay Clean, Too Late Too Late, Stone Dead, or Jailbait but I guess they had to mix it up a bit!

As for the band, Campbell has honed his sons into a great band these days, Todd on guitar, Tyla on bass and Dane on drums but it’s the addition of Joel Peters on vocals since ‘21 that has really made this band a force to be reckoned with. They handle the songs really well, I guess growing up with them probably helped but Peters put’s his own style on them, he doesn't try to sing them like Lemmy, which for me, is the best way to do it.

As the final echoes of Overkill reverberate around our skulls, we leave happy and I can have some comfort in knowing that I got to see these songs performed by one member of the greatest heavy metal band the world as ever known. This was Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons (10) and they play Rock’n’Roll!

Reviews: Imperial Triumphant, Pop Evil, Gotthard, Anneke Van Giersbergen (Matt Bladen)

Imperial Triumphant - Goldstar (Century Media Records)

If there's a new Imperial Triumphant album you'll never know what to expect, punishing industrial soundscapes as punishing extreme metal is played through the experimental vein of free jazz. 

This trio have been creating music to please themselves for a number of years now, the masked triumvirate always surprise with their records, each one a complex, suffocating trio through desolate cityscapes with art deco visuals around. I've always told anyone who really wants experience the band then do so either live or though headphones.

The latter is the only real way to listen to an album like Goldstar otherwise you'll miss the use of lead bass on Gomorrah Noveaux, which is akin to black metal Primus. It's not just the virtuoso playing though, without headphones much of the claustrophobic atmosphere Imperial Triumphant paint is missed, you can't pick up on the little background sounds, the spoken word fragments and samples. 

Of course praise has to be given to long-term producer Colin Marston who always manages to capture the majesty and misery of IT's music. The band say that Goldstar is an album that "captures the tension between grandeur and collapse" completed in just five days there's a sense of insistence, an underlying panic that is only taken away by creating.

From the jazz parps that end Lexington Delirium, more jazz rhythms on Pleasuredome or the squelching black metal blast of Hotel Sphinx which segues into a synthy version of Handel's Suite No 4 in D Minor, HWV 437, Sarabande (any Dave Gorman fans?) This classical piece of music is retained as a motif for the song. They split the album with a retro cigarette advert for Goldstar brand cigarettes but even that feels haunted as if playing at the back of a Bioshock game.

Goldstar is ominous, disconcerting, euphoric and glorious, Imperial Triumphant continue to forge their own gilded path in the extreme metal world. 9/10

Pop Evil - What Remains (MNRK Heavy)

It's a surprise to me that Pop Evil have eight albums but then I think we've been featuring them here since 2013's Onyx definitely and that was their fourth album. There's a resilience to Pop Evil, they've made their way from the Michigan scene to radio charting, arena selling modern rock masters, fronted by the powerhouse vocals and personal lyrics of Leigh Kaktay.

Pop Evil can be lumped in with bands like Shinedown, Alter Bridge and Breaking Benjamin but they stay true to their own sound too. On What Remains Pop Evil have dialled up the loudness, always a band with the most up-to-date production sound and style they move from Nu-Metal revival on When The Bullets Miss, to industrial noises on Death Walk and into thumping EDM on the title track.

Using the electronic music influences that have become so popular in modern rock music on every track. These atmospheres are due to What Remains being their most introspective album so far, it's also their most collaborative with Drew Fulk (Disturbed/Knocked Loose) producing again as Quistad, Zach Jones (Fever 333), KJ Strock (Ice Nine Kills/Motionless In White), and the Sparrow Sound team of Joe McQueen and Spiritbox bassist Josh Gilbert, all get involved with the sonic presentation of this record.

The huge choruses remain but with tracks such as single Wishful Thinking and Criminal they add some 2000's metalcore heaviness for plenty of beatdowns. Louder, larger and brasher than the previous albums, What Remains sees Pop Evil again evolving with what is popular on rock radio stations, as bands such as Spiritbox, Knocked Loose or Malevolence make waves, the smart ones like Pop Evil adapt to appeal while retaining their earlier mandate. 8/10

Gotthard - Stereo Crush (Reigning Phoenix Music)

I'm not sure what to make of Stereo Crush? It's got a title that should ensure some big hard rock riffs, more that 30 years of rock history lies within the story of Gotthard, they, alongside soon to be tourmates Krokus are the two pillars of Swiss rock music and have been adapting their sound throughout those years but always staying true to their rock n roll roots.

Well some rock n roll roots anyway as Stereo Crush, which the band called their "contemporary" record, seems to be a homage to the Fab Four with songs such as Liverpool and a cover of Drive My Car while spending much of the musical time in the melodic stylings of Bon Jovi. That's basically what their album boils down to, mid-pace stadium rock, a few ballads and some power pop touches on their 14th album.

Is it well written, well produced and well performed? Yeah absolutely. But is it as entertaining as it could be? Not to my ears, I found myself wanting a harder riff, a catchier chorus. I don't really want another song about A.I or another The Beatles cover, I definitely don't want any more Bon Jovi. 6/10

Anneke Van Giersbergen - La Vie EP (Self Released)

The initial part of trilogy of EP's that will form a new album La Vie is the first collection of new songs from Anneke van Giersbergen since 2021. The next two will be entitled La Mort and L'Amour and all three are inspired by Life, Death and Love, thus the titles. They will be a emotive, personal collection of songs written after the passing of both her parents and inspired by the music of the 80' and 90's that formed her musical education in her youth.

Reflective of the past but hopeful for the future, there are few vocalists who can inspire such an emotional response from their music, but Anneke has always been able to bring me to tears and I'm sure will do so again with this new project. We begin with One More Nanosecond, a beautiful song to begin this EP, a longing for things gone by, the massive band Anneke has playing densely orchestrated music..

When I Die is a Middle Eastern inspired, reflective track with Roland CR-78 drum loop, leading into the boisterous More Than A Thousand Words, a track that is hooked on a U2 guitar riff and an pop ear of Simple Minds or early Talk Talk.

This is just the beginning but La Vie is the first part of what could well be the best album from Anneke van Giersbergen to date. 8/10

Reviews: O.R.k, Crimson Glory, Sanhedrin, Gentle Beast (Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

O.R.k - Firehose Of Falsehoods (Kscope) [Matt Bladen]

O.R.k shift their soundscapes again on this fifth album, there is lots of links to King Crimson, final track Dive In, a bonus track on the CD edition feature, features some expressive percussion work from Pat Mastelotto as it moves through a 16 minute run time of heavy riffs, smooth jazz sections, orchestrated moments of bliss and then atmospheric clean guitar that builds from layered acoustics and some parping brass. Its real prog mastery from a band who have all have a background in the genre.

The rhythm section of Mastelotto and bassist Colin Edwin are both prog veterans so these songs always carry a foundation that is slightly off kilter, a counterpoint groove equivalent to Tool on Blast Of Silence. O.R.k play with styles though, Hello Mother and Seven Arms both have the angular fuzz riffs of QOTSA Carmelo Pipitone cracking out the alternative rock that seems to be a major influence on Firehouse Of Falsehoods. The latter has some dark country slide to it as well. Singer LEF is a dead ringer for Chris Cornell so there’s more than just a taste of Soundgarden on the huge riffing The Other Side. Though with 16000 Days they feature some of the slower, artier sound of Temple Of The Dog though with a much bigger production value.

O.R.k’s music is constantly evolving and with Firehouse Of Falsehoods they’ve made alt rock arty, colossal guitar riffs take the centre stage but there’s always that prog heartbeat that directs you into virtuoso playing and technical moments, it’s towards the end of the album really that they adopt their prog beginnings more, Dive In I’ve mentioned but before that is Mask Becomes The Face, a song worthy of Porcupine Tree, and sees former PT man Colin Edwin link up again with former PT second guitarist John Wesley.

Another musical feast for anyone who always thought grunge needed a bit more of art rock influence this Firehose Of Falsehoods is streaming full blast on O.R.k’s fifth album. 9/10

Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory: The Roadrunner Years (Cherry Red Records) [Rich Piva]

Crimson Glory was as good as any other proggy metal band around in the 80s. Yes, that includes bands like Queensryche and Fates Warning. The band was woefully underappreciated when their two classic records came out (their self-titled LP in 1986 and the stone-cold classic Transcendence in 1988), and only relatively recently has the band been given the real love they should have had all along. 

To go along with that, the amazing Cherry Red Records brings us a complete history of the Sarasota, Florida band from their time on Roadrunner Records, from 1986-1991, including the records I mentioned and the not so great but also not terrible third album Strange And Beautiful, along with a handful of bonus tracks. The set is a great way to capture the band at the height of their powers, and even where the direction was starting to go before lead singer, Midnight, left the band.

The first two records are untouchable. Queensryche put out Rage For Order and Mindcrime the same two years as these records, so you could see how they may have been overlooked. But while Queensryche had the stories and the mullet, CG had the man in the mask, the late Midnight, who could hang with Geoff any day. These two records are absolute must listens for anyone who loves 80s metal and wants to hear it at its best. So, buy this new set just for that and the Japanese bonus tracks you get with it. 

Strange And Beautiful is an odd record, and maybe I would have liked it more if it was not Crimson Glory putting it out. It sounds more like Cinderella’s Heartbreak Station than Queensyrche’s Empire and that is fine, but listening to it again recently made me cringe a bit, given have much of a shift it was, and let’s not talk about the saxophone. It is a fun listen to go end to end on this set to hear how the band progressed over the five-year span, and how a band in crisis sounds after losing two original members and just not vibing as a group any longer.

In summary, if you have never heard the first two Crimson Glory records, what’s wrong with you? Go listen to this now. You can ignore disc three if you want, but you may find a gem or two on there as well. Thank you once again to Cherry Red for helping to continue to spread the word on underappreciated bands and albums. 8/10

Sanhedrin - Heat Lightning (Metal Blade Records) [Matt Bladen]

Sanhedrin are Erica Stoltz (vocals/bass), Jeremy Sosville (guitar/vocals) and Nathan Honor (drums) and they’re a throwback to the beginnings of what we now call heavy metal, power trio rock n roll that owes much to rock bands such as Motorhead, Budgie, Anvil and Raven as well as the New York punk scene that featured The Ramones. Just bass, guitar, drums and vocals, recorded analogue in isolation with just the rock n roll flowing. It’s an old school way to do it but Sanhedrin have been creating their niche for over a decade, there’s a ‘street metal’ sound that can only really come from a New York band worn well all over Sanhedrin’s music. 

So with this new record they’re focussing their live performances into a studio environment alongside Matt Brown (Life Of Agony, A Pale Horse Named Death) and Jerry Farley (Sick Of It All, Madball) changing from their previous three albums. It makes Heat Lightning sonically more accomplished than what has come before but it’s still an album that will only really appeal if you’re a fan of the brazen rock n roll Sanhedrin have to offer. If any of the bands I mentioned earlier in the review are in your favourites then you’ll be playing Heat Lightning at 11. 7/10

Gentle Beast - Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier...From Outer Space (Sixteentimes Music) [Rich Piva]

Swiss stoners Gentle Beast are back with their second record, once again delivered by Sixteentimes Music, titled Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier (...from outer space), which certainly sets up expectations for this album to be a weird, wild, and fun ride. You do get some of that, but for me this more of just a very solid, yet straight ahead stoner rock record.

Yeah, there is some sense of humor in some of the lyrics, giving this record a bit of personality, but is this a b-movie soundtrack with riffs? No, and that is fine, because songs like the opener, Planet Drifter, is quite the ripper, with a killer riff and excellent guitar work. Voodoo Hoodoo Space Machine is where you get some of the fun, and I love the chunkiness of the riff and the thunder of the rhythm section on this one. 

I love how Mammoth Roams actually sounds like the title and is probably my favourite track on the record, mostly because of how many cool directions the song goes in just four and a half minutes. I dig the use of keys on Witch Of The Mountain, even if the spoken word part was unnecessary, but the fast-slow-fast tempo changes are nicely done. The record drags a bit in the middle, but the it ends strong, with the chugging riffs of Revenge Of The Buffalo and the trippiness of The Last Smoke.

Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier (...from outer space) is a fun and solid stoner rock record. Is the second Gentle Beast offering going to blow anyone away and make them readjust their top albums list? Probably not, but if you like well crafter stoner rock then you will enjoy the record. 7/10

Reviews: Ricky Warwick, Edge Of Paradise, NITE, Streetlight (Matt Bladen)

Ricky Warwick – Blood Ties (Earache Records)

You’d think Ricky Warwick had enough going on with the return of The Almighty, the continued touring and recording with Black Star Riders and also occasionally fronting Thin Lizzy when they’re rolled back out. However it seems he’s a glutton for punishment and has released a new solo album, entitled Blood Ties. Co-written with ex-Buckcherry man Keith Nelson, Blood Ties is an album full of the guitar driven, honest, blue collar rock n roll, never really shifting from what Warwick has been associated with for many years.

Country meets Thin Lizzy on The Crickets Stayed In Clovis, Angels Of Desolation gets the album going with a huge rocker, while Rise And Grind (surely Warwick’s motto?) is a sleazy groover. You can hear Ricky has poured everything into this record, it takes from every part of his career, Blood Ties is the Ricky Warwick songbook, be it the rough-hewn rock of Dead And Gone or the punk of Wishing Your Life Away which reminds me of The Almighty, The Hell Of Me And You which is BSR as Crocodile Tears is more in line with the rest of his solo career and will sound great blasted out by his solo band The Fighting Hearts. 

To add to his Blood Ties on this record he has a few guests appearing with him, they are Billy Duffy from The Cult, Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke and Lita Ford who duets with Warwick on the 90’s power pop of Don’t Leave Me In The Dark. Blood Ties is more songs from the coalface of rock n roll, Warwick could easily be the hardest working man in rock n roll but he always seems to ensure quality in his quantity. 8/10

Edge Of Paradise - Prophecy (Napalm Records)

Categorised as "cinematic metallic rock" Edge Of Paradise have had some high profile supports with the big bands that also blend symphonics, electronics and metal. Prophecy is their sixth album and it's an album that in their words "takes a stand against indifference" A call to make us be more human in the unrelenting face of algorithms and artificial intelligence as we head towards "The Singularity" (Google it).

Prophecy is the first album that features 8 string guitars from composer Dave Bates and David Ruiz, so it's a much heavier record than previous, the low end now much more prominent as they use the inspiration of Djent bands for some massive grooves on tracks such as Martyr (Monster) but with The Other Side Of Fear they aren't afraid to go a bit pop either due to Margarita Monet's keys.

Margarita's expressive vocals to mean they can try their hand at various flavours, from the huge Nu-Metal beginnings of Death Note, the gothy Give It To Me (Mind Assassin) which features Ludovico Technique or the breathy creepy balladry of Relive Again. There's huge hangover from the likes of In This Moment and New Years Day on Prophecy, electronics and metal combined in the way that is still very fashionable. Edge Of Paradise get darker with their sixth record and it will open up new avenues for them. 7/10

NITE – Cult Of The Serpent Sun (Season Of Mist)

Filthy, occult, evil NWOBHM-inspired metal now as NITE return with another set of Satanic sermons. Fans of Venom, Celtic Frost, Angel Witch and the early black metal bands formed in the 80’s will find lots to embrace on Cult Of The Serpent Sun. Van Labrakis’ snarled vocals now grunt lyrics that a bit more down to Earth than their cosmos exploring previous album. 

Cult… is NITE writing an album about pace, Labrakis says that fans associate more with the faster songs so on this third album they set down a throbbing Rickenbacker based gallop from Avinash Mittur and a persistent beat from drummer Patrick Crawford on Skull and rarely let things get any slower. The production on this album makes it sound ‘bigger’ than just a wall of noisy blackened rock n roll, a track such as The Mystic has synths and slow burning psychedelia while The Last Blade opens with classical guitars before moving into triumphal anthemic heavy metal. 

Cult Of The Serpent Sun is an album where the rhythms stay true to the roots of NWOBHM, the duelling leads of Labrakis and Scott Hoffman peeling off solos and harmonies with ease on Carry On. A throwback to both the British metal school and the Scandi one, combining both with forward thinking attitude on songs like Tarmut. Blackened NWOTHM that keeps evolving, NITE continue to have a broad appeal to metal fans. 8/10

Streetlight – Night Vision (Frontiers Music Srl)

Frontiers, Sweden, AOR. You know the drill. It’s the new album from Streetlight, their second in total and it’s steeped in tradition but with modern touches so it’d not a proper pastiche. Influences of Foreigner, Survivor and Journey, they balance the saccharine with sturdy, the keys on Long Distance Runner and Captured In The Night especially sounding like Journey. Heck the whole album does and if any point you wanted a songs for movie set in the 80’s but couldn’t afford the licence for Mr Perry, Mr Schon and co, Streetlight could slot in easily. 

There’s vocoder and 808 clap on Sleep Walk, a couple of ballads and anthemic slow songs, a retro return from an era when this music was on every radio station. Guitar and synth driven melodic rock with powerful vocals, it could be 1983 all over again and there’s no other label this could be on than the one named for Journey’s breakthrough record of that same year. Modern production, classic songwriting the influences on this Night Vision are as clear as day! 7/10

Reviews: Vitskär Süden, Diatheke, Sloth, Wythersake (Rich Piva & Mark Young)

Vitskär Süden - Vitskär Süden Reissue (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Vitskär Süden may be known for singing about D&D which is fun and all, especially if you were into it (I was not), but to paint the band into that corner would be a huge mistake, because there is not a band in the heavy music community today that makes more beautifully dark music than Vitskär Süden. Now paired with Ripple Music, the band has a new audience that discovered their version of heavy, which is less about riffs and more about atmosphere and the story behind song. 

The band did this so well on their latest record, their second for Ripple, and third overall, Vessel. But what about that first album that was not on Ripple? How do I get my hands on that slab of dark goodness? Well, Ripple has you covered, as the best label in rock has now, for the first time, offered a physical release for the self-titled debut of Vitskär Süden, and how happy we should all be.

If you have not heard the band before, they are a beautiful slow burn that is more Nick Cave than Sabbath, but like if Nick Cave only listened to Sabbath. Really they sound like Vitskär Süden, so a comparison is not really fair, but the debut record is the perfect starting point for this band’s journey, as it incorporates the slow beauty in a track like War Machine Crimson, 

Their ability to incorporate melody around the slow and sparce darkness in a song like Painted Faces, and the vision to be heavy in their own way, with great guitar and synth collaboration in a song like Trickle Of The Snail. My favourite track on the record is Heathens, as it has it all, with the addition of some harmonized vocals to go with all the other goodness. The eight tracks flow perfectly; beginning to end is the only way to most effectively listen to this journey.

The remastering for the vinyl is top notch here, as this record sounds just amazing, like it was only meant for this format, and given all of the atmosphere iit could have gone the other way, but Vitskär Süden could not have sounded better.

Thank you, once again, to Todd from Ripple for bringing Vitskär Süden’s debut to a wider audience in the form of this repress. Having the band’s trilogy of albums all available makes the legend of Vitskär Süden grow even more. Excellent stuff, do not miss it. 9/10

Diatheke - And The Word Was God (Rottweiler Records) [Mark Young]

This is a very assured debut release from Diatheke, who decided that if you are going to do a concept album, then the maxim of ‘go big or go home’ should be applied at every stage of the journey. Their take on Progressive Death Metal sees them change lane with alarming speed but also with intelligence. 

The opening gambit, The Creator is a near thirteen-minute exploration of Biblical themes that initially starts slowly as instrumental bars slip away to usher in the band proper. So far, so normal as they bring in a solid groove but the first signs of that progressive edge starts to make itself known as tempo’s change as well as primary weapons of aural destruction. 

Its difficult (and boring for you) to describe it, but in that first 5 or so minutes their willingness to jump between styles and approaches is there. Riffs are razor sharp, drum patterns are built and delivered by an evil genius and sat amongst that are vocals that change on a penny from the guttural to the clean. 

It’s a brave move by them to effectively write a song like this and just tee it up as their starting point. There is so much going on, it is the definition of what an ‘epic’ track sounds like. No repeated measures, no guitars that drone on, its just wave after wave of engaging music that places an amazing amount of pressure on the rest of the album to deliver.

Well, next up is The Deceiver and on this they chose violence. This is a focused attack where they just keep hitting you and hitting you, its phenomenally tight but replete with some mint melody lines that keep that progressive edge bubbling whilst not getting in the way of brutality. Its quite the thing and acts as a net in some ways from The Creator before The Promise comes in and changes the atmosphere from one of darkness to light. This may sound twee, but bear with me. Its still heavy, but it feels like it is bathed in light when compared to the two that preceded it. 

There are massive Opeth vibes running through this and as I’ve been saying recently listening to this with headphones is something else. Its clear as day, each touch is there and it sounds fantastic. If they continue on this path, I’m going to run out of ways of saying how good it is. The Promise amps up the progressive side, using discord where necessary as well. Its incredible that they have managed to hit these heights and then stay there.

The Redeemer comes in on that front foot again, bringing in some exceptional guitar work and its at this point that I notice the track lengths are insane. Of the 6 songs here, The Deceiver is the shortest at 6 minutes, the rest are 8 and above and this one weighs in at 10 minutes. The point I’m making with this is that none of them feel like they are long songs. 

The Redeemer has this section around the 6-minute mark, just before the cleans come in which is royal, one of those hairs on the arms just for the way its executed. The way the cleans come in on here and elsewhere is not forced, it’s just written that way and it works superbly.

And there is no let-up, The Empowerment with a galloping riff that I always love to hear, coupled with an eastern tinge, is just royal. Like the others, it’s a repeat of how to change organically and thematically within one song and its effortless. The balance between the heavy and the subtle, the light and dark is exemplary. Check out the stomping slow-down around 3 and half minutes, there are bands out there who would sell their mothers for riffs as good as this.

With The Coronation we reach the end of the trip, and the well of inspiration is showing no signs of drying up. It is an uplifting piece, which provides a fitting bookend to what has got to be a sure-fire AOTY contender. I’ve not heard anything like this in terms of how wide the scope is, how well it sounds and how well it is executed. 

For once, the accompanying PR is bang on in terms of how good this is, and yes it was difficult to express that, I think once you get sat down with this it will all become clear. How they will top this, I have no idea but I suggest you get hold of this immediately. 10/10

Sloth - Necromagicka EP (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

You have to love it when a band lives up to its name, and Los Angeles, California’s Sloth certainly does that on their new EP, Necromagicka. This is four-ish songs, (one is a short intro) two new and two live, of some serious low and slow psych covered doom that is really slow and good, if you hang in there.

Why do you need to hang in there? Because not counting the two-minute intro, the average song length here is 11 minutes, but if you like your doom to slowly plod along the ground both destroying and getting high with everything in its wake, then this one is for you. The highlight here is the title track, as Necromagicka is some serious excellent funeral doom, with killer guitar work borrowed from all of the masters of the genre and some vocals that incorporate a cool effect on the voice, that combine to make this my favourite Sloth song yet. 

This is fuzzy, heavy, slow, and did I mention heavy, and is worth the price of admission alone. You also get two live tracks that give you what the experience would be seeing the band in the flesh, which I would imagine would be two or three songs total given how long they are, but it would be so worth it.

Sloth’s Bandcamp bio calls it perfectly: 70’s style fuzzy, psyched out, funeral paced occult doom. Yup. Agree. I love the guitar work, I love the vibe, I love the fuzz. Worth your time, even those with a short attention span because the Necromagicka EP is a crusher. 7/10

Wythersake - At War With Their Divinity (Scarlet Records) [Mark Young]

Sometimes you just don’t get on with an album. It’s not you, its me is probably as close as an explanation I can offer as to why this occurs. It doesn’t seem to matter that it has all of the core ingredients you like – aggressive guitar, pummelling drums but at the heart there is something not quite there for you. And unfortunately, this is the case here with Wythersake and their sophomore release of At War With Their Divinity. 

I’ve sat and listened and I can appreciate it on those terms but it didn’t grab me in a way I expected. What you have is 12 songs that deliver blackened death with hints of the symphonic in there, which are presented well. Each one follows what I would class as a traditional format with racing tempos that sees the first three songs come and go in a blur. This is fine for some but as the album progresses there is not much variance in this attack and as a result I’m not engaged as I would like.

In the past, effort and a good sound would mask some weaknesses in the material being played, for example the low-end riffing of Dancing Plagues Of Modern Man set against those quickfire drums or the high-speed start of the title track At War With Their Divinity would act as a pick me up to get onboard and look at the overall picture but not today. Its like they have backed themselves into a corner by going down the blitzkrieg route which is fine but measuring it against some of the releases that have come out so far this year I need something more than just pure speed. 

It feels mechanical in some respects and I know from a technical point of view its played to a high standard (certainly one I’ll never get near in my own playing) but it doesn’t inspire to set about trying to learn them and I think it’s a case of you soon recognising an emerging form to the songs where each one is of a similar nature to the one before. When there is a deviation, such as the more traditional black metal leanings of Gotterdammerung which has some class guitar going on, you think why couldn’t bring more like this? 

When they do slow down on The Autumnal Passing, that reduction in tempo allows them to bring in the atmosphere which makes it hit harder and allows them to breath a little. Shrines Of Offal Rise brings the speed back, again it does its job but its not as worthwhile to me as The Autumnal Passing. Reading this back I feel like that meme of ‘old man shouting at clouds’ and its possibly correct but what is the benefit of being old(er) if you can’t complain about things?

So, to close out I can say that I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. For those who love blackened death with definite symphonic leanings, then this is right up your street. For me, as I’ve said it passed me by without getting its hooks into me and for that it’s. 6/10