Reviews: Devin Townsend, Sarcasm, Brocarde, Galvanist (Simon Black. Mark Young, Matt Bladen & Adz Redpath)

Devin Townsend - The Moth (Inside Out Music) [Simon Black]

This is going to be a really tricky review to write…

The remarkably talented Mr Townsend is an incredibly prolific writer. He has on average produced an album of new studio material in one incarnation or another since he first appeared out from behind Steve Vai’s shadow in the early 1990’s, and even Covid only slowed him down and forced him to clear the archives of live material to keep momentum going. 

In that time, he has stylistically ping-ponged in so many directions (even to more conventional rock ‘n’ roll territory as a collaborator with the equally prolific Ginger Wildheart), to the point where it’s pointless trying to attach labels to his work, as frankly he’s a sub-genre all on his own.

People either seem to love him or hate him, yet whenever I play haters a few choice tracks without telling them to whom they are listening they often declare a liking, because there’s so much variety in his discography that almost every taste is catered to somewhere. 

I’ve come across him fairly late in the day myself and have generally been rather blown away by the bulk of what I have heard, so when this piece was offered to me, I leaped forwards greedily… then proceeded to hit a wall. 

Because here’s the rub – it’s probably his masterwork, which has been gestating for a decade because the scope of his vision was way more than he could realistically achieve in a normal album / tour cycle.

I, however, found it an impossibly challenging listen…

My esteemed editor is probably contemplating brutal and bloody ends for me as he reads this, because on paper it should absolutely hit my sweet spot. It’s a hugely intricate 24 track conceptual record, it goes beyond progressive into full-blown orchestral – and not with synths, but a full blown orchestra, a choir and a plethora of guest voices in an Avantasia style Rock Opera (not operatic in the musical sense, but in the mode of distinct characters personified by the guests) and it’s the brainchild of probably one of the most talented musicians currently writing and recording today.

But no, I found it really challenging to digest.

I’m no stranger to gritting my teeth on concept albums – I’ve trudged through enough Euro Power Metal albums in the reviewers’ slush pile to know very quickly where the gems and the dirt are to be separated, but this record took me four full spins and still I’m struggling to articulate my thoughts (bearing in mind I usually know what I’m going to write about an album a couple of tracks into the first spin, because I’ve been doing this off and on for 30 years). 

Usually by this point familiarity wins me over to a band’s side, but the whole point of this piece seems to be to unsettle the listener. It’s a deeply self-reflective about coming to terms with yourself, and Townsend brilliantly translates that traumatic experience to record. 

You aren’t going to find a hit single here, and I very much doubt it will ever get played live, because this record veers all over the place and would probably require someone like Terry Gilliam to turn into a concert movie to do it any justice.

It’s mostly a lot lower tempo, and when the rock parts arrive, they don’t stay around long – often dropping into create a point of crescendo mid-point in a song, before dropping back to eclectic but softer territory. 

Vocally the bulk of Townsends lyrics are delivered in a soft but high falsetto, with his more distinctive rock voice barely used. Yet all his vocals take a remarkably diplomatic role in the mix, with the choirs and orchestration dominating the soundscape (as they would live), and he and his more traditional instruments of mayhem scaled back into the mix. 

The effect is to create the sense that he’s just one more instrument in the mix, but the challenge is this makes unpicking the material much more difficult for the listener, who let’s face it is not going to bother to read the helpfully supplied lyric sheet as mere hacks like me when trying to sound like we know what we’re talking about. 

I don’t like it; I love it because this is a true marmite album. The thing about Devin Townsend is that even if this one doesn’t pull all your strings, even as a fan of some eras of his output, there will be another one along very soon. 

I can also see this album ear worming its way into my psyche over time, even though I know each and every time it will be a tough and challenging listen, because real art should not be shallow and simplistic. 8/10

Sarcasm - Lifeforce Omnibound (Hammerheart Records) [Mark Young]

The incredibly reliable Hammerheart Records have done it again, with Sarcasm casually serving up a slice of old school Scandinavian death metal as if it was a back hand return at Wimbledon.

Sarcasm, as an entity have been around since the 90’s with what could be described as a stuttering, stop-start existence. The current line-up contains one member from that early period, vocalist Heval Bozarslan, who brings that experience to the table. 

Lifeforce Omnibound is the 6th album since the bands rebirth and is really what you would expect from them. Starting up hot with Essence Of Existence, its straight in with a furious statement of intent; Riffs at speed, that classic pummelling drum sound and an overall feeling of momentum that you look for in the opening song. 

As a scene setter, it leaves you in no doubt as what is coming next, and basically tells you that if you like this, then the following 7 songs are a doozy. If not, off you go. Personally, I loved it; no introductory instrumental that goes nowhere, just bang, off we go. 

Same with Altering The Perception, that class swedeath approach is in full view here and as a one-two it’s a belter. I appreciate that there a thousand bands who do this and its strange for me that I don’t always react the way I do here, but I’m enjoying this. 

The Reward Of Adversity represents this albums masterwork, starting on a burning build that allows them to pull back ever so slightly just before they come back in. It has a swing to it, almost classical in the way that they unwrap it but shows that they are unafraid to push themselves when it needs to. 

They are noted as atmospheric depending on where you look online, I didn’t get that vibe but what I did get was that they know how to put songs together. The main riff is a sliding beast of a thing, with hints of Carcass in there. Its just a good song, one that combines everything we love about metal into one place. 

It also settles the rest of the songs to be able to come in and shine; Crumbling Mind Edifice tears along whilst Plunged Into A Paradox is crushing. It’s a healthy mix that stays within the overall DNA first shown with Essence Of Existence and its delivered to a high standard too. That level of quality is maintained throughout, with a latter high point being A Concept Older Than Time, the shortest track here that seems to have the most going on in it. Empirical Life Metaphysical maintains both speed and brutality, bringing these 8 tracks to a satisfactory close.

Now, it’s a shoo-in that if you have any appreciation for Scandinavian metal then this is going to tick so many boxes for you. I’m not suggesting that it’s the pinnacle of form, but I am saying that it is a damn good album, one that knows what it wants to do and achieves it. 8/10

Brocarde - Good Attendance At Sunday School (Self Released)

Brocarde is an artist who dwells on the fringes, outside of music she has married and divorced the ghost of a Victorian soldier, which led to appreances on Say Yes To The Dress, This Morning and First Dates and writing a paranormal column in a newspaper.

So a less than ordinary life for a less than ordinary artist, but then this entire album is inspired by being an outsider, a "one woman horror story" whose music is just as intense and vibrant as her fashion sense, both just as important to the overall theatrical, gothic, witchy aesthetics.

Appearing on the music scene for the first time in 2019, Brocarde immediately got people talking with her debut single which was praised for being innovative and dynamic, combining multiple genres without any fear of alienating gatekeepers, but appealing to those who feel themselves drawn towards the more experimental side of the rock/metal sphere.

On the back of that she led ghost hunt at Download and seance at Wacken, the collision between horror and music, closely linked as she tells stories drawn from her own experiences and her influences, written over the course ten years, this a multicoloured journey through her journey to where she is today.

A twisted fairytale of rock, goth, punk, industrial, classical and more colliding as Feed My Soul blends Three Blind Mice with some haunting goth rock, there's twitching electronics and huge orchestrations on Last Supper and a vocal prowess that reaches the heights of Maria Brink but with a distinctly British diction, which lends itself to the Victorian Horror aesthetic.

I can hear the likes of Kittie on Haunted, which is about her spectral ex and features stinging Steinman like strings against some Nu-Metal riffs, while Identity Theft has the aggression and rage of Lauren Tate/Delilah Bon and Blank Pages, which ends the album could be a Kate Bush song in its fragility.

Brocarde's debut won't be for everyone but that's by design, it's avant-garde, experimental music with a dark mantra, a strong feminist power and a dalliance with the occult on every track. I urge you to listen to it as you just get bewitched by it. 8/10

Galvanist - The Space Between Stars (ATMF) [Adz Redpath]

Galvanist are from Bozeman, Montana, they weave an intricate and brutal soundscape which manages to balance true heaviness and anger with a haunting melancholy that is genuinely intriguing and a blend that many fail to accomplish yet this group manages with aplomb. 

There is a striking balance between doom, death metal and several other sub genres within the extreme sector, to narrow this sound to a single genre would be disingenuous as this is a group truly trying to have their own voice with an unrelenting fist to the face.

These are not short tracks, once the intro has set the stage as it were then the shortest track clocks in at over 7 minutes so be ready for a journey. 

The Production on show here is reasonable although not top tier however with that being said I think it adds to the feel and attitude on display here and in particular on the tracks Dreich and the haunting Spiorad, this could be jarring for some but for myself I genuinely had goosebumps and on a damn hot day that's a success in my mind. 

A true soundscape is what is brought to you here, the musicianship is of a high level on all fronts but not in a pretentious way which I truly am glad to see, it feels like the whole band is writing for the song and not themselves, blending a sound that is homogenous and endearing in its scope. 

Huge vocals and drums with a great and tasteful use of keys and samples throughout whilst not overdoing that side of things which is so easily done within the doom centric genres. The standout here though are the vocals which convey true emotion and angst throughout and are truly compelling.

The production on the guitars and bass could do with some fine tuning in future to add more definition and separation and maybe a touch more clarity on the guitars and maybe pushing the vocals forward in the mix if I were to nitpick but these are genuinely just minor tweaks that would only elevate in future releases and don't detract from what is a group that brings to mind so many sounds even the likes of Neurosis at their peak and I don't say that lightly.

Whilst this might not be for the casual listener or a newbie to the styles on show here it is a release that has a lot to offer and whilst not their first ( I believe it to be their fourth from what I can find online ) The discordant soundscape and vocal attitude on display here will have a true fan of death and doom hungry for more.

An EP that you will play again and has truly undeniable potential. 7/10