A View From The Back Of The Room: Lacuna Coil (Live Review By Daniel Howell)

Lacuna Coil & Blind Channel, KK’s Steel Mill Wolverhampton, 22.10.24

Editor's Note: Massive thanks to Daniel for reviewing this show and helping me out of big pickle. He was attending the show and said that he would review it for me. I think he's done a brilliant job.

Tonight’s show is at the KK’s Steel Mill, a fantastic modular venue with great sound and a great atmosphere. Helping that atmosphere is a healthily large crowd, this tour hasn’t sold out any venues, but that’s ok as it makes a refreshing change to being crammed in like sardines. What is clear from the chattering of the queue, is the anticipation and excitement of seeing one of the most exciting bands in gothic metal, for some it’s a first time, but not for me who has followed this band since my early teens, and saw them back on the Karmacode tour in 2006.

First up though is the support act, whom I had not heard of before tonight, Blind Channel (7). A support act’s key role is to warm up the crowd, and they certainly understood the assignment. With influences ranging from nu-metal, to rap and hip-hop it was certainly a strange mix, but the energy was there, and they dragged the crowd with them getting us to crouch down, jump up and sing along. The solo rapping section was impressive and not unwelcome, as were the metal breakdowns that swiftly followed. 

They misread the crowd a little, asking us to part for a wall of death with no one really moving bar a couple, but they went with it and quickly moved on. Peppered into their set was a decent cover of System Of A Down’s B.Y.O.B. (cue much singing along) and their penultimate song was a metal version of Everybody by the Backstreet Boys which was both amusing and entertaining in equal measure. Even if they were a world apart from Lacuna Coil, I along with the rest of the crowd couldn’t help but to bop along and thoroughly get lost in the vibe.

After a fairly brief changeover, it was time for what we were all here for, and we were not disappointed. Kicking off with Blood, Tears, Dust we were treated to the pounding base line and ferocity of Andrea’s growls intertwined with the hauntingly soaring highs of Christina’s voice. Lacuna Coil’s (9) stage presence can be best described as less is more, with very little equipment aside from instruments, combined with a modicum of makeup, showing us that what you see is what you get.

What we got was a great mix of old, new and renewed, featuring songs from Karmacode, dark adrenaline, up to black anima, new songs from next year’s yet to be released album and a smattering of songs from Comalies XX, a reimagining of songs from their 2002 album. 

Christina asked if we remembered how to sing along with our truth, and with an enthusiastic response she got her answer and it felt like we were one with her singing through the opening vocalisations. Entwined XX into Heaven’s A Lie XX was a similar fantastic singalong with the band clearly thriving off the energy we were freely returning to them.

After quickly dealing with an interrupting heckler by informing him again of the new albums release date (Sleepless Empire is due for release February 2025), to raucous laughter from the audience, they launched into another new track which on the album will feature Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe, called Hosting The Shadow. The relentless drums and guitars notwithstanding, Andrea is no Blythe, but that doesn’t stop him from absolutely smashing it taking nothing away from the live performance.

A quick break before the encore, featuring 3 songs from Comalies XX, with Aeon XX into Tight Rope XX showing off Christina’s epic range, before another classic singalong to Swamped XX to much approval from myself and those around me. To finish? Nothing Stands In Our Way, with the band getting us to scream ”We fear nothing!” over and over as loud as we can, to prepare our part in what’s coming, and we gladly oblige. Ending the show with a photo and a group bow to constant whooping and applause, Lacuna Coil gave everyone a fantastic night out, and definitive proof they will be back again on our shores, bigger and better than ever. 

Reviews: Jerry Cantrell, Pyrogaric, Assassin, The Hypothesis (Reviews By Rich Piva, Matt Bladen, Paul Hutchings & Mark Young)

Jerry Cantrell - I Want Blood (Double J Music) [Rich Piva]

When it is all said and done Alice In Chains will be one of, if not the most influential band that came out of the 1990s. This is one hundred present true for the music that I love, as I hear AIC in a huge chunk of the new bands I dig. 

The main reason for this is Jerry Cantrell for so many reasons. Jerry should be revered for all he has done for heavy music, as his guitar playing, songwriting, and use of harmonies is still widely heard in new music today. After Black Sabbath, Alice In Chains is the most mentioned influence I get when interviewing or reading about heavy bands today. 

All of this is to say that we should all celebrate when we get new Jerry music, this time in the form of his fourth solo record, I Want Blood. Jerry’s solo stuff has been anywhere from good to great to me, but somewhat of a mixed bag, relatively speaking for a guy who can really do no wrong to my ears. 

His solo stuff has veered a bit away from AIC stuff, but never too far, as you always know it is him, but leaning in to a more bluesy or straight-ahead hard rock feel then the dark gunge of what his band brings. I Want Blood, however, leans into his AIC past and present, with a heavier and darker record, filled with those riffs he is known for and some songs way closer to Alice songs then on his previous solo records, with excellent results.

You can hear this right off the bat with the opener, Vilified. Jerry’s guitar is in full AIC mode with vocals that could be from Dirt. This is a filthy solo Jerry track that we all are dying for when we hear there is new music from him dropping. Off The Rails is more like other solo material but somehow darker, especially the guitar work and how he merges two of his parts into one. I love the title track, a straight-ahead, no BS heavy rocker that fits perfectly with the nine tracks. 

Throw Me A Line is great too, a nice combination of AIC and Jerry solo wrapped up in one tune. Same idea with Let It Lie. Tracks like Afterglow and Echoes Of Laughter are solid Jerry solo tracks, and I enjoy them, but I like it darker, so while these tracks are not skips in any capacity, they are not my favourite on the record. The record ends in grand fashion, with Held Your Tongue which sounds like something from the self-titled AIC record and It Comes, one of those Jerry tracks that crawls along, catches you, and doesn’t let go.

I Want Blood is a great combination of the great Jerry solo stuff and more AIC leaning material. This may be Cantrell’s best solo work since Boggy Depot and a set of nine songs that should in no way disappoint his loads of fans. 8/10

Pyrogaric - The Serpent (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Welsh proto-doom band Pyrogaric return with their second full length album The Serpent, having been a duo before this, this second album sees them recording as a trio as bassist Rhys Hone joins guitarist Keelan Deri Powell and drummer/vocalist Jamey-Leigh Butcher. With this added bottom end grunt, it not only means these songs have a broader sonic palette, from the chugging Over The Line to the doomy I'm Invisible that added bass rumbles heavy letting Keelan get some chances to do some lead breaks as Hone takes the rhythm.

Jamey-Leigh's breezy drumming and wailing on God's Plan showcases her skills, the gothic moment of The Serpent harks to some Sabbath as does Fly On The Wall and they have added strings to some of their tracks here too especially on a new version of Sweet Insomnia. The Serpent takes Pyrogaric strongly into their trio era, these stage honed tracks of fuzzy proto-doom have finally been put to record and it will slither its way under your skin. 8/10

Assassin – Skullblast (Massacre Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Reach back in the annals of thrash metal and you’ll find Assassin. You can also read a review by Rich Oliver of 2020’s Bestia Immundis in these very pages. As Rich says, Assassin has never reached anything more than cult status, and with their first ever EP and first music for four years, it’s probably in the underground where the five-piece from Dusseldorf are likely to stay.

 
The first thing to say is that if you are a fan of no-nonsense savage thrash metal, then Skullblast is likely to be one worth checking out. It is ferociously played and delivered, with dual lacerating guitars and guttural vocals that rip through your heart. You want gang shouts? You got ‘em. You want paint peeling lead breaks? It’s all here. And there’s also a robust cover of Peter Green’s Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) to irritate the purists. What more can you ask for?

The band have welcomed Patrick Pagliaro to add some vocals on Blood For Blood and Cut Your (Own) Throat, which brings added heft to proceedings. Think Sodom, Destruction and the like and you’ll have a good idea of what’s going on here. It’s well delivered, well produced and played loud caused me to break the speed limit on a drive a few times.

 
As a thrash fan, I found this perfectly acceptable, well-honed fare. It won’t propel Assassin to stardom, but if you saw these in a festival tent, you’d be hard pressed not to be raging in the pit within seconds. And for me, that’s all a thrash band can ask. Skullblast is uncomplicated, full of groove, but sharp enough to risk injury if you don’t handle with care. 7/10

The Hypothesis - Evolve (Noble Demon) [Mark Young]

Finnish Prog-metal outfit The Hypothesis bring their second full length release via Noble Demon to our ears and being honest it’s a mixed bag. I appreciate that we have limited time to get under the skin of new releases and some bring a more immediate reaction than others. There is a definite skill on display here in how they put their sound together, to make it sound as expansive as it does and opening track Wanderer makes a good fist of bringing that expansive effect to bear as they drop a slice progressive melo-death riffing, complete with harmonics and some exceptional drumming. 

My problem with it is that it takes a while for the vocals to kick in. When they do, they are spot on, adding and carrying the song until they switch to the cleans and then it falters. The cleans just flatten the song completely. The musicianship on display is faultless, the lead breaks that come in towards the end are spot on but the use of the cleans doesn’t feel right at all. Here I Stand comes in with a meaty riff and death style vocals that underpin, working in unison making it live. 

The addition of keys to the mix makes it that little bit more than just the standard melo-death material. It fits the song and gives it that little extra bit of oomph until the cleans come in once more. Here its slightly different, as the cleans work better within the context of this song but after two songs I’m building a picture of what the rest will sound like. And I’m honest enough to say that I’m not enthused to continue.

However, it would not be fair to stop without giving the rest a sufficient try. Watch The World Burn With Me brings those keys along for the ride, taking on a more prevailing role as the vocals switch from cleans to those impressive roars again backed by some decent riffing. When it’s like this, they really shine, everything coming together in a package that really engages you. And this takes me back to my comment about it being a mixed bag. Its apparent that there is so much they do well, and I mean really well. It sounds great, the production is spot on and when they are on it, it’s a glorious noise. 

However, when the cleans are in, such as on Evolve it doesn’t work anywhere as good as when it is the full-throated roar. The musicianship is first class, just listen to the opening bars of Where The Dreams Come To Die for that. From The Ashes is another that has a top build, mixing in the melodic and the heavy in such a brilliant manner as it drops some quality guitar lines as it shows their progressive class. Extended solo breaks that are just royal. 

What is frustrating is that the other songs are equally as impressive in how they are played, the craft is there but the use of the cleans is a misstep. Dead Cold Silence is another belter, showing that the growls fit their sound so well. Its heavy, aggressive and takes the momentum built by From The Ashes and pushes it further. Thousand Skies opts to slow it down, letting the melodic come flying through whilst allowing their progressive edge to take flight. 

Stray is the ending track and comes flying out of the traps with those drums doing some heavy lifting along with their knack for melody until they break out the cleans again. Stray pelts down that dirt/clean road with considerable effort and some mental guitar work and it almost brings the album to a satisfying close.

As I said, it’s a mixed bag with some truly brilliant music on display here. The later tracks are monumental and for me it shows that they need to decide which path to go on because their extreme vocals are fantastic and fit so well with the music behind it. There’s no doubt that others will dig both styles on here, its just not for me. 6/10

20 Years In The Hole: Lacetillia's 10 Year Anniversary And South Wales Stoner Scene By Matt Bladen

Lacertilia 10 Year Anniversary, Featuring Suns Of Thunder, Infinity Forms Yellow Remember & Made Of Teeth, The Globe Cardiff, 20.10.24

No scores for this one as its a celebration. Not really review either to be honest but a homage to a scene that made me who I am today.

Back when I was young and first started going to gigs, you latch on to bands, many of them are bigger band that play arena but as you start to go to local shows you find 'your people' the group you can latch on to. For me it was the South Wales (and beyond) stoner, doom, greebo, riff scene. While I didn't smoke the green at that time, I was always warmly embraced, included and made to feel welcome on my frequent visits to The Full Moon, The Moon and Bogiez too.

Maybe it's the fact that my parents were brought up into the 70's or that I wish that I was but there's something about big fat riffs and grooves that just spoke to me and while my other favourite style was prog, this scene was livelier, grittier, they didn't come to shows in Mercs like prog fans. I'd see as many bands as I could and those band merged into other bands, making it all one big riffy, rowdy, rocky family. By the time I was in my twenties it was these bands, this scene that took me out of my awkward teens and made me fall in love with live music, providing the inspiration to start this very publication.

I want to shout these bands names from the roof tops, make sure everyone knew what they were missing when they rolled into town. One such band who I've been an avid supporter of is Lacertilia, the South Wales equivalent of Monster Magnet meeting with a little Hawkwind, wild shows, reckless abandon and just a bloody good time for all.

I've featured them many times, supported shows, albums, more, over the years they've become buddies, familiar faces, friends even. On the back of this I've supported the other bands their members joined, or were also in and this has culminated in these being the shows that are cannot miss, these are the shows that make me love what I do, especially as I deep dive into the even more mature Swansea side of things but more on that later.

This was a gig to celebrate ten years of Lacertilia, a show, a party, hell, a family reunion. Four bands closely linked through membership and friendship and room, pretty sold out packed with familiars and family. It was going to be loud (we were warned on the door) and probably emotional too.

First though the ear splitting supports, kicking off with Made Of Teeth, three piece hardcore/sludge that makes your tinnitus worse with every note. Aggressive, abrasive and in it for the raw power I've seen Made Of Teeth many times but here they were louche and loud, loving the moment drinking it in as a salute to old comrades. Loving the moment a little to much as they ran through a set of new ones promising a few older cuts at the end and then ran out of time. But I mean what's more punk than that right?

Next it was time to take a collective trip to the next dimension. The only band I hadn't seen on the bill, extra-terrestrial space rockers Infinity Forms Yellow Remember, who are a bit like The Stone Roses if they stepped on the fuzz pedal and took the Brown Acid, driving towards a lost horizon several lightyears away, their cacophony of noise was brain frying as the thundering hypnotic rhythms were cut with plenty of synth and searing blues guitar.

I suppose professionally chaotic is how you could describe Suns Of Thunder. Swansea riff merchants wield riffs the intent to stun. The most tenured band of the night, they managed to keep everything going despite it nearly always looking like it's about to come off the rails. Dual trade off shouts, punk rock snarling and grooves galore, the Suns are always a bright spot to any show and deserve their flowers too. Stepping up as the main support for tonight, their energy is infectious, the breaks letting you get your breath back ready for the next round. Surf stoner, with the strutting riffs to get everyone ready for the main event and get this party properly started with a set of songs their going to record very soon. 

The alcohol and other substances were flowing and had been all evening, revelry was teetering on the point of debauchery as it was time to celebrate some more, the room filled more, packed to the rafters, photographers readied, videographers stuck gaffa tape everywhere as things were about to reach a fever pitch at The Globe.

Then bang! Crashing Into The Future and we're off! Some thanks for everyone and everything then more riffs on Abstract Reality into the primal spaghetti psych of Furthur, Matt wild and unleashed in face paint and rubber gloves, Mike and Ed shifting the grooves as Carl flays his kit wildly. This rock solid foundation leaves room for Lukas to sweep in with screaming solos.

Combining older stuff with a couple of new tracks, new one Nothing Sacred brought Sky Valley to Albany Road, the long slow building atmosphere putting another side of the band across with bluesy guitar melodies and some expressive drumming, slow and steady into a massive climax towards the end. It's a masterpiece of pace and form, showing that even after 10 years and some moments of relative inactivity live due to families etc this engine is still burning strong creatively.

Limited by time it was two more older ones and a new one to close the night leaving some euphoric faces and plenty of proud people. All of whom made their way into the centre of Cardiff to party long into the night.

Ten years of supporting Lacertilia, (check out the Bloody Hammers review of April 2014 if you don't believe me) Many more of this scene, many fucking more to come. Worship the riff!

Reviews: Gaerea, Kings Of Mercia, Schammasch, Mindless Sinner (Reviews By Mark Young, Matt Bladen, Liam Williams & Simon Black)

Gaerea - Coma (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]

Ok, I’ll be honest. When this starts off with The Poet’s Ballet, its softly delivered words and gentle music I thought that the boss had stitched me up. Steeling myself for 50 or so minutes of this, it was kettle on and see what words I can up with. At 2 minutes 43 seconds everything changes. Gaerea just burst into life, and I mean that most sincerely. It’s the best transition from one medium to another I’ve heard in ages. It its just so effective in bringing the traditional black metal tropes but with that modern approach of wanting you to hear every last nuance. The growls are immense, the arrangement is amazing as they just trample you into the dust. I breathe a sigh of relief and get to work, the words now coming from a place of joy. 

There is so many things going on – the addition of the rising chorus, the Uzi rattle of the double bass all coming together as the song wraps. It hints at what is to come, which is just a fabulous collection of metal (never mind black metal) that knows it is just about better than everyone else. Hope Shatters tears through, those melodic twists and turns taking centre stage. There is rhythm on rhythm as the guitars plot a path that sees them take dissimilar routes, combining to magical effect. Its simply brilliant, and this trajectory is continued on the controlled fury that is Suspended. Would you believe it’s more difficult to put into words when an album is one you like? 

Prior to joining the team, my knowledge of black metal was limited to the murky world of the early 90’s with music that sounded as though it was recorded in a shoe box by people who you wouldn’t trust to make a jelly. The atmosphere and expanse at hand here is like night and day compared to those early days. Similarly with World Ablaze, there is a positive momentum amongst the riffs here that builds a joy within you, it’s absolutely massive and any of these songs could have kicked the album off, any of them (there is a pattern forming here). I’ve said before that if a song inspires you to want to learn how to play it in order to replicate the emotional feelings its brings then it is doing something right. That is World Ablaze.

Coma changes that pace slightly, a lurching riff that allows them to take a little time in building it up to the same levels of intensity as the others. It is an earworm of a thing, the guitars doing that same but not the same pattern of attack that just fills the air so well. This is the thing, the command that they are showing in how to put things where they are putting them is just light-years beyond other bands and I know this is a matter of opinion but I’m writing this not you. Everything sounds massive, even when they go quiet such as on the start of Wilted Flower. 

Its what they are doing in and around it, and I know that there is a 50% chance it will kick over into something noisy, but I don’t feel as though it is derivative. It just feels right. Wilted Flower does kick over, and they combine the full speed with the slower moments in an organic way that just flows so well. Reborn buries the needle into the red with another storming set of guitar lines that come and go in a flurry of activity whilst Shapeshifter runs the gamut from quiet introspection into that full belt attack again and stays on that course to its end as Unknown follows up, bringing more of that perfect storm with it.

Kingdom Of Thorns comes in and stakes its claim for one of the best closing songs of 2024. Remember that emotional connection with certain arrangements? It’s chock full of them, absolutely full of them. I’ll be honest, I though that there was a little bit of repetition coming in the two tracks before it but its wiped all of those worries away with what could technically be described as a blinding track. Sometimes you try to hard to find the right words, maybe something witty or a new way of saying how good something is. I’m struggling in that respect except to say that this is an album that you need to listen to from start to finish. 

No dipping in, putting it on shuffle, nope play it old school. Individually each song is great, even as we get later into it and I’m sure would find their way onto your playlist of choice. But as a whole piece, that is where its power lies. That is where you will get maximum enjoyment, from taking the time to sit/drive/walk/pogo to the whole thing. It needs to be listened to this way. Anything less would be a shame. 9/10

Kings Of Mercia - Battle Scars (Metal Blade Records) [Matt Bladen]

The most unlikely of bands I didn't think there would be another Kings Of Mercia record but I'm happy to be wrong. A band where you need to spot the odd one out, it contains Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos, Armored Saint/Fates Warning bassist Joey Vera, ex-Toto drummer Simon Phillips and Steve Overland the vocalist from AOR legends FM. Brought together by journalist Dave Ling their debut was a highly regarded (in these pages at least), louder and grittier then Phillips or Overland's backgrounds while being more melodic and catchy than Matheos and Vera's. 

The chemistry was evident Matheos and Overland writing the bulk of the material sitting in the middle of what they do individually. Whether it's the bluesy anthem such as Between To Worlds, the atmospheric balladry of the title track or the dynamic propulsion of Don't Ask or Hell N Back. On Battle Scars this collaboration goes further, both men now more at ease with each other, so there's more definition to what Kings Of Mercia is. On the debut there was a lot of good music a band of veterans finding their feet as a group but on Battle Scars, but there's a lot of good music from a band of veterans who have evolved what their group is. 

That is a band that plays melodic rock songs such as Eye For An Eye, choppy hard rock riffs and those soulful vocals from Overland, while Aftermath and the epic Angels & Demons shows the other side with some dramatic moodiness inspired by the FM side of things. I'm glad there is a second Kings Of Mercia album, their first was excellent and this is just as good, sometimes the weirdest concoctions produce the best results. 9/10

Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean (Prosthetic Records) [Liam Williams]

Here we have a new release from Swedish band Schammasch. This is the new album The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean. The second album in their Maldoror Chants series. It’s a very unique sounding album and one I had to listen to a couple of times to wrap my head around it.

The first track, Crystal Waves, is the longest track on the album, lasting just over 13 and a half minutes. There’s a little bit of synth at the start which is gradually joined by the sounds of waves and guitars. 2 minutes in and the drums and vocals join in with some spoken word and whispering vocal parts. Soon after that a distorted guitar starts to come in and about a minute later the full band kicks in. Then there’s some singing before the track changes from calm to heavy, gradually building up to the songs climax which has some fantastic drumming from about 10 and a half minutes in. The song ends with some strings. A pretty good track to demonstrate what you’ll be hearing throughout the rest of the album.

A Somber Mystery is the shortest track, lasting just over 2 minutes long. There are no vocals. Just some very creepy sounding acoustic and clean guitars and some drums. Your Waters Are Bitter has a great guitar intro which builds on the creepy sound from the previous track. The drums come in to build up the song before the full band kicks in with some nice heavy sounds, including some harsh vocals. The song changes halfway through. There’s some great playing from the guitars and drums and the song gets heavy again at around 7 and a half minutes in and maintains that heaviness until it fades out at the end.

They Have Found Their Master starts with some guitar and bass, one of the only moments on the whole album where the bass can be heard clearly. There’s a nice little guitar part with a bit of a delay effect. Then the band kicks in, joined once again by some harsh vocals. This track has some fantastic guitar parts. It gets very fast and heavy around 7 minutes in. Then it goes a little bit too crazy and it sounds like everyone is playing in different time signatures which can be a little bit disorienting to listen to.

There’s a nice guitar solo but you can barely hear it with all the other chaos going on. The track slows down towards the end and there are some female vocals that come in to calm things down a bit which I think is a nice little touch after the absolute chaos that came before it. Image Of The Infinite is a slower and calmer song. It has a nice bass and guitar intro. The vocalist is once again joined by a female vocalist halfway through.

I Hail You, Old Ocean is the final track on the album and at the start it almost sounds like a different band playing. There’s some nice, crunchy distorted guitars driving the rhythm of the song. Then there’s a very fast and aggressive part around 3 minutes in, filled with tremolo picking guitars, blast beats and harsh vocals. This part is followed by a bit of a groovy section before things go back to fast and frantic. There’s another little guitar solo which, again you can barely hear because there’s so much going on. The song closes with some amazing drums followed by a nice string section to end the song and the album.

This album felt a lot like a ship in a storm. There was some really great parts, particularly with the drums and guitars, but the rest just felt a bit too chaotic. The mix could have been a lot better which might have made it easier to listen to. I felt that the vocals and the bass suffered a lot because of this since a lot of the time you can’t hear the bass at all and the vocals are way too quiet in comparison to the guitars and drums. But definitely an interesting album. There’s some good stuff in there and it sounds very original. It's just a little bit of a rough ride. 7/10

Mindless Sinner - Metal Merchants (High Roller Records) [Simon Black]

Mindless Sinner are a NWOBHM band who didn’t break out of their native Sweden first time out, and like many acts of late have decided that in this globally distributed media world that the time is right for another go. They managed a 5-track EP and an album back in the day, but bounced around minor local labels, suffered from the endless line-up challenges and finally threw in the towel in 1990 before Grunge gave them no choice in the matter. And in 2015 they were back, because let’s face it you’ve got to do something whilst waiting for governments around the world to start paying our generation of the population a pension.

 
Sadly, their timing was not great, since that comeback album The New Messiah ended up coming out just before Covid, preventing them from getting out there and touring it, so they still remain a relatively unknown quantity. Which is a shame, because whilst I haven’t heard any of their previous material, if it’s anything like what I have on my platter here is perfectly respectable. And it’s not like there isn’t a market for this NWOBHM authenticity, judging how bands like Tailgunner have carved an impressive following after only one album, so we should at least give someone who was there first time round a fair hearing, and to be fair with eighty percent of your line-up dating back to the 80’s it certainly feels the business.

Musically this is straight Traditional Metal, with energy, melody and drive throughout. It’s not the most technically showy album instrumentally, but it focusses on the basics and does them very well, leaving vocalist Christer Göransson to steal a fair amount of the limelight with his strong and charismatic delivery, which has enough power that my own diaphragm is rattling in sympathy with his.

At over an hour’s run time there’s plenty of bang for your buck, although I would have been tempted to hold a few tracks back and gone for a more short and punchy delivery to make the more stand out moments (like the distinctly catchy Hedonia) feel more distinctive, but I can’t fault any of the songs themselves and I would be keen to see what these boys could do in a live setting. 7/10

Reviews: Devin Townsend, Iotunn, Seething Akira, Trucker Diablo (Reviews By Simon Black, Matt Bladen, SJ & Rich Piva)

Devin Townsend – PowerNerd (Inside Out Music) [Simon Black]

Another year, another Devin album.

This man has a somewhat prolific rate of output, across a whole bunch of projects spanning the last thirty years, and whilst each and every studio album can stand up genre-wise on its own two feet distinct from each of its fellows, there is that common thread of the progressive running through many of them (at least the ones I’ve heard).

That said I came to Townsend quite late, so catching up on everything he’s created in the studio (never mind the live material) feels a bit like someone deciding to read the entire bibliography of Stephen King in a month might do. And that’s because whilst it’s one thing to listen to a Devin Townsend, and indeed listen to each and every one in short order from Strapping Young Lad et al to today, it’s quite another to truly hear each one.

There lies the rub with good Progressive music. It usually takes the musicians involved a while to bake everything in, and that means there’s usually a lot to unpack, with good albums in particular normally needing multiple spins and a bit of contextual background to truly appreciate their contents, which takes time. But remember this is mostly the work of one man, with additional support. And apparently, he cranked it out in eleven days flat… Oh, and it’s part one of a loosely-linked three album trilogy, for those that thought he had been resting on his laurels during 2023…

This does not surprise me; neither does it impact the quality. 2022’s Lightwork felt like a high-water mark that couldn’t be bettered, but then so did Empath, and the reality is that Townsend has a depth of creative content that isn’t slowing down any time soon and album twenty-eight, PowerNerd is no different.

It still has some elements of the more moody and ambient elements carried over from Lightwork, but he hasn’t lost his ability to be moving and catchy at the same time (it seems that whilst apparently starting out trying to craft a fun record whilst you are dealing with personal loss makes for some very strange, but highly effective musical melding).

For those preferring a bit more welly to proceedings there’s enough high tempo material particularly towards the start, with some outright humour thrown in for good measure in closer Ruby Quaker (whereas in former decades artists might close out with a thinly veiled adage to their favourite illicit substance, Townsend is quite open in his homage to his beloved coffee).

At first spin the whole thing feels somewhat eclectic, but like all good Prog, and indeed all good Devin projects, it really grows on you quickly, and you just want more, which is probably just as well considering there’s two more in the pipeline… 10/10

Iotunn - Kinship (Metal Blade Records) [Matt Bladen]

Front their 70's space rock/prog rock beginnings, Danish/Faroese band Iotunn, settlers on becoming a metal band not long after, band founders Jesper and Jens Nicolai Gräs went through several phases before establishing what Iotunn were to be as a band before they released their debut album Access All Worlds.

This was an album that was more progressive power metal influenced but as they set about recording their follow up a lot of that power metal influence has been replaced by a wider scope. “Everything is related, and everything has an impact, and we all must find our ways to our true selves and true freedoms in our choices in this interconnectedness of everything" says singer Jón Aldará.

He goes on to say "The album explores themes of conformity versus following your own path and the consequences your choices have for relationships." These relationships are explored through a concept that follows a prehistoric tribesman through the paths of good and evil, right and wrong and human nature as a whole.

So with lofty lyrical concepts, philosophical inspiration and an approach where nothing is off limits, Iotunn took to the studio for their second album crafting a colossal cosmic journey which is simply stunning from the first moments of Kinship Elegaic through to the last dying notes of The Anguished Ethereal.

Bookending your album with a 13 minute and an 11 minute song is brave for any band but nothing here is under 5 minutes the shortest song being the fireside acoustic lament of Iridescent Way. A song that speaks to their Danish/Faroese heritage, until the atmosphere gets blacker on the raging melodeath of Earth To Sky. Earth To Sky is blistering the brothers Gräs' tremolo picking on top of the battery from Bjørn Wind Andersen blastbeats.

As Eskil Rask's inventive bass playing is the foundation of this odyssey, the brothers guitar playing though is what will bring in the shredheads, their play offs between each other create the majority of the melodies on this record, one minute they have euphoric power metal, then sprawling progressive metal on Mistland into death metal blasts and black metal fury and there's NWOBHM gallops on The Coming End. Iotunn taking every advantage to show how absolutely incredible they are as a collective.

With a track such as Twilight, they remind me of Nevermore, Jón Aldará's vocals evoking Warrel Dane here perfectly, the same on the evocative I Feel The Night. If bands such as Wilderun, Witherscape, Oceans Of Slumber and Evergrey are in your top 10% most listened to artists then you will definitely find a Kinship here. Iotunn's second album is magnificent and there's nothing else to be said. 10/10

Seething Akira - Cancel Estate (Independent/Earache Digital Distribution) [SJ]

It's no secret that Seething Akira have been at the top of my most anticipated acts after hearing a few of their unreleased songs from Cancel Estate at Radar 2024. As soon as I heard them live, I went straight to my Spotify to try and find the songs I just heard, to my dismay, they weren't on there. After Nikaela and I had a chat with Kit and Charlie after the show, they revealed that the songs weren't yet available, and I would need to wait until the album release. Here we are, so let's dive into it.

Seething Akira are back with the 10 track Cancel Estate after their previous Nozomi 2022 album, doing what they excel in by providing a fresh twist of genre blending nu metal, electronica, rap and drum and bass.

Seething Akira kicks right off with Ixnay, an upbeat and catchy “We both know that you are bad for me” – this will be on repeat long after the song has finished. It’s a pure genre blending track with elements of rave, dance, metal which flows in a seamless way that encapsules what Seething Akira are to the core. I recognised this song immediately as it was one of the songs they performed at Radar 2024. If a song can have that long of a lasting impact, it’s worth giving it a listen and it’s a personal favourite of mine from the album. Decayed Remains Of Today bounce back with heavy drums in the intro then coming back to the electronica ”Can you feel the grip slipping…You can beg but you won’t be forgiven”. This track felt formulaic in nature and easy to find the groove to, staying strong in the track list so far.

Again, another song I recognised from Seething Akira’s live performances, Resilient. I heard this live when they performed it at Mangata Spotlight Sessions 2024 and the crowd were two-stepping, head bobbing and mosh pit forming. “Resilient. Resistant.” After the second chorus, my stank face came right out after hearing that stripped back mix up, it’s a creepy little spiced up bit as I didn’t expect it. The drum solo from Stu near the end, lyrics “I’m cutting out the venom bit by bit” everything makes this a standout song on Cancel Estate.

Up next is, Times Change “Can’t break me, don’t you understand.” Halfway through the song we get an instrumental mash up of electronica, synth wave style. Sunflower Shadows initially felt a bit more light-hearted with the guitar riffs, a little reminiscent of older Sum 41 and I could envision this being on the soundtrack of American Pie. Next up is the track, How Are Things Up North, it’s alreet pet, thanks for asking. This has the longest instrumental intro on the album showcasing the drums and guitar. The vocals are slowed down and less rap focused albeit still projecting the deep lyrical meaning Seething Akira master.

The intro on D.R.I.L.L.E.R is a head banger; they aren’t missing a shot with this track. This provides another high energy, angsty track to throw back to. Halfway through there’s a soft change up before hitting back into the chorus again. The throwback attitude cascades into Blame Pain where the instrumentals take the forefront, with a hard-hitting drum beat throughout and guitar riffs to elevate the track. The drum and bass make a welcome appearance alongside the spitting raps before the chorus “I’m losing love for everything. You need someone to take the pain”. This is another top track from the album that stands out to me as the lyrics are quite vulnerable and raw.

You Don’t Want None made me question if I hit play on the right track at first after hearing a sample of kids cheering “You don’t want none”. Albeit, it was the right song. The track has a lot of redeeming qualities, and I can see how it’s more experimental than other songs on the album, but something didn’t quite click for me on this track and I'm not sure what it was. Hyperbolic slams with grandiose drums and has amazing guitar riffs. It starts in their usual style but halfway through, they yet again somehow shock me a little as I question what I am listening to. The haunting strums with ineligible echoes elicit an eerie tone which provide a new sound for Seething Akira. I can feel them stretching to new genres and leaning into the experimental, which I like.

Cancel Estate will be drilled into your mind as they’re coming out swinging with this album and making no apologies for doing so. Seething Akira are excelling at slamming a fresh new feel of music. Overall, it’s a solid album where they've found the right balance of exploring new dimensions whilst maintaining the identity we love Seething Akira for. 9/10

Trucker Diablo - Social Hand Grenade (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

I first heard Trucker Diablo when I was diving deep into the Ripple Music back catalog a few years ago. I really enjoy their 2013 record Songs Of Iron which sounds like a heavy Southern Rock band with grunge and stoner elements that has songs that are just catchy as hell. When I asked Todd from Ripple why they were no longer on the label after that great record, his answer was that the band wanted to go in a different musical direction. The band was always a bit twangy, but the twang factor and the production levels seemed to get turned up every record after. The band is still catchy, but to me seemed to lose their edge over the years. 

That brings us to their new record, Social Hand Grenade. The band is still very slick and overproduced for my taste, but there is more to this record that can get me past that, which is really saying something for how much overproduced stuff really gets to me. The first listen of this record I hated it. The second time was like the first. But then, the catchiness latches on and you are in trouble because the earworms infest you and have you singing along when you don’t even realize it.

 
These guys sound like they are from like Tennessee or Alabama, but they are actually Irish, which is something, given their very U.S. sound. The first track on the record gave me some real hope, as Kill The Lights is a fun little hard rock ripper. Stop The Bleed is the heaviest track on the record and brings some of their trademarked catchiness too. The band reminds me of Crobot, which is a band that is a dilemma for me given how I want to like them but the overproduction on their records never allows me to get there. The difference is Trucker Diablo is even catchier and know how to incorporate melody and big choruses perfectly. 

California On The Run sounds like The Drive By Truckers, which is a complement. So does Here Comes The Vultures which is painfully catchy. The track Dig rocks and is a huge stadium anthem that really works and We Are Forever is a late 80s influenced track (they even mention 1989 that is cheesy in the good way, and look out for that chorus. Not all the songs connect, as Together We Rise is a bit too modern country and is extremely cheesy lyrically. I have the same gripe with Here’s To Heartbreak, but maybe more. But the good outweighs the bad by a longshot.

 
There are going to be a ton of people who like this record. There are a bunch of bands who are super successful with this slick southern rock style. Generally, this style does nothing for me, but Trucker Diablo have a skill with melody and catchiness that forced me to enjoy big chunks of Social Hand Grenade, which really surprised me. This is my favourite TD record since Songs Of Iron by a longshot. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Tailgunner (Live Review By Debby Myatt & Tony Gaskin)

Tailgunner, Battle Born & The Rattlebacks, KK’s Steel Mill, 16.10.24

Back at our home from home, here at KK’s Steel Mill for a night of adrenaline pumping heavy metal with NWOBHM upstarts, Taillgunner.

The night began with a completely unknown band to us, The Rattlebacks (9). Hailing from the Brighton area, this combo shook KK’s to it’s foundations with a blistering opener of a track that was groovy, doomy and superbly heavy. Aptly entitled The Taste, as it was a taste of things to come, it’s the opening track off their forthcoming album Sidewinder, from which we get another teaser from later on in the set with the track The Waste. 

The rhythm section is boil and punchy, reverb bouncing off the walls, whilst the guitars pay homage to the down-tuned riffage of Iommi, but with added grooves. Front man, Josh Clarke, is the epitome of a ‘70s cool dude, and is the final piece of this enigmatic jigsaw. The top it off by getting Tailgunner bassist Tom Hewson to join them on stage for an excellent cover of Priest Breaking The Law. What a great start!

Next up is a band we’ve seen previously, Power Metal stalwarts Battle Born (9). This is the polar opposite to the doom laden grooves of Rattlebacks. Fast, exuberant and unashamedly fun. With tracks like Dragon Heart, Blood Or Fire, Power Force and who can forget Down Your Drinks and Raise Your Swords, it’s stirring, infectious stuff, but done incredibly well and with great musicianship. This was clearly in evidence when they did a cover of Survivors Burning Heart. The Power Metal genre is often looked down upon by the metal elitists but personally I think it’s great fun, very entertaining and usually visually interesting. Love ‘em!

Tailgunner (10) have simmered for a while now, but with some recent line up changes and the release of their highly acclaimed album Guns For Hire they’ve finally reached their potential, and who knows where they can take this. Bassist and driving force Tom Hewson has persevered with his vision of what Tailgunner should be, and now it’s paying dividends.

They open up with the albums title track Guns For Hire, a classic British Heavy Metal anthem. Heavy, fast riffs, mind-blowing solos and headbanging rhythm sections. The influences of and love for NWOBHM is obvious, but nothing wrong with that.

Front man Craig Cairns is a real find and a perfect fit for this band. An incredible vocal range and full of confidence and bravado. In amongst their set, which is predominantly made up from tracks off the album, they slot in a couple of covers which showcase, not just Craigs, but the whole bands abilities. They perfectly nail Painkiller with Cairns hitting those high notes faultlessly and if that wasn’t impressive enough (with KK himself rumoured to be present tonight), they treat us to a stirring cover of Dio’s Don’t Talk To Strangers

Photographer Tony was never into that first wave of NWOBHM, but to me, this feels like being back there at the beginning , with those bands on the cusp of greatness, is this what Tailgunner can go on and achieve? Is this the future of British Heavy Metal? You better believe it!

Reviews: Von Hertzen Brothers, Nitrogods, Enforced, Elephant Tree/Lowrider (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Mike Pickett, Richard Oliver & Rich Piva)

Von Hertzen Brothers - In Murmuration (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

More environmental messages, close vocal harmonies and folky prog rock as the Von Hertzen Brothers present their ninth studio album In Murmuration. Mikko, Kie and Jonne have constantly evolved their sound over their eight previous records, initially being a band with classic prog influences, they have shifted towards shorter, punchier music which brings folk, rock, pop and electronic textures.

The brothers are from an artistic background and those familial talents filter down to the brothers, their sibling cohesion always present in their harmony vocals and song-writing prowess. In Murmuration follows on from Red Alert In The Blue Forest, a double album that was crafted in their native Finland, in isolation and warned of climate change and how human influence is detrimental to the planet ultimately.

It went on to spearhead a campaign to save forset in Finland, ultimately designating 50-heactare's of as 'The Blue Forest'. These themes continue on this new record, but this is no double record, it's out of the gates with the The propulsive The Relapse, Mikko's distinctive vocals always brilliant as he and brother Kie provide the rocky guitar riffs, that propulsion from Jonne's bass linked with Sami Kuoppamäki's drums and percussion, mainly tambourine on this one, that bottom end working well on the The Beatlesesque Tightrope Walker.

Jonne also adds the keyboard textures alongside multi-instrumentalist Markus Pajakkala, brought in to the band in 2023 after this acoustic tour, his contribution to this record is vital, the wind instruments are especially welcome on Starlings. In Murmuration is a pacey record from Starlings we get into the Celtic feeling of Ascension Day, a track that will go down well on stage due to the obvious call and response it will create. Beneath The Silver Stars is another brilliant ballad from the brothers, filled with strings and pathos while Snowstorm is dramatic penultimate track on this dynamic record.

In Murmuration continues the high quality you would want from VHB. Now one of the top melodic/prog rock bands on the scene, they have a distinct sound that continues to evolve on their ninth album. 9/10

Nitrogods - Valley Of The Gods (Massacre Records) [Mike Pickett]

Have you ever looked at a band name and album cover and just known what you were in store for? It doesn't happen to me very often, but with the latest release from Nitrogods, Valley Of The Gods, I knew it was going to be a hard-rocking, slam-a-shot-of-Jack homage to the likes of Lemmy and others who built this genre.

The songs are straightforward party tunes. It’s like a road trip playlist packed into a single album. While there aren’t any breakdowns, complex technical guitar sections, or atmospheric sounds to set the mood, there’s just a solid collection of hard-rocking songs that somehow get stuck in your head for days.

While I mainly listen to death, black, and thrash metal these days, this trio—possibly another homage to their predecessors—had me nodding along to almost every song. Now, I know not everyone can genre-hop like I can, so let me just say this: fans of Motörhead, Judas Priest, and other '80s Hard Rock and Metal should give this one a listen.

A couple of standout tracks for me are Left Lane To Memphis, the opening track, which sets the pace for the rest of the album with a great riff and simple lyrics, delivered with just enough harshness in the vocals to keep them from being called clean. Prime Time Terror also stood out, with a Judas Priest-like feel. I know referencing other bands isn’t always ideal, but in this case, it’s fitting. Don’t get me wrong—this isn’t a cover band trying to mimic the greats. Nitrogods definitely have their own sound, but you can’t help but feel a connection to those early days of hard rock and metal. Trust me, it’s a good thing! 8/10

Enforced - A Leap Into The Dark EP (Century Media Records) [Richard Oliver]

If you want aggressive thrash then look no further than Enforced. This Richmond, Virginia band have been ripping flesh and smashing skulls since 2016 with three full length albums of bludgeoning thrash which mixes in a healthy dose of crossover and hardcore punk. A Leap Into The Dark is a bit of a stop-gap release made up of six songs with three new songs, a remaster of an old one and two cover songs. 

The new material is as good as we’ve got previously with opener Betting On The End coming tearing and snarling out of the speakers with vicious thrash riffing and breaks which will bring on the biggest circle pits. The title track is a bit more of a mid-paced stomper but loses none of the ferocity whilst Deafening Heartbeats is an absolute rager with the sole intention of ensuring necks are wrecked, beer is spilled and blood is poured. 

Casket is a remaster of a song originally released in 2021 as a flexi through Decibel whilst on the covers front we get a ripping cover of Deadly Intentions by death metal legends Obituary which whilst ferocious lacks the gnarliness of the original and to finish off the band salute their hardcore and crossover roots with a cover of The Chase Is On by UK hardcore punks English Dogs. 

A Leap Into The Dark is a tidy little release. The new songs are fantastic with the band sounding absolutely on point and it is the no holds barred thrash one expects from Enforced whilst the B-side material is solid and enjoyable but unessential. 

With six songs and a running time of just under 20 minutes, A Leap Into The Dark is a short sharp release but definitely one for the hardcore fans. If you haven’t heard Enforced better (and if so why the hell not?!) then you are better off checking out one of their three killer albums but if you do enjoy this band then this will be 20 minutes well spent. 7/10

Elephant Tree/Lowrider - The Long Forever (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Rich Piva]

Split records are cool. Split records are even cooler when you get new tracks from Lowrider. Add the fact that London’s Elephant Tree have the other tracks on said split and you probably can’t go wrong, right? Well, you know you can’t because The Long Forever is seven tracks filled with all the goodness that both bands bring, three songs each, and one where they collaborate together, which makes this album even cooler.

 
If you are reading this you probably know that the Swedes from Lowrider have two classic records, released 20 years apart, a couple of splits prior to their debut release in 2000, and that is pretty much it, so four new tracks featuring the band is such a treat. Even more of a treat are how great the songs are. And The Horse You Rode In On is classic Lowrider, that stoner rock sound that the band helped to create and fortify, filled with riffs, a very heavy rhythm section, and excellent vocals. I love the production of this and the other Lowrider songs, especially the guitar tone they developed. This one should be on every stoner rock end of year playlist. 

Caldera is along the same awesome lines, with such a cool heaviness to their psych-tinged stoner stylings. I love the heavy low end and the echoed vocals, and when the band slows it down, adds the atmosphere, only to blow you away when they pick it back up with that heavy riff. Into The Grey opens with a fuzzy bassline that leads to a monster riff and a classic Lowrider track that effortlessly merges their version of stoner rock with some cool psych elements like only they can. Oh, and how they groove during the solo. So great.

The Elephant Tree tracks hang with the Lowrider ones from a quality standpoint. Fucked In The Head is out there. Drone-like psych goodness with Beatlesque harmonies and your mind being melted for over nine minutes with heavy psych guitars. That is how you do a split with Lowrider and stand out. 4 For 2 starts with a heavy bassline and a riff that seems to constantly build and pair with the echoey vocals perfectly and sounding like the animal that makes up part of their name. The title track Long Forever is similar is style and goodness, with their heavy as hell rhythm section and their version of vocal harmonies creating a third killer track out of their three offerings.

Through The Rift is labelled as Lowrider Feathering Elephant Tree and is my favourite song on the split, incorporating all of what both of these bands do best and is worth the price of admission alone.
Split records are great, especially when they are as good as this one and even more when you get new Lowrider tracks. Elephant Tree bring it here as well, but the highlight for me is Lowrider being back, which is in no way any kind of knock on the Elephant Tree tracks, it just makes this split even more awesome. 8/10

Reviews: DGM, Aries Descendant, Fate, Strangers (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

DGM - Endless (Frontiers Music Srl)

Prog bands, concept albums, I made all the comparisons in my review of Frost*’s new album, but they are intrinsically linked. Even Italian prog metal veterans have gotten in on the act. Their new album Endless is a concept album and because of this they’re able to spread their wings creatively than before, leaning more on the classic prog sounds of the 70’s there’s huge Hammond walls, acoustic interludes, harmony vocals and flute and that’s just on the first two songs! 

Endless is their 12th album and while they have been progressive metal in the past they revitalise their sound with this new record, skilfully melding classic sounds of Yes, Jethro Tull and Camel, the Italian Progressive rock sound (it’s quite a distinct thing) with the likes of Dream Theater (Blank Pages) and Symphony X, listen to Final Call for that.

Endless is a study on why? Why we do the things we do? A study on self-reflection, it’s got brooding darkness, chuggy guitars and the sounds of Opeth on The Wake, Emanuele Casali’s synths a key feature, but his flute is also, on Solitude especially, a track that sounds the most like old DGM or Symphony X without the flute in it. 

The backroom of Fabio Costantino (drums) and Andrea Arcangeli (bass) can put the pedal to the metal when required but also bring scope and expression, the drumming is a real highlight. Up front Marco Basile’s vocals are emotive and fit perfectly against the melodic playing of Simone Mularoni, a virtuoso of the highest order but never selfish with his solos. As we get towards the second half of the album, the sound moves more towards the traditional DGM prog metal.

Still with the flute, strings and 70’s prog flavours, Endless is great ride for fans of progressive music, and stands as one of the most accomplished DGm records to date. 9/10

Aries Descendant - From The Ashes Of Deceit (Frontiers Music Srl)

Aries Descendant is two men; Jonah Weingarten (keys/orchestrations) and Nicklas Sonne (vocals/guitar/bass), From The Ashes Of Deceit is their new album and it’s a sum of it’s parts, Jonah is in Pyramaze and is a composer for TV and film while Nicklas has played with Defacto, Evil Masquerade, One Machine and others. They formed Aries Descendant as a way to unify their collective vision, under the guidance of Frontiers label boss of course. The result is what you would expect, highly orchestrated, melodic prog metal that strays into thrash and classic realms.

With the industrial thud of modern movie scores (i.e Hans Zimmer, Ramin Djawadi or Ludwig Göransson) paired with heavy metal, From The Ashes Of Deceit embraces the cinematic right from the outset, it’s all very Pyramaze or Symphony X, from the huge musical vistas of Symphony Of Demise and Moira, to the Nicklas’ vocals are quite varied, he can sing clean and he can growl, sounding like Russell Allen in some places but M Shadows on Oblivion and Downfall. 

If I’m honest the orchestrations take president over the metal sound, which is no bad thing as the symphonic elements bring grandeur over some chuggy modern metal. If you love bands such as Symphony X, Evergrey, Pyramaze or post-Hail To The King A7X then From The Ashes Of Deceit will rank highly for you. 8/10

Fate - Reconnect ‘N Ignite (Frontiers Music Srl)

Fate are apparently a ‘legendary’ Danish metal band, formed in 1984 by Hank Sherman after he left Mercyful Fate, he left in 1988 with years of turmoil, it was the team of powerhouse singer Peer Johansson joined the band but it was guitar hotshot Torben Enevoldsen who revitalised the band in 2011, leading to the version we hear on Reconnect ‘N Ignite. Now I’m not sure who is who, how many members they’ve had etc but I think it’s Enevoldsen and bassist Pete Steiner who have been in the band longest, with Peer back on the mic and newbies on drums and keys, this is Fate for 2024.

Reconnect ‘N Ignite is their first studio album since 2013 and it’s very much like the Fate of old, anthemic heavy rock, almost Teutonic in its thrust, there’s a sound of bands such as Accept on Reason For Everything but with This Won’t Last they lean back on their melodic rock/AOR roots, switching between the two styles with ease. It’s not jarring though there’s muscle and sweetness here, delivered by great playing all round. 

If you’ve never heard Fate’s music before (puts hand up) I’d say this is a good place as any to start, and if you’re a longtime fan then it will be worth the wait to hear the band haven’t changed the formula too much. 7/10

Strangers - Whispers (Frontiers Music Srl)

Coming over late last week was another Frontiers release, Spanish rock band Strangers present their new EP Whispers, their debut for Frontiers, armed with new lead singer Celia Barloz, they look to move away from their three previous albums and solidify this as the band going forward. Celia has performed with the band previously as a guest/backing singer so it makes sense she takes the lead role and her voice is really good. 

She has a bluesy tone to her voice making With You feel like classic 80's hard rockers Lee Aaron, Lita Ford and others but with modernity. There's nothing world changing about this four track EP but it's got some solid rock and having Celia as the singer is definitely the right choice. 6/10

Reviews: Funeral, Frozen Crown, Carl Sentance, Arrow Valley (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Funeral - Gospel Of Bones (Season Of Mist)

One of the cornerstones of the doom metal genre, Funeral are more specifically Funeral Doom, slow, melancholic doom that is introspective and labyrinthine. From Norway they have similar musical themes to Bell Witch, Esoteric and Pantheist. You know death, loss, pain, each one of these delivered by baritone opera singer Eirik Krokfjord who replaced Sindre Nedland as the singer in 2022, his sonorous, Wagner influenced classical voice singing the words of Anders Eck, drummer and founder member.

He channels the troubled past of the band, losing members to overdose and suicide, into his music, signing to Season Of Mist in 2021, they bring their extreme style of doom to a major label and show everyone what the band are all about. Gospel Of Bones is over an hour of crushing emotion, the long drawn heavy riffs linger, down tuned and building levelling. 

The inspiration of Sabbath still there but slower, more deliberate, sadder and heavier than before, the percussive power of Eck the anchor for all of Funeral's music. Gospel Of Bones is also the first record where they have used real strings adding violinist Ingvild Johannessen to their membership, she brings Hardanger fiddle a traditional instrument that is features on the instrumental cover song adding Norwegian folk to the Funeral heaviness.

So this could be seen a transitional album for Funeral, folk, classical and metal combining with special guests in the shape of violinist Øyvind Rauset of cult Norwegian band Folque, vocalist Espen Ingierd of Beyond Dawn adds some clean vocals while Kari Ulfsnes Kleiven brings soprano voices to counterpoint the baritone. Gospel Of Bones is Eck's autobiographical catharsis, bloodletting of the highest order from one of the pioneers of funeral doom. 8/10

Frozen Crown - War Hearts (Napalm Records)

Now signed to Napalm Records, War Hearts is the fifth studio album from Italian power metal band Frozen Crown. It's also their first as a six piece having added third guitarist, 18 year old prodigy Alessia Lanzone, joinign Fabiola 'Sheena' Bellomo and Federico Mondelli in 2023. So War Hearts is more than just a label debut it's a chance for them to re-debut as this new version of the band. Having the triple guitar attack means that Federico can also add more keys to their sound, fleshing out the broad power metal sound they are trying to achieve. 

In the power metal world Italy have some of the most revered names. Though many would say Scandinavia have more, I've always been a fan of the Italian scene as they have the recommended amount of cheese in their power metal but Frozen Crown especially have classic and heavy metal influences too (Steel And Gold), it means that if you like a band such as Unleash The Archers. Like modern day Maiden, having three guitarists means that they can add some more complex riffs/melodies and like I said more keys too. 

The title is inspired by Children Of Bodom and about self improvement and overcoming adversity, the CoB influece can be heard on To Live To Die, while on Night Of The Wolf and Edge Of Reality, they have more of the blasting power metal associated with this band. Jade's vocals are tough and powerful, countered by Federico's in places, the backroom of bassist Francesco Zof and drummer Niso Tomasini, hit 100mph and don't slow too much, even with On Silver Wings and Ice Dragon they show they have power beneath the triple guitar attack. 

War Hearts re-establishes Frozen Crown's quest to bring hard hitting power metal to more around the globe. Armed with more firepower than ever, wouldn't bet against them. 8/10

Carl Sentance – Silent Angels (Carlos Records)

Current Nazareth frontman, Dario Mollo singer and former/current Persian Risk man Carl Sentance gives us his third (?) solo album. The hesitation in my writing is that Persian Risk I think is still a going concern but has perhaps transformed into Sentance’s solo project, the band he has played with on the last few Persian Risk albums and solo albums are the same so you can see why I’m confused.

Anyway it doesn’t really matter as now he’s the Nazareth singer his solo band can keep that NWOBHM/Melodic metal/heavy metal sound that’s different to the bluesy classic rock of Nazareth, check out Farewell To The King here and you’ll hear the sort of anthemic classic metal I’m talking about.

Wayne Banks’ galloping bass, Russell Gilbrook’s pounding drums (Faith) and plenty of riffs from Sentence himself basically make this a power trio but there’s additional guitars from Jay Banks and Dario Mollo, keys by collaborator/mixer/masterer Zardonic, some slide guitar and extra female vocals too on Savannah. There’s moves into AOR on the title track, a bit of hippy psych meet’s Gun-style rock on Sleep Walk as the blues visits for Pain. 

His solo albums are always a chance to experiment with various genre’s, well ones that suit his voice, but it always comes back to gutsy hard rock where his brawny scream works the best. His solo work gives Carl a way to create outside of Nazareth and the constant touring that band does. It always gives good results and Silent Angels is no different. 8/10

Arrow Valley – Embodiment (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Now over to the West Midlands and a band who owe much to the likes of Alter Bridge as well as Killswitch Engage and that whole post-grunge meets metalcore sound of 10+ years ago. You would think Arrow Valley were American from the music but the vocals give away that they’re from this side of the pond. Founded during the pandemic, Arron Turner (vocals) and Luke Hatton (guitar) released an EP in 2022 and here they are two years later with their second and a full band consisting of drummer, Mark Harris Bristow, Abbas Ali on bass and guitarist Nicky Hughes. 

Embodiment I assume is them trying to consolidate what they sound like in their new band format and while some of it works some of it doesn’t, I’d say they fair better when they play the big chunky alt rock riffs of tracks such as Why, rather than when they try to have screams a thrashing. Arrow Valley are much more effective as a band when they are in the Alter Bridge/Creed mould, Ode (I See You) working especially well. Production is D.I.Y but good throughout, Embodiment is an album from band that have bags of potential but need to work out what they want to be going forward. 6/10 

Reviews: Swallow The Sun, The Outlaw Orchestra, Never Obey Again, Red Giant (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Swallow The Sun - Shining (Century Media Records)

Shining continues the evolution of Swallow The Sun. 23 years since they appeared on the scene, they have moved from the progressive death doom sound towards a more focussed gothic style, this shift began on 2015's Songs From The North I, II & III and has continued over their last few albums. I can't really believe that a track such as Tonight Pain Believes could have featured on their early albums.

It like a lot of the album reminds me of Juha Raivio's work with Trees Of Eternity and Hallatar, both of which are tributes to his wife who tragically passed. This grief has been filtered though his song-writing for a number of years but on Shining, Juha turns his focus to disillusionment in human interactions, shifting their audio for more introspection, cleaner guitar sounds, backing electronics, the songs feeling brighter but also more direct.

Crafted to be shorter and more impactful, the way fellow death doomers such as Katatonia and Draconian have moving into the style of Amorphis, Soen and Leprous too on MelancHoly. Though there is more reliance on the gothic strains, they don't forget the death altogether though tracks such as What Have I Become featuring growled vocals.

I've seen a lot of long term fans say both good and bad things about this record, it does sound different to much of their previous albums but Swallow The Sun still maintains an emotional punch, just with a more melodic soundtrack. 8/10

The Outlaw Orchestra - La Familia (Self Released)

La Familia is the third album from The Outlaw Orchestra, based in the South Coast of the UK their songs owe a lot more to the South Coast of the USA with their rootsy country/Americana rock n roll. 

The trio have played some of the biggest classic rock festivals around, the hybrid of country and rock favoured by bands like Cadillac Three, Whiskey Myers and Blackberry Smoke, the smooth bluesy licks on Sunday Drivers, there's banjo behind the electric guitar on El Dorado and a slide guitar on Holy Ground which builds into some crunchy heavy rock.

La Familia adds more classic rock to the country influence, appealing to the metal and rock fans gained through their cover of Iron Fist. The thing is there's bands like this throughout the USA, ones who were born into the sound without just trying to emulate it, not that this lacks authenticity but I'm not sure why the UK needs a country rock band when there's plenty of Americans who are played on Planet Rock and featured in the media?

Still that's a personal thing, The Outlaw Orchestra do what they do well, authentic Southern rock from the UK's South Coast, no matter how weird that sounds to say. 7/10

Never Obey Again - The End Of An Era (Scarlet Records)

Well this is all very modern isn't it? Italian alt metal unit Never Obey Again return with their second album The End Of An Era, yeah it's very modern, heavy grooves, electronic backings and the muscular vocals of Carol. In the blurb it compares them to Evanescence, Halestorm and Linkin Park.

Those influences are all there, the clean/harsh vocals style, atmospheric synths, groove driven riffs and anthemic sing along choruses all part of the Never Obey Again soundscape. The thing is there's a load of bands that do this just as well so Never Obey Again may be lost in the mix a little. 6/10

Red Giant - Red Giant (Radio Silent Records)

Dave Simpson is something of a wizard, a guitar wizard, amassing 135, 000 followers on YouTube for his guitar tutorials and gear demos. All fine and dandy being an intenet celebrity but does that translate into him being able to do it in the context of a band? well lets find out with the self released album from Red Giant, the power trio Simpson put together alongside drummer John Joe Gaskin and bassist Carina Powell, playing songs Simpson wrote in 2020 during the lockdown and afterwards.

This is specifically a heavy blues power trio, though a heavy blues trio with nods to psych, grunge and alt rock. The latter comes on Why? and Monsters, both having emotive lyrics and fluid melodics, the choppy Don't adds the bluesing of bands such as Cream, the What You Gonna Do? an atmospheric emotive blues piece. While Tell Me has a riff similar to Monster Magnet's Space Lord, fuzzy as all hell but very similar. The guitar playing is of course fantastic on tracks such as Free Me and The Dark Of Me, but his vocals too are great, a bit like Alan Nimmo of King King, the rhythm section with plenty of groove and feel.

Away from the hordes of YouTube followers Dave Simpson can use his skills in the confines of a band, making for some modern heavy blues. 7/10