tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13039999676547091392024-03-19T02:53:50.748+00:00Musipedia Of MetalA music reviews blog with focus on heavy metal and hard rock.
Based in South Wales. Created/Owned/Operated and is the copyright of Matt BladenMatt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.comBlogger4034125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-90915274042304659052024-03-18T16:13:00.000+00:002024-03-18T16:13:06.949+00:00A View From The Back Of The Room: Saving Grace With Robert Plant (Live Review By Paul Hutchings)Saving Grace With Robert Plant & Suzi Dian / Taylor McCall, Bristol Beacon, 13.03.24<br /><br />How do you know you’re at a gig where the legendary Robert Plant is performing? Well, there are a few tell tale signs and it’s not just the queues at the gents for those overactive prostates. You can add to that list some rather typically rude talking during songs, an inability to use a mobile phone to take a photo without the flashlight activated, and a general entitlement for a generation that by and large, is in the most comfortable stage of their life. It's rare these days that I feel young at a concert, but this was certainly one.<br /><br /><i>Led Zeppelin III</i> was released six months after I was born, and a certain Robert Anthony Plant was already achieving rock god status. To see him 54 years later, aged 75, still imposing his incredible presence (sorry) on stage, well, its mind blown isn’t it. Unlike the stumbling wreck that is Ozzy, Plant stands tall (literally – he is still a big man) alongside such contemporaries as Gillan, Halford, Byford, Brock, Wilson and Brown. The huge difference is the voyage of discovery that Plant has taken since 1980; a meandering musical journey of exploration that has seen him forge another legacy. Priory Of Brion, Band Of Joy, The Sensational Shape Shifters, as well as numerous collaborations with the likes of Alison Krauss, and now Saving Grace. <br /><br />This was my first visit to the refurbished and renamed Bristol Beacon. It’s a fine auditorium, and the multi-million-pound works didn’t disappoint. Nothing too flashy, and the restricted seat that I had gave me a crick in the neck, but overall, the former Colston Hall looks fit for many years and concerts to come. <br /><br />Before Saving Grace, we get <b>Taylor McCall (7)</b>. Already seasoned from supporting Saving Grace last autumn the Nashville singer/songwriter/guitarist is a talented dude, and he takes his 30-minute opening slot with both hands. He’s enigmatic, slightly awkward in style and delivery, but when he lets fly with his electric guitars, it’s difficult to shift attention. He focuses on songs from latest album <i>Mellow War</i>, which for most of the audience is new territory. <div><br /></div><div>He's got a bass player (sorry – missed his name) and a sole bass drum to add heft. His middle section relies on acoustic guitars, one for each song to avoid that tuning nightmare. I’ll be honest, the central part of his set merged into one, but that’s often the way with those delta blues. It’s with his final song that he throws everything at it, resulting in an exit on a high. Would I watch him again? Possibly not, but he certainly did his level best, and you can’t ask for more than that. <br /><br />Formed in 2019, <b>Saving Grace (10) </b>is Robert Plant’s latest collaboration. He’s joined by a formidable line-up who are all incredibly talented. Alongside him, as they ease into <i>Gospel Plow</i> is Suzi Dian on vocals. The duo is a delightful pairing, Plant always happy to share and focus the spotlight on others, certainly takes a back seat at times as Dian leads. Her vocals are phenomenal, a rare talent, she is central to the way this band works. <br /><br />Describing percussionist Oli Jefferson as an octopus is no understatement. His organic flow that switches from blues to folk to tribal styles makes it look effortless. He holds the rhythm, and although slightly out of sight from my angle, he’s as interesting to watch as the other members. On the next podium sits Matt Worley, who during the evening effortlessly shows his prowess on banjo, acoustic and baritone guitars and cuatro. </div><div><br /></div><div>He’s an astonishing musician, unassuming yet integral to the performance. He takes lead vocals on one song, whilst his rich backing vocals add to the harmonies throughout the evening. That just leaves guitarist Tony Kelsey, who sits in semi darkness, happily switching between mandolin, acoustic and electric guitars, and occasional backing vocals. He’s another incredible musician. It’s a formidable collective. <br /><br />The set comprises covers of traditional folk, americana and bluegrass, harnessed and gathered by Plant on his travels across the globe. He’s got an insatiable appetite for music and references many different musicians as the evening progresses. A reverential cover of Low’s <i>Everybody’s Song</i> is dedicated to the late Mimi Parker, whilst the main set ends with an extended and extremely enjoyable workout through Los Lobos’s <i>Angel Dance</i>. <br /><br />Of course, there is room for a couple of Zeppelin songs during the evening. <i>Four Sticks </i>is dedicated to “My brothers”, a refence to Jones and Page, whilst my highlight of the evening was an emotionally charged <i>The Rain Song</i>, with Dian adding accordion, which, despite my usual hatred of said instrument, makes the song even better. <br /><br />Between songs, Plant is relaxed, humorous, dry in with and full of enthusiasm and joy. It’s amazing to see how vitalised he remains, but then, he’s always been like that when I’ve seen him over the years. Making music is his life’s blood, and it seems the arteries are still rich. He references Machynlleth and Owain Glyndwr which receives a cheer from the many Welsh in the audience, looks back on his past with dry wit, and graciously laughs as Dian needs a member of crew to assist her with the accordion at one point; “we have people working for us” he jokes. <br /><br />It all points to a relaxed, thoroughly enjoyable evening spent in the company of a true rock legend and his astonishing band. As the encore sees <i>In My Time of Dying</i> and <i>Gallows Pole </i>get an airing, one can only hope that he’ll be back before too long. An amazing evening from start to finish.</div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-82502666218179205372024-03-17T17:05:00.002+00:002024-03-18T08:15:50.447+00:00Reviews: Gost, Lutharo, Lucifer Was, Crying Steel (Reviews By GC, Zak Skane, Patches & Matt Bladen)Gost - Prophecy (Metal Blade Records) [GC]<br /><br />Every once in a while, we all need to be taken out of our comfort zone and try something new and exciting, so today I am throwing myself about as far away from my zone of comfort as is humanly possible and have decided to have a go at reviewing the latest Gost album <i>Prophecy</i>.<div> <br />Opening with <i>Judgment</i> doesn’t really do much as it an ambient and un-needed intro but when <i>Prophecy</i> kicks in everything changes dramatically, it’s a drilling and high pitched beginning that then throws in a grindcore drum section that then merges directly into the soundtrack of an 80’s sci-fi film, thudding electronics are melded with ambience and dread that while I’m not 100% sold it certainly make me sit up and pay attention, <i>Death In Bloom</i> sounds a bit too much like a M*rilyn M*anson track for my liking its very industrial and gothic and doesn’t really do much for me, it has a decent pace and verges on metal which is a bonus but its just not clicking with me. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Deceiver </i>fares much better, it is a slow, brooding and menacing track that is full of dark beats and stabbing ambience that could be plucked straight out of an 80’s horror film and when it picks the pace up towards the end it really keeps the intrigue levels piqued, <i>Obituary</i> is an absolute thumper of a song, big fat beats collide with the 80’s drum machines and some inspired electronics mix in with everything to create a wall of sound that once again doesn’t let you stop paying attention throughout which with ‘’dance’’ music is usually my weak point, it all sounds the same but not here, it helps that I love 80’s horror because I can just picture these songs fitting directly into lots of the movies I love , so gives not only a musical interest but a mental one too, </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Temple Of Tears</i> is another song full of menace and mental imagery, I’m not sure how this would play out in a live setting but I feel these tracks would make an absolutely amazing soundtrack to an immersive experience as they just envelope you as you listen and you can feel yourself just being swallowed up by it all, then <i>Decedent Decay</i> is just fucking mental, one minute it’s all gabba beats and thundering drums, then its rich ambience with the familiar 80’s feel again and it’s all mixed together in on big mindfuck of a song which throws you completely off kilter for no reason, great work! </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Widow Song </i>goes back to the heavy ambience and sounds like a heavier new romantic era track. You can imagine this would go down well in some mad Goth club in Berlin, it’s just got that weird unease and tension about it. <i>Golgotha </i>is another soundtrack type of song and has a more conventional ‘’metal’’ fell to it, not in the way it’s got guitars and such because it hasn’t, its just the general feel of the song has a very metal undertone throughout and <i>Digital Death</i> is another absolute mindfuck of a song it’s just all over the place and it’s such a glorious explosion of chaos from start to end and is another undoubtedly metal influenced track, probably the best on the whole album! </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Shelter</i> is an opulent and rich soundscape which pushes further the reach of the electronics and samples and molds something truly wonderful to listen to, <i>Through The Water</i> sounds like if Depeche Mode decided to go even darker and starts off a little on the yawn some side of things, but then a sprinkling of metalness midway picks everything up to end nicely, <i>Leviathan</i> is the last song and ends the album on a suitably cinematic horror movie soundtrack ending. Must admit I liked this way more than I thought I would! Its dark and menacing in many places but also has a heaviness about it I just wasn’t expecting, it may be a couple of tracks too long if I am 100% honest, but that’s a small criticism and probably because of my child like attention span but seriously if you’re looking for something to intrigue you and challenge what you think ‘’heavy’’ music is you won’t go wrong with this! 8/10<br /><br />Lutharo – Chasing Euphoria (Atomic Fire Records) [Zak Skane]<br /><br /><i>Gates Of Enchantment</i> opens up this modern metal 11 track album by greeting us with some classic old school film score level orchestras, with it’s deep groaning cellos, grandiose brass sections and marching snare patterns to lead us to our first song<i> Reaper's Call </i>which provides a great introduction by being greeted by fast balls to the wall tempos, guitar hero memorable melodies and fast break neck drumming provided by Cory Hofing which consists of skank beats, machine gun double kicks that bend and meld from 16th note to 8th note triplet patterns. </div><div><br /></div><div>When it comes to Krista, she is not afraid to show her talents across the board on this opening track going from harsh vocals to soaring cleans whilst reaching all the way to Rob Halford high notes. The energy continues with <i>Ruthless Bloodline</i> with all members gunning straight into it with metalcore type fury, with it the drums still elevating their abilities with non stop double kick patterns, whilst the Victor Bucur (guitar), Chris (bass), follows suit with thrashtastic riffs and galloping chugging patterns. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Time To Rise </i>comes in as the most dynamic song on this album with clean guitar delivered verses that ascend into power metal styled pre-choruses that consist of galloping rhythms backed with symphonic strings. <i>Born To Ride</i> provides us with Iron Maiden and Judas Priest twin harmonies along with hard rock styled guitar solos and the Krista closing the track with some Rob Halford piercing highs. <i>Bonded To The Blade </i>provides slower marching battle metal tempos, game of thrones sounding neo-classical guitar melodies and clean guitar passages. </div><div><br /></div><div>Other highlights from this album is the energetic <i>Creating A King</i> that contains masses of metalcore attitude and aggression, the metric modulating noodles of <i>Strong Enough To Fall </i>and <i>Paradise Or Parasite</i> and the rumbling bass and melodic sections of closing track <i>Freedom Of The Night</i> leads the band to a triumphant conclusion. Through out this 12 track release Lutharo’s Chasing Euphoria has defiantly captured the spirit of heavy metal in all of it’s glory from the relentless energetic drumming by Cory Hofing on songs like <i>Reaper's Call</i>, <i>Ruthless Bloodline </i>and <i>Creating A King</i>, to the shredding guitar work on <i>Born To Ride </i>and their closing track <i>Paradise Or Parasite</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Krista has done an amazing performance of marrying the old and new generations metal from the opening track <i>Reaper's Call</i> incorporating harsh sung verses to effortlessly transitioning into power metal sung choruses whilst <i>Time To Rise </i>swaps it about by incorporates the dynamically softly sung verses to snarling pre-choruses. If this momentum continues, this band can lead to big things. For fans of Trivium, Arch Enemy and Judas Priest. 9/10<br /><br />Lucifer Was - En Fix Ferdig Mann (Apollon Records Prog) [Patches]<br /><br />Lucifer Was was formed in Oslo in the 70s but didn’t get around to releasing any material until the late 90s. Since then the band have released albums fairly regularly with the eighth feature-length Ein Fix Ferdig Mann drawing me in with its bizarre album cover pre-listen. <br /><br />The album immediately sounds like an updated version of that more theatrical side of good 70s prog rock. Choirs, hard blues and dramatics play out like some kind of progressive electronic requiem. The title track <i>Ein Fix Ferdig Mann </i>has an absolutely stinking tone for the guitar solo more often found in stoner rock but contests immaculately with the softer vocals and keys. <i>Krig I Open Landscape </i>has some of that Freddy Mercury passion initially sounding like a Norwegian version of Queen were asked to write a bond theme until it drops into pure Sabbath heavy occult filth and a gripping church organ. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pages on the band describe them as reminiscent of Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, early Scorpions and Jethro Tull, but I’d definitely go as far as to add some of the stranger bands of the time such as The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Man, King Crimson and even possibly some Gentle Giant. With eccentric theatrical lines riding hack to the more bike driven rock of bands like Blue Cheer and the diversity of Blue Oyster Cult. <i>Nar Natta Kjem Og Tek Meg </i>introduces a folky female chant over an eerie descending progression. The cheeky mischievous groove of <i>Eg Vil Ha Det Eg Vil Ha </i>is just bloody brilliant. The Devils Blues. <br /><br />Whilst <i>SNOMANN I SOL</i> carries that Garry Moore <i>Parisienne Walkways</i> feel …. Which I’ve just realised has a tenuous similarity to Gloria Gaynor’s <i>I Will Survive</i> … But nobody wants to spend too long with that thought. The guitarist follows mainly blues but with the interesting choices and flourishes found in musicians such as Focus’s Jan Ackerman and BOC’s Donald Roser. <i>Aftenbon Til Dauden</i> sounds like the penultimate number in a rock opera, musical or theatre production. It’s fun, and without understanding a word of Norwegian it feels as if it’s telling a story. The jokes on me if it’s absolute nonsense I guess. <br /><br /><i>Ein Fix Ferdig Mann </i>is a very interesting and enjoyable album . As somebody in their 30s, for anybody who’s parents don’t remember the 70s (because they were actually there) this fees like a combination of your dads stranger albums. You know, the ones he tried to tell you were genius before you were old enough to care. It’s brilliant ! Well written, wonderfully performed and entertaining. <br /><br />Recommended for fans of all the above mentioned bands and those into psychedelic, theatrical, rock and prog rock. 9/10<br /><br />Crying Steel - Live And Thunder (Underground Symphony Records) [Matt Bladen]<br /><br />One of the first heavy metal acts to come from Italy Crying Steel released two albums in the 80's then returned in 2007, having released 3 albums, one live album and remastered their first two albums since then. </div><div><br /></div><div>Recorded live in their hometown of Bologna, on 2022, <i>Live And Thunder </i>was a show to commemorate their 40th Anniversary as a band. I don't know the size of the Alchemica Music Club but it sounds like it was an intimate gig as the crowd noise is audible but not deafening, so this record feels more like a studio release, if it wasn't for the between song chat (in Italian of course). </div><div><br /></div><div>Similar to Hammerfall's <i>One Crimson Night</i> live album from 2003, this is the best of Crying Steel performed in front of fans who will have been there from the start to celebrate heavy metal. Musically Crying Steel bring the battle based metal of Hammerfall, (they even have a song called <i>Hammerfall</i>) as well as Saxon, Helloween and American bands such Vicious Rumours who they will play dates with this year. </div><div><br /></div><div>Tracks such a as <i>Defender, Raptor, Running Like A Wolf </i>all encapsulate the Crying Steel sound and show why they have the following they do in their home country. The disc also has a special bonus in the shape of <i>Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be </i>which has only ever been performed live and makes it's recorded debut here. Macho metal from Italy as these veterans impress with their longevity. 7/10</div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-29146212202494197852024-03-15T08:19:00.002+00:002024-03-15T08:19:32.790+00:00Reviews: Whom Gods Destroy, Scott Stapp, Dragonforce, Wasted Death (Reviews By Matt Bladen)Whom Gods Destroy - Insanium (InsideOut Records)<br /><br />Keyboardist Derek Sherinian and guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal were core members of prog metal supergroup Sons Of Apollo alongside Jeff Scott Soto, Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy. SOA's second album proved to be their last with Portnoy playing in numerous bands and now back in the Dream Theater mothership, Sheehan on tour with Mr Big one last time and Soto singing for anyone who wants him. <div><br /></div><div>It left Thal and Sherinian looking for another set of collaborators, they found Dino Jelusick not long after he left Frontiers and started to write songs, keeping the musical synergy they established with Sons Of Apollo but experimenting a bit further to see where it took them. After Dino joined they added bassist Yas Nomura and drummer Bruno Valverde and by June 2023 their debut was complete. <div><div><br /></div><div>It continues the legacy of Sons Of Apollo but under a new name of Whom Gods Destroy, all the players are virtuoso, that rhythm section is especially impressive, Yas and Bruno having a chemistry that is unbeatable even when they're playing something slower and more deliberate like bonus track <i>Requiem</i> or <i>The Decision</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>The basslines are thick and insistent, grooving on the palm muted <i>Over Again</i>, while on the first track <i>In The Name Of War</i>, Valverde lays down some technical beats, his feel of the kit is incredible. Of course the record is driven by Sherinian's keys and Thal's guitars, they are the melodic part of this band, making <i>The Decision </i>sound like the Dream Theater of <i>Falling To Infinity </i>the one record where Sherinian played with them. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's got a passionate chorus built around exquisite playing where Thal and Sherinian weave in and out of each other in the fantastic middle solo section before the riffs get heavier on <i>Crucifier </i>or <i>Crawl </i>which could be my favourite track here, due to how well it shows off Jelusick's incredible vocals. </div><div><br /></div><div>As does <i>Find My Way Back</i>, I've said in the past how good Dino's voice is and while he has a lot of similarities to JSS, he brings his own style to the songs, keeping it the same but different. I could break down every song here but it's a prog metal album from some of the best musicians out there, so yes they are a natural successor to Sons Of Apollo, but Whom Gods Destroy make their own indelible mark. 9/10</div><div><br />Scott Stapp - Higher Power (Napalm Records)<br /><p>If you've been on the internet in the last year you'll have heard Scott Stapp's unmistakable voice. The songs he sang with Creed are all over Tik-Tok and Instagram, reactivating the interest in the band even probably leading to their reformation. Stapp also has a solo career which has been incredibly successful his last was in 2019, but <i>Higher Power</i> ramps up his previous record with some high quality performances and song writing. </p><p>Alongside those incredible vocals is the scintillating virtuoso playing of Yiannis Papadopoulos, a long time member of Stapp's band, he's an award winning player and peels off solo after solo here shredding up a storm similar to one Mr Tremonti on <i>Quicksand</i> especially. There's also some guests spots from the always fantastic Dorothy and Grammy winning country songwriter Steve McEwan. </p><p>Massive riffs come from the off as the title track is some darkly heavy metal, down tuned and punishing from the guitars, though with an undercurrent of synths and Stapp unleashing those vocals for the first time on a song about rediscovering yourself. The info around this album tells me that the songs traverse loss, frustration, betrayal and near defeat, Stapp always using his own life and the world around him to influence his emotive and inspiring lyrics. </p><p>The heaviness continues on <i>Deadman's Trigger</i>, but there's obligatory ballads with introspection coming on <i>If These Walls Could Talk</i>, which is a ballad with rocker Dorothy, that smoky country sound that is all over Dorothy's music brought here too as they are on <i>You're Not Alone</i> the co-write from McEwan adding a lot of acoustic Americana. So that's metal, country, rock all covered, but Stapp doesn't stop there <i>Black Butterfly </i>adding electronics. </p><p>Due to Stapp's vocals being the way they are, it's a little ballad heavy but there's a lot of variation climaxing in the beautiful <i>Weight Of The World</i>. It's a tribute to Stapp's faith but without being preachy, it's an album that puts the positive power of belief through some radio friendly modern metal and balladry. 8/10</p><div>Dragonforce - Warp Speed Warriors (Napalm Records)<br /><br /></div><div>What I’ve been so struck by with all the Dragonforce albums since Marc Hudon joined on vocals is how they’ve been able to transition those extreme power metal guitar workouts, so many will recognise from <i>Through The Fire And The Flames</i>, <i>Valley Of The Damned</i> and <i>My Spirit Will Go On</i>, into 4 or 5 minutes rather than the 7-8 minutes of their first few albums. </div><div><br /></div><div>Take for instance <i>Killer Queen</i>, <i>Burning Heart </i>and <i>Pixel Prison</i> both around 6 minutes, both feature light speed guitar workouts from Herman Li and Sam Totman, maybe it’s the lack of their keyboard player but as they have leaned more heavily into videogame lore, Dragonforce have managed to make their songs punchier but still make shred heads we themselves. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway with that musing out of the way it's on to the newest album from Dragonforce, <i>Warp Speed Riders</i>, another nine-ish tracks of extreme power metal led musically by the founding guitarists alongside screamer Hudson, inhuman drum machine Gee Anzalone and bassist Alicia Vigil, where styles clash, videogame music blurs with triumphant power metal, synthwave gets some shredding solos and there’s even a Taylor Swift cover. </div><div><br /></div><div>In their most recent years, the band have embraced their online ‘meme/viral’ etc presence to increase their reach to listeners. Herman Li especially has a Twitch channel where those who perhaps know just that one song will be welcomed into the weird world of Dragonforce and the inviting style of nerd metal. I’ve been on the ride since the beginning and <i>Warp Speed Riders</i> is up there with their best releases. </div><div><br /></div><div>From the blistering <i>Astro Warrior Anthem </i>into the anthemic <i>Power Of The Triforce</i>, inspired by The Legend Of Zelda videogames, we get the happiest song ever written about Warhammer 40K on <i>Space Marine Corp </i>and the Eighties-tastic <i>Doomsday Party </i>which you’ll need you RayBan Wayfarer’s for, just listen to the electronic drums. So let’s address the elephant in the room, yes, there is a Taylor Swift cover, the tongue twisting <i>Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version) (Dragonforce’s Version)</i>, which speeds up the Global Megastar’s song in the proper Dragonforce way, again appealing to their internet fanbase brilliantly. </div><div><br /></div><div>As well as Ms Swift there are four bonus tracks, an instrumental version of <i>Power Of The Triforce</i>. Then a plethora of guests including Amaranthe’s Elize Ryd on <i>Doomsday Party</i>, which I imagine will be the version played on their up-coming co-headline tour. <i>Burning Heart </i>gains Alissa White-Gluz on screaming/singing while <i>Astro Warrior Anthem</i> has both Matthew K Heafy of Trivium on vocals and Nita Strauss shredding up a storm. They’re similar to the originals just with some extra seasoning to what is another brilliant power metal feast from Dragonforce. 9/10</div><p>Wasted Death - Season Of Evil (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]</p><div>Like things that go bump in the night, seeing your first video nasty or the Conservative Party, true horror never really goes away.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wasted Death lean on this, with three previous EP’s they have delivered horrific tales of zombification, hammered into your synapses with thrash, hardcore, grindcore and d-beat riffs that sound like they were played on a rusty chainsaw rather than a guitar. Full throttle assaults on the ears intended to draw blood by the bucket, Wasted Death are the sort of band Slayer wish they were, or at least the sort that Jeff and Lombardo pictured. </div><div><br /></div><div>Signed to APF, they’ve found a home for their terrifying tirades and on <i>Season Of Evil </i>they arrive fully transformed and flesh devouring. Comprising Charlie Davis of Beggar on vocals and I assume a broken bass due to the amount of fuzz it produces, Wayne Adams of Big Lad on six string assault and the raw production and Tom Brewins of USA Nails on percussion battery, <i>Season Of Evil </i>is visceral music for despicable people. </div><div><br /></div><div>Imagine a universe where Converge and High On Fire played Slayer covers and watched endless Dario Argento flicks and you’d be in the right graveyard. Speaking of Argento, the band have released a mini movie to accompany the album, a low budget zombie flick that also features John and Scott from Green Lung and embodies the spirit of what Wasted Death are all about. </div><div><br /></div><div>Scott Black of Green Lung appears a couple of times on the record adding the Hanneman dive bombs as the only semblance of ‘melody’ while Wasted Death see fit to record a record as close to <i>In Battle There Is No Law </i>as possible. Not that this is a negative thing as there’s brilliance in the nastiness; NOLA grooves fed through abrasive, gnashing powerviolence, what’s not to love? 9/10</div></div></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-84532238143653577312024-03-14T17:54:00.000+00:002024-03-14T17:54:24.935+00:00M2TM South Wales 2024: Cardiff Heat #2 Interview With Root Zero By Paul Hutchings<b>Interview With Root Zero – Heat 2 M2TM, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff 15th March 2024</b><br /><b><br /></b><div><b>Let’s start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band?</b><br /><br /></div><div>We’ve got our lead vocalist Sasha Bannister, Llyr Williams and Dan Wood are our two guitarists, Rob Edwards is our bassist, Giacomo Fiderio is our keyboardist and co-lead vocalist, and Josh Powell-Gibbs is our drummer.<br /><br /><b>Where are you from and how long have you been together?</b><br /><br />Half the band is from England and the other half is from Wales. Most of us knew each other when we went to Aberystwyth University, although this lineup didn’t form until we all moved to Cardiff between 2019 and 2020. Dan and Rob are our newest additions, joining in 2021 and 2022 respectively. I (Giacomo) have been writing music for this band since 2016, and I worked on music with a few different people whilst I was at Aberystwyth. Sasha and I are the only remaining members who were involved prior to us moving to Cardiff.<br /><br /><b>Describe your music in five words.</b><br /><br /> Ethereal, progressive, gothic, doomy and melodic.<br /><br /><b>What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses – South Wales?</b><br /><br />We were part of Metal 2 the Masses in 2022, although that was only our 3rd ever gig so we were fairly inexperienced back then and didn’t make it past the first heat. We’ve learned a lot since then and we’re hopeful that we can progress further through the heats this time! Playing a festival like Bloodstock would be a dream come true for all of us, but we also love returning just to play with other metal bands in South Wales; we’ve played gigs with some of the bands that were in our heat in 2022 so it’s a good way to get to know the other bands in the area.<br /><br /><b>If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you’ve returned!</b><br /><br />As I said, we played Metal 2 The Masses in 2022 but we weren’t that experienced back then. We’ve grown as a band since then, literally, and figuratively, so we hope we can bring a more exciting set to this heat.<br /><br /><b>Bloodstock is a big festival – have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend?</b><br /><br />Me (Giacomo) and Sasha went to Bloodstock in 2017, it was a great weekend, with our personal highlights being Wintersun, Blind Guardian, Whitechapel, Soilwork, Ghost, Testament, Megadeth, and Amon Amarth. We were blessed with really good weather apart from the day we left, which meant we packed up a soggy tent, but it was great to stay dry during the festival itself. Also, it’s always nice to be surrounded by likeminded people into the same music!<br /><br /><b>Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024?</b><br /><br />We’ve got a new single and a 3D animated music video dropping this month on March 22nd, and we also have an album in the works. We’ve got a few more gigs in our calendar too and we’re always on the lookout for more shows to play.<br /><br /><b>What can we expect from you in your heat?</b><br /><br />We always try and focus on atmosphere in our sets, but there are also plenty of hard-hitting riffs in our music to get the crowd moving! There are a lot of loud/quiet dynamics in our songs, with melodic choruses and some soaring harmonies.<br /><br /><b>And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition?</b><br /><br />We’re excited to see what the other bands in our heat will bring for their sets. We’re friends with the guys in Thrakian and have played with them before, so we’re looking forward to watching them again. Obviously, all the bands playing want to make it through to the next heat, but we’re excited for a fun night as well, and hopefully that attitude will stay the same if we progress through to the other stages.<br /><br /><b>Finally, where can people find details of the band – promote your socials here!</b><br /><br />You can find us on all the usual social media places through our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/root_zero We’re on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp and all popular streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music etc. </div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-28654902238506251462024-03-14T13:22:00.001+00:002024-03-14T15:05:05.629+00:00Reviews: Vltimas, Bongzilla, Atrophy, Leather Lung (Reviews By Paul Hutchings, Paul Scoble, Richard Oliver & Rich Piva)<p>Vltimas – Epic (Season Of Mist) [Paul Hutchings]</p><p>In those uncertain times mere weeks before lockdown, a stellar package rolled into London for a one-off show. Headlined by Norwegian Black Metal legend Abbath, the undercard included 1349, Chilean thrashers Nuclear and the gargantuan death metal sound of Vltimas. The latter were touring their debut release, <i>Something Wicked Marches In</i>, and they played that show as if they were the main attraction. </p><p>It was unsurprising, given the personnel involved in this extreme metal supergroup. For those who are unaware, Vltimas comprise Norwegian guitarist Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen (ex-Mayhem, Aura Noir), American vocalist David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel), and Canadian drummer Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy). Rounded out by Dutch bassist Ype TVS (ex-Dodecahedron) and Portuguese guitarist João Duarte (Corpus Christii), they make a formidable line-up. <br /><br /><i>Epic </i>has been a long time coming, but that’s not really a problem, for good things definitely come to those that wait. Written in Vincent’s Texan ranch, it’s evident from first plays that this is one fluid mother of a record. Vincent explains. "The writing sessions were as organic as they could be. There were times when, at the end of the night, Rune would take his guitar and play something ridiculous. Flo would play something even more ridiculous on top of it. I'd say to the guys, 'I need to capture this.'<br /><br />Having established that Vltimas work better as a unit, thriving when together, the proof is in the finished product. The horror-tinged intro <i>Volens Discordent </i>provides a jarring start, the first minute an edgy, uncomfortable ride which gives way to a hypnotic riff, the first of many that rain down throughout the 40-odd minutes. It’s a brooding start, the title track presenting as immense in sound and size, razor-edged guitars chug over Mounier’s thunderous delivery, whilst Vincent hasn’t been on such form for many years. His sinister, gravel throated vocals adding a touch of the demonic. <br /><br />We’ve already been treated to three singles, the piledriver that is <i>Miserere</i>, along with <i>Scorcher</i> and <i>Invictus</i>, all of which grab the extreme in different ways, the first possessing an explosive and majestic tempo that cascades with relentless power and energy. But what about the lyrical content. Whereas <i>Something Wicked</i> Vincent focused on the apocalypse, the goddess Lilith and truth, this time around the former Morbid Angel front man has changed the focus here. </p><p>Everything we're doing and messaging is about strength and honour," says Vincent. "These are the fundamentals that I incorporate into my life, which I believe in. I want to share with others, hoping they'll incorporate strength and honour into their lives. I wouldn't say I like spelling lyrics out. I use a lot of double meanings on purpose because I want to inspire the listener to think. I'm not a short attention span guy, and I don't appreciate it. Epic is holistic and meant to be experienced that way”.<br /><br />If this type of chaotic extreme metal does appeal, then tracks such as the ferocious <i>Exercitus Irae </i>and the groove and swing of <i>Mephisto Manifesto</i>, both poles apart in their tempo, should impress. The latter has a swagger that glam bands would die for, as Vincent throws verbal shapes around that work in time with the underlying riff. <br /><br />There remains that Gothic tint that worked so well on the debut. <i>Nature’s Fangs </i>blends the atmospheric flavours of those early 80s heroes like The Sisters of Mercy with the savagery of epic melodic death metal outfits. It’s a soaring ride, freely crafted and captivating from start to finish. <br /><br />By the time you reach the finale, the longest track on the album in <i>Spoils Of War</i>, you’ll be somewhat battered and bruised. At the same time, you’ll want to be diving back in to experience what this band can offer. At times gargantuan in sheer scale, Vltimas won’t appeal to all. If they do float your boat though, then Epic comes highly recommended. You won’t find a better performance this year. 9/10</p><p>Bongzilla – Dabbing (Live) Rosin In Europe (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Paul Scoble]</p><div>Bongzilla have been stalwarts of the doom and stoner scenes since 1995. The band, based in Madison, Wisconsin, have had two distinct periods of activity, 1995 – 2009, and after a six year hiatus, 2015 up to the present. During that time the band have released six albums and innumerable EP's and splits. Bongzilla’s first album was released in 1999 and was called Stash, the bands last album was released last year and was called <i>Dab City</i>. The band is made up of Magma on drums, Spanky on guitars and Muleboy on bass, guitars and vocals.<br /><br />The album is split into seven songs that were recorded at The Duna Jam, in Posnan and in Belfast.<br /><br />Bongzilla’s style is big doomy stoner rock, so huge riffs that are simple but effective, the songs tend to grow as they progress, so a stoner riff will build to a huge groove with faster tempos that drive everything forward.<br /><br />There is definitely some Black Sabbath influences in the material, not surprising really as Sabbath created doom, and also gave the stoner genre a kick start with <i>Sweet Leaf</i>. There is Sabbath influences in pretty much every style of doom or stoner, however on the tracks <i>King Of Weed (Live In Posnan)</i> and <i>Greenthumb (Live In Belfast) </i>you can really hear the Iommi influence in the riffing, something I really enjoyed.<br /><br />The aforementioned grooves are really good on this album, the live setting definitely gives these parts a bit more verve and energy than on the originals and this really helped the live atmosphere come over, I particularly liked the grooves on the tracks <i>Sundae Driver (Live At Duna Jam)</i>, <i>H.P. Keefmaker (Live In Belfast)</i> and <i>Gestation (Live At Duna Jam)</i>. Another thing I really enjoyed about this album was the many guitar solos, pretty much all the songs have solos and they absolutely rip, really tuneful, melodic and they really add to the songs.<br /><br />It's not all good however, as we now run into the most divisive feature of Bongzilla’s sound, and that is the vocals. Most stoner rock has clean, sung vocals, some has harsh vocals, Bongzilla have the most extreme harsh vocals I have heard on stoner or doom. To my ears the vocalist that Muleboy sounds most like is Maniac who used to do vocals for Mayhem and Skitliv, both much more extreme in style that Bongzilla. <div><br /></div><div>In some places it sounds as if he is trying to eat his own lips, in other places it sounds like the vocals were performed by an Intestinal Tract Infection, to my ears they sound affected and ridiculously over the top. There were quite a lot of places where I was really enjoying the music and felt that this was spoiled by Muleboy vomiting in my ear.<br /><br /><i>Dabbing (Live) Rosin In Europe</i>, is a great live album with one issue. Musically I really enjoyed this album, and thought the grooves in particular were fantastic, but every time the Vocals came in it all just falls apart. Musically this is a nine out of ten, but the vocals drag the score down.<br /><br />There is no reason for Bongzilla to care what I think of their vocals, if this is how they want their sound then they have no reason to change, I just know that if they had clean Vocals, or less ridiculous Harsh Vocal, I would have spent much more time listening to their music. 7/10<br /><br /><div>Atrophy - Asylum (Massacre Records) [Richard Oliver]<br /><br /></div><div>Atrophy are one of those cult thrash bands who, outside of people who listened to them back in the day and in the thrash obsessive community, aren’t really too well known or remembered. They formed in Arizona in 1987 and released two very well regarded albums <i>Socialized Hate</i> in 1988 and <i>Violent By Nature</i> in 1990 before they decided to call it a day in 1993. </div><div><br /></div><div>The band reformed in 2015 and resurrected their thrash attack for a number of years before vocalist Brian Zimmerman departed in 2020 when the band’s European tour was cut short due to the pandemic. The remaining members forged on with a new singer before rebranding as <i>Scars Of Atrophy</i> but then to many people’s surprise Atrophy reformed with Brian Zimmerman at the helm and a whole new line-up and now after 34 years the band’s third album <i>Asylum</i>.<br /><br />With such a long gap between albums, <i>Asylum</i> doesn’t pick up where <i>Violent By Nature</i> left off but the heart of the old Atrophy is still very much there but with a beefed up sound which is still very much old school thrash but with a few contemporary elements thrown in the mix. </div><div><br /></div><div>Album opener <i>Punishment For All</i> wastes no time in breaking faces with its crushing thrash assault and the album rarely lets up from there until its conclusion. There is speed and aggression in plentiful amounts such as on <i>Bleeding Out</i> but the riffs are quite chunky and there are some groove elements that can be heard throughout in songs such as in <i>Distortion</i>. The only break in the aggression comes in the clean opening and closing to <i>Close My Eyes</i> but the main body of the song is an absolute thrash battering containing some of the most pummelling riffs on the album.</div><div><br />Brian’s voice has aged (unsurprisingly after 34 years) but it is a gruffer and rougher vocal attack that he brings to <i>Asylum</i> and he still sounds fantastic. The new line-up comprises Mark Coglan and Nathan Montalvo on guitars and despite being unknowns they impress with a barrage of crushing thrash riffage and some really sweet solos especially on <i>Seeds Of Sorrow</i>. The rhythm section is made up of Josh Gibbs (Malevolent Creation and ex-Solstice) on the bass and Sage Johnson (ex-Master) on the drums and they both provide a fat and brutal rhythmic attack.<br /><br /><i>Asylum</i> is a solid thrash album and a welcome return for Atrophy. Much like their two prior albums, it struggles with a lack of its own identity but if a straightforward and crushing thrash attack is what you need then Atrophy delivers in full here. <i>Asylum</i> doesn’t offer anything new to the thrash plate but thrash has never been the most innovative of genres and it doesn’t need to be. When this album strikes it is guaranteed to have necks wrecked and circle pits swirling which is exactly what thrash does best. 8/10<br /><br />Leather Lung - Graveyard Grin (Magnetic Eye Records) [Rich Piva]<br /><br />Time for some groovy sludge with Boston’s Leather Lung! <i>Graveyard Grin </i>is their latest output and what feels like their first real album. I know they have put out stuff before, but <i>Graveyard Grin</i> feels like their real coming out party and most realized album till date. You get a little bit of lots of genres and a whole lot of heavy with these guys, who were born out of hardcore and raised on heavy stoner sludge goodness.<br /><br /><i>Spit In The Casket</i> has all sorts of Pantera vibes going on with its riffs and sludgy take on groove metal. The vocals will not be for everyone as the lean a bit towards blackened, but the match is perfect for the music. These dudes are heavy, there is no denying that. A cool bluesy stoner riff opens <i>Big Bat Bodega Cat</i>, and this one shows these guys really know how to groove and this is the most fun song on this record. </div><div><br /></div><div>More heaviness coming at you with <i>Freewheelin’ Maniac</i>, where you should really heed the advice of the lyrics and kindly get yourself out of the way of this filthy groove. Glass shaking bass leads the way on <i>Empty Bottle Boogie</i> that rips and breaks you down like any good hardcore influenced band would do. I dig the addition of the clean vocals on this one too. Speaking of blackened, Guilty pleasure starts off just like that until so Korn (?!) vibes hit. Don’t be scared, it is kind of fun and all the way heavy. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>La La Land </i>is in the same vibe, but more Down/Pantera then Korn. I really do enjoy when they bring in the clean vocals to pair with the dirtiness like they do on the slower burn <i>Twisting Flowers</i>.<i> Headstone</i> has more of that bluesy stoner sung by the dude from Midnight vibes while<i> Cornered Animal </i>has a Pantera type crush to it. Down but sludgy-er closes us out with <i>Raised Me Rowdy</i>. We may be one song too many, as this album may have connected a bit more with one less song.</div><div><br />Leather Lung have finally arrived for real this time bringing the heavy groove and bluesy stoner metal sludge to the masses. <i>Graveyard Grin</i> is a heavy, filthy party that has shown up ready to break stuff in your home, so be ready for sludgy circle pit. 7/10</div></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-11278698586697181312024-03-14T08:07:00.000+00:002024-03-14T08:07:24.328+00:00Reviews: The Moor, Comeback Kid, Noah And The Loners, Suffersystem (Reviews By Paul Hutchings, GC, Alex Swift & James Jackson)The Moor – Ombra (Inertia Music) [Paul Hutchings]<br /><br /><div>When your album of the year arrives in early March, what do you do? Stop listening to anything else, or accept that there is an inferiority in everything else that enters your ears? Let me introduce you to The Moor, who we last encountered in 2018 when their sophomore release <i>Jupiter’s Immigrants</i> received a 9/10 from Alex Swift.<br /><br />I’ll admit to coming to The Moor with no previous knowledge of the band, apart from a distant inkling that they are from Italy. But not any old part of Italy, oh no, my favourite part of the Country, the mystical, enchanting Venice. The juxtaposition of trading routes between East and West, the fantastic location where canals are roads, where the history is intoxicating, and where I’ve spent many a happy hour wandering, lost in the winding side streets and alleys that make up this most magical of places. <br /><br />In some ways,<i> Ombra</i> is representative of the home City. It swirls, it meanders, it intensifies, yes, it intoxicates. From the cinematic introduction that is <i>Il tema dell’ Ombra</i> which needs to be the soundtrack to a beautiful black and white movie, passing the sweeping passages of <i>The Overlord Disease</i> with it’s snarling black metal vocals that starkly contrast with the haunting, rich cleans that Enrico Longhin seems to be able to switch back and forth with such ease, it’s evident that this is an album of breathtaking magnificence. <br /><br />The Moor wear the progressive label with pride, for they include so many different styles that it’s impossible to pigeonhole them in any other way. There are elements of melodic black metal, as well as symphonic parts that simply lift the mood and tempo. Davide Carraro’s crisp, clean guitar work is a sonic delight throughout, from the emotionally charged solo on<i> Illuminant </i>to album closer <i>Thirst</i>. It’s high paced stuff, and although we get a full, weighty album of 11 tracks, only one, the towering title song tips over the six-minute mark. <br /><br /><i>Ombra </i>is a phenomenal fusion of battering drums, orchestral strings, and Italian vocals. I have no idea what they are singing, but Italian sounds fantastic regardless of the meaning. It adds heart and soul, and allows Longhin another opportunity to demonstrate that deep, baritone delivery. The switch from savage to open vocals merely provides extra texture. <div><br /></div><div>Making his album recording debut is drummer Edo Sala, a well-travelled musician whose extensive credits include spells with Joe Lyn Turner in Sunstorm, as well as a whole host of Italian bands including <i>Folkstone</i>. He links superbly with bassist Massimo Cocchetto, now into his second decade with the band. <br /><br />What has captured my imagination with this album is that every time you return to it, something else catches the attention. The melodic chimes of<i> Lifetime Damage</i> mix fluidly with the rough-edged vocals, summoning the qualities of legends like Amorphis to mind. Song after song hits the spot, with influences such as Opeth, Katatonia and even Orphaned Land coming to mind as the tracks flow in an organic manner. The deep rolls of <i>Our Tides</i> with it’s melancholic feel, the semi-Djent vibe of <i>Passage</i>, and the dark melodies of closing track <i>Thirst</i> are all superb. Combined, these 11 songs make an album that will take some beating. </div><div><br /></div><div>A truly magnificent release. It deserves your attention. 10/10<br /><br />Comeback Kid - Trouble (Sharptone Records) [GC]<br /><br />When I saw there was a new Comeback Kid EP ready for review, I decided that I had to give it a listen as back in 2005 they released, in my opinion one of the greatest hardcore albums of all time in <i>Wake The Dead</i> I found that after that I just didn’t really click with many of their releases but always like to see what they are doing. <br /><br /><i>Trouble In The Winners Circle</i> is a promising start and has exactly the sound I was looking for, it’s not exactly full on hardcore punk but has the edge there to make it interesting enough as the verses are held back musically letting the vocals lead and the chorus is anthemic and rowdy just as it should be and keeps it going all the way to the last seconds, <i>Disruption</i> then is most definitely a hardcore punk number as it has a faster pace and relentless energy pulsing right through the full track and again has a suitably big chorus and some lovely breakdowns midway through that then slows down and builds up to a raucous and thrilling end section. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Chompin’ At The Bit </i>doesn’t obviously stray much from the style of the previous 2 tracks but reminds me of peak Comeback Kid back in 05 and is a nostalgic and triumphant track full of staccato riffing and chaotic drumming with that anger drilled through it all in the best way possible, and absolute barn stormer of a track and 100% guaranteed to become a live favourite very soon! </div><div><br /></div><div>And just like that we have last track <i>Breaking And Bruised</i> which opens with some melancholic and spacious guitars that are interrupted with a wall of thumping drums and gang vocals that set the mood perfectly when the main body of the song is here its furious and paired back at the same time which sounds brilliant and intense and it is reflected perfectly in the vocals that never lose any anger or focus and really lift the song onto another level, and it all just becomes a totally perfect way to end this EP. <br /><br />To say I loved<i> Trouble</i> would be a bit of an understatement, from the first second to the last note of music everything on here was perfection and took me right back to when I first heard Comback Kid and gave me the nostalgic feeling but it still all sounds so very relevant and not dated in the slightest, I only wish that this was a full album because I just wanted more and more! If energetic, anthemic, joyous and life affirming hardcore is something that you would be interested in then this is absolutely 100% for you!! 10/10<br /><br />Noah And The Loners – A Desolate Warning (Marshall Records) [Alex Swift]<br /><br />The first aspect you notice about<i> A Desolate Warning </i>is the distinctly clean production, and Noah Lonergen's vocal style which echoes that of a range of punk acts with pop sensibilities. On the one hand, this can lead some moments feeling overly artificial despite there being an accessibility to this project that will be ear-catching for many! Still, there’s a potential at play in both the fiery lyricism and instrumental ferocity that gives this act a unique identity - Noah And The Loners are among the most resolute representatives of the alienated and excluded, if the real essence of punk is the street youths using noise as a means of making themselves heard. <br /><br /><i>Crash Landing</i> is a perfect way to begin the EP, with an assertion of fierce, concentrated, and unabashed action against poverty that, crucially, feels right for the age of its performers. <i>A Desolate Warning</i> has several sharp edges that relate to actual encounters with hardship. The song <i>Just Kids</i> is the truest depiction of being regarded with disdain and having one's political knowledge diminished, while <i>Hell Of A Day </i>and other songs carry enough weight to imply that Noah And The Loners are trying to make a point, even in spite the fact that their remarks can sometimes appear crass and sloganeering. <br /><br />A revolution is sparked by the mentality, not the music; all that's required is a quick, direct fury, which is supplied through the very powerful guitar tone present throughout. With any band at the beginning of their career, it is important to appear cohesive as a unit, especially to prevent the impression that you are a parody or a gimmick. <i>You Make Me (Fall Apart)</i>, the album's centrepiece song, has a slower tempo, pairing a more ominous vibe with a feeling of menace. It's the most ambitious tune on the EP, changing dramatically with every new twist and shift. It's also the clearest sign yet that Noah And The Loners have a lot of potential still to be unlocked. <br /><br />Though quite how far Noah And The Loners will take their project is still to be known, <i>A Desolate Warning </i>succeeds in crafting a vibrant and ferocious first impression. It's captivating without attempting to be very trendy or artistic. For all intents and purposes, this is how punk should sound, and it's fantastic that a young band is capturing its essence. 7/10<br /><br />Suffersystem - Disintegration Of The Individual (Black Blood Records) [James Jackson]<br /><br /> For some reason beyond my understanding of the world of digital downloads and file sharing, the first two tracks of Suffersystem’s newest release are missing, the second of which being the title track. Nonetheless moving swiftly on, <i>Obliteration Predicted</i> provides more than enough of an example of how things are done in the Suffersystem camp.<br /><br /> What follows is a rawly recorded album whose production could’ve been easily improved had the drums been slight lower in the mix, whilst most definitely a competent player the drums at times feel overwhelming. Vocally, according to the promotional material that accompanied the album, the style is unique; it’s not. It’s reminiscent of the <i>Morbid Visions/Bestial Devastation</i> era Sepultura and bands like Venom who inspired the Brazilian’s early albums.<br /><br /><i> Mangled Corpse </i>brings a more moderate tempo to the proceedings, the chorus structure drops into a crunchy headbobber of a riff, which provides respite from the standard Death Metal rapid fire riffing. <i>The Evil Within</i> follows and whilst there are a few rhythm changes, it’s a choppy affair, at times it doesn’t particularly flow and I’m a sucker for a smooth time change.<br /> <br />Track 6, <i>Fragments</i>, is quite the odd one out, it’s an instrumental piece which doesn’t define it’s peculiar nature but more to the point is that it is the most coherent and cohesive song on the album, it’s not frantic, with choppy time changes but it’s definitely got the same feel as the other tracks so far - it’s just better for its simplicity and unjustly short.<br /><br /> Something feels off about <i>Chopped Into Pieces</i>, the drums don’t seem to fit with the guitar riff, working against it rather than with, it’s off putting, it maybe a very clever piece of musicianship but it’s making my skin crawl and not in a good way.<br /> <br />The following tracks, <i>Lobotomy, Suicidium </i>and <i>Hellspawn</i> are effectively more of the same, the standard Death Metal tropes a plenty, even the song titles sound as though they’ve come from a Death Metal playlist. There’s nothing new on this album and although he’s seventy odd miles away I can hear my Editor’s eyes rolling as yet again I find little joy in something he’s sent my way, but as I’ve always said “Each To His Own” and had this album have hit my ears twenty years ago then this would probably have been a completely different experience. 4/10</div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-9524345292398306822024-03-13T17:42:00.001+00:002024-03-13T17:42:16.288+00:00M2TM South Wales 2024: Cardiff Heat #2 Interview With Copehill Down By Paul Hutchings<b>Interview with Copehill Down – Heat 2 M2TM, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff 15th March 2024</b><br /><div><br /></div><div>Next up in Heat 2 is Copehill Down. <br /><br />Thanks for taking the time to respond to our questions. <br /><br /><b>1. Let’s start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band?</b><br /><br />Lewis Temby-Lead vox<br /><br />Neil Mahoney-Guitar and vox<br /><br />James Macdonald-Guitar<br /><br />Aaron Busby-Bass<br /><br />Rodrigo Carelli-drums<br /><b><br />2. Where are you from and how long have you been together?</b><br /><br />Historically we've all been from South Wales, Newport and Cwmbran based. But recent changes in band members have given us the opportunity to spread our wings culturally…we've now got a bassist originally from Brum and a drummer who's originally from Brazil.<br /><br /><b>3. Describe your music in five words.</b><br /><br />Intense, groovy, dynamic, aggressive, and energetic.<br /><br /><b>4. What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses – South Wales?</b><br /><br />Obviously, it’s a great opportunity to get the chance to play one of the UK’s major Metal festivals. But in addition to that it’s a chance to play alongside some of South Wales’s premier and up and coming bands. Great to network and hopefully make some friends along the way!<br /><b><br />5. If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you’ve returned!</b><br /><br />We have played M2TM before…unfortunately never getting far ha ha! But we’re continually improving as a band, in terms of our performance and our song writing. Hopefully it’ll pay off!<br /><b><br />6. Bloodstock is a big festival – have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend?</b><br /><br />Yes a couple of us have been…super friendly and good vibes all round. It’s good to see the lineup is becoming slightly more diverse in recent years but also it’s still keeping to its roots as a festival.<br /><br /><b>7. Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024?</b><br /><br /><div>To keep on writing and releasing new music. Also to play more local gigs and continually establish ourselves. We’re playing Depravation festival in August, a huge step forward for us!<br /><br /><b>8. What can we expect from you in your heat? </b><br /><br />Just an intense, energetic, physical, and no-nonsense set.<br /><br /></div><div>We like to put across we’re giving it our all when we play live and give the crowd something to feed off.<br /><br /><b>9. And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition?</b><br /><br />There’s some stiff competition in our heat for sure. There are some bands with experienced members who have been around on the South Wales scene for a long time so no doubt they’ll be bringing their A game. But we’ll be bringing ours too!<br /><br /><b>10. Finally, where can people find details of the band – promote your socials here!</b><br /><br />https://www.instagram.com/copehill_down?igsh=M2Fhd29sbHQ2aHBx<br /><br />https://www.facebook.com/copehilldown<br /><br />https://youtube.com/@copehilldown?si=xz4BKUXX56q3HsmI<br /><br />https://www.tiktok.com/@copehilldown_uk?_t=8k7lLU5wMHh&_r=1<br /></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-45137958543338182402024-03-13T13:14:00.000+00:002024-03-13T13:14:51.286+00:00Reviews: Per Wiberg, Before The Dawn, Defect Designer, Cave (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Mark Young)<div>Per Wiberg – The Serpent’s Here (Despotz Records) [Matt Bladen]</div><div><br />Swedish multi-instrumentalist Per Wiberg has already released a full length and an EP under his solo guise, both were critically acclaimed and saw the man who has been a member of Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Candlemass, Clutch/The Bakerton Group, Switchblade and Kamchatka, delve more into his musical mind to create dazzling progressive rock soundscapes that are inspired by the classic scene of the 60’s and 70’s from Krautrock, to the Canterbury scene, from the Haigh Asbury psych sounds and the jazz influenced virtuosity of King Crimson.</div><div> <br />On The Serpent’s Here the music gets darker to reflect our time but also brings a lot more rocking, with a few audio cues from the Nordic and stoner scene, to my ears there’s some Audrey Horne, Spiritual Beggars, a bit of RPWL on Blackguards Stand Silent, but also some The Velvet Underground and some 13th Floor Elevators and Philip Glass. Wiberg admitting that “there are more guitars this time as well as two basses on the majority”, this sonic density makes the 6 new songs a bit tougher than the keyboard/organ driven music of his last two releases.</div><div> <br />Per has also worked on the vocals making sure the arrangements and lyrics are bolder. Per feels The Serpent’s Here is more epic and he’s got a point. The rock n roll tendencies are all much more pronounced through the woozy gothic tint. With Per taking a lot of the instruments, mainly keys, guitars, and vocals. He’s got the excellent drummer Tor Sjödén from Viagra Boys and Mikael Tuominen (Kungens Män) on bass, to fill out the rest of the band. They’re contribution can’t be understated as Per made sure that they had room to improvise recording the basics live then overdub with vocals/keys/guitar. You can feel that rawness on the jazz middle section of This House Is Someone Else’s Now, where it evolves into The Doors.</div><div> <br />One of the key influences on this album is the eclectic sounds of Warrior Soul, so much so that the final track here is a cover of their song The Losers. The Serpent’s Here is a bit on anomaly, it can be minimalist and esoteric one moment and loud and bold the next, it needs some time spent with it but you’ll discover that Per Wiberg’s solo ventures are much more than just a collection of his previous memberships. 8/10</div><div> <br />Before The Dawn – Archaic Flame (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]<br /><br />Returning after nearly a decade, Finnish metal band Before The Dawn, released a new album in 2023, it was welcomed with open arms by the metal press and fans alike, the man behind it all Tuomas Saukkonen also part of Wolfheart, driving their existence into a new phase with this new EP. Called <i>Archaic Flame</i>, its more Viking/Pagan melodic death metal from Nordic band but with a new line up which this EP looks to showcase. </div><div><br /></div><div>On vocals is 2022 Voice Of Finland finalist Paavo Laapotti, who growls and screams with some real power and cadence as Juho Räihä of Swallow The Sun picks up the lead guitar leaving Saukkonen to take drums and rhythm guitar, Pyry Hanski on bass and Saku Moilanen on keys. As with many stopgap EP’s it gives you some new stuff, a cover and a live track. The two new tracks; <i>Archaic Flame</i> and <i>Chaos Sequence</i> establishing this new line up with some melodic death metal that borders on industrial with <i>Chaos Sequence.</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>The cover is a surprisingly good and heavy version of <i>Run To You </i>by Bryan Adams, Paavo Laapotti’s cleans utilised well here while the live version of <i>Dying Sun</i> shows how he handles one of the best known tracks. An introduction to Before The Dawn if you know nothing about them, a reintroduction to their new line up and strong melodic death metal, underpinned by synths, all round. 7/10<br /><br />Defect Designer - Chitin (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Mark Young] <br /><br />Its possible that Defect Designer do not have all their chairs at home. This Norwegian extreme outfit have dropped an album that has moments of madness and quality all wrapped up with a quirky bow. Just how much you will like it depends entirely on if you like your extreme metal delivered in a slightly off-kilter way. <br /><br /><i>Uglification Spell </i>crackles and spits, with discordant riffs and all the blast beats you can eat. It has this innate looseness to it that you don’t associate with this genre as well as throwing in an almost progressive break in the middle before looping back on itself.<i> To Ziggurat </i>occupies a more traditional tone in its opening moments, again with a fast start that they abandon for a controlled break. This calm doesn’t last as they take off once more, with a cracking guitar line that again displays a form of almost sloppy playing. </div><div><br /></div><div>It isn’t by any means; it just feels like the polar opposite to those bands that sound super-tight on record and ultimately give you a sterile sound. This is just different and is refreshing for it. <i>Simulacrum </i>is like two songs being glued together, that discordant riff style growing whilst the drums steadfastly anchor the whole thing together. Its technical without being boringly so and if you think that being able to hum them after they finish just shows how they are able to burrow into your brain. <br /><br /><i>We Will Need Your Chitin</i> continues this mental battering, tempos flare with an almost punk feel as they fly through it, changing patterns to suit themselves. Its almost too difficult to really describe and <i>We Prescribe</i> is probably the closest to traditional death metal, but even so there are still moments of lunacy that pop up within. Blast beats start with one of those mazy metal riffs that go everywhere before they go for broke and motor this one home. There is a breakdown that hits like giant boots coming down a creaky stair. Its like a nursery rhyme in some respects, delivered by a bunch of Norwegian mentalists and I am here for that. </div><div><br /></div><div>Certainty <i>After The Kafkaesque Twist</i> is one of the most bizarre titles I’ve read, with the music to back that up. I know they mentioned death metal in their bio, but this is more like prime Mr Bungle with a sprinkle of OSDM thrown in. There are some rapid riffing on display as well as some of those crazy chords. Speaking of which the last minute or so is mesmerising in how those riffs land, they come from all sides with no respite in attack. Keeping up the tradition now of bonkers song titles, <i>Gaudy Colors From Your Plastic Bag</i> comes in and just batters you with four minutes of madness. <br /><br /><i>Shine Shine</i> (with guest vocals from Björn Strid, Soilwork) changes its tack completely, bringing some hard rock to proceedings, complete with high-pitched screams and an 80’s riff. Sprawling melody lines, descending chord runs its completely different from the 7 songs before it. Even when it goes heavier, its still in keeping with the overall song arrangement. Actually, its sleazy hard rock and it’s a stormer and there is a massive sense of fun running through this. <i>Story Of A Styrofoam</i> goes noise rock, mixing in some deep growls before dropping a touch of Jazz. Nice. </div><div><br /></div><div>That doesn’t last long though and of all the songs here, this one drags a little and I think a bit of editing would have done wonders here. Insomnia is more immediate, a stomper with stabbing down picked riffs that allow the fast to come in, complete with a country and western flavoured solo break but again suffers from the same issues as Story, with its run time stretching that idea out too far. <i>Nu, Pogodi!</i> Is a quick instrumental that should have been used in a kids cartoon. Final track <i>Orgone Accumulator </i>lands with purpose, bringing in death metal / grind to this curtain closer. Trem picking is the order of the day, speedy drums and a brutally effective solo combining to finish the album off on a high note. <br /><br />It’s certainly different, make no mistake on that. Looking online, it is a definite decision made by the threesome of Dimitry Sukhinin, Martin Storm-Olsen and Eugene Ryabchenko to go down a route that is not normally found within extreme metal circles. That looseness which works on the shorter songs seems to induce a fatigue on the longer ones, possibly as the ideas contained are stretched too far. The mix of traditional and non-traditional guitar lines works well, and they should be applauded for trying something different as opposed to another album of blast beats and razor focused guitar. Some may dismiss it because it doesn’t take itself too seriously, others may love that approach and some like me will sit in the middle, enjoying some but not all of it. 7/10<br /><br />Cave - Out Of The Cave (Metalopolis Records) [Mark Young] <br /><br />Cave play the sort of hard rock that harks back to a time when bands had singers that could sing, with strong vocals often dominating proceedings. Often, there would be heavy moments that would be mixed with softer parts and when I was growing up in the late 80s it would fall into that ‘not quite metal’ area (i.e. not Slayer). The members of Cave hail from Ludwigsburg in Germany, and all have cut their teeth in different bands before coming together to bring you a collection of songs that certainly lean to more of the harder rock than heavy metal. <br /><br /><i>Rat In A Hole</i> perfectly encompasses that approach in three minutes – soaring vocals, decent riffs and a solo that goes everywhere and is a strong start with <i>Hero</i> following up and goes for that more progressive edge with a tighter feel but the stamp formed by Rat is all over here. The solo break is what you want from this music and fans of that melodic rock will lap it up but I feel that just in the course of these two songs you will get a general vibe for how the rest of the album will sound. That’s not me being smart, its just experience of actually being there at the time music in this style was the staple on MTV. <i>Screaming For A Saviour</i> starts with a cracking vocal from Ronny Munroe which carries right through. The riffs are exactly as you expect and do what they need to do, providing that back-bone for Ronny to do his stuff. So far, they are not straying to far from that path. </div><div><br /></div><div>The problem is that if you don’t like softer, melodic rock then there is nothing here for you. I realise that is quite the blanket statement, but it can’t be helped. Blinded has that 80’s vibe all over it from the piano opening, mournful singing and riffs that detonate, allowing for the classic rock vocals to blast in. Please appreciate I am writing this not from a position of derision, I can hear the quality, but it feels out of time when you consider the musical landscape we have today. One thing that <i>Blinded </i>does have is one of the best guitar showcases you will hear this year, it is absolutely epic so take a well-deserved bow Chris Lorey. As they move through the album, there is an almost party feel in the song builds, especially on <i>Against The Fray </i>with some nods to one or two famous bands from the 80s (I’ll let you decide who). <br /><br />What I would say is that it is a very good album for that particular genre of rock / metal. It does everything you could want it to do, and it sounds good too. Fans of that music, especially Van Halen, Whitesnake i.e., those that balanced strong vocals with epic guitar (ok, maybe not DLR, but that is a different conversation) than this is here for you. If you want chainsaw HM-2 Gothenburg and similar, then forget it. 7/10</div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-25175485748267844692024-03-13T08:26:00.000+00:002024-03-13T08:26:15.419+00:00Reviews: Skeletal Remains, Midas Fall, Kill The Lights, Full Earth (Reviews By Charlie Rogers, Zak Skane, Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)Skeletal Remains - Fragments Of The Ageless (Century Media Records) [Charlie Rogers]<br /><br /><div>Brutal alternative to The California Raisins, Skeletal Remains have been a household name in modern death metal for over a decade now, and their fifth full album <i>Fragments Of The Ageless</i> aims to add to that legacy. This is 44 minutes of pulverising, nasty death, injected at high speed right into your eardrums. Blisteringly nippy drumming, earthquake inducing bass lines, cross cutting guitar riffs, and demonic barking vocals come together in a maelstrom of groove. There’s more hooks here than your average Bass Pro outlet store.<br /><br />I’m impressed by the immediately catchy riffs, the frantic rhythms, and the variation of patterns pulled together in each track. There’s space to hear the riffs a lot of the time, with the sound only becoming overwhelming and muddy a handful of times over the 9 tracks. Modern production really has given bands an opportunity to showcase their instruments to the fullest, sounding massive and full while not stepping on each other's toes. <div><br /></div><div>The sheer density of the sound on tracks such as <i>To Conquer The Devout</i> demonstrates this perfectly. Afterall, what’s the point in writing challenging, complex material if it’s going to all get lost in the mixing/mastering process? Plus, you’d lose the cool reverse snare sound used in <i>Cybernetic Harvest</i> if there wasn’t space for it to shine out. <br /><br />Skeletal Remains have honed the ability to write infectious jams to a needle point, sewing banger riff to banger riff over and over again, leaving the listener with few moments to give their neck a break during the album. Even the instrumental tracks <i>Ceremony Of Impiety</i> and <i>...Evocation (The Rebirth)</i> are entertaining listens in their own right, though the former does sort of serve as a long intro to the track <i>Void Of Despair</i>. Overall, <i>Fragments Of The Ageless</i> is a killer record, well worth giving a spin if you’re into death metal, both modern and retro. 9/10<br /><br />Midas Fall - Cold Waves Divide Us (Monotreme Records) [Zak Skane]<br /><br />The opening track <i>In The Morning Will Be Someone Else’s</i>, introduces us to the vocalist gothic, but yet soulful and haunting melodies that are soaked in mystical reverb which float over high pitched echoed guitar melodies and swelling guitar soundscapes. The following track I am Wrong brings in some warm cinematic synths that could happily belong in a block buster hit sound track, especially along with it’s pounding drums and walls of ambient fuzz guitars. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Salt </i>comes in as the most emotional track on the album with the guitars melding from major and minor arpeggios and chords which are graced by hall style reverbs which makes it a match made in heaven along with the vocal melodies that flutter gracefully in a non liner fashion. The emotional trip continues with <i>In This Avalanche</i> with it’s moving string sections, sung topics of unity and twinkling delays. <i>Point Of Diminishing Return</i> turns up the anti with the drums ascending from it’s subtle approach to cymbal crushing drum beats, the synths become thicker and more in your face with it’s cinematic rumbling textures and gradual building layers of strings and FX keys. </div><div><br /></div><div>Other highlights on this album is the stellar vocal performances on<i> Atrophy</i> and the heavenly use of guitars layers that merge from bouncing delay effects, spacy reverbs and Gamelan styled melodies. Midas Fall takes us through an astral plane of emotional sections that are projected at us by ambient layers of guitars, dynamic drum parts and cinematic synths. If you are a fan of bands like Hammock, Explosions In The Sky and Oceans Of Slumber this is a band for you. 9/10<br /><br />Kill The Lights – Death Melodies (Fearless Records) [Matt Bladen]<br /><br />Is it a metalcore supergroup? Is it a collection musicians looking to escape their former bands while sounding just like them? I think more the latter. Kill The Lights is a transatlantic metalcore band which features ex-Throw The Fight singer James Clark on vocals, Still Remains’ Jordan Whelan and ex-Threat Signal man Travis Montgomery on guitars, while the rhythm section is ex-BFMV as Jason ‘Jay’ James takes bass and Michael ‘Moose’ Thomas is behind the drums. </div><div><br /></div><div>The BFMV influence often is the strongest on blasters like <i>Wasting Away</i>, <i>Man Without A Face</i>, <i>Ghost Of Yesterday</i>, though why they all come one after another is anyone’s guess. There’s very much a move to the melodic with James’ vocals doing the work, his cleans really strong, possibly stronger than his harsh delivery, though that is pretty good. Yes for some it’ll be a bit angsty and 2005 but the songs are at least strong enough to keep you interested. </div><div><br /></div><div>There’s a ballad, <i>Sleep With The Devil</i>, a few numbers that move more toward the rockier side of metalcore that will be radio staples, such as <i>Bleeding</i> or <i>From Ashes</i>, so for me the thrashy assaults are the best tracks here and there are much more of them. The issue is that while I assume they are trying to get away from the bands they came from, most of the music is very similar to the bands most of the members (at least two) will forever be associated with. </div><div><br /></div><div>Still it’s catchy, accessible and pretty heavy in places so Kill The Lights will gain more fans on this second album. 8/10<br /><br />Full Earth - Cloud Sculptors (Stickman Records) [Rich Piva]<br /><br />Full Earth in the brainchild of former Kanaan and now Motorpsycho drummer Ingvald Vasso and they play proggy instrumental rock layered with organ and synths and do it quite well. This is spacy, huge, complex, and heady stuff played by experts in their craft. There is a lot going on here, and it is very long, so be ready to strap in and spend some time if you really want to get to know <i>Cloud Sculptors</i>.<br /><br /><i>Full Earth Part 1 – Emanation</i> is 21-plus minutes and is really an album in itself. All sorts of directions and musically elements going on. Lots of proggy keys, expert drumming, heavy space vibes, and even a nice chunky guitar breakdown, but boy is it a lot. Not to be outdone, the second track, clocking in at 20-plus minutes, is the title track, that starts of sparce but once it kicks in, look out. It takes a bit too long to kick in for my taste but I do enjoy when the song really gets going. I dig the heaviness of this one driven but the guitar work. So, to recap, we are two tracks in and already over 42 minutes, with still four to go. I am already beat from this challenging listen. It’s not that it is not rewarding, it is just so much. <div><br /></div><div>Did I mention two of the remaining four are over 14 minutes? Clocking in at just over six minutes, <i>Weltgeist</i> is practically a Ramones song in length comparatively, doesn’t really go anywhere as its sparce synths set some kind of atmosphere, but what it is doing to me is making me exhausted. This leads us into one of those 18-plus minute tracks, <i>The Collective Unconscious</i>, that once again takes a while to get going, but once you get to the middle and the guitar soloing the wait will be worth it. I am so, so, so tired though. <i>Echo Tears</i>, like <i>Weltgeist </i>is a six-minute unnecessary bridge to the closer, <i>Full Earth Part II – Disintegration</i>, but by the time I get here all I can really muster up is see above for description. <br /><br />Full Earth lives up to its name on <i>Cloud Sculptors</i>. This is so full and way too long to expect people to keep interest other than having this on as background music. It is a shame because the good parts are great, the dudes can really play, I love the organ and keys, but this could have been two albums or it could have had 20 to 30 minutes cut to make this possible to be enjoyed end to end. Full Earth is too full and actually too much. 6/10</div></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-75315084321485683132024-03-12T17:03:00.000+00:002024-03-12T17:03:10.096+00:00M2TM South Wales 2024: Cardiff Heat #2 Interview With Thrakian By Paul Hutchings<b>Interview With Thrakian – Heat 2 M2TM, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff 15th March 2024</b><br /><br />It’s heat 2 in Cardiff, and we find Thrakian ready with their answers to our challenging questions!<br /><br /><b>1. Let’s start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band?<br /></b><br />A: Hi! We’re Thrakian, a post-metal band from Cardiff. We have Atanas on guitar and vocals, Kris on guitar, Dan on bass and Saska on drums.<br /><br /><b>2. Where are you from and how long have you been together?</b><br /><br />A: Officially, we only formed last spring. But back in Bulgaria, where we’re from originally, we’ve been playing together in different bands for a few years. We’ve been working on our music for close to 10 years now. Over the course of 2023 we added Dan on bass to form Thrakian’s current lineup, played some amazing shows in South Wales and the Southwest, and finally have some songs ready for release.<br /><br /><b>3. Describe your music in five words.</b><br /><br />A: The consensus is: “Crushing, tribal, atmospheric, emotional, confrontational”.<br /><br /><b>4.What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses – South Wales?</b><br /><br />A: The Bloodstock M2TM is a renowned event, underpinned by a great community ethos, so it’s an honour for us to be part of it. The Thracians, the tribes the band are named after, were relentless and famous gladiators back in Roman times, so it is only natural for us to step into this arena.<br /><br /><b>5. If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you’ve returned!</b><br /><br />A: This is our first-time taking part in M2TM, but we attended shows last year to cheer on and support our friends in other bands. Now it’s our turn to take to the stage. <br /><br /><b>6. Bloodstock is a big festival – have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend?<br /></b><br />A: No, not yet, but it’s always been a dream to go. The friendliness and diversity of the metal community there is like nothing else, and to play there would be a lot of fun too. We grew up watching and re-watching countless performances of our heroes at Bloodstock and have envisioned the time when it’s our turn to stomp those stages. We reckon there’ll be all sorts of food served there too :)<br /><br /><b>7. Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024?</b><br /><br />A: Our first single, ‘The Path to Demise’, is out soon. We’ve been working on the track over the last year but now it’s in good hands for the final production stages. The plan is to release more singles across the year and solidify our current position in this region’s live scene. We have a wish-list of venues we’d love to play around South Wales and the Southwest, so we’ll be looking to organise and play more shows. And, of course, we’ve been doing a lot of preparation for our M2TM heat in a few weeks… so if that goes well, we might be playing the New Blood Stage in Bloodstock 2024 too!<br /><br /><div><b>8. What can we expect from you in your heat? </b><br /><br />A: To reach this point was an incredibly tough journey for us all, filled with a lot of obstacles and sacrifice, so come the 15th March, we’ll be putting on our most relentless performance to date. Our sound is inspired by atmospheric post-rock bands like ISIS and Cult of Luna, aggressive and heavy sludge bands like Eyehategod, Crowbar and Melvins, and of course our ancient Bulgarian heritage. So, expect atmospheric dual-guitar melody lines building to loud, crushing walls of filthy guitar and feedback. Our songs are deliberately woven together so the set is meant to take the crowd on a journey, and we can’t wait to present it to the Fuel crowd in a few weeks.<br /><br /><b>9. And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition?</b><br /><br />A: We expect to face South Wales’ most ferocious gladiators and a crowd that believes in the potential of the underground scene. It’s a lot of pressure, but we’re feeling confident after an excellent run of shows in Cardiff, Bristol, and Swindon over the past few months. We know and have played with some of the other bands in the Cardiff heats, too, so it’s going to be tough to go head-to-head with them along the way, but we’re going to give our all at every stage, regardless of the outcome. <br /><br /><b>10. Finally, where can people find details of the band – promote your socials here!</b><br /><br />A: You can follow us at Thrakian Official on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram, where you can find live performances, merch and info about upcoming shows.<br /><br />Cheers for the interview, and hope to see loads of people at Fuel on 15th March!</div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-36089517505849689992024-03-12T13:37:00.000+00:002024-03-12T13:37:24.949+00:00A View From The Back Of The Room: ZZ Top (Live Review By Rich Piva)ZZ Top & The Annie Dukes, King Center, Melbourne, FL 06.03.24<br /><br /><div>Seeing <b>ZZ Top (10)</b> has always been elusive, as even back in high school when they came though Long Island playing Nassau Coliseum with a brand-new band called The Black Crowes opening, I had to sell my tickets due to an invite to a Sweet Sixteen party that my then girlfriend was not going to take no for an answer to go to. But alas, finally in 2024 I get to see that little ol’ band from Texas, albeit without Dusty, which is extremely regrettable, but still amongst the bands on my list that I had never experienced live before. <br /><br />The King Center is holds about 2000 and I would say we were at about 95% capacity, with 95% of those in attendance clocking in at about 65 years old; it is always amazing that I can still be one of the youngest at a concert, but hey the ZZ Top debut record came out in 1971. I did have a nice retired lady sitting next to me ask me if I enjoyed it because the band “was before my time” so that was fun, but back to the show itself.<br /><br />The opener was a local Jacksonville band that made the two hour trip south, <b>The Annie Dukes (7)</b>, who describe themselves as a cross between Black Sabbath and Fleetwood Mac, which may have been written just for me. The mostly female band played a fun and energetic six song set, highlighted by the guitar shredding and the powerful voice of the lead singer/bassist. Shirt purchased and EP bought from Bandcamp, thank you very much. I really enjoyed their set and look forward to hearing more from the band in the neat future. <br /><br />Onto the headliners who came out to a loud ovation from the Melbourne faithful, diving right into the killer <i>Got Me Under Pressure</i> from <i>Eliminator</i>. Billy looks and sounds great and his new partner Elwood Francis fits in perfectly with his look, playing, and he’s got all the moves down. I was worried about Frank a bit, as he looked tired right off the bat, and I could not help but worry about him after he had his smoke during the break before the encore. My main impression I left with from the show is how awesome Billy Gibbons is on guitar. I mean I knew, but watching him in action is a whole other ballgame. Watching him shred on songs like <i>Pearl Necklace</i>, <i>Jesus Just Left Chicago</i>, and <i>Brown Sugar</i> is like seeing a deity in real life and up close. He doesn’t talk much in between songs but when he does it leaves you laughing every time. <div><div><br /></div><div>Of course we got the hits: <i>Legs</i>, <i>Sharped Dressed Man</i>, <i>La Grange</i> (the closer) and <i>Gimme All Your Lovin’</i>, which really got the ladies of a certain age from Melbourne going, with various sections with a few rebels standing up and giving what they got. At one point, it was a bit hard to make out, but I believe Billy brought out a guitar owned by Jeff Beck, a good friend of his, and played <i>Sixteen Tons</i>, dedicated to his late mate. The highlight for me was<i> I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide</i>, which is one of my favourites, and they played it to perfection. I loved the gigantic 18 (I think) string bass that Francis played on the opener and the trademarked plush guitars sported during <i>Legs</i>. <i>Just Got Paid </i>was another crowd (and reviewer) favourite and highlight of the 16-song set. The show was pretty short, as the boys only played for about 75 minutes, but it certainly was a quality 75. <br /><br />Overall, seeing ZZ Top matched or maybe slightly exceeded my expectations. The setlist was great, the crowd was into it big time (maybe too into it as I had a drunk lady flip over the seats next to me during the opener, rookie), the band was super tight, and of course Billy was Billy, which is really all you could ask for. If you have a chance to see them do not miss it, before it is too late. </div></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-53462386698450431352024-03-12T08:22:00.000+00:002024-03-12T08:22:21.396+00:00Reviews: The End Machine, Kollapse, No Worth Of Man, Mutilated By Zombies (Reviews By Rich Piva, GC, Matt Bladen & James Jackson)The End Machine - The Quantum Phase (Frontiers Music Srl) [Rich Piva]<br /><br />Frontiers Records knows their audience, because releasing the third album from The End Machine fits perfectly into their agenda, which is consistently releasing material from 80s hard rock/hair metal band supergroups that come together today to release new material that covers the entire spectrum of quality. The End Machine is the stings part of Dokken (Lynch and Pilson) and now with Girish from Girish & The Chronicles on vocals and current Tesla drummer Steve Brown (who replaced former Dokken Bandmate of Lynch and Pilson and older brother Mick) on Drums. <div><br /></div><div>For some reason Frontiers lists <i>The Quantum Phase</i> as their second album on their website blurb, but this is clearly their third, following up two solid but nothing spectacular records. The End Machine is supposed to be the Dokken guys returning to the classic Dokken style, and I would agree that is the direction. What I will also say is the addition of Girish on vocals is a nice step up and improvement and the songwriting is better on album three as well, making <i>The Quantum Phase</i> the best End Machine effort yet.<div><i><br />Black Hole Extinction</i> opens us up with some signature Lynch shredding and a sweet scream from Girish and off we go on a hard rock/metal time machine trip. It’s a nice and heavy track with great vocals and a nice chug along rhythm. Girish shows why he is one of the best vocalists in this genre today. The bluesy <i>Shattered Glass Heart</i> is a standout track and is very much a George Lynch style rocker and one of his best efforts on <i>The Quantum Phase</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>The opening of Silent Winter makes me think <i>Dream Warriors</i>, sorry, I don’t do this on purpose. It is only at the beginning though, as this one picks up the tempo and is a little ripper, if you can have rippers on an album that is SO overproduced. Girish and George kill it though. Other highlights from <i>Quantum Phase </i>are the solo on <i>Killer Of The Night</i>, the vocals and upbeat tempo on<i> Hell Or High Water</i>, and the poppier very 80s <i>Time</i>. The album could have been one or two tracks shorter, maybe cutting out a song like B<i>urning Man</i> would have made this a more digestible in one sitting listen.</div><div> <br />Does Frontiers demand that the production knobs are turned up to 12 every time? Why do they feel the need to make these records sound so slick? Maybe its just me, but the songs on <i>The Quantum Phase</i> would all be so much better with the production toned down about five notches. The songs are a bit generic at times, but overall, the playing and the vocals mostly make up for the weak spots on the best effort for The End Machine thus far and one of the better Frontiers albums I have heard in a while. 7/10<br /><br />Kollapse - AR (Fysisk Format Records) [GC]<br /><br />Not much in the way of info on Kollapse so a quick search on t’internet and I can see they are a trio for Aalborg in Denmark. I can see hardcore, noise, metal, sludge, and other promising descriptions online and they describe themselves as ‘’the gnarled feeling of emptiness deep in the pit of your stomach – a tortured scream against the bleakness of the world’’ and from that I feel that <i>AR</i> their second album will not be an easy listen!<br /><br />They open up with AR which is 46 seconds of feedback and the already mentioned tortured screams which prepare you for<i> Autofagia</i> that comes in on a wave of crushing drums and a bass rumble that almost drowns everything out but the scuzzy guitars manage to battle through and set the atmosphere really well its all very slow and focused in the most deliberate way and it creates an uncomfortable and awkward listen but, in a good way of course! </div><div><br /></div><div><i>DØD</i> barges its way into life on another wave of big dirty bass lines and sparse drumming that still manages to hit you right in that sweet spot the guitars again seem to almost get a bit lost in all the controlled chaos and seem to take a back seat but that is not taking anything away from how they sound because they still manage to create an unholy noise and the vocals really are uncomfortable in some places and that in turn makes everything just sound that little bit more bleak and harrowing. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Form</i> is a lurching behemoth that just slowly and surely sizes you up with its precise drum work and the hugeness of the bass that drops in and out of strummed and melancholic guitar work all layered onto another painfully extreme vocal performance its feels like you are being slowly constricted and suffocated by the rhythms and engulfed by the sadness of it all and it’s a compelling and painful experience all at once, <i>Dekompostion </i>is usually be something that if I saw the length of I would baulk (8:24) and maybe not bother but way this record just keep dragging you back in is something special. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is full of off kilter and manic drums that fight for room with the ever present rumble of the bass and always fighting for light amongst the darkness is the guitars that once again have a way of creating an atmospheric doomy feel to everything they touch, they may not be the main thing you hear but when you do they always hit their mark in spectacular fashion and there are so many twists and turns in the way this song pans out it always keeps you guessing. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Kokon</i> has a bit more forward pace than the rest of the album and that helps everything and moves you into another realm of uncomfortable-ness because just as you were getting used to the slow nature of the torture it all steps up but as with most of the songs so far they know how and when to slow things right down and re-introduce the creeping feeling of unease seeping through every note recorded so far, and just like that album closer <i>Transformation </i>is here and boy does it take a while to get going! 2:56 to be precise and unfortunately when it does kick into life it doesn’t really do much it’s a largely vocal free number and although it does add something to the whole bleak nature of the album but just feels unnecessarily long for what it is and a frustrating way to end!<br /><br />I will be the first to admit that this sort of thing isn’t usually for me but, when it’s done like this you cant help but take it all in and try to comprehend what is going on and when you sit back and really take it all in the reward is there for you, its not an easy listen and probably way to dark for some people but if you want an album that will challenge your thinking and haunt your thoughts this is well worth a go! 8/10<br /><br />No Worth Of Man – What’s Your Damage (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]</div><div><br />Hailing from Hampshire but sounding a American as you like, Brit bruisers No Worth Of Man release their new EP <i>What’s Your Damage</i>. Opening with an introduction that’s something about vampires in Miami and our trio as the heroes sent to destroy them, first track proper is <i>Into The Dirt </i>which hits like Lamb Of God on <i>Wrath</i> where they upped the prog game a bit.</div><div><br /></div><div>I said trio as there are only three members of this band, Alex Punchard playing all the riffs, chugs and lead breaks on guitar and bass while Gareth Lucas smacks the hell out of the kit and supplies the samples, the trio rounded off by the never clean growls of Peter. It’s aggressive groove metal that has seen them expand a little more as a band due to working with Fredrick Nordstrom, who adds his metallic production sound to these four tracks. </div><div><br /></div><div>There’s not much else to say other than if you like groove metal with a proggy tinge, ala Lamb Of God then you’ll enjoy this matured version of No Worth Of Man as they are pretty close musically to the Virginian veterans. 6/10<br /><br />Mutilated By Zombies - Scenes From The Afterlife (Redefining Darkness Records) [James Jackson]<br /><br /> What’s great about this album from Death Metal act, Mutilated By Zombies is that the tracks are mercifully short. The Iowa based three piece, peddle the same formulaic style of Extreme Metal that Death Metal all stars Cannibal Corpse and Deicide have been churning out since the early 90’s, whilst it may have been a shock to the system at the time, personally I feel that the visceral impact of Death Metal is less a Hammer to the face and more an annoying itch in a hard to reach spot.</div><div><br /> The riffs and overall musical experience are as you’d expect from a band whose songs are entitled <i>Head Count Rising</i>, <i>Molten</i>, <i>Gutsplit</i> and <i>Severely Severed</i>, there’s a poetic play on words within that last title but the song itself feels like the same uninspired sound that has plagued me throughout the album. <br /> There are moments that veer away from the slogging repetitive blast beat, double bass drumming, the frenetic guitar riffing and guttural vocals but they are few and far between, as though treading away form the formula would be considered an act of heresy.</div><div> <br />Needless to say, this isn’t one that I’ll be playing again, as I wrote the review I’ve tried hard to glean something positive from the album but it’s just not happening, I’ve even found myself suffering from a sense of Deja Vu, for I’m sure I’ve reviewed an album of similar quality before and written a very similar diatribe. JJ 3/10.</div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-10883585807730655132024-03-11T12:46:00.000+00:002024-03-11T12:46:35.420+00:00Reviews: Alterium, Clarion Void, Hijss, The Wind Covenant (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Patches, Rich Piva & Mark Young)Alterium – Of War And Flames (AFM Records) [Matt Bladen]<div><br /><div>Alterium are a new symphonic/power metal band formed from the break up of Kalida. Singer Nicoletta Rosellini formed the new band alongside former Kalida band members Paolo Campitelli (guitars) and Dario Gozzi (drums), adding guitarist Alessandro Mammola (Draconicon) and bassist Luca Scalabrin (Altair), shortly after establishing the band in 2022. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Of War And Flames </i>is this new band’s debut record and yes there’s a lot of comparisons to three of the members previous band, mainly due to Nicoletta’s vocals but with Alterium they have increased the scope of what they do, adding the cinematics of bands such as Kamelot to mega ballad <i>Crystaline</i> and <i>Shadowsong</i>.<br /><br />Some swashbuckling folkisms on <i>Heroine Of The Sea</i> and <i>Crossroads Inn</i>, but also the lightspeed gallops of <i>Drag Me To Hell</i> and <i>Chasing The Sun</i> and the poppier approach of <i>Siren’s Call </i>and <i>Lightbringer</i>. Alongside producer Lars Rettkowitz, Alterium have tried to write songs that show the full potential of Rosellini’s vocals. </div><div><br /></div><div>They even throw in a cover of <i>Bismark</i> by Sabaton where the lower register is used well. Alterium is not too dissimilar to Kalida, fantasy power metal with symphonic elements that will appeal to fans of that band and Nicoletta’s followers in her other career as a geek/nerd culture influencer. Another slick power metal act from Italy arrives in fine form. 8/10<br /><br />Clarion Void - Failure In Repetition (Lost Future Records) [Patches]<br /><br />Clarion Void bring Blackened Sludge from Colorado Springs with new album Failure In Repetition.<br /><br />From the industrial clank of the opening track <i>Repetition I </i>filth is predicted to proceed.<i> And Through Chaos We Succeed</i> does indeed see that filth proceed and grow, forming a ball of dirgy violence and aggression. Guitars seemingly tuned so low that the strings are denoted by typographical symbols rather than letters.<br /><br /><i>Sisyphus Wept </i>starts with a satisfying stoner bass groove. For name’s sake, I’d be perfectly happy with the groove repeating for the entire song, pushing that boulder uphill for eternity. Dark as the death the figure twice cheated and heavy as his punishment. <i>This Is The Water</i> uses an intro soundscape like a bad Lynchian trip. This is a riff to rock your head slowly in the corner of a dimly lit room. I can smell bong water through the headphones <i>This Is The Water</i>.<br /><br /><i>Lulu’s Interlude</i> is a lost and depressing repetitive motif. Tremolo guitars break like waves sinking us deeper into the interludes lush desolate melancholy. <i>Repetition II</i> reprises the clank and feels more like an Interlude than Lulu’s. That’s two short interludes in a short space of time, I was hoping this would be a necessary respite before the next track attempted to break my face. Surprisingly<i> The Bottom</i> waits till halfway to kick in. Unfortunately anticlimactic and a low point in the album for me as the riffs follow a basic overused pentatonic and I really believe they missed an opportunity to destroy after the interludes.<br /><i><br />Repetition III</i> almost makes the same mistake as <i>The Top </i>would have definitely been more impactful without the snare count in. Nit picking aside, <i>The Top</i> is back to form with that post rock tremolo over heavy drops as the head starts to sway once again. I’m a big fan of the vocalists’ almost inaudible painful sounding distorted screams. As the guitars and drums attack with weight the vocals assault with a more ripping quality with the searing flesh of a trachea habitual to ripping a cone. </div><div><br /></div><div>The last song is entitled <i>Rolling Boluder</i>, presumably dropped by <i>Sisyphus</i>. Chug driven with beautifully dark chords that eventually take a surprise detour into the realm of black metal. With more riffs than previous songs <i>Rolling Boulder</i> finds itself passing Sabbath-esque grooves, hostile punk like vocals and doom drops.<br /><br />As a band still in it’s early years Clarion Void make for a competent edition to the Black Sludge Metal genre.<br /><br />Pros: Failure In Repetition ticks all the boxes for melancholic motifs, rugged rhythms, violent vocalities and desolate dissonance.<br /><br />Cons: Album structure could be rearranged for a more effective flow, a few more fills would have been a great touch and some of the guitar solo’s didn’t land or felt unnecessary. 7/10<div><br /><div>Hijss - Stuck On Common Ground (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]<br /><br />The Italian band Hijss is a new power trio that I know little about, but they are on Heavy Psych Sounds so it’s a good chance it is going to be something that I dig. Their debut, <i>Stuck On Common Ground</i>, is a very cool mix of krautrock, heavy blues, and stoner played by three punk rockers. So, yeah, of course, given all that, my statement holds true, because this is pretty great.<br /><br />The Krautrock vibes are strong on <i>Ingraved</i>, which is sparse and steady in the best possible ways, leading into <i>1234me</i> with more Krautrock vibes that suddenly blast you with some punk stylings behind quite the driving rhythm section. The guitar tone is very cool on <i>Stuck On Common Ground</i>, a unique garage-esque crunch to it. The background vocals really add some depth to this track as well. This stuff sounds like nothing that has come across my desk recently. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Headless Blues</i> is the perfect title for this song. You know how you get impressed by a trio that sounds like there are more than three people in the band? Well, Hijss is not one of them, and that is perfect for their sound, this song being a great example. There is a weird, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion thing going on too and I am here for it. The first of two chill, two minute psych guitar interludes leads you right into <i>Train Tracks</i> that doubles down on the JSBE meets stoner rock vibes I am feeling until we morph right back into some Krautrock goodness at about the halfway mark. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Narcolepsy</i> slows it down a bit, going more straight-ahead heavy blues than previous tracks, with very cool results, but Hijss never just goes down just one path, so the pace picks up and we head back to Germany.<i> Black Disease</i> is more goodness, leaning towards kraut-psych, while <i>Interlude #2</i> takes us into<i> Blow Out,</i> which actually reminds me of the Jesus And Mary Chain and may be my favourite track on <i>Stuck On Common Ground</i>. The sparse but heavy blues with stoner vibes of <i>Tilt Mode</i> is an excellent closer for this one-of-a-kind album.<br /><br />Hijss is delightfully all over the place and wonderfully sparse but heavy on <i>Stuck On Common Ground</i>. This is a unique record that will keep you intrigued and guessing song after song. Check this out as it will be one of the cooler debut records of 2024. 8/10</div><div><br /><div>The Wind Covenant - Hiraeth (Seek And Strike) [Mark Young]<br /><br />Now, a quick EP from The Wind Covenant with a quick blast of Italian metal. Reading online sources, they note that the EP was an opportunity to try and expand upon their Metalcore and Deathcore sound, bringing in / amping up influences from both inside and from further afield, which in turn expands their sound accordingly. I have no frame of reference for them apart from the fact that I don’t really get on with the genres mentioned earlier. It could be an age thing similar to how 70’s rock felt with 80’s thrash when that came rolling in. Who knows, except that if its good, its good no matter what the genre is.<br /><br /><i>Beyond The Mortal Sight</i> starts with that absolutely god-awful bass sound and that down tuned / all the strings you can have on a guitar tone that does nothing for me at all. There is the heavy bit, that flies along, deep vocals and I think, ah its not that bad, you just need to get used to the sound and then they go pop. Not in a good way, in a way where it’s so light and fluffy despite having the expected second round of heavy noise I just hated it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Just so you know, I ALWAYS try to find something positive about the music I review. In this case, its tight, everyone plays their part well but that’s it. In terms of expanding their sound, I don’t know about that but the second track,<i> The Wonders We Leave Behind </i>follows the same vocal route as song one – heavy, deep growls into almost auto-tune territory with the cleans. It just unfolds, and I’m sure that those who love Metal/Death core music will find something they like here, I cannot find anything I like. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Doomed</i> continues with that synth filled arrangement, again it motors along at a fair pace which is always a good thing but then the cleans come in and that’s that. On to the next one, <i>The Straight And Narrow</i>, with that ping-pong tone has an impressive start that changes it slightly, but again as they transition from the growls to the clean it is almost the same as before, almost measure for measure.<br /><br />Next.<br /><br /><i>Devotion</i> is the last track, starting on a strong footing. This is pretty cool in terms of how the drums / guitars sit together and then the cleans come in. I’m sorry but they ruin it. Once they start it just snaps me out of it because they are too clean. They are TOO clean for metal.<br /><br />I’ll just say that there will be fans of this music out there, probably young people who think they are edgy, and that they invented black clothing. For me, I just didn’t like it all, even taking into consideration that they can play, its tight and it moves at a fair pace. There was something about the sound and the cleans that did me in, to the point where I hated it. The arrangement didn’t really vary from song to song, so you knew what was coming and I found that repetition the worst thing.<br /><br />And then hated myself for not finding something I could really like about it. I appreciate that they have put so much effort into this, only to be reviewed by a prehistoric dolt like me. But its not good. If they are looking to expand or move beyond what they started as, then ditch one of the vocal styles. Either go full growls or do the cleans that sound more organic, raw if you like but go with one route and do it full bore. 4/10</div></div></div></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-65300014252119629182024-03-11T08:16:00.000+00:002024-03-11T08:16:35.400+00:00Reviews: Neptune Power Federation, Slimelord, Turbulence, Vicinity (Reviews By Rich Piva, Mark Young, Matt Bladen & Patches)<p>Neptune Power Federation - Goodnight My Children (Cruz Del Sur Music) [Rich Piva]</p><p>It is going to be hard for me to go into this review for the new Neptune Power Federation album, <i>Goodnight My Children</i>, with any sort of impartially because I do love this band so much. The Sydney, Australia band’s additions to its ever-growing discography has never disappointed me (except for the shipping cost of their vinyl to the US) and they are not starting now with their latest ripper, <i>Goodnight My Children</i>. </p><div>If you are not familiar, the band, led by the amazing and powerful vocals of Lauren Friedman, plays heavy occult rock/metal developed in the dank bars of Sydney and brought to you by grizzled members of the heavy underground of Australia. <i>Goodnight My Children</i> continues their excellent heavy with pop sensibilities assault and is as good as anything else they have put out so far, which is saying a lot.<br /><br /><i>Let Us Begin</i> does just that, and whoa does it kick us off right, with a just over two-minute little ripper led by those vocals and some killer guitar work. NPF are back and once again not screwing around. <i>Lock & Key</i> has Friedman doing her best evil Pat Benatar (with hand claps, which are awesome when used right) layering her vocals and taking her range to top heights. Speaking of those pop sensibilities, <i>Twas A Lie</i> sounds like an 80s hit heavied up in Federation style, with cowbell, and dare I say some synths in thrown in there too. Oh, yeah and a perfect solo for the vibe of the song. </div><div><br /></div><div>The most epic track on <i>Goodnight My Children</i> is <i>Woe Be Father’s Troubled Mind</i>, which, stay with me here, has some kind of metal ABBA thing going on. Am I nuts? OK, maybe a band like Music Go Music (if someone knows this reference, please send me an email because you are my new friend). Whatever it is, the vocals are amazing, and the guitar work is some of the best on the record. More 80s vibes, but this time from the Sunset Strip, coming at you with <i>Betrothed To The Serpent</i> in all its glam metal glory but eviler and less party. <i>Evermore</i> is along the same path and is the big anthem on <i>Goodnight My Children</i>. This song would sound perfect at a stadium show headlined by NPF in some alternate universe. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Hariette May</i> is more of a mid-tempo rocker (the 80s are all over this album) highlighted by all sorts of vocal layers that create quite the soundscape (anyone else feel some Siouxsie vibes at the beginning?) that leads to quite the shredding session and then back again. The end of this song refuses to leave my head. The closing title track is a sort of a creepy and evil lullaby with lots going on, and the addition of that organ makes the way of sound in the heavier parts even more impactful. While I loved the Meatloaf worship on the closer for their last album, this one is the perfect ending to this collection.<br /><br />I feel like Neptune Power Federation lean into a theme each record, and this one is definitely more towards all things from the 80s, and boy do they nail it. The vocals are amazing as usual, the playing is top notch, the songs are all great and the love of pop shines through in all the best ways on <i>Goodnight My Children</i>. Some of this amazing band’s best work. 9/10<br /><br />Slimelord - Chytridiomycosis Relinquished (20 Buck Spin) [Mark Young]<br /><br />Over the course of the following 47 minutes, Slimelord do their level best to astound, batter and generally give your ears a good kicking in this, their debut full length release. Just checking the accompanying bio gives the impression that this is not going to be your standard musical fare, and I’m all for that. Detuned piano? Fire drum? Tree branch and leaf rustling all play a part which shows you what is to come next. <br /><br /><i>The Beckoning Bell </i>opens the account with some deep vocalising from Andrew Ashworth and a swelling accompaniment, slow and methodical until they drop the blast beats on you. From here on in, it’s just a cacophony of sideways riffs, rhythms that drop in and drop out, its fast, then slow and just wrongfoots you every at every step. The breadth of musical ideas they cram into one song, albeit at 7 minutes long is unreal. It combines doom, OSDM and more into a package which is a lot to take in. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Gut Brain Axis </i>takes a melodic turn in the opening moments, a spidery guitar riff that builds into a solo break that shows some very impressive skills, almost halting to a dead stop as we enter the realms of doom. There is a guitar pattern at about 4 minutes in that is mint, with the song starting to build traction with some more fabulous soloing. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you imagine that each song has songs within it, each one developing and expanding the one before it and it’s like walking into different rooms, all replete with new décor. This is probably the best way I can describe this, and you wonder if they can keep this level of creativity up because in the space of these two songs there is a ton of great ideas that other bands would be happy with a tenth of to make a song from. <br /><br />Bubbling liquid heralds <i>Splayed Mudscape</i>, opting for a mid-tempo start only to take a hard right and enter the land of the monstrous break riff, the constant drum clinic courtesy of Ryan Sheperson somehow keeping the rest on track. This one is content to not be as expansive as the others, but it doesn’t lose anything for keeping it relatively simple (it’s not simple) compared to the others. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Batrachomorpha Resurrections Chamber</i> has a stripped back flavour to it, growing into life with some frenzied trem picking set against a melodic passage, once again held together by Ryan on drums. These last two songs, although of a great standard feel slightly less than the opening two. There are riffs, its heavy but I’m getting that its slightly fatigued. <br /><br /><i>The Hissing Moor </i>comes back with that stop/start method once more, building atmosphere as that slightly off melody line is repeated. Mutating into a death metal beatdown that decides to change again, I literally can’t describe it other than a rhythm line that just goes everywhere. I know I’m not doing that the justice it deserves and I would suggest that you just buy the damn thing to see what I mean.<i> </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Tidal Slaughtermarsh </i>sees them get back on point. This is incredibly direct with some blinding riffs in here that move, the whole thing building to and then entering grindcore territory. The song feels like it is existing on a chaos energy and that it could collapse at any moment. </div><div><br /></div><div>New patterns are formed as they take us on a journey, solo breaks, solid breaks and drums that just don’t quit. This is as good as anything you have heard, and <i>Heroic Demise</i> comes to finish this stormer of an album. It’s a triumphant finish, a fast-paced start that is maintained, constantly moving with harmony parts, whammy bar abuse and a final drum check out just to remind you of that octopus behind the kit. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is more than you think it is, and there is a load of ideas running right through it. There is a drop in the middle, possibly because of the starting pair being the way they come out of the blocks, but they put it right by the end. This is going to be one of those albums that you will either get straightway, or one you will have to work with to get. It’s a rewarding experience that you owe to yourself to try. 8/10<br /><br />Turbulence – Binary Dream (Frontiers Music Srl)<br /><br />Lebanon based prog powerhouses return with more modern progressive expressionism, built around the virtuoso playing/compositions of Alain Ibrahim (guitar) and Mood Yassin (keyboard), they will appeal to fans of Karnivool, Leprous, Haken and Tesseract as djent/jazz rhythms are bolstered by moment of high ambience and a A.I influenced conceptual vein that runs through the record. With Anthony Atoui on bass and Omar El Hage on vocals they create a story that tells us all about a robot at the centre of a ‘Binary Dreaming’ experiment, doing so through their intense music and soaring vocals. </div><div><br /></div><div>From the crushing opener <i>Theta</i> they force the gates wide open on this third album with a renewed focus on the more modern end of progressive music, the use of industrial soundscapes, off kilter polyrhythms (<i>Manifestations</i>) and electronics against the orchestrations, keys and voice pitches inorganic against organic, linking to the concept of the album. </div><div><br /></div><div>After the instrumental<i> Manifestations</i>, comes the dramatic<i> Ternary</i>, set to a oscillation synth is sets the scene for the 14 minute title track which brings those influences of Leprous, but also Dream Theater and Middle Eastern music as well for an epic album centrepiece. Despite how massive this album sounds there’s so much intricacy to how they play and what they play. </div><div><br /></div><div>Just listen to the final duo of <i>Corrosion</i> and<i> Deerosion</i>, the former is a dark, emotive heavy prog cut that builds from jangling cleans and quietness, into a swelling atmospheric ballad, that gets heavier at the end segueing into the latter which as far as I can hear is a breath-taking guitar solo to close the album. I had an idea I’d like this new Turbulence album as their previous records scored highly with me, despite seemingly losing a drummer since the last album, they still deliver some brilliant modern prog metal. 9/10</div><div><br />Vicinity -VIII (Uprising Records) [Patches]<br /><br />Norwegian progressive metal band Vicinity release their third studio album VIII.<br /><br /><i>Promised Paradice’s</i> proggy pedal tone motif seamless key and feel changes set the stage for a promising start. The keys tone used is unapologetically typical for its genre, found only (but frequently) in prog rock/metal. It’s a strange first listen, as everything about this track sounds extremely similar to a band I briefly played for in the past.</div><div><br /></div><div>A retrospective realisation of the paradox of the term progressive after a market becomes saturated with bands following the same influences (Threshold, Circus Maximus, Dream Theatre, Fates Warning, Marillion etc). This doesn’t however takeaway from the musicianship and creativity needed to write music such as this, but the opening track does feel like it’s sticking close to the recipe. If it ain’t broken I guess.<br /><br /><i>Distance</i> uses a repetitive whole tone swing and gives guitarist Kim-Marius H. Olsen plenty of time to show his comfort with playing feel good major-heavy shred. An overall positive sounding tune with instances of interesting off beat choices. The well constructed vocal melodies of Erling Malm soar gracefully in the forefront but it’s the impressive colour palette of Frode Lillevolds precise and perplexing percussion that really pulls my attention. <i>Purpose</i> is another optimistic sounding prog piece making me wait four minutes for the feel to hit a satisfyingly darker tone. Unfortunately this change is too fleeting and quickly reprises to twee.<br /><br />The band finally decide to bring out the metal in progressive metal with<i> Confusion Reactor</i>. A heavy aggressive groove, dark octave movements and more desperation in the drama brought by the keys are manipulated with efficiency. This change in pace makes the calmer bridge an effective conversion and a perfect opportunity to make Pierre-Niocolai H. Schmidt-Melbye’s bass pop, subsequently garnished with a tapping solo. <i>The Singularity</i> keeps up the heavier tone with some jarring changes, an emotional lead exchange between the bass, guitar and synth and harmony vocals aid the choral hook.<br /><br />The piano and accompanying cymbals of<i> Shape Of Life</i> may be a little too pretty for my liking. The initial vocal melody somehow bringing out a fear in me that somewhere out there in the multiverse there is a prog Disney. But hey!, what’s more successful than Disney? <i>DKE</i> utilises that syncopated drum guitar punch that works so well in progressive metal. Church organ chords complement a heavy metal melody. Plenty of synth solo, plenty of percussive madness and the best change in the album at the midpoint mark. Switching between a descending Dave Mustaine-esque barrage and a fruit machine-like repeated arpeggio. Ending with the optimistic madness of a Japanese cartoon theme, this instrumental hodgepodge of ideas stands out as my personal favourite<br /><br />The album wraps up with the initially ballad sounding<i> Face The Rain</i>. Although this quickly switches to an almost proggy melodic death metal riff. “Spooky” key intervals playfully inspire memories of Unsolved Mysteries and once again, the drums are absolutely triumphant. The band went all out for the last track which is great to hear. Awesome and impressive changes are found throughout this thirteen minute epic. I’m not completely sold on the choice of drum sound as at times it really does sound like a drum machine, yet, this song is certainly a contender for joint track of the album with the last.<br /><br />Rating albums in this genre isn’t easy, as the musicians are always going to be tremendous players and intelligent writers. <i>VIII</i> is a compilation of competent, concise compositions both technical and accessible. A little twee at times for my personal tastes but Vicinity know what they’re doing with the twee stuff and also do heavy very well too! </div><div><br /></div><div>My only issue with the album is that I cannot pinpoint a unique quality that separates it from its peers or influences. Is it a good progressive metal album ? Yes. Does it stand out? No. If you’re into bands such as Threshold, Circus Maximus and Dream Theater then it is an album worth adding to your collection. With respect to the musicians involved it is with regret that I also found the album quite “stock” within its respective genre. 7/10</div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-89246569587140031292024-03-08T15:21:00.000+00:002024-03-08T15:21:55.057+00:00M2TM South Wales 2024: Swansea Heat #1 Interview With BackIVBlood By Paul Hutchings<b>Interview with BackIVBlood - Heat 1, M2TM, The Bunkhouse, Swansea 9th March 2024 </b><br /><div><br /></div><div>Band two under the spotlight for Heat 1 in Swansea is BackIVBlood.</div><div><br /><div><b>1. Let’s start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band? </b><br /><br />So we're actually a three piece, our members of BackIVBlood consist of Deri - (Vocal & Guitar ) / Dan ( Drums ) / Alex ( Bassist ) <br /><br /><b>2. Where are you from and how long have you been together?</b><br /><br />We're all from South Wales & we've been a band just over a year & a half now. We've all known each other a long time. Deri & Dan started to get together not long after the pandemic to have a jam. Decided to try & write some music. Once we did, we decided we needed to get out there & play live. Luckily, not long after, we got Alex on board & started work on our set straight away. <br /><br /><b>3. Describe your music in five words.<br /></b><br /></div><div>Never even saw it coming ( Blindsided ) <br /><br /><b>4. What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses – South Wales?</b><br /><br />As we're a fairly new band, we're always looking for some exposure & we'd love to get on that stage at bloodstock. Other than that, we're always looking for the opportunity to get in front of a crowd. <br /><br /><b>5. If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you’ve returned!</b><br /><br />We have actually played it once before. To tell the truth, it was actually our first show as BackIVBlood, on top of that we suffered technical difficulties, so it didn't go so well for us. We powered through though & just took ourselves back, eliminated what was causing the issues & perfected our set. Since then, we've played multiple shows from London up to Leeds. We're looking forward to some redemption. <br /><br /><b>6. Bloodstock is a big festival – have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend?</b><br /><br />Unfortunately none of us have had the chance to attend the festival in the past but to do so for the first time & also play a stage would be something crazy <br /><br /><b>7. Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024?</b><br /><br />For the rest of 2024 we're going to be all around the place. We've currently got shows booked for Bristol, Birmingham & Whitehaven but hopefully more to follow. <br /><br /><b>8. What can we expect from you in your heat?</b><br /><br />You can expect a lot of energy on that stage, a variety of a heavy and diverse setlist. A high intensity performance. A sound that'll make you mosh. <br /><br /><b>9. And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition?</b><br /><br />We're expecting a memorable experience. Crazy, energetic crowds. Hopefully make some new fans along the way. We're also looking to learn from this experience, get the feedback that we can & build off it. <br /><br /><b>10. Finally, where can people find details of the band – promote your socials here!</b><br /><br />We got our own website, which shows all our upcoming shows, which is - BackIVBlood.com. We're also on all streaming services. YouTube, Spotify etc. Check us out as we'll be releasing new music very soon. <br /><br />Social links - <br /><br />Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Backivblood/">https://www.facebook.com/Backivblood/</a> <br /><br />YouTube - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xco1NnJMync">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xco1NnJMync</a> <br /><br />Spotify - <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/2kZE25kbXyGX0A961AxUrJ?si=M0OtGWW7QZOYmr0WSaCVTQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/2kZE25kbXyGX0A961AxUrJ?si=M0OtGWW7QZOYmr0WSaCVTQ</a> <br /><br /> Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/backivblood/">https://www.instagram.com/backivblood/</a> <br /><br /> Tiktok - <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@backivblood?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc">https://www.tiktok.com/@backivblood?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc</a> <br /><br /> link tree - <a href="https://linktr.ee/BackIVBlood">https://linktr.ee/BackIVBlood</a></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-44698264613580550292024-03-08T12:54:00.000+00:002024-03-08T12:54:26.897+00:00Reviews Exhorder, Early Moods, Midnight, Floya (Reviews By Mark Young, Rich Piva, Dr Claire Hanley & Matt Bladen)<p>Exhorder - Defectum Omnium (Nuclear Blast Records) [Mark Young]</p><p>From Doom to Thrash, this is the sort of week I love. Exhorder release their 4th full-length album, nearly 5 years after <i>Mourn The Southern Skies</i>. Covid got in the way of the momentum built from that album, but it didn’t keep them down for long. Bearing in mind that they have been around for a long time, and are one of metal’s perennial bridesmaids do they have enough here to warrant your attention?</p><div>Yes.<br /><br />Yes, they do.<br /><br />From <i>Wrath Of Prophecies</i> detonating your head starts to nod. It's an immediate grab of your attention and they don’t let it go for one minute. As opening tracks go, this is a stormer, from that bouncing riff to the solid drums to a suitably mental solo which this music cries out for. It leans into that Thrash style without sounding like a rehash of anything they have done previously and comes like a punch in the face. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Under The Gaslight </i>contains one of the most fiendish riff builds I’ve heard in ages. Kyle’s vocals here add that extra oomph to it, it sounds so vital and fresh, and you can see them headbanging under the solo break (Step forward Mr O’Brien). It’s the overall feel to it, of a band enjoying the material and each other that bleeds through. </div><div><br /></div><div>There is a touch of punk to <i>Forever</i> and <i>Beyond Despair </i>that sits side by side with some blast-beats until it hits a sludge-like break-down. Again, Kyle puts so much vitriol into his delivery that this is one of the best 1-2-3 openers you will hear this year. <i>The Tale Of Unsound Minds</i> goes for that slow and measured attack that turns over into a stomper of a riff, and that is one of the key things here. They know that it needs something like this to keep your attention and they do that in spades. There are some face-melting moments on this record, and the solo here is one of them. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the accompanying bio there is a note that suggested that the album has a little of everything that everyone can dig. This is so true, <i>The Tale…</i>is one such song, bringing just about everything to the table and doing it better than most.<i> Divide And Conquer</i> breaks out the thrash which will result in some collateral damage live.</div><div><br /></div><div>It’s not hyper fast, it occupies that zone where it is perfect for headbanging. Live, you would think that they will up the BPM’s a touch. <i>Year Of The Goat </i>is more of that approach, but there is no danger of repetition or familiarity. Its similar in tempo only, its arrangement is one of ‘here is a riff, chew on that’ and I defy you not to nod your head along to this.<br /><br /><i>Taken By Flames </i>chooses old-school brutality in its opening moments as it navigates its way through that slow style of chugging attack until the chains are thrown off and BOOM its head down time. Key changes, high register screams, this one has the lot. For me it hits like a modern-day classic. Its simple in arrangement but that is part of its beauty. It doesn’t try to be anything other than just pure heavy metal.<i> </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Stolen Hope</i> with its opening choir, repeating a mantra thankfully gives way to a little bit of doom with one of those riffs that you know would be royal to play.<i> Stolen Hope </i>shows the breadth of their ability to craft a song with a cracking skill set in it, just as <i>Taken By Flames</i> is a stormer, this is the perfect companion to that song, possessing an impassioned vocal performance that ends so abruptly I thought my earphones had broken. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Three Stages Of Truth – Lacing The Well</i> is another animal altogether. Starting with a haunting acoustical passage, they drop another stomper in, wild solo over the top and some proper down picked goodness. If you play guitar, its one of those songs that would reward the hard work you would have to put in to do it justice. Riffs come from all directions and is as strong as any of the songs that precede it. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Sedition</i> goes for a punkish 3-minute blast which serves the purpose of setting us up for the final two –<i>Desensitized </i>just goes for the throat from the start, this is powered by Sasha Horn on drums knocking hell out of the kit and just powers along, taking no prisoners and is an absolute blast. <i>Your Six</i> is our closing track, deploying that controlled tempo once more. On here, Kyle unleashes vocal fire, which is just excellent, making the song fly. The solo breaks are just icing on the cake here and it’s a worthy end to an album I didn’t think would be this good.<br /><br />And it's good. I’d go so far as to say it's one of the releases of 2024 because it has everything for everyone. It's not just thrash, it's not just groove, or doom, or sludge, it’s all of those things but done in a way that doesn’t jar when held up against the other tracks. And that is one of things to it, the flow of songs is fantastic. They don’t load up the front-end with the blasters, they start high and stay that way. Try them for size. Your ears will love you for it. 9/10<br /><br />Early Moods - A Sinner’s Past (RidingEasy Records) [Rich Piva]<br /><br />Early Moods is back, and dare I say earlier than expected, with a new album chock full of the Iommi worship and killer afros that made us all love their self-titled debut in 2022, even though it seems like it came out more recently since it is still in constant rotation for me. For their sophomore effort the L.A., California band brings us <i>A Sinner’s Past</i> which is more of the same Sabbath love and riffs that you got from the first record but with even better songwriting and an even bigger sounding record.<br /><br />I mean take the opener<i>, Last Hour</i>. Wow, what a song, especially the back half hen the tempo picks up and the guitar work rules all. <i>Blood Offerings</i> reminds me a Sahg, with its creepy riff and chucky proto tempo. The vocals remind me of Witchfinder General on <i>A Sinner’s Past</i>, but if WG had a better studio to record in. This is some evil stuff, especially when Satan himself makes an appearance on vocals on this track. The title track is more of the same, which in this case is an excellent thing, with another killer and fuzzy riff and displaying Early Moods as the tightest they have been on record so far. </div><div><br /></div><div>The band is certainly showing a maturity in bot their playing and recording, as the start and stop towards the end of this track is some next level stuff. I love the instrumental opening of <i>Unhinged Spirit</i> leading you to another riff and a killer drum fill (the drumming on this track is the best I have heard from the band). It is this type of track that show that Early Moods is leading the way for proto/doom bands out there today. </div><div><br /></div><div>You want more doom? How about we slow it down a bit to go all classic doom and get super evil with <i>The Apparition</i>, the band’s answer to the song Black Sabbath. I also get hints of Cathedral, musically at least. That Witchfinder General comparison hold for a track like <i>Walperguise</i> while <i>Hell’s Odyssey</i> leans towards some Candlemass territory and I love how they pick up the tempo on the back half for some NWOBHM love, dig those dual guitars. <i>Soul Sorcery</i> closes us out, with a evil proto ripper; no slowing down as we end this trip to hell.<br /><br />I would put Early Moods up against and proto doom band out their today, especially with the step forward they take with <i>A Sinner’s Past</i>. The band has matured as musicians and songwriters while bringing the riffs even more this time, which is saying a lot. Early Moods is one of the best Sabbath worship bands out there, so if you dig that stuff, you know what to do, but these guys are no rip offs, they are the real evil deal. 9/10<br /><br />Midnight – Hellish Expectations (Metal Blade Records) [Dr Claire Hanley]<br /><br />It’s business as usual for the blackened speed metal maestros, Midnight. Gritty as ever, <i>Expect Total Hell</i> sets the tone for the record with a fast-paced and frantic onslaught of guitars and decay-laden vocals. However, while filth and depravity are common themes,<i> Gash Scrape</i> fails to have the impact you’d expect from such a title; feeling lacklustre and dare I say it, largely unimaginative to the extent of merely going through the motions. <i>Masked And Deadly</i> has more to offer in terms of dynamics with tempo switches and catchy hooks, as does <i>Slave Of The Blade</i>, but although <i>Dungeon Lust </i>was impressive in terms of the air of viscosity it levels, it lacks noteworthy elements.<br /><br />The second half of the record is arguably much stronger, with <i>Nuclear Saviour </i>ripping through the record with gnawing vocals, organic energy and a blistering solo section. <i>Deliver Us To Devil</i> has a similar, seriously infectious and rotten aural aesthetic and the grinding, chainsaw guitars of <i>Merciless Slaughter</i> inspired involuntary head banging aplenty. While <i>Doom Death Desire</i> falls short on focal points, FOAL swiftly turns things around; closing out the record with the pulsating, raw aggression that Midnight are famed for.<br /><br /><i>Hellish Expectations </i>offers up a collection of D-beat delights but clocking in at just over 25 minutes, I can’t help but wonder if the band have peaked and are starting to run out of steam. Much of the record was underwhelming as if I’d habituated to the angst and anarchy from previous releases. Nonetheless, it’s a Midnight album, so great for a quick burst of filth but not something I’d intentionally reach for on repeat. 7/10<br /><br />Floya – Yume (Arising Empire) [Matt Bladen]<br /><br />Having seen German duo Floya impress everyone in the building at Radar Festival last year, with only a few singles to their name. You could say their debut full length was anticipated. Phil Bayer (vocals) and Marv Wilder (guitars) are the two wildly inventive musicians behind Floya’s innovative sound where the delay driven guitar lines of U2 <i>(Florescent</i>) are put together with the funky electro pop of The 1975, as snippets of Peter Gabriel (<i>Wonders</i>) and The Pet Shop Boys are weaved within this highly layered musicals group. Both men have done their time in other bands and are influenced by late 80’s/early 90’s radio rock as well as a hefty helping of EDM culture. </div><div><br /></div><div>They approached the debut album under the proviso that there were no rules and as such often the guitars don’t sound like guitars, they become shimmering synths on<i> Stay</i>, jangle behind a drum machine on <i>Drift</i>, while they actually get to ring out with jangly melodies on<i> The Hymn</i>. While these shifts in genre are done with ease, Phil’s vocal phrasing and tone is pitched just right to deal with the electro, pop or rock backing created. </div><div><br /></div><div>Recorded and written alongside Chris Kempe, a lot of what Floya are about are the non-guitar and vocal elements, the drum programming on <i>Wonders</i>, the slow building <i>Epiphany</i> and others is perfect, locked in with some simmering synths and bright electronics pulses. There’s a sense of joy to this record that puts a smile on your face. It bristles with promise and positivity, a sunny outlook on a grey day. You may have heard some of the singles already but they live up to how good this album is. Modern crossover pop rock which takes risks that pay off. Floya shine bright on their debut. 8/10</div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-32219206485778976372024-03-08T07:54:00.000+00:002024-03-08T07:54:28.207+00:00Review: Judas Priest (Review By Matt Bladen)Judas Priest – Invincible Shield (Epic Records)<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8WZp9-Wp1I-DIO62wFUKQYKCoMo2yPIC0gXusQGaAM2tqe_ACqlaFF0admlbGnLth-3_blOJaXjWKTA5366TLCLBG-2aLe6PrNaG1_JpV7H6o0tYqORGi014eGXHvTSr6DjtCv54Yf7YRiwo25_3hTTeFAIbBk2Ga7XpeOkTK8fojh6x7VOlkJBpXRf4=w320-h320" /></div></div><div><div><br /></div>19 albums, worldwide recognition, true originators and survivors of every trend there has been. Judas Priest have done it all! The Birmingham formed heavy metal icons have been living and dying for heavy metal since the 70’s and on their 19th studio album they show no signs of stopping now. <br /><br />Recorded with the studio line up of the Metal God Rob Halford still screaming with the power of a man a third of his age, Glen Tipton and Richie Faulkner on those glorious guitar harmonies, that are so potent and important to the history of heavy metal, Ian Hill’s bass forever the backbone of the Sentinel’s ever forward march and Scott Travis a percussive powerhouse born from the speed/shred scene, it’s all been captured by the skilful, legendary hands and ears of producer and Priest touring guitarist (after a little bit of silliness) Andy Sneap. <br /><br />For a band to still be making records after all these years is one thing, but for them to be in decade and a bit long purple patch is another thing, it seems as if since <i>Angel Of Retribution</i>, Priest have ascended to their rightful place in the pantheon of British metal, their influence felt in every NWOTHM band that has come since. <br /><br />They have backed it up with some brilliant records, be it the comeback of <i>Angel Of Retribution</i>, the conceptual <i>Nostradamus</i>, the first with Faulkner; <i>Redeemer Of Souls</i> or the explosive <i>Firepower</i>, Priest have leant on the nastier heavier sound they had on Painkiller to keep them sounding fresh and modern while retaining those Judas Priest trappings that most metalheads love. <br /><br />I say that with some confidence as their influence is such that unlike say Maiden, Priest are beloved by thrashers, death metal maniacs, the blackest black metal fans, classic rockers and everyone in between. Whether it’s Halfords online presence and visibility for heavy metal and LGBTQ+ culture, their resilience to new music trends or just the fact that they’re one of the most ‘metal’ bands the UK has produced Priest probably have a bigger following now than they ever have. Something we’ll see first-hand on the upcoming tour to support this new 19th album <i>Invincible Shield</i> (we’ll be at a multitude of dates)<br /> <br /> The album itself, well if you’ve heard the singles you’ll know that it’s packed with Priest firepower, coming out of the gates all guns blazing with <i>Panic Attack</i>, those <i>Turbo-esque</i> guitar synths getting us going before the track kicks in proper. Guitars in fire trading off the riffs as Halford snarls, putting in some screams where needed. It’s a proper chugger driven by the riff and Travis’ drumming, the heart is already racing and we’re on track one. <br /><br /><i>The Serpent And The King</i>, is Halford in full falsetto, thrashy and rabid, Ian Hill setting a blistering pace but giving some groove on the chorus, Travis still playing as fast as possible, getting some double kick breaks before the solo sections. Faulkner said while the album was being recorded that Priest looked back to their more experimental 70’s (pre-<i>British Steel</i>) sound, to create a bit of prog on this record. There’s elements of this on the speed metal assault of the title track, this is Metal God territory but has a refrain similar to <i>Sinner</i>, another absolute banger and its three tracks in. </div><div><br /></div><div>None of the slow burning that Maiden rely on these days, Priest are about pace, hook ‘em fast, hook ‘em strong, get ‘em head banging from moment one. Speaking of head banging, if it doesn’t to the stomp of <i>Devil In Disguise</i> you can’t like metal anymore I’m afraid (that’s the rules), <i>Gates Of Hell</i> settles things a little with a mid-pace plod, it’s not weak but after a so much magic, it lets you at least breathe. <i>Crown Of Horns</i> sits in the middle of the record as a muscular ballad as <i>As God Is My Witness</i> returns to fiery metallic form. <br /><br />These two tracks help you realise the duality of Judas Priest and how impressive Rob Halford is as a vocalist, he can carry a slow ballad but then go full pelt on the racier tracks, the latter also adding a bit of a symphonic element. The guitar playing is brilliant, jumping from rock metal and thrash, the harmonies always intact. The melodic intro of <i>Trial By Fire</i> comes from the Priest of the 70’s as Faulkner discussed, historical imagery put with classic proto-metal riffs while <i>Escape From Reality</i> brings some psych and some Sabbath, written by Tipton he’s leaning on his influences here.<br /> <br /> As we get towards the last few numbers, the quality doesn’t dip, the variation though increases, showing that despite they now have this sense of being a full bore metal band they can still rock like they did pre NWOBHM. More screaming metal comes on <i>Sons Of Thunder</i> the penultimate cut on the normal edition, it’s 3 minute shot of adrenaline that leads into the meaty morsel that is the riff swinging closer Giants In The Sky, a track that is strong enough to make you feel full but leave you wanting more. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now there are bonus tracks on the deluxe edition, the classic rocking of <i>Fight Of Your Life</i>, the direct <i>Vicious Circle </i>and <i>The Lodger </i>which is a darkly cinematic song written by Bob Halligan Jr. who is a long-time collaborator with the band. Without these three songs though Invincible Shield is worthy of any Priest or metal fans’ time. They’ve been doing this since 1969 and seem very much Hell Bent For Leather, how long they’ll keep going is anyone’s guess but if they keep releasing material as good as <i>Invincible Shield</i> we’re all in for a great ride until the end. 10/10</div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-72493367065075239092024-03-07T18:24:00.000+00:002024-03-07T18:24:50.781+00:00M2TM South Wales 2024: Swansea Heat #1 Interview With Inerrant By Paul Hutchings<b>Interview with Inerrant - Heat 1, M2TM, The Bunkhouse, Swansea 9th March 2024 </b><br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>1. Who is who and what does each person do in the band? </b><br /><br />We’re a 6 piece when we play live but occasionally mix up the players. <br /><br />We consist of: <br /><br />Paul Fortescue - vocals <br /><br />Ben Woosnam - vocals <br /><br />Gareth Rowley - Guitar <br /><br />Tom Perret - Guitar <br /><br />Mal Evans - Guitar or Bass <br /><br />Ben Royle - Bass <br /><br />Cerys Jones - Drums <br /><br /><b>2. Where are you from and how long have you been together? </b><br /><br />We started as a recording outfit during lockdown and have become a live band in different guises over the past 4 years. We generally come from the South Wales area, and we've known each other for many years previously through different past bands and the gig scenes around Cardiff, RCT and Bridgend. <br /><b><br />3. Describe your music in five words. </b><br /><br />Noisy rowdy energetic idiots inni <br /><b><br />4. What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses – South Wales? </b><br /><br />We want to play Bloodstock. Obviously. On top of that we just like playing shows and it's always rad to play to a mixed bunch of moshers. <br /><br /><b>5. If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you’ve returned! </b><br /><br />We entered a few years ago when it was judged on a video submission. This was with a different lineup. The band that won that year was Pearler and they made a very professional looking video. Good on ‘em. I, Paul, have previously entered with a past band (Hogslayer) and was lucky enough to get a spot at the festival. That was 10 years ago. Wow. <br /><br /><b>6. Bloodstock is a big festival – have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend? </b><br /><br /><div>I try to attend most years and last years I worked as a campsite steward. That was awesome and I really loved the little perks that came with working there. The best thing about the weekend is always gonna be meeting so many nice people and just generally taking home a pocket full of memories. The music is always great from the grass roots to the most experienced bands. <br /><br /><b>7. Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024? </b><br /><br />We're gonna try and get on some other fests if possible and try and keep playing as much as we can. We're always recording so we'll probably bang a few more records out. One of which we are in the process of making right now. <br /><b><br />8. What can we expect from you in your heat? </b><br /><br />A lot of sweat. Fun. Sweat. Pits. Sweat…. and sweat. <br /><br /><b>9. And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition? </b><br /><br />We are expecting to meet loads of awesome bands that we can hook up future shows with. We're hoping that people like the party we bring. Win or lose we're gonna have some fun. Nobody ever loses. <br /><br /><b>10. Finally, where can people find details of the band – promote your socials here! </b><br /><br /><a href="http://facebook.com/inerrantmusic">facebook.com/inerrantmusic</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://instagram.com/inerrantmusic">instagram.com/inerrantmusic</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://inerant.bandcamp.com/">Inerant.bandcamp.com</a><br /> </div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-72457838733001784032024-03-07T13:22:00.001+00:002024-03-07T14:17:44.985+00:00A View From The Back Of The Room: Hawxx (Live Review By Matt Bladen)Hawxx, Sydney Fate, Rockabye Reaper & Odessa, Fuel Rock Club 01.03.24<br /><div><br /></div><div>Another Friday night, another set of sound gremlins in Fuel Rock Club. Arriving at the venue, were informed that the doors had been pushed back due to technical issues. Which felt a little like Deja vu after the problems that beset the recent Underdark show there that was ultimately cancelled. It must have been the luck of St David though as the show did eventually start but to the detriment of the much publicised and supported headliners.<br /> <br /> More on that later as it was<b> Odessa (6) </b>that started the show after stepping in quite late onto the bill for reasons that won’t be discussed here. They did an admiral job of warming up the partisan Welsh crowd, many of whom seemed to be there more for the supports but, hey that’s what they’re for right? Their modern hardcore/metalcore/screamo sound wasn’t really my cup of tea but it was enjoyed by those that were in attendance making sure there was movement down the front from early in the night. A cover of Lim Bizkit's cover of Faith by George Michael winning people over.<br /><br />A long changeover came next due to lack of sound checking done before the gig and it was fairly new band <b>Rockabye Reaper (6)</b> who took to the stage next. The new project from drummer Matt Thomas, they’re an angsty, modern alt rock band with grooves keys and vocals that bring emotion. They also unfortunately did little for me musically, so far I was two for two but again they had a following that was noisy from the first moments of their set to the last. <br /> <br /> Hopefully I fared better with third support <b>Sydney Fate (7)</b> and while again genre-wise I struggled they did feel a bit more coherent as a band, both vocalists working well together with metallic blue collar hardcore, that most of the crowd was here to see from the number of t-shirts they had in the audience. Ripping through their set and encouraging movement with swearwords and aggression. Furiously attacking the mass of people down the front. However after their set they did seem to disappear as did a lot of their fanbase.<br /> <br /> This meant that<b> Hawxx (8)</b> were left to start their UK tour to a sparser audience than they’ve hoped and also that they only had around an hour to play, meaning that not every song in their hymn book (given out before the show) was going to be aired. However they did their absolute best to make sure the show was exactly what it needed to be, a clarion call to the women, LGBTQ+, trans and oppressed people around the country and around the world. Proudly draped in the pride flag and condemning violence in Palestine, they spoke to the collective audience of Fuel who are more ‘alternative’ than most. With tracks such as <i>Death Makes Sisters Of Us All</i>, <i>The Worst Thing</i>, <i>Trust Your Rage</i> and the closing bile that’s contained in <i>Bite (Holiness In Fuck)</i>, their music is defiant and angry at the world but used to unify those in attendance. <br /><br />The issue I had was that I would have liked to have heard anything but the drums (for the first half) and the bass (for the second half), the vocals were just about audible but the guitars non-existent. Without the technical guitar playing, the songs lost a little bit of their lustre and the fact that they were short of time meant we didn’t get the full experience. Still I urge you all to check out Hawxx on any of their current dates.</div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-12905146646834498932024-03-07T11:02:00.008+00:002024-03-07T12:07:07.850+00:00Mr Big: The Big Finish Tour PreviewMr Big “The Big Finish Tour” Preview<br /> <br /> Coming to UK shores this spring is the final tour of American hard rock band Mr Big. Called The Big Finish Tour it’s their way of saying goodbye to the fans that have supported them through hiatus, music industry changes and even deaths. They’ll be playing <i>Lean Into It</i> in full so expect to see tracks such as mega ballads <i>Just Take My Heart </i>and the evergreen favourite <i>To Be With You </i>but also <i>Daddy, Brother, Lover Little Boy (The Electric Drill Song)</i>, which is a masterclass in virtuoso performance. And there lies the kicker to the popularity of Mr Big, yes they have rock songs like <i>Addicted To That Rush</i> and radio friendly pop songs like <i>Green Tinted Sixties Mind </i>but they’re all played by a band who are incredible musicians. <br /> <br /> Formed when bassist Billy Sheehan left David Lee Roth’s band he hooked up with singer Eric Martin, settling on Racer X shredder for a guitarist and session drummer/writer Pat Torpey, from here they recorded their self titled debut, gaining traction and popularity at that odd time after the 80’s heyday but before grunge. Much of this was due to Martin’s AOR suited vocals and the technical precision of Sheehan and Gilbert, winning over the Shrapnel records crowd with<i> Daddy, Brother… </i>a song that famously is played with electric drills! It was <i>Lean Into It </i>that scored them the most kudos with To Be With You reaching number one in fifteen countries. However by 1997 the band was broken up.<br /> <br /> In the early 2000’s they replaced Gilbert with Richie Kotzen (who is now in The Winery Dogs with Sheehan and Mike Portnoy), but by 2002 other projects had taken hold. Sheehan played for everyone, but mainly Steve Vai, Gilbert has released more record with Racer X and plenty of solo outings and Eric Martin went solo and was invited to play with Tobias’ Sammet’s Avantasia too. <br /> <br /> 2008/2009 saw them reform, ‘one off’ reunion concerts turning into three new albums but by 2017’s Defying Gravity Pat Torpey’s Parkinson’s had started to take hold and he sadly passed away in 2018. The band stated they felt uncomfortable continuing without Pat behind the kit, but have now planned this quite extensive farewell tour with Nick D’Virgilio behind the kit, who can emulate Torpey’s drumming but also his vocal contributions. There’s also talk of a new album. <div><br /></div><div>However this will be the final time to see Mr Big on a live stage, they’ll be playing their most commercially successful album in full and from experience they are force to be reckoned with on the live stage, all that makes it a must see, whether it’s at KK’s Steel Mill on this short first run, with Jared James Nichols in support or as part of Steelhouse Festival in July!<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="940" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBhlyvtEf2XmNZScGmNzDv31HeVRLiqqnIsQhgS00x2ouE2tXKvKmnHrx0eZGTMx3X4yzQyahKZeioDaOtZokBU0KzYVHvjMJ5uI_2VvPv6ZQaFQj7NVaCd-eR9D6LVAl5PAEHHk1Z75oS7HqMpIYY_X-jotDwxTC4PZVDs_Artis0Y95Q_G4Q7De58CU=w640-h320" width="640" /></div><br /></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-77603498287742440502024-03-07T07:57:00.000+00:002024-03-07T07:57:52.287+00:00Reviews: Goat Major, Valhalla Awaits, Fathomless Ritual, Arms And Sleepers (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Paul Hutchings, Charlie Rogers & James Jackson)Goat Major - Ritual (Ripple Music) [Matt Bladen]<br /><br /><div>Welsh riff merchants rapidly follow up their digital only <i>Evil Eye </i>EP from last year with their debut full length on the always brilliant Ripple Music. Hailing from the Wild Wild West Of Wales, the trio play heavy occult doom that bangs it’s head very slowly to the likes of Electric Wizard and Uncle Acid, embracing Celtic myths, the occult, the more sinister black magick. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Ritual</i> is an 8 track journey through woozy, distorted guitars with reverbed vocals and an altar built to Sabbath Worship. The band was brought together in lockdown as longtime friends Jammie Arnold (guitar), Simon Bonwick (drums) and Tom Shortt (bass), initially started out as instrumental only, with Shortt taking up the vocals, not long after formation. It brings a new dimension to their sound as Shortt commands these pagan sermons with the wide eyed intensity of Vincent Price as Matthew Hopkins on <i>Power That Be</i>.<br /><br />Goat Major though never move that far from their instrumental origins though as for every chorus that’s sung out, there’s a long section of the trio in monolithic union, Simon and Shortt’s rhythmic jackhammer controlling pace with ease as<i> Mountains Of Madness</i> undulates in to some serious, serpentine Sabbath, sounding just as good here as it did on the EP, so too does the creeping <i>Evil Eye</i> and the crushing<i> Turn To Dust</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>But it’s the new stuff that speaks to longevity of Goat Major, drawn from songs honed over their rigorous live schedule, Jammie Arnold’s guitar playing especially good on the hazy<i> Lay Me Down</i>, where acoustics and feedback creates a mysterious closer, but there’s also some effects driven doom on <i>Snakes (Goddess Of The Serpent)</i>, proper stoner grooves on the title track and yet more cavernous rhythms on <i>Light Of The End</i>.<br /></div><p>Establishing themselves as a force to seen on the UK live circuit, Goat Major back up their live hype with this slab of sacrificial stoner doom, with Ripple Music firmly behind them, one and all will soon experience this heady <i>Ritual</i>. 9/10</p><p>Valhalla Awaits - Perdition (Self Relased) [Paul Hutchings]</p>You may have heard of Valhalla Awaits. The band has a substantial pedigree in the South Wales music scene, drawn from bands that include Buffalo Summer, The Blackout and Revoker. They’ve got a string of high profile shows under their belts, and the promise of many more to come soon.<br /><br /><i>Perdition</i> is a five-track EP, full of confident and bombastic hard rock, but with a strong social commentary underneath. A collection of stories of humanity, aspirations, and a yearning to take their country back to better times. Nothing to argue about there surely?<br /><br />It opens strongly with <i>Door Of No Return</i>. Scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find the haunting story of the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade. A thumping riff and a raging tempo kick things off, demanding you move that head. Andrew Hunt is surely one of the most underrated vocalists in the South Wales area, with a soulful yet forceful voice, and he brings a powerful performance on a stomper of a track. This is explosive stuff to kick things off.<br /><br />There’s a familiarity to <i>Staring At The Gun</i>, an anthem of resilience. It’s got a grungy, Alice In Chains vibe, combined with the power of fellow countrymen Florence Black and the smoothness of Those Damn Crows. A combination of all three makes this an epic song. The groove that underpins it keeps things flowing nicely, whilst there’s a pleasing switch of pace that allows the listener to let it sink in.<br /><br />Two in, and three more to go. It’s a promising start, and emotionally it hits a new peak with first single <i>Is There Anybody Out There?</i> The background to the song is a bit eerie, with supernatural events having happened since the song was written. It’s a classically hard rock slow burner, one that grabs the heart strings, and pulls you in. Hunt gives another smouldering performance, whilst the intricate guitar work of Rhys Carter and Chris Green give it an extra edge.<br /><br />Valhalla Awaits bring a different style to most of their songs, but the swagger of <i>We Remain </i>sees them grab their inner sleaze monsters, with a Velvet Revolver vibe surging through the song. There’s a beautiful soaring chorus that lifts the track, whilst the addictive riffs remain stuck in the memory for days. It’s a real grower of a track, getting better every play.<br /><br />That leaves <i>All Hope Is Lost</i>, and as bleak as it is, maybe there is a little hope hidden within the darkness. Hunt comments “The song was written at the standing stones in Tredegar, where Aneurin Bevan, the great Welsh socialist and founder of the NHS preached to the masses. We long for the time where people are put first before profits and our islands aren’t run into the ground by power and greed.”<br /><br /><i>Perdition</i> is one solid EP. Cohesive, impressive, vibrant, organic. Catch them if you can, for live, these songs are likely to blow your head off. 8/10<br /><br />Fathomless Ritual - Hymns For The Lesser Gods (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Charlie Rogers)<div><br /></div><div>Demilich worship from Canada.<br /><br />Now if you’re like me, you’re sold already. Just in case you need more description than that to get on board with this release, I’ll attempt to describe the aural chaos that Brendan Dean has conjured forth. Dense, angular riffs, smattered with globules of putrid swamp monster vocals, all held together by frantic wandering drums. Intermittent lead lines. A crunchy, janky, nasal bass tone. Utterances requiring a subwoofer to hear properly.<br /><br />The album varies in pace, centred around a mid-paced stomp for the most part but also utilising some swift passages to add flavour, and slower selections to invoke more of the swampiness that’s a staple in this style of death metal. Tons of groove and hooks splattered across the songs, each having its own draw and pull to move your neck. Production blends parts where the sound is a pure muddy wall, stacked sections where everything has a bit more room to breathe, all the way to spaced out refrains where single instruments take the spotlight. I’m not sure what Mr Dean’s main instrument is, but he excels at both guitar and bass, and the drum programming is tastefully done while also being suitably bonkers.<br /><br />I can absolutely see this being a tough record to listen to if you’re just beginning your foray into death metal, with the barrier for appreciating the madness that Finnish style riffs encapsulates being sky high. However, for those of us already redeemed in the church of unhinged, chaotic death metal, it’s an easy sell to get this record on. Let’s hope Brendan can get a band together to do this live, because it’d absolutely pop off, and I’d very likely try and be there. 10/10<br /><br /><div>Arms And Sleepers - What Tomorrow Brings (Pelagic Records) [James Jackson]<br /><br />The Electronic elements of Arms and Sleepers come as a surprise for me, writing for a generally “Metal” review site like Musipedia has, over the last year or so offered me the opportunity to listen to albums that would have never been on my list. I’ve discovered acts that I didn’t know before and have gone onto enjoy their work and seen them live, I’ve also had a good deal of music come my way that I know I’ll never try again, but that’s part of the fun. </div><div><br /></div><div>Arms And Sleepers are, according to a bio I found, ambient trip hop, a sub genre I know absolutely nothing about, over the years I’ve delved into the otherworldly releases of Enigma, hooked since the release of <i>MCMXC.a.D</i> in the early 90’s; the Gregorian chants and dance beats, blending with various percussion elements and haunting melodies was something altogether new to me; Arms and Sleepers offer a similar feel to the more ambient sounds found on the album but the use is subtle rather than prominent as with Enigma. </div><div><br /></div><div>It’s a fair comparison to make in general, the odd track or two are of a different spin, the jazz infused Belfast hits differently compared to the hypnotic sounds of <i>Have You Gone To The Moon Yet?</i> but that Ambient Trip Hop tag seems more than apt,<i> What Tomorrow Brings</i> is an album that you can listen to in the background, I don’t think there’s anything particularly special or unique about it but it’s certainly something that would keep you company as you while away the hours; becoming a not altogether unpleasant soundtrack to your day without interference. I think I’m trying to politely say that I’ll not be giving this one another go. 4/10</div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-83179510348426945192024-03-06T18:30:00.000+00:002024-03-06T18:30:10.699+00:00M2TM South Wales 2024: Cardiff Heat #1 Interview With Excursia By Paul Hutchings<b>Interview with Excursia – Heat 1, M2TM, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff 8th March 2024</b><br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>1. Let’s start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band?</b><div><br /></div><div>Excursia is comprised of Adam Rapado on vocals, Sam Hill shredding guitar, Scott Price on Bass, and Dylan Jarvis blasting Drums<br /><b><br />2. Where are you from and how long have you been together?</b><br /><br />The band was formed in 2016. However, our current line up (excluding Sam) have joined the band within the last 2 years.<br /><br /><b>3. Describe your music in five words.</b><br /><br />Energetic, Aggressive, Progressive, Political, and Patritoic<br /><br /><b>4. What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses – South Wales?<br /></b><br />M2TM is a great opportunity to showcase our new sound to more audiences, needless to say about the opportunity of playing one our favourite festivals of the year. <br /><br /><b>5. If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you’ve returned!</b><br /><br />Previously Excursia have had good success in the competition. However, with our new songs, new vocalist, and new direction, we’re hoping for the same success, if not more.<br /><br /><b>6. Bloodstock is a big festival – have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend?</b><br /><br />We’ve never been as it can be difficult to afford going to these festivals if you’re not playing whilst striving to become professionally sustaining musicians, so winning this competition would also give us a chance to enjoy the metal family experience that bloodstock is so well known for <br /><br /><b>7. Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024?</b><br /><br />We’ve got big plans in the pipe-line for 2024. We have a single releasing every month between January and March; a tour also in March across North England, South Wales, and Bristol; and we’re also continuing to write, as we gear up for time in the studio.<br /><br /><b>8. What can we expect from you in your heat?</b><br /><br />A lot of sweat, blast beats, and shredding.<br /><br /><b>9. And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition?</b><br /><br />People may die. But, that's a sacrifice we’re willing to make.<br /><br /><b>10. Finally, where can people find details of the band – promote your socials here!</b><br /><br /><a href="http://linktr.ee/excursia">Linktr.ee/excursia</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.excursiamusic.co.uk/">https://www.excursiamusic.co.uk</a><br /></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-34172894669221333582024-03-06T15:43:00.000+00:002024-03-06T15:43:06.196+00:00A View From The Back Of The Room: Rick Wakeman (Live Review By Matt Bladen)Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble, Bristol Beacon 28.02.24<br /><div><br /></div><div>Traffic chaos awaited my journey to and from Bristol as the penultimate day of February obviously caused mass hysteria on the roads. It meant that I arrived a mere 2 minutes before the start of the show, thank the prog gods for a delayed doors opening, so we were able to catch the aperitif to this mighty musical feast. </div><div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rick Wakeman (9)</b> for those uninitiated, is one of the most recognisable multi-time member of prog rock titans Yes. Having played the keys/organs/synths/Moog on many of their biggest hits and best known albums, he also has a number of revered conceptual solo records as well as being a radio DJ, public speaker, talking head and writer. With talk of retirement abound I made a special trip to take in this show especially as it was comprised of the Yes set developed for his Royal Albert Hall shows from last year and his seminal<i> Journey To The Centre Of The Earth</i>, the entire hour long spectacular rejigged for this modern version of his band The English Rock Ensemble.<div> <br /> So to the band and with The Caped Crusader himself in the middle of the stage surrounded by banks and banks of electronic equipment, to the right of him, son Adam also on keys and additional guitar, giving the people what they came to see and on the encore of <i>Starship Trooper</i>, duelling with keytars. The main crux of the rhythms though come from bass superstar for hire Lee Pomeroy, drummer Adam Falkner and guitarist Dave Colquhoun, who gets a surprising amount of guitar solos for a show directed by a keyboard player. All prog veterans the band were well drilled and nail every musical moment, a slab of rock here, a touch of folk there, whether it’s the Chris Squire bass grooves of <i>Roundabout</i>, the wispy beginning of <i>Wonderous Stories</i>, or the massive bombast of <i>Journey’s…</i>orchestral leanings it’s all brilliant. <div><br /></div><div>With so much instrumental talent you may overlook the singers, but do so at your peril as the trio of back up singers manage to not only incorporate the choirs of <i>Journey</i> into just the triumvirate on the stage but also send chills down the spine on the chamber choir opening to <i>The Meeting</i> which forms part of <i>The Yes Suite</i>, they even bring main singer Mollie Marriot to tears before she has to compose herself to belt out <i>And You And I</i>. Having a soul/rock n roll singer handling these tracks is an inspired idea which anyone who has heard Magenta’s <i>Wonderous Stories</i> will attest. Her voice brings a new dimension to these reworked compositions and takes every part on <i>Journey</i> admirably. <br /> <br /> Rick himself is well within his element, squinting to see the small dials on his instruments, but never failing to hit a mark, those solos and melodies he’s played for many years coming organically from the ends of his fingers, the between song breaks allowing him to crack a few quips and embrace the Grumpy Old Rick persona he’s worked so hard to cultivate. The short <i>Yes Suite</i>, is a warm up really, the 20 minute interval allowing all to use the toilets, (the longest queues of the evening), including Rick himself before we strap ourselves in for the fully fledged musical interpretation of Jules Verne’s novel and that encore I mentioned earlier. </div><div><br /></div><div>Receiving rapturous applause all round, it looks like for at least the next year, Rick will just be retiring from solo shows as he plans to bring <i>King Arthur</i> on the road in 2025. </div></div></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-52689045849564069192024-03-05T16:39:00.004+00:002024-03-06T14:01:45.946+00:00Reviews: Sonata Arctica, Haunt, David Reece, Wade Black's Astronomica (Reviews By Matt Bladen)Sonata Arctica – Clear Cold Beyond (Atomic Fire Records)<br /><div><br /></div><div>In the pantheon of power metal, Finnish band Sonata Arctica stand alongside Stratovarius as one of the country’s finest. While the latter brought neo-classical wizardry, Sonata Arctica have always been more driven by euphoric choruses and lyrics inspired by unity and folklore. It’s a different type of music but still as magical. They now have 10 studio albums, tours all across the planet and fairly consistent line up led by enigmatic vocalist Tony Kakko and last remaining founding member Tommy Portimo (drums). I was a little worried as their last two releases were fully acoustic, so would the transition back to loud be difficult or had we lost them to traditional folk music forever. <div><br /></div><div>Thankfully the answer is no as their eleventh album gets underway with the propulsive power metal of First In Line, Portimo’s drumming set to light speed as Pasi Kauppinen basslines gallop like runaway horses keeping things fast for Henrik Klingenberg (keys) and Elias Viljanen (guitars) virtuoso interplay, it’s classic Sonata, instantly recognisable from those unique Kakko vocals and the tinkling, bardic charm of their music. <i>Angel Defiled</i> gets back to business with more melodic metal, any notion of not being a heavy band anymore gone in an instant as even the band themselves felt they needed to get back to the metal of their early days. Tony finding himself in creative glut back in 2022, so most of these songs, as well as some for the twelfth album coming from there. </div><div><br /></div><div>It’s almost like they needed to return to metal to wipe the slate clean and bringing in long term mixer (1999-2012) Mikko Karmila on production, to make <i>Clear Cold Beyond</i> ‘feel’ like old school Sonata, though<i> Cure For Everything </i>goes further with their heaviest song for a while. It’s not always a million miles an hour though <i>The Best Things</i> puts together Eurovision balladry with Christmas instrumentation, the drama increasing again on the title track, those vocals still sonorous and theatrical, <i>Dark Empath</i> which is a sequel to <i>Don’t Say A Word</i>, carries the most dark storytelling. The environmental message the band have touted coming on<i> California</i> as<i> A Monster Only You Can’t See</i> has orchestral swells that only come from Trans Siberian Orchestra. </div><div><br /></div><div>The only major criticism is that I’d have liked they lay out to be a bit more spread as all the ballads come towards the end, and personally all Sonata albums should be released around Christmas, maybe it’s a Nordic thing but their music just suits that season. This little bit of silliness aside, <i>Clear Cold Beyond</i> is a bombastic return to metal for Sonata Arctica, keeping the pedestal they are on intact. 9/10 <br /><br /><div>Haunt - Dreamers (Self Released)</div><div><br /></div><div>Trevor William Church returned with his latest album,<i> Dreamers</i> is his tenth studio release, which is insane to think about when Haunt has only been a band since 2017. Church has always been a workhorse, recording and playing most of the early albums by himself he still takes the vocals, guitars and bass but now brings his live band into the studio with him as guitarist Andy Lei appeared on the last album <i>Golden Arm</i> in 2023, but he's added drummer Andy Saldate and bassist Sam Harmon for, I think, the first album where Haunt is a 'band'. </div><div><br /></div><div>It means that they can bring wider arrangements, with acoustics layered through <i>Serenade</i>, <i>Steel Mountains</i>, bringing some synthy 80’s beginnings, before shifting into galloping battle metal full of gorgeous dual harmonies from Church and Lei, the 80’s styled gothics also coming through on <i>Send Me An Angel</i>, edging Haunt further away from the NWOTHM they have been part of with more influences from other 80’s musical groups. I mentioned on <i>Golden Arm</i> that this diversification was good for the longevity of the group and in this band format, there’s a collaborative feel that can only come from a drummer playing the drums a bassist playing the bass etc. </div><div><br /></div><div>They do things that perhaps Church may not have thought of before so it’s a more authentic musical vision, retaining the NWOTHM gallop and chug, but adding some AOR melodies, sleaze/glam rock ala W.A.S.P to make sure that Haunt will probably stay relevant and entertaining for another 10 albums! 8/10<br /><br />David Reece - Baptized By Fire (El Puerto Records) </div><div><br /></div><div>David Reece is a bit of a classic metal icon, having been the singer of Bangalore Choir and Accept, his gruff, sneering vocals are perfect for aggressive heavy rock. The kind you’ll find on <i>Baptized By Fire</i>, his most recent solo album and his heaviest to date. </div><div><br /></div><div>He owes much of this shift to bringing together a band of musicians from his adopted home of Italy, the musicians from this huge rock and metal scene ripe for the picking so Riccardo Demarosi’s bass drives <i>Wrong Move</i> and<i> Twilight Of The Gods</i>, Giovanni Savinelli’s drums give <i>We’ve Lost The Right</i> some swagger and brings power on Payback’s A Bitch while Niccolò Savinelli guitars grind on<i> No Rest For The Wicked</i> and shred on <i>Seasons Of A Man</i>, the latter sounding like something off a Blaze Bayley album. </div><div><br /></div><div>With this trio providing the gruffer, more muscular heavy metal instrumentation, <i>Baptized By Fire </i>is definitely the heaviest thing David Reece has been a part of for a while now. Vocally he’s able to really show off why he should be fronting more metal bands. Though of course he can just record as a solo artist and keep churning out quality heavy music. 7/10<br /><br />Wade Black’s Astronomica – The Awakening (ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records) </div><div><br /></div><div>Having spent three decades in the heavy metal industry, Wade Black may not be a name you’ll know but he’s been part of bands such as Crimson Glory, Leatherwolf, Seven Witches and many others. Recording, performing and generally being a heavy metal stalwart. In that time he’s built up a hefty list of musicians he can call on to create heavy metal with.</div><div><br /></div><div>So with that in 2024 we have the debut album of Wade Black’s Astronomica, an album that has been written by Black and long term cohort Rich Marks, Black gives the vocals while Marks plays all the guitars, basses and some keys, the duo joined by Patrick Johansson on drums and James Fox on guitars and keys, though they only play on the record, the touring line up featuring a new bassist, drummer and rhythm guitarist. But never mind that we’re here to review the album and it’s decent, not spectacular, but decent heavy metal leaning on Wade’s histrionic vocals and Rich’s lead guitar playing. </div><div><br /></div><div>The music on <i>The Awakening</i> comes from the American style of power/heavy metal, a bit louder than the European sound, fewer keys and more aggression. It’s performed well by all involved and if you’re a fan of Black or the Tim Ripper Owens solo albums (Black’s vocals are similar to The Ripper) then you’ll lap it up, however if like me you’re only vaguely familiar with Black then it may not convince you to check out more. Still give it a listen and make up your own mind. 6/10</div></div></div>Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1303999967654709139.post-60175010843892232042024-03-05T16:39:00.000+00:002024-03-05T17:07:36.089+00:00M2TM South Wales 2024: Cardiff Heat #1 Interview With Beyond Sorrow By Paul Hutchings<p><b>Interview with Beyond Sorrow - Heat 1, M2TM, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff 8th March 2024</b></p><p>Band two under the spotlight for Heat 1 is Beyond Sorrow. Guitarist Sam Sweeting provides the answers.</p><b>1. Let’s start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band? </b><br /><br />We are Beyond Sorrow, consisting of John Christou on Vocals, Samuel Sweeting, and Luke Sullivan on Guitar, Aaron Wall on Bass and Max James on Drums. <br /><br /><b>2. Where are you from and how long have you been together? </b><br /><br />We all span from the Rhondda Valleys, Cardiff, and Swansea area! The band has been running as early as 2011, with different names over the years. Beyond Sorrow has been the definitive name as of 2019. <br /><br /><b>3. Describe your music in five words. </b><br /><br />We’ll do better. A five-word sentence. <br /><br />Absolute catchy headbanging djenty chaos <br /><br /><b>4. What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses – South Wales? </b><br /><br />We’ve participated in M2TM about 2-3 times of the years, and the atmosphere is electric. It really feels like a moment where people come together to have fun, have a mosh and to make new friends and fans. <br /><br /><b>5. If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you’ve returned! <br /></b><br />We’ve made it to the semi-finals twice in the years 2017 and 2019, and we only feel like it’s right to make a return in the hopes of making it to the finals, or possibly win! But at the end of the day, the crown goes to the most deserving, and we are more than happy to participate with some amazing local talent. <br /><b><br />6. Bloodstock is a big festival – have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend? </b><br /><br />We have attended the festival in the past. Bloodstock is home to the people who care and love for metal music. Everyone is friendly, inviting, and always looking out for each other. That is the best part- the connection between the people who are there for the same reason you are- the music. <br /><br /><b>7. Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024? </b><br /><br />We have new music in the works which we plan to release and plans for more gigs in 2024. We have one confirmed gig as of writing at The Green Rooms, Treforest on May 25th. <br /><br /><b>8. What can we expect from you in your heat? </b><br /><br />Energy, moshing, heavy music, and a good ass time. <br /><br /><b>9. And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition? </b><br /><br />To make some new friends and fans, in and out of bands, with the hopes of branching out our music. <br /><br /><b>10. Finally, where can people find details of the band – promote your socials here!</b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeyondSorrow">https://www.facebook.com/BeyondSorrow</a> <br /><br />Instagram: @beyondsorrowband <br /><br />Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4tY9To2lYXUz0qMCjof27G?si=erxD8ovQTuetkRPTnAqhTg">https://open.spotify.com/artist/4tY9To2lYXUz0qMCjof27G?si=erxD8ovQTuetkRPTnAqhTg</a> <br /><br /> Matt Bladenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05094868928855818523noreply@blogger.com0