Supersonic Blues Machine: West Of Flushing, South Of Frisco (Mascot Records)
Supersonic Blues Machine are built around the triumvirate of accomplished Texan Guitarist/Vocalist Lance Lopez, ace session drummer Kenny Aronoff and Italian born bassist/producer/engineer/lyricist Fabrizio Grossi who has a Rolodex full of the best and brightest in blues and rock, something is also possessed by his band mates, which means that the album is full of guests that I will elaborate on later. The album has numerous stylistic influences but everything is rooted in the spirit of the blues. The Bayou baiting Miracle Man has twanging guitar, parping mouth harp, hand claps, a gospel choir and Lopez's whiskey drenched, blues howl starting you off on this virtuosic blues journey. West Of Flushing, South Of Frisco is SBM's debut album but the talent build up over all three's careers is evident from the off. With a sound that's akin to Tedeschi Trucks Band and Royal Southern Brotherhood the base of the blues is mixed with funk, soul with I Ain't Fallin' Again, country and good ole' rock n roll on Bone Bucket Blues and Runnin' Whiskey which features The Rev. Billy Gibbons and has that fuzzy ZZ Top sound too it.
The Rev is one of the high profile guests that are on this record with Gov't Mule man Warren Haynes adding his soulful six string and vocals to Remedy, Texan guitarist Chris Duarte pops up on That's My Way, blues shredder Eric Gales rocks out on guitar fest Nightmares And Dreams, Robben Ford on the emotion filled final track Back In Town and miracle man himself Walter Trout on the prophetic old school blues of Everything's Going To Be Alright (hopefully this is the case with Trout now). The songs on this record are bristling with power, bolstered by the performance of all concerned and Grossi's sublime production. Lopez's guitar shines on their cover of Ain't No Love (In The Heart Of the City), while Grossi and Arnoff's rhythm section is thick and funky driving the groove on these 12 tracks meaning that this debut album has some truly excellent music on it, for any fan of blues based rock Supersonic Blues Machine will be a revelation as it has a basic three piece are immensely talented enough but when the guests are added this album is taken to another level again. Superb! 8/10
Wild Rose: 4 (Lions Pride Music)
In July 1981 4 was released on an unsuspecting world and with such mega-hits as Urgent with it's slinky sax, the hands in the air sing along of Juke Box Hero and the show stopping radio ballad of I've Been Waiting For A Girl Like You it became one of the biggest selling album of that year in America holding the #1 position on the Billboard chart for 10 weeks. It was the album that launched Foreigner's career as a massive musical force and has gone down along with it's follow up Agent Provocateur, as one of the best AOR records ever made. Now that is an awful lot for Greek AOR band Wild Rose to live up to on their fourth album which is also called 4, however just by looking at the logo and the cover of the album you know that you might be on to a winner with the crisp white colouring and silhouettes of beautiful women moving away from the street style, sleazier early album covers and adding a more demure side to the band.
I reviewed Wild Rose's previous album Hit 'N' Run and I said that "they are pure AOR with huge keyboard hooks, melodic guitars and strong emotional vocals" and this statement is still true now, although a lot has changed since that album as vocalist David A Saylor and guitarist Tiny Karpo have left but they have been replaced by original singer George Bitzios and his brother original guitarist John, they also have a new bassist in Panos Barkoutsos, however the main unit of Andy Rock's rhythm guitar/keys, Dirty Haris' main keys and Dimos Thomaidis' drums are still all present and correct. They are the basis of Wild Rose's radio bothering melodic rock that relies on huge choruses, rocking hooks, show stopping ballads and more layers of sweetness than Mary Berry could handle.
Key to this huge sound is Andy Rock's production work that makes everything all warm and fuzzy with the rich guitar tones, the huge swathes of keys and big chorus vocals all making an appearance bringing the mind aptly to Foreigner at their most bombastic, this is the sort of music that takes right back the time of pastel suits and lingering sunsets. Desperate Heart has luscious keyboard part that opens proceedings as you let the love in, what is immediately obvious is that George's vocals fit right in, slightly gruff but soulful in all the right places. Things rock up on Love Can Change You which has great guitar part and the breezy Summer Girl and Time After Time are cheesier than a basket full of brie. Wild Rose's 4 will probably not be as huge as Foreigner's masterpiece but it is Wild Rose's most accomplished album to date. If you love solid, honest AOR then Wild Rose's 4 will be your newest aural fixation. 8/10
Texas Chainsaw Dust Lovers: Me And The Devil (Besta Records) (Review By Paul)
Badged as a rock ‘n’ roll band with a ‘spaghetti Western vibe’, Texas Chainsaw Dust Lovers (TCDL) have been around since 2011. Hailing from Paris, the band consist of Clement Collot (vocals and rhythm guitar, Nagui Mehany (Lead guitar and harmonica), drummer Christophe Hogommat and Etienne Collot on bass. Me And The Devil consists 36 minutes of rockabilly tinged rock, with a plethora of influences as varied as The Stray Cats through to Beastmilk with the slightest hint of Volbeat and a large splash of country to boot. An indie tinged title track opens proceedings with some rolling guitar and drum work and Celement’s hauntingly gothic style vocals adding to the eclectic feel. The album changes style and direction in virtually every track, keeping the listener both entertained and intrigued; My Lover Of The Moon has an almost Sisters of Mercy stamp to it, well-paced tempo building to an all-out explosion as the band hit their peak. Summer Spleen rocks out with the best of them, powering along with some quite excellent old school Shadows style guitar work. It’s great stuff. Me And The Devil is a real ‘grower’ of a release, getting better on every listen. Gothic overtones merge with a deep rock ‘n’ roll flavour on The Sleepwalker whilst That Town Under The Sun screams movie score. It isn’t anything new but yet it feels fresh, original and totally enjoyable. Technically excellent, the sum of TCDL combine to provide a pretty fantastic release which oozes quality and screams fun. Well worth a listen. 8/10
Thursday, 10 March 2016
Tuesday, 8 March 2016
Reviews: Beholder, Ricky Warwick, Eric Bell
Beholder: Reflections (Razorline Music)
British metal bruisers Beholder have once again returned with a new set of heavy anthems to unleash. The West Midlands four-piece have followed up their 2013 record The Order Of Chaos with an album that should go on to define them, their previous two records have shifted their sound and have featured some experimentation with sounds, Reflections sees everything coming together sound wise meaning that Beholder sound louder, angrier and more accomplished than ever before. The band have knowingly tried to replicate their ball breaking live sound on this record and personally I think they've done a damn good job, there is a new meanness to this record that seems to have invigorated proceedings, the propulsive djent-like Frozen Steps Of Utoya sees Scott Taylor's guitar and Si Fielding's bass combining for the riff fuelled assault while Chris Bentley's percussive barrage explodes relentlessly. I,Machine is more classic metal with a head banging groove reminiscent of Lamb Of God. Before we go back to more palm muted technicality on Heal My Wounds. Beholder have always had a huge social conscience, the songs on Reflections still deal with the band's discontent with politicians, big business and human beings as a whole and their rage is delivered in the shape of 10 fists-in-the-air metal anthems, with My Revolution it's climatic rallying cry.
Led by the heavy riffage and destructive drumming, Reflections once again has Simon Hall's excellent vocals topping things off, one minute they give a bellowing emotive delivery and the next a bile filled roar. Dance Macabre slows things down with grungy low down riff before everything once again speeds up with more powerful modern metal on Breathe On Silence, in fact the modern metal sound has infected this record more so than on previous albums which contributes to it's ferocity, with tracks like Army Of One blowing you away with its sheer percussive force, although the progressive nature of the band is still telling on much of the record, with Speak To Me seeing them calling on a more melodic approach to end the record. Reflections sees Beholder getting more accomplished and more aggressive with every release, these tracks are going to be impressive live that's a given but as for the record it's one to play LOUD!! 8/10
Ricky Warwick: When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues)/ Hearts On Trees (Nuclear Blast)
This double album from Black Star Riders/Thin Lizzy/ex-Almighty frontman is actually two albums in one. The first album When Patsy Cline... is the electric record released through PledgeMusic in 2014 but amped up a bit for this major label (we can call Nuclear Blast major label now right?) that fuses the hard rock and Celtic influences of Lizzy/BSR albeit with a biting punk snarl of Warwick's earlier bands. Hearts On Trees however is a more stripped back, acoustic affair built on the tours Warwick has done with Damon Johnston who appears on both records along with Joe Elliot (Def Leppard), Andy Cairins (Therapy?), Billy Morrison (Billy Idol), Nathan Connolly (Snow Patrol), Richard Fotus (GNR, Dead Daisies, Thin Lizzy), Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers) and Ginger Wildheart (The Wildhearts, Solo) who also contribute to this recording as part of Warwick's solo band The Fighting Hearts. This entire project has a air of Ginger (Wildheart not the root) about it, with punky Celtic rock n roll the songs move between salutes to excess on Celebrating Sinking, folky storytelling on Johnny Ringo's Last Ride and working class anthems that tell the tale of his Irish upbringing on the title track and the rumbling Toffee Town (which may or may not be about Everton FC).
Along with Ginger there's nods to Springsteen, Dylan and even The Clash on this record, there is a lot of musical variation but most of it stays true to the roots that Warwick has laid down on his past works. That's Where The Story Ends is prime Johnny Cash with a parping brass section fleshing it out. The rock disc is the better of the two but Hearts On Trees has it's moments with Tank McCullough Saturdays telling the tale of Billy 'The Tank' McCullough a former footballer that played for Northern Ireland and Glentoran (Warwick's favourite team), while Psycho is a deeply unsettling and dark track with a melodic edge to it, before things go a bit Flogging Molly on the title track Hearts On Trees. Ricky Warwick has perfectly distilled both his influences and his own style on theses two discs, his songwriting and vocals are top notch and if you area a fan of anything he has been involved in then you will lap this up, it's a bit Lizzy, a bit BSR a bit Almighty with heap of influences thrown in, for everyone that is not familiar with Warwick I urge you to seek out the record as will, find that this solo record is full of strong, rootsy rock music that in places stirs the soul and brings Warwick as a performer outside of the Lizzy/BSR mothership back into the spotlight. 8/10
Eric Bell: Exile (Of The Edge)
From current Lizzy to former Lizzy alumnus, with the most recent album from founding guitarist Eric Bell. Since the Lizzy days Eric Bell has been chugging away with his solo band since the early 80's and he has be treading a blues groove that was key to Lizzy's sound on their first three albums. This sound translates well to this most recent solo album which sees Bell playing everything except drums which are added by Joe Oakes, the songs are layered affairs having the same kind of clean, acoustic based sound that Mark Knopfler has always favored in Dire Straits. The first track Deep In Your Heart is the ideal example of this sound with some fluid guitar playing, a layered sound and Bell's Belfast accent coming through on the vocals, the stuttering guitar of Don't Love Me No More is more traditional blues with a lament of women being the theme, while Gotta Say Bye Bye is heart breaker of a ballad. There are some great tracks on this record Vote For Me is very prevalent in these times of politicians that are all style no substance with the title track a Celtic styled lament to past mistakes. As I've said the playing on this album is subtle and nuanced Bell let's the songs breathe, it's only on Song For Gary (a tribute to Gary Moore) that he really lets rip on his axe, giving the overall experience a relaxing feel (something that can be welcomed here at MoM towers) Exile is not an album that is meant to garner attention, it's not Lizzy, it's not supposed to be but it is the sound of a man doing things his own way and not compromising his roots. 7/10
British metal bruisers Beholder have once again returned with a new set of heavy anthems to unleash. The West Midlands four-piece have followed up their 2013 record The Order Of Chaos with an album that should go on to define them, their previous two records have shifted their sound and have featured some experimentation with sounds, Reflections sees everything coming together sound wise meaning that Beholder sound louder, angrier and more accomplished than ever before. The band have knowingly tried to replicate their ball breaking live sound on this record and personally I think they've done a damn good job, there is a new meanness to this record that seems to have invigorated proceedings, the propulsive djent-like Frozen Steps Of Utoya sees Scott Taylor's guitar and Si Fielding's bass combining for the riff fuelled assault while Chris Bentley's percussive barrage explodes relentlessly. I,Machine is more classic metal with a head banging groove reminiscent of Lamb Of God. Before we go back to more palm muted technicality on Heal My Wounds. Beholder have always had a huge social conscience, the songs on Reflections still deal with the band's discontent with politicians, big business and human beings as a whole and their rage is delivered in the shape of 10 fists-in-the-air metal anthems, with My Revolution it's climatic rallying cry.
Led by the heavy riffage and destructive drumming, Reflections once again has Simon Hall's excellent vocals topping things off, one minute they give a bellowing emotive delivery and the next a bile filled roar. Dance Macabre slows things down with grungy low down riff before everything once again speeds up with more powerful modern metal on Breathe On Silence, in fact the modern metal sound has infected this record more so than on previous albums which contributes to it's ferocity, with tracks like Army Of One blowing you away with its sheer percussive force, although the progressive nature of the band is still telling on much of the record, with Speak To Me seeing them calling on a more melodic approach to end the record. Reflections sees Beholder getting more accomplished and more aggressive with every release, these tracks are going to be impressive live that's a given but as for the record it's one to play LOUD!! 8/10
Ricky Warwick: When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues)/ Hearts On Trees (Nuclear Blast)
This double album from Black Star Riders/Thin Lizzy/ex-Almighty frontman is actually two albums in one. The first album When Patsy Cline... is the electric record released through PledgeMusic in 2014 but amped up a bit for this major label (we can call Nuclear Blast major label now right?) that fuses the hard rock and Celtic influences of Lizzy/BSR albeit with a biting punk snarl of Warwick's earlier bands. Hearts On Trees however is a more stripped back, acoustic affair built on the tours Warwick has done with Damon Johnston who appears on both records along with Joe Elliot (Def Leppard), Andy Cairins (Therapy?), Billy Morrison (Billy Idol), Nathan Connolly (Snow Patrol), Richard Fotus (GNR, Dead Daisies, Thin Lizzy), Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers) and Ginger Wildheart (The Wildhearts, Solo) who also contribute to this recording as part of Warwick's solo band The Fighting Hearts. This entire project has a air of Ginger (Wildheart not the root) about it, with punky Celtic rock n roll the songs move between salutes to excess on Celebrating Sinking, folky storytelling on Johnny Ringo's Last Ride and working class anthems that tell the tale of his Irish upbringing on the title track and the rumbling Toffee Town (which may or may not be about Everton FC).
Along with Ginger there's nods to Springsteen, Dylan and even The Clash on this record, there is a lot of musical variation but most of it stays true to the roots that Warwick has laid down on his past works. That's Where The Story Ends is prime Johnny Cash with a parping brass section fleshing it out. The rock disc is the better of the two but Hearts On Trees has it's moments with Tank McCullough Saturdays telling the tale of Billy 'The Tank' McCullough a former footballer that played for Northern Ireland and Glentoran (Warwick's favourite team), while Psycho is a deeply unsettling and dark track with a melodic edge to it, before things go a bit Flogging Molly on the title track Hearts On Trees. Ricky Warwick has perfectly distilled both his influences and his own style on theses two discs, his songwriting and vocals are top notch and if you area a fan of anything he has been involved in then you will lap this up, it's a bit Lizzy, a bit BSR a bit Almighty with heap of influences thrown in, for everyone that is not familiar with Warwick I urge you to seek out the record as will, find that this solo record is full of strong, rootsy rock music that in places stirs the soul and brings Warwick as a performer outside of the Lizzy/BSR mothership back into the spotlight. 8/10
Eric Bell: Exile (Of The Edge)
From current Lizzy to former Lizzy alumnus, with the most recent album from founding guitarist Eric Bell. Since the Lizzy days Eric Bell has been chugging away with his solo band since the early 80's and he has be treading a blues groove that was key to Lizzy's sound on their first three albums. This sound translates well to this most recent solo album which sees Bell playing everything except drums which are added by Joe Oakes, the songs are layered affairs having the same kind of clean, acoustic based sound that Mark Knopfler has always favored in Dire Straits. The first track Deep In Your Heart is the ideal example of this sound with some fluid guitar playing, a layered sound and Bell's Belfast accent coming through on the vocals, the stuttering guitar of Don't Love Me No More is more traditional blues with a lament of women being the theme, while Gotta Say Bye Bye is heart breaker of a ballad. There are some great tracks on this record Vote For Me is very prevalent in these times of politicians that are all style no substance with the title track a Celtic styled lament to past mistakes. As I've said the playing on this album is subtle and nuanced Bell let's the songs breathe, it's only on Song For Gary (a tribute to Gary Moore) that he really lets rip on his axe, giving the overall experience a relaxing feel (something that can be welcomed here at MoM towers) Exile is not an album that is meant to garner attention, it's not Lizzy, it's not supposed to be but it is the sound of a man doing things his own way and not compromising his roots. 7/10
Monday, 7 March 2016
Reviews: Subsignal, Karybdis, To Wither (Reviews By Paul)
Subsignal: The Beacons Of Somewhere Sometime (Golden Age Records)
Released late in October 2015, Subsignal’s fourth full release oozes quality. The band who were formed in Munich in 2007 deliver high quality progressive rock with an innovative edge. Perfectly clean vocals with the harmonies of 1980s Yes combine with intricate time changes and songs that soar and sweep as the album develops. Arno Menses is the vocalist and one of the founder members of the band, and he possesses a quite excellent voice; strong and powerful with full control. The album opens with the short instrumental Calm, which segues neatly into Tempest, a seven-minute epic with some quite beautiful playing, a rocky underbelly hidden in amongst the swathes of synths and layered construction. Tempest is followed by A Time Out Of Joint which opens with a killer riff before a more melodic, almost pop feel takes over with a sing-a-long chorus and a quite delicious hook. The track evolves in a very measured way, moving through a progressive keyboard solo and some stunningly delicate guitar work from Markus Steffen, the other co-founder of the band.
With all bar one track extending over the six-minute mark, this is not an album which can be rushed. Indeed, at over 65 minutes in length, this is a piece of work which needs to be savoured. The Beacons Of Somewhere Sometime contains a real mix of styles. And The Rain Will Wash It All Away had elements of the best melodic outfits around with a hint of Magnum and more than a nod to Gabriel era Genesis. A relaxing middle section contains a saxophone and classical guitar face off before the harmonies kick back in. Ashes of Summer has real shades of Yes but with a slightly heavier AOR emphasis whilst shortest song on the album, A Myth Written On Water is the most reserved track, with Menses’ vocals combining with some orchestral strings and Steffen’s simple classical guitar work before the song opens into a perfect melodic rock track, subtle keyboards, clear melody and harmonies and a dynamic lead guitar solo and then closes in similar fashion to how it began.
Everything Is Lost features a colossal riff which matches the acoustic work whilst the composition has more than a passing nod to elements of What About Love by Heart. The drum work is solid yet not overpowering whilst once again the keyboards intertwine perfectly with the other sounds. At over eight minutes long this is the lengthiest track on the album and as it climbs you can at times hear sections of classic Dream Theater. The middle break slows the pace completely with military style drumming before more string work introduces a heavier style break, complete with rocking guitar solo. The album closes with a four part working of the title track which features Maelstrom, The Path, In This Blinding Light and A Canopy Of Stars. The four parts link together to form a progressive epic, moving through a range of melodic and progressive rock elements which build towards a gloriously triumphant crescendo in A Canopy Of Stars which contains elements of early Hogarth era Marillion as well as some mid 2000s Coheed And Cambria. Subsignal are not going to be to the taste of all; in fact, the regular resemblance to Yes and Jon Anderson in particular may put some people off. Regardless, this is a classy release which sits in the upper echelons of a very crowded league. 8/10
Karybdis: Samsara (Beasting Records)
Released late in October 2015, Subsignal’s fourth full release oozes quality. The band who were formed in Munich in 2007 deliver high quality progressive rock with an innovative edge. Perfectly clean vocals with the harmonies of 1980s Yes combine with intricate time changes and songs that soar and sweep as the album develops. Arno Menses is the vocalist and one of the founder members of the band, and he possesses a quite excellent voice; strong and powerful with full control. The album opens with the short instrumental Calm, which segues neatly into Tempest, a seven-minute epic with some quite beautiful playing, a rocky underbelly hidden in amongst the swathes of synths and layered construction. Tempest is followed by A Time Out Of Joint which opens with a killer riff before a more melodic, almost pop feel takes over with a sing-a-long chorus and a quite delicious hook. The track evolves in a very measured way, moving through a progressive keyboard solo and some stunningly delicate guitar work from Markus Steffen, the other co-founder of the band.
With all bar one track extending over the six-minute mark, this is not an album which can be rushed. Indeed, at over 65 minutes in length, this is a piece of work which needs to be savoured. The Beacons Of Somewhere Sometime contains a real mix of styles. And The Rain Will Wash It All Away had elements of the best melodic outfits around with a hint of Magnum and more than a nod to Gabriel era Genesis. A relaxing middle section contains a saxophone and classical guitar face off before the harmonies kick back in. Ashes of Summer has real shades of Yes but with a slightly heavier AOR emphasis whilst shortest song on the album, A Myth Written On Water is the most reserved track, with Menses’ vocals combining with some orchestral strings and Steffen’s simple classical guitar work before the song opens into a perfect melodic rock track, subtle keyboards, clear melody and harmonies and a dynamic lead guitar solo and then closes in similar fashion to how it began.
Everything Is Lost features a colossal riff which matches the acoustic work whilst the composition has more than a passing nod to elements of What About Love by Heart. The drum work is solid yet not overpowering whilst once again the keyboards intertwine perfectly with the other sounds. At over eight minutes long this is the lengthiest track on the album and as it climbs you can at times hear sections of classic Dream Theater. The middle break slows the pace completely with military style drumming before more string work introduces a heavier style break, complete with rocking guitar solo. The album closes with a four part working of the title track which features Maelstrom, The Path, In This Blinding Light and A Canopy Of Stars. The four parts link together to form a progressive epic, moving through a range of melodic and progressive rock elements which build towards a gloriously triumphant crescendo in A Canopy Of Stars which contains elements of early Hogarth era Marillion as well as some mid 2000s Coheed And Cambria. Subsignal are not going to be to the taste of all; in fact, the regular resemblance to Yes and Jon Anderson in particular may put some people off. Regardless, this is a classy release which sits in the upper echelons of a very crowded league. 8/10
Karybdis: Samsara (Beasting Records)
London death metallers Karybdis have been around since 2009 with a steady line-up. Their second release Samsara is a no-holds barred melodic death metal monster which mixes elements of the death metal sound with the aggression of the metal-core movement. Samsara opens with Roshach, a fully in your face all guns blazing track which immediately acquaints you with Rich O’Donnell’s gruff vocal delivery; a real mix of Parkway Drive and In Flames. Forsaken picks up the baton with a battering ram of drumming from Mitch McGugan and the melodic yet killer duel guitar work of Pierre Dujardin and Harsha Dasari as well as O’Donnell’s throat shredding screams. Although Samsara feels a little repetitive at times, the band has made large strides to incorporate some differences in their sound with orchestral arrangements on Constellations and an atmospheric introduction to start Ascendency.
A sedate opening lulls you into a false sense of security during Mermaids before the concrete heavy riffs and speed drumming smash you over the head. Summon the Tides is one of the stand out tracks on this sophomore release with orchestral and choral backing moving the band into Fleshgod Apocalypse and Septicflesh territory. This is a powerful release which leaves you in absolutely no doubt about the band’s direction. Superb drumming, hugely heavy riffs and brutal singing ensures that if you like a mix of the metal core and melodic death this is a release you need to hear. 7/10
To Wither: Dreamfall
Mix the melancholic of Katatonia and Swallow the Sun with the introspective approach of Alcest and elements of Wintersun and you have To Wither. A two-man project from Nordland, Norway, Simon Larsen (Guitar, Synth and Bass) and Isak Hetzler (Drums, Vocals) have produced a pretty decent 40 minutes of progressive metal. With lyrical themes of the human mind, dark thoughts and sorrow you should be able to establish the sound that the band aim for; Passionate drumming, intricate time changes and fragile but clean vocals and harmonic guitar work. With more than a passing nod to progressive rock giants Opeth (especially on Winter which ebbs and flows in a similar vein to some of the Swedes more intricate work) the emotion and passion that To Wither include in their work is impressive. The time changes are as familiar as an old friend and yet have a freshness about them that is captivating. Worth checking out. 7/10
A sedate opening lulls you into a false sense of security during Mermaids before the concrete heavy riffs and speed drumming smash you over the head. Summon the Tides is one of the stand out tracks on this sophomore release with orchestral and choral backing moving the band into Fleshgod Apocalypse and Septicflesh territory. This is a powerful release which leaves you in absolutely no doubt about the band’s direction. Superb drumming, hugely heavy riffs and brutal singing ensures that if you like a mix of the metal core and melodic death this is a release you need to hear. 7/10
To Wither: Dreamfall
Mix the melancholic of Katatonia and Swallow the Sun with the introspective approach of Alcest and elements of Wintersun and you have To Wither. A two-man project from Nordland, Norway, Simon Larsen (Guitar, Synth and Bass) and Isak Hetzler (Drums, Vocals) have produced a pretty decent 40 minutes of progressive metal. With lyrical themes of the human mind, dark thoughts and sorrow you should be able to establish the sound that the band aim for; Passionate drumming, intricate time changes and fragile but clean vocals and harmonic guitar work. With more than a passing nod to progressive rock giants Opeth (especially on Winter which ebbs and flows in a similar vein to some of the Swedes more intricate work) the emotion and passion that To Wither include in their work is impressive. The time changes are as familiar as an old friend and yet have a freshness about them that is captivating. Worth checking out. 7/10
Sunday, 6 March 2016
Reviews: Monster Truck, Anvil, Ancient Spell (Reviews By Paul)
Monster Truck: Sittin’ Heavy (Mascot Records)
2013’s stonking debut Ferocity saw Canadians Monster Truck crash into our world with all the subtlety of well, a monster truck rally. A blistering collection of foot stomping good time boogie rockers with a large serving of fun, Ferocity was welcomed by MoM towers and obtained an 8 rating back in June 2013 with the Ed declaring ‘one of the best southern bands I've heard for ages’. They were bloody excellent live at Bristol’s Exchange later that year too. Two and a half years later and the Truck are back with another slab of heavy rock. Sittin’ Heavy maintains the direction that the band were heading. A really fine honest effort, with the extra touring adding a sharpness to the songs. Opener Why Are You Not Rocking? sets the tone, fuzzy dirty guitars courtesy of Jeremy Widerman, solid drumming from Steve Kiely, Brandon Bliss’ excellent keyboards and the superb vocal of bassist Jon Harvey.
There is rarely a let up in pace throughout, with first single Don't Tell Me How To Live maintaining and increasing momentum. With a sound that mixes the harder bits of Black Stone Cherry, Massive and more than a nod to Clutch and Lionize, it's unsurprising that tunes such as She's A Witch are catchy as hell. It's not all heads down party mind, with the atmospheric calm of Black Forest (first time I've ever seen an ode to 70s dessert) slowing things down before the toe tapping of Another Man’s Shoes picks up the speedometer again. This track contains some excellent southern laced keyboards which ebb and flow throughout. Things Get Better has a toe dipped in the River Mersey with its Beatles style riff whilst the honesty of sing-a-long tune The Enforcer and the haunting and emotive To The Flame once again demonstrate a depth that might not have been so evident on Ferocity. Sittin’ Heavy is a fine follow up to Ferocity and I am looking forward to their Sunday set at Download immensely. 8/10
Anvil: Anvil Is Anvil (SPV)
Where the hell do you start with Toronto nutters Anvil? Formed in 1978, nearly men in the early 1980s, kept alive by the bizarre tastes of the German metal fraternity during the 1990s, reborn after the hilarious yet upsetting rockumentary in 2008 and yes, still using that fucking dildo to solo with when playing live! It would be fair to say that with the exception of Metal On Metal, a true metal anthem, Anvil has always been a mid-table league one team. Solid, with the occasional foray towards the higher levels, but usually drawing a few thousand and rarely creating a stir. Ignoring all trends and changes, Anvil’s sound is distinctive, resilient and totally insulated against any change. Anvil Is Anvil is probably the most appropriate title ever written. Anvil Is Anvil is album number 16 for the band that with the exception of bass player has reminded consistent from day 1. There is much to applaud about a band that has stuck to its guns, no matter what. Lemmy would approve (indeed there is a well travelled rumour that Lips was approached to replace Fast Eddie in Motörhead but that he turned it down). So what about the most important thing in all this. Oh yeah, the music. Well, let's be fair. Lips, that's Steve Kudlow to you and his drum partner Rob Reiner know how to write a meat and two veg no frills metal track. Runaway Train, Up, Down, Sideways, Ambushed and It’s Your Move are all meaty hooked no-nonsense rockers which contain the most excellent drumming from maybe the most underrated drummer in metal. Reiner doesn't let up throughout the album, double bass pedals constantly battering away. Meanwhile newish bassist Chris Robertson delivers some deadly bass lines which fire in low.
Anvil don't shy away from a bit of social commentary either; Die For A Lie goes in hard on religion whilst Gun Control is a poignant and relevant social commentary about their American cousins addiction to their right to bear arms. As usual with Anvil, Lips’ guitar work is great, face melting solos and huge riffs add the heavy to heavy metal. And there is always a couple of totally dire tracks. Opener Daggers And Rum has a chorus that rhymes “scurvy scum” with ”Daggers and Rum”, ridiculous lyrics and Zombie Apocalypse is just dreadful. Heavy metal by numbers. But set aside some minor gripes and Anvil is Anvil is actually a perfectly listenable release and one which you can't help but grow to enjoy, even if it is only because in the background you have two guys who have literally sold their souls to Rock ‘n’ Roll, as documented in the final two tracks, Never Going To Stop and You Don't Know What It's Like. A true homage to their dedication and commitment to a genre which is cruel and merciless. I've seen Anvil live several times and they do entertain to a point. With this release, their world is unlikely to change but supported by an excellent production Anvil is Anvil maintains their relentless output and contains some incredible drumming. God bless ‘em. 8/10
Ancient Spell: Forever In Hell (Minotauro Records)
Los Angeles, California is not a part of the USA readily associated with the heavy doom rock of bands like Ancient Spell. Formed in 2012, Forever In Hell is their second release, following 2013’s self-titled debut. Unfortunately, the production on this is unbelievably poor, muffled and distorted to the point where I thought it was recorded in the bathroom on a submarine whilst the recording equipment was still on the shore. Struggling through the mix, Ancient Spell did little for me. Whilst the music was solid, with lots of meaty riffs, the vocals of Donnie Marhefka leave a lot to be desired. There is screaming and growling a plenty in metal, and to the outsider there is probably little difference between the guttural delivery of Bolt Thrower’s Karl Willet’s and Bloodbath's Nick Holmes. However, if the vocals take away from the crushing power of the music, then all is lost and I’m afraid that’s what’s happened on Forever In Hell. Despite the poor (and I mean rubbish) sound, underneath it all Ancient Spell have a decent 70s heavy rock sound which is just destroyed every time Marhefka opens his mouth. Beyond The Gates is probably the best example of this, with a brooding atmospheric track promising much and then being trashed by such poor delivery. Disappointing. 4/10
2013’s stonking debut Ferocity saw Canadians Monster Truck crash into our world with all the subtlety of well, a monster truck rally. A blistering collection of foot stomping good time boogie rockers with a large serving of fun, Ferocity was welcomed by MoM towers and obtained an 8 rating back in June 2013 with the Ed declaring ‘one of the best southern bands I've heard for ages’. They were bloody excellent live at Bristol’s Exchange later that year too. Two and a half years later and the Truck are back with another slab of heavy rock. Sittin’ Heavy maintains the direction that the band were heading. A really fine honest effort, with the extra touring adding a sharpness to the songs. Opener Why Are You Not Rocking? sets the tone, fuzzy dirty guitars courtesy of Jeremy Widerman, solid drumming from Steve Kiely, Brandon Bliss’ excellent keyboards and the superb vocal of bassist Jon Harvey.
There is rarely a let up in pace throughout, with first single Don't Tell Me How To Live maintaining and increasing momentum. With a sound that mixes the harder bits of Black Stone Cherry, Massive and more than a nod to Clutch and Lionize, it's unsurprising that tunes such as She's A Witch are catchy as hell. It's not all heads down party mind, with the atmospheric calm of Black Forest (first time I've ever seen an ode to 70s dessert) slowing things down before the toe tapping of Another Man’s Shoes picks up the speedometer again. This track contains some excellent southern laced keyboards which ebb and flow throughout. Things Get Better has a toe dipped in the River Mersey with its Beatles style riff whilst the honesty of sing-a-long tune The Enforcer and the haunting and emotive To The Flame once again demonstrate a depth that might not have been so evident on Ferocity. Sittin’ Heavy is a fine follow up to Ferocity and I am looking forward to their Sunday set at Download immensely. 8/10
Anvil: Anvil Is Anvil (SPV)
Where the hell do you start with Toronto nutters Anvil? Formed in 1978, nearly men in the early 1980s, kept alive by the bizarre tastes of the German metal fraternity during the 1990s, reborn after the hilarious yet upsetting rockumentary in 2008 and yes, still using that fucking dildo to solo with when playing live! It would be fair to say that with the exception of Metal On Metal, a true metal anthem, Anvil has always been a mid-table league one team. Solid, with the occasional foray towards the higher levels, but usually drawing a few thousand and rarely creating a stir. Ignoring all trends and changes, Anvil’s sound is distinctive, resilient and totally insulated against any change. Anvil Is Anvil is probably the most appropriate title ever written. Anvil Is Anvil is album number 16 for the band that with the exception of bass player has reminded consistent from day 1. There is much to applaud about a band that has stuck to its guns, no matter what. Lemmy would approve (indeed there is a well travelled rumour that Lips was approached to replace Fast Eddie in Motörhead but that he turned it down). So what about the most important thing in all this. Oh yeah, the music. Well, let's be fair. Lips, that's Steve Kudlow to you and his drum partner Rob Reiner know how to write a meat and two veg no frills metal track. Runaway Train, Up, Down, Sideways, Ambushed and It’s Your Move are all meaty hooked no-nonsense rockers which contain the most excellent drumming from maybe the most underrated drummer in metal. Reiner doesn't let up throughout the album, double bass pedals constantly battering away. Meanwhile newish bassist Chris Robertson delivers some deadly bass lines which fire in low.
Anvil don't shy away from a bit of social commentary either; Die For A Lie goes in hard on religion whilst Gun Control is a poignant and relevant social commentary about their American cousins addiction to their right to bear arms. As usual with Anvil, Lips’ guitar work is great, face melting solos and huge riffs add the heavy to heavy metal. And there is always a couple of totally dire tracks. Opener Daggers And Rum has a chorus that rhymes “scurvy scum” with ”Daggers and Rum”, ridiculous lyrics and Zombie Apocalypse is just dreadful. Heavy metal by numbers. But set aside some minor gripes and Anvil is Anvil is actually a perfectly listenable release and one which you can't help but grow to enjoy, even if it is only because in the background you have two guys who have literally sold their souls to Rock ‘n’ Roll, as documented in the final two tracks, Never Going To Stop and You Don't Know What It's Like. A true homage to their dedication and commitment to a genre which is cruel and merciless. I've seen Anvil live several times and they do entertain to a point. With this release, their world is unlikely to change but supported by an excellent production Anvil is Anvil maintains their relentless output and contains some incredible drumming. God bless ‘em. 8/10
Ancient Spell: Forever In Hell (Minotauro Records)
Los Angeles, California is not a part of the USA readily associated with the heavy doom rock of bands like Ancient Spell. Formed in 2012, Forever In Hell is their second release, following 2013’s self-titled debut. Unfortunately, the production on this is unbelievably poor, muffled and distorted to the point where I thought it was recorded in the bathroom on a submarine whilst the recording equipment was still on the shore. Struggling through the mix, Ancient Spell did little for me. Whilst the music was solid, with lots of meaty riffs, the vocals of Donnie Marhefka leave a lot to be desired. There is screaming and growling a plenty in metal, and to the outsider there is probably little difference between the guttural delivery of Bolt Thrower’s Karl Willet’s and Bloodbath's Nick Holmes. However, if the vocals take away from the crushing power of the music, then all is lost and I’m afraid that’s what’s happened on Forever In Hell. Despite the poor (and I mean rubbish) sound, underneath it all Ancient Spell have a decent 70s heavy rock sound which is just destroyed every time Marhefka opens his mouth. Beyond The Gates is probably the best example of this, with a brooding atmospheric track promising much and then being trashed by such poor delivery. Disappointing. 4/10
Saturday, 5 March 2016
Reviews: Redemption, Now Or Never, Blackhour
Redemption: The Art Of Loss (Metal Blade)
The sixth album from Progressive metal supergroup Redemption goes some way to recapture the glorious sounds of the bands' fourth album Snowfall On Judgement Day this record is the bands' yard stick, 2011's This Mortal Coil was a more deeply personal album and because of this it was introspective in scope, that isn't to say that it wasn't good it just wasn't as good as Snowfall. The Art Of Loss the bands first record for Metal Blade, steps things up a gear or two, harking back to the earlier more grandiose sound the band favoured. Yet again the album is a showcase for Nick Van Dyk who is the primary songwriter, guitarist and adds some keys, he creates the scores featured on this record that are delivered with a talent par excellence by the rest of the band, particular kudos go to guitarist Bernie Versailles, drummer Chris Quirarte and of course the stunning vocals of Fate's Warning's Ray Alder who really does have the perfect voice for this sort of emotive progressive music, able to convey heartbreak and hope in equal measure. The album also has a couple of high profile guests with ex-Megadeth men Chris Poland, Chris Broderick and Marty Friedman all adding some six sting wizardry and Armored Saint shouter John Bush contributing vocals to somewhat superfluous cover of The Who's Love Reign O'er Me.
The one thing I would say about this record and indeed any of Redemption's work, is that it does carry an emotional punch, at times it can be all consuming but for the most part the dark lyrical content is balanced by the soaring melodies and outright heaviness in the musical compositions. When I say songs I mean that, yes there is a lot of showing off it is prog after all, but Redemption have always relied on creating a song first then adding the more technical parts and musical posturing afterwards. Still at 75 minutes long it can all feel a little overwhelming at times especially when after 53 minutes of intricate, thought provoking music including the 10 minute Hope Dies Last, you are faced with the 22 minute final track At Day's End many will despair or lose interest but I implore you to stick with it as the final track is surely the albums magnum opus. The Art Of Loss is a step in the right direction for Redemption with personal troubles of the bands leader hopefully now a thing of the past they can focus on moving forward, one criticism would be that the record could be a few songs shorter but other than that The Art Of Loss is and album that excite and enthrall those that love Prog metal and one that will see Redemption finding their feet again in style. 8/10
Now Or Never: II (Mighty Music)
Multi-National metal mob Now Or Never have taken three years to release their second album the aptly named II but despite the gap the song indeed remains the same with brawny, muscle-bound metal being the order of the day. The band was formed by Ex-Pretty Maids men Ricky Marx (guitar) and Kenn Jackson (bass) and with it's broad but mostly European membership (Denmark/France/Switzerland) you'd be forgiven for thinking the band will sound like so many other Euro-metal bands but Now Or Never have a distinctly American sound with monstrous dirty riffs from Marx and Jackson combined with the rugged Russell Allen-like vocals from Joe Amore evoking US Metal legends Manilla Road, early Manowar, Iced Earth and latter day Symphony X. II rides the fine line between traditional/power metal and hard rock which means there is quite a bit of variation to be had on the tracks and means that the record doesn't get repetitive. Songs such as the opening rager The Voice Inside and the heavyweight crunch of King For A Day are very good, in fact this writer was surprised just how good this band are, II is an album that doesn't really slow down with the first four tracks battering you into submission, mainly due to albums sparkling production that makes everything sound very loud. I'll Be Waiting starts slow but turns into a huge mountain top ballad with thunderous drums from Ranzo, before the power ramps back up again in the second part of the album. Before this record I hadn't really heard of Now Or Never but I'm glad I have now, they are a great band that have two albums full of metal anthems. 7/10
Blackhour: Sins Remain (Transcending Obscurity India)
Asia seems to be the new frontier for metal at the moment with hundreds of bands breaking out of the continent playing music that can be seen as counter-culture and in certain countries even illegal or Satanic. Adding their name to an ever expanding list of bands willing to go against the norm are Pakistan's Blackhour who play the kind of NWOBHM that launched the careers of Maiden and Priest and was forbear for the thrash explosion in California. In fact the 8 tracks on this record split their sound between that of early Iron Maiden and early Metallica, the similarities are uncanny in places meaning that a few of the songs on this record move into the realm of a cover band, even though they are playing their own songs. Saying this the band are all accomplished players and the songs themselves are well constructed metal songs with some technical flourishes and changes in time and pace giving them a progressive edge. However the one thing that lets this record down is the production, it's scratchy and yes retro but it sounds more like a cassette than an vinyl, I will admit it does add to the D.I.Y spirit of the NWOBHM era but there are ways to get this sound while still sounding good. Still this really the only gripe, yes the songs are a little samey and as I've said its a little too near cover band territory at times but it's a fun metal album that adds another band rebelling against the social norm, which really is the point of heavy metal. 7/10
The sixth album from Progressive metal supergroup Redemption goes some way to recapture the glorious sounds of the bands' fourth album Snowfall On Judgement Day this record is the bands' yard stick, 2011's This Mortal Coil was a more deeply personal album and because of this it was introspective in scope, that isn't to say that it wasn't good it just wasn't as good as Snowfall. The Art Of Loss the bands first record for Metal Blade, steps things up a gear or two, harking back to the earlier more grandiose sound the band favoured. Yet again the album is a showcase for Nick Van Dyk who is the primary songwriter, guitarist and adds some keys, he creates the scores featured on this record that are delivered with a talent par excellence by the rest of the band, particular kudos go to guitarist Bernie Versailles, drummer Chris Quirarte and of course the stunning vocals of Fate's Warning's Ray Alder who really does have the perfect voice for this sort of emotive progressive music, able to convey heartbreak and hope in equal measure. The album also has a couple of high profile guests with ex-Megadeth men Chris Poland, Chris Broderick and Marty Friedman all adding some six sting wizardry and Armored Saint shouter John Bush contributing vocals to somewhat superfluous cover of The Who's Love Reign O'er Me.
The one thing I would say about this record and indeed any of Redemption's work, is that it does carry an emotional punch, at times it can be all consuming but for the most part the dark lyrical content is balanced by the soaring melodies and outright heaviness in the musical compositions. When I say songs I mean that, yes there is a lot of showing off it is prog after all, but Redemption have always relied on creating a song first then adding the more technical parts and musical posturing afterwards. Still at 75 minutes long it can all feel a little overwhelming at times especially when after 53 minutes of intricate, thought provoking music including the 10 minute Hope Dies Last, you are faced with the 22 minute final track At Day's End many will despair or lose interest but I implore you to stick with it as the final track is surely the albums magnum opus. The Art Of Loss is a step in the right direction for Redemption with personal troubles of the bands leader hopefully now a thing of the past they can focus on moving forward, one criticism would be that the record could be a few songs shorter but other than that The Art Of Loss is and album that excite and enthrall those that love Prog metal and one that will see Redemption finding their feet again in style. 8/10
Now Or Never: II (Mighty Music)
Multi-National metal mob Now Or Never have taken three years to release their second album the aptly named II but despite the gap the song indeed remains the same with brawny, muscle-bound metal being the order of the day. The band was formed by Ex-Pretty Maids men Ricky Marx (guitar) and Kenn Jackson (bass) and with it's broad but mostly European membership (Denmark/France/Switzerland) you'd be forgiven for thinking the band will sound like so many other Euro-metal bands but Now Or Never have a distinctly American sound with monstrous dirty riffs from Marx and Jackson combined with the rugged Russell Allen-like vocals from Joe Amore evoking US Metal legends Manilla Road, early Manowar, Iced Earth and latter day Symphony X. II rides the fine line between traditional/power metal and hard rock which means there is quite a bit of variation to be had on the tracks and means that the record doesn't get repetitive. Songs such as the opening rager The Voice Inside and the heavyweight crunch of King For A Day are very good, in fact this writer was surprised just how good this band are, II is an album that doesn't really slow down with the first four tracks battering you into submission, mainly due to albums sparkling production that makes everything sound very loud. I'll Be Waiting starts slow but turns into a huge mountain top ballad with thunderous drums from Ranzo, before the power ramps back up again in the second part of the album. Before this record I hadn't really heard of Now Or Never but I'm glad I have now, they are a great band that have two albums full of metal anthems. 7/10
Blackhour: Sins Remain (Transcending Obscurity India)
Asia seems to be the new frontier for metal at the moment with hundreds of bands breaking out of the continent playing music that can be seen as counter-culture and in certain countries even illegal or Satanic. Adding their name to an ever expanding list of bands willing to go against the norm are Pakistan's Blackhour who play the kind of NWOBHM that launched the careers of Maiden and Priest and was forbear for the thrash explosion in California. In fact the 8 tracks on this record split their sound between that of early Iron Maiden and early Metallica, the similarities are uncanny in places meaning that a few of the songs on this record move into the realm of a cover band, even though they are playing their own songs. Saying this the band are all accomplished players and the songs themselves are well constructed metal songs with some technical flourishes and changes in time and pace giving them a progressive edge. However the one thing that lets this record down is the production, it's scratchy and yes retro but it sounds more like a cassette than an vinyl, I will admit it does add to the D.I.Y spirit of the NWOBHM era but there are ways to get this sound while still sounding good. Still this really the only gripe, yes the songs are a little samey and as I've said its a little too near cover band territory at times but it's a fun metal album that adds another band rebelling against the social norm, which really is the point of heavy metal. 7/10
Friday, 4 March 2016
Reviews: Voivod, Delain, Hällas (EP Round Up)
Voivod: Post Society (Century Media)
Canadian progressive thrash legends Voivod history are well know but since the loss of Piggy the band have soldiered on with 2013's Target Earth being the fists album that new guitarist Chewy taking over the six string roll on an album since Piggy's death. Target Earth was something of a reunion album but since then founding bassist Blacky ended his second term in the band and on this EP he has replaced by Rocky who is the latest in a long line of bassists. This EP is a start to Voivod's next incarnation and it's a great place to start with 30 minutes of music that show what Voivod do best. This progressive thrash metal with riffs galore from Chewy who is the ideal choice to take over from Piggy as he hasn't got the same style as the old master but brings his own unique bent to the technical mind bending guitar playing Voivod have always been associated with. Away's drumming is the signal for most of the time changes and he leads Rocky in laying down a gut punching rhythm section that allows Chewy to experiment and frontman Snake to give his trademark scarred vocal delivery. The four tracks range from proper thrash of the title track through to the more progressive touches of We Are Connected with the EP ending with a Silver Machine cover that sounds more like Motorhead than Hawkwind and serves as a suitably heavy but obviously unintended tribute to Lemmy. Voivod were back on form with Target Earth but the new boys are now firmly locked in to the sound and Voivod seem more focused than ever, having never been overly familiar with Voivod my anticipation is high for their next full length. 8/10
Delain: Lunar Prelude (Napalm)
Wow a change in sound sometimes changes how you see a band and as soon as Suckerpunch explodes in all it's electro-dance glory out of the stereo on Delain's newest EP you can't help but hear that this what Delain have been aiming for since their debut. Over the course of their last two albums the electronic elements have increased and Suckerpunch takes them that one step further putting them on a par with Amaranthe. Lunar Prelude is what the title says it is, a prelude to the bands next album, it features two new songs, one alternative version, four live tracks and an orchestral remix of Suckerpunch, the song that is clearly the EP's selling point. Lunar Prelude is the debut of Delian's new guitarist Merel Bechtold, she slots in with ease gelling effortlessly with long term guitarist Timo Somers, this is probably due to her work with Mark Jensen's heavy as lead MaYan project and (Delain tourmate) Anneke Van Giersbergen's Gentle Storm. The rest of the line up remains the same and play with the same amount of skill that has present on all of the bands previous releases with special kudos going once again to singer Charlotte Wessels whose voice has almost diamond clarity and warhead power. This EP is for completists only as it's the first two tracks could be considered new and worth shelling out for but what Lunar Prelude does is give you a hint to how Delain are going to evolve on their next record. 6/10
Hällas: Hällas EP (The Sign Records) (Review By Paul)
If you like your rock set firmly in the psychedelic rock of the 1970s then this four track EP from Swedish outfit Hällas will probably be of interest. Stories of wizards and witches, twin guitars combined with swirling organ, changes of pace and the haunting vocal of Tommy Alexandersson combine for an interesting release. The self-titled second track, clocking in at over seven minutes is the pick with an Opeth style breakdown in the middle of the track which adds atmosphere before the steady riffs pick up again. With more than a hint of early Sabbath and 1970s Scorpions, this is far from unique but it’s decent stuff all the same. 7/10
Canadian progressive thrash legends Voivod history are well know but since the loss of Piggy the band have soldiered on with 2013's Target Earth being the fists album that new guitarist Chewy taking over the six string roll on an album since Piggy's death. Target Earth was something of a reunion album but since then founding bassist Blacky ended his second term in the band and on this EP he has replaced by Rocky who is the latest in a long line of bassists. This EP is a start to Voivod's next incarnation and it's a great place to start with 30 minutes of music that show what Voivod do best. This progressive thrash metal with riffs galore from Chewy who is the ideal choice to take over from Piggy as he hasn't got the same style as the old master but brings his own unique bent to the technical mind bending guitar playing Voivod have always been associated with. Away's drumming is the signal for most of the time changes and he leads Rocky in laying down a gut punching rhythm section that allows Chewy to experiment and frontman Snake to give his trademark scarred vocal delivery. The four tracks range from proper thrash of the title track through to the more progressive touches of We Are Connected with the EP ending with a Silver Machine cover that sounds more like Motorhead than Hawkwind and serves as a suitably heavy but obviously unintended tribute to Lemmy. Voivod were back on form with Target Earth but the new boys are now firmly locked in to the sound and Voivod seem more focused than ever, having never been overly familiar with Voivod my anticipation is high for their next full length. 8/10
Delain: Lunar Prelude (Napalm)
Wow a change in sound sometimes changes how you see a band and as soon as Suckerpunch explodes in all it's electro-dance glory out of the stereo on Delain's newest EP you can't help but hear that this what Delain have been aiming for since their debut. Over the course of their last two albums the electronic elements have increased and Suckerpunch takes them that one step further putting them on a par with Amaranthe. Lunar Prelude is what the title says it is, a prelude to the bands next album, it features two new songs, one alternative version, four live tracks and an orchestral remix of Suckerpunch, the song that is clearly the EP's selling point. Lunar Prelude is the debut of Delian's new guitarist Merel Bechtold, she slots in with ease gelling effortlessly with long term guitarist Timo Somers, this is probably due to her work with Mark Jensen's heavy as lead MaYan project and (Delain tourmate) Anneke Van Giersbergen's Gentle Storm. The rest of the line up remains the same and play with the same amount of skill that has present on all of the bands previous releases with special kudos going once again to singer Charlotte Wessels whose voice has almost diamond clarity and warhead power. This EP is for completists only as it's the first two tracks could be considered new and worth shelling out for but what Lunar Prelude does is give you a hint to how Delain are going to evolve on their next record. 6/10
Hällas: Hällas EP (The Sign Records) (Review By Paul)
If you like your rock set firmly in the psychedelic rock of the 1970s then this four track EP from Swedish outfit Hällas will probably be of interest. Stories of wizards and witches, twin guitars combined with swirling organ, changes of pace and the haunting vocal of Tommy Alexandersson combine for an interesting release. The self-titled second track, clocking in at over seven minutes is the pick with an Opeth style breakdown in the middle of the track which adds atmosphere before the steady riffs pick up again. With more than a hint of early Sabbath and 1970s Scorpions, this is far from unique but it’s decent stuff all the same. 7/10
Thursday, 3 March 2016
Review Number 666: Enzo & The Glory Ensemble, Metratone, God Syndrome
Enzo and the Glory Ensemble: In The Name Of The Father (Symphony Records)
Metal and Christianity are not comfortable bedfellows. If you search for Christian rock and metal bands on the internet, you’ll find hundreds including some that may be a little bit surprising but few that are successful or even well known. The most famous group to bat for the man upstairs remains Stryper supported by Kings X and then individuals such as Dave Mustaine, Blackie Lawless and Neal Morse & co. Some of the music produced by these guys is pretty decent, with Megadeth and WASP’s last releases amongst their best. However, Neapolitan self-styled Christian rock composer Enzo Donnarumma’s symphonic rock project is pretty special, in all the wrong ways.
In The Name Of The Father is a concept which sets into music eleven Christian prayers and biblical psalms in English and concludes with a single original text, Maybe You, dedicated to peace. The release features a wealth of special guests, ranging from the expected (Kobi Farhi of Orphaned Land is hardly a surprise) through to the more surprising; Ralph Scheepers (Gamma Ray and Primal Fear), Marty Friedman and Mark Zonder of Fates Warning all contribute.
First the positives: The symphonic progressive approach with orchestral arrangements, Palestinian folk sounds and choral polyphony is well delivered and at some points quite haunting; for example, the old catholic prayer Glory Be To The Father is beautifully delivered with the addition of female vocal of Amulyn (Whisper From Heaven). And that’s where it ends. I’m afraid that listening to catholic prayers set to speed metal is incredibly uncomfortable and in the main just doesn’t work. The Apostle’s Creed might just be the worst thing I’ve ever heard and The Lord’s Prayer is absolutely dreadful, with the latter akin to that of Cliff Richard’s piece of bilge many years ago. The whole concept is pretty ropey and whilst I’m as liberal as most, this should just do one and never be played again. Why some of those on here have put their names to it I’m really not sure. To quote AC/DC, “If God’s on the left then I’m sticking to the right”. Utterly baffling and confirmation that the Devil really does have all the best tunes. 1/10
Metratone: Eucharismetal (Rockshots)
After the utterly dire offerings of Enzo and his buddies, reviewing another band who are at the forefront of the white metal movement filled me with trepidation, despair and that slight burning feeling that a good old atheist sometimes feels when entering a church. However, stripping Metratone back to their metal basics, it was a pleasure to find that this is an album which really rocks out without slamming you in the face with a copy of the New Testament.
Metatrone (metaphysical throne of God – okay?) has released three full length albums, La Mano Potente in 2005 soon followed by the English version called The Powerful Hand and Paradigma in 2010. The band was formed by Father Davide Bruno (Keyboards, a priest of the Archdiocese of Catania!), Stefano Calvagno (Guitars) and Jo Lombardo (Vocals). According to their press pack their mission has always been playing heavy metal songs deeply inspired by a Christian Catholic view of live and human being, with lyrics in English, Italian and Latin. Eucharismetal features two new band members; Dino Fiorenza (Billy Sheehan, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert) on bass and Salvo Grasso (Hyersonic, DeniedD) on drums. Now I’m not familiar with their earlier works but Eucharismetal contains some exceptional double bass-drumming, impressive vocal hooks, heavy guitar riffs, huge swathes of synths and keyboards and most surprisingly some really astonishing growls courtesy of Father Bruno which wouldn’t be out of place on the latest black metal releases. The growls work well as a contrast to the superb clean voice of Lombardo.
The album features a range of styles with the focus on speed and power metal, Beware The Sailor and Wheat And Weeds, more melodic metal, Latest News From Light, slabs of progressive metal song like Una Parte di Me and more traditional AOR style hard rock, Keep Running, Lascia Che Sia (Let It Be) and In Spirit And Truth. The musicianship is really top quality, whilst lyrically the band don’t shy away from some heavy topics including child abuse on Alef Dalet Mem, religious and Christian fanaticism Molokai (one of the heaviest tracks on this release). Of course, Jesus gets a fair share of the action with the parable of the prodigal son on Latest News From Light and ancient Latin prayer on Regina Coeli (with full god squad effect). Mozart’s Nightmare is the odd one out, a rampaging melodic instrumental which showcases the keyboard prowess of Father Bruno and Calvagno's impressive fretwork.Whilst the lyrical content still makes me feel a bit queasy there is no denying that this is a pretty decent slab of metal, albeit wearing a completely different battle jacket. There are a few power metal fans who would appreciate the breakneck speed of this release. 7/10
God Syndrome: Controverse (Mazzar Records)
1. God Syndrome: an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility
2. God Syndrome: an extreme melodic death metal band formed in 2011 in Samara, Russian Federation.
God Syndrome was formed by guitarists Sergey Aksenov and Vitaliy Mitsek. Their first release, an EP Downfall Omen appeared in 2013 with the remainder of the line-up completed by vocalist Pavel Bamburov, bassist Dmitry Kuznetsov and Alexander Krut on drums. Controverse is their debut full release and it’s a pretty impressive debut. Controverse is almost a painting by number death metal release. Massive double bass drumming, pounding bass lines, vicious cutting guitar work and guttural vocals all combine at breath-taking speed to provide 12 tracks of solid music. Underpinning all of this is a melodic edge and some absolutely crushing riffs which make this release both interesting and memorable (think In Flames, Arch Enemy but heavier and you’re in the right territory). Opening tracks Purge and Clan are impressive straight on death metal tracks whilst Five Acts Of Deception is a more complex fusion of styles; the battering of Krut’s drumming a constant but several changes of pace allowing the listener to draw breath. At times 150mph before switching to a more measured melodic breakdown. This is a quite brilliant track which doesn’t let up and oozes real atmosphere.
With almost an hour of music, this is a really top quality release from a band that recently provided support to Marduk in Moscow. Tracks like Dark Sand and Summon The Sun give you little room for breath, explosive from start to finish but all containing that beautifully melodic guitar work that works so well. Underneath it all, there are some massive grooves and hooks which separate this work from the mainstream. Aksenov and Mitesk’s guitar work is impressive, whilst Bamburov’s vocals fit perfectly. As with nearly all bands in this genre, break neck speed requires some contrast and whilst the speed rarely slows, there is a more measured approach at times which demonstrates the quality of the compositions; check out Fire, The Law Of The Betrayed and album closer Hangman Of Atlantis. I am pretty clueless about the metal scene in Russia but being stereotypical for one moment, I would imagine the opportunity and chances to make such incredibly powerful music is more limited than much of the West. If having an unshakable belief in your beliefs is part of the definition of God Syndrome, then the name is well chosen. Controverse is a brilliant death metal release well worth getting involved with. 9/10
Metal and Christianity are not comfortable bedfellows. If you search for Christian rock and metal bands on the internet, you’ll find hundreds including some that may be a little bit surprising but few that are successful or even well known. The most famous group to bat for the man upstairs remains Stryper supported by Kings X and then individuals such as Dave Mustaine, Blackie Lawless and Neal Morse & co. Some of the music produced by these guys is pretty decent, with Megadeth and WASP’s last releases amongst their best. However, Neapolitan self-styled Christian rock composer Enzo Donnarumma’s symphonic rock project is pretty special, in all the wrong ways.
In The Name Of The Father is a concept which sets into music eleven Christian prayers and biblical psalms in English and concludes with a single original text, Maybe You, dedicated to peace. The release features a wealth of special guests, ranging from the expected (Kobi Farhi of Orphaned Land is hardly a surprise) through to the more surprising; Ralph Scheepers (Gamma Ray and Primal Fear), Marty Friedman and Mark Zonder of Fates Warning all contribute.
First the positives: The symphonic progressive approach with orchestral arrangements, Palestinian folk sounds and choral polyphony is well delivered and at some points quite haunting; for example, the old catholic prayer Glory Be To The Father is beautifully delivered with the addition of female vocal of Amulyn (Whisper From Heaven). And that’s where it ends. I’m afraid that listening to catholic prayers set to speed metal is incredibly uncomfortable and in the main just doesn’t work. The Apostle’s Creed might just be the worst thing I’ve ever heard and The Lord’s Prayer is absolutely dreadful, with the latter akin to that of Cliff Richard’s piece of bilge many years ago. The whole concept is pretty ropey and whilst I’m as liberal as most, this should just do one and never be played again. Why some of those on here have put their names to it I’m really not sure. To quote AC/DC, “If God’s on the left then I’m sticking to the right”. Utterly baffling and confirmation that the Devil really does have all the best tunes. 1/10
Metratone: Eucharismetal (Rockshots)
After the utterly dire offerings of Enzo and his buddies, reviewing another band who are at the forefront of the white metal movement filled me with trepidation, despair and that slight burning feeling that a good old atheist sometimes feels when entering a church. However, stripping Metratone back to their metal basics, it was a pleasure to find that this is an album which really rocks out without slamming you in the face with a copy of the New Testament.
Metatrone (metaphysical throne of God – okay?) has released three full length albums, La Mano Potente in 2005 soon followed by the English version called The Powerful Hand and Paradigma in 2010. The band was formed by Father Davide Bruno (Keyboards, a priest of the Archdiocese of Catania!), Stefano Calvagno (Guitars) and Jo Lombardo (Vocals). According to their press pack their mission has always been playing heavy metal songs deeply inspired by a Christian Catholic view of live and human being, with lyrics in English, Italian and Latin. Eucharismetal features two new band members; Dino Fiorenza (Billy Sheehan, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert) on bass and Salvo Grasso (Hyersonic, DeniedD) on drums. Now I’m not familiar with their earlier works but Eucharismetal contains some exceptional double bass-drumming, impressive vocal hooks, heavy guitar riffs, huge swathes of synths and keyboards and most surprisingly some really astonishing growls courtesy of Father Bruno which wouldn’t be out of place on the latest black metal releases. The growls work well as a contrast to the superb clean voice of Lombardo.
The album features a range of styles with the focus on speed and power metal, Beware The Sailor and Wheat And Weeds, more melodic metal, Latest News From Light, slabs of progressive metal song like Una Parte di Me and more traditional AOR style hard rock, Keep Running, Lascia Che Sia (Let It Be) and In Spirit And Truth. The musicianship is really top quality, whilst lyrically the band don’t shy away from some heavy topics including child abuse on Alef Dalet Mem, religious and Christian fanaticism Molokai (one of the heaviest tracks on this release). Of course, Jesus gets a fair share of the action with the parable of the prodigal son on Latest News From Light and ancient Latin prayer on Regina Coeli (with full god squad effect). Mozart’s Nightmare is the odd one out, a rampaging melodic instrumental which showcases the keyboard prowess of Father Bruno and Calvagno's impressive fretwork.Whilst the lyrical content still makes me feel a bit queasy there is no denying that this is a pretty decent slab of metal, albeit wearing a completely different battle jacket. There are a few power metal fans who would appreciate the breakneck speed of this release. 7/10
God Syndrome: Controverse (Mazzar Records)
1. God Syndrome: an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility
2. God Syndrome: an extreme melodic death metal band formed in 2011 in Samara, Russian Federation.
God Syndrome was formed by guitarists Sergey Aksenov and Vitaliy Mitsek. Their first release, an EP Downfall Omen appeared in 2013 with the remainder of the line-up completed by vocalist Pavel Bamburov, bassist Dmitry Kuznetsov and Alexander Krut on drums. Controverse is their debut full release and it’s a pretty impressive debut. Controverse is almost a painting by number death metal release. Massive double bass drumming, pounding bass lines, vicious cutting guitar work and guttural vocals all combine at breath-taking speed to provide 12 tracks of solid music. Underpinning all of this is a melodic edge and some absolutely crushing riffs which make this release both interesting and memorable (think In Flames, Arch Enemy but heavier and you’re in the right territory). Opening tracks Purge and Clan are impressive straight on death metal tracks whilst Five Acts Of Deception is a more complex fusion of styles; the battering of Krut’s drumming a constant but several changes of pace allowing the listener to draw breath. At times 150mph before switching to a more measured melodic breakdown. This is a quite brilliant track which doesn’t let up and oozes real atmosphere.
With almost an hour of music, this is a really top quality release from a band that recently provided support to Marduk in Moscow. Tracks like Dark Sand and Summon The Sun give you little room for breath, explosive from start to finish but all containing that beautifully melodic guitar work that works so well. Underneath it all, there are some massive grooves and hooks which separate this work from the mainstream. Aksenov and Mitesk’s guitar work is impressive, whilst Bamburov’s vocals fit perfectly. As with nearly all bands in this genre, break neck speed requires some contrast and whilst the speed rarely slows, there is a more measured approach at times which demonstrates the quality of the compositions; check out Fire, The Law Of The Betrayed and album closer Hangman Of Atlantis. I am pretty clueless about the metal scene in Russia but being stereotypical for one moment, I would imagine the opportunity and chances to make such incredibly powerful music is more limited than much of the West. If having an unshakable belief in your beliefs is part of the definition of God Syndrome, then the name is well chosen. Controverse is a brilliant death metal release well worth getting involved with. 9/10
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
Reviews: Inglorious, Exmortus, Sage's Recital
Inglorious: Inglorious (Frontiers)
Are Inglorious the next big thing? Well or arrows point to yes, with recent tour in support of The Winery Dogs, triumphant sets at Planet Rockstock, up and coming sets at Ramblin Man Fair and heavy rotation of debut single Until I Die on Planet Rock then there shouldn't be anything stopping this UK five piece from making it big. However is all this support warranted for a band on their debut album? Well yes in a way it is, now Inglorious don't do anything new, but with rock music being in what should be it's twilight years does anyone? Inglorious do what they do with a power many bands cannot muster, with a sound akin to Deep Purple, the aforementioned Until I Day which has the spirit of Jon Lord all over it, Led Zepplin on the swaggering Kashmir-esque High Flying Gypsy as well as Aerosmith, Bad Company (Holy Water) and Queen on Inglorious all thrown into sound that harks back to hard rock's 70's glory days.
With Wil Taylor on rhythm guitar, Colin Parkinson on bass and Phil Beaver behind the skins the band have a rock solid foundation of a back line that drive these songs from muddy water blues, to chest beating classic rock over the course of one album. With such a quality engine room you need something special up front and the fretboard fireworks of Andreas Eriksson are a perfect fit knowing just when to go wild with solos and lead breaks that make everything just so much more impressive. Speaking of impressive this band could have all the chops in the world but if the singer sucks then it's all for nothing, thankfully Nathan James has some voice indeed, already doing time with TSO (Trans Siberian Orchestra) and Uli Jon Roth, he is no stranger to performing but his gritty blues inflected vocal delivery is perfect for Inglorious' hard rock style on You're Mine he shows his expansive vocal range, on Bleed For You he gives a ballad performance David Coverdale would be proud of something repeated on Wake which is more Paul Rodgers but just as schmaltzy.
This album styles itself as almost a hard rock greatest hits with many of the songs having those familiar sounds of yesteryear, it's good job that Inglorious perform them with such conviction and talent that they sound new and fresh rather than a stale pastiche. Are they the next big thing? Probably. Do they deserve to be? On the evidence of this debut very much so! 8/10
Exmortus: Ride Forth (Prosthetic)
In a total reversal sound wise now, it's time for warmongering, facemetling death metal from Californians Exmortus. These guys have been a around since 2003 releasing their debut in 2008, not much since then has changed they still ply their trade with brutal, fret destroying technical death metal that owes much to the likes of Chuck Schuldiner's Death and Atheist as well as the German wave of thrash from Kreator etc. Think dual Jackson guitars shredding like bastards on top of bludgeoning blast beats and you won't be far off. Speed Of The Strike is a maelstrom of riffs from the opening seconds and the pace doesn't drop throughout with every song having David Rivera and Jadran 'Conan' Gonzalez battling for six string supremacy while the rhythm section of Mario Mortus and Mike Cosio blast away. Black Sails slows things down, with Maiden-like bass driven gallop albeit with Conan's guttural vocals still keeping the death metal sound. Exmortus have thrash and death in their influences of course this seems to be their bread and butter but also they have liberal uses of traditional metal with the battle metal sound of Manowar influencing the lyrics and the speed metal assault of latter day Priest sneaking in to. Ride Forth is Exmortus' fourth record and it sticks to the formula the band have followed since their inception so if you love technical death metal then Exmortus will gladly rip your face off with this record. 7/10
Sage's Ritual: The Winter Symphony (Self Released)
Do you like guitar solos? Do you like songs about Dragons and Wizards? Do you like the score from Lord Of The Rings? If the answer to all of these things is yes, then you will love Sage's Ritual, this is the projects started by Danish guitar virtuoso Niels Vejlyt who plays guitars, bass, keys and drummer Jakob Vand. Vejlyt also does all the orchestration for this album that is cinematic in scope merging classical music with guitar histrionics in the same way that Rhapsody and Yngwie Malmsteen have made a career from composing. Made up of seven songs including three instrumentals The Winter Symphony is a guitar lovers album, that said he hasn't skimped on the vocals recruiting former Artension and Royal Hunt mainman John West (not that one) to supply the sky scraping singing to the record. The brass tax of the record is that Vejlyt is a superb guitarist, there is no doubt about that but this album does seem to be a showcase for his playing rather than his songwriting which is all well and good as most of these songs are around 4 minutes so it's a bit of singing then widdly guitar solo then back to singing but this is stretched on the instrumentals that feature no let up in the fret wankery and pushes you over the edge on the 20 minute plus title track which sounds like a symphony that has been crashed by an electric guitar. The reason why Rhapsody (or whatever they are both called now) are still going is that behind the technical mastery of their instruments lays songwriting that while cliched is slick and at the forefront. Sage's Recital are trying a bit to hard to be like Rhapsody and are just falling short, songwriting and specialism are hard things to balance and Sage's Ritual seem to be more of Robin Reliant than Porsche 911. 6/10
Are Inglorious the next big thing? Well or arrows point to yes, with recent tour in support of The Winery Dogs, triumphant sets at Planet Rockstock, up and coming sets at Ramblin Man Fair and heavy rotation of debut single Until I Die on Planet Rock then there shouldn't be anything stopping this UK five piece from making it big. However is all this support warranted for a band on their debut album? Well yes in a way it is, now Inglorious don't do anything new, but with rock music being in what should be it's twilight years does anyone? Inglorious do what they do with a power many bands cannot muster, with a sound akin to Deep Purple, the aforementioned Until I Day which has the spirit of Jon Lord all over it, Led Zepplin on the swaggering Kashmir-esque High Flying Gypsy as well as Aerosmith, Bad Company (Holy Water) and Queen on Inglorious all thrown into sound that harks back to hard rock's 70's glory days.
With Wil Taylor on rhythm guitar, Colin Parkinson on bass and Phil Beaver behind the skins the band have a rock solid foundation of a back line that drive these songs from muddy water blues, to chest beating classic rock over the course of one album. With such a quality engine room you need something special up front and the fretboard fireworks of Andreas Eriksson are a perfect fit knowing just when to go wild with solos and lead breaks that make everything just so much more impressive. Speaking of impressive this band could have all the chops in the world but if the singer sucks then it's all for nothing, thankfully Nathan James has some voice indeed, already doing time with TSO (Trans Siberian Orchestra) and Uli Jon Roth, he is no stranger to performing but his gritty blues inflected vocal delivery is perfect for Inglorious' hard rock style on You're Mine he shows his expansive vocal range, on Bleed For You he gives a ballad performance David Coverdale would be proud of something repeated on Wake which is more Paul Rodgers but just as schmaltzy.
This album styles itself as almost a hard rock greatest hits with many of the songs having those familiar sounds of yesteryear, it's good job that Inglorious perform them with such conviction and talent that they sound new and fresh rather than a stale pastiche. Are they the next big thing? Probably. Do they deserve to be? On the evidence of this debut very much so! 8/10
Exmortus: Ride Forth (Prosthetic)
In a total reversal sound wise now, it's time for warmongering, facemetling death metal from Californians Exmortus. These guys have been a around since 2003 releasing their debut in 2008, not much since then has changed they still ply their trade with brutal, fret destroying technical death metal that owes much to the likes of Chuck Schuldiner's Death and Atheist as well as the German wave of thrash from Kreator etc. Think dual Jackson guitars shredding like bastards on top of bludgeoning blast beats and you won't be far off. Speed Of The Strike is a maelstrom of riffs from the opening seconds and the pace doesn't drop throughout with every song having David Rivera and Jadran 'Conan' Gonzalez battling for six string supremacy while the rhythm section of Mario Mortus and Mike Cosio blast away. Black Sails slows things down, with Maiden-like bass driven gallop albeit with Conan's guttural vocals still keeping the death metal sound. Exmortus have thrash and death in their influences of course this seems to be their bread and butter but also they have liberal uses of traditional metal with the battle metal sound of Manowar influencing the lyrics and the speed metal assault of latter day Priest sneaking in to. Ride Forth is Exmortus' fourth record and it sticks to the formula the band have followed since their inception so if you love technical death metal then Exmortus will gladly rip your face off with this record. 7/10
Sage's Ritual: The Winter Symphony (Self Released)
Do you like guitar solos? Do you like songs about Dragons and Wizards? Do you like the score from Lord Of The Rings? If the answer to all of these things is yes, then you will love Sage's Ritual, this is the projects started by Danish guitar virtuoso Niels Vejlyt who plays guitars, bass, keys and drummer Jakob Vand. Vejlyt also does all the orchestration for this album that is cinematic in scope merging classical music with guitar histrionics in the same way that Rhapsody and Yngwie Malmsteen have made a career from composing. Made up of seven songs including three instrumentals The Winter Symphony is a guitar lovers album, that said he hasn't skimped on the vocals recruiting former Artension and Royal Hunt mainman John West (not that one) to supply the sky scraping singing to the record. The brass tax of the record is that Vejlyt is a superb guitarist, there is no doubt about that but this album does seem to be a showcase for his playing rather than his songwriting which is all well and good as most of these songs are around 4 minutes so it's a bit of singing then widdly guitar solo then back to singing but this is stretched on the instrumentals that feature no let up in the fret wankery and pushes you over the edge on the 20 minute plus title track which sounds like a symphony that has been crashed by an electric guitar. The reason why Rhapsody (or whatever they are both called now) are still going is that behind the technical mastery of their instruments lays songwriting that while cliched is slick and at the forefront. Sage's Recital are trying a bit to hard to be like Rhapsody and are just falling short, songwriting and specialism are hard things to balance and Sage's Ritual seem to be more of Robin Reliant than Porsche 911. 6/10
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Reviews: Beyond The Black, Ethereal Riffian, Wisdom
Beyond The Black: Lost In Forever (Airforce 1 Records) [Review By Paul]
Symphonic power metal? Hmm, often bordering dangerously close to Eurovision and a genre which often either floats your boat or makes you feel a little queasy. There are some pretty sizeable outfits around these days, with the likes of Nightwish and Within Temptation capable of pulling sufficient punters to headline Wembley Arena (no mean feat), BOA and obtain special guest status at Download. So alongside the usual suspects, let me introduce you to Beyond The Black, symphonic metal from Mannheim, Germany. Lost In Forever is their second release, following 2013’s Songs Of Love And Death which substantially raised their profile in their home country and a few of the Nordic/Scandinavian neighbours as well.
Lost In Forever is a release that contains everything you would demand from a symphonic metal outfit; powerful hammering drums, vicious riffs and shredding guitar work, huge hooks and melodies, tsunami sized synths and of course a female vocalist with an absolutely stunning voice. Add in some perfectly decent tunes (which this release has in spades) and you’ve got the whole package. Jennifer Haben is the lead vocalist and she brings real quality to the table. She possesses a cracking range, able to hit the highest of notes and use both power and sensitivity. Check out the aggression in the title track, the calm and control in the ballad Against The World all the all-round performance in Beyond The Mirror. Haben is the obvious focal point of the outfit but is ably supported by a musically excellent band, with particular credit to the impressive guitar work of lead guitarist Nils Lesser. However, the sum of the parts is greater here with a rhythm section of guitarist Christopher Hummels, bassist Erwin Schmidt and drummer Tobias Derer providings a rock solid platform for Lesser and keyboard player Michael Hanser to let loose and compliment Haben.
Yes, the songs are occasionally bit formulaic and cheesy; Halo Of The Dark would rage through the Eurovision qualifiers with its European pomp. Dies Irae motors along with an operatic chorus which raises the blood. Beyond The Black can also rock out, but it’s the atmospheric pieces that really catch the attention; six minute Forget My Name smoulders before building dramatically with Hummels backing vocals adding the grittier edge. A brief piece of acoustic guitar fits well into the middle section.If there’s one complaint, it is probably that the release is just a little too long with 13 tracks and a minute under an hour, creating the risk of repetition and loss of interest. However, this is a release that doesn’t actually do that, with tracks like Burning In Flames and Nevermore holding attention with their sheer quality. What is impressive is the restraint on the often overused tactic of clean female vocals and almost death metal male vocals with it occurring on a mere two tracks, the title track and the majestic Shine And Shade. In a genre which is packed with variable quality, Lost In Forever is a really decent offering and one that deserves to get more attention than it is likely to receive. Highly recommended. 8/10
Ethereal Riffian: Youniversal Voice (Self Released) [Review By Paul]
I’m not sure I’ve got much of a feel for the metal scene in Kiev, Ukraine but you’ve got to suspect that life there is tougher than it is here so full marks for creativity. Ethereal Riffian formed in 2010 and according to their press release has two main objectives: to expand the frames of the listener’s musical perception to shed light on the existence of a subtler plane, whose laws if understood may help to perceive the reality on a deeper level. Okay, glad we cleared that up. So you’ll have guessed that Ethereal Riffian sits in the stoner camp but boy do they sit far away from the usual suspects. Youniversal Voice is a live release and contains tracks from their previous studio albums, Shaman’s Visions and 2014’s Aeonian. Most of the tracks are long with three at over 11 minutes in length; all contain huge slabs of crushing heaviness, abstract and monotone vocals, twin guitar work and shifting time signatures which allows the drumming to become almost free style.
An oscillating chilled out approach makes Youniversal Voice an atmospheric event allowing the listener to transcend into another dimension. With the vocals delivered in the style of a Tibetan monk, repetitive chord construction and a funereal pace at times, I’d expect the majority of the audience to be pretty stoned when listening to these. In fact, the audience response is generally so limited that I guess that’s the effect. Tracks such as Thugdam, Wakan Tanka, March Of Spiritu and Anatman with their changing and intricate sound effects, percussion and rolling guitars and changes in pace and mood, conjure up images of Hawkwind, Sleep and Ohm. The sprawling tracks meander and traverse, remaining incredibly heavy thanks in part to the duel guitars. Music to meditate by? I’m not sure about that but this is some really deep stuff which demands plenty of time and soft furnishings in order for full exploration. It probably isn’t my cup of tea (Chai obvs) but then again, it probably isn’t the choice of many. However, I’m strangely drawn to it, and will give it repeated listens to allow further penetration of the mind. Relax and enjoy. Now, where did I leave my bong? 7/10
Wisdom: Rise Of The Wise (NoiseArt) [Review By Matt]
Hungarian Power Metal anyone? Well why not try Wisdom who are essentially Hungary's answer to Hammerfall with just a bit of Blind Guardian creeping in on the folkier songs like Believe In Me. This five piece play fist in the air metal and on rampaging tracks like Hero and Believe In Me Wisdom are every inch cut from the same cloth as the Swedish masters of power metal, think huge riffs, speedy drums and gang vocals and you get the idea. Rise Of The Wise is the band's fourth full length following such previous releases as Judas and Marching For Liberty and though it doesn't break the mold it delivers good quality power metal the dual guitars, galloping rhythm section and strong vocals with European enunciation are all done well so there is very little to criticise on a performance point of view, the songwriting to while full of cliches about wizards, battles and fantasy, even dabbling with pirate metal on Nightmare Of The Seas, is enjoyable and will appeal to power metal junkies but in a swamped genre Wisdom may find it hard shine. Still this fourth album is a lot of fun and if power metal is your thing then you can do much worse than pick up a copy and fly away on a wave of manly power metal mayhem. 6/10
Symphonic power metal? Hmm, often bordering dangerously close to Eurovision and a genre which often either floats your boat or makes you feel a little queasy. There are some pretty sizeable outfits around these days, with the likes of Nightwish and Within Temptation capable of pulling sufficient punters to headline Wembley Arena (no mean feat), BOA and obtain special guest status at Download. So alongside the usual suspects, let me introduce you to Beyond The Black, symphonic metal from Mannheim, Germany. Lost In Forever is their second release, following 2013’s Songs Of Love And Death which substantially raised their profile in their home country and a few of the Nordic/Scandinavian neighbours as well.
Lost In Forever is a release that contains everything you would demand from a symphonic metal outfit; powerful hammering drums, vicious riffs and shredding guitar work, huge hooks and melodies, tsunami sized synths and of course a female vocalist with an absolutely stunning voice. Add in some perfectly decent tunes (which this release has in spades) and you’ve got the whole package. Jennifer Haben is the lead vocalist and she brings real quality to the table. She possesses a cracking range, able to hit the highest of notes and use both power and sensitivity. Check out the aggression in the title track, the calm and control in the ballad Against The World all the all-round performance in Beyond The Mirror. Haben is the obvious focal point of the outfit but is ably supported by a musically excellent band, with particular credit to the impressive guitar work of lead guitarist Nils Lesser. However, the sum of the parts is greater here with a rhythm section of guitarist Christopher Hummels, bassist Erwin Schmidt and drummer Tobias Derer providings a rock solid platform for Lesser and keyboard player Michael Hanser to let loose and compliment Haben.
Yes, the songs are occasionally bit formulaic and cheesy; Halo Of The Dark would rage through the Eurovision qualifiers with its European pomp. Dies Irae motors along with an operatic chorus which raises the blood. Beyond The Black can also rock out, but it’s the atmospheric pieces that really catch the attention; six minute Forget My Name smoulders before building dramatically with Hummels backing vocals adding the grittier edge. A brief piece of acoustic guitar fits well into the middle section.If there’s one complaint, it is probably that the release is just a little too long with 13 tracks and a minute under an hour, creating the risk of repetition and loss of interest. However, this is a release that doesn’t actually do that, with tracks like Burning In Flames and Nevermore holding attention with their sheer quality. What is impressive is the restraint on the often overused tactic of clean female vocals and almost death metal male vocals with it occurring on a mere two tracks, the title track and the majestic Shine And Shade. In a genre which is packed with variable quality, Lost In Forever is a really decent offering and one that deserves to get more attention than it is likely to receive. Highly recommended. 8/10
Ethereal Riffian: Youniversal Voice (Self Released) [Review By Paul]
I’m not sure I’ve got much of a feel for the metal scene in Kiev, Ukraine but you’ve got to suspect that life there is tougher than it is here so full marks for creativity. Ethereal Riffian formed in 2010 and according to their press release has two main objectives: to expand the frames of the listener’s musical perception to shed light on the existence of a subtler plane, whose laws if understood may help to perceive the reality on a deeper level. Okay, glad we cleared that up. So you’ll have guessed that Ethereal Riffian sits in the stoner camp but boy do they sit far away from the usual suspects. Youniversal Voice is a live release and contains tracks from their previous studio albums, Shaman’s Visions and 2014’s Aeonian. Most of the tracks are long with three at over 11 minutes in length; all contain huge slabs of crushing heaviness, abstract and monotone vocals, twin guitar work and shifting time signatures which allows the drumming to become almost free style.
An oscillating chilled out approach makes Youniversal Voice an atmospheric event allowing the listener to transcend into another dimension. With the vocals delivered in the style of a Tibetan monk, repetitive chord construction and a funereal pace at times, I’d expect the majority of the audience to be pretty stoned when listening to these. In fact, the audience response is generally so limited that I guess that’s the effect. Tracks such as Thugdam, Wakan Tanka, March Of Spiritu and Anatman with their changing and intricate sound effects, percussion and rolling guitars and changes in pace and mood, conjure up images of Hawkwind, Sleep and Ohm. The sprawling tracks meander and traverse, remaining incredibly heavy thanks in part to the duel guitars. Music to meditate by? I’m not sure about that but this is some really deep stuff which demands plenty of time and soft furnishings in order for full exploration. It probably isn’t my cup of tea (Chai obvs) but then again, it probably isn’t the choice of many. However, I’m strangely drawn to it, and will give it repeated listens to allow further penetration of the mind. Relax and enjoy. Now, where did I leave my bong? 7/10
Wisdom: Rise Of The Wise (NoiseArt) [Review By Matt]
Hungarian Power Metal anyone? Well why not try Wisdom who are essentially Hungary's answer to Hammerfall with just a bit of Blind Guardian creeping in on the folkier songs like Believe In Me. This five piece play fist in the air metal and on rampaging tracks like Hero and Believe In Me Wisdom are every inch cut from the same cloth as the Swedish masters of power metal, think huge riffs, speedy drums and gang vocals and you get the idea. Rise Of The Wise is the band's fourth full length following such previous releases as Judas and Marching For Liberty and though it doesn't break the mold it delivers good quality power metal the dual guitars, galloping rhythm section and strong vocals with European enunciation are all done well so there is very little to criticise on a performance point of view, the songwriting to while full of cliches about wizards, battles and fantasy, even dabbling with pirate metal on Nightmare Of The Seas, is enjoyable and will appeal to power metal junkies but in a swamped genre Wisdom may find it hard shine. Still this fourth album is a lot of fun and if power metal is your thing then you can do much worse than pick up a copy and fly away on a wave of manly power metal mayhem. 6/10
Monday, 29 February 2016
A View From The Back Of The Room: Devilskin
Devilskin & Skarlett Riot, The Iron Road Evesham
A road trip is always something I welcome on a Saturday especially for gigs, so it was great anticipation and my oldest friend that we packed the car and headed to Evesham in Worcestershire. After some traffic shenanigans we finally arrived at The Iron Road and made our way inside. Now I've never been to The Iron Road before but what a venue it is, a compact pub with a large, well stocked bar and huge burgers named after various rock and roll icons. Ordering a pint of the house ale and a delicious Lemmy burger (covered in JD you see?) we watched England beat Ireland in the rugby, with us cheering for Ireland naturally while the bands got set up on the stage in the corner of the room. So yes the bands that was the reason we were here most notably for the debut UK headline tour of New Zealand outfit Devilskin, having been suitably impressed by their album last year I was excited to see whether the talent shown on the record would translate to the live arena.
First up however were Scunthorpe mob Skarlett Riot who play spiky, melodic heavy rock with a modern edge and lashings of attitude and confidence, led by the bottle rocket of Skarlett on vocals the band blasted away with a set list of 8 songs that started with Divide Us and moved through the ballsy Wake Up, the heavy Adrenaline and the darker Villains that has huge sing along hook. Skarlett has a superb vocal that was a higher octave than that of the headline band, her vocal was very powerful and was a perfect fit for the bands modern hook-laden sound reminding your writer of Paramore's Haley Williams but set to a heavier backing, which is a very good thing indeed. The backing band were also full of sparks with manic drummer Luke smashing along with aplomb, bassist Martin couldn't keep still as he plucked out rhythms galore leaving Danny to stab at his guitar and deliver a killer solo on House Of Cards. With melodic, hook-laden songs, big riffs and a keen ear of melody Skarlett Riot whet the appetite perfectly, a band well worth checking out live! 8/10
Next then it was time for Devilskin, we were lucky to see the band really as their Barrowlands performance had been cancelled due to frontwoman Jennie's flu, but they managed to reach Evesham by way of The Underworld Camden and as the cosy venue became packed full of people and the band made their way to the stage, the young Nic on the drums, the demonic twins of (see the videos of Little Pills and Start A Revolution) Paul on bass and Nail on guitar before the lovely Jennie hit the stage and the band kicked into the excellently named Elvis Presley Circle Pit and then the chunky Vessel which showed Jennie's superb vocals they are strong and resonant, showing no sign of the flu at all, especially on the aggressive, BLS-like Until You Bleed where she was giving guttural roars from the bowels of hell. In fact Devilskin have a distinctly modern sound merging the pinch harmonics of Zakk and co with some more groove based acts like Pantera and even a bit of Disturbed thrown in mainly due to Paul's bass heavy sound and Nail's technical but not always overt guitar wizardry which has much in common with the latter's Dan Donegan. The band were visual with Nail and Paul frequently switching places and moving around the small stage, heads were banging on the strong and emotive Surrender which has great solo too. Then the band did something that was a bit of risk by dropping a cover of Dio's Holy Diver that if I'm honest was far better than Killswitch Engage's retaining the magic of the original but adding the bands heaviness, smiles all round and back into their own stuff with Fade which errs on the side of Alter Bridge or Creed but has a huge chorus that you can't help sing along to. The band were working through their set at a rate of knots, the bass driven Never See The Light coming next giving more chances to headbang with its fast-slow dynamic and dirty slide riff. When the band did stop they were very appreciative of the crowd coming out to see them and seemed to be having a lot of fun on this tour, the crowd were receptive of this and became more so with the double header of latest single Start A Revolution and previous single Mountains which built the crowd up again. Devilskin are really masters of their craft having toiled for so long on the New Zealand scene it was great to see so many out supporting them in Evesham, more call-and-response on Dirt before the main set ended with new song We Rise which bodes well for their second album. A bit of a break a few thank you's, no chance to get off stage due to the sheer volume of people in the venue so it was back into the encore of the groove-laden Little Pills and the snarling Violation. An excellent set and tremendous performance showing that Devilskin are on that upward trajectory towards bigger things. 9/10
That was that with more well wishing and a chance to cool down and have a drink the band seemed happy and the punters too cheered for a good long while after the set before everyone got talking at the back of the venue. This night was one of those gigs where the planets align, two great performances, two amiable and humble bands, a superb rock venue and a welcoming responsive crowd supporting live music. If only all gigs were like this I'd be a happy bunny!
A road trip is always something I welcome on a Saturday especially for gigs, so it was great anticipation and my oldest friend that we packed the car and headed to Evesham in Worcestershire. After some traffic shenanigans we finally arrived at The Iron Road and made our way inside. Now I've never been to The Iron Road before but what a venue it is, a compact pub with a large, well stocked bar and huge burgers named after various rock and roll icons. Ordering a pint of the house ale and a delicious Lemmy burger (covered in JD you see?) we watched England beat Ireland in the rugby, with us cheering for Ireland naturally while the bands got set up on the stage in the corner of the room. So yes the bands that was the reason we were here most notably for the debut UK headline tour of New Zealand outfit Devilskin, having been suitably impressed by their album last year I was excited to see whether the talent shown on the record would translate to the live arena.
First up however were Scunthorpe mob Skarlett Riot who play spiky, melodic heavy rock with a modern edge and lashings of attitude and confidence, led by the bottle rocket of Skarlett on vocals the band blasted away with a set list of 8 songs that started with Divide Us and moved through the ballsy Wake Up, the heavy Adrenaline and the darker Villains that has huge sing along hook. Skarlett has a superb vocal that was a higher octave than that of the headline band, her vocal was very powerful and was a perfect fit for the bands modern hook-laden sound reminding your writer of Paramore's Haley Williams but set to a heavier backing, which is a very good thing indeed. The backing band were also full of sparks with manic drummer Luke smashing along with aplomb, bassist Martin couldn't keep still as he plucked out rhythms galore leaving Danny to stab at his guitar and deliver a killer solo on House Of Cards. With melodic, hook-laden songs, big riffs and a keen ear of melody Skarlett Riot whet the appetite perfectly, a band well worth checking out live! 8/10
Next then it was time for Devilskin, we were lucky to see the band really as their Barrowlands performance had been cancelled due to frontwoman Jennie's flu, but they managed to reach Evesham by way of The Underworld Camden and as the cosy venue became packed full of people and the band made their way to the stage, the young Nic on the drums, the demonic twins of (see the videos of Little Pills and Start A Revolution) Paul on bass and Nail on guitar before the lovely Jennie hit the stage and the band kicked into the excellently named Elvis Presley Circle Pit and then the chunky Vessel which showed Jennie's superb vocals they are strong and resonant, showing no sign of the flu at all, especially on the aggressive, BLS-like Until You Bleed where she was giving guttural roars from the bowels of hell. In fact Devilskin have a distinctly modern sound merging the pinch harmonics of Zakk and co with some more groove based acts like Pantera and even a bit of Disturbed thrown in mainly due to Paul's bass heavy sound and Nail's technical but not always overt guitar wizardry which has much in common with the latter's Dan Donegan. The band were visual with Nail and Paul frequently switching places and moving around the small stage, heads were banging on the strong and emotive Surrender which has great solo too. Then the band did something that was a bit of risk by dropping a cover of Dio's Holy Diver that if I'm honest was far better than Killswitch Engage's retaining the magic of the original but adding the bands heaviness, smiles all round and back into their own stuff with Fade which errs on the side of Alter Bridge or Creed but has a huge chorus that you can't help sing along to. The band were working through their set at a rate of knots, the bass driven Never See The Light coming next giving more chances to headbang with its fast-slow dynamic and dirty slide riff. When the band did stop they were very appreciative of the crowd coming out to see them and seemed to be having a lot of fun on this tour, the crowd were receptive of this and became more so with the double header of latest single Start A Revolution and previous single Mountains which built the crowd up again. Devilskin are really masters of their craft having toiled for so long on the New Zealand scene it was great to see so many out supporting them in Evesham, more call-and-response on Dirt before the main set ended with new song We Rise which bodes well for their second album. A bit of a break a few thank you's, no chance to get off stage due to the sheer volume of people in the venue so it was back into the encore of the groove-laden Little Pills and the snarling Violation. An excellent set and tremendous performance showing that Devilskin are on that upward trajectory towards bigger things. 9/10
That was that with more well wishing and a chance to cool down and have a drink the band seemed happy and the punters too cheered for a good long while after the set before everyone got talking at the back of the venue. This night was one of those gigs where the planets align, two great performances, two amiable and humble bands, a superb rock venue and a welcoming responsive crowd supporting live music. If only all gigs were like this I'd be a happy bunny!
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