Reviews: Threshold, Leprous, The Great Discord, King Creature

Threshold: Legends Of The Shires (Nuclear Blast)

In their time as a band Threshold have have four vocalists in total but they have changed singers 7 times, Damian Wilson was the longest serving being part of the band from 1992-1993, then 1996-1998 and finally 2007–2017, with Andrew Mac MacDermott second having the more stable 1998 to 2007 tenure, thirdly it's Glyn Morgan who played with the band from 1993 - 1996 (and fourth was Jon Jeary who stopped singing in 1992 but stayed the bands bassist until 2003). After Mac left the band Damian Wilson returned for the bands last two critically acclaimed releases, its sounded like Threshold were going to have the most stable line up they have had for a while, however in early 2017 the band released a statement saying they were going to progress onward without Wilson behind the mic, there was bit of bluster about who was going to replace him and it turned out to be former vocalist Glynn Morgan who's only album was 1994's Psychedelicatessen.

Glynn has a rougher voice than Wilson but it's still got that feeling of familiarity being able to take the lighter spacey themes of Stars And Satellites along with the heavier tracks such as The Man Who Saw Through Time. That feeling of familiarity is probably due to the unchanged writing team of guitarist Karl Groom and keyboardist Richard West along with drummer Johanne James and bassist Steve Anderson who have been the long time rhythm section, as well as Wilson rhythm guitarist Pete Morden has also left the band since the previous record leaving Glynn to pick up his parts live.

So with the changes what about the new record? Well, it's pretty much the classic Threshold style of progressive metal, elongated songs, virtuoso playing, keyboard and guitar duels and a theme running through the record split by the three part The Shires suite, which features a returning Jon Jeary providing vocals on Part 3 as treat for fans. Stylistically they bring in some of the lighter textures of AOR and melodic rock for a record that is a study of English psyche (thus the title)

Threshold continue to forge ahead in their category of one, they are probably the only British band that can do the American style of progressive metal better than your Dream Theaters etc, but also they've added a lot more 20th Century UK prog rock to this record, this may be because of the soulful vocals of Morgan, you can hear the big prog rock heavyweights on Subliminal Highways and State Of Independence, there's heaviness, fragility, passion and an Englishness about Threshold that is always captivating, if you're looking for what could be one of the top progressive releases of the year then look no further. 9/10

Leprous: Malina (InsideOut)

Prog has had something of a reincarnation in the past 10 years, many bands have embraced the genre allowing it to become less of a dirty word, yes there will always be the solo's galore of Dream Theater but with Djent scene came, bands who maybe had radio play before, became less encumbered by their lot and experimented a little. Leprous come from the Scandi prog scene which has always been a bit more daring, but I'd say none more daring than Leprous who over the course of their career have adapted and tweaked their formula until we get the music featured on Malina. For most of this record the 'metal' aspect is downplayed and frontman Einar Solberg stays in his higher register which could upset those that have followed the band from their association with Ihshan but I think it's part of their ongoing evolution as a group.

Bonneville has the bristling electronic misery of Radiohead with a repetitive back beat, and the highest falsetto while Stuck is driven by immediacy and it's off-kilter rhythm which makes it audibly similar to 30STM or Coheed especially as it builds to the massive chorus and melodic lead break. There's a loud/quiet dynamic to it that hooks you in and keeps you interested before moving into bubbling electronic and strings coda in it's final part.

Leprous have always been experimental and since really Coal they have pushed the boundaries of their sound further and further. What strikes you about Malina is that it has more synths and keys than any previous record, meaning that their isn't as much reliance on heavy guitars, they are allowed to breath and bring the fleet fingered leads on top of the palm muted riffs that weave in and out of the tracks, see Mirage, keeping them right on the cusp of modern progressive music, but also giving them more scope into the, how can I say this, acceptable face of progressive music such as Coheed and Muse.

That being said they still maintain the quirks of obscure proggers such as King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator with the overt use of odd time signatures and dark, aggressive synths, they are the main component of Illuminate's unsettling musical base and Coma's jerkiness. A logical next step for Leprous who continue to create interest and enjoyment with their no compromise style, there aren't many bands that can be fresh and exciting while still being resolutely themselves. 9/10

The Great Discord: The Rabbit Hole (The Sign Records)

I saw The Great Discord for the first time supporting Katatonia in Bristol and they were truly a terrifying and intriguing sight to be hold, vocalist Fia Kempe was in full front person mode as sinister and dangerous alter ego IRE. (Check out the photos of the gig on our Facebook page to see IRE in all it's glory). The Great Discord are apparently classified as a progressive death pop band, a tag that speaks volumes about this album that thematically deals with an alternative telling of Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland, it's a trope that has been covered by numerous bands but The Great Discord take it to a stranger place than it's been before.

The music on The Rabbit Hole is contradictory, furious blast beats are met with the alt-pop sensibility of Kemp who's voice is build for big power ballads but is ideal for the dramatic songs on this record, take Darkest Day which is a 21st Century thrash number with huge vocal hook chorus and melodic lead break, or Gadget which pairs kooky vocals with heavy groove riffs. The Great Discord certainly win points for uniqueness, they have managed to merge modern heavy metal with electronic grooves (Tell Tale Heart) and top it with vocalist that has the dexterity of Tori Amos or Kate Bush.

The Rabbit Hole is the sound of a band who have developed into something much more invigorating than they were on their debut, the music featured here is weirder and heavy but it's accessible. There are lots of big bad metal bangers such as The Red Rabbit but also there are more measured dreamlike compositions like the Phillip K Dick lullaby of Neon Dreaming. Weird but worth investing in. 8/10

King Creature: Volume One (Marshall Music)

King Creature lead guitarist Dave Evans started on the pathway to being one of Marshall Records first acts from the age of 13, with his family sharing videos to Marshall Amplification of his progress using a practice amp sent to him by Managing Director Jon Ellery. From here the Cornish band were born out of jam sessions between Evans vocalist / bassist Dave Kellaway, guitarist Matt K Vincent and drummer Jack Sutton - Bassett, they plugged away at material for about two years in that time they were chosen by Lemmy to open for Motörhead at the Eden sessions in St Austell in 2015 Megadeth, Hellyeah and Down, playing the Hard Rock Hell and Winter’s End festivals. One listen to their debut record and you can hear why they were accorded with such an honour.

This four piece rock, hard, their groove heavy hard rock is the perfect Planet Rock fodder (if they'd play them than is ) but with a heavier edge than say Stone Broken or Big Foot. Musically the band are adaptable mainly due to Kellaway's versatile vocals that share a lot in common with Corey Taylor, this means that the band sound like Stone Sour on Fortune Teller, Wrath and ballad Can You Forgive Me but also they have the grunge wooziness of Alice In Chains on Can't Be Saved mixed with the guitar-laden rocking of Alter Bridge (Power) and Black label Society (The Pusher). Every song is well crafted for maximum impact the riffs are chunky and get you head nodding, the solos fly at a moments notice and the songs vary in tempo and style throughout the running time to keep you engaged.

Produced by Rob Cass (Slash, Brian May, Jack Bruce) at Abbey Road Studios no less King Creature have all the chops to be major players on the hard rock scene, the songs are there they just need that one touch-point tour or radio play to really explode out of the blocks into the stratosphere, get on board now before you regret it. 8/10

Reviews: Epica, Arch Enemy, Seven Spires, Oraton

Epica: The Solace System (Nuclear Blast)

On the back of their sublime album The Holographic Principle from last year 2016, Epica have returned with an EP that has been released just in time for their US tour with Lacuna Coil and their upcoming UK tour early next year. The six songs on this record were written during the sessions for the last album and they retain the intensely technical, cinematic, epochal nature of their last full length. The record kicks off with the title track which has glorious choirs before the main riff kicks in and Simon Simmons lets those golden pipes loose.

What I've always loved about Epica is that they have become more grandiose as the years have worn on, they are the epitome of symphonic metal with a huge classical edge to their music but there is never a hint of it being throwaway, every element is meticulously plotted and planned, from the swathes of classical instrumentation (Coen Jansen), to the shredding riffs (Mark Jansen & Issac Dehaye), the explosive drumming (Ariën van Weesenbeek) and of course Simone's vocals interweaving with the harsh vocals from Mark, Ariën and Issac used to great effect on the powerful Wheel Of Destiny, the rest of the record features the excellent Architect Of Light and the superior ballad Immortal Melancholy. Epica have been on a roll since their fourth record and there seems to be no signs of stopping them. 8/10

Arch Enemy: Will To Power (Century Media)

The last Arch Enemy record was released in 2014, it was typical Arch Enemy fayre but was notable for the introduction of Alissa White-Gluz on vocals after long term vocalist Angela Gossow stepped down from behind the mic. Since then they have toured pretty much non stop and have gained the membership of Jeff Loomis who was the six stringer of Nevermore. His wizardry creeps in on opening instrumental Set Flame To The Night which is nothing more than a guitar lead harmony that bleeds into The Race an accurately named song as it does seem like a race to the finish breaking in the middle for a heaving groove and fiery solo. From the first track you can hear that the 'new' Arch Enemy line up have really gelled after Gossow's departure, there is no trepidation here just balls the wall melodic death metal with lead guitar mastery that adds a new edge, honed by the arduous touring schedule the band have come out of the other side with enough material for a new record that shakes up their melodic death metal approach.

Founder member Michael Ammott has found the ideal sparring partner in Loomis, every song has a blazing solo as part of it without sacrificing the wall of riffs Arch Enemy have always made their own, The World Is Yours gallops along at fair pace and has some tasty lead breaks, it stands as one of the best tracks on the record, although it should have been a closer on the other hand if it was the finale then you wouldn't get the climactic A Fight I Must Win. After The World Is Yours they change tact with a stomping The Eagle Flies Alone it's what you could consider a 'lighter' song it has a melodic feel and a grand piano and after this it gets yet more delicate a Alissa displays her clean vocals over the top of classical guitars and synths before Reason To Believe builds into the hard rock hook.

Behind the mic the touring and various guest spots have clearly given Alissa more confidence as she has developed her own style of vocal, yes she still has the rawness of Gossow but she is distinctly different, her vocals are clearer and more defined than her predecessor. On their tenth album Arch Enemy take risks and for a band in their 21st year that's not something to take lightly, the do pay dividends, Arch Enemy sound revitalised, they have held on to their melo-death sound but they now have a classic metal vein running through them, it all gets me excited for their shows in February next year. 8/10

Seven Spires: Solveig (Black Ray Music)

According to the press release, "Seven Spires’ album Solveig is a theatrical metal concept album in two acts, It is the story of a lost soul and his journey through a Demon’s sunless Neo-Victorian underworld. Despite small glimmers of hope, it is a grim tale with a heavy focus on escapism, death, and decadence" to me that translates to a Steampunk retelling of Dante's Inferno, but it sets the listener up for what is a mind bending trip through a cinematic story-line where the band change styles as often as they change notes, its a mish-mash of power, black, death and symphonic metal with jazz, classical and even operatic touches, tracks such as The Cabaret Of Dreams sounds like Diablo Swing Orchestra, Closure has Maiden-esque guitar breaks and a huge death metal breakdown, that leads into the outright Romanticism of 100 Days while later on The Paradox is pure black metal filth.

This is just the tip of a very deep Berkeley College Of Music Trained iceberg, all four members of the band trained their which is immediately obvious from the technical playing of all the instrumental players who effortlessly move from style to style. Led by Jack Kosto's incredible six string mastery and Adrienne Cowan's impressive vocal range, one minute it's high opera the next brutal death growls and after that black metal screeching. Many may balk at the records 15 track playlist but when you consider a couple of these tracks are instrumental that link the elements of the story together it means you are left with about 12 well structured and formed metal tracks that should see every metal fan find at least one song they can rock out to. Solveig is theatrical metal in it's best form it grabs you by the collar and drags you into the story-line with a flurry of musical dexterity. It's a record that needs repeated plays as it can be overwhelming in one sitting but it is very pleasurable experience if you want something that's more than just a metal record. 9/10        

Oraton: Concentric Circles (Self Released)

Th UK has a real pedigree when it comes to progressive metal/rock bands with female singers, there's Mostly Autumn, Magenta, Panic Room, The Reasoning, Touchstone and the list goes on. With UK being the leaders of this style it makes sense why Leighton Buzzard's Oraton would want a piece of that action, however many of the bands mentioned have had years or experience perfecting their craft while Oraton are only on their debut release, so they haven't got a hope of reaching those lofty ambitions?

Well consider yourself wrong on all counts Concentric Circles is very mature professional record, the band (on record at least) are a three piece of Joe Parrish-James (guitar), his sister Rhian (vocals) and friend Mikey Ciancio (drums), they have pooled their influences very well on this record with Rhian's keening clear vocals sitting on top of the punchy drumming of Mikey as Joe display's a virtuosity of someone far more experienced, you can hear Iron Maiden in his solos and also the atmosphere's they create especially on the gargantuan title track.

They are a band who weave their influences well you get some nods to Epica on Erato Lives, Tool style rhythms on Late Love, Devin style riffs on Condemned To Life and the angular Astral Park and big melodic power from Accept The Circle. The production is crisp and allows the instruments space to be heard while Rhian's vocals are particularly enjoyable especially with the male vocals supporting the harmonies ala Touchstone and Mostly Autumn. If you like your progressive rock with a metallic edge and huge amount of talent Oraton are worth checking out, an impressive debut. 7/10
  

Reviews: Motörhead, UFO, Belphegor, Deadlord (Review By Paul)

Motörhead: Under Cöver (Motörhead Music)

It’s been two years since the final Motörhead album Bad Magic hit the shelves. A superb release, demonstrating the musical strength of Lemmy, Phil and Mikkey, and despite the legendary frontman's passing later in 2015 the band remain regularly on the play list of many rock music stations. New music may not be possible, but as in many recording sessions, gems are often hidden away. So, it is with this release. 11 tracks from the powerhouse trio, ranging from 1992 to those last sessions but with one absolute beauty which makes this release a must have. Yes, the cover of David Bowie’s Heroes, recorded during the Bad Magic sessions finally makes it onto a record and it is quite phenomenal. The understated vocal performance of Lemmy is quite beautiful whilst the playing of Phil Campbell is just stunning. Mikkey Dee, now doing sterling business with Scorpions demonstrates throughout this release what an underrated drummer he is.

The other covers are a curious bunch, with the 1992 version of Ted Nugent’s Cat Scratch Fever sitting alongside a double of the Stones Jumpin’ Jack Flash from 2001 and 2015’s fine Sympathy For The Devil. The Motörhead version of Hellraiser featured on 1992’s March Or Die and was originally written by Ozzy Ozbourne, Zakk Wylde and Lemmy for 1991’s No More Tears. What you get here is the unique take that Motörhead provide to every track, apart from the Biff Byford led vocal on Starstruck which featured on 2014’s Ronnie James Dio: This is Your Life tribute release. I’m rarely that impressed by a cover but this is a fine release which deserves to be played loud and proud. Raise your glass and remember the legend. It’s superb. 9/10

UFO: The Salentino Cuts (Cleopatra Records)

It’s no secret that I have a massive admiration for UFO, the UK hard rockers now well into their fourth decade as a band. It’s quite amazing that the band has not released any cover versions in their career but The Salentino Cuts resolves that with 12 choice cuts selected by the band based on their own personal favourites. For a band as seasoned as UFO, this must have been a blast to record and each track receives the unique UFO take. Some of the tracks are expected, such as The Yardbirds’ Heart Full Of Soul and Free’s The Pusher, whilst others are a little more obscure; Mad Season’s River Of Deceit, Paper In Fire, originally recorded by John Mellancamp and Montrose’s Rock Candy all receive the Mogg & Co swagger.

Each track is treated with a sensitivity which you’d expect from UFO, with Vinnie Moore’s soulful blues playing exceptional, for example, on the Bill Withers Ain’t No Sunshine which has no right to be as good as it is. Vocalist Phil Mogg continues to defy the years with a strong performance, notably on the rocking cover of The Doors Break On Through, an epic version of Mountain’s Mississippi Queen and a quite different version of ZZ Top’s Just Got Paid which showcases the quality of the entire band. The Salentino Cuts, as with Motörhead’s Under Cövers is another example of class is permanent. This is magic. 9/10

Belphegor: Totenritual (Nuclear Blast)

The Austrians had never really been on my radar until 2014’s Conjuring The Dead which was a fine piece of extreme black metal. Snarly and evil, the ninth album saw the band’s profile rise with a main stage slot at BOA in 2015. The arrival of new drummer Simon ‘Bloodhammer’ Schilling has seen him slot seamlessly into the band with the battering ram approach associated with the full force of this band unchecked. Totenritual rarely allows time for breath, although I will say that it is not as fast in places as its predecessor which was brutal from start to finish.

That’s not to say Totenritual is poor in anyway because it isn’t. In fact, it is another blistering assault on the senses, but with more atmosphere and malevolence than before. The guttural roar of main man Helmuth Lehner remains as distinctive as before with his guitar work carving patterns into the listener’s cranium. Alongside Schilling the pounding bass and backing vocals of ten-year veteran Serpenth crushes all. The album crackles with intensity, from the roasting opener Baphomat through to the piledriver of Apophis – Black Dragon and the haunting and unearthly title track which closes one of the best extreme releases of the year. 8/10

Deadlord: In Ignorance We Trust (Century Media)

Sweden churns out band after band and Deadlord are another who follow the classic rock vein and do it very well. You may have seen them supporting The Vintage Caravan or at HRH in 2016. The band, whose mantra is very much in the style of Tenacious D: We shall rock you with our rock, were formed by vocalist and guitarist Ha Kim Krim and include bassist Tobias Lindkvist (from Enforcer), Adam Lindmark (Morbus Chron) on drums and guitarist Olle Hedenström. The band’s previous sound focused very much on a Thin Lizzy blend with duel guitar work at the forefront.

In Ignorance We Trust moves away from that and although the guitar sound remains very much at the forefront there is more of a Blue Öyster Cult/ Roky Erickson style on this record. There are also shades of Tom Petty (check out Reruns for an example) and a move towards the Americana flavour. It’s all solid stuff and the hooks and melody of songs such as Too Late and Kill Them All rock along. I can’t say I’m enamored by the ballad Leave Me Be but overall this is a perfectly enjoyable release. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Banditos

Banditos, KFC Nantgarw

So yeah as you can see from the title above this was an odd one. To coincide with KFC's Southern Legends burger tour they organised an actual tour of Southern bands, each band hailed from the place the burger was named after and the bands in question played two gigs in two restaurants. For the Alabama chicken burger (which is pretty much a McDonalds Quarter Pounder with Cheese but with chicken instead of beef) the band was Alabama Southern Psych rockers Banditos  and luckily enough their two shows were in Wales. I opted for Nantgarw over Merthyr Tydfil purely for convenience. Picking up a free ticket online I arrived at the venue and went in to the surreal sight of an empty restaurant with a drumkit, amps, guitars, a banjo and mics all in front of the desk.

Now here's where I do get a little annoyed so bear with me, the ticket included a free burger, fries and unlimited drink, no I know that the idea of the campaign is to advertise the food but around 70% of the crowd came for the free meal, 25% were staff roped in to fill the numbers and only 5% were there for the band. These small numbers were probably due to the lack of advertising on KFC's part, with only a Facebook advert promoting the tour at all, if they had broadened their scope a bit I'm sure there would be a lot of rock fans who would have loved to see the band.

Still rant over burger eaten, seat at the front (yes the front) taken. Banditos are a six piece band from Alabama who's debut album impressed me a lot, I've recently picked up their second album so expect a review for that in due course, what attracted me to this gig was that Banditos haven't played a lot in UK so this was a rare treat. With an introduction in place Corey Parsons (vocal/guitarist), Stephen Pierce (vocal/banjo), Randy Wade (drums), Jeffrey Salter (guitar), Jeffery Vines (bass) and Mary Beth Richardson (vocals) all took to the stage confined by the cramped conditions but looking ready to go in their Southern bohab chic of Stetsons and bell bottoms. Then they struck the first cord of the smooth and smoldering with Strange Heart and their almost workmanlike southern grooves blew your head off crystal clear sound, killer guitar playing from Salter who plays spindly guitar leads over the rhythms of Parsons and Vines as Wade keeps a rocking beat going for Pierce's banjo shuffle.

With the band reasonably static it was up to Mary Beth to hold the attention and she did with soulful vocals, sultry delivery, tambourine encouragement and even a mean kazoo (Fun All Night). They shook things up with Fine Fine Day, before the first Richardson showcase came with Healin' Slow which had her sashaying through the seated crowd using her choir trained vocal power to really drive home the tragic romance of the piece. As this was not their crowd they tried their hardest to win over the blank full of food faces in the audience by rocking out a little with new songs the psych drenched Visionland and the swaggering Still And Quiet. Trading vocals with every song Mary Beth and Stephen compliment each other well with Stephen's Dylan-like delivery working well with Mary Beth's gospel training.

I was wondering how long the band would play for but they still had a lot to play bringing classic boogie woogie of Still Sober After All These Beers and swamp blues of The Breeze saw Corey taking the first vocal of the evening but it was the showstopping Old Ways and their incredible cover of Screaming Jay Hawking's I Put A Spell On You that really brought those of us who were there to watch the band to our feet. I really, really hope Banditos play a 'proper' venue as even in what is a fast food restaurant (which admittedly had amazing sound) they were incredible. 9/10

Reviews: Septicflesh, The Quill, Night (Reviews By Paul)

Septicflesh: Codex Omega (Seasons Of Mist)

It’s been a lengthy wait for album number ten from the Athenian extreme metal outfit, following 2014’s magnificent Titan but the wait is finally over with arrival of Codex Omega. This is the first release with drummer Kerim ‘Krimh’ Lecher who matches his predecessor Fotis Gianakopoulos beat for beat. Produced by Logan Mader, diehard fans will be pleased to note that the soaring operatics remain firmly in place, lightening the brutal assault which breaks on the listener with opener Dante’s Inferno. The intensity rarely slows, with Spiros ‘Seth Siro Anton’ Antoniou’s gruesome unclean vocals in immense form. The majesty of the band is captured in Portrait Of A Headless Man, a high-octane ride which combines spiralling choral vocals, massive chunky guitar riffs and forceful time changes. There are moments of calm, such as the opening build up to Martyr which lurches powerfully into a highly charged, passion filled epic, horn sections segueing into a cascade of explosive riffs. Martyr doesn’t obliterate with pace but with pure power.

Communion, The Great Mass and Titan all showed the band’s ability to intertwine the dramatic operatic elements with brutal death metal and Codex Omega continues with this voyage. Faceless Queen allows Sotiris Vayenas the brief opportunity to flex his clean vocals whilst Christos Antoniou's lead guitar slices and shreds with vicious intent. Gospels Of Fear is possibly the most accessible track on first listen, a Slayer type guitar riff, a haunting bell and classical symphonies all merging to produce an astonishingly fast three and a half minutes which leaves you gasping for air at the pace of it all. The evocative and unorthodox construction works to impressive effect, the impact stunning. Trinity, which closes the main album provides a much more sedate sound, almost hard rock in parts before the mammoth riff and more guttural vocals pound the skull with impending doom. Black clouds gathered as I listened to this atmospheric song.

The three bonus tracks are worth the purchase with the 11+ minutes of the monumental orchestral Martyr Of Truth worth the price in its own. Septicflesh are a band who merit enormous respect. Like their brothers Rotting Christ, the band follow their path and are not persuaded to follow anything else. Codex Omega is a welcome return from one of the bands who continue to make extreme metal interesting. Don’t be afraid. A stunning release. 9/10

The Quill: Born From Fire (Metalville)

More Swedish hard rock and an absolute beauty here with the eighth album from The Quill. Combining the hard rock edge of Sabbath, Purple, Zeppelin and Motörhead with the alt-grunge of Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and the stoner edge of Monster Magnet, Born From Fire marks the return of vocalist Magnus Erkwall for the first time since 2006’s In Triumph. From the Motörhead style raw power of Snakecharmer Woman, the Sabbath type doom laden riffs of Ghost Horse and the stomp of Electric Sons, Born From Fire is a treat laden album which showcases some solid musicianship. A release well worth picking up. 8/10

Night: Raft Of The World (The Sign Records)

The opening 4 minutes and 45 seconds of track one of Swedish rock outfit Night’s album Raft Of The World was enough. Fire Across The Sky was a reasonably decent hard rock track until Oskar Andersson opened his mouth. I couldn’t reach for the off button in time for track 2, Surrender to start but by then I was waving the white flag to make it end. As Mrs H said, “it was nice when it stopped”. The remaining seven tracks may be great. I’m not taking the risk. 2/10

Reviews: Serious Black, End Of Green, Tower Of Babel

Serious Black: Magic (AFM)

International power metal band Serious Black have been pretty consistent with their releases, they have brought out a new record every year since 2015, when Rich reviewed their last record Mirrorworld and while he enjoyed it he noted that the band was more melodic than many power metal acts with some of the record straying into AOR, this was something I noticed as well, happily the balance has been redressed on their third outing as the opening duo of Binary Magic and Burn! Witches! Burn! definitely ramp up the fury with Helloween style shredding from Dominik Sebastian (Edenbridge) and Bob Katsionis (Firewind/Outloud) the order of the day as Alex Holzworth (Rhapsody Of Fire) do what he does best behind the kit by really letting the skins fly.

They do bring in melodic touches here as well though on Now You'll Never Know which has tinkling keys from Jan Vacik but still tough guitar riffs. There seems to be a theme of...well magic...running through this record with numerous mentions of magic (Serious Black Magic, I Can Do Magic) and witches they even have time for some vigilantes on Lone Gunmen Rule which unfortunately is not a tribute to the very underrated X-Files off shoot The Lone Gunmen. Magic certainly gives Serious Black their edge heading back to the German sounding power metal of their debut record, although with Urban Breed's vocals the Teutonic sound was never very far away. Magic is a good record, at 13 tracks there is some filler but for the most part it once again shows there is longevity in this 'supergroup'. 8/10

End Of Green: Void Estate (Napalm Records)

Stuttgart Gothic/Doomsters End Of Green have been spreading miserablism for 25 years and they are still as cataclysmically sorrowful as ever with droning doom metal riffs building around the mournful vocals of Michelle Darkness. The band are a well drilled unit and the songs speak of aging, loss and loneliness but with pearls of optimism buried deep within, Send In The Clowns opens the record like a sprawling dirge of Paradise Lost where Darkness emotively begs begs for the titular clowns, unfortunately no such luck as the mood doesn't lighten on Dark Side Of The Sun where the melancholic slow moving riff meets with Darkness doing his lowest, gravel swallowing vocals that is so reminiscent of the late Pete Steele.

 After two heavy hitters things get a bit lighter on The Door and the atmospheric Head Down and the pulsing The Unseen which both have the electronics and layered acoustics of Depeche Mode. End Of Green do depression well with marching doom riffs one minute and some Dire Straits bluesing on Crossroads throwing in The Mission style  Green is the colour of hope and as their name states there is an air of hopelessness about their music, these unhappy German's are the ideal soundtrack to your next Goth gathering, they even have a song called Dressed In Black Again to reinforce the dress code. Make sure you get the memo, smiles not required. 7/10 

Tower Of Babel: Lake Of Fire (Lion Music)

American guitarist Joe Stump is influenced by Yngwie Malmsteen, Ritchie Blackmore and Gary Moore and as such so is the music he produced with his band Tower Of Babel who are made up of numerous high profile session men. It's neoclassical hard rock that sounds like Rainbow or Dio, big chunky riffs, explosive fretwork and powerful vocals, these come from Csaba Zvekan who has the identical soulful growl to Jorn.

You get exactly what you'd expect from this record, a rocking rhythm section from Mark Cross and Nic Angileri drives the heavy hitting tracks along as Maestro Mistheria fleshes everything out giving big 80's organs to Addicted and the keys mean Stump can let the shredding do his talking for him on the title track which is a veritable fret-fest as is Midnight Sun If you like Jorn, Dio or Rainbow then you'll love Tower Of Babel, they do nothing new but they do it well enough that it will tide you over until the next Jorn record. 7/10  

The Spotlight: Interview With Suffocation (By Paul)

Suffocation Interview

Before their headline show at the Bierkeller in Bristol on 27 August, We were lucky enough to meet the Suffocation and spend some time chatting with them. In their dressing room, with a background soundtrack of opening band Democratus warming up, Matt and I sat down with the main men Terrance Hobbs, Derek Boyer and Charlie Errigo. Drummer Eric Morotti was also present but was engrossed in his X-Box gaming

I began by asking the band about their time in Europe. The band had been in Europe for the best part of a month on the festival circuit but Terrance and Derek were quick to correct me that it wasn’t just festivals. “We’ve done festivals but in between we’ve had local shows as well, so it hasn’t just been straight festivals.” Derek added “It’s been festivals on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, weekend festivals and then week day club shows”. So, I asked how it had gone. Terrance: “pretty damn good man. You take the good with the bad, when you’ve got to play on a Monday night in the middle of Nowheresville, you don’t expect a miracle; but it’s really been a bi-polar type of experience ‘cause you go from these really small clubs that have 100 people in them, and it’s packed and hot as fuck, and then you go outside and play in front of 15,000 people, and you are like, what the hell happened! You get that kinda postpartum depression thing, “we played in front of all these fucking people man, and now we’re playing in front of 60 in a basement”…but it’s all good fun”.

I moved on to ask the band about life on the road, and managed to generate howls of laughter when I referred to the image of the road being ‘glamourous’. Derek dispelled that myth straight away. “It’s a lot of work”. So how do the band keep focused, swapping from 15,000 to 60 fans in 24 hours? Terrance explained: “For us particularly, other than this dead time, we have set up time and take down time. Other than that, we play video games, sit around, talk and talk to others, watch movies but for the most part there isn’t that much time for us to do anything, you know, you’re lucky if you can get to walk around the town and see the sights; maybe go to a cool restaurant and get something to eat (or have a beer added Charlie!). I wondered if the guys managed to remember which country they were in each night? Derek was in immediately, “that’s the singer’s job!” cue much laughter. “Early in the day you hear some dialect and you go, ah, German, we’re in Germany”. Terrance added “the problem is if you are in Bavaria and you can’t find weed!” The band have been in and out of Germany three or four times on this tour “yeah, the hardest part is getting weed!”

I asked about any disasters with the kit given the amount of travel? It turns out, perhaps unsurprisingly given his performance later that evening that drummer Eric causes the most damage. Terrance explained “this guy here, he just eats drums up for breakfast. He blows snares, kills the skins y’know”. “Cymbals don’t stand a chance” added Derek, “but everything is pretty intact. We all have our little problems but that’s to be expected, but for the most part everything is working right”. “We left the sound engineer’s bag in a club, had to get it shipped” added Terrance, “almost lost my wallet, driver found it on the ground” and we also established the driver found a decent amount of cash as well which can’t be bad! Derek also regaled us with the tale of being left behind at a gas station. When we checked it was for a whole ten minutes which by my reckoning isn’t too bad at all. It’s when they don’t notice for three hours you get to worry! What you immediately sensed was the bond between the band at this stage. They’ve been away from home for weeks, living in each other’s pockets and they engaged in the most enjoyable banter.

I saw a quote that referred to Suffocation as’ American Death Metal’s most consistent and punishing standard bearers’. I wanted to know, as one of the iconic bands in death metal, does that influence how the band at all? “It’s nice to hear” says Terrance, “I guess I’m not looking at my head growing to the size of a giant balloon y’ know, but I think it’s cool that people pay attention to the band. It’s been almost 30 years for me in the band. Anybody that’s paying attention out there and says, dude, I like what you’ve done, like what you are doing, it’s always to the heart. At least I’m doing something right”. Derek continues “we always aim to punish the people when we play live, everybody’s got to know what they are doing, take pride in what you are doing and come out and deliver the Suffocation”. “send it in” adds Charlie in a rare moment of animation!

I admitted it had been seven years since I’d seen Suffocation and I was looking forward to it. Terrance: “It’s a bit different, a bit speedier now, I think we are a bit more precise in our play at this point and I think that helps a lot. We are musically tight and it’s important that it doesn’t turn into a big wash of sound”. “Even if you don’t know the songs and you’re in the audience you should still hear the clarity in the music” says Derek, “the diehard fans knows when the change comes but the person who’s never heard us, with the proper engineer, the proper musicians and the proper gear, it should be listenable music. Real aggressive, we want to keep the intensity but you should be able to tell, to hear it” and boy did we later in the evening when the band pulverised all in their wake with some of the most impressive technical death metal Bristol has ever witnessed.

Derek continued “Melodically and rhythmically we are all syncopating”. I wondered whether it was an issue for the band that death metal is often classed as just a wall of noise? The band agreed. “It gets technical and it gets lost, you can tell which bands are actually doing their job, y’know, nowadays with the recording revolution, you can cheat your ass off. You get a musician like this guy (gestures at Eric) playing beats like he does and then you get a guitarist who is doing this, y’know, stepping all over the intervals, it’s like, maybe the band can use a little more help. They need to sit down, work on their intervals”. Charlie adds “we’re together, it’s not just the drummer y’know”.

Given that there seems to be so many death metal bands around today, what bands capture Suffocation’s attention? Both Terrance and Derek were quick to list a few. “Decrepit Birth, Virvum from Switzerland, Aeon and Despised Icon. Old school Possessed has come back around you know”. Having seen Possessed at BOA only two weeks previously I could clearly relate to that. Terrance continued, “There are old school bands and new school bands, y’know, Charlie loves all different genres of music than say I do or Derek does, it’s definitely heavy”. Charlie “Hardcore stuff, you gotta listen to it all, you can’t just listen to one type”. Terrance “These guys swear by Code Orange … but if you’re working for your success you can’t take it away from them”.

Of The Dark Light was released in June 2017, a mighty fine album and I asked the band about it. “Feels like a year old already” said Derek and I noted that much of it was written way before the release. “A lot was done over the course of time” explained Terrance, “after Pinnacle Of Bedlam came out it was just writing a riff here and there”. “We get so busy touring” adds Derek, “people say why does it take so long to do a record; well if we were home for a minute maybe we could do something but they (the label) put us out, send us out, go out, go out, go out so you chip away at it and then all of a sudden you go, hey, wait a minute, we’ve got a lot of material here, let’s get everyone in the same room and try to get everyone at the same place”. “It’s kinda like a plan or statistic” says Terrance, “once you manage to get a record out, the best thing to do is to tour as much as you can, because over the course of time the demand will get less and less, and you’ve got to cover all the territories. So while the iron is hot you gotta strike!”

So, what was the reception to the album like? Terrance “I think it’s been a mixed bag personally, some people meet us and go, ah man, you’re playing some new style stuff, fuck you, but then we get the diehard fans who love what we do and they come out and see us live and they get it better. I think every record that we have leaves room for improvement but also leaves the live aspect in it”. We noted that it’s in the live arena where you get to appreciate the complexity and quality of the music and Derek agrees “that’s the problem nowadays because in the recording studio you can do so much magic and then you see the band live and they fucking suck. Great record y’know, great job and then you see them live and they can’t do it. They fake their way through the studio. We always consider ourselves a live band, come see it, that’s the real deal”.

Exploring the process of putting the record together, I mentioned that the band had referred to it as an organic maturity. Terrance: “As I said it was written piece by piece by me and Derek, mainly over the course of time, Derek did most of the vocal and lyric patterns and writing the lyrics and I did most of the music although these other guys did have their input into the final recording of it”. “Absolutely” agrees Derek. Terrance continued “every time we got together to rehearse we would try and find two new areas of all this pre-production material that me and Derek had written and from there we did some touring and came home and went directly into the rehearsal room and rehearsed, so it was organic in the aspect that all of us were able to play the record, go and do our parts in the studio, as it should do, of course there is some added digital in there because that’s just the way it is these days but we tried to stay as far away from that as possible in the whole aspect of it because we wanted the band to sound like the band”. “You don’t want it to sound like you’re listening to a computer” adds Derek. 

Terrance continues “going back to that earlier question that’s something that a lot of fans have a gripe about, they hear everything so perfectly now, that if they hear something that is human …” “they are like, it’s sloppy what’s up?” interjects Derek. “We want to leave it feeling natural. It’s funny how black and white it is though because as soon as you cross into that new style of recording if you leave anything in that’s old fashioned it sounds questionable, so all the new bands that are doing everything the new way, everything sounds fucking perfect and you see them live, they suck. For us, it was kinda we were right on the fence, you know, trying new technology, all this stuff and the next thing you know, we were just going to leave it as natural and people were like, they suck here. Yeah, that’s human”. It’s clear from listening to the album and seeing the band deliver the new songs live that Suffocation feel passionately about delivering albums with that live feel. The new tracks were built for the live arena.

Suffocation used Full Force Studios to record the album and Terrance explains “that’s our buddy Joe (Joe Cincotta – who owns Full Force Studios), we pretty much grabbed him right out of college a billion years ago and that’s where the rehearsal rooms are and the studio and everything else is, so it was a natural thing for us to go write a record there around the corner and it’s also a lot better because now everybody’s a little more distant so Derek lives a little further away than me and so on so to get everybody together in one spot outside of long island, outside of New York is a lot harder, everyone having to fly in but at least it (Full Force) is centrally located so it made it a little bit easier to get into the room”.

The band have recorded Epitaph Of The Credulous which was originally on Breeding The Spawn (1993’s sophomore release) and I asked the guys about that. Derek explained “so far, every album we’ve redone one track from the album (Breeding The Spawn) so we are two tracks away from the entire record again”. Terrance adds “obviously Breeding The Spawn sounded like shit, everybody from the former line-ups to this line-up was like, great songs, just sounds shit, what happened and that’s what happens when you have turmoil and you are a bunch of young kids and you don’t know what’s going on; you think you know but you don’t. A fun product came out being a crappy selling record. As Derek said, the material was great, it just didn’t sound like anything so for all of us, it’s like why don’t we give it its time and place and we recorded one song and you diehard fans out there eventually you’ll have the whole collection and you can piece that album together again and it will sound better than the original version. We are going to rebreed the spawn, if you know what I mean!”

The current line-up of Suffocation has been together for a couple of years, with Terrance and Derek joined by Charlie and Eric alongside live singer Kevin Muller covering for Frank Mullen. “Frank is an old salty dog and he just doesn’t like to do all the travelling, he’s got his job, his home life, everything like that” explains Terrance. I observed that many bands are losing established members. “Yeah, if you’ve an expensive lifestyle then this might not be for you, you need a home, a car, you have children” Derek adds. “You’re not home for six months at a time” adds Terrance, “it puts a strain on everything, on your girl, on your kids, on financial aspects”.

So, is it easier to stay in touch these days because of technology and the internet? “Absolutely, but it also opens another can of worms, because you can’t escape anybody getting in touch with you, Instagram, instant messenger, Facebook, this, that and the other one and the next thing you know you have way too many”, Derek nods his agreement. Terrance adds “I remember the days when we didn’t have cell phones and little computers in our pockets and it was a lot more difficult to keep in touch with everybody then”.

Is touring easier or harder these days? “I think it’s about the same. In the beginning, it was a lot harder for us, because as I said we didn’t have the computers so everybody had to have a street team, you had to flyer, you had to do mail order, mailing lists, you had to really be on that, to get you outside, for us, New York, we had to do a lot of homework, a lot of talking, your phone bill was fucking $600 by the end of the month. You really had to try and make your name stand out and keep people interested. Nowadays we can advertise easily, with Facebook, Twitter and this and that, but now a lot more companies have come to fruition; back at home we have this one called BandWagon; 

They have sixty or seventy of these buses, half a truck half a bus that’ll fit a band, and they have their main staples like Warped Tour, Monsters of Rock, shit like that, which in turn has made it easier for bands to get around, just go and rent something like that, instead of a van with a trailer which you drive yourself, so things have kinda progressed in that area. It’s not easy in general though, there’s no easy way around it, as we’ve gotten older it’s got a little bit easier, a bit more organised, it was ten times harder when you had to it all by yourself”. Terrance adds a warning “I would tell any band out there, make sure you get yourselves a music lawyer, because there is so much involved that the average person cannot deal with”.

One thing that always intrigues me is what bands listen to. What about Suffocation?

Derek starts: “Chaka Khan!” Charlie adds “Earth Wind And Fire” at which point you already wonder about how much your leg is being pulled. Derek provides some clarification. “You do listen to different things, When you are younger you listen to all the aggressive, death, speed metal, which is what drove you to play the way you play, but the older you get, I’m finding I don’t listen to much. I’m happy when someone goes, you gotta listen to this new death metal record, it’s so good but so much stuff over the years has kinda melted together that I don’t sit down and put death metal on like I used to. So, when a song from the 80s comes on the radio its more exciting for me than, ‘Anal Bead Bungee Jump’ (hahaha!) but at the end of the day we will always listen to our old shit, our early 90s death thrash, you know, Slayer, Morbid Angel, Death, you know, all those sick bands and you know, Napalm Deaths and Carcass, you know that shit was great back then but we don’t wake up and listen to it as ferociously as we did back then … but I love to hear new death metal, new good death metal so it’s exciting when someone says to me ‘oh, you’ve got hear the new Decrepit Birth record, it’s fun to get references but lately it’s like, we listen to ourselves a lot”.

Maybe unsurprisingly Terrance listens to a lot of guitar virtuosos and of course “I listen to DEVO Bro! I listen to a lot of different stuff. I still listen to Van Halen, Judas Priest, I still listen to Iron Maiden and of course, Slayer!” “Yeah, Slayer” chimes Derek and Charlie.

Suffocation’s visit to the UK consisted five dates and each night had local bands opening. For the Bristol gig, this included South Walians Democratus and South West death metal bands Seprevation and Embodiment. “It makes sense to the promoters” says Derek, “if Suffocation comes through with a package then you don’t need locals but if Suffocation is out doing a festival run like this and we come to town then yeah, you can’t fault people coming for Suffocation but if you have three or four local bands on then all their local following show up too and they might not even know Suffocation. It’s kinda smart of the promoter to mix it up with local bands, it makes sense; but it’s not like every day we go ‘we want these guys to come along with us … it always works out”.

As is usual with our interviews, we concluded by asking the guys to pick their favourite sheep. Unsurprisingly, given his death metal appearance, the Manx Loghtan was a firm favourite with a vote each for the Boreray and the Wiltshire Horn.

Later in the evening Suffocation demonstrated just why they are so revered in the death metal world with a performance which absolutely killed it. My huge thanks to Terrance Hobbs, Derek Boyer and Charlie Errigo for allowing us nearly half an hour of their time. It was real fun chatting with these guys who were superb and so accommodating. If you get the opportunity to catch these guys live make sure you do and in the meantime, give Of The Dark Light a play. It’s stunning.

Reviews: Akercocke, Alpha Tiger, Archelon (Reviews By Rich)

Akercocke: Renaissance In Extremis (Peaceville Records)

Ten years on and we finally have a new Akercocke album to feast our ears upon. In the time since the release of their previous album 2007's Antichrist we have seen Akercocke disband and the members go on to form various other bands such as Voices and The Antichrist Imperium. Despite the high quality of these new projects fans such as myself never quite got over the sudden disbandment of Akercocke and have been clamouring for their return so it was a glorious day indeed when the band decided announced their reformation last year. After a string of festival appearances and shows to whet our appetite finally in 2017 we have the sixth Akercocke album Renaissance In Extremis. It's always a bit of a worry when a band reforms and releases a new album though thankfully there is no need to worry with Akercocke as Renaissance In Extremis is an extremely fine album.

 It very much feels like the natural follow up to Antichrist with the band further extending their progressive blackened death metal sound. This is easily the most progressive and technical album the band have done to date further building on the eccentricities and avant garde leanings displayed on previous albums. This album has plenty of bite as well with some truly vicious riffs, the rabid vocals of Jason Mendoca and the percussion pyrotechnics of drummer extraordinaire David Gray laying wastes to the listeners senses. The high point of the album definitely comes halfway through with the trio of songs First To Leave The Funeral, Familiar Ghosts and A Final Glance Back Before Departing being some of the finest material ever recorded by Akercocke. Renaissance In Extremis is a stunning return for Akercocke that whilst looking back and taking elements from their previous records also very much looks to the future and sends the band into even more progressive and avant garde territories. Another fine album from the UK extreme metal scene in 2017. 8/10

Alpha Tiger: S/T (SPV)

Alpha Tiger is the self titled fourth album by these German metallers and it is also the first album to feature new vocalist Benjamin Jaino following the abrupt departure of previous vocalist Stephan Dietrich in 2015. I haven't heard any previous Alpha Tiger albums so cannot compare to what they have previously released but the music on this album is very much in the vein of classic hard rock and heavy metal. Strong melodies are carried throughout by the impressive vocals of Benjamin Jaino. and there's a proto-metal feel throughout the album helped by the highly enjoyable hammond organ. 

Some of the songs are a little pedestrian and forgettable but when this album hits its stride it's hard not to take notice with songs such as the beautiful Aurora, the Western tinged Welcome To Devil's Town and epic closer The Last Encore all impressing. Alpha Tiger have released an enjoyable album which has some forgettable moments but also makes you sit up and take notice when it hits its high points. 7/10

Archelon: I//II (FHED)

Archelon are a progressive sludge band from Sheffield and this release is a compilation of their two EP's now conveniently packaged together in one release through the Cardiff based FHED label. The music on this compilation varies depending on the EP they are sourced from. The first half of the release is the I EP which is a hulking mammoth of desolate and foreboding sludge metal which rains out your speakers like hammers. The second half is the II EP which is a more relaxed and introspective with it's gentle atmospheric melodies and clean vocals which slowly build up to a crushing display of sludge metal riffage. This is a nice collection of Archelon's recorded output to date with the second half of the album definitely outshining the first. The music on here is not groundbreaking by any means but is an enjoyable piece of atmospheric sludge metal. 7/10

Reviews: Power Quest, Simo, Subterranean Masquerade

Power Quest: Sixth Dimension (Inner Wound Recordings)

Perhaps a band that should have more recognition than they get Power Quest were one of the bands that spearheaded the UK power metal revival in 2000, starting out as a member of Dragonheart (the band that became guitar hero madmen Dragonforce) the erstwhile Steve Williams still leads the band to this day 16 years after forming it in that time they have released five albums their last being Blood Alliance in 2011 which featured former Firewind singer Chitral "Chity" Somapala (who replaced long term vocalist Alessio Garavello) and also saw the rest of the original band also being replaced.

Well since that album the same thing has happened again with Williams recruiting a new batch of names to his long running institution. The guys that play on this record are probably a bit more well known as drummer Rich Smith and guitarist Andrew Kopczyk both come from I AM I (in weird link the band formed by ex-Dragonforce singer ZP Threat), while bassist Paul Finnie remains as the replacement for Steve Scott as he was on the previous outing. On the other six string is Triaxis axe-wizard Glyn Williams and behind the mic Dendera's Ashley Edison whose vocal prowess I have raved about a few times in these pages.

Now I've been following the band since their start and I can honestly say that this is up there as one of their strongest records, it''s far better than their slightly disappointing previous record and clearly the new members have gelled together because this record sounds vibrant and vital, it's the most varied selection of songs the band have put out, the title track is a expansive  progger (co written by Steve Williams and Threshold's Richard West) and features guest vocals from Annette Olzon, while they really ramp up the speed for Kings And Glory which has all the majesty of Stratovarius due to keyboards and galloping rhythms, they also add hard rock touches to the AOR gilded Pray For The Day and No More Heroes and bring speed metal riffs to the glorious Coming Home. It's everything you could want from Power Quest and more, a definitive record from the UK power metal act that shows exactly why they are held in such high regard elsewhere. I can't wait to see them supporting Dragonforce and on their own headline tour in October, I hope I'll see you down the front. 9/10

Simo: Rise & Shine (Provogue/Mascot)

In 1991 Extreme said "If you don't like what you see here, get the funk out" well it looks like Simo have taken those words to heart as their follow up to Let Love Show The Way is by far a shift towards a more well rounded, mature sound that will see this Nashville threepiece transcend the blues-rock tag into something more natural and organic in construction. Most of the writing of this album happened while the band traveled the world playing over 215 gigs in 2016 and with all the hubbub going on in the outside world the band became closer sharing a much more unanimous world view adopting a karmic stance against the fear and loathing that has become standard, this is reflected none more so than in the colossal desert rock of the final track I Pray which has singer/guitarist JD Simo reciting a spoken word piece praying for everyone to get what they deserve or change their attitude, it's reminiscent of  George Harrison's Bangladesh period.

Elsewhere as I've said Simo have embraced the sounds of STAX on Mediation which has the wakka wakka guitar sound of Sly And The Family Stone or Funkadelic, they've also brought in some soul on People Say which to me sounds a bit like Lenny Kravitz or Gary Clarke Jr and they have more than a bit of Marvin Gaye coming through on I Want Love which brings me to the other overriding influence on this record, Simo have wholeheartedly embraced the modern blues revival with nods to Alabama Shakes, The Black Keys (Don't Waste Time) meaning that they can move from vibing instrumentals, The Climb, into ragged rocking of Light The Candle or the beautifully understated The Light which is one man, one guitar and a bit of echo for added drama. On the back of this record Simo could become something very special indeed Rise & Shine is the natural evolution of this band, wake up and smell the coffee Simo are the heirs to any throne they choose. 9/10           

Subterranean Masquerade: Vagabond (ViciSolum Productions)

Well this is amazing, I could stop there but due to to journalistic duty I'll have to backup my claim with empirical evidence. The band are from Israel by way of Norway and America, they play astonishingly good progressive metal, richly textured and incredibly proficient the soundscapes on this record pick up where their previous record The Grand Bazaar left off, with the protagonist character of the titular vagabond on a journey, a journey that allows the listener to come along for the ride with the multicoloured record really immersing you as the Middle Eastern influences come through on every track but are at their most vibrant on As You Are, The Hymn Of The Vagabond and Kippur.

The band are an eight piece and they need to be such is the complexity of the music contained on this record, obviously the guitars of Tomer and Or are important as are the rhythms of Golan and Matan (especially with the World Music influences coming through strongly) but major appreciation has to go to Shai's overwhelming keys and the addition of Ilan's brass and wind instruments that really set them apart from the many other bands out there. Obviously there are similarities with Orphaned Land (even shared membership) but Subterranean Masquerade have hung onto their progressive roots a bit better adding 70's psych on Nomad and the sprawling opener Place For Fairytales which is probably the ideal way to kick off an album like this, having all the elements the band display throughout the album in one song. 

The dual death and clean vocals of Kjetil and Eliran mean they have the balance between rock and metal with crooning and chanting offset by the growls. Weirdly the heaviest track on the record is their interesting cover of Space Oddity by David Bowie which actually chugs. Vagabond is step up stylistically from The Grand Bazaar and as good as that record was this is better, possibly the album of the year for me, as I said at the beginning amazing. 10/10     

Reviews: The Haunted, Eluveitie, Bobaflex, Degreed (Reviews By Paul)

The Haunted: Strength In Numbers (Century Media)

20 years and counting for the Gothenburg extreme metallers The Haunted, whose ninth album is a tasty chunk of filthy crunching riffs, guttural gravel rinsed vocals and spine busting drumming. I’ve skirted around this band in the past but after listening to Strength In Numbers I will be hunting their back catalogue down. It’s melodic enough to appeal to those who aren’t too stimulated by the heavier end of the metal spectrum but still kicks like a mule. The crushing riffs which open Preachers Of Death immediately get the neck muscles spasming whilst the groove that floods through Spark is intense. With the line-up having been settled for some time, the cohesion in the band is self-evident. 2014’s Exit Wounds brought back Adrian Erlandsson and vocalist Marco Aro whilst it was the debut for guitarist Ola Englund. Three years on and The Haunted deliver on all fronts with Englund and Patrik Jensen in blistering form. The magnificent title-track cannot fail to appeal to anyone who claims to like metal, with climbing scales, chugging fretwork and driving pace, and Aro snarling like a pit bull all over it. Having listened to the AOR wank of fellow Swedes Degreed directly before this one, The Haunted probably pulled me back from the brink. Regardless of my emotional state, I know solid metal when I hear it. This is fucking A. 9/10

Eluveitie: Evocation II – Pantheon (Nuclear Blast)

I’ve never really warmed to Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie. I saw them support Sabaton a few years ago and whilst their blend of traditional European Celtic melodies and melodic death metal held a certain charm, I didn’t rush to pick up their back catalogue. I made time for Helvetios but 2014’s Origins passed me by. Evocation II – Pantheon is the eighth full release and the follow up to 2009’s Evocation I – The Arcane Dominion. The band has undergone something of an overhaul in recent years with four new musicians joining including the excellent Fabienne Erni who adds lovely clean vocals as well as celtic harp and mandola.

As well as that, fiddle player Nicole Ansperger has returned and her beautiful playing is one of the highlights throughout the album. With nine members, Eluveitie is a particularly complex beast but having listened to this release several times, I’m beginning to catch on a little. Sure, it’s a bit twee, and the Celtic rhythms can grate after a while, but overall Evocation II is a solid release. There’s a little too much of the folk, such as on Grannos and Ogmois, whilst Antvmnos includes a ghastly reminder of Simon & Garfunkel with a segment of Scarborough Fair. However, it’s certainly not all bad and the atmosphere created by the Gaulish language and the interplay between the instruments is often uplifting. 7/10

Bobaflex: Eloquent Demons (Thermal Entertainment LLC)

I must admit I’d never heard of Bobaflex until this album landed in the inbox for review. The band hail from Colombus, Ohio and have been around since 2003 when they released their first album, Primitive Epic. Eloquent Demons is album number 8, and if you like the harmonies of Avenged Sevenfold, The Adrenaline Mob and similar then you’ll enjoy this polished release. Four of the band sing on the album so inevitably there are many opportunities for the band to flex the vocal chords. This works well throughout and their three-guitar attack ensures that there is enough riffage to satisfy the fan of elegant if a little routine metal.

Some of the tracks are a little weak, such as the album closer Reckless which feels a bit of a filler track whilst the band’s cover of Pink Floyd’s Hey You is brave. Before that you get a slab of radio friendly hard rock with tracks such as Say What You Will and Real Sadness. Unsurprisingly for a band on their eighth album there is a confidence in their playing which comes across in virtually every track. It’s a bit too pearly white for me but it’s a solid enough album and if you like your rock in the Godsmack, Shinedown and AX7 area then this will be of interest. 7/10

Degreed: Self Titled (Gain Music)

Sweden churns out rock bands for fun. Sometimes they get it right. Hard rocking AOR doesn’t come any better than Eclipse who are one of the slickest bands I’ve ever seen live. Degreed are yet another on the conveyer belt and have some big European supports under their belt. Unfortunately, they sound fucking awful. Saccharine coated Euro pop anthems which would get to the semi-finals of Eurovision qualifiers before losing out to some pretty boy singing about walking home in the rain.

Shakedown, Save Me, Tomorrow, all ghastly but these pale in comparison to the quite bile churning ballad If Love Is a Game. I’m sure these guys would slip comfortably into the line-up at HRH AOR alongside H.E.A.T. and the other synthesising posers but having pushed myself through this steaming heap of excrement twice I’m afraid I’m now reaching for the vodka and the latest Immolation album to ease the pain and wipe out the memory. And what the fuck does Degreed mean anyway? 3/10