Reviews: Earthside, Terromania, Eldritch, The Rattlebacks (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

Earthside - Let The Truth Speak (Music Theories Recordings) [Matt Bladen]

I knew to approach this second album from progressive metal mavericks with the same focus and training as a super marathon runner but I wasn't quite prepared for what a monolith it would be. 

Earthside's previous record A Dream In Static released in 2015, they considered to be an "I" record then this is a "We" record all about the collective duty on this planet and to each other. The idea of truth present throughout the record, as they battle their idealistic values against the harsh realities of the world. 

In the bands own words it almost destroyed them numerous times but Let The Truth Speak arrives as the most comprehensive collection of music from the band and also their longest and cinematic experience to date.

In keeping with their collective ethos and continuing what they started on the ADIS they have collaborated with some very special guest to take up several roles of this instrumental band from the incredible Daniel Tompkins (Tesseract) and world music vocal performer Gennady Tkachenko-Papizh, who can adapt his voice in to almost anything, duetting on the majestic title track, swollen with a full string section. 

To the Sandbox Percussion adding Gabrielisms on But What If We Are Wrong.  Tkachenko-Papizh reappears again as part of the incredible sound design on Vespers. For me though Keturah who debuts in We Who Lament is an absolute revelation, that is one hell of a voice and if any of the singers here were to tour with the band I'd pick her. Pritam Adhikary takes the mic on Tyranny, a breathy delivery for a moody number built on orchestral's and the synths, those keys/synths/programming coming from Frank Sacramore but also Jamie van Dyck too.

Pattern Of Rebirth pulsing with electronics before Jamie and Frank share the weighty riffage on the choruses AJ Channer of Fire From The Gods crooning over the top. Watching The Earth Sink allows a breath, at it's beginning fluid, clean, reverbed guitars that build into a 10 minutes opus that is Earthside at their purest, deft drumming from Ben Shanbrom building the power as Ryan Griffin's bass carve out those thick grooves. 

He adds the funk to The Lesser Evil which sounds like Haken due to the parping brass, Larry Braggs soul vocals and the sax of Sam Gendel. It's a hip shaker that adapts the djent format into a R&B direction with incredible results. 

Keturah returns along with VikKe and harpists Duo Scorpio on the Celtic flavoured Denial's Aria. Let The Truth Speak ends with that fantastic title track and the poignant All We Ever Knew And Ever Loved which features Baard Kolstad of Leprous, percussive, propulsive and concludes with a full orchestral swell, but most importantly doubles down that Earthside could be the present and future of progressive music. 

Approach with an open mind and time to indulge as Earthside Let The Truth Speak with conviction and brilliance. 10/10

Terromania - Nyctophobic (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Ripple Music releasing a death metal album out of Finland was not on my 2023 bingo card, but here we are with the debut album from Terromania, Nyctophobic. Ripple is not known for their death metal you say. Well yeah, you are right, but Ripple main man Todd Severin is not burdened by things like genres and labels, instead focusing on shit that rocks and Terromania certainly does rock. Now I am in no way a death metal guy nor am I equipped to compare these guys to other bands in the genre, but for me, I can say this rips and will have you in your circle pit right when the first riff hits.

Now when I think of death metal I think of a couple of things, including the potential for cookie monster style vocals and not a ton of catchiness. Well, Terromania is neither of those things, as the tracks on Nyctophobic are melodic and memorable with vocals where you can distinguish what the singer is saying. So maybe this is not death metal? Whatever you want to call it the eleven tracks here are a much smoother and easier listen than some of the more dissonant death metal you may be familiar with. So why does this rock as hard as I say it does? 

First, the production on here is clean but not too clean, so it sounds excellent. Check out Demon In The Rain as an example. Second, the band are all great players making this musically excellent, the evidence being tracks like Disturbingly Beautiful, Lake Natron, and In A Broken Mirror. Third, the songs while heavy are also catchy as hell, case in point The Pain Makes You Feel Alive and Lovely Nightmare. The band mentions bands like Lordi and Ghost as additional influences which you can hear in a track like Ceremonial Graveyard. 

Now the album may be a song or two long, but it does not take away from the overall quality of Nyctophobic in its current form. Could there be a thing that is pop death metal? Well, if there was not before, there is now, because Terromania brings all the stuff you like about both genres, together in the form of Nyctophobic. Rippers that are frantically and expertly played but are both melodic and catchy. In Todd we trust (again), as once again Ripple steps out of the comfort zone successfully with the debut from Terromania. 8/10

Eldritch – Innervoid (Scarlet Records) [Matt Bladen]

Italian prog metal, there's loads of it! We cover massive amounts of it here, most of it in the last month. So here's a bit more from Eldritch on their 13th studio album Innervoid. It's their first with new singer Alex Jarusso who replaces founding member Terence Holler, his voice instantly making an impression on Handful Of Sand (Right Or Wrong). He's got soul in his mids and power in his highs similar to Jeff Scott Soto, meaning that I'm instantly drawn to his singing style. It's a fresh new sound and his broad range deserves some of Eldritch's most complex songs in their history, though they never go too far into the progressive noodling, leaning more on the power side of prog metal. 

They are also some of their darkest songs they've written musically, Eugene And Rudj's guitars downtuned for most of the record Born On Cold Ash, the cleans coming through the solos, in the same way Symphony X do things, To The End emphasizes this with a colossal pre chorus and chorus that takes the lighter elements and pitches them against buzzing guitars and synths. Yes synths create more melodies, Oleg's keys playing a lead role as much as the guitars and vocals, Elegy Of Rust for example uses the keys really well to add some trappings of Serenity/Evergrey, on From The Scars the synths add the electronic pulses of dance music that are very on trend. 

To The End showcases the back room of Dario and Raffahell directing the shifts in pace and tone, the drumming a highlight. The bass meanwhile is prominent on Wings Of Emptiness the albums big ballad. Innervoid actually becomes more progressive as it continues saving their heaviest and epic moments for the last trio of tracks on this album. With new life in the vocal department Eldritch are revamped on Innervoid. 8/10

The Rattlebacks - Kink (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

The UK band The Rattlebacks are a 90s throwback to a time when G 'N' R were putting out the over bloated Use Your Illusion and grunge was crossing over and destroying hair metal. These guys have a little bit of both. The Guns love is strong, but I hear some grungy stuff too. Their debut EP, Kink, is four fun tracks that show a lot of promise and some cool, straight-ahead rock and roll that probably translate well to their live set where the band says they excel.

Kink is a quick one but is enough to show the promise of what these guys have to give to rock and roll over the next number of years. The opener, Rattleback is like an Early Goo Goo Dolls song with Slash on guitar which is very much a compliment. I hear Buckcherry too here and with the next track, Amon. Amon has more of the Seattle vibes, but somehow also reminds me of Kik Tracee. Like a My Sister’s Machine/Kik Tracee mash up, which is something I never thought I wanted until just now. 

Burn It Down reminds me of when the hair metal bands saw the writing on the wall in the early 90s and realized they had to adjust to the new now sound. I wonder if The Rattlebacks ever heard anything by Mother Love Bone? I dig it. Favorite Son has the same vibes and is fun, straight-ahead rock that leverages all the stuff I mentioned thus far and maybe even brings some southern rock feels to the party with an outstanding solo to boot.

No frills rock and roll that will sound great live and pays tribute to a bunch of killer stuff from the 1990s. Kink is a great teaser for what should be some more great material from the up-and-coming Rattlebacks. Worth checking out for sure .7/10

Reviews: DGM, Sadus, Night Crowned, Dyssebeia (Reviews By Paul Hutchings & Mark Young)

DGM – Life (Frontier's Music Srl) [Paul Hutchings]

Italian progressive metal? Nowhere finer than DGM, who have been around since 1994. A band that has endured multiple line-up changes in its early years, DGM has boasted a settled line up for 15 years, and with Life, their 11th studio album, they demonstrate once more that if you are looking for the cream of the crop, then these are your band.

As one would expect, and you can check out Matt’s review of their last album Tragic Separation from 2020 here DGM are big on, well, just about everything. The sound is glorious, polished, huge in movement and impressive in every level. 

The musicianship of guitarist Simone Mularoni, keyboardist Emanuele Casali, drummer Fabio Constantino and bass player Andrea Arcangeli is sublime. The band switch from racing power metal through to the intricate progressive metal that incorporates all that is good about this genre. Sure, it’s gloriously over the top, but when you have Mark Basile’s stellar vocals to guide you home, then why the hell not?

Opener Unravel The Sorrow and second song To The Core which follows show the band’s steel. Both songs are driving hard rock, containing the edge that appeals to many. Glorious lead bursts, lush, layered keys, and a powerhouse combination of drummer and bassist mean that fans will soon be absorbed in a deep, semi-religious experience as they delve into the depths of this crafted piece of work.

Whilst each song is a delightful workout, I found myself allowing Life to simply wash over me. Simply sitting back and appreciating the talent coming through the speakers was heavenly. Unlike many progressive artists, DGM don’t overstay their welcome, punching tracks out around the five-minute mark and cramming everything they need in within those moments.

I closed my eyes for a second and immersed myself. The standout vibes of Dominate and the Pearl Jam hook of Eve both catch the ear, the latter due to its repeating riff that works its magic quickly. It’s a measured instrumental that slowly builds, never dull, and a showcase to the wider world of DGM.

It’s a door through which many will have entered, and one which you’ll regret heading through. Journey To Nowhere brings Basile back into focus, as he gives an album winning performance. His tender yet powerful vocals reach deep, the sumptuous cleans swoop whilst alongside him, the keys and guitar add to the overall melodious tones.

It's hard to do justice to an album that is so deeply and generously crafted. There’s no filler, just superb songs by musicians who know their art. As a finale, Neuromancer is perfect and a fitting conclusion. Listen, enjoy, appreciate. 9/10

Sadus – The Shadow Inside (Nuclear Blast) [Paul Hutchings]

Spoken in thrash circles in almost reverential terms, it’s been 17 years since the Californian thrashers Sadus last released an album. 2006’s Out For Blood wasn’t hugely well received, but time is a great healer, and we are now finally facing a new release. It’s drummer Jon Allen and vocalist/guitarist Darren Travis who now make up Sadus, Steve DiGiorgio moving on after the band’s brief split in 2015.

Over 47 minutes, Allen and Travis have complied an album of savage ferocity. There are no moments of introspective reflection here, just a pummelling aural assault that is relentless from start to finish. The tempo is intense, the musicianship excellent, and the song writing drawing once more from the Black and Death Metal sphere which retaining their feet firmly in the Thrash metal camp.

The first three songs are blistering in their attack. First Blood provides the initial barrage, followed by the aptly named Scorched And Burnt before It’s the Sickness gives more brutality. A song called Ride the Knife is hardly likely to be a love song, and true to form, it’s more a razor-sharp dissection of the innards, full of screaming riffs and non-stop powerhouse drumming. 

Combine this with Travis’s demonic blood curdling screams and you have a terrifying combination that spares nothing. It’s a blistering assault on the aural passages, with a hideously confusing change of direction for the last minute which is a real curve ball.

If you want high speed, then Anarchy will tick your boxes. Blisteringly fast, there’s very little to say other than these sub-three-minute bursts are frantically ferocious and show the more extreme end of the band’s style. More measured yet no less heavy then the six-minutes of The Devil In Me and Pain bring it in some style.

This all leads to the finale of an album that gets better on repeated listens. The instrumental New Beginnings leads into the title track, a snarling ball of nastiness that broods and smoulders. It’s a sinister yet fitting conclusion to the return of a band who prove here that there is more than just a legacy when it comes to Sadus. 8/10

Night Crowned - Tales (Noble Demon) [Mark Young]

And now, Swedish Blackened Death Metal of the kick-ass kind courtesy of Night Crowned who unleash their 3rd album to light up or darken these wintery nights as you see fit. It just screams into life with De Namnlösa (ft Jens Rydén of Thyrfing) with an absolute frantic start, a storming melodic pattern that repeats throughout. 

It has those sorts of riffs that you can chew on but presented as clear as day. It’s a cracker of an opener, grandiose and epic in nature and in stature with those black metal motifs presented that hammer home the speed. 

Just fabulous. There is literally no let up and no repeating of ideas, each song hits in such a fresh way. She Comes At Night (ft Therese Thomson of Disdained) has that Viking drinking swing to it. Growls are guttural, blast beats are furious, and that central slide riff is mint. When Therese comes in it takes that folk-tinge as a moment to catch a breath. Awesome stuff.

Nattramn changes it around, giving a more controlled measure amongst the audio carnage but no less direct. Their command of melody and arrangement just gets more assured as you navigate from track to track, and each song has its own identity. There is no repeating of ideas or of movements for example Loviatar throws in the cleans which by now is nothing new but they do it quickly and know where to put it within the song so it fits and doesn’t derail it. 

Flickan Som Försvann has some of the best riff builds you will hear this year, it moves in ‘THAT’ way that elicits an emotional response whilst Strandvaskarens Hymn comes at you like a mighty uru hammer. Old Tales is a great example of taking a simple arrangement and building something majestic from it. That arpeggio piece was something used in classic sci-fi and here it is deployed with a nightmarish effect.

As you might have expected, hailing from Gothenburg and absorbing all the prime metal that has come before has seeped into their creative process. They have taken inspiration but not aped it or copied it. Each of the songs hits the target in its own way, it is not a relentless battering as each track unfolds, its balanced and is for me one the albums of the year. Fantastic stuff. 8/10

Dyssebeia - Garden Of Stillborn Idols (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Mark Young]

And I thought we were heading into a slump! Dyssebeia drop their debut album and it’s a corker. There are a few tags affixed to their Bandcamp and I think that the one that hits the most is their melodic touches, even in the most blackened parts they offer up. This is one of those albums that is both immediate and warrants subsequent play-throughs, so you pick up on some of the nuances that were missed first time round.

 
It is a powerhouse of a record, opener Mors Tua, Vita Mea is chock full of prime melodic movements and some absolutely top-class guitar. Its fast when required but this does not detract from the overall build of the song. Having an opener that comes in like is just so important as it sets the scene for what is to follow and its just class. Then they give you Retribution which doesn’t miss a beat or suffer any drop in quality. 

It’s a one-two of the highest order which is amazing when you think it is their debut. They both possess all the required qualities to be called Progressive but have thankfully remembered that there has to be a physicality from which to melt your face with the solo work just on these.

 
Moon Bearer has that discordant doom feel during its opening bars that is then crushed underfoot by some storming black metal that is not without the melodic feel of the tracks before. It batters without bludgeoning. 

This is further expanded on Sacrificed On The Threshold which has that slower feel (I should point out that speed is relative, it’s still rapid but swings slower. Clear?), one where they are targeting a specific emotional feel that comes out in the chords they are deploying as they ring out during the middle section. It’s the final moments that they throw some mesmeric guitar in that somehow fits within the arrangement of the song.

Hatch brings the speed, as if to say ‘come on, wake up’ but there is no chance of nodding off due to the music here, and for me is one of the highlights of the album, along with that opener. Black Swarm is next up, and kind of follows too closely to Hatch in terms of that subtle opening and then into the riff-o-rama that comes next. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still class but that similarity just takes a little from it. 

Funeral Ink takes up the reins and has one of those riffs that would be mint to play, fingers everywhere and just sounds so good. This one has that speed thing going on where it feels fast without it breaking any land speed records. Its just powers forward leaving Apophenia to finish us off with what can be described as mental-guitar madness in its opening salvo. It is a strong closing statement and captures everything they are about and have provided on the songs before.

Dyssbeia have a firm grasp on what they want to sound like, and the art they want to create. It has drawn from different sources – Death metal, Blackened, Progressive and pulled them into a cohesive whole. It has so much happening that repeated listens are the order of the day. The best is that none of it comes across as forced or shoehorned in for effect.

As I said earlier, we are some 6 or 7 weeks from 2024 and we are still getting music like this released. I think if this had been released earlier in the year it would surely be in the talking for Album of the Year, or at least releases of the year. This is a band to keep your eye on because on the strength of this album there is a ton of great stuff to come 8/10

Reviews: Ritual King, Temic, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Bull Elephant (Reviews By Rich Piva & Matt Bladen)

Ritual King - The Infinite Mirror (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

I’m predictable when it comes to stuff that Ripple Music puts out. I believe the boss of this blog called me Ripple’s biggest fan and this may not be too far from the truth. How can I not be when the quality of the stuff Todd puts out is like the new one from the UK’s Ritual King? 

Upon first listen I immediately messaged my group of like-minded music nuts that The Infinite Mirror was going to blow their minds, and I challenge anyone to tell me that this is not the case, because The Infinite Mirror is next level awesome. The band brings its psych/desert rock hybrid to new heights with six new tracks, each one better than the next brining us a solid album of the year candidate.

The acoustic opening harkens to something from Masters Of Reality on the track Flow State until the swirling desert rock psych kicks in and transforms you to another state of mind. The riffs are killer, and the dreamy vocals sounds like desert rock floating on a cloud. When these guys decide to rock, they bring it like the best stoner rock bands out there today. This is nine minutes of breathtaking stoner psych that hangs with anything released this year. 

Worlds Divide builds like a rocket ship about to blast off and wow does it when the riff kicks in. Maybe my favorite riff of the year. Love the low-end sound to this track and the vocals fit perfect with music. How about the breakdown in the middle with that solo and when it brings it back to the riff? Or when all the players take their turns? So great. Landmass is another gigantic track named perfectly as this is huge, from the bigger than life riffs and all-encompassing layered vocals, with the soft-heavy-soft thing flowing expertly. 

The fact that Ritual King is a trio is amazing given how huge they sound. Speaking of huge, the almost 12 minute Tethered is a heavy blues adventure with more amazing riffs and solos, some nice bass work, and funky psych guitar. The closing title track is as beautiful a song as you will hear on a psych/stoner record. It floats overhead as if you are experiencing the song as an out of body experience while the chill psych guitar entrances you. Just when you think you are going to float away, the riffs return to bring us home emphatically.

Another Ripple Music classic and album of the year candidate, but you knew that was how I was going to feel about The Infinite Mirror. But this is not just a Ripple fan boy talking, experiencing the perfect blend of stoner psych goodness done by the new masters of the genre, Ritual King. 10/10

Temic - Terror Management Theory (Season Of Mist) [Matt Bladen]

Yeah ok, I like this, no getting around it. Creatively founded by former Haken sound designer/keyboardist Diego Tejeida, Temic (which means dream in Nahuatl an Uto-Aztecan language), is his project, the current Devin Townsend keys player bringing in guitarist Eric Gillette who he played with in Mike Portnoy's Shattered Fortress, drummer Simen Sanders of jazz metal band Shining and singer Fredrik Klemp of Maraton. 

Gillette and Tejeida planted the seeds of this act while they both in Portnoy's band working on it through the pandemic to create a band/debut record that brings together the sounds of Devin Townsend, Leprous, Pain Of Salvation and Threshold too. Vocally Klemp carries the emotion of these bands, his majestic cleans soaring above the dynamic, focussed modern progressive metal, carrying some impressive hooks that will definitely appeal to Leprous fans on tracks such as Once More or the undulating Falling Away. 

Away from the vocals, which I could go on about all day as I love this style of voice. But Terror Management Theory is driven by the virtuoso performances from these extremely skilled session players. Just take a listen to the final track Mothallah, it manages to bring Dream Theater-like rhythmic groove as Simen Sanders links in with Jacob Umansky of djent band Intervals, who plays bass on this record. It's a magnificent end that never tries to steal the show just giving you the ideal closure, the additon of the Mosaic Gospel Choir and the Garden State Threshold Choir just to bring that touch of class. 

They set a tone with the intro track TMT, the industrial tones of Diego Tejeida creating those cinematic soundscapes he has brought to all of the bands he's been a part of. They segue into Through The Sands Of Time, a 7 minute opener that plays with dynamics, synths perculating under djent riffs from Eric Gillette who's somewhat of an under appreciated genius if you don't know anything about Neal Morse but he has some serious chops as a player. They let loose with some jazzy time signatures on Count Your Losses, before Skeletons adds a creepy Separate Ways-esque keyboard riff and an elongated run time where there are a few shifts. 

The dramatic classic prog metal of Acts Of Violence brings thing back to what you'd expect but it's no filler, Paradigm too has that lovely mix of classic and modern. Friendly Fire is all about those brilliant synths on the albums only instrumental, each member getting to show what they're made of as technicians. Temic's debut is a prog lovers dream, balancing the classics of Dream Theater or Fates Warning with the more modern realms of Leprous, Soen and Pain of Salvation. I've had it on repeat since I got it. 9/10

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Dirt On My Diamonds Volume 1 (Provogue Records) [Matt Bladen]

One of the key holders to the modern blues evolution Kenny Wayne Shepherd has been a blues rock hotshot since 1995. Since then he's been nominated for 5 Grammy's, released a glut of material and is recognised as one of the most notable names in the blues rock/Americana. With Dirt On My Diamonds Volume 1, Shepherd shows his maturity, the same kind that he's had ever since his days as a hotshot kid new on the blues scene. Now however it's songwriting that has been honed over years of touring and recording. 

Settling down at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the history of that area in songwriting and his long time working relationship with Marshall Altman, driving him to flex his muscles a bit more making a pact with Altman and co-vocalist Noah Hunt that nothing would be off limits in the writing. 

As this is the third album he's made with Marshall, KWS considers this to be the third chapter in their collective book and if you want big standard bluesing then go elsewhere as KWS is much more than that. Yes there's guitar, more guitar than you can shake a stick at, Shepherd a player's player, but there's thought in the vocals, in the compositions, the production to make things sound fresh and modern but still steeped in the history of the writers but also their surroundings. 

Recorded in three days, with all the band in one place and as few overdubs as possible to keep the authenticity of their live performance. Shepherd kept 7 songs from the writing sessions and recorded them here, keeping space for a cover, choosing Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting by Elton John. Now you'll probably have heard it on AEW Collision if you're a wrestling fan or at least heard the Nickelback cover but KWS keeps it simple by upping the party with his cover emulating the six stringing of his friend Davey Johnstone, Elton's guitar player for the majority of his career. 

The album itself though, florishes with the rocking Sweet & Low, a track with a bit of Black Stone Cherry, the parping brass on Best Of Times and Man On A Mission adds some southern sass, You Can't Love Me evokes the Muscle Shoals laid back attitude as the classic blues of Ease My Mind ends the record with a bit of throwback to the blues rock history. KWS continues his blues rock legacy with Dirt On My Diamonds Volume 1, throwing in some curveballs along the way. 8/10

Bull Elephant - The Long War (Eat Lead And Die Music) [Rich Piva]

Bull Elephant is a UK based anonymous four-piece collective per their Bandcamp bio. What I say is that whoever these guys ae they are musically all over the place. Weird was the description provide in the promo for their new album, The Long War. These guys play doom metal but all over the place doom metal. Multiple different vocal styles, tempos, and instrumentation leaves your head spinning and not sure what to think…and that is just the first song. There is nothing easy about The Long War, but is it any good?

I’m still trying to decide the answer to that question even after a half dozen listens. On the first song, Expansion From Perceived Reality, you have around five different vocal styles from very clean to straight up Cookie Monster. You have doomy riffs until an acoustic chill breakdown comes in then breaks down again reminding me of the most spastic side of Mr. Bungle. You have doom, death metal, back metal, post metal, grunge, and sludge all in the first eight minutes. I am tired just typing this. It’s a lot. 

Blackened Chaos Horizon lives up to its name, with some serious unrelenting old school blackened death metal until it slows down, and you get some high-pitched screams around a slowed down more death doom pace. It’s a lot. Berlin Falling starts out with a soft acoustic opening until we get a more traditional doom vibe with vocal growls, but that doesn’t last long until the higher pitched screams join into the fun. I do dig the guitar tone on The Long War, especially during the brief solo on this song. The soft-heavy-soft continues but also with machine guns in the background. 

It’s a lot. Zentrum Der Neuen Welt doesn’t make this listen any easier as the death doom is accompanied by some spoken word in the background, until you get the clearest instrumentation on The Long War and my favorite part of the whole album about 90 seconds into the track. It sounds a bit like Type O but when Kenny sings. The closing title track is thirteen minutes of lots of twists and turns to the point your neck hurts.

I mentioned it a few times, but to sum up The Long War, it’s a lot. There is so much going on that it is almost too much, like it dangles precariously over the line of too much and will eventually inevitably fall in. Ther are some fun parts but if you are looking for a tough and challenging listen and don’t mind things that may a lot, check it out. For me overall it was too all over the place and made me more anxious than anything else. 5/10

Reviews: Dogma, High Spirits, PaleHørse, Maul (Reviews By Rich Piva & Mark Young)

Dogma - Dogma (MNRK Heavy) [Rich Piva]

The debut album from mystery women Dogma has some positives and negatives as far as the reviewer is concerned going in to listening and writing this review. On the positive side, I love a good mystery band, especially when they are all evil nuns. I mean come on, who is not going to be intrigued by this? Their website helps with building interest with all sorts of band mantras and pictures of said evil nuns.  

Negatively, musically the comparisons I heard were more mainstream, slickly produced “metal” bands that I usually have zero interest in. I thought this was going to be some evil black metal project, but that is very far from reality here, but that may have been more interesting to me then a overproduced, cinematic crap fest that by all accounts I thought I was going to get reading all of the promo materials. I was partially right; the production is super slick, musically this is way more mainstream metal than I usually go with but to tell you I enjoyed this album is an understatement. I love the debut from these mysterious and rocking evil nuns, even with all the things working against it for me.

Dogma’s debut is catchy, well played, and tells a fun story of how these ladies descended to the depths of hell rather than a celibate life at the feet of the lord. Musically the comparison that was provided to me by the boss of this blog is “In This Moment type modern metal” which means nothing to me, (I am known for being fantatically inaccurate with genres - Ed) which should explain how out of my normal wheelhouse this is. What I hear is a bit of Ghost if they doubled down on the synths and had a powerful female vocalist instead of whatever Papa version we are up to. 

Don’t get me wrong, lyrically this can be a bit heavy handed and cheesy, but never is it too much. The guitar work is great on Dogma, case in point the solo on Feel The Zeal. I love the heavy synth presence on the opener. Forbidden Zone. Yes, the song is about how the band wanted to be like Mother Superior at the coven but could not forgo all their carnal desires…and I am all the way here for it. My First Peak is a great example of how catchy Dogma can be, just check the chorus. These naughty nuns can rock for sure, just check out the up tempo Made Her Mine. I love the use of the chanting monks on Carnel Liberation as well as the cool solo. 

The monks return on the ultra-catchy Free Yourself, along with some more spooky sounding synths and somehow a mid-song jazz breakdown, which I was not expecting. Bare To The Bones is a naughty ripper (right on the altar!) with a cool dual guitar solo partnered with our monk friends. King Diamond vibes musically start us off on Make Us Proud, and now we get some male vocals from a golden throated Satan on this somehow touching and catchy duet. I had to re-read that sentence a few times. You want a synth solo? You can have one on the shredding Pleasure From Pain. The debut wraps up nicely with the earworm Father I Have Sinned, even with some evil nun growl, and the cinematic closer, The Dark Messiah that wraps up the narrative nicely.

If I had one complaint about Dogma is that it is a bit long. I think we could have optimized their debut at about the 35-minute mark, maybe editing one or two tracks to make this a bit more streamlined, because it runs the risk of being too repetitive. Other than that, this was a super fun debut from these ladies not of the cloth. Yes, it is way too produced for my normal taste and yes, the cheese factor musically is dialed up a bit, but I am all in with Dogma. Give it a try, even if it is not your usual thing. I am glad I did. 8/10

High Spirits - Safe On The Other Side (High Roller Records) [Rich Piva]

The aptly named High Spirits is back, and I am super excited because I love their (his?) brand of high energy, up tempo, and positive spin on hard rock and traditional metal. High Spirits is the one-man band project of super-prolific Chris Black of Dawnbringer and Professor Black (and others) fame where he gets to straight ahead rock out and be catchy as hell. High Spirits last album, Hard To Stop is beloved by your reviewer and is still in constant rotation since it’s release in 2020. The new album, Safe On The Other Side, doesn’t change up the hard rocking positivity too much, and that is alright by me, because the ten three-to-four-minute rippers on this short burst of rock fun continues all the goodness that the last album brought to us.

Catchy as hell with hard rock and even some NWOBHM vibes, the opener, In The Moonlight, is the perfect example of what High Spirits is all about. Super catchy, great guitar work, up tempo rock and roll that is radio friendly enough for traditional rock fans but just enough heaviness so that it is acceptable for all the headbangers out there. Think Haunt but a bit more pop leaning, but not pop enough to poo poo this as false metal. You get a fun howl too. Till The End Of Time shows the layered guitar skills of Mr. Black and like all High Spirits songs will leave you singing the chorus after the first listen. 

Musically there are some Maiden vibes on Loney Nights, vibes you hear a lot with High Spirits. Do not get me wrong, you are not going to listen to this and have it scream Maiden in your face, but there is a subtle nod to them and other bands of that ilk on Safe On The Other Side. Dual guitar riffage opens One Day Closer which may be my favorite on the album and the chorus I find myself singing the most. Black is all about love in High Spirits, and he let’s his target know it in Anything You Need, leading his pitch with some riffs and high energy rock, which should woo any love interest worth his time. Other highlights include the very radio friendly, Loving You that also includes a great solo, the Maiden-esqe chug of Memories, and the catchy, movie soundtrack ready closer, Good Night.

High Spirits rock makes you feel good, gets you pumped up and ready to take on the world. Chris Black has perfected his craft when it comes to up tempo hard rock songwriting, and his playing of all the instruments shows how much of an all-around talent this guy is. Safe On The Other Side continues with everything I love about High Spirits and everything you should love about High Spirits as well. 8/10

PaleHørse - Hunting Grounds (Indie Recordings) [Mark Young]

And here we go with some Finnish Metal with an accompanying PR that is suitably bombastic and paints a mental picture of what this is going to be. So, I’m going to ignore it as best I can and just give it the listen it deserves.

Revival comes in and straight away you get exactly what they mean by genre defying, in which they go from hard rock singing and riffing into a ‘modern’ detuned-spider web melodic passage replete with harder screamed singing. I suppose that labelling it genre defying is technically the truth. I think. It’s not that its bad, it’s just odd. Deathless Endeavour has that spark within the opening melodic line that allows some fast riffing to come in with some soaring vocals and this is pretty good. It’s fast paced, and Lassi Mäki-Kala can really belt it out. 

This shows that they write music that really flies as long as they avoid those sudden changes in approach mid-song. Magnetism is a kind of an 80’s rock mashed up with that modern sound again but is done better than Revival. It’s actually sleazy in its sound as you might have guessed from its name, but that central melody line anchors the whole thing and its infectious so when they go all deep with the guitar it works once more. 

What is apparent just in these three songs is that they have a handle on writing songs that are hook laden. Skeleton Shuteye has a manic guitar intro with some epic rock singing going on, harmonies and all. And then they drop The Sweetest Of Bloods on you, which is a cracker. Full bore riffs, screaming those morphs into singing, but its total quality on this track.

We Created This Silence ushers in the second half and takes the template from Skeleton and The Sweetest... and uses it to great effect. I wish I could articulate how they are different from Revival. Its possibly because that as opening tracks its nowhere near as strong as the songs that have followed. We Created utilises the detuned riffing again but in a tasteful and heavy way. Aimless In Our Aim is a different again, with a classic rock guitar line and singing to match. When they do give it the boost its pure 80’s heavy metal – clean, clear picking which is always welcome. 

I’m still not keen on that vocal switch but they get away with it here because it’s a bloody infectious song. Revenant (Part 1) takes another turn, making a softer feel to it even in the louder sections. It’s a giant call back to bands that sang (some that still do – Grand Magus for one) and causes involuntary raising of the fist. That’s what these guys do. They have riffs and are not afraid of mixing it up as they do on here. 

Promised Land (Part 2) all pinched harmonics and grandiose intro riffs has a late 80’s thrash picking pattern that conjures up Slayer. I don’t think Slayer ever dropped into an arpeggio with classic rock singing. Again, it’s a storming track that brings us to Unravel, which goes straight in for that modern feel again, but like water rising from a main the classic rock stylings come through. 

And it works for the most part, as they have done a good job on the songs here and there are some stormers here. I still think that genre defying is probably over the top, but I appreciate they have to write something. I think this will appeal, because it is heavy, and it really moves. Give it a go!! 7/10

Maul - Desecration And Enchantment (20 Buck Spin) [Marl Young]

The North Dakota natives Maul offer the following whilst working away like the demons they are and if they are any indication of what we can expect, then there is an OSDM treat heading our way. With this in mind, this will be a relatively short review, given that there is only two songs so let's get into it.

The Sacred And The Profane/Hovering, Sinking starts with that glorious OSDM sound with squalling whammy bar abuse and that barely audible guttural vocal that occupies the lower register of your hearing. Quality riffs on display as it navigates its way out of traditional death metal into a more progressive approach. One thing doesn’t change is the brutality of Garrett Alvarado’s vocals. It’s a belter.

Disintegration Of The Soul comes in on the lengthy side. With a grand OSDM introduction where the riffs ring out against a melodic passage. This is a slow burner that picks up its heels, solo break and all. The atmospheric touches come in to shake things with a softer melodic passage that evokes the end-credits of your favourite horror film and then bang! They return to that full-bore goodness that is more in line with a sludge/black gaze approach. And its fantastic.

The two songs are of a stupidly high standard, especially Disintegration with that change in tack. What I really need to hear is the full album to see how this sit within the whole. As a sampler/EP it’s a cracker and I recommend you get it pre-ordered immediately 7/10

Ps – I know I said it was really good. It is, but I think that 7 is a fair score for two songs as a pre-cursor to the main event. On this display it should be a classic.

Reviews: KING, Hitten, Icantdie, Psychic Trash (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

KING - Fury And Death (Soulseller Records) [Matt Bladen]

I've been waiting for this one for a long time, I fell hard for Aussie band KING on their last two records so I've been looking forward to a new one since 2019's Coldest Of The Cold, so when it dropped in my inbox I stuck it on and once again KING bewitch me with their melancholic blackened death metal, the intro track Mist, evokes a far off vista of frozen lands as a solitary boat makes its way through the unknown. With the atmosphere set Perception Ignited lights the fuse and we’re off on another epic extreme metal quest. 

Blistering blast beats from David Haley conduct the pacing, long time live bassist Tim Anderson added to make them a four piece, locking down with Haley for the relentless march. Slowing down for Volcano, there’s a beefy build driven by Haley who explodes again Anderson and guitarist Dave Hill adding the stuttering, grooving riffs. Hill is a founder member with Haley and vocalist Tony Forde, and his guitar playing provides the nastiness and melody to these tracks. 

Musically if bands such as Wolves In The Throne Room, Enslaved or Behemoth, tickle your fancy then so too will KING. The white hot heat of Australia nowhere to be felt on this glacial style of extreme metal but with glimmers of light coming on the Mountains Of Ice where the clean guitars rule and Tony Forde’s vocals are still paint stripping and raw but carry emotion too, similar to Paradise Lost’s Nick Holmes when he’s in full Bloodbath mode. 

There’s an adventurous tone to this album, leaning on the Viking influences of Enslaved, so Black Dimension has a sway to it and Once And For All brings some classic/modern metal as does Into The Fire which comes from melodeath with lots of killer guitar solos. It’s this concoction of styles that first drew me to King as a band and they seem to refine it and retool it with every release. Fury And Death is another impressive chapter of KING’s history as a band, melodic, malicious, multifaceted extreme metal from the Southern Hemisphere. 8/10

Hitten - While Passion Lasts (High Roller Records) [Rich Piva]

The promo for the Spanish band Hitten was labeled as “traditional hair metal” so I obviously went and grabbed it.  I was surprised by a few things in my research and listening.  First, these guys have been around for a while. As their new one, While Passion Lasts, is their fifth album with their first demo coming out in 2011. Second, while there is definitely some hair metal going on here, the band leverages all sorts of 80s metal worship for the ten songs on While Passion Lasts, with mostly positive results.

The title track kicks us off after a short instrumental opener, and it sounds like Back For The Attack era Dokken in all the best ways.  Except these guys add some underlying synths as well.  The guitar work is top notch, and the song would have been a strong single for a hair metal band back in 1987, and I mean that in the most positive way. Blood From A Stone has more of those vibes but Is musically a bit heavier with the double bass drum and the chugging guitar. I get a Screaming For Vengeance lite vibe from this track, down to the dual guitar solo. This song rips. 

Remember The Midnight Spell record from a couple years ago? If not, you should check it out, but this one would go nicely next to that. Mr. Know It All has some G 'N' R Out Ta Get Me vibes or maybe Dangerous Toys, either way I am in, especially with the cowbell. The heavier side of Skid Row comes through as well on While Passion Lasts. Unholy Games shows how much these guys love Dokken, as this is their Alone Again, but not quite as good as what Don and the boys did back in the day (I swear I love Dokken no matter what I have said in other reviews). 

Dark Stalker is another ripper, reminding me of Tooth And Nail era Dokken until the solo which total Iron Maiden worship. Great song.  I also dig Where It All Begins which sounds like the best part of what Winger brought to the table as well as the closer Crimetime that could be a Priest cover. 

Yes, Hitten is borrowing from our 80s heroes, but they do it so well it is hard to criticize all the heavy worship on While Passion Lasts. The musicianship, especially the guitar work shines on While Passion Lasts and the songs are there too. If you dig all things 80s metal this is something you should check out for sure. 8/10

Icantdie - Errors (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Shouty, riffy and inspired by hardcore/metal bands such as Everytime I Die and Dillinger Escape Plan, South Wales trio Icantdie bleed angular prog into razorsharp hardcore before rounding off the edges with accessibility, they were formed as an idea by vocalist/guitarist Kyle Smith who teamed up with Adam Kerslake on drums and Sam Bennet on bass. They have built up a following with some acclaimed music behind them, their live show visceral and volatile, using this experience on this new EP called Errors. 

If you just heard Follower you'd think that Icantdie are just an early 2000's punk band, the chorus vocals, shouting and distorted guitars stabs all trademark's but then they also into something more atmospheric, breaking down at the end into catharsism. Following this though is the chunky beatdowns of Teaser, post-hardcore burning through with rage and might. Kyle wanted to make this a chaotic listen, and the schizophrenic changes in pace and atmosphere where needed. 

With a musical backing that is textured but venomous Smith gives his angriest performance by far, raging on the closing Reaper as Kerslake and Bennett batter you with rhythms. It's the antithesis of opener Hater which jangles with self loathing, it reminds me of Stone Sour when Corey was still palatable, but this is better, giving you the tone of the EP as it moves into some repeating heaviness. Icantdie put a lot into the their melting pot and Errors overflows with talent, angst and fury. 8/10

Psychic Trash - Psychic Trash (RidingEasy Records) [Rich Piva]

Detroit’s Psychic Trash is made up of two veteran misfit musicians of have something unique to offer in the form of their debut self-titled album. This one is out there, like some of the out there Melvins stuff we all love, but there is more than Melvins worship here. Psychic Trash is heavy prog psych punk sludgy goodness that goes in all sorts of directions that creates a difficult but satisfying listen of something you didn’t know you needed until you heard it.

Ocean Song kicks us off and kicks you right in the head.  There are these clean vocals that for some reason stick to you as the music swirls around like it is circling a drain in a grime-filled whirlpool. Unsane jumps out to me as an influence during certain parts of this one. 

There is a consistent chug and buzz that accompanies everything on Psychic Trash. Uncanny Valley leaves you out of breath and a bit confused in the best sort of way. This one has some hardcore vibes to it, until it doesn’t, which will make sense when you hear it. The riff is killer on Uncanny Valley, and this is heavy stuff.  I dig the middle instrumental proggy parts here, but it is filthy prog if prog at all. Underlings is the most straight ahead Melvins worship, especially in the vocals but also with the sludgy riff and up the tempo fuzzy punk that melts your brain. 

House Of Butterflies opens gently until the lovely and gentile creatures morph into a grotesque sludgy psych beast but somehow with harmonies.  The last song, Odysseys Away, is a ripper, the fastest tempo track that merges the punk side with the sludge side Psychic Trash perfectly.

It is not a straightforward listen, but the debut from Psychic Trash is a rewarding one.  If you like Melvins craziness with some psych, prog, and punk leanings thrown into a strew pot a spooned out for you in a dirty ass bowl for immediate consumption, then Psychic Trash may be for you. You don’t know you want it until you get a taste. 8/10

Reviews: Venus, Diviner, Receiver, Warship (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Venus - Obscured Until Observed (Xtreem Music)

Venus is two men from Athens; Giorgos Verginis (guitar/harsh vocals) and Antonis Avtzis (guitars/clean vocals), I assume everything else is a computer but it's a well programmed computer, playing the sort of blasts you'd want them to. With a science fiction/horror theme in their music they draw from Cynic, Voivod, Vektor and Death as they play intense thrash that often journey's into death metal. It's a guitar lovers wet dream the six string interplay between Giorgos and Antonis stunning from the first moments, leaning on the Chuck Schuldinger way of songwrting where the guitar is the focus.

On The Arrythmic Pulse Of Universe and the finale of Subatomic Search For Human Consciousness, they play with virtuosity and passion, even adding some techincal bass playing throughout the album too. The real skill though is composing songs that let them show off but make things coherent too. The Trivium punch of Sons Of Guns leads into the blistering prog metal workout The Observatory is how Obscured Until Observed starts, increasing the ferocity and techincality from their debut EP in 2022. For me the fusion of the harsh/clean vocals is a significant evolution from their EP, the harsh vocals growl while the clean vocals have Matt Heafy shout to them. It allows them to play with dynamics within the songs, insuring that it's not all just long phases of guitar shredding. 

The songwriting itself gains more progression and textures, turning Venus into the extra-terrestrial thrash machine they have threatened to be. Packed with shredfests from the opening moments Obscured Until Observed will get you busting out the air guitar on an interstellar overdrive. 7/10

Diviner – Avaton (ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records)

Forming in 2011 and with two albums under their belt, Diviner release their third full length Avaton. As is the norm with Greek heavy/power metal, Diviner choose to move towards the American style over the European. 

Though amongst the Savatage, Sanctuary and Metal Churchisms, there’s lots of Teutonic sounds and vocalist Yiannis Papanikolaou reminds me of Dio. So it’s got a classic metal vein, but with a bit of muscle behind it vocally and musically, the production of Fotis Benardo keeping it raw enough on tracks such as Dancing In The Fire and Cyberwar, especially the guitars of Teo Ross and Alex Flouros, but letting the instruments breathe on the more complex arrangements such as Waste No Time where George Nidriotis’ bass is key. 

There’s more than just bog standard mid-pace metal though on Avaton, Hope Will Rise is thrashy, driven by Lefteris Moros’ drumming, while they take a brave move of putting two 8 minute songs one after the other as Hall Of The Brave has to have a Savatage influence while The Battle Of Marathon goes full Manowar, as acoustics shift to chest beating epic metal. Avaton continues with the sound Diviner have been refining for 10 years. Nothing you haven’t heard but slickly done. 7/10

Receiver - Whispers Of Lore (Gates Of Hell Records)

 
Cypriot band Receiver bled NWOBHM with folk in a way that bands such as Warlord, Omen and Saracen have done before them. That latter comparison is the closest to what Receiver play as a band. NWOBHM that shifts into folk storytelling and even moments of AOR, the songs are about fantasy and emotions sung well by the vocals of Nikoletta Kyprianou who brings a bit of Leather Leone, a lot of Sarah Ann Vincent (Smoulder) and even a bit of Veronica Freeman (Benedictum). 

Whispers Of Love is their debut album and they set out the stall with the NWOBHM gallop of Unite, Loizos Koukoumas (bass) and Yiannis Xanthou (drums) pacing these tracks as if they came from the UK scene in the early 80’s. From Unite, Starchaser keeps the rhythms sprinting along while Andreas Kyriacou and Charalambos Vassiliou intertwine with the dual guitar harmonies. So far so atypical of the ‘epic metal’ sound, Maiden on Trespasser bleeds into more Maiden on Falling To Dust, but this is the early Maiden of Killers into Number Of The Beast, they even put in an instrumental, Wilderness, to keep up the authenticity. 

I can’t really hear the folk elements on the record, only really on the swashbuckling Arrow which is another, longer instrumental and on the title track. A debut album that owes most of the composition to Iron Maiden, probably too much, however if the NWOBHM never died with you then Whispers Of Lore will have you getting your denim out. 6/10

Warship - The Third Wave (Sleaszy Rider Records)

Athenian band Warship set off on their third crusade with Captain Foris Ntrikos (guitar/vocals) at the helm. They've been sailing the seas of metal for a number of years with the last two waves taking place in 2010 and 2016 so now it's time for their third. Warship play classic heavy metal from the early days of the NWOBHM. In the press pack it says they are for fans of Holocasut, Warlord, Blitzkrieg and Angel Witch, all of which is true, unfortunately these bands are the ones who were never really at the top of the scene, and I get a similar feel from Warship. They play quite simplistic music, which is authentic I guess but the major problem I have are those vocals...they are dreadful. Completey took away any enjoyment of the album. So no matter how good the music is I couldn't get into it. Not much else to say. 5/10

Reviews: Triumph Of Death, Dead Cosmonauts, Mangini, Soledriver (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

Triumph Of Death - Resurrection Of The Flesh (BMG Records) [Matt Bladen]

Just as a heads up to anyone recording a live album, do not place the audience mic next to the loudest woman in the audience. At the beginning of this live album from Tom Gabriel Warrior's Triumph Of Death, there is a woman who screams so bloody loudly it hurts, luckily, there's an "Urgh" and The Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation) gets this tribute to Hellhammer started.

Only existing for two years Hellhammer have become one of the most mythologised bands in black metal history, founder Tom Gabriel Warrior has gone on to bigger and better things with Celtic Frost along with Martin Eric Ain of Hellhammer and now Triptykon, but neither band played much of Hellhammer's music.

Ever the creative Warrior created Triumph Of Death for the express purpose of playing Hellhammer's music. Naming the band after their debut demo, Triumph Of Death is a band that is specifically designed to pay tribute to Hellhammer and perform their songs live, so we have this live album recording the Swiss band at three festivals throughout 2023 in the US, Germany and Portugal. Being able to hear Warrior revisit these songs with a shit hot band behind him is brilliant as the songs of Hellhammer come alive.

Those gruff, growled vocals of Warrior, shout the lyrics he wrote so many years ago while his biting downstroke guitars are joined by André Mathieu, cutting through the thundeous bass of Jamie Lee Cussigh with buzzsaw precision, Cussigh a jackhammer I'm union with Tim Iso Wey's drums. Hellhammer were the early days of black metal so much of this can also be considered thrash/speed too.

I could focus on individual tracks but if you e not heard the originals then go into this album with an open mind as it's a piece of history. If you're a fan you'll buy it anyway so I don't have to convince you. 8/10

Dead Cosmonauts - Parasomnia (Do It Thissen/Trepanation Recordings) [Rich Piva]

Here is a band I know nothing about, Sheffield, UK’s Dead Cosmonauts, who have labels in their bio like doom, metal, post rock, stoner, and heavy psych to name a few. So far so good. Now as to what it sounds like, I could get behind a combo of all the below and more, as this mostly instrumental five piece bring some cool heavy soundscapes that go in all sorts of different directions on their new album, Parasomnia, and provide a satisfying post-rock experience for the listener.

The opener, Liminal Space (65 mins REM, vitals = stable) is a very cool and dark post rock instrumental that has some great guitar work and some excellent drumming. I said instrumental, but occasionally there will be a vocal snippet that is included that could do without, as it distracts from the killer instrumental jamming. Beneath The Choking Sky paints the title’s picture with musical instruments only, which is something that is not easy to do, though it could have been a couple of minutes shorter as the first three minutes did not have a lot going on but when it kicks in look out. Kenopsia is the highlight track on Parasomnia. 

A ten-plus minute proggy post rock epic journey that is more upbeat than the darker previous track and allows all the band members to shine. Now this is not to say this track is full of sunshine, because the overall dark vibe of Parasomnia continues, just a bit more up-tempo. I love the guitar work and when they get all heavy on us about three minutes in. In Spirals It Took Everything keeps the dark instrumental goodness going but could have been a 90 second track as it works more as a bridge to Swallowed In Dark Waters what starts of sparse until it kicks in with some cool percussion that leads to all sorts of stuff going on all at once, until there isn’t. Then you get a nice chunky riff and some blast beat drum work for your pleasure. A Vision From The Valley Of Dry Bones closes us out in similar fashion, creating a cohesive listen from beginning to end.

I don’t go instrumental too often, but when I do Parasomnia will fit nicely with that small group of my go to albums when I don’t want to hear anyone’s voice. Dead Cosmonauts can really play and have brought us a really good post rock instrumental experience that is worth your time to check out if you dig bands like Explosions In The Sky and other bands of that ilk. 7/10

Mangini - Invisible Signs (Mike Mangini Media) [Matt Bladen]

The debut solo album from now former Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini has little, if anything to do with prog, I repeat it has no prog. It does however feature Tony Dickinson (Trans Siberian Orchestra, Jeff Scott Soto) on bass, Ivan Keller (Trans Siberian Orchestra) playing rhythm guitar, Jen Majura (Evanescence) plays some guitar on Deep Inside and sings, the solos and leads coming from Gus G of Firewind. 

A strong cast of characters that lend their talents to this debut album from the virtuoso skin smasher. Now there are sections in these songs that were all written by Mangini and then built upon by the other players where odd time signatures are used but mainly Invisible Signs is a hard rock album, and a pretty decent one at that. Mangini's drumming takes precedence on these songs of course setting down the muscular rhythms along with Dickinson and Keller, bringing the swaggering mid pace riffs and speedy rocking. 

Couple with that the rough vocal style of Majura who's and undiscovered gem as a singer. An album of rock tracks with some surprisingly intelligent lyrics surrounding physics and things that are of interest to Mike, including athletic overachievers on Freak Of Nature, topped off with Gus G's guitar fireworks. It seems that Mike Mangini has a strong enough fallback after his dismissal from Dream Theater. 7/10

Soledriver - Return Me To Light (Frontiers Music Srl) [Rich Piva]

Frontiers is at it again with Soledriver, which is a tag team of Michael Sweet of Stryper (and other Frontiers projects) fame and Alessandro Del Vecchio from bands like Edge Of Forever, Hardline, and Jorn. Now anyone who knows what Frontiers and the bands these guys come from are all about know what to expect here can pretty much guess what this is going to sound like, but let’s see if this combo can bring something unique or even listenable to the table with their debut album, Return Me To The Light.

Well, I mean it is not terrible or unlistenable, as this is some super slick, generic, radio friendly adult-oriented rock that sounds like 95% of what Frontiers puts out. Sweet Sounds good, but these songs are painfully bland and unmemorable. The “built in a lab” production is ever-present and does nothing to help the run-of-the-mill songs that the duo brings to the table. It is not terrible, as Anywhere is a nice track, which combines the best of the bands these guys come from, but there is not much more that I take away as keepers on Return Me To Light. 

Pieces Of Forever may be the most generic rock song I have ever heard, only saved a bit by Sweet’s vocals that remain strong after all these years. The sappy Hope’s Holding You doesn’t help matters but is better than Spinning Wheel which wishes it was 1988 and bands like Giant and Alias were trying to compete for most annoying level 5 ballad that they could get on dial MTV.

Soledriver is too produced, lacks heart, and is generic Frontiers output that hopes that the names involved in the project will help move a few units. Return Me To Light is only wanting me to stay in the dark with rock that has some balls and emotion. 3/10

Reviews: Acidsitter, Hinayana, Shylmagoghnar, Jesse James Dupree (Reviews By Rich Piva & Matt Bladen)

AcidSitter - Make Acid Great Again (Interstellar Smoke Records) [Rich Piva]

A polish/Japanese psych rock band whose bio says “If Roky Erickson were alive, he would have liked it.” You can’t get much more up may alley with that description then how AcidSitter set my expectations. It’s not just the quote that excites me with their latest output and debut full length, Make Acid Great Again. 

The members of AcidSitter are veterans of a bunch of bands so they have been around the scene, but nothing I have heard can top what these guys are doing as a collective unit. Make Acid Great Again is eight tracks of killer heavy and bluesy psychedelic rock that will blow you away from the first note. Not just psych noodling here as the tracks are super catchy and expertly played as well. The production and sound quality is exactly how I like it, raw and never too polished, as this sounds like the guys got together a hammered this record out in their garage in Krakow. This is the highest compliment I can give on production values, so yeah it sounds perfect for what it is. 

The opener, named the same as the band name, which always makes me happy, is a great psych rock trip with all sorts of fuzzy guitar work and a killer rhythm section driving this rocker. I love the opening guitar part on Comets and that Roky mention comes to light here as you know these guys have some 13th Floor Elevators in their collection. We have some synth action on the funky It’s fine which is a more chill trip that floats above your head while you are experiencing something out of body until you crash back a bit with some killer heavy psych. 

The Healing Journey is the true chill song on Make Acid Great Again, with both Hawkwind and Pink Floyd vibes competing for top billing. Lots of cool noises swimming around in this one. Sweet Dreams is all kinds of frantic psych, with multiple tempo changes and cool instrumentation while Last Few Days sounds like a nice bit of UK based 90s indie psych that had a moment back then, like if Verve got heavier instead of more pop after A Storm In Heaven. I love how AcidSitter turns up the tempo on Roller Coaster and the true psych freak out on the album, like if Roky joined Hawkwind when Lemmy left. I love the closer, Staywatch, that reminds me a bit of the Black Angels in all the best ways.

AcidSitter has one of the psych rock records of the year with Make Acid Great Again. Dose yourself with equal parts Hawkwind, 13th Floor Elevators, Black Angels, and early Pink Floyd and get ready to take quite the mind-bending trip. Amazing stuff. 9/10

Hinayana - Shatter And Fall (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

Shatter And Fall is the second album from American melodeath band Hinayana. Attempting a darker work than before they have increased the techincality but the emotion too appealing to fans of Insomnium and Amorphis along with modern grooves that burst out of your speakers due to Casey Hurd (vocals/guitar) and Kevin Butler's production and the mastering of prog/death wizard Dan Swanö. 

Along with Hurd are Erik Shtaygrud (guitar), Daniel Vieira (drums), Michael Anstice (keys) and Matt Bius (bass), this five piece attempting to add new wrinkles to the melodeath style with chilling doom from the introspective start Slowly Light The Candles which makes its way into the organ drenched chug of Mind Is A Shadow that features Vincent Jackson of Aether Realm, the two parts combining on the epic feeling How Many Dreams which is melodeath 101. 

Techincally surges though this release from the relentless blast beat gallop that can downshift into doom metal trot (to use horse venacular), the guitars unleashing aggressive death metal distortion, twin harmonies and on From Our Dark Moments, acoustics used brilliantly into the anthemic Reverse The Code, the cornerstone of this record is Triptych Visions but A Tide Unturning, which features Tuomas Saukkonen of Wolfheart, will fight it for that title. 

Closing out this second album is a re-recording of their song Taken from their 2014 demo, this version it's fully formed self, reliant on the keys and organs. American but with a frozen vein of Scandi influence, Shatter And Fall brings doom and gloom. 7/10

Shylmagoghnar - Convergence (Napalm) [Matt Bladen]

Not often that bands go from a duo to a solo act but that's what has happed with black metal act Shylmagoghnar, Convergence is the third album from Nimblkorg closing out his trilogy of albums started with Emergence in 2014 and went through Transience in 2018. This final installment is an inward journey towards death, the lyrical concept encompassing all the facets of how death can effect a person and that these things need to be overcome before you can move on. This instalment more personal than previous ones as it's dedicated to his late mother. 

Shylmagoghnar is then a atmospheric black metal album, as likely to drift off into enigmatic introspection as it is to come back down to full assault blasting. The melodic and the morose fused tightly, similarly to way bands such a Saor, Fen and Winterfylleth have been the flag bearers of. With over an hour's worth of music, Convergence is weighty, the composing of Nimblkorg much more expansive than many one man shows, but it still has that fizzy, rawness to the recording that fans of extreme metal really favour. 

Bending against so many genre 'rules', it opens with the 10 minutes instrumental that captures the naturalistic textures beautifully before both Follow The River and Threshold combine black, death and even power metal on Strata. As Gardens Of The Erased dabbles with synthwave, which Infinion keeps though the real art of this album is heard on The Sea where all of the genres I've mentioned are brought together under a folk metal flag. Shylmagoghnar has amassed quite an oeuvre, but Convergence is a fitting conclusion to this trilogy, where things go from here could be anyone's guess. 8/10

Jesse James Dupree - Breathing Fire (Mighty Loud) [Rich Piva]

In case you didn’t know, Jesse James Dupree is the chainsaw wielding lead guy of the American rock band Jackyl. Now this can go a couple of different ways, and your reviewer will be unbiased even with some potential hate I could receive if I don’t’ like his new solo album, Breathing Fire. But if there is one thing you can expect from anything Jackyl related it is a super fun rock and roll party full of all sorts of debauchery. 

So, do we get that black out level drunk from the ten tracks on Breathing Fire or a slight wine cooler buzz? Well do you like AC/DC and his main band Jackyl? If so, this will be right up your alley. This is fun straight-ahead rock and roll sung in his signature high pitched whisky drenched voice and I am here for it. 

The opener, Lay It On Me is AC/DC worship in all the best ways and works perfect with his vocal style. This is pretty much what you get across the ten songs on Breathing Fire. There are no gimmicks here like you sometimes get with his main band, just kick ass rock, like on Never Gets Old and the title track. It's Not Love is another strong track that has a solo taken right off Highway To Hell. Stranded is the Dirty Deeds of Breathing Fire while the best track is the ripper Born To Ride The Lightning that even La Chinga would be proud of, with the fun rocker Kill The Sunshine not too far behind in quality. 

If there is one complaint, it may sound too much like AC/DC, but is that really a bad thing? There are millions of worse bands to worship, so I am fine with it. It does get a bit repetitive, so maybe a song or two less would have streamlined this a bit, but I am nitpicking considering what I thought I was going to write when this one was assigned to me. I thought Breathing Fire would be something I would listen to review and throw away, but JJD brings the straight ahead no frills and full of balls rock that you wish you heard more of these days. 7/10

A View From The Big Top: Clown Core (Live Review By Charlie Rogers)

Clown Core, O2 Kentish Town, London, 07.11.23

Clown Core are one of those musical acts that sound completely made up when you describe them to people - 2 blokes dressed as halloween clowns, 1 wielding an alto saxophone, the other sat behind a basic drumkit, both with access to a vocal mic, a bicycle horn, and a synthesiser. The music consists of intense jazz beats, wailing sax lines, synth pads, and of course honking. 

Over the past few years, they’ve gained a notable level of online success due to the captivating combination of the truly odd music and their even more bizarre videos that accompany. So, in seeing that they were actually playing live, and London not being practically impossible to get to, we had to jump on this show.

Rocking up for doors at 7pm, we were greeted by a growing crowd clustered inside the O2. Stage set with a large white curtain obscuring view, and the sound of crashing waves gently emanating from the PA system. Little changed in the next hour and a half, except our patience depleting, as the auditorium filled to capacity and the house lights lowered. A single folding chair had been placed on stage, with a small table holding a laptop, and then from stage right comes a large man dressed in a jumpsuit and a balaclava. 

Those familiar with Clown Core’s videos from the Van album will recognise this character as the driver of said van. Silently, he sat on the chair, and stared at the audience. The waves now replaced by soft jazz, he slowly started to accept items passed to him from the front members of the audience - a pint, a hoodie, several cameraphones on which he took expressionless selfies, and even a bottle of Buckfast. This surreal activity dragged on for over half an hour, before he finally tapped the spacebar on the laptop, stopping the jazz, and left. The house lights came on, the table and chair removed. We stood there in stunned silence realising that was the support act for the evening.

After another agonising 30minutes of soft waves, the time finally came for the long anticipated show. The white curtain dropped, revealing a tent-portaloo stood in front of a screen. Intro music screamed to life as scenes from across the solar system were projected onto the screen, taking us on a journey through space. Zooming in, we reach Earth, then america, then california, then a building site, and as the background noise fades away the clowns begin to play. Witch Pussy is about as daft as the name suggests, with kick, horn, sax, horn, repeating for the entire 2 minute song. The crowd, obviously, sing along - this being a sign of things to come, as the cult-like following the JazzGrind absurdists have garnered are clearly very familiar with the material. 

The walls of the portaloo fall away, and we see them now in their, uh, glory? Playing tunes from across their 4 releases, set to either overhead cameras from within the frame of the tent, or to psychedelic AI generated video depicting gore, pornography, and meat iceburgs, the show lasts a little over 40minutes. From exhilarating rave-like tracks such as Hell, to sombre, reflective melodies like Google Your Own Death, Clown Core’s music is varied and skillfully crafted despite it’s sometimes random first appearances. Of course, the crass humour in the subtitled lyrics and visual imagery may put off those of a weaker disposition, so (despite me probably not needing to state something this obvious I will anyway), this isn’t for everyone. (Understatement of the year - Ed)

From a technical angle, micing up an alto-sax stood so close to a drumkit is one hell of a task, so it was no wonder the sound wasn’t the best and didn’t hold up as well as the recordings. Likewise the drums felt neutered, most likely so Drummer Clown wouldn’t just obliterate Saxa Clown. Vocal mics were far enough away that they caused no problems, and the synths and samples were just dandy, but really you’re here for the bonkers drumming and the terrific sax playing, which was squandered. Extra tip of the bonnet to Saxa Clown during Toilet for the part where he uses his penis to press down the synth keys while ripping a mad solo with the sax. For narrative and immersion purposes, we all assume it was his real penis. Ending with the show with the words “Thank you for your money. Please leave.” displayed across the screen is my new favourite way to close a gig.

Recommending this show to someone else is a hard sell, as you’re going to have to either tactically show up 2 and a bit hours after doors to skip the bullshit that goes before the show, or accept that you’ll need something to entertain yourself with on your feet while you wait. Shame the staff at the O2 didn’t look like they’d let you in with a set of juggling pins. But if you enjoy the music these insane people have put out there, it’s a bucket list show you should absolutely do once.

:clown emoji:/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Elder (Live Review By Joe Guatieri)

Elder, Slomosa & Steak, The Fleece Bristol, 07.11.23

On a wet and windy Tuesday night things were about to heat up as Elder, Slomosa and Steak were playing at The Fleece in Bristol. Being that it was a gig in my city, words can’t describe how excited I was for the night. I knew that a lot of my friends would be going to experience this also and it’s safe to say that we didn’t go home disappointed.

Steak (8) kicked the night off in the ideal way of providing the crowd with heavy driving grooves. I hadn’t heard of Steak before this gig so I was looking to be surprised and there was no doubt that I was. They presented a sound that was very reminiscent of Kyuss but took it to some very interesting places, in turn always keeping the crowd guessing. Their songs had a lot of calmness at first, building to the point where giant riffs hit you, combined with these unexpectedly strange detours within time signature changes. Typically, this would be too much of a change, but the band did so much to make them feel seamless, this made for a very hypnotic listen.

Slomosa (10) were next and they are one of my favourite Stoner Rock bands. I love their debut album and I’ve been lucky enough to have seen them live before where they killed it at Crofters Rights the previous year so I was without a doubt the most hyped for them. Throughout their set they made me jump for joy and sing along to every song of theirs. Two highlights this time were during their songs Horses and There Is Nothing New Under The Sun where they played them effortlessly, putting their souls into every note. My favourite moment though was witnessing them play In My Mind’s Desert again which to me is their best song and just a masterpiece. The live performance personified that as I screamed along to every word and couldn’t stop myself from playing air guitar. Slomosa caught me in a trance during their set and it defined why I love them so much.

Last but not least was Elder (9) and I was so pumped to see them. I had heard quite a lot of good things about them from friends and their set here really did meet those expectations. They had these long multi-part epics which felt like witnessing an artist paint on a blank canvas. It amazed me how in sync they were as a band, it felt like a complete puzzle and it showed me how they were all masters of their craft. I didn’t even know which guitarist was the lead at first, that’s how good they were and the rhythm section was outstanding, providing so much groove. The guy who was playing the synthesizer also had a massive presence and was a fascinating counterpoint to the guitars, sometimes even taking the lead within the melody. I would say that Elder are the Led Zeppelin of Stoner Rock in terms of how progressive they are.

Overall it was a night where incredibly high standards of musicianship were on display, it made it to a point where anyone on the night could have headlined the gig. I will never forget about it.