Reviews: Borknagar, Job For A Cowboy, Morta Skuld, Hand Of Kalliach (Reviews By Richard Oliver, Lee Burnell, Charlie Rogers & Mark Young)

Borknagar - Fall (Century Media Records) [Richard Oliver]

Borknagar have always been a band existing on the exploratory and progressive fringes of extreme metal. Since the band's inception in 1994, Borknagar were formed by Øystein Garnes Brun to create more melodic music and push the boundaries of the black metal genre. It is an ethos that has served the band for 30 years and across eleven albums with each album offering a different variant of the Borknagar sound and that continues with the twelfth album from the band Fall.

Borknagar have adopted a more epic sound on their last couple of albums and this is carried over onto Fall although given new and different dynamics. Album opener Summits is vast and cinematic and conjures up images of mountains and dramatic landscapes through its massive soundscapes and enormous melodies. When you have two singers in the band as good as ICS Vortex and Lars Nedland it makes perfect sense to write music as majestic as this. 

Second song Nordic Anthem sees the band exploring more tribalistic and folk leaning territory bringing to mind acts such as Wardruna but with the luscious melodies that Borknagar do so well. The band’s unmistakable brand of melodic black metal and progressive song structures is fine tuned and finessed on Fall with lengthy epics such as Stars Ablaze and Northward ensuring that hairs are standing on end whilst shorter tunes such as Moon and Unravelling are so full of atmosphere, emotion and progressive twists and turns that they are prog epics in their own right.

Borknagar maintain the purple patch of albums they have had with Urd, Winter Thrice, True North and Fall is another majestic beast of an album. It is one of those albums that feel like they have taken you on a journey by the time it ends. Like all good progressive music it has a lot of different moods and emotions to it. It is one of the least black metal albums of Borknagar’s career though there are aggressive and blackened moments throughout and plenty of harsh vocals from Lars Nedland. Borknagar continue to embrace the prog and quite simply it sounds absolutely amazing. 9/10

Job For A Cowboy – Moon Healer (Metal Blade Records) [Lee Burnell]

Job For A Cowboy have given fans exactly what they’ve been asking for. Since 2014’s Sun Eater LP, fans have been on a ruthless campaign for the band to come out of hiatus and when teasers for something new started hitting social media last year, I, like many thousands of others became very excited to see what’s in store.

Every offering from Job For A Cowboy has left a lasting impression on deathcore and technical death metal fans alike and Moon Healer is no different. Continuing where they left off from Sun Eater, it quickly becomes evident that the combination of guitarists Al Glassman and Tony Sannicandro thrive in their technical element throughout this record and Navene Koperweis has done a fantastic job of replacing an already fantastic drummer in Jon Rice and puts his own finesse on the record. Johnny Davy brings back his signature growls and snarls and one thing the band does very well throughout the record is to stand out of each other’s way, Al and Tony know when to riff and when to shred, Navene doesn’t overdo any drumfills and Nick can shine during the prog sections.

Overall, the record flows very nicely with an 8 track LP with an occasional blurring of lines between tech-death and prog which allows Nick Schendzielo’s bass to take centre stage in a very hypnotic way – proof of this is The Sun Gave Me Ashes So I Sought Out The Moon. Key highlights of the record include the opener Beyond The Chemical Doorway and The Agony Seeping Storm but I’m very much onboard for this progressive tech-death approach that the band are leaning towards.

Moon Healer is a very welcomed return to form for Job For A Cowboy who don’t seem to have missed a beat in the 10 years between records and I’m looking forward to seeing some of these belters live. 9/10

Morta Skuld - Creation Undone (Peaceville Records) [Charlie Rogers]

For over 30 years Morta Skuld have been putting out ear blistering bangers. Admittedly, there was a brief 14year hiatus in the middle of that, but their passion for death metal hasn’t diminished. Creation Undone is the 3rd full length release since the come back, and their 7th in total. Taking on themes of disrepair, a crumbling society, and generally avoiding the gore obsession many bands of their ilk tie their flags to, Morta Skuld’s particular brand of Milwaukeean misery stands above the crowd.

Immediately catching the listener, We Rise We Fall opens the record with an aggressive earworm - the main riff is seriously difficult to evict from your head. Tons of groove, increasingly frantic drumming, and David Gregor’s signature rasping growls propel you through the sonic broken glass. It’s a visceral, energetic track that enthrals you from the get go, and sets the stage for the album as a whole. 

Each song contains all the elements you’d want from an Old School Death Metal jam - angry riffs, punchy drums, dark melodies, and grinding sawing guitar tone. There are a few guitar solos mixed in amongst the tracks, some taken by frontman David Gregor, some taken by fellow guitarist Scott Willecke - none of which drag on forever, solid sections that add flavour without being overly flashy.

The production is solid on the whole, with guitars sitting front and centre in the soundscape, John Hill’s tasty bass playing given a wide berth to punctuate the phrases, and Eric House’s thunderous drumming setting each section’s pace. Nothing gets lost in the soundscape, and the album is a delight to listen to. 

While each track features a number of riffs with small variations on pace or tone, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between each song. Chances are if you get on with the opener, you’ll have a great time with the whole record. However, the flipside is also true - if you gel with the first few minutes of Creation Undone, the rest of the album doesn’t hold any secrets - and to be fair, death metal probably isn’t for you.

Given their track record, it’s a little baffling why Morta Skuld aren’t as much a household name as their contemporaries in the likes of Death and Obituary, or even their labelmates Cancer and Autopsy. Creation Undone should remedy this however, as it’s a solid release that will cement Morta Skuld in the mind of any self respecting death metal fan. Jam it in your ears, and good luck trying not to hum We Rise We Fall for the next few days. 9/10

Hand Of Kalliach - Corryvreckan (Prosthetic Records) [Mark Young]

And now something in a different vein. Hand Of Kalliach bring their folk-infused atmospheric and melodic metal on this their second album. A duo, with John handling vocals, guitar, and drums and Sophie, handling vocals and bass. This is a superlative blend of themes that although set within the folk genre, this leans more into the atmospheric realm of extreme metal.

Three Seas with its ethereal vocals dominating the early build, the arrangement expanding as the growled delivery comes in. Pounding drums and a solid riff batter as if to convey a sense of fighting against the rough seas. There is gentle piano hidden amongst this, all coming together emphasising that although they may be rooted in folk there is nothing lightweight about its execution. All the little touches bring the atmosphere to an almost tangible point. Fell Reigns has this gorgeous refrain running through it that works in tandem with those gorgeous vocals from Sophie. 

Riff-wise, it's simple and direct which is a good thing as it doesn’t overshadow the song and provides an effective balance. Both songs have been put together so well and it’s a great start. Any worries I had that perhaps the folk side would take precedence fall away as Dìoghaltas bursts in. This again concentrates on ensuring that your attention is engaged right from the off. Mixing those melodic touches just so they lift the material above a pure beat-down, they manage to blend the need for light and dark just right. Cracking stuff

Cirein-cròin takes that attack and refines it further but in doing so establishes a pattern at work: Muscular riff, growled vocals that step back once the female kicks in. There is nothing wrong with adapting an approach if this works, and it does as both support the other in being effective in its execution. My concern is that this will follow through on the next one possibly indicating that they have settled with a ‘it works, let’s stick with this approach’.

Deathless stomps around with breathless intent, same as The Hubris Of Prince Bhreacan which follows. Taking cues from Deathless, it bounces along with both voices getting a moment in the sun and getting the chance to expand themselves over the music beneath. Unbroken You Remain is a brutal track with John’s guttural roars tearing through set against a pummelling guitar. Those spot-on melody lines with Sophie underpinning and providing an angelic accompaniment, building on the choir like backing. There is a definite Celtic flavour, and you will know what I mean as soon as you hear it. 

The Cauldron could almost be the continuation of Unbroken, I think this is where I’m getting that sense of familiarity I mentioned earlier. There is nothing wrong with it, it's just that there is a sense of hearing it before which is a shame. Taken on its own merits, its snappy and allows the majestic Of Twilight And The Pyre which has this beautiful opening sequence where Sophie puts a stamp on it. Those almost waiflike vocals just float, the song building ever so gradually around it so when the heavy comes in, the two styles come together as this epic finale. This captures everything they have done so well on the preceding tracks. It is a satisfying climax, and they go out on a high with this.

Right, so I didn’t expect it to sound like this at all. The two vocal styles on display mesh together so well and elevate this above other atmospheric / folk bands I’ve heard. The songs are direct, fast and work in those Celtic influences so they are all working together and in every case they do. What I found that after a spell you could predict how the songs would go, which is frustrating. Its possible that in keeping that one direction going of keeping the tempos up they boxed themselves into a corner. I don’t believe it will affect your enjoyment of this, because it is a fine album. 

It would be interesting to see how they would do this live and if it would differ in any way. For me this is a fairly essential purchase for fans of this genre and to repeat: There are no weak songs here. 8/10

Reviews: Darkest Hour, Disastroid, Fragment Soul, Skuggor (Reviews By Mark Young, Rich Piva, Matt Bladen & Paul Scoble)

Darkest Hour - Perpetual/Terminal (MNRK Heavy) [Mark Young]

The tenth release from Washington DC’s Darkest Hour, their first with MNRK Heavy sees the quintet consider, in their own words “survival while embracing rebirth”. This could be applied to weathering the storm of changing musical styles, band members leaving or your view on life evolving as you get older. First time listener and what is apparent is that age has not dulled their sense of fury or the ability to play like demons.

Perpetual Terminal, the title track kicks off with a melody line that just flies, ably backed up by the vocals of John Henry as he spits each line with total conviction. Its an impressive opener to be sure, bringing in the fast and direct riffing, emotionally built solo break ahead of a subtle reset that allows them to restart with the chorus arrangement and close out to a satisfying end. Societal Bile is a brutal riff-fest, and there is a storming section where they have this slight change in the guitar part that makes it sound excellent. 

The breakdowns are dense and again John’s vocals are stamping on everything in front of it. Short and incredibly sharp and A Prayer To The Holy Death continues with the excellent work, especially with the solo break which is absolutely spot on. The Nihilist Undone comes in with more sterling work, staying within that dark, discordant attack that gives it a more sinister feel which works very well. This is kicked out so well, its tight AF.

One With The Void changes its overall attack, giving the song scope to change from almost spoken lyric lines to full on roar. The build reflects this and gives it that scope for when it is performed live to grow with the audience. Amor Fati is a short instrumental which is carried along with a phrasing like a theme from a cop show. Given my growing distaste for instrumental breaks of any kind I have to say I don’t feel it warranted its inclusion here. 

Love Is Fear gets us back on track and is a speedy blast where they concentrate more on delivering a focused gut punch that harks back to Thrash’s golden era and is an absolute belter. It lands, crushes and leaves, fabulous stuff. It also gives some extra room for New Utopian Dream to usher in some storming down-picked violence. It’s not one note as this enables the lighter side to come across with the chorus section. It might be a little hackneyed, but they do it so well and drop a great solo in there too.

Mausoleum is an acoustic led start that drops into that sort of lolling time signature and to me is the weakest track here. It felt artificial when compared against the other tracks here which are just BOOM, are so organic and hit like they were the best they could give. This one just is off target.

My Only Regret writes that wrong, going for that shorty punky delivery that removes Mausoleum from memory and sets us up for the frankly epic album closer, Goddess Of War, Give Me Something To Die For. This starts with an acoustic, gently picked in an ascending pattern and straight away you know this is it, it’s the big one. Boys, don’t fuck this one up because the work they are putting in getting this one moving is taking that Gothenburg sound, adding Iron Maiden and going for the throat. This is how you end an album. Its glorious, furious and just moves at a rate of knots. It’s the sum of their efforts and its storming.

What they have is an abundance of melodic ideas that they are able to meld so that they are memorable after they finish. They don’t sound like a band who are ten albums deep into their career. It sounds fresh and energetic despite it being centred around that melodic / Gothenburg sound. They bring something else to it that just gives it enough of a difference, at least to these ears. They know how to put songs together and know what works the best. There is one misstep, but I’ll forgive them for that final song which just builds and builds and is a stormer. If you know nothing of them but love the melody in your aggressive music, you should give these a try. It does what you want it to, and you can bet that they will burn the stage up playing this live. 8/10

Disastroid - Garden Creatures (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

San Francisco, California’s Disastroid (I spell it wrong every single time) bring the dark and heavy, blending stoner and grunge along with some bleak atmosphere to create some excellent heavy rock. On their latest record, Garden Creatures, their sixth album, the band continues with this skill set, bringing grunge covered riffs and a dark rock vibe, blending the 90s Seattle sound with California stoner almost to perfection.

I hear a whole lot of Skin Yard/Gruntruck vibes on the eight songs on Garden Creatures, starting with that feel on the opening title track. The two bands I mentioned plus early Soundgarden is a close comparison. I hear some Melvins and bands like Paw and even early Nirvana, especially musically on track one. A more recent band like Murcielago also comes to mind. Stucco Nowhere sounds like a combination of them during the verses and The Melvins when the heavy kicks in. That early production/sound from bands like Nirvana and Mudhoney are all over this record. Figurative Object slows down the pace and the Skin Yard vibes, especially in the vocals comes out. 

This holds very true for the next one, Backwards Sleeping, which could be a B-side from Gruntruck’s Inside Yours or Skin Yard’s Inside The Eye. It is catchy as hell too. Very early Soundgarden is your reference point for 24, which sounds like it could have been on one of those Sub Pop compilations. Hold Me Wrong is a weird and creepy track that I am not sure was needed, but Light ‘Em Up makes up for any shortcomings of the last track, reminding me of early Into Another at the beginning until the Soundgarden vibes kick in. You may think Garden Creatures dragged a bit towards the end, but the closer, Jack Londonin’ is the sound of this band just letting loose and ripping it up, like Nirvana would do on tracks like Stay Away or Territorial Pissings, except with riffs.

Please don’t take all these comparisons to mean that this album is just grunge worship. While you can tell what these guy’s record collections look like, Disastroid put their spin on this classic genre, creating their own little niche in the dark stoner grunge world. Garden Creatures should be considered by all who call themselves fans of the characteristics of that niche. Good job Heavy Psych Sounds bringing us another killer Disastroid record. 8/10

Fragment Soul – Galois Paradox (Wormholedeath) [Matt Bladen]

I declared that Fragment Soul were a promising band when I reviewed their debut EP Axiom Of Choice back in 2021, making reference to the likes of Anathema, Riverside, Draconian and Porcupine Tree in the review, I also said it was grower that would release it’s real power after repeated plays. On this note I was spot on as listening to the album again before getting into their latest EP Galois Paradox, it really hit me for being much better and much more ‘me’ in terms of my taste than I gave it credit for 3 years ago. 

So with that rectified I set about seeing if this new EP would be the same or would it capture my attention and my affection immediately. Fragment Soul dwell in the mysterious and the maudlin, progressive and introspective, owing as much to doom as they do to prog. Synths and keys (Achilles Adamidis) are used with clean guitars (Jimmy Louvros) to give atmosphere while the rhythm section is often provided with a lot of space to fill, percussion (Stefanos Meletiou) technical but deft, the bass (Spiros Georgiou) anchoring the tracks and locking down into the heavier grooves with the distorted guitar sounds. 

That Anathema influence can be heard by the use of two vocalists, a male (Marc Durkee) and female voice (Tamara Filipovic) in union and counteracting each other on these vivid, dark soundscapes. Fragment Soul are a band on a quest for hope, using self-expression to escape the tyrannical nature of society, lyrically inspired by philosophy, psychology and the transcendental, their records are conceptual but open to interpretation, allowing the listener to connect in their own way. 

This second release opens quite directly with Eternal Night In Death, drawing on the Draconian, Swallow The Sun and Katatonia influences, it’s gothic and ethereal with huge doom riffs in the background. The volume of this album has increased from the previous one, while that hung around in the ether a bit more with lighter melodies, Galois Paradox embraces doom. The piano at odds with the glacial riff of All That I Despise, the keys continuing to bring huge swathes of emotion on the cathartic outpouring that is The Pain Ceased. With A Faceless God the grizzled heaviness is increased again, the peak forming as The Empty Dream cascades down again with more emotional balladry, with a sparse, haunting end to this record. 

Galois Paradox is more immediate than its predecessor but manages to be both heavier and softer, the promise has been fulfilled as Fragment Soul may just be on the brink of greatness. 8/10

Skuggor - Whispers Of Ancient Spells (Naturmacht) [Paul Scoble]

Skuggor is a one man project based in Sweden, the one man in question is known enigmatically as simply M. I don’t have any information on when this project started, but as Skuggor’s first release happened in 2022, it will be sometime before that. In the time M has been doing Skuggor the project has released a Demo in 2022, a first full length album called Skogshypnos in 2023, Whispers Of Ancient Spells is the bands second album.

The style on offer on Whispers Of Ancient Spells is lo-fi Atmospheric or Ambient Black Metal. Skuggor show clear influence and similarity too from Burzum, Lustre, early Alcest or more recently Faidra. So, a mix of tempo’s, slow and mid-paced material have the same amount of space as the Blast Beats, the Guitar has a very fuzzy treble heavy tone that has a lot of atmosphere and feels ethereal and expansive. 

The sound also has a lot of fairly analogue sounding keyboards as well, the keyboards have a similar level and importance to the Guitar and carry most of the melodies, which are simple but also play through most of the songs. The Vocals are Harsh throughout the album and, like most of the instruments, are bedded down in the mix so they do not stand higher than any of the individual instruments, and feel fragile and diaphanous.

The songs tend to have a similar structure as they are all mixtures of slow or mid-paced ethereal atmospheric Black Metal, juxtaposed with Blast Beat sections where the blasts drive the songs forward. So far, so awesome, however there is a problem with this album, and it is in the Drumming.

The drums on Whispers Of Ancient Spells are all processed, which is something it has in common with a lot of One Man Bands, but on this album the drum programming has been done in a way that is either very incompetent, or very badly judged. The issue is with the patterns, the drum sound and the position in the mix. The patterns don’t really fit with Black Metal, they seem to be in a 4:4 timing, and fairly obvious in how they are done, the drum tones themselves are very processed and feel more suited to either Industrial or Dance Music. 

The combination of 4:4 timings and very processed beats gives the drums a strange Techno feel, with the Blast Beats feeling oddly like Gabba. In some of the slow sections this Industrial sound gives this a sound that is similar to Second Wave pioneers Thorns, so on Silent Cry Of The Forests Embrace there is a very dramatic slow section that reminds me a little of Ærie Decent by Thorns, this is quickly blown apart by one of the Gabba Techno Blast Beats, but in some places the very Processed Beats does work, but it is only in fleeting places like that that it succeeds.

I have listened to Skuggors first album, Skogshypnos, and the drums sound fine; organic drum sounds, the correct level in the mix and appropriate to the music. The drumming on Whispers Of Ancient Spells feels about as organic as a polyester shirt.

Whispers Of Ancient Spells feels like a missed opportunity, a good piece of interesting Black Metal that has been undone by either incompetence, or badly judged decisions about drumming. It’s a shame as this could have been a beautiful piece of atmospheric Black Metal. 6/10

Reviews: Steve Hackett, Jane Getter Premonition, North Sea Echoes, Today Was Yesterday (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Steve Hackett - The Circus And The Nightwhale (InsideOut Music)

If you only know passing info about Steve Hackett it's that he was the guitarist of Genesis and has spent his time as a solo artist touring the albums he played on. However those who know a bit more you'll see that between the Genesis Revisited tours he has released a huge amount of solo albums. The Circus And The Nightwhale is his 30th (!) solo record and with so many of the previous ones it's a concept album about a young man called Travla's rite of passage. Hackett considers it to be autobiographical and it's a real showcase of what Hackett does as a musician and has been doing since the 1960's.

It's his first new music since 2021 and comes as one of the most eclectic release of his career, the circus/vaudeville themes cut through the broad strokes of hard rock, blues rock and lots of prog quirkiness. Steve again handles guitars, 12-string, mandolin, harmonica, percussion, bass as well as vocals, on lead vocals is Nad Sylvan, who's been there for a while now and is also part of The Flower Kings. He's got a unique set of pipes merging Gabriel with his own style on tracks such as the jazz club beginnings of Enter The Ring, which evolves into some Jethro Tull-like folk progging. As Steve's brilliant guitar playing is augmented by Roger King's keys and orchestrations, engineer Benedict Fenner also adds keys as Rob Townsend brings sax, Steve's brother John plays flute while Jonas Reingold (ex-Flower Kings) brings bass and locks in with drummer Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson). 

It's a very strong line up of musicians all of whom have played for Steve for a lot of years so sound tight and precise here. If that's not enough Amanda Lehmann comes on vocals (Ghost Moon And Living Love) with Nick D'Virgilio and Hugo Degenhardt returning as guests drummers. The album itself is a cinematic journey through the storyline Circo Inferno driven my frantic mandolin as Breakout goes full rock n roll leaving you with no illusion how well Steve can play in any kind of style, shredding like a man half his age. The Genesis stuff brings people in the door but the creativity of these solo albums is what has kept Steve Hackett in the public eye for over 40 years. 8/10 

Jane Getter Premonition - Division World (Esoteric Antenna)

Following on from her Anomalia album which garnered lots of praise from the critics, guitarist/vocalist/composer Jane Getter returns with her new album Division World, which will appeal to anyone that's a fan of Steven Wilson's work. It's got the same artistic traits as Mr Wilson, with jazzy rhythmic prog rock that is dynamic in its delivery, it's a fusion of multiple styles which incorporates, electronica, pop and more esoteric atmospheres.

Joining Jane on this record are the same all star band that appeared on her previous album, the keys come from frequent Wilson collaborator Adam Holzman his influence notable on both Compass and Layers. On guitar Jane is joined by Testament's Alex Skolnick playing it a bit slower and more deliberate than on his thrashing main job. There's a strong rhythm section in bassist/singer Paul Frazier and drummer Gene Lake as Randy McStine (Porcupine Tree) guesting on vocals.

With so much top class musicianship here the music must be good and it really is if you love intelligent, brilliantly crafted music the you'll find lots of it on Division World, from the relaxed, bluesy Another Way, which sounds like Eric Serra, the folksy Mixed Up which goes into some Yes-isms, though the title track brings a bit of rock riffing. Getter's vocals vary, they are harmonious and louche, using various effects when required by the song, I'm saying she's a good singer here if that's not obvious and her guitar playing is also virtuoso, wheeling off solos and lead breaks but playing with nuances too on Rewind Regain. Division World opens itself up after a few listens, unveiling music that is complex and heartfelt, ripe for the discerning prog fan. 9/10

North Sea Echoes - Really Good Terrible Things (Metal Blade Records)

Jim Matheos and Ray Alder will be known to fans of progressive metal, Matheos the co-founder/guitarist/producer for long tenured band Fates Warning as well as OSI and Kings Of Mercia, while Ray Alder is the vocalist/co-writer in Fates Warning as well as previously being the singer of Redemption and currently of A-Z with Mark Zonder, releasing two solo albums as well. So both are prolific, both brilliant in their respective fields but their magic is amplified when they work together. The 10 albums they recorded together as part of Fates Warning are considered the ‘classics’ so I was intrigued when Really Good Terrible Things dropped into my email box.

If you expect lots of FW bombast and basically a FW album in all but name you’ll be disappointed as North Sea Echoes goes for a more atmospheric, intimate approach. Multi-layered, textural guitar playing, slinky use of synths and Alder’s vocals at their most soulful with tracks such as Flowers In Decay, oddly this sounds like a Seal track, as most of the album has the feel of 90’s trip hop/shoegaze dripped with melancholic moodiness and a lot of lo-fi. The ideas here came from Matheos’ attempts to write songs for his ambient projects Tuesday The Sky but felt they needed vocals so in true FW style sent the demos to Alder who began to write lyrics, it’s this musical chemistry that makes the album work, while not strictly a metal record, there’s depth, power and emotion on offer, two old friends and creative partner’s in unison on music, no matter what type. 

A lot of the lyrics concern new beginnings and the inevitability of death that we’re all basically a massive cosmic accident so we should live each day grateful we’re here. Reflecting this is that Alder and Matheos almost work symbiotically, they know each other inside out so these songs carry through their history, into a different genre. In a similar way to Tom S Englund (who is now the singer of Redemption), shows more of himself with Silent Skies, or Mariusz Duda embraces electronics on Lunatic Soul; North Sea Echoes, exists almost as twin to their other band, the one a bombastic progressive metal band the other a proggy, dark, electronic project. Though both with the same duo at the heart of it. More Depeche Mode than Fates Warning, these are some REALLY good terrible things. 8/10

Today Was Yesterday - Today Was Yesterday (Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group)

An album that sounds like Peter Gabriel and Eric Serra jamming with The Tea Party and NiN? Featuring Robby Krieger (The Doors) and Alex Lifeson (Rush) bringing some lead guitar magic? Yeah I'm definitely in, I'm probably going to love it and get quite excited about it.

Formed by drummer, percussionist and programmer Ty Dennis and lead vocalist, songwriter, bassist, guitarist, pianist and programmer Angelo Barber, Today Was Yesterday play intelligent prog pop, densely instrumented, to create evocative atmospheres that are drawn from that Gabriel/Serra style of electronic avant garde music which merges multiple genres, take something such as I Fall (Silly Games), which is jazz driven, around the spacious drumming and double bass, Robby Krieger's guitar pitched with a perfect slide solo for it.

Both Dennis and Barber are sidemen, having served in plenty of bands for 25 years, but this is their first foray into original music together. With Krieger on just the one track, Alex Lifeson brings the chops on six of the 10, giving something different to each in the same way he does on his new project Envy Of None. Whether it's the psychedelic swathes on A Louder Silence or the dramatic rocking on My Dog Is My God

The driving rock beat against brass on Rukus, displays what they can do with no guests, as does the Borrowed, which comes from art-rock of the It Bites/John Mitchell style. Much of the lyrics are metaphorical and poetic, while the music has virtuoso performances but composed to as I've said Grace and My New Low have tips of the hat to Canadian multi-instrumental trio The Tea Party, vocally especially, though normally Angelo keeps the whispered approach of Gabriel, Serra and also Fish on If I Fall.

The last guest is Ed Roth who adds organs/Rhodes on the 80's pop strains of I Take All, but this is an album about the two long time collaborators taking centre stage rather than waiting in the wings. 9/10

Reviews: Thy Shining Curse, Sujin, Romuvos, Kiva (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Zak Skane)

Thy Shining Curse – Theurgia (ViciSolum Productions) [Matt Bladen]

Theurgia begins our descent into the dark world of Thy Shining Curse, liturgical soprano vocals to evoke the beginnings of a church sermon but then the blistering death metal riffs and blastbeats come in and church is very much out of the window as we were in much earlier forms of belief with Theurgia. Meaning Divine Work it was a belief by Neo-Platoists that human beings can achieve perfection and happiness without the fear of an afterlife, returning to ‘The One’ that created them, these ideas are used as part of this concept record, as each song depicts the struggles of mortals to return to ‘The One’ using sacrifice, rituals, and other less honest methods. Depicting characters from Greek literature I could bang on about the history behind them ad-nausea but seeing as this is a music review I suppose I should actually tell you about the music.

Thy Shining Curse is the creation of Leonidas, keyboardist and orchestrator, forming the band in 2021, it’s his creative vision that is the basis of this band, his orchestral swells and synths that are what makes this album creatively impressive. Similar to a band like Septicflesh and Xerath, it’s the cinematic compositions that make up the bulk of this record with Gabe Pietrzak’s guitars adding some melodeath riffs and solos as Cezar Moreira’s vocals snarl and growl, through these tales of classical philosophy/theology based Pythagorean tradition, the Eleusinian mysteries, Neoplatonism and Western Esotericism. 

The band keeping their identities a mystery adding to the mystique around them but they’re music is very extroverted, the clash of classical instrumentation and death metal brutal and beautiful as Abyssaoth evolves from crushing riff into jazzy sax, as Aesahaettr brings industrial punishment and operatic female vocals with a killer guitar solo to top it off. It’s all a bit breath-taking and we’re only two songs in. Acephale puts more modern death metal riffs against heavy use of piano and more solo supremacy. Lenore though has more of gothic tendency to it as the strings used to epic effect on Heptacletus, the penultimate track on this record. 7 tracks actually is well enough, as any more may inspire fatigue due to the sheer volume of music on offer. Melmoth of course being the most complex song on the album, shifting between themes and styles in five minutes, leaving you spent but also wanting to go again. 

This is a majestic debut album but not for those looking for an easy ride. 9/10

Sujin – Save Our Souls (Scarlet Recordfs) [Zak Skane]

As soon as the eerie atmospheric introduction ends the opening track Save Our Souls brings in the thrashy melodic death metal goodness with it’s galloping rhythms, face tearing tremolo picking that’s mixed in with some classic minor/major third harmonies whilst the vocals on this track are very reminiscent of Anders Friden vocal delivery of the Clayman-era, whilst the clean baritone vocals remind us of Bjorn Strid from Soilwork. The following the track Ashes From the Abyss brings us onto bouncy metal core groovy-ness with its rhythm guitars locked with punchy double kicks in classic fusion with the lead guitars playing some traditional pull off melody lines that are very reminiscent of band like Miss May I and August Burns Red especially when the vocalist is channelling Jake Luhrs level of growls. 

Dead World Beyond brings in some Unearth styled balls to the wall energy with its technical riffs, exotic solos and machine gun fired double kicks. The vocals are still being pushed to the limits by protecting some bawl rumbling gutturals to vocal tearing highs. To end the first half of the album Wasted Progress ventures into mid tempos and melodic arrangements the guitars are trading extended chords sequences with classic metalcore pedal tone riffs. To open up the second part of the album some short but sweet drum fills begins Bleeding Chains’ sonic brew of groovy but slightly djenty riffs, punishing breakdowns and hard-core inspired stab chords. Whilst the punishing instrumentation is carried out the return of the Bjorn Strid styled vocals have made a gracious return in the chorus sections. 

Other highlights on the album is the God Forbid styled track Dagon with it’s eastern sounding guitar harmonies and biblical lyrics whilst Insanity brings in a Metallica inspired intro followed by half time grooves and even some Death inspired progressive passages. The closing track Winter Breeze gives us a chilling lo-fi sounding lullaby until we are smashed in the face with some Viking styled 6/8 rythmed riffs, chanty choruses and mid tempo Amon Amarth styled riffs. Even though the audio quality of this album is a bit on the rough side this has not stopped the band from executing every track on this album with fiery passion, to some extents it actually adds more grit to their sound, especially on songs like Ashes From The Abyss, Dead World Beyond and Bleeding Chains. 

If you are fan of bands like In Flames, Soilwork and God Forbid this is the one for you. 7/10

Romuvos - Spirits (Hammerheart Records) [Zak Skane]

Throughout his whole album the band have captured the historical Baltic culture perfectly, from the throat singing that sewn across each track resonates deep to our ancestry core. The hypnotic chants on tracks like Snake Dance, World Tree and Garden Of The Sun along with the immersing layers of whispers, panting and droning harmonies have really captured those ancient cultural aspects down to a tee. 

The thundering percussion of drums, the chilling rattling and chiming of shakers channel our inner warrior whilst the swinging rhythms of the acoustic guitars sooths us with it’s chiming chords. In the relation to the metal instrumentations within tracks like Sun And The Mourning Star and World Tree they add more rhythmical textures to the folkly arrangements. It’s not until halfway through the album that tracks like Sprits Of The Oak and Fire push the guitar riffs to the centre point providing pinched harmonics and soaring leads.

This is a great listen for folk metallers that like their music with a bit more depth such as MYRKUR and Wardruna. The layers of the folk instrumentation along with entwined harmonies of throat sung vocals are married with the pounding metallic rhythms of the band, providing a pleasant atmospheric listen. but this can be a slow burn listen for other battle metal fans that like their up beats such as Amon Amarth and Sabaton. 8/10

Kiva - An Elegy Of Scars And Past Reflections (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Post/sludge can be something of a niche, within a niche, often involving long slow, repeating passages of dissonant, distorted riffs that then turn into single ringing, also repeating notes. The genre is about catharsis and how music feels, not always technical ability, it’s about connecting with an audience at the base level. 

Bands such as Amenra, The Ocean and Cult Of Luna can be seen as some of the best examples of this style, enveloping you in waves of heavy riffs and vocal growls/shouts before they lurch into blissful moments of ambience. Kiva are made up of veterans of the Greek scene and they have learnt from the lessons of those bands mentioned to create this unnerving, unwavering 40 minutes of catharsis. Impressive from the blast of loudness that is In Silence, Woe Is Me is more introspective building on a spatial bass/guitar/drum riff into a mountainous aggression. 

The introspection gets more rage filled on Delusion which features Victor Kaas from LLNN while From The Ego Of Our Ancestors brings a ritualistic approach again, layering and building across nearly nine minutes. Kiva create primal music that will drag you into the vast shadow they create. 7/10

Reviews: Illumishade, Profiler, Crazy Lixx, Honeymoon Suite (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Illumishade – Another Side Of You (Napalm Records)

The debut album, and this second album from Illumishade sounds like what would happen with two members of Eluveitie and a film composer got together. This is because the band is actually the result of vocalist Fabienne Erni and guitarist Jonas Wolf creating another band away from the folk metal juggernaut, the pair joined by film composer Mirjam Skal (orchestrations/synths), bassist/lyricist Yannick Urbanczik and drummer Marc Friedrich, improving on their debut with an epic theatrical modern prog metal style which reminds a me a lot of Evergrey as the use of thick distorted chunky guitar riffs are paired with the soaring vocals and dense orchestrations, supplied by the Budapest Art Orchestra. 

Erni’s vocals are fantastic, clean and emotional with bags of power, as Skal’s orchestrations evoke a dark but triumphant atmosphere. Perfect foil for Wolf to crank out djent riffs on tracks such as Enemy or Riptide, but also throw in some galloping power metal on In The Darkness, going back to the origins of the ‘symphonic metal’ genre. Over 14 tracks (yup!) they add a lot of different facets to Another Side Of You, from pop metal on Cloudreader, to the building levelling grooves on Cyclone, they nod to their other band with the folky Fairytale and HYMN, anthemic and featuring excellent use of strings as TWILY has oscillating electronics. 

With the heavy tracks splitting the album up, there’s room to experiment with the pop tracks and the ballads, the album ending with the emotive Hummingbird and Verliebt, a love song sung in Swiss German and has Epica’s Coen Jannsen on piano, closing the record with a surprise. Illumishade improve on everything they attempted on the debut, the heavy parts are heavier, the melodies more melodic and the performances are all high end. Slick modern metal with symphonic and progressive variation. 8/10

Profiler – A Digital Nowhere (Sharptone Records)

I’m of an age to remember when Nu-Metal as brand new, baggy jeans, hip hop vocals and unbridled jock aggression that resulted in the burning down of Woodstock 1999. It’s had many detractors but now 20 odd years later there are bands who are trying to revive it, many are lumped into Djent but Bristol based vocalist/guitarist Mike Evans has tried to truly tap into what Nu-Metal is as a genre with Profiler. 

Completed by bassist/vocals Joe Johnson and drummer Brad Ratcliffe, A Digital Nowhere is their debut album and on the first two tracks alone I can hear influences from Korn, Deftones and Coal Chamber as chunky bass grooves and rap/scream/angsty vocals as Delay adds Linkin Park to the homage. A Digital Nowhere manages to invoke the sound of that very well, be it the grooving To Utopia, the turntable infused Zero which will bring the Limp Bizkit stank face or the post-grunge psychedelia of Consumed, for those that were there, it’s like jukebox of the biggest bands of that time period. 

Of course anyone one who wasn’t there will discover the best bits of a genre that is getting it’s due no matter whether you think it should or not. 7/10 

Crazy Lixx – Two Shots At Glory (Frontiers Music Srl)

Crazy Lixx have been cranking out hard rock records for 20 years and as such they celebrate this milestone with a record that features re-recorded/reimagined versions of fan favourites and big hitters along with three newbies for good measure. 

Released with an album cover that looks like the cover for Blaze Of Glory/Young Guns, it’s no wonder that Two Shots At Glory (the song), sounds like it’s jumped straight out of the 80’s and in particular those early Bon Jovi records, Invincible meanwhile could be on Pyromania, while the third new one Sword And Stone brings more Leppard and a heap of innuendo. 

The three new ones are worthy additions to the canon, but many will be playing this to hear the new versions of the older tracks as Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Lights Out and Fire It Up have the rock n roll thrust of Poison and Ratt, choppy guitar playing, big backing choruses and sleazy attitude. Crazy Lixx have always been a band who know how to build a hook and with several of their best here, made achingly modern by a band with 20 years of experience, it’s easy to understand why they have lasted so long. 

Just as you think it’s another sleazy rocker they bring some AC/DC guts to Ain’t No Rest In Rock N Roll or the gothic ballad Only The Dead Know, but most of the album contains some damn good rocking. Spearheading the Scandi 80’s resurgence Crazy Lixx are now a dominant name in that entire scene and so this album will be embraced by long-time fans and newbies alike, play loud! 8/10

Honeymoon Suite – Alive (Frontiers Music Srl)

No it’s not the new Arctic Monkey’s record, Honeymoon Suite are a Canadian Melodic Rock/AOR band consisting of Johnnie Dee (lead vocals), Derry Grehan (guitars/keys/vocals), Dave Betts (drums), Gary Lalonde (bass), and Peter Nunn (keys). 

Formed back in 1981, they have had numerous personnel changes during the turbulent 90’s/2000’s but has been consistent since their original line up reunion in 2007, releasing seven studio albums in their career and their style hasn’t really moved away from that anthemic style of melodic rock/AOR from their 80’s heyday, probably why Frontiers has snapped them up in 2008 to re-release their album Clifton Hill, while waiting all this time for a follow up. 

Alive is their eighth album overall and keeps doing what they have been doing for years, but with veteran refinement. What I will say is that Johnnie Dee’s vocals are remarkable they show no signs of age at all, even on the ballad Love Comes there’s no cracks in someone who has been doing this melodic style for over 40 years. Having toured with some big acts and had their music featured in numerus shows and films, Honeymoon Suite are possibly the unsung heroes of the Canadian music scene, but after 17 years they have release a new full length ready to remind people of who they are. 

If you like you melodic rock then you’ll find Honeymoon Suite very much Alive. 7/10 

Reviews: Rick Wakeman, Ponte Del Diavolo, Elettra Storm, Grin (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Paul Scoble, Paul Hutchings & Rich Piva)

Rick Wakeman - Live At The London Palladium 2023 (Fragile Records/Esoteric Recordings) [Matt Bladen]

For some, 4CDs of "The Caped Crusader" may be asking to torture but I'm a bit of prog junkie, so having a copy of these two nights is a bit special for me. Capturing his two shows at the London Palladium in February 2023, it sees Grumpy Old Rick performing three of his solo albums and a set of Yes classics in front of a rapturous crowd with his band the English Rock Ensemble and the English Chamber Choir. If you've not heard the three solo albums performed here, then I'd suggest picking up this live set as for me they're the best way to experience them a highly drilled band and choir bringing out the best in Wakeman as keyboard maestro as they perform new arrangements especially for these shows. 

All three are conceptual kicking off with the fully instrumental The Six Wives Of Henry VIII, each one of the wives given a song, the keys of Wakeman taking centre stage alongside the band featuring Dave Colquhoun (guitars), Adam Falkner (drums), Lee Pomeroy (bass), Adam Wakeman (keyboard/guitars). Instrumental muscle flexed in the first set, we get the more in-depth with The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table, which features yet more virtuoso performances along with vocals from Hayley Sanderson and the English Chamber Choir conducted by Guy Protheroe. 

If you want conceptual you have it here as the fantasy elements of Avalon's one true king and his faithful knights are brought vividly to life along with narration from the recently deceased Ian Lavender. The bigger concept though is on the monstrous Journey To The Centre Of the Earth which features actor Peter Egan telling the story. If you've heard the albums before you'll want to listen to them again here as the new arrangements will excite even long time fans but for me the main selling point is the Classic Yes set where tracks such as Roundabout, Wonderous Stories, And You & I and Starship Trooper/Wurm are all performed brilliantly as if it's the first time. 

Hayley's vocals adding some soul, the links between Yes and Wakeman's solo records identifiable. This is 4 discs and a few hours but for fans it will be one of the best collections this year, anyone who is attending what may be his last every UK tour later this month will be in for a treat. 8/10

Ponte Del Diavolo - Fire Blades From The Tomb (Season Of Mist) [Paul Scoble]

Fire Blades From The Tomb is the debut album by Italian band Ponte Del Diavolo. The band has been in existence since 2020 and in that time have released three EP’s, one in 2020 called Mystery Of Mystery and two in 2022, the first was called Sancta Menstruis and then an Ep called Ave Scintilla! Ponte Del Diavolo is made up of Abro on bass, Laurus also on bass, Segale Cornuta on drums, Nerium on guitars and Erba Del Diavolo on vocals. Yes you did read that right Ponte Del Diavolo have two bass players, the bands sound is very thick, dense, big and dynamic which could be due to the surfeit of bassists, the album sounds great and I’m sure they sound immense live. 

Ponte Del Diavolo play a very heavy style of blackened doom, so the album contains slow, heavy and melancholy material, and fast, blast beats with tremolo picked riffs that are full of savagery and drive. The other slight oddity with this album, other than two bassists, is the vocals, which are great, but are also clean, sung vocals rather than harsh vocals, which is what I would have expected with blackened doom, particularly with how fast and blasting some of this material is. However, never fear, Ponte Del Diavolo have a very talented singer in Erba Del Diavolo who has a very strong and beautiful voice, so it works very well, and she works hard on the drama of her performance, so they might not be harsh vocals, but they are always appropriate.

The album opens with the song Demone, which mixes fast, blasting black metal with powerful drumming and great tremolo picked riffs and amazing frenzied vocals, with huge and very heavy doom sections that drip with melancholy. Next comes the track Covenant which has the balance on the side of the doom styled material, which also has elements of gothic rock. The verse is minimal and subtle with a bigger chorus with tremolo picked riffs. The song has a very distinctive melody near it’s end that is played on something that sounds like a Theremin, it gives the song a great sci-fi / spooky feel to the ending. 

After Covenant comes Red As The Sex Of She Who Lives In Death, a song that is mainly minimal and brooding with occasional dramatic drumming, except for a blasting section of black metal with dissonant tremolo picked riffs. The song ends softly with sung “La La La’s” which would sound sweet in another context, but backed by blackened doom they feel unnerving and borderline psychotic. La Razza is another fairly minimal track that is slow and in places very heavy. The song does have two sections of blasting black metal with great beats and tremolo picked riffs, but the thing you take away with you is the Slow and heavy. 

Nocturnal Veil mixes driving, aggressive black metal with great blasting, with slow and heavy riffs that are very relentless in feel. The final doomy section has a slow droning melody that works very well, and is a very effective way to bring the song to an end. Zero opens with slow and minimal doom that is very rhythmic before the song then drops us into savage blasting black metal with great riffs and a savage and manic vocal performance that makes the song. 

The album comes to a close with The Weeping Song, a mid-paced piece of blackened doom with a brooding and dark verse and a really powerful chorus that you will sing along with. It’s a great song to end the album as it is so distinctive and memorable, in fact the chorus of this song has been stuck in my head for the last two weeks. 

Fire Blades From The Tomb is a great album. The sound is thick, dense and powerful, and the material works very well, the black metal sections are very well done with great riffs and excellent drumming, and the doom is melancholy, melodic and affecting, on top of all that the Vocals are very good, and in this context very original. In fact this is such a good album that I kept on forgetting that it was a debut, which makes this even more impressive, if this is their first try at an album, I can’t wait for the follow up! 8/10

Elettra Storm – Powerlords (Scarlet Records) [Paul Hutchings]

We do love a label in the world of heavy metal. Italians Elettra Storm will no doubt get the power metal tag attached to their debut album Powerlords. It’s not a surprise, because within a minute of listening to Higher Than the stars, there is no other style that could be more apt. Fast, frantic, but with glorious melody. And with the vocals of Crystal Emillani giving the band a different dimension, it’s a shoe in.

Having looked at the album cover, one might be forgiven for thinking this is Emillani’s solo album, for there is no sign of the rest of the band. This is even though all music and lyrics on the album are the work of bassist/keyboardist Davide Sportiello. Now, the cynic in me would suggest that Elettra Storm are playing to a few heavy metal cliches; put the eye candy out front to catch the attention of the predominantly male audience, especially the power metal crowd which let’s face it, is 95% sausage. But once you get into the album, then it’s certainly focused on the music, although Emillani’s vocals are rather fine and enhance the songs.

When it comes to power metal, it’s all about the rapidity of the pace for me, and Elettra Storm don’t hold back, with thundering double bass drumming underpinning gorgeous harmonies and melodies that are present throughout. From the opening Higher Than the Stars, the bumping title track and even the more routine Heirs Of The Descent, which is one of several songs to feature duets between Emillani and guitarist Francis D. Mary, there’s a vibrancy about the band that shakes the windows. Yes, there is the symphonic edge that Emillani’s vocals bring, along with the keyboards of Sportiello, but rather than dilute the songs, they merely add layered depth, giving each song a glow and energy that is impossible to ignore.

 
Now, if you dislike power metal, or symphonic metal, or both, then this album won’t be for you. There’s a driving pattern that is followed for many songs, with the maniacal pace of Sacrifice Of Angels and Redemption just two examples of the speed that can be achieved. Classical elements that are liberally dispersed through Spirit Of The Moon bring an extra dimension whilst closing track Voices In The Wind make it even better. Musically, it’s as exciting as any other power metal band, and with Emillani’s soaring vocals, Powerlords is overall a rather enjoyable listen. 7/10

Grin - Hush (Lasting Dose Records) [Rich Piva]

Grin is back with a new album, Hush, and the German duo bring their version of heavy, (mostly) sans guitar, to 16 tracks on their new album, Hush. That may seem like a lot of songs for a Grin album, and it is, but the approach here is not a much longer record, but one packed with shorter songs, with none of the 16 coming in over four minutes and a good chunk of them under three. What has not changed however is how downright heavy these two dudes are, belting us with their version on post metal/doom/psych like no one else can.

The title track starts us off with their trademarked heavy bass leading the way and the synths lending a ton of atmosphere to Grin’s version of heavy. Calice continues the post metal atmospheric feel, but bringing more of the clean vocals where the title track leans on the harsh side. This is more heavy shoegaze than anything else and I am here for it. On a song like Gatekeeper musically I am reminded of the brilliant Hum album Inlet, but this dissipates as the growl takes over the room, but it works. 

The shoegazey Hum with harsh vocals thing is a constant across Hush, but I even hear some Godflesh vibes on a track like Talons. There are hints of industrial throughout the 16 tracks, and the track Portal even gives me some psych black metal vibes. Neon Skies is my favourite track on Hush and the one they rock out the most on. None of the songs stray too far from the Grin formula for this one though no matter how many comparisons I throw out there; low end heavy, with traces of MBV and Hum with mostly harsh vocals underneath a swirling, post metal atmosphere.

If you dig Grin’s catalog and/or get pumped for an album described in the last sentence of the last paragraph, go ahead and check out Hush. This doesn’t stray too far for them but is definitely not a rehash of old ideas. Hush is a great next step for a band that has already gained a strong following and has done nothing here to not expand that fanbase even further. 8/10

Reviews: Far Beyond, Durbin, Verminthrone, Cercenatory (Reviews By Paul Scoble, Matt Bladen, Mark Young & GC)

Far Beyond - The End Of My Road (Prosthetic Records) [Paul Scoble]

Far Beyond is a one man project of Eugen Dodenhoeft, who is based in Bavaria in Germany. Far Beyond has bee going since 2001 and in that time Eugen has made two other albums and an EP, first full length was called An Angels Requiem and was recorded in 2005, the EP was called Songs Of Hope And Sorrow and was released in 2009, and the last full length album came out in 2016 and was called A Frozen Flame Of Ice. Eugen plays all instruments, including drum programming and vocals. 

Initially Far Beyond classed themselves as symphonic black metal, however they now feel closer to symphonic metal or atmospheric death metal. In my opinion all of these descriptions have merit as I can hear bits that are still savage enough to be considered black metal and the same goes for symphonic metal or atmospheric death metal, all these sounds are there, blended together. This does have a definite orchestral, composed feel to it.

Eugen has used lots of strings and other classical instruments (I realise that these may all be on a computer, but this is what it sounds like) and choirs, with heavy guitars, bass and drums in the mix as well. The mix of orchestral with metal varies throughout the album, in some places full on black or death metal, in others soft classical instalments with barely any metal at all, and everything in between. The album is structured with four long and complex songs with three short minimal instrumentals. The short instrumentals are the first, third and fifth tracks on the album, and as more than one of the longer songs have long build ups and fade outs the album has a very pleasing ebb and flow to its structure. 

The first of the long tracks is A Symphony Of Light, which is aptly symphonic, orchestral with a huge arrangement and a choir! The song mixes big symphonic metal with clean vocals, with more riffy metal with harsh vocals, the big multi-layered sections are, in places, reminiscent of some of Devin Townsend’s huger material, and other massive progressive metal. The song also boasts a very good guitar solo, another great feature as great Guitar solos are scattered across the album, and they always add to the songs. 

After one of the short instrumentals, we get the song Tempus Fugit, a mix of riffy purposeful Guitar parts with choir and Guitar harmonies with sections where melodies that feel quite folky and have a ‘World Music’ feel to them that I thought was similar to some of Thy Catafalque’s more recent material. Again we get another short instrumental before the next longer track, From The Stars And The Crescent Moon. Which is the fastest and most extreme track on the album, as some of the sections have a similar feel to symphonic black metal such as Emperor, and in one section that features some melodies that are baroque in style, this gives it a feel that is quite reminiscent of Japanese band Sigh’s song Purgatorium. The song also features some thrashy black metal, big orchestrated symphonic metal and another great guitar solo. 

The album comes to an end with the title track The End Of My Road. the song opens in a soft ballad like way, with clean guitar, strings and clean Vocals, the song builds over it’s length, increasing the tempo and drive of the song, whilst keeping the melodic components constant, so although the arrangement builds from very minimal to a huge and complex, as the melodies stay the same it helps to hold everything together so that it feels like one complete piece of work rather than a amalgam of disparate parts. 

The End Of My Road is a great album. It’s made up of a huge amount of different elements melded together in a way that feels complete and cohesive. As a piece of composition this is very impressive due to its complexity and the fact that it is still very easy to appreciate, Eugen Dodenhoeft has managed to get the mix of complexity with melody and an almost perfect feeling of ebb and flow. It’s a very enjoyable album, full of great melodies, huge arrangements and, when it is needed, really savage, blasting extremity. Getting this mix right without any of the elements dominating over any of the others, The End Of My Road is a triumph of balance. 8/10

Durbin  - Screaming Steel (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]

American singer James Durbin, reinvented himself with 2021's The Beast Awakens, after appearing as the 'metal guy' on American Idol, he could have taken the route of fame from his TV background, and his collaborations with Zakk Wylde, Mick Mars, Tom Jones, Stevie Wonder and others but decided to build himself up with his own heavy metal project. So with a multi album deal under his belt here comes his second album of heavy metal machismo Screaming Steel. Look at the title, look at the album cover, hear the vocals, the two main influences on Durbin's style are Judas Priest and Dio, his histrionic the air raid screams pure Halford and co as this new album kicks off with Made Of Metal, the biting guitars of Aldo Lonobile and Luca Birotto the Tipton/Downing of this album. 

Lonobile is known to Frontiers fans as the man behind Secret Sphere and Sweet Oblivion, he also produces this record, imbibing with it with an old school charm. On Screaming Steel it is of course all about Durbin's vocals but the boiler room of Mike Roberts (bass) and Marco Sacchetto (drums) drives the pace on Where They Stand, Hallows and the other classic 80's metal workouts such as the dramatic Power Of The Reaper. The guitar interplay is razor sharp but there are a lot of guest artists joining to play solos on nearly all of the tracks so I'm not sure how they transfer this into the live sphere but I guess that's a future problem. On the record though Blazing High will have you air shredding and hurting your neck if you're over 30. You can smell the leather seeping out of Screaming Steel, Durbin continues to rev up his Killing Machine with each release. 

Classic metal fans rejoice as James Durbin again flies the flag for heavy metal's acceptance in the wider music world with Screaming Steel. 8/10

Verminthrone - The Cull (Self Released) [Mark Young]

Following on from 2022’s Kingdom Of Worms, Verminthrone unleash their debut album The Cull. Building on appearances at Bloodstock plus sharing the stage with the likes of Eyehategod, this is a band that can deploy a sledgehammer to crush and a scalpel to slice as they see fit.

Don’t Trust Morning People is exactly the kind of song you want to kick off with. It has that sludge feel in that the riffs are as thick as a dockers sandwich but are delivered with a clarity, so you don’t miss a beat. Vocals are suitably impressive, matching the music accordingly meaning that there are no weak links. It’s a great start that is given some competition by It Always Snows In South America that goes back to Sabbath and twists it. 

Sometimes you know that you are going to love an album based on the opening one-two salvo and this is the case here as at 2.21 they drop some prime thrash and a wah-infused solo that kicks it up another notch, making it two for two. On Kuru they drop one of the best earworm guitar moments I’ve heard in ages. Straight onto my songs of the year playlist, this is one of those songs that just lumbers into sight and crushes all in front of it like an enraged Rhino. That riff is just mint, you will know what I mean as soon as you hear it. Just from these you can see why they are held in wide regard. 

Birth Is A Rope Death Is A Knot continues with those drop-dead riffs, opting for a lighter feel which is no less aggressive than Kuru or the others, they manage to throw some melodic touches in there changing dynamics ever so slightly before Pulling Teeth (Spitting Blood) tells you that God is Dead and We have killed him as they channel a little bit of Slayer with some harmony parts (thinking Divine Intervention or later Slayer where they used them before dropping into one of their slower numbers) that I always think should be used more especially when they are deployed as an lead into more riff goodness. It’s not as immediate as It Always Snows but it has that build to it including this bottom end break out that will cause mayhem in the pit as the pace is picked up. For me I love that they can just conjure up great parts that appear and make the song that bit better. 

Youth For Euthanasia slows things down a spell and is the most straight forward song, using that mid-tempo as a change of tack. Its also the weakest of the tracks here, not because of that slower tempo but because it doesn’t have as much going for it as the other songs. It’s back to all guns blazing with Aorta, any worries that they might have blown themselves out are displaced with some more of that urgent attack carrying the song onwards to a storming solo which just slides in like the best songs do. Unfortunately, it has to come to an end with Feral, and again they bring the riffs and a considerable amount of fury to go with it as they sign off in style.

I must admit, it wasn’t what I expected it to be as having sludgecore in the bio I thought it would be on the slower, methodical and sometimes dull side of the musical spectrum. I guess that I am being dumb as it does say core which should have tipped me off. I can say now without fear of contradiction that this is not boring in any way. Its direct, aggressive and it moves with a purpose like its main purpose in life is to cause maximum carnage live. What is impressive is the level of quality on display. 

There are no bad songs, and out of the 8 tracks only Youth For Euthanasia lags behind the others, purely because it lacks that killer touch and I’m probably being too harsh. This is the problem when you have so many strong tracks that are just about equal with each other that you can’t really pick a ‘best’ one out. It’s an incredibly strong album that should see them garner a higher profile amongst the UK metal scene and some prominent festival dates await. You get the feeling that there is so much to come from them, and they will have go some to top what they have delivered here. 9/10

Cercenatory - GoreSphere (Comatose Music) [GC]

My last couple of reviews have had less than favourable score, so this week I have been given something that usually gets a decent score from me, I have some death metal from Cercenatory and new album GoreSphere but this isn’t just death metal it ‘’Brutal’’ death metal! Which also doesn’t usually get very favourable scores either, let’s see if this will change my mind!?

Devoured By Shadows–Annales Imminentis Exilium is my least favourite of all things, an intro so not off to the best of starts, when it does get going with Inquisitor Vortex Soul Torturing its exactly what I was expecting really, but the blasting drums completely overpower everything else recorded. So make it almost impossible to hear any actual guitar riffs the its all covered over with layers of pig squeal high and indistinguishable low grunts, that just zoom by in 3 minutes, and its more of the same with Through The Deep Thoughts of Tartarean Sadistic Cannibalism but this time you can make the guitars out slightly better which does help to distinguish it all that little bit more. 

It helps because as ‘’brutal’’ death metal goes this isn’t THAT bad but you always just lack that little bit of a twist that keeps you interested all the way through as there is never anything but full on heaviness and while that's not necessarily a bad thing it can get slightly tedious very quickly. He, Who Stands Upon Holy Corpectomies once again does nothing different and chugs, blasts and squeals its way along and what should be applauded is the drumming here because it never lets up and is the standout thing on the record but that could be because most of the time it is all you can hear on the songs, now this could be a production issue also but still needs to be looked at so all different things are given equal room to show what they can do? 

With Into The GoreSphere we are now halfway through and finally a title I don’t need a dictionary to understand and its just really more of the same and again while its not awful it just feels like they try to hard to bombard you with brutality so you think this is so heavy, and there are so many other ways to be heavy and creative, maybe I’m just expecting too much? Its back to the dictionary for Infernal Festival Of Lecherous Dismemberment and the lack of imagination is really starting to grate on me now, yeah, I should know what to expect from a brutal death metal band and that is not any type of variety but when it all sounds like one long song it just gets a bit tiresome and boring really.

Crucified, Gutted, Desecrated has the obligatory woman getting murdered sample at the start of the song and almost makes me give in but the actual song isn’t that bad, its faster than anything else so takes on an almost grindcore feel which is always a bonus for me and when they slow it down and you can actually make out some of the guitars clearly it finally sticks and I get something I genuinely like! Macabre Trepanation Orgy In Hell’s Dungeons then goes back to what you would expect to hear but with what feels like a crisper production so the song benefits from this massively and you can differentiate between things for once and when you can make out the different parts its so much more a better listen all round! 

Abyss Of Impaled Religious Incandescent Torches continues on with the decent form and you wish that these songs had come earlier and earlier tracks had this conviction and arrangements as they have definitely saved the best for the back end of this album and then Phalaris Bull Seraphic Extermination And Infinite Carnage gets one last use of the dictionary and ends on a decent if not slightly predictable note!

If there was a bit more care and attention to the finer details at the start of this album it could have got a much better score but, it just started off way too messy and unfocused and despite the lack of imagination in places I do have to say when they did get it right, I enjoyed what I heard. 6/10

Fozzy Spotlight Tour Preview By Tony Gaskin

Fozzy are set to bring the party to their second home!

This month sees hard rocking US band Fozzy capitalise on their triumphant summer show in London last year and the rousing appearance at the AEW All In London by embarking on a 10 date tour of the UK. No stranger to being in the spotlight, front man Chris Jericho tells us that they love coming to the UK:

"The UK has always been like a second home for Fozzy" explains Jericho. He goes on to say the the "Spotlight" tour is their biggest yet to these shores.

Certainly the biggest venues they have played on a tour, they have already sold out two shows on the tour and you can expect the others to follow suit.

Following up on the success of their album Judas, they are looking forward to bringing all of their 20 years experience to fans old and new with more of the catchy tunes and stadium worthy anthems that we’ve come to expect from the band from their latest album Boombox. Jericho says "we are stoked to the Fozzy party to the UK with these new songs"

They kick off the “Spotlight” tour on the 16th February in Cardiff before taking in a further 9 dates across the UK. 

We’ll be catching them at KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton on the 23rd along with support from The Hot Damn and Pistols At Dawn, so keep an eye out for a full review and photos from the night coming soon.

Boombox is out now, for this and all ticket links head over to www.fozzyrock.com

Reviews: Blackberry Smoke, Von Hertzen Brothers, Vanir, Cutting Crew (Reviews By Paul Hutchings, Matt Bladen, James Jackson & Rich Piva)

Blackberry Smoke – Be Right Here (3 Legged Recoards/Thirty Tigers) [Paul Hutchings]

It’s been a while since I had an encounter with Blackberry Smoke. The Georgian Country Rockers have been a constant in my life for around 16 years or so now, but I’ll admit that I’ve not been as close to the action as I was a decade or so ago. It’s no secret that they are one of my favourite live bands, and I’m excited to have tickets to catch them at Hammersmith Odeon in September. Gone are the days when these good ol’ boys would pack out the Tramshed. They’ve rightly moved on to bigger things.

Their seventh album You Hear Georgia focused on their home county with a delicious selection of easy listening songs that were crafted with all the care that was demonstrated on the previous six releases. It wasn’t as guitar oriented as early releases, but there was still much to enjoy. Album number eight then and Be Right Here comes at a time where things within the band have been a little challenging. Much like the decision to hold back You Hear Georgia until the band could tour post-pandemic, Be Right Here’s release was influenced by the health of drummer Brit Turner who was diagnosed with a type of brain tumour known as Glioblastoma. 

Such is the band’s stature today that as vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Charlie Starr says, “We didn’t feel a whole lot of pressure to go in and make this one quickly”.

Recorded in late 2022 / early 2023, this is an album that the band are no doubt itching to tour. The good news is that although Turner is continuing to receive treatment, he remains an active band member, alongside Starr, guitarist/vocalist Paul Jackson, bassist/vocalist Richard Turner and keyboard player Brandon Still. Recorded in studios in Georgia, Blackberry Smoke called on producer Dave Cobb again, following his stellar work on You Hear Georgia. Starr has collaborated with not only his bandmates, but regular contributors Travis Meadows and Levi Lowrey. We also get former Buckcherry guitarist Keith Nelson adding a riff to Like It Was Yesterday. The foundations are clearly solid. So, what about the songs themselves?

Tracked live as per previous recordings, the first thing you notice on Be Right Here is the natural swagger which the record possesses. It’s often laid back, relaxed, easy. Starr’s rich, warming vocals are instantly recognisable, as the opening track Dig A Hole kicks in. It’s a smooth combination of guitar riff and the swirling Wurlitzer of Still. A song that talks about choosing your own path in life, it also gives the first ripping guitar solo on the album. It’s the right choice to open the album. A pleasingly big stomp on Hammer And Nails, co-written with Nelson and taking another approach to family ties moves us into the heart of the album.

Other highlights include the elegant folk ballad Azalea is heavy on emotion. “It’s a heavy song. It’s not a happy song, per se,” Starr says. “There’s some hope in there, too. It comes with both Travis and I being fathers. Hold on to your kids as tight as you can without smothering them.” Gentle acoustic guitars and Starr’s soulful delivery make it unmissable.

It’s rare that a Blackberry Smoke album contains any filler, such is the quality of the writing. Be Right Here may be relaxed in vibe, but there are some deeper thoughts threaded through the song writing. Life experiences, family commitments, relationships, they are all included. Closing out the album, we have the soulful gospel singers who bring the intro to Little Bit Crazy before a classic Smoke groove kicks in, whilst the album ends with the organ-driven power ballad, Barefoot Angels. A love song in every sense, this is Starr at his most open. “It’s either me singing about my wife or some guy singing about his wife that’s in the same situation, which is, I wouldn’t be able to do anything without her. When I’m worried and feeling bad, she makes it better.”

There was a saying on early Blackberry Smoke shirts, that read “Too rock for Country, Too Country for Rock”. These days they are merely Blackberry Smoke. If you like it, you’ll love it. If not, then there is plenty of other music around. For me, this is another fine addition to a discography with few flaws, by a band who 24 years after their formation, continue to impress every time. 9/10

Von Hertzen Brothers – Live At Tavastia (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Live At Tavastia is a live album from Finnish prog siblings Von Hertzen Brothers, recorded in February 2023 in front of a hometown crowd while on a short tour surrounding Winter’s End Festival supporting 2022’s Red Alert In The Blue Forest their eighth studio album. 

Playing in their native Helsinki means we get their festival set with six from RAITBF, four from New Day Rising, three from War Is Over and 1 each from Approach, Love Remains The Same and Nine Lives. Joining Mikko (vocals/guitar), Kie (guitar/vocals), Jonne (bass/keys) are drummer Sami Kuoppamäki and keyboardist Robert Engstrand who adds to the delicious vocal harmonies that have become the bands trademark and made them one of the most popular prog rock acts around. 

They don’t spare the horses and lull you, in both Day Of Reckoning and Blue Forest talk of the impending environmental disaster, the one flowing into the other, the latter closing with a bit of jazz and the first hearty applause since they arrive on stage. These a structured moments so as not to break the flow, VHB creating an atmosphere, a soundscape with their music, shifting between various influences, effortless in its technicality. 

With a lot of the new album played, long term fans of course will rejoice in the inclusion of You Don’t Know My Name, Flowers And Rust and New Day Rising as a tasty triple threat towards the end of the set. Hearing VHB in full flow is always a pleasure, seeing them is even better, almost perfectly recreating their album sound in a live setting, Live At Tavastia, is not essential but will be of interest to anyone who missed these four(?) shows with this specific setlist. 8/10

Vanir - Epitome (Mighty Music) [James Jackson]

Denmark’s Vanir have changed their sound quite a bit if the albums found on various platforms are anything to go by. 

Their debut album released in 2011 has a very folk metal feel to it, along the way however that folk element has taken quite the back seat and the band now, very competently, performs a more melodic death metal style. Epitome is the band’s seventh album and whilst those musical folk metal influences are more or less non-existent, the lyrical focus is still grounded in the rich history of the band’s home country. 

Historical bloody events such as The Stockholm Bloodbath, a series of executions in the early 1500’s inspire the lyrics of Twisting The Knife, the first track on the album and also the first single to have been released, a huge slab of riffs and tempo changes, adorned with a hint of symphonic elements similar to that of Greece’s Septicflesh. That symphonic touch is notable throughout, little touches of string orchestration adding a layer of finesse to an already competent melodeath album. 

All the traits of melodic death metal are on show here, the blast beat drumming and frenetic riffing of death metal blending well with the Melodic elements, those symphonic notes I mentioned accompanying the roots of the song to great effect, vocally it’s what you’d expect from any death metal album, no clean vocals here but while I’ve never been a fan of the style, much preferring a blend of clean and growled vocals, it doesn’t feel too tiresome. 

For fans of Septicflesh, Dark Tranquillity and Amon Amarth this is one that any fan of melodic death metal should consider. 7/10

Cutting Crew - All For You: The Virgin Years 1986-1992 (Cherry Red Records) [Rich Piva]

I may have gotten in over my head volunteering to review the new Cutting Crew box set from the awesome label Cherry Red Records, who are experts at this kind of package and really any other type of reissue you are looking for. If you are alive in the 80s you know Cutting Crew’s big hit, (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight, which, by any measurement, is one of the best hits of the 1980s. This is as far as I go with my knowledge of the band, but apparently, they had other hits worldwide, but none that I was aware of. That one song, however, it excellent so could their other stuff measure up to that classic 80s hit? 

Well, no, as Cutting Crew are painfully boring and have zero edge to their music. The music is overproduced 80s lab work and l struggled to find anything else I enjoyed except for the remix version of the aforementioned song. So, this set is not for the casual listener, but for a fan or completest, as you get everything the band did over that six-year span, including their three studio albums for Virgin Records, some B-sides, rare tracks, and remixes. If this was, say, a Duran Duran box set of the same ilk it would be a ten out of ten from me, but given the Crew’s music does absolutely nothing for me, I really struggled to get all the way through. 

So musically, I would give this a two, but package wise and getting the Cherry Red treatment is always a ten, hence the middle ground here. Don’t let my number scare you if you are a fan though, because it just must have been something you said. 5/10

Reviews: The Obsessed, Bokassa, Shooting Daggers, Mr Bison (Reviews By Rich Piva & Matt Bladen)

The Obsessed - Gilded Sorrow (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Wino is back, and he is pissed, exactly how we want him. If you don’t know who I am talking about, shame on you, but just this once I will forgive you and explain how he is a doom metal legend who has had an amazing, unprecedented career and has helped shape the stoner/doom genre with bands like Spirit Caravan, Saint Vitus, his solo works, and the band he is most know for, The Obsessed, who are unleashing a new record for the first time since 2017, Gilded Sorrow. 

The Obsessed discography is untouchable, so to say, in 2024 Wino and this version of the band has release what is up there with their best work may sound crazy, but it is true. Partnering with the best label in heavy rock, Ripple Music (a match made in Heaven or Hell, whatever your preference is) The Obsessed have created a modern stoner/doom masterpiece with these nine new songs, which is an amazing feat considering the band has been around since the very early 80s.

The Obsessed fifth album is their most modern sounding record, which at first may make you take a pause, but I would add to most modern their best sounding album. The production is perfect for this group of songs and the expanded fourpiece line up. The guitar sound it exactly what you want from a Wino record and the rhythm section pounds right along, inserted perfectly into the mix. 

Wino’s voice has never sounded stronger, which, again, is saying something for how long the man has been doing this. I mentioned earlier that Wino is mad; mad at the state of the world, at all the easy to offend snowflakes, the reliance on technology, and all the fake sons of bitches that he has encountered in his six decades or so in rock, and all of these are called out on the Gilded Sorrow, writing some of the best lyrics out of any of his output. 

Starting with Daughter Of An Echo, right off the bat you get Wino in a mood, smacking you across the face with one of his trademark riffs and pulling no punches on one of many who has tired to pull one over on the man. The band he has put together in this version of The Obsessed is super tight, with the opening track being the perfect example. How about that solo too? Talk about bitter, It’s Not OK really takes his haters and hangers on to task, calling out those who have lied, cheated, and stole from him over the years. 

Partner this with those riffs and whoa baby this is the stoner/doom version of the dis track of the year. When Wino sings “stick a needle in your eye” I am not taking that metaphorically, or when he calls out his enemy “who fucked up” I am glad it’s not me he has the target on. Let’s not gloss over the amazing guitar work by both Wino and the newest collaborator, Jason Taylor. These two tracks are just ahead, ass kicking heavy rock. 

Realize A Dream slows down the pace a bit, but not the heaviness, and the dual guitar work on here is just killer combined with the emotion from Wino’s voice, this is one of the best The Obsessed songs of any era. The title track is the most The Obsessed song of the new batch, leaning more towards slowed down traditional doom, a genre he helped invent. The excellently titled Stoned Back To The Bomb Age brings the filthiest riff to this airing of grievances, and this song sounds exactly what you may thinking, some Iommi style riffing with more of Wino’s state of the world address. 

The middle part of Gilded Sorrow is more on the traditional doom side of things, with Wellspring Dark Sunshine being another excellent example of this, executed flawlessly. But this version of The Obsessed really excels and the straight-ahead heavy rockers like three-minute punk inspired Jailine. Yen Sleep brings more chunky riffs (I hear classic Trouble) and more of that killer guitar action while the closing short instrumental, Lucky Free Nice Machine, almost sounds like Wino is closing out the record on a positive note, that maybe all is not lost in the world.

So, in 2024, of course one of the album of the year contenders would be a new The Obsessed record. What we have he is the perfect combination of Wino’s brilliance, the right band for him at this point in his career, production that could not be more spot on, and the backing of the number one record label in stoner/doom today. Wino rules, The Obsessed rules, and Gilded Sorrow rules. Mandatory listening for all, even those I shamed earlier. 10/10

Bokassa – All Out Of Dreams (Indie Recordings) [Matt Bladen]

I’ve got a lot of time for Bokassa; Jørn Kaarstad  (vocals/guitar), Bård Linga (bass/vocals) and Olav Dowkes (drums/vocals), there aren’t many bands who will actively go looking for a gig…any gig after the tour they were support for was cancelled. However Bokassa, with the help of Fuel Rock Club, managed to salvage the Cardiff date of their run with Therapy? with a last minute show in front of less than 100 people. 

It was a raucous sweaty affair and one that endeared me to the band who clearly love playing. Part of the set included the satirical, anthemic Let’s Storm The Capitol and the hardcore-tinged Garden Of Heathen both of which were the precursor singles for this brand new album. The latter features Lou Koller of Sick Of It All while the meaty stoner of Bradford Death Squadron features Red Fang’s Aaron Beam, the first time they’ve had guest artists on an album but a telling sign of where Bokassa dwell musically. 

They have been called stoner punk but I’d consider them drinking music, cranking out riffs with fierceness but with no fear of groove, its skate park music for you and your greebo friends. Kicking down the doors with The End Begins Today, there’s the punch of tour mates Therapy? All Out Of Dreams favouring a rawer edge than their previous more rock inclined release. Like early Clutch or Helmet, the trio know their way around a riff. 

The opener the most sophisticated track on the record, Straight Edgelord chugging away nicely like a caffeine free Pepsi Max, the title track going a bit 8-bit meets Metallica as Everyone Falls In The End goes full hardcore, keeping the punk riffs for No More Good Days. It starts grimy and ends grimy, distortion levels high and attitude set to take no shit, the influences wide ranging as Crush (All The Heretics) a slow, slaughtering Slayer riff as Gung Ho weaves a mystical psychedelia. 

All Out Of Dreams preaches that everything is ruined, we just need to just make as much noise as we can until things change. 8/10 

Shooting Daggers - Love & Rage (New Heavy Sounds) [Matt Bladen]

The trio of Sal, Bea and Raquel are pissed off, at society, at injustice, at the world at large and they want to tell everyone about it with a sound that draws not only from the UK hardcore scene but classic punk, 90's alt/grunge, the latter very strong on the title track. Having already released an EP that hinted at what they were capable of, Shooting Daggers now stand poised to unleash their debut album Love & Rage.

Its nine tracks of feisty, fiery, feminist punk rock, the rage bubbling from the opening beating of Dare, the drumming taking the track into DC hardcore reaches against the shouted gang vocals. There’s a guitar tone akin to a chainsaw on Bad Seeds except when it moves into jangly post/gaze on A Guilty Conscience Needs An Accuser, like a two sided coin, it’s the same but different.

There's a bass that rumbles with an aggressive thrust on the pithy Not My Rival, or a groove on the jerky Smug. As far as drumming goes Wipeout takes the surf rock rhythms (as you'd expect from the name) and puts them with angry noise, as Tunnel Vision is more left field. There my friends lies the kicker, Shooting Daggers unmistakably have a 'sound' but within that, the music is a broad church. Lyrically too they deal with politics, feminism trans rights and all manner of right on causes that punk was built on. 

Riot Grrl Punk rock and UK/US hardcore hybrid are the catalyst to what they do but there's much more than that on Love & Rage, from plaid wearing grunge to studious shoegaze, it means that the album can open with Dare but also as the piano closer Caves/Outro ends things, you've experienced one of the most exciting new bands in the UK in Shooting Daggers. 8/10

Mr. Bison - Echoes From The Universe (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

Do you like a little prog in your stoner rock? How about a lot of prog in your stoner rock? Well, the Italians from Mr. Bison is here to scratch that itch, leaning even more into their progressive side with their latest album, Echoes From The Universe which at times sounds more like Yes than it does, say, Sasquatch. We don’t get the long winding 20-minute jams you do with some of the prog giants, but the vibe of this album is way more around the instrumentation and atmosphere than the riffs, and the results are outstanding.

The Child Of The Night Sky leads us off and right off the bat I hear traces of Yes, but heavier, of course. Musically and the harmonized vocals on Echoes From The Universe scream early Yes to me and the certainly pull it off well. Collision sounds more like Yes meets Hawkwind, but way shorter, as this one heads towards space rock territory. I love the vocals on this entire record, especially on this track. 

While the first two tracks were three-plus minute short bursts of stoner prog, Dead In The Eye, at seven minutes and with its rolling bass line you will have no choice but to hear some King Buffalo vibes happening here, and I am always all for that. While KB can be a bit sparce as a trio, Mr. Bison always sounds gigantic, with this track being no exception, with once again the vocals standing out. 

The King Buffalo comparison stays real on Fragments, which even sounds like a song name of theirs. The bass work is excellent on this track, and you get a bit of psych with this one too. The Promise continues the path of the entire record, but this is the grandest track of them all on Echoes, as this is heavy not in its chunkiness but in its pure size, as this song is a world eater. 

This track belongs on any respectable song of the year playlist. I especially like the middle that ventures off into space rock territory once again, and don’t worry, this one has the riffs too. I also really dig The Veil, as that heavy, atmospheric prog theme continues, this time incorporating nice dualling guitar action, with both chugging and floating occurring simultaneously. I excepted a long jam to close us out, but Staring At The Sun is a perfect five plus minute closer that incorporates all the goodness of the record and finishes of the trip strong.

If you dig more concise prog with some bits of stoner, psych, and space rock, and if you like your albums to sound huge, the fifth album from Mr. Bison is for you. This is the grandest, most ambitious release of their discography and some of their finest work. Echoes From The Universe is a big title for some gigantic output. 9/10