Review: Slash (Review By Paul Scoble)

Slash – Orgy Of The Damned (Gibson Records) 

Saul Hudson, or Slash as he is better known shouldn’t need any introduction for anyone into rock or heavy metal. From Slash’s Snakepit to Velvet Revolver, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators and of course the little matter of a late Eighties rock band called Guns N’ Roses, Slash has always excelled at great guitar solos and rhythms and must be one of the most recognisable musicians in the world. I have read Mr Slash’s Autobiography, which is filled with the kind of drinking, drug taking and debauchery that I am amazed he is still alive, let alone able to play so well. Orgy Of The Damned is Slash’s sixth solo album, and is an album of covers from a type of music he has loved for years; blues.

The album features eleven covers and one original instrumental, all of the covers feature a different singer guesting on it, so on Orgy Of The Damned Slash is joined by: Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Chris Stapleton, Beth Hart, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Gary Clark Jr, Billy F. Gibbons (ZZ Top), Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes), Demi Lovato, Dorothy, and Tash Neal on vocals. If that wasn’t enough he has also had some help from talented musician friends as well; Billy Gibbons also plays guitar on Hoochie Coochie Man, Gary Clark Jr plays a guitar solo as well as singing on Crossroads and Steven Tyler of little known band Aerosmith plays a Harmonica and screaming solo on Killing Floor. Isn’t it great to have talented friends!

The album kicks off with one of the lesser known tracks; The Pusher originally by Hoyt Axton. The Verse is soft and slow with a soulful feel to it, and a very powerful chorus sung very well by Chris Robinson of The Black Crows. As you would expect the song has a great guitar solo which is very appropriate to the song. After The Pusher comes one of the best-known blues standards; Crossroads. This is an up-tempo version of the song, Slash hasn’t fallen into the trap of copying the Jimi Hendrix version (the version that rock fans would know best), the song has a soft and soulful section in the middle that features Hammond Organ and a great solo. The vocals and at least one guitar solo was performed by Gary Clark Jr, who does a great job.

Next comes the song Hoochie Coochie Man, another stone-cold classic blues standard that was written by Willie Dixon and popularised by Muddy Waters. This version features Billy F Gibbons on guitar and vocals and, man, his voice is just perfect for this song and its slow swagger. Billy’s slide guitar solo is also perfect, and the song has some very good Harmonica from Les Stroud. I was a little nervous when I saw which track was next; my Dad is a huge blues fan and he Loves Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, so seeing Oh Well as the next track made me excited but also a little nervous; I’ve known that song all my life, what if this version isn’t very good? Well, I had nothing to fear as the version of the song on Orgy Of The Damned is very close to the original, even down to the guitar tones, and is done in a very respectful way. Chris Stapleton does the Vocals very well, and bring a lot of personality to his performance, and the faster parts in the second half of the song are great and full of positive energy.

The next song is Key To The Highway, originally recorded by Blues pianist Charlie Segar, probably the best known version is by Eric Clapton. The song is a stomping mid-paced blues with a really powerful vocal performance from Dorothy and some great leads with loads of melody. After Key To The Highway comes Awful Dream written by Blues legend Lightnin’ Hopkins, a dark and broody slow burn track, the vocals are by Iggy Pop whose deep gravely growl is perfect for the song.

The next track is another classic blues standard; Born Under A Bad Sign. The song was originally written by William Bell and Booker T Jones (of Booker T And The MG’s), the most well-known version is by Albert King who released an album with this as the title track, the version on Orgy Of The Damned is a fairly straight cover of the Albert King interpretation, the song needs someone with a great soulful voice to sing it, so it’s lucky that Slash got Paul Rogers to sing it. After Born Under A Bad Sign we get a song that is closer to rhythm and blues rather than just blues; Papa Was A Rolling Stone written by Norman Whitfield and Barret Strong for Motown. The song was recorded by several Motown acts, most successfully by The Temptations. This version is true to the more soulful feel of the song with Fender Rhodes keyboards and a funky clean guitar riff and is sung by Demi Lovato. This is a very strong track, the vocal performance is great, starting subtle and getting bigger and bigger as the song progresses. I love the fact that I can hear the lyrics really well, as they are excellent, and the song has a big powerful second half which has a great guitar solo.

Another classic Blues track next with Killing Floor originally by Chester Burnett, also known as Howling Wolf. Killing Floor is a great, fast, Blues Boogie with Brian Johnson of AC/DC on Vocals and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on Harmonica. It’s great to hear Brian’s Voice in a different context to his day job in AC/DC, the song has great solos both guitar and harmonica and is an awesome swaggery blast of a song. Next is another R&B classic; Stevie Wonders Living For The City featuring Tash Neal on vocals. It is done in a very respectful way, close to the original including that wonderful chorus. Again there is a great guitar solo, which is in keeping with the style of the song.

Up next is the last of the blues covers; Stormy Monday originally by The Allman Brothers Band. The song features an incendiary vocal performance from Beth Hart. The song is slow and melancholy with a vocal that dominates the song and makes everything else become background. It’s a great track and a very powerful way to bring the covers part of the album to a close. Orgy Of The Damned comes to an end with an instrumental called Metal Chestnut, which is made up of Guitar and Piano and features and very strong melody lead.

Orgy Of The Damned is a stunning album. It is, by quite a long way, the best covers album I have ever heard. All the tracks have been treated in a respectful and appropriate way, Slash hasn’t tried to turn everything into a Rock or Metal song (something that would have been very easy). Even down to the Guitar tones Slash uses on this album, none of them scream ‘Slash’, they are all right for the song, and so each one has its own sound that fits that song. 

The vocal performances are all superb, all of the vocalists have excelled themselves, I have a feeling that after hearing the backing tracks that Slash et al had produced the guest artists decided to push themselves every bit as hard as Slash must have to produce this wonderful album. I hope some rock and metal fans who are drawn to this due to Mr Slash’s involvement end up with a love of the blues, after hearing this tribute to music that Slash loves. I’m already hoping for an Orgy Of The Damned Volume 2 (just in case Mr Slash is thinking of doing another album like this could I get in early with some requests? I’d love to hear Slash’s take on Freddie King’s Palace Of The King, Hound Dog Taylor’s Give Me Back My Wig, or if he’s feeling brave; Buddy Guy’s Stone Crazy, I’d love to hear him give those a go!).

Wonderful Album, do yourself a favour and buy it! 9/10

Reviews: Rotting Christ, Reverend Hound, Collateral, Force Of Mortality (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Rotting Christ - ΠΡΟ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ/Pro Xristou (Season Of Mist)

For 35 years Rotting Christ have stood at the top of the Greek extreme metal scene and while the savagery of Thy Mighty Contract and Non Serviam may have been evolved over the years the ethos of that second album continues to be their mantra to this day. "I Will Not Serve" be that in the religious sense or in the more recent years, since signing to Season Of Mist, in a musical sense too.

What I mean by this is Sakis Tolis (vocals/guitar) and his brother Themis (drums) have crafted a soundscape that differs from album to album, always experimenting with new additions, the anti-dogmatic and pagan lyricism still a huge part of their song writing but their music has gained grandeur, they've slowed down on the outright Hellenic Black Metal blasts, relying more on chugging tribalistic rhythms (The Sixth Day) and gothic atmospherics, but still their music carries that spirit of rebellion and unity against tyranny, as well as plenty of tremolo leads and blast beats, though less classic metal soloing than on Heretics.

Little by little the brothers Tolis, augmented here by the two Kostas', Foukarakis (guitars) and Cheliotis (bass), have reinvented what their sound is and on Pro Xristou (Before Christ) they advance again sonically, writing some of the most accessible music of their career, though I'm sure the name means we'll never get that Stryper co-headline tour. With the epic albums that have proceeded this, really from Aelo and the retrospective compilation, the brothers Tolis have written a 14th album that defines who they are now.

Sweeping orchestral segments, gothic choirs, keys from Nikos Kerkias, demonic/angelic soprano vocals from Amdroniki Skoula on La Lettera Del Diavolo, narration and a theme around the last pagan kings guardian against the influx of Christianity, from Norse heritage to Roman leaders, the cinematic scale is matched by both the ferocity of the metallic onslaught but also the melodic sections too all slotting perfectly into the hypnotic repetition of Rotting Christ's music shown perfectly on Pix Lax Dax which kicks and punches well.

Every Rotting Christ album is an audio experience and this fourteenth may just be the best one yet. Roll on Bloodstock Festival and their exclusive UK show. 35 years and still fighting, these are their battle cries. 9/10

Reverend Hound - Deal In Steel (Metalizer Records)

In the PR it refers to Revered Hound being a Bavarian version of Vicious Rumours. Yeah I can see that, definitely, this Munich band are based in the old school, the very old school. Rarely shifting out of the 80's with their speed/thrash/trad sound. So it's twin axe attack, galloping rhythms and Wolfgang Gräbner having a Udo meets Chris Boltendahl, though he can go a bit higher.

There's a load of Teutonic metal here, just look at the vocal influences but Reverened Hound do pitch the majority of their songwriting in the style of the gnarly US style of heavy metal, such as the aforementioned Vicious Rumours, Riot and Sanctuary. The sort of classic metal meets thrash that those bands are known for, this third album not changing their spots any time soon. Hounds Of The Sea bounces, Days Of Wrath has all the guitars you could want, Glory gets a bit Maiden while Rain says to hell with it and goes all out thrash. 

Reverend Hound do indeed Deal In Steel, sharpened a while ago but not dulling yet, classic metal with Yanky/German grunt. 7/10

Collateral - Should've Known Better (Big Shot Records)

The second album from Kent foursome Collateral has been anticipated. Releasing theirEP in 2018, getting plenty of Planet Rock radio play and winning Camden Rocks Festival to play their main stage, they've been on an upward trajectory since supporting Reckless Love, H.E.AT and more recently FM, their debut album came out in 2020, just before the pandemic so in 2022 they recalibrated and set out on tour, remixing their debut and gaining more recognition.

So yeah for the Planet Rock contingent I'd say that Should've Known Better is anticipated. That said, I couldn't find much on this record I liked to be rather brutal about it. I'm not going to rag on the band as they're doing what their audience want, but their AOR/melodic rock doesn't feel like it has much muscle to it. The modern production gives it a clean clinical sound but that destroys any grit they may have.

They're great performers, vocals especially but it's a bit too formulaic, only when they get bluesy on Original Criminal did I prick up my ears a little, but too much of this falls into the Def Leppard/Bon Jovi template of gang choruses and not much else. For me Collateral play a fairly standard style of melodic rock that is made to be as radio friendly as possible but doesn't really take too many risks. They're fans will love it. 6/10

Force Of Mortality – Into The Abyss (Self Released)

Having been a part of this year’s Oxford M2TM, Force Of Mortality finally release their sophomore album. Formed in 2016 they have an EP and a full length to their name. The latter recorded as a trio when their lead guitarist left the band. After the pandemic they looked for another lead guitarist and with Matt G joining, Mazza (vocals/guitar), dB (drums/production) and Dr Col (bass), they ae now a tight, focussed foursome with another 50 odd minutes of music. But what kind of music? Well thrash, late 80’s early 90’s thrash. That’s the overarching style here and it doesn’t move from that position, perhaps then I’m not the best person to review it given my dislike of the genre mainly but hey ho here we go.

Into The Abyss sets out its stall early with Driven, the chugging Metallica-like track that leads into the some faster Slayer/Crossover sounds. Waiting for a lead player pays off with the title track, probably one of the stronger cuts on the record as well as Fear Of The Dark. The title track is followed by the brooding Forgiveness which builds on some tasty bass and throws in doom. I don’t really know what Woman From Hell is doing there but I guess it’s putting in some crossover thrash, mainly though Force Of Mortality stay in that Metallica style. Into The Abyss is a decent album for thrash fans and it’s good to see the Oxford band back on track a four piece. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Bloodstock Metal To The Masses Semi Final #1 Cardiff (Live Review By Matt Bladen)

Beyond Sorrow, Rites To Ruin, Root Zero & Thrakian, Fuel Rock Club, 17.05.24

After four heats, two quarters, band dropouts, public transport delays, foul weather and mystery illnesses, it was finally time for the first Bloodstock Metal To The Masses Semi Final of 2024. Starting in Cardiff at Fuel Rock Club, the four bands competing were the choices from the judging selection and fan vote combined, representing the best of the Cardiff Side for this year.

 
With the play order chosen at random it was Root Zero who began the evening. They play Gothic/ethereal metal starting out with haunting keyboard melodies and dual female cleans and growls from their singers. Having been one of the biggest fan vote gathers, they had a big crowd to start the night. Their music is slightly doomy and gothic bewitching the Fuel audience to get things started, though I do find them a little fixed to their spot when they perform, a bit more animation in the performance they will be hard to beat as they progressed to the Final.

Next up was Beyond Sorrow, having only recently reformed at the beginning of the year, diving into this initiative as your first load of gigs is very impressive. Again buoyed by the fan vote and the judge vote too in their heats they are an experienced band who have really locked in to their modern metalcore sound, when they have their heaviness going they're beastly and brutal however the clean vocal harmonies do need some work in future. Still they also had one of the biggest crowds and with more gigs under their belt this year, they were unlucky not to progress but will be much more honed if they re-enter next year.

Following the modern metal it was something a bit more retro as the immensely experienced Rites To Ruin stormed the stage, with Bloodstock pedigree behind them in other bands, they even had a stand in drummer due to their normal stickman celebrating a birth. You couldn't see the join though as they were well rehearsed and slick, shaking up the set each time they play. They bring chugging classic/thrash metal riffs, proggy leads and the formidable vocals, all coming through some great song writing it's very clear to anyone, but especially the judges that Rites To Ruin have all the tools to get themselves to Bloodstock.

Finally closing us out was the primordial/caveman sludge of Thrakian. Rattling the walls with every performance they are a brutal, hefty live showing, ferocious vocals, screamed with derision as the cataclysmic grooves bled through the speakers. Slow head nodding and abject fear are the name of the game, their frontman drawing a lot of the attention with the way he abuses his guitar and assaults the mic. Once again the judges were driven to choose the heaviest band in the Cardiff side of the bracket this year. Inside the Patti Pavilion they are going to sound massive.

So Rites To Ruin, Root Zero and Thrakian are the first three bands of M2TM South Wales to head to the Patti Pavilion for the Day Of Wreckoning All Day event on Saturday 29th June. Let's see who moves ahead when the Swansea Semi Final takes place on June 1st.

Reviews: Subfire, Funeral Storm, Dark Affliction, The Usurper (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Subfire – Blood Omen (Symmetric Records)

On the review for their last album Define The Sinner I called Subfire as a “new force in heavy metal” combining all the parts of power/progressive metal that I love Subfire are a long tenured act but have only now started releasing albums after a hiatus so with a long time to write Define The Sinner they are making the most of their new lease of life as a band by quickly following up their 2021 debut with Blood Omen.

Again released on Symmetric Records where it was recorded/produced/mixed by Bob Katsionis at Sound Symmetry Studios, Nasos Nomikos mastered it keeping the production crew from the debut. This is why it sounds vibrant whether it’s running at power metal speed on the melodic Path Of The Assassin and Hunter Of Dreams or slows with the darker Rage Of Emotions and the emotive Samurai. There’s also a smack of Judas Priest on Unbreakable which features guest vocals from Primal Fear’s Ralf Scheepers.

Blood Omen is a concept record set in feudal Japan, telling the story of two warring clans and an evil Shogun told through the eyes of Hattori Hanzo the Shogun’s right hand. History of course is used just as much as fantasy by metal bands Symphony X and Serenity doing it better than most, obviously Sabaton too, but Subfire owe more to the rougher but theatrical style of metal these first two bands, keys not used as much, relying on George D Larentzakis’ guitars for the melodies and riffs, he shows his muscle on tracks such as Iga Land and his acoustic skills on Rise.

Veandok’s vocals on this track are the best on the record, utilizing his full range against the progressive changes and symphonic additions, George harmonising well too. To keep the engines soaked are Rindra Rado’s bass and Elias K.’s drumming getting the galloping Hunter Of Dreams racing to the end but also starting off strong on Tides Of Alibis, as the thrashy Black Edged Meitu shows the darker side. Blood Omen is a brooding, bruising prog/power metal album, that has moments of light but tells a dark and fatal tale of betrayal. It’s more brilliant heavy metal from a band shining after such a long time away. 9/10

Funeral Storm – Chthonic Invocations (Hells Headbangers Records)

After nearly facing the end, Funeral Storm evoke the mists of black metal terror once more, summoning the ancient ones on their long awaited follow up. In 2019 founding guitarist/bassist/drum-programmer Wampyrion and guitarist Arcania teamed up with legendary Varathron singer Necroabyssious to make an album that was influenced by the 90’s black metal scene, doing away with a lot of the symphonic/atmospheric elements that have become a part of Varathon and Rotting Christ, using keys yes but keeping them as haunting era-authentic synths against the frantic tremolo picking and glacial blasts of occult black metal.

Their debut Arcane Mysteries was a brilliant record for anyone who was around in these early days and tape-traded the best and biggest in the Scandi and Hellenic scenes but they wrote music that wasn’t going to be a pastiche or accused of just being retro. It was old school ethos in the modern day. With a couple of splits the pandemic put the brakes on things, Arcania and Wampyrion recording the album by themselves in lockdown and isolation, with the music done Necroabyssious still was suffering the effects of Covid quite badly at some points they didn’t know if he would survive however he did, blessed by the old gods to provide another savage vocal for this record.

Based around the myths of Cthulhu and death itself these invocations seem a bit more savage, more embittered, Funeral Pyre blasting away as synths drift lazily out of the mist and Necroabyssious gives a performance of wide eyed psychosis, growling and screaming as the guitars are unforgiving. The authenticity comes from the production sounding very D.I.Y, sometimes brash and clear, other times it’s a lower and softer. The dramatic ending of The Calling Of The Father closing out with that move towards the symphonic. This adds to the authenticity of what Funeral Storm are trying to accomplish, it’s taking you back to a very specific time, the music they grew up with but for today’s audience to give a sense of what led to the Hellenic Black Metal scene becoming so revered.

A lot of uncertainty surrounded this follow up but it’s as mysterious and malevolent as their debut so prepare for the Funeral Storm. 8/10

Dark Affliction – Five Stages Of Grief (Theogonia Records)

The five stages of grief are Denial, Hate, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance and this the cycle that Dark Affliction deal with on their debut album. Five songs with an intro making up a hefty slab of atmospheric black metal, performed almost entirely by one man; Panagiotis Chistias, it’s his creative vision that has conceived this concept record dealing with the darkest moments of a person’s life. Using Hellenic black metal, ethereal post metal and stirring orchestrations, Christias creates music that is packed with virtuosity, but engaging for the listener to be pulled into the psyche. Each stage slightly different to reflect the feeling. 

The intro builds from acoustics, as if saying goodbye, before the razor sharp black metal riffs kick in on Denial. The beautiful violin of Nikos Mavridis instilling sadness to the start as we make our way into the slow burning rage of Hate, anger seething from the vocals and riffs while Eleni Nota’s drums are precise and devastating, unchained on shifting noise of Bargaining, tremolo shredding turning into squealing solos. The lyrics of Anastasia Kalampalika carrying the emotion wrought from Christias’ whispered croak while Anastasia Kiritsi they float spectrally over more violin on the mournful Depression. The lowest ebb eventually leading to Acceptance, as Sakis Bastas’ piano evokes the melancholy but there is a feeling of release. 

An impressive musical opus, mainly falling on the shoulders of one man and some talented guests. Experience the Five Stages Of Grief alongside Dark Affliction and you’ll find yourself drawn in to this psychological journey. 8/10

The Usurper – Hell Breaks Loose (Self Released)

Thessaloniki thrash band The Usurper release their debut full length Hell Breaks Loose and with Still Nowhere bringing the savage thrash of Kreator, all hell does break loose with this foursome from Northern Greece.

Niko’s vocals are harsher than a lot of thrash bands which is why I made reference to Kreator but the German thrash sound in general, usually darker in tone and more influences from death (Wasteland) and black metal. Niko not only growls but lays out the guitars alongside Kostas as another Kostas plays bass, getting his own break in the hardcore leaning Parasites.

This trio make Usurper Attack groove, The Serpents Grin stomp while Thanasis’ drumming is triumphal on the opening of Return To Ash until they accelerate again, he also gets a lead out on final song Soldiers Of Death. As well as thrash I mentioned hardcore as an influence and with tracks such as Under His Spell they will appeal to the slam dancers. Hell Breaks Loose finds attacks early and doesn’t relent. The brevity is its power and The Usurper bring 30 minutes of aggressive thrashing. 7/10

Reviews: Halestorm, Castle Rat, Iron Slug, Druidess (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Halestorm – Live At Wembley (Self Released)

In December 2023 American heavy rock sensations Halestorm played their largest ticketed show to date at Wembley Arena (OVO). The show was recorded for both a live album and concert film that will be available on their YouTube Channel.

Both dropped as a surprise on Friday 17th May so here’s what it’s like. While the video portion will capture the entire show, with all the visuals, lights etc, if you want the full experience then go hear. However the album does a pretty darn good job of making you feel as if you were there. Especially if you, like I did, played it loud in the garden during this weekend’s summer-like weather. Yes you can’t see Lzzy prowling the stage or Arejay beating the hell out of his kit on his drum solo but just the audio portion reminds you why a band such as Halestorm are able to play arenas this size now.

Armed with a wealth of well-known material that have been featured all over radio, TV, films and more, kicking off a set with I Miss The Misery, Love Bites (So Do I) and I Get Off gets older fans on side, moving into their more recent stuff such as Wicked Ways and Terrible Things. The setlist is balanced well between old and new, fast and slow, hooky and thrashy as the more anthemic tracks such as I Am The Fire, Here’s To Us and The Steeple are left until towards the end letting the lighters and phone torches illuminate the arena. Live At Wembley is a best of set, played to a rabid crowd by a band who are well drilled, experienced and now firmly an arena act.

More arenas and festival top billings await. 8/10

Castle Rat – Into The Realm (Wise Blood Records)

“Medieval Fantasy Doom Metal” Yes alright then. That about sums up the Castle Rat experience, if you packed a tonne of Dungeons & Dragons lore into the B-movie costuming and styling of Masters Of The Universe or Deathstalker (seriously watch Deathstalker) then you’d get the whole Castle Rat aesthetic.

Fronted by the Rat Queen (Riley Pinketon) on guitar and vocals, The Count (Franco Vittore) on lead guitar, The Plague Doctor (Ronnie Lanzilotta III) on bass and The Druid (Josh Strmic) on drums this foursome are on a mission to defend ‘The Realm’ from The Rat Reapress (Actress Maddy Wright).

Doing so by playing retro doom metal with D.I.Y production that captured their two and a half days recording period inside and abandoned church in Philadelphia. Cranking out Sabbath/Pentagram/Coven worshipping doom cloaked in the mysticism of this abandoned holy building and with fuzz pedals on high they shamelessly lean on their influences, taking you back to the point where proto-metal and doom collide.

Cry For Me adding the psychedelics of Jefferson Airplane on its slow build. Steeped in the occult and high fantasy they have latched onto that direct to vinyl/cassette sound in the production which give it authenticity. However if you’re used to the ultra-modern production this two channel, at times wavy sound could put you off.

For me though it’s that right style of doom metal I enjoy, getting enough trad metal riffs but slowing them down, never mind what you may think about the concept or the image this Brooklyn foursome play great music. 8/10

Iron Slug – Debauched And Bored (Self Released)

Crawling from the underground of Kent is sludge/doom trio Iron Slug. Are they as heavy as the Irish Ten Ton Slug? Well their debut EP Debauched And Bored (never a good mix) shares a level of filth that no Karcher Washer could ever get off. Will Rayner’s guitar riffs are distorted to the point of no return, borrowing from both Conan and Electric Wizard’s fuzz on Beauty Left In Woods.

From here Blade Marks The End increases the gothic sludge, with Rayner’s low vocals and crushing bass of Will Bond as Perfect Mistake closes out their three track EP with some chugging stoner/doom riffs Tino Di-Donato’s drums keeping the beat flowing through a steady march and then a stoner bounce. Strong sludge sounds come from Iron Slug’s debut, but with some movements into Sleep-like doom there’s a lot of promise when a full length rolls around. 7/10

Druidess - Hermits & Mandrakes (Self Released)

The heaviest thing to come out of Newcastle since Brown Ale, Druidess shamelessly and outwardly worship at the altar of Sabbath.

The tolling bell welcomes us into the opening fuzz dirge of Witches' Sabbath, and yeah Daniel Downing's (Aloeswood, ex-Ravenage) guitar has to be an SG but on this EP he also handles bass, drums, keys and production, his musical partner in crime being vocalist Shonagh Brown (ex-Juniper Grave) adding the influence of bands such as Alunah or Lucifer.

Since the EP was recorded they have added James Hill (Kylver) and Sam Armstrong (Shan) to their ranks and have played with bands such as Eyehategod and Margarita Witch Cult, as well as playing a show with Smoulder this week in Bristol. Back to the EP and Knightingales brings psychedelic keys with a heavy chug but we're back to Sabbath with The Hermit Of Druid's Temple.

It’s the inspiration of Iommi who is the major driving force behind their music but Druidess slot themselves into the current wave of retro occult doom nicely. 7/10

Reviews: Duft, Ufomammut, Trails Of Anguish, Djiin (Reviews By Zak Skane, Rich Piva, Joe Guatieri & Paul Hutchings)

Duft – Altar Of Instant Gratification (Scarlet Records) [Zak Skane]

After the cinematic intro that consists of low droning sound effects of crows, the bands open track Caved In smashes us in the face and takes us back to the past with some old school fear factory styled chucking that are machine manufactured tight to the kick drums. From the opening track the band brings in this old school mid 2000s crossover sound that reminds me of UK acts such as Stamping Ground and Romeo Must Die. The guitars have this un-boosted but punchy tone, the drums have this raw production to them whilst the harsh vocals have this classic British hardcore rasp to them whilst still keeping each phrase clear. 

Dragged Across Concrete bring in this blackened Thrash metal sound with it’s balls to the wall double kick driven skank beats whist dark voiced riffs are thrown at us with fast pace which is then followed by some extreme metal elements of blast beats and melodic death metal guitar passages. The vocalist goes from their British hardcore grunt to going into melodic death metal territory with their high fried vocals that take reminisces of the Black Dahlia Murder Trevor's delivery. 

Instant Gratification still continues the extreme metal brutality from it’s opening drum fill that slams us straight into some classic blast beats that accompanies the black metal sounding melodies before they go back into their meat and potatoes breakdown deliveries. The track also features some ruthless trade offs from the hard-core barking to throat tearing frys. To close off the first part of the album, Waste From Birth brings in some revengeful lyrics provided by Alexander Freyr. The band goes into some straight forward metallic hardcore formulas with the drums stripping it down to punchy donk beats whilst it keeps the punky style simplistic with frantic chord changes and down picked riffs. 

To open up the second part of the album Scarfaced Blues brings back the black metal fury with it’s frantic drumming, buzz saw like tremolo riffs and satanic frys. Doctrine continues this black metal inspired assault along with some blues driven solos. 20th Century Doom takes the tempos down a notch to bring some classic beatdown riffs that contain these Malevolence inspired blues chops whilst still creating these black metal atmospheres. 

The closing track Only Dead Fish Follow finishes the album on a high note with some balls to the wall energy, the drummer opening up with some high speed polyrhythmic beats, the guitars following the arrangements of their intense crossover of black and extreme metal technicality along with the pounding grooves with hardcore and metalcore attitude which wrist breaking down picked riffs that transcend into swirling tremolo picked melodies. 

The vocalist is closing the album with some intense vocal delivery, really channelling these ravenously vengeful lyrics to the end of the song giving off some relentless energy and sending a personal message to the person that these lyrics were based on. Even though this band hails from Iceland, they have really harnessed the British crossover sound that has populated the UK music scene down to a tee. 

The production has this good balance raw but listenable quality, which allows the genuine hatred that this band to flow out without it sounding to polished. The DIY sounding guitar tone gives off dark un-boosted sound but just adds more punch to each chug, whist the drums having un-edited feel that add more groove whilst the vocals this raw aggression to very delivery. 

For fans of Stamping Ground, Romeo Must Die and Malevolence. 9/10

Ufomammut - Hidden (Neurot Recordings/Supernatural Cat Records) [Rich Piva]

Ufomammut is back, and if there was ever a time that I wanted to just write a one word review it would be for the Italian band’s tenth album, Hidden. That one word would be: Heavy. Hidden is so damn heavy I feel like the bottom is going to drop out of all six songs at any time during the 44 minute run time. Hidden is not heavy in the death metal drop D sense of the word. It is just huge, gigantic, and feels like the six songs are constantly crushing you, only to tease you that you are not done for as they layer in some psych and even some vocal harmonies to give you some hope where there really is none.

I mean talk about crushing, check out the first track, Crookhead, a hold over from last year’s EP of the same name. I think when I reviewed that I mentioned those songs were not extras or throw aways and were awesome on their own, which is validated by the band kicking of the new full length with this killer track. There is so much going on musically you will need to listen at least a dozen times to even get a glimpse into this crazy musical genius. 

Kismet is also rip with awesome heaviness, the bass shaking the foundations and the riffs pummelling, partnered perfectly with more of a hardcore like scream for nine minutes that feels like four. Man, do I love we the pace slows towards the end and we get some psych all over the place. Ufomammut as doom/death metal is the where the shortest track on Hidden, Spidher, goes, and proves these guys can do whatever the hell they want and still sound awesome. These riffs just crunch. 

Mausoleum is one of the two tracks over ten minutes, and like Crookhead, it flies by. Not because of the pace, but because of how interesting and complex a listen it is, especially given it is just three people making these sounds. Holy crap is this song amazing (not my finest literary statement, but exactly how I am feeling as I write this). This track reminds me of something from Ministry’s Filth Pig, and coming from me this is a major complement, but add some of the signature Ufomammut heavy psych too. The final two tracks, Leeched and Soulost, are of the shorter variety for the band, the former with that heavy driving groove also leveraging those Ministry vibes I mentioned and the latter chills it out a lot, leaning more on the synths and is a heavy psych slow burn if there ever was one.

So yeah, the new Ufomammut is heavy. Really heavy. Really heavy and complex, and one of the coolest listens of 2024. Go check this out and be ready to be blown away. By the heavy. There is nothing Hidden about this record, but there is also everything Hidden, given you will hear something new each time you listen. 9/10

Trails Of Anguish - Scathed Gaping Misery (Hessian Firm) [Joe Guatieri]

Trails Of Anguish are a Canadian Black Metal band that formed in 2000. They only existed for a very short period of time releasing two EPs in 2001 and 2003 respectively before going radio silent until 2022. In this review I take a look at Scathed Gaping Misery, a compilation which combines those long out-of-print EPs with two new tracks.

Trail Of Anguish’s debut EP, Relentless Abhorrence Of Misery’s Grievances contains 6 tracks which are all covered in a blanket of raw product that has a lot of punch. To my surprise, not too much was buried by the recording quality, for example, the drums in the opener Beyond Charismatic Sickness have a lot of clarity to them where everything can be heard. My favourite song of the entire compilation comes in this part with track five, Useless. Something about the atmosphere that it creates feels very empowering, like reaching a destination.

Going from there into tracks seven and eight which make up their 2003 EP, Scarred Momento. Haunting is the real standout for me here with its pummelling drums and guitars that have a lot of grit. At various points during this record and especially here, folk, melodic black, melodic death all appear and it’s clear that Trails Of Anguish’s influences don’t just lie in one place.

Near the death we approach new horizons with track nine, Gaping Misery which marks the band stepping into unknown territory as I would describe it as Black Noise. For my money it’s the most frightening song that the band has to offer, it paints an image of someone shouting at the bottom of a well.

This leads us into the final track here, Rebirth. Six minutes of complete and utter silence are much needed after strange goings on. After a few moments of weirdness with twangy acoustics and patient electric chugging, everything breaks loose with a battle between guitar wall hell and woodwind heaven whilst an orchestra acts as the distressed spectators.

Overall, Scathed Gaping Misery makes for a tour through the nightmare gallery that Trails Of Anguish have created, showing what they did and where they could go but no one knows for sure. It avoids the trappings that so many other compilations by bands fall into, it’s not a greatest hits, it’s a history book with blank pages at the end. 7/10

Djiin – Mirrors (Klonosphere Records) [Paul Hutchings]

A six-song album should initially be an EP one might think. Then you check the length of the songs, and realise that no, album is the right term to be applied. So having established that, let’s turn attention to the latest album by the four-piece from Rennes in France, who have liberally thrown in three songs that total over 30-minutes on Mirrors.

Taking their name from the Arabic word Jinn, meaning to hide or adapt, Djiin are mythical creatures from Islamic folklore who can adapt a myriad of forms and shapes. It may be an apt band name, for the quartet’s psychedelic stoner sound is not constrained to just those two genres. There is something of everything within Mirrors.

Opener Fish is a short, punk-edged bundle of chaos. Singer Chloé Panhaley’s disconcerting delivery is unrestrained, at times feeling almost out of control, whilst behind her the music whirls in a mesmeric pattern that twists and turns. Things get a whole lot more abstract on the title track which follows. A nine-minute meander that flicks from semi-jazz expressionism through to more traditional stoner style, it’s avant garde feel sees Panhaley dip in and out with Joplin/Slick influenced vocals. The time signatures are uncomfortable, nothing here in time or place, whilst the fuzzy bass and dynamic guitar switch from Eastern vibes to modern sounds.

There’s no doubting the influences on display here, everything from Krautrock, progressive, doom, and even early metal like Sabbath is included. In The Aura Of My Own Sadness drifts further into a deep kaleidoscope of trippy exploration, with more twisting movements that haunt and bewitch. It’s a ride unlike any other as the band embark on another explorative departure where you simply hang on as things erupt into a glorious burst of high tempo intensity before slowing into a sedate period of calm.

And then the intensity that is prevalent throughout this intriguing and frankly disturbing release intensifies substantially on Blind, which opens with a sonic challenge as Panhaley combines with bass and drums in a rhythmic staccato that descends into a cacophony of horror and anger. As the song breaks into a frenzy of noise and blinding darkness, one is left both confused yet curious. The ebb and flow neatly summarise the meaning behind the track, that of being blinded by the negative, hatred and depression. It’s certainly not your run of the mill.

With the epic 13-minute Iron Monsters allowing yet more freeform exploration, I think the advice for Mirrors is that you really need to challenge yourself and take the plunge. It’s not going to be for all, and at times I found it quite difficult, but if your brain wants a complex, jarring, and haunting trial, then this is one to try. 7/10

Reviews: Shellac, Mutes, Brown Acid, Bongfoot (Reviews By Rich Piva)

Shellac - To All Trains (Touch And Go Records)

Steve Albini is as important to the music I love, grew up on, and that I molded my tastes from as much as any other person involved in the music creation process in the 1990s. This includes any of the bands that put out their classic records back then, because the Albini sound pretty much sums up that era. It was not just then, as Albini continued to innovate and influence up until sis untimely death at age 61, days before his legendary band, Shellac, released their first album in ten years, To All Trains. To lose him hurts, especially given what I have been though lately, on a truly personal level. So, at this point all we can do is look back on all he helped create and marvel in the new Shellac record which is worth any praise that it will get.

Shellac gets the noise rock categorization, but to me the easiest way to describe them on To All Trains is a combination of Mclusky and The Jesus Lizard. If this comparison doesn’t help, go find the works of those bands, specifically the material he helped create for both of them. The difference is the minimalist approach that Shellac brings, of which you can hear on tracks like Girl From Outside and Tattoos, both of which will stand up to any other Shellac track out there. 

The nonconventional time signatures the band is known for are ever present, partnered with Albini’s talk-singing on Wednesday, another standout track. The drums are right up front in the mix (go figure) and lead the way on the killer song Scrappers. Days Are Dogs sounds like if Cake was being covered by the aforementioned Jesus Lizard, and it works perfectly. How I Wrote How I Wrote Elastic Man (Cock & Bull) is the most real singing you will get on To All Trains, and may be my favourite track on the record, and for some reason the one that makes me the saddest.

It is impossible to listen to To All Trains without the lens of sadness regardless of what else is going on in your life. This one hurts, especially the timing both personally for me and for the world who loved the man and the work that he did. Let’s just be glad we have what we have, especially this last Shellac record that will stand as a fitting tribute to his incredibly important body of work. 8/10

Mutes - …Buried Where You Stand (No Sound Records)

Writing a review about a band that compares themselves to The Pixies and Sonic Youth after writing a review for the final Shellac record after Steve Albini’s death is not ideal for anyone involved, so let’s just say the new record from the U.K.’s Mutes is some solid 90s alt love mixed with some early 2000s out there indie combined for a pretty solid showing on their fourth album, …Buried Where You Stand.

The Pixies love shines on the opener, Transparency, and I love when the band just kind of goes off on this one. That early 2000s indie stuff I spoke about is up next with the quick blast Televangelist. A jangly Sonic Youth shows up on a track like Spiders Again. The boss of this blog threw the band Deerhunter out there, and I concur on songs like Barely Living Proof and Another Moon Song to double down on the 2000s indie rock comparisons. To give a more recent comparison I look to the band In Technicolour on a song like Dewired, but maybe with a more punk vibe. 

I love the track Great White Nothing and its unabashed love to late 90s alternative rock in all the right ways. Same goes for Perfumed Corpse with those echoed vocals. The challenge I have with …Buried Where You Stand is that it doesn’t really stick with me. The songs are solid and the playing is good but there is not a lot that makes me want to go back for seconds or thirds, with some exceptions, Mere Slaughter being one of them as this one is pure Pixies/SY energy and the song with the most going on amongst the twelve tracks.

Mutes have put forth a solid effort with record number four. If you like 90s alt/2000s indie stuff, this one should gel with you nicely. I am just not sure how many times I will go back to the well on …Buried Where You Stand outside of a few of the tracks I mentioned. 7/10

Various Artists - Brown Acid: The Eighteenth Trip (RidingEasy Records)

I am going to start this review like I did the last four additions to this collection; I love the Brown Acid series that has been curated by the great RidingEasy Records.

If you are not familiar with the set the basic concept is that Lance Barresi, owner of L.A.-based Permanent Records, searches the far corners of the US in dusty record store bins, garages, attics, and confirms musical urban myths to bring us lost and the most underground of underground songs from long forgotten bands that in some cases may have only release one song on a promo single.

These songs come together to populate the now eighteen volumes of some of the best 60s and 70s proto metal and psych rock that you have never heard before. Never ever do these comps disappoint. This one is no different, with another ten lost treasures for your listening enjoyment, with a surprise tenth track not on the promo to build even more of the intrigue for this set.

Highlights include the Grand Funk like styling of Back Jack on he opening track, Bridge Waters Dynamite, which would make a top ten Brown Acid comp for sure. RidingEasy just pressed the whole original Back Jack record that is worth your time as well. The Zeppelin-y Hot Love by Smokin’ Buku Band with its killer bass work and I love the organ on Tommy Stuart and the Rubberband’s Peeking Through Your Window. You want cowbell? Well, Ripped Off by Chicago Triangle is for you. I really dig the middle instrumental part in this one too. I love the funkiness and proto heaviness of Parchment Farm’s Song Of The Dead and the killer drumming and evil heavy psych of Nightmare, by Glory.

I am still amazed at volume 18 we are getting sets of songs that have no clunkers or skips amongst them. I have no idea where these songs keep coming from, but RidingEasy is doing us a major solid by bringing all this great stuff to light with the Brown Acid Series. 8/10

Bongfoot - Help! The Humans… (Self Released)

North Carolina has a pretty sweet heavy music scene, and recently we have heard some killer stuff from Karl Agell’s new band Lie Heavy. Bongfoot is definitely not Lie Heavy, but they do play a version of stoner rock that incorporates punk and sludge into their new record, Help! The Humans…that is full of energy, force, speed, an occasionally cringy lyric, but mostly killer heavy rock and roll.

The opener, End Times, rips it up from the start, even if the vocals boarder on annoying on this track. I dig the pace and the heavy riffing that never lets up. Miss Merica’ is straight up stoner punk rock, with some of those cringy lyrics I mentioned, but hey, it’s punk rock, man. The singer seems to be channelling Jello Biafra vocally on many of these songs.

Environmental Gaslighting is both heavy and catchy and reminds me a bit of Orange Goblin, which is never a bad thing. Acid Rain is another absolute ripper that boarders on crossover thrash and is about two minutes too long but rips nonetheless. The middle part that slows it down all the way is cool, but maybe where some of the time on this one could have been cut.

The track Kill The Hippies has been out there for a bit and is one of their best songs, giving us under three minutes of ideal stoner punk rock goodness. Bad Man is another fun track, ripping at the front and bluesy at the back. Krakatoa shows these guys can create a riff and build some killer heavy stoner rock around it. I actually would have been good to stop there and make this record about 35-40 minutes. The 53-minute run time is a lot, but I still enjoyed the Slayer-like riff and pace of Hot Grease Pt. 2 and the frantic yet a bit too long Amazon Death Factory/Spacefoot.

There is some really fun stuff on Help! The Humans… I would call it more stoner thrash punk than anything else. Besides it running a bit long, the new Bongfoot record is a fun, frantic, thrashy listen. Check it out. 7/10

Reviews: Jasta, Elvellon, The Last Of Lucy, Soulline (Reviews By GC & Matt Bladen)

Jasta - …And Jasta For All (Perseverance Music Group) [GC]

As we all know Jamey Jasta is the vocalist of hardcore legends Hatebreed but he also has had 3 solo records which have nothing to do with his ‘’day job’’ today I have his latest solo record …And Jasta For All, I now have to remember that this is NOT a Hatebreed record and should not be compared to them as this is stand alone venture and should be judged as such!

The slow and brooding opening of They See Us As Prey definitely throws a nod to the band who he has ripped the title of the album off and close your eyes and you might think this could be a lesser heard Metallica track its thrashy but not the 80’s 1000mph thrash, more of the early 90’s polished thrash and it’s not what I was expecting at all, which is probably the whole point anyway its an enjoyable beginning to proceedings and the we get Amor Your Mind which definitely has a much more familiar sound from Mr Jasta, its more thrilling and urgent thrash but has that hardcore attitude and anger flowing throughout and has some lovely mid-section groove fueled beatdowns,

Create The Now REALLY REALLY sounds like it could be off one of a certain other bands records and because of this I fucking love it! it’s the familiar hardcore/thrash crossover that has become Jamey’s signature sound over the past 25 years and has added Chuck Billy on guest vocals to really put the icing on the cake! R.M.P.C is a bit of a funny one for me, its not that its bad as such, it just feels a little cheesy and this has Scott Ian guesting and because of that it sounds exactly like Anthrax and I have never enjoyed them, so ultimately this is one of my least favourite tracks on the record, kicking things back up to speed is Suicidiality with its "LETS FUCKING GO" opening its another raucous hardcore punk infused thrash rager that has guest spots from Phil Demmel AND Kerry King, so its always going to be a winner even if the title is stupid! 

Assimilation Agenda is another glorious throwback to the thrash heyday of the 80’s and has Steve Souza from Exodus guesting to add a bit more weight and credibility to the song. Ring Of Truth finally has no guest vocals or guitarists involved and relies solely on Mr J to do his thing, and as you would expect he does so with gusto, and he doesn’t just fall back into the expected hardcore but continues to create some entraining thrash that while not exactly ground breaking or new is still fun to listen to. 

Terminal Lucidity doesn’t do much different and is another solid track, but it all does start to get a bit one paced now and while that pace is of course breakneck as would be expected, my problem with thrash is, the longer it goes on it tends to get a bit samey and one dimensional after a while!? There is something about No Dream Is Free that I just don’t like, it might be the vocals, or it could just be that the song feels a bit laboured and ultimately should be filled under album filler type track, which is worrying on such a short album! Anyway, The Phoenix Way is the last track and were treated to much more slowed down and death metal influenced track, I mean its thrash again but has a definite sharper edge and is a decent way to close things.

In my opinion there is only so much you can do with thrash and on …And Jasta For All you get a thrash 101 album, it’s not trying to reinvent the style and its no frills, all out action from start to finish, does it get a bit one dimensional, yes it does but, I don’t think it’s really meant to be looked at that deeply!? If you want a no nonsense easy to listen to record then crack open a beer, get your board shorts and high tops on and have a listen to this! 7/10

Elvellon – Ascending In Synergy (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

Releasing an EP in 2015 and an album in 2018, Elvellon give us their second full length and while I always approach symphonic metal albums with a little trepidation (it’s probably the most oversaturated genre other than death metal), I have to say I’m very impressed with these Germans. 

Having played countless gigs since their debut full length gathering up plenty of YouTube views and tour slots, they have been given the often dubious ‘next big thing’ tag by a lot of the press but while I debate if that’s a blessing or a curse, there’s no doubting how talented the band are, the vocals of Nele Messerschmidt a highlight. She has a dexterous, broad range, conveying emotion whether through fragility on the nine minute cinematic epic The Aeon Tree or through power on the galloping metallic Ocean Of Treason. 

I was genuinely floored by how good her vocals are but that’s not to do down the band in any way. The strings are densely arranged, with the keys bringing both the influence of Epica and Nightwish, meanwhile the guitars, bass and drums are tight in keeping the metallic quotient strong. It sounds both retro, I’m talking that early 2000’s glory days of the genre but also bang up to date. Unfazed with the continual move of the whole genre towards electronics, the band are focussed solely on the classical string arrangements meeting with power metal and dramatic vocals. 

There’s a nostalgic joy to it if you were brought up with the early bands in the style but there’s also life left in what they do so they can evolve as a band as woodwinds on My Forever Endeavour, adds a folk metal edge, while Last Of Our Kind is a ballad your metal hating partner would enjoy. I’m surprised and pleased by this album, I always have a wariness of symphonic metal but Elvellon is a treat for the ears. 9/10

The Last Of Lucy - Godform (Transcending Obscurity Records) [GC]

Along with 20 Buck Spin, Transcending Obscurity seems to be one of those labels who just know what a good band should sound like and release banger after banger and with that ringing endorsement its time to listen to what The Last Of Lucy have to offer in the shape of their latest release Godform.

It all starts off in gloriously batshit fashion on Wormhole which is a whirlwind of dazzling technical death metal goodness that sounds like there are at least 3 guitarists being recorded but its only Gad Gideon and that’s absolutely mental when you hear what is going on, also a huge shout to Josef Hossain-Kay because his drum work here is also insane! 

Empyreal Banisher continues the barrage of scattergun riffing and gloriously mad guitar work mixed with more phenomenal drumming, the levels shown on these first 2 tracks are unbelievable and I feel a bit for bassist Derek Santistevan because you never really manage to pick his parts out as they are swarmed by everything else but if he’s holding all this together you can guarantee he must be a beast of a player. 

Twin Flame is yet more punishingly technical death metal layered with precision, thunderous beatdowns and also some more reserved sections in which you finally get a chance to compose yourself and prepare for the inevitable onslaught of Shedim Séance which unsurprisingly is an absolute beast of a track littered with virtuoso level guitar work that melds perfectly with the more straight forward knuckle dragging death metal sections but one style never outshines the other which is the true beauty of everything so far! 

We smash through halfway with Sanguinary Solace which has probably the least technicality so far and concentrates on a furious pace and savagely heavy beatdown style of death metal that is invigorating and uplifting yet still manages to be ungodly heavy all the way through.

Sentinel Codex then doesn’t exactly slow down but throws in a more djent heavy style which gives the room for a bit more simplicity if that’s seems impossible then believe me its not, the more ‘’laid back’’ speed adds another level to the whole flow of the album and another shout out for Josh De la Sol on vocals because it would be easy to get lost in the background to such phenomenal musicianship but he more than holds his own and commands everything with force and ferocity. 

Darkest Night Of The Soul doesn’t hold back and re-dials up the intensity levels yet again with another scathing, djenty bombardment of heaviness and brutality that leads directly into Angelic Gateway which is obviously not angelic in anyway, its an ugly and menacing display of how to mix relentless savagery and also intertwine more melody into the song but never lose any of the power needed to smash your body into pieces and all done in 2:40, splendid! 

Anima Flux is another drumming masterclass and also full of chugging riffs and more intense beatdowns that flesh out the song in between more guitar wizardry and the end section is just absolutely world class! Godform is the last track on the album and of course it doesn’t stray far from what we have already heard and gives us one last blast of world class drumming, guitar perfection and disgustingly brutal vocals to round off this unbelievable record.

WOW! Seriously, just wow! I do not have one single negative word to say about this album, like seriously I cannot find one fault anywhere from the very first second to the very last! Everything was executed with utter perfection and is an absolutely world class showing from The Last Of Lucy. If you listen to one album this week, make sure it is Godform because you will not regret it because believe me, this is an absolutely phenomenal album. 10/10

Soulline – Reflections (Massacre Records) [Matt Bladen]

Environmentally conscious melodic death metal is not something I thought I’d be writing today but here we are. Swiss band Soulline have been riding the melodeath train since 2000 and with their seventh album they have decided to embrace cultural activism and use their music to give environmental concerns a voice. A voice that has all the traits you’d expect from melodeath such as thrashy riffs, blastbeats, melodic lead guitars and vocals that are harsh and cleans. 

There’s passion in these tracks, but unfortunately nothing that a million other bands haven’t done, the addition of some keys as backing textures adding a bit of uniqueness. I found my attention wandering a little as they embraced some metalcore-like compositions too. The playing is experienced and technical, the song writing is good but there’ nothing that stands out for me, perhaps only Human Corruption which features a bit of Sepultura-like percussion. 

Reflections may carry an important message but it doesn’t engage me as much as perhaps it should have. 6/10

Reviews: Lucassen & Soeterboek's Plan Nine, Demon, Zig Zags, Hemotoxin (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Lucassen & Soeterboek's Plan Nine - The Long-Lost Songs (Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group)

Arjen Lucassen is the master of the concept album, he's made bloody loads of them alongside countless other projects but in the 90's he saw Robert Soeterboek performing with his band and was impressed by his soulful blues rock voice. As if he didn't have enough going on he decided to collaborate with Soeterboek on some songs. This led to a a wealth of songs from two creatives that became friends. With a load tracks recorded with Peter Vink on bass, Cleem Determeijer on Hammond, and Rob van der List on drums, some of those names may be familiar if you know anything about Lucassen's other projects. 

Unfortunately in the grunge landscape it was never picked up and Soeterboek joined Wicked Sensation and Lucassen became Ayreon. However recently Soeterboek wanted to record a song he wrote with Lucassen called Annie Moore and Arjen agreed to help, despite rehearsing for the Ayreon live shows. 

Revisiting this song they dove deeper recruiting Peter and Cleem on bass and Hammond again, Peter's wife Mirjam van Doorn on backing vocals and Koen Herfst on drums, re-writing and re-recording the songs they wrote together all those years ago with additional bass from Rob van der Loo (Epica), Irene Jansen on backing vocals and Marcel Singor on guitar. 

So then The Long Lost Songs are just that; the rediscovered tracks of Plan Nine. So what are they like? Well most are in the vein of 70's blues hard rock vein, Annie Moore and Before The Morning Comes especially but there’s flirtations with country on Let It Ride and Long Cold Night, as well as The Beatles and glammy 80’s metal on Ice On Fire. Really it’s a jukebox of styles from virtuoso musicians, digging deep into the songwriting of Lucassen before he became the concept record maestro. Plan Nine are reinvigorated as a real band, like hard rocking Pinocchio, there’s lots, I mean two discs worth, to enjoy. 8/10

Demon - Invincible (Frontiers Music)

45 years of the Demon. Still led by frontman Dave Hill they were an integral part of the NWOBHM but much like fellow Frontiers signees Praying Mantis their music has moved away from into more melodic and progressive notions. Demon had the stage craft and showmanship of Ghost way before the Swedes did it but have also retained their early heaviness as they embellished it with keys.

Hill's voice is still unmistakable; soulful and gruff he carries the emotion and nostalgia of Forever Seventeen, this last song on the album reminding me of late period Magnum which after the unpleasantness of earlier this year will excite any fans of that legendary band. Karl Waye's keys are a major factor on this album, opening the Intro with some Lord/Lanzon neoclassicism.

The first slice of heaviness is Face The Master, Paul Fasker Johnson's bass anchoring the grooves as Ghost From The Past adds some bluesy guitars from Dave Cotterill and Paul Hume and a solid as a rock drumbeat from Neil Ogden, a lot of Invincible taking it's inspiration from the 1985 to 1992 period of their existence. The driving Beyond The Darkside is unashamedly mid 80's with the lead guitar breaks as is Rise Up. Hole In The Sky builds the drama Zeppelin style as Cradle To The Grave has that early dramatic sound.

Demon keep their quality of song writing high with Invincible. Melodic rock that is inspired by their influences from the 70's and their own style from the mid 80's. Proving that Demon are indeed Invincible. 8/10

Zig Zags - Strange Masters Vol.1 (RidingEasy Records) [Matt Bladen]

In 2019 LA stoner punk trio Zig Zags took a short break from the road, unfortunately this almost ended the band completely, drummer Dane leaving to do something else outside of music. The two remaining members Jeb Maheu (vocals/guitars) and Sean Hoffman (bass) talked about ending it but they felt there was more to do with the band so Jeb reached out to Josh Landau of The Shrine if they could borrow Jeff Murray to be their drummer.

As The Shrine no longer play live Josh said yes, Jeff said yes and Zig Zags live to zag another day! With a glut of material written, they scrapped most of it and settled on doing a record that has the live-in-the-studio feel to it. 10 tracks, bags of experience and a new dynamic, combining some re-recorded old favourites, in preparation to write an album of new material together. Basically a recorded live show, to see how well they gel as a trio after some time away?

Well to my ears pretty fucking well, the bastard lovechild of Sabbath (Voices Of The Paranoid), The Stooges (My Lighter) and Suicidal Tendencies (Punk Fucking Metal), they cross between all of the above while delving into both parts of the CoC catalogue (with Pepper and without) and more contemporary acts such as Kverlertak and Bokassa. Recording in the newly opened Discount Mirrors studio owned by John Dwyer of Osees, these tracks get a sonic overhaul and are more vital than ever, there’s even a cover of Agent Orange’s Bloodstains to finish you off. 

Play as loud as you can. 8/10

Hemotoxin - When Time Becomes Loss (Pulverised Records)

With that band name, death metal innit? Yeah it is, particularly the extremely janky, technical death metal that rapidly flits between riffs, packing as many of them into a song as clowns do into a small VW Beetle. It makes for a rapid fire 30 minute blast of cosmic death metal, progressive as it can be, technically impressive but steamrolling. 

With three previous full lengths the spirit of Chuck Schuldiner is strong with bandleader Michael Anthony Chavez, he musically worships at the altar of Death as well as Cynic and Atheist, basically any band that has successfully put progressive compositions and virtuoso playing with death metal and made it work. 

Joined by producer Andrew Lee on lead guitar and Scott Fuller on drums, Chavez plays the bulk of the music and does the vocals on this fourth album, displaying his wizardry with every song be it on guitar or bass, while relying on some special guests; Donnie Small, Andrew Lee and Tony Barhoum to add the leads and solos. 

Hemotoxin don’t stretch their Death worship too far on this fourth full length but for fans of breakneck riff shifting When Time Becomes Loss will be a worthy investment of half an hour. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Welcome To Rockville (Live Review By Rich Piva)

Welcome To Rockville, Daytona Beach, FL, 9-12 May 2024

A four-day rock festival in May in Daytona Beach Florida…what could go wrong? Actually, this was one of the smoothest run festivals that I have ever been to and the music was great too. Let’s run down my experience at my first Welcome To Rockville.

First, logistics. Everything ran very smoothly for a festival with five stages over four days. Parking was stupid, but once we figured out the hack on Friday it was all good. Everything is expensive, but if you brought a bottle they had fill up stations for water so all good there too. I could not recommend the VIP experience enough, just for the bathrooms alone. The stages were not that far apart so getting from band to band was not bad at all. There were a couple of really bad conflicts with bands that did not make sense (everyone who saw Clutch wanted to see Queens Of The Stone Age too, people) but overall the schedule was well done too. 

It was damn hot, but it is Florida in May, but even for Florida it was unusually hot. Daytona hit near records on Thursday and Friday. But there were water cannons and cool down tents too. The most surprising thing was how cool the crowd was, especially for Florida. Everyone was chill (even in the heat), respectful, and even nice, if you can believe it, outside of the dude wrapped in the Southern flag. This was a really great experience that I would absolutely do again.

OK, so what about the music? Prior commitments had me go late on Friday and miss Sunday completely, which was fine given the lineup on the final day did not really interest me at all outside of a couple of bands. My big day was Saturday, but we will get to that.

Let’s start with Thursday. The headliner was Motley Crue, but given the recent reviews on their live shows I was fine with skipping their set and beating the traffic. The day started with 90s pseudo goth industrial band Orgy, who had their big hit with a cover of New Order’s Blue Monday, which they played along with a Prodigy cover and some other stuff. It was early and hot and they were pretty much a cover band. Not the best way to start. Same deal with Saliva. Early 2000s new metal stuff. Not really my thing. 

Now Amigo The Devil and his banjo-led tales of woe? That was excellent. This was my first time seeing ATD and I left a huge fan and with a cool shirt. My plan next was to see 90s industrial-lite Stabbing Westward but braved the merch tent instead, which wasn’t as bad as I thought, only taking about an hour to come away with an armful of shirts. I got to see the first half of the Dirty Honey set that was full of energy and a throwback to good time L.A. rock. Fun stuff. 

 The night really kicked in with the Shadows Fall set. It’s been a while, but they still kick ass and had the crowd going nuts, as well as this reviewer, especially during Destroyer Of Senses from 2002’s The Art Of Balance. The band was super tight and sounded as good as ever. One of my two biggies for Thursday was Anthrax, who sounded great and went way back in their catalog for the 45-minute set. Joey sounded great, even if he did get a bit confused a couple of times with what was up next. There was a weird stoppage in the middle of a song too that I am still not sure what happened, but hearing some of those classic Anthrax songs was the experience I was looking for. 

I didn’t realize how big Mudvayne got after the one song I remember, Dig, but apparently, they still have a big following, but to me didn’t sound great and I was happy to move on to get my nostalgia on with the set from Biohazard. Talk about memories…they also sounded like they did not miss a beat and played all of what a fan would want to hear given their short 40-minute time allotment. 

Judas Priest was what I was most about on Thursday, and the band did not disappoint. Rob still sounds amazing and the band was spot on. The short one-hour set was packed full of the hits and a couple of from the new record, including a killer version of Panic Attack to open the set. It was cool to hear Love Bites and I lost my mind during the closer, Painkiller. The Priest set was worth admission on Thursday alone, but the pleasant surprise of the evening was the set from Kerry King, who played a ton of new stuff as well as Raining Blood. Outside of the lead singing being a bit cliché and corny, the set was great and the new stuff sounded excellent. This is where my night ended, leaving the Crue show for those who don’t care if bands actually sing or play their instruments.

Friday, I started late with Nitzer Ebb, the German electronic/industrial act who got the small crowd dancing and singing along to their best-known tracks like, Join In The Chant. I have been a fan for a while so this was really fun for me. Just two bald German dudes dancing around and playing synths in 97-degree heat. The crowd ate it up. I caught a bit of the In Flames set as well. They also sounded great, but I am not that big of a fan to really know the material. More nostalgia with The Offspring set which I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. I loved those first few records back in the day and found myself shouting along with crowd. 

But my night was all about Mr. Bungle. Mike Patton is one of my all-time favourite performers and I had never seen Bungle before. I went right up front for this one and let me tell you, they destroyed me. What a set. So tight, so fast, so much fun, with their slow covers thrown into their version of thrash/death/hardcore metal. Hell Awaits and True by Spandau Ballet? Of course. Patton was totally on and had the crowd in the palm of his hand. They even played My Ass Is On Fire from the debut record that I lost my mind over. By far the set of the festival for me. My festival partners wanted to see Friday’s headliner Limp Bizkit and I obliged. Not my cup of tea, let’s leave it at that. Fred Durst’s banter was awful and their hits are worse than I remember. But hey, at least I got to see Mr. Bungle on Friday. Overall, a fun evening.

Saturday was my big day, let’s get a rundown going:

Crobot had fun little set under the hot, but not as hot 2PM sun. lots of energy and they sounded great. They even debuted a new song. Reignwolf  were a super talented duo, especially the main guy, who just ripped it up on guitar and even played drums and guitar at the same time at one point. Great stuff.

Royal Blood were disappointing and boring, the band did nothing for me and I was happy to move on half way though the set to get some food. Red Fang had great too short set focused on older material that got their small group of fans all worked up. I need to see these guys headlining in a small club.

 It didn’t matter who was signing Stone Temple Pilots, because the nostalgic of hearing all of those great songs hooked me. I sang every word from Wicked Garden to Big Empty to Sex Type Thing. Primus; never does Les Claypool not blow me away with his unworldly skill on the bass guitar. They sounded great too and played all the “hits”. I love seeing the crowd bounce during Jerry Was A Racecar Driver a perfect song for our settings. Too short, but still killer.

Baroness played one of my top 3 sets of the weekend. Baroness rules. I have not seen them with Gina on guitar and wow does she rip it up. Her playing and background vocals and the chemistry with Baizley is off the charts. Another too short set, but it made me want to spend a week just with their catalog. reat to It was great to see the L7 ladies back. They were on point and gave the crowd what they wanted setlist wise. Fun little set.

Clutch were my most anticipated shows, the band did not disappoint with a killer setlist and a wild crowd. Escape From The Prison Planet into Spacegrass knocked me for a loop. Maybe one or two tracks too many from the first record but that is what their tour is about. Clutch never disappoints and didn’t here either. It was not cool that Queens Of The Stone Age were overlapping with Clutch but I did get to see the second half of the set. 

Honestly, they were just OK. The setlist ignores the first couple of records and even though they sounded good I found myself kind of bored. Glad I decided for Clutch, even though I never saw QOTSA before. Finally Foo Fighters a band I always want to like but always walk away kind of bored, the half of a set I watched was no different for me. Dave seems like a great guy but outside of the first record and part of the second nothing in their catalog really holds my interest and I was happy to beat the traffic since everyone else seemed super engaged with the set.

So, there it is; three days of fun, mostly great sets, sweat, and lots of $4 water and $7 PowerAid. If the lineup is close to as good next year, I will happily buy the VIP pass again and hang out in Daytona, which is really saying a lot for me.