Von Hertzen Bros: New Day Rising (Spinefarm)
Fourth album and Finland's trio of brothers plus their hearty band mates once again bring their intelligent but catchy brand of rock music to the masses, after their breakthrough of Stars Aligned and the defining Nine Lives the band have all but abandoned the progressive leanings from their music in as far as the songs are more concise and immediate but still contain the same kind of virtuostic musicality the band have always plied their trade with, so less progressive rock and more progressive music that owes as much to 30 Seconds To Mars as it does to Pink Floyd or Rush. The album gets things going with the punchy, punky title track before Juha Kuoppala's keyboards are all over You Know My Name, which moves through several different styles in it's five minutes. So far so 'prog' in it's truest sense then relying on their musical integrity and creativity than the showing off that prog bands employ, as Aerosmith says; they do indeed let the music do the talking.
Once again the brothers provide the the basis of all of the songs with the three guitars working in unison as Mikko Kaakkuriniemi's drumming keeps incredible pace and moves them through the various time signatures on the album. They are still not adversed to a ballad with the emotive and atmospheric Black Rain showing off Mikko VH's superb vocals as does Love Burns which is a slower paced but involving track that builds into a crescendo. Again another mix of genres here, see the folksy Dreams, with the same great song writing they have always had but this album will alienate the prog rock hardcore who love long songs and technical wankery, however for the most part it is yet another splendid album from the brothers filled with excellent 'progressive' songwriting and songs that enchant and delight but never outstay their welcome while the album itself grows in stature with every listen. 8/10
JettBlack: Disguises (Cherry Red)
I like JettBlack, I have since their inception, I loved their debut, I still play it to this day and their live show is top notch filled with excitement and a passion that burns red hot. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for this; their third album, in total there are four good songs on it the best being Kick In The Teeth which harks back to their sleazy debut, the rest is pop-rock filler with a bit too much chart bothering, preening and smaltz especially on the absolutely dire Black & White. Much like the new Halestorm album this is the sound of Jettblack trying to break out with a more broad sound, however to my ears they have become bland with an album of mid-paced, lacklustre tracks that have no spark or indeed the kind of fist pumping sing along quality the band are known for coupled with too many love ballads that are just the pits really. Will Stapleton is a good singer but he seems too tame on this record, staying in his lower register throughout with no real passion, the band still play well but the songs really let this record down. I've stood by JettBlack when people called them masochistic (one major music magazine in particular) because of their tongue-in-cheek 80's inspired lyrics but it almost seems that by trying to appeal to a bigger audience they have lost that edge that drew me too them initially. Let's hope their set at Bloodstock focusses on their first two albums and the few OK songs on this record. Very disappointing. 4/10
Turbowolf: Two Hands (Spinefarm)
Bristolities Turbowolf are the maddest band I have heard for a while fusing garage punk with 60's Zappa-like psychedelia and classic hard rock but as well as being nutcases they are also one of the most interesting young bands around. Two Hands is their second album and this one distils their sound into just over 30 minutes of anarchic, mind bending rock and roll. Invisble Hand starts things off slowly with its guitar strummed intro which turns into a thumping opener that builds up slamming straight into the funky Rabbits Foot which does indeed bring the voodoo mentioned in the chorus, this is killer track which is anchored by Andy Ghosh's fuzzy guitar and Lianna Lee Davies' bass, Solid Gold is a crazy disco song drenched in back masking, samples and various weirdness which shows off the synths of Chris Georgiadis as does Toy Memaha. His vocals too are brilliantly erratic fitting the music perfectly with their unique soulful but fierce delivery that works as well on the rocking Nine Lives as they do on the trippy, reverb drenched MK Ultra. Nine Lives also features some relentless drumming AND cowbell from Blake Davies, who also shines on Rich Gift. The dreamy psychedelia is washed away with the metallic Twelve Houses. This album is gloriously unhinged and delivers a mighty punch that leaves you breathless as Pale Horse ends this fantastic album in fine style, a little piece of madness that just takes you away to another astral plain. I need to catch these guys live!!! 9/10
Sunday, 19 April 2015
Reviews: The Prodigy, Katatonia, Nightwish (Reviews By Paul & Stief)
The Prodigy: The Day Is My Enemy (Take Me To The Hospital)
It’s been six years since their last offering but the sixth release by the metal world’s favourite electro dance outfit is well worth the wait. I'm going to nail my colours to the mast here. I've always had admiration for the Essex outfit who have delivered some absolute monster tunes since their first album Experience landed in 1992. Their music dominates my work out mixes and when it comes to the top track in my spin classes, well, they destroy all who attempt to get close.
The Day Is My Enemy is possibly The Prodigy’s most brutal and heavy release of all time. The title track kicks off proceedings big time, with loops and pounding bass hammering away. Nasty, the first single follows with Keith Flint’s snarling Essex tones combining with Maxim to accompany the huge synths and vicious drum beats. The whole album is laced with aggression, massive bass and drum and enough of an edge to transport you back to a time when this music was fresh and raw.
It’s been six years since their last offering but the sixth release by the metal world’s favourite electro dance outfit is well worth the wait. I'm going to nail my colours to the mast here. I've always had admiration for the Essex outfit who have delivered some absolute monster tunes since their first album Experience landed in 1992. Their music dominates my work out mixes and when it comes to the top track in my spin classes, well, they destroy all who attempt to get close.
The Day Is My Enemy is possibly The Prodigy’s most brutal and heavy release of all time. The title track kicks off proceedings big time, with loops and pounding bass hammering away. Nasty, the first single follows with Keith Flint’s snarling Essex tones combining with Maxim to accompany the huge synths and vicious drum beats. The whole album is laced with aggression, massive bass and drum and enough of an edge to transport you back to a time when this music was fresh and raw.
Highlights on an album packed with killer tracks? Well Destroy is going to do just that with an absolutely destructive back line as it builds slowly and then explodes to smash your head on the floor. Wild Frontier, the second release from the album will provoke carnage amongst the mosh pits and also contains some of the most addictive hooks The Prodigy have ever come up with; Beyond The Deathray has a real old school feel to it whilst Get Your Fight On, well, yeah! That! I just can’t fault the album; it’s relentless; ideal for barrelling along the motorway to, it pumps you in the gym and generally picks you up when you fall. It’s no calming influence, and the urge to punch a defenceless farmyard animal was strong, especially after Rok-Weiler had given me a clip ‘round the ear but then, what do actually expect from this lot? Overall, this is a much more consistent release than Invaders Must Die, and a glorious return for a band who still lead from the front with Liam Howlett and co. providing an album bursting with meaty hooks and riffs. An album with 14 tracks is always going to have a couple of weaker moments, but there are few stragglers on here and even those at the back of the herd will prove a mighty challenge for any predators wishing to pick them off. Roll on 8 May at the MIA. It’s going to be messy. 9/10
Katatonia: Sanctitude (Kscope)
Like Anathema, Katatonia have transformed from the chrysalis of their death metal origins into a quite sensational, beautiful outfit, totally comfortable with their evolving sound and direction. Sanctitude is a recording of their sold out acoustic show at the Union Chapel in London in May 2014 as part of the Dethroned and Uncrowned European Tour. I was fortunate enough to see Casualties of Cool at this venue last year and it is perfect for the type of acoustic performance that Katatonia delivered. The acoustics are captured spectacularly and really help to enhance the quality of the songs. The production is sensitive and top quality. The audience are respectful but hugely appreciative and the set list is nothing short of amazing. Old favourites such as Teargas and Sleeper mingle with tracks from Dead End Kings (The Racing Heart, Lethean) and rarities such as the never before played live Gone (Discouraged Ones), Day from Brave Murder Day and Unfurl from the July EP. The atmosphere of the evening is captured on the album, something that is rare in a live recording. The acoustic re-workings provide completely fresh versions of many of the tracks; One Year From Now being a super example.
Katatonia: Sanctitude (Kscope)
Like Anathema, Katatonia have transformed from the chrysalis of their death metal origins into a quite sensational, beautiful outfit, totally comfortable with their evolving sound and direction. Sanctitude is a recording of their sold out acoustic show at the Union Chapel in London in May 2014 as part of the Dethroned and Uncrowned European Tour. I was fortunate enough to see Casualties of Cool at this venue last year and it is perfect for the type of acoustic performance that Katatonia delivered. The acoustics are captured spectacularly and really help to enhance the quality of the songs. The production is sensitive and top quality. The audience are respectful but hugely appreciative and the set list is nothing short of amazing. Old favourites such as Teargas and Sleeper mingle with tracks from Dead End Kings (The Racing Heart, Lethean) and rarities such as the never before played live Gone (Discouraged Ones), Day from Brave Murder Day and Unfurl from the July EP. The atmosphere of the evening is captured on the album, something that is rare in a live recording. The acoustic re-workings provide completely fresh versions of many of the tracks; One Year From Now being a super example.
The band lost two members not long before the start of the tour, and Jonas Renkse makes sure that there is ample acknowledgement for Bruce Soord who delivers some beautiful guitar, keyboards and backing vocals and fantastic percussion from JP Aslund. They are ably supported by Renkse on vocals and guitar as well as Anders Nystrom and Niklas Sandin on acoustic bass. The album maintains your interest due to the quality of the performance and the variation in the set list as well as the genuine quality in the delivery. The percussion and guitar work are magnificent and Renkse’s vocals are ideally suited to the echoing venue. Although there are some rarities contained within the setlist, Katatonia ensured they finished with three of their more well-known tracks; the stunning Omerta, Evidence and conclude with The One You Are Looking For with guest vocals from Silje Wergeland. Sanctitude is a quite beautiful piece of work; captivating in its delivery and a clear demonstration of the power of quality composition. Katatonia have long been one of my favourite bands and this release further strengthens that bond. A work of sheer excellence from one of the best bands around today. 10/10
Nightwish: Endless Forms Most Beautiful (Nuclear Blast)
The first album in 3 years from Nightwish, and the first full length with new frontwoman Floor Jansen, Endless Forms... is a return to form, albeit a slight one, from the (mostly) Finnish band. Following on from album-cum-film score, Imaginaerum, album opener Shudder Before The Beautiful rings out with echoes of older songs, such Dark Chest Of Wonders, symphonic guitars, keyboards and strings adding the bombastic sound that we've come to know and love from the band. Jansen's voice fits perfectly with the rest of the band; whereas original frontwoman Tarja Turunen could hit the high notes, and Annete Ozlon had her clean vocals, Floor's vast vocal range allows her to take up the roles of both of her predecessors and it is this realisation that makes it slightly disappointing that we do not get a sample of Floor's operatic talents until very late in the album. Having heard her work with her own band, Revamp, as well as seeing her live, it feels as if Floor's voice is not being as utilised as it could be, the breakdown of Yours Is An Empty Hope being the only time we hear her using harsh vocals and growling.
This does however give the album more of an open feel than previous ones, the band allowing themselves to spread out a bit more creatively. Our Decades In The Sun had a very power ballad-esque sound, with Troy Donockley's pipes adding a folky touch without feeling too forced. Elan feels like a callback to The Last Of The Wilds and it's obvious that the band are constantly adding strings to their bow, Imaginaerum's film-score sound an obvious inspiration behind The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula, a slow build up with chanting from both band and the children, giving it a film credit feel. It wouldn't be a Nightwish album without an epic song, and The Greatest Show On Earth is just that, coming in at shy of 24 minutes, it gives us a taste of every facet of Nightwish's repertoire, from Tuomas Holopainen's keyboards, Jansen's aforementioned operatic voice (along with plenty of mid-range stuff too), the heavy drumming of Jukka Nevalainen paired with the thumping bass of Marco Hietala, who also supports Floor with his baritone vocals and some great solos from Emppu Vuorinen as well as Troy's pipes. There's even some narration from Richard Dawkins, along with a full chorus and orchestra. The song seems to drag in places, animal sounds being used as filler, obviously supporting the story being told, but feeling as if they go on a bit too long at times. Overall, Endless Forms... is a great album, but as mentioned before, doesn't seem to fully utilise the talent of the band, particularly their new frontwoman. Here's hoping the band realise this come the next album. 7/10
Nightwish: Endless Forms Most Beautiful (Nuclear Blast)
The first album in 3 years from Nightwish, and the first full length with new frontwoman Floor Jansen, Endless Forms... is a return to form, albeit a slight one, from the (mostly) Finnish band. Following on from album-cum-film score, Imaginaerum, album opener Shudder Before The Beautiful rings out with echoes of older songs, such Dark Chest Of Wonders, symphonic guitars, keyboards and strings adding the bombastic sound that we've come to know and love from the band. Jansen's voice fits perfectly with the rest of the band; whereas original frontwoman Tarja Turunen could hit the high notes, and Annete Ozlon had her clean vocals, Floor's vast vocal range allows her to take up the roles of both of her predecessors and it is this realisation that makes it slightly disappointing that we do not get a sample of Floor's operatic talents until very late in the album. Having heard her work with her own band, Revamp, as well as seeing her live, it feels as if Floor's voice is not being as utilised as it could be, the breakdown of Yours Is An Empty Hope being the only time we hear her using harsh vocals and growling.
This does however give the album more of an open feel than previous ones, the band allowing themselves to spread out a bit more creatively. Our Decades In The Sun had a very power ballad-esque sound, with Troy Donockley's pipes adding a folky touch without feeling too forced. Elan feels like a callback to The Last Of The Wilds and it's obvious that the band are constantly adding strings to their bow, Imaginaerum's film-score sound an obvious inspiration behind The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula, a slow build up with chanting from both band and the children, giving it a film credit feel. It wouldn't be a Nightwish album without an epic song, and The Greatest Show On Earth is just that, coming in at shy of 24 minutes, it gives us a taste of every facet of Nightwish's repertoire, from Tuomas Holopainen's keyboards, Jansen's aforementioned operatic voice (along with plenty of mid-range stuff too), the heavy drumming of Jukka Nevalainen paired with the thumping bass of Marco Hietala, who also supports Floor with his baritone vocals and some great solos from Emppu Vuorinen as well as Troy's pipes. There's even some narration from Richard Dawkins, along with a full chorus and orchestra. The song seems to drag in places, animal sounds being used as filler, obviously supporting the story being told, but feeling as if they go on a bit too long at times. Overall, Endless Forms... is a great album, but as mentioned before, doesn't seem to fully utilise the talent of the band, particularly their new frontwoman. Here's hoping the band realise this come the next album. 7/10
Saturday, 18 April 2015
Another Point Of View: Blind Guardian (Live Review By Paul)
Blind Guardian: HMV Forum, London
A sold out Forum witnessed a quite stunning night of magical story telling from one of the metal world’s most engaging bands. Although the audience appeared in the main to be a reconstruction of the international World of Warcraft play-offs, the passion and energy which was demonstrated by the crowd and mirrored on stage was world class. Rarely has such enthusiasm greeted the arrival of Germans in the UK capital.
Warming up the rapidly filling venue, Israel’s premier metal outfit Orphaned Land (9) are now much more familiar to many of our readers and indeed metal fans in general on these shores. Fired by a triumphant show at BOA, a 10th anniversary show to celebrate the fine Mabool album in London and a shared award (with Palestinian group Khalas) at the Metal Hammer awards last year, the Orphaned Land star continues to rise and shine brightly. Led by charismatic and impressive frontman Kobi Farhi, Orphaned Land arrived on stage bang on 7pm with the intro tapes to opener All Is One filling the Forum with Eastern promise. The Simple Man followed quickly with bassist and continuous headbanger Uri Zelha and impressive drummer Matan Shmuely dominating the sound with their rhythm section. Unfortunately the muddy sound tended to mask the twin guitars of Chen Balbus and Idan Amsallem. Happily the band delivered some of their heavier material which allowed the bass lines to enhance rather than dominate the sound; Barakah from The Never Ending Way Of Orwarrior and The Kiss Of Babylon from Mabool receiving a warm reception from the audience who by now were fully engaged. A change of tempo allowed Kobi to make reference to the conflict in the middle-East and his by now customary but no less heart-warming reference to music and metal bringing together both Israeli and Palestinian before the beautiful Brother was introduced. If only guys like this were politicians, we might again have faith in the system. Birth Of The Three ratcheted the volume back up the scale before a mass sing and clap-a-long ensued during Sapari. The band closed with Norra El Norra from Mabool, and with the crowd demanding more, Orphaned Land, who I had seen performing less than two years earlier at The Garage in front of little more than 150 people, ended a triumphant and quite excellent performance in style.
Having had the warm up, anticipation quickly increased as the clock crept towards the advertised start time for the main event. It has been over four years since Blind Guardian (10) played in the UK and the crowd were clearly determined to enjoy every second. As the clock hit 8:10pm, the intro tape to the opening track from this year’s most excellent Beyond The Red Mirror, The Ninth Wave crashed in and the crowd went bat shit crazy. Modest lighting picked out little but the band as they stormed into their opening number, the impressive backdrop hidden from view for the time being. Pounding drumming from Frederick Ehmke, driving guitars from Marcus Siepen and Andre Olbrich and of course the magnificent vocals of Hansi Kursch, looking incredibly fit and healthy ensured that the masses were lapping every last note up within minutes. Banished From Sanctuary followed, the audience joining in with every chorus and at times every word. Kursch is a natural frontman, encouraging and challenging the crowd throughout and entertaining with his banter in between songs. Announcing that the audience could now only listen to Blind Guardian, forsaking all other bands and that if they didn't he’d come round and smash up your computer was delivered with charisma and humour, whilst the welcome to the “first night of the UK tour”, and “the last night of the UK tour” was a stroke of genius. Nightfall produced the first real sing-a-long of the night before Fly from my favourite A Twist In The Myth increased the temperature and the excitement. Reference to Elric, one of Michael Moorcock’s heroes segued nicely to Tanelorn before the band hit song number two from the latest release with Prophecies. The tempo was reduced nicely for Miracle Machine and A Past And Future Secret with the band providing an acoustic set.
After Bright Eyes, Blind Guardian ramped the tempo back up to boiling point with Lost In The Twilight Hall, with touring bassist Barend Courbis and keyboardist Michael Schuren fitting in perfectly with the rest of the band, both musically and with their backing harmonies. The band closed their main set with the splendid Imaginations From The Other Side before leaving to rapturous applause. Blind Guardian are a heavy package live, let me tell you, and the respite allowed me to regain my focus following a quite brutal metal assault. As the band returned and launched into first encore Into The Storm, I found myself with a huge smile on my face. Twilight Of The Gods, as classy a piece of power metal as you can get followed, with the fretwork continuing to draw gasps of admiration and excitement. Inevitably the set ended with Valhalla; cue mass sing-a-long before the band, beaming from ear to ear left the stage again.
It wasn't over though, and a second encore was demanded and delivered. A blistering Wheel Of Time pummelled the crowd into a stupor; luckily The Bard's Song allowed The Forum to demonstrate some quite magical singing. Prompting Hansi to comment that it was one of the best vocal deliveries of this song he had ever heard. Final set closer could only be Mirror Mirror from Nightall In Middle Earth, and once again the crowd sang along to every word, whilst the small mosh pit that had been wheeling for most of the evening had one last dance. Blind Guardian delivered over two hours of quite astonishing quality power metal; their set was well paced and balanced to perfection. For a Blind Guardian first timer, I have to admit it was quite an experience. A great band who have promised not to take four years to return. This time it was worth the wait. Absolutely magnificent.
A sold out Forum witnessed a quite stunning night of magical story telling from one of the metal world’s most engaging bands. Although the audience appeared in the main to be a reconstruction of the international World of Warcraft play-offs, the passion and energy which was demonstrated by the crowd and mirrored on stage was world class. Rarely has such enthusiasm greeted the arrival of Germans in the UK capital.
Warming up the rapidly filling venue, Israel’s premier metal outfit Orphaned Land (9) are now much more familiar to many of our readers and indeed metal fans in general on these shores. Fired by a triumphant show at BOA, a 10th anniversary show to celebrate the fine Mabool album in London and a shared award (with Palestinian group Khalas) at the Metal Hammer awards last year, the Orphaned Land star continues to rise and shine brightly. Led by charismatic and impressive frontman Kobi Farhi, Orphaned Land arrived on stage bang on 7pm with the intro tapes to opener All Is One filling the Forum with Eastern promise. The Simple Man followed quickly with bassist and continuous headbanger Uri Zelha and impressive drummer Matan Shmuely dominating the sound with their rhythm section. Unfortunately the muddy sound tended to mask the twin guitars of Chen Balbus and Idan Amsallem. Happily the band delivered some of their heavier material which allowed the bass lines to enhance rather than dominate the sound; Barakah from The Never Ending Way Of Orwarrior and The Kiss Of Babylon from Mabool receiving a warm reception from the audience who by now were fully engaged. A change of tempo allowed Kobi to make reference to the conflict in the middle-East and his by now customary but no less heart-warming reference to music and metal bringing together both Israeli and Palestinian before the beautiful Brother was introduced. If only guys like this were politicians, we might again have faith in the system. Birth Of The Three ratcheted the volume back up the scale before a mass sing and clap-a-long ensued during Sapari. The band closed with Norra El Norra from Mabool, and with the crowd demanding more, Orphaned Land, who I had seen performing less than two years earlier at The Garage in front of little more than 150 people, ended a triumphant and quite excellent performance in style.
Having had the warm up, anticipation quickly increased as the clock crept towards the advertised start time for the main event. It has been over four years since Blind Guardian (10) played in the UK and the crowd were clearly determined to enjoy every second. As the clock hit 8:10pm, the intro tape to the opening track from this year’s most excellent Beyond The Red Mirror, The Ninth Wave crashed in and the crowd went bat shit crazy. Modest lighting picked out little but the band as they stormed into their opening number, the impressive backdrop hidden from view for the time being. Pounding drumming from Frederick Ehmke, driving guitars from Marcus Siepen and Andre Olbrich and of course the magnificent vocals of Hansi Kursch, looking incredibly fit and healthy ensured that the masses were lapping every last note up within minutes. Banished From Sanctuary followed, the audience joining in with every chorus and at times every word. Kursch is a natural frontman, encouraging and challenging the crowd throughout and entertaining with his banter in between songs. Announcing that the audience could now only listen to Blind Guardian, forsaking all other bands and that if they didn't he’d come round and smash up your computer was delivered with charisma and humour, whilst the welcome to the “first night of the UK tour”, and “the last night of the UK tour” was a stroke of genius. Nightfall produced the first real sing-a-long of the night before Fly from my favourite A Twist In The Myth increased the temperature and the excitement. Reference to Elric, one of Michael Moorcock’s heroes segued nicely to Tanelorn before the band hit song number two from the latest release with Prophecies. The tempo was reduced nicely for Miracle Machine and A Past And Future Secret with the band providing an acoustic set.
After Bright Eyes, Blind Guardian ramped the tempo back up to boiling point with Lost In The Twilight Hall, with touring bassist Barend Courbis and keyboardist Michael Schuren fitting in perfectly with the rest of the band, both musically and with their backing harmonies. The band closed their main set with the splendid Imaginations From The Other Side before leaving to rapturous applause. Blind Guardian are a heavy package live, let me tell you, and the respite allowed me to regain my focus following a quite brutal metal assault. As the band returned and launched into first encore Into The Storm, I found myself with a huge smile on my face. Twilight Of The Gods, as classy a piece of power metal as you can get followed, with the fretwork continuing to draw gasps of admiration and excitement. Inevitably the set ended with Valhalla; cue mass sing-a-long before the band, beaming from ear to ear left the stage again.
It wasn't over though, and a second encore was demanded and delivered. A blistering Wheel Of Time pummelled the crowd into a stupor; luckily The Bard's Song allowed The Forum to demonstrate some quite magical singing. Prompting Hansi to comment that it was one of the best vocal deliveries of this song he had ever heard. Final set closer could only be Mirror Mirror from Nightall In Middle Earth, and once again the crowd sang along to every word, whilst the small mosh pit that had been wheeling for most of the evening had one last dance. Blind Guardian delivered over two hours of quite astonishing quality power metal; their set was well paced and balanced to perfection. For a Blind Guardian first timer, I have to admit it was quite an experience. A great band who have promised not to take four years to return. This time it was worth the wait. Absolutely magnificent.
Thursday, 16 April 2015
Reviews: Halestorm, The Gentle Storm, Royal Thunder
Halestorm: Into The Wild Life (Atlantic)
Three albums (and two cover EP's) into their career and Halestorm stand on the precipice of superstardom, adapting their style slightly on their last album to make it more radio friendly, focussing on massive sounding hook laden songs mixed with Lzzy Hale's passionate vocals and obvious sex appeal. As such this third record is aimed squarely at US FM radio with the opening track Scream drenched in electronics sounding like a song that could have come off the last In This Moment album. Once again Lzzy Hale's vocals are amazing full of venom and soul in equal measure, she is definitely the focal point of the band, with her brother Arejay's drums coming a close second as Joe Hottinger's guitar and Josh Smith's bass hold their own through these arena baiting tracks. But it's here we get to the problem, with the band looking upward and towards the future as headliner they have lost a little of the spark present on The Strange Case Of... that album had some solid gold tunes on it but in just the first three songs I was losing interest a little, I Am The Fire is repetitive and ultimately bad songwriting, where as Sick Individual is just a little plain, it's only on the chunky swaggering riff of Amen that things pick up before they mix things up with Dear Daughter which is a little Lady Gagaish as Lzzy pounds away at the keys like a dusky lounge singer in a dark bar somewhere before things get a little Floydian at the end and we go straight into the countrified (with electronic enhancements) New Modern Love which is in fact a little Stevie Nicks. As you can see when they diversify they can still write a good tune at the expense of their hard rock basis, with the exception of the anarchic punkmetal of Mayhem, Gotta Get Mine which has The Black Keys written all over it and I Like It Heavy. I think this album suffers a little with the number of tracks it has, a few could be culled from the 13 on the regular edition (15 on the special edition) to make it a more concise and indeed give the album more impact. There is no doubting what Halestorm are doing, they are trying to play music and make money (something hard to do in the current climate) they are doing this by focussing on their live performance however this means that their album does take huge genre shifts, with only a few choice cuts being sculpted for the stage, which means that there is a lot of filler on this record and in what seems to be trend too many ballads. Still the playing and production is modern and sharp as a pin, fans will love it however if you've never heard Halestorm before start with their previous album. 6/10
The Gentle Storm: The Diary (InsideOut)
The Gentle Storm is a collaboration between multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer Arjen Anthony Lucassen he of Ayreon, Star One, Guilt Machine, Ambeon and Stream Of Passion fame and Anneke Van Giersbergen frequent Lucassen and Devin collaborator and ex The Gathering. So both of these Dutch musicians come from quality musical backgrounds, because of that I was excited for this project which is based on the diary entries of a couple during the 1600's which was the Golden Age of Dutch naval trade. The story follows the couples lives and details their love story the man's while away at sea travelling to India and the woman's life of pregnancy, illness and eventual death. So tough stuff then with this love story sprawling many years and multiple parts but as with all of Lucassen's creations the payoff is in the musical dexterity and sheer brilliance of the orchestrations something that Arjen has always excelled in. Although it does seem that Mr Lucassen has tried to outdo even himself on this occasion making The Diary a double album with a difference; both discs feature the same 11 songs however the twist is that one is the Gentle version featuring acoustic, folk based interpretations of the tracks fuelled by classical and various world instruments and the second disc is the Storm version which is the pure form symphonic metal that Arjen has always been known for. Both albums are to be taken as separate pieces despite containing the same songs, some stand out on as the Gentle versions with Shores Of India, Brightest Light and New Horizon's being the pick of the bunch as their folksy instrumentation (from a 13 strong band) gives the songs their identity, however other songs work better in the metallic setting with Heart Of Amsterdam and The Storm being two examples. Happily all of the songs are strong enough to stand up in both versions in what is a fantastic double concept album, I'd lean to say the Storm version just pips it's sister album, due to this blogs focus but that by no means says that Gentle is the weaker album. Taken together this is an excellent project that is a collaboration of two great talents to make some beautiful music. 8/10
Royal Thunder: Crooked Doors (Relapse)
Atlantan four piece Royal Thunder have finally gotten around to releasing their second album, their debut CVI came out of nowhere and knocked us here at the MoM off our feet, the band fuse a myriad of styles with big Zep-like riffs, mixing with psychedelic freak-outs and a smidgen of driving alt-rock. So what of Crooked Doors then? Well more of the same thankfully the album kicks off with the sprawling Time Machine which starts off with the quiet/loud dynamic before its trippy, emotive middle section and searing guitar work of Josh Weaver and Will Fiore turn it into a slow burning monster, not an immediate start but certainly a powerful one, as the reverb kicks in on Forget You we get more of the bands power with a doom-laden riff driven by Evan Diprima's dynamic drum work and Milny Parsonz' rhythmic low-end. Together the band have a real sonic power, the songs are perfectly formed and played with exceptional musicianship but unlike many bands Royal Thunder's song writing prowess and knack of fusing genres means that you are taken on a musical journey from the passionate power rock of The Line through the swaying, dusky, soul/psych of Forgive Me, Karma, the dark Glow and the progressive Ear On The Fool shows that the band have a real Jekyll & Hyde nature all tied together with classic influences and Parsonz riotous vocals, this girl can certainly sing! Her voice is not to dissimilar to Mz Hale being able to handle the rockier tracks just as deftly as she handles the slower (and very Zep-like) tracks such as One Day and the double part, emotive, haunting finale The Bear I and The Bear II which ends the album in a serene and portentous manner. Royal Thunder could be on the upward trajectory with this amazing sophomore album! 9/10
Three albums (and two cover EP's) into their career and Halestorm stand on the precipice of superstardom, adapting their style slightly on their last album to make it more radio friendly, focussing on massive sounding hook laden songs mixed with Lzzy Hale's passionate vocals and obvious sex appeal. As such this third record is aimed squarely at US FM radio with the opening track Scream drenched in electronics sounding like a song that could have come off the last In This Moment album. Once again Lzzy Hale's vocals are amazing full of venom and soul in equal measure, she is definitely the focal point of the band, with her brother Arejay's drums coming a close second as Joe Hottinger's guitar and Josh Smith's bass hold their own through these arena baiting tracks. But it's here we get to the problem, with the band looking upward and towards the future as headliner they have lost a little of the spark present on The Strange Case Of... that album had some solid gold tunes on it but in just the first three songs I was losing interest a little, I Am The Fire is repetitive and ultimately bad songwriting, where as Sick Individual is just a little plain, it's only on the chunky swaggering riff of Amen that things pick up before they mix things up with Dear Daughter which is a little Lady Gagaish as Lzzy pounds away at the keys like a dusky lounge singer in a dark bar somewhere before things get a little Floydian at the end and we go straight into the countrified (with electronic enhancements) New Modern Love which is in fact a little Stevie Nicks. As you can see when they diversify they can still write a good tune at the expense of their hard rock basis, with the exception of the anarchic punkmetal of Mayhem, Gotta Get Mine which has The Black Keys written all over it and I Like It Heavy. I think this album suffers a little with the number of tracks it has, a few could be culled from the 13 on the regular edition (15 on the special edition) to make it a more concise and indeed give the album more impact. There is no doubting what Halestorm are doing, they are trying to play music and make money (something hard to do in the current climate) they are doing this by focussing on their live performance however this means that their album does take huge genre shifts, with only a few choice cuts being sculpted for the stage, which means that there is a lot of filler on this record and in what seems to be trend too many ballads. Still the playing and production is modern and sharp as a pin, fans will love it however if you've never heard Halestorm before start with their previous album. 6/10
The Gentle Storm: The Diary (InsideOut)
The Gentle Storm is a collaboration between multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer Arjen Anthony Lucassen he of Ayreon, Star One, Guilt Machine, Ambeon and Stream Of Passion fame and Anneke Van Giersbergen frequent Lucassen and Devin collaborator and ex The Gathering. So both of these Dutch musicians come from quality musical backgrounds, because of that I was excited for this project which is based on the diary entries of a couple during the 1600's which was the Golden Age of Dutch naval trade. The story follows the couples lives and details their love story the man's while away at sea travelling to India and the woman's life of pregnancy, illness and eventual death. So tough stuff then with this love story sprawling many years and multiple parts but as with all of Lucassen's creations the payoff is in the musical dexterity and sheer brilliance of the orchestrations something that Arjen has always excelled in. Although it does seem that Mr Lucassen has tried to outdo even himself on this occasion making The Diary a double album with a difference; both discs feature the same 11 songs however the twist is that one is the Gentle version featuring acoustic, folk based interpretations of the tracks fuelled by classical and various world instruments and the second disc is the Storm version which is the pure form symphonic metal that Arjen has always been known for. Both albums are to be taken as separate pieces despite containing the same songs, some stand out on as the Gentle versions with Shores Of India, Brightest Light and New Horizon's being the pick of the bunch as their folksy instrumentation (from a 13 strong band) gives the songs their identity, however other songs work better in the metallic setting with Heart Of Amsterdam and The Storm being two examples. Happily all of the songs are strong enough to stand up in both versions in what is a fantastic double concept album, I'd lean to say the Storm version just pips it's sister album, due to this blogs focus but that by no means says that Gentle is the weaker album. Taken together this is an excellent project that is a collaboration of two great talents to make some beautiful music. 8/10
Royal Thunder: Crooked Doors (Relapse)
Atlantan four piece Royal Thunder have finally gotten around to releasing their second album, their debut CVI came out of nowhere and knocked us here at the MoM off our feet, the band fuse a myriad of styles with big Zep-like riffs, mixing with psychedelic freak-outs and a smidgen of driving alt-rock. So what of Crooked Doors then? Well more of the same thankfully the album kicks off with the sprawling Time Machine which starts off with the quiet/loud dynamic before its trippy, emotive middle section and searing guitar work of Josh Weaver and Will Fiore turn it into a slow burning monster, not an immediate start but certainly a powerful one, as the reverb kicks in on Forget You we get more of the bands power with a doom-laden riff driven by Evan Diprima's dynamic drum work and Milny Parsonz' rhythmic low-end. Together the band have a real sonic power, the songs are perfectly formed and played with exceptional musicianship but unlike many bands Royal Thunder's song writing prowess and knack of fusing genres means that you are taken on a musical journey from the passionate power rock of The Line through the swaying, dusky, soul/psych of Forgive Me, Karma, the dark Glow and the progressive Ear On The Fool shows that the band have a real Jekyll & Hyde nature all tied together with classic influences and Parsonz riotous vocals, this girl can certainly sing! Her voice is not to dissimilar to Mz Hale being able to handle the rockier tracks just as deftly as she handles the slower (and very Zep-like) tracks such as One Day and the double part, emotive, haunting finale The Bear I and The Bear II which ends the album in a serene and portentous manner. Royal Thunder could be on the upward trajectory with this amazing sophomore album! 9/10
Sunday, 12 April 2015
Reviews: Venrez, WhiskeyDick, Defy All Reason
Venrez: Children Of The Drones (Monarch Music Group)
Some of you might remember that I reviewed Venrez's second album American Illusion in the early days of this blog and I was impressed by the band then, well luckily very little has changed on their third album the band are still purveyors of psychedelic, reverb driven hard rock that is part Alice In Chains part Wylde-era Ozzy. Once again the album lyricism focuses on the government, the failures of modern life and how much everything sucks really, still they do it backed by some muscular guitar work played deftly with low and slow guitar work from Jason Womack on Mist Of Mercy and Refelction. Womack also adds the spiralling keys on Devil's Due and being the band's secret weapon he not only provides the riffage on album with Salvation and title track he is also the primary provider of the bands sonic assault handling the drums and bass on the album too. So with the music taken care of it's up to front man Venrez to provide his unique vocals to proceedings part Ozzy part Layne Staley his drawl punctuates the great musical backing. As a man who has spent a lot of his life a Hollywood producer, starting a band late in life can be a risk but with three albums under his belt he is going from strength to strength, a great album for fans of chunky, alternative rock. 7/10
WhiskeyDick: Welcome To Yeehaw Country (Yeehaw Records)
Texans WhiskeyDick have been doing the rounds for a while now and with their regular tours of the UK they are starting to make a name for themselves here across the pond. This album is a compilation of their finest songs compiled as an accompaniment to their greatly deserved European headline tour. Happily I've had the pleasure of seeing WhiskeyDick twice now and I also have nearly all of their albums so it was nice to have this collection of songs all on one disc giving newer fans a chance to hear all their live staples in one place. WhiskeyDick are made up of two men Rev Johnson on lead acoustic guitar and Fritz on rhythm acoustic guitar and vocals, see that I said acoustic guitar as there is no room for electric axes in WhiskeyDick they ply their trade in down home, acoustic hillbilly country metal. Redemption kicks things off with a train-like chug and some blues harp honking throughout, this is followed by the live staple Train Robbin', Gun Toting, Dope Smoking, Guitar Pickin', Motherfuckin', Guitar Band (which was written in 1865 apparently) the joyous nature of Train Robbin'... is followed by the heavyweight YEEHAW! which sees Fitz going from his booming normal voice to a low shout on the chorus, this is most metallic song on the album and along with 18 Wheels Of Hell (acoustic thrash) and Drunk As Hell they show the band have some serious country metal song writing chops. The band evoke the spirit of David Allen Coe, (Frtiz vocals especially) Black Label Society and Pantera who are the bands primary influence with tributes to their fallen axeman Dimebag with Black Tooth Green and Fallen Heroes both featuring some killer (pedal driven) guitar work from Johnson (especially on the epic album closer Fallen Heroes). Welcome To Yeehaw Country is the perfect album to introduce people to the brilliance of WhiskeyDick and serves a great springboard for them to get the recognition they deserve, get a beer, turn it up and Getcha Pull!! 9/10
Defy All Reason: The Road Ahead (Self Released)
Having stormed the stage at Hammerfest 2014 Defy All Reason have now got round to releasing their debut album through Pledge Music and finally their brand of chest beating hard rock is unleashed on the masses and as Midnight Train blares out of the speakers kicking off the album you know that this Wrexham four-piece mean business with their big swaggering riffs and southern rock ethos, think Black Stone Cherry with a smidge of Shiendown mixed with the British grit of Pig Iron or Trucker Diablo, they mix gut punching power with great songwriting and catchy hooks, you will be humming Bad Blood for days. Much of the bands greatness comes from the how well they work as a band Lee Shenton and Todd Edwards' engine room is solid, hard hitting and anchors the bands sound perfectly, see You Get Me High, the twin axes of Daz and Gavin Lee Jones have the louche guitar work of Slash all fret runs and searing bluesy solos with Gavin Lee's smoky but melodic vocals just topping things of nicely. DAR are band not adversed to the odd slower track with Finding My Way (Back To You) having the similar metallic ballad style of Alter Bridge and the more traditional fare with Behind Those Eyes and The Only One being pure syrup with their saccharine balladry that is deep in Shinedown territory, still the rest of the rest of the album is balls out, heads down hard rock and they do indeed rock like a bastard, they even do a superb cover of Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead Or Alive that has bigger cojones than Jon Bon ever had. Defy All Reason have created a hell of a debut that hopefully will set them on an upward trajectory! 8/10
Some of you might remember that I reviewed Venrez's second album American Illusion in the early days of this blog and I was impressed by the band then, well luckily very little has changed on their third album the band are still purveyors of psychedelic, reverb driven hard rock that is part Alice In Chains part Wylde-era Ozzy. Once again the album lyricism focuses on the government, the failures of modern life and how much everything sucks really, still they do it backed by some muscular guitar work played deftly with low and slow guitar work from Jason Womack on Mist Of Mercy and Refelction. Womack also adds the spiralling keys on Devil's Due and being the band's secret weapon he not only provides the riffage on album with Salvation and title track he is also the primary provider of the bands sonic assault handling the drums and bass on the album too. So with the music taken care of it's up to front man Venrez to provide his unique vocals to proceedings part Ozzy part Layne Staley his drawl punctuates the great musical backing. As a man who has spent a lot of his life a Hollywood producer, starting a band late in life can be a risk but with three albums under his belt he is going from strength to strength, a great album for fans of chunky, alternative rock. 7/10
WhiskeyDick: Welcome To Yeehaw Country (Yeehaw Records)
Texans WhiskeyDick have been doing the rounds for a while now and with their regular tours of the UK they are starting to make a name for themselves here across the pond. This album is a compilation of their finest songs compiled as an accompaniment to their greatly deserved European headline tour. Happily I've had the pleasure of seeing WhiskeyDick twice now and I also have nearly all of their albums so it was nice to have this collection of songs all on one disc giving newer fans a chance to hear all their live staples in one place. WhiskeyDick are made up of two men Rev Johnson on lead acoustic guitar and Fritz on rhythm acoustic guitar and vocals, see that I said acoustic guitar as there is no room for electric axes in WhiskeyDick they ply their trade in down home, acoustic hillbilly country metal. Redemption kicks things off with a train-like chug and some blues harp honking throughout, this is followed by the live staple Train Robbin', Gun Toting, Dope Smoking, Guitar Pickin', Motherfuckin', Guitar Band (which was written in 1865 apparently) the joyous nature of Train Robbin'... is followed by the heavyweight YEEHAW! which sees Fitz going from his booming normal voice to a low shout on the chorus, this is most metallic song on the album and along with 18 Wheels Of Hell (acoustic thrash) and Drunk As Hell they show the band have some serious country metal song writing chops. The band evoke the spirit of David Allen Coe, (Frtiz vocals especially) Black Label Society and Pantera who are the bands primary influence with tributes to their fallen axeman Dimebag with Black Tooth Green and Fallen Heroes both featuring some killer (pedal driven) guitar work from Johnson (especially on the epic album closer Fallen Heroes). Welcome To Yeehaw Country is the perfect album to introduce people to the brilliance of WhiskeyDick and serves a great springboard for them to get the recognition they deserve, get a beer, turn it up and Getcha Pull!! 9/10
Defy All Reason: The Road Ahead (Self Released)
Having stormed the stage at Hammerfest 2014 Defy All Reason have now got round to releasing their debut album through Pledge Music and finally their brand of chest beating hard rock is unleashed on the masses and as Midnight Train blares out of the speakers kicking off the album you know that this Wrexham four-piece mean business with their big swaggering riffs and southern rock ethos, think Black Stone Cherry with a smidge of Shiendown mixed with the British grit of Pig Iron or Trucker Diablo, they mix gut punching power with great songwriting and catchy hooks, you will be humming Bad Blood for days. Much of the bands greatness comes from the how well they work as a band Lee Shenton and Todd Edwards' engine room is solid, hard hitting and anchors the bands sound perfectly, see You Get Me High, the twin axes of Daz and Gavin Lee Jones have the louche guitar work of Slash all fret runs and searing bluesy solos with Gavin Lee's smoky but melodic vocals just topping things of nicely. DAR are band not adversed to the odd slower track with Finding My Way (Back To You) having the similar metallic ballad style of Alter Bridge and the more traditional fare with Behind Those Eyes and The Only One being pure syrup with their saccharine balladry that is deep in Shinedown territory, still the rest of the rest of the album is balls out, heads down hard rock and they do indeed rock like a bastard, they even do a superb cover of Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead Or Alive that has bigger cojones than Jon Bon ever had. Defy All Reason have created a hell of a debut that hopefully will set them on an upward trajectory! 8/10
Sunday, 5 April 2015
Another Point Of View: Vintage Trouble (Review By Paul)
Vintage Trouble: Motion, Bristol
A mere nine months ago, I reviewed VT for MoM and awarded them the prestigious 10/10 for their energised and classy performance at the Bierkeller. The band were on amazing form that night, wowing a sold out crowd with 90 minutes of bluesy soul. I have to be honest, I didn't think that they could get much better. How wrong I was.
The Motion is a relatively new environment in a City with more music venues than you can shake your stick at. Located on the banks of the Avon but further away from Bristol City Centre, it has hosted a range of genres and styles, including the excellent Temples Festival. It suited Vintage Trouble perfectly. Taking the opportunity for a couple of headline dates between supporting Paloma Faith at much larger venues such as the 02 Arena, Vintage Trouble managed to sell out most dates and Bristol was no exception. Bristol loves Vintage Trouble.
So, given that my last eulogy is still relatively fresh, what superlatives do I use this time? Arriving on stage at 8:00pm, Ty and the boys delivered another absolutely stunning performance which featured tracks from their debut album along with some tasters from their forthcoming summer release, which is going to be one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Lead singer, human dynamo and Mr Charisma Ty Taylor noted that Vintage Trouble are definitely “live music first, recorded music second”. No-one in the packed audience was complaining. Given the frequency in which they are on our shores and with a limited catalogue, you could be forgiven for expecting the band to be somewhat complacent. Absolutely not. Mixing up the set list, the band provided a master class in how to pace a set. Kicking off with some of their up tempo tracks, Nancy Lee and the masterful Blues Hand Me Down, the energy levels started at 11 and never dropped. A reduction in tempo during the middle for some of their more soulful tunes, including Lover Leave Me Be and Nobody Told Me then allowed the audience to catch their breath whilst demonstrating the magnificent vocal range of Taylor. The set climaxed with the frontman charging around the crowd whilst still maintaining his delivery to perfection. Set closer Run Like the River was followed by a rapturous encore of Better Believe It and Pelvis Pusher as the band excited one by one to a huge crescendo of applause and cheers.
Of course, VT are not just about Ty Taylor and the rest of the band, Nalle Colt on guitar, Richard Danielson on drums and Rick Barrio Dill on bass deliver the gritty dirty sound which allows Taylor’s blues soaked singing to feature so prominently. Colt is no slouch with some quite magnificent guitar work whilst Dill and Danielson are possibly the coolest rhythm section in music today. As always, the band were totally suited and booted, allowing them to retain the best dressed band award for another year. They also connect with the entire audience and as you looked around there were couples, parties, metal heads, young and old all grinning, clapping and generally having a quite spectacular evening. How many other bands bring out a cake to mark a super fan’s 100th gig? Or remember a couple that got engaged at another of their shows and remind them that the box for the ring was still safely in their possession?
Crafted and honed, Vintage Trouble are a band with a one way trajectory to the stars. They deserve it. A fantastic evening and although as I headed to the gig I wondered about my enthusiasm to see them on another tour, by the end of the set I was already looking forward to another viewing in the future. 10/10 (again). (Wholeheartedly Agreed- Ed)
A mere nine months ago, I reviewed VT for MoM and awarded them the prestigious 10/10 for their energised and classy performance at the Bierkeller. The band were on amazing form that night, wowing a sold out crowd with 90 minutes of bluesy soul. I have to be honest, I didn't think that they could get much better. How wrong I was.
The Motion is a relatively new environment in a City with more music venues than you can shake your stick at. Located on the banks of the Avon but further away from Bristol City Centre, it has hosted a range of genres and styles, including the excellent Temples Festival. It suited Vintage Trouble perfectly. Taking the opportunity for a couple of headline dates between supporting Paloma Faith at much larger venues such as the 02 Arena, Vintage Trouble managed to sell out most dates and Bristol was no exception. Bristol loves Vintage Trouble.
So, given that my last eulogy is still relatively fresh, what superlatives do I use this time? Arriving on stage at 8:00pm, Ty and the boys delivered another absolutely stunning performance which featured tracks from their debut album along with some tasters from their forthcoming summer release, which is going to be one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Lead singer, human dynamo and Mr Charisma Ty Taylor noted that Vintage Trouble are definitely “live music first, recorded music second”. No-one in the packed audience was complaining. Given the frequency in which they are on our shores and with a limited catalogue, you could be forgiven for expecting the band to be somewhat complacent. Absolutely not. Mixing up the set list, the band provided a master class in how to pace a set. Kicking off with some of their up tempo tracks, Nancy Lee and the masterful Blues Hand Me Down, the energy levels started at 11 and never dropped. A reduction in tempo during the middle for some of their more soulful tunes, including Lover Leave Me Be and Nobody Told Me then allowed the audience to catch their breath whilst demonstrating the magnificent vocal range of Taylor. The set climaxed with the frontman charging around the crowd whilst still maintaining his delivery to perfection. Set closer Run Like the River was followed by a rapturous encore of Better Believe It and Pelvis Pusher as the band excited one by one to a huge crescendo of applause and cheers.
Of course, VT are not just about Ty Taylor and the rest of the band, Nalle Colt on guitar, Richard Danielson on drums and Rick Barrio Dill on bass deliver the gritty dirty sound which allows Taylor’s blues soaked singing to feature so prominently. Colt is no slouch with some quite magnificent guitar work whilst Dill and Danielson are possibly the coolest rhythm section in music today. As always, the band were totally suited and booted, allowing them to retain the best dressed band award for another year. They also connect with the entire audience and as you looked around there were couples, parties, metal heads, young and old all grinning, clapping and generally having a quite spectacular evening. How many other bands bring out a cake to mark a super fan’s 100th gig? Or remember a couple that got engaged at another of their shows and remind them that the box for the ring was still safely in their possession?
Crafted and honed, Vintage Trouble are a band with a one way trajectory to the stars. They deserve it. A fantastic evening and although as I headed to the gig I wondered about my enthusiasm to see them on another tour, by the end of the set I was already looking forward to another viewing in the future. 10/10 (again). (Wholeheartedly Agreed- Ed)
Saturday, 4 April 2015
Reviews: Enforcer, Kyrbgrinder, Caelestia
Enforcer: From Beyond (Nuclear Blast)
Swedes Enforcer have been doing the rounds for ten years and their leather and spandex clad retro metal has improved with every album, now usually the bands in this NWOTHM they take from Maiden, Priest, Saxon etc and this can get a bit samey after a while so that is why Enforcer have always appealed to me as they take their sound from the more underground bands in the original NWOBHM; I'm talking about Raven, Tokyo Blade and Angel Witch and yes their sound is very NWOBHM with a lot of speed metal influences of Exciter, Manilla Road and Helstar to name a few. The blistering speed of Destroyer is a testament to their speed metal bothering as it's 3 minute run time seems half that. In fact this song could be a metaphor for the whole album as the 10 tracks seem to fly by with the title track being the most melodic track on the album filled with the occult lyricism that goes through the album wholesale through the shortest track One With Fire and the Mercyful Fate baiting Below The Slumber which shows off Olof Wikstrand's glass shattering vocals. The album is split by the obligatory instrumental Hungry They Will Come and the final tracks whizz by in a furious, metallic mid 80's rage with Farewell being the only cut on the album that slows things down at the beginning before revving things back up again at the end. Enforcer have always been a byword for quality, consistent metal and once again they have produced an album that makes you did out your bullet belt and bang your head!! 8/10
Kyrbgrinder: Chronicles Of A Dark Machine (Cherry Red)
Kyrbgrinder's last album Cold War Technology is a firm favourite of mine, I played that record to death, because of it's funky metal delivery and passionate songwriting. The band is a three piece formed by Johanne James the drummer of British prog metal legends Threshold (think a Brit Dream Theater if you don't know them), now Threshold happen to be a favourite of mine so when I saw Johanne had another band I quickly looked them up and fell in love with them. Now Johanne handles the drumming on this record with Dave Lugay on bass and Aaron Waddington on guitar, but more importantly than his immensely impressive drumming he also has a voice that is smooth as silk, think Benji Webbe mixed with crooner Seal, the fact that he can do both of these live shows that Johanne is more than just a drummer (eat your heart out Phil Collins). Now when I heard they were releasing their third album my excitement peaked here was another chance to hear a unique band that very rarely tour near me. Once again they have come up trumps with some top quality alternative styled metal see the Seether-like Oxygen, with nearly all the band's lyrics fuelled by political rallying against injustice and hardship that befall a lot of the world's population. Slipping Away is the James feeling like he is on the outside looking in at the modern world, the bouncy Taking Control is very Disturbed like with James rapid fire lyrics and the big groove guitar playing from Lugay and Waddington and has the band lamenting the distance of the planet from what's actually happening, the biggest amount of bile though is saved for those over the pond with Captain America really touching a nerve. With this mix of clever lyricism and dexterous musicianship Kyrbgrinder have their own little niche and are all the better for it, with a melting pot of influences combining to create a great album for fans of metal that is more alternative and carries a stronger message than a lot bands around. 8/10
Caelestia: Beneath Abyss (Inverse)
Despite the strong religious belief in Greece, the country does seem to produce some of the most extreme metal and indeed dark metal, with lyricism that rallies against religion and brings in horror imagery to create dark soundscapes filled with harsh guitar work and vocals. Bands like Rotting Christ and SepticFlesh (who's bassist/vocalist Spiros designs the artwork for this album) lead this crusade but Caelestia have now burst on to the scene to throw their hat into the ring. The band come from the Mark Jansen school of song-writing with After Forever/Epica and MaYaN all coming to mind. Front woman Dimitra's operatic vocals soar above the wall of noise from the double kick drums, furious shredding and are in direct opposition to Nikos' black metal screams, the two of them work well together to create light and shade. Characterised as melodic death metal, I would also add a strong progressive influence to this with the chugging Gate Of Shadows, changing time signatures throughout, the album is split by two haunting instrumentals the first of which The Grand Sublimation is the perfect warm up for the pure death metal of Blessing Of Tragedy which features Soilwork's Bjorn 'Speed' Strid unmistakeable vocals, before the orchestral and electronic elements come back on the furious Behemoth baiting Beneath The Abyss, you get your head kicked in with the brutal Secret Rite before Lake Of Decay is a great modern metal track with some electronic flourishes and some great guitar work. A huge melting pot of influences Caelestia's sound needs a bit of refining and the production needs to be a bit cleaner but this is a strong debut from these Athenians that will appeal to those who like their metal more extreme. 7/10
Swedes Enforcer have been doing the rounds for ten years and their leather and spandex clad retro metal has improved with every album, now usually the bands in this NWOTHM they take from Maiden, Priest, Saxon etc and this can get a bit samey after a while so that is why Enforcer have always appealed to me as they take their sound from the more underground bands in the original NWOBHM; I'm talking about Raven, Tokyo Blade and Angel Witch and yes their sound is very NWOBHM with a lot of speed metal influences of Exciter, Manilla Road and Helstar to name a few. The blistering speed of Destroyer is a testament to their speed metal bothering as it's 3 minute run time seems half that. In fact this song could be a metaphor for the whole album as the 10 tracks seem to fly by with the title track being the most melodic track on the album filled with the occult lyricism that goes through the album wholesale through the shortest track One With Fire and the Mercyful Fate baiting Below The Slumber which shows off Olof Wikstrand's glass shattering vocals. The album is split by the obligatory instrumental Hungry They Will Come and the final tracks whizz by in a furious, metallic mid 80's rage with Farewell being the only cut on the album that slows things down at the beginning before revving things back up again at the end. Enforcer have always been a byword for quality, consistent metal and once again they have produced an album that makes you did out your bullet belt and bang your head!! 8/10
Kyrbgrinder: Chronicles Of A Dark Machine (Cherry Red)
Kyrbgrinder's last album Cold War Technology is a firm favourite of mine, I played that record to death, because of it's funky metal delivery and passionate songwriting. The band is a three piece formed by Johanne James the drummer of British prog metal legends Threshold (think a Brit Dream Theater if you don't know them), now Threshold happen to be a favourite of mine so when I saw Johanne had another band I quickly looked them up and fell in love with them. Now Johanne handles the drumming on this record with Dave Lugay on bass and Aaron Waddington on guitar, but more importantly than his immensely impressive drumming he also has a voice that is smooth as silk, think Benji Webbe mixed with crooner Seal, the fact that he can do both of these live shows that Johanne is more than just a drummer (eat your heart out Phil Collins). Now when I heard they were releasing their third album my excitement peaked here was another chance to hear a unique band that very rarely tour near me. Once again they have come up trumps with some top quality alternative styled metal see the Seether-like Oxygen, with nearly all the band's lyrics fuelled by political rallying against injustice and hardship that befall a lot of the world's population. Slipping Away is the James feeling like he is on the outside looking in at the modern world, the bouncy Taking Control is very Disturbed like with James rapid fire lyrics and the big groove guitar playing from Lugay and Waddington and has the band lamenting the distance of the planet from what's actually happening, the biggest amount of bile though is saved for those over the pond with Captain America really touching a nerve. With this mix of clever lyricism and dexterous musicianship Kyrbgrinder have their own little niche and are all the better for it, with a melting pot of influences combining to create a great album for fans of metal that is more alternative and carries a stronger message than a lot bands around. 8/10
Caelestia: Beneath Abyss (Inverse)
Despite the strong religious belief in Greece, the country does seem to produce some of the most extreme metal and indeed dark metal, with lyricism that rallies against religion and brings in horror imagery to create dark soundscapes filled with harsh guitar work and vocals. Bands like Rotting Christ and SepticFlesh (who's bassist/vocalist Spiros designs the artwork for this album) lead this crusade but Caelestia have now burst on to the scene to throw their hat into the ring. The band come from the Mark Jansen school of song-writing with After Forever/Epica and MaYaN all coming to mind. Front woman Dimitra's operatic vocals soar above the wall of noise from the double kick drums, furious shredding and are in direct opposition to Nikos' black metal screams, the two of them work well together to create light and shade. Characterised as melodic death metal, I would also add a strong progressive influence to this with the chugging Gate Of Shadows, changing time signatures throughout, the album is split by two haunting instrumentals the first of which The Grand Sublimation is the perfect warm up for the pure death metal of Blessing Of Tragedy which features Soilwork's Bjorn 'Speed' Strid unmistakeable vocals, before the orchestral and electronic elements come back on the furious Behemoth baiting Beneath The Abyss, you get your head kicked in with the brutal Secret Rite before Lake Of Decay is a great modern metal track with some electronic flourishes and some great guitar work. A huge melting pot of influences Caelestia's sound needs a bit of refining and the production needs to be a bit cleaner but this is a strong debut from these Athenians that will appeal to those who like their metal more extreme. 7/10
Monday, 30 March 2015
Reviews: Ranger, Sacred Blood, Automaton
Ranger: Where Evil Dwells (Spinefarm)
Go back to a time when Slayer weren't the travelling soap opera they are now, back to when they were in their infancy when King, Lombardo, Hanneman and Arya all played like their lives depended on it, with lightning speed, guttural aggression and songs about war, death and Satan. This is the blueprint for Finland's Ranger who have released a fair few EP's but they have now they have debut under their belt and it is deep in Show No Mercy/Hell Awaits territory with a huge dollop of Mercyful Fate lumped in for good measure see Dimi's shrieking vocals. Ranger call themselves skull splitting speed metal and that is probably the most accurate description you could wish for as this album grabs you by the throat from the first chord and doesn't let go until it suffocates you with it's Gatling gun drumming and face melting guitars. Lyrically it's 1983 all over again with horror, the occult and war (nuclear or otherwise) all featured, these Finns play the retro card to it's fullest with bullet belt and hightops galore. The one thing I will say is that despite how good the music is (and it is) some may be put off by the vocals as they are deep in early Araya mixed with King Diamond vein, however if you love the blood curdling shrieks and the frankly terrifying metallic onslaught then Ranger will get you banging your head like a mad person and possibly pitting in your own room, by yourself. Ranger have produced an album of breakneck metal anthems and I'm convinced that their live show may actually kill you! 8/10
Sacred Blood: Argonautica (Pitch Black)
Sacred Blood are essentially the Greek version of Manowar, Rhaapsody and Blind Guardian all rolled into one. They play epic/symphonic metal and all three of their albums are concept pieces based around heroic Greek legend, their debut was Leonidas' last stand at Thermopylae, their follow up focussed on the Lion of Macedon Alexander and this third instalment as the title would suggest focusses on Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece. As the drama ramps up during the intro with traditional Greek instruments mixing with orchestral flourishes. Before it moves into the album itself which is full of chest beating (shirtless of course), metallic anthems with thumping drums, huge guitars and some thunderous vocals that would shake the Pillars Of Heracles (Greek spelling). Hail The Heroes is the epitome of this with it's Warriors Of The World style chug and symphonic backing, the musical backing of this album is expansive and epic in all senses of the word, even more astounding is that there are only three members of the band with George Karahalios providing the battering ram in the engine room, Polydeykis handles the guitars keys and atmosphere sculpting the the tale as the album progresses and forming the basis for Epeios Focaeus powerhouse vocals. The album is let down a little by the production as everything is a little muddy but that is immaterial really as the mix of folk instruments see O'er The Tomb, symphonic swells on Legacy Of The Lyre, crunchy metal riffs on To Lands No Man Hath Seen and Enchantress Of The East (which is very Iced Earth sounding); along with the soaring solos, furious drumming and Karahalios' great Euro power metal vocals all means that Sacred Blood have an album of quality tunes, whether you understand the concept (personally Ancient History is one of my favourite subjects) is immaterial as these songs stand so well by themselves that you don't have to know anything about it to enjoy this record of excellently performed symphonic power metal. Épainos ston Día!! 8/10
Automaton: A Bold New Horizon (Self Released)
Steampunk (Sci-Fi mixed with Victoriana) is a subject that the masters of traditional metal Iron Maiden have yet to touch on in their album covers or indeed stylistic change on every tour cycles. We haven't seen a Steampunk Eddie so it is perfect time for Cincinnati Ohio's Automaton to take up the baton, fusing Steampunk imagery and lyrics with the galloping twin guitar attack of The Irons. The band however are more than just a stylistc act they have created a Steampunk comic and indeed an entire universe based in a place called Ionia. This album draws from their fictional universe telling the tale (as far as I can tell) of a newspaper reporter that uncovers the governments dirty secret and then becomes a crusader for free speech. The scene is set by the small skits in between the upbeat, pacey metal tracks like Hot Off The Press and the swaggering Aether Flame. The band all play very well and have a classic trad metal sound entrenched as the rhythm section of Isaac Grimwood on bass and Mechanic James O'Brian on drums bring the flurry of kick drums and galloping rhythms to tracks like the Stand And Be Counted which could have come off a Manowar album and gives Grimwood a bass solo (Mr DiMaio would be so proud) Captain Luther Meade and Markus Wolverhampton's guitar work is also good mixing a dual guitar attack with elements of thrash and even some modern touches see Convalescence and Rise Of The Ruined Nation. The strong musical backing is fronted by the great vocals of Duncan Batchworth III who moves between Eric Adams, Bruce Dickinson and even Rob Halford with his booming mid's and his occasional ceiling lifting highs. This is a good album, some will get a bit annoyed at the skits as they do break the flow a bit but to get the whole 'concept' they are needed, happily the music is good enough to keep your attention and get your head nodding along. Steam Powered Power Metal indeed!! 8/10
Go back to a time when Slayer weren't the travelling soap opera they are now, back to when they were in their infancy when King, Lombardo, Hanneman and Arya all played like their lives depended on it, with lightning speed, guttural aggression and songs about war, death and Satan. This is the blueprint for Finland's Ranger who have released a fair few EP's but they have now they have debut under their belt and it is deep in Show No Mercy/Hell Awaits territory with a huge dollop of Mercyful Fate lumped in for good measure see Dimi's shrieking vocals. Ranger call themselves skull splitting speed metal and that is probably the most accurate description you could wish for as this album grabs you by the throat from the first chord and doesn't let go until it suffocates you with it's Gatling gun drumming and face melting guitars. Lyrically it's 1983 all over again with horror, the occult and war (nuclear or otherwise) all featured, these Finns play the retro card to it's fullest with bullet belt and hightops galore. The one thing I will say is that despite how good the music is (and it is) some may be put off by the vocals as they are deep in early Araya mixed with King Diamond vein, however if you love the blood curdling shrieks and the frankly terrifying metallic onslaught then Ranger will get you banging your head like a mad person and possibly pitting in your own room, by yourself. Ranger have produced an album of breakneck metal anthems and I'm convinced that their live show may actually kill you! 8/10
Sacred Blood: Argonautica (Pitch Black)
Sacred Blood are essentially the Greek version of Manowar, Rhaapsody and Blind Guardian all rolled into one. They play epic/symphonic metal and all three of their albums are concept pieces based around heroic Greek legend, their debut was Leonidas' last stand at Thermopylae, their follow up focussed on the Lion of Macedon Alexander and this third instalment as the title would suggest focusses on Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece. As the drama ramps up during the intro with traditional Greek instruments mixing with orchestral flourishes. Before it moves into the album itself which is full of chest beating (shirtless of course), metallic anthems with thumping drums, huge guitars and some thunderous vocals that would shake the Pillars Of Heracles (Greek spelling). Hail The Heroes is the epitome of this with it's Warriors Of The World style chug and symphonic backing, the musical backing of this album is expansive and epic in all senses of the word, even more astounding is that there are only three members of the band with George Karahalios providing the battering ram in the engine room, Polydeykis handles the guitars keys and atmosphere sculpting the the tale as the album progresses and forming the basis for Epeios Focaeus powerhouse vocals. The album is let down a little by the production as everything is a little muddy but that is immaterial really as the mix of folk instruments see O'er The Tomb, symphonic swells on Legacy Of The Lyre, crunchy metal riffs on To Lands No Man Hath Seen and Enchantress Of The East (which is very Iced Earth sounding); along with the soaring solos, furious drumming and Karahalios' great Euro power metal vocals all means that Sacred Blood have an album of quality tunes, whether you understand the concept (personally Ancient History is one of my favourite subjects) is immaterial as these songs stand so well by themselves that you don't have to know anything about it to enjoy this record of excellently performed symphonic power metal. Épainos ston Día!! 8/10
Automaton: A Bold New Horizon (Self Released)
Steampunk (Sci-Fi mixed with Victoriana) is a subject that the masters of traditional metal Iron Maiden have yet to touch on in their album covers or indeed stylistic change on every tour cycles. We haven't seen a Steampunk Eddie so it is perfect time for Cincinnati Ohio's Automaton to take up the baton, fusing Steampunk imagery and lyrics with the galloping twin guitar attack of The Irons. The band however are more than just a stylistc act they have created a Steampunk comic and indeed an entire universe based in a place called Ionia. This album draws from their fictional universe telling the tale (as far as I can tell) of a newspaper reporter that uncovers the governments dirty secret and then becomes a crusader for free speech. The scene is set by the small skits in between the upbeat, pacey metal tracks like Hot Off The Press and the swaggering Aether Flame. The band all play very well and have a classic trad metal sound entrenched as the rhythm section of Isaac Grimwood on bass and Mechanic James O'Brian on drums bring the flurry of kick drums and galloping rhythms to tracks like the Stand And Be Counted which could have come off a Manowar album and gives Grimwood a bass solo (Mr DiMaio would be so proud) Captain Luther Meade and Markus Wolverhampton's guitar work is also good mixing a dual guitar attack with elements of thrash and even some modern touches see Convalescence and Rise Of The Ruined Nation. The strong musical backing is fronted by the great vocals of Duncan Batchworth III who moves between Eric Adams, Bruce Dickinson and even Rob Halford with his booming mid's and his occasional ceiling lifting highs. This is a good album, some will get a bit annoyed at the skits as they do break the flow a bit but to get the whole 'concept' they are needed, happily the music is good enough to keep your attention and get your head nodding along. Steam Powered Power Metal indeed!! 8/10
Saturday, 28 March 2015
A View From The Back Of The Room: WhiskeyDick
WhiskeyDick, Howl, The Jonestown Flood, The Moon Club, Cardiff
Once again in to The Moon club for a night of quality music, this venue is one of my faves as it mixes good beer, with a cosy atmosphere and most importantly for a nerd like me excellent sound quality! Tonight was all about the headliners, having been acquainted with these Southern Gents when they supported Peter Pan Speedrock, myself and my Redneck loving compatriot Rhod were very excited indeed that we were going to get a headline show from the Texas twosome, in support of their EU compilation album (review coming soon) which gives you 15 of their best and most popular tracks (with one exclusion I will explain later) on one album.
So we set off bedecked in our fanboy WD shirts, grabbed a (strong) drink and made our way upstairs. Before the evening kicked off we got to shoot the shit with the band and they are great guys; humble and friendly they took on board our wittering and we shared jokes and stories as well as a bit of Wayne's World-esque hero worship from Rhod. The conversation would be continued through the night but we were first interrupted by the racket coming from the cavern where the bands play. So without much arm twisting we (us and the band) made our way to watch the first band.
The Jonestown Flood
The racket was coming from Welsh garage/blues trio The Jonestown Flood who set about playing their no-frills swampy blues to a filling venue, they immediately got heads nodding with their Southern style stomp as Rhys and Niall plough a heavy rhythm furrow throughout and even gave us a jazz odyssey while Joe Kelly switched to another guitar after his broke after the first song; this was probably due to his penchant for jiving like mad to every song as if he was being shocked, still with all three instruments present and correct the band worked through their set well with real confidence and energy. A nice grungy opening band with a bluesy/garage groove to kick off the boozy proceedings! 8/10
Howl
Second up were Howl and things took a more experimental turn as they are not as immediate as TJF relying more on hard rock jams and sonic freakouts than the more structured songs that had come before. Again three piece, Howl are deep in stoner territory playing the kind of music to smoke weed too with their massive wall of noise ringing out around the venue as Tom Rees beat the hell out of his kit and Marcell Davies (a man who has watched Lemmy a bit too much) rumbled our collective under-carriages leaving Grant Jones to attack his guitar and bark the lyrics as the sonic assault continued. After the set was over all were agreed we got a real battering but in a good way, Howl are a band that won't be happy until you go home deaf, which I like a lot. 8/10
WhiskeyDick
As the drums were cleared away, the stools were set up, the acoustics were unzipped and tuned, the two hulking Southern dudes from WhiskeyDick, played a little and then without fanfare immediately launched into their two man acoustical jam, chicken pickin' and ass kickin' from the outset. The band have managed to acquire quite a collection of songs from their 7 albums and they play a set made up of their best, sonically they are like an acoustic version of Pantera or BLS fronted by legendary outlaw David Allen Coe (or indeed the Rebel Meets Rebel project that features Pantera and DAC). The songs are layered with some great lead playing from Rev. Johnson who plays an acoustic better than a lot of guitarists play an electric, he is expressive when he solos on the Fallen Heroes their tribute to Dimbag which expertly shifts into Zakk Wylde's masterpiece In This River and got the crowd chanting along and he plays at a mean pace on the countrified, juggernaut of 18 Wheels Of Hell. The good Reverend is aided and abetted by his Hillbilly cohort Fritz who plays like Pappa Het (so many downstrokes) and sings like Mr Coe his rich bass vocals rumbling the soul as he tells tales of whiskey drinking, weed smoking, hell raising and woman chasing or all of the above on the excellently titled Train Robbing, Gun Toting, Dope Smoking, Guitar Picking, Mother Fucking, Good Time Band a song written in 1865(!) apparently. This is where WhiskeyDick come into their element they are an honest, down home band that are just fun, they seem to have a blast on stage and this energy is infectious the crowd were loving every note shouting every foul mouthed word Yeehaw! and drinking for their lives on Black Tooth Grin and the awesome Drunk As Hell. As the end of the set drew near there was a shout, then a noise and then we were into the finale of the hilarious Wookiee Pussy. Then it was over, cheers greeted the Fort Worth natives and we all made our way out to converse and drink a little more, we were all leaving elated having just seen an amazing set of hell raising, mud stomping, acoustic Hillbilly metal from a band that are now fully entrenched as one of my favourite live acts. Yeehaw motherfucker indeed!! 10/10
Once again in to The Moon club for a night of quality music, this venue is one of my faves as it mixes good beer, with a cosy atmosphere and most importantly for a nerd like me excellent sound quality! Tonight was all about the headliners, having been acquainted with these Southern Gents when they supported Peter Pan Speedrock, myself and my Redneck loving compatriot Rhod were very excited indeed that we were going to get a headline show from the Texas twosome, in support of their EU compilation album (review coming soon) which gives you 15 of their best and most popular tracks (with one exclusion I will explain later) on one album.
So we set off bedecked in our fanboy WD shirts, grabbed a (strong) drink and made our way upstairs. Before the evening kicked off we got to shoot the shit with the band and they are great guys; humble and friendly they took on board our wittering and we shared jokes and stories as well as a bit of Wayne's World-esque hero worship from Rhod. The conversation would be continued through the night but we were first interrupted by the racket coming from the cavern where the bands play. So without much arm twisting we (us and the band) made our way to watch the first band.
The Jonestown Flood
The racket was coming from Welsh garage/blues trio The Jonestown Flood who set about playing their no-frills swampy blues to a filling venue, they immediately got heads nodding with their Southern style stomp as Rhys and Niall plough a heavy rhythm furrow throughout and even gave us a jazz odyssey while Joe Kelly switched to another guitar after his broke after the first song; this was probably due to his penchant for jiving like mad to every song as if he was being shocked, still with all three instruments present and correct the band worked through their set well with real confidence and energy. A nice grungy opening band with a bluesy/garage groove to kick off the boozy proceedings! 8/10
Howl
Second up were Howl and things took a more experimental turn as they are not as immediate as TJF relying more on hard rock jams and sonic freakouts than the more structured songs that had come before. Again three piece, Howl are deep in stoner territory playing the kind of music to smoke weed too with their massive wall of noise ringing out around the venue as Tom Rees beat the hell out of his kit and Marcell Davies (a man who has watched Lemmy a bit too much) rumbled our collective under-carriages leaving Grant Jones to attack his guitar and bark the lyrics as the sonic assault continued. After the set was over all were agreed we got a real battering but in a good way, Howl are a band that won't be happy until you go home deaf, which I like a lot. 8/10
WhiskeyDick
As the drums were cleared away, the stools were set up, the acoustics were unzipped and tuned, the two hulking Southern dudes from WhiskeyDick, played a little and then without fanfare immediately launched into their two man acoustical jam, chicken pickin' and ass kickin' from the outset. The band have managed to acquire quite a collection of songs from their 7 albums and they play a set made up of their best, sonically they are like an acoustic version of Pantera or BLS fronted by legendary outlaw David Allen Coe (or indeed the Rebel Meets Rebel project that features Pantera and DAC). The songs are layered with some great lead playing from Rev. Johnson who plays an acoustic better than a lot of guitarists play an electric, he is expressive when he solos on the Fallen Heroes their tribute to Dimbag which expertly shifts into Zakk Wylde's masterpiece In This River and got the crowd chanting along and he plays at a mean pace on the countrified, juggernaut of 18 Wheels Of Hell. The good Reverend is aided and abetted by his Hillbilly cohort Fritz who plays like Pappa Het (so many downstrokes) and sings like Mr Coe his rich bass vocals rumbling the soul as he tells tales of whiskey drinking, weed smoking, hell raising and woman chasing or all of the above on the excellently titled Train Robbing, Gun Toting, Dope Smoking, Guitar Picking, Mother Fucking, Good Time Band a song written in 1865(!) apparently. This is where WhiskeyDick come into their element they are an honest, down home band that are just fun, they seem to have a blast on stage and this energy is infectious the crowd were loving every note shouting every foul mouthed word Yeehaw! and drinking for their lives on Black Tooth Grin and the awesome Drunk As Hell. As the end of the set drew near there was a shout, then a noise and then we were into the finale of the hilarious Wookiee Pussy. Then it was over, cheers greeted the Fort Worth natives and we all made our way out to converse and drink a little more, we were all leaving elated having just seen an amazing set of hell raising, mud stomping, acoustic Hillbilly metal from a band that are now fully entrenched as one of my favourite live acts. Yeehaw motherfucker indeed!! 10/10
Sunday, 22 March 2015
Reviews: Motor Sister, My Wooden Pillow, Kamasupazundown
Motor Sister: Ride (Metal Blade)
Motor Sister is band formed by Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian as a 50th birthday present to himself. The idea was to ask members of one of his favourite bands Mother Superior to come and jam some of their songs with him. The only member that did was guitarist/vocalist Jim Wilson who previously collaborated with Ian and his wife Pearl, on her debut solo album. Pearl also appears on this album to adding to Wilson's blues soaked vocal while Armoured Saint/Fates Warning bassist Joey Vera and Exodus/Testament drummer John Tempesta handle the rhythm section. So is this more than just a vanity project for Mr Ian? Well yes and no he has managed to recruit a great band to help Wilson re-record his own songs and with Ian's chugging rhythm guitar playing the songs are a lot more muscular than the originals, see A Hole which sounds like Anthrax with it's thrash riffage, obviously the inclusion of Wilson on the project moves this up from a covers album as you can't technically cover your own songs and it's not really a reinterpretation as the songs stick rather rigidly to the originals (albeit a little heavier) so the point of this album is a little lost, one can only decipher that Ian made this for his own gratification and also to highlight the work of one America's underground bands. Still the songs burst with energy with Wilson's husky vocals giving pathos to every song see the soulful blues of Fool Around and his solos tearing the roof off (This Song Reminds Me Of You), Pearl provides some old school female accompaniment with her great voice, which I'd personally like to hear more of, the rhythm section is tight, muscular and buoyed by their collective experience and their camaraderie after years of touring history together. So a good but a little throwaway to be honest as it really doesn't serve much of purpose artistically but it is fun album for fans of Scott Ian, Mother Superior or indeed fans of bluesy hard rock. 7/10
My Wooden Pillow: Uncomfortable (Self Released)
Manchester's My Wooden Pillow are a four piece death/groove metal band that draw from a huge amount of other influences to create their sound. Uncomfortable is their newest EP and it is full of breakneck riffs, snarling vocals and lashings of attitude. The Line is a thrashy, almost Arch Enemy style track which shows off the evil growls of frontwoman Michelle, who also gives a fine clean vocal performance on Call For War a political clarion call backed by some groove metal styled backing from Hassan (guitar), Patrick (bass) and Chris (drums) all of whom play with style and class, Call For War is one of the highlights of this four track EP as it reveals the bands heavy and also melodic style. Decapitalist harks to death metal with it's blast beats and relentless guitar work. All in all MWP have sculpted a great little slice of metallic fury with four tracks of quality metal music. 7/10
Kamasupazundown: Blueprint (Self Released)
A two man QOTSA? This seems to be what this Welsh band are aiming for with their brand of scuzzy, fuzzy desert rock. Blueprint is the band's second album their first being One Minute Silence and it continues in the vein of their debut by fusing odd riffs from Mark Pitts with the unusual drum patterns Steven Rowlands. The band are deep rooted in the Kyuss, QOTSA vibe of music especially with Pitts' Homme-esque vocal drawl, he heightens this comparison with the smae kind of harmonic backing vocals Homme uses on the Queens... records. The first two tracks Stereotypical and Self Committed Crime are pure Rated-R with Who Am I adding a funky vibe and the title track has a great stop start riff and is driven like all the tracks by Rowland's superb drumming. Things get weird on Envy In His Eyes before Wrath Of Beauty goes a bit disco with some Nile Rodgers like guitar playing and Strange Tides is a fantastic song with a hazy vibe throughout evoking the sun and lazy days. Kamasupazundown not only have the most complicated band name in the world but they also have got a great second album in the bag that is top quality Desert rock and as the brass fuelled Last Goodbye ends your head doesn't stop nodding along with the great sounds contained here within. A great album from talented, yet relatively unknown band from Wales, hopefully this album will redress the balance. 8/10
Motor Sister is band formed by Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian as a 50th birthday present to himself. The idea was to ask members of one of his favourite bands Mother Superior to come and jam some of their songs with him. The only member that did was guitarist/vocalist Jim Wilson who previously collaborated with Ian and his wife Pearl, on her debut solo album. Pearl also appears on this album to adding to Wilson's blues soaked vocal while Armoured Saint/Fates Warning bassist Joey Vera and Exodus/Testament drummer John Tempesta handle the rhythm section. So is this more than just a vanity project for Mr Ian? Well yes and no he has managed to recruit a great band to help Wilson re-record his own songs and with Ian's chugging rhythm guitar playing the songs are a lot more muscular than the originals, see A Hole which sounds like Anthrax with it's thrash riffage, obviously the inclusion of Wilson on the project moves this up from a covers album as you can't technically cover your own songs and it's not really a reinterpretation as the songs stick rather rigidly to the originals (albeit a little heavier) so the point of this album is a little lost, one can only decipher that Ian made this for his own gratification and also to highlight the work of one America's underground bands. Still the songs burst with energy with Wilson's husky vocals giving pathos to every song see the soulful blues of Fool Around and his solos tearing the roof off (This Song Reminds Me Of You), Pearl provides some old school female accompaniment with her great voice, which I'd personally like to hear more of, the rhythm section is tight, muscular and buoyed by their collective experience and their camaraderie after years of touring history together. So a good but a little throwaway to be honest as it really doesn't serve much of purpose artistically but it is fun album for fans of Scott Ian, Mother Superior or indeed fans of bluesy hard rock. 7/10
My Wooden Pillow: Uncomfortable (Self Released)
Manchester's My Wooden Pillow are a four piece death/groove metal band that draw from a huge amount of other influences to create their sound. Uncomfortable is their newest EP and it is full of breakneck riffs, snarling vocals and lashings of attitude. The Line is a thrashy, almost Arch Enemy style track which shows off the evil growls of frontwoman Michelle, who also gives a fine clean vocal performance on Call For War a political clarion call backed by some groove metal styled backing from Hassan (guitar), Patrick (bass) and Chris (drums) all of whom play with style and class, Call For War is one of the highlights of this four track EP as it reveals the bands heavy and also melodic style. Decapitalist harks to death metal with it's blast beats and relentless guitar work. All in all MWP have sculpted a great little slice of metallic fury with four tracks of quality metal music. 7/10
Kamasupazundown: Blueprint (Self Released)
A two man QOTSA? This seems to be what this Welsh band are aiming for with their brand of scuzzy, fuzzy desert rock. Blueprint is the band's second album their first being One Minute Silence and it continues in the vein of their debut by fusing odd riffs from Mark Pitts with the unusual drum patterns Steven Rowlands. The band are deep rooted in the Kyuss, QOTSA vibe of music especially with Pitts' Homme-esque vocal drawl, he heightens this comparison with the smae kind of harmonic backing vocals Homme uses on the Queens... records. The first two tracks Stereotypical and Self Committed Crime are pure Rated-R with Who Am I adding a funky vibe and the title track has a great stop start riff and is driven like all the tracks by Rowland's superb drumming. Things get weird on Envy In His Eyes before Wrath Of Beauty goes a bit disco with some Nile Rodgers like guitar playing and Strange Tides is a fantastic song with a hazy vibe throughout evoking the sun and lazy days. Kamasupazundown not only have the most complicated band name in the world but they also have got a great second album in the bag that is top quality Desert rock and as the brass fuelled Last Goodbye ends your head doesn't stop nodding along with the great sounds contained here within. A great album from talented, yet relatively unknown band from Wales, hopefully this album will redress the balance. 8/10
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