Reviews: Stone Cold Dead, Chronos Zero, Serpent (2015 Reviews Catch Up)

Stone Cold Dead: Lava Flows (Volcanic Music)

Stone Cold Dead is a collaborative project between a few Greek musicians, the idea is a conceptual album that merges the extreme sides of metal with progressive and more mainstream sub-genres. The main contributors are Ex Rotting Christ and Nightfall man George Bokos who handles vocals, guitars and production and Charis Pazaroulas who adds bass and contrabass (this is what gives the album it's gut punching bottom end). These two are the only ones that play on every track, they have recruited Dimitrios Dorian, Yannis Stavropoulos and most notably Nile man George Kollias as the drummers on this record each one drumming for of the albums three 'parts' (labelled Stone, Cold and Dead). Opening track Climbing The Cage thunders ion with blast beats and Gojira-like groove full of fret slides and low level punching bass as well as roaring vocals from Bokos, the band continue with this no nonsense brutalism on Cyclone Speaking which will have you bouncing in your chair with it's bass-heavy down tuned power and amazing drums as everything gets a bit early LOG, the title track slows things down with a percussive intro that brings elements of Max Cavalera fronting Sabbath. Part 2 starts with the thrashy Death Drive which yet again sounds bit like Soulfly and has Pazaroulas' bass leading everything, this album is great very brutal and aggressive but with a keen ear for melody and some progressive touches throughout, tracks like Hubrisim have elements of Deftones, while Deconstructing The Architect has Maiden flavour in it's opening before the final track And The Tree Becomes A Sphere brings everything together in great finale. These Greeks can do muscular metal very well, yes it can blur into one at some points but this style of music is all about feel and Lava Flows will kick your head in and possibly rupture your spleen, which I guess is a feeling! 7/10   

Chronos Zero: Hollowlands (Bakerteam)

Wel well well, what do you get if you cross Symphony X, Amaranthe and Rhapsody? The answer would be something close to the sound of Chronos Zero who hail from Italy and boast a progressive metal sound, a futuristic concept album dealing with science fiction and fact and three vocalists; two male, one female all of whom weave complex vocal melodies together. The band have added the growling vocals of Manuel and the soaring classically trained pipes of Margherita since their debut meaning that the Russell Allen-like throat of Jan Manenti (from Love.Might.Kill) now has two perfect foils to tell the complex story. Luckily he is also aided by the virtuosity of the band who rely on the tried and tested method of having the single guitarist playing with insane skill, a rhythm section that changes the time signature and pace at will fluidly adding twists and turns to the songs and a whole load of keyboards from a dedicated keyboardist as well as the from the guitarist, this means the whole thing is cinematic in scope and like I said the Symphony X looms large but not enough to overpower what the band are trying to do, they have enough individuality to separate them from the pack. As I said the album is a concept and as I haven't read the booklet, or heard the debut album, I can't really tell what it's about but it seems to be set in a futuristic world which means that the prog/power of the band is perfect fit, the album weighs in at 14 songs an none of these are short full of instrumental sections, solos as well as barrages of riffage, especially Shattered which tries to throw in as many as possible with three time changes in the song, so if you are not a fan of prog metal it may be a slog but for those that like their metal clever, vivid, huge in scope and full of technical musicianship then Hollowlands - The Tears Path: Chapter One (to give it it's full title) will be sitting somewhere near the top of your must buy list! Expressive, symphonic metal from this Italian metal mob. 8/10 

Serpent: Nekromant (Transubstants)

Swedish band Serpent have a particular sound and that is spacey doom rock, with Sabbath and particularly The Sword with the same kind of chunky guitar riffs that are placed between NWOBHM and doom metal topped by the keening vocals of frontman/bassist Mattias Ottosson, who sounds very like The Swords J.D Cronise, in fact everything about Serpent sounds like The Sword Demon On Our Side could have come off any of their albums while Hey You creeps, and the swaggering chest beating of Praying For A Curse has another similarity to that of Grand Magus. Serpent are a good band but they do sound an awful lot like The Sword so if you like the Texan fuzz merchants then Serpent will be up your street however many will just slither away and seek out the originals. 5/10

Reviews: David Bowie, Anthrax, Fleshgod Apocalypse

David Bowie: Blackstar (RCA)

*DISCLAIMER: This review has a certain new poignancy to it now after the events of the 11/01/16 with the untimely passing of David Bowie. Now the listening sessions took place before his death shortly after the albums release on Mr Bowie's birthday. All the opinions formed are based solely on the records merits, any sentiment has been added after the fact.*

David Bowie has always been one of musics great chameleons, be it his look, style, sound, he seems to be able to adapt and indeed improve any genre he cares to dip into, his twenty fifth album The Next Day was released out of the blue in March 2013 and was somewhat of an homage to his successful and creative Berlin years. The album saw Bowie team up once again with Tony Visconti and it took the world by storm, every Bowie album is seen as an event so when Blackstar was dropped on 8th January 2016 it shook up the music scene coming without warning and supplying more Bowie quirkiness and musical genius. Once again Blackstar has Visconti producing along with Bowie, as well as a great team of musicians aiding him to create this avant-guard, jazz like album, the key addition to the band is Donny McCaslin whose saxophone, woodwind and flutes are the real keys to this album. The album opens with the then title track which features a repeating drum machine underneath the dreamy keys and Bowie's otherworldly vocals before the orchestrations stir in the background and the sax kicks in. So far so Bowie with madness meeting majesty on an understated slow burn of an opener, that owes as much to trip-hop as it does to jazz. The electronic discord makes way for plucking strings which sees Bowie croon on the smooth middle section, before the darkness creeps back in.

With a seven minute opener we go back to the percussive driven sheen of Tis A Pity She Was A Whore which once again relies upon the brass and the drums to move it into a cacophony as Bowie laces it with brief interludes of erudite verbal passages adding to the shimmying jazz shuffle "Man she punched me like a dude" is a great way to start a song in anyone book. With two tracks gone and there is no sign of any kind of cohesiveness on the album which spans several genres and sounds throughout, all taken in the long tall stride of the master of musical magic. Lazarus is a more guitar driven affair that slowly slinks along as Bowie talks of death and rebirth backed by some great synths and yes more sax  it is one of the best tracks on the album in it's complexity masking as simplicity, something that Mr Bowie has always revelled in (In light of current events this is clearly a dying man's parting gift). The middle part of the album has much more guitars with the frantic Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) and the bass heavy creep of Girl Loves Me both take the rock back a bit while remaining delightfully weird in a Peter Gabriel like way. With twenty five albums under his belt some could ask what more could Bowie do musically? Well on Blackstar he has once again re jigged his sound meaning that it is quirky, odd, beguiling and most importantly pure Bowie magic. 9/10

A fitting tribute to the legacy of such an important part of British Music history          

Anthrax: For All Kings (Nuclear Blast)

The eleventh album by Anthrax is one that shows the band revitalized, it is the first since the departure of long time lead guitarist Rob Caggiano (although he himself only played on two Anthrax albums in eight years) and on that front alone former Shadows Fall man John Donais has really taken up the baton in the shredder role. This album is guitar heavy, more so than ever before, with each song strewn with solos that rip, tear and bite at the leash as Donais manically slides up and down the fretboard. These guitar histrionics have added positively to the record as it has matured Anthrax's sound away from the thrash blueprint they have always been known for, yes the stomp is still there on tracks like Breathing Lightning but there is more modernity on the songs coming from the NWOAHM style of bands like Shadows Fall with tracks like Monster At The End and the brutal Suzerain having a bit more aggression to them. There is also some progression on the 7 minute opener You Gotta Believe and the superb Blood Eagle Wings which is big powerful fist pumping metal track. The thrash is still there but also there is wide stroke of classic metal on the title track on which frontman Joey Belladonna does his best Dio impression. Where as Worship Music saw the band trying to break away from their past by embracing that which came before it and looking forward to the future. I've mentioned Donais a lot (he really is very good) but he can only shine because of Scott Ian's trademark effortless riffs, bolstered by Frank Bello's furious bass playing and Charlie Benate's superb drumming see first single Evil Twin (which is about the massacre at Charlie Hebdo in Paris) which has Benate playing up a storm. Anthrax have really upped their game on For All Kings after a what has been a great 'live' period for the band finally their maturity has been reflected in their recorded output. 8/10

Fleshgod Apocalypse: King (Nuclear Blast)

Speaking of advancement it's time for the Italian masters of cinematic orchestral metal to once again arrive and blow away any previous effort with their latest album King. My initial thought upon my first listen was and I quote "Holy Fucking Shit!!" As Marche Royale builds with it's string led and choral vocals into the explosive opener In Aeternum which sees them on familiar territory, all incredible classical backing the insane drums of Francesco Paoli (who also plays guitar and supplies backing vocals) driving the wall-of-sound style of the band. The guitars of Cristiano Trionfera are there to riff furiously and supply the searing solos, underpinned by the piano and synths of Francesco Ferrini who adds a larger scope to the bands' sound than ever before, even on the pounding heaviness of Healing Through War he jars the listener with the orchestrations (aided by Trionfera) fleshing out (no pun intended) the songs giving Fleshgod their unique sound.

This like the previous record, is once again a concept album, built around the rise and fall of monarchy (I think), the vocal interplay between Tommaso Riccardi (harsh), bassist Paolo Rossi (clean) and the operatic vocals of guest soprano Veronica Bordacchini is perfect when used in unison on tracks such as the dramatic performance piece Cold As Perfection. Bordacchini is also brilliant on her own on Paramour which is straight opera that lingers momentarily before being washed away with the light speed assault of And The Vulture Beholds. The band are all top flight musicians playing every track with the right level of intensity and technical ability, Fleshgod Apocalypse have always been a band in their own league and on this record they have once again proved their immense talent and ability adding yet more layers to their sound with every release they have improved themselves fleshing out their sound, Labyrinth was damn near perfect but this release is coming close to being their magnum opus. Incredible roll on seeing them live in March!! 9/10

A View From Another Country: Hammerfall (Review & Pictures By Konstantina Frasia)

Hammerfall & Elevnking, Fuzz Club Athens

So our first review from a European writer is here, just before Xmas our lady in the Hellenic heartland witnessed the return of Swedish Power Metal Gods Hammerfall, after an 18 year absence, in a packed Fuzz Club. Here is her view from the back of the room:

Elvenking

Italian folk metallers were brought along as the support for Hammerfall and they proceeded to warm the crowd up by bursting on to the stage with their power/folk mix working well, the band were energetic with the front five members all trading places as the raced through their set with enthusiasm, frontman Damnagoras was the preening frontman controlling the crowd, interacting, goading and prompting them when needed. He even took the time for a selfie with the crowd at the set's climax. The rest of the band were equally fun to watch as they played their instruments for their lives. Damnagoras' voice is nothing special (As I've noted before - Ed) but it fits the bands style, all of the players were tight the two guitars and violin duelled throughout as the rhythm section blasted out from the rear of stage. With their distinct, style the band are a visual force, due to the face paint and 'folk' styling but much of this was nulled by the cigarette smoke in their air and their unusual lighting rendering much of their set in darkness. A good set that did it's job but with a few things that could have improved the set, still the band seemed happy to be there thanking the fans after the gig outside the venue. 7/10   

Hammerfall

After a change over the noise and anticipation in the venue rose as the band burst on to stage the applause was rapturous and as the fist chord of Hector's Hymn hit horns were thrown, voices were raised and every line was sung back, after the new boy was another recent on with Any Means Necessary which is one of the heaviest songs the band have produced with it's choir-like chant. Oscar Dronjak and Pontus Norgren led the charge with the twin guitars weaving between riffs and solos, while bassist Fredrik Larsson and touring drummer David Wallin kept everything locked in tight allowing the guitarists to express themselves and finally let singer Joacim Cans unleash that amazing voice of his, he soared through classics like Blood Bound, Heeding The Call and the still awesome Let The Hammer Fall, which still has it's great call-and-response chorus. As the gig progressed one thing became clear, Joacim was having problems with his earpiece, he kept touching it and adjusting it, this might be because Athens was the last show of the tour so things were starting to stop working, what was also clear was that Oscar is the sweatiest man in metal having three T-Shirt changes in the space of the set. Cans is ever the frontman cracking jokes and telling stories about the band and their history with Athens before beating us down with more top drawer power metal madness.

 Live Life Loud is a call to arms that moved into a medley of songs showing their other tracks. The tour was in promotion of their most recent album and as such sacrifices had to made in the set with Dragon Lies Bleeding being the most obvious still with the progressive Threshold, the powerful Last Man Standing and the old favorite Glory To The Brave rounding out the main set with Hammerfall (plus a Warlord cover that was a little unnecessary) The set was pretty great for any fan of the band or indeed new covert to the true metal cause. Sensing the end was near the band came off stage only to return with a three song encore, the evergreen Templars Of Steel kicked things off with Oscar now shirtless playing the riff with intensity but more importantly a sense of fun that never left the show, newbie Bushido came next and was a brave move taking the place of a more recognizable song but it fits well, a future classic there, however the biggest cheer was reserved for the finale of Hearts On Fire which had everyone singing along until they lost their voices. With that it was done but Hammerfall were triumphant with this set making everyone in the place wish that it won't be another 18 years until they play Greece again!! 9/10

As an added bonus to this review Ms Frasia is an accomplished photographer

Find more of her work here: http://konaf13.wix.com/konasartwork and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FrasiaKPhotography

So here is a selection of images from the gig that give you an idea of what the atmosphere was like (Pictures like the blog itself are free to share but please credit the photographer and keep any watermarks)

Venomous Thoughts 2015 Round Up

A very good ‘insert time of day you are reading this’ to you folks. Whilst I admit I haven't kept up with my friends at the Musipedia I have still been enjoying this years albums and here they are from 10 to 1.

10. A Light in the Dark- A Light in the Dark- 7/10

Surprisingly it was labelled as a black metal album. Whilst more melodic than anything else this is 43 minutes of instrumental music that whilst slightly repetitive still manages to encapsulate you if in the right mood

9. Slayer- Repentless- 8/10

I don't really need to say much about this album except that it's a testament that proves that Slayer can still carry on they're ferocious intensity even without Jeff Hanneman. They still have enough fuel in the tank and it’ll be interesting to see how their future relationship with Exodus’s Gary Holt will work out.

8. Kataklysm- Of Gods and Monsters- 8/10

The Canadian outfit return with their death metal album by numbers, but by Jove they know how to do it so well. One song on there I feel should've had a guitar solo on there (single The Black Sheep) but the constant riffing that makes death metal album like that enjoyable for me to listen to without guitar solos. Worth a listen if you love old school death metal.

7. Ghost- Meliora- 8/10

The Swedish occult rockers do it again with their third release. They're heavier, just as
melodic and Papa Emeritus III still holds a mystical grandeur from both image and vocals alike his previous two counter-parts. He Is and Majesty being 2 of my favourite tracks from the album. A shame I was not able to view their performance in the UK this December gone by.

6. Baroness- The Purple Album 8/10

A last minute album added to my list but still a very good choice to help some up the year. With sludgy riffs and solos that wouldn't have felt too out of place on a Mastodon album. Opening track Morningstar, Kerosine, and Chlorine And Wine are some of my favorites on this thick heavy album.

5. Lamb of God- VII Sturm Und Drang 9/10

A lot had happened to the boys from Virginia, most of it affecting Randy Blythe, but they have never let that stop them in the past. Moving on from the heavy album that was Resolution, VII continues from where they left off in terms of song structure quality but with lyrical themes that relate to Blythes experiences in prison both whilst inside and during the post-resolution touring cycle period. A quality record.

4. Krisun- Forged In Fury- 9/10

Another death metal album I fell in love with this year, whilst lacking something from some of their older material albeit quality solos, the song structure and the riffs heard from this album most certainly made it one of my death metal albums of the year.

3. Blind Guardian- Beyond The Red Mirror- 9/10

Blind Guardian have always amazed me, and with a back catalogue as extensive as theirs I still find it incredible how they're more recent songs always blend in so well. A concept album it maybe but the sounds of each individual chapter of the album could fit so well in a Guardian setlist. A very worthy power metal album this year.

2. Clutch- Psychic Warfare- 10/10

The funkadelic hard rockers returned to glorious form(like they can do any less) going hot on the heels of 2013's Earth Rocker, there are tracks like X-Ray Visions, Doom Saloon/Our Lady Of Electric, and Son Of Virginia, tracks I was fortunate to see live are amongst perfect staples of the ever changing Clutch set list. Definitely a brilliant album of the year.

1.God Is An Astronaut- Helios Erebus- 10/10

Earlier in the year I think I gave this a lower review but my opinion of this album has changed so much over the months that I got more and more addicted to its fluidity. With each song starting with a mellow Pink Floyd type intro to then ending on a heavy note so fluidly you don't actually notice it until you're listening to the next song. My own bias makes it my own personal album of the year though I do recommend this to a lot of people and can hopefully get constructive criticism out of others.

Special Mentions:

Joe Satriani- Shockwave Supernova- 8/10

Cradle of Filth- Hammer Of The Witches- 7/10

My Dying Bride- Feel The Misery- 8/10

Musipedia Of Metal's Top 10 Albums 2015

Matt's Top 10

1. Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls

2. Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase

3. Blind Guardian - Beyond The Red Mirror

4. Triaxis - Zero Hour

5. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - S/T

6. Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful

7. Lonely Robot - Please Come Home

8. Symphony X - Underworld

9. Blackberry Smoke - Holding All The Roses

10. Ascendia - The Lion And The Jester

Paul's Top 10

1. Blind Guardian – Beyond The Red Mirror

2. Lamb Of God – VII Sturm Und Drang

3. Clutch – Psychic Warfare 

4. Paradise Lost – The Plague Within 

5. Riverside – Love, Fear And The Time Machine 

6. Steven Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase 

7. The Sword – High Country 

8. Blackberry Smoke – Holding All The Roses 

9. UFO – A Conspiracy Of Stars 

10. Motorhead – Bad Magic

Alex Hutching's Top 10

1. Paradise Lost - Plague Within

2. Iron Maiden - Book Of Souls

3. Ghost - Meliora

4. Lucifer - Lucifer

5. Clutch - Phychic Warfare

6. Lamb of God - VII Sturm Und Drang

7. The Darkness - Last Of Our kind

8. Saxon - Battering Ram

9. Slayer - Repentless

10.Wasp - Golgotha

Anthony Hutchings' Top 10

1. Clutch – Psychic Warfare

2. Iron Maiden – Book Of Souls

3. Lamb Of God – VII Sturm Und Drang

4. Parkway Drive - Ire

5. Slayer - Repentless

6. Paradise Lost – Plague Within

7. Prodigy – Day Is My Enemy 

8. Ghost - Meloria

9. Dr Dre - Compton

10. The Darkness – Last Of Our Kind

Chris Hutchings' Top 10

1. Paradise Lost - The Plague Within

2. Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls 

3. Clutch - Psychic Warfare 

4. Lamb of God - VII Sturm Und Drang 

5. The Prodigy - The Day Is My Enemy

6. Ghost - Meliora 

7. Lucifer - Lucifer 

8. The Darkness - Last Of Our Kind 

9. Saxon - Battering Ram 

10. Skindred – Volume

Elle Matthews Top 10

1. Lindemann - Skills In Pills

2. Prodigy - Day Is My Enemy

3. Fear Factory - Genexus 

4. Ghost - Meliora

5. Clutch - Psychic Warfare

6. Slayer - Repentless

7. Paradise Lost - The Plague Within 

8. Disturbed - Immortalised 

9. Lamb Of God – VII Sturm Und Drang

 
10. Sylosis – Dormant Heart

Lee Burnell's Top 10

1. Sylosis - Dormant Heart

2. Ghost - Meliora

3. Napalm Death - Apex Predator/Easy Meat

4. Slayer - Repentless

5. Motörhead - Bad Magic

6. Marduk - Frontschwein

7. Faith No More - Sol Invictus

8. Paradise Lost - The Plague Within

9. Parkway Drive - Ire

10. Swallow The Sun - Songs From The North I, II & III

Stief Illingworth's Top 10

1. MGLA - Exercises In Futility

2. Ghost - Meliora

3. Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls

4. Powerwolf - Blessed and Possessed

5. Temperance - Limitless

6. Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful

7. Gunship - GUNSHIP

8. Hate - Crusade: Zero

9. Triaxis - Zero Hour

10. Unleash The Archers - Time Stands Still

Reviews: Baroness, Sideburn, A Sound Of Thunder

Baroness: Purple (Abraxan Hymns)

It has been three years since the bus crash that almost ended Baroness as band, nine people were hurt in the crash, Allen Blickle (drums) and Matt Maggioni (Bass) each suffered fractured vertebrae and frontman John Baizley was left with a broken left arm and leg. The band were put on hiatus until they had recovered sufficiently, in the interim Blickle and Maggioni left the band to be replaced with Nick Jost on bass and Sebastian Thompson on drums, as Baizley's condition improved he began to create both art and music again as the band toured Europe, this touring and return to activity has resulted in the bands fourth album being released. Continuing with the colour theme the band have had since their debut this new record is called Purple, what is apparent from the outset is how concise and immediate this record is, it harks back to their Red and Blue releases, but goes one further moving further away from the stoner sludge sound they have always known for. However that isn't to say the sonic experimentation of Yellow & Green isn't there, in fact quite the opposite, it's just this album melds it with the record's directness to form something that still sounds like Baroness but sees them yet again progressing.

The opening salvo of Morningstar is sledgehammer heaviness with Baizley's gritty vocals singing with gusto, then we get into the more melodic styling of Shock Me (not a KISS cover) which is the albums de-facto single as it demands to be played repeatedly, the straightforwardness is it's benefit, the songs are less metal with more hard rock and indie sounds adding to the bands sound however they can still get heavy if they need to of this album is powered by tracks like the staccato guitar of Try To Disappear and the spacey Rush-like Kerosene which changes time signature throughout driven by some distorted bass, spiralling keys and dual guitars before it segues into Fugue which is a dream-like jazz intermezzo that allows the magnificent analogue heaven of Chlorine & Wine to build into it's Thin Lizzyesque middle 8 before we go back into the swirling dream-pop of the opening and an anthemic life affirming crescendo. The retro vein continues on the second side of the record with The Iron Bell sounding like it could have come off the new The Sword record. Baroness have yet to release a bad record but Purple does seem to be the sound of a band trying to take the wider music community by the scruff of the neck and announce their intent to conquer. Fuckin' A! 9/10     

Sideburn: Evil Or Divine (Metalville)

Sideburn are a stoner metal band from Sweden Evil Or Divine is their fifth album and it sticks to the traditions that the band have always relied upon. We're talking fuzzy hammer down riffs from guitarist Morgan Zocek and bassist Martin Karlsson some smash and grab drumming from Fredrik Broqvist and soulful vocals from Dimitri Keiski. This is 7 tracks of sprawling, chemically enhanced rock with mind bending tendencies, the slow and steady Masters And Slaves takes you on the trip with its low and deliberate heaviness, with Keiski having the almost 'submerged' vocal style of Monster Magnet a band that Sideburn share a lot similarities with. Things get a bit faster on Sea Of Sins before a shedload of Sabbath worship comes on the bass-led When Darkness Calls and The Seer (Angel Of Death). The band are all great musicians and after doing this stuff for a long time they are very good at it, this album does seem to have a much darker tone than their previous releases with the sound of Sabbath is alive an well on Evil Or Divine and all the better for it, it's heavy, progressive and at times ominous. An album from a professional band that play from the heart and with a head full of psychoactive ingredients, turn it up and enjoy the trip. 7/10       

A Sound Of Thunder: Tales From The Deadside (Mad Neptune)

A Sound Of Thunder were formed in Washington D.C in 2008 and they have been releasing classic sounding American heavy power metal that were named after an influential Sci-Fi novel by Ray Bradbury, most of their albums have been based around numerous Sci-Fi and fantasy novels and comics. Tales From The Deadside is their fifth album and very little has changed this record is based around the Shadowman comics which follows the adventures of a supernatural superhero. Now if you aren't fully invested in the storyline it could all be a bit much as this is a true concept record that moves between songs and spoken pieces, all the lyrics tell the story in the comics so lyrically the band are telling someone else story meaning that the musicianship and performance to drive the songs along. Luckily A Sound Of Thunder are a superb band that know exactly how to craft a heavy metal song, Josh Schwartz is a great guitarist deftly adding riffs and solos to tracks like the emotive and progressive Sandria (Carry On) which also has some great drumming by Chris Haren, that continues on Can't Go Back which has Jesse Keen filling out the song with keys as well as low bass playing. The band have a real find with singer Nina Osegueda (wife of Death Angel singer Mark Osegueda) she has great set of pipes that sultry on Deadside but can roar the harder tracks such as Tower Of Souls. This is powerful progressive album with some great songs that work outside of the concept but are much better when listened to as whole. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Ghost (Review By Paul)

Ghost – O2 Bristol Academy

The final gig of 2015 for the vast majority of the Musipedia crew saw a mass occupation of the balcony at the O2 for the appearance of Swedish occult tinged metallers Ghost. Indeed, when Papa III asked the crowd if there was anyone from Wales in the audience, you could have been forgiven for thinking we were actually in Cardiff such was the voracity of the response from around the O2.

Unfortunately for openers Dead Soul (5), their techno trance/electro rock was pretty uninspiring and despite a decent reaction from the pretty full venue, their lack of real movement on stage meant that they quickly lost the attention. Maybe they will be better on CD. Who knows?

A massive stained glass backdrop covered the back of the stage as the tarps were pulled off the drums and keyboards and the intros of Misere Mei, Deus and the Masked Ball welcomed the arrival of five Nameless Ghouls and the opening riff to Spirit. With chilling red lighting adding to the already intense incense heavy atmosphere, Papa Emeritus III arrived on stage to a huge ovation. For the next hour and 20 minutes Ghost (10) delivered a flawless set which held the attention, got the head banging and the arms aloft and also provided more than a few giggles thanks to Papa’s brilliant humour and delivery. Spirit was followed by the pounding From The Pinnacle To The Pit and then it was a delightful mixture of tracks from all three of Ghost’s long players.

Either side of the stage, the guitar work of the Ghouls was excellent, and once again you were reminded just how heavy this band can be. A rock hard rhythm section and deliciously eerie keyboards underpinned the quality of the songs. Whilst Papa III rightly commands the centre stage the rest of the band also capture your attention and despite their masks they still managed to convey a huge amount of emotion both to the crowd and to each other.

Highlights? Well, I'm not the connoisseur when it comes to Ghost, having only seen them a couple of times before but if I had to pick four stand out tracks, it would be the blistering Year Zero, the stunning He Is, a hammeringly heavy Mummy Dust and the massively entertaining Monstrance Clock which closed the set. Oh, and of course Body And Blood which saw the arrival of two Sisters of Satan, complete with their habits, chalice of wine (blood?) and plate of wafers which the front row gratefully received after Papa’s warning not to touch the young ladies “cavities”!

However, I can’t think of a poor song from the well-crafted set list and the whole evening was an absolute joy, despite the boiling hot temperatures in this less than enjoyable venue. As the band exited all around there were beaming faces. 2015’s final gig was one of the best.

Reviews: Absolva, Mercutio, Major Instinct

Absolva: Never A Good Day To Die (Rocksector)

Since their debut there has always been something a bit special about Absolva, they seamlessly blend the traditional sounds of classic British metal with the more American and indeed modern sounds of thrash, which is always bolstered by their albums crystalline production. For the band that used to be Fury UK, Absolva was always a much heavier, faster more aggressive prospect. Having started as four piece they have more recently turned into the power trio format led by vocalist/lead guitarist Chris Appleton, drummer Martin McNee and bassist Dan Bate. However since their last record their line up has changed yet again with a new and a familiar face joining the ranks, the new is bassist Karl Schramm who replaced Bate last year, but the most intriguing addition is Chris' brother Luke once again taking up the rhythm guitar like he did in Fury UK, Luke is probably more well known as the most recent four stringer for American metal legends Iced Earth, but since that band is currently on hiatus (and has the biggest revolving line up on earth) Luke is the prodical son (or indeed brother) returned.

You can hear the difference he makes adding a crunch to the riffs meaning Chris can express himself with the leads a little more, it also means that they can do the old twin-axe attack or Maiden, Priest and Accept, in fact all three of these bands influence permeate the sound of Absolva. From the off they play fast and hard riffing like mad, from the slow burn intro of Disguise business picks up and the pace rarely drops. As with their previous releases once again the band fuse their metallic playing with huge choruses sung by Chris Appleton with the most unique voice this side of Udo Dirkschneider, speaking of Udo No One Escapes has the chug of his former band Accept (you can see the perfectly symmetrical guitar swings from here), while The Light is Maiden-like with it's bass lead assault. The album slows with the monstrous ballad How Black Is My Heart? which like all of the songs on this record has a some amazing guitar soloing and picks up in the middle to gallop along at pace before fading out at the end as an awesome centre piece its just one example of an album full to the brim with cracking songs, with No Tomorrow and closer All Alone being some of my personal favourites. Never A Good Day To Die continues Absolva's run of excellent albums! 9/10

Mercutio: Back To Nowhere (Diverge Records)

I first saw Mercutio at Camden Rocks festival earlier this year and their fusion of alternative and progressive ambient rock music really caught my attention at 11 am. Originally from Italy the band now reside in London and have been playing gigs throughout the capital for a while, so when I finally got my hands on their debut album I was keen to see what they sound like with all the expressionism the studio gives you. Happily the band's sound is a lot more well rounded on the album than live (although they had triggers and synths from a laptop on stage so not much of their sound was lost). Everything is just a bit more polished on the record but with the kind of music Mercutio play it's all the better for it. Fusing alternative rock with electronic backing puts you in mind of Deftones,a darker sounding Muse and Porcupine Tree at their most accessible (in fact the latter's Colin Edwin plays bass on the rap-like In Front Of You), much of this is due in part to Mirko Petrini's rich crooning baritone that has similarities to Anathema's Vince Cavanagh and Nick Cave. The electronic darkness of Shed Your Skin brings to mind the industrial thump of Nine Inch Nails, while the title track is propelled by the fuzzy bass of Emanuele Nazzaro. The band are excellent players their years of experience really showing on every track from the sparse emotive A Part Of Me that builds on it's acoustic Radiohead-like beginning into a euphoric final part and back again with ease, through the rockier phases like Anytime and Fake which have some superb fluid guitar playing from Fabio Staffieri who adds the technical melodic flourishes on top of the thudding bass rhythm of Nazzaro, with some more introspective efforts on the beautiful No Compromise. It's the breadth of this album that lends itself to ear of the listener with the more traditional themes of the grungy The Ghost That Is You at odds with the dreamy Mother and more contrasts that take place as the album progresses. Back To Nowhere is a band honing their talent to create music without boundaries and for the most part they are very successful one to keep an eye on. 8/10 

Major Instinct: Roots & Wings (AOR Heaven)

For 20 years a Swedish band called M.Ill.Ion have provided powerful classic hard rock, however as of this year the band has taken a break meaning that the members are able to indulge in other projects, M.Ill.Ion main man bassist B. J Laneby set about producing more high quality hard rock getting some high quality musicians to help him out. From the cowbell toting title track you get an idea of what you are going to get this is swaggering hard rock with Laneby's bass and his M.Ill.Ion cohort Johan Hall's drumming driving tracks like the rampaging 316 as Magnus Mild and Gabriel Glamheden weave and duel on guitar on keys respectively, with nods to Rainbow, Purple, Whitesnake etc I don't need to say much more, this is hard rocking power adding some AOR elements to the M.Ill.Ion framework, see the saccharine ballad Eyes From Above which is actually very good and is followed by the joyous uplifting Don't Come To Me. With the musicians all firing on six cylinders it is frontman Stefano Marchesini is a real find with his hearty Coverdale meets Graham Bonnet style vocals that are bawdy on I Need A Drink, heroic on the crunchy Kicked To The Ground which features killer organ solo and defiant on Follow The Trends. Where as M.Ill.Ion relied on the harder rock edge Major Instinct have the 70's style honey hued, organ drenched rock, with the album concluding with the Gothic organ fuelled Mother Of All. Roots & Wings is great album from a 'new' band building on their years of experience to play quality hard rock. 8/10  

A View From The Back Of The Room: Tremonti (Review By Paul)

Tremonti – O2 Academy Bristol

Mark Tremonti is best known as the guitarist with Alter Bridge and before that God rockers Creed. He’s released two solid if unspectacular solo albums, All I Was in 2012 and 2015’s heavier Cauterise. This is the man who was named “Guitarist of the Year" for three consecutive years by Guitar World magazine, and in 2011 he was listed as the fourth greatest heavy metal guitarist of all time by Total Guitar. The guitar solo in the Alter Bridge song Blackbird, was named the greatest guitar solo of all time by Guitarist magazine. I don’t agree with any of those accolades although he is a damn fine guitarist, no question about that. Anyway, his solo tour was sufficiently close (yes, Bristol, where else?) to warrant a trip across the bridge with Matt and a very excitable Dan (on only his second ever outing to the big city).

A four band bill meant an early start and we missed Andy James and Wearing Scars. We were in time for The Raven Age (6), a five piece UK outfit most notable for the presence of one George Harris on guitar, son of the Iron Maiden legend. A reasonably full crowd, which consisted mainly very excitable young male fans lapped up their melodic metal with vocalist Michael Burrough (a ringer for a younger Eddie Izzard) energised and demonstrating a huge level of confidence, including concluding the final song from the balcony (Ty Taylor did it first VT fans). However, despite the enthusiasm, The Raven Age’s music was pretty generic with anonymous tracks that blended into each other. Lots of strafing chord action but little else to inspire. This is apparently the new generation of metal.

Next up was Chicago’s Man the Mighty (5) whose amalgamation of Alter Bridge, Creed, BSC, Theory of a Deadman etc. was lapped up by the crowd. You can work out from these influences what they sounded like. The difference between Man the Mighty and The Raven Age was their approach. Americans are always full of confidence and lead singer Derek Smith was immediately in the face of the crowd, demanding participation and encouraging responses at very regular intervals. Lead guitarist Tim Tournier cut some tasty shapes, a couple of their tunes, namely Sick, and set closer I Am Icarus were decent enough.

The Bristol crowd was in full cry when Tremonti (7) hit the stage at 9:40pm. Opening with the blistering assault of Cauterise, the band quickly demonstrated that they are a heavier proposition in the live arena, with the main man cutting an imposing figure at the front of the stage. A decent sound and a good mix allowed Mark Tremonti’s vocals to come through clearly, with the band galloping through the choicest cuts from the two albums. All I Was and Flying Monkeys were both stacked at the front of the set and kept the momentum going. To Mark Tremonti’s left, Eric Friedman cut loose on a number of the tracks, proving that despite the main man status, it is not all ego. Indeed, there were a number of pleasant surprises during the evening. Firstly, although there was a substantial amount of excellent guitar work on display, there was no extended twiddling or virtuoso displays of ego. Secondly, there was no tedious encore, just an announcement that “we have three songs left”. I am a big fan of this approach.

Unfortunately, much like a number of bands who ply their trade in this genre, the songs began to blend into one and although the playing was high quality, it all became a little generic. Bassist Tanner Keegan guarded his part of the stage impressively; throwing obligatory shapes whilst Garrett Whitlock on the drums mirrored Animal from The Muppets at times, such was the craziness of his tub-thumping. Radical Change at least managed to incite some pit action, which was all a little handbags at five paces but got people moving. As the band moved towards the end of the set, I was struck with the enthusiasm of the majority of the crowd, many matching the lyrics word for word. He certainly attracts a loyal following. Penultimate track Sympathy segued into the storming Wish You Well and a robust finish, complete with one of the worst walls of death I have ever witnessed (more a hedge of mild peril). Inviting anyone who had purchased merchandise to a meet and greet afterwards was a nice touch and Mark Tremonti certainly appears to be a solid, genuine person. He is an immensely talented guitarist; fact. Disappointingly, for me the show was too static with the formulaic structure of his songs just a little dull. I will not be seeking out his set at Download next year, but it will be a pleasant enough way to kill 40 minutes if there is nothing else to whet my whistle.

Another Point Of View: Accept (Review By Paul)

Accept – O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London

The house lights faded, the strains of Gehenne Incendiis surged through the PA system and Hell (8) blasted straight into The Age Of Nefarious. A relatively small but enthusiastic crowd had gathered at the front of the stage and this continued to grow as Hell’s 40 minute set progressed. It’s interesting watching the audience reaction to this most excellent band. I'm now a veteran of several Hell shows, including the magnificent show stopping performance at BOA a couple of years ago, but there were clearly many in the crowd for whom this was a new experience. This band has an excellent catalogue of music with which to win over the naysayers. The set was blistering with the guitar work of Andy Sneap and Kev Bowers melting faces. Tracks from the last release, Curse And Chapter including Something Wicked This Way Comes and Land Of The Living Dead are now staples in the set along with the favourites from the first release, Human Remains including The Quest and the brilliant On Earth As It Is In Hell. Complimented by double Baphomet and huge Hell banner at the rear of the stage and an excellently balanced light show, Hell put on their usual energetic performance and by the end of their set had no doubt gained a few more followers. Dave Bowers continues to be one of the most entertaining frontmen in metal, with his thespian leanings adding to the theatrical delivery which enhances rather than distracts the performance whilst the bass and drums of Tony Speakman and Tim Bowler provide the most solid foundations. Like Orange Goblin, there is no such thing as a bad Hell show and I never tire of catching this superb British band in the live arena.

The set timings stated that Accept (10) would be on stage at 20:45 and surprise, surprise, at 20:45 Wolf Hoffmann and co hit the stage. Backed by an enormous raging bull backdrop, the cover of their recent Blind Rage album, the band opened at 100mph and didn't slow down for the next two hours. Stampede followed by Stalingrad had the crowd, by now a good deal healthier but nowhere near as full as this great band deserved, pumping their fists in the sky. In many ways, Accept are the quintessential heavy metal band. Their tracks are straightforward; they kick your ass and demand that you bang your head. With a back catalogue of excellent music, the band delivered one of the best sets I've ever witnessed at a gig. Old school tunes included the ridiculous London Leatherboys, Son Of A Bitch, Living For Tonite, Midnight Mover, the battering ram of Restless And Wild and a rare outing for Flash Rocking Man which got the place going crazy. Yes, Accept attract a lot of old school metal fans and when the band pulled some of the oldies out the reaction was superb.

Accept is not a band living on glory days of the past though and their also delivered a healthy portion of tracks from their last few albums, Blood Of The Nations, Stalingrad and Blind Rage. Guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes remain the heart and soul of the band, being the original members and they took centre stage for most of the evening including a ridiculous yet enjoyable bass vs guitar duel. Vocalist Mark Tornillo’s vocal delivery was perfect and he kept the in-between song patter to a minimum, allowing the music to do the talking. He cajoled and encouraged the crowd throughout, with a huge number of sing-a-longs and clapping. In fact, I'm completely out of “whooo’s” such was the participation. The band is completed by Christopher Williams and guitarist Uwe Lulis who both put in an excellent shift. It must have been difficult to fill the shoes of those who had gone before them but both musicians looked comfortable in their setting, with Lulis adding some very tasty solos and rhythm whilst Williams is a powerhouse of a drummer, utilising the double bass drums to maximum effect.

One of the great things about Accept is that their more recent material sits effortlessly alongside their classic works; Teutonic Terror, Pandemic, Beat The Bastards, Shadow Soldiers, Fall Of The Empire all featured and were received like old favourites. A magnificent Princess Of The Dawn, complete with synchronised moves moved the show along and all of a sudden it was time for another sing-a-long, this time to the opening bars of Ein Heller Und Ein Baten before the band hammered into Fast As A Shark. This track is just amazing and as the band blasted through it I remembered the reception it had in 1982; definitely one of the forerunners of the thrash movement, with the use of the double bass drums almost unique in those days (if you read Scott Ian’s autobiography he credits Fast As A Shark as being the track that started a generation). As the encores kicked in the atmosphere in the venue increased still further and a stunning Metal Heart raised the temperature again. Teutonic Terror and Son Of A Bitch led to the final track, inevitably Balls To The Wall but with the additional axe input of Andy Sneap. Three flying Vs on stage; cue magnificent poses and synchronised moves.( It was interesting to hear several different people of the way home referring to Sneap as “the guy from Hell”, oblivious to his other massive input into the world of metal via his excellent production skills). As the band closed the evening, I reflected on my first encounter with them, back in 1986 on the Russian Roulette tour. They were breath-taking then, but I’d have to say that this performance raised the bar even higher. Absolutely brilliant.