Marmozets: Knowing What We Know Now (Roadrunner)
A lot has happened since Marmozets debut record in 2014, since then they have evolved into an incendiary live act, played all over the world from small clubs to festival stages in very short period of time, much of this is due to their crossover appeal their music is drawn from the math rock genre but has a pop sensibility that sees them having been featured on BBC Radio 1, Kerrang and more 'metal' press such as Metal Hammer. On their second record they have expanded their sound even further, tighter musically, they start this second with the propulsive Play a song recently featured on WWE NXT: Takeover supershow, it's a blood pumping opener with a foot tapping riff and chorus that has more hooks than a butchers ceiling, it's a song that needs to be sung aloud and neatly moves into Habits which does the magical Marmozets trick of pairing technical riffs with a mainstream appeal.
The band are made up of two sets of siblings and this familial bond between the band has them all in perfect sync, the rhythm section of Josh MacIntyre and Will Bottomley have a telepathic link to the groove with Lost In Translation and the bouncing Like A Battery while Jack Bottomley and Sam Macintyre's guitars are angular on Major System Error, they are set to stun on Start Again and but they always have a fluid technicality shunning the normal chord structures for their math rock influenced heavy riffs, check out New Religion which brings a punk rock attitude but with a progressive base layer. What I've always loved about Marmozets both live and on record is the expressive, quirky vocals of Becca MacIntyre, she has a one of a kind voice which never seems to struggle, on the psychedelic Insomnia she's bewitching and unsettling, Meant To Be she screams like she's possessed but Me & You gives her a fragility.
Knowing What We Know Now reaffirms that this Bingley band are no one hit wonders, their debut was a breath of fresh air and while the musical landscape keeps evolving around them Marmozets seem to inhabit their own unique space where they continue to create interesting, engaging modern rock music. 9/10
Visigoth: Conquer's Oath (Metal Blade)
I'll admit I was already on the bandwagon when this album dropped on my desk at MoM towers, I'm a card carrying member of the Visigoth fan club, the patch that was included with their debut album is sewn proudly on my battle jacket and the album itself is played quite regularly. What do they sound like? I hear you ask well they are a broadsword wielding classic heavy metal band the Salt City Utah based act are representing everything that's fun about heavy metal, they don't attempt to reinvent the wheel they just pay homage to the legends of chest beating metal Cirith Ungol, Virgin Steele and Manowar, songs of war battles and brothers in arms set to galloping fingerstyle baselines, NWOBHM riffs and leather clad machismo.
Visigoth are a must have for Grand Magus fans sharing many similarities to the Swedish act even down to the tenor vocals of Jake Rodgers and the obsession with both hammers and steel. If you need more songs about Highlander (Outlive Them All), Boudicca (Warrior Queen) and Salt City itself (Salt City) then you need this album, with Virgin Steele and Cirith Ungol very sporadically making appearances and Manowar on their farewell tour the mantle of Warriors Of The World is still being carried by Grand Magus and Visigoth, buy Conquer's Oath, play it loud and worship the steel and silver! 9/10
Metaprism: Catalyst To Awakening (Graviton Music Services)
Since their debut album Bournemouth band Metaprism have changed one of their two vocalists with Joey Draper stepping into the role alongside founding member Theresa Smith. Their vocal interplay is a crucial part of the Metaprism magic, Theresa vocals are the beating heart of this band she soars above the ruthlessly aggressive musical backing of Ollie, Callum, James and Matt who peel off riff after riff of melodic modern metal that has touches of thrash, death, groove bringing heaviness at every turn. Joey's contribution can't be understated though much like his predecessor he compliments Theresa with his booming cleans and adds polarity with his growls.
The record brings everything they established on their EP and debut full length and brings it to a powerful continuation, from the opening synths of intro The Awakening, the tough grooves, virtuosic playing power Unleash The Fire which is definite single, due to it's colossal chorus, it gets heavier with the two part track Anomalous which features the excellent lyric "There's a conurbation forming", whether the song is about Birmingham is yet to be confirmed but it's a great mini-concept in the middle of this already intense record, what I love about Metaprism is their commitment to play as heavily as possible but pack their songs full of hooks which brings them broader appeal, even with a song such as Aftermath they keep up the volume though the lyrics become more romantic. Wake up and smell the metal Metaprism are the flag bearers for modern metal in the UK. 8/10
Sam Russell: Impetuous Desire (Danneskjöld Records)
Sam Russell is a neoclassical guitarist from London, for his debut record he could have taken the well trodden road of a record full of double tapping and arpeggio'd instrumental tracks. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that and for guitar fans these albums act as inspiration for their musical education as well as an enjoyment of their preferred instrument. Sam has gone another way by recruiting a real drummer, Jason Bowld (BFMV) rather that relying on computers, he also brought in Jacqueline Philips to contribute cello to the beautiful cleanly played instrumental Longing adding another dimension to the song.
With the instrumentals sorted he brought in New Device singer Dan Leigh who adds his melodic voice to the all but four of the tracks, I've always maintained he's a great singer and here he has a chance to shine on a project a bit heavier than his normal band, taking over the mic on the romantic ballad Leigh Woods is Metal Queen Doro Pesch, it's the slowest song on the record and takes it into AOR territory it's a dalliance that's quickly forgotten, with the classic metal sounds of The Darkest Night and then Fire, Desire which is thundering slice of black metal featuring little known Canadian singer Ryan Muller rasping away.
With three quality vocalists, Sam has focussed on songwriting over displaying his obvious technical prowess but he does occasionally let loose the dogs of war with his shredding soloing action. Impetuous Desire is a pretty solid metal album from a solo guitar player with aspirations of being a band. 7/10
Friday, 9 February 2018
Thursday, 8 February 2018
Reviews: Mike LePond's Silent Assassins, Armored Dawn, Corrupt Moral Altar, Ocean Of Grief (Reviews By Rich)
Mike LePond’s Silent Assassins: Pawn And Prophecy (Frontiers Records)
Pawn And Prophecy is the second album by Mike Lepond’s Silent Assassins which is the side project of the Symphony X bassist. He is ably assisted by vocalist Alan Tecchio of Hades and Watchtower with Symphony X bandmate Michael Romeo providing keyboards and drum programming. Guitars are handled by Lance Barnewold and Rod Rivera. Anyone expecting this to be a progressive metalfest in the line of Mike’s primary band Symphony X be prepared to have your head kicked in by a barrage of absolute balls out heavy fucking metal. From the moment you hit play you are hit by a barrage of heavy metal thunder with crunching riffs, flashy basslines and the force of nature that are the vocals of Alan Tecchio. This guy has one hell of a set of pipes on him with a voice that is equally melodic and aggressive.
Pawn And Prophecy is the second album by Mike Lepond’s Silent Assassins which is the side project of the Symphony X bassist. He is ably assisted by vocalist Alan Tecchio of Hades and Watchtower with Symphony X bandmate Michael Romeo providing keyboards and drum programming. Guitars are handled by Lance Barnewold and Rod Rivera. Anyone expecting this to be a progressive metalfest in the line of Mike’s primary band Symphony X be prepared to have your head kicked in by a barrage of absolute balls out heavy fucking metal. From the moment you hit play you are hit by a barrage of heavy metal thunder with crunching riffs, flashy basslines and the force of nature that are the vocals of Alan Tecchio. This guy has one hell of a set of pipes on him with a voice that is equally melodic and aggressive.
The majority of the songs on the album are in a traditional heavy metal vein with influences from power metal but everything cranked up to 11. Songs such as Masters Of The Hall, Black Legend and my personal favourite Avengers Of Eden are such a perfect celebration about everything that is fantastic about heavy metal. I listened to the album on the bus home from work and it was very difficult to sit still and resist the urge to headbang wildly. The last couple of songs on the album are the curveballs.
The Mulberry Tree is a folky acoustic tune whilst the twenty one minute long closing title track is a sheer epic centred around the story of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It features a plethora of guest vocalists and more stylistic changes throughout than you can count from the expected heavy metal and power metal influences to blues, folk, funk and jazz. It’s the only song on the album I felt was a letdown as it was way too self indulgent. Overall this is a fantastic album which 100% appeal to traditional heavy metal and power metal fans. 8/10
Armored Dawn: Barbarians In Black 9AFM Records)
The run of incredible power metal albums released in 2018 continues with the stunning second album by Brazilian power metallers Armored Dawn. The album is titled Barbarians In Black and is due to be released through AFM Records where I’m sure it will be making a huge splash on release. Armored Dawn have already gained a huge following in South America and now is the time for the rest of the world to follow. With Barbarians In Black, Armored Dawn haven’t released just a straight forward power metal album. There are also influences from traditional heavy metal and modern melodic death metal in the music which gives the album a very contemporary yet classic sound.
Armored Dawn: Barbarians In Black 9AFM Records)
The run of incredible power metal albums released in 2018 continues with the stunning second album by Brazilian power metallers Armored Dawn. The album is titled Barbarians In Black and is due to be released through AFM Records where I’m sure it will be making a huge splash on release. Armored Dawn have already gained a huge following in South America and now is the time for the rest of the world to follow. With Barbarians In Black, Armored Dawn haven’t released just a straight forward power metal album. There are also influences from traditional heavy metal and modern melodic death metal in the music which gives the album a very contemporary yet classic sound.
Contemporary power metal bands such as Sabaton and Bloodbound definitely have an influence especially with the epic use of keyboards throughout the album and the restrained yet melodic vocals of frontman Eduardo Parras. The performances by the rest of the band also impress with some fantastic riffs, gorgeous guitar solos and a effectively pounding rhythm section. The songs on the album are all earworms with ridiculously catchy choruses with particular stand outs being Chance To Live Again, Men Of Odin and the already released single Sail Away. Only one month in and 2018 is really proving itself to be the year of power metal and with such a brilliant album as Barbarians In Black, Armored Dawn are definitely going to be getting themselves noticed and on stages around the globe later on in the year. An absolutely cracking release. 9/10
Corrupt Moral Altar: Eunoia (Self Released)
Eunoia is the second album by Liverpool grinders Corrupt Moral Altar and is Greek for beautiful thinking. A strange title as this is one album full of ugly music. Eunoia follows on from the sludgy grindcore of debut album Mechanical Tides but takes everything into more extreme territory. This is a sharper, faster and nastier album with more riff changes than can possibly be counted. Unlike a lot of grind albums which are full of blast ridden songs under a minute the songs on Eunoia are given an average duration of 3 minutes which gives the songs more time to breathe and gain their own identity from the punk inspired Burning Bridges And Burning Homes, the death metal influenced Night Chant and the more sludgy tunes such as Rat King and Five Years.
Corrupt Moral Altar: Eunoia (Self Released)
Eunoia is the second album by Liverpool grinders Corrupt Moral Altar and is Greek for beautiful thinking. A strange title as this is one album full of ugly music. Eunoia follows on from the sludgy grindcore of debut album Mechanical Tides but takes everything into more extreme territory. This is a sharper, faster and nastier album with more riff changes than can possibly be counted. Unlike a lot of grind albums which are full of blast ridden songs under a minute the songs on Eunoia are given an average duration of 3 minutes which gives the songs more time to breathe and gain their own identity from the punk inspired Burning Bridges And Burning Homes, the death metal influenced Night Chant and the more sludgy tunes such as Rat King and Five Years.
As well as the barrage of riffs unleashed upon the listener special mention must go to vocalist Chris Reese whose throat shredding screams sound like a man possessed. This is a very good release mixing grindcore, hardcore punk and sludge metal into one big ball of nastiness which will appeal to those who like their music violent. It’s definitely not recommended for the faint hearted. 7/10
Ocean Of Grief: Nightfall’s Lament ( Sepulchral Silence
On these dark and cold winter evenings I find it’s nice to listen to something bleak and melancholic and Ocean Of Grief are the perfect band for such a night. Nightfall’s Lament is the debut album by the Greek band and it’s an extremely strong debut album for a young band who have only been in existence for four years but with the professional and mature sound on this record sound like they have been playing together for decades. The band musically perform the more melodic end of death doom metal taking cues from influential acts such as Swallow The Sun, Enshine, October Tide and early Katatonia. You have crushing doom-laden riffs and strong forlorn melodies full of melancholy complimented by the tortured guttural vocals of frontman Charalabos Oikonomopoulos.
Ocean Of Grief: Nightfall’s Lament ( Sepulchral Silence
On these dark and cold winter evenings I find it’s nice to listen to something bleak and melancholic and Ocean Of Grief are the perfect band for such a night. Nightfall’s Lament is the debut album by the Greek band and it’s an extremely strong debut album for a young band who have only been in existence for four years but with the professional and mature sound on this record sound like they have been playing together for decades. The band musically perform the more melodic end of death doom metal taking cues from influential acts such as Swallow The Sun, Enshine, October Tide and early Katatonia. You have crushing doom-laden riffs and strong forlorn melodies full of melancholy complimented by the tortured guttural vocals of frontman Charalabos Oikonomopoulos.
None of the songs on the album outstay their welcome with the average duration being between 6-7 minutes and the album’s entire duration sits at a comfortable 46 minutes. Particular song highlights include In Bleakness, Painting My Sorrow and Mourning Over Memories. There are plenty of bands performing this style of metal but Ocean Of Grief have shown astounding maturity and creativity for a debut album. If you enjoy your metal with plenty of misery and melancholy then you can do no wrong with this album. 8/10
Wednesday, 7 February 2018
A View From The Back Of The Room: Raveneye (Live Review By Paul)
Raveneye, Skam and Dead Shed Jokers, The Globe, Cardiff
Sometimes gigs just feel a little flat. Maybe it was because this was a Monday evening, maybe it was because the audience in a half-full Globe insisted in talking loudly throughout the gig to the point where it was hard to hear the inter-song chat of the bands or maybe it was because Raveneye have created a buzz which they strain to meet on occasions.
Highlight of the evening for me was opening act The Dead Shed Jokers (8). I’d seen the Aberdare/Merthyr outfit before, but tonight they pushed the envelope. Although the majority of those in The Globe had little knowledge about the band, it was still a brave move to fill their opening slot completely with new songs from an album not yet released. As it was, it proved to be a masterful decision with the new tracks soaked in old school Zeppelin, The Doors and The Stones. With the three guitarists swapping places more often than the Liverpool forward line and Hywel’s deadpan humour between songs bringing some much-needed laughter, focus remained on the quality of the music which was delivered with a swagger and confidence. Album number 3 should be good.
Leicester’s SKAM (7) were main support and they treated the slot with the respect it deserved. The trio hit hard and although their music is radio friendly, it certainly is listenable. The band are watchable too, with the gurning of bassist Matt Gilmore addictive as he raced back and fore; dare I say with more energy than Adam Spiers? Steve Hill can hold a note and his clean vocals were aided by a decent sound. His guitar work is slightly more restricted, possibly on purpose given the virtuoso who was to follow but it didn’t detract. Playing a collection of old favourites and new tracks from their bizarre concept release The Amazing Memoirs Of Geoffrey Goddard, the slightly larger crowd responded with roars of approval to Holy City, the Planet Rock favourite Take It Or Leave It and closing track Massacre, complete with snippets of War Pigs and a riff similar to the Beastie’s Sabotage. A cheap shot which got the crowd excited, once again proving that cover bands will always be welcomed in South Wales.
I’ve seen headliners Raveneye (8) several times, including the memorable outdoor bash at Steelhouse when the heavens opened, and the band played in a downpour. No such climate drama this time, but a slight move towards Airbourne in style at times, especially from hyperactive drummer Adam Breeze who is turning into Lars Ulrich in capacity for getting up and down all the bloody time! For a three piece there is always action on the stage and with Spiers careering round and round, there was more than one near miss with vocalist and guitarist Oli Brown. The band tore through a set filled with classics, astonishing considering they have one album and an EP to their name. Come With Me got the crowd singing, plenty of jumps from the bass drum as the evening went on and the customary wander through the crowd with Brown on Spiers’ shoulders eased considerably by the space on the floor.
A couple of new songs were also aired, and they appeared okay, slotting in with the rest of the set although time will tell of course. Three quarters of the way through the set, and with several of the crowd deciding it was time to leave, I wondered why that was. Raveneye never give less than 100%. They have a high tempo approach that leaves you breathless just watching. But tonight, they seemed to be pushing harder than necessary to make a natural thing happen by force. It wasn’t poor, in fact in comparison to many bands it was red hot, but there was something missing. The acoustic Eternity, with all three members on guitars was marred by the gibbering of idiots who refused to be quiet, and although the band ended on a high, there was still something missing. Maybe my previous experiences set the bar too high. Next time, I’m sure it’ll be storming again.
Sometimes gigs just feel a little flat. Maybe it was because this was a Monday evening, maybe it was because the audience in a half-full Globe insisted in talking loudly throughout the gig to the point where it was hard to hear the inter-song chat of the bands or maybe it was because Raveneye have created a buzz which they strain to meet on occasions.
Highlight of the evening for me was opening act The Dead Shed Jokers (8). I’d seen the Aberdare/Merthyr outfit before, but tonight they pushed the envelope. Although the majority of those in The Globe had little knowledge about the band, it was still a brave move to fill their opening slot completely with new songs from an album not yet released. As it was, it proved to be a masterful decision with the new tracks soaked in old school Zeppelin, The Doors and The Stones. With the three guitarists swapping places more often than the Liverpool forward line and Hywel’s deadpan humour between songs bringing some much-needed laughter, focus remained on the quality of the music which was delivered with a swagger and confidence. Album number 3 should be good.
Leicester’s SKAM (7) were main support and they treated the slot with the respect it deserved. The trio hit hard and although their music is radio friendly, it certainly is listenable. The band are watchable too, with the gurning of bassist Matt Gilmore addictive as he raced back and fore; dare I say with more energy than Adam Spiers? Steve Hill can hold a note and his clean vocals were aided by a decent sound. His guitar work is slightly more restricted, possibly on purpose given the virtuoso who was to follow but it didn’t detract. Playing a collection of old favourites and new tracks from their bizarre concept release The Amazing Memoirs Of Geoffrey Goddard, the slightly larger crowd responded with roars of approval to Holy City, the Planet Rock favourite Take It Or Leave It and closing track Massacre, complete with snippets of War Pigs and a riff similar to the Beastie’s Sabotage. A cheap shot which got the crowd excited, once again proving that cover bands will always be welcomed in South Wales.
I’ve seen headliners Raveneye (8) several times, including the memorable outdoor bash at Steelhouse when the heavens opened, and the band played in a downpour. No such climate drama this time, but a slight move towards Airbourne in style at times, especially from hyperactive drummer Adam Breeze who is turning into Lars Ulrich in capacity for getting up and down all the bloody time! For a three piece there is always action on the stage and with Spiers careering round and round, there was more than one near miss with vocalist and guitarist Oli Brown. The band tore through a set filled with classics, astonishing considering they have one album and an EP to their name. Come With Me got the crowd singing, plenty of jumps from the bass drum as the evening went on and the customary wander through the crowd with Brown on Spiers’ shoulders eased considerably by the space on the floor.
A couple of new songs were also aired, and they appeared okay, slotting in with the rest of the set although time will tell of course. Three quarters of the way through the set, and with several of the crowd deciding it was time to leave, I wondered why that was. Raveneye never give less than 100%. They have a high tempo approach that leaves you breathless just watching. But tonight, they seemed to be pushing harder than necessary to make a natural thing happen by force. It wasn’t poor, in fact in comparison to many bands it was red hot, but there was something missing. The acoustic Eternity, with all three members on guitars was marred by the gibbering of idiots who refused to be quiet, and although the band ended on a high, there was still something missing. Maybe my previous experiences set the bar too high. Next time, I’m sure it’ll be storming again.
The Spotlight: Interview With Michale Graves (Interview By Elizabeth Phillips)
Interview with Michale Graves, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff
Our friend Liz got to do an interview with her teenage idol Michale Graves at Fuel Rock Club just before his first sold out gig at the venue.
MG: You'll have to speak up a little as I'm getting old and my hearing really is not the best.
MoM: Weren't you like 19 when you joined the Misfits?
MG: I was essentially 20, I auditioned for them on the eve of my 20th Birthday.
MoM: Pretty good way to end your teens, the reason why I'm doing this is because your voice is the soundtrack to my teenage years. So it's incredible for me to be sitting here.
MG: I hear that alot and it's very impactful even now, I remember my teenage years and I remeber how music and things like that got me through and how important it was
MoM: When i would listen to it I would feel a protection around me, Scream especially reminds me of my final day in high school.You were saying about emotion and the one thing I've noticed is that a lot of your work is very emotional very romantic does that inspire you? Are you a hopeless romantic?
MG: Yeah I am a hopeless romantic, which is both good and bad for me
MoM: Do you ever get writers block?
MG: I think so yeah, I get writers block when, if you'll forgive me, my flesh wants to write but my soul doens't have anything so my brain just tells me I can't write anymore, so I need to mesh to get that out, soemtimes you just have to wait for creativity to strike
MoM: I know that you've worked with Marky Ramone and Peter Steele, who's the most interesting person or the person you've learnt the most from?
MG: Dave Mustaine alkways come to mind, he was at an interesting part of his life and career and so was and I was a young man, when Dave and I were able to hang out we would have these conversations that really revealed things that had an increible impact on my young mind and where I was at that age, he was like a Yoda figure, the way he acted with other people was different to the way he acted with other people which made me feel special.
MoMs: Are you working on and album at the moment?
MG: No, no I'm not, I've written so much that I think it's time I focus on performing, their are songs I've forgotten I've written and I don't get really concentrate on them until I feel I need to. In a way I am working on new material and when I'm back as myself at home all of these experiences will resonate and I'll create through that.
MoM: Have you seen much of Wales?
MG: No we haven't seen anyhting yet, but we are hoping to when we come back at the end of the week to see some stuff
MoM: Well when you come back I'll take you up to Castell Coch which is like a castle in the woods on a hill
MG: That's great I love it, that would be really great, thank you.
MoM: Final question is a strange one as we're from Wales and there are more sheep than people what is your favourite sheep?
MG: The Llanwenog sheep I like the three of them together
MoM: Thank you very much for your time
MG: No problem at all, that was great conversation, thanks
Our friend Liz got to do an interview with her teenage idol Michale Graves at Fuel Rock Club just before his first sold out gig at the venue.
MG: You'll have to speak up a little as I'm getting old and my hearing really is not the best.
MoM: Weren't you like 19 when you joined the Misfits?
MG: I was essentially 20, I auditioned for them on the eve of my 20th Birthday.
MoM: Pretty good way to end your teens, the reason why I'm doing this is because your voice is the soundtrack to my teenage years. So it's incredible for me to be sitting here.
MG: I hear that alot and it's very impactful even now, I remember my teenage years and I remeber how music and things like that got me through and how important it was
MoM: When i would listen to it I would feel a protection around me, Scream especially reminds me of my final day in high school.You were saying about emotion and the one thing I've noticed is that a lot of your work is very emotional very romantic does that inspire you? Are you a hopeless romantic?
MG: Yeah I am a hopeless romantic, which is both good and bad for me
MoM: Do you ever get writers block?
MG: I think so yeah, I get writers block when, if you'll forgive me, my flesh wants to write but my soul doens't have anything so my brain just tells me I can't write anymore, so I need to mesh to get that out, soemtimes you just have to wait for creativity to strike
MoM: I know that you've worked with Marky Ramone and Peter Steele, who's the most interesting person or the person you've learnt the most from?
MG: Dave Mustaine alkways come to mind, he was at an interesting part of his life and career and so was and I was a young man, when Dave and I were able to hang out we would have these conversations that really revealed things that had an increible impact on my young mind and where I was at that age, he was like a Yoda figure, the way he acted with other people was different to the way he acted with other people which made me feel special.
MoMs: Are you working on and album at the moment?
MG: No, no I'm not, I've written so much that I think it's time I focus on performing, their are songs I've forgotten I've written and I don't get really concentrate on them until I feel I need to. In a way I am working on new material and when I'm back as myself at home all of these experiences will resonate and I'll create through that.
MoM: Have you seen much of Wales?
MG: No we haven't seen anyhting yet, but we are hoping to when we come back at the end of the week to see some stuff
MoM: Well when you come back I'll take you up to Castell Coch which is like a castle in the woods on a hill
MG: That's great I love it, that would be really great, thank you.
MoM: Final question is a strange one as we're from Wales and there are more sheep than people what is your favourite sheep?
MG: The Llanwenog sheep I like the three of them together
MoM: Thank you very much for your time
MG: No problem at all, that was great conversation, thanks
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
Reviews: Painted Black, Blood Red Saints, The King Lot, Desolate Pathway (Reviews By Paul)
Painted Black: Raging Light (WormHole Death Records)
Painted Black, the Portuguese quintet who released their debut album in 2010, deliver their latest opus which is a confident, eclectic and mature hour of lengthy, intricate death and doom melancholy which immediately provides the listener with comparisons with Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Swallow The Sun. Three years since their Quarto Vazio EP, Raging Light is a contrast of twists and conflicting moods, with progressive undertones which spar with heavier and more base instincts to superb effect. Crammed full of shade and light, crushingly heavy mixing with a fragility which also brings German maestros Ahab to mind, the title track and the following Dead Time both capture the attention immediately.
The guitar work of Luís Fazendeiro and Gonçalo Sousa is elegant and at times stunning, underpinned by a solid rhythm section. Vocalist Daniel Lucas has an impressive range, wandering between furious death metal roar and the heartfelt, clean melodies, which drip with sorrow and melancholy. Each track contains something different whilst retaining the essence of the band and the astonishing closing Almagast, a 17-minute behemoth of a track, is just stunning. 8/10
Blood Red Saints: Love Hate Conspiracies (NEH Records)
Newcomers to the AOR scene, (as a band although they are all veterans of the scene) British outfit Blood Red Saints have put together a rather neat release. Crammed full of the melodic rock that is more polished than my forehead, this is a classy release which will go down superbly well at HRH AOR. With perfectly crafted harmonies, and the vocals of Pete Godfrey providing a cross between Jon Bon Jovi and Steve Overland, every track just ticks the AOR boxes. It’s smooth, stylish and doesn’t overdo it. The power ballad Wake Up hits the spot, whilst pacier rockers like opener Another Freak allow the harder edge of the band to cut through. At 48 minutes it might be a little too long, but other than that if you like your rock with a poodle perm, faded denims and the best of Def Leppard is in your album collection, this is for you. 7/10
The King Lot: A World Without Evil (Crown Jewels Records)
This is the sophomore release from Scots The King Lot. The band’s sound is centred in the hard-melodic rock category, with their clean vocals and melodious harmonies combining with radio friendly tracks. The band are a three-piece and make a decent noise for their number, certainly with the fluidity and polish of bands with many more members. It’s not ground breaking or remarkable but if you enjoy music that has a poppy undercurrent but also adds a little steel then this may be of interest. Jay Moir makes a decent debut on guitar and vocals whilst Jason Sweeney and Chris Gillon provide the supportive rhythm section. The songs range from the impressive title track through to the Bon Jovi saccharine coated All I Want, the sleazier Lonely and the traditional melodic blueprint of Hearts On Fire. These guys appear live at Fuel on 16 Feb and at HRH AOR a few days later. 6/10
Desolate Pathway: Valley Of The King (WormholeDeath Records)
This is a re-release of the 2014 debut from Desolate Pathway, the project formed by Pagan Altar’s Vince Hempsted. A classic British heavy doom release, the album is full of melancholic riffs, thunderous drums and a haunted vocal reminiscent of the early works of Swedish Doom fathers Candlemass. With themes of fantasy, magic and adventure, Desolate Pathway take the best of Candlemass, Queensryche, Iced Earth and Manowar and meld them into a majestic opus that at times is crushingly heavy. The title track sets out the stall impressively and the stomp of Forest Of Mirrors conjures up the image of being lost amidst curtains of green nestled within vast mountain ranges. Supported by drummer Mags and bassist Jaeme Somerville, Hempsted created a perfect release full of imagery which most metal fans love. Season Of The Witch and the epic Last Of My Kind (The Ring Keeper) certainly hit the spot whilst the Sabbath pounding of King Of Vultures is immense. Stunning work. 8/10
Painted Black, the Portuguese quintet who released their debut album in 2010, deliver their latest opus which is a confident, eclectic and mature hour of lengthy, intricate death and doom melancholy which immediately provides the listener with comparisons with Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Swallow The Sun. Three years since their Quarto Vazio EP, Raging Light is a contrast of twists and conflicting moods, with progressive undertones which spar with heavier and more base instincts to superb effect. Crammed full of shade and light, crushingly heavy mixing with a fragility which also brings German maestros Ahab to mind, the title track and the following Dead Time both capture the attention immediately.
The guitar work of Luís Fazendeiro and Gonçalo Sousa is elegant and at times stunning, underpinned by a solid rhythm section. Vocalist Daniel Lucas has an impressive range, wandering between furious death metal roar and the heartfelt, clean melodies, which drip with sorrow and melancholy. Each track contains something different whilst retaining the essence of the band and the astonishing closing Almagast, a 17-minute behemoth of a track, is just stunning. 8/10
Blood Red Saints: Love Hate Conspiracies (NEH Records)
Newcomers to the AOR scene, (as a band although they are all veterans of the scene) British outfit Blood Red Saints have put together a rather neat release. Crammed full of the melodic rock that is more polished than my forehead, this is a classy release which will go down superbly well at HRH AOR. With perfectly crafted harmonies, and the vocals of Pete Godfrey providing a cross between Jon Bon Jovi and Steve Overland, every track just ticks the AOR boxes. It’s smooth, stylish and doesn’t overdo it. The power ballad Wake Up hits the spot, whilst pacier rockers like opener Another Freak allow the harder edge of the band to cut through. At 48 minutes it might be a little too long, but other than that if you like your rock with a poodle perm, faded denims and the best of Def Leppard is in your album collection, this is for you. 7/10
The King Lot: A World Without Evil (Crown Jewels Records)
This is the sophomore release from Scots The King Lot. The band’s sound is centred in the hard-melodic rock category, with their clean vocals and melodious harmonies combining with radio friendly tracks. The band are a three-piece and make a decent noise for their number, certainly with the fluidity and polish of bands with many more members. It’s not ground breaking or remarkable but if you enjoy music that has a poppy undercurrent but also adds a little steel then this may be of interest. Jay Moir makes a decent debut on guitar and vocals whilst Jason Sweeney and Chris Gillon provide the supportive rhythm section. The songs range from the impressive title track through to the Bon Jovi saccharine coated All I Want, the sleazier Lonely and the traditional melodic blueprint of Hearts On Fire. These guys appear live at Fuel on 16 Feb and at HRH AOR a few days later. 6/10
Desolate Pathway: Valley Of The King (WormholeDeath Records)
This is a re-release of the 2014 debut from Desolate Pathway, the project formed by Pagan Altar’s Vince Hempsted. A classic British heavy doom release, the album is full of melancholic riffs, thunderous drums and a haunted vocal reminiscent of the early works of Swedish Doom fathers Candlemass. With themes of fantasy, magic and adventure, Desolate Pathway take the best of Candlemass, Queensryche, Iced Earth and Manowar and meld them into a majestic opus that at times is crushingly heavy. The title track sets out the stall impressively and the stomp of Forest Of Mirrors conjures up the image of being lost amidst curtains of green nestled within vast mountain ranges. Supported by drummer Mags and bassist Jaeme Somerville, Hempsted created a perfect release full of imagery which most metal fans love. Season Of The Witch and the epic Last Of My Kind (The Ring Keeper) certainly hit the spot whilst the Sabbath pounding of King Of Vultures is immense. Stunning work. 8/10
Reviews: Venom Prison, Stone Leaders, Purest Of Pain, Death Keepers
Venom Prison: Animus - Deluxe Edition (Prosthetic Records)
Animus the debut album from Cardiff based extreme metal band Venom Prison was first released in late 2016 and since then Venom Prison have gone on to have major festival appearances at Download and on the main stage at Bloodstock, they have won ‘Best New Band’ at the 2017 Metal Hammer UK Awards and toured with Suicide Silence and Aversions Crown, Gorguts and Fallujah, on top of that their take-no-prisoners attitude to sexism, fascism and general injustice has seen them become flag bearers for those with liberal sensibilities showing that music is the best form of protest. Their debut covers subjects such as social Darwinism, misogyny, rape culture and the rejection of religion and even in this repacked form has enough bile and aggression to make you sit up and take notice, the album has been re-released to coincide with Venom Prison's support slot on Trivium's European tour along with Power Trip (and Code Orange in the UK).
The Deluxe Edition of this album comes with 5 bonus live tracks, including live favourite Babylon The Whore, taken from their debut EP as recorded on their Sacrificial Summer tour in August 2017. They really do a lot to capture the absolute primal aggression this band have while performing live, having seen them do their stuff on a stage (and also I've been told about their now legendary 'house party' gig) these live tracks capture the sonic assault but as for the visual one you'll have to imagine that yourself. The album itself has not changed, their is no need for a remaster or remix as the original was tweaked to the point of pain gripping your throat tightly from the opening distortion Syllogism which has a bass and drum thump that is dynamited out of your memory as Abysmal Agony beats you to a pulp with a barrage of riffs and Larissa Stupar's ultra-violent vocals.
From here there's not a moment wasted for a riff, breakdown, lead break or a chance to get the head banging, fist pumping or the hair windmilling. Venom Prison have taken an old school route to their death metal sound Animus is an unshakeably aggressive record based upon the early days of death metal, there's nothing core or melodic here just nasty, snarling death metal that bears it's teeth at anything in it's past. If you missed out on the record the first time round do yourself a favour and pick up the deluxe edition, then see this band live! 9/10
Stone Leaders: Stone Leaders (Self Released)
If you saw the name Stone Leaders you'd probably be expecting some Southern swagger and a bit of blues rocking. You know some meat to go with your potatoes? However Stone Leaders are a complicated dish, it's Heston Blumenthal in musical form with a progressive prowess that anyone who has heard Haken would recognise but also a metallic toughness associated with Dream Theater or Symphony X. They are one of these bands that don't need long winded songs either as Shot By Lies brings, choppy ever changing riffs, swirling Jon Lord organs and even some funk to proceedings, like Haken they enjoy experimenting with the boundaries of the genre, while Box Of Time is a riff centric hard rocker, Toxic Guide is a well executed ballad that has drama, pathos but also full of technical wizardry.
In the last third of the album this Croatian band turn themselves into a more modern, almost psychedelic act with Seeker and Gravity both adding some Leprous-like percussive complexity, repetitive crackling guitar riffs and buzzing sequenced synth. This record was such a surprise that I had to re-listen to it a few times, I was expecting tough gritty swap riffs and what I got was a prog album that evolves as it moves through 12 tracks, yes there is a little sag in the middle (sometimes in progressive music fatigue can set in) but I really enjoyed this record, from top to bottom it's wonderfully performed, well crafted and vividly produced to make for a pleasing listening experience. 9/10
Purest Of Pain: Solipsis (Self Released)
Many of you may have seen guitarist Merel Bechtold jumping around on stage with Dutch symphonic metal act Delain, she is one of the most recent members of that band but aside from the bouncy metal of Delain she clearly has a darker side as this debut from her other band Purest Of Pain shows, if you want the anthemic joyous pomp of Delain look elsewhere as Solipsis, their debut record, takes its cues from the Gothenburg scene with At The Gates, Soilwork both mentioned in the press along with Arch Enemy and Children Of Bodom. The guitar playing of Bechtold and Michael van Eck is truly a homage to that golden age of Swedish melo-death with thrashy riffs combining with breakdowns as chunky as a Yorkie and lead flourishes that add technicality, pair this with groove-laden bass from Frank van Leeuwen and double kick drums on steroids from Joey de Boer (also Delain).
At 14 songs this album may be a little too long for some listeners especially towards the end with one or two of the songs getting a bit bloated and samey, however after a seven year gestation period you can't blame them for trying to get as many songs on here as possible and for the majority of the record the songs whizz past in flurry of complex heaviness and melodic emotion, a real D.I.Y effort the album was produced and written by Bechtold (although E.M.D.R was written by van Eck), the lyrics came from vocalist J.D Kaye who has monstrous screams and a deep baritone clean and van Leeuwen designed the artwork. Solipsis is a particularly engaging melo-death record that really knows how to balance the beauty and the brutality, if the most recent In Flames albums have left you cold check out Purest Of Pain for your fix. 8/10
Death Keepers: Rock This World (Fighter Records)
Now it's time for muscular metallic hard rock from Barcelona, Death Keepers are what would happen if Hammerfall played early Bon Jovi, it's heavy metal from the glory days of 80's metal bringing in NWOBHM, sleaze and glam metal for one big retro revival. The trouble is Death Keepers aren't that good, the songs are very generic, Fire Angel especially goes on and on and on (also for pronunciation fans it'll be hell), but the most of it is run of the mill stuff, there's very little much I can say about this to be honest it really didn't do much for me, there's no bad playing involved that's all perfectly competent but nothing really jumps out at you. 5/10
Animus the debut album from Cardiff based extreme metal band Venom Prison was first released in late 2016 and since then Venom Prison have gone on to have major festival appearances at Download and on the main stage at Bloodstock, they have won ‘Best New Band’ at the 2017 Metal Hammer UK Awards and toured with Suicide Silence and Aversions Crown, Gorguts and Fallujah, on top of that their take-no-prisoners attitude to sexism, fascism and general injustice has seen them become flag bearers for those with liberal sensibilities showing that music is the best form of protest. Their debut covers subjects such as social Darwinism, misogyny, rape culture and the rejection of religion and even in this repacked form has enough bile and aggression to make you sit up and take notice, the album has been re-released to coincide with Venom Prison's support slot on Trivium's European tour along with Power Trip (and Code Orange in the UK).
The Deluxe Edition of this album comes with 5 bonus live tracks, including live favourite Babylon The Whore, taken from their debut EP as recorded on their Sacrificial Summer tour in August 2017. They really do a lot to capture the absolute primal aggression this band have while performing live, having seen them do their stuff on a stage (and also I've been told about their now legendary 'house party' gig) these live tracks capture the sonic assault but as for the visual one you'll have to imagine that yourself. The album itself has not changed, their is no need for a remaster or remix as the original was tweaked to the point of pain gripping your throat tightly from the opening distortion Syllogism which has a bass and drum thump that is dynamited out of your memory as Abysmal Agony beats you to a pulp with a barrage of riffs and Larissa Stupar's ultra-violent vocals.
From here there's not a moment wasted for a riff, breakdown, lead break or a chance to get the head banging, fist pumping or the hair windmilling. Venom Prison have taken an old school route to their death metal sound Animus is an unshakeably aggressive record based upon the early days of death metal, there's nothing core or melodic here just nasty, snarling death metal that bears it's teeth at anything in it's past. If you missed out on the record the first time round do yourself a favour and pick up the deluxe edition, then see this band live! 9/10
Stone Leaders: Stone Leaders (Self Released)
If you saw the name Stone Leaders you'd probably be expecting some Southern swagger and a bit of blues rocking. You know some meat to go with your potatoes? However Stone Leaders are a complicated dish, it's Heston Blumenthal in musical form with a progressive prowess that anyone who has heard Haken would recognise but also a metallic toughness associated with Dream Theater or Symphony X. They are one of these bands that don't need long winded songs either as Shot By Lies brings, choppy ever changing riffs, swirling Jon Lord organs and even some funk to proceedings, like Haken they enjoy experimenting with the boundaries of the genre, while Box Of Time is a riff centric hard rocker, Toxic Guide is a well executed ballad that has drama, pathos but also full of technical wizardry.
In the last third of the album this Croatian band turn themselves into a more modern, almost psychedelic act with Seeker and Gravity both adding some Leprous-like percussive complexity, repetitive crackling guitar riffs and buzzing sequenced synth. This record was such a surprise that I had to re-listen to it a few times, I was expecting tough gritty swap riffs and what I got was a prog album that evolves as it moves through 12 tracks, yes there is a little sag in the middle (sometimes in progressive music fatigue can set in) but I really enjoyed this record, from top to bottom it's wonderfully performed, well crafted and vividly produced to make for a pleasing listening experience. 9/10
Purest Of Pain: Solipsis (Self Released)
Many of you may have seen guitarist Merel Bechtold jumping around on stage with Dutch symphonic metal act Delain, she is one of the most recent members of that band but aside from the bouncy metal of Delain she clearly has a darker side as this debut from her other band Purest Of Pain shows, if you want the anthemic joyous pomp of Delain look elsewhere as Solipsis, their debut record, takes its cues from the Gothenburg scene with At The Gates, Soilwork both mentioned in the press along with Arch Enemy and Children Of Bodom. The guitar playing of Bechtold and Michael van Eck is truly a homage to that golden age of Swedish melo-death with thrashy riffs combining with breakdowns as chunky as a Yorkie and lead flourishes that add technicality, pair this with groove-laden bass from Frank van Leeuwen and double kick drums on steroids from Joey de Boer (also Delain).
At 14 songs this album may be a little too long for some listeners especially towards the end with one or two of the songs getting a bit bloated and samey, however after a seven year gestation period you can't blame them for trying to get as many songs on here as possible and for the majority of the record the songs whizz past in flurry of complex heaviness and melodic emotion, a real D.I.Y effort the album was produced and written by Bechtold (although E.M.D.R was written by van Eck), the lyrics came from vocalist J.D Kaye who has monstrous screams and a deep baritone clean and van Leeuwen designed the artwork. Solipsis is a particularly engaging melo-death record that really knows how to balance the beauty and the brutality, if the most recent In Flames albums have left you cold check out Purest Of Pain for your fix. 8/10
Death Keepers: Rock This World (Fighter Records)
Now it's time for muscular metallic hard rock from Barcelona, Death Keepers are what would happen if Hammerfall played early Bon Jovi, it's heavy metal from the glory days of 80's metal bringing in NWOBHM, sleaze and glam metal for one big retro revival. The trouble is Death Keepers aren't that good, the songs are very generic, Fire Angel especially goes on and on and on (also for pronunciation fans it'll be hell), but the most of it is run of the mill stuff, there's very little much I can say about this to be honest it really didn't do much for me, there's no bad playing involved that's all perfectly competent but nothing really jumps out at you. 5/10
Monday, 5 February 2018
Reviews: Joe Satriani, Legend Of The Seagullmen, Mother Misery, Phillip H Anselmo (Reviews By Paul)
Joe Satriani: What Happens Next? (Legacy Recordings)
The guitar legend is back with a new album which unsurprisingly shreds, rocks, rolls and stops at all stations in between. The king of the arpeggio tapping has hit another rich vein of form. What Happens Next is a thoroughly enjoyable release with opening track Energy setting the scene with its high pace and rampant guitar lines. Satriani has kept it simple this time around, enlisting Glenn Hughes on bass and Chad Smith on drums. Yeah! It’s a supergroup in anyone’s money. Catbot follows, a humorous stomp intertwined with some quite magnificent axe work. At the age of 61, Satriani is an artist who I’ve flirted with from time to time without ever getting past first base. Surfing With the Alien has just passed its 30th anniversary. Just pause and let that think in for a minute.
The stunning Thunder High On The Mountain allows a more measured approach, whilst Headrush does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s fast, furious and underlined by an almost jazz frisson with Hughes and Smith clearly relishing the opportunity to open up. Hughes’ thunderous bass lines which bounce all over this bad boy are something else. With over 10 million albums sold, Satriani is a legend in the true sense of the word, a virtuoso whose playing is something out of this world. The title track is a blues soaked melancholic track, smooth and well-paced, whilst the scratchy Super Funky Badass is, well, you can probably work it out. 16 albums now under the belt, What Happens Next is a demonstration of a guitarist and colleagues who just purr. This is a quite brilliant piece of work. 8/10
Legend Of The Seagullmen: S/T (Dine Alone Records)
Singing psychedelic rock with a cinematic twist, Legend Of The Seagullmen (LOTS) have finally released their debut album, and it is one crazy barnacle soaked beast. The band comprises Danny Carey of Tool, Brent Hinds of Mastodon, Dethlok and Zappa Plays Zappa bassist Pete A Griffin alongside Jimmy Hayward on guitar, David ‘The Doctor’ Dreyer, synth player Chris Giovanni and guitarist Tim Dawson. Songs of shipwrecks, giant mutant squid and epic tales fill the eight tracks. The galloping We Are The Seagullmen and the abstract The Fogger start proceedings in impressive style before the haunting Shipswreck complete with Judas Priest style riffs.
Curse Of The Red Tide begins slowly before cascading into a massive beast whilst the title track is a ripping punk fused stoner ride, worthy of Rob Zombie or Zodiac Mindwarp in their heyday. There’s a rockabilly groove to this one. The Orca, complete with whale communication effects, salutes this majestic creature, the largest of the dolphin family, whilst commenting on the horrors of captivity. Never go to a marine park; these intelligent mammals belong in the oceans not a tank. Penultimate track on this insane nautical ride, Rise Of The Giant tells the tale of a giant squid destroying downtown Hollywood. Musically, this is one crazy album, riffs a plenty, crashing drums and at times verging on spine crushingly heavy. It’s a complete smorgasbord of nuttiness and well worth a listen. 8/10
Mother Misery - Megalodon (Transubstans Records)
I’d never heard of Mother Misery. They have been around since 1998 and hail from Sweden. Megalodon is their fifth full release and is a decent ten tracks of hard rock. It doesn’t rip up any trees but is sufficiently competent to encourage you to maintain your listening. Ashes Of Your Crown is a typical track, with neat guitar work from Thomas Piehl and John Hermansen who also doubles up on vocal duty. At times it swings directly into AOR territory, with the harmonies adding to the melodic sound. The title track, named after a prehistoric shark isn’t as ferocious as you might expect but it does the job. Overall, Megalodon is an okay album which doesn’t do much to either excite or disappoint. 6/10
Philip H Anselmo & The Illegals: Choosing Mental Health As A Virtue (Season Of Mist)
I struggle with Phil Anselmo. Massively. His boorish behaviour over many years wears thin and the last show I saw with Down he was a shadow of his Pantera-self. This is the sophomore release from Philip H Anselmo & The Illegals and it is just staggeringly heavy. Anselmo rages with volcanic anger on opener Little Fucking Heroes and it rarely comes up for air from thereon in. Insane drumming, disjointed time sequences, face peeling guitars and screaming vocals combine to produce an aborted vomit noise which sounds like Napalm Death having sex with Converge. I must admit it took a lot of fortitude to sit through this much aggression. My speakers turned bright red like a ginger in the midday sun. It was bloody horrible. You’ll love this or hate it. I’m in the latter. Dire. 3/10
The guitar legend is back with a new album which unsurprisingly shreds, rocks, rolls and stops at all stations in between. The king of the arpeggio tapping has hit another rich vein of form. What Happens Next is a thoroughly enjoyable release with opening track Energy setting the scene with its high pace and rampant guitar lines. Satriani has kept it simple this time around, enlisting Glenn Hughes on bass and Chad Smith on drums. Yeah! It’s a supergroup in anyone’s money. Catbot follows, a humorous stomp intertwined with some quite magnificent axe work. At the age of 61, Satriani is an artist who I’ve flirted with from time to time without ever getting past first base. Surfing With the Alien has just passed its 30th anniversary. Just pause and let that think in for a minute.
The stunning Thunder High On The Mountain allows a more measured approach, whilst Headrush does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s fast, furious and underlined by an almost jazz frisson with Hughes and Smith clearly relishing the opportunity to open up. Hughes’ thunderous bass lines which bounce all over this bad boy are something else. With over 10 million albums sold, Satriani is a legend in the true sense of the word, a virtuoso whose playing is something out of this world. The title track is a blues soaked melancholic track, smooth and well-paced, whilst the scratchy Super Funky Badass is, well, you can probably work it out. 16 albums now under the belt, What Happens Next is a demonstration of a guitarist and colleagues who just purr. This is a quite brilliant piece of work. 8/10
Legend Of The Seagullmen: S/T (Dine Alone Records)
Singing psychedelic rock with a cinematic twist, Legend Of The Seagullmen (LOTS) have finally released their debut album, and it is one crazy barnacle soaked beast. The band comprises Danny Carey of Tool, Brent Hinds of Mastodon, Dethlok and Zappa Plays Zappa bassist Pete A Griffin alongside Jimmy Hayward on guitar, David ‘The Doctor’ Dreyer, synth player Chris Giovanni and guitarist Tim Dawson. Songs of shipwrecks, giant mutant squid and epic tales fill the eight tracks. The galloping We Are The Seagullmen and the abstract The Fogger start proceedings in impressive style before the haunting Shipswreck complete with Judas Priest style riffs.
Curse Of The Red Tide begins slowly before cascading into a massive beast whilst the title track is a ripping punk fused stoner ride, worthy of Rob Zombie or Zodiac Mindwarp in their heyday. There’s a rockabilly groove to this one. The Orca, complete with whale communication effects, salutes this majestic creature, the largest of the dolphin family, whilst commenting on the horrors of captivity. Never go to a marine park; these intelligent mammals belong in the oceans not a tank. Penultimate track on this insane nautical ride, Rise Of The Giant tells the tale of a giant squid destroying downtown Hollywood. Musically, this is one crazy album, riffs a plenty, crashing drums and at times verging on spine crushingly heavy. It’s a complete smorgasbord of nuttiness and well worth a listen. 8/10
Mother Misery - Megalodon (Transubstans Records)
I’d never heard of Mother Misery. They have been around since 1998 and hail from Sweden. Megalodon is their fifth full release and is a decent ten tracks of hard rock. It doesn’t rip up any trees but is sufficiently competent to encourage you to maintain your listening. Ashes Of Your Crown is a typical track, with neat guitar work from Thomas Piehl and John Hermansen who also doubles up on vocal duty. At times it swings directly into AOR territory, with the harmonies adding to the melodic sound. The title track, named after a prehistoric shark isn’t as ferocious as you might expect but it does the job. Overall, Megalodon is an okay album which doesn’t do much to either excite or disappoint. 6/10
Philip H Anselmo & The Illegals: Choosing Mental Health As A Virtue (Season Of Mist)
I struggle with Phil Anselmo. Massively. His boorish behaviour over many years wears thin and the last show I saw with Down he was a shadow of his Pantera-self. This is the sophomore release from Philip H Anselmo & The Illegals and it is just staggeringly heavy. Anselmo rages with volcanic anger on opener Little Fucking Heroes and it rarely comes up for air from thereon in. Insane drumming, disjointed time sequences, face peeling guitars and screaming vocals combine to produce an aborted vomit noise which sounds like Napalm Death having sex with Converge. I must admit it took a lot of fortitude to sit through this much aggression. My speakers turned bright red like a ginger in the midday sun. It was bloody horrible. You’ll love this or hate it. I’m in the latter. Dire. 3/10
Sunday, 4 February 2018
The Spotlight: Interview With Black Moth (Interview with Dom McCready By Paul)
Interview with Dom McCready drummer of Black Moth
MoM: Let’s start at the beginning. How did Black Moth come about?
DM: Most of the members of Black Moth were playing together in a band beforehand. We found that our tastes and what we wanted to do musically were gradually getting heavier. Eventually it reached a critical mass where we realised we were not the same band anymore and had to form a new one.
MoM: What are your best and worst memories of the early days of the band?
DM: Well I was partying a lot back in those days so can't say that my memories are all that clear! We did a disastrous European tour way back in our earlier days where our van broke down three times. To make one show we had to get a taxi like 80 miles either way with all our gear. Was worth it in the end though as the crazy Europeans loved it. On the last show of the tour they just wanted let us off stage and we ended up having to repeat songs! Can't say I have any particularly bad memories due to always being drunk. But when our long time keyboard player left us it was initially quite hard. But ultimately probably did us a favour!
MoM: Listening to the band there are a myriad of influences in the mix. Everything from The Stooges, Sabbath to Siouxsie and even Mastodon. How do you channel all of those influences in your song writing?
DM: I don't think it's something we consciously do. We never approach song writing saying things like "Oh we want this song to be sabbathy" or anything like that. We just write what feels good and fun to play. The influences of the different members are so wide and varied that its kind of impossible to write like that. We just do our thing.
MoM: The Killing Jar was your first album and received very favourable reviews. Casting your minds back to 2012, how happy were you with it?
DM: For me personally I found it very hard to listen to that record. I'm a perfectionist and I also find it very hard to listen to anything I wrote as I doubt myself a lot. At the time I wasn't super happy with it and thought we could do a lot better. Now I can go back and enjoy it for what it is. You have to let go ultimately.
MoM: You then released Condemned To Hope, which I think was a bit more accessible on first listen. It was the first release I picked up by the band. Was there a deliberate change of direction?
DM: There was no deliberate change of direction but we did recruit second guitarist Nico into the band which brought his influences into the melting pot. So I think it was just natural for the songs to have taken a slightly different vibe. Ultimately as a band we don't want to stagnate, I would always want to be evolving and enjoy that each album is quite different to the last.
MoM: Roger Dean was responsible for the artwork on Condemned To Hope. He’s produced some fine art for bands such as Yes, Asia and the legendary cover for Never Turn Your Back On A Friend by one of my faves, Budgie. How did this come about?
DM: I think we just reached out to him is all. Apparently he only works with bands he liked but luckily he liked us and agreed to do it which was pretty mind blowing. Definitely a unique and awesome opportunity to be a part of.
MoM: I first saw you at Temples Festival in Bristol in 2014 where you received a great reaction and then followed it up with a slot at Damnation in your home town. What can you remember about those gigs?
DM: I remember Temples being very hectic, we had to drive all the way down to Bristol play the show and then head straight back to Leeds as Nico had work that evening (such are the drawbacks of balancing working life with being in a band). I remember it being a great crowd and the festival seemed really cool but unfortunately we didn't get to stay and experience it. Was very sad to hear of its demise as a festival. Playing Damnation was fantastic. It's overall my favourite metal festival and the fact it's in Leeds made us very proud to play at it. Apparently the room was so packed out that people couldn't get in to see us!
MoM: I’m ashamed to say I missed your set at Bloodstock last year but I understand you received a very good response. How was it for you?
DM: If Damnation is my favourite indoor festival then Bloodstock is absolutely my favourite outdoor one. Absolutely amazing atmosphere and general vibe of that festival, I go every year as a customer anyway. So obviously it was again a huge honour to be playing, we were given a really great slot as well. Even though we clashed with Testament lots of people came to watch us anyway watch was great.
MoM: Let’s have a look at the latest release, Anatomical Venus. It’s a superb album, and as you’ve said in your promos your heaviest offering to date. Was it a conscious decision to ramp up the riffs?
DM: Again we never really make conscious decisions like that when we are writing, we just always do what we enjoy. After all if we don't enjoy playing it then what is the point!? But part of it being heavier than the last two my have had something to do with the fact that Nico left the band and we recruited Federica. Her influences are generally more metal than Nico's were and she has previously toured in thrash metal bands.
MoM: I think it’s an album that you have to devote a bit of time to listening to but the rewards are substantial if you do. Is that a fair view?
DM: I'm not sure I really get what you mean, surely any album requires time listening to? But if that means that after listening to it for some time you still want to go back to it then that is always a good sign for a record.
MoM: You’ve moved to Candlelight Records from Spinefarm. Tell us a little bit about this move. What does it give Black Moth?
DM: We've been talking to those guys for a couple of years but they were always waiting to here some new stuff. So in the end we went ahead and recorded the album and then sent them a copy. They loved it and wanted to bring us on board. Hopefully it will give us a wider reach with things like day one distribution. Ultimately moving to a larger label brings with it the bigger influence of that label.
MoM: You played with some of our favourite British bands before Christmas including The Pearl Hearts and the mighty Orange Goblin who are blistering live. How did they go?
DM: Playing with the Goblin is of course a massive honour. We have all been listening to that band since we were kids really so it was fantastic. The show was at electric ballroom which is a venue I love already, we played there with L7 a couple of years ago. The crowd was totally packed out with plenty of people there to see the Moth as well.
MoM: You now head out on tour in the UK in February. What can we expect from Black Moth in the live arena this time around?
DM: From guitar tones, to the songs themselves this is the heaviest Black Moth has ever been live. So expect that, as well as the raucous rock n roll party we bring to every show. See you on the road!
MoM: Let’s start at the beginning. How did Black Moth come about?
DM: Most of the members of Black Moth were playing together in a band beforehand. We found that our tastes and what we wanted to do musically were gradually getting heavier. Eventually it reached a critical mass where we realised we were not the same band anymore and had to form a new one.
MoM: What are your best and worst memories of the early days of the band?
DM: Well I was partying a lot back in those days so can't say that my memories are all that clear! We did a disastrous European tour way back in our earlier days where our van broke down three times. To make one show we had to get a taxi like 80 miles either way with all our gear. Was worth it in the end though as the crazy Europeans loved it. On the last show of the tour they just wanted let us off stage and we ended up having to repeat songs! Can't say I have any particularly bad memories due to always being drunk. But when our long time keyboard player left us it was initially quite hard. But ultimately probably did us a favour!
MoM: Listening to the band there are a myriad of influences in the mix. Everything from The Stooges, Sabbath to Siouxsie and even Mastodon. How do you channel all of those influences in your song writing?
DM: I don't think it's something we consciously do. We never approach song writing saying things like "Oh we want this song to be sabbathy" or anything like that. We just write what feels good and fun to play. The influences of the different members are so wide and varied that its kind of impossible to write like that. We just do our thing.
MoM: The Killing Jar was your first album and received very favourable reviews. Casting your minds back to 2012, how happy were you with it?
DM: For me personally I found it very hard to listen to that record. I'm a perfectionist and I also find it very hard to listen to anything I wrote as I doubt myself a lot. At the time I wasn't super happy with it and thought we could do a lot better. Now I can go back and enjoy it for what it is. You have to let go ultimately.
MoM: You then released Condemned To Hope, which I think was a bit more accessible on first listen. It was the first release I picked up by the band. Was there a deliberate change of direction?
DM: There was no deliberate change of direction but we did recruit second guitarist Nico into the band which brought his influences into the melting pot. So I think it was just natural for the songs to have taken a slightly different vibe. Ultimately as a band we don't want to stagnate, I would always want to be evolving and enjoy that each album is quite different to the last.
MoM: Roger Dean was responsible for the artwork on Condemned To Hope. He’s produced some fine art for bands such as Yes, Asia and the legendary cover for Never Turn Your Back On A Friend by one of my faves, Budgie. How did this come about?
DM: I think we just reached out to him is all. Apparently he only works with bands he liked but luckily he liked us and agreed to do it which was pretty mind blowing. Definitely a unique and awesome opportunity to be a part of.
MoM: I first saw you at Temples Festival in Bristol in 2014 where you received a great reaction and then followed it up with a slot at Damnation in your home town. What can you remember about those gigs?
DM: I remember Temples being very hectic, we had to drive all the way down to Bristol play the show and then head straight back to Leeds as Nico had work that evening (such are the drawbacks of balancing working life with being in a band). I remember it being a great crowd and the festival seemed really cool but unfortunately we didn't get to stay and experience it. Was very sad to hear of its demise as a festival. Playing Damnation was fantastic. It's overall my favourite metal festival and the fact it's in Leeds made us very proud to play at it. Apparently the room was so packed out that people couldn't get in to see us!
MoM: I’m ashamed to say I missed your set at Bloodstock last year but I understand you received a very good response. How was it for you?
DM: If Damnation is my favourite indoor festival then Bloodstock is absolutely my favourite outdoor one. Absolutely amazing atmosphere and general vibe of that festival, I go every year as a customer anyway. So obviously it was again a huge honour to be playing, we were given a really great slot as well. Even though we clashed with Testament lots of people came to watch us anyway watch was great.
MoM: Let’s have a look at the latest release, Anatomical Venus. It’s a superb album, and as you’ve said in your promos your heaviest offering to date. Was it a conscious decision to ramp up the riffs?
DM: Again we never really make conscious decisions like that when we are writing, we just always do what we enjoy. After all if we don't enjoy playing it then what is the point!? But part of it being heavier than the last two my have had something to do with the fact that Nico left the band and we recruited Federica. Her influences are generally more metal than Nico's were and she has previously toured in thrash metal bands.
MoM: I think it’s an album that you have to devote a bit of time to listening to but the rewards are substantial if you do. Is that a fair view?
DM: I'm not sure I really get what you mean, surely any album requires time listening to? But if that means that after listening to it for some time you still want to go back to it then that is always a good sign for a record.
MoM: You’ve moved to Candlelight Records from Spinefarm. Tell us a little bit about this move. What does it give Black Moth?
DM: We've been talking to those guys for a couple of years but they were always waiting to here some new stuff. So in the end we went ahead and recorded the album and then sent them a copy. They loved it and wanted to bring us on board. Hopefully it will give us a wider reach with things like day one distribution. Ultimately moving to a larger label brings with it the bigger influence of that label.
MoM: You played with some of our favourite British bands before Christmas including The Pearl Hearts and the mighty Orange Goblin who are blistering live. How did they go?
DM: Playing with the Goblin is of course a massive honour. We have all been listening to that band since we were kids really so it was fantastic. The show was at electric ballroom which is a venue I love already, we played there with L7 a couple of years ago. The crowd was totally packed out with plenty of people there to see the Moth as well.
MoM: You now head out on tour in the UK in February. What can we expect from Black Moth in the live arena this time around?
DM: From guitar tones, to the songs themselves this is the heaviest Black Moth has ever been live. So expect that, as well as the raucous rock n roll party we bring to every show. See you on the road!
Saturday, 3 February 2018
Reviews: King Creature (Live Review By Paul)
Independent Venue Week – King Creature @ Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff
Nearly fucked this one completely. When King Creature were announced as part of the fifth Independent Venue Week tour that was due to hit Cardiff it was a no-brainer to grab a couple of tickets. Their stunning set at HRH in November 2017 introduced the South West outfit and their Volume One debut cemented the relationship. What we hadn’t counted on was the change in the running order of the bands as they changed each evening.
Independent Venue Week is funded by the Arts Council England and acts as a spotlight on those smaller venues around the UK which put on the bands of today and tomorrow, helping to showcase these vital locations which support and allow live music of all shapes and styles to flourish. Fuel certainly falls into that category although it’s unlikely to win a CAMRA award anytime soon.
So why did we nearly fuck it? Well, anticipating that King Creature were headlining, we stopped for a quick pint at the wonderful City Arms on the way up to Fuel, one of the few traditional drinking establishments in the Capital with the demise of the Rummer Tavern which is now a godawful plastic sports bar. Opening the door to the live area in Fuel, we were panicked to see King Creature (9) already in full flow. Luckily for us, we were treated to a splendid 30 minutes of hard rock which was well worth the effort.
In Dave Kellaway, King Creature possess a real gem of a frontman. Humble but with sufficient confidence and charisma to carry the small crowd along for the ride, he possesses a soulful melodic voice which can snarl and roar with the best. Alongside Kellaway, who also provides the groove with his rampaging bass lines, is guitarist Dave Evans and the Zak Wylde shape throwing of Matt K Vincent whose lead work was exceptional. With Jack Sutton Bassett pounding the skins, this is one powerful outfit. Aided by an unusually clean sound, the band rocked through a selection of tracks from Volume One including the balls-out Power, the calmer Can You Forgive Me amongst others. What I love about this band is their high tempo, their traditional approach but with a blend that really gets the head banging.
Talking briefly to Dave afterwards, we also discovered that the band had been holed up outside the Motorpoint Arena for over a day as their itinerary failed to consider ferry times to enable them to get back from Belfast. Luckily for Cardiff, the bands decided on the Welsh Capital. Cheered on by some bizarre support, including a scantily clad portly chap in a transparent mini-skirt, bikini top, steam punk helmet and knee length boots and a lady whose enthusiasm threatened to spill out several times, the whole set was perfect for a rainy Tuesday night. King Creature’s blend of BSC, Orange Goblin and Trucker Diablo is impressive and if I can get there, their set at this year’s Amplified Festival will be unmissable.
Following King Creature was a real challenge, but Reigning Days (7), a three-piece from Devon gave it a good go. Their contrasting sound was noticeable, as was the audience that had diminished slightly, the majority deciding to hang at the back leaving the band playing to no-one at the front. Their alt-rock sound was totally different with an early day Cure sound amongst those detected in the band’s songs. Dan Steer, Joe Sansome and Jonny Finnis certainly don’t lack enthusiasm and played as if it was a full house. Their music didn’t really cut it for me and after about 25 minutes we cut our losses and headed home. Apologies to The Dirty Youth for missing your set.
Nearly fucked this one completely. When King Creature were announced as part of the fifth Independent Venue Week tour that was due to hit Cardiff it was a no-brainer to grab a couple of tickets. Their stunning set at HRH in November 2017 introduced the South West outfit and their Volume One debut cemented the relationship. What we hadn’t counted on was the change in the running order of the bands as they changed each evening.
Independent Venue Week is funded by the Arts Council England and acts as a spotlight on those smaller venues around the UK which put on the bands of today and tomorrow, helping to showcase these vital locations which support and allow live music of all shapes and styles to flourish. Fuel certainly falls into that category although it’s unlikely to win a CAMRA award anytime soon.
So why did we nearly fuck it? Well, anticipating that King Creature were headlining, we stopped for a quick pint at the wonderful City Arms on the way up to Fuel, one of the few traditional drinking establishments in the Capital with the demise of the Rummer Tavern which is now a godawful plastic sports bar. Opening the door to the live area in Fuel, we were panicked to see King Creature (9) already in full flow. Luckily for us, we were treated to a splendid 30 minutes of hard rock which was well worth the effort.
In Dave Kellaway, King Creature possess a real gem of a frontman. Humble but with sufficient confidence and charisma to carry the small crowd along for the ride, he possesses a soulful melodic voice which can snarl and roar with the best. Alongside Kellaway, who also provides the groove with his rampaging bass lines, is guitarist Dave Evans and the Zak Wylde shape throwing of Matt K Vincent whose lead work was exceptional. With Jack Sutton Bassett pounding the skins, this is one powerful outfit. Aided by an unusually clean sound, the band rocked through a selection of tracks from Volume One including the balls-out Power, the calmer Can You Forgive Me amongst others. What I love about this band is their high tempo, their traditional approach but with a blend that really gets the head banging.
Talking briefly to Dave afterwards, we also discovered that the band had been holed up outside the Motorpoint Arena for over a day as their itinerary failed to consider ferry times to enable them to get back from Belfast. Luckily for Cardiff, the bands decided on the Welsh Capital. Cheered on by some bizarre support, including a scantily clad portly chap in a transparent mini-skirt, bikini top, steam punk helmet and knee length boots and a lady whose enthusiasm threatened to spill out several times, the whole set was perfect for a rainy Tuesday night. King Creature’s blend of BSC, Orange Goblin and Trucker Diablo is impressive and if I can get there, their set at this year’s Amplified Festival will be unmissable.
Following King Creature was a real challenge, but Reigning Days (7), a three-piece from Devon gave it a good go. Their contrasting sound was noticeable, as was the audience that had diminished slightly, the majority deciding to hang at the back leaving the band playing to no-one at the front. Their alt-rock sound was totally different with an early day Cure sound amongst those detected in the band’s songs. Dan Steer, Joe Sansome and Jonny Finnis certainly don’t lack enthusiasm and played as if it was a full house. Their music didn’t really cut it for me and after about 25 minutes we cut our losses and headed home. Apologies to The Dirty Youth for missing your set.
Thursday, 1 February 2018
Reviews: Walking Papers, The Poodles, Ammunition, Thuum
Walking Papers: WP2 (Loud & Proud Records)
The aptly named WP2 from Walking Papers is another album of Alternative/garage blues from what is an alternative rock supergroup made up of Screaming Trees' drummer Barrett Martin, bassist Duff McKagan, guitarist/vocalist Jeff Angell and his longtime collaborator Benjamin Anderson on keys. Since the critically acclaimed debut record Angell amd Jefferson have been keeping their hand in with Staticland, Duff has been touring the world with some band he was in back in the 80's and 90's, while Martin was the producer of the 2017 Latin Grammy's but after reconvening it was Matin and Angell's push/pull approach to recording that once again saw Walking Papers emerge with 13 more tracks.
Martin admits "there’s some creative tension, sure, but the music benefits from it. If you have an idea and you’re not willing to fight for it, then maybe it’s not that good of an idea in the first place" conflict, contradiction and fallacies of life as it is today are central themes to this record, almost like philosophical arguments set to a diverse musical backing. From the strutting Death On The Lips through the slow burning Red And White, the foot stomping Hard To Look Away, the slinky Before You Arrived and to the country shuffle of Don't Owe Me Nothin' Walking Papers add more tracks to their expanding repertoire.
Unafraid to experiment or move away from the sounds on their debut album this high skilled four piece really understand that without risk there is no reward and they take risks here the reap plentiful rewards. The old saying goes "put up or shut up" well this is what Walking Papers put up and it's pretty damn good in my opinion. 9/10
The Poodles: Prisma (Gain Records)
With 7 albums behind them it was probably only a matter of time before the Swedish melodic glam rockers released a covers album. Kicking off with Crazy Horses, which is much better than Zakk Wylde's version as it's got the 70's stomp of the original but showcasing Jakob Samuel's vocals. What it does show you is that if it had been by The Sweet or T Rex and not The Osmonds it would be a rock classic. They take a slower approach than Firewind did for Mainiac. There's some rocked up covers of dance/pop songs by Adele, Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta, the Depeche Mode cover doesn't add much but their version of Yellow Brick Road is brilliantly realised and Call Me is not as good as In This Moment's cover on their second album.
They manage to make Go Your Own Way a cheesy AOR fest but the issue with all cover records is that they can never really be judged on their own merit they are one band taking someone else's song and performing it in their own way, whether that's good or not depends on many factors, the band, the song, the version but I think The Poodles have nailed it with their choices and their performance is always top notch, it's pretty much a guarantee that if you hate the song their cover is not going to change your mind but this record might just act as an in to the music and fun of The Poodles which can only be a good thing. 7/10
Ammunition: Ammunition (Frontiers Records)
What to expect from Ammunition, well huge choruses and arena baiting rock songs, this is the second album from the band but the first for Frontiers and they've just turned everything up to maximum. A collaboration between singer Åge Sten Nilsen (ex Wig Wam) and guitarist/producer Erik Martensson (Eclipse, W.E.T, Nordic Union) Ammunition are cocked, locked and ready to rock, full of the glam stomp Nilsen brought to Wig Wam but really it's best of melodic rock record with the songwriting of Nilsen and Martensson bringing an attitude to Freedom Finder, some Van Hagar to Virtual Reality Boy and a heaving load of radio rock to Wrecking Crew a song that saw the band get to the Norwegian Eurovision Grand Finale.
With this in mind you can make the connection to why the tracks on this record are so damn catchy, they get your head nodding, heart racing and fills you with the need to sing along, ballad Eye For An Eye is an example of this as it is full of anti-war sentiment with a simmering building rock ballad that Nickelback would be proud of. Ammunition reinforces that this band are more than a one hit wonder, to do melodic rock well is a hard task there have been so many bands in the genre that have attempted it but Ammunition do it with a slickness, Nilsen and Martensson are right on target with these shots of melodic rock goodness, Ammunition? They have plenty here. 8/10
Thuum: Through Smoke, Comes Fire (Self Released)
Bournemouth band Thuum have a dark heart and a fuzzy haze, it's aggressive stoner metal, with a nod to the progressive and walls of distorted groove, similar to the earlier Mastodon albums that took from the hardcore scene, they add it to the the sonic abuse of High On Fire and sludgier acts like Eyehategod. Intro the instrumental that is track one has everything you'd want from a band like Thumm, a repeating clean part that is taken away with the monstrous distortion, it's the first song to get your head nodding in sync with the groove and builds into Worthless which starts with a stomach churning roar and speeds things up with heaviness and it's frequent time changes between lumbering doom, percussive psych and thrash speed.
It's the longest song on the record and is followed by the neck wrecking Hafgufa which has that hardcore groove I talked about earlier, rounding out the EP is the title track which has the first usage of clean vocals and continues the theme of pummelling you to dust. On the basis on this EP Thuum could be hitting a town near you and they may just level it, heft in it's rawest form. 7/10
The aptly named WP2 from Walking Papers is another album of Alternative/garage blues from what is an alternative rock supergroup made up of Screaming Trees' drummer Barrett Martin, bassist Duff McKagan, guitarist/vocalist Jeff Angell and his longtime collaborator Benjamin Anderson on keys. Since the critically acclaimed debut record Angell amd Jefferson have been keeping their hand in with Staticland, Duff has been touring the world with some band he was in back in the 80's and 90's, while Martin was the producer of the 2017 Latin Grammy's but after reconvening it was Matin and Angell's push/pull approach to recording that once again saw Walking Papers emerge with 13 more tracks.
Martin admits "there’s some creative tension, sure, but the music benefits from it. If you have an idea and you’re not willing to fight for it, then maybe it’s not that good of an idea in the first place" conflict, contradiction and fallacies of life as it is today are central themes to this record, almost like philosophical arguments set to a diverse musical backing. From the strutting Death On The Lips through the slow burning Red And White, the foot stomping Hard To Look Away, the slinky Before You Arrived and to the country shuffle of Don't Owe Me Nothin' Walking Papers add more tracks to their expanding repertoire.
Unafraid to experiment or move away from the sounds on their debut album this high skilled four piece really understand that without risk there is no reward and they take risks here the reap plentiful rewards. The old saying goes "put up or shut up" well this is what Walking Papers put up and it's pretty damn good in my opinion. 9/10
The Poodles: Prisma (Gain Records)
With 7 albums behind them it was probably only a matter of time before the Swedish melodic glam rockers released a covers album. Kicking off with Crazy Horses, which is much better than Zakk Wylde's version as it's got the 70's stomp of the original but showcasing Jakob Samuel's vocals. What it does show you is that if it had been by The Sweet or T Rex and not The Osmonds it would be a rock classic. They take a slower approach than Firewind did for Mainiac. There's some rocked up covers of dance/pop songs by Adele, Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta, the Depeche Mode cover doesn't add much but their version of Yellow Brick Road is brilliantly realised and Call Me is not as good as In This Moment's cover on their second album.
They manage to make Go Your Own Way a cheesy AOR fest but the issue with all cover records is that they can never really be judged on their own merit they are one band taking someone else's song and performing it in their own way, whether that's good or not depends on many factors, the band, the song, the version but I think The Poodles have nailed it with their choices and their performance is always top notch, it's pretty much a guarantee that if you hate the song their cover is not going to change your mind but this record might just act as an in to the music and fun of The Poodles which can only be a good thing. 7/10
Ammunition: Ammunition (Frontiers Records)
What to expect from Ammunition, well huge choruses and arena baiting rock songs, this is the second album from the band but the first for Frontiers and they've just turned everything up to maximum. A collaboration between singer Åge Sten Nilsen (ex Wig Wam) and guitarist/producer Erik Martensson (Eclipse, W.E.T, Nordic Union) Ammunition are cocked, locked and ready to rock, full of the glam stomp Nilsen brought to Wig Wam but really it's best of melodic rock record with the songwriting of Nilsen and Martensson bringing an attitude to Freedom Finder, some Van Hagar to Virtual Reality Boy and a heaving load of radio rock to Wrecking Crew a song that saw the band get to the Norwegian Eurovision Grand Finale.
With this in mind you can make the connection to why the tracks on this record are so damn catchy, they get your head nodding, heart racing and fills you with the need to sing along, ballad Eye For An Eye is an example of this as it is full of anti-war sentiment with a simmering building rock ballad that Nickelback would be proud of. Ammunition reinforces that this band are more than a one hit wonder, to do melodic rock well is a hard task there have been so many bands in the genre that have attempted it but Ammunition do it with a slickness, Nilsen and Martensson are right on target with these shots of melodic rock goodness, Ammunition? They have plenty here. 8/10
Thuum: Through Smoke, Comes Fire (Self Released)
Bournemouth band Thuum have a dark heart and a fuzzy haze, it's aggressive stoner metal, with a nod to the progressive and walls of distorted groove, similar to the earlier Mastodon albums that took from the hardcore scene, they add it to the the sonic abuse of High On Fire and sludgier acts like Eyehategod. Intro the instrumental that is track one has everything you'd want from a band like Thumm, a repeating clean part that is taken away with the monstrous distortion, it's the first song to get your head nodding in sync with the groove and builds into Worthless which starts with a stomach churning roar and speeds things up with heaviness and it's frequent time changes between lumbering doom, percussive psych and thrash speed.
It's the longest song on the record and is followed by the neck wrecking Hafgufa which has that hardcore groove I talked about earlier, rounding out the EP is the title track which has the first usage of clean vocals and continues the theme of pummelling you to dust. On the basis on this EP Thuum could be hitting a town near you and they may just level it, heft in it's rawest form. 7/10
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