Shiraz Lane, Who Knows Didley, Excursia, Fuel Rock Club Cardiff
It has been a while since yours truly has done a live review on a concert. However when MOM headquarters offered me a chance to go to Fuel for this show as a birthday present, we weren’t going to pass up the chance.So with that myself and Sharon the wife head into the heaviest club on Womanby Street for another night of hard rock and metal.
Being a school night it’s never easy to get crowds out but Excursia (8) from Blackwood starting out tonight’s proceedings with a very strong set. With Black Lakes drummer, Dafydd filling in with a weeks notice after their previous drummer quit, he pounds the skins courageously and with such charisma on the Songs with the occasional joke about “hoping he doesn’t fuck up.” Powering through a 5 song set, one being a cover This Corrosion by The Sisters of Mercy and the others from debut EP Rise, opening with the title track Rise the next 20 minutes are all off their 90’s groove sounding record with the exception of the Sisters Of Mercy cover, they end with their nearly complete new song Hand Of God. A very strong performance from this band and they will be returning to Fuel on the 24th of November, I hope I get to see these guys again soon. Callum, A’Dan, Sam and Lewis, I hope you find the drummer you're looking for.
Who Knows Didley (7) take the stage next, coming all the way down from Neath, after a quick sound check and welcoming their audience before starting up their blend of hard rock, reminding me of the likes of Warrant, Extreme and even a hint of early Aerosmith. The band have a very confident 80’s hard rock sound (and have earned themselves the spot of supporting cover band Wrong Jovi in Swansea next February). To members Paul Mathews, (vocals), Gareth Alford (guitar), David Mckenzie (bass) and Craig James (drums) I have to confess and speak openly, I regret that owing to a couple of sound issues I wasn't quite able to make out the names of the song titles within the first half of the set, however the second half was a lot more enjoyable and a lot more engaging and I would like to give these gentlemen another go in the near future on the live circuit, I think (and I would like to be corrected if I’m wrong) that one of your songs was called All Your Wishing which I did thoroughly enjoy, and would like to see you upon your return to Fuel
Lastly, as the crowd now begins to gather round the front and extending as far as the bar, the world's most 80’s song blares over the speaker We Built This City by Starship you have an idea as to how the end of your night was going to be. You would forgive Shiraz Lane (9) for being a typical Motley Crue, Poison or any type of 80’s glam- revival from their look, however this is not the case. They don’t take anytime I’m getting proceedings started by starting their UK tour with new song Carnival Days off the album of the same name with such energy and exuberance. The Finnish 5 piece promote a feel good rock band about promoting peace for all who enjoy rock music (a bit like Stryper but without the God Squad morals). The solos come flying thick and fast from lead axeman Jani Laine (not that one - Ed) on songs Wake Up, keeping the shows momentum and lead vocalist Hannes Kett encouraging the audience to get closer and closer until even the ones at the back are at least as far as the bar.
A brief reminiscing on how far the band have come they break into Story To Tell from their debut EP Be The Slave Or Be The Change, a poppy rock number that does get the head moving with enthusiasm. With the main focus on recent release Carnival Days, with the exception of House Of Cards and Mental Slavery from previous release For Crying Out Loud, the band end with songs Harder To Breathe and People Like Us, gave us a chance to be introduced to members Miki Kalske on rhythm guitar, Joel Alex on the bass and Ana Willman (apologies for any of your spellings) and with Jani and Hannes as well together with your peace and good will messages prove that you there is a place for “feel good” 80s hard rock and glam without either preachy or mentioning sex/drugs lifestyle. A very enthusiastic and left us coming out with a smile on our faces, this kind of rock n roll the world needs sometimes, and I would love to see these guys again in the near future.
Saturday, 8 September 2018
Friday, 7 September 2018
Reviews: VOLA, Beyond The Black, Satan, Moths
VOLA: Applause Of A Distant Crowd (Mascot Records)
Danish progressive, genre bending four piece Vola have managed to work their charms over all manner of music fans with their amazing musical talent and knack for songwriting. Their previous debut record Inmazes saw them expanding on the djent/modern prog metal blueprint with some atmospheric melodic meandering, it was weighty piece and one that slow burned Vola to the precipice of the progressive rock fraternity with as much love for them as the is for Brits Haken who they have similarities to.
It was a hard album lyrically based on internal struggles however here on the follow up the focus is shifted outward. Asger Mygind (vocals/guitar), is in happier place here and title is a metaphor derived from our relationship with social media, how we can appear close but be miles apart. Mygind elaborates: "We spend a lot of time trying to present ourselves in a flattering light in the pursuit of continuous applause, even if it’s a distant applause from those you may not connect with away from the screens."
They've taken a slightly more loose approach for this one, you can hear this in the first two tracks Mellow and Ghosts they are mellow pieces that float on the air drifting with ambience that reminds me of Anathema or Steven Wilson, much of this is due to the clean guitar lines from Mygind and the propulsive drumming of Adam Janzi. The album was mastered by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, Devin Townsend, David Bowie) and it ebbs and flows the first glimpse of heaviness coming with the chunky Smartfriend, it's probably one of the most straightforward songs on the record but it's needed to bring in the heavy.
It means that tracks such as Ruby Pool are just as likely to have keys and jazz bass (Martin Werner & Nicolai Mogensen) as they are buzzing electronica (Alien Shivers) or Tool-like sound on Still with beauty on Green Screen Mother and Vertigo. Ambitious and spine-tingling at times Applause Of A Distant Crowd deserves all the plaudits it's going to receive, play it repeatedly to really hear it and you won't want to listen anything else for a while. 9/10
Beyond The Black: Heart Of A Hurricane (Napalm)
Fronted by the majestic voice of Jennifer Haben, German metal act Beyond The Black are heading into the hurricane with their arms and their minds wide open, having always toyed with a fusion of sounds this third record takes everything a step further to being truly fantastic. They could be, unfairly, compared to Delain, Within Temptation or Nightwish and if you were only listening to Million Lightyears then you'd forgiven for thinking that they were another symphonic metal clone but Beyond The Black are no so much a clone but a distillation of those influences with a new edge.
They marry their affinity with Medieval cinematics (Song For The Godless), with catchy pop sensibilities and also heavy blastbeating metal (Beneath A Blackened Sky/Fairytale Of Doom), all handled with class by Haben who has one of my favourite voices in music at the moment, her voice is fragile yet powerful breathily whispering one minute then belting like a Eurovision diva the next. The catchiness of Through The Mirror is a thing to behold especially as it features on a gothic doomy track, however then they've got elecro-pop for Escape From The Earth which could have come from Sharon Den Adel's My Indigo record.
It seems that at the Heart Of A Hurricane there is a swirling maelstrom of talent on offer with, bombastic keys, a sturdy rhythm section, crisp fret melting guitars, a hint of orchestral swelling and a chanteuse of a singer all creating a record that I've played numerous times already (even at 15 tracks). On the last Beyond The Black record we predicted big things for the band, well they're here to collect! 9/10
Satan: Cruel Magic (Metal Blade Records)
As writers we tend to throw the term 'legend' around alot but I'd say there was enough of an argument to call Newcastle Upon Tyne NWOBHM standard bearers Satan legends in the UK metal scene. Having released ’83’s seminal Court In the Act and ’87’s Suspended Sentence the band like so many took a break before returning in 2012 as a fierce touring and recording force they have produced two albums since then with both Life Sentence and Atom By Atom drawing from their heritage but modernising it with a tasty mix of proto-thrash, classic British metal and even lumbering doom, they have successfully crafted themselves into a vital proponent of post-millennial metal.
They approached their fifth album as the antithesis of the modern metal as guitarist Russ Tippins who said "I'm no longer as impressed as I used to be by speed, technique, control, heaviness, tone, flawless production and excessive bottom end!" they have been influenced by the re-release of their fan favourite debut Court In The Act which they see as naive but endearing due to it's D.I.Y nature, it means that Cruel Magic is trying to re-capture that sound making an effort to record every song in one take.
It's a risk that works as this record is possibly Satan's finest, the progressive cinematic Mortality ends the record in the same magisterial style as it opens with the galloping Into The Mouth Of Eternity then into the frenzied madness of The Doomsday Clock which sees Tippins (guitar), Steve Ramsey (guitar), Graeme English (bass) riff like Hell (a band who have gone through a similar reinvention) and the percussive My Prophetic Soul driven by Sean Taylor's drumming. Cruel Magic is another worthy addition to the Satan collection, it's proper heavy metal with Brian Ross a perfect master of ceremonies working the titular magic. 9/10
Moths: Moths EP (Self Released)
With such majesty previously featured in this edition of the blog it was probably time things got a little dirty, thankfully Puerto Rican stoners Moths are here for all your Mastodon styled progressive fuzz needs. This debut EP has thick syrupy licks, proggy time changes and some stirling vocal work that has growls, droning mids and even some Dickinson wailing, Lepidoptera has it all in one song (it's even got a jazz odyssey) and it's only the opener, but at 6 minutes of twists you're ready for the psychedelic Adhara & Rey which is a little Rush meets Jane's Addiction and the more direct heavy riffs of Desires which is the last original track on the EP.
The fourth cut here is a cover and when a band have such a progressive tendency it would be remiss if they didn't cover a prog classic so with that classic riff powering out of your speakers they have a pretty traditional take on 21st Century Schizoid Man. Moth have pretty unique thing going on, very progressive but with stoner grime rubbed all over it, I like and I'm sure you will too. 8/10
Danish progressive, genre bending four piece Vola have managed to work their charms over all manner of music fans with their amazing musical talent and knack for songwriting. Their previous debut record Inmazes saw them expanding on the djent/modern prog metal blueprint with some atmospheric melodic meandering, it was weighty piece and one that slow burned Vola to the precipice of the progressive rock fraternity with as much love for them as the is for Brits Haken who they have similarities to.
It was a hard album lyrically based on internal struggles however here on the follow up the focus is shifted outward. Asger Mygind (vocals/guitar), is in happier place here and title is a metaphor derived from our relationship with social media, how we can appear close but be miles apart. Mygind elaborates: "We spend a lot of time trying to present ourselves in a flattering light in the pursuit of continuous applause, even if it’s a distant applause from those you may not connect with away from the screens."
They've taken a slightly more loose approach for this one, you can hear this in the first two tracks Mellow and Ghosts they are mellow pieces that float on the air drifting with ambience that reminds me of Anathema or Steven Wilson, much of this is due to the clean guitar lines from Mygind and the propulsive drumming of Adam Janzi. The album was mastered by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, Devin Townsend, David Bowie) and it ebbs and flows the first glimpse of heaviness coming with the chunky Smartfriend, it's probably one of the most straightforward songs on the record but it's needed to bring in the heavy.
It means that tracks such as Ruby Pool are just as likely to have keys and jazz bass (Martin Werner & Nicolai Mogensen) as they are buzzing electronica (Alien Shivers) or Tool-like sound on Still with beauty on Green Screen Mother and Vertigo. Ambitious and spine-tingling at times Applause Of A Distant Crowd deserves all the plaudits it's going to receive, play it repeatedly to really hear it and you won't want to listen anything else for a while. 9/10
Beyond The Black: Heart Of A Hurricane (Napalm)
Fronted by the majestic voice of Jennifer Haben, German metal act Beyond The Black are heading into the hurricane with their arms and their minds wide open, having always toyed with a fusion of sounds this third record takes everything a step further to being truly fantastic. They could be, unfairly, compared to Delain, Within Temptation or Nightwish and if you were only listening to Million Lightyears then you'd forgiven for thinking that they were another symphonic metal clone but Beyond The Black are no so much a clone but a distillation of those influences with a new edge.
They marry their affinity with Medieval cinematics (Song For The Godless), with catchy pop sensibilities and also heavy blastbeating metal (Beneath A Blackened Sky/Fairytale Of Doom), all handled with class by Haben who has one of my favourite voices in music at the moment, her voice is fragile yet powerful breathily whispering one minute then belting like a Eurovision diva the next. The catchiness of Through The Mirror is a thing to behold especially as it features on a gothic doomy track, however then they've got elecro-pop for Escape From The Earth which could have come from Sharon Den Adel's My Indigo record.
It seems that at the Heart Of A Hurricane there is a swirling maelstrom of talent on offer with, bombastic keys, a sturdy rhythm section, crisp fret melting guitars, a hint of orchestral swelling and a chanteuse of a singer all creating a record that I've played numerous times already (even at 15 tracks). On the last Beyond The Black record we predicted big things for the band, well they're here to collect! 9/10
Satan: Cruel Magic (Metal Blade Records)
As writers we tend to throw the term 'legend' around alot but I'd say there was enough of an argument to call Newcastle Upon Tyne NWOBHM standard bearers Satan legends in the UK metal scene. Having released ’83’s seminal Court In the Act and ’87’s Suspended Sentence the band like so many took a break before returning in 2012 as a fierce touring and recording force they have produced two albums since then with both Life Sentence and Atom By Atom drawing from their heritage but modernising it with a tasty mix of proto-thrash, classic British metal and even lumbering doom, they have successfully crafted themselves into a vital proponent of post-millennial metal.
They approached their fifth album as the antithesis of the modern metal as guitarist Russ Tippins who said "I'm no longer as impressed as I used to be by speed, technique, control, heaviness, tone, flawless production and excessive bottom end!" they have been influenced by the re-release of their fan favourite debut Court In The Act which they see as naive but endearing due to it's D.I.Y nature, it means that Cruel Magic is trying to re-capture that sound making an effort to record every song in one take.
It's a risk that works as this record is possibly Satan's finest, the progressive cinematic Mortality ends the record in the same magisterial style as it opens with the galloping Into The Mouth Of Eternity then into the frenzied madness of The Doomsday Clock which sees Tippins (guitar), Steve Ramsey (guitar), Graeme English (bass) riff like Hell (a band who have gone through a similar reinvention) and the percussive My Prophetic Soul driven by Sean Taylor's drumming. Cruel Magic is another worthy addition to the Satan collection, it's proper heavy metal with Brian Ross a perfect master of ceremonies working the titular magic. 9/10
Moths: Moths EP (Self Released)
With such majesty previously featured in this edition of the blog it was probably time things got a little dirty, thankfully Puerto Rican stoners Moths are here for all your Mastodon styled progressive fuzz needs. This debut EP has thick syrupy licks, proggy time changes and some stirling vocal work that has growls, droning mids and even some Dickinson wailing, Lepidoptera has it all in one song (it's even got a jazz odyssey) and it's only the opener, but at 6 minutes of twists you're ready for the psychedelic Adhara & Rey which is a little Rush meets Jane's Addiction and the more direct heavy riffs of Desires which is the last original track on the EP.
The fourth cut here is a cover and when a band have such a progressive tendency it would be remiss if they didn't cover a prog classic so with that classic riff powering out of your speakers they have a pretty traditional take on 21st Century Schizoid Man. Moth have pretty unique thing going on, very progressive but with stoner grime rubbed all over it, I like and I'm sure you will too. 8/10
Thursday, 6 September 2018
Reviews: Black Swamp Water, Yylva, Mountain Tamer, The Stone Angels (Reviews By Paul H)
Black Swamp Water: Distant Thunder (Mighty Music)
On first play I was convinced that Black Swamp Water were another hard rocking band from the States. Oh no. This five-piece hail from Denmark. Distant Thunder follows their 2016 debut album and opens with a sweet piece of Southern style acoustic slide on Badlands. As the thunder crashes in the distance, a banjo then threads together the crashing riffs as Bitter Harvest slowly hits top gear. Vocalist Bjorn Bolling Nyholm has a Hetfield style, but one that isn’t attempting to imitate the Metallica main man. Black Swamp Water are very much in the Black Label Society meets Lynyrd Skynyrd arena. Hard rock intertwined with the Southern rock but add in a large serving of Corrosion Of Conformity. Each track builds to huge choruses, the guitar work of Jan Geert and Martin Lykke Hansen sublime. Rebellion thunders along with huge hooks enticing the listener and by half way through this album it’s impossible to stop tapping the foot. Rise and Down For Good close the release, both tub thumping beasts which demonstrate that sometimes it doesn’t have to be complicated to be bloody good. 8/10
Yylva: The Wood Beyond The World (Self Released)
For those fortunate enough to have been at Fuel early on 9th June, you’d have caught the live set from Yylva. Anticipation about the debut album from this enigmatic outfit has been high and now it has finally arrived, well, what a beauty. The atmospheric ethereal black metal swirls around your throat, whispering delicately before blistering blast beats and demonic riffs tighten their grasp, whilst the haunting vocals of Clare Webster soar above the maelstrom. The intricate opening of A Foreshadowing, with the deft harp work taking centre stage, before the first real masterpiece appears as A Sidhe In Throes, all nine minutes of it, develops and spreads like a virus, weaving its way from peaceful intricacy to evil mutations.
Nepenthe, not the Opeth track from Heritage, maintains the combination of pagan doom and black metal superbly, a memorable riff holding pace with the elaborate and enchanting harp work which spreads over the whole album like a spider’s web in a darkened cave. Tears Of Awakening combines harp, ghostly vocals, death growls and thundering riffs in a way that should not work but does surprisingly well. At 55 minutes for just seven tracks, this album will take some listening to really appreciate but on the first few listens it is most impressive. Chillingly heavy, intoxicatingly light and woven together in magnificent style, this is a truly special album which should cast shivers up and down the spine. 9/10
Mountain Tamer: Godfortune/Dark Matters (Magnetic Eye Records)
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Mountain Tamer are about as far away from the traditional LA sound as you could get. Heavy, throbbing psychedelic doom, massive reverb and space rock are all present as the band deliver a ball crushing release. For a trio, the band make an impressive noise; fuzzy, dirty guitar work of Andru Hall who also handles lead vocals combines with the aching bass lines of Dave Tegat and the rampant thunder of Casey Garcia on drums.
Listen to the meandering Funeral Of A Dog, envelops you with a swirling heady mix before an abrupt stop saps your head back into position. The crashing Primitive Control careers out of the speakers with no controls in place, distortion and down tuned guitar mixing with distant echoing vocals. It’s sweet stuff alright and sufficiently challenging to stand above many of the Swedish bands of similar style. 7/10
The Stone Angels: The Stone Angels EP (Self Released)
I don’t know what I did to deserve this to review but I don’t want to get anything like it again. The Stone Angels are apparently a three-piece from Torbay and have kicked around since 2009 with a debut album Spirit, Love & Higher Meanings released in 2016. This five-track EP contains three average rock tracks, one particularly unremarkable cover of The Human League’s Don’t You Want Me and a lounge room style track called Set Me Free which fuses a bit of jazz, synth and indie style guitar into the mix, horribly. I’m sure they may be the ‘South West’s Best Kept Secret’. On this showing, let’s hope it remains that way. About as exciting as a bowl of two-day old porridge. 4/10
On first play I was convinced that Black Swamp Water were another hard rocking band from the States. Oh no. This five-piece hail from Denmark. Distant Thunder follows their 2016 debut album and opens with a sweet piece of Southern style acoustic slide on Badlands. As the thunder crashes in the distance, a banjo then threads together the crashing riffs as Bitter Harvest slowly hits top gear. Vocalist Bjorn Bolling Nyholm has a Hetfield style, but one that isn’t attempting to imitate the Metallica main man. Black Swamp Water are very much in the Black Label Society meets Lynyrd Skynyrd arena. Hard rock intertwined with the Southern rock but add in a large serving of Corrosion Of Conformity. Each track builds to huge choruses, the guitar work of Jan Geert and Martin Lykke Hansen sublime. Rebellion thunders along with huge hooks enticing the listener and by half way through this album it’s impossible to stop tapping the foot. Rise and Down For Good close the release, both tub thumping beasts which demonstrate that sometimes it doesn’t have to be complicated to be bloody good. 8/10
Yylva: The Wood Beyond The World (Self Released)
For those fortunate enough to have been at Fuel early on 9th June, you’d have caught the live set from Yylva. Anticipation about the debut album from this enigmatic outfit has been high and now it has finally arrived, well, what a beauty. The atmospheric ethereal black metal swirls around your throat, whispering delicately before blistering blast beats and demonic riffs tighten their grasp, whilst the haunting vocals of Clare Webster soar above the maelstrom. The intricate opening of A Foreshadowing, with the deft harp work taking centre stage, before the first real masterpiece appears as A Sidhe In Throes, all nine minutes of it, develops and spreads like a virus, weaving its way from peaceful intricacy to evil mutations.
Nepenthe, not the Opeth track from Heritage, maintains the combination of pagan doom and black metal superbly, a memorable riff holding pace with the elaborate and enchanting harp work which spreads over the whole album like a spider’s web in a darkened cave. Tears Of Awakening combines harp, ghostly vocals, death growls and thundering riffs in a way that should not work but does surprisingly well. At 55 minutes for just seven tracks, this album will take some listening to really appreciate but on the first few listens it is most impressive. Chillingly heavy, intoxicatingly light and woven together in magnificent style, this is a truly special album which should cast shivers up and down the spine. 9/10
Mountain Tamer: Godfortune/Dark Matters (Magnetic Eye Records)
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Mountain Tamer are about as far away from the traditional LA sound as you could get. Heavy, throbbing psychedelic doom, massive reverb and space rock are all present as the band deliver a ball crushing release. For a trio, the band make an impressive noise; fuzzy, dirty guitar work of Andru Hall who also handles lead vocals combines with the aching bass lines of Dave Tegat and the rampant thunder of Casey Garcia on drums.
Listen to the meandering Funeral Of A Dog, envelops you with a swirling heady mix before an abrupt stop saps your head back into position. The crashing Primitive Control careers out of the speakers with no controls in place, distortion and down tuned guitar mixing with distant echoing vocals. It’s sweet stuff alright and sufficiently challenging to stand above many of the Swedish bands of similar style. 7/10
The Stone Angels: The Stone Angels EP (Self Released)
I don’t know what I did to deserve this to review but I don’t want to get anything like it again. The Stone Angels are apparently a three-piece from Torbay and have kicked around since 2009 with a debut album Spirit, Love & Higher Meanings released in 2016. This five-track EP contains three average rock tracks, one particularly unremarkable cover of The Human League’s Don’t You Want Me and a lounge room style track called Set Me Free which fuses a bit of jazz, synth and indie style guitar into the mix, horribly. I’m sure they may be the ‘South West’s Best Kept Secret’. On this showing, let’s hope it remains that way. About as exciting as a bowl of two-day old porridge. 4/10
Wednesday, 5 September 2018
Reviews: Cauldron, The Radio Sun, Internal Conflict, Villainous
Cauldron: New Gods (Dissonance Productions)
Canadian's Cauldron return with their 5th album and there is no dramatic differences between this and their previous four albums, they still have an overwhelmingly NWOBHM influenced sound, as Jason Decay's bass riffs lead the charge through pumping Prisoner Of The Past, add a melodic groove to more Save The Truth - Syracuse and carries the heaviness of Never Be Found working in unison with Myles Deck's percussion for the gallops that are present here. As I said at the beginning of the review nothing much has changed here it's the same old sound that Cauldron have always done however Together As None does make it a little more AOR influenced with what sounds a little like a love song.
Canadian's Cauldron return with their 5th album and there is no dramatic differences between this and their previous four albums, they still have an overwhelmingly NWOBHM influenced sound, as Jason Decay's bass riffs lead the charge through pumping Prisoner Of The Past, add a melodic groove to more Save The Truth - Syracuse and carries the heaviness of Never Be Found working in unison with Myles Deck's percussion for the gallops that are present here. As I said at the beginning of the review nothing much has changed here it's the same old sound that Cauldron have always done however Together As None does make it a little more AOR influenced with what sounds a little like a love song.
The problem I have is not that it's repetitive, the entire NWOBHM revival is based upon riffs that have already happened it's just that this particular entry is boring nothing stands out or gets your pulse racing, your fist pumping or your head banging, where as they're first couple of records sounded vital and alive Cauldron's most recent offerings have sounded stayed and a bit beige. As the new wave of traditional metal has progressed, much like the first time around, certain bands have been left behind and unfortunately Cauldron seem to be one of those bands. 6/10
The Radio Sun: Beautiful Strange (Pride & Joy Music)
I think you can safely call Aussie AOR act The Radio Sun a much machine. Long time readers of this blog will know the name as this is the bands fifth album in five years, it's a ridiculous work rate by any stretch of the imagination only really matched by Messrs Bonamassa, Wilson and Sinner (and even they've slowed down). The key reason why The Radio Sun have been able to produce this many albums is probably due to their genre of choice AOR practically writes itself, full of breezy summer shimmer (Believe In Me), driving rockers (Should Have Listened To My Heart) and ballads wrought with more emotion than a Big Brother contestant (Miss Wonderful).
It's not rocket science but this kind of highly stylised melodic rock appeals to the pleasure receptors in your brain bringing a goofy smile to your face. Yes AOR is easy to produce but difficult to master an this is where The Radio Sun really reveal their ace, at a time where consistency is underrated I don't think they have ever produced anything below par and Beautiful Strange doesn't break the cycle. Slick, confident music with sauntering synths, strutting guitars and perfect vocals, these Aussies have done it again. 8/10
Internal Conflict: Nothing Is Lost (Self Released)
Nothing Is Lost is brutal slice of modern metal from the Leicester band who have previously released a debut album in 2015 and won Metal 2 The Masses in 2013 After their debut there was a period of unrest the band switching members and facing family illnesses however they are now in a period of stability with former Beholder drummer Chris Bentley who murders the throughout this five track EP which draws influence from all realms of metal but mainly it's groovy metalcore, with emotion-filled vocals, huge hooks and massive breakdowns.
The Radio Sun: Beautiful Strange (Pride & Joy Music)
I think you can safely call Aussie AOR act The Radio Sun a much machine. Long time readers of this blog will know the name as this is the bands fifth album in five years, it's a ridiculous work rate by any stretch of the imagination only really matched by Messrs Bonamassa, Wilson and Sinner (and even they've slowed down). The key reason why The Radio Sun have been able to produce this many albums is probably due to their genre of choice AOR practically writes itself, full of breezy summer shimmer (Believe In Me), driving rockers (Should Have Listened To My Heart) and ballads wrought with more emotion than a Big Brother contestant (Miss Wonderful).
It's not rocket science but this kind of highly stylised melodic rock appeals to the pleasure receptors in your brain bringing a goofy smile to your face. Yes AOR is easy to produce but difficult to master an this is where The Radio Sun really reveal their ace, at a time where consistency is underrated I don't think they have ever produced anything below par and Beautiful Strange doesn't break the cycle. Slick, confident music with sauntering synths, strutting guitars and perfect vocals, these Aussies have done it again. 8/10
Internal Conflict: Nothing Is Lost (Self Released)
Nothing Is Lost is brutal slice of modern metal from the Leicester band who have previously released a debut album in 2015 and won Metal 2 The Masses in 2013 After their debut there was a period of unrest the band switching members and facing family illnesses however they are now in a period of stability with former Beholder drummer Chris Bentley who murders the throughout this five track EP which draws influence from all realms of metal but mainly it's groovy metalcore, with emotion-filled vocals, huge hooks and massive breakdowns.
It's the sound of a band with renewed vigour and they sound as if they're ready to take on the world again with a limitless aggression, excellent production bolsters their music further with a track like Your Bones Will Fail you understand what exactly makes Internal Conflict such a interesting prospect, bookended by fuzzing electronic intro and outro Nothing Is Lost sets the scene for the triumphant return of Internal Conflict. 7/10
Villainous: Villainous (Self Released)
Brighton's Villainous seem to have recruited Phil Anselmo for their three track EP, the vocals are uncanny although the music isn't quite the same, yes there's technical ability and big grooves but this EP switches so fluidly between styles it's tough to nail them down to one, there's NOLA groove on Obsolete, but Ephemeral has the organic experimentation of Tool or Deftones. There's much to enjoy here, the songwriting is mature but overall it's a bit rough around the edges and stylistically person I'd do without the harsh vocals as the cleans work better that can all be refined at later date, promising. 7/10
Villainous: Villainous (Self Released)
Brighton's Villainous seem to have recruited Phil Anselmo for their three track EP, the vocals are uncanny although the music isn't quite the same, yes there's technical ability and big grooves but this EP switches so fluidly between styles it's tough to nail them down to one, there's NOLA groove on Obsolete, but Ephemeral has the organic experimentation of Tool or Deftones. There's much to enjoy here, the songwriting is mature but overall it's a bit rough around the edges and stylistically person I'd do without the harsh vocals as the cleans work better that can all be refined at later date, promising. 7/10
Monday, 3 September 2018
Reviews: Brainstorm, Ace Mafia, Pyrexia, Paul Ferguson (Reviews By Paul H)
Brainstorm: Midnight Ghost (AFM)
German power metal is often the benchmark for the genre. Brainstorm are yet another of those bands who’ve been around for many years, delivering consistent quality. Midnight Ghost is the band’s 12th album, and with a stable line-up for over ten years it’s no wonder that it is another polished release. Andy B Franck has been the band’s vocalist since 1999, with original members Torsten Ihlenfeld (guitars), Milan Loncaric (guitars) and Dieter Bernert (drums) alongside most recent member Antonio Ieva (bass) completing the line-up. Recorded at Sebastian ‘Seeb’ Levermann’s (Orden Ogan) Greenman Studios.
German power metal is often the benchmark for the genre. Brainstorm are yet another of those bands who’ve been around for many years, delivering consistent quality. Midnight Ghost is the band’s 12th album, and with a stable line-up for over ten years it’s no wonder that it is another polished release. Andy B Franck has been the band’s vocalist since 1999, with original members Torsten Ihlenfeld (guitars), Milan Loncaric (guitars) and Dieter Bernert (drums) alongside most recent member Antonio Ieva (bass) completing the line-up. Recorded at Sebastian ‘Seeb’ Levermann’s (Orden Ogan) Greenman Studios.
The album isn’t a concept album but contains a thread which focuses on the fear of ghosts and monsters under the bed; the bogeyman in the wardrobe. Fears that form in childhood. Jeanne Boulet 1764 for example, is about the strange events that took place in Gévaudan in Southern France 250 years ago when around 100 children, adolescents and women were killed by a wild animal. Typically flamboyant and operatic in parts, Midnight Ghosts opens with the anthemic Devil’s Eye, and tears through 51 minutes of high quality melodic power metal; When Pain Becomes Real and Ravenous Minds stand out amongst a wealth of strong songs. 7/10
Ace Mafia: Ace Mafia (Rock N Growl Records)
Ace Mafia is a UK based metal outfit, formed in 2007 and featuring Richie Faulkner, now guitarist of metal legends Judas Priest. The band released their debut album Vicious Circles in 2009 independently but due to various commitments, mainly Faulkner’s touring schedule with Lauren Harris before touring the UK in 2010. When Faulkner landed the gig with the Priest, Ace Mafia went on hiatus. However, in February 2018 the band decided to reform and Ace Mafia, a four-track EP which features Faulkner is the first offering. It’s a solid release, merging the grunge of Alice In Chains with the girth of Black Label Society; Ben Lundy adds impressive lead guitar alongside Faulkner, whilst K Ghibli’s vocals sit in the Sully Erna/Zakk Wylde ball park, fitting in neatly for the sound of the band. With Jerry Sadowski on drums and Geos Letona on bass and backing vocals, there is promise in this EP. 7/10
Pyrexia: Unholy Requiem (Unique Leader Records)
New York death metal veterans Pyreixa have been around since the early 1990s. With several albums under their belt, the last being Feast Of Iniquity in 2013, the band has, from what I understand, been relatively inactive in recent years. Unholy Requiem changes all that in a flash. It’s about as brutal an old school death record as you can get, immediately drawing comparisons with the likes of Suffocation and Internal Bleeding. With a return to the rawest sound you can achieve, these eight tracks pulverise over 25 minutes. It’s punishingly dirty. The groove remains, the guttural vocal delivery is immense whilst the speed that the band play at is incredible. Filthy in every aspect, tracks such as Angels Of Gomorrah and Wrath, which bookend the album, demonstrate why Unholy Requiem is an essential release for any self-respecting death metal head this year. 8/10
Paul Ferguson: Remote Viewing EP (Dead Radio Station)
You may well be asking who Paul Ferguson is. Well, to give him his correct title, Big Paul Ferguson is a multi-talented drummer and percussionist bet known as the engine room of gothic industrial masters Killing Joke. He left Joke in 1987 but re-joined the classic line up on their reformation in 2008, playing on all their releases since, including 2015’s superb Pylon. Now aged 60, yes, 60, the big man has finally released his debut EP, Remote Viewing, a seven track 30-minute release that combines many of his influences from his musical career. Much of the vocal on Remote Viewing is spoken word, as Ferguson targets a range of subjects. Ably supported by underground guitar veteran Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission, Tricky amongst others), Ferguson’s drumming and percussion is intricate and thoughtful throughout, without being centre stage at any time. The Great Motivator and XBOX are amongst the stand out tracks, questioning the consumerism of society and the way in which we are all cogs in the capitalist machine. Industrial without question, this is a thought-provoking release which impresses throughout. 8/10
Ace Mafia: Ace Mafia (Rock N Growl Records)
Ace Mafia is a UK based metal outfit, formed in 2007 and featuring Richie Faulkner, now guitarist of metal legends Judas Priest. The band released their debut album Vicious Circles in 2009 independently but due to various commitments, mainly Faulkner’s touring schedule with Lauren Harris before touring the UK in 2010. When Faulkner landed the gig with the Priest, Ace Mafia went on hiatus. However, in February 2018 the band decided to reform and Ace Mafia, a four-track EP which features Faulkner is the first offering. It’s a solid release, merging the grunge of Alice In Chains with the girth of Black Label Society; Ben Lundy adds impressive lead guitar alongside Faulkner, whilst K Ghibli’s vocals sit in the Sully Erna/Zakk Wylde ball park, fitting in neatly for the sound of the band. With Jerry Sadowski on drums and Geos Letona on bass and backing vocals, there is promise in this EP. 7/10
Pyrexia: Unholy Requiem (Unique Leader Records)
New York death metal veterans Pyreixa have been around since the early 1990s. With several albums under their belt, the last being Feast Of Iniquity in 2013, the band has, from what I understand, been relatively inactive in recent years. Unholy Requiem changes all that in a flash. It’s about as brutal an old school death record as you can get, immediately drawing comparisons with the likes of Suffocation and Internal Bleeding. With a return to the rawest sound you can achieve, these eight tracks pulverise over 25 minutes. It’s punishingly dirty. The groove remains, the guttural vocal delivery is immense whilst the speed that the band play at is incredible. Filthy in every aspect, tracks such as Angels Of Gomorrah and Wrath, which bookend the album, demonstrate why Unholy Requiem is an essential release for any self-respecting death metal head this year. 8/10
Paul Ferguson: Remote Viewing EP (Dead Radio Station)
You may well be asking who Paul Ferguson is. Well, to give him his correct title, Big Paul Ferguson is a multi-talented drummer and percussionist bet known as the engine room of gothic industrial masters Killing Joke. He left Joke in 1987 but re-joined the classic line up on their reformation in 2008, playing on all their releases since, including 2015’s superb Pylon. Now aged 60, yes, 60, the big man has finally released his debut EP, Remote Viewing, a seven track 30-minute release that combines many of his influences from his musical career. Much of the vocal on Remote Viewing is spoken word, as Ferguson targets a range of subjects. Ably supported by underground guitar veteran Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission, Tricky amongst others), Ferguson’s drumming and percussion is intricate and thoughtful throughout, without being centre stage at any time. The Great Motivator and XBOX are amongst the stand out tracks, questioning the consumerism of society and the way in which we are all cogs in the capitalist machine. Industrial without question, this is a thought-provoking release which impresses throughout. 8/10
Sunday, 2 September 2018
A View From The Back Of The Room: Electric Six (Live Review By Paul)
Electric Six, Jacs, Aberdare and The Fleece, Bristol
It was only March when Detroit’s magnificent Electric Six (9) last played the UK and we were on hand at The Globe to witness another masterclass. A further UK tour which spans the tail end of August and early September has included some of the more interesting locations across the country and that must include the gig at Jacs, Aberdare. I rarely go North of the Wall, so a trip into the centre of bandit country was always going to be a challenge. Deciding to arrive at we thought was a reasonably late time, we were instead forced to endure the closing moments of first support band Head Noise followed by all local support John Mouse, who were dreadful. Disappointingly, we were stuck quite far back, and as a result struggled to hear and see Electric Six due to the constant chatter around us from the many people who had clearly no intention of watching the band. Oh, until Gay Bar arrived, at which point out came the camera phone, the jumping and the singing started and then promptly finished once the song concluded. With the chatter starting up once again, and safe in the knowledge that we’d have a far better time at The Fleece, we cut our losses early and headed home.
Three days later and a much better experience in Bristol, where a knowledgeable and much more engaged crowd witnessed another stunning show from Dick Valentine and co. We’d played it safer and got a position stage right which allowed us space in the sold-out venue but also a much better vantage point. We endured the ironic 80s offerings of Pretty Little Enemy, who one friend described as “utter shit” before it was time for the main event. Opening with Rock ‘n’ Roll Evacuation, Electric Six powered through a set list that relied heavily on their 2003 debut Fire, but liberally sprinkled a selection of songs from other albums, including a trio from their most recent release How Dare You!
It’s a challenge to continually review Electric Six in the live but not to watch them, such is their quality and consistency. With Valentine’s delivery deliciously dry, laced with humour and with the band such perfect musicians, the set flew by with clockwork precision. As we rolled into Dance Epidemic and I Buy The Drugs, the venue was rocking ferociously, with some small but full-on mosh pitting taking place at the front of the stage. Dance Commander and the traditional Show Stopper, where all the band change places, concluded a fabulous evening that more than made up for the disappointment a few days earlier (nothing to do with the band). If you’ve not seen Electric Six, then make sure you get to their inevitable next UK tour. But, please, listen to more than just Gay Bar, because this band has much more to offer than a song which really isn’t representative of their sound.
It was only March when Detroit’s magnificent Electric Six (9) last played the UK and we were on hand at The Globe to witness another masterclass. A further UK tour which spans the tail end of August and early September has included some of the more interesting locations across the country and that must include the gig at Jacs, Aberdare. I rarely go North of the Wall, so a trip into the centre of bandit country was always going to be a challenge. Deciding to arrive at we thought was a reasonably late time, we were instead forced to endure the closing moments of first support band Head Noise followed by all local support John Mouse, who were dreadful. Disappointingly, we were stuck quite far back, and as a result struggled to hear and see Electric Six due to the constant chatter around us from the many people who had clearly no intention of watching the band. Oh, until Gay Bar arrived, at which point out came the camera phone, the jumping and the singing started and then promptly finished once the song concluded. With the chatter starting up once again, and safe in the knowledge that we’d have a far better time at The Fleece, we cut our losses early and headed home.
Three days later and a much better experience in Bristol, where a knowledgeable and much more engaged crowd witnessed another stunning show from Dick Valentine and co. We’d played it safer and got a position stage right which allowed us space in the sold-out venue but also a much better vantage point. We endured the ironic 80s offerings of Pretty Little Enemy, who one friend described as “utter shit” before it was time for the main event. Opening with Rock ‘n’ Roll Evacuation, Electric Six powered through a set list that relied heavily on their 2003 debut Fire, but liberally sprinkled a selection of songs from other albums, including a trio from their most recent release How Dare You!
It’s a challenge to continually review Electric Six in the live but not to watch them, such is their quality and consistency. With Valentine’s delivery deliciously dry, laced with humour and with the band such perfect musicians, the set flew by with clockwork precision. As we rolled into Dance Epidemic and I Buy The Drugs, the venue was rocking ferociously, with some small but full-on mosh pitting taking place at the front of the stage. Dance Commander and the traditional Show Stopper, where all the band change places, concluded a fabulous evening that more than made up for the disappointment a few days earlier (nothing to do with the band). If you’ve not seen Electric Six, then make sure you get to their inevitable next UK tour. But, please, listen to more than just Gay Bar, because this band has much more to offer than a song which really isn’t representative of their sound.
Saturday, 1 September 2018
Reviews: Electric Six, Tokyo Blade, Ravens Creed, Halcyon Way (Reviews By Paul H)
Electric Six: Bride Of The Devil (Metropolis Records)
This is the 14th album from the Detroit powerhouse that is Electric Six. Track one, The Opener is possibly the heaviest track the band has ever delivered; a thunderous tune that sees Dick Valentine in superb form, whilst the crushing riffs and electro beat form an alliance that is unbeatable. Daddy’s Boy maintains the high tempo, with Tait Nucleus? keyboards taking centre stage. It’s Americana time on (It Gets) (A Little) Jumpy, with Valentine delivering his vocal wizardry, and more crunching riffs adding heft to the choruses. You’re Toast has shades of Clutch and a distinctly southern hook (That Smell anyone?) whilst the homage to 1980s disco Hades Ladies contains one of my favourite lines of all time: “When a disco nap is more fun than a disco”. Valentine is certainly the star but as I’ve said in many reviews of this fabulous band, the sum of the parts makes Electric Six such a tour de force.
After their deliberate experimental sounds of previous releases, including their 2017 How Dare You? Bride Of The Devil is an instantly more accessible release, the songs memorable and catchy. The title track is immense, a guitar driven sing-a-long in the classic Electric Six tradition. Full Moon Over The Internet is reminiscent of Valentine’s solo work before yet more crashing guitar fleshes it out whilst the disco flavour that Electric Six always bring to the party explodes into action on Grey Areas. A change of style and pace on The Worm In The Wood closes off another spectacular release from a band who remain as versatile as ever. 9/10
Tokyo Blade: Unbroken (3Ms Music)
Anohter band that emerged in the early 1980s under the NWOBHM banner, Tokyo Blade were, at one point, big enough to headline 2-3000 arenas in Europe. Originally called Killer and then Genghis Khan, the band finally settled on Tokyo Blade and released two well regarded albums, their self-titled debut and sophomore album Night Of The Blade. Having split in 1984/5, the band reformed in 2008, with vocalist Nicolaj Ruhnov, and released Burn Down The Night in 2011. Now the Mark II line up is back together, with Alan Marsh on vocals alongside guitarists John Wiggins and Andy Boulton, bassist Andy Wrighton and drummer Steve Pierce. Unbroken contains 11 tracks of compact heavy metal. It’s all competently played and at times rather enjoyable.
Boulton and Wiggins can certainly play their guitars, and Marsh’s vocals are clean and strong, at times incredibly reminiscent of James Hetfield [Bad Blood, Burn Down The Night and The Man In Black are all Metallica heavy] but also switching to elements of Robert Plant and even Trucker Diablo’s Tom Harte. It’s a decent range alright. The songs themselves are solid heavy metal played tracks, proficiently performed. I like the Maiden stomp of Black Water, which allows Wrighton to thunder along on his bass ala Steve Harris. NWOBHM seems to have woken up many bands who would have been better to have remained in a permanent state of hibernation. Not so Tokyo Blade, who prove with Unbroken that they have the quality that is worth making that return. 7/10
Ravens Creed: Get Killed Or Try Dying (Xtreem Music)
Dirty, sleazy old school death metal from London based Ravens Creed, a band who’ve been around since 2006 and for whom this is album number four. Rod Boston, Jay Graham, Steve Watson and Al Osta have created a rather tasty beast with murderous riffs and thunderous bass lines in the best Venom, Hellhammer, Master and Discharge tradition. Its fast and furious, with all the tracks over within two and a half minutes. It may only be 28 minutes in length but there is groove and stomp as well as pig bludgeoning speed.
An absolute wrecking ball of a release, and with titles such as Rats Beneath Our Feet, Hymns And Hearse and The Trauma Of Being Hunted, and the Devildriver style Remember The Hammer, you know that this isn’t going to have a ballad or slow section. With riffs that even Power Trip would kill for, Get Killed Or Try Dying may well be one of the hidden behemoths of 2018. What is for certain is that this bastard shouldn’t be allowed on the car stereo … that concrete motorway bridge would be getting a visit very quickly with the brutality contained within. Listen loud … but with caution. 8/10
Halcyon Way: Bloody But Unbowed (Agonia Records)
This is a curious mixture of an album. The band, from Atlanta, Georgia have been around since 2001 delivering several albums including 2014’s Conquer. Bloody But Unbowed doesn’t fit easily into any category, with a mixture of styles that times change through the duration of each song. Clean power metal style vocals from singer Steve Braun mix with death metal growls from guitarist Jon Bodan and bassist Skyler Moore, whilst the music varies from progressive complexity to heads down thrash. Consequently, it becomes a bit of a challenge at times. The obvious influences are Dream Theater, as demonstrated on tracks like Burning The Summit and Ten Thousand Ways. Technically excellent, it proves that metal doesn’t need to be labelled but that schizophrenic style may also be to the band’s detriment; it’s hard at times to see quite who this will appeal to. 7/10
This is the 14th album from the Detroit powerhouse that is Electric Six. Track one, The Opener is possibly the heaviest track the band has ever delivered; a thunderous tune that sees Dick Valentine in superb form, whilst the crushing riffs and electro beat form an alliance that is unbeatable. Daddy’s Boy maintains the high tempo, with Tait Nucleus? keyboards taking centre stage. It’s Americana time on (It Gets) (A Little) Jumpy, with Valentine delivering his vocal wizardry, and more crunching riffs adding heft to the choruses. You’re Toast has shades of Clutch and a distinctly southern hook (That Smell anyone?) whilst the homage to 1980s disco Hades Ladies contains one of my favourite lines of all time: “When a disco nap is more fun than a disco”. Valentine is certainly the star but as I’ve said in many reviews of this fabulous band, the sum of the parts makes Electric Six such a tour de force.
After their deliberate experimental sounds of previous releases, including their 2017 How Dare You? Bride Of The Devil is an instantly more accessible release, the songs memorable and catchy. The title track is immense, a guitar driven sing-a-long in the classic Electric Six tradition. Full Moon Over The Internet is reminiscent of Valentine’s solo work before yet more crashing guitar fleshes it out whilst the disco flavour that Electric Six always bring to the party explodes into action on Grey Areas. A change of style and pace on The Worm In The Wood closes off another spectacular release from a band who remain as versatile as ever. 9/10
Tokyo Blade: Unbroken (3Ms Music)
Anohter band that emerged in the early 1980s under the NWOBHM banner, Tokyo Blade were, at one point, big enough to headline 2-3000 arenas in Europe. Originally called Killer and then Genghis Khan, the band finally settled on Tokyo Blade and released two well regarded albums, their self-titled debut and sophomore album Night Of The Blade. Having split in 1984/5, the band reformed in 2008, with vocalist Nicolaj Ruhnov, and released Burn Down The Night in 2011. Now the Mark II line up is back together, with Alan Marsh on vocals alongside guitarists John Wiggins and Andy Boulton, bassist Andy Wrighton and drummer Steve Pierce. Unbroken contains 11 tracks of compact heavy metal. It’s all competently played and at times rather enjoyable.
Boulton and Wiggins can certainly play their guitars, and Marsh’s vocals are clean and strong, at times incredibly reminiscent of James Hetfield [Bad Blood, Burn Down The Night and The Man In Black are all Metallica heavy] but also switching to elements of Robert Plant and even Trucker Diablo’s Tom Harte. It’s a decent range alright. The songs themselves are solid heavy metal played tracks, proficiently performed. I like the Maiden stomp of Black Water, which allows Wrighton to thunder along on his bass ala Steve Harris. NWOBHM seems to have woken up many bands who would have been better to have remained in a permanent state of hibernation. Not so Tokyo Blade, who prove with Unbroken that they have the quality that is worth making that return. 7/10
Ravens Creed: Get Killed Or Try Dying (Xtreem Music)
Dirty, sleazy old school death metal from London based Ravens Creed, a band who’ve been around since 2006 and for whom this is album number four. Rod Boston, Jay Graham, Steve Watson and Al Osta have created a rather tasty beast with murderous riffs and thunderous bass lines in the best Venom, Hellhammer, Master and Discharge tradition. Its fast and furious, with all the tracks over within two and a half minutes. It may only be 28 minutes in length but there is groove and stomp as well as pig bludgeoning speed.
An absolute wrecking ball of a release, and with titles such as Rats Beneath Our Feet, Hymns And Hearse and The Trauma Of Being Hunted, and the Devildriver style Remember The Hammer, you know that this isn’t going to have a ballad or slow section. With riffs that even Power Trip would kill for, Get Killed Or Try Dying may well be one of the hidden behemoths of 2018. What is for certain is that this bastard shouldn’t be allowed on the car stereo … that concrete motorway bridge would be getting a visit very quickly with the brutality contained within. Listen loud … but with caution. 8/10
Halcyon Way: Bloody But Unbowed (Agonia Records)
This is a curious mixture of an album. The band, from Atlanta, Georgia have been around since 2001 delivering several albums including 2014’s Conquer. Bloody But Unbowed doesn’t fit easily into any category, with a mixture of styles that times change through the duration of each song. Clean power metal style vocals from singer Steve Braun mix with death metal growls from guitarist Jon Bodan and bassist Skyler Moore, whilst the music varies from progressive complexity to heads down thrash. Consequently, it becomes a bit of a challenge at times. The obvious influences are Dream Theater, as demonstrated on tracks like Burning The Summit and Ten Thousand Ways. Technically excellent, it proves that metal doesn’t need to be labelled but that schizophrenic style may also be to the band’s detriment; it’s hard at times to see quite who this will appeal to. 7/10
Friday, 31 August 2018
Reviews: The Vintage Caravan, Circles, Immortal Guardian, EverRise, Forager
The Vintage Caravan: Gateways (Nuclear Blast)
Bubbling organs swell into a huge riff and the hazy days of Hendrix and his Experience wash over you with as the driving rhythms of Alex Örn (bass) and Stefán Ari (drums) power opener Set Your Sights into it's guitar heavy climax which has Óskar Logi setting his fretboard alight. It's shamelessly retro but has the swaggering confidence of youth, you must remember that this is Icelandic trio's fourth album, their first was released when they were still in school so they have had nearly a decade to craft their 60's styled sound. Having played all over the world Gateways is their most mature record, the songs whizz by without getting bogged down by some of the jams that plagued the earlier records.
They've also turned everything up to it's highest setting, the analogue production letting fuzzy rockers like Reflections make their mark, it's 48 minutes of classic rock song writing tweaked to it's most vital with Óskar's often reverbed vocal floating over the huge riffs and screaming solo freak outs that Hendrix, Purple and Rainbow all had in their arsenal, just listen to the stomping On The Run or the excellent Farewell and you'll hear the influence of Mr Blackmore coming out of every soulful note. I've been following The Vintage Caravan since their early days and I must say they have managed to put themselves on on a pedestal with The Blues Pills, Kadavar, Graveyard and Rival Sons as some of the figureheads in this retro rock revival, Gateways is an addictive record that makes you feel good when listening, it's almost primal, well worth a purchase. 9/10
Circles: The Last One (Season Of Mist)
Circles debut EP came about right as the 'djent' bubble was starting to inflate to full size, when many of the bands sounded similar only the bands willing to make a change managed to survive and these forward thinking Australians have adopted their mainly Djent beginnings by introducing stadium baiting melodies (Breaker) and soaring vocal lines that are a staple of Tesseract et al. This second full length takes things a little further by adding some ambient (The Messenger) and even jazz textures while also retaining the groove laden heaviness of their past. A track like the atmospheric Alone With Ghosts brings to mind Everything Everything due to percussion and Ben Rechter's clean vocal delivery, although kudos also to bassist Drew Patton for adding screams to the heavier tracks bringing an extra level of emotion to the frenetic Winter (which Patton's bass also drives). I do hope this isn't the last one from Circles as their brand of Djent is one that I really enjoy, it's melodic, anthemic and best of all heavy as lead at times. 8/10
Immortal Guardian: Age Of Revolution (M-Theory Audio)
Age Of Revolution is the debut full length album from Austin Texas band formed by Gabriel Guardian (guitars/keyboards) this has been a a few years in the making with a few line up changes the band have finally settled as a four piece that features the explosive pipes of Carlos Zema and a rampaging rhythm section of Cody Gilliand (drums) and Thad Stevens (bass) as Guardian himself handles all of the shred taking both guitar and keys (sometimes simultaneously) Since the release of their EP Revolution Pt 1 they have set about on a guerilla marketing tour playing US festivals on their 'Shred Shed' but finally after honing their 'Super Metal' they have managed to put out a full length, but is it a case of style over substance? Well once the orchestral intro warms you up it's heads down for finger twisting technicality as the keyboards and guitars intertwine with the blastbeats and thunderous bass for opening track Zephon where Zema just shows himself as being in a class above with his massive range that stretches from guttural roars to Kiske highs.
Aeolian and the political Hunters will satisfy those folks who want a bit of Dragonforce it's definitely super metal although Never To Return takes the title for the best representation of Immortal Guardian's sound with everyone getting a solo on this speedy number that turns into a sax backed Gary Moore-like outro. As a debut album it's pretty much everything you could want from a band who have been doing their best to get their shred metal to the masses through any means necessary. It's the culmination of a few years work but it pays off with a power metal album that stands out with its mixture of virtuosity and hook-filed numbers like the chest beating Stardust showing they're not style over substance. It's the Age Of Revolution so don't get left behind! 8/10
EverRise: After The Eclipse (Self Released)
EverRise are a melodic death metal band from Toulouse and like the sausage that bears its name they are a meaty morsel. Taking from the Gothenburg scene bludgeoning drum patterns keep the aggression in the red as the guitars bring technicality and the vocals a real brutality. The title track After The Eclipse has an almost relentless black metal blastbeats with groove driven riffs similar to Behemoth, but the comparisons don't stop there as My Kingdom is an In Flames song by another name and Anything gets chunky with so thick riffs. After The Eclipse is solid modern melodic death metal record from this French band, I'd you want a bit of rage then you can do much worse! 7/10
Forager: S/T (Self Titled)
Manchester band Forager are a five piece math rock band and this self titled EP sees them expanding their sound from it's instrumental origins by adding vocals. Floss Is Boss (not the anal variety that you may see on the South Wales music scene) opens the record with an immediacy bringing you into their expressive edgy alternative sound that brings in experimental influence from Fall Of Troy, Press To Meco and the technical toughness of Biffy Clyro. I'll admit it's not what I usually listen too but with a good vocalist in tow Forager have clear direction of where they want to in the future so it's hard to find negatives I would say if you're in need of pummelling black metal or heavy djent then stay away but if you want modern, dynamic music then stop looking in the bushes as you've found what you're looking for. 7/10
Bubbling organs swell into a huge riff and the hazy days of Hendrix and his Experience wash over you with as the driving rhythms of Alex Örn (bass) and Stefán Ari (drums) power opener Set Your Sights into it's guitar heavy climax which has Óskar Logi setting his fretboard alight. It's shamelessly retro but has the swaggering confidence of youth, you must remember that this is Icelandic trio's fourth album, their first was released when they were still in school so they have had nearly a decade to craft their 60's styled sound. Having played all over the world Gateways is their most mature record, the songs whizz by without getting bogged down by some of the jams that plagued the earlier records.
They've also turned everything up to it's highest setting, the analogue production letting fuzzy rockers like Reflections make their mark, it's 48 minutes of classic rock song writing tweaked to it's most vital with Óskar's often reverbed vocal floating over the huge riffs and screaming solo freak outs that Hendrix, Purple and Rainbow all had in their arsenal, just listen to the stomping On The Run or the excellent Farewell and you'll hear the influence of Mr Blackmore coming out of every soulful note. I've been following The Vintage Caravan since their early days and I must say they have managed to put themselves on on a pedestal with The Blues Pills, Kadavar, Graveyard and Rival Sons as some of the figureheads in this retro rock revival, Gateways is an addictive record that makes you feel good when listening, it's almost primal, well worth a purchase. 9/10
Circles: The Last One (Season Of Mist)
Circles debut EP came about right as the 'djent' bubble was starting to inflate to full size, when many of the bands sounded similar only the bands willing to make a change managed to survive and these forward thinking Australians have adopted their mainly Djent beginnings by introducing stadium baiting melodies (Breaker) and soaring vocal lines that are a staple of Tesseract et al. This second full length takes things a little further by adding some ambient (The Messenger) and even jazz textures while also retaining the groove laden heaviness of their past. A track like the atmospheric Alone With Ghosts brings to mind Everything Everything due to percussion and Ben Rechter's clean vocal delivery, although kudos also to bassist Drew Patton for adding screams to the heavier tracks bringing an extra level of emotion to the frenetic Winter (which Patton's bass also drives). I do hope this isn't the last one from Circles as their brand of Djent is one that I really enjoy, it's melodic, anthemic and best of all heavy as lead at times. 8/10
Immortal Guardian: Age Of Revolution (M-Theory Audio)
Age Of Revolution is the debut full length album from Austin Texas band formed by Gabriel Guardian (guitars/keyboards) this has been a a few years in the making with a few line up changes the band have finally settled as a four piece that features the explosive pipes of Carlos Zema and a rampaging rhythm section of Cody Gilliand (drums) and Thad Stevens (bass) as Guardian himself handles all of the shred taking both guitar and keys (sometimes simultaneously) Since the release of their EP Revolution Pt 1 they have set about on a guerilla marketing tour playing US festivals on their 'Shred Shed' but finally after honing their 'Super Metal' they have managed to put out a full length, but is it a case of style over substance? Well once the orchestral intro warms you up it's heads down for finger twisting technicality as the keyboards and guitars intertwine with the blastbeats and thunderous bass for opening track Zephon where Zema just shows himself as being in a class above with his massive range that stretches from guttural roars to Kiske highs.
Aeolian and the political Hunters will satisfy those folks who want a bit of Dragonforce it's definitely super metal although Never To Return takes the title for the best representation of Immortal Guardian's sound with everyone getting a solo on this speedy number that turns into a sax backed Gary Moore-like outro. As a debut album it's pretty much everything you could want from a band who have been doing their best to get their shred metal to the masses through any means necessary. It's the culmination of a few years work but it pays off with a power metal album that stands out with its mixture of virtuosity and hook-filed numbers like the chest beating Stardust showing they're not style over substance. It's the Age Of Revolution so don't get left behind! 8/10
EverRise: After The Eclipse (Self Released)
EverRise are a melodic death metal band from Toulouse and like the sausage that bears its name they are a meaty morsel. Taking from the Gothenburg scene bludgeoning drum patterns keep the aggression in the red as the guitars bring technicality and the vocals a real brutality. The title track After The Eclipse has an almost relentless black metal blastbeats with groove driven riffs similar to Behemoth, but the comparisons don't stop there as My Kingdom is an In Flames song by another name and Anything gets chunky with so thick riffs. After The Eclipse is solid modern melodic death metal record from this French band, I'd you want a bit of rage then you can do much worse! 7/10
Forager: S/T (Self Titled)
Manchester band Forager are a five piece math rock band and this self titled EP sees them expanding their sound from it's instrumental origins by adding vocals. Floss Is Boss (not the anal variety that you may see on the South Wales music scene) opens the record with an immediacy bringing you into their expressive edgy alternative sound that brings in experimental influence from Fall Of Troy, Press To Meco and the technical toughness of Biffy Clyro. I'll admit it's not what I usually listen too but with a good vocalist in tow Forager have clear direction of where they want to in the future so it's hard to find negatives I would say if you're in need of pummelling black metal or heavy djent then stay away but if you want modern, dynamic music then stop looking in the bushes as you've found what you're looking for. 7/10
Thursday, 30 August 2018
Reviews: UDO, Massive Wagons, Diemonds, Wilson (Reviews By Alex)
U.D.O: Steel Factory (AFM)
Since Udo Dirkschneiders departure from metal titans Accept in 1987, he has had a prolific career with U.D.O. With the help of Volbeat Producer, Jacob Hanson, Steel Factory emanates all the intensity ay you would expect. The vocals, despite understandably brittle, have lost no of attitude and command, reaching glorious heights on the opening Tongue Reaper, maintaining a low and sinister growl on Keeper Of My Soul and proving darkly melodious on Rose In The Desert. Yet while our frontman may take centre stage, this is by no means a solo endeavor. Guitar parts change from stints of carnivorous complexity to periods of straightforward, in-your-face chugging, a contrast best bought to life on songs like One Heart One Soul, In The Heat Of The Night and Rising High.
Since Udo Dirkschneiders departure from metal titans Accept in 1987, he has had a prolific career with U.D.O. With the help of Volbeat Producer, Jacob Hanson, Steel Factory emanates all the intensity ay you would expect. The vocals, despite understandably brittle, have lost no of attitude and command, reaching glorious heights on the opening Tongue Reaper, maintaining a low and sinister growl on Keeper Of My Soul and proving darkly melodious on Rose In The Desert. Yet while our frontman may take centre stage, this is by no means a solo endeavor. Guitar parts change from stints of carnivorous complexity to periods of straightforward, in-your-face chugging, a contrast best bought to life on songs like One Heart One Soul, In The Heat Of The Night and Rising High.
On a complimentary note, the drum and bass can, of course, add to the marching tone created by so many good metal songs by keeping the rhythm, yet in the spirit of power metal often take on a stampeding character, Eraser and Rising High being more than happy to show off that quality. Still very much grounded in the classic Eighties metal sounds, as well as paying homage to influences from Judas Priest to Iron Maiden, the fingerprints of Dirkschnieder's time in the spotlight, may be all over this record, yet it is all the better as a consequence. Huge anthemic songs, sure to be sung by millions in arenas, are a testament to the intriguing stage presence and determination of these musicians. 7/10
Massive Wagons: Full Nelson (Earache Records)
Massive Wagons wearing a range of influences proudly on their sleeve. Whether that's the ambition of classic rock, the rootsy charm of blues, or even the aesthetic of punk, they commit to each style with enthusiasm and humour, making it difficult not to be instantly intrigued! We begin with the traditional rock n roll swagger of Under No Illusion, where guitars are crunchy, the rhythm section is steady, and Baz Mills’ vocals are crisp and commanding. Exploring the idea of refusing to sign your life away on a dotted line and playing by your own rules, a clear sense of optimism mixed with defiance takes hold; A sentiment which proves handy, with the angsty and brash China Plates taking down show-off’s and snobs with a good helping of sarcasm and raw liveliness. Billy Balloon Head and Sunshine Smile, are based in memorable riffs and beats, emanating traditional, almost bluesy vibes, yet never losing the signature vigour or bravado, which Massive Wagons have down almost to perfection.
Of course, every good band has a sense of restraint, which we see in the storied and romantic Northern Boy, beginning as subdued and blossoming into a fully-fledged guitar ballad. On a more unique footing, Robot has a futuristic and sinister stamp, the guzzling riff, weird dissonant effects and eerie lyricism proving inspiring, albeit different. Back To The Stack is another romper, a few well-placed references to idles like status quo not left amiss. Hate Me can be envisaged as a singalong moment, ‘’scream a little louder, get it off your chest’’ serving as a rallying cry to rock audiences across the globe. Drawing to an end on the danceable Ballad Of Vernon Hayes, the climatic and soaring Ratio and the endearingly strong closer Tokyo, you are left with a desire to spin the record again. Not to shore up your opinion but to pick up the nuances, after being hit with a rush of personality and charisma, tinted with a whole load of respect for the classics! 8/10
Diemonds: S/T (Self Released)
Juno award nominated Canadian hard-rock quintet, Diemonds return with their third album following Never Wanna Die (2015) and The Bad Pack (2012). Despite not yet achieving considerable success outside of Canada and North America, creating a name for themselves has involved making lots of friends in the rock and roll world, notably by working with the producer of Billy Talent and Cancer Bats, Eric Ratz , as well as touring with raucous and legendary rock including lending support slots to The Darkness, Megadeth, Steel Panther and even Guns N Roses! If you thought from reading the titles of their past works that Diemonds would have a certain style of traditional rock n’ roll grit, you would be exactly right! From the opening moments of Breath, the rhythmic drumming, and confident riffing grab your attention, before the female lead vocalist, Priya Panda cuts through the static with a ferocious yet striking tone.
The momentum is kept up on the chugging and grungy Our Song, as well as the anthemic Shoulda Listened To Ya. Later, Waiting For Something exudes the catchiness and memorability of a pop song, yet the execution still has the attitude and realness of the harder moments, as does the equally beguiling yet sentimental I Miss. These are still strong rock songs, instrumentally at least, yet they prove an ability to diversify songwriting, away from the hard-hitting and frenetic songs in the vein of Burn It Down or I See Red, at times where a more touching or danceable moment feels needed. Not to say they don’t close out on a strong note, Warrior being a gigantic, adrenaline driven, fist-in-the-air anthem for the downtrodden. ‘’We’re Warriors, We’ll never back down’’ rings the closing line, bringing a determined end to an album bursting with hooks, energy, and rock songs which don’t forget the all-important element of fun! 7/10
Wilson: Tasty Nasty (Century Media)
Fusing styles from hip-hop to metal, Wilson certainly knows not to take themselves too seriously, spending their songs unashamedly mocking the clichés, preening, and grandiosity, which many genres begin to ooze after they losing their original charm, becoming stale and forcing everyone to jump ship to escape the rancid stench of mediocrity. There's only one problem: attempting to parody music so smothered in its own ego and braggadocio – e.g the raunchiness of hair metal or the pseudo machismo of later era nu-metal - that it becomes a joke in itself, leads to some mixed results. Lead single, Like A Baller funny, the snooty, nerdy tone mixed with a story of a car salesman fantasising about living the life of fame and wealth, pointing and laughing at the fake-edginess you're typical of ‘sick of this day job, they will worship me one-day’ cliché. My Hustle takes this joke to the extreme, the sheer exaggeration warranting a good laugh.
Massive Wagons: Full Nelson (Earache Records)
Massive Wagons wearing a range of influences proudly on their sleeve. Whether that's the ambition of classic rock, the rootsy charm of blues, or even the aesthetic of punk, they commit to each style with enthusiasm and humour, making it difficult not to be instantly intrigued! We begin with the traditional rock n roll swagger of Under No Illusion, where guitars are crunchy, the rhythm section is steady, and Baz Mills’ vocals are crisp and commanding. Exploring the idea of refusing to sign your life away on a dotted line and playing by your own rules, a clear sense of optimism mixed with defiance takes hold; A sentiment which proves handy, with the angsty and brash China Plates taking down show-off’s and snobs with a good helping of sarcasm and raw liveliness. Billy Balloon Head and Sunshine Smile, are based in memorable riffs and beats, emanating traditional, almost bluesy vibes, yet never losing the signature vigour or bravado, which Massive Wagons have down almost to perfection.
Of course, every good band has a sense of restraint, which we see in the storied and romantic Northern Boy, beginning as subdued and blossoming into a fully-fledged guitar ballad. On a more unique footing, Robot has a futuristic and sinister stamp, the guzzling riff, weird dissonant effects and eerie lyricism proving inspiring, albeit different. Back To The Stack is another romper, a few well-placed references to idles like status quo not left amiss. Hate Me can be envisaged as a singalong moment, ‘’scream a little louder, get it off your chest’’ serving as a rallying cry to rock audiences across the globe. Drawing to an end on the danceable Ballad Of Vernon Hayes, the climatic and soaring Ratio and the endearingly strong closer Tokyo, you are left with a desire to spin the record again. Not to shore up your opinion but to pick up the nuances, after being hit with a rush of personality and charisma, tinted with a whole load of respect for the classics! 8/10
Diemonds: S/T (Self Released)
Juno award nominated Canadian hard-rock quintet, Diemonds return with their third album following Never Wanna Die (2015) and The Bad Pack (2012). Despite not yet achieving considerable success outside of Canada and North America, creating a name for themselves has involved making lots of friends in the rock and roll world, notably by working with the producer of Billy Talent and Cancer Bats, Eric Ratz , as well as touring with raucous and legendary rock including lending support slots to The Darkness, Megadeth, Steel Panther and even Guns N Roses! If you thought from reading the titles of their past works that Diemonds would have a certain style of traditional rock n’ roll grit, you would be exactly right! From the opening moments of Breath, the rhythmic drumming, and confident riffing grab your attention, before the female lead vocalist, Priya Panda cuts through the static with a ferocious yet striking tone.
The momentum is kept up on the chugging and grungy Our Song, as well as the anthemic Shoulda Listened To Ya. Later, Waiting For Something exudes the catchiness and memorability of a pop song, yet the execution still has the attitude and realness of the harder moments, as does the equally beguiling yet sentimental I Miss. These are still strong rock songs, instrumentally at least, yet they prove an ability to diversify songwriting, away from the hard-hitting and frenetic songs in the vein of Burn It Down or I See Red, at times where a more touching or danceable moment feels needed. Not to say they don’t close out on a strong note, Warrior being a gigantic, adrenaline driven, fist-in-the-air anthem for the downtrodden. ‘’We’re Warriors, We’ll never back down’’ rings the closing line, bringing a determined end to an album bursting with hooks, energy, and rock songs which don’t forget the all-important element of fun! 7/10
Wilson: Tasty Nasty (Century Media)
Fusing styles from hip-hop to metal, Wilson certainly knows not to take themselves too seriously, spending their songs unashamedly mocking the clichés, preening, and grandiosity, which many genres begin to ooze after they losing their original charm, becoming stale and forcing everyone to jump ship to escape the rancid stench of mediocrity. There's only one problem: attempting to parody music so smothered in its own ego and braggadocio – e.g the raunchiness of hair metal or the pseudo machismo of later era nu-metal - that it becomes a joke in itself, leads to some mixed results. Lead single, Like A Baller funny, the snooty, nerdy tone mixed with a story of a car salesman fantasising about living the life of fame and wealth, pointing and laughing at the fake-edginess you're typical of ‘sick of this day job, they will worship me one-day’ cliché. My Hustle takes this joke to the extreme, the sheer exaggeration warranting a good laugh.
Act My Age and Spanish Coffee are examples of cringe comedy at it's finest, the not so subtle sexual innuendos of ‘’Six ounces of hot lovin’, whipped cream, cherries yum’’ proving quite hysterical, at least to anyone with an immature side. Yet for every well-mocked platitude or extravagant instrumental piece, there are moments like Wrong Side Of History or Everyone Gets A Round On Me, which aside from appearing on a comedy album, do very little else to remind you that they are actually jokes and not cuts from some obscure rap-rock band. True, the music being ridiculed can be quite ridiculous, but no one is going to want to laugh at a carbon copy of the styles they would rather be seeing ripped to shreds, especially when there are examples of the same gag being made better 5/10
Reviews: Krisiun, Bast, Leeched, Rebel Wizard (Reviews By Paul S)
Krisiun: Scourge Of The Enthroned (Century Media)
Krisiun are 2 years short of their 30th anniversary. The Brazilian band, formed in 1990 have been an important and influential death metal act. Black Force Domain (1995), Conquerors Of Armageddon (2000), and Southern Storm (2008) have been landmark, deeply influential albums on the death metal scene. The band has always had a reputation for incredible intensity and ferocity. Over time their sound has become more technical, this culminated with 2015’s Forged In Fury, where this increased technicality maybe went too far, and diluted the bands customary brutality. Scourge Of The Enthroned seems to be a reaction to the bands last album. Although the album is still technical, it’s pointed in a different direction this time. The technicality is used to make the album more brutal, more nasty, more extreme, just MORE. There is a battering, slightly unhinged quality to all of the tracks here.
Krisiun are 2 years short of their 30th anniversary. The Brazilian band, formed in 1990 have been an important and influential death metal act. Black Force Domain (1995), Conquerors Of Armageddon (2000), and Southern Storm (2008) have been landmark, deeply influential albums on the death metal scene. The band has always had a reputation for incredible intensity and ferocity. Over time their sound has become more technical, this culminated with 2015’s Forged In Fury, where this increased technicality maybe went too far, and diluted the bands customary brutality. Scourge Of The Enthroned seems to be a reaction to the bands last album. Although the album is still technical, it’s pointed in a different direction this time. The technicality is used to make the album more brutal, more nasty, more extreme, just MORE. There is a battering, slightly unhinged quality to all of the tracks here.
There is a similarity to some of Origins output, the band are using their amazing musical skills for brutality, rather than for any kind of progressive reasons; this is almost the opposite of progression. Most of the album takes place at breakneck speed, battering the listener into submission. But, even when they slow down, the riffs they use are slightly off kilter, giving a lurching, aggressive, angry feel to slower parts. The track Demonic III, has a rhythm that, although not particularly fast, has a furious, battering feel to it, that makes it one of the most violent tracks on the album. It’s hard to pick any stand out tracks on the album, due to the high quality of all the tracks on offer (although A Thousand Graves is a staggering display of chaos and ferocity, and Whirlwind of immortality are my personal favourites). Scourge Of The Enthroned is a cracking piece of aggressive, brutal, technical death metal. It’s an album that batters the crap out of you in such an enjoyable, pleasing way. Krisiun have blasted back with an album they can be rightly proud of. 8/10
Bast: Nanoångström (Black Bow Records)
London based Bast describe themselves as a ‘3 piece experimental vortex of blackened intensity and forlorn mournful doom’. Which is a pretty accurate description. this is their second album, after 2014’s Spectres. Their sound is a blend of doom and black metal, with maybe a little drone and post black metal thrown in as well. So, blackened doom, or possibly doomy black metal. This is an album that has many different moods and colours. The intro Distant Suns starts with quiet notes that slowly become tremolo picked, in a delicate, post black metal style. This leads us into the first track New Horizons, which starts with a huge doomy riff, and massive bellowing vocals. After this huge beginning, the song slowly morphs from doom to black metal, by the last few of minutes the song is all tremolo picked riffs and blast beats.
Bast: Nanoångström (Black Bow Records)
London based Bast describe themselves as a ‘3 piece experimental vortex of blackened intensity and forlorn mournful doom’. Which is a pretty accurate description. this is their second album, after 2014’s Spectres. Their sound is a blend of doom and black metal, with maybe a little drone and post black metal thrown in as well. So, blackened doom, or possibly doomy black metal. This is an album that has many different moods and colours. The intro Distant Suns starts with quiet notes that slowly become tremolo picked, in a delicate, post black metal style. This leads us into the first track New Horizons, which starts with a huge doomy riff, and massive bellowing vocals. After this huge beginning, the song slowly morphs from doom to black metal, by the last few of minutes the song is all tremolo picked riffs and blast beats.
The really clever thing about this album is how well the transitions between different styles are handled. This is a band that really understands dynamics and how to build intensity, but also how to bring a song back down again, the ebb and flow of this album is fantastic. Title track Nanoångström goes in the opposite direction to New Horizons; starting with a section that has an atmospheric black metal feel to it, before slowing down and introducing a post black metal feel, before this then morphs into a slower, almost stoner doom feel, that then has chanted vocals and a melody lead guitar part. All in 1 song, and it all works effortlessly. Each part is a natural progression, this is songwriting at it’s best. All the tracks on offer here have this beautiful shifting of mood and style that works so well, it’s experimental, but it’s an experiment that is insanely successful. Nanoångström is a brilliant doom/black metal album. I liked it the first time I listened to it, and it has grown on me with every listen. It’s beautiful and nuanced, massively heavy, intense and ferocious, all in one album. Highly recommended! 9/10
Leeched: You Took The Sun When You Left (Prosthetic Records)
Leeched: You Took The Sun When You Left (Prosthetic Records)
Mancunian three piece Leeched have been going since early 2017. This is their first album, coming less than a year after an EP called Nothing Will Grow From The Rotten Ground. Leeched sound is mainly hardcore, but with elements of sludge and maybe a little black metal (although the black metal is more in the sound and attitude, rather than in any more obvious way). You Took The Sun When You Left is a 34 minute blast of rage and anger, a massively violent rampage of an album. There are slower parts to this album, but don’t expect any letup from the anger or violence, the slow parts are every bit as heavy and intense as anything Eyehategod have produced.
The band does seem to be happier to use slower parts than most hardcore bands, but they all fit with the faster material, the slow parts aren’t respite, this isn’t a breathing space. The slow parts batter the listener into submission. The production job on this album is fantastic. In the sense that this is a very aggressive, nasty production job. The guitars sound viscous and the rhythm section is so fucking heavy. In places the production is a little like Dragged Into Sunlight, or Nails. In fact this is one of the most incendiary hardcore albums I’ve heard since Nail’s Abandon All Life. This album has a unique feel to it, the mixing of slow and fast, whilst not loosing any intensity is rare, and these guys pull it off brilliantly. Sublimely viscous, beautifully nasty. 8/10
Rebel Wizard: Voluptuous Worship Of Rapture And Response (Prosthetic Records)
Rebel Wizard is a 1 man project from Australian Bob Nekransov, who also has a hardcore project named after his surname. Rebel Wizard has been a very prolific beast releasing 7 EPs and 2 full length albums since 2015; Voluptuous Worship Of Rapture And Response, being the second album. Rebel Wizard seems to be an attempt to mix black metal and NWOBHM/power metal. Broadly the sound on offer here is musically NWOBHM/power metal, with vocals that are clearly supposed to be black metal in style. Occasionally the intensity and speed of the music increases to reach a sound that is basically messy thrash, possibly an attempt at black thrash. There aren’t any blast-beats or tremolo picking which you would usually expect from black metal. The vocals are harsh and shrill, and are recorded in a way that is supposed to emulate the sound of early low-fi black metal. However, that effect has been achieved by putting a constant hum and white noise on the vocals, so the vocals don’t really sound like early black metal, they just sound crap.
Rebel Wizard: Voluptuous Worship Of Rapture And Response (Prosthetic Records)
Rebel Wizard is a 1 man project from Australian Bob Nekransov, who also has a hardcore project named after his surname. Rebel Wizard has been a very prolific beast releasing 7 EPs and 2 full length albums since 2015; Voluptuous Worship Of Rapture And Response, being the second album. Rebel Wizard seems to be an attempt to mix black metal and NWOBHM/power metal. Broadly the sound on offer here is musically NWOBHM/power metal, with vocals that are clearly supposed to be black metal in style. Occasionally the intensity and speed of the music increases to reach a sound that is basically messy thrash, possibly an attempt at black thrash. There aren’t any blast-beats or tremolo picking which you would usually expect from black metal. The vocals are harsh and shrill, and are recorded in a way that is supposed to emulate the sound of early low-fi black metal. However, that effect has been achieved by putting a constant hum and white noise on the vocals, so the vocals don’t really sound like early black metal, they just sound crap.
The other problem with this, is that she same technique has not been used on the music, which has a slightly noisy, modern production to it. This leads to a feeling that the vocals don’t really fit with the music. This album seems to be an attempt at humour. All the songs have ridiculously long names, that give the impression of trying to satirise the black metal scene. To be honest the only one that works is the track Drunk On The Wizdom Of Unicorn Semen, which I will admit to finding amusing. The rest are just long and unwieldy, Mother Nature, Oh My Sweet Mistress, Showed Me The Other Worlds and It Was Just Fallacy, ok it’s very long, but I wouldn’t really call it funny. The vocals don’t really help, as you can’t hear any actual words, so there's no way they can add to the laughs on offer. You just have to find not very good power metal with shit, unintelligible vocals funny, and I don’t. I realise, I’m probably coming across as a poe faced, humourless idiot, who needs to lighten up, and grow a sense of humour.
After all isn’t funny subjective? However, I do think I’m allowed to have an opinion on this for one very important reason. I’m a standup comedian. I gig a lot, and also promote and MC comedy gigs. And in my opinion, this is painfully unfunny. What this reminds me of, is a comedian trying new material at an open mic night. Funny is so subjective, when you write it, you don’t know if it’s actually funny till you’ve tried it out in front of an audience. Sometimes it works, you get big laughs, sometimes you die on your arse. And quite often, you don’t know why some bits work and some bits don’t, you keep doing the bits that work, and dump the ones that don’t. This is material that should be dumped. I’m sure when Bob told his mates down the pub what he was planning they thought it was hilarious.
After all isn’t funny subjective? However, I do think I’m allowed to have an opinion on this for one very important reason. I’m a standup comedian. I gig a lot, and also promote and MC comedy gigs. And in my opinion, this is painfully unfunny. What this reminds me of, is a comedian trying new material at an open mic night. Funny is so subjective, when you write it, you don’t know if it’s actually funny till you’ve tried it out in front of an audience. Sometimes it works, you get big laughs, sometimes you die on your arse. And quite often, you don’t know why some bits work and some bits don’t, you keep doing the bits that work, and dump the ones that don’t. This is material that should be dumped. I’m sure when Bob told his mates down the pub what he was planning they thought it was hilarious.
Bad power metal with loads of mediocre solos (and there are so many, very generic solos, which are also far too high in the mix), terrible vocals and overlong, not overly funny song titles, probably sounds amazingly funny when you’re pissed down the pub, his friends probably thought the idea was ripping! But this is material that just doesn’t work, and needs to be dropped. The fact that this project has produced 7 EPs and 2 albums in 3 years might be a clue to the lack of quality here. Maybe if Bob had only made one Rebel Wizard album in that time he might have made one good album rather than lots of fairly mediocre music. Then again, maybe he should stick to hardcore. 2/10
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