Reviews: Dyscordia, Prospective, Prowess, Syryn (Rich & Matt)

Dyscordia: Delete/Rewrite (Road Mark Productions) [Rich Oliver]

Delete/Rewrite is the third album by Belgian progressive metallers and comes four years after previous album Words In Ruins in 2016. Apparently the band wanted to take their time to write the best album they could and to be honest the results speak for themselves. This is the first surprise for me in 2020 in that I went into this album not expecting much and ended up enjoying it thoroughly. Dyscordia are a melodic progressive metal band but also straddle the line between power metal and melodic death metal. A lot of the riffing has that signature Gothenburg melodic death metal style to it and guitarist Martijn Debonnet provides plenty of harsh vocals in tandem with the clean vocals of frontman Piet Overstijns. The opening title track gets things off to a steady start but from second song This House onwards the band really come out of their shell all guns blazing. 

 The riffs and melodies are all strong and in your face and the album has an urgency and confidence about it. The guys in the band know these songs are good and aren’t afraid to show it from the power metal leaning Castle High to the strongly melodic and progressive Silent Tears to the punchy The Curse Of Mediocrity which is my favourite from the album. The band clearly had a ball writing and recording this album and that resonates throughout especially on album closer Rise And Try which is an acapella song. Dyscordia very much impressed me with Delete/Rewrite. It’s a bold and confident release which will appeal to both those who like their metal on the melodic or the heavier side. 8/10

Prospective: All We Have (Long Branch Records) [Matt Bladen]

Djent is a dirty word these days most of the bands who play this style prefer to be called progressive metal, or progressive metalcore. Prospective are an Italian progressive metalcore band, so expect tonnes of crunching palm muted riffs, technical dexterity and songs that blend aggression with emotion due to the dual vocal style that pairs soaring cleans with raw harsh shouts. All We Have is an album that has been born from countless sleepless nights but when it brings anthemic numbers like Disobey which also has a thumping breakdown at the end of it. These Italians are very well versed in their craft and much like many of the genre leaders such as Monuments and Northlane they have moved away from the more heavier technicality of their previous records pursuing a more emotionally-driven sound that focuses on more deeply personal themes as they bring electronic touches to Dust And Memories which is a moving number underpinned with thick distorted riffs. All We Have is another album that shows the evolution of the genre previously called djent, if you like impassioned progressive metalcore then this Italian five piece have made an album you will want to snap up. 7/10

Prowess: Blacktop Therapy (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

AC/DC riffs? Sneering vocals? Band name with an umlaut? There aren't many rock n roll cliches Carolina's Prowess don't adhere too. Blacktop Therapy is the band's first full length record following on from two EP's and ti's Planet Rock fodder at it's most blatant, they are a band that sound abit like many other bands you've heard, their songs are based in the blues and the lyrics are all about partying, rock n roll and birds. It's not big or clever but it'll keep your attention for a bit especially Tombstone Blue the best track on the record. Radio friendly rock n roll that sticks to a formula. 5/10

Syryn: Beyond The Depths (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]

Beyond The Depths is the debut album from Canadian metallers Syryn which is a concept album centered around the mythological creatures who lured sailors to the deaths which is the namesake of the band. Syryn perform a mix of thrash and power metal though the thrash element to their sound is more in the riffing style being more on the power metal side of things. Unfortunately it just isn’t very good power metal. Whilst a talented bunch of musicians who show promise, that promise isn’t realised in the songwriting department with Beyond The Depths being a rather amateurish release with very few stand out moments. The first half of the album suffers the most as things to pick up later on with some tasty riffing on Paradise For Demise and a great hooky chorus on Dead Men Tell No Tales. It also doesn’t help that the album has an abundance of intros and interludes which really disrupt the flow. The band do show promise and potential with singer Sloan Voxxkills having an impressive voice on her but the songwriting does need a lot of work. 4/10

Reviews: Magnum, Rage, Mystic Prophecy, Gary Moore (Paul, Matt & Manus)

Magnum: The Serpent King (Steamhammer) [Paul Hutchings]

Two years almost to the day since Lost On The Road To Eternity was released and Brummie melodic rockers Magnum are back once more. Album 21 sees the band continue their exploration of the rockier side of melodic. Eleven new songs, all written and produced by guitarist Tony Clarkin and with new bassist Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, Unisonic) plucking the strings. Clarkin has maintained his strong run of solid songs, with the opening Where Are You Eden? kicking things off with a neat bit of 80s keyboards. In fact, much of the album is dominated by Rick Benton’s solid ivory work but Clarkin has allowed himself ample opportunity to kick back and throw down the off riff and snarling solo. Their sound is as distinctive as always, the combination of thick synthesisers and sharp-edged guitar, solid rhythm section and of course, the tones of Bob Catley whose performance continues to belie his advancing years. 

As well as the dreamy magical themes that Magnum rely on, there is also socio-critical comment, such as Madman Or Messiah, which deals with the threats of self-proclaimed saviours and the impact of those in power on the earth. Inevitably it’s the story telling that allows Magnum to really flex their pomp, with the imperious title-track standing tall, Clarkin referring to it as a “creepy fairy tale”. It’s not all fabulous, and as is usually the case, there are a few weaker songs squirreled away. Not Forgiven, the first single from the album isn’t particularly strong, The Last One On Earth relies heavily on the previous album’s title track and House Of Kings with its pseudo brass and lounge room style breakdown struggles despite the unique change in pace and style. However, overall, Clarkin, at the age of 73 has written another album which will stand alongside recent works in the ‘decent’ file. I don’t view it as being as strong as Sacred Heart, “Divine” Lies but it certainly is a decent listen. Magnum tour the UK in March. 7/10

Rage: Wings Of Rage (Steamhammer) [Matt Bladen]

Bassist/vocalist Peavy Wagner continues to lead the band he formed into their third major version after splitting with guitarist Victor Smolski. Wings Of Rage is their third record in this iteration and it's packed full of the heavy Teutonic power metal Rage bring to the table, almost as if they are trying to wipe out that second line up they have powered out three albums in quick succession as well as a Refuge album that features the classic Refuge Rage line up. This is Rage's 22nd record (!) in total (as Rage) and yet it's as fresh as their first, the snarling vocals and songwriting prowess of Wagner proves to be the main weapon to the band's longevity. He writes songs with catchy choruses that invite you to sing along with them. Rage at the moment are a lean mean trio Wagner has retained the skills of guitarist Marcos Rodriguez and drummer Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos and once again he's showing his knack of working with the most talented people for this band. They've also been put to good use here, as out of the three records with this line up Wings Of Rage is definitely the best. True opens proceedings with some galloping German power metal, Chasing The Twilight Zone bring some thrashier riffs as does the title track, more rampaging power metal comes on Tomorrow and they have a powerful ballad with Shine A Light. Wings Of Rage is classic Rage at their high flying best, with Peavy Wagner at the helm they will always be able to capitalise on their longevity. 7/10

Mystic Prophecy: Metal Division (Rock Of Angels Records)

More German (well German/Greek) heavy metal this time from Mystic Prophecy who have always had a much more American style to their sound, the band are notable as being one of the early bands of Firewind founder and ex-Ozzy guitarist Gus G. It's nastier, more muscular and full of grunt opposed to the faster more melodic style of many of their peers, owing more to Iced Earth, that doesn't mean that they don't have melody, it's just not as light as other. Much of their is due to their erstwhile frontman R.D Liapakis who's voice has carried this band since their formation in 2000 along with long time rhythm guitarist Markus Pohl, who's riffs drive tracks like Together We Fall locking in with Hanno Kerstan (drums) and Joey Roxx (bass). Metal Division is their 10th album of original material following on from their covers record in 2018 and their biggest selling album War Brigade, so with that in mind how does Metal Division stand up, well it's got fist pumping anthems like Hail To The King, the dramatic Die With The Hammer, the thundering, gothic Curse Of The Slayer and heavier tracks like swaggering Dracula (a man who is in high demand at the moment) all of which show the explosive lead guitar playing of Evan K who works his fret magic over these tracks shredding like a demon before exploding into solos. If brawny heavy metal does it for you then you'll have to pick up Metal Division and while you're at it go back and discover the rest of Mystic Prophecy's discography as a lot of heavy metal history lies in their near 20 year history! 7/10

Gary Moore: Live From London (Provogue Records) [Manus Hopkins]

A legendary artist being dead for nearly a decade won’t stop “new” music from being released under his name anymore. Often this comes in the form of classic album reissues, greatest hits compilations, and previously unreleased music that went unreleased for a reason. A live recording of Gary Moore’s special one-off 2009 gig in London is a welcome change in this trend. Live From London is a fine example of what any live album should aim to be. Audio-wise, it sounds quite good; it’s well-mixed and the band sounds stellar. It’s obvious to a listener that this would have been an excellent gig to see live. The best part is that this doesn’t seem like it was released just to cash in on Moore’s death. It likely would have come out a long time ago if that was the case. But had it come out shortly after it was recorded, and had Moore been alive to see its release, this album would go down just as well. 8/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Mark Morton (Live Review By Paul Hutchings)

Mark Morton, Dave McPherson & Ben Jordan, Thekla, Bristol

Easing into the New Year with an acoustic evening didn’t appear such a good idea on initial assessment. A foul winter’s evening, rain lashing down and splashing through the puddles as I scurried across Bristol, stepping past and over the numerous homeless bodies that cluster in the doorways and car parks of Bristol, the world seemed dark and twisted.

Entering the Thekla and the dry hull of the aging boat, I joined a couple dozen hardy souls huddled in the bowels of the cold ship as opening act on this UK tour, Ben Jordan (7) provided calm and respite with some lovely if unremarkable acoustic guitar. A native of Virginia and long-term friend of Mark Morton, Jordan’s s humble, honest approach endeared him to the slowly expanding crowd. With short songs, he didn’t spend much time chatting, although glimpses of his style of humour were evident; “canned water: It’s weird” he commented. “My taste buds and liver don’t know what’s going on but hey, it was free!” I didn’t catch many of the song titles although Hard Times, from Jordan’s Mark Morton produced forthcoming release stood out along with a stirring cover of Temple Of The Dog’s Hunger Strike with Joe Harvatt adding additional guitar, although having the guitar plugged in might have ensured an even more rousing finale. Jordan’s brand of laid-back Americana crosses genres and there is more than a touch of country to his sound. One can’t help feeling that he was more at ease with another musician alongside him, and reference to an absent steel in one of his songs suggested that there could have been much more. His history suggests he is routinely playing in various venues in Bristol and the UK. Maybe delving into him with more oomph would be worth an evening out sometime.

I’ve never really taken the time to listen to InMe. The UK alt-rockers have been going for 24 years according to frontman and founder Dave McPherson (6), although “I’m the only original member left” he tells us with an uncomfortable giggle. So began half an hour of crazy antics, broken strings, anti-Brexit statements and some very funny Randy Blythe impersonations (“who gives a fuuuccckkk”). McPherson is an acquired taste and appeared to have taken some pre-set sharpeners to relax. His vocals ranged enormously, some of his screeching and higher pitches not having the desired effect and although the boat had by now filled nicely, a fair number moved to the back or out of sight as his short set progressed. A talented performer, his style was completely at odds with the almost subdued delivery of Jordan, whose calm and measured mannerisms contrasted with McPherson’s chaotic, hyperactive and at times ropy delivery. He concluded a set that included a celebration of life and a song about Citalopram with Unchained Melody, introduced as “a song by Robson and Jerome, you know, from Game Of Thrones and Gone Fishing”. Reasonable fun and probably a way of loosening the rust before InMe tour their new album Jump Start Hope in a couple of weeks (They play the Bunkhouse in Swansea on 21st January).

It’s unusual to see someone of this calibre vulnerably perched on a stool in front of a good sized crowd but this is where Lamb of god guitar legend Mark Morton (9) found himself, accompanied by vocalist Mark Morales (Sons Of Texas) and Hark guitarist Joe Harvatt (whose presence as a Welshman elicited a massive roar of approval later in the evening). Morton released his debut solo album Anaesthetic in 2019, with a host of top names adding their talent. This short acoustic tour was to promote new EP Ether although unsurprisingly the bulk of the 13-song set was drawn from Anaesthetic. Softly spoken, his US drawl gentle and instantly likeable, this was Morton at his most vulnerable. Constantly checking the tuning on his acoustic guitars, he admitted to being massively nervous, something he said rarely happens when LOG is tearing up massive festival sites. Technically this set was probably more challenging. No hiding place, a reliance on timing and the reliable Harvatt as his co-pilot, Morton’s demonstrated flexibility and dexterity, whilst Morales tackled a range of songs, the majority not even written by or for him, with a desire and passion and no little skill, especially as there was evidence of a cold lurking. He met the challenge

Six tracks from Anaesthetic included the opening duo of Axis And Blur, the latter the track that Morales contributed vocals to on the album. Interspersing new tunes from Ether between tracks from the solo album, this included a brave choice of cover of The Black Crowes’ She Talks To Angels (sung by Lzzy Hale on the EP). The set later included a further three quality covers, Pearl Jam’s Black, a stunning Down In A Hole (Alice In Chains), both previously converted to Unplugged sets for their former masters. An emotional Cross Off, which featured the late Chester Bennington on vocals, raised the hairs on the back of the neck. Morton’s conversation was simple and gracious, stories of their trip(s) to Ikea to buy the rug and stools for the shows and how he borrowed battery operated candles for the stage set from his mom, “she emails with Randy” he revealed as laughter echoed around the boat. Closing with a creative “jam” of Sabbath’s Planet Caravan, this was the end of a special evening up close and personal with one of the metal world’s most ferocious guitarists. Stepping out of the boat, the rain had stopped and just for a while, all was right with the world again.

Reviews: Wolfmother, Elder Druid, Helldown, Darktribe (Matt & Paul H)

Wolfmother: Rock N Roll Baby (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

The second surprise release by Aussie rockers Wolfmother (which now is basically Andrew Stockdale and hired guns) comes after Slipstream in 2018 and once again he's gone down the self released route with Rock N Roll Baby which is the first album he has recorded why sober having given up drinking in 2018. He has clearly put his free time into recording in his home studio as Rock N Roll Baby features 7 tracks of Wolfmother music. Think fuzzy retro riffs, Stockdale's almost shrieking vocals and a psychedelic influence looming large, on Rock N Roll Survivor he's brought grunt, first single Spanish Rose is a proper rocker with some thick organs and even strings behind it as the psych is ramped up on Freedom Is Mine. Unfortunately only these tracks and the funky Special Lady really resonate, it seem to be a bit more about quantity over quality as lyrically you can never judge Wolfmother due to their worship of the groove over whether it makes sense, however here the music is a little lacklustre too. I like Wolfmother but this is basically a Stockdale solo effort and not a particularly good one at that. 6/10      

Elder Druid: Golgotha (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

When you see a band have had previous releases on Black Bow Records, the record label founded by Conan's Jon Davis, you can anticipate how heavy Elder Druid are. Well personally I've seen how heavy they can be in a live setting, this Belfast five piece bring to mind Electric Wizard and Conan themselves. Golgotha is their second full length album, 7 tracks of fuzzy doom, recorded by the band's multi-talented bassist Dale Hughes (who also adds theremin and Fender Rhodes) he's made sure the album has D.I.Y sound that makes it similar to the founding fathers of doom. The title track is muddy with the down-tuned riffs bubbling out of the speakers as Hughes along with guitarists Jake Wallace and Mikey Scott essentially bring aural abuse with every deliberate stab of their strings.

The atmosphere builds on Sentinel a song that is led by the expressive drumming of Brien Gillan, an instrumental it means that Gregg McDowell gets a rest from delivering throat ripping vocals that is until Vincere Vel Mori a track that owes as much to Pantera as it does to Sabbath, now I've already compared the band to Down and that comparison sticks here with Vincere Vel Mori bringing the sludge. Veering between woozy psychedelic distortion and grumbling doom metal which is at it's most fierce on Dreadnought. Golgotha is a crushing record from the Norn Iron riff merchants, yes production wise it's a little murky but that will add to the charm for some. Play it through big speakers...you'll thank me. 7/10

Helldown: In Death's Hands (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

Back in June I saw Swansea based quintet Helldown give a creditable performance in the Bristol M2TM semi-final. Whilst I enjoyed their set and felt that they were unlucky not to progress, I also commented on their limited originality, and the need for something to separate them from the masses. Well, the band’s sophomore EP has arrived and it’s not at all bad. Sticking closely to the old school thrash blueprint, this four-track slab is perfectly enjoyable, with the production solid, adding enough crunch to the heavy riffage of Lewis Larkman and Matthew Evans, something that has been lacking for a couple of other Welsh bands in recent times. Whilst the EP has plenty going for it, there are also some limitations. I find Ben Evans’ vocals the Achilles heel in the band; his delivery sometimes doesn’t do the band justice and at times it appears that he is struggles to reach all the notes. 

Having said that, his bass playing is sound, linking well with the powerhouse drumming of Ross Thomas whose massive drum kit is utilised to good effect. Opener The Unnamed is a decent starting song, a track that immediately grabs the attention, the band’s influences of Pantera and Slayer prominent. This continues with Mortal Shell, a raging thrash beast which has some fine cohesive playing. Still not fussed on the vocals mind. Heretic follows, and by know you should be enjoying this EP. It’s chunky, thick thrash and there isn’t a lot to criticise. Flames Of Heresy closes things down, and this is possibly the best track on the EP, switching between full bore acceleration and slow and brooding menace. In Deaths Hands is by no means a bad release. There is plenty to get stuck into. Whether there is enough to propel the band to the next level though, is difficult to call. 6/10

Darktribe: Voici L’Homme (Scarlet Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Album number three from the Power Metal outfit from Nice, France. An album inspired by the Christian bible and particularly the New Testament, Voici L’Homme (Here is the Man) has a striking cover created by Giannis Nakos which leaves you in no doubt about the content of the album. Produced by Damien Rainaud (Dragon Force/Fear Factory) it’s a crisp and tidy album and if you take away the lyrical content it’s okay. Now, I don’t have an issue with Christian bands, but they do tend to be a bit wet when it comes to the lyrics. And that’s because there is no God. It’s really challenging to listen to the soaring clean vocals of Anthony Agnello praising an imaginary deity. Musically Darktribe (don’t get them confused with the German black metallers Dark Tribe whatever you do!) combine racing power metal with melodic hard rock. Multi-layered, rich on melody and harmonies, it’s a smooth and polished album, well-crafted and executed with the lead work of Loїc Mannello impressing. Plenty of keyboards and effects adding breadth. However, I cannot get past the relentless God speak which makes any vocal irritating. Three plays didn’t help. There is likely to be interest from the power metal fan base and tracks such as Tree Of Life, Faith and Vision and A March For A Prophecy are musically decent. Unfortunately, it’s not something that gets me excited … ever. 5/10

Reviews: Dawn Of Solace, Kassad, The Driftwood Sign, Acid Mammoth (Rich, Paul S, Paul H & Alex)

Dawn Of Solace: Waves (Noble Demon) [Rich Oliver]

Being a fan of the dark, gloomy and melancholic side of metal I have long been a fan of the work of Tuomas Saukkonen and his associated music projects from Before The Dawn to Black Sun Aeon to his latest venture Wolfheart. There is one project of his which seems to have bypassed most people and it’s the one that I found the most compelling and that was Dawn Of Solace and the solo album released from the project back in 2006 The Darkness. When Tuomas formed Wolfheart and announced that he was discontinuing all his other projects I will slightly disheartened that there would be no second album for Dawn Of Solace so it came as a total and very pleasant surprise at the tail end of 2019 when a new song surfaced online with a new album following in January 2020. It appears that Tuomas cannot confine his ideas to just one outlet.

So with a 14 year gap between albums how does Waves fare? Well the first big difference is the addition of vocalist Mikko Heikkilä whose stunning clean vocals dominate the album. The vocals on The Darkness were a mixture of harsh and clean but apart from the odd harsh moment here and there Mikko’s cleans take the lead on Waves. The other difference is a slight change in tone. The Darkness was well a very dark album being a far gloomier and bleak affair compared to the Before The Dawn and Black Sun Aeon albums but the music on Waves whilst having that very distinctive Finnish melancholy is just that slightly more optimistic sounding. 

Yes the sadness and melancholy are very much driving this album but the bleakness that was at the core of The Darkness is now gone. The songs are all highly melodic and all have the same middling pace to them but that distinctly Finnish melancholy makes these songs all achingly beautiful and highly memorable to these ears. Things start off in fantastic fashion with the sublime title track (which was released at the end of 2019) but other highlights for me included the beautiful Silence and the bleakest song of the album Tuli which is entirely sung in Finnish and has the return of the harsh vocals. Being a fan of this style of music it was hard for me not to thoroughly enjoy. I would have liked to have heard more harsh vocals and considering it has been 14 years the album is a little on the short side but these are just minor criticisms. On the whole Waves is a stunning album and Tuomas again shows he is one of the best songwriters out there when it comes to melancholic FInnish metal. 8/10

Kassad: London Orbital (Hypnotic Dirge Records) [Paul Scoble]

Kassad is a 1 man Black Metal project based in London, which is appropriate. London Orbital is Kassad’s second album coming 3 years after their debut Faces Turning Away, and 4 years after their debut Ep Humans. The feel on London Orbital is slightly less Black Metal than the bands debut, so we are closer to Post Black metal territory with this album. The album has a very modern feel as well, there are lots of electronic and ambient elements on offer here, and they are seamlessly blended with Black Metal elements, and there are a lot of those on here as well. This album features some exquisite tremolo picked riffs, with fairly smooth, trance inducing blast beats. There is an innate melodic musicality about these riffs that is very enjoyable, in some places it’s downright uplifting; the riffs on the aptly titled The Hope are a case in point, maybe a little bit like Deafheaven or Archivist, although I’d be doing Kassad a disservice to not point out that this artist has a very unique feel to them.

The subject matter of this album is based on urban decay and looking into the near future where cities are personified, malevolent beings. There is a darkness to this album that is an interesting juxtaposition to some of the uplifting guitar parts. Some of the ambient and drone sections carry a lot of this darkness, this is demonstrated by the final track The Hollow, which is the only track with no metal parts to it. The Hollow has a very slow build up to droning ambient noises, when a beat does come in it’s more like Trip-hop rather than anything you would associate with metal. There are Post Rock elements as well, some of the riffing on the second half of the track The Hopeless has this feel to it, and once it comes in the track gets bigger and bigger to a great ending. I used to live in Stockwell in South London, and this album does remind me of that period of my life and the juxtapositions of living in a big city. London is a very dark place, particularly when it comes to urban decay, and the squalid, neglected aspects of modern life.

However, London is also a vibrant city that is full of life, and I think that's where the mixture of feelings on this album come from. The album is full of the darkness, but also registers that from that darkness can come vital and life affirming things. This all ends up feeling cathartic and balanced. London Orbital is fantastic album. It’s enjoyable and immersive, a modern take on Black Metal and has sprung from living in a city. London Orbital is dark, dank, depressing whilst at the same time uplifting and life affirming, just like London itself. 8/10

The Driftwood Sign: Broken Times (Self Released) [Alex Swift]

Formed in perhaps the most organic way possible, that being as the result of a ‘very good jamming session’ – The Driftwood Sign have quickly raised through the ranks of melodic hard rock, supporting Tremonti at a Copenhagen show. It’s easy to see why they would take up a place in that scene as well. The combination of traits from various metal genres, with a strong melodious core and a theatrical production feels reminiscent of acts in that vein, if somewhat tedious, by the amount of times the style has been aped. What the Swedish four piece lack in originality though, they make up for in skill and affability. The songs bear the clout and muscle needed to carry them, with the bass and drums playing a particularly prominent role in commanding moments such as Polarize and Faceless. The ever present guitars take you on a journey, gliding from moments of serene harmony with the vocals to crushing distortion, lock and step with the marching rhythms. 

The vocals, although one of the weakest of the aspects on Broken Times, warm up to you after a while, as their reserved, reticent nature gives the instrumentals room to breathe or be noticed, while the soaring melodies themselves feel more lush and free as a result. Another aspect which took my head out the experience slightly – and its one I’m noticing more and more as a music critic – is the production, which despite clean and crisp by debut standards, breaks the bombastic, exhilarated tone that many of these tracks are shooting for. Perhaps the aspect I like most out of all of them is the fact that you can sense that these musicians decided to forma a band after jamming together. While, as I have outlined, it’s difficult to ignore the influences at play here, you can tell that each member is bringing his own unique tastes to the table, making for a listen which – despite lacking in uniqueness - feels warm and exciting. 7/10

Acid Mammoth: Under Acid Hoof (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Paul Hutchings]

Lumbering from out of the Pliocene epoch, there is no doubt that Greek doom outfit Acid Mammoth’s name links aptly with their quite incredibly heavy sound. This five-track release really sounds like a mammoth on acid and opens with Them! A mere four and a half minutes, the wall of noise and riffs almost asphyxiating whilst the down tuned fuzz the duel guitars is astonishing. The Athenians double the length on Tree Of Woe, slowing down the pace to that of a fully laden proboscidean. Chris Babalis has just the right vocal delivery for the sheer intensity that awaits you. Tusks Of Doom and Jack The Riffer (haha!) both bludgeons, the lack of speed more than adequately compensated by the crashing tsunami of sludgy riffing. If there is one complaint, it’s that the tracks tend to merge into one after a while, despite the subterranean bass of Dimostheris Vankos rattling the filings. The title track closes off 35-minutes of heaviness in typical style. If you like your doom slow, thick riffed and suffocating in its power, Acid Mammoth may well be worth checking out. 6/10

Reviews: Brothers Of Metal, Oberst, Arcana 13, East Of Lyra (Rich, Paul s, Alex & Paul H)

Brothers Of Metal: Emblas Saga (AFM Records) [Rich Oliver]

Upon seeing the name Brothers Of Metal I was expecting a fourth rate Manowar clone and there are far too many of those about as it is. Thankfully as I hit play on this album I realised that despite the terribly cliched name Brothers Of Metal are an excellent power metal band. There seems to be quite a buzz about Brothers Of Metal and it is quite understandable as Emblas Saga which is the second album by the Swedish eight piece is a fine mix of European power metal, folk metal and symphonic metal. It doesn’t veer too far in each direction being a well balanced mix of the three genres and the songs are nicely varied from straight forward power metal such as Powersnake, Chain Breaker and Brothers Unite to the more melodic epic folk influenced songs such as Weaver Of Fate and the title track.

The symphonic elements are prevalent in most songs but are very restrained giving the songs an epic feel but without being too bombastic and over the top. The vocals follow the beauty and the beast vocal style employed by many symphonic metal bands with the angelic yet powerful clean vocals of Ylva Eriksson and the gruff yet melodic vocals of Joakim Eriksson. Emblas Saga gets 2020 off to a fine fine start for power metal fans. Lyrically it is all very cliched with the viking and Norse mythology themes having been done to death but power metal fans generally adore these gimmicks and no doubt the plastic sword wielders you see at festivals will adore this. Gimmicks aside the music more than speaks for itself and Emblas Saga is a fine piece of silly and fun power metal. 8/10

Oberst: Paradise (Indie Recordings) [Alex Swift]

Although I am certainly favourable to alternative, and practically grew up on post hardcore, as with every genre it tends to blur together a little on the fringes. While Norwegian act Oberst, have some clout in their instrumentals and songwriting, there is little to distinguish them either lyrically or musically. In fact, upon first listen I optimistically assumed that this was an addition to Conor Oberst’s – Modest Mouse, Better Oblivion Community Centre – extensive list of side projects. I need to stress that I by no means hate Paradise. The interplay between the guitar layers creates and impressive wall of sound, that gnashes and subsides in equal measure. Rhythmically, the experience is incredibly taut and for a self-produced debut, you can hear all the notes, frequencies and words with precision. From the energy which comes howling out of opener, VAGABONDS, to the gigantic nature of the closer PILLAR, there’s a lot for hardcore traditionalists to love here. Indeed, even the themes of ‘assailants sickened by the state of the world’ seem consistent and well intentioned, even if I can trace the lyrical motifs back to Rise Against, Architects and acts in a comparable vein. In many ways, the album is a respectable and impressive introduction to the act.

In spite of all that though, I can’t help noticing all these traits as aspects from established acts. The screamed vocals seem the trademark of La Dispute or even Bring Me the Horizon while the contrast between the sombre melodies and harrowing tempos feels symbiotic of Touché Amore. One way I analyse albums as a writer is to see how many artists jump to mind upon first listen. If I can’t find to many with a sound exactly comparable, I become yet more intrigued. However, while – and I really must stress this – I can see huge potential for Oberst in the future, given their musicianship and production – I struggle to get excited over something that feels so incredibly familiar. My score towards Paradise comes out of appreciation and respect for the genre. Keep an eye on these guys, they might impress us all in future. When that day come’s, I’ll be more than happy to quell my disappointments towards the debut. 6/10

Arcana 13: Black Death (Aural Music) [Paul Scoble]

Arcana 13 are a 4 piece based in Italy. The band play a fairly traditional style of Doom metal, and have put out 1 album; Danza Macabre in 2016. Black Death (which is probably a reference to the disease, rather than the extreme metal sub-genre), is a 2 track Ep / 7 inch, featuring 2 tracks. First track Black Death is a nice piece of dramatic doom metal. The style is very traditional, so think bands like Pentagram, St Vitus or Iron Void, and the second half of the song is similar to Black Sabbath’s Children Of The Grave. It’s a great piece of doom metal; it isn’t particularly original, but that isn’t really the point of Doom. The second track is a cover of Iron Maiden’s Wrathchild. It's a fairly standard cover, it’s well played and is a fairly faithful rendition of this metal classic. Black Death is an enjoyable EP. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about it, but it’s a very entertaining piece of work. 7/10

East Of Lyra: Self-Titled [Heavy Metal Records) [Paul Hutchings]

If you like Rush and Yes, then you should check this band out. So says the Facebook page of East of Lyra, a progressive five-piece which features Lee Payne, bassist of UK NWOBHM also-rans Cloven Hoof. Well, I love Rush. They are my favourite band of all-time. However, I can’t stand Yes. I’ve never seen the connection apart from the high-pitched tones of Geddy Lee and Jon Anderson. However, there are, I add grudgingly, some connections on this album. I would argue that Yes has been a revolving door of musicians whereas Rush has only ever had four, and the same three since 1974. But regardless of this totally inaccurate comparison, East Of Lyra is most definitely a progressive album. Opening with a ten-minute ‘epic’ in Siren Song, the band lay out their stall in no uncertain terms. The lead guitar work of Ash Baker is excellent throughout the album, whilst Chris Dando’s soaring alto vocals certainly provide echoes of Anderson, Lee and Dream Theater’s James LaBrie. Payne’s chunky bass guitar dominates the opening section of Wings Of Freedom, the strings pulsing like veins in a weightlifter’s neck and it’s here that I see the Rush comparison, as Payne plays in a similar vein to Geddy Lee; not content to simply pluck away at the E string, Payne covers the whole of the instrument to impressive effect.

It’s when we hit track four, Shadowlands, with its space shifting sound effects that echoes of Rush’s Xanadu hit home, quickly followed quickly by a riff so like that on La Villa Strangiato that I hope East Of Lyra asked permission. However, the track itself if a thundering uplifting song, some beautiful melodies and elements of the better aspects of Anderson, Squire and co. Stand Up contains another Rush riff, this time it’s Beneath, Between, Behind that resonates but forgiving that this is a fist pumping track with Payne’s bass lines again leading the charge along with some very 1980s timer changes and synth use. Travelling through this album was enjoyable, the music excellent. Equinox is a superb progressive song, tangential riffing, abstract changes of timing and direction, all the while Dando’s vocals high and crystal clear. Too Late is a little too twee for my liking but the final song High And Mighty ensures the album ends on a triumphant note. East Of Lyra is certainly an album worth a listen. It contains some beautifully crafted pieces, and even if you usually baulk at the progressive rock world, you may be pleasantly surprised. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Dub War (Live Review By Neil Lewis)

Dub War, Cwmcarn Hotel

You probably already know this dear reader but before there was Skindred there was Dub War (who, according to a description from front Benji Webbe, are “from Newport, old as fuck and amazing”). The band initially split up following disagreements with then record label Earache in 1999, but since reforming for an apparent one-off gig in 2014 have played a few sporadic headlining club shows (all of which I have been at thus far) as well as a last-minute fill in performance at Download 2015. So, when the band announced that they would be playing the 100ish capacity Cwmcarn Hotel (which is familiar territory for Benji as it’s run by a couple of his friends and he MC’d the opening ceremony for the hotel’s restaurant earlier this year) I snapped up a ticket as soon as they went on sale. I’m glad I did as it’s been many many years since it’s been possible to see the band in such an intimate venue and I’m not sure if or even when the chance to do so will arise again.

As the very small room was beginning to fill up those who had already arrived got to see a couple of support acts (sadly I wasn’t able to get their names), one of which was a solo reggae act and the other was a brief spoken word performance. It seems pointless to score these two as what can you say about a spoken word performance? In addition, neither act was advertised ahead of time so those coming along early had no idea who they would be seeing before the headliners.

The familiar sound of the air raid siren being cranked heralded the return to the stage of Dub War (9) for the first time since they played Bristol’s Fleece in 2016. The band had to walk through the crowd to get to the stage, which is something I imagine they haven’t had to do for quite some time, and which also added to the intimate feel of the performance. I should add at this point that any fears of the room being overcrowded proved to be totally unfounded – despite being totally sold out there was enough space to accommodate everyone who was there comfortably. Said air raid siren appropriately bled into the band’s first song Psycho System and despite there being some problem with Benji’s keyboard during the first couple of songs the set was otherwise excellent including all the fan favourites such as Respected, Nar Say A Ting, Dub War, Fools Gold, Strike It, Million Dollar Love plus their first “new” song (actually released in 2016) Fun Done and the open question that was the set closer Over Now. Also, as I’ve noticed at previous Dub War shows Benji was in more of a humble mood than is usual for the quick-witted, dry-humoured frontman, taking time to thank the crowd for attending and supporting the band (in between the good-natured insults of course!).

The fact that the band haven’t played together since that show in the Fleece - other than the rehearsals for this show – didn’t seem to matter as none of them missed a beat and the performance was very tight indeed, apart from the malfunctioning keyboard which did eventually start behaving as it should. As mentioned Dub War’s shows are sporadic so in my opinion they are always somewhat special and this one in particular being in such a small room (which by the way had excellent sound for those who want to know about such things), felt very special indeed. The band, including bona fide rock star Benji, took time after their performance to chat with fans, take pictures and sign stuff so the overall feel was of a performance for the bands’ friends. As an aside there was a man behind me during the show who said he’d travelled all the way from Wigan just to catch the band as, in his own words, “Dub War should have been huge!”. To be honest I can’t help but concur with that sentiment. Hopefully they’ll be back for more gigs to prove the point.

A View From The Back Of The Room: GLC (Live Review By Neil Lewis)

Goldie Lookin Chain, Newport Leisure Centre

Even though this blog is named the Musipedia Of Metal, I think there is still room for other styles of music – and even more so I think there is always room for a bit of comedy. So, when local comedy rappers Goldie Lookin Chain (who are from “a town called Newport, which is in Newport” apparently) rocked up to play the Newport Leisure Centre (which is also in Newport apparently) on Black Saturday dressed in their shiniest tracksuits and bling I thought I’d go along too. The group brought quite a few friends with them as well, as I could count a total of fourteen (!) different members on stage during their set, whereas according to Wikipedia the band only has ten full-time members. Having that many people on stage at once made the show a whole lot of fun to watch, even though it also made it practically impossible to follow who was doing or saying what at any given time.

Another couple of friends they brought were also the warm up act – who consisted of Rhondda rapper Andrew “Biggie” Drew Morris (4) (who the headliners have written a song about) and a chap who’s name I didn’t catch. Their act consisted of them both rapping over other people’s songs and trying to gee up the crowd in a style reminiscent of an overly talkative club DJ. I can honestly say that I did not enjoy their performance but to be fair it certainly wasn’t aimed at me even though I enjoy listening to rap and knew most of the songs they were performing over. I guess I just didn’t get it; oh well.

The lads in GLC (8) hit the stage to what they claimed was going to be a “nine minute intro” during which they helpfully updated the crowd to inform them what stage the intro was at (“make some noise for the middle of the intro”) as well as informing the crowd throughout the show of the current “level” of enjoyment we had attained – you will no doubt be relieved to hear that we just hit the highest level (five) right at the last song, thank goodness for that! After what I’m sure wasn’t actually nine minutes the proper set began. As this show was the final one of the “World Tour Of Wales” the band had embarked on to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of their major label debut Greatest Hits a decent amount of the set was pulled from that album.

The likes of Half Man, Half Machine, You Knows I Loves You and the top 3 hit single Guns Don’t Kill People, Rappers Do all went down very well with the extremely partisan audience in the room. As did all the local references (Baneswell Express to give just one easy example) and in-jokes that are frequently peppered throughout the bands’ lyrics. “Biggie” from the support act also made a second appearance during GLC’s set as they performed their song named after him (called ABM, in case you couldn’t guess). It is kind of strange to see the band – most of whom will be in their late-30’s or early 40’s by now – still performing some of their more immature numbers such as Ice Ice Dildo, Soapbar or set-closer Your Mother’s Got A Penis, but those songs are GLC mainstays so I guess they’re not going anywhere.

Overall the bands set was very entertaining and thus represented good value for money in my eyes. The only criticism I have is that after all this time some of their jokes are beginning to wear a little bit thin but there’s still some mileage left in their Adidas trackie bottoms yet I reckon.

Top 5 Worst Albums Of The Year By Alex Swift

Worst Albums Of 2019

5. Steel Panther – Heavy Metal Rules

If you’ve never heard of Steel Panther, let me explain the joke to you. You know 80’s hair metal right? Well, they sound like that, but…get this…they’re doing it in the modern day!!! And the audience roll over in laughter. At least, that’s what Steel Panther seem to think. Indeed, they’ve been beating this particular dead horse for five albums now, and are showing no signs of granting us mercy, realising that the scant amount of humour that existed in the gimmick to begin with, has now utterly evaporated, leaving only crap jokes, bad hair, and a glitter soaked trail of boredom.

4. Puddle Of Mudd – Welcome to Galvania

‘Oh no they fucked it up again’. Shame on me, I guess, for presuming we would get anything substantive or mature from Wes Scantlin and co. While I’m happy their frontman is trying to clean his act up, his antics of swearing at the audience and storming off stage, were at least worth talking about. Of the list of comebacks we saw in 2019 – MCR, Rage against the machine – Puddle of Mudd did not need to add their name to the list. The truth is they’ve never produced anything of real worth, and are a mostly forgotten trend from post-grunge. Now, they should assuredly stay there. In their own words, everything’s so blurry, everything’s so fake.

3. Skillet – Victorious

Only the fabled prophet Lemmy may ever truly know how the lord reacted on the day he first heard Victorious. Yet trending wisdom foretells, he wept at his mistake and cursed the day he created Christian metal. From that day forth our master in heaven vowed to never again scorch the earth with a foe as destructive as Skillet. Sat on his throne in paradise he contemplated how anyone should be able to share in the joys of Metal regardless of their religion. He remembered how Lucifer, citing punk as an influence, had led a rebellion against the angels. Smiling his wry, godly smile the lord realised that the Devil might have the greatest music after all

2. Papa Roach – Who Do You Trust?

Those of you who read my end of year lists in 2018, will know that my lack of hope in mainstream rock to produce anything substantive, is thankfully ignorable due to the diverseness of the genre. Papa Roach is, of course, a charting act of the Nu-metal era. Characterised almost entirely by the ‘Cut My Life into Pieces’ meme, their brand of angst has not exactly held up gracefully. Yet give them this, their later years have seen them at least trying to mature and adapt. However, they always lacked the creativity, and Who Do You Trust? Is yet another example of them straddling the line between guarding that acerbic Papa Roach attitude, and desperately trying to stay relevant.

1. AJR – Neotheater

AJR are not clever, subtle or talented. Such is the depth of their hubristic arrogance, they pose to be outside the mainstream, while being distrusted by Disney, and jamming every insufferable trend in existence into their, awful ear grating, brand – yes, not band, brand. They don’t so much as deserve to be shunned from the world of pop rock, as to be shoved in a space capsule, and catapulted towards the nearest supermassive black hole. Having to spend time with this album became actively grating upon each listen. I am done wasting time with these money-grubbing, pandering, lame excuses for musicians.

Top 10's Of 2019

Anthony Hutchings

1. Tool - Fear Inoculum
2. Rammstein - Rammstein
3. Puppy - The Goat
4. Alcest - Spiritual Instinct
5. Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind
6. Korn - The Nothing
7. Sabaton - The Great War
8. Wheel - Moving Backwards

9. The Hu - The Gereg
10. Opeth - In Cauda Venenum

Arwen Hutchings

1. Nick Cave - Ghosteen
2. Tribeless - Angels
3. Alcest - Spiritual Instinct
4. Alunah- Violet Hour
5. The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell - Very Uncertain Times
6. Dead Shed Jokers - All the Seasons
7. Rival Sons - Feral Roots
8. Wheel - Moving Backwards
9. Monolord - No Comfort
10. Superseed - S/T

Steve Jenkins

1. Killswitch Engage - Atonement

2. Amon Amarth - Berserker

3. Fleshgod Apocalypse - Veleno

4. Eluveitie - Ategnatos

5. GloryHammer -  Legends From Beyond The Galactic Terrorvortex

6. Cattle Decapitation - Death Atlas

7. Thy Art Is Murder - Human Target

8. Grand Magus - Wolf God

9. Lacuna Coil - Black Anima

10. Nile - Vile Nilotic Rites

William Takashi Philpot

1 - Gloryhammer - Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex
2 - Rotting Christ - The Heretics
3 - Darkthrone - Old Star
4 - Behemoth - I Loved You At Your Darkest
5 - Devin Townsend - Empath
6 - Mayhem - Daemon
7 - Sabaton - The Great War
8 - Amon Amarth - Berserker
9 - 1349 - The Infernal Pathway
10 - Opeth - In Cauda Venenum

Bruce Powell

1. Gloryhammer - Legends From Beyond The Galactic Terror Vortex 

2. Leprous - Pitfalls 

3. Windrose - Wintersaga 

4. Necronautical - Apotheosis 

5. Formicarius - Rending The Veil Of Flesh 

6. Sabaton - The Great War 

7. Alcest - Spiritual Instinct 

8. Beast In Black - From Hell With Love 

9. Hecate Enthroned - Embrace Of The Godless Aeon 

10. Enforcer - Zenith