Reviews: Demonical, Eleine, Skags, Malfested (Rich, Simon, Matt & Paul H)

Demonical: World Domination (Agonia Records) [Rich Oliver]

Swedish death metallers Demonical are back with their sixth album World Domination. Formed by Centinex bassist Martin Schulman, Demonical have been reliably spitting out their brand of Swedish death metal since 2006. The line up is much the same as it was for 2018’s Chaos Manifesto album though the one big difference is the recording debut of vocalist Christofer Säterdal who joined the band last year.

Demonical stick to their tried and trusted formula which is a more contemporary take on the Swedish death metal sound. All the standard features of Swe-death are there with the punky rhythms and the chainsaw guitar tone but Demonical mix the sounds of classic bands such as Unleashed, Grave and Dismember with the more melodic stylings of bands such as Evocation and Amon Amarth. Although it is more melodic leaning than most death metal it doesn’t cross into full melodic death metal territory sitting in a middle ground where the melodic and aggressive natures of the music sit side by side. The album comprises eight songs with highlights including the HM-2 fury of My Kingdom Done, the d-beat stomp of Hellfire Rain and the anthemic Victorious. One song that does deviate from the rest of is Slipping Apart which is far more melodic than the whole album with the inclusion of guest clean vocals from Nils Patrik Johansson of Astral Doors.

World Domination is another solid entry into the Demonical discography. It isn’t a spectacular release but finds Demonical doing what they do at a very solid level. The album does have a bit of a repetitive nature but death metal isn’t the most varied of genres though it does mean some songs are a bit on the forgettable side. This is a still a very enjoyable death metal album which fans of the genre should very much enjoy. 7/10

Eleine: Dancing In Hell (Black Lodge) [Simon Black]

It never ceases to amaze me how many female fronted Symphonic Metal bands there are tucked away in the Nordics, although Sweden’s Eleine are subtly different from the norm. This is very much the dark side of Symphonic Metal, with a bit more corpse paint than is normally found in the genre. Clean female vocals, but backed with a full on Death growl by guitarist Rikard Ekberg’s on most of the tracks; although when he too switches into clean mode it takes you by surprise and had me reaching for the sleeve notes to see if there were any guest slots hidden away there.

Opener Enemies lulls you into a false sense of security, as one of the gentler and more commercial sounding tracks on the record, but the titular second tracks takes a dark twist, and that tone largely stays with us throughout. To be honest tonally, it’s got more in common with Black Metal but with a Symphonic sound that’s down, dark and dirtier than anything I’ve come across in the genre before, and indeed than anything the band have released to date. Band founder and vocalist Madeleine Liljestam has a crisp, clear and very powerful set of pipes on her, and I am reminded tonally of Evanescence, but with a lot more welly, and that dark and rich blackened symphonic sound makes for a far more moody journey than I expected. 

Given that the subject matter of the music is mostly about the battles with inner demons, this is probably not surprising, but again the darker tones are more extreme than Symphonic fans may be ready for, as titles like Crawl From The Ashes, All Shall Burn or the positively Death-like Where Your Rotting Corpse Lies indicate. Even the ballad Memoriam is dripping with gloom and vulnerability, acting as an interlude of despair sandwiched in between some brutally heavy tracks.

The album closes with a short piano piece, and a Symphonic version of the penultimate track Die From Within (presumably this is not included on all versions), but it actually works really well, as it’s effectively the same tracks with the guitars and drums stripped out completely. As well as illustrating the contrasts, it’s a great musical concept, as a true symphony has the same musical themes and refrains occurring throughout, and it effectively reverses the normal trend of upping the heaviness; taking away the metal rather than adding it at the end. Surprising and effective 8/10

Skags: Digital Cage Of A Cursed Generation (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

This was interesting prospect when it dropped into our inbox, Athenian band Skags, refer to themselves as "Alternative Electronic Psychedelic Rock" with influences such as Archive, Radiohead, M83, The Pineapple Thief. I had a feeling that this could either work well or it may be a little to self-indulgent but as I pressed play on their debut album Digital Cage Of A Cursed Generation, I'll will admit I was hooked as the band sound an awful lot like British band Touchstone or Dutch act Lesoir, the fusion of synthwave-like electronics are met with poppy prog rock and the ethereal vocals, similar to recently reactivated band Pure Reason Revolution. Skags deal with the the "social issues we deal with in the digital era" especially the financial crisis that hit Greece hard. Now Digital Cage Of A Cursed Generation has pretty much every style of music I love, 80's synth pop/prog/art rock all displaying their colours and influence throughout the nine tracks. 

Using the more progressive, electronic ambient textures they can really delve deep into the emotions behind this with songs such as Put Your Hands Down having the soulful male vocals matched by some strings and bubbling guitar riff that shifts into the heavily synth backed The Consequence Of Dream with those poppy female vocals. For me though The Weekend is my favourite track on the album with a strong Pink Floyd influence filtered through Eastern sounds and a darkness of Crippled Black Phoenix though Life also ranks highly with Anathema/Steven Wilson catchiness, a sweet solo too. When I came across this album I was a little sceptical due to my love of all things arty/proggy but after one listen I was hooked, with subsequent listens unveiling more little nuances that kept me coming back to it. A strong debut from a band that I would love to see next time in Greece. 8/10 

Malfested: Shallow Graves (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

Formed in Kortrijk (Belgium) this year, Malfested bring a battering ram of old and new death metal styles, wrapped up in a 21 minute six-minute concept album that tells of a great battle between men and the undead. Whilst this sounds more like a documentary about 2020 to me, the overwhelming bludgeoning throughout leaves the listener in no doubt that this is one juicy slab of death metal. The band reference older influences like Deicide, Bloodbath and Edge of Sanity alongside modern purveyors of wall levelling blast beats like Carnation. From the opening title track through to the punishing closer Cistern Of Souls, this is one face melting blast. Ripping fs, pummelling drumming, and guttural roaring vocals. All the essential components of solid death metal are present. It isn’t’ anything particularly new, but it is confidently played, vicious and aggressive and will no doubt be a welcome addition to the DM stable in a year which has seen slab after slab of excellent DM delivered. 7/10

Reviews: Bring Me The Horizon, The Flower Kings, Odd Palace, Ice Nine Kills (Reviews By Alex & Liam)

Bring Me The Horizon: Post Human - Survival Horror (RCA Records) [Alex Swift]

For me, the journey in comprehending Bring Me The Horizon’s violently aggressive take on post-hardcore has been a troubled one. Theirs is not the type of music that will make you instantly recoil at the primitive nature, yet the combination of surrealist synth textures and roaring guitars makes for a strange experience which many were quick to seize upon during the promotion of Sempiternal in 2013, yet which took me a while to get accustomed to. In fact, not until the release of the controversial Amo, did I find myself embracing their style of unreal chaos. That album saw them taking their sound in exciting new directions and due to the conceptual nature, I found myself reevaluating their past works and seeing their writing more for the experimental qualities than the cornucopia of overwhelming emotion which they bring to the table. In fact, the news that they are set to release a series of apocalypse-themed EPs with Survival Horror leading the charge, seems to be a completely natural move for them at this stage in their career. Indeed, in a more daring stunt than the outwardly investigational nature of the last record, this combines otherworldly instrumentals with a sense of desperation and panic that speaks poignantly about the state of the world we live in now and the one that will come after our domination.

Dear Diary acts as a frenzied and deranged opener, portraying a character who’s been driven mad with the threats to human survival. Exactly what period in time this song is set in proves open to interpretation. It may be the case that the caustic synths, the galvanizing guitars, and the seething illusions to isolation through guttural screams, reminds you of the anxiety which surrounds this year. The only certainty is that the piece is a violent and fierce opener to welcome in a new era in BMTH’s existence! ‘I’ve got a fever, don’t breathe on me’ opens Parasite Eve, after a stint of strange tribal chanting – the tense electronics on this track merge excellently with the cacophony of rhythms, making for a biting piece where the deliberate, brooding progression forcefully syncs with the whispered lyrics of ‘please remain calm…the end has arrived’. Teardrops must be one of the most powerful anthems Oli Sykes and co. have ever penned, the erratic, changeable melodies, contrasted with a gigantic chorus, lending to that feeling of being immersed in anxiety, which encircles the themes of mental distress and the prominent refrains of ‘the emptiness is heavier than you think’. Likewise, Obey keeps you locked in that sensation of apocalyptic emotion, the strong grooves and intricate effects creating a seductive soundtrack to the defiance of oppression which the piece preaches in enthralling style.

Although I rarely comment on transitional pieces, the Linkin Park inspired Itch For The Cure proves how well the act has progressed in mastering atmospheric electronic music which is disquieting and odd. We follow this up with Kingslayer featuring Babymetal. The frenetic and deliberately contrasting nature of this anthem makes for a powerfully optimistic moment, the enticing ambiance making this a liberating and strangely danceable section in the tracklist. IXI continues on this deeply avant-garde nature, which differentiates the sounds and textures being developed, in unique and captivating ways. Ludens feels a debauched dance number, the grooves standing out, yet proving warped and twisted against the chaotic landscape of a post-human world that is being painted for us. By this point, the blackened lyrical and musical themes have truly set in, drowning the listener in a tidal wave of dreamlike images, and sensations wrought from their own imagination. There’s a hopeful message to these songs, yet by no means do they paint a romanticized picture of escape from the turmoil. In many ways, this is an album about unity in the face of disaster.

One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be The Ones In Your Chest As You March Towards Your Death, closes us out on a saddening yet beautiful note. Sykes and Amy Lee of Evanescence present a dystopian image of a decaying planet against the haunting ambiance and a lowly piano. The reverberating lyric of ‘you know you can't breathe on your own’, serenades the listener with the realization that to stay alive, we need to look after each other, and the world around us. Much like the music on display here, it's a frightening notion, yet one with a great deal of poignancy and potential. 8/10

The Flower Kings: Islands (Inside Out Records) [Alex Swift]

Performing an elaborate, traditional take on prog, Swedish act the Flower Kings helped rejuvenate a psychedelic sound in a time when the genre was being reinvented by acts drawing on elements of metal and alternative. Despite the retro flair, their music is not entirely rooted in the past – there’s a lot more of a joyous, exuberant quality to their compositions, making their music distinctly fun. Considering the music of both today and that of the period of the ‘90s which they emerged into, seems dominated by mercurial, violent, and caustic textures, a record like Islands proves a fitting reprieve from a chaotic world. And this is far from a disappointment. Colourful acoustics lace the arrangements, while jaunty rhythms cascade and flow. Meanwhile, the expressionist keyboards and bright melodies complement the surreal storytelling.

Contrary to the vast conceptual compositions of past albums, Islands feels like a homage to their influences. Each song acts as a unique ‘island’ if you will, each with its own personality and culture. Despite the album rolling in at a grand hour and a half, the consistency is cleverly kept in check and you are made to feel like you are being taken on a journey between worlds. The kind, affable nature of the songwriting, especially in the powerfully joyous moments like All I Need Is Love and Tangerine, certainly helps in carrying an aura of kindness whereby even if you wanted to sit back and allow this album to lull you into rest, you could. A New Species and Northern Lights are technically masterful, the multifaceted layers making me feel like I’m in a detailed exploration of an environment so alien to the human eye that you can't help but marvel at your discoveries. Moments in the vein of Morning News and Goodbye Outrage do have a darker consistency at play, yet even though the sombre sections this record carries a sense of cerebral relaxation and escape.

Contributing to the effect of weaving pictures in your mind is the strength of the playing. Man In A Two-Piece Suit stands out as an emotional, brilliantly played piece where the guitars are working in tandem with the drums and vocals to create a dazzling, otherworldly effect. Solaris proves a winding, detailed yet measured and careful number, each movement being executed in a way that keeps the listener entranced until the very end, where the track bows out without overstaying its welcome. Some fans of the more retro take that these musicians have on their genre may be confused by the fact that at 9 minutes, this is the longest on the record. That said, I feel the relative succinctness works well in carrying that sense of intricacy, which certainly acts as a strong point throughout. Look at a moment like Heart Of The Valley, which warms with a sense of beauty before ending and allowing our emotions to be influenced in a myriad of different ways by the following works. Whatsmore, considering so many of these pieces stand on instrumentals alone, any rot or tedium could have seriously made me lose interest fast, and I might not have appreciated the experience as much, had I not had the opportunity to contemplate each of the ideas on their own merits.

We end on Between Hope And Fear and Islands. These help to bring the themes together in an introspective and ambitious style. True, this album is long and wears you out slightly by the end. That said, the structure and the carefulness allow you to enjoy every moment, if you are willing to devote the patience. 8/10

Odd Palace: One Step Closer (Prime Collective) [Liam True]

It can be difficult for new Prog Metal bands to come up with something to make them stand out from the crowd. Whether it’s the pace they set their songs at, the style of writing or the overall sound of the band from vocals to drum patterns. And some bands try to hard at it. Whereas Odd Place have opted for the simpler side where they take all the Prog elements but don’t take it over the edge. They sound great whilst sounding simplistic. With the soaring vocals of Gert Borsting, that wails into the night like a phantom in the woods, the band have set the pace of their second studio album. The guitar abilities of Soren Haenschke & Lasse Madsen prove they are more than capable of taking on the more established bands in the scene as on songs such as Breathe, Flammable Idea & Echoes they create a flurry of riffs and solos. Bassist Patrick Wolfgang creates a sombre yet distinguishing tone from his heavy bass that beefs up the band to sound more dynamic. Drummer Morten Andersen uses his skills to navigate the kit like a second home creating a surreal vision for the band to follow in their unique way. From start to finish the album is magnificent. It takes Prog Metal to a whole new chapter. It doesn’t need to inept noodling most bands provide, as Odd Palace create their own style and envision themselves on the world's stages. And with One Step Closer, it has brought them just that to their dreams. 9/10

Ice Nine Kills: I Heard They Kill Live (Fearless Records) [Liam True]

A good live album is hard to nail due to getting the sound right for the band and mainly the vocalist. And Ice Nine Kills have nailed the sound for a good live album. The sound is clear. The band are tight and are as powerful as ever. Recorded on the bands sell out 2019 tour ‘Octane Accelerator’ in the bands hometown of Massachusetts in the Worcester Palladium, a place they before played in a battle of the bands, but did not win. They have a star studded setlist from most recent album The Silver Scream all the way back to The Predator Becomes The Prey.

With a 19 song setlist lasting an hour and 15 minutes they pack as much as they can into their set, from the addictive chorus’ of opener Thank God It’s Friday, The Jig Is Up & fan favourite Savages that cause the crowd to sing back at full force to match vocalist Spencer Charnas cleans and growls. Throughout the set the band hit perfection with drummer Patrick Galante’s kit sounding beautiful and heavy. Guitarists Ricky Armellino & Dan Sugarman blend their tones together through Sugarman’s solo’s while Armellino handles the riff side of business and handles it well while bouncing off bassist Joe Occhiuti’s monstrous sound. 

Covering pretty much every horror film being made from The Shining, to Jaws and even to books such as Carrie & Animal Farm, the band prove thy can write a good song about anything. Communion Of The Cursed & Rocking The Boat are two strong contenders to their already near perfect setlist. Until you come to their cover of Thriller, which for me personally, is the only downfall, as it is a decent cover, but it sounds too slow for the band and seems a tad sloppy. Stabbing In The Dark & Tess-Timony show the band at their best and on form. Then we reach the end encore, The American Nightmare (Inspired by A Nightmare On Elm Street) & IT Is The End (Inspired by IT) prove the band can handle a crow and work the room to the delight and destruction.

There’s only one or two songs I’d swap out on this performance, but apart from that it’s a damn near perfect setlist from the band and an epic performance showing them at their peak, so far. They have more to come and more to prove before they hit the big stages. But this live album has shown they’re ready for the challenge. And proves they’re better live than on record. 8/10

Reviews: Mr Bungle, Khaima, Helfir, Ruff Majik (Rich, Paul S, Paul H & Matt)

Mr. Bungle: The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo (Ipecac Records) [Rich Oliver]

It’s been a good while since we have heard anything from Mr. Bungle with the last album coming in the form of 1999’s brilliant California. After years of inactivity where the members of the band focused on other bands that in their words “pay the rent”, Mr. Bungle reformed for a handful of shows last year but rather than playing material off their three studio albums they went back to their origins. Back before Mr. Bungle became the genre hopping, leftfield, avant-garde act they are known for; they were originally a thrash metal band and in 1986 released a demo called The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny. It is this material which they performed live at these shows and it has been lovingly re-recorded in 2020 and given its due respect.

The original three members of the band - Mike Patton on vocals, Trey Spruance on guitars and Trevor Dunn on bass - have been joined by the thrash metal royalty of Scott Ian (Anthrax, S.O.D.) on guitars and Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies) on drums. The material on the 2020 version of The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny is the majority of the 1986 demo plus with some material that was written and never recorded as well as some choice covers. It is high velocity crossover thrash with bags of speed and aggression but with the bands trademark wacky sense of humour running rampant throughout. In comparison to the original demo which was quite crude and sloppy everything has been tightened up and given a bit of an overhaul though it doesn’t deviate far from the source material. 

The production is of course crisp and full compared to the lack of production on the 1986 demo and the songs sound absolutely amazing with highlights including the relentless Raping Your Mind, the speed assault of Spreading The Thighs Of Death and the punk rock of Eracist. There are also fantastic covers of S.O.D. (Speak SPANISH Or Die) and Corrosion Of Conformity (Loss For Words). Mike Patton is a formidable vocalist with an inhuman range and he brings his A game here with snarls, screams and shrieks. With the level of skill in the line up the musicianship cannot be faulted.

The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny joins a long list of severely good thrash metal releases in 2020. Though the material is 34 years old it sounds more vibrant than ever and this old school thrasher had a massive grin on his face throughout. Some of the songs do sound like they could have been cut down a bit and the 56 minute running time does mean there were a couple of times where my interest started to wane but when this album hits its stride it absolutely rages. Mr. Bungle show themselves to be as unpredictable as ever and it’s wonderful. 8/10

Khaima: Owing To The Influence (Barhill Records) [Paul Scoble]

Khaima have been in existence since 2015, in that time the band has only produced one Ep in 2016’s Kaima. The five piece are based in Germany and feature Sven Hill on Vocals, Toufik Bougherara on Guitar, Andreas Becker on Keyboards, Jo Rauber on Bass and Markus Scherer on Drums. The band have taken 4 years to make their debut, how have they spent the time?

Khaima’s style is a mix of Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, Post Rock, and grunge. The progressive Rock/Metal has a healthy dose of doom injected into it, which results in some huge and heavy riffs, but this always seems to be tempered with the Post Rock parts with mellow clean guitar and gentle vocals. There are several places on the album where the riffing is closer to a Grunge style, this is probably most obvious in the track Partisanship, which is heavy, but with a huge groove to it. The vocals are one of the other ways that the grunge sound comes into the bands sound, as lead singer Sven Hill has a certain amount of Chris Cornell in how his vocals sound. The singing is a strong point on this album whether Sven is bellowing or singing softly in one of the aforementioned Post Rock sections.

One of the most interesting aspects of Khaima’s sound is the use of Keyboards. On most of the tracks the Keyboards back up the Guitar and Bass, giving several of the songs a nice little psychedelic edge. However, in a few places the keyboards take prominence and gives the album a bit of an electronic sound, reminiscent of the first wave of electronic music from the early eighties. The track Extrapolation features a segment like this where the Keyboard riff is higher in the mix than the Guitar riff, this makes the track sound far more electronic, in fact I thought that part was similar to what Gary Numan was doing in the first couple of years of the nineteen eighties.

Owing To The Influence is a very enjoyable album. There is an issue with several of the songs having a very similar structure of loud bit/quiet bit/loud bit/quiet bit, but this is a debut album. What is on offer is very palatable, great vocals, melodic riffs, great tunes and a huge amount of interesting ideas, but it could do with a little bit more complexity. I do think that this will come with time, for a band doing their first album and finding their feet, this a really great piece of work that they should feel rightly proud of. I have a feeling that Khaima are on the verge of great things; they’re not quite there yet, but I have a feeling that their next album could be fantastic! 7/10

Helfir: The Journey (My Kingdom Music) [Paul Hutchings]

A solo project by Italian Luca Mazzota, The Journey is the multi-instrumentalist's third release. A 50-minute journey of dark and atmospheric acoustic edged gothic rock. A classical student, support slots with Antimatter and Orphaned Land have honed his craft, with debut release Still Bleeding released in 2015 and the follow up The Human Defeat in 2017. The Journey is an impressive body of work. Mazzota deals with all the music and vocals, creating a melancholic soundscape that is both hypnotic and full of passion. Although the dark themes are consistent throughout, there is ample variation. Divided into three chapters, the first chapter is entitled Lying On a Blue Lawn, a four song section which opens with the electronica flavoured The Game. Serenely paced, the emotions are stretched throughout, with Mazzota throwing out some delicious guitar solos on In My Dream. Things get a bit heavier on The Past, with a full electronic assembly. It’s one of the standout songs on the album, sinister and moody, echoes of Katatonia in full flight. Clouds concludes chapter I, a lighter yet no less emotionally charged song. 

Chapter II is entitled Table Of Diners and starts with a dramatic intro to Into The Pale Lands. Mazzotta’s solo vocal compliments a persistent drum beat and low humming synth. It continues to evolve organically, the tracks flowing into each other, the dreamy No Escape concluding the second chapter. The final four tracks make up Chapter III, Tree Of the Abyss. The Chapter begins with the gloomy Traces Of You, a slow, misery-soaked song that climbs with some soaring guitar work. Uncensored is a narrative piece before this intriguing piece of work concludes with the longest track on the album, the six-minute Silent Path. A delicate and emotive song, it also features guest vocals from Tamara My which enhances the feelings that surge through it. Beautifully constructed and produced, The Journey is an intriguing and massively enjoyable album. Fans of Porcupine Tree, Anathema and Steve Wilson should enjoy this. 8/10

Ruff Majik: The Devil's Cattle (Mongrel Records) [Matt Bladen]

Sometimes, complicated, intelligent music can be a little too much, there are times when you just need a good rocking! Happily bands such as Ruff Majik exist to scratch that itch. Hailing from South Africa this third album is the band's first collaboration between founding member Johni Holliday (guitar, vocals) and new member (but longtime producer) Evert Snyman (guitar, vocals, keys, percussion) with the rest of these 'sludge n rollers' consisting of Cowboy Van (guitar, bass, keys, harmonica), Jimmy Glass (bass, guitar) and Benni Manchino (drums, percussion). 

Now on this third album they have taken things down to the Devil inspired by a German folk tale of the "Devil ploughing his fields with a bunch of his finest cattle, who got really tired and stopped for a rest, which angered the Devil, so he threw his hat at them. This spooked/enraged the cattle, so they took off in hundreds of different directions, still dragging the ploughs, and ended up carving out the intricate rivers of the (river) Spreewald." 

It was this story that inspired the title track but elsewhere there are odes to addiction on the Lead Pills And Thrills which brings some piano led rollicking, a track that has the filthy fuzz of QOTSA as does first single Who Keeps Score where the stylish garage rock of Homme et al, something that creeps in more and more towards the end of this 13 song album. Elsewhere though there is a strong mixture of B-Movie Schlock, drug-addled psych on Born To Be Bile and some Wolfmother-esque histrionics with the dual low/falsetto vocal styles for the heavy riffing Shrug Of The Year/Heart Of An Alligator along with the more laid back tunes such as God Knows, that all are blended together through a straightforward heavy rock attitude. Nothing complicated here but as I said that is exactly why it's so satisfying, turn it up loud! 7/10      

Reviews: Wytch Hazel, Stalker, Steel Arctus, Vol 4 [Redux] (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Wytch Hazel: III - Pentacost (Bad Omen Records)

Rustic, a good word to describe the kind of music Lancashire band Wytch Hazel have been conjuring for nearly a decade. Raised on a diet of Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy, Uriah Heep, Blue Oyster Cult and drawing lyrically from frontman Colin Hedra's Pentecostal Christianity, III: Pentacost is yet another 10 track journey through their most ecclesiastical album yet enriched with hard rock ideals of Ghost and a naturalistic mysticism of Fleetwood Mac. Take a song like Archangel which has a occult rock vibe favoured by Mr Forge, though it is lyrically opposite to the pro-Satan dogma of that band, the song is in fact a homage. The powerful Dry Bones moves into the anthemic style of bands such as Grand Magus Colin Hedra unleashing his best vocal performance of the album reaching highs only dogs can hear. 

Now I've mentioned before about how I love to indulge in anything that can be considered retro, especially if it's stuck in the 1970's, Wytch Hazel are unashamedly stuck in the 1970's from the folky instrumental of Sonata that shifts into the choppy I Will Not or the heavy organs on I Am Redeemed to fluid Reap The Harvest have the all the characteristics of those 70's hard rock glory days but also sound achingly modern with the current retro revival. Recorded at The Stationhouse by ex-Purson man Ed Turner, III: Pentacost brims with energy and confidence providing Wytch Hazel's most musically deep record yet as Alex Haslam (guitars), Andy Shackleton (bass) and Jack Spencer (drums) all make an excellent contribution to the album along with Hedra's voice and guitar, as you get layered acoustics, organs and even some cello from Colin's Dad David. Don't worry though heathens III: Pentacost is not the evangelical praise you get from Stryper or Enzo and his Glory Ensemble, yes there is Christian influence lyrically but they allow the music to speak for itself like all the best artists. A brilliant album! 9/10

Stälker: Black Majik Terror (Napalm Records)

Bursting out of Wellington, New Zealand are thrashing punks Stälker, Black Majik Terror is their second full length following on from two EP's and their debut Shadow Of The Sword. While there was a point to prove on the debut album on this second one they can flex their muscles a little adding more 80's metal melodies on tracks such as the almost progressively tinged Holocene's End while also retaining the blistering thrash power of Iron Genocide and Demolition which takes you back to early Slayer aggression as they also bring some Venom-like occult leanings on The Cross. It's ferocious and furious from the first moment with wild riffs, battering drums and crazed vocals never relenting, which does unfortunately it's a little one dimensional in places. Daif, Nick, and Chris haven't slowed at all since the debut and if you liked that one you'll love this. 6/10

Steel Arctus: Fire & Blood (Valve Studio Records)

Recorded in the misty mountains of Pindos, the cover art sees two scantily clad, mountainous warriors attacking the invading hordes one decked out in a Corinthian Helmet and wielding a huge hammer like the Mediterranean cousin of Hammerfall's Hector. Fire & Blood is the debut record from Thessaloniki based band Steel Arctus, everything about the packaging bellows at you that they this album is going to be full of bare chested epic power/heavy metal and as soon as you let the music flow the title track backs up these initial ideas with a steady thumping drum intro, humongous galloping riffs (repeated on the Savage Heart), delicious keyboard runs and histrionic vocals. It very much fills that 'epic' style favoured by the previously mentioned bands as they also bring folky textures and choral chants (Moira takes influence from the Scottish namesake) which add to the cinematic leaning of this album. 

Fire & Blood has a massive scope and is a surprise that the membership is limited to three, Nash G taking guitars, bass and keys (basically the majority of the music), Xines behind the kit bringing the rampaging rhythms and Tasos Lazaris having the vocal power behind the mic that scales mountains but also gives some grunt on the heavier numbers such as Hellhammer. Classic heavy metal is very much the order of the day Doombringer is a raging speed metal song packed full of solos ala Judas Priest or fellow Greeks Firewind while Savage Heart is built around a walking bassline Mr DeMaio is a fan of it makes you want to throw your fist in the air it leads into Arcadian Lady which starts out softly before the bombast is ramped up again. Steel Arctus have nailed that 'epic metal' sound with Fire & Blood  an album perfect to soundtrack Alexander's descent Eastward it will have you quoting "There is nothing impossible to him who will try" in no time. 8/10  

V/A: Vol 4 [Redux] (Magnetic Eye Records)

On the back of excellent Redux's of Pink Floyd's The Wall and Alice In Chains' Dirt comes the latest Magnetic Eye Records compilation of stoner/doom bands playing an album in full. The album in question here is Black Sabbath's seminal Vol 4 probably the best album from heavy metal's inventors it's surely been an influence on every band featured here. We kick off with Baton Rouge sludge monsters taking on Wheels Of Confusion adding some grave digging riffs to the Sabbath classic, the ideal band for an 8 minute opener the use of harsh/clean vocals adding an extra bit of rage to the track as we move into Tomorrow's Dream which is performed by stoner rockers The Obsessed, leave it to Scott 'Wino' Weinrich and co to both give it the beans and keep it faithful to the Sabbath original. Philly four piece cranks up Sabbath's big ballad Changes adding heavy grooves as FX (an instrumental) is taken by Matt (Riffs For Days) Pike of High On Fire, noodling on his axe. 

He's not the only legend hear as the closing Under The Sun is taken by Zakk Sabbath, as we get noise rockers WHORES getting Cornucopia nice and fucking loud as Laguna Sunrise gets that Tony Reed (Mos Generator) sheen on it. The albums three most recognizable tracks though are given to bands who epitomise 'Sabbath Worship' Spirit Adrift taking a standard riff heavy version of Supernaut while Green Lung give Snowblind some massive organ stabs putting a personal spin on this classic while echoing the original, it's left to Trevor Church's classic metal project Haunt to riff the hell through St Vitus Dance. Another excellent Redux from the Magnetic Eye Team but then stoner/doom bands playing Sabbath was always a sure bet right? 8/10

Reviews: Insidious Disease & Sodomized Cadaver (Reviews By Rich & Paul H)

Insidious Disease: After Death (Nuclear Blast) [Rich Oliver]

Insidious Disease are a band that have for some reason completely bypassed me which has left me incredulous considering they are a supergroup playing old school death metal featuring members and ex-members of some very high profile extreme metal bands. I should be all over this band like covid germs at a super spreader event. The group formed in 2004 and After Death is the second album from the band coming ten years after their debut Shadowcast in 2010. This definitely falls into the supergroup category as you have Marc Grewe (ex-Morgoth) on vocals, Silenoz (Dimmu Borgir) and Cyrus (Susperia) on guitars, Shane Embury (Napalm Death and a billion other bands) on bass and Tony Laureano (ex-Malevolent Creation & ex-Nile) on drums.

On the music front this is very meat and potatoes, no frills, old school death metal with the emphasis on riffs and groove. The songs are generally chunky mid-paced slabs of death metal goodness such as Betrayer and Invisible War whilst songs such as An End Date With The World and Born Into Bondage kick up the pace and allow Tony to really kick into gear on the drums. The speed also drops to a crushing doomy pace on songs such as on album closer Secret Sorcery. As to be expected with the performers in this band the musicianship is top tier stuff. The vocals by Marc are a bit different to what he used to do with Morgoth in their heyday with him approaching a more hardcore inspired style rather than the usual growls and gutturals, the guitar playing by Silenoz and Cyrus is solid riffing and some tasty solos, Shane lays down a solid rhythm section on the bass whilst Tony holds it altogether on the drums showing why he is one of the most in-demand session drummers in extreme metal.

It’s not a secret that I am a sucker for this groovy old school death metal style and After Death certainly delivers the goods on that front. It is a simple and straightforward death metal approach with little in the way of dynamics but more often than not with this style less is more. Solid groovy death metal which punches straight in the face. 8/10

Sodomized Cadaver: Morbid Tales Of Mutilation (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

This one dropped with little fanfare. It just kind of appeared, like that turd your dog unexpectedly leaves on the mat. You just get up one day and there it is. Completely out of the blue. With the turd you just clear it away, wash up and hope that the hound will learn to go in the garden. Maybe that analogy isn’t the best because this album by the South Wales death metal duo is not a shit release by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it’s a nasty, heavy bastard. If it were a turd on the mat, you’d need a JCB to move it. 

The last recordings from the cadavering sodomizers arrived in 2016 with Verses of Putridity. Since that time, there have been a few line-up changes, with Gavin Davies and Ryan Howes remaining to spread the sodomy. At not far over the 25-minute mark, this isn’t an album on a slow burn. There’s a surprise. Instead, the release kicks off with the rapid-fire drumming of Cave Of Despair. It’s an absolute cacophony of brutality. The drum sound is huge, Davies’ huge paws slamming the drums with all the subtlety of Donald Trump at a Miss America pageant. Howes slices and shreds, he riffs with ferocity and adds to the carnage with his guttural croaks. Extinguishing The Spark Of The Divine has all the tact of a sledgehammer to the back of the head, whilst the chainsaw effect of Reanimated Atrocity is just chilling. 

Morbid Tales Of Mutilation is heavier than anything the band have done before. Much heavier. The wall of intense death metal is unstoppable. It’s in your face, muscular and extremely aggressive. It’s old school death metal with a modern twist. As always, the song titles encourage beauty, delicacy, and romance. Take Force Fed Razorwire as the loving example. Who wouldn’t be wooed by that beautiful ditty? Maybe one for the Christmas stocking for your gran? But all jesting apart, this is full-frontal trauma. A grotesque reworking of Cannibal Butcher concludes the release. It’s short, it’s brutal and it may just prove that on occasion, that turd can be polished after all. 8/10

Reviews: Black Stone Cherry, Jakko Jakszyk, Magick Mountain, Grimorte (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Black Stone Cherry: The Human Condition (Mascot Records) 

Kentucky's favourites sons return with their seventh full length album, this one turns an eye and ear to the political/world issues in both the USA and worldwide check out Ringin' In My Head's lyrical content for more but they haven't suddenly become RATM, much of the record is a comforting, citing music as an escape, something which frontman Chris Robinson has been preaching on most of BSC's albums. So musically there are now wide variations, listening to Black Stone Cherry album is like putting on a pair of your favourite shoes, well worn but comfortable. Their heavy Southern rock sound was at one time the leading light in the rebirth of the genre and since then they have grown into bonafide arena headliners, adding the radio-friendly hooks that sees them featured heavily on rock radio. Single Again is a very good example, hiding some excellent solo work and moody riffs under a very modern chug and sing along chorus. Often I deride bands for not adapting to the times, or refreshing their sound every now and again however Black Stone Cherry have reached that level where their music is delivered so slickly that any sudden change would be too jarring, I said earlier comfortable and that's the best way to describe it. A mixture of bouncy, joyful rockers, bluesy noodling, of course a few muscular ballads and a ELO cover (Don't Bring Me Down) The Human Condition is BSC 101 but there's not much wrong with that. 7/10      

Jakko Jakszyk: Secrets & Lies (InsideOut Records)

The current frontman of King Crimson Jakko Jakszyk is something of an art/prog rock maven, with an address book to rival anyone in the genre, when he sets his mind to making a solo album he can not only dabble in any style he likes he can also call upon anyone to flesh out the band, as is normal Jakszyk himself contributes the main vocals and fluid guitar playing but elsewhere he has his King Crimson bandmates; Robert Fripp (guitar/keys), Gavin Harrison (drums/percussion), Tony Levin (bass/stick) & Mel Collins (sax/flute) all contributing to an album where three of the tracks Separation, Under Lock & Key and Uncertain Times all came from King Crimson writing sessions but with Covid came the need to protect Robert Fripp at all costs! 

The enforced hiatus has meant Jakszyk could steal away these songs for his solo album. Secrets & Lies is a cinematic, emotionally resonant journey through obsession, betrayal, politics, and his own family history with his wide vocal range taking you through a number of stylistic changes, but mainly the songs here are rooted in the experimental tradition of King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Steven Wilson and even Eric Serra (Fools Mandate) due to the extensive use of both electric and acoustic percussion, repeating bass riffs and expressive guitar playing. There's a darkness to this album with a keening sensitivity both vocally and on the instrumental tracks such as the title track which is a widescreen guitar solo piece which leads into the soulful Under Lock & Key. 

It's not just King Crimson members that play on this record however as John Giblin (bass - Simple Minds), Mark King (bass - Level 42), Peter Hammill (vocals/keys/guitar - Van der Graf Generator) and Al Murray (vocals - The Pub Landlord) all make their mark too. King Crimson's loss is Jakszyk's gain, allowing this immensely talented once again to indulge in his solo project where magic has been found once again. An introspective, at times beautiful album to let wash over you as the nights draw in. 9/10

Magick Mountain: Weird Feelings (Self Released)

Leeds based trio Magick Mountain bring fuzzy, hazy, psychedelic garage rock from outer space underpinned by more earthy heavy rock tones. From the opening bars of Bart Cobain you can hear touches of (early) Kings Of Leon filtered through the kaleidoscope of The Stone Roses as Lins Wilson's guitar and Tom Hudson's bass are both heavily reverbed much like their dual vocals which work in unison to bring an otherworldly vibe to the to the frantic, fizzing heavy riffage behind it. Weird Feelings is the debut full length from this Leeds based band formed by seasoned musician Wilson who has  finally found herself a vehicle bringing Hudson from Pulled Apart By Horses and Nestor Matthews of Sky Larkin behind the kit. I mentioned previously Magick Mountain take some garage rock cues with bands like 13th Floor Elevators and the MC5 obvious points of reference but also with tracks such as Zodiac, Cherokee and Infinity X2 they have the pumping proto-punk of The Stooges though things are taken into more pastoral realms on Dream Chaser displaying the bands forays into the psychedelic. Weird Feelings is a hooky, punchy, hallucinatory journey of Wilson's brainwaves, channelled through a 200 watt amplifier. 7/10 

Grimorte: Esoteric Ascendance EP (Self Released)

Esoteric Ascendance is the debut 4-track EP from two-piece black metal band Grimorte. The membership is Lewis Borthwick of Archierophant on all instrumentation/production and Kieran Scott of Ashen Crown provides the roars/screams. Now Grimorte are a relatively new band but they have emerged from the darkest depths of Lovecraftian horror with a fully formed EP that is a conceptual record that is a narrative of "a woman’s journey into the esoteric pagan and Satanist practices" and "her transition from innocence to possession, then to reawaken to find her new self believed demonic form" so a story that Lovecraft would salivate over while dabbling in the mysticism of Aleister Crowley. 

Musically the band have achieved this through malaise of atmospheric black/death metal with powerful doom creeping into tracks like Sequestrate and the beginning of title track at odds with the blistering tremolo picking and explosive drumming. The band themselves cite influences such as Draconian, Alcest, Triptykon and Rotting Christ and you can hear elements of all of these bands, the latter very much coming on the closing punch of the dramatic Firvir. A powerful debut EP from this two piece with a lot of potential for things to come. 7/10

Reviews: Devin Townsend, Incinery, Nuclear Power Trio, Hydrogyn, (Rich, Simon, Lucas & Paul H)

Devin Townsend: Order Of Magnitude - Empath Live Volume 1 (InsideOut Records) [Rich Oliver]

Over seven months into a global pandemic and with the live music industry shut down I think it is safe to say that the vast majority of us are missing gigs and other live music events terribly. Live albums are a nice reminder of something that was definitely taken for granted by all of us and help maintain the hope that we will be able to return to watch our favourite bands on stage at some point in the near future. Order Of Magnitude is the latest live release from madcap Canadian genius Devin Townsend and was recorded at The Roundhouse in London in December last year during what was meant to be the first phase of touring for his amazing Empath album (a tour that myself and a few of the other MoM writers attended in Cardiff).

Empath Live Volume 1 saw Devin taking a different approach with his live show removing the backing tracks that he had previously relied on and hiring a bunch of insanely talented musicians to perform everything live in a far more loose, relaxed and improvisational style. The setlist itself is far more obscure and experimental and light on the ‘hits’ and usual crowd pleasers that a Devin show is usually chock full off with a good bunch of material pulled from the Empath record and a good chunk of the set dedicated to the Ki album. The songs from these albums are definitely suited to this more improvisational style with Borderlands and Sprite sounding wonderfully playful whilst Gato and Heavens End are full of brooding malevolence. There are of course some guaranteed crowd pleasers such as the stunning Deadhead, the wonderfully silly Lucky Animals and the epic Kingdom. 

The highlights for me are the songs which are given a slight overhaul with War from Infinity sounding more rich and layered with the fantastic Che Aimee Dorval sharing the vocal duties with Dev whilst Spirits Will Collide is stripped down to an acoustic version with the backing singers taking centre stage turning this song into a beautiful emotive ballad. As to be expected with the calibre of performers on stage, the levels of musicianship are incredible with special mention going to drummer Morgan Ågren, guitarist Mike Kineally and keyboard player Diego Tejeida. Despite the musical intricacy there is plenty of fun to be found in this live recording with Devin’s usual ridiculous stage banter and a great cover of the classic Disco Inferno.

Order Of Magnitude is a great live release. It offers something a bit different from Devin’s previous live releases and the playful atmosphere of that tour is very much captured in these recordings. With this being Empath Live Volume 1 let’s hope that one day we can get to see the further volumes that were planned. 8/10

Incinery: Hollow Earth Theory (Self Released) [Simon Black]

It’s always nice when a band from my home town of Nottingham get themselves on the map, and Incinery have certainly being doing that over the last few years. I’ve been aware of them for a while courtesy of my friends’ Facebook feeds, but this is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to listen to their material properly. Growing up in that Midlands city in the late 80’s Thrash was an unavoidable phenomena and a huge part of the scene in the city that gave us Sabbat and Earache Records. Over time the aggressive underground scene burgeoned beyond anyone’s imaginings and those obscure underground acts became the grand-daddies of a genre which, a lifetime later, has now splintered beyond all recognition. Periodically, the pure form of the Thrash style comes back into fashion, but no-one has truly managed to capture the freshness and energy of those early days whilst still sounding young, new and relevant. Enter Incinery - who absolutely have, in case you hadn’t guessed.

Influence wise these guys are pure 80’s heyday stuff, with the added squeaky clean production tightness of Cowboys-era Pantera, and then some. Simultaneously sounding fresh from the Underground and squeaky tight is no mean feat, but these boys manage it - giving them an absolutely crisp and unique sound. It goes further, that modern twist is distinctly part of their essence and Incinery have managed what others often miss - to wear their influences like armour without sounding like a tribute act; to capture the essence of thrash in the production with modern techniques instead of trying to copy methods long defunct.

The album takes its title from an obscure concept of a subterranean civilisation between our feet and although I am fairly vociferous in my contempt to this kind of conspiracy theory fodder which is far too mainstream these days, it’s the perfect kind of nonsense for Thrash lyrics and a regular source pot for Incinery. If you are about to get judgemental, don’t. Metal doesn’t exactly have a good record when it comes to lyrical subject matter choice (yes you, Power Metal) and in the name of entertainment it’s all part of the fun. The title track opens and sets things off to thundering pace and the pace is kept up for the first half of the album before taking a more adventurous, almost melodic turn to its tone whilst not losing the blistering riffage and thundering rhythm work that is their trademark. And keeps it up to the end, which is no mean feat, as some of the best thrash records of their day barely managed thirty minutes of material, but this album keeps the pace and attention for nearly fifty-five minutes without wearing the slightest bit thin.

Pure, crisp and utterly excellent Post-Thrash. It’s out on Friday the 30th on Bandcamp and you know you want to… 9/10

Nuclear Power Trio: A Clear And Present Rager (Metal Blade Records) [Lucas Tuckwood]

The world can collectively breathe a sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge that three of the world’s most divisive leaders have decided to put aside their differences in the name of metal. Presidents Trump, Putin and Kim Jong-Un have seemingly found common ground in their love for some good old headbanging, and decided that instead of channelling their funding and energy into their arsenals and/or twitter accounts, it would be better to put the effort into music, and thank Lemmy they did. A Clear And Present Rager is a clear and present masterpiece, as each of the three pour a whole country’s worth of energy into some truly fearsome metal, featuring jaw-dropping slap bass groove, shredding guitars and lightning-fast drums. 

It’s tricky to know where to begin when a fantastic album simply pops out of nowhere. While still a metal record, Nuclear Power Trio implement not only traditional Latin-style guitar, but even some killer slap-bass. I’ve no idea what they used to teach in the KGB, but clearly their slap-bass lessons are on point, as shown by Putin’s truly excellent fretwork. And given Trump’s attitude to those of Latino descent, it’s rather surprising to see that his Latin guitar is absolutely fantastic, as well as his ability to lay down some truly fearsome solos that interweave with Putin’s frantic slapping. These are both accompanied by Kim’s laser precise footwork, as the drums thrash away with the speed and vigour only 1950’s Soviet nuclear weapons could ever muster. 

Best track? Pick a dart, each of the five charmingly titled songs on offer here offer their own distinctive bite, fusing metal and groove in a truly electrifying manner. In conclusion, the collaboration of these three most unlikely of friends is not to be missed. Each leader delivers their own distinctive sound and style, culminating in a truly fierce record, and with just days to go before the election, this may be just what Trump needed to really secure the win. I can’t wait for Boris’s collab with Macron and Merkel…

10/10

Hydrogyn: The Boiling Point (RFL Records) [Paul Hutchings]

The Boiling Point is the 11th album from Hydrogyn, an American Hard Rock/Metal outfit from Kentucky. The last review on this site was in 2017, where Redemption was roundly slated. Move forward three years and vocalist Erica Parrott has been pushed off the perch, replaced by Holly Hines Freed. The driving force behind the band remains Jeff Westlake, who wrote all the songs (sans the three covers obviously) and also produced the album. Formed in 2003, you must admire his longevity and determination in keeping the band name going.

What lies underneath the hood of album number 11? Well, to be brutal, things haven’t got much better. Hydrogyn haven’t solved the vocalist problem which has existed for the past six years, as Freed’s smoky drawl cutting across punk, rock and even country in style is rather dull with little emotion or distinction between songs. The production value is high, with the guitars turned up to 11; at times it’s a little too polished. Well performed, the main problem is the songs which are routine and bland. Minutes after I’d finished listening, I could only remember the cover versions

Ah yes, the cover versions. Firstly, we are treated to a mediocre version of Blondie’s One Way Or Another, which really does nothing. But that cannot prepare you for a hideous cover of Elvis’ Suspicious Minds, which puts Freed under pressure, the squealing guitars and double bass kicking crucifying the song.

After that mangling, there is at least a break with three original songs, all similar standard fare. Widowmaker is meant to be some face-melting riff fest, but presents as lightweight, crude and overall limited. Overall, it’s just the generic standard of the tracks which let this album down. And then it concludes with Tears For Fears' Mad World. Jesus, this was painful to listen to. Rather than destroy it, I just advise you to avoid it at all costs. Freed’s delivery is bizarre, brings nothing to the table and I have a sense that there was a little bit of studio help as well. With so many good albums out there in 2020, it would be a travesty to spend any money on this release. 3/10

Reviews: Possessor, Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou, No Life On Earth (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Possessor: Damn The Light (APF Records)

Another, heavy as a bag of anvils falling down the stairs, album from those folks at APF Records, Damn The Light is the third full length from London heavy trio Possessor. Rich gave their previous album Gravelands a healthy 8/10. That was obviously the same train of thought that got them signed to APF who know a thing about causing deafness, something which Possessor are aiming to do on Damn The Light another monolithian slab of horror-filled proto-metal that was recorded in their individual homes, the album was only rehearsed through voice messages and phone videos but again their evil brand of music has defied any earthly problems to once again conjure the power of Satan, witchcraft and demonic possession to open a hellmouth of ear shattering drums, bowel moving bass and riffs that can shatter an amp with ease. 

There seems to be a new energy here, possibly due to new drummer Nathan Perrier who locks in well with the gnarly riffage of Graham Bywater (guitar) and Ollie Isaac (bass), for 44 minutes of concise, compelling and effortlessly complicated power. What you notice first is how grimy the production sounds here, there's a naggin fuzz behind the instrumentation and yet again Graham's echoed vocals are low in the mix making the record sound dirty, one that has lain dormant for years in a basement but one that if played will unleash a curse upon all that listen to it. Rumbling ragers such as Coffin Fit and Fresh Hell, stand toe to toe with the rough and ready Take It To The Grave and the psych doom of the title track. Showing Possessor's mastery of the the more extreme end of proto-metal Damn The Light is Possessor rekindling their fire, from a safe distance and emerging from the underground with a lot of noise. 8/10   

Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou: May Our Chambers Be Full (Sacred Bones Records)

Much like the recent Molassess record I reviewed recently May Our Chambers Be Full is the first (possibly only) record from the unlikely partnership of folksy post rocker Emma Ruth Rundle and sludge metal destroyers Thou. They came together due to the input of Roadburn Festival organiser Walter Hoeijmakers as he found that both artists' share a love of each others works, and they have both featured at the festival, so then it made sense to bring them together and see what happened. So what do you get on May Our Chambers Be Full? Well both artists are seasoned musicians with a share a love of 90's grunge and it is grunge is the overarching sound on this record, yes ok with quite a bit of down-tuned crushing sludge riffs from Thou are in direct opposition to Rundle's haunting vocal lines that soar above often intercut with the violent screams from Thou's Brian Funck,

It weaves in and out ominous psychedelia on the opening Killing Floor bringing an aching reminder of Soundgarden as it crawls with slow methodical riffs into some mind bending reverb. An ominous start before Monolith takes Alice In Chains (vocals and riffs) and soups both up into something much darker, Ancestral Recall filters Smashing Pumpkins through punishing deathly doom. It's Out Of Existence manages to sound the most like both artists own work oddly, bringing their own styles to this track (and record) but it's whipping them up into a maelstrom of extremity that merges the two together. May Our Chambers Be Full is a musical indulgence that will certainly appeal to fans of both artists but as any devotees of Roadburn's expansive musical vision will know it's been created to reach further than that, embracing atmospherics on Magikal Cost as the brilliant The Valley closes out the album with some keening almost naturalistic feel to it due to the use of emotive strings. A curious, but excellent record, one with the chops to back up any ideas they want to indulge in. 8/10   

No Life On Earth: Nothing Is Real (Blood Blast)

Brazilian metal. What's the first name that comes to mind? If your answer isn't Sepultura then you either don't know much about Brazilian metal, or you're a power metal fan and said Angra. No Life On Earth are a band with American and Brazilian members are draw heavily from the thundering, progressive groove metal attack of Sepultura on Into Fire We Burn, even as going as far as getting Andreas Kisser giving the EP a solo. No Life On Earth was founded in quarantine as a collaboration between guitarist Alan Wallace of alt metal band Eminence and Jay Arriaga drummer of industrial groove band Scattered Storm. They recruited bassist PJ from pop supergroup Jota Quest and vocalist Andre Acosta from heaviests Hereafter The Wave. 

It's a four track EP of bludgeoning low end powered  which also features some guest spots from Cesar Soto (Ministry), Hector Camarena (Hereafter The Wave) & Tue Madsen. With the Sepultura influences hitting you between the eyes, The Gravity is a bit more metalcore influenced build for big breakdowns with the sound of bands such as Killswitch engage also coming through on the raging title track which also thieves some Fear Factory-esque industrial tones. The final track here is Time Is Blind keeps that aggression high right to the end. Another testament to the creativity of bands during this pandemic period, it will interesting to hear what happens with this band when they can all be in the same place. 6/10

Review: Skálmöld, Entropy Created Consciousness, Arc Arrival, The Last Cell (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Skálmöld: 10 Year Anniversary - Live In Reykjavík (Napalm Records)

What better way to celebrate a 10th Anniversary than with a number of sold out shows in your own backyard? Icelandic Viking metal band Skálmöld have done just this on the self explanatory titled 10 Year Anniversary - Live In Reykjavík. Recorded in front of a baying crowd in their home town of Reykjavík this is basically the essential retrospective of the band with the opening chant of Heima getting the interaction going early as they plough through the fairly standard Viking Metal fayre with melodic-death metal riffs met with grunts and screams as it's fleshed out with more folky sounds. 

Now live albums can be a little hit and miss as some shows you'd have to be there to really get the full experience I'd say with this one you'd have to speak Icelandic as well, this is because much like Hammerfall's first live album, much of between song banter is in their native tongue (as you'd expect) so it's difficult to immerse yourself in the show as an English speaker still, when the music hits you can hear it's Skálmöld playing classics from their ten years of existence drawing on their Viking heritage for stories from the Norse myths and legends (makes a change from dragons and wizards). Thrashy riffs, deathy vocals and fire that still burns brightly Live In Reykjavik and as songs such as the excellent Að Hausti and closing out with Kvaðning it's a fitting testament to the band but fairly standard Viking metal. 6/10

Entropy Created Consciousness: Antica Memoria Di Dis (Self Released)

Entropy: "lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder." Lack of predictability is very much what you get from the, and I quote "anonymous and immortal musical entity" that is one man atmospheric black metal act Entropy Created Consciousness. Now you could go through the lengthy...and I mean almost Homeric PR that accompanied this record and really you'll find out that it's the second release, based around Virgil's epic poem Dante's Inferno. I'm sure you want to really you want to know how it sounds musically, in the PR it states bands like Ulver, Melvins, Boris, Sinmara, My Dying Bride and Moonspell along with film directors such as Harmony Korine and David Lynch.

Now I'm sorry but Antica Memoria Di Dis is not for me, there is a droning, noisey kind of black metal here I can't get along with, drawing from that second wave but with the more overarching moody atmospheres. Yes occasionally things branch out into Gothic industrial, stoner grooves and even electronic bleeps but when it's brought back to the atmospheric black metal sound I found myself struggling to listen to get through the songs as the riffs are basically just noise with the vocals croaked at the back of the studio. I bet there is a following for this underground sound and I'm sure that the vision is in the right place but I found little here I enjoyed. 3/10

Arc Arrival: C.H.A.O.S EP (Self Released)

Bringing the heavy from Stirlingshire Scotland, tech/modern metal act Arc Arrival came to fruition when vocalist Greg Dick (no relation to Fish I believe), joined in 2018 giving the band a mouthpiece for their bludgeoning, tech metal battery. The band managed to grab a Semi Final slot in the Glasgow Metal 2 The Masses which was the basis for the completion of this debut EP. A truly D.I.Y affair the EP was written, recorded and mastered at their own homes due to the pandemic it does mean that things are a little washed out but hey let's concentrate on the music here and much of C.H.A.O.S is powerfully aggressive metal with massive breakdowns, industrial textures, nitro-fuelled double kicks and Dick shifting between grunts, screams and cleans. If you're a fan of bands such as Meshuggah et al then you'll be stomping around your front room. Unfortunately it doesn't really do much for me, the songs are all a little haphazard in terms of composition, the transitions between the riffs is a little jarring especially on Re-Birth however Trigger The Silence exposes the weaknesses in Dick's clean delivery, though his rough edges are pretty decent. Good luck to the band, but for me C.H.A.O.S is just a little to chaotic. 5/10 

The Last Cell: Veter (Self Released)

The Last Cell is the solo project from Austrian guitarist Jean-Marc Perc who has been playing since the age of 9. He is the epitome of virtuoso, playing more notes, then many guitarists will have ever learned. Now rather than using his prowess for EVH or Zakk Wylde style arpeggios with The Last Cell Jean-Marc is inspired much more by Plini and Intervals, on stage he is joined by Lukas Florian (bass) and Robin Weber (drums), but I think the music on the record is just him. Veter is the band's third album following Nautilus and Continental Drift all based around the elements (water, fire, wind and earth etc) meaning that there is a elemental sound to be found here. It's packed to the brim with Perc's brand of "creation through chaos" masterfully blending fluid progressively tinged guitar playing with atmospheric soundscapes making for some instrumental music that is easy on the ear but also interesting. Veter is Perc not only showing his playing prowess but also how you can create songs that don't need vocals for emotional power. If you like Plini and Intervals then I urge you to pick up Veter. 6/10  

Reviews: Draconian, Scardust, Corners Of Sanctuary, King Bull (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Draconian: Under A Godless Veil (Napalm Records)

Sometimes a band is needed at a particular time, they seem to capture a moment, a zeitgeist, speaking for the majority with their music. Draconian are one of those bands, five years after the release of Sovran their bleakly beautiful, hopelessly romanticised doom metal is what is required in this year of endless isolation and living with a fear of the unknown/unseen. Under A Godless Veil is the seventh full length from the band and it is 10 tracks of wonderfully melancholic, dreamy music from Johan Ericson (lead guitar), Jerry Torstensson (drums), Daniel Arvidsson (rhythm guitar) (I believe Daniel Änghede plays the bass for the last time on this record) who shift between downtuned deeply heavy doom metal and soaring atmospheric melodic passages evidenced by the wonderful Sleepwalkers and the devastating Moon Over Sabaoth which showcases Anders Jakobsson's harsh vocals brilliantly. 

On the other side of the coin though is a song such as Burial Fields, a haunting Gothic piece where Heike Langhans' celestial cleans drift above the lighter side of the bands sound, ascending into the clouds before you are once again pulled back to Earth with the metallic riffage. Now where Draconian are most effective is when both vocalists work in conjunction with each other providing that Angel/Demon delivery that has become so synonymous with the band since their debut album Where Lovers Mourn in 2002. For an example The Sethian presents both vocalists at top form the music is long, slow and heavy topped with a solo that shifts into the ominous Claw Marks On The Throne. At just over an hour Under A Godless Veil is Draconian returning with the depressive, desolate music fit for the times we find ourselves in, as the closing duo of Night Visitor and the 8 minute plus Ascend Into Darkness linger in your memory, you find yourself yearning to play it again as a kind of catharsis. Yet again another wonderful release from these Swedish Gothic masters of the melancholic. 9/10 

Scardust: Strangers (M-Theory Audio)

Israeli progressive/symphonic/cinematic metal band Scardust finally return with their sophomore album Strangers the follow up to their 2017 debut album Sands Of Time. It seems that the band have been much more heavily influenced by US prog metal on this second record option for an ambitious concept record much like the ones that Dream Theater were making in the early 2000's. It's even got a driving instrumental overture to get you ready for what is to come and much like most overtures it contains snippets of the remaining songs. After Overture For The Estranged the first song here is Break The Ice a jaunty emotive track that sounds a lot like classic period Kansas albeit with Noa Gruman's expansive voice that culminates in a powerful top end soprano adding more gravitas over the top of this theatrical prog rocking.

Conceptually the record is about being estranged from one another a theme that took on a new meaning when recording was interrupted by the pandemic meaning that this record was continued with each of the bands in their own homes/studios. Despite this the songs here have a huge scope musically, with all that made their debut so critically acclaimed while building the levels of technicality and melody with the Hellscore Choir returning and also the Westbrook Hay Prep School Chamber Choir also adding another edge to Huts. while YouTube sensation Patty Gurdy displays her mastery of Donavan's favourite instrument (Hurdy Gurdy) and her vocals to Concrete Cages. Despite the sweeping melodies on their record they also have some crushing heaviness on Over where the harsh vocals are used to great effect. Mixed by Yonatan Kossov and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Arch Enemy) Strangers is a brilliant follow up from these prog metal wizards. 9/10

Corners Of Sanctuary: Cut Your Losses (Exquisite Noise Records)

Cut Your Losses is a new EP from American traditional heavy metal band Corners Of Sanctuary, it was released to coincide with the latest flavour in their craft beer range. Opening with a new version of their song Wild Card (also the name of their new beer) it's pretty standard trad metal that runs through a new version of My Revenge and two new tracks called Tonight We Roll and Mind's Eye. Very much a stopgap waiting for their next album Cut Your Losses is four tracks that show exactly why Corners Of Sanctuary have supported UDO and Tim 'Ripper' Owens but doesn't really do much else than be standard trad metal. 5/10 

King Bull: What Happened Here? (Riot Records)

What Happened Here? Is a punk-infused, garage rock record from Red Deer, Alberta, a short hit of 5 fuzzy, full power rockers for fans of The Who, The Stooges, MC5, The Hives and The Ramones, the riffs are downtuned and fuzzy, the songs are designed to get you up and shaking your ass. After 13 years the band got around to releasing their debut full length last year quickly following it up with this EP that will keep their muscular sneering rocking in the minds of their fans. Distinctly analoge in their productions and recording processes, What Happened Here? is bristling with that dangerous energy that a lot of modern rock lacks. There's not much else you can say about this record, it's an EP that continues King Bull's direct audio assault, Detroit muscle from Canadian foundations. 6/10