Reviews: The Anchoress, Orden Ogan, Thunderhorse, The Crown (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

The Anchoress - The Art Of Losing (Kscope)

The Anchoress' (AKA Catherine Anne Davies) first album Confessions Of A Romance Novelist was extremely well received by the music press drawing comparisons to Kate Bush, Karen Carpenter and Lana Del Ray, she was praised for her stirring compositions, emotive vocals and the biting feminist of the album. Since then and now she has won numerous awards and also guested with artists such as Manic Street Preachers and Simple Minds. However not all was good in her world with several years of personal loss, including losing her father to a brain tumour and a battle/treatment for cervical cancer. The Welsh multi-instrumentalist/producer took to heart Dylan Thomas' "rage against the dying of the light" with an album that could have been very morbid but she has channels it into a wondrous collection of emotionally charged, explosion of musical artistry. 

At 13 tracks every notion of grief has been replaced by the solace and healing power of music. Bookended by the piano driven/string-laden Moon Rise (Prelude) and Moon (And End) both of which have flourishes of Debussy, keeping cyclical nature to the record in the forefront of the mind. The first exposure to a song proper is on Let It Hurt a dark, brooding track with the repeated refrain of "Let it hurt" showing that contemplation of what it is to be a woman in the 21st Century, The Exchange is a natural single, a jangling, anthemic, modern indie rocker featuring guest vocals from James Dean Bradfield (Manic Street Preachers). Again those Kate Bush comparisons are evident as is the influence of indie rock, 80's post-punk and Gothic rock too, too many styles to mention really but exactly what you'd want from such an eclectic artist. Production wise, the record is bursting with life, Davies a proud member of the Music Producers Guild, so on the synth-heavy title track you get huge walls of electronics driving it along, Unravel takes a similar tact with a fuzzy synth propulsion and hooky chorus.

As far as the concept is concerned I can't claim to be an expert on the female experience but what I can say is that it's very clear that Davies is trying to address every facet of it on this record and taking what could have been a very moribund record, turning it into a cathartic experience for both performer and listener. If you don't get a lump in your throat when listening to 5am then you're made of stone, I'll be honest it ruined me with it's visceral lyrical content. The Art Of Losing is not just a worthy follow up to Confessions Of A Romance Novelist it surpasses it. A stunningly beautiful record that deserves all the praise it gets.10/10   

Orden Ogan - Final Days (AFM Records)

Hopefully not a Nostradamus-like prediction of the end of the world (or indeed the end of the band) Final Days is latest effort from vocalist/guitarist/producer Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann's symphonic power metal band Orden Ogan. Their sixth record following on the Gunmen a record that brought them both higher acclaim and wider audience than the legions of troll fighting power metal fans, adding some melodic metal and hard rock influences. Gunmen was their most well received record by the buying public so this left them with the problem of following it up. After touring Gunmen for two years, they set about trying to record a follow up, however long term axeman Tobi decided to hang up his guitar, which left them getting in Patrick Sperling who plays alongside former bassist Niels Löffler, due to Seeb not being able to play due to hand injury but staying as just the bands singer, this brought in Steven Wussow on bass. 

So with big line up changes things were looking a little clearer for a follow up but then the pandemic hit, forcing the album to be delayed, their tour with Grave Digger and Rage to be cancelled and all matter of other issues. But finally in March 2021 Orden Ogan are releasing their follow up to Gunmen, Final Days. Immediately what his you is Seeb's production skills, making the record sound huge again as he has done with bands such as Rhapsody Of Fire, Brainstorm and Asphyx. The production style suits this record dark sci-fi concept (yep another concept album from these Germans), with much of it still very deep in that Orden Ogan style of powerful cinematic metal the band at their heaviest and also most accessible ever but there are also a few genre shifts that brings in pop and AOR. There is also a duo of guests on Alone In The Dark Ylva Eriksson (Brothers Of Metal) duets with Seeb and on Interstellar, has Firewind shredder Gus G playing the solo. 

Due to the sci-fi concept there's lot of cyber sound effects, Heart Of The Android is full of them, the glitches sounding a little like the song is skipping (giving me anxiety), it's also especially resonant if you have just watched the final episode of Wandavision. Even on Alone On The Dark there is a thumping heartbeat beneath it adding to the emotional power of the ballad. With Final Days Orden Ogan have continued on the hot streak from Gunmen, it's big, bold power metal at its best. 8/10 

The Crown - Royal Destroyer (Metal Blade Records)

Not a sly dig at Meghan Markle, Royal Destroyer is the tenth record from Swedish death metal crew The Crown who celebrated thirty years of existence (in one form or another) in 2020. So this tenth record has managed to throw in everything from 90's death metal, death n roll (R.I.P L.G. Petrov), punk thrash and more on this album. It's the follow up to 2018's Cobra Speed Venom which saw them rediscovering their early nastiness, this ethos continues on Royal Destroyer as Baptized In Violence rages in under 2 minutes leading into the blistering, constantly shifting Let The Hammering Begin where drummer Henrik Axelsson does exactly that, it's a tribute to much missed Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman and has those explosive solos that Hanneman made famous at the end Robin Sörqvist doing his best impression. 

Stylistically the music varies, while staying true to death metal while lyrically there's a lot here; Scandinavian Satan is an ode to the first generation black metal bands. Produced by Fredrik Nordström, the riffs (Magnus Olsfelt & Marko Tervonenare) biting, the vocals (Johan Lindstrand) are ragged and the melodic (Sörqvist) elements ring out when needed, especially on the doomier Glorious Hades while Full Metal Justice ramps up the blistering thrash. Royal Destroyer is The Crown royally laying down a death metal arse whooping that incorporates different soundscapes and a progressive touch. Great stuff. 8/10

Thunder Horse - Chosen One (Ripple Music)

This is an interesting proposition, a retro-fuelled doom/stoner band founded by a Stephen Bishop (vocals/guitars) who has made his name on the Texas industrial metal scene, he and lead guitarist T.C Connally set about writing an album influenced by Tony Iommi and Robin Trower. So it's heavily influenced by the 60's and 70's style but with the fuzzy filthiness of Electric Wizard and High On Fire (Among The Dead). Chosen One is their second album and it continues their journey into the abyss wrapped up in a wall of distorted amps, gurgling gravelly basslines and hypnotic vocal phrasing. The music here is mainly long slow doom pieces punctuated by touches of psych, on Let Them Bleed with it's David Gilmour lead guitar playing. 

There's also some Southern rock, on the records best track Texas where the band pine for their home State, but mainly this record is chock full of heavily distorted classic rock riffs, with songs such as Rise Of The Heathens essentially taking some dirty rock n roll and adding gothic bell ringing and a massive doom sound, the cover of Traffic's Dear Mr Fantasy is also a good indicator of the heavy blues style of Chosen One. Heavy, doomy and steeped in rock tradition Thunder Horse come galloping out of the gate once again with their sophomore effort. 7/10

Reviews: Pupil Slicer, Rob Zombie, Starmen, Autumn's Child (Reviews By Paul Hutchings & Simon Black)

Pupil Slicer - Mirrors (Prosthetic Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Astonishingly, the absolute carnage that erupts from the headphones on Mirrors is the product of a mere three people. Kate Davies - Guitar/Vocals, Josh Andrews – Drums and Luke Fabian - Bass/ Additional Vocals. Described as a combination of angular mathcore and brutal grindcore, this is the musical equivalent of being beaten with a baseball bat. It’s a violent, aggressive blast which sees Davies exorcise demons and ghosts from her personal life. I have every sympathy with her for her experiences. Depression, abuse, and anxiety are nobody’s friend and if her vicious vocal explosions help her address the harrowing experiences all the better. It’s hard to know what she’s screaming about mind; such is the intensity with which she spews forth. And she is also giving the guitar a good pasting. One can only cower in fear at what this three must get up to on stage. 

The London outfit slam through track after track before hitting two much longer tracks at the finale. Before that, Pupil Slicer rage through a series of blistering shorter tracks that vary from a minute to six. It’s all a bit frantic, although the band do thread some quieter passages for brief moments of reflection. It’s all a bit intense for me at times. I’m not a big grindcore/mathcore kind of guy and whilst I can appreciate the sheer energy and effort that Pupil Slicer pour into their craft; it washes over me. Regardless of my opinion, this is a gritty, raw, and punishing release. If this is what the kids are listening to, I’m glad I’m old. If you like carnage, raging emotions and music that hits you harder than a tsunami in 2011, this battery of angst and rage balled up in this debut album will be one to get hold of. Me, I’m off to listen to Pink Floyd, before my head explodes. 7/10.

Rob Zombie - The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (Nuclear Blast) [Simon Black]

As one wag on Rob Zombie’s Facebook page pointed out – smart speaker friendly titles are not really his thing, but at least it’s not likely to get mixed up with anyone else’s work. I suspect this lengthy title is Zombie’s way of poking fun at the QAnon world we find ourselves in, given that they kind of extreme comic book nonsense that has been the stuff of his records forever now seems to have entered mainstream discourse. As you would expect from this old hand, the classic Zombie production feel is all over this album, with its Post-Industrial mix, lots of samples and punchy beat breaks to mix things up. As always we have plenty of spooky sounds in the impeccable mix and the album does sound exactly like what you would expect a Rob Zombie album to sound like.

There’s only one thing missing unfortunately, which is a bit of a doozy, and that’s some decent songs. This might be a bit unfortunate, given that although his seventh solo recording it’s his first for new label Nuclear Blast and the first for five years and he probably needed to make a bit of a hit. Perhaps what Zombie need is a platform and AI-based tool to poke his music into the heads of the most receptive potential audience and that way he can be sure of shifting all the copies on vinyl, cassette and retro long cardboard CD cover and any other formats that wind up the environmentalists?

Now don’t get me wrong – I love this artist. I loved him when it was White Zombie, I loved the early cadre of solo releases and I love to watch him perform, because he frankly remains one of the greatest show men of the Modern Metal age, however this album is not reversing the downward spiral in the new album department any time soon. Like the last few releases this lacks the punchy hard-hitting delivery that put him on the map – you can have your distinctive sound and production values, but these should be there to embellish what is fundamentally a catchy and enjoyable song or three and sadly too many songs on this release are rambling, unfocussed and sadly unmemorable. 

It sounds right - classic and perfect Zombie formula 101, but sadly the strength of song-writing just is not there. There are a couple of moments when it feels like he’s back on groove, but then things fizzle out and lose focus again. We need songs of the calibre of Dragula, Living Dead Girl or the frankly definitive Feel So Numb, but sadly there’s nothing remotely like that on this disk. 4/10

Starmen - By The Grace Of Rock’n’Roll (Melodic Passion) [Simon Black]

The third album from these Swedish Hard Rockers carries on where previous offerings have left off – a good healthy slab of 70’s and 80’s influenced Hard Rock, that may or may not look like it was made by an entire group of Paul Stanley Starchild lookalikes. The KISS comparison is an easy one, not the least from the obvious make up and costume comparison, but for the fact that all four of them take turns in singing and the fact that Kristian Hermanson (Starman Red) is a dead vocal ringer for Stanley. If these guys weren’t all originally in a KISS Tribute band before this project, then my kitchen may soon start to smell of baked hat.

These guys are nothing if not prolific – having only formed in 2018, they managed two full albums last year, with this one very close behind. However, so many of the songs have that “I know this one” feeling that walks the dangerous set of thin lines between influence, tribute and plagiarism. Alongside the obvious KISS nods, I hear many other touches of contemporary comparison to Hard Rock’s roots, with big chunks of Zeppelin, UFO and others amidst a general mid-80’s American Radio friendly sound and production mix (Autograph in particular springs to mind). I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s executed perfectly and is one of the more convincing retro acts to have crossed my desk in recent months and they do sound more like KISS than KISS currently do (now there’s a band who have become their own tribute act). If that rocks your boat, then you are going to really enjoy this.

Strength of influence aside, each of the songs on here stands up well on its own as a well-crafted piece of songwriting and I can really imagine not caring two hoots about how derivative they were if I was watching them live (judging by the footage I can see), as this is a band that’s all about having a good time. Well produced and crafted, this is 20th Century Retro Rock at its finest. 7/10

Autumn’s Child - Angel’s Gate (Avalon Label) [Paul Hutchings]

I’ve said it before. I don’t know why I am always surprised at the volume of melodic rock that is out there. It’s not a genre I venture into often, but when I do it’s usually a pleasant surprise. Melodic rock, or AOR if you want, seems to be thriving. Much lighter in style and lyrical subject matter, it’s usually pleasing, cheesy riffs, driving melodies and vocal harmonies all wrapped up in a big chunk of brie. Sometimes, however, things are not what they seem. When you get a combination of Swedish musicians, there are inevitably ripples in the AOR pond. Angel’s Gate, the follow up to 2019’s self-titled debut sees Autumn’s Child traverse between the good, the band and the downright ugly. 

The band was formed by Mikael Erlandsson, part of Last Autumn’s Dream and an up-and-coming solo artist, who incorporated Claes Andreasson (guitar, keyboards), guitarist Pontus Âkesson (Moon Safari), former Eclipse drummer Robban Båck, and H.E.A.T. keyboardist Jona Tee along with guest bassists Joel Starander and Peter Samuelsson. The good on this album is the opening half of the record. Opening song Where Angels Cry opens dramatically, a solo piano and thick synths segues to a rich hard rock riff before opening out into a typical bouncy melodic rock track. Erlandsson’s clean vocals are supported by some classic harmonies whilst the underlying riff gives it a rocky edge.

This continues for the first five or six songs, and whilst the music is generic, it is well performed. Love Is Not An Enemy is another solid track in this opening salvo. The bad arrives in the shape of the inevitable ballads and firstly the ghastly Don’t Ever Leave Me. It doesn’t stop with one, oh no, because Your Words arrives a little later. Now, I know that the ballad is the staple of this type of album but sheesh, they can be hard to stomach and these two are grim. As a compositions go they are well crafted, but it’s so routine and boring. It should be on a Carpenters album. And then the ghastly. 

Only Love Can Save The World is another off the peg, wet as a duck’s undercarriage song with the soppy lyrics that mean nothing. What’s so ghastly is that it turns into a singalong and at this point its generic pop, not even rock. It is one of the most horrible songs I have ever heard, and no amount of mid-song noodling can rescue it. It’s utter crap and symbolises everything I hate about this genre. So, in a nutshell, I’d stop listening to this after about six songs. Unless you like your music lighter than a feather in which case carry on. Me? I’m off to listen to the new Cannibal Corpse single again … just to clear my ears out. 5/10

Reviews: Bonecarver, Skinny Knowledge, Autarkh, Callous Hands (Reviews By Liam True, Alex Swift, Paul Hutchings & Richard Oliver)

Bonecarver – Evil (Unique Leader) [Liam True]

Formed from the ashes of the brilliantly named Cannibal Grandpa, Spanish outfit Bonecarver have been at the forefront of the extreme scene in their native Madrid since 2014. Combining stories about infamous serial killers with their own take on brutal death metal, they have undergone a self-proclaimed reinvention in the past few years, which included a changing of name. Today sees the release of their debut album under the Bonecarver moniker and their first via Unique Leader Records – a telling of the American murderer Albert Fish with the title Evil.

Although their first full album, Bonecarver released two EPs during the second half of last decade under their old name, so it’s not like this is their first rodeo, but in terms of quality and sheer impact, what a way to go about it. That scene in Raider of the Lost Ark where two of the characters have their faces literally melted off their skulls? This is the aural equivalent from the moment opening track Revolver explodes with a fury of double kick drums and thunderous guitars, replete with savage, guttural vocals. It doesn’t so much grab the listener as throttle them with ease and then delivers the final blow with a devastating breakdown; and there are still nine tracks to go.

Overtorture brings in pig squeals alongside everything else and The Scythe continues the relentless assault, throwing in a brilliant The Black Dahlia Murder-style solo in the middle; the ending is even better though, as a spoken word build gets the adrenaline going before it drops into a filthy, repugnant finale – you can actually see the bodies flailing around the pit as you listen. Although this remains the nucleus of the album’s style, there are moments here and there which add a different flavour on top of the bludgeoning riffs and blistering drums. Mallevs Maleficarvm has a slight symphonic edge in places, which harks back to Dimmu Borgir in their prime and the false finish in Nest Of Traitors is a well-executed curveball; it comes out of absolutely nowhere at the exact moment when the listener begins to breath a bit easier after another round of sonic bullying.

The closing title track, however, asks ‘Why not both?’ and delivers a softer, momentary interlude of piano that just as quickly reverts to a pig squeal and all-out assault. For the most part, though, this is just straight up carnage; Wormhole takes after its title and could easily rip a hole in space and time if it were played loud enough whilst Hound Pound, the shortest track at just over two minutes long, somehow manages to be even faster than everything that’s come before it, which is already played at a breakneck speed. There is absolutely no let up and yet, despite the battering to the senses, nobody will ever get enough of it; this will be spun on repeat for the rest of the year, guaranteed.

When the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse descend from the skies on Judgement Day, this will be their soundtrack as they set about their own destruction of the planet. Bonecarver have spawned a monster in Evil, something truly disgusting and downright revolting; as a result, it’s one of the best death metal releases 2021 will see. 9/10

Skinny Knowledge – Don’t Turn Out The Lights (Self Released) [Alex Swift]

With the raucous, rugged energy of grunge and the memorability of pop-punk, Skinny Knowledge may not seem the most unique band to grace alternative music, but they exude a kind of optimistic energy that I find forever enthusing. “About a year and a half ago, I felt I’d lost my way a little with music” says lead singer Andy L Smooth “I motivated myself to do something I’d never done before…write a song. The songs I was writing reflected that confusion, It ended up being a collection of tales about the chaos of adolescent life”. I would say that’s an accurate analysis – these lyrics bear the contemplative charm captured by acts like Menzingers, and the playing bears the energy summoned by acts like Foo Fighters or Feeder. For a debut its’ impressively performed, cleverly produced and wonderfully emotional. The songs are cathartic yet also catchy, with an astute grip on melody and emotionality.

The opening title track hooks you in with a jaunty guitar riff, which builds up to full volume against a background of feedback. Smooth’s voice comes in powerfully – it’s rough yet soaring and earnest, hitting every note yet doing so with a scruffy sense of zealousness. It might seem something of a risk to start a debut on a mid-tempo piece designed to inspire, yet this song gets that atmosphere right. The massive singalong vocals which close help to kick the track into high gear for its impassioned final moments. Imagination keeps that freneticism going with hard hitting bass and drums, charting the course to the huge chorus – one you can just picture crowds going wild to, upon the ever closer return of gigs. This see’s our frontman screaming with an enthused fury, as the instrumentals swell and cavort around him. Alive has the vigour of a classic rock anthem – an image that’s complemented by the immense riff and the ambitious lead guitar solo, which you don’t want to end. King Of Nothing is one of the shorter tracks here, yet is also one of the most daring, with unique guitar stylings, stirring backing vocals and driving rhythms. Keep Me Out Of It is another riff based one which keeps the listener captivated with the stomping presence, despite the more simple composition. ‘Let loose our inhibitions and move to funky rhythms tonight’ runs one line on Not Coming Down and how I can’t wait to feel the sensation captured by this song again. Seriously, this is undeniably danceable, while retaining that rock n’ roll swagger.

Getaway captures with the kind of high-tempo, zealous energy that you would expect. It also underpins what I love about this band so far – It would have been easy for these to come across as cut and paste replicas of their influences – crucially though, every song sounds like these musicians had fun writing and recording them. That might seem like a strange observation, yet believe me, it’s noticeable in every note. In contrast to the fast paced nature though, Sayonara is more of a slower, foreboding piece – there are nods to blues, the harmonised vocals and menacing build into the hook beguiling with yet more subtlety – finally, the band throw another curveball with a monumental riff which acts as the pay-off to all the tension created over the course of the song. Speaking of the unexpected, the next piece is an enormous yet earnest power ballad titled Wheel Of Love and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Is it mawkish and sentimental? Very, but this is coming from quite a sentimental person who’s a sucker for these sort of songs when they’re done well. The best way I can describe this one is that it beautifully captures that feeling of wishing to be trapped in a moment with people you love and never leave, partly for fear of the future and partly for not being able to imagine happiness outside of that moment. As well as that it also acknowledges the sensation of overcoming hardship – ‘holding on to this feeling I’ve craved for so long’. As if continuing on the hopeful theming, This Time acts as a punk-rock rager about taking positive control of your life and chasing your dreams irrespective of jealous criticism, while Make A Change beseeches the listener to make that positive difference, either to their own lives or to the world around them. All the while, the music seethes with a determined optimism.

Few new acts could so pointedly wear their oftentimes contrasting influences on their sleeve and get away with that. That’s exactly what Skinny Knowledge do. Case in point: the pop-punk inspired Take The Blame and the heavy metal interlude that’s appropriately titled Heavy Metal Interlude. I have little to say about these tracks outside of all the praise I’ve doled out already, except to say they demonstrate these players commitment to their craft. We end on Stand Alone. Initially, this might appear to be a bittersweet way to close, but upon reflection, it’s more of a ‘leaving behind’ song. A piece about abandoning one life to seek another. In a way that’s the crux of this record – Don’t Turn Out The Lights emphasises not running away from your problems but overcoming them and carving out a place for yourself in this universe, even if many refuse to accept the way you are. In that sense, it’s a perfect album for the times we’re living in, and certainly one that made me miss gigs. For while those precious moments might seem a memory, long hidden in the past, the light lit by them still burns, never to be turned out. 8/10

Autarkh – Form In Motion (Season Of Mist) [Paul Hutchings]

Pushing the artistic boundaries, this debut release from Autarkh ranks alongside Igorrr as one of the most interesting, complex, and challenging albums released in many years. Autarkh was formed by Michel Nienhuis, formerly of Dodecahedron, the outfit signed to Season Of Mist who released two albums between 2012 and 2017. Nienhuis has collaborated with producer Joris Bonis, guitarist David Luiten and electronic composer/producer Tijnn Verbruggen.

The result is an intriguing, captivating and sometimes confusing extreme metal album that combines harrowing death metal passages with techno beats, electro blasts and industrial segments. It’s something vastly different to the mainstream. I struggled for reference points at times, but that’s the beauty of such an unorthodox release. Vocally, we experience everything from chilling screams, semi-clean harmonies, and guttural roars. Musically there’s a sonic avalanche which permanently threatens to overwhelm. Banks of imposing riffs, blast beats and thick bass lines permeate the auditory senses, blended with electronica, techno, and many other styles that I can’t even capture.

Drawing from personal experience of human nature and the nature of the universe, this is a lyrical wild ride. It’s a radical piece of work which will repel many. Dive in deep, allow the absorption and you’ll get a different experience. Tracks like Introspectrum, the wild ride of Turbulence and penultimate song Alignment provide an intensity which few bands can capture. Intrigued? This is an album that will challenge, stimulate, and possible overpower you. It’s that powerful. 8/10

Callous Hands - Earth Mover (Self Released) [Richard Oliver]

Earth Mover is the new EP from Callous Hands. Hailing from Birmingham, Callous Hands are a five piece band who formed in 2017 and gained quite a reputation from their appearance in the 2019 Coventry Metal To The Masses competition. Although they did not win the competition they gained quite a following from their tight and impressive performances. Originally slated to be recorded in April but delayed due to the pandemic, Earth Mover is a three song EP. It is a short but heavy release with plenty of influence from groove metal and hardcore with riffs that steamroller their way out of the speakers at you. 

The performances throughout are tight with a pounding rhythm section whilst the ferocious hardcore bark of frontman Kieran shows that the band mean business. Whilst the performances and enthusiasm are there there wasn’t much that grabbed me and stuck with me on this EP. It is heavy as fuck but it’s a bit one dimensional and suffers from the same trap of monotony that puts me off a lot of groove metal. This is a solid release but it isn’t that memorable. 6/10

Reviews: Witherfall, Sepulcros, Recall The Remains, Brazen Bull (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Paul Scoble, Paul Hutchings & Simon Black)

Witherfall – Curse Of Autumn (Century Media Records) [Matt Bladen]

Both previous Witherfall albums have scored an 8 and a 9 respectively in these pages sop to say this third record was anticipated would be an understatement. The band formed by vocalist Joseph Michael (Midnight Rain, Sanctuary, ex-White Wizzard) and Jake Dreyer (ex-Iced Earth, Ex-White Wizzard) have gone from strength to strength on every album they have released skilfully negotiating every nuance of the US heavy power/prog metal sound, previous record have encapsulated Iced Earth, Mercyful Fate, Sanctuary and Symphony X but on this third release the Warrel Dane/Jeff Loomis influence is much bigger, probably due to Michael fronting Sanctuary his voice is pretty much a dead ringer for the much missed Dane, with Dreyer as his guitarist foil. Since the previous record Dreyer has become the solitary six stringer with Anthony Crawford still on bass (of various string number) and they also have new drummer for this release the incredible Marco Minnemann (Steven Wilson, Joe Satriani, The Aristocrats). His background in prog definitely fits with the huge Nevermore influence this album has, his percussive skills allows the darker edged songs to breathe a little, Crawford adding some flourishes see Another Face but he also knows when to put the hammer down and lock in with Crawford for grooves, Dreyer riffing with aggression and soloing like his hands are on fire.

The record was mixed by Jim Morris and mastered by Tom Morris at Morrisound Studios while it was produced by Dreyer’s ex-employer (who shall not be named for legal reasons). The music itself is some of the best the band have written, progressive and heavy throughout, it’s also their longest with couple of shorter pieces to keep the atmosphere between the tracks. The album is inspired by rage (the blood red cover is an indicator) making this the most personal record yet. As far as songs go, As I Lie Awake has a darker power metal sound that shifts between time signatures easily, there’s a venomous sense of brooding to the whole album with the songs carefully constructed to shift between melodic slower passages and outright ferocity. The Last Scar and Another Side Of Fear are the exact sort of thing you’d want from Witherfall. Then if you add to that epics such as ...and They All Blew Away and Tempest (who has a jazz break to die for) you get an almost perfect American prog/power metal future classic. With Nevermore and Iced Earth now just remnants bands like Witherfall carry that flame for intelligent, complex, heavy metal. 9/10

Sepulcros - Vasio (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Paul Scoble]

Based in Portugal Sepulcros are only on their first album, but have clearly hit the ground running, or maybe that should be hit the ground crawling as the five piece play a monolithically slow and heavy style of Death/Doom. The band made up of SB on Vocals, NZ (also of Summon, Viles Vitae, Abominamentum) on Guitars, RT on Guitars, AH (also of Candura, Summon) on Bass and JS (also of Summon) on Drums, might not have full names, but they have managed to pull of a fantastic piece of huge and colossally heavy metal. 

The album features six tracks, the first and last tracks are a short intro and a similar outro featuring chants, chains and ethereal moans and other creepy noises. The actual music is in four much longer tracks, firstly the title track Vasio which opens with a massively dense and impenetrable doom riff. The sound is incredibly thick, heavy and opaque, this sounds like metal made under huge pressure as if it was recorded at the bottom of the Marianas Trench or at the heart of a Neutron Star. The pacing is slow and lurching and the vocals are harsh and guttural. There is a mournful quality to the slower parts, as if this was music for the funeral of a continent. In its second half the track then gives the listener a bit of a surprise as it heads into a super fast and frenetic blast beat section, clearly providing the Death in the Death/Doom. The blasts on this album are almost ridiculously fast and savage, this is an album that doesn’t really have middle gears; it’s either as slow as continental drift or its insanely fast blasting.

Second track Marcha Funebre is much more dissonant than the track that came before it. It’s less straightforward, the dissonance adds an unhealthy, sickening quality that reminds me of Australian band Obed Marsh. Marcha Funebre also has savage blasting, but on this track the fast sections are shorter. Next track Magno Caos has the Ultra Slow / Ultra Fast structure that the other two tracks have, but the main riffs on Magno Caos feel hypnotic and dreamlike, ok it would have to be a nightmare, but dreamlike nonetheless. The final of the main four long songs is Hecatombe. Hecatombe takes a long time to build, once the track gets going it is minimal with just drums and bass. This minimal feel helps to make the huge riff even huger when it does drop. 

The slow parts of the track have a tempo that, although not particularly fast, feel unstoppable and relentless. The intensity of the slow riff increases until the song drops the listener into a maelstrom of blasting savagery. The slow returns, and this time it’s brought some dissonance and nastiness with it, again this builds to a blast beat before the song slowly drifts off. Vasio is a massive, abyssal piece of Death/Doom. The album feels immense, dense and savage by mixing ultra slow and heavy with ultra fast and nasty to great effect. The pacing; of the songs themselves and the album as a whole, is brilliantly realised, and helps the transitions between the two very disparate pacing’s to happen without it feeling jarring or unnatural. This would be a very impressive album for a band that has been going for a while, for a debut album, this is massively impressive, with the emphasis on Massive. 8/10

Recall The Remains – Dead Dreams (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]

Taking the influences of artists such as Trivium, Thy Art is Murder, Whitechapel and Bleed from Within, this five-track EP from Midlands outfit Recall The Remains is going to strike the right chord with those who enjoy the combination of metalcore and thrash. It’s a short, sharp 19 minutes which contains plenty of savage riffs, contrasting screaming and clean vocals and some neat harmonies on the choruses. Plenty of unorthodox time changes, all uncomfortable angular diversions and a pulsing groove that should incite pits if ever played live. Opener Darker Path provides a solid introduction, whilst the jagged riffage of Deadlines works well. First Inversion rages with emotion and demonstrates some competent guitar work. Dead Dreams has a modern feel and combines several styles which complement each other. Whether the band have the necessary quality to stand above the crowded field is open to debate, but this is a solid release which will deservedly gain ample attention. 7/10

Brazen Bull – Brazen Bull (Self Released) [Simon Black]

For those not familiar with ancient Greek or Roman torture devices, the semi-mythical brazen bull was a full size Bronze statue into the belly of which a hapless victim would be inserted and under which fire would be lit until the roasting process was completed, oh and its first victim was apparently its inventor… Just to make it that little bit more grim, a victim’s screams were apparently channelled through a series of pipes built into the bulls nostrils, to entertain the torturer. Fortunately listening to this record is definitely not a similar experience.

This incarnation of a Brazen Bull is in fact a youthful five piece hailing from Bury St. Edmunds in the UK are a Hard Rock band with a vein of NWOBHM running through the middle of it, but with an almost 90’s Alt-Rock flavour to it in places, particularly in terms of Alex Martinez’ vocal style. His voice is in the main held back and comfortably melodic in style, but there are moments when he lets rip and totally holds your attention. The Boy And The Dancer is a great example of this and probably the strongest track on the record to boot – an anthemic ballad with a cracking melody line and an unexpected bit of galloping pace in the middle eight to take it to a rocking conclusion. The galloping part crops up a few times on this disk and that’s really where the NWOBHM references are their strongest, as each time they do it I’m strongly reminded of the key time change in the middle of the lengthy instrumental section of Maiden’s Phantom Of The Opera, but that’s OK, it’s one of my favourite bits too. 

That track closes the album, is by far the lengthiest track there at nearly seven and a half minutes of run time and is quite distinct from the rest of the album. Elsewhere a swathe of fast-paced energetic tunes are the order of the day, with lots of solid rhythm focussed riffage and a really tight instrumental back line that really does work as a cohesive whole. The only negative is despite the pace, there is no obvious ‘punch the sky’ anthem there, but hey, it’s early days and they are very young. With that kind of tightness on display from the get go, punchy song-writing (so often the product of experience) is sure to follow. It’s got energy, it’s got a great vibe and sound and it’s a portent of great things to come. 7/10

Reviews: Nightfall, Dreamshade, Melvins, Fellowcraft (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Simon Black, Paul Hutchings & Alex Swift)

Nightfall - At Night We Pray (Season Of Mist) [Matt Bladen]

Greek Blackened Death metal stalwarts Nightfall  have returned from the darkness after seven years with their violent, dark brooding new record At Night We Pray. Before I get into it, I have to praise Fotis Bernardo whos drumming is like a fucking chaingun unleashing hell fire from the first moment of At Night We Pray until the dying embers. At some point it looked like Nightfall may never return again as they shifted from a live band to a studio act and bandleader Efthimis Karadimas (bass/vocals) went off to form The Slayerking which lasted for two albums but was also very much a studio project. 

However after 2019, Karadimas revived Nightfall with a new line up featuring the aforementioned Fotis Bernardo on drums(and production), original guitarist Mike Galiatsos and new guitarist Kostas Kyriakopoulos (The Slayerking) to create this their tenth album. Dealing with depression At Night We Pray goes straight for the jugular the biting guitar tones of Galiatsos and Kyriakopoulos harking back to the days when along with Rotting Christ and Septicflesh they were part of Hellenic Metals Unholy Trinity, a track such a Witches, which has that devastating drumming, Gothic backing vocals from Eleni and Souzana Vougioukli (who add a lot to the record especially on the title track) and the flesh ripping guitars. 

This continues on Giants Of Anger which slows a little into a grinding bloodletter though if you really want a doomy riffers Meteor Gods  Temenos takes that crown before it explodes into more death metal riffage. Karadimas' vocals snarl and roar with the same aggression as the music, both blending perfectly for some top class extreme metal. It's so good to have Nightfall back, after 30 years and a hiatus it seems as though they will be hitting into their 3rd decade with not only a renewed vitality but also a promised return to the live stage too! 8/10  

Dreamshade – A Pale Blue Dot (Self Released) [Simon Black]

Named after writer Carl Sagan’s famous description of the earth as seen from space, the fourth album from these Swiss Modern Metallers has been five years in the making. It’s very much about the factors defining the modern world, with the malign influence of technology and more recently, living in a post-Covid pandemic defined world and its impact on the species riding high thematically. You may have already come across single Stone Cold Digital, which probably epitomises this with its view of the modern world through the eyes of someone from another time, with lyrics like “Sleep with the enemy”’ hammering the point home that the technology dividing us also shares our bedrooms.

As with their previous releases, the potpourri of metal styles in here remains eclectic but strangely effective with the Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore and Progressive elements all seamlessly coexisting together in a very rich lake of production from Jacob Hansen (of Volbeat and Amaranthe fame) who has worked with the band previously, so has a good feel for their essence. The melodic elements make for a very hook laden and commercially accessible sound, with rich synth layerings that create an incredible sense of depth and richness to the album. Some tracks are positively radio friendly – such as the topical Question Everything, with its singalong chorus and bouncy melody lines providing a counterpoint to the subject matter. The technical and progressive elements are worth waiting for as well, with some highly sophisticated time signatures and interplay between the instruments that in place is tighter than a gnat’s bum hole. Step Back is a great example of this – these technical flourishes can’t help but grab your attention, but unlike more overtly Progressive acts they do not in any way detract from the song’s delivery by being intrusive or showy.

The whole album is very accessible and the balance between extreme and clean vocal styles works perfectly. What really makes it work is the astoundingly rich mix and sound though. No-one instrument or voice is allowed to predominate, creating an incredible rich and cohesive, rounded feeling to this record. The same things is happening with the blending of styles, which move seamlessly backwards and forwards, sometimes several times in a given track without jarring in the slightest. That’s a testament to some pretty nifty songwriting skills from a group of clearly very skilful musicians. I wasn’t expecting this effect at all, and I’m left with the feeling that this album is in for a fair few spins from me. 9/10

Melvins -Working With God (Ipecac Recordings) [Paul Hutchings]

They’ve been there since 1983, released a shit ton of records and toured relentlessly. They have a hardcore fanbase and are revered by their peers and the industry alike. And surprisingly, I’ve never got close to listening to more that the odd track. So, for those of you who class the Melvins as a favourite, I apologise, because I’m coming at this colder than a polar bear’s butt in a refrigerator. Melvins sees Buzz Osborne, that’s King Buzzo to you, virtually original member Dale Crover and original drummer Mike Dillard reunite for this, the 24th album, Working With God. This isn’t an album rescued from the archives but an album of new material, the first by this 1983 line-up since 2013’s Tres Cabrones.

With no reference point, I took this album from a low baseline but was presently surprised at the quality of music that was liberally sprinkled throughout. Skip past the juvenile I Fuck Around which takes the band back to 8th grade and a slightly rawer version of The Beach Boys song I Get Around. As King Buzzo said, “We hope that Brian Wilson doesn’t get mad”. You could also skip the first part of Brian, The Horse-Faced Goon if you want, but I guess that being a little odd and zany is one of the appealing features of the band who now reside in Los Angeles whilst Dillard remains in Washington.
At times sludgy, at times grungy but at all times heavy as hell, Working With God works on every level. There’s the punk fused Boy Mike, which races along with genuine aggression, the bizarre Brian, The Horse-Faced Goon, the semi-psychedelic grind of Hot Fish and the alt-rock smoulder of Fuck You. It’s all good fun and enjoyable stuff. Whether I’d have chosen to ever listen to this album is debatable. I’m glad that I did. 7/10

Fellowcraft – This Is Where You’ll Find Me (Self Released) [Alex Swift]

Rooted deep in the traditions of post grunge and classic rock, Fellowcraft’s evident instrumental ability and knack for strong choruses distinguishes them to an extent. That said, the murky production and indistinct songwriting conventions make for quite a tedious and cliché listening experience overall. Pieces like Coyote and The Desert Rose beguile in pieces with energising backing vocals, melancholic lead work and an impressionistic post chorus section, yet feel cliché, especially with the addition of spoken word sections (a particular pet peeve of mine in music) and influences that feel distinctly tired and pastiche. Whatsmore, for all of the positives I can point to in the instrumentation, there are other places where the compositions feel distinctly lacking. 

This is How The World Ends and Sun Hangs Low for instance, try and be bittersweet ballads yet fail to create the presence or memorability to provoke a genuinely emotional response from the listener. For as much as you can sense that genuine passion exists on the part of the musicians, there’s a tepid quality on some tracks, which fails to convince. That’s a shame because from a truly melodic standpoint, there does seem to be a level of proficiency and experimentation here that I daresay transcends that of other bands in this genre. 

Last Great Scotsman and Make No Sound, if approached from the right mind-set, have a level of attitude and flair to them which makes them worth returning to for the rich harmonies and cathartic outpouring, even if they do bear some of the same issues of the EP as a whole – notably the fuzzy and difficult to discern mixing. Overall, while Fellowcraft are far from the most derivative act I’ve heard in American Radio Rock, they have some of the same issues. Despite that, they are clearly talented and respectable song crafters, giving them promise for the future. 5/10

Reviews: Harakiri For The Sky, Einherjer, Cobra Cult, Starscape (Reviews: Matt Bladen & Paul Hutchings)

Harakiri For The Sky - Mӕre (AOP Records) [Matt Bladen]

Consisting of Matthias "MS" Sollak (guitars, bass, drums) and Michael "JJ" V. Wahntraum (vocals) Harakiri For The Sky are now five albums into their career and they continue to reinvent what they truly stand for as a band. They seamlessly fuse the aggressive extremity of black metal, the cinematic atmospherics of post rock along with the toughness of hardcore and crushing sludge breaks too. Their fifth album Mӕre delves into dark folklore the title character causing breathlessness while you sleep. The band have been championed by the press since their inception and it's clear to see why on songs Sing For The Damage We've Done which is a brilliant use of blistering extreme metal power and deft effortless clean guitars combined together switching between both to keep your attention. It also features guest vocals from Alcest frontman Neige while Us Against December Skies has a anthemic style that is proper post metal. 

These Austrians create songs that are odes to pain, anger and melancholy, all feeling that lend themself to this style of provocative emotional music. Along with Neige we have Gaerea on the piano led influenced  Silver Needle//Golden Dawn and Kerim 'Krimh' Lechner (Septicflesh) as the studio drummer. At 10 songs and pretty hefty run time Mӕre is another epic album to add to the cannon of brilliance from Harakiri For The Sky, it is perhaps a little too long but definitely an album that need to be taken in as a whole piece from the chugging djent/piano melodies of I'm All About The Dusk, through post-hardcore angst of Once Upon A Winter and the acoustic Time Is A Ghost leading into the punchy final track Song To Say Goodbye. A powerful, dark listen from Harakiri For The Sky. Believe the hype! 8/10

Einherjer - North Star (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

North Star is the eighth album from Nordic Black Folk metallers Einherjer, it's also their first album on Napalm Records for 25 years. Recorded at Frode Glesnes' (vocals, guitar & bass) home studio, this means that the record sounds slightly D.I.Y sound to the production, the rawness of the vocals on Higher Fire and Echoes In Blood both of which take the black metal route. It's also led to some experimentation Gerhard Storsund adding some symphonic keys, taking things far and away from Dragons Of The North their last release on Napalm which was so influential to the Viking metal scene back in 1996. Still it's all quite metal West Coast Groove comes along with some 80's styled guitar soloing courtesy of Ole Sønstabø, Tony Enge adding the chuggy grooves underneath. It's like W.A.S.P playing with Venom while the final Chasing The Serpent starts out as doom but has a chorus that is ideal for stadium filling. An odd record for sure but one that re-establishes Einherjer as a technically potent force in the Viking metal scene. 7/10 

Cobra Cult – Second Gear (GMR Music) [Paul Hutchings]

23 minutes, eight tracks. There’s no waiting around with album number two from the Swedish hard rockers Cobra Cult, whose line up comprises Johanna Lindhult on lead vocals and guitar, Thomas Jonsson on bass and backing vocals, drummer Carl Johan “Sillen” Sillén and guitarist Anders Martinsgård. Recorded and mixed by Robert Pehrsson (Robert Pehrsson‘s Humbucker, Death Breath) at Studio Humbucker and mastered by Joel Grind of Toxic Holocaust, Second Gear is a straightforward, uncomplicated slap to the face with heads down three chord hard rock the order of the day.
It’s perfectly listenable music. The tracks are short, as you’d expect, with but they pack a punch, and with Lindhult’s vocal delivery providing a different aspect. There’s the odd bit of grunge, a little bit of stoner and plenty of good fast rock and roll. It’s never going to be ground-breaking, but I’d give my right nut to be watching Cobra Cult kicking out the jams in a sweaty club with a beer in my hand. It’s that kind of music and boy, we could all do with that now. 7/10

Starscape – Colony (Stormspell Records) [Paul Hutchings] 

Okay, it had to happen. Throughout the pandemic the musical output from almost every band has been of a high quality. There have been few bands that have rattled the cage, but Starscape have crashed and burned big time. Formed in 2015 under the moniker Pilgrim, Starscape was initially a solo project by Anton Eriksson. Intent on playing, ahem, “classic” metal from the 70s and 80s, with a lyrical concept of space and man’s place in it. 2017 saw the addition of Per-Olof Göransson to the line-up adding vocals whilst Eriksson dealt with the instrumental aspects. Colony is not only the band’s debut full-length but a concept album about humanity’s journey to find a new home among the stars. Unfortunately, it’s awful. 

Awful to the point that after the harrowing Pilgrims Of The Stars and Interstellar, the stop button was almost engaged. Musically Eriksson is okay, with some decent guitar work, but Göransson’s inability to hold a clear note for much of the first two tracks was excruciating. His horrific tone-deaf roar on the title track persuaded me that there really are times when you must give up before the end of an album and that wavering finger was deployed. It’s rare but Starscape really should get back into their rocket ship and head back to 1975, because I’d have still be playing with Tonka toys and would have avoided the aural agony that I endured. There is nothing classic about this record and if there is a worse album in 2021, I don’t want to hear it. 2/10

Reviews: Warrior Path, Acid Mammoth, Grande Fox, Zero 2 Nothing (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Warrior Path - Mad King (Symmetric Records)

Two years after the self titled debut record Andreas Sinanoglou (songwriter/rhythm/acoustic guitar) and musician/producer Bob Katsionis (lead/bass/keys) return with the follow up Mad King once again stickman Dave Rundle also makes his return but it's behind the mic where the major change has taken place on this second record. Sinanoglou says that when he writes songs he writes with a certain voice in mind and while Yannis Papadopoulos' was perfect for the debut, here the songs are darker and more ominous so Sinanoglou and Katsionis have looked to Sweden's Daniel Heiman (Lost Horizon) for vocals on this record.

Despite the change behind the mic, the music is still Epic Power Metal with influences like Iron Maiden, Manowar, Riot, Manilla Road and German genre leaders Heaven's Gate. A record that is full of chest beating, hammer swinging metal anthems with lyrics about fantasy, swords and sorcery. However there does seem to be more of a thematic approach that is given a bigger scope by the wonderful production of Katsionis at Sound Symmetry Studios. As with most of the albums that will be released this year it was recorded during last year's lockdown however this additional studio time means that this record sounds a lot bigger than it's predecessor, retaining that analogue feel but with a modern touch.

Starting out with some dramatic keys and strings the darker tone is noticeable with the tunings lower and rougher than the high flying first album, Heiman's rougher edge perfect for the heavier sound of songs such as the title track. With Beast Of Hate you get some galloping power metal, Don't Fear The Unknown has speed metal fury, Savage Tribe is more cinematic and leads into the brilliant Avenger a massive banners high anthem. That's the kicker of this record is that it is much more anthemic than its predecessor, it's also much heavier with less balladry moving away from the more melodic debut. All this means that this is less a follow up but a stand alone piece adding a depth of sound to Warrior Path show if they ever decide to tour. Horns Up! 8/10 

Acid Mammoth - Caravan (Heavy Psych Sounds)

The third album from Acid Mammoth comes only a year after their previous release Under The Acid Hoof, but in the midst of a global pandemic the worry, stress and uncertainty the Acid Mammoth and the world has been feeling has been translated into this new album from the Athenian psych doomsters. The album was conceived and recorded throughout the lockdown  at Dionysis Dimitrakos' Descent Studio in Athens with the drums recorded at Ignite Studio. The recording issues helps when the guitarists Chris Jr. (vocals & guitars) and Chris Sr (guitars) are son and father, while Dimosthenis Varikos (Bass) is Chris Jr's mate. 

They are joined by Marios Louvaris (Drums) and yet again Caravan is full of burbling, churning Sabbath worship with the father and son cranking out the Iommi grind with Dimosthenis' bass rumbling in unison with Marios thunderous drumming. Caravan also comes in conjunction with a vinyl repress of both their debut and Under The Acid Hoof, so you can chart the evolution of this rumbling, rolling, heavy as a bag of nails four piece. From the grunting Berserker, through the mind bending, slow, ominous Psychedelic Warfare to the closing occult dirge of Black Dust, Caravan once again reminds you of Acid Mammoth's doom mastery. 7/10 

Grande Fox - Empty Nest (Self Released)

Founded by guitarist Zao Lefteris and vocalist Berzamanis Nikos, Grande Fox are styled as a psychedelic stoner rock band but on this second album Empty Nest there is a very definite influence from that early 2000's style of alternative rock with a bit of Nu Metal groove. Imagine bands like Salvia, Drowning Pool and Soil with a touch of Korn (Brainstorm) and even 90's grunge as well. It's this that separates the band from the wealth of other stoner rock bands from Greece. That's not to say there isn't a stoner rock sound on the record as it has those groovy guitars and rough vocals that make the genre so appealing to me but as I've said they manage to fuse this with the US heavy rock sound from the beginning of this century. Rottenness Of Youth is the first song to sound like this with some RATM riffs and rap-like vocals, and from there Deathblow, Birth Of An Embryo all subscribe to this idea. Brutal Colours and the Southern influenced Hangman happily are more in line with the stoner/psych sound but that alt/grunge sound does tend to be the overarching style. Grande Fox however do it very well making for an enjoyable listening experience if you love a bouncy riff (or watched wrestling in the late 90's/early 2000's). 7/10

Zero 2 Nothing - Limits Of Temptation (Art Gates Records)

Well I wasn't expecting this, I wasn't sure what to expect but I wasn't expecting this. Athenian four piece (plus drummer) Zero 2 Nothing's debut full length record is a clinic in reserved progressive rock. At just 37 minutes none of the songs go past 5 minutes, but they do feature some very intricate writing, virtuoso playing and a bucket full of guts. Take the title track which at it's core is a swaggering blues number, but with some prog rock technicality, Closer continues with that late night bar feel, even featuring some mouth harp and driven by the soulful tenor voice of frontman Teo. If I were to make a comparison I would say that the band have a lot of similarities to fellow Greeks SixForNine whose singer Fotis Benardo produced the album with band while Dimitris Douvras mixed & mastered. 

There's a veritable melting pot of influences here, I can hear Tool, Alice In Chains, Pink Floyd, Queen throughout as they shift the styles. Bill and Chris kick out the the heavy grooves on In God's Will, but Bill can also adapt into explosive solos and melodic emotive lead phrasing Where the band really have an edge is due to the keys and piano of Rania who is classically trained bringing an added virtuosity with the Deep Purple-esque organs on Zero 2 Nothing and Running Deep In Me or the jazz piano on Closer which follows on from the psych rocking title track. Limits Of Temptation is an unexpected treat of groove-driven, progressive music from this Athenian band. Seriously good. 9/10 

Reviews: The Hyena Kill, Inerrant, Messiahvore, Ungraven/Slomatics (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Paul Hutchings)

The Hyena Kill - A Disconnect (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]

Four piece The Hyena Kill come from Manchester and their music perfectly encapsulates the mood of a nation. A Disconnect is beautiful and bleak record full of introspective atmospherics (Mire), huge thundering riffs and a very pronounced emotional power that runs throughout. According to vocalist/guitarist Steve Dobb the record was written after a very low point in his life. This feeling of suffocation and claustrophobia has translated into powerfully resonant album that is catharsis for its writer but also for the listener. Much of this release come from the extensive use of quiet/loud dynamics throughout the band wearing their Deftones, Tool and Nirvana influences on their sleeves. The Tool sound coming on the pulsating Passive Disconnect while Cauterised has a subdued rage to it that Chino Moreno and co have always been very fond of. Dobb as a vocalist is one who can really cut to the bone, impassioned and raw his lyrics are so much more affecting because of it, Witness is a key example of this. 

Since their previous record The Hyena Kill have fleshed out their ranks with Charlie Seisay's throbbing bass playing the anchor for founding member Lorna Blundell's expansive drumming that flashes like a bomb and shifts into breathing space for Dobbs vocals but also his guitar playing as he links in with Sam Jones, who also brings the synths. This makes for a much broader, dynamic soundscape on the album. However with these additional musicians now in place this four piece are louder and more vicious but where the record really hits home is on the acoustic Thin a song that gets under your skin after only a few listens as does the dreamy Glass Scene. A Disconnect as a whole takes a few listens to fully develop, but after a few listens it it really digs in when the electronic elements are brought forward it really creeps its way into your psyche even more, as I've said before final song Mire is a perfect example of this. Affecting and brilliantly realised The Hyena Kill have definitely become a much more impressive prospect on A Disconnect, bringing a freedom through music. 9/10

Inerrant - Undividual (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Cardiff based ragers Inerrant are a little unique as a band formed as a way to dispel lockdown boredom their first album Incarceraging was a politically charged, attitude filled mix of punk, hardcore, metal and all manner of guitar based anger thrown together by some of the most experienced names on the South Wales/South West/UK underground scene. However proving it wasn't a one off the band have returned with not only another full length called Undividual but also a covers EP called Around The Furlough which features their take on Nirvana, Deftones, Nailbomb, Dog Eat Dog and Strife and is well worth a spin (I missed out reviewing it because I'm an idiot). So to the second full length and once again it's a rabid, unflinching record, clad once again in a wonderful artwork from baphometsbrother (check him out on Instagram). 

Paul Fortescue's visceral vocal delivery the major force on the recordings, once again making me miss his often terrifying live performances. The hardcore/punk sound is more prevalent on this album than the previous one but with a tough metal sheen. Marc Real's bass is often lost in the turmoil but is always there kicking you in the guts while Lewis Green's drumming sets a breathless pace on Mind Pollution and the propulsive Close Incognito. Guitarists Gareth Rowley and James Britton peel off riffs on Cash Killa and the riffy Lactic Assets. As with the first record there are a plethora of guests with Ben Duffin Jones (ex Shaped By Fate and Chaos Trigger), Ben Woosnam (Hondo MacLean), Paul Davies (Blowgoat) and Earl Christian (ex Captain Accident) all adding their musical talents. Inerrant are turning into a band that instill an feeling of anticipation especially when they drop recordings seemingly at random. Get on the bandwagon now I say. 8/10 

Messiahvore - Messiahvore (Coffin & Bolt Records) [Paul Hutchings]

If Messiahvore’s music could be described by footwear, then their debut self-titled album would be a size 12 Doc Marten boot. The Denver outfit who formed in 2018 lace together lashings of groove and solid chugging metal in one massive stomp which penetrates the psyche quickly, demanding that you pump your fist and jump around the room. Although a relatively new band, the combined sum of the parts has been playing the scene for years. It shows in an assured and addictive album. Plenty of variety underpinned by a driving groove that permeates and hangs in the listening equipment long after the song has finished. The punishingly addictive Doublecross is but one example of the compelling nature of the band’s work.

Slow, heavy passages sit side by side semi-desert rock that demands the attention. There’s more than a splash of the drive of bands like Hogjaw and Texas Hippie Coalition. The massive Blood And Guts is heavier than a blue whale carrying a bag of anvils, with its massive gargantuan riffs hitting every sweet spot. Drawing from influences as diverse as Sabbath, punk and death metal there’s ample to enjoy on this slabdragger of an album and not a copycat move in sight. Recorded in their own “crash pad” in Denver during the pandemic, Messiahvore is a solid and pulsating 35-minute ride that threatens to suffocate with its power. The band even have the cheek to throw in a five-minute spine crushing instrumental, The Last Word, to close this powerful album. Well worth a listen. 8/10

Ungraven/Slomatics – Split EP (Blackbow Records) [Paul Hutchings]

2019 saw me experience some welcome cerebral vibrations when I spent time with Slomatics album Canyon. It was an experience that resonated deeply. The Belfast outfit are back, teaming up with the punishing tone and riff of Ungraven, who share three tracks each on this release from UK label Blackbow Records. Ungraven formed in 2019 and comprise Conan frontman Jon Davis, Fudge Tunnel bassist David Ryley and drummer Tyler Hodges (Tuskar). Two of the tracks were initially written by Davis whilst on tour in Virginia using a drum machine with Defeat The Object crafted with Hodges during rehearsals before their 2020 tour. 

Davis is happy to acknowledge the industrial behemoths Ministry, Godflesh, Nailbomb and the thrash of Sepultura in the three tracks. All three songs Defeat The Object, Onwards She Rides To A Certain Death and Blackened Gates Of Eternity are huge. Walls of mighty riffs, Davis’s instantly recognisable screaming vocals and a heaviness that defies description stampede from the speakers. If your stack holds, you’re lucky. The assault is brutal, blistering and over in 13 minutes. You’ll experience few more intense moments in your whole life than that first encounter with Ungraven. The epic sludge of Slomatics has been pounding the underground since 2004. With six albums and several split Eps the band play the type of music used to level housing projects. 

The reverb, low end and harrowing delivery all combine to enormous effect. Their opening song Kaän pulses slowly, like a barely believing eye on a giant beast. The riffs are glacial in their speed but also in their heaviness. Rising above the tsunami of sonic assault, drummer Marty adds mournful vocals that echo and resonate. Proto Hag slowly lumbers in a fuzzy stupor, before the seven-minute beast that is Monitors slowly edges out to conclude another masterful release from a band dedicated to the heaviest of riffs. Turn this mother up, close the eyes and be transported away. It’s a trip to savour. 8/10

Reviews: Baest, Alice Cooper, Wolf King, Dopelord (Reviews By Richard Oliver, Matt Bladen, Paul Scoble & JT Smith)

Baest - Necro Sapiens (Century Media Records) [Rich Oliver]

Having established themselves as one of Europe’s top old school death metal revival bands, Denmark’s Baest are back with their third album Necro Sapiens. Following on from 2019’s Venenum album, Necro Sapiens sees Baest continue to do what they do best and that is pummel listeners with their old school death metal assault.

Necro Sapiens is an album that is full of the fast and frantic battery that is expected of death metal but also mixes in a mid-paced malevolent groove such as in Czar, Abattoir and Goregasm though the strongest songs for me are the ones where the bands kicks it up a notch such as in the title track, Towers Of Suffocation and Purification Through Mutilation (which has some major Morbid Angel vibes to it). The album seems to grow with intensity as it progresses with the best songs mainly in the second half of the album. Performance wise vocalist Simon Olsen has a ferocious death metal roar that maintains a great level of clarity whilst guitarists Svend Karlssen and Lassen Revsback lay down great riff after great riff. Bassist Mattias Melchiorsen maintains the rhythm and the groove whilst drummer Sebastian Abildsten effortlessly switches between maintaining that groove and assaulting the listener with blast-beats.

Baest have a solid death metal album with Necro Sapiens. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel and to the average listener would sound like simply another old school death metal throwback album. Essentially this is another old school death metal throwback but it is done with great style and enthusiasm and pays homage to its influences from both the US and European death metal bands of yesteryear. There are plenty of bands trying to take death metal into new, progressive and uncharted territories but if you want something that sounds simple, nasty and is ideal for banging your head to then Necro Sapiens is just the album for that. 7/10

Alice Cooper - Detroit Stories (earMusic) [Matt Bladen]

When you say the words Alice Cooper, it conjures images of schlock horror rock with guillotines, murder, death and horror imagery about. However Mr Cooper hails from the rock n roll mecca of Detroit Michigan and at the grand old age 73 he has penned a record that is an ode to his hometown. Featuring three covers; Rock N Roll (Velvet Underground), Sister Anne (MC5) and East Side Story (Bob Seger & The Last Heard), the rest of the album is penned by Cooper and frequent collaborator Bob Ezrin (who also produces) with Alice's guitarist Tommy Hendriksen and Wayne Kramer (MC5) taking the lion's share of the co-writing credits. 

After The Velvet Underground cover it's very obvious what Cooper is trying to do on this record and that is trying to create an album that encompasses all of the sounds from the Detroit music scene from the punky garage rock of Go Man Go, the Stooges-like Social Debris, as $1000 High Heel Shoes is properly funky. It's almost like a jukebox album with Cooper covering Detroit rock n roll songs that have never existed. There's a little remnants of that schlocky lyrical style he has favoured since Hey Stoopid preferring to concentrate on rock n roll storytelling about loose women and bad guys. 

Yeah it's been done before but for anyone that has yearned for The Alice Cooper band sound this is the closest Cooper has come for a while, he even has original Cooper band members Michael Bruce (guitar), Dennis Dunaway (bass) and Neal Smith (drums) all of them contributing vocals to I Hate You where they all trade insults with each other in a tongue in cheek number. Detroit Stories is Alice getting back in touch with his roots for a record that sees him with his most diverse songs in a long time, Hanging On By A Thread (Don't Give Up) the one song here that really hits home as it deals with the depression caused by the current pandemic with Alice giving out the number to the suicide prevention hotline at the end. Alice with an ode to the Motor City that really gets your engine running. 7/10  

Wolf King - The Path Of Wrath (Prosthetic Records) [Paul Scoble]

Wolf King have been making nasty blackened noise since 2016. The four piece, based in the Bay Area, have released one album and an EP during that time with 2016’s Into The Infinite EP and 2018’s album Loyal To The Soil. The band, made up of Tim Wilson on vocals, Jacob Broughton on guitar and vocals, Brian Mojica on bass and Connor White on drums, have had 3 years to make their second album, how does it fit in with the material they have made before? Well, the Blackened Hardcore from the bands first two releases is still there, but on their second album the band have added a healthy dose of Old School Death metal into the mix. It’s very Old School Death Metal as well, think late eighties rather than early nineties, as this is D-Beat Death Metal, nasty, spikey and very punky. Which fits in very nicely with the Hardcore aspect of the bands sound.

The Death Metal elements fit very nicely with the Blackened Hardcore aspects, on the second track Messenger Of Doom the Death Metal crashes in right from the start. High energy, punky D-beat Death Metal that drives the song forward and feels full of forcefulness and dynamism. There are slow and very heavy parts to the song that are in some ways reminiscent of super heavy hardcore band Leeched.
The Hardcore aspects of this album are impressive as well. The track Sanctuary is a cracking piece of mid-paced, dissonant Hardcore, which has a relentless feel that drives it forward without the need to blast. The track Incantation also has some very impressive heavy as anything Hardcore that feels relentless and unstoppable, it’s slow for most of the track, but has a faster and more savage part in the middle, whatever the pacing though, this all feels very intense and extreme.

There are some nice Black Metal Blast Beats on here as well, the track The Oath has some very nice Black Metal Blasts mixed with some very nasty mid-paced dissonance. Grief Portrait shows off some very nasty Black Metal extremity. The track features some very savage blasts, verging on Anaal Nathrakh levels of viciousness in some places. The track also has some very effective dissonant passages and very pleasing layered vocals. The Path Of Wrath is a great album, it mixes Hardcore, Black Metal and Old School Death Metal seamlessly. It also adds some very heavy Doom and Sludge elements to this savage and intense mixture to great effect. The whole album flows well and is a great listening experience due to the way the material is fitted together. Fast and savage is seamlessly merged with slow and heavy and all covered in a veneer of Blackened nastiness, for a very effective blast of ferocious viciousness, highly recommended. 8/10

Dopelord - Reality Dagger (Self Released) [JT Smith]

I’ve spoken at length about how satisfying it is when bands do something different in a chosen genre, putting their own stamp on things and innovating. It’s one of my favourite things a band can do. However, it’s also supremely satisfying when a band doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but does something *so well* that you’re super impressed with their mastery of a genre.

Dopelord definitely falls into that category. From the opening, super fuzzy riff of Dark Coils, you know exactly where you are with this. It’s all there. The wailing, Sabbath-esque vocals, the ponderous, stoner doom density of Windhand (and of course, Electric Wizard…), and the sudden break into the familiar stoner rock gallop/bounce at 4.19. You’ve heard this before, but you’ll still be smiling as you hear it again. Your Blood is, at the risk of beating a dead horse, more of the well written and well crafted same with a slightly faster pace and a slightly looser, jammier feel.

The ten minute title track and absolute behemoth Reality Dagger is altogether a nastier affair, getting really deep into their doom-y side, and is the first move away from clean vocals (though when they kick back in, they are impressive; Try not to smile when you hear Klusek hitting that sky high “Reality is dragging me DOOOOOOWN!”). There’s a tempo shift after the heavy, 100 tonne crawl of the first 5 minutes into a faster paced, more urgent song (well, as urgent as fast paced as Stoner Doom gets), finally ending with yet more crushing, aural weight. 

If what you want is some really well crafted stoner doom that holds no surprises, this will serve you well. And that’s not a backhanded compliment. I had this on repeat for the better part of a day while I wrote this, and the minute I send this off, I’ll spin it again. Nicely done, lads. Nicely done. 8/10

Reviews: Joseph Williams, Steve Lukather, Demon King, Summoning The Lich (Reviews By: JT Smith, Paul Hutchings, Charlie Rogers & Richard Oliver)

Joseph Williams - Denizen Tenant (The Players Club/Mascot Label Group) [JT Smith]

Whilst never being a huge fan of Toto, the idea of a solo album from one of its members is an interesting enough proposition for me to give it a fair shake, and right from the get go Never Saw You Coming is a sparkling piece of bluesy pop rock with a slow, sexy groove in the same sort of vein as Toto (and in fact, this is going to be a thread running through the album, as David Paich and Steve Lukather feature on it). It’s a sound from a bygone era, but doesn’t necessarily suffer for it.

There’s not much interesting to say about Liberty Man except for the mood is a lot lighter than the previous offering (and there’s an… interesting middle eight with some curious instrumental choices), which sounds like a criticism, but honestly, this is the sound of a musician who really knows what he’s good at. Title track Denizen Tenant is an oddly arranged, almost atonal track, but again features some strange instrumental choices, and honestly, it’s compelling enough to keep me listening, as are the vocals. These are lush melodies, richly harmonied, and extremely catchy.

But being completely honest, this record leaves me a little cold. Not because it’s a bad album, it’s not by any means. The instrumentation is fantastic, the vocals are really well done and really well produced and this is a decent collection of songs. But… We’ve kind of heard this before. On a Toto record. This is slightly poppier, sometimes jazzier, sometimes a little more blues rock, but it is still a Toto record in everything but name. Even on the excellent cover of Don’t Give Up, it’s most interesting dynamic is that of Joseph William’s daughter Hannah Ruick lending her vocals. But, y’know. You could just listen to Peter Gabriel/Kate Bush’s version.

Listening to this record isn’t a waste of time by any stretch. It would be a good introduction to the works of Toto, for example. And if you’ve already listened to everything Toto have done and wanted some more, this is what you should spin. But as a totally new piece of work? It struggles to get out of the shadow of its more famous, parent band. 7/10

Steve Lukather - I Found The Sun Again (The Players Club/Mascot Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Toto will forever be known for their 80’s hits Africa and Rosanna. Oh, and Hold The Line. But if you delve even an inch under the surface, you’ll find their main engine, one Steve Lukather, guitar player extraordinaire. A quick glance at his Wiki page will tell you that he has played guitar parts on over 1500 albums, including, of course, that Michael Jackson record, Thriller. (Don’t know it? Leave the room).

His solo work is always sublime, polished perfection and this latest release, I Found The Sun Again is 50 minutes of stellar playing, easy and relaxing to listen to but beautiful in performance and production. I Found The Sun Again features a number of musicians who have played with ‘Luke’ for decades. The list is impressive and includes drummer Greg Bissonette, keyboardist Jeff Babko, bassists Jorgen Carlsson and John Pierce. Life-long friend and Toto band-mate David Paich performs piano and organ, while band-mate Joseph Williams sings on multiple tracks alongside writing string and horn arrangements and tracking keys on Run To Me, which featured Ringo Starr on the recording and in the video. Other co-writers include Stan Lynch, Jeff Babko, and Joseph Williams.

Five originals are paired with three covers. The pick of the latter probably being Traffic’s Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys, all ten minutes of it which allows ample time for expansion and exploration in a relaxed, almost lounge room style. According to ‘Luke’, all the tracks were recorded live, eschewing the click track or fix. One run through and then the take was done.

Every track on this album brings something different to the table, from the mellow instrumental guitar work out of Journey Through to the title song, this is music which you can immerse yourself deeply into, such is the richness that is contained here. ‘Luke’ doesn’t blot his copybook in anyway, with the final track a solid cover of Robin Trower’s Bridge Of Sighs. This isn’t going to crush your skull with pounding riffage; you are in the wrong place if you ever thought it would. What it does do is demonstrate that after 40 years + in the music business, there is no substitute for class. Pour a glass of wine, put this album on and relax. 8/10

Demon King - The Final Tyranny (The Artisan Era) [Charlie Rogers]

Demon King are a fresh technical death metal band from Tennessee, sporting a distinct blackened tone, and a commanding presence that will cause lovers of all things fast to pay sharp attention. Blisteringly quick guitar licks swirling over a deliciously pingy bass tone, often otherworldly drumming, and shrill high vocals culminate together to form the four tracks featured on this EP. The musicianship is utterly sublime, showcasing both the passion and technical ability to produce impressive swells, captivating hooks, and soaring leads.

This would mean nothing if you couldn’t hear it properly, and luckily the production is equally breathtaking. Absolute clarity across the entire audioscape brings the notes to life, leaving no flourish forgotten. All in all, this is an incredible first release for a band, and considering the talent that came together to make this project possible, it’s no surprise. Demon King are without doubt a band to watch, and this release is a must listen. 10/10

Summoning The Lich - United In Chaos (Prosthetic Records) [Richard Oliver]

United In Chaos is the debut album by death metallers Summoning The Lich. Forming in 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri, Summoning The Lich have established themselves with a well-received demo plus shows alongside bands such as Origin and Beneath The Massacre. The band have been signed up by Prosthetic Records who are releasing this debut album.

Summoning The Void are certainly going big and ambitious with their debut album as United In Chaos is a twelve song concept album with a narrative inspired by The Lord Of The Rings, Magic The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons amongst others. Whilst it has a fantasy laden narrative normally associated with power and symphonic metal, the music on United In Chaos is very much in a death metal vein. It is a contemporary death metal sound heavily inspired by bands such as The Black Dahlia Murder. It mixes brutality, technicality and melody in a ferocious sounding package. There are also some influences taken from the deathcore genre with chuggy riffs and meaty breakdowns making appearances throughout. The musicianship throughout is fantastic with great guitar work from Ryan Felps, a pulversing rhythm section of John Flynn on bass and TJ Chilton on drums whilst the vocals by David Bruno are a mix of piercing shrieks and guttural growls definitely influenced by the vocal stylings of Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder.

Whilst the musicianship and performances cannot be faulted the music itself is fairly generic sounding and doesn’t really have much staying power. This contemporary death metal style isn’t really too much to my tastes (I’m an old school death metaller at heart). The deathcore elements were grating when they appeared but thankfully they were kept to a minimum and weren’t an overriding part of the bands sound. Whilst the music on United In Chaos does sound good it doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression by the time you’ve reached the end of the album. For fans of this contemporary death metal style there is no doubt loads to enjoy here but this grizzled death metal fan will stick with the old school stuff. A solid album with great performances and an ambitious fantasy concept but just not for me personally. 6/10