Reviews: Monster Magnet, Bloodbound, Vulture, Lovebites (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Simon Black)

Monster Magnet - A Better Dystopia (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

New Jersey veterans playing a collection of obscure 60's & 70's psych and proto-metal? Yeah that'll do. There is probably no better band on the world to do this than the space lord muthas themselves. Dave Wyndorf is living his fantasy here wailing, shouting and crooning as if Jim Morrison himself was reincarnated through the 64 year old founding member. It's clearly his influence that has led to this covers album many of these songs and bands coming from Wyndorf's youth, even providing an intro to the record with The Diamond Mine which is a recitation of DJ Dave Diamond who spearheaded the psych/acid rock scene. This ear for detail and the selection of perhaps some of the more obscure acts of that period, lends itself to becoming more like a traditional Monster Magnet record to those unfamiliar with the originals. 

Though the first proper track come from British space rockers Hawkwind (Born To Go), this gets the engines running as we set the controls and aim at the stratosphere, only the filthy punk metal of Motorcycle (Straight To Hell) dragging us back down to earth . Wyndorf's band kick out the jams with fuzzy garage riffs, punky rhythms and those frenzied Wyndorf vocals, they run across the gamut of brain frying acid rock, tough proto-metal and intergalactic space grooves. As I said A Better Dystopia is a coves record but if you're not Peter Fonda or Dennis Hopper then you may have missed these songs, so what we have is another brain-blowing Monster Magnet record, where the inspiration illuminates how the band came about in the first place. 7/10

Bloodbound - Creatures Of The Dark Realm (AFM Records) [Simon Black]

I will be honest. I was putting off listening to this one. I tend to review a lot of the Power Metal albums we get sent, and consequently after a while a sense of trepidation can set in at the thought of yet another concept Sword & Sorcery from somewhere in Sweden. There are after all, rather a lot of them about… and their last record was a bit of a let down. However, in this case I need not have worried.

Many of these concept records suffer from being at the mercy of the two contradictory forces of the band who has spent months crafting the thing and knows every intimate detail of the story and musical concepts balanced against the passing through journalist with a mountain of reviews to get through on top of the day job. To be fair, we’re like the punters like this in the streaming age – if you buy music on spec, you invest time to give it a fair amount of airplay, but streaming has meant people pick and choose with a lot more speed, so you can lose a listener much quicker now than in days gone by. My methodology is always to not commit fingers to keyboard until after the first full listen, indeed usually during the second, with a skimmed third of the highlights a little later before submission to check I still feel the same way. Sometimes these conceptual pieces need an awful lot of listens to even begin to be able to unpick them, but with eight previous albums under their experienced belts, Bloodbound have learned to think about this from the audience’s point of view. This piece retains immediacy throughout, and yes, although there’s clearly a story – but that unfolds after the first listen.

That crucial first listen gives the audience the feeling that first and foremost there’s an album of a dozen well-crafted bits of Metal to enjoy. If you’re just hooked by the songs as single entities then, you are going to come back to the album, and that’s how you build a fan base in a really crowded marketplace. Musically these are accessible solid Power Metal in the Euro tradition, and that means clean vocals, plenty of speed and some considerable instrumental virtuosity from the musicians. As ever with Bloodbound, the melodic and anthemic sensibilities are well crafted into the songs, so you are along for the ride even if you’ve no clue what the story is about yet. I make this sound effortless, but this is the consequence of a band that’s made these kinds of errors in the past and learned from them whilst keeping an infectious sense of fun throughout. A welcome return to form. 8/10

Vulture - Dealin' Death (Metal Blade Records) [Matt Bladen]

Vulture have in the past been lumped in with the multitude of NWOTHM revival bands, but their sound has always been much more akin to speed metal the NWOBHM. They consider their debut a but of mis-step as it was a little to light and melodic for the direction they wanted to go. It looks as if Dealin' Death has allowed then to become what they wanted to be. A full on thrash metal band. As soon as you get the first notes of this record you can hear that there are massive Annihilator vibes vocally and because of the numerous ever shifting riffs. There's clearly a darker tone to this record with horror inspired lyrics, the blood and gore imagery accentuated by the schizophrenic singing style, that has the Alice In Hell-era nailed. 

The band also bring some cinematic/gothic/b-movie sounds to songs such as Gorgon and Multitudes Of Terror but mostly these Germans crank out dirty second wave thrash with a savage guitar attack that ungulates and shifts jaggedly, the fuzzing bass and high treble of the drumming, harking back to that 80's production style (you know like it sounded on cassette). Unfortunately my issue with thrash still stands and even though it's only 10 songs by about song 6 they all started to sound the same (the exception are the previously mentioned Gorgon and Multitudes Of Terror). For thrashmaniacs Vulture are keeping that thrash sound alive but for me I'll go and listen to Never, Neverland. 6/10

Lovebites - Glory, Glory, To The World (JPU Records) [Simon Black]

All female Japanese outfits have been garnering an unnecessarily rough handling on social media in recent years. As always when the labels start pushing particular concepts in search of the next big thing, the world cries “Fake” and the online negativity begins, without bothering to actually check out what they are musically capable of - which really gets on my nerves. As anyone who has actually seen Baby Metal live will tell you, the anti-hype and label image belies what the musicians are truly capable of – most walk away pleasantly surprised and Lovebites are no different. This is not prefabricated commercial fluffery, but well-crafted and blisteringly delivered Speed Metal of the highest order.

This EP has been around digitally for a while and is now getting CD and vinyl physical releases at the end of the month. The focus of the physical version of the EP is primarily due to the contribution of the final track Winds Of Transylvania for the Anime Vampire Film Vladlove, with all five tracks having done pretty well in their native Japan. This is my first time hearing their material, and it was not what I was expecting.

To be honest. The title track, although perfectly well executed in itself is actually not the strongest. No Time To Hesitate really takes the speed and groove up a notch, with Thrash sentiments and time changes aplenty. There’s also some superbly executed technical excellence in here and the band are not afraid to take the time to give that skill a chance to shine, with some positively blistering interplay between the instrumentalists – of which Paranoia is probably the best example. This maybe fast, but it takes its time as well with 28 minutes of run time across the five tracks, which gives plenty of opportunity for experimentation and virtuosity. 

Dystopia Symphony at nearly seven minutes of run time illustrates this perfectly, with some superb keyboard and guitar interplay that borders on the Progressive. It also works better if you take the time to give it repeated listens, allowing the opportunity to pick up the subtleties in the structure and my interest is definitely piqued enough to go and give their two full length studio albums a listen, which is not something that happens every day. 8/10

Reviews: Myles Kennedy, Vexed (Reviews By Alex Swift & Zak Skane)

Myles Kennedy – The Ides Of March (Napalm Records) [Alex Swift]

Myles Kennedy’s strides into a more stripped-back sound shouldn’t shock anyone. For while he is certainly a brilliant rock vocalist with a range that can strike you to the core yet also move you to tears, his early days in the bluegrass inspired Mayfield Four speak of his love for that style of music. Indeed, one of the most outstanding moments of an Alter Bridge show is the acoustic interlude. Indeed, while neither his main project nor his work with Slash gives him the opportunity to explore the side of his musical personality that loves folk, acoustic guitars or introspective contemplation, his first solo album Year Of The Tiger had been simmering away in the background for over a decade before its final completion. That piece was a beautiful, heartfelt, and sincere reflection on the loss of Kennedy’s father and the subsequent struggles with faith and grief that ensued following that tragic event. It’s a very isolated album, and its lyrics seem like thoughts our frontman needed to release into the world. To that end, I was surprised albeit excited when I heard there was going to be a follow up. There are of course questions about the exact route an album like this could possibly take after a project that was as revelatory and unique as the last one. That said, I can understand that Kennedy would not want to abandon this side of his musical upbringing.

Conceptually, the Ides Of March draws on similar themes from the first album, admittedly feeling a lot vaguer and more open to interpretation. Musically, there’s some intriguing developments on the ideas initially introduced there, with a fuller guitar sound more present this time around. This results in a worthy piece that excellently avoids the pitfalls that could have come from crafting a piece of this nature, but which also suffers from something of an identity crisis. Get Along is an excellent example of this conflict at play – I adore the way the complex, yet detailed country-influenced ideas adapt to the electric guitar and this is a strong opener that is both exciting and involved. However, I can’t help feeling this bears some of the faults which plague Alter Bridge – the chorus is memorable if nothing particularly moving and while I have always loved the positivity at the heart of this man’s lyrics, I can see how others would interpret them as patronising, with lines like ‘why can’t we all just get along?’ coming across as decidedly weak. In fairness, the verse material is far cleverer, and picks up on the themes of inner turmoil, detailing how far Kennedy has come while also proving reminiscent of the storytelling which defined the debut.

A Thousand Words, by contrast, is near flawless. The detailed, rich tone of the acoustics makes for a reminiscent piece, while the subtle elements from the slide guitars to the mandolins bring out the earnest, thoughtful nature of the anthem! On a more light-hearted yet no less intriguing note, the jaunty rhythms and vibrant instrumentation of In Stride commands with a feeling of liberation, that the listener can either engage with a deeper level on, or relish on a purely emotional level. Moments like Wake Me When It's Over and Moonshot simmer with the attitude of anthems destined to be performed before a rock crowd, but also bear a matured, meditative tone, inspiring in a way that later tracks like Tell It Like It Is and Wanderlust Begins fail to.

Looking beyond the musicianship to the writing, this record does not have a story in the same way as the debut had but its influence and ideas hang over this one as if to remind the listener of the notions which have informed Kennedys musings. The title track is an emotional centrepiece. “Don't let this fall apart, don't let it fall apart. Break the divide, just step away. Cool heads prevail in times of change. Remember who we are” our narrator pleads in a line that foreshadows tragedy yet pleads the listener to find the resolve to overcome. Considering the nightmare that was the past year started for many people in March of 2019, this one is discernibly and existentially chilling. Whatsmore, the epic ‘Cry of Achilles-esque’ nature of this song further aids in creating that foreboding and menacing feel. Love Rain Down is another deeply moving point at the heart of the record – it’s a pensive, gorgeous ballad that discusses “longing for answers, longing for unity, longing for solace from the dark possibilities of the day” as its writer described in one interview. 

Sifting through the fire lends a sense of thematic cohesion and is one of the most interesting moments as a consequence. “I guess that now we know, the citadel we thought was made of stone was not. It's crumbling, we're reckoning the very things we cannot stop” runs the opening line, remarking on how the aspects of life that feel certain, can often be fleeting and momentary. Despite this, the song has hopefulness at its heart, the uplifting melodies lifting the listener to a place of meditative contentment, not dread. We close on the soulful Worried Mind which uses its running length to lend words of comfort to the listener. It feels like the perfect way to end a project with the mission of reassuring and inspiring, without intending to particularly make or point or weave a grand narrative. It suffers from the ‘collection of songs’ flaw in that sense, yet still manages to be a stirring, often beautiful record with some great moments. 8/10

Vexed - Culling Culture (Napalm Records) [Zak Skane]

Vexed are a four piece British Modern metal band that formed in 2019. In the last two years the band have released two singles Dominate and Elite that features CJ Mcmahon (Thy Art is Murder) and have also toured Europe in this short space. So in 2021 the band brings us their debut album Culling Culture which will released via Napalm Records.

The album starts off with Ignorant which begins with this eerie soundscape track that consist of dissonant strings and samples of sirens to hint the listener of what the theme of the album is about before it comes in with this bowel rumbling low tuned riff and half time drum beat to grab the listeners attention and makes them do their best impression of the Meshuggah face. After the intro (which I can see being a great asset to opening up their live set) the band take it up a few gears making sure that the listener is engaged with their first single Hideous. Within the first seconds of the song, the vocalist Megan grabs our attention with the hook "All I See Is Hideous", which just oozes the attitude of Iowa era Slipknot mixed with the low tuned groove of Heart Of A Coward. 

Whilst Megan is snarling at us throughout the verses the song also goes into these eastern sounding and clean sung sections, especially in bridge and choruses that reminds me old Five Finger Death Punch and Monuments which shows off the bands versatility in sound as well as Megan's vocal range. Half way through the song the band builds us up to the massive machine gun patterned breakdown section, in which I can tell is going land well with audiences in their opening and headline slots. 

Once this track finishes with a low-fi sample of the main riff being accompanied by an electric drumbeat, it leads up to the second single on the album Fake. This is the heaviest and slowest song on the album, which begins with this swelling dissonant arpeggio that you from bands like Thy Art Is Murder, Black Tongue and even Korn (if you want to go old-school). With the song being low tempo it allows the guitarist and drums space to provide some sledge hammer style groove as well as the guitar parts to become more technical when it comes the Sikth style scale runs in the pre-choruses. Which then builds us up to this doom/sludge style chorus that will keep all the Beat down fans happy.

The fourth track Epiphany starts to show us the bands more versatile side, starting off the song with this Jazzy chord sequence before again, it slaps us in the face with these low tuned riffs in the first verse, but don’t let that fool you because Epiphany also starts to show how the band have grown as songwriters with this combination with these Jazzy clean sung sections and these eastern sounding pre-chorus and chorus sections that will please any listeners of Monuments, Jinjer and Lacuna Coil. When is comes to the 5th and 6th tracks of the album start to become a bit a grey area for me as playing Misery and Narcissist back to back gets a bit fatiguing to the ears and starts to lose my attention due to the lack of dynamic transitions from each other.

When is comes into the seventh track Weaponize it begins with this eerie soundscape that reminds me of the soundtrack games like Silent Hill and movies like Hereditary which allows my ears to re-calibrate before the return of the those sledge hammer riffs. Purity is where the band start showing a lot more depth to their sound by writing a song in a major key but also keeping it sounding brutal and up to par with the previous tracks. Again this is another song on the album that proves that this band have grown as a songwriters and as musicians especially with Megan's vocals performing the highest notes on the entire album. Once the band have wowed us with Purity, this momentum is continued on (after the interlude track Drift) with Aurora, but this time hitting us with the feels with most moving song on the album. 

With the dynamic instrumental arrangements of the clean chiming delay sounds to the distorted guitar sections accompanied with Megan's versatile vocal range this is definitely highlight on the album for me. Which brings me to the final song on the album Lazarus. So just like some of the tracks on this album it again starts with a clean dissonant guitar part before it goes back into the heavy polyrhythmic chugs, but after hearing this type of intro from the other tracks the formula starts to sound very repetitive in an album setting which puts a bit of a dampener especially with it being the closing track on the album.

Overall this is a great effort for the bands signed debut album especially with songs like Hideous, Fake, Epiphany, Weaponize, Purity and Aurora at their disposal, which is guaranteed to received well by their current followers as well as their new ones. The whole delivery of this album is well track listed, despite what I stated earlier with Misery and Narcissist and the closing track Lazarus. I also found the politically/humanitarian/mental health based lyrics were well composed due to being written with nuance which allows the individual listener to interoperate the lyrics to their own meaning. I also got complement on how well the album is produced/recorded especially for the bands debut. The drums cut through mix, the synths and string tracks filled in the gaps but also added emotion and texture to the arrangements and with the low tuned guitars and bass maintained note definition/clarity but also provided that sonic punch which complements the vocals.

Now to the bit I hate, my main criticisms for this album. To be fair there are only a few minor things I can pin out on this album, my main criticism is due to lack of dynamics on the record, I found that especially with the string/synth tracks they can a bit overbearing in some of the songs, in which as a result can undermine some of the heavier sections on some of the songs for example the break down in Weaponized, so I would suggest for future reference, before breakdown hits automate the string sections a few dBs quieter before it comes back in. Also I found that it got a bit repetitive with amount of songs that started with a dissonant clean guitar part, I understand that they were there to help transcend each song from one to the other but by the last song it just got too copy and paste.

In conclusion, this is great debut album from the British four-piece Modern Metal outfit Vexed. So if you are a fan of Heart of Coward, Jinjer and Born Of Osiris or just fan Modern Metal in general, this definitely an worth checking out. 8/10.

Reviews: Dawn Ray'd, Pop Evil, Impure Wilhelmina, Siniestro (Reviews By Paul Scoble & Matt Bladen)

Dawn Ray’d - Wild Fire (Prosthetic Records) [Paul Scoble]

Dawn Ray’d have been at the forefront of the Anti-Fascist Black Metal scene since 2015. The three members, Simon, Fabian and Matthew, have released 2 albums and an Ep in their time together; First was the Ep A Thorn, A Blight in 2015, next came the album The Unlawful Assembly in 2017 and they released the follow up album in 2019 with Behold Sedition Plainsong. So now this release, which is either an Ep or a Single depending on your point of view (I see it as a single as it is available on 7 inch).

 
The single features 2 songs Wildfire I and Wildfire II, but don’t worry if you are a kid of the eighties, this isn’t the song on side A, instrumental version of the same song on side B rip off that always annoyed me when I spent my saved up pocket money on vinyl when I was 12; Wildfire I and Wildfire II are very different.

Opening with a blast of Horns, Wildfire I is a nice bit of fairly Orthodox Black Metal, it is similar in style to the material from the bands last album, Behold Sedition Plainsong, and has a similar fantastic guitar sound. The track has a softer, folkier part where the horns return briefly before the blasting Black metal reasserts itself and takes the song to an end. Lyrically the track is about standing up against fascism, and the hypocrisy of anyone who sees authoritarian ideologies as radical. Wildfire II is a dark folk song that features violin and acoustic guitar. It’s a beautiful if melancholy sound that is deeply affecting, the track has less lyrics than Wildfire I but shares a similar chorus. Wildfire is a great single! I is savage and blasting, II is beautiful, introverted and sublime. Together the two songs make an excellent EP. 8/10

Pop Evil - Versatile (eOne) [Matt Bladen]

If ever there was an album that lives up to it's title, it's the sixth release from Pop Evil. Featuring the most eclectic collection of songs in the band's career, these 12 numbers were whittled down from an original 30 and it features big sing alongs like Fire Inside, the anthemic djent-styled Breathe Again which brings to mind Breaking Benjamin with it's pairing of technical riffage and melodic choruses. There's an overall style here that keeps the band in the sound of modern American rock/metal but they often move to the very fringes of this sound, Work especially is almost like industrial/rap, the opening duo of Let The Chaos Reign and Set Me Free mate me immediately say "hey that sounds like Saliva" the rapid fire lyrics joined by groovy riffs. 

The band have worked with a fresh production team to make this record as varied as possible, crafting anthems that are there to played live and moves the band into their maturity as an act. Take a song such as Raise Your Flag and it's obvious that this is a dead on show closer built on Matt DiRito's bass and Hayley Cramer's drumming it's a great slow number that splits the record ready for the poppier Human Nature to bring back the pace. The latter half of the record is a little weaker than the first but you still have that heavy-meets-melodic guitar sounds of guitarists Nick Fuelling and Dave Grahs interweaved with pulsating electronics. Versatile is as polished as a Stately Home bannister, but the tracks are all well delivered and Leigh Kakaty still has an excellent voice. So another modern rock/metal record from Pop Evil who live up to their name and tick the right boxes on Versatile. 7/10   

Impure Wilhelmina - Antidote (Season Of Mist) [Matt Bladen]

Michael Schindl founded Impure Wilhelmina in 1996 and their existence has been turbulent to say the least but also very creatively fertile, the band known for their numerous collaborations changing their sound through the years to incorporate a multitude of sounds from the more extreme side of music while also bringing in additional rock touches. Much of this coming from Schindl's shift towards clean vocals however on this seventh release a track such as Dismantling still has some post-black tremolos and screams, in stark contrast to Jasmines which has post rock vibes. Antidote builds upon their higher profile now with this seventh album.

Their previous effort receiving a prestigious Swiss music award so they approached this record with a huge amount of momentum, unfortunately due the pandemic, it's been much longer in development than previously thought but this frustration and adversity has made sure that the band have tried as much as possible to stretch their musical wings with their latest collaborator being Yvan Bing, noted engineer/producer who has worked with Phil Collins, M.I.A, Coldplay, soprano Angela Gheorghiu and even The Wu-Tang Clan, along with numerous films and television projects. He accompanied the band through their creative process, so for every lilting lighter-edged track such as the instrumental title track, there's an all-encompassing, dissonant number to follow it, the biggest of these is the closing Everything Is Vain. They're still something of an acquired taste but if you're looking for what I would call emotionally intelligent music that's dark and heavy then you should be seeking out Antidote. 7/10

Siniestro - Vortexx (Black Lodge) [Paul Scoble]

Stockholm based duo Siniestro have been making music since 2012. The band are made up of Commander on Vocals, Guitar, Bass, and Organ, and The Machine on Drums (I’m pretty certain the band has a member called The Machine, rather than this title alluding to the use of a Drum Machine). The pair have released 2 Ep’s and an Album in their career before Vortexx; first was the EP Oppression Of The Sunlight in 2014, then in 2016 the band released their debut album Revelations In Mayhem and 2018 saw their second EP Arctic Blood released. Siniestro’s style is mainly Thrash with a bit of a Crossover feel to it. in some places this is really good, fast and aggressive; for example the opening track One Last Bullet One Last Ride is a blast of fast and frenetic Thrash Metal with a fantastic chorus, that is air punchingly good. Title track (sort of) Vortex is another high energy blast that has a little taste of Death Metal added to the Thrash goodness giving it a bit of a D-Beat vibe. However, it isn’t all good, Thrash is a style that is very easy to get wrong, pacing in particular can be a critical factor in whether it works or not and pacing is an issue on some of this material. 

The track Buried In The Bog has this issue, despite a few decent up tempo parts the song is mainly plodding along at a slow to mid pace that is very uninspiring. Anti Human Commando is another song where slow, lumbering riffs spoil some really fun, fast thrash. Earlier I said Siniestro were ‘Mainly’ Thrash, when I said this I was referring to the track Blod eld dod, which sounds much more like a piece of Pagan or Folk Metal, the style could even be some sort of drinking song. It’s a completely different style to the rest of the album and sounds more like Alestorm. In another rather idiosyncratic move the albums nearly five minute long outro is a piece of Pipe Organ music called My Innermost Sun, I did wonder if the record company had mistakenly included the Outro to a Funeral Doom album by mistake, but apparently the best way to end an album of (mainly) Thrash Metal is nearly five minutes of Pipe Organ Noodling. 

Vortexx has some great moments, unfortunately it also has some rather plodding and uninspired moments, and some down right bizarre moments, which averages out at an album that is merely ok. If they can take the fast and frenetic and build from that they could be a really great Crossover Thrash band, however if they try to build from the other aspects of their sound, I for one would rather they didn’t bother. 6/10

Reviews: VOLA, Trick Or Treat, Herman Frank, Ice War (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Richard Oliver)

Vola - Witness (Mascot Records) [Matt Bladen]

Coming nearly three years after their celebrated last album Applause From A Distant Crowd, Witness is the latest release from Danish/Swedish band Vola. Witness opens with three tracks that will be instantly recognised as why Vola are considered to be near the top of the prog tree. Deep, down-tuned grooves that were born out of their djenty record Inmazes carry things along, especially on first single Head Mounted Sideways, but vocalist there's not much of the shouting, Asger Mygind continuing to use his resonant clean vocals for added emotional weight. In fact Witness is all about added emotional weight, it's a much darker, at times more introspective, record than its predecessor. This is because the band have explored themes such as misuse of power, societal fracturing and broken relationships. Head Mounted Sideways, deals with the idea of turning away and ignoring the decline of civilization while Inside Your Fur is about the dangers of nostalgia, a fitting climax to the record.  

Lyrically on Witness the band have microscopically dissected some of the most triggering parts of life wrapping them in a musical palette that never fails to excite. The album cover continues this theme of being a 'close up' with a super-inflated picture of an eye, thus leaving the idea of who really is the Witness open. It's also Vola taking more risks from a musical standpoint These Black Claws following on from the three 'traditional' Vola styled songs into a left field track that features Hip Hop duo Shahamen, so there's rapped lyrics and bleeps and twitches. This before things become more melodic again on Napalm which has soaring melodies but a crunchy riff. It's followed by the albums heaviest but also most cinematic song Stone Leader Falling Down. Produced by the band and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen, Witness is probably the most eclectic and personal Vola record so far, a bevy of progressive delights, Witness is worth both your eyes and your ears. 9/10 

Trick Or Treat - The Unlocked Songs (Scarlet Records) [Richard Oliver]

The Unlocked Songs is the new album from Italian power metallers Trick Or Treat. Despite being a fan of power metal Trick Or Treat are a band that have managed to elude me despite containing one of the best singers in the genre - the mighty Alessandro Conti (Lione/Conti, Twilight Force, ex-Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody).

This is a bit of an unusual album to get a first impression of the band as this is a compilation which consists of unreleased material, rarities, oddities and cover versions. It’s a bit of fan service ahead of a new album but it really is rather enjoyable. I’ve always been a sucker for the flowery European power metal sound and these Italians really know how to do cheesy power metal. The songs themselves are fairly varied from high energy power metal songs such as Hungarian Hangover and Aries Hall, epic symphonic power metal such as Dragonborn - Skyrim, power metal ballads such as Almost Gone, silly songs such as Heavy Metal Bunga Bunga & cover versions such as Scream (Misfits) and a live version of I’m Alive (Helloween). There are acoustic songs, a Christmas song, an old demo and much more.

As this is a compilation with material of varying styles and from various sources it is a bit inconsistent though if you are a fan of Trick Or Treat then there is plenty here for you to get your teeth into. This was a bit of a weird one to garner a first impression of a band but I was suitably impressed and it gave me an insight into the various sounds and styles the band can put out. Far from an essential listen but this is good fun. 7/10

Herman Frank - Two For A Lie (AFM Records) [Matt Bladen]

Ah Herman Frank, the Hanoverian axe man known as being a member of Victory and ex-Accept, is now on his fifth solo album. Two For A Lie continues his collaboration with vocalist Rick Altzi (At Vance/Masterplan) and bassist Michael Müller (Jaded Heart) and once more we're treated to pumping Teutonic riffage as the album lets rip ironically with Teutonic Order, it's a track that basically shows you what to expect Frank and new boy Mike Pesin giving that grunting twin axe attack while the other newbie is drummer Kevin Kott, this injection of new membership has got Frank, Altzi and Müller set out all guns blazing. Hard rock come from Danger and Venom, the nastier Hate follows with a bit of speed metal, but the majority of album sticks to that German metal sound developed by Accept, Grave Digger, Running Wild etc. Altzi has a great voice in that classic sort of screaming demon delivery on Hail The New Kings. Two For A Lie is nothing you wouldn't expect from Herman Frank, no surprises but lots of muscular trad metal flexing. 6/10 

Ice War - Sacred Land (Fighter Records) [Richard Oliver]

Sacred Land is the new album from Ice War which is the solo project of Jo “Steel” Capitalcide of Canadian speed metal band Aphrodite. Formed in 2015 from the ashes of Iron Dogs, Ice War have been steadily releasing albums and EP’s since 2017 with Sacred Land being the fifth full length album from the project. And it is very much a solo project with Jo performing all vocals and instruments. Although formed as a speed metal band, Sacred Land sees Ice War slowing things down with a heavily doom influenced epic metal sound. This is very much a meeting of Black Sabbath, Count Raven, Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road. The album is an absolute riff fest with songs such as Crystal Mirror, Nuclear Gods and Black Horse guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of any self-respecting old school metalhead. And then we come to the vocals. To put it lightly Jo cannot sing and to put it more bluntly his vocals are dire. They are perfectly serviceable when Jo sticks to a lower register but as soon as he tries to go into a higher register that is where things fall apart and become at times wince inducingly bad.

The songs themselves are well structured and packed full of those beautifully doomy riffs which makes it a shame when Jo decides to open his mouth and bring things crashing down. I wouldn’t say his vocals totally ruin the album but they definitely put a big dampener on things. Thankfully the great riffs somewhat redeem this album and if you can stomach the vocals then I take my proverbial hat off to you. Had another vocalist been brought in on the album then it would be far superior but it is what it is. Some fantastic doomy epic metal let down by awful vocals. 6/10

Reviews: Amorphis, Abkehr, Wytch, Acolyte (Reviews By Paul Hutchings, Paul Scoble, Simon Black & Matt Bladen)

Amorphis – Live At Helsinki Ice Hall (Nuclear Blast Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Founded in 1990 by Jan Rechberger, Esa Holopainen and Tomi Koivusaari, Amorphis have transitioned from their early death metal sound into a more melodic outfit who still retain their solid heaviness. Their last few albums have been excellent demonstrations of their quality. Indeed, it only seems like yesterday that Queen Of Time was released, although a quick check reveals it was actually 2018. How time flies!

On December 7th 2019, Amorphis took the stage in their hometown, to play a special show which has turned out to be one of their last before the pandemic (how fed up of typing that are we now?). For the band, playing a venue where they saw heroes like Deep Purple, Maiden and Metallica in the 1980s was a dream come true and it shows in this 90-minute best of show. As well as a selection of tracks from Queen Of Time, the set list features choice cuts from albums early in their career, Tales From The Thousand Lakes and Elegy, as well as more recent albums Under The Red Cloud and mid 2000 releases Skyforger and Eclipse. 

Like all live albums, much relies on the quality of the recording and there is nothing to complain about on this release. It’s a perfect demonstration of the band who after 30 years are still showing a level of quality that many others fail to match. Highlights are numerous, with the older songs sitting comfortably alongside the newer material. Vocalist Tomi Joutsen has been with the band since 2005 and can handle the growling and clean vocals with ease, backed on occasion by Koivusaari who carried the harsh vocals in the band’s early days. 

I have no idea about the between song banter as it’s all in Finnish, but the crowd are engaged and with the band from the start, responding as warmly to older tracks like Into Hiding (1994) as they do to more recent songs like The Golden Elk and The Four Wise Ones. Ultimately, like any live album, this is a release that is going to please the existing fan base most. However, if you are new to Amorphis, this is an ideal entry point. 8/10

Abkehr - In Blut (Vendetta Records) [Paul Scoble]

For the last six years Abkehr have been making nasty and hypnotic music. The band, which features H on drums and Raash on everything except drums, are based in Germany and In Blut is the bands third album. Abkehr released their first album, In Asche in 2017 and released the follow up, In Feuer 2 years later. In Blut shares the same song structure with the bands other 2 albums; it features four long songs entitled I, II, III, and IV. Abkehr’s style is a mix of Orthodox Black Metal and Depressive Black Metal, so; lots of Blast Beats, Tremolo Picked riffs and harsh, nasty vocals, but also tempered by some much slower, dissonant and meditative sections that fit in with the Depressive Black Metal style.

Opening track I has a dissonant start before some driving and dramatic drumming comes in (the drumming on this album is superb) at a slow, but purposeful tempo. This morphs into blasting Orthodox Black Metal riffs with some very tasty snare drum rolls. The track then goes into a depressive section which is slow and trance like. The track vacillates between those two feels for the rest of its run time, until it comes to an atmospheric ending with some keyboard parts. II is another mix of Orthodox and Depressive Black Metal. The fast blasting parts feel savage and bestial, while the depressive elements are dissonant and unsettling. Both styles of Black metal are tempered by keyboard parts, and the song has a soft atmospheric ending. 

III is all about the Depressive. The song has a slow but relentless tempo that is decidedly trance inducing, it’s not fast, but will have your head nodding in no time at all. The vocals feel malevolent and nasty. The album comes to an end with IV, which in many ways is the opposite of track III, as it is nearly all Orthodox Black Metal blasting. The blasting in question feels angry and unhinged, completely out of control, almost feral. There is a slower section, but it feels more like Orthodox black Metal taking a little breather, rather than Depressive Black Metal. As with the other songs on this album the track has a keyboard led, atmospheric ending. 

In Blut is a great album. It’s not the most complex album, but its simplicity is why it is so effective. Both styles, the Orthodox Blasting and the slower, more meditative Depressive style both have a hypnotic and trance inducing quality to it that needs a certain amount of repetition. This simplicity and repetition is why this is such a good, affecting album. 8/10     

Wytch – Exordium (Ripple Music) [Simon Black]

Despite having a name and album title combination that evokes some kind of Satanic Black Metal piece from the Frozen North of Europe, Sweden’s Wytch are something quite different…although they are from the frozen north of Europe… There is definitely a rising movement of female-fronted Hard Rock with a down and dirty feel and this piece feels very much like it’s picking up where The Pretty Reckless left off, or at least superficially. It’s definitely got a lot of the same influences, with a deep post-Grunge flavour in the Soundgarden mould, although in this case add a bucket load of Stoner vibe to go with it running deeply through the core of this piece. This is moodier and darker than their Californian counterparts, as well as having a more powerful musical technical depth to the playing. 

Johanna Lundberg has a crisp and clear voice when the song calls for it, one that can raise the rafters with long, high and emotionally hard notes when the song needs it, but then flips that and elegantly counterpoints that with a low dark, moody and thoroughly soulful timbre that send you down, baby down. The opener Black Hole, is the perfect example of this, as she pulls both tricks off within the same song. The three strings seems to also flow into one, so joined is the playing and the fact that Simon Lundström, Niklas Viklund and Mattias Marklund all add well woven and seamless backing vocals that make this feel like an incredibly cohesive unit musically. So joined up is the feel of this, that maybe they should have called themselves ‘The Lunds’…

Joking aside this is a really well-thought out and moody record, which although probably more Alternative than Metal in its appeal, definitely is a grower. 7/10

Acolyte - Entropy (Wild Thing Records/Blood Blast) [Matt Bladen]

We often talk about a record being theatrical and while so many bands use it to their advantage, there are few bands who a truly be called a theatrical band. Australian's Acolyte are certainly trying to take that mantle with their new album Entropy a dark, concept record that deals with the early stages of loss with musical influences drawn from Dream Theater, Leprous, Riverside and countrymen Karnivool. The band consider it to be a confrontational record, full of dark soundscapes "presented like diary entries", says frontwoman Morgan-Leigh Brown, all linked together by linking passages, whispers and some spoken word too. These all add to the theatrical, cinematic nature of the record, Morgan-Leigh's expressive vocals chronicling struggles with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome throughout the recording of the record. 

There's a balance between modern prog metal and the classic progressive rock sound, David Van Pelt's use of both analogue and digital synths, allowing there to be lots of Rush/Yes/Pink Floyd moments. For example the self titled track solls neatly from heavy riffing into more psychedelic passages with lots of rattling synth and underpinned by Jason Grondman's bass playing. As the record moves into Resentment there's a powerful Dream Theater quality especially in the drumming of Chris Cameron, he also is key to the powerful Clarity which builds into one of Brendon Cameron (who plays guitar on the album) best guitar solos, while also featuring guest vocals from Ben Rechter. 

As the album progresses the songs get much heavier as well as getting a much wider musical scope adding clarinet, double bass, oboe along with some Middle Eastern flavoured percussion on Idiosyncrasy which is Tool-meets-Orphaned Land, heavy trenches of riffs move into the more introspective sound of Recovery and Acceptance both full of gravitas and deftly progressive. Entropy is a brilliant progressive metal album from Acolyte, a second album that deals with difficult themes with a broad musical scope. 8/10  

Reviews: Khirki, Seventh Crystal, Illusory, Jess And The Ancient Ones (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Khirki - Κτηνωδία (Self Released)

The blending of traditional Balkan/Anatolian folk by Greek rock/metal bands has been a long running theme. The band who are the best example of this are the otherworldly Villagers Of Ioannina City, their amalgamation of psychedelic desert rock and Balkan instrumentation has been the flag bearers for a while now. Athenians Khirki have taken this history of bringing folk together with heavier sounds on their debut album Κτηνωδία (Ktinodia). Unlike VIC Khirki owe much more to the two Georgia based purveyors of intergalactic prog sludge metal Mastodon and Baroness. Now what Khriki do is where those two bands would open up into dreamy prog, they bring in the bouzouki, violin and acoustic guitar which means a track such has Black And Chrome has the groove of a runaway semi-truck but there are layers of acoustic guitars and percussion that brings a nod to the folk sound. 

The sounds of their Greek heritage on this album are a little harder to spot as they don't use traditional instrumentation as often as other acts, preferring to use it as playing style with their electric instrumentation. It means that you get a danceable riff on Raging Chrome with a bassline that sounds like a wurlitzer, driving it into the coda in the middle which adds a little sparseness before that riff comes right back to get your head banging. The sparseness returns on the atmospheric opening Medea which really amps up that ancestral musical heritage, ritualistic drumming and vocals that try to evoke the ison style of drone singing used in the orthodox church. From here we get the thrashy Bukovo as that beguiling percussion comes back on the cinematic The Barkhan Dunes. Spiros Stefanis is the man behind the kit playing with all the force and technicality of  Brann Dailor, while his compatriots, bass player Orestes Katsaros and guitarist/vocalist Dimos Ioannou add the heavy riffs and folk instruments to this excellent record. 

Closing the album out is the woozy stoner-meets-Balkan Wolf's Lament while that Mastodon energy shines through on final song Stara Planina. Κτηνωδία is a deafeningly good time from this Athenian trio, turn it up an lose yourself in a band that are certainly well on their way to being talked about in the same sentence as VIC. If Mastodon moved from the Appalachian mountains to the Pindus mountains then they'd probably sound a lot like this. 9/10 

Seventh Crystal - Delirium (Frontiers Music Srl)

The Scandi Melodic Rock scene has never been brighter with bands like H.E.A.T and One Desire gaining a lot of stage time and column inches for their raucous stage shows and musical style that has the pomp and power of 80's radio rock and a modern electronic thump that's as hummable as it is danceable. Seventh Crystal are the latest band to grab that sparkly neon baton and run with it down an ego ramp into a baying crowd. They epitomise everything that people either love or hate about this genre. Bouncy riffs, huge chorus hooks, a vocalist that sounds like an emo Lou Gramm but looks like a Swedish Chris Jericho. This was supposed to be a solo project for frontman Kristian Fyhr, however he branched out the membership to other musicians and from the Seventh Crystal was formed. Kristian says that he starts off by writing in the pop style and then adds the beefy rock sound after that. It sound like that is the case as these 11 songs all have a distinct pop style. Delirium kind of reminds me of bands like Daughtry or Shinedown but if they took the sound of REO Speedwagon or Styx. It's got that 80's sheen but is very much a 21st record, When I'm Gone having a sound like Def Leppard goes Eurovision. Saying that Seventh Crystal would probably do very well at Melodifestivalen, if they were enter so you can decide it's that's a plus or a minus. Delirium is a slick slice of Scandi melodic rock that edges towards the pop sound than some of the others. 7/10

Illusory - Crimson Wreath (Rockshots Records)

Athenian heavy/power metal band Illusory have been gearing up for the release of their third album for a while now, their last record was released in 2016. The album improves upon what has come before with a record full of depth, theater and great songwriting. There's also a conceptual suite across three tracks, but to be honest most of the album sounds conceptual. Acedia is an acoustic/classical interlude which features Paul Logue of Eden's Curse reading out a piece in his Scottish brogue. It leads into emotional title track which has vocalist Dee Theodorou adding nuance to his powerful pipes. The title track is the first song on the record that really show how Illusory have upped their game on this their record. 

The progressive aspects sit perfectly with the heavy power metal sound which sounds like bands such as Nevermore and Jag Panzer so there's huge melodic phrases on top of thrashy riffs and plenty of twin axe attacks. There's also lots of influence from the currently inactive Edguy. The classical guitars add a Maiden sound to S.T Foresaken which just builds and builds. What Illusory also have is keys/piano/synths and orchestrations which bring a sense of gravitas with tracks like All Shall Fade. It's because of these interludes that the album is 14 songs long, however in what is a great bit of sequencing the record seems to build bringing the most impressive songs towards the end, increasing the progressive touches as it goes as well as adding a choir too. Crimson Wreath will hopefully open up Illusory to a bigger audience because they really deserve to be heard by fans of heavy power metal. 8/10

Jess And The Ancient Ones - Vertigo (Svart)

It's no secret that I'm a lover of retro occult rock, bands such as Graveyard, Blood Ceremony, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Lucifer along with originals such as Coven have always really got my freak flag flying so I've been awaiting the newest album by Finnish act Jess And The Ancient Ones for a while now. Vertigo is that album and it's a natural successor for The Horse & Other Weird Tales, expanding on the quirky, occult theme of that record adding more layers of psychedelic pop and proto-doom but also upping the mystery and dark tone. A song like Talking Board balances this well, a song about a Ouija Board it's got a heavy complement on the big chorus but the verses are drenched in 60's Hammond tones. 

It's Black Widow meets The Doors all the while conjuring mystique with vintage horror movie samples. Vertigo has quite a striking simplistic album cover and to a point the music is that too, it lulls you into feeling good with lots of warm retro vibes but when you get to Love Zombi you are fully enrolled into the psychedelic ceremony the band letting you get a sneak peak into their kaleidoscopic coven but keeping you on edge at the same time with a sense of foreboding, Strange Earth Illusion really hammering this home with its twisted, labyrinthine assault on the senses. Retro occult rocking will always excite and intrigue this writer so Vertigo is no exception, witchy and weird Jess And The Ancient Ones have craved out their own little church in the burgeoning Occult rock dogma. 8/10

Reviews: Sunbomb, Hippie Death Cult, Throat, Sombre (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Sunbomb - Evil And Divine (Frontiers Music Srl)

Influenced by Judas Priest and Black Sabbath (Take Me Away) you'd be forgiven for thinking that Sunbomb was another Scandi heavy metal band but it's another collaborative project from the Frontiers label featuring American rock/metal musicians Tracii Guns (L.A Guns) and Michael Sweet (Stryper). It was created based on Guns' love of heavy metal music, specifically doom apparently but he needed a vocalist that could handle the heavy so he plumped for the singer of the world's premier Christian Metal band. The doom influence is quite pronounced which was a surprise considering the musicians involved. Guns aimed this album to what he would listen to when he was 17 and it's certainly got that heavy thump; Better End has some Mercyful Fate drama, No Tomorrows is distinctly Dio (specifically Black Sabbath Dio) and there's also lots of classic British metal sound too. Sweet's vocals are brilliant throughout with a really wide range and it makes a real change to hear him singing about something other than Jesus. Evil And Divine does deliver on the expectation of being a 'proper' metal album, with the right balance of heavy and melodic. Ex-L.A Guns sticksman Adam Hamilton is behind the kit with Mitch Davis on bass except for the final track. Another powerful addition to Frontiers burgeoning metal catalogue. 7/10

Hippie Death Cult - Circle Of Days (Heavy Psych Sounds)

With a named that is probably partly inspired by Charles Manson, you'd like to think that there is an underlying danger to the music of rockers Hippie Death Cults second album. It's a feeling that is so often proven right across this record, Walk Within taking a trip through dynamic folksy melodies but underpinned with a sense of darkness. HDC's style of fuzz-infused doom rock mixed with 70's psych and hard rock flavours has held them in high regard despite only being around since 2018 Circle Of Days is the follow up to their 2019 debut 111 and comes a week after their recent split with High Reeper where they impressed me. On this full length they impress me again, elongated progressive/psychedelic rock songs that are anchored by the distorted riffs of band leader Eddie Brnabic but have lots of wide-screen rippling organs from vocalist Ben Jackson. 

It's sort what you want but not always what you'd expect the title track filled with echoed crooning vocals from Jackson as Ryan Moore flexes his drumming muscles while Laura Phillips sets down a walking bassline. Phillips also counterpoints Jackson's vocals on the folky Walk Within. It's a sprawling record that often feels like a jam session between Syd-fronted Floyd, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin as Sabbath play next door their amps bleeding into the recording. You'd think that at 5 songs it would breeze past but most are elongated pieces allowing the band to flex their prog/jam/psych credentials while retaining that darkness of doom metal. Circle Of Days is a bewitching and groovy record from these Portland natives. Well worth your listening time, this is one cult worth joining. 8/10

Throat - Smile Less (Svart Records)

Third album from noisy, post-punk band Throat urges you to Smile Less in these current times. The world is a very dark place and Smile Less is a very dark album to inhabit it. Although that being said there is something upbeat about it, especially when it shifts into something that will get your arse moving. Smile Less often does this with 80's post-punk grooving on Conveyor Line where we get vocals low enough to scare Peter Steele and a bass-led riff, while Shots is pure punk, with added The Melvins weirdness. They go about adding some long slow, heavily distorted doom on Hospice. 

Elsewhere though there's throbbing, sparse, industrial soundscapes on Home Is Where Your Hurt Is a mind melting metallic piece that slots into the middle of the album. All of the previous makes for the most rounded Throat record yet, it's also the most accessible, something of a leap for Throat who are known for being very abrasive and harsh. Smile Less is a dense record that leaves its mark long after you've stopped listening, though of course it's not for those who don't like the post-punk/noise/industrial but Smile Less will please those that do. 6/10

Sombre - A Common Conflict And The Respite We Deserve (Self Released)

Sombre is a one man black metal project created by Richard Stevenson who plays everything on this 6 track EP. There's always a lot of apprehension with one man black metal projects as some can, to be blunt, absolute shit. Happily the sense of post-black metal gloom that comes through on this four track EP saves it from being thrown on to the pile of self indulgent trve Cvlt bollocks. There is of course lots of Second Wave love, the tremolo guitars, frantic blastbeats and croaked vocals of bands like Darkthrone and Mayhem but Stevenson unashamedly takes things into the realms of atmospheric blackgaze with Alcest, Agalloch and Harakiri For The Sky. Now obviously there isn't the production value of these bands so it's not as slick as you'd want, but there is a lot to like here, the D.I.Y ethos coming through and despite it being a self release musically he's really honed in on what makes the experimental post-black style very interesting to the ear. Where he will go from here will be worth keeping an eye on. 6/10

Reviews: Caliban, Kayak, Robin McAuley, Todd Michael Hall (Reviews By Paul Hutchings, Alex Swift & Matt Bladen)

Caliban - Zeitgeister (Century Media Records) [Paul Hutchings]

2018’s Elements was the tenth album by the metalcore veterans. I gave it a 7/10 in these pages and whilst metalcore remains a challenge for my aural equipment, the mercifully short release was decent. The Germans are back for their 11th album, sung in their native tongue which I have to say is a seamless fit and ramps up the intensity a level or two.

The urgent vocals of Andreas Dörner work effortlessly with the battering riffs and melodic harmonies. For a band that are rapidly approaching their 25th anniversary, they remain remarkably fresh. Zeitgeister isn’t new in terms of songs though, with seven tracks given a reworking, along with new track nICHts, a cheery track about despair and hopelessness.

This is where it gets difficult, because I’m not familiar with the originals sung in English and had no intention of spending ages hunting down the tracks on a streaming platform to compare. What I will say is that these versions contain plenty of power, spirit and energy. Trauma features Matthi from Nasty. The huge breakdowns on Ausbruch Nach Innen (Tyranny Of Small Misery) gives the song a massive feel, and one that would work perfectly in a huge arena, festival stage or sweaty club. Likewise, the impact of Feuer, Zieh' Mit Mir (Between The Worlds) is akin to the collision of planets. It’s blisteringly fast, aggressive, and explosive.

And that’s really the overall experience of this record. Chunky riffs, sonic beatings combine with raw vocals and clean, harmonies. It’s all a bit in your face and then rubbed down with a shammy leather. I’ve certainly spent worse half hours in my life. 7/10

Kayak – Out Of This World (InsideOut Music) [Alex Swift]

Decidedly complex and bombastic, Kayak make complex use of keys to command their sense of theatrical majesty. It hugely grounded in traditional prog in one sense and drawing on a range of sounds independent of genre constraints in another, making Out Of This World a deeply immersive and atmospheric listening experience that occasionally enthrals yet frequently alienates. Indeed, this album is at its best when it's making every effort to be epic and commanding – opening title track rejoices in the swirling effects which it layers on top of each other with a neoclassical sense of dexterity and skill. There’s an operatic presence to this anthem which makes for a great opener. This sense of atmospheric immersion is reinforced greatly by the beautiful yet constantly climbing Under A Scar where the strings and synths swell to lofty heights of cosmic exquisiteness. Critical Mass contrasts dark with light, employing encircling orchestrals and an enchanting mix of hopeful tones, keeping the listeners emotions in a state of balance, poised for the next movement. 

Equally, A Writers Tale, allows you to picture the imagination of the protagonist spiralling out of control as the colourful harmonies cascade and inspire, creating a rich vivid sense of detail to marvel at. Its these moments that make you see why Kayak have such a rich legacy within their genre, demonstrating progressive music at its most convincing and heartfelt. However, there are many moments when Out Of This World fails to achieve that level of impressiveness. Waiting takes cues from dance, and is largely terrible as a result, the beat being far too slow to compel anyone to move and the lyrics proving incredibly cliché. Whatsmore, there are many moments across this albums one hour and ten minutes run length when its desire to be ambitious drags the experience down to becoming a slow and monotonous slog. Take the instrumental Kaja which tries to be uplifting and hopeful yet fails on both counts. 

On a similar note, Mystery stands out as well-intentioned yet infuriatingly dull as the act repeat a range of classic rock tropes. Rather than serving to inspire reminiscence, these quickly become dull, contributing to a forgettable experience overall. It’s the same with Traitors Gate, One By One and Cary. These contain none of the multifaceted, textured elements of the greatest tracks. Rather, they make an already long listening experience feel even longer. Some fans of this accessible-albeit complex keyboard led sound might find some of these songs more fulfilling. Personally though, I find many of them tedious and repetitive. Overall, I found this a deeply mixed experience composed of failures and successes alike. What can’t be doubted is Kayak’s passion for their craft. I might not always be engaged by their particular brand of prog, and its true that much of their writing fails to move me. That said, the skill of these musicians is undeniable and for that, this album deserves respect. 5/10

Robin McAuley - Standing On The Edge (Frontiers Music) [Matt Bladen]

Irish rock vocalist Robin McAuley, will be known to many as the voice of Michael Schenker Group, Grand Prix, Michael Schenker Fest, Survivor and rock supergroup Black Swan. Standing On The Edge is his second solo album, the first coming from 1999. He spent the last half of 2020 working on this record, combining his background in melodic rock and AOR for a radio-friendly journey through slick, emotional rock music. Co-written and produced by bassist/keyboardist Alessandro Del Vecchio, there are also contributions from Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep keyboardist), Tommy Denander and Howard Leese (of Bad Company, ex-Heart), who plays a mean bluesy solo on Supposed To Do Now. All of them adding their particular talents to the record. 

Music-wise we've got some powerful rocking on Say Goodbye, slinkiness on Chosen Few and opener Thy Will Be Done and of course there are some ballads with Run Away the most overwrought with it's delicate strings and acoustic guitars, Wanna Take A Ride is probably the poppiest track here, reminding me of Mike & The Mechanics. Vocally McAuley is on top form, his bluesy pipes working well across the songs, what I also noticed is unlike many melodic rock records most of the songs here are upbeat rockers rather than the normal glut of ballads, final track Running Out Of Time is one of the best with a real MSG sound to it. Robin McAuley is a very experienced vocalist who has featured on countless albums but this solo record is the most authentically McAuley release in his back catalogue. 7/10 

Todd Michael Hall - Sonic Healing (Rat Pak Records) [Matt Bladen]

Todd Michael Hall appeared on The Voice where he was selected by Judge Blake Shelton, on the back of the this the current vocalist of Riot V began to play with the idea of a solo album mainly due to the global pandemic. He teamed up with Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof to record Sonic Healing it's a jukebox record in the truest sense Hall bringing in all of his influences, it's an homage that occasionally veers too close, a track such as Running After You is a little too close to Rush for my liking. But songs like Overdrive and All On The Line both have a driving rock style of Saxon. 

Though the major influences here are American FM Radio rockers such as Foreigner, Styx and REO Speedwagon, moving away from the thrash of his day job, the slick guitar skill of Vanderhoof means he cranks out the riffs with aplomb. He's a perfect foil for Hall's versatile, multi-faceted voice, he seems to suit any kind of style whether it's the bluesy Love Rain Down, the propulsive Like No Other and even the Lizzy-like Long Lost Rock & Rollers. If you put away the notion of this being a self-indulgent project for Hall and take it as it is then Sonic Healing is decent, highly listenable hard rock record from two talented performers. 7/10  

Reviews: High Reeper & Hippie Death Cult, Dan Baune's Lost Sanctuary, The Damn Truth, False Memories (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

High Reeper & Hippie Death Cult - Doom Sessions Vol. 5 (Heavy Psych Sounds)

On the fifth Doom Sessions split from Heavy Psych Sounds we get three tracks from Wilmington, Delaware stoner/doom rockers High Reeper and two from Portland doomsters Hippie Death Cult. These Doom Sessions are great ways of highlighting some of the best stoner/doom/psych bands around as the tracks are usually distilled versions of what the bands do on their own full lengths. Unlike a lot of split records, there are no covers just their own tracks written especially for this split. Kicking off with Vermillion Iron High Reeper take us deep into Black Sabbath sound with groovy riffs from the low slung rhythm section of Shane Trimble (bass) and Justin Di Pinto (drums) grinding out the fuzzy stoner power as guitarist Pat Daly pumps out Iommi-styled guitar riffs. It's followed up by Winter King/Devil's Grip a thicker heavy repeating tracks that adds a psych element and lets Zach Thomas unleash his wild vocal style. 

These psych elements shift into Withering Decay the doomiest song from High Reeper part of the split, a creeping slow burner with a riff that doesn't let up as it drifts into more Sabbath worship. These three tracks are a strong intro to High Reeper and work well in opposition to the two longer, freakier, space doom of Hippie Death Cult. Fill The Fires builds from Ryan Moore's drumming into some shamanic blissed out heavy rock, Ben Jackson's keys adding the more atmospheric desert rock sound as his vocals merge with bassist Laura Phillips. The final song of this split is Towards Infinity which has an echoed guitar riff from Eddie Brnabic which flows on top of Laura Phillips grooving bassline and Ryan Moore's expressive drumming. Hippie Death Cult are a much more otherworldly sounding outfit to High Reeper but both bands show their mettle on this EP, a worthy introduction to either band. 8/10

Dan Baune's Lost Sanctuary - Lost Sanctuary (ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records)

In 2020 Dan Baune left London in favour of his ancestral home of Germany, here his role in music shifted from being a sideman, in NWOTHM band Monument to being a full fledged band leader himself. Lost Sanctuary (the band and the album) is Baune displaying talent as a multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/producer, he handles pretty much everything here music wise with the exception of drums which are taken by Baune's friend Sebastian Weiss. Lost Sanctuary is a fully realised vision of what Dan Baune can do when he's unleashed from a band setting. 

He's opened up his email address book too adding some high profile guests on certain tracks from Bob Katsionis (Warrior Path, Outloud), to Rasmus Bon Andersen (Diamond Head), Jennifer Diehl (Fire Red Empress) to Aliki Katriou (Eight Lives Down) and even Doogie White (Rainbow, MSG) all adding their talents to this record. Happily Baune's vocals stand up to the rest of the singers on the record, while his musicianship is nothing short of virtuoso, using a wide range of styles, that all sit in the broad heavy metal sound. Open Your Eyes gallops away with Katsionis giving it a sick synth solo, Temple Of Fear brings a thrashier style Bon Andersen and Jennifer Diehl in unison, as God Of War is a bit of a mini epic, though burns a little too slowly. 

With a lot of time to focus on the record Baune has tried to make this record the best it can be. Now it does suffer a little as God Of War moves into No Man's Land both are a little slow but there is some Savatage style to No Man's Land which is no bad thing. Thankfully the dark power metal of Master Of You brings the pacing back, with Matt Mitchell returning to the metal spectrum but the title track slows again. Now this isn't a writing issue as the songs are great but it's certainly a sequencing issue placing the slow songs in very close proximity means the album loses steam in the middle only really coming back for The Arconite. Still you have to admire Dan Baune for shaking off the sideman tag to create his own vision, a promising debut that needs fewer slow songs and actually more of Baune singing. 6/10

The Damn Truth - Now Or Nowhere (Spectra Musique/Sony Music)

Self proclaimed 'Rock n Roll Hippies' The Damn Truth cam about when vocalist/guitarist Lee-la Baum and guitarist Tom Shemer met each other while they were and I quote "naked at a festival". So that hippie spirit is what powers this record of ol' fashioned rock roll that finds it's roots in the Californian sound of the late 60's. Lee-la is a powerhouse vocalist very much the focal point of the band, a rock n roll chanteuse with honesty in her well worn blues voice. This album has been a while in the making as tracks 1,2,3,4,7, 8 were all produced by legendary producer Bob Rock, his style makes these songs burst out of the speaker with the typical Bob Rock 'loudness' and here he brought them back to basics. 

However due to Canadian Covid restrictions the final three tracks 5,6, 9 were produced in house by the band out of necessity not choice. It's difficult to hear the join especially with the numerous names that have mixed the record. The songs on the record are mainly are about the love between the founding members but also the topsy turvy world we live in, empowerment and ultimately hope, take Only Love as a perfect example of a summer good time anthem and you'll be singing along in no time. Recorded on vintage equipment with a D.I.Y attitude, a song like Lonely inspired by gospel and the death of their van is sort of like Joss Stone fronting Rival Sons, Shemer unleashing a killer solo as the stomp clap of  Dave Traina's drumming. Now Or Nowhere is a retro rock record with some Joplin-like vocals and blues drenched riffing. 7/10

False Memories – The Last Night Of Fall (Frontiers Music Srl)

Ah Gothic metal, a style that may have been forgotten by those outside of Continental Europe as even some of the more established names have moved away from the style highlighted by lace clothing and emotional (mainly) female vocals. Italian’s False Memories are relatively new to the scene having formed in 2015 but they have matured their sound into the Goth/doom metal sound you hear on this second album, the first full length with new vocalist Rossella Moscatello who wrote the record with founding guitarist Francesco Savino. Now if you’ve heard early Within Temptation, Evanescence, Tristania, The Gathering and Lacrimosa et al you will be acutely familiar with the style played on this second record and depending on whether you enjoy it or not will mean how much you’ll take away from the listening experience. For me The Last Night Of Fall was a little too safe and middle of the road for me to really get excited about, most of the tracks are similar musically, favouring doom chugging to underpin Rossella’s voice that sticks to the high register and never really deviates. There are Gothic metal bands that nailed this formula 20 years ago so False Memories just feel a little late to the party. 5/10

Reviews: Artillery, Bala, Levara, The Ember, The Ash (Reviews By Richard Oliver, & Matt Bladen)

Artillery - X (Metal Blade Records) [Richard Oliver]

I always get that little pang of excitement when a new album from a veteran thrash band drops swiftly followed by a moment of worry that the new album won’t live up to expectations. Thankfully any worry can be dispelled with X which is the tenth album from Danish old schoolers Artillery. This is the first Artillery album since the sad death of founding member and guitarist Morten Stützer in 2019 leaving his brother Michael Stützer as the sole founding member in the band. Thankfully the band have done Morten proud and released a cracking album with X. The later albums of Artillery have been far more in a power meets thrash metal style especially since the inclusion of vocalist Michael Bastholm Dahl in the band in 2012 and his very melodic power metal vocal style. That is still very much the case with X though I feel that the thrash elements have been ramped up a fair bit after the somewhat lacklustre The Face Of Fear album in 2018. 

This is still a very melodic album but the use of melody is perfectly mixed with some hard hitting thrash action. The trio of songs that open the album are very much a statement of intent by the band with The Devils Symphony storming out of the speakers at you. In Thrash We Trust is the thrash anthem you would hope and expect it to be whilst Turn Up The Rage proves to be an absolutely anthemic banger. There are some more restrained moments on the album such as Eternal Night and Varg I Veum which lean into far more trad and power metal territory whilst The Ghost Of Me is a proper full on metal power ballad. These songs are equally counteracted by speedy raging thrashers like Force Of Indifference and Beggars In Black Suits which are designed for exercising those neck muscles. The band sound on absolute fire throughout the album with Michael Stützer and new guitarist Kræn Meier pack in a pile of killer riffs aided by a razor sharp and meaty guitar tone whilst bassist Peter Thorslund and drummer Joshua Madsen form an absolutely formidable rhythm section. 

Vocalist Michael Bastholm Dahl continues to impress with a powerhouse performance. Whilst his voice is very melodic and would normally be more suited to power metal and traditional heavy metal, here it is a bit more toned down and more suited to a thrash band. Melodic vocals are quite a rarity in thrash metal these days and Artillery show that they definitely still have their place and can work in a thrash metal context. Despite the sad loss of Morten Stützer, this definitely hasn’t held Artillery back and X is one of the strongest albums they have done in a while and probably their best since When Death Comes in 2009. It is far more thrashy than they have sounded in a while and definitely has some throwback moments to their old school albums such as By Inheritance and Terror Squad whilst still pulling on influences from traditional and power metal. If you like your thrash fast, heavy and intense yet highly melodic then this album could not come more highly recommended. 8/10

Bala - Maleza (Century Media) [Matt Bladen]

Maleza (Undergrowth) is the third album from Anxela Baltar (vocals/guitar) and Violeta Mosquera (vocals/drums) the Spanish duo that make up Bala. This third album is another 24 minute rage through a tornado of punk/grunge/stoner delivered primarily in the Spanish language. When I say delivered I mean shouted at full volume by both Anxela and Violeta as musically there's an organic sound of being a two-piece built on just drums and guitar. Having toured in the UK, Australia and Japan, they have channeled this live experience into their third album for a very direct powerful offering. It's also quite mixed in it's sounds despite a short run time.  The thunder of Hoy-No, the frothing Cien Obstáculos, the stop-start Agitar all kick up the speed quotient while Quieres Entrar is slower and much more atmospheric as Bessie brings more than a touch of Sabbath. Fuzzy distortion, frantic percussion and bucketloads of attitude Maleza is Bala announcing themselves to a wider audience with this shock of bristling alt-rock. 7/10   

Levara - Levara (Mascot Records) [Matt Bladen]

L.A trio Levara are a band that in their short existence have supported AOR legends Toto, so they clearly have quite a pedigree. What helps is that Levara six stringer Trev is Steve Lukather's son, he is a chip off the old block with the same talent for blending blues with slicker modern rock riffage. Joining him is Brit Josh Devine who was behind the kit for One Direction and French vocalist Jules Gali. Like Toto Levara are a band that truly encapsulate their time, as Toto are your stereotypical 80's sound, Levara are very much a band for the 21st Century sounding like acts such as Daughtry and Shinedown, radio friendly rock music with some electronic shivers and pop sheen. The trio are very much focussed on inspiring the youth to discover music with anthemic, feel-good songs that are designed to be sung aloud. 

The singles such as the punchy Automatic, has repeatability that will be all over FM radio, hooked on a big vocal from Gali and a powerful guitar solo that breaks out from the first pumping main body, it's a harbinger of the rest of the album, though it's different enough to Chameleon, to bring variation. Though Chameleon has yet another colossal chorus, a trick that keeps you listening. Ballad-wise Ever Enough and No One Above You both are on the right side of saccharine, not to be overly sickly. As with a lot of the American Radio Rock bands there are probably too many ballads but these do well on US radio so you can understand why. The performances here are very good and the songwriting is also exactly the sort that will see them climbing up the ranks of the rock world very fast. A slick rock record which is far to accomplished to be a debut. 7/10

The Ember, The Ash - Fixation (Prosthetic Records) [Richard Oliver]

Fixation is the second album from The Ember, The Ash which is another solo project of 鬼 more commonly known as Canadian musician William Melsness (also of Unreqvited) who performs all instruments and vocals on this album. The Ember, The Ash mixes symphonic black metal with deathcore and the result is a mix of some very good sounding symphonic black metal and some truly dreadful deathcore. The meshing together of these two genres doesn’t really work as you get some great symphonic death metal part with a tacked on breakdown section which just spoils the whole flow (which isn’t helped by the fact that this reviewer despises deathcore style breakdowns). The deathcore heavy songs such as Strychnine and the title track are at the start of the album meaning that the second half is far more enjoyable with songs such as The Colossal Void and Celestial Fracture playing far more to the symphonic black metal sound with blast-beats, savage riffs and huge symphonic soundscapes. 

There are still some breakdowns to be found in these songs but they are far more scaled back resulting in the songs being far more listenable to my ears. Album closer Consciousness Torn From The Void is the most vast and epic song on the album and the clear highlight. A case of definitely saving the best until last. The musicianship is fantastic throughout with some great guitar work and keyboard playing. I’m not sure if the drums are programmed or not but if the drums are real then 鬼 is also a formidable drummer. The vocals left a lot to be desired for me being very much in a ‘core’ style which I found very grating. Fixation is a bold experiment mixing together these two different styles but for me it didn’t really work. It’s a shame as there are some brilliant blackened parts which are then completely ruined by banal, stupefying deathcore breakdowns. 

So basically this is an album of two polars - wonderful symphonic black metal and woeful deathcore - meaning that when this album has its good moments they are really good but when it goes bad it crashes and burns. If you like bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Abigail Williams and Cradle Of Filth and can also stomach deathcore then there will be plenty for you to enjoy here but if like me a chuggy breakdown makes your eyes roll so hard that your eyeballs turn 360 then this album is probably best avoided. 5/10