A View From The Back of The Room: Radar Festival Day 2 (Live Review By Matt & Tom Bladen)

Radar Festival 2024, O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester 26-28.07.24

Saturday 27.07.24

If the beginning of Day 1 was loud. Then Day 2 was even louder with Tribe Of Ghosts (8) who are a punishing quasi-industrial, dystopian goth metal group from Brighton. Fully D.I.Y they brought their own retina scorching lightshow for a full audio/visual assault on the senses as the music thumped out of the P.A with all the subtlety of an atomic bomb. Tribe Of Ghosts blend genres though lashings of feedback and distortion, tinged with melody, making for a massive Saturday morning noise.

On the main stage it was time for the more classic, synth based prog of Kyros (6), I'm not sure what went wrong with their set, as for all their flash and musical might the vocals didn't quite hit home for me live. It was a little bit distracting but musically a lot of fun so I'll be checking them out again to see if it was an off night.

Feeling a little deflated, Seething Akira (9) managed to built up the excitement with their thrilling blend of nu-metal and electro. Dual vocalists spitting aggro, defiant lyrics that got the crowd shouting along. More brilliant lights, tribalist beats, and chugging metal was on offer as their set flew by, get them on the mainstage as soon as possible as I had never seen the band before this but I definitely will again. A feast for the eyes and ears.

More gremlins affected Ithaca's (6) usual tenacity but their message is still strong, it meant they had a truncated, stuttering show but Hail The Sun (8) managed to reclaim the momentum with a load of late 2000's post-hardcore perfect for all the elder emos as angsty lyrics and mathcore complexity got a lot of movement down the front. Coming from that brief period when math rock was all the rage the arpeggios and off-kilter riffs were lapped up by those there the first time around who gave as much physically as they did nearly 20 years ago. 

Crowd favourites and Radar alumni Heart Of A Coward (8) always deliver metalcore by the bucket load, led by the natural charisma of Kaan Tasam they drew a huge crowd that ate up every morsel of the tasty breakdowns, intricate riffs and huge choruses. You will always get a good show from HoAC and on the mainstage, just like the their showcase on the second stage last year they showed why their are mainstays of the UK metal scene.

A bit of a gap as both stages got a battering but sometimes a rest-bite is required before heading back for the The Fall Of Troy (8), yet more post-hardcore/mathcore, this time from a band who are lot more experienced than Hail The Sun, the trio are probably one of the pillars of that technical but danceable mathcore scene, and since their reformation in 2013 they have been leaders of the unorthodox style paring harsh/clean vocals with virtuoso angular compositions. It's the response The Fall Of Troy get that makes me think a band such as The Mars Volta/At The Drive In would go down brilliantly at Radar.     

With the mathcore twisting our brain it was time to shake our ass to the funky, virtuoso playing of Dirty Loops (8) a band making their return to Radar for the first time since the Guildford days. Seeing them back then I didn't know what to expect as a funk/pop trio on what is a metal festival could go down like a lead balloon however they stole the show and I'm Manchester they almost did so again. Dropping a Lady Gaga cover (Just Dance) and two Justin Bieber covers into your set in front of a load of bearded dudes wanting palm muted riffs seems like a disaster but the sheer musical prowess of the band will guarantee you're not only in awe of what they do but find yourself dancing and clapping along. I'd urge anyone to check out Dirty Loops live as they're pure joy!

No fun to be had with the second stage as the mighty Conjurer (8) do what they do better than a lot of bands out their. They brought riffs, a torrent of riffs, more than you could possibly handle, just riff after riff until the song ended and you got a moment of clarity then another sledgehammer to the skull. Playing tracks from both Mire (2018) and Pathos (2022) the foursome are comprised of Brady Deeprose and Dan Nightingale trading shouts, riffs and leads between each other as they weave the multi-genre sound Conjurer are known for. The human windmill machine bassist Conor Marshall carries the weight of a battleship in the low end as drummer Noah See thunders as post metal shifts into thrash, into sludge and into doom. Conjurer have become bastions in the UK metal scene and they gave yet more evidence on Manchester. Another band who have become leaders of their scene are the mainstage headliners of Saturday.

The league of extraordinary Djentlemen known as Tesseract (10) took to the stage for their most ambitious show to date. Backed by the Cestra and the Choir Noir the setlist was a way to showcase their new album War Of Being, almost in full, in the most cinematic way, taking 7 songs from that album, spliced with some from Sonder, Altered State, Concealing Fate and Polaris to balance the old and new.

The focus on War Of Being though both Tender and Sacrifice given their live debuts as the creative staging, light show and impeccable sound reminded me a lot of Sleep Token's set from last year but for my ear a better selection of songs that still sit in the djent sound they helped to establish but now built for stadiums as they learned to perfect them, Dan Tompkins especially has transitioned from singer to frontman in the last few years and the way he commanded the stage brought another level to the Tesseract show. 

He’s a visual touchpoint for sure but on tracks such as The Grey, the flexible, groove driven rhythm section of Jay Postones (drums) and Amos Williams (bass) creates a foundation of their djent beginnings but now takes a more progressive, expansive style. Building on this is the riff machine James Monteith, joined by Acle Kahney who doubles down with the palm muting, the stop starting et al but also adds those majestic leads and melodies, especially on the title track of the new album. With Amos now handling a lot of the growls Dan is able to soar with those cleans like the Freddie Mercury of metal music, keeping the audience in the palm of his hand.

This was a one off spectacular, whether we see the Choir Noir again is up to the band but at Radar they were mesmerising, a true stadium headliner playing to a room of old fans and making many new ones.

A View From The Back of The Room: Radar Festival Day 1 (Live Review By Matt & Tom Bladen)

Radar Festival 2024, O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester 26-28.07.24

Radar Festival continues to grow, now properly established at O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, it gets bigger, better and more eclectic each time we visit.

2024 was almost a greatest hits, with a few returning acts from the Guilford days but also more breadth of performances that straddle the fringes of music as much as Arctangent or Damnation but bringing together bands that they and the more established metal festivals overlook.

There are very few places you could see Leprous and Tesseract mingle with Dirty Loops and The Midnight. Throw in a lot of djent, virtuoso instrumentalists, hardcore, metalcore and nu metal and there's plenty of music to discover.

As well as the music there's an extensive marketplace for anyone that wants gear, custom ear protection, magic the gathering and many other wonders. There's arcade machines, an ample outside area and LOTS of seating (pay attention other festivals). But of course being a music publication I bet you want to know about the music.

Friday 26.07.24

After a Thursday pre show from Stiff Bizkit (8) at Rebellion and a whole host of after parties at the same venue touted for this year. The classics such as Break Stuff and Rollin' set the mood for anyone that arrived early.

Friday properly began with Bristol heaviest Giant Walker (8) kicking off on Stage 2 (Sneak Energy Stage). The wailing vocals and cascading, psych riffs started Day 1 as it was going to continue. Very loud but bewitching, again huge shout out to the lighting and sound techs on both stages for some pretty much perfect sound and visuals.

Getting the mainstage (Neural Archetype Stage) moving were proggers The Intersphere (8), they head out on tour with Vola at the end of this year and there's a lot of similarities to the Danes as these Germans pair crushing some thick heavy riffs and shift towards atmospheric dreaminess. A triumphant opening to the main stage, The Intersphere impressed me on first viewing.

Then it was over to the second stage for Cestra (7) who was a solo artist with some dark industrial soundscapes, of Kate Bush came from The Other side (Stranger Things fans?) I'd assume this it what it would sound like.

With no clashes, unlike a lot of festivals you can see all the sets of every band but unfortunately things can happen that changes the run time. Earthside (7) for instance had a major issue with their stage and offstage sound. The songs that were supposed to feature vocals coming from tracks were only audible to the band, however as they are an instrumental unit anyway it didn't effect the flow too much. Excellent use of keytar too.

A little break to take a stroll sound tracked by the classical acoustic playing of Ichika Nito (7) was what was needed after this initial run of acts. His playing is beautiful and held the mainstage encapsulated but it was Vola (8) who followed that I was looking forward to the most. Playing Alien Shimmer alongside some older heavier tracks and stuff from the recent album, the lack of Ruby Pool was personally a loss but Vola are a band who I could see again and again, the foursome managing to meld djent riffs, layered atmospherics and vocals that have so much soul.

Vocals was something that wasn't missed when Plini (8) once again took to the stage, the virtuoso is rightly revered as a God in these circles so he gained a huge crowd, his super talented band behind him all maestro's in their own way. With a large catalogue behind him it was time once again to just stand there and immerse yourself on Plini's ethereal playing and dexterity.

Those that wanted something a bit more active went over to the second stage for modern metalcore heroes Caskets (8). Taking the stage with confidence and a huge amount of experience, the Leeds based band brought the noise back, meaning that all the dudes in stringer vests could throw down to the massive breakdowns but sing along to the huge hooks. Having had numerous high profile supports they're a slick live act and kept the energy to close the second stage in muscular fashion.

The mainstage though fired up the Delorean for the most 80's thing I've seen this side of David Hasselhoff. American synthwave duo The Midnight (9). Formed by Tyler Lyle (lead vocals/guitar/synths) and Tim McEwan (synths/percussion/producer) they are a fully fledged band featuring Leila Broussard (guitar/bass/synth/vocals), Royce Whittaker (guitar/synths) Kwesi Robinson (percussion) but the MVP of the whole band is Justin Klunk who's saxophone plays most of the solos in the band.

While I was watching them I realised that Tyler's vocals are quite similar to The Killers' Brandon Flowers, soulful and with a country twang, they seem timeless, especially when duetting with Leila, these moments making them appear to the untrained ear like they may be a modern country outfit but then the pulsing Amiga synths conjuer imagery of a Ferrari Testarossa cruising down an empty Bayside road at dusk.

They thump and shimmer against the rock rhythms, most just anticipating that excellent sax. Few bands encapsulate the feeling of Friday night than The Midnight, providing smiles all round to close the first full day.

Reviews: ASIWYFA, Heilung, Fulci, Mamaleek (Reviews By Mark Young, Zak Skane, GC & James Jackson)

And So I Watch You From Afar - Megafauna (Pelagic Records) [Mark Young]

And to the opposite end of the spectrum with this delightful release from And So I Watch You From Afar (truncated to ASIWYFA to save my fingers) which formed part of the Boss’s random selection for August. It’s one of those releases that seem to pop up from nowhere and just attach themselves to you, leaving you wondering where it’s been all your life. And it’s even more surprising that this is their 20th year and that they sound as fresh, as energised as a new band taking their first steps in releasing music.

Did I mention it’s an instrumental album?

The two guitars open with a looping melody as North Coast Megafauna starts our journey. Joined by bass and drums, that opening guitar sound evokes a feeling of summer, soon to take on an overdriven touch as the two-swop lead and rhythm duties, always complimenting the other and In doing so making sure the song gets the service it needs. And this is the thing, the song itself takes on many twists and turns, and different tempos but always it is moving, never stopping or repeating itself but constantly adjusting to find that sweet spot and in the end, they drop something that you will come back to again and again. This strong start continues with Do Mór, a faster, more direct piece with precise drumming that has a deft touch which lets everyone else go for it and the final minute is like a controlled collapse.

Gallery Of Honour – a gentle opening dropping into a faster riff along, supplanted with a return to those gentle chords once more, allowing them to catch a breath and kick on. That keen eye for song craft is on point here, a lot is going on and that never overwhelms even during the ending moments when they set phasers to freak out. Mother Belfast (Part 1) with a stunning selection of chords during the quiet moments that spring into action, that telepathic interplay striding forward once more whilst Mother Belfast (Part 2) comes in off the back of a stomping measure that constantly expands as they drop some quality chordal movements. I know that on guitar sometimes we are enthralled by virtuosity, but the rhythm-come leads on display are just top-class. 

They are the sort of songs that you would get a buzz playing, there is so much fun to be had doing that and it comes across in the listening experience. It is just so good. And so it goes: Years Ago, has a more controlled focus, still possesses that interplay between Rory Friers & Niall Kennedy, and comes in like a refreshing sorbet after a heavy meal. It has that joy that bleeds through and infects, constantly engaging your interest while Any Joy offers a softer, almost melancholic approach with a gradual expansion of their sound, it spreading to include strings that build to a climax that bursts, fading as quickly as it came. The ending piece is breath taking, put together beautifully, and is one of the best things you will hear this year.

There is a happier slant to Button Days, having a positive almost bouncy feel to it (as descriptions go, I know that is pretty poor but listen to it and then complain) and once again Chris Wee (on drums) is just playing a blinder. The drums are a real standout, instinctively knowing what works whilst making sure the band remains anchored. They are at a consistently high level and are a masterclass in how to keep the song going.

Me And Dunbar is our closing track after 40-odd minutes of great music and like those that came before it is just chock-full of those sublime musical ideas that have been front and centre from the start. The sheer breadth of musicality from them is amazing, the ideas deployed and the way they do it is phenomenal, it really is. They don’t rehash or repeat nor is there a set pattern within their arrangements. It is a fine collection of songs that shows that there is room for instrumental albums within the modern music scene.

I appreciate that instrumental albums are not for everyone and that is fine. For some, it could be a carryover from a painful listening experience but recently there have been some fierce albums from Din Of Celestial Birds last year and Mountain Caller this year, both were superb examples of modern instrumental rock, and this is no different. It is an exceptional collection of songs that lay claim to putting ASIWYFA at the summit of that particular genre. I won’t say that if you detest instrumentals this will bring you round. That would be a stupid statement. What I will say is that it is a fantastic album and if you fancy dipping a toe into this pool, then this would be the place to start. 9/10

Heilung – Lifa Iotungard: Live At Red Rocks 2021 (Season Of Mist) [Zak Skane]

Since 2015 the European folk outfit Heilung have released two full length studio albums Ofnirin in 2015 and Futha in 2018. Since then the group have spread their amplified history from playing their debut live show at Castlefest in 2017 to touring through out Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Their music has featured in popular shows like Game of Thrones, Vikings and The Northman, whilst also featuring in the video game such as like Conqueror’s Blade VII: “Wolves of Ragnarök and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. In 2021 the Band played their most sold out show in the Red Rocks Theatre in 2021, which is captured for the world to see…and for us to review.

Through out this live album the tribal drums have been captured with perfection. The low end comes in crisp and punchy that captures the listeners heart beat and puts them into a trace that makes them feel like they are just about to be initiated as part of the tribe. A great example of this is on the opening track In Maidjan where the drums come in at a stamping pace whilst the thunderous pulses appear on Svanrand. The percussion that consists of the shimmering and rattling of bones and chiming metal shakers create this this mesmerising ear candy to the listeners especially on songs like Krigsgaldr and Traust where the percussive instruments are panned and tucked in the corners of the sonic mix. The low droning throat singing through out this album is captured to perfection with it capturing every roll of the tongue from start to finish. 

In songs like Hamrer Hippyer the production has really captured the immersive listening experience of the grouped panting vocals having their own space panned in the mix, whilst the chilling banshee style vocals are creepily tucked in amongst the ambient drones and female vocals. Finally speaking of the female vocals, songs like Krigsgald, where the female vocals are taking front and centre with these heavenly Celtic melodies cut and echo through the mix of tribal drums and harsh cynical throat singing. On tracks like Svanrand we are greeted with heavenly female vocal harmonies that spread across the mix in cinematic stereo fashion. The perfect production helps us hear all of the resonating frequencies that is captured by each note dancing in harmony with one another whilst blissfully hypnotising the listener into a calm state.

If you have never explored the art of native European folk music than look not further than this album. This live recording of Heilung set is not just a great capture of their performance but it is also a great listening experience. The pounding percussion sounds thunderous as if you were in the room, whilst the vocal arrangements creates this deep yin and yang approach with demonic throat singing bringing these haunting menacing textures whilst the heavenly Celtic harmonies bring this angelic light into their darkness. Please listen to this with headphones to get the best experience. 10/10

Fulci - Duck Face Killings (20 Buck Spin) [GC]

No reviews from me last week but this week I am back in action with another release from a death metal go to label, Fucli are signed to 20 Buck Spin which has released some of the best death metal records of the year so far, time to see where the album based on the New York Ripper film from Lucio Fulci, Duck Face Killings fits in.

Starting with a clip from the film that which describes how the Ripper has murdered someone it sets the tone of what we can expect as Vile Butchery is a savage blast of gruesome and pummelling lo-fi death metal that has a wonderful and expertly done groove running through the song that takes hold and continues right to the end but never loses any of its edge, A Blade In The Dark is a slightly unneeded interlude this early into the album before the charmingly titled Fucked With A Broken Bottle as you would expect manages to paint a picture of the violent nature of the albums subject matter and is a beautiful and ugly stroke of pummelling and violent storytelling done in just over 2 minutes which is always the best way to tell a story short, sharp and to the point.

Morbid Lust is just a full on grooving monster of a track showing another side of the Fucli sound showing they can mix the unbridled nastiness with the unrelenting brutality of the death metal side of their sound and as expected the barrage of violence continues with no time for a breath on Maniac Unleashed but the paces are mixed up here with the usual faster pace intertwining with some more subdued sections and the slow pace is another reminder that when death metal flexes its muscles it’s a wonderful artform. 

Then it all gets a bit well rubbish as Knife is just a bit of a weird addition, its like a rap interlude and frankly to me sounds like a really bad misstep as it just doesn’t fit in with the whole feel of the album, thankfully the weirdness doesn’t last too long its straight back to business on Slashereality which is another short, sharp thud of sludgy and gloomy death metal that picks the pace back up but does a good of mixing thing up with some great wailing guitars, Human Scalp Condition is another mix of mid-paced and moody but also some thundering rhythm sections and yet more expertly added guitar solos that really lift the song. 

On some album’s title tracks can define or ruin what they band are looking for well here Duck Face Killings is a glorious and album defining song, the sound is just horrible but in that good way that make you want more and the addition of some guttural pig squeals have been making there way into the songs and actually not affecting the sound and here they add to the dramatic and horrible feel of the song as a whole.

Rotten Apple has a disturbing clip from the New York Ripper film to begin and what we then get is another of the more mixed paced sectioned song that creates unease and pleasure at the same time and some of the layered guitars used are a truly wonderful addition, the grimness continues on Sadistic Murder which thunders its way along on the back of some huge and grooving riffs before Lo Squartatore is another interlude that I am sure is meant to add something to the whole feel of the album but just sort of doesn’t but Stabbed, Gutted And Loved once again gets everything back on track with the familiar groove infused but also lo-fi and grimy death metal thud and then Miele Del Diavolo is a really annoying interlude/instrumental end to the album that baffles me as to why this was chosen to finish an otherwise fantastic album.

The vast Majority Of Duck Face Killings was an absolute joy to listen to and is death metal at its feral and violent best, the interludes and instrumental were annoying and for me an inconvenience but I’m picky and that’s just my bug to bear, so just ignore those and what you have is a thoroughly enjoyable and brutally violent death metal record. 8/10

Mamaleek - Vida Blue (The Flenser) [James Jackson]

If I were to say that this album is madder than a box of frogs then it wouldn’t be too far off the mark.
The experimental duo from San Francisco offer an extremely unique sound to this album, to define it as metal would be far too restrictive and for the most part, wrong. A perfect example of how varied the album is would be the fourth track upon the album, Ancient Souls, No Longer Sorrowful it’s seven minutes of a trip through Middle Eastern influenced melody, a guitar lead that sounds like it ought to be Surf Rock, a brief leap into something more “Metal” before a very classical piano bridge takes us into the discordant ending.

I checked the genre tag on a certain streaming site and they’ve classified the band as Black/Death Metal, finding this to be rather confusing I have a previous album a quick listen and found that this was musically diverse as this year’s release. There must be an immense amount of imagination and talent that goes into crafting a song that incorporates influences that range from Electronic to Jazz, throwing in Prog and Psychedelic movements along the way, there’s a blend of harsher Metal tones in there from time to time but these are almost sideswiped by the other genres that Mamaleek have thrown into the mix, as such for me personally it makes it a tad hard to listen to.

It’s a strange album, a collage of genres and time changes culminating in something coherent but as equally abstract in its composition, not one that I’ll return to but absolute respect for the band. 5/10

Reviews: Blue Oyster Cult, Fireball Ministry, Oxygen Destroyer, Kurokuma (Reviews By Rich Piva & Matt Bladen)

Blue Oyster Cult - 50th Anniversary Live: Second Night (Frontiers Music Srl) [Rich Piva]

I was admittedly extremely late to the Blue Oyster Cult party. Sure, I knew the hits and maybe one more layer deep, but it has only been relatively recently that I have done the deep dive and come to a realization how awesome BoC is. 

My lateness has pushed me to ingest all things BoC at a fever pace, which is why I was so excited to get me ears on the second in a series of three 50th anniversary shows the band did back in September 2022 where each night they played one of their first three albums front to back and closed with a hits a deep cuts set. 

The first in the series covering their debut was great, especially for a band who has been doing it for this long, so there was no reason to believe that night two, covering the great Tyranny and Mutation record would be any different, and it was not, as the set is great, the band sounds excellent, and the second half of the setlist had some great choices.

The first half of the record, covering that great second album, is the band in 2024 form hanging in there to deliver the most scorching set a group of 70-somethings could deliver outside of the Rolling Stones. Of course, the one-two punch of Hot Rails To Hell and 7 Screaming Diz-Busters are the highlights, but it was very cool to hear some of the deep cuts live, like Baby Ice Dog and Mistress Of The Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl). 

The rest of the set had your hits like Reaper, Godzilla, and Burnin’ For You, belted out as well as they could be at this point in the band’s career, but also some lesser known tracks, like Perfect Water and Lips In The Hills that are real treats for the BoC fanatics. Great stuff, as night two might have surpassed one with the overall setlist.

Blue Oyster Cult is so great, and the fact that they are doing these shows 50 years in and are getting so much attention is a testament to a underrated and underappreciated band that helped mold and create the heavy rock we have today. Yeah, they guys are up there in age and at some points you can tell, but if you are a BoC fan go listen to this and enjoy while we still can. Can’t wait for night three. 8/10

Fireball Ministry - Beneath The Desert Floor, Vol. 4: Their Rock Is Not Our Rock (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

When I saw the announcement that Ripple Music was now working with one of my all-time favourite bands, Fireball Ministry, for the amazing Beneath The Desert Floor series I could not be more stoked. My favourite label with one of my favourites and in my opinion one of the most underrated heavy stoner bands out there is my match made in wherever you may enjoy the afterlife. The relationship between Ripple and FM would start with a repressing their amazing discography on vinyl. My first message to Ripple HQ was please start with The Second Great Awakening, one of my favourite albums of all time. 

Todd is smart though, and actually went with the band’s third album, 2005’s Their Rock Is Not Our Rock, which makes so much sense and is so much more impactful for the fans since it has never been pressed on wax before. This is why I just buy records and don’t run a label. If you are not familiar with Ripple’s Beneath The Desert Floor series, the label is grabbing some lost or underappreciated classics from the early 2000s or so and giving them the Ripple treatment, all for our benefit, with some killer vinyl options. 

We have seen records from Glitter Wizard, White Witch Canyon, and The Awesome Machine, with a release from Australia’s Rollerball coming soon. Such awesome material, with Their Rock Is Not Our Rock fitting in perfectly and poised to bring a new fanbase to the great Fireball Ministry.

If you are not familiar with Fireball Ministry, first, what is wrong with you, and second, they play stoner rock with nods to who you think you would give nods to as influences. The difference with this band compared to all the other who play this still is how they combine the heavy riffs with being catchy as hell. There is not a more hummable stoner band than Fireball Ministry. Earworms abound on all their stuff, with Their Rock Is Not Our Rock being no exception. Right off the bat you get it with the opening track It Flies Again. 

You get the great vocals from James Rota and killer riffs from Emily Burton and a melody that will stay with you all day. The band has perfected the stoner rock versus chorus verse formula in the best kind of way. The production on Their Rock is perfect and captures what this band should always sound like from the studio. Some of my favorites FM tracks come from this record, including The Broken, Two Tears, and Rising From The Deep, but honestly this whole record kill from end to end and to now have Their Rock available on vinyl is next level excellent.

So, this whole thing gets the highest marks from me. Fireball Ministry, their amazing third record for the first time on vinyl, the fact that Ripple is repressing all of their records over time, and the entirety of the Beneath The Desert Floor series makes this whole thing a 10 all around. A must listen across the board. 10/10

Oxygen Destroyer - Guardian Of The Universe (Redefining Darkness Records) [Matt Bladen]

Kaiju sized death metal comes to level your city on the third album from Oxygen Destroyer. A band formed to pay homage to the Japanese Kaiju films, they're named after the weapon that killed Godzilla (Gojira) in the 1954 original that began this long running series of monster movies. Guardian Of The Universe focuses on the Heisei Gamera trilogy, Gamera being "an ancient, bio-engineered creature from Atlantis, created for the purpose of defending the people of Atlantis from Gyaos, a bat-like creature". Yep there's more than just Godzilla and Mothra and you could delve into the lore all day but this is a record so let's get to the music.

Guardian Of The Universe is packed with blistering blackened death/thrash, reminding me of the raw savagery of Vader, Hate and even Nile from the conceptual sense. Drums that rarely let up, blast beating coming from Chris Craven is inhuman, no wonder he plies his trade elsewhere in black metal bands. Paul Wight’s bass sets a steamrolling pace when they do get into a groove, while Lord Kaiju and Joey Walker add lots of syncopated/counterpointed downtuned riffs, brief moments of tremolo picking and use the distortion of thrash bands to bring a nastiness.

Tremble in fear at this Kaiju metal as they convey epic battles through snarling extreme metal. 8/10

Kurokuma - Of Amber And Sand (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

You like riffs? Great Nottingham trio Kurokuma deliver riffs hot and fresh from their psych/sludge/doom/death kitchen. The trio pick liberally from all of these genres, mix them all together and come up with a unique, sonic landscape that on Of Amber And Sand confronts the concept of time, exploring temporality and eternity.

Glasses firmly on to really concentrate and volume up to make sure it rattles around in your brain properly, you start Of Amber And Sand with a Cockrel call, beckoning the the first cascading load of riffage, the tracks linked by a few segues to keep the atmospheres. These are able to link smashers such as Death No More with the psychedelic doom Fenjaan.

Much of Kurokuma's music is highly instrumental, locked into grooves such as Crux Ansata where they can use space to bring a hefty throb as Chronoclasm is the marathon final track which brings all of their varying sounds together. Of Amber And Sand seals Kurokuma's standing as an audio hallucinogen. 8/10

Reviews: Carnophage, ODA, Black Smoke Trigger, Fourth Dominion (Reviews By Zak Skane, Rich Piva, Matt Bladen & James Jackson)

Carnophage– Matter Of A Darker Nature (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Zak Skane]

In every 8 years the 5 piece metal outfit from Turkiye will bring another offering that is filled with brutal and technical death metal that is as ravenous in nature but intricate and articulate in it’s delivery. This year the band brings us their third release Matter of a Darker Nature following after their previous releases Monument and Deformed Nature/Genetic Nightmare. 

Through out the 8 track album Onur Özçelik brings in some surgically accurate blast beats straight from opening track In My Bones which goes from swift and fast traditional blast to hammer blast in one fell swoop, whilst on the following tracks such as Until The Darkness Kills The Light is where the Onur brings in the grooves in some odd styled meter patters. Tracks like Matter Of A Darker Nature Onur strips back the technicality and equips some double thunderous double kick pattern to complement Mert, Serhat and Bengis guitars. 

Speaking of the guitar work on this album Mert and Serhat guitar performance goes from breakneck note flying speeds with songs like Underneath The Horrendous One, and the Death Works Over Time with its flight of the bumble bee speeds with shredding pedal tone riffs that sound like Chuck Schuldiner on a thousand caffeine shots, whilst the jazzy phrased solos in Underneath The Horrendous will put bands like Opeth and Archspire through their paces. 

Meanwhile the boys still know how to bring in the caveman riffs especially on tracks like Matter Of A Darker Nature that bring moody arpeggios whilst The Day We Avenge puts the caveman factor up to 10 with some chromic chunky riffs. Orals low growls still sound just as consistent as he did on their debut album Monument, but the production on this album has made Oral cut a lot more in the mix in comparison to their previous releases by making the low frequencies from his growls not get too lost in the low end, but still keeping his demonically deep delivery.

Carnophage Matter Of A Darker Nature is tech death as tech death comes. The guitars sound sharp and precise like a surgeons blade whilst still sounding as bludgeoning as a caveman's club, Whilst the drums sound accurate and punchy from it’s neck snapping blast beats to it pounding machine gun blasted simple double kick grooves whilst the vocals sound as brutally Low. In comparison to the bands back catalogue, I would say that this is their best sounding album to date since Monument. Everything sounds a lot more balanced and well captured, but also doesn’t have that honky mid range sound that Deformed Future/Genetic Nightmare had. 

For fans of Suffocation and Archspire. 7/10

ODA - ODA (RidingEasy Records) [Rich Piva]

Every re-release that RidingEasy Records puts out of a lost proto/hard/southern/whatever rock band from the 60s and 70s is essential listening to me. The sheer volume of amazing music that I have discovered from their Brown Acid series and now all of the full length represses is crazy. The crack research team at RE HQ are doing us a serious solid brining all of these bands and records to light. 

Some of my favourites have been from Fraction, Back Jack, Parchment Farm, Southern Steel, and Mammoth, just to name a few. The self-titled record from ODA falls into, and near the top of, this category too. Their self-titled album was released in 1971 and rips, with bands like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and other bands of thank ilk and time period as reference points. How this was not a big heavy rock album of the time I have no idea.

You get Led Zep like riffing on About You. Serious The Who vibes musically on Mable, particularly the Moon type effort on the drums. Vocally the band sounds like none of the bands I mentioned, but maybe more like Free, as outlined on Wasn’t Very Long, or maybe early The Doobie Brothers, but if they rocked even more. The proto is strong with ODA, evidence being songs like Gabriel and Hard Times. 

The band has a bit of Southern boogie for a band from California, with a track like Cheated as a good example, but then goes in a very unexpected direction with excellent results. The band also excels when they throw organ into the mix like they do on my favourite track, Give It Up and on Chance as well. Overall, this is 12 tracks of heavy 70s rock goodness that had no business not being heard by the masses at the time.

ODA should have been huge, but let us take solace in the fact that RidingEasy is at least bringing this lost classic to the masses in 2024. This album rocks and if you like your rock covered in the 70s, the real life 70s, not the bands pretending today, then go listen to this ODA record ASAP. 8/10 

Black Smoke Trigger - Horizons (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Having watched them supporting Bruce Dickinson earlier this year, New Zealand's Black Smoke Trigger impressed but didn't move too far out of their radio rock alt/post grunge style. Formed by virtuoso guitarist Wallace and vocalist Baldrick, Black Smoke Trigger remind me a lot of Alter Bridge on their earlier records before they became the arena beating act they are. 

Slick production, from Nick Raskulinecz, harder radio rock riffs and soulful vocals, it's a debut album that may have been released 20 years too late, but there is an audience who will lap this up in their droves. I'm talking of course the Sirius XM/Planet Rock, mainstream radio rock stations, where the moody beats of bassist Dan Fulton and Josh Te Maro on The Way Down and Proof Of Life, as Baldrick booms on the ballads such as Perfect Torture or the sneering Learn To Crawl while Wallace brings heavy riffs and melodic leads. 

Horizons is uber slick and has experience in every moment but it never really feels like it's doing anything new. Very much aimed at a US audience, they'll find a big audience but I'm still yet to be convinced. 6/10

Fourth Dominion - Diana’s Day (Fiadh Productions) [James Jackson]

Fourth Dominion stand somewhere between Alt and Goth Rock and Diana’s Day follows on from 2017’s debut album Wings Of A Dying Crow. Digging into the band a little, there’s a history and agenda that you the reader can peruse at your leisure, if it’s reflected in the lyrics then I personally missed it.

Musically there’s a promise of harder, darker material that doesn’t quite reach its peak, there’s plenty of reasonable riffs, acoustic guitar parts, seemingly intricate bass lines and melodies throughout the album, but they don’t amount to anything if substance. I get the droning faux melancholy of radio friendly Goth but it’s a dull album and I can’t really say anything more about it.

I’m sure that there’s a place for it somewhere but it’s not within my collection; I felt it meanders through mediocrity, I left the room a few times and genuinely don’t think I missed anything at all. No, just no. 3/10

Reviews: Hammerfall, Blues Pills, Blind Guardian, McPharaoh (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

HammerFall - Avenge The Fallen (Nuclear Blast Records)

Hammerfall play heavy metal, classic heavy metal how it's meant to be played, influencing countless power metal acts, Hammerfall have always been a band who share more with Judas Priest, Manowar etc al. Forming in the 1990's they carried the flag for heavy metal through nu-metal, metalcore and everything else in the last 30 years, never compromising their vision, well guitarist and band founder Oscar Dronjak's vision to be honest.

He's the heavy metal heart of this band alongside vocalist Joacim Cans are the band leaders of the band and on their 13th studio album they are thankful for being able to compose on the road has made it a record that brings the muscle of their live show to the record, many of the basic bones of these songs written and recorded in their tour bus right after they came off stage.

It makes the tracks here as muscular and anthemic as ever recorded by co-guitarist Pontus Norgren and mixed by Fredrik Nordstrom, the unified nature of this band on display as they try to keep as much 'in-house' as they can. Some of the ideas here that stem back 20 years but they blend seamlessly as Hammerfall haven't changed drastically in over 30 years. From the clarion call that is the title track through the galloping The End Justifies, Frederick Larsson's bass and drummer David Wallin moving at full speed here with a slower anthemic Hail To The King.

Dronjak and Norgren shred and chug with the likes of Downing/Tipton and Smith/Murray while Hope Springs Eternal is the albums big ballad ripe for Joacim Cans well honed vocal, giving a herculean effort on this record. Avenge The Fallen continues to fly the banner of heavy metal loud and proud, another winner from Hammerfall. 8/10

Blues Pills - Birthday (Pollinate Music/Throwdown)

While recording their fourth studio album, American/Swedish retro rock group Blues Pills discovered that their singer Elin Larsson was pregnant. Her band mates gathered around her during this time and supported her through her journey towards motherhood. Their bond as a band and Larsson's pregnancy hugely influenced the recording of this album.

Written in just a few weeks they wanted to keep it loose and live, attempting to mirror their incendiary stage show by showing up and banging it out. While Blues Pills would have to go a long way to fully recreate their live show on record, here they favour a more experimental approach than before, perhaps even a more modern one.

The jangly blues rocking of the title track starts the album, Larsson's voice sneering and shouting about not giving a damn as the 60's garage rock fizzes behind her as we move into the throbbing Don't You Love It, Kristoffer Schander's bass getting the lead for this propulsive rocker, that phases into the gospel claps of Bad Choices, if this one doesn't get you dancing round the room there's something wrong with you.

The experiments pay off too, as the soulful croon of Top Of The Sky is stunning, like a drug features some country influences, André Kvarnström's drumming spacious on Like A Drum and proggy on Piggyback Ride. With a funky grooving bottom end and Elin's brilliant vocals you may miss the interesting guitar riffs and melodies from Zack Anderson often used as a counterpoint to the rhythm, while with track such as Somebody Better he's got that fluidity of Hendrix.

Birthday sees Blues Pills celebrating through a creative experience and huge personal change. It's a slow burning but infectious listen. 9/10

Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited (Nuclear Blast)

I've made no secret about my love for Blind Guardian, the German band hold a special place in my heart. So much so I went all the way up to Manchester to see them play earlier this year. They've been a special band for a long time, and prior to the release of their last album The God Machine, they were doing the rounds paying tribute to 30 years of their breakthrough album Somewhere Far Beyond.

Playing the album in full at Hellfest and Rock Hard Festival, they recorded the shows but rather that releasing it as just a new live record the band struck upon the idea of re-recording the record as the rehearsals took place during COVID so they were unsure if they'd be able to actually perform the shows.

With the initial recording put down live, they then started to use their experience in production and performing to keep the album close to the 1992 original but perhaps heighten or tweak things they were initially unhappy with. Keeping all of the bombast, choirs and orchestral elements from the original the major change comes from the depth of the guitars.

In 1992 they were a speed metal band discovering new textures, in 2022/2024 they're an established power/symphonic metal band who rely more of heaviness than speed. Essentially the record is how these songs are played now, by the current line up of Blind Guardian, the guitar playing much tighter and with fewer overdubs, making it rawer but also more precise.

With a sonic overhaul in place, meticulously crafted to keep it contemporary but never too far removed from the original, it never detracts from the quality of the album, classics such as Quest For Tanelorn, the title track and of course The Bards Song, which is still sung loud and proud at every Blind Guardian gig.

I could go into every single nuance of the production but better men than I can do that. Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited, is not essential, but it is a new way to hear one of power metal's defining moments. 9/10

McPharaoh - Burgertario (Self Released)

The continuing stories of the McPharaoh are brought to the wider audience again with the new 'EP' Burgertario. A 16 minute suite that features yet more film/TV samples (kudos on putting Beavis & Butthead alongside Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) continuing where things left off on their monolithic debut full length.

It's another load of Marty Friedman worship with super shredding throughout that often encapsulates a number of genres. Impressive and bonkers the scaling of Burgertario, continues this farcical project, which although it was born from A.I artwork, the quality of the musicianship is very real. 7/10

Reviews: Dogs D'Amour, Wizard Tattoo, The Devil Rides In, King Zog (Reviews By Rich Piva)

Dogs D'Amour - Dynamite China Years: Complete Recordings 1988-1993 (HNE/Cherry Red Records)

In the States the Dogs D'Amour were lumped in with the hair band stuff. Part was when they came out, part was their look, and part was there sound. But like a band like Cinderella, under all that hair and makeup was an English heavy blues rock band, more Stones than Poison but with just enough Hanoi Rocks to cover that glam side of things. 

Our friends at Cherry Red have taken all of the band’s material from their formative years and given us one nice place to ingest it all in the form of this 8 CD box set. Yes, 8 CDs. That is a lot, and some of this is for fans only, but these guys were solid and it is about time we had an all-inclusive set for fans and people looking to check out what these guys were all about.

You get their studio albums from this era, including he must listen In The Dynamite Jet Saloon which is killer from start to finish. You get the other three studio albums as well, with my favourite being Straight??!! But all are worth your time if you dig the Dogs sound. 

 The first CD, The (Un)Authorised Bootleg Album, is a cool look into some shelved tunes meant for a Japanese release. For fans this thing is a goldmine, with more live tracks and B-sides than a DD nut could possibly go for, but a lot of it is for huge fans only, which is the fun of a set like this. Use it to get familiar as a newbie or dive way deep as a fan.

Once again, Cherry Red is the place to go for these sets. The do such a good job with all of it; the music, the packaging, all of it. So if you are a fan or if you are looking to potentially be, Dynamite China Years – Complete Recordings 1988-1993 can be a place to start or even complete your Dogs D'Amour fandom. 8/10

Wizard Tattoo - Living Just For Dying (Garage Fire Records)

The weird and wonderful world of Wizard Tattoo is back as the epic journey continues with the latest EP, Living Just For Dying. This one is four songs that are very chill and defiantly more of a slow burn than the previous material, but really fun nonetheless.

The opening title track leans more towards folk metal and is the acoustic driven set up for this leg of the story. Wizard Tattoo does Nick Cave if you will. The Wizard Who Loved me is also a slower track with beautiful female vocals to go along with our hero. The chill stops there as we go black metal with Tomorrow Dies. 

You get growled vocals and the whole Black Metal experience, excited very well. If WT decided to stay in one lane Black Metal may not be a bad choice, but who wants WT to stay in one lane? No one does, that’s who. That is where the heavy ends as Sanity’s Eclipse takes us back to acoustic driven, with an almost internal fight closing out the story, the Tattoo vs the man, with a strings accompaniment, synths, and crickets. Yup. The closer builds nicely and is so not the end of this epic adventure.

The story continues, and I hope it keeps going, as the wacky world of Wizard Tattoo has a fun new chapter in the story, as Living Just For Dying is delightfully all over the place and once again totally worth your time. 7/10

Various Artists - The Devil Rides In Spellbinding Satanic Magick & The Rockult 66-74 (Strawberry/Cherry Red Records)

The late 60s was a time where there was a true satanic panic in the world. Certain members of society, rightly or wrongly, thought the dark lord was driving society in a negative direction, creating a boogie man in the form of the devil. All these long hairs were chanting incantations in their basements and selling their souls. 

Sounds a lot like today, considering the reaction to the French Olympic Games opening ceremony and the reaction from the Right here in the US. Gojira apparently are super evil, who knew. The latest satanic panic is in full swing, which is why this new compilation from Chery Red Records, The Devil Rides In Spellbinding Satanic Magick & The Rockult 66-74, is so timely, even though the songs are 50-60 years old.

 
This comp is big and there is a lot to absorb here, but all of these tracks are influenced by Satan in some way, either directly calling him out or being a bit more subtle. Either way, there are some great tracks on here. Death Walks Behind You by Atomic Rooster is a classic amongst classics. Early Genesis, Free, and Argent are standouts for bands you may be familiar with. The Arthur Brown track (not Fire) is great too. 

Some other bands that shine that I was not familiar with include Third Ear Band, Mighty Baby, and Tintern Abbey. You get 55 tracks of early prog, proto proto, and creepy rock that are all worth a listen. It is a lot, but take the time because there is nothing on here that would be an automatic skip.
Cherry Red is the best and these comps, and if you love evil in your rock and love the late 60s and early 70s vibe, then The Devil Rides In Spellbinding Satanic Magick & The Rockult 66-74 is for you. 8/10

King Zog - Second Dawn (Rue Morgue Records)

Is Australian doom metal your thing? Apparently, it is mine, as some bands from down under lately have really caught my attention. Bands like Oceanlord and Rocky’s Pride and Joy amongst others have really been getting a lot of love from me. The love affair continues with Perth’s King Zog and their new album of doomy goodness, the aptly titled Second Dawn. With a brand-new lineup and an expanded sound, including synths and other non-traditional doom metal instruments, King Zog bring us eight killer tracks that lines them up nicely with the other Aussie bands that are killing it in the doom metal scene. 

The heaviness of the band is felt from the first riff and heavy drop in of the rhythm section on the short intro opener, Scelestic Dusk and into the first full track, Rat King. You like trad doom because this is some low and slow killer trad doom. Love the solo on this one too. The tuned way down guitars matches perfectly with the very cool layered vocals across all eight tracks on Second Dawn. Did I mention tuned down and slow doom? Hollow Man Blues is here for you too. 

The riffs are for real on Second Dawn, strong enough to slay the zombies that adorn the album cover. Creep On tries to dare the band to go even slower and turn up the sludge, and wins that battle. Madagascar Tree picks up the pace ever so slightly as well as the creepy factor, as this one elicits some serious horror movie vibes. I love the vocals on this one too. 

There is not a weak track on Second Dawn, with Brute Beast being probably my favourite track on the record, mostly due to the very cool tempo change and is that flute that shows up in the middle of the track? The epic doom title track closer pummelling you for eleven-minutes plus is the perfect way to close this heavy adventure out. 

 

Australian doom is a genre into itself and I am here for it. King Zog is right up at the top of the list of killer bands, with Second Dawn its submittal for them to be leading the way. 8/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Tyla & Dog’s D’Amour (Live Review By Tony Gaskin)

Tyla's Dogs D’Amour And More: An Evening Of Raucous Rock ‘n’ Roll, The Billesley Rock Club, Birmingham, Friday 26.07.24 By Tony Gaskin

Deb was going to write this review originally, but I thought I’d hijack it so not to give an overly biased review from a fangirl of 40 years or so! Yep, Deb was old enough to go see the original line-up of the Dog’s D’Amour at the legendary Hummingbird in Brum (for the outrageous amount of £5!) But what could we expect from tonight?

The event was billed as “Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour with special guests The Balladmongrels and Matty James Cassidy & The Real Villains” What it actually was, was nearly three hours of excellent rock ‘n’ roll performed over three acts, almost like a mini rock opera.

Act 1 was the 3 piece fronted by bass player Matt James Cassidy. This was the Real Villains.

Playing a selection of Cassidy’s songs, it unmistakably takes its cue from the old school rockers like Cash, Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis et al, but with lyrics and and swagger that brings it bang up to date, showing that classic rock’n’roll is still relevant. Cassidy has the attitude and presence that reminds me of the late great Joe Strummer in his Mescaleros days. Old Souls was my favourite of the set, followed by “Up in Smoke” which had a Ricky Warwick vibe to it.

So on to Act 2, the three on stage are joined by guitarist, Gary Pennick and the main man himself, Tyla.

This part of the show went under the guise of The Balladmongrels a project of Cassidy and Tyla and takes its name from Tyla’s 1994 solo album The Life And Times Of A Ballad Monger. Continuing the classic R’n’R theme, the expanded band on stage gave a much fuller sound, adding that bluesy touch that was such a big part of much of the original Dogs material.

Tyla has lost none of his Black Country humour, and kept us amused throughout the evening with jokes and anecdotes, but he also hasn’t lost that distinctive raspy vocals that he was well known for. That was nicely balanced by the harmonies of Cassidy and Pennick and although they only played five songs (all from the latest album Trouble) you couldn’t help but smile and feel satisfied that you’d just watched a great band. Stand out track for me was Evil Under The Moon

So onto the Final Act, the culmination of all that’s gone before us. The band return to the stage (minus the Real Villains guitarist, sorry don’t know your name!) to perform a 90 minute set worthy of an arena headline slot. There were 18 tracks on the set list and I’m sure they must have thrown in a couple of others for good measure.

The reason I decided to write this review of the gig was simply because I came away with a huge grin and buzzing. This was how small club and pub gigs used to be. The Golden Eagle, The Mermaid, The Fighting Cocks. All legendary Brum venues that hosted some notorious gigs back in the day, and this felt like I was back there. I honestly didn’t know much about Tyla's Dogs D’Amour before coming to this gig. I knew the tracks Hurricane and Drunk Like Me but that was probably the whole of my knowledge regarding this band, and I now feel I’ve missed out on a huge part of British rock history.

Tyla has to be one of the most underrated lyricists that came out of the British rock scene in the 80s. Opening up with Billy Two River and Last Bandit I soon realised this was not what I was expecting. I honestly expected a British version of Skid Row, or Poison, but this was a band that firmly had its roots in British rock. The blues influence of the Stones, the lyrical style of The Faces all come through with Tyla’s gruff vocals adding their own distinctive stamp on it all.

The set continued with classics from the golden era of the Dogs, and it didn’t feel like nearly 90 mins and as they closed out with the crowd pleasing trio of Drunk Like Me, Satellite Kid and Errol Flynn the crowd wanted more, but this band of troubadours were all done for another night.

It’s not often a “pub” gig will rate up there as gig of the year, but this is potentially in my top 3. I’ve finally got to know Tyla and his Dogs, nearly 40 years too late, but better late than never! I’ve given a 10/10 score for the whole evening as that’s how I viewed it

Dogs D'Amour: Dynamite China Years – Complete Recordings 1988-1993, 8CD Box Set is out now.

Reviews: Monument Of Misanthropy, Barbarian Hermit, Vanitas, Mister Misery (Reviews By Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Monument of Misanthropy - Vile Postmortem Irrumatio (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Mark Young]

I think this is a first for me. A death metal concept album that is based on real-life events, specifically that of Ed Kemper. I know that serial killers have been used extensively (Slayer, Dead Skin Mask as a starter for ten) but I’ve not heard of an entire album devoted to one person. You know that this is going to be some trip, and in terms of the label ‘Brutal death metal’ they live up to that title here. 

It might be worth a few lines on who Ed Kemper, who was nicknamed the co-ed killer due to murdering 7 women and one girl in the early 70’s. This included his mother and her friend. Before then, he’d killed his Grandparents although incarcerated, his high IQ and manipulation of psychiatric testing meant he was released. It’s also for the best not to google the album title either (other search engines are available).

With a canvas like this, you could argue that Monument Of Misanthropy could just throw a load of growls and blast beats at you and call it a day. Not so, they have taken the time to put this together in a way that tells this horrific story in the finest way possible. The opener, First Time It Makes You Sick To Your Stomach (even the titles are a step above) comes at you like a first-rate horror film. Voiceovers whilst it gradually builds in the background then boom, How To Make A Killer detonates. 

It’s a full-on assault – rapid-fire drumming, vocals that fit the grisly tableau, and a satisfying guitar come together, as intense as you like. The Atascasdero Years comes at you like a frenzied beast from the shadows, taking the initiative and running with it as they deploy some off-kilter riffing. This is the soundtrack of nightmares, and its fantastic. It’s not just one riff or just blast beats, the build strikes like it’s been written for a scene in a film. 

Hits One And Two drops some technical wizardry amongst the brutality, and almost kills the song, it feels too bright if that makes sense especially when sat with the fully-fledged brutality of the track. The actual playing of the piece is great, it doesn’t fit here but I’ll let it slide. Manipulating The Experts is pure class, it’s a simple riff but the whole song is devastating in attack, pushing and digging forward while the title track is phenomenal. 

If you ask what brutal death metal should sound like, well it should sound like this. George “Misanthrope” Wilfinger on vocals absolutely nails it here. Delivering lyrics of murderous intent that you can actually hear. There is a guitar line on here, running in support of the chorus/mid-section that is mint. The Devil's Slide fights with the title track for best song here, this time the virtuosity deployed fits, expanding the track to mesmeric levels as it takes flight, pummelling you on the way past. 

We finish with Pueblo Paranoia, a spoken word track over the band until George growls his way in, riffs are thrown out with ease, the use of scales to invoke a sense of panic are fabulous. I’ve got to mention the machine behind the kit, Eugene Ryabchenko (Fleshgod Apocalypse) for the precision and speed displayed here. It is a fitting end, closing an album that has no weak points or duff songs and should be held as an example of how to do brutal death metal. 

The use of spoken word extracts gives the album a level of authenticity, as well as adding a layer of darkness over everything. It reinforces that there are people like this out there and gives the songs extra heft. It’s a bonus that is added to the songs, songs that are so well-built, that deliver on the promise of being truly brutal. They are as brutal as the source material, and in doing so have dropped one of the albums of the year. (yes, even with an intro piece) 10/10

Barbarian Hermit - Mean Sugar (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]

 
Manchester's big bad Barbarians are back. In fact they have gone right back with original vocalist Simon Scarlett re-joining the fold in 2020. So on this second album they have expanded on the maturity they had on 2018's Solitude And Savagery but brought back the raw riffage that appeared on their debut EP One, which was the last one Simon performed on. 

One itself was given an audio makeover and re-released by APF in 2021 so you could say Mean Sugar is really a sequel to that and on the title track we get going with the phasered heavy doom. Yep those grumbling bass rhythms from Rob Sutcliffe drive the heavy alongside Gareth Manning's massive drumbeats, coming back with something similar on Stranger Than Fiction.

The thick syrupy grooves and distortion are back on the menu then boys, it sounds meaty, recorded by Joe Clayton at No Studio and mastered by Chris Fielding (Foel Studios), swaggering smashers such as Battle Of Kompromat come out of the sludgesphere and while sludge, doom and stoner are touch points here. Barbarian Hermit try to infuse their collective influences into it as well as make sure they are telling stories with their songs. Stories about politics, a pandemic cost of living crisis and war, these demons exercised by playing loud music with your mates; be it the sinister sycophants on the southern/gospel tinged Who Put 50p In You, the psychedelic meandering on Stitched Up, Simon can growl, grunt and croon over it.

 
Providing the riffs as per usual are Mike Regan and Adam Robertshaw, with the repeating fuzz of the Big Muff into an octave shifter on the beginning of Deadbolt gets quickly shifted into chugging, but it's with tracks such as Kick Up The Dust they get squidgy with the riffs linking them with some organs/synths for a a bit of classic hard rocking, further distancing themselves from being lumbered with the doom/stoner tag, the closer Heal The Tyrant wrapping up Mean Sugar as the beginning of the new Barbarian Hermit, one where they still pay lip service to the scene they were born from but take risks to spread their wings a bit. Music for beer drinking and hell raising. Turn it up! 9/10

Vanitas - Chaos Theory (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Birmingham purveyors of cinematic djent return with their sophomore release and it's just more, more than what they have done before, sweeping orchestral add a feeling of soundtracking, be it video games or fantasy films. There's massive swathes on E.D.G and the title track, the latter a bit more nuanced as they take a similar vein to Symphony X's sound on Paradise Lost.

The orchestral movements come from Dakesis/CapsAarx man Matt Jones who also mixed and mastered the record but obviously these orchestral are the topping to a very strong prog metal cake. The bands experience with opening/playing with some of the best around shows on tracks such as the full frontal prog of Queen Of Nowhere, it's heavy and aggressive.

Jade Maris utilising the full breadth of her voice from the aggressive roars to the soaring cleans, a trick she repeats a few times but it never gets old, both styles of vocal managed perfectly against the heavy djenty backing that sees rhythm section of Jon Willingham (bass) and Jackson Cann (drums) get to impress with the start stop riffs on Grey Morality and the grooves of Lies while the guitar duo of Mitchell Barlow and Elijah Storer, alternate between those chugging riffs, widdly leads and speedy thrash.

Vanitas return with a much heavier sound than they have had before this and it pays off well on their second release. 8/10

Mister Misery - Mister Misery (AFM Records) [Mark Young]

Now you can appreciate the graft that goes into pulling any artistic endeavour together, especially when it is then thrust into the world with high expectations and receive the kind word of strangers (such as me) who review such efforts. It has to be a little disheartening when after all that work someone (like me) pops up and declares ‘he didn’t like it’. 

The self-titled new album is their third since forming in 2018. This is certainly a metallic effort, but I just couldn’t get on with it. I’ve said this before that it’s not aimed at my ‘vintage’ and would find more traction with younger ages such as those who are in their formative years who may find this music new and exciting. 

Their bio is positive enough noting that they are leaning into the Horror Metal area and wear the corpse paint and look the part, but what about the songs? 

Are you sitting comfortably? Let’s begin.

Root Of All Evil comes in with a great chunky riff, pounding steadily with some decent death vocals from Harley Vendetta and its promising, even with what feels like a deathcore feel to it. Its rapid which I dig and then the clean vocals, presented in a way that is meant to be anthemic and suddenly my spider sense starts to tingle. There’s something about it that is making my teeth itch but in the interests of giving it a fair crack of the whip I’ll stick with it but as the song progresses that clean refrain returns, transitioning into a lead break which is admittedly impressive, but the dye is cast. 

There is a place for that dirt / clean vocal approach, but this feels as though it is a blatant attempt at writing a metal hit. They continue with Erzsébet (The Countess) with an arrangement that reminds me of so many other bands. The way it’s put together again suggests that emphasis has been placed on having hooks and sing-along moments, again aimed at a certain fan-group. It’s too transparent and as a result of that it makes me feel that it is a cynical act on their part. 

Which is a shame, because they have a knack for melodic metal, Eye Of The Storm has a great build but the cleans ruin it, as does the expected ‘hooky’ moment as well as the vocal inflections that accompany it. Same dance with Hand Of Death, the actual guitar work is great when it’s in heavy mode, it’s the cleans that drop the ball. 

Unfortunately for me, this theme continues for the remainder of the album – great riffs and ideas ruined by the singing. No, that is incorrect. It’s the way that they have consciously shoe-horned that sing-along piece into every song. It’s too clean, too polished, and doesn’t feel dangerous in any way at all. I think this is the first time I’ve thrown the towel in after only 4 songs. It’s better this way, because as I wrap up this review, I will point out the positives without wasting my time and becoming unnecessarily bitter and twisted about it. Which I think is fair.  

Musically, it performed well. The guitars are heavy and there are great riffs on here as well as some tasty melodic parts that could serve them well going forward. I know they aren’t for me or even aimed at me and that is fine. 5/10

Reviews: Powerwolf, Then Comes The Night, Asenblut, Blacklist (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Zak Skane, James Jackson & Mark Young)

Powerwolf - Wake Up The Wicked (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

Everyone's favourite Lycan Lovers, Powerwolf return with their new album Wake Up The Wicked, following up their 2021 record Call Of The Wild they are once again here to bring sexy back to power metal, having added new wrinkles to their approach with every release and honing a live show like no other and on Wake Up The Wicked the 10th album in their 20 year career they cast their spell over the listener with some cinematic, baroque, sinful power metal inspired by tales from the 16th Century, including witchcraft, werewolves and W.A.P (ask a young person). 

Joost Van Den Broek's production is epic, the orchestrations on Kyrie Klitorem and Viva Vulgata are colossal, while Heretic Hunters gallops with the lustful conviction of Matthew Hopkins. What I've noticed is that Attila Don's vocals are the most varied they have been in a long time, almost theatrical on Wake Up The Wicked as Charles and Matthew Greywolf get a chance to play some classic power metal on Joan Of Arc as Thunderpriest rampages with Roel van Helden taking the double kicks as We Don't Wanna No Saints sums up the whole Powerwolf ethos Falk Maria Schlegel's organs working their way through all of the tracks as Vargamor has as much Lupine mentions as Sonata Arctica. 

Wake Up The Wicked doesn't move too far from Powerwolf's core sound, but it's more anthems for them to play on stage where they are superstars. 8/10

Then Comes The Night – Start The Change (Metalapolis Records) [Zak Skane]

Hailing from southern Germany Then Comes The Night brings us a heavy and power metal approach spiced up with some classic Rock and Roll. Since 2019 the band has released 2….well technically 3 albums, their debut album Chapter 1 in 2022 which sealed their stamp on the local scene by featuring collaborations from Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear, Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens from KK’s Priest and Tim Kanoa Hansen from Induction. Their second release in 2023 Start The Change….yes I know this the same album that is being reviewed but when this album was first released a year ago independently the band was proposed by Metalapolis Records to re-release the album on worldwide distribution by SPV.

So if you haven’t heard the album before it’s opens up on a major note with the title track Start The Change beginning with an innocent xylophone melody before we get some Marty Freedman J-rock styled major keyed twin guitar harmonies which are then followed by some classic power metal styled pedal note riffage along with some vitro styled guitar solos. The vocals have a more raw production to them, meaning that I can’t hear much reverb or delay complementing the tracks, but I got to respect that there is no signs of auto-tune on these vocal takes. 

Because in some of the high notes you can hear the vocalist sound quite strained in some section on this track. But this concern is rectified in the second track Roar Out Your Anger because the arrangements are tuned to a lower key to help with vocalist to explore the gravely lows to piercing highs with flawless ease. With the lower tunings, the guitars sound more thick, which allows great a marriage with the double kick grooves to create this great Judas Priest sounding effort. The mid crushing tempos of The Gypsy Curse opens up with some oriental inspired strings before we get pounded down with some slow elephant weighted drum grooves, whilst low dark sounding guitars hum evil tunes along with raspy vocals and baritone pitched backing vocals. 

Princess Of The Heart brings in some good ol’ sing along's, up beat riffage and story telling lyrics. To close the first half of the album the band brings us a cover of Letter X’s Leather On Leather by giving it an update by doing away with the 80/90 sounding synths and pushing the guitars more in the front of the mix, whilst replacing the retro reverb drums with a fat sounding production and raspy vocals. To open up the second part of the album we got some classic rock god levels of attitude with the opening drum solo in Badass D that would make Cosy Powell proud. 

This track brings in the golden era of rock sound with some classic glam metal riffage and a solo to match. Other high lights on this album is the piano driven track In My Mind which pulls the guitars right down and every drum hit becomes more ginger and articulate to help the vocals become more front and centre. 

The closing track shows the band throwing everything into the mix from a classic up beat classical orchestral score that would make Andrew Lloyd Webber shed a tear whilst being followed by the major key riffage that has come back from the opening track to conclude the bands sonic journey. Not only are we re-greeted with the major riffs attack, the band finish on heavenly note as the track fades out by baritone choired harmonies that the accompanies the vocalists last echoing verses. Even though the bands members have lessened in size this has not stopped them from sounding larger than. 

For fans of Judas Priest, Van Halen and Motley Crue. 7/10

Asenblut - Entfesselt (Massacre Records) [James Jackson]

Viking Death Metal from Germany according to the bio that comes with this year’s release of Asenblut’s fifth full length album, Entfesselt; building upon a discography that began with 2009’s Aufbruch. Viking based ? Hard to tell to be perfectly honest as lyrically it’s sung in German and at times performed in a more black metal style vocalisation, which would make the most English of phrases indecipherable. There are, according to the bio - again; references to Lovecraftian Gods, man’s accomplishment and triumphs over land sea and air, gladiators, witchcraft and the obvious, Vikings. 

Though all of these references are lost within the language barrier, the emphasis upon which they’re sung is not at all in question. As for that death metal, it’s hard to actually pigeonhole this one, for at times there’s a lot of groove to it rather than anything flat out death metal and the aforementioned Dagon has an intriguing addition of an orchestral bridge, Wolfe des Meeres has quite a catchy melodic interlude and solo work blending into a very black metal finale. 

I have quite the love/hate relationship with death metal, developed over years of discovering genres that offer the same intensity without the monotonous elements that I attribute and hear from so many bands of the genre, Asenblut have taken that formula and added a bit of depth and substance to it, offering a blend of techniques that keep the listener interested. 7/10

Blacklist - With Murderous Intent (Self Released) [Mark Young]

And to round off my week, here’s Blacklist with their second full length album! With Murderous Intent they push themselves further again, keeping all of the nasty, snarling super-speed riffs whilst using some of the most celebrated celluloid monsters as a source. Indeed, there is a certain feel that in order to move forward they have looked to the past for their own key influences and have simply ran with it.

 
Cannibal leads us on that merry dance that takes no time at all in establishing what we can expect here – riffs a plenty, high-speed drums and gang vocals. Fans of classic thrash will be at home here as there are so many throwbacks it could almost be classed as comfort food for the ears. Tyler mixing up the vocal attack adds a lot to this and where would we be without whammy bar abuse?

Blood Baptism has that fist in the air groove to it, once again it has those class thrash motifs running through it and I’ll be honest now you will have heard this before, but it doesn’t detract from the energy they put into it. So far, so good. Where they really get interesting is on The Shape. An excerpt of Donald Pleasance’s Doctor Loomis (or a very accurate sound-alike) intoning when he first met Michael Myers ushers in a frantic tale devoted to Halloween's unkillable villain. 

Writing about this gives seems to lift this material higher than the opening 1-2 and feels fuller in its sound. What they don’t do is suffer any drop in the intensity. Even in the slower, melodic sections where there is some guitar fireworks on display its still moving which is all you want. Possessing of a frankly mental lead break, its top stuff backed with some of ‘those’ chord choices that really makes it stand out. 

Nostromo does the same trick, again introduced by Ash, the treacherous android from Alien. It manages to condense the film into 4 minutes replete with a cracking chorus that should be blinding live. If anything, it’s a little too similar to The Shape, but you can forgive them for selecting two classic films to write about. It has given them full reign to just go for it on them both.

Getting back to earth, Kill The Coroner is next and occupies that mid-tempo range with some chugging riffs that sit in the lower end of the neck. That they manage to wring so much out of that riff pattern says a lot about how they put their songs together. 

The Dismemberment Blade is the short sharp stab of the album and is rapid, with Matt Longshaw playing out of his skin behind the kit on this one. They manage to cram in some tasty lead breaks too, but that verse riff is just royal (Is it from Texas Chainsaw?). 

Keeping the guess the horror film going, Naturom Demonto starts with everyone’s favourite large chinned B movie star asking a ‘lady’ to leave his store (Shop Smart, Shop S-Mart) and we are straight into a song about possession, Evil Dead style. It’s fun and if it’s in tribute to Evil Dead then its bonus points from me. That sense of fun is running through it, I know it’s not serious topic, but this is exactly the sort of thing I want – good time metal to distract from all of the real evil in the world. Again, it brings us more of that heads down riffology that naturally makes you nod your head.

 
And the references keep getting better as on Lethal Infection they take us to far-off lands where a pesky Sumatran Rat-Monkey causes mayhem and a plague of Zombies courtesy of Peter Jackson prior to him becoming a serious director. There is some storming down-picking going on as well as triplets which is just fantastic. The way they deploy the differing vocal attacks go a long way here too, not lingering with one style for too long and of course they give us some more face-melting guitar work which has been a constant all the way through the album.

 
They close out with Never Sleep Again, combining two melodic lines in its opening bars before they drop the hammer. It’s as strong as anything on here, going between the fast and mid-tempo ranges to great effect. The guitars here are razor sharp, each playing for the other as they drop heavy riff after heavy riff. It is a great ending track and it’s an album they should be proud of.

 
I’ll let you guess the film…

I mentioned earlier that if you are a lover of thrash from its golden era then a lot of ideas on here, or at least the execution will be familiar to you. In the same breath, if you are a lover of thrash then you will love this. Its that simple. The opening tracks were decent to start with but as soon as The Shape kicked in it was like a different animal. 

There is some exceptional solo work on here (Messrs Larkin and McLoughlin) that stay on that right side of mental and it would be remiss of me not to mention Curtis on bass, responsible for keeping those two In check. I can’t give this enough praise, so I’ll stop and give it an 8/10

Ps – If I have got any film references wrong, so what.