Avatarium: Hurricanes And Halos (Nuclear Blast)
One of the hardest working men in metal is Leif Edling, bassist of doom godfathers Candlemass and about a billion other projects. We recently reviewed the fabulous doom laden debut from The Doomsday Kingdom and now Edling returns with the third full release from Avatarium, the band who formed in 2013. It's been two years since the sophomore Girl With The Raven Mask which was a superb follow up on the self titled debut. Hurricanes And Halos has a real 1970s Deep Purple feel throughout, and nowhere more so than the opening two tracks, especially the Hammond soaked opener Into The Storm. Carl Westholm's keyboards take centre stage as Into The Storm and The Starless Sleep both race at full pace. Jennie Ann Smith's unique blues soaked vocals come into their own on the blues rock tinge of Road To Jerusalem which contains some beautiful guitar work from Marcus Jidell. This track is quite a departure from the usual melancholic doom, featuring a slower paced acoustic approach that is one of the most atmospheric tracks the band has ever written. It's quite stunning. Medusa Child contains a skull crushing riff guaranteed to stove the cranium whilst the child vocal is both apt for the song and hauntingly scary.
The Sky At The Bottom Of The Sea is next, a super Dio era Rainbow tune, high paced and full of pomp and ceremony. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking this had been written by RJD and Ritchie Blackmore. More crunchy keys here, the highlight of the whole album for me being the way they underpin virtually every track. In additon, there is some brilliant Ian Paice jazz fused drumming thanks to the sterling efforts of Lars Skold. The pace slows right down on When Breath Turns To Air, a moody, measured beauty which would sit perfectly in a smoke filled cafe or bar. Jennie Ann Smith's soothing velvet tones supported by sublime keys, relaxed rhythm and delicate guitar work. It's an astonishingly good piece. Penultimate track A Kiss (From The End Of The World) starts with intricate flamenco style guitar before exploding into a massive doom laden riff which evolves majestically during the nine minute epic journey. Powerful and brooding, it slows but loses none of its strength. It is imperious. The album closes with the instrumental title track, a lone bass drum joined by deep resonating bass which then peaks before fading eerily into the distance. This is one of the best albums of the year, by a mile. Treat yourself to Hurricanes And Halos. It is fantastic. 10/10
Hawkwind: Into The Woods (Cherry Red Records)
Album number 30 for the sonic masters and it’s another fantastic release. Last year the band’s take on EM Forster’s dystopian novel The Machine Stops was just thrilling and the band show no sign of stopping. Beautifully paced and delivered, the combination of Dave Brock’s wisdom and guidance along with more recent additions to the band is evident. As with all Hawkwind releases, Into The Woods is a combination of driving space rock which is synonymous with the band and some more bizarre compositions. Tracks like Magic Mushrooms, Have You Seen Them and the trippy Space Ship Blues are ageless. The themes of nature and environment are up front and unapologetic. Vegan Lunch is just pure space boogie whilst the title track, Cottage In The Woods and the gorgeous melody of Wood Nymph all place nature in majesty. By now you’ll either get Hawkwind or dismiss them as aging hippies. For me the band remain rock’s consciousness about the state of the world around us, standing proud alongside the likes of Gojira and Crippled Black Phoenix. Prophetic as always, the band’s views are as accurate now as they were in the 1970s. As Dave Brock and co. Continue to deliver the goods, we should remain thankful. The Machine has not stopped yet. Long may they continue. 9/10
Woodhawk: Beyond The Sun (Self Released)
Straight forward fuzzed up stoner rock with a Sabbath riff coursing through every song. Welcome to Woodhawk, a power trio from the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. Beyond The Sun is a stomper of an album, albeit following a tried and trusted formula. Turner Mizdan plays a dirty mean guitar, Mike Badmington thunders the bass and Kevin Nelson hits seven shades out of the drums. If you like the sounds of The Sword, Mastodon, Clutch and the craft of RavenEye (A New Hope is especially reminiscent of the Milton Keynes trio) then you’ll dig this release. At just under 40 minutes it does the business and then heads off to the pub. Can’t fault it. 7/10
Friday, 12 May 2017
Reviews: Magenta, The Unity, Earth Witch
Magenta: We Are Legend (Tigermoth Records)
Magenta's new album should have been titled 'the prog returns' as it harks back to the band's first three records. With the three (yes three) songs on this record all having that progressive lushness that Revolutions, Seven and Home featured, along with the band also exploring new sounds and themes. Having heard the three tracks on this record at their recent live show I knew what to expect but hearing them laid down with the production and all the nuances of the music, the songs sounded amazing. Let's address the idea of a record having three songs and still calling it an album not an EP, well this is due to the track lengths opening number Trojan is nigh on 27 minutes long (that's one side of vinyl folks) with Colours and Legend both clocking in at over 10 minutes.
I'll try not to go into too much detail on every song as they need to be listened too to be fully appreciated but Trojan is staggering a masterpiece in composition and creating soundscapes the influences are clear Pink Floyd, Mike Oldfield and pre-Duke Genesis, the core trio of Christina Booth (vocals), Chris Fry (guitar) and band leader Rob Reed (keys) are all at the peak of their powers Christina soars powerfully over the colossal synths and processed beats of Rob Reed, it's his mastery of the keys that drives this band much like bands such as Yes, Genesis and Marillion they are an integral vital part of the bands signature sound and hear they hold the entire band together propelling us through the 27 minutes with ease.
That's not to understate the contribution of the other band members Chris Fry has been there since the beginning and his guitar playing is deft, expressive and stunning his Gilmour-like solos are at times the only rest-bite in the elongated musical passages. The record also features a Herculean effort from new boys and Kinky Wizzard Jon 'Jiffy Griffiths (drums) and Dan Nelson (bass) who are a linchpin for so many of the songs just check out the percussive middle section of Trojan which uses tom-toms and a bass throb like Floyd do on Time. Colours is a more melodic piece with a slightly different sound to the opening song, it's got an almost paranoid quirkiness, it's about Van Gogh so that could be why, the classic prog sound is still there but it's a bit more relaxed, fluid and dramatic, while Legend finishes the album on huge high with more direct, darker song. Magenta are back folks, they are oft overlooked but if you are a fan of any progressive rock this is must buy. 10/10
The Unity: Unity (SPV)
Formed by two members of Gamma Ray, The Unity is the new project of Henjo Richter (guitar) and Michael Ehre (drums) with countless hours spent in the studio and on the live stage the duo found that they were creating music together that wouldn't fit into Gamma Ray sphere so they recruited talented writers and players in the shape of Italian Gianba Manenti (vocals), Stef E (guitarist), Jogi Sweers (bass) and keyboardist Sascha Onnen all of whom were in Ehre's previous band Love.Might.Kill. This album takes parts of the Love.Might.Kill sound bringing in a slick AOR stylings on the latter part of the album which suffers from ballad bloat while Never Forget is great others like the Always Just You is overblown, elsewhere it's prime melodic rock with the opening duo of Rise And Fall and No More Lies kicking the album off with a bang as tracks such as Firesign ramp up the heavy. The musicianship is of a high standard throughout with Richter and Stef playing up a storm, Manetti's vocals shine too principally on the bluesy The Wishing Well and the incredibly Whitesnake sounding Redeemer. The Unity's debut is full of powerful European melodic rock delivered at the level you'd expect from those involved. 7/10
Earth Witch: Out Of The Shallow (Self Released)
Urbana, Illinois is probably not that known for anything outside of agriculture and being the place HAL 9000 was made operational in 2001: A Space Odyssey. They don't have a particularly rich musical heritage but Earth Witch are looking to change that. This trio play the scuzzy type of metal that hails Sabbath and nods to Sleep, the hypnotic doom of Butterfly shows the band at their trippy best, but the rest of the album is thundering riffage, colossal instrumental sections on Mermaid that has swirling organs and a repetitive riff, gruff vocals shout the lyrics as the doom heaviness continues without abatement, this record apparently speeds things up since their debut EP and while that is true the band excel at bearded doom favoured by bands ranging from Earth to Electric Wizard. Out Of Shallow pairs formidable guitars with hefty use of synths in this trippy doom laden debut. 7/10
Magenta's new album should have been titled 'the prog returns' as it harks back to the band's first three records. With the three (yes three) songs on this record all having that progressive lushness that Revolutions, Seven and Home featured, along with the band also exploring new sounds and themes. Having heard the three tracks on this record at their recent live show I knew what to expect but hearing them laid down with the production and all the nuances of the music, the songs sounded amazing. Let's address the idea of a record having three songs and still calling it an album not an EP, well this is due to the track lengths opening number Trojan is nigh on 27 minutes long (that's one side of vinyl folks) with Colours and Legend both clocking in at over 10 minutes.
I'll try not to go into too much detail on every song as they need to be listened too to be fully appreciated but Trojan is staggering a masterpiece in composition and creating soundscapes the influences are clear Pink Floyd, Mike Oldfield and pre-Duke Genesis, the core trio of Christina Booth (vocals), Chris Fry (guitar) and band leader Rob Reed (keys) are all at the peak of their powers Christina soars powerfully over the colossal synths and processed beats of Rob Reed, it's his mastery of the keys that drives this band much like bands such as Yes, Genesis and Marillion they are an integral vital part of the bands signature sound and hear they hold the entire band together propelling us through the 27 minutes with ease.
That's not to understate the contribution of the other band members Chris Fry has been there since the beginning and his guitar playing is deft, expressive and stunning his Gilmour-like solos are at times the only rest-bite in the elongated musical passages. The record also features a Herculean effort from new boys and Kinky Wizzard Jon 'Jiffy Griffiths (drums) and Dan Nelson (bass) who are a linchpin for so many of the songs just check out the percussive middle section of Trojan which uses tom-toms and a bass throb like Floyd do on Time. Colours is a more melodic piece with a slightly different sound to the opening song, it's got an almost paranoid quirkiness, it's about Van Gogh so that could be why, the classic prog sound is still there but it's a bit more relaxed, fluid and dramatic, while Legend finishes the album on huge high with more direct, darker song. Magenta are back folks, they are oft overlooked but if you are a fan of any progressive rock this is must buy. 10/10
The Unity: Unity (SPV)
Formed by two members of Gamma Ray, The Unity is the new project of Henjo Richter (guitar) and Michael Ehre (drums) with countless hours spent in the studio and on the live stage the duo found that they were creating music together that wouldn't fit into Gamma Ray sphere so they recruited talented writers and players in the shape of Italian Gianba Manenti (vocals), Stef E (guitarist), Jogi Sweers (bass) and keyboardist Sascha Onnen all of whom were in Ehre's previous band Love.Might.Kill. This album takes parts of the Love.Might.Kill sound bringing in a slick AOR stylings on the latter part of the album which suffers from ballad bloat while Never Forget is great others like the Always Just You is overblown, elsewhere it's prime melodic rock with the opening duo of Rise And Fall and No More Lies kicking the album off with a bang as tracks such as Firesign ramp up the heavy. The musicianship is of a high standard throughout with Richter and Stef playing up a storm, Manetti's vocals shine too principally on the bluesy The Wishing Well and the incredibly Whitesnake sounding Redeemer. The Unity's debut is full of powerful European melodic rock delivered at the level you'd expect from those involved. 7/10
Earth Witch: Out Of The Shallow (Self Released)
Urbana, Illinois is probably not that known for anything outside of agriculture and being the place HAL 9000 was made operational in 2001: A Space Odyssey. They don't have a particularly rich musical heritage but Earth Witch are looking to change that. This trio play the scuzzy type of metal that hails Sabbath and nods to Sleep, the hypnotic doom of Butterfly shows the band at their trippy best, but the rest of the album is thundering riffage, colossal instrumental sections on Mermaid that has swirling organs and a repetitive riff, gruff vocals shout the lyrics as the doom heaviness continues without abatement, this record apparently speeds things up since their debut EP and while that is true the band excel at bearded doom favoured by bands ranging from Earth to Electric Wizard. Out Of Shallow pairs formidable guitars with hefty use of synths in this trippy doom laden debut. 7/10
Thursday, 11 May 2017
A View From The Back Of The Room: Katatonia
Katatonia, Ghost Bath & The Great Discord, Marble Factory, Bristol
First gig in Bristol for a while and it was one I was anticipating was going to be good indeed, this was to be my first viewing Swedes Katatonia in the live arena (I think, my memory is going) and in a cosy venue it was going to be excellent to see them modest sized venue. In fact the only band I had seen was the main support Ghost Bath and that didn't bode well, but I digress, with my snapper/other half in tow we hit the venue and got ready for openers.
With a band dressed in all black they took to the stage in relative silence with the stage cloaked in darkness, then they started their set of thumping progressive alternative metal similar to djent bands but more melodic, the members carrying instruments played the riffs but the focus was on vocalist Fia Kempe who cuts an impressive figure on stage with her whitewashed face and feathered headdress she dramatically threw herself around the cramped stage, a visually arresting display the music was confident to carry her wild performance and strong vocals that were marred by technical problems with the microphone which kept cutting out intermittently until the last song where it gave up the ghost for most of the song. Still despite these issues the assembled throng reacted well to the The Great Discord (8) after the initial bemusement they managed to win around the audience with their accessible but almost post modern take on, definitely a band I'd see again as they were breath of fresh air as a opening act.
A reasonably short change over so as to accommodate three bands and next it was time for the only Americans on the tour, Dakota natives Ghost Bath (7) first woke us up at Bloodstock last year with blood curdling screams and little else, meaning that I didn't hold out much hope this time round. The bands name is derived from "the act of committing suicide by submerging in a body of water" so they are a cheery bunch but this time the were at least more audibly appealing, their depressive post metal is primarily instrumental based upon the five members (who all use Chinese symbol as their names) playing repeated heavy riffs backed by furious blast beats, but I guess I haven't addressed the screaming, well that comes from the frontman who uses his voice as an instrument squealing and screaming down the mic like someone in their death throes.
Now on the record due to the production techniques this is kept as part of the sonic landscape however live there is a tendency to ramp the mic up more than everything else, fine when there are lyrics but screeching not so much, this was the issue at Bloodstock but thankfully not here, the live mix in The Motion was much more balanced meaning that the vocals were at the same level as the instruments, this proved to be a much more enjoyable show because of it. The band played a well built set that climaxed brilliantly, unfortunately there was just a little bit too much tuning silence between the songs to really let you immerse yourself.
Another fast turn around and this was the moment I wanted to see the Swedish merchants of doom-laden, depressive heavy rock Katatonia (10) playing in a small venue almost close enough to touch, in the direct opposition too the openers there was very little fuss on stage, little movement with the exception of Jonas Renske who shuffled on his feet as he delivered his booming, resonant, emotive vocals as the set opened with Last Song Before The Fade the first of 6 tracks from their most recent record The Fall Of Hearts which led into the grinding Criminals from Viva Emptiness, it's one of my favourites from their back catalogue, its a bitter piece that set the stage well for a return to The Fall Of Hearts Serein.
Three heavy hitters first and the room slowed to one indistinguishable mass of hair and heads banging in unison, the crowd mesmerised by the bands hypnotic playing. Cheers of recognition came for riff friendly Dead Letters that to me echoes Opeth in composition and along with Buildings allowed Anders and Roger let loose on their guitars. Kudos again to the sound engineer as the band were powerful but not too heavy that everything was distorted, a crisp sound was bolstered by the expert use of backing tapes to let the songs sound as they were recorded while not distracting from the performance.
The songs moved and twist spellbinding those in attendance, with only a few breaks for thank you the attention level was high and the set list was strong although with only 1 song from Night Is The New Day (the admittedly epic Forsaker) and Last Fair Deal Gone Down which was Teargas which is as near as this band get to light, some may have complaints but personally having 6 tracks from your latest album and 5 from probably your most accomplished (The Great Cold Distance) your bound to get a great set and as it progressed we got Soils Song, in The White, Residual Leaders and Passer but in the encore they took things up another notch with My Twin, Lethean and perennial favourite July. Katatonia give a masterclass in performance, almost perfect sound, tight musicianship, honed performance and light and shade to draw you in, they are untouchable.
First gig in Bristol for a while and it was one I was anticipating was going to be good indeed, this was to be my first viewing Swedes Katatonia in the live arena (I think, my memory is going) and in a cosy venue it was going to be excellent to see them modest sized venue. In fact the only band I had seen was the main support Ghost Bath and that didn't bode well, but I digress, with my snapper/other half in tow we hit the venue and got ready for openers.
With a band dressed in all black they took to the stage in relative silence with the stage cloaked in darkness, then they started their set of thumping progressive alternative metal similar to djent bands but more melodic, the members carrying instruments played the riffs but the focus was on vocalist Fia Kempe who cuts an impressive figure on stage with her whitewashed face and feathered headdress she dramatically threw herself around the cramped stage, a visually arresting display the music was confident to carry her wild performance and strong vocals that were marred by technical problems with the microphone which kept cutting out intermittently until the last song where it gave up the ghost for most of the song. Still despite these issues the assembled throng reacted well to the The Great Discord (8) after the initial bemusement they managed to win around the audience with their accessible but almost post modern take on, definitely a band I'd see again as they were breath of fresh air as a opening act.
A reasonably short change over so as to accommodate three bands and next it was time for the only Americans on the tour, Dakota natives Ghost Bath (7) first woke us up at Bloodstock last year with blood curdling screams and little else, meaning that I didn't hold out much hope this time round. The bands name is derived from "the act of committing suicide by submerging in a body of water" so they are a cheery bunch but this time the were at least more audibly appealing, their depressive post metal is primarily instrumental based upon the five members (who all use Chinese symbol as their names) playing repeated heavy riffs backed by furious blast beats, but I guess I haven't addressed the screaming, well that comes from the frontman who uses his voice as an instrument squealing and screaming down the mic like someone in their death throes.
Now on the record due to the production techniques this is kept as part of the sonic landscape however live there is a tendency to ramp the mic up more than everything else, fine when there are lyrics but screeching not so much, this was the issue at Bloodstock but thankfully not here, the live mix in The Motion was much more balanced meaning that the vocals were at the same level as the instruments, this proved to be a much more enjoyable show because of it. The band played a well built set that climaxed brilliantly, unfortunately there was just a little bit too much tuning silence between the songs to really let you immerse yourself.
Another fast turn around and this was the moment I wanted to see the Swedish merchants of doom-laden, depressive heavy rock Katatonia (10) playing in a small venue almost close enough to touch, in the direct opposition too the openers there was very little fuss on stage, little movement with the exception of Jonas Renske who shuffled on his feet as he delivered his booming, resonant, emotive vocals as the set opened with Last Song Before The Fade the first of 6 tracks from their most recent record The Fall Of Hearts which led into the grinding Criminals from Viva Emptiness, it's one of my favourites from their back catalogue, its a bitter piece that set the stage well for a return to The Fall Of Hearts Serein.
Three heavy hitters first and the room slowed to one indistinguishable mass of hair and heads banging in unison, the crowd mesmerised by the bands hypnotic playing. Cheers of recognition came for riff friendly Dead Letters that to me echoes Opeth in composition and along with Buildings allowed Anders and Roger let loose on their guitars. Kudos again to the sound engineer as the band were powerful but not too heavy that everything was distorted, a crisp sound was bolstered by the expert use of backing tapes to let the songs sound as they were recorded while not distracting from the performance.
The songs moved and twist spellbinding those in attendance, with only a few breaks for thank you the attention level was high and the set list was strong although with only 1 song from Night Is The New Day (the admittedly epic Forsaker) and Last Fair Deal Gone Down which was Teargas which is as near as this band get to light, some may have complaints but personally having 6 tracks from your latest album and 5 from probably your most accomplished (The Great Cold Distance) your bound to get a great set and as it progressed we got Soils Song, in The White, Residual Leaders and Passer but in the encore they took things up another notch with My Twin, Lethean and perennial favourite July. Katatonia give a masterclass in performance, almost perfect sound, tight musicianship, honed performance and light and shade to draw you in, they are untouchable.
Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Reviews: Ancient Ascendant, Disbelief, Midnight Rider (Reviews By Rich)
Ancient Ascendant: Raise The Torch (Candlelight Records)
Ancient Ascendant are a band I used to see perform regularly several years ago with the band seemingly always landing a support slot on many extreme metal shows I attended. In the years since the band dropped off my radar but have seemingly kept active as Raise The Torch is their third record which has been released through Candlelight Records and boasts a production job by the legendary Dan Swanö. Ancient Ascendant always had a bit of a different take on the death metal sound and the music on Raise The Torch is no exception sounding like a cross between melodic death metal, black metal and death 'n' roll.
It's a winning formula generally with catchy melodies mixing with savage tremolo riffage and balls out rock 'n' roll swagger especially on songs such as Our Way, Scaling The Gods and Grasping The Torch. Also special mention must go to the more progressive leanings of Foreign Skies. Inconsistency is my main criticism of the album. The above mentioned songs are the definite highlights but the rest of the album generally does not reach the heights of these resulting in some forgettable songs. Where this album is good though it is very damn good indeed and I'm sure many of these songs will be amazing in a live environment. Ancient Ascendant have been pushing the boundaries of their death metal sound since day one and continue to do so with their third album. Let's just hope the next one has consistency to back it up as well. 7/10
Midnight Rider: Manifestation (Massacre Records)
The retro rock and metal movement seems to be in full swing in 2017 and the latest band to join the ranks are Germany's Midnight Rider with their debut album Manifestation released on Massacre Records. Midnight Rider have a retro sound harking back to the mid 1970's but taking major influence from two bands in particular - Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. The album comes across as if you mixed Black Sabbath's Master Of Reality and Judas Priest's Stained Class and the result is a triumphant batch of rifftastic heavy metal anthems.
The vocals by frontman Wayne sound like a cross between Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford and Robert Plant but with a bit of added grit and really compliment the sublime riffs, groovy bass and solid drumming. Highlights include the Judas Priest leaning Tears Of Your Temptation, the Black Sabbath-like Creature Of The Night and Led Zeppelin inspired Unknown Woman Of The Seine. The band have very clear influences which they wear a bit too much on their sleeves but with such strong influences as these and songwriting as good as it is on the record it's safe to say I'm won over. Retro bands can be a bit hit or miss with me but Midnight Rider definitely get my seal of approval. Unoriginal but insanely enjoyable. 8/10
Ancient Ascendant are a band I used to see perform regularly several years ago with the band seemingly always landing a support slot on many extreme metal shows I attended. In the years since the band dropped off my radar but have seemingly kept active as Raise The Torch is their third record which has been released through Candlelight Records and boasts a production job by the legendary Dan Swanö. Ancient Ascendant always had a bit of a different take on the death metal sound and the music on Raise The Torch is no exception sounding like a cross between melodic death metal, black metal and death 'n' roll.
It's a winning formula generally with catchy melodies mixing with savage tremolo riffage and balls out rock 'n' roll swagger especially on songs such as Our Way, Scaling The Gods and Grasping The Torch. Also special mention must go to the more progressive leanings of Foreign Skies. Inconsistency is my main criticism of the album. The above mentioned songs are the definite highlights but the rest of the album generally does not reach the heights of these resulting in some forgettable songs. Where this album is good though it is very damn good indeed and I'm sure many of these songs will be amazing in a live environment. Ancient Ascendant have been pushing the boundaries of their death metal sound since day one and continue to do so with their third album. Let's just hope the next one has consistency to back it up as well. 7/10
Disbelief: The Symbol Of Death (Listenable Records)
Long running German death groove bruisers Disbelief return after a seven year gap with their tenth album The Symbol Of Death. There have been some line-up changes in the band since 2010's Heal! with new guitarists and a new drummer. The line up changes and break between albums seems to have done the band the world of good as The Symbol Of Death is a ferocious album. The sound of the album is what we've come to expect of Disbelief with groove heavy death metal tunes with hints of melodic death metal.
What's different here is how recharged and re-energised the band sound with tracks such as Full Of Terrors, The Unsuspecting One and Rest In Peace positively bristling with energy and intensity. Similarly tracks such as One By One and Embrace The Blaze explore the bands more melodic side with some progressive rhythms going on as well. Unfortunately with a running length of 63 minutes the album does contain its fair amount of filler material especially towards the end of the album where you start to feel it has outstayed its welcome. With a few songs cut out and a reduced running time this album would have been perfect but as it stands it is a flawed but brilliant piece of groove laden death metal. 7/10
Long running German death groove bruisers Disbelief return after a seven year gap with their tenth album The Symbol Of Death. There have been some line-up changes in the band since 2010's Heal! with new guitarists and a new drummer. The line up changes and break between albums seems to have done the band the world of good as The Symbol Of Death is a ferocious album. The sound of the album is what we've come to expect of Disbelief with groove heavy death metal tunes with hints of melodic death metal.
What's different here is how recharged and re-energised the band sound with tracks such as Full Of Terrors, The Unsuspecting One and Rest In Peace positively bristling with energy and intensity. Similarly tracks such as One By One and Embrace The Blaze explore the bands more melodic side with some progressive rhythms going on as well. Unfortunately with a running length of 63 minutes the album does contain its fair amount of filler material especially towards the end of the album where you start to feel it has outstayed its welcome. With a few songs cut out and a reduced running time this album would have been perfect but as it stands it is a flawed but brilliant piece of groove laden death metal. 7/10
Midnight Rider: Manifestation (Massacre Records)
The retro rock and metal movement seems to be in full swing in 2017 and the latest band to join the ranks are Germany's Midnight Rider with their debut album Manifestation released on Massacre Records. Midnight Rider have a retro sound harking back to the mid 1970's but taking major influence from two bands in particular - Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. The album comes across as if you mixed Black Sabbath's Master Of Reality and Judas Priest's Stained Class and the result is a triumphant batch of rifftastic heavy metal anthems.
The vocals by frontman Wayne sound like a cross between Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford and Robert Plant but with a bit of added grit and really compliment the sublime riffs, groovy bass and solid drumming. Highlights include the Judas Priest leaning Tears Of Your Temptation, the Black Sabbath-like Creature Of The Night and Led Zeppelin inspired Unknown Woman Of The Seine. The band have very clear influences which they wear a bit too much on their sleeves but with such strong influences as these and songwriting as good as it is on the record it's safe to say I'm won over. Retro bands can be a bit hit or miss with me but Midnight Rider definitely get my seal of approval. Unoriginal but insanely enjoyable. 8/10
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
A View From The Back Of The Room: Save Fuel Rock Club Festival
Save Fuel Rock Club Festival, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff
On the back of the march to save Womanby Street last weekend, this weekend saw Cardiff's 'only' rock club put on a one day festival to raise funds to soundproof the venue further, as it has been the subject of a noise complaint. With a true mix of bands playing the festival it shaped up to be a good day/night alas I only managed to attend in the latter part of the day due personal constraints but I swept into the venue (in my own unmistakable style) ready for the last few bands of the day. The first thing that struck me was how few people were inside the performance area, considering this was day to save the venue as a there didn't seem to be many people actually watching the bands, most preferring to stay in the outer bar area and play dreadful pop-punk on the jukebox.
Thankfully I managed to catch up with Brett and we paid our money to the cause, bought a beer and piled in for our first band. That band was Cranial Separation (7) formed by Ray Packer the former frontman of Sodomized Cadavar Cranial Separation don't do anything vastly different than SC with a set based around grinding death metal led by furious blast beats, intelligible lyrics and strong groove's between the explosive fury. The death/grind genre is very much of it's type and you get what you get, perfectly adequate way of opening the day for us with 30 minutes of extreme noise. Kudos to Packer for talking the way he sings, to bassist Chris Machin for his excellent shirt and for drummer Sam Heffernan who played in two bands on the bill, neither of which were slow and melodic.
Next up were a band I was all too familiar with having seen them open for Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, Blackwood based heavy rock band Revival (8) continue to amaze with their sheer maturity and performance despite all of the members being 17-18. Thick juicy riffs are the order of the day with this band who owe a debt to both Sabbath and Pantera due to their fat grooves, Season Of The Wizard kicked the set off strongly and got heads banging. They debuted a new song called Captain's Quarters which was of the high quality I'd expect from this band, brimming with passion and fire vocalist Finley and bassist Alex throw themselves around leaving Luke to stoically riff with ease as Dafydd batters the drum kit. Tracks such as Danger have a melodic edge but Insanity cranked up the speed with thrashy breakdowns. The set finished with a near as dammit cover of RATM's Bullet In The Head and the youngsters won over more new fans.
Keeping the pace going next was a band that are no strangers to Fuel, Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters (8) are regulars to the club, Beth even taking a minute during their set to explain how important the club was to her when she moved here and found like minded folks. Since then of course the band have formed and gone from strength to strength having recently released their debut full length the band have carved their own path of ballsy hard rock with touches of Halestorm and KISS, Blade especially was decked out in a KISS shirt and played a Paul Stanley custom guitar. The influence of the band extends to the music too with chunky rock riffs, a voice full of attitude and flirty filthy songs about rock n roll itself. This band have really dialled themselves up since I first saw them, their debut full length has kitted them out with a number of sing along numbers and their rigorous touring schedule has moulded them into a slick hard rocking machine. The only comment I would make is that the sound was a little bass heavy meaning the guitars were a little drowned out.
As the day progressed more of the 'go to' Fuel bands played sets, with the hard rock of BBATBD setting the tone and building a fun atmosphere, darkness descended upon Fuel for South Wales blackest band. Named after the Celtic goddess of chaos and carnage Agrona (9) took to the stage replete with corpse paint, blastbeats, leather armour and more smoke than you can handle. I've always found po faced back metal a little hilarious and Agrona do nothing to change this but they do play incredibly well and have vocals from hell's undercarriage. Formed by vocalist S "Taranis" Morgan and bassist T "Kreulon" Hill the band are an immense sight to behold live, five large armour clad dude playing blackened metal that touches on death and thrash, the rest of the band is made up of S "Ankou" Heffernan (him again) on drums with the shredding courtesy of A "Aeron" Hunter (rhythm guitar) and P "Phoenix" Griffiths (lead guitar).
With strobes galore throughout, a cursed baptism and even some bloodspitting the band have honed an effective live show that is aided immensely by some of the most violent metal Fuel has seen. They rightfully pulled the biggest crowd I'd seen all day. Agrona were here as they support the club and those in it but also because they were one of the bands playing when the club got the noise complaint that led to this festival. Although personally if you live above a venue and complain about the noise you're a cunt. (Apologies to any sensitive types). As their set of ear-splitting aggression continued they added a female banshee Nadala for one song which gave a new dynamic to their already dual vocal-led assault, with the paint running due to the heat, the riffs were relentless levelling the venue throughout the set. They wrapped up and the room was a hot an sweaty mess from the windmilling and pitting that was happening down the front, I felt sorry for any band that had to follow that (Everyday Heroes) as it was a feat of pure metal power. Agrona were my last band of the day as I had an early start the following day but what and ending. Could I understand a word? Nope Did it matter? Nope. Were Agrona excellent? Well Hail Satan to that!
On the back of the march to save Womanby Street last weekend, this weekend saw Cardiff's 'only' rock club put on a one day festival to raise funds to soundproof the venue further, as it has been the subject of a noise complaint. With a true mix of bands playing the festival it shaped up to be a good day/night alas I only managed to attend in the latter part of the day due personal constraints but I swept into the venue (in my own unmistakable style) ready for the last few bands of the day. The first thing that struck me was how few people were inside the performance area, considering this was day to save the venue as a there didn't seem to be many people actually watching the bands, most preferring to stay in the outer bar area and play dreadful pop-punk on the jukebox.
Thankfully I managed to catch up with Brett and we paid our money to the cause, bought a beer and piled in for our first band. That band was Cranial Separation (7) formed by Ray Packer the former frontman of Sodomized Cadavar Cranial Separation don't do anything vastly different than SC with a set based around grinding death metal led by furious blast beats, intelligible lyrics and strong groove's between the explosive fury. The death/grind genre is very much of it's type and you get what you get, perfectly adequate way of opening the day for us with 30 minutes of extreme noise. Kudos to Packer for talking the way he sings, to bassist Chris Machin for his excellent shirt and for drummer Sam Heffernan who played in two bands on the bill, neither of which were slow and melodic.
Next up were a band I was all too familiar with having seen them open for Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, Blackwood based heavy rock band Revival (8) continue to amaze with their sheer maturity and performance despite all of the members being 17-18. Thick juicy riffs are the order of the day with this band who owe a debt to both Sabbath and Pantera due to their fat grooves, Season Of The Wizard kicked the set off strongly and got heads banging. They debuted a new song called Captain's Quarters which was of the high quality I'd expect from this band, brimming with passion and fire vocalist Finley and bassist Alex throw themselves around leaving Luke to stoically riff with ease as Dafydd batters the drum kit. Tracks such as Danger have a melodic edge but Insanity cranked up the speed with thrashy breakdowns. The set finished with a near as dammit cover of RATM's Bullet In The Head and the youngsters won over more new fans.
Keeping the pace going next was a band that are no strangers to Fuel, Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters (8) are regulars to the club, Beth even taking a minute during their set to explain how important the club was to her when she moved here and found like minded folks. Since then of course the band have formed and gone from strength to strength having recently released their debut full length the band have carved their own path of ballsy hard rock with touches of Halestorm and KISS, Blade especially was decked out in a KISS shirt and played a Paul Stanley custom guitar. The influence of the band extends to the music too with chunky rock riffs, a voice full of attitude and flirty filthy songs about rock n roll itself. This band have really dialled themselves up since I first saw them, their debut full length has kitted them out with a number of sing along numbers and their rigorous touring schedule has moulded them into a slick hard rocking machine. The only comment I would make is that the sound was a little bass heavy meaning the guitars were a little drowned out.
As the day progressed more of the 'go to' Fuel bands played sets, with the hard rock of BBATBD setting the tone and building a fun atmosphere, darkness descended upon Fuel for South Wales blackest band. Named after the Celtic goddess of chaos and carnage Agrona (9) took to the stage replete with corpse paint, blastbeats, leather armour and more smoke than you can handle. I've always found po faced back metal a little hilarious and Agrona do nothing to change this but they do play incredibly well and have vocals from hell's undercarriage. Formed by vocalist S "Taranis" Morgan and bassist T "Kreulon" Hill the band are an immense sight to behold live, five large armour clad dude playing blackened metal that touches on death and thrash, the rest of the band is made up of S "Ankou" Heffernan (him again) on drums with the shredding courtesy of A "Aeron" Hunter (rhythm guitar) and P "Phoenix" Griffiths (lead guitar).
With strobes galore throughout, a cursed baptism and even some bloodspitting the band have honed an effective live show that is aided immensely by some of the most violent metal Fuel has seen. They rightfully pulled the biggest crowd I'd seen all day. Agrona were here as they support the club and those in it but also because they were one of the bands playing when the club got the noise complaint that led to this festival. Although personally if you live above a venue and complain about the noise you're a cunt. (Apologies to any sensitive types). As their set of ear-splitting aggression continued they added a female banshee Nadala for one song which gave a new dynamic to their already dual vocal-led assault, with the paint running due to the heat, the riffs were relentless levelling the venue throughout the set. They wrapped up and the room was a hot an sweaty mess from the windmilling and pitting that was happening down the front, I felt sorry for any band that had to follow that (Everyday Heroes) as it was a feat of pure metal power. Agrona were my last band of the day as I had an early start the following day but what and ending. Could I understand a word? Nope Did it matter? Nope. Were Agrona excellent? Well Hail Satan to that!
Monday, 8 May 2017
Reviews: Firespawn, Hollowstar, Deserter (Reviews By Paul)
Firespawn: The Reprobate (Century Media)
Firespawn’s debut album Shadows Realm received a 7/10 back in December 2015. That release has grown on me over time and the arrival of album number two is very welcome. Firespawn pick up the pace and relentless assault exactly where they left it, and this album is the epitome of death metal. LG Petrov’s vocals are even more terrifyingly guttural than before, whilst the technical work of the rest of the band is incredible. Matte Modin’s drumming is just mind blowing, and the guitar work of Victor Brandt and Fredrik Folkare insane. Full Of Hate is a superb song, melody coursing through a majestic track which imperiously towers above all.
Album openers Serpent Of The Ocean and Blood Eagle set the tone for the album and the speed is just non-stop. Damnation Ad Bestias changes direction several times, intricate time changes demonstrating the technical skill that is often ignored in death metal. However, everything else on this album pales into insignificance when you get to the title track, which is almost classical in its composition. A spectacular song, blending rapidity with sections of commanding, devastating riffs. The album closer Nightwalkers is massive, crushingly heavy and an absolute battery. The Reprobate is a brutal, at times intensely heavy album that has built on Shadows Realm in so many ways. It’s as good as any death metal release this year. 9/10
Hollowstar: Some Things Matter (Self Released)
Classic punchy rock from Cambridgeshire delivered in a timeless manner. Say hello to Hollowstar. Formed in 2015 the four piece have delivered a six track EP of superb crafted blues soaked hard rock which really works. The soulful vocals of Joe Bonson are excellent, especially on the slower Feel The Burn, a smouldering track which allows the band to slow things down and show their skills. I can’t fault any aspect of this release. Foot tapping tracks such Holding It Together and New Age Lullaby are effortless, well-paced and competently delivered. The guitar work of Phil Haines and Tom Collett is slick and not over played. This is the music that you want at a sunny festival with a cold beer in your hand and your good friends by your side. Keep an eye out for Hollowstar. 8/10
Deserter: Coils Of The Lesser Serpent (Vile Records)
Now I’m all for silly bands having silly names instead of their real names; I don’t for one minute think that Dr Hell is the real name of the frontman of Evil Scarecrow. However, when you are asking the world to take notice of your chaos driven thrash metal, the names Neckbreaker, Dr Carnage, Bassbeast and Blastbeat Bastard tend to make you roll your eyes. So now I’ve spat that out, what about Deserter, a Brussels based thrash band who’ve been kicking around for several years.
Well, Coils Of The Lesser Serpent sounds exactly as you’d expect for a band that cite Kreator, Destruction, Death and Slayer amongst their influences. It’s fast, it’s technical, it’s at times dirty and at all times Teutonic in nature. I said recently that good thrash is always listenable and Coils certainly doesn’t have me screaming for the stop button. It’s solid, racey and hard based thrash metal as we like it. Tracks such as Headhunter and Bombing Flight give you an idea of the lyrical content whilst the standout track is Cry Of The Foresaken, a six minutes stomping beast which allows full expression and release. If you like your thrash this will tick your boxes. Just change the names. 7/10
Firespawn’s debut album Shadows Realm received a 7/10 back in December 2015. That release has grown on me over time and the arrival of album number two is very welcome. Firespawn pick up the pace and relentless assault exactly where they left it, and this album is the epitome of death metal. LG Petrov’s vocals are even more terrifyingly guttural than before, whilst the technical work of the rest of the band is incredible. Matte Modin’s drumming is just mind blowing, and the guitar work of Victor Brandt and Fredrik Folkare insane. Full Of Hate is a superb song, melody coursing through a majestic track which imperiously towers above all.
Album openers Serpent Of The Ocean and Blood Eagle set the tone for the album and the speed is just non-stop. Damnation Ad Bestias changes direction several times, intricate time changes demonstrating the technical skill that is often ignored in death metal. However, everything else on this album pales into insignificance when you get to the title track, which is almost classical in its composition. A spectacular song, blending rapidity with sections of commanding, devastating riffs. The album closer Nightwalkers is massive, crushingly heavy and an absolute battery. The Reprobate is a brutal, at times intensely heavy album that has built on Shadows Realm in so many ways. It’s as good as any death metal release this year. 9/10
Hollowstar: Some Things Matter (Self Released)
Classic punchy rock from Cambridgeshire delivered in a timeless manner. Say hello to Hollowstar. Formed in 2015 the four piece have delivered a six track EP of superb crafted blues soaked hard rock which really works. The soulful vocals of Joe Bonson are excellent, especially on the slower Feel The Burn, a smouldering track which allows the band to slow things down and show their skills. I can’t fault any aspect of this release. Foot tapping tracks such Holding It Together and New Age Lullaby are effortless, well-paced and competently delivered. The guitar work of Phil Haines and Tom Collett is slick and not over played. This is the music that you want at a sunny festival with a cold beer in your hand and your good friends by your side. Keep an eye out for Hollowstar. 8/10
Deserter: Coils Of The Lesser Serpent (Vile Records)
Now I’m all for silly bands having silly names instead of their real names; I don’t for one minute think that Dr Hell is the real name of the frontman of Evil Scarecrow. However, when you are asking the world to take notice of your chaos driven thrash metal, the names Neckbreaker, Dr Carnage, Bassbeast and Blastbeat Bastard tend to make you roll your eyes. So now I’ve spat that out, what about Deserter, a Brussels based thrash band who’ve been kicking around for several years.
Well, Coils Of The Lesser Serpent sounds exactly as you’d expect for a band that cite Kreator, Destruction, Death and Slayer amongst their influences. It’s fast, it’s technical, it’s at times dirty and at all times Teutonic in nature. I said recently that good thrash is always listenable and Coils certainly doesn’t have me screaming for the stop button. It’s solid, racey and hard based thrash metal as we like it. Tracks such as Headhunter and Bombing Flight give you an idea of the lyrical content whilst the standout track is Cry Of The Foresaken, a six minutes stomping beast which allows full expression and release. If you like your thrash this will tick your boxes. Just change the names. 7/10
Sunday, 7 May 2017
Reviews: Cirith Ungol, Night Demon, Mythra, Midnight Messiah, Cloven Hoof (NWOBHM Mayhem)
Cirith Ungol: King Of The Dead (Metal Blade Records) [Review By Paul]
The decision by Metal Blade to release the ultimate version of the 1984 classic from Californian cult metal outfit Cirith Ungol prompted a quick reflection on an album that I played repeatedly when it first came out. I hadn’t listened to it for a long time and it brought back some excellent memories. Listening to it now with over 30 years’ additional music stuck in the head, the first thing that struck me was how inventive it was for the time. Massive doom soaked passages, crushing riffs and intricate guitar work combined with the unique vocals of Tim Baker, not to mention the stunning album cover which was another of Michael Moorcock’s Elric novel covers expertly created by Michael Whelan.
Tracks such as album opener Atom Smasher, the epic Master Of The Pit and the thrashy Death Of The Sun which has one of my all-time favourite riffs still hold their own with today’s current artists. The legendary line-up of Baker, guitarist Jerry Fogle (who sadly passed away almost 20 years ago), drummer Robert Garven and bassist Michael Vujea really laid down a classic. The latter two really excel on the Sabbath doom-fused Finger Of Scorn, a mighty slab of a tune. With the band back out on the gigging scene since 2015 dusting down this mighty opus was a real joy and one can only hope we get to see these US legends on UK soil sometime soon. 9/10
Night Demon: Darkness Remains (Steamhammer) [Review By Paul]
Having reviewed the routine and uninspiring latest release by NWOBHM veterans Cloven Hoof (Below-Ed), it was somewhat ironic to receive a copy of Darkness Remains from Californians Night Demon. Ironic because Night Demon are so steeped in the NWOBHM sound that you’d be forgiven for expecting them to be one of those bands that time forgot from 1982. Hell no, this power trio have only been up and running since 2011, with their first EP hitting the shelves a year later. A full release, Curse Of The Damned followed in 2015 and now their sophomore album, Darkness Remains has arrived.
What I really like about Night Demon is that they have recreated the honesty of the NWOBHM sound and added a bit of American muscle to it. It’s slick, extremely well put together and is thoroughly listenable from start to finish. With themes that stick to evil and the occult, it’s not going to win the Sunday School album of the week award any time soon. To be honest, Darkness Remains sounds like a NWOBHM album. It’s solid heavy metal. Songs such as Dawn Rider, Hallowed Ground and Flight Of The Manticore all deliver exactly what you want.
The band also has the audacity to chuck into two covers. The first is a mighty effort and a brave stab at the blistering Turn Up The Night, one of the Dio Era Sabbath’s most powerful tunes. Obviously, the limits are clear: Jarvis Leatherby is not RJD and Armand John Anthony is not Tony Iommi. Aside from that it’s a decent cover of one of my favourite all time heavy metal tracks with Anthony giving it a real go. The second is probably even more ambitious, with Queen’s We Will Rock You. I’m not sure this works as well, as Freddie and Co. are exceptionally difficult to cover. Still it’s not dreadful and it also provides a very powerful reminder of how fucking stunning early Queen really were. Fair play to Night Demon. An enjoyable release. Have a listen and transport back to 1983. Good times. 7/10
Mythra: Still Burning (High Roller Records) [Review By Paul]
So many NWOBHM bands have reformed in recent years, riding the wave of nostalgia which appears to have surfaced around bands of that era. South Shields based Mythra’s Still Burning is the latest to hit the decks at Musipedia Towers. Still Burning is a solid, clean and decent piece of classic British Heavy Metal. With three (I think?) members who were there when their Death & Destiny EP surfaced in 1979, the band can genuinely lay claim to being a proper NWOBHM band, unlike many of the ‘tribute’ outfits around today. Guitarist John Roach also did time in Fist, another familiar band from the same era and his guitar work, alongside Alex Perry is exemplary. Nothing fancy but all the bases covered with some slicing solos and powerhouse riffs. Vocalist Vince High has a gutsy style, slightly forced but fitting the music perfectly. The songs are short and to the point, anthemic and fast tempo, sufficient to get the head nodding.
Ride The Storm, A Call To All and Battle Cry are all examples of the tempo which heavy metal used to be played at. You can keep Sands Of Time mind, which is just bunk. Looking at the band’s Facebook page it’s clear that their fan base sits in mainland Europe, which is unsurprising given the never-ending thirst for hard rock bands that countries like Germany appear to have. Still Burning is a decent enough release, highlighting more than anything how much the genre of heavy metal has evolved since those heady days of 1979. Back then we lapped up everything that we could access. The diversity of metal today is astonishing by comparison. The availability of bands and music unlimited. You can’t fault the effort and dedication of Mythra. It’s just that we’ve moved on and they still sit in the 1979. 6/10
Midnight Messiah: Led Into Temptation (Cold Town Records) [Review By Matt]
We first encountered Midnight Messiah at Hard Rock Hell and highly rated their performance of meat and potatoes classic British metal reminiscent of Priest, Maiden and Saxon, due mostly to Paul Taylor being a vocal replica of Biff (hell he even looks a bit like him). Their 2013 debut album The Root Of All Evil got a few spins and now they have returned with their second record called Led Into Temptation, the band were formed out of the ashes of NWOBHM act Elixir and you can clearly hear the NWOBHM influence on this record.
It continues the band's form of subverting Christian dogma and terminology on it's head with Taylor casting himself as the sinner on The Sinner Must Die and Hellbound. The songs are your typical NWOBHM fodder, enjoyable enough to listen too but nothing special, Taylor's vocal is impressive but the mix of this record lets it down massively, the drums are far too loud overwhelming the guitars and the vocals. I thought the band had called it a day, so it's good to see them back but they are far better live than on record. 5/10
Cloven Hoof: Who Mourns the Morning Star? (High Roller Records) [Review By Paul]
Metal fans of all ages will be fully aware of the burgeoning scene that erupted in the late 1970s in the UK. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal or NWOBHM delivered some of our most cherished bands such as Maiden and Saxon. It also spewed forth a right load of bollocks who were all riding the wave of optimism and enthusiasm. Most of those bands rightly crashed and burned. Ironically, the last few years has seen many of those bands return, encouraged by the enthusiasm born from nostalgia. Mainly middle aged males who look back on the halcyon days when they had hair, flat stomachs and the ability to stay up all night.
Cloven Hoof sat firmly in the middle of NWOBHM, alongside the occult sounding Demon, Angelwitch and Witchfinder. Originally from Wolverhampton, the band formed in 1979 and lasted until 1990 before original bassist Lee Payne reopened the can of worms and started again. With album number six, he remains the only original member and the rest of the band comprise jobbing musicians. Most notable is vocalist George Call, the American who has also done service with Omen. Unfortunately for George, despite his reputed five octave vocal range, his voice sounds awful on Who Mourns the Morning Star?
Although the band are competent and some of the songs have decent if pedestrian heavy metal, Call’s voice just destroys it. His falsetto strains to keep pace, and whilst he can hit a note, it’s all screaming high pitched horrible noise which I’m afraid detracts from opener Star Rider. It gets unbearable on the six-minute Morning Star where he’s all over the place. This is a shame because as I said, the musicianship isn’t bad at all. Morning Star has some very neat Maiden style guitar duels and Chris Goss and Luke Hatton’s fretwork is very neat throughout. The engine of Payne and drummer Danny White provides a solid platform. The Priest copy Time To Burn is possibly the best track on the release, a full out rocker with some powerful drumming and crunching riffs, albeit much of this is borrowed from the Midland giants (Painkiller and Grinder to name but two).
The problem with all the NWOBHM bands that are crawling back out into the light is that their writing was just not that good. A couple of decent tracks just doesn’t offer enough in today’s competitive field and whilst they offer a journey back to the days when we enjoyed anything that we could get our ears around, the world has changed. Cloven Hoof has updated their sound to an extent. Solid, uninspiring traditional heavy metal – listen to Go Tell The Spartans and be enthused or the “epic” Bannockburn which is just a Maiden tribute. Full marks for continuing to ply the trade. I have total admiration for that. It’s just not that good. 5/10
The decision by Metal Blade to release the ultimate version of the 1984 classic from Californian cult metal outfit Cirith Ungol prompted a quick reflection on an album that I played repeatedly when it first came out. I hadn’t listened to it for a long time and it brought back some excellent memories. Listening to it now with over 30 years’ additional music stuck in the head, the first thing that struck me was how inventive it was for the time. Massive doom soaked passages, crushing riffs and intricate guitar work combined with the unique vocals of Tim Baker, not to mention the stunning album cover which was another of Michael Moorcock’s Elric novel covers expertly created by Michael Whelan.
Tracks such as album opener Atom Smasher, the epic Master Of The Pit and the thrashy Death Of The Sun which has one of my all-time favourite riffs still hold their own with today’s current artists. The legendary line-up of Baker, guitarist Jerry Fogle (who sadly passed away almost 20 years ago), drummer Robert Garven and bassist Michael Vujea really laid down a classic. The latter two really excel on the Sabbath doom-fused Finger Of Scorn, a mighty slab of a tune. With the band back out on the gigging scene since 2015 dusting down this mighty opus was a real joy and one can only hope we get to see these US legends on UK soil sometime soon. 9/10
Night Demon: Darkness Remains (Steamhammer) [Review By Paul]
Having reviewed the routine and uninspiring latest release by NWOBHM veterans Cloven Hoof (Below-Ed), it was somewhat ironic to receive a copy of Darkness Remains from Californians Night Demon. Ironic because Night Demon are so steeped in the NWOBHM sound that you’d be forgiven for expecting them to be one of those bands that time forgot from 1982. Hell no, this power trio have only been up and running since 2011, with their first EP hitting the shelves a year later. A full release, Curse Of The Damned followed in 2015 and now their sophomore album, Darkness Remains has arrived.
What I really like about Night Demon is that they have recreated the honesty of the NWOBHM sound and added a bit of American muscle to it. It’s slick, extremely well put together and is thoroughly listenable from start to finish. With themes that stick to evil and the occult, it’s not going to win the Sunday School album of the week award any time soon. To be honest, Darkness Remains sounds like a NWOBHM album. It’s solid heavy metal. Songs such as Dawn Rider, Hallowed Ground and Flight Of The Manticore all deliver exactly what you want.
The band also has the audacity to chuck into two covers. The first is a mighty effort and a brave stab at the blistering Turn Up The Night, one of the Dio Era Sabbath’s most powerful tunes. Obviously, the limits are clear: Jarvis Leatherby is not RJD and Armand John Anthony is not Tony Iommi. Aside from that it’s a decent cover of one of my favourite all time heavy metal tracks with Anthony giving it a real go. The second is probably even more ambitious, with Queen’s We Will Rock You. I’m not sure this works as well, as Freddie and Co. are exceptionally difficult to cover. Still it’s not dreadful and it also provides a very powerful reminder of how fucking stunning early Queen really were. Fair play to Night Demon. An enjoyable release. Have a listen and transport back to 1983. Good times. 7/10
Mythra: Still Burning (High Roller Records) [Review By Paul]
So many NWOBHM bands have reformed in recent years, riding the wave of nostalgia which appears to have surfaced around bands of that era. South Shields based Mythra’s Still Burning is the latest to hit the decks at Musipedia Towers. Still Burning is a solid, clean and decent piece of classic British Heavy Metal. With three (I think?) members who were there when their Death & Destiny EP surfaced in 1979, the band can genuinely lay claim to being a proper NWOBHM band, unlike many of the ‘tribute’ outfits around today. Guitarist John Roach also did time in Fist, another familiar band from the same era and his guitar work, alongside Alex Perry is exemplary. Nothing fancy but all the bases covered with some slicing solos and powerhouse riffs. Vocalist Vince High has a gutsy style, slightly forced but fitting the music perfectly. The songs are short and to the point, anthemic and fast tempo, sufficient to get the head nodding.
Ride The Storm, A Call To All and Battle Cry are all examples of the tempo which heavy metal used to be played at. You can keep Sands Of Time mind, which is just bunk. Looking at the band’s Facebook page it’s clear that their fan base sits in mainland Europe, which is unsurprising given the never-ending thirst for hard rock bands that countries like Germany appear to have. Still Burning is a decent enough release, highlighting more than anything how much the genre of heavy metal has evolved since those heady days of 1979. Back then we lapped up everything that we could access. The diversity of metal today is astonishing by comparison. The availability of bands and music unlimited. You can’t fault the effort and dedication of Mythra. It’s just that we’ve moved on and they still sit in the 1979. 6/10
Midnight Messiah: Led Into Temptation (Cold Town Records) [Review By Matt]
We first encountered Midnight Messiah at Hard Rock Hell and highly rated their performance of meat and potatoes classic British metal reminiscent of Priest, Maiden and Saxon, due mostly to Paul Taylor being a vocal replica of Biff (hell he even looks a bit like him). Their 2013 debut album The Root Of All Evil got a few spins and now they have returned with their second record called Led Into Temptation, the band were formed out of the ashes of NWOBHM act Elixir and you can clearly hear the NWOBHM influence on this record.
It continues the band's form of subverting Christian dogma and terminology on it's head with Taylor casting himself as the sinner on The Sinner Must Die and Hellbound. The songs are your typical NWOBHM fodder, enjoyable enough to listen too but nothing special, Taylor's vocal is impressive but the mix of this record lets it down massively, the drums are far too loud overwhelming the guitars and the vocals. I thought the band had called it a day, so it's good to see them back but they are far better live than on record. 5/10
Cloven Hoof: Who Mourns the Morning Star? (High Roller Records) [Review By Paul]
Metal fans of all ages will be fully aware of the burgeoning scene that erupted in the late 1970s in the UK. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal or NWOBHM delivered some of our most cherished bands such as Maiden and Saxon. It also spewed forth a right load of bollocks who were all riding the wave of optimism and enthusiasm. Most of those bands rightly crashed and burned. Ironically, the last few years has seen many of those bands return, encouraged by the enthusiasm born from nostalgia. Mainly middle aged males who look back on the halcyon days when they had hair, flat stomachs and the ability to stay up all night.
Cloven Hoof sat firmly in the middle of NWOBHM, alongside the occult sounding Demon, Angelwitch and Witchfinder. Originally from Wolverhampton, the band formed in 1979 and lasted until 1990 before original bassist Lee Payne reopened the can of worms and started again. With album number six, he remains the only original member and the rest of the band comprise jobbing musicians. Most notable is vocalist George Call, the American who has also done service with Omen. Unfortunately for George, despite his reputed five octave vocal range, his voice sounds awful on Who Mourns the Morning Star?
Although the band are competent and some of the songs have decent if pedestrian heavy metal, Call’s voice just destroys it. His falsetto strains to keep pace, and whilst he can hit a note, it’s all screaming high pitched horrible noise which I’m afraid detracts from opener Star Rider. It gets unbearable on the six-minute Morning Star where he’s all over the place. This is a shame because as I said, the musicianship isn’t bad at all. Morning Star has some very neat Maiden style guitar duels and Chris Goss and Luke Hatton’s fretwork is very neat throughout. The engine of Payne and drummer Danny White provides a solid platform. The Priest copy Time To Burn is possibly the best track on the release, a full out rocker with some powerful drumming and crunching riffs, albeit much of this is borrowed from the Midland giants (Painkiller and Grinder to name but two).
The problem with all the NWOBHM bands that are crawling back out into the light is that their writing was just not that good. A couple of decent tracks just doesn’t offer enough in today’s competitive field and whilst they offer a journey back to the days when we enjoyed anything that we could get our ears around, the world has changed. Cloven Hoof has updated their sound to an extent. Solid, uninspiring traditional heavy metal – listen to Go Tell The Spartans and be enthused or the “epic” Bannockburn which is just a Maiden tribute. Full marks for continuing to ply the trade. I have total admiration for that. It’s just not that good. 5/10
Saturday, 6 May 2017
The Spotlight: Interview With Corroded (Interview By Paul)
Recently we reviewed the new release by Swedish rockers Corroded, so when the opportunity came up to ask them some questions via email we jumped at the chance.
Questions by Paul, Answers from Tomas Andersson (Lead Guitar)
MoM: Thanks for fielding the questions by email. Many congratulations on Defcon Zero which I think is a very solid release. It’s your fourth album so let’s start by asking you how you feel it stands in terms of the progression of the band?
Tomas: Thanks! As you said, we also think it´s a very solid album. It kind of sums up all of our albums and still takes our music a step forward. One thing that has enabled Corroded to keep growing is maybe the line-up changes over the years. With every new addition to the band the chemistry and feel of the band has changed a bit. I, as the new guy, can only give an objective view on the history of the band and when it comes to the present time and recording of this album the only thing I can say is that we wanted it to be honest. Corroded has always been an honest band when it comes to the music. We do what we want to do musically and it´s been that way since day one, even long before I got in the band.
MoM: How did you find the writing and recording process for Defcon Zero in comparison to previous recordings?
Tomas: The first three albums had similar proceedings. The band worked together with producer Patrik Frisk and came to the studio with some ideas and took it from there. This time around we had come to a sort of crossroads with the label/producer so it just happened to be that we did most of the album ourselves. Except for a couple of songs we worked all alone in the studio and even did the mixing and mastering ourselves. This is probably one reason to how the album sounds. It is our vision from start to end. We could probably have done some things better now that we think about it, but still the album is exactly like we wanted it to be. We did it like we did before everything started to sound the same. We recorded most of material live and we haven´t tried to manipulate everything into perfection. On the other hand, perfection to us is when it sounds perfect, not IS perfect.
MoM: There is a track on the album called Fall Of A Nation. It seems very apt given the political unrest across Europe and of course recent events in your own country. Tell us about this song, what prompted it and what it’s actually about?
Tomas: The song itself got into the process pretty late. We missed a song that was fast and thrashy so we started playing around with some riffs and we just loved it from the beginning. I remember the process was really fun since we haven´t done anything like it before and Per got to play some old school double-bass drum. I know Per is really into the old drum heroes like Bonham and such and doesn't fancy the new way so much. Even if he admires and respects the awesome musicians of modern music I know he likes groove over technique. It was fun to watch him grow into the more modern style of playing on this record though. Lyrically Jens write most of the lyrics when the song is already recorded, as did he with Fall Of A Nation. The song was written 4 years ago so things weren't really as fucked up as today, but still we all could see where we were heading. The title says it all, that´s what the song´s about.
MoM: There is a difficult line to tread when making social and political commentary in music. Many bands in the metal genre steer well away, hence the dungeons and dragons fantasy lyrics of power metal in particular and of course the anti-religious themes of many of your countrymen and neighbours in the black metal fold. How do you approach your themes for song writing?
Tomas: I know that the previous producer didn't want the band to take any political stand points and maybe scare some people off and also Jens had many dark feelings he wanted to write about so therefore we haven't been so political before. It´s a two-way street I think. On the one hand we're in the entertainment business and on the other hand we have the best chance to make difference. All I can say is that there's nothing holding us back from making political statements and when it comes to religion none of us are active members of any religious community. Personally, I believe in the cosmos and surrounding energies, both good and bad.
MoM: I’ve listened to Defcon Zero several times and there are a huge number of influences in the mix. You have a crunchy sound similar to American bands like Godsmack, Soil, Shinedown and Alter Bridge but with a heavier edge, for example on Burn It Down and Rust And Nail. I’ve noted bits of Machine Head and even Baroness in certain tracks. Who are the major influences for the band?
Tomas: We all listen to both the old goldies and the modern bands like Lamb Of God, Slipknot, Meshuggah and so on. I think you summed it all up pretty good. We don´t ever try to mimic anyone. We are very proud of our sound and we know that if we just do what we want to do it´ll sound awesome and people will make cool babies listening to our music.
MoM: It’s only been out a couple of weeks. How has the initial response been to Defcon Zero ?
Tomas: It´s been over the top! We are so happy that people love the album as much as we do. Most recordings I've done in the past I was already fed up with before release but this one has been ready for three years and I still love it so that´s a good thing. I know that the album will keep on growing on the listeners for years to come. A wonderful feeling. I think it will open a lot of doors for us in the business and maybe close some as well. But we don´t care, we move forward, not backwards!
MoM: Back in 2009 your song Time And Again received a lot of exposure – how did that help and/or hinder the band?
Tomas: It helped the band to reach a broad audience by being used as the theme for Swedish version of the TV-show “Survivor”. I don´t know if you have that show in Wales, but it was huge here in Sweden for a long time. Bandit Rock, a national rock radio station played the song about six times a day during long time so that was awesome as well, but as stupid as it sounds it made some of the metal community yell sell-out. We didn't care though, they were just pissed it wasn't their song playing around the clock on the radio hahaha!
MoM; Moving to the metal scene in Sweden for a minute, we get to review huge numbers of Swedish bands which range from the crazy 70s psychedelic rock all the way through to crushingly heavy black and death metal. It would appear to the outsider that Sweden’s metal scene is very healthy. How would you describe it?
Tomas: I would have to agree. It IS very healthy, but the music scene as a whole is not. It´s getting harder to get good gigs and decent pay since all these great bands are playing for almost nothing and the venue owners are really using that to drop the prices even more. Internet is a blessing and curse in that way. Today you have the entire world of music in the palm of your hand at any given point. That wasn't the case 20 years ago. I loved going to see rock shows even if I hadn't heard the band. Today you need to sell platinum to be sure to fill a decent size venue. IT SUCKS!
MoM: I have some friends who love Eurovision; in fact they are obsessive about it and each year its huge business to get to the Meldodifestivalen. I saw Eclipse recently and Eric Martensson talked about their entry last year where they came in at a reasonable position with Runaways. How integral to the Swedish music scene and culture is the whole Melodifestivalen? Can you as a metal band relate to it?
Tomas: Hahaha oh my god! I can tell you this: For the public it´s a huge event. People sit in front of the telly every Saturday to watch the “semi finals” and in the end the big final and there's nothing else being discussed on media except Melodifestivalen and the competing artists. BUT - If you are a rock/metal fan it´s the worst case of profanity against the whole scene! We have seen mighty bands get ice cold after being on there. It´s funny to hear how popular it seems to be outside Sweden, but for a metalhead inside these borders it´s a big no-no.
MoM: Obviously I have to ask if there are any plans to enter?
Tomas: We will enter when hell freezes over and the only way to get a blanket is to enter that competition. Hahaha (Still a chance then - Ed)
MoM: I can’t find any reference to Corroded having gigged in the UK so far. Is that right?
Tomas: Corroded did a tour there back in 2008 I think. It might have been 2007 as well, I wasn't in the band at that point so I´m not really sure. They played a handful of shows in England and as far as the legend goes it was a total success. Like with everything we do. Hehe
MoM: It must be a nightmare trying to arrange tours and the UK has the added difficulty of being an island hence flights or ferries. Do you have plans to tour the album and if so, do they include any dates in the UK?
Tomas: There are worse things than planes and ferries, believe me! When we toured Europe with Airbourne and The Black Spiders (god have mercy on their souls, may them rest in peace) we were denied to go through the tunnel from… I don´t recollect from what country, but the destination was Italy. So we had to go over the alps in the middle of the night. Our bus driver tried to navigate best he could and at one point he came to a dead-end. He had to back the bus for several kilometers because the road wasn't broad enough to turn the bus around. I've never been so glad to be asleep my whole life. According to what he said it was a nightmare with mountain on one side and a huge death drop on the other. We will definitively tour with this album and we have a couple of support slots we hope to get. Otherwise we will have to make it over to you guys on our own, it´s been far too long since we toured the UK.
MoM: Hopefully we we can get to see you guys live over here some time. You received rave reviews for your support slot with Airborne. How was that for you?
Tomas: We had a wonderful time, best tour so far. We learned a lot from touring with those guys. They are really professional and great guys as well. It was fun to be on the road, longest tour we've done and we hope to get back there. Hopefully with Airbourne once again! It would be a blast! We met so many cool people and we got to meet fans we normally don´t play for so that's something we really miss. We got a whole bunch of new fans as well and we can´t wait to get back on the road to see them all again!
MoM: Airborne are a band I’d always put on if I was going for a run or if I needed something energetic to listen to. I don’t know if you are keen on exercise but if so, apart from the new album (which is a great workout album) what would you recommend as ideal for high intensity listening?
Tomas: For me it would be Slipknot, no questions asked. They have the best music to get your heart pumping and adrenaline flowing. Great band all together. There´s another band we´d love to tour with by the way!
MoM: Finally as we are Welsh we have an obsession with sheep so what is your favourite sheep
from the 2 Sheets we've attached?
Tomas: Hahaha! Sure thing! I´d have to go with Jacob. They have the same markings as a cow and who doesn't love cows? I mean, we love both sheep and cow so Jacob´s the sheep for Corroded, hands down!
MoM: Many thanks for taking the time to answer these questions and best of luck with the album.
Tomas: Thank you sire, it was a pleasure. Delightful questions indeed! See you on the road! Baaaaaaaaaa!
Questions by Paul, Answers from Tomas Andersson (Lead Guitar)
MoM: Thanks for fielding the questions by email. Many congratulations on Defcon Zero which I think is a very solid release. It’s your fourth album so let’s start by asking you how you feel it stands in terms of the progression of the band?
Tomas: Thanks! As you said, we also think it´s a very solid album. It kind of sums up all of our albums and still takes our music a step forward. One thing that has enabled Corroded to keep growing is maybe the line-up changes over the years. With every new addition to the band the chemistry and feel of the band has changed a bit. I, as the new guy, can only give an objective view on the history of the band and when it comes to the present time and recording of this album the only thing I can say is that we wanted it to be honest. Corroded has always been an honest band when it comes to the music. We do what we want to do musically and it´s been that way since day one, even long before I got in the band.
MoM: How did you find the writing and recording process for Defcon Zero in comparison to previous recordings?
Tomas: The first three albums had similar proceedings. The band worked together with producer Patrik Frisk and came to the studio with some ideas and took it from there. This time around we had come to a sort of crossroads with the label/producer so it just happened to be that we did most of the album ourselves. Except for a couple of songs we worked all alone in the studio and even did the mixing and mastering ourselves. This is probably one reason to how the album sounds. It is our vision from start to end. We could probably have done some things better now that we think about it, but still the album is exactly like we wanted it to be. We did it like we did before everything started to sound the same. We recorded most of material live and we haven´t tried to manipulate everything into perfection. On the other hand, perfection to us is when it sounds perfect, not IS perfect.
MoM: There is a track on the album called Fall Of A Nation. It seems very apt given the political unrest across Europe and of course recent events in your own country. Tell us about this song, what prompted it and what it’s actually about?
Tomas: The song itself got into the process pretty late. We missed a song that was fast and thrashy so we started playing around with some riffs and we just loved it from the beginning. I remember the process was really fun since we haven´t done anything like it before and Per got to play some old school double-bass drum. I know Per is really into the old drum heroes like Bonham and such and doesn't fancy the new way so much. Even if he admires and respects the awesome musicians of modern music I know he likes groove over technique. It was fun to watch him grow into the more modern style of playing on this record though. Lyrically Jens write most of the lyrics when the song is already recorded, as did he with Fall Of A Nation. The song was written 4 years ago so things weren't really as fucked up as today, but still we all could see where we were heading. The title says it all, that´s what the song´s about.
MoM: There is a difficult line to tread when making social and political commentary in music. Many bands in the metal genre steer well away, hence the dungeons and dragons fantasy lyrics of power metal in particular and of course the anti-religious themes of many of your countrymen and neighbours in the black metal fold. How do you approach your themes for song writing?
Tomas: I know that the previous producer didn't want the band to take any political stand points and maybe scare some people off and also Jens had many dark feelings he wanted to write about so therefore we haven't been so political before. It´s a two-way street I think. On the one hand we're in the entertainment business and on the other hand we have the best chance to make difference. All I can say is that there's nothing holding us back from making political statements and when it comes to religion none of us are active members of any religious community. Personally, I believe in the cosmos and surrounding energies, both good and bad.
MoM: I’ve listened to Defcon Zero several times and there are a huge number of influences in the mix. You have a crunchy sound similar to American bands like Godsmack, Soil, Shinedown and Alter Bridge but with a heavier edge, for example on Burn It Down and Rust And Nail. I’ve noted bits of Machine Head and even Baroness in certain tracks. Who are the major influences for the band?
Tomas: We all listen to both the old goldies and the modern bands like Lamb Of God, Slipknot, Meshuggah and so on. I think you summed it all up pretty good. We don´t ever try to mimic anyone. We are very proud of our sound and we know that if we just do what we want to do it´ll sound awesome and people will make cool babies listening to our music.
MoM: It’s only been out a couple of weeks. How has the initial response been to Defcon Zero ?
Tomas: It´s been over the top! We are so happy that people love the album as much as we do. Most recordings I've done in the past I was already fed up with before release but this one has been ready for three years and I still love it so that´s a good thing. I know that the album will keep on growing on the listeners for years to come. A wonderful feeling. I think it will open a lot of doors for us in the business and maybe close some as well. But we don´t care, we move forward, not backwards!
MoM: Back in 2009 your song Time And Again received a lot of exposure – how did that help and/or hinder the band?
Tomas: It helped the band to reach a broad audience by being used as the theme for Swedish version of the TV-show “Survivor”. I don´t know if you have that show in Wales, but it was huge here in Sweden for a long time. Bandit Rock, a national rock radio station played the song about six times a day during long time so that was awesome as well, but as stupid as it sounds it made some of the metal community yell sell-out. We didn't care though, they were just pissed it wasn't their song playing around the clock on the radio hahaha!
MoM; Moving to the metal scene in Sweden for a minute, we get to review huge numbers of Swedish bands which range from the crazy 70s psychedelic rock all the way through to crushingly heavy black and death metal. It would appear to the outsider that Sweden’s metal scene is very healthy. How would you describe it?
Tomas: I would have to agree. It IS very healthy, but the music scene as a whole is not. It´s getting harder to get good gigs and decent pay since all these great bands are playing for almost nothing and the venue owners are really using that to drop the prices even more. Internet is a blessing and curse in that way. Today you have the entire world of music in the palm of your hand at any given point. That wasn't the case 20 years ago. I loved going to see rock shows even if I hadn't heard the band. Today you need to sell platinum to be sure to fill a decent size venue. IT SUCKS!
MoM: I have some friends who love Eurovision; in fact they are obsessive about it and each year its huge business to get to the Meldodifestivalen. I saw Eclipse recently and Eric Martensson talked about their entry last year where they came in at a reasonable position with Runaways. How integral to the Swedish music scene and culture is the whole Melodifestivalen? Can you as a metal band relate to it?
Tomas: Hahaha oh my god! I can tell you this: For the public it´s a huge event. People sit in front of the telly every Saturday to watch the “semi finals” and in the end the big final and there's nothing else being discussed on media except Melodifestivalen and the competing artists. BUT - If you are a rock/metal fan it´s the worst case of profanity against the whole scene! We have seen mighty bands get ice cold after being on there. It´s funny to hear how popular it seems to be outside Sweden, but for a metalhead inside these borders it´s a big no-no.
MoM: Obviously I have to ask if there are any plans to enter?
Tomas: We will enter when hell freezes over and the only way to get a blanket is to enter that competition. Hahaha (Still a chance then - Ed)
MoM: I can’t find any reference to Corroded having gigged in the UK so far. Is that right?
Tomas: Corroded did a tour there back in 2008 I think. It might have been 2007 as well, I wasn't in the band at that point so I´m not really sure. They played a handful of shows in England and as far as the legend goes it was a total success. Like with everything we do. Hehe
MoM: It must be a nightmare trying to arrange tours and the UK has the added difficulty of being an island hence flights or ferries. Do you have plans to tour the album and if so, do they include any dates in the UK?
Tomas: There are worse things than planes and ferries, believe me! When we toured Europe with Airbourne and The Black Spiders (god have mercy on their souls, may them rest in peace) we were denied to go through the tunnel from… I don´t recollect from what country, but the destination was Italy. So we had to go over the alps in the middle of the night. Our bus driver tried to navigate best he could and at one point he came to a dead-end. He had to back the bus for several kilometers because the road wasn't broad enough to turn the bus around. I've never been so glad to be asleep my whole life. According to what he said it was a nightmare with mountain on one side and a huge death drop on the other. We will definitively tour with this album and we have a couple of support slots we hope to get. Otherwise we will have to make it over to you guys on our own, it´s been far too long since we toured the UK.
MoM: Hopefully we we can get to see you guys live over here some time. You received rave reviews for your support slot with Airborne. How was that for you?
Tomas: We had a wonderful time, best tour so far. We learned a lot from touring with those guys. They are really professional and great guys as well. It was fun to be on the road, longest tour we've done and we hope to get back there. Hopefully with Airbourne once again! It would be a blast! We met so many cool people and we got to meet fans we normally don´t play for so that's something we really miss. We got a whole bunch of new fans as well and we can´t wait to get back on the road to see them all again!
MoM: Airborne are a band I’d always put on if I was going for a run or if I needed something energetic to listen to. I don’t know if you are keen on exercise but if so, apart from the new album (which is a great workout album) what would you recommend as ideal for high intensity listening?
Tomas: For me it would be Slipknot, no questions asked. They have the best music to get your heart pumping and adrenaline flowing. Great band all together. There´s another band we´d love to tour with by the way!
MoM: Finally as we are Welsh we have an obsession with sheep so what is your favourite sheep
from the 2 Sheets we've attached?
Tomas: Hahaha! Sure thing! I´d have to go with Jacob. They have the same markings as a cow and who doesn't love cows? I mean, we love both sheep and cow so Jacob´s the sheep for Corroded, hands down!
MoM: Many thanks for taking the time to answer these questions and best of luck with the album.
Tomas: Thank you sire, it was a pleasure. Delightful questions indeed! See you on the road! Baaaaaaaaaa!
Friday, 5 May 2017
Reviews: Pyramaze, Alestorm, Unleash The Archers
Pyramaze: Contingent (Inner Wound Recordings)
Formerly fronted by Lance King and then Iced Earth's Matt Barlow, Pyramaze was formed by guitarist Michael Kammeyer in 2002 the band continues to forge ahead without him after his retirement after their only album with Barlow.
Taking the guitar position since their previous record the incredible Disciples Of The Sun was Jacob Hansen who made his name behind the producer's chair for Volbeat, Amaranthe, Epica and Evergrey and he does an incredible job here adding his perfectionist touch to the soundscapes of this record making the songs sound positively huge while handling the bass and the guitars along with Toke Skjønnemand. On the last record Pyramaze spread their wings, the album added new touches to their sound and this progression continues on this their fifth album.
It's a post-apocalyptic science fiction concept album built on cinematic songs such as Kingdom Of Solace which highlights the incredible synths and keys of Jonah Weingarten who really ramps up his contribution meaning the songs manifest themselves as epic pieces driven by his synths and the expressive drumming of Morten Gade Sørensen. On Disciples Of The Sun I noted that Terje Harøy was an ideal fit for the band and once again I'm enthralled by his vocal performance passionate and uplifting sometimes at odds with the darkly, progressive music behind him, his duet with Kirsten Foss is one of the album's major highlights.
Pyramaze have always been one of those bands that sit as a satellite to the heavy hitters of the genre with Contingent they will shine brighter than ever, it's a mature, technical, intelligent and quite brilliant metal album. 9/10
Alestorm: No Grave But The Sea (Napalm Records)
Yes that's right everyone, lock up your daughters, drink up your rum and set sail once again with Scotland's premier exponents of privateer based power/folk metal, being from the home of the greatest pirate of all time (Captain Henry Morgan history fans) it's only right we review their latest album. So what is it like? Well it sounds like Alestorm this time they've still got the dual keys of frontman Chris Bowes and Elliot Vernon duel with the guitars of Máté Bodor for furious blasts of power metal on the both the punchy title track and the epic closing track Treasure Island. In between these bookends we have the 8-bit folk of Mexico (a song about drinking), the jig happy acoustic Bar Und Imbiss (a song about drinking) and Pegleg Potion (another song about drinking) so you can see a theme recurring here, most of the songs are sing-along shanties built for the live stage and encouraging drinking and craziness.
Every Alestorm album has one or two songs that are wacky or foul-mouthed enough to be repeated ad nauseum by drunken blokes at Bloodstock every year and No Grave But The Sea is no exception the Pirate-core of Alestorm has a chorus that name checks "rum, beer, quests and mead" as the main things a Pirate needs but the one that I'm sure we will hear at every festival this year is the incredibly obscene Fucked With An Anchor which even drops a few C-bombs for good measure, it's not a song to play to your Gran but brilliant while inebriated with a bunch of mates. So the songs are childish and profane, the music is upbeat and ripe for bouncing too, Chris Bowes still can't sing rather drawl but it's immaterial Alestorm are fun, they release albums to tour and they write songs to play live so just relax and enjoy the voyage. 8/10
Unleash The Archers: Apex (Napalm Records)
Vancouver band Unleash The Archers return with their second major label full length (fourth in total) and off the back of their excellent major label debut Time Stands Still the band have adopted an if it ain't broke don't fix it approach, the blend of traditional, power and symphonic metal is unleashed from the opening few seconds Awakening has some insane skull rattling drumming from Scott Buchanan who keeps the entire album running at several hundred beats per minute, he and his other half Brittney Slayes are the predominant influences on this band.
Buchanan destroying his kit as the guitars and bass shred with skill and precision while Brittany exhibits her huge vocal range tackling the thrashier songs such as The Matriarch effortlessly hitting highs that can only be heard by dogs, but also she can croon with the best of them on the slower more deliberate anthemic tracks such as False Walls.
I've always taken Unleash The Archers as a female fronted Manowar or Amon Amarth and with the harsh vocals of guitarist Andrew Kingsley they demonstrate this with the epic battle hymn lyrical content on Ten Thousand Against One and Cleanse The Bloodlines. Bands such as Battle Beast, Crystal Viper and Seven Kingdoms releasing albums this year there is a lot of competition for Unleash The Archers but they play it as good as anyone, maybe even better. 8/10
Formerly fronted by Lance King and then Iced Earth's Matt Barlow, Pyramaze was formed by guitarist Michael Kammeyer in 2002 the band continues to forge ahead without him after his retirement after their only album with Barlow.
Taking the guitar position since their previous record the incredible Disciples Of The Sun was Jacob Hansen who made his name behind the producer's chair for Volbeat, Amaranthe, Epica and Evergrey and he does an incredible job here adding his perfectionist touch to the soundscapes of this record making the songs sound positively huge while handling the bass and the guitars along with Toke Skjønnemand. On the last record Pyramaze spread their wings, the album added new touches to their sound and this progression continues on this their fifth album.
It's a post-apocalyptic science fiction concept album built on cinematic songs such as Kingdom Of Solace which highlights the incredible synths and keys of Jonah Weingarten who really ramps up his contribution meaning the songs manifest themselves as epic pieces driven by his synths and the expressive drumming of Morten Gade Sørensen. On Disciples Of The Sun I noted that Terje Harøy was an ideal fit for the band and once again I'm enthralled by his vocal performance passionate and uplifting sometimes at odds with the darkly, progressive music behind him, his duet with Kirsten Foss is one of the album's major highlights.
Pyramaze have always been one of those bands that sit as a satellite to the heavy hitters of the genre with Contingent they will shine brighter than ever, it's a mature, technical, intelligent and quite brilliant metal album. 9/10
Alestorm: No Grave But The Sea (Napalm Records)
Yes that's right everyone, lock up your daughters, drink up your rum and set sail once again with Scotland's premier exponents of privateer based power/folk metal, being from the home of the greatest pirate of all time (Captain Henry Morgan history fans) it's only right we review their latest album. So what is it like? Well it sounds like Alestorm this time they've still got the dual keys of frontman Chris Bowes and Elliot Vernon duel with the guitars of Máté Bodor for furious blasts of power metal on the both the punchy title track and the epic closing track Treasure Island. In between these bookends we have the 8-bit folk of Mexico (a song about drinking), the jig happy acoustic Bar Und Imbiss (a song about drinking) and Pegleg Potion (another song about drinking) so you can see a theme recurring here, most of the songs are sing-along shanties built for the live stage and encouraging drinking and craziness.
Every Alestorm album has one or two songs that are wacky or foul-mouthed enough to be repeated ad nauseum by drunken blokes at Bloodstock every year and No Grave But The Sea is no exception the Pirate-core of Alestorm has a chorus that name checks "rum, beer, quests and mead" as the main things a Pirate needs but the one that I'm sure we will hear at every festival this year is the incredibly obscene Fucked With An Anchor which even drops a few C-bombs for good measure, it's not a song to play to your Gran but brilliant while inebriated with a bunch of mates. So the songs are childish and profane, the music is upbeat and ripe for bouncing too, Chris Bowes still can't sing rather drawl but it's immaterial Alestorm are fun, they release albums to tour and they write songs to play live so just relax and enjoy the voyage. 8/10
Unleash The Archers: Apex (Napalm Records)
Vancouver band Unleash The Archers return with their second major label full length (fourth in total) and off the back of their excellent major label debut Time Stands Still the band have adopted an if it ain't broke don't fix it approach, the blend of traditional, power and symphonic metal is unleashed from the opening few seconds Awakening has some insane skull rattling drumming from Scott Buchanan who keeps the entire album running at several hundred beats per minute, he and his other half Brittney Slayes are the predominant influences on this band.
Buchanan destroying his kit as the guitars and bass shred with skill and precision while Brittany exhibits her huge vocal range tackling the thrashier songs such as The Matriarch effortlessly hitting highs that can only be heard by dogs, but also she can croon with the best of them on the slower more deliberate anthemic tracks such as False Walls.
I've always taken Unleash The Archers as a female fronted Manowar or Amon Amarth and with the harsh vocals of guitarist Andrew Kingsley they demonstrate this with the epic battle hymn lyrical content on Ten Thousand Against One and Cleanse The Bloodlines. Bands such as Battle Beast, Crystal Viper and Seven Kingdoms releasing albums this year there is a lot of competition for Unleash The Archers but they play it as good as anyone, maybe even better. 8/10
Thursday, 4 May 2017
Reviews: Dimmu Borgir, Riverside, Metal Church (Review By Paul)
Paul delivers his verdict on three live releases
Dimmu Borgir: Forces Of The Northern Night (Nuclear Blast)
Dimmu Borgir: Forces Of The Northern Night (Nuclear Blast)
It’s been a long time coming but what a tour de force this double release is. Dimmu Borgir are without question one of the most important bands not just in Norwegian Black Metal but in the metal world over the past 20 years. Forces Of The Northern Night captures an amazing evening at the Oslo Spektrum way back in 2011 when the band performed with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and the Schola Cantorum Choir, who had also guested on 2010’s Abrahadabra. It is simply astonishing and highlights the power and majesty of the band in full flow, with a full symphonic backing. Although performing with orchestras has long been accepted in the metal world, and to be fair, classical music and heavy metal are at ease and linked to each other with their intensity and loyal followings, there are few bands whose music is so compatible as Dimmu.
Side one opens with the symphonic Xibir before Galder hits that riff for Born Treacherous. The rest of opening salvo focuses on tracks from Abrahadabra, including the orchestral version of Dimmu Borgir, followed by the full-throated version which is blistering, the arrival of Agnete Kjolsrud for Gateways and a magical Eradication Instincts Defined, the first of three tracks from Death Cult Armageddon given the full orchestral make-over. Shagrath, Silenoz and Galder are in full flow, supported by bassist Cyrus, Gerlioz on keyboards and Daray’s magnificent powerhouse drumming.
Side two goes back in time with some quite breath-taking performances. Vredesbyrd is imperious, heavy as hell with battering blast beats and skull crushing guitars laced with spiralling whilst Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse, complete with soaring choral parts is simply epic. And then we come to The Serpentine Offering. Possibly the most imposing and stunning song the band has ever released, this version, with the combination of balls out metal riffs, explosive drumming interchanging with swooping string sections and stirring choral harmonies is as inspiring as anything I think I’ve ever heard. It is overwhelming in both its ferocity and gracefulness.
The audience are in fine form with huge roars throughout, unsurprising when you listen to penultimate track Mourning Palace, another quite captivating collaboration with huge horn sections embellishing the song superbly. Forces Of The Northern Night is a statement of just how good this band are. The orchestral arrangements of Gante Storaas, conducted by Rune Halversen quite brilliant. Rumours are that the band will have new material released later this year. I won’t hold my breath given the hiatus the band have been on but it will be a memorable day when new Dimmu arrives. Until then savour possibly the most essential purchase of the year. Miss it at your peril. 10/10
Riverside: Lost ‘N’ Found (InsideOut)
Live albums are often insipid affairs. Black Sabbath’s Live Evil always comes to mind when wondering if the band were performing in front of anyone. The crowd sounded so far away. Every decent one is balanced with an album that you wonder why it was even released. Kiss Alive! Brilliant. Kiss Alive 3? Oh no. Polish Progressive legends Riverside’s latest offering, Lost ‘N’ Found is, thankfully, a beautifully delivered release, which captures the band at their peak during the 2015 European Tour which prompted the excellent Love Fear And The Time Machine album.
Having been fortunate enough to have witnessed this tour, I can testify that the album really does allow you to relieve the concert. Of course, it is poignant, with the dearly missed Piotr Grudzinski’s guitar work throughout a reminder of what a superb player he was. From the opener Lost through to the closing Found, which book-ended the album and the gig, the band, Marius Duda, Piotr Kozieradzki and Michel Lapaj, are in stunning form. With a new tour hitting our shores in a matter of days, this is a stunning reminder of why Riverside is a band that no-one should miss. 9/10
Metal Church: Classic Live (Rat Pak Records)
The return of Mike Howe to the ranks of Metal Church was one of the most welcome personnel changes in recent years. The man who followed the great David Wayne and who made the microphone his own was back. The album that followed, XI, was damn fine and the band proved that in the live arena they are still a ferocious act. Classic Live is a selection of live recordings from their 2016 World Tour, and focuses on the first five albums from the band’s 1980s and early 1990s period.
There isn’t a duff track on this release, it just seems a little bit of a filler. Sure, Beyond The Black still gets the hairs standing on the back of the neck, Watch The Children Pray haunts just as much now as it did then and Badlands and The Human Factor never fail to get you moving. The band are tight, Howe is on top form vocally and the duel guitars of Kurt Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt are sharper than a butcher’s filleting knife.
The duet between Howe and Queensryche’s Todd La Torre on Fake Healer, the bonus track on the release is strong and La Torre’s higher pitch supports Howe’s lower delivery. Classic Live is on a par with Armored Saint’s recent Carpe Noctum offering. Absolutely nothing wrong with the tracks, the performance or the production. It just feels a little needless. I’ll still probably buy it when I lose my shit in Bristol next month but I’d mark it as a “fans only” purchase. 7/10
Side one opens with the symphonic Xibir before Galder hits that riff for Born Treacherous. The rest of opening salvo focuses on tracks from Abrahadabra, including the orchestral version of Dimmu Borgir, followed by the full-throated version which is blistering, the arrival of Agnete Kjolsrud for Gateways and a magical Eradication Instincts Defined, the first of three tracks from Death Cult Armageddon given the full orchestral make-over. Shagrath, Silenoz and Galder are in full flow, supported by bassist Cyrus, Gerlioz on keyboards and Daray’s magnificent powerhouse drumming.
Side two goes back in time with some quite breath-taking performances. Vredesbyrd is imperious, heavy as hell with battering blast beats and skull crushing guitars laced with spiralling whilst Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse, complete with soaring choral parts is simply epic. And then we come to The Serpentine Offering. Possibly the most imposing and stunning song the band has ever released, this version, with the combination of balls out metal riffs, explosive drumming interchanging with swooping string sections and stirring choral harmonies is as inspiring as anything I think I’ve ever heard. It is overwhelming in both its ferocity and gracefulness.
The audience are in fine form with huge roars throughout, unsurprising when you listen to penultimate track Mourning Palace, another quite captivating collaboration with huge horn sections embellishing the song superbly. Forces Of The Northern Night is a statement of just how good this band are. The orchestral arrangements of Gante Storaas, conducted by Rune Halversen quite brilliant. Rumours are that the band will have new material released later this year. I won’t hold my breath given the hiatus the band have been on but it will be a memorable day when new Dimmu arrives. Until then savour possibly the most essential purchase of the year. Miss it at your peril. 10/10
Riverside: Lost ‘N’ Found (InsideOut)
Live albums are often insipid affairs. Black Sabbath’s Live Evil always comes to mind when wondering if the band were performing in front of anyone. The crowd sounded so far away. Every decent one is balanced with an album that you wonder why it was even released. Kiss Alive! Brilliant. Kiss Alive 3? Oh no. Polish Progressive legends Riverside’s latest offering, Lost ‘N’ Found is, thankfully, a beautifully delivered release, which captures the band at their peak during the 2015 European Tour which prompted the excellent Love Fear And The Time Machine album.
Having been fortunate enough to have witnessed this tour, I can testify that the album really does allow you to relieve the concert. Of course, it is poignant, with the dearly missed Piotr Grudzinski’s guitar work throughout a reminder of what a superb player he was. From the opener Lost through to the closing Found, which book-ended the album and the gig, the band, Marius Duda, Piotr Kozieradzki and Michel Lapaj, are in stunning form. With a new tour hitting our shores in a matter of days, this is a stunning reminder of why Riverside is a band that no-one should miss. 9/10
Metal Church: Classic Live (Rat Pak Records)
The return of Mike Howe to the ranks of Metal Church was one of the most welcome personnel changes in recent years. The man who followed the great David Wayne and who made the microphone his own was back. The album that followed, XI, was damn fine and the band proved that in the live arena they are still a ferocious act. Classic Live is a selection of live recordings from their 2016 World Tour, and focuses on the first five albums from the band’s 1980s and early 1990s period.
There isn’t a duff track on this release, it just seems a little bit of a filler. Sure, Beyond The Black still gets the hairs standing on the back of the neck, Watch The Children Pray haunts just as much now as it did then and Badlands and The Human Factor never fail to get you moving. The band are tight, Howe is on top form vocally and the duel guitars of Kurt Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt are sharper than a butcher’s filleting knife.
The duet between Howe and Queensryche’s Todd La Torre on Fake Healer, the bonus track on the release is strong and La Torre’s higher pitch supports Howe’s lower delivery. Classic Live is on a par with Armored Saint’s recent Carpe Noctum offering. Absolutely nothing wrong with the tracks, the performance or the production. It just feels a little needless. I’ll still probably buy it when I lose my shit in Bristol next month but I’d mark it as a “fans only” purchase. 7/10
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