Reviews: Naisian, Wail, Crown Of Glory, Omega Diatribe (Paul S, Simon, Lucas & Stuart)

Naisian: Metal (Sludgelord Records) [Paul Scoble]

Naisian are a Sheffield based trio who are on to the second phase of their existence. I say second phase as Naisian went on hiatus in 2012 after releasing the EP Monocle, which came one year after their debut album Mammalian. So, after having a breather for 6 years the band returned in 2018 with another EP called Rejoinder, which we reviewed at Musipedia. The EP got a very positive review, with the only criticism being the short length of the EP, which isn’t really a criticism as we wanted more! Now 2 years later we have the second album that bookends their releases in a pleasingly neat way, but has it lived up to the promise that their last EP suggested? The album opens with Taft Point, a short (most of the tracks on Metal are quite short, only one track is over 4 minutes, with most tracks being 4 minutes or less), aggressive piece of sludge. 

The vocals are harsh and nasty the whole way thorough the album, and we can add very effective to the description as well. The track has a soft and brooding section before getting heavy and ill-tempered again. Liquid Attraction has a little bit more of an alternative feel to it, the vocal performance is nicely dramatic and the song features a suitably unpleasant guitar solo. The next track Is It Though is the first of 3 instrumentals, it’s simple and features an intro with reversed parts. Asteroid is a driving piece of uptempo sludge, it has a lot of energy and feels expansive, and is probably the strongest track on the album. FILA is a bit of a curve ball, it’s short and features strange electronic noises, very heavily processed (Vocoder?) vocals and due to the vocals sounding more like an instrument than a voice, it feels more like an instrumental. Brain Throne is slow, heavy and dramatic with very nasty vocals. The song has a softer, minimal section before going back to heavy and aggressive. Small Talk is a short brooding instrumental with an electronic feel to the percussion. Praying For Elliot is another piece of aggressive, driving sludge. Again we get a softer less aggressive section, before the huge and heavy returns for the end of the song. 

Vanilla is another electronic instrumental. Final track, and longest song on the album, Paradoxical Undressing is a monumentally huge slab of pounding sludge, it has a quieter section as well as some very atmospheric keyboards and a very enjoyable melody lead. Metal is a great piece of Sludge. The 3 instrumentals add some nice variation to the album, breaking up the huge slabs of heavy with something a little bit less aggressive. This helps to give the album some depth, and gives the audience a breather. The main heavy tracks are quite similar, but this band really excel at huge and aggressive heaviness, so it’s not a surprise that they play to their strengths. Metal is a very enjoyable album, packed with great riffs, hopefully Naisian will not disappear on Hiatus again after this pair of Ep and Album. 7/10

Wail: Civilisation Maximus (Wormholedeath Records) [Simon Black]

Parody Metal is always a sensitive area for bands to tread in. When it’s done well, it can absolutely blow your socks off, but not everyone has the balance right (say as Evil Scarecrow do) or the potential for longevity that Lawnmower Deth have achieved by literally becoming their own tribute band. Norwegian 5 piece Wail don’t immediately grab you as a parody act, as musically the music is tight enough to stand on its own feet, and lyrically there are so many examples of hilarity from bands that were being deadly serious that it’s not obvious (see the entire Power Metal genre). That said it’s obvious when you track down a video, because no-one in Metal is going to wear a white suit and bow tie on stage … Ok, maybe Graham Bonnet…

Exploding with the energetic Down The Mountain, it’s clear that Wail are heavily influenced by Iron Maiden in Power Metal mode. Singer ‘The Singer’ (yes, really) is doing his best Bruce Dickinson on this album, although vocally the high end does feel a little forced at times. Endless Repetition isn’t, and the Power Metal tone continues with a lively enough number, and as I get to the more catchy Presage it’s clear that these guys know how to write an engaging track. This catchiness continues into Through The Ice and it’s clear that good structured song writing is something these boys do well. No Hesitation is a great head-bobber, with a catchy rhythm and riff and lyrically one of the clearest songs on the record, perhaps helped by the more restrained vocal performance. You’ve Got Nothing sees a return to the more forced vocal feel, and is one of the weaker elements of this release but they’re back in the game with the full on speed of Overwhelming, which again gets the balance right. The title track closes the album, and again is another nod along effort.

As I hinted earlier the parody isn’t lyrically all that obvious, perhaps not helped by where the vocals are placed slightly back in the mix on some of the tracks. Whereas other Parody acts are blatantly daft, these guys keep it subtle, to the point where this does simply sound like one of the better examples of the Power crossed with traditional Heavy Metal genres. Maybe that parody element is more obvious on stage. Nonetheless it’s very listenable once you get used to The Singer’s voice. 7/10

Crown Of Glory: Ad Infinitum (Fastball Music) [Lucas Tuckwood]

I hope you’re in the mood for some power metal today folks, because Crown Of Glory are back, and better than ever. While they may hail from the land of chocolate and fancy watches we all know as Switzerland, these guys are the opposite of neutral. Ad Infinitum is a no-holds-barred full frontal assault of melodic metal from start to finish. Featuring fast-paced riffing, soaring vocals and intricate synth tracks, Crown Of Glory totes an immense arsenal of tools with which they construct perhaps the finest power metal album released this year. Opening with a fiery tune named Emergency, this album starts with a fierce yet slightly melodic bang, briefly delves into ballad territory during the mid-section with Surrender, and fully kicks into gear with heaving groove-laden tracks like Master Of Disguise during the climax. 

Be it traditional power metal, ballads, or fast paced harder tracks, each one is crafted with laser precision, and every piece runs like clockwork. Track two, Something, even features a guest appearance by the immensely talented Seraina Telli, and her top-notch vocals perfectly compliment an already excellent track. Everyone involved here gives 110%, but none stand out quite like Hene’s vocals, as he utterly savages the microphone across the runtime, and effortlessly soars over the non-stop riffs. I can’t think of enough good things to say about this album. It’s eleven tracks of utterly badass power metal and one excellent ballad, each tune better than the last. Power metal fans are going to absolutely lose it over this album, and I’d have no hesitation recommending it to non-power metal fans too. It’s got the heavy, and it’s got the melodies in equal measure, and enough power to level a skyscraper. Wholeheartedly recommended. 9/10

Omega Diatribe: Metanoia (Metal Scrap Record) [Stuart Blythe]

Hailing from Hungary, Omega Diatribe’s new full length album is exactly what you would get if you crossed a Student Union, Meshuggah covers band, who are clearly fans of Gojira with a complete lack of musicality. Technically proficient, excellently produced djent/ groove metal with not a single hook, memorable riff or song. Full of twisting polyrhythmic drumming, waaaaay- down tuned guitars and the odd spot of death metal (Global Fire, Mirror Neuron). Omega Diatribe tread a singular, unwavering path toward the monumental altar of mathematical worship that is Meshuggah. Metanoia is a frustrating listen. As mentioned previously the production is fantastic, with clean but weighty drums, that djent tone and some occasional echoey/ floaty clean vocals. It was mastered by the mighty Jens Bogren, well known for his consistently wonderful work with bands like Opeth, Soilwork, Enslaved and many more. Where the record falls down is simply, and purely the quality of the song writing. 

The opening riff of the aforementioned Global Fire was literally the only thing that made my ears prick up throughout my many play-playthroughs of Metanoia. Yet there are a few embers burning which allude to some great potential on tracks such as Mirror Neuron and Parallel. There’s just not enough here to sustain prolonged interest though. It is a shame, as Omega Diatribe are undeniably superb musicians. The main feeling Metanoia gave me was one of boredom… not a good thing in a metal record! There is likely a part of the djent fanbase who will be lauding this as a stunning release, and I can see why to a certain extent. None of this clicked with me though. The, mostly, mono-paced relentlessness of chuggy “Doom Eternal” soundtrack guitars combined with the one dimensional vocals of Gergely Komaromi results in a bland, lifeless listen. For the hardcore djentleman only. 3/10

Reviews: Flying Colours, NoN, Derek Sherinian, Eshtadur (Simon, Bob, Alex & Stuart)

Flying Colours: Third Stage - Live In London (Music Theories Recordings) [Simon Black]

So another month, another release involving Neil Morse and Mike Portnoy, who seem to be on a two-man mission to be on every other Progressive Rock album released this year (at last count they have no less than four project bands on the go). So much so that they are able to run their own Festival for heaven’s sake (I kid you not – Morsefest is a thing). This album follows this supergroup’s usual strategy of following each studio release with a live set, and again with the obligatory DVD release, which will no doubt be a consolation for anyone holding a now useless ticket for a show this year.

It’s a two disk affair, so plenty of material for followers to get their teeth into and to my mind feels somewhat flatter that other live offerings I’ve reviewed recently. Track wise there are plenty of material from the most recent studio release, but then when you are as prolific as this it’s less likely for the artists to get pulled into playing their greatest hits with a token couple of newbies. I’ve not followed this project before, but in general have to say despite the superb musicianship, that I much prefer it when these two take a harder more metal edge to the style. The audience engagement also really does feel a bit flat and again misses the whole point that a live release, which needs to capture some of that enthusiasm - which is not easy of the audience mikes are way down in the mix. The standout track for me was More, where Portnoy in particular kicks up a level and the overall energy picks up and also elicits more enthusiasm from the crowd, although it has to be said that the album closers The Storm and Mask Machine bring some much needed energy to the piece too.

Flying Colours is perhaps too mainstream for my tastes although I have to say the song writing is pretty strong, and the technical prowess is much more restrained than other projects. Perhaps there lies the challenge for me personally, in that the more technically proficient aspects are the parts I am missing. Nonetheless a competent, if not exactly vibrant offering for Morse/Portnoy devotees. 6/10

NoN: III (Crusader Records) Bob Shoesmith]

Drawing facts from the self-penned hyperbole that bands (particularly American bands) like to indulge in, in their bio’s is a useful exercise for reviewers. There is an understandable urge to ramp up the old CV with superlatives for your new release/line-up as quite often it just gets repeated within the review itself by lazy writers, so worth a punt! What I can say about NoN is that they are formerly known as ‘Now or Never’ and given that a cursory internet search will throw up a plethora of bands with the same name, probably a name-change was a shrewd move. Also, it’s a vehicle for Denmark’s ex Pretty Maids guitarist Ricky Marx. As any self-respecting melodic rock aficionado will know, Pretty Maids are an often underrated but much venerated, expert exponents of their genre, all spandex, shaggy perm, tight harmonies of gentlemen of a certain age, perpetuating the classic 80’s based power/melodic idiom. They are however, worshipped by the melodic rock faithful and knowledgeable fan at festivals such as Firefest, Rockingham and Hellfest and in fairness, are great musicians and probably one of the best providers of that particular brand of high gloss, Europe, FM-esque rock commerciality.

In 2012, Marx has left the Maids and gathered together some like-minded European musicians and formed Now or Never (now, NoN) to produce this, their third offering III not exactly hot on the heels of their 2016 release, called (unsurprisingly) II, but for the uninitiated and those expecting a Whitesnake/early Europe sing-a-long you will be pleasantly (or unpleasantly if that’s what you were hoping for) surprised. Of course, there’s some of the stock, ever present, melodic rock ingredients but, to use a food analogy, they’ve definitely upped the beef and reduced the cheese. I’ll be honest, there’s a short instrumental keyboard intro right out of the European power rock playbook, so I was half dreading stock fare. However, the first track Two Worlds Away rips into a fast paced riff-fest which bodes well for upping their ante of their past influences. The excellent growly, whiskey-soaked vocal of Steph Honde keeps the vibe far more earthy and the thick processed guitar riffs steer the ship away from anything resembling high gloss on tracks like Woman In The Dark, Point Of No Return and Circle Of Pain and the best tracks are all very reminiscent of Alter Bridge (in a good way) not to mention a great cover of Duran Duran's Ordinary World.

NoN don’t entirely let go of some of the more well-known melodic rock tropes though. There’s the rather unnecessary seven-minute power blues ballad of cliché ridden Eyes Of A Child (which could be Whitesnake’s Mistreated reprised for 2020). The harmonies are on point, there are the big stadium choruses and in truth while all tracks are exceptionally well crafted and played and a great representation of 21st century rock classic rock with Honde putting in an excellent vocal shift, there is a bit of sameness that occasionally creeps in the song writing structure and there’s no escaping the Alter Bridge comparisons on tracks like Another Story and Afterlife and throughout. That said, all “new” rock music is inevitably going to be recycled from its predecessors in some way and fans of their particular genre will always want the warm familiarity of hearing the legacy.

III is a belting, wonderfully produced rock album that a lot of my rock DJ friends will revel in. No awards for originality but I’ve enjoyed my listens and it will probably slide into my playlists for a few more. 8/10

Derek Sherinian: Phoenix (Inside Out Records) [Alex Swift]

I’ve noted in past reviews how I’m selective when it comes to instrumental music. I believe that music itself can be incredibly effective in inspiring moods or even telling a story through the melodic and instrumental alterations. A great instrumental doesn’t need words to grant passage to the listener’s imagination and send them into a whirlwind of poignant mental imagery. And hey, I’m sure we’ve all heard songs whose lyrics have been as callous and clumsy as to execute any hope the listener might have of lending their own interpretation. Importantly, going into The Phoenix, I aimed to keep an open mind. Remember, Derek Sherinian has provided keyboards for the likes of Alice Cooper, Dream Theater, and is currently the player for Sons Of Apollo – these are acts who for all their talent, would not be the same without those soaring, transcendental key and synth textures. 

Although, I may have hinted at my skepticism right there. ‘for all their talent’ – while his skills are undoubtedly impressive, how do they fare on a soundscape led by the musician? Well, here’s the crux. Is this album full of the complex keyboard structures which define his work in some of his most notable projects? Absolutely. Is the record also self-indulgent and more focussed on technical proficiency, than emotion or storytelling? Oh my word, yes. Dear reader, there is nothing to this album beyond showcasing the megalithic magnitude of Sherinians' skill. I was not taken on a journey by a single progression. There were definitely some moments scattered throughout that would have worked in a more considered and affecting song, yet I felt absolutely nothing. Our player's skill is striking yet counts for very little in the context of his solo album, especially considering that I can’t remember anything after frankly more listens than a piece with so little dramatic caliber deserves. 

Whatsmore, these are always the hardest pieces to grade ‘cause while you can’t fault them on technical ability, you are left with a void of oblivion to comment or pass judgment on. For that reason, my score is based purely on the little amount of enjoyment I gained sitting through this work, with only a dying ember of hope for what could have been. 2/10

Eshtadur: From The Abyss (Blood Blast) [Stuart Blythe]

Holy sh**ting f**k!!! Colombia’s Eshtadur are not messing around (well maybe a little bit, but we’ll get to that) with their new album From the Abyss. Not messing about in their flagrant worship (and maybe just a little bit of plagiarism?) of bands like Dimmu Borgir, SepticFlesh and Arch Enemy. Right from the start with opener Lowborn Bastard, Eshtadur wear their influences on their sleeve. A harsh Dimmu-esque riff leading into some melo-death that sounds so much like Arch Enemy you’ll be checking to see if you have the right record on, straight into a SepticFlesh orchestral arrangement. All within the first two minutes! It’s like someone has thrown all three bands into a blender and pressed a CD from the vile substance that was left. 

What separates Eshtadur from the rest of the pack is how well they actually manage to pull this off. Tight song writing, and excellent production exemplifies From The Abyss. The Adverse Side, The Red Door, The Fall every track speeds along with melodic hooks aplenty, Daniel Erlandsson style drumming and some inventive black metal-into-death metal riffing. The monolithic She the Void proving they can slow the tempo down when required and change the mood with evil synths and all out black metal tremolo riffing. Then for some random reason, in the middle of it all Eshtadur deemed it a cracking idea to throw in a cover version of Firehouse’s 80’s hair metal classic All She Wrote. It isn’t that this is ill-conceived. For what it is it is a very good cover. But sitting in the middle of a record of wall to wall bangers just doesn’t make sense. 

It breaks the flow and makes you question if you’ve actually just heard that?! Maybe a decent bonus track for the Japanese release? Ultimately though it doesn’t prevent From The Abyss from being a great piece of melodic death and black metal. This is seriously amazing stuff. Is it original? Absolutely f**king not… not in the slightest, but Christ on a bike! It is brilliant! If you don’t bang your head to this, then you are dead inside. 9/10

Reviews: Gazpacho, Varg, The Infernal Sea, Orochen (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Gazpacho: Fireworker (Kscope)

With 20 years experience under their collective belts Gazpacho are not going to suddenly change tack and bring out 12 track record of pop rockers. In fact at this point of their career the Norwegian sextet are infinitely comfortable with their brand of atmospheric art rock which poses philosophical questions drawing heavily from literature and academia channelled through their introspective art rock facade. So then what have they offered here on Fireworker? Well much like their previous release Night this is one song split into 5 separate chapters which may not sound a lot but when you consider the sprawling, baroque opening Space Cowboy clocking in at 19 minutes (or one side on vinyl) it's a track you could consider as the 'ultimate' Gazpacho song with numerous shifts, some brilliant storytelling and tonal shifts that remind me of Gabriel fronted Genesis, especially from around 11 minutes. 

The emotive vocals and dense musicianship offer you just what you would want from any Gazpacho offering and where as most bands may consider this track enough, as part of an EP maybe, but Gazpacho are brazen and confident enough to open with it. From here the eccentricity is very much in force but it never spills over into being cheap or cartoony. Gazpacho write songs that deftly make their way under your skin and into your psyche evoking emotion on Hourglass based around soft piano and orchestrations as it unwinds into the folksy title track which builds layers like Mike Oldfield. As I've said earlier there are few tracks in bands careers that reach the lengths and heights of Space Cowboy but Gazpacho somehow do it twice on one record with the closing Sapien a 15 minute crescendo that keeps you on tenterhooks until the closing moments. 

Occasionally we tell you to let an album wash over you but Fireworker needs to be enjoyed as twilight descends preferably with a large glass of red wine, it's a hearty meal but one that fills and ultimately comforts. 9/10

Varg: Zeichen (Napalm Records)

German Viking/Pagan metal band Varg declare themselves wolves (their name translates Wolf in Swedish and Old Norwegian) and you can hear why when you set this new record off 739 kicks in with some ferocious blackened melodic death metal which brings the band back to their Viking worship after a brief foray into politics on 2016's Das Ende Aller Lügen an album that solidified the bands anti-fascist and anti-racist positions. Zeichen is their seventh full length and follows hot on the heels of Wolfszeit II their re-recorded debut album from last year. One would think that it was this retrospective release that inspired them to once again done the war paint and play Norse/Pagan themed music they have been making most of their career. Yes we're back in the land of longboats and pyres as 739 kicks in with the force of longsword to the neck the growled/screamed vocals of Freki coming in addition to his guitar playing. He's joined by Morkai and Garm on the guitars and Fenrier explodes from behind the kit. 

The band have stripped back their sound to those early days and it means that songs such as Schildwall and the Auf Die Gotter both bring a groove that begs to be chanted back in the live. Now I can't do a review of this style of music without mentioning bands such as Amon Amarth or Turisas but I'd say Varg actually owe a little more to bands like Children Of Bodom. The album's centerpiece is Fara Til Ranar which features new member Fylgja's classical strains soaring on this tale of the Rán the Nordic Sea Goddess (similar to a siren). It seems like Fylgja is a full time member so it will be interesting to see how her vocals are used going forward but for the majority of this record is Viking influenced melodic death metal with lots of nifty guitar playing, an ear for a fist pumping hook and a nod to the grandiose, on the final two tracks especially having some theatrical moments. 

If that's not enough in the special edition you get the whole album again but in alternative versions with special guests from bands such as Equilibrium and Eluveitie adding their musicianship. If German language Viking-themed melodic death metal sounds like something you can whip you luxurious braided hair to then it maybe worth grabbing the closest Longboat and pillaging Zeichen from your local record shop (please don't steal it buy it with money). 7/10

The Infernal Sea: Negotium Crucis (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) 

Ah the new album from The Infernal Sea, or as they referred to in this house "my future father-in-law's favourite black metal band" (I mean they are the only one he's ever seen but still!). The Fenland (East Anglia geography folks) dwelling foursome are purveyors of some of the nastiest black metal maelstroms and they return with their third full length album Negotium Crucis. Now here comes the health warning, it's not for the faint of heart, there's not much room for lighter melodies and little folksy touches that some black metal bands. No Negotium Crucis is another slab of wretched, anti-religious black metal music that follows a Medieval concept, especially The Black Death and its aftermath that caused untold misery across Europe and is even more relevant at the moment. 

Now I said black metal is the overarching sound but you often get some wild solos at the end of Befallen Order on the other hand God Wills It the filth ridden title track and Unholy Crusade have a black n roll groove powered by some sleazy HM-2. Still if you're not a fan of the black n roll elements, though if you tread the Left Hand Path I wouldn't want to know why, there is enough 'classic' black metal tremolo picking, frantic drumming and screaming for any hardened cvltist to throw their hand in the air and wave it back and forth in time to the blastbeats (if you know you know). Devoid Of Fear being an example of this as is the frankly blistering Rex Mundi a song that will ring in your ears for minutes after it ends. This is the 'proper' finale but the band have added a bonus song Into The Unknown which takes thing back to the raw foundations of black metal. Negotium Crucis continues The Infernal Sea's path of devastation, laying waste to all zealots in their path. 8/10

Orochen: Thylacine EP (Suicide Records)

The second EP this year from Swedish post-rockers Orochen, is their third in total and again much like Rich said in his review of their previous release Mechanical Eyes they still sit in the middle ground between heavy post-rock and neofolk. This EP Thylacine is named after the now extinct Tasmanian tiger and the EP deals with the question of who's next? Will our way of living recklessly ultimately lead to our own downfall? The EP was written, recorded and produced during the Coronavirus lockdown and as such is a reflection of it. No wonder then that it's a very insular with the introspective sound of Crippled Black Phoenix and Cult Of Luna with a feeling of distance at odds with the brighter sounding delivery of Long Distance Calling with the Burial Mounds a definite EP starter as it's a driving rocker to get the engine running. Quickly though we are taken into a deeper hole by Drift Away which funnels Mark Lanegan and Nick Cave through the paranoia of Pink Floyd's The Wall. There's a enveloping Nineties feel to Inside The City while The Jonestown Deathtape is just that...the final tape of Jim Jones, leader of the Peoples Temple cult just before the mass suicide-murder set to piano before it evolves into the heaviest song on the record with roars and huge orchestral swathes. It's another interesting EP from this Swedish project that brings together multiple strands of musical influence into one place very effectively. 7/10

Reviews: Mastodon, Bornwithhair, Dephosphorus, Liquid Therapy (Paul H, Paul S, Matt & Lucas)

Mastodon: Medium Rarities (Reprise Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Sometimes you forget that Mastodon have been punching hard for two decades. Formed in Atlanta in 2000, the stable line-up of Troy Sanders (bass/vocals), Brent Hinds (lead guitar/vocals), Bill Kelliher (rhythm guitar/backing vocals), and Brann Dailor (drums/vocals) have released seven studio albums and have slowly moved their way through the ranks. Big enough to headline some of the smaller festivals, Mastodon appeal spreads wider than just metal heads and if you’ve attended one of their recent academy sized tours, you’ll know that they pull in a diverse crowd. Medium Rarities is an interesting package which delves deep into the band’s archive and influences as well as showcasing a new track and some live tracks of earlier songs. 70 minutes in length, it opens with the sole new song, Fallen Torches which features Neurosis’ Scott Kelly, who maintains his record of appearing on every Mastodon album except for Remission. Instantly recognisable, the sludgy groove ridden riffs also showcase drummer Brann Dailor on the choruses, something that the band have expanded upon over the past couple of albums to good effect. It’s a solid song that provides a nice teaser for the next album, retaining the wild off the wall elements which riddle their music. 

Elsewhere, there are some covers which will be unfamiliar to many. These include A Commotion, which featured on a split single with Canadian Indie singer Feist in 2012. An appearance from Gibby Haynes on the Butthole Surfers track Atlanta marks a typically chaotic performance whilst The Flaming Lips' A Spoonful Weighs A Ton provides a different take on a less well-known track. A note perfect cover of Metallica’s Orion is also included. This originally featured on the Kerrang! Master Of Puppets 20-year anniversary CD in 2006. Two songs from film soundtracks make the cut, with White Walkers from Game Of Thrones, which also saw the band make their appearances in the show, showing that the band can take it down a level in contrast to their usual, ear splitting levels. Jaguar God from the most recent album release Emperor Of The Sand is the pick of the instrumentals. Close to eight minutes, its deft cleverness provides opportunity for the band to showcase their quality as musicians. A plethora of live tracks are also shoehorned into the album with highlights of the ferocious Blood & Thunder and Iron Tusk both probably benefitting from a bit of studio wizardry but excellent all the same. Whilst this may be one for the more dedicated Mastodon fan, there is plenty within this release to engage the casual listener. The band are a superb musical machine, and the rarities here provide an opportunity to listen to them in a more obscure and free flowing setting. 8/10

Bornwithhair: Smoleńska (Self Released) [Paul Scoble]

The wonderfully titled Bornwithhair are a duo hailing from Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The pair, Jean Farraige and the aptly named Weirding, released 2 singles in 2019, and released their debut album in February this year. Clearly Bornwithhair are a productive pair of noise makers as Smoleńska has been produced in barely 6 months. The album was recorded in a 19th century Maryland farmhouse on a river that spills into Baltimore Harbour. Bornwithhair describe their sound Avant-Garde Metal that incorporates Black, Death and Sludge, but also using elements of Industrial, Noise, Psychedelia, Freak Folk and Free Improvisation. With some bands that would be baseless boasting, but Bornwithhair clearly mean it. There is a huge amount of different styles and moods on this album, in a strange way it’s what makes this album great, or terrible, depending on how you feel about this. Smoleńska has an almost ridiculous amount of different ideas on it; creativity that sometimes feels a little out of control. All the drums on the album are processed, so in my opinion the Industrial feel of this album is quite high. 

In a slightly strange way the drums sound a little bit like early nineties British Industrial Indie band Carter USM, it’s unashamedly electronic, giving everything that slight Industrial tint. The spread of styles on this album is pretty impressive. The album opens with a blast of lo-fi, savage Black Metal that is reminiscent of early Ulver on the track Kotwica and ends with soft strummed acoustic guitar with gently chanted vocals at the finale of the final track Death War / I Imagined A Future. In between those two utterly desperate forms we get a huge range of different styles. The parts of Kotwica that come after are a sort of Industrial Post Black Metal and a section that sounds punky and alternative and some quite interesting chanted vocals. The parts that come before the soft ending of Death War / I Imagined a Future are a kind of brooding, minimal industrial that feels compressed and controlled that then builds in intensity, complexity and speed until it reaches insane proportions, and then the song drops into a very quiet section with minimal voices, before crashing back into the maelstrom we’d just left, which then drifts into the aforementioned soft guitars and chanted vocals. The rest of the album is just as varied as those two. Our Education 1939 is soft strummed guitar with minimal vocals and in the second half some very pleasing tremolo picked riffs that sound beautifully Post Black Metal. The soft and gentle aspect of this track is mirrored by the second to last track Our Education 1944. House Of The Professors / Józef The Cop is a brooding, gothic tinged piece of noise rock, which features a pulsing bass line that has a relentless feel. 

The song ends with a soft folky section. Small Sabotage is a minimalist industrial track, featuring riff fragments and feedback, with some very harsh vocals. Arresting Propaganda / Cruel Fate is a mix of the folky sound that appears on most of the tracks, and driving, pulsing noise sound. There's an electronic feel to the extreme parts, in some places it reminded me a little of Orannsi Pazuzu. 26008 (Numbers) starts with strummed guitar with Post Black metal riffs over the top, and feels quite lush. This then builds, with more layers, and gets more and more extreme until it becomes a maelstrom of nasty industrial viciousness, before drifting back to strummed lushness. Smoleńska is a staggering piece of creative lunacy. It’s very complex, and feels as if it is constantly changing. The sheer number of different riffs, bass lines, noises, beats and voices is almost overwhelming. Sometimes it is too much. There are places where the constant changes make it feel incoherent, all the ideas seem to be treated as equally important, so some of my favourite parts appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye. There were a couple of times where I heard a bit I particularly liked and I thought, “come back! I was enjoying that riff!”. 

There is an immense amount good stuff on here, but Bornwithhair have taken a scattergun approach to their creativity, everything is all over the place; what this needs is focus. Please don’t think this is a bad album, it isn’t, it’s a great piece of work, but it needs more control, it needs more definition. If Bornwithhair can focus this almost ridiculous level of creativity, so their work has more clarity, then they could be on to something really special. I get the feeling that this album is a stepping stone towards something really special, a learning experience that they needed to go through before they can reach their potential. This may be the band learning their craft before releasing an album that will be seen as a classic. Personally I can’t wait to hear what they do next. 7/10

Dephosphorus: Sublimation (Selfmadegod Records, 7 Degrees Records & Nerve Altar)

Primarily a studio band Dephosphorus' guitarist/songwriter Thanos lives in Sweden, while the rest of the band is located in Greece, their sound is almost a science fiction influenced version of bands such as Gojira where the groove and rhythm is the most valuable part of the songs. The band are all sci-fi fans and this album is inspired by Iain M. Banks’ concept of Sublimation from his final sci-fi novel, “The Hydrogen Sonata”. So it's high concept stuff which blends raging screamed vocals on top of driving heavy rhythmic metal that is part groove part grindcore with a progressive edge which they have brought to this their fourth release. The first four tracks here are in Greek but set the tone for what is to come which by the furious Absurd Aftermath is no longer jarring allowing you to ease into this albums blend of technicality and outright power where the songs all blend into one long journey through this astrologically influenced slice of extremity. An interesting record that will inspire you to seek out Dephosphorus' previous records. 6/10

Liquid Therapy: Breathe (Self Released) [Lucas Tuckwood]

Breathe is the debut release from the Dutch rockers, Liquid Therapy. Rising up from the innermost depths of obscurity they come, and unfortunately miss the mark by a considerable margin, featuring songs that drag, bore, and disappoint in equal measure. What Breathe brings to the table is rather little to write home about; ten tracks that labour on to sleep-inducing proportions, and as such the album falls flat on its face. I wish there was a kinder way to put this, but it’s just dull. While tracks like Keep On Going, Rat Race, and Payback feature creative sounding riffs out of the gate, as they go on, they completely lose any sense of belonging and greatly overstay their welcome amidst a storm of repetitive riffing and endless chorus repeats, resulting in each track feeling twice as long as they ought to be. 

After the fourth chorus repeat I’m praying for the track to end, but no, there’s still three minutes left to endure. The riffs are mind-numbingly simple, the solos venture just south of nowhere, and the drums pound away in abject boredom. At least the vocals are good, but they can’t save a boring album.
The musicianship is mostly fine, as is the production, but it lacks anything that makes it really stand out, or give it any sufficient bite. Perhaps an external producer could help trim the fat for the next release. As it stands however, the title of track eight, I Don’t Care, is exactly how I feel about this album. I’d give this one a miss if I were you. There’s clearly drive and passion here, but they’ll need some serious refinement in order to realise their potential. In the meantime however, this is an album with no real edge, that promises great things, but fails to stick the landing. 4/10

Reviews: Heathen, Night, The Brothers Keg, Sinsid (Rich, Simon, Matt & Paul H)

Heathen: Empire Of The Blind (Nuclear Blast) [Rich Oliver]

If you have read my previous reviews then you will know that I am a bit of a thrash metal maniac so the thought of a new album from Heathen gets me rather excited. If you don’t know who they are then Heathen are a thrash metal band who came out of the San Francisco Bay Area scene forming back in 1984. When I first discovered Heathen they were disbanded and were seen as a bit of a cult band having only two albums to their name - 1987’s Breaking The Silence and 1991’s Victims Of Deception (both must hear thrash albums by the way). The band reformed in 2001 and the metal world finally understood the hype made of Heathen by cult thrashers such as myself when the astonishingly good The Evolution Of Chaos comeback album dropped in 2010. Things have again been quiet in the Heathen camp for a few years with guitarist Lee Altus mostly occupied with his day job in Exodus and guitarist Kragen Lum having been also busy as a touring guitarist for Exodus whilst primary Exodus guitarist was off in his stint in Slayer but after a ten year gap we finally have Heathen album number four in the form of Empire Of The Blind. 

Empire Of The Blind is quintessential Heathen and prime Bay Area thrash with a winning combination of crunching riffs, galloping speed, technical playing and a strong sense of melody. Heathen have always had a more melodic sensibility about them compared to a lot of the other thrash metal bands of the time with a sound that borders on US power metal at times and a lot of this can be attributed to singer David R. White and his fantastic voice which excels in being highly melodic but with that gritty edge needed for thrash metal. This melodic element of the band is used to a far greater extent than previous Heathen albums with songs that veer into more classic metal territory such as Sun In My Hand and the gorgeous Shrine To Apathy which sees David’s voice really shine. On the whole though the album is chock full of quality melodic thrash such as the opening duo of lead singles The Blight and Empire Of The Blind which get the album off to a cracking start whilst later songs such as In Black, The Gods Divide and blinding instrumental A Fine Red Mist demand you exercise those neck muscles and bang your fucking head. 

 A very polished and modern production allows these songs to sound contemporary whilst remaining wonderfully old school in their style and composition whilst the performances are at an incredibly high standard especially during the aforementioned instrumental A Fine Red Mist in which the band are absolutely on fire. Empire Of The Blind is also the recording debut for the bands new rhythm section made up of bassist Jason Mirza and drummer Jim DeMaria.This is another excellent album from Heathen. It may only be their fourth in a career spanning nearly 40 years but Heathen deliver quality not quantity. This album doesn’t see Heathen stray far from their comfort zone but sees them shine in the areas they most excel at which is top quality melodic thrash. Personally I don’t think it’s as grabbing as previous album The Evolution Of Chaos but this is still top notch metal and another fantastic thrash album from 2020. 8/10

Night: High Tides, Distant Skies (The Sign Records) [Simon Black]

It’s always refreshing when an act that likely started out as a tribute act to their heroes overcomes their caution and starts writing for themselves, although a more cynical view might be that when your source influences are still gigging 50 years later there may be no demand for such tributes. Night place early Saxon and Judas Priest as their starting point, but they really run the gamut of the Classic Rock / NWOBHM sound, with equal touches of straight rock in the vein of BOC, Thin Lizzy and a few ladles of Dire Straights and so many others. This Swedish outfit are on album number four with this release, and although it’s not going to carve any new territory it’s an effective and robust record. The band have clearly come on in leaps and bounds since their 2013 debut, but then opening arena crowds who have come to see Ghost, and not you will do that.

Openers Shadow Gold and Burning Sky summarise the band well, with a solid groovy late 70’s feel, and although not the most distinctive songs in themselves, there is a strong groove, feel and confident competence in their delivery. Crimson Past is pure Mark Knopfler, works well but feels like it should build to something more than it’s 3’ 12” run time allows. Falling In The Black is the point where things kick up a notch, with a catchy beat, simple but effective guitar line and a vocal melody that focuses the attention well, and is long enough to actually build to something. They’ve also abandoned any pretence at a metal sound, and this piece is pure classic rock and nothing says this more than the old harmonised guitar solo/drum solo technique with added spot on vocal harmonies (see Running Away for an effective example of this). I also find myself irresistibly tapping along to the galloping beat of Here On My Own, again you are reeled in by the authentic instrumentals, but the vocal delivery holds you, which is strange because this is not what I expected of vocalist Oskar Andersson, who in previous outings sounded more forced and strained.

A nice touch is the extent they have gone to capture the more authentic sound of the era. Most bands think they can fix it in the mix, but Night took the simple step of recording as live studio sessions to give the essence of the sound. The overdubs when they come accentuate a unified click track and the overall effect works a treat. I shouldn’t like this sort of derivation, but I do because these guys have worked really hard to create an authentic tribute to a long gone age by using simple technical technique, robust song writing and no frills laid back delivery. 7/10

The Brothers Keg: Folklore, Myths And Legends Of The Brothers Keg (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]

Any album that opens with some fantasy based spoken word gubbings before you are taken away by riff after glorious riff is music (and indeed words) to my ears. Folklore, Myths And Legends Of The Brothers Keg can be described as a Science Fiction/fantasy novel set to psychedelic stoner/sludge metal, imagine Hawkwind (still fronted by Lemmy) cranking out tracks about Game Of Thrones and you get the idea what this relatively new band are about. The Brothers themselves are Tom Hobson on fuzz, shouting and synths, Paul Rosser on low frequency throbbing and Tom Fyfe battering anything put in his way. The origins of The Brothers Keg come from psych/stoners STUBB but in 2018 these three formed with the intention of taking psych/stoner music into another stratosphere pairing the scope of the space rock/psych scene with the fuzzy heaviness of stoner and sludge sounds. 

The songs here have been honed on tour with bands such as Colour Haze and Kurokuma along with a BOA appearance last year so it's no wonder they have joined the ranks of seminal underground record label APF who know a thing or two about riffs. It's riffs (and solos) that you get here the 9 minute Moorsmen bringing you straight into the action with some mountainous guitar playing, while spoken word/instrumental passages such as The Ice Melteth and The Army Of The Thirsty Blade Approaches continue the thematic storyline between the songs as we get into the astral realms for the soaring No Earthly Form which climaxes with a hammond burst that leads you into The Ice Melteth and the next proper track Introducing The Brothers Keg a roaring rocker which brings to mind Aphrodite's Child with it's immediacy and final jam. 

The Brothers keg have created music to expand your mind too, just imagining this record played at full volume with a kaleidoscopic light show will be something to really look forward to when things return to normal. For now though grab your stimulant of choice put on your blacklight and press play on Folklore, Myths And Legends Of The Brothers Keg allowing it to wash over you like hallucinogenic fog. I'll see you on the other side dear friends. 9/10 

Sinsid: Enter the Gates (Pitch Black Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Sinsid are an old school metal outfit from Norway who formed in 2012. Their debut album Mission From Hell arrived in 2018 and now the band whose influences range from the blues and rock to metal and Viking or thrash return with their second release, Enter The Gates. Described as “good old, honest, working class metal”, the band certainly have a traditional line up, with vocalist Terje Singh Sidhu joined by lead guitarist Sten Roger Knutsen, rhythm guitarist Even Håvold and engine room of bassist Grzegorz Urbanski and drummer Robin Wick. Enter The Gates is 40 minutes and nine tracks of what is rather more routine heavy metal. ‘Traditional’ is a term used to describe bands that may not be that good and whilst the fretwork on display is impressive, Knutsen shredding like a maniac, elsewhere there isn’t a whole lot to excite. The band can certainly play, and there is no huge criticism. 

Unfortunately, their music, whilst solid and listenable is rather dull. 666 is a ponderous, plodder, Point Of No Return highlights the limitations in Sidhu’s vocal range and Roll The Dice with its Iron Maiden duel guitar style doesn’t fare much better. In fact, it’s fucking horrible. Sinsid aim to bring the art of fist raising anthems back front and centre with a retro 1980s sound. I admire them for their enthusiasm. But the 80s held an awful lot of utter shit music. With 2020 thrusting truckloads of astonishing metal on us, bands such as Sinsid simply can’t compete. In footballing terms, this is scratching around the lower levels of non-league. Two men, a dog and cup of Bovril. Probably won’t translate too well into Norwegian. 4/10

Reviews: Plague Years, Dirt [Redux], Fight The Fight, Contagium (Paul H & Matt)

Plague Years: Circle Of Darkness (eOne Records) [Paul Hutchings]

There was an old Music For Nations compilation record many years ago called Hell Comes To Your House. I saw a copy on Ebay the other day. Circle Of Darkness is surely the soundtrack to what happens if Hell does pitch up in the front room for a cuppa and a digestive. With the likes of TBDM’s Trevor Strnad amongst their fans you know that there is something a bit special here. Plague Years are Tim Engelhardt – Vocals, Eric Lauder – Guitar, Rian Staber – Bass and Mike Jurysta – Drums.

The Detroit quartet are one of the most explosive outfits I’ve heard for years. Their music is a face-melting blend of old school death metal, aggressive thrash, and elements of cross over which combine to assault the senses with such force that it’s almost impossible to get up from your seat. Having been pinned to the floor by the opening salvo of Play The Victim, there was no respite from the following duo, Witness Hell and Paradox Of Death. Despite the slightly slower pace of the former song, the sheer weight of the riffing meant that any hope of lifting my head was dashed. Instead I remained in a crouched position, sheltering from the constant barrage that Plague Years spewed forth.

Ample blackened death, mid-tempo changes which crush bones, Plague Years summon the spirits of numerous legends. There’s the Germanic power of Kreator and Sodom, the old school feel of Slowly We Rot Era Obituary and early Sepultura, the freshness of Power Trip and the drive of Skeletal Remains and The Black Dahlia Murder. All this combines into a cesspit of brutality that is both punishing and inspirational. The eruption that kicks off on the title track also invokes the style of crossover standard bearers Iron Age and D.R.I. It’s simply as aggressive and ferocious as you’d demand. Relentless down-tuned death metal with the bristling fire of thrash. What’s not to like? 9/10

Various Artists: The Dirt Redux (Magnetic Eye Records) [Matt Bladen]

Magnetic Eye Records have been doing a Redux series for a while now and the latest album to be given the treatment is Seattle grungers Alice In Chains' seminal album The Dirt. Featuring such classics as Them Bones, Dam That River, Down In A Hole, Rooster, Angry Chair and Would it stands up today as one of THE albums of the entire grunge era and made Alice In Chains a household name. However you've probably never heard the album like this, these odes to drug addiction and inner darkness are probably much more 'real' than ever before as they are brought to life here by the cream of the sludge/doom/stoner scene. It means that every track has a sound of its own depending on the style of the band in question. 

Things open with the crushing sounds of Thou giving Them Bones some rawness and rage with their extreme sludge sound, Dam This River has the post-metal wooziness from Low Flying Hawks as it slips into High Priests more traditional take on Rain When I Die the first song with clean vocals as US classic doomsters Khemmis slow Down In A Hole into a colossal doom monster. It's interesting how well these tracks translate into the doom/stoner/sludge sounds showing that grunge was an instrumental part of people discovering the more miserable side of music which has long influenced this more extreme underground side. 

Howling Void have a groove Rooster, Somnuri bring a Middle Eastern flavour to the title track while Southern stoners Backwoods Payback play God Smack straight up. Finally you get Swedish stoners Vokonis moving away from Lovecraftian horror for a noisy Angry Chair while The Otolith (ex-Subrosa) bring about an ominous end with Would. If you're an AIC fan you may find this a little bit like sacrilege but if you want an intriguing, heavy take take on a classic album then this may be something to check out. 7/10  

Fight The Fight: Deliverance (Indie Recordings) [Paul Hutchings]

Another band who I know nothing about, Fight The Fight is a four-piece Norwegian groove metal outfit whose second album Deliverance opens with the title track in feisty style. Big groove-ridden riffs, pumping rhythm section and ample time changes rage underneath the vocal delivery of Lars Vegas (yeah okay) which is jarring and disconcerting. As a track Deliverance feels a little disjointed and a little unsure in direction. It doesn’t get much better on the second track, Ritual, with the vocals once more a confused mix of screamo, metal core and cleans which have all the attraction of nails down the blackboard. Musically, the band take their influences from a wide range of styles. There’s a bit of the funk of Faith No More, the industrial grind of Fear Factory and maybe a bit of Marilyn Manson. 

The boisterous Triggerfinger is dominated by a pulsing bass line which provides opportunity for the band to explore a little, but it really is struggling to make a clear statement. I want music to grab my attention, pull me towards it and nut me in the face. Despite the aggression and driving riffing, I found this album had all the direction of a one-legged duck. Not sure of their target, they instead created a mixture of sounds which confused, bewildered, and bemused. At 58 minutes this was too much for me. It’s rare I give up early but these dates I’m willing to form an opinion after five tracks. Fight The Fight did nothing for me and if my emotions don’t at least flicker, then I’m too old to waste my time. Sorry. 4/10 

Contagium: Chronicles Of Carnage (Vargheist Records) [Matt Bladen]

Nine songs, 30 minutes and no quarter given  Chronicles Of Carnage is a raw and primitive slab of death metal from New Hampshire. It's noisy and hectic, the analog sounding production really giving it a brutality not felt since the early days of the genre. Things occasionally slow into crushing grooves, with The Rigors Of Mortis opens with some doomy phrases but mostly you get foot to the floor rapid death metal with indecipherable grunts and explosive kick drumming. If you can recall the early Deicide records then Contagium will appeal as you get the same desire to start a pit no matter where you are. Yes it's pretty standard stuff but if extremity is your thing then there's worse ways to spend half an hour. 5/10  

Reviews: Fires In The Distance, Spectrum Of Delusion, Calarook, Perfect Plan (Matt, Paul S, Liam & Steve)

Fires In The Distance: Echoes From Deep November (Prosthetic Records) [Matt Bladen]

Occasionally this reviewing lark throws up a release that defies all expectation. Echoes From Deep November (though released in September) is the debut release from Connecticut outfit Fires In The Distance, originally scheduled to be a self release they were snapped up by Prosthetic records and on the first listen to the record you can hear why they wanted to pick up this death/doom act. Yes folks it's more death/doom but Fires In The Distance have an innovative take on this melancholic genre, the album deals with depression and mental health struggles bringing an overwhelming sense of pain and anguish to the record across these six songs. 

The same sort of pain and anguish you get from bands such as Swallow The Sun and Paradise Lost however for all of this down-tuned distorted heaviness and growled vocals the real star here is the delicate overlays of piano that add a different dimension to the record. Thes songs apparently started life as ones for melodic death metal band Archaic Decapitator but soon evolved into the more melodic almost gothic sounding album you hear here. The creative force behind Fires In The Distance is Yegor Savonin who plays guitar and keys here adding the dramatic edge to Elusive Light where the heaviness gives way to a electronic pulses and even a spoken word section as it brings yet more heaviness and clean guitar runs towards its end, this bleeds into the very doom laden The Lock And The Key which starts out with a slow deliberate riff before more evocative synth work draws you in. 

With production coming from Dave Kaminsky who the band refer to as a fifth member, Echoes From Deep November envelopes you in it's haunting harmonious sound. As I said the addition of the keys here really makes this record, especially on the wonderful closing instrumental Sundial, but Kristian Grimaldi (guitars/vocals), Kyle Quintin (drums) and Craig Breitsprecher (bass/vocals) all bring massive force on the crushing numbers like Chained To The Earth. As I said you can hear why they were snapped up by Prosthetic as Fires In The Distance really bring another level to the very established death/doom scene with a massive amount of potential shown as well. 9/10  

Spectrum Of Delusion: Neoconception (The Artisan Era) [Paul Scoble]

Spectrum Of Delusion are a dutch Technical Death Metal band. The five piece have been together since 2013, and Neoconception is the bands second album. The band, who feature Douwe Negenman on Vocals, Jerry Kamer on Bass Guitar, Frank van Rijswijk on Guitars, Nathan Bonkerk on Guitars and Jeroen Mostert on Drums, released their first album Esoteric Entity in 2017. The style of Technical Death Metal that Spectrum Of Delusion play is the melodic, and deeply tuneful style, originated by Necrophagist, rather than the extreme and nasty style favoured by bands like Origin or Wormed. The bands bassist Jerry Kamer plays a fretless bass so there are definite similarity to Beyond Creation and probably most of all to earlier Obscura. As you would expect with a Technical Death Metal band all the musicians involved are extremely proficient, so expect amazing solos, complex technical riffs, amazing drumming and of course some staggering fretless bass work. The album is a concept album set in a future where the world is doomed to destruction due to an asteroid strike. 

Mankind is doomed so humanity uploads everyone's consciousness to a spacecraft so it can survive in virtual space. Its an interesting idea, and it’s been realised well with several spoken word parts with actors, it definitely distracted me from the world ending through pestilence and fire. The music is complex, but is also highly melodic and tuneful. The album has 13 quite short tracks, most of which are under 4 minutes, although several of the songs are run into each other, so the album sometimes appears to have longer tracks. The band do have very fast and brutal moments; the track Animosity has several parts that are fast and savage, in a couple of places sounding a little bit like Hate Eternal. However, these very extreme passages are never around for long, before a slower part, or a guitar or bass solo comes along to make everything beautifully florid and tuneful again. This is a very complex album as well. The riffs are constantly changing, it’s a breathtaking complicated style in places on this album. The track Into Another Formation has parts that feel like they are constantly changing, but at the same time it all hangs together and feels like a complete whole, despite rhythms, riffs and bass lines continuously evolving.

Neoconception is a great album. I know i’ve made a huge deal about the technical aspects of this album, and have no doubt, the technical aspects will amaze and delight you. However once you have listened to it a few times you start to take on board that these are great songs, stunning melodies and riffs. It stops being about the individual performances and what really impresses is the album as a single piece of work. It’s like the difference between looking at a painting close up and then from a distance; you stop seeing the individual brush strokes and see the picture as a whole. One of the best Technical Death Metal albums I’ve heard this year, highly recommended. 8/10

Calarook: Surrender Or Die (Self Released) [Liam True]

I love the Pirate Metal genre. It’s silly and doesn’t take itself seriously while being catchy and has produced some great songs and bands. Calarook however isn’t one I’d put into the list of great bands throw forth from the genre. The Swiss five piece have put together a decent album, don’t get me wrong, but It’s not catchy. It doesn’t have the hooks or the song power to really push the album. It has some of the qualities that the genre has. Classical violins as interludes during the slower songs. Pirate song titles and songs about their escapades. But the album feels half arsed, like it was slapped together from the remains of a Death Metal vocal collection and crammed with keyboards. 

On times it does have great guitar playing from Nico Wiget on songs like Krakens Chest & The Legend Of Liquor Island and when combined with the violin playing of Lukas Mischler and the flamboyant drums of Yves Locher they show that they have the crunchy riffs to back themselves up. But everything else just seems slapped together. The monotonous cookie monster vocals of Phillipp Wyssen drone on and don’t have much feeling to them, like he’s not invested in the album. If you can get past some of the idle songs you’ll find some diamonds in the rough. And with a track list of 16 songs clocking in at just over an hour, it’s a bit of an ask. But you'll find some corkers in here. But not for me, it bored me to death. 3/10

Perfect Plan: Time For A Miracle (Frontiers Music Srl) [Steve Haines]

If I drift back in time to before I became the over analytical cynic befitting of a music critic, I loved AOR and soft rock. When I broke up with my first girlfriend, listening to White Lion’s Mane Attraction album on repeat got me through the heartbreak and anguish. I still love AOR but the cynic in me will say that it’s cheesy, dated and formulaic. Thankfully, I turned that part of my brain off when I listened to this record. If I didn’t know better, I would be certain that this record must be from the 80s rather than the second album from Swedish rockers Perfect Plan who formed in 2014. 

Yes, it’s lyrically very cheesy and musically it feels like a throwback, but it’s a fine example of modern AOR and my guilty pleasure personality is thinking it’s bloody fun. The band have such belief and commitment to what they are doing that, if you choose to stop being cynical, you could believe you’re in the midst of the creation of a musical stereotype rather than seeing the effects of one. The reason that something becomes a stereotype is because it was wildly popular in the past and with the cheesy and dated elements comes a mastery of musicianship, great production values and commitment to themes of lost love, lost hope and journeying to a better future.

The two best tracks are the ones where they drift from the path of identikit AOR but this is not because the AOR is necessarily bad but that they stand out for being different. Time For A Miracle opens the album with a military feel that is engaging and Nobody’s Fool opens with bluesy guitar noodling that leads into a bluesy number with a harder edge than the other tracks on the album. There is still demand for this kind of AOR and Perfect Plan are fantastic exponents of the genre. This is a good album and an easy listen (though in 2020, some of the lyrics will make you cringe). I hope that Perfect Plan can benefit from a degree of stereotype lift to bring them a well deserved level of popularity that I think they deserve – because it’s bloody fun! 8/10

Reviews: 10 Years, Eskimo Callboy, Dead Quiet, Voltaic (Bob, Liam, Stuart & Steve)

10 Years: Violent Allies (Mascot Records) [Bob Shoesmith]

When a band have been persevering for 21 years, you have to a) take your hat off to the dedication, and b) expect changes. Since their inception in 1999, this Knoxville alt. rock outfit have had a lot of those (with drummer Brian Vodhin and Matt Wantland being the only original remaining members) but have knocked out eight full studio albums with this, Violent Allies being their ninth. So, it’s with a history of appearing with other alt.rock/NuMetal stalwarts like Puddle Of Mudd, Sevendust and Shinedown, plus a very healthy looking online following and decent sales in the mid-noughties I am quite surprised that they seem to have passed under my radar and aren’t a little more well known outside of the States. Having already released a couple of tracks from the upcoming album, 10 Years are still moving forward and still honing their identity despite time served, and you can see that metamorphosis in the comparisons to other bands over the years. 

Starting somewhere in amongst to ¾ length trousered, skateboard bothering Nu Metallers to comparisons now, to the likes of the arty and more earnest Tool or the latest incarnation of Bush. They state in their interviews that their aim is to continue to move forward and fair play to them for that. This upbeat and positive mood is seemingly working for them too, with early release Shift swiftly generating over half a million streams on Spotify (worth about $7.82, probably) and rather than boarding the carousel of an ever changing line-up that drags on through the years, still banging away, they are clearly on a steady upward trajectory…it’s just taken a little while. The aforementioned Shift, the opening track of the album (now having been streamed 1.5m times) perfectly demonstrates the forward momentum. Their roots show with the core of drop tuned guitars of their past but now with the on-trend modern twist of underpinning industrial synth and the clean, bright, Maynard Keenan-esque vocal of Jesse Hasek bringing a fresher, more commercial edge. 

I can see why the Tool comparison has been made, but 10 Years are far more mainstream and nearer to say a refined Linkin Park than any close comparisons to the arty prog-metallers but the hint is definitely there on tracks like Say Goodbye. There’s light, shade and creativity throughout the album like in the anthemic, piano backed The Unknown an intriguing and well-crafted instrumental of Planets IV (a rare beast these days) plus a hint of post-grunge in Waiting. Throughout the album you can hear all of their era’s influences (nineties and noughties Stateside alt.rockers) coming at you like a pick n mix candy selection, but they do it in a grown up, thoughtful way. The scene was originally once shouty skate punks, all angry posturing and adolescent fire and now in 2020 10 years represent them as grown, thoughtful and far more creative. Just before Chester Bennington sadly left us too early, he was making this kind of more relevant, mature version of Nu Metal with Grey Daze. If all of those influences, I have referred to here, float your boat, or you still have your Blink 182 albums, you will really enjoy this album. It is still rooted in the late nineties but its all grown up and acting its age. 8/10

Eskimo Callboy: MMXX (Century Media Records) [Liam True]

It’s taken Eskimo Callboy 10 years to get recognition for their music. Admittedly I though their previous release Rehab was decent, but not enough to get them put on the map. Since then though they’ve dropped their viral hit, Hypa Hypa, which has opened up so many people to their world of Trancecore (A mixture of Metalcore & Trance music) and has put their name out there as it stands at six million views since its release 2 months ago. And many people, myself included, have asked themselves’ Is this a one-off hit? And are they taking the piss?’ By the time their new EP MMXX has finished spinning, you’ll have your answer. Fuck. No. MMXX is six songs. It’s 21 minutes. And it’s full of complete madness and absolute Metalcore bangers. Hypa Hypa is the main starter track which is catchier than clap in a whore house. Hate/Love is a Techno filled Metal sandwich that has you bobbing your head and singing along by the second chorus. MC Thunder II (Dancing Like A Ninja) is an arena anthem and needs to be performed to a full audience. 

Monsieur Moustache has the classic ECB moments along with pig squeals which add a deeper base to the already crazy song. Dramaqueen starts a bit slower but hits hard when it gets to the chorus which will leave you humming it for days on end. Then we have the final song, Prism. It’s a massive change from the rest of the album as it’s an acoustic ballad, but I'll be damned if you say it’s not beautiful. The entire EP is gorgeous and produced phenomenally the goofy five-piece, who are completed by guitarists Daniel Haniß and Pascal Schillo, Daniel Klossek on bass, Kevin Ratajczak taking lead on keyboards and all programming with backing unclean vocals, drummer David Friedrich and new vocalist Nico Sallach (formerly of To The Rats And Wolves). Together the band have worked well to produce this brilliant EP. And I for one can’t wait for a full album release in the future from the team. 10/10

Dead Quiet: Truth And Ruin (Artoffact Records) [Stuart Blythe]

Bangers by Barn Burner was low key one of my favourite records of 2010. Scuzzed out, metal influenced stoner. A very nice combination, and certainly a record I would recommend to anyone with a passing interest in the genre. I lost track of them after that, but imagine my surprise when I found myself presented with Truth And Ruin, the third record by Canadian quintet Dead Quiet, only to find that the mighty Kevin (not-that-one) Keegan has resurfaced. Dead Quiet are a hard rock inspired doom/ stoner band with more than a touch of Spiritual Beggars and the odd nod to Bigelf. Whilst scuzzed out monolithic riffs are generally the order of the day here, the band also lavishly apply keyboards and Hammond organs to each track. The end result is some genuinely enthusiastic and good time rock. Twin guitars duel with each other a la Wishbone Ash, Deep Purple and more and Keegan’s vocals are impassioned and also a hell of a lot of fun. 

Tracks like opener Atoned Deaf, Of Sound And Fury and Truth And Ruin perfectly encompass this modern day homage to days of yore. With impressive riffing, harmonised solo runs, a whacking great organ piping in unison with the guitars, solid drumming and Keegan’s now trademarked vocal stylings. Not everything is as immediate as these tracks however, and some of the album fails to hit as hard on the first listen, tracks such as Partial Darkness and Cold Grey Death. Having said that on repeated listens the earworm burrows even deeper to the point that I have found myself loving this. Truth And Ruin is so much fun I can’t stop listening to it. I would LOVE IT if this finds its way onto some end of year lists. LOVE IT! It is f**king great! 9/10

Voltaic: Living The Mist (Self Released) [Steve Haines]

Canadian metallers Voltaic have released their debut album Living The Mist and it shows a degree of promise but equally, there feels like several mis-steps in the process. As a debut album, it feels like a decent platform for future development with solid musicianship and good production values. However, it also feels like a band in something of an identity crisis – not quite sure what they want to be and landing with feet in both the Evanescence and Anthrax camps. Album opener Brothers In Arms has dreadful male vocals and despite a moderately anthemic refrain, it really is difficult to focus on anything but the singing. 

From the second track, Last Man Standing, onward the female vocals come to the fore and she’s a decent singer but there are two things that keep happening vocally through the album that are ultimately detrimental to the final product: there are times where she really forces the vocal and you can really feel it so it lessens the impact. Also, the technique of dual female/male vocals is used frequently and its impact is reduced as a result. When used sparingly, these techniques can really enhance songs, but overused the added dynamic is diluted. For me, the better songs come later in the album: ‘Fahrenheit 25’ is much more melodic than previous tracks and the result is better for it. It moves into a screaming section about 2 minutes from the end which does little to better the song but a spoken section for the last 30 seconds works well. 

The other two good track are the last two: As One and Outside The Window. Both songs feel well structured and constructed and feature sections where the dual vocals are more impactful. If these songs hint at the future direction of the band musically, then I will keep an ear out for their future releases. As a debut album, it is solid if falling into too many of the traps that developing bands can stumble on; however, there is enough here to suggest potential and promise so I hope they can continue to grow and deliver on that potential. 6/10

Reviews: Napalm Death, 1782/Acid Mammoth, Crafting The Conspiracy, Hell In The Club (Lucas, Matt, Liam & Steve)

Napalm Death: Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism (Century Media) [Lucas Tuckood]

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s the latest record from the Grandads of grindcore, the fathers of filth, the one and only, Napalm Death. This time it’s a mouthful, named Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism, and while the title doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, it rolls of the speakers infinitely better. Contained within are twelve utterly filthy tracks that grab you by the throat, and do not let go until they’re damn well finished. Throes... is yet another jewel in Napalm Death’s crown- they’ve had a remarkably consistent sound across their career, but it’s got just enough variation to keep things from getting stale. Among all the blast beats there’s even one or two slowed down tracks like Amoral and Invigorating Clutch- hell there’s even some French in there in the form of Joie De Ne Pas Vivre. I can’t say if grindcore experts will appreciate the variation, but I certainly appreciated the momentary respite. 

Each song bristles with that evil energy, and the title track hits particularly hard. Barney’s vocals are still utterly vicious, and age doesn’t seem to be slowing him down one bit, nor anyone else here for that matter. The drums blast away with furious fervour beneath the monolithic riffs, and the lyrics still cut through to the bone just as they always have. The production is fresh and clean but doesn’t detract one bit from this album’s crushing and filthy sound. Overall, this album is yet another deadly weapon in Napalm Death’s tremendous arsenal, containing oodles of classical grindcore goodness, but also a healthy shot of experimentation to keep the whole thing feeling fresh. Fans are bound to love this album, and I’d have no hesitation recommending it to them. 8/10

1782/Acid Mammoth: Doom Sessions Vol. 2 (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Matt Bladen]

Back in July Paul S took the first installment of Heavy Psych Sounds' Doom Sessions Split EP's. That one featured the dense as a black hole sounds of Conan and Deadsmoke, this one lays at the altar of Satan with some occult doom stylings from Italians 1782, a band formed in honour of all the murdered 'witches' of that year. 

Joining them are Greek mob Acid Mammoth who we have featured numerous times on the blog. So as before the EP is split between the two bands, the first three tracks come from the occult doomsters 1782 who take things into the Electric Wizard style of mind-bending psych fuzz on the trudging Hey Satan and their first track Bloody Ritual while they mix things up a little with the heavy Sabbath vibes of Witch Death Cult their longest, slowest cut. 

I missed 1782's album from last year but their dramatic Satan worship has impressed with these three songs displaying the full dynamic range of the band. On the other hand Acid Mammoth's music, like I said, is very familiar to us and their three songs again show what these Greek occult stoners can do with Black Wedding having more of a early-Ghost vibe, as Sleepless Malice brings fuzzier realms as does closing number Cosmic Pyres which takes off into outer space through the medium of heavy stoner rock. Another great showcase of some of the shining lights on the Heavy Psych Sounds record label that's worth a punt if you like your doom. 7/10  

Crafting The Conspiracy: The Cosmic Key, Part II (Innerstrength Records) [Liam True]

Deathcore is a genre you’d primarily think to be all about breakdowns, chugs and incomprehensible screaming. The majority of it is that, but then you come across the diamond in the rough that stands out in the wailing sea of agony and produces it’s own pedestal to stand on. The Cosmic Key, Part II is that that diamond in the rough fields of Deathcore. In a second of two EP’s, with Part I being released last year, it has a sizable amount of depth to it. Filled to the brim with guest vocalists, memorable riffs and song composition to die for, Crafting The Conspiracy have created a magnificent EP. Instrumental opener Prologue leans right into the vicious twist and turns of Autonomy Of Ascension, with guest vocals by Michael Alverez (Flub) & Jamie Hanks (I Declare War) they create a perfect noise complimented with the leading wails of Josh Miranda. The instrumentals themselves throughout the album are just terrific in their own right. 

The nimble fingers of guitarist Sebastian Bracamontes as he flies up and down the fretboard creating a slew of notes to make Alexi Laiho jealous. Bassist Marcus Williams creates the rumbling background noise with enough force to shatter the tectonic plates & drummer Gil Gon uses his octopus like appendages to make an apocalyptic noise. The slew of guest vocalists is impressive as Alverez & Hanks have already made a name for themselves in the scene you also have the angelic like voice of Christina Rotondo on Equilibrium that shows that even the heaviest of songs can sound amazing with high soaring cleans. Ending trio Cosmic Key Parts I – III are separately great songs and bring a lot to the table. Together back to back as one big orchestrated movement it’s a flawless end to the EP. With the mixture of blast beats and gritty guitars it’s a phenomenal end to the Texan four piece’s brilliant EP. 8/10

Hell In The Club: Hell Of Fame Score (Frontiers Records) [Steve Haines]

Italian rockers Hell In The Club have released their new album and it feels like an 80s/90s rock throwback. There’s nothing wrong with taking influences from the likes of Def Leppard and Motley Crue but when the record sounds like a peer of theirs rather than being influenced by them, for me it’s a problem unless you’re a parody act – though at times Hell In The Club edge dangerously towards that territory. The bulk of the songs feel like filler tracks from any 80s glam metal album you could think of – very formulaic and, well, they’re just there – not good, not bad, just making up the numbers. At the end of this bell shaped curve are the good and bad outliers. On the bad side, there’s Lullaby For An Angel which is the token ballad and even the name alone makes you want to retch with the saccharine sweetness of it. 

This ballad ticks every box for 80s rock ballads. Also, we have Joker; nothing wrong with the song musically, but lyrically it’s clearly based on DC’s Joker which feels like jumping on a saturated bandwagon. On the plus side, there are a few better tracks: Tokyo Lights and the poorly named but musically good Lucifer’s Magic are pretty good songs but the big irony for a band putting such faith in nostalgia is that the best song is called Nostalgia. Here it sounds like the band have their own voice and have something to say. The driving drums and guitars lend an urgency to the song that makes the end result stronger. Overall, this album will be loved by fans of 80s rock, though they will find nothing new here. General rock and metal fans may like it but perhaps be put off by how dated it feels. 6/10

Reviews: Marylin Manson, Shattered Sun, Callejon, Kind (Reviews By Simon & Liam)

Marilyn Manson: We Are Chaos (Loma Vista) [Simon Black]

Now on his eleventh studio outing, Manson is one of that select group of artists who can legitimately claim to have had a major influence not just in the musical world, but as a force for political commentary. I remember the furore in my home town of Nottingham when he first played there back in the mid 1990’s and the religious righteous protested outside of Rock City … nervously. A few short years later and he was on top of the world, second on the bill to Maiden at the opening Download Festival in 2003 and headlining the Birmingham NEC shortly afterwards off the back of the frankly spectacular Golden Age Of Grotesque (an album deeply influenced by his relationship with Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese. And then he fell. His marriage to Von Teese collapsed, shacked up with a younger model, produced a series of frankly dire albums and took himself off into a corner to paint childlike watercolours in a huff whilst waiting to become his own tribute band. And that’s been the case apart from a brief return to form with The Pale Emperor a few years back, and sadly this album fits the same bill, at least in part. 

I have always held Manson to be one of those artists who should probably reinvent themselves from time to time in order to confound expectations, in the way that those that Master the greasy pole of the Pop music world have to in order to outlive the fashions of their demographic age wise. Although we tend to be a bit more forgiving in the metal world when it comes to treading the same old ground year in year out, I would argue that Manson is far more alternative than metal anyway. We get a bit of a potpourri on this album, which Manson himself is keen to point out is intended to be conceptually a product of two halves, which is probably more noticeable if you have the vinyl version. Just to make the point, there are a few needle crackles and pops added to the mix so that those of us listening digitally don’t miss out on that vinyl vibe. His style is definitely much more popular on the first half of this album, and although the second half of the album is definitely darker and more traditional in tone for Manson, but I find myself missing the sheer anger and rhetoric of his early work, because quite frankly this day and age needs such a voice. 

Sadly this voice, apart from lightly touching in that direction on album opener Red, Black And Blue is back to the more self-obsessed dirge of the Eat Me, Drink Me era, and once again whoever he is shagging seems to influence his output. This is an opportunity missed to make a comment for the times, and although the vibe and sound is distinctively Manson, it lacks the shock factor and sheer bile that made his early work so ground-breaking. As my dear departed mum would have said, he’s like the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead – when he’s good he’s very, very good, but when he’s bad he’s horrid, and not for the right reasons any more. 5/10

Shattered Sun: Bled For You (Hammered Forged Records) [Liam True]

Being in the Metalcore scene is a fun but hard thing to do. With the many bands you compete with it’s hard to stand out and create a unique noise. Shattered Sun however have taken the core sound and used it to create amazing melodies and chorus’. Bled For You is a phenomenal record filled to the brim with enough riffs, air drum moments and singalongs to fill a sea. From the title track opener it paints the picture of the direction of where the album is going. Starting with guitarist Jessie Santos hitting the nail hard with the opening riff which then has vocalist Marcos Leal fire on all cylinders while drummer Juan Hinojosa hits fast and hard keeping pace with the rest of the album. From there on the band doesn’t let up. They keeping hitting harder, stronger and faster. 

Never Enough shines the opening spotlight on bassist Joseph Guajardo showing his abilities while the rest of the band take over and enhance on the previous song. During the album you’re also treated to some background keyboards, courtesy of Henry Garza who also takes the helm on backing vocals for numerous songs. Shades Of Melodies, Letters To The Grave & Eternal are the slowest on the album but they more than make up for it in the musicianship throughout the band. Where My Heart Belongs & Until It Breaks proves the band has the material to headline big venues as the sound they have is unique, while the song writing is putting them on the path to be the next Parkway Drive. And they’re destined for bigger things. And clocking in at just over 30 minutes, they’ve shown they’re a force to be reckoned with. 8/10

Callejon: Metropolis (Warner Music Group) [Liam True]

Considering Metal is known across the world and you have many different bans from many different countries, you rarely hear bands sing in their mother tongue, most notably German. There are many known Thrash bands hailing from Germany but they all sing in English. The only bands I can think of that sing in their dialect are Rammstein, Schattenmann & We Butter The Bread With Butter. Now we can add the quintet German Metalcore group to the list. On their eighth studio album to date, and releasing their previous effort last January, they seem to be non stop on their third album in three years. With vocalist Bastian Sobtzick taking the lead with both clean and unclean vocals he leads the assault on title track Metropolis after a beautiful introduction from guitarists Bernhard Horn & Christoph Koterzina entwining their strings together to create a stunning riff as the opener. 

Blut & Die Fabrik so hand in hand together as they both provide you with fast riffs and headbanging galore. Der Wald & Katakomben are the slowest songs on the album but still hit as hard as a cinder block to the balls. The most interesting thing about the album is that all vocals are in German. The album has samples, but they’re in English which I think adds to the effect of the album to some degree, making it more unique. The instrumentals themselves are gorgeous. The production is brilliant and the band sound like if Parkway Drive grew up in Germany and dined on the riffs on their Metalcore forefathers. All in all it’s a pretty solid record and one for the top albums of 2020. 8/10

Kind: Mental Nudge (Ripple Music) [Simon Black]

This is the sophomore album from this Boston-based Stoner supergroup, with possibly the heaviest and dirtiest sound I have heard in a long while. I mean seriously - this baby is mixed with such a high base, mid-range and gain that even with everything turned down, my teeth fillings still rattled – so the title of the opener Broken Tweaker seems rather apt. To be fair this may be a contender for the most definitive stoner tracker ever, as it encapsulates everything that makes the genre so distinctive in one track – the heavy mix, the slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick riffage, thundering drums and basswork strong enough to deliver dentistry with.

Song title irony is still in force with the Faster Number Two, which takes some of the heaviness out in favour of a more accessible pace, but still has the same hypnotic rhythms and Craig Riggs’s haunting vocals that take the listener so easily along. Bad Friend is back in familiar heavy territory, and slows the pace down for a whopping 7’42” run time – its heavy, epic and experimental and frankly brilliant. Helms takes a swing into a more 60’s trippy groove, which had the feel of early Pink Floyd at times, whilst sounding absolutely different and still dripping in Stoner, and then we’re back with a slab of fast paced heaviness for It’s Your Head. The title track is a masterclass in bass battery, but with a more gentle pace and again at another seven and a bit minutes takes its time to build to a crescendo of sheer damn heavy. They save the best for last with Trigger Happy, which feels like it’s trying to outdo Paradise Lost in just how slow you can take a piece of music without running out of steam, until we get about four minutes into the eight and a half, and it all goes early Black Sabbath quite, quite brilliantly.

This record takes its time – there’s only seven tracks over the forty odd minutes, but they are meaty, meaningful and have breathed life into a genre that at times can sound repetitive. The sheer variety of what can be done within the genre is what keeps this fresh, interesting and clearly one of the better Stoner acts I have heard in a long time. 8/10