Kill: Devil Mass (Amor Fati Productions) [Zach Williams]
I have a theory that the main reason the Tories are so intent on leaving the European union is that they fear British black metal just isn’t up to the standards of our European counterparts (to clarify, I like British black metal – the Tories are the bad guys here). If that's the case then Devil Mass – the latest offering from Swedish black metaller’s Kill – must have left them scared shitless. Devil Mass is six tracks of grim, esoteric black metal. The opening track Initiation is a swell of screaming feedback that relishes in letting you know what the album has in store for you before ending in an abrupt, deathlike silence (who said black metal can’t be funny?). The opening bass line of Renunciation is just about the doomiest thing I've heard all year, the laughing at the end of A Black Covenant is truly terrifying and the middle of Wilderness Feast sounds like a blackened Iron Maiden which is something I can truly get behind. There is a lot to like about this album (besides the fact it would make Boris Johnson wee his pants). 9/10
Kursk: S/T (WormholeDeath Records) [Matt Bladen]
Now this is a bit of alright! Suffolk's Kursk are a four piece riff machine that sit in the NWOBHM school of music with nods to the originators of Sabbath. Their self titled debut kicks off with some properly great riffing from Jack Mitchell and Tom Baker, as they trade off throughout the 6 minute run time of the first track, shifting between numerous styles from thrash to doom, things do get a little more traditional on Claw Of The Hammer which is a battle metal song led by Luke Drew's bass and Zoran Fisher's percussion. Now I will say that the vocals here a little Marmite Tom has a very deep vocal and he bellows more than sings most of the time, still there's nothing wrong with that but some may find it a little bit different to the other classic metal singers out there.
However this album is very much about the instrumental passages with some nifty twin axe attack and a hearty gallop on King Of Storms. These songs have been around for a while before the formation of the band which came about after they though their previous band wasn't heavy enough. Kursk are heavy, they have written some very interesting metal music that draws from it's influences and is chock full of guitar prowess. If you like bands like Absolva, Primitai or even Fury these Brit metal newbies will hopefully be gracing your stereo soon. 7/10
Duskwalker: All They Know Is Fear (Self Released) [Zach Williams]
I love metal and horror films. It seems like a cheap and easy way to skirt round developing an actual personality but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Give me my riffs chuggy. Give me my Evil Dead. If you, dear reader, are of a similar disposition then may I recommend All They Know Is Fear – the latest album from self-proclaimed ‘horror/ sci-Fi themed beasts’ Duskwalker. It opens with the kind of classic horror synth you’d expect from a John Carpenter movie before making way for what the album is truly about. Thrashy death metal goodness. The riffs are abundant, the drums are relentless and the vocals are just plain grim. There is a certain stomp to The Crawling Tongue that was stuck in my head for days; it is the perfect blend of hooky and heavy. Domus Volant Noctuae is a genuinely beautiful piece of guitar work. This album is confident, in your face and evidently a labour of love. 8/10
Celesti Alliance: Hybrid Generation (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
More traditional metal here as Celesti Alliance cite their influences Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept and Helloween, which you'd expect them to be a 80's styled speed metal that moves into thrash and power metal, with a distinct British/Teutonic sound. So you'll get blast beats, supersonic guitar rundowns/twin guitar harmonies, punchy synths and vocals that reach the stratosphere. Hybrid Generation is their debut album following from two EP's, here they have tried to vary things a bit more but they do tend to sit comfortably in that 80's metal sound with riffs that will get you moving in perfect synchronicity with those who are also listening to it. Now Shadow Children is that variation as it's got a Dio vibe to it due to the keyboard opening, it retains the 80's sound in the production as things get a bit melodic on Broken Memories while Solitude is dramatic and full of synths though it does drag on. The second part of this album brings more modern sounds to it and it closes with the 10 minute epic title track that shows the band at their impressive best with this space age metal opera. Celesti Alliance have released an admirable debut album harking back to a bygone era. 7/10
Friday, 6 December 2019
Spotlight/VFTBOTR: Interview With Tobi Morelli Of Archspire & Review Of Tech Trek Tour (Dr Claire Hanley & Charlie Rogers)
Dr Claire and Charlie caught up with Archspire guitarist, Tobi Morelli, as the Tech Trek Tour rolled into Bristol.
Interview
MoM: You’re set to play Relentless Mutation in its entirety on the European Tech Trek Tour but do you have any plans for new material?
Tobi: We’ve been working on the next record this past year, while still trying to tour a little bit to, y’know, be able to pay the bills. But we’re pretty much writing full time, Monday to Friday. We’re giving ourselves until Fall 2020 before heading to the studio, and the tentative plan is to have the record out in 2021. Still pushing the boundaries of speed - some of the new tracks we’re working on even exceed the last record. I’m starting to play with an 8-string, so that’s been a challenge. It’s an intense process.
MoM: Archspire take the genre of technical death metal to a whole new level - what makes you want to play so damn fast?
Tobi: Well, why not? Less isn’t more - more is more! The music we like to play is fast, technical, and brutal. We’re not just doing it for the sake of it. We always want to progress and challenge ourselves. How much faster could we go? How else can we push ourselves? Where is the breaking point?
MoM: Which bands are flying the flag for extreme metal right now?
Tobi: That’s a tough one. Actually, the older I get the less metal I’m listening to, which probably sounds like a lame thing to say. Collectively, one of our favourite bands is Soreption, they were on the bill with us and Revocation last year. They’re from Sweden and have a really modern tech death sound. Kinda like Decapitated and Cannibal Corpse.
MoM: If you could design your dream line-up, which bands would you take on tour with you?
Tobi: I mean, Cannibal Corpse would be sweet. Dying Fetus would be rad. I don’t think that would ever happen but they’d be two bands we’d love to tour with. Cattle Decapitation would be sick, they’re buddies of ours too. They would all open up for us, of course. Fastest band gets to headline!
MoM: How do you define achievement and what’s important to you as a band?
Tobi: It’s all about small stepping stones. Playing tech death was always the goal and to be a full-time touring band. That’s what we wanted to do with our lives. To put all our efforts into this art. Starting out small, we wanted to make an album so we needed to get the music written. Then, playing shows and branching out as quickly as possible. Being self-sufficient and not waiting for shit to happen. You just gotta meet people and start networking. We learned so much from just seeing what other bands were doing and taking notes, basically. Touring with Decapitated, Aborted, and Fleshgod Apocalypse in 2011 was a huge learning experience.Getting to see what professional bands do. That was a big boost for us in terms of what we needed to do. The opportunity came up and we knew we needed to do it. Just get on that tour bus! You’ve got to take any opportunity you can get. Do something that makes you stand out and makes people notice; like our merch. We learned a lot from Aborted, who also work with Coki Greenway; they have people lining up as soon as the doors open. Huge prints, lots of colour. Most of the ideas come from brain storming around Oli’s lyrics. We didn’t originally want to do all the gore but it sells – you guys love brutal, gory shirts!
MoM: What have been your career highlights so far?
Tobi: I’d say being in a touring tech death band is pretty niche, and being able to do that for a living for the last two years. We also got nominated for a Juno award, which is like a Canadian Grammy, for Relentless Mutation back in 2018, which was an awesome recognition.
MoM: Having a PhD in Neuroscience, you’re more likely to find me giving lectures than interviewing bands. Flipping things around, if you were going to study for a PhD, what subject would you choose?
Tobi: If it can still be music related, it’d be cool to be a film composer. Making music for films is definitely something I’d go back to school for. A buddy I grew up with did his PhD in Music Theory, and wrote his thesis on Meshuggah’s I. Now, he teaches a class on extreme music in Montreal. It sounds like it’s totally made up but he’s teaching kids about death metal.
Review
Opening proceedings were Inferi (8); a State-side, tech-death band on their UK debut. A band destined for success, they held the audience captive from the start to the finish of their intricate and dynamic set. Somewhat out of place on such a tech-driven line-up, South African Slam-Gods Vulvodynia (3) divided the audience. They got the die-hard fans of the genre moving but failed to engage the majority with their stomping riffs . We were expecting big things from Beneath The Massacre’s (6) return but were sadly disappointed by their lacklustre and visually uninspiring performance. Solid material with a few tech-gems but all few and far between. On the contrary, Archspire (9) greeted us with all the energy you’d expect from the Canadian speed demons; executing the Relentless Mutation album with flawless precision, plus Rapid Elemental Dissolve, Lucid Collective Somnambulation, and Scream Feeding from their earlier records. The between-song banter with the crowd was also on-point, showing just how animated and engaging the band are. Our only criticism was the length of the set, which with no encore, left us wanting more.
Interview
MoM: You’re set to play Relentless Mutation in its entirety on the European Tech Trek Tour but do you have any plans for new material?
Tobi: We’ve been working on the next record this past year, while still trying to tour a little bit to, y’know, be able to pay the bills. But we’re pretty much writing full time, Monday to Friday. We’re giving ourselves until Fall 2020 before heading to the studio, and the tentative plan is to have the record out in 2021. Still pushing the boundaries of speed - some of the new tracks we’re working on even exceed the last record. I’m starting to play with an 8-string, so that’s been a challenge. It’s an intense process.
MoM: Archspire take the genre of technical death metal to a whole new level - what makes you want to play so damn fast?
Tobi: Well, why not? Less isn’t more - more is more! The music we like to play is fast, technical, and brutal. We’re not just doing it for the sake of it. We always want to progress and challenge ourselves. How much faster could we go? How else can we push ourselves? Where is the breaking point?
MoM: Which bands are flying the flag for extreme metal right now?
Tobi: That’s a tough one. Actually, the older I get the less metal I’m listening to, which probably sounds like a lame thing to say. Collectively, one of our favourite bands is Soreption, they were on the bill with us and Revocation last year. They’re from Sweden and have a really modern tech death sound. Kinda like Decapitated and Cannibal Corpse.
MoM: If you could design your dream line-up, which bands would you take on tour with you?
Tobi: I mean, Cannibal Corpse would be sweet. Dying Fetus would be rad. I don’t think that would ever happen but they’d be two bands we’d love to tour with. Cattle Decapitation would be sick, they’re buddies of ours too. They would all open up for us, of course. Fastest band gets to headline!
MoM: How do you define achievement and what’s important to you as a band?
Tobi: It’s all about small stepping stones. Playing tech death was always the goal and to be a full-time touring band. That’s what we wanted to do with our lives. To put all our efforts into this art. Starting out small, we wanted to make an album so we needed to get the music written. Then, playing shows and branching out as quickly as possible. Being self-sufficient and not waiting for shit to happen. You just gotta meet people and start networking. We learned so much from just seeing what other bands were doing and taking notes, basically. Touring with Decapitated, Aborted, and Fleshgod Apocalypse in 2011 was a huge learning experience.Getting to see what professional bands do. That was a big boost for us in terms of what we needed to do. The opportunity came up and we knew we needed to do it. Just get on that tour bus! You’ve got to take any opportunity you can get. Do something that makes you stand out and makes people notice; like our merch. We learned a lot from Aborted, who also work with Coki Greenway; they have people lining up as soon as the doors open. Huge prints, lots of colour. Most of the ideas come from brain storming around Oli’s lyrics. We didn’t originally want to do all the gore but it sells – you guys love brutal, gory shirts!
MoM: What have been your career highlights so far?
Tobi: I’d say being in a touring tech death band is pretty niche, and being able to do that for a living for the last two years. We also got nominated for a Juno award, which is like a Canadian Grammy, for Relentless Mutation back in 2018, which was an awesome recognition.
MoM: Having a PhD in Neuroscience, you’re more likely to find me giving lectures than interviewing bands. Flipping things around, if you were going to study for a PhD, what subject would you choose?
Tobi: If it can still be music related, it’d be cool to be a film composer. Making music for films is definitely something I’d go back to school for. A buddy I grew up with did his PhD in Music Theory, and wrote his thesis on Meshuggah’s I. Now, he teaches a class on extreme music in Montreal. It sounds like it’s totally made up but he’s teaching kids about death metal.
Review
Tech Trek Europe - Archspire, Beneath The Massacre, Vulvodynia & Inferni, Exchange, Bristol
Opening proceedings were Inferi (8); a State-side, tech-death band on their UK debut. A band destined for success, they held the audience captive from the start to the finish of their intricate and dynamic set. Somewhat out of place on such a tech-driven line-up, South African Slam-Gods Vulvodynia (3) divided the audience. They got the die-hard fans of the genre moving but failed to engage the majority with their stomping riffs . We were expecting big things from Beneath The Massacre’s (6) return but were sadly disappointed by their lacklustre and visually uninspiring performance. Solid material with a few tech-gems but all few and far between. On the contrary, Archspire (9) greeted us with all the energy you’d expect from the Canadian speed demons; executing the Relentless Mutation album with flawless precision, plus Rapid Elemental Dissolve, Lucid Collective Somnambulation, and Scream Feeding from their earlier records. The between-song banter with the crowd was also on-point, showing just how animated and engaging the band are. Our only criticism was the length of the set, which with no encore, left us wanting more.
Thursday, 5 December 2019
Reviews: Fleshcrawl, Moon Chamber, Burning Witches, SxWxP (Matt & RIch)
Fleshcrawl: Into The Catacombs Of Flesh (Apostasy Records) [Rich Oliver]
It’s almost the end of the year but 2019 is still serving up some top quality albums and one of the latest is the ninth album from German death metal veterans Fleshcrawl. If you are a death metal maniac then Fleshcrawl are a band who need no introduction yet despite being around since 1991 and releasing several fantastic albums such as Descend Into The Absurd and Made Of Flesh I don’t feel they are a band who have gotten the recognition they quite rightly deserve. It doesn’t seem to bother Fleshcrawl though as despite Into The Catacombs being the first album from the band in 12 years they pick up straight from where they left off with 39 minutes of gnarly old school death metal.
Into The Catacombs Of Flesh is 12 songs of filthy death metal putridity with sharp riffs, plenty of groove, tight rhythms, guttural roars and a guitar tone dirtier than a portaloo at the end of a festival. The songs range from the fast and flesh ripping such as Chained Impalement and the title track, mid paced numbers with plenty of dirty groove such as Grave Monger and Ossurary Rituals and songs which have leanings into melodeath such as Obliteration Bizarre and Among Death And Desolation. Into The Catacombs Of Death is another formidable entry in the Fleshcrawl discography and is essential listening if you like your old school death metal. This is a fantastic return for Fleshcrawl showing that nearly 30 years later that the old school bands still do it the best. 8/10
Moon Chamber: Lore Of The Land (No Remorse Records) [Matt Bladen]
What do you get if you form a band with Marta Gabriel, singer of Crystal Viper and Rob Bendelow founder and guitarist of British rock stalwarts Saracen? Well you get a band influenced by 70's/80's hard rock an drenched in English folklore and history (something Bendelow is particularly au fait with). Opening with the De Temporum Ratione, the prog gets amped up from the outset as Bendelow guitar passages bring open power chords when linked with drummer Andy Green (Pagan Altar) and Marta on bass (though Rob's son Richard is now the bands bassist) it's the organs of Saracen's Paul Bradder that are especially prevalent giving the track an element of Rainbow as it explodes into a guitar solo finale. It's a strong way to open the record unfortunately the poppy Only is much weaker, happily When Stakes Are High gets better and has a NWOBHM gallop along with lyrics about witches, it gets the pace going showing Gabriel's vocals to their full.
I must say here that Rob's guitar playing is brilliant throughout (it's part of the reason I actually quite like Saracen), Ravenmaster maintains the NWOBHM sound as We'll Find A Way layers folky acoustics with romantic lyricism, it's a brilliant ballad that breaks up the album as it sits in the middle of the record. Leading to folkier tunes such as The Nine Ladies which has some excellent fiddle as it moves into the dramatic The Goddess And The Green Man, which is built around Gabriel's vocal histrionics and a strutting riff. I'll level with you, when I listened to this album first I didn't really think much of it, maybe it was a bad day, maybe it was the copious amount of death metal I'd immersed myself in, I don't know. But after another listen it hooked me, this isn't some band from the "good old days" reconvening for one last gasp, this is one of the originators of the genre (who are still recording and touring) teaming up with members from bands influenced by it for some classy hard rock that has some big hooks, fist pumping riffs, clever lyrics and a cover of Saracen's Crusader, Lore Of The Land is an accomplished debut for this band that I hope are more than a one off. 8/10
Burning Witches: Wings Of Steel (Nuclear Blast) [Rich Oliver]
Wings Of Steel is the latest release from Swiss heavy metallers Burning Witches. Released as an EP this is really a glorified single with one new song and three bonus live songs. The new song itself is the title track which opens this release and is an enjoyable piece of storming heavy metal with a big wedge of power metal influence in there as well. The pace is fast, the riffs are aggressive, the drumming is relentless and all presided over by then melodic yet snarling vocals of singer Laura Guldemond. It’s a great song to be fair and a good teaser of what is to come on the upcoming third album from Burning Witches. The rest of the EP is made up of three live songs recorded at Wacken Open Air earlier this year and whilst they are decent recordings they lack a bit of energy and are somewhat inferior to the studio recordings. They are by no means terrible but they lack a wow factor. This EP is decent enough for fans of the band but somewhat redundant for anyone else as it is essentially a glorified single. 6/10
It’s almost the end of the year but 2019 is still serving up some top quality albums and one of the latest is the ninth album from German death metal veterans Fleshcrawl. If you are a death metal maniac then Fleshcrawl are a band who need no introduction yet despite being around since 1991 and releasing several fantastic albums such as Descend Into The Absurd and Made Of Flesh I don’t feel they are a band who have gotten the recognition they quite rightly deserve. It doesn’t seem to bother Fleshcrawl though as despite Into The Catacombs being the first album from the band in 12 years they pick up straight from where they left off with 39 minutes of gnarly old school death metal.
Into The Catacombs Of Flesh is 12 songs of filthy death metal putridity with sharp riffs, plenty of groove, tight rhythms, guttural roars and a guitar tone dirtier than a portaloo at the end of a festival. The songs range from the fast and flesh ripping such as Chained Impalement and the title track, mid paced numbers with plenty of dirty groove such as Grave Monger and Ossurary Rituals and songs which have leanings into melodeath such as Obliteration Bizarre and Among Death And Desolation. Into The Catacombs Of Death is another formidable entry in the Fleshcrawl discography and is essential listening if you like your old school death metal. This is a fantastic return for Fleshcrawl showing that nearly 30 years later that the old school bands still do it the best. 8/10
Moon Chamber: Lore Of The Land (No Remorse Records) [Matt Bladen]
What do you get if you form a band with Marta Gabriel, singer of Crystal Viper and Rob Bendelow founder and guitarist of British rock stalwarts Saracen? Well you get a band influenced by 70's/80's hard rock an drenched in English folklore and history (something Bendelow is particularly au fait with). Opening with the De Temporum Ratione, the prog gets amped up from the outset as Bendelow guitar passages bring open power chords when linked with drummer Andy Green (Pagan Altar) and Marta on bass (though Rob's son Richard is now the bands bassist) it's the organs of Saracen's Paul Bradder that are especially prevalent giving the track an element of Rainbow as it explodes into a guitar solo finale. It's a strong way to open the record unfortunately the poppy Only is much weaker, happily When Stakes Are High gets better and has a NWOBHM gallop along with lyrics about witches, it gets the pace going showing Gabriel's vocals to their full.
I must say here that Rob's guitar playing is brilliant throughout (it's part of the reason I actually quite like Saracen), Ravenmaster maintains the NWOBHM sound as We'll Find A Way layers folky acoustics with romantic lyricism, it's a brilliant ballad that breaks up the album as it sits in the middle of the record. Leading to folkier tunes such as The Nine Ladies which has some excellent fiddle as it moves into the dramatic The Goddess And The Green Man, which is built around Gabriel's vocal histrionics and a strutting riff. I'll level with you, when I listened to this album first I didn't really think much of it, maybe it was a bad day, maybe it was the copious amount of death metal I'd immersed myself in, I don't know. But after another listen it hooked me, this isn't some band from the "good old days" reconvening for one last gasp, this is one of the originators of the genre (who are still recording and touring) teaming up with members from bands influenced by it for some classy hard rock that has some big hooks, fist pumping riffs, clever lyrics and a cover of Saracen's Crusader, Lore Of The Land is an accomplished debut for this band that I hope are more than a one off. 8/10
Burning Witches: Wings Of Steel (Nuclear Blast) [Rich Oliver]
Wings Of Steel is the latest release from Swiss heavy metallers Burning Witches. Released as an EP this is really a glorified single with one new song and three bonus live songs. The new song itself is the title track which opens this release and is an enjoyable piece of storming heavy metal with a big wedge of power metal influence in there as well. The pace is fast, the riffs are aggressive, the drumming is relentless and all presided over by then melodic yet snarling vocals of singer Laura Guldemond. It’s a great song to be fair and a good teaser of what is to come on the upcoming third album from Burning Witches. The rest of the EP is made up of three live songs recorded at Wacken Open Air earlier this year and whilst they are decent recordings they lack a bit of energy and are somewhat inferior to the studio recordings. They are by no means terrible but they lack a wow factor. This EP is decent enough for fans of the band but somewhat redundant for anyone else as it is essentially a glorified single. 6/10
SxWxP: Trans Am Jams (Self Released)
From Louisville, KY come groovesters SxWxP, founded by singer/guitarist Dave “Sailor” Bryant formerly of My Own Victim and Surviving Thalia. He's formed a new band and has obviously listened to a lot of Down and Alabama Thunderpussy in the interim as this album is full of NOLA grooves, Rising Tides purrs like a V8, as Bryant's vocals move between soulful and shouted as Closing Time brings some Pantera guitar riffs, though it never really moves away from this style. It's as American as apple pie, riffs to make you nod your head and some searing solos that are reminiscent of Dimebag of Zakk Wylde, especially on I Tried, Drink Till I Die is a bit more of change with some doomier riffs after the acoustic opening. SxWxP have made a heavy metal album that has jumped in the gap left by both Abbott brothers, if you like this kind of Southern Groove metal then you'll be cranking up these Trans Am Jams as loud as possible. 6/10
From Louisville, KY come groovesters SxWxP, founded by singer/guitarist Dave “Sailor” Bryant formerly of My Own Victim and Surviving Thalia. He's formed a new band and has obviously listened to a lot of Down and Alabama Thunderpussy in the interim as this album is full of NOLA grooves, Rising Tides purrs like a V8, as Bryant's vocals move between soulful and shouted as Closing Time brings some Pantera guitar riffs, though it never really moves away from this style. It's as American as apple pie, riffs to make you nod your head and some searing solos that are reminiscent of Dimebag of Zakk Wylde, especially on I Tried, Drink Till I Die is a bit more of change with some doomier riffs after the acoustic opening. SxWxP have made a heavy metal album that has jumped in the gap left by both Abbott brothers, if you like this kind of Southern Groove metal then you'll be cranking up these Trans Am Jams as loud as possible. 6/10
Reviews: Goatchrist, Kaoteon, Down In One, Horned Almighty (Paul S, Rich & Paul H)
Goatchrist: Pythagoras (Self Released) [Paul Scoble]
Goatchrist is a one man project based in Wakefield in the north of England, Dominator Xul’Ahabra being the one man in question. Goatchrist have been in existence since 2014, and Pythagoras is the bands first album. However, Dominator has not been idle in those 5 years, he has produced 2 EP’s, 5 Singles and Goatchrist has appeared on several compilations. Goatchrist’s musical style is rooted in Black Metal but is very experimental, so the material is sometimes quite a long way from an orthodox Black Metal sound. Lyrically the album is about Greek philosopher Pythagoras, one of the first Greek philosophers, you will probably remember him from maths classes. He has mainly been remembered for geometry, in particular triangles; but as with a lot of early philosophers Pythagoras worked in a lot of different areas. Pythagoras also discovered that there was a relationship between musical intervals and numerical ratios, this discovery led to the belief that the study of mathematics was the key to understanding the structure and order of the universe. Personally I love the fact that this album has highly intelligent and interesting lyrical themes.
Kaoteon: Kaoteon (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]
It’s mad to think that 2019 is almost over and even madder that we are already getting albums for release in 2020 through to review. So here it is the first review of a 2020 release from me and thankfully it is a very good one. It is the self titled third album of Lebanese blackened death metallers Kaoteon. The band have recently relocated to the Netherlands and joining frontman Walid Wolflust and guitarist Anthony Kaoteon on this album are none other than bassist Linus Klausenitzer from Obscura and drummer extraordinaire Adrian Erlandsson of At The Gates.
What we have on Kaoteon is a striking and well balanced mix of black metal and death metal with equal footing on viciousness and atmosphere. The album very much leans into the melodic side of things with strong memorable melodies in each song. All these ingredients combined make an album that is frenzied yet with an epic feel. It very much reminded me of a more death metal leaning Abbath or Dark Fortress. There is incredibly strong guitar work throughout whilst the superstar rhythm section is nothing but spectacular as you would expect and the vocals vary from violent screams to guttural growls.
Down In One: One For The Road (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]
Meaty, muscular riffs. Gravel throated roaring vocals. Tight rhythm section. Anthemic songs which grab you by the collar and force you to bang your head. Welcome to One For The Road, debut album from Nottingham four-piece Down In One. It’s gnarly, it’s full of stoner goodness in the robust style of London biker kings Orange Goblin and it’s quite fabulous. Gon Pan’s throaty vocals fit the crunching riffage to a tee, especially on the beefier songs such as Lost Demons and Mad Gun. The guitar work of James Allsop is neat, some cutting edges adding to the thick, heaviness that this band deliver. It’s an album to party hard to, something which appears to be part of the band’s mission statement. Grab One For The Road and see for yourself. 7/10
Horned Almighty: To Fathom The Masters Grand Design (Scarlet Records) [Paul Hutchings]
Album number six by the Danish black metal outfit. I’m not familiar with much of their catalogue so working on this as a one-off album provided the chance to take it at face value. I was impressed. The driving rhythms, soaring tremolo riffing and atmospheric elements alongside the guttural voice of S combined to great effect. There’s plenty of melody underpinning the songs but the heaviness and malevolent approach rarely fades. Tracks such as Antagonism Eternal ooze with intricate patterns whilst the explosive Violent Cosmology which opens the release is aptly named. With most of the tracks of enough length to build and develop, there is plenty to embrace and immerse yourself in. Powerful passages should satisfy the old school black metal fan whilst there is enough variety to appeal to those less familiar with the band. A demonic close to the year. 8/10
Goatchrist is a one man project based in Wakefield in the north of England, Dominator Xul’Ahabra being the one man in question. Goatchrist have been in existence since 2014, and Pythagoras is the bands first album. However, Dominator has not been idle in those 5 years, he has produced 2 EP’s, 5 Singles and Goatchrist has appeared on several compilations. Goatchrist’s musical style is rooted in Black Metal but is very experimental, so the material is sometimes quite a long way from an orthodox Black Metal sound. Lyrically the album is about Greek philosopher Pythagoras, one of the first Greek philosophers, you will probably remember him from maths classes. He has mainly been remembered for geometry, in particular triangles; but as with a lot of early philosophers Pythagoras worked in a lot of different areas. Pythagoras also discovered that there was a relationship between musical intervals and numerical ratios, this discovery led to the belief that the study of mathematics was the key to understanding the structure and order of the universe. Personally I love the fact that this album has highly intelligent and interesting lyrical themes.
The album kicks off with an instrumental called The Initiation Of Pythagoras by Thoth Hermes Tresmegistus, which is short and features Horns and Drums. Next comes Worlds, which is black metal with classical melodies. The track is a little reminiscent of Japanese Band Sigh, in particular their album In Somniphobia. The track is multi-layered, featuring guitars, keyboards and what sounds to me like a Mellotron. The song gets a little bit jazzy in the second half, with the addition of piano and saxophone. The Tetractys opens with a Harpsichord, before going into some fairly bouncy, mid-paced neo-classical metal. As the song progresses it gets more aggressive and heavier, with a chanting section. Pythagorean Solids opens with very aggressive, thrashy riffs that drive the track forward, before the feel of the track changes when (what sounds to me like) a Hammond Organ is added. This gives the track a feel that is similar to Solefald’s album Neonism, which also mixes black metal with big organs (Solefald have had several different styles over their career, Neonism has a very particular sound), the song also has a spoken word section, which is very effective.
Introduction To Numbers is a short instrumental featuring piano and bongos, and, as the title suggests acts as an introduction to the next track. Numbers opens with probably the most ‘Black Metal’ part of the album; fast blast beats with aggressive tremolo picked riffs over the top. After this battering the track slows down and feels relaxed and jazzy, before the tempo goes up again and again, it’s reminiscent of Sigh. The track has a very strong, classical style melody, and near the end we get another spoken word section, this time about Monads. Harmony Of The Spheres is a simple instrumental featuring beautiful swells of sound, which to my ears sound like they originated from various Tibetan Singing Bowls. Metempsychosis opens with a bass line before guitar and keyboards come in, making this a mid-tempo’d slightly bouncy bit of Black Metal. The track gets bigger and more dynamic as it goes along, until in the last third when the tempo goes up, a fast piano line is added and the track runs to the end as a tout, driving piece of Black Metal.
The album comes to an end with The Death Of Pythagoras, which feels more like a New Wave track, with maybe a little bit of Killing Joke in there as well. The Death Of Pythagoras also boasts a hidden track; after a couple of minutes of silence we get a short Electronica track to round everything off. Pythagoras is a fantastic piece of work. The problem with experimental music, is that sometimes experiments don’t work. This experiment however has been very successful. The fact that I have compared this album to Sigh’s In Somniphobia, one of the best experimental Black metal albums ever made, should highlight just how good this album is. There are a couple of issues with the sound, but as this was recorded by one person in a home studio, that is very forgivable. This is a fantastic first album, the song writing shows a lot of maturity and incredible creativity. If this is what he can do as a first album, in a home studio; who knows what masterpieces he can come up with, with a little more experience and a professional studio. Pythagoras is highly intelligent, beautifully creative, and deeply evocative album. I look forward to hearing what Goatchrist come up with next. 8/10
Introduction To Numbers is a short instrumental featuring piano and bongos, and, as the title suggests acts as an introduction to the next track. Numbers opens with probably the most ‘Black Metal’ part of the album; fast blast beats with aggressive tremolo picked riffs over the top. After this battering the track slows down and feels relaxed and jazzy, before the tempo goes up again and again, it’s reminiscent of Sigh. The track has a very strong, classical style melody, and near the end we get another spoken word section, this time about Monads. Harmony Of The Spheres is a simple instrumental featuring beautiful swells of sound, which to my ears sound like they originated from various Tibetan Singing Bowls. Metempsychosis opens with a bass line before guitar and keyboards come in, making this a mid-tempo’d slightly bouncy bit of Black Metal. The track gets bigger and more dynamic as it goes along, until in the last third when the tempo goes up, a fast piano line is added and the track runs to the end as a tout, driving piece of Black Metal.
The album comes to an end with The Death Of Pythagoras, which feels more like a New Wave track, with maybe a little bit of Killing Joke in there as well. The Death Of Pythagoras also boasts a hidden track; after a couple of minutes of silence we get a short Electronica track to round everything off. Pythagoras is a fantastic piece of work. The problem with experimental music, is that sometimes experiments don’t work. This experiment however has been very successful. The fact that I have compared this album to Sigh’s In Somniphobia, one of the best experimental Black metal albums ever made, should highlight just how good this album is. There are a couple of issues with the sound, but as this was recorded by one person in a home studio, that is very forgivable. This is a fantastic first album, the song writing shows a lot of maturity and incredible creativity. If this is what he can do as a first album, in a home studio; who knows what masterpieces he can come up with, with a little more experience and a professional studio. Pythagoras is highly intelligent, beautifully creative, and deeply evocative album. I look forward to hearing what Goatchrist come up with next. 8/10
Kaoteon: Kaoteon (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]
It’s mad to think that 2019 is almost over and even madder that we are already getting albums for release in 2020 through to review. So here it is the first review of a 2020 release from me and thankfully it is a very good one. It is the self titled third album of Lebanese blackened death metallers Kaoteon. The band have recently relocated to the Netherlands and joining frontman Walid Wolflust and guitarist Anthony Kaoteon on this album are none other than bassist Linus Klausenitzer from Obscura and drummer extraordinaire Adrian Erlandsson of At The Gates.
What we have on Kaoteon is a striking and well balanced mix of black metal and death metal with equal footing on viciousness and atmosphere. The album very much leans into the melodic side of things with strong memorable melodies in each song. All these ingredients combined make an album that is frenzied yet with an epic feel. It very much reminded me of a more death metal leaning Abbath or Dark Fortress. There is incredibly strong guitar work throughout whilst the superstar rhythm section is nothing but spectacular as you would expect and the vocals vary from violent screams to guttural growls.
The songs range from fast and ferocious to more mid placed and melodic. The songs are all very well crafted with the strong melodic guitar lines used to great effect throughout the album from relentless opener Wolves Of Chaos to the epic closer Acheronta Movebo. Having not heard the previous two Kaoteon albums I have nothing to compare it to but this is a fantastic release for those who like extreme music but with rich melodies. 8/10
Down In One: One For The Road (Self Released) [Paul Hutchings]
Meaty, muscular riffs. Gravel throated roaring vocals. Tight rhythm section. Anthemic songs which grab you by the collar and force you to bang your head. Welcome to One For The Road, debut album from Nottingham four-piece Down In One. It’s gnarly, it’s full of stoner goodness in the robust style of London biker kings Orange Goblin and it’s quite fabulous. Gon Pan’s throaty vocals fit the crunching riffage to a tee, especially on the beefier songs such as Lost Demons and Mad Gun. The guitar work of James Allsop is neat, some cutting edges adding to the thick, heaviness that this band deliver. It’s an album to party hard to, something which appears to be part of the band’s mission statement. Grab One For The Road and see for yourself. 7/10
Horned Almighty: To Fathom The Masters Grand Design (Scarlet Records) [Paul Hutchings]
Album number six by the Danish black metal outfit. I’m not familiar with much of their catalogue so working on this as a one-off album provided the chance to take it at face value. I was impressed. The driving rhythms, soaring tremolo riffing and atmospheric elements alongside the guttural voice of S combined to great effect. There’s plenty of melody underpinning the songs but the heaviness and malevolent approach rarely fades. Tracks such as Antagonism Eternal ooze with intricate patterns whilst the explosive Violent Cosmology which opens the release is aptly named. With most of the tracks of enough length to build and develop, there is plenty to embrace and immerse yourself in. Powerful passages should satisfy the old school black metal fan whilst there is enough variety to appeal to those less familiar with the band. A demonic close to the year. 8/10
Wednesday, 4 December 2019
A View From The Back Of The Room: Elder Druid (Live Review By Matt Bladen)
Elder Druid, Barbarian Hermit, Satlan & Kong Lives, Fuel Cardiff
Sunday nights, never the busiest but the lack of support for this gig by the Cardiff community was a little disappointing. Four bands for £11 is a bloody good deal so myself and Mr Deeper Shades himself hit Cardiff's rock hub for some grooves and dirty riffs.
First up we had Kong Lives (7) a band who I've seen a fair few times, the bring ear piercing volume and loads of feedback to the stage as a four piece who dwell more towards the post metal bleakness than the straight up doom/stoner to come. A mixture of aggressive and clean vocals meant that the 8 people in the room were getting their brains scrambled by music so loud it hurt. The local act came, battered and left doing what they do well.
Next were Satlan (7) who are a slightly newer act and one I was looking forward to due to the presence of drummer James Loh and vocalist Soozi Chameleone, unfortunately talking to Soozi before the gig we found out she was very ill on the night with her voice very croaky. As the band kicked off it was obvious she was struggling as the vocals were barely audible, meaning that after the first song she abandoned the stage meaning the three remaining members battled on as an instrumental act layering classic doom sounds on the room like it was 1970, the bass and guitar riffs were down tuned and heavy with distortion and fuzz the name of the gig as James beat the kit to within an inch of its life. This was not the Satlan I'd expected to see but they showed just how talented they are even as an instrumental trio. Hopefully I'll get to see them with Soozi in full voice soon.
Third on the bill were Barbarian Hermit (8) a NOLA metal worshipping five piece from Manchester who are on the APF roster so you know what to expect from them, this was thundering stoner sludge with riffs for days, a touch of melody and vocals ripped from the bowls that owe a debt to Mr Anselmo. Taking tracks from their EP and the most recent full length (reviewed in these hallowed pages) release the band bring a natural heaviness yet they sound so clean and connected as a band, their singer prowls the stage pulling as many faces as possible as the mostly static rest of the band dredge the riffs from the Manchester ship canal. A sheer force of nature Barbarian Hermit were the benchmark for the night
After a small medical mishap, it was time for Elder Druid (8) who provided the end of the evening with a sonic battery. Drenched in purple light they peeled off knuckle dragging sludge/doom, pained vocals were met with deafening Sabbath worship from the heaviest band of the night. If you can imagine Down on mescaline, or indeed a more upbeat Electric Wizard you'll be close to the hypnotic riffage of these Northern Irish occultists. For the first time in the night the vocals were totally audible and here they are integral part of the primeval Elder Druid experience, this music is supposed to shake your very soul and it does vibrating through your Skeleton with the lashings of heft.
All four bands here deserved more people watching them. Hopefully this won't deter more gigs of this kind, in a city with an ear to either the extreme or the mainstream, the stoner/doom/sludge sounds get left behind somewhat, we can only crank up the volume and pray that with repeated, ear splitting exposure this won't be the case anymore.
Sunday nights, never the busiest but the lack of support for this gig by the Cardiff community was a little disappointing. Four bands for £11 is a bloody good deal so myself and Mr Deeper Shades himself hit Cardiff's rock hub for some grooves and dirty riffs.
First up we had Kong Lives (7) a band who I've seen a fair few times, the bring ear piercing volume and loads of feedback to the stage as a four piece who dwell more towards the post metal bleakness than the straight up doom/stoner to come. A mixture of aggressive and clean vocals meant that the 8 people in the room were getting their brains scrambled by music so loud it hurt. The local act came, battered and left doing what they do well.
Next were Satlan (7) who are a slightly newer act and one I was looking forward to due to the presence of drummer James Loh and vocalist Soozi Chameleone, unfortunately talking to Soozi before the gig we found out she was very ill on the night with her voice very croaky. As the band kicked off it was obvious she was struggling as the vocals were barely audible, meaning that after the first song she abandoned the stage meaning the three remaining members battled on as an instrumental act layering classic doom sounds on the room like it was 1970, the bass and guitar riffs were down tuned and heavy with distortion and fuzz the name of the gig as James beat the kit to within an inch of its life. This was not the Satlan I'd expected to see but they showed just how talented they are even as an instrumental trio. Hopefully I'll get to see them with Soozi in full voice soon.
Third on the bill were Barbarian Hermit (8) a NOLA metal worshipping five piece from Manchester who are on the APF roster so you know what to expect from them, this was thundering stoner sludge with riffs for days, a touch of melody and vocals ripped from the bowls that owe a debt to Mr Anselmo. Taking tracks from their EP and the most recent full length (reviewed in these hallowed pages) release the band bring a natural heaviness yet they sound so clean and connected as a band, their singer prowls the stage pulling as many faces as possible as the mostly static rest of the band dredge the riffs from the Manchester ship canal. A sheer force of nature Barbarian Hermit were the benchmark for the night
After a small medical mishap, it was time for Elder Druid (8) who provided the end of the evening with a sonic battery. Drenched in purple light they peeled off knuckle dragging sludge/doom, pained vocals were met with deafening Sabbath worship from the heaviest band of the night. If you can imagine Down on mescaline, or indeed a more upbeat Electric Wizard you'll be close to the hypnotic riffage of these Northern Irish occultists. For the first time in the night the vocals were totally audible and here they are integral part of the primeval Elder Druid experience, this music is supposed to shake your very soul and it does vibrating through your Skeleton with the lashings of heft.
All four bands here deserved more people watching them. Hopefully this won't deter more gigs of this kind, in a city with an ear to either the extreme or the mainstream, the stoner/doom/sludge sounds get left behind somewhat, we can only crank up the volume and pray that with repeated, ear splitting exposure this won't be the case anymore.
A View From The Back Of The Room: Electric Six (Live Review By Paul Hutchings)
Electric Six, 02 Academy, Bristol
This was meant to be a combined review with the band’s stop in Bristol and their triumphant show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London two days later. Unfortunately, after ten minutes in the latter venue, which was very full by the way, I fell ill and needed to depart without seeing a single note played. So instead I will focus my attention on the gig two days previously at the 02. Our friends who we persuaded to stay confirmed that the Six were on fine form in London with a few extra songs pulled out of the bag to conclude their tour.
If you search Electric Six (9) on these pages, you’ll see numerous reviews of the band, both in the live arena and on record. Suffice to say that they remain the ultimate performers and in Bristol they once again provided a flawless 75 minutes which included songs from their vast back catalogue. Led by the inimitable Dick Valentine, they eased through tracks from last year’s Bride Of The Devil, still referred to as their ‘new record’ and threw in the usual handful of songs from 2003’s epic Fire. Of course, as usual at gigs these days, the crowd reacted more enthusiastically to the golden oldies, with the inevitable moshing for Gay Bar and Danger! High Voltage.
From my vantage point on the lower stairs I was able for once to admire and fully appreciate the technical prowess of guitarists Johnny Na$hinal and Da Vé, drummer Hyperkube Bonanza, keyboardist Tait Nucleus and bassist Rob Lower. As a band, these guys are phenomenal, gelling neatly with little fuss leaving Valentine as the focal point. His inter-song banter was limited but hysterical and as the band arrived at Synthesiser the place was rocking hard.
There is little more to be said. Electric Six remain an underground phenomenon some 20 years after their formation. They attract the widest selection of fans; the atmosphere is jovial and fun, and they play cracking music. I’ve said it before – you need to see this band at least once in your lifetime. I’m into double figures and already looking forward to their return to these shores. Hopefully fully fit and ready to throw those illegal shapes that I missed out on this time around.
This was meant to be a combined review with the band’s stop in Bristol and their triumphant show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London two days later. Unfortunately, after ten minutes in the latter venue, which was very full by the way, I fell ill and needed to depart without seeing a single note played. So instead I will focus my attention on the gig two days previously at the 02. Our friends who we persuaded to stay confirmed that the Six were on fine form in London with a few extra songs pulled out of the bag to conclude their tour.
If you search Electric Six (9) on these pages, you’ll see numerous reviews of the band, both in the live arena and on record. Suffice to say that they remain the ultimate performers and in Bristol they once again provided a flawless 75 minutes which included songs from their vast back catalogue. Led by the inimitable Dick Valentine, they eased through tracks from last year’s Bride Of The Devil, still referred to as their ‘new record’ and threw in the usual handful of songs from 2003’s epic Fire. Of course, as usual at gigs these days, the crowd reacted more enthusiastically to the golden oldies, with the inevitable moshing for Gay Bar and Danger! High Voltage.
From my vantage point on the lower stairs I was able for once to admire and fully appreciate the technical prowess of guitarists Johnny Na$hinal and Da Vé, drummer Hyperkube Bonanza, keyboardist Tait Nucleus and bassist Rob Lower. As a band, these guys are phenomenal, gelling neatly with little fuss leaving Valentine as the focal point. His inter-song banter was limited but hysterical and as the band arrived at Synthesiser the place was rocking hard.
There is little more to be said. Electric Six remain an underground phenomenon some 20 years after their formation. They attract the widest selection of fans; the atmosphere is jovial and fun, and they play cracking music. I’ve said it before – you need to see this band at least once in your lifetime. I’m into double figures and already looking forward to their return to these shores. Hopefully fully fit and ready to throw those illegal shapes that I missed out on this time around.
Tuesday, 3 December 2019
A View From The Royal Albert Hall: Hawkwind (Live Review By Paul Hutchings)
Hawkwind At The Royal Albert Hall,
Six days after the outbreak of excessive ‘dad-dancing’ at the Tramshed, a journey to one of the country’s most iconic venues and a final chance to catch one of the country’s most iconic bands as they wrapped up a 15 date UK tour.
I’ve written about the Tramshed gig and the quality of the musicianship, the stellar set list and the overall enjoyment of the Welsh crowd on the night. This night surpassed that, transcending to a different orbit and demonstrating once more that the humble band who have been ploughing their own furrow for half a century remain as impressive in the live arena now as they did in those psychedelic drug-induced days in the 70s.
The surroundings made a difference. The venue is tiered, so many tiers, bigly tiers everywhere. A large standing arena in front of the stage allowed the faithful to get closer whilst I was perched in the gods, the standing element in the Gallery which is as close to God as you can get. The view from 8 miles above the stage reasonable once I’d found a vantage point. Luckily, I’d remembered my glasses.
Sensibly avoiding the Black Heart Orchestra this time, Hawkwind (10) arrived on stage around 8:30pm. A two-hour set that comprised the same setlist as Cardiff followed. Motorway City into Flesh Fondue, the latter already sitting comfortably in the set. Perched in the heavens allowed us to admire, appreciate and absorb the blinding light show that the band had constructed. Those lasers that flew over our heads in Cardiff were now a visual psychedelic carpet over the arena, the myriad conflation of rainbow colours colliding in a cosmic kaleidoscope.
It was only during the elongated Born To Go that I suddenly realised how blisteringly heavy Hawkwind can be. Their space rock is often dismissed as ‘hippy’ music, but the driving bass lines, the thundering drums and the heavy riffing combines to great effect. No wonder there were sporadic outbreaks of head banging around the grand old venue. Further proof came during a fantastic Spirit Of the Age, complete with huge audience participation and a mighty version of The Watcher and Silver Machine, once again with the mighty Phil Campbell guesting on guitar.
Honed and professional may not have always been associated with Hawkwind, but today their anarchic stand is slightly bowed from the 50 years fighting the corporate machine. Their merchandise was far greater in option than I’d ever seen, and the hawkers on the pavement outside after the show suggested how far the band have travelled. On stage they remain a tight outfit, minor technical issues swiftly addressed. Switching instruments at will, only drummer Richard Chadwick remained in place, the others moving between guitars and keys with ease. The sonic attack continued with further tracks from All Aboard The Skylark, before we suddenly reached the encores. Jah Wobble had appeared, added some backing vocals and disappeared in the flash of an eye.
Six days after the outbreak of excessive ‘dad-dancing’ at the Tramshed, a journey to one of the country’s most iconic venues and a final chance to catch one of the country’s most iconic bands as they wrapped up a 15 date UK tour.
I’ve written about the Tramshed gig and the quality of the musicianship, the stellar set list and the overall enjoyment of the Welsh crowd on the night. This night surpassed that, transcending to a different orbit and demonstrating once more that the humble band who have been ploughing their own furrow for half a century remain as impressive in the live arena now as they did in those psychedelic drug-induced days in the 70s.
The surroundings made a difference. The venue is tiered, so many tiers, bigly tiers everywhere. A large standing arena in front of the stage allowed the faithful to get closer whilst I was perched in the gods, the standing element in the Gallery which is as close to God as you can get. The view from 8 miles above the stage reasonable once I’d found a vantage point. Luckily, I’d remembered my glasses.
Sensibly avoiding the Black Heart Orchestra this time, Hawkwind (10) arrived on stage around 8:30pm. A two-hour set that comprised the same setlist as Cardiff followed. Motorway City into Flesh Fondue, the latter already sitting comfortably in the set. Perched in the heavens allowed us to admire, appreciate and absorb the blinding light show that the band had constructed. Those lasers that flew over our heads in Cardiff were now a visual psychedelic carpet over the arena, the myriad conflation of rainbow colours colliding in a cosmic kaleidoscope.
It was only during the elongated Born To Go that I suddenly realised how blisteringly heavy Hawkwind can be. Their space rock is often dismissed as ‘hippy’ music, but the driving bass lines, the thundering drums and the heavy riffing combines to great effect. No wonder there were sporadic outbreaks of head banging around the grand old venue. Further proof came during a fantastic Spirit Of the Age, complete with huge audience participation and a mighty version of The Watcher and Silver Machine, once again with the mighty Phil Campbell guesting on guitar.
Honed and professional may not have always been associated with Hawkwind, but today their anarchic stand is slightly bowed from the 50 years fighting the corporate machine. Their merchandise was far greater in option than I’d ever seen, and the hawkers on the pavement outside after the show suggested how far the band have travelled. On stage they remain a tight outfit, minor technical issues swiftly addressed. Switching instruments at will, only drummer Richard Chadwick remained in place, the others moving between guitars and keys with ease. The sonic attack continued with further tracks from All Aboard The Skylark, before we suddenly reached the encores. Jah Wobble had appeared, added some backing vocals and disappeared in the flash of an eye.
Hurry On Sundown was every bit as emphatic as in Cardiff, emotions fighting to stay in check as the crowd roared the words along. Then Phil Campbell was back, flanking Dave Brock as the riff to Master Of The Universe signalled the final few minutes. An anthem which you never tire of listening to, this was the perfect set closer. Hawkwind, the UK institution remain a ferocious live band. With dates already pencilled in for 2020, the ship continues to traverse the universe. It may be beginning its descent but there are no signs that a return to earth is imminent.
A View From The Back Of The Room: Heart Of A Coward (Live Review By Liam True)
Heart Of A Coward, Unprocessed & Sentry, Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
Being an opening band is never an easy task, especially when the doors open late and you’re on 5 minutes after they open. But nonetheless, Sentry (7) have the aggression and musical prowess to make a room move. Unfortunately, with the room only being a quarter full, they’re not hitting the audience they deserve. When third song Bacteria kicks in, the room is filling and the band realise it’s time to kick it into full gear. With singer Danny Rees taking it upon himself to control the crowd and harness the bands energy for himself, he patrols the stage like a lion hunting a gazelle. They don’t hit the mark like they did when I've previously saw them, but make no mistake. They’ve made a mark. And continue to rise in the ranks of the welsh Metal scene.
To paraphrase my friend ‘That was fucking mental’. And he’s not wrong. The 35 minutes that Unprocessed (8) were on stage for were the most mind-blowing 35 minutes of my recent memory. With their merchandise donning a Death/Black Metal logo, you might think that they’ll be pretty damn heavy. And they were. And they were also the most technical band I've seen live. With the time signatures of Car Bomb mixed with the heaviness of Periphery, the band have the crowd under their control and conjure the first mosh pit of the night. Hailing from Germany the band feel right at home on the stage with their energetic performance and headbanging music to combine the perfect band for such a venue. Closing song Antlers Decay is by far the heaviest song to be played so far tonight, and as soon as it starts, the venue erupts into one big circle pit. It’s madness, technical, and I loved it.
The band we’re all here to see. And as soon as HOAC hit the stage with opener with Drown In Ruin, the bar is set high as the carnage unfolds. Bodies flying everywhere. People hurling themselves around the pit. And we’re not a minute in yet. Although being as tight as they can, the venues sound system isn’t on their side tonight. The bass is way to high and you can’t hear vocalist Kaan Tasan apart from the odd moment or so. But nonetheless Heart Of A Coward (9) take it in their stride and perform a blistering set. Commanding the biggest circle pit Clwb Ifor Bach as possibly seen, they destroy Cardiff in their journey across the UK. By the time set closer Deadweight kicks in, everyone is gasping for more. But with a smile and a wave, they take their leave. Leaving everyone blown away by what we’ve just witnessed. And I'd happily get battered by them again.
Being an opening band is never an easy task, especially when the doors open late and you’re on 5 minutes after they open. But nonetheless, Sentry (7) have the aggression and musical prowess to make a room move. Unfortunately, with the room only being a quarter full, they’re not hitting the audience they deserve. When third song Bacteria kicks in, the room is filling and the band realise it’s time to kick it into full gear. With singer Danny Rees taking it upon himself to control the crowd and harness the bands energy for himself, he patrols the stage like a lion hunting a gazelle. They don’t hit the mark like they did when I've previously saw them, but make no mistake. They’ve made a mark. And continue to rise in the ranks of the welsh Metal scene.
To paraphrase my friend ‘That was fucking mental’. And he’s not wrong. The 35 minutes that Unprocessed (8) were on stage for were the most mind-blowing 35 minutes of my recent memory. With their merchandise donning a Death/Black Metal logo, you might think that they’ll be pretty damn heavy. And they were. And they were also the most technical band I've seen live. With the time signatures of Car Bomb mixed with the heaviness of Periphery, the band have the crowd under their control and conjure the first mosh pit of the night. Hailing from Germany the band feel right at home on the stage with their energetic performance and headbanging music to combine the perfect band for such a venue. Closing song Antlers Decay is by far the heaviest song to be played so far tonight, and as soon as it starts, the venue erupts into one big circle pit. It’s madness, technical, and I loved it.
The band we’re all here to see. And as soon as HOAC hit the stage with opener with Drown In Ruin, the bar is set high as the carnage unfolds. Bodies flying everywhere. People hurling themselves around the pit. And we’re not a minute in yet. Although being as tight as they can, the venues sound system isn’t on their side tonight. The bass is way to high and you can’t hear vocalist Kaan Tasan apart from the odd moment or so. But nonetheless Heart Of A Coward (9) take it in their stride and perform a blistering set. Commanding the biggest circle pit Clwb Ifor Bach as possibly seen, they destroy Cardiff in their journey across the UK. By the time set closer Deadweight kicks in, everyone is gasping for more. But with a smile and a wave, they take their leave. Leaving everyone blown away by what we’ve just witnessed. And I'd happily get battered by them again.
Monday, 2 December 2019
A View From Three Rooms: Sumo Cyco Tour Diary Review By Neil Lewis
Sumo Cyco, The Joiners, Southampton, The Globe, Cardiff & The Exchange Bristol, November
I personally think it’s important to have a passion in life. I am going to guess that if you’re reading the Musipedia Of Metal then you probably have a passion for music, if so then that’s one we share. I also guess that by clicking this article in particular you may have at least a passing interest in the subject of the Canadian rock/punk/metal/dancehall/whatevercore band Sumo Cyco. Funnily enough, I do too.
Actually I have more than a passing interest and so when the band announced that they were hitting UK shores for the tenth time (and playing their largest headline shows here to date) I decided to attend the first three stops (down to Southampton’s Joiners on the 24th , my home town Cardiff in The Globe on the 25th and over the bridge to Bristol’s Exchange on the 26th ) and this is a review of what I experienced over the three shows.
First off I’ll cover the support acts as for this tour the line up was identical for each show: up first was Australian solo rapper Suburban (7). Performing with a live drummer for these shows, he brings to mind dashes of Linkin Park and with a rap style that reminded me personally of Treach from hip-hop legends Naughty By Nature crossed with early Eminem, the man certainly has flow to his lyrics. He also throws in the odd burst of aggressiveness during his sung parts – hence the Linkin Park comparison. His stage presence is excellent too with his near-constant movement on stage making for three overall very enjoyable performances. Speaking to the man himself over the various shows he proves to be a personable chap too, particularly being very flattered by the Linkin Park and Naughty By Nature comparisons. He is also a self-confessed starving artist so appropriating his own words why not give him a follow – his social media handle is @thisissuburban. I sincerely hope he raises enough money to get back home to Aus following this tour!
Next on each lineup were Yorkshire alt.rockers As Sirens Fall (6). When I was doing my research prior to these dates it was apparent to me that I probably wouldn’t enjoy them all that much. It seems I was right. Whilst frontman Mikey Lord certainly has charisma to spare and the band did put on three solid shows the fact is that their music isn’t really my thing. Having said that the band do appear to have a loyal following and seemed to be making new friends at all three shows which is kinda the point of all this touring after all….. I would definitely encourage you to check them out if you’re into the likes of My Chemical Romance, although you could equally just go and check out the real thing since they’re back together as of this writing.
And so to the headliners, a band I believe in so much that I felt I just had to take this road trip, the mighty Sumo Cyco. In the introduction for a recent interview I conducted with the bands front and one half of the creative team Skye Sweetnam (http://musipediaofmetal.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-spotlight-interview-with-skye.html) I stated that the band’s fan-base “can at times resemble something of a cult”. I have since been corrected on this point, and rightly so: They resemble a cult at all times. I should know seeing as though I’m a fully paid up member of said cult. But I digress…
I personally think it’s important to have a passion in life. I am going to guess that if you’re reading the Musipedia Of Metal then you probably have a passion for music, if so then that’s one we share. I also guess that by clicking this article in particular you may have at least a passing interest in the subject of the Canadian rock/punk/metal/dancehall/whatevercore band Sumo Cyco. Funnily enough, I do too.
Actually I have more than a passing interest and so when the band announced that they were hitting UK shores for the tenth time (and playing their largest headline shows here to date) I decided to attend the first three stops (down to Southampton’s Joiners on the 24th , my home town Cardiff in The Globe on the 25th and over the bridge to Bristol’s Exchange on the 26th ) and this is a review of what I experienced over the three shows.
First off I’ll cover the support acts as for this tour the line up was identical for each show: up first was Australian solo rapper Suburban (7). Performing with a live drummer for these shows, he brings to mind dashes of Linkin Park and with a rap style that reminded me personally of Treach from hip-hop legends Naughty By Nature crossed with early Eminem, the man certainly has flow to his lyrics. He also throws in the odd burst of aggressiveness during his sung parts – hence the Linkin Park comparison. His stage presence is excellent too with his near-constant movement on stage making for three overall very enjoyable performances. Speaking to the man himself over the various shows he proves to be a personable chap too, particularly being very flattered by the Linkin Park and Naughty By Nature comparisons. He is also a self-confessed starving artist so appropriating his own words why not give him a follow – his social media handle is @thisissuburban. I sincerely hope he raises enough money to get back home to Aus following this tour!
Next on each lineup were Yorkshire alt.rockers As Sirens Fall (6). When I was doing my research prior to these dates it was apparent to me that I probably wouldn’t enjoy them all that much. It seems I was right. Whilst frontman Mikey Lord certainly has charisma to spare and the band did put on three solid shows the fact is that their music isn’t really my thing. Having said that the band do appear to have a loyal following and seemed to be making new friends at all three shows which is kinda the point of all this touring after all….. I would definitely encourage you to check them out if you’re into the likes of My Chemical Romance, although you could equally just go and check out the real thing since they’re back together as of this writing.
And so to the headliners, a band I believe in so much that I felt I just had to take this road trip, the mighty Sumo Cyco. In the introduction for a recent interview I conducted with the bands front and one half of the creative team Skye Sweetnam (http://musipediaofmetal.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-spotlight-interview-with-skye.html) I stated that the band’s fan-base “can at times resemble something of a cult”. I have since been corrected on this point, and rightly so: They resemble a cult at all times. I should know seeing as though I’m a fully paid up member of said cult. But I digress…
Prior to all the shows I attended Sumo Cyco’s acoustic VIP experiences. I’ve written about these before but I’ll reiterate this: They are a fantastic experience and worth every single penny. As guitarist and other half of the bands’ creative team Matt Drake mentioned there are a number of people who turn out for multiple shows plus the VIPs (or even all of them) every time the band tours the UK so the VIP experiences largely feel more like a cult meetin- uhh I mean gathering of friends and family than a gig. The band are pretty much on first name terms with their regulars which in my view once again demonstrates that the connection they have with their fans is very real. Each night was a different experience too, featuring the band performing different songs acoustically along with what I can only describe as a musical sperm being played by bassist Oscar Ansetti, which he has apparently christened “JJ” and which stole the show every night as it was just so damn funny! At this point I will give a special mention to Cardiff’s horror show due to the aforementioned Matt forgetting songs multiple times which, far from ruining the performance actually made it much more entertaining in my eyes, and thus was by far my favourite VIP of the three I attended. Watching the band perform in this stripped down environment really highlights what a strong, versatile voice Skye has too. It’s not for nothing that she describes the sound of the band as “like getting your head ripped off by a giggling cheerleader”.
A few hours after their acoustic performances, the band plugged in their instruments for the main events (10). It’s difficult to pick out the highlights of all three shows but I’ll mention Matt slipping off the PA in Cardiff and injuring his butt as one that immediately springs to mind as an example of a man suffering for his art. There were also a number of Skye's skits – as the band refer to them – such as the crowd surfing (which didn’t happen at the Cardiff show as it’s prohibited in The Globe), the tour of the venue on the shoulders of various people (mostly Matt), and the occasional visit to the bar mid song. This is before mentioning drummer Trozzi’s brilliant facial expressions and bassist Oscar’s excellent shape throwing. All four members are simply a huge force of energy on stage which is reflected by the crowd and makes Sumo Cyco one of – if not the – best live acts currently doing the rounds in this writers opinion. It mattered little that the band went from a sold out show in Southampton’s Joiners on the Sunday night to a comparatively sparsely attended Monday in Cardiff’s (admittedly much larger) Globe; they played as if they were headlining a packed out Principality Stadium every night and left no-one disappointed.
Those in attendance on this tour are being treated to a brand new song - New Jive, which sounds like it will fit in well on the upcoming third album, along with the song first debuted on their last tour here in June dubbed This Dance Is Doomed. The shows I attended also featured blistering renditions of an old song that’s rarely played live in the form of early single Limp which was an unexpected treat for me as it’s one of my favourite songs by the band. There was also a neat mix of Passengers and The Ugly, which I believe is the first time the band are performing that (at least in the UK). The set list was largely the same on each night and was rounded out by some of the usual Cyco bangers such as Fighter, Free Yourself, Anti-Anthem and usual set closer (although it was swapped with Sleep Tight at the Southampton show) and possibly their most popular song Move Mountains (featuring Skye doing the “get down on the floor and jump up when I say” skit which went down an absolute storm every night as she was right in amongst it directing the chaos from the floor).
All in all I had a fantastic time at all three shows. I met some pretty awesome people and very much had a hugely enjoyable social and musical experience overall. The passion I mentioned earlier was very much in evidence from both the band and the fans every night and I would extend an invitation to anyone to come join the Cyco cult – uhh, I mean family.
A few hours after their acoustic performances, the band plugged in their instruments for the main events (10). It’s difficult to pick out the highlights of all three shows but I’ll mention Matt slipping off the PA in Cardiff and injuring his butt as one that immediately springs to mind as an example of a man suffering for his art. There were also a number of Skye's skits – as the band refer to them – such as the crowd surfing (which didn’t happen at the Cardiff show as it’s prohibited in The Globe), the tour of the venue on the shoulders of various people (mostly Matt), and the occasional visit to the bar mid song. This is before mentioning drummer Trozzi’s brilliant facial expressions and bassist Oscar’s excellent shape throwing. All four members are simply a huge force of energy on stage which is reflected by the crowd and makes Sumo Cyco one of – if not the – best live acts currently doing the rounds in this writers opinion. It mattered little that the band went from a sold out show in Southampton’s Joiners on the Sunday night to a comparatively sparsely attended Monday in Cardiff’s (admittedly much larger) Globe; they played as if they were headlining a packed out Principality Stadium every night and left no-one disappointed.
Those in attendance on this tour are being treated to a brand new song - New Jive, which sounds like it will fit in well on the upcoming third album, along with the song first debuted on their last tour here in June dubbed This Dance Is Doomed. The shows I attended also featured blistering renditions of an old song that’s rarely played live in the form of early single Limp which was an unexpected treat for me as it’s one of my favourite songs by the band. There was also a neat mix of Passengers and The Ugly, which I believe is the first time the band are performing that (at least in the UK). The set list was largely the same on each night and was rounded out by some of the usual Cyco bangers such as Fighter, Free Yourself, Anti-Anthem and usual set closer (although it was swapped with Sleep Tight at the Southampton show) and possibly their most popular song Move Mountains (featuring Skye doing the “get down on the floor and jump up when I say” skit which went down an absolute storm every night as she was right in amongst it directing the chaos from the floor).
All in all I had a fantastic time at all three shows. I met some pretty awesome people and very much had a hugely enjoyable social and musical experience overall. The passion I mentioned earlier was very much in evidence from both the band and the fans every night and I would extend an invitation to anyone to come join the Cyco cult – uhh, I mean family.
Reviews: Hanging Garden, Prong, Secret Chapter, Sonus Mortis (Reviews By Matt Bladen)
Hanging Garden: Into That Good Night (Lifeforce Records)
Finnish band Hanging Garden are influenced heavily by art and other styles of music which is probably why they have taken a line from a Dylan Thomas poem for as the title of their sixth studio album. They have been playing since 2004, though since 2010 there are no founding members remaining in the band yet they are still playing, recording and touring. If you're of a sunny disposition then you may want to avoid this record as it's full of bleak doom laden music, it's downtuned, bleakly melodic and thoroughly miserable. This is music that has been perfected by Katatonia, Swallow The Sun and our own Paradise Lost, but Hanging Garden as the songs are built around a melancholic backing and gruff vocals that move between haunting and soulful to roared and vicious.
Fear, Longing, Hope And The Night is an ominous song that shows what I've previously mentioned as the title track builds from a clean opening into the more frenetic last part, before a wistful piano piece closes the song out, as the piano once again comes in for the opening to Rain the synths swirl and it opens out into one of the albums best tracks, bringing in Riikka Hatakka for some beautiful female vocals to this mournful but melodic number. Into That Good Night is a record made for cold winter nights, I can't promise it'll warm you up, but it may enthrall you. 8/10
Prong: Age Of Defiance (Steamhammer/SPV)
Prong return with an EP to whet the appetite for a full length next year. What you get here is two new album tracks and three songs recorded live at the Berlin club Huxleys Neue Welt in April 2015, Rude Awakening from the album of the same name with Another Worldly Device and Cut Rate coming from their breakthrough release The Cleansing. These three final tracks are a look at Prong's past with the thrash/crossover sound really giving grooves to these numbers which are typical 90's thrash fair, albeit well recorded so they do sound a little like the recorded versions. So then we have to look at the other two tracks on the album to see the Prong of 2019. End Of Sanity is more traditional Prong, a groove heavy thrash number with their hardcore influence looking large, however the title track is a little different to what you'd expect from the band as it's a bit more a modern track that's got some metalcore sounds to it due to the thick breakdown riffs and soaring chorus. This is an EP that goes full circle through Prong's history in just 5 tracks so it'll be interesting to see which direction of any they focus on for the album. 6/10
Secret Chapter: Chapter One (Crime Records)
Secret Chapter were formed in Norway in 2017, Chapter One is their debut full length that has was written throughout 2018 under the co-producing eye of Andy LaRocque who makes this melodic metal album explode from your speakers. Kicking off with Baptized With Ecstasy this album rings out with an album that owes as much to Judas Priest, Accept and Queensryche as they do Deep Purple, it's melodic metal with high pitched vocals, brilliant guitar playing and keyboards that underpin everything, One Night Ain't Enough is a big rocker which reminds me a lot of Hammerfall especially in the vocals, as Heavy Metal Love Affair is a massive 80's styled ballad with songs such as The Great Escape bring more bouncy metal anthems as Introspection rampages along with Enemy Inside brings in the big organ pulses. Secret Chapter are a very talented band and they've manged to release a debut album that is musically strong but won't change the world. Still if you want a melodic metal album that is good for repeat plays then check out Chapter One. 7/10
Sonus Mortis: Hold This Mortal Coil (Self Released)
Sonus Mortis is the idea of multi-instrumentalist Kevin Byrne who is the only musician on this record that I can see. He has written a record of doomy death metal that owes a dept to Greek masters such as Rotting Christ and Septicflesh, although Sonus Mortis hail from the Emerald isle. Now this record isn't released until the end of January but it will be worth the wait as unlike many one man projects Sonus Mortis is a very well conceived, produced and performed album full of extremity that is paired with massive symphonic elements. The ominous chanting on the title track works well with the black metal ferocity and growled vocal, but it's the orchestral swells that make this albums stand out from the numerous 'bedroom' metal bands out there (most of whom seem to dwell in the more extreme forms of metal). The production is a little D.I.Y but it makes for an album that is still a little raw even though the music is as dense as it can be layers of riffs are met with precision drumming (which may be a machine) as the orchestral sections raise the songs onto a higher level of appreciation for example The Descending Dealate reminds me a lot of Dimmu at their most grand. Hold This Mortal Coil is an impressive album, more so when you know it's the work of one man. If symphonic extreme metal lights your fire then I would be seeking this out on January 30th. 7/10
Finnish band Hanging Garden are influenced heavily by art and other styles of music which is probably why they have taken a line from a Dylan Thomas poem for as the title of their sixth studio album. They have been playing since 2004, though since 2010 there are no founding members remaining in the band yet they are still playing, recording and touring. If you're of a sunny disposition then you may want to avoid this record as it's full of bleak doom laden music, it's downtuned, bleakly melodic and thoroughly miserable. This is music that has been perfected by Katatonia, Swallow The Sun and our own Paradise Lost, but Hanging Garden as the songs are built around a melancholic backing and gruff vocals that move between haunting and soulful to roared and vicious.
Fear, Longing, Hope And The Night is an ominous song that shows what I've previously mentioned as the title track builds from a clean opening into the more frenetic last part, before a wistful piano piece closes the song out, as the piano once again comes in for the opening to Rain the synths swirl and it opens out into one of the albums best tracks, bringing in Riikka Hatakka for some beautiful female vocals to this mournful but melodic number. Into That Good Night is a record made for cold winter nights, I can't promise it'll warm you up, but it may enthrall you. 8/10
Prong: Age Of Defiance (Steamhammer/SPV)
Prong return with an EP to whet the appetite for a full length next year. What you get here is two new album tracks and three songs recorded live at the Berlin club Huxleys Neue Welt in April 2015, Rude Awakening from the album of the same name with Another Worldly Device and Cut Rate coming from their breakthrough release The Cleansing. These three final tracks are a look at Prong's past with the thrash/crossover sound really giving grooves to these numbers which are typical 90's thrash fair, albeit well recorded so they do sound a little like the recorded versions. So then we have to look at the other two tracks on the album to see the Prong of 2019. End Of Sanity is more traditional Prong, a groove heavy thrash number with their hardcore influence looking large, however the title track is a little different to what you'd expect from the band as it's a bit more a modern track that's got some metalcore sounds to it due to the thick breakdown riffs and soaring chorus. This is an EP that goes full circle through Prong's history in just 5 tracks so it'll be interesting to see which direction of any they focus on for the album. 6/10
Secret Chapter: Chapter One (Crime Records)
Secret Chapter were formed in Norway in 2017, Chapter One is their debut full length that has was written throughout 2018 under the co-producing eye of Andy LaRocque who makes this melodic metal album explode from your speakers. Kicking off with Baptized With Ecstasy this album rings out with an album that owes as much to Judas Priest, Accept and Queensryche as they do Deep Purple, it's melodic metal with high pitched vocals, brilliant guitar playing and keyboards that underpin everything, One Night Ain't Enough is a big rocker which reminds me a lot of Hammerfall especially in the vocals, as Heavy Metal Love Affair is a massive 80's styled ballad with songs such as The Great Escape bring more bouncy metal anthems as Introspection rampages along with Enemy Inside brings in the big organ pulses. Secret Chapter are a very talented band and they've manged to release a debut album that is musically strong but won't change the world. Still if you want a melodic metal album that is good for repeat plays then check out Chapter One. 7/10
Sonus Mortis: Hold This Mortal Coil (Self Released)
Sonus Mortis is the idea of multi-instrumentalist Kevin Byrne who is the only musician on this record that I can see. He has written a record of doomy death metal that owes a dept to Greek masters such as Rotting Christ and Septicflesh, although Sonus Mortis hail from the Emerald isle. Now this record isn't released until the end of January but it will be worth the wait as unlike many one man projects Sonus Mortis is a very well conceived, produced and performed album full of extremity that is paired with massive symphonic elements. The ominous chanting on the title track works well with the black metal ferocity and growled vocal, but it's the orchestral swells that make this albums stand out from the numerous 'bedroom' metal bands out there (most of whom seem to dwell in the more extreme forms of metal). The production is a little D.I.Y but it makes for an album that is still a little raw even though the music is as dense as it can be layers of riffs are met with precision drumming (which may be a machine) as the orchestral sections raise the songs onto a higher level of appreciation for example The Descending Dealate reminds me a lot of Dimmu at their most grand. Hold This Mortal Coil is an impressive album, more so when you know it's the work of one man. If symphonic extreme metal lights your fire then I would be seeking this out on January 30th. 7/10
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