Musipedia Of Metal

Truckfighters: Universe (Fuzzorama)

Sweden does seem to be the home of classic rock and metal now and Örebro natives Truckfighters have been peddling their brand of stoner riff rock since 2001. The band have three albums, numerous E.P's and a film to their name, Universe is their fourth album and from the mono lead in of Mind Control with its fuzzed up riffs, hammering drums and fat low end the band immediately show no signs of changing their trademark sound. The second song shows Ozo's throbbing, rumbling bass in full bowel moving The Chaiman, before the super punk of Convention which melds into the trippy Get Lifted which has a great sprawling fuzzed up delivery bringing to mind Queens Of The Stone Age. The album, The band also have elements of Fu Manchu, Kyuss and also Swedish bands like Spiritual Beggars and Mustasch who they sound a lot of like especially on Dream Sale. As I said Ozo is a great bass player and singer meaning that the album is very bass heavy, Enzo smashes the drums, Dango is a great guitarist with some big guitar lines and understated playing especially on the progressive, 13 minute final track Mastodont which sounds a lot like the band it ribs. Truckfighters are a band that do what they do very well and in the live arena they are probably explosive but as I find a lot with stoner rock, it lacks a little on record, still a great album of riff heavy rock from the Swedes. 7/10

The Birds Of Satan: S/T (Shannabelle Records)

The Birds Of Satan are a progressive rock band formed by The Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. No stranger to solo projects Hawkins already has one under his belt with The Coattail Riders record merging the man's love of classic rock and Queen together to create a funky, rocky album. The Birds Of Satan morphed out of a covers band Hawkins was in called Chevy Metal. Yes the album shares similarities with the previous band (due in part to Hawkins' involvement) but has much more of progressive feel to it; as witnessed by the nine minute opening salvo of The Ballad Of The Birds Of Satan which is a long and winding song that brings in all the sounds of Hawkins' youth, it kicks off with percussive drums and staccato riff that wouldn't be out of place on the last Foo's album, before moving into a Sabbath style doom middle that bursts into a David Bowie sounding final third. The rest of the tracks are all confident rockers with proggy flourishes meaning that the thirty odd minutes of this album fly by. Hawkins as usual handles drums and vocals his drums are jazzy, rocky, funky and many other things ending with 'y' and his vocals are as usual smoky as a Scottish Salmon factory. He is aided and abetted by his Chevy Metal cohorts Wiley Hodgen on bass and Mick Murphy on guitar, both of whom are excellent foils for Hawkins' drumming, the album also features guest appearances by Pat Smear, Rami Jaffee and Dave Grohl (naturally). The rest of the songs are the 'tick tock' Bowie-like rhythm of Thanks For The Line and the crazy Queen like Pieces Of The Puzzle which moves from cod-reggae to driving rock anthem in just over 4 minutes, standing out as two of the best. This is a great album that brims with immediacy, you can hear the 'live in the studio' feel of the record in the songs and the production. This is music made without much preparation but a whole lot of heart! 8/10

Monument: Renegades (MGR Music)

Monument arose from the ashes of the second White Wizzard split. Singer Pete Ellis left the troubled band to forge his own path with Monument and amongst all of the NWOTHM it is Monument that are British meaning that they are one of the few bands that can lay stake to NWOBHM crown. From the opening title track this is all so lovingly familiar, the galloping basslines of Chris Dale, the machine gun drums of Matt C, the dual guitar attack of Lewis Stephens and Dan Baune who switch from razor sharp leads to blistering solos in an instant. All of this leather clad retroism is topped by the air siren vocals of Ellis who evokes the greats of Dickinson and Halford. After you are thoroughly brought in to their retro metal world by the proto-thrash of the title track, Fatal Attack does it all again albeit this time with a song that sounds like it could easily be on Powerslave and it is followed by the fist pumping Manowar-like Crusaders which just cries out to be sung back by the warrior hordes. So so far we've been firmly stuck in the 80's with the spiked armbands and leather waistcoats it's on Runaway that things get a bit more modern with a track that wouldn't seem out of place on Dance Of Death. So yes with bands like Enforcer, Cauldron and Holy Grail all flying the flag for Traditional metal, Monument bring a distinctly British vibe to things, and about time too!! Things go a bit naughty on Midnight Queen before the obligatory mid album instrumental Red Dragon is up there with Transylvania from the Maiden catalogue, things finish with the 6 minute plus Omega. Yes with Monument have shown through their tenacity and more importantly their stability that they can bring back the sound that spawned a genre. All hail the NNWOBHM!! (Sorry Mr Barton). 8/10

Bonded by Blood – Fuel Cardiff

A six band thrash fest for ten quid? Absofuckinglutely sir! And so it was that the legends that are Mr Rhod Davies, Mr Benjamin Beer and of course Kreator’s bastard love child Nurse Nick and yours truly rendezvoused at our usual pre-gig haunt of The Gatekeeper for a pint of foaming ale, handily placed right next door to Fuel Rock Club where the gig had been moved to. Credit to Fearless Management who are really going balls out to support metal in South Wales and who really deserve more metal heads to get along to gigs like this. In a week when established venues like The Fleece in Bristol are under threat, it really is difficult for promoters and they deserve massive kudos for putting on such a stunning event.

Madicide

Unfortunately we missed openers Dread Bolt and arrived in time to catch Madicide, a four piece from Glynneath doing their stuff to a sparse but enthusiastic crowd (which appeared to be the theme for the evening). Madicide are heavily influenced by the usual thrash titans that you would expect for bands on this bill. They battled gamely against a pretty ropey sound system but unfortunately their stuff is instantly forgettable. They weren't helped by some rather disjointed changeovers and endings which suggested that a bit more rehearsal might be helpful. I don't like knocking bands, especially fellow countrymen and there is certainly some potential trapped within the band but on the night they did very little for me. Being named after a brand of disinfectant might not be the best idea either. 5/10

Inferno Ortum

Next up, after a pint of decent but overpriced Trooper was Inferno Ortum, melodic technical death outfit from the Bay area. That’s Cardiff Bay, well, actually Penarth but you can see where I was going with that one can’t you? Their name means Hell, It Will Rise and by the end of the night it probably did. Luckily the sound had picked up quite nicely and the local lads gave a decent 25 minutes which included the intricate instrumental Euhemerism. These lads are all young and provided some decent tunes with plenty of groove and a Lamb Of God type feel about them. Good stuff and worth a second watch. They gig locally quite a lot according to their Facebook page so if you are around give them a watch. 6/10

Seprevation

The evening took a massive turn for the better when Bristol death thrashers Seprevation climbed onto the stage and powered out half an hour of blistering burning groove laden thrash. Led by the incredibly tall Lluc Tupman on bass and vocals, Seprevation, managed by Bloodshot Dawn’s Josh McMorran, delivered a set that belied their obviously youthful years. Tracks from their freshly released album Consumed were absorbed with relish by the assembled throng. Superb shredding from Ian Aston and Joss Farrington and powerhouse drumming from Jamie Wintle combined to provide a sound that crossed Death with Kreator, Bloodshot Dawn themselves and a healthy nod of respect to the big four and other legendary thrash outfits such as Vio-lence and Exodus. All damn fine stuff and I can confirm that Consumed is a storming slab of metal. 8/10

Flayed Disciple

The West Country influence continued with the arrival of Taunton Death metallers Flayed Disciple. I saw these guys at BOA in 2012 in the Sophie Tent where they blew me away with their power and disciplined delivery. Their self-titled EP was in the stereo for a long time after that. Led by Tim ‘Death Chuggin’ Whyte on demonic death growl, FD tore through a selection of tracks from their 2012 release Death Hammer and their other EPs (who doesn't love an EP entitled Ejaculate While Killing) including the brutal The Westboro Massacre. Welshman Paul Williams and drummer Rich Lewis provide a sledgehammer of a rhythm section, and the combined thrash onslaught of Thurston Howe and Jon Whitfield’s guitars combined to make all the heads in the room bang along. Flayed Disciple are vicious but like the best death metal outfits also possess a bit of melody and groove which really enhances their sound. Whyte is the focal point of the band, and his delivery fits the band perfectly. They went down a storm too with the crowd wind milling and demonstrating their appreciation with a massive ovation at the end of the set. Certain members of our party were so impressed that they were calling for an encore. Excellent. 9/10

Bonded By Blood

So the main event of the evening arrived, Bonded By Blood, all the way from California. Unfortunately, a very limited number of the South Wales metal community had demonstrated the same commitment although the pit was enhanced by various members of the evening’s supporting acts kicking seven shades of shit out of each other! The evening was running late and it was a slightly curtailed set. After Josh had patiently organised the sound, it was down to business. Think Death Angel, think Exodus, and you'll get what Bonded by Blood sound like. Frontman Mauro Gonzales, complete with red jeans and a Bloodshot Dawn shirt screams and growls with real venom, while guitarist Juan Juarez lays down riff after riff. This is old school thrash delivered by part of the new school and bloody good it is too. Airing a range of tracks from their three albums including Shepherds Of Rot, Mind Pollution, Prison Planet and The Aftermath, BBB didn’t fuck around and thrashed their way through an hour or so which was well received. Gonzales encouraged the crowd all evening and there were big smiles from the other band members who put on a quality show despite the low numbers and rounded off an excellent evening. 8/10

Devin Townsend: Casualties Of Cool (Self Released)

Is Devin Townsend the finest musician (metal or otherwise) of the 20th Century? Debatable but what is true is that he certainly is a musical chameleon with the ability to lend his talent to a variety of styles, see his contrasting careers in SYL and The Devin Townsend Band and his fully integrated psyche in the Devin Townsend Project which was rock, metal, acoustic, trance, electronica all rolled into one. Casualties Of Cool is another feather in his cap, as this is a concept album of bluesy, country and even ambient styled songs and they feature the vocal talents of relatively unknown Ché Aimee Dorval. The album is a essentially an expanded version of Townsend's Ghost II bonus disc with lots of the same themes running through the record. A crowd funded affair Casualties Of Cool is somewhat of a stop gap between Townsend's Epicloud and his next full project Z2 the follow up to his famous ode to coffee Ziltoid: The Omniscient and as such many were not expecting much, however as usual Devin has the Midas touch and Casualties Of Cool is yet another jewel in his expansive crown. Things kick off with Daddy which has a dreamy, ambient style to begin the album and its on this first song we hear Dorval's rootsy countrified voice. She has a strong vocal delivery with authentic soul in every lyric she utters, see Flight as an example. With tracks such as Mountaintop which has a propulsive but dark and brooding atmosphere and Devin's expansive vocal range this time opting for his half whispered delivery. The majority of the album features acoustics over electrics meaning that the album has a very analogue sound at its core but one that is brought into the present by the electronic treatment of the tracks. Yes this fan funded album has all the elements of Ghost and Ki and it is the complete opposite to Epicloud's euphoric, guitar driven rock style. This is more laid back, woozy, dreamy music to escape the modern age with, music to stir the soul and relax the mind. Mr Townsend you have done it once again!! 9/10

Timo Tolkki's Avalon: Angels Of The Apocalypse (Frontiers Records)

The former Stratovarius guitarist returns with the second part in his trio of concept albums. This time things get darker as the titular apocalypse descends on our story. This means that the main character of the last story Amaranthe's Elize Ryd is only on the final two tracks. This means that a new cast of singers have been brought in for this album the most notable of these being Floor Jansen (Nightwish/Revamp) and Fabio Lione (Rhapsody Of Fire), himself no stranger to a concept album. Lione and Jansen provide the vocals for majority of the songs but both David DeFeis of Virgin Steele on the heavyweight The Rise Of The Fourth Reich and Zach Stevens of Circle II Circle/Savatage who lends his pipes to the Maiden-like Neon Sirens. From the vocal only Song Of Eden which shows off Lione's vocals excellently and leads into the massively orchestral and heavy Jerusalem Is Falling which again shows the almost operatic nature of Lione's vocals and also shows how good Tolkki's guitar playing is with an absolutely killer, classically influenced solo to finish the song off. His assembled band is also amazing with two former members of Stratovarius taking up the drums and keys and Tolkki's handling everything else instrument wise. This album is far heavier than the previous effort with lots of searing riffs, fret melting solos and massive keys see Paradise Lost which has a pulsating electronic part to it. The vocalists hold their own with Floor Jansen taking the most of the kudos in the talent stakes especially on the spine tingling You'll Bleed Forever which also has a mountain top guitar solo that Slash would be proud of. The final two tracks are possibly the best with Simone Simons, Elize Ryd, Floor Jansen and Caterina Nix all showing off their pipes on High Above Me and the nine odd minute title track. This is a great album and Tolkki is finally showing why he was the main creative force behind Stratovarius for all those years, after a shaky start with the lacklustre Revolution Renaissance and the under rated and beleaguered Symfonia, it seems Tolkki has rediscovered his mojo with Avalon and on this album particularly it is prime Strato territory. 8/10

Brother Firetribe: Diamond In The Firepit (Spinefarm)

Indulge me for a moment...Imagine if Journey gave up after the Next album, so no Steve Perry, no Evolution, no Escape, no Don't Stop Believing and more importantly no world domination as the worlds best AOR band. What if instead that this all happened in Finland? Well that band would be Brother Firetribe, three albums in and they have avoided the weird jazz-rock stage that Journey went through and came out swinging with some muscular AOR from their debut album, this theme continued through their sophomore effort and yet again Diamond In The Firepit is an album that harks back to those glory days of, big hair, big keyboards and big ballads. Brother Firetribe is the brainchild of Nightwish guitarist Emppu Vuorinen who swaps his symphonic metallic playing for clean guitar lines, melodic leads he is aided by the huge keys of Tomppa Nikulainen meaning that the band have that Schon/Cain feel throughout with the guitars and keys equally important to the bands sound see Far Away From Love which has both a guitar and a keyboard break. The drums and bass are also key to the sound but it's the vocals of Pekka Ansio Heino that also give the Journey references legs, he is pure Perry with a soulful croon and soaring highs. This album is pure cheese yes but it is played with pure heart and belief meaning that you can't help but be drawn in. The album has some speedy melodic rockers and obviously the obligatory busy which comes in the shape of Desperately (Faithfully?), they also have a cover in the shape of Winner Takes It All, which is not ABBA but a Sammy Hagar song from the Sly Stallone-does-arm wrestling movie Over The Top. The album like I said it is aimed at a niche audience but this is an album for fans of Foreigner, Reo Speedwagon and yes Journey. Brother Firetribe are band out of time but they play what they want any way they want it (I am sorry) 7/10

Sabaton: Heroes (Nuclear Blast) [Nick Hewitt]

For many years I have been an avid fan of the gents from Falun, Sweden. So needless to say the release of their 7th studio album was very much on my radar. Sabaton are unquestionably a band that appeal to a wide range of fans across many genres. For me this is due to two simple reasons; firstly they sing about fact with no deviation to the otherwise and the second… they're just plain fun! From the outset of Night Witches Sabaton inject the album with power and pace that comes so naturally to them. Filling our speakers with bouncing bass, drums and those ever so slightly repetitive lyrics we come to expect, this song is a brief but solid opener. No Bullets Fly and Smoking Snakes are up next and represent a little more of what Sabaton used to be about in the Primo Victoria days, only with a little less “oomph” if you will? Both tracks are carried with constant fast paced rhythmic backings with the ever-flawless vocals of the mighty Joakim Broden that is always a highlight of any Sabaton album. He is able to emit such a powerful and pure voice that rolls into your ears like treacle off a spoon…Inmate 4859 steps down the pace as it tells us the story of an inmate cast into darkness inside Auschwitz concentration camp. Plodding along at a slow pace the power is still ever present but it’s the lyrics and the story that really save this track from a potential black hole. Next is To Hell and Back and I can see why Sabaton chose this as their first single. This is the strongest track on the album that throws the tried and tested Sabaton formula at you with its usual success; it’s hard to stay still as you let this one into your head. The Ballad of Bull is a bit of a curve ball from Joakim and his men. Slowing down the album to a shuddering halt Sabaton present us with their first ever true ballad. Despite its heartfelt and almost thought provoking message this really isn't Sabaton. Individually this is a great song, but wrap it up in the Sabaton package and it just doesn't feel right, more so it really kills the album in its tracks. Joakim proves here that he can do more with his voice than we are accustom too, but for me they took a risk including this song and it didn’t pay off. For the remainder of the album Resist and Bite till Hearts of Iron Heroes picks up in pace again and offers us more fast paced and free flowing music delivered with care, all easing into each other nicely. Here however lies my problem with this album. Sabaton for me stand out above many bands as they hold up their middle finger to many more. The outright passion, fun and excitement they deliver these somewhat cheesy and at times repetitive songs in the past are what make us love them. Yet Heroes seems to lack all of this. To Hell and Back aside there is no stand out anthem where there used to be four or five. Excluding the ballad the album flows easily, but too easily; yes they are well produced and well delivered but there is nothing unique about these songs, which again, for me is Sabaton 101. It all seems to be a little lazy. Despite these glaring problems the album still has one saving grace… the voice of Joakim Broden. Lets face it, after all there three things in life that are certain; Death, Taxes and a beaming smile forming across your face the second you hear the voice of Joakim Broden. So, do I still love Sabaton? Yes. And will I catch them as many times as possible on their Heroes tour? Hell yes! I'll just be sticking to their first six albums for a while longer. 6/10

Gazpacho: Demon (Kscope)

Norwegian art-rockers Gazpacho are now on their eighth album and they say that Demon is the ‘most complicated and strange album [they have] ever made’. Recorded over the course of two years the album focuses on a manuscript found in an apartment in Prague, written by the mysterious previous owner, the manuscript tells of a Demon that plagued the tenant causing bad things to happen to him, the manuscript was written from several historical points of view, almost as if this man had been chasing the demon throughout history. As with any story like this it seemed too good to be ignored so the band set about deciphering the manuscript and telling the story. The album is split into 4 parts with only one track less than 8 minutes (not including the bonus track The Cage). The things start off slowly and quietly with the deliberate chords on the piano of I've Been Walking (Part 1), before an orchestral swell of Mikael Krømer's violin works the song into its guitar driven beginning before it descends again into melancholic acoustic before the final third of the track rocks things up again imbued by Thomas Andersen's mellotron and Krømer's violin ends the song with the sadness only a violin can. The Wizard Of Altai Mountains is another slow burning Muse-like song that morphs into a folk knees up at the end with lots of accordion. This album shifts through the emotional spectrum, it is dark, eerie and downright emotional, this album is the sound of a man haunted by Demons and the songs reflect that. Jan-Henrik Ohme's voice is soulful and carries a lot of weight in his restrained delivery, but as a whole the band work in superb unison, Jon-Arne Vilbo's guitar playing is staggering, mixing acoustics and electrics seamlessly, the star though are Andersens keys, they drive every song and are a key part of the atmosphere of this album. With bands like Marillion, Porcupine Tree, Anathema and even Katatonia doing this kind of neo-progressive music it's a genre where amazing musicianship is a given and Gazpacho have been doing it for a long time and they have constructed a complex, musically varied album on their eighth release. 8/10

Blatant Disarray: The Harbinger (Dirt Records)

Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina Blatant Disarray play thrash metal with some speed metal licks that Jeff Waters would be pleased with. Fast, aggressive and full of finger shredding riffs and head banging groove. The band have the hallmarks of the early thrash legends like Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer with some angry vocal delivery from Mike Schaefer and Ryan Johnson whose voices work well together on the choruses, with Mike being the lead vocals and having more than a hint of early Arya or Megadave. These two also provide the riffage and they are firing on all cylinders with solo's galore on everyone of these 10 tracks and they ably backed by the rampaging drums of Trey McLamb. So on to the songs and well everything does sound a bit familiar (although this is the nature of Thrash) If Only could be on South Of Heaven, There Will Be Pain on Rust In Peace and Quench which is Metallica and Trivium in equal parts. Is this album good? Yes. Does it break any new ground? No. None at all, but if you want to disengage your brain and thrash till death, then The Harbinger will give you your fill. 6/10

Eagles – LG Arena, Birmingham

There are some gigs that you always feel incredibly privileged to have been present at. Thin Lizzy’s last tour in 1983, Metallica on the Puppets tour, Dio on the Holy Diver tour, any Rush gig, Opeth at the Albert Hall and last year seeing ZZ Top and Fleetwood Mac. Well, pretty close to the top of that stellar list you can now add the Eagles. Upon arrival at the LG Arena we had our camera confiscated by the security and initially we were pretty miffed about it. I always like to get a couple of snaps as a memento, although I admit watching bands through the backlight of smart phones and cameras is often incredibly irritating. Moments before the start of the evening’s show information on the big screens and PA system requested that the audience turned off their phones, refrained from taking any kind of photography and ensured that no-one’s view was impeded before standing. It was that kind of audience. But it worked, and to be honest it was incredibly refreshing. For the entire show there was hardly any movement amongst the 10,000+ audience as we were entranced by one of the finest displays of musicianship that I have ever witnessed.
I've always been keenly aware of how influential the Eagles are to rock history, and of course they have an absolute stack of classic songs which are familiar to everyone. This show, The History of the Eagles (and the DVD released in 2012) is part of a two year rolling tour that catalogues the history of the band and provides a small insight into how the band formed and developed their music. The evening opened in an intimate setting, with two of the founder members, Don Henley and Glenn Frey seated at the front of the stage to perform a beautiful version of Saturday Night from Desperado which produced tears of joy from several members of the audience, Mrs H included. Henley then explained about the very early formation of the band and that he and Frey were part of Linda Ronstadt’s touring band. The stories were delivered with much tongue in cheek humour. They were then joined by one of other original members, Bernie Leadon who led the trio on Train Leaves Here This Morning from their self-titled debut album. Frey makes reference to the other original member Randy Meisner, and linked this to another of Meisner’s bands Poco, which in turn allowed bassist Timothy B Schmidt (who was also in Poco) from 1978 to join the stage as they deliver Peaceful Easy Feeling. After Henley moves to use his guitar as a drum for Witchy Woman, the band were joined by the legendary Joe Walsh and they moved to a full band setting as the curtain was lifted to reveal the full rig and screens. Throughout the first half of the show Frey and Henley appeared on the screen between songs with some amusing and interesting insights into the evolution of the band. A selection of songs from Desperado followed, with some exquisite harmonies as all members of the band and the additional musicians joined in. A stunning Tequila Sunrise was my personal highlight of this part of the show. A double from 1974’s On The Border, Already Gone and a quite breath-taking Best Of My Love set up a trio from 1975’s One Of These Nights. Some deliciously delicate musicianship and quite enchanting harmonies featured here, with Lyin’ Eyes, One Of These Nights and Take It To The Limit delivered with simplicity and pure quality. A perfect end to the first half.

After a short break the second part commenced with Pretty Maids In A Row from Hotel California; although Leadon was now absent. The band focused on their more well-known material but continued to deliver humorous anecdotes and commentary about the songs and their relationship. Given that there was such an acrimonious breakdown, a 14 year gap from 1980 to 1994 where they were not together, and the huge amount of substances that this band consumed, it was, as Henley mentioned at one point, a miracle that we were watching them at all. As the second part developed, classic followed classic and this was supplemented by an impressive lighting show with big screen backdrop. However, what struck home most was just what brilliant musicians the Eagles actually are. In Walsh they possess one of the greatest guitarists to ever grace a stage. Criminally underrated in a similar way to Lindsay Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac. Henley is no slouch on the drums or the guitar, whilst Frey and Schmidt are also phenomenal players. What also sets this band apart is the rare and incredible talent that they hold in the vocal department with all of the band taking turns to deliver the lead and combining with the others to deliver those delicious harmonies I referred to earlier. Highlights from the second section included New Kid In Town, Love Will Keep Us Alive from 1994’s Hell Freezes Over with Schmidt on lead vocals, and two of Joe Walsh’s solo songs, In The City and the excellent Life’s Been Good To Me. Walsh obviously took the lead on both of these with some intricate and subtle lead guitar. Closing the main part of the set, The Long Run, a cover of the James Gang’s Funk#49 and my all-time favourite Eagles track, Life In The Fast Lane, which was quite simply awesome.

The fun didn't stop there, as Frey, Henley and Schmidt introduced the band and the additional musicians. These included the three keyboardists, Michael Thompson, Will Hollis and Richard Davies, Percussionist and drummer Scott Crago and the incredibly talented Steuart Smith, who shared lead duties on several of the tracks with Walsh. Inevitably it was soon time for Hotel California, and Leadon re-joined the band for this, which unsurprisingly had the audience singing along. An undeniably brilliant song, with one of the all-time classic guitar solos (delivered to perfection by Walsh and Smith), it produced a deserved standing ovation as the band left the stage. A final encore produced three more treats, with Take It Easy, the band’s first ever single, written by Jackson Browne and Frey, followed by a stupendous Rocky Mountain Way (another Walsh solo epic) and the beautiful and poignant Desperado closing one of the most incredible night’s music I have ever witnessed. Absolutely superb stuff and an evening that ranks amongst my top five gigs of all time. If I could give 11 I would. 10/10

Absolva & Babylon Fire, Ebbw Vale Institute

Into the valleys and to the lovely Ebbw Vale Institute for a night of British metal. Seriously this venue is excellent, decked out like a church, meaning great acoustics and filled to the brim with a plethora of alcohol (shame I was driving). We were ready for the support band, we waited.....and waited....and waited. They never showed so after and hour of mingling with the limited crowd (a real shame) it was time for Babylon Fire to kick things off:

Babylon Fire

Decked out like the Sons Of Anarchy came from Manchester Babylon Fire proceeded to blow our heads off with some muscular, modern metal with the occasional hint to the past. The bands sound and live performance reminded me of Panic Cell especially the vocals and overall "I'm going to kill you!" demeanour of vocalist Mark D who roared and crooned as much as Luke ever did. This is modern American metal with a British twist, with a set drawn from their latest album it was full of fist pumping, head banging metal with songs like The Clarion Call, Darkness Draws Me In, Blood In Blood Out, the early era thrashing of Freight Train and Rise Through Babylon. despite the small crowd Mark did his best to incite excitement and a few hardcore were banging their heads with glee at the front while Rishi Mehta riffed like Wylde, Ryk Swillo rumbled his bass and Mark Cooper destroyed his drum kit. A band clearly in the wrong country Babylon Fire would be more at home tearing up the boards of America supporting FFDP. Still their chest beating macho metal went down a storm with myself and Mr Hewitt. The boys killed it laying down the gauntlet to Absolva. 8/10

Absolva

Trying to follow that was going to be a big ask but I knew that Absolva were up to the task having seen them at Bloodstock last year and right out of the blocks the band exploded with their Priest-like metal full off killer riffage from Chris Appleton. The band roared through a set made up of old an new with From Beyond The Light, Code Red, Hundred Years and the amazing Flames Of Justice along with a few tracks from the new album Anthems To The Dead. Now again despite the small crowd (there really should be a bigger crowd for a band on a Friday night) Absolva put up a good fight with some seriously great songs and a stage performance similar to the heads down knock their block off delivery of Megadeth. Martin McNee's drums are fierce, Dan Bates bass gallops and rumbles as necessary and Appleton's guitars rip you a new one with his fret melting solo's being a guitar fans dream. Still they didn't play a perfect set, well they would have if they had stopped a song short of the encore. After finishing their set of original material they proceeded to go into a cover of Powerslave now a Maiden cover immediately drops you a point in my marking criteria (there is such a thing) no matter how good, it shouldn't be done, I will admit theirs was good but still rules are rules. I could have accepted this but to then move into Heaven And Hell (possibly the most covered metal song?) to end your set bordered on silliness. For a band with two(!) albums to play two covers to end there set doesn't make any sense to me. I mean I can see if they played a Fury UK song (Appleton and McNee's previous incarnation) but Maiden and Sabbath have been done to death. I'm sorry but guys stick to your own material, you have enough of it and it is all very good you don't need the covers. 7/10

California Breed: S/T (Frontiers)

So what happens when a supergroup implodes? Well they usually go back to their day jobs and the more talented members do better. This seemed to be a problem with Black Country Communion as Joe Bonamassa had a mega successful solo career before the band and indeed still has after and Glenn Hughes is one of the few in rock who can be known as 'The Voice'. So after these two had the age old 'creative differences' off they went with Joey Bones taking Derek Sherinian fleet fingers into his band and Hughes taking is old mucka Bozo's son Jason with him. So what to do? Well they formed another band, this time a power trio, Hughes taking up position with four strings and his velvet tones, Bonham with his four sticks and thunder from the gods and new boy Andrew Watt wielding a six stringer with all the gusto of SRV and Jimi. Watt is sickeningly young and talented and slots right in to the band with the veterans. Make no bones about it this is not a Hughes vanity project, most if not all the tracks were written by the three men in the band. Hughes describes it as 'proper rock' and that it is big, ballsy, riff filled rock that ruled the airwaves in the late 60's and 70's, think Zep, Purple, The Who and The Stones and you'd be on the right track. The album kicks off with four super charged tracks that start things off in good form with rocker The Way, the funk filled Sweet Tea, the trippy Zep-like Chemical Rain and the booty shaking blues of Midnight Oil which has some soul backing vocals from Kirsten Rogers and its on this track where Watt goes for it on the solo front ending the song with a Hendrix style freak out. This leads into the melodic balladry of All Falls Down on which Hughes croons like the master he is. This is killer album and at 13 tracks you get more than your money's worth, this is the amalgamation of Hughes' and Bonham's legacies with a nice nod to the present on it in the presence of Watt who brings a hell of a guitar and indeed a voice to proceedings see Spit You Out on which he sings. So a real rock record indeed and one that could dispel any memories of the Hughes-Bonamassa unpleasantness. 9/10

Absolva: Anthems To The Dead (Rocksector)

British metallers Absolva (formerly Fury UK) return with yet another album filled to the brim with classy British metal that messrs Halford and Dickinson would recognise and approve of. The drums of Martin McNee smash, crash and burst through the speakers driving the rampage along, he is helped by the rumbling bass and roaring backing vocals of Dan Bate and finally the trio is topped off by the virtuoso guitar playing and banshee-like vocals of Chris Appleton. Absolva's first album was metal tour-de-force full of riffs, solos and some great metal songwriting. Absolva have looked to expand on this album with their second and expand they have with Anthems To The Dead having more of the same but also bringing a more aggressive tone to things. Things start off with the thrash riffs of The Devil's Mouth before the rampaging gallop of Victimiser carries on the metal assault and the trifecta is finished with the Maiden-like first single of Never Back Down which features the guitar talents of Saxon's Doug Scarratt and Iced Earth's Luke Appleton, this has the biggest number of guests but it is one of the weaker tracks on the album unless you're a guitar solo fan!! The same cannot be said for the title track which is a rampaging song with a slower chorus. The album continues in strong style from there with nods to thrash, trad and even prog metal but all of it with a virtuosity and keen ear for songwriting as well as knowing nods to their influences. Yes Absolva have created yet another good album full of British metal and as the final one-two of Soul Remains and Silent Sacrifice (a Maiden epic if there ever was one) you have experienced 11 tracks of British metal that reaffirm that we still do it better than most! 8/10

Outloud: Let's Get Serious (AOR Heaven)

Firewind offshoot Outloud return with their third album and they do get better and better, yes it's cheesy, yes it's all been done before but I doubt this kind of AOR/melodic hard rock has ever been performed with as much technical proficiency as it has with Outloud. The band is the brainchild of Bob Katsionis the guitar/keyboard foil for Gus G in Firewind, who shows here why he is no slouch himself bringing some great hard rock riffs that Paul Gilbert, Nuno Bettencourt, Reb Beach and even Neal Schon would be proud of. The guitars rock and roll, the solo's soar (with help from Jim Scordilis) the keys are powerful, furious and melodic. The drums are fast & furious with former Nile man George Kollias showing his mettle on the blast beating opener Death Rock! which ploughs onward backed by some big keys from Katsionis just fleshing out the sound. Chandler Mogel's voice is on form as usual moving between the hard rockers and crooning ballads with ease. As for the songs we have I Was So Blind, the Mr Big style A While To Go, the bouncy One More Time, Bury The Knife has a murderous sub text (and screaming vocals from bassist Sverd) the heavy as hell Toy Soldiers (featuring Mike Orlando of Adrenaline Mob) as well as the acoustic ballad It Really Doesn't Matter all show this band's talent and their cover of OMD's Enola Gay adds a new flavour to their sound. Yes this is AOR but with bands like Brother Firetribe and Reckless Love bringing the genre back it is music not to be sniffed at, the musicianship is top notch and the songwriting is strong and despite the familiarities to Journey et al they have enough of their own ideas to stop them from becoming a pastiche. Well done Mr Katsionis yet another great Outloud album! 8/10

Vainaja – Kadotetut (Self Released) [Review By Paul]

The debut album from Finnish three piece death doom outfit Vainaja is about as heavy a release as you will find this year. Riddled with absolutely mammoth riffs, sludgy doom passages, blasting death metal which sears flesh from bone and a vocal delivery that must have been summoned up from the kitchens of Hades. This is epically brutal, but also combines haunting effects and atmospheric build up throughout.
The album is based on Finnish folklore’s tale of an evil cult which induced chaos among followers of old Finnish religions. Led by the preacher, cantor and the gravedigger, this cult was ended by the burning to death of the three men on the church altar. The album is based on the texts of sermons found in the preserved works of the preacher long after his death.
Album opener Lankeemus is an atmospheric piece, building the tension which explodes with doom laden riff heavy Vaaran Ristin Valtakunta. A plodding beast of a track, this begins at slow tempo before picking up speed to deliver a bit of death. Haunting screams and echoing calls end the track, clearly the souls of those under the curse of the cult. This segues nicely into another massively riff laden track, Kahleiden Kantaja. Slow powerful and immensely heavy, this would crush your rib cage if it sat on you. Think Gonga with a topping of blue whale. Yep, that heavy. And so it continues, with Valon Lapset building slowly before all hell breaks loose as thing speed up. This is fast, forceful and damn impressive. Blasting drumming, changes of pace and all the while the vocals continue to rip through with sinister surges. The tempo slows completely for Henkikaste which has an eerie narrative and echoing effects. The band line up is listed as The Gravedigger on drums and vocals, the Cantor on bass and vocals and obviously the lead voice and guitar delivery from the Preacher. These guys don’t work in your local supermarket, that’s for sure. Verin Lahde resumes with pulverising riffs and crushing rhythm, although there are some quite stunningly sinister breakdowns in the middle which continue to complement the album’s theme. The penultimate track Vimeinen Tuomio extends the albums ominous feel with Celtic Frost type percussion and gloomy bass overtures before the guttural growl of the Preacher propels the listener into the depths of hell. This is a lumbering leviathan of a track, colossal riffs dropping from on high with such weight that you literally sag as you listen to it. Album closer Kadotettu is an epic doom filled epitaph which quite fittingly brings this opus to a close. A stunning piece of work. 10/10

Doublestone: Wingmakers (Levitation Records)

Doublestone are a retro styled band from Denmark playing riff filled stoner rock with fuzzy guitars and hazy vocals. Yes this is music straight out of the vinyl era with some boogie riffs and lots of hazy guitar passages that break up the riff fest. For a distilled version of their sound look up opening track Save Our Souls which speeds along nicely before breaking down into a Hawkwind style guitar freak out at the end. The next track is The Bringer Of Light which has some sprawling hammond organs and a riff straight out of the doomy end of Sabbath's back catalogue and again it just ends in head nodding riffage. The drums of Mike James B, are heavyweight smashing with the occasional piece of percussive flair to balance out the aggression, the bass of Kristian Blond rumbles, rocks and moves your headspace with its rhythms. Finally the Bo Blond's guitars and vocals are the classic stoner rock style with a guitar that riffs mightily switching between fuzz pedaled riffs, trippy psychedelic guitar breaks all topped with his great vocals that give the band a sound similar to Priestess or indeed The Sword. With the title track the bass heavy Born Under A Hollow Moon, the short sharp doom riff of Fire Down Below and the almost Southern rock vibe of The Witch Is Burning. This is a great debut album from these Danes that shows that they are destined for bigger things, equally adept to being support for Uncle Acid, The Sword and even Hawkwind with their psychedelic, hazy, drug induced, occult rock. Roll it, light it, press play and enjoy Doublestone, they are the soundtrack to your next headtrip! 8/10

Garuda Force: Blue Sky (Defox Records)

Garuda Force are a Indonesian Neo Classical metal band and Blue Sky is their first EP. They combine the styles of Stratovarius, Yngwie Malmsteen and Symphony X. I have 2 of their songs from the EP and from what I have heard they are very good, the guitars of Jan an Iwan Stun are great with superb riffage and solos from Jay, the drums and bass to gallop along at a hell of pace with some backing keys running alongside with the guitars creating that classic neoclassical sound. Frontman Regi Weking's vocals are great considering English is not his first language although they are much better on the big balladic Bayang Malam which is full of Oriental sounds, as I said the vocals are good but lost a little in the mix but like I said still good. On the basis of these two tracks Garuda Force will give a good live showing and things look promising. 7/10

Pop Evil: Onyx (Eleven Seven Music)

Let's get it out of the way now, Pop Evil have a terrible name. However they are an amazing band and I do not use that word lightly. Imagine if you will an amalgamation of every post millennial American rock band together in one band, now before you say anything Pop Evil were formed in 2001 and released their first album in 2008. From the onset bass opening of Goodbye My Friend you are locked in for one of the rides of your life, now Goodbye My Friend is a good song but it is by far not the best on the album but from Deal With the Devil things really kick off with it's big Saliva style riff rock, a vain which continues into the rap-rock of Trenches which has a massive electronica thump that brings to mind Korn as well. They move into Creed territory on Torn To Pieces. The band are made up of lead guitars of Nick Fuelling, the rhythm guitars of Dave Grahs, the bass of Matt DiRito and the drums of Josh Marunde and the adaptive vocals of Leigh Kakaty all of which work together seamlessly. Back to the album tracks and Divide and Beautiful both have a Papa Roach style delivery with the rapping quick-fire delivery on Divide. Silence & Scars has the same lovelorn style of Shinedown and ends the ballad portion of the album. The electronics come back on Sick Sense which is industrial at its core before the heavy as hell final part with the bass heavy Fly Away before the melodic Alter Bridge like Behind Closed Doors on which Leigh gives a hell of a vocal performance and has a killer breakdown/solo in the middle. The final two tracks (of the normal edition) are in fact the heaviest with some amazing riffage on the Disturbed sounding Welcome To Reality which has that same kind of chugging riffage as Damian and co before Flawed closes the album out in style with the albums heaviest track. Now we Brits get three extra tracks all of which are great Last Man Standing has to be a future WWE theme and the Nickelback baiting Boss' Daughter featuring Mick Mars ends the album proper. Through 15(!) tracks this album essentially takes you on the greatest hits of so called nu-metal and it is an album that left me reaching for the repeat button right after the last note rang out. Great vocals, excellent riffs and solos, amazing songs and crisp production, an absolute killer, these guys will explode in the next 12 months mark my words!! 10/10

Elvenking: The Pagan Manifesto (AFM)

So Italian's Elvenking are now on their eighth album and yet they still remain on my periphery. I think it's time to redress the balance. As I said The Pagan Manifesto is their eighth album and it is filled with the same kind of folk/power metal that their previous seven instalments did so well. Yes this is the kind of metal Blind Guardian peddle albeit with more folk elements meaning they also have a lot in common with Korpiklaani, Turisas and bands of their ilk. With twin guitars from Aydan and Rafahel, bass from Jakob, drums from Symohn and a violin from Lethien all being the the major instruments in the band Elvenking are more authentic than most and with Damna's clean vocals they will appeal to the power metallers too with solos galore especially on the progressive twelve minute plus King Of Elves which starts(!) the album strongly with the big backing choirs, lots of solos as I said and all of the hallmarks of Elvenking's sound, as well as guest spot from Ms Amanda Somerville. If any track fully shows their sound it is this one, still there is another 10 to go and they all and on these tracks the sounds are fleshed out by bagpipes, low whistles and keyboards from Maurizio and Antonio Agate respectively. Elvenking have never relied on one genre drawing influence from many, but all have the same pagan lyrical content with songs about legions, the woods and mythical spells of all the other folk metal bands. Yes Elvenking's eight album continues their run of strong albums with the modern pop-metal of The Solitaire (replete with scream vocals), the flouncy folk of Towards The Shores and the swinging metallic chug of Twilight Of Magic. Yes they have been around for a while and they have been doing this for a while but they do it very well and if it ain't broke don't fix it! 7/10

Bloody Hammers: Under Satan's Sun (Napalm Records)

Bloody Hammers are an American two piece that peddle a peculiar kind of Gothic, Doom-laden, Schlock-rock, imagine if you will Alice Cooper fronting Type O Negative and singing Misfit's B-movie style lyrics. Under Satan's Sun is their fourth album and from the creeping The Town That Dreaded Sundown the album takes you on a doom filled ride through the Viking-like frontman Anders Manga's spook-filled mind. On the album Manga provides the bass (his main instrument), guitar, drums and his voice which moves between Pete Steele and Kyle Thomas, the Steele is especially noticeable especially on Death Does Us Part. Manga also wrote all the songs, except one and produced the album, quite masterfully as well. He is aided by his wife Devallia on organs and keyboards, she adds the organ-grinder atmosphere to the songs with lashings of Hammond and even some Wurlitzer on the creepier tracks like Welcome To The Horror Show. For the most part this is straight up doom metal with down tuned riffs, lots of organ and tormented lyrics about death and the occult, but Bloody Hammers do it very well with the same kind of schlock and awe style of Manga's hero Alice Cooper who they dutifully pay homage to on Second Coming. So like I said this is Bloody Hammer's fourth album and one that is filled with some of the best Gothic/doom/stoner metal I've heard in a while; check out the album, see them live they should be something to behold. 8/10

Bloody Hammers, Ironbird, Lacertilia, Full Moon Cardiff

As part of the Download warm up shows that happen every year before the spiritual meet on the hallowed turf of Donnington. This year the Cardiff visitation was from Gothic doomsters Bloody Hammers and some local support. As I arrived at the Full Moon (a venue I've never been to for a gig) I acquired a beer (cider) and settled in for the opening act.

Lacertilia

This, as I have just discovered, was Lacertilla's (plural for a group of lizards) first gig as a whole unit. Made up of members from local acts Witches Drum, Culver, Akb'al, Thorun and SBF; Lacertilia came on to little or no fanfare with the instruments kicking in to some frankly heavy as fuck riffage to kick things off, there was little movement from the band but lots of thick sludgy, psychedelic riffs that took you on a trip, possibly similar to the one that shamanistic frontman Fry was on as he arrived on stage and became one with the music. Musically the band have a lot of similarities with early Orange Goblin with lots of time shifts, trippy blissed out passages and a HELL of a lot of heaviness. There was no between song banter just riff after riff after riff with a Fry jumping in and out of the crowd and head banging with the faithful down the front. This was a wild ride of a show, full of ferocity, some excellent riffage and a feel akin to a great trip. This was a great way to start a gig. 8/10

Ironbird

Next was Ironbird and yet more stoner-like metal this time with a punkier edge, musically solid but vocally awful Ironbird really didn't do it for me at all, they had the look of 'your dad's band' and like a said the vocals were not great. I'll leave it there I think. 5/10

Bloody Hammers

So the main event and after a set up the band arrived on stage looking like a Gothic Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Western hatted Anders Manga, his wife Devallia and their band arrived on stage and started things off with Black Magic and then continued with a set drawn mainly from their very new album Under Satan's Sun with the riff heavy Spearfinger, the funeral dirge of The Town That Dreaded Sundown both coming off the new record. Manga's bass was the lead instrument driving the band along with his down tuned rhythms and his strong vocals, he is aided by the drums of Doza that smash down throughout. On top of the voodoo rhythms from Manga and Doza there are the guitars of Bill Fischer that riffed mightily and powered through the solos, the sound was filled out by the organs and mellotrons of Devallia who brought the creepy Gothic vibe to their doom rock backing. With Witching Hour coming next the crowd were in the bands hand and then the Type O Negative slow burning Death Does Us Part and the freak out of Moon-Eyed People before the set enders of Witch Of Endor and Fear No Evil. A quick off stage swap and then back again for the final two songs to a receptive audience and as the last chords of What's Haunting You rang out there were cheers all around in this diminutive venue with surprisingly good sound. I hope Mr Hutchings will check these guys out at Download!! 8/10

Winger: Better Days Comin' (Frontiers Records)

Winger have always had a bit of a hard time due to the fact that they around in the hair metal era and that Beavis And Butthead used them as a butt for many jokes. So yes Kip Winger was always a pretty boy but he and the rest of the band were all amazing musicians so they always had my respect. So when they announced they were working on their sixth album and that it featured the original members of Reb Beach on guitar and Rod Morgenstein on drums I got a little excited to say the least. With the police sirens kicking off Better Days Comin'the first song Midnight Driver Of A Love Machine gets things rocking from the start with it's steam train chug and Reb Beach's supreme soloing. Things go back to the early days on the Queen Babylon which is a little funky and has a lot of hip shaking boogie as well as heavy riffage; a theme that continues on the pedal to the metal rampage of Rat Race. It's here that I want to mention the band Morgenstein's drums are great, John Roth and Reb Beach's guitars soar, sear and solo with aplomb (this could be why Beach was picked by Mr Coverdale for his band) and Winger's voice is absolutely excellent with a bluesy drawl (see the title track) and a husky singing voice that puts you in mind of Chris Cornell in parts, obviously as usual Mr Winger provides the bass and acoustic guitars, keyboards as well as producing and engineering the album. The songs are not all full on rockers though the serious Tin Soldiers is a triumph of songwriting and as usual there is the obligatory ballad and this one is Ever Wonder which is an amazing love and loss filled song, Storm In Me is one of the heaviest tracks on it the record and leads into the more mellow final two tracks. This is great album from the glam metal survivors and brings them into the modern era as well as harking back to their glory days! Better Days Coming Indeed!! 8/10

Shores Of Null: Quiescence (Candlelight)

With bands like Katatonia and Anathema being the front runners for dark, doomy, post metal it is always hard for a new band to break into their style of music without being compared to the top two bands in their genre. So Italy's Shores Of Null have thrown their hat into the ring in the doom stakes and from the kick off they do a bang up job with some rampaging metal on the Kings Of Null coming on full throttle but with the down tuned, melodic but with the somber mood that Katatonia provide. The vocals of Davide are excellent he has a sonorous croon in the clean passages and also a rumbling growl similar to Jonas Renske's. With tracks like Night Will Come the melancholic Ruin's Alive and the head nodding Quiescent. When the band are in their slow moving doom mode they still have the relentless riffage from Raffaele Colace and Gabriele Giaccari which seems to be present throughout the, the album is very heavy but also melodic and it does indeed reach for and ascend to the heights of Katatonia, meaning that fans will certainly enjoy this release. For a debut release this is very strong indeed full of killer, melodic black/doom metal that will destroy live, go and seek it out, you will not be disappointed I promise. 8/10

Pentakill: Smite And Ignite (Self Released/Riot Games)

Pentakill are a fake band, let me explain they are a band from the PC game League Of Legends, made up of characters from the game. Now the band's name stems from when a player kills five players at once and all of the songs are naturally about the game. Now the album as you would think is prime power metal with lots of keyboards , guitar solos and songs about might and magic. As far as information on the band I just have the characters of Sona (Keys), Olaf (Drums), Yorick (Bass), Mordekaiser (Guitar) but the vocals of Karthus are shared between real life singers, Jorn Lande and ZP Threat. As far as songs go the first two tracks are heavy power metal, with third track Ohmwrecker is a electronic filled, djent track with Last Whisper is a big, melodic song that just fits ZP Threat's vocals perfectly. This is the kind of album that would be played in the game world itself, heavy, industrial and very metal. A great little curio that has two great vocalists on it, plus it's free!! Winning!! 7/10

Crowbar – Symmetry in Black (Century Media) [Review By Paul]

Symmetry In Black is the 10th Album from New Orleans Sludge Metallers Crowbar, led by the formidable Kirk Windstein. This is the follow up to 2011’s Sever The Wicked Hand, which was a stomping piece of down tuned sludge. However, Windstein and his crew have pushed the bar up a couple of notches, and Symmetry in Black really smacks the previous release around the chops and tells it to sit back down.
Opener Walk with Knowledge Wisely kicks hard, with a huge drum sound and massive riffs. It also moves with surprising pace, Windstein’s trademark vocals straining along with the big guitar sound. Symmetry in White follows, delivered at a more expected pace, crushing guitars and pounding drums combining to pin you to the flow with a wall of power. Variety is not a word you'd usually associate with the sludge genre, but The Taste of Dying challenges that assumption with a number of time changes; true sludge at one point followed by some galloping and driving riffs from Matthew Brunson and Windstein’s guitars. This is a crushing album, full of robust and driving riffs with massive hooks raising up and catching you across the back of the head. Reflection of Deceit is almost doom metal with a mammoth imposing sound. Tommy Buckley’s drumming is intense with a constant pounding whilst Jeff Golden’s bass work combines to create a colossal backline.
However it’s not all slow stuff and Ageless Decay would sit alongside the best that the thrash department can offer, powerhouse drumming and speed-driven guitar wicked all support the guttural drive that only Windstein can provide. Amaranthine provides a brief respite from the intensive crushing, with delicate guitar work and some heartfelt vocals. Indeed this is as soft and delicate as Crowbar get, but it also sits well within the overall album. The band return to more familiar ground with The Foreboding, which is very accurately titled. Mountainous and intimidating, this is a beast of a track which lumbers along stegosaurus like but with much more aggression. This album is also a bit of a grower, improving with repeated listening. However, if you don't like sludge then this won't change your mind. This is New Orleans driven metal and in Windstein and the rest of Crowbar you get a band who deliver their particular brand of music without giving a rat’s arse about what anyone else thinks. Shaman of Belief combines elements of sludge and punk with a weighty breakdown that kicks you hard. By the time you get to Teach the Blind to See the heaviness of the album should start to create cracks in your cranium. This is tied to an anvil heavy and once again the pounding driving assault combines to blow a hole in your abdomen. Album closer The Piety of Self-Loathing finishes the job, a monumental instrumental laced with the classic New Orleans sludge sound, heavier than a blue whale dropping from 60,000 feet. Having seen these guys earlier in the year I am looking forward to seeing some of these new tunes in the live arena at BOA. Intense and enormous. 8/10

Anathema - Distant Satellites (Kscope) [Review By Paul]

The development of one of the UK’s most underrated bands continues in stunning style with the arrival of their tenth album, Distant Satellites. Oozing with delicate layers and uplifting passages throughout, this is a work of sheer beauty and class. When Anathema released Weather Systems in 2012, it was difficult to believe that it was possible to actually improve; such was the quality of the compositions and musicianship. However, the band has progressed once more, with the introduction of electronica to their sound whilst retaining the undercurrent of heaviness which has long surged through their music. The album opens with The Lost Song Part I, a mixture of dreamy synths and swirling drums, galloping along apace. Full of introspective review, the track builds intricately to a crescendo, with Lee Douglas backing vocals beautifully complementing Vincent Cavanagh’s lead. The Lost Song Part II follows, slightly slower in the build-up, heavy on the keyboards and synth with additional string sections and the first opportunity to hear Lee Douglas’s gorgeous voice take centre stage. This is a quite breath taking track, full of sentiment and reflection. The Cavanagh brothers take a step back but provide harmonies in the chorus. "Come back to me" sings Douglas, "I can't believe it was just an illusion" as the track draws to a delicious close. This is going to be stunning stuff live. Dusk (Dark is Descending) begins in a moodier and darker style that has been trademark Anathema and as with every track on the album, builds and climbs. Although the guitars are tuned down on this album, they are in evidence throughout, with both Vincent and Daniel‘s playing prominent in parts. However, the change of tempo through the track allows Daniel Cardoso’s brilliant keyboards to take the lead. This combined with the sensitive and balanced rhythm from John Douglas and Jamie Cavanagh’s bass riffs provide a multi-layered delivery. Possibly the stand out track on an outstanding album follows. Ariel may be the most beautiful track the band have ever written, with Lee Douglas once again providing an incredible vocal performance, backed by keyboards and strings. The Lost Song Part III concludes The Lost Song trilogy with the combination of keyboards, drums, bass and Vincent’s vocals perfect.
As I keep stating, each of the tracks build with Cavanagh and Douglas’s duet simply spellbinding. “Now that I've Found You” they sing. We then arrive at Anathema, a self-titled piece that features more melancholic musings and again combines strings and the piano to hugely impressive effect. This is intelligent music, powerful in its simplicity. Repeated chords, drum beats and Cavanagh’s uplifting vocals telling the story. Nothing else is needed in parts as the song develops with a drifting sentiment to a driving middle section, full of sweeping and descending waves of sound, guitars soloing whilst the keyboards and strings propel the track to its climax. You’re Not Alone makes a departure from the usual direction of the band with a driving electronic beat supporting the Cavanagh brothers rapid vocal delivery. A huge riff and hook in this track propel it along, allowing a brief respite before blasting forward at breakneck speed, massive drum sound and waves of keyboards washing over the listener. Firelight would sit comfortably with some of their earlier works, in particular Judgement and A Natural Disaster whilst still being totally fresh; this is a sombre instrumental piece of solely keyboards which segues perfectly into the album’s title track. Take Shelter draws the album to a balanced and fitting conclusion, allowing the Cavanagh brothers to once again provide a vocal performance of absolute quality. Once again the electronica influence is evident; a direction that the band is keen to explore and use more in future works. This whole album is delicately crafted and constructed with thought and skill. It is the defining moment of a band who has consistently striven to better themselves and who has matured from their early doom and death metal days into a tour de force in the rock world. I am so excited to be able to see these guys at Download and again at Gloucester Cathedral two days later. It is very possible that I might shed a tear or two; such is the emotion that wells up when listening to this most excellent band. This could possibly be my album of the year. 10/10

The Algorithm: Octopus4 (Basick Records)

Rémi Gallego aka The Algorithm is now on his second album of EBM (electronic dance music for the oldies) which may make people say "Thatz not metulz" well you are dead wrong sir! Gallego mixes djent/mathcore polyrhythmic riffage with drum & bass and dubstep drops to combine a very unique style of music. His first album The Polymorphic Code took the metal press by storm and his live shows caused excitement bringing a rave-like feel to the metal concerts and festivals he appeared at, so can his second album be as successful? Well from the pumping intro to Autorun which also has a repetitive synth riff running through it which has a Kavinsky (A man who is obsessed with OutRun) or indeed Deadmau5 electronic thump but still a lot of melody to it, perfect late night crusing music for the most part with a reducing final part before it wipes out into the funky Discovery on which Gallego uses his synths to go all 80's Axel F style at the beginning before things go drum and bass and the riffage kicks in and the bass drops for a passage in this twisting turning progressive song which is a myriad of styles, the almost 8-bit _MOS follows and it is then ピタゴラスPYTHAGORAS that brings the heaviness with it's first dose of metal riffgae for an entire song and it blends seamlessly. There are very few times in music where something truly unique comes along and yes drum and bass, dubstep and electronic music has been merged with metal before with all the industrial bands dabbling in the EBM genre and Korn notably brought dubstep into metal, however none of these bands have successfully merged all the genres of electronic music and heavy metal so succinctly. Yes if you hate electronic music then you will hate this but for anyone with a wide musical palette this will appeal to them massively, personally I love Daft Punk, Deadmau5, Kavinsky and bands of their ilk, but also my love of metal knows no bounds (maybe not BVB) so I think this album is excellent, listen to it at night with headphones and it will take you on a journey!! 8/10

Virgil & The Accelerators: The Radium (2010)

Virgil McMahon is a 22 year old guitarist from South Africa who and the Accelerators are his band consisting of his younger brother Gabriel on drums and Jack Alexander Timmis on bass. He is the youngest man ever to be nominated for the 2010 British Blues Award. He and his band have been compared to Cream and from the massive guitar crescendo to the bluesy as hell Working Man (not a Rush cover Paul) you can see why, this is some amazing guitar playing from the youngster who draws on his influences of Hendrix, SRV and ZZ Top in every song to create some amazing blues rock, he is also blessed with a voice that is far beyond his years rich and sonorous with the right amount of guts and grit to it. After Working Man we move into the rocking Top-lik Refuse To Believe with more ZZ Top style naughtiness in the shape of the funky Bad Girl which is straight off the Eliminator album. McMahon's influences shine to on the dirty Rory Gallagher style blues of Backstabber and Racing With Life. For a debut album this is a great one full of some of the most accomplished blues rock I've heard since I heard and album called New Day Yesterday by a man named Bonamassa. McMahon is a killer guitarist and on the instrumental The Storm he shows that you don't need fancy solos to show that you are talented. If you like your rock full of blues swagger and your blues with a rockier back beat then The Radium is for you Virgil McMahon has all the potential to be as big as Joey B mark my words and if you want proof just check out Fell To The Floor which is showstopper of a ballad. 9/10

Blues Pills: Devil Man E.P (2013)

With all the amazing doom/retro rock bands coming out of the woodwork at the moment any band that delves into this world of voodoo grooves and occult mysticism. Hailing from Örebro Sweden The Blues Pills are a female fronted blues band that sound like Lynne Jackaman fronting Graveyard, front woman Elin Larsson has blues howl that many men cannot attain, it is pure, unrestrained and tribal in it's delivery. She is backed by some fuzzy bass led, retro riffage with Cory Berry's drums, Dorian Sorriaux's guitar and Zack Anderson's bass all providing some psychedelic, hazy and blissed out retro rock. See The River which is everything I just mentioned distilled into one perfect slab of doomy, psych rock and is followed by the distinctly Sabbath-like heaviness of Time Is Now. They then have the riff fuelled opening title track and the jazzy, percussion filled final track Dig In which ends things in a blissed out way. A nice little snippet to get you ready for their forthcoming album, it shows what this band are capable of. One to seek out before their full length debut is released 7/10

Europe: Last Look At Eden & Bag Of Bones (2009 & 2012)

Yes THAT song will forever haunt them but Europe are and have always been more than a one hit wonder. They have always been a talented band but on their two most recent albums, the second and third releases since their early 2000's reformation as a band the first being 2006's Secret Society. They have really pushed the boat out delivering possibly their two career defining albums.

Last Look At Eden

First up was Last Look At Eden in 2009 which brought a huge dollop of Zeppelin and some Whitesnake to their sound with this album. From the orchestral opening which leads into the title track which has all the glorious pomp of Kashmir with its big orchestral backing, massive guitars from John Norum big John Lord like organs from Mic Michaeli, all topped with Joey Tempest's awesome voice, he is channeling the Coverdale for the most part. In fact the entire album is very similar to Whitesnake's last few albums all of which have been very strong hard rock focussed affairs full of big riffs, massive keys and the unmistakable voice. Well if you didn't know this was Europe then you would think it was Coverdale and co see New Love In Town for pure bonnet frolicking rock balladry. The riffs come thick and fast on The Beast on which the vocals change to become more like Ian Gillan and the song has more than a hint of Black Country Communion to it as does U Devil U. Yes this is far removed from the early 80's euro metal of their early career but the sound of a band aging gracefully and maturing their sound with more blues influences throughout. 9/10

Bag Of Bones

With Bag Of Bones the band expanded their sound a little more becoming more bluesy on what is their ninth album in total, much of this blues influence may have come from guitarist John Norum who released a blues album in 2010. The album brings a lot more stripped back pure rock to proceedings do away with the orchestral pomp of the previous release, a lot of this comes from Kevin Shirley's analog style of production technique which means that everything is a little more authentic. The Ian Gillan style vocals are back with Tempest blasting it out directly from the offset, Shirley's work with BCC is prevalent throughout especially on Not Supposed To Sing The Blues which with it's "Boy you're not supposed to sing the blues where you come from" refrain could be the band's mantra on this album. Yes this album is very good with all the band playing their hearts out, Caveman (Shirley) has his imprints all over the record, which is no bad thing, Joey Bones himself pops up on the title track providing some killer slide guitar. Yes the maturity of Europe shows through and so does their songwriting skill, channeling Free, Bad Company and Deep Purple this is yet another great addition to Europes catalog of great albums! 8/10

Download 2014 – Friday 13 June

In a moment of impulse, I decided to return to the endurance test that is Castle Donnington for the first time since 2011. The main draw for me, as you will have worked out quickly was the headline set of Sweden’s finest, Opeth. Okay, headline set on the third stage, but still a headline set and their first in the UK since BOA in 2010. More of Mr Akerfeldt and Co. later.

Accompanied by my gig partner and eldest son Ant, we left home at just after 7:00am with substantial excitement which had increased in the previous days with the rather unlikely promise of dry and sunny weather. As we travelled north, it appeared that just for once the lying bastards at the Met Office had actually produced a forecast which resembled the weather outside my window. Scorchio! Having made excellent time we were parked up in West 5 by 10:15am and ambled towards the main entrance, unable to contain our total smugness as we watched hundreds of campers slogging their gear many miles to the hell of the coloured campsites. No doubt most got in for the headline acts but it would have been a tough call to have made it back for the opening acts.

Bang on time the gates opened and the hordes poured into the arena. Unsurprisingly given their headline status, Avenged Sevenfold t-shirts were everywhere. Ant, in a rare move, changed out of his usual Clutch garb and sported a fine Anathema Weather Systems shirt. Unsurprisingly, we didn't see another piece of Anathema gear, apart from my fleece and Distant Satellites T-shirt (a Father’s Day gift – cheers lads!) all day. I was slightly more in with the crowd, spotting a mighty five other Opeth shirts during the day.

We had a choice of opening bands and opted for Tax the Heat over Miss May I. The Bristolian based outfit were a good choice with their straight forward rhythm and blues based rock well appreciated by the early afternoon crowd. Looking very dapper in their s, the band charged through a swift set led by energetic and charismatic Alex Veale on vocals and guitar. A nice gentle opening for the day 6/10

Moving across to the main stage I gave up the opportunity to watch 80s veterans Tesla in order to check out Crossfaith from Japan. And boy did I wish I had stayed put. Crossfaith were awful. They are everything I hate in the new metal world today. Immediate demands for circle pits and lots of posturing. However, they seem to attract a lot of the younger generation and the reaction on the twitter stream on the main screens later suggested that I’m just old and grumpy. Still, I think they are shit. 1/10

Luckily, as Crossfaith were so bad we were able to catch the last few songs from Bad Touch in the Red Bull Tent. An enthusiastic five piece from Dereham in Norfolk, Bad Touch play classic hard rock fused with a blues undertone and were well worth the 15 minutes that we managed to catch. Some good riffs, catchy hooks and an excellent stage presence, especially lead singer Stevie who has the rock star look. 6/10

One of the finds of 2014 for me has been the band Brother and Bones who blew me away when I saw them support the Temperance Movement at Shepherds Bush Empire in April. An acoustic set from lead singer Rich Thompson at the Temperance Movement’s Cardiff show confirmed that this is a band worth seeing in both electric and acoustic settings. We moved to the Jagermeister Stage for Brother and Bones ‘acoustic set’ which turned out to be a non-acoustic set. Playing a number of tracks from their two EPs, Brother and Bones turned in a highly energised performance with the band allowing Thompson to steal the limelight in the reserved manner that he has. This was the first real highlight of the day with Ant very impressed. Given his penchant for Slayer this is saying something. A massive ovation from the healthy crowd was unsurprising and I’m already looking forward to seeing these guys again soon. 9/10

From the lighter acoustic based sound of Brother and Bones I then wandered back into the Red Bull tent to check out doom merchants Bloody Hammers. For more detail about the band check out Matt’s recent review of their warm up gig. Suffice to say that they would be always be more suited to a day when the weather is overcast and storm clouds are gathering but Bloody Hammers drew a decent size crowd who enjoyed 30 minutes of excellent Sabbath style riffage from the North Carolina outfit with the imposing figure of bassist and vocalist Anders Magna the main visual attraction. 7/10

Meanwhile, fool that he sometimes is, Ant had headed over to the main stage to watch Powerman 5000. As Bloody Hammers drew their set to a close I scuttled across to catch PM5K delivering probably their best known track, Bombshell to a reasonably animated and busy arena. PM5K are fronted by Spider One, otherwise known as Michael Cummings, brother of one Mr Rob Zombie. However, whilst Spider One has some of the Zombie’s energy, clearly his big brother managed to get all of the front man gene. It’s possibly too harsh to rate a band on three songs but what I saw was pretty dire with little impact on me. A mixture of nu-metal and attempted shock rock, it did nothing for me. 4/10

However, the afternoon was about to get a whole lot better as we headed over to the Zippo Encore Stage (that’s the second stage in old money) for Northern Ireland’s favourite sons, The Answer. On St Patrick’s Day I had seen these guys deliver a quite brilliant night of rock ‘n’ roll and I'd also preferred to watch these to Slipknot at Sonisphere in 2012 so you could say I’m a bit partial to a bit of them. Although The Answer can be a bit hit and miss on record it is in the live environment that they excel and once again they were quite exceptional. Opening with New Horizon from their latest release, they had a healthy crowd rocking from the start. The band moved swiftly into Spectacular which is a real anthem and excellent in the hot sun. As usual with this band, the three musicians are comfortable laying down the tunes whilst allowing frontman Cormac Neeson to do what he does best. A natural showman with a mane of blond hair and excellent voice, he captivated the crowd throughout, especially during an extended Preachin’ where he ended up in the front row. Finishing with Under The Sky, The Answer departed to a rousing cheer and the sight of beaming faces all round. Stunning stuff. 9/10

A quick trot back to the main stage for the afternoon’s first real heavyweight action. This was where the day splits had not been kind to us as Black Label Society clashed with The Temperance Movement. Having seen TTM twice this year it made sense to catch up with Zakk Wylde and gang for 45 minutes of electrifying soloing. The problem with BLS is that there is very little to get that excited about. Yes, Zakk has a bag full of tunes, and several were aired here, with Godspeed Hellbound, Concrete Jungle and My Dying Time from the latest album amongst the highlights. However, it is always going to be the Zakk Wylde show and that means numerous lengthy solos. Although Ant reliably informs me that there were far fewer solos than 2012, (he is correct- Matt) Zakk still delivers them in excess which makes it a little tedious at times. However, some of the solos were superb, especially towards the end of the set where he headed down the walkway distributing licks like they were going out of fashion. A crushing Stillborn brought the set to a close and rescued a point in my review. 7/10

A little break for a rest and then dilemma number two. Rival Sons on the Zippo Stage or Dutch outfit Within Temptation on the main stage. Given the exhaustion that was now kicking in, we plumped for fish and chips and a little rest on the hill whilst watching Sharon Den Adel strutting her stuff. A good move it proved too, because Within Temptation turned in a magnificent hour of symphonic metal with Ms Den Adel in superb form. A powerful set which was heavier live than on record included five songs from the recent excellent release Hydra and combined with an impressive stage set and clever tapes for the guest vocals from Tarja Turunen (Paradise (What about Us?)), Howard Jones (Dangerous) and Xzibit (And We Run) captivated the large crowd. Closing with Ice Queen from 2000s Mother Earth, this was an hour of top quality music which received a well-deserved reception. 8/10

As the audience in front of the main stage began to swell, Ant and I moved stage right in anticipation of our move to the Pepsi Max Stage for Anathema. 20 minutes of Rob Zombie preceded this and although Mr Z blasted out of the traps with Teenage Nosferata Pussy, Superbeast and Living Dead Girl in quick succession, there was something missing. Zombie’s voice was off key, lyrics were missed and lapsing into a drum solo after four songs killed any momentum. We left as the solo kicked off so it’s a mini review but I'm afraid that, unlike the previous three viewings where he has killed it, this time it was very much below par. 5/10

And so to the first of the bands I had been so keen to see. Liverpool outfit Anathema have just dropped one of the year’s finest releases with Distant Satellites; a quite stunning piece of work and probably their best ever release. However, the band are reliant on substantial amounts of samples, loops and electronic effects and unfortunately this hampered their performance. As did the sound which saw the ludicrous situation of both Daniel and Vincent Cavanagh gesturing wildly at the sound engineers throughout the set. This impacted on them both and obviously infiltrated through to the rest of the band who must have sensed the tension. Opening with a very aggressive Fragile Dreams, Anathema still turned in a decent performance with Thin Air, The Lost Song Part III, Untouchable Part I and Closer all delivered with style and quality, especially when the beautiful vocals of Lee Douglas were included. Bringing the set to a close with the title track from the latest album, there appeared a collective sigh of relief from the band that it was over, although they conveyed their thanks to the sparse crowd who had tried throughout the set to encourage the band. Slightly disappointing overall. 7/10

Due to the technical problems that Anathema suffered, the headline set in the Pepsi Max Stage was delayed which meant that the assembled Opeth devotees were able to get a full wallop of the opening from main stage headliners Avenged Sevenfold. As the monstrous PA blasted out the strains of Shepherd of Fire, it was clear that Mikael Akerfeldt and co. were going to face a battle to be heard. However, as the opening strains of Opeth’s intro music finally drifted out, the pyro to the left of us was forgotten. Opening with The Devil’s Orchard, Opeth provided an hour of prog, death and rock which was second to none. A crushing Heir Apparent indicated that the band were intent on providing the heaviest of sets. Mikael was in his usual form, dry wit at the ready. “We are doing this all for you … and the money!” A surprise inclusion in the set was Demon of the Fall from My Arms Your Hearse which has a combination of death growl and clean vocals. As the PA from the main stage threatened to drown out any narrative that Mikael tried, he commented “Is that Avenged Sevenfold? I saw them once. I didn't like them!” to cheers from all around. A beautiful Hope Leaves from Damnation was followed by the brutally heavy Deliverance before Opeth finished with the masterpiece of Blackwater Park. A brilliant headline set, flawless in delivery and paving the way for their Autumn UK tour. 10/10

And so we headed out of the tent and up the hill past the throngs assembled to watch the headliners. I’m not an Avenged Sevenfold fan, but we stopped and watched a few songs. One of the few I do like is The Beast and the Harlot from City of Evil and we timed it well enough to catch AX7 blast it out. With a very impressive stage show including tons of pyro, AX7 are a very slick outfit and we could see and hear this. Powerful riffing, close harmonies on the chorus and a frontman in M Shadows who has a set of pipes and a large dose of charisma. We headed off as the dying strains of Unholy Confessions were supplemented by the obligatory firework display. I’ll give AX7 8/10 for the tightness and stage set alone. Their fans are a bunch of tits though. 1/10

Anathema - Gloucester Cathedral 15 June 2014

The opportunity to see one of my favourite bands in a unique setting was far too good to turn down and so, two days after seeing Anathema at Download CMH and I arrived in Gloucester with eager anticipation.

Anathema’s set at Download had been a little subdued; blighted by sound problems and glitches in the new technology that has allowed them to continue their progression on their most recent release, the stunning Distant Satellites. However, in the gothic surroundings of Gloucester Cathedral, over 1000 years old, and a sell-out audience there were no such mistakes again.

To call this Anathema acoustic is possibly a little misleading. Three members of the current line-up were not present (still partying at Download apparently!) and there was a fair usage of the loops and samples that have become an integral part of the band’s sound. We did get the three members of the band with the highest profile, brothers Daniel and Vincent Cavanagh and vocalist Lee Douglas.

The set opened with The Lost Song Part 2 from the latest album before the only tracks from 2012’s Weather Systems, Untouchable Parts 1 & 2. These were three beautiful songs to open the evening with acoustics that allowed the songs to be transferred to the acoustic setting with ease. I felt a lump in my throat as the Untouchable double was played, such is the emotion that courses through these tracks. The evening continued with a range of tracks from their back catalogue. Thin Air from We're Here Because We’re Here was breath taking, whilst the combination of Inner Silence from Alternative 4 and the delicate One Last Goodbye from Judgement were superb.

A couple of the new tracks from Distant Satellites were also played. These included my favourite Ariel and the title track. The Cavanagh brothers were on excellent form, bantering with the audience, especially Daniel who described how he had seen and managed to be introduced to Status Quo at Download the day before. The band was clearly inspired by the surroundings, the gothic arches and stained glass windows catching the last rays of sun from the day. Simple and sensitive lighting enhanced the atmosphere throughout. A sing along to Flying demonstrated how tone deaf some of the audience was before we were treated to a short individual set from Daniel including a couple of covers, High Hopes by Pink Floyd and Glory Box by Portishead. Both were fine with the Portishead cover allowing Lee Douglas’s incredible voice to shine, but we did question the necessity when the band has such stunning tracks in their arsenal. Surely Deep or Pressure? Next time guys.

A Natural Disaster and Fragile Dreams from Alternative 4closed the main set. A Natural Disaster allowing Lee Douglas to once again take the breath away whilst Fragile Dreams got the audience clapping and singing along. After a rapturous ovation an encore of Distant Satellites and Anathemabrought a most incredible evening to a close. A unique setting; a unique band and an honour to have been present. 10/10

Rival Sons: Great Western Valkyrie (Earache)

Four albums into their career and the trajectory of Rival Sons is going through the roof, the band are possibly the most authentic of any of the 'retro' style bands currently doing the rounds. They have been compared to The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and various others but for the most part they are blues based hard rock full of fuzzy garage riffage, funk, soul and dust bowl Americana so much so that to my ears they sound more like The Black Keys meets Jim Morrison than Zep and the like. So what about album four does it reach the heady heights of Pressure And Time or Head Down? Well the answer is yes...and then some!! Things start off with the surging (sorry) thrust of Electric Man and we are back on the rocking ride again ready to be brought through the booty shaking analogue rock n roll of the Rival Sons. With Rival Sons they have always been more focussed on the 60's style or rock than say bands like The Answer meaning that they have a huge amount of soul much of that coming from the new bassist; David Beste who brings a thick, funky bottom end to the album he is the perfect foil for Scott Holliday's razor sharp guitar lines, Mike Miley's shuffling drums and Jay Buchanan's perfect blues holler, witnessed at its best on the Belle Star which channels Mr Page and Mr Plant with it's stop-start riffage. The fuzzed up Good Luck has all the hand-clapping rhythm of a Vintage Trouble track, while Secret has the same bass-led intro and huge keyboard riffage as Deep Purple's Burn (replete with mid-section scream). Play The Fool is a Zep moment fresh from Physical Graffiti where as Rich And The Poor is a Springsteen-like tale of young love, popping the cherry and a femme fatales with a massive chorus and it is quickly followed with the soulful, country lament of Where I've Been which is a break before the album is rounded out by the progressive guitar freak out of Destination On Course which has a huge final section full of Holiday's guitars and Mike Miley's drums. Can Rival Sons get any better? I don't think so but then I said that about their last album. Buy.This.Now 10/10

Vader – Tibi et Igni (Nuclear Blast) [Review By Paul]

Polish Death Metal veterans Vader return with their 10^thalbum Tibi et Igni, which means For You and Fire in Latin. It is a fine example of death metal, with the expected powerful drumming, riffs dropping from the sky and smashing you in the face and a pounding rhythm section. Opener Go to Hellcommences in classical style before the band blast away the cobwebs with four minutes of brutal assault. Frontman and original member Piotr Wiwczarek delivers trademark death metal vocals throughout whilst the guitar and drum work of Marek Pajak and James Stuart is top drawer. Armada on Fire leaves the listener with blood dripping from the ears, such is the intensity. Triumph of Death continues in a similar vein with a huge riff and hook that is going to incite many a pit in years to come. This is a thrasher which would sit comfortably on any Lamb Of God release. It rocks! Hexenkessel has a more dramatic intro, sweeping synths and the tolling of bells conjuring images of ancient Rome before dropping into a stomping march with driving rhythm, massive riffs from the twin guitars. The track then expands into all out death with Wiwczarek’s vocals snarling and guttural. Abandon all Hope and Worms of Eden continue the in-your-face attack. The album’s stand out track, The Eye of the Abyss follows. A choral vocal with synth backing to start, organ chords and the sound of thunder build an atmosphere which reaches a crescendo as Vader crash in with a hook so large you could catch Moby Dick with it. The choral parts continue as the band riff their way through the intro. The Wiwczarek’s vocal cut in and it is all out war. Blast beats aplenty with more driving riffs to propel the listener deep into the track. The hook continues and if you close your eyes you can visualise the pit at BOA should these guys get a slot again in the near future. Finishing the album is the appropriately titled The End, which is a slow burning thrasher with old school Metallica and Slayer flavourings, clean vocals and narrative. A massive head banger, this has to be a set closer as Wiwczarek growls “Is this the end now?” In a year of some impressive death and thrash releases, Tibi et Igni can rightly sit alongside the best. 8/10

Seprevation – Consumed (Self Released) [Review By Paul]

Youthful Bristol outfit Seprevation’s debut album combines old school death metal with the melody of the newer school outfits such as Bloodshot Dawn. The result is a slab of metal that really should be changed with ABH. This is infectious and groove laden, but retaining the all-out attack that differentiates Death from other genres. First track Divine Devastation starts with the customary instrumental acoustic style, stopping as the guitars and drums kick in. Lluc Tupman’s vocals are delivered with gusto and the typical gargling with gravel style that you would expect. The twin axe attack of Ian Aston and Joss Farrington provide the riffs, with several time changes and some meaty hooks to get your teeth into. Jamie Wintle’s drums batter the fuck out of you. The production level for a new band is excellent with Stefan Morabito having done an excellent job in the Roman studios where the album was mixed. The album won't provide anything particularly new but then again it’s pretty difficult to do so in the Death scene. However, there is plenty on offer here for the listener and it is a stompingly good album. Sarcophagal Chamber drips with hooks, inviting you to loosen your head from your neck with a good old bang of the head (Warning: Don't listen to this on the tube. I almost started moshing with the other suits!) whilst Slave to the Grave powers along and featured in the recent Metal Hammer thrash CD. Ten songs in total and by the end you will need a lie down with a cold beer to get your breath back. The final track Between Two Worlds concludes the album nicely, with a blasting punch in the face as the wall of sound engulfs all in its path along with some excellent Maidenesque breakdowns and soloing. Another stonking release in a year of stunning music and a debut to be proud of. 8/10

Psycrene: A Frail Deception (Steel Gallery Records)

Progressive metal is one of my major passions; I do love it, the technicality, the songwriting, the sheer madness of it sometimes. So when I found about Psyrene I was slightly excited a Greek progressive metal band that play 7-string guitars and cite Dream Theater, Symphony X, Nevermore and Pink Floyd as influences, with Hold Close The Flame sounding like a Queensryche offcut. So they claim to "combine the aggressiveness and heavy sound of 7 string guitars with melody and atmosphere" but do they succeed? Well the Symphony X similarities are huge on A Losing Game which has a classical piano intro before the heavyweight riffage kicks in, with double kick drums and some technical playing abound. Yes folks so far so very good, the 7 string guitars come from Michael Aggelos and Kimon Zeliotis and they are excellent, technical, precision and heavy, they are backed by the tight, downtuned heavy rhythms of Thomas Kouris' finger flying bass and Timoleon's expert drumming, the man is like a machine gun, they are rounded out by vocalist Takis Nikolakakis who is a dead ringer for Bruce Dickinson. I know that prog may conjure up images of 25 minute guitar solos but not here, yes there are guitar solos, lots of them, all of them very technical for the six (seven) string lovers but none outstay their welcome and the same can be said of the songs they are all concise, tempo shifting, mature songs full of virtuosity but also melody meaning that there is none of the silliness that is rife in progressive metal/rock. Mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Soilwork, Symphony X, Paradise Lost etc.) This is an album that will appeal to fans of any of the bands influences as any that know Borealis, Above Symmetry and Mutiny Within. This is such a strong album for a debut and it shows on tracks like Subconscious Eyes, Mortal Decay, Incsiced Path which has some killer riffage in itand the nearly eight minute Reflection. If you like your progressive metal with a bit of muscle to it check out these Athenians you will not be disappointed! 9/10

Sylvatica: Evil Seeds (Self Released)

the waves crash, the piano kicks in and the ears prick up, these are the synths of power metal with lots of layering that builds into the blast beats and dual guitar riffage of opening track Psychopatica. As soon as the death metal roars kicked in it all came together, Sylvatica share many things with Amon Amarth, the death metal drums ably smashed to fucking pieces by Pelle Buch, the melodic power metal like guitars and heavy roars, both coming from Jardén Schlesinger, and when all this is mixed with the folk flourishes it means their songs swing and sway like the best Viking Metal band but then being from Denmark they have more claim to that title than most. Despite the similarities the songs are not solely Viking based, they actually draw more from black metal with lots of Satan and evil imagery albeit with intensely melodic guitars from Schlesinger. The pinched harmonic filled Winds Of Decay conjures images of the seven seas however with its big backing vocals and mead hungry rhythm. All the songs on this debut are the songs are heavy, melodic, technically proficient and also progressive with many twists and turns likening them to both Bloodshot Dawn and the masters of folk/death metal Wintersun. The guitar playing is excellent from both Schlesinger and bassist Thomas Haxen who steals the show with his immense drumming, the man is like a demon behind the kit! (See the title track for proof). Now usually I'm quite picky with my death/black/Viking metal but Sylvantica tick all the right boxes for me. The drumming is insane, the guitars shred your face off the vocals are perfect, This band will slay the pits!! I intend to play the album very loudly in my car for the foreseeable future! Get to the UK now! 9/10

Skyconqueror: Under The Pentagram (Self Released)

Germany and heavy metal the two things just go together from the legacy left by Helloween and more importantly for Skyconqueror Accept. Yes it's more NWOBHM (or should that be NWOGHM?) folks and with the rampaging riffage of Jan Tappert, the galloping basslines of Mirko Jankord, the metronomic drumming of Carsten Stiens and the powerful vocals of Daniel Hiller who has a great battle horde leading roar not the normal shriek that is part and parcel of the trad metal vocalist. This is a retro styled record with The Sanctuary Of '83 is a homage to this as Skyconqueror's riffage and songwriting is straight from the year when denim and leather was firmly bringing us all together. With Enforcer, Cauldron, Holy Grail, White Wizzard and Monument all doing their bit for the NWOBHM cause Skyconqueror are a great addition to these bands purely due to the great riffs, smashing drums, wide ranging vocals and lots of light and shade see the melodic, emotion filled The Dusk which will get everyone nodding their heads in rhythmic unison. The band have the Accept style Teutonic metal prevalent in all German trad metal bands but they also have a heaving slab of Saxon thrown in especially on Frozen Rainbow Warrior which is supreme Saxon territory. This is a great debut album from the Germans showing that it's not just us Brits or indeed the Swedes that do trad metal full of dragons, warriors and jolly good rocking!!! 8/10

Winger, Jettblack & Blackwolf: O2 Academy Bristol

Cards on the table I hadn't even heard of Winger until they were introduced to me a few weeks ago. Since then they have been playing on my iPod incessantly along with the likes of Ratt, Motley Crue even Night Ranger and the rest of those slightly cheesy rock/metal bands. So again a journey to the not so brilliant but now second home, Bristol O2 Academy was ahead of Matt and I to check out Kip Winger and his nearly complete original line up on their post Donnington UK dates with Black Wolf and Jettblack.

Black Wolf

The Bristol based band are a band that I have heard a lot of great things about over the past year or so, so I was looking forward to catching them for the first time. Unfortunately due to a following club night the night at the Academy the evening started early meaning Black Wolf opened at 6.30 and were playing predominantly to an empty venue… a real shame. Nevertheless this did not stop them giving it all they had and impressing the fans that had arrived early. Combining classic heavy rock with bass lines full of swagger, Black Wolf offer up the type of music that just keeps your head bouncing throughout the set. Jason Cronin on the rhythm guitar and Ben Webb on bass ensure the songs slide along nicely with some great bluesy undertones. The highlight of Black Wolf however is the voice of Scott Sharp on vocals, damn what a voice! Silky smooth with a bucket load of power behind it. Sharps vocals were able to compliment every song be it more bluesy asking for the deeper range or a powerful screech when flying through the more demanding power rock tracks. Every member of Black Wolf were energetic all over the stage showing that despite the empty room they were there for one reason; to play some stonking rock music and have some fun! A band I definitely want to see again soon, hopefully with a bigger crowd. Turns out the rumours were true, these guys were brilliant! 8/10.

Jettblack

Having seen Jettblack many times before I knew what we were in for and with Jettblack that is always smutty sex driven hard rock at its finest. Entering the stage with their half lit (half broken) logo behind them the London lads burst open with fan favourite Get Your Hands Dirty. This groove-laden anthem ensured the now growing crowd were on their feet and moving around the floor with arms aloft clapping. As the set progressed band showed off a lot of stuff from their latest album Raining Rock. Full of sharp edge ecstatic riffs Jettblack always prove they know what they are doing musically. The fans joined in during the obligatory Two Hot Girls and Prison Of Love bringing smiles to the fan around the room. Bassist Tom Wright jumped about the stage headband donned as usual interacting with the crowd at every opportunity however the other lads didn't seem quite so energetic tonight. Very static in their position and content to run off the set one song after another with unquestioned quality, however this didn't really feel right as usually when I think Jettblack I think fun and mayhem on stage and we just didn't get that tonight. Not the best I've seen them, but we all know what these lads are capable of, so there is no doubt I will be catching them again for sure 7/10.

Winger

With no thrills Winger entered the stage one by one holding a grinding riff as we awaited the arrival of Kip, as his silhouette turned into the figurehead of Winger no time was wasted as the New York formed band steamed full throttle into Midnight Driver Of A Love Machine and the anthem Easy Come, Easy Go to which the entire room gladly joined in when prompted. A brief pause as Kip told the crowd how he felt that even after all these years Winger are once again on the up. If any proof was needed Winger had already been promoted to the main stage of the O2 where only last year they played in the box room known as the Academy 2. Filled with honest appreciation and clearly humbled we were next treated to another run of great hits and anthems including Hungry and Down Incognito both of which showed that if anything Wingers voice had vastly improved since the 80’s. The passion in which not just Winger, but the entire band showed for their music as they swung about the stage was a great sight to see, this in turn transmitted to the hardcore fans who returned the favour by singing every note of every song while giving each track its deserved ovation.
Soon we were treated to a glorious bluesy solo from John Roth (also of Starship) as the rest of the band left the stage. Showing off his 40 years of talent, Roth presented us with a brief yet faultless solo that was as smooth as cut crystal. Moving up the timeline now and a few tracks from Winger's latest albums Better Days Commin’ and Karma were dispatched with equal skill and ability. The stand out of these tracks was Rat Race which was delivered with energy and vigour that some modern bands could only dream to provide... believe me, I've seen it. After a solid and tight drum solo Kip retreated behind a keyboard and once again showed off his voice and songwriting skills as the band flawlessly delivered ballads Miles Away and Heading For A Heartbreak. With some arms in the crowd swaying and the odd lighter and phone held high it was clear that both the crowd and the band were loving every second of this gig. To pick up the pace again we were given what was to be the third and final solo of the night, this time provided by Reb Beach (not before Kip jokingly listed twenty plus bands that Reb had played for). But that didn't matter as right now he was on stage for us… and wow! The guy delivered a stunning face melting, glass shattering solo that brought the crowd to a bellowing applause. Alas everything great must come to an end but not before the band thumped out two final tracks; the career making Seventeen and to finish an energy filled cover of Van Halen's Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love with the lucky Nigel on bass who was plucked from the audience allowing Kip to jump about the stage and mingle in the crowd to finish. And a fine job Nigel did too, well done sir!
There were no patronising comments or looks of annoyance as the crowd joined in with the banter in between songs here, and this is what live music should be about. As far as the band were concerned they were one on the same as their fans, the only difference being they had come with instruments and boy, did they know how to play them?! Whether or not you really like this brand of in your face bouncing slightly cheesy rock, it doesn't really matter as the sheer enthusiasm and love that these guys showed for their music, together with their honest appreciation to be back where they belong made this a classy yet fun filled brilliant night of old school 80’s rock that everyone could enjoy. Proving once again that even bands getting on for three decades old can still wipe the floor with Modern chart music. 10/10

(If I could add my two cents as it were I agree with Nick 100% I've seen Poison, Ratt, Motley Crue, Cinderella etc and not one of them came close to Winger the only ones that could ever or would ever would be Van Halen but as it looks like we will have no chance to see them, Winger are possibly the finest example of 80's rock. Don't let the Beavis and Butthead ridicule fool you, Winger are 50 times heavier live than on record, they seem to be enjoying every minute of playing and they show a technical ferocity that many bands even today lack. As I said to Nick on the night Winger could quite possibly be the Dream Theater of hairspray fuelled 80's rock)

The Atlas Moth: The Old Believer (Profound Lore Records)

The Atlas Moth are post metal band from Chicago, Illinois and The Old Believer is their third album, I've never really heard much from them so I looked upon this as an opportunity to check out a band that I had heard of but never actually listened too. From the pulsing sonics of Jet Black Passenger things start off well with three guitarist bringing a wall of noise and meaning that the songs all have waves of noise throughout. The drums smash and clatter on every track, the bass rumbles and rolls with a massively heavy undertone. As I said with three guitarists the band have a sound that is like sludge/stoner metal with lots of atmospherics coming from Andrew Ragin who provides guitars and synths. The other two guitarists Stavros Giannopoulos and David Kush respectively also provide the vocals with mix of one being harsh and deathy and the other having a booming melancholia similar to Nick Cave see The Sea Beyond which is like the sound of a seance. Imagine if you will Mastodon playing Katatonia songs and you get the jist of The Atlas Moth sounds, now as far as an album goes it works through various moods from the downtuned psychedelia of Halcyon Blvd which sounds like a bad LSD trip. yes The Atlas Moth have released a good third album which is a rich tapestry of noise but the vocals do grate a little after a while, good musically but not quite my thing. 6/10

Darkest Era: Severance (Cruz Del Sur Music)

Folk and metal go together very well indeed and with the added traditional metal riffage it gives Darkest Era an edge. Hailing from Northern Ireland Darkest Era merge classic metal with a folk edge to give them a feeling of Iron Maiden if they had Celtic roots. The riffs come thick and fast from Ade Mulgrew and Sarah Weighell with lots of modern metallic riffs but also the dual guitar attack of old Songs Of Gods And Men shows this with it's NWOBHM style guitar rundowns but also it has a percussion based middle section before the solo's kick in. As far as the rest of the band goes Lisa Howe's drums are great with lots of pace and precision, Daniel O'Toole's bass is the bands anchor and the vocals of Krum are like Hansi Kursch in his mid-range and all the better for it, they fit perfectly and on The Serpent And The Shadow they have the same kind of rampaging metal of Grand Magus and also Twilight Of The Gods with it's chant of "Blood for Blood" and it moves into the slower paced Beyond The Grey Veil which brings the Celtic flair to things. Yes any band from Northern Ireland will be compared with both Thin Lizzy and Primordial and Darkest Era merge both with some excellent black metal drumming on Trapped In The Hourglass which big headbanging section at the last third! Finally the album is rounded off with the most epic track on the album the 7 minute plus Blood, Sand And Stone. This album is very good, filled with lots of dark imagery, some powerful emotive songs, strong vocals and some seriously good musicianship. The production too is great highlighting all of the best areas and showing all of the bands great songwriting. If you like your metal with a bit of Celtic flavour, lots of riffs but not full of the normal myths and monsters schtick then check out Darkest Era as you won't be disappointed. 8/10

Night Mistress: Into The Madness (Power Prog Records)

So if you are on a record label called Power Prog Records then that does kind of limit to what style of metal you play. No Br00tal deathcrust here I think! No this is rampaging riffs, killer solos and sky cracking vocals with all the other speed/power metal bands. With an over arching similarity to latter Priest, Beyond Fear and German loons Primal Fear, these Poles are very much in the speed/power metal bracket with all of the things I just mentioned. Chris Sokolowski's voice soars; part Ralf Scheepers, part Tim 'Ripper' Owens and with a big range and ear shattering high notes that mix perfectly with the twin guitars of Robert Kazanowski and Arek Cieśla both of whom do their best Downing and Tipton impression with their thrash-like riffs and melodic twin soloing that is aided by the superior drums of Dominik Wójcik and the galloping bass of Artur Pochwala who also provides the Scorpions-like intro to Walking On Air. Hand Of God is pure Priest, Madman and Hell Race have the silliness of Primal Fear while The Place I Belong has more of an Iced Earth feel to it with the mix of thoughtful lyrics and massive riffage that Mr Schaffer would be proud of. Oh yes this not your regular cheesy power metal this is heavy, thrash influenced speed metal with lots of Judas Priest sounding tracks straight out of the Painkiller era, with a bit of Maiden thrown in on Longing For The Devil. This is the album Ripper should have made with Priest back when he was a frontman, it's a good job that Night Mistress have done it for them then!! 8/10

Crosswind: Vicious Dominion (No Remorse Records)

Greek power metal is a genre that has produced some great bands, first is the mighty Firewind (from Greece you know?) then onto other bands like Innerwish and Phantom Lord who have been promoting Hellenic power metal for while now but Crosswind have come to threaten the crown and they do so with gusto! With the orchestral From Ashes Reborn everything goes a bit Stratovarius with some chanting choirs and an ominous movie-like feel which builds into a crescendo that ends with the first 'proper' track Lords Of Deficit which has some savage riffage, rampaging drums and the choral flourishes from the intro track (a theme that is continued throughout the album). From this track you learn everything you need to know about Crosswind they are a much heavier prospect than a lot of their peers with the kind of riffs reserved for Symphony X, a band with whom they share a lot of similarities. The guitarists Leon Tsorbatzoglou and Kyriakos Vasdokas play off each other very well providing some great guitar lines and sublime soloing, the rhythm section of Vasilis Kyrkos (bass) and Vasilis Mitsaris (drums) mean that the band are heavier much heavier in nature than some of the more poppy power metal out there. They have the same kind of blast beats Dragonforce, Brainstorm and indeed Symphony X use it just means that Crosswind have some serious grunt to their power metal similar also to kinsmen Firewind. Their jewel in the crown is singer Vasilis Topalidis who has a hell of a voice, it is quite literally perfect, his mid range is strong and gritty but his highs are stratospheric, see Angels At War for all the proof you need of this, he is part Russell Allen (Vicious Dominion) part Tony Kakko (Aeons). I haven't heard a power metal album this good in a long time, especially one from a band on their debut! This is stirring stuff, they have everything power metal is known for in droves, with the awesome songs, headbanging riffs, amazing vocals and production so clean you can hear every note this album could creep onto my albums of the year! 10/10

Kröwnn: Magmafröst (PRC Music)

A three piece from Italy that play traditional fuzz drenched, doom metal, steeped in slow moving, heavy downtuned riffs that are usually only the reserve of Electric Wizard and Cathedral with some nods to the stoner haze of Down and Monster Magnet. The 7 minute Skeksis Dance has the slow brooding riff that smashes your head for its duration, riff master general Michele el Lello Carnielli provides the six strings of terror leading the charge for his band made up of all female rhythm section of Elena Fiorenzano's drums and Silvia Selvaggia Rossato's bass, these ladies are no slouches either with the kind of muscular backing that Orange Goblin and indeed the mighty Sabbath have. Another monolith of a track is the 8 minute Wyvernking which moves through the phases with spiralling psych and swirling drug addled hysteria. Carnielli's voice too is good having the hazy drawl of Dave Wyndorf or indeed Zakk Wylde, this is most evident on Wölfhunt which has a great change of pace that Mr Wyndorf would be proud of. Kröwnn have the sound of band raised on nothing but the first four Black Sabbath albums (similar then to Electric Wizard) and when the homage is this strong this is no bad thing, every track has riff after riff Carnielli emulating the Iron Man but he does it with such skill that it's hard to find fault in that, To Minas Morgul (yes folks Lord Of The Rings references too!) shows this off best with the final 2/3rds of the song dedicated to heavyweight jamming. No nothing new, nothing post Vol 4 but you do get 6 (8 with an intro and outro) of bone rattling slabs of traditional doom metal ready for the next time you need to shake a house to its foundations or indeed attain a new level of consciousness this may just be your soundtrack. 8/10

EnkElination: Tears Of Lust (Self Released)

So yes I realise that this part of the blog is reserved from metal around the world but sometimes you have to look home to find a good band you may have missed. EnkElination have a Finnish singer so that puts them into this category and their name too is Finnish meaning Angel so theres that in their favour too (Anyway it's my blog I'll do what I want). I digress, so back on to EnkElination's debut album, with a female singer and an album called Tears Of Lust you are probably thinking of Within Temptation, Delain, Nightwish and bands of that ilk and as soon as the crystalline operatic vocals of Elina start on the title track you realise that you are spot on this is melodic, operatic metal with some hard rock flourishes brought by guitarist Shadow who provides a killer solos throughout especially on Never Ending, Lullaby and many others. He is aided by bassist Alasdair, drummer Ben and a great heaving whack of synths. Yes with a sound similar to early Within Temptation especially on Higher Ground and the piano ballad Lullaby but they add enough of their own flourishes to separate them from the other bands of their ilk. EnkElination have a sound that somewhat flooded the market a few years ago but they do what they do well, the songs are well written, well composed and most of all well played with everyone giving 100% to every song. Elina really does have an amazing voice full of soprano power and also some fragility much like Amanda Somerville and Floor Jansen, see final showstopping track Last Time Together. With the metallic chug of Gothic fantasy based Chimeras, which continues on Changeling, the relentless drumming on Abyss on which Elina turns to the dark side. A great debut by a band with a D.I.Y attitude, they have already gathered support slots for Van Canto and others and these look to continue on the basis of this album. A fine effort indeed! 8/10

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Out Of The Beyond 33

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