Devilment: The Great And Secret Show (Nuclear Blast)

Devilment was formed by guitarist Daniel Finch in 2011, but with ever changing line up Daniel reached out to his friend Dani Filth (he of Cradle Of Filth fame) to help out on a few songs, the two worked together on demos before acquiring a stable line-up of Nick Johnson bass, Colin Parks on lead guitar, Lauren Francis on vocals and keyboards and Aaron Boast on drums and percussion. The album is not what you expect this is more of a classic metal record than the black metal you'd expect from Filth with only Stake In My Heart sounding more like Cradle than the others. Yes even the tongue in cheek aspect of the Lovecraftian, horror theme lyrics remains from his Cradle project with titles like Even Your Blood Group Rejects Me which is almost Vaudevillian in it's sound but also bringing in elements of Type O Negative and southern groove swagger. But for the most part this is more straight up metal as I've said, with Summer Arteries having a groove based delivery backed with electronics, the twin guitars are excellent, the drums still blast beat away with aplomb, the keys and samples add an extra dimension to all of the songs with the jazz piano and violins on Staring At The Werewolf Corps. Filth giving his best vocal throughout his guttural roar and screech is still present but he sings a lot more on this record than on any Cradle release, his vocals too work well with Laura Francis who has a more ethereal quality of vocal. I don't really know what I was expecting from this album but I actually enjoyed it a lot, the music is good with lashings of groove, elements of thrash, a dollop of classic metal, Filth's vocals are enjoyable for the most part (his voice is one of the bugbears of Cradle for me), as a project this is great little distraction from Filth's day job with some very strong songs and perfect modern production from Scott Atkins, more of this please! 8/10    

The BossHoss: God Loves Cowboys (Independent)

God Loves Cowboys is a compilation album from German, Country rock and rollers The BossHoss, now if you've never heard of The BossHoss then they are a German band that dress as cowboys, adopt Southern mannerisms and play covers and originals in a country rock style along with other styles to boot. As I've said this is the seven strong band's UK only compilation released to coincide with their support of Motorhead on their UK tour. Now the band have called this a compilation album not a greatest hits or a best of because it is a collection of their most well known songs, live staples and two covers. The band mix rock, country, blues and as well as hip hop, funk and disco actually have a lot in common with Danes Volbeat. From the outset of Bullpower the scene is set for rampaging, cattle rustling rock and roll, that moves straight into Whatever which is percussive and off-kilter with some crazy brass and a stylophone (yes a stylophone). This song shows what a seven piece band can do with two guitars, drums, bass (upright and electric) as well as washboard, mouth harp, keytar and mandolin as well as some howling rockabilly vocals on top from vocalist Boss Burns and guitarist Hoss Power. God Loves Cowboy's is hip hop with processed beats and even a bit of rapping thrown in showing this bands scope as they drive straight into the funk of Do It which has the bassline from Superstitious driving it along. Stallion Battalion is an acoustic cowboy punk and Backdoor Man has swamp blues all the way through it and a party atmosphere. With this unique mix of sounds The BossHoss are a truly unique band and it means that this album never gets boring, with irreverent songs, a good time atmosphere and some top drawer musicanship the album has 14 excellent originals and two clever covers; a rockabilly, mandolin driven cover of Killers by their tour mates Motorhead and a cover of Word Up by Cameo (recently featured on a VO5 advert). God Loves Cowboys is a great album for people who are unfamiliar with The BossHoss and gives you a great incite into this unique band. 8/10   

Giant Squid: Minoans (Translation Lost Records)

Giant Squid are a post metal/progressive rock band from Sacramento California, Minoans is a concept album with a historically accurate perspective on the ancient culture of the Minoans who originated from Crete, so this is high concept territory folks meaning that many will be lose their way a bit with the lyrical content unless they read along with the liner notes. So then the band have to impress with the music, which is something they really do, encompassing doom riffs Thera and Palace Of Knossos, lots of instrumental passages, elements of jazz in The Pearl And The Parthanon, some modern prog metal lots of atmosphere see slow burning opener Minoans. Nothing about this band is simple, the songs are complex as is the bands line up with three vocalist working in unison one hollering lead, one higher cleaner lead and one female harmony which means the songs have an almost choral feel vocally. They also use the traditional instruments of a guitar from Aaron Gregory, the bass of Bryan Beeson and drums from Zack Farwell but also have keys from Andy Southward and a full time cello player on board in the shape of Jackie Perez Gratz which adds an extra dimension to this album. As is the norm with bands of this ilk this a record that needs to be taken in one sitting, not a flash in the pan instant gratification album, it is one that slowly releases its charms over many listens, for some that may not appeal but for others it will make them salivate at the thought. 7/10

Robert Plant & Last Internationale, Newport Centre

To see the mighty Percy in such a small venue is a rare treat and our number lapped it up as we walked into the venue nice and early, the security still waiting outside, as one of our number was not at all well we had negotiated early access, however as we sat in the bar we were suddenly ushered out, in what was starting to turn into a clusterfuck, as the minutes wore on the cluster exploded into a supernova of stupidity, with no one, especially the security knowing what the hell was going on. So apparently we all had to be searched in, even though 10 minutes previously we had strolled in nonchalantly. So our poorly member was allowed to stay with one 'helper' and the other two in our party (including me) had to leave and queue, in what seemed to be a never-ending line.

Still after this rampant fuckwittery, we managed to get in and the rest of our party had secured a seat near the back of the room (as is the norm of course). With the room filling and the electricity building it was time for the support band The Last Internationale.

Last Internationale

As Gil Scott Heron's vitriolic anthem The Revolution Will Not Be Televised came over the P.A many guessed that The Last Internationale may have a message and as frontwoman Deilia Paz arrived on stage she slung on an acoustic and started to play, the song was Worker's Of The World Unite (based on Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto) and Deilia began to roar, her voice supremely powerful and her resolve unwavering, this indeed was a band with a meaasge and indeed chops as when the rest of the band arrived guitarist Edgey Pires began to peel off riffs and solos like a certain Mr Page merged with a certain Mr Morello (who himself is a fan of the band). Paz took the bass and began to stalk the stage providing the funky bottom end and her primal shout, part Krissy Hynde, part Suzi Quatro she is a fire cracker frontwoman, the band moved through Killing Fields, Life, Liberty And Pursuit Of Indian Blood, Fire and We Will Reign from their latest album of the same name (available on the merch stand for £15 folks!!). These New Yorkers have a lot of fire and fury delivering their agenda with passion and power, the set concluded with Paz adopting the acoustic guitar again, along with a harmonica to play a note perfect cover of Neil Young's Hey Hey, My My. You don't have to agree with the ideology but you can't fault the music, sledgehammer riffs, reverbed solos and a siren with a banshee's voice. Perfect opening fodder for Zep/Plant fans. 8/10

Robert Plant

Seeing the set lists that Percy had been playing it was a solid mix of his new stuff, old solo stuff and obviously some Zep classics (albeit slightly re-imagined). The throbbing electronic beat of No Quarter opened the evening sticking to the original for the most part before his multi instrmental band the switched instruments to bayou banjos and mandolins for the swamp stomp of Poor Howard. This would be a theme for the night as the much of Plant's set and indeed the songs on Lullaby.... And The Ceaseless Roar are all influenced by or indeed drawn from the Mississippi Delta. Bassist Billy Fuller and drummer Dave Smith left the stage leaving just the leonine Plant, Mountain man Skin Tyson on banjo, rockabilly madman Justin Adams on acoustic guitar and John Baggott who was bedecked in a leather shirt on keys,, loops etc for a run through of All The Kings Horses from the Mighty ReArranger album (these three men were all part of the Strange Sensation group, that performed on this album). So far so awesome, Percy can still sing like a man a third of his age, he is still every inch a rock god strutting and prowling the stage, he is also affable making jokes and putting everyone in the audience at ease (and thereby resisting the urge to shout "We're Not Worthy!!" at the the top of your lungs). Next up was Thank You which is still as emotive as it ever was before they worked their way through more songs from the latest album all of which brought together world music and especially the amazing Ritti from Juldeh Camara who is this bands secret weapon, he adds his flourishes to both the originals and the blues covers, as far as the original songs go Embrace Another Fall is majestic and features the Welsh language vocals of Julie Murphy and Rainbow is a percussive clap along with a drum for everyone and a hand full of joy, Plant crooning like it was the old days. After building throughout the set came to it's conclusion with the Adams playing the 12 bar boogie of Hoochie Coochie Man, which shifted into Etta James'I Just Wanna Make Love To You (possibly a 50+ Diet Coke moment?) but as the shuffle continued Plant uttered those immortal words "You need coolin', Baby I'm not foolin'" which in turn led to THAT riff and the evergreen Whole Lotta Love to finish the main set. With the crowd in his hands Plant could have read the dictionary for the encore but he didn't a short break and he was back with a lounge jazz version of Nobody's Fault But Mine which warped the original brilliantly before the folk/trance of Little Maggie ending things on a fantastic high. Seeing Percy in his natural habitat is always a treat but he does seem to be enjoying himself thoroughly on stage every night, with Page concentrating on remastering the past, Plant looks to the future and steadfastly refuses to look back. Still he will always be in the shadow of Zeppelin something highlighted by iconic feather symbol on the drumkit of Smith showing that it will always be there in the background as Plant and his Space Shifters progress on their cosmic journey. Simply stunning!! 10/10                

At The Gates: At War With Reality (Century Media) [Review By Paul]

It has been 19 years since At the Gates released Slaughter of the Soul, widely regarded as a classic in the world of melodic death metal. At War with Reality continues with the driving no-nonsense attack that SOTS left back in 1995. A concept album based on the literary genre of magic realism (Okay!), At War with Reality showcases the vocal prowess of Tomas Lindberg, whose screaming strained delivery launched many a Swedish and Scandinavian death metal outfit. The drumming of Adrian Erlandsson combines with Jonas Björler’s soaring bass lines whilst the twin guitar attack of Anders Björler and Martin Larsson supply heavy riffs, driving melodies and subtle movement. Opening with Death and the Labyrinth, it is full of the melody and groove that compatriots such as In Flames possess in spades. As befits the concept, many of the tracks are laced with haunting atmospheric almost operatic style breakdowns; case in point being Heroes and Tombs. As the album builds the songs increase in intensity and speed; The Conspiracy Of The Blind for example; all thrash attack with the rhythm section propelling the band forward. It certainly doesn't feel like these guys have been out of the studio for nearly two decades and tracks such as Order And Chaos and The Book of Sand is complex in their construction. A welcome return to a band that was so influential first time around. 8/10

Warrant: Metal Bridge (Pure Steel Records)

Firstly this is not the american Glam metal band, whose singer Jani Lane tragically died recently, no this is the German Warrant a band who released their first album in 1985 and split shortly after, still they worked through it and have finally reformed and have finally released their second album called Metal Bridge. Strangely enough it's not a tribute to Victorian bridge builder Isambard Kingdom Brunel, which was disappointing but still it is an album filled with the kind of Teutonic speed metal the Germans do so well. After the intro comes Asylum which is atypical of German heavy metal with rampaging riffage from Dirk Preylowski, driving drums from Thomas Rosemann and a hearty gallop from bassist Jörg Juraschek who also provides the gruff vocals that are slightly Udo-like. Yes sorry folks we've arrived at that juncture where I have to make a comparison and the comparison is with Accept, Warrant do sound a lot like Accept and after 15 tracks it does get a bit wearing. This is just relentless metallic assault that simmers but never really boils over. This could in fact be a contributing reason why Warrant are only on their second album since 1985! They are competent but not a lot more, Metal Bridge is not a particularly inspiring record, well played but as I have said it is a bit over long with one too many filler tracks, meaning that it becomes a test of patience towards the end. For die hard Teutonic metal fans this will appeal but like I said for everyone else it is competent but nothing more. 6/10

Enemy Of Reality: Rejected Gods (FYB Records)

Enemy Of Reality are a Greek symphonic metal super group featuring members from a few other Greek bands, they are traditional symphonic metal with the vocals coming from Soprano Iliana Tsakiraki who has an astounding voice, similar in power and style to Tarja, she soars above the crunchy metallic backing of Steelianos' great guitar playing, Marianthi's keyboard flourishes, Thanos' bass and Phillip Stones drums. Opening track My Own Master is a speed metal track that has elements of Symphony X on it due to a driving bassline from Mike LePond who aides the speedy riff, next up is the slower more orchestral Lifeless Eyes which is a real anthem and features Marianthi's keys prominently, Needle Bites is a progressive track with shifting backing a hell of a solo and features Iliana duetting with Sirena's Ailyn Giménez their two voices interplaying excellently. The songs on this record are brilliantly delivered with all of the musicians working well together, the rhythm section is heavy and technical, the guitars shred and solo with aplomb, the keys are melodic and epic and the vocals are astounding. In what is a very congested genre Enemy Of Reality stand out as they give much heavier and indeed progressive style of music than many of their peers and to this writers ears they sound a lot like American band Echoes Of Eden who have the same style of progressive/symphonic metal, they are their most progressive on Her Descending Ghost and their most rousing on the heavyweight choral/classical crossover The Bargaining which has heaps of power behind it. Rejected Gods is a real treat for symphonic metal fans but it will also bring in others with it's progressive tendencies. 8/10   

Pink Floyd: The Endless River (Parlophone Records)

Never a band to rush things legendary prog veterans Pink Floyd finally release a new album, 20 years after their last album Division Bell. Now I say this is a new album when what I should say is that The Endless River is the most recent album as much of it is not entirely new, much of the music was recorded during the Division Bell sessions and latterly David Gilmour has built up the majority of this album from keyboard passages that the late Richard Wright created for their 1994 album. Wright has writer credits for most of the album with Gilmour and Mason taking up the other parts.

Things start off in the age old fashion of an atmospheric introductory piece to set the mood Things Left Unsaid is possibly one of the most emotive pieces on the record with Gilmour's guitar building and simmering before Wright's organs kick in on It's What We Do which shows this similar in style to Shine On... and the opening salvo from Division Bell; Cluster One. It's here we finally get the guitar flourishes Gilmour is known for as Wright's keys become the backing they have always been, he truly was the master of atmosphere, the concrete that the rest of the band can build on, Mason's drums too are jazzy and lucid keeping the beat as again we are transported into Ebb And Flow on which Gilmour matches Wright's piano with an E-Bow. This brings to an end the first part of this four part record, each 'side' is linked but distinctly different.

Side 2 starts with Sum which builds on a repetitive synth riff with Mason bringing a more tribal style of drumming, all toms, and once again the guitars touch the sky, Skins continues the theme with more toms and even a gong with Youth adding effects to the track, Unsung is a bridge between things transitioning into Anisia is a piano Gilmour-only track based track mainly which has some soulful sax added for good measure and indeed posterity (what is Floyd without the addition of Sax). The album is mostly instrumental with the occasional choral chant adding to the songs but for the most part their are no words, it is Floyd at it's purest taking you on a journey through the bands varying style and also indeed their emotions for their lost friend.

Side 3 is the shortest made up of a few just over a minute track and one longer one. It starts with the plaintive The Lost Art Of Conversation starting things off with a solitary piano, before the jazz of On Noodle Street does exactly that, noodle, before Night Light shines (sorry) on Cluster One with it's atmospheric E-Bow, the oldies will be pleased with Allons-Y (1) and Allons-Y (2) as they have the staccato guitar of Run Like Hell, they bookend the the dreamy Autumn '68 which features Wright on the Royal Albert Hall's organ, the final part to this side features the first 'vocal' with Professor Stephen Hawking once again contributing on Talkin' Hawkin'which is a sequel too and outtakes from Keep Talking on Division Bell.

Side 4 is the finale of all that has come before the haunting sadness of Calling does it's best to break your heart as it manoeuvres into the acoustically led Eyes To Pearls, which has throbbing bass behind it as well as effects to layer it, again we get the stunning guitar work of Gilmour on Surfacing as the emotion ramps up for this final part, the 'oohs' in the background are the fore runner for the final track Louder Than Words which repeats the outright emotion of the first track while adding a string section and finally vocals from Gilmour who hasn't changed vocally at all, the song is a romantic paean to days gone by and also to Wright who is indeed the soul of Floyd and is the final notes you hear as the track fades.

So is the record a masterpiece or is it just a hodge-podge of Floydisms that much of the media and indeed the recording notes suggest? Well in truth no it isn't either of these things Pink Floyd don't need another masterpiece and there are many will just see this as a over indulgent piece of work that draws to heavily from the bands history without really trying to improve anything, but these people miss the point, what this record actually is, is a glowing tribute to a fallen friend and the last compositions in an incredible career of of one of the most influential bands in music history. The story for Floyd is over (if you believe the members) and I for one think that there really isn't another way to end their career than with a record like The Endless River as the band have tied up all the loose ends and finally put the beast to sleep, not with a bang but by lulling it into a blissful retirement. 8/10        

Hard Rock Hell, Hafan-Y-Mor Park, Pwllheli

The five-ish hour drive to Hafan-Y-Mor is always a good run with friends and stopping at The Sportsman's in Porth Madog for the finest pub sandwich I've ever had along with some locally made ale (which we duly stocked up on at the brewery) was a great idea by Mr H who was driving and using is knowledge of the area to make sure everything went swimmingly. After buying all the bacon and cider we could then we finally set off on the final leg of the journey to the hallowed ground of Haven. Check in was at 4pm and we arrived duly at 3:59, before joining the queue to get our pack and then on to finding our Caravan (yes folks no tents here) and unloading. After this it was time for some drinks before heading into the arena for do what we came to do; watch some fine rock music.

Thursday

Midnight Messiah

First up were Midnight Messiah comprised of former members of NWOBHM also-rans Elixir, these two men were the leather clad, silver fox Paul Taylor, who has the best hair this side of Biff Byford and sunglasses wearing axe slinger Phil Denton. They were the writing team in Elixir and to be honest MM sound like Elixir they are bouncy, competent classic metal with dual guitars, coming from Denton and wunderkid Dave Strange, the bass gallop of Alex Machell and metronomic drumming of Darren Lee. With some good songs getting heads nodding and fists pumping MM were the perfect opening to this festival for the drinking masses gathered there. Nothing special but a band I'd see again due to the entertainment value alone. 8/10


Massive Wagons

Massive Wagons are hailed as the greatest new thing but they really...aren't at all. They are very samey, generic modern rock with almost unlistenable vocals, still somehow the crowd were going nuts to the band. Maybe it's just me... 4/10

Lizzy Borden

 Things unfortunately were about to get worse as the man who I've always thought of as a budget Alice Cooper and my thoughts were proven right. The visuals were there with frequent costume changes from frontman Lizzy. However the music was dire American sleaze metal which was made worse by a fucking BASS SOLO!! That was enough for us and we retreated back to the frozen wastes of the caravan for some more warming beer and some rest ready for our full day on Friday. 3/10

Friday

Friday and as the dust of the previous day settled and indeed the minor hangovers subsided (due in part to the lashings of bacon) it was time to put down a couple of drinks and once again heading into the arena.

Piston

First up were Piston who played a solid chunky style of blues rock with a southern swagger and indeed Northern accents. Their songs were good and one even had a element of CCR to it, what really struck me was the voice of singer Steve Nunn he can really belt it out however I was a bit sad to learn that this was going to be his last gig with the band due to other commitments and throat problems, that is a shame but he powered through their set which culminated with a turbocharged version of CCR's Proud Mary. I'll be interested to see where the band go from here but on this showing they have some big shoes to fill. 7/10

SKAM

Next up was Leicester power trio SKAM who bring some riff heavy, radio friendly songs and buckets of attitude to the table. Having seen them at the Steelhouse Festival, I knew what to expect form this trio but the band are now armed with a great second album which has some big tunes on it so I wanted to see how these translated into the live arena, luckily the answer is bloody well indeed with big riffs from Steve Hill's guitar and Matt Gilmore's bass and a rigid backline from Neal Hill. SKAM are a great band who have become a real live draw from their tours with Airborne. Worth seeing if you like your rock big, ballsy and ideal for drinking beer. 7/10

Fire Red Empress

Having recently watched FRE in Bristol it was great to see them again utilising their big stoner riffs to beat the second stage around the head, once again it was the job of enigmatic frontman Nik to bring everyone together with his affable style and his great voice. Fire Red Empress bring some hefty slabs of rock to the table and got the crowd joining heartily, beer in hand, pumping their fists and bobbing their heads. A perfect band for  heavy drinking session. 7/10

Persian Risk

So then to business, nothing (depite my protestations) was going to stop us seeing Persian Risk. The band were from the NWOBHM era and hail from our home town of Cardiff, formed by Phil Campbell, now of Motorhead and John Deverill who went on to join Tygers Of Pan Tang. The band are now lead by vocalist Carl Sentance and bassist Nick Hughes and maintain the classic British NWOBHM style that they started with. Because of the emotional attachment we turned up and immediately the party started mixing their last album Once A King and their new album Who Am I. The riffs came thick and fast with Carl's excellent voice bringing everything together. The abnd has as much charisma as they did back in Bogiez and they also have some great metal tunes ripe for shouting along to. Pure leather clad Brit metal supreme!! 9/10

Electric Mary

Over then to the main stage for Aussie hard rockers Electric Mary who play classic Stones-like retro rock, with jangly guitars, a bluesy beat and smoky vocals. I've been waiting for this for a while and the band didn't disappoint, we only caught the final part of their set but they were the perfect come down after the excitement of Persian Risk. Bluesy, rocky and with real charm Electric Mary were worth the wait. 7/10

Buffalo Summer

The summer rock vibe continued with yet more Welshies this time Buffalo Summer who kicked things off with She's All Natural and A Horse Called Freedom the band blend classic Zep style rock with a modern rock twist and they managed to weave their spell over the crowd with their mature hard rock. As the percussive stomp of Down To The River which led into the Into Your Headand ended the set in style, a band that is going places fast. 7/10

A break for food and I must say that the Fish and chips (and of course mushy peas) are very good at HRH better than any of the other fast food places on the site. (7/10) Still on to the next with two of us really looking forward to this one:

The Brew

We have seemed to have a problem with the The Brew, every time we've gone to see them they seemed to have cancelled the performance. So now they were cornered and we had to see them this time. What we got was solid blues rock form a talented  three piece drawing most of their set from their latest album with Repeat, Mute, Pause, Skip, and Shuffle. Their hard rocking music perfectly compliments fish and chips and the band themselves draw elements of Zeppelin, The Who and those classic hard rocking bands. Jason Barwick is a hell of a guitarist channelling Jimmy Page and has a great blues howl as well, bassist Kurtis Smith is completely mental and his son smashes hell out of the drums. Finally Booing is full of screaming guitars with Barwick going full Page using a bow on his guitar, however the band made a small faux pa by ending with a bloody DRUM SOLO!!!! Still it was great to finally see them in the flesh and I can't wait to see them again. 7/10

Y&T (Again)

I'm not going to linger on this one but I will say they were still as good as they had been in Cardiff. A greatest hits set with I Believe In You ending the shorter set to a packed crowd. Overall they were great one punter in the loo put it played all the hits except the famous one (that being fan pleaser Forever) 7/10

Krokus

Having never seen Krokus I was kind of looking forward to Long Stick Goes Boom and as they kicked off I was appeased. The band are competent but this Swiss band sound so much like AC/DC it hurts something that shocked Mr Hewitt to his core much to our hilarity. The set was full of rockers with LSGB, Hellraiser, Bedside Radio all getting an airing however they killed momentum a bit with ballad Screaming In The Night, but for the most part good solid hard rock that pleased our old school leader Paul. 7/10

Queensrÿche
Last minute headliner replacements Queensrÿche were next and I was hoping they were going to be better than when I saw them with original singer Geoff Tate. New singer Todd LaTorre sounds so much Tate on record I was interested to see how he would fair live and also how they would win over an audience expecting W.A.S.P. They coped brilliantly with a simply flawless delivery of a hit filled set that covered all bases. As opener Nightrider kicked things off LaTorre proved all the doubters wrong with his voice, it is truly spectacular if you close your eyes you couldn't tell the difference between him and Tate. The band worked through the anthemic Walk In My Shadows before going through The Whisper and En Route and into Warning. For a band that had one hell of a trip in, this was their only show in UK and after playing they went straight back to the USA after the show. The band made up for a dual guitar solo set with The Lady Wore Black, Eyes Of A Stranger and the finale of Empire. The band were on fire with original member Michael Wilton shredding up a storm, unfortunately there was a much smaller crowd for Queensrÿche than for Y&T, but their progressive style metal is more of acquired taste. Still we were loving it Mr Hewitt especially was in another place for most of the set and as the triple encore of Queen Of The Reich, Jet City Woman and Take Hold The Flame ended we were all losing our voices shouting along. An amazing set from an amazing band who have risen above the legal shenanigans to readdress what's important. Now who's for a UK headline tour!? 9/10

Saturday

Saturday and again we shook off the night before to head into the arena for Black State Highway

Black State Highway

Black State Highway play earthy rootsy blues rock by a young band with great chops. Formed at the Brighton School of Modern Music they are all accomplished musicians with a worldwide membership, the guitarists Ollie and Yonnis are English and Swedish respectively, bassist Gordon Duncan is Scottish, their drummer is ginger (so his biography says and I can confirm) and singer Liva is from Latvia. The band play 70's style grungy blues rock with big meaty songs bolstered by the bombshell up front as she has both a hell of an attitude and a great set of pipes, she wins ballsiest singer of the weekend hands down. A great set that was let down a little by the muddy sound, still a band full of passion and a real fire for performance, ones to watch for sure. 7/10

Blues Pills

More female vocals but a total change of pace as the bluesy, psychedelic retro rock of The Blues Pills was coming up and they impressed with some superb musicianship the thunderous drums of André Kvarnström were the perfect anchor for the driving finger picked bass of Zack Anderson and it was all topped by the sublime flowing guitar passages from Dorian Sorriaux who plays the guitar deftly providing the songs with their otherworldly quality. Finally the bands ace in the hole are the Joplin-like vocal preach from frontwoman Elin Larsson who is a woman loses herself in the music as she rocks out while the bands play their extensive instrumental sections, drawing much of their set from their debut the songs translate from the record well and the band jam a little on them too allowing them to show off their chops and create a real vibe from the opening double song transfer to finale of Devil Man. The Blues Pills are a genuinely excellent rock band that draw from their influences and bring them bang up to date. 9/10

Vardis

Having morphed from a NWOBHM artists into a blues band, Vardis still don't so much for me so onto the second stage. 5/10

Grifter

This is better!! Solid stoner riff rock with, big songs, big beards and a cover of Fairies Wear Boots? Count me in! Never heard much of Grifter but they won me round with their huge stoner riffs and gruff vocals, I think I may be checking out more of Grifter soon as they sounded very good at HRH. 7/10

Big Elf

Back to the mainstage for prog mentalists Big Elf. Musically the band were excellent but they were (perhaps deliberately) disjointed in terms of delivery. The key to the bands appeal is frontman Damon Fox who is part Lennon, Wood, Bolan mixed with John Lord, singing with vaudeville delivery and handling dual organs, keys and synths. No Mike Portnoy on this show but no matter John Wesley handled the guitars and Duffy Snowhill (like a hippy Sabertooth) handled bass and provided the rock riffs as a counterpoint to Fox's weirdness. However unfortunately for the band they were just too much of an acquired taste for the meat and two veg crowd so with much of the crowd disinterested they looked a little ponderous and a bit to much like hard work. Shame. 6/10

Thunder Mother

Over to the second stage with something a little more immediate with SheCee/DC of Thunder Mother. An all female group with hopping Angus aping guitarist and a set full of Acca Dacca riffs with country decked singer. Rocking and brainless music ruined for the most part by the terrible scratchy vocals. 4/10

Blackwolf

Thankfully things got a lot better with a Musipedia favourite the always very good, Bristol based Blackwolf. Straight out of the blocks their smooth blues based hard rock got the packed audience boogying away merrily with much shaking of hips and nodding of heads. The band always have such great playing and the irrepressible Scott who has great voice. Their brand of funky, hard rock with real swagger is always welcome and it was nice for more people to see how they've grown into a real red hot live act! 8/10

Diamond Head

The NWOBHM legends and Metallica's main influence were debuting a new vocalist who was good at the high stuff but lacked a little in the lower register. Still the band raced through a classic set with Lightning To The Nations and Helpless all getting an airing but still despite all the aggrandising the band are still middle of the road NWOBHM with the crowd really only coming alive for the perennial Am I Evil? 7

Michael Schenker

WOW!! That is really all the review you need but I'm afraid Schenker stole the show. He and his all star band really blew the roof off the place, kicking off with Doctor Doctor the set started as it meant to go on, with classic Scorpions Herman Rarebell and Francis Buchholz as the rhythm section, Wayne Findlay in the Paul Raymond role of guitars and keys and Doogie White on vocals he has assembled a band that could tackle anything. Luckily that is good as he does indeed tackle everything with UFO, MSG, Scorpions and of course their own songs, with Natural Thing, Armed And Ready, Victim Of Illusion, Lovedrive all making an appearance, Schenker showed off his guitar prowess with the instrumental Coast To Coast where he soloed like the legend he is. Lord Of The Lost and Lonely is a real romp and sets up Shoot Shoot very well which in turn exploded into Rock You Like  A Hurricane this got the crowd rocking like hurricanes indeed and allowed Findlay to show his solo chops. The show was spectacular with Schencker saying very little but White is a confident master of ceremonies getting progressively more Scottish as it went on turning into somewhere between David Coverdale and Billy Connelly. Finally it was time for Rock Bottom which once again ruined our voices and blew the guitar freaks mind as Schenker ripped up his fretborad like a demon casting light and shade in the mid section. Schenker rendered me and my colleagues speechless with  all the hits you need packed into one set. 10/10

Blue Oyster Cult

A real American legend of a band Blue Oyster Cult rarely play the UK so I couldn't pass up a chance to see them in the flesh. Playing a greatest hits set what struck me was just how slick the band were every member is a total pro playing their part beautifully and effortlessly, you get the feeling they could play any song from their repertoire at anytime and make it seem like they meant to. Buck Dharma is every inch guitar god with his headless guitar and Eric Bloom is the stoic frontman driving the rhythm with his guitar merging perfectly with Richie Castellano who contributes guitars and keys as well as vocals. In the back room they have Jules Radino on the tubs and Danny Miranda on bass who has served time with both BOC and Meat Loaf and seemed to enjoy playing tricks on Castellano throughout. Despite their aura of complete professionalism they have the aura of a pub band inviting Bikers, Beer Drinkers and Beatlemaniacs all to worship at the altar of the Cult. Starting with This Ain't No Summer Of Love kicks things off before Golden Age Of Leather and Burnin' For You. Dharma got ample time to show off in Buck's Boogie and also during the frankly stunning middle eight of Then Came The Last Days Of May which built up and up into a groin moistening crescendo and the reptile stomp of Godzilla brought back the hits before Hot Rails To Hell began to end the set and but took a mis-step with both a Bass and Drum solo consecutively, still if you are going to do something like that then follow it up with your biggest hit and as the cowbell struck Don't Fear The Reaper kicked in to full flight. With the crowd singing along the night was unfortunately over but with their big vocal harmonies and some killer songs the Cult climaxed in a triumphant end to their set. It has been a long wait but well worth it Blue Oyster Cult are a simply amazing live band and I was honoured to see them in their natural habitat. 9/10

So all in all a great weekend of rock, 20 something bands over three days, great friends, good times and a whole lot of awesome music. I love these events as they attract some fantastic bands and they have a much more relaxing atmosphere than most of the camping based festivals. Roll on March and lets do it all again!!

I.N.C: Black Hearse Serenade (Rising Records)
I.N.C stands for Indestructible Noise Command and that really is all you need to know, the band from Bridgeport Connecticut are old school thrash with some leanings towards the extreme side of things, the band originally broke up in 1988, but they built up enough funds to finance themselves without record company help and reformed in 2010. Black Hearse Serenade is their second album since their reformation and serves up a big heaving slab of intelligent thrash metal that bursts at the seams stretching the genre to its furthest point. The album is a concept album  "Set in Southern California, about a broken man, his congregation of runaways, junkies and lost souls and a murderous path to finality. A childhood filled with embarrassment and shame, born of religious zealotry and an overbearing mother, that broken child has now become a man." A real near the knuckle experience then with the story being backed by some razor wire riffs, machine gun drums and vocals that would make Anselmo quake in his boots, in fact think a thrashier Pantera and you wouldn't be far off this albums sound; especially on the groove filled Sainted Sinners which turns into Cyanide & Whiskey which funnily enough sounds like Down with it's big beatdown verses. The music in this album is a veritable mix of thrash, Southern rock and a heap of attitude all topped with sterling musicianship ; see The Lies We Devour guitar fans and some nice snarling vocals which turn to a solemn croon on the final track the atmospheric Love Like Napalm. I haven't heard much of I.N.C but this album is testament to their ability and most of all one that will get heads banging throughout. 8/10  

The Temperance Movement, Bristol

Following a hard weekend of some excellent quality classic rock and metal at Hard Rock Hell, a quiet night would have been welcome for some of your intrepid reviewers. However, because we are plain stupid, a mere four hours after getting back home, Matt and I (accompanied by Mrs H) were off to Bristol for another viewing of one of the most exciting live bands that the UK has produced for a long time.

Support band Raglans (7), disappointingly from Ireland and not the dirty ‘Port, were the second support act up (apologies to the openers but we were in the Hatchet). Delivering pretty standard indie style rock, they received a good reception from the already heaving Academy crowd. Energetic and enthusiastic, Raglans sounded rather generic to me but I'm probably not the most well placed to rate such a band. Mrs H appeared to enjoy them, and she knows a bit about indie.

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to see TTM twice in three days. Their sets back in April and early May oozed class and energy, as they worked through a set that comprised mainly tracks from their self-titled debut which had been finely polished in the live arena as a result of the endless touring that new bands have to do these days. Both of those gigs were special, with large crowds and massively enthusiastic responses. Having been holed up in Rockfield for several weeks, this gig was a bit more of a challenge for them. It was the start of another short tour and that difficult period in the career prior to the new album release where unfamiliar material has to stand shoulder to shoulder with the established songs in the live arena and hold up.

Well, I'm happy to report that TTM managed to dovetail their set splendidly, with a generous helping of new material (including a beautiful closing track) sandwiched in between some of their superb debut songs.  TTM picked a balanced set, ensuring that frontman Phil Campbell could deliver in his usual energetic style delivery, whirling around the stage like a dervish in the manner he has made his own. Decked out in leather coat, shades and Cossack hat, he sensibly had the lyrics for the new songs on a stand at the front of the stage although I'm not convinced he looked at them more than to change to the next song. The new stuff, as you’d expect, didn't quite have the smoothness of their earlier material, but demonstrated a more thoughtful, layered and textured level of composition; the creative juices are obviously flowing well within the band and they've been allowed to move away from the immediacy that any debut album has to have. Of course, they still have to deliver the goods on the older stuff and they did that all right. Midnight Black, Only Friend, Be Lucky and Take It Back got the crowd bouncing whilst the delicate strains of Smouldering and Chinese Lanterns slowed the pace at appropriate junctures.

TTM is not just Phil Campbell of course, and the rest of the band really does provide the musical support that allows him to lead from the front.  Technically, TTM is as good as anything that is around these days, with their combination of The Faces, Stones and Black Crowes style attracting a wide cross section in the audience.  Earlier in the year I felt that the band was on the verge of getting almost mainstream appreciation. Now I am convinced of it. Their next album is likely to climb high in the charts and I would not be surprised if the next time we get the opportunity to see them it will be in venues substantially bigger than the O2 Academy. Their end of year tour will be followed by their first venture to the USA, supporting another big favourite of the Musipedia crew, Blackberry Smoke on a tour I would kill to witness. At this stage, the world is there for the taking. Once again, something special and a pleasure to be present. 9/10

Ancient VVisdom: Rise Of An Ancient Evil (Prosthetic)

Texan outfit Ancient VVisdom have been plying their dark material for several years, with their 2011 debut A Godlike Inferno virtually all acoustic but having some of the most sinister undertones around. What struck me at the time was how demonic the band could sound, much of this due to the clarity of the vocal delivery of Nathan Opposition. The construction of their songs was complex and yet straightforward, acoustic riffs combining with the percussion and bass. Their latest release, Rise Of An Ancient Evil builds on the debut and their last release, Deathlike. With a heavier guitar sound chugging away throughout the album, the Sabbath influence oozes throughout. However, as well as the guitar work of Michael Jochum and Justin Mason, there are several other musical comparisons, most notably the melodic yet eerie delivery of Ghost. The title track opens the album before the distinctive acoustic guitar of Mason leads into Chaos Will Reign, Jochum’s electric riff kicking in. Blood Offering is possibly the outstanding track on the album, a colossal doom laden dirge, with Opposition’s melancholic tones underlying the heavy satanic themes that are the staple lyrical themes of the Ancient VVisdom stable.
 As the album progresses, the darkness increases; The Devil's Work needs no explanation, grinding guitar work and homage to the dark one continuing, underlined with a healthy dollop of groove and melody. Ancient VVisdom’s lyrical focus is on one subject and they do it well.  Blind Leading The Blind maintains the momentum, leading to the downright rifftastic doom-laden Worm Ridden Skull (great title), which really takes a massive scoop of Sabbath guitar and crunches on the back of your neck. And so it continues throughout, huge riffs, pounding bass lines and Old Nick as the subject matter. Opposition’s vocals fit ideally with the monster sound that the band generate, melancholic and angst ridden. By the time you arrive at the penultimate track, City Of Stone, you've kind of heard it all and are beginning to think that their approach is slightly formulaic but suddenly they change the tempo slightly, sludgy guitars with a couple of brief solos cutting through the mist. Album closer Higher Into The Black Flames opens acoustically before crashing riffs bring a decent album to a fitting close. Definitely worth a listen, VVisdom have built on their two opening albums to deliver another work worthy of an audience with the Devil himself. 8/10

Pain Of Salvation: Falling Home (InsideOut)

Well, if the Devil has all the best tunes, he may well wonder what the fuck to make of this album. I first saw Pain Of Salvation a few years ago supporting Opeth in Birmingham. Their progressive tinged indie and gothic fusion of rock was enjoyable to watch and listen to and I picked up a couple of their albums to follow up.  However, I've not followed them with much intent although I realise that this is a band who stretch boundaries with each release. Falling Home is their first album since 2011’s Road Salt Part 2 and it’s a reworking of several of their songs in an acoustic setting, something that they have wanted to do for some time. Full of jazz, funk and reggae elements, Daniel Gildenlöw’s outfit ramble their way through some of their previous works. It certainly takes a few listens to get your head around. Opening track Stress has shades of Zappa, whilst the reworked Linoleum echoes the purple one, Prince with a deliciously weighted duet. The progressive side of the band reveals itself on To The Shoreline, with some deeply crafted harmonies, oscillating time changes and almost a country rock feel to parts of it (at one point I thought it was going to merge into The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!).
 And then comes the track that has divided opinion on social media; the lounge room cover of Dio’s Holy Diver, which I have to admit is so smooth I thought it was Richard Cheese on first hearing before it morphs into the reggae breakdown halfway through. This is a brave move, given the reverence that RJD has been held in since his death. I've listened to it several times and I can't quite make my mind up about whether I like it or not. It’s not offensive and it certainly is more original than the highly rated KSE version. Maybe this is one which really is reliant on each listener to make their own mind up! 1979 highlights the keyboard quality of Daniel Karlsson and is a slow burner that increases into a rather pleasant meander with some quality guitar playing from Gildenlöw and Ragnar Zolberg. Long serving bassist Gustaf Hielm and drummer Léo Margarit comprise the rest of POS and they kick into action on Chain Sling, one of the favourites amongst the die hards. One new track, Falling Down completes an eclectic package which has ignited some strong opinions. As someone who is not massively familiar with the back catalogue of Daniel Gildenlöw, it is a rather relaxing album with some very accomplished acoustic works. If you are a diehard POS fan, I'm sure you have a different take on it all together. I like it. 7/10

Cavalera Conspiracy: Pandemonium (Napalm)

Well, if you want to be hit by the biggest truck in the world, step out in front of this bad boy. Kicking off at 150mph with Bablyon Pandemonium, the Cavalera brothers appear intent on destroying all in their path. Max stated in his recent autobiography that he wanted to get back to the heaviest ways he knew and this is one hell of a statement of intent. Hammering drums from Iggor, wailing guitars and vocals that sound like oompa loompas on speed. Three and a half minutes after the opening salvo, it’s time to catch one last breath before it starts again with the hysterical Bonzai Kamikazee; I think this got past 150mph to be honest but my head was pinned against the wall at the time so I can’t be sure. A demonic bass line from Johny Chow leads into the mind stomping Scum. A swift change of intro to Apex Predator explodes into an all-out race to get to the end of the track. Not Losing The Edge provides a welcome return to the old-school Sepultura/Soulfly that Max has patented and destroyed with over the years. This one has a massive hook and the slightly slower pace for their first few minutes is a welcome change amidst the all-out charging. And basically, that’s how it is for the entire album. Massive sound, swirling guitars from Max and the ever faithful Marc Rizzo who adds some vicious fretwork, head crushing drumming from Iggor, frantic direction and time changes combined with the usual guttural snarling and straightforward chant your nuts off choruses from Max. It’s no-nonsense in your face thrashing metal. If you like it hard, fast and totally aggressive, have a punt on this. You won’t be disappointed. If they tour, people will lose limbs in this pits. If you have a hangover or a nervous disposition, stay the fuck away. This will damage you. Permanently. 8/10

Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways (RCA)

The Foo Fighters have gone through an interesting career, starting as almost a Nirvana offshoot, they have now overtaken Nirvana in terms of popularity and recognition eight albums into their career and The Foo's seem to be in a position where they can do whatever they want; their previous album Wasting Light saw them turn into a five piece and expanded their musicianship a lot as it was a very organic record drawing from their influences. Sonic Highways then carries on this audio experimentation as the album is an accompanying piece to a documentary which sees Grohl travelling around America taking in the music of those cites. Grohl wrote all the music for the songs after the visit to each city and then recorded the vocals later taking lines from the interviews he conducted. So a difficult recording process then but how does that translate to the album itself, each track is representative of a city so it is eight cities, eight tracks starting with Something For Nothing (Chicago IL) which has a echoing opening and turns into a stomping blues piece with a little bit of funk in the middle with guitar by Rick Nielsen, next up is Feast And The Famine (Arlington, VA) which is snotty punk rock featuring members of Scream (Grohl's first real band). Congregation (Nashville, TN) which definitely evokes the spirit of Country with it's uplifting message and jangly guitar lines, while also staying true to the Foo Fighters sound. Things get a little more soulful on What Did I Do?/God As My Witness (Austin, TX) with a really rocking track with some big guitar riffs from Texan Gary Clarke Jr. and a real change of pace in the final part. The album is a little disjointed but for the most part the songs are strong enough to stand on their own, one of the best is Outside (Los Angeles, CA) which features Mr California himself Joe Walsh on guitars. As the album draws to a close the songs we get the excellent Subterranean which is a laid back paen to his adopted home before we get the finale of I Am A River  (New York, NY) which is a swelling ballad on which Grohl sings his heart out. Overall this is another solid album of arena baiting rock music aimed at a wide audience, but Sonic Highways shows that Grohl and his band can now do whatever they want to and Sonic Highways is a testament to a band unafraid to whatever they want. 8/10      

Nickelback: No Fixed Address (Republic)

Are Nickelback the most hated band in the world? Well some would say yes, but I've always had a soft spot for Mr Kroeger and co but it seems even his long term supporters are casting him adrift as this is the first album not on their long term label Roadrunner, they are now on Republic home to  Amy Winehouse, Akon, Lil Wayne, Nelly, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Lorde, Drake, Lil Wayne, Weezer and Enrique Iglesias to name a few, so not a step down really but a shrewd marketing step; cast off the hardcore rockers and pitch yourself to the manstream. But I digress No Fixed Address is Nickelback's eighth album and as such it is the sound of a band with nothing to prove, they don't care what people think. From the bass led punch of A Million Miles An Hour which is a thumping rocker to start proceedings straight into the government baiting Edge Of A Revolution which has a chanting clarion cry chorus, cue mass gang shouts. So here is where things start to get a bit weird, What Are You Waitng For? is a typical Nickleback ballad but features some chart style synths in the background (it is also the first song co written by rapper Jacob Kasher), She Keeps Me Up is almost Stevie Wonder mixed with Maroon 5 style funk with Kroeger trying his hand at rapid fire rhymes and duetting with a female almost Rhianna-like singer. The most jarring track on the album is Got Me Runnin' Round which features rapper Flo-Rida doing his trademark stuff on a song laced with horns. So a bit of a weird one this there are some classic Nickelback-style songs, a lot of ballads mainly with very few rockers but most of all there are just too many songs that are a bit too poppy, meaning that this album is very disappointing especially when compared to their last album and their mid 2000's heyday. Many may have thought Nickelback sold out years ago, I never did, I always thought they were a rock band that have appealed to the mainstream however unfortunately this album reeks of a sell out. 4/10
   
Sister Sin: Black Lotus (Victory)

Sister Sin are one of theses bands that have been on my periphery, having seen a bit of them at Bloodstock I was impressed enough to give this latest album a spin. Sister Sin hail from Sweden and as such they play old school, leather clad heavy metal straight out of the 1980's with the banshee like vocals from Liv Jagrell echoing Warlock, the Teutonic axe attack of Accept,  the bouncy hard rock of former tour mates Lordi. Jagrell's vocals are scarred and raw but they fit the music perfectly with bass gallop, stun gun riffs and pounding drums. Au Revoir has the same metallic swing as Grand Magus, Desert Queen is a doomier feeling song with some big organs augmenting it. This is Sister Sin's fifth album and it continues in the same old school style they have played on their last four albums but this doesn't mean that this album is repetitive in fact far from it Count Me Out is a orchestral backed hard rocker and The Jinx is straight out of the Halestorm song book (Jagrell sounds a lot like Lzzy vocally actually). Sister Sin are a great little band from Sweden that play some top quality metallic hard rock. Well worth checking out if you like your metal with a female bite to it. 7/10 

In This Moment: Black Widow (Atlantic Records)

In This Moment are totally unrecognisable from the band they were 7 years ago, gone are the American metalcore, band fronted by a shy female singer with a great voice but who seemed naive in the face of the music industry. As they evolved their sound, getting more melodic elements along with their trademark heaviness, culminating in 2012's Blood which was a industrial flavoured, stomping metal album that melded big metal anthems with melodic sensibilities and frontwoman Maria Brink's newfound confidence and liberation. She became every inch a rock Goddess on that album using her supreme vocals and an almost animalistic sexuality to eat up and spit out any other band that wants to fuck with them. Black Widow has the same producer as Blood (Kevin Churko) and stays in the same vein as the previous effort. There is atmosphere in the intro taking in ITM's (and Brink's especially) penchant for the dramatic before the pulsing electronics kick in as Sex Metal Barbie starts things off in real modern style with the industrial song starting the album with Brink almost speaking her vocals and crooning on the chorus. The music as usual is all the work of Chris Howorth who provides the guitars and is the silent partner to Brink's OTT image. Big Bad Wolf is a little more straight forward maintaining the industrial theme, before Dirty Pretty has to be a lost Marilyn Manson song before things slow down on Sexual Hallucination which features Brent Smith from Shinedown and is a sexually charged duet. Brink's voice is truly unique and she effortlessly switches from singing to screaming like a demon and she is complimented by the bouncy riffs of Howorth and co. All the songs on this album ooze sex, violence and empowerment in equal measure. Since their last album and indeed their last tour (which tried to out prop both Messrs Cooper and Zombie) In This Moment have reinvented themselves as a modern metal tour-de-force providing the missing link between Lady Gaga and Rammstein (in fact that would be a hell of a tour package). 8/10         

Bloodbound: Stormborn (AFM)

I first witnessed Swedes Bloodbound at Bloodstock and their brand of cheesy power metal left me banging my head and smiling like a loon. Their music is very feel good with songs about fantasy and metal (and that's about it) throughout, meaning that they are as cheesy as fondue however when the songs are played by a band with some serious chops you know they are not a joke. Stormborn is the bands sixth album and it kicks off with Satanic Panic (which I will admit brought a snigger) on which the band starts as they mean to go on with rampaging speed/power metal with speedy dual guitars riffs from Tomas and Henrik Olsson, blasting drums from Pelle Åkerlind, the big keys of Fredrik Bergh and vocals from Patrik "Pata" Johansson that are part Halford part Hammerfall, part Sabaton. From here the pace rarely lets up with Iron Throne having chanted gang vocals, Nightmares From The Grave has a swaggering delivery and really emphasises the bands power metal roots until things slow up with the sledgehammer march of the title track which is pure Sabaton with it's huge keyboard stabs throughout, in fact the spirit and sound of their Swedish brethren looms large on this record as fans of there brand of epic power metal will really get a kick out of this album with it's big synths, gang shouts and powerful metallic anthems. Things pick back up on the classic metal styling's of We Raise The Dead before everything goes all Grand Magus on Made Of Steel which has the chorus "Made of metal, made of steel" and gave me a smile a mile wide! Then everything goes super speed again from then on with Blood Of My Blood before Anders Broman's bass drives the brooding When The Kingdom Will Fall. Stormborn is yet another great entry into Bloodbound's power metal legacy. 8/10  


Celestial Decay: Quantum X (The Music Alliance)

More Swedish power metal but this time with an emphasis on the symphonic, Celestial Decay is made up of guitarists' Hobbe Houshmand and Freddy Olofsson and they bring together a group of musicians to create this album of symphonic, progressive, power metal that is part Blind Guardian, part Rhapsody Of Fire, and on Enlightened they have the sugary elctro-pop sound of Amaranthe (who's Andreas Solveström provides the screams). This is a cinematic musical journey playing to all the session players strengths with two drummers sharing the tracks they both have the pacey and powerful style favoured by the genre, the bassists both show their metal anchoring the rhythm so Olofsson and Houshmand can show off with some neo-classical guitar wankery. As I previously mentioned there are screamed vocals but the major vocals come from unmistakeable Aeon Zen front man Andi Kravljaca which means that the band share similarities with the British mob as they blend prog and power effortlessly see tracks like Ashes Of Decay for the faster, heavier side but equally on Power Of Will they show how well they can deal with slower more romantic songs (and also throw in the odd heart stopping epic solo). This album is a real journey and earlier I mentioned that it has a cinematic feel and the metal combined with the orchestral elements topped with Kravljaca's emotive and adaptive vocals, the album also flows like a film building in it's latter half into more complicate compositions including a metallic cover of Total Eclipse Of The Heart which leads into the stunning Final Symphony. Sometimes bands like this can get a little lost in their own virtuosity Celestial Decay don't they write strong songs with passion, melody and incredible skill. 8/10

Skindred, The Globe

After a quick drink in the Pear Tree with our designated driver, Nic and our designated drinker, Rhod, we headed down the road to what seems to now be a frequent haunt for the Musipedia crew, The Globe for a night of English, Polish and pure welsh metal.

Feral Sun

Starting the night off is London based Hard Rock band Feral Sun. Although playing to a small crowd, the quartet seem to enjoy the atmosphere nonetheless. Their slow-to-medium heavy rock, chugging riffs seem to be a strange fit considering the headliners of this gig, but their sound is pretty much solid. Mick Burns' voice (which, although good, doesn't jump out), Alex Nikitin's heavy bass riffs paired with Marco lo Coco's guitar gives a good steady flow to the beginning of the night  The highlight of the band however is drummer Jay Stephenson, whose expressions range from determined to pure happiness, showing he's there to have fun and play music. 6/10

Chemia

Next up is Chemia from Poland...or Isengard as lead singer Łukasz Drapała keeps telling us. Much like Feral Sun, Chemia start off with heavy riffage, sounding very much like a lesser Grand Magus at points. This isn't a bad thing, however, as Łukasz's singing sounds just shy of JB Christofferson's soulful voice. As they continue through their set, Chemia pick up the pace with each song building with tempo, getting the crowd pumped up for the headliners. Having already played Hard Rock Hell earlier in the month, I'd say Chemia are a band to look out for. 7/10

Skindred

Not many bands can get away with using two songs to introduce themselves, but Newport's Skindred are one that are exempt. After pumping the crowd up with AC/DC's Thunderstruck in its entirety, the band file on stage to a remixed Imperial March, with the crowd going haywire at the sight of front-man and all around snazzy dresser, Benji Webbe. Adorned in a white top hat, dyed white Jacket and white sunglasses, he immediately tears into Rat Race. Throughout their entire set, Skindred keep it going with Benji giving no quarter to the Cardiff crowd, letting us know exactly how he feels about sub-par responses to Cardiff chants and lack of dancing. Benji's vast vocal range is backed up by the excellent musicianship of his fellow band members, Mikey Demus' guitars, Arya Goggin's drums and Dan Pugsley's bass relentless in their attack on the crowd's ears. Songs from this year's Kill The Power are mixed with classics such as Pressure and Destroy The Dancefloor, the night ending with crowd favourite Warning. We're even treated to a few remixes over the night, the first being Macklemore's Thrift Shop,which is interwoven with Metallica's Sad But True and Skindred's own Trouble, which the band blast into afterwards. However two major highlights of the night occur towards the end of the night, the first being a singalong of Slipknot's Duality which breaks unexpectedly into a huge, heavy drop halfway through. The second highlight of the night is a Christmassy singalong of McCartney's Wonderful Christmastime with a personal spin on the lyrics by Benji. Overall a blistering set and as we file out of the venue, there's not a single frown to be seen. 10/10

The Tea Party: The Ocean At The End (InsideOut)

The Canadian originators of Moroccan roll have returned with their first album since 2004 (not to be confused with the right wing American political movement) . After their previous release the band all but gave up citing creative differences which led to frontman Jeff Martin's solo career and eventual downfall due to his extra curricular activities. The band seemingly buried the hatchet in 2011 reforming with their three original members all returning to the fold, most importantly Martin and drummer Jeff Burrows both of whom were the reason for the initial implosion. This reformation has led to a new album and thankfully very little has changed in The Tea Party camp, the band still merge, prog, rock and middle eastern influenced music flawlessly with Martin supplying guitar, sitar and a multitude of instruments and Stuart Chatwood handling bass, keys and again a plethora of instrumentation much of it coming from the Middle East, all these instruments are anchored by Burrows who is no slouch himself using drums, tabla etc to drive the songs along. Things kick off with The L.O.C which is sonically similar to fellow countrymen Rush albeit with Martin's sonorous baritone rumbling over the top of it, The Black Sea comes next and is a heavier track but still has the Middle Eastern flavour, something that continues on Cypher which also ramps up the prog stakes with it's big synths and off kilter rhythm straight into the airy electronica of Brian Eno's The Maker which shows off Martin's emotive vocal. It's a case of business of as usual for this virtuoso band as the songs move through various genres from progressive rock the title track, hard rock on The Cass Corridor, electronica on the industrial Submission as well as working through indie rock, soul, funk and of course their trademark Middle Eastern flavour see The 11th Hour. Black Roses is a countrified, shanty, Brazil has the percussive yet dark and political message built on Burrows drums and Martin's distorted guitars. The Tea Party are definitely back with a vengeance on The Ocean At The End this eighth album reaffirm the band as one of the most innovative and indeed exciting bands around. If you like your music intelligent, progressive and very competent then you need this in your life. 10/10         
Benjamin Booker: S/T (Rough Trade)

25 year old Benjamin Booker hails from Virginia and when he was younger he moved to Tampa Florida where he was involved with the the D.I.Y punk scene. This influence is paramount in Bookers debut album which is lo-fi, garage, blues with an attitude. Violent Shiver kicks you in the teeth as it starts the album with punk guitar stabs mixing with the  tumbling drums and Bookers superb howl screaming the lyrics at full force. For a debut album this is very accomplished Booker is a great guitar player relying more on the rhythm than the firework soloing of modern blues men like Gary Clarke Jr. and Joe Bonamassa, that's not to say he is a slouch or indeed adversed to some fret bending, he can still chuck in the odd lead break and solo; see Chippewa. In fact for the most part Booker has a lot in common with the modern main man of garage blues Jack White (a former tour mate of Booker's). For the most part Booker plays with a punk rock snarl and stabbing his guitar violently, but he can also slow down on Slow Coming and I Thought I Heard You Coming, he brings in some hip shaking R&B on Have You Seen My Son? which features a drum solo and moves seamlessly into the organ drenched country of Spoon Out My Eyeballs. He also adds the 70's rock vibe of Happy Homes before returning to the explosive blues finale of By The Evening. The myriad of influences on this record means that it is never boring or stagnant, which does do a lot to set Booker apart from the many garage blues propagators around at the moment, the songs are immediate, punchy and played with a real fire. A great debut album from this young man who has a huge career ahead of him. 8/10

Goat: Commune (Sub Pop)

Swedes Goat are not strictly metal but I think they will appeal to any fans of powerful music. The band play experimental music fusing hard rock, world music and psychedelia endowed with a sense of power that many heavy bands don't possess. The bands music is pulsating, percussion driven psych rock that will take the band and the listener on a journey and will help them reach a higher plane of conciousness (or something). Commune is a perfect name for this record as it is the type of music that would be played in a bazaar or in the presence of the Maharishi, this is a musical journey that at it's core is the kind of voodoo psych that the 60's was made of. the band themselves are an enigma as they wear colourful costumes and masks and as yet have not revealed their identities (going by names only); with the two female vocalists who's echoed chants are backed by the reverb drenched guitar, funk laden bass work and overarching percussion that is at the core of their sound. The trippy, hallucinogenic music is punctuated by the occasional spoken word piece that gives breathing room between the freak outs, however despite the louche, lucid almost liquid natural nature of the music and possibly even because of it; the band are all clearly top drawer musicians moving between the frantic driving delivery of Talk To God and Goatslaves, the Nick Cave goes funk of Goatchild and the hippy trail serenity of To Travel The Path Unknown. As I've said the power behind this album is very strong, the percussion particularly is fantastic, it draws you in and helps you just enjoy the vibe the band are trying to create, this is not the kind of album that will have hit singles and it is indeed hard to mark out individual songs. Commune is a collection of music that winds its way around your mind and takes you on a journey, that sounds like a cliché but when music has the power to move you like this then really it's the only way to describe it, I can only imagine what this band are like in a live setting with their propulsive music merging with their dervish of colours and movement, I hope I can see it soon! For now though I'm giving the record another spin, I urge all music lovers to do the same!! 9/10        

Crazy Lixx: S/T (Frontiers)

Crazy Lixx have been doing the rounds since 2002 and since then they have been one of the bands at the forefront of the 80's Glam rock revival. So this self titled album is their fourth and once again they bring together G'N'R, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue and bands of their ilk to put together 11 tracks of top drawer glam metal. From the anthemic Sound Of The Loud Minority, through the swaggering Outlaw (surely the follow up to Blaze Of Glory). With the two guitars driving the sleazy riffs and double tap soloing and a locked in rhythm section its the job of frontman Danny Rexon to take up the mantle of Joe Elliot and JBJ himself with his strong melodic vocals. The backing the Elliot influence is at it's strongest on Girl's Of The 80's which has some big backing harmonies, Missed The Mark and All Looks, No Hooks are little Steel Panther like but keep things straight enough not to be considered parody. All of the tracks on this album are strong, rocking 80's style songs with big hooks, huge choruses and a real sense of fun throughout, thankfully the band have focussed more on the rock side things than the massive ballads that plague this genre, in fact there isn't a single slow paced song on this album just a lot of fun hard rocking songs, the with Call To Action and Wrecking Ball Crew being two of the strongest on the album. With bands like Reckless Love, Outloud and Brother Firetribe all flying the modern AOR flag Crazy Lixx are another band at the forefront of the melodic rock renaissance, much like the first time round many will hate this kind of bubblegum tinged rock but for those that just want to rock out like it's 1984 then Crazy Lixx is the perfect record. 8/10

Divine Ascension: Liberator (Nightmare Records)

Progressive/power metal from Australia? A rarity indeed but Divine Ascension are just that; female fronted and brimming with blast beat drums, powerful guitar work and strong keyboard rhythms throughout all backing the strong vocals of Jennifer Borg who unusually doesn't have the normal classically trained vocal but a more mainstream almost Maria Brink style vocal that is a refreshing relief. her vocals are great and work well with the rest of the band who are rooted deep in the Euro power metal tradition but with a lot of progressive tenancies. the Progressive tendencies start on the first track which breaks into a piano led middle section before ending in an explosive guitar solo. The title track features some time signature changes and a keyboard solo from David Van Pelt. My Contender Lies is heavier, slower more modern metal style track but still maintains the power metal keyboard melodies and orchestrations, before Sorrow's Sacrifice starts off with a slower balladic style before turning into faster, heavier chorus. Over the 11 tracks the band play some great metallic music with a strong progressive vein, its nice to hear a band with a female singer, take a shot at the more male orientated progressive metal style of Symphony X, Shadow Gallery etc rather than fall into the more symphonic classical style of Nightwish, Within Temptation and bands of their ilk. The musicianship is virtuoistic and songs are well constructed and delivered with style. A good second album from these Aussie prog metallers that really shows their skill. 7/10     

Sky Valley Mistress: Rival, Hounds & Rebel Sisters (Holy Roller Records)

There does seem to be a a resurgence in female fronted blues at the moment with The Blues Pills, Black State Highway, Saint Jude all featuring Joplin-like vocals set to a bluesy rock backing. Sky Valley Mistress from Darwen, Lancashire are new to the party but they come in ready to challenge the big hitters with their "Dirty Blonde Blues". The band set about playing groove laden hard rock that merges the classic bombast of Sabbath and Zeppelin with the sledgehammer rhythms of the bands such as Soundgarden and QOTSA while rapping it all up in a package that Jack White would be proud of. The rhythm section rattles the brain with Russell's bass and Maxwell Harvey William Newsome III's drums providing the chunky bottom end for Squire's dirty guitar licks and Kayley 'Hell Kitten' Davies' sultry vocals, she is all about the presence a man eater of the highest calibre with a mic in one hand and a knuckleduster in the other; see her croon through She Is So for this. As the Hell Kitten beckons, the band rock out royally setting hips shaking and fists pumping. This is just a four track EP but is does a lot to endear you to the band, the songs are well written, expertly (and menacingly) delivered with some fat fuzzy riffs and voodoo rhythms. A great little snippet of what Sky Valley Mistress can do and as the band sign off with the shamanistic Blood, Sweat & Blisters they leave you wanting more of their fuzzy, garage blues rock. 7/10 

AC/DC: Rock Or Bust (Columbia)

Legends, the word is bandied around a lot but AC/DC are one of the few bands that can lay claim to this title, Rock Or Bust is the bands fifteenth studio album and the first without founding member rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young who was diagnosed with dementia, it will probably be the last album with drummer Phil Rudd who has some serious legal problems! Still the band have not let any of these things affect the album as from the title track (which could be seen as the bands motto), through Play Ball and from then on we have the leg stomping, blues guitar based hard rock that the 'DC have always been known for. You know what you are going to get with Acca Dacca and here you get it in spades, Rudd has his one two shuffle which backs the walking rhythms of Cliff Williams bass and Stevie Young's (Malcolm and Angus' nephew) rhythm guitar. Despite the change in the engine room, Captain Angus is still present soloing with aplomb while the Geordie screamer Brian is once again belting it out like a man half his age. AC/DC are one of those bands that will never change (there won't be a ballads album) but also they will never die, the riffs are still iconic and most of all instantly recognisable see Dogs Of War a song which the O'Keefe brothers would kill for, the filth factor is up to maximum on Miss Adventure and Sweet Candy and tracks like Baptism By Fire and Rock The House ramp up the rocking. I go back to that first word I used, AC/DC are rock and roll legends and because of that they will never change or move with the times, thankfully they can still write an album of hard rock songs to blow away most modern bands, despite the loss of key members the 'DC will never die. 7/10   

Soundgarden: Echo Of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path (A&M)

This is an odds and sods collection, from the Seattle kings of grunge. It is a compilation of B-sides, EP tracks, non album singles and songs featured on compilations. There are two versions with both a single disc and a massive three disc collection, I only have the single disc album as it seemed the most concise, it kicks off with two tracks from the Loudest Love EP both of which have that early psychedelic haze that featured heavily on Loud Love and Nothing To Say. Cornell's voice is almost unrecognisable on Heretic until he starts to shout and the unmistakeable voice kicks in. H.I.V Baby too is not very Soundgarden more Stooges style punk, Cold Bitch is Soundgarden through and through and provides a strong b-side to the classic Spoonman, Show Me is a trippy pop song from an AIDS benefit and the feedback fuelled Birth Ritual comes from the soundtrack to the film Singles. Because of the nature of this album there are highlights and indeed lowlights, I personally could do without the punky stuff but the more heavy riff based songs like She Likes Surprises, the excellent Black Rain (from the Telephantasm compilation) and Live To Rise (from Avengers). The album ends with two previously released songs first up is Kristi which carries on where their last album King Animal left off with Kim Thayll and Cornell's guitars down tuned and dirty and Storm has a more psych delivery with some lead bass from Ben Shepard. The single disc is a great little stop gap featuring some of the bands more hard to find songs in one place, the three disc is for collectors and die-hards only, still with the talent of Soundgarden the quality is always going to be high and both will appeal no matter which version you go for. 7/10     

Persian Risk: Who Am I? (Self Released)

Formed in the late 70's by Phil Campbell and Jon Deverill Persian Risk were one of the few NWOBHM bands to come from Cardiff, always popular in the scene frontman Deverill left to join Tygers Of Pan Tang and was replaced by Carl Sentance, the band continued with Sentance at the helm even when Campbell left to join Lemmy and Co finally though the band broke up but Sentance has always tried to keep the name alive. The reactivated Persian Risk returned in 2012 with Sentance at the helm being the sole original member of the band bringing in a wealth of musicians to aide him on the recordings; their first album since reforming Once A King received a warm welcome and was reviewed even better so finally 2 years later they are now on their second album (third overall) and yet again it's pure NWOBHM fury. Don't Look Back gets things firing on all cylinders with the twin guitar intro before the gallop kicks in and Sentance starts hollering with his amazing voice which can reach some very high peaks, the title track is pure Maiden and features Sentance in full Dickinson mode on a song that this bathed in light and shade. After two rampaging tracks the pace needs to slow and it does on the bass heavy walk of My Creation which is part Dio, part Foreigner and features some organs from Don Airey (a long time collaborator of Sentance). I could talk about Sentance's voice all day but his cast of musicians don't disappoint either the Wayne and Jason Banks supply the bass and guitar respectively, Tim Brown is the percussive powerhouse, used to great effect on Writing On The Wall, with extra guitar coming from Danny Wilson, Manny Maurer and Sentance himself. The real guest star of the record though is Phil Campbell who supplies guitar on the two re-recorded old school tracks Dark Tower and Calling For You both of which are classic NWOBHM but as good as these tracks are for nostalgia fans the newer tracks like the speedy I Feel Free, the anthemic Ozzy-like Facing Your Demons and the final jazz influenced I Thought It Was You which harks actually sounds a bit like Diamond Dave's solo stuff. A great album from a band that hold a special place in any Cardiff metal fans heart, happily the band aren't resting on their laurels they are prepared to look back to their history and also move forward with their sound. Another great album from these NWOBHM survivors. 9/10    

Saxon – Bristol 02 Academy

The Musipedia crew headed en masse across the bridge to yet another Bristol gig, this time for one of our favourite bands, Barnsley’s finest, the mighty Saxon. Here at Musipedia Towers we were disappointed to learn a few weeks ago that Northern Irish power metal outfit Stormzone had pulled out of the opening slot and instead had been replaced by German outfit Beyond the Black.

Mastodon – Bristol O2 Academy

The O2 Academy was crammed to the rafters as Mastodon completed the last date of their latest UK tour in support of their latest release Once More Round The Sun.

Krokodil

Peter Gabriel Motorpoint Cardiff

The Prog legend Peter Gabriel graced us with his presence on this tour that celebrated his breakthrough solo album So. To do this he was playing the album in it's entirety along with other tracks from his storied career. As we arrived at the Motorpoint myself, my brother and my father (A die hard Genesis/Gabriel/Collins fan) took or seats and waited for the show to begin; the irony of my situation wasn't lost on me that that the previous night I'd been watching heavy metal in smaller sweatier venue and would be doing so again the following night at Mastodon, this was in stark contrast to the large airy venue full of CEO's, Dentists and the upper middle class of a Gabriel audience.

The man himself came on to the stage and introduced the support act, this was comprised of the two female members of his band, Jennie Abrahamson on glockenspiel and haunting vocals and Linnea Olsson on cello and richer vocals, they played a laid back mix of their own songs which were beautiful lulling the audience into their world of haunting, ethereal music with intense musicianship from both. A short sweet set but one that was a nice interlude before the main event and after a short change around it was time for the main event.

Gabriel once again came out and introduced the band, Abrahamson on vocals and percussion, Olsson on vocals and cello, Manu Katche on drums, David Sancious on keys/accordion with the band being rounded out by his long term collaborators Tony Levin on bass and David Rhodes on guitar, Gabriel himself took on the role of pianist moving between that and his Fairlight synthesiser. We were told that the set would be in three parts, the first would be acoustic, the second part electric and experimental and then the final part would be So in it's entirety. Bravely the set started with a new composition called What Lies Ahead, which was so new that it didn't have any lyrics and it saw Gabriel mumbling for the most part as he played, working the occasional word in to a song that could be very very good when finished. Straight into Come Talk To Me which worked well in acoustic form as did Shock The Monkey which at the slower pace showed how good the lyrics in this song are. A rapturous applause and while looking at the crowd I noticed that the house lights were still on but all would become clear as the Gabriel crooned "The Streets Alive With Camera Crews" which beckoned Family Snapshot and as the key changed happened the lights shut down and the giant screens turned to monochrome. As the song moved on the lighting booms at the back of the stage also stirred rising above the stage like something out of War Of The Worlds, more latter period stuff with the industrial chug of Digging In The Dirt which was accompanied by some superb visuals and showed of Rhodes' guitar and Levins bass to the full, we were still in Us territory with Secret World which again was reworked slightly to make it a heavier prospect and saw Gabriel almost snarling in parts. Gabriels vocals throughout were amazing he can still hit the notes (although used the instrumental parts to recover his voice because of his previous tour halting illness). He can also still move like a man half his age with moves galore on No Self Control which became very dark as Gabriel was stalked by the lighting booms as if they were a nemesis, this accompanied with the video made for some fantastic audio visual performances, the light came on Solsbury Hill's upbeat mandolin and hints to the yellow brick road at the finale of the song with Gabriel, Levin and Rhodes following the spiral stage to it's conclusion and the main set ended with Why Don't You Show Yourself. With the experimental part finished it was time for, as Gabriel put it, our dessert. I personally enjoyed the heavier, darker arrangements of the songs but my father had some reservations about them (he is a traditionalist). Still now it was time for So in it's entirety.

As Katche started with the liquid percussion of Red Rain I personally squeaked a little as it one of my favourite songs ever and this was a perfect rendition of the emotive and explosive song which kicked off the album brilliantly and was immediately followed by the number one single Sledgehammer which did get the biggest reception of the night and is still a brilliantly funky song with it's strutting beat. Because I (and the rest of the crowd) knew the album so well we knew what was coming next with Levin's bass leading the way on the plaintive Don't Give Up which still brings a tear to the eye, especially when Abrahamson sang the Kate Bush part perfectly and received a standing ovation for doing so, directly into the more upbeat That Voice Again before the mood once again turned to the downbeat on Mercy Street which just featured Gabriel laying on the stage filmed from a ceiling based camera and surrounded by the lighting booms as he writhed while singing, he is indeed ever the showman and he bounded to his feet for the fame aping, horn fuelled Big Time which was slightly adapted and saw Gabriel singing slightly out of time with the song. The shade once again followed the light with We Do What We're Told (Milligram's 37) which took an Orwellian turn with it's fly on the wall CCTV style camera work, This Is The Picture once again added the weird dimension with both Abrahamson and Olsson handling the Laurie Anderson parts and the album set ended with the world music influenced In Your Eyes which came as an upbeat ending to the album set and got everyone's hands held high!

A break a rest and they came back on for the techno drum looped, industrial sound scape of The Tower That Ate People which was very visual with an alien orb descending from the ceiling and engulfing Gabriel as he moved inside as the song sped up towards it's climax. The final song was the still affecting Biko on which Gabriel preached against non-violence and injustice world wide, the song pulsed as Gabriel sang his heart out before leaving the crowd to chant, as he reeled off the injustices affecting the world today. As the crowd chanted the band left the stage one by one leaving Katche to just drive the song with his drums until its eventual end. That was it the lights when up the stage started coming down and we filed out in awe of what had just happened a perfect two hour set that oldies would love and even newbies would find something in. He is a master showman and one of the most unique vocalists in music. Simply staggering 10/10             

Exodus: Blood In Blood Out (Nuclear Blast)

Building quickly with sirens blazing, the unmistakable thrash of Californian veterans Exodus unload immediately with opener Black 13. The incredible vocals of Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza make a welcome return to the Exodus fold, his first since 2004’s Tempo Of the Damned. For all that man mountain Rob Dukes filled the front of the stage, Souza’s voice really is the one for this band.  Since the initial days of Paul Baloff, Souza’s snarling slightly histrionic delivery have become synonymous with Exodus as he featured on several of their early albums post Bonded By Blood.
This is a straight down the line ferocious slab of classic Exodus. No holds barred attack from start to finish, driving rhythms from powerhouse drummer Tom Hunting and bassist Jack Gibson, slicing dangerous fretwork from the legend and Slayer member Gary Holt and long standing co-guitarist Lee Altus combine with the tried and tested chant along choruses which you would expect. I fucking love Exodus. They do everything you want from a thrash band. Collateral Damage is a galloping race, the guitar work frenetic with Hunting’s drumming relentless. Salt In The Wound features a neat solo from ex-Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett and is a tasty piece, grizzly vocals and a balls-out chorus from Souza, riffs galore and those hooks! Absolute killer hooks ooze through this album and the riffs are just brutal. Catchier than an STD, Exodus know that the formula for their music ain't broke … and they have no intention of fixing it.

BTK features another guest, this time the awesome Chuck Billy. This track opens with a stomping, thundering front section before Souza preaches away, duelling with Billy on the chorus. Billy has a definitive delivery and merges with Souza to magnificent effect. BTK has a huge slab of Testament about it, crushing riffs laced with lashings of melody. I always thought Exodus hit you hard and fast but several of the tracks on Blood In Blood Out clock in at over six minutes. My Last Nerve has a pulverising bass and drum line propelling it forward, with Holt and Altus peeling off licks like spitfires diving towards a squadron of Heinkels. Exhilarating stuff.  Some quick time changes and its back to the forward transmission; a good bloody wallop over the head. Penultimate track Food For The Worms builds slowly with massive menace before a double riff and staccato drumming powers the track into an all-out thrash monster which leads nicely to the special edition closer, Angel Of Death. Not the Slayer version, but a thrashing stomping cover of Angel Witch's track. It’s an impressive cover too, with Souza joining in vocals to excellent effect.

At several points in the album I pinched myself to confirm that I was indeed in 2014 and not the late 1980s, such is the retro vibe to this album. And I say that in a positive way, with Blood In Blood Out capturing the feel and sound of the emerging late 80s thrash era. This is my kind of thrash, and this album is about as good a release as anything this year. See you in the pit! 9/10

Bloodshot Dawn: Demons (Self Released)

UK outfit Bloodshot Dawn have been in our sights at MOM for a long time. Their spell binding self-titled debut caught the metal world by storm in 2012, a rather tasty long player of exceptional melodic death metal, full of technical musicianship which grabbed you by the scruff of the neck and proceeded to bang your head on the desk for the next 50 minutes. The band toured it relentlessly, and I think I caught them at least four times last year, each time happily observing their improvement. BD earned many plaudits for their debut including best unsigned band awards two years running from the mighty Terroriser magazine. An opening slot on the main stage on Friday at BOA this year pulled in a very healthy crowd and was reward for the hard work and promotion that the band had invested.
So, on the back of a very successful Pledge Music campaign, BD promised to deliver the follow-up Demons in the late autumn and they duly complied with their promise. This really was the difficult second album but holy crap, how they have delivered. The musical delivery on Demons is a massive step up from the already technically excellent debut. Smoke And Mirrors opens with the damaging drumming that you would expect from a death metal band, unstoppable pounding from new skins man Janna Jaloma merging with the brutal bass delivery of bassist Anthony Ridout. The vocals of Josh McMorran’s fit the track perfectly, whilst his guitar duelling with Benjamin Ellis is stunning. Intricate and immersed in technicality, they give BD a sound which is immediately recognisable as their own. Consequence Complex follows, an out and out face melter with the drumming almost unbelievable, it is so fast. Detailed time changes and memorable riffs emerge as the track develops, the solos still sharp enough to cut you. It is the next track, Unified where things really take a step up with one of the most stunning songs that BD have ever created. A brutal riff and blasting drums drive the track forward, the vocals guttural and insanely chaotic, huge hooks underpinning the chorus and solos pouring out from every side.

It doesn't slow down at any point; however what makes the album such a quality one is the ability of BD to create a moment of calm despite the maelstrom that they create around them. Inadequacy showcases a band anything but that, with a quite blistering bass delivery from Ridout, his lines ascending and descending all over the place, stomping you hard like a buffalo in a mud-hole. The middle section of the track develops into real old school stomping thrash for a brief minute before the pace accelerates allowing the guitars to shine; a brief period of respite then allows you to catch your breath before the charge recommences with a stunning piece of dual shredding. Black Hole Infinity is a mighty slab of death metal, yet retains a melodic element that makes BD that little bit more accessible than several of their older peers. The introduction of Ellis into the vocal fold has spiced up the delivery for the better throughout the album and having already seen BD perform a couple of these tracks, I can vouch for the live experience too. Black Hole Infinity contains some intricate breakdowns with subtle layered changes, all the while bound with the BD sound. Human Void has guest vocals from Aborted frontman Sven Caluwe whilst an all-star cast litter penultimate (and quite stunning) track The Image Faded. As well as an absolutely ball-dropping number of hooks and riffs, solos flooding this track, with some cutting edge axe work from guests Teemu Mantysaari of Wintersun, Per Nilsson of Scar Symmetry, Andy James (Sacred Mother Tongue) and Chris Amott alongside the already flawless fretwork of Ellis and McMorran. This track is an absolute monster, groove coursing through its lifeblood. It is quite blindingly brilliant. Demons is a fittingly epic closing track, with Ellis’ vocals a neat addition whilst there are  huge shades of In Flames cascading through the track, string sections and some beautifully crafted solos.

Bloodshot Dawn have provided a quite breath taking follow up to an outstandingly good debut album. They have combined power and brutality with technical delivery of sheer quality whilst firmly establishing their own unique sound. Lashed together with some intricate and quite delicious playing, this is an album that improves with every listen. It will be in my top ten of the year. 10/10

Will Wallner & Vivian Vain: The Battle For Clyst Heath (Self Released)

Will Wallner is the British born guitarist of the semi-defunct White Wizzard (It is too complicated for words) and Croatian singer Vivian Vain, their debut album was released in 2012 and now with The Battle Of Clyst Heath they have set about creating another album of hard rock that nods it's head at the more classic style of music from the late 70's and 80's. Wallner is considered a blues rock guitarist and while this album has got blues rock passages the over arching style is that of Rainbow, Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy. Things kick off with a guitar rendition of Vangelis'Blade Runner theme which has the synth backing topped with some silky guitar lines from Wallner which bursts straight into the rocking riffage of The War Of The Roses which is a historical tale ripped right out of the Thin Lizzy song book, in fact Vain's strong, unique and smoky vocals are perfect for this kind of hard rock. She croons and crows on tracks like Eye Of The Storm which does sound a lot like vintage Dio and features some great guitar work from Wallner like the super speed solo at the end. Wallner has also got some great musicians helping him out too with Dio Disciples Bjorn Englen bassist and former White Wizzard drummer Giovanni Durst contributing to most of the tracks he also has both the Appice brothers drumming on the album Tony Franklin adding bass and final track the instrumental The Loner is a tribute to Gary Moore, the bluesiest track on the album if features Moore's former bandmates Neil Murray and Don Airey on bass and keys respectively. As I said the album draws from classic hard rock with Black Moon harks back to Wallner's Wizzard days with a NWOBHM stomp, You Won't Take Me Alive is a Purple-like propulsive rocker and the title track is pure Blackmore in his Rainbow days with some truly stunning guitar playing and some cracking walking bass. Wallner and Vain have produced yet another album of quality hard rock with top class musicianship and some great songwriting. 8/10  

Kaledon: Antillius: The King Of The Light (Scarlet Records)

As the orchestras swell we are plunged straight into symphonic metal territory here, with nods to Rhapsody, Sonata Arctica and even Blind Guardian, Italians Kaledon have been playing this kind of music since 1999 and this is their 8th album, much like countrymen Rhapsody the band rely on cinematic concept albums as their stock in trade with this being the second album in their second conceptual arc based around this albums titular King Of The Light. As far as the music goes that too is very similar to Luca Trulli's mob with dual guitar assault throughout with the solos coming from Alex Mele, rhythms from Tommaso Nemesio both of whom are founders of the band along with bassist Paolo Lezziroli, fast paced drumming from Massimiliano Santori, sweeping keys and orchestrations of Paolo Campitelli and the soaring Euro vocals of Marco Palazzi. The songs are well written but there are many bands already doing this sort of thing who have a bigger profile so that may mean this album will not be recognised. This is good album for power metal fans and it does have all the hallmarks of the more symphonic/cinematic side of the genre with some good musicianship from all involved but most, even dyed in the wool, power metal fans, will find it to be another album full of swords and sorcery gimmickry that sticks rigidly in the Rhapsody mold. 5/10

Black Book Lodge: Tundra (Mighty Music)

Black Book Lodge are a four piece band based in Copenhagen, Tundra is their debut album and is very hard to classify. For the most part they seem to be stoner based heavy rock with QOTSA, Monster Magnet, Soundgarden and even The Sword. Many of these comparisons are due to the vocals of Ronny Jønsson who also plays guitar along with Jonas Budtz Møller bringing some huge heaving slabs of riffage, Ronny's voice is similar to Audrey Horne's Toschie meeting Chris Cornell in a frozen wasteland. His vocals are especially prevalent on Black Sheep/Prodigal Sons which is a hell of a song with its swaggering riff and final swirling solo that melts into the chunky rocking of Pendulum which swings (sorry) with some gang chants and some perfect guitar work. As with all stoner style rock music the rhythm section that drives the massive riffage Trygve Borelli and Lund Jakob Gundel are the powerhouse engine room making sure the songs rattle your bones allowing Ronny and Jonas to rock like bastards on an album that has a definitive old school flavour sounding as if it was made to be on vinyl, the production and otherworldly songwriting creates soundscapes that many bands would kill for, see Thalassa as an example of this as the song still has the bulldozer guitars but also lots of dynamics that mean it doesn't sound same and also lets the screamed intro of The Call smash you in the face with it's fuzzed up distortion assault, which continues through the trippy Cripplegate as this fades out in a wall of feedback, things get all Planet Caravan on the title track which is an acoustic, percussion based track with a laid back sparse feel much like it's geographical namesake, with the break over we go back into electric territory as once again the fuzz is in charge with the finale of Empire which wouldn't seem out of place on a Josh Homme record and starts with some atmospheric guitar playing in the verses before the rock kicks in in the 'choruses'. These four Danes have created a storming debut filled with big juicy riffs, but they also have enough melody to make every song make it's own mark, all of this together leads to a great listening experience of an album that has snuck in at the end of the year and blown my face clean off . 10/10      

Neonfly: Strangers In Paradise (InnerWound)

Neonfly's first album Outshine The Sun is played often on my stereo so I was looking forward to their follow up and thankfully it is here and delivers what their debut did in spades and also improves on it greatly. Having witnessed the band supporting Dragonforce I was blown away by how great they are live and this bombastic, melodic heavy metal translates on to this second album. The multi-European crew bring, dual guitars galore from Patrick Harrington and Frederick Thunder, a hearty bass gallop from Paul Miller and some amazing drums from Boris La Gal. The band merge the classic metal of Maiden, the melodic metal of Firewind, the huge hooks of AOR, the baroque nature of Met Loaf and loads of technical progression all thrown into the mix. Highways To Nowhere is a great example of Neonfly at their best as it has huge modern sounding metal riff, a percussion driven Middle Eastern middle section, tight concise solos all of which is paired with some rapid fire vocals from Willy Norton to create a song to too dissimilar to Disturbed. However they can also deal with the pomp of AOR on Better Angels on which Norton shows off his excellent and somewhat unique set of pipes, the 80's sheen continues on the overwrought Bon Jovi-esque Rose In Bloom and indeed the entire album sounds like it could easily fit in that decade due to the production of  Pink Cream 69/Unisonic's Dennis Ward This album works through all types of music hoovering them up and adding them to the mix, the double header of Heart Of The Sun and Aztec Gold have a symphonic metal basis with some great keys from Gunter Werno and some great bass and drum work on the instrumental Aztec Gold. Before being plunged into the war on the Dragonforce-like Fierce Battalions and the rampaging Chasing The Night before the album ends with the firelight acoustic balladry of Falling Star which is pure cheesy but is an uplifting climax to this excellent album of glossy, crunchy melodic metal that will appeal to a wide audience. If you love some excellent songwriting, powerful tracks and a huge mix of ideas thrown into the pot then Neonfly could be your new favourite band. 9/10    

Axenstar: Where Dreams Are Forgotten (Inner Wound)

Swedish power metal, it's nearly always a by-word for quality, not necessarily invention but quality nonetheless. Axenstar started plying their brand of power metal in 1998 (as Powerage before changing to Axenstar in 2001) and now they are on album number six (I do sometimes wish I lived in the middle of the EU so I didn't find these bands so late). As the rapid fire drumming kicks of Fear all bets are off this is Euro power metal at its most bombastic, the guitars soar and Magnus Wintefield provides the bottom end, the keys and the strong European vocal style. With nods to Sonata, Dragonland and countrymen Hammerfall fans of Power metal will eat this up as the songs gallop like a band of wild horses, the vocals are emotive with choirs galore, the solos burn up the fret board, the keys are tasteful and understated and the album rarely gives you a break from the madness songs like My Sacrifice (thankfully not a Creed cover), the drum heavy Curse Of The Tyrant, the thrashy stomp of Greed and the Maidenesque The Reaper Axenstar really show off their power metal credentials, they a definitely a band that have been doing this for a long time indeed and as I've said the album doesn't slow down until the mid paced Sweet Farewell which is a very modern sounding track with a cracking choir in the chorus and a chugging middle eight that builds into a solo any power metal fan would get excited by. As with many genres of metal these days Sweden seems to be the place to be at the moment, but they do seem to excel at power metal and Axenstar are no exception to that rule; strong songs, great playing and a big heaving whack of fist pumping metal tuneage. 8/10


Yama: Ananta (Lighttown Fidelity)

Big sledgehammer grooves from Tilburg, NL now with Yama's debut album. As the tile track swaggers in with cocksure stoner riff the scene is set for a album of bluesy, grungy, doomy metal with a narcotic haze. Yama are named after the Verdic God Of Death and their songs are the sound of of aural deafening in the style of former tour mates  Orange Goblin, Graveyard and Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Anchor Of Time is bass heavy and rumbles along with aplomb, things slow down on the psych influenced Hollow which sounds just that with it's reverbed guitar which starts things off before crashing into the heavy middle section, but it still keeps things mid-paced with it's swirling riffs, the shadow of the blues comes a looming on the mouth harp driven Ruach Elohim. The four men in this band obviously know their roles inside out the drums drive the rhythm in conjunction with the big low end, the riffs come with big layers of thickness and the vocals shout and snarl on top of the aural assault. Over these eight songs Yama have constructed an album full of fist pumping rock anthems that will get heads nodding, beers drunk and weed smoked like salmon. If you like huge slabs of stoner rock with a grungy underbelly Yama will be right up your street. 7/10