Musipedia Of Metal

Stratovarius: Eternal (earMusic)

Polaris, Elysium and Nemesis these have been the three albums Stratovarius have released since their founding guitarist Timo Tolkki left and they have been consistently brilliant, almost reinventing the bands symphonic power metal sound wholesale bringing it into the 21st Century with progressive flourishes and mature song writing. Eternal continues in this vein of the previous three releases by once again supplying the top level prog/power metal that a band of this calibre can do in their sleep, the triumphant My Eternal Dream starts things off on a high with the drumming relentless, bass galloping and the bands trademark guitar/keyboard riffs welcoming you into the world of Stratovarius, the keyboard runs of Jens Johansson are once again sublime conducting orchestral parps and sweeping synths on every track, soloing just as fluidly as Matias Kupiainen's guitars do, with the two duelling like two axe heroes. Kupiainen is the main writer on this record meaning that all of the songs are little more guitar-centric much like they were on Nemesis from the rocking rhythms that underpin the techno synths on Shine In The Dark.

Along with the dark tale of romance In My Line Of Work and the metallic Few Are Those, Shine In The Dark is co-written by frontman Timo Kotipelto and Cain's Offering/ex-Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen. We go through the fat riffs of Rise Above It's chorus. The band are still in a purple patch delivering some of the best songs of their career on their most recent albums, one of the best tracks on this album, Lost Without A Trace is written by Lauri Porra, it is an epic track with light and shade throughout having power and gravitas, which is not bad for a bassist. With the music suitably excellent as usual it's up to Kotipelto to once again lay claim to being power metal greatest vocalist by soaring above the riffs, keys and blast beats with the same power he has shown since day one, his vocals are remarkable suiting the electronic Man In The Mirror as much as they do the wistful ballad Fire In Your Eyes. Stratovarius are still delivering fantastic music for a band in their 31st year with the grandiose finale The Lost Saga ending the album in an 11 minute plus masterpiece, yet again these Finns have delivered quality, you need this album. 9/10

Gary Clarke Jr: The Story Of Sonny Boy Slim (Warner Bros)

Gary Clarke Jr has been hailed as the saviour of American blues, transcending the genre even as he reinvents it, seamlessly blending blues, rock with soul, folk and hip-hop, think screaming guitars, howling vocals and electronic beats permeating the analogue groove. His debut was nothing short of a masterpiece bringing together everything he had worked for since he was first starting out on his path to super stardom, since then he has gone stratospheric playing with numerous huge bands and giving guest spots a galore, along with these he has also released a double live album that distilled his live sound on to two discs which whet the whistle for this sophomore album. So what do you do when you've concurred the world and been called the modern day Hendrix, well you release and album that is more akin with The Purple One than Purple Haze, the R&B factor has been turned up to it's highest on this record, soul and funk is just as important as rock and blues with Clarke Jr harking back to his Austin influences. The Healing has the gospel garage of The Black Keys, with a smooth delivery and the hip-hop drum loops, before we get our first bit of guitar violence on Grinder which has a wah-wah driven soul number on which Clarke Jr lets his fingers do the talking.

With the rock factor toned down and even the experimental nature of the debut subdued, it does mean that this record is a bit straightforward in places, Star is a bit weak with it's simple funk guitar lines and lazy lyrics. However it is followed by the soulful romantic organ filled Our Love which could have been a Prince number one, as could the frisky, filthy Can't Sleep which is just prime Purple One, handclaps and all. The stripped back blues of Church which is a nod to Sunday service musically and Hold On is one of the best tracks on the album with it's semi-rapped verses, but there is just one to many tracks on this record where Gary Clarke Jr is in neutral not pushing himself as he did on his debut. All in all this is a good album, Clarke Jr and his band all high quality musicians but this album does have a bit of difficult second album feel to it. This is a release that has flashes of his previous brilliance but for the most part it is a crowd pleasing record that is aimed at gratifying those who have recently discovered him rather than progressing with his reinvention of the blues. 8/10

Metaprism: The Human Encryption (Self Released)

Bournemouth modern metal troop Metaprism have finally released their awaited debut, The Human Encryption is a tour-de-force in post-millennial metal, this is chunky riffs, technical lead playing, intense drumming, the odd piece of programming and dual singers giving harsh/clean vocals, however in change to the norm the band has male and female vocalist which means that the band have a unique sound. I listened to Metaprisim's EP when it was released and I was impressed by the bands songwriting chops then however everything seems a lot more refined on this debut. The riffs come thick and fast from the off as we get two guitarists with defined roles Callum Dowling's rhythm guitar merges with Mike West's bass to drive these songs along flawlessly providing the fattest thickest riffs this side of Lamb Of God add to this the relentless, unstoppable drumming of James Clarke and you get a bottom end that punches you in guts. Add to this the impeccable lead playing of founder Ollie Roberts an the bands musical backing is rock solid fusing intense power and fantastic melodies.

Roberts guitar playing is very good indeed, his fingers fly over the the fretboard adding lead breaks and solos galore to the songs, although he resists the need to show off his flash and flare allowing the solos to breathe long enough to make an impact but not overshadow anything relying more on his lead breaks over the concrete riffs to widen the scope of the songs. He does give up one of the solos to Bloodshot Dawn's Ben Ellis who shows his mettle on Only The Last. With the music taken care of its up to vocalists Jut Tabor and Theresa Smith to show off their chops and they do sublimely, Smith has the keening female vocals that are not operatic in a Epica sense but they are powerful and soar above the heaviness duelling and intertwining with Tabors guttural screams and roars in a similar style Elize Ryd of Amaranthe or Delain's Charlotte Wessels especially on the super ballad Here I Stand. Tabor himself parries the light with darkness on tracks like Nebula but he also has a crooning clean vocal on Reload and Needless Of Light And Shame which blends with Smith's to add more power to huge choruses. Metaprism encompass everything good about modern metal they play progressive, heavy yet intensely melodic hook filled music that is executed with sublime style. 9/10

Royal Hunt: Devil's Dozen (Frontiers)

Since Danes Royal Hunt reunited with their most revered vocalist D.C Cooper, back in 2011, the band have gone from strength to strength, celebrating their 20th anniversary 2012 before continuing with their latter career purple patch with 2013's A Life To Die For, however the band have outdone themselves with Devil's Dozen which unsurprisingly their thirteenth album, it is yet a gain a tour-de-force of melodic progressive metal, driven by founding member Andre Andersen's keys, over the eight tracks on this record the band really ply their trade with orchestral melodic metal with huge scope and precise musicianship. Opener So Right So Wrong builds the tension with it's ticking intro that explodes into the first powerful riffs shared by Andersen, guitarist Jonas Larsen and bassist Andreas Passmark. The song has almost a clockwork feel, sounding like it could have come from steampunk ball scene, the band have employed a string section to give them more of a cinematic quality from the outset. With it's huge backing vocals and orchestral feel So Right So Wrong starts the album off how it means to go on, with an epic feel carried by D.C Coopers excellent vocal, things switch on May You Never (Walk Alone) which is not a cover of the Liverpool anthem, no it is a strong second track builds from it's slow piano intro into a sprinting power metal track.

This whole album covers all of Royal Hunt's bases giving 8 distinct songs which are all linked by the bands excellent playing and their trademark sound while never being repetitive. Like I said Cooper's vocals are sublime and indeed unique his European delivery enlivens his rich baritone meaning that songs such as the galloping A Tear In The Rain have an almost operatic quality with a metallic crunch beneath them, but also showing the bands softer side on Until The Day which is a devastatingly powerful ballad induced by Andersen's piano and synths, underscored by the strings and the searing guitars. Having started their career in 1989 Royal Hunt have really outdone themselves on this record with a great mixture of old and new drawing from other influences too, the folky Riches To Rags being a major example of this sounding like it could have come off a Pirates Of The Caribbean soundtrack. Devil's Dozen is superb, really superb, in just 8 tracks the band leave you wanting more of the quality witnessed on this record, so much so in fact that you immediately play it again! 9/10

Grave Pleasures: Dreamcrash (Sony)

Finnish band Grave Pleasures have a picked their name perfectly, they are exactly that, their debut album is a perverted, sexy, filth laden album that is self described as "post apocalyptic post punk" this is music that is both mysteriously sexy and uplifitingly sad. Grave Pleasures themselves have a lot of misery to draw from, they have risen from the ashes of several bands, the majority of the membership are formally of Beastmilk, one of the most talked about bands in recent years, vocalist Mat ”Kvohst” McNerney and bassist Valtteri Arino both parted ways with Beastmilk's guitarist and set about forming a new band with Linnéa Olsson, Swedish bombshell guitarist formerly of occult doomers The Oath, along the way they found sticksman in the shape of Uno Bruniusson who was co-founder of Maiden-meets-Satan revivalists In Solitude, finally the band found Juho Vanhanen who contributes yet more guitar his jangling telecaster giving the band it's post-punk alternative style as it shines on top of the heavier rhythms. Now when I say heavier I don't mean in a Lamb Of God sense, no I mean atmospherically, the band deal in heavyweight themes and have a overriding sense of doom that manifests itself in an upbeat set of songs that blend, Goth, punk, metal and rock with the same gratifying joie-de-vivre as some of the most individual and cult bands of the late 1980's. The album has a distinctly late 80's early 90's flavour to it Utopian Scream has a stabbing guitar sound relentlessly pushing the forward the rhythms allowing Bruniusson's drums to breathe at the back room, as Kvohst gives a distinctly bizarre vocal performance.

This oddness leads pointedly into the more straightforward approach of New Hip Moon which has nods to New Order/Joy Division and breaks gets the legs moving with it's melodic euphoric Gothic chorus. Throughout this album there are nods to The Cure, to Killing Joke and even more obscure performers like Bauhaus. The furious percussion on the bass driven Crying Wolves nods to the unsettling eccentricity of Jello Bifara and co, while the dissonant guitars hook everything together as they jab on the punk Futureshock which tells you to "Obey The Future". Dreamcrash is not as much of an immediate record as the Beastmilk debut was but it is better for it. Yes there is still a lot of accessible stuff here with gorgeous hooks and melodies throughout but the songs need repeated listens to really draw you in to their world, Worn Threads is a slow burning, swirling ominous affair that is complete counterpoint to the gutsy punk of Taste The Void which along with Lipstick On Your Tombstone has a Gothic overtones Billy Idol and indeed The Cult. Grave Pleasures have crafted a soundtrack for the party, that comes after the party at the end of the world, this is the music of a forgotten generation that have survived the light of a thousand suns but have lost every inhibition in the process and just want to revel in their misery, come and join them and see where the music takes you. 9/10

Black Tide: Chasing Shadows (Pavement Entertainment)

Black Tide have a bit of a torrid time in terms of membership losing band memebers at a rate of knots with only frontman/guitarist Gabriel Garcia staying since the bands inception. I do have history with the band too, their debut was storming piece of old school thrash from a band young and hungry, it featured some modern classics like Shockwave and Warriors Of Time, showing that this band were contenders, however after their first album they did seem to disappear for a bit before returning with the Post Mortem which was in my opinion a turgid desperate attempt to cash in on the burgeoning metalcore style with emo lyrics and a lot of style of substance, this was buoyed by their boring performance at Sonisphere where they committed the ultimate sin of opening their set with a cover of Metallica's Hit The Lights a day after the band themselves had opened their headline set with the same song. The band were obviously none to healthy at that time either taking a bit of a hiatus which saw their drummer and bassist leaving the group, with a revolving line up of drummers and a loss of a bassist (again) since their comeback EP the band are finally settled as a (studio) three piece for this new album.

With this history of the band I was a little apprehensive about their new album but as No Guidelines starts off the band have found their thrash roots again the riffage of Garcia and his sideman Austin Diaz playing with style as Cody Paige blasts away in the engine room. The band have fused their two styles together well on this third record I would liken them to Bullet For My Valentine or even Avenged Sevenfold for the most part with some driving thrash riffs and emotive lyrics delivered by Garcia's scratchy but stylish vocals which are bolstered by the screaming backing vocals that bring to mind Florida's favourite sons Trivium another band that Black Tide have a similarities to. Yes there are misteps, Burn is awful but they are quickly forgotten by tracks like Promised Land, however for the most part this album will really hit the spot with any fans of A7X, BFMV or even Escape The Fate, these are arena baiting songs that are written to get the band back into the public conciousness. If I had one criticism it would be that there is one too many slow ballad like song with whiny lyrics for my liking meaning that a lot of the album is a bit samey. Still a step in the right direction for the Florida band. 6/10

Venomous Thoughts

God Is An Astronaut: Helios/Erebus (Revive)

Comparisons to other bands will never be my strong suit as I will probably get targeted by my peers in the same way that William Tell allegedly shoots apples off heads. With that in mind, I now turn to visit the eighth release from this quartet from Glen of Downs in Ireland (at the time of writing I am now making my way through the rest of their back catalogue). Like all instrumental music, especially if it’s the likes of ambient rock it will always have elements of progression there to keep up the listening experience, at times you get so encapsulated you forget which track you’re on until you actually hear the mood of the track change. It’s psychedelic and ambivalent, meets prog and hard rock. I have to be honest it has been so difficult to describe these pieces of music and can only imagine that it could have a psychedelic light show if played in its entirety live.

Second track Pig Powder kicks off as a slow rock track led by Torsten’s guitar playing. Third track Vetus Memoria is a piano led track often switching between piano and synth with some superb jazz influenced style drumming supported by some great guitar riffs and solo’s in-between before closing with a hard rocky finish and ambivalent sound to end, should definitely be a live staple to please newcomers and long term fans of the band alike. A very hard and rocky track with ambience at the very end to settle the brief head nodding. Finem Solis continues the slow and soft keyboard theme with a little bit of static to give a white noise effect halfway through the song before ending the closing minutes with a slow classical arrangement coming from said piano, personally I feel this to be the weakest track on the album.

Title track Helios/Erebus (also the longest track at 8 and a half minutes) gives a slight acoustic feel to the album as if the guitar is speaking to you, however this doesn't last long as the power chords kick in along with the rest of the band, the keyboard blares to life and you feel an awe of electricity around you and can probably picture what I can only imagine would be a volcano tripping out at a light show, definitely should be another live staple. Obscura Somina, is a very similar track to aforementioned Finem Solis, however what makes it stand out to said track is a slow acoustic part accompanying the keyboard before fading out to let keyboard and classical once again take over to finish off before (and I won’t pardon the pun) fade into obscurity.

The track Centralia seems to have inherited a more swaying sound that sums up the majority of this track, after another slow piano arrangement and steady drum intro, the track then starts it starts to edge towards the closing two minutes when they take on a rock but jazzy drum take that has so infamously been adopted from other groups before. A strangely relaxing but funky bass track that your average d-jent band would be proud of, these closing moments shouldn't be mixed together...... yet somehow it does actually work on this album. Final track Sea Of Trees starts with a harrowingly haunting piano solo, before another acoustic solo then accompanies it, and then a beautiful medley follows from the entire group begins just before the 2 minute mark and it follows on suit from there. Torsten Kisella plays a brief but electric solo before letting Jamie Dean give another take over on the keys again with the effects of a haunting choir in the background as well before bringing the album to an abrupt finish.

The only small niggle I have with the album is that each track does literally start each album and can almost tempt you to fall asleep before the rest of the band kick in but credit where it is due it does set the tone of the album almost flawlessly. Ambience seems to be my favourite word for this particular debut review, but however since I don’t have my pet Thesaurus with me at this very moment I seriously cannot describe the audio experience I get from this album. Each track seem to tell a separate story in their own right having an ambient setting created by Jamie Dean (their most recent addition to the group) on keyboard and piano and has a clear classical influence, and then there are the hard rock and prog moments that is all set up by brothers Torsten on guitar, and Niels Kisella on the bass with a great performance by Lloyd Hanney on the sticks and skins. Clocking in at 45 minutes, this is going to be a very strong contender on my list of albums of the year, and a band I would very much like to see on the UK live circuit.

9/10

Authors Note: Perhaps using an instrumental album wasn’t the best example to start with, but having given this album so many listens in the last few days I couldn’t help but feel inspired to write about it despite my lack of extended vocabulary and thesaurus by side, however I do hope these words will give me a better critique of albums good and bad in the near future....... Here endeth the Venomous Rant.

Annihilator: Suicide Society (UDR)

Canadian thrash legends Annihilator have seen many line up changes throughout their years with only guitarist/lead writer Jeff Waters remaining the constant. The band seemed to have relative stability since 2004 with Dave Padden taking the vocalist role where Annihilator have always had problems, this new union seemed to be strong with Padden featuring on their great self titled album and 2013's Feast, both of which were full of the insane guitar prowess of Waters' early releases, bringing back the band into the collective conciousness. Padden too was a good fit for the band with his muscular vocals giving the band a new lease of life. However come 2015 and it's all change again with Padden departing the band leaving just Waters to continue with drummer Mike Harshaw, so for the first time since 1996 Waters not only handles all guitars and bass but vocals too (he previously sang between 1994 and 1996). So what is the new (old) Annihilator like well the outright superspeed of their early releases has been subdued a little on this album with Waters stripping things back for more heavy metal rather than speed metal/thrash style (which thankfully is still present on tracks such as Death Scent).

This release echoes the early 90's career of both Metallica and Megadeth I'm talking Youthanasia and The Black Album. This is an album that wears it's influences on it's sleeve, the title track which has a big stomping riff, before it speeds up for solo section and has Waters' giving his best Mustaine snarl which persists for the albums duration with the odd Papa Het "ohhh yeeeah" dropping in here and there. My Revenge is a bit too close to Damage Inc for my liking but it's still a good song that flaunts Waters' impressive guitar prowess. Snap is a darker but anthemic track and Creepin' Again has the same kind of wacky vocal delivery as Brain Dance but on the sort of sequel to Enter Sandman. Despite the setbacks in the personnel department Annihilator have released another great album that is different to their previous album but in a good way, this is the album Megadeth have wanted to make for years, I can't wait to see some of these crackers live at the end of the month. 8/10

Echolyn: I Heard You Listening (Self Released)

I Heard You Listening is American proggers Echolyn's ninth album, they were originally active in the early nineties playing a lengthy style of progressive rock favoured by Yes, Gentle Giant and early Genesis before going on hiatus until 2000. Since then they have released four albums, these retain the progressive values of old, but see them delivered in a more streamlined way favouring substance over style and concise songs over long winded instrumentals, most of the songs on this album don't crack the 10 minute mark with only the sprawling Empyrean Realms coming near with its euphoric delivery evoking those early Yes albums. The American band owe much to UK prog with ELP referenced in spades on Different Days which has all consuming organs and keys, something that continues throughout the album which fuses rock with more jazz passages on tracks like Once I Get Mine. The band also move through the modern neo-prog of Anathema on songs like the dreamy Sound Of Bees. The band also have nods to Rush and obviously Floyd but for the most part it is classic British prog with the five piece band of virtuoso musicians all playing excellently on these nine tracks that have wide spectrum of sounds but all pinned down by Christopher Buzby's keys and the dual lead vocals of Ray Weston and guitarist Brett Kull whose voices intertwine flawlessly on the Jethro Tull-like All This Time We're Given before Vanishing Sun brings everything together at the end. This is a strong album from an experienced band who do what they do very well. 7/10

Christian Mistress: To Your Death (Relapse)

There has been a glut of female fronted 'occult' bands at the moment with the whimsical, dreamy rock bands singing of demons and mystery usually with a Stevie Nicks-like chanteuse bewitching the audience with her lilting vocals as the band play intoxicating music. However Americans Christian Mistress have gone against the grain retaining the arcane lyricism but musically they are more akin to the NWOBHM style rock of Diamond Head and even the Scorpions than they are Blood Ceremony, The Blues Pills etc. Frontwoman Christie Davis has a husky vocal that lends the songs some big balls as she belts out the vocal lines over the pumping rhythm section of Jonny Wulf's striding bass and Reuben W Storey's thumping tubs, while Oscar Sparbel and Tim Diedrich furnish songs like Stronger Than Blood with intertwining leads of the early Maiden albums, Eclipse even has the Maiden gallop to give it that extra element of authenticity. There is a lot of influences on this record Neon has the Scorpions written all over it, Walkin' Around starts off with a chiming Angus Young guitar line before moving into another NWOBHM anthem, while Open Road harks to Thin Lizzy and Ultimate Freedom which edges into the occult rock tag mentioned earlier before speeding up with a more metallic middle. Christian Mistress are unashamedly retro with some killer hooks and performances, if you like NWOBHM with a rock edge then you will love this. 7/10

Kill Ritual: Karma Machine (Scarlet Records)

Karma Machine sees the third offering from Californian thrashers Kill Ritual, and despite undergoing a major line-up change, this smasher of a record proves there’s no letting up from the rocking quartet. Clean vocals come thick and fast, but do well to not detract from the grit laid down by what is, at times, technical guitar work. However, it is the melodic riffs that echo power metal and guitarist Andrew Rice’s frequent, yet perfectly placed, leads on guitar that make this offering something special. A powering intro provided by Just A Cut sets a very much fast-paced buzz, that rhythmic offerings such as Just A Cut and The Enemy Inside do nothing to dispel. A curve ball comes in the form of The Key, deceptively beginning as the album’s greatest attempt at a softer ballad; before utilising some clever guitar work to tear into another up-tempo corker. The title track Karma Machine is, however, by no means the greatest contribution, falling a little short of creating a real hook, whilst the inclusion of carnival-esque sound effects at song’s end adds nothing. Overall, it’s easy to see why Kill Ritual are gaining notoriety for their contemporary twist on thrash, Karma Machine once again breathing life into the genre and setting them apart from more traditionally associated acts such as Metallica and Slayer; whilst still rocking hard. 8/10

Stereo Nasty: Nasty By Nature (Independently signed)

Squeeze into the spandex, don the denim cut and quiff up your bouffant; as slick 80’s throwback metal band Stereo Nasty are blasting us to the past, and if the Irish four-piece are attempting to prove something with this debut; then prove something they sure do. Nasty By Nature manages quite a feat; by utilising gravelly vocals that echo Mark Tornillo or Biff Byford; and combining them with good few heaps of stellar riffage; without sounding like a sub-par knockoff revival band. Whilst it’s hard to pick stand out tracks on an all-killer album, Death Machine notably utilises a steady hook to build anticipation before catapulting in with tearing vocals; and relishes a rapid pace before dropping a solo worthy of your slickest air guitar. Classic metal appreciation comes from In The Blood, with the choral declaration of ‘I've got that heavy metal blood running through my veins’; providing the perfect ingredient for a roaring metal-head anthem. The final three tracks of the album Under Her Spell, The Warrior and Demon Halo, all appeared on their initial demo; but their given revamp leads them effortlessly in and adds to this banger of nostalgic charm. Overall, this album leaves me with a feeling I believe every good metal album should, a need to see this band live ASAP! 8/10

Neck Deep: Life’s Not Out To Get You (Hopeless Records)

If pop-punk is your thing, and lets be honest we have all been known to at least hum along to a catchy teenage pop-punk anthem (I implore you to think Sum41 here); chances are; you may already know Neck Deep. Formed in 2012 in Wrexham, Neck Deep are hailed by peers as being at the forefront of the new wave of the genre; having scooped a few notable accolades under their relatively-young belts, including Kerrang’s 2014 ‘Best British Newcomer’. Life’s Not Out to Get You drops straight into Citizens Of Earth’s youthful riff that wouldn't find itself out of place starting up an early Blink 182 album; before being met with a vocal approach by Ben Barlow that begs influence from Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynold’s anguished raps. Interestingly, this is where these vocal similarities end; as they are seemingly and confusingly dropped for the remainder of the album, being replaced with the a-typical Americanised nasal drawl synonymous with the genre. Overall, LNOTGY follows the typical formula for an album attempting to musically recreate the emotional rollercoaster of teen life. You've got your raised-tempo; middle finger up in Serpents, your acoustic attempt at a reflective ballad in December and there’s no denying all are delivered by an energy akin to that produced in a Mentos and Coke experiment. But to me, it’s all been done a thousand times before, with a thousand different faces and there are only so many ways you can moan about teenage girls that have broken your heart, on one album.
5/10

So in a change to what we normally do here's a round up of some of this weeks live events, this is purely due to frequency and not being able to give a full review of each gig due to various reasons.

The Graveltones (Fuel Cardiff)

First up was two piece The Graveltones who I'd seen the same day playing a short totally electric 'acoustic' set (they were plugged in) set in the legendary Spillers Records, so after a little flip over to Fuel it was time to see their full electric show and they really pulled it off, Jimmy's stabbing guitar bursts out garage blues licks that Jack White or The Black Keys would be proud of and also howling at the moon vocally while he rocks and rolls, the usually mild mannered Mikey becomes possessed behind the kit flailing like a silver back in the louder moments but also casting a spell with delicate percussion. A furious set of songs from the duo showcasing their new album in the live arena as well as playing tracks from the debut album to a crowd that lapped it up in droves, a great set from a band that have a live buzz. 8/10

Grand Magus (Marble Factory, Bristol)

Into the second home once more this time with our groups power metal loving twins. After sitting through Heaven Asunder who sound like Killswitch Engage playing Avenged Sevenfold songs *shudders* it was time for the Swedish trad metal warriors, J.B, Fox and Ludwig to take to the stage to the theme from Conan The Barbarian. The crowd were cheering as the band blasted straight into I, The Jury with the hammering drums of Ludwig and the thumping basslines of Fox driving the bands trad metal onslaught as J.B riffed for his life and sang the songs of iron and stell with his sonorous vocals, this was a greatest hits set punctuated with the enjoyable between song banter that Grand Magus do so well, it is self depreciating and also inspiring getting the crowd to chant and clap along allowing everyone to join in the fun. Sword Of The Ocean bled into Kingslayer and as the set progressed we got Steel Versus Steel the always impressive triple threat of Iron Will Raven's Guide Our Way and Like The Oar That Strikes The Water. The set flew by and we were at the end in no time with Valhalla Rising, Triumph & Power ending the main set but Magus are not a band to faff about with encore thanking the crowd before the enormous set ender Hammer Of The North which came with the obligatory 'whoahs' at it's end. Magus once again played a blinder laying down the gauntlet to co-head-liners Ensalved who didn't really live up to the expectations for me. 8/10

Winterfylleth (Thekla, Bristol)

The final gig of the week was in Bristol again for British pagan black metallers Winterfylleth, this time I was with my long term gig companion and our apprentice. Due to a late arrival (and some beverages) we missed the support bands arriving just as the headliners took to the stage. Always a force to be reckoned with and a mesmerising live act I was surprised to see how empty the Thekla was on a Friday night, this is a tremendous shame as Winterfylleth are one of the truly truly unique bands on the metal circuit mixing unrelenting black metal with folk and pagan influences. The band kicked off their technical display with The Divination Of Antiquity and something didn't seem right, despite the band playing with the amazing virtuosity they always do the sound was bit weird (much like it was at Hammerfest) so after the The Ghost Of Heritage there was a lot of tuning and sound checking to get things right meaning there was a gap in proceedings while the audio gremlins were sorted, dutifully the hardcore crowd waited and with the layered delivery of Winterfylleth was back in full swing, the band have real magic about them live, they don't move much, quite the opposite Chris Naughton stands steadfast as he furiously shreds away aided by long term conspirator Nick Wallwork on bass, they provide the steadfast rhythm section, anchored by Simon Lucas' drums, that make the Winterfylleth sound, while Dan Capp plays the mellifluous leads that give the band a real depth. The Wayfarer Pt 1 was very well received and yet again showed off Naughton's demonic but crystalline vocals, the black metal genre is always a bit hit and miss with me but Winterfylleth have such good songs delivered with real prowess, that it's hard not to like them, tracks like A Valley Thick With Oaks, Whisper Of The Elements show crushing brutality and also a pastoral whimsy with acoustics placating the ferocious assault. The set ended with the always impressive Defending The Realm and with a few thank you's the night was over, this by far was the best gig of the week, an intimate venue, with a dedicated fanbase watching a band that are never less than impressive (sound issues aside). 9/10

David Gilmour: Rattle That Lock (Columbia)

Endless River signalled the end of an era for the guitarist and de-facto leader of Progressive Rock legends Pink Floyd, this was the groups final recording delving into the archive to create a tribute to their fallen comrade (keyboardist Rick Wright) and laying everything to rest. Gilmour is now a liberated man, he hasn't got the expectation of another Floyd album hanging around his neck which means that the man who has been the voice and guitar of Floyd for many years is now finally free to experiment and he has taken the opportunity of his first solo album in 9 years to widen his sound drawing from a few influences while maintaining that sound that is synonymous with him. Instrumental 5 a.m starts the record off and much in the style to Cluster One which opens Floyd's Division Bell album, it builds from relative silence into an acoustic led track that features Gilmour's definitive flowing guitar playing, however unlike Cluster One it fades after two minutes into the funky title track Rattle That Lock which is driven by Steve DiStanislao's cowbell-led drums and percussion, a reoccurring chime, hammond from co-producer Phil Manzanera and long time sideman Guy Pratt's walking bass line working with Yaron Stavi's upright bass playing. With it's gospel backing vocals from Mica Paris and Louise Marshall and funky rhythm it could be a real shake to the system for old school Floyd fans but as soon as Gilmour plays his searing solo the old wizard is still there.

Gilmour's solo work has always had an ambient sound and this album continues with this, Faces Of Stone starts off with a sparse piano intro before morphing into a folky acoustic piece that Floyd followers Mostly Autumn have done so well, it is the sound to a Parisian wonderland with piano and acoustic guitar working in tandem (both supplied by Gilmour) as the accordion adds the sense of drama to Gilmour's soulful, lazy vocals, that deliver his wife's poetic, wistful and sometimes heartbreaking lyrics with passion. The song swings away until the climactic solo sets your ears ablaze and saunters into the dreamy, romanticism of A Boat Lies Waiting which features Brian Eno (yes Brian Eno) on piano and the unmistakeable harmonies of David Crosby and Graham Nash working with Gilmour to sculpt one the albums most delicate and gorgeous songs. The jazz comes out on Dancing Right In Front Of Me which has the atypical upright bass and tapping percussion on a song that is one of many that has the superb orchestration of Zbigniew Preisner who marvels on In Any Tongue, Beauty is another instrumental which yet again has those ambient elements mentioned earlier, the guitars once again come to the fore as Eno once again adds atmospheric piano.

As Beauty drifts away we go back to the smoky jazz clubs for The Girl In The Yellow Dress which even has a sax and a parping cornet from Gilmour's old mate Robert Wyatt, this track slinks away and moves into the final 'proper track'Today which sees the most amount of musicians contributing with Pratt, Manzanera, DiStanislao all returning with the backing vocals of Paris and Marshall and the orchestrations of Preisner filling out the sound of this funky, whimsical uplifting rocker which has more than an element of Young Lust to is possibly due to the dual electric pianos and Gilmour's flirty and teasing vocal harmonising with his wife's wonderfully, finally And Then... is an instrumental that suitably ends this sprawling album beautifully. For Floyd fans this will love this album, as expected but also many non Floydians will too, it's a gorgeously constructed album of songs with Gilmour drawing on his childhood influences too. Yet again the work rate is as fast as a tectonic plate but it delivers and earthquake every time! 9/10

Chris Cornell: Higher Truth (Universal)

For the first time since Soundgarden's 2012 comeback King Animal their erstwhile frontman has returned to the recorded scene with his first solo album since 2009's critically panned Scream. Happily Cornell has gone back to his roots on this new record crafting an intimate acoustically tinged record with producer Brendan O Brien, the album for the most part is a showcase for Cornell's song writing playing and of course that unmistakable voice, the drums are either programmed or minimal meaning that everything is focussed on the warmth of the vocals and guitar combo. The genesis of this album comes from Cornell's Songbook acoustic tour where it was just him and an acoustic guitar and while this album is not strictly acoustic it has it's roots in acoustic playing. Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart is the perfect opener for the album with a lead mandolin backed by hand claps giving a powerful opening that shows occasional bursts of fussy electric soloing. Dead Wishes has a more country fell to it and is the first real showcase of Cornell's voice over the top of the acoustic plucking, piano and shuffling drums. Dead Wishes is a fantastic song, in fact most of this album is excellent, its not as stark or confessional as Euphoria Mo(u)rning or as rocky as and polished as Carry On but it is a superb collection of songs that look to Cornell's roots and make you feel something in the pit of your stomach, from the harmonica break on the bluesy Worried Moon, to the drum loop backing of the lumbering Before We Disappear which sounds like a condemned man's lament (or even a Bonamassa song).

Through The Window is beautiful in it's simplicity just a layered guitar with hints of an electric six string at the back and Cornell singing of regrets and sorrows. No this isn't Soundgarden, it's not a big pile of hard rock angst, it's not the open confessional of Cornell in his early solo records, no this is a new revitalised Cornell who finally seems at peace with himself, it's an album of acoustic rock songs in the fine troubadour style, looking to his influences for inspiration; with songs of love on Murder Of Blue Skies and the title track, which owes a debt to The Beatles with it's cacophony of noise at the end, something that moves right through to the final (on the normal edition) Our Time In The Universe which has an Indian vibe. Along with the songs of love there are also the ones that deal with loss and even happiness on Only These Three Words. This is what I would call a late night or indeed Sunday afternoon album, the ideal album to play in the comfort of your home surrounded by loved ones, put it on and let it's toasty glow engulf you. 9/10

Shinedown: Threat To Survival (Atlantic)

The Jacksonville Florida band come back with their fifth album and yet again they keep the sound that has seen them reaching the heights of the Billboard Number 1 time and time again, but once again evolving it much like they did on their previous release. Asking For It has a repetitive hook and an electronic backing on top of a punky guitar riff from Zach Myers that establishes their return with style. What is most noticeable are the electronic elements that are present throughout adding that modern sheen to Shinedown's alt metal songwriting. The bands albums have always greatly excelled their live performance with Brent Smith's vocals bolstered by the production allowing him to use all kinds of effects on songs like the swaggering Cut The Cord which harks back to Bully from Amaryllis with it's big child choir chorus. Again this album has big songs with HUGE hooks,, see How Did You Love and Outcast for two tracks that compliment each other slickly but this time as I've said they have added more influences with some industrial components and some sleaze on the percussion driven It All Adds Up.

The first part of this album is big riffs with a shout along value a good 7 songs have this chest beating approach with no slow down they are either fast or have some huge rhythms to get your head nodding, Oblivion is the most notable with it's sparse drum fuelled rhythm. Things slow down on the power ballad of Thick As Thieves which employs a bass drum and finger snap backing as well as some piano and acoustics, Black Cadillac things up a bit as it is swamped by synths and drums meaning that it feels a little like FNM in one of their more mainstream moments, however it's the finale of Misfits that really leaves a mark (scar?) as it too is built on synths and electronic orchestrations, this is a ballad on the scale of Nickelback with a bit of 80's synth pop thrown in for good measure, if any song is going to bring them another number one (ala Second Chance) it will be this one. With a more industrial sound than before the heartfelt lyrics and big rock riffs are still all here meaning it will not alienate old fans but what it will do is gain them a whole load of new fans, which for a band that are as talented and popular Shinedown is all that they can hope for, as I've said yet again they have made a slick album of modern American rock music. 8/10

Rock Diabetes - Fire And Forge Festival 2015, Trowbridge Civic Hall, Wiltshire

Across the bridge and into the middle of the beautiful county of Wiltshire for a 12 hour day festival, with a lot of bands that are well known on the British metal scene, the festival took place inside the Trowbridge Civic Hall with two stages (one large, one small) filled with over 20 bands, as a bonus all of the money raised by ticket sales and indeed a percentage of the bands merch sales went towards finding a cue for type 1 diabetes. So rock and roll for a good cause then lets get too it.

Soldier (7) were first up on the main stage and they played a strong set of powerful British heavy metal, Soldier are a revitalised NWOBHM band and their classic metal won over a lot of people in the crowd (they sold a LOT of merch) starting things off on the main stage in style, despite me only being able to catch a few songs. Over on the second stage it was Bite The Hand (7) who had played a good set of hard rock with bluesy bits to shake things up. After this bit of blues it was time for a bit of brutality on the main stage with Plymouth thrashers Huron (8) who were playing their first gig without their frontman Knievel who left after Download this year, the band are now trimmed to a four piece with bassist Rohan James taking over the vocalist role while also providing the bass, this is mighty modern thrash ala Machine Head with technical playing and aggressive songs that got the crowd banging their heads, I've never seen Huron as a five piece but as a four piece they were excellent providing the first real metal moment of the day when the threw in a cover of Testament's Into The Pit just for good measure. Great band that should go from strength to strength after this performance. Back over to the second stage to catch some of the West Country's answer to Crowbar or indeed BLS, Black Forge (7) they play big metal riffs biker style, with cut off leathers and beards galore, the band had some good songs but suffered with bad sound in the second stage meaning everything was very muddy although that could have been the point. With Warlord pulling out at the last minute it was Twisted State Of Mind (7) that took over their position on the main stage, they were full of youthful exuberance and boundless energy.

Staying on the main stage it was time for Triaxis (9) to step things up a little their professionalism was easily noticed, they were slick and drilled unit playing their most fierce material in the shape of Victorious, Liberty, Sand & Silver, Death Machine and Black Trinity battering the crowd that grew during the set, the band as usual played with ability and skill vocalist Krissy once again showing here power even though she was struggling with a hell of a cold, although you'd never notice. If I was to say one thing it's that they were on far too early, meaning they had a very short set for a band of this calibre, they should be much higher up the bill, a quick turn around and back onto the second stage for Triaxis bassist Becky's other band Control The Storm (7) the band play female fronted heavy metal with symphonic styling, their big sound was once again rendered a bit mute due to the poor sound, still the band ploughed through and delivered. Following them were Valous (7) who played gritty metal in the classic style early Maiden sound (a hark to the headliner) with rumbling bass and spiky guitars once again the room let the band down again. Back on the main stage for some chest beating groove metal in the shape of Black Acid Souls (8) they have a real menace about them with mixing thrash and groove perfectly to bring a chugging stomp to the main stage and once again lifting the spirits with fat riffs and booming vocals. Over to the second stage for classic rock worshipping Freeway Mad (8) who are deep in the 1980's classic rock vein of Y&T and followed by Jettblack, with some shirtless guitar fireworks and cowboy booted vocalist who screamed his head off throughout a thoroughly entertaining 45 minutes and the first band to have decent sound on this second stage.

Back onto the main stage ready for the 'Goth Kings of Manchester' Sinnergod (8)who brought a sense of darkness to proceedings playing, electronic Goth metal with big swathes of riffs and synths that was part Manson, part Placebo with less divisive vocals, they played Goth metal with emphasis on the heavier aspects and were not adversed to a solo either, for the most part they were bouncy Goth metal that got the girls (and one guy) dancing along to the darkness. As things changed over a local DJ had a bit of an Alan Partridge moment with some terribly unfunny stand up which made everyone wish he would just naff off and let the bands play. Happily it was time for Worcester trad metal heroes Fury (9) the band are Maiden meets Metallica who always play for their lives on every song having that epic feel of thrashy speed riffs, melodic vocals from Julian and bags of enthusiasm. The band ballsily played two new songs opening with one called StarTrooping and the other coming towards the middle of the set. After opening with a guitar rendition of the Blackadder theme you knew the band were going to have a lot of fun on stage. As well as the new stuff the band played classics in the shape of Dangerous World Out Beyond The Stars and the epic Britannia and Drunken Sailor both brought the house down. Third time at this festival and it showed by their performance which was once again fantastic. They get a bonus point for having the Union Jack instead of the George Cross draped on their amps as well as the Scottish and Welsh flag.

Unfortunately due to some very bad timing Cypher 16 suffered as they happened to be on at the same time as one of the most important games of rugby in the entire world cup, however I was near enough the second stage to catch Voodoo Vegas (8) bring their brand of big party rock and roll to Trowbridge. They are well in the tradition of Aerosmith and co, with big hair, big riffs and big balls they were the perfect end for the sweaty second stage, showing that even in a small venue they can captivate a crowd and get them rocking. Buoyed by a nail biting Welsh victory and being one of the few Welshmen in the building I was in a very good mood as I went straight into Absolva (9) who sounded better than ever in their new four piece formation, rhythm guitarist Luke Appleton returning to the fold after his dalliance with Iced Earth, this gives them more guts than before. They proceeded to get the fans in close, drawing the biggest crowd of the day as they ran through their rampaging metal with new stuff from as yet released album as well as glut of older tracks like Flames of Justice and Code Red that are all once modern and retro. Absolva put in a performance worthy of headline status and they also have a link tot he cause with frontman Chris being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes four years ago. So it was time for the headliner and really it was doomed from the start, after Absolva's amazing set having to suffer through a raffle and an auction at 10:45, then technical difficulties, after being in the venue for nearly 12 hours was trying my patience, but after being informed that frontman Paul DiAnno was waiting for an operation so would be sitting down for the gig, things went from bad to worse for The Architects of Chaoz (5) who were playing their first gig in the UK and it also marked Paul DiAnno's first performance in the UK for 10 years. Firstly their sound was appalling the bass was overpowering everything drowning out DiAnno's voice which has greatly improved from his Maiden days, the sound problem was only heightened when he ran through Sanctuary, followed by Prowler and the guitars were barely audible, as an upside the Architects Of Chaoz songs sounded good but would have been better if the sound was good. The final nail in the coffin for DiAnno was that between the songs he did nothing but complain about the crowd and the venue, using offensive remarks throughout to goad the crowd. I can see why DiAnno hasn't played in England for 10 years, he is so far removed from the British scene that he looked like a dinosaur.

All in all a nice little festival that needs a little bit of tweaking in the technical department and indeed the line up creation to make it a very good one indeed.

Annihilator: Birmingham 02 Academy

A rare appearance on UK shores from Canadian old school thrash merchants Annihilator was sufficient to whet the appetite of six of the Musipedia crew back in June when their five dates were announced and eventually the date arrived.

Arriving at the air conditioned (and rather chilly) smaller 02 Two venue shortly after 8pm it was surprising to see a very sparse crowd gathered. We missed the first support band (sorry Harlot but getting to Brum on a work night is always a challenge) and quickly wished we missed the second lot too. As a few more bodies drifted into a pretty subdued atmosphere, there was the farcical sight of Santa Cruz thrash outfit Archer (5) sound checking, hiding behind the amps and then stomping out to their stirring intro music. Unfortunately the stirring music fizzled out there and then and we were treated (if that is the right word) to 40 minutes of pretty tepid thrash. Now, these guys can play their instruments, and I hate being negative because they get up and give it some but the bottom line is that their songs were just average. A few tracks from their new release Culling The Masses and a few tasty guitar solos from Zakk Wylde wannabe Dylan Rose was about all I can remember. Oh yes, a minor and very pointless bass solo from Derek Smalls, sorry David De Silva and a bland cover of Megadeth’s Tornado Of Souls too. If you are playing in Birmingham, you really don’t have to tell the crowd that you are at the home of heavy metal. We get the picture. Oh, and a final comment … stop saying “fucking A” six times in a row. It just makes you look limited. Sorry.

A good 40 minute wait, and the venue had swollen to maybe 250 hardy souls by the time Rock You Like A Hurricane blasted out of the PA. Yep, Annihilator (7) let the whole bloody song play out before hitting the stage. Yawn. Anyway, this being the first night of their European tour, I suppose it is expected that there will be the odd technical hitch. And so it proved, with some very ponderous change overs during the lengthy set. Opening with King Of The Kill, remaining original member Jeff Waters shredded and gurned for Canada whilst his assembled musicians for hire did a sterling job alongside him. It is no secret that Annihilator have an almost revolving door policy with band members joining and leaving at a rate of knots. Still, as Matt noted, the multi-talented Rich Hinks from Aeon Zen was pulling excellent base duties whilst Aaron Homma delivered solid support on rhythm guitar and wind milling.

What is it about Canadian rockers? Just like his fellow countryman Devin Townsend, Jeff Waters is absolutely bonkers with insane ramblings between songs and after a while you can clearly see why Annihilator’s songs are a little bit chaotic – take Brain Dance as an absolute concrete example of an absolute nut job of a tune. Putting aside the clunky change overs, Annihilator demonstrated how far bands like Archer have to go in terms of both quality and delivery. Finely tuned and cohesive, the band cruised through an eclectic set which went on for ages. Getting the new stuff out of the way before playing “the old shit” is an interesting ethos when you are touring to promote your 15th album but that’s what Mr Waters said. So after blasting through Suicide Society and Creepin’ Again it was time for heads down thrash with Set The World On Fire and finally, the first pit of the night as W.T.Y.D received a warm reception as Waters showed that he can riff and shred with the best of them.

And then we had to have it. A fucking drum solo, all seven minutes of tub thumping from Mike Harshaw. Canadians and drum solos eh? Who’d have thunk it? Ironically, having started relatively late and bloated the bill with two support bands, Jeff then stated that the band had six more tracks to play but had to cut it to two. A quick straw poll resulted in some violent pit action for Alison Hell (and I mean violent with punches thrown in earnest) before set closer Phantasamagoria. 11:20pm and we headed for the cars and a two hour drive home. I'm no party pooper (although a good night for me most days is getting into bed by 10pm) but if you want to play a two hour set, drop a support band, start earlier or at least kick the bleeding drum solo into the long grass. A decent night out although I won’t be rushing to see them in a hurry if it means having to travel across the country mid-week again

Delta Deep: Delta Deep (Mailboat Records)

Phil Collen of Def Leppard has had a glut of other bands that he has played in outside of the Leppard mothership first was glam metal band Girl (that was actually his band pre Leppard) and then came alt-rock band Manraze, however his latest project is perhaps his most adventurous. Teaming up with Debbi Blackwell-Cook (his wife's godmother) he began riffing on some old blues, soul and Mowtown songs that quickly developed into this album they recruited heavy metal drummer Forrest Robinson and Stone Temple Pilots bassist Robert DeLeo. The album is made up of 11 tracks of foot stomping, soul affirming blues music that Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf and B.B King played back in the day but also with a snap of rockier Zep, early Whitesnake and even Joey Bones especially on the thunderous title track. Match this kind of searing blues rock with Blackwell-Cook's amazing gospel blues vocals that echo Chaka Khan or even Aretha in her heyday. She croons on the barroom lament of Whiskey which is a smoky tune with a scorching guitar solo that is in direct opposition to it's predecessor Bang The Lid which is a riotous hand clapping shout along. The rhythm section is rock solid forming the backbone of every song and allowing Collen's guitar playing to show a new level dexterity and also freeness allowing him t just as well as roughing things up with his Rod Stewartesque vocals on Treat Her Like Candy and Miss Me.

This is authentic blues done with reverence, Burnt Sally has the swinging 12 bar riff we all know and love with Blackwell-Cook hollering over the top of it as Collen once again soloing for his life, they throw in a few covers in the shape of Private Number originally by Judy Clay and William Bell, but here performed by Debbi Blackwell-Cook and David Coverdale. Phil tackles Steve Marriot, screaming his lungs out on Humble Pie's Black Coffee backed by his Manraze band mates Paul Cook and Simon Laffy, the final part of the trio of covers is a Mistreated by Deep Purple with vocals from Leppards Joe Elliot who impresses (although surely Coverdale would have been better as he sang the original). With this trio of songs you can get a feeling of what Delta Deep are all about with their own songs echoing this amalgamation of blues, rock and soul and doing them very well indeed. This album isn't as aggressive as his early work and won't be as stratospheric as his day job but it is an album of quality blues rock, well done Mr Collen. 8/10

The Jokers; Hurricane (SPV)

Three albums into their career and surely it's time for The Jokers to be more widely recognised than they currently are. They have been playing their brand of rhythm heavy, classic hard rock that encompasses elements of swaggering blues rock ala the Stones and Free, the stomping glam of T-Rex and Slade all wrapped up in the thumping rock and roll of The Who and Zep, since 2006 and they haven't missed a beat, both of their previous albums were excellent so hopefully with another classic they can finally break that glass ceiling and show the world how they rock. Moving back to the album and the influences, Hurricane starts off with Run For Cover which is like an amalgamation of Free, Whitesnake and The Who with an acoustic bottom line, a slinking chorus and some keys ala Baba O'Reilly. The Jokers move through the the title track with the speed and power of it's meteorological namesake then we get the funky Her World Is Love which is powered by Phil's chunky bass playing and has an air of The Purple One about it. The band are all excellent musicians Dan Evans' smashes his kit to bits on the rocking tracks but can also add a bit of percussive magic on She's On Fire and the acoustic fireside folk of Summer Time (which would sound at home on Zeppelin III), Phil Hartley's bass is most definitely the anchor of the band having the drive to power through the big ballsy riffs and adding the funk as I mentioned previously.

Paul Hurst's guitar playing is part Angus Young, part Paul Kossoff bluesy, ballsy and full of fire, he is just as happy riffing as he is pulling out a passionate fret melting solo, he does both on Angel which is most definitely his showcase. Vocalist Wane Findlay is superb he sounds a lot like Glen Hughes vocally and delivers the songs with the skill of an old hand knowing when to blast and when to croon. AC/DC rears it's head again on the Lockdown which has the prototypical Acca Dacca riff but played with their own style too. This album has peaks and troughs as any good album should the faster songs are balanced out by slower more melodic numbers but Dream is a hell of a ballad that could have come from an Alter Bridge album as it has equal amounts of force and tenderness, that is followed by the one two of the fuzzing first single Silver City which is a bit ZZ Top for it's money, in a good way of course and the Glam rock filled Everywhere I Go and the finale of Rockerman which chugs along with it's talk box guitar keeping it different. So have The Jokers done enough to warrant your attention this time? To right they have! With three great albums to their name (including this one) the band are on the upward trajectory, jump on board for the ride! 8/10

Speedtrap: Straight Shooter (Svart Records)

Bullet belts at the ready for Speedtrap who were formed by former Ranger guitarist Jaakko Hietakangas who hasn't really changed tack with Speedtrap who do exactly what it says on the tin lightning guitar playing, tick-tock drumming and fingernails on a chalkboard vocals. These 8 songs soar past in a flash of guitar fireworks and blistering speed metal, it's not big or clever but Speedtrap take you back to the halcyon days of Shrapnel records, when Exciter, Agent Steel, Mercyful Fate and Overkill ruled the club scenes getting the people metal thrashing mad with their twin axe attacks and blast beat drumming, the Overkill influence is at it's most obvious with vocalist Jori Sara-aoh, who sounds a lot like Bobby Blitz with his screech. Straight Shooter is and album that just builds and builds with every song more of race between the guitarists to see who can finish the song first but this is a benefit to the bands sound, a bit of speed metal mastery is never a bad thing in my book and Speedtrap go hell for leather. 7/10

Riverside: Love, Fear And The Time Machine (InsideOut)

In the numerous albums that we review here at Musipedia Towers during the course of the year, we regularly award a 9 or 10 out of 10 for outstanding releases. Believe it or not, we can struggle to find superlatives to describe the brilliance of the music we have experienced. In 2014 that was the challenge we faced with the breathtakingly brilliant release by Anathema, Distant Satellites; due to its quality, complexity and sheer beauty. In 2015 compiling a top ten for the year is already proving to be a challenge with a quarter of the year still to go; however, Love, Fear And The Time Machine by Polish progressive rockers Riverside is for me, 2015’s Anathema moment.

Combining a huge mix of influences, Love Fear And The Time Machine meshes together into some of the most perfect music I've ever heard. Opener Lost (Why Should I Be Frightened) mixes layers of hard rock with synth driven indie, Progressiveness ala Pink Floyd along with a generous serving of several seminal outfits (think Anathema, Opeth, Wishbone Ash for starters). Under The Pillow contains the edge which Steve Wilson manages to deliver so effortlessly with undertones of the late 80s synthesiser work of OMD, Depeche Mode et al. Complex, creative and delicate, Riverside, Mariusz Duda (vocals, bass and acoustic guitars), Piotr Grudzinski (Guitars), Piotr Kozieradzki (Drums and percussion) and Michael Kapaj (Keyboards and backing vocals) have made an absolute masterpiece which elevates the band even higher than their excellent 2013 release Shrine Of New Generation Slaves.

As well as the progressive elements which wash throughout this album, the indie and late 80s influence of bands such as OMD, The Cure and Depeche Mode really add to the eclectic feel. #Addicted contains the most addictive (sorry!) riff of the year with a beautiful construction and special hooks and melody. One of the most striking things about the band is the quality of Duda's voice, haunting and delicious. Last year’s excellent Lunatic Soul release, Walking On A FlashlightBeam really showcased the variation and subtlety in his vocal delivery and this is continued in spades on this album. Caterpillar And The Barbed Wire, maintains the complex and elegantly structured compositions, with a real Depeche Mode feel as well as some captivating guitar from Grudzinski.

A total change of mood, tempo and pace comes next during Saturate Me, with sweeping keyboards dominating the mix in a perfectly balanced Marillion-esque track. Afloat, like several tracks on this release, is short for a progressive rock release and demonstrates more variety and change. Duda’s vocals have an uncanny Vincent Cavanagh like quality and provide a calm, simple yet incredibly sensitive song. Having commented on the shortness of Afloat, we then hit the heavyweight in the tail of the release with some lengthier compositions. Starting with the six and a half minute Discard Your Fear, similarities with Swedish doom rockers Katatonia are unmistakeable. Towards The Blue Horizon clocks in at over eight minutes but you are so absorbed by the beauty of it. Gossamer light in parts, delicate and fragile throughout and breath taking in construction and delivery, this track makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck!

Penultimate track Time Travellers is an acoustic number, showcasing the many varied influences that have enabled Riverside to create their own unique sound. A beautifully crafted track, this is one that will bring a lump to the throat when played live; so sentimental and emotional. Album closer Found (The Unexpected Flaw Of Searching) provides a fitting finale to an incredible album. With so many influences throughout it is sometimes easy to forget that this band have been working their way through the music world for a number of years. Perfect is not a word I use very often, but Love, Fear And The Time Machine really is that. It is sophisticated and totally balanced; not beer and burger but a glass of wine and time to relax. It is nestling high in the already heaving top ten of 2015. 10/10

Amorphis: Under The Red Cloud (Nuclear Blast)

In the metal world it is almost impossible to keep up to date with the constant stream of new releases, vibrant and exciting bands and live performances. In recent years this has been even more of a problem due to the plethora of high quality music being produced. At festivals it is often the same where you have clashes aplenty. Do you watch band A or band B? Decisions, decisions. One of the bands who have really slipped under my radar over the last two decades is Amorphis from Finland. Initially a death metal band that emerged amongst the flood of other acts through the 1990s, their sound has evolved into a more progressive folk tinged heavy metal. I missed their performance at BOA in 2013 as they clashed with Evil Scarecrow, but by all accounts they were excellent and in their 12th offering, Under The Red Cloud, they have provided all the reasons needed to now finally become fully immersed in their back catalogue.

Under The Red Cloud is powerful, anthemic, thrashy and symphonic; a real quality release and one that demonstrates the quality of the band. It is consistently strong throughout with the vocal delivery of Tomi Joutsen outstanding. He has a combination of styles, Maurizio Iacono (Kataklysm), Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth) Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) and even Nergal (Behemoth) all come to mind as he delivers both death growl and clean vocals with equal aplomb. The fusion of folk, power metal, death and even elements of the frantic drive of Blind Guardian all mix to provide a real mix of innovative and interesting music. The guitar work of Esa Holopainen is excellent whilst the supporting rhythm work of Tomi Koivusaari, bassist Niclas Etelavouri and drummer Jan Rechberger provide a solid foundation. Subtle keyboards underpin many of the tracks, with Santeri Kallio demonstrating his skills. Tracks such as Bad Blood, Dark Path and the Egyptian themed Death Of A King are real quality.

Add in the excellent production of Jens Borgen, who has a CV longer than your arm (bands include Katatonia, Bloodbath, Opeth, Soilwork, Amon Amarth, Symphony X and Paradise Lost) and a number of guest musicians who add strings, percussion (ex-Opeth man Martin Lopez) and backing vocals, as well the orchestrations of the Osterang Symphonic Orchestra and this all adds up to one of the real quality releases of 2015. In another year of real excellent quality, Under the Red Cloud stands comfortably in the upper echelons. 9/10

Ahab: The Boats Of The Glen Carrig (Napalm)

At last year’s excellent Damnation Festival in Leeds, I was fortunate to catch around half of the set of German Doom merchants Ahab (named after the character in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick) before getting myself into position for the ball-breaking set by Bolt Thrower. I subsequently forgot much about what I had seen, mainly due to the Bolt Thrower set eclipsing all before them. However, with the release of album number four, The Boats of the Glen Carrig, a concept album based on William Hope Hodgson's eponymous novel, Ahab now has my full attention.

It is fair to say that Funeral Doom Metal is not everyone’s favourite brew; indeed I know as many who hate it as love it and basing an album on a novel by an author who died in 1918 may not convert many more to the fan club. The Boats Of The Glen Carrig is over an hour long and has a mere six songs; therefore you know some of those are going to be rather lengthy. However, those six tracks contain an incredible contrast. Just as the combination of cheese, beetroot and marmite shouldn't work to make the ultimate sandwich, so this combination of light and shade works when it clearly shouldn't. This album contains riffs so heavy that they crush you to the floor one minute; a mix of death metal growls followed by crystal clear vocals and then some of the most beautiful, intricate passages ever written. It is absolutely brilliant.

The combination of Daniel Droste and Christian Hector’s delightfully delicate and gentle guitar work merged with the powerful mind blowing riffage make this release sound effortless and unique. Stephen Wandernoth’s bass and Cornelius Atlhammer’s drumming complete the mix. Highlights include the album opener, The Isle, which effortlessly mixes huge crashing riffs with idyllic and peaceful passages and the terrifying The Weedmen, a 15 minute epic towards the end of the album. No uplifting songs about love and flowers here, just macabre and misery with riffs that decapitate if you stick your head out. Combine The Boats Of The Glen Carrig with a clear night, a huge spliff and you’ll be away. Just don’t study the fantastic cover at the same time …. 9/10

Paradise Lost: Wulfrun Hall

Another trip to the Midlands for a night of dark morbidity and three bands who proved excellent value for money. Having dined in a pub that resembled the Cantina in Episode IV, we headed for the Wulfrun Hall and realised why the area was flooded with some rather aggressive looking chaps; it was fight night at the Civic Hall. Skipping past the queue who were looking forward to a night of professional boxing, we joined the much smaller line waiting patiently for the doors to open.

Bang on 7:30pm opening act Lucifer (8) hit the stage. A heady mix of Sabbath, Cathedral, Zeppelin and Sleep, Lucifer know where their roots are and stick closely to them. Doom fused with heavy riffs and sludgy bass lines, this is a band who, similar to Orchid are sat firmly in the 70s but with a sound that really appeals. Given the fact that vocalist Johanna Sadonis (formerly of The Oath) and Cathedral guitarist Gaz Jennings comprise half of the band, it probably isn't a surprise. The band put in an excellent half hour with tracks from their debut release Lucifer I. Sadnois’ impressive voice and Nicks/Joplin moves captures the attention whilst alongside Jennings riffage, Dino Gollnick (complete with Blackmore style Pilgrim hat) and drummer Andrew Prestige laid down the heaviest of rhythms. As the crowd slowly built, Lucifer’s driving sound produced a solid and enthusiastic response.

A quick turnaround allowed Swedish Death Metallers Tribulation (9) a good 40 minutes to make a mark. And make a mark they did. Black metal is a strange genre and if done well can be really captivating. Tribulation hit the ground running and delivered an impressive set featuring several tracks from this year’s excellent The Children Of The Night as well as a couple of older numbers. Vocalist and bassist Johannes Andersson commands the centre stage, prowling back and fore and possessing a pretty impressive death growl to boot. Meanwhile guitarist Jonathan Hulten gurns and shreds simultaneously, never stopping in his movement around the stage. Fellow axeman Adam Zaars is more reserved but provides some of the most brutal chords. At the back Jakob Ljungberg made time keeping look easy. For all the interest in the shapes the band threw, if their music was shite it wouldn't mean anything. Fortunately Tribulation are musically excellent, with much more variety than the balls out thrash to death approach of many of their cohort. Melody, layered hooks combine with pounding heaviness to provide a pretty impressive outfit. Stunning choice of warm up band.

A smooth change over and the house lights dimmed as Paradise Lost (10) took the stage. Two years ago they played a 25th anniversary set at the same venue which contained a whole host (sorry!) of classic tracks culled from almost every album. They were excellent that evening and confirmed why they are one of the best metal bands that the UK has ever produced. Led by the dour (but brilliant) Nick Holmes, the band delivered a set that was set to awesome from the first note. A combination of new tracks from the unbelievably good The Plague Within release, which were paced throughout the set (take note Jeff Waters) and merged with old classics. Opening with No Hope In Sight, the band struggled with a very muddy sound for the first couple of songs with Adrian Erlandsson’s drums and Steve Edmondson's bass overpowering the guitars of Gregor Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy whilst Nick Holmes struggled to get his vocals heard. However, by the time they crashed into Gothic, balance had been restored and the doom laden guitar work allowed one of my all-time favourites to be delivered with aplomb.

Of course, this was the first time the new stuff has been played live in the UK and it was interesting how simply tracks such as Terminal, the brutally heavy Victims Of The Past and Return To The Sun slotted into the set list. In between songs the Yorkshire delivery from Holmes was superb with deadpan sarcasm prevalent. A rare outing for Praise Lamented Shade from 2007’s In Requiem reminded you of the heritage of the band. Gregor Mackintosh, headband and dreads flowing dealt with the lead work whilst Aedy plays an understated supporting rhythm. The brutally heavy duo of Flesh From Bone and the death crushingly heavy Beneath Broken Earth led to a massive response for As I Die, complete with audience participation before Requiem closed the main proceedings.

An encore of four songs followed, which was excellent and set closer Say Just Words once again proved what a vital band Paradise Lost are. As good, if not better than two years ago, Paradise Lost are firmly established as a brilliant band; it’s just a shame that the venue was only half full.

Once Human: The Life I Remember (earOne)

Oof, this is the first word that comes to mind as you spin Once Human's debut album, the production is crystalline, the playing sublime and the band have a professionalism not always evident on a bands first album, it's only when you look at the bands biography that you see that this isn't one member's first rodeo so to speak. Once Human is the brainchild of one Logan Mader the man who made his name as the axe slinger for Machine Head in the early days of the bands inception but he has since shunned the limelight in favour of knob twiddling for FFDP, Gojira and many more, in a union forged by former Roadrunner head Monte Conner, Mader started to have creative ideas with up and coming multi instrumentalist Lauren Hart who moved to vocals rather than guitar as planned. The collaboration between these two has resulted in The Life I Remember which starts off with a stirring orchestral theme before the riff heavy Ground Zero hooks you with it's sheer outright brutality, this is Mader at his explosive best his flying V unleashing riff after snarling riff as his melodic and flaming hot leads are bolstered by Hart's rhythm playing, but also her brilliantly aggressive vocals that have a lot in common with LOG's Randy Blythe or Arch Enemy's Angela Gossrow, she screams, growls and barks inciting a riot with the savage lyrical content of this album that also has links to the MFH early days and indeed LOG at their most political.

Backing all of this is rhythmic noise of Ralph Alexander's blastbeats and snare drum explosions (Demoneyes) who along with Damien Rainaund's pummelling bass riffs give this album it's stomach flipping bottom end that lets Mader add guitar flourishes to lighten the songs barbarity. The album kicks off with 5 thunderous tracks that sees them going hell for leather and Hart shredding her throat, but on Devil Can Have You she shows that she can also sing just as well cleanly on the songs slower passages, this is blown away by the more industrial elements on Time Of The Disease which is an atmospheric piece with a start-stop riff, an orchestral/choral break before we get a black metal influenced second part that really shows off Alexander's drumming, in fact the second half of this album is where things get interesting, we know Mader can do modern thrash metal but he stretches himself on the latter bit of the album, I Am War is an introduction that builds on the industrial part and then we get the almost djent influenced title track that is bookended by the outro Siren before the album ends with the climactic Growing Colder. As I've said this is a debut in name only Logan Mader has been around long enough to create an album of this high quality, he can still shred like a demon and his chest beating song craft remains undiminished, if you've followed Mader's career thus far you need this album. 8/10

Death Dealer: Hallowed Ground (SMG)

They're back folks, three years after their storming debut War Master the American (by way of Australia) power metal masters come back to once again reclaim heavy metal as their own. This is American Power Metal at it's sword wielding mightiest the shrieking vocals, the super speed riffs, the machine gun drumming and songs of war and power, the band have their influences in Judas Priest and Manowar and these shine through from the opening bars of Gunslinger. Once again Sean Peck's vocals are stratospheric he can really destroy those highs shattering glass with his voice that would make Eric Adams quake (see U-666) as the twin axe attack of Stu Marshall and Ross The Boss continue to just bring riff after beautiful riff with both men showing the kind of playing that has seen Marshall be very in demand in the metal world and Ross The Boss being THE Manowar guitarist no matter what Karl Logan may think. They link well on the true metal licks and trade solos like the veterans they are, however no band can function without a solid engine room and Death Dealer have one of those too with Steve Bolognese's drumming and Mike Davis' bass adding the guts to songs like Break The Silence and the speed to Plan Of Attack (which is a song about Iron Man).

There hasn't been any major deviation in the bands sound since War Master this is traditional heavy metal played by five men that have immersed themselves in for years (hell one even helped create it). This lack of evolution is negated by songs such as Way Of The Gun which is the perfect example of this pure metal sound, with it's strutting riff, triumphant guitar solo and even a drum solo, it encapsulates traditional metal excellently. In fact this whole album is a testament to the shirtless wild metal of America's 1980's heyday that drew from the NWOBHM, added a dash of thrash and then proceeded to take a war axe to the whole thing. With tracks like the rumbling Total Devestation, the thrashy K.I.L.L, ode to metal The Anthem and Running Wild-like Skull And Crossbones are all part of this albums classic appeal. At thirteen tracks the record will mean you have to catch your breath at the end but if you love throwing your fist in the air and banging your head liberally then Hallowed Ground will do for you what War Master did three years ago and what Sign Of The Hammer did 30 years earlier. Glorious true metal! 8/10

Sailing To Nowhere: To The Unknown (Bakerteam)

Italian band Sailing To Nowhere are a bit of unique offering as they mix heavy metal and hard rock much like Tobias Sammet does in both Edguy and Avantasia. Comprised of a drummer, bassist, keyboardist, guitarist and two singers (one male one female) the band play progressively tinged metal that is filled with melodic keyboard passages and chunky rock riffs opening gambit No Dreams In My Night has everything you would want from band like this. The dual vocals work well on the melodic tracks like Big Fire (which has a pop element) and the two soul stirring ballads Lovers On Planet Earth and Strange Dimension, which sees both vocalists having an impassioned delivery similar to that of countrymen Lacuna Coil, albeit with a more power metal backing so think Hansi Kursh singing with Elize Ryd and you would be on the right lines. Every track has booming drums, shredding guitars and the keys adding the classical symphonic layer that Blind Guardian pride themselves on, this is at it's most obvious on You Won't Dare, which is blast beat friendly and features some orchestral flourishes throughout. This is an album that will appeal to lovers of strong metal with a metal edge, they also do a hard rocking cover of Anastasia's Left Outside Alone which ends the album in the same manner that it started. Great debut from the Italians!! 7/10

Clutch: Psychic Warfare (Weathermaker)

It’s two and a half years since Clutch released the incredible Earth Rocker, without doubt their most well received release and one that finally made many people realise what some of us had known for many years, Clutch are brilliant. Psychic Warfare builds on Earth Rocker in many ways, with Neil Fallon’s lyrical genius showing no sign of slowing down, Tim Sult’s blues soaked riffs wandering all over the place and the groove laden rhythm section of Jean Paul Gaster's frantic drumming combining with Dan Maines crack laced bass lines. Back in 2013 Matt commented in his Earth Rocker summary that if you know the band then the review becomes irrelevant as the band have a unique sound. Psychic Warfare is no different but is an album of sheer quality. We are all acquainted with X-RayVisions by now, a superb opener which races out of the traps like a greyhound, all stomp and groove. As usual the melody and hook are mightily infectious and you find yourself tapping along very quickly. This one will incite the pits when they inevitably open with it in November.

As usual with Clutch, they don’t fuck around with lengthy tracks; the overwhelming majority of songs come in around the three and a half minute mark. Firebirds! maintains the momentum, seguing neatly from X-Ray Visions. It contains all the hall marks of a classic Clutch track, Fallon’s vocals on top form. Although Clutch do driving hard rock magnificently, they never stray far from the blues influences which have always flooded their sound and this is illustrated in fine form on A Quick Death In Texas and Our Lady Of Electric Light complete with some quite beautiful guitar work from Tim Sult. Psychic Warfare retains some of the punk tinged hard-core edge of early Clutch, infused with the hard rock and stone metal sounds. Check out Sucker For The Witch and Your Love Is Incarceration and the full-out assault of Noble Savage. Album closer Son Of Virginia is the odd one out on the album, a six minute slow burner that smoulders and entices you to listen harder. With an edge reminiscent of The Regulator from 2004’s Blast Tyrant, Son Of Virginia is very cleverly composed and demands repeated listens. Another outstanding release from a band finally getting the recognition they deserve. 10/10

Hollywood Vampires: Hollywood Vampires (Republic)

In the 1970s the Hollywood Vampires was a legendary drinking club which comprised some of the biggest names in music at the time. President of the club was Alice Cooper whilst other members included such shrinking violets as Keith Moon, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Micky Dolenz, Berine Taupin and Harry Nilsson. Cooper has collaborated with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and actor Johnny Depp to create a super group who perform live with guest appearances from many of the rock world’s Gliterrati. Cooper has also put together the self-titled Hollywood Vampires in tribute to those who have long since departed.

The album features guest appearances from a host of rock legends including Paul McCartney, Robby Krieger (Doors guitarist), Dave Grohl, Slash, Brian Johnson, Perry Farrell and Zak Starkey. It consists mainly of 70s covers with a couple of new songs written by Copper and Depp. Opening with the last ever recorded work of the late Sir Christopher Lee who contributes a voice over on The Last Vampire, a passage from Dracula, the album starts with a new track, Raise The Dead which is a rabble rousing anthemic two and a bit minute typical Cooper rocker. This segues immediately into a montage of covers, starting with a pretty average My Generation. And I suppose this is my problem with this album. Yes, it’s a tribute and it is all very well played but it just smacks a little bit too much of just being all rather pleased with itself. I'm not a fan of cover versions at the best of times and some of the covers are of tracks I don’t particularly like; Itcychoo Park, for example I despise, whilst the inevitable School’s Out towards the end just leave me cold. Whole Lotta Love will no doubt get the average classic rock fan very excited but I'm afraid it just leaves me cold. Cooper has no doubt earnt the right to do whatever he wants and given the rubbish he churned out in his last solo release Welcome 2 My Nightmare 2, it might be small mercy that he’s focused on this instead. The other new composition, My Dead Drunk Friends is another typical Cooper composition with pretty limited lyrics saluting those who drank themselves to death. I'm afraid that this album does very little for me and whilst the musicianship is excellent throughout, I find Cooper’s constant retrospective a little tiresome at times. C'mon Alice, let it rest. The World has moved on. 5/10

W.A.S.P: Golgotha (Napalm Records)

Babylon, the last release from W.A.S.P in 2009 demonstrated that, as much of an arse as he undoubtedly is, Blackie Lawless could still write a metal tune. Six years on and the power is still there. Lawless’s voice remains powerful, with that gravel edged rasp still as strong as it was back in 1982 when his band first crashed onto the metal scene. Yes, the guy has erased part of his back catalogue, with some of the old tunes which made the band a shock to the system all those years ago now filed away for ever. Yes, he’s become a born again Christian (surprising how many metallers are bible bashers these days) but Golgotha contains some excellent hard rock tracks, accessible and catchy, with pounding drumming from the recently departed Mike Dupre, and some fine lead work via Doug Blair who has been with the band for nine years. Underpinning the whole thing is the rhythm work of Lawless and long serving bassist Mike Duda (20 years and counting). With a mere nine tracks, Golgotha surprisingly delivers value for money, six minutes shy of an hour’s worth of tunes.

Opener Scream is classic W.A.S.P, quickly getting the pulse racing as it charges along and the rest of the album is pretty similar in terms of what you expect. I'm unashamed when I say that I really enjoy a bit of W.A.S.P from time to time. It is hard rock/heavy metal reminiscent of the 1980s. Sure the lyrics aren't going to win any prizes for intricacy and some of the tracks on here are pretty tepid; the ballad Miss You for example is just dreadful, Eyes Of My Maker moves a little too close to the God squad for my liking and the tile track is just too “Dear Jesus” (Yes, I know what the title refers to) but there is sufficient on Golgotha to keep the fan base happy and let’s face it; at 60 years of age Blackie isn't looking for the big break now is he? Slaves Of The New World Order is another example of a typical W.A.S.P song, galloping along with a sound very similar to Iron Maiden and that is no bad thing. W.A.S.P are never going to appeal to a large section of the metal world; deemed irrelevant and in all honesty a bit of a joke despite the fact that they have soldiered on following their own ideas and really not giving a fuck. Golgotha is a decent heavy metal album and really worth a listen. 7/10

Denner/Shermann: Satan's Tomb (Metal Blade)

Any self-respecting metal fan should know the name of Michael Denner and Hank Shermann, they are the original guitarists of Mercyful Fate and as such you can kind of guess what this EP is going to sound like, this is furious dual axe wielding occult metal with songs of Satan, the occult and evil in all it's forms. Yes this album sounds an awful lot like Mercyful Fate but that's the point, luckily they have brought some great guests players to help out with their insane levels of guitars skill; Snowy Shaw (who's played for everyone) handles the drums and Marc Grabowski rumbles the four strings, the star however (other than the titular axe men) is Death Dealer's Sean Peck who's wide range can emulate the King himself with satanic growls and shrieking howls. From the title track right through to the parting shot of Seven Skulls these four tracks do everything you would expect from Denner and Shermann and it takes you older rockers back to the days of Don't Break The Oath and that can only be a good thing. 7/10

Between Waves: Paper Chain (Self Released)

Bridgend's Between Waves' first EP is a real diamond of a release, they can be categorised as power/prog rock with alternative influences, in fact as the title track starts things off the band reminded me a lot of Deftones, Perfect Circle as well as The Gathering, Panic Room and Touchstone, mainly due to the vocals of Helen Page who has a distinctive powerful, expressive voice. Musically the band are intelligent and accomplished the rhythm section of Grant (Drums), Andrew (Bass), Richard (Guitar) drives things along with a thumping power that allows Lee's lead guitars to play the intricate melodies over the top. The 5 songs on this record are impassioned, down-tuned, deftly played and delivered, Revelation has a thundering bassline and drum part and is the albums heaviest and proggiest track by far, climaxing in the furious solo as Helen gives a performance that The Gathering's Anneke would be proud of. Deceiver is a grungy track that has AIC in places and Place To Fall is the definite first single as it is a weaving, striking track that has a real story to the lyrics but a radio friendly sheen to it that gets your head nodding. The final track Fathom is a swirling ballad with bratty lyrics and a loud-quiet dynamic that lends itself to the EP ender. This Bridgend five piece have crafted something very rare here an EP that leaves you in no doubt that their debut will be excellent. 9/10

Black Forge: I Am The Dark (Self Released)

I Am The Dark has four tracks that betray this bands relative newness (they formed in 2012), the title track explodes out of the speakers with some sledgehammer riffage, huge drums and vocals that are totally Anselmo if he was from Frome, where this three piece hail from. I Am The Dark (the song) is the albums definite draw with shouted aggressive verses and a melodic chorus that mentions Dime's old favourite "Black Tooth Grin" and slows to an atmospheric middle led by Gavin Rodriguez's drums before the relentless riff of frontman Matt Walpole kicks in again turning into a riff off with bassist Chris Pilmore picking up the bottom end. With the great title track finished we get the more Mastodon flavoured Into The Blackness (the band have something about the night obviously) which once again is all about the riff and Walpole's scarred vocals. This is burly biker metal with adorned by beards and decked in tattoo's and these four songs show that not only do the band deliver in the live space but also on record because of this well produced, expertly played EP. Whereas I Am The Dark is a song with such a driving riff that it doesn't need a solo, Into The Blackness sees a few fireworks at the middle eight before My Ghosts brings yet more stoner metal to the table to finish the electric part of this track before they reprise the title track in an acoustic format that loses none of it's authority. The band that bill themselves as "Pure West Country Metal" have delivered a metric fucktonne of it on this EP. 8/10

Freeway Mad: Dangerous EP (Self Released)

When your debut EP has a cover that features a sexy girl on a Jaguar at the end of a orange-hued street and it is called Dangerous the you will know what is in store. This is late 70's and early 80's hard rock that focusses on sex, sin and fast cars with nods to Montrose, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake and more recently Jettblack. Throw It Away has a real swagger to it and gives George Twydell a chance to show off his serious soloing skill, which he obviously revels in on the The title track has the tried and tested cowbell from Craig Carlaw while the bass funkiness from George Ives is the bedrock of Still Alive. Every song has huge riffs and solos and sees vocalist Tom Rampton delivering his parts with his best hard rock vocal I've heard for a while he can really sing with gusto. This is classic rock at it's finest from band who I hope will get bigger and brighter as the years pass. 7/10

Molllust: In Deep Waters (Self Released)

Molllust (yes the three l's are deliberate) style themselves as Opera Metal and they are most definitely that, with eight different members all contributing the band combine the compelling musical emotion of classical/operatic music with the forceful intensity of heavy metal. I would compare this record similarly to those of Trans Siberian Orchestra, Therion, Diablo Swing Orchestra and Mike Batt's forgotten but excellent project The Planets (which similarly had classical instrumentation with fused with electric instruments). In Deep Waters starts off with it's opening overture, as all great operas do, which highlights the classical instruments more so than the electric ones, Janika Groß's pianos are used to great effect with the violins of Sandrine B. and Luisa B, weaving well with Lisa H's cello and everything being underpinned by Frank Schumacher's buzzing electric guitars. This overture moves straight into the first track Unschuld which has a heavy metal base layer of Schumacher's guitar Clemens Frank's drums, Simon Johanning's bass and Carsten Hundt's drumming. For a song ion German you still can understand whats going on due to the atmosphere it creates before it moves on into Evenfall which is a track that could be featured on a Nightwish or Epica album due to Groß's soaring soprano vocals as Schumacher counteracts with his tenor. The band are all sterling musically you can tell they are all intensely dedicated to the instruments and they use them to craft this impressive album that is a fusion of the classical tradition and metal flourishes, from the doom of Paradise Perdu and Voices Of The Dead, through the emotive Paradise On Earth, the rocking Spring and the operatic Number In A Cage. This album features some great songs (15 of them in fact) and it is well played and produced but it is a bit of a slog if you don't 'get' it but for those that love classical metal fusion then Molllust will take you on a journey you will greatly enjoy. 7/10

Acrania: Fearless (Self Released)

So there are very few times as a reviewer that you come across something totally unique, well Fearless and indeed the band that made it, Mexico's Acrania are unique. The band seamlessly fuse death metal with both progressive and Latin jazz influences. This means that as well as the guttural vocals Luis F. Oropeza R. you also get the death metal-styled super fast riffage and blistering solos from him and César Cortés. However you also get the jazz tone infected bass and drums of Alberto Morales and J.C. Chávez and the furious Latin percussion of Ignacio Gómez Ceja who bongos' like Tito Puente throughout keeping up with Chávez on tracks like Poverty Is In The Soul which has a drum fuelled middle section and a bit of Maiden at the end, as well as Man's Search For Meaning which starts off with throbbing drums and explodes into some parping brass. This all seems reasonably normal yes? Just a bit of Latin music thrown into the mix, making the band have the same percussive drive as Soulfly? Well yes other bands have attempted this and it can be seen as common place, although the real craziness comes when Cortés adds saxophone and Oropeza R. starts blowing on a trumpet and the band take their songs through faster and slower parts getting proggier on every track. From around I Was Never Dead things get more technical and wide ranging culminating in the En El Puerto which has Spanish guitars and leads into the truly insane Hypocritical Conflict. This album is madness but brilliant part Mars Volta, part Soulfly, part Cynic, with heaviness, melodies and fusion galore, if you like things a bit different then checkout Acrania. 8/10

Pokerface: Divide And Rule (Molot Records)

Russia has burgeoning metal scene producing some quality bands of all kinds of genres from black, through death and into rock and straight up metal. Pokerface have taken up the thrash metal gauntlet and it has led them into supporting Sodom, Sister Sin and Sepultura on their Russia and Belarus tours. With some high profile support under their belt you'd expect some good things from the band and you would be right, as All Is Lie kicks in after it's harmonic intro we are straight into the blastbeat heaven of Doctor (the band perform under pseudonyms) with furious riffs coming thick and fast from Nick and Maniac under pinned by Free Ride's bass that is actually quite high in the D.I.Y mix which benefits the band on the groovier tracks like Kingdom Of Hate. Yes this is an album that is pure thrash with songs that blitzkrieg along at a rapid pace, see Existence but they are not just about the speed and no style, in fact quite the opposite they no when to slow down and flesh out the songs, with some drama before speeding back up and unleashing hell, commanded by frontwoman Delirium's deathy vocals, the girl can scream with the best of them roaring and growling with a bratty clean delivery that is sparsely used but overshadowed by the aggressive roars. This is a great debut from the Russian five-piece who show that they know their thrash and play it with tenacity. 7/10

Trivium: Silence In The Snow (Roadrunner) [Review By Paul]

As the classical and very atmospheric intro Snofall starts, an air of anticipation grips you. The opening riffs of the title track kick in and your head starts to bang in time to the chugging beat that pours out. Clean vocals, harmonies and melody powered by new boy Matt Madiro's double bass drumming. It’s good stuff, catchy well-paced heavy metal. Yep, it’s one of the bands that cause a real division in opinion, Florida outfit Trivium. The band that had the audacity to blast into the metal scene over ten years ago with Ascendency and a memorable Download debut which had the metal media wetting their knickers. The band that have been caught between a rock and a hard place in styles, moving from thrash almost death elements to classic rock to technical to just good heavy metal. I've got to be honest, I've seen Trivium many times and they've been excellent for the most part, ignoring one gig at Cardiff University where I walked out as they savaged Sepultura and put in a lousy performance. Even at BOA, in front of hardly their most comfortable crowd they delivered. So musing about the history of the band aside, how is their sixth album? Well, after the title track, Blind Leading The Blind is a decent tune with plenty of meat to it. Unfortunately Dead And Gone is a horrible track; I'm not sure where Matt and co. were going with this but it doesn't work.

The Ghost That’s Haunting You is reasonable but doesn't contain much to retain your attention although it’s got a decent chorus and hook, and what it does allow is Matt Heafy to demonstrate that he has got a very good voice for this type of music. Musically, Trivium have long been solid and very competent. The heads down approach of Pull Me From The Void is welcomed, but the track becomes a little similar to several others on the album, with little to distinguish between them. This changes with Until The World Goes Cold, which is almost old school Trivium, if there is such a thing. Refreshingly different from most of the other tracks, slower in pace and utilising dual guitar layers alongside a gutsy riff, this is a very good song. And I suppose that is what is difficult about this album. Much of it is just the same. Rise Above the Tides sounds just like Pull Me From The Void. There is nothing wrong with this album. It is well composed, reasonably produced and the guitar work of Corey Beaulieu and Heafy constantly high quality. But I've listened to it about seven times and it is just bouncing off me. Nothing about it is grabbing my attention after that opening track which I absolutely love. I've heard many worse albums over the years but the word that keeps popping into my head here is bland. Caught at a crossroads, it would appear that Trivium have struggled to choose a road and as a result have stalled. 6/10

Metal Allegiance: Metal Allegiance (Nuclear Blast) [Review By Paul]

I'm not a huge fan of collaborations. It usually equals pretty turgid results and frequently makes massive egos appear just a bit more pleased with themselves. The recent collaborative tribute to RJD, whilst perfectly well meaning was for me, case in point. However, Metal Allegiance, whilst containing some of the most vital members of the current metal world, more importantly actually contains some really storming music. Who are the constants? Well, Alex Skolnick of Testament, David Ellefson (Megadeth), Mark Menghi and of course, Mr Drummer for Hire Mike Portnoy feature throughout and these guys have been the drivers behind the whole project. So, with your musicians pretty much top class, the focus is on the quality of the vocalists who add their pipes as well as their own influence on the tunes. Opener Gift Of Pain features LOG frontman Randy Blythe and Exodus/Slayer guitar god Gary Holt; it’s brutal; it’s tub thumping and snarling LOG style track. Blythe also contributes screams to Let Darkness Fall, which has Mastodon’s Troy Sanders provide his distinctive lyrical style. Dying Song allows Phil Anselmo to deliver in his inimitable style, this could be Down with slightly less sludge and more metal. It’s pretty damn good. Chuck Billy provides the oral assault on Can’t Kill The Devil; vicious slicing guitars (the addition of Sep's Andreas Kisser helping out) and a thunderous all out thrasher. What else would you get with Chuck at the front? Yeah, it’s pretty much Testament and that is alright with me.

The most intriguing track on the album for me is Scars, which features the classic aggression of Death Angel’s Mark Osegueda duet with the dulcet tones of Lacuna Coil’s Christina Scabbia. Both hold their own, with Scabbia's ballsy delivery complimenting the Bay Area Thrasher's more direct style. Some superb guitar work from Skolnick (possible the most underrated guitar hero around today) on this track. Matt Heafy pops up on vocals and guitar on Destination Nowhere (possibly should have been the name of his new album?) [Now Now -Ed] which has classic Ellefson bass lines running all over the place whilst the riffage increases exponentially. Some decent harmonies on this track; in fact it’s better than several tracks on Snowfall. And so it progresses, with further guest appearances from Hatebreed’s Jamie Jasta, Rex Brown, Bumblefoot and the unusual sound of a four pronged guitar attack from Skolnick, Holt, Kisser and Anthrax skinsman Charlie Benante (who did all the guitar work on Stomp 442) on the anthemic Pledge Of Allegiance. This track is another Exodus/Death Angel thrash assault and perfect for Osegueda to return with his rapid fire vocal delivery. There are hooks and riffs dripping from everywhere on this bad boy. However, for every silver lining there is a cloud and it comes on the final track, an all-out cover of Dio’s We Rock which is just a bit too smug and has a back slappy “aren't we great kind” of feel. Plus it has Chris Jericho on it. Yeah, that sucks. Even some killer shredding from Phil Demmel doesn't save it. It’s a pretty good album which contains some pretty heavy thrash metal. Well worth a listen. 8/10

Parkway Drive: Ire (Epitaph)

Since their breakthrough record Deep Blue in 2010 Australian metalcore merchants have been near the top of the pile of their genre since, they have always prided themselves on writing thought provoking lyrics and teaming that up with intense riffs and brutal breakdowns, this has always set them apart from their peers in the metalcore scene. Since Deep Blue the band have improved on every album adding more dynamics to their songs and expanding their sound, all of which has culminated in Ire their fifth release which steps things up again moving them away from their metalcore roots and into the bracket of bands like Lamb Of God and Devildriver by building on the metalcore base and adding more melodic flourishes. This album kicks off with sweeping guitar harmonics of Destroyer which beautifully fuses the more traditional heavy metal guitars with thundering rhythm section that Parkway Drive have always had as their stock-in-trade. This traditional heavy metal style is retained on Vice Grip which echoes Trivium and even Metallica with it's massive hook-laden chant along cry of "Rise" and some cracking guitar work from Luke Kilpatrick and lead guitarist Jeffrey Ling who peppers this album with sublime solos.

As this album progresses you can feel the metalcore shackles coming off with every song, they have widened their scope massively, Crushed is one track that differs from their early days with some sauntering riffs and even some rap-like verses from frontman Winston McCall who is on fine form throughout snarling, roaring and growling with passion and power delivering every line with venom, his political rallying at it's most effective on Fractures which has nods to their metalcore roots as it creates thoughts of Killswitch Engage with the huge backing vocals and mid-paced delivery that is to the tracks benefit. Fractures gives way to the bang-clap intro of Writings On The Wall which is an orchestral and percussion propelled number that builds from its beginning to the head nodding final part that imitates both FFDP and Shinedown in one song (an impressive feat indeed), Writings... neatly splits the album providing an end to side one, showing that every aspect of this record has been thought about in detail. From the writing and performing to the production and sequencing, the album has the required ups and downs to keep the attention bolstered by the perfect production from George Hadji-Christou.

Equal parts catchy and brutal Parkway Drive have indeed shrugged off most earlier style and moved into the more accessible category allowing their songs to breathe and their song writing to improve tenfold, Vicious merges LOG with some Maidenesque melodies as the chiming guitars drive the song along, we get a brief beatdown on Dedicated but this is washed away immediately by the expansive closing piece A Deathless Song which is a striding, brilliant track punctuated by some classical guitars and a massive riff and ends the album beautifully as it signals that this new traditional influenced sound is here to stay, hinting towards more of it in place on the next album. On Deep Blue Parkway Drive started to get noticed by the wider spectrum of metal fans but on Ire they have stepped up their game and transformed into something all the more exquisite. If you want to hear a band at the peak of their powers look no further that Ire. 9/10

The Winery Dogs: Hot Streak (earMusic)

With ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy now settled on two 'main' bands one being the more progressive Flying Colours and the other being this hard rock trio The Winery Dogs, it means that both bands now have two albums under their belt with The Winery Dogs newest being Hot Streak. This is pure power trio territory with three virtuoso musicians challenging other bands to be as technically proficient and catchy as they are. The band as you probably know features guitarist/vocalist Ritchie Kotzen, bassist Billy Sheenan and the aforementioned Portnoy and as such the playing is without comparison Oblivion has Sheenan doing his trademark 'lead base' thing keeping up note for not with Kotzen's guitar giving the track the feeling of Sheenan's other band Mr Big. For all the virtuosity, which is a given, The Winery Dogs focus on song writing above all else, they are drawing from all elements of hard rock from the AC/DC-like swagger of Captain Love that moves into a Bad Company-vibe at it's climax, through the percussive title track, into the bluesy, euphoric Empire and beyond. All their songs are delivered with real skill and talent, the star of the show is Kotzen who is still possibly the 'least' famous (despite being in Poison and having a long standing solo career) but my god can he play, Empire shows his fleet fingered guitar playing at it's most thrilling.

Vocally too he is superb part Glenn Hughes, Part Chris Cornell his gritty but sharp voice adds a warmth to the ballads like the beautiful Fire which sounds like it could have come off Cornell's most recent album Higher Truth but also delivers fury on the rockers such as Devil You Know and Think It's Over which has a nod to Stevie Wonder with Kotzen handling the Hammond organs and guitar on the soulful track. Whereas Kotzen takes the lead, in full rock star mode his fellow band members are still great although Portnoy has an understated role, in comparison to his previous works, but still plays like thunder from the outset working in tandem with Sheenan efficiently on the funky The Bridge which is led by the rollicking baseline and some deft soloing from Kotzen. The Winery Dogs struck gold on their first album doing the late 80's hard rock thing as good if not better than some of the originals of that time while updating it for a modern audience. Well on Hot Streak they have done it yet again with 13 tracks of hard rock gold, no wheel reinvention but a strong collection of hard rock. 8/10

Tesseract: Polaris (Kscope)

Tesseract are now 3 albums and 2 EP's into their career and they have had three different vocalists, in that period, since their last album Ashe O'Hara left the group and they have once again recruited original vocalist Dan Tompkins, who left to concentrate on Skyharbour, but who has come back to apply his excellent vocals to the bands cleaner more melodic approach that has always been present separating them from the rest of the djent pack, however this was much more pronounced on their previous album where they sculpted more luscious soundscapes over the thumping down tuned rhythm section. As I've said this continues on Polaris especially on second track Hexes which is very bass heavy as Amos Williams does his thing, Polaris does seem to be the album Tesseract have been working towards, it doesn't do anything radically different but what it does do is tighten and enhance everything that has come previously with huge swathes of melody on tracks like the heart rendering Phoenix which is Tompkins' masterpiece showing off his impressive vocals brilliantly, it's tracks like this that shows why Tompkins is really the only vocalist for Tesseract as they seem more at home than they ever have been. In addition to this they still have the massive technical riffs underpinned by an airy clean guitar on Messenger but also the same kind of ambient space rock that Anathema have as their stock on trade on songs such as the propulsive, building Tourniquet. I've said they sound more whole than they ever have letting their creative juices flow a little on the electronic backed jazz-style playing of Cages that once again moves into the soaring anthem Seven Names that ends the album by tying everything the band do well together in one song. The band have always been near the top in their genre but they have been plagued by line up changes meaning that they have had a bit of trouble defining their sound properly. Thankfully with everything now seemingly stable the band can build on this excellently delivered, played and produced album that may lead to them releasing their first album to have the same vocalist on two consecutive records. 8/10

Gloryhammer: Space 1992: Rise Of The Chaos Wizards (Napalm Records)

The second project of Alestorm keyboardist/frontman Christopher Bowes is back for another album of Scottish themed fantasy metal. Unlike his day job Gloryhammer is a more symphonic affair dealing with the ongoing concept of Angus McFife, Crown Prince of Dundee, Heir to the Kingdom of Fife (played by vocalist Thomas Winkler). The band members take up all the roles of the characters, the first album told the tale of McFife's battle against the Dark Sorcerer of Auchtermuchty called Zargothrax (Christopher Bowes), with help from Ser Proletius, Grand Master of the Templar Knights of Crail (guitarist Paul Templing), the Hootsman: Barbarian Warrior of Unst (bassist James Cartwright) and Ralathor, the Mysterious Hermit of Cowdenbeath (drummer Ben Turk). Now on this second album all the characters return travelling forward to an alternative year of 1992 when the titular chaos wizard returns to once again destroy the Kingdom of Dundee. So yes this is all a bit nuts to think about at the beginning of the album but putting the concept to the side the album is full of some cracking power metal songs but with a bigger more cinematic feel than the previous record, Bowes ramps up the symphonic elements throughout fusing the Hammerfall sound of the debut with synth filled force of Sonata Arctica or Stratovarius, as featured on Questlords Of Inverness and the pounding EDM of Universe On Fire. This slight change in sound maybe because of the more modern and futuristic setting of the album, with nods to Californian metal on the The Hollywood Hootsman and once again a great epic track to end that sets up for the final battle on the third album. Gloryhammer. Yet another trip into the power metal world of Gloryhammer and once again it will have it's detractors, but they can snub if they want to, this is a glorious, silly and great album. 8/10

Saxon: Battering Ram (UDR)

The mighty Saxon roar back into the metal fray with their 21st release, the aptly named Battering Ram, a fine follow up to 2013’s awesome Sacrifice. Few bands hold such affection in the metal community and I've yet to meet a metal head who doesn't like them. As readers of this blog will have become fed up of me saying (No Never- Ed), Yorkshire’s finest hold a massive place in my heart due to their being my introduction to live metal in 1982.Since then the band have experienced some massive highs and dreadful lows but in the past few years have really picked up again with some really solid releases. Of course, it is in the live arena where they are at their most powerful and with a catalogue of quality songs the only problem with releasing more music is maintaining sufficient quality to allow the new stuff to mingle with the old school classics.

So what is Battering Ram actually like? Well, it’s fucking Saxon isn't it? What do you expect? Blistering riffs from Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt, powerhouse drumming from the fully recovered drum machine Nigel Glockler, pounding bass lines courtesy of the human dynamo Nibbs Carter and of course, the legendary voice of Biff Byford. Added to this heady mix are the fine production skills of Hell’s Andy Sneap. Anthemic tracks such as Queen Of Hearts, Stand Your Ground and the war themed Kingdom Of The Cross sit shoulder to shoulder with the full on metal assault of the title track (with a Hell like riff to open), a fine Saxon balls out ride, Destroyer which thunders along in classic style and the Hell inspired The Devil’s Footprint. The Hell influence is unsurprising given the presence of Dave Bower on additional vocals, Sneap’s production and their recent touring partnership.

If there is one word to summarise Saxon’s output in recent years then it would have to be consistent. However, what Battering Ram has in spades is all out heavy metal, a conscious shift made from the more rock ‘n’ roll influenced recent releases. Hard And Fast gallops along at break neck speed, Eye Of The Storm commands you to bang your head hard whilst Top Of The World contains possibly the ultimate Saxon opening riff before motoring into an Iron Maiden paced attack. Whilst the performance of the entire band is brilliant, once again the quality of Biff’s majestic voice, balanced and still able to hit the higher notes, is outstanding. This is about as good an album as you can get, and I look forward to breaking the speed limit (only by a mph or two you understand) over the next few weeks; Battering Ram is destined to take up residence in the car CD player. Even the closing track, the humorous drinking song Three Sheets To The Wind (the natural successor to Standing In A Queue?) gets the head nodding. All hail Saxon. Long may they reign! 9/10

Tank: Valley Of Tears (Metal Mind)

Around the same time that Saxon and fellow NWOBHM stalwarts Iron Maiden eased into the good times of the early 1980s, another band from that cohort released their debut, the aptly titled Filth Hounds Of Hades. Tank, like the majority of the NWOBHM bands never really reached greater heights and faded from sight. Filth Hounds Of Hades was actually a really good, gritty punk influenced metal album, similar in vein to Motorhead and with a comparable trio led by bassist and vocalist Algy Ward (formerly of The Damned). Ward reformed Tank in the late 1990s although the line-up continued to change with numerous members joining and leaving. In 2008 a new line-up with guitarists Mick Tucker and Cliff Evans who had been part of one of the earliest line-ups putting together a five piece outfit. Valley Of Tears is the first album from the band for many years and it is a pretty good slab of heavy metal. Aside from Evans and Tucker, it features the vocals of ZP Theart (ex-Dragonforce and current I Am I front man), Barend Courbois on bass and Bobby Schottkowski on drums.

Unsurprisingly the music style is much closer the power metal genre and is about as far away from the aggressive raw debut album released way back in 1982. Now, I'm no fan of Mr Theart, who I always considered a bit of a bell end but his vocal performance on this album is nothing short of stunning. He has always had a strong set of pipes and Valley Of Tears really does showcase his prowess. A very powerful rhythm section combined with some really powerful guitar work from Evans and Tucker and some excellent tracks make this a very listenable album. Opener War Dance allows Theart to really open up; there is heads down heavy metal with gritty riffage (Hold On and Heading For Eternity) and a more bluesy feel during Living A Fantasy. The final two tracks on the album, World On Fire and Hold Your Fire are both no-nonsense power metal assaults, with the former powering along at 100mph whilst the latter, a balls out instrumental brings proceedings to an end with some quality guitar work (ala Steve Vai). Although this is highly unlikely to set the metal world alight or progress this version of Tank (for Algy Ward is still promoting his own vehicle) to greater things, it is a demonstration of the dedication that so many musicians have for their art. And for that, I for one salute Valley Of Tears. 7/10

My Dying Bride: Feel The Misery (Peaceville)

Bradford’s death/doom merchants My Dying Bride return with their 12th long player, Feel The Misery and yes, you sure do. As one of the Peaceville Three (completed by Paradise Lost and Anathema), MDB were at the forefront of the doom movement in the UK. Feel the Misery maintains the despair which the band delivered on 2012’s A Map Of All Our Failures. And My Father Left Forever is a morbid tale, complete with the melancholic vocals of Aaron Stainthorpe and the devastatingly heavy guitar work of Andrew Craighan, both original members of the band who formed in 1990. Thunderous drumming, damning bass riffs and haunting violin and keyboards (courtesy of Shaun MacGowan) litter this release. Death growls remain a feature of the band, with Stainthorpe comfortably shifting from clean to the more gruesome style on To Shiver In Empty Halls. Even with the heating on this chills you to the bone. MDB have stuck firmly to their classic sound and whilst their counterparts have changed sound and style through the years, consistency remains the watchword here. Clocking in at 62 minutes for eight tracks, Feel The Misery provides total value for money. A mausoleum of deathly compositions, Feel The Misery isn't one to put on during a sunny afternoon in the park. In fact, as I've already hinted, it is bloody depressing but yet, somehow remains enchanting. The quality of the musicianship is excellent and Craighan and Calvin Robertshaw combine light and shade in their guitar work. Lena Abe’s brutal bass work underpins the powerful driving riffs which one has come to expect. The title track is an impressive example, combining all of the key elements that make MDB such an interesting outfit. MDB are really not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you like a bit of doomy misery, this album may just make you feel a little better. 8/10

Devilskin: We Rise (Devilskin/Rhythm/DRM)

New Zealand based Devilskin play an accomplished style of post millennium heavy metal fuelled by huge slabs of riffs, powerful rhythms and a big old heap of groove, from the breakdown heavy opening track, the fantastically titled, Elvis Presley Circle Pit the band immediately impress with concrete riffs married to catchy as ebola hook. What the bands major strength is that they are able to turn their hand to a variety of different styles, this album weaves and moves between so many nods to so many genres the record is always engaging, but even though many may see this as a band not sure of their sound, this is far from the truth as their anthemic metallic rock music is brimming with confidence and melody lines to die for but it all has a sound that is most definitely the bands own. Start A Revolution would be at home on a Shinedown album with it's arena bothering chorus, while Never See The Light is a bass driven slide guitar flavoured slice of White Zombie-style hard rock which allows guitarist Nail to give his best Slash rundown solo, once again the band catch you off guard on Until You Bleed which is part Iron Maiden played by Five Finger Death Punch all galloping bass from Paul Martin and antagonistic violent lyrics.

Another jerk and we move straight into Fade which is a ballad of Aerosmith proportions replete with orchestral backing, a searing guitar solo and more emotion than the X Factor editions (in fact this song could be the soundtrack for one of the contestants montages). I've already mentioned how good the band are, their playing is superb, Nic Martin's drums hold everything together like super glue giving every song it's heart beat, but it's frontwoman Jennie Skulander who gives the songs their voice, she gives of the most unique, amazing vocal performances I've heard in a long time on We Rise, her resonant pipes are dark, sultry and alluring one minute; insistent, emotive and compelling the next before she unleashes mighty screams and roars that would send many of her contemporariness scurrying for cover, just give Violation a blast to see what I mean. It's the way she can adapt her vocal to any style that means that even with 14 tracks this album never gets boring or repetitive (although two of those tracks are intro/outros). I'd never heard of Devilskin before but I'm so glad I have now, this is the kind of thing that got my blood pumping when I first got into metal, bands that play well, can write a mean song but do it all with a true style and flair. A cracking album from the Kiwi's now get over to these shores asap!! 10/10

Mustasch: Testosterone (Gain Music)

I've always had a bit of an affinity with Gothenburg's prime purveyors of man-metal, in fact the title of this eighth album is very apt because Mustasch have always filled their music with as much chest beating, rip snorting, big riffing metal as possible, but be that as it may they also have a keen ear for melody that gives them radio staying power. I've always likened the band to Black Album period Metallica and once again Testosterone shows that the band can not only rock out but write a song too. Yara's Song starts things slowly building into an orchestral driven opener that lures you into a false sense of security which allows Breaking Up With Disaster to beat you around the head with a massive guitar hammer before they show their tender side on The Rider which sees frontman Ralf Gyllenhammar giving his all vocally his scratchy delivery shouted with gusto. Now I said about Mustasch always knowing what makes a good song well they branched out a little on this record with the trippy Dreamers moving them away from the massive guitars, while Be Like A Man has a Muse-like percussion and synth behind it that breaks down into a dirty electronic breakdown at the end. I will say though that with all the experimentation on this album they do seem to be stuck in neutral with most of the songs just going along at a mid pace rather than the mix of speedy thrashers, big strutting rockers and massive ballads, there just seems to be the middle two with a high number of slower songs on this record with only the title track and Breaking Up With Disaster picking up the pace. Now I love Mustasch I really do ever since Latest Version Of The Truth but Testosterone just seems to be playing it a bit safe, the bands trademark lyrical excellence stays but the songs are just a bit too safe, please guys next time a bit more oomph! 6/10

Alphastate: Out Of The Black (Self Released)

Greece does have an affinity with power metal and Alphastate are just the latest band to come roaring out of the Mediterranean with axes aflame and all guns blazing. Out Of The Black stylistically in the Judas Priest/Iced Earth bracket with thrashy riffs and crunching rhythms. Musically the band are good it's a simplistic but fun style of power metal that is quite generic but that really is kind of the point. The album really falls down vocally, their singer is dire, yes he has got the atypical European pronunciation, which I actually like, but he seems to be struggling to hit the notes as the majority fall flat. Three tracks into this album I realised that this was not going to get much better so that is where stopped, now if someone like me who is a dyed in the wool power metal fan can only take three songs then how do the band expect to get more notice. We don't ever get too critical here at the musipedia due to our love of music and also my own personal experience in the music industry, but Alphastate need to do something drastic if they want to carry on up the ladder in my opinion. 5/10

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